Two Years

(I know I've neglected the blog for awhile and I am planning to be back soon.  But, I couldn't let this day pass without a post to my sweet baby.)

Little man, two years ago you came into this world with a bang.  You came with a little scare, but shortly after you made it home and we began our journey as a family of three.  The past two years have not been easy, but they have been awesome.  I'm amazed each day with how much you are learning.  You're developing a little personality - a little bit sweet and a lot rambunctious boy.  You hug and kiss our boo-boos the same as we do for you.  You love to snuggle on the couch with Daddy and watch TV.  Speaking of TV, you've been through several favorites this year:  Curious George, Thomas, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Little Einsteins and now Cars.  You love balls - tennis, basketball, soccer and hoof ball (football - but that's how you say it).  You've traveled internationally again this, even it was just to Canada.  You are saying so many words - new ones every day - and making complete thoughts (not sentences, per se, but we get it).  You are becoming an independent little dude and I'm so very proud of you.

I'm very honored to be your mommy and I can't wait to see what the years ahead will bring.  So, today I hope you know you are loved more than words can describe and I hope we do a good job celebrating your birthday (since you know it's so close to Christmas.)  I love you sweet boy!

***All pictures from our recent session with Michele Poole Photography

Because I can't leave you without pictures of my little man, here are two from the nanny the day I left (I left in the early hours before he was awake).








(he still has not gotten a hair cut though a snip in the front might be in the works. Daddy says no, but it's really getting in his eyes.



Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I had a post in mind for today but apparently I can't add pictures when using safari on the iPad. And the pictures are on the iPad, so that didn't really work out for me. So instead I'll just give you a random rundown of life since my last post, almost six weeks ago. I traveled two of three weeks for work. (gone two nights each time) hosted a KY derby party in between. Celebrated our anniversary with a movie and home cooked dinner. Enjoyed a fantastic anniversary trip that started with 36 hours in Las Vegas, continued with 9 glorious nights in Tahiti and ended with a red eye flight from Los Angeles. Little man growing like a weed JW getting accepted to a Montessori program and will begin two days a week in the Fall. Interior downstairs walls were painted. Furniture moved around. Front landscaping updated. I think that might be all the major news. Most of the items require a separate post (and pictures) to give you the full story. Hopefully I will have that figured out soon, or at least use my computer again instead of the iPad. Happy weekend. Its our first home in awhile so I have many projects planted. Painting the kids table for the playroom, hanging pictures in JW's room and (there was a third I can't remember now but I'm sure it will come to me). (apparently i can't do any formatting posting this way on the iPad. I promise it was a bulleted list and paragraphs when I wrote it!)

Self Feeding

This is what happens when you allow your 16 month old to eat yogurt on his own.....






















He did really well with the spoon to start. I guess he just figured it was easier to use his hands!!!

My new favorite JW picture

And my lock screen picture on my phone.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I finished a Half Marathon

I did it - finished my first half marathon. It was definitely rough, but I am pleased with my time. 2:05:20. Yes, that's a long time to be running!!! I heard someone say there were 22 hills. That is probably not far from the truth. Several of them kicked my butt (I walked a short stretch 3 times). I had updated my music from Hubby's collection and that helped power me through. I really felt like I had trained well for the hills, there were just a lot of them.

Still a little sore today but thanks to a post race massage, it's probably less than it could have been. The only lingering marks are the blisters on the tips of about four toes.  I am not sure if it was the shoes, the hills, or both.  No chafing anywhere else though, so that's a bonus.  One other side effect - an appetite of a teenage boy. I think I'm either going to have to rein that in or get back in the running program. (probably a little of both.).

Notice I said my first half marathon. I do believe another is in my future. Not very near future, but somewhere in the future!!


(the picture is terrible but the only one I have right now to document the moment......hopefully the one from the race is much better.)
(thanks Mom for my awesome running outfit - it was perfect!)




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Unwinding tonight in the couch enjoying a glass (or two) of wine from my favorite vineyard (J Vineyard. I would link if I weren't posting from my phone). Busy day today. I worked from an office (hubby's) as I've been trying to get out once a week. Then I ran a couple errands, got home to a screaming kid (he was being scolded - I think he might already be hitting the terrible twos). After "working" with the guy to fix our golf cart, little guy was a mess. Bath, dinner and a little play time. Then bed. Resulting in Mommy relaxing on the couch with her wine.

All this to say, today was one of those days I appreciate my work from home status.

Hope you are having a good week.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

JW

I know you all are missing my JW posts so I thought I would share a picture or two of our little guy! He's a walker now!! So much to update and so little time. Hopefully the pictures will tie you over for a bit.

