TipToeTurtle - The Blog

Being on our fourth child there’s a lot we don’t need, but some of the equipment we have that’s been through all three children (or more if it started as a hand-me-down) will never serve this next babe. Case in point: my old diaper bag. It was a backpack design that I bought from a twin web site.  The bag was truly helpful keeping up with two infants. I liked the space, compartments and convenience of the backpack so much I used it again for my singleton. As utilitarian as it was, I longed for the pretty diaper bags I saw other moms toting around. When my youngest was out of diapers, I chucked that old ugly bag that was falling apart at the seams. Good riddance!

Soon I’m going to need another diaper bag. I see from surfing Tip Toe Turtle there are lots of choices and aesthetically pleasing styles to choose from. Although the backpack style was great for keeping my arms free for mothering, I’m thinking a bag with a long enough strap to sling over my shoulder could still serve that purpose (and be presentable for my husband too). I want the convenient compartments–places to store bottles and dirty diapers, but nothing too big and cumbersome. This is, after all, one baby (written like someone has forgotten how much stuff one baby needs lugged around).

Any recommendations? Should I stick with a backpack? Go with a messenger style? Or treat myself to something pretty and feminine? And who knew there were stroller bags? What about this one that seems to do it all?

Kara

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On Sunday I finished an indoor triathlon at a nearby Life Time Fitness. These short races consist of a 10-minute swim, 30-minute ride in their cycling studio and 20 minutes on the treadmill. The races are scored based on how far you can go in the alloted time. They are great low-stress events because you don’t have any equipment to worry about, you get a set amount of time for transitions (10 minutes between the swim and bike and 5 minutes between the bike and run), and no one finishes last because every one in your wave starts and stops at the same time. They are great events for the veteran triathlete who wants to warm up for the season or follow their progress on a set course, for new or beginning triathletes who feel intimidated by traditional races, or if you need to modify your race, say, if you’re pregnant.

At the moment I fall into that last category. I was grateful for the opportunity to compete–and when I say compete, I really mean be apart of the triathlon scene that I love–in a way that could accommodate my “racing partner.” We didn’t have a stellar performance as compared to the two other indoor tris I’ve finished, but it was the challenge and atmosphere I wanted. And I have to admit, I felt like a rock star for doing the race with a baby on board.

Now, mind you, I don’t feel I have anything to prove by doing this. I wanted to do it because I could. I felt like I could. Last two pregnancies wouldn’t have considered it. I have to say, I enjoyed being THAT woman. I had wanted to be THAT woman during my first pregnancy. Carrying twins held me back. Second pregnancy, I could have cared less about exercise; it was a day by day survival. And with all due respect to the pregnant mamas out there who can’t workout or don’t want to work out, that’s fine, too. It’s just nine months. As moms know, nine months go by pretty quick (although it may not feel that way at the very end). Who cares if you work out? Who really cares if you do a triathlon? But the next 18 years? You gonna get your butt out there and work out again? So in the grand scheme of things, this little indoor tri wasn’t all that significant. Except for a brief period, I got to be THAT woman.

I’ll admit though, THAT woman, who had felt like a rock star during the event, spent two hours napping that afternoon.

–Kara

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I just watched a video posted by Lisa Druxman, founder of Stroller Strides, on her blog. I’ve never been involved with Stroller Strides but I think it’s a great concept and a great service for the many (and growing) fit mamas out there. I think it helps in two ways. One, it helps mom’s get moving while addressing the fact that, hello!, we have to find a way to do it while caring for children. And, two, it provides a community for new moms, who often feel isolated after becoming a mother.

What I love most, is what she said in the post: “If you’re a mother, then you’re an athlete.” It’s so true, yet so many mums among us don’t see our strength in that way. It is so empowering to call yourself an athlete–to believe you are an athlete. Believe it!

And Tip Toe Turtle stocks the official stroller for the Stroller Strides program: The BOB Stroller Strides Stroller. The Stroller is a BOB Revolution that comes with the, also separately sold, BOB Stroller Strides Fitness Kit, which includes resistance tubes, a zip pocket for odds and ends, a drink holder, and a manual about how to work out with your stroller. You can become someone’s inspirations too!

