Tag Archives: burpees

Baby’s First Road Trip, Chasing a Dog, and a Stress Fracture

09/03/2014 R.C. Liley 8 Comments

Most weekend recaps occur on Monday, but I prefer to mimic the “muscle confusion” ideology of P90X and confuse anyone reading. You know, to keep your brain more alert by throwing it off every now and then. Stupid analogy? Yeah, sorry….

This past weekend, we drove up to our old college town, Norman, Oklahoma, to visit our friends, Sean, Erin, and their little 2.5 year old girl, Brooklyn. Remember when they came down to visit us last February?

Brooklyn is growing so fast and is such a pretty girl!

Both of our little girls have grown so much in just 6 months and it was fun watching them kind of play together.

I say kind of, because Brooklyn, is in the stage of not wanting to share things, so when Avery would go to a toy, she sometimes tried to push her away.

I guess this was a good foreshadow for what’s to come! No big deal though, she was quick to allow Avery access to her toys and even say sorry.

The 2.5 hour drive was full of Avery’s pleasant, and not-so-pleasant screams. I thought she’d take a nap since the 10 minute drive to Costco usually has her asleep within minutes, but she slept not once the entire drive. Instead, she’d make her presence known with coos and yells followed by crying fits for no reason.

Kelley eventually climbed in the back to soothe her the rest of the way to our friend’s house. This worked for almost the remainder of the drive, but even Mommy couldn’t qualm our upset baby. But alas, we arrived, exchanged hugs, and brought everything inside to the room we’d be staying in for two nights……with Avery!

We shared the same room with Avery once before at G-ma’s for the 4th of July weekend, but this setup was different, she’d be right beside Kelley instead of at the foot of the bed.

It was weird, but really not as bad as I expected. We were able to sneak into bed without waking Avery fairly easily, but she did wake more often versus when at home. Oh well, just part of parenthood, right?

The past few times we’ve come up to stay with Sean and Erin was for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in April. This always meant my nerves were high and I wasn’t a fun person to be around, so it was nice being there without a major race to prepare for. This time, we were there for Erin’s baby shower. Yes, this beautiful family of three is about to have a little boy in a few weeks which will even out the genders.

They have yet to decide on a name, but have a few one their mind like Ian or Barrett. Care to offer a suggestion?

We had zero plans for Saturday, so we played everything by ear. Going Mom, Avery, and I drove to local coffee shop we enjoyed before in hopes of enjoying again. This time, we were not impressed and a little sorry we didn’t just go to Starbucks.

While in town, we picked up a few groceries for breakfast and since there was a liquor store nearby, I figured I’d bring a few craft beers back. Kelley was trying to eat her long overdue breakfast, so I carried Avery inside with me. Or, at least I made it to the front door with her, but then I was stopped by the owner who let me know no one under 21 is allowed!

This seemed ridiculous since obviously, a baby isn’t going to run around drinking their stock, but the law is law. As I wore a frustrated frown on my face, the owner kindly offered to hold Avery as I perused their beer selection. Ha, a stranger holding my baby while I bought beer? I accepted…

But only because she was non-threatening, gentle woman who obviously worked at the store and I wouldn’t expect to run off. Yeah, yeah, “it’s the least suspecting”, I know, so sue me. Please, not really.

Meanwhile, as I shopped for beer, Kelley was trying to have breakfast in the car when she noticed a woman holding Avery. At first she thought maybe we knew the woman, but after a few minutes, she realized the lady was a stranger and quickly walked out to get our daughter. Luckily only kind, understanding words and a few laughs were shared as Kelley brought Avery back to the car.

Sorry, my dear wife and daughter….Daddy did bad. But, we did get some good beer! Silver lining?

As we returned to Sean and Erin’s, Sean was jumping in his car to search for one of their dogs that escaped. They have a Great Dane, Hudson, and a 100lb mutt, Polly; the latter being the escapee. I changed vehicles to help search and left Kelley with Avery.

I'm not escaping anywhere... — I’m not escaping anywhere…

Our search by car yielded nothing, so Sean hopped on his bike and I took to going for a run around their neighborhood. My foot was hurting from a run I did with Avery before leaving the day before, but I planned on doing some running anyway, so this worked out okay in my mind.

Thirty minutes of running and several hill sprints later (plus my daily dose of “must do” 31 burpees, push-ups, and squats), I was limping with severe pain in my left foot. The pain hasn’t subsided yet, and I have concluded it is a metatarsal stress fracture with the pain and swelling to go along with it.

As a guy who can’t stand sitting (ha, I love that saying), this drives me crazy! As I write this, I’m still standing on one leg with the other propped up on a stool. #stubborn

Sean and Erin continued their search driving to and calling neighbors with no luck. Polly was a stray dog in poor health that Erin nursed (just so happens she is a nurse!) back to health almost 8 years ago. I remember seeing Polly as a pup, and she didn’t look good. But now, well, she’s a sweet, giant, dog in good health.

