Operation Hot Mother: Day 5

Posted on | August 28, 2010 | View Comments

Today was day 5 of Operation Hot Mother and I’m feeling great. I’ve had a good week, exercise-wise and have surprised myself on several occasions. First, by actually keeping this whole thing going for longer than an afternoon (my track record is not impressive). And, second, by enjoying myself.

I am enjoying running. ME. ENJOYING RUNNING. T’s worried that I was replaced when he wasn’t looking, but it’s the same old me. No, I take that back – it’s the new and improved me :)

Running this week hasn’t necessarily been easy, but it has been rewarding. I’ve had loads of virtual support from all of you (thanks, again!) and this whole public accountability thing is working wonders. This is probably really nerdy of me to admit, but I spent a good part of both my Tuesday and Friday run composing blog posts about the runs in my head. What kept me going through at least one hard spot last night was thinking, “If I stop now, I’ll have to tell people. Like, the whole internet. Ugh. I can’t do that! I’ll feel like a loser. Ohhhh, I stopped before 10 minutes b/c I’m a wuss. All that support was for nothing. No, Jo, keep going. Then you can tell people you ran even further than planned. Yeah, that’s good! I’ll do that!”

Hey, man, whatever it takes, right?

The other thing that has kept me going is making and meeting mini-goals along the way. Like, “I’ll run to the next corner, then reassess.” Then, “Ok, made this corner, let’s get to the end of the next block and see how I’m feeling.” And, “Whoa! Side cramp! Ok, just keep going ’til that tree up there. Okaaaaaaaay. Whew! Made it. Ok, next corner.” It’s amazing what that can help you accomplish. [I successfully used this same tactic to get through contractions during labor. Although quitting after the next one wasn't an option then, you can delude yourself of a lot of things when you're that uncomfortable and willing something to end quickly.]

My record this week was strong, though not perfect. I ran on Tuesday, did Yoga on Wed, ate ice cream for dinner on Thursday (whoops), and then ran both yesterday and today. I also did quite a bit of walking (like usual), though I was pretty bad about tracking it (that’s what the extra miles on Fri are about). I also did yoga last night after running and that felt great. I’d like to add some sit-ups and/or push-ups into the routine eventually, but am still moving in baby steps for now. Everything in time.

Tomorrow, we depart for a week-long roadtrip through the Berkshires and up to Vermont to see some dear friends of ours. Keeping a routine going while on the road may be tough, but the new scenery might actually be inspiring. I don’t know how much writing I’ll be able to do from the road, but I will still try to check in on Daily Mile for record-keeping purposes.

Wish me luck!

Category: Jo, Operation Hot Mother

Breastfeeding: It’s What Your Knockers Are For

Posted on | August 27, 2010 | View Comments

This video from The Bump has been making the rounds online recently. I posted it over at my professional site earlier this week, but wanted to share it here, too. I loooooove it for so many reasons.

It’s funny and lighthearted (we can use more of that in the birth community). It’s honest. It’s to the point. And, most importantly, it normalizes breastfeeding.

Poppy and I have been nursing for over 10 months now. In that time, I’ve occasionally been asked, “When did you decide you would breastfeed?” and the question always throws me. I don’t think I ever decided to breastfeed. After the baby was born, that was just… next. Right? I would say that at some point, I realized I would be breastfeeding and should probably learn something about it. But using formula honestly just never even crossed my mind. I mean, why would I if I had functioning boobs available?

Perhaps I was naive, but it wasn’t until I was several months into parenting that I realized that not everyone thinks that way. And that was even weirder to me.

I’m not anti-formula, nor do I judge moms who formula feed their children. To each their own. And had I needed formula, I gladly would’ve used it and been grateful for its existence. But otherwise? My body provides everything we need. I take my boobs with me everywhere I go, and as long as I’m properly hydrated and reasonably well-fed, I don’t have to worry about much else.

Before I became a mother, I had no idea of what my body was capable of.

I love breastfeeding. I love that my body — the body that grew and gave birth to Poppy — continues to sustain her and nourish her and help her grow strong and healthy. I love the bond it has created between us. I love the extra cuddles it affords me every day. And I love that when my baby is unhappy or hurting or scared, our nursing relationship goes beyond simply providing calories and provides comfort as well.

