Weekend, Revisited

This past weekend was fairly relaxing, as far as weekends up the country go. That is if you count chasing after a toddler in a non-child-proofed house relaxing. Nick was a bloody terror the whole weekend, wanting to get into everything and climb on everything. And it's not like I could have him outside for too long. Oscar and my MIL were busy working on the shed, and the bugs and heat were awful.

Friday was my first flex day and it was wonderful. Oscar and I drove to IKEA and Potomac Mills. We got the slats for Gabe's bed, and then went outlet shopping. I was able to get a couple new outfits, we picked up a present for my SIL who is due any day now, some polos for Oscar, and some ubercheap winter shirts for the boys.

After shopping we picked up Nick, so my MIL could head up the country with Gabe. Oscar and I packed and then went out to a late lunch at Red Lobster - so good. Nick ate fairly well, although he is in a throwing food phase, so a lot of food ended up on the floor too. My favorite is when he swishes both arms back and forth over the table or tray to get as much food as far from his highchair as he can.

After lunch we drove up the country and Oscar and his mom started work on the shed right away. I focused on getting the boys some dinner and then getting Nick ready for bed. Oscar and I went on a car ride with Nick afterwards and I got some delicious ice cream - soft serve with blueberries in blueberry syrup and chunks of cheesecake. (I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that I worked out for an hour Friday morning.)

On Saturday I stayed inside most of the day with Nick, while Oscar and his mom worked on the shed. We bought a DVD player so that I could have some cartoons in the background as Gabe traipsed in and out of the house. He didn't like being cooped up for too long, but got too hot and was bothered by the bugs outside. Oscar took a break midday to put together the little gas grill we bought for the country house and grill some hot dogs and hamburgers.

As a reward for good behavior, while he and his mom were working on the shed, Oscar and I took the boys out to dinner at the local sit-down Pizza Hut. Nick was, again, a charming terror with his food. And I am shamed to admit that I ate almost half a large pizza by myself. My MIL chose to stay home and relax a little without the boys.

On Sunday I took Nick on a drive to Starbucks by myself. I had hoped he would nap during the trip, but no such luck. Oscar spent most of the day working on the shed, and they were able to get everything done, but the doors, which they'll finish when we go back up the end of the month.

As usual, the rest of Sunday was hectic, what with grocery shopping and getting ready for the work week. I'm filling in for a coworker this week, so I had to get a few more things together than normal, since it I'm not working in my normal office and having to commute.

:::

This past weekend really enforced the fact that Nick is no longer a baby. He is now a toddler. At times I felt like he was really starting the terrible twos early. His vocabulary and comprehension are excellent, his coordination is much improved, as is his ability to scale most objects. Also, the tantrums and the food throwing. They're driving me up the wall! On many occasion I wished I had a cage playpen to contain him in temporarily.

Bad Habits

I don't really miss alchohol. I mean sure I occassionally will have a glass of wine or a mixed drink with dinner, but I don't crave it. I don't think, gee, I wish I could have a drink right now. Although, if I did, it would come as no suprise. I come from a family of alchoholics. I also drank a lot during those early years in the military. I was young and single and so very lonely. Alchohol was a way to help the loneliness, it was social, and so was I.

However, unlike alchohol, I do miss cigarettes. Another bad habit I picked up while stationed in South Korea. I was addicted and it was hard for me to quit. That is, until I got pregnant. Do I turn up my nose when I smell cigarette smoke? Of course. Unless... I'm alone and it's menthol and then I might inhale a little deeper than I probably should. Do I want my children around it. Of course not. I think all public areas should be smoke-free (hint hint, local bowling alley).

Whereas alchohol helped make me more social, smoking was social. I remember many occasions spent in the smoke shacks at work with other fellow smokers trading stores and jokes and making weekend plans, while having one or two, or maybe even three cigarettes on break. I made a lot of friends while smoking.

