Happy Trails

I got to do one of my favorite things today. Trail running.

I don't get to do it too often (don't like to be alone. in the woods. getting lost. imagining scary men behind me.) but when I do, I always really, really enjoy myself. Plus, today I got to run with Mike (and Kevin -- his brother, who is visiting from NYC and in training for the NY Marathon in November.)

The thing that's so much fun about trail running is that it always feels like a game.

Pick your line.

Go with it.

Maybe you fall. Maybe you twist an ankle. Maybe not. I like walking that fine line between how fast can you go before you definitely eat it.

I am usually paying so much attention to where I am putting my feet that I forget to be tired. Or bored.

Awesome.

Mike and I post run today.


Mike and Kevin recovering. (Although they mostly just look like they got some really bad news. Weirdos.)

Alice is ready for her first race

Going, going...

...gone. It feels like summer is quickly slipping away.

E starts preschool next week.

Fall soccer is starting. (Yes, 3 year olds play organized soccer. Me? I had to wait until I was 7. It should be um, interesting to see how this plays out.)

The pool closes in a few days.

We enjoyed the heck out of it today. We meaning Ella. See?


I, for one, can't wait. I love the fall. Being pregnant in the Georgia heat was not something I'd really love to revisit. Can't wait for fleece temperatures. I love my fleece.

Impatient

That's me.

Very impatient today.

I want my old fitness back.

I want my old body back.

I want them back.

Today.

Or yesterday would be fine, too.

My weight loss seems to have stalled despite eating really well and exercising. Ugh.

My knees are starting to feel better (haven't run since Thursday) but the bike trainer alone ain't gonna keep me happy too much longer.

I want to run. Hard and fast and long. (yes, those are three different runs. I'd like to do all 3 sans knee pain and these 11 extra lbs.)

I know it takes time. And I know it will come. Just not soon enough for me...today. Most days, sure, I am happy with where I am physically. Not this rainy Tuesday though.

One Month

Little Alice will be an entire month old tomorrow. She had her 1 month doctor's appointment today and really impressed them. They said she was the smartest and cutest one month old ever. (Okay, no one said that at all, but I am sure that's against the Hippocratic oath or something) :)

She's fine and healthy. 50% for weight/5-10% for height and once again, our big Irish "potato heads" are passed along to the next generation with her whopping 75% head. (Ella represents well with her 95% size dome).

2 Large hats, please.

Busy month.

I went from this.

To this.



Found what was underneath my shirt stealing the best spot on the couch.


Heard a lot of this. (insert crying sounds here.)


Didn't get a ton of this.




Welcome the the family, Alice. We already can't picture it without you. Thanks for being such a good, sweet, hungry, loving little peanut.

Back in the saddle...

...literally.

I rode my tri bike for the first time since November. And it was not bad. Not bad at all.

Phew.

I had to de-spider the poor thing, but she treated me well for my 30 minute spin. Aero felt fine. No problems with the seat...or MY seat, either. I even remembered how to put the thing on the trainer.

Success. :)

Good thing since all this running I've been doing (with extra relaxin from the pregnancy still swimming around in me AND the 11 extra pounds I am carrying around) has done a number on my knees. SO SORE. I am hoping a little biking and a little swimming instead might give them a break for a few days.

Tricks of the trade

Disclaimer---I am, by no means an expert in this whole "mom-of-an-infant-and-3-year" old business. I am pretty much the opposite of expert.

Advice is free and therefore is probably worth what you paid. ;)

BUT, I have found a few things that seem to help me out a bit and wanted to share...anyone have tips/tricks of their own? Post 'em!!

1. Lose the purse and invest in a backpack--shoulder bags/purses/diaper bags hanging off my shoulder are too cumbersome...especially when carting around Alice in her carseat and holding E's hand. Someone usually gets whacked on the head with the shoulder bag when it falls off my shoulder. Backpacks are Supercool anyway. See below. :)


2. It is all about the stopwatch --- With feedings every two hours and enjoying sleep in merely 2.5 hour increments for the last month, you tend to lose track of when your last feeding happened. Enter my handy Polar HR monitor. It is not currently being used to monitor anything other than the time in between Alice's feedings. I find it a TON easier than remembering in my cobwebby head when the last time I fed Alice. When the clock says "2:00" we're ready to go.


3. My ring trick -- I am so proud of this one. When you're breastfeeding, you're supposed to start on the other side of where you finished (or finish the one side if your kid didn't get a full serving, so to speak). Like the time in between feedings, I would ALWAYS forget which side I was supposed to start on. Enter my super smart ring trick. I just change which hand I wear this band on.

Right hand? Start with right boob.


Left hand? Left boob. Can't miss.

