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Mommy Fitness

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 19:04:38 +0000

Before I had my daughter, I worked out everyday…sometimes several times a day! Yes, I was working as a fitness professional and working out was my job; but it was also something I just loved. If there was a new class, I wanted to try it; if I had a favorite, I scheduled around it. Weekends were for running so I could have some solo time and restorative yoga so I could start all over again the following week.

Now I belong to a different kind of gym…the kind with brightly colored soft steps and ramps and scarves and shakers. That’s right, the only regularly scheduled class I attend is my daughter’s and the running I do is after her!

That doesn’t mean I don’t work out, but when I do, it looks a WHOLE lot different these days…

Most of the time I used to spend working out, is now spent rocking out to toddler tunes, attending story times and play dates, making messes and cleaning up. I no longer have the luxury of multiple workouts in one day, so I have to be more strategic.

Now Parker and I workout together, we go to mommy & me exercise classes or take advantage of the rolling hills where we live and the invention of jogging strollers! If the weather’s bad (seemed like every day this winter) we use the stairs in our home for cardio and I use her (plus some free weights) for strength training. Lifting 20 pounds of baby weight is a nice challenge…add the wriggly instability of that weight and I’ve got a fantastic workout. I hold her for squats, I chest press her little body and give her kisses with each rep, and bicep curls with a baby are a real challenge! Why do I do all this? Because it’s important to me to set an example of active living and it’s always been important to me to move. I get cranky when I don’t get to exercise! YES, I’ve had to adjust what exercise looks like for me these days, but I have a toddler. I’ve had to adjust what a lot of things look like for me these days. That’s part of motherhood. The important thing to me is that I don’t abandon exercise entirely because that’s abandoning a part of who I am and what kind of example does that set for my daughter?

-Jolynn Baca Jaekel has been a fitness professional for more than a decade. Her first child, Parker, just turned a year old this January. Jolynn, her husband Rob, and Parker recently relocated from NYC to Washington D.C.

How to Balance Motherhood with the Rest of Your Life

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:15:27 +0000

Undoubtedly motherhood is the most important and challenging job. Whether you stay-at-home or have returned to work, it’s a struggle to balance it all. Cue the mommy guilt. I have yet to meet a mother who hasn’t admitted that at some point she has felt overwhelmed, inadequate, or finds moments where she just wants to run screaming in the other direction!

How do I help my child become more independent without abandoning them? How do I support them without becoming a helicopter parent? How many books a day should I be reading them? Is that broccoli organic? Wait, your kid eats broccoli? Mine only eats granola bars or whatever else I can find at the bottom of my purse! Even when I appear to have my act together, my mind is constantly wondering and worrying about so many things. My goal at the end of each day is to get to dinnertime without opening (and finishing) a bottle of wine!

Comparing myself to other mothers reminds me of the Dove commercial where women are asked to describe themselves to an artist. Then they compare their view with the view of other women around them. We’re always our toughest critics. I often find myself wondering how I could have made Henry’s day better–should I have done more arts and crafts with him? Should I have let him watch t.v.? Is it strange that he can maneuver an iPad better than his Granny? (no comment there…) Should I have not gone back to work? When is the last time he took a bath? (sniff under his armpit). Going to the grocery store has turned into an Olympic event. Have you ever tried to cook dinner, clean the house, wipe fingerprints off of every surface, and sing a song at the same time? The answer is probably YES!

There are so many things I could find that I don’t do. What is most important is what I do for him each and every day. I love him. I make him laugh. I feed him better food than I feed myself. I dance with him. I’m there for him when he comes running up to give me a hug. I cheer him on while he tries to spoon feed himself. I wipe his tears when he’s hurt. I give him extra cuddles when he’s sick. At the end of the day, there’s only one opinion that matters, and that’s Henry’s. It appears that I’m doing an okay job because he still wants to hang out with me! (Check back in 13 years…)

-Maureen is a sitter2mom, our Chicago City Coordinator, and proud mother of Henry!

“It’s Amazing You All Survived”

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 16:37:00 +0000

For me, my mother is and always has been a wealth of information on a variety of topics; since having my first child, she now more than ever is my first call for just about anything.

However, it is clear that quite a bit has changed since the day I was just a wee one. Tomorrow is my daughter’s 3-month “birthday” and as her “gift” we will be putting her in the crib for the first time. For the past 3 months she has been less than an arms length away from me in a bassinet so needless to say I think I am more nervous about the transition then she is. I digress though, so in preparation for moving her to the crib I have heard from countless friends/doctors to take out the bumpers (the very cute bumpers that really tie the room together if you ask me!) so that she does not suffocate.

This is where my mother comes in, and similar to other things that have changed since I was a baby she is confused and surprised that I have to take them out and instead just tells me repeatedly that I had bumpers in my crib as a baby and I survived! Another piece of advice she is pushing is to have my daughter sleep on her stomach, which I have also been told, is a big no no, but that my mother did with all 3 of her children all the time. And when I hear these conflicting pieces of advice I hear my mothers voice in my head saying, “it’s amazing you all survived!” Moving forward I will continue to take the advice of my pediatrician when it comes to my daughter’s safety, however, my mother will continue to be on speed dial for all other matters of motherhood.

