Fever all Weekend

On Friday when I woke Carter up he felt warm.  I took his temperature and one ear said 100.2, the other said 102.1.  Being a new mom of a baby, I had no clue what to do at this point.  I tried to find Tylenol, but couldn’t (of course), so I dressed him in light clothes and brought him to daycare in hopes the fever would just come down naturally.  Well I got a call around 12:00 saying that Carter had a temp of 104.0!  Whoops! I knew I should have stayed home with him!  So I brought him to the Urgent Care I used to work at, just because I wanted to make sure he didn’t have strep or an ear infection.  Both were negative.  They also checked for flu and that came back negative as well.  So we are dealing with a virus, gotta let this pass with time. So here are a few pictures of how the weekend went.

As you can see there was a lot of cuddling, a lot of only diaper time, even a time with a cool wash cloth and cool bottle.  Poor little poopster. I was alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen all weekend, gave a cool bath, pretty much anything to keep him cool, but not cold. For the most part he was acting like himself, but then he would have his cranky times.  He cried himself to sleep a lot in my lap. His fever was down to 98.9 a couple hours ago, so I am hoping it stays down finally and this crud can be behind us.

Today we had a busy morning of errands!  We went to Target, Walmart, Pet Expo, Gas station and the pharmacy. Whew! We had to get Carter a new carseat, because he reached the height limit in his infant car seat.  Here he is in his new carseat!  This is one of those pictures I should have looked at before deciding it was good. lol.

Monster Munch

Today I decided to make a new recipe called Monster Munch.  I thought it would be a fun treat to get excited for Halloween!

Here is a picture of what it is supposed to look like.

And here’s what mine looked like 🙂

I made two batches.  One with white chocolate almond bark and one with chocolate almond bark.  I will have to say, I like the white chocolate better.  Here is the website I got the recipe from.  I tweaked it a little bit.  I did not add nuts, and used regular M&M’s.  I also tried white chocolate chips, but I ruined them when trying to melt them in the microwave… luckily I had almond bark on hand!

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I really need to get back into a work out routine.  I figured that I should either probably suck it up and get up an hour earlier, or try to work out on my lunch break.  I will get a better workout in the morning, knowing that I can shower afterwards before work, and not go back to work all sweaty.  So here is to being in bed before 9pm and trying to wake up at 4:30.  Who knows, maybe I will find a new found thing, that I am actually a morning person!!  Maybe not…

Not enough hours in the day

I have no clue how some people do it.  How can working mom’s managing working, taking care of the house, feeding their family and go to school?  I find it very hard to do all successfully. I can usually do 2/4 of those things in one day… on a good day 3/4.  For example.  Yesterday I went to work from 8-5, got Carter from Daycare, made sure Nate Jr. was ready for boy scouts (luckily his dad could bring him), went grocery shopping, made dinner, did 2 loads of laundry, dishes, and cleaned up what I could.  I finally sat down around 8:45 to do homework… took one good look at it and went to bed. Today, I worked 8-5, grabbed Carter, went to ECFE class with him, came home at the same time Nate was leaving for the Y. I knew I had to do a timed Exam for school  so, Nate Jr. was going to have left overs for dinner.  I sit down to do my exam, hoping that Carter doesn’t have a blow out/ tantrum.  He didn’t, but I did have to get up like 7 times to tend to him.  That is stressful during a timed exam!! I got an A on it by the way 🙂  Now I was going to do more homework, but I decided to blog instead ;).  I have a problem staying on task, but I can honestly say, I do get almost all of my homework in on time.  (I HAVE to say ALMOST all because this past weekend I totally forgot to reply to a discussion post, which lead to only half points for that discussion… ugh).  But seriously, if there is a mom that can manage it all… I would love to meet you.  Or maybe not…

Carter has definitely kept me on my toes!! During my hour and a half Chemistry Exam tonight he was in the swing, in his pack and play, in the high chair, in the Carter Car and finally on the ground crawling everywhere.  I asked Nate Jr. to watch him while I literally finished the last 5 questions.  That lasted all of 2 minutes, before Carter was half way down the hallway and Nate Jr. didn’t notice because he was consumed in the TV… that’s an 11 year old boy for you!  I plopped Carter up, put him on the couch with Nate Jr.  and said asked him again to watch him.  That worked 🙂  He also semi learned how to take off his shirt.

