Five Months

I cannot believe my baby boy is 5 months old already!

He always sleeps 11 or 12 hours (straight) a night.  Some days he takes 4 1-hour naps.  Other days he takes 2 2-hour naps and a 1-hour.  It varies, but he sleeps well so I'm not too worried.  We've begun the process of de-swaddling.  He now sleeps with one arm out of his swaddle, and does fine.  Next we'll take the second arm out, but still wrap his body.  Then...no swaddle!  I think he'll do just great without it.  JJ is now eating 5 times a day...nursing 3 times and getting a 6 oz. bottle twice.  I just wasn't making enough for him.  He also gets baby food and cereal twice a day!  We started at 4 months with cereal and veggies in the evening, and now at five months we're doing fruit and cereal in the morning too!  He really seems to love it!

JJ loves to play!  He spends lots of time on his play mat, in his exersaucer and on the bathroom floor.  (Don't ask me why, but he loves the bathroom floor and will play there while I get ready!)  He loves toys (and remotes, and the computer mouse, and phones!) and will reach out for them constantly.  He's so good now at picking things up and anything he picks up goes directly into his mouth!  He still loves tubby time, and his excema has really cleared up, so he gets one almost every night.

He's still a very happy boy...except for when his teeth are hurting him!  We are definitely in the throws of teething.  Orajel and Tylenol are our friends!  JJ will let out very high shrieky screams...and I know it's from his teeth.  His hands go in his mouth constanty, as well as anything else he can grab.  I feel bad for him, but he seems to be handling it pretty well.  I can see two little white teeth below the surface of his lower gums.  They're on their way!

No doctor's appointment this month, so we'll get the weight and height check at 6 months.  His personality is developing more and more everyday.  We love him more and more everyday.  And we can't imagine our lives without him!!

Rock You Like a Hurricane

I knew there was a song with this title, so today I looked it up on youtube and was going to post it on my facebook.  Fortunately I listened long enough to realize there were some not nice words.  Unfortunately, I listened long enough to make it stick in my head all day.

And since my brother was kind enough to incorrectly sing another song yesterday, I also have Come on Eileen stuck in my head...only I've been singing it "Come on Irene".

So come on Irene.  Rock me like a hurricane. 

I'm bummed because Irene has ruined some plans.  But I'm trying to think positive and look on the bright side and see the silver lining...did I miss any cliches? 

Tomorrow is going to be a stay home day.  No church for me and JJ.  Daddy will be out on fire calls, no doubt.  Caleb's fundraiser has been changed to Wednesday.  I'm hoping no trees fall on our house.  I'm really hoping (reallllly hoping) that we don't lose power.  We'll have candles and flashlights ready just in case...but I'm hoping.

Stay safe friends!

My Reason

You're my reason for living.

You're my reason for running.

You're my reason for loving.

You're my reason for smiling.

You're my reason for cleaning.

You're my reason for waking up in the morning.

(In more ways than one!)

You're my reason for laughing.

You're the reason for my joy.

You're the reason for my love.

You, my dear, are my reason for living.

Wordless Wednesday

(a little early)



Rained out

I'm a huge Yankees fan.  A huge Yankees fan that has never been to a Yankee game, ever!  My husband is a Mets fan.  Mets games, I've seen.  We got engaged in front of Shea Stadium.  But the Yankees are my team, and I was so excited John and I were going to see a game on Sunday.

Everything was set.  John's parents had the baby for the day.  We drove to Poughkeepsie and took the train in.  It stopped right at Yankee Stadium.  And that's where the good times stopped.

Just as we stepped off the train, we heard the announcement.  Sunday's game was cancelled due to rain.  Boo.

Now, I wasn't that surprised.  The forecast was for rain, rain and more rain all day in NYC.  But I had been holding out a tiny bit of hope, that maybe, just maybe they would play in the rain.

So I didn't even get to step foot in the Stadium.  Everything was closed.  We got on the subway and decided to make the best of the situation.  We headed to our favorite restaurant in Little Italy, Cafe Sorento.  After walking a couple blocks we arrived at Mulberry Street.  Which way?  We never remember.  I said left, John said right.  We went left.  Hmm...it's not there.  So we went John's way.  Hmm...still not there.  We went back my way, then looked up the address (I had one of their business cards in my wallet).  We stood in front of where Cafe Sorento used to be...and just looked at each other.  It was gone.

And let me just remind you, the Yankee game was cancelled due to rain.  Rain that was still pouring down making our day even worse!

We decided yet again to make the best of it.  We found a different restaurant and ordered Chicken Parm.  It was good.  It was alright.  It definitely wasn't as good as Cafe Sorento.  After lunch we got some canolis and cookies at Ferarri's.  Soooo delicious.

Time to head home.  We took the train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie, then stopped for dinner at Sonic on the way home.  Pretty much the only thing that went our way the entire day! 

The only good thing about the game being cancelled is I got to give JJ his tubby, feed him and put him to bed.

It took us forever to figure out a date we could make it to the game.  Now we've got to figure out another date.  So frustrating!!  But at least we got to spend the day together!  It was fun despite all the disappointments, and we had a good time just being with each other.

Pass the peas, please!

We shoulda named him Mikey!

Toys vs. Toes

For real, who needs toys when you've got toes??

Not JJ!  :)



C25K - Week One

Monday August 8, 2011 - Day One - 6pm

Phew!  I ended my first run/walk as a sweaty mess from head to toe.  But, I did the whole thing!  Five minute walk to warm up, 8 intervals of walking and running (60 second run, 90 second walk) and 5 minute walk to cool down.  Only I didn't cool down.  I just got hotter and hotter.  :)  I would pick the hottest summer in forever to start running.

I forgot to stretch in the beginning.  Will fix that next time.  I took JJ in the jogging stroller that I forgot had been given to me waaaay back before he was born.  I found it in the garage and it works well.  This is really my only option currently, as John is working mega overtime this summer and basically only has time to sleep and eat before he heads back in.

Wednesday August 10, 2011 - Day Two - 11am

The beginning of the second day seemed easier than the first...but the end seemed harder!  I still pushed through and did the whole thing.  It was the same routine as the first time.  I ended just as hot and sweaty as I did the first day.  My leg with the nerve issue hurt pretty bad.  I'm hoping that this running will help it and not hurt it worse...I really think it will help in the long run.  Haha!  Little joke!  :)

This time I did remember to stretch.  JJ actually fell asleep near the end.  He seems to especially enjoy when I'm running.  What a fun ride!

Thursday August 11, 2011 - Day Three - 6pm

This time the beginning of the run was harder and the end felt easier.  Go figure!  I was going to wait until Friday, but it was a nice cool night and I couldn't resist.  I wasn't quite as hot and sweaty, thanks to the cooler weather and a nice breeze!  My left leg didn't really hurt at all! 

I stretched beforehand, and after.  I cut my cool-down walk a couple minutes short because, well, let's just say it's hard to plan where to run so that I end up at home when I'm done.  I run different speeds each time I guess.  And tonight I'd already gone around our one block 2 times in a row, so I figured I would just end.  And JJ was asleep in the stroller.  :)

Week One Recap

I really do love to run.  I'm so glad to be getting back into it.  I do not, however, like running with the jogging stroller.  I find myself leaning on it a lot, and I know that's not good form.  I am constantly reminding myself to stand up straighter and not put pressure on my arms.  It's amazing how different it feels when I do that.  I won't be able to run without the stroller the majority of the time, so I just need to do better thinking about how I'm running.

If you're considering starting the Couch25K, do it!!!  This webpage has some great information, the most useful to me being the podcasts!  I downloaded the very first one on his list, and it's great to have someone telling you when to run and when to walk.  Otherwise it would be very frustrating to try and figure it out while you run!  The music isn't that wondeful, so I'm going to look into some other ones this weekend.

I am totally looking forward to next week!  If we weren't so busy this weekend, I think I'd be doing an additional day this week.  Crazy, right?!  I enjoy it so much!

Oh, and soreness.  After the first day my legs were pretty sore, especially going up stairs.  But I know the cool-down walk really does help there.  After the second day I was SO MUCH less sore.  Since I just did the third day, I don't really know yet...but I have a feeling I'm not going to be sore.  For some reason alternating the walking and running really seems to work.

