February 2012
1 post
Let Down
Mackenzie eats a bit ravenously at night before bed. I take this as a good thing, her way of showing she knows longer sleep periods are coming and that she should eat as much as she can. Sometimes she fusses before the milk lets down and I ensure her that it is coming. At the same time I try to relax, breath and think happy thoughts to assist the process. I have heard that having a picture of...
January 2012
1 post
Moving is to Cars and Oakland is to Awesome
From 16 years old until about 22 I had a car for every year I had been driving. Kathi’s CRX (that I totaled, not my fault, Vivian from elementary school ran into me), the navy Honda with the weird white shoe polish on the bottom, Krista’s silver blue Honda when she went to Chicago, that awesome Mitsubishi sports car that the transmission died in and mom still hasn’t forgive...
December 2011
2 posts
2.5 months in, searching for balance
Mackenzie is now about 2.5 months old, almost to the supposed magical 3 month mark. We have made the decision to try to maintain parts of our old life in our new life with a newborn. I believe we could stay home more often, have a “better” more reliable schedule and probably have it a bit easier. However we have decided to stay active and busy with Mackenzie along for the ride.
The...
Giving Up Everything
I have been thinking a lot about our decision to have a child now that I am home with Mackenzie. It is already clear that she will change our lives forever. I by no means regret our decision although I have just been thinking a lot about what having or not having children can mean for one’s life. I think it would be interesting to compile the prospectives of parents and non parents into a...
September 2011
1 post
Ah, that's not a good idea
I had a funny interaction with an Oakland parking enforcement person the other day. On the way home from my doctor’s appointment I stopped by Goodwill to donate a few things. Part of my nesting preparations is to get rid of any unneeded items in the house. There was a spot open in front of the Goodwill which was awesome because parking is almost always an issue. I pulled up to the front...
August 2011
2 posts
Why would anyone have a baby in a hospital?
http://babygoodwin.com/post/8912121332/why-would-anyone-have-a-baby-in-a-hospital
July 2011
1 post
Working Together
Elliott and I have worked together for more than 6 years. For much of that time we were in the Reno office on opposite sides of the building. Even in Pleasanton I could say there was a wall between us, so it wasn’t like we saw each other all day long. For the past 2 years though there has been no wall. People have often questioned us as to how or why we do it and some couples understand...
June 2011
8 posts
2 tags
Money Saving Tips
Elliott and I have cut back quite a bit in preparation for the baby coming so we have extra money for those unexpected expenses. Also work has been pretty slow so we have been conserving on the company side as well. We learned many of these skills when we got laid off which, amazingly that was two years ago now. After starting a company and enjoying several months with strong billings about a...
The great Exodus - Part 7
That first night I still didn’t fart or poop, although I slept much better. In the morning I had a new nurse, a really nice older woman who may have been Polish, I am not sure, but I like to think of it like she was like my Polish grandma would have been. She again asked if I had passed gas or had a bowel movement, I said no and she said that is your job for today, and I accepted it. I...
Postpartum Farts - Part 6
We spent our first day of recovery still in the labor and delivery room.
I remember having some problems with the IV which at this point had taken on a life of its own. I think it was a bit of an issue that I came over with alien parts from the other ER. Every time a new nurse would go to attach something to it she looked at it funny and for some reason additional parts got added to it along...
Pneumonia, Knee Surgery, and Firsts - Part 5
That first night in the hospital, I slept on my back. That was the first time I slept on my back for months. As I wrote about in this blog: http://babygoodwin.com/post/4078107201/all-the-things-i-worry-about they advise pregnant women not sleep on their backs because the uterus can push on an artery as well as disturb flow to the placenta. Well it turns out that is crap at least based on the...
The Yeller - Part 4
Part 1: http://teresakgoodwin.tumblr.com/post/6080151259/scrubs-part-1-saturday-night
Part 2: http://teresakgoodwin.tumblr.com/post/6084863890/er-where-is-george-clooney-part-2
Part 3: http://teresakgoodwin.tumblr.com/post/6096883174/you-have-an-appendicitis-part-3
Ok, so The Yeller. This was not the best way for me to prepare to go into surgery. They wheeled me in from the ambulance direct...
