Frame Kid Art on the Fridge » Wee Baby Stuff
Cheap, easy project for creating nice looking fridge frames to showcase kid art. We were just talking about finding a new way to display the kids’ art work, so we’ll have to try this out soon.
Our journey with three girls 13 months apart in age – Lucy & twins Stella and Zoey
more about us »
more about us »
Archives for category: General
Lucy Noodlehands
Comments Off
30 Days Challenge – Update
Comments Off
I haven’t been posting lately, but I’ve been plugging along this week. We traveled last weekend, so I missed Saturday and Sunday. Monday was too hectic to fit something in, but I did do Tuesday and Wednesday. I am about to sneak in a 20-minute workout right now too. SO, overall I think we’re on Day 24 or 25 of the 30 Days… I feel like I haven’t quite lived up to the original premise, but on the other hand I have exercised more in the last 25 days than I have in the last few years. Can’t complain about that!
Anyway, just wanted to throw down a quick update post to let anyone following this sideshow on SixSmallHands.com, that I am still plugging away at my goal.
Clockwise: Stella in her open crib @ 2 weeks old, with Jason filling out discharge paperwork, Zoey in her incubator until she was able to regulate her body temperature on her own at around 2 weeks old, Zoey about a week old, Stella about a week old with a feeding tube.
One year ago Zoey and Stella were healthy enough to come home for the first time from the NICU! They were both in the hospital for 2 weeks after birth to gain weight and for Zoey, to be able to stabilize her own body temperature (wondering if this had any connection to her extra cranial fluids?) and for Stella, to learn to eat well (which is definitely not a problem now!). They both came home together (yay!) and were so tiny that they still didn’t fill out preemie clothes, were just under 5 lbs. and the car seat straps didn’t tighten enough to fit around their bodies so we had to pad around them with NICU wash cloths. Packing them up in the NICU that night was so amazing and moving that we didn’t get any pictures of it, except for a grainy one on JD’s phone. There was so much stuff crammed into the stroller around the babies that they sent us home with that it seemed we were leaving for the wilderness for a year (well.. that’s kinda true). The NICU staff walked us out, gave hugs and all kinds of advice. I think we both had feelings of joy and relief mixed with overwhelming fear of what lie ahead. Just 2 days later we celebrated 6 years of being married!
I have very few memories of the last year, but some of the most vivid ones are of the NICU and the caring, reassuring conversations the nurses had with me while I sat in that darkened quiet room with my girls as they slept. And the long, silent, awkward ride up to the NICU in the wheel chair by a hospital worker when I would come every day to visit but wasn’t well enough to walk there myself. Then there was the young, unmarried mother of twin 2 yr. old girls that found out 1 week before she delivered (about a week after I delivered our girls) that she was having another set of twins. They also turned out to be twin girls. She was pacing around in the NICU waiting room in her gown not even 24 hrs. after their birth in a horrible daze. She was laughing off and on too with a worried look on her face, while her family swirled around her on their phones spreading the incredible news.
Its amazing how life can change literally in one heartbeat- mom and babies’- and leave us reeling with so much joy and so much anxiety at once. I remember hanging on moment by moment. Calling the NICU every 3 hours, even through the night, to keep tabs on how much each ate, Zoey’s temperature, have a little conversation with their nurse and when they’d be home. It seemed like they would never come home and now, a year later, I can’t imagine not having a house full over chattering, bickering, dancing, smiling and screeching ladies. I think often of how lucky we are and how close we teetered to the fragile edge on many occasions through the pregnancy, birth and 1st year with Zoey and Stella. The gravity of those early, worrisome, sleepless and fleeting days will surely never leave me.
30 Day Challenge – Day 18
Comments Off
Well, we skipped last night for a date night. Originally we were supposed to go to see Neko Case at Thursday in the Square, but that got canceled. Instead, we went to see Body Worlds, which was amazing. Gave us a whole new respect for the human body and development. For me, it made exercise and healthy eating that much more of a priority.
This morning, I made my first attempt at getting up early to exercise before work. I got up a little later than planned, so I only did 20 minutes on the elliptical. Certainly got me going, though, and feel really alert this AM. So I may have to do that more often – it would probably make it easier to exercise more consistently, since we have so much going on at night.
Stats: 4.51 miles and burned 357 calories.
Soundtrack
- El Torrente – Minus the Bear
- 7/4 (Shoreline) – Broken Social Scene
- Little Thoughts – Bloc Party
- October is Eternal – Of Montreal
- Can’t Think About It Now – Lifetime
- Present of Future End – Most Serene Republic
- E-Pro – Beck
30 Days Challenge – Day 16
Comments Off
Quick post tonight… last night was insanely busy, so I had to skip. Plus, Melisa was busy on the elliptical hitting almost 7 miles and 700 calories! So I couldn’t top that, either. 
Tonight I watched episode 3 of Lost Season 5 (Jughead) while working out on the elliptical.
