Musings

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2012: Year In Review

Nap wars

2012 is going to go down in history.  (My personal history, that is.)  As bad as 2011 was to me, that’s how good 2012 was.  I ended 2011 sad and discouraged.  I end 2012 bouyant and on top of the world, for one reason: this was the year I got my baby.  Oh, it wasn’t the easiest road – Peanut was a teeny little 31-week preemie who spent seven grueling weeks in the NICU.  But since I’ve spent the vast majority of 2012 being wildly happy, first to be pregnant and then to be a mom (especially after Peanut came home from the hospital), I’m calling this year the biggest WIN ever.

Oh, but I did have some goals that I set at the beginning of the year, and then revisited six months in with a progress report.  Now I’m ready to look back on the year and see how I did.  Here’re my grades…

BLOG

Goal: Clean up categories and redesign blog to look less like a strictly-food blog and more like the creative space I envision when I write here.

Grade: B+

Notes: I made time for almost all the blog clean-up I wanted.  I did reorganize the categories and the tag cloud, and I added a Goodreads widget, so the blog doesn’t look like a food blog anymore (since it’s not a food blog anymore).  I’d still like to shoot a new header, so maybe I’ll find the time to do that this coming year.

HOME

Goal: Finish painting!  And plant a gigantic vegetable garden.

Grade: F

Notes: I only painted one room: Peanut’s nursery.  Well, to be honest, hubby painted it while I watched.  And while it’s super cute in there, the rest of the house is desperately in need of some love.  The builder bland look is SO not my bag of chips.  I set a goal of painting the master bedroom purple before I turn 32, but as for the rest of the house, I’m seriously considering hiring someone.  Normally I’m very much against paying someone to do something that hubby and I could do ourselves.  But I think the time has come to admit that we’re just not going to do this and we need to call in a professional and just get the job DONE already.  And as for the garden, hubby kindly planted me one while I laid on the couch, having been knocked sideways by spring allergies and first trimester exhaustion.  But the northern Virginia sun done burned it all up.  Boo, sun.  I think our cauliflower is finally coming in, though, ten months after planting.  So…

FITNESS

Goal: I’d love to run another half marathon, if circumstances are right.

Grade: Incomplete.

Notes: When I wrote “if circumstances are right,” I secretly meant “if I continue to be irritatingly un-pregnant.”  I knew that 13.1 miles while preggers, which some women don’t blink at, was beyond my capability.  But I figured that another half mary would be a good distration as long as I wasn’t knocked up.  However.  The pregnancy gods finally smiled upon me and I spent the bulk of the year either pregnant, trucking to the NICU, or caring for a baby at home, so the half didn’t happen.  I’m not planning one for 2013, but maybe 2014.

READING

Goal: Plow through my to-read list and make some headway on reading the books I already own.

Grade: B

Notes: The main driving force behind this goal was a desire to save money and stop buying so durn many books.  I achieved that by going nuts at the library.  So I think I complied with the spirit of the goal.  And I did read a handful of books from my to-read list.  This one was a solid effort, although I can do better.  I have a lot of books that I actually own and would like to read, so I think I’m going to revisit this goal in 2013.

LIFE

Goal: Wake up smiling and live each day with exuberance.

Grade: A-

Notes: It helped that I spent most of this year enjoying an easy pregnancy and a mellow baby.  Aside from the seven depressing weeks in the NICU, I’ve had a wonderful year, which made it easy to smile most days (unlike 2011, when my facial expressions pretty much cycled between scowl, frown, and whimper).  I’m not sure I am at a point where I can smile even when life throws me tough circumstances – goodness knows I didn’t smile much between August 21st and October 11th this year – but at least I know I can appreciate the good when it comes.  I hope 2013 is as good to our family as 2012 was.  I’ll split my face from grinning.

BIG DREAM

In my post welcoming 2012, I mentioned that I had a big dream I was cherishing for the year, and that I’d tell you what it was if it came true.  Well, it came true.  I’m finally a mom, and motherhood is every bit as magical as I’d hoped it would be.  Peanut has lit up hubby’s and my life, and we’re so in love with her we can barely function.  And I promise no more secretive hinting – all my goals and dreams for 2013 will be out in the open!

How was your 2012?  Did you meet your goals?  Or did you fall a little short, but feel great anyway?  Share with me!  (Please.)

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Hug Someone

I don’t usually post on weekends, and I don’t have anything to say that won’t sound trite in the face of the terrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.  But it seems wrong to let something so sad go by without comment.  So I’m stopping in the midst of the whirlwind of diaper changes and bottles and tummy time and board books to think about the parents who will never squeeze their dear little ones again.

Tonight when I put Peanut down, I stayed a few extra moments in her room and gave her a few extra squeezes. Instead of thinking about the mounds of dishes I had to conquer downstairs once I laid her in her crib, instead of rushing out to get it all done so I could crash on my pillow, I snuggled her in the rocker and thought about our weeks in the NICU and about how happy I am to have a safe, healthy baby in my arms, despite the rocky road it took to get there. And I thought about the parents of Newtown, and about all the parents who have to send their little ones off on the school bus on Monday. No one should have to fear sending their child to school. I don’t know what that’s like, and I can’t imagine it right now, but I know what it’s like to stare down real fears about your little one’s health and safety and it’s the worst feeling in the world. So I rocked Peanut, and I cuddled her, and I wiped away tears of sadness for Newtown and gratitude for my beautiful little girl.

