Peek-a-boo

tone your arms, the right way

Carrying my baby around is weight training in its own. When an infant becomes absolutely impossible to console, the last resort is to pick them up and rock them till their eyes get heavy and allow peace to prevail.
However, unfortunately unlike the T-Rex, mothers need strong arms for such an ordeal.

So, as promised here we are to share the head-to-toe development. 
After the last post of strengthening your back using pilates, we continue our pilates edition to focus on the arms this week.

Beginners: Arm Raises

Begin by sitting cross-legged on your mat and your back straight. Stretch your arms on either side, with palms facing up and fingers not touching the ground.
Inhale to pull your gut inside and elongate your back. Exhale through your mouth.
Begin the exercise by inhaling and at the same time raising your arms straight over your head, till they are lined at either side of your ear.
Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed.
Hold the position and count to 5.
Exhale as you bring your arms down to the original position.
Repeat 6 times.

Intermediate: The Bug

The exercise not only tones the triceps, but also targets the key glute areas of the butt, thighs and abs.

Stand straight with feet hip width apart. 

Align your arms by the sides with hands in loose fists. 

Bend your knees a little and drop your body to a 90-degree angle, so your upper body is parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang loose.

Engage your shoulders as you squeeze the back of your shoulders to pull up your elbows. As you move your arms upwards engage your triceps as well. 

Release your arms to bring back your arms to original position.

Repeat 15 to 20 times.

Advanced: Triceps Dips

The triceps dips are similar to the bench dips described in our earlier post. 
However, instead of resting your hands on a bench, you can use a small stool or simply rest your hands on the floor.
You can bend your knees initially to help develop your upper body strength. As your muscles develop you can extend your legs straight.

Try these for sleek, sexier arms instead of relying on the usual baby equipment, which otherwise yield not so pleasant results.

teething baby = psychological injury

Babies are unpredictable. From their unsuspecting growth spurts to surprising bowel movements, every incident in their lives is a complete mystery. As a mother I have never been able to figure out an impending milestone to help me make a pre-emptive strike.

now where's that brain that'll figure out my next move?

Teething has been one of them.  

The process has taken me completely out-of-the blue and now I'm left a baffled soul, not knowing what to do and how to go about it.

you don't say ...

Here's why my baby's teething process has been traumatizing for me:

False alarms

Within the last 10 months he has shown symptoms of cutting a tooth three times. He still has no teeth.

hmmm ... that is strange

The first time we, the parents predicted he was teething was during autumn. My baby had fallen ill with a considerable fever and throughout the night moaned as if in pain. I was sure to find a tooth sprouting from his cute gums within a week. But the very next day he woke up all well.  The puzzling fever had yielded no teeth; only a sleep deprived, cranky mother.

After a few months the baby fell sick again. At this point he was at the perfect age when children are assumed to begin teething. Once again the symptoms of fussiness accompanied with a high fever lifted out spirits that indeed within a few days we’d be the proud parents of a one-toothed baby.

Once again we were disappointed. The very next day the fever resolved itself owing to multiple doses of panadol (which sadly tastes nothing like calpol – the sweet indulgence of my childhood).

To this day the mystery of the sporadic fevers remains unsolved.

Sherlock is baffled

The excruciating wait

My baby has been agitated since a week and his diaper is being soiled by loose stools periodically. Plus a very nasty rash is contributing to the state of discomfort.

After a thorough online research I seem to have matched all these symptoms to teething.  Now all I’m doing is just waiting for the theory to translate to reality; which is taking its sweet time.

Either his teeth are too stubborn or time has come to a standstill. Nothing is sprouting from his gums yet and I have no idea when it will. 

The knowledge of the unknown is only contributing to my impatient state of existence which in this moment is pleading for a sound sleep.

when oh God? When?!

The pitiful soul

Besides silent prayers there is nothing more I can do for the helpless baby.

There are many tactics, both natural and artificial that I've been trying. 

From a timeless homoeopathic medicine passed on by our ancestors, to melon shaped cold teethers, it may seem that I'm trying everything. The medicine they say will take its time and the teether are vehemently being opposed for the want of the familiar pacifier. 

The once cheerful and care-free child has now succumbed to the force of the unknown. He does not know from where the pain stems and thus constantly bangs his fist on his head, for I believe in accordance to the theory of 'relocation of pain': transfer the pan from his mouth to his thick skull.

Right now my weapon of combat is patience. It's the only thing I have to hold on to, to let myself from losing control. 

Come, let's all pray this ordeal for everyone of us is over soon!

Amen

Peek-a-boo

Dad's dreadful day, when Mom goes out to play

I love my husband. He is a good man with a kind heart. 
That's why when I asked him to baby-sit my toddler for a few hours, he politely agreed. According to him he had no reason to say no. 
Firstly, because he was taking care of his own child. He said that the father and son needed to have bonding sessions to help the little boy grow into a man (however that'd work in a single session).

'Son, today I'll teach you to throw a ball, run across a field, play cricket, hop on one leg and  if there's time left, operate an airplane'

And second most importantly, because it was his day off.

I needed to go out for the much awaited spring shopping to pull myself out of the mess of spit-on clothes and comfort PJs. I wanted to bedazzle myself in the mirror and had every intention to do so.
So for the next 3 hours I was contently indulging myself in self-pleasure through retail therapy, with the assurance of quality time being spent between the parent and child.

'I love my life again!'

However, it was a different case when I got home.

I was welcomed with a cranky baby and a frustrated dad.

what I expected ..
.

... what actually was!

Let me narrate the two spectacles separately.

The tiny time-bomb

The baby was indeed a time-bomb. 

As soon as I had left, the timer had been set to explode upon the arrival of the child's mother.

The proceedings as described by the sole witness (the father) included the baby starting to get agigated. Allowed to play freely in his walker, the baby had simply refused to make the most of his independence and constantly kept whining about in a language comprehensible (but not translatable) by peers of his age only.

Nothing soothed him. From the offering of a bottle, to the pacifier and eventually succumbing to the act of self puppetry by a giant man, it seemed there was no solution to the problem at hand.

'Now he must really think I'm not cool'

However, the source was very obvious and potently wreaking. 

All the baby needed was a diaper change. Unfortunately the dad does not play that game. He completely refuses to change a diaper as if it were a sin.

Operation Diaper: Lethal 

The problem then had laid on both ends.

The first-time dad

I feel sorry for him as I write this. He is such a sweetheart and now I think I had entrusted him with the task of titans. Such a job demands preliminary training on-the-job. Only then should the weapon be tossed into the hands of a novice.

I mistakenly had attempted an act as inconsiderate as asking this cat to teach chemistry.

My husband had planned on watching the UFC with the baby, and later try to teach him how to punch a boxing bag (once again how was this practically possible?). On the contrary the baby ended up familiarizing him with the range of vocal chords of a human.

No doubt it was nothing less than a traumatic experience for each party in their own respect. But I do appreciate the fact that despite everything that went on inside the house, my husband never bothered me once and let me enjoy the time I had with myself. And for that I love him even more.

The horror though shall linger on for a few more days.

Oh well, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Monday Moves: Back of Steel

Like everyone else, I too am pressed for time. All the time. 
Despite the fact that I may end up wasting time by the end of the day, by either binging or watching shows, I am always in search for quick-fix exercises that require minimal indulgence of time and effort but yield maximum results. 

It's irrational of me to demand such unholy (and to some, impossible) results. But as Paulo Coelho has said:

'When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it'

The universe did conspire, and I found pilates.
Pilates are body strengthenng exercises that besides weight loss also contribute to making your core muscles strong for better coordination and balance.
As part of the pilates series, I shall be narrating exercises for beginners and then gradually work towards advanced exercises. The development shall be from top to toe.
The monday today focuses on the back.

Beginners: Breast Stroke - Prep

Place a mat on the floor and lie straight facing down. Pull your legs together and your arms on either side of your body. Fold your arms to place your elbows on the ground with your palms facing down and in line with your ears. 

Inhale, and widen your shoulders and pull in your abdominal muscles towards your belly button.

Exhale, and pull up your head and chest from the floor, while keeping your elbows, feet and chest pushed to the ground. 

Inhale and hold position as you count to 3.

Exhale and then return to starting position.

This is 1 rep.

Work up to 5 - 8 reps.

Intermediate: Breast Stroke - Letter 'T'

Lie face down on the floor with your feet together and hands spread perpendicular to the body.

Raise your head and chest off the floor slowly, with feet planted firmly on the ground, facing down.

As you inhale, lift up your arms off the floor with plams facing downwards.

As you exhale, pull your arms back (your palms still facing downwards) towards your hips, to align them with your body, while at the same time lifting your head and chest even higher. 

Remember to keep your waist and feet set on the floor and not lift them.

This is 1 rep.

Bring to starting position and work up to 5 - 8 reps.

Advanced: Swan Dive

This is an advanced form of pilates and should only be done once you've mastered the beginner and intermediate stage. 

Before you begin to do the swan dive, be sure to warm up to prevent muscle tearing or pulling.

Lie facedown on the floor with your arms stretching straight over your head and in line with your body, and your toes touching the ground.

Inhale, and lift your arms and toes off the ground at the same time. Imagine that your arms and legs are being pulled in opposite directions, and apply pressure accordingly. 

Exhale as you count up to 5.

Inhale and bring your arms back behind you (like described in the above exercise) on your sides. Pull in your palm so that they face your body.

Exhale as you try to rach your toes with your arms. Count up to 5.

Bring arms to initial position and your whole body to ground.

This is one rep.

Work up to 5 - 8 reps.

Phew! I need to do these more.

*gets up with crackling back and sore arms*

Good luck for a back of steel to show off to the man of steel!

there's a new steel in town , mister
*smack*

DIY Day: Clock Face

Last summer my niece came over to live with us for a while. She's 5 years old and loves to talk; non-stop.
Now I may sound a little ruthless, but there did come a point when I wished she would just take her conversation elsewhere. I tried many tactics to distract her: I'd ask her to draw, or help me with chores or play with her the game of 'who stays silent the longest'.
None of them worked.
However, one thing that did work was time. Now the reference is not figurative, but rather literal. Whenever I asked her what time it was, she'd be dumbfounded. She was confused between the hands and the markings on the clock and how they seemed to present the order of telling time.

That is when I had thought of making a tool could aid children in learning how to tell time.
This is what I came up with: the DIY clock face.
The Clock Face is an easy-to-make toy that may help children like my niece boast of their intelligent mind.

Clock crew

You will need:

• Cardboard (for making the base)
• Patterned or plain paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers and pencil
• Compass (I used a couple of cylindrical boxes, owing to a baby-proof house that does not stock sharp needles)
• Thread or ribbon (not shown)

Round and round

Using a compass and scissors, cut out a large round base from the thick cardboard.

Cut out a round strip from the pattern paper that is smaller than the original base, cut out before.

Notice the difference in sizes in the picture below.

12 (x2) hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour

Paste the round strip on the base, and using different coloured markers, label the hours on the strip inside, and the minutes on the bigger cut-out.

The hands on the clock, go round and round

Use the cardboard to cut out the hands of the clock, one longer than the other. Using a punching machine, make holes at the ends of the hands and pull a threaad through to extend on either end.

Make a hole in the middle of the clock base and pull the thread through the bottom, and tie a knot to secure it in place. Repaet the action to tie a knot in the front.

Cut the excess ribbon/thread.

Hickory Dickory Dock

... and here's the final clock!

The hands are easily movable so you can play with it for hours, prompting your child to tell you what time it is by palcing the hands on different numbers.

And once they've mastered the art of time, introduce them to Marty McFly, the man who plays with time like its his hobby.