Me @ 3.5 weeks post partum

On the heels of my scorching 35 minute 4 mile run on the treadmill yesterday (sarcasm), I wanted a record of how I was feeling 3.5 weeks after having Alice.

I have a terrible memory and I know I will forget.

Running (the only form of exercise I have yet to do) feels fine. Even though I am still 12 lbs. up from my normal weight, I feel light as a feather out there. My runs are slow and sluggish at times, normal speed at times and my fitness is slowly, slowly coming along. Surprisingly, I am not impatient with this....I know it is a process and am enjoying the process of getting back into shape and losing weight. (Pregnancy was the exact opposite to me. Gaining weight and losing fitness!)

I am still scared to mount my bike. That saddle looks SO unforgiving right now. Maybe next week I'll try the trainer? Maybe....

I've got my eye on 2 upcoming 5k's....one at the end of September and one in October. No expectations...just would be awesome to race again. After that? We'll see.

My body right now is um, let's just say, different? Can you say "muffin top"? I definitely have a jelly belly. No abs. None at all. (I feel this on my runs. My lower abdomen is sore when I start running and after, too. There's NO muscle tone.) At least I no longer look pregnant...trying to see the bright side here. :)

I really want to get back into all my old clothes. Some fit, most don't. I am hoping by the fall (October) my favorite Rock and Republic jeans are going to fit. Fingers crossed!

Running on empty

We're low on the sleep meter lately. As to be expected, of course. Why?

Alarm Clock # 1.

Those chunky cheeks are the result of 3 feedings in the ungodly hours of 1:30 AM, 4-5AM, and 6ish AM. The alarm at first resembles a piglet (err, err, err, snort, snort) quickly escalating to "Waah, Waah, Waah" followed immediately by frenzied running around/diaper changing/feeding/swaddling in order not to wake....

Alarm Clock #2.

This particular model is unpredictable(6am-9am). We have noticed an unfavorable correlation between the number of hours of parental sleep and the hour of wake up. The fewer hours of sleep, the earlier the alarm seems to be set for. No sleep due to alarm clock #1? Alarm clock #2 is at the ready at 6:03 the next morning. Rearing to go.

Cute alarm clocks. When does the first one stop going off in the middle of the night again? 3 months? Something like that? Right???

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Yeah, I know a Wednesday....at work...with a non-sleeping infant at home is not anyone's IDEAL way to celebrate your 40th year....

BUT...

Happy Birthday!!!! We promise to make up for it next year with a big blow out. :)

We love you.

Planning on celebrating with a pizza dinner tonight, some cake, some presents, some friends.


Mike's cake. (We customized with the "daddy" and the Dora decor)


So, what did he get for the big 4-0? A month's unlimited pass to Crossfit North Fulton, tickets to see Stone Temple Pilots, a Terry Francona bobblehead, a Thrashers tee and this from his buddy Phil....I am sure this is his top gift.



Also, happy 3 week birthday to little Miss Alice. Wow. That went fast.

Baby Poon is here!

Got a text from Jill last night. Don't know a lot of details, but mommy and baby boy are doing well. Congrats, guys!

I never said I was smart...

And today proves it.

You'd think that we have enough stress these days with a newborn in the house, right?

Apparently, not enough for me.

I decided TODAY was THE day to change out our living room into a playroom for Ella and Alice. (We already have a playroom on our third floor, but I wanted it downstairs so I could see the girls while they are playing...thought it would be easier for me and safer for them. This is all once Alice is sitting up and playing on her own, of course.)

The half living room half playroom that was currently existing was really bugging me. I wanted it one way or the other.

So, we moved couches. Moved chairs. Moved bookshelves. Dismantled three formerly neat rooms. Took pictures down. Took rugs up. Just essentially made a mess of the whole house.

Argh. I was so stressed with all the clutter. Poor Mike. He literally pushed me out the door to run to relieve some of my stress. (All of my own doing, of course.)

Well, we're done for today. And it actually doesn't look half bad. Still have pictures to hang, a rug to buy, lights to install..but you get the picture. E has a place where she can do "projects" and not worry about getting paint everywhere.


Wait, she doesn't worry about that at all. I do.

Once again, never said I was smart.

Early Birthday Celebration

Recipe for a great Saturday night.

Babysitter. (Thanks, Mom)

That is really all you need, but we were lucky enough to have a few more ingredients today.

Delicious dinner -- Hi-Life. Hard to beat. Close enough to home to feed Alice and run over there and be back in time for the next one. And really yummy. My first "cheat" meal post partum (really working here to drop this weight, but you've gotta enjoy yourself once in a while, right?) Gorgonzola topped hamburger, yes, please!

