Liz’s Week In Review

Posted on November 16, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

So when a week gets too busy that you start to jumble everything into one blog post, you just have to call it a “Week In Review”. I really want to try and document as much as I can while I am staying home since this will not be a permanent thing for me, but I have found I have been MORE busy than when I had a job!

First off, how cute is that when I toss a binkie at my daughter and she immediately puts it in her mouth?

I have been a little disappointed in myself for not riding well this week. I really want to get this weight off! We are very lucky to have family in town to watch Olivia on Tuesday nights. Even though it is getting dark early, we still want to make it out to the Dona Ana’s. This week I didn’t do my usual route because I was so tired, so I went and explored Chutes and Ladders, which is a really hilly, technical part of the coarse and had a blast! If you look closely a the map…you can tell when I got lost. (Bottom right hand corner..)

P.S. I just learned how to screen shot (I am so behind the times) and I just had to show you by putting my Strava links on here. 🙂

P.P.S. I love these shoes by the way AND they are on sale at Kohl’s. (I took a picture to send to Mike as a hint for a Christmas present!). I also was able to run this week and actually got my 5k under 30 minutes…woot woot! Only 20 more pounds to go and maybe I can get a faster 5k time! 🙂

Olivia had her six month check up too this week. I was glad to get some answers to questions I had. She didn’t grow too much height-wise this past couple of months, but she made up for it in weight. And let’s just say her head is in the 90 percentile, so I have no worries about her head growth. She still is a long thing at almost 26 inches (25.8 to be exact). She was a champ!

I felt like I was in the kitchen the whole week. I was making soup for an Enrichment activity and then I made Mike some corned beef and cabbage, which is an awesome fall/winter food. (Too bad our house stunk. People kept walking in and asking if Olivia had pooped. Ha!) We had a youth activity this week where we made hygiene kits for charity. It reminded me of when we went to the Ronald McDonald house back in April and they had the kits available for us. It makes me feel good that we can give back. I’m always so appreciative of what they did for us.

Transitioning to crib. That’s all I have to say. And let’s just say that it was been a LONG week when it comes to sleep. This girl sure did like her Rock and Play and this mom misses her not sleeping through the night. She is getting better though. She only woke up twice last night!

When in doubt on where to put a baby, laundry baskets work well.

We started off the week with colds. It made for a very fussy mom and child (poor Mike!). Thankfully, we are both out of the clear now, but it sure is nice to get some cuddling in! Remind me that I will not have these times back!

We ended the week by going out on a quick date to a coworker’s wedding. I don’t even remember the last time Mike and I went out and dressed up. It was fun to hang out and have some time together and talk. He sure was a trooper!

And I got to see my lovely friend Stephanie and as we were leaving, I saw my fellow seventh grade science teacher Britt. I sure do miss them! (But not the job…hehe). Hope you all had a great week and Happy Friday!

Question: Do you think wearing black at weddings is bad luck? I was feeling a little guilty tonight about wearing black (mind you that my wedding was black and white) and I swear I have heard that people frown on it. Is that true?

Happy Halloween 2013!

Posted on November 12, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

I love holidays! For the past five years, I have been cramming the holidays down my husband’s throat! 🙂 Mike isn’t one to celebrate them, but since we have been married he has been a good sport about it. This year we had to continue the holiday extravaganza because now we have a kid to share it with!

There are so many awesome things to do in Las Cruces around Halloween! And we had to dress the part for all the things we did!

Of course we had to bust out with Barney’s hot dog costume, just so I could get a good laugh. He looks so ashamed..

So then I put him in this monkey suit to make him feel even more ashamed!

Speaking of costumes, Mike’s mom was able to make a “Little Peck” (Olivia’s nickname since she has been in my stomach) costume to dress her up in!

We gave it a little try on the trunk or treat we took her to…it was a little too late at night to have too much fun.

We went to the Mesilla Valley Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch too. Love that place! I look forward to it every year!

Olivia had a good time hanging out with family and going on the hay ride.

