January 30, 2006
Get your groove on
Thinking about buying some new music but not sure what to get? Steve and Brishen have both posted their top albums of the year. Only three overlap, so take a look, you might discover something you'll like.
Posted by steve at 04:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 27, 2006
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?
You must really love me then, hey? If you are wondering where I've been, well, I got a new iPod nano and I have been busy getting music that I want for it, and you wouldn't think that would be so complicated, but I don't have any music on my computer, so I have to rip or download everything, ugh! I am nothing if not obsessive, so pretty much everything else has gone to shit. Hehe.
Liam has learned the cutest thing. He claps. This all started because we were at my Weight Watchers meeting and at the beginning the leader gives out awards for people who have achieved certain milestones, and everyone claps for them. Everytime the group would clap, Liam would look all worried and look around trying to figure out where the sound was coming from so I decided to teach him about clapping. So now everytime he is happy about something I say Yaaaaaayyyyyy! and clap, encouraging him to join me. And we sing If You're Happy and You Know It. So when I sing, "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands" and prompt him by taking a quick look at his hands he will clap. It is very cute and it dispels my worries about autism. He can obviously pick up on subtle social cues. I had no reason to think he might be autistic, just an irrational fear that I got into my head somehow - like worrying about him growing up to be a serial killer or a junkie. I also imagine him growing up to cure cancer or win a Nobel Peace Prize - it's all about balance I tell ya.
I have a dilemma that maybe someone can help me with. Steve goes out a couple of times a week with friends. This means that I take care of Liam all by myself a couple of nights a week - not a dilemma in itself, but I'm jealous and we agree that it's not fair. Steve has no problem returning the favour, I just have to figure out something that I can do once a week. Anyone interested in a standing dinner and/or movie date once a week? Or is there something going on once a week at night that you think I might enjoy? If you have any suggestions, let me know. I'm thinking about it too, but you know what they say about two heads...
Posted by leah at 02:26 PM | Comments (1)
WW Update - Week 3
Grrrrrr... Grumble, grumble, grumble. Yeah, so I was up 0.6 lbs this week for a total loss so far of 3.4 lbs. I don't feel like I was off plan - though I'm still having trouble remembering to drink all the water I'm supposed and I probably did a bit less walking since I didn't have as many errands to run as usual. The good news for this week though, is that I managed to get out for a run on Tuesday evening and I'll be going again tonight and Sunday. Hopefully my results this week will be better. And that's about all I want to say on that subject. I've been busy with other things lately and I have lots to talk about... things that don't make me feel bad.
Posted by leah at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2006
Weekly Dose of Cuteness
Liam is now 8 months old! I can't believe that we've been doing this for 8 months already. And I am very proud to say that in 8 months I have not used formula once. There have been times when I've been tempted, but Liam is exclusively breastfed. You may think, "big whoop," but have a baby - it's challenging to stick with it and trust that it is working. Anyhow, I'm on a bit of a tangent - on to what you are here for - the cuteness!
This week's cuteness features a special guest: Daddy! Liam and Steve in the pool at the YWCA. We tried putting a swim shirt on Liam in hopes of keeping him a bit warmer this time, but it didn't work. We love that their pool is ozonated rather than chlorinated, but I think a baby his age really needs to be in a tot pool - the regular pool is just too cold. By the end his teeth (gums) are chattering (can gums chatter?).
I will stall no longer - behold the cuteness!
Posted by leah at 03:49 PM | Comments (2)
January 19, 2006
I'm getting an iPod, yay me!
Well, really, yay Steve. Steve's company got me to do some spreadsheet cleanup work for them, and to give me incentive to use every second that Liam didn't need me on their work, they bribed me with an iPod nano for payment. Which is perfect. If anyone wants to bribe me with electronics, I am totally up for it :)
You do know about the nano right? It is tiny and light and beautiful and absolutely perfect for running with. You can get and armband for it and it has a timer built right in that will beep at you through your earphones. No more constantly looking at my watch while running to see if the timer has gone off yet cause I can't hear the beep over my music. So exciting. I can't wait for him to bring it home.