It relaxed me. It calmed me. And I miss it. Would I ever go back to it? That's a hard question. Do I know how unhealthy it is? Yes. But I want to. I learned a lot of useful things during the five years I served, but I also picked up a few bad habits

Making Progress

So this morning, Gabe called me into his room about 10 minutes before his "alarm" (this totally awesome night light) went off and told me that he needed to go to the bathroom. He still wears pull-ups at night, and sometimes even those aren't strong enough, but this morning he was completely dry. I was so proud of him for recognizing that he needed to go potty when it was still technically night time for him.

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Nick finally had another tooth pop through a couple weeks ago, which briefly improved his sleeping habits. However, he is now working on a molar, and it is making him miserable. Not only is regularly waking up at night in pain, he is also not eating very much, which isn't like him. The not eating is also causing his stomach to hurt and causing painful bowel movements. I feel so bad for him. It's so frustrating that teething can cause so wreak so much havoc on his little body.

:::

I have consistently worked out four days in a row. Not that it has made much difference on the scale. I wasn't very hungry last night so I just had soup (very high in sodium soup) and the scale was up 4 pounds over night. So frustrating. I'm working so hard, and it isn't making a difference. I know it's just one day, but I want to be able to see changes. I want to know that what I'm doing is going to get me to where I want to be.

Oscar doesn't help. Tomorrow will be my first flex day and I've mentioned that I'm really trying to eat better, and he suggests going out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants. And of course if I'm eating there should I get some boring healthy thing or should I get my favorite? Of course, I'll probably get my favorite and he'll encourage it. I know he's just trying to be sweet, but it makes it so hard to follow a diet if your partner isn't.

:::

A couple weeks ago Oscar started helping his mom put together her shed at the country house, and they only succeeded in getting the foundation done. We're going up again tomorrow afternoon, with the hopes that they can get the rest of the shed finished. At the very least, Oscar wants to get the walls up. If they can't finish it this weekend, it will have to wait until September.

Going to the country house on the weekends is never the most pleasant prospect for me. I'm not outdoorsy, so going trekking through the woods, where I get eaten alive when I'm not breaking out in hives from all the plants I'm allergic to, isn't really an option. Also there is limited cable and no interned. Plus, the house is like a toddler death-trap, so I have to be on constant alert while we're there. It's just not a good time for me.

Gabe, loves it, even though I'm pretty sure he has allergies, not to mention my highly edible, very pale, sensitive skin. He would happily spend most of the day outside. So would Nick for that matter, but again, it's not exactly safe for him. So we go out for short periods before returning to the indoor death-trap, only slightly less dangerous, but more contained.

I'm never sure what I'm supposed to do while I'm up there. My MIL seems to think caring for Gabe is her responsibility, as is providing all food other than milk for Nick. She also seems to want to help on the shed, which is where Gabe wants to be. So that leaves me to watch Nick, whom I adore, but I just feel a little useless. It's hard to read because I have to be so vigilant of where Nick is and what he's getting into. And like I said limited cable and no internet.

We'll be going up again at the end of August for the county fair. My MIL will be in Alaska visiting my SIL and her new baby, so it will be just the four of us. I think we'll have a more relaxing weekend, but I'm still not sure how I'll spend the time we're not at the fair.

Flexing It

I've recently decided that I would benefit from an extra day off every couple of weeks. However, I really don't have the vacation days available to do so. Oscar suggested that find out if I could work a flex schedule. At first I considered working a 10-hour shift and having every Friday off, but finally decided that I just couldn't do 10 hour days, but 9 hours was doable, especially since I often worked longer hours any way.

I got approval from my boss and worked out a childcare arrangement with Oscar. I drop off the boys at my MIL's in the morning shortly before 7 a.m. and he picks up the van at a quarter to 3 p.m. and then gets the boys. This way I'm getting home about a half later than I would have been had I left around 3 p.m. and picked up the boys myself.

