Cheryl Katz

Snapshot of future study?

Originally uploaded by cinediva

I took a bunch of pictures of Sami reading this Beatrix Potter book last weekend, and to be honest I can’t decide which is my favorite. I chose to post this one because I love her studious expression.

I’ll report back in 13 years (hopefully with pictures!) to let you know if this is what she looks like when she’s working hard on her homework.

I dragged my butt to the gym today for the first time since, oh, March.  I came prepared – Sami down for her nap this afternoon, I had time to dig out my heart rate monitor and strap, charge up my iPod, and find the manual for my HRM (ha, I had used it very basically to get real-time checks on my heart rate, but it can do so much more.   Today I learned to program it with my basic vital stats, so that it can guide me mathematically, and I am going to learn how to use the workout information it records to track my fitness progress.

Of course, having programmed my weight, height and resting heart rate into the thing helped it to recommend a range for me, but that didn’t make me stay in it.  I hopped on a treadmill and was shocked at how much easier it is to run without the extra 38 pounds.  I can run now at 5.3 mph at approximately the same effort I felt at 4.8 a few months ago.  And this with minimal hard cardio work, just moderate and frequent daily activity.

I found my experience quite encouraging.  Also encouraging:  my heart rate monitor said I burned way more calories than the treadmill thought I had.  I attribute this in part to the HRM knowing my weight, height and age and the treadmill NOT knowing these things, but I just think the HRM’s algorithm is probably more sophisticated.  This was heartening however.  I’ll be interested to see the discrepancy on an elliptical, as I always feel that the calories burned estimate on an elliptical is disproportionately high.

Anyway.

I was so encouraged that I did an upper and lower body weight circuit.  I was surprised to learn that I haven’t lost much strength over the last two years (the last time I really knew what I could move, I was working with a trainer who really pushed me, so my recollection is those numbers.)

In sum, I hope to be visiting the gym more often in the future.  I came home feeling really awesome (and both exhausted and energetic!)

I haven’t had much time or energy for blogging lately, which is making me feel a little frustrated and sad.  There are things I just won’t remember if I don’t put them here.

Today was really a lovely day.  Sami charmed me by playing peek-a-boo over the back of my dining room chair, and then patting her hand on my chest and saying, matter-of-factly, “Mama!”  Then she’d go over and declare Ben, “Dad-dee,” in similar fashion.

We went to dinner at Kazumi, and Sami hung monkeylike from the back of a high chair containing an 11 month old girl.  (I held the seat so it wouldn’t topple – both kids were, sadly, loving this.)  She was playing the peekaboo game with the little girl, and tickling her toes, and pointing out body parts helpfully.  “Elbow” is one of her newest ones.  She even gave nose-noses and kisses.  I was quite impressed.

On the way home, she repeated over and over, “Embee, embee,” as if I could forget that her sippy was empty.  It would be filled at home.

Days like today it’s not hard to remember why I love Sami, and forget all the ways that toddlers are frustrating.

ConquerClub.com: most addicting game of all time.

Come play with me?

When I picked Sami up yesterday, I had a raging stomach ache. I just was not feeling myself.

She was behaving a little waywardly, and on the way to the car decided she wanted to push buttons on the front door of the building, and wouldn’t follow me toward the parking lot.

I went over and picked her up, and explained to her, “Momma has a tummy ache.” I pointed at my belly and made a sad face. “Hurts. I need you to be nice to me.”

And so Sami pet me on the arm and the shoulder saying, “Niiiiiiiice. Niiiiiiiice,” and made a sad, serious, concerned and caring face.

I think I almost died just then. Luckily she was sweet and cuddly at home in between her raging tantrums. She kept me comfortable *and* grounded in reality.

In other news – Sami is saying things, and saying numbers of words together, that she wasn’t doing on Friday. It really does all change overnight.

Also, in case you’re missing pictures, well I’d post some, but every time I take out the camera I am greeted with a fat tantrum and grab for the camera. So it gets put away pretty quickly. And the picture I typically get to take is not a cute one. Though I may post it soon, anyway, just to share the proof.

That’s all for today. Life is good.

My last post was kind of an angsty cry, whereas this one is the honest truth – breastfeeding is over.  She still makes her “nursing” sign, but now when she does it it seems to mean, “cuddle me.”

I get a ton more random cuddles.  Sami will now sit through an entire book from front to back cover with me – she never did that before, always with Ben and other people.  I guess now that I’m more than just cuddly boobs, she can find the time.  She eats a ton more.  It seems like she sleeps better, though don’t talk to me about that right now….* And she is bonding with Ben a little bit more.  I’d be jealous, but she bonds with me just as much, and each of us differently.

My little girl is growing up.

I still feel weird.  This is the first week of my life with no nursing since the day Sami was born.  It’s just slightly shocking.  She doesn’t need me for anything she couldn’t also get from Ben at this point.  She uses her pacifier a little more heavily now and is more reluctant to leave it at home or in the car when we go to school, but I imagine this will pass, and she isn’t even 2 years old yet.  She’ll give up the binks eventually.

In terms of my adjustment, I’m a little sad.  Very proud.  I’ve lost a few extra pounds since the last time we nursed, I guess nursing forces my body to hang on to reserve weight just in case?  That’s the theory I’m going on.  And I’m shrinking from D cup, which is sad but to be expected.  Emotionally I’m in balance, so that’s the good part.  I’ve been a little touchy but nothing that won’t pass with a few more weeks.  I’m focusing on the massive lingerie shopping trip I’ll get to do when I’m sure my cup size has stabilized, and not on the fact that my baby doesn’t need the girls any more.

I was going to say “In other news…” but I can’t think of any other news that isn’t on another topic entirely.  So I’ll wrap up and post on another topic another time.

In sum – it’s done.

* For the first time in for EVER, despite being absolutely exhausted from the heat and all the climbing and playing, Sami would not go to sleep.  She cried and cried and cried and asked for Mommy, until finally I went back in there and lay down on the bed – with her in her crib.  As soon as I lay down, she did the same.  I lay there for who only knows how long, and then peeked over at her. She waved.  I put my head back down for a while.  Tried to get up, nope, not ready.  Finally I told her it’s time to sleep.  Call me if you need me.  Love you.  Here’s tuck-tuck and blanky.  THEN she lay down, curled up and not another peep out of her for the evening so far.  That was really fun.  Hope we can do it again sometime.

Chillin at home as bedtime approaches on July 4th. But why are we always so grumpy and irritable on holidays?

http://tinyurl.com/4zxykn

This is your brain on drugs.  Be thankful you speak English.

The last time Sami nursed was Thursday evening (June 26.) It could happen again, but it’s not likely.

Wow. I’m really still processing this.