Nate & I have had a lot of talks about how to help me & in return, our entire family, especially on the weekends. Setting up a routine, getting out, not leaving me alone with Harrison, & getting in some ol’ fashioned endorphin-inducing exercise top the list. In the past, Nate takes Harrison on Saturday mornings for a quick ride & some breakfast to “trick” Harrison into his weekday routine & to also give me a little space to clean or sleep in. This morning, I saddled up with my boys & we took a trip to our new local Dunkin’ Donuts.
Harrison slept through the entire breakfast, but Nate & I each enjoyed a very tasty donut. When I was little, we used to go to Dunkin’ Donuts in the mall & two older my brothers & I always had “our” donuts – maple for the oldest, blueberry for the middle, & strawberry for me. You know those stores, places, or smells that hold so many memories? Mine are strawberry donuts. & every time I eat one, I have to call/text my brothers just to tell them that I love them. & to rub it in their faces that I’m eating a donut & they’re not (sibling rivalry NEVER dies).
After some pretty standard Sunday stuff, like paying bills, laundry, & letting Harrison nap, I decided to take the advice of my good pal Nish over at The Outdoor Wife & get outside. (Nish & I are high school buddies & I may grace y’all with pictures of us in Vegas or prom…eventually. If you haven’t read Nish, get your hiney over there for some incredible pictures of the great Northwest, plus some fantastic tips on being outside with young ones) Sunshine, exercise, time with my family. Just what the doctor ordered:
& yes, I’m totally wearing a Guinness hat. I adore dark beer.
They built this incredible park just a mile or so up the road from our house when the town purchased an old farm. It has MILES of walking paths, an outdoor amphitheater, & some really cool old barns. This summer they’ll be hosting a free outdoor concert series, so we’re hoping to attend a few.
It seemed like a great place to have a fall wedding, or maybe even a fall birthday party 
The barns, the fire-pits, the picnic tables! Unfortunately, it was a wee bit more windy & chilly than we first thought, so we ended up calling it a day after an hour when Harrison started fussing. But it felt SO GOOD to be outside & for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace with my family & self. I think those meds are finally starting to kick in!
Did you do anything cool this weekend? Any suggestions for things to do on weekends to get us out of the house? The park was fun, but it can’t be every weekend & it really is necessary for me to get out of the house with either Nate, The Momma, or friends.
hey, i left you a message on the 3-6month board on thebump! love you & your blog!
Check your email!!!
Dunkin Donuts was a Sunday staple in my family too. Love the nostalgia.
It's not really outdoors but when I need some fresh air I'll take my DD to lunch & to show her the dogs at our local Petsmart doggie daycamp – then we go play with the toys at Target & don't buy anything. lol…It's fun.
This made me smile. Even though we are far from knowing eachother, I am very happy for you. It seems like small steps are being taking and that means huge improvements in your life! Again I am happy for you and am sending all my love!
My wee man (5 months) and I have just started a 'Kindermusik' class – basically a weekly sing-a-long for infants. It's hilarious, completely goofy, and the babe loves it. And since it requires me to get both our butts out of the house before 9am on Saturdays, I use a latte and muffin pit stop as motivation. Anything like that in your area?
Kind of related to what Ashely said above, the Little Gym (if you have one near you) is amazing. I worked there for a while through college and the weekend classes were the best.
The parents used to come together with the baby and there was singing, dancing, rolling around on equipment, music, bubbles, and ball time. I loved there, watching families grow and bond right in front of my eyes. It is DEFINITELY exercise..
When our little one arrives I will most certainly be enrolling. I think 4 months is the earliest class. Good Luck!
I hope you send the warmer weather up north… and reminiscing (or looking forward to) fall makes me excited for spring! It will be here soon.
Its so good for the lil guys to get outside too, I think the fresh air does wonders for my son. Glad to hear you are feeling better. And wait till H is like 5 or 6 months and he can play on the swings at your local park, that's a great way to get out, and also to meet other moms.
way to go!
and i swear on my life, if you post pictures of me from high school, we will BRAWL.
if that's a promise & there is chocolate pudding involved, I'm scanning them TONIGHT.
