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Mar 12, 2009

Because Children Will Never Let You Be Complacent

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Potty training for Cordy has been an incredible success thus far. (Please, ye gods of fate, don’t strike me down for that statement!) She’s wearing underwear all day now, with only a pull-up for overnight. And we’re only baking every 2-3 days now, although I’m slowly becoming immune to the siren song of fresh cupcakes in the kitchen. There have been zero accidents since I last posted.

Which of course means that it’s Mira’s turn to annoy the hell out of us in the bodily functions department.

Mira loves to undress. Save the jokes about her being popular when she’s older – I’ve already heard them. And I really don’t mind when she pulls her pants or top off at home – it’s cute in that learning about dressing herself kinda way. (It took Cordy until four to figure out dressing herself!)

The big problem for us is that she now takes off her diaper, too, especially at night when she’s in bed.

You can imagine the mess. Every. single. morning.

I’ve tried putting her in two piece outfits – she takes them off. I tried sleepers – she can work zippers. I tried one-piece outfits that snap between the legs – she figured out how to pop open the snaps. I tried pull-ups instead of diapers – she either figured out the “easy open sides” or pulled them down.

I can also stretch out necklines to escape

In other words, I have a non-potty trained nudist.

Short of sewing her into her clothing for bed each night, I’m at a loss as to how to keep her diaper on, and I’m tired of doing laundry quickly every morning before it’s time for her nap.

Cordy was never interested in disrobing. Actually, she didn’t care about clothing at all as a toddler – she wore whatever we put her in, and wore it until we chose to take it off. Finding myself facing off against a toddler who can master any clothing fastener is a new challenge for me.

I know I can’t be alone in this – several of you probably have kids who are or were diapered nudists. How did you keep that diaper on, short of duct tape?

Bringing a whole new meaning to naked blogging.
Filed Under: Cordy, kid logic, Mira · Tagged: ,


Mar 11, 2009

It’s All About The Results

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The shred is working. Or, well, my entire combo of exercise is working.

I’m a shredhead, but I simply cannot keep up with doing the 30 day shred every day. The months leading up to this one were fairly sedentary, and as a result my endurance is lousy. So instead I’m doing that workout 2-3 times a week, and on alternate days I’m doing a 30 minute workout using My Fitness Coach.

Side note: I LOVE My Fitness Coach. After wishing for something a little more workout-like from my Wii Fit, I bought My Fitness Coach two weeks ago in the hopes it would provide a more solid exercise program. It has over 400 different combinations, so you’re never doing the same workout twice.

The game has you begin with a Physical Challenge to see how fit you already are. Based on those results, it customizes a program for you, constantly adjusting to make sure you’re working hard enough, but not too hard. (And no, I wasn’t asked to promote the game – I paid $29.99 like everyone else.)

The game also asks you to do another Physical Challenge after every 10 workouts. Today was my day, but after a weekend of celebrating our anniversary with large meals and desserts, I wasn’t expecting to see much in the way of results.

Instead, I was shocked.

I’ve lost three pounds in a week and a half. My heart rate is still too high for cardio, but my upper body and core strength have increased. I also track measurements, and my chest, waist and hips have lost more than half an inch each so far.

Seeing that small-yet-not-insignificant progress is awesome motivation. My knees may hurt, and I may complain most days that I don’t want to exercise, but in less than two weeks I’m already seeing results.

And speaking of motivation, I’m happy to announce that Hot by Blogher is now officially up and running! Ready to join your fellow bloggers, banding together to look and feel your best before making that trip to Chicago in July?

You may still see some cosmetic changes to the site, but the welcome post, explaining how the site will work, is available for those who want to get started. (Just like this blog, if I had charged by the hour for my design services, it would be a very expensive design.)

Look for the first weekly challenge on Monday!

Filed Under: me me me · Tagged:


Mar 10, 2009

The Fountain of Youth

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Over the weekend, Aaron and I left Columbus to celebrate our 6th anniversary. It’s still a little odd for me to think that only six years ago, Cordy wasn’t even a concept in our heads yet. Of course, six years ago I never thought any of what I’m doing now – blogging, nursing school – would be in my life.

Six years didn’t have quite the impact that five did, probably because our sixth year of marriage was one of those years we’d like to quietly forget. Job loss, no health insurance, relationship issues and marriage therapy clouded much of the year. But we’re still together, we’re relatively healthy, and we’re doing our best to hold everything together – that’s our silver lining.

The best part of getting out of town was leaving the kids with Camp Grandma. We spent most of the weekend chatting with friends that we rarely get to see due to distance and busy lives. On Saturday evening, after a day of relaxing with friends, the two of us left for dinner at a nice restaurant.

It was during dinner that Aaron told me, “We need to do this more often, get away without the kids.”

I smiled and said, “Well, that would certainly be nice…”

He then said, “I was watching you today while you talked with friends, and you looked five years younger.”

