Millie's Birth Story

Since I have shared the boys birth stories, I figured we would round things out with one more.

We used the birth center again, and if you are curious about that then check out Levi's birth story part 1. I went into more detail about how it might differ from a hospital birth.

My due date was Monday August 1st, and the day came and went with no major developments. I went into labor with Levi the day after he was due, so I didn't have to wait too long. This time I went three days over. That in itself is not really a big deal...unless you're the pregnant one. I was so over being pregnant and wanted to be done, so every day that went by was almost torture. I was getting disappointed and my mind was starting to play out every dangerous scenario that could go wrong by being "overdue." I was starting to psych myself out. I think at one point I actually talked with Daniel about an induction date, because I was convinced that this baby was going to be different and my body would never go into labor. (The birth center would have let me go to 42 weeks, which would have been August 15th: Gunner's first day of school. I didn't want to be dealing with all that at once so I told Daniel that I would go in for an induction on August 12th) Luckily, on the morning of August 4th at 4:45 am, at 40.3 weeks, I felt the first contraction.

That morning I had gotten up at 3:45 to use the restroom, because my bladder was also totally over it and I think I spent more time peeing than I spent sleeping those last several weeks. I couldn't get back to sleep so I tossed and turned for an hour. Around 4:45, I had a contraction. It wasn't too bad but was slightly painful. Then a few minutes later there was another. After three contractions, I decided to get up and time them. I used an app on my phone to track them while I ate a protein bar. They were definitely real labor contractions, so I decided to time them for an hour to see how quickly (or slowly) things were moving. They were averaging out to be about 1 minute long and 5-6 minutes apart. At 6am I called my mom to let her know. She told me to call her and let her know when they started getting more intense. I got up to go wake Daniel up, and it kicked things up quite a bit. I told him he had better get ready and that I was going to finish gathering everything together. Moving around like that made them go crazy, so as soon as I was finished I told him that I had to lay down so they didn't get worse. I continued to time them, and Daniel called the birth center to inform them that we would be coming in that day.

My dad arrived so he could keep the boys for us, and I was completely taken over trying to get through every contraction. I totally forgot to call my mom to let her know they had gotten pretty intense. I kept asking Daniel to check on her location. (We have a family location app that allows us to see where someone is. Super helpful so we aren't calling someone who is driving.) Right as she was driving up, I decided to get up and lean over the bench in front of our bed, thinking it might help ease things. Turns out, that made it much worse and I was almost feeling the urge to push. She walked in at the end of that contraction and I said "We need to go!" So we loaded up in the car; Daniel, mom, and myself. The birth center is about 7 minutes from our house, but that ride was awful. I was so frustrated every time Daniel stopped at a light that I would yell "Go!!" and nearly cause him to jump into oncoming traffic. We arrived at 8:30am.

They quickly got us into a room and wanted to check the baby's heart rate and see how far along I was. That was AWFUL. I'm trying to get through intense contractions while the midwife is checking to see where we are in the labor process, meanwhile the nurse has to shove the Doppler into my lower abdomen trying to find the baby's heart beat. I remember the midwife apologizing telling me they were hurrying, and I think I apologized and said "You're just doing your job!" I went ahead and got into the birthing tub because (woo hoo!) I was already at 7cm and 90%! I think I cried from relief when she told me. With baby #1, I was only at a 3 when I got to the hospital, and with #2 I was at a 5 when we got to the birth center. I guess I was hitting transition in the car, which explains why I was so agitated.

The contractions were more and more intense, and I was fully taken over by each one just trying to get through it. This time it felt like it was harder for me to cope. Things were progressing very quickly and it felt overwhelming. I felt very frustrated and I think I took my frustrations out on Daniel a few times. He wasn't even really doing anything to bother me! He was super helpful and supportive. (Sorry, dear) The birth center had recently added the option of using nitrous oxide gas, and I took full advantage of that. It was set to be part gas, part oxygen and prevented you from getting more than a certain amount with each inhale. Not enough to make you completely loopy, but just enough to take the edge off and help you stay relaxed.

It felt like an eternity, but it didn't take too long before we were within minutes of meeting Millie. One of the worst contractions started up, and my water broke during that one. Once that happened, the midwife told me that it was time to start pushing. Daniel was behind me holding me more upright under my arms. It only took 7 minutes and then Millie was born at 10:05am!

This time, the baby did not start crying like I had hoped. It turns out that the cord was pretty tight around her neck when she was born. The midwife quickly put her in my arms but she was purple all over and not making a sound. I helped pat and rub her to try to get her to cry, but she laid there like a rag doll. It was pretty terrifying seeing her like that. The midwife was listening to her lungs and ensured us that she was breathing, but needed assistance and started suctioning her and trying to help her breathe better. She then said she needed to take her and quickly clamped and cut the cord. This all happened within 2-3 minutes. I also think I remember her letting out one cry right before she took her, which was a huge relief to hear. She started crying and perking up more and was fine, but those first few moments were scary.

She made up for the lack of crying after that and let us know how loud she could be! Everyone got to hold her, and I got to feed her too. We were able to head home around 2:30-3 to let her meet her big brothers.

It was a much more intense labor and delivery this time and I definitely knew that I did not want to do that again. I'm very much at peace with her being our last baby! She completes our family and we all love her so much already.

Project : Nursery (one last time!)

Well, here we are. Baby number three. Four weeks away from the due date. This time, the baby is a girl! It's been a complete 180 decorating a nursery this time. Very weird. Very surreal. I am not into the typical baby girl styles these days, especially the super girly stuff like glitter and ruffles and princesses. I'm sure this has been a disappointment to a few (*cough cough* Mom...) but I am trying to incorporate feminine elements without being ridiculous. So without blabbing too much, here is the reveal!




Baby Babb # 3 will be Millie June Babb

I decided to go with coral and navy with mint green as an accent color. I think it turned out very cute! Daniel made the awesome navy frame and I painted it and the letters for her name. My ever talented mother made the adorable bunting. She also made a few crib sheets, the crib skirt, changing pad covers, and a few other little things. (I had lots of orders lined up for her!)