I don’t know anyone in Newtown; I’ve never been there.  And school shootings are always horrific.  But this is the first one that’s happened since I became a mother, and I’m deeply shocked.  My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who lost a loved one this week, especially the parents, and the heroic teachers who laid down their lives for their students, and to those sweet souls who will be young forever.  This weekend, hug someone you love.

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Holiday Hits: Treats for Tea-Lovers

Mmmmmm, tea.  You know I love it.  Maybe too much.  I can’t start my day without it (well, I can, but then I’m grouchy all day), and I’m sipping on herbals into the night.  I seek out tea experiences while traveling – whether that’s visiting the Mariage Freres boutique in Paris or sipping a traditional afternoon tea in London.  And I love anything that helps me celebrate my addiction hobby.  If you have a friend or relative who is similarly obsessed with tea, here are some delicious gift ideas, all things that I have and enjoy:

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Travette Tea Pot.  This is my number one recommendation, because no product has changed my tea-drinking life the way this little guy has.  When I first got into drinking loose leaf tea, I looked long and hard for a way to perfectly brew a cup.  M, my colleague who introduced me to the joys of drinking loose tea, brewed hers in a drip coffeemaker (which she only used for tea) and that worked for her.  But I wanted something smaller and more portable.  I tried tea balls, a teastick, and special mugs with tea infusers that fit into them – some were better than others, but none were perfect for me.  They either allowed too many leaves to escape, or they dripped all over my desk, or both.  Then I found the Travette Tea Pot at Teaism.  And the clouds parted, and I saw clearly for the first time.  The Travette has a fine mesh basket that fits into the pot and allows nothing – I mean nothing – to escape.  It makes enough for two mugs, and if you pour the first mug out the basket is suspended above the water line, preventing over-steeping.  And the double-walled construction means the pot keeps the second cup piping hot while remaining cool to the touch from the outside.  This would be a perfect gift for someone who is looking to get into drinking loose tea but is nervous about brewing it – the Travette makes brewing the perfect cup of tea absolutely foolproof.  I have two – one at home and one at work – and I can’t remember life without them.

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French Tea: Mariage Freres – Three Centuries of Savoir-Faire.  Mariage Freres is the ultimate tea purveyor.  I’d say “in my opinion” but I don’t think there can be any debate.  Mariage Freres is just the best.  This gorgeous book tells the story of the company, from its founding to present day, and includes some stunning photographs.  I keep my copy on the coffee table in my reading nook and flip through it whenever I want a little eye candy or relaxation.  Sipping a cup of Mariage Freres tea while reading isn’t required, but it sure does help.

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Mariage Freres Tea.  Mmmmmmmmm.  Since we’re already discussing Mariage Freres, let’s talk about how much any tea drinker would love a tin of this stuff in their stocking.  The answer: they’ll love it a LOT.  Plus, it would give you the opportunity to go to Paris to choose the perfect tea from among the hundreds of blends in the flagship store on Rue de Bourg-Tibourg.  (What’s that you say?   You weren’t planning to fly to Paris to get your holiday shopping done?  And you don’t want to pay through the nose to have tea shipped from France?  Well, Dean & Deluca also stocks many of the most popular Mariage Freres blends, and I guarantee you’ll find a blend your tea-lover will consider delicieux.)

Peace Love Tea - Organically Upcycled Vintage Silverware by Sycamore Hill(Image Source)

Upcycled Tea Spoon.  I have this “Peace Love Tea” spoon from SycamoreHill on Etsy and I use it every ding dong day to scoop my loose tea into my Travette Tea Pot – it scoops the perfect amount for one cuppa.  It’s a fun, unique gift and probably something the recipient would never think to buy for him- or herself.

Small Wood Fired Teacup with Ochre Celadon Liner, Beautiful Flashing, and Comfortable Handle(Image Source)

Handmade Teacup.  I love the sky blue handmade mugs that my mother-in-law gave to me (a Christmas gift one year) – in fact, I’m drinking my breakfast cuppa out of one of them as I write this post.  A beautiful mug or teacup can truly elevate the tea experience, and it’s an extra special bonus if the cup in question was a gift from a loved one.  You could search Etsy or craft fairs for the perfect ceramic mug (the mugs my mother-in-law chose happen to be one of my favorite colors, and the organic shape lifts my spirits every time I look at them – I know that she was truly thinking about me when she chose them), or you could pick up a pretty vintage teacup (maybe one with a saucer!) at your local antiques shop.  There are as many unique mugs out there as there are tea drinkers, and if you go this route, the recipient will think of you with a smile every time he or she takes a sip.

As cool as it would be if I was paid to write for a living, I’m not.  This post wasn’t perked or paid for by any of the manufacturers mentioned, and everything I recommended I actually own, use, like, and paid for with my own money or was gifted by a thoughtful friend or family member.  If I decide to run off and join a hippie commune… just a dream I had… I’d totally take this stuff with me but none of the sellers would ever know the difference.

Tea lovers – what gift would you love to get to celebrate or further enable your habit?

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Zero to Hero: A Plan for Getting There

Last month I told you that I finally managed to pull myself together enough to get in a sweaty workout – hurray!  And then I mentioned that I have a few goals now that pregnancy is behind me, Peanut is thriving and I’m over the worst of the C-section recovery.  Here’s my plan for getting to each of my goals.