Not to mention, Dad had to take her down the slide for the first time. (No reaction by the kid!)

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with my family and spending Christmas here with Mike’s family! Happy Holidays!

6 Months!

Posted on November 12, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Stats: We go to the doctor this week, so we will be updating this, but my guess is at least 17 pounds and 25 inches. Let’s see how close I am!

Favorites: Sitting up on her blanket on the floor and playing with her random toys, eating squash, going for a ride, playing “superbaby” with dad, and watching Barney play frisbee!

Lifesavers for Mom and Dad: When she finally goes to bed…I can have “me time”. Her saucer is a great help and also her little play stations around the house.

Things She Hates: Mom putting her clothes on, wiping her face clean, water running (like when we flush the toilet, she freaks out!)

Facts: Rolling, sitting up unassisted, eating more baby food, upped her formula intake, loves to sing and coo, sees mom and dad across a crowded room VERY well, grabs things like a champ!

Sleep Habits: Started putting her to bed earlier (around 7) and then the time change happened. So now she wants to sleep by 6 and we are fighting for the 7 o clock time. She now gets up at 6 instead of 7, which really screws me up, but hey, I can’t complain! My huge problem right now is napping! A friend of mine recommended the book Baby Wise. I hope to fix these short naps she keeps taking to make them longer, because she gets cranky!!

Doctors Visits: This week! She had a bad cold, but we didn’t call the doctor because they would just send us to quick care!

Eating Habits: 30-35 ounces a day of infant formula and eats baby food at least twice a day. She loves her squash and apples and oatmeal! I’m trying to teach her how to use a sippy cup, but she just tries to eat it.

Milestones: She is chewing on everything! She got two teeth this past month. She now officially has two bottom teeth!

Looking Forward To: Having better napping schedules and celebrating the holidays!

The Color Run El Paso

Posted on September 27, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Last year Mike and I did the Color Run in Albuquerque with his brothers (which ended up being a fiasco of losing our car keys and spending two days trying to get them remade…meanwhile, finding out I was pregnant). This year, we found out it was going to be a little closer to home, so we had to go try it out with my good friend Stephanie and her husband Bill.

We had to have Olivia try out the shenanigans too, so we brought the jogging stroller and put a weather shield over it to protect her.

We had to stand at the start for a while because of the congestion. It was a pretty big crowd. Meanwhile, people were already busting out with the paints in the air!

Pre-Color Run cleanliness.

Olivia was already getting bombarded!

Mike took the stroller for the first half of the race. He looks so cheesy in this picture!

I love this shot of all the “haze” left over from the pink portion.

Mike being Mike….again. Poor Olivia. FYI…she slept the whole race!

I took over mid-way and was trying to find a way to avoid the colors with the stroller. That was not happening!

I was kind of bummed because the end was so congested, you really couldn’t run it! It was more like a walk from the 1.5 mile mark. I wish they had more street space on this one.

And this is what happens when you wake up a sleeping stroller child. (Yes, she got a little warm.)

Overall, it was fun. I would say that if they changed the venue that I would do it again in El Paso. Otherwise, I am willing to go back up to Albuquerque next year. What a fun way to get people out running.

Thanks to the Kellys for joining us!

Yucca Triathlon 2013

Posted on September 27, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

We are now starting to repeat triathlon races! It was time for the Yucca Triathlon at White Sands Missile Range this past month. Considering this was Olivia’s first triathlon last year (I was five weeks pregnant when I did it), we had to go do it again! This was also the triathlon that got Mike interested in competing in triathlons too! I was bummed to not do it this year, but it was fun to watch and take pictures with the jogging stroller!

(I will be hopefully doing the Polar Bear Triathlon in December to make up for lost time. My body needs to heal a little more before I feel confident enough to try it again!)

Mike came in third overall and first in his category. The weird thing that happened that day was that there was a gas leak in the pool area. While Mike was out on the bike, I could hear a bunch of fire trucks coming (which could send anyone into heart attack mode) and then they made us stay away from the building. So it ended up being a duathlon! No swim!

