Baby Joaquin: 4 and 5 Month Update

My little booger monster turned 5 months this month. A lot has happened in these past two months and we hit so many milestones. I can't help but squeeze him tight because it's going too fast for Mommy.

 

 

 

Size: 6-9 months. Real Babies have curves. Joke.

*I'm going to start a petition to change the sizing of baby clothes. They need to drop the "months" because it is no longer accurate. Babies are born in all sizes and grow at different rates. Who's with me?

Cuteness level: Epic proportions (not to brag or anything)

 

Eating: Soy formula and Brown Rice Cereal with Probiotics (Hipster baby)

Sleeping: Beat the sleep regression monster! Sleeps from

8:00pm- 3:30am/Bottle, back to sleep until 6:00-7:00.

(Note to self: Write posts about these two things later.)



Milestones: Sitting up for a few seconds on his own, cut his first tooth (!!!), eating cereal, rolling from back to front and back again, dropping and picking up his toys,

and toy to mouth coordination is spot on.

 

 

Likes: Mommy and Daddy, jumping, playing with anything with a washing instructions tag on it, staring at the time on the oven, the colors black, white, and red all in the same object, and his feet.

Obsessions: Sonic and splashing in bath water

Sonic is still coming around.

Dislikes: His carseat, an empty bowl of cereal, men with deep voices, when mommy burns something in the oven and the fire alarm goes off.

Next Up: Pureed foods, sitting unassisted, crawling, and turning half a year old!

 

 

As for me, I'm obsessed with my health right now. Hubby and I finally agreed that eating out as many times as we do and being addicted to coffee is not ok. We are eliminating most starches when we can and incorporating Paleo ideas (Yay, MEAT!) but still staying true to the foodies that we are. This is called the "DUH" diet which stresses the obvious: more veggies and fruit, no junk, quinoa<brown rice<white rice, sugar makes you fat, and limit the treats. DUH.

I've also been hitting well over my Nike Fuel points everyday and making sure I'm up and about instead of being comatose in front of the TV. I took out my running stroller the other day and I'm slowly working up to running again. The weather has been very cooperative.

I'm feeling good.

 

Wandom Wednesday: Winter Recess

1. This week I'm playing Stay at Home Mommy. I am off for a whole week thanks to all the Presidents days. My only goal this week is to make this kid laugh. He's almost giggling and by golly I want to be the one that makes him laugh first. My voice is permanently 15 octaves higher than it used to be and I've invented noises using my throat I never knew existed. Something I do is bound to be funny.

2. It was my husband's 31st birthday last week and all he wanted for his dia especial was to have a date night at Ooka. We asked my parents to babysit and of course they said yes. I felt a little guilty leaving Joaquin so soon but Mommy and Daddy time was very much needed. I was so excited to finally have time with my hubs, sushi, and some wine. Is it just me or does wine taste better when you're a mom?

 

3. My Nike Fuel Band is magic. It mocks me with it's flashing lights and reminds me to move my butt or I'll be wearing these maternity jeans for-evah. Damn, Fuel Band...why you gotta be so hurtful?

 

4. I went to the TOMS Sample Sale this past weekend and all I can say is that I wish my feet were a size 10. I went with my buddy Christine, who is in fact a size 10 and while I was only able to find 2 pairs that I actually liked, she was able to find about a million. Did I mention we stood in line for 3 and a half hours? And did I mention that classics were only $20? Why must everyone at the sample sale have a 7 1/2-8 size shoe? WHY!?

At least I scored some cute shoes for my little guy.

5. I'm facing a dilemma. A hair dilemma. Long hair vs. Short hair. I can't decide if I should grow it long or chop it off. Either way, something needs to happen NOW because I can't stand my hair. Growing your hair out is the pits and cutting it will only set me back in that process. What to do? What to do?

 

These are the many issue I face while on vacation. My zombie mommy brain is delirious.