Final stats: 6.23 miles and burned 639 calories
Haven’t weighed myself in like a day or two, but I was down to like 186 (-3 lbs)… not too bad in two weeks, with no diet change.
Anyway, going to try to get in some elliptical tomorrow and Friday AM, as we’re heading to Albany for the weekend to visit family. Hopefully I can get in Friday AM at the very least. If not I’ll be skipping two days in a row for the first time. Definitely want to avoid that as much as possible.
30 Days Challenge – Day 14
Comments Off
Two weeks down!
Jason:
Tonight I hit up the elliptical again and watched episode 2 of Lost [Season 5] – The Lie. Went for 6.04 miles and burned 619 calories.
Overall, I think I am making good progress. Been over 6 miles and 600 calories the last few times, it seems like it is getting easier (both flying by faster and physically easier), and I feel better. I think a lot better, actually… so that is real encouraging. I currently take blood pressure pills and have borderline cholesterol issues, so it will be interesting to see how much progress I can make before my next check up in November. If these last two weeks are any indication, it will surprise the doctor for sure.
Looking back at the last 14 days, I’ve done the elliptical 9 times, ‘play’ exercised 3 days, and skipped 2 days. Not too bad and pretty much what I hope to stay on after these 30 days… 4 to 5 days of exercise ever 7 days and never skip two days in a row.
And Melisa is pretty sore from running last night! Got me to re-think my ‘take it to the streets’ idea last night. I’ll stick with my lower-impact elliptical, thank you very much!
30 Day Challenge – Day 13
Comments Off
Sunday! Kind of a lazy day, as we just played around the house all day. We did take a walk after dinner, as it was the nicest part of the day.
Jason:
Changed things up today, as I decided to start re-watching Season 5 of Lost instead of listening to music. Tonight I watched episode one – Because You Left. It really made the time fly, as I focused on the episode, rather than the clock/mileage/calories… I ended up with 6.00 miles and 616 calories burned. Not as good as the last few, but it seemed easier which I guess is good. The only negative to watching episodes, is it pretty much sucks the entire ipod battery for one episode… so I’ll need to re-charge each day to make sure I have enough juice. We’ll see how that goes…
Melisa went on a run with her friend Lis tonight [see Lis, I wrote about you! ], which ended up lasting more than 45 minutes… she seemed to think it went quick though. Maybe I’ll have to try an outdoor run one night, in order to compare it to the elliptical and see what I can do on the streets.
I’ll end the weekend with a quote from Lucy… (I think she is watching too much Electric Company!)
Word up, Momma.
She’s also said “hey you guys!”, like they do on Electric Company… if you have seen the show. Ha, too funny!
30 Days Challenge – Day 12
Comments Off
The twins birthday today! Stella and Zoey are officially one year old today. To celebrate, Zoey started crawling today after one plus month of only being interested in walking. Both are mobile now!
Jason:
OK, so I skipped yesterday. My first, I didn’t really do anything active skip. I was beyond beat last night, so I decided to get rest instead. That seemed to pay off. Tonight I got back on the elliptical, though. I got off to a seriously good pace to shatter my previous best, but hit a wall at five minutes to go and kind of coasted my way to the end. The 30 minutes seem to be getting easier to do, so I definitely am making progress.
Exercise of Choice: 30 minutes on the elliptical (6.08 miles and burned 625 calories)
Soundtrack:
- You Are – Built to Spill
- Out of Routine – Idlewild
- Unguided – The New Pornographers
- Runaway – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- The Radiator Hums – Cursive
- The Embassy – Mos Def
- Third Cross Salute – Falling Forward
- Hotel Arizona – Wilco
30 Days- Day 10
Comments Off
One third of the way there! But, still too hot to be outside during the day for me doing exercise and now I have this little competition with myself going to see how many calories I can burn in 30 min. on this thing! We will see how long it lasts till I’m bored with that motivation…
Melisa
Exercise of Choice: Elliptical for 30 min. (5.75 miles, 591 calories)
Reading: Prodigal Summer by Kingsolver
Jason
Feeling pretty good each day. Not as tired as I was for sure. I feel like I am starting to get in shape, regardless if weight isn’t coming off yet. (Not that I have to lose that much.) Each day sells me more and more on continuing this past the 30 days, so that is all I can ask for…
Exercise of Choice: Elliptical for 30 minutes (6.07 miles, 627 calories!)
Weight: not today!
Number of “passed with flying colors” dental appointments: 1
Number of good mid-years reviews: 1
Soundtrack:
- Spikes to You – Drive Like Jehu
- Ellen and Ben – The Dismemberment Plan
- Bright Pink Bookmark – Frightened Rabbit
- An Eluardian Instance – Of Montreal
- Drop It Doe Eyes – Los Campesinos!
- There There. (The Boney King of Nowhere.) – Radiohead
- As Your Ghost Takes Flight – Saves the Day
- Violently Happy – Bjork
- Misfits and Mistakes – Superchunk