Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Dom's Stats - Finally!!
We finally weighed and measured Dom last night!!
Height - 30"
Weight - 24 lbs.
His weight is slowing down. He's starting to move around more and not gain as much weight month to month.
Such a big boy!!
Height - 30"
Weight - 24 lbs.
His weight is slowing down. He's starting to move around more and not gain as much weight month to month.
Such a big boy!!
Getting Better
Last night Dommie woke up around midnight. He had a VERY wet diaper. I went in, changed him, and put him back down. He cried for a bit. Maybe 20 minutes. But Dom has always cried himself to sleep.
After 20 minutes, he was out. Like a light. And slept all the way until 7:15 this morning when I woke him to go to daycare.
It's getting better. Probably only another night like this and we'll be good to go! I guess I should've expected something like this. He started sleeping through the night when he was only weeks old, a few months at most. I knew I couldn't get off that easy!!
After 20 minutes, he was out. Like a light. And slept all the way until 7:15 this morning when I woke him to go to daycare.
It's getting better. Probably only another night like this and we'll be good to go! I guess I should've expected something like this. He started sleeping through the night when he was only weeks old, a few months at most. I knew I couldn't get off that easy!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
It's only 3 AM Dom!!
The last 3 nights, Dom has forgotten how to sleep through the night. Saturday night he woke around 5 am. Sunday night it was 4:30 and then last night it was 3ish.
Nick wanted us to leave him be and let him cry...but I couldn't do that. I keep giving in. I get up and change his diaper (Nick has helped with this) and then I give in and give him a bottle. I know I shouldn't. But he's crying and I can't help it.
I talked to my sister today and she told me that Cecilia did the same thing. Around the same time, too. When she asked the pediatrician, she was told that they sometimes "forget" how to sleep through the night and you just have to let them cry...The ped said that the first night they may cry 4 hours, then 3 or 2, then just a few minutes, but they'll remember and start sleeping through the night again.
My sister said she did this with Cecilia and it only lasted about 4 days.
I guess I'll have to be strong and not give in. It's so hard though. All I want to do is make him better...We'll see how tonight goes. I'll keep you posted. And eventually get you some new pictures and some stats on baby Dom!
Nick wanted us to leave him be and let him cry...but I couldn't do that. I keep giving in. I get up and change his diaper (Nick has helped with this) and then I give in and give him a bottle. I know I shouldn't. But he's crying and I can't help it.
I talked to my sister today and she told me that Cecilia did the same thing. Around the same time, too. When she asked the pediatrician, she was told that they sometimes "forget" how to sleep through the night and you just have to let them cry...The ped said that the first night they may cry 4 hours, then 3 or 2, then just a few minutes, but they'll remember and start sleeping through the night again.
My sister said she did this with Cecilia and it only lasted about 4 days.
I guess I'll have to be strong and not give in. It's so hard though. All I want to do is make him better...We'll see how tonight goes. I'll keep you posted. And eventually get you some new pictures and some stats on baby Dom!
First Injury...
of many I'm assuming.
I had to work late last night. I didn't get off until 6, and I'm usually home by 4:30. Nick went and got Dommie and all was well. Until -
Dommie crawled over by the laundry room. We have a big gate wall up but Nick had opened it to go change the laundry and Dominick sure doesn't miss an opportunity. He crawled onto the tile and must have slipped. He started screaming and Nick immediately picked him up and consoled him. He said it took about 5 minutes but he calmed down. When Nick was soothing him, Dommie had his face buried against Nick's chest. When he was calm, he pulled his head up and that's when Nick saw the blood. A lot of it. On Dommie's face and all over Nick's shirt.
He did what I would've done - he freaked out. Our neighbor is a nurse and Nick ran Dom next door. Laurie looked at Dom and it appeared that Dommie's bottom teeth cut into his upper lip. He was, and still is, fine. No real damage. But being from the mouth, it bled a lot.
Nick called me and told me and I'm just thankful that I wasn't there! I would've really freaked out. Dom was a little off last night. Just not himself. And still a little upset this morning. But his teeth look fine and I'm sure he's going to be happy again when I pick him up.
His first real injury. And seeing how daring he is, I'm sure it's the first of many!
I had to work late last night. I didn't get off until 6, and I'm usually home by 4:30. Nick went and got Dommie and all was well. Until -
Dommie crawled over by the laundry room. We have a big gate wall up but Nick had opened it to go change the laundry and Dominick sure doesn't miss an opportunity. He crawled onto the tile and must have slipped. He started screaming and Nick immediately picked him up and consoled him. He said it took about 5 minutes but he calmed down. When Nick was soothing him, Dommie had his face buried against Nick's chest. When he was calm, he pulled his head up and that's when Nick saw the blood. A lot of it. On Dommie's face and all over Nick's shirt.
He did what I would've done - he freaked out. Our neighbor is a nurse and Nick ran Dom next door. Laurie looked at Dom and it appeared that Dommie's bottom teeth cut into his upper lip. He was, and still is, fine. No real damage. But being from the mouth, it bled a lot.
Nick called me and told me and I'm just thankful that I wasn't there! I would've really freaked out. Dom was a little off last night. Just not himself. And still a little upset this morning. But his teeth look fine and I'm sure he's going to be happy again when I pick him up.
His first real injury. And seeing how daring he is, I'm sure it's the first of many!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Dom's Stats
I just realized that I still haven't measured Dom for his 8 month stats...we'll do that tonight! Oops!
3rd Sundays
My family has a tradition. On the 3rd Sunday of the month, the whole family meets at one of our houses for dinner. This month was my turn to host. (We did the 4th Sunday this month because the 3rd Sunday was after a wedding on Friday and a surprise bday party on Saturday nights).
We had everyone over early for the football games and I made Chili and had our "hot diggity dogger" out for a hot dog station. We also had two TV's set up so we could watch more than one game at a time.
In case you are wondering: A Hot Diggity Dogger is a toaster for hot dogs. It cooks the hot dogs and toasts the bun. It's great. I love it. We had that set up, along with ketchup, mustard, relish, and the chili. I also had a ton of toppings set up for the chili. Sour cream, cheese, jalapenos, black olives, salsa, diced tomatoes, and avocado. We were set! And it was delicious, if I may say so myself (gotta love that crock pot!).