I am super proud of the lamp shade because I recovered it myself! I think it turned out amazing. I threw some of the extra fabric from the bunting in some frames for a quick way to add some wall décor. The biggest labor of love for me was that cute (frustrating) flower garland. Y'all, that thing took me a solid 3.5 hours to put together. It was a stack of die cut paper. Just so much work. But it turned out cute and if anything ever happens to it we will just burn the whole house down and start a new life somewhere else because I put wayyyyyy too much energy into that. (Not really, but you know.)


I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out. It is SO weird seeing so much pink. It will take me a while to really get used to it. I'm excited for her to be here so she can enjoy her new room!

Time Gets Away From Me

How unfortunate that my last post was about Levi's birth, and here we are now, 9 months later, and I'm planning his first birthday. Blogging doesn't seem to be a priority in my life. Maybe that's ok, because "ain't nobody got time for that."

Levi is almost 11 months old! Gunner is four and a half! Life is busy, stressful, messy, exhausting, and so much fun. I am still so thankful I get to stay home with them. 

Gunner has really grown so much in the last year. Last summer we got him a bicycle the day that Levi was born. (It was waiting in the attic. I didn't go to the store while I was in labor.) Over the summer, he learned to ride it very quickly, but preferred to stay in the driveway. The sidewalk had too many bumps, the road was too rough, and the beautiful walking trail that is just feet away from our house was too steep. Tears happened. Arguments about "just use your breaks" and "you don't have to get off and push" happened. It was more than frustrating. This spring, there is a totally different child riding that bike. He can easily keep up with us and do 2-3 miles now. He loves going fast down hills, too. Just yesterday, he mastered riding from the sidewalk to the road on a very steep area that he has ALWAYS gotten off and pushed for. Growing. Learning. Every day. He uses his helmet, but now I'm starting to think he needs knee and elbow pads. Not because I don't want him to get hurt, but more so because if he scrapes any part of his body, he cries for days. Bathtime with a scraped knee is not for the faint of heart. But he is learning and growing and it is so much fun to watch. 

Levi is just mister cute and squishy. He is such a ham and seems so much happier than his big brother did at his age. He's cruising everywhere as long as he can hold on to something, and has started seeing if he can let go and stand on his own for a few seconds. He is starting to learn to repeat sounds that we make, and copy our hand movements. The kid loves to eat. He doesn't have many things he doesn't like either. I've been trying to keep it interesting and feed him all sorts of different foods. He seems to have a bit of stubbornness or strong willed moments now and again. It will be interesting to see how this little guy turns out. 

They are both in Kids Day Out and this fall is the start of Gunner's last year there. In less than a year we will be registering him for kindergarten. It's so hard to believe. My nephew is 18 and graduating from high school next month and it's too much for me to think about! Time is flying by and there's nothing I can do to slow it down. So I'm hanging on as best I can. Let's enjoy the ride. 

Birth Story : Part 2 - Levi's Birthday

I am writing this for myself so I will remember this day. I will try not to be too graphic with the details, but there's a chance it might be gross, so be forewarned. 

The night before Levi was born, I did not get much sleep. I was uncomfortable the whole night. Around 5am, I woke up and realized I was having painful contractions. I didn't want to wake Daniel up just yet, so I got up and grabbed a Gatorade so I could relax on the couch for a while. After having one contraction on the couch though, I realized that wasn't going to work out. They were much more painful while sitting down. I walked around for a while and timed them. They were 4-5 minutes apart and 1 minute long. After half a hour, I decided it was time to wake Daniel up. I was really needing to focus and breathe through each contraction. He got up and took a shower while I finished packing the rest of our things. I told him that since I already had my regular appointment with the midwife scheduled for 9:30 that day, he should just go in to work. He could come pick me up and take me to my appointment because I didn't think I could drive myself. Apparently that was a dumb suggestion, because he laughed at me and said "I just turned on my 'out of office' auto reply on my work email. I'm not going in, you're in labor!" I jumped in the shower and then started drying my hair. I had to put the hair dryer down for every contraction and lean on the counter to get through it. Daniel had called my parents to let them know, and he called the birth center as well. Dad was going to stay here with Gunner and Mom was going to go with us to the birth center. At 7:30 Dad arrived. Gunner was pretty excited to see him! I was running around trying to get ready and make sure everything was taken care of. Mom showed up a little later, I can't remember what time. I think Dad was worried I was going to give birth right then and there because he kept asking if we wanted him to load the car or call 911! I was getting pretty vocal through each contraction and it was becoming tough to do anything else. Daniel and I loaded up to head to the birth center at 9, while Mom ran to grab some more Gatorade to take with us. 

A few weeks before my due date, we bought Gunner a bike! We wanted him to have it when Levi was born, kind of as a big brother gift. We kept it hidden in the attic. Right before we left to have the baby, we got it down to give to him. He loved it! As we were pulling out of the driveway, he and Dad were waving at us and trying out Gunner's new bike. I sat in the car and sobbed because I knew the next time he saw us, everything would change and he wouldn't be our only baby. It was tough! I was so excited for him to be a big brother, but I was really afraid he would have a hard time adjusting to everything. It was an emotional ride to the birth center. I had two contractions in the car, and after the second one I said "I don't want to have another one in here!!!" 

We arrived exactly at 9:30 and went inside. From here, my midwife logged everything into my file as it happened, so I have detailed accounts of what happened and when it happened. I remember getting to the room and wondering if they needed to weigh me and check my blood pressure for my normal appointment. They thought that was funny because they laughed and said "Uh, no! We're having a baby!" I had been concerned the whole pregnancy that I would have another long and slow labor, and that I would get to the birth center too soon and have to labor for ever and ever. We decided that it might help me not worry if she checked me to see where I was. I was 5 centimeters, 60% effaced and the baby was at -3 station. I was a little disappointed because I was hoping to be more effaced, but the midwife assured me that it was great progress and that it would probably happen fairly quickly. 

