2000 Alex was born. I graduated.
2001 We bought our house. I got a new job.
2002 Kevin and I visit New Orleans.
2003 Kevin and I visit NYC. We take Alex to San Diego.
2004 Ana was born. I graduated again.
2005 Kevin graduated. We both got new jobs. We visited London.
2006 We started a major home addition project. We take Alex and Ana to San Francisco.
2007 We finished the home addition. Kevin got a new job. We take Alex and Ana to San Diego.
2008 Angie was born. We got a dog.
2009 I got Lasik surgery. Kevin and I both went back to school.

Categories: home improvement, kids and parenting, pets, pregnancy, school, travel
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This video of actress Salma Hayek breastfeeding a starving baby in Sierra Leone made me cry (from Celebrity Baby Blog).

I’m still breastfeeding Angie at 9.5 months. My plan is to continue at least until her first birthday.

Right now I’m +1 pound from my pre-Alex weight and +3 pounds from my pre-Ana weight. (Yes, my weight actually dropped between babies. Go figure.) Other than the gawd awful sleep deprivation, the horrible cold(s) of December 2008/January 2009, and the two new gray hairs on my head, I’m doing fine. I fit into my clothes. (Yay!) I just got a hair cut. (Double yay!) Now all I need is some sleep…

Categories: pregnancy
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I finally got a haircut. As much as I loved how crazy long and thick my hair had gotten during my pregnancy, I couldn’t keep it. First of all it had started its postpartum fallout. It’s not as bad as other women have described where their hair starts coming out in clumps, but it’s enough to clog drains if I don’t be careful. Also I’m going back to work in a couple of weeks, and I need an easy style for those harried mornings. I like what I ended up with, layers that are short in front and a few inches past my shoulders in the back, with the ends styled using a flat iron. It looks okay straight, but I liked the flippy ends so much that I bought a flat iron so I can replicate it when the occasion demands it.

I stepped on the scale this morning and got some good news: I’m down 3 more pounds. Just 7 more to go before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight. More importantly I can now fit into my weekend jeans without sucking in my gut. Huzzah.

Categories: pregnancy
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I hurt my back carrying Angie. She’s growing faster than I can handle. I was doing sit ups everyday until my back pain made it impossible to continue. Kevin gave me back rubs with Tiger Balm, which help a little but not enough to make the pain completely go away.

This happened with the first two kids too, though not as bad, and Kevin reminded me why: Ana didn’t grow as fast as Angie, and Alex was born 8 years ago, when I was 20-something and in the best shape of my life.

Welcome to my 30s. Sigh.

Another indicator that I’m not a young’un anymore is how stubbornly the postpartum weight has stayed put. In the past month I managed to lose 2 pounds and gain it back. I believe the gain is all muscle because despite still being 10 pounds up, my clothes are starting to fit better. That’s a huge relief because I don’t want to have to buy new work clothes.

While re-reading What to Expect the First Year for reality checks on Angie’s development, I was reminded that I should be eating better because I’m breastfeeding. Here’s what the authors recommend in their “Best-Odds Daily Dozen” diet:

• 3 servings of protein (FAIL: I eat very little protein, usually 1-1.5 servings a day)
• 2 servings of vitamin C (FAIL, except when we have cantaloupe in the house)
• 5 servings of calcium (FAIL: I usually get 2 servings, 2.5 if you count my calcium supplement)
• 3 servings of green leafy vegetables and yellow vegetables/fruits (FAIL: I usually get 1 serving except when we have cantaloupe in the house)
• 2 or more servings other fruits and vegetables (WIN: I eat my weight in watermelon EVERY SINGLE DAY)
• 6 or more servings whole grain/complex carbohydrates (WIN: I think)
• 1 or more iron-rich foods (WIN: I think)

The requirements can be fulfilled with combo foods, e.g. cantaloupe is both vitamin C and yellow fruit, and cottage cheese is both protein and calcium. Ack, I guess I need to eat half a cantaloupe topped with a big scoop of cottage cheese

Categories: pregnancy
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