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When you’ve got a baby it’s hard to exercise. Especially in the early weeks when the baby WILL NOT LET YOU PUT IT DOWN. It must be held all the time, so what’s a parent to do?
The answer is you incorporate the baby into your exercise. Because despite what everyone says, we don’t all breastfeed and those of us who do don’t all magically lose weight because of it.
Here’s my daily exercise routine. I do about 1000 reps of each about a million times a day.
The Hip Sway
A useful one for those times when baby will not rest until you aren’t resting.
While standing and holding baby, move your hips from side to side, like so:
A bounce must be included if the baby is at all particular. Which, let’s face it, they always are.
Plus the bounce is great for your quads.
The Three-Step
You can’t always get outside for a walk with the baby in the stroller or a carrier. So when you’re stuck inside and need a little walk, the three-step is always a good idea.
You can do it with just one bounce, as written, or you can bounce each step. Because fussy babies demand it.
The Seated Bounce
When you’re tired of standing, you can still get some exercise while seated. Just put baby on your lap and pull up the coffee table or an ottoman.
While the illustration shows a bounce, you can also sway your legs back and forth to replicate a swing. Having a pacifier on hand may help.
The major problem with the Seated Bounce is that as baby gets older, their legs get in prime position to kick you in the boobs. Ow.
Baby Curls
Can’t ignore your biceps, right? Here’s a video illustration of baby curls. These are best when baby is in a good mood and has a little more neck control.
And last but not least:
The Nap
Put baby down for a nap. Pick up baby 2 minutes later when baby screams. Repeat all day long.
Have any of your own baby exercises? Share!
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I’ve realized lately, as everyone has been frantically asking WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE BABY’S NAME WHAT WHAT WHAT???, that I should probably mention that I did not give in to my baby-name-cold-feet. It wasn’t so much that I suddenly came to my senses. It was mostly that I remembered just how much of a hassle it is to name-haggle with Eric, the pickiest namer in the entire world. When he saw the post he commented, “We picked. Her name is Tessa Eir. No takebacks…” The fact that he went as far as commenting on the post (which he rarely does) showed he meant business.
However, I must correct the record in one way. When asked about the baby name crisis yesterday he said that the name had initially been chosen “after much deliberation and discussion,” to which I say, HA! What he means is that I spent months stressing about it, floating names past him, and getting shot down for one reason or another. Eric does not discuss baby names beyond saying “No” or “Maybe.”
I told Eric I was leaning strongly towards Tessa for a girl, he refused to comment until we knew the gender. We found out it was a girl and as soon as the tech left the room he said, “I like Tessa Eir.” That is the “deliberation and discussion” he referred to. Just so we’re clear.
***
In other news, I’m coming to realize that February will be just as crazy at our house as the Thanksgiving through New Years period. Eric’s birthday on the 7th. Valentine’s Day on the 14th. Tessa’s birthday… yet to be determined. I’m happy for all those things. Last year we got Graham’s autism diagnosis on Valentine’s Day and I’m looking forward to having something nice to make up for it.
It’s funny, but with all the hormone-ness, I am kinda feeling the Valentine’s vibe this year, which is not really my thing. I think it’s not so much about Valentine’s Day as it is about something pleasant and sweet to break up the monotony. Not that there’s anything really effective in that area.
***
I kinda pigged out the other day when I was feeling particularly low… my body is mad at me for it, and now food isn’t even a comfort anymore. I think I need a couple days to get back to myself, food-wise. It’s actually rather disappointing that food hasn’t been so comforting in these final weeks. Especially when food can be such an amazing joy at certain parts of pregnancy. Maybe it’s just that I generally only crave food that isn’t that good. Maybe it’s that I haven’t eaten much that’s worth savoring. Who knows. These days the only food that really leaves me feeling actually happy is my first drink of orange juice in the morning.
So, basically, I can no longer take real joy in food. This is a sad, sad turn of events.
***
Friday is the last day of the current setup around here.
It’s Eric’s last day of work before paternity leave. And my Mom comes into town on Saturday. So if, in fact, this baby does not come by her due date (which I highly doubt) next week will be… interesting. It’s not that there isn’t a TON to do. There is so much to do. I will not even start listing things because there are so many things. Let’s just say the house is in a state. But I still won’t be able to take part in more than the most basic tasks. Which will leave me as a lump, a delegating lump, while others prepare.
