workin' it.

I'm really trying to get fit again. I've taken a solid year off and that's about enough. In fact, it's the longest I have gone in as long as I can remember without any regular physical regime. When I was a child I was urged to take part in extra-curricular activities. My Mom chose ballet and piano. I happened to love both. So, for a very long time I was dancing twice a week (in my early teens before I decided to become a complete shithead I was dancing 4 days a week) and piano lessons at lunch once a week until Grade 8. I suddenly got lazy, stopped practicing, new I couldn't be the best I wanted to be so quit. Broke my parent's hearts but that wasn't the first or the last time for that either.

In University I tried going to the gym a few times, but that meant dedication and so instead I partied my ass off and danced til sunrise alot. I figure the amount of calories and sweat I was burning made up for the amount of toxins going into my body. Kinda wrong, but it got me through. In my twenties I dated a guy who hit the gym pretty hard every day so I did too. I weight trained and did all that circuit trainig shit. I got a little bulky but my waist stayed trim. I liked lifting weights. It was a very good agression killer for me. I coupled that with a weekly yoga class that taught me how to deal with my anxiety. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, that yoga class saved my life. But then I quit my job and moved out west. Out west I learned that pretty much all activities take place outside, rain or shine. And I'm here to tell you that rain happened alot more then shine. So I picked up some rain gear and started running. I fell in love. I found an activity that gave me the best of all the previous execise worlds I'd been in. Music on the MP3 made me feel like dancing. The endophins kicking in allowed for my aggression to release. My mind would empty like in final shivasina. I got pretty good. I even ran a 10k. My body got extremely lean and my face had never before been more slender and structured. Secret - I am vain.

I moved back home and got pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Olivia. And although I did a handful of pre-natal pilates I don't consider that counting as any form of true excersize, albeit was an absolute joke watching me even try to get down on the mat. I found it frustrating more then anything, but Dax was there and we laughed a helluvalot so it made it ok. Anyone sensing a theme here? I don't like to half ass things and if I think that's going to be the outcome I usually bail. I'm a perfectionist and I am driven. I am also happiest when in shape.

Dax started this Baby and Me fitness program a while ago so she and Bella could have something to do. Goals. She's good at that. She's the planner and the organizer. I pushawd it at first but then became a little more interested when we talked about going swimming with the girls. I'm not the Mommy Group type. I find alot of it fake and full of what I label the extreme Mommies - super feminist or super June fucking Cleaver. I'm neither. However, the chance to get into the pool with our little ones and splash around to some pretty bad 90's gay anthems sounded appealing so I went for it. And we bombed. Little Liv is still a little too small for the enlarged rubber ducky dingy. Her shoulders slip down and she's not holding her own quite enough yet. We spent the class (ok this was the second shot at it) in the corner outside of the rest of the group blowing bubbles and swooshing around in circles. She had fun for a little while until she got tired and hungry. Then all hell broke loose. Like her Mother, when she is hungry the world must stop until she is fed. It's an unfourtunate trait - it means you usually have to carry food on you at all times, or at least a fiv'r so you can hit the nearest variety store for a candy bar - but she's still too young for that. Whatever, this comes with the territory. But really? It's a bit of a production.

So, tomorrow I'm trying Stroller Fit. This is a cardio class that takes place in one of Toronto's many parks. You push your baby in the stroller up and down hills and look like a complete jackass I'm sure. But apparently it's a pretty good workout. Here's hoping. The instructions on the website say meet at the bench beside the snack bar. At least I got that covered!

Big Firsts

I've made a decision. I'm getting off Facebook. I'm over it. Everybody knows that it's an outlet for spying, it caters to the voyeur of which I take a great deal of pleasure in, not really to get back in touch with people, but that's not why I'm ending it. It's TOO MUCH WORK. Can't handle the pressure of posting and updating and labelling and tagging anymore. I have a very active 5 month old baby. When she sleeps I get things done. She is sleeping less. This way, I will be able to focus my attention here, where I should be spending time documenting such wonderful memories as this:

Olivia Eats.

This morning I woke up and thought yup - it's Saturday. It's July 26th. Liv is 5 months old. Let's EAT! Huzb was crashed on the couch from an accidental bender with the neighbours the night before. I stumbled downstairs with the babe to heat liquids. This is the routine around here lately. Heat Bottle. Put on coffee. Feed Otis. Fill up water bowl. So many liquids I think to myself.

Liv had recently been on a hunger strike. I'm convinced she's teething. Her little gums are red and I can feel a rigid line across her bottom gumline. She's been pulling at her ears and a little more cranky then usual. Could it be teeth so soon? Already? Not today, we're already doing one new thing. This morning she took her bottle with no fuss at all. Hmm...all that striking has caught up. After a failed attempt at burping I but her back into her bouncey chair and warmed up a little extra formula to mix her cereal. I think I read the box 45 times. Dax told me this is the cereal she and Scarbs use. It's brown rice. It's organic. Holy fuck there are so many things to think about. So overwheleming. Best to just run with it. I tbsp of cereal to 2 tbsp of formula. Check. I already have the formula.

Livvie is bouncing in her chair with vigour. She LOVES this chair. Too bad she's growing out of it. The other day she cut the back of her heel from banging her feet against the rim of th chair. Man they don't lie when they say they grow fast. Must keep up written memories. Back to the cereal. I call Huzb from the hallway and let him know that we're about to try solids. He comes running with camera and big dazed smile. He's such a good Dad.


Is anybody Hungies?? Big smiles from Liv who has also recently taken to high pitched squeels and low grunts. Really trying to cover all the animal sounds right off the bat. She can imitate a monkey and a lion! The actual feeding of the cereal was so fun. And she was pretty good. As expected she got most of it on her face. But I can tell already that she's good with the spoon. She immitated me when I opened my mouth wide and squeeled with delight when the new substance was shoved into her mouth. Eating. Never really thought so much about it before. It's kind of hard! Lots of coordination to figure out.

So here she is, my little Liv, having succeeded another milestone so soon. She's Eating. She's growing. She's so happy. I need a highchair.