Two Months With Baby Joaquin

My little baby is a whole two months old this week. I can't believe it's already two months, but I can't believe it's only been two months. Know what I mean? Joaquin is growing so fast and when I say fast, I mean chubby. We have his two month check up this week so we'll see how many pounds he's packed on. I'm guessing he's around 13-15 pounds. He's a chunkers and I just love his jiggly legs that look like they have rubber bands all up and down them and his chubby cheeks that I can't stop kissing. He's eating a whopping 4 oz of breast milk or formula each feeding and any less he screams like...well, a baby.

 

Another fav of mine is hearing him coo and ahh throughout the day. Sometimes I'll even get a loud ahh like he's trying to establish his roar as a human being. Primetime for chats and smiles is morning time and it really takes the edge off of my zombie-mommy state. He is a better conversationalist than a lot of people I've encountered and I can just googoo and gaagaa with him all day! It literally melts my heart every time.

And the question on every one's mind, how is baby boy sleeping? I feel so blessed that he is slowly but surely sleeping longer stretches of time during the nights. Since Week 2, we tried establishing a bedtime routine. I knew he wouldn't follow it just yet, but I wanted to create it early on so that all three of us could get used to some kind of bedtime routine.

His Bedtime Routine: We feed him his dinner anywhere from 7:00-9:00 pm depending on when he's hungry. On some nights, we will give him a warm bath and a lotion/baby oil massage. Most of the time he digs his baths but there are certainly those times where he screams his head off, particularly when it's time to rinse his hair. Then, I swaddle him tightly and rock him to sleep in the rocking chair while Hubby reads a bedtime story. We put on the sound machine (Joaquin enjoys the "crashing waves" channel) and he'll either fall right to sleep or he'll wiggle like a worm for about a minute and then fall asleep. He'll wake up around 1:00 or 2:00 am to eat, fall right to sleep and wake up again at around 4:00 or 5:00 am to eat again and try to chat it up, then fall asleep. I don't give in to playing with him at that hour because one, I'm half asleep, and two, I don't want him to think it's play time. He'll sleep again until about 7:00 am and that's when our day officially begins. He's a good napper as well, which has allowed me to nap, clean, or blog during the day. I'm one lucky momma! ::knock on wood::

As for me, the first month was definitely trying and was filled with hormone imbalances, c-section recovery, the lack of sleep, and my battle with breastfeeding. I felt so guilty that I wasn't "loving it" like people expected me to....like I expected to. My mommy friends reassured me that what I  was feeling was normal. The Baby Blues came and went.

But I'm so excited to report that most of that has passed and I truly, wholeheartedly love it. I love my little baby boy to pieces and I just love being a mother. Sure, there is still the lack of sleep (oh, how I miss sleep!), the hormone imbalances (sorry, Hubby), and my battle with breastfeeding pumping, but when I see my little Joaquin smile at me, my heart just melts to the floor. The good moments with my son outweigh the bad. I don't even mind poopy diapers...that has to say something!

As for my body, I am amazed at how resilient it truly is. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still have a few stretch marks, a very ugly c-section scar, and flab in some places I've never had before, but for the most part I am back to normal. My pre-pregnancy weight was about 130 lbs and while I was pregnant, I ate everything in sight and swelled so much from the summer heat that I gained 50+ lbs putting me at about 180 lbs. Right now, I am down to 145 lbs thanks to breastfeeding, my mother's genes, and not having much of an appetite. I've taken a few walks and plan to start some strength training soon. I don't care about losing all the weight, but I want to be fit and strong.

Before. During. After

     

Overall, things are amazing. My son is amazing. My husband is amazing. My dog is amazing. I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

For The New Year's Resolutioners: Healthy & Strong You

It's that time again. Time to make our New Year's Resolutions. No? Not this time? Don't be scared, Friends. Don't be afraid to make goals for yourself. Even if you throw in the towel two weeks in, you would have done more for yourself than if you didn't make those goals. Am I right or an I right?

