Is This Early Nesting?

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It is a million degrees outside.  Seriously.  A million.  Okay, it’s more like 95.  But it’s still really flippin’ hot.

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Our outside hours are approximately 7:30 – 8:30 AM and 6:00 – bedtime.  Anything else – including simply getting into the car – leaves my fair-skinned little boy sweating and tomato-faced.  We’re trapped!

 

Speaking of Henry’s Englishness, here’s his rendition of God Save The Queen:

I got to hear that song during breakfast:

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The usual:

 

Eggs

Toast

Fruit

Potatoes

Broccoli <—The Husband snuck that in.  I was not in the mood for broccoli for breakfast!

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I whipped up a protein smoothie to take to the gym – in the mix was almond milk, frozen strawberries, spinach, and Vega protein powder (the vamilla flavor is my new favorite, but I can see how it’d be hit or miss with people).  I’m trying really hard to get better about eating immediately after workouts.  It’s difficult because that requires pre-planning… Hah.

 

I’ve been meaning to write a little bit more about my fitness routine, but basically, I’m aiming to run twice a twice, swim twice a week, and do at least one day of strength training until I can no longer run.  So far, so good!  This is the week that I stopped running when I was pregnant with Henry, but I’m not having any of the same pain symptoms this time around – I’m just super slow and can’t go very far.   Which is fine!   It’s too hot for much else.

 

At the gym, I did a strength training workout.  I’m actually writing down what I lift so I can keep track of my progress… I’ve never really done this and usually just wing it, which is probably (definitely!) super ineffective.  Today was leg day.  After, I did 30 minutes on various cardio equipment.

 

Reading material:

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Parents – You gotta read 1-2-3 Magic!  My goal for Henry for before this baby comes is to really figure out discipline.  He’s a real good kid… the problem is me! I feel like I’m all over the place with my discipline techniques, and I really want the process down before we add another kid to the mix.  Basically, according to this book, my problem is that 1) I inject too much emotion into discipline and 2) I talk way too much to be effective.  Any other discipline books that I should read? 

 

On another nesting note:  I started cleaning out the spare room’s closet yesterday.   Look at this nightmare!

PicMonkey Collage

This room will become Henry’s Big Boy room (I’m keeping the nursery the way it is because I love it SO MUCH).  My mom cleaned out her attic about a year ago and brought over all my “memory” boxes.  There’s a ton of stuff that I saved from middle and high school, but she saved EVERYTHING from my birth onwards (and I seriously mean everything – copies of notes from doctor’s appointments for ear infections, progress reports from preschool, the receipt for my amniocentesis).  I have found so much fun stuff – like my old Nokia cell phone from 2000! – and it’s super time consuming to go through it all. 

 

My goal is to whittle all those boxes down to four… Which I think seems kind of insane still.  We have this fantasy of moving into a smaller house, but we’ll never be able to do that if I’m still keeping my homecoming corsage from 2001.  Right?!

 

Alright.  That post was all over the place.  Hope you enjoyed it, though.  Smile

 

What’s up with you?  Sweating?  Exercising?  Eating?  Cleaning?

{ 50 comments }

 

  • Jennifer June 18, 2014, 3:07 pm

    My mom has me reading the Love & Logic books. I have an 18 month who is super easy, but like you I feel I am all over the map. I never know what to follow through on and what to let go. I am hoping the Love & Logic books help and keep it easy.

    • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 3:13 pm

      Oh I will check out that, too. Thanks for the rec. I am working on “picking my battles” too. Sometimes I catch myself disciplining for something that really doesn’t matter but I’m doing it because I’m tired etc. Or I let the big stuff slide because I just don’t want to deal with it. Parenting is SO hard. Just typing out that I do those things makes me feel like WTF am I doing?! Hah. Three years ago, I would’ve been like, “Moms who do that are DUMB.” But it’s so not easy to do it on a constant, daily basis AND do it right. Everyone is awesome at parenting until they become a parent, hah. But I really want to because I believe in the power of consistent discipline. It’s so challenging.