My extra days off are really for me. A chance to sleep in or schedule appointments or catch up on school work if I need to. They are also a time that I could pick up the boys early or go on a date with Oscar.

This Friday will be my first day off and I'm really looking forward to it. Oscar is also taking the day off, so he's going to drop off the boys for me and let me relax in bed a little longer. Then we're going to go IKEA (to get those wooden slats we need), grab lunch, and then head up to the country house early.

I used to flex in my first job out of the military, that is after I came back from maternity leave. My coworker took Fridays, so I chose to take Mondays. Usually I kept Gabe and enjoyed an extra day with him, which was usually pretty relaxing. Not sure it would be the same way with two children. Although it is something I might consider to enjoy extra time with them.

Four Years and Sixteen Months

I have started my quest to lose weight yet again yesterday. I got up early and worked out for 30 minutes and then worked out again yesterday evening for 30 minutes. I was very good about sticking to my diet with the exception of four Swedish Fish.

I have posted before photos the Flickr: Accountability group. However I will also post them here for your voyeuristic viewing pleasure. I know, I know, I'm a little crazy. I was too self-conscious to wear anything but a tankini to the beach where I was surrounded by thousands of strangers I will never see again, but I'll post it in my blog for the entire Internet to enjoy if they so choose. Somehow it's less scary. I don't know why, but it is. I hope to post photos showing much improvement in 6 weeks.

I realize I'm not doing that badly for a mother of two. I have a 4-year-old and a 16-month-old, and I'm at my prepregnancy weight of 153. It's just not a weight that I'm proud of. It's not a weight that says hey, I look good.

I'm trying to be consistent with my exercising and eating better. It's much harder on the weekends when I don't have consistent schedule. I love to eat out. I love sweets. I love breakfast foods. Oscar, loves to indulge me. It's not a good combination. We go out and do things a lot on the weekends. Go up to the country house, like this coming weekend, or spend time with friends. It's hard to ensure that making healthy choices in these situations.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to reward myself for hard work without turning to food. I've thought about getting new clothing or going to the salon for a pedicure or massage. Or even just a long bath with a yummy smelling bath fizzy (this one is a favorite). Too often I turn to a high-calorie restaurant meal or a container of Phish Food. Unfortunately after a weekend of that and I've undone all my hard work from the week before.

Party On, Gabe

Yesterday was Gabe's 4th birthday, and I think it was a great day. He had a good time, and the party went well, and that's what's important. Although I have to admit, I think he's a little weird, because he really didn't have any interest in cake or ice cream, however, frosting was acceptable.

We started the day with a trip to Starbucks (for me, not him), while Oscar finished putting together his IKEA bed. I got a couple of calls complaining about IKEA furniture and the challenges of putting it together with a toddler running about. Unfortunately we forgot to buy those nice wooden slats I linked to on Friday, so the mattress didn't fit. Since it was coming from our guest bed, we did have a box spring, which did fit the frame, it just made the bed super high. So Gabe needs a step stool to get on his bed. He loves it, which is what counts. He was so excited to see the big bed with his Handy Manny sheets.

Shortly after that Oscar's parents and sister came over so we could all go out to breakfast at IHOP. When we got there the waiters were singing happy birthday to someone, which Gabe was really looking forward to for him. Unfortunately, they said they were too busy to sing to him, and just dropped off ice cream, which, as I mentioned, he was uninterested in. He wanted the spectacle of everybody singing to him.

We tried to get Nick to take a nap after breakfast, since Gabe's party was from 11:30 to 1:30, but he wasn't interested. He finally fell asleep about 10:50, and woke up as soon as we got to the bowling alley. I highly recommend a party at a bowling alley. It's very easy, lanes and shoes are included in the cost. Most of them, including the one we went to, have snack bars, so pizza and drinks were included in the price. Plus, they set up the party room with plates and cups and tablecloths all bowling-themed. It was so easy.