Polly competing with Avery for attention from Kelley

Needless to say, Erin was distraught at the thought of having lost Polly, and Sean wanted so bad to make his wife happy by finding her. Having exhausted himself with several hours of searching, he was inside trying to recoup when someone knocked on their door.

Yes! It was a neighbor who found Polly and was generous enough to bring the 100+ pound dog back to their house! The mood was instantly lightened in the house, and a very happy yet still pretty pissed Erin, took Polly out back to wash the burr-covered mutt.

With more action than expected on our “no plans” Saturday, we kept it calm the rest of the day and just hung out engaging in conversation. Plus, we kept tabs on the pay-per-view OU vs Louisiana Tech game where the Sooners ruled the game with a final score of 48 – 16! Hopefully they’ll have the same luck with ranked teams this season too!

Kelley and I made it a late night and took over the TV to watch an episode of Orange is the New Black on Netflix after Sean and Erin went to bed. We just started this season after not having our TV on for a few months, and now we’re hooked.

Our Saturday with good friends had come to a close, but we still had most of Sunday before heading back home. Look out for my next post with our Sunday events including a coffee shop win and another long drive fail.

Do you have any road trip with baby stories or tips to share?

Ever inure yourself and go crazy being limited in what you can do? I’ve still found ways to lift weights in the garage and reel mowed as I limped across the lawn. Now my daily 31 burpees are done on one leg which definitely makes it harder!

This post is part of the following link-ups:

Life, Parenting

Active at G-Ma’s and I Almost Forgot Something!

04/14/2014 R.C. Liley 12 Comments

For the past few times we made the trip to my mom’s, Avery’s G-ma, to stay the night, Avery didn’t do much. I mean, the hightlight of our last trip was doing Ninja Turtle puzzles…..without her! Then again, she didn’t do much anywhere because she’s under six months! But, for our trip this past weekend, Avery was more active and full of smiles. For the most part, she’s still a baby and she still cried.

Before leaving on Saturday, we had our usual routine of coffee and protein pancakes while Avery played with her Skwish Stix from the Manhattan Toy Co. Kelley put Avery down for a nap before our drive, and then we did a workout together in the garage.

The Skwish Stix are meant to help introduce the concept of cause and effect as your baby pulls the beads and watches them spring back. They are meant for ages 6 months and up, so I’m giving it awhile before a full review. But, Avery is interested and will grab at them when nearby.

Once at G-Ma’s, we sat Avery in the middle of the kitchen counter to let her read a recent magazine article.

We asked if it was an interesting story, but she just flashed smiles.

I figured it couldn’t be bad with those smiles, but then she just ripped the pages out and tried to eat them.

Hmmm, time to go roll on the floor with Mommy and G-ma!

We spent a lot of time with Avery rolling around and trying to keep her on the blanket. She’s not even crawling yet and she can really get “around”! Too cheesy? Good, the more cheesy the better! Anyway, you could tell Avery was enjoying her time playing with G-Ma, and they both loved every second of it.

Avery has been laughing a little bit, but we’re still waiting for a real outburst coming deep within her stomach. I’ve been able to get the little laughs by crawling around and “attacking” her belly, but she won’t do it for many others yet. That didn’t stop G-ma from trying though…

Avery was going strong and moving around for quite a while when all of the sudden, I think tiredness set in.

Even Abby, not allowed in the room but as close as possible to the “boundary”, seemed worn out.

When a baby is tired, fussiness is sure to follow, and it did. Nothing too bad, but it was time for a little power nap. I brought along our new Ergobaby Ventus carrier that Ergobaby kindly sent me to review, so I figured we’d go for a walk/nap to test it out.

The wind was gusting at high speeds so I utilized the built-in hood for Avery. She didn’t fuss for the whole hour we walked and I know she slept at least 40 minutes. When we returned, I asked Avery how she liked the walk, but she was still too sleepy to answer.

The Ergo was pretty nice and it is smaller than the Onya that we have, but you have to expect a carrier with a built-in child seat will be bigger. I will be wearing the Ergo more before a full review, but one thing I wish it had were extra storage pockets. These are very handy for carrying a phone, keys, wallet, or a doggie bag for our walks with the dog.

Sleep is always up in the air with a baby, and she didn’t do the best at G-Ma’s. Going Mom was up several times trying to feed and console her while my lazy self just laid in bed. Sorry, Kelley. Kelley was exhausted and Avery was still wide awake and very active, so I finally did something took Avery to the recliner in the living room. I rocked and reclined her and she eventually fell asleep on me. She’s not as small as last time we slept together, and it wasn’t the most comfortable, but I know I should still cherish it while I can.

The next day we sipped multiple cups of coffee and Avery rolled around more. My little brother, Uncle Preston, worked late the night before but was home now and he got to hold a happy Avery for bit.

It was good to see, and hopefully they’ll get to hang out more as she gets older. I can see these two becoming best buds, besides her and her Daddy, of course.