    • Suzanne June 19, 2014, 1:35 pm

      I agree with Jennifer. Parenting with Love and Logic is great. They have CDS too if you don’t have a lot of time to read. I actually took a class at my son’s school and it was great. Most of the teachers there have taken the class too and love it. They find it very effective.

      One of the best things that I took away from it was how to handle when my kids weren’t listening. I used to just repeat myself and nag. But now I say, “Uh oh, energy drain.” And then when they want something extra, I say, “Oh, that’s so sad, I’m too tired from all of that energy you drained. I just can’t do it.” And then you let them “pay you back” for the energy they drained by doing some of your chores. It’s awesome.

  • Laurence June 18, 2014, 3:19 pm

    I am using your technique to get rid of “memory” items, i.e. I take a picture with the item. It does really work for me.

    • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 3:21 pm

      I thought about doing it with this stuff, too! But there is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH. I seriously have a make-out chart that my friends and I made our senior year of high school detailing how the boys we kissed all intersected. LOL That was pretty awesome (I kept it).

      • Breanne June 18, 2014, 4:34 pm

        LOL!

  • Katie@LifesNextBigStep June 18, 2014, 3:21 pm

    Oh my goodness. That is the cutest video ever!!! What a precious little boy you’ve got there – I’m sure he’s a handful 🙂
    And I sweated a ton today – got my crossfit on and burned lots of calories and tried not to die in the process (burpees want to kill me, I’m sure of it.)

    • Katie@LifesNextBigStep June 18, 2014, 3:23 pm

      Oh and I’ve got nothing for you on discipline. Granted mine’s only 1, but she laughs when I tell her “no”. Throwing food on the floor is our current battle and she is totally winning.

      • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 3:24 pm

        You need a dog 🙂 That’s my discipline technique for that.

        • Katie@LifesNextBigStep June 18, 2014, 3:26 pm

          Oh we have a dog. A fat one. Getting fatter, actually 🙂

          • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 3:27 pm

            hahah!

            i do think the food throwing just passes over time. i tried to ignore it with henry and act like it wasn’t a big deal. he seemed to do it to get a rise out of me. 1-2-3 Magic would remind you not to show emotion 🙂

  • Laura@SneakersandSpatulas June 18, 2014, 3:23 pm

    So sweaty here in Durham! I get sweaty just walking the dog. The heat is making me really enjoy my swimming days so I can be in a climate controlled building to workout!

    I am definitely cleaning and organizing our house right now. I feel like a lot of stuff went to the wayside while training for my HIM so I’m taking advantage of the free time I have now to clean and organize our house. I cleaned the closets last week and donated 4 bags of clothes to Goodwill. And got rid of two random wedding gifts we’ve never used!

  • Dana June 18, 2014, 3:25 pm

    Good luck with the cleaning. Maybe I’m weird, but I find purging old stuff to be very cathartic. Which is good since I’m moving from Boston to Seattle in two months. When you’re paying movers by the pound suddenly almost nothing seems worth saving!

  • Julianne June 18, 2014, 3:25 pm

    Recycle that cell phone! You can print a free postage-paid label here to help DV victims: http://www.verizonwireless.com/aboutus/hopeline/get-involved.html

    • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 3:25 pm

      Oh thanks!!!!

  • Abby June 18, 2014, 3:33 pm

    We think the Love and Logic books are awesome! It works for us. Also a helpful parenting blog might be Ahaparenting.com. A lot of what she writes about makes a ton of sense to me! Keep up the grew job with the workouts, you rock 🙂

    • Grace June 19, 2014, 10:19 am

      I LOVE Ahaparenting! It’s my favorite online resource. I would also highly recommend Everyday Blessings: The Everyday Work of Mindful Parenting. It was absolutely life changing, and I feel like a better person, as well as parent, after reading it. If you are at all interested in meditation, mindfulness, or the spiritual aspects of raising a human being, you will get SO much out of it.

      • Caitlin June 19, 2014, 10:25 am

        So cool! Thanks for the Rec!

