July 1, 2015 by Stephanie

Fit for Me 26/52

What I did last week:

Sunday-I started my 10K training. It was a slow 30 minute run/walk, and I took the dogs with me. But I feel good about it! It was a perfect start.

Monday-I walked downtown for lunch which is a 30 minute round-trip. And I did it in heels, which I am regretting now because of the blister it caused.

Tuesday-Another 30 minute training run.

Impressed by:

I am always impressed with myself when I start training for a race.

Struggled with:

I have been a little inconsistent with working out lately. I can blame it on rain, or Tom being home in the evenings, but a lot of it boils down to I forget to make the time at the end of the day. I am hoping now that I have this training schedule that will put me back on pace.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did start my training for my 10k.

What is my goal for next week?

We have a lot going on this weekend with the holiday, so I want to just stick with my 3 training runs.

Fitness Thoughts:

You would think after 6 months, a workout schedule would come more naturally. What this weekly journal has reminded me that it is an every day commitment. This will be something that I have to work at every day as our schedule ebbs and flows. I am always wishing for consistency, but that honestly will never be there. George is growing so fast, and Tom’s schedule changes monthly. I need to just find ways to keep myself honest to my body every day.

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How do you keep yourself in check with your workout goals?

June 30, 2015 by Stephanie

My Favorite Childhood Vacation

This time of year always makes me think of vacations. Outside of the one night stay on my birthday, it has been a few years since we have been on a true vacation without there being another reason for travel like a wedding.

Since Tom cannot request time off right now, it has been hard to plan a vacation this summer.

So instead I will just reminisce about my favorite childhood vacation.

It wasn’t anywhere luxurious. We stayed in state. But boy do I love Missouri.

And most of the time we had to walk across the park for running water.

My favorite childhood vacation was definitely camping.

I looked forward to these excursions every summer, even though it looks like we hate our lives there….

My dad would take my brother and I to a lake near Branson, and we would camp for a few days. We had the tent and the cooler set with all our necessities, and we were pulling our boat in tow. Then my step-mom would join us for the second part of the vacation which meant we moved to a hotel. So it was awesome and dirty for a few days then it turned luxurious with a pool and a plate of giant nachos from the hotel restaurant. We also did much more touristy things like mini-golf or one of the many shows in Branson once we were at the hotel part of the vacation.

But camping, was just us and nature. Even as a kid, I knew there was something special about being outside like that.

What I loved about camping was the simplicity of it. We got to explore and rough it. We even looked forward to helping with the cooking because it generally meant lots of hotdogs.

It also meant lots of soda (Shasta) because we never really had any at home. In fact, we had a lot of food that we didn’t normally have, again read hotdogs.

We would play and sing lots of Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffett, and I would read because Anne of Green Gables was probably calling. My brother would try to fish, and I would hardly ever get out of my swimsuit because where there is water I must swim. (And I would have a bathing suit with the alphabet on it. A genuine nerd since 1985 folks…) We would talk about the stars and attempt to catch all the lightning bugs. We would dig for clams and skip rocks for days.

We learned a lot on those trips, and we made a lot of memories that I look back on fondly.

Tom and I want to continue this tradition with our family, and we had full intentions on doing so for our anniversary but the rain has been so unpredictable that we didn’t want to bank on it. Also maybe when his schedule is a little more free as well. We also may have been a little ambitious attempting to take a 10 month old camping this year. Hopefully next year we can go on our first official camping trip as a family.

What was your favorite childhood vacation?

June 29, 2015 by Stephanie

Talks with Tom #37

It’s been awhile since I have shared snippets of our conversations. Here are a couple snippets of talks we have had lately.

Tom tries to come get me from work every other week for a lunch date since our schedules are so wonky. We were discussing which restaurant to go to this week.

Tom: How about we go to that Greek place?

Me: I can’t. I just went there today.

Tom: It’s a restaurant not a tampon. You can go there again.

And just in time for America this week: this conversation happened over a meal recently.

Tom: I inhaled a little bit of bacon. Very American.

What funny conversations have you had recently with friends or significant others?

June 26, 2015 by Stephanie

George-10 Months

Seriously? 10 months?

Weight: 19 lbs and 4 oz which is the 40th percentile. Height is 27.75 inches which is the 20th percentile. His head is 47 inches which is the 93%. Considering everything but his head was under the 11th percentile at 6 months, he definitely grew this month to catch up to his peers! Always be bulking…His head is just huge. Big brains we hope!

Health: He has been pretty healthy this month. We have been battling some pretty awful diaper rash, and we cannot seem to find something that helps cure it. (We have tried coconut oil, bourdreaux’s butt paste, and baby powder.) He has been a little raspy and snotty this week so there may be another tooth coming soon since this is what proceeded the last two. We are still only at 2 teeth. He is still spitting up after he has formula. He doesn’t do it with anything else, just that dang formula. (He did it with breastmilk too.) Our doctor thinks he is just a happy spitter, and he will eventually grow out of it. He doesn’t seem to be effected by it; it just dribbles out 5-10 minutes after he has finished a bottle. And it doesn’t matter if he has 2 oz or 6, so it is not a matter of being full. It’s obnoxious, not happy.