Short Term: Run the GW Parkway Classic, April 2013

When I trained for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler and the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, I roughly used Hal Higdon’s novice half marathon training plan, but I wasn’t great about sticking to it.  It’s pretty much the perfect plan, though, so I’m going to use it again and try to be better about following the directions this time.  But it’s a 12 week plan and the race isn’t until April, so I have two months to fill before I even start officially “training.”  So here’s how I intend to get there:

  • November: Build up cardio endurance again with circuit training 3x/week, running 2-3x/week, and one “off” day or active recovery (yoga).  Try not to eat too much pie.
  • December: Continue November routine, but increase intensity.  Try not to eat too many Christmas cookies.
  • January: Continue December workouts, end with Hal Higdon week 1.
  • February: Hal Higdon weeks 2-5.
  • March: Hal Higdon weeks 6-9.
  • April: Hal Higdon weeks 10-12, then RACE DAY!

Medium Term: Lose the Baby Weight

  • I like to journal everything, and I’ve always found that I have the most success when I’m keeping track of my meals, snacks and workouts.  I love SparkPeople for this, but I stopped using it when I was pregnant.  I’m going to get back into daily food and exercise journaling on the site.  It keeps me honest, and I like how I get points for entering my meals and workouts and those points add up to little virtual trophies.  Plus, I get a “congratulations!” email with a picture when I win a trophy, and I’m seven years old inside.
  • Food is key – unfortunately.  I wish that we could just eat whatever we wanted and then pay for it in workouts.  I’d much rather enjoy any food I wanted, whenever I wanted it, and then burn it off with a furious tennis game, but sadly life doesn’t work that way.  I’ve noticed that I look and feel my best when I eat a whole foods diet, sticking with foods that are as little altered from their natural state as possible.  My way of eating, when I’m at my best, looks a lot like the Mediterranean Diet – lots of fresh veg and fruits, lots of fish, and healthy fats from nuts and oils, with a bit of wine and cheese tossed in there for good measure.  But that’s just where I naturally fall.  When I’m trying to eat well, those are the foods to which I gravitate.  The thing to remember is, the less processed, the better.
  • I was a strict vegetarian for a year, and a pescetarian (veg + fish) for a year after that.  I had some serious ethical concerns with eating meat.  However, since about midway through my pregnancy I have been thinking about eating poultry again in small quantities.  (I probably would have done it sooner, but I mentioned the possibility to meat-eaters on a couple of occasions, and they were just too happy about it, so I delayed.  I’m cantankerous that way.)  I had reasons for stopping eating poultry, and they still apply.  But now I have other reasons for being open to it again: mainly, I’m not currently up to the extreme amount of work it takes for me to get all the nutrients I need from a vegetarian diet, especially since Peanut’s food is still partially sourced from Mama.  In the event I do eat poultry, I’ll be very choosy about the way that it was raised and treated.  But it’s something I’m open to, in the name of better health.
  • No diet is sustainable if it doesn’t leave room for occasional treats.  For me, that would be dark chocolate and wine.  They’re not an everyday occurrence, but I have no intention of depriving myself completely.  Everything in moderation!
  • Although food is key, activity is important too.  I plan to get in at least 30 minutes of movement most days – less if it’s particularly strenuous or if I’m especially busy and can only fit in a shorter workout (although I’ll do my best to make it count).  My favorite activities are yoga, running, circuit training, cycling and hiking, so that’s how I’ll get most of my sweat in.  I’ll take at least one rest day each week to snuggle with Peanut and recover.  But I like the way I feel when I’m consistently exercising, I missed it when I was pregnant and recovering from my C-section, and I’m excited that I can finally get back into an exercise habit.

Long Term: Be a Healthy Mom

I don’t know that I have a specific plan for this.  Bottom line, I just want to live a healthy lifestyle in ways that include Peanut and teach her that eating well and being active can be fun.  In my hazy view of Peanut’s childhood, that looks something like this:

  • Continue to set and pursue my own active goals, whether that means more running races, getting into triathlons, a regular yoga practice, the 100 pushup challenge, or something else.  Talk to Peanut about goal-setting and how good it feels to pick a goal, work for it and achieve it (or at least, to try your very best).  Include her in the races I run (many of them have kids’ fun runs) when she’s a bit older.
  • Teach Peanut to cook and include her in meal preparations.  Before I got pregnant – even before I was at the point where I felt at all ready to have a baby – I loved looking at the kids’ cooking tools and child-sized aprons at Williams-Sonoma, and used to imagine my kid someday using that stuff to have fun in the kitchen.  It’s a well-known fact that it’s healthier (and cheaper, and usually tastier!) to cook for yourself rather than to rely on takeout or restaurant meals.  I’d like Peanut to have the skills to cook for herself – to know what to choose and how to prepare it – and for her to know that the kitchen can be a place for us to have fun together.
  • Encourage Peanut to participate in sports – whatever she wants (except for volleyball; I’m afraid of the ball).  There’s a sport for every kid.  When I was a little girl, I danced and it was never my cup of tea.  I was terrible at remembering the routines and I always felt like I was the worst one in the class.  Later I tried soccer before finally settling on tennis, and tennis ended up being my sweet spot; I played varsity for two years.  Peanut will have the chance to experiment with different sports and find the ways that she likes to be active.  And whether that’s track and field, softball, soccer, you name it, I’ll be at her games (matches, meets…) to cheer her on.
  • Keep finding ways to be active as a family, and include Peanut.  Hubby and I love to hike and before I got pregnant we would hike most weekends.  (We hiked a few times when I was pregnant but between first trimester fatigue and later activity restrictions, I wasn’t up for very much.)  I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the trails, this time with a baby.  Hubby and I also love to kayak and sail, and someday when Peanut is an older preschooler or young school-age kid, I’ll start getting her out on the water too.  I grew up in a family that made outdoor activity a way of life, whether that was sailing in the summer, skiing in the winter, or hiking in the fall and spring, and I want Peanut to enjoy lots of outdoor family fun and activity.