  • Nancy June 18, 2014, 3:41 pm

    Omg good luck with the gutting! It’s hard when it’s your own stuff (and not your husbands lol). My Mom always chucked out my stuff like that as a kid, and sometimes I wish I had seen a few of the things now that I’m older. But I do have a similar Nokia phone from about 2003 which looks a lot like your fancy blue floral one haha. 🙂

    Today I don’t have my car (husband took it because mine’s a hatchback and can fit his bike in it) so I’m not going to yoga, or climbing. I’ll clean the whole house today so I don’t have to do chores for the rest of the week. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Blast some music, and clean.

  • Cortney June 18, 2014, 3:45 pm

    We recently sold our house to move from Atlanta to So Cal and now live in a tiny apartment. I actually love it because I have just what I need an nothing more! Even though I did not keep everything even with the house, I still had to let a lot go before we moved. I found that taking pictures of a few things before letting them go helped. I still get the memory but it no longer takes up precious physical space. I am so much happier and lighter with less!

    • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 3:52 pm

      I WANNA BE LIKE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.

  • Claire Zulkey June 18, 2014, 4:02 pm

    Have you checked out “Between Parent and Child”? I saw it recommended somewhere and started reading it and it makes sense, in terms of specific ways to praise/critique a kid (although to be honest it seems slightly more appropriate for older kids–so far I have not found a magic bullet for the Terrible Twos.)

    I wish it was socially acceptable go to “YAY!!!” as an adult after I did something cute or good the way Henry does there.

    Meanwhile (since you asked) I think I am going to train for a nonexistent 10K because I really can’t be motivated unless I’m training for something, whether it’s a real race or one I’m running totally solo.

  • Alycia June 18, 2014, 4:03 pm

    While I don’t have kids of my kids of my own, I am a mental health clinician and I work in homes with families and I LOVE 123 magic! I’ve seen it do so much good in families =)

  • Samantha June 18, 2014, 4:04 pm

    Henry is entirely too cute!

  • Ashley June 18, 2014, 4:13 pm

    First: I also did not find out the gender with my daughter, and am not with this pregnancy, either. I did the same — moved her into a big girl room to keep the nursery as-is! I loved the space I created. Part of me felt guilty that the new baby wont get the same love and care that went into creating it for Clementine, but s/he gets an instant big sister, so I think it evens out.

    Second: When we were cleaning out the office to make her big girl room, I found myself wanting to hang onto similar things. I said something to my mom along the lines of “Remember when Papa died a few years ago, how much fun it was to go through all this stuff of his? My kids are going to want to see this stuff someday!” Her response? “Your kids are going to have to throw all that crap away some day!” She was completely right. I tossed a lot more than I would have if she hadn’t pointed it out!

  • Breanne June 18, 2014, 4:31 pm

    I have that exact phone AND cover… in a box in my closet. LOL. My first cell phone!

  • Eileen June 18, 2014, 4:40 pm

    I have 2 grown (college aged) boys. You are off to a great start with those 2 pieces of advice. And honestly, even with teens and older, those are great pieces of advice. I struggle with the 2) item a lot (still).

    Looking back, I know I did WAY too much for my kids. I felt guilty for working and (at some points) only having evenings with the kids. Also, since we only had 2, it was almost easier to ‘do things myself’ instead of asking them to contribute (in whatever way they could accomplish). I always thought I had chores as a kid because I was 1 of 6. But my Mom didn’t work, so it’s silly to think that was why.

    Looking back, the things I felt really strongly about, and was consistent with, were never ever an issue. For the things I vacillated on, the kids learned to nag and negotiate and they were often successful.

    Good luck (and I love that you aren’t finding out the gender – we did that for both of ours and even 20 years ago that was rare!)

    • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 4:42 pm

      Oooh such good feedback from an experienced mom! thanks!

  • Beks June 18, 2014, 4:43 pm

    I miss when phones were super simple. Don’t get me wrong, LOVE my Galaxy S III, but it just takes me back to high school when only a few kids had phones, and they most likely paid for them themselves. 🙂

  • RunEatRepeat June 18, 2014, 4:50 pm

    You can sneak a few stalks of broccoli in your smoothie when you’re not in the mood to eat it 🙂

  • Mary June 18, 2014, 4:58 pm

    I just read in the Charlotte Observer today about some Myers Park high school students who are collecting graduation caps and gowns for students in Tanzania. It may be something to consider, if you find those items in your childhood memorabilia!