It’ll certainly help defray some of my anxiety about our horribly unprepared state. But will it be even worse sitting here while other people are useful? If it didn’t hurt my hips, I’d just retire to my room and read for a week. But sadly the most comfortable place is our little couch right in the center of the action.
I guess I shall…. knit? My baby blanket still isn’t halfway done. And I plan to start another as soon as I finish with this one, since it’s just a tiny newborn blanket.
And I shall…. blog? If you’re wondering why all my posts lately are rather pointless and silly, it’s pretty self-explanatory from the last few paragraphs. It is something to DO.
And I shall…. ponder world peace?
***
Oh, and I keep forgetting to show you guys our family picture that we got two months ago while we visited my family in Austin. Thanks to some impressive photo-shopping Graham looks kinda happy.
I think Eric and I do well in pictures taken on cloudy days in front of water.
Once we get a family picture with Tessa we’ll have to keep up the theme.
Well… I’ve got to get back to… nothing.
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Lately I feel weirdly incompetent. It’s not that I don’t get anything done. I do A LOT. But pretty much everything in our household routine has been on pause due to all of the madness going on, so despite my busy-ness, I feel wanting.
This coming week should let up a little, but I am still trying to figure out how to get stuff done given our situation.
Basically, our week looks like this:
Monday: 8-11 therapy 12-3 nap
Tuesday: 8-12 therapy 12-3 nap 3-5 therapy
Wednesday: 8-12:15 therapy 12:15 – 2:30 nap 2:30-6 therapy
Thursday: 8-12 therapy 12-3 nap
Friday: 8-12:30 therapy 12:30-3 nap 3-4 therapy
Soooo yeah. Not a whole lot of time on weekdays. Bug’s bedtime is 7:30, and when we have double therapy I like to give him a light evening since he’s worked during the day.
On the days where we get off easier, like Monday and Thursday, I technically have time to do my errands. But there’s also things like doctor’s appointments to schedule and the occasional makeup therapy session. There’s also our speech therapist who we tend to schedule from one week to the next, so that varies.
Oh, and there’s also things like my stupid Braxton Hicks contractions. Currently the Bug is done with therapy in about an hour. But I’m having insane contractions that hurt like a mother so I know going to the grocery store is going to be pure torture. Especially if the Bug isn’t in the mood.
It’s when I look at this schedule that I occasionally wish I had a husband who worked normal hours. This married to a doctor stuff is no picnic. Oh, and the pregnancy bit doesn’t help. I’m usually too tired and prone to contractions after he gets home to schedule a Bug-free grocery run. Most weekends he has to work at least one day, so I try my best to get a Bug-free visit then.
Time to cook is another issue. I’m planning to spend some quality time with my crock pot because at least that way I can do a good amount of my work during therapy.
It’s not that I can’t do stuff during therapy. I really should use my time there better, with more light cleaning and cooking prep. (And more knitting. I’m still not done with my baby blanket. I need to get to work!) But therapy is prime blogging time. And I like to be there to see what Graham’s doing and keep tabs on things in general.
So far I just haven’t found a way to make this all work. (Probably because we’ve been going all over town for this and that whenever we have a free moment.) I’m hoping as things slow down I can find something remotely resembling a routine.
Or maybe I will just continue to live in this day-to-day-scraping-by mode until after the baby comes and I’m recuperated and things will be so much easier. (That was sarcasm.)
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Sorry if the blog hasn’t quite been up to snuff lately. Now that we’re back home, we’re once again overloaded. Eric had Autopsy last week (hooray!) and this year every time he’s on Autopsy everyone decides it’s a good time to die. So he’s been home late and leaving early in the morning. He also has his Step 3 exam today, which is awesome since he’s so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and has had so much time to study. Lucky guy.
Graham has entered a new phase of rebellious behavior where he resorts to nonverbal communication. Which we refuse to acknowledge. And which leads to a screaming fit that can last a surprisingly long time. Just when I start thinking he’s cried so much that he can’t actually talk anymore, he suddenly pulls out of it, the little sneak. He’s also started asking for help with tasks he can do easily by himself. And he’s got a new therapist that he’s tormenting by actively avoiding him and not being the perfectly-performing Grammer we are all used to. He is falling down a lot, though I suspect he isn’t actually being a klutz or going through a growth spurt, since these falls only seem to happen when he is getting annoyed with therapy.