-Samantha

You’ve Never Heard of a Cornbox?!

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 18:44:59 +0000

Fall is a great time of year. The trees are beautiful, the temperature is just right, and there are a lot of great outdoor activities to do. Having a child who is old enough to participate in the activities, is awesome. There are so many things that the city and surrounding areas have to offer that I never even knew about!

This year was especially great because we were able to take Henry to a pumpkin patch! We visited Kuiper’s Family Farm, which was quite a hike to get to, but worked because Henry got to nap on the way there and the way back. My only criteria for visiting a pumpkin patch was being able to take Henry on a hayride out to an ACTUAL pumpkin patch. There are so many places now where they pick the pumpkins for you and hand you one on the way out—I did not want that!

Kuiper’s was FANTASTIC! They had a ton of activities for kids of all ages. Henry loved the “corn box” a better version of a sandbox He also got to run through a corn maze tunnel, navigate through a straw maze, and got to pet a llama! It wasn’t super crowded and there were an abundance of pumpkins.

We had a great time on our first family trip to the pumpkin patch. I’m looking forward to all the “firsts” and “seconds” to come! Henry had a great time and so did his parents!

-Maureen is the Chicago City Coordinator and mom of Henry

Attack of the Growing Babies

Alison Gore — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:43:11 +0000

Being a newbie mommy, I find myself constantly adapting to my babies’ ever-changing ways. This (and the lack of sleep) have been the most challenging part of mommy-hood thus far. I was starting to get used to the girls sleeping a good 6-7 hours a night, now they’re up every 4 hours again frantically searching for that bottle. I’m pretty sure I increased the amount of formula by 2 oz in the past 2 weeks! Must be some sort of growth spurt!

Hey mom, I’m ready for some more food

The next chapter is rice cereal, followed by other solids- this should be fun! Although, I have to admit I’m not looking forward to the girls eating actual food- is it acceptable to puree chicken nuggets and hot dogs? I packed up all of their 3 month clothes the other day too…it was really sad, I think I even wiped a couple tears away. The twins are almost 6 months old! I cannot believe how fast time flies! My next blog will most likely be about coping with two crawling babies…

-Courtney has been a part of LLD since nearly the beginning, she has babysat for over 5 years with our troupe & is a new mom. Courtney is the sister of the President of LLD & lives in New Jersey with her husband.

Summer is Here!

Alison Gore — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:09:35 +0000

After many long and cold winter months, summer seems to have arrived! I truly believe parenting gets easier in the summer time. Kids can play for hours outside without ever getting bored and then pass out at bed time because they are so worn out. Only real negative to parenting in the summer is the dreaded process of applying sunscreen multiple times a day. No one enjoys that…parent or kid!

Never forget the sunscreen!

The many sounds, sights, and smells of summer that I have always loved and anxiously await all winter long are here. This time along with the sound of birds chirping and the ice cream truck, I hear Avery’s amazing laugh as she goes down the slide and says “One more time Mommy…please?”

One more time!

This time along with the sight of the beautiful flowers blooming and the sun shining all day long, I see Avery’s beautiful smile as she picks flowers for me in the backyard. This time along with the smell of dinner on the grill and fresh cut grass, I smell Avery after a long day outside playing and in desperate need of a bath. But I have grown to love that scent because I know it is a sign of a fun day in the great outdoors!

-Mindy is a former LLD sitter and lives in Chicago with her daughter and husband.

A & A Take Ohio

Alison Gore — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:53:11 +0000

The “alarms” go off at 6am. Amelia wails out & then her sister follows.

The girls just turned 3 months & it’s time for their first road trip to mommy’s home state…good ole Ohio.

My sis & I tag team getting the twins ready for their long ride; feeding (with an extra ounce of milk for the ride), changing, getting dressed, packing & most importantly coffee for us!

At 7:30am Daddy kisses his girls goodbye & then off we go. My sis whips out her McDonalds coupons, of course I concur. I then assume the position that I like to call “baby 10 & 2″ in the back seat with their chins in my hands (you can never be to careful with braking).

Amelia in the “10 & 2″ position

Amelia is up & Ava is sleeping as we head down route 3 away from the rush hour traffic.

At 9am both babies are asleep as the white Nissan passes through the “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign. Maybe we should have put the ‘baby on board sign’ in the window…do drivers really yield to that?

It’s 11am-next feeding time! It’s 85 degrees already at the lovely rest stop.

My sis realizes this trip would not be possible without me. How the heck would a mom with infant twins go to the bathroom?

Feeding time!

Off we go west on route 80 towards Cleveland listening to country tunes.

The babies are so good. They love the movement of the car. For some lil’ ones it may make them sick, but not these troopers. They are happy as can be.