Diet: He eats what we eat. We have dubbed him Carbisaurusrex. He eats pretty much anything in sight. His hanger issues have gotten so bad that we have to hide food as we are preparing it or he gets a fruit/veggie pre-dinner while we are cooking. And forget him seeing a bottle without it being in his hands-tantrum galore. Then you have to ignore him as he pitches a fit when meal-time is over. It’s hard to keep track of all the new things that he has eaten now, but he is basically eating like an adult. People think I am kidding, but he eats as much as I do at meals. He can pack that food away. There hasn’t been anything this month that he hasn’t liked. He was a BIG fan of Red Lobster. All the other patrons got a dinner and a show from George’s eating antics. He is down to only three (4-6oz) formula bottles a day (morning, before afternoon nap, and right before bed). He has three traditional meals a day, and several snacks throughout. We are also transitioning him to a sippy cup with water and milk.

Clothes: He is wearing 6 month and 6-9 month clothes. Some are getting a little snug so I may be digging out the 9 month stuff here in the upcoming week. He is in size 3 diapers. For as much food as he is eating, I am really surprised he hasn’t had to move up clothes faster.

Sleeping: He is still doing fairly well with sleeping through the night. We put him down at 7:30, and I would say 90% of the time he is asleep within 5 minutes of being laid down. Then he stays asleep until 5ish am, even on the weekends. He does NOT want to sleep in, unlike his parents. And normally during the week he is my alarm clock instead of the mechanical one I have set for 5:40. He still is napping pretty well twice a day, although one is typically much longer than the other. You can definitely tell when he is getting tired; he starts rubbing his eyes. And when I am singing him his nighttime songs he has to stick his hands in my mouth. Then he giggles when I sing long notes as he is trying to hold my tongue. I guess it is his new bedtime game because he doesn’t really do that any other time that I am singing with him.

Likes: Food is still pretty much his favorite. He loves his new walker and trying to make it light up. He loves to stand and try to climb on things. He loves his little play mirror. He loves to dig in his laundry basket. I may have to hide it in the closet he loves it so much. His singing books are really fun for him. He loves to get his teeth brush. I think it tickles him, so he just giggles the whole time.

Dislikes: Diaper changes. It’s like a wrestling match trying to get a diaper off and on. I am surprised we don’t have poop smeared everywhere. He also tried to dive off the changing table the other day, little wiggle monster. He hates seeing food that is not his. At Miss Brenda’s, he does not like his sippy cup to be empty. He throws it across the floor when it’s empty. Generally, he does not like it when he doesn’t get his way so hearing no is not his favorite thing. (He may have gotten a little anger streak from him parents.)

Milestones: At the beginning of the month he was flip-flop crawling, but two weeks ago he actually started crawling. And he hasn’t stopped moving since. He can fully bring himself to a standing position too. He can’t stand completely without holding on to something, but he is making a lot of efforts to do so. So I think solo standing is going to happen here very quickly. You can tell he wants to so badly. Also seeing him standing in his crib on the monitor has to be one of the most terrifying things. He isn’t talking yet, but he yells at you and sings. He is also throwing temper tantrums, so his cognitive level is rising. We aren’t using the pacy too much now. Most days he only has it when he goes down for his bedtime. I don’t even remember the last time Brenda has used it with him during the day. She is much more hard core than we are, and we use it more on the weekend because we are softies at this point. We do take a pacy still with us when we are out of the house just in case he throws a fit, but generally at home he doesn’t have it until bedtime. Unless we are taking pictures…

Quirks: He pants like a dog when he is trying really hard to stand. When he sees other people, he will bury his head in my shoulder like he is trying to hide. He has figured out how to turn on the radio and is pulling all the books off the shelves. Needless to say, he likes to change the landscape of his room.

We parents are: pretty great. I am losing hair due to George’s pulling it all out. We are actually having to parent George now that he is more mobile. I think I say, “No” or “Stop” more than any other word in my vocabulary. We are trying to teach him there are many things he can’t do yet…Tom’s schedule has been pretty great this month, so I feel like we have gotten more time together.

The dogs are: sooo sweet and patient with George. His relationship with them has changed dramatically since he can crawl and climb. He is all over them ALL THE TIME. Crosby just sits there and takes the abuse, even the innocent ball pinch…Grace tries to make out with him hoping for some food/spit up remnants in those baby folds. George also tried to eat their dog food yesterday, and is very made that we would not let him. They share the dinner we give George which I think has solidified their BF status. George thinks it is funny to feed them his food. (But then he gets mad at us when there is no food on his plate.) The dogs have done a really good job leaving George’s toys alone, even though George now thinks the dog bones are his toys.

In two months, we will have a ONE YEAR OLD! I have his birthday already planned out. We just have to make a few things and then wait for the day. I am already so excited to see it all come together. But I also want to freeze time because there is no way I am actually ready for that.

June 25, 2015 by Stephanie

Watching Lately

My TV habits slow way down in the summer months, but I have a few shows I have been keeping up with.