We have the same stroller, the Hubs caved and we bought the Indie. L.O.V.E. it. We took a family walk this weekend too, it was so nice to get out of the house, even if it was only 40 degrees outside. Glad to hear you are doing better with the PPD too, every day it gets easier
Where do you live? I thought you lived in NC, but I'm not sure. I live outside Charlotte and I need some ideas too. I love the white water center but I don't think I'm ready to take my little man there yet.
DD brings back memories for me too…mom and I went every Sunday before church.
Glad you're feeling better.
I'm so glad you got out, you look radiant in each picture.
We LOVE the Zoo, we get a family pass so even if we go for only an hour it is not a waste, and Our daughter loves all the animals and is always tuckered out when we get home. The childens museum will be good too when Harrison is a little older, they usually have areas dedicated for 12 months and under with water play and other age appropriate things.
Sounds like a great weekend! I love anything strawberry flavored, especially donuts or milkshakes. Makes me feel like a little girl!
I would look into any nearby museums to see if they have any interesting or new exhibits going on. Flower conservatories are another great way to spend a day and trick your brain into thinking it is spring.
So glad to hear that you are starting to feel better!
So glad to hear of your lovely weekend….thanks for making me crave a donut!
Some ideas…
-See a play (community theatre is usually pretty inexpensive)
-window shop in a historic downtown area (usually stocked with fun small boutiques), and then buy yourself a treat!
-Paint a Pot studio….let your creative juices flow!
-Start a ritual with your girlfriends…meet for lunch once a month and always share dessert (that's what we do)
Have fun! Thanks for sharing your journey! Smoochies!!!
We are looking at doing some swim lessons on Sat in another month (we have to get ready for summer swim time) the only down side is that I have to get in a swimsuit… oh the things we do for out LO
Also as a family we look in the newspaper and find one thing to do on the weekends and if that fails since it is chilly we go to the mall (just to window shop mostly)
I completely agree that I need to get out of the house, it can be overwhelming but I do so much better if I do.
I just wanted to peek in and say how very brave I think you are to share your story like this. Thank you. It means more than you know.
Weekend are always my saving grace. I actually start to feel sane again.
Friday night we always spend an hour or so at our local book store after work, then eat out. When we lived at our old place we usually went over to a friends house for dinner or they came over for pizza. That was great because there were twice as many people to hold DS.
Saturday we do the usual laundry and stuff as well, but then in the afternoons we go out. We'll be joining our local Kindermusik group next Saturday. Usually we go hiking, shopping, swimming at the Y, mommy-baby exercise classes, reading/shows at the local library, free concerts, go to art exhibits, etc. Anything in the local paper that seems baby-friendly.
Sundays are more laid-back. We usually spend most of the time at home, but when it's time for DS's afternoon nap we strap him in his car seat, drive until he's asleep, then head to a local coffee shop and have a coffee. We talk, read, make plans for the week. We usually get 1.5 – 2 hours before DS wakes up, and then another 1/2 – 1 hour of him being nice and quite playing with small toys or people watching before he gets fussy and we have to go home.
We'll basically do anything. We've gotten over being scared of taking him places. If he cries in a restaurant he cries. I'm over being embarrassed because I need to get out.
Good luck finding things to do in your area.
So glad that you are feeling better! Even though we are in Upstate NY, we went to the zoo on one of the nicer days this past week. We did mostly the indoor stuff, and there was quite a bit to see. Even the outdoors animals were good to watch, as they stand out against the snow. For my PPD, the best thing that I did was force myself to get out at least once a day…even if it was to walk around Target.
Glad to hear you had a nice weekend, and are feeling a bit better!
ps – absolutely cutest pic ever of Harrison at the end!
I'm so jealous that you got to get outside! I am so over this winter and can't wait to go outside and take Jack for some walks in his stroller. My husband and I both unfortunatly work in the resturant business so most weekends we have to work.
