A little bit about C and T

C is asleep. T is at school. I just ate a chocolate chip cookie and it was amazing.

This is the eleventh week of my maternity leave. It has been so wonderful, but it has also gone so incredibly fast. I don't remember it going this quickly with T. This leave has also been easier than my first one. When I had T, everything was new. It was a complete life change... in a good way... but a complete change to everything that my husband and I thought was normal. There were no more spontaneous movie theater dates, no more sleeping in, no more getting extra rest when you're sick, etc. It was tough. I think I was ready for that change when T was born, but I'm not sure I embraced it very well. I happily blame hormones for part of it. I think the post-baby hormones really do have an affect on your emotions and your mood. Lack of sleep doesn't help matters. This time around, I'm 3 years older and have a little bit of experience, not to mention perspective. I survived the newborn phase with T, I survived going back to work and I survived all the phases since then (walking, talking, self-feeding, potty training (success), sleep training (fail), temper tantrums, etc.). There's a lot to be said for being through something and surviving so when you go through it again, you know you'll be okay. Since C's birth, I was annoyed by the physical recovery, but I knew it would eventually be better. I know the sleepless nights are few and far between. I know the little cold she's suffering from that's keeping her up at night won't last forever. Transitioning to two kids from one has been easier than I expected, but that's not to say I'm not tired or living off of coffee and Coke to keep up with the two kids.

I don't want this baby phase to end. It's going so fast. Maybe its going so fast because I'm not run down by first time mom anxiety. C is such an amazing baby. She is beautiful and full of smiles. She coos and squeeks. I tickled her armpit today and she almost laughed. I saw it in her face. She calms down when I hold her and nuzzles her face into my body to fall asleep. She's only 10.5 weeks old and I feel like I know her so well. It's weird to know someone so well who doesn't talk, walk, roll over or eat anything besides milk. But when she looks into my eyes and smiles, I am just so thankful that I am blessed with the responsibility of being her mommy. Every night when I put her to sleep, I thank God for giving her to us. I pray for protection while she sleeps and for patience when I'm up with her during the night. A friend of mine, whose baby started sleeping through the night recently, told me she misses those night time feedings now that they're over. I'm trying to remember that this precious time with my baby C won't last forever and despite how exhausted I am, I really should enjoy every minute. Before I know it, she'll be 3 and won't want me to hold her like a baby and rock her.

My charming little boy won't let me hold him like a baby, but instead wants me to shoot hoops (you should see his hook shot), play tractors and hunt for ghosts (and then eat them, of course) with him. He asks me to build forts and cries his big blue eyes out when I tell him its time for bed. T is full of joy. He always has been. He lights up any room that he walks into because he has a great smile and the cutest dimple. His eyes smile, too. T has a colorful imagination and at least one night a week, you can find him between my husband and me in bed telling us stories about adventures at "the orange store" aka The Home Depot. He's a spirited boy with high highs and low lows. He feels deeply. It's really hard for him to not get his way, but he's learning slowly. I want to eat candy and popsicles for breakfast too, but the line gets drawn sometimes. T regularly thanks God for tractors and boat rides. One time when he was done praying for his dinner, he said "the end." And another time, he thanked God for "the sunshine out there" and for "the snow that dropped." His sense of direction and memory are incredible. He might be addicted to the iPad, but he can navigate the home screen better than his grandparents, which is kind of like how I had to show my grandparents how to use the VCR when I was a kid.

I think having this second child and being through all of this before helps me see the joy that these children are to me earlier on. I'm less dragged down by the hard newborn phase because I know I'll make it through. So blessed. That's all my mind is thinking. So amazingly blessed.

I meant to write about yoga and when I opened this blank post on the computer, all I could think about was how much I love my babies. They are my world. I live in a great world. You'll have to wait until next time to read about yoga.

Consistency

I just sat down to write a new post and the baby woke up. My runs haven't been consistent and neither have my blog posts. I'm hoping to do better in both areas starting soon. I'm still figuring out how to balance life with two kids.

I better go feed my baby girl before she wakes up the 3 year old napping in the other room. More about yoga classes and running coming soon!

I had a [big] baby and should probably start running again

Hello!

I've been quiet for a year. That year went really fast and I didn't intend to be quiet that long, but life got busy and the blog fell off my radar.