That’s my plan!  I’ll be sharing regular updates on here, especially as I prepare for the Parkway Classic, so check back!

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Holiday Hits: Mama Must-Haves

Do you have a new (or not-so-new) mom on your holiday shopping list?  Oh, man, then do I have some ideas for you!  Listen, the best thing you could get the moms in your life is the gift that keeps on giving: a clown to entertain them during those 3:00 a.m. feedings.  Hear me?

I kid, I kid.  I meant a magician.

Okay, but seriously.  If you are shopping for a mom, especially a new mom, here are some of the things that have made my life better, easier, or just plain nicer in the months since Peanut was born:

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Yoga pants.  For the mom who is afraid to try on her pre-pregnancy jeans.  (Holla back, ladies.)  I’ve been rocking the sweats from Target most days, but there are some days when I just want to look nice, dangit.  Like those days when I was just plain burnt out on the NICU, and I wanted to appear somewhat polished if only to make myself feel a wee bit better.  (Pretty scarves are good for that too.)  Or just days when I feel like looking pretty and I think nice yoga pants will distract from the bags under my eyes after a night of rocking and shushing (Peanut, not me).  Every mom will have her own preference; personally, my go-to is the Perfect Core Pant from Lucy Activewear.  It’s like wearing a hug.

Lavender Moisturizing Hand Lotion(Image Source)

Hand lotion.  With all the scrubbing I do to keep the ugly germs away from Peanut (especially now that flu season is underway) my hands are permanently reptilian.  I’ve taken to keeping lotion in strategic places throughout the house – I have a tube in the family room, one in the diaper bag, one in my bedroom, and one in the master bathroom – and I am constantly applying it.  Now, hand lotion doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to work.  I learned that when I became addicted to the stuff that Peanut’s hospital stocked all over the NICU.  But nice, scented lotion in a pretty container makes me feel a little less like a zombie and a little more like a lady.  My favorites are the Organic Hand Cream from Oliviers & Co. (a gift from R) and Aveda Hand Relief (my sister-in-law turned me on to this stuff last year), or anything lavender scented.  Bonus points for would-be Santas if you can find a lotion in Mom’s favorite scent.

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Food!  My in-laws had a catering service deliver meals to us after Peanut came home from the hospital, and it was in.cred.i.ble.  If you like to cook or bake, moms love home-cooked food (this is something I generally do for my new mom friends as part of their baby shower gifts), but catered meals are just as amazing.  I can’t tell you how nice it was to have several days where I didn’t have to think about what to make for dinner because there were fresh, healthy meals already prepared in my freezer.  I’ve gotten into the swing of motherhood now and have made the time to prepare some freezer meals, and I am generally more organized and more able to put meals together than I was in those early days.  But darnit, that catering delivery sure was appreciated that first week.

i is babysitting ok(Image Source)

Babysitting services.  Here’s a great, FREE gift that I guarantee a mom will appreciate!  (And more than a lot of expensive items you might be thinking of getting, probably.)  Don’t get me wrong, we love those kiddos to pieces.  But any mom would appreciate a night out with her guy, or even just an afternoon “off” to go to yoga, read, or do whatever she likes (nap!) without worrying about the wee ones.  Especially for moms of young ‘uns, the idea of trusting the offspring to the neighborhood teenagers might not be the most appealing.  (And I say this as someone who spent almost every weekend of my teenaged years babysitting, and made a ton of money that way – there actually are responsible teenagers out there who will play with the kids instead of letting them watch TV and then clean the house after putting their charges to bed.  I was a very in-demand sitter.  And also a super cool person with tons of friends, okay???)  But most moms would probably be a bit more comfortable leaving the baby to a family member or trusted friend.  My Peanut is a little young to be left at all right now, but for moms of older babies, toddlers or school-aged kids, I would think this would be a great gift.

Sterling Silver Name Necklace. AzizaJewelry(Image Source)

Sentimental Jewelry.  It’s no secret – we moms are a sentimental bunch.  (Well, most of us are, anyway.  I think.  We’re also a diverse bunch, so I’m sure there are plenty of non-sentimental moms out there too.)  But for those moms who get all giddy over any mention of their kids – guilty, although I hear the infatuation drops off sharply after they hit age 13 or so – cute sentimental jewelry can make a great gift.  I have the above necklace with Peanut’s name (her actual name, not “Peanut”) in sterling silver, although it’s also available in 14k gold.  There are thousands of cute name necklaces out there – pick the style that most appeals to the recipient.  Or you could go with an initial necklace (not gonna lie, I’m in the market for a gold “E” pendant – still looking for the perfect one) or a picture locket (hey, they’re not all frumpy).  For moms with multiple kiddos, there are necklaces that can be customized with more than one name or initial.  I love Etsy for cute, personalized jewelry, but there are plenty of other options too.