It’s 1:30pm. Welcome to Ohio! I sing “Hang on Sloopy” followed by “O-H-I-O” to the babies. I swear they both smiled.

Nice to be home!

It’s 3pm & Ma and Pa Bell greet us in the drive way.

Ahhh… feels so great to be home.

-Aunt Linny

And Then There Were 4

Alison Gore — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:36:53 +0000

I can’t believe my little angels are already 2 months old! It’s been such a whirlwind of love, laughter, and tears. I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Becoming a mom has already taught me several things, with infinite patience and love topping off the list. I’m still learning and every day brings a new challenge.

I write this entry with bittersweet feelings. My mom had been helping out with the twins since they were born and has now ventured back home. As I reflect on the past several weeks, I’m not sure I could have done this without her. She has been so supportive and helpful and has showered my babies with love and affection. Like me, they are so lucky to have her in their lives.

Missing her so much already

In a couple weeks, I’ll be celebrating my first Mother’s Day. I hope to be as wonderful to my babies as my mom was and is to me. As I sit here with teary eyes, I now understand the meaning of this special day and hope that every mother is celebrated.

Thanks Mom, I love you.

-Courtney has been a part of LLD since nearly the beginning, she has babysat for over 5 years with our troupe & is a new mom. Courtney is LLD founder’s sister & lives in New Jersey with her husband.

A New Kind of Job

Alison Gore — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:34:56 +0000

As a new mom (or dad) one of the first big choices you have to make is whether or not you’ll be returning to work after your little one is born. For some this choice is easy, but for others you agonize over the “right” decision. In my case it was easy. I could NOT work. I was a teacher at a private school and the cost of child care far exceeded what I made “shaping the youth of America.” (sounds fair, right?–but that’s another topic all together!) I quickly found peace with the decision because it’s what we had to do.

Reading class!

I’ll be the first to admit that I did not fully understand what it took to be a stay-at-home mom. My mom did it for most of my childhood, and so did many others. They made it look so fun and doable (*note I did not say easy). I was really pumped up to be fortunate enough to stay home with Henry. Almost 6 months later, I can tell you that it has been awesome. I love being there when he wakes up, listening to him giggle all day long, being there for every milestone, taking him outside now that the weather is getting better, and so much more. I would not trade it for anything.

Recess with a friend

However, somedays I find myself wishing I was back in a classroom. I loved my job. I was good at my job. I loved my students, colleagues, and even the parents! It was a fantastic job. It is hard to be “So and So’s mom” all the time and not Maureen or even Mrs. K. It has been easy to lose my old, vibrant self in napping and feeding schedules, nursery rhymes, and housework. I long to talk to other adults, to actually sit down to eat lunch and have a few moments of relaxation, to take a shower where I can condition my hair AND shave my legs, to wear nice clothes without the fear of being spit up on….you get the idea! I suppose “the grass is always greener!” I have to look at it as now I have a different kind of job that is equally as important. Instead of teaching multiplication, I play peek-a-boo. I read to Henry, we sing songs, get out to explore the world, and get in some gym and music time, too! I find balance by tutoring former students a few times a week, getting a sitter once in a while to go work out or run errands without Henry, and going out to dinner with my girlfriends or husband. Balance is key! Whether you stay at home, work full or part time, being a parent is hard work! Finding the right balance is essential in order to maintain your sanity and happiness!

Learning about animals

I asked my “Baby Mamas” how they came to the decision whether to stay home or go back to work. Their answers varied. Some didn’t have a choice and had to go back to work because they couldn’t afford to lose their income. Others wanted to go back to work and are enjoying being back in the work environment. One mom is back at work because her company pays for her fertility treatments. Another mom is a partner at a law firm with her husband and she balances work and motherhood by working from home a few days a week and bring her son to work with her on others. All the situations are different, none of them are perfect, but they are all the right choice for their family. It’s not easy to be at home all the time and it’s not easy to leave your baby. Ultimately you have to do what is best financially, mentally & logistically for your family.

Cheers to all parents out there–you’re doing a great job!

-Maureen is the Chicago city coordinator for LLD and a new mommy!

Bright Lights, Big City

Alison Gore — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:04:59 +0000

I’m Leaving in a Ford 150

All my bags are packed. I’m ready to go

I’m sitting here inside my house

I hate to wake up to my alarm clock humming

But the dawn is breaking, it’s early morn

The F150′s waiting. It’s blowing its horn

Already I’m so excited I could cry.

So excited to spend the next couple of months with my daughter and grandkids!

So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you’ll be waiting for me

Hug me when I’m standing at your door

I’m leaving in a Ford 150

I don’t know when I’ll be home again

Oh Babe, I need to go.

I can’t wait to hold you tight,

Smile at you through the sleepless nights

So many mouths to feed and diapers to change

I’ll tell you it’s such a different thing

Every bag I pack, every box I bring

Every thought I have

I think of you.

Oh daughter and babies I’m on my way.

With love,

Peter, Paul and Mama Bell