Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 1

A few months ago some friends on a discussion board were talking about doing the Couch to 5K running program. I checked out the link and thought, "Well good luck to ya'll."

I'm not a big fan of exercise. I tend to start doing something then quit when I get bored or too busy. My garage full of bikes and yoga mats should prove that. But for some reason while I was awake in bed at 2 a.m. (I blame the baby), I decided one of my goals for the new year would be to complete the Couch to 5K (C25K) program. I downloaded an app for my iPhone that helps you through the program and tells you when to do what as you're exercising ("Start running now," "Start walking now"). I also enrolled myself in an on-line group through Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans - I think this will be an awesome motivator to keep me going and accountable.

On Monday, December 31 I did Week 1 Day 1 (W1D1) of the 8 week (3 times per week) program. For the first week you walk briskly for 5 minutes then alternate walking (for 90 seconds) and running (for 60 seconds). Week 2 switches those two, and then from there the running increases and the walking decreases. I scrolled through the app and saw that in Week 8 it says "just run 2.5 miles." Oh...well that sounds encouraging... But I'll get there.

As I did W1D1 I paid attention to what was not participating so that I could target those areas on my days off from running. My knees especially were cranky with me, so I went through some of my books (that I have a lot of, out in the garage) and Googled and found some things to try. So I'll run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and do strengthening and stretching on the other days.

I sound rather strange to myself, but I'm excited. I came back from W1D1's run feeling proud for not cheating (by walking when I was supposed to run) and energized. I did some "cool down" stretches and took a shower and wasn't tired when it became nap time as I usually do. That was pretty cool.

Daddy told me that today I would hurt but honestly I don't hurt, I just feel the muscles that I used yesterday that I haven't used in a while. It's more of a "Oh hey, there you are!"

On to W1D2!

The Infant Sleep Industry

As I've said before, the six-month-old little boy isn't sleeping through the night yet. We had his 6m pediatrician appointment yesterday and were told he's 15.6 lbs (20%ile) and 27 inches (90%ile). I asked if maybe he was waking up because he has a fast metabolism and is waking up because he is truly hungry. The doctor immediately said, "No." You'd think she would at least consider the possibility, but whatever.

Over the past six months we've tried everything we could think of to get him to sleep. It's amazing how much stuff there is out there to "help your infant sleep well." Sound machines with projected images, swaddles, Dream Lights...check out the infant aisles at your local stores and you'll find a ton of stuff offering better sleep. I'll wander these stores and see soon to be parents registering for them all and I will stop and say, "You know what? Your kid may not take a paci. They may hate the swaddle. Don't get this stuff until you know it works. Ask for a gift card instead."

You want to register for something helpful? Get a glider/rocking chair (with a foot stool). It's been the most useful thing for both of our kids in terms of relaxing and feeding. Better yet, find a used one from family or Craigslist (clean of course). Don't buy into the infant sleep industry unless you truly need to and you know your kid will use it.

Merry Chris!

I woke up this morning to Silas, age 2, telling me, "Happy Chris Mama!" So to all our friends and family in blog land, "Happy Chris!"

"Why so serious?"

For a few days now I've been posting on Facebook about things that make me #happy (yes, with the Tweety hashtag, and no they're not Tweets). A couple of regular viewers to the FB page have asked why. Not that they're wanting me to be #unhappy, but why now, why this?

Well let me share just a small glimpse into The House. My work hadn't been taking out the correct amount for insurance (both dental and health) and they caught it in September. Two years later. So I owed them almost 4K. But they'd take it out every pay period and before taxes so it wouldn't be a financial burden. Well taking half of my check every two weeks, every pay period...yeah that's going to be a burden. So Daddy and I eat what we can and the kids eat what they need and it's still a financial burden.

Cue illness. I lost my voice and was out of work for almost three weeks (can't teach with no voice). Dr.s appointments and a specialist and vocal therapy later and I'm diagnosed with muscular tension dysphonia. Basically I put too much stress (both physical and muscular) on my voice, so it peaced out. HR (how I love them right about then) wants me to take FERPA but doesn't explain it well so I'm not sure what all is going on. And I can't talk. I can't read to Silas or sing with him (he started singing the ABCs, it's awesome). And all the doctors visits put more financial strain on us. Fun.

Did I mention that the six-month-old doesn't sleep through the night? He wakes up around one and sometimes goes back to sleep and sometimes is ready to party until 4 or 5 a.m. The pediatrician tells us to get some earplugs and let him cry it out. I offer to ship him to her house and let her do that.