I also joined a staying active challenge at my work that started this week.  I wish chasing a 9 month old around would count as activity, but it doesn’t, so I have to find time in my day to try to be active.  Seriously, not enough hours in the day.  UGH, I just looked at the clock and its 9:40pm.  I’m going to bed, homework will have to wait.

This crazy world called Life.

My life is so crazy and hectic right now.  I changed jobs a couple months ago.  I am now in the OB/GYN department, which I absolutely LOVE!!! That was my goal when I wanted to become a nurse, was to either work at a clinic in the OB/GYN department or work on the Labor and Delivery floor at a hospital.  Since right now I am only an LPN, I cannot work on the Labor and Delivery floor.  Which is why… I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL.

I am currently attending Presentation College to get my RN with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing Degree. I hate school.  I am not as motivated this time around because I would rather be hanging out with my little boy, or working out, or doing ANYTHING other than homework.  BUT, this is my reality and I need to just push through the next couple years and then I can be done with school forever!  My husband has been a huge support with me going back to school.  He pushes me and reminds me when I don’t want to do it.  Sometimes I think it’s unfair that I have to work so hard to make enough money for my family, but I guess things could be worse.

Carter is now 9 MONTHS OLD!! Where the heck did the time go?  He has 6 teeth (4 on top and 2 on the bottom).  He’s sleeping through the night (has been since he was 2 months old, I know we are blessed). He babbles, laughs, loves to crawl and pull himself up on things.  We are working on walking, I am sure he will be walking before he turns a year old.  He is an absolute joy and I love every second I can spend with him.

Here are some pictures of him from his 7 month photo shoot.

I fell off the working out wagon since I started school.  I just have no time/energy right now.  I work 8-5 Monday through Friday and pick up at the restaurant on random Saturday nights.  Monday night Nate Jr. has Boy Scouts which the parents have to attend with them from 6-8.  Tuesday I signed Carter up for an Early Childhood Family Education class from 6-7.  Wednesday Nate Jr. has Church class from 6-7.  So already Monday through Wednesday I have a 12 hour day.  Thursday and Friday I have nothing going on after work, so I should just workout then, but then the mommy guilt sets in because I would then bring Carter from one day care to another day care so I can work out.  Then I have homework most nights so it’s just a busy time in my life, and I am trying to manage it the best I can.

Well being it’s past 9pm, it’s officially my bedtime 🙂  Good night all.

Starting Daycare

So I guess I am back to 50 hour work weeks. I don’t know how that happened, but that’s what is happening. I love working, but now that I have a baby, I feel bad when I am not at home with him. He also started daycare this week. I was semi-strong. I didn’t tear up until I got to work. (Ok, I teared up a little on my way to the day care). I did go pick him up on my lunch break though to take him home. Nate is still off for the winter from his construction job, so I could bring him home. We started daycare early so we could keep the spot. Tomorrow is his 2nd day of daycare, and I promise I won’t pick him up during my lunch break ;).

This week I have been slacking.  I am struggling to find time to work out.  Tomorrow I have my alarm set for 4:30am to get to the Y by 5am for a run. Let’s see if I actually do it. I am still going to run the race in April, even if it’s a run/walk.

I am also going to try to start school in the fall. I need to become an RN soon so I can actually start making money and not feel like I have to work 2 jobs to make ends meet.

I totally thought I had more to write about, but now I can’t think of anything, so it will be a short post. I should probably go to bed soon anyway if I am going to wake up at the butt crack of dawn.

Down 7lbs!

I have been doing pretty well at keeping up my workout regime and staying on track with food. I am down 7lbs from pre-pregnancy weight. My ultimate goal is to lose 53lbs which will put me at pre-marriage-when-I-first-started-dating-Nate weight. I am working out 4-5 days a week right now and training for a 15k I have to run in 5 weeks.. yikes! I also started weight training, which I never have really done before! I love it! Nate knows just how to motivate and push me to reach a personal record each week. Right now I can bench press 100lbs and leg press 525lbs. I am hoping to keep increasing those numbers.

