I have an uncle who in high school could run a mile in the 4:40 range. Pretty fast for that time. He is now in a wheel chair, suffering the effects of diabetes. My uncle is Hispanic. Diabetes runs in my mother's side of the family. It has taken lives.
Having also been a runner in high school I often asked myself how other runners came to be in the state they were in. I didn't quite understand why. I also still have a hard time understanding why people insist that running a mile in 14minutes is actually running. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since at least they are moving.
Recently though, I understand my uncle better now or at least his situation better. A life of seemingly inconsequential decisions brought him to a place where huge hurdles stood in front of him and being healthy. A few months ago my wife and I pledged to eat cleaner more natural foods. We started buying more organic things, I started drinking more milk because I determined through mindful tracking that my diet was deficient in Calcium. This lead to a bowl of cereal before bed. We quit drinking soda all together except for 1 or 2 on the weekends, and almost everything we cooked was fresh.
It seemed like we were doing well, but I ate more. I must have been because I gained weight. Then work prevented me from always making my lunch workouts and since I had been working at night after the baby went to bed I didn't get up for any morning workouts either. Soon I didn't get up at all for morning workouts. I also do not trade time with the baby for a workout because I enjoy time with her more. All of this lead up to me gaining 8 lbs in the month of October(actually in about 6 weeks.) The sad thing is I didn't eat any more than 10 pieces of candy around Halloween either!
Now, I know from the past that my weight naturally hovers at 170-175. Having been at 150-155 and in the best shape of my life recently, I feel fat. I see that people who were once athletes and are now obese might have suffered the same fate. Life combined in small ways to sabotage their health.
The good thing is the last time I reached my stabilized weight range (170-175) I was running in the 8-9-10 minute mile range for a 5k. This time I can run in the 7's already. So as I make changes and become more disciplined at attending my workouts I can only get faster and slimmer. Hopefully soon I'll be back to the 18-19 minute 5k! For now I have to make small daily decisions to workout and eat less. This weekend I have the Warrior Dash and in 49 days( Jan 9th) the Bandera 50k.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Being a parent
The best time I've had being a parent happened this Saturday after a long day going here and there. I cleaned up brush and took it to the dump, we went and had family pictures and then drove out to the lake to spend time with the in-laws.
We had a great time as we always do and on the way home. I told the baby, "I love you" which she responded, "I love you." I quickly and playfully said, I love you! And this went on back and forth a few more times. It was great. I haven't stopped thinking about it.
Of all the frustrating things that are bound to happen as she gets older, this one will make up for a lot of them.
We had a great time as we always do and on the way home. I told the baby, "I love you" which she responded, "I love you." I quickly and playfully said, I love you! And this went on back and forth a few more times. It was great. I haven't stopped thinking about it.
Of all the frustrating things that are bound to happen as she gets older, this one will make up for a lot of them.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
500 days!
Today the baby will turn 500 days old!! It is amazing all the things a little baby can learn to do in 500 days. Amazing to think that 500 days ago I had no idea what being a dad was all about.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Breadwinners
There are lots of families where the wife/mother is the breadwinner of the family. Since I graduated from college it has not been that way in our house. However, there are days I wish it still were. It would justify me staying home with the baby and sending my wife to work everyday. I'm sure the arrangement would be to the detriment of the baby and her development but it does fuel some jealousy in me not because I don't really want to work, although maybe I am, but because I really like being Daddy and I feel like I'm pretty good at it.
I've learned to channel that into being a Daddy who works to make sure we are taken care of but if I had my wish I'd either be rich or my wife would make 150k a year, which is actually a lot of money too, and there would be no doubt that I should quit my job and stay home. Oh well! As it turns out, my wife is a great mom and a great woman. She's excelled at everything she's worked at. Teaching, running, and being Mommy!!
I've learned to channel that into being a Daddy who works to make sure we are taken care of but if I had my wish I'd either be rich or my wife would make 150k a year, which is actually a lot of money too, and there would be no doubt that I should quit my job and stay home. Oh well! As it turns out, my wife is a great mom and a great woman. She's excelled at everything she's worked at. Teaching, running, and being Mommy!!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Things Return To Normal
This weekend my wife and I and several of our friends ran the Chosen: Half-Marathon for Adoption. While it was neither of our best times we both had a great time, and felt good the entire race. I will definitely look this race up next year, because it was done very well for its inaugural race. The only improvement I recommended we better mile markers.
It was a good cap to a week and vacation that didn't go as I expected. First I must say, I was disappointed in the trip to DC because of DC. I think I must watch too much PBS for my own good. They do such a good job of creating feelings and an certain ambiance around the memorials and museums that when I finally saw them I was disappointed. I am not saying they were not neat or interesting or worth the trip and time but the experience is similar to going to see a movie that your friend raved about only to leave thinking it was alright. The movie did live up to the hype. Even the trees were not as great as I had been told to expect. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with our family. We had a great time and I will miss hearing our cousin's three year old call me "Cramen."
Mayzie did great on the plane ride up there. Although she did not watch or even act remotely interested in the DVD we brought for her to watch. Our desire to keep her from watching TV might have backfired and now she is complete disinterested in it, but why complain about that right? However, I learned than about 5 days away from her bed and her routine is about the length that is best for her at 15 moths. She woke up at night and since we were sleeping in the same room and she could see us she started calling for us. "Mama, Dada" she would say over and over. We had to move her downstairs to the living room for anyone to get some sleep after the 5th night. The lack of sleep created a moody baby. On the plane ride home we thought we would skip her nap and let her sleep on the plane, BUT Mayzie now uses the words down and walk so she just wanted down and wanted to walk on the plane. Since, she does not understand the concept of "we can't do that right now" she was frustrated. That coupled with the whole tired, because we made her skip her nap, thing created a horrific mess of crying and screaming until she fell asleep. Thankfully that nap lasted all the way until we were at the terminal.
