Crazy cat lady

I would apologize for not blogging in several months, but...its life.  Ya know?

What brought me back was actually a google search.  I typed in "turning down doula clients", sort of looking for professional wording to do that exact thing.  My OWN blog popped up.  In it, I mention having around 1 client a month.  Wow.  That was a LONG time ago.  Or, it feels like it was.

In October, I have 4 clients.  Thankfully, one of them already gave birth (in one of my favorite births so far.  If every birth could be that perfect...) but I have 3 more left.  2 of them are due in the next few days.  Of course, if I let it, I start getting anxiety with the timing of those births.  What if they go at the same time?  What if I'm at a birth during Eliza's birthday party? (total rabbit train, but, guys, she's going to be TWO next week!!)  What if I have a birth every weekend and I can't get in my long runs.

Long runs you say?  Oh, yeah.  I've been training for a half marathon.  For several months now.  Which, who knows if I'll even be able to run said race.  I hurt my knee Saturday running 12 miles (another aside- did you know I WALKED the mile in high school.  yeah.  I did.  And that same lady/girl ran 12 miles Saturday.)  somewhere around mile 10.  But, I was two miles from my car.  I had to get there some way or another.  You probably know all of this if you're my face book friend.  Since, I basically had a breakdown there about my knee.

I had another break down last night.  I was at the counter, making dinner.  E tried to hug me, but when I'm stressed (which I was) I don't like to be touched.  He asked why I was stressed and asked what he could do.  My answer went like this:

"well, I am overwhelmed.  I'm trying to make dinner and Isaac and Eliza are fighting for a turn to watch and help me.  I have to make something separate for Eliza and I tonight, so have to make two different dinners.  I'm sick of making two different dinners.  The kids never eat theirs anyway.  The kids never listen.  They left their stuff all over when they got home.  This house is a mess.  There are things everywhere.  We're having small group here tonight and there's crumbs all over the rug.  2 of my clients are due this weekend, and I need them to go at different times, but not on top of each other.  Then again, I don't even know if I can DO my job with the way my knee hurts.  My knee hurts so bad.  I'm scared I'm not going to be able to run my half.  What if I have to stop running for a long time?!?  I'm going to gain weight."

E's response:  "well, I can vacuum the rug."

Which, really, is about the only thing in that long list of things that any of us can control, right?

Thailand, half marathons, doula stuff

Well, I'm officially "out there" as a doula. I ordered a shirt and everything.  I've had an average of a birth a month, (2 in may!) and I've been going on more interviews.  The awesome thing, right now, is that I can pretty much work with most of the people who want to hire me.  I haven't had to turn someone down due to over scheduling, yet.  (although, I did turn someone down for a home birth.  Which, just killed me.  I just can't do it while midwife assisted births are still illegal in Alabama.  Once that's legal, I'm all over it!)

I'm super excited because my next client who is due is attempting a VBAC!  VBACs are especially dear to me because of my own VBAC experiences with my 3 youngest.  Its not that every vaginal birth isn't special, its just that there's this amazing realization for a VBAC mom when she has her first (and second and third) baby vaginally that she's not "broken".



So, speaking of doula stuff, I have to already start thinking about how close to our Thailand trip I'll take clients.  (Did you know E and I are going to Thailand??  For our 10th anniversary trip, even though it'll be close to 11 years.)  We've started looking at hotels and are likely going in February.  One of my dear friends is pregnant and due in the beginning.  She hasn't asked me to be her doula, nor do I expect her to, but I want to make sure we're around if she needs anything from us.

There's this super long list of things I'd like to do before we go to Thailand.  Thankfully, "lose weight" isn't on my list this year, (I hit 1 year as a life time member of Weight Watchers this week.) But, odder things made the list.  Things that likely won't happen, but its a dream list.  Here it is:

1. Get Lasik.  I was going to get it done last year, but was hesitant to do it while I was still nursing Eliza.  I'm still nursing her now, but will likely stop some time around age 2.  Or will be down enough to go ahead with the surgery.  I keep thinking about how nice it would be to not have to deal with contacts, cases, solution on a 40 hr trip over there and back.  Plus, you know, not having to worry about salt water in my contact in the ocean.

