How To Clean Poop Off of Everything

NOTE: This post is only for those who have the stomach for such things. There are no graphic pictures, but there are descriptions.

Up the back.
Up the shirt.
Down the pants.
On the legs.
On the arms.
Between the fingers.
Under the nails.
On the face.
All over the toys.
All over the pack n' play.

Good Morning Mom!

It's amazing what a little solid food will do to a child's bowels. Something that was manageable and contained turns into a wild chimpanzee display. That said, usually when you catch a dirty diaper early, it doesn't turn out this way.

It's probably my fault. It started last night. Kiddo is teething throughout his mouth (molars popping through- it's crazy in there!). He likes to nurse to sleep but was biting at every latch. Needless to say, he didn't fall asleep until 11. Then in the middle of the night he woke up whimpering and fussing and unable to latch (biting again). With some pain meds and a little rocking he fell back asleep. Mom didn't sleep as easily.

Well 7 AM came around. Kiddo nursed and then was AWAKE. Usually he'll play in his pack n' play for 30 to 45 minutes, so sleepy as I was, I put him in there. I probably can't do that any more...

Then Christian got up, got ready for work, and left. Kiddo played. I got to sleep.

Suddenly I heard a little whimper. Then another. Then it was steady whimpering. Then the smell wafted over.

Oh. My. God. NOOOOOOOOoooo!

Me covered in poop? Never!

I jumped up and saw it - poop EVERYWHERE. I'd experienced spectacular pooping escapades in Kiddo's newborn days, but this was a whole new level. This was peanut butter poop, as they call it. This was half solid ick all over his toys that couldn't be submerged in water. This was all over the pack n' play that we are borrowing! Oh god!

I lifted my poopy baby out of the mess and heard my saving grace. Someone was downstairs. Hallelujah! My dad hadn't left the house yet. I called for him and we proceeded to pry off the poop pajamas and hose baby down in cold water (the heater is slow). The result? Horrible-crying rinse down. It took care of the worst, but Kiddo still needed a real bath.

Then I got to work on the toys. First I isolated the clean ones (believe it or not there were some). I then picked through the items that could be washed in the machine and those that had to be done by hand. We started a load in the machine (play intended) and I scrubbed the goopy toys.

Next we had to get the pack n' play. The sides were clean except for an errant spot. That was easy peasy cleaning with some baby wipes. The mattress on the other hand, was a process. First I cleaned it with baby wipes, but it still needed work. My dad took soap and water and gave it a good scrub down. It currently resides on the balcony in the sun.

After all this, it was time for Kiddo's second bath. It went much better - kitchen sink as usual, warm, and with toys. He was a happy guy up until I got his diaper on. That was when he realized he was hungry and tired. He nursed, then granddad held him, and I got a shower (Who knows if poop splattered on my nightgown?!).

Now the poop monster is sleeping peacefully.

Today I'm not working out and I probably will worry about my wordcount goal tomorrow. It's past 10 and I haven't had my coffee yet.

Oh the joys of parenting!

What are your poop battle stories? I'd love to know how you dealt with the icky nasty mess! Leave a comment below!

Postpartum Fitness: Progress Report

Success!

I have yet to measure myself this week (if my measurements aren't completely embarrassing I may share)...but... Multiple people noticed and told me my jelly belly is smaller.Considering that I haven't really felt like I'm any smaller, this was really nice.

On the other hand, I have noticed the following exciting things:

• I'm now wearing (comfortably if not exactly how they used to fit) my pre-pregnancy jeans along with some tops.
• I have hamstrings. Noticeable hamstrings.
• My quads are not only hard, but changing shape significantly.
• My shoulders have indentations where before they were just round.
• My arms flex noticeably without effort - there is clearly more tricep and bicep definition.
• I see the shape of my hip bone started to be sculpted out of the jelly belly (very exciting!).
• I also have indentations on the side of my hips as well as the small of my back.
• My fingers have gotten a little boney again (my fingers have always been on the slender side but being able to comfortably wear certain rings again would be nice).

Some of these things haven't been seen for years. Others have never been seen. All of this is the result of logging my food and activity, working out 6 days a week, and caring for a giant baby.

To take it up a notch I've made some other small changes to continue to push myself in the right direction. Here are some random small things I've done to increase my activity and or help my overall health:

• Substituting iced tea or mineral water for diet soda. 
• Running/marching in place during commercial breaks while watching TV.
• Having the changing area on a different floor from myself.
• Allowing myself one co-nap with Kiddo.
• Substituting sweets with things like greek yogurt or Nutella on multigrain bread. 
• Doing hot feet or dancing while brushing my teeth.
• Doing yoga, stretching, or meditation at night before bed.
• Journaling, list-making, or goal visualization before bed.
• Only wearing clothes that make me feel good and look good.