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I had a  pretty successful time with my 2011 Resolutions, which made me a stronger person physically and emotionally and as for my 2012 Resolutions, well, I wish I could have done more with those but I got pregnant and was super sidetracked with that momentous occasion. Because last year's resolutions were a bust, I need to think long and hard about what I want for myself in 2013. I can attach Mother to my title now, so I want to be thoughtful about my goals.

My NYE Kiss

While contemplating my hopes for this new year, I started thinking about what inspires me and what has made me feel at my best throughout the last couple of years. For the month of January, I'll be posting some of my favorite sites, apps, videos, and such to help motivate you and hopefully help you reach your goals.

Let's start with some things to movtivate you to stay healthy and strong!

Healthy You

-Waterlogged App

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First off, it's free. Bangarang! We all know that drinking lots of water is the answer to many of our body's ailments. Sick? Drink lots of water. Breaking out like an adolescent teen? Drink lots of water. Constipated? Drink lots of water. Drunk out of your mind? Drink lots of water. This app is great because it really keeps you on track of your daily intake. Throughout the day or at the end of my day, I enter the amount of water I drink and wah-lah, Waterlogged tells me if I reached my goal or if I should guzzle down a gallon before bedtime.

-Beauty Detox

 

 

Fair warning, this book is intense. I love the health advice in this book and I still follow some of the tips each day: drinking warm lemon water with a probiotic on the side every morning, eating fruit at the beginning of my meal instead of the end, and eating lighter in the morning and heavier at night. I say it is intense because the regimen that she suggests is pretty rigorous, incorporating the idea of eating only raw to get that glow. I pick and choose what I want to follow because I'm not that disciplined yet. Maybe I can have a half glow?

 

-Healthy living blogs

 

• Carrots 'N' Cake- for the Paleo and Crossfit fans 
• Healthy Tipping Point- great resource for tips on healthy living and thinking. She has great tips on being a new mommy, too!
• Peanut Butter Fingers- Healthy lifestyle at its best. Very motivating!
• OhSheGlows- Vegan living and green monster smoothie recipes
   

Strong You

-Nike Fuelband+

Talk about a motivation tool! This is a pedometer, calorie burner tracker, and watch rolled up into one sleek burrito. It is a resolution tracker on your wrist. You set a goal of how active you want to be that day and you keep track of your progress via iphone, computer, and this band. I set myself at 2,000 fuel points a day which means I need to be somewhat active. It is motivating to see how active or inactive I am on any given day and it is rewarding to look down and visually see when I reached my goal. It was a Christmas gift from my hubby, so I'll keep you updated on my feelings about it throughout the months.


-Mommy workouts



I know I have some readers that are newb moms like myself, so I am psyched to post this video for the mommies. If you do tummy time with your wee one, then you can squeeze in this short but challenging workout to help shed those pesky pregnancy pounds. If you are NOT a newb mommy, you can do this while you are watching TV with your dogs...or whatever.

-Nike Training Club App

This app is perfect for someone who wants a daily, customizable, and challenging workout. You choose which part of your body you want to work out or your workout goal (get lean, toned, strong, or focused) and the app will serve as your personal trainer for the next 15-45 minutes (depending on which challenge you choose). This personal trainer wont yell at you, but holy monkey crap, it'll work you OUT! I tried it once and was sore for days. Hurts. so. good.

 

-Tone It Up

 

This site has great videos, eating plans, and workout plans for the girliest of girlie girls. Just take one look at these Karena and Katrina and you'll want to join the club. A lot of resouces on their site are free!

 

 

What resources inspire you to be strong and healthy? Share in the comments below!

Motivation for Mamas-to-be

Happy Monday, Friends! Hope you had a fantabulous weekend. Mine, as usual, was packed with family parties and FOOD! It's always the best of times and the worst of times because I end up eating myself into a tizzy and feeling uber-guilty afterwards.

This pregnancy is really making my battle with food difficult. I want to be healthy but I'm craving all kinds of crap as I sit my butt on the couch day after day. In result, I have gained between 25-30 lbs and I'm only 26 weeks along. This might not seem like a big deal to some, but to me, I feel like a failure and a whale....a whaliure.