We had our smaller TV watching the Rams game and our big TV set up watching NFL Red Zone. That's a channel that shows every play in the Red Zone. It was amazing. You got to see all the important plays of EVERY game!
The kids played so well together too. They were very cute. I love that Dommie is getting old enough that he has an interest in other babies. I just wish he didn't love to pull Celia's hair so much!!
I always get so nervous hosting 3rd Sunday. My mom and my sister are both AMAZING cooks and I'm still learning. I'm glad it all tasted ok! Now I'm off the hook for another few months!
We had everyone over early for the football games and I made Chili and had our "hot diggity dogger" out for a hot dog station. We also had two TV's set up so we could watch more than one game at a time.
In case you are wondering: A Hot Diggity Dogger is a toaster for hot dogs. It cooks the hot dogs and toasts the bun. It's great. I love it. We had that set up, along with ketchup, mustard, relish, and the chili. I also had a ton of toppings set up for the chili. Sour cream, cheese, jalapenos, black olives, salsa, diced tomatoes, and avocado. We were set! And it was delicious, if I may say so myself (gotta love that crock pot!).
We had our smaller TV watching the Rams game and our big TV set up watching NFL Red Zone. That's a channel that shows every play in the Red Zone. It was amazing. You got to see all the important plays of EVERY game!
The kids played so well together too. They were very cute. I love that Dommie is getting old enough that he has an interest in other babies. I just wish he didn't love to pull Celia's hair so much!!
I always get so nervous hosting 3rd Sunday. My mom and my sister are both AMAZING cooks and I'm still learning. I'm glad it all tasted ok! Now I'm off the hook for another few months!
Me and Cecilia
I watched Celia during the day on Friday and we had a good time. We were going to go the Magic House but it doesn't open until noon on Fridays and I was volunteering at 4 at the baby sale and didn't want to rush out of the Magic House. Then I thought about taking her to the zoo, but wasn't sure about that either...We went for a long drive instead and went to Michael's Craft Store. Then we played at the house and watched "Bee Movie".
It was a great day but I definitely learned I can't watch both kids at once...especially when Dom is a little under the weather. He had a tummy bug. No fever. Just going to the bathroom a lot. I couldn't have both kids while that was going on! So Dommie went to daycare and Celia and I spent the day alone. If I had to, I would've been able to have both of them, but I think it worked out better this way. And it's rare that I get to spend time with my niece one on one!
Soon enough, Celia will be able to help me with Dommie. Then the three of us can go to the Magic House!
It was a great day but I definitely learned I can't watch both kids at once...especially when Dom is a little under the weather. He had a tummy bug. No fever. Just going to the bathroom a lot. I couldn't have both kids while that was going on! So Dommie went to daycare and Celia and I spent the day alone. If I had to, I would've been able to have both of them, but I think it worked out better this way. And it's rare that I get to spend time with my niece one on one!
Soon enough, Celia will be able to help me with Dommie. Then the three of us can go to the Magic House!
Consignment Sale
The bi-annual baby consignment sale was this past weekend! I volunteered so I was able to go in early on Thursday afternoon. I got a TON of clothes (including Dommie's Halloween costume - Pictures will come eventually) and some toys. We also got a high chair and exersaucer for my mom's house since she's going to have to give that back to my great aunt since her daugher in law just had another baby!
There was SO much stuff this year! We got a laundry basket full of clothes for Dom. It's great. We got a tonka truck he can ride. We got a few smaller tonka trucks to play with (and I think Nick has more fun with these than Dom does!). We got a hokey-pokey Elmo. All kinds of good stuff. And we spent less than $100!! That's a first for us! We usually spend closer to $200 at this sale!
I volunteered on Friday night and Saturday morning and I actually had a lot of fun doing it! I'm definitely going to volunteer again next year and can't wait to buy more stuff!! The next sale will either be in March or April...can't wait!!
There was SO much stuff this year! We got a laundry basket full of clothes for Dom. It's great. We got a tonka truck he can ride. We got a few smaller tonka trucks to play with (and I think Nick has more fun with these than Dom does!). We got a hokey-pokey Elmo. All kinds of good stuff. And we spent less than $100!! That's a first for us! We usually spend closer to $200 at this sale!
I volunteered on Friday night and Saturday morning and I actually had a lot of fun doing it! I'm definitely going to volunteer again next year and can't wait to buy more stuff!! The next sale will either be in March or April...can't wait!!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thank Goodness...
Ms. Stella lives so close!!
So I definitely can't find my keys today...Not in my purse, on the key holder, on the table, etc. etc. etc. They may be in the car. I used Nick's keys to drive to basketball last night so they could be locked in my car. Or they could be in the pants I wore yesterday. I didn't think about checking the pockets of those pants until I got into work (thanks to Mike!).
Since I couldn't get in my car, I had to walk Dommie to daycare today. It's only a quarter mile so it wasn't a big deal at all. I'm just thankful she lives so close that this was an option!
Now everyone say a prayer to St. Anthony to help me find my keys!!
Tony, tony, look around!
Something's lost and it must be found!
Please help me find my keys!!
Amen.
So I definitely can't find my keys today...Not in my purse, on the key holder, on the table, etc. etc. etc. They may be in the car. I used Nick's keys to drive to basketball last night so they could be locked in my car. Or they could be in the pants I wore yesterday. I didn't think about checking the pockets of those pants until I got into work (thanks to Mike!).
Since I couldn't get in my car, I had to walk Dommie to daycare today. It's only a quarter mile so it wasn't a big deal at all. I'm just thankful she lives so close that this was an option!
Now everyone say a prayer to St. Anthony to help me find my keys!!
Tony, tony, look around!
Something's lost and it must be found!
Please help me find my keys!!
Amen.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
8 Months
Dominick Robert is 8 months old today. I know I say this for every "birthday" he comes to, but I can't believe I have a son that is 8 months old.
I'm sure I've blogged about this and most of you know this but our journey to parenthood took awhile. We wanted a baby for so long that it started to feel as if we would never get one. We looked into adoption. We started talking to my dr. about seeing other doctors. We didn't know what to do but we knew we were tired of waiting.
