julie wearing shades!
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hello gym!
By · CommentsFor several years, while I worked in North San Jose, I went to the Gold’s Gym “Airport location” by 101/San Tomas. When my job changed, and I was no longer going to North San Jose, I moved to the Gold’s Gym in Campbell, also near San Tomas. One evening, I was leaving the Campbell gym and noticed a bum walking around inside the gym. I know for certain he is a homeless bum because I’ve seen him on the streets pushing his buggy many times before. After that, I never went back to Gold’s Gym, and I canceled my membership shortly thereafter.
I began looking for another gym, and ended up at Club One Santana Row. The membership dues were about $15 more per month, but the amenities are a lot nicer. Gold’s Gym is all business. At Gold’s Gym, the only fragrances are sweat and more sweat. The only signs on the wall are instructing members to not throw the iron around, and I think there are a few posters of professional body builders (including Arnold Schwarzenegger). The locker room is tired, dark and dingy looking, but clean and well kept. There are no steam rooms, “luxury” shower stalls, saunas, endless supply of clean towels, child care, or spa services like massages and facials. There are no treadmills with personal TVs and personal fans. All of which they do have at Club One.
All that said, I absolutely LOVE Gold’s Gym (Airport location). The amount of weight training equipment is probably 10 times what they have at Club One, and it is much easier to use and more comfortable. The other people who are working out at Gold’s Gym are there to work out. Not to be see and be seen by others (not a meat market). And, Gold’s Gym knows you’re there to work hard, so they keep it very cool inside. Club One keeps a comfortable temperature for watching TV, not working out!
So, yesterday I “re-joined” Gold’s Gym, and I am so excited about getting back in the gym. I only wish I could go more than 2 days per week!
Happy Birthday Julie!
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Happy Birthday, Julie! It’s hard to imagine you’re TWO years old already!
My job as a Mother…
By · CommentsAs the co-founder of the Loo Family, my current job responsibilities are:
I am the exclusive provider of nutrition to the Little Loos until they are ready to experiment with solids. I continue to provide primary nutrition throughout the weaning process, which is determined by the Little Loo.
Teach the Little Loos the finer points of life like table manners, conversational English, ABC’s, 123’s, colors, objects like trees, flowers, cars, dogs, cats, bears, lions, etc.
I also focus on teaching these Little Loos the dangers of closing doors and drawers on fingers, staying out of the street, not touching a hot stove/oven, keeping clear of the toilet, etc. The least enjoyable aspect of this job is the discipline. Sometimes I must issue a verbal warning to correct bad behaviors.
Change more dirty diapers per day than I care to count.
Wife and partner to the other co-founder of the Loo Family.
Manage inventory of daily consumables including everything from toilet paper, diapers and soap to veggies, fruits and other food stuff.
Prepare and serve at least 3 meals and more snacks than I can count per day.
Provide laundry services for this family of four.
Maintain the home at a minimum that will not violate any health codes.
Fix things when they break.
Design and make Halloween costumes.
Manage external contractors who are hired for specific tasks like install a new patio, irrigation and new plants.
Research and verify advice given by doctors and other health care professionals. This is almost a full time job in itself!
This position does not provide “sick time”, vacations, days off, no retirement/pension, etc. I consider myself lucky if I get to eat lunch, and bathroom breaks are hard to come by!
This position does have its perks, though. I get to dance with a 2 year old. I get lots of hugs and kisses, and hearing the sweetest little voice saying “Mommy” makes my heart melt even when I’m having a bad day.
Oh, being pregnant and giving birth…does that count? I’ve done that twice now in 2 years.
Whew…I feel like I’ve been busy!
Facebook…
By · CommentsLast week, two people ask me if I’m “on facebook”, so I decided to check it out. I’m already on “Linked in”, but had not created a profile on facebook. While creating my profile on facebook, I realized I don’t have a “current employer”, so I wrote my current job responsibilities as a Mother. It was the most difficult of all my “jobs” to describe, and also turned out to be the most lengthy…gee, I wonder why!?
So, I’m on facebook now, if you wanna look me up. 
Julie and the pumpkin
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While Katie was sleeping in the sling snug as a bug in a rug, Julie sat on the step waiting for the trashman (our big Wednesday morning activity!). I can not believe that Julie will be a big fat TWO years old in 2 weeks! I’m bummed that I won’t have much time to make a super cool cake for her this year…she’s really into elephants…errr…”eeeeeeeg-go” as she calls them, so I’m thinking of something elephant but simple…we’ll see.
the chunky monkey!
By · CommentsWell, it is documented in my last post that Roger guessed 7.2 pounds, and I said 7.3. We were both off by a LOT! Yesterday Katie weighed in at 7.11 pounds! That is almost 1 whole pound gained in 2 weeks since she was born! Usually exclusively breastfed babies are just getting back to their birth weight at the 2 week weigh in, so I was totally shocked when I heard that number!