I’m a lawyer and we like to wreck everything, so I’m just going to unnecessarily remind you that this post wasn’t paid for or perked.  I’m recommending the above items because I honestly have found them useful or nice, and everything on this list I bought with my own money, or received as a personal gift from someone else who bought the item with their own money.  If I fulfilled my long-held dream of moving to Canada tomorrow, not one of these companies or sellers would care.  Peace.

Friends, what are you buying for the mamas on your shopping list?  (Not me, I like to be surprised.)  Mamas, what items can’t you live without?

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Of Lavender and Friendship

Some of my favorite things in life are things I used to hate.  Peanut butter.  Stand-up comedy.  Ricotta cheese.

Lavender.

I used to hate all floral aromas.  I have allergies, so when I step outside and smell springy flowers everywhere, that’s a big gigantic red flag to me.  Hello, hay fever.  Goodbye, nose breathing.  In high school and college, I was into perfumes, but I was strictly a citrus fruits and herbals kind of girl.  Floral scents just screamed “grandma” to me.  I had a few friends who went for more traditional perfumes and I just didn’t get it.  The scent I hated more than any other?  Rose.  A close second?  Lavender.  Give me a bright grapefruit or a fresh grass aroma any day.  Florals?  Ick.

My BFF, R, was one of those girls who has loved a good floral perfume as long as I’ve known her.  R and I have a lot in common – we both love tea, yoga, miso soup, France…  But there are some things that R likes that I just can’t quite wrap my mind around.  Zucchini.  Snoop Dogg.  Shooting ranges.  Butterflies.  And for awhile, lavender was on that list.  R loved it, but the very idea made me gag.  I often gave her lavender-scented lotions, scrubs or bath salts as a gift.  She was thrilled to get them, and I’d just ask her not to open them up too close to me… because yech.  (In return, she’d gift me with products scented with orange, grapefruit, ginger.)

After college, R and I went our separate ways, and I mean we really went our separate ways.  I moved to Washington, D.C., for law school.  R joined the Peace Corps and jetted off to Africa.  We kept in touch via letters (hers left her village on the back of a camel) but it wasn’t the same.  I had a very full life: a cute fiance, a wedding to plan, great new law school friends and a full schedule of 1L classes… but without R, I felt like a piece of myself was missing.  The day we met up again after almost two years, shortly after she returned from Africa (she came home early to be in my wedding) was one of the happiest days of my life.  After my wedding, R moved to Florida for law school and while it wasn’t the same as college (when we were basically inseparable), at least I could call her on the phone whenever I wanted – and I did.  We talked almost every day.  I visited her in Florida and later in New York, and she visited me in Virginia.  We cooked together again – sometimes in person, more often on the phone – and I was so happy to have my friend back.

After a few years, R’s life again took her overseas, this time for a new job.  Before she left, we had a blissful summer while she trained in D.C.  On one of her last nights in the country, hubby and I spent the evening helping her pack.  R couldn’t take much with her, and she had to get rid of most of her teas and skincare products.  I promised to take what I could (including most of the tea) and enjoy it on her behalf.  That night, a few lavender body cremes ended up riding home with me in my shoulder bag.

Fortunately, I’d made my peace with lavender.  In fact, I rather liked it.  The smooth-yet-spicy scent didn’t bother me anymore; over the years I’d started to associate it with R and I’d amassed a growing lavender collection of my own.  A bouquet of dried lavender in my front hall.  Some lavender sachets that I brought home from the Arles Market in Provence.  A tube of lavender apple hand creme from Sabon in NYC, purchased while visiting R (who else?).  Lavender essential oil, a tiny vial of roll-on perfume, and a refreshing lavender facial spray.  Yes, I rather liked the stuff.

Over the year that R was gone, I sent her care packages filled with tea sachets, gourmet chocolate bars, and skincare products in her favorite scents, including lavender.  Meanwhile, I sipped her lavender black tea and smoothed her lavender shea butter over my hands and arms, and thought of her.  Technology being far better than it was when R was in the Peace Corps, we were able to keep in touch without resorting to camels.  We exchanged daily emails, chatted via Yahoo messenger, and even talked on the phone, so although she was on the other side of the world I didn’t feel as though she was far away – indeed, I was able to tell her that I was pregnant about an hour after taking the test (she was the first person to hear the news after hubby).

Then R came home, and now she lives closer to me (geographically speaking) than she has at any time since college.  We still chat on the phone almost daily.  And while we still have many things in common, it’s the scent of lavender that reminds me of her more than anything else.  Which means I think of her multiple times every day – when I use my lavender wash or face spray, when I sip my lavender tea or smell my lavender sachets or gaze at my lavender bouquet, I’m always thinking of R.  These days I enjoy the scent in its own right, but more because it reminds me so vividly of my friend.

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Holiday Hits: Baby Buys

It’s no secret that I love the holiday season.  Decorating the house, baking Christmas cookies, and picking out just the right gifts for my loved ones – that stuff really revs my engine.  This year I’m more excited than ever before to celebrate, because I’ve got a little Peanut who will be experiencing all the joys of her very first holiday season!  And even though she’s too young to remember any of it, I’m still pumped beyond belief.  So it probably comes as no surprise at all that I’ve been shopping for Peanut’s first Christmas gifts pretty much since September.  What can I say?  It’s fun to buy for baby!  If you have a baby coming to your celebrations, and you’re looking for some good ideas too, here are some things that Peanut has that we’ve really enjoyed, or that I’m planning to get for her this year:

Art cards.  Very young babies don’t see too well, but they LOVE looking at bold, high-contrast patterns and designs since those are the easiest for their little eyes to focus on.  The art cards from Wee Gallery feature bold, graphic designs for the babies, but they’re cool enough that mamas will enjoy the pictures too!  Peanut has a set of the Sea Collection cards and they’re so fun and funky that I’m considering framing them when she’s done with them.  (My favorite is the octopus, but Peanut especially loves staring at the stingray.)