Olivia was a trooper. I wanted to run part of the running coarse, so I did it backwards and met them at the halfway mark and took pictures. I ended up getting some personal records on my Strava so I was pretty happy about my stroller jog.

Here is Mike at the starting line…being Mike.

I loved the pictures of all of the people running because the back of the Organs are in the background. Of course, the only close up picture of Mike didn’t have the awesome mountains.

Mike makes fun of me because I always get shots like these, where he is halfway in the shot. I guess if you look at my shadow, I look like I’m not trying really hard. 🙂

It was fun to hang out as a family on a race day. Beautiful weather too! Overall, it was a success.

4 Months!

Posted on August 29, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Stats: 50% percentile for weight (doctor isn’t too worried…she is growing so tall!), 90% percentile for height (25 inches), and 75% percentile for head size.

Favorites: Her exersaucer, playmat, swing, Monks, bright-colored anything, chewing on anything!

Lifesavers for Mom and Dad: I still give props to her Wabbanub. That thing was so great on the flight I took to Vegas. I fed her a bottle on take off and then slipped in a paci and she was out for the whole flight! Mike and I are so scared we are going to lose him. We need to get a back up!

Things She Hates: Needles. Crowds. I think she might be a little clausterphobic…I don’t blame her!

Facts: Rolls from back to tummy all the time, improved on tummy time, likes to practice standing, eats and sleeps like a champ.

Sleep Habits: Goes to bed between 8 and 9 at night, wakes up at 3, and then goes back to sleep until 7 or 8 in the morning. (I think putting her on solids this week will help too!)

Doctors Visits: We just got back from the doctor today. Still getting treated for cradle cap. He also gave me a schedule of starting solids! So fun!

Eating Habits: 30-35 ounces a day of newborn formula (we now have officially changed it to infant formula with rice cereal!)

Milestones: Recognizes mom and dad from across the room, rolling over, smiling, giggling, grabbing toys, grabbing hands, following objects with her eyes….so many things!

Looking Forward To: Having her sit up on her own and experimenting with all sorts of solids the doctor ok’d.

Teaching A Baby

Posted on August 12, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

As you all know I am a middle school teacher, and have officially taken the next year off to become a stay at home mom for Olivia’s first year. Switching gears to the newborn and toddler stage has been a little different. I’ve never realized how little things are important to a baby.

Looking in mirrors, staring at purple polka dots, and talking to an elephant are daily activities right now.

She is thinking and taking everything in!

Even TV has caught her eye! We have to be careful!

Here is a list of things I recommend to keep a newborn -4 month old occupied:

1. A playmat.

2. A bumbo.

3. Crinkly toys that make noise.

4. Pandora—so many awesome baby stations!

5. The Wabbanub!

6. Books! Even though they can’t read, she loves the pictures!

I also recommend using a Boppy (if you have one) to help with those babies that don’t like tummy time….like my kid!

Here’s to a year of learning how to be a kid all over again!

3 Months!

Posted on July 30, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Stats: We didn’t have a checkup this month, but I stood on the scale and she was 14 pounds up! At the rate she is growing, she should be at 24 inches now.

Favorites: Crinkly magazine book that Aunt Stephanie gave her, sitting up, and Monks the Wabbanub.

Lifesavers for Mom and Dad: Her playmat. She didn’t like that thing a while back, but now we can put her under it for a good half an hour or longer. So glad!

Things She Hates: Getting out of the bath. Crowds. Finishing her bottle when she wants to eat more (she likes to eat!)

Facts: Less naps, SO much better at tummy time, smiles and sounds like little laughs every once in a while, starting to put things in her mouth, loves sitting up in her stroller, recognizes mom and dad

Sleep Habits: She still sleeps from about 9:00pm til about 3:00am and then gets up for a feeding. Then she will fall back to sleep until about 7:00am or 8:00am.

Doctors Visits: No check up this month!

