Day #51:To all the new moms

I was reminded yesterday of the absolute exhaustion that accompanies motherhood. But especially the new mothers. I am no expert but I have learned a few things along the way. But first off I want to say, being a mom is HARD, and sometimes new moms are not told just how hard it is. Yes, babies are adorable, you wouldn't trade them for anything, they give your life new meaning and purpose, and gosh darn those tiny little clothes! BUT. Sleepless nights, breastfeeding, smelling like puke, not having time to take a shower....
So here are a few tips I've learned along the way:

1. Sleep when the baby sleeps. This is not a helpful suggestion, it is a survival skill. I know you haven't taken a shower, and you don't remember the last time you did laundry, and you want to check Facebook. But don't.
2. Schedule a break. Have a sitter on the calendar and commit to getting out of the house WITHOUT your baby, once a week, once a month, whatever you need to be sane. An hour alone can make your entire day better. I promise.
3. Have friends who are moms. Listen, there are days when you will feel crazy. Actually crazy, like you are seriously considering seeing a therapist. Welcome to the mom club! I'll let you in on a little secret: we all feel crazy most of the time. Especially the first few years months. You need other mothers in your life who can reassure you that you are not crazy, you are just a mother!
4) I know in the beginning, you really feel like you don't know what the H you are doing. But you know more than you realize. At some point you will understand that although your Pediatrician has a degree in babies, and your mother has been a mother much longer than you have, and that your friend has more "mom experience" than you...you know YOUR baby best. Just because your Pediatrician/mom/friend tell you what you are supposed to do or what works best, YOU know what's best for your baby. And it's okay to do things your way.
5) Don't lose yourself. Yes, you are a mother, but you are still who you were before you were a mother. Keep doing the things you love.

That's all I got, but I'm still learning new things every.single.day. My kids are great teachers, I think they teach me more than I teach them!

Day #50: My "first" half marathon

  I say "first" because I think I should get credit for the one I signed up for a year and half ago, but never ran. I originally started training for it at the beginning of 2010, to help shed the last of my baby weight from Luke. The race was mid March. I ran and ran, trained and trained. Two nights before the race, I became violently ill (I'll spare you the details) and could not run (let alone pry myself away from the porcelain throne). I was SO pissed bummed! I mean, I had paid the $100 and trained my little heart out...for nothing!
  I have wanted to run a half marathon for years, yes, years. But between having babies, being a wife to a twice deployed husband, and finishing grad school...I just couldn't fit it in! Needless to say, after the attempt (and fail) of half marathon #1, I was less than anxious to pay and train for another one. After a year and a half of of pouting about what happened, my friend finally convinced me to run the Rock and Roll half marathon here in Virginia Beach. So we have trained for the past 2 months, diligently increasing our mileage each week. Yesterday was the BIG day and I have to say, I'm thrilled that I can check that sinkin' half marathon off my bucket list. However, I have no plans to run another half marathon EVER again. EVER. And yes, I'll tell you why.
  I love running. I've mentioned this before. I've been running for 17 years and I do it at least 5 days a week. Voluntarily. I actually enjoy it. But I run 3-4 miles at a time, not 10, and certainly not 13.1. 13.1 miles is not fun or enjoyable. It is painful and honestly, downright boring. Running for over two hours...um, why? I was DONE at mile 10. I didn't have cramps and I wasn't tired, but my knees and hips were screaming at me to stop! Luckily my sweet little family was there to cheer me along right as I was ready to stop. I completed my first (and last) half marathon in my personal goal time of 2:10 exactly.
  It took me over two hours to recover! My stomach does not like when I run more than 10 miles, I mean, I pay for it. So being in a beach port-a-potty post race was an awesome way to end my experience. Not! Not to mention my hips, knees, feet....and EVERY muscle in my body ached. But I did it, I had the experience, and I'm never doing it again. I would much rather run "fun" runs throughout the year, because I do love running in races. The people, the atmosphere, the excitement of it all. But I think I'll stick to 10K's and mud runs and maybe look into training for a (mini)triathlon. I like running too much to run for 13.1 miles. Or at least that's what I"ll tell my myself and other people. I like running too much to ever run another half marathon. That makes perfect sense to me.