Even More Reason To Go To Starbucks

As if the Holiday pastries arent enough, Starbucks is now donating 5 cents to the Global Fund for every Pepermint Twist Mocha, Gingersnap Latte and Espresso Truffle bought!

I used to be a big Gingersnap Latte fan (which used to be the Gingerbread Latte and I have no clue why they changed the name) but am kindof over it. I do like the Pepermint Twiste Mocha though ... and the Espresso Truffle is just their Hot Chocolate (which is awesome) with a shot of espresso to liven things up.

I just might have to go back tonight to get a drink and chip in my 5 cents :)

Things To Be Thankful For

Everyone starts thinking about all of the good things in their life around the Holiday Season. Like everyone I have my ups and down, but overall I have to admit my life is pretty great. There are some little things that bring me joy, and Starbucks is one of them. Today I am thankful that the seasonal pastries are back ... And even more greatful that the mint brownie I ordered was stuck to the one next to it so they just gave me both :)

Looks Like We Will Sit On The Couch Instead Of Exercising

It was a bit of a rough weekend. Brooke was cranky all day Fri & Sat, and only slightly better on Sun. She is normally a pretty fussy baby, so I am used to a certain level of her unhappiness ... but this seemed different. We figure she might be going through some sort of growth spurt. Sure hope so ... cuz that means the increased number of fits are only temporary :)

She is cranky again today, but it seems more like her usual cranky self. That is, until I squirted her nose drops all over her face and into her eye. She has had a congested nose for weeks now, and the doctor said to use a saline spray to help clear her nasal passages (since little ones can't bloe their own noses). This morning I missed her nostril and it got all over her face and in her eye. Man was she ticked.

I guess that whole episode wore her out cuz she passed out on my lap. Needless to say, I'm not going to mess with an angry baby ... thus Stroller Strides is a no-go again.

Brooke Says: No Stroller Strides Today!

Brooke slept really well the past few nights, at least 6 hours straight...which is pretty great for a 7-week old baby. Because we have had some good nights I was expecting a bad one, and get one I did. Last night wasnt a good night. Brooke didnt get a whole lot of sleep and her mommy got even less. Just the sleep deprivation alone was enough to signal to me that we wouldnt be attending Stroller Strides today - but to top that off she decided to also add some crankiness to the pot. Not just a pinch either, she decided to add a whole handful of crankiness to the pot.

She's been screaming all morning and then started to settle down, so I went to Starbucks knowing for sure today I would need the caffeine. By the time we got there she was sleeping and I sat for a minute to eat my scone and read the paper. Then I realized I had all of this work to do at home (beginning with cleaning up a diaper-blowout from minutes prior to our departure) and thought I could take advantage of her sleepiness. So we left Starbucks to go home so that I could get some stuff done. That was where I went wrong.

I have mentioned before that Brooke really seems to like Starbucks. I'm not sure why, but she does. The minute we got home her little eyes popped open and she's been screaming ever since ... which has now been about 2 hours. I have her on my lap and am trying to get her to sleep in between sips of my (now) cold Toffee Nut Latte, realizing that my entire day has basically ended before it even began :)

We will just have to aim our sights for Monday's class!

Return To Fitness: Day One

I kept my promise and went to Stroller Strides today. Brooke was very cooperative and I just simply couldnt find any excuses not to go. The class was great, and at my current level of fitness (probably a 4 on a 10 point scale) it was really challenging. My stamina is low and my muscles are weak, so I definitely need to get into some sort of routine. I think that things have been relatively easy regarding Brooke (the pregnancy, labor, and postpartum periods) and that got me to thinking that I was in the same shape as I used to be. I was wrong. Stuff that should have been generally easy for me was hard, and I worked up a sweat walking at a fast (not even very fast) pace. I'm looking forward to keeping up with these classes and eventually adding some more things into my weekly routine. I think its going to be a bit before I'm out there running any races :)

The Newest Internet Sensation: Puppies!

I dont have a lot of free time anymore, but back in the good-old-days I sure did ... and I spent much of it surfing the internet. I just wish I had a live puppy cam to watch at work like all of do! If you are not yet aware of the newest sensation sweeping the internet, you might possibly be the very last one to know. It appears the entire world is spending their free time watching a six Shiba Inu puppies (Autumn, Ayumi, Amaya, Aki, Akoni and Ando) as they frolic, fight and sleep their way through each day.

While I dont have a ton of free time, I do manage to check in on them at least once a day. It seems I often catch them napping, but I have also seen an all out puppy version of the WWE on an occasion or two. The site comes equipt with sound, and hearing these little guys howl and whimper will tear at your heart strings.