One of my biggest gripes at the moment is people discounting my feelings because I'm "thin" and blah blah "You're pregnant. Eat what you want." First off, I feel like shit! I'm swollen and I can't walk at night because it's so painful. Secondly, sure, I'll drop some of the weight when I have the baby, but will my thighs and new layer of butt fat be on board with dropping the extra poundage? No woman likes to feel heavier and I am positive that no one likes the feeling of their pants not being able to go over their thighs.
Story of my summer.

I might be a little hormonal right now. Apologies.

So this ugly cycle continues. Eat, guilt, workout, eat, guilt, workout. Hopefully I can stop it.

I shall dub this post:

 Motivation Monday for Mamas-to-be. Anyone else need the motivation to be healthy, feel good and STRONG? (Thank God we don't need to work our Abs this summer!)

Here are some great workout plans I found that Baby and I will be doing this week.

1. Easy enough for a lazy bum like me to do. Here's the link.

2. Best $14.99 I've spent at Target! This all comes in a set.

3. Yoga for my tight muscles. I miss you, Downward Dog. This is on Netflix right now!

Here's to a week of healthy habits. Wish me luck and may the force be with you, too!

Teacher Talk Tuesday: Yoga is Necessary for Survival

Teaching is a stressful job. I would go out on a limb and say it's the most stressful job in the world. However, I've never been, say, a doctor, or a nurse, or a stripper, so I guess you can call me a little biased. I'm sure sliding down a pole and whipping your hair to and fro can be hard on the spinal cord.

Let me just give you a taste of some of the most stressful times that has happened during my 7 year teaching career...that qualifies as a legit time frame, by the way.

1. Once while I was teaching first grade, a student broke his fall by hitting his desk.....with his mouth. Imagine if you will, a 6 year old with blood gushing out of his mouth because his teeth were rammed into his gums. Too graphic for ya? Yeah, me too. Did I mention that was during my first year of teaching?

2. First grader throws up all over the carpet. That's not the start of a joke. This happens at least once a year and if you're lucky five times!

3. High Schoolers...'nuff said.

4. Learning the hard truth about your students. I had a student who was neglected at home, one who was slapped and beaten, one who was left to their own devices, one who was arrested for drug possession and grand theft auto, and one who slept on the floor of a garage with their brothers and sisters. I take these stories home with me and worry myself to sleep.

5. Oh, and I have to create and teach lessons, prepare students for state tests, get all my students proficient in all subjects, deal with backlash from parents, administrators, and the public, and make sure no child is left behind.

Holy. Crap.

Can you see why I need Yoga in my life? More importantly, I think the KIDS really need yoga. They go through some SHIZ!

Here are some of my favorite stress relieving poses:
1. Child's pose- Once that forehead hits the mat, shit gets real. Real good.


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2. Happy Baby pose- This one makes me feel all kinds of open and vulnerable. I feel unsexy in this pose because I'm pretty much spread eagle. But I feel happy, and that's all that matters.

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3. Pigeon pose- My yoga instructor says you hold all of your stress in your hips. This pose will rip that right out of you. Hips, don't, lie. Right Shakira?

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4. Airplane pose- Nothing clears your mind like thinking you're going to face plant. You're so busy concentrating on not falling, that the stresses of your life takes a back seat.

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5. Savasana- They should just call this pose "Go to sleep now." It's minutes of just lying there, clearing your mind, and relaxing every particle of your being. If memory serves me right, I'm pretty sure that's called sleeping, but TomAto, Tomato.

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This is exactly what I look like, tongue out and all. 
In all seriousness, school is a stressful environment for all parties involved. Yoga is just something to ease the blow of all the craziness that ensues. Yoga keeps me sane for a few hours a week. Take a chance and try it out. Namaste, my friends.

Happy Leap Year! Make it Count.

