Spontaneous SD Weekend & Plans for the Week

Hello friends! Hope your week is off to a great start. Can you believe it's almost April? Terry's birthday month! Hooray!

Around here, let's back up a bit, because I get to decide what we discuss here. Friday was a pretty rough day. I desperately wanted to go for a run, but when we got to the park Terry found a screw in one of our tires. Thankfully, despite a fairly long wait, we got the tire repaired (instead of having to replace the whole thing), and they didn't even charge us! WHAT?! I thought it was a joke. We also used the long wait to walk a bit to lunch, so I did get my exercise after all.

Terry had to work down in San Diego (both days, as it turned out), so we made a family trip of it and all drove down Friday night. I feel like there's never a good time to throw a baby in a car for two hours, but we try to start road trips when Marshall is ready for a nap or for bedtime. In this case, we went to his usual swim lesson, ate dinner and packed at home, and then hit the road after Marshall's bath, right around bedtime. Of course, we had to wake him and put him back to sleep when we arrived, but then he slept through from there, so we all got some rest.

Terry's call time was six a.m. both days, but Marshall has been waking up around 5 or 5:30 lately anyway, so it worked out that he was our alarm clock. We dropped Terry off at work on Saturday and then headed out to enjoy our day. I planned to let Marshall nap in his stroller during a walk, but I learned an important life lesson: When your kid doesn't fall asleep for the first 45 minutes of the walk (at which point you stop into Jimbo's for a juice and a Lara bar for sustenance), then you have to keep walking once the little dude is actually asleep, which leads to a 6-mile walk and 12,000 steps before nine a.m.! Luckily San Diego is perfectly gorgeous, even in (especially in?) the suburbs of North County, so I enjoyed lovely views during my walk.

Delicious!

We popped into a few stores later in the day, grabbed a late lunch, and met Daddy at the park after work.

The next day was more of the same, but less walking and an earlier end time for Terry, so we headed back home. We kept last night super mellow--roasted sweet potatoes, leftover crock pot chicken, black beans, shredded cheese, and some salsa verde. And then some roasted Brussels sprouts. Why not?

Today by the end of the day, we all needed some fresh air, so we hit up the local park. Terry took some photos of our little dude. I can't believe how much he's grown since our first times going to that same park!

He did this after watching a bird, so we assume he's brilliant and knows how to flap his arms.

Look at that tiny bug in there! You can barely see his teeny head!

Alright, folks, tomorrow is Tuesday. Here's our plan for the week, food and fitness-wise.

Monday

Breakfast: Sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts (leftovers) with an egg on top, plus a pumpkin muffin

Lunch: Out

Dinner: tomato bisque with salad and bread

Fitness: Light walk at the park

Tuesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftover chicken and sweet potatoes for Terry, leftover soup for me

Dinner: Mac and cheese and broccoli and peas

Fitness: Yoga!

Wednesday

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with toast and fruit

Lunch: Out (Mom & Marshall), Leftovers for Terry

Dinner: Veggie quesadillas

Fitness: Long walk, maybe jog a little?

Thursday

Breakfast: Overnight oats

Lunch: Sandwiches, fruit

Dinner: Breakfast for dinner! Frittata? Waffles? Who knows?

Fitness: Full body strength workout

Friday

Breakfast: Leftovers from Thursday night

Lunch: Who knows?

Dinner: Eggplant parm

Fitness: Jog at the beach

Hope you have a wonderful start to the week!

Ready for the Weekend

Poor Terry. Yesterday was a rough one. He sprained or strained his ankle on Monday evening, so he decided to stay home yesterday to be able to ice it and avoid walking too much at the office. Unfortunately, his work laptop went on the fritz, so he had to go into work anyway--except he drove in way later than usual and hit tons of traffic.

Sometimes, though, the universe is looking out for me. When Terry decided to stay home yesterday morning, I grabbed two loads of laundry and ran downstairs to get them started. All four washers were busy (at 7:45 in the morning?!). Good thing, though, because Terry left soon after and I would have been in a real pickle trying to run up and down three flights of stairs to do laundry with a ten-month-old! Thanks, Universe.

Backing up a bit, we met Daddy for lunch this week!