You have an appendicitis - Part 3
Part 1: http://teresakgoodwin.tumblr.com/post/6080151259/scrubs-part-1-saturday-night
Part 2: http://teresakgoodwin.tumblr.com/post/6084863890/er-where-is-george-clooney-part-2
First off the title is funny to me because while in the ER at some point Elliott and I had a discussion about whether or not the “an” is required in front of appendicitis. I think he is probably right and it...
ER - Where is George Clooney - Part 2
Part 1: http://teresakgoodwin.tumblr.com/post/6080151259/scrubs-part-1-saturday-night
Sunday at about 9am we checked into Alta Bates in Oakland. It was a surprisingly nice waiting room without any really sick or sad people which helped. They saw me pretty quickly in the triage room where they get your vitals and general info. The nurse at one point said to another nurse something about getting...
Scrubs Part 1 - Saturday Night
This going to be a long one so I will break it into segments that are hopefully easier to read.
It all started Saturday night. We had a normal start to the weekend, Saturday we did some price comparison shopping at Costco and Walmart, I have been on this kick to price compare the food we buy to save money so we can spend more on the little guy about to join us. We also bought some final items...
May 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Home Cleaning, Emergency Kit and Book Review
Here is a quick, hopefully update on what I have been up to.
On the homestead front my last project was to learn to use more natural cleaning products. We already worked to buy things from the health food store that said things like all natural on the bottle but I have learned that doesn’t necessarily mean that things in there aren’t considered possible cancer causers or polluters of...
iPad
Playing with my moms iPad as a test to see if I like it. It won’t replace my laptop without a keyboard accessory and I still really like my droid phone. Thinking an iPad might still be nice though!
April 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Homestead Update
Our Urban Homestead adventures continue. We have continued pickling, or more correctly lacto-fermenting, and that has gone better some times than others. This most recent time we added more garlic and dill with the cucumber pickles and they came out very tasty. Another time we tried pickling brussel sprouts and it fizzed quite a bit and lost a lot of liquid, with the vegetables exposed to air...
2 tags
Urban Homesteading Project #1 - Pickling
Our neighbor and friend Jamie gave me a great book, about Urban Homesteading. I think this was based off of me talking for several weeks straight about wanting to have chickens to harvest their eggs. It took me awhile to get to reading this book, I read a few I had in front of it, once I got into it though I think I read the whole thing in a few days. I had no idea how much I would love this...
March 2011
3 posts
2 tags
Gourmet Golumpki
An old Kulesza family favorite, golumpkis! I saw a new golumpki recipe on a blog we have been using for recipes (I also like to listen to their podcasts). It included a slight adjustment to our old family recipe. In lieu of rice you use some greens like spinach and fruit such as apples at least that is the first recipe we followed and that I linked above. We didn’t follow it to a tee as...
2 tags
Shadow Work
I am not sure if I talked much on my blog about working with a coach although I worked with a coach for several months and really enjoyed it. I am on a hiatus at the moment to reserve funds however I hope to someday resume training with her. The last thing we were working through was the book The Dark Side of the Light Chasers. This looks like an easy quick read at first glance although it is...
1 tag
Shiloh meets the Bells
Well we have a new dog, again. I posted previously that We got a new dog and I shared with you that our dog whenever he wanted something especially to go outside he barked at us, in a really annoying, and continuous way. We knew we had to put a stop to that, so we have been working on bell training. That means that when Shiloh wants to go outside he is to ring the bells that are conveniently...
February 2011
2 posts
1 tag
Gluten Free Junk Food
I try to eat gluten free 80-90% of the time which allows for a few “cheat” meals a week. Mostly I haven’t missed gluten except maybe for beer, I used to really enjoy a good beer. Although multiple times now I have proven that me and gluten don’t get along by binging on pizza (gluten in the crust) and beer (gluten from the grains used to make beer). The next day I...
2 tags
The Great Egg Discovery
Elliott and I eat a lot of eggs. Probably almost every day, or at least every other day. And I prefer them poached although we also eat them fried. If we are having just eggs as our protein source then I will eat about 3 for breakfast. So Elliott will eat 4 just to eat more than me. As it turns out poaching 7 eggs is not that easy. We poach them in boiling water. I have found a skillet...