I want to do something CRAZY FUN today, but I don't know what! If you have been reading my blog for awhile, or you know me in real life, then you know that I am far from crazy fun. I am a homebody at heart and rarely like to party it up with or be a part of the hip LA crowd. I am uncool by nature.

So, I opted to join NIKE + for their #makeitcount campaign and do something good for my body. This is an extra day to run and that's pretty much all you do! Done and Done. See how uncrazy fun I am?



If I read it correctly, their website says to run one mile. I think I might tack on a few more and make it really count. My thighs will thank me later. 

What other crazy shenanigans can I get myself into today?

Teacher Talk Tuesday: The Job Slump

Remember last year, when I thought I was going to die?

I was so painfully unhappy with my job that I dug myself into the deepest hole and became depressed. Luckily, there was a kitchen and Blogworld down there. 

Guys, I don't know how my poor husband survived last year because I ripped his head off almost everyday. I came home crying almost everyday and wanted to quit right then and there. I let 18 immature boys ruin not only my work life, but my personal life as well. WHY, Joanna?

Thanks, Poster, but it was really quite difficult. Besides the fact that I'm overdramatic, I'm also obsessive and a perfectionist. God broke the mold when he made me, huh? (I never thought I'd use that phrase) Put those all together and what do you get? A teacher who wanted to be liked by her students, do well on her test scores, and go home on time each day feeling like a million bucks. Pshh... yeah...right.

So, I survived it right? Barely. Time passed ever so slowly and I'm here with a fun story to tell. Here's my advice to those who are in a lemon patch right now. Eff making lemonade, you gotta take life by the horns and make something more satisfying than that.

1. Breathe and know that it's not personal. 

If you're like me, you might get paranoid that people hate you ALL the time. Please say it's not just me. A co-worker doesn't say good morning? I shift into "Uh oh. What's the last thing I said to her? Did I call her fat on accident? Is she mad at me? Oh crap, was I supposed to call her or something?"

A client, or in my case, 18 teenagers act like total monkies and throw shit at you all day at work? I start thinking "What can I do do change myself so that they would like me and respect me?" 

Honey, the world isn't about you sometimes and you really have to say "It's not me, it's YOU." Instead of thinking how I can change myself, I think about how I can change my way of thinking. Maybe your co-worker had a bad morning, didn't see you, or has to pee really really badly or maybe those clients are really just A-holes. In the equation of A-hole clients and you, you are the only one stressing. Stop.

2. Vent to the right people.

If you don't do this, you'll end up being angry and hurt. I vented to anyone and everyone who would listen, and sometimes those who just had ears. Thanks, Sonic. I told a lot of non-teachers and I would get the "Did you call their parents?" "You should try giving them a book they're interested in." "You should talk to my friend, she's a teacher." These people all mean well and I appreciate them trying to help, but REALLY? Sometimes people don't understand what your job entails and what you are truly going through. They want to help in their own way, but that way isn't going to sound helpful to you if you're already depressed and angry . Talk to someone you know will understand.



My teacher friends



3. Find a really good hobby.

This is pretty straightforward. Do something that will make you happy. I found plenty.

Running

Reading



Cooking funny looking Chicken Butts

Eating

and eating...

and eating.

Ok, that could be very dangerous, but for me it was my ultimate comfort. I did balance it with running so that made it ok.

4. Know that everything will be ok.

I'm living proof. Hated my job last year and now I am living the teacher dream. I have a wonderful class, an awesome principal who just lets me do my job, and very helpful co-workers. God handed me a challenge last year but I kept with it and now, he's showing me that life is good.

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5. Lastly, don't kill anyone.

My hubby was so patient with me. He felt the wrath of my depression and anger and held me lovingly as I sobbed and wiped snot boogers all over him. I took out my anger on him and if he left me or if I killed him during one of my Mr. Hulk episodes, I would've lost the only person on earth who could put up with my crap. Thank God I made him good food or else I would've been crying to Sonic and he is no good at listening. Thank you, Hubby.

photobooth fun

• Do you have any advice to someone who hates their job?
• How do you get through a rough patch?