The running bug...

It feels like so many people are running lately.  Maybe I just didn't realize it before, but I feel like a ton of my friends have picked up the hobby/sport.  Even my hubby!  For so long he was just my cheerleader/support person.  He'd come to my races, be really proud and make a comment like, "that must be such a good feeling" or "I don't know how you do that, I'm exhausted just waiting for you to finish".  And then something switched.

I think most people remember when I revealed that I was pregnant with Isabella - it was at the finish line of the Newport Half Marathon.  I put a note on the back of my bib that said "SURPRISE... BABY'S FIRST RACE!!!" and flipped my bib just after I crossed the finish line so that when I walked up to my family and friends, they would see it.  I was 8 weeks pregnant at that point.
I ran until I was 7.5 months pregnant with her and then the pain in my hips and lower abdomen was just too much to take, so I walked and then even walking was tough by 9 months, so I waddled when I could and sat when I couldn't!
By the time I had Isabella, I was itching to go out for a run.  At two weeks postpartum, I went for a 1 mile slow jog (at about 12 minutes/mile) and when I got home, I literally had to convince myself not to pass out.  It was just too soon!
So I waited another three days and went again.  That time it was a little better, no blacking out when I got back but I was still winded.
So I slowly got back into it.
As I did, Ryan said, "I think I'll go for a run when you get back" one day.  He started out at about 12 min/mile as well and felt really good.  He kept that up for a few days a week but then experienced a little knee pain (anyone who knows him knows that his knees are a huge mess!)
I told him that if he was serious about this running business, which he seemed like he was, that we needed to invest in a new pair of running sneakers and actually have him "fit" for sneakers.
We did, and $200+ later (if he was getting new sneaks, so was I!)
There's nothing like running in a brand new pair of sneakers that are made for your running style!
That was August of 2012 and it's over a full year later, and Ryan still runs about four times a week.
As most rookies do, he's had some speed bumps (see what I did there?) but we've worked through them.  At the beginning, he told me he wanted me to be his coach (he was partially kidding, but I took it seriously) and told him that if I was going to coach him, he needed to take me seriously (I've read a lot about this stuff, experienced five years of running/training/racing and recovering).
His goal was to run a 5K.  That happened in October of 2012 and he did great - his pace was about 9 minutes and 40 seconds per mile.  Which is great for a beginning runner (hell, it's great for most intermediate runners!)  We ran with two friends that are runners as well - it was pouring rain and pretty cold, but fun all the same! That's when the bug bit!

He kept saying, "We need to find another race to run"... so we did.
My BF is living in AZ with her husband who is an Army Ranger.  He suffers from TBI and another friend takes part in a benefit for TBI that holds a 5K.  What a perfect race!  We can't help my BF, but we can do our part to support those with TBI.  So that was Ryan's second 5K in October 2012.

After that, we ran a few 5Ks but then winter hit and no one holds 5Ks around here in the winter.
We ran through the winter (mostly on the treadmill, which I love and hate at the same time).  I love it because having it means that I can still run when it's snowing and crappy out, but I just hate staying in one spot and I run slower on that thing!  When I could, I would bundle up and run outside - but when I couldn't, I'd use the boring treadmill!  (If my parents are reading this - I am grateful that you gave it to us, don't read this the wrong way!! Just - if given the choice, I'd much rather be outside!)

Once the weather was getting nicer, I remembered a 10k that I ran a few years ago in Cohasset Mass that was beautiful.  It was all along the water with huge beautiful houses.  I knew it was in April and thought that it would be a perfect first 10K for Ryan to run.  We registered, and started to train.  I wanted Ryan to run 6 miles at some point prior to the race.  Just a few weeks before the race he ended a run feeling a ton of pain in his foot.  I had him go to the doctor and it ended up being tendinitis in his ankle but the doctor wanted him to run through it (I like this doctor!)  He did and the pain subsided!
We ran that 10K and our goal (well, my goal really, Ryan just wanted to finish the thing! was to finish in under an hour.   We finished in 54:21!  (that is an 8:45 mile pace).  We both felt great throughout it!
We ran the whole thing together and at the end Ryan grabbed my hand so we finished holding hands.  It was the first race we'd run together and we felt on top of the world for finishing with that pace!!