The day drew on and it was time for us to head home. Ugh, time goes too fast! G-Ma spent a little longer with Avery showing her some window ornaments and then said our goodbyes.

It usually takes us a month or more before making our next trip to G-Ma’s; I wonder what Avery will be doing then. Maybe crawling?

Oh yeah, I almost forget to say what I almost forgot. It’s nothing big to you I’m sure, but being self-motivated and anal-retentive about fitness (amongst other things in life), this would’ve bothered me had I forgot. What was it? 30 burpees!

Since the day we brought Avery home on 11/17/13, I have committed to doing 30 burpees a day and haven’t missed a day yet. Sunday night, as I had the water and was about to step in the shower, I suddenly realized I forgot. So, what’s an OCD guy to do? I knocked them out right there before getting in the shower!

Phew, close call, and sorry for sharing the details. Now you all know me a little bit better.

Do you have anything that you have to do every day? Every week?

How was your weekend?

Disclosure: The Manhattan Toy Co. and Ergobaby sent me the products I mentioned free of charge to be reviewed on my blog. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

Parenting

Explaining Exercise to a Baby

03/29/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Me: Hey Avery, want to hang out with Dad in the garage while he exercises?

Avery: You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s cold in there and you make loud noises as if you’re actually doing something.

Me: Well, you have your Zippy on which keeps you pretty warm, and I can put your kitty beanie on your head. And hey, I make those noise because I really am doing something! It’s called exercise.

Avery: Oh, exercise huh? So, why do you exercise? It doesn’t sound like you’re having fun in there.

Me: Exercise is a very import thing for everyone as it’s one of the ways we stay healthy. There are many benefits to exercise like helping to control weight, improving your mood, fighting against poor health conditions, promoting better sleep, and it actually is a way to have fun too.

Avery: Hmmph. All I’m saying is those aren’t fun noises you make out there.

Me: Well, it won’t always be a blissful time, but I always feel a lot better afterward. Plus, I need to exercise to be able to make sure I can keep up with you! Soon you’ll be using your legs to run around and I will have to keep a close watch on you. Maybe when you’re walking you can start doing squats like you see me do in the garage.

Avery: What?! Those things where you really make loud, painful noises? Pass….

Me: Yes, squats and I have a love-hate relationship, but they are simply an awesome exercise. We’ll work on you with those. Really, exercise can be anything active. Just going outside and running around playing is exercise. Something I hope you, mommy, and me will all do together. Right now, when you are rolling around or in your jumper, that’s exercise too. You see, so exercise can be fun!

Avery: Interesting, I didn’t realize you and mommy screaming at me as I strain on the blanket just trying to get off of my back was exercise. Are you going to scream at me when I can run around too?

Me: Most likely, we will at times, but not as much when trying to get you to roll. But hey, you can roll both ways now! We are so proud of you!

Avery: Yeah, I’m proud of myself! That was stressful!

Me: So, how about that garage now? You can watch me and take notes for when it’s your turn to do squats!

Avery: Oh brother! Fine, lets go out there, but don’t forget my kitty beanie!

Me: That-a-girl! Here we go! I know you’re going to have a blast watching now that you know more about the benefits of exercise!

Avery: Zzzzzzzzz

Me: And once you’re legs are parallel with the ground, you lift the barbell back up and repeat for reps. Think you’ll be ready to lift one day now that you have the basics down?

Avery: Zzzzzzz

Me: Hey sleepyhead! You’re back inside now. Did you know you just slept the whole time we were in the garage?

Avery: Yawwwwnnn! Yeah, sorry, must be that whole “improved sleep” from exercise thing. I tell ya, that rolling wears me out.

Me: Yeah……..must be. Well, I know something that might be exciting. How about going for a nice run with you in your stroller?

Avery: That sounds kinda fun, sure! But keep me in my Zippy, I like chewing my nubs.

Me: Deal. Let’s go.

Avery: Oh boy, this will be exciting!!!

Me: *breathing heavy* Well, how was it? We went 6 miles and I didn’t hear you make a single sound!

Avery: Yeah, not as fun as I thought. I felt Every. Single. Bump.

Me: Awww, sorry about that, the stupid construction around here leaves debris all over the road. Very uncool, huh?

Avery: Dad, you’re uncool, this is boring.

Me: Okay then, lets go inside and just hang out.

Avery: I like that idea, no more exercise today!

Me: Back inside, nice and cozy! About that whole no more exercise thing…..how about cheering mommy and me on as we do Tabata Inferno again?

Avery: Oh geez, what choice do I have? Okay, I’ll watch, but probably not cheer. Maybe cry though.

Me: Fine, I’ll try to keep you entertained the best I can. I thought you like it when I do burpees though.

Avery: Nope, I just stare because you look dumb jumping around so much.

Me: Oh, thanks a lot, I love you too! One day I’ll get you to join me on those along with the squats. Okay, lets go practice your rolling skills. Maybe later we’ll mow the lawn with our new Fiskars Reel Mower while I wear you in our Onya Outback!

Avery: You’re crazy! I want mom!