The last race I ran was the TC 10k last fall. Loved it. In late December, I got pregnant with our second baby! A girl. I was determined to continue running and exercising throughout the pregnancy. My plan was to gain less weight than I did with my son (50 lbs...gasp) and the goal was 35 pounds. Well, I ran a couple times at the gym and then called it quits. Chasing around my son and giving him horseback or piggyback rides everyday after work was enough of a workout for me. My body felt pregnant faster this time. I had more aches and pains than I did during round 1, and they were mostly in my lower back. It was the hottest summer EVER and I was so uncomfortable. The baby dropped early and people kept telling me they were sure I'd deliver early. I started believing them. Bad idea. Horrible idea to believe them. I was hopeful the baby would come early, or even on time, but all along I knew she'd arrive in perfect time. I delivered a beautiful baby girl 4 days late. She was a whopping 9 pounds, 3 ounces and 21.5 inches long. Caroline was born with a head full of dark hair and she already has well-defined eyebrows. She's a lovely baby and we are so blessed.

So, did I stick to the 35 pound goal? Ha! No way. I didn't quite hit 50 this time, but I got nice and close at 45 pounds. I wasn't thrilled, but I also realize that the body is going to do what it wants to do. Yes, I ate a fair amount of ice cream, but remember it was the hottest summer EVER. After Caroline was born, I gave myself a few weeks to recover from birthing a big baby. Well, recover as in doing life as usual with the exception of working out. After all, I was busy nursing, changing diapers, cleaning spit up off of everything... I am so over spit up... and helping my son use the potty chair. (Having a newborn the second time around is a lot different than the first time since I have to share my time between two kids. Meeting their needs is a full time job. How will I keep all of this up plus go back to work in January? I suppose that is an entire post in itself that we'll get to later.) My husband kept the house clean and always had food on the table the first couple weeks. I couldn't have done it without him. Two weeks after Caroline was born, he went back to work and I begged him to work from home. He said his boss wouldn't approve, but I think he was ready to get back into a routine. Can't say I blame him.

Around my fifth week post partum, we had a beautiful, sunny afternoon and all I could think about was getting out for a run. Technically, I was supposed to wait until the sixth week, but I was feeling good and since I had no complications during delivery, I figured I would be okay. We were driving home from church when I told my husband I was thinking about going for a run. He encouraged me to give it a go. One nursing session, a pair of beat up running shoes, my favorite hat and two sports bras later, I was outside ready to hit the road after nearly 10 months off.

I started the run slowly because I didn't want to injure myself or put too much strain on my joints. I ran 3 minutes and my lungs felt tired. My legs felt very heavy. My stomach felt... well, jelly-like. Normally, I would've been disappointed, but I knew the first few times out would be this way. I picked back up and started running again a minute or two later. The sun was shining on my back and I know anyone who saw me running... er... slooowly jogging... would've seen a huge grin on my face. It felt so good to be out of my house alone. I wasn't loading PBS Kids on the iPad for my son, I wasn't nursing the baby, I wasn't tripping over Legos in my living room. It was just me. It was a chance to think, to reflect on the previous 5 weeks and to make some goals for my road back to pre-pregnancy weight. It was a hard run, but so incredibly peaceful. When I came home, I told my husband it was the first day since Caroline was born that I felt like my normal self. What a great feeling.




Run number 1 post baby.

Since that run, I've joined a new gym and I'm really excited about it! I've been twice already. Once to run on the treadmill and last night, I attended a yoga class. The treadmill run was good. I ran 2 miles with a couple stops. I ended the run with some sprints to fry a few extra calories (I bought way too much Halloween candy and somebody has to eat it) and test my legs. They held up amazingly well. I loved the yoga class, too. I felt weak and strong all at the same time. The 60 minute class gave me a chance to stop and do something for myself during the day. I know I have a lot of work to do over the next couple months to get back to where I want to be physically. But not only that, this time I spend alone will be good for me emotionally because I always feel rejuventated and happy when I get back home to my little family. I'm looking forward to posting my workouts here so others might be encouraged and so I can look back and see my progress. Above all else, I want to be happy and healthy for my kids.

Baby's crying! Time for another feeding!

