I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, for 7 years as of 8/17/14. Sorry ladies... :)
Fitness and nutrition is of the upmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting.
I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout!
I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result.
I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition.
If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!
I just had to stop and look, didn’t I? Avery was having a good day today being all hunky dory and even sleeping good in her crib.
With the nice weather gracing us with its presence, I decided to take Avery out for a run in the B.O.B.
Things were swell, a nice breeze, a little cloud cover, and a great view of the lake.
But, the crazy Canadian goose made an appearance and showed his (hers?) disapproval of us by hissing just like before.
Feeling unwelcomed, I continued through our regular neighborhood loop hoping not to see the goose again. I got my wish, but we saw something else instead.
I’m a reptile fanatic and can’t seem to ever mind my own business. I’m very keen on snakes and turtles in particular, so I had to stop and say hi to this guy.
The first snake of the season just basking in the sun on the warm road. How could I not stop and check it out? But, when I stopped, this kind apparently likes to jump and strike. Crap, I’m an idiot.
What kind of dad brings their baby in a stroller so close to a snake? Yep, yours truly. It struck and reached the tip of her right foot! Crying ensued after a very brief pause of terror on her face. I raced back home as quickly as possible with a face red from guilty embarrassment. I practically threw my poor daughter in a snake pit! Once home, I checked to see how the now eerily quiet Avery was holding out.
Ummmmm, not good. I strapped her in the car seat and sped to the nearest Urgent Care. The wait wasn’t too long, but felt like an eternity. Luckily, the nurses found no signs of poisoning and the bite didn’t even draw blood. Phew!!!
Guess I never even checked for blood because I was so frantic. Today, I am Bad Dad #1 and guilt weighs heavy on my conscience! With a pretty bandage on her foot and a grim look on her face, we went back home. I feared telling Kelley the news and how my stupid curiosity caused the whole ordeal.
Kelley took the news better than I expected, but still gave me an earful. I’m surprised she’s still letting me keep my stay-at-home dad job after this one! So, moral of the story, don’t stop for snakes; especially not with your baby in a stroller!
I posted a picture of Avery’s snake below for all who care to see….
Pinterest is addicting! I try to not click on a picture, but it looks so interesting and/or funny! Eventually, I give in and click. Two hours later and I’m sitting in the same spot wondering what in the world just happened.
Pinterest happened. It’s addicting, it’s uncontrollable, and I like it! Because of Pinterest, I now have a plethora of things to do with Avery for now and when she’s older. Educational, fun, and active; yep, they all fit what I look for.
Since there are too many “Pins” to share in one post, I am going to start a series of my top ten Pinterest Picks across several topics of interest. Today will be all about puns because they make me smile and well, what other reason do you need?
I hope you enjoy these and please be on the lookout for the next top ten Pinterest picks on activities to do with your baby!
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up on Sunday morning? If you’re a baby named Avery who slept with her Mom and Dad all night, you wake up and kick whatever parent is in your way. And, if you are the lucky parent, as I was, you turn around so she can get that spot on your back that’s been bothering you. Thanks, Avery!
With my back feeling somewhat better, all of us finally got out of bed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. It was the usual, Kelley had pumpkin teff porridge, I had steamed veggies with turkey and Beanitos black bean chips on the side, and Avery had, umm….boob.
And, no morning is a good morning without coffee, so I made a cup for Going Mom and myself. We took our mugs on the back porch to enjoy as we listened to the neighborhood kids tell “Your momma’s so fat” jokes; good times.
I had the best view to my right the entire time too!
Sooo, yep, I got to go grocery shopping alone this Sunday. Not wearing Avery must be nice, huh? Nope!
I missed having my little girl close to me with her wide eyes taking in the bright colored consumer goods and mass of people passing by. True, she can be difficult at times, but I felt naked without wearing her in the Onya. I know, I know, next time I go shopping with her I’ll probably complain, but I’d still rather have her with me.
But, I did make use of the free time while Avery was at home with her Nana. Three store trips and several bags plus a box of food later, and I was back home.
My least favorite part about grocery shopping is having to put it all up when you get home. Do you dread that part too? That’s also when Avery likes to start crying, just to make things really fun.
Avery was good for her Nana and instead of cleaning bathrooms with her free time, Going Mom made use of the nice weather and pulled weeds instead.
Avery with her Nana
Before that she enjoyed a beautiful, albeit windy, run while Avery was having her morning nap. This is big for Going Mom since she hasn’t been able to run much since being pregnant, so I’m glad she had the chance. My wife always amazes me and makes me feel like one lucky husband and father!
After visiting a while longer, Nana had to head home, and it was time for me to try our new Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower. Fiskars sent me the mower to review and Sunday was my first trial in the review process. I want to mow a few more times before posting anything, so stay tuned!
But, having missed wearing Avery in the Onya Outback while grocery shopping, I wanted to take her with me for our first mow. With my legs day from the Supreme 90 Day workout complete, why not torture them a little more by pushing a reel mower while wearing a baby? That’s normal, right?
Giving a pep talk before getting started.
I won’t get too detailed now since that’s for the actual review post, but I enjoyed the mow. The mower actually pushes fairly easy considering it’s only you powering it, and definitely not as noisy as its gas-powered brethren!
The wind coupled with dead grass is not the most ideal mowing scenario, but luckily the Onya’s integrated hood protected Avery from grass flying all over her. Me, not so much. Mowing didn’t take too long thanks to the 18 inch reel mower, which is bigger than most of its kind, and we went for a family walk right after.
Since it was late in the afternoon, I left the hood over Avery in hopes for a short nap, and like usual, she slept. It never takes long in the Onya before she’s out, if only nighttime would be that easy!
The neighborhood goose with multiple names happened to be enjoying the weather too, but he didn’t feel like talking to me..
An hour later and we were back home and ready to wind things down for the night.
We spent a lot of time in the Onya this week and I am growing more attached to it with each use. Although, like most things, there are a few minor issues I have. When using the chest clip, trying to attach it behind my back can be difficult at times if the strap isn’t straight and Avery gets fussy fast when both of my arms are up behind my head. I am sure this is uncomfortable for her, but maybe because she’s still on the small side for this carrier. All in all, these are just petty things that don’t really bother me a lot, but just wanted to mention them. Like the Fiskars Reel Mower, I will be posting a full review of the Onya Outback in the future as well.
Hope you’re having a great start to the week!
Do you have any Sunday morning (or any other morning) routines or is it always spur of the moment?
Would you mow while wearing your baby?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