He has strep so we spent Tuesday snuggled on the couch. This was when I was trying to get some work done. He was pretty pitiful but still super cute.




Post bath curls. They were stick straight the next morning.



Big boy at the counter reading mail. This was a couple weeks ago.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Running

I've been doing a lot of running lately, especially since I finally committed to running my first Half Marathon (in 3 weeks).  Here are some thoughts/updates:

- running hills is tough - running hills in high humidity, even tougher - BUT by the third run, I conquered the big hill (but I might have walked the next little hill).
- I do most of my running by myself.  It's kind of soothing.  But not as motivating as having a running partner.  I was lucky to have a running partner in the Bahamas (oh yeah, we were on vacation - recap coming).  Otherwise there was at least one morning I would not have made it.  And she helped push me up the big hill!  And I feel like my pace is faster, so that's a bonus.
- My first really long run (8 miles) was this weekend.  Hubby needed to run 4.5 to get his 15/week in (Lent) so he went with me.  It was a family run.  We took turns pushing JW in the stroller.  Solid 10 minute miles for the whole run!  (And he says he'll do 9 with me this weekend!!)
- Hills are tough - but what's tougher - pushing a 25 pound stroller with a 25 pound kid up those hills.
- Music is key to a good run.  I need some new music - any suggestions?
- I got some training advice from my sister - who knew you needed to get some fuel during the big runs.  Good thing I signed up for the Brooks Run Happy University and they sent me a welcome packet (I have only run in Brooks Adrenaline for the last 8 years).  There were some Chump bites in there.  Pretty good, though hard to chew and run.  I need to run to Dick's or somewhere and try some other options.  But the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor was yummy.

I'm pretty happy with my running over the last few weeks.  I haven't set any time goals for the race (the course is pretty hilly).  I'd just like to finish my first one.  Maybe if I like it enough, I'll set some goals for the next one ;)

I've Done It

I signed up for this.

Wish me luck......

Funny

I was just telling myself that a burger and fries was totally justified after running 4.5 miles and playing a 3 hour tennis match yesterday. Then I remembered I am going to try on swim suits in a bit. Um, yea, that'll be fun, or better yet, funny!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I have a favor to ask

I know it's probably rude to disappear for a couple weeks and only pop in to ask a favor, but it's a very special favor.

I have a friend, sorority sister actually, who's family is in need of prayers.  Her husband has pancreatic cancer.  Things are getting harder and he is in more pain.  So I ask that you please take just a minute to say a quick prayer for peace and strength to them.  Michelle has shown a great deal of faith in this situation and I admire her for that.  For more information on Craig's diagnosis and their story, go here.  But I recommend having some tissues handy.

Thank you!!!

To Do or not To Do - That is the question

Remember when I posted about the things I was looking forward to in 2012?  And I didn't really come back and give you any details.......

One of those things was "Running a Half Marathon"

This has been a goal of mine for several years.  Awhile ago I actually started training for the Derby Half in Louisville, KY but ended up with a stress fracture in my foot - not fun.  I've been a fairly inconsistent runner since then.  When doing it regularly, I would do about 3 miles two or three times a week.  I stopped running around 16 weeks pregnant with JW - it was too much pressure on the organs.  After JW, I have been wanting to get back into it.  If you remember my hips were pretty whacked after pregnancy and childbirth (or maybe I never got time to write that post).  I was slow to get back into things.  I focused mainly on tennis through the summer, but by late summer I really wanted to start running again.  To help that, my sister signed us up for a Turkey Trot.  This one is not a 5K, but actually a 5 mile race.  I was a bit nervous, but went for it.  I needed to get in gear.  So I ran 2 times a week and some weeks 3.  And come race day, I killed it - 5 miles in 48 something....I was feeling pretty good.  So I started thinking about that Half Marathon goal again.  And found a race in Lexington, KY (I'll have a place to stay, friends are running it, etc) and said I'd do it.  Well, truth be told, I haven't actually signed up for the race yet.  I'm nervous.  I have started the Hal Higdon Training guide (did great weeks 1&2 - this week not so much).  I am doing pretty well with the running piece but have trouble getting the lifting and cross training in.  (Tennis is starting back up so that should help.)  This race we're talking about.....MARCH 31. Yep - 9 weeks away.  The registration fee goes up $10 on Wednesday.... I am pretty sure I can do this - and I've asked several friends and a lot of them say that as long as I am running an hour and a half straight before the race I'll be good...And one off week isn't going to kill me (this week had just been bad for some reason - sleepy, scratchy throat, nights out, travel).  So.....I'm putting it out there - what do you think?

Go for it???  Or wait for another race???

