I got a book out to hand to P and Z saw and crawled over to me and turned around and sat in the "story" position. AWESOME!!!
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Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
An Afternoon With Daddy
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| Coming home from daycare with her paper. |
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| Looking over her shoulder at Daddy. |
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| Making a mess. |
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| Making another mess. |
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| Eating her "snot rag". (Really, Daddy??!!) |
Having Preston text me pics of my baby while I'm stuck at work? Priceless.
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Three Pics Thursday
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| "Helping" Daddy work on her crib. |
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| Super excited in the bath! |
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| Ready for school this morning with her Spiderman book. |
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
This might be "fun"
1 mile warm-up
Stop and do:
—20 squats with body weight
—Plank (hold for 30-60 seconds)
—20 lunges with body weight (1o on each leg)
—10 push-ups (aim for on toes, drop to knees if necessary)
Run 1 mile at moderate pace
Repeat strength circuit
etc...
1 mile cool down
Gotten from the Another Mother Runner blog. I think this would work really well in my neighborhood because I have a loop that I could start and end in the park where I could do the strength. And this would fit really well with my current "inability" to run without some breaks. I could at least maximize the breaks!! I think I'll try this on my next run.
Speaking of which, 2 runs down already this week, trying to really give myself the best chance at a 3 run week. I've been running by songs, lately. Monday was walk 1 to warm-up, run 3, walk 1, run 3, walk 1 to cool down. This morning I did run 1 (hard)/walk 1 and repeated for 30 minutes. At some point I'm going to just need to buck-up and run continuously, which I know in my head I can do, but I'm letting myself ease into things, and I'm making myself feel ok about it. I'm proud just to be getting out there, since it means a loss of precious, precious sleep while the baby sleeps.
Stop and do:
—20 squats with body weight
—Plank (hold for 30-60 seconds)
—20 lunges with body weight (1o on each leg)
—10 push-ups (aim for on toes, drop to knees if necessary)
Run 1 mile at moderate pace
Repeat strength circuit
etc...
1 mile cool down
Gotten from the Another Mother Runner blog. I think this would work really well in my neighborhood because I have a loop that I could start and end in the park where I could do the strength. And this would fit really well with my current "inability" to run without some breaks. I could at least maximize the breaks!! I think I'll try this on my next run.
Speaking of which, 2 runs down already this week, trying to really give myself the best chance at a 3 run week. I've been running by songs, lately. Monday was walk 1 to warm-up, run 3, walk 1, run 3, walk 1 to cool down. This morning I did run 1 (hard)/walk 1 and repeated for 30 minutes. At some point I'm going to just need to buck-up and run continuously, which I know in my head I can do, but I'm letting myself ease into things, and I'm making myself feel ok about it. I'm proud just to be getting out there, since it means a loss of precious, precious sleep while the baby sleeps.
Monday, July 25, 2011
First Steps!
This weekend my baby took her first steps. Her Daddy set her down on Saturday and moved his hands out a bit and she walked right to him. We tried to get it on video and it wasn't as obvious, but then later on Sunday I set her down a few steps from her bookcase and she walked right to it. And then grabbed a book and turned around and handed it to me!! It was Flip Flap Fly, her favorite. Every time we get to the snake part and I start hissing she giggles like I'm the funniest thing ever. We've got to get it on video. There are so many things that I'm so grateful we had the presence of mind to video because they have been so fleeting.
I feel like time is flying right now. It seems like every day yesterday's major development has become old hat and she's working on a new accomplishment.
Last night I sat her down in her high chair while we made/had dinner. She ate cantaloupe, steak, and baked potato, tiny pieces that I cut up for her picked up by her little fingers and fed to herself, by herself. Even the slippery cantaloupe - she had to work at it, (and she wasn't sure she liked it at first, which surprised me) but she did it. In fact, she loves to feed herself so much that we have to run around removing cat hair from her fingers/mouth on an hourly basis. And if there isn't cat hair around to eat, she'll pretend to take a hair off Daddy's leg and put that in her mouth!
She dances every day, crawls and cruises all over the place. We finally got the stair gate installed because we couldn't keep her off the super-exciting-to-climb stairs.
Every morning when I go in to wake her up she crawls to the edge of the crib and pulls herself up to stand, then reaches up with both hands for me to pick her up. When I do, she lays her head on my shoulder like she is totally exhausted and is super snuggly for about 2 minutes. Then she is hungry. NOW.