I finally got a few referrals and went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. He was great. He asked how proactive I wanted to go about trying to get pregnant, and I said as proactive as we can be. He told me I'd be pregnant within 4 months. I was pregnant within 4 weeks! He was our miracle worker.
And Dominick is our miracle baby. He's growing up so fast and even when he's a terror (like he was last night!) I love every minute I spend with him. He's perfect. He's my angel.
We don't have a dr. appointment this month but we always weigh and measure him for his baby book so I'll give you his stats tomorrow.
Happy 8 month birthday Dom!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Prayers for A+A
My friend Beth has a blog. I follow it and it is on my blog list. It's called A+A adopt a baby. They have been waiting for a call that they have been matched with a mother. She finally got that call last Friday!! Now she needs prayers that the mother does stick with them as parents and that they finally get their baby.
If you can, just say a quick prayer for them. And read their blog. It is much more informative than what I just told you!
If you can, just say a quick prayer for them. And read their blog. It is much more informative than what I just told you!
Lazy Sunday
Sunday was great. We had a brunch in the morning. It was a big family get together with our whole family and Michelle's family. A brunch for after the wedding. The food was delicious and it was a nice laid back get together. Here are a few pictures from the brunch.
After we left brunch, we did NOTHING and it was fabulous. We laid on the couch and watched football all day long. I loved it. It was so relaxing. And I love football.
Sunday is quite possibly my favorite day of the week! At least from September to February!!
After we left brunch, we did NOTHING and it was fabulous. We laid on the couch and watched football all day long. I loved it. It was so relaxing. And I love football.
Sunday is quite possibly my favorite day of the week! At least from September to February!!
Busy Saturday
Saturday was even more hectic than Friday, if you can believe it!
We woke up early so Nick could run in a 5K with some of his family. He ran with his brother Dan, sister Kate, and Kate's husband, Dave. They all did SO well! It was early and they all finished in under 27 minutes. I am a slow runner and don't typically run less than 10 minute miles so I was very impressed with all of them!
After the race, Nick and I had to rush home to get ready for kickball. We had two games and we lost miserably! The first game we lost 10-2. The second game we lost 18-1! Bad bad day for kickball. In our defense, 8 of our players were at the wedding the night before!
When the games ended, we went to our sponsor's restaurant and had lunch. We had to rush from there and head home and shower and change to head out to Nick's niece and goddaughter's birthday party. She is 6 today. I can't believe she is that old already! We had a great time and GREAT food there.
Unfortunately we had to leave early because we were co-hosting a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend Mike! It was such a shame the dates conflicted but their birthday's are so close together! And Mike's sister was in town from Chicago (she's in her second year of her medical residency and doesn't get a lot of time off) so we had to have it while she was here.
Mike was totally fooled and we had a great turnout. I'm so glad he was surprised! He said he didn't have a clue. So that's great. We didn't get to stay too late but my sister was staying up and helping us out by watching Dom and it had already been a long day so we left early. Around 10:45ish.
What a day!!
We woke up early so Nick could run in a 5K with some of his family. He ran with his brother Dan, sister Kate, and Kate's husband, Dave. They all did SO well! It was early and they all finished in under 27 minutes. I am a slow runner and don't typically run less than 10 minute miles so I was very impressed with all of them!
After the race, Nick and I had to rush home to get ready for kickball. We had two games and we lost miserably! The first game we lost 10-2. The second game we lost 18-1! Bad bad day for kickball. In our defense, 8 of our players were at the wedding the night before!
When the games ended, we went to our sponsor's restaurant and had lunch. We had to rush from there and head home and shower and change to head out to Nick's niece and goddaughter's birthday party. She is 6 today. I can't believe she is that old already! We had a great time and GREAT food there.
Unfortunately we had to leave early because we were co-hosting a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend Mike! It was such a shame the dates conflicted but their birthday's are so close together! And Mike's sister was in town from Chicago (she's in her second year of her medical residency and doesn't get a lot of time off) so we had to have it while she was here.
Mike was totally fooled and we had a great turnout. I'm so glad he was surprised! He said he didn't have a clue. So that's great. We didn't get to stay too late but my sister was staying up and helping us out by watching Dom and it had already been a long day so we left early. Around 10:45ish.
What a day!!
Wedding Day!
Friday was a little hectic. I was getting a ride to Florissant to get ready and Nick was going to have to rush, rush, rush to get Dom to the church in time so I had to have all of Nick's stuff ready and in the car for him.
I had in the car for Nick: 5 shirts, 2 ties, 4 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 belts, 2 pairs of socks, boxers, undershirts, deodorant, hair gel, and his wedding ring. I had no idea what he wanted to wear so I had to have options. For Dominick I had his diaper bag (ready for him to stay over night if need be), his wedding bag, and other toys to keep him occupied. Then I had to get my stuff ready!
I got to Florissant and got my hair done and then went to Susanne's to finish getting ready. Here's a pic of all of us getting ready.
After the girls were ready we headed to Michelle and Adam's house to take some pictures. All of the guys looked so handsome!
Here's a picture of us in front of Adam and Michelle's while some pictures were being taken. Ignore the silly look on my face!!
We took a bunch of pictures there and then hit a few other spots for pictures and then we headed to the church. Nick and my mom met me there to get Dom ready. He looked SO cute in his tux!! And he LOVED the wagon he was supposed to sit in for the ceremony. I have two pictures of him in the ceremony but they are really blurry so we'll have to wait and see the professional pictures.
Here are some blurry pictures of the wedding. My friend Ashley took them. Some of them are really close up too. I'll post some of the professional pictures when we get to see them!
The ceremony was gorgeous. They were a beautiful bride and groom. Nick didn't get to stay for all of it though because Dom got fussy for being still and quiet for too long. But he dropped Dom off at the babysitter's and was there for the reception.
We all did silly dances going into the reception. My groomsman and me did a combo dance. I did the "face frame" and he did the "robot". This is a REALLY blurry picture but here we are going in:
The reception was a BLAST. Part of it was so fun because I had my friends AND my family there! My momma is a big dancer so we had a lot of fun on the dance floor.