    • Caitlin June 18, 2014, 6:07 pm

      Oh I did!! that is awesome. I’ll check it out.

  • Traci June 18, 2014, 5:19 pm

    I missed the pregnancy announcement! Congrats!! I feel like I took a couple of weeks off of reading blogs and when I came back everyone is expecting. Also, that breakfast looks so balanced, thanks for the inspiration! (Including the broccoli…)

  • Amelia June 18, 2014, 5:29 pm

    Kudos for getting started early on the closet! I’m right at 16 weeks with you and our baby’s room is currently our office. So the office needs to get moved to our gym room….interesting combo, right? That will take cleaning out the closet and God only knows what’s in there, plus moving a huge desk. All my mama friends said to wait until 20 weeks to start cleaning and moving stuff around. Is there really a ‘right’ time to do it all?
    Good news is we won’t have to paint since our walls are gender neutral and we aren’t finding out the sex.
    I always envy your breakfasts….except I couldn’t do the broccoli part right now. I’m currently aiming to keep up my pre pregnancy routine, modifying as needed unless I have pain or something else happens. Spin 2x week, body pump 3x week, and step aerobics 2x week. 🙂

  • Jeanne T June 18, 2014, 5:47 pm

    Three cheers for 1-2-3 Magic! My kids are 21 and 20 now, and it was an effective and, for me, fail-proof method with my kids 🙂 For my family, it was wonderful! Good luck!!

  • Christine @ BookishlyB June 18, 2014, 5:50 pm

    My baby is only 7 weeks, so I’m definitely not in the disciplining stage yet. I will have to say that teaching for the pat eight years (four elementary, four high school) has taught me a lot. Not showing emotion is huge, although I think interjecting some occasionally can be effective (they know you mean business if you’re acting truly pissed). I think consistency is also key- kids walk allllllll over you if they know they have a chance. They’re not necessarily bad kids, they’re just testing their limits.

  • Sara @ LovingOnTheRun June 18, 2014, 6:29 pm

    I used to have a phone JUST Like that! Wow Now I am starting to actually feel old…haha!

  • Leanne Johnson June 18, 2014, 11:38 pm

    We LOVE 1-2-3 magic. We read it when our first was 1 ish to feel prepared and have been very consistent. Now that she is newly 3, we use a combo of 1-2-3 magic and then love and logic to give her some independence with choices.

  • Erica June 19, 2014, 9:20 am

    I’m a big fan of the Positive Discipline series. The Positive Discipline A to Z guide gives tips for specific circumstances, and the one for toddlers is also really helpful. Our son is really good but it’s nice to have some set routines for dealing with the normal toddler tantrums and whatnot. Good luck !

  • Kendra S. June 19, 2014, 1:29 pm

    We love 1-2-3 Magic! The first time it actually worked truly felt like “magic” and we’ve stuck with it ever since! We started using it with our son about the same time you’re starting with Henry and we’ve already started using it with our 18 month old daughter (somewhat modified of course, due to her age). The hardest part for me is not talking too much and trying to reason with him. I end up feeling frustrated that I don’t get through to him when I know better and need to allow the process to work. When I do it right, it really does work! It is more of an exercise in discipline for the parents as much as it is for the kids. That is something I hadn’t considered before reading the book. I’m interested to hear how it works for you!

    • Caitlin June 19, 2014, 2:25 pm

      It’s so working with Henry – just after a day or so!!! It really does work.

  • Sarah Downs June 19, 2014, 1:35 pm

    Hey! I dont know if I have ever commented before but Ive been following your blog since you were pregnant with Henry. Our first boys are about a week apart and it looks like our second babies will be days apart as well!! A couple questions.. how far or long do you run still? Do you worry about weight gain or just make sure you are getting the right nutrition?
    thanks!