If you have yet to check out this live puppy feed ... make sure you have a good hour of free time before you even click on the link, or you will find yourself struggling to say goodbye to these furry little guys in order to get back into whatever version of reality you were in before you became a puppy voyeur.

There Is Always Another Day

Today was supposed to be the day. I was going to get back into some sort of fitness routine, starting with a Stroller Strides class. But I'm not going.

I have a billion reasons. Brooke hasnt been feeling well. She didn't sleep well last night. Her feeding "schedule"if you can call it that) is off and she would technically need to eat in the middle of class. After fussing for a bit she fell asleep minutes before I was supposed to leave ... and they say to never wake a sleeping baby.

But although there are many ways in which I can blame Brooke, the truth is that we are not going to Stroller Strides because of me. I've been a parent for a little less than 7 weeks now, and its challenging. The most difficult thing is that I no longer am in charge of my own life. I shower when Brooke decides to nap. I eat lunch when she stops screaming and is happy in her swing. I go to Starbucks when she is fussing and I know a walk in the stroller will help. I run errands after the second time she eats for the day, when she is generally sleepy. We don't go far, and only go to one place ... so she isnt disturbed and I can get home fast in the event of a meltdown. Basically, my life now revolves around her wants and desires, not my own. And I'm not complaining a bit. I love this whole experience, but it makes me quite uncomfortable when situations call for a schedule. Stroller Strides at 11 freaks me out. Now if I could just show up anywhere in a 3 hour windoe I'd be golden :)

We attampt Stroller Strides again on Wednesday. Someday when she is a bit bigger the tables will turn and I'll be telling her when and where we go ... intil then I am happy to have Brooke be in charge.

Unfortunately, My Doctor Said I Can Exercise

I got the "all clear" yesterday from my doctor to exercise. In fact, she said I had no restrictions and I can "do anything" including "pilates, yoga, running, weight lifting". Sheesh. She just started listing things I could be doing. I was hoping to hear something more like "having a fussy baby is really hard and you should take it easy". My brother-in-law said I should have requested 3 weeks of bed rest :) It was too late though ... I was already home from the dr and had the ok to go on with my life.

After Brooke was born I thought I would never feel good again. In fact, I felt horrible for the first 2 weeks and pretty lousy the 3rd. But, since then I feel better each day and was sure I was going to get the a-ok from the doctor yesterday. (Though I certainly don't have my body back, I am mentally and physically doing great). I also was pretty sure I was going to feel anxious about returning to any sort of exercise routine and more likely to continue doing nothing ... so I booked a free Stroller Strides class before I even went to the doctor. Now I have already committed Brooke & I to attending a class on Monday at 11. I talked to someone and they are expecting me, so unless Brooke is uncooperative we are going to do our first workout on Monday!

What I Have In Common With Rachael Ray

Personally I find Rachael Ray a bit (ok, a lot) irritating. Yesterday I watched her show waiting for Brooke to wake up from a nap. She should have woken up much earlier, but was obviously very tired ... and some oversleeping on her part forced me to watch Rachael Ray since there is nothing else on. On the show she went to a throat doctor to disprove internet rumors that she actually has throat cancer.

And this is where I get to my point. Rachel Ray actually has a cyst on her vocal cords that she will be removing in December. Its part of the reason her voice is so raspy. I actually went to a throat doctor late last year who did the same procedure on me (shoved a camera down my throat) and told me that I had a cyst on my vocal cords. The procedure to remove it is elective. Basically, the cyst doesnt cause any dammage ... but might be attribued to my raspy voice, occasional sore throats, loss of voice and pitch changes. I debated getting it removed, but the surgery requires you to rest your voice for 2 weeks. I couldnt imagine not talking for 2 weeks! Then I found out I was pregnant, and could not do an elective surgery during pregnancy. Now I have a baby that needs to hear my voice all the time ... so when will I ever find 2 weeks in which I can afford not to speak to her?

I'm interested in seeing how Rachels procedure goes, and even more so in how her voice is affected by the surgery. She is going to have to go through voice therapy after the procedure in order to learn "how to correctly use her vocal cords", something I assume I would need to do to. So thats what Rachel Ray and I have in common!

Getting Back In The Groove

This week I have my 6-week postpartum checkup. Generally its a checkup to make sure my body is healing well since Brooke's arrival, and the point at which I can obtain clearance from my doctor to begin exercising. I need that clearance to start any of the exercise classes I am interested in - so its necessary for more than just mental comfort.

Runners World has an article with some workouts and tips for getting back into running after a "layoff". I'm actually nervous about going into the doctor and getting clearance. Not because I am worried I wont pass the exam, but because once I am cleared for exercise again I actually need to get back into some sort of routine. Its scary to think about trying to fit in time for working out into my days with Brooke. The time can easily escape me and I'm not sure where the extra minutes will appear! First I will go to my exam, then Brooke and I will start thinking about where to go from here. As I mentioned the other day, I think the 1st step will be Stroller Strides.

