morning schedule, revised

6:15: Wake up, feed and change Maggie
6:45: Pump
7:15: Make Sydney's lunch and breakfast
7:30: Get ready
7:55: Leave for school
8:15: Get back from school, go running
9:15: Shower
9:30: Ready to leave

Better than before, this would get me to work at a somewhat reasonable time I guess. But when Sydney goes to summer camp everything has to be changed around again probably.

I wanted to do this 10-week half-marathon training plan for June 5, which would start this week, but now my foot is acting up again. I started developing a blister last week but it didn't really bother me that much until yesterday when it got worse for some reason. But I ran this morning anyway, so the blister started hurting more, and by the end of the run my ankle was sore too. Urggggh. I think I may have been - ok, I know I was running funny because of not wanting to put too much pressure on the blister and that probably aggravated the ankle more. So now I think I really need to take some time off. Which hopefully won't end up being too long, so that I can actually still run this half. I'm bummed though because I was looking forward to following a real training plan (I'm somewhat of a type A person so I like plans).

pancake sunday

Sydney totally cracks me up sometimes. Example from tonight:
Dad: Where are my keys?
Sydney (in deadpan manner): They're probably where you left them.

Here's Sydney and Maggie goofing off earlier today. Maggie's on a throne/fort that Dad built for her. The cushions are also for protection because she sometimes topples forward out of that chair and lands on her face.


I've been eating bits of Maggie's sweet potato when I feed it to her (Sorry, Maggie) and getting a craving for something more substantial so we had sweet potato pancakes today.

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 sweet potatoes, mashed (microwave for a few minutes to cook)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk



I've decided I'll try to summarize my running at the end of each week from now on. This week I haven't been wearing the HR monitor all week because of laziness but finally put it back on today. In general, I ran faster than I normally would because of the weather and not wanting to prolong the time I was out there. My foot is still somewhat unwell though - it's annoying because when I'm running it feels just fine, but afterwards it starts complaining. I did get in a long run today though, which was nice since it's been more than 3 weeks since I've done a double-digit run.

Mon: 5@8:34, last mile @7:19 (rain)
Tues: 8@8:29 w/ 10x1-min pickups
Wed: Off
Thurs: 9 progression @8:15 w/ last 4 miles@7:57, 7:54, 7:40, 7:23
Fri: 8 @8:51
Sat: 5 @9:15-9:30 (ran without my watch)
Sun: 13 @8:33 w/ last mile @6:58, avg HR 154 (69% HRR)

spring showers

We had a huge storm around here yesterday with lots of flooding, power outages, just a giant mess out there in general. And of course I went out running in it. I did 9 miles and it was pretty miserable - I was drenched, my clothes were heavy and sticking to me, and it was super cold and windy. This morning's run was beautiful by comparison, there's something about going outside right after a storm that seems almost magical with the sun peeking through the clouds and the rain smell still in the air, and the ground wet and covered with debris from trees.

Anyway, so I finished my first week back at work and it wasn't so bad after all. Of course, now I'm already starting to stress about how I'm going to manage when I have to start working full-time. I think I'll have to just do some combination of working at night and waking up earlier. But anyway, I got everything all set up and running finally, and even wrote some code today, yay. And Maggie is doing great at daycare, when I drop her off she now smiles and gets all excited when Michele comes over to pick her up.



I made bolognese sauce in the slow cooker yesterday using this recipe. It was pretty yummy, considering I made it with half ground turkey breast. The recipe does take more work than the usual slow cooker dish, because you have to saute the veggies and meat before throwing it in there, so in the future I'd probably only make it on weekends, but it was still pretty quick.

Since going back to work and having unlimited access to tons of snacks I have started eating a lot of...cottage cheese. Weird, I know, but it's really good! I had a container of it on Monday and then I just kept going for it every time I wanted a snack. So far I've had it with bananas, granola, and animal crackers, but the possibilities are endless...heh.

rain, rain, and more rain

It has been raining for the last 5 days, and the next 4 days are also forecast for rain. I was out with the stroller the other morning during a brief reprieve from the rain when it started to pour. I ended up running 5 miles with the last one @7:19 as passersby probably thought I was crazy/a bad mother/both. Yes, I was pushing my luck, but I really thought there was enough time for a quick one. Thankfully, Maggie didn't get wet, as canopy for the stroller is quite large and the rain just got on the bottom/outside of her blanket. She also stayed quite warm in her fleece-lined one-piece outfit with the ears.