It was VERY cold for April - especially by the water!!

In July, there was a 10K at Gillette Stadium that we couldn't pass up.  You finish the race on the 50 yard line!  We signed up and arranged for our bffs to watch the kids. It was so hot that day, about 98 degrees out.  I was a bit nervous about dehydration, but we did our best to hydrate.  At the start line, they made a loud announcement that no one should be going for a PR (Personal Record) that day, and the goal was to just have fun and finish -  it was too hot to push yourself, so hydrate and walk if you need to.  We decided at that moment that we were not aiming to break an hour, instead we'd just run to have fun.  It was fun... but it was HOT!!
We ran through neighborhoods in Foxborough and people were holding their garden hoses out spraying us down... it felt lovely!!! Then we had to run up all of the ramps in the stadium and then down them onto the field!! How fun!! Again, we ran the whole thing together and again, Ryan grabbed my hand at the finish and we crossed holding hands!

We then decided that we wanted to do a half marathon - and I knew that for Ryan's first half I wanted him to run the Newport one.  It was just gorgeous and I think for anyone's first - it's pretty great!  There are a few hills, but nothing too strenuous and the views are just gorgeous!  So we started training in August.  We have a great 10 week plan that I've used for all four of my half's that I've run and I think it prepares me very well.
Along our training route, we did a few 5Ks here and there.  I actually won first place for women overall (not just my age range either - like all women that ran!!) in one a week before the half - that was an amazing feeling!!  And Ryan came in 3rd for men in his age range!  We knew we had a decent shot at winning something, because last year I came in 3rd in my age range and we knew that our pace had improved since then, but I didn't think it would be first overall - so that was a great pick-me-up!

This post was a lot longer than I thought so I'll leave this as TO BE CONTINUED....

Next post - look for thoughts from the Half Marathon!

too busy to blog... but here's one!

I feel like whenever I do update I have to apologize for taking so long to update.
So, here's my apology. 
It's bad when your mom tells you that you haven't updated your blog in a while - but she did, so even if she's the only one who reads this - I'm pleasing one person!

A LOT has happened since I last updated.

Isabella turned 1, I think that's the biggest thing at this point.  Her birthday was so fun - we just did a back yard party but had a lot of family and friends celebrate with us.  She ate her cake and loved it!

At one year, she is 19 lbs. and so fun!  She's got 6 teeth, with two coming in.  She's talking with the following words (kitty, Mommy, Dadda, Please, Thank you, Meow) but she has her own little language that she uses and talks all the time!! She constantly laughs, loves her sister and loves being outside.

Other big happenings include that my mom is now going to be watching her one day a week and Joan watching her the other days.  We did this during the summer when Ryan had grad classes and although it took her a little while to warm up - it worked out great!  Isabella takes a while to warm up to people and she doesn't see my parents very often, so this is going to be so great for her!  I just want her to be comfortable with my parents - and it kills me when she cries at them - so this will be great!

Maddie graduated preschool in June and starts Kindergarten this week!  I think I'm in denial!  We did some school shopping and I just couldn't believe I was at this point!  She's pretty excited.  She has a male teacher, which made Ryan so happy!  I'm nervous about the bus, not the school. 
She's almost fully reading - she can read all of Isabella's books to her - she can sound out almost all the words in her chapter books and loves to learn.  I just love it!
She has a very wiggly tooth - and is excited (yet nervous) to lose it!  She "just knows she will start kindergarten without her tooth!"

 

How cute is that!?!