This week my workout plan is:

Sunday: Walk 4 miles

Monday: 10,000 steps

Tuesday: Run 2 miles, weights

Wednesday: Bike 30 minutes, weights

Thursday: 10,000 steps

Friday: Run 2 miles

Saturday: Run 3 miles, weights

Sunday: Bike 40 minutes

On the days I have 10,000 steps are my 12 hour work days, so that is my goal, to get 10,000 steps in on the fitbit flex.  If I start getting super motivated, I might wake up early those days and hit the gym… but we’ll see. I like to sleep. Tonight we are going to bring lil Nate to the gym with us to get him introduced to weights and working out. He is only 11, but he is on the road to being overweight, and is husky right now, so by teaching him young about exercise and eating right will hopefully get him on the right track for the future.

Carter Update

Carter is doing great! I can’t believe he is only 2 1/2 months! He is cooing and babbling so much right now and smiling so much more, I love it! He sleeps through the night, has been healthy, and just has been a joy to my life. I can’t believe I got so lucky.

Here are some pictures from the week!

It’s a mind game

Today I found some new running shoes!  They are Brooks Glycerin. I went to a new running store in town that my manager recommended. They do a foot analysis by looking at the shape, arches, how you walk.  They were pricey, but I thought that if I wanted to be a runner, I should have good running shoes.

These shoes definitely helped with the knee pain I was experiencing. It’s amazing that just with the right support, pain will go away.

My workout plan today was 3 miles with couch to 5k and biking. I did 2.75 miles and 15 minutes of biking.  Running is such a mind game for me. Once I think I can’t run anymore I turn the speed down to walking.  I need somebody next to me, yelling at me, telling me to keep going or you’re going to die!!!! Well, maybe not that extreme, but a little pressure to keep going wouldn’t hurt!  I have to do 4 miles by the end of the week to stay on schedule for the 15k.

My workout schedule this week is:

Monday: Run 3 miles and bike (today I biked 2 miles)

Tuesday: rest (I work a 12 hour shift)

Wednesday: Run 3 miles, strength

Thursday: Strength (after my 12 hour shift – hopefully I will do this)

Friday: Run 4 miles

Saturday: Bike 60 minutes

Sunday: Bike 30 minutes, strength

Today we also decided on a daycare facility for when Nate goes back to work. We are going to the same place that his son went to.  It is a center. I like centers more than home care providers because there is a smaller adult to baby ratio and they never close on random days (even for weather!). An in home day care has the chance of the provider getting sick, taking vacation, needing a half day off for school related activities if they have children, and can have up to 10 children.  At this day care center there are 4 babies to 1 adult, their hours are reliable, and it’s a very secure building. The only downfall is that they are more expensive, but we are willing to pay the extra cost for the added benefits. I am not looking forward to sending Carter to daycare, but I know that it is necessary and it will be good for him to interact with other kids 🙂

La Terraza

Yesterday my parents and sister came down from the cities. We have made more of an effort to get together as a family once the baby arrived. I love having them visit!  We hung out at the house for a couple of hours, my sister help me put up letters in Carter’s room, which turned out to be WAY easier than I thought it was going to be. My sister bought the letters to paint for his room, which we painted when we were up at the cabin one weekend.

Here is the finished product!

My plan is to either do a photo college of Carter between the changing table and his name or get a canvas print of a picture printed. I haven’t decided yet.

After hanging out at the house for a little bit, we went out to dinner to La Terraza, which is our favorite Mexican restaurant in town. Here are some pictures from dinner!

Here is the whole family. I hate being in front of a table shot, and look horrible in this picture, but that is just motivation to get back to where I was.

Here is grandpa and grandma getting their quality time with Carter 🙂

It was a fun Saturday.

Today I had to work at the restaurant.  I remember why I don’t work Sundays usually, it’s because nobody likes to tip on Sundays. I think every server today walked out with 10%.  Luckily I never work Sundays, I just was helping another server out today by picking up her shift. The rest of the day has been pretty relaxing, just hanging out with Carter who has been extra smiley today!

Now we are watching The Walking Dead, our favorite show!

Tomorrow I am going to the Y, maybe going shopping for new running shoes and trying to get back on track. Nate was kind enough to show me this pic today of me back in 2010. I can’t believe I thought I was fat.. Now I would give anything to be back in that body.