As for my foot/ankle, I ended up taking 3 days off, which didn't really seem to do anything. Then I ran for the next 3 days and that didn't really seem to do anything either. Hmm. I've been doing lots of exercises and icing, so that's probably helping. I also got some orthotic slippers to wear around the house. They are leopard print, because all the other colors they had look like they belong in nursing homes. Hopefully I can get past this soon, because I just signed up for a half-marathon, but at least it's not until June.

So I went back to work yesterday. I dropped Maggie off in the morning and she was crying when I left so that was tough. Then halfway through my five-hour day I was already starting to feel tired. I think I checked the time at 3:08, 3:24, 3:46, 3:52, okay you get the picture. Well part of it was that I didn't have a working machine because I had been working on a remote host and it got shut down and reallocated to someone else while I was on leave (thanks a lot, team that handles these) and I was waiting for a new one all day. Anyway, I finally made it to 5, then on the way back I could not wait to see Maggie! The daycare lady (Michele) said she did great and had her naps and bottles fine and all the other kids there love her (I'm thinking: but they are going to get their germs all over her!) So we get home, and I find out I can't open the front door because the lock has been getting jammed recently with the door expanding due to the wet weather, and I have to get back in the car, drive to the gym, walk through an ongoing boxing class, weaving through a bunch of people punching and kicking heavy bags, while holding Maggie, to find Marlon and get him to come home and help me. Aaagh. Anyway, today ended up going a lot better, work was starting to feel more normal, and the front door of the house is now fixed.

happy half-birthday!

Maggie is 6 months today! We didn't do anything to celebrate, though. Here she is playing in her exersaucer thingy this afternoon:

She's standing on a Sponge Bob pillow because she's not quite tall enough to reach the bottom yet, but this way she can bounce herself.

So tomorrow is my first day back at work. Yesterday I organized the 40 or so bags of frozen breastmilk I have in my stash and sorted them by date. Also got stuff ready for daycare and pumping at work. As luck would have it, I am also kind of sick...and so is Maggie (her first cold!), so if we are not better by tomorrow I guess we'll just stay home!

Today's slow cooker concoction:

Chicken, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil.

maggie plays with her new toy

And gets somewhat frustrated with it near the end.

garlicky chicken stew

I bought this giant jar of chopped garlic at Costco yesterday and tried it out in some chicken stew today. It came out super flavorful, and is super convenient!

1 lb. chicken breast
1 lb. chicken thigh
1/2 onion, sliced
a few carrots, chopped
a few celery stalks, chopped
1 apple, chopped
a very large amount of chopped garlic (I think I may have used 1/4 cup?)
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
chicken seasoning
1-2 cups water

Cook on low for 8 hours. I stirred in some flour with an hour to go to thicken it up a bit.

foot woes

So I went to the podiatrist this morning because my right foot has been acting up lately and I thought my orthotics might need replacing. Instead, she diagnosed me with posterior tibial tendonitis. Thankfully, it's a mild case at the moment and I can continue running once I get this wedge put into my running shoe. Basically, I had to bring my running shoe to a cobbler and have them add this wedge to the bottom of the shoe (but above the actual sole) to make my foot pronate less. Oh, and we're also going to have my orthotics remade in a firmer material because the ones I have were getting pretty battered. This and I already wear what are probably the heaviest, stiffest (and ugliest) running shoe out there.

My foot has been not quite perfect for a month or so now, but it hasn't bothered me when running so I didn't think it was really a big deal. It's more like this general achy/weak feeling in the arch/inner ankle area that I get sometimes when I'm just walking around barefoot at home. It's not really a new feeling at all - I've basically had this issue my entire life whenever I'm on my feet too long. For example, if I walk around all day in flip flops, or if I happen to do a lot of cooking and am standing for a few hours in my bare feet, my feet hurt a lot the next day. Actually, I think a big part of why I'm having this problem lately is that I'm home all day and barefoot.

morning schedule

This morning I had a doctor's appt at 10:30, so I got to do a dry run of what my mornings will be like once I start working full-time again.