Post Race Review: TC10K

The TC10K was already over a month ago. Life has been so busy since then. I took a week off from work to simply hang out with my son and pretend I'm a stay-at-home mom for a week. We had a blast together. I also enjoyed having laundry done before 9 PM! Then we took a trip to Lutsen on the North Shore of Minnesota with my family. I suspect a new tradition has started. Then, my baby boy turned two last weekend! I started planning his party weeks (okay, it might have been months) ago. I love keeping lists and I used Pinterest for birthday party ideas. After his birthday bash, it was Halloween! He was the cutest monkey on the block. So now, I am finally getting around to posting about the TC10K.

I had the thought to sign up for the TC10K earlier in the summer after my half-marathon was over. I figured a 10K was a good distance to run. It wouldn't be awful like my last half-marathon went, but it was more than a 5K. Until now, I've never truly cared about my times in races. I figure just finishing the race is a good enough goal (and it is!). But I wanted to push myself a little bit for this race. I emailed two friends and asked if they wanted to sign up for the race, too. They agreed! Let the training begin!

A minute before the start: Me, Katie and Kelsey

My two friends, Katie and Kelsey, who ran with me are long-time friends. We've known each other since middle school. Though we lost touch in college for a period of time, we've reconnected and seen each other through our weddings and now each of our first babies. We even play soccer together in the summer! All three of us are busy moms who also work full-time. We depend on each other knowing that each of us understands what the other one is going through on a day-to-day basis. Whether its running, parenting, marriage or work, we can lean on each other.

The morning of the race was a chilly 35 degrees. I wore sweats to the start line and handed them over to my husband just before we lined up. I wore my trusty Nike Tempo shorts (as always) and my half-marathon finisher's shirt. I. Was. Freezing!

Mile 1: Running up hill next to the St. Paul Cathedral.

I ran with my phone and took photos as I went. The church was so beautiful with the sunrise shining on it. The race went so well. The girls and I started out together. At the beginning, we had decided that we'd each run our own pace. I knew we'd see each other through the finish line no matter what. After about a mile, I started to warm up. I felt amazing. My legs were light and I found a great groove. 

Mile 5.85 or so :) Looped back past the Cathedral and ran down hill to the finish line.

I finished the race in 1:03, which I was so happy about. I never claimed to be a fast runner and don't feel the need to be one. But I was proud to run about a 10 minute mile and felt fantastic enough to sprint the last 50 yards through the finish line.

My family came to cheer us on!

Friends and our babies

My biggest fans!

Thumbs up! That was an awesome run!

See me? Just behind the lady in pink. I was trying to beat her, but got caught up waving at the cameras :) 

The TC10K was a great run! If you've never run it, definitely sign up next year! The weather was perfect, although a little chilly to start. I ran it with some amazing friends. They each had spectacular runs themselves and I was so proud to be there with them. The fall scenery along Summit Ave in St. Paul is like none other and I can't wait to run this race next year!

Maybe I'll take my chances and enter the 10 mile lottery...

Life's been busy

I had a killer run last night. A killer workout in general. I loved it. It happened in the gym, not outside. It's too dark by the time I get home from work and have a chance to get outdoors. I sweat like a mad woman at the gym. No wind and the A/C does not blast enough to keep me cool. I was a sweaty mess, but I loved it. Proof of a good, tough workout.

I'll post about the Twin Cities 10K soon! Life has been busy these last couple weeks. One of those weeks included an amazing week OFF from work. I spent it all with my baby boy! We had the best week EVER!

More to come...

Sidenote: I'm addicted to Pinterest. Anyone else? I found these two quotes on there the other day that I just love. I felt inspired.

1. Running, cheaper than therapy

2. Reality Check #18: Stop wishing. Start working for what you want. Go workout. Skip the junk food.

TR 5K

Yesterday was the most windy day ever! Ever!! I can see out the window from my second floor cubicle at work, so I can see the very tops of the trees outside. They were thrashing back and forth all day. The sun was hidden behind dark gray clouds. In just a few hours, my two co-workers and I had to go out there and run a 5K. I was excited to run, but not excited about the weather.

The three of us changed into our shorts in a second floor bathroom. We walked as fast as we could out to the start line because you stick out like a sore thumb dressed in running clothes at work. When we got outside, we were blasted by the wind. My hat almost flew off. We had goosebumps instantly. Specks of dirt hit us in the legs. One of us decided to wear a fancy running skirt and she was starting to regret it. These were not exactly ideal running conditions.