Here's a picture of some of my family at the very end of the reception. My head is trying to squeeze in on this one!
We left the reception around midnight and picked Dom up and went home and to bed.
It was a great day! A good way to kick off the weekend!!
I had in the car for Nick: 5 shirts, 2 ties, 4 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 belts, 2 pairs of socks, boxers, undershirts, deodorant, hair gel, and his wedding ring. I had no idea what he wanted to wear so I had to have options. For Dominick I had his diaper bag (ready for him to stay over night if need be), his wedding bag, and other toys to keep him occupied. Then I had to get my stuff ready!
I got to Florissant and got my hair done and then went to Susanne's to finish getting ready. Here's a pic of all of us getting ready.
After the girls were ready we headed to Michelle and Adam's house to take some pictures. All of the guys looked so handsome!
Here's a picture of us in front of Adam and Michelle's while some pictures were being taken. Ignore the silly look on my face!!
We took a bunch of pictures there and then hit a few other spots for pictures and then we headed to the church. Nick and my mom met me there to get Dom ready. He looked SO cute in his tux!! And he LOVED the wagon he was supposed to sit in for the ceremony. I have two pictures of him in the ceremony but they are really blurry so we'll have to wait and see the professional pictures.
Here are some blurry pictures of the wedding. My friend Ashley took them. Some of them are really close up too. I'll post some of the professional pictures when we get to see them!
The ceremony was gorgeous. They were a beautiful bride and groom. Nick didn't get to stay for all of it though because Dom got fussy for being still and quiet for too long. But he dropped Dom off at the babysitter's and was there for the reception.
We all did silly dances going into the reception. My groomsman and me did a combo dance. I did the "face frame" and he did the "robot". This is a REALLY blurry picture but here we are going in:
The reception was a BLAST. Part of it was so fun because I had my friends AND my family there! My momma is a big dancer so we had a lot of fun on the dance floor.
Here's a picture of some of my family at the very end of the reception. My head is trying to squeeze in on this one!
We left the reception around midnight and picked Dom up and went home and to bed.
It was a great day! A good way to kick off the weekend!!
Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner for Michelle and Adam's wedding was Thursday night. It was so beautiful. We had the rehearsal part at their church in Florissant and then went to Adam's Dad and Step mom's house. They have a gorgeous house in Ladue.
Everything was perfect. We practiced and then went to eat and drink. The house was decorated so nice and it was a good way to chill and hang out before the big day!
The food was catered by Oscar's Cafe. It was delicious! If you are looking for a good place to eat some night, go to Oscar's! That is the place where Adam and Michelle ate dinner the night that Adam proposed so it was fitting.
Thanks Rob and Robbye for a wonderful evening!!
We also got our "gifts" for being in the wedding. The girls all received a black shawl to wear during the mass with our initials embroidered into it. We also got a pair of black earrings to wear for the big day. And finally we got a black flower from White House Black Market for all of us to wear to match as bridesmaids. For our bridesmaids dresses, Michelle let us pick any black knee length dress we wanted. That was nice because we can definitely wear the dresses again. I'm actually planning on wearing them again to the next two weddings I'm going to!
Dominick got some fun stuff too. He got two new teething toys which he loves and a polar bear stuff animal that is a groom with a bow tie on! He loved them both!
Thanks Michelle and Adam!!
Everything was perfect. We practiced and then went to eat and drink. The house was decorated so nice and it was a good way to chill and hang out before the big day!
The food was catered by Oscar's Cafe. It was delicious! If you are looking for a good place to eat some night, go to Oscar's! That is the place where Adam and Michelle ate dinner the night that Adam proposed so it was fitting.
Thanks Rob and Robbye for a wonderful evening!!
We also got our "gifts" for being in the wedding. The girls all received a black shawl to wear during the mass with our initials embroidered into it. We also got a pair of black earrings to wear for the big day. And finally we got a black flower from White House Black Market for all of us to wear to match as bridesmaids. For our bridesmaids dresses, Michelle let us pick any black knee length dress we wanted. That was nice because we can definitely wear the dresses again. I'm actually planning on wearing them again to the next two weddings I'm going to!
Dominick got some fun stuff too. He got two new teething toys which he loves and a polar bear stuff animal that is a groom with a bow tie on! He loved them both!
Thanks Michelle and Adam!!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Dominick Updates
Dominick has lots of updates that I have to blog about!
Dominick has been crawling for about a month and a half now and pulling himself to a standing for almost a month, but now he is even more mobile! He used to only be able to pull himself to a standing if he could grab on to something, like the coffee table or couch. Not anymore. If he can balance against something, he is up. In the picture below, Nick, Andrew, Angela and I were all outside. Angela and I were on the sidewalk and Nick was taking our picture (the marathon picture in the previous post) while Andrew was watching Dom through the screen door. Well Dom wanted to be with us. He crawled to the glass door and stood up just leaning against the door! (It was a challenge getting back in without knocking him down - let me tell ya!)
So now he is just standing all over the place (but still not completely on his own). Not only is he standing but he is walking around the furniture! If he is holding onto the coffee table and he wants something on the other side, he'll walk along the coffee table while holding on to get around it. Walking?!?!? Again, not on his own, but still!
Well, as if that wasn't enough, now Dommie has discovered stairs. And he can CLIMB UP THEM! This is the update that terrifies me the most, because he doesn't understand going down them and sometimes he loses his balance. Now don't get me wrong, we never leave him near stairs without us in arm's reach. We actually don't usually even let him near the stairs period, but last night I was downstairs with Nick and Dom, and I went upstairs and Dom tried to follow me. Nick was with him the whole time, but Dom crawled to the stairs and proceeded to climb up the first few steps (with Nick's hand on his back). How scary is that?? My baby isn't a baby anymore! He's a little man.
AND, Dommie now has 4 teeth! The top two are just starting to cut through his gums but they are there. They are coming in together. So my baby has 4 teeth! That's crazy too!
He is starting to talk more and more. His favorite sounds are still da-da, but we're getting some pretty good ba-ba's, ya-ya's and even a few na-na's. Still no ma-ma's, but we'll get there soon enough.
