I'm back!
I have successfully slept 3- yes, THREE- nights in a row where I got 4-6 hours at a stretch (between diaper changes/nursing). I averaged 8 hours of sleep total on those nights like a NORMAL PERSON. I feel great.
I have even been able to work out. Friday morning I did core training with my fabulous triathlon trainer Amanda McCracken. Today I practiced tai chi for 2 hours. And we took the kids sledding at the park down the street, which involved carrying the 20 pound squirmy brick- uh, I mean baby- the whole time. (I love the Beco baby carrier, by the way. If you are a mom and need your hands free while keeping a baby happy, this sling is the way to go. Great back support.)
Friday night, I watched a TED video that really inspired me to pay more attention to how much sugar I ingest with 'normal' food. (Did you know that they add sugar to milk marketed at kids these days?) My husband then challenged me to try to go without any added sugars this whole week. I thought he meant things like my daily hot chocolate, the sugar in my decaf coffee, the Girl Scout cookies (hellooooo thin mints!). What he meant was anything that had sugar added. Have you looked at your labels lately? Holy diabetes, Batman! They add sugar to everything these days! Bread, dried cherries (I mean, come on!), yogurt, peanut butter- lots of things I thought I was eating that were neutral/healthy.
So this week is a 'from scratch' week. I have found a great magazine with quick, healthy recipes (under 40 minutes prep time)- It's Cooking Light. Most of my dinners are coming from that for this week, with a touch of awareness from reading The Zone right now (book review coming soon). I'll report back on this experiment this coming weekend.
So far, I don't know what to do with myself. I have the munchies for nothing in particular. It's really odd. I'm trying to drink Roiboos tea and prune juice when I want a sweet drink. And I bought clementines and grapes for my sweet tooth. I allow Half-and-Half in the coffee for a sweeter flavor, but no sugar. We'll see if I last all week. I've been craving meat more. Odd.
I'm still imposing an early bedtime on myself (9pm) until I'm completely rested, so I'm off to bed since the kids are asleep.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Stories from the Dark Side
Sleep deprivation is fascinating.
I adore my babies. They are, as one woman put it, my heart, living outside my body. And yet...
After three days of less than 3 hours sleep in a row each night, I couldn't keep track of how many kids I had. If they were not both in front of me, with me looking right at them, I would lose count. And there are only two.
I wisely decided to avoid errand running and stayed home.
At one point, I remembered I had a baby somewhere, and in a panic, set out around the house to find him. He was happily playing in his high chair, where I had put him at some point.
Later, I was startled to discover my daughter coming up the stairs from the basement- I'd forgotten she was home- I thought maybe she was with the grandparents.
Lastly, I walked into a room to get something, and startled myself upon realizing I had two kids in the next room. Honestly.
I felt like the sheep Douglas Adams describes, which are startled each morning by the rising sun, and again by the green stuff under their feet. Every day.
I was able to get 6 consecutive hours of sleep last night- it was like winning lottery. I've been in a good mood today, even if very busy still chasing the aspiring mountaineer. I'm going to bed tonight before 9pm hoping I'll get to do it again.
I hope I'm never that tired again. If I am, I'm calling in the cavalry (in-laws). They were sick, too, and couldn't help this time. I really hope there's never a 'next time' for this level of ineptitude.
I adore my babies. They are, as one woman put it, my heart, living outside my body. And yet...
After three days of less than 3 hours sleep in a row each night, I couldn't keep track of how many kids I had. If they were not both in front of me, with me looking right at them, I would lose count. And there are only two.
I wisely decided to avoid errand running and stayed home.
At one point, I remembered I had a baby somewhere, and in a panic, set out around the house to find him. He was happily playing in his high chair, where I had put him at some point.
Later, I was startled to discover my daughter coming up the stairs from the basement- I'd forgotten she was home- I thought maybe she was with the grandparents.
Lastly, I walked into a room to get something, and startled myself upon realizing I had two kids in the next room. Honestly.
I felt like the sheep Douglas Adams describes, which are startled each morning by the rising sun, and again by the green stuff under their feet. Every day.
I was able to get 6 consecutive hours of sleep last night- it was like winning lottery. I've been in a good mood today, even if very busy still chasing the aspiring mountaineer. I'm going to bed tonight before 9pm hoping I'll get to do it again.
I hope I'm never that tired again. If I am, I'm calling in the cavalry (in-laws). They were sick, too, and couldn't help this time. I really hope there's never a 'next time' for this level of ineptitude.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Out of sync
Sorry my posts stopped for a while. Family needs have been intense. I haven't been able to do much of anything except try to keep up with the kids and my own fatigue. Even exercise has dropped off. Happily, I made it to tai chi this past Tuesday, so I feel at least a little bit normal, but I haven't even been able to spit out a few lines for the blog in over a week.