The party was a ton of fun. We got an extra lane so that the adults could bowl too, when they weren't helping their kids bowl. We only played one game, with so many people present, but everybody was really enjoying themselves. Oscar and I bought bowling shoes the day before, so we both tried those out. They really are much nicer to wear than the bowling alley shoes.

My MIL made the cakes for the party. She made two - one for the guests and a special one for Gabe. The cake for the guests was a bowling ball sitting on a bowling pin. She made the pin out of yellow cake with white frosting and the ball out of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Gabe's cake was just a bowling ball made of yellow cake with a chocolate frosting as a filling and then dyed white frosting. He requested that the ball be blue with a rainbow on it. However he ate mostly frosting and a little of the cake, but no chocolate frosting. He really doesn't like chocolate.

After the party we went home and Gabe opened his gifts. Every gift was more exciting than the last, although the toy he seemed most interested in playing with was a hot wheels set that had detailed instructions on how to put it together and lots of stickers to apply, plus pieces that would appeal to Nick's mouth.

Finally, we took Gabe out to dinner at Outback, where he feasted on bread and strawberries brought from home. He also got ice cream again, but this time he was sung to by the wait staff, which made him very happy. He really loves feeling special, which can be difficult sometimes with a baby brother.

I'm glad he had a great day. He's a wonderful boy and I can finally say he's just 4, instead of almost 4 as I have been doing.

Happy Birthday Gabe!

Happy, Happy, Birthday Baby

Happy, happy, birthday baby/No, I can't call you my baby/Seems like years ago we met/On a day I can't forget.

My Gabriel will be 4 on Sunday. I can't believe it's here already. I know we've been planning this party for months. The theme is bowling, so not only is it at the bowling alley, all the party favors and decorations related to bowling. Even the cakes, which he helped my MIL make today.

It's just hard to believe that he's growing up so quickly. I mean, next year, he'll be 5, and ::shudder:: starting school. Trust me when I say that I will be bawling like a baby on his first day of school, and he will, no doubt, skip happily along to explore his classroom.

His big present this year is a twin bed. He's been in a toddler bed since about 18-months, when he figured out how to fall out of his crib, but now he will be in a big bed. We bought it a couple months ago from IKEA, and it's great, because it sits nice and low to the floor and doesn't require a box spring if you use those wooden slats. We let him pick out two sets of sheets for it - Handy Manny and Cars. Oscar is going to put it together Sunday morning while I take him out to breakfast.

I'll post an update, hopefully Sunday evening, about his party, but here's a look at my baby over the years:

Wild and Crazy Hormones

Nobody every fully explains just how many changes your body goes through during pregnancy and after. It isn’t just growing a baby for 9 months, and then maybe feeding them, possibly for another year. It’s not just about your stomach being softer or your boobs sagging. It really is more than that.

I’m sure it’s different for every woman, but for me, 16 months after having my second baby, my body seems to have reset itself. My body is acting like a teenager who just started getting her period. It’s irregular, and the cramping, OMG, the cramping. I never had cramping as a teenager, but apparently my body has decided to make up for that.

When my body suddenly started freaking out, and doing things it didn’t normal do, especially while on the pill, I went to the doctor. They did blood work and an ultrasound and declared me perfectly fine. I really was hoping there was a medical explanation beyond wild and crazy hormones.

It’s especially bad at night. After a day of working and taking care of my boys, I’m physically exhausted and more prone to high amounts of pain. Not much seems to help either – warm baths, heating pads, Tylenol, Advil, Midol…. It really sucks. I’m also a little emotionally unstable, the result, of course, of those wild and crazy hormones. They are partying hard core.

Unfortunately, the only advice the doctor can give is to go through a couple more cycles and schedule an appointment to discuss possibly change the pill that I’m on. Not really the diagnosis I was hoping for. However, I’m sure that the teenagers suffering through bad cramps hope for more too.

