The Run

At 8:30 this morning I did my first 20 minute continuous run! I had been doing run/walk intervals before. Running with a stroller is definitely a challenge, but its a good motivator because Timo tends to get fussy when I slow down or stop. Plus it's pretty cool to look at his little face while I run too :)

We took a group photo after our accomplishment this morning and amazingly Timo gave us a congratulatory fist pump! I love this picture. I just know he's saying "Go mommy! I'm proud of you!" 

As I mentioned, I'm "training" for a 5k on October 13. I had wanted to sign up for a 5k this fall even when I was still pregnant as a goal to work towards. I find it easier to run when I have an event to get ready for. We're doing the timed run instead of the non-timed fun run/walk. This way we don't get stuck with our strollers behind walkers. Maneuvering around people with a stroller one handed is a pain. I have two goals for this 5k: 1) to run the whole time, no walking and 2) not be last. ( I couldn't care less about my time even though I'm doing the timed run. That was just to avoid getting stuck behind the lollygaggers doing the fun run/walk :P )

Getting Back in Shape

Before Timo came, I did some research on various mom groups and clubs in the area I could join and I came across Stroller Strides. It's a fitness/ exercise group of moms who bring their babies and toddlers in strollers and get fit doing lunges and other exercises that incorporate the stroller. There are subsidiary meet ups with this group that run and also just get together for coffee and walks. I've met several moms but haven't really connected with any of them yet. Overall the moms are older than me and/or super duper serious about sleep schedules, homemade cleaning products, using earth friendly diapers and organic food. I mostly just listen to everyone talk all about their babies. It can be hard to get a word in sometimes. Especially with Ruth. 

 Ruth is an older British woman who runs the whole thing. She talks a mile a minute, tends to ramble, and is hard to listen to after a while. She has one son, an 8 and a half year old  that she brought and pushed around in a stroller until school recently started. She also shared that she breast fed him until he was 3 years old. The other moms aren't quite so..."Ruth" but I end up talking to Ruth most since she tends to focus her exercise and running coaching on me since I'm the newest member. Let's just say, I'd like for someone else to join so I can get some one on one time with the other moms. 

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays we run (with strollers). On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we do stroller fitness. We meet at 9:30 in the morning downtown Danville and do various exercises while singing nursery songs to our babies in the stroller. It's a little dorky and embarrassing when other people walk by. But the little ones seem to like it. Even my Timo, the youngest one (and the cutest :P) was smiling. 

However, sometimes I see other young moms walk by with their strollers and coffee, chatting to each other and staring at us singing and hoping around and I think "I'd rather be hanging out with those guys. This is lame." But oh we'll! It's better than nothing! 

The good news is, at 10 weeks, I'm back to my pre pregnancy weight! But, my pants still don't fit which is a bummer. Apparently this happens to everyone and after having a baby your body changes shape (aka widens). I'll add that to the list of things people don't tell you. I'll probably do a post on that topic eventually. 

I've signed up for a 5k in October that I'll run with the other moms. My first 20 minute continuous run is tomorrow morning. Wish me luck! 

Timothy William Logan

He's here!
Say hello to Timothy William Logan!!

How do I begin to capture the last 6 weeks? I've been delaying blogging because I truly don't know where to begin. For the sake of just getting something down, I'll be sharing bulleted phrases:

- Born on the 4th of July!
- Very fast labor and deliver!
- Am I just saying this because I'm his mom? Or is he truly the cutest newborn ever? No puffiness or pointy head, just perfectly handsome.
- Heroic visits from grandparents (Spoons took a day-of red-eye flight for a 24 hour visit. My parents drove 15 hours due to canceled flights from a crash at SFO)
- My husband is my hero (seriously.)
- Post delivery recovery: whoa. the epidural tricks your brain into thinking your body has done nothing. then the your body catches up... quickly. wowza! people should really tell you these things ahead of time. 
- Breastfeeding: ouch. like whoa. then it gets better...
- Goodbye sleep!
- Love visitors! Thanks for the time and food and help and everything!
- Poop!
- Nicknames: Butter-nut Squirts, Mr. Mustard Pesto, Timo, Professor Wiggles, Wiggly Piglet, Buddy Bear, Buster Muffin, Bunny, T-dubs, T-Spoons, Baby Spoons,
- Timothy is awesome. He's just so so awesome. It's amazing to see him growing and changing already. I love him so much!

