Monday, July 28, 2014

The Value of a Balanced Day - Brady

One thing I've learned from taking care of Molly is the value of a balanced day. She, an athletic, energetic, two-year-old dog, would prefer to run and play and swim and chase tennis balls all the time. Kevin and I have found that it's up to us to say, occasionally, "time for a break" or "we're not going to do that right now."

This weekend, for example, she had A TIME on Saturday. We jogged two miles to the dog park, she ran around there like a maniac with a Golden Retriever/St. Bernard mix, we jogged a mile back east to Heritage Bikes, one of our favorite coffee shops, she sat outside and met lots of other dogs and kids and ate a bunch of ice, we walked the additional mile home, and then we went to a party for three hours on Lesley and Paul's roof deck where she got all kinds of treats and pets.

It was an awesome time for Molly, and she loved every minute of it. But it just...threw her off. Her stomach was upset and she was so tired her eyes were red.

Sometimes it's okay to have crazy days. But I'm learning that there's kind of an ideal balance we need to strike with her. The best days, for Molly, involve a jog with both of us first thing, her normal food, a long morning nap, some energetic activity (dog park, dog beach, long walk, trip to Petco) in the afternoon, and a chill evening that involves more of her usual food, a nighttime walk, and an early bedtime. If she has a busy day one day, it's best to let her sleep as much as she wants the next. Kevin's especially good about reminding me of this. We don't need to take her to doggy day care on Mondays, for example, because her weekends are usually so packed. And we run her every other day, at most, and only hit the dog beach once or twice a week.

Here's a picture of a totally wiped out Molly after a trip to the Montrose Dog Beach. She couldn't even get out of the car:



Not only has this been a key idea for me to remember when taking care of her - it's also taught me about how to best take care of myself and this baby, who will eventually be a walking, talking human child who will also probably want to run and play and swim and maybe even chase tennis balls all day. In the summer, especially, there are so many opportunities to have fun - so many things to do and places to go. Thinking about my day as a balance - time for work, exercise, friends, movies in the park and ice cream trips and patio pizza dinners but also for rest and routine and healthy food - helps things feel more sane. And makes the fun times even more fun.




Saturday, July 26, 2014

Molly's New Digs - Brady


Check out the space where my dog now sleeps. She's in the perfect spot - in our room (where there's a ceiling fan, and where there's us) between the window (with blinds that go all the way down so she can look out on to the street) and the desk (where Kevin sits to work). Her toys will be on shelves in the corner. She has a new dog bed that's both comfy and stylish. And she has her very own painting, a purchase by Kevin's parents from Key West. 



Roll your eyes at me. Go ahead. But I think this is about the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Told ya - Brady

Told you I'd be posting more often!

I thought I'd try out this app and post from my phone. Here are some photos from my walk from campus to the train today.

Some days I have tons of energy and some days I do the pregnant lady slow walk. Today was one of those days. I was happy to take a break and photograph these gorgeous hydrangeas.



As a young able-bodied person, I try not to sit too often on public transportation or at stations. Recently, though, I've been taking full advantage of benches and priority seating.

What I didn't take a photo of was the woman rolling around next to me, kind of massaging her shoulders on the wood of the bench. City life.







That's it! Nothing big, just a slice of my life these days!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Grandma & Grandpa's 60th Anniversary Weekend - Brady

First things first. I'm feeling some major guilt about not keeping this blog updated. I downloaded an app to my phone that will let me post here more easily, so expect to see shorter, more frequent updates from me.

I'm writing today mostly to tell you about the incredible 60th anniversary weekend we had for my grandparents this past weekend. We spent Friday through Sunday in La Porte celebrating the glue that holds a pretty awesome family together. Friday we all arrived at the hotel and stayed up late (I was up until 2!) chatting in one of the common areas. It's a shame Grandma and Grandpa's children and grandchildren don't like each other very well. ;)

Saturday we partook in the incredible brunch offered by the hotel. Then we rented a pontoon and staked out a spot at one of the beaches on Pine Lake. We ate at the Yacht Club and then at Portofino's for dinner. Molly got to swim twice and did so great. She fell head over heels in love with my cousin Charlie.

Sunday we ate a second awesome breakfast (I couldn't wait to get down there and pile my plate full of waffles) and went our separate ways.

Here's a link to some beautiful photos Ashlie Ostergren took of our family. This one's my favorite:


Also I wanted to say that last weekend was one of my favorites ever for selfish reasons. I got so much attention for my big pregnant belly. I loved it because I remember my aunts being pregnant when I was a kid, and it was so cool to play a similar role with my younger cousins. Also, the baby's kicking a lot now and Amy finally felt it after weeks and weeks of trying. I can't wait to introduce the newest Jones-Rasp to everybody, and I'm so proud to bring a new member into this fabulous family.

Here's a blurry shot of my big old stomach!



I continue to feel great. This pregnancy's been so easy that I'm not wishing away the weeks a bit, although of course I'm excited to meet this person who's seems to be doing tai chi in my stomach. I'm just about 29 weeks pregnant now, safely into my third trimester. 

Now I'm going to sit back, sip a non-alcoholic beer, and enjoy another gorgeous summer night in Chicago on our balcony. Molly's at my feet, Kevin's making dinner. Life is so very good. 

And one last congrats to my grandparents. You are one (two?) in a million, and I aspire to be just like you someday.