Technological Motivation for Exercise... Who'da Thunk?

Thanks to a friend at work who shall remain unnamed, I have just discovered that technology can actually motivate me to exercise! In keeping with my generation's love of all things "Me," having a tiny, all knowing, all telling electronic companion strapped to the top of my foot makes me feel a bit more inclined to actually step out the door in my spandex pants, oversize t-shirt and - yes - running shoes!

As a result, check out my new Niki+ Mini recently added to my right-hand nav bar. That's me! Nevermind the blue skin and pink hair, my favorite part is the blissfully happy expression plastered on "my" face while "I" exercise... Yes, I made my Mini the complete opposite of what I look like when I run.

And, below my pop-locking, unicycle-riding, ping-pong playing Mini, are my actual running stats logged by my little shoelace pocket companion. Now we get to see just how long into the new year this techno-motivation will last!

You know, I'm going to have to post on my feelings at the moment. Yes, I am a Mommy. Yes, I am a wife. Yes, I am a working woman. I'm not sure if they go in that order... But I am all of those things.

I love life. I love FEELING alive. What makes me feel alive...? It depends. My husband can make me feel alive. Sometimes. My children can make me feel alive, but usually they just exhaust me. I love them so much, but babies of all ages are so much work. It makes me really appreciate what my parents did when I was a baby. Stability is one of the most precious things that a parent can offer a child, even when the child does not cherish it. Husbands are also a lot of work. But they are so worth it. At least, mine is.

Beauty makes me feel alive. A rainbow cast from a corporate window onto a corporate marble floor can make me feel alive. A yellowing leaf on a fall tree. A sparkly red paint job on an old car. A baby's smile. Beautiful things can bring happiness. And happiness is life. I love feeling alive.

From the mouths of babes...

I just have to write down what Ava said this evening.

We were both in the kitchen after Cadence was in bed. I was making chocolate chip cookies and Ava’s "helping" eventually turned into a role playing game involving measuring implements: 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 tablespoon, 1/2 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon. As any logical 3 year old would, Ava made the two biggest ones Grandpa and Grandma, then came Mommy and Tabitha and the two smallest were Ava and Cadence.

I was only half paying attention as I bustled about the kitchen loading the dishwasher and cleaning the breakfast nook in between waves of fresh cookies, but eventually something she kept saying over and over caught my attention. She was telling Tabitha and Cadence that they had to stay "over there" because only "dolts" could be "over here." "You're not a dolt, you stay over there, Cadence." It took me a while to figure out that she was differentiating children from adults - or "dolts."

Since I know that not everyone in the world was an English major, below is Mirriam-Webster's official definition of "dolt":

dolt (dōlt) n. a stupid person

I think sometime I’ll have to teach Ava that honesty is not always the best policy... :) She’s too smart for her own good and she doesn’t even know it.

Infant Daycare - Not So Bad After All

Cadence began daycare this past Monday. And honestly, it wasn't as hard for me as I thought it would be to leave her with other women for a majority of the day. Many mothers will probably verbally eviscerate me for saying that, but it's the truth. It is and always has been my belief and practice that babies should learn independence and self-soothing from a young age. While I wholeheartedly agree that teeny tiny newborns should be held and cuddled and cooed at as much as possible, I also think that once they begin to realize that there is a world around them, they should be prepared for the possibility that things might not always go their way. Over the last month, I don't stress out as much if I can't put the pacie back in her mouth while driving 65 (ok, maybe 75) miles an hour on the highway. Yes, my heart rate is still elevated until she calms down, but logically I tell myself that she's not going to die from crying. I'm not beating myself up (like I did with Ava) about supplementing my breastmilk with formula. Many babies don't get any breastmilk at all. And I don't freak out if Ava's 3-year-old classmates manage to touch Cadence's face when I'm not looking. She's got to get sick and start building antibodies sometime. While some may see my actions as lazy, or even slightly neglectful, I honestly believe that I am doing my daughter a service by letting her learn that sometimes in life you have no control over what happens to you and you simply need to make the best of the current situation. As a result, Cadence has found out that her fists substitute nicely for a pacie. She can switch back and forth between breast and bottle like a pro and be happy with whatever she's getting. She already knows to close her eyes and turn her head when she sees a grabby preschooler moving in to give her a kiss. I'm actually really proud of her. Of course, what mother isn't proud of their baby? :)

And We're Back!

Wow. It's been two and a half months since I last posted. Here's a quick catch-up.

My baby girl is now 10 weeks old and as perfect as I could ever ask for. The C-section (yes, I went with the elective surgery) went wonderfully, aside from both Cadence and myself being hugely bloated for the entire week after her birth due to an excess of IV fluids given to me prior to the operation. I never thought I would give birth to a 8lb 15 oz child - She looked so chunky, it was hilarious. And big sister Ava has been amazing! Not a hint of jealousy, provided that we pay her as much attention as we did before the baby was born. Which, to be perfectly honest, isn't hard since we've raised her to be very independent. She can be a lifesaver, pulling herself out of her Spongebob zone to put the pacie back in the baby's mouth or announcing that the baby is crying upstairs when Mommy forgot to turn the monitor on in the living room. Although I wanted my children to be as close together in age as my sister and I were, 18 months apart, I'm beginning to see the merits of a 3-year separation. In short, life is good. I'm back from the fantasy life that is maternity leave, and ready to reenter the real world.

L&D Visit #2

Spent two hours in labor & delivery at the hospital again today. Been having mildly painful contractions about 7 minutes apart since Sunday evening, and since mommies planning repeat c-sections aren't technically supposed to 'labor' I figured I'd call in to see if the contractions should be monitored. Turns out that the contrax haven't changed my cervix at all, so they're basically just really annoying Braxton Hicks. Grrrr. I was hoping to get this little girl into the world sooner than planned!

On an unrelated note, I signed up for a Twitter account since it seemed to work so well for Mike & Elaine during their recent labor. Plus it's just cool. :) See link in right-hand nav menu.

Endless Summer Pride and Joy

Introducing: my 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea! I absolutely had to post pictures of the one true success of my attempts at gardening over the past year. I'm so excited that it's blooming so well! :)