Mckenna Monday: New Discoveries, New Year

Happy new year, everyone. I'm not sure what that means, but I keep hearing mommy and daddy saying that to everyone...and they yelled it the other night while I was in bed?

This last week has been a busy one for me. I feel like I've grown up a lot. This week's development? I FOUND MY HANDS. I mean, I knew I had hands. When I was in mom's belly I'd suck on them, they were my best friends. But then there was a time I could only find them by accident. Sometimes mom and dad would shove them in my mouth, but last week was the first time I could find them consistently, all by my own self. They are so fun to suck on. The only draw-back is that I've started drooling, so I leak like a running faucet, so I tend to get a bit wet, and drip all over whatever I'm laying on. Mom doesn't care though, she keeps saying, "it's ok, I'd rather the drool than the spit up!" As you can tell by her statement, I have a bit of spit up problem too. A burp rag is a permanent fixture on my mom and dad's shoulders. Sometimes they even drape it on or around my neck as my "spit up catcher" or "spit up collar" as they call it.

And now that I've found my hands, I LOVE touching things. I did keep my hands in fists, but now, much to mom's delight, I'll open my hands and touch things. Soft things are my favorite, but I'll give anything a feel once or twice. My new favorite game is playing with kitchen objects (don't worry, we keep the knives in the knife block...I just get to play with the safe ones). Mom and I pick out a bunch of fun kitchen gadgets and then we sit and talk about them, she rubs them on my cheeks and hands. We even sing songs about them (mom can't sing and I can tell she's making up the words as she goes along, but I don't let on...I just smile to humor her). So far a wisk is my favorite. I can really grab it with all the openings in the top...plus I like that mom tickles me with it by "stirring my belly" (as she says)...silly mom, you can't stir a belly!

My sleeping has been a bit crazy. I can't bare the thought of missing any action, so I only nap for 45 minutes to an hour most times (unless I'm held or really snuggly, then I can't bare the thought of missing out on snuggles, so I open my eyes for a second, but go right back to sleep). I was sleeping like a champ at night. But last week I would sleep a long 5-6 hour stretch and then wake up every hour, on the hour after that. On those nights I could swear mom wasn't as happy to see me each time I woke up. The last 3 nights I've gotten it together a little better. I sleep from 9 or 10 to 3-4:30ish and then I eat and go back to bed until morning. Mom seems to be happier with me on those nights. Although last night I couldn't fall back asleep after I ate, and mom finally just brought me to their bed to finish the night. I know she hates doing it, but I could tell she was just too tired. Sometimes they bring me to their bed, but normally it's in the morning just to snuggle me and smile at me after I wake up for the day. Hopefully, I can be more consistent, I know mom would really appreciate that.

Well that's all I've got for ya. This is going to be a big year for me; full of change. My new year's resolution is to learn to sit, roll over, crawl and MAYBE walk...if I decide to get crazy! What's yours?

Time to Get "Un-comfortable"

Resolution (n): 1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination. 2. A resolving to do something. 3. A course of action determined or decided on.

I have to be honest, I kind of despise new year resolutions. I don't dislike the concept, I dislike what they have become. They have become something that people feel obligated to set. People generally hold to them for all of 48 hours (see comic on left for applicable joke), and then they fall back into the comfort, ease, and familiarity of their previous routine. However, if you look at the very definition of the word "resolution", it isn't a flash in the skillet behavior. A resolution is a course of action. It is a course. Not a detour. Once you set course, you stick to that course. What kind of course is it? It's a course of firm determination. Determination makes you stead-fast. Determination is a decided outcome. A new years resolution is to be set if you're planning to change paths and stick to that new path.

Ronnie and I have decided this year, to make a new years resolution. Our resolution is to make ourselves un-comfortable. "Excuse me?" You're thinking. Yeah, my thoughts exactly...at first. Why would I want to be un-comfortable? I'm hyphenating it...in an attempt to show that we don't so much want to be "uncomfortable", we just want to undo the comfortableness we are slipping into. You stay stagnant when you're comfortable, and therefore, we must make ourselves un-comfortable to grow.

So this year we're working to push our limits of comfort, in order to grow; improve. First, we are going to make ourselves un-comfortable with our workout schedule. We have gotten comfortable with just running 3-5 times a week. But running 3-5 times a week isn't doing much for my muscle mass (ok, it's doing a little, but I'm not happy with a little), and it's not doing enough for Ronnie's PFTs. Sure it's keeping them where they are and maybe giving him a few percentage points, but who's satisfied with just a few percentage points? Not us. If you don't know where the ceiling is, why stop with a few percentage points? We are going to get back into the gym 3-4 times a week, get cardio in 3-4 times a week, a start each day with an even longer walk. We've worked hard all of 2010 to get into shape, but now it's time to get into BETTER shape.