January 2011
6 posts
1 tag
Cataract Falls at Mt Tam
In our effort to get sunshine and exercise for the dog and us we ventured up to Mt. Tamalpais this weekend, for obvious reasons people call it Mt. Tam. I first started with a weather search cross referencing hiking options with the warmest weather (high of 57 was best I could do) and low precipitation, 20%. Mt Tam. appeared to be the warmest of the nearby hiking options. I first reviewed this...
1 tag
2 tags
Phoenix
We had a great hike today, first hike in a long time and it was to a new place. We almost got lost and had to do an out and back, I really dislike out and backs, I much prefer a loop so the entire trek is new ground. We have a Bay Area Hikes book that makes following the trails sound so easy and we never manage to follow the trails they suggest. However today we lucked out and found our own...
2 tags
3 tags
The Dirt
I have been dreaming about composting for awhile now. We used to collect some of our food waste at work and our coworker took it home for the curbside pick up that is available in many areas near us. Since we have always lived in an apartment out here though we haven’t been able to dispose of our food waste in the food waste bins because they don’t offer that service for multi-unit...
2 tags
Why Shiloh likes to lick my face
Ever since our mom had breast cancer I have gotten crazier and crazier about beauty products. First it was deodorant, no more aluminum and that led to some pretty stinky experiments. I think I finally have a deodorant which works well and doesn’t appear to be too toxic by my estimation. Then it was shampoo and conditioners, then soap, and then face lotion. Most recently I stumbled on a...
December 2010
1 post
1 tag
One Word
My friend Jen has started blogging again, seems like most people I know fall into and out of the habit of blogging, including myself. I am following her blog post format and sharing my own One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen...
November 2010
1 post
1 tag
We got a new dog
I am not sure where the sweet dog went that we got although he has been replaced with this very needy dog who barks at me requesting some action of which I am not quite sure although I can only guess it is to take him for walk. This more commonly happens or at least escalates when Elliott is gone. When Elliott is here after I do my round of consoling and petting and the barking continues Elliott...
October 2010
1 post
1 tag
Choking on a Chicken Bone
Our trip to New York was great. We went to ground zero, took the Staten Island free ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty, we went to the top of the Rock, we had a drink at one of New York’s most romantic bars Shalel, we shopped, we ate at 4 Food this cool innovative burger joint, we went to Greenwich Village, we went to this park that is a renovated old elevated train line called High Line...
September 2010
4 posts
1 tag
Bad Doggie Parent
So when I get on a blogging streak like this, 3 in a week or so, I start to get addicted. Anything slightly interesting in my life occurs (I realize interesting is up for interpretation, well mostly mine) and I start crafting the stories in my mind for my next blog. So this morning Shiloh was driving me crazy with lots of his head on my knee while I am in my “office” chair so I...
1 tag
Shiloh's Blog
Hey Dad, its me Shiloh. I wanted to update you on my day since you left this morning on a train and I haven’t seen you all day. Mom has seemed sad all day and she was complaining about lacking inertia or stuck in static inertia or something like that. We went on a walk shortly after you left because I was restless and decided to stand at the door. What I really wanted was my kennel...
1 tag
My Grokness
In the haze of my funk I forgot to report on some of the ridiculous (up for interpretation) things I have tried lately to keep myself entertained. Grok is a term from the book The Primal Blueprint which is a book that talks about eating, living and exercising in the spirit of the caveman, presumably how humans spent many many years and in theory perhaps how our bodies still are intended to...
1 tag
Shiloh Entertainment
When we first got Shiloh we did training with him with a trainer one and one to make sure we got off to a good start. We met with her once a week. Her name is Sandra Mannion. We are pretty sure her training is as much for the dog as it is for the handlers. Our big focus early on was sit, down, come (recall) and heel. The biggies needed to navigate in the world with birds, squirrels and crazy...
August 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Funk Update
Well it has been quite an entertaining week and half discussing my funk with family, friends, and anyone in the general public who would listen. I will share with you here some of the ideas and suggestions I have received so far. And as of yet I haven’t discussed it with Kathi, the first to reach out to try to break down my funk. Sorry Kathi. I wanted to call you tonight before my...