I am grateful that we are able to breastfeed — that we have an incredibly supportive team member in T, that we are fortunate to have avoided many of the most common Booby Traps that all too often sabotage moms, and that we have had Lady Luck on our side all of these months.

I don’t know how long we’ll continue breastfeeding. I intend to meet the AAP goal of one-year (at minimum) and would love to meet the WHO target, as well. But, ultimately, we’ll take it all one day at a time and see where life leads us. I’m just trying to enjoy these moments while they last.

I wrote this post in honor of August being “Breastfeeding Month,” which is kick-started each year with World Breastfeeding Week. I intended to write more throughout the month, but time got away from me so I’m closing the month with my thoughts instead.

The portrait above was shot by my friend Mary Catherine Hamelin, a fellow doula in NYC. If you want to see the rest of the shots from the photo shoot as well as my answers to a couple of questions she asked me about breastfeeding, head on over to her blog.

Category: Uncategorized

YouCapture: Outside

Posted on | August 26, 2010 | View Comments

This may be one of my favorite photos ever. Although I’m not a fan of summer heat, I do have to admit that I will miss it at least a little when it’s gone. But just a little.

I think Emma will, too.

Join us for YouCapture next week. The theme is MORNINGS.

Category: Jo, Life or Something Like It, Photos, YouCapture

Books. Coffee. Democracy. Gone.

Posted on | August 26, 2010 | View Comments

The best coffee shop in Brooklyn went under this week and I’m in deep mourning. Vox Pop on Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park was a gem. Part coffee shop, part venue, part community center, Vox Pop was central to my and Poppy’s weekly routine. We regularly stopped in for a morning coffee and bagel, occasionally swung in for lunch with a friend, and always attended at least one of the weekly sing-a-long events for babes.

After a couple of years of financial trouble, however, they’ve given up.

*sob*

From what I can gather, the short story of Vox Pop is that the last owner (and perhaps the original?) got the place into serious debt. He owed loads of back taxes and utility bills and who knows what else. Owner Debi Ryan took it over a couple of years ago and worked really hard to get it turned around. They were occasionally shut down by the state (most recently in April), but the local community always rallied, invested, and brought them back from the brink.

Prior to this shut-down, Con Ed had cut their power. Apparently that was yet another major outstanding debt and the utility company decided they’d had enough. Did that stop Vox Pop, though? Not a chance. For the last three weeks, the shop had been running via generator and borrowed electricity (via extension cords) from the storefront next door. They still served coffee and some food, allowed people to hook their laptops to the extension cords, and continued with the daily entertainment and performances. They kept the lights off, the fans minimal, and trudged right along as if nothing had happened.

Most resilient coffee shop ever? It’s possible.

We have other coffee shops in the neighborhood, but none like Vox Pop. Connecticut Muffin is sterile and bland. John’s has terrible bagels and no seating. And the Catskill Bagel that is opening soon… meh. More of the same.

Vox Pop was one of those excellent places that was a little gritty, but cozy. They served vegan treats and fair trade coffee, offered lefty political fare in the form of free newspapers and zines, and had a stack of well-loved board games that you could nurse your coffee over. You could stop in on a weeknight and catch some local jazz or an open-mic, display your art on the walls, or get a book published through their small publishing off-shoot.

Man, I’m gonna miss ‘em.

Category: Jo, Life or Something Like It, Photos

Operation Hot Mother, Day 2: Because of You

Posted on | August 25, 2010 | View Comments

Today was a rough day.

Although Poppy went down easily and on time last night, she was very, very needy overnight. She nursed pretty much all night long without a break (and I’m not exaggerating) and sometime between 3 and 4 decided that it was time for a dance party. Considering I’d barely slept between midnight and three, I enlisted T’s help. He rocked her, sang to her, and took her to the living room to play for a bit while I tried to get a catnap on the couch nearby. Oy. Of course, after all that, she woke up at her usual time today, smiling from ear to ear and acting as though she hadn’t been such a horrible beast overnight, but… that’s babies, right?

