Thursday, May 30, 2013

A few updates

I realized that I didn't post an update on my weight loss this week. I'm a bit late but I lost a half pound. I'm pretty happy with that since last Friday was our anniversary and we went all out food wise and then there were a few meals that weren't the best over the weekend.



Joseph started summer camp thus week. It's at a local church and is 4 hours every Wednesday until the end of June. Let me tell you, it was 4 hours of bliss thus week. James napped when we got back from dropping jo jo off. The house was so quiet and peaceful. It does the mind good. Joseph had a blast and loves the sunflower he made out of a paper plate. He starts t ball next week. I hope he likes it.

James is no longer exclusively nursing. We weighed him this week and his growth chart has leveled out. The same kind of thing happened to Joseph about this age. I decided to try to give him a bottle of formula...thinking he would refuse it....and he drank that sucker down. He seems happier now as well. I guess even with taking massive amounts of fenugreek and power pumping to increase my supply, it just wasn't enough. I am a bit sad about it...even though I've never been a huge lover of bfeeding. But I also feel free. No more running back home to feed James....someone else can do that.

I discovered during my run today that I still can't wear shorts to run....even with friction block. I had a very painful 4 mile run...was supposed to be longer but I cut it short. I guess I will stick to my capris from now on. Is there anything worse than your clothes holding you back?


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Meet Ellie.

We had a really good weekend. I will post more about that later. First, I would like to introduce y'all to Ellie:

Up until yesterday, I drove a VW Passat Sedan. I love Love LOVE that car. It was dark blue with chrome and leather interior. It was a hot car. I got my first VW in 2006 and have considered myself a VW person since.


Michael drove a red Ford F250 Diesel.
He love Love LOVES that truck. It was a standard and just fun for him to drive. The only problem is that since he has a work van, he rarely drives the truck. He had been talking about selling it for a while. I on the other hand, had never considered getting rid of my car. No way no how.

Until Saturday....

We swapped cars with my mother in law who has an Escape. We were just talking about how we could carry both kids and the dogs in something like that and it just clicked with me.  Why were we holding on to these cars that no longer fit our family. My car is fine for just hauling the kids around, but no one else can ride. We can squeeze both dogs in if we let one sit in our lap....not fun.

So, of course, we jump on auto trader and start looking. We narrowed it to 3 makes: the VW Touareg (my choice), the Ford Flex (his choice) and the Ford Explorer (only 2011 and up, both of us were pretty well on board with that). After much talking, he were 90% set on the Touareg. We just needed to see one. So, we looked at one yesterday, it was simply not big enough. It was essentially my car as a hatchback on a 4x4 platform. I was so disappointed. Then we went to look at the Flex and Explorer. The Flex was fine. I really liked it on the inside but I wasn't sold on its looks. The explorer was fantastic though. The only problem was that it was at the very edge of our budget. We really wanted to trade both of our cars and not be out any cash. Well, to make a long story short, we drove away from Peggy the Passat and Frank the F250 and went home in Ellie the Explorer. It's going to be an adjustment for me but I'm pretty happy with it...only 1 insurance payment, only 1 tax payment, and it fits our whole family fur babies and all.

And if Coach Cal drives one, it has to be ok, right?

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Beginning of a journey

It's amazing when I look back at phtos of myself (and Im sure many people have similar feelings). I thought I was so fat back in high school/college/5 years ago. I look back at pictures and would kill to look like hat again. I can only remember a brief stinit of my life and it was my senior year of college in which I didn't think I was fat. I didn't get to that weight in the healthiest of ways.
Good times and small thighs...

I'd be ok with this too:
Our engagement shoot.


But alas, I am the biggest I have ever been right now...aside from when I was pregnant. I did weight watchers and lost 5 pounds pretty quickly and then nothing. And then I kinda forgot about weight watchers. Lost a little more. Then nothing. So, I went back on weight watchers to give it one more try. Gained 3 pounds. Cancelled weight watchers. It works fabulously for some people, but this is the second time I've used it and have lost 5 pounds each time and then nothing.

