Gotta walk the walk....

I just got a new workout video (Turbo Jam - similar to Tae Bo but with better music and choreography), and checked out the instructor's blog. She had a great post about raising our children to have good body images. Even before I had Reese, this was a concern of mine. To put it succintly, I don't want Weez to be as screwed up as I was. I still have my off days, but I am a thousand times better than I used to be. I remember being 25 lbs lighter than I am today, and lying in bed crying because I was "too fat". These days, I'm carrying 10-15lbs more than I'd like, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it (my trainer does enough of that for me, LOL!).

Anyhoo, she gave the following tips that I think all parents, especially those of young girls, should read:

1. Never disparage your own physique in their presence. (We all have body parts to complain about, but do it in the privacy of your own bathroom!)

2. In the presence of kids avoid negative words to describe someone, like “fat”, “huge”, “chubby”, “Lazy”.

3. Occasionally compliment your kids muscles, energy, strength, or healthy glow. Avoid comments about weight or negative reference, even of a joking nature with regard to their body.

4. Don’t allow the word “fat” to be used in your household unless you’re describing a paycheck. It’s easy. In fact, I remember my son, not sure what word to use, asking me, “What do we call someone who has a big, big, big, big body?” My reply, “Someone who needs to try Turbo Jam.”

5. Try a little spin control. Make a point to comment on how “unhealthy” or “weak” stars look when their appearance is obviously under weight, malnourished and skeletal. Conversely praise those who exercise, eat right and maintain a healthy appearance and have nice muscle tone.

6. Talk about foods that make you “energized and strong” and never declare you’re on a diet. Instead, announce you’ve decided to stick to a healthy diet, which means moderation, not deprivation.

7. Make healthy eating and fitness central in your life, but declare nothing “off limits”. All foods are fine, in moderation. When my kids want chocolate or ice cream or even french fries, I make a point of telling them it’s fine because they were so active that day. If they want more than their share I remind them that it may make them feel slow, sluggish and cranky.

8. When your children make a healthy food choice on their own, praise them and reinforce their choice.

9. When asked why don’t you want a particular food in the house, avoid condemnation, like “because I don’t want to get fat.” Instead try, “Because it slows me down” or “I just prefer food that helps me feel healthy”

10. Children often confuse boredom with hunger. When your child declares, “I want something to eat,” and you’re hunch is dull drums, get in the habit of offering an activity instead of a bag of junk. The trick is not to mention boredom or food. Instead, retort with an instant activity, “Hey, want take the dog on a walk with me?”

11. Lastly the best thing you can do for your children is to create for them a safe and supportive environment to develop their own self-confidence and unique identity. Allow them to fail and praise them for their courage to try. Don’t shield them from every heartache and life lesson. The number one common trait of those diagnosed with eating disorders is an overly involved, over-bearing parent. Yikes! May the force be with us!

Away from little fingers...

We're living in a highrise while our home is being built, and while I enjoy living here, we really miss our library. We put about 50 boxes of books in storage, but we've already accumulated more books than the apt. bookshelves can accommodate. Of course, this lack of space is exacerbated by the fact that Weezie has claimed the bottom two shelves of all the bookcases. We don't really have any more space to put additional shelving, unfortunately.

I ran across these cool bookshelves from Design Within Reach that might solve our problem. I think we can squeeze a couple in our bedroom, to which Weeze generally does not have access. The tall shelf holds ~90 books, and the short holds ~50. My only hesitation is the price - it's $250 for tall and $200 for the short (with a $25 discount on each if you buy multiple). What do you think, worth it?

No, I'm not a hypochondriac

I wonder if there's a special term for people who have hypochondria about their children...

I took Weez to the pedi today. After I explained her symptoms (low grade fever, possible ear infection, cough, runny nose), they proceeded to check her out. 97.4 temp, ears and lungs clear, not a single cough or sneeze during her exam. Oh, did I mention that there were two med students attending with the pedi? Oh, well, I'm sure it's part of their pediatrician-in-training education to learn how to deal with wacko first-time mothers.

The pedi did give me a prescription for an anti-tussive/decongestant to help with the runny nose and cough (I guess they took my word for it). Hopefully the runny nose will clear up before we leave Thursday. If not, I'll have to trust that my parents, who raised three daughters, can manage ;)

Cough, cough

Reese has had a low grade fever (99-99.2) on and off for the past week. Technically, that's not even a fever, and since she's been in great spirits, I've resisted the urge to take her to the doctor "just in case"...