Dommie is beginning to be a Daddy's boy now too. He loves coming to me if Daddy's not around but if his Daddy is there, look out. He squirms to get out of my arms and into Nick's and then just waves bye-bye to me. Little stinker. I would be offended by this but when I pick him up from daycare, his face still lights up to see me, so he likes me ok still! :)
That's all the news I can think of right now, but my baby is growing like a weed so look out for more updates soon!
Dominick has been crawling for about a month and a half now and pulling himself to a standing for almost a month, but now he is even more mobile! He used to only be able to pull himself to a standing if he could grab on to something, like the coffee table or couch. Not anymore. If he can balance against something, he is up. In the picture below, Nick, Andrew, Angela and I were all outside. Angela and I were on the sidewalk and Nick was taking our picture (the marathon picture in the previous post) while Andrew was watching Dom through the screen door. Well Dom wanted to be with us. He crawled to the glass door and stood up just leaning against the door! (It was a challenge getting back in without knocking him down - let me tell ya!)
So now he is just standing all over the place (but still not completely on his own). Not only is he standing but he is walking around the furniture! If he is holding onto the coffee table and he wants something on the other side, he'll walk along the coffee table while holding on to get around it. Walking?!?!? Again, not on his own, but still!
Well, as if that wasn't enough, now Dommie has discovered stairs. And he can CLIMB UP THEM! This is the update that terrifies me the most, because he doesn't understand going down them and sometimes he loses his balance. Now don't get me wrong, we never leave him near stairs without us in arm's reach. We actually don't usually even let him near the stairs period, but last night I was downstairs with Nick and Dom, and I went upstairs and Dom tried to follow me. Nick was with him the whole time, but Dom crawled to the stairs and proceeded to climb up the first few steps (with Nick's hand on his back). How scary is that?? My baby isn't a baby anymore! He's a little man.
AND, Dommie now has 4 teeth! The top two are just starting to cut through his gums but they are there. They are coming in together. So my baby has 4 teeth! That's crazy too!
He is starting to talk more and more. His favorite sounds are still da-da, but we're getting some pretty good ba-ba's, ya-ya's and even a few na-na's. Still no ma-ma's, but we'll get there soon enough.
Dommie is beginning to be a Daddy's boy now too. He loves coming to me if Daddy's not around but if his Daddy is there, look out. He squirms to get out of my arms and into Nick's and then just waves bye-bye to me. Little stinker. I would be offended by this but when I pick him up from daycare, his face still lights up to see me, so he likes me ok still! :)
That's all the news I can think of right now, but my baby is growing like a weed so look out for more updates soon!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Half Marathon
It's over. I did it. And I must admit I'm pretty darn proud of myself and my whole family. Here's how the race stuff went.
Saturday night:
Went to Nick's niece's birthday party and then drove to Florissant to get my mom's car so Nick and Andrew could ride around the race with two car seats. Got home around 9:30. Packed my stuff and laid out my race day stuff so I wouldn't have to scramble in the morning. Packed Dommie's diaper bag so we wouldn't need to worry about that in the morning. Went to bed about 10:30-10:45.
Sunday morning:
Woke up continuously all night for fear of oversleeping. Finally got up at 4:45. I woke up with a horrible cold!! Couldn't breathe. My nose was running. I felt awful and was really nervous about how I was going to run! But still I got dressed, put in my contacts and brushed my teeth. I went to Schnucks to get a package of bagels so I could have one before the race. I got home, woke Nick up, woke Dommie up and started getting him ready to get on the road.
We left our house about 5:30 a.m. and traffic was horrendous. Seriously. There were so many people headed to the race that we were going to be late! Luckily, somehow, Nick knows his way around St. Charles and we took a different route and we got there in plenty of time, close to 6:45 a.m. We found my sister, who was also running in the race and her husband and daughter. Dominick was wide awake and ready to go! He couldn't stop laughing! Just giggling and trying to play with Cecilia the whole time! I was glad he was so happy because this was going to be a long day.
Around 7, Angela and I left our families and lined up according to our pace. They had this "corral" for everyone to line up in. They had pacers who were running at specific paces the whole time so you could try to keep up with them and know how fast you were going. I originally lined up in the 11 minute mile pace, but with all the confusion at the start I actually started closer to the 10 minute mile group.
The RACE:
All in all, it went well! I had my iPod to listen to my newly added 'Half Marathon' running mix and starting was fairly easy. I could tell that my training has been paying off, because the beginning was sooo easy to me. The first mile came so fast, I couldn't hardly believe it. I had to keep myself motivated so I kept breaking the race down, mile by mile. When I hit the first mile (which were designated by big signs on new Lexus vehicles - VERY easy to spot) I told myself, you are 1/13th of the way there. You can do that 12 more times. No problem.
I hit mile 3 and felt amazing. It was good to know that I can do a 5K pretty easily now. I hit the 6 mile mark and felt great. Now I know I can do a 10K ok. I also took some of my energy Gu at the 6 mile mark for a burst of energy. The 7 mile mark was when things got a little dicey. The 7th mile was running on highway 370 over the Missouri river. It is a pretty constant hill...a long one...a big one. It was tough. That's when I lost my pace. I saw the 11 minute mile guy come up behind me. I wanted to sprint ahead and keep under 11 minute miles. But I had no energy. Or no extra energy I should say.
We hit the 8 mile mark getting off the bridge and I felt better again. We were on a flatter surface and in a more populated area so there were fans yelling. That is always nice. It makes you do better and feel better. That didn't last long though. The next few miles were boring after that short burst of people. We ran along the river by a corn field and then through a park for a bit. NO fans here!! And it was sooo HOT! No shade and we've been running for awhile already so it was tough. I had to take more energy Gu around the 10 mile mark to keep me going.
And I was still talking to myself! Once we hit 10 miles, I was thinking, It's only a 5K now and I KNOW I can do a 5K. It's nothing. Then I hit 11 miles. Only 2 miles. 2 miles!! That's really nothing. Although I had a brain freeze for a second and when I was approaching 12 I forgot if it was 11 or 12 and if had only been 11 I might have cried. But it was 12! Only 1 more mile!! We were running through historic St. Charles now and the people were showing up again.
