146. Fatherhood Friday's - What about BOB? My jogging stroller and me.

In about 3 weeks, I'll be standing in a crowd of about 30,000 people attempting to run 10 miles for a cause. It's the 31st Annual Broad Street run in Philadelphia. Now, before you go, "Wow, we've got a healthy runner here looking to do some good" I should tell you that I am far from the picture of health, likewise I'm not really a runner.

In 2004, I my weight was creeping ever so close to 300lbs (270lbs to be exact). It wasn't so much what I was eating, just the amount of what I was eating coupled with extensive inactivity. As the weight continued to climb I decided to do something about it, and about a year later I had lost 70lbs...I thought that was enough. Once I got down to the magic 200lb number I had in my head I thought I could just relax and enjoy that weight for a while. But it's all too easy to fall into those old habits and my weight started to go the other way.

That was when I decided to run. I had changed my diet and was walking/jogging, but it wasn't giving me the results I was looking for. With help from some friends and the motivation of a 'Biggest Loser' contest at work I started to take things up a notch, and lose about 40lbs. I was officially healthy, my bloodwork and weight said so. I ran a couple of respectable 5k races for charity and I actually enjoyed myself.

So what do you think I did? Yep, I got lazy. Life takes over and you forget to take care of yourself. My wife and I had a baby and exercise and eating right suddenly were on the back burner again. I've gained some of the weight back for a third time, but promising to run after work is difficult when you have a little girl at home that you haven't seen all day.
Have no fear spring is finally here! I think we've found a solution. It's not a new solution by any means, but it is new to us. We bought a Bob Revolution jogging stroller. I took it out for a spin last night with my daughter and I think we both had a lot of fun with it. I can now spend time with her and get my run in. No more excuses. I've only had it out once, but I think we'll be getting a lot of use out of it this year! It was fun to watch our little girl wave to people as she rolled by and watch the breeze in her hair.

I want to be healthy for me and my family, but it's hard. I enjoy food so much. I'm out of excuses, and I have 3 more weeks to train for the big 10 mile run in Philly...Wish me luck, gotta Run!

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147. Baby on the Plane, Daddy on the ground.

Ah, vacation. The month of March was brutal for anyone in the education field in NJ. Stress levels were and continue to be very high this year so it was nice to have a break to recharge, relax, and forget about NJ for a few days.

This was a much needed vacation for my wife and I, but on top of that it was our first family trip with our little girl. Months ago, my wife and I decided we'd like to go to Florida during my spring break. This is a time of year where deals on airfare are few and far between and any money saved would have limited the number of days we could spend having fun in the sun. So, we decided against spending money on two expensive airline tickets and a rental car. Instead, while the baby and my wife took to the skies, I would be on the road heading south in the family car with all the luggage and supplies we would need for the week.

Let me tell you this, it was much harder than I expected. I was nervous how the baby would do on the plane. Would there be tears? Would she be in pain? Could she possibly throw a fit for the whole two hour flight? And how would this affect my wife? I was worried about all of this, but was secretly grateful I wouldn't have to experience myself. I thought I was home free...Boy was I wrong.

The 1000 mile trip was difficult in terms of driving. In fact I made awesome time on the way down, but it was very lonely. I didn't get to see my wife and daughter for 30hrs. This may not seem like a lot, but it is the longest I've been away from the two of them ever. And I missed them.

I didn't make the trip straight through. I stopped at a hotel in Georgia and barely slept...I couldn't wait to get out the door in the morning and finish that trek just so I could see them again.I met them at the airport when their plane landed and was relieved to see them both in good spirits. My wife, happy to be in the warmth of Florida, gave me a nice hug and my daughter (who seemed confused at my sudden appearance) gave me a little smile. It was a relief to see them both, I could finally start my relaxing vacation.

It was a great week and my 11month old daughter really seemed to enjoy her first vacation. It will certainly make us less nervous to try this again...I'm just not sure I can handle another long trip without them again.

148. Fatherhood Friday - Eating is so easy...

Can someone please explain this to me...We go about our nightly dinner routine by giving our little girl a bottle which she happily chugs. After that it's time for solids. We get her all strapped into the high chair, get the food ready (last night it was broccoli, turkey, & cheese), and put a little whole milk into her sippy cup (we're easing the whole milk in slowly and as peacefully as possible).

For the dinner, the turkey she likes, that goes pretty well and cheese she loves. She even feeds herself some, so that's good. She drinks her milk, which she liked a little more than she did yesterday. But we hit a wall at the broccoli. She takes a couple of bites, but then throws a fit and refuses anymore. We tried to do the right thing and not pressure her to eat more than she wants because the last thing we need is some sort of food anxiety on our hands.

Once she throws a fit, she's done she won't eat anything else. So my wife and I finish our dinner while she plays happily with the crumbs. When we're done I take her out of the high chair to clean her up, and just for giggles I give her a little taste of the broccoli...Now, she loves it and I can't give it to her fast enough...She ate all of it.

It was a bizarre little event that I cannot explain. We thought she was exercising her right to choose foods she likes by refusing the broccoli, but it appears she actually like it.

I'm baffled, every day with this beautiful little girl presents a new mystery of life. I try to take notes, but no matter how prepared I think I am to see that fast ball on the outside corner, I wind up seeing a curve down and in for a strike.

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149. The Geese are back, it must be Spring...