Second, we're shaping up our diets. Currently, candy sits in my food pyramid where carbs should be, and I'm pretty sure that's not a great thing (granted, I'm not a certified nutritionist, but I'm going with my gut...literally...on this one). We are going to spend more time, energy, and possibly money to eat more well-balanced meals. The goal of this is not so much weight loss, but overall health. Part of this is because we need better fuel if we're going to be working out more, and part of this is I want my body to have the proper nutrients while trying to get preggers, and (fingers crossed) while carrying a bun in the oven.

Third, we're going to work to make ourselves un-comfortable in our marriage. We going to work on keeping ourselves from getting comfortable. We want to enter each day with an appreciation for the love we have; instead of putting our feet on the floor first thing in the morning taking each other for granted. We want to continue to shower each other with love, adoration, and praise. We want to continue to put the other one first, like you do when you're first dating ("where do you want to go for dinner" "I don't care, where do you want to go" "No, you pick" "No, you pick"....you remember those days right?!) My goal is to be so on top of my game that Ronnie is forced to be un-comfortable; and I know that's Ronnie's goal as well.

So, what resolutions have you set? In what ways are you going to make yourself un-comfortable this year? I'm fired up for 2011...it's going to be even better than 2010, and 2010 was a GREAT year!

My New Year's Resolution...

...is not to make a resolution. Not that there isn't anything I want to get done or goals I want to meet, but I'm not going to tie them to any one day. If you look up resolution in the dictionary you'll find something like "a firm decision to carry out an action", well, I did that a long time ago. Since the day I was able to form my own thoughts, I've chose to live and more importantly, to do whatever necessary to live up to a standard that I've set. I admit, there has been times that I've been off track, but something always happens to whip me back into focus.

2009 proved to be a year that got me back on track. I think that in the couple prior years preceding, I had become comfortable with my lung function hovering around the low 60's. It took a crash and burn in the beginning of 2009 to snap me out of my comfort zone. Many good things have come out of that, but the most powerful has been getting my attitude back that "just being comfortable" is not acceptable. So actually, I changed my mind, here's my resolution for 2010: I REFUSE to be comfortable with my lung function at any point this year!

So, what's your resolution for 2010?

My New Year's Resolution: Getting Back into the CF Routine

I have a new year's resolution...kind of...that I wanted to share with all of you. This year, my resolution is to be more supportive. Now, I feel that I am extremely supportive by most standards, but I have realized this holiday season that I'm not exactly doing my part to get Ronnie back on track with his treatments and exercise. As most of you know and experience, the holiday season has a way of throwing routines out of whack. For Ronnie and I, this is very much the case. We haven't gotten back into our work out routine since he got out, we've been running around and having to squeeze in shortened treatments and even skipping a few here and there. While this is understandable and even somewhat acceptable for a week, but it's inexcusable beyond that. (Although I must say that when I say he's been slacking on treatments, I mean some days only getting in 3 or 2 and a quick 3rd. He never missed a morning or night.)

Now comes into play my new year's resolution...I think I need to step up my support in order to get back on track, together. I have to admit, ever since my half marathon, I have NOT felt like running or even really working out. But I need to remember, it's not so much about what I do or don't feel like doing. I need to say, "we're going to the gym" regardless, to encourage Ronnie to get back into the workout groove, even if I don't so much feel like it. He did that for me A LOT these last 6 months, and I need to do the same for him. We are a team. So even when I don't feel like working out for ME; I need to feel like working out for HIM. In regards to his treatments, I should come clean. You see, this last week, I have been VERY selfish. I have wanted to run around all day, keep up with my parents agenda, done what I wanted to do. But I need to break that streak and make sure that I put Ronnie's treatments back on my priority list, and right at the top. Ronnie would have been a lot better about his treatments this week if I didn't demand he follow my agenda.

I know it's not quite the new year yet, but it will be before I post again, so I wanted to make sure I verbalized my new year's resolution so that you all would hold me accountable and ask us how we were doing on getting back into our routine. Have you all thought about your new year's resolutions? Any good ones you've thought of? Any you want to come clean with so we can hold you accountable? I want to hear them and PLEASE ask us how we're doing getting back into the workout and treatment grove after this holiday season.