One cool thing was that our numbers had our names on them so people kept shouting for me and even though I probably didn't know them, it made me feel great!
When the people started cheering, I started speeding up. I was running a lot faster now. When I finally saw the finish line (probably about .3 miles away) I started running as fast as I could. I had a new rush of adrenaline! I was practically sprinting the rest of the way! Right before I crossed the finish line, I saw Nick and Dommie cheering me on! It was such a rush. And I did it.
After the race:
After I crossed the finish line, I grabbed a bottle of water. Then I was handed my medal. As I was putting my medal on, I heard over the loud speaker that the first full marathoner was about to finish. That person was fast! I knew that this would happen. I was actually afraid someone from the full marathon, would beat me, and one of my goals was to finish before a full marathoner, so woohoo! One goal met!
I went to the place where Nick and I said we would meet and found Angela and Andrew. I sat on the ground, took my shoes off and the soreness immediately set in. Nick and Dom found us in a few minutes time, and we just hung out for a minute. I couldn't move. I can't imagine doing a full marathon.
The results:
These are cut and pasted from the official website. I'll put in parentheses what everything means.
277 (The place I finished in my age group of 25-29 year old women)
MEGHAN
ST. LOUIS MO
516 (my racing number)
25 (age)
1407 (overall finish place)
2:26:00 (chip time or official time)
2:32:22 (clock time or unofficial time)
06:21 (time it took for me to get up to the start line from where I was in the "corral")
11:09/M (pace)
I was (and still am) extremely proud of myself. I'm just so glad I stuck with it. And did it. And finished.
I had four goals in mind when I started this race.
1) Just finish!! (that was my main goal)
2) Finish before a full marathoner finished
3) Run the whole thing (except for walking through water stations)
4) Finish in under 2 hours and 30 minutes
And I completed all four of my goals!
It was such a great experience. I do think I'd like to do it again sometime. But for right now I'm sticking to basketball and kickball. I'm going to wait at least one week, maybe two or three before I go for another long run!!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Happy Anniversary to me!
and Nick, I suppose!
Today is our 3 year wedding anniversary. It's crazy. Sometimes it feels like we've been married for a lot longer than that. And sometimes it feels like we just got married a few months ago!
I know everyone probably says this, but these last three years have been amazing. The best 3 years of my life. I wouldn't change any of it. And now the days will just get better and better now that Dommie is here with us.
Nick is a wonderful man, husband, friend. I'm so lucky that he picked me. He is the one person I want to call when I have good news. The one person I want to comfort me when I'm sad. The one person I look to for motivation when I'm trying to reach a goal.
Our first "real" date was to a Tim McGraw concert in July of 2004. From then on, our "song" was My Best Friend, by Tim McGraw. I love that song and I think it fits us perfectly.
Happy Anniversary Nick. I love you!
My Best Friend by Tim McGraw:
I never had no one
I could count on
I've been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin'
So tired of searchin'
'til you walked into my life
It was a feeling
I'd never known
And for the first time
I didn't feel alone
You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Every time I look at you
I don't know where I'd be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You're my best friend
You're my best friend, oh yeah
You stand by me
And you believe in me
Like nobody ever has
When my world goes crazy
You're right there to save me
You make me see how much I have
And I still tremble
When we touch
And the look in your eyes
When we make love
You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Every time I look at you
And I don't know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Every time I look at you
And I don't know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You're my best friend
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Half Marathon
And speaking of staying in shape, the half marathon is this weekend. Sunday morning! 7:00 am!
I'm really nervous still but excited it's almost here. I've been so worried about this for the last few weeks (months) that I'll be glad to get my first one over with. I'm already signing up for more 5K's and 10K's throughout the fall and winter and I think I'm going to do the St. Louis half marathon in April.
I think this first one will be the hardest and then I'll know what to expect.
If you aren't busy on Sunday morning and live in the St. Louis/St. Charles area, come on out and cheer me and my sis on! We'd love to see you!!
I'm really nervous still but excited it's almost here. I've been so worried about this for the last few weeks (months) that I'll be glad to get my first one over with. I'm already signing up for more 5K's and 10K's throughout the fall and winter and I think I'm going to do the St. Louis half marathon in April.
I think this first one will be the hardest and then I'll know what to expect.
If you aren't busy on Sunday morning and live in the St. Louis/St. Charles area, come on out and cheer me and my sis on! We'd love to see you!!
Fall Sports!
My sports are starting back up!
Kickball starts on Saturday! I'm very excited. We are going to the captain's meeting tonight so we'll get our schedule and everything tonight. We don't know what time our game is yet, but I'm excited for it either way!
Then next week starts Basketball again! We play on Wednesday nights again. Even though my sister can't play this chunk of the season with us, I'm excited to play again. I love basketball and it's such a good way to stay in shape!
Kickball starts on Saturday! I'm very excited. We are going to the captain's meeting tonight so we'll get our schedule and everything tonight. We don't know what time our game is yet, but I'm excited for it either way!
Then next week starts Basketball again! We play on Wednesday nights again. Even though my sister can't play this chunk of the season with us, I'm excited to play again. I love basketball and it's such a good way to stay in shape!
Winery Trip
If you couldn't tell, I'm kind of running through all the things we did this weekend. Monday we went to Crown Valley winery in St. Genevieve.
Nick, Andrew and Dad left early and went golfing first. Mom, Angie and I left around 10:30 and went straight to the winery. We did the wine tasting. You get to try 5 different wines (and two freebies - the red and white wines of the month) and get a glass. We brought a ton of food. Cheese and crackers, grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, bread, and homemade chicken salad. It was delicious.
Nick, Dad and Andrew met us after a few hours and we had some more wine and lunch. The winery is just gorgeous. And there was a band that played some really great 80's music.
Mom and Dad left first and Angie, Andrew, Nick and I (and the kiddos) decided to stay a little longer. When it was time to leave I realized that I left my car keys in my mom's purse. Luckily, Nick had his keys to my car so we were able to get home ok, but had to go to my parents house to get my keys. We did all this and as soon as we got home, we put Dommie down and we went to bed. We were in bed by 9:30 last night!
