29 by 29 update

i did it. workout #29 complete, and tomorrow is my 29th birthday. too wiped out to be excited. lost one pound after complaining about gaining 7. wish i had done more on the calorie-intake front while i did this. all regrets and bitterness i am sure will be swept away in the shower--i'll give myself that long to be disappointed. then i will step out renewed, toned, glowing with accomplishment, and grateful for my health. because that's how i roll.

:-)

29 by 29

me with my broth containers--thanks to MG for taking my picture!

so you facebookers may know that i challenged myself to do 29 workouts before i turned 29--at the time, this gave me about 11 weeks which seemed like plenty of time, especially since i was basically going from 0 exercise, to about three times a week. i began the first few weeks with uphill walks around the neighborhood, and then started doing my favorite denise austin video, fat-burning yoga--one good hour of strength training and stretching (plus a killer ab workout), but not a lot of cardio. then i finally popped in the Shred Level 2 workout that Breana gave me, and boy am i glad i didn't just watch it first because it might have scared me off for good. i survived the intense 20 minute workout but decided that i would rather push myself extremely hard for half the time, than go back to my not-as-demanding but full hour routine. a mother's time is precious! the shred workout is crazy because you are working multiple areas at once in three circuits: stength, cardio, and abs. almost enough to make you want to die but just enough so you can survive the 20 minutes. its hilarious, too, because i don't have real weights so i scan the pantry before each workout for something to hold, usually some 2 pound broth containers!

so where am i at now? well, i've done 26 workouts and my birthday is on friday. that means i have to now bump it up to everyday this week, from my usual tues-thurs-sat routine, and i will reach my goal (and i won't have to workout ON my birthday, i hope!!) the results have been totally unexpected--i'll be honest and say i thought i would have dropped at LEAST ten pounds, i was hoping for 15. but nooooooo. i've GAINED 7!! i know its muscle, that is obvious since i feel way stronger and have a new definition to my arms and legs that was not there before. but its disappointing. i wanted to be down a size and into clothes that i wore pre-george. i also thought the working out would "kick-in" some natural weight loss, now that baby Geo is 18 months and barely nurses. oh well. it is what it is. maybe i'll keep it up through the holidays....

Lukie-biotics

Bugs think Isadore is a tasty treat, and they always have. These bites at times get swollen and infected, but usually nothing a little ointment doesn't clear up. On one of last warm nights we had, we stupidly left the window open by her bed and the next morning she had a bunch of what looked like mosquito bites, two of which were on her hand and were causing some swelling. I spent the day icing it and using homeopathics and various ointments to no avail. that night she actually cried in pain unitl I finally gave her some ibuprofen to help her sleep. I though for sure a night of no scratching would cause the (assumed) allergic reaction to subside but nope, it looked awful. I brought her into the pediatrician that afternoon and the minute they saw it they exclaimed that it was not an allergic reaction but that her hand was infected. In addition to a course of antibiotics (they were worried about staph), she instucted me to do what I had to to keep her arm raised as much as possible. "Something you don't normally do...like let her watch some nature videos," the doctor said, which made me realize she must think we are uber-pure hippies with zero-tolerance for tv and media, which gave me an inner chuckle.

When I spoke to my sister (an ER nurse) later that day she told me that she frequently has to construct makeshift slings to keep peoples arms raised in cases like this. So I promptly got off the phone and looked around the house....I ended up using a camera tripod and an American Apparel scarf to hoist Lukies arm in the air. I plopped some puzzles and books in front of her and she patiently occupied herself until dinnertime. The swelling went down by the next morning and we'll be wrapping up the antibiotics next week.

Parenthood is such a trip, as these little experiences add themselves up, and we learn a little something each time. For one, I realized that I just sometimes really don't know if something is serious or not, because by the time I got to the ped's office I was sure I was wasting their time with a mere bug bite, but no, they had that medical "eye" and knew it was out of the realm of "normal." Second, it didn't occur to me that something as simple as building a sling out of common household items could be so helpful...once I knew there was a serious problem and my "alternative medicine" toolbox was cashed, I only saw the "big gun" medicines (over the counter drugs and antibiotics) which are so rarely used by our family. Finding a combination of different treatments is such a case by case balance.

You were a champ, Lukie-Lou!