2.  Buy a super hot, non-momish, bathing suit that covers my stretch marked stomach. (Unless we some how hit the lotto and I get a tummy tuck and breast lift.)

3. Get a bikini wax.  I've heard the more times you go, the longer it stays away and it hurts less.  Not sure if I buy that, but I'm thinking about giving it a go.

4. Have bunion surgery.  See.  I told you it was a weird list. My bunion on my right foot has been hurting.  It goes through spurts of hurting/not hurting.  Its on a hurting spurt now.  It hurts most after I run or walk long distances. Obviously, we'll likely be doing some walking on our trip.  I'd love to be pain free.



Running.  Yeah.  I just put it out to the world via instagram that I'm planning on running a half marathon in the fall.  I started training yesterday.  I know.  Its crazy.  I am not a runner.  Or, that's what I always thought.  If my life was a newspaper, this story would read "girl who passed out at track meet and quit attempts to run a half marathon at age 31."

After training for my 10k, and not dying, or even feeling the need to die, I started to believe in myself a little.  Maybe I am a runner.  If I can run 6.2 miles with out much struggle, maybe I can run  8.  Or 10. Maybe I can run 13.1.  If I can't, at least I can say I tried, right?

my hotdog got run over by a reindeer grocery cart

Yesterday went like this:

Take Isaac to gymnastics.  While at gymnastics, he has a coughing fit.  I, then, realize that  I forgot to give him his nebulizer.  (crap!)  Every one is giving us the stink eye.  You know, because he's gagging from heavy coughing and sounds like he may vomit.

While we are at gymnastics, Eliza seems to be walking funny.  Like crooked.  She seems to be a tad congested, so I'm starting to wonder if she has fluid in her ears and is just thrown off.

I gather the children up and head to Costco.  I love, love, and adore Costco.  Love it.  However, the major downside is that its on the other side of town.  There's no "good" way to get there.  Oh, there's a straight shot road from my house to Costco, but there's about 11 hundred stop lights between here and there.  (They're almost always red.  Especially when you're in a hurry!)

Eventually, I get to Costco.  I have intentions of getting hot dogs for lunch (mine with out a bun to be dairy free!) and then cruise around for a few grocery items, a gift for a friend, and Isaac's cool chair for his birthday. 

When I pull into the parking lot, I realized I forgot to pack Isaac's drink.  It wasn't a huge deal, since they sell drinks with the hot dog meals.  But, I usually bring him a sippy cup and forgo the pop/lemon aid and get him water.  I check my email and find that I got another doula job! (woot!!)

I grab the kids, throw them into a cart, and head in to return something.  We make our way to the food, buy our goodies, and move onward towards the awesomeness that is Costco at Christmas.  I find Isaac's chair (I was so worried it would be sold out!) and am confounded as to how to get it into my cart with the kids.  I move Isaac into the front seat, which he says he DOES NOT LIKE!  While he's shouting, I'm finagling the very large box into our cart, and my phone starts ringing.  I glance at the number and realize it is the big-kids' school.  I set the box down, ever so gently (bawaawa!) and talk to the school nurse.  O is crying/screaming/freaking out because her ear hurts. 

While I'm on the phone, Isaac tries to "help" and put his drink next to mine, in the back of the cart.  Except, he only has the arms of a 3 year old, and not Stretch Armstrong arms.  The drink falls 2 feet short of the actual cart, busts open, and spills its, very full, contents all over the floor. I hang up the phone, after telling the nurse I'll be there in.... um.... its lunch time and I'm at Costco, so... 45 minutes to an hour?  I have to find some one to come clean this mess up because my measly 10 paper napkins just isn't cutting it.  I'm searching around, and even find a friendly lady who is willing to help me find a worker.  I finally find a guy with a name tag, ask him if he works here, and tell him of my shame.  Thankfully, he takes care of it.