(In my mind this is the year - JW will be wanting a sibling soon - and I'd like to do it before I can't if you catch my drift)

Sleep

I feel like this must be a topic on many parents' minds.  I've only been a parent for just over a year, but sleep is a hot topic.  My sleep, JW's sleep, how much we're getting, when to go to sleep, how many naps, etc.  It's kind of overwhelming.

Overall I think JW is a great sleeper.  In fact, I was looking back through my notes and this is what I found:
- at 1 month and 1 day JW slept for a 6 hour stretch at night
- at just shy of 2 months we got another 6 hour stretch followed by 2 nights of 7 hours
- a couple weeks later we got a random 8 and half hours
- at 5 months we started getting regular long stretches of sleep and then settled into a pattern
- JW has been consistent with 2 naps a day and the first one generally starts before 10

Now, just because he was sleeping that long, does not mean Mommy and Daddy were sleeping that long.  His sleeps starts before 8PM, there is no way we're getting to bed before then.  In fact, we generally haven't had dinner before then.  (we've lived in Europe where dinner after 8 - or even 9 - is normal).

Late summer and into the fall JW got into a really good rhythm of going to bed around 7:30 and sleeping until at least 6:30.  Then we travelled for Thanksgiving, hosted family and friends for his birthday, he turned 1 and started getting molars.  Now our sleep is ALL OVER THE BOARD.  He's still fairly consistent with two naps - morning and afternoon.  The length of those naps is undetermined.  A couple days in the last two weeks he skipped the afternoon nap all together.  Bedtime is sometime between 7 and 8 with a bottle, diaper change and short rock with Mommy or Daddy.  He's pretty good about going to sleep on his own (as in only a couple times a month do we have an issue.)  But we've been up once a night almost every night.  We'll have a few rough nights, then a good one or two (good being sleeping at least 11 hours).  I think our better nights of sleep are when JW goes to bed between 6:30 and 7:00.

But getting him to bed between 6:30 and 7 is HARD.  Not to mention if he goes to bed that early, Daddy might not see him all day.  And as a working mommy, how am I to run any errands during the week when we can't get out of the house before 5:00?  I really believe consistency and routine are good for JW.  But is that good for Mommy and Daddy?  Is Mommy just trying to do too much?  Work, volunteer, maintain the house, a marriage and a life?

I have moments where I feel an overwhelming sense of failure, like I'm not doing any of it right.  And moments where all is right with the world - we've had a wonderful dinner, JW is happy, the house is clean, I'm caught up on volunteer emails (I'm an officer with my sorority).  But those are rare.  Sometimes we have a great dinner.  Sometimes I've spent good quality time with JW.  Every other week my house is clean (yes, we've hired a house cleaner).  And sometimes I'm so overwhelmed with the to do list - I just spend the evening hanging with JW - playing and loving on him.  Which is what's really important, right?

Please tell me I'm not the only one struggling with this sleep, schedule, how to get it all done issue.......
If you have any tips/tricks on "getting it done", please share!

Until next time........

Random

This is the Happy Birthday banner we had hanging for JW's birthday party.  And it is still hanging.  I think it's time to come down, don't you?



I had kind of forgotten about it actually.  But, I had a cabinet guy come over yesterday to measure for some doors and a new drawer.  His first comment was - who's birthday is it.  Well, JW's was last month and James' was the 4th....yikes....a little embarrassing.

So the cabinet maker is going to make doors for this under counter area.  I don't mind it being open when it's organized (it didn't look too bad last night) but JW LOVES to stand up and pull everything off the shelves.  So, doors it is.






The opening under the microwave was meant for a warming drawer.  We have 2 ovens (a small one and large one) and really in the last four years have not wanted/had a need for a warming drawer.  So to hide clutter and keep JW out, we're having a drawer built for that space.  I figure it will be a good one to store JW's things (sippy cups, plates, bowls, etc).





Random post, but what was going on in my world yesterday (besides work, playing with JW, a quick playdate before dinner and the regular bedtime routine.)

(sorry for terrible quality pics - taken with iPhone and the lighting was horrible)

Baby in a box

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2012

2012 is here.  And while I was hoping to find myself filled with motivation and energy, I haven't.  So in order to not overwhelm myself, I'm not going to list any resolutions.  Instead, let's see what I am looking forward to in 2012 (some are resolutions as some type of action is required in order to make it happen)

- Taking JW to the beach for the first time
- Taking an anniversary trip to a fabulous beach with the hubby
- Celebrating birthdays and watching JW grow
- Running a half marathon
- Getting organized
- Decorating

That's the short list.  I'm sure there is more, but for now I'm hoping that is enough to get moving!!

Happy 2012 to you and yours!