After lunch, Marshall and I stopped at the park for some swings, a walk, and to look at the ducks. These guys were fearless; they waddled right up to us! I assume they're used to getting food.

On his way home from work, my brother called while I was making dinner. He didn't agree that my meal qualified as a burger salad, but I don't know what else you'd call it. Lettuce, burger patty, avocado, cheese (added after the photo), and dressing. The dressing was from the restaurant where we went to lunch that day, a cilantro-lime something that I am pretty sure I need more of now.

The rest of this week seemed to move rather slowly, but at the same time it's a bit of a blur. I know there was a lot of hanging out with my little sidekick.

Don't try to tell him how to use a walker. He knows exactly what he's doing.

This photo requested by my dad, who wanted to see Marshall's new car seat.

This photo was not commissioned, but I think it could be worth something one day.

Today we went to the library! I borrowed two books a few weeks ago, enjoyed one (Goodnight June by Sarah Jio) and really couldn't get into the other (Le Divorce by Diane Johnson), even after ten chapters. So I returned both today and borrowed J.K. Rowling's The Cuckoo's Calling (written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith). I don't normally read crime novels, but I think Rowling is a fantastic writer, so I'm eager to see how this one goes. Terry is reading A Casual Vacancy by Rowling. 

The library has a little pay area for "young readers"--Marshall was more interested in the fun toys than the books!

In other adventures...

I found Trumer Pils at Costco! I was thrilled, and Scout felt pretty happy about it, too.

It's a million degrees here (well, high 80s), and Scout is miserable. He's not even running away (as fast) when Marshall crawls over to terrorize pet him. We will all be close behind him. Time to haul out the portable air conditioner again...

Tomorrow evening, after a swim lesson for a certain little boy and a basketball game for the Bruins, we're heading down to San Diego for a quick trip. Terry has to work early Saturday morning down there, so we figured we'd make it a little family trip.

Marshall: Ten Months

Ten months old! What a growing boy!

This month you got two more teeth and learned how to stand up! Yikes. Now you stand any chance you get and can pull up on almost anything. You also even took a few steps when the box you were standing against started moving. You acted like it was no big deal, but your parents thought otherwise.

You're still eating up everything you can, including one big handful of cat food when I wasn't watching closely enough. You didn't swallow it (I don't think), but you sure did get a taste! Otherwise, you eat everything we offer you and then demand (with gusto!) more and more and more. You scream if we don't keep adding food pieces to your plate, and I'm in BIG trouble if we get you into your high chair before your food is ready. (Let's hope you'll learn to wait patiently eventually.) You also learned this month that you can choose which foods you want to eat first. If we put multiple foods on your tray in small pieces, you eat what you like best first.

You're also still nursing about five times per day: usually around 5 am, 7 am, after each nap (you take two naps daily), and right before bed. You often sleep through the night (7:30 pm to 5 am), but there are plenty of nights where you wake up once or twice and need some help getting back to sleep.

You love: looking at, crawling toward, and trying to pet Scout; turning pages in board books, especially books with flaps; eating everything; pulling up to stand on everything; going on the swings; riding on Daddy's shoulders; talking (no words yet, but lots of babbling!); going to My Gym; playing peekaboo; swim lessons; bath time; and being chased around the ottoman in your room!

You aren't a huge fan of getting into your car seat, still, and you don't like getting cleaned up after meals. You also really hate when we walk away during meals--and you let us know by screaming about it! Otherwise you're still a pretty easygoing baby (thank you!). We have a rough day or rough patch here and there, but I think we're all getting better at handling those tough times.

I absolutely love this age. You seem to be learning so much, and we feel like you are right on the verge of talking. You seem to understand a lot about the world around you. I'm pretty sure you know cat and dog now. Also, last month you were pretty unwilling to hang out with new people, and this month is the opposite! Lots of smiles when new people are around, and you seem interested in cashiers, waiters, people walking by, and friends and family.

Some other random facts:

• You LOVE the vacuum. You cry when we turn it OFF! And you chase after it while we try to vacuum. It's sort of dangerous. But adorable.
• We used to be able to bring you into bed in the morning to snooze a little longer. Those days are done. :-( You are officially too energetic and eager to move! 
• Diaper changes are an all-out battle now. You wrestle and kick and scream...thankfully a small toy or a game of peekaboo with a burp cloth helps!