I laughed. “It must have been the light.”

“No, really. You looked so much younger again.”

It seems that a single afternoon with a large group of friends, no children, and no immediate stress somehow subtracted five years from my face. I can’t prove this, of course, but he was certain of it.

I’d like to believe I did look younger. I often miss the “old” me, the me who isn’t spending all her time worrying about doing everything right for her kids, making sure all the bills are paid, and trying to balance the checkbook. I hate the person I am at the end of the day, when my eyes are dull and bloodshot, and the bags under my eyes have bags of their own. When I’m short with Cordy and Mira, grumpy around Aaron, and wishing I could get five minutes – just FIVE minutes – to myself, without someone needing something or a child sitting in my lap.

If the fountain of youth is an escape from what stresses you, I know I will never have eternal youth. Because no matter how much I might want it, my children need me here and not at that fountain. I can’t avoid paying the bills, and the checking account won’t replenish itself.

But I will enjoy those brief moments pausing at that fountain, if only to take a sip and renew my spirit for a little while.

Filed Under: Aaron, me me me, more than parents ·


Mar 6, 2009

Haiku Friday: Suckitude

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Haiku Friday
Remember this post?
Well, things have now changed and I’m
not happy at all.

I’ve been switched to a
med-surg floor for adults with
no explanation.

Adult nursing is
fine, but it’s not at all what
I want for a job.

Without specific
experience, a NICU
job is hard to get.

I really hate writing two downer posts in a row, but ever since I read the e-mail from the instructor who handles clinical assignments, it’s all I can focus on. One month ago she told me I had a special care nursery preceptor, and now she says that it’s not available and so she automatically stuck me with a general med-surg preceptor.

I hate to complain, but somehow I’ve drawn the short straw for nearly all of my clinical experiences while others had great locations. I can’t even describe this quarter’s experience – no one wants to hear something that gross.

I was looking forward to my final quarter. Now I’m dreading it and wondering how I’ll find a NICU nursing position when students from other schools who want the same thing will likely have more experience in the area.

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: Haiku Fridays, me me me, rant, school ·


Mar 2, 2009

Pushing My Spanx to the Limit

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I stepped on the scale for the first time in months, and the number made me wonder if gnomes were secretly feeding me lard while I slept. How did I gain ten pounds?

As you know, in January I tried the Jillian Michaels: 30-Day Shred DVD, and the first attempt left me so crumpled and sore that I couldn’t even roll over in bed without wincing for nearly a week. I seriously wondered if only insane people did this workout, because me? I’m no good at it.

It took over a week before I attempted the DVD again. But I did eventually dig out the disc from behind the TV (where I threw it while cursing Jillian Michaels’ name) and gave it another go. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel so bad afterward. I was sore the next day, but it wasn’t the same kind of crippling soreness I had before. Maybe I can do this after all?

Seeing the number on the scale now motivates me even more to jump back on that water- and vegetable-filled wagon. After all, I don’t want to pop a seam in my Spanx at BlogHer this year.

(Oh yeah, if you didn’t already know – I’m now registered for BlogHer 09!)

To aid in motivation, I’m bringing back Hot by BlogHer, but it’s going to be BIGGER! and BETTER! with group challenges and its own blog and maybe giveaways. Expect to see more info on it by next week, and start thinking of what you want to look like by July.

Also, since I’m already doing “the shred” once a week, it makes sense for me to join in with Kristen’s Shredheads group. They’re doing the 30 Day Shred for all of March. While I’m only going to be a part-timer, I’m still all about sharing in the support and motivation.

Here is the data that I need to provide to be a shredhead:

Code Name: Spanx Mama

Before pictures: I value my readers too much to post my before photos here. Springing that visual on you without proper warning would surely lead to mass unsubscribing. But if you really want to see, look here and here. (Remember, I warned you!)

Tag Line: Hot by Blogher, baby!

Weight: Here’s what the scale said last night.


Remember the camera adds a few pounds. In this case, it really does add two – I was holding the camera while weighing in.

Goal: Increase my endurance, have more muscle definition, lose weight, and look great in a cocktail dress at BlogHer.

Diet Plan: Less intake, better intake. I’m already eating between 1600-2000 calories a day, and trying to cut back on high fat and high sugar foods and substitute more veggies and lean proteins.

Personal Rules: No freaking out if I eat a big meal, no defeatest attitude, substitute more water in place of diet soda.

Shred Plan: I’m a part-timer, doing it once a week on Level 1 at the moment. I might bump it up to twice a week soon. I’m already doing a different 30 min. workout four times a week also.

You can join up at Kristen’s site, I’ll Stop the World and Shred With You. And if you’re interested in Hot by BlogHer, check back here next week!

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Filed Under: clearly insane, me me me, pop culture · Tagged: