Day #55: Thankful

   This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house. I originally just invited my parents, thinking that I didn't want to interfere with my sisters' plans for Thanksgiving with husbands and in-laws. I thought I was being thoughtful, I didn't want them to feel obligated to take time off work and fly here to see us. Well, a week after my parents agreed to come out, my sisters and their husbands decided they wanted to come out too; and why hadn't I invited them in the first place (I'm just so inconsiderate)?!?. Then, my whole crazy family decided it would be cheaper, and well, just more fun, to drive out. A 24 hour drive. Straight through. No stops. The day before Thanksgiving. Yeah...as I write this, they are still an hour or so from  home, safe and sound, to Texas. We also had our good family friends, the H's join us. However, they are slightly more sane than my family, and took a non stop flight to get here. First class. With a glass of wine. That is clearly the better travel choice here.
   Needless to say, Thanksgiving was a whirlwind. Everyone arrived Wednesday night just in time for dinner, and just in time to kiss my kiddos goodnight before putting them to bed. My sisters and I got up the next day and ran the Turkey Trot- which is one of my favorite things to do the morning of Thanksgiving. I feel better about all of the stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn casserole, and pie that I eat the rest of the day when I begin my day running 6 miles.... like I deserve that third second piece of pie. And I do deserve it. And yes, 75% of our Thanksgiving sides are casseroles. Translation=butter is involved.
   Our house was maxed out with 12 people, but I LOVED every minute of it. I'm thankful that I have family who wants to drive 24 hours straight to spend the holidays with us. I'm thankful the H's, who are not related, chose to fly out here to spend this holiday with us and my crazy road-tripping family. Too bad Thanksgiving is always overshadowed by Christmas, because between the casseroles, Turkey Trot, family and friends, and pumpkin spice lattes, Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday of the year.

Day #54: it's that time of year

 You moms know what I'm talking about. It's that time of year where runny noses run rampant and chunky coughs are prevalent. Fall is here, and along with it, the flu, common cold, and a whole plethora of illnesses.
  Some of you may remember Luke's seizure scares from earlier this year. Although this past Tuesday his fever was never higher than 99.4, I kept him home from school. I wanted to see if this was a fever that was going to spike. It seemed to me that with his runny nose, cough, insane crankiness, and three hour naps, that he was just fighting off a cold.  If this were Savannah, I would send her to school without a second thought. Yes, I send my kid to school with a cough, runny nose, and a 99 degree fever. Judge me. Where do you think they picked up that cold in the first place? But Luke is different. Luke has seizures when his fever spikes, Luke is much clingier, and Luke is my baby. So Luke stayed home. By Thursday I had done enough googling and talking to other moms that I realized he had croup. His fever had risen to 101.5, which still is not too high, but for Luke, anything over 99 scares me. So Friday afternoon we visited the doctor where it was confirmed, he did indeed have croup. Unfortunately, it is a virus and just has to run it's course.
  Thankfully Luke never spiked a fever, so there were no seizures. It was a huge comfort and relief to me that we got through this first virus of the season smoothly. Our weekend scuba plans were cancelled; I could not justify leaving my sick Luke with a sitter all weekend. But you know what? It didn't really bother me. I wasn't upset that our weekend plans had to be postponed. If this had happened a year ago, I would have been slightly irritated. My kids being sick used to interfere with my plans. But now, I don't bat an eye. I quickly adjust and am grateful that I can stay home to cuddle, comfort, and love on my sick baby. Not everyone gets to do that, not everyone wants to do that, but I'm happy that I get to.

Day #53: Falling into Fall

  Doesn't it always seem that this time of year absolutely flies by? Once October hits, I know I'm in for a ride and that when I finally get around to looking up from the chaos of the holidays, it will be January 1st. A new year. Again.
  But I do love fall, especially in Virginia. As strong as my Texas roots are (no, I will not stop saying, typing, or texting "ya'll"), the fall here is breathtaking, the colors are intoxicating, the crispness in the air is energizing. All of that aside, I know this holiday season will be a whirlwind like no other. The next few weeks we have some fun things planned: Tyson and I are getting certified in scuba diving, Savannah and I are running the Monster mile, and we are going to Annapolis, MD with friends to watch some Navy football! Throw in a little trick- or- treating, trying to rent out our house, the holidays, and well ya know, just life, and it's a recipe for a stress fest. For me. Not Tyson, because he does not seem the least bit apprehensive about anything the upcoming months.
  I am SO looking forward to Thanksgiving. I have my whole family (parents, sisters, brother- in -laws, and the H's) all driving/flying in. Two weeks after that, the packers and movers come to and by the second week in December we should be moved into our new home in Maryland. Seven days after moving in, we fly to Colorado for Christmas with the other side of the family. I am totally stoked to have a white Christmas. Tyson is going to get some skiing in, I hope to take the kids sledding, and great grandma may possibly come to visit. And to top it all off, if Santa were a woman, it would be my mother in law. She knows how to do Christmas, and she goes all out. Needless to say, the next few months will be a blast! BUT. I would be lying if I said that looking at my calendar did not give me heart palpitations and make my hands sweat. Cooking, packing, unpacking, flying, moving, renting, shopping...
  This is when I have to tell myself, remind myself, it's one day at a time. If I can get myself to just look at today, I think I can really enjoy this holiday season to the fullest. So I will try to relinquish control of the things I cannot control and enjoy today.

Day # 52: Lessons learned

So I actually wrote this post a few weeks ago, but am just getting around to editing it and posting it...

As my sweet, precious Luke nears his second birthday, I've been looking back on what I've learned in my last 4 1/2 years of motherhood. This post goes hand in hand with my new mom post from yesterday; a compilation of things I've learned my children have taught me.
1. It ain't about me anymore.
2. Luke goes to bed at least twice a week without dinner, and he's still alive. He eats when he's hungry, and let me tell you, that boy will put away a banana, yogurt, and two whole grain waffles the morning after! Don't stress over the little things, it's just not worth it.
3. You will sleep again! The first year it felt like sleep was a luxury of the past. But alas, I now sleep a good solid 8-9 hours  each night.
4. A Starbucks coffee and a laugh with a girlfriend can cure any bad day.
5. My ability and capacity to love and understand others has increased exponentially.
6. Patience increases along the way. Ask my mom, I was not given the gift of patience. But in the past few years, I have become more patient.
7. Progress is progress. A little is better than none at all. A little house cleaning, a little work out, a little down time, a little sex. It's better that none at all- appreciate ALL progress!
8. Stay at home mom's are underrated. I try not to take offense when other women/mothers ask "what do you do?". I simply say, " I have two young children. That's what I do." Be confident in knowing you are doing one of the most important jobs on earth: raising children, caring for them, ensuring them that they are loved. I love what I do and wouldn't trade it for any other job in the world.

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.

Day #49: Irene Shmirene

  Hurricane Irene. Really? It was the most lame hurricane ever. Or at least thats what I'm told; My people (cat included) and I evacuated. Yes, we were evacuees. I'm from Houston, people.  My dad was a Houston police officer and was not allowed to leave the city during natural disasters and my mom never wanted to leave without my dad, so we rode out every single hurricane that rolled our way. The word hurricane just doesn't phase me. It was something that was pretty common growing up and evokes no fear or sense of urgency in me. So evacuating is something I just don't do. My husband, however, is from Colorado and never had the experience of hurricanes. He is also a pilot in the Navy. The military hears hurricane and evacuate ships and aircraft ASAP. And Tyson pretty much always makes me and the kids leave as well. Honestly, I'm fine with stocking up on water and beanie weenies, topping off my gas tank, and making friends with neighbors who have generators. But my northerner husband prefers to get the heck out of dodge.
  Tyson has learned over the past five years or being married to me how to carefully phrase things.  Instead of suggesting we evacuate, he suggested we do a mini vacation to wherever I wanted within driving distance. Other than the beach. But anywhere else. If you know me at all, you know I'm a planner, a scheduler. I like to plan in advance. Way in advance. I don't do spur of the moment or spontaneous. So this was going against all of my natural instints. But Tyson persuaded me and finally I decided that as long as we had a hotel suite, I would survive. We packed up quickly Thursday night and left early Friday morning. Let me tell you, Best.Vacation.Ever. Who would have thought? Not me! I was envisioning sleepless nights in a hotel, screaming and bickering in the car, and misery. Yes I know, slightly dramatic, but I have learned with children to expect and plan for the worst. The absolute worst. So I was pleasantly surprised and just downright SHOCKED that our spur of the moment evacuation trip turned out so incredibly well.
 We are now back from a relaxing vacation; no laundry, no cooking, no cleaning for the past three days and now I'm refreshed and renewed. Plus the kids start school next week and this was some good quality family time. We came home to no damage, just a bunch of leaves and branches in the yard. Letting go  and being more flexible is a challenge for me, but a good quality to develop as a mother. I cannot control and plan for everything, especially hurricanes. If my husband wants to do a mini vaca every time we may or may not encounter a hurricane, I'm on board!