Shortly after, I make O a dr. appointment for 45 minutes from now.  That's all they have left.  I'll never make it in time to pick her up AND head to the doctor.  I enlist E's help.  (which sucks since he had to be out all day on Monday for O's growth hormone testing.)  He plans to pick her up and agrees to meet me at the doctor. 

Meanwhile, Eliza takes my bun less hot dog that's wrapped like a burrito in a piece of foil and tugs on it.  It rolls out of its packaging, and right onto the floor.  As I'm moving forward to get it, another person's cart runs right over it.  Cutting my hot dog in half. 

I rush through the line, pay for my things (which, after upon returning home, realize I forgot over half of my things.)  I have no lunch, and no time to buy a new hot dog.  So, I eat dried fruit and nuts for lunch.  Along with my diet coke.  Lunch of champions mommies.

Eliza screams almost the entire time in the car.  I make decent time, and get to the doctor on time.  While in the waiting room, Eliza seems to be getting sicker.  O's pediatric endocrinologist calls.   I take the call outside, but I can hear Eliza screaming for me as I walk out the door.  The doctor is calling to tell us that O's tests confirm a growth hormone deficiency.  He wants to schedule a MRI as soon as possible and get moving on growth hormone injections. 

I walk back into the waiting room, sort of in a daze.  Our favorite nurse calls us back.  She takes a few notes about O, glances at Eliza and says "oh no!  she looks sick!"  She is looking pretty sick.  Running a fever, too.

Our pediatrician comes in, looks in O's ear, declares an infection.  she also glances Eliza's way and says "she looks rather puney."  I asked her if she could just glance in her ears because she was walking funny earlier.  There's nothing in her ears, except Eliza's pure hatred of being messed with.  at all.  Especially when she's sick.  the dr. listens to her chest and it sounds yucky. Eliza gets her finger pricked (which she also hates, in case you were wondering!) and we are left with a diagnosis of it being viral, but to call if her fever spikes or her walking deal doesn't resolve in the next day or two.

On the way home, I'm starting to reflect on the Endocrinologist's call. 

I feel....relieved. 

 

But, also nervous. 

 

Relieved that all of the things we knew in our hearts were right.  Like how my breast milk WAS fatty enough when she was a baby and didn't grow.  How we DO feed her enough calories and fat.  How she isn't just tiny. 

 

But, nervous for what lies ahead. 

 

 Possibly daily injections.  Until puberty. 

 

Rapid growth. 

 

Big changes for her.  How will this affect her self image?  She's always been the smallest.  Always.  I would think, after almost 8 years, it'd start to be part of your identity.  How will that change when she starts growing 5 inches?  How will she see herself?  How will others see her?  (obviously, we want her to be the height she should be.  I'm not saying these things will change our course of action.  It just has me thinking.)  I imagine it would be similar to some one losing a lot of weight, or even gaining a lot of weight, in a short period. 

 

But, again, relieved.  Relieved to not have to do any more testing (other than the MRI.)

We arrive home and lay the littles down for naps.  When Eliza wakes up, her fever is up to 104.  I call the doctor's office.  Unfortunately, they left for the day ten minutes prior. 


We medicate both girls, and bathe and nurse and cuddle.  Praying prayers of thanksgiving for a treatable diagnosis.Praying tomorrow is filled with a peace that passes all understanding.  Praying the best for my baby girl O, and all of my kids.

It ended like that.

"un"

me:

unhealthy (cold, then tummy bug)
unproductive (see above)
unmotivated (ditto)
unathletic (again, with the above. but, possibly not a word. lol)
uninspired
unclean (mainly because of all of vomit in our house right now)
under weight (okay, maybe not under weight.  but, being sick does have SOME advantages.)
unorganized
undereducated
unprepared


but also:

happy
content
blessed

Its amazing how 3 things can outweigh the lengthy "un" list.

