I "Found" Poems!

Found poems are a really stellar form of writing. You can make them using text from just about anything. While I personally like using cut-out words from magazines, you can also use the page from an old novel, or just about anything in print. I like using words I find in magazines because I can cut out lots of options (nouns, verbs, prepositions), and then put them together into the phrases that I like. Using a page from a novel is more challenging, in my opinion, because the author of the poem should go in order of the text on the page, choosing just the words they want to write the new poem. While there are some general guidelines for the various versions of found poetry (see here and here), there is a ton of freedom to create. I had my students write found poems in class this semester, and I was so inspired that I wrote a couple of my own. One for a dear friend having a baby, one for my husband for Valentine's Day, and one for a single mom. I really like how they all turned out. Go try one yourself!!

Hara Arena Skybox Party Suite Review

For my husband's birthday, I rented the Skybox Party Suite at Hara Arena for a game. The website promised "the ultimate party or business entertainment experience in Dayton," so I was excited to surprise my husband. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

While I was happy with the communication while I was arranging the night, both via email and on the phone. It was explained to me that the party suite was private and we would have our own area. I asked for some simple decorations, balloons and a sign, along with pizza, sodas, and chips and dip. They didn't mind that I wanted to bring our own cupcakes to celebrate. I paid over the phone and was told that someone would be there to meet us.

However, when I arrived, I knew things weren't going to quite be what I expected. At the ticket window, the attendant found our tickets and told us to "walk through that way" to find the person who would take us to the Skybox. After proceeding through the gate, many vendors where around and, confused, I had to find someone to show us where to go. He led us around the arena to find the man I coordinated with, who took us up to the Skybox. We passed the "lounge area" that is advertised and it is in much need of repair. Overall it just looked run down- old carpet, needed paint- and there were actually issues with a leak and I could hear water dripping. We of course didn't have a large group so we went past that area and up a spiral staircase to the Skybox. I was surprised to find that this area was only about six feed wide and ran the length of the stadium. About a third of one end of this area was the "party suite." You can see the picture below. Nowhere near a suite in my mind!! We had to cross over people from the press reporting on the game to get to our area and it was definitely not sectioned off.  Looking up, you could see moldy ceiling tiles. Yikes.

Besides the appearance of the area, items that were specified in the email were not followed. I asked for balloons and a happy birthday sign. Simple, right? I guess not. I got a happy birthday tablecloth, cheap plastic centerpiece, plate and napkins, and sign taped to the overhead area. While it was better than nothing, I was disappointed. The pizza we ordered from the arena was tasty, but the chips and dip were in questionable plastic containers. Maybe I'm being picky, but they just didn't look nice.... for example, goopy reside remained on the outside of a bowl where it looked like a tag had been torn off. Not so appetizing.... Also, I specified root beer for the sodas and we got Pepsi and lemonade. I know that this seem small, but when they add up together it wasn't the special birthday that I was hoping for. At least I was only charged $50 since it was just the two of us, instead of the $100 the website listed. (To clarify, the pizza, chips and dip, sodas, decorations, and higher price tickets were in addition to that price.)

The game itself was entertaining to watch and I enjoyed that part of the evening. The view was nice from the highest point in the stadium. Next time though, I would save my money and sit in the regular seats! Now I know why there were no pictures posted on the website. The Hara Arena Skybox Party Suite definitely fell short of  my expectations. I wouldn't pay for it again.

8 Months Old!

Wow, I can't believe that Ansel is 8 months old tomorrow. It goes so fast, but I love seeing him grow up. It is absolutely fascinating to watch his little self get bigger, reach higher, smile broader, snuggle deeper. What a blessing!

After our meeting with the neuro-specialist, we mutually agreed that his torticollis was much improved and we did not need physical therapy any more. Of course we will still do therapy stretches and exercises at home, but will not be going to the doctor for therapy. (This will save a pretty penny at $100 a pop!) He's doing great developmentally, rolling, reaching, sitting up (when placed in a sitting position), picking up small objects, looking towards sounds, smiling, giggling, and saying "mama" and "dada" at random. It's so funny because he won't stay on his tummy for long before he is rolling across the room. He has also shown signs of wanting to push up to his knees in a crawling position, so I think that will be starting in the next month or so!!