BabyLit Board Books.  I first saw these books on the Quirky Bookworm blog when I was newly pregnant and filed the idea away for when Peanut’s arrival got closer.  I ended up going a little crazy and bought her Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and Romeo + Juliet before she was born, and Alice in Wonderland shortly after she arrived.  She got Dracula as a Halloween present, and I’m planning to give her A Christmas Carol for Christmas, which will complete her collection.  These books are fun counting and color primers and make adorable introductions to classic literature.  Plus, I can’t get enough of the bold illustrations.  (The illustrations in Pride and Prejudice are my favorites.  I love the trees.)  If there’s a baby in your life who happens to hail from a bookworm family, these would be a huge hit.

In My… Board Books.  These board books feature finger puppets!  Let the wilding begin!  The illustrations in these books, which describe the cozy habitats of various animals (In My Tree, In My Pond, In My Meadow etc.), are really unique.  And the finger puppets are too cute.  Santa will be bringing a couple of these to Peanut this year.  Peanut will enjoy the pictures, and Mommy will have fun with the puppet.  Don’t judge.

Sophie the Giraffe.  Okay, you might feel a little silly buying baby an expensive status teether.  In fact, you might feel silly just for knowing that there is such a thing as a status teether.  And yes, I feel like an indescribably ridiculous yuppie when I hand Peanut her Sophie and wheel her around in her BOB stroller.  But… whatever, Sophie is magnifique.  This is one of the few toys that is appropriate for brand-new infants as well as older babies.  Peanut isn’t teething yet, but she likes to practice her grip on Sophie’s neck (poor Sophie), and Mommy encourages strangling Sophie instead of the alternative (generally, pulling Mommy’s hair).  And, bonus, when Peanut does start to teethe I can feel good about Sophie going in her mouth, because she’s made with food-safe dyes.  C’est delicieux.

Fabric ball.  Another gift that’s appropriate for tiny newborns on up, fabric balls are fab.  Babies love the different textures and colors (and some balls come with tags to grab too – fun!), and moms can feel okay knowing that if baby uses this to smack herself in the face (just my kid?) she won’t get hurt.  I like this one from Haba, because the bright colors are baby-friendly but the rainbow design is also kind of sophisticated.

Clutching toys.  Young babies love to clutch and grab things, and it’s good for them to practice their fine motor skills.  But if you’re like most moms, you’d rather baby clutched and grabbed at an age appropriate toy, instead of your hair or your jewelry.  Peanut has a few clutching toys from Haba (can you tell I like this company? they use food-safe dyes and earth-friendly materials; good for baby and good for the planet!) and I think this one is particularly cute.

Plan Toys.  Okay, most of the toys from this company are a little too advanced and not really appropriate for Peanut yet, but if you’re looking to shop for an older baby or young toddler, I’m obsessed with the Earth-friendly wooden toys from Plan Toys.  I love the green Stacking Tree, and I’m planning to get it for Peanut this Christmas and just play with it myself until she’s ready.  (What?  It’s cute!)  She already has the Lacing Sheep, another toy which is rather beyond her at the moment, and we just look at it together – she’ll take it apart and put it together under my watchful eye when she’s a bit bigger.  (Parents, note: there are some small parts to these toys.  They’re super cute and hard to resist, but if you do buy them for a younger baby, make sure you supervise baby’s play.  I’m sure you would anyway, but I’m a lawyer and we like to state the obvious.)

(All images sourced from Google Images.)

By the way, I should mention that this post isn’t paid for or perked.  Everything that I mentioned Peanut owns was bought for her by hubby and me or by our family and friends.  None of these companies has any idea who I am.  Nor, for that matter, do most of my neighbors.  Ten-four.

Are there any babies on your holiday shopping list?  What are you planning to get for them?  Share in the comments so I can shamelessly steal your ideas.

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Giving Thanks

I have a confession to make.  Last year, I didn’t feel very thankful.  Oh, I decorated.  And spent time with family and friends.  I even started a gratitude journal in an effort to be more conscious of the good things in my life (the project was short-lived).  You might say I adopted a fake-it-’til-you-make-it strategy – I really, really tried to focus on all the things I had to be thankful for.  A sweet and wonderful hubby.  Great friends.  Family.  Hobbies that make me happy.  A good job, warm house and enough money to buy healthy food, nice clothes and the little things that make life a bit more fun – dinners out, books, wine, gourmet tea…  The chance to travel the world (I’d recently returned from a fabulous trip to England).  I had seriously good stuff going on in my life, and I knew it.  But I still couldn’t really get into the Thanksgiving spirit, because I couldn’t stop thinking about the one thing I wanted that I didn’t have.

This year?  This year I’m thankful.