And, our parents took us to New Hampshire for a week.  It was so relaxing and so much fun!! We went to Santa's Village and had such a blast.  I'll update in pictures:

 

 

 

 

And... a few more pictures:  Becky and I went to the Luke Bryan concert in June and had so much fun.  We went with one of my bff's Meredith who has all the concert inside scoops, so that was awesome, that girl knows how to party at a concert!

We also went to our friend Nicole's wedding and I love this picture of me and Becky, so I'll include it:

Milestones...

I don't post much about my girls' growth and development, but I am afraid if I don't, I'll easily forget it.
I just had to pull out Madison's baby book to find out when her first tooth came in because I honestly had no recollection!  (It was at 8 months, btw).

So, I figured I'd update you all on where they are at and what they're into lately.

Madison just turned 5.  I can not believe I have a 5 year old.  She just lights up my days and she is so smart. She picks up on everything and has an amazing memory.  I literally do not have to have a shopping list when we go grocery shopping, because as long as I recite what we need before we go, she will remember it!

She is in a scared/anxious phase though.  Everything makes her nervous.  We nicknamed her "Nelly" and she thinks it is hysterical!! I called her Nervous Nelly once and Nosey Nelly another time and so the tern Nelly stuck and she loves it!! She wants to know everything you're talking about - she's super nosey - but its just because she is curious... so curious about everything.  And she learns so much by being so curious, so its actually really good!
The nervous part... oh my... she's nervous that I'm going to hit a car (that is yards away) when backing out of a parking spot, nervous that Isabella will fall over (she always does and it's no big deal)!  Nervous if Ryan leaves the room (when I'm not home) she'll call out "Daddy... DADDY!!!" thinking he left her alone (ummm... he would never do that!! I've been tempted before, but never him!!! -i kid!)   I used to be the exact same way, which is so weird to me that it's not something I've

But aside from that, she's super into reading right now.  And she's getting it!! For a while, she would say "How do you spell dog" and I would say, "Sound it out, what letter makes the 'duh' sound?"... and she would  respond with something like "S"... so I knew she wasn't understanding it yet.
But lately, she'll ask if she can read the first page of her nightly stories - and she gets the sounds and most of the words correct!!  It's amazing to see her learning practically right before my eyes!!


She so sweet too.  She constantly tells me I'm pretty and she loves being with me, she loves hugging me and brushing my hair or laying on the couch with me.  I tell her all the time, "Promise you'll always like me... because when you're a teenager, I might have to tell you that you can't do a lot of things you want to and you may not like my answers, but promise me that you'll know I am only doing whats best for you"... she laughs and promises!! It's really cute!
She is an incredible big sister... Sometimes I'll have Izzy sitting in her saucer while I'm doing something in the other room and immediately Maddie comes and sits with Izzy, and if she has to go to the bathroom or leave the room, she'll say, "Mom can you watch Izzy, I just have to run and..." she doesn't like leaving her by herself for even a minute!

Then there's my 7 month old that is seriously growing before my eyes!! The reason I had to look up when Maddie got her first tooth, is because Izzy's is just starting to poke through.  I couldn't remember nursing when Maddie had teeth, but I did apparently (only for a month or so)...
Izzy has been sitting up on her own for a little over a month.  She took her first ride in a shopping cart the other day (she could  have done so earlier, but we didn't have one of those covers for it so I just kept her in the front carrier... My mom is incredible though, and whipped one up for us one weekend, so now we are avoiding germs while still riding in style!)

She waves when we wave to her, she claps on command, she laughs at so much!  She eats cereal and squash and sweet potatoes.  We're trying other foods but this muchkin has the best pukey face and gag going on for new foods!!
She is still solely on breastmilk though - I pump as much as I can at work (because we mix the cereal with breastmilk too.)  It's been challenging to find the time in the day to pump, but I just keep telling myself, one day at a time.  Don't look ahead and think "Oh man, 5 more months" look ahead and say, "I can do this again tomorrow"... that has gotten me through 7.5 months, so I guess its a good mentality!!
She is still not sleeping through the night completely.  I get one night here and there, but for the most part, she wakes up at least once (around 3:00am) and then for the day around 6:30am.
I can't complain though - she sleeps from about 7:30pm - 3am-ish and then goes back down after that middle of the night feeding.
I go to bed around 10 or 11pm once the house is picked up a bit so I am averaging 4-5 hours a night (it's tough to get back to sleep once you're up from 3-4am feeding... Many times I just stay up and go for my run.