Ansel is still breastfeeding four times a day, but eats solids at lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually rice or oatmeal with a fruit or veggie. Dinner is a kid-friendly version of what we are having. You should have seen him scarfing down pasta and sauce last night. He sure loves his food!

I continued to push his bedtime back little by little, and now he sleeps 11 1/2 to 12 hours. He's in bed at 7:30 PM and sleeps until 7:30 PM on weekends. During the week we usually have to load up to go to the sitters a little after 7:00. Still, what a great chunk of time! His morning nap is about an hour and afternoon naps are around 2 hours.

Since Justin has a Captain America frisbee/shield, I had to do some cute pictures. Here they are!

2015 Goals

I wouldn't say these are resolutions.... more like goals I'm aiming for. I figured that it would be good to document them. I'm not sure that the order is in any significance. Hopefully I can come back and update as the year progresses.

1. Read a book every day to my baby Ansel.
2. Love my husband and show him in every way I can.
3. Lose 10 pounds. 
4. Pay off my car and Justin's school loan (about $8,500 all together).
5. Go somewhere beachy for our 6th wedding anniversary and wear a bikini again.
6. Finish revisions and send my memoir to a publisher until it gets accepted.
7. Make it a year breastfeeding.
8. Run a 10 K.
9. Start my Doctor of Education.
10. Add at least $10,000 to our savings.
11. Start investing.  

Week 6 in the Cranial Remolding Helmet for Plagiocephaly

 Ansel has already worn the cranial remolding helmet for his plagiocephaly for six weeks! We are already seeing drastic improvements. In fact, if it did not improve any more, I think I could be content with it. (Except for his ear placement- more on that later) The back left of his head doesn't feel or look so flat anymore. Looking from above, we already see the parallelogram shape coming back into a circle. Guess it was worth the money!! :)

On Monday this week, Ansel was a little fussy in the morning. Usually we leave the helmet on all day until we clean it in the evening, but I decided to take it off anyway. To my chagrin, he had a "hotspot" as they call it. The skin looked like a bright red side burn and close to blistering. See below.  I decided I wasn't putting it back on until we figured it out. I gave it that day to air out, but when it was still red on Tuesday morning (even though the helmet had been off a whole day) I called the Hangar Clinic and they got him in right away. They shaved out some more of the foam on the left, and we put it back on. By the afternoon the skin just looked dry and a little flaky from whatever reaction it had. They also suggested using cornstarch if it seemed to be rubbing again.

I keep trying to figure out what caused the hot spot. Did he sleep on it and the extra sweat/no air irritate it? Did we not get that part clean enough in the daily wash? Was it too small because of a growth spurt? We still aren't sure, but I'm glad he's not having any more issues with the hot spot.

However, his head does seem dry, somewhat like the cradle cap that he had around a month old. We tried putting Aveeno baby lotion on his head as recommended by the specialist, but his hair is so long it just seemed like a goopy mess. It's kinda hard to rub lotion through hair, ya know? Then we tried to let it "dry out" before the helmet went on, but his hair still had the lotion in it. I don't know, I'm still not sure it was effective anyway. I just feel bad when he reaches up like he wants to scratch his head...poor baby. Tonight I just scrubbed it really good in the bath and I hope that helps. Perhaps it's just the dry winter weather.

His ears worry me too. They are still not aligned. I hope as his head keeps shifting they will move more into place. At least they are even horizontally if you are looking at him from the front. It's really just when you look at him from above that you notice one ear is closer to his eye than another.

Hopefully we only have to wear the helmet another two months or so, at least during the day when we go out. Overall people just ignore it, and those who do say something aren't rude. It's funny, actually, because they either think I'm trying to dress him up like a football player, or they recognize the Captain America logo. But they aren't rude so it doesn't bother me too much. I'm definitely looking forward to when he doesn't have to wear it though!! The whole ordeal is really an issue of me trusting God. And also realizing that maybe I put too much stock in a "normal" appearance... As the Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart."