So, I sat down and made a meal plan. Counting calories doesn't work for me. I get all bogged down in the math and get very mad when the weight loss doesn't equal what it is supposed to. Every day I eat the following:
Oatmeal (any way I want to as long as it's healthy)
Banana
Apple
Peanut butter on whole wheat bread
2 protein shakes
a snack (I keep a drawer of premeasured baggies of almonds, graham crackers, dried fruit, etc)
greek yogurt
a gallon of water

I can eat more than that, but I try to eat what's on that list first and then see how I feel. I also am limiting carbs after 7 PM. That's something my trainer that I worked with after I had Joseph told me.

I know a lot of it is gut mass and water weight but I am down 4 pounds this week! It always feels good to see a lower number on the scale.

Here are some pics I took before church on Sunday for my "before" pictures. I didn't want some sad, slouchy looking pictures. I love how in the second one, it looks like Joseph is mimicking me. Oh and he is in his underwear because I wait to get him dressed until just before we get in the car.


Monday, May 20, 2013

Running: Chapter 2




The second chapter of my running life is a fairly short one.

I started running again in January of 2009. I trained hard. I was running 30 miles a week by June and ran a few 5Ks that spring. Nothing earth shattering , but I had some decent times (for me) . I was still all about the distance, not the speed really.  However, at the Buffalo Chase 5K that July 4th, I was poised to shatter my best time of 34:08. I was at 21 minutes at 2 miles. But about a quarter of a mile after the 2 mile marker, I had a piercing pain in my right hip. I pulled up and then decided to run it out. It wouldn't stop...only got worse. So I walked the rest of the way off and on. By the time I got to the car, I could barely move. I went to the doctor the next week and when they took me into X-ray, they asked the customary, "could you be pregnant." Well, we had been trying so I couldn't say no. They sent me home to take a pregnancy test. Told me it was probably a pulled hip flexor and to take Tylenol. That was when I found out I was pregnant with Joseph. I then had to go through a couple of months of physical therapy. My ligaments had gone all wonky with being pregnant according to the therapist. My pelvis had slipped and all kinds of craziness.  So by the time I was cleared to run, I was into my 2nd trimester and since I had done no running for 2 months, I stuck to walking.  That ends the second chapter...after broken ankle, before Joseph.

I went from this

To this in the matter of a week...crutches again.


Pulling my hair out

I'm going to get back to my running story for those that care, but I wanted to write about something else this morning. It's a parenting post.

I can remember having bad days before I had kids. I can remember being ready for a day to be over with from time to time.  BUT, nothing compares to now. Michael has been out of town for over a week now. Overall, it hasnt been too bad. It's been hard and we've been really busy. However, there have been 2 VERY trying days, and yesterday was one of them. Sundays, as a rule, are pretty rough...even when Michael is here. Trying to get 2 kids fed, dressed, and a nap in for one all while trying not to be late for church. I love our church and I love going, but it's just not as breezy to get out the door as it used to be. So yesterday, I was flying solo, getting the kiddos dressed, etc. Things actually went fairly well. Until time to go. Joseph decided he didn't want to go to church. Well, I finally got everyone in the car. When we were walking to church, Joseph again decided he didn't want to go and sat down in the sidewalk. I was already carrying James and my feet hurt from my one day a week heels, so I didnt feel like chasing him down. Luckily a nice lady from church walked up to him and asked if he would show her were the church was. he obliged...because he's nice to strangers like that. I did finally get to the nursery where James started crying. He's at that stage where he doesnt want me to leave him. The church servive was a good one, as always. Then I went to go get the kids. Joseph, of course, wanted to get rice and beans for lunch. I don't like taking them by myself, but we do go every Sunday. Well, I should have just dealt with the wrath of Joseph from not getting his weekly Mexican. He was as bad as he's ever been in a restaurant. At one point, he took his shoes off and threw them on the table, where they landed in the salsa. Usually, I have a plan of attack when it comes to Joseph, but yssterday, I had nothing. And he knew it. And he took complete advanage of it.