Even after 2 years of nursing one baby, and 2 weeks into nursing a second, I am still absolutely amazed and humbled by what my body is capable of. Not only did my body know exactly what to do to make these new humans, but my body also knows exactly what these new humans need to survive and thrive after they have left the womb. I know that living creatures all around the world perform this miracle everyday, but it is still an awesome thing to witness first-hand.
acupuncture works!
By · CommentsWith Katie, I started having “pre-term labor” at 35 weeks. These often very intense contractions did not stop until the day I had her, at 40 weeks + 2 days. My midwife had suggested I consider acupuncture to help with some muscle/tendon pain that I had been having, and by the time I got in to see the acupuncturist I was 2 days late. She assumed I was there for an “induction”, and I decided whatever she might try would be fine–contractions every 3-5 minutes for most of the last 5 weeks was really taking its toll on my mind and body.
Long story short, I got to the acupuncturist office at 3pm, had 3 needles inserted by 3:10pm, and started having “active labor” by 3:20. At 4:14 we were in traffic, about 5 minutes from home, and I told Roger I needed to push! Roger had our midwife on the phone, who by this time was also on her way to our house, but she was stuck in traffic. She told Roger that he might have to deliver this baby. Now that the event is over, I really wish I could have seen the look on Roger’s face when she said that. At the time I was curled up in the back of the van, on the floor, dealing with labor. But can you imagine Roger’s reaction when he thought he would be delivering a baby!?
As it turned out, Katie was not born for another hour and a half, so there was plenty of time. But quite frankly, if I had not gotten out of the van when I did, I may have seriously had the baby in the van!
It was not until after the birth that Roger and my midwife discussed the details of the acupuncture visit. When I started active labor, I ask the acupuncturist to call Roger and get him back to the office (he had taken Julie out for a walk). She was so super duper calm, that when she said, “things are RAMPING up here”, he thought she said, “things are WRAPPING up here”, so he took his sweet time coming back! He says that when he got in the room, and saw me crying, he thought I just had “an emotional session”. Even the midwife said she didn’t sense the urgency in the acupuncturist’s voice. With me, she didn’t mince words. She looked me straight in the eye (and with a very calm voice) said, “I think you’re in active labor!”. And when Roger did finally get back to the office, she ask him how far the drive would be to get home, and when he said 15 minutes, she had a very concerned look on her face, and I think she said something like: try to hurry!
Of course, everything worked out perfectly. My midwife was here in plenty of time to get set up and my doula lives close by, and she was able to drop everything and be here within just a few minutes.
Someone has since ask me if it could have been a coincidence that I went into labor while having the acupuncture treatment, and my answer to that is that it was definitely NOT a coincidence. The acupuncturist noted a “change in my energy” when she checked my pulse before and after putting in the needles. At the time, I thought it was a little hokey-pokey that she noticed such a big difference, but since she produced results, now I’m a firm believer! My midwife says she’s never experienced anyone responding so quickly and positively to acupuncture treatment. And the acupuncturist told me that only one other time has a woman gone into active labor during treatment, and she ended up driving that woman to the hospital. So I guess my results were a little “unusual”, but the acupuncturist believes I was already “ripe and ready”, and that was just the little nudge I needed.
I admit to being somewhat of a skeptic at first. When we arrived at the office, we parked behind a car with a license plate frame that said, “acupuncture works!”. I told Roger, “ha! we’ll see about that!”. I also said that if it DID work, I would get one of those frames and put it on my car. Now I have to find one of those frames!
13 days old . . .
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In this picture, Katie is actually 9 days old…but today she is 13 days old. Tomorrow the midwife will be coming over to do an exam, including weighing her. Roger thinks she weighs 7.2. I’m guessing 7.3. She was 6.13 when she was born, and while it is very normal for exclusively breastfed babies to lose weight during the first two weeks, I didn’t have to wait on milk to come in because Julie continued nursing while I was pregnant (yes! you CAN do that!–I get that question a lot), and milk supply has been very good since giving birth to Katie.
Having two babies has been interesting so far. I am so incredibly grateful to have Roger home still while I recover from childbirth and get settled with the new baby. But I gotta say, it has still been totally exhausting and a ton of emotions all the time. I’m still in a lot of physical pain from the actual birth, which really bums me out because I’d love to be using this time with Roger home to do fun things as a family, but most days I don’t feel like doing anything! Katie is still in her newborn sleep, and I’m guessing she’ll wake up the day that Roger goes back to work–that’s exactly what happened with Julie!
Speaking of Julie, I’m happy to report that she seems to be enjoying her role as “big sister”. Ever since Katie was born, I always encourage Julie to come sit next to me and look at her sister, but when Katie was a few days old, I realized that Julie had not touched her yet. I believe she was waiting on permission to touch her, because that day I showed her how to gently rub her head and gently touch her hands and fingers, and ever since, she’s been doing that all the time. The other day she started giving Katie “eskimo kisses”, which is something I taught her a long time ago. Have you ever seen a 2 year old give a newborn an eskimo kiss? It’s absolutely adorable. The only problem so far is that she always wants to touch Katie’s eyes, which I don’t think would feel too good! So I have to keep a close eye on her when she’s near Katie’s face!
OK. Motherhood is calling (crying). Write more later…