Week One of the Cranial Remolding Band (aka Helmet)

Ansel just finished his first week of wearing his cranial remolding band, aka helmet, and it's going well. Overall he's a pretty chill baby anyway, and he eased into the helmet without a problem. Over the past week, he gradually built up his time wearing the helmet until he was wearing all 23 hours a day. Day one was one hour on, one hour off. Day two was two hours on, one hour off, and so on for the rest of the week until he wore it all day. The one hour that we take it off is the hour that we clean it with a mild soap and let it dry out. He hasn't acted like it is hindering him or getting in the way, and continues to play, smile, and eat normally, although his head has been a little sweaty. The specialists say that will go away after a few weeks as his head adjusts to having it on. I am just glad that he is wearing it in the winter, because he is hot-blooded, and I bet he would be sweating like crazy if he had it in the summer.

I was concerned with being able to breastfeed with the helmet. It's not very large, maybe a 1/2 inch thick, but is difficult to nurse in the cradle hold. When I'm home, it's easy enough to nurse side-lying on the bed with the helmet on (hello, naptime after work for momma!) but I just take it off to nurse if he is nursing in the cradle hold. I check with the doctor today about that and he said it was just fine to take it off for that 20-30 minutes when I need to nurse. It's just now that I've gotten the hang of nursing, I don't really want to give it up. Plus, of course, I know it's better for Ansel and cheaper too!

He continues to have therapy for the torticollis once a week, plus we do stretching and even more tummy time than before at home. I see the improvements and the therapist has told me that she is very happy with his progress and he is right on pace with the other milestones like sitting, which makes me feel so much better.

We decided to design the helmet as Captain America's helmet. I really wanted it to look like some kind of a real-life helmet, not just a design (though there were some cute "fixin' my flat" designs). So I spray-painted it blue, then added the "A" and wings decals with puffy paint, and covered the whole thing with Mod Podge. I need to go over it again with a clear spray paint because the Mod Podge doesn't hold up to water the best.

To be honest, I never would have wanted all these issues, and of course prayed for a healthy baby. Between therapy, consultations, helmet fittings, and normal checkups, we have had around 15 appointments in the two months, with most of those in the last month. I'm ready to have my evenings at home back! But of course I know this is best for him, and want his little head to be round and normal like everyone else. I keep trying to trust God and look to Him for strength on those tired days. Somehow I am getting close to seven hours of sleep a night, and can make it on that much. One thing that I am really struggling with lately is keeping up with my Bible reading. It's just so hard to fit it in. I know I could read on my phone while nursing, but I just don't feel like I can focus like I should then. And with working, my evenings are  maxed out with just keeping up with dinner and chores. I'm not doing a bunch of extra cleaning or something either, just the minimum. (Like dishes get done about twice a week! Bathrooms? haha.... twice a month maybe...) We teach Sunday School twice a month, host a weekly Bible study, I try to participate in Meal Trains... I know everyone is busy, and I'm not saying mine is worse or anything. I'm just saying I'm struggling to get my Bible reading in, and it is frustrating because I have always been super consistent on reading every day. The truth is, I really miss it and long for that intimacy with God. So I am determined to find a way to make time. Maybe just 20 minutes, but I have to find a way. I need the Word. NEED it. Pray for me if you can, that I will be able to make time to read. Shoot, even writing this post takes time, which I could be reading! And I realize that, but I know several people wanted updates on Ansel, so I wanted to be able to do that for them. Sigh. Balance. It's so elusive.

My baby has plagiocephaly

After expressing concerns to our pediatrician about Ansel's flat spot, she referred us to a specialist at Dayton Children's Hospital. The nurse practitioner diagnosed Ansel with plagiocephaly, mild torticollis, and mild truncal hypotonia. So much for all those chiropractor visits, tummy time, and stretching at home. His poor little head is still having some issues.

I was very emotional about all this after the appointment, and I still am. As a parent, I try to do everything that I possibly can to make sure Ansel grows up healthy. For these issues to be appearing is disheartening, especially when I love him so much. But I have to keep a level head and take steps to improve the situation. So here's the breakdown of each issue.

