Monday Musings

Made it to the gym again today. Met up with my friend Chris again for some good chatting while we sweated away. 40 min on the treadmill and 10 on the bike. Covered 2.75 miles on the treadmill - certainly won't win any races with a time like that, but I think my body is telling me to ease back into this thing - the last two times I've gone to the gym and done my weekend-warrior routine, I've paid for it with a massive headache for several hours afterwards. I deduce from the evidence that I may be over-exerting.

Today, never let my heart rate go into the "red" zone and I feel a whole lot better.

We've been having "issues" with childcare lately. For those (very few) of you who don't know about things that transpired this summer, I will give you the Readers Digest version...

When Dad started going downhill, we hired a home health aide name Leslie. She is from Tonga - Dad would call her "Leslie from Tonga" as if all three words constituted her name. She was wonderful - helped Mom around the house, could actually lift Dad in and out of bed or his wheel chair... and when the boys would go over to visit, they were ever so cautious of Leslie. They clearly like her (would giggle and chat with her) but if she said "Stop" or "quiet", miraculously, they listened! When Dad passed away, the decision was made that she would help take care of Christopher.

Three or four weeks into her new role with our family, and I am learning that consistency is not necessarily her strong suit. She clearly loves my boys - she was as upset and tearful when we had to take Christopher to the hospital as I was, but there have been a few mornings when she did not arrive on time, or days when I'd said that she could come by in the afternoon, rather than the morning, and she did not show up.

I so dearly hope that things work out. I am OK with the idea of going back to work - and going back full time will certainly help the bottom line for our family, but I am having mild panic attacks over the idea that this situation might not work out.

Keep your fingers crossed for us, will you??

Patting myself on the back!

I've been at this going-back-to-the-gym thing for just over a week. I've made it to the gym 4 times, each time doing at least 45 minutes of cardio. I've started meeting my friend Chris at the gym... we have kids about the same age (except for the baby - her baby is 3.5 yrs old) and have about the same goals... And its much easier to NOT blow off going to the gym when there is someone waiting for you.

So, how long until my legs no longer feel like noodles??

Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to do...

I skipped the gym yesterday. Felt a bit achey and very tired. Possibly a cold coming on.. thought it best that I rest.

My dear, wonderful, knight in shining armour husband took the whole night with Christopher... I slept uninterrupted from 10pm until 5am! 7 straight hours... heaven on earth!

So, today, I felt ready to go back to the gym. What follows is my error in judgement. If the payment is this bad, 3 hours later, oh the cost tomorrow will be staggering!

I did 40 minutes on the eliptical trainer. THEN, I did another 20 in the treadmill. I included 3 one-minute runs in that time.

My second day back and I did 60 minute of cardio. It felt good at the time, which is why, I hope, I continued on despite the little voice in my head saying "Take it easy, girl - you've been away a while!"

I decided to drown out that little voice with my MP3 player. Big mistake - huge! I've become a weekend-warrior. Note to self - cut that out!

Phew!! I did it!!

35 minutes, a total of 2.3 miles. Calories burned - somewhere around 300. First time back in 33 weeks! It took a while to get in the grove, but I did it!

Next step - to start walking again with the hopes of joining all my FF friends who run!!

The Journey Begins

Well, it was supposed to begin today. Guess now my efforts have been thwarted. Will try again tomorrow...

What am I talking about? Getting myself back into shape after baby #3. Ok, who am I kidding... getting myself back into shape after 2 years of NOT getting myself into any shape except lumpy.

I had my follow up appt with the OB yesterday. Things look good - she removed all forbidden activities and contingencies and gave me the all clear to resume my life as I knew it before getting pregnant and birthing a bowling ball.

I wanted to celebrate my newfound freedom with a trip to the gym. Its been ages and ages since I darkened the door of our local, very posh, hoity-toity gym. This place is really lovely - truly - very elegant. Waterfalls in the middle of the building, a full-scale theater in the waiting room, steam rooms and saunas... Asthetically pleasing, and almost a place I'd WANT to go, even if I was not working out.

This morning, our sitter called because she'd been at the ER with her son most of last night. They think its some food poisoning. Rather than take any chances with the dreaded puke fairy visiting our house, I told her to stay home. (Anyone ever seen "The Lost Boys"?? Never invite a vampire (or puke fairy) into your house 0 it renders you powerless)

The gym does not take babies under 6 weeks. Christopher is just 4. Guess the best laid plans will need to be re-worked...