    • Caitlin June 19, 2014, 2:24 pm

      That is so cool! Wish you lived nearby 🙂 I run for about 30 minutes a few times a week. I’m up about 13 pounds, which is faster than I was gaining with Henry. I don’t really worry about the gain in terms of the health of the baby, because I’m sure that even if I gain more than I did with Henry, it won’t be seriously unhealthy amount. I think it will be harder to get back into post-baby shape with number two, which I would really like to because hopefully I’ll be able to do a triathlon next summer! I don’t know… I don’t worry about it from an appearance standpoint.

  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork June 19, 2014, 2:10 pm

    My mom has slowly been handing over my stuff that either she or I had kept and it’s so daunting to go through it! One box at a time, one thing at a time, it all adds up! While we would like a slightly larger house some day (we currently have a ~1200 sq ft. two bed/one bath) on more private piece of property, we do want to keep simplifying. We’ve been pretty good at that, but I’m sure as soon as kids come around, it becomes more challenging! Good luck with the organizing!

  • Dennis June 19, 2014, 3:07 pm

    As a fellow southern US resident (Atlanta) – completely agree it’s hot! It makes you realize how great some of our spring and fall weather is though and how you can and should maximize your time outdoors then.

    As a dad of two boys I realize though that outdoors time makes a significant improvement in the behavior of our duo. There’s still lots you can do outside in the summer: Find a shady walking path or trail, A shady playground, or hit the pool!

    I’m sure Henry would love any of these – and I’m sure Charlotte has all three. Good sunshine and activity means everyone in our house sleeps better than the days they stay in and do less. There are non chemical sunscreens and clothing that can help protect the fair skin.

    Just like with adults, it’s not always the purposeful activity that really drives fitness and happiness – it’s not being sedentary.

  • kk June 20, 2014, 9:28 am

    Caitlin, can you share any insight in the way you disciplined Henry when he was one? Like Henry, my 12 month old was an early walker. And ever since I have had a hard time knowing how to discipline when she gets into things-like tipping over the dogs water bowl!

    Thanks!

    • Caitlin June 20, 2014, 9:43 am

      All I did at that stage was say “bad choice” and redirect. We did a lot of “good choice” for when he did desirable behavior. You can see bad choice in action here – http://instagram.com/p/lnKVs5sI8Y/ 🙂

      At one, they definitely don’t understand time outs or anything.

  • Lara June 20, 2014, 4:19 pm

    I haven’t read through the comments so forgive me if this has already been discussed, but I love the Positive Discipline series. It’s kind of a classic, like What to Expect. It’s such a reasonable, logical, scientifically based approach (it isn’t extreme in either direction). They really emphasize “discipline” is very different from “punishment,” and define it more as teaching. They have a The First Three Years book that I just read and it’s really been helpful. I think you would like it.

  • Callie June 22, 2014, 4:59 pm

    LOL- I just recycled that same phone (mine had a hot pink case from high school!) a few months ago.

    Just starting my mat leave this week, so I’ll be doing a lot of nesting myself. Quick q: was the paper lantern mobile in the nursery easy to assemble, or did it come like that?

  • Karen June 23, 2014, 5:17 pm

    I loved “123 Magic” and it worked very well for our family.

    But I assert that THE KEY to discipline, regardless of the method you choose, is: FOLLOW THROUGH. Don’t threaten a particular punishment if you’re not willing to carry it out.

    The follow-up to that is having a rough idea of what your “punishments” will be. Dr Phil has said numerous times to find your child’s “currency” and use that for “penalties.” The currency will change with age and interests.

    For us, there have been small things, like time-outs, lost snacks, lost video game time for a day; and bigger things like leaving a restaurant and a grocery store and losing video game play for a whole month. But do not threaten to leave a party when the boy is behaving badly unless you’re actually willing to pack up and go!

    A last piece of the puzzle, if I might be so bold… It’s REALLY f’n hard to always keep emotion out of discipline. Apologize to them when there’s a lapse (after everybody is calm!). And don’t be afraid to let them “win” once in awhile. 😉

    My kids are 10 and 12 now and discipline is rarely an issue. There has been no need for “grounding” and they rarely lose privileges anymore. As we enter the teen era, I fully expect new boundaries to be pushed and tested though! But in my experience, once kids know that you WILL follow through on that punishment, discipline is much easier.

    Good luck!

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