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lena_chita
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Aug 4, 2011, 6:46 AM
Post #26 of 72
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clee03m wrote: I did also meet an awesome girl who is totally badass. 22 weeks pregnant and climbing so strong! (If you are reading this, hi!) She did inspire me to work less than full time. I am going to try working 50+ instead of 60+ hours and see where my personal and financial life falls. Hell, if she can manage, I should be able to also, right?
This is awesome! IMO, totally worth it, to have more time for your family and for things you enjoy doing. Maybe eventually you will be able to cut some more hours.
And as far as finding partners, I don't think it ever has to be ONLY one kind of partner, e.i. if you are a mother of a toddler, you should only look for other mothers of toddlers.
A family with older kids might be just as compatible, if the older kids are the kind of kids that enjoy entertaining the toddler, for example.
Or it could be a partner without kids who is relaxed and easygoing and not minding extra time it takes you to hike in, the distractions a toddler introduces into your climbing days, etc. etc.
Bottom line is, you are finding people to climb with, yay!
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rockie
Aug 4, 2011, 4:13 PM
Post #27 of 72
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clee03m wrote: I did also meet an awesome girl who is totally badass. 22 weeks pregnant and climbing so strong! (If you are reading this, hi!) She did inspire me to work less than full time. I am going to try working 50+ instead of 60+ hours and see where my personal and financial life falls. Hell, if she can manage, I should be able to also, right?
50 hours is still alot. 36 hrs is full time here in the UK, I came back for good and aim to work 1-2 days a week until my LO is 5 yrs old and starting school to be honest.
I got talked into not selling my gear, as I had considered it due to not being able to get out climbing soon enough, and then I got given a better idea by those talking me out selling the gear. Get 3 of us and one to always mind the toddler, so that is what I am now planning. Peak district here I come, sooooon 
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kiwiprincess
Aug 7, 2011, 1:57 PM
Post #28 of 72
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Last weekend I went Ice climbing with a whole bunch of local ladies.
2 Leaders, 2 experienced but less confident Ice climbers (one hadn't been for 5 years), And 3 Rockclimbers
Some of the girls had 8 month-3 year olds. The reason they came is we made a committed date about 6 weeks out so grandparents and dads were able to be available so they could leave the Kids for a day. We used from 6 am to 7 pm, saw the sunrise and sunset and had heaps of fun and Cake!
Other times we all boulder which is good because the Partner isn't stopped climbing if baby needs feeding or settling the way you are sport climbing, you just choose a problem you don't need spotting.
Sport climbing other families are good as the kids do entertain each other heaps, even with an age difference along as they are al under 9ish.
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clee03m
Aug 8, 2011, 8:17 AM
Post #29 of 72
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So I went to Squamish for the weekend with another couple, baby and husband. Because both husbands are not avid climbers, the dynamics worked perfectly. And Bluffs at Squamish is soooo kid friendly. My son had a blast swinging on his harness, throwing rocks, and playing with my partner's dog.
And miracles of miracles, my husband actually enjoyed himself. He thought the area was beautiful (who in their right mind would disagree with that?) and he enjoyed the moderate climbs. I kind of felt badly since I would normally drag him along and climb only stuff he can't climb may be except for a warm up climb or two. My climbing partner was so considerate and always put up some climbs for her husband. Lesson to be learned I guess. And now that I am super rusty, my husband enjoyed the climbs I was able to do. There is a silver lining to everything--even not being able to climb very hard!
This was part of my vacation, and I felt very lazy and decided to stay at a motel. And when my friend mentioned that they were thinking about buying a condo in the are, my husband actually seemed interested in doing the same. Wouldn't that be sweet to have a place near Squamish and Whistler? I can always dream.
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clee03m
Aug 22, 2011, 10:42 AM
Post #30 of 72
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Well, I'm preggers again! I am 12 weeks. So strange the alarming rate at which my belly is expanding. I didn't even start showing until 5 months last time. I hear this is normal, but I still wonder if I am preggers with twins every time I see my enormous belly. Seriously, y'all, I may have to pull out my full body harness.