Then it's Christmas. My Mom's asking for pictures of our tree. We don't have a freaking tree because we can't afford one. A friend of mine from college graciously sends us one, which was so sweet it made me cry.

I go to the dermatologist to deal with some super itchy skin and he tells me it could be a fungal infection or it could be t-cell lymphoma. The fun just keeps coming.

So every day I remid myself of what I am #happy for. Some days it's a struggle because really, most times I want to curl in a ball and cry (and sleep). But I remind myself that I'm here, I'm alive, my voice is coming back slowly but surely, and I have an amazing husband and two sweet, healthy, and gorgeous boys.

If you see the FB posts about being #happy, just know that every day I'm reminding myself of what is amazing in my life.

What Should I Be When I Grow Up?

Please welcome fellow blogger Doyin from Daddy Doin' Work, one of my favorite blogs to read (and one of my favorite "daddy blogs" - a very special distinction). As we were talking on the blog's Facebook community about kids and sports and activities, he's written about his experiences and his daughter. I really appreciated his contribution and I hope you enjoy reading this. If you do, you should check out his blog and Facebook community.

Hi All! I’m honored that Liz asked me to guest post on her blog. To provide a little background, I’m the author of the daddy blog Daddy Doin’ Work and I’m the proud papa to a beautiful 18-month old baby girl. She’s a little young to give me any clues as to what activities she’ll be interested in as she grows older, but I already know how I plan to manage those interests once the time comes.

First, let me share a quick story. When I was growing up, there was an older kid (let's call him "Mike") who was good at baseball - really good. The only thing in question was how he became so good (no, I’m not implying that he used steroids). Every day after school, his dad would make him practice hitting, fielding, throwing, etc. until the kid damn near passed out. Sure, Mike was the star of his baseball teams as he grew up - but once he made it to High School, he lost all of his passion for the game and he quit on the spot. By his dad immersing his son in baseball 24/7, Mike's grades suffered, he lacked balance, and he became extremely bitter and angry. I’m not sure what he’s up to today, but I’ve heard that he and his father have not spoken in years.

All due to respect to Nike, but I don't want my kid to "be like Mike." Don't get me wrong here, this cautionary tale isn't something that happens often - it's just something that I'll do everything in my power to prevent against. As the days progress, I think about what activities my baby girl will be interested in and the guidelines that I’ll follow to ensure she does so happily. Here's my short list.

Never Push, Only Guide: Selfishly speaking, I want my daughter to play sports because I personally don't think there's anything out there that better teaches children how to work together to achieve a common goal, deal with adversity, and win graciously than athletics. However, I'm not going to be that dad who makes his kid sleep with a basketball every night in hopes that she'll compete in the 2032 Olympics. My goal is to simply present her with the available options and let her choose accordingly. If my daughter chooses to go to Math Camp instead of Soccer Camp, that's totally cool with me too - as long as she's happy. Additionally, it's important that she makes these choices at her own pace. If I push her to do something too quickly, she could very easily burn out and become resentful like Mike did. 

Don't Quit: When my parents signed me up for something that I wanted to try (swimming lessons, piano lessons, basketball, baseball, etc.), they did so on one condition: I could not quit. Don't get me wrong, if the activity compromised my health and/or welfare - they would pull me out of it in a heartbeat. What they wouldn't tolerate is if I wanted to quit due to not liking my teacher, coach, or teammates. They knew that in life, I would have bosses and co-workers that I couldn't stand - and I'd have to "man up" and deal with them. No matter what activities my daughter chooses to participate in, the "Don't Quit" rule will be in full effect.

Add Value: Raising a knucklehead who sits on the street corner after school will absolutely not happen on my watch. The main thing I want for my daughter is to add value to her friends, family, and community with her activities. If she excels academically, I would love to see her tutor other children. If she’s active in the community, I'd love to see her clean up area beaches on a weekend. If she's a leader, I’d love to see her run for student council. Quite frankly, this world needs more people in it who choose to add value, and I hope that she figures this out on her own.

I know that my daughter is only 18-months old and she's not showing any signs of doing anything other than saying, "No!" to everything. However, her health and happiness are by far the most important things to me and I’ll do whatever it takes to get her there at her own pace.

But first, I’m going to teach her how to hit a curve ball (literally and figuratively).

Doyin shares his unique and hilarious adventures as a loving new dad on his blog, on Twitter at @daddydoinwork, and Facebook.