The infant is trying to walk, and unlike his older sister, he is VERY insistent that he be given full access to everything in the house- electrical wires and outlets, cabinets, climbing bookshelves, climbing EVERYTHING. So I'm exhausted trying to keep vigil and also find things for him to do.
Did I mention he's starting to teethe? Oh, and did I mention he got sick? Yup. Had to take him to the Urgent Care and then the hospital. I didn't sleep for three nights in a row because he was so sick and fidgety. So my sanity dropped off the scale, ladies and gentlemen. I haven't been that sleep deprived since he was born. Then I had two nights of almost normal sleep, and then my husband got sick. He's a noisy sleeper when he's sick, so again, no sleep last night.
That's 2 out of 6 nights of acceptable sleep. That's not much. I'm grumpy, tired- okay, let's be honest- I'm short-fused, eating like crap to try to stay awake, and desperately trying to stay upbeat for the kids. And trying not to be depressed, because I'm not working out, and frankly, I see no end in sight to this exhaustion and the demands of parenting. Weekends aren't a break. It's just more of the same. IIIIII'm SSSSooooo Tiiiiiiiiiiiired. Bleh.
I declared myself in "time out" once my husband got home tonight so that I could regroup. I read some of my favorite parenting book, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, by Laura Davis and Janis Keyser, which perked me up, and now I'm squeezing in a quick update for the blog.
So now you know my past 2 weeks in a nutshell. I hope I can resume posting more regularly, since I have some cool stuff to share. Ah, the setbacks. They happen. And my kids will be grown faster than I can believe, so I really do want to enjoy them. I. Just. Need. More. Sleep.
The infant is trying to walk, and unlike his older sister, he is VERY insistent that he be given full access to everything in the house- electrical wires and outlets, cabinets, climbing bookshelves, climbing EVERYTHING. So I'm exhausted trying to keep vigil and also find things for him to do.
Did I mention he's starting to teethe? Oh, and did I mention he got sick? Yup. Had to take him to the Urgent Care and then the hospital. I didn't sleep for three nights in a row because he was so sick and fidgety. So my sanity dropped off the scale, ladies and gentlemen. I haven't been that sleep deprived since he was born. Then I had two nights of almost normal sleep, and then my husband got sick. He's a noisy sleeper when he's sick, so again, no sleep last night.
That's 2 out of 6 nights of acceptable sleep. That's not much. I'm grumpy, tired- okay, let's be honest- I'm short-fused, eating like crap to try to stay awake, and desperately trying to stay upbeat for the kids. And trying not to be depressed, because I'm not working out, and frankly, I see no end in sight to this exhaustion and the demands of parenting. Weekends aren't a break. It's just more of the same. IIIIII'm SSSSooooo Tiiiiiiiiiiiired. Bleh.
I declared myself in "time out" once my husband got home tonight so that I could regroup. I read some of my favorite parenting book, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be, by Laura Davis and Janis Keyser, which perked me up, and now I'm squeezing in a quick update for the blog.
So now you know my past 2 weeks in a nutshell. I hope I can resume posting more regularly, since I have some cool stuff to share. Ah, the setbacks. They happen. And my kids will be grown faster than I can believe, so I really do want to enjoy them. I. Just. Need. More. Sleep.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Book Review: In the Wake of the Jomon, by Jon Turk
Overall, this was very an enjoyable book. It felt like I sat down for a beer with the author. It wasn't the literary piece that Sara Hall put forth. It had a more casual, less polished feel to it, quite like a nice chat where your friend is catching you up on a great trip and managing to educate you at the same time.
The book follows the author's two tandem journeys. On one hand, he explores the scientific community's attempts at uncovering the migration patterns of early man, specifically the passage from Asia to the Americas. At the same time, he takes us on his physical journey from the northern tip of Japan, through the Kuril Islands, along the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and across part of the Bering Sea to Alaska.
There is an intimate quality to his storytelling. He admits to having to manage his strong emotions at times, and to having to deal with the boredom of a repetitive activity- punctuated with life-threatening situations only nature could provide. He questions that very nature of wanderlust, wondering why there are fringe, lunatic risk-takers built into the fabric of society- people who, for all ages, have historically put everything on the line for adventure's sake. The answers he came up with are intelligently formed (he has a scientific background, while being a beatnik of sorts) and yet inspiring and fun to read and muse over. Jon, if you ever come to Boulder, I'll buy you a beer!
His enthusiasm translates the same way: sometimes he repeats the points he wants you to take away, lest you miss them, rather than trusting you to figure it out. Sometimes that annoyed me, but it was a 3,000 mile trip, so I'm sure he found his thought patterns repeating themselves more than once during that time. Besides, sometimes my friends and I dwell on epiphanies and repeat ourselves while gabbing, too. By the end of the book, I felt like we were friends.
The downside to this is that he ends the book abruptly. I have to wonder what caused him to abandon his storyline with so little closure. He references future adventures a number of times, and I know he has more books out, so maybe it was his attempt at hooking the reader into immediately starting his next book out of a desire to see the story continue. It's tempting...