So strange to think I will stop leading shortly. Good thing I have great and patient partners. Last pregnancy I said I didn't want to be called a belay bitch. One of my partners said, no problem. He'll just be my lead bitch. Haha, and I am his belay gun!
I am hoping to return to Squamish before the weather turns crappy. I am curious to see how 2 babies will work with climbing.
On another note, my home gym idea has dwindled to more a home door way. I am super excited though. One side will be a small finger crack, other side sligtly bigger than fist off width, with a hang board on top. I am envisioning a kind of a circuit of crack to hang board to crack and back. Once I finish it, I will post pictures. Well, if I figure out how to post them.
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Kartessa
Aug 22, 2011, 4:11 PM
Post #31 of 72
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Congrats!
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lena_chita
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Aug 22, 2011, 5:42 PM
Post #32 of 72
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Congratulations!
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noell
Aug 23, 2011, 7:54 AM
Post #33 of 72
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Congrats!!! Hope you are feeling well! You have a TON on your plate right now. Take care of yourself! btw- I am 23 weeks this week, went climbing last weekend at the Obed (HOT out here!) and had a good time. Between the heat and my energy levels and lack of strength, I am just TRing my old warm ups, but having a great time just being out with folks.
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clee03m
Aug 23, 2011, 5:57 PM
Post #35 of 72
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Kiddos will be 2 years apart.
Noell, at least you were TR'ing your old warm up climbs. I was climbing below what I would have normally warmed up thinking that it is pretty challenging. I am climbing worse than ever I think except may be the first 6 months when I started climbing. But no worries. I am confident when the kids are older and I climb more, I will get my climbing shape back.
This pregnancy has been pretty challenging between the nausea and exhaustion. I really think that my first pregnancy was easier because I was so fit when I got pregnant and I continued to be so active after. I asked my husband if I was this miserable last pregnancy, and he said he didn't think so although he couldn't be sure since I was always climbing and he really didn't see me that often. So weird. I guess I used to be pretty hard core!
The same climbing partner from Squamish thinks once she has a baby, the four of us will be handle three little ones since neither of our husbands are all that into climbing. I hope she is right. She has plans like out of four weeks, she is going to climb on her own one weekend, climb with the baby one weekend, and be home with hubby and kiddo for 2 weekends. My husband and I had a similar deal that didn't quite take into account my inability to detach myself from the baby especially the first year and how to factor in breastfeeding.
I am really excited that one of my partners is going to have kids close to my kids' age.
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clee03m
Aug 27, 2011, 10:18 PM
Post #36 of 72
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Latest news: I have officially crossed over to the dark side and have joined the pebble crawlers! I am a proud owner of a crash pad.
I have committed to a 7 day trip at Squamish with one of my climbing partners. We are camping. This will the longest time baby has ever camped or climbed. I am a bit nervous.
So in preparation, we are going climbing/camping at Squamish for 4 days over the Labor day weekend. And because I wasn't getting all that enthusiastic responses from all the multipitchers about committing to a day of cragging with pregger lady who doesn't lead along with a screaming toddler, I bought a crash pad just in case. Don't worry. I will stay very low to the ground.
Well, it does seem that I am climbing much more. It is comforting to know that I will eventually get back climbing after this little one as well. And my husband is being very supportive. Yay!
Ladies with experience camping with kids in diapers, how gross does it get after a week of no bath?
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smallclimber
Aug 28, 2011, 11:00 AM
Post #37 of 72
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I suspect that it doesn't actually get any worse after the first few days! If I am on a long backpacking trip without ability to shower or wash clothes I find you start to smell (day 2), then you smell a bit worse (day 3). But after about day four both you and your clothes sort of hit a wall with respect to smelliness.
Takes lots of wipes!
I have a non-climbing question..... How long a drive is Squamish from where you live, and how does your son cope with the drive? If he sleeps most of the time (I struggle to keep my 1 yr old awake in a car, even if she is not due for a nap) does that then disturb his nightime sleeping for a few days?