On suppliments, bruising, and hating excersise

I'm fairly certain I need some more calcium in my diet.  Between my thyroid medication (which depletes calcium) and my lack of dairy intake, I'm not bringing in the bone reinforcements.  Before Eliza's allergy testing, I bought a giant bottle of calcium (and another bottle of folic acid) supplements.  After we found out that I needed to cut out soy, it took me a while to figure out why she was still having symptoms.  Some one told me to check out my vitamins.  Sure enough, my calcium supplement has soy letchin.  I've been so frustrated with the fact that I spent $15 on a supplement that I can't take that I have yet to replace them with anything else (it doesn't help that I haven't been able to find a soy free one in the regular grocery store.)  I know its stupid, since you know, the only one I"m hurting is ME. But, man, it makes me MAD!

Speaking of supplements, I think I may have to have my iron tested again.  (I had it tested during my pregnancy with Eliza, and it was above average.)  I've been bruising like a peach, and most of the bruises I have no idea where they came from.  (Although, if I'm honest, I'm a little more clumsy than the average bear.)  Gauging my tiredness level is no help.  I'm fairly certain anyone with 4 kids, one of whom eats 1-2 times a night, is tired.  I got over my fear of blood draws a long time ago, but I'm still putting this off.  Mainly because I have a fear of waiting rooms.  Okay, so maybe its not a fear, per se, but a much-deserved dreading.  Those labs are always small, busy, filled with old people, half of whom don't like children, and have tons of things that my preschooler and baby shouldn't be playing with but they desperately want to play with. 

While I'm on the topic of being tired, I've been trying to run in the mornings before E goes to work (versus in the evening, before bed).  Its.....um.....a challenge.  E leaves between 5:45 and 6.  So, I have to be back from my run between 5:45 and 6.  Even with my early risers, that's dang early.  (Especially with a 1 and 3 am wake up calls for milk.)  This morning, I happened to wake up about 10 minutes before my alarm.  I laid there, the entire 10 minutes, arguing with myself on whether or not I was going to get my butt out of bed and run.  Yes I am, no I'm not.  I'm going to sleep.  I'm getting up.  I don't want to.  I have to.  UGH!  Fine.  I'm up.  Sure, in the end, I did it.  I'm glad I did it because now its over and I don't have to think about it.  But, man, those few minutes of talking to myself are exhausting.  I wish I had a natural love of running.  So, it'd be like getting up early to have a cup of coffee by myself.  That, I would rarely argue about.

 

Did I ever share back to school pictures?  The big kids went back to school last week.  They are both loving it (which is such a blessing!)  A came home from school every day last week and said "school is awesome!"  That is music to a momma's ears, folks. Isaac doesn't start until next week, after labor day, but he's excited as well. We're getting back into a routine, which sort of helps every one.  I pretty much suck at schedules/routines during the summer.  But, yet, we all seem to thrive on one.  Maybe next summer, I'll pony up.

 

Me and my munchkins on the first day of school

Its a me party

5:15 E's alarm clock goes off and wakes me up.  Which scares and shocks me all at the same time.  See, I'm not normally even in our bedroom when E gets up.  I normally move to Eliza's room after her early morning (2-4 am) feeding and sleep on the bed in her room.

6:00 the boys are awake and giggling in their room.

6:15 O is up and E is out the door.  I take the bigger 3 kids out back to play and eat breakfast on the patio.

7:00 Bananas in Pajamas (are coming down the stairs!) for the kids, and I dive into my coupons. My Internet keeps crashing.  I almost through my stupid mouse at the computer screen.

8:30 Eliza finally wakes up.  I'm super engorged, so she keeps pulling off during "breakfast" and it hurts so much I want to cry. (thrush, anyone??)

9:45 Finally finish coupons. 

9:50 we head to the bank, then to the store to buy our groceries.  Where I have to tell the older kids to "please stop talking to me for a few minutes!  I'm trying to THINK!"  So, yeah.  A tiny bit excited that I'll only be taking 2 to the grocery store with coupons next week.

11:00 Make lunch for the older kids and put Eliza down for a nap.

12:00 Get big kids settled in for quiet time.  Lay down with Isaac, in hopes that he'll take a nap.