Although we were both exhausted, we pushed through and got quite a few things done around the apartment today and spent the afternoon in the city, running some errands. At the end of the day, T went to pick up the CSA goodies and I stayed back to put Poppy down. She went to sleep fairly easily (thank gods!) and once asleep, I was able to get a few quick chores done. Finally, I sat down around 9 p.m. and thought, “Ugggggghhhhhh. Workout?! Hell no!”

Then I logged into Facebook and saw all the comments I requested, encouraging me to get in shape. And popped over to my blog to read more here. And stopped by Twitter and saw yet more encouragement. And then, with nearly perfect timing, my friend Becky sent me a text that read, “Hey lazy ass, get moving! No ice cream!”

So I did.

I put the chocolate bar down (I didn’t have any ice cream handy), hauled my lazy, tired, sore butt to the t.v., and dug out our yoga DVD.* I threw on a comfortable pair of pants, laid out my yoga mat, grabbed my blocks and strap, and then stopped and asked T if I really had to.

And he told me he was proud of me for running yesterday and would be even more proud of me if I keep it up.

So I did it. And it was exactly what I needed. Those deep stretches not only felt amazing in the moment, but will probably make tomorrow’s jogging that much less painful.

I’m posting tonight because I wanted to say thanks to you all of you. If I hadn’t shamelessly begged for cheerleaders yesterday, y’all never would’ve stepped up, and I would’ve skipped tonight’s workout. And if I skipped tonight, it’s FAR more likely I’d skip tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that. And I’d never get anywhere with this.

Getting started with a fitness routine when you’ve never ever had one before is really hard, but I made one more baby step in the right direction tonight and I couldn’t have done it without you guys.

So, thanks. And please keep it up :)

* Our DVD is pretty awesome. It has beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels and within each level, several routines to choose from. I went with a 30-minute beginner routine tonight and when looking at the options, “Self-Esteem Booster” was the first to catch my eye. How did they know that that’s exactly what I needed?!

Category: Jo, Operation Hot Mother, Sleep (or Lack Of), Uncategorized

Operation Hot Mother

Posted on | August 24, 2010 | View Comments

Today, I declared the start of Operation Hot Mother.*

I’m sick of being out of shape. I’m sick of getting winded far too easily. And I’m sick of being flabbier than I need to be. Yes, I know, I had a baby just 10 months ago, but I’ve been in terrible shape for years. I live a fairly healthy lifestyle — no driving/lots of walking, healthy home-cooked whole foods and a (mostly) vegetarian diet, etc. BUT no intentional exercise. At all. This has got to change. I’m not terribly concerned with numbers on a scale. After all, I hit my pre-baby weight several weeks ago, but still look and feel way different than I did before pregnancy. Way different. And while I never expect to get back to my pre-baby mid-20′s body, I know that I can get to a healthier place than I am right now. That is my goal.

I want to be able to run a couple of miles without keeling over and dying immediately afterward. I want to feel good in my skin (even if the stretchmarks are here to stay). And I want to feel strong and capable.

I’m going to tackle this in stages, with short-term goals along the road to the long-term ideal.

First up? The Miles for Midwives 5k on October 2.

T and I (and sometimes friends) have done the Miles for Midwives for the past several years. He runs it, while I walk. Last year, I was 37 weeks the day of the event and although fat, swollen, and uncomfortable, I triumphantly (if not slowly) waddled my butt all the way around Prospect Park. Take that, pregnancy!

Who knew it was even possible to retain that much water? Even my mouth was swollen.

This year my goal is to run it for the first time, although anyone that knows me well knows that I’m not a runner. I’ve run exactly one 5k in my entire life and that was after a 10-week build up via the Couch to 5k program. That was also 3+ years ago. And I haven’t run since.

I intended to start my new exercise regimen earlier this summer, but then that whole hottest-summer-on-record thing popped up and I put it off and put it off and put it off until this week when, suddenly, it was a cool, breezy 70 degrees and cloudy — and I had no excuse not to start. Dammit.

I left bedtime to T tonight and dug out my running gear, only to realize I don’t really have running gear. I managed to cobble together the necessary items and, even if not pretty, they will suffice for now. My gear includes:

  • 3 year old running shoes that smell vaguely of cat pee;
  • 1 pair of too-small running shorts;
  • 1 stretched out maternity tank-top;
  • 1 running watch face w/timer (the bands snapped long ago);
  • 2 sports bras (one wasn’t nearly supportive enough to contain these heavy nursing boobs I’ve been lugging around & the other is easily 10 years old and not gonna support much of anything on its own);
  • 1 bandana to contain my frizzy mess of a head; and
  • my “imminent death” provisions: Road ID bracelet & asthma inhaler

That paints a lovely picture, doesn’t it?