I remember laying on the bed on my side for about 10-15 minutes to rest since I had been on my feet all morning. Once I got up, I wanted to wear a robe, but then decided I was too hot so I took off my tshirt. I had on a spaghetti strap shirt under that for some reason. I guess I wanted to wear layers that day! They put a big yoga ball on the bed with a towel over it for me to lean on while I stood up. That was a great position because it allowed me to lean over a little and still rock side to side, which I think helped the baby decend. 

Around 10:15, I REALLY felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. I did not realize that the baby was already low enough to be causing that much pressure. So obviously nothing happened, but I did have what is referred to as "bloody show."  (I warned you it might be gross!!) Just par for the course, and things were progressing very well. 

I went back to standing and leaning on the yoga ball, and around 10:30 we decided to try the shower. This was my favorite position. I was able to stand up and lean on the ball (which was raised on a stool) with the hot water on my lower back. While I was standing in the shower, I started pushing. I didn't realize that was what was happening, because I didn't realize your body just does it on its own even if you don't try! It wasn't forceful and I wasn't straining, but it was the start of small, short pushes. They were asking me if I was pushing and I kept saying no, but they eventually let me know that I was indeed and it was perfectly fine. I have heard stories of moms pushing too soon and it causing swelling of the cervix, making the baby get stuck and ending in a c-section. I was pretty concerned about it but my midwife assured me it was not a problem. 

Around 10:40, I moved to the birthing tub. This was "relaxing" mostly because I didn't have to be on my feet. I was starting to get really worn out and it was nice to just rest between contractions. The notes on my file state that it was at this time where I was "visibly bearing down", so the contractions were getting much more intense. My mom was sitting on a small stool to my right, and Daniel was sitting on the "dad stool" to my left and kind of behind me. They were both holding one of my hands, and taking turns getting me water and putting a cold cloth on my forehead. I labored in the tub for about 20 minutes, and the contractions were starting to space out more and more. My midwife let me know and suggested moving to a different position to keep things going. They put the ball on the bed with a towel over it, and I got up on my knees and leaned over the ball. I'm pretty sure this was when I hit transition, because I was having a hard time even staying upright. My contractions were getting very intense and I was sweating like you see in the movies when women are in labor. I was a mess, and couldn't NOT push at this point. I got up on the bed at 11:18, and at 11:22 my water broke during a contraction. Everyone in the room heard it because it made a loud POP sound. My midwife told Daniel that at this point things were going to get pretty intense. She started to explain to me that things were going to start progressing very quickly, and I said "No don't tell me that! I don't want to know!!" I think I just needed to really focus and didn't want to think too far ahead of what was happening at that moment. At this point I was at 9 centimeters, 90% effaced and the baby was at -1 station. 

At 11:40, I got back in the tub. I was starting to really push with each contraction, and I could start feeling the baby getting lower. From what I remember, I was able to push on my own for quite some time. I remember getting to the point where I could literally feel the baby's head move in the birth canal, and that was totally weird. After that contraction, I then felt him move back up and that was WAY weird. My mom suggested I try pushing as they counted to ten. That was harder than I thought because my pushing was really being fascilitated by my contractions, I wasn't really doing a lot to make it happen. It was kind of just happening on its own and I was going with it. I had to really focus on them counting. It was starting to get pretty uncomfortable because he was beginning to crown, though I didn't realize he was already that far down. I remember thinking "This is the worst it has felt so far, and I am worried he will never be born!" What I didn't realize was that his head had come out at that point! Because I had good breaks between my contractions, I stopped pushing after his head was delivered. I didn't realize this had happened, but there wasn't a lot else I could do because I was so exhausted. They kept telling me to push one more time but I couldn't until the next one started. Once it did, I did one small push and I remember opening my eyes and he was coming out of the water! They put him right into my arms and he was screaming and pink as could be! It was 12:03. Daniel was right there and Mom was taking pictures. I loved hearing him cry! Poor Gunner had lots of fluid in his lungs so he just gurgled and barely made any noise. I was so worried about him. This was so different, and I couldn't get enough of Levi wailing away. 

One thing I had requested to have done in the hospital was delayed cord clamping. They didn't seem to care too much to make that happen, and kind of shrugged it off as if it was a silly request. With the birth center, they automatically try to do that if they can. We were able to delay the cord being clamped and cut for 8 minutes after he was born! My mom said she could see how quickly he was turning from whitish purple to pink as the blood started working its magic in his little body. After Daniel cut the cord, they helped me get up and out of the tub and onto the bed. 

Daniel quickly threw his shirt off so he could do skin to skin with Levi. It took about twenty minutes for the placenta to deliver, and that wasn't fun. I had torn pretty much exactly where my episiotomy was so I ended up with a few stitches. After that was all taken care of, I was able to try to nurse him. Thankfully he latched a few times and we had a good start on breastfeeding. Mom ran and picked up lunch for us, Daniel laid down to rest and I cuddled the baby. 

About 3pm I wanted to get cleaned up so I took a shower and got dressed. We were able to get in the car and head home around 5:30! That's one of the great things about the birth center. As long as mom and baby are doing well, they let you go home within four hours of the birth! It was SO nice to be able to start recovering in my own home instead of in a hospital room. 

The next day, one of the other midwives came to our house for our follow up! Home visits have been part of the package of the birth center, but because they have become so very busy they are phasing it out. I was so lucky to be one of the last few moms to get a home visit. She checked on me and my recovery and checked Levi and did his heel prick. 

My mother in law stayed with us the first week, and my mom stayed the second week. We had tons of people bring us meals and had lots of help. We are so thankful and blessed to have so many people in our lives to take care of us during this huge life changing time. 

Levi's birth was a really amazing moment in my life. I had been preparing for that for more than a year. There is nothing like delivering a baby naturally. It did hurt, but not like I thought it would. It was not unbearable. It was not impossible. I could totally see myself doing that again if we decide to have another one. I'm pretty sure the postpartum recovery was more uncomfortable than the actual labor and delivery. I have been recommending the birth center to anyone in the area who is pregnant or wants to have a baby. They took such good care of us and made this experience seem easy. 

Birth Story : Part 1 - Prep Work

This is for me. If someone wants to read it, cool beans. I'm not writing this for anyone else except myself though. I want to have it written out while I still remember it. Part one is about everything leading up to labor and delivery. 

Having gone through one labor and delivery already, I constantly compared what I thought the second time would be like to the first. The two pregnancies were very different too. I knew the two labors wouldn't be anything close to the same. 

With Gunner, I had a very easy pregnancy with little to no complaints until the last few weeks. (Towards the end, no one is comfortable and everyone is ready for it to end!) I chose the traditional hospital route with all the things that come along with it, including the epidural. It was the exact right choice for me at that moment in my life. The labor was long (18 hours) and we were in the hospital for two nights and nearly three days. I hated every moment of that hospital stay after he was born. I was miserable, uncomfortable, exhausted, annoyed by everyone and everything, and didn't feel like I was able to bond with my child like I heard everyone talk about. Once we got home and more used to having a newborn, things seemed better and life took on a new "normal". My second pregnancy was much more uncomfortable. I started feeling aches and pains much sooner. I had morning sickness more, though thank goodness it only amounted to lots of nausea. I started showing sooner. I was more moody and irritable than the first time. It was a lot more exhausting too. Very different!

As we started discussing baby #2, I had a few more opinions on how I wanted things to go the next time around. I was toying around with the idea of delivering at a new birthing center just minutes from our house. I didn't know a lot about how that would work, but I knew two things. 1- I would have almost complete control over everything that happened during labor and delivery, within reason. 2- I wouldn't be able to have a pain free labor. The first point was super appealing. The second, not so much. As we weighed our options, the birth center seemed like a really good choice. We started doing our research and preparing for a totally unmedicated birth. 

For the people in my life that know me well, this seemed like a terrible idea. I do not deal well with pain or being uncomfortable. This was going to be a mind over matter task, and I needed support from those who knew how to handle me. Those two people were Daniel and my mom. We all started watching lots of videos regarding natural childbirth and ways to cope with pain. Daniel and I took a class which really helped, and I got a lot out of hypnobirthing videos on YouTube. (It sounds hooky, but it's actually pretty interesting and informative) We all took turns reading The Birth Partner, which was really good at breaking down labor into detailed stages. We took a tour of the birth center and decided this was the way we wanted to go. (If you haven't heard of it, check out their website! http://bcnwa.com) They accept several of the major insurance providers in this area, and when it was all said and done we paid a lot less than we did with baby #1! Along with arming ourselves with information, we took lots of walks for a while. There was a span of several weeks where I didn't get in many walks because I was having a ton of lower back pain. Towards the end of the third trimester, we made a point to take one long walk every evening. It was NOT fun. I was waddling down the walking trail just aching and whining the whole way. I'm quite sure it helped with getting the baby down in the right position though. I walked a ton the first pregnancy, and Gunner was born on his due date! Levi ended up being born the day after his! 

A little about the birth center...

This birth center is not physically attached to a hospital, but it is right across the street from Mercy. The main concerns that were raised in the beginning all involved the safety of the baby and myself in the event of an emergency. They have many ways to deal with different emergencies at the center, and if they determine that a transfer to the hospital is needed, the ambulance can zoom over quickly. The thing that keeps them from having too many emergencies is the fact that they only accept very low risk mothers. They are very particular about who they will see, and that is in the best interest of everyone. I was lucky enough to be low risk and a perfect candidate. 

Instead of seeing a doctor for my prenatal care, I saw certified nurse midwives at the center. They were wonderful and I really felt like we got great personal care with each of them. 

The facility looks and feels like a high end hotel. The rooms are so nice and comfortable. (Check out the photos on their website!)

You do not have to wear a hospital gown or have an IV there. I was able to move around and labor like I wanted, which is not usually something you are free to do at a hospital. I was also encouraged to eat and drink during labor. 

I had regular appointments, just like I did at the hospital. They post everything from each appointment online under your secure file so that you can log in and see it if you want. I had direct contact with everyone there (including the midwives) through email, and they always replied very quickly. I really loved that, because if I had any questions or concerns I could get in touch with someone fast. 

Probably my favorite thing about the birth center was that they let you go home within 4 hours of delivery, as long as mom and baby are doing well. 

Throughout my pregnancy people would ask me where the baby was going to be born or which doctor I was seeing. I would say that I was seeing a midwife at the birth center. I got a few funny looks when I would tell people that, and often they would ask why I wasn't seeing a doctor and why I would ever want to have a natural childbirth. I can very much relate to that question, because that's exactly how my mind worked when I was getting ready for the first baby. I never even entertained the idea of a non medicated birth. It was epidural all the way. It would have been AWFUL if I had attempted a natural birth the first time around. I was in no way mentally ready for something like that, so I am glad we didn't try it. I'm pretty sure it would have ended up with an epidural anyway! There are several factors that went in to the decision the second time. The first time around, I wasn't really allowed to be mobile in the hospital to help things progress. I was more encouraged to stay laying down in the bed. This kept things from progressing much, slowing down my labor. The second time, I was encouraged to labor at home as long as I could and to be up moving around. At the hospital, I had to get an IV for fluids and medication. Unfortunately, the nurse who gave me the IV ended up busting the veins in both of my hands before finally getting it set up in the vein on my thumb! Ouch. I think I complained about that in between contractions the most. No IV needed at the birth center. They actually don't hook you up to anything, and use a little Doppler to monitor the baby's heart rate throughout. You aren't supposed to eat or drink anything at the hospital, but at the birth center they want you to eat (nothing too heavy) and drink water during labor. The main points that drove me to choosing a natural birth had to do with things after the baby was born. I had a difficult time coming off all the drugs after the first baby. It gave me a terrible headache and made me feel all around bad afterward. I didn't have that natural high you are supposed to experience immediately afterward. I couldn't move my legs for about 4-5 hours afterward, so I couldn't get up for quite some time. I didn't get the chance to breastfeed until more than an hour after he was born, and at that point he was entering the deep sleepy phase that babies hit shortly after they are born. We continued to struggle with that for the entire ten months that he nursed. At the birth center, I wouldn't have to worry about the side effects of any drugs. Also, one of the things they really encourage immediately after delivery is skin to skin with the mom and breastfeeding as soon as possible. Something I had requested at the hospital was delayed cord clamping, but they didn't seem too concerned with making that happen. We were able to delay any cord clamping with Levi for 8 minutes! 

There were lots of things that made me want to completely change things up the second time. I am totally happy with how it all went! If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing. 

Stay tuned for Part Two - Levi's Birthday!

Project: Nursery

I have really enjoyed putting Levi's room together! It has seemed to be a little more fun than Gunner's was, probably because we already had lots of stuff from when Gunner was a baby. This time it was also easy for me to picture him using his room and the things in it considering we have done this once before and know what to expect. With Gunner, it was hard to imagine the room being used until he was actually here. Gunner makes it fun too! He is so excited about his baby brother and it has been really neat seeing how excited he has been helping us with the room.


I'll get right to it! I found a quilt on the Pottery Barn Kids site that I fell in love with, and used it as my inspiration. I didn't buy the quilt though, just used the colors and style and went from there.

This is Gunner's old crib! My mom made so much stuff for Levi's room. She made the beautiful crib skirt, which has a cute peek a boo pleat with green peeking through. It is adjustable which is amazing. As he grows and we have to lower the mattress, we can adjust the skirt with the height. Daniel and I made the wall hanging out of a big canvas (Hobby Lobby), crib sheet (Target), and letters and paint (Hobby Lobby). 

I found the lamp at Lowe's, the lamp shade at Target, curtains at Kohl's, totally adorable toy bin at Home Goods, and perfect rug at JC Penney. The anchor wall art we made out of a canvas and fabric I found at a very cool fabric store in Springfield, Missouri. 

The dresser area really turned out cute! We found the dresser at Furniture Factory Outlet after giving up hope to get the perfect one at IKEA. (We have never bought anything at Ikea, and had no idea how difficult it is to get anything there if you don't live near one of their stores.) The mirror and floating shelves are from Lowe's, striped basket from Home Goods, and toys from Gunner! 

Let's talk about my mother. She is an amazing lady. She has been sewing longer than I have been alive. I knew she was very talented, but she has completely and totally surprised us with the things she can do! She literally took one of my old changing pad covers home and made one from scratch, just by examining the commercially made one. So, naturally she did the same thing with a crib sheet. Oh, and burp cloths...and washable changing pad toppers, taggie blankets, bassinet sheets...you name it! She made the sweet turtle pillow cover, all the crib sheets (green, grey chevron, grey polka dot), three changing pad covers (green chevron minky, navy blue t-shirt material, green plaid flannel), baby blanket, and amazing quilt! This quilt looks almost identical to the one I found at Pottery Barn! (I have no idea what the back of that one looked like, so we found a cool coordinating fabric for the back)

She also made the cutest wet bag for diapers! (Sorry, I don't have a photo of that!)

She recently got an embroidery machine, and has been going bonkers with the thing. It's really fun seeing all the things she has made! She did a great job making the boys matching shirts. 

I wonder if he has enough clothes? I have to brag on Daniel here. This closet just had one small shelf that went halfway across the wall when we moved in. He took it down and built his own system, including cutting a thick metal pole for the rack. Much more functional now. Now I just need to organize the stuff ON the shelf a bit...

Check out this precious 31 bag! My sister in law (a 31 consultant!!!) gave this to us a couple of weeks ago. I cannot wait to use it!

I probably left some things out, who knows. Levi's room is basically complete! I may add a couple of wall decorations. I am really proud of the room, especially because it has so many items custom made by people who love him already. It really makes it a special project that has come together a little at a time. 

Pregnancy Can Break Down Barriers

I have learned a lot of things about life in the last decade. I can safely say I am not the same person that I was ten years ago, and I hope we can all be thankful for that because my ninteen year old self was annoying. 

That being said, nothing has changed me more than becoming a mom. From that first few weeks of discovering we were pregnant, it changed me. In a good way! I'm very comfortable with who I have become now. You have to learn to let things roll off your back more as a mom though. People really enjoy giving unsolicited advice to pregnant women and mothers. Pregnancy is one of those things where perfect strangers don't mind approaching you and striking up a conversation about what's going on inside your body. I usually don't mind it, sometimes you can get to know someone better because of it. Other times you can be quite entertained at the things people will tell you. 

The things I've heard while pregnant have ranged from "Were you trying for a baby?" (What? Why would you ask someone this?!) to "Oh good luck, you're going to be so tired for the next ten years." (Gee, thanks). Labor and delivery is another hot topic for pregnant moms to encounter. There are many methods and schools of thought on this, so it's often interesting to hear someone's plan of attack. Everyone is different, therefore I fully believe that each mother should be the one to decide how she wants her delivery to happen. If you want to go all natural and birth at home in your living room, have at it. If you are determined to have a c-section at 39 weeks, so be it. It's your decision. However, if you ask an expecting mother what her plan is, it's a good idea to have the phrase "Awesome! That sounds great!" ready, no matter what they say. (I also recommend this response for when you ask them what they are naming their child. More on that later.) No mother wants advice on how someone else thinks they should do things unless they flat out ask for it. If they ask for advice, then, by golly, you are free to give it! 

Something I was not at all prepared for was the pressure to have a girl with baby #2. Daniel and I had no preference on gender either time, so we were very happy to hear that the baby was healthy and growing right on track. It was a bonus to discover it was a boy. However, other people were apparently hoping we would have a girl for some reason. I guess it's just an American standard to have one boy and one girl. I was hoping for a baby. As long as it was a human baby that was healthy, I would be happy. Mind you, if the baby wasn't totally healthy, we would still love it no matter what because it was our baby. It was a HUGE relief to find out he was doing great so far. When we announced the gender, I was pretty shocked when people actually said "Oh well, maybe next time you will get your girl." and "You can always try again next time!" This is incredibly awful to me! It's as if I had made a recipe that didn't quite turn out like I wanted it to, so we just had to throw it out. This is my son! I already love him!  I have continued to hear these statements from people, even strangers, and it really hurts. The other day at a restaurant one of the employees looked at Gunner and then said "I sure hope there's a baby girl in there! (Pointing at my belly)". At first I had no idea what to say. I finally replied with "Nope, it's another boy but we are perfectly happy with that!"  Later in the day I actually got really mad about the whole thing. I just don't understand what the problem is with having more than one of the same gender. There's literally nothing we can do about it! This is what God wants for us, and if He decides to give us three more boys before we are done having kids, then obviously He's got a plan there! Maybe He wants us to have a family basketball team! I'm not upset by another boy, so I don't think anyone else should be either. Pregnant women are extremely hormonal, so it's important to be very careful with what you say to them. 

The name game comes to mind as well. When you ask someone what they are naming their baby, your response should fall along the lines of "Wow! That's a great name!" Asking where they came up with the name is ok too. I've even said "Oh cool! That is a very unique name!" I'm starting to understand why people wait until their baby is born before announcing the name. 

Pregnancy can often bring down barriers between people and you might discover a common ground with someone you didn't expect. This is not always a good thing. However, it's part of life, and it's helping me learn the hard way to not let the things other people say bother me. I am incredibly lucky to have a second baby on the way! I know far too many people who would give anything for the chance to have just one. If we all approached things with this thought in mind, we might not be so critical about things like gender and names. 

Rejoice in The Lord always, again I will say rejoice! 

I'm Not a Winter Girl

It has been cold y'all! I know it's winter, but dang. We've had several days of bitter temps with sub zero wind chill. I'm not a fan. I did enjoy the big snow we got in December. Gunner quite enjoyed getting to play in it. 

We've had a busy winter so far. We went on our annual Fairfield Bay vacation in December. We barely made it there because the roads between here and there were incredibly icy. What normally takes us 4 hours to drive took us nearly 7 this time. It was rough, but Gunner was amazing and content and my husband was an expert navigator. Once we arrived we were pretty much stuck in our condo for a couple days. We didn't do much this year, but Gunner got to spend several days at Nanny's and we made the best of our time off. 

After we came back home we had one week to get ready for the Babb Christmas party. It was at our house this year! Lots of fun. We really enjoyed getting to host this year. 

Then came Christmas. This year was so exciting because Gunner absolutely loved every minute. From the first Christmas decoration we put up, to...well, now. He has enjoyed the holiday season. He still runs around singing Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman. 

Daniel's birthday was a few days later followed by three showers I helped host! THREE! One shower a week for three weeks. Two baby showers and an adoption shower for my sis. It was a blast. 

Speaking of, my sister and brother in law have been in the process of adopting a girl from Guatemala for the last 6+ years. She will be turning 15 next month, and they will be bringing her home at the beginning of February! How exciting is that!!!? Her name is Mia and she (along with the rest of their family) will have some adjusting to do over the next several months. It is going to be a huge change for everyone but we are all so excited to get to know her and welcome her to our family. I'll keep you posted on her homecoming!

Last year during the week of my birthday, Daniel was in the hospital for three days. He had acute bronchitis and it really wore out his lungs. We had made dinner reservations for my birthday, but had to cancel them. That was super scary but he has not had issues since. However, this year I was really hoping to make up for a really stressful birthday last time. This year I turned 29, so I was really wanting a fun and memorial birthday for the last year in my twenties. Boy did he deliver! He scheduled for my parents to keep Gunner the whole weekend. We saw a movie on Friday night. We had breakfast at The Egg and I on Saturday morning. (It's in Pinnacle, you should check it out some time) We drove all the way to Alma to go to A to Z furniture just because I wanted to. We also FINALLY got to have dinner at Mister B's! I had waited a year to eat there and boy howdy, it was worth it. We dressed up, we took our time, we talked, we ate, we didn't rush. It was fabulous. Sunday we went to church and then headed down to my parents for lunch and to bring the boy home. It was so stinking awesome. What a great way to begin the last year in my twenties. 

This week Gunner started getting a cough so I went ahead and took him to the doctor, just in case. He is fine. We had an entertaining time waiting because this paranoid mom requested hospital masks for us to wear while we waited. Y'all, that place was so full we had to sit in the hallway. I was not about to breathe everyone else's nasty germs. Gunner thought it was cool getting to wear a mask. 

The most exciting thing to happen this winter has been getting to see our sweet baby on an ultra sound! We found out that Gunner will have a baby brother! I'm serious, I knew it was a boy and I could not be more excited. Everyone had been asking if I had any "feeling" of what it was, but I would tell them no. All the while I knew it was a little boy! Same feeling I had with Gunner. He looks perfect and we are thrilled. We've decided to name him Levi Wesley. Gunner went from not really caring much about the baby, to being super excited and wanting to know all kinds of stuff about him. It's pretty cute. 

Here are some random photos!

Happy to Announce...

We are expecting Baby Babb #2 in June! Gunner is going to be a big brother! He really does not care at this point. He just knows there is a baby in mommy's tummy (and thinks everyone else has one in there too).
I have been feeling pretty yucky this time around, but I think it's starting to ease up a bit. I did get to hear the heart beat last week! 160 bpm! It was exciting.
That is really all the info as of now. Not a lot to do but wait! We can't wait to welcome another little one into our family and watch Gunner become a great big brother. He is going to be awesome at it.

Friendly Conversation

I go grocery shopping often. I usually go sometime in the middle of the week, and usually around 10 or 11. I always seem to find the cashier who likes to talk about weird things or ask lots of questions. The thing that weirds me out the most is when they ask me why I'm buying the things I have put on the conveyer belt. Seriously. It's happened more than four times in the last six months. It went down something like this:

*Disclaimer* The following conversations may have taken place prior to the six month block of time I previously mentioned. I am just using a few of the experiences I can remember the best.*

[C] You having a bunch of people over? Like a party?

[M] Uh...yeah! Yeah, we are having a get together. 

[C] Cool. Like a birthday party?

[M] ....yep. My son is turning two. Having the grandparents over for dinner.

[C] My husband's friend's cousin has a baby. She's so cute. The other day she said momma! It sounded like [person imitating a small child].....

[M] .....yeeahhh.....kids are funny. 

[C] Do you use brown sugar a lot?

[M] Um, no, not a lot. I just ran out. 

[C] You must use a lot if you ran out! What do you use it for?

[M] Cooking. I cook and bake with it. 

[C] Like, all the time? What do you put it in? I've never used it before!

[M] Well I use it in certain baking recipes and I have a few dinner recipes that call for a small amount. 

[C] That is crazy. I have never used brown sugar. I don't even know what you'd use it for. 

[M] ???

[C] Are you going to make a pie? (Scanning two cans of cherry pie filling)

[M] No, just a dessert. 

[C] Like a cherry pie?

[M] Not exactly. Just a dessert that requires cherry pie filling. 

[C] I don't know what dessert you'd make with cherry pie filling that isn't a pie!

[M] It's not a cherry pie. It's more like a cobbler, I think. I can't remember the name of it. It's for a Father's Day dessert.

[C] Well I hope they like cherry pie stuff!!

[C] Where did you find this?! (Cannot remember what it was they were asking about)

[M] Oh, it was over on the aisle with (whatever aisle it was on)

[C] Woah. I have got to get one of these. Do you know how much it was?

[M] .........ummmm no. I can't remember. 

[C] Oh look! I scanned it and it said it was $5.99! That's a good deal!!!

Don't get me wrong. I do not mind chatting with people, even at the store. It just feels very weird when they start closely examining each item I am purchasing, ask lots of questions and get a little personal. I don't even mind awkward conversation, just not about all the stuff I'm buying right then. I would also like to mention that I am ALWAYS nice to people at the grocery store. I make a point to be kind because you never know what kind of stuff someone is dealing with. Plus, I see too many people who are cold and rude to these employees on a regular basis. So, I try to engage them in a friendly way. It's a lot harder during these types of chats. I get really weird and never know what to say exactly. 

It never fails though- if someone is going to talk about something weird, I'm the person they go to. I think I seem very approachable. 

Gunner's First Trip to the Library

On Thursday mornings the Rogers Public Library has Tumbling Toddlers, which includes story time, songs, and crafts. I took Gunner this week and he had the best time! He really got into the interactive songs with the other kids and did a very fun painting, coloring and glueing craft. I was hoping to take him each week this summer while he is out of Kids Day Out, and I think it will be an excellent weekly activity for us.
After tumbling toddlers, most of the kids and moms hung out in the very large kids library section and let the kiddos play. It was super fun! Gunner mostly stuck with puzzles, but I'm hoping he will learn to love reading new books. He loves reading at home, but I think all the new toys they had there were more interesting.
Below are a few photos from our trip.
It's been a while since my last post so I will update on what all the little man has been doing lately.
As I mentioned, he is in Kids Day Out at Cross Church in Pinnacle Hills. He is going twice a week. This was a HUGE step for both of us since he has been home with me (or the grandparents) all day every day since birth. It's been noticeable to me that I needed to start him in a school like environment, so we went for it. Aside from a few minutes of tears at the drop off first thing, he has enjoyed it! He only cried the first three days. He really loves it and I am so proud to see him learning and socializing. They had school pictures so I cannot wait to see how those turned out.
On the days we have together at home we spend time doing chores together and trying to have fun learning new things. Gunner has taken a liking to music and loves to sing songs. He has a really good memory. I am actually surprised at the things he can remember. He can sing an entire song to you or read one of his books to you. It's pretty amazing and I love hearing him sing and read. He is incredibly active, as boys tend to be, so I encourage Daddy to play with him in his free time. Mommy just can't keep up sometimes.
We practice learning new words and their meanings, we work on our manners often and we try to enjoy doing things to help out around the house. Sometimes it's easy for me to want to do everything myself since he is still so little, but I am trying to take more time to let him do something and give him praise even if it means more work for me. I know that's very important.
He is still such a happy kid! I am looking forward to warmer weather so he can run off some energy outside. He is a lot of work, but he makes me so happy even with that work.
Here are some photos of the little guy!

Life as a Stay At Home Mom: Toddler Edition

I know I've posted before about a day in the life of a sahm, but it was many moons ago, and it was with a baby. Life with a toddler is a completely different ball game. It's practically a whole other sport.

I was reading past entries, pondering how I could have had enough time to do all the things I talked about. That was then. Life as I know it is essentially a never ending fencing match. Or maybe it's more like constantly chasing a tornado to try and keep it from destroying entire cities. Scratch that, it's like fencing a tornado. Yes.

My child never stops. I'm not sure if this is the nature of my child, or if it has to do with the fact that he's a boy. It's probably just a two year old trait. I've heard that boys are much more insane when it comes to constant energy and being destructive, though. This child is like the energizer bunny on crack. From the moment he gets out of bed, he's running. I can hardly change his clothes. Most of the time he runs off with one arm in his shirt and one out because I didn't do it fast enough. He loves playing with moving objects, so cars and things of that nature are his favorites. He loves to dance, so we watch shows with lots of music and he really lets loose. He really loves being close to us, so he's in our face a lot. I say in our face and not on our laps because he can't sit still. There are days where he's more inclined to sit with me and read or play, but they're more rare. This kid also never stops talking. Ever. He is constantly saying something. He talks to people in Walmart. He asks who we are going to see when we are in the car. He talks to cartoons on tv. He really gets going when Daddy comes home. Poor Daddy thinks Gunner doesn't have an off switch.