So You Think You Can Dance

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This is one of my favorite shows. The talent and creativity shown is just inspiring. Many of the top 10 end up going on to Dancing With the Stars, so obviously I love the connection. I really like the new judging panel of Nigel, Paula Abdul, and Jason Derulo. Paula is really quirky, and she wears her emotions on her face or by the noises she makes. So you can tell right off the bat whether she likes something or not. I was really surprised by Jason’s dance knowledge, but come to find out he was classically trained in dance since he was really little (like 4 years old I think). And Nigel is just Nigel, the crusty old British judge. They are now done with the auditions, so next week we will see Vegas week. That week always makes me nervous because it really pushes people to their limits, and some prosper and some fail miserably. I do think this new format of street vs stage is interesting. I am not completely sure how it will play out yet, so I don’t know if I like it yet. I love the idea of the mentorship with Twitch and Travis. I think that will be a really cool dynamic to bring to the set. There have been some phenomenal dancers, so I can’t wait to see the numbers they come up with. I loved Jim the ballet dancer if you were curious.

The Bachelorette

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Oh. My. This season. I don’t even really know where to begin with my comments. Kaitlyn really does her own thing, which I can appreciate to an extent. I do agree with her that she does need to kiss people to see if there is that intimate connection, but I still am not sure how I feel about what happened Monday and how far she has gone. That isn’t a route I would go, but that’s apparently her prerogative so who am I to judge her choices. I also wouldn’t go on a reality TV show to find my husband, so there is that. I do not really like Nick being on the show in the first place. I was not the biggest fan of his when he was dating Andi, and I think he is still kind of a sleazeball. And I think there is something fishy about him waiting until the show actually started to reach out to her instead of when they were “talking” before the show began. I think it will be interesting to see how this talk with Shawn goes. I think Kaitlyn is going to blow her secret and the real drama will begin. Also I really liked Shawn until he started showing all the jealousy and got drunk off it. It kind of ruined him for me. You know what you are getting yourself into when you sign up for this show. She is dating 25 men AT THE SAME TIME. Anyway, that convo will be something. I really DO NOT like this new format of doing a cliff hanger every week with the rose ceremonies. It is driving me crazy that they are at the beginning of the episodes now. Grrrr. My favorites after this week are Joe, Jared, Chris, and both Bens. Ben H. is my first choice for her. He seems like someone who can keep up with her wit but also keep her grounded.

Pretty Little Liars

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They said this season would be all about answers, but four episodes in I still only have questions! I honestly have no clue what is going on. But I guess that is the attraction to this show. I wonder if these girls will finally graduate? Also did you know that the actress who play Ali is only 19 in real life? That means she was super young when the show started. Anyway about the show, it is still packed with drama. I am skeptical of this new cop, but you are always skeptical of new characters on this show. I have no idea if Charles is alive or not, but obviously there is something surrounding his time in Radley. Initially I do think that he is alive, and he is taking his frustration out on Ali for living the life he should have, but that doesn’t explain why he hates the other girls. I also think there is something not right about Sara. She is creeping me out. I don’t have much more to say because I am so utterly lost when it comes to PLL.

The Whispers

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This is a new show on ABC. When I saw the commercials initially, I thought no way jose. It looked creepy and scary and not up my alley at all. But it comes on right after the Bachelorette, so I caught the first 5 minutes of the pilot, and I couldn’t help but get sucked in. It is really creepy, but I am hooked on the suspense. I don’t think I can really explain the plot because there are so many different variables that when I try to explain it becomes really confusing. But the premise is there is this entity that is speaking to children and getting them to play this game to do pretty awful things. The parents think this “Drill” is an imaginary friend. And all of the parents seem to have some high power/influenced job. I feel like the ultimate result is world domination through these awful acts these kids are doing (like making their mom fall out of a tree house). There are some other plot lines that are playing into it that I haven’t figured out, but it is only few episodes in. If you are looking for something with a little mystery and suspense this is a great show. It is a little more on the SciFy realm–a little. These kids are phenomenal actors too! This is not a show I can watch before bed (because I am like a child and will have legit nightmares).

The Astronaut Wives Club

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This is based on the book by Lily Koppel. I have had this book on my to-read list for a long time, and I have now since ordered it and will be my next book to read. I have only seen the pilot of this show since it just started last week. Naturally, I love a good period piece show, and this era is on of my favorites stylistically. I could just watch the show to see what the women are wearing and be just fine. So since this is based on a true story, and since I haven’t read the book yet, I was on the interwebs most of the episode to see how much of it was actually true. I would have to say for Hollywood standards, they did a pretty decent job (at least from my brief internet research). Some of the pictures they staged for the magazine, are exactly the ones they did in real life, wardrobe and all. This show is meant to show the side of the wives of the Mercury Seven, which was the space program for the first US man in space. These women became famous and model “homemakers” during this time thanks to a spread in Time Magazine. I am really fascinated by this, so I will definitely be tuning in for every episode. I do know that right now they have only guaranteed this as a summer 10 episode mini-series unless it does extremely well. Then they may come back for another season. From just the pilot alone, I think this would be a great summer investment! (Although, I may just record all the episodes knowing there are only 10, and wait until I finish the book to watch the rest.)

What are you watching this summer? Have you seen any of these shows?