Tivo'd Olympics. -- Loving it all so far. Although, I think Costas went a bit hard with the Grecian Formula...dontcha think? He looks a bit like Elvis.

Question for the "real" swimmers out there (Lauren?) -- why do they gargle the pool water before the race starts? Seems kind of gross to me. I am far from a "real" swimmer though, so what do I know? Also, why does Katie Hoff tape her eyebrows? Strange.

Happy Early 40th, Mike....that was our reason behind our solo dinner tonight. Mike turns the big 4-0 on Wednesday.

1 Week Down...

So, my first solo week as a mom of two is (almost) over and the verdict is....

not too bad. :)

I think I can swing this.

Good thing, right?

Yes, we're definitely tired. (although still not nearly as exhausted as I was when pregnant.)

And yeah, I have not slept in the same bed as Mike for over two weeks now. (my ingenious "shift" schedule with Alice is to thank for that.)

A small price to pay for having wonderful Alice here. She's such a good baby. Very content, happy to sit in her chair and watch her big sister. Loves to eat....and a lot.

We're all settling into a routine, too.

E starts school in a few weeks and I think that will help her. She seems to be missing other kids....no gym=no Kids Klub=a ton of extra energy for Miss E=guilt ridden Mommy for not being able to 100% entertain her 3 year old.

I've already started the countdown until Alice can go with me to the gym....I miss it! Mike and I are both rushing around like madmen at the end of the day to try to fit both of our workouts in along with dinner, baths, feedings, and bedtimes.

I think a treadmill is a definite investment that Mike and I are going to make though....getting a run in while Alice is napping is going to rock.

Happy Fridays everyone.

Beat the clock

That's what my life feels like these days....a race against a ticking clock.

This clock, specifically....


I am constantly trying to cram everything into hour and a half windows.

Why?

A hungry, growing, NURSING 2 week old.

Alice feeds every 2 hours during the day...the feedings take about 30 minutes....you time the feedings from the beginning of the feeding and voila....you've got 90 minutes to---

run to publix
grab dinner
play with ella
shower
run
go to the doctor
zip through target
clean the house

This is the most stressful thing about life with an infant. (I think)

I am not a fan of staying in the house all day...nor am I a fan of nursing in public. So, quick trips out and about is what we're all about for the next um, not sure how long....gotta check on when she starts to space out these feedings more. "What to Expect the First Year" is getting a royal workout lately. :)

Another day...

...another doctor's appointment.

Since we've been home from the hospital, that's all we do it seems.

Doctor's appointments for Alice to check her weight, check her jaundice, and then check both of those again, and again.

Doctor's appointments for me to make sure I am not going to blow up like a balloon and try to bite Mike's finger off. (that's what happened a week post partum with Ella....I gained 10 lbs of water weight, seized, Mike tried to make sure I wasn't choking and put his hand in my mouth. And what did I do? Clamped down. He almost lost the thing. He likes to show off his scar. Eclampsia sure is supercool.) :)

Doctor's appointments to check Ella's innocent heart murmur. (She's fine but decided to lose her sh^% when they tried to examine her. No kidding. I had to physically hold her down.)

TODAY's doctor appointment was for Alice's thrush. I thought she might have it...the telltale signs were there. E had it, so I kind of knew what to look for. White tongue. Shooting pains in my boobs. (nice, huh?) So, I guess we both have it. The pediatrician confirmed it.


Got some meds. Should be gone soon.

Got another run in today. 30 minutes. Doesn't seem to be getting much easier from run to run, but I am going farther and farther in the half hour, so I guess that is good. No walking up the huge hill on the way back in today. Victory!

Ordered some new running shoes from Zappos. Can't wait for my sweet, new Air Pegasus....the ones I have now are OLD and have been beaten down by 9 months of weight gain! I bet the new ones are really fast. :)

How cute are these?

My friend, Michelle, made these onesies for Alice. How adorable. So freaking cute. She's so crafty.

Thanks, Michelle and Eddie (Eddie -- I know you were highly involved in the process, right?)

Can't wait for her to fit into them. She's still in preemie clothes, not even fitting into the newborn stuff yet. What a peanut.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Nice one here so far. I got a chance to run around 2 today....seriously, can it get any hotter? So hot that my first shower didn't "take" if you know what I mean. Sweating profusely after for about 20 minutes sitting in our air conditioning with a fan in my face. Nice.

Run felt great though. My uterus did not fall out (I am being careful though, Lauren!)....thankfully. Just enjoying how light I feel out there. Still have quite a ways to go to get back down to my normal weight (14 lbs. to go) but it seems to be coming off pretty well so far. Trying not to think TOO much about it. Just psyched to be starting to fit into some regular clothes again!

Life with a 10 day old

I think this picture pretty much sums it up.