When we got home after the longest lunch ever, it was one thing after anothe. And no punishment worked. Add that to James only napping for 20 minutes, and things got really hairy. I could not wait for bedtime.

My children are precious.

My children are beautiful.

My children make me pull my hair out.

Here's hoping that today is a better day. Don't know that I can take another one like yesterday. Only 2 more sleeps until Michael gets home.

It's not shaping up to be a great day though....Joseph has been up 15 minutes and I've had to get on to him 3 times. Yay.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Something to add....

Last night when I was posting I couldn't believe that I didn't have any photos of me at races from that period before I broke my ankle. I know one of the reasons is because I don't like pics without makeup on and I rarely wore makeup when I raced. But I did remember a couple that Michael took of me at the 2007 Shamrock Shuffle. So I'm adding them.
I'm I'm the lighter green top with black pants toward the back


 Michael tried to get a pic of me going across the finish line but got the girl in front of me instead. He only barely got me in the picture:

Saturday, May 18, 2013

My Running Life: Chapter one

I hated running when I played basketball. Hates it. Swore that I would never run again once I stopped playing. I stayed good to that promise until Spring 2006 when I was in grad school at UK. I saw a girl running on campus. She was not particularly fast or runner-like. I suddenly thought, "I could do that. I'm going to start running." I went home and told Michael of my plan and he was probably like, "that's all you." But he did take up running with me. I started slow...on a treadmill...which I hated...it was really discouraging, I saw a brochure for a 5K at Buffalo Trace on July 4th and suddenly I had a goal. That was all I needed. I ran that 5K with Michael...the naturally athletic one...by my side pushing me along. It was actually one of my better 5K finishes. I became addicted to 5Ks and ran a few more over the next couple years. My training was fairly lax and I didn't improve a whole lot...I did log my fastest 5K time at 34:08 that first summer, I gained more endurance, but my speed slowed.

In 2008, I had registered for my first race of the season, the Shamrock Shuffle 3K. The Tuesday before the race, I slipped on some ice in the parking lot at work and broke my ankle in 2 places. Needless to say, I did not run in the 3K. That ended what I call the first chapter of my running life...the time before I broke my ankle. I haven't been the same since. Michael and I were getting married that may and we had both been working out like fiends to look good for the day. I feel like I would have had a great running year if I had just stayed healthy.

I had surgery on my ankle and was still wearing my boot at the wedding. Good times. I didn't got back to work until after July 4th. I tried to start running not long after that, but it just hurt too much.

Bridal shower with my lovely cast

Bachelorette party was super crazy...not really...hard to go clubbing with crutches




Friday, May 17, 2013

Enjoying a better day..

 I've had so many great posts in the works this week.  However, none came to fruition. I blame the kiddos. They have really put me through the ringer this week. Yesterday was a real low point. I seriously would have given them away on the street if I could have. I am so over teething. One of the main reasons I don't want to have any more kids. Things seem to be miraculously better today which is especially good since I have a 5K tonight. We went downtown after James' morning nap to pick up my race packet and I took a few impromptu pics. Here are some of the best ones:





Sunday, May 12, 2013

Weekend Wrap Up

We had a really full weekend. Joseph spent the night with his Aunt Lynn and cousin Sydney (Sissy). When we went to drop him off, we left James for a few hours and went and watched Iron Man 3. If you know me, you know I love Love LOVE superhero movies. I also love Love LOVE Robert Downey Jr. I thought the movie was great. 

After being awoken by James many many times Friday night, I woke up Saturday morning bright and early and we headed to Lexington to the jean Farris winery to run theGrape Gallop 5K. It was a cool drizzly morning but I really enjoyed the race. It was small but really well run and the course, while hilly, was very scenic. I was still painfully slow but I did trim over 30 seconds off last week's time so I guess that's about all I can hope for.  They served a full breakfast afterward and James ate a whole plate of scrambled eggs. A fun note about that race was that the women kicked it! The top 5 or so finishers were women, and the lady who won had a daughter about James' age. 