Overall, I could not ask for better daughters.  I am so blessed and I love waking up to their smiling faces (they both inherited their father's morning-person personality) - Thank God!!

Resolutions...

I don't really make resolutions.  I don't ever stick to them, so they're really just like suggestions and they don't happen at the beginning of every year, they kind of happen when I think about them.

I thought this was funny, this is why I don't do resolutions!!
Image: http://lolzombie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/updated-new-years-resolutions.jpg

Like, a few months back, I realized that when Maddie was a baby, I just couldn't wait for her to grow.  I loved watching her development that I was so focused on the next thing she was doing that I didn't mind how quickly the baby stages went.

Maddie about 5 days old!

Now that Maddie (will be) 5 (tomorrow!!) I find myself sad that she's growing so fast and especially sad that Isabella is too.  I don't love all things baby - I never have.  But I do love how Isabella snuggles up to me and I am the one person who can soothe her when all others can not.
I love that Madison thinks I am pretty much the coolest thing there is.  I said to her the other day, "Promise you'll always love my hugs and smothering kisses"  of course she said "I will, I love snuggling and hugging you!"  But I couldn't help but think - one day she'll be like 15 and think that I'm not cool anymore.  That made me so sad.

I don't think I ever went through an "I hate my parents stage" but I certainly remember thinking, "They don't get it - they don't know what's 'in' and what's 'cool' or not"... I had enough stacked up against me with my peers, I just wanted to wear the trendy clothes and do the cool things...
I hope I can find the right balance of that for my girls.  There's conforming and fitting in, and there's individuality and expression.  I'd like them to know the difference and feel comfortable with themselves despite what their peers are doing.  I hope I can instill that in them and still be "cool" while doing so.  I think I had decent examples so I hope I can pull it off!!

Anyways, back to my resolutions suggestions for myself.  I'm always trying to be a better wife and mom.  I'm not boasting or exaggerating when I tell you that Ryan is an amazing husband.  I'd tell you he's perfect but you wouldn't believe me so I wont use that term.  He is not only an amazing husband, he's an incredible father too.  I know Madison is enamored with him and once Izzy knows more, she will be too!  He has great instincts, is such a hands on dad and doesn't care if other guys think he's cheezy or whatnot.  I strive to be a compatible mom for my girls... They've already got an amazing dad, I am trying to make sure they have "amazing parents"  (and I used amazing a lot in this paragraph!)

While thanking God for him in my life, I often pray that I can be the wife that Ryan deserves in return.  It's not a natural thing for me.  I don't always remember to kiss him when I walk through the door - I often talk about my day before I remember to ask him about his, I don't think to do nice things for him randomly... so I work hard at it.  I'm trying to make it more natural.

Another suggestion for myself is to not obsess over my weight or my eating as much.  Madison notices these things now and I do NOT want to pass on my weight issues to her.  Right now, she loves her body, loves her hair and the way she looks and she knows she is smart and beautiful.  I want to keep it that way.  I want her to value her brains AND her looks (lets be honest, I'd love to say that her brains are all that matters, but society will show her otherwise, so as long as I teach her the correct order, I think I'm doing ok!)
I am pretty happy with my body right now.  My stomach needs toning but to be fair, I had a child 7 months ago and haven't really worked at losing the weight.  I'll get there.  And I need to have patience with the process.

