I'm Alive

Flat Miley went with us, but I knew I wouldn't be able to take her with me, so I took her picture with my bib number the night before.

I did it! My stomach turned in flip flops until I started running. That was probably {one of} the worst parts about it. I was in the car with Lane and the kids trying to stay warm and dry because it was anything but that outside, but I had to get out. I had to get moving. Once I was out and on my way to leave my jacket, meet a friend, and just let loose, I was so much better. I stopped thinking about how many miles lie ahead!

Karin and I together before splitting into our waves.

Once I got going I felt good. I felt great through most of the beginning of the race, and I kept a great pace. Lane brought the kids out to the race and I saw them at about 3.5 miles. I feel like I looked like a rockstar when I passed them. I'm not sure that I looked that way to people watching, but I felt it and that's what I needed! I hit the turnaround point, and there was Anna and her girls! I didn't think they were coming, so I was surprised and excited to see them. I was 6.6 miles down, and I had to do it all over again!

Some stranger told Anna that she crapped herself when she ran a half marathon. The woman didn't realize it, stopped to pee, found the culprit of the horrible smell she couldn't pinpoint, and she quit the race right then. It was Anna's joke that I wasn't allowed to do that! Good news...I didn't!

Turn around point!

After the turn around, I started to feel it. I knew I could make it to 10, I did that last week. Once I hit 10 miles I was wondering who thought this was a good idea! I was hurting and I still have a 5k ahead of me to finish. Then I hit 11 miles {I was one more mile closer} and then 12 miles. At mile 12, there residents of Carlsbad out at their driveway were pouring tequila shots. Yep, I grabbed one of those! I figured I deserved it and there was a water station close behind, so I was able to rinse the after taste! Who knows, maybe that was just the extra push I needed to not "feel" what I was doing to myself. Once I was beyond mile 12, we went down a hill and it was flat to the finish. I was hitting the high that I started with and only had half a mile left! I knew I could do it, and I pushed just a little bit harder. At 13 I saw Anna and the girls again and then rounded the corner and saw the finish.

I heard Lane and the kids cheering me on, but I knew that I needed to keep my eyes on the prize and just push to the end. I sprinted from the time I saw Anna until I got through to the end.

My phone tracking time. 

The live tracker on the main marathon page. My "official time" is 2:14:11. Not too shabby since my goal was 2:30!

Eden was keeping my finishers medal safe for me while I got my bag with my jacket.

Karin and I made it to the end!

I did it! It was hard, but I did it. I'm thinking of doing another one in April...I'll keep you posted just in case I'm still in my runners high!

Motherhood Is...{4}

My blessing this week is that this handsome man {the older of the 2 seen here} is home safe and sound!

For the past 2 weeks he's been on a road trip. Don't get me wrong, he had plenty of "down time" in Hawaii and Wake Island {the teeniest, tiniest place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean}, so he wasn't living a rough life by any means. This was the longest trip we've dealt with, just the 3 of us. When Lane went on his around the world trip he was gone longer, but the kids and I had already planned on a trip to Georgia, and it was right in the middle of his trip. We only had a few days on either end of his trip that we were alone. This time, it was 2 weeks, and it started out as only being a week. The extension of the trip and the unknown of when he was coming home {it changed every day, and some days more than once} was what was the worst part about it! The coolest part {in addition to him being home with us again} is that he was gone to escort a squadron coming home from deployment! I love that part of his job. He gets to be a part of so many exciting events for other people! How cool to get to accompany people who are getting to see family for the first time in months? So awesome!

The Time Has {Almost} Come!

Um, did I really agree to this?! I already got my shirt {and I obviously already wore it!} Do I really have to follow through now?! Every time I think about the race in the morning my stomach does a flip flop. I picked up my shirt and my bib number yesterday and I thought I was going to throw up. I can't tell what emotion I'm feeling most. I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm scared, I'm overwhelmed, and I'm pumped! Oh my goodness, this is really happening! I guess my next post will either be from my sick bed as I lay with heat or ice, or I'll still be on cloud 9 about finishing the race. Either way, I'll be done and I'll be able to say I did it {no matter how much I impress myself or not!} Here goes nothing...wish me luck!

Picture Post

We were watching a movie downstairs and she fell asleep before even getting up the stairs. She never falls asleep on me, or cuddles, so this was a real treat!

Eden and Cael playing doctor. They would say to each other, "Where's your heart?" and then proceed to listen to each others heart. They were playing so well together, I didn't want it to end!

Morning hike!

After our hike and our errands she told me she "wasn't tired" when it came time for nap time! Yeah, right!

This is how I found him one morning. Just hanging out in his crib!

Friends at the zoo. Charlotte, Eden, Grace, and Cael. Coen and Hunter were bound to strollers, so they missed out on the picture.

Saying Hi to Daddy. He re-gained cell service on his trip {he didn't have it for about a week} so we had to send a picture and try to video chat with him.

My view on a morning run. This is the girls after we were done with our run {and Anna}

Hunter is still trying to grasp how to use the bathtub crayons. So far, there's little success with the proper use.

Motherhood Is...{3}

My blessing this week is that I have happy and healthy kids!

I love that my kids will play well together. Hunter is falling more and more in love with Eden every day. Now that he's walking around he wants to do everything she does {good or bad!} They are 2 peas in a pod and they're perfect if I do say so myself! I mean, look how cute they are {minus the bed head that Eden is rocking!!} If I must wake up to the sound of cartoons, at least my view is cute and the sounds of the kids laughing together is even cuter.