After the race, we picked up Joseph and headed home. After an attempt at a nap which left me feeling worse than when I laid down, I went outside and cleaned the plants out of the garden. Michael tilled it and I took Joseph on the world's longest trip to town to get plants and soil.  Shopping with a toddler is always fun.  When we got to the nursery all he wanted to do was leave, but then he saw that they had fountains..he is obsessed with water...and I need up being the one dragging him out of there. I actually had to promise him ice cream. I too him to the frozen yogurt place and had java chip greek frozen yogurt with cookie dough on top.  Yum. Joseph had birthday cake yogurt with Reese's pieces. After about 3 hours, we finally made it back home with our plants and got down to business.






Michael went to NYC for work this morning and won't be back until the 22nd. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm trying to make the best of it. The boy and I had a good day going to church and then to the Mexican restaurant. Joseph has been such a good boy today. He got lots of praise for his behavior in the nursery at church. James on the other hand has been a bit of a grouch. I guess that happens when you don't sleep at night...I wouldn't know...oh wait..yes I would. 

I've got some big plans this week. Hopefully can fit in a couple of 10K training runs, an open house for a preschool for Joseph, and the Pro Active 5K Friday night. Oh and I will be mucking stalls and feeding horses Monday and Tuesday mornings...I will post more on that later. Right now I am going to enjoy a bit of peace before James wakes up. 


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Microwave Mayhem

Partners in Crime (has nothing to do with my post)

  I don't know why, but our house is where microwaves come to die. We've been through 3 in the past 8 years. The first was a really old one I had in college that was old when I got it for $10. But the next two were brand new.  Last night I was microwaving some corn on the cob and started smelling something weird. When the timer went off, the corn was not cooked. Michael, my resident expert in all things mechanical and electrical, said it was definitely fried,  I decided that I don't need a stinking microwave. It would give me more counter space without it. I really don't think we can go without one, but I'm going to try for 30 days. I've already seen the inconvenience of it when I decided I wanted leftover lasagna for lunch. I had to warm it in the stove....which took a decade. Maybe it will make me a more patient person.

So here's to day 1 sans microwave. We're going to be all old timey and stuff.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Derby Dash

I love the Kentucky Derby. One day, I will go. It's definitely on my bucket list. I almost went a few years ago but it was cold and rainy and I really didn't feel like paying $$$ to be cold and muddy in the infield. But one day....when we can afford to go watch from somewhere other than the infield.

But we have taken part in the Derby Festival downtown the past couple years. They have a race called the Derby Dash which is free for the kids to do. This was Joseph's second time to run in it and he has yet to complete the 1/4 mile distance. It's really cute though. I think it's funny that all I've wanted since I've been racing is to get a medal and Joseph has 2.  It starting raining a little after the race and we headed on home. But I kept with the derby spirit and made hot browns for supper and derby pie for dessert. I even had a couple of mint juleps. Yum! Of course, I watched the derby while listening to Joseph whining about something that wasn't going his way and James fussing because I wasn't getting the spoon to his mouth fast enough. Ahh the glamorous life of a mom.

I had my own run today. It was the Fondant 5K...I've decided that I am only running in races named after sweets...the Funnel Cake 5K is next month and the Thin Mint Sprint later this year. Anyway, it was a lovely day for a run....49 and raining. Yay. I was determined to do it anyway. It was at the Keeneland Race Track in Lexington. I recorded my fastest ever 5K time there a few years ago so I was pretty stoked to revisit it. Needless to say, it wasn't the same course...this one was hill-ly. My legs still ache. And the cold rain blasting me in the face wasn't very nice either.  But I'm glad Michael was there to time me with his phone because they had no timers set up....not even at the finish line. And no race bibs to know where you placed. At least there were cupcakes and ice cream at the finish. But next year, I think I'll just go buy my cupcake. I guess I can mark "Run a 5K in the pouring rain" off my list. I'm not telling my time..,it was painfully slow. Must.get.faster.

Bed calls...hopefully James will let me get some sleep tonight. Michael is out of town at least tomorrow night so I will need my energy.