And here’s the link to the video so you can pass it on to other Fit Moms:

http://strollerstrides.com/blog/?p=212#comment-1079

–Kara

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The American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed it’s recommendation for Vitamin D intake for children. Vitamin D is important for kids in preventing rickets, but in general it’s good for our body because of how it works so well with calcium to strengthen bones, to fight against disease like diabetes and cancer, and to prevent heart disease. Obviously you can find vitamin D in most dairy products, but you can also get a whopping from salmon, shrimp and eggs. But where can you get the most Vitamin D? From the sun. And why are people often vitamin D deficient? According to researchers from a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, low levels of Vitamin D can be blamed on ”decreased outdoor activity.” While it may be difficult for our body to make Vitamin D from sunlight in the winter, we can stock up in the summer. I know what you’re thinking: what about skin cancer? Check out this US News and World Report article to help wade through the inconsistencies. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your baby may need supplementation, but otherwise getting our kids and ourselves outside every day to move and soak in some rays is the best way to stay healthy and fill up our Vitamin D tank. –Kara

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Anyone else out there watch The Office last night? I’m a fan anyway, but I got a kick out of this particular episode, dubbed “Baby Shower.” In it, Jan returns with her baby in a $1200 stroller. (See what it looks like here). As Dwight says, “that costs more than my bomb shelter!” So he sets out to “test” it, and by “test” it he straps in a watermelon and then launches, hurls and slams it around. It was a little crazy (and hilarious) but in an odd way I’m with Dwight: What do you get for $1200 that you don’t get for $200 (or less)? Indeed, the stroller in question was pretty slick. Quite hip, fashion forward. But for that price I could buy a new bike (and my bike is more than 10 years old, so competes with a new stroller on the list of things to buy). Other than helping me get baby from point A to point B safely, what am I looking for? It sounds crazy that a mom of three would be asking this question, but my last utility stroller was a double hand-me-down. It was an eyesore; it squeaked. I’d love for me and the new kid to enjoy a nicer, smoother, quieter ride. What will we have to pay for that?  –Kara

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There is nothing like having to be away from home to appreciate all the kid-friendly amenities you have collected. We had to pack up for the week while our floors were being repaired after the flood. There is no such thing as “bare necessities” when you have three kids, but we’re trying. One thing I couldn’t leave home without were the girls’ bikes. If there is anything that brings us the “comfort of home” it’s being able to get the bikes out and ride to the park, even if it’s a new park (all the better, though, right?) Even though they took up the majority of space in the car, the hassle of bringing three bikes along was worth it. We can only watch so many Barbie movies.  –Kara

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My OB didn’t blink when I told her I had finished a triathlon while 8 weeks pregnant. We’re both amused at my eagerness to exercise in this, my third, pregnancy, when the other two were, uh, more tame. She knows, like I know, if it still feels right and I still feel good, keep at it. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists changed their rigid “don’t get your heart rate up above 140 during pregnancy” guideline more than 5 years ago, but you’d be surprised how many OBGyns haven’t kept up with the times. (If you need to educate your own doctor, share the Exercise During Pregnancy pamphlet with them.) It’s silly to give all women one heart rate limit, when heart rate is as personal as our fingerprints and also varies according to our fitness level. It’s even more silly when you consider the fact that just being pregnant raises your heart rate as your body works to double it’s blood volume. Some women may hit 140 walking to their car. ACOG once cautioned women who weren’t exercising to avoid starting an exercise program during pregnancy. Not anymore. They realize the many benefits of exercise and encourage all women to take part. Of course, there are certain contraindications, but exercise for healthy women in low-risk pregnancies is good for both mother and baby. In the book ACOG published called Your Pregnancy and Birth, it says: “”If you are active now, pregnancy need not cause you to alter your fitness routine. If you have not been active, now is a good time to start.” Part of my motivation to keep up with my workouts this time around was learning that exercise, especially in the first trimester, builds a bigger, blood-vessel rich placenta. A better dinner plate for baby. Also, these periods of “stress” for the baby during your workouts are like little dress rehearsals for labor. The baby doesn’t get blindsided with the idea of you becoming breathless and diverting a little oxygen your way. But here’s the kicker: all of these benefits, including the one about how exercise is supposed to ease labor, only come to fruition if you continue to exercise until the bitter end. Last pregnancy I petered out at 30 weeks. I was huge. My back hurt. What could possibly be the point? I thought. Now I see the many points. I’m 20 weeks along now and this baby and I are still running, walking, lifting, swimming, spinning and doing yoga. I’m We’re hanging in there until the bitter end. –Kara