Spring is in the air. As I type this it's 70 degrees outside, the sun is shining, and the daffodils are popping up out of the ground.

What does Spring have in store for us? Well, we'll finally be able to get back outside. Our little girl was born in May so we had a fantastic first 5 months of her life wandering outside and taking little adventures that kept us wrapped in fresh air and sunshine. And then, Winter came and we locked up the windows, packed away all the short sleeves, and huddled up waiting for our chance to get that stroller rolling again.

As part of my rather ineffective New Year's resolution to lose weight, I signed up to run the annual Philadelphia Broad St. Run...In cold weather, this 10 mile exercise in disaster has forced be back on the treadmill. Now that it's finally warmer I can run outside. Sure I could have been like a few of my neighbors jogging down the road with 10 inches of snow on the ground, but I'm just not that dedicated.

The race is in May and I am on pace to be sufficiently prepared for the 10 mile trip...At least I hope so. I ran almost 6 miles this past Tuesday and felt pretty good. I could have done more but I crossed paths with my wife and daughter who were walking around town enjoying the sun and I just had to stop to be with them. I ran almost 4 miles yesterday and was just a bit sore, but still felt good. So with a little more than a month to go things are looking pretty good.

Between now and then, staying motivated to run will be my toughest challenge...Warmer weather means fun outside with the family, time on the water with a fishing rod, and some work to be done out in the yard. We'll see how it goes...

What the!?!? It's 2010...Where have I been?

I tried, I mean I really tried. Last December, I sat in front of this very computer screen and I promised myself that I would get back to business on this blog. And what did I do? I let the blog wither like the forgotten houseplant in the corner of the living room no one every remembers to water.

Fortunately, I think we can save it. I think there is a little bit of green left in this blog to make a returned effort to bring it back to life. My daughter is now 10 months old and in those 10 months I have learned a lot.

Things Like:

1. Don't go un-diapered unless you are fully prepared to face the consequences.
2. What the baby eats today can easily become ammo tomorrow.
3. Sleep is a good thing, perhaps the best of things, and no good thing ever dies...It just gets a little shorter.

One of the most interesting things I've learned as a parent is that any bad thing that involves children in the news suddenly hits me much harder. I put myself in the shoes of those parents and I can't bear the weight of their stories. I think of my little girl and I just want to protect her from everything.

Trouble is, I'm no superman and I know she'll have to experience life and learn some hard lessons on her own, but with every tear or problem she comes at me with I want to be able to put on a cape and save the day.

In 10 months I've learned a lot, but in 10 years I'll learn much, much, more about who I am, who she is, and where I fit in all of the adventures we're bound to have.

So I am making a new promise. There are 294 days left in 2010 and I promise that for at least 150 of those days I will be posting. I've been away from the keyboard too long. Maybe, someone will start reading this again, but if not it's cool. I'm doing it for me...Come a long for the ride if you wish, there's still some room on the bus.

Thanksgiving Redux...

It's been seven days since my experiencing my favorite holiday for the first time as a father. How did it go? Well, we packed in so much over the holiday weekend that the amazing meal and experience of Thanksgiving is almost a blur....I did say almost.

Our almost 7 month old was a trooper through the entire event. Earlier in the week she had her 6 month well visit at the pediatrician who gave us the go ahead to try new solid foods. This was exciting because that meant we could sneak some turkey into her planned meal of sweet potatoes.

I will tell you this, since we started solid food a few weeks ago we have yet to find a combination or concoction that she will not eat. To her the sweet potatoes and turkey were just another chance to try something new. Relative to her size she probably ate as much as we did on Thanksgiving. Her festive meal was a success, and it helped accomplish something for me as well.

Every previous Thanksgiving, I'd stuff myself until I could barely stand up from the table and I had big plans to make this Thanksgiving as good or better than all the rest and the baby helped me succeed. You see, I think part of the reason I get so uncomfortably stuffed is because I eat too fast. Having a baby at the table as eager to eat as I was sort of takes priority to my own gluttony. Thus, I was able to eat as much or more than previous years much more slowly, and a lot less uncomfortably.

It was our first major holiday as parents and it was fun. We took a lot of pictures, laughed at her messy face, and spent time with our family...I can't wait until Christmas!

Fatherhood Friday - Here's What Happened...

It is Friday! I look forward to Fridays for a couple of reasons. First, it's the end of my work week and I can walk away from my desk and not have to answer the phone, check email, or do anything work related for two days. My wife and daughter are at home all week while I sit here and watch the clock at work. It makes me crazy because I'd rather be with the both of them so on Friday when I can pack up for the weekend I can't wait to get home.

Friday night is also good for something else. Once our little one goes to bed my wife and I celebrate with a pizza...It's our own little pizza night. The routine is the same every Friday. First it's bath time, then she gets fed, I call for the pizza, we tuck the baby in and I go pick it up. By the time I get home we can just relax. We are big fans of the shows on USA especially Monk, Psych, and their latest series White Collar. So we eat our pizza, catch up on the week, talk about baby girl, and just unwind with some mindless TV.

Time is very important in a marriage especially when there are children involved. We're new at the parenting game and it would be very easy to lose track of our marriage in all those dirty diapers, teething, play time, etc. We need time for us and pizza night gives is just one of the ways we get that. It seems small, but it works for us...I can almost smell the pizza already!

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