I can't stress how exciting it is to know other people are noticing my efforts to be more fit. It's especially nice considering I haven't drastically changed my eating habits (other than the above) basically because I'm afraid to jeopardize my milk supply.

That said, there are some things I know I still need to work on. From what I've noticed in my food/activity logging I could:

1. Drink more water (I never seem to drink enough!).
2. Substitute more simple carbs with complex ones (It's my biggest edible weakness.).
3. Increase my steps by marching/jogging in place while writing (Some authors do it, why not me?).
4. Eat more vegetables (duh!).
5. Eat more whole fruit (duh, again!).

My biggest issue (and room for healthy growth) is probably points 4 and 5. When it comes to fruit and veggies, I get bored of the same raw things over and over. I need some good easy snacks that give me variety in both type of food and flavor (I also need lunches and breakfasts that include such things.). I feel like making that change would really help push my health and energy to a whole new level (get it?).

So, progress? Definitely. Is there further to go? You bet (including getting the hubby involved).

How is your postpartum fitness going? What milestones have you noticed? Leave a comment below!

Frustrations

Sometimes Kiddo will play and reach an impasse. There will be something he can't quite do, but wants to. He knows how it needs to be done, he just doesn't have the skills yet. The result is a bit of a baby tantrum.

He cries. He whines. He whimpers. He wails.

The current saving grace from this is distraction, but sometimes there's no distraction big enough.

I know how he feels. I've never been very physically coordinated. Gym class was a personal horror for me through much of my public education. This was mostly because I understood the mechanics of the activities, I just couldn't get my body to do them.

Now I empathize with Kiddo's frustration in a different way. I see the things I want to get done and recognize I have only a fraction of the time needed to do them. I literally cannot do them all. I have to prioritize. I have to compromise. I have to accept the fact that certain parts of my life have to be placed on the back burner or tabled permanently.

It's a difficult thing to accept, especially in the face of my ambitions.

So when I see Kiddo crying because he doesn't have the basic skills to put his shapes into the sorter or successfully stack the pieces of his stacking toy, I feel for him. Fortunately, there will come a time in the near future when he can do these things. I only hope the same can be said for myself.

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to share a few awesome moments from Kiddo's first Easter.

Have a wonderful holiday and I wish it full of the kind of joy Elmo wrapping paper brought to ours (paper is better than toys apparently).

Becoming Daddy: Going from Awkward to Awesome

at church, ~3 months

Even though we're coming up on Easter and Mothers' Day, I couldn't wait to share about Kiddo and his daddy. Whenever Christian is around these days, he always makes a big effort to spend as much time with his son as possible. He's confident as he plays, bathes, and changes diapers with the best of them. But it wasn't always this way.

When Kiddo was born, Christian was in awe just as he should be, but he wasn't exactly comfortable holding his fragile son.

just 5 days old and loving it?

He thought he was going to break him. When he walked carrying Kiddo, he'd hold him out in two arms like I imagine people would to offer ancient sacrifices at the temple or something. It was awkward and uncomfortable.

What made it more difficult was the fact that newborn babies only want their mamas. Actually, several month old babies only want their mamas. Christian felt useless because I was the only person who could calm Kiddo (at night I still am... unfortunately).

a few weeks old looking at the light

Then as Kiddo got older and Christian learned how he wanted to be a dad, he started to get more comfortable. He wouldn't just change diapers, he started to read stories. He wouldn't just talk to Kiddo about motorcycle parts, but he would play games a baby would play. And something else happened. Kiddo started requesting time with his daddy.

shopping and playing

He reaches for his dad and giggles and waves his arms in excitement when Christian comes into view. Last Wednesday he even said "dada" when in Christian's arms. It was his third word after "hi" and "hello" (at least that he recognizes the meaning when he says it). Needless to say, Christian had an ear to ear grin on his face at that one.

almost 7 months and super cool

Christian really has become an incredibly present and proactive daddy. The result is a clear bond which is such a joy to watch. While Christian doesn't throw Kiddo into the air, they do play games together and Christian comforts our baby just as much as I do.

Kiddo just loves his daddy. :-)

It's a beautiful thing and I wouldn't have it any other way.