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Long Beach moms

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EPIC Series Obstacle Race

Posted on May 6, 2018

The ultimate EPIC Sunday Funday! Almost exactly 1 year after my c-section and I am so proud to have just finished my first EPIC series obstacle race. It was the perfect mixture of challenging but still achievable (even for someone who may have neglected to do weights for almost a month.)

Almost exactly 1 year after my c-section and I am so proud to have just finished my first EPIC series obstacle race

I loved that this race was so obstacle-heavy, and also that each obstacle had the option to do beginner, intermediate, and hard variations. I stuck with beginner and intermediate and am feeling like I’m on top of the world, and also a little bit like I got hit by a truck.(If you look through the photos, you will see the “hit by a truck” look on my face towards the end! But in a good “I’m a badass” kind of way.)

If you look through the photos, you will see the “hit by a truck” look on my face towards the end! But in a good “I’m a badass” kind of way

It felt so good to push myself in different ways for each obstacle. Running and climbing come really easily to me, so I was able to breeze through those obstacles. Climbing the rope and hoisting the keg with a pulley were great intermediate challenges because they were hard and different, but I still did okay. The upper body challenges were the toughest for me.

Does anyone else cry after really intense workouts or am I a total weirdo?

Carrying the keg around the track for that last lap was brutal! I couldn’t even get it onto my shoulders without help! But once it was on there, I made my way around the track and finished. And totally cried at the end out of pride and relief. (Does anyone else cry after really intense workouts or am I a total weirdo?) If you are looking for a fitness challenge, definitely check out the Epic course in your city. You can use promo code PARENTDAZE for 10% off at any of their events in 2018!  Here is their link! https://www.epicseriesocr.com/

Did I mention there was a kids’ course too?  For $20, Katie got to participate in the kids’ EPIC course!  She loved learning new workouts and testing her limits.  And I loved sharing this fitness experience with her.  It was a great opportunity for the whole family to enjoy fitness together.  And watching Katie made me realize I need to improve my planking!  Hers is on point!

Daily Life

Throwback to my pregnancy with Katie. Oh how times have changed!

Posted on January 5, 2018
3 years ago today! I think this is the only photo of my parents and I while I was pregnant. I was so excited about having a baby but not so excited about being pregnant. I didn’t take a lot of photos of me, I refused to wear maternity pants, I didn’t like talking about pregnancy related problems or my changing body.
       To be honest, I was terrified. But terrified of being pregnant and of labor and not about having an actual baby. (Can you tell this pregnancy was a surprise to us? ?.) In a way, it was kind of nice being scared about superficial things like stretch marks and saggy boobs because I didn’t worry about things like what if something is wrong with Katie (which I did constantly with Isabelle and is a much deeper worry than stretch marks!)
        The downside was that being so focused on the pregnancy and not the baby meant we didn’t prepare… like at all. Neither Jason nor I even knew how to change a diaper and of course we didn’t take any classes . I will never forget the moment AFTER Katie was born when all the doctors and nurses left the room and we were alone with this tiny screaming creature and had no idea what to do with her. It was 100 times scarier than the actual labor!
        Jason was on his phone furiously googling how to swaddle and we were both so tired from my 21 hour labor and all we wanted to do was sleep but we were now responsible for this tiny human for the rest of our lives… But like all things, we figured it out! And after a few weeks we no longer needed 2 people to change diapers and bath time got easier and I got the hang of nursing. It’s so funny looking back at what amateurs we were compared to when we had Isabelle. (Although life threw me quite the curveball with the breech position and the resulting c section with her!)

 

Daily Life

Teaching Kids to Solve Their Own Problems?

Posted on December 14, 2017

If there was ever a photo that summed up Katie . Big smile, mismatched shoes that she chose, and jumping off of something (but usually something a few feet higher!) They performed their Hanukkah show at school today so I got to hang out with her on the playground after and watch her play. It’s pretty cool to see her in her element with her peers.

She looked so grown up calling her friends by their names and starting to actually play with them instead of just parallel play. The school is pretty hands off during free play so I tried to follow suit, but it’s hard not to intervene sometimes. I watched her try to get on the see-saw while another kid was bouncing it on one end, and I wanted so badly to tell him to stop for a sec so she could get on, or to tell her to ask him to stop so she could get on… but I bit my tongue.

She struggled with it for a solid minute before she decided to go play something else instead. As hard as it was to watch, I know it helps her learn to solve her own problems, and she did by deciding to move on and will probably never think about it again. And then here I am, mulling it over, wondering if I did the right thing by not intervening… 

Daily Life

Meal Times with Kids

Posted on December 14, 2017

How every meal time inevitably ends up: 2 kids on my lap, food that fell out of mouths all over me, scrambling to get both girls fed at the same time, and then when it’s all over I get a couple bites of cold mac and cheese and half a chicken tender (if I’m lucky!)

Meal times these days reminds me of fight scenes in old cartoons where limbs and dust clouds are flying all over the place and there’s crying and animal noises and then it’s over as soon as it started and the dust settles and life goes back to normal. But when you’re in the middle of it…. oh man. Dinners are easier because Jason is around to help but feeding the two of them at the same time, especially with the amount Isabelle eats, it’s no easy task.

Daily Life

Co-sleeping is just not for me

Posted on December 5, 2017
Confession time: what is something veteren moms tell you “enjoy while it lasts!” that you just don’t find yourself enjoying? For us it’s cosleeping! Every night Belles wakes around 4 to nurse so I pull her in bed with me. When she was younger (and more of a lump ?), she used to fall right back asleep and we would snuggle as she slept and I half-slept.
           But lately she starts trying to climb up my body which means knees and toes in my belly and she grabs my face and neck skin (but when did I get all this extra neck skin ?) and babbles which is adorable during the day but not at 4 am…. And then I barely sleep the rest of the night and it sucks. I know some people enjoy it, and I know she won’t be little forever and I only have a small window of time to sleep with her, but lately I have started saying ENOUGH and putting her back in her crib after she’s done eating.
         And you know what? She falls right back asleep and sleeps like a rock until Big Sister gets up and wakes her up. Yes, there is still a part of me that wonders if I’ll regret not taking this “opportunity” while I can, (#momguilt , amirite?), but isn’t everyone sleeping better the ultimate win? Belles wakes up rested, I wake up rested (and rested = more patient), and we have plenty of time for snuggles during the day. What is something people tell you to “enjoy” that you just don’t think you’ll miss later?

 

Daily Life

Potty Training Struggles

Posted on December 1, 2017
After the pants pooping, I took K downtown for some one on one time. I think potty training has been really stressing her out. We also wrote a letter to Santa ? (who of course wasn’t there but will be there almost every other day until Christmas ?.) We found a guy wearing a Santa hat working at the skating rink and I asked him if he worked for Santa while nodding YES YES YES!
          He said that he did so we gave him K’s letter which said “Dear Santa, Happy Halloween. I want presents please. Little ones. I am going to poop in the potty now. And not in my pants. Happy Halloween. Happy Halloween. Love Katie.” The original plan was to talk to Santa about using the potty but hopefully the letter will help too ?. We’re getting desperate! Then we hung out and watched the ice skaters, rode the carousel, and had her first movie theater popcorn ?!
          I was hoping to call it an early night but we missed our bus and ended up walking a mile while we waited for the next one (no sense sitting at a bus station for 30 minutes.) We ended up having a pretty good walk though and then K slept until 745 today!! It’s already starting out better than yesterday!