chariot of fire

Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth again. I've been writing posts in my head for weeks, but...

Things are going well, but I haven't much in the area of health and fitness to report. On a good week, I lift weights on Monday and Wednesdays and bicycle to work on Wednesday (the only day I don't have to lug the pump to and fro) and go for a long walk with the boy and the Mr. most every evening. On my non-paying-work days (truly, the work is harder than any work I've ever been paid for), the boy and I walk a lot - around the neighborhood, to the library, up to Mt. Tabor, around T@rget.

Bicycling? Not so much. The rule of thumb is that you can't take a baby out on a bike (trailer, seat, whatever) until they fit into a helmet - and their necks are strong enough to support their (enormous) heads+helmet. I've heard that some kids completely reject the bike trailer (we actually inherited a burl3y-like carrier from some friends who had this experience).

To this end, we invested in the Chariot of Fire (seen without any of the attachments). You buy the base carrier and then buy different kits, depending on your need. Right now, we have the jogging stroller kit. When the boy gets a little bigger, we'll get the bike carrier attachment.

The good news is that the little Mr. likes it. The bad news is that it cost an arm and a leg. The good news is that we got it with our 20% off coupon from R31. We justified the purchase by giving it to each other as our 10-year wedding anniversary gift (aluminum, you know).

I realized the other day that, once the little guy turns 6 months old (in three week's time), all kinds of possibilities open up for us including:

• My auxiliary gym has childcare for kids over 6 months old (!)
• Swimming lessons at D1shman (!!)

So, it's spring in Portland. The sun shines (at least some of the time - except last week when the little guy and I got caught in a hailstorm/deluge. Fortunately, he was in the Chariot so stayed mostly dry) and the lilacs are blooming (I never realized how many different kinds there are!). Life is, as they say, good.

pro-ductive

Today I:

• Posted here (twice!)
• Did three loads of laundry (2 me, 1 baby)
• Worked out (need to add abs)
• Walked to and shopped Le Fred for after-xmas stuff
• Listed maternity stuff on ebay
• Sterilized a bunch of stuff
• Ate both breakfast and lunch
• Pumped twice
• Filled all my various water pitchers (ok, this is getting ridiculous)

But see how much I can do when the boy SLEEPS for good chunks of time?

he's here!

J@sper Ch@nce B* arrived Sunday afternoon, November 12, at 3:12pm. He weighed in at 7lbs 15oz (proving he was listening in every time my yoga teacher said 7lbs is the perfect size for a baby). More later.