And the baby has napped fairly well today. This is definitely a good day.
Update: After Emira's comment, I decided to actually look into the timer thing 'cause I was working on assumptions, and it seems that the iPod nano has a stopwatch, not a timer. And that is not as useful to me since there is really no track near us. I run intervals, not laps. Oh well, I guess I'll have to keep using my watch until I work back up to 5k. Then a stopwatch will do. I'm still excited about it, just not quite as.
Posted by leah at 04:54 PM | Comments (3)
January 18, 2006
WW Update - Week 2
Second week down and I am still "on program," which means that I have been staying within my points and haven't exclaimed SCREW THIS while ramming my face into an entire cheesecake. I've come close, but alas I am cheesecake free. And I am down another 1.6 lbs for a total of 4 lbs so far - which takes me to 164.8 I guess. The number is a good benchmark, but I want to assure you that I am not hung up on the number. I know that I am generally a heavy person, and I don't mean heavy as a euphemism for fat, I mean I tend to weigh on the heavy side. Have I told you this already? Since having a baby I constantly feel like I am repeating myself. Anyhow, those of you who knew me at my lightest can attest that at 119 lbs I looked emaciated and 119 is a respectable weight for a 5'3" woman. Just not this 5'3" woman. So, I use the number to show you a change, not in an obsessive need to weigh less. I am much more interested in fitting into my clothes - I'll let you know as I get into smaller pants.
On the exercise front, I am still not running, though I have a date to run with Jess and Guy on Thursday. Which will probably kill me - I haven't been running consistently, they have. I gotta start somewhere though and I think it will help to keep me motivated if I am accountable to some other people. Do you see that I am motivated by shame - or more appropriately the desire to avoid shame? Remember that if you ever want to try to get me to do something. It will be very manipulative of you, but it will probably work.
All in all it's going well - the worst is it is annoying to have to measure things and figure out points values for standard dinner things that I make, but if that's the hardest thing about it, I think I've got a good chance of being successful at this. I have in the past. Yay me!
Posted by leah at 09:49 AM | Comments (2)
Weekly Dose of Cuteness
This week's cuteness features a onsie by Basil. As you are looking at Liam, picture him looking at the camera and saying wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah. Because 80% of the time these days he is saying wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah to anyone and anything that will listen. The other 20% of the time he is drooling on something or terrorizing the cat who still keeps wandering into Liam's General Area of Terror. Though really he wah-wah-wahs right through those activities too, so really the other 20% is sleeping - if he's not sleeping he's wah-wah-wahing, while humping the floor. He quite the little multi-tasker.
Posted by leah at 09:21 AM | Comments (1)
January 12, 2006
Sir Humps-A-Lot
I know that if he reads this as a teenager it will be the source of much therapy, but remember how I said that Liam is working on crawling? Well, he can now get himself up on all fours and he will rock back and forth, with an enormous grin on his face cause he is so proud of himself. Entirely too cute.
BUT. When he gets tired, his bum drops and then he humps the floor or whatever surface he happens to be on. And since he is new to all this and his muscles are just developing, my sweet little baby spends a heck of a lot of time making it with the floor. I find this endlessly funny.
I love my cute little floor-humper!
Posted by leah at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)
WW Update - Week 1
My first week went pretty well. I was down 2.4 lbs. I stayed within my points (WW assigns points to food based on calorie, fat and fibre content) and managed to get out for a walk every day. This week I need to concentrate on drinking more water and start running again - so far, not so great :) Though I am planning on running when Steve gets home from work tonight.
The major difference I notice is that I feel better - possibly due to the reduction of refined sugar in my diet, but I think it's actually all in my head. I have everything written down and I know that I am in control which makes me feel better about myself and I am less critical of my body. A very good thing. But it's a real bitch having to walk by Starbucks 5 million times each time I leave the house and not get a chai and a scone because that is half my points for the entire day, yikes! I used to have that for a snack - nearly every day - no wonder I wasn't losing the baby weight. Curse Vancouver for multiple Starbucks on every corner.
