Frustrated.

I am so frustrated with my back. I can't exercise, I can't sit on the floor with the kids and I can barely give a bath. Today I deep cleaned the kitchen for about an hour and despite ice and Advil, I still spent the rest of the day barely able to move without crying. It just sucks to think I could be like this forever. I think I need an MRI because there has got to be something wrong. The spine doctor did an x-ray and said structurally everything is fine, it was just Lucy's speedy delivery that caused things to be too loose and out of whack. Yeah, well, she's almost a year old. Come on. He said to go to PT, but manipulating it at all or doing anything out of the ordinary causes such extreme pain, why would I do that??

I'm also worried it's going to cause my hip to be damaged because of the way I have to move when it's all flared up. I end up hunching and dragging that leg which puts my hip in a funny position and causes a lot of pain.

The bigger issue is my weight. I know I have had two babies close together, but I am at my highest weight ever and it is super, super frustrating that I can't even exercise. I can't cut calories because as soon as I do that, my milk supply goes down. I'm going to be dragging myself across the finish line (a year) as it is, I can't risk a supply any lower. Nursing makes me so hungry, but I don't lose weight when nursing. I seem to have missed that benefit. I feel huge, none of my clothes fit and sometimes I choose not to go somewhere just so I don't have to try and squeeze into something that isn't yoga pants.

Anyway, no point to this I guess, just a vent.

Oh, and just for you Lindsey - Lucy weighs 18 pounds and 6 ounces. :) I don't know her length, but she's still in 6-12 month clothes with plenty of room. In 0-6 month Robeez with plenty of room. She's too small for real shoes, according to Stride Rite. She's a peanut!

Recent Theo-isms.

DSC_0029, a photo by MelissaandSusan on Flickr.

I don't want to forget these.

"Your (my) 'bless you' is stuck!"
"Holy smokes!" (Upon checking out the business he left in the potty)

Ugh, I know there were more and I already forgot.

11 Months.

DSC_0025, a photo by MelissaandSusan on Flickr.

Our girl is 11 months old! Next "month day" she'll be a year old. Hard to believe!

This will be boring to everyone but us, but I like to have a record.

At 11 months Lucy is ...
1. Sleeping all night! From about 7p to 6:30a.
2. Taking two naps a day. One is usually only about 45 minutes and the other is about an hour and a half. She lays down when Theo does in the afternoon, thankfully. She sometimes plays in her crib for an hour before she goes to sleep, but is always happy. She has a pacifier only for sleeping (that's all she's ever had it).
3. Standing unassisted for about 20 seconds and walking behind a push toy.
4. Does not have even one tooth.
5. Eats everything in sight! Loves avocado and yogurt the best.
6. Still nurses about 5 times a day.
7. Adores her big brother.

Mama needs pillows!

Ok, but even if I didn't, you should read this blog. My girl Kelsi is all around awesome sauce. She sews; she is a Mama to two huge, slobbering beasts that wouldn't make it past my front door, but boy are they cute; she rocks celiac disease with style; she's totally killing some serious weight loss the old fashioned way and she even has her own damn chickens to make scrambled eggs with. How lucky am I to have been stuck together with this gal during my last year of grad school in an old, smelly office with a rather flamboyant, but fearless, leader??

So, go to her blog, steal her recipes, marvel over her sewing, feel guilty over the ice cream you just ate while she lost 30 pounds - and while you are there, enter her giveaway!

http://oursimplehappylife.blogspot.com/2011/09/shop-is-now-open.html

Kelsi - honored to be your friend, lady!

4 Miler!

W4M, a photo by MelissaandSusan on Flickr.

Last weekend, we went up to Virginia so I could run (walk) the Women's 4 Miler. It's an awesome race and so much fun. I ran it for the first and last time 7 years ago with my friend, Jenny. That year, we did the summer long training program and I was able to run the whole thing. Here we are, many years, pounds, marriages and kids later. Jenny can still run - me, not so much. I mentioned below that the doctors told me I could not run, due to an injury I sustained during Lucy's birth. As much as I HATED it, I had to abide by their direction and walk the race. I did run the last 1/2 mile, though!

In the end, it was still fun, even without running. I walked with a friend and saw nearly everyone in C'ville that I wanted to. It was super excellent to see Jenny and Thistle. I was only bummed that their kiddos weren't there. We brought Lucy and left Theo home with my parents since we had to leave at 5:00am. We've never done that before and Theo did great! Susan had an easier time with just one kid to keep up with and we all went for Bodo's afterwards. Ah, Bodo's. How I miss you.

We were all supposed to go back home on Saturday after the race, but my parents convinced me to stay with the kids through the weekend. They drove us home on Labor Day in Mom's fancy van where Theo got to watch a movie on the way home. He was in heaven.

As always, I spent the ride home being sad to go home. I just love Charlottesville. I miss my friends. I wish our kids were growing up close. And, it's so nice to have my parents around to pitch in with the kids. We have it good here and we also have excellent friends here that we'd miss, but I am not sure if this will ever feel like "home." Moving away was the right thing at the time. Maybe one day, we will find our way back. In the meantime, I hope to meet up with these girls again next year and next time be able to run!

Back to school!

DSC_0291, a photo by MelissaandSusan on Flickr.

Tuesday, little man went back to school. He is in the same school as last year, but a new class. He seemed pretty nervous on the way there, but ran right into the class and was all smiles when we picked him up. He went potty there with no trouble and told me all about what he ate for a snack. We offered up Chic Fil A as a special back to school lunch, but he opted to go home and have a PBJ.

Putting your kid in the care of others is hard. We felt good about his teachers last year, but now it's all new again. We knew he'd love it and we really appreciate the gains he made last year. Two mornings a week is a great balance for us. We love having him home, but learning to interact in the world, be confident in the care of others and learning the lesson that "Mama/Mom always comes back!" is all important stuff, too.