As for me I am STILL PREGNANT. 9 weeks until my due date. Meaning this has all lasted far too long and there is still far too much time to go. I would say I want to lay around all day, except that is uncomfortable. I want to be in a sensory deprivation tank or something. I worry that my belly is starting to get torpedo-shaped. I haven’t weighed myself to see just how much weight I’ve gained in the last two weeks with all my eating and I don’t know if I will. I want to sleep comfortably, but can’t. But at least I’m to the point where I look pitifully pregnant. I am starting to get that extra bit of courtesy from people. Not just giving up seats on the bus, but letting me go ahead in line and such things. To these people I am hugely grateful.
And as for our household we are still caring for our ill friend and it still takes up a lot of time and energy. We are all operating with low reserves even though we just got back from our vacation a week ago. Between the medical appointments and Graham’s therapy, I haven’t been able to get anything resembling a routine going at home. I’ve been done with work for over a month, but I have yet to have a normal week where I can schedule things like grocery trips. Instead we are always flying by the seat of our pants.
This weekend I got a little respite when my sister Sarah came to visit and we spent time continuing her tour of Boston. We’ve hit the Common, Newbury Street, downtown and Harvard Square before. This time we did the North End. When she can come back and it’s warmer we’ll get ourselves a duck tour or a day trip to Salem or Castle Island. It’s nice because this way I get to do a little Boston sightseeing, too. We go out and eat at unique-to-Boston restaurants and generally enjoy ourselves. We also talk about all the things we would like to do in New York… but I doubt I’ll be getting a day trip down there any time soon.
We are gearing up for one of our patented non-holiday holidays. Thanksgiving means ordering an Indian feast. (It must be Indian because everyone else is closed for delivery and we’re not taking the Bug to a fancy sit-down Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant. And I am not cooking. That’s what I’m thankful for.) I’m thinking this Christmas we’ll do it the Jewish way: go out for Chinese. I am sure it will be festive and full of happy people. And no Christmas music.
You can call us grinches, but all we want for Christmas this year is a little peace.
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It is that time of year again. The time of year when I say to myself, “Wasn’t this year going to be the one where you finally got your act together? Weren’t you going to be prepared this year? Didn’t you insist after last year that this time you’d spend a few months making sure you were ready?”
My birthday is in a week. Christmas is less than 3 weeks after that. And every year I have no clue what to say when people ask what I want. My mother-in-law is anxiously awaiting my requests (Hi, Jeanine!!) so I need a little help.
You’d think with all my years of experience I’d have figured this out. But no. I insist every year that I’ll start paying attention to things I want in the summer and keep track of them so when the pressure’s on I have answers. Because once it hits November or so the pressure is just too much.
This year my plan did not go so hot. I blame the pregnancy.
I don’t want to ask for clothes. I really don’t want to add to my pregnancy wardrobe anymore. (Despite the fact that it gets smaller every day as my belly outgrows my shirts.) And it seems like a waste to give up a gift for something that may get a couple months’ use and then never again. Let’s not even SPEAK of my postpartum wardrobe.
I can’t ask for a spa day or a pedicure or anything. Because it is so much of a hassle to plan and often involves hiring babysitters. I doubt I’d fit it in before the baby and by the time I got around to it after the baby was born the baby probably wouldn’t be a baby anymore.
I don’t have a paring knife yet but… I’m not actually sure I’d USE a paring knife. Plus I would have to take time to try some out to see what kind I wanted. Time I do not have.
No books this year, as we’re trying not to take on too many additional ones. We did a massive purge during our last couple moves and now we fill up our two remaining good bookshelves. Best to leave it be.
So what is left??
I try to at least ask for stuff that is more fun and less necessary. Because PRESENTS, right? Plus I’ve already asked for a couple necessary things when my Mom was lucky enough to run her requests by me when I actually had a couple things in mind. (A maternity sweater which I intend to wear into the ground, and a pair of good driving gloves for strapping babies into seats in cold weather.)
So now I’m at a loss.
I am not much of a jewelry wearer. And I tend to leave those gifts to Eric, who has done a fantastic job of finding jewelry I like and that fits my style. (Which is quite minimal.)
I’m not a shoe hound.
Don’t care much for gadgets. And I already have a kindle and a smartphone, so I’m pretty set.
I love food, but my kitchen has so many utensils and appliances that there isn’t any room for more. (Literally.)
And who wants to be the nerd who says, “Uh… I dunno… gift cards?”