There!  I did it!  Week One down.  Probably the hardest week.  I'm so proud of myself.  :)

MiShMaSh

My exercise routine is going well.  I'm planning to do weekly updates, so look for the first one either Friday or Saturday!

After a couple nights of screaming at bedtime (sooooo not my normal baby!) JJ has reverted back to his ways of perfection.  I had thought he may be teething, but now I'm not so sure.  He's a massive drooler, but that's been going on for a long time with no teeth making an appearance.  I'm just glad he's back to being a happy boy!

John and I will be going to a Yankee game on Sunday!  I'm so excited!  I'm a huge Yankee fan, but I've never been to one of their games before.  Should be a fun time.  And the plan is to grab dinner afterward at Cafe Sorento.  Just our favorite NYC eatery in Little Italy.

My parents are jet-setting off to Brazil for a 14-day mission trip.  I'm excited for them, but already can't wait for them to be home!

And now it's time for a snack and bed.  Work in the morning!

C25K

When I was young and skinny I remember mentioning to someone that I needed to exercise.  They were all like, "Whaaaat?!  You're skinny!"  And I was all like, "Duuuuude, skinny don't equal in shape!"

It was true then, and it's still true today.  I'm a little older, and a little not as skinny.  But I'm still out of shape.  My goal isn't to drop pounds, although I would like to lose a few.  My goal is simply to get healthier.

I've felt this way for some time, but have yet to find something that inspires me to keep on keepin' on.  I'm famous for starting things and never finishing them (flylady anyone?).

Enter: running.  I've always wanted to run.  I've even done it a few times around my neighborhood.  But it's hard.  I get out of breath, I get hot, I get dizzy, I get hungry.  Okay, maybe not hungry.  But running, although I like it, is uncomfortable.

Enter: Couch25K.  (Read: Couch to 5K, as in, 3 miles.)

This, I feel like I can do.  It doesn't intimidate me.  (Okay, it intimidates me a little...all exercise does!)  It's only 3 days a week, for 9 weeks.  You can repeat a week if you need to.  This, I know I can do.

What are my worries?  First of all that I won't stick with it.  Scheduling in time for exercise is hard with John's schedule, and we don't have a jogging stroller for me to take JJ along.  Second, I'm worried about my leg.  Still not the same since JJ's delivery, I'm worried it will hinder me.  BUT, I also think this is just what my leg NEEDS.  Third...well, I guess I'm just worried I won't stick with it.

So here goes somethin'.  I'll try to do occasional posts on my progress.  I think my first day will be Monday.  Again, tough to do anything consistent with John's crazy schedule and overtime...but I'm determined!  JJ needs a healthy Mommy!!

A Day in the Life...

Wake up.  No alarm clock, that's no longer necessary.  Hopefully hit the coffee on and visit the bathroom before he's crying too loud.  Feed the munchkin and sip some coffee while I watch the news.

Burp the baby, change the diaper.  Tummy time!  Whoops, he flipped.  Tummy time again!  Whoops, flipped again.  Tummy time for the win!  Okay, have fun on your back then.  Giggling, babbling, playing with his plastic rings.

I do some dishes, hair-straightening, maybe some computer time. 

Fussy baby, how about your exersaucer?  Let's take a walk outside.  Will the jolly jumper work?  Okay, nap time.

Mommy time again.  Finish dishes, do some vacuuming, get dressed and as put together as possible.  Computer time and breakfast.

And he's up!  Feeding time, diaper time, then out the door we go.  Grocery store, cousin's house, Grammy & Grampy's...whatever the day has in store.  Back home in time to eat again and take another nap.

Mommy gets lunch.  A little relaxation time, as well as random chores: laundry, cleaning the bathroom, maybe I'll even make the bed. 

Nap time is over once again.  Feeding time, diaper time, maybe we'll take a walk.  More tummy time, more exersaucer, maybe he'll watch Baby Bach.  'Operation: Keep Baby Happy Till Bedtime' has commenced.  Eat again in there somewhere, then have some 'real' food, cereal and veggies.  Talk a walk.  Play with toys.  Take a tubby.  Eat and go to bed.

Mommy time again.  I get to take a shower, then have my 'sit and do nothing' time.  Catch up on blogs and facebook.  Watch some mindless TV.  Stay up too late, then get up and do it all over again the next day!

<3