I’m thankful that I finally got the chance to be a mom.  I’m thankful for no morning sickness and for all the people who were excited for me when I announced my news.  I’m thankful for the good prenatal care I got, especially for the sonogram techs and doctors who caught the complications I had and made sure that Peanut was delivered safe and healthy (albeit early and tiny).  I’m thankful for the family and friends who came rushing down to Virginia the moment hubby called with the news of my surprise early delivery, and for the way they rallied around us – visiting Peanut and me in the hospital, filling our fridge with food, vacuuming the house (thanks, Mom!) and mowing the lawn (thanks, Dad!) and encouraging us as we began a long slog of seven weeks in the NICU.  I’m thankful for the friends who sent cards, flowers, clothes and diapers, and even made special trips to the hospital to visit with me while Peanut was NICU-ified.  I’m thankful for the attorneys in my firm, who sent a beautiful gift basket and a flurry of kind notes and emails.  I’m thankful for the moms I bonded with in the NICU – sharing delivery horror stories, hatred for the pump room, hopes for discharge and plans for starting a play group once we all get through flu season.  I’m thankful for the NICU alums who told me to hang tight and who gave me plenty of hugs, both virtual and in-person, and who encouraged me and shared their stories and promised me that it wouldn’t last forever.  I’m especially thankful for the wonderful doctors and nurses who worked night and day to help Peanut come home healthy, and I’m thankful for October 11, 2012, the day she finally did.  I’m thankful for Peanut’s smart and caring pediatrician and for how Peanut has grown and thrived since coming home.  I’m thankful for 3:00 a.m. feedings and dirty diapers (yes, even dirty diapers!) and adorable onesies and cute facial expressions.  I’m thankful for the baby snuggles I know I’ll miss someday when Peanut is an independent, headstrong toddler.  I’m thankful that Peanut has such a great daddy and I have such an amazing partner to share this parenting experience.

There’s no faking it this year – I could go on and on listing the things for which I am thankful.  Even looking back on a 31-week delivery and a 7-week NICU stay, I feel awash in blessings.

What are you thankful for this year?

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Zero to Hero: Postpartum Goal-Setting

I’m writing this post as I try to catch my breath from my first postpartum workout.  (I’ve been going to yoga class but I don’t consider those workouts because I have been attending a relaxing, noodle-ifying all levels class, not the strenuous vinyasa flow I usually favor, so I haven’t worked up much of a sweat.)  Actually, more than my first postpartum workout, this was my first workout in a LONG time.  Between pregnancy exhaustion in the first trimester, and then being put on activity restrictions and later bed rest toward the end of my pregnancy, plus C-section recovery, I can’t even remember the last time I laced up the old Mizunos and went out for a good sweat sesh.  Today I decided it was finally time to get back in the saddle.  Peanut was sleeping and I was relatively well rested, so I hit the treadmill and added a short kettlebell routine for good measure.  And I can’t lie: it was hard, yo.  My cardio endurance is all but gone, and my muscles were screaming after just two shortened circuits with the ‘bell.

I wasn’t expecting to fall right back into my old ability.  I’m not the same person who (slowly) ran the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler and the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, who could spend two hours scampering around the tennis court or climb a mountain or power through a Jillian Michaels workout on the advanced level.  Stuff has happened – I had a high risk pregnancy and major surgery, and I’ve spent the last two months going to and from the NICU and then living in 3-hour intervals (Peanut is on a schedule, and she STICKS to it, people.)  I sleep when I can, eat when I can, and workouts have just not happened.

But you know what?  I’m calling it.  That’s over.  It’s time to get back to my old self.  There was once a time when, faced with a stressful day or a tough piece of news, nothing would make me feel better the way sweating would.  Circuit training was my stress release, and running was my “Me Time.”  I ate healthy, whole foods and fit in workouts almost every day, and I had tons of energy and a positive outlook.  I miss that version of myself (especially the tons of energy part) and I want her back.  So as I ramp up the workouts and dial down the convenience foods, here are my postpartum fitness goals:

Short Term: Run the GW Parkway Classic, April 2013

I’ve been wanting to run this race for awhile (the t-shirts are really cute) and there’s no better race to use as a “goal race” to encourage me to get back into running.  I haven’t run since early in pregnancy – something about it just felt wrong to me.  (Call it mother’s intuition, since I later found out that due to the complications I had, it would have been a pretty bad idea for me to run.)  My last race was February, 2012 – I was about four weeks pregnant but didn’t know it, and I spent the entire race (which was on snow-packed trails) wondering why I felt so lousy.  (I figured it out about a week later, when I finally took the ol’ pregnancy test.)

I really enjoyed running races – I was never fast, never going to win anything, but I liked the crowds and the racing scene and the sense of accomplishment after finishing, especially a long distance.  The t-shirts didn’t hurt, either.  And I miss that atmosphere and the feeling of achieving a goal.  So I’m planning to get back into running races, mostly shorter 5K and 10K distances, at least for awhile.  (Training for a half marathon was time consuming, and I just don’t want to spend that much time away from Peanut.)  But it’s good to have one larger race on the calendar, so that’s what the Parkway will be for me.  Five months out – I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m excited.

Medium Term: Lose the Baby Weight

I’m not going to try to tell you that I didn’t gain any baby weight, or that I don’t want to lose it, because you’d know I was lying.  You’re a smart bunch.  Of course I’m more interested in general health, how my clothes fit, how I feel and what kind of endurance I have for my daily activities than in a number on a scale.  Still, the number on the scale is one measurement and it’s higher at the moment than I would like because, duh, I was pregnant.  But now I’m not pregnant anymore and I’d like to feel like myself again since I’m no longer sharing space with another person.  I consider this my medium term goal because I don’t plan on doing any crash diets – slow and steady wins the race.  I’d love to be at my goal, or even well on my way, by the time Peanut turns one year old.  But if I’m not as far along as I planned, that’s okay too – life throws curve balls sometimes (hello, seven weeks in the NICU) and there’s no telling what I might have to deal with.  Health is a lifestyle, and consistency is more important than arbitrary deadlines.  That said, I’m going to dial up my efforts to eat well and move more and get rid of my extra Peanut cushioning.