1:00 Its a no-go for the nap.  I laid with him for a half hour, and I can hear him pounding on something in there.

1:03 I decide to try to make the paper lanterns I have planned for Eliza's party.  Unfortunately, I've bought the wrong sized dixie cup.  Dagnabbit.

1:30 I sweep and mop the floors.  Isaac freaks (he's not a huge fan of the mopping.  "too swippewy, mommy!") so I send him and O outside to paint.

2:00 Painting seems to be a hit with Isaac.  O is done because most of the "good" colors are dried up. Eliza's up, I feed her a snack while I finish my chores.

2:30 I'm getting a headache.  Seems to happen a lot around this time every day.  Maybe its because I didn't eat lunch.  Speaking of food, Crap!  I forgot to put dinner in the crock pot!  HIGH setting it is.  

3:20 its too late for "lunch", but I have got to eat something.  Coffee?  Salted Carmel latte??  Yes.  I eat an apple and some almonds, too.

4:00 time to feed shark baby (its what she feels like when she eats right now) and put her down for another nap.

4:30 E's home.  Time to go run!

Because she's cute

I haven't had time to blog lately, as I'm sure you can tell.  Between O's FTT repeat diagnosis, following blood tests, dietitian appointments, and anxiety therapy (which, as a total aside, can I send a bill to the parents of a child in my daughter's class for more therapy?  because we were about to get released, then she started picking on O during recess, which caused her anxiety to kick up into high gear again.  Y'all, I know the mom.  I'm this [ ] close to sending her the bill with an attached note to ask her daughter to please be kind, or at least not overly hurtful.) plus Eliza's doctor appointments, and now GI appointments, and probably allergist appointments, my dentist appointments, the kids dentist appointments.

Plus school.  Plus dance.  Plus swim.  Plus groceries and homework and housework and running and weight watchers and getting ready for my brother's wedding and and and and LIFE.

Surely this will slow down this summer.  Right?

Well, I have blog posts in mind.  That will likely never actually make it to my blog.  Because of life.  But, pictures.  Well, I'll keep posting those.  Because, let's face it, I'd be doing a disservice to the world by not posting this cuteness.

Fresh Diet Pink Lemonade

The weather has been ah-mazing here.  Upper 70s, lower 80s.  I love it.

With the warm temperatures, I've been craving some yummy, cold, refreshing drinks.  Like lemonade (the real stuff!)  Aldi's happened to have lemon's on sale for $.99 a bag!  Then, I rounded the corner and found the $.79 strawberries!  I snagged a few of each the other day and decided to make some pink lemonade this week. 

I don't know if I'm just a lousy searcher, and I don't use the right keywords when looking for things.  Or, if there truly wasn't a good, yummy, fresh homemade recipe for Strawberry Lemonade (that didn't include club soda or simple syrup) on Pinterest.  Either way, I searched and searched and couldn't find one.  So, I made my own.

The awesome part about this lemonade?  Its diet and it only cost me $1.92 (with tax!) to make the entire pitcher.

My Fresh Diet Pink Lemonade

Ingredients:
6 Lemons, room temperature
1 16 oz package of Strawberries (washed)
7 packets (or more to taste.  I like my lemonade kind of tart) of Stevia (though Splenda would work well, too)
1 cup of water (and about 1.5 quarts added at the end)
Ice
Sprig of mint

You'll need a lemon juicer and a knife to cut your lemons and strawberries

*Wash and cut your strawberries. 

*Put into your 2 quart drink container and set aside.  I mashed mine a little bit with my pampered chef mixing do-dad.  But, you can mash yours with a fork a little bit if you want.  

*Roll each lemon back and forth a few times before cutting it.  I read something somewhere (isn't that the way it always is?  I can never remember WHERE I read it.) that you get more juice from your lemon if you roll it before cutting and juicing it.  It seems to work well.

*Juice each lemon half.  (I absolutely LOVE my lemon juicer from Pampered Chef.) 