I hope to blog again soon about how we spend our days and some of our outings and of course new mom musings.

PS- I made a total of ZERO freezer meals ahead of time as planned (see previous blog post). So extra huge thanks to my friends and mom who brought over and made meals for us!

Dolphin Assisted Water Birth (this is a thing now...)

Another miracle of maternity is the sudden influx of pregnancy, baby and parenting related emails I get. I recall subscribing to one weekly email from The Bump. But somehow I ended up with getting about 10 daily from various organizations including numerous baby clothing retailers. Maybe I signed up for some coupons at the check-out at the Carter's outlet? I've since unsubscribed from a bunch but still get a few winning articles sent my way.

A month ago, The Bump sent me an email with a link to an article titled "Say What? Parents to Be Planning a Dolphin Assisted Water Birth in Hawaii"  A Dolphin Assisted Water Birth. 

Now, let's play the "What Does Kelsey Imagine?" game! Upon reading this, I pictured a dolphin and lady in some kind of indoor/outdoor aquarium tank. The dolphin is strapped to some kind of harness and the other end of the harness is attached to the baby still inside the mother. Dolphin swims. Baby comes out. And there you have a dolphin assisted water birth.

I drew a picture:

Figure 1

As you may have surmised, what I imagined is not the real deal. It has something to do with the soothing and relaxing high pitch shrill of a dolphin that helps keep the mother calm and welcomes the baby into a peaceful tranquil environment.

However, this also seems pretty bogus since I'm pretty sure you can easily buy dolphin sounds on a CD. I'd like to let this couple know that they can save themselves a lot of money by not flying to Hawaii and renting out a personal fish tank AND dolphin for their birth. For a mere $12.49 they can pick up "Dolphin Music for the Inner Child" at their local Target in the World Music Kiosk located between the cards and scented candles (or online). Then they can put all that extra money towards their child's college education or maybe buying a pet dolphin of their own for the next child birth (in case the CD just isn't relaxing enough)

Grocery Shopping: An Un-Mastered Art

I'm a terrible grocery shopper. I'm seriously the worst. I come home with the most random assortment of things that I'm sure no one could make anything out of. Today at Trader Joes I bought a package of strawberries, baking soda, butter, 2 cans of black beans, sour cream, salad mix and 1 avocado.

I also constantly buy the same things every time and come home to realize I already have an unopened or half used package of it at home. I currently have 3 packs of tortillas, 2 are unopened. I also have 4 bags of frozen peas in my freezer; 3 of which are already opened. The crazy thing is, I NEVER use peas for anything. Once in a blue moon I'll make a toss salad and throw some peas in it. And on most occasions I usually end up opting out of including the peas since Mike doesn't like them very much (and neither do I honestly). Other things I routinely buy at the store that I usually already have at home: packages of shredded cheese, bread, eggs, frozen "chicken poppers"

I guess something just comes over me at the grocery store when it comes to these items and I think it'd be the end of the world to run out of shredded cheese. You may be thinking "Kelsey, don't you take inventory? Don't you make a list before going to the grocery store?" And the answer is yes I do, sort of. But then I'm in the store and see these things and forget if I need them or not. Or I see things and think "Oh that looks good, but I'll never actually use it" and pass it by. My list just isn't a very good one I guess.

Now that I'm on maternity leave and "between jobs" the plan is to start cooking and freezing meals for after baby and after my mom leaves so that we'll have prepared meals ready to eat without much effort. My friends with babies say that you get REALLY hungry breastfeeding and you're too exhausted to cook.

I've never done this before so I'm curious to see how this pans out. I've asked friends and family members and scoured the web (Pinterest) for recipes. So far, here is what's on the freezer menu: 10 spinach/chicken quesadillas to use up all those dang tortillas and bags of shredded cheese.  Next I'll make a couple of pasta/hamburger meals and then maybe some enchiladas or chilli? Today I'm making banana bread for a party at Mike's work tomorrow and I'm making an extra loaf to freeze for later/....eat right now (it smells amazing!)