So that's my goal for this year.  Sure I have other things I'd like to do: read more, spend more time with extended family and friends, blog way more often, pay off my credit card debt, remodel the bathroom and replace the kitchen floor... but those may or may not happen - I don't want to feel like crap for not fulfilling some resolution.

I also have made it my life goal to appreciate my blessings.  And I really think I do that well.  I know how blessed I am and I am so thankful to God for that!

A Day in the Life of this Working Mom

It feels like I haven't blogged in forever, but I have a good excuse... I'm a working mom of two now... and this stuff is busy!!  So when I was thinking that I never blog, I thought, "well, that's because I have no time to blog"... and tried to think of when the next time I could sit and write something... then I thought that helping you to see my typical day might explain why I haven't blogged in a while...

3:45am - Isabella wakes, hungry.  Sleepily, I feed her (on one side) and after about 20 minutes of eating, she falls asleep and I put her back in her cradle.
4:15am - I'm still full on one side, so I must get up an pump.
4:45am - I finish pumping and bagging and cleaning everything up and if it is a rest day for running, I head back to bed.  If it is a run day - I'm up for the day!
I start to get my things ready for the day and at 5am, Ryan's alarm goes off.
While he goes for his run, I do abs...
When he gets back from his run at 5:30, I get dressed and go for my run.
5:45am ish - I run three miles.
6:20am ish - I get back and get in the shower.
Once out of the shower, Madison is up, I make her breakfast.  While getting ready, Maddie eats and/or entertains Isabella (if she has woken up again).
By 7:20am, I am trying to get Maddie to decide what to wear (some days this is a much longer process than others - she's in a wicked Diva stage!)
7:35am ish - I finish getting lunches ready (Ryan starts this process, I just get anything out of the refrigerator and put the lunches in our bags for the day).
745am ish- I brush my teeth, fill my water bottle and feed Miss Isabella one last time before I head out.
8:15am- my mother-in-law shows up.  I hand Isabella over, give her Zantac
and race to finish getting ready.
8:30am - we are off.  It takes about 20 minutes to get to Bridgewater and I love my time with Maddie in the car!  We play I Spy and the slogan game...(we make up slogans for the day) like "when Mumma doesn't run in the morning, she usually forgets everything she needs" -I don't remember when this game started, but Maddie loves it!
By 9:00am I have dropped her off at school and am walking into my office to "start my day".
9:30am I close my office door and pump for the first time of the day.
My day consists of meetings, solving issues, preparing for other potential issues and I try to fit four pump sessions in there somewhere.
At 5pm, my day is done at work.
I walk in the door at 5:30, drop my bags and feed Isabella.  I try to remember to use the restroom at work before I leave because there literally is no time for me to go before feeding her!
Ryan is pretty amazing and will have dinner just about ready when I walk in, so most days I feed izzy at the table while we all eat.
If Isabella finishes eating in time, I clean up from dinner - if not, Ryan does it all.
Ryan and I take turns each night with the tub and stories routine.  On my night, after dinner 6:15pm is tubby time.  I tubby the girls, get teeth and hair brushed and read stories and Maddie is in bed by 7:15 or 7:30pm.
Many nights I am feeding Isabella while reading stories or Ryan has to do stories so I can feed her.
I feed, then in about an hour, I give her some cereal, which does not help her sleep- contrary to popular belief!!
Ryan is in grad school, so he either helps me do everything or I have to force him to go downstairs and do his schoolwork.
Most nights Isabella and I are on the couch nursing from about 7:30 or 8 until  10 when we all go to bed.
For the most part, Isabella will sleep from 10pm to 3 or 4am... And then our day starts over.

Notice I didn't mention laundry or cleaning anywhere in there... I used to fully clean the house each night after dinner/before bed.  It drives me crazy that I can't do that anymore.  I clean when/if I can.  Ryan does it otherwise

So that's the reason for lack of posting... Even as it is, right now it's 3:49am and I'm pumping - so this was the only time I have had to post!

And just because I don't like a blog post without pictures... Here are some from Isabella's birth that we didn't share with the general public...