It seemed like with a good night's sleep, everything would be great today...wrong!
We forgot that Nick drove his truck to Angie and Andrew's to go to the winery. So Nick took my car to go and get his car! I had to call Mike and get a ride to my car today before we could go into work! Thank goodness Mike is a great friend! He came and brought me to my car so now everything is back to normal!
Despite the bad things, it was a great day yesterday. Good wine. Good food. Good family. Good weather. And good music. What else can you ask for??
RIP - Oscar :(
Now for a sadder story.
My friend, Michelle and her fiance (my cousin) have three dogs. Bailey, Oscar and Gus-Gus. Friday night, Michelle and Adam were with us at the couples shower. When they got home, they let the two older dogs out alone. Bailey and Oscar. Michelle and Adam hung out inside and then went to let the dogs in before going to bed. The dogs were gone. Adam yelled for them but they didn't come home.
They had done this before and always came back so Michelle and Adam went to bed expecting them to be home in the morning. They were going to drive around look for them but since they had both been drinking at the couple's shower and the dogs ALWAYS came back if they got out, they wouldn't chance driving around looking for them. I would've done the exact same thing.
They got a phone call the next morning that the pound found Bailey and had her in custody at the pound but Oscar had been hit by a car on the highway and didn't make it.
Michelle and Adam were so upset, and I completely understand. Anyone with pets understands that they become your family. I feel so bad for them that they are dealing with this. Especially so close to their wedding. They are getting married on September 18.
I'm so sorry Michelle and Adam. Oscar was such a good dog. We'll miss him at kickball. I love you both!!
Rest in peace Oscar.
My friend, Michelle and her fiance (my cousin) have three dogs. Bailey, Oscar and Gus-Gus. Friday night, Michelle and Adam were with us at the couples shower. When they got home, they let the two older dogs out alone. Bailey and Oscar. Michelle and Adam hung out inside and then went to let the dogs in before going to bed. The dogs were gone. Adam yelled for them but they didn't come home.
They had done this before and always came back so Michelle and Adam went to bed expecting them to be home in the morning. They were going to drive around look for them but since they had both been drinking at the couple's shower and the dogs ALWAYS came back if they got out, they wouldn't chance driving around looking for them. I would've done the exact same thing.
They got a phone call the next morning that the pound found Bailey and had her in custody at the pound but Oscar had been hit by a car on the highway and didn't make it.
Michelle and Adam were so upset, and I completely understand. Anyone with pets understands that they become your family. I feel so bad for them that they are dealing with this. Especially so close to their wedding. They are getting married on September 18.
I'm so sorry Michelle and Adam. Oscar was such a good dog. We'll miss him at kickball. I love you both!!
Rest in peace Oscar.
Bike Races!
Saturday my sister and I went to see the bike races at Francis Park. It was so interesting! Two of my sister's good friends are into bike racing and they are very good. We went to watch them on Saturday and it was so neat. There were booths selling food and drink there and plenty of places to watch. The way the race works is they race in a circle (1.3 miles around) for 45 minutes. There's lots of strategy in place for this, I learned! How fast they go, when they slow down, where they are in the pack, all of it is by design. It's not just racing as hard as you can for this beginning part. Then after the 45 minutes are up, they have to race 5 laps as fast as they can. I didn't think that I would think it was too exciting because they just go in circles, but it was very exciting and interesting! Especially those last 5 laps!
Next time there's another one, I think I'll have to go and watch.
Next time there's another one, I think I'll have to go and watch.
Couple's Shower!
This past Friday night there was a couple's wedding shower for two really good friends of mine, Lauren and Brian.
They are getting married on October 2. We are so happy for both of them! Nick and I were excited to get out and hang out with some friends on Friday night. We brought Dom. He was a good boy! After awhile though, it was time to put Dom down. I didn't think he was going to fall asleep at their house. We were being loud. But eventually he fell asleep and Nick and I were able to enjoy being out with our friends. We hung out until about 12:00 am and then headed home.
Dom was such a good boy. He went straight back to bed when we got home at 12:30am!
I am so happy for Lauren and Brian and can't wait until their wedding! Here's a picture of us girls at the shower!
PS - Thanks to Leslie for the pictures because I definitely stole them off her facebook page! :)
Friday, September 4, 2009
New Phone!
My phone broke about a week and a half ago. I have been borrowing my friend's grandmother's phone! It was time to get a new one. When we went to the Sprint store yesterday, I was eligible for an upgrade so I got to get a whole new phone! I looked at a few and thought I was going to get a Blackberry, but then we found a different one. It's a "green" phone. It's called the Samsung Reclaim and it's awesome. I absolutely love it. It's eco friendly and made with recycled materials. Everything that came with it was eco-friendly as well. All the instructions were on recylced paper. I love love love this phone!
Rules of marriage - by kids
I got this email from my cousin and I thought it was pretty funny! Enjoy!
Subject: Rules of Marriage Described by Kids
SOMEHOW, YA JUST GOTTA LUV A KID'S TAKE ON LIFE (and marriage) !!!
1. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
-You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10 (good plan, Alan)
-No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kristen, age 10
2. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10
3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF 2 PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8
4. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8
5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
-Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
-On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10
6. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
-When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7
-The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7
-The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
- - Howard, age 8
7. IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9
(bless you child )
8. HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is .........
9. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck !!!
-- Ricky , age 10
Subject: Rules of Marriage Described by Kids
SOMEHOW, YA JUST GOTTA LUV A KID'S TAKE ON LIFE (and marriage) !!!
1. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
-You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10 (good plan, Alan)
-No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kristen, age 10
2. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10
3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF 2 PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8
4. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8
5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
-Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
-On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10
6. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
-When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7
-The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7
-The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
- - Howard, age 8
7. IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9
(bless you child )
8. HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is .........
9. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck !!!
-- Ricky , age 10
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Back to Normal
Our daycare lady is back from vacation! Things are finally going to get back to normal.
Thanks to everyone who helped watch Dom for us these last 2 1/2 weeks. We really really appreciated it!!
Ms. Stella could hardly recognize Dom. When she left, he was just starting to crawl. Now he's all over the place, pulling himself to standing, saying Da-da all the time. It's amazing how much they can change in just 2 weeks!