Web presence: Jon has a website and email he posts in the book and invites his readers to contact him. I really like that. It continues my sense of familiarity and camaraderie that grew during the course of the book. I think I'll email him later this week. If I get a response, I'll post it.
The book follows the author's two tandem journeys. On one hand, he explores the scientific community's attempts at uncovering the migration patterns of early man, specifically the passage from Asia to the Americas. At the same time, he takes us on his physical journey from the northern tip of Japan, through the Kuril Islands, along the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and across part of the Bering Sea to Alaska.
There is an intimate quality to his storytelling. He admits to having to manage his strong emotions at times, and to having to deal with the boredom of a repetitive activity- punctuated with life-threatening situations only nature could provide. He questions that very nature of wanderlust, wondering why there are fringe, lunatic risk-takers built into the fabric of society- people who, for all ages, have historically put everything on the line for adventure's sake. The answers he came up with are intelligently formed (he has a scientific background, while being a beatnik of sorts) and yet inspiring and fun to read and muse over. Jon, if you ever come to Boulder, I'll buy you a beer!
His enthusiasm translates the same way: sometimes he repeats the points he wants you to take away, lest you miss them, rather than trusting you to figure it out. Sometimes that annoyed me, but it was a 3,000 mile trip, so I'm sure he found his thought patterns repeating themselves more than once during that time. Besides, sometimes my friends and I dwell on epiphanies and repeat ourselves while gabbing, too. By the end of the book, I felt like we were friends.
The downside to this is that he ends the book abruptly. I have to wonder what caused him to abandon his storyline with so little closure. He references future adventures a number of times, and I know he has more books out, so maybe it was his attempt at hooking the reader into immediately starting his next book out of a desire to see the story continue. It's tempting...
Web presence: Jon has a website and email he posts in the book and invites his readers to contact him. I really like that. It continues my sense of familiarity and camaraderie that grew during the course of the book. I think I'll email him later this week. If I get a response, I'll post it.
Monday, February 1, 2010
January exercise journal
This month went well. Not only did I work out consistently, but I did more than expected, sometimes twice a day.
Week 1
Sat Jan 2- Bouldering, slacklining (2 hrs)
Tues Jan 5- Climbing (2 hrs)
Thurs Jan 7- Pilates private lesson w/Hayley (1 hour)
Week 2
Sun Jan 10- Rec Center- 30 minute fat burn on bike, stretch, weights
Tues Jan 12- Bouldering (2 hrs)
Wed Jan 13- Pilates private lesson (1 hour)
Fri Jan 15- Triathlon training- swimming for 1 hour... 1 mile?
Week 3
Tues Jan 19- Rec Center- swim .5 mile
Wed Jan 20- am: Rec Center- elliptical 30 minutes
pm: Pilates private lesson (1 hour)
Fri Jan 22- Triathlon training- running- 2 miles!
so sore...
Week 4
Tues Jan 26- am: Rec Center- Running 30 minutes/ 1.5 miles, stretching;
pm: Bouldering/climbing (2 hrs)
Wed Jan 27- am: triathlon training- core training, spinning;
pm: 1 hour walk
Sun Jan 31- Tai Chi (2.5 hrs)
I am also happy to report that I have been accepted into the Gu Feng Tai Chi Club! I'll be attending on Sundays and Tuesdays. Yay! Laura Ting is a thorough and diligent director. I'm really happy with the detail made available, and the well-rounded education its members can achieve (depends on the individual's efforts, of course!).
Week 1
Sat Jan 2- Bouldering, slacklining (2 hrs)
Tues Jan 5- Climbing (2 hrs)
Thurs Jan 7- Pilates private lesson w/Hayley (1 hour)
Week 2
Sun Jan 10- Rec Center- 30 minute fat burn on bike, stretch, weights
Tues Jan 12- Bouldering (2 hrs)
Wed Jan 13- Pilates private lesson (1 hour)
Fri Jan 15- Triathlon training- swimming for 1 hour... 1 mile?
Week 3
Tues Jan 19- Rec Center- swim .5 mile
Wed Jan 20- am: Rec Center- elliptical 30 minutes
pm: Pilates private lesson (1 hour)
Fri Jan 22- Triathlon training- running- 2 miles!
so sore...
Week 4
Tues Jan 26- am: Rec Center- Running 30 minutes/ 1.5 miles, stretching;
pm: Bouldering/climbing (2 hrs)
Wed Jan 27- am: triathlon training- core training, spinning;
pm: 1 hour walk
Sun Jan 31- Tai Chi (2.5 hrs)
I am also happy to report that I have been accepted into the Gu Feng Tai Chi Club! I'll be attending on Sundays and Tuesdays. Yay! Laura Ting is a thorough and diligent director. I'm really happy with the detail made available, and the well-rounded education its members can achieve (depends on the individual's efforts, of course!).
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