Once we were home, everything instantly returned to normal. Mayzie sleeps her 11-12 hours takes her 1-2 hr nap and is happy and playful.
It was a good cap to a week and vacation that didn't go as I expected. First I must say, I was disappointed in the trip to DC because of DC. I think I must watch too much PBS for my own good. They do such a good job of creating feelings and an certain ambiance around the memorials and museums that when I finally saw them I was disappointed. I am not saying they were not neat or interesting or worth the trip and time but the experience is similar to going to see a movie that your friend raved about only to leave thinking it was alright. The movie did live up to the hype. Even the trees were not as great as I had been told to expect. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with our family. We had a great time and I will miss hearing our cousin's three year old call me "Cramen."
Mayzie did great on the plane ride up there. Although she did not watch or even act remotely interested in the DVD we brought for her to watch. Our desire to keep her from watching TV might have backfired and now she is complete disinterested in it, but why complain about that right? However, I learned than about 5 days away from her bed and her routine is about the length that is best for her at 15 moths. She woke up at night and since we were sleeping in the same room and she could see us she started calling for us. "Mama, Dada" she would say over and over. We had to move her downstairs to the living room for anyone to get some sleep after the 5th night. The lack of sleep created a moody baby. On the plane ride home we thought we would skip her nap and let her sleep on the plane, BUT Mayzie now uses the words down and walk so she just wanted down and wanted to walk on the plane. Since, she does not understand the concept of "we can't do that right now" she was frustrated. That coupled with the whole tired, because we made her skip her nap, thing created a horrific mess of crying and screaming until she fell asleep. Thankfully that nap lasted all the way until we were at the terminal.
Once we were home, everything instantly returned to normal. Mayzie sleeps her 11-12 hours takes her 1-2 hr nap and is happy and playful.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
A time to CHANGE
We've been spending a very small amount on diapers. Much smaller than I had expected and budgeted. We have found great success in the Target brand diapers. They come in boxes of 144 for just under $20 and we've been using one box per month. $20 per month is much better than the horror stories of hundreds of dollars per month on diapers we heard from people.
BUT times are changing we are approaching the next size diaper and they are about 3 dollars more expensive for about 20 less diapers. This should equate to about $25 per month. Still not bad, or is it? My biggest concern is that, for the last two weeks, Mayzie has been announcing when she needs a diaper change. If she pees just the tiniest bit she'll start walking around saying diaper over and over until we change it. If she sees a toilet she wants to sit on it. It is helpful when she poops because we instantly know about it. However, we're using more diapers than we did before because before we didn't know she peed the tiniest bit here and there. The good thing is she has connected the going to the bathroom feeling and REALLY wants to use the potty. So maybe we'll be potty training sooner than later.
I can only hope. Although it will be sad if she potty trains before she has more than 4 teeth.
BUT times are changing we are approaching the next size diaper and they are about 3 dollars more expensive for about 20 less diapers. This should equate to about $25 per month. Still not bad, or is it? My biggest concern is that, for the last two weeks, Mayzie has been announcing when she needs a diaper change. If she pees just the tiniest bit she'll start walking around saying diaper over and over until we change it. If she sees a toilet she wants to sit on it. It is helpful when she poops because we instantly know about it. However, we're using more diapers than we did before because before we didn't know she peed the tiniest bit here and there. The good thing is she has connected the going to the bathroom feeling and REALLY wants to use the potty. So maybe we'll be potty training sooner than later.
I can only hope. Although it will be sad if she potty trains before she has more than 4 teeth.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Communication
The baby said her first word at about 10 months old. Dog. The shortly followed by Dada she now says so many words I've lost count and when I do try and count I realize I don't remember to count all of them or I find myself guessing if I've already counted banana.
The words together with the number of signs she learned makes her really easy to understand. That of course is really only we understand because she still hasn't gotten her enunciation down well enough for non-kid people to interpret, and wow how quickly we went from no signs to lots of signs.
For a while now probably, 6-8 months, I feel like we've been at a place where we understand what she needs or wants and she knows what we want. It is a great place.
It has brought about things that I was hoping we weren't going to really have to do, but that surprisingly I'm happy to oblige. Like when she says Bus and then starts dancing. We know she wants us to sing the Wheel on the bus go round and round song. Unfortunately I'm starting to sound like a broken record and when I'm focusing really hard at work that song plays in my head.
Right now it is driving me crazy, but in a few hours when I'm at home, it will be my favorite song. Maybe my wife will consider my suggestion seriously when I say we should trade off who stays at home every two years.
The words together with the number of signs she learned makes her really easy to understand. That of course is really only we understand because she still hasn't gotten her enunciation down well enough for non-kid people to interpret, and wow how quickly we went from no signs to lots of signs.
For a while now probably, 6-8 months, I feel like we've been at a place where we understand what she needs or wants and she knows what we want. It is a great place.
It has brought about things that I was hoping we weren't going to really have to do, but that surprisingly I'm happy to oblige. Like when she says Bus and then starts dancing. We know she wants us to sing the Wheel on the bus go round and round song. Unfortunately I'm starting to sound like a broken record and when I'm focusing really hard at work that song plays in my head.
Right now it is driving me crazy, but in a few hours when I'm at home, it will be my favorite song. Maybe my wife will consider my suggestion seriously when I say we should trade off who stays at home every two years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