My Second Born

So, my goal of working out every day this week had to be nixed due to a medical issue, which hopefully will be resolved soon. However, I can still fulfill my goal of daily posting this week. So for today's entry I will same questions as yesterday for Nick.

My Second Born:

WAS YOUR SECOND PREGNANCY PLANNED?

Yes, we were ready and trying to have a second child.


WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?

I was surprised that it happened so quickly. We had only been trying for a couple months.

HOW OLD WERE YOU?

26


HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?

I was still feeling nauseated after I should have recovered from a stomach flu, so I took a test while Oscar was at work to confirm my suspicions.

WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?

Oscar - I called him at work.


DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?

Definitely. I wanted to know as much about my baby as I could.


DUE DATE?

April 1st, 2008


DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?

Not really. There were a few smells I couldn't tolerate, but that was it.

WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?

Pumpkin flavored things, Costco's Chocolate Muffins, Fruity Pebbles


WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?

No one really, although it was difficult dealing with a toddler while pregnant.


WHAT WAS YOUR SECOND CHILD'S SEX?

Boy


DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?

A little bit, I had hoped for one of each, but I wouldn't change him for the world.


HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?

50 (ouch...)


DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?

Yes. My office planned one for me, which was so sweet.


WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?

It was supposed to be a surprise, but they sent a calendar invite to our boss, and since I was managing his calendar, I received the invite.


DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?

None until delivery. I chose to schedule an induction, and Nick started losing oxygen during contractions. Turns out the cord had a know on it that was compressed every time I contracted. I ended up having an emergency c-section.


WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?

Reston Hospital


HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?

About 6 from the time they started the pitocin to the time they did my c-section.


WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?

Oscar :)


WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH

Oscar was there with me. My mom was waiting outside the operating room.


WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?

Emergency c-section.

DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?

Yes - it was a requirement for the c-section.


HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?

7 lbs


WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?

March 24th, 2008


WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?

Nicholas Alexander


HOW OLD IS YOUR SECOND BORN TODAY?

16 months

Tummy time = sleep

My First Born

In addition to working out every day this week, I also would like to have a post every day this week. So far, I’m two for two

Of course I’ve decided to do a cheater’s entry and answer a bunch of questions about my first pregnancy. I know I’ve told the birth story of Gabe already, but here is some consolidated information. Tomorrow I shall submit one for Nick. I realize I still owe his complete birth story.

My First Born:

WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?

Sort of.


WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?

Yup, for a grand total of two weeks, a month when we found out.


WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?

I was surprised that it happened so quickly.

HOW OLD WERE YOU?

23


HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?

Went home at lunch and took a test.

WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?

Oscar, I had him come home at lunch too.


DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?

Definitely. I wanted to know as much about my baby as I could.


DUE DATE?

August 6th, 2005


DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?

Not really. There were a few smells I couldn't tolerate, but that was it.

WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?

Cadbury Cream Eggs (lots), Taco Time, and Pancakes


WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?

No one really, except my poor husband.


WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Boy

DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?

A little bit, but I wouldn't change him for the world.


HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?

30


DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?

Yes 2, Oscar planned one for me and then my office planned one (which was scheduled the day I gave birth, so I had after Gabe was born)


WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?

They were both a surprise.


DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?

None until delivery - Gabe that it would be fun to wrap the umbilical cord around his neck.


WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?

Bethesda Naval Hospital


HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?

About 14 hours from the time my first contractions started the day prior at work.


WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?

Oscar :) It was great - we lived about 45 minutes away from the hospital, as long as there was no traffic. Luckily this was super early in the morning.


WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH

Lots of people - Gabe went into distress right at shift change...


WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?

Do forceps count as natural?

DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?

Duh!

HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?

6 lbs, 13.9 oz


WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?

August 2nd, 2005


WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?

Gabriel Michael


HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?

4 (on Sunday)

Sleeping Angel