She has this new game where she hands me something, and I take it and say thank you and pull it into my chest, then stick it back out to her and ask if she wants it, and she takes it, and we do it over and over and over again.
She also loves to throw a ball, then she lifts both hands up in the air and SMACKS the floor with them as a transition into crawling over to get the ball and throw it again.
She often squeals with glee when she sees a kitty, inevitably warning them of her presence and causing them to run like hell. She can point to or show me a kitty when offered pictures of different animals. She also seems quite interested in ducks.
She still loves to walk while holding our fingers, with chest puffed out leading her, and tiny tushy sticking way out behind. Walking her up to a toy and expecting her to walk around holding it instead of us may just result in a crying jag. Until we pick her up.
She loves to turn lights on and off. She has taken to applauding herself every time she touches a light switch. She also applauds if you say, "Yay, Zoë!" And I swear she claps every time If You're Happy and You Know It comes on her little Scout toy thingy (they must sing that one in daycare).
Sometimes I wish I could just freeze this stage. It is such a wonderful, happy, exciting time. That I'm already nostalgic for!
I feel like time is flying right now. It seems like every day yesterday's major development has become old hat and she's working on a new accomplishment.
Last night I sat her down in her high chair while we made/had dinner. She ate cantaloupe, steak, and baked potato, tiny pieces that I cut up for her picked up by her little fingers and fed to herself, by herself. Even the slippery cantaloupe - she had to work at it, (and she wasn't sure she liked it at first, which surprised me) but she did it. In fact, she loves to feed herself so much that we have to run around removing cat hair from her fingers/mouth on an hourly basis. And if there isn't cat hair around to eat, she'll pretend to take a hair off Daddy's leg and put that in her mouth!
She dances every day, crawls and cruises all over the place. We finally got the stair gate installed because we couldn't keep her off the super-exciting-to-climb stairs.
Every morning when I go in to wake her up she crawls to the edge of the crib and pulls herself up to stand, then reaches up with both hands for me to pick her up. When I do, she lays her head on my shoulder like she is totally exhausted and is super snuggly for about 2 minutes. Then she is hungry. NOW.
She has this new game where she hands me something, and I take it and say thank you and pull it into my chest, then stick it back out to her and ask if she wants it, and she takes it, and we do it over and over and over again.
She also loves to throw a ball, then she lifts both hands up in the air and SMACKS the floor with them as a transition into crawling over to get the ball and throw it again.
She often squeals with glee when she sees a kitty, inevitably warning them of her presence and causing them to run like hell. She can point to or show me a kitty when offered pictures of different animals. She also seems quite interested in ducks.
She still loves to walk while holding our fingers, with chest puffed out leading her, and tiny tushy sticking way out behind. Walking her up to a toy and expecting her to walk around holding it instead of us may just result in a crying jag. Until we pick her up.
She loves to turn lights on and off. She has taken to applauding herself every time she touches a light switch. She also applauds if you say, "Yay, Zoë!" And I swear she claps every time If You're Happy and You Know It comes on her little Scout toy thingy (they must sing that one in daycare).
Sometimes I wish I could just freeze this stage. It is such a wonderful, happy, exciting time. That I'm already nostalgic for!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Guilty
This week was going to be my first 3 run week post-Z. This is sad, I know. But reflective of how difficult getting going has been.
I started off right: ran Monday morning. Tuesday I woke up feeling a little... off. I stationary biked because that is the least stressful workout option I have. By evening I knew I was sick. (Yes, AGAIN.) Wednesday morning I felt like poo. I opted for sleep instead of a run. That night Z gifted me with a midnight wake-up scream, and when I finally got back to bed I told P to just cancel my 3:30 alarm, thus no workout on Thursday morning. I still felt a little sick on Thursday morning, too, so I was ok with that. But by last night I knew I was on the mend. This morning there'd be no skipping the workout!! I woke up at 3:30, but managed to talk myself out of running while I pumped (it was hot, super humid, shouldn't I give my system another day to recover, etc.). Oh well, at least I stationary biked. But I am feeling rather guilty about it. I really wish I had run. Perhaps a run tomorrow morning?
Hopefully next week I'll finally catch the elusive 3 run week!