6:45: Wake up, feed and change Maggie.
7:10: Make Sydney's lunch.
7:20: Brush teeth, change, etc.
7:35: Pump
7:55: Leave for school
8:20: Get back from school
8:25: Run
9:25: Get back from run and shower
9:35: Feed baby again since I will be gone for a few hours and forgot to defrost milk. I suppose I could have taken the milk I pumped earlier back out of the freezer...but I wanted to use up the older milk, first!
9:45: Put ingredients in crockpot that I prepared last night (chicken fajitas). Make myself a PBJ to eat in the car.
9:55: Leave

I would rather not pump in the mornings because it takes so long but that seems to be when I can get the most milk. But maybe if I am getting enough while pumping during the day I can stop the morning session. Or something else has to change, because I need to be out of the house earlier than 9:55!

6 month visit and sleep answers

We just got back from Maggie's 6 month pediatrician visit, because she turns 6 months in a week! She got the 3rd installment of her shots (that she had at 2 and 4 months). It always makes me so sad to see the needle puncturing her chubby little thighs. She is usually good at her appointments but this time as soon as I set her down on the exam table she started crying. The nurse said that she can recognize the place now and that's why she was upset! I don't totally buy that though - seriously, she can remember back 2 months and associate it with getting shots??

Anyway, her head/weight/length checked out just fine. She is 75% for her head, 90% for height, and a little above 50% for weight. To use the doctor's words, she is "thriving". Yay.

I also asked the doctor about the night feeding issue, and she said that Maggie is just waking up out of habit and not because she actually NEEDS the food. And that it would actually be better for her if she slept continuously the night. So it is just down to personal preference whether I sleep train the night feeding(s) away - some parents can't bear to let the baby cry it out or find it easier to just wake up and do the feeding. She said that if I do decide on the sleep training, I should expect her to cry a lot the first night, even more the second night, and for the whole process to take about a week. I have exactly one week to go before going back to work. Hmmm.

meatballs in the slow cooker

We had these meatballs yesterday. I'm going to attempt to quantify my recipe this time. Also, I probably would have used shallots and Italian parsley if I had had some.

2.5 lbs ground turkey
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
lots of garlic, chopped finely
a few handfuls bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Shape into meatballs and put in slow cooker. Pour pasta sauce on top. Cook on low for 8 hours.

juana run

So after much procrastination and indecision, I went to the running store Friday night to sign up for the Juana Run 8k Saturday morning (saved 5 bucks vs signing up race morning, ha). The weather forecast was good and the course is certified and supposed to be mostly flat. I slept horribly - went to bed at 10, still awake at 11 when Maggie woke up, still awake at 1 when I got super hungry and had a snack. Finally fell asleep then woke up again at 4 to feed Maggie again. Arggh.

Anyway, I got there about 20 min before race start but the parking lot was already full. Another problem - I didn't actually know where the race start was (didn't bother bringing the map) and was going to follow signs from the parking lot. There was another car pulling out of the lot so I just followed it down the block and parked behind it, then got out and asked the people inside. They decided to drive closer to the race start and offered me a ride there - being short on time, I agreed and got into a car full of complete strangers.

I finally made it to the race start area but I really needed to use the restroom so I got on the end of a long line with 9 min to go. Then I found out the start line was actually another couple blocks away. Great. By the time I was finished I had to run over to the start to make it on time, but hey, I hadn't gotten a chance to warm up yet so that was my warmup.

Splits:
Mile 1 (6:35): This was faster than I had planned, but the pace felt comfortable so I went along with it. There was a very slight incline this mile. Unfortunately, right after I start running, I feel my heart rate monitor strap start to slide down...pretty soon it was around my waist and stayed there during the whole race. Aaargh! I had forgotten to tighten it when putting it on this morning. Great.
Mile 2 (6:44): Eased up a bit because the first mile was definitely too fast and I didn't want to blow up at the end. Another very slight incline here.
Mile 3 (6:39): Slight downhill now. As I pass the 3rd mile marker I hear the guy call out 20:0x and I realize I am actually going faster than in my 5k from 2 months ago!
Mile 4 (6:51): Okay, things are starting to get uncomfortable here. Now I really wish I were just doing a 5k, because then I would be DONE.
Mile 5 (6:57): I can really hear myself breathing now and I hate that! I am slowing down but I think I can still make it to the end okay. By the time I see the clock it's at 33:51 and I think I can make it under 34 so I try to sprint, although I don't think I actually sped up any.