*Pour the lemon juice over the strawberries and let them sit together for a while.

*Meanwhile, heat your cup of water up per your method of choice. I  put mine in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes. 

*Stir in your packets of sweetener. 

*Pour water/sweetener mixture over strawberry and lemon juice combo.  Stir well.

*Add extra water and ice until you have 2 quarts of lemonade.

*Pour into your pretend-I'm-on-a-tropical-island-alone-glass, garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint, that you took from your neighbor's herb garden, and enjoy. (You could even go further and do a little sugar on the rim of your glass if you wanted to be super fancy)

I did find that wasn't super pink the first day, but the second day it was a glorious color!  I'd recommend making it a day ahead to achieve a beautiful color pink.



It was so.stinking.yummy.  Normally E doesn't really care for my low-calorie re-dos.  However, even he raved over this, saying "its very refreshing!" 

There you have it.  Diet Pink Lemonade.  Yum!

Staring me in the face

We finally had Isaac's birthday party.  On his 13 month "birth"day.  Since we had to reschedule, I invited ALL of the 40 people I invited the first time (which was scheduled for right after Christmas, and only 4 people were coming the first time around) despite E's pleas.  (seriously?  Like I could un-invite people?) Since most of us had been snowed in all week, I think a lot of people were desperate to get out of the house.

My original plan for Isaac's birthday was to get cupcakes from a cupcake place here.  That way, there wouldn't be a lot of left-overs.  That plan changed. Seeing as I didn't want to make 40 cupcakes myself, (and I certainly didn't want to pay $3 a piece for them) I decided to order a Costco cake.

It turned out pretty darn cute.  His party was snowman themed, so it worked.  Plus, Costco cake is yum-o.

See the inside of it?  Its like a whipped chocolate fluff. 

Oh, so yummy. (Isaac thought so, too.)

See, here's the problem.  The Costco cake said it would feed 35 people.  We had 35 rsvp's.  I kind of knew that some people wouldn't have cake, so there would be some left overs.  However, I didn't realize that Costco does every thing in bulk.  Including their cake "servings". 

I have, at least, a quarter of that cake in my fridge.  Staring me in the face.  Daring me to eat it.  Gosh, I think I hear it calling my name. 

Did I mention I'm still trying to lose some weight? (not much, but I'm pretty sure the cake would be counter-productive to reaching my goal.)

Do they make fridge locks for adults?

this is what happens when you don't blog for a long time

You end up with a bullet post.  Like this.

*I'm currently eating popcorn.  I'm starving, but I'm trying to "save myself" for all the goodies I'll be having later tonight at a Christmas party.  Popcorn (the low fat kind) is basically like eating air, caloric wise.  But, it gives my mouth something to do.

*We bought our first ever fake Christmas tree this year.  I didn't really want to fight with Isaac about eating pine needles.  It just isn't worth it.   I got a super deal on Black Friday on new tree at Home Depot. So super, that if we decide to throw it away after this year, we'll still be spending less then on a live Christmas tree. 

*O lost a tooth a few weeks ago, and is about ready to loose another!  She looks stinking cute.

*O is a woman after my own heart.  We sent her to school yesterday with $4 for the "penguin patch", a little store where they pick out gifts for family members.  She bought one for each of us, and 3 for herself.

*I've lost weight recently.  From running, or eating right- I'm not sure which.  But, I'm down to a weight I haven't been since before O.  Of course, it feels like it mostly came off my breasts and thighs.  Two places I was fine with before I lost weight.  Can I make a request for the next few pounds to be off my stomach, please? 

*I hate the cold.  Not new news, but still true.

*Isaac's birthday is in 6 days.  SIX DAYS!  oh.my.gosh. 

*E's 30th birthday is in 6 days!  Oh.my.gosh.  When did HE get so old?

*I's heading to the ENT at the end of this month from all of his ear infections and sinus infections.  Fun times.  I'm hoping they have answers for us about his speech. 