OK, I confess, I tried to make an appt. with her pedi today since we're going out of town, but the office was closed due to the weather. Houston's currently having the worst flooding since Tropical Storm Allison, and we're expecting another 10 inches of rain tonight.

Anyhoo, I digress. Reese woke up around 10:30 tonight coughing a bit, so I gave her some cough medicine and put her back to bed. I hope I can get an appt. tomorrow, and I hope she isn't sick :( She always seems to get ill right when we're about to leave for a trip. Obviously I'm not upset with her for getting sick, but it's so hard to be away from her even if it's just a minor cough/cold. Poor Weezie...

Happy Father's Day!

I meant to wake up early this morning and let Jim sleep in. Of course, when I did manage to wake up, I found myself alone in bed, and it was 9AM! Jim had already gotten Weez up, changed a gigantic poopie diaper, and given her her morning bottle so I could sleep in. He's always done this on weekends and still does even though I'm a SAHM now. Just one of the reason he rocks! Weez gave him his gifts (an iPod RoadTrip so he can listen to his iPod in his car, and one of those terribly tacky fiber optic plant things. I gave it to him with the caveat that it had to go in his office and not in our home, LOL) Side note: OK, I know she should be off bottles by now, but I'm in denial about her growing up. She takes sippy/straw cups during the day, but I still give her a bottle in the morning and one at night. I haven't even tried to wean her off these bottles. I've been saying that I'll wean her at 18 months - that's just a few weeks from now. It will be harder for me than it will be for Weez, I'm sure).

We headed over to my SIL's for Father's Day lunch. I love going over there for family gatherings; she always invites my side of the family, and it's always so pleasant and relaxing. She has a beautiful kid-friendly home on 3 acres with a stocked pond in the back. A typical gathering involves copious amounts of delicious food, some people fishing, some people napping on the porch, kids laughter in the air as they run and play. When I think of 6,000 sq. ft. homes, I tend to think of cold, museum-like spaces, but my SIL has created such a warm, comfortable atmosphere - almost cozy, even! Dandy and Ong Ngoai got their presents - mugs with a pic of Weez (see inset) and gift cards to Academy. We gave them mugs of Weez last year, and I plan on keeping up the tradition. It'll be cool to see when they have a "complete set" in 18 years :)

Weezie had a wonderful time playing with her cousins and getting the attention of two sets of grandparents and her aunts (my sister joined us) and uncle. She used to be really reserved at family gatherings as she is whenever she's around people she doesn't see regularly. She's definitely gotten over her reservations - she was singing, dancing, and being her usual funny self today.

When we got back, Jim and I went for a run at the club after dropping Weez off at the club daycare. I just started a 30-day fitness regimen with a trainer - basically working out every day and giving up alcohol, rice/flour/potatoes after breakfast, anything fried, and diet soda. I also have a 2 cup limit on coffee (I'm a pot-a-day drinker), and no more ciggies when I have a drink (obviously since I can't drink). Once the 30 days are over, I can start incorporating things back in moderation. I've been on it a week and feel GREAT. I've only lost a pound, but one of the primary reasons I wanted to do this is to make a lifestyle change. I want to raise Weeze healthily, and in order to do that, I feel like I have to set a good example for her. Obviously I hope to lose weight, but I already feel that doing this regimen is worth the effort.

All in all, a wonderful day with my extended family and awesome hubbie. I know it's Father's Day, but I feel pretty blessed myself...

Reason #16 I'm going to Hell

I was trying to pick up around the house this morning. Although Jim said it's not "my job", I do feel obligated to keep the place in order while I'm a SAHM. Weez had other plans and was completely underfoot. In a stroke of genius, I handed her a clean Swiffer duster (one of those short handled jobs), and showed her how to "dust". She dusted contentedly, giggling away while I finished loading the dishwasher. Too bad they don't hire out chimney sweeps anymore - momma needs a new pair of shoes.