Good luck, you are very brave doing all this.
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clee03m
Sep 5, 2011, 9:54 PM
Post #38 of 72
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It takes about 5 hours from where we live to Squamish. He cried once both ways where we stopped and let him out. He stopped sleeping in cars so night time sleep wasn't disturbed. We think that his nap times and schedule has no affect on night sleep. Some nights he sleeps well, some nights he is up all night. We have not been able to figure out a pattern.
So we got back from a two night of camping. Lessons we learned are: 1. Pitching a tent near other climbers is really stupid when the baby is not sleeping through the night. 2. Two single person padding is not big enough for two people and a baby. 3. Camping without running water is not as gross as I feared. We all returned a bit dirty, but the baby was fine.
We had one day where the three of us climbed with the partner I will be climbing for 6 days. it went well. Had a wondeful weekend climbing even though I have stopped leading and was only following. I am starting to worry about exactly how we are going to climb with 2 kids, but I think I will be happy that we seemed to have figured out how to climb with one kid for now. Bluffs are over run with kids. At some point I think there were 6 kids and a dog running around in one area. Wish there was a place like that close by...
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atg200
Sep 12, 2011, 3:08 PM
Post #39 of 72
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rockie wrote: clee03m wrote: I did also meet an awesome girl who is totally badass. 22 weeks pregnant and climbing so strong! (If you are reading this, hi!) She did inspire me to work less than full time. I am going to try working 50+ instead of 60+ hours and see where my personal and financial life falls. Hell, if she can manage, I should be able to also, right? 50 hours is still alot. 36 hrs is full time here in the UK, I came back for good and aim to work 1-2 days a week until my LO is 5 yrs old and starting school to be honest. I got talked into not selling my gear, as I had considered it due to not being able to get out climbing soon enough, and then I got given a better idea by those talking me out selling the gear. Get 3 of us and one to always mind the toddler, so that is what I am now planning. Peak district here I come, sooooon
What exactly do you do? 40 hours is full time in the US - 50+ is nuts and 65+ is absolutely loony. I've managed to always have high paying professional jobs while rarely working more than 40 hours by making it absolutely clear that I am unwilling to work more than 40 hours without an extremely good reason. It also helps that I am ruthlessly efficient with time management while I am working. My approach certainly doesn't work for every career, but an awful lot of my coworkers keep pulling huge hours while i don't because they either work inefficiently, won't stand up for themselves, or enjoy being a martyr.
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clee03m
Sep 13, 2011, 8:25 AM
Post #40 of 72
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I'm an anesthesiologist. I am not an employee. I am a partner in a physician group. Full time for us is 65+ and we have ample freedom to cut back the hours (but if we go half time we loose partnership), but we get paid per hour as a group. Funny how I would loose partnership if I went to what is considered full time in UK.
Unfortunately, I still have not been able to cut back on hours. I think I would feel better if we have a bit more savings before I cut back. I don't feel I am trying to save too much considering how financially paranoid I am. Just 6 months emergency reserve, enough money for house maintenance, money set side for vacation, and some money set aside regularly for college tuition. But something always comes up, and we are not even close to what I would like to have set aside.
4 days until Squamish! My husband just realized we will be climbing on his birthday. Oops. We will celebrated the following weekend, but he is mad I forgot. I will have to be more careful next time.
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lena_chita
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Sep 13, 2011, 10:18 AM
Post #41 of 72
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Oops! Forgetting birthdays is bad... but Squamish is good! Besides, you didn't forget his birthday, you just forgot that he would like to do something other than climbing for his birthday. :) He is coming along, right? Sounds like a good day to take a rest day!
As to the rest, time=money.
Your "needs" always expand to use up all the available money, just like activities you like to do always expand to occupy all available time. So unless you set a date and decide that you are changing your work hours on this date, and sticking with it, there will never be a "good" time to cut back on work hours, there will always be another house improvement project that needs money, another unexpected expense, etc. etc. But once you have a new budget to stick to, you will.