Official time: 33:59 (6:51 pace)
AG (F30-39): 7/62
Overall: 78/467

I think a lot of local running teams do this race so there were some super fast people there...the winner ran a 24:34 (4:57 pace) and the female winner was 27:47 (5:36 pace)!!! Craziness.

slow cooking

I just got this slow cooker in anticipation for not having time to make dinner anymore (at a decent time, at least) after returning to work. Since Maggie goes to bed at 7pm, I wouldn't be able to start cooking until then...but Sydney needs to be in bed by 8pm. My plan is to do the prep the night before, after the kids are in bed, then turn on the slow cooker in the morning. Over the weekend I can make things like rice, pasta, grains to microwave later, and also clean and cut up some veggies. That and buy more veggies already pre-cleaned and cut.

So far I've used it twice:
1) casserole with chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, white beans, thyme, and brown rice
2) chicken with tomatoes, garlic, ginger, onions, and garam masala (stir in some greek yogurt when it's done)

It's working out pretty well with things I basically always have on hand: frozen chicken, frozen ground turkey, canned beans (garbanzos and black), canned tomatoes (diced, whole, with chiles, with basil, etc), chicken stock, onions, and garlic. Basically everything I make has the same base ingredients - yes I am boring like that.

hello there

Hmm the iphone camera is a lot better than mine. That and Marlon is a better photographer.

like mother like daughter

Maggie started real food last week - it's a little before the recommended 6 months, but I won't be home all day anymore in 2 weeks so it seemed like a good idea to try it out now. So far she has had baby oatmeal and sweet potato and boy, does she love to eat - she was actually opening her mouth and lunging for the spoon as I was feeding her oatmeal today. I tried a spoonful of it too and it was actually pretty good!

social baby

We went to a baby shower yesterday and Maggie was having a great time. Smiling, laughing, playing for hours and only fussy once when she was hungry, and at the very end when she was really tired of it all and needed her nap. Maybe one of these days she'll start having separation anxiety but for right now she's fine being held by anyone it seems.



She had her afternoon nap late, after we got home, but still went to bed on time (7pm). I've been trying various strategies from my sleep books so last night she had a dream feed right when I was going to bed (10pm), then woke up around 4:30am and that was it! Yay.

On Saturday night we went out to dinner so she went to bed late (8:30pm) and woke up once, around 1am. The night before...I can't remember. But I REALLY have to be more consistent with the times starting from right now. The last few days have just been all over the place. But overall, things have improved a bunch since we started getting regular long naps in.

Anyway, I just came back from grocery shopping. Normally I'm a throw-everything-away kinda person but I do have a habit of hoarding food, particularly carbs. And peanut butter, I really hate when we run out of peanut butter.

sitting up

Maggie was more cooperative about sitting yesterday so here are some better pictures:




In fact she's sitting on my lap as I type and keeps hitting the mouse pad and moving the cursor! She just made me accidentally delete part of a sentence.

Well yesterday was a sleep success: two naps, early bedtime, and only one wake up after about 7.5 hours! Yay. But this morning I put her down for her nap too late though and she was hungry and cried instead. So we'll see how the next week goes.

I've been eating tons of salads lately. Here's yesterday's salad for two:



This was just on the side, we also had some fish. And cereal for dessert.

routine

I realized the other day that I only have three weeks before I need to go back to work...and that I really need to establish some sort of schedule for Maggie now. I've been kinda hoping that things would just fall into place on its own but obviously that's just wishful thinking. Also, I was starting to get worried because waking up twice a night was starting to become the norm rather than just once in a while. So I went and got copies of these two books: Ferber's Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems and Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child.

After skimming through both books, these are my conclusions so far:
1. For a five-month old, waking up once, or even twice, during the night to nurse is normal and not a problem. I guess my expectations were too high then, since she was sleeping for 10-11 hour stretches for a couple months and then stopped.
2. She needs to be taking two naps during the day of 1-1.5 hours. Right now, she probably takes one nap of that length only every once in a while. Most days she just catnaps (15 or 20 min?) a few times a day.
3. She should be sleeping around 11-12 hours at night. Right now it's more like 10-11 hours.
4. The reason she is fussy in the evening is probably because she doesn't nap.
5. Early bedtime doesn't = early wakeup and bedtime around 7pm is optimal. I've been trying to have her go to sleep at 8pm but sometimes it drags on later than that.

So hopefully, we can get her on a 2 nap, 4-hour feeding routine here pretty soon!

Dinner was pasta with chicken, tuscan kale, and chickpeas:



I realized I ran out of parmesan at the last minute so it has mozzarella on it instead.

And look, Maggie can almost sit up!



Okay, here are some pictures where you can actually see her face. These are from this week.