One Week

One week from now I'll be drinking water like I'll never be able to get enough, and I'll be carb loading like crazy! I will be one step closer to getting to check something off my bucket list. I will be running a half marathon on Sunday - a week from tomorrow. I'm scared, but I'm excited.

My goal for the half is to complete it. I'm 100% confident that I'll be able to do that! I ran 10 miles the other day without the stroller and I won't have to push the stroller for the half either.

I've had great friends helping me along the way. Francie, who had me talked into the full marathon - I just wasn't mentally ready for it. Anna who ran with me and pushed me every run. Angie who ran with us and who watched my kids while i was on my 10 mile run. Not to mention Lane, who pushed me to sign up. I was trying every excuse in the book to back out of it, but he kept urging me and pushing me to do it!

I'm excited to see how it goes! The race starts at 7:45 pacific time. The main website for the run (www.carlsbadmarathon.com) will have live updates to track runners. I'm not exactly sure how it will work, but I know it will be there. If you want to see how my run is going you can check on me there!

2013

This year is already flying by! I can't believe I haven't put up any of our "daily" pictures! Time is just slipping by and I don't have a great excuse. At least I haven't been completely MIA and there's been some goings on on here!

Eden is really taking after me! She wanted to have a picture of her baby.

Ready for the Notre Dame game that night. {It didn't end in our favor!}

Eden helping Mrs. Cox at story time. They  were doing "Brown Bear" and Eden got to be the purple cat.

Eden asked me to lay on the beach with her. She put down a blanket and everything.

Now that Hunter drinks from a sippy cup, he thinks everything is a cup {even lotion!}

If Eden is showing the number 2 with her hands, this is how she does it! It looks awkward to me, but she's never done it any different.

The kids got to use the bath tub crayons during bath time. Eden was excited! 

Melts my heart! 

The day before this, Hunter cried on our run for a solid 50 minutes. This day he was sleeping the whole time. I had to take a picture to prove to Anna that he did this because, after the day before, she never would have believed me!

The morning of our 10k, this was the weather when I woke up. Cold and not getting much warmer!

The kids ready for the Flight Line Dash. I think they were a little less than thrilled!

When Mommy runs, Hunter gets tired! He's just too sweet!

Eden took her book to bed with her while she waited for me to nurse Hunter.  She fell asleep before I could read it to her though.

Times from the race. {Lane is actually Anna.}

The sunset from my bathroom window. Eden noticed the moon and I couldn't resist a picture!

Eden came up to me and told me she was Mr. Mark from Yo Gabba Gabba. The best part about this is that she is 100% correct because he's the Mark from Devo {"Whip It"} and they wear red "flower pots" on their heads.

I love when he sleeps like this!

What do you mean I shouldn't stand on the dishwasher?!

Eden and Hunter before bedtime. I wanted to send this picture to Lane since he's on the road and missing them.

Hunter was worn out from going to the playground that morning.

Eden's picture to send to Daddy. He was able to chat with us online when we got home, so it was nice to let him "see" us even if we couldn't see him.

Mommy's picture for Daddy! He isn't missing just the kids ya know!

Eden took a nose dive off the picnic table onto the patio. I was so concerned with her goose egg on her head that I didn't even notice that she bumped her nose too! You can't even tell she hit her head, but man, that nose! Owie!!!

Motherhood Is...{2}

My blessing this week is that my kids get to see me living a healthy and active lifestyle and that we can roll with the punches and make the best of our situation.

I ran my first 10k since having kids on January 12! {I wish there was a better picture of me - like, from the front - but this was the only one that they took of us!} I was scared, but because I grew up with the Peachtree Roadrace being the "norm" when it came to races, it was also no big thing {sort of.} I've run a few 10ks in my life, and I was ready to conquer this quest with the kids. The only bummer about it {other than the hills that were huge} was that Lane was supposed to run with me and he flew out for a road trip that morning. The run was the Flight Line Dash and it was put on by the Officers' Wives Club on base. The run is a fundraiser for the OWC and they raise money to donate to the Wounded Warriors. I was excited to be a part of it and the kids were great. My time for the race was 1:04, so it was pretty good for 6 miles with the stroller. There's a huge thanks to my friend, Anna, for pushing me on our weekly runs together and for cheering me on {and pushing the stroller part way} throughout the race. She and her husband run faster than I do, so it was nice to have a running buddy {or 2} through the run.

10 Months

Another month closer to Hunter being ONE YEAR old!!! How is it possible?! He's cutting 4 teeth at once {all on top} so he doesn't like anyone or anything right now...and we're not too fond of his behavior either for that matter! I've had to break down and give him both Tylenol and Motrin throughout the day to make him bearable. I tried to go for a run {before getting on the medicine route} and he cried the entire 45 minutes I was running. He didn't want food, he didn't want to lay down or sit up, he didn't want his tiger {gasp!} and he didn't want a paci. There was nothing for me to do for him! Once these teeth come in I'm hoping to get my sweet baby back.

He's also officially a walker. He's learning how to stand from sitting, rather than only being able to pull up on something to stand. He likes the challenge of walking, but if he loses his balance he'll sit and crawl. I think this goes back to not being able to stand from sitting though. Today he was a walking maniac! He loved being on the move and he's starting to catch himself before he falls, regather himself, and start again.

Still no "mama" and he's not wanting to sign for us. This can make some days really long. He screams to get attention, and then I try to get him to sign and he doesn't really want to have anything to do with it. He'll get excited to see the signs, but he doesn't want to use them himself. I'm just going to keep on with them because I'm hoping that he'll pick up on them and start "communicating" with us instead of yelling at us! I don't like the dinosaur squawk he has going on right now.