I stretched as best I could, kissed the baby good night, and headed out to see what I could do. I figured I’d start by simply jogging as long as I could without stopping to walk, just to see where my stamina is these days. I had no idea whether that would be 30 seconds or 10 minutes, but assumed it would be much closer to the former.

But guess what? Twenty minutes later, I strolled back into my apartment on shaky legs after successfully running 1.2 miles in 12:10. WITHOUT STOPPING. NOT EVEN ONCE. And I was still breathing and conscious.

Honestly, I didn’t think I had it in me.

Now it’s a couple of hours later and I am exhausted and I can already feel the stiffness settling into my calves and I’m worried. I’m worried that I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling like garbage. Or that my legs will be sore and jello-y. Or it will be hot and humid and I’ll walk outside and want to melt into a puddle.

And this is where you come in. I’m going to need serious help. Your help. Would you like to be my cheerleader?

I plan to post updates on my progress here at the blog, as a form of public accountability, and I’m going to take a page from Dre‘s book and shamelessly beg for comments on those posts. Cheer me on. Offer empathy when I complain. Encourage me to continue. If you don’t, I won’t. I know myself. So please, please help me out here.

Miles for Midwives 2010 is just under 6 weeks away (eep!). In that time, I have to somehow get myself from one successful mile (one time) to more than 3 at once. Something I’ve done just a handful of times ever.

I’m going to do my best to get there and *really* hope to succeed… and I hope that you’ll join me on the journey. Can I count you in?

p.s. I also track my exercise over on Daily Mile. If you run, walk, or do any sort of regular exercise, you should join, too. It’s free and it’s awesome.

* Any Arrested Development fans in the house?!

Category: Jo, Operation Hot Mother, Photos

Moving Forward

Posted on | August 24, 2010 | View Comments

We’re enjoying some extra special daddy/daughter time these last two weeks of August thanks to a professional transition by T. After 5 years of working for Peace Corps (preceded by another two years as a volunteer), he is moving into urban planning/transportation at the professional level, his long-desired field and subject of his recent Master’s Degree. We are all really excited for this move, and although it will be keeping us in NYC for the next several years, we do still hope to get back home to the Midwest… someday.

If you’d like details about the new gig, hit him up via email or Facebook. I’m sure he’ll be excited to tell you all about it. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the break in the summer heat, partaking in lots of family cuddles, and planning a short roadtrip to see some dear friends.

Although I’m not the biggest fan of summer (heat – ugh!), I’m still surprised that the end is already so near. Pretty soon it will be time to bust out the comfy sweaters, the hearty food, and the snow boots. Honestly? I can’t wait. I was made for cold climates.

Category: Uncategorized

Modern Day Grandparenting

Posted on | August 22, 2010 | View Comments

Although we don’t love being halfway across the country from our families, we do love that modern technology helps bring them closer.

We try to do regular video chats with the grandparents so that they can see Poppy in action. We send/share plenty of photos and occasional videos, but something about the real time nature of a chat is all the more thrilling. A couple of times, they’ve even managed to see “firsts,” like the time Poppy crawled toward the laptop… something she had never done up until that moment :)

Today was just a normal day. We caught up with my dad this morning and with T’s parents this evening (we usually chat with my mom during the week since she has weekday/daytime availability and the internet seems less overwhelmed then). The grandparents mostly sit on the their end and wave wildly, yelling, “Poppy! Poppy! Over here!” And Poppy responds by staring blankly at the screen… or wandering in the other direction. Hey, she’s only 10 months old.

Since being home in July, however, P has definitely shown more interest in the video chats and it is clear she now recognizes the folks on the other end, which is exciting. We look forward to the day when she’s able to really interact with them and make it more of a two-way communication. Perhaps we’ll have re-joined them in the Midwest by them and the technology won’t be so necessary, but… if not? We’re glad it’s available as it makes the distance slightly less awful.