Depends

Ever have those days at the gym that you are just not feeling it. That was me today. I had 3 miles on the schedule and then I was going to lift with Nate. I started my running and immediately my knees started to hurt, I felt the flab flabbing all about and I am having issues with my pelvic muscles since giving birth 8 weeks ago. Yep, that’s right…pelvic muscles.) Warning: the next part I am going to write is a little TMI)

So, I gave birth vaginally and had no clue how much it could mess up everything down there.  Since giving birth I have been working on holding my pee.  Well, during my runs my muscles don’t work quite as well and I tend to leak. Kind of embarrassing. So I am still working on my kegels and hopefully my muscles will be back to normal soon so I don’t have to wear Depends during my runs!

So anyway, I wasn’t feeling my workout from the get go. I didn’t run because of all the issues above (instead I walked for 30 minutes) and could probably put more effort into lifting. Oh well, there is always tomorrow! Tomorrow I have cross-training on the schedule so I will do a bike workout and probably lift.

The last couple days have been pretty boring. I worked at the restaurant Thursday night and then at the clinic all day today. Tonight we had a meeting with a potential day care provider who works out of her home. She is licensed to watch 10 children.  I don’t know if I am being an overly protective mother, but I am not sure how 1 person can watch 3 children under 12 months, and 5 2-5 year olds, plus 3 of her own children. I don’t think we are going to go with her.  There are 2 infant openings at a day care center, who I called today, so hopefully they get back to me soon. I think I would rather go with a center, just for the fact that I think their child to adult ratio is less than 10:1, especially for infants. I guess time will tell which provider we will choose.  We need one from May to November.

Here are some pictures from the last couple days.

We are trying to get him used to his crib. Right now he sleeps in a Rock ‘n’ Play Sleeper

Wrapped up like a burrito

Finally, it was a long day, we are both passed out

Tomorrow my family is coming down from the cities. 🙂

A new blog

I am trying out a new blogging website because blogger was causing me problems with uploading pictures from my computer. It would freeze on me every.single.time. I am not very tech savy, so instead of trying to figure out why it was freezing, I just gave up and decided to look for something new. So here we are. 🙂

A lot has happened since I last posted which was October 2, 2014. In the past 4 months I have turned 30, had a baby, and now I am training for a 15K!

First and foremost, this is the love of my life Carter Gary Hansen. He was born on December 28, 2014. I just can’t get enough of him!!

Currently he is 7 weeks old. Has rolled from his tummy to his back since week 2, has his days and night very confused, and loves to eat!  I am hoping that by the time my husband goes back to work in May, he will know that night time is for sleeping and day time is for playing. Last night he stayed up until 4am and its 10:40am right now and he is still sleeping. (So is dad, who stayed up with him last night).  Since I am already back to work, Nate and I have decided that I can sleep at night and he will stay up with him.

I also have decided to train for a 15K. That is 9.3ish miles. Some days I have no clue what I was thinking. The farthest I have ran in my life is 6 miles. That was back in 2013 when I trained for a 10K. In 2014, I signed up for a half marathon, but then I got pregnant a couple months later which would have put me at 30 weeks for the marathon.  Not that that isn’t do-able, but I really didn’t want to train for a half marathon while pregnant, so I decided not to do it. Now that I am 7 week post partum, I am getting back in to the running thing and signing up for a race is the best way for me to continue to run.

To train for this race I am following Hal Higdon’s novice 15k training schedule, along with couch to 10 K.  Hal Higdon’s training schedule will tell me what days of the week to run, cross train and strength train to prepare for the race, while the C210K will get my endurance up to hopefully run the entire thing.

This is the schedule I am using. I know it’s blurry, so here is the website to see it clearly.

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51127/15K-10-mile-Novice-Training-Program

 

This week I am on week 3 of 10 of training.  Today I had to run 3 miles according to Hal Higdon’s schedule. I ran the 3 miles in intervals according to C210K. It was 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, and repeat until you reach 3 miles. I’m not going to lie, I cut it short at 2.8 miles because stinky old man went on the treadmill next to me.  I have a very sensitive nose, so instead of gagging for the next 0.2 miles I just got off. :0/ oh well, what can you do?

Tomorrow I have strength on the schedule, so hopefully Nate and I can go to the Y together to do some lifting.

I should say that I am not following the schedule verbatim. My schedule changes weekly with work, so I see what I need to get done that week and work it into my schedule accordingly.