Long Term: Be a Healthy Mom

I’m a fan of the TV show The Biggest Loser.  (Well, not as much recently – after season 11, the contestants stopped supporting one another or treating one another with much respect, and now it kind of gives me the sads.  But I still watch, because I keep holding out hope that this will be the season they ditch the drama and go back to being heartwarming.)  Anyway.  A lot of the BL contestants are moms who ended up unhealthy because they put everyone else’s needs before their own and forgot how to take care of themselves.  I don’t want that to be me.  Now, I’m not saying I ignore Peanut.  She needs to eat when she needs to eat.  And sleep, and do tummy time, and get love and snuggles.  She’s clearly my top priority.  But part of taking care of Peanut has to include taking care of me, too, because Peanut deserves a healthy mom.  She deserves a mom who shows her that exercise can be fun and fulfilling, and that healthy foods can be delicious and also make her feel good inside, and that there’s room for the occasional treat too.  I want to spend many years setting a good example for Peanut and teaching her the skills she needs to live a long, healthy life, and that starts with me walking the walk.

If I have it my way, Peanut will be a kid who grows up helping me prepare tasty, healthy meals with tons of veggies, who enjoys eating fresh foods and who understands what foods are going to make her feel good and why.  And she’ll be a kid who sees Mom set goals, work hard and achieve them – crossing the finish line of a race, for instance.  I hope she gets bitten by the running bug too, and maybe joins Girls on the Run or signs up for the kids’ one-mile fun runs while Mom is running a race.  She’ll see me making movement and health a part of my life, and hopefully she will be inspired to make it a part of her life too.  This isn’t a goal that can ever be completely achieved, because I don’t think I’ll ever be done trying to set her a good example or live my best life in her honor.  But I consider living a healthy lifestyle of my own to be a crucial part of what it means for me to take care of Peanut.

So, there you have it: my zero to hero goals.  I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.  Next week – my plan for getting there!

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Parks & Rec, A New Obsession

(Image Source)

I’m not one to watch a lot of television.  Never have been.  (As a child, I would get up and wander away from Sesame Street after five minutes because I got bored.)  There just aren’t many television shows that I want to spend my time on.  If I’m going to be sitting in front of a TV screen, it’ll usually be showing a hockey game.  Preferably a Sabres game, the MSG feed with R.J., and the Sabres are winning.  And it’s a Ryan Miller shutout, and Drew Stafford gets two hat tricks.  Whatever, I really don’t ask for that much.  (I miss hockey so much.)

What was I talking about?  Oh, right, TV.  Anyway, there are a few shows that I do like.  I watch The Office religiously.  I’m also devoted to Glee (Finchel forever!) and Downton Abbey (I secretly fantasize about being BFFs with Anna or Lady Mary).  And occasionally – usually on a rainy Sunday – I sink back into one of my late-great favorites, like Friends (I’m a Monica), Gilmore Girls (I’d like to say I’m a Rory, but if I’m being honest I’m probably… a Paris), and Jeeves and Wooster (tootle pip!).  But there’s one show that I’ve always been intrigued by but never watched.  It would come on after The Office and my DVR would usually catch the cold open, and inevitably I’d crack up at the characters’ antics and remark to hubby, “Why don’t we watch this show?  I think I’d really enjoy it.”

I’m talking about Parks and Recreation.  The premise is this: Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department of the great city of Pawnee, Indiana – “First in Friendship, Fourth in Obesity.”  Leslie is bubbly, idealistic, and filled with enthusiasm for local government, parks, and her city – much to the perpetual annoyance of her Libertarian boss, Ron Swanson.  Together with the rest of the Parks Department employees – flamboyant Tom, taciturn April, fabulous Donna and perpetual scapegoat Jerry – Leslie works tirelessly to improve Pawnee and defeat the evil Library Department.  When beautiful nurse Ann Perkins comes to a town forum to complain about the pit behind her house (into which her unemployed musician boyfriend, Andy, has fallen and broken both of his legs), Leslie decides to turn the pit into a park.  In the process, Ann and Andy become unofficial Parks Department employees and take part in the local government hijinks.  Then, when two financial specialists come from the statehouse to help Pawnee dig itself out of bankruptcy, the entire Parks Department feels the effects – but not in the way you’d expect.

I’m obsessed.  It helps that I actually took a class on local government in college, so I have some idea of how their bureaucracy works.  But you don’t have to have any kind of local government background to get a gigantic kick out of perky Leslie, anti-government Ron, surly April and the rest of the gang.  You root for Leslie as she repeatedly butts her head against the brick walls set up by the city council, shake your head at Tom’s increasingly ridiculous business ideas and Ann’s parade of dates, groan as Ron rails against government waste, vegetables and his ex-wives Tammy One and Tammy Two, and secretly wish you could be friends with April and Andy.

I can’t believe it took me so long to start watching Parks and Rec – they’re into the fifth season now!  But I’ve been watching obsessively on Netflix and I’m all caught up now… and I was right.  This is a show I really, really enjoy.

Do you watch Parks and Recreation?  Are you obsessed too?