Eating Habits: Loves to eat! She is definitely getting some rolls on her!

Milestones: So many things are happening this week as she turns 3 months! She did her first big road trip like a champ. She is definitely a lot more expressive and seems to want to learn a lot. She is a thinker. Always looks like she is thinking.

Looking Forward To: Watching dad cross the finish line in Boulder, CO.

2 Months!

Posted on July 10, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

So I have been slacking a little on the whole blog situation. I really wanted to keep it up to date at least a few times a week this summer, but I’ve been so busy. I have always made fun of people who have babies and then drop off the face of the Earth. I have officially turned into one of them. I have to keep telling myself “This is only temporary.“

I’ve realized there are things you CAN do with a baby and there are things you CANNOT do with a baby. Grocery store shopping and mall visits are doable, even though I have to throw all the groceries around her while she sits in the cart. I really have been trying to run with Olivia more, but unless it’s time for a nap, she is not having it!

Before I forget, here are her two month stats:

Stats: 12 pounds (exactly!), 23 inches (exactly!), 75% percentile head

Favorites: Monks the Wabbanub (see below if you are not sure what a Wabbanub is…)

Lifesavers for Mom and Dad: Fisher Price swing, the fact that she still likes to nap, and Monks the Wabbanub..

Things She Hates: She officially loves her bath now…now it’s just a battle of when she gets out. She screams! During the bath and before…dead silent..

Facts: Not sleeping as much, eats about 5 oz a feeding, smiles a lot, coos a lot, sees further distances and focuses more, and really likes to look at herself in a mirror.

Sleep Habits: She cat naps throughout the day. At about 8:30-9:00pm, I give her a bath and a few ounces of formula and that will hold her ’til about 3:00am in the morning….it is awesome! Then I feed her and she goes back to sleep immediately until about 6:00-7:00am. Love it.

Doctors Visits: Her normal 2 month check up along with a visit for some major cradle cap going on. It’s slowly starting to go away!

Eating Habits: She is still an eater. She will not pass up a meal. We still are giving her Enfamil Newborn, but are sad to say pretty soon we have to bump her up to Enfamil Infant.

Milestones: She reached out and grabbed a toy that makes noise this morning. Lots of smiling and cooing. Sitting up all by herself with the aid of a couch or Bumbo. She is starting to get different cries for different things.

Looking Forward To: Taking her to California to see the beach!

Strava and Other Motivators

Posted on July 2, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

I am SLOWLY shedding the pounds as I prepare for my race in October (details will come soon). Not breastfeeding really took a toll on my weight loss goals, because I know it helps to shed pounds faster, so I had to step it up! Thankfully, I have a husband who watches the baby while I work out and family that watches Olivia on nights when Mike and I go out to work out together. When I do go to the gym, I make sure to do at least an hour of cardio. I really like using the Arc Trainer at Planet Fitness.

Yesterday, I upped the incline on it and it gives you a full body workout, especially the legs. I highly recommend going from 40-60 minutes on it. I was reading that you really don’t get a fat burning workout until you hit at least 30 minutes, therefore anything after that will be gold!

I LOVE Strava. I know it has been around a while, but I highly recommend this app for your phone, computer, IPAD, etc. The competitive person that I am is perfect for this.

On Tuesday nights, we have been going on the Tuesday Night Rides (just like old times). I slowly have started going on the beginning trails. Each week I record my rides and race my previous times, as well as other times that people have posted using Strava. I love trying to break records!

I missed the trail. I missed the downhill and the feeling you get after a good ride! It feels so good to be back on the bike!

Last but not least….RUNNING. I have to step up my running for a race I am doing in October. I am currently up to three miles, when I do run. I have been running at least two or three times a week. It has been so hot outside so the treadmill has been my friend. I managed to get Olivia up on Saturday morning to take her for my first run outside the neighborhood. Las Cruces has added an awesome running and biking trail around town. I was able to do a quick two-mile run along that trail. Olivia was a champ!