My plan is to stick to it consistently for 12 weeks and the re-evaluate where I am. Week 1 of 12 down and so far so good. Feel free to join me if you are so inclined.
Posted by leah at 10:57 AM | Comments (3)
January 10, 2006
Liam of the Infinite Cuteness
My baby's famous.
Posted by leah at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)
Weekly Dose of Cuteness
Twitch (the cat who doesn't wake me up with incessant meowing at all hours of the night) loves to curl up near Liam. I think this is because Liam is guaranteed to touch him and Twitch, like his brother Sam (the cat who wakes me up with incessant meowing at all hours of the night), is an attention whore. Weird thing is, he will stick around through all of Liam's abuse, cause being that he is only 7.5 months, Liam doesn't so much pet the cat as much as he grabs his fur and pulls. They are pretty cute together though and Liam sure gets a kick out of Twitch:
Posted by leah at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
Happy New Year!
Yeah, so I'm kinda behind. Life has had me a bit overwhelmed and that leaves me very unfocused. Ability to focus is essential for writing, hence, no writing. What's been going on, you ask? Well...
For starters, Steve has been incredibly stressed at work. When he finally comes home, he vents about it to me, which leaves me incredible stressed, so not a whole lot of fun. He is oftentimes the only adult conversation I have, so when the only conversation I get is always negative, my mood tends to take a nosedive. He seems to be through the worst of it and voila! Here I am posting again.
I have started Weight Watchers again. I like it cause I can eat whatever I want, it just gives me a sense of control and accountability with regard to what I put in my mouth. And it gives me an excuse to get out of the house too, which is great when you have a baby. I weigh in on Tuesdays, and I have decided to be brave and share with you all how it goes. So, last Tuesday I weighed in at 168.8 lbs, my pre-pregnancy weight was 144 lbs, and the goal I have in my head is 140 lbs. That may seem heavy for a 5'3" shorty like myself, but I'm pretty muscular and I look emaciated at 120, so 140 seems reasonable. I weigh in again this afternoon, so I'll let you know how it went tomorrow, Wednesday will be my WW Update day so you can see how it goes.
Another exciting event is that our very tight financial position is loosening up a bit and in addition to being able to save up for things like my school and a car and a new Widescreen HDTV, we are having a girl come in to clean our place for us every two weeks. We have found a very reasonable service to do the kitchen, bathroom and floors and I am SO STOKED! It means less stress for me, cause I'm not the best housekeeper - I'm very feast or famine in that department and this will keep us more consistent. I'll just have to do spot cleaning between visists and can focus on Liam without worrying about the kitchen floors that need to be mopped and the dust bunnies that are threatening to take form and eat us. Oh my god, I am so happy about this.
Liam is SO close to crawling. I have purchased all the babyproofing supplies and Steve and I need to get on that ASAP. He has also started swimming lessons and he is a superstar! No crying, just smiles and splashing and kicking and he is so cute. We are going on Saturday mornings so it can be Liam and Daddy time. I went to watch, but when the novelty of it wears off, I can use this as me time - mmmmmmmm.... time by myself, oh the decadence.
So, that's my quick State of the Homefront Address. Tune in a bit later for some cuteness, I can hear him waking up, so bye-bye. It's nice to be back.
Posted by leah at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
January 03, 2006
Weekly Dose of Cuteness
Yes I am back from Kentucky and I haven't posted. I am still recovering from my vacation and plan to soon be back on track with the blogging, but I could barely get my shit together just to take this very simple, yet very cure picture of Liam for you. Note the very attractive wet ring o' drool around his collar. This is the latest fashion trend with urban babies and is expected to last as the must have accessory for quite some time. We are oh so proud of Liam's ability to sport this particular item with every outfit we put him in. YUM!
Posted by leah at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)