The plagiocephaly (flattening of the head as the skull forms) merely cosmetic, and if we didn't do anything, it is very likely to lessen and perhaps even go away. Ansel's flat spot is of the back left of his head, but when you look at his head from above, it actually looks like a parallelogram. In fact, his ears are not quite aligned either. The NP told us that many times it does improve on its own. Between 0-6 months is the fastest growth, then 6-12 slows down some, and after 12 months is the slowest growth period. So the sooner we address it, the better. See pic below:

The torticollis (shortening/tightness of neck muscles (SCM) on one side) is most likely the cause of the plagiocephaly, because Ansel has favored the left side since the first few weeks. We started taking him to the chiropractor around a month for adjustments and learned stretching to do, and definitely saw some improvement in how much he favored the left side. For example, in the first month he would always fall asleep looking to the left, and began to fall asleep looking straight up or to the right. We did tummy time, placed bright toys to the right, and constantly tried to turn his head when he was sleeping. However, at 5 months he still has a mild case of torticollis.

The mild truncal hypotonia (head lag) is perhaps connected with the above concerns. This doesn't worry me as much because it seems like a more normal thing for a baby to develop at a difference pace.

To address these concerns, Ansel will be starting physical therapy this week and is going to be fitted for a cranial remolding helmet. Yikes!! My kid is going to be in a helmet?? Yep, 23 hours a day for 4-6 months or until the flat spot goes away. The helmet works not by putting pressure on the skull, but by keeping pressure off. In a way I feel embarrassed and just silly, but the bottom line is that I want the plagiocephaly corrected as soon as possible. It's expensive though... in the ballpark of $2,500. I'm hoping that insurance will pay, but if not I'm glad that we have this in our HSA (though it will pretty much wipe us out for the year). But it's worth it to me.

What I want is for my baby to grow up healthy and love God. He doesn't have to be the Gerber baby model. That's not the point of the helmet. (In the back of my mind though, I know it would break my heart if I didn't do anything and it ended up not rectifying itself, and then he was bullied because of it.) Don't we all want the best for our kids? I sure do. Walking into Children's last week, I kept having flashbacks of appointments for my little sister Ratona for her seizures, planning brain surgery, and therapy afterwards. That emotional story is a post for another day, but let me just say it was unnerving to be in the same place. I'll be honest and say I prayed many times for a healthy baby that would not have to face all the difficulties that she did. I know, I repeat, I KNOW this is nowhere near the magnitude of that situation, but geez, I am really trying to trust God and also do my part to help Ansel be as healthy as possible. I know every situation is a chance to trust God and bring Him glory, so I'm trying to do that as we start this journey.

Easy Oatmeal Bars

Looking to get your oats in but still have a sweet tooth? Behold! Easy Oatmeal Bars!! This easy recipe can be customized to your mood or the season with various fillings. Lately I've been experimenting with caramel and pumpkin, though the original recipe calls for jam. You could also use chocolate chips, applesauce, apple butter, strawberry jelly, peanut butter, nuts, raisins, Nutella, etc for the filling. It's not hard to bake and goes together fast. There's even a bit of sweet-salty thing going on from the butter in the crust. Mmmm!

Easy Oatmeal Bars
2 c. quick oats, uncooked
1 3/4 cup wheat flour (or white)
2 T ground flax seed
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar (or make 1/4 cup of that honey)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup real butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups of your choice of filling

Combine oats, flour, flax seed, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Melt and stir until the mixture is crumbly and butter is evenly dispersed. Press 2/3 of mixture firmly in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Spread filling evenly over crust, then sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over top. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool and cut into squares.

Filling note: Try 1 cup of old fashioned caramel as filling. Or, mix 1 c. pumpkin plus 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg and use as filling. I even did a pumpkin-caramel filling and it was delicious!!


Pictured below: Old fashioned caramel with chocolate chip filling

Postpartum Running

After four months, I've finally swapped walking for running. While I'm only doing a mile, I'm still pretty proud that I am running the whole mile, and running it at my half marathon race pace from last year (about 11 minutes). I'm not fast, but I'm moving! As I build up my strength and endurance, I'm hoping to get back to running 3-4 miles, three times a week.

While it is hard to make time to run, I am determined that I need to be healthy to be the best mom I can be, so I will make running a priority. With Ansel at 17.9 pounds at his checkup this week, I can't wear him in the front carrier without my back being strained, so it seemed natural to switch back to running. I know that I can find a back carrier to walk with him, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. So running it is. 

