Monthly Archives: July 2013

Change

Source:

This may come as a surprise to some, but I am not a big fan of change. My big brother teased me for not wanting to embrace the technology of CDs when I still wanted my cassette tapes. I think I finally made the switch around 1990. (Mark – you are always right about that kind of stuff. I should listen more.)

I like routine. I thrive on being up for a run or to the gym by 6. I like knowing which coffee shop I visit on which day. Matt and I have two different pizza toppings that we rotate, and always from our favorite pizza place. You get the point. But somehow I find myself in a big state of change. Baby, career change to grad school, moving to a different city…and its wonderful and scary at the same time.

Then I get to see the change Jack is experiencing. All in the course of a weekend he is growing so much! He is pulling himself to standing completely on his own. It is so exciting to see him so happy with his work, and walking in his room to see him standing in his crib. On Sunday our neighbors’ dog came outside where we were sitting and barked. Jacked jumped a little, but when the dog had settled a little more Jack gave the dog a quiet “woof, woof.”

In this moment I was reminded how exciting change can be, and am even more excited for what is waiting for us just around the corner. Good luck to each of you in your changes, big or small, this week!

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Countdown of Kansas City Favorites

I’ve lived in Kansas City 6 and a half years. Five of those years have been in wonderful Brookside. I love this city and am going to miss a lot when we are gone. We are trying to take advantage of our remaining time here (just over a week!) by visiting with our favorite people and places.

Thursday at Bier Station with my favorite people, the best cupcakes in the city (Cafe Europa lemon and red velvet), and a game of Cards Against Humanity:

A walk around Brookside with the “Jack Pack”

And today at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum, with the famous shuttlecocks.

It was an unseasonably nice July Sunday here so we took advantage of walking around the Sculpture Park and the Kauffman Gardens. If you live in Kansas City or have been to visit, what would make your “must do” list?

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Thursday Heyday

Today started too nice not to share. With the impending move and life being busy in general, workouts have still been a regular part of my day but have been efficient and ordinary.

Last night, my favorite workout buddy, texted to say she had the perfect workout for us after I requested something “strengthy.” (Doesn’t strengthy sound serious?)

2000m row

2 rounds of:
20 thrusters
20 sumo deadlift high pull
20 push jerks
20 overhead squats
20 front squats

Followed by tabata abs

Emily muscled up the 45 lb bar for the exercises and I happily grabbed the 40 lb bar. Rowing is such a great exercise because it warms up your whole body and, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend next to you, can chat a bit.

The second round was tough, but Coach Em said, “Try doing 10 of each the second round. And if 10 is hard…just do more.” How great is it to have people who know you’re capable and who push you to be better?

Plus coffee at one of my favorite Kansas City shops was waiting for us after we finished.

Clearly this smiling face will not be at my next gym but I hope a rowing machine will be there. What is your favorite 10 minute cardio option?

7 Month Update

Two days ago, on the 12^th, Jack turned 7 months old. In what feels like the blink of an eye he is now officially closer to the one year mark than he is a newborn. Boy! Does it really feel like it this week. In the past 5 or so days he has been breaking out all kinds of tricks including: waving to Matt before leaving to go on a stroller run, feeding himself a fourth of a banana, sitting up in his crib to wait for us to come get him, and half-way pulling himself to standing in a laundry basket. He is getting much faster at the army crawling and is working on incorporating his knees. He officially outgrew the laundry basket from the previous monthly photos, plus he doesn’t lay down very long these days. He is BUSY!

He is such a funny and happy boy. He babbles quite a bit now – sometimes very high pitched sounding and sometimes he sounds so much like a gremlin its frightening. He has had two bottom teeth since just after he turned three months and now two top teeth have broken through. He consistently goes to bed and down for naps while awake and usually pretty calm. I love our bedtime routine of nursing or a bottle with lots of songs before Matt and I put him in bed, kiss him and tell him we love him and leave. Watching Jack rub his head after we leave to finalize his own bedtime routine cracks me up.

Likes: Bath time, kisses, music and singing (Itsy Bitsy Spider can make any meltdown disappear), his highchair and eating (he had salmon for the first time last night and loved it), swimming pools

Dislikes: Getting dressed, seeing Mommy or Daddy leave the room, waiting for his morning oatmeal Check him out standing up with his toy! You’ll notice my hand in the background nervously waiting for him to fall. He is amazingly strong!

I thought I would miss him being a “baby” but every month brings so many great new adventures. So happy to have this little boy in my life!

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A Matter of Perspective

The last couple of weeks have been more stressful than I would like to admit. There have been a lot of great things like getting an offer on our house (yay!) but the impending move has me feeling anxious. I know that this change is going to be a great one in the long run, but the uncertainty of leaving a place that has become so comfortable is making me crawl out of my skin. And, when I am feeling overly anxious, I almost always choose this time to be unhappy with me – my body, my abilities, my relationships….and on and on in a horrible spiral.

Last Monday I started feeling these negative thoughts. Matt and I took the rug rat for a run, and I was feeling slow and tired. We got in a short 2 mile run before heading back home for dinner, bath time and the normal night with a baby. When we were changing from the run, I put Jack on our bed. I had a shiny bracelet at the other end of the bed that caught Jack’s attention. I watched as his expression said, “I’m going to get that!” He army crawled to the bracelet pretty slowly, and he was panting! But he was so determined. When he got to his prize he smiled and grabbed. I let him have a few congratulatory seconds before stealing it back. What a mood changer!

While Jack only moved about 2 feet, he gave it his all and accomplished something completely new. I’m going to try to quit whining and just get out there and go for it. Whether the “it” is getting in a slower 2 miler, or moving hundreds of miles away to get closer to achieving a dream. I hope your week gets you closer to an accomplishment, big or small, too! (Now trying to pack with a more mobile baby is another story…)

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Lately

Because we have this going on:

Our routine has been a bit off. Luckily that has meant extra pool time.Dining al fresco every chance we get:Playtime with friends in the park when we take advantage of being gone for open houses:

Neighborhood parties with our Swedish friends and their midsummer’s traditions (see the greens pole in the background of the cuddly baby):Easy dinners that involve very little cooking and very little clean up:Lots of running and walking family time when (again) we need to be out of the house:(This guy never complains about being outside!)

And keeping my sanity with friends who challenge me with hills sprints. (Please note I did not see this smile on any of the sprints because I spent every one trying my hardest to catch this speedy woman).And not nearly enough coffee moments with friends (but I am going to change that with a run and coffee with friends tomorrow).
Doesn’t this cinnamon honey latte make you want to get out of bed in the morning?

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