I started off right: ran Monday morning. Tuesday I woke up feeling a little... off. I stationary biked because that is the least stressful workout option I have. By evening I knew I was sick. (Yes, AGAIN.) Wednesday morning I felt like poo. I opted for sleep instead of a run. That night Z gifted me with a midnight wake-up scream, and when I finally got back to bed I told P to just cancel my 3:30 alarm, thus no workout on Thursday morning. I still felt a little sick on Thursday morning, too, so I was ok with that. But by last night I knew I was on the mend. This morning there'd be no skipping the workout!! I woke up at 3:30, but managed to talk myself out of running while I pumped (it was hot, super humid, shouldn't I give my system another day to recover, etc.). Oh well, at least I stationary biked. But I am feeling rather guilty about it. I really wish I had run. Perhaps a run tomorrow morning?
Hopefully next week I'll finally catch the elusive 3 run week!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Weekend Wrap-up
Friday Preston and I and Preston's Dad took the day off work to go see the earliest showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
It was good. I won't spoil anything for anyone, but it was good. I'm always a little disappointed in the deviations from the book, and I HATE the ending even more in film than I hated it in the book, but overall it was good. Preston said his Dad and I went stereo on either side of him with, "That wasn't in the book!" Ha!
Z hung out with her Aunt Kristen while we saw the movie. Here she is with her Dada after.
And standing.
And helping Aunt Kristen find a dorm at A&M for next year.
It was nice, kind of like a 3 day weekend, with Friday off. Did laundry and grocery shopping and focused on getting stuff done on Saturday. But somehow Sunday slipped away...
Z hasn't quite been herself these past few days. I don't know if she is getting sick, teething, or having a growth spurt, but I want my happy baby back! (Yes, I know, she is still way happier than other babies. But I want *mine* back.)
She *is* eating A TON, and my boobs are painful. I think I probably have thrush again. Have a call in to the doc to see. Boo!
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It was good. I won't spoil anything for anyone, but it was good. I'm always a little disappointed in the deviations from the book, and I HATE the ending even more in film than I hated it in the book, but overall it was good. Preston said his Dad and I went stereo on either side of him with, "That wasn't in the book!" Ha!
Z hung out with her Aunt Kristen while we saw the movie. Here she is with her Dada after.
And standing.
And helping Aunt Kristen find a dorm at A&M for next year.
It was nice, kind of like a 3 day weekend, with Friday off. Did laundry and grocery shopping and focused on getting stuff done on Saturday. But somehow Sunday slipped away...
Z hasn't quite been herself these past few days. I don't know if she is getting sick, teething, or having a growth spurt, but I want my happy baby back! (Yes, I know, she is still way happier than other babies. But I want *mine* back.)
She *is* eating A TON, and my boobs are painful. I think I probably have thrush again. Have a call in to the doc to see. Boo!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, July 15, 2011
Strange Things
It seems like maybe the Universe is trying to tell me something.
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
Standing Woman!
Tuesday when I dropped the Z off at daycare, she stood at the little table playing with a ball (her favorite type of toy). I left the room, put my shoes back on, and was talking to Miss Mary. Then I turned and looked through the window, which I always do so that I can wave bye to Z if she is watching. She was, still standing at that table. I waved to her and said, "Bye bye Zoë!", and she LET GO of the table WITH BOTH HANDS and waved bye to me! Just stood there unsupported like it was nothing! Waving and everything! What a big girl! Of course, both Miss Mary and I pitched an appropriate congratulatory fit.
Since then, she has replicated the feat multiple times, and last night we finally got a pic.
Behold, Standing Woman (who is also eating a peach through her mesh thingy - Multitasking Woman):
She just stands there calm as you please, and when she needs help, she very calmly turns and looks for my hand, then gently takes my finger and steadies herself. It is really impressive (especially to me, since I'm such a spaz).
What a big girl!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Since then, she has replicated the feat multiple times, and last night we finally got a pic.
Behold, Standing Woman (who is also eating a peach through her mesh thingy - Multitasking Woman):
She just stands there calm as you please, and when she needs help, she very calmly turns and looks for my hand, then gently takes my finger and steadies herself. It is really impressive (especially to me, since I'm such a spaz).