Photo Book

I got a coupon for a free Photo Book, and I've done one each year for Madison except for this past year.  SO, I decided, it was a pretty big year.  Well, then I didn't have all the pictures I wanted to post of the whole year, so I just did the summer.  I'm pretty excited and I like the way it came out.  The book is usually $29.99 with $8 shipping and handling.  So, a $37 purchase just cost me $8.  I can't say no to that.

If you want your free book, use the code SUMMERBOOK - but you have to do it before Wednesday, so go quickly!!

 

Click here to view this photo book larger

You'll love Shutterflys award-winning photo books. Try it today.

Admitting defeat...

I am just not good at keeping this thing updated!  I've admitted it, and now I'm moving on...

I wanted to post a lot on my maternity leave, but it felt like there was never any time.  Eleven weeks went by so fast.  I've been back to work for two weeks already and I'm swamped with work.  I literally have to mark off time in my calendar for lunch and pumping or I'll get scheduled into back to back meetings and not do either.

Speaking of pumping - that is my challenge so far.  Thank God Isabella takes a bottle well - because she really has no choice.  Pumping at work is interesting.  I have to close my door and everyone in the outer office knows that if my door is closed I'm doing "motherly things".  I somehow feel dirty when pumping though.  I know it's completely normal and necessary, but it just isn't convenient and it takes up about a half hour of each day (I pump twice, so 15 minutes each time).

It's also weird having someone call my office and talk to me while I'm indisposed.  But, my beautiful baby is totally worth it.

Let me tell you about my girls at this point in their lives.
Madison is 4 years and 8 months old.  She's amazing.  For the most part (and I mean most, there are rarely times where this isn't so) she is very polite, funny, and well tempered.  She loves being around people - always asks if we can have people over for dinner and if we're going to see friends.  She loves to dance and sing and is pretty good at both!  She's starting to read - using sight words and making up whatever she can't figure out.  She is obsessed with chapsticks, headbands, flip flops, tank tops and does her hair and changes her clothes about four times each day.
She's a diva, and I did not do it!

Best of all - she's an amazing big sister.  She entertains her for me when I'm getting ready in the morning, she lets me know if she's crying when I'm in the shower.  She tries to calm her down in the car and she is very protective of her.

And my Isabella, my 3 month old bundle of cuddly love.  Isabella is such a great baby.  She is on baby zantac which makes her so much happier than she was a month ago.  Prior to this, she would scream nightly for about 3 hours at a time.  Now, she has occassional fussy times, but she's a baby, that's normal.
She is my sleeper - thank GOD!  With Madison, she just would not sleep at night.  She would rest a lot during the day and cry almost all night long.  I even remember someone telling us we needed to flip her - so we did.  We literally held her one way before bed, and turnred her upside down and back around.  It didn't work.  She cried at night for almost 9 months.
Isabella on the other hand has slept at night since the day we brought her home from the hospital.  THANK YOU GOD for that!! I mean it, I know how it is the other way, and I am so blessed.
She goes to sleep around 10:30pm and wakes up sometime after 4am, which is fine with me - I get up to run after 5am, so most mornings it works out perfectly.  I nurse her and then head out.

She is so happy, almost always smiling and she even laughs (at Ryan, but soon I'll get her to laugh at me too!)  She takes the bottle so well, but definitely lets me know I was missed when I get home from work.  She pretty much nurses off and on all night long from 5pm -10:30pm on weekdays.  Which, I really don't mind!! :)

She loves her sister.  Madison only needs to be in the room for Isabella to light up and look around the room with a smile on her face, trying to find her big sister.
She is starting to teethe, so she's drooling like crazy and chomping on her hands non-stop.  Even with a drooly mouth and slobbery hands, she's incredibly cute.

I just feel so blessed. Thank you Lord for these two amazing blessings.  And thank you for Ryan - the most amazing best friend and father I could have ever dreamed of.