N, L and myself

 The run started and it was fun. The sun came out, too! L ran fast and beat N and I by a few minutes. We were jealous of her, but N and I were content to run our pace at the same time. We discussed work, our weekends, our running routines and I snapped a few pictures of the path all while dodging the fuzzy caterpillars all over the running path. To finish the 5K, we had to do three loops of one path and one loop of a smaller path that falls inside that bigger loop. Don't worry... we didn't get dizzy. Half of each loop was against the wind and the other half was with it (obviously). You can guess which half of the loop we liked better.

On our third lap around the big loop, N and I walked for a minute or two to just allow ourselves to catch our breathe. Part of me wanted to just quit all together. My legs felt heavy, my lungs burned, my eyes were watering from the wind. N was a great encourager though. This run really made me feel like a loser, but N kept us going. I hate having great runs like I had with my husband a few days ago, which was 4 miles and faster, and then having a run like this 3 miler that went so horribly bad. I guess you have your good days and bad days. And after all, this run was for a good cause (all the money donated by the runners/walkers was given to a charity). I'm glad I decided to finish because when N and I got to the finish line, L was there cheering us on and took a photo of us crossing the line. We gave her two big thumbs up and she kindly posted it to Facebook immediately.

The 10K is tomorrow and I'm still very much looking forward to it. It just better not be windy!

Week of the Races

The 10K is now just days away. I'm really, really looking forward to it. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous. Fall in Minnesota is just perfect. My husband disagrees with me, but we will just move on from this (fall = waterskiing season draws to a close).

Not only am I really looking forward to the race on Saturday, but last minute, two co-workers and I signed up for a 5K that our employer is putting on tomorrow! Our company is set out on a huge area of land and we have our own walking/running paths around the entire campus. I utilized these paths when I was pregnant and overdue hoping the walks would put me into labor (did not work). The 5K will take place on those paths, so it should be a lot of fun. The three of us turned in our registration paper yesterday. And then the lady told us they'd be videotaping the run. Videotaping. I think it is only fair to tell us this up front and not after I have signed my name on the paper. I will be wearing a hat (as always) to disguise myself.

My husband and I took our boy out for a run after work yesterday. My goal was 4 miles. The boys did all 4 miles with me despite our boy's begging to turn back and look at the bullsosers. He just never gets enough of them apparently.

The run was fantastic, but it started out a little rough. The air was unusually heavy for this time of year from the rain we had in the morning. It wasn't crisp like fall is supposed to be. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold, and it was a little bit foggy, but sunny at the same time. The first 1.5 miles my legs felt like heavy weights. They just didn't want to move. The large hill we ran up probably didn't help things, but I tried to remind myself that running those hills helps in the long run.

There were a few times I wanted to stop and I told my husband that it was really hard to keep up with his pace. We ran his pace - fast - the entire 4 miles. As much as I hated running that pace, I loved it. We turned onto the final stretch, which was about half a mile. He said to me, "I want you to stay with me the rest of the way." I had been lagging behind him a bit. Inside I was so mad at him for pushing me when he knew I was already spent at keeping his pace, but on the other hand, I was really glad he was along. I probably would have started walking had I been alone.

I kept up with his pace for about a minute and he complimented me. Then, out of nowhere, he said, "I want you to stay ahead of me until we get back... just a few minutes... stay ahead of me." I was over being mad at him for pushing me since I was clearly doing okay keeping his pace. Now I was just in it to prove to him and myself that I can kill the rest of this run. I sped up and ran in front of him and the jogging stroller. He was speeding up behind me. I sped up to stay ahead. We passed a few of our neighbors out for a leisurely jog and I could barely get a "hello" out as they passed by. My shirt was drenched. I ran the last few steps even faster so I could for sure beat my husband onto our street from the sidewalk. I'm pretty sure I said, "YES! I win!" as if I had just won a race. I'm not sure either of us knew until that moment it was a race :)

I feel great today! My hips and legs feel as though I pushed it a bit harder last night. I feel proud that I kept up with my husband's speed the entire time and even passed him up at the end. I'm happy to have him challenging me to push it once in a while. It's hard to do that on my own. I feel ready for tomorrow's 5K and the 10K on Saturday. It's going to be a great rest of the week!