In an effort to keep the place tidy (which any mother of a toddler knows is impossible. Just call me Sisyphus.), I bought a Roomba. I love home/kitchen gadgets but had not gotten one since I was suspect of its claims. Several friends raved about them, however, so when I got a coupon in the mail, I broke down and bought one. I tried it out this morning; it worked fantastically... for 30 minutes. I called customer service, and they instructed me to leave the unit plugged in for 72 hours to charge undisturbed. It should then run for 2 hours after a 3-hr charge. If it lives up to that, I'll be a happy camper because it did do a good job on our hardwoods, tile, and area rug until it pooped out. Poor Roomba. Fingers crossed it'll work better after the 3-day jumpstart.

Looks like she inherited her dad's dancing skills...

Sweet Freedom

I resigned!!!!!

I actually resigned almost 45 days ago, and June 1st was my last day of work. I was on a work order at a client site until May 31st, so the timing was right.

It was a very difficult decision to leave since so much of my identity has been wrapped around my career/salary. I also felt pressure (self-imposed, really) to "do it all" - be a super-mommy and excel at my job. I was not really doing either to the best of my ability, which just kills me. Probably from others' perspectives I was still doing great, but when I know I could be doing better... And really, doesn't my daughter deserve better than "good enough"?

I'm confident I made the right decision, and I'm looking forward to staying home with Reese for the next few years. It may not pay very well, but I think this will be my most fulfilling/rewarding job to date. I hope I am up to the challenge of the toughest, if this past week is any indication, boss I've ever had :)

Wiggles

What is this show I am watching? And, uh, why am I watching it?

15 minutes of fame...

http://createyourown.kodak.com/cid=24194104194dd77ab3

Another milestone ticked off the list....

Well, it finally happened. The day I knew would come when least expected it.

Weez fell off my bed.

She started crying at 5:00 AM this morning, and normally if she wakes up she'll go back to sleep after 5 minutes of CIO. This morning she wouldn't go back to sleep, so I brought her to my room (okay, so I actually woke Jim up and told him to get her, LOL). I later woke up to get showered, and she was still sound asleep in the middle of the bed. Now I KNOW better than to leave her (Murphy's Law and all), but she was sleeping so still, like an angel...

I heard a crash and a squeal 5 minutes later, and I ran in to find Weezie on the floor! Luckily, I had thrown a comforter on the floor at some point, and she landed on that. I swooped her up, and she had a big grin on her face like it was fun!

Another milestone passed, mom/baby unscathed....

Sweet & Sour Weezie

This commercial cracks me up everytime I see it because it is soooo Weezie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jV_u9EDE2Z8

My little Picasso

Here's my latest acquisition, proudly hanging in my kitchen. It's a piece by a budding young artist that's on the rise. She's a bit pricey, but I've managed to work a deal to pay her in cheese doodles...

Back in the game...

I took Weez to the pedi Monday for the persistent fever, and it turns out she has raging ear infections in both ears. Her strep throat was clearing up after the Bicillin shot, but it was doing nothing for her ears, apparently. They gave her a shot of Rocephin (another penicillin), and her fever finally broke. She was back in school yesterday and is having a blast. I'm told she "plays hard" on the playground, and two skinned knees yesterday certainly support that :)

I just hate having to give her all these antibiotics, but what are you going to do? I'm not going to let her suffer through ear infections, but it's worrisome how many she's had to take in her 15 months. She's been on Augmentin, Omnicef, Zithromax, Omnicef again, Bicillin, and Rocephin. What's sad is that her pedi said that the number of ear infections she's had is not unusual for her age, and she's not yet at the stage where they would consider inserting tubes in her ears. The hope is that she'll get through this cold/flu season and that by the next cold/flu season, her ear canals will have developed such that she'll be less prone to infection when she gets a cold.

I have to admit it's times like this when I think I don't want to have another child. It's just so frightening to have a sick child that you can't help, and it's the worst feeling. I don't know if I could handle having two sick children... I'm sure I'll be back on the "I want to have another baby" wagon as soon as I see someone's cute newborn. For now, though, Weez is my world and it's all I can do to keep her safe, healthy, and happy.

Hmmmm....

I wonder how Weezie got strep.....

Hot, hot, hot!

Can't write too long, but Weezie has strep! Poor little Weezie! I can only imagine the pain she's in, and she's being a real trooper considering she has strep and has had a fever since Monday evening. It hovered around 100 Monday and Tuesday, but yesterday went up to 101. I took her to the pediatrician. On a hunch, they checked her throat, and sure enough, a sample confirmed she had strep.