*A told his friend today, "I can run as fast as a hyena!"  Two nights ago, we were talking before bed.  He was rambling on and on about whatever was popping into his brain.  One minute, we were talking about God.  The next, he was talking about daddy growing a beard, and how he might not be able to talk if it was over his "wips".  He cracks me up.

*We didn't buy the big kids one toy this year for Christmas.  They don't use the ones they have, and they'll get plenty from the Grands.

*Can I just take a second to mention how happy I am that we will not be traveling to Michigan for Christmas?  I'm SO HAPPY!  My parents are coming down here, so we'll still get to see my family.  But, we won't have to do that drive, with that baby of ours who likes to scream in the car seat.  He still hates it.  Just as much as he did when he was 2 months old.  Except now, he can scream louder and longer.

*I don't think companies should require people to travel in the month of December.  Especially men with 3 children and a wife at home.  Just saying...

*I have the baby itch.  its bad.  Really bad.

I swore I'd never be that person

"what person?" you ask.

You know, the one who said  "I want to run so bad!" or "I love running." 

I can tell you that I am keeping my promise to myself.  Sort of. 

While I won't go as far to say that I love running, I will say that I'm hating it less and less.  If I'm being completely honest, I'll even go as far in saying that I've enjoyed it a time or two. 

Everyone I ever talked to that enjoyed running has said to me "Oh, I used to hate it to.  But, now I love it."  I also thought those people were crazy.  Like running hippies or something.  I just couldn't imagine ever liking something that made me look so absurd, and made me feel like I was dying.

A few months ago (maybe 4 or so) I started adding some running to my work out routine (mainly because I have a 10 year high school reunion coming up and I wasn't getting the results I wanted from just the weights.)  I'd run 1/2 a mile, do my weights, sit ups, etc. then run another 1/2 mile.  Even after 2 months of that, I still hated running.  I watched the treadmill stats like it was going out of style, and as soon as that little odometer reached .5 I flung the red emergency magnet off.

I would come home and tell E how I loathed running.  How I hated the way it made me feel.  He suggested, gently, that I may be pushing myself too hard.  I was, after all, a new runner.  Maybe I was running too fast and too much at once.  I've never been good at pacing myself, so this made sense.

I knew that a lot of my friends have had wonderful success with the Couch to 5K program.  I decided to give it a try. 

I didn't start on week one, since I had been running some and I wasn't really starting from the "couch".  I started on week two.  At first, I started on the treadmill.  As summer has transitioned into fall, I have started running outside (but, still in the early a.m. or later in the evening since its still quite warm during the day here.)  We started doing some of the running as a family.  Putting some kids in the jogger, some riding bikes.  Those, honestly, are my favorite times.  They keep me entertained. :)

On Wednesday, I hit a major milestone.  (If you're my friend on Facebook or Twitter, I'm sure you've heard all about it.)  I ran 2 full miles, with out stopping.  This is the longest I have ever run straight.  (Except in my days on the track team in high school.  They were short lived. That's a whole different story that I'll have to tell someday.  Its pretty funny.) 

Guess what!  I didn't hate it!  I actually didn't loathe it.  Maybe it was because I knew I could do it that made it not so bad.  Or that I actually did it in a pretty decent time (which, I think I was going a little too fast, though...) Whatever it was, I enjoyed it.

I know, I know.  Enjoying is bordering on liking.  Once you get to liking, its all down hill to love. 

*sigh* I do love to run downhill.

It may not seem like much

I stepped on the scale yesterday for the first time since baby I was born a week ago. Honestly, I've been avoiding it. I didn't want to be disappointed. I was planning to wait until my 4 week post birth check. But, I was curious. And I'm not very patient.

I've lost 16 pounds. It may not seem like much considering I had a 7lb baby, LOTS of amniotic fluid, and a placenta that are all missing. But, I've also gained about 5 lbs in each breast. :) Seriously, though. It means I only have 16 lbs to lose.

16 lbs is the least amount of weight that I have had to lose in any of my pregnancies. After having a weight loss goal of 40 lbs after having Olivia, 16 lbs doesn't seem like much.