• You've really thinned out! Ever since starting to crawl, you've lost a lot of your newborn chub, and now you're looking even taller! 

We're so excited to watch you grow and learn, Marshall. Thank you for bringing such joy to our lives!

Past Updates:

Marshall: 9 Months
Marshall: 8 Months
Marshall: 7 Months
Six Months
Five Months
Four Months
Three Months
Two Months
One Month

Mom's Day Out

Happy Monday, and happy Spring! Also, happy Sweet Sixteen to the Bruins, along with two other Pac 12 teams!

Speaking of Bruins, today I had the privilege of heading back to my alma mater to help read applications for alumni scholarships.

I got to chat with friends, meet some new people, and read a bunch of applications from truly outstanding new Bruins. Oh, and Marshall stayed home with Daddy! So I got almost the entire day on my own, which was really a treat. I spent about eight hours away from my little boy, and we all did great. In fact, when I came home, Marshall smiled at me, crawled toward me, and then went to pet Scout instead. Ah, motherhood.

To take full advantage of my day away, Jenn and I went out to lunch to catch up without a baby in tow. We had fun chatting about anything and everything without a schedule to interrupt. I truly appreciated those two hours of girl talk--and I need to do that more often!

Once home, of course, I dove right into the mom role again, pumping a few bottles for Marshall to replenish what he drank while I was out (we still have lots stocked up in hopes of still offering breastmilk even after he weans for a bit), washing and sterilizing bottles and pump parts, playing with the little guy, and listening to Terry's tales from his day. They had a lot of fun--a walk by the beach, a new park, and plenty of reading and playing at home. I'm so thankful to my husband for being willing to take over baby duties to give me a full day off.

The rest of our weekend was a mellow one, watching the Bruins win, tackling a few chores (Marshall's infant/toddler car seat is now installed--no more newborn/infant car seat!), watching more Once Upon a Time (I convinced Terry to catch up and watch with me, and he's enjoying it too!).

I just finished a lower body workout tonight that left me nice and sweaty:

• squats (20)
• side lunge right, right lunge, two lunge jumps; repeat left (10)
• squats (20)
• curtsy lunges (15 per side) + 15 pulses on the last one
• speed skaters (30)
• squats (20)
• hip abductors (standing) (15 per side) + 15 pulses on the last one
• plie squat jumps (30)
• squats (20)

Plus a two-minute elbow plank and one minute elbow plank on each side. Helloooooo sore legs! Sometimes I love these workouts where I only do one set of each exercise (except the squats, in this case). I think I use better form and push myself a little harder knowing that it's my only set.

This week looks like a relaxing one. Terry has a flag football game tomorrow night with his coworkers, so Marshall and I will be on our own for bedtime. We have the usual My Gym classes and swim lesson, and I'm planning to get outside to take advantage of this not-too-hot weather (while it lasts!). 

Off to watch the rest of our Once Upon a Time episode before heading to bed. Hope your week (and Spring!) are off to a great start.

What's the weather like where you are? I hear the East Coast is pretending it's still winter, while we're over here about to head into summer. Where are the seasons?!

What's your current favorite show? Once Upon a Time is a fun one, but my current favorite is The Middle! 

Friday Favorites

I'm dealing with a little writer's block this week. Even if I found time to write, I struggled to piece together a post that had any decent content whatsoever. So I opted for sleep and time with my husband, and now it's Friday so I have an excuse to randomly list things I like. That's the way to do it, friends.

Marshall is a standing maniac! I realize this behavior is quite common with babies, but it's so crazy how he learns a skill and then just goes to town! He stands (pulls up on whatever is near him), falls, stands, squats, stands, reaches for something, falls, lets go with one hand, falls, stands. ALL. DAY. LONG. It's amazing and adorable and funny and a little scary how quickly it all happened. Wasn't he just learning to roll over?

Today I suddenly felt inspired to get active, so naturally I did three workouts. During Marshall's first nap I ignored the ridiculous mess that is our house and turned on Once Upon a Time (see below) and did about thirty minutes of yoga. Then before My Gym I took Marshall for a walk, at which point I suddenly felt compelled to run about 3/4 of a mile. And then after the little guy was asleep Terry and I quickly did some upper body work. I realize they were all super short workouts, so really they total one normal workout, but I am counting it as three because they happened at different times.