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smallclimber
Sep 13, 2011, 6:58 PM
Post #42 of 72
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In a time where most companies are laying off people every year if you want to keep your job working 40 hours a week probably won't cut it at most places. You may be lucky, but I don't know anyone at our company (no matter how efficient they are) who works <50 hours per week. Or rather I don't know anyone who will survive the next round of lay-offs who works <50 hours per week.
But yes 65 is lots.
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clee03m
Sep 17, 2011, 8:16 PM
Post #43 of 72
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Squamish got rained out, so we were looking at this place called Trout Creek, but after hearing that the base has casms big enough to engulf trolls, we finally decided on Smith. We finally got everything packed and had driven about 3 1/2 hours when I noticed that I was spotting. Called the doctor, and he said not a big deal and take it easy for a few days. Then he said, "Hopefully your vacation is not bungy jumping or mountain biking. Hahaha" I told him actually we were on our way to climb. He asked where, and when I said Smith, he suggested may be I can watch the climbers with with a burnoculars from the camp site for a few days. Well, at least he knew what climbing means and where some people camp at Smith... So we decided to turn around and come home. And now I am on "taking it easy" arrest for a few days. I feel horrible for my climbing partners. I am going to REI to buy him a few lockers, biners, and slings as a "I suck" gesture. And he actually don't mind climbing with my baby around. I hope he is not going to write me off completely... When I joked that he was not going to ever climb with me again, he actually said, "may be not while you're pregnant." Ouch.
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smallclimber
Sep 18, 2011, 6:19 PM
Post #44 of 72
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I hope you will be OK, must be scary to notice spotting. I'm sure the doctor is right and it will be nothing, but you might not have enjoyed your trip much anyway after a scare. Fingers crossed for you.
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noell
Sep 19, 2011, 9:18 AM
Post #45 of 72
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Hey- how ya feeling after the spotting? Everything okay?
I am 27 weeks this week, went to the Red for the weekend ( we have a camper there) and got in some nice TR sessions. MUCH nicer now that its not 95 degrees. I actually feel stronger than I did a month or two ago! But still taking it SUPER easy.
Hope you are doing okay.
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ClimbClimb
Sep 30, 2011, 3:57 PM
Post #46 of 72
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clee03m wrote: I'm an anesthesiologist. I am not an employee. I am a partner in a physician group. Full time for us is 65+ and we have ample freedom to cut back the hours (but if we go half time we loose partnership), but we get paid per hour as a group. Funny how I would loose partnership if I went to what is considered full time in UK.
Don't worry... once healthcare reform fully kicks in, you'll be able to cut back to whatever you want to do and make $40,000 a year like doctors in the UK's NHS do.
At that point you'll quit practicing, go get an MBA, and become a hospital administrator instead.
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clee03m
Oct 1, 2011, 9:35 AM
Post #47 of 72
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Actually plan B in case the whole health care goes to shit is to go to law school. My husband is a lawyer, and I was a bit jealous when he was in school. Seems like a fascinating subject. I even looked into going part time, but in order to be eligible for bar, you can't really take one class at a time. I miss being in school sometimes.
It's true that in this political environment that most physicians are having to come up with a plan b...
BTW y'all, I actually requested my first day off! Coming Tuesday! That was a really big step for me. For some reason I had a hard time telling my administrator (mind you she is my employee) that I plan to do this once weekly to spend time with my son. I made up something about how I have so many doctors appointments. I am not sure why I lied about that... This is despite that we are encouraged to take 1+ days off because it benefits the corporation. And even though I should take the day off from the following week because only one day is left where we are 1+, I keep telling myself that I will wait and see how that one day off goes. I am such a freak when it comes to work...
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clee03m
Oct 31, 2011, 8:43 AM
Post #48 of 72
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One day off per week is working wonder for my relationship with my MIL (who babysits while I work), my marriage, and my happiness. I wish I would have done it sooner. And money? We are doing fine. We are just a little tighter with money and not spending so much on stuff like eating out, which is healther anyways, and extra crap we really don't need.