3 tags
Funk
I hate naming it but I am going to say it out loud, I am in a funk. Just saying makes me feel a little better. This happens ever so often. I am not quite sure the frequency, although its probably every 4 or so years. This one has been particularly bad although I think I have thought that about the other ones as well. In the past I have responded by shaking things up. Maybe resigning from a...
July 2010
2 posts
1 tag
Shiloh
We picked Shiloh up I believe it was exactly two weeks ago today. As I have said to a few people he is our first dog either Elliott or I has had as adults. It wasn’t a decision we took lightly and given our housing situation (no yard) we almost gave up on getting a dog. I am really glad we didn’t. Shiloh is a about 2 year old, they think, black labrador retriever and chow mix. He...
2 tags
Feed my body
“Food is nutrition”. That is what I have been telling myself a lot lately, and it is working. It doesn’t always work on the first cookie although it works without fail every time when I say it before reaching for the second cookie. It also works at the coffee shop. We have been taking some, although many fewer than we used, coffee breaks to get a decaf coffee and a walk...
June 2010
3 posts
1 tag
Sprints
Elliott and I are working on bring in more exercise to our recent lifestyle changes. Our goal is to lift weights 3 times a week, plus at least one abs workout, we use the P90X ab ripper video because we like it in a sort of sick way and then we are going to sprint once a week. The sprints idea is coming from a new book, at least new to us, The Primal Blueprint. He suggests, as do many other...
2 tags
178 miles, 27 hours, 12 people = 1 heck of a good...
Last weekend Elliott and I ran the Reno Tahoe Odyssey. This is a relay from Reno, through Truckee, around the lake, through Virginia City and back to Reno. The teams are 12 people, split into two 6 person vans. Each person runs (3) legs, Elliott’s and my legs were each below 5 miles which was wonderful since we didn’t do much long distance training. Elliott had quite a bit of...
4 tags
Veggie Box
We started receiving our CSA box this past week, CSA - Community Supported Agriculture. We chose EatWell Farms based on proximity (so the food would would travel a shorter distance to get to us, more sustainable), use of organics, and also because they have an option to add on eggs - we have opted for 6 a week. We picked up our first box last week on Wednesday. The pick up place is at...
May 2010
2 posts
1 tag
Catch Up
Well its been a while since I last blogged. What would like to update you on?
First our new eating lifestyle is going well. We have worked to blend in a mix of normal life, eating out, cocktails and dinner parties into our mix. We want to be able to do these things every once in awhile without stressing out over what we are eating and also while maintaining a healthy diet. I would say...
1 tag
Hippie Migration
Well, we are now closer to Berkeley and I think that I am becoming more of a hippie by proximity. As we were comparing prices for cacao nibs at Whole Foods a fellow shopper asked us if we were locals. Afraid she was going to ask us for directions we stumbled to respond with an affirmative. She then said there is a local raw food coop where we could get said nibs and other superfood goodness on...
April 2010
6 posts
1 tag
Pizza and Delivery
We did it, we went off the diet in a big way and ate pizza today. We spoke to the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) student chapter of the University of Pacific tonight. It was a lot of fun. And purposely didn’t bring food. I was ready to eat street food. Part of me was hoping for sandwiches although I think Elliott’s prays were answered with pizza. We both ate it, 3...
1 tag
Spandex Uncovered
Ok I think I figured it out. After nearly a year of skin issues. Yes this started almost a year ago I think I have uncovered the mystery. I think I am allergic to lycra, elastane and possibly spandex. We have removed I think nearly every possible food allergy option from our diet with our recent eating changes and while it went away for awhile the itching is back. I remember it started almost...
1 tag
Shopping Celebration
Elliott and I got to update our wardrobe a bit. I hope this doesn’t sound like gloating, because it doesn’t mean to be. I am truly excited and feeling rewarded for making such a positive change in our lives. So we went to buy just a few new things so we wouldn’t be walking around pulling up our pants all the time. Elliott traded in his 34 waste (which I think was big on him...