Oh, and I saw this couple walking their giraffe. I know it looks like a dog because it's grey, but I'm pretty sure it was just a grey giraffe.

I am officially excited about Once Upon a Time. I really want to watch all the old episodes of The Middle, but I can't find them streaming anywhere, so I had to find a new show to enjoy. My sister-in-law told me she liked Once Upon a Time a while back, so I threw on the pilot and LOVED it! Now I'm three deep and addicted.

Yesterday Marshall got to put his toes in the sand (at a park) for the first time!

Today at My Gym Marshall wore his POLICE onesie (which is all black with white writing and totally bad ass) plus Giants shorts. His last name is Heinrich and he looks exactly like his daddy, but that kid was all Lanier today! (My parents are retired law enforcement and my whole family are Giants fans--the clothes were gifts from my parents and my brother and Ashley.) Also a little girl stole a ball from Marshall and her mom said, "No, Sophia, don't steal from the police! You're supposed to suck up to them!" I want to be her friend.

I made copycat Lara Bar balls today. 1 cup dates, 1 cup cashews, 2/3 cup coconut, pinch of salt. Process in food processor until everything is tiny. Roll into balls. Store in fridge. SO GOOD. I won't judge you if you add chocolate chips.

I love this article about getting kids to eat healthy. I'm sure it's easier said than done, and maybe in a few years I'll be whistling a different tune, but it's inspiring. No food in the car! All meals and snacks eaten at the table! Ah, one can dream.

GO BRUINS!!!

Off to bed! Have a wonderful Friday and a relaxing weekend. Best of luck to the Bruins! Round Two here we come!

Back from the Bay

We arrived home late last night, so I chose sleep over blogging as I so often do these days. We had a wonderful, somewhat longer than usual trip to the Bay Area this weekend, filled with family time and even a date.

Marshall slept three hours on our trip up, and I read about 75% of my book. It was practically a vacation.

Friday evening we visited with our close family friends, and Friday night, we got to spend time with our friends Fay and David, who came over for dinner at my parents' house. We talked, drank delicious wine, ate tasty food, and enjoyed a great time together. I'm so glad they live on the West Coast now!

On Saturday we took a long walk around the neighborhood (about four miles) and then headed out for the long drive to Portola Valley. This area is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been; my great aunt and uncle own a lovely home there. They hosted the memorial service for their daughter, my dad's cousin. The service was touching, funny, and sweet, truly a perfect way to remember Weezie. We also loved visiting with my extended family--aunts, uncles, cousins, friends. Marshall got to see many of his relatives for the first time!

On Sunday, my parents offered to watch Marshall while Terry and I went out for lunch together. We couldn't remember the last time we went out for a date, so it was way overdue, and we had a fantastic time chatting and devouring half a pizza.

And then my brother and Ashley came!

Check out this chair my mom got Marshall. Have you ever seen anything funnier?

We had another fun night enjoying steaks, mushrooms, onions, green beans, and tortellini before calling it a night and struggling through a tough night of sleep with Marshall. Luckily, we woke up feeling well enough to squeeze in a jog the next day, and then we even forced ourselves to do some planks. And then we were back on the road!

Scout hid his misery well.

And actually cuddled with the baby! I know one day they'll be buddies. Marshall is slowly learning to pet the cat gently. 

As I mentioned, we arrived home late last night, and now the week is in full swing. We had Shepherd's pie tonight to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and we discussed all sorts of different versions of the dish we want to try in the future. I also bought a bag of Sea Salt Caramel Butterscotch something-or-others from Trader Joe's, and we practically finished the bag in half an hour. I recommend freezing them if you get the chance. Or just eat them on your way home from the store. Whatever.

Okay, off to bed in hopes of another good night of sleep with the little dude (he slept through the night last night!). Hope you have a great day!

Blogging from the Road

On the road again! Terry, Marshall, Scout, and I are all packed up in the car heading up to my parents' house in Northern California. True to form, we have an absolutely packed weekend planned, complete with dinner with friends, a celebration of life for my dad's cousin who passed away before the holidays, a visit to other friends, and lots of family time. These trips need to be longer, and then I need to plan a post-trip vacation to recover from all the activities and visits.