This past Saturday we did get to actually have a date night and it felt soooo GOOD! We went out for some Italian food and wine and then out for drinks with my BIL and SIL ( I can speak bump here right?) DH and I did a few O-bombs, something I haven't done since before I was pregnant! It felt so nice to get a little tipsy, I wish every weekend could be that good. Hopefully someday I'll bag myself a M-F job so we can enjoy the weekends as a family!
Have a great week!
I'm a brand new commenter but have been reading for a few months and am so happy to hear you're feeling better – even if it's just a touch better. I haven't been through half of what you have but have battled depression and loneliness – it's no fun at all and always feels great to be back on the path to "normal." Enough about me, here are a handful weekend ideas (I had to skim my calendar from the past few months because I don't know where my weekends go)…
get your nails done,
go to the the dog park &/or talk a walk with the pup,
go out to dinner w/ a friend or your hubby,
errands in general (grocery store, Target, Home Depot, etc.),
find somewhere fun to volunteer (that might be too time intensive for you, though — I'm still single and babyless, except for a fat fur-baby).
My vote is for the zoo! and when it gets warmer…picnic.
Glad to hear you had a nice weekend and thanks for sharing pics. Love seeing that gorgeous little man grow
Um… why can't you be left alone with your own child? I deal with PPD too but have never felt like I couldn't be alone with my baby!
DD has good memories for me too…mom and I used to go every Sunday before church.
Do you live in NC? For some reason I thought you did, but maybe I'm wrong. I love the whitewater center, but haven't taken G yet…maybe when it gets warmer.
Glad you are feeling better!
Eliza,
Just to let you know PPD is different for everyone. I too couldnt be alone with my baby. It was too overwhelming. I never wanted to hurt him but i wondered what if one day i just went crazy. I was also extremely worried about his health so I was afraid something would happen and didnt want to be alone.
Yep, this exactly. Obviously, PPD manifests itself differently in every different person.
For now, it is just way too overwhelming to be alone with him & literally sends me into a panic attack. Hopefully that will ease with time & meds, but for now, we're simply creating stability & support.
blair, I'm so glad you were able to get a change of scenery this weekend – it sounds like ya'll had a great time. i'm counting the days until it's warm enough around here to get outside!
oddball question for you – do you like your bumbleride indie? i'm seriously thinking about getting one to be our "parks/walking through the neighborhood/festivals" stroller…no one in memphis sells them, so i can't test drive it before i buy online…got any feedback for a fellow bumpie?
We LOVE it. Very smooth to walk with, jog with, & so light-weight. It takes 2 seconds to fold it down & pop it up, plus I loved that I got to pick which infant seat I wanted versus purchasing a "set."
& their customer service is incredible – my first one (a 2008) ended up with a bent frame, so they sent me an '09 frame at no extra charge plus let me keep the accessories that came along with the 2008 (they stopped including them as part of the stroller in 2009).
I know this sounds awfully nerdy, but you could try geocaching. I've never done it myself, and I have no idea what the locations would be in your area, but it always sounds like something you can do to get outside with a little goal and have some fun exploring. In case you don't know what it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocaching
There are quite a few websites and the trails/paths can also be described (whether they are suitable for strollers, etc.)
Well done for getting out and taking those steps Blair!
Being a SAHM, I have to get out of the house almost everyday or I would lose my mind! So I have found lots of fun things to do -especially at your son's age, the activities are more for you right now since he is still so little. So bring him along anywhere you and DH go. Its all about quality time not what you do. Museums, aquariums, mall/window shopping, little gym, library storyhour, Barnes and Noble storyhour and coffee, farmers markets, the zoo! pet store, parks, coffeshops, pools, some local toy stores give free puppet shows or craft classes, we even have gone to a fishing/camping store just to watch all the fish in their tank!
Once he gets a little older, places like Krispy Kreme, Papa Murphys, and fire departments will give tours for free to kids. Michael's and Home Depot offer free/cheap craft classes. YMCA will offer family gymnastics/swim/ and other classes, check out your park district for events too. Our city has websites dedicated to kids events- see if your city has something like that for other ideas too. Good luck and have fun!