He loves taking things apart. From toys to food, to ripping up paper. I'll never understand why he would rather completely obliterate a toy than play with it.

It's hard to get him to do things like sit and eat, or be still long enough to go potty. He is so impatient. He gets very frustrated when he can't figure something out in less than two seconds. He has started throwing fits. This is not acceptable. I'm trying to figure out how to handle it. On one hand, he's only two and I shouldn't expect him to understand why he can't just throw fits. On the other hand, I don't want this to become a habit. It's not an easy thing trying to communicate with a toddler.

The kid is smart. He's sharp. He really catches on quickly to most things. I want him to be in a constant state of learning so I try to keep him doing things that are challenging. He is starting to learn to count, he can say most of the alphabet, and the other day I discovered that he can color match! (Put blue items with blue items, red with red, etc) His speech is ridiculous and I'm amazed at how well he can talk. He will say almost anything I say. He's my little parrot. Not only can he say a ton, he says it quite clearly. He recently started saying snacks instead of nahh. He used to call his favorite show (Bubble Guppies) dah dah duppie, and now says bubble duppies. Yain morphed into rain, she is shoe, da is socks, and dee is feet. Baby talk is fading. Learning every day.

It's kind of insane. I have to be careful about what I say, and wait to do certain chores until he's either in his high chair or asleep. He's so hilarious though, and he's so sweet (most of the time). It's been awesome being able to actually communicate with him. I think he has enjoyed it too.

He has started taking an interest in helping with things lately. He likes to help do the laundry, and at the end of the day loves to take off his clothes and put them in his laundry basket before he streaks into the bathroom for his bath. He's very good at helping pick up his toys too. (I'll be ecstatic when he can help me carry the groceries in.) I've even gotten him to "clean" the windows a few times! We are working on learning to put our clothes on, though I think it will be a while before he masters this.

Potty training has been in progress for two months now. He is doing very well. We had a setback recently since he wore pull ups the entire time we were on vacation, and nearly the whole month of December since we were so busy. He's had several accidents since Christmas, but being only in underwear really gets him back in shape. So I'm hoping that in another week we will be back on track. Pooping is just a disaster. I really have no idea what the heck to do. He has gone on the potty several times, but something has yet to click with him. He seems to be afraid of it, and I don't mean the potty. He's fine with the potty. He's afraid of the actual task of pooping. I won't give details, I will just say I literally am at a loss. We just wing it.

He is learning and growing so fast I can hardly keep up. It is a different world than it was two years ago. I'm very proud of him.

New Year, New Goals

I don't think there's anything wrong with making New Years resolutions. Some people don't like to do it because they feel it's like setting them up for failure. I am not afraid of failure, I'm afraid of being stagnant. I need to make sure I am working towards a goal to keep me going. That said, New Years resolutions aren't meant to make you feel like you're a failure if you don't accomplish them. It should be something that keeps you motivated. The journey is important.
Here are my goals for 2013.
Starting with the obvious, I'd like to be healthier and lose weight. I'd like to get to a healthier weight (not an unrealistic one), drink more water and less sodas, and start cooking healthier meals for my family. Along with that, I would like to take better care of myself in general. More flossing, more exercise, better skin care, stuff like that. Also along the same lines, I'm going to try and look less like a stay at home mom (aka a hot mess). Seriously, I shouldn't have to wear a hat every day I go out in public. That's just me being lazy. Speaking of laziness, I'm going to start trying to keep a better daily routine. I'm going to work to keep the house cleaner by being more organized and I'm going to work towards saving money by really keeping a tight grocery budget.
Going along with a daily routine, I'm going to try to start incorporating a time during the day where Gunner and I focus on something school related. Maybe we will do flash cards, or work on counting or his ABC's. I'm wanting to start him in a Mother's Day out once a week this year, and I would like for him to start at home getting used to a scheduled learning time. I think it's going to be important for him (and myself). Lastly, and this goes in with the first things I listed, I want to run another 5k. I would love to do that by October. I was really very proud of myself doing it once, and it was the first thing I've done in a long time where it was up to me to make it happen and I actually finished it.
There you have it! Nothing too insane, just things that I really need to do to make myself a better human.
What are your goals for the new year?

Catching Up

I honestly can't remember how long it's been since my last post, but thankfully my blog keeps track of that and it looks like it has been two months. My last post was about my 5k race! So what have I been up to since?
Well, not running. I was hurting pretty badly after my race so I decided to take a break. Now it's just too cold and too dark during the times I could go run. Very unfortunate. I'm hoping I can figure out a way to utilize a treadmill in our house somehow, although there is zero free space for one. I think it's time for me to go to a specialty tennis shoe supplier and get them to figure out which shoe I need. I'm getting shin splint pain very bad when I run now. (I was able to go to the gym twice on vacation and ran a mile each time, and that was it. The pain was too much.)
Other than that, I've been busy getting ready for Thanksgiving, Christmas and vacation! This year was our year with Daniel's family, and we were lucky enough to have it in Northwest Arkansas! That was so nice. We were able to sleep at our house while spending the days that weekend with them all. We also did tons of shopping. I had my first Black Friday experience! (My autocorrect capitalized it...wow) It was so fun! I went with Daniel's family. We started out at 8pm and finished at 2 am. Then the next day Daniel went on their second outing that afternoon. You see, I had to have all my shopping and wrapping done by December 7th, because we left for a two week vacation on the 8th. That brings us to our trip!
Each December we spend a week in our timeshare in Fairfield Bay. It's lovely. There are hardly any tourists and it's quiet and not crowded. We get to spend a lot of time with Daniel's parents. So that was week 1, and the second week Daniel went home and back to work