Music Monday

I'm sharing my workout playlist for this week's Music Monday. It's a wacky combination of tunes, no doubt (I really don't listen to rap or hip-hop any other time than when I'm on a run, now that I think about it), but it's the extra push I need to keep going and get past the, well, running part.

Workout Mix

California Love- Tupac (feat. Dr. Dre)
Carry Out- Timbaland (feat. Justin Timberlake)
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough- Michael Jackson
Can't Get You Out of My Head- Kylie Minogue
Hung Up- Madonna
Toxic- Britney Spears
Right Round- Flo Rida



Lucky for you all, I don't wear a hot pink leotard when I work out like Madonna does...

Music Monday: Francoiz Breut + Calexico

When I think of summer, I think of this song. There are two versions on iTunes, one of only Francoiz Breut singing in French (my favorite), and Calexico's version (also wonderful). Enjoy!


Francoiz Breut + Calexico Si tu disais

Music Monday- The Zombies

This song has been on my playlist for at least three weeks now- I found a video of a live performance on Youtube and knew I had to share it for this week's Music Monday!

Mad Men and Ladies of Literature

I've been in an interesting mood lately- a combination of wanting to try new things and finding comfort in old favorites. Now that the spring semester is over, I have a full month before summer session starts and I plan on enjoying it fully. I want to take the first of many trips to the beach, reconnect with my piano (which has been sorely overlooked until very recently), and read. I dug out some of my cherished books from our various bookshelves around the house and was thinking of just how much I particularly enjoy an older read. The way they're written is almost like an entirely different dialect than the English I speak in my day-to-day life. Some of my most prized hardcovers are a first edition of Age of Fables from 1855 (I still cannot believe I found it for twenty-five cents at a thrift store) and The Emperor's Lady, a novel based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte. 


I'm antsy to dive into these treasures; however, I've been spending most of my time scouring The Baby Book by Dr. Sears and other infant guides in search of some answers for my sweet baby. Firstly, he's been sleeping so terribly the last month or so- it's not that he's hard to convince to go to sleep in the first place, it's just that he wakes up so many times during the night- and I don't know what's bothering him or how to fix it (before I had Miles I thought we'd just go the Ferber route but I just can't swallow the idea of letting him cry himself to sleep). Secondly, I'm still supplementing with formula and nothing I've tried thus far (including a $46 bottle of an herbal supplement- ouch) seems to be making a difference. I've read Ina May's book from start to finish at least three times while I wait to hear back from Kathleen, who is recovering from surgery. Obviously, I just want Miles to be happy and healthy- anyone have any suggestions?

Rolling around. :)

One idea I received was to spend as much time as possible nursing Miles throughout the day, so we've been flying through episodes of Mad Men like nobody's business. I actually like the show a lot more than I thought I would.

What are your summer plans?
Leave a comment here!

~VP~

Good Intent

Since Miles was born, I've watched all the seasons of Grey's Anatomy- up until the current season, that is- and one of the weird things I enjoyed about the show was that each episode was named after a song. Since I'm on a huge Kimbra kick right now, the title "Good Intent" fits perfectly.

Good intent is also fitting as I look back on my previous post. This post has no doubt received the most feedback of any blog entry I've written to date; I received many Facebook messages and a few comments on the blog itself. I was disappointed to find that many have been put down by others for their birthing choices, and what some misunderstood to be a slam on natural birth is not at all! It's not about epidurals, med-free, or Cesareans- I just love birth. It is so beautiful and crazy how our bodies work to grow new life, bring it into the world, and then proceed to give us the innate desire to fiercely protect and nurture it. What I care about is the freedom a woman should have to give birth how and where she feels comfortable and most safe. If that's at home in her own environment, she should receive no judgement. If that's in a hospital with an epidural, the same should apply. It's her choice. Certainly it doesn't help to pass criticism on a woman who's already given birth. One quote from The Business of Being Born has stuck with me since I first heard it: "A woman, as long as she lives, will remember how she was made to feel during her birth." All I mean to say is, support is what women need. I hope we can all lift each other up instead of the alternative.

In other news, Miles is three months old now! He is smiling more and more, laughing, and starting to roll over. I adore him. He holds onto me, and he has started to cry when someone else is holding him and he realizes they're not me. He's such a mama's boy. Gosh, I love him.

That's all for now. Goodnight!
Leave a comment here!

~VP~