She's been on a Motrin-Tylenonl-tepid bath regiman since yesterday, and her temperature is back up to 103.5 after going down to 100.2 this morning.

Get better, Baby, get better!

It's hard being a single mom...

Jim went out of town Saturday morning and won't be back until Wednesday (note to any stalkers out there - I have a Mag Lite I'm not afraid to bean you over the head with if you try to break in. It's next to my bed. Right by the shotgun.) The title of my post is tongue-in-cheek, of course, because my little week alone can't begin to compare with a being a true single mom.

When Jim's out of town, it reminds me how much he helps out. How am I going to reach the top shelf? Who's going to open jars and soda cans for me? In all seriousness, I wouldn't be able to do this whole working mom thing without him. He gives her bath, packs her diaper bag, and gets her dressed in the morning (note: I do have to lay out clothes for her so that she doesn't end up going to school in pajama bottoms, pink shoes and an orange top).

Part of me thinks, "well, he's supposed to help, so what's the big deal?" If I go by what I hear on my parenting board and girlfriends, however, most husbands aren't nearly as involved. One of my coworkers (male) proudly announced to me that he had changed his third diaper this past weekend. His daughter is 6 weeks old! Can you imagine?

Anyhoo, Weez and I are pretty lucky girls.

Baby blubber

Mine, not Weez's. She's perfect :)

I have managed to gain 7 lbs since the beginning of the year. That, coupled with the fact that Reese is now 15 months old, renders my "oh, I just had a baby" excuse obsolete. I'm fairly good about working out, but my eating habits are atrocious. We eat out almost every night, and it's impossible for me to choose the grilled chicken with steamed vegetables when there's linguine with Alfredo sauce on the menu. Mmmm, carb-loaded, cheesy goodness.

Not to mention that I've fallen into that Mommy trap of finishing Weezie's food. Grilled cheese sandwiches, mac&cheese, chicken nuggets... it doesn't count if I'm eating it standing up, right?!

Be careful what you wish for...

Weez is walking! She's been literally running with her push toy since January, but she would never let go. I figured she would be a late walker since she didn't crawl until 11 months, but I admit I was starting to get a little anxious about her starting to walk. It didn't help that every where I turned, someone was asking that dreaded question - is she walking yet? No, but she can do quadratic equations in her head! OK, not really, but I swear she's normal!

We were at a girlfriend's about a week ago (March 10), and she suddenly let go of the chair she was holding onto. She stood hesitantly for a few seconds with a "what the Hell?!" look on her face, and then took 3 steps towards me. There was no going back after that - she is all over the place now! I'm convinced that she waited to walk until she could do it well. That's my Weezie!

Sometimes I miss the time when she was immobile, but I have to say that there's nothing cuter than having her walk up to me, wrap her arms around my legs, and look up at me with those big brown eyes. She's so freakin' adorable!

13 months going on 13 years...

Reese went to her first "friend" birthday party last weekend. A is one of her little playmates from daycare, and his father has always referred to Weez as "A's girlfriend". Little does he know that Weez has four boyfriends since three other little boys' dads think the same thing. A will follow Weez around wherever she crawls. Sometimes she gets tired of him following at her heels, and she'll turn around and smack him in the face; other times she'll give him a hug. It's hilarious!

I find it amusing that fathers of boys are quick to attribute signs of studliness to their sons, while fathers of girls have knee-jerk reactions to protect their daughters from said signs. When I told J about the party, he asked, "Um, he's okay, right? He doesn't have ideas does he?" He was referring to A.

The 1-year old.

No, honey, I don't think he has any designs on Weez. No devious plans to slip her "a little extra" in her milk and inviting her to see his crib...

Weez had a great time at the party, in no small part due to the attention she was getting. She is such a ham; I think she thought the party was for her. Not such a bad thing, either, since the parents had gone all-out with the catering/decorations, moonwalk, and professional clown. Ummm, does J count as a professional clown? My sister-in-law hired a petting zoo and ponies for her son's first birthday. Suffice it to say that Weez's first birthday was not so well planned out. Oh well, thank goodness I have no problems with implanting a few memories here and there. I can just see myself in a few years...

Remember, Weez, when we had that giant moonwalk for your party? Oh, and the ponies, you had so much fun!! Too bad about that fire destroying all the pictures... At least we still have the memories!