I envy Eric who, every year, sets his sights high and gets one massive present, that usually covers his birthday (in February) and Christmas and often includes not only myself but his parents as gift-givers. But I do not want a game system. So, you know.
(Okay, confession, I do have one giant thing that I want. But I do not make such purchases or requests lightly. I want a sweet sweet sweet camera. But I have zero experience with these sweet sweet sweet cameras I see other bloggers using. And I will not even consider requesting one until I have sat down with a camera expert and tried a bunch of different ones. And this is soooooo not going to happen any time soon. I will give it a few months, I think, and do tons of research, and ask all my bloggy friends what cameras they use, and maybe even take a beginner photography class so I can learn how to use something that is more advanced than a point & shoot. So nope. Not now.)
So tell me, you guys.
Am I the only one who has this problem?
What are some unique presents you’ve given or received?
Does anyone have some BRILLIANT ideas for me?
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When I visit with friends from out of town or newcomers to the area, they inevitably bring up Boston drivers. Yes, they are crazy. And there is really no way to prepare you for the amount of crazy you will encounter. Living in the city itself only amplifies it.
Yet, when I try to explain it to someone who hasn’t visited they don’t quite get it. After all, everyone thinks their city has the worst drivers so how can the ones in Boston possibly be that different?
To help you learn a bit about Boston drivers I’ve developed this helpful quiz. All of these are situations I’ve encountered in the last week or so.
#1: You (the Blue car) are trying to turn left at an intersection. The car in front of you has not yet turned. Do they not know you have somewhere to be?? What do you do?
A) Wait patiently for the car to turn and hate them silently.
B) Honk your horn to let them know they need to get a freakin move on.
C) Just turn anyway.
The answer, of course, is C. And this happens to me on a regular basis. Not that I am the blue car, no I am the red car and while I am a reasonable driver I’m not totally crazy. I prefer not to turn when cars are speeding towards me. But it happens all the time that the person behind me finds me to be too wussy and just turns, leaving me out there, still in the intersection.
The first time this happened I thought the driver was crazy. Then it happened all the time and I started to realize the hell I had descended into.
#2: You are leaving a parking lot and need to turn left. The side of the road you’re turning into is full while everyone is at a stop light. What do you do?
A) Wait until it’s clear. Even if it might be a while.
B) Wait until the light turns green, then quickly pull out and wedge your way in.
C) Just go. Screw the traffic coming from the opposite direction.
The answer, of course, is C. This happens at a parking lot right by our house every time I go by it. EVERY. TIME. It doesn’t help that this parking lot is home to a Dunkin drive-thru with 2 windows which is always packed. Even worse, the stop light is timed so that the traffic going right-to-left turns green long before the traffic going left-to-right. So the stupid Boston car sits there, blocking at least one lane, while traffic gets all backed up behind him.
And now your last test:
#3: You are trying to turn right but the intersection is all in gridlock. What do you do?
A) Wait your turn and vocally curse the other stupid drivers who blocked the intersection.
B) Honk loudly because obviously that will change things.
C) First of all, this diagram is all wrong. Let’s try this one instead.
Because why would you be in the right turn lane? Because that lane is slow. You would be in the wrong lane. And then when you got stuck you’d just drive around everybody because hey, screw them.
And what if the left lane is backed up? Well that’s easy, too.
Just drive on the opposite side of the street.
Last time this happened to me, I was in the right turn lane and there were FOUR cars all across the road, taking up the whole thing, trying to turn right. Because this was obviously going to make things go faster for everyone.
See, all those answer A’s are what good drivers do. Answer B’s are what normal bad drivers do, the kind you run into every day, and we all indulge in Answer B behavior now and then. But C… that is a special level of bad-ness reserved for Boston drivers.
So how did you do? Ready to conquer the crazy Boston streets?
I didn’t think so….
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Find the Mess
My Life’s a Mess and That’s Okay
Jess is a procrastinator, a former working mom who is suddenly staying at home, a Dr-Dr's wife, a non-practicing lawyer, an Autism Mom, a devoted reader, a penny pincher, a coupon clipper, a new New England-er, a low-key agnostic, a nice girl, a top-notch speller, a hardcore blogger and a Twitter fiend.
The blog covers everything from coupon tips to Autism support to adorable toddler pictures to hilarious tales of my daily grind with the occasional review & giveaway thrown in for good measure.
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