What a big girl!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Gym Membership(s)
I'm thinking about dropping my YMCA membership. There, I said it. Blarg. I really don't *want* to drop it. But let's face it: I'm paying people $50 a month to NOT USE their facility. Mostly because of timing. My Y opens at 5am, near work, and far far away from my home. I have to *finish* exercising at 5am, near home, to take the baby to daycare. That means that I can basically go one day a week, Fridays, when I work a half day. But let's face it (again), if I have spare time on Fridays right now I'm using it to clean and/or sleep. Even if I went every single Friday, I'd be paying more than $13 per visit. If I park at work and walk over so I don't have to pay for parking. It just isn't worth it any more.
I've hung on to the membership this long hoping that maybe when my parents move down here I could start going back... but who knows when that will be? And how much money am I blowing in the meantime? And even then I'll have to work around the hours, which means I'd be going to work later than I wanted because they just don't open early enough for me.
Plus, our neighborhood pool (that we also pay for) is open for the summer right now. And they have a weight room open 24 hours year round. So the Y is really *just* for the pool.
Annnnd, I'm really not going to be doing any triathlons until AT LEAST next May. I mean, I love to swim, but right now I'd just be doing it for the love and the weight loss, not for the training. And it is way less time consuming to do other forms of working out at the moment.
I think I'm going to do it. I think I'm going to drop the membership.
In the future, even when my parents move down here, I might think about a 24 Hour Fitness so the timing issue isn't a problem. There is one a few miles from my house. I just checked their website, and at least right now, a membership is actually *cheaper* than my current Y membership. Maybe I could watch Groupon or something to try and get a deal, too, since I'm in no rush. And they're open 24 hours a day! Something tells me that I'd actually have the pool to myself at 4am, which'd be pretty freaking sweet! They've also got babysitting services, so moving forward that's something I could also consider for the weekends. Yeah, I think I'm sold. I'm dropping my membership at the Y.
This is not a declaration of a lifestyle change (away from the healthy). This is just an acknowledgement that what I have isn't working for me. I need to search for better options.
I've hung on to the membership this long hoping that maybe when my parents move down here I could start going back... but who knows when that will be? And how much money am I blowing in the meantime? And even then I'll have to work around the hours, which means I'd be going to work later than I wanted because they just don't open early enough for me.
Plus, our neighborhood pool (that we also pay for) is open for the summer right now. And they have a weight room open 24 hours year round. So the Y is really *just* for the pool.
Annnnd, I'm really not going to be doing any triathlons until AT LEAST next May. I mean, I love to swim, but right now I'd just be doing it for the love and the weight loss, not for the training. And it is way less time consuming to do other forms of working out at the moment.
I think I'm going to do it. I think I'm going to drop the membership.
In the future, even when my parents move down here, I might think about a 24 Hour Fitness so the timing issue isn't a problem. There is one a few miles from my house. I just checked their website, and at least right now, a membership is actually *cheaper* than my current Y membership. Maybe I could watch Groupon or something to try and get a deal, too, since I'm in no rush. And they're open 24 hours a day! Something tells me that I'd actually have the pool to myself at 4am, which'd be pretty freaking sweet! They've also got babysitting services, so moving forward that's something I could also consider for the weekends. Yeah, I think I'm sold. I'm dropping my membership at the Y.
This is not a declaration of a lifestyle change (away from the healthy). This is just an acknowledgement that what I have isn't working for me. I need to search for better options.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Weekend Wrap Up
This weekend was a whirlwind of sleep.
Fast-paced action.
And more sleep.
Ha, in all seriousness, that's what it seemed like. I worked extra on Friday so I can get this coming Friday off to go see Harry Potter!! My mom still had Z because she was sick all week. I got home from work and mom immediately left to go back home. We played and slept the rest of the day away.
Saturday we woke up and started all of our housework before taking Z to her other grandparentals' for a night out. We dropped her off and hung out for an hour or so, then hit the secondhand kids' store, Old Navy, and Freebirds on the way home. I got some great stuff at the secondhand store! A Gymboree coat for this winter, never used with tags still on, $10, a fall/raincoat, plus a cute top and 2 little one-piece outfits. I looooove shopping for the baby, and I love it more when I get great deals! It is really funny, though, I'll be sifting through a rack of clothing, and I'll see something cute. I'll say, "Oh, look at this, this is cute!", show it to P, and then check the label. What do I see? 8 times out of 10: Gymboree. 1 time out of 10: Children's Place. Seriously. Gymbo just has something about it. I think it is cute before I even know it is a brand name. Crazy! Old Navy was a total disappointment, though. I have a Groupon for $20 of stuff for $10, and I have to use it by the end of the month, but I just couldn't find anything I wanted/liked. :-( The store we were in was totally picked over, though, so I might try another one next weekend. Freebirds was, as usual, yummy.