Well, pelvic instability strikes back :( I stopped climbing Jan 10 last time (yes, I know the date), and this time I am exactly one month ahead and I had to cancel a trip this weekend. So I guess it struck one month and few weeks earlier this time. My faithful climbing partner has promised to lift weights with me again. *sigh* He is such a pal.
I am not as torn up about this time. May be because I knew this was coming? Or because I know as soon as I pop that baby out I will feel better? I think last time I kept reading about cases where it never resolved and was really worried. I am confident I will be fine after I have this baby.
One of my good climbing partners is also having a baby. She is in her second trimester. Yay! We are plotting climbing with 2 new borns and a toddler. Luckily neither of our husbands are much of climbers but willing to come along to babysit. I will let you know how those outing work out.
I guess you won't be hearing from me for a few months. Wish me luck!
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Geekstar
Dec 18, 2011, 10:41 AM
Post #49 of 72
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I am so glad everything is working out well for you!
I have a few opinions, and since you asked, I thought I'd throw some around.
1. If you're struggling finding a partner, make a partner! My climbing partner started taking out a handful of his coworkers (including me) climbing to see who would get bit by the bug...we have the same work schedule, and he liked everyone he invited out. Now I am his n00b and falling into his master plan (he's a self-proclaimed top rope king and wants a rope gunner - I'm learning to lead and loving it).
2. Because I knew and liked him as a person first, I am way ok with his kids. Yesterday at the crag I even said, "Ugh, I don't like little kids" and he joked about telling on me to his daughters. I don't like kids, but I like HIS kids because they're a part of him and I like him, so I am totally okay when they come to the crag. If I only knew him through casual climbing partners, I don't know how I'd feel. (I do NOT have kids.)
3. It will get so much better when they're older. His 6 and 4 year old love to come out and play in the rocks. They run around like crazy (in our sight and away from other people). He has just started with them climbing a little bit in a tiny harness. Because there's two of them, they're in their own world. We probably climb two or three times solo and then once with them to give mom a break - when we take them, we go with n00b climbers or people who want an easy day so there are plenty of adult hands on deck and no one is annoyed that they're not cranking out on a multi pitch. As his primary partner, I'm okay with these days because again, I like his kids, and I know that it keeps the wife happy which preserves my long term climbing potential.
If you're having problems finding a partner, take a friend who likes your family and your lifestyle and MAKE them a partner.
Also - work less! You always live within your means. I got a car payment of $220/month (about 10% of my monthly income to give you some perspective) and I thought: I am mot saving any money as it is - how can I lose that money? It turned out fine. I am about to start paying $500/month for my grad school (again, about 25% of my income) and I have no idea how it's going to work, but it is. There are people out there supporting two kids on my salary, I can make it work. My lifestyle will change of course, but that's life.
I'm a teacher who gets paid 37 hours a week but was generally putting in 50-60 hours. That is NOT a life! I'm single with no kids and I felt like I had no free time with that schedule, so if you feel like you have no free time, it's because you don't. When the time comes, evaluate your priorities. Is a comfortable life more important than time? (and although I'm sure your student loans are crazy, a lawyer and an anesthesiologist probably have room in their budget for a little less comfort)
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clee03m
Feb 16, 2012, 3:02 PM
Post #50 of 72
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I am getting close to having this baby! And I am so excited that I am close to climbing again!!!!
I know, I know, things can be totally different after baby. I know that from the first experience. But I am kind of thinking once a weekday climbing with friends at the gym, hang board training at home the rest of the weekdays (along with stationary bike and weight lifting for rest days), once a month or so on my own climbing, and once a month or so climbing with family. I ran into a climber at the children's museum who said that she climbed with her baby in her first year along with her 3 year old. If she can make it to Smith, I can climb all over WA, Smith, and Squamish, right? If this coming season isn't that productive, I won't be devastated. I know for me, it was really hard taking my infant son climbing. I didn't feel safe for him. And I didn't feel comfortable being away from him, either. But I am taking 1, sometimes even 2 days off per week. I am thinking that I won't be so desperate to spend time with my baby and toddler where taking a break from them would be more comfortable?
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