It seriously feels good to run again. I know I am one of those odd people who likes to run... but really, getting a good workout makes me feel like maybe I just will be able to knock off those last 5 pounds of baby weight. I honestly would have started back sooner, but to be honest, nursing makes everything tender and it wasn't until I found a really good sports bra that I would even try again. Even with the amazing Jill DD bra, I still have to double layer bras. I know that sounds completely ridiculous, but it was really the only way I had enough support to run. Once I stop nursing, I can't wait to wear this bra without another layer

So let me tell you about the Jill DD bra. It's awesome for those with blessed bosoms. It's super supporting, with lots of ways to adjust. First, it has four sets of back hooks to get the perfect amount of snug on the band. Then, it also has cushioned adjustable straps that fold up and Velcro for the right fit. (PS- you can actually wear this sports bra as a nursing bra!!) It has a mesh stabilizer layer on the front that is supportive and prevents show-through. Worth every penny, I tell you!! What a great sports bra.

On a completely unrelated note, last Friday was Talk Like a Pirate Day and Krispy Kreme gave away a free dozen donuts if you were dressed like a pirate. Since Justin, Ansel, and I all dressed up, we walked away with three dozen donuts. They were fresh off the line and still warm when we ate them. SOOOO good. We might have polished off a whole dozen before we left the store. And that is why I have to run! Haha!

Saving Time as a Busy Mom

Going to back to work this fall has been full of mixed emotions. I do enjoy my job and I feel like I get blessed with great students year after year. Yet I miss Ansel while I am gone, and I still have to keep up with all the everyday tasks that were easier to stay on top of before our precious little one came along. Justin is also finishing his last year of PTA school, so this adds some stress into the mix since he is gone two nights a week and has studying to do when he is home. Before he was in school, we basically split all our duties in half since we both worked (I know, pretty progressive, right?) Now, he has school and I have Ansel to feed, so it's still basically split, although I am trying to do as much as I can to help him since his evenings are more structured than mine. (By the way, I swear I could write a dissertation on the difference between scheduled responsibilities and flexible time to get things done.)

With all that said, here are a few things I am doing to keep myself partially sane.

• Make freezer meals on the weekends for the next week.
• Make two of everything so that I have leftovers and don't have to cook two nights in a row. 
• Buy meat in larger quantities and divide them into small portions and freeze. 
• Cook (boil) chicken ahead of time and shred or chop for easy meal prep. 
• Limit grocery shopping trips by keeping a list and only going to the store once a week.  
• Designate one day a week for house cleaning (sweeping, dusting, bathrooms, laundry). 
• Pack lunches the night before. 
• Pack pumping supplies the night before. 
• Pick out clothes the night before. 
• Cook a dozen scrambled eggs Sunday night and store in the fridge so I have a healthy breakfast each morning.
• Split duties with hubby. Me: dinner, dishes - Him: trash, mowing - Both: laundry, other chores
• Keep up with my social life (phone calls, texts to close friends, Facebook stalking...haha) while nursing. 
• Be efficient in my work at school so that when I am home, I can focus on my hubby and babe. 

I am feeling pretty tired in the evening though, and I'll admit that I fall asleep nursing sometimes. It's sure hard to get to bed before 10 PM with getting all three bags ready (school bag, pumping bag, diaper bag) and everything else, but I am really trying. At least Ansel is sleeping like a champ 8:30-9 PM to 6 AM. My daily schedule looks something like this:

5:20 Rise and shine!
6:00 Nurse Ansel
6:45 Finish getting ready while Justin burps and changes Ansel
7:10 Drop Ansel off at sitter's
7:30-3:00/3:15 Work
3:30 Pick up Ansel
3:45-5:00 Get dinner ready, eat, clean up
5:00 Nurse Ansel and play with him
6:00 Housework, leisure, bills, etc
7:00 Exercise at least 3x a week
8:00 Nurse Ansel
9:00 Get ready for next day, read Bible
10:00 To bed!

What do you do to save time while working and raising a family?  I'm definitely looking for suggestions to better maximize my time.