Once we got home we watched some Tour de Crashes (aka Tour de France), and hit the sack early for a looooong lovely night of uninterrupted sleep.
Sunday I got up and went for a nice run along the bayou before P woke up.
Then we had pancakes for breakfast, went to the store, and did some housework in peace before he went to pick up Z. I stayed home and baked muffins and cooked a potato/squash thingy while they were gone. Z unfortunately took a long nap on Daddy around 5 (pictured above), and therefore getting her to crash last night was a beast! Hoping she'll adjust quickly to being back in daycare now that she's well again.
And that's the weekend in a nutshell!
(Oh, the middle picture above is Z on a walking toy at her grandparents' house. (J, there is a video on Facebook.) She is a *machine* on that thing! And P and I love it because it saves our backs.)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Fast-paced action.
And more sleep.
Ha, in all seriousness, that's what it seemed like. I worked extra on Friday so I can get this coming Friday off to go see Harry Potter!! My mom still had Z because she was sick all week. I got home from work and mom immediately left to go back home. We played and slept the rest of the day away.
Saturday we woke up and started all of our housework before taking Z to her other grandparentals' for a night out. We dropped her off and hung out for an hour or so, then hit the secondhand kids' store, Old Navy, and Freebirds on the way home. I got some great stuff at the secondhand store! A Gymboree coat for this winter, never used with tags still on, $10, a fall/raincoat, plus a cute top and 2 little one-piece outfits. I looooove shopping for the baby, and I love it more when I get great deals! It is really funny, though, I'll be sifting through a rack of clothing, and I'll see something cute. I'll say, "Oh, look at this, this is cute!", show it to P, and then check the label. What do I see? 8 times out of 10: Gymboree. 1 time out of 10: Children's Place. Seriously. Gymbo just has something about it. I think it is cute before I even know it is a brand name. Crazy! Old Navy was a total disappointment, though. I have a Groupon for $20 of stuff for $10, and I have to use it by the end of the month, but I just couldn't find anything I wanted/liked. :-( The store we were in was totally picked over, though, so I might try another one next weekend. Freebirds was, as usual, yummy.
Once we got home we watched some Tour de Crashes (aka Tour de France), and hit the sack early for a looooong lovely night of uninterrupted sleep.
Sunday I got up and went for a nice run along the bayou before P woke up.
Then we had pancakes for breakfast, went to the store, and did some housework in peace before he went to pick up Z. I stayed home and baked muffins and cooked a potato/squash thingy while they were gone. Z unfortunately took a long nap on Daddy around 5 (pictured above), and therefore getting her to crash last night was a beast! Hoping she'll adjust quickly to being back in daycare now that she's well again.
And that's the weekend in a nutshell!
(Oh, the middle picture above is Z on a walking toy at her grandparents' house. (J, there is a video on Facebook.) She is a *machine* on that thing! And P and I love it because it saves our backs.)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, July 7, 2011
4 Years
Today is Preston's and my 4 year anniversary.
I alternate between "Wow, 4 whole years!" and "Really, only 4 years?" as I sit here reflecting.
With the baby, it seems like everything has changed, but really, the foundation behind it all has stayed the same.
Here are some photos through the years - reminders of where we've been so we can look forward to where we're going.
I alternate between "Wow, 4 whole years!" and "Really, only 4 years?" as I sit here reflecting.
With the baby, it seems like everything has changed, but really, the foundation behind it all has stayed the same.
Here are some photos through the years - reminders of where we've been so we can look forward to where we're going.
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| Italia, 2003 |
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| Mardi Gras Galveston, 2003 |
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| White Sands, NM |
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| Minute Maid Park |
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| Butterflies! |
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| Big Bend National Park, July 7, 2007 |
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| Chicago, 2008 |
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| Preston is 30! |
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| Stonehenge, 2009 |
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| Warriors! |
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| Zoë's first Thanksgiving, 2010 |
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