Shamrock Shuffle

This Sunday I will be running the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in Chicago with 30,000 other people. I can't imagine that this is going to be a great race for me considering the lack of running that I have been doing since I was cleared to run back in mid-January.

Frankly, this winter has NOT been conducive to running outside with the freezing temperatures, the snow, the ice, etc.  I probably should have started with a 5K to ease back into running, but it's too late now! In addition, before I went back to work the only time I could run during the day was on the weekend so that CP could watch Izzy (now I have the ability to run at lunch on Weds and Fri while I work from home).

Here are my stats since Jan 11th:

January

1 run, 2.4 miles

14:53 average pace

(note: lots of ice on the ground and trying not to push it TOO much since I was just 6 weeks out from Izzy's birth so lots of walking here)

February

2 runs, 4.98 miles total

13:22 average pace

Longest run 2.8 miles

March

6 runs, 18.37 miles total

12:09 average pace

Longest run 4.5 miles (last Sunday) with a 11:50 pace

I was never speedy and I certainly won't be breaking any records, but at least I'm seeing my pace come down.  I do my runs with Buster so there are always pee and poo breaks as well.  

Goal A is to finish the race in under an hour.  I think that it is possibly doable- that means a 12 minute mile pace.

Goal B is to not get taken off the course because I'm running too slow!  I can't take longer than 1 hour, 15 minutes....so basically 15 minute miles.

Goal A might be a bit of a stretch if I am having to run around all of the other participants, but we'll see.  If I don't achieve it then I will be okay and just be happy that I finished 4.97 miles!  :-)

First trip away

Poor Izzy.  The hits just keep on coming.  On Monday night after I picked her up from daycare I brought her home and noticed red bumps on her legs, thighs, and one on her hand.  They almost looked like insect bites.  I jumped on the internet to see what it could possibly be and they looked like Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (not to be confused with Hoof & Mouth Disease in cows).  But HFMD usually comes with fever and mouth sores- both of which she (thankfully) didn't have.  We called the doctor that night but they didn't get back to us (grrrr).  She was rejected from daycare because they had a few confirmed cases of HFMD so CP stayed home with her on Tuesday and took her to the doctor.  I stayed home with her yesterday and we were told that as long as she didn't get a fever or the mouth sores she could head back to daycare.  I guess HFMD is something that runs rampant in daycares, but it seems to mainly stay with kids and not jump to adults.  Hopefully the red bumps go away soon and she never has it again!!

I know the argument that we are testing her immune system right now and it will only help her in the long run but it would be nice if she could have a few sick-free days or weeks sometime soon!

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In other news, next week I will be embarking on my first overnight work trip away from Izzy (Wed-Fri). It's going to be difficult to spend two nights away from her but luckily CP was able to block the time off from his schedule so that we both were not traveling at the same time. However, CP will be gone Sunday through Tuesday for his own work trip so Izzy is going to be thoroughly confused with the solo parenting next week!

Currently I am fortunate enough to be pumping a bit more than Izzy is eating at daycare. This is great because at the end of the week, I am able to freeze the extra milk. I definitely have enough in the freezer to go away for these three days and have Izzy completely taken care of milk-wise but it will severely deplete my stash.

I was contemplating just dumping the milk I pumped while I am away so that I didn't have to worry about traveling with it, but after speaking to another nursing/pumping mother at work who took a business trip for two nights away from her son, I may be rethinking my plan. She warned me that because the pump is less efficient, my milk production will decrease even though I won't be gone very long. Booooo. If that's true it may take a while (or maybe never?) to get my milk production back up to current levels....so maybe I should save it and fly back with it?

If I do go this route I need tips. I have plenty of BM freezer bags and will store then carry the milk home in those to save space (plus Izzy needs the bottles for daycare). I need to call the hotel to find out if i have a fridge in my room. If not, what do i do? The ice packs I use are not frozen solid by the time I get home from one day of work...let alone three days. What about keeping the milk cold on my flight home? Any tips or tricks?

This whole being-the-sole-provider-of-your-kid's-meals is stressful!!  I'm not complaining because I am immensely thankful that I am able to do so, but there is definitely a lot of pressure.

Sickness

This is Izzy's third week of daycare.  It is also Izzy's third week of being sick.  

The first week or so was a cold that I most likely gave her right before she started daycare (cue feelings of guilt).  She had a bit of a cough and was a little congested but nothing too bad.

Then late last week we decided to take her in to see her doctor. Her cold wasn't getting any better and she even seemed to be getting worse and more congested (by this time CP also had a cold).  She was diagnosed with bronchiolitis which her ped said may last a while- but it wasn't RSV and she wasn't contagious.

Then on Saturday morning Iz woke up with yellow discharge all over her left eye and had trouble opening it.  We took her in to see a doctor again and are now armed with the same ointment we were given for Koda's eye problem last year. 

The rest of Saturday Iz was pretty miserable and was a sight to see.  Oozing fluid from her eye, dripping snot from her nose, and drooling up a storm.  She thankfully slept upright and in our arms most of the day as other than de-snotting her with saline/the bulb sucker or turning the shower on and steaming up the bathroom, there wasn't much we could do.