Category: Famn Damily, Jo, Photos, Videos

How Do You Do It?

Posted on | August 19, 2010 | View Comments

Trying to start a business while simultaneously acting as the primary caregiver (i.e. SAHM) of a small infant is hard. Really hard. I love Poppy dearly, but damn is she a time (and energy) suck.

(Tangent: For those who wonder how a SAHM could possibly fill her time if not eating bon-bons and watching soap operas, I compel you to read this. Then suck my ass.)

Anyway.

What I’m wondering is… how do I do this? Aside from hiring paid help to look after her and let me work (which I can’t afford), what are you best tips for making work from home + a baby feasible?

I have a really supportive partner, although he works traditional business hours out of the home and has an hour commute on either side of his work day. By the time he gets home and we get Poppy down for bed, I’m spent. My brain is spent. My whole body is spent. And once the house is picked up and minor daily chores taken care of, cuddling on the couch, surfing Twitter, and watching Arrested Development DVDs is often all I have the mental energy left for.

Our solution so far has mostly been (1) work after the baby has gone to bed weekday evenings… if I’m not totally braindead; (2) try to get some weekend hours in when T can run off with the babe (only it sucks being left behind to work when I’d rather be having fun with my family).

I know this isn’t impossible and I’m guessing the answer is something along the lines of “Suck it up, stay up late, and sacrifice sleep,” but just in case there are better solutions I’ve not yet thought of, I thought I’d reach out to you, internet, and ask for your best advice. After all, my thinking cap has been on the fritz recently thanks to teething, illness, and middle of the night baby dance parties.

Really, getting things up and running is going to take a lot more work than keeping things up and running (I hope). After all, I have a couple of huge tasks in front of me before I can even get started, like

  • Design my Lamaze curriculum from the bottom up (oy!);
  • Sort out lots of business-related logistics such as finding a class location, figuring out how to set myself up financially, etc.;
  • Put together a doula bag and recruit a team of baby-sitters willing to take Ms. P last minute; and
  • Marketing, marketing, marketing. After all, no clients? No business.

[I've started all of these, but still have lots of work to do on each]

Working moms, I’d love to hear from you. If you run your own business from home, what is the secret to your success?

Category: Uncategorized

YouCapture – In the Kitchen

Posted on | August 19, 2010 | View Comments

With P being sick last week, I didn’t do much in the kitchen for several days. Cold sandwiches and breakfast cereal ruled the day and, while I’m grateful for their handiness, I was in need of some *real* food by week’s end. Several months ago, I designated Fridays as “Pizza Days!” but, of course, I’ve only managed to make pizza on a couple of Fridays since then — partly because I usually forget to make the dough early enough, but also partly b/c I just can’t find a whole wheat dough recipe that I love. [Side note: if you have one to share, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!]

Last Friday, however, I remembered! Yay! This week’s dough attempt was out of the classic Joy of Cooking, though I modified it to include about half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose (it called for all all-purpose) and it turned out… all right. It was less dry than my usual attempts, but I undercooked it a bit so it wasn’t as hearty as it could’ve been and the piles of toppings definitely made it hard to pick up and eat without it flopping all over the place. Fortunately, the abundance of sauce and spices, fresh tomatoes, basil, peppers, and onions more than made up for it.

The dough recipe made enough for two pizzas, but unfortunately, I didn’t store the extra very well overnight and by the next day, it was a stiff sticky mess that no amount of kneading was able to fix.

Remembering that a friend of ours once mentioned making “personal pita pizzas” for a dinner party, inspiration struck and we figured we’d give it a try seeing as we still had sauce and diced veggies to use up. Half an hour later? YUM. Let me say that again: YUMMMMMM.

Although I still hope to find and perfect a pizza dough recipe in coming weeks, it’s encouraging to know how quickly we can turn around fresh, homemade deliciousness with a little help from a bag of pitas.

And, just because I want to complain a moment…

Am I the only one that feels like dishes are a never-ending battle? Even in the days that I barely ate and didn’t cook at all, they piled up out of nowhere. UGH. UGH. UGH.

Want to join us for YouCapture fun next week? The theme is GET OUTSIDE.

Category: Cooking/Recipes, Jo, Photos, YouCapture
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