Weirdest Run Ever

What would you do if you were out for a nice little jog...

And while you were out you were bitten by a rabid fox? An Arizona woman was doing a trail run when she was attacked by a fox. When rabid fox bit her foot, the woman attempted to grab it by the neck. That didnt work out ... and instead the fox clamped down on her arm. What did she do? She ran a mile to her car, pried off the fox and threw it into her trunk so that she could bring it in for rabies testing.

Think you would have done the same thing?

Physical Activity Urged During Pregnancy

There are a number of different opinions when it comes to exercise during pregnancy - some doctors urge it and yet others still suggest a pregnant women refrain from any sort of "strain" or "exercise". My doctor strongly urged exercise, but I do have friends who were told not to do various types of exercises, and have friends-of-friends whose (old school) doctors told them to stop doing any and all exercises.

A new study now suggests that women get at least 150 minutes of "moderate-intensity" aerobic activity per week during pregnancy and the postpartum period, with those 150 mintues spread throughout the week.

This new study has led to the goverment's release of new guidelines, the guidelines during pregnancy and the postpartum period are in Chapter 7.

The Proof

Starbucks sent me this email: Here is an online version

So after you vote...head on into Starbucks!

Just Another Reason Why I Love Starbucks

I know I am supposed to hate Starbucks, especially as a Marketing person. They are taking over the world with their over-priced coffee and cookie cutter image. They put the small coffee shops out of business. Their coffee tends to get ranked pretty low when it comes to quality and flavor. They supposedly underpay their farmers. Yes, perhaps all of this is true. But I can't help it, I just love Starbucks!

Recently they have enabled all those with the iPhone to get free Wi-Fi. I have an iPhone and thus, am happy.

Brooke has fits all of the time and she and I go on long walks to calm her down. I cant go many places because she starts screaming and I have to run out in embarassment, but she never cries in Starbucks. The love I have for that place was passed onto my daughter, and its one of the only places I can take her for some peace-and-quiet.

Starbucks is announcing tonight that voters get free coffee! So, if you werent going to vote as part of your ability to impact our country's political future ... then do it for the coffee!

I Pretty Much Ruined Halloween

Trick-Or-Treaters
Its our first Halloween in our new house and I was so excited about trick-or-treaters (something we haven't had before). I went out and bought candy about 6 weeks ago, worried that I wouldnt have time or would forget because Brooke was due 10/8. Since the candy was in the house for so long, I decided I should snack on it. And over the period of a couple of weeks my "snacking" devoured a whole bag of Butterfinger, and a couple of pieces from a few other bags. We had 5 bags in the beginning, were left with four (minus a few pieces from each bag) after the Butterfinger incident. So as the trick-or-treaters continued to pour in (and Jeff & I noticed we had multiple repeat offenders) I started getting worried, counting the candy as time went by. Eventually we were down to 8 pieces and I could see groups of kids down the street on their way. So Jeff ran out to Walgreens to get more candy. In the time he was gone I actually had to reject some kids ... and by the time he was back the trick-or-treating was pretty much done. We now have 2 extra bags of candy (which we worked on ourselves all weekend) and were probably only 10 pieces (far less than I actually ate) shy of having enough for all the trick-or-treaters. Oh well.

Brooke
I also forced Brooke to wear multiple costumes. The first one, a peanut, given to me by my friend Tami. She wore it ok for a minute, but then went into a severe fit. The pics here are from the first two stages (ok, and starting to get a bit leery). I'm not posting the meltdown picture because its a bit sad and I feel like a bad mother. One of Brookes grandmas gave her a "My First Halloween" onesie. She had that on for about 30 minutes and then had a huge diaper blowout that made the outfit no longer wearable. There are no photos (of the outfit pre or post blowout)

Another one of our friends gave me a cute duck costume that was a bit more baby friendly then the peanut. Its just a simple jumper and zips up the front, so I assumed it would make Brooke happier than the peanut. So I put the costume on (this was after the diaper blowout in the onesie) and she started freaking out. Jeff said "its the costume, take it off". I assured him he was wrong since the costume was not in any way restricting as she continued to scream her lungs out. Shortly after (this was about a 2 minute incident) I took the costume off, the crying stopped, and all was right with the world. No pics of that one either.

Wrigley
Wrigley is used to wearing costumes as she has worn one every year. She pretty much will do anything for food so I got her costume on quite easily. The problem was it was long in the back and touched her butt...and she thought something (or someone) kept touching her or poking her in the rear. This made for some crazy antics and she wasnt very pleased with this costume, but I did manage a few pics.