She headed to daycare today and I haven't heard anything from them so hopefully she is doing okay?  It's been hard for her to nurse with such a snotty nose....I can't imagine that she is taking the bottle that well either.  The doctor on Saturday did note that she was doing extremely well with her breathing despite the congestion.

Saturday night and yesterday she seemed a bit better.  

I knew that putting her in daycare meant that she may get sick more often but the first three weeks?  I thought that giving her breastmilk was supposed to help?

:-( 

Birthday

Happy 3rd birthday to our 95 lb "lap dog"!  You may be frustrating at times, but we love your super cuddly ways and your kisses.  We are also grateful that you took to Izzy so quickly.

I know you miss Koda as much as we do- especially because she kept you in line- but soon enough Izzy will be bossing you around!  I haven't seen any squirrels or rabbits for you to chase today in the backyard, but we have plenty of fresh snow for you to eat (groan).

Love you buddy!

Products I love

Every once in a while I like to blog about certain products that I am loving at the moment.  While these certainly change with the seasons and what is going on in my life, here are a few that I would highly recommend.

Nike Fuel Band

My sister had an extra Nike Fuel Band and gave it to me right after the New Year.  I was excited to start using it because it's a good way to track how much you are moving and exercising that day.  I have an earlier edition so my Fuel Band tracks my activity that day, the number of calories I have burned, and the number of steps I have taken. (The latest model can remind you to get up and move every hour and can also track your workout sessions.)  The Fuel Band syncs with my iPhone so I can see extra information on the app. I also like the look of the Fuel Band.  It's not too big and it fits perfectly on my wrist.

L'Oreal Evercreme Shampoo and Conditioner

During pregnancy your hair is supposed to be shiny and look fantastic 24/7.  My hair on the other hand...well, it felt like straw most of the time.  I did get a deep conditioning treatment once at my salon which helped, but for the most part I used a deep conditioner two times a week at home and just gave up on my hair.  Once Izzy arrived, my hair became even MORE dry and I thought that it might be the start of the dreaded crazy hair loss that women often complain about after delivery.  Well, so far I don't have the hair loss, but I have found a product that has restored the shine and silky texture to my hair.  If you have dry hair I can HIGHLY recommend this product.  Another plus? It doesn't have some the chemicals that I try to stay away from in my beauty products.

Eczema Aveeno cream

After delivering Izzy the skin on my face became red and itchy. I don't know if it is a post-partum issue made worse by the ridonkulously cold weather we are having in Chicago this winter- frankly I'm hoping that it is so that it goes away at some point.  But it certainly seemed like I had eczema!  I didn't have time to see a dermatologist, so I checked out reviews on various eczema products and decided on these two- one is a wash that I use in the shower, the other a lotion that I use after I get out of the shower. I don't think that they are necessarily for my face, but my itching has stopped and the redness is not as bad.  

My Brest Friend

When I was registering, everyone I knew recommended the Boppy.  I ended up getting one at a consignment sale and buying a new cover for it.  When I visited the lactation consultant she recommended My Brest Friend instead and I tried it out during our session.  It was so much easier!!  Despite the name, it really is the better product for nursing.  

Simple Wishes Hands Free Bra

(not me)

Yep, it certainly looks weird but it does the job!  I had the choice of this bra or the Medela Hands Free and the lactation consultant suggested this one.  It has an extra panel that you can use or remove when your weight fluctuates.  

**As always, I was not asked to endorse, review, or sent any of these products, nor was I given any money to blog about these products (too bad- daycare is expensive!).**

Have you been using anything recently that you love?

First week of daycare

As predicted, this week it was MUCH harder to leave Izzy in the morning- because instead of being at home with CP, she had to be dropped off at daycare.

Monday morning CP headed off to work while I took Izzy to her lip tie appointment.  We took her to an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor in early February which turned out to be a waste of time.  The doctor referred us to a nearby dentist who does the lip tie procedure with a laser.  The procedure only takes three minutes, there is minimal bleeding, no risk of infection, and Izzy is awake the whole time.  If a doctor did the procedure they would have had to put Izzy under general anesthesia, she would have sutures and bleeding, etc.  No thanks!  The only downside to doing the laser procedure was that it wasn't covered by insurance.  However, it was worth it.

I sat down in the dentist chair and had to hold her arms down while she lay on my chest.  She was not a happy camper throughout the procedure, but stopped crying fairly soon afterwards.  The office had a room that I could take her afterwards to breastfeed her and she ate willingly.  She was quiet on the drive home and as long as that continued, the plan was to take her to daycare for the half day. I gave her one dose of Tylenol for the pain but since then she has been a trooper and hasn't needed any more pain medication.  Other than a swollen upper lip, she is back to normal.

I felt like an AWFUL mother when I dropped her off.  The poor girl has a cold, just went through a traumatic lip tie procedure, and would now spend the afternoon in the company of strangers.  I got in the car and cried my eyes out as I drove home.  It was definitely hard to concentrate the rest of the day.  She was completely fine when I picked her up and was in a good mood yesterday as well.  Starting daycare has definitely been tougher on me than her.

For the most part, I will be the one picking her up at night and not dropping her off so at least I get the smiles at pick-up.  I look forward to that all day long at work.  Thank goodness for my phone where I have a ton of pictures and videos to get me through the day as well.  I know this gets better- I'm sure it will help to get in more of a routine too.

My future is so bright- I've gotta wear shades!