Well, that was fun... (NOT!)

Its rather amazing to me how either 1) things change over time or 2) the old addage of "location, location, location" is relevant for more than business and real-estate.

Last Thursday, Christopher had a really bad case of the sniffles, complete with goopy eyes and snorting while he breathed. I figured it was a cold, called the dr to see what else I could do besides steam and elevating his head. The nurse I spoke with thought that, rather than a cold, this was most likely "newborn congestion" and suggested saline drops for his nose and one of those sucky-things to help get rid of the mucus. (lovely) He started to seem better by Friday afternoon. Monday, he was a bit cranky, but not too bad. Well, by Monday night, we were in full blown crank-fest. He would not eat, and I could not really wake him to feed him. He would, however, cry and scream in his sleep.

After a very sleepless night on Monday, Leslie arrived Tuesday morning. Chris was in full cranky-ville. I took the boys to school, and by the time I returned, he'd spiked a fever of 102. A call to the doctor put just a slight bit of panic into me (How fast can you get here?) and once we arrived, the overall concencus was that we needed to go to the hospital! Pardon me... he's got a fever! Well, they wanted to cover all bases, and worst case scenario, rule out spinal bacterial menengitis.

That freaked me out more than just a bit...

So we go to the hospital. Very nice folks there, by the way, and more than redeemed the hospital in my mind after my not so great experience in L&D just 3 weeks earlier. The oncall doc started to go over all the tests they wanted to do to my little baby... including a spinal tap!! Yikes!!

The treatment - at least 48 hours in IV antibiotics. Translation - we would be admitted to the hospital until at least Thursday. As is turns out, we were there until Friday. The nurses warned me, thank goodness, that they may have to use the veins in his scalp for the IV, and they did... Not an image I care to see again!

At the end, though, he turned out to have an ear infection, most likely from the cold I thought he had last week and while it took about 3 days to get his fever under control, we are now home and hope to never repeat that experience.

I had only a small glimpse of what parents with children who have chronic or even serious illness go through. My heartfelt prayers go out to them - I don't know how they do it.

So, what does location have to do with it? Well, we did the same thing with Matthew - 3 weeks old, spikes a fever to 103, and we run to the ER at 3am. Except they give us Tylenol and send us home. No fear of bacterial infections. No spinal taps. No hospital stays... Makes me wonder if standards of care have changed, or if it is just Arizona? (or, maybe, just Scottsdale with its plethora of attorneys!)

Why did the boy throw the clock out the window??

Because he wanted to watch time fly...

I'm not one to remember jokes often, but that one from my childhood has stuck with me. Doesn't the saying go that time is supposed to fly when you are having fun? I can't say this last month has been fun, but with the exception of one day, the last 4 or 6 weeks have flown by in a blur.

It dawned on me yesterday that it had been 4 weeks already since we said goodbye to Dad for the last time. While I am far less apt to break down at the mere thought of it, I still miss him terribly. In talking with Mom, it is only now starting to sink in for her. Its been just long enough for him to have been on a trip, and its time for him to come home. Only, he's gone to a different Home now.

Christopher is nearly 3 weeks old. Wasn't I just in labor yesterday?? All the feedings, diaper changes, and sleepless nights are just melding into one. Somewhere in there, Parker and Matthew started school. I think Steve's been away on at least one or two business trips, though I would not bet my last dollar on that fact!

And, in the air of remembering, yesterday marked the 7th anniversary of the SwissAir crash that took the lives of 215 people, included among them my second set of parents, Nancy & Don Lattimer. I was not even pregnant with Parker when that happened. It seems a lifetime ago, but the memory of getting the call is just as clear and heartbreaking as it was all those years ago. Since then, Liz (their daughter and my longest lasting friendship) and I have had 5 kids between us, have moved, more than once, and talk at least every other week, of not more!

Time keeps moving forward, through the good and the bad. Sometimes it scares me how fast it goes... My online friend Terri said that before we turn around, we will be celebrating our '99er's weddings. I fear she's right. Time just flies, and its all we can do to catch a glimpse of it and hold its images in our hearts and minds. Thank goodness for cameras~