I'm hoping to get better at managing my pantry and fridge supply so that I have ingredients on hand when I need to whip something up. I think part of the problem with my lack of cooking (besides the fact that I don't really enjoy it) is that I'm not a good grocery shopper...which may be why I don't like cooking. It's a vicious cycle.  What works for you? Do you have a certain method or iPhone app you use to keep inventory of your cupboards? Or, do you just use your brain and look in your fridge and function successfully?

37 Weeks/To Do List

Yesterday is a day I had marked on my calendar. Full Term! 37 weeks. This baby could be born any day now. I'm wrapping up my last week of work before maternity leave* and spending my days in the office finishing up projects.....and blogging and surfing the web for great freezer meal ideas and other last minute things I need to do before the big arrival.

The doctors have been saying the last few weeks that our buddy is head down and very low. Very very low. That, plus very frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, points to a "sooner rather than later" delivery. I planned on 2 weeks at home to relax/get everything ready (#nesting) before the due date but now wondering if I'll get those full two weeks.

Here are the things I hope to accomplish in the next two weeks/before baby arrives:

1. Send out Thank You's for baby shower #2
2. Make several "freezer meals" to have on hand
3. Organize computer desk drawer/cabinet area
4. Transfer family and friends' mailing addresses from notebook onto computer (Google Contacts? looking for suggestions!)
5. Make "Baby Mix" CD (stay tuned for blog post on this topic)
6. Blog (duh)
7. Clean

I'll also go for walks, read books and visit/sneak into pools of friends' residential communities. I'm a little concerned about getting bored so any other ideas are welcome! I don't want to end up on the couch watching "Say Yes to the Dress" re-runs all day....or do I?

I saw this poem today and it made me smile.
 

 
If I start writing sentimental emotional things like this myself I'll start crying and will be done for. Keep in mind I'm still at work so I need to keep it together. So, for now, I'll just say that I can't wait to meet you buddy! You're my treasure.

...and I'm toast... #hormones

Kelsey, Kim and Kate

In a celebrity-crazed, adolescent girl kind of way, I think it’s cool that I’m pregnant and due around the same time as Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton. I mean, these are pretty iconic, gorgeous ladies. And, their names start with a K just like mine, so I’m pretty much connected to them, like soul sisters or something. 

 If we were all bff’s, here’s what I imagine our conversation would be like if we were lounging around eating bon bons one afternoon by Kim’s pool in her mansion in Calabasas.

Kim: Guys I’m SO stressed out right now. I don’t think our interior designer will be done with the 3rd renovation of the nursery in time. I wish they would have just done it right the first time!

Kate: I thought it was quite lovely the first time Kim. Cheetah print and hot pink is such a charming theme for a baby girl’s room.  What was wrong? (Kate passes around a crystal dish of lavender biscuits- I take 7 of them)

Kim: Well for one it was too small. Then the window didn’t line up with the pool outside (points up to the house at one of many windows) Who wants to look out a window at half a pool? Ew.

Kate: Yes I do see your point. I too am stressed. William and I can’t agree on a name and the Queen keeps interfering. She wants something dull and traditional like Winthorp or Prudence. But I would love to go with something more modern and trendy, something that ends in N or has something to do with nature.

Me: You could go with a name that incorporates both, like Raven.

Kim: Oh my god I freakin’ LOVE that name!

Kate: Good heavens, what a wonderful and delightful name! Excellent idea Kelsey!

Me: Feel free to use it. Just make sure the middle name is “Kelsey”

(we all lol)

Kim: So have you guys gone on a babymoon yet?

Me: This..... IS my babymoon.

Kim: Oh.

Kate: How positively hilarious!  You’re a riot Kelsey!

Me: Thanks?

Kate: Wills and I can’t decide between 3 weeks in Fiji or the south of France. So we’re doing both.

Me: Dang!

Kim: Kanye and I are spending next month on his yacht in the Caribbean.

Me: ...I’m going to get in the pool now. (I grab another lavender biscuit and waddle over to the pool before flopping and rolling onto a raft and floating away)

Note: During this scene Kanye, Wills and Mike are on a run to In’n’Out burger for us and encounter the standard long line. Kanye cuts in front of everyone and places an order.