I wanted to blog last night, but I was beyond exhausted. Yesterday (Thursday) actually turned out to be a tough one, even with my mom visiting. Marshall woke up extra early and bit me several times while nursing, so I resorted to a bottle and then proceeded to get all emotional--"what if he keeps biting me and I can never breastfeed him again?!"--but thankfully he was fine during the next feeding (although he did bite me again later that day...). Then Scout threw up. Tough start for the day.

We enjoyed the rest of the morning with a fun breakfast of blueberries and oatmeal, some shopping at HomeGoods, and our My Gym class before saying goodbye to JanJan. Marshall gave me one more good nap before the day went back to misery...

We wanted to go out for a walk, but I found a spider on the roof of the car and tried to kill it but it slid down into the crack between the roof and the door and I couldn't find it and Marshall was crying so I gave up and wasn't going to drive or put Marshall in the backseat with a deadly beast so we went back inside. So of course I was all shaky (I have a consistently worsening fear of spiders, and I become virtually paralyzed, although I am convinced that I would be able to defeat a spider if it was near Marshall) and stressed, but I calmed myself down. But then we were stuck inside and Marshall was a clingy, whiny, unhappy mess for the next hour and a half. Somewhere in there I got word from Terry that he was just leaving San Diego at 5:30--so I was on my own for bedtime with M. Yikes.

Wah wah wah. I know, first world problems. And by the end of the evening, after I had cooked a healthy meal with whatever we had in the fridge (onions, carrots, celery, lentils, and chicken broth became a hearty soup), fed and bathed Marshall, and put the little guy to bed, I really felt proud of myself. I tend to get up in my head about being on my own (hence summoning my mother when Terry was out of town for two measly days), but I think we're all capable of more than we give ourselves credit for, and I should be more confident. I even got the house clean and dishes mostly done before Terry arrived home.

Still, I'd like to buy all the single mothers out there a well-deserved drink. (Since I can't, though -- I mean, logistics -- I'll just have a drink on behalf of all the single mothers. Cheers.)

And now it's Friday, basically the weekend, time to enjoy each other's company and get some exercise and maybe even sleep if Marshall's tooth will finally poke through. (I've become that mom who blames everything on teething, and I'm really going to run with that new identity.) Terry and I are hoping to sneak away for a lunch date this weekend, and Scout has plans to look out my parents' front window while hiding from my brother and sister-in-law's giant dogs. Should be a good time.

Here are a few links from around the interwebs if you're in need of some mindless entertainment. Have a wonderful weekend!

My favorite blogger's twin sister's husband passed away this week, and it turns out he is a famous doctor whose obiturary and work are incredibly inspiring. He had just become a father -- his daughter is younger than Marshall -- and I just wish I could give that family a big hug.

My friend Amanda sent me this book for Christmas, and it was perfect for getting me back into reading again. Now I am reading a few pages every night and even went to the library this week to grab two more books, Goodnight June by Sarah Jio (a fun author) and Le Divorce by Diane Johnson, which just seems like a fun read and takes place in Paris so of course I'm excited about it. Here are some other fun book ideas if you need ideas.

I love this post about "me" time. I agree. I always like the idea of time to myself, but it ends up being something like going grocery shopping or cleaning the house while Terry watches Marshall. It's not bad, it's just not exactly as glamorous as it sounds like it should be. Although we did receive gift cards to a spa for Christmas, and that would be some solid "me" time for sure!

20 reasons you don't want a Bernese Mountain Dog as a pet. My family dog growing up (age 10 to 18) was a Berner, and he was the world's most wonderful dog. My parents are hoping to get another soon(ish?), and I can't wait. Terry and I dream of getting a big dog someday, too, when we have a more dog-friendly living situation.

Okay, that's it for the day. Happy weekend!

What's on the agenda, folks? Any fun plans?

What's your favorite road trip stop? I love In-N-Out, but on Fridays during Lent we skip meat so we'll do Chipotle today!

Can you recommend a therapist/hypnotist for overcoming my fear of spiders?

Any good book recommendations?