Also, we finally measured him and got his 7 month "stats". Dom is 23 lbs. and 29" long. He's starting to level off, weight wise, but still feels like carrying a ton of bricks!
Thanks to everyone who helped watch Dom for us these last 2 1/2 weeks. We really really appreciated it!!
Ms. Stella could hardly recognize Dom. When she left, he was just starting to crawl. Now he's all over the place, pulling himself to standing, saying Da-da all the time. It's amazing how much they can change in just 2 weeks!
Also, we finally measured him and got his 7 month "stats". Dom is 23 lbs. and 29" long. He's starting to level off, weight wise, but still feels like carrying a ton of bricks!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Treadmills
are really hard to run on, in my opinion. It's so boring.
I had to run 9 miles last night. I didn't want to do it. I didn't feel like doing it. But I did it. I was (and still am) slightly sick so I was afraid of running outside and getting too far away from the house and feeling awful trying to get back. I also wanted to try using my "Gu" (energy gel) like you are supposed to for race day. You are supposed to take it 15 minutes before the race and every 45 minutes while running. I've heard horror stories about people having to um, use the bathroom, very badly, after taking the Gu. So another good reason to be on a treadmill and close to one if this should happen.
Luckily it did not.
But, it was still a l o n g time to run on a treadmill.
The down side of the treadmill:
1) it's boring
2) there's no incline (unless you set one, and that isn't the same thing - and you can always just change it back if it gets too hard)
3) it's boring
4) it's easy to tell yourself to stop or slow down or walk
5) it's really boring
6) no feelings of accomplishment during your run. I like to set little goals for myself (just make it to that stop sign and then you can walk (which I usually don't stop and walk but still), or just run up that hill and then you can take a break (which, again, I usually don't stop, but then I feel REALLY good about myself for not stopping after reaching my goal), etc.) and you can't do that as easily.
6) did I mention how boring it is??
The up sides of the treadmill:
1) you know exactly how far you ran, no guessing (I ran 9.05 miles last night)
2) you know exactly how long it took you (it took me 1 hour and 48 minutes)
3) you know your pace (I kept the treadmill anywhere from 4.5 miles per hour to 5.5 miles per hour and did the last 3/4 mile at 7.0 miles per hour - which averaged out to just under 12 minute miles or just under 5.0 miles per hour)
4) you know how many calories you burned (I burned 1310 calories last night!)
The worst part of running on the treadmill last night was my parents keep their treadmill in their storage room between the garage and the house, so there's no TV, no radio, nothing fun to look at whatsoever. Luckily I had my iPod. I listened to music for about 10 minutes and then I put on a movie. I watched Baby Mama. It was a little tough since the screen is so small and I was running but it was good. It kept me occupied. But the movie was only an hour and a half long, so I had to switch back to music for another 10 minutes.
I really can't believe that the half marathon is only 12 days away. I feel confident. I was able to do my run last night and felt pretty good doing it. Today I feel really good. I'm not hurting like I was last week after my 8 mile run. And I only have to do another 4 miles than what I did last night. That's not too much, right?!?!
My week is looking like this:
Tuesday - Stretch and Strength Training
Wednesday - 5 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 5 miles
Saturday - REST
Sunday - 10 miles
So it shouldn't be too bad. I should be able to do this. Two more weeks and then it's over...and I can start thinking of the next race to do to keep me in shape! I've worked too hard to quit after this race. Two more weeks. Two more weeks.
I had to run 9 miles last night. I didn't want to do it. I didn't feel like doing it. But I did it. I was (and still am) slightly sick so I was afraid of running outside and getting too far away from the house and feeling awful trying to get back. I also wanted to try using my "Gu" (energy gel) like you are supposed to for race day. You are supposed to take it 15 minutes before the race and every 45 minutes while running. I've heard horror stories about people having to um, use the bathroom, very badly, after taking the Gu. So another good reason to be on a treadmill and close to one if this should happen.
Luckily it did not.
But, it was still a l o n g time to run on a treadmill.
The down side of the treadmill:
1) it's boring
2) there's no incline (unless you set one, and that isn't the same thing - and you can always just change it back if it gets too hard)
3) it's boring
4) it's easy to tell yourself to stop or slow down or walk
5) it's really boring
6) no feelings of accomplishment during your run. I like to set little goals for myself (just make it to that stop sign and then you can walk (which I usually don't stop and walk but still), or just run up that hill and then you can take a break (which, again, I usually don't stop, but then I feel REALLY good about myself for not stopping after reaching my goal), etc.) and you can't do that as easily.
6) did I mention how boring it is??
The up sides of the treadmill:
1) you know exactly how far you ran, no guessing (I ran 9.05 miles last night)
2) you know exactly how long it took you (it took me 1 hour and 48 minutes)
3) you know your pace (I kept the treadmill anywhere from 4.5 miles per hour to 5.5 miles per hour and did the last 3/4 mile at 7.0 miles per hour - which averaged out to just under 12 minute miles or just under 5.0 miles per hour)
4) you know how many calories you burned (I burned 1310 calories last night!)
The worst part of running on the treadmill last night was my parents keep their treadmill in their storage room between the garage and the house, so there's no TV, no radio, nothing fun to look at whatsoever. Luckily I had my iPod. I listened to music for about 10 minutes and then I put on a movie. I watched Baby Mama. It was a little tough since the screen is so small and I was running but it was good. It kept me occupied. But the movie was only an hour and a half long, so I had to switch back to music for another 10 minutes.
I really can't believe that the half marathon is only 12 days away. I feel confident. I was able to do my run last night and felt pretty good doing it. Today I feel really good. I'm not hurting like I was last week after my 8 mile run. And I only have to do another 4 miles than what I did last night. That's not too much, right?!?!
My week is looking like this:
Tuesday - Stretch and Strength Training
Wednesday - 5 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 5 miles
Saturday - REST
Sunday - 10 miles
So it shouldn't be too bad. I should be able to do this. Two more weeks and then it's over...and I can start thinking of the next race to do to keep me in shape! I've worked too hard to quit after this race. Two more weeks. Two more weeks.
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