I have found a big difference in having a winter baby vs. a summer baby. My Oct 27th daughter has given me baby blues along with winter blues, I never had that with my son who was born in Aug of 07. Being cooped up makes it all worse for me. I am counting down the days til we can get outside more too!
You're doing a great job, Blair! You have a beautiful family and I'm hoping and praying that you'll feel more equipped to enjoy it as your treatment takes effect. You deserve it!
And you're right. Sibling rivalry never ends. Last year at Christmas my youngest brother and I bought my Grandfather the same thing (a gift cert to the same restaurant). When we found out simultaneously that he hadn't opened either one, we raced around like small children to get him to open "mine first"! It was pathetic. And hilarious.
I have a perfect idea: Come up to W-S when Nate plays golf and hang out with ME!
Retail therapy never hurts: take the fam to an outdoor Outlet mall and roam around, get icecream, shop a little.
A restaraunt with a patio for a light lunch on the weekends.
A drive-in movie theater, pack lawn chairs and a cooler for some old-fashioned family fun.
Most of these will be more fun when its a bit warmer though!
How about a little bank fishing at a river or lake? I'm not into that but you can take a book and blanket and read over the water.
Mmm I could totally go for one of those donuts right now! I am glad to hear you had a good weekend.
I love your stroller! What kind/brand is it?
A Bumbleride Indie!
I agree with you getting outside is so helpful for the sanity card in new moms. I luckily do not have ppd but get rather mean and difficult if I am stuck inside too long. We got a backpack carrier for the babe and have started driving out of town a bit and hiking, we live in georgia so its cold but not too bad. We pack a picnic and find a beautiful trail online and spend a few hours together learning to be a family and getting the some much need vitamin d. Also if you check your paper on Fridays for weekend activities in the spring especially there are a lot of outdoor festivals. EJ was born in the summer so this fall we hit up a chili festival, greek festival and few others they were so fun and very inexpensive way to have some fun together.
Hey Blair, I've been reading your blog for awhile now and have been meaning to comment after finding out about your PPD. One thing I've found helpful is the "taking one day at a time" approach. I think it's actually an AA thing, but it has really helped me, because (I guess for alcoholics too) one of the major issues is getting overwhelmed. So, I say to myself when I'm having a hard time at any point in the day "I just have to get through today." And when that's too much, then take it by hour (ie. "I just have to get through the next hour".) So if the baby is screaming and I start to panic, look at the clock and if it's 2:15 say to yourself "I just have to make it to 3:00". I know it sounds weird, or lame even, but it has really helped me feel a sense of control when I otherwise might have lost it. I started having trouble when my baby was 3 mo. old. It does get easier though, like everyone says. Hang in there and props to you for being so brave! You're very talented and I enjoy reading your blog.
I'm so glad Spring is a coming, it will be so much easier to get up and get outside. I would suggest bike rides. I find them so relaxing and fun. My hubby bought me a bike for V-day so I cant wait!!
Another reason why we should meet and are long long sisters?
I won't even touch a light beer. The darker the better.
And when I say "won't even touch" I mean "unless that's all there is" or "unless it's around & I'm thirsty." Because come on, it is still beer after all.
But yeah, dark beer FTW.
Love your blog! I actually had a dream the other day that we were BFF lol, that's how much I read it. ANYWHO… on your Bumbleride, does your car seat fit into it? I hate those strollers that are made to fit with your car seat, I was jw if you can use it when they are infants with the car seat.
I'm glad to hear you are doing better!
Yes, it snaps right in! You can use a Peg Perego, Chicco, or Graco seat in the Bumbleride (& maybe others now with the newer models). I LOVE that I got to choose my stroller & car seat separate from each other.
Sunshine = happy…. even if you're just laying on a blanket in your backyard – all by yourself.
Just make sure to wear sunscreen.
those family photos are beautiful! what a sweet fam you have. i love the one with you, your dog, and your baby boy. you need to frame it and put it up on your wall!!!