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I have posted before about my accumulation of baby gear, especially strollers. Don’t think I mentioned our collection of car seats. We have two infant car seats, four (I know I only have three kids) car seats for toddlers and two boosters in waiting. Even though I’ve always had more than needed, that extra car seat was quite helpful when dad wanted to take one kid along on an errand in his car (without the hassle of transferring car seats, and we all hate that!) Or, when I had another child along for a play date. My girls are all capable of buckling themselves in, which is nice, but I’ve realized I can’t be complacent about this little perk of growing up. I do spot-checks occasionally to make sure their straps are tight enough, the clip is high enough, and that their seats are still buckled in with the seat belt. With this independence they have expressed an interest to move on to boosters. They’ve seen a few friends with this more mature set up and want the same for themselves. I have to admit, I’d love to replace the more bulky car seats with boosters. At their 5-year-old check-up, however, they were just shy of 40 pounds. So, no, not ready yet. Our pediatrician recommended stalling anyway. If that means my daughters are safer for it, then I’ll continue to wait patiently, too.  –Kara

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First there were two of us at the table (and a dog hovering nearby, catching a whiff of what was for dinner). After we added two more to the family, we invested in a pair of Graco highchairs (not initially–when the twins were just starting cereal they ate in bouncy chairs and became the center piece for our table). Since we had lived in our house less than a year, we didn’t have too much furniture to compete with two high chairs. My feeding system worked well, and when I had my third daughter I moved the twins into booster chairs (which I bought second hand–nothing as slick as what you find at Tip Toe Turtle). Now we had two more at the “big table,” keeping one high chair for the little one (and the dog hovering nearby getting extreme gratification at the windfall on the floor around her). Once the babe was ready for the booster, the twins were ready to sit in the big chairs. Only problem was the need for one more chair. So we added another chair around the table. Note to new parents: nice fabric cushions on your kitchen chairs is a BAD idea. I am in the process of recovering said cushions which went from a lovely cream weave to a disgusting charcoal splattered gray with a practical brown naugahyde. Classy, right? Stain resistant, liquid repellent, sounds very sexy to this mama. Anyhoo, with another babe on the way I’m convinced I’m getting rid of the leftover high chair in the attic. I’ve thought it through: first and foremost we have no room for it. Second, I don’t want one more baby item to clean up. Third, I want the kid at the table with us. I’ve decided on those nifty chairs that hook to the table, but which brand? I don’t know. I figure I have a little less than a year before we’ll need it so I welcome your input in the meantime!  –Kara

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After my twins were born my husband and I had a ritual when he got home from work: We each donned a sling loaded with a baby so we could make dinner, eat and otherwise putter around the house. As a skilled multitasker the sling was essential equipment. As they grew older we graduated to the Baby Bjorn, as much to help our backs as to help our babies get into a better position to see the world. Slings are great for sleepers, but front carriers allow the engaged baby to soak in the scene and interact with the surroundings. Plus, I always felt a little uneasy with the sling, fearing the baby would roll out. When their little sister was born I was even more dependent on the sling, front carrier and eventually back carrier. I didn’t have a triple stroller but the twins most definitely needed to be strapped into a stroller. Wearing my youngest daughter was literally the only way for me to get anything done, whether a walk to the park, grocery shopping or a trip to the zoo. Now all my girls are mobile, but when our fourth baby comes along, I still plan to wear this kid to keep my hands free. I still have a sling and front carrier, but I have my eyes set on a wrap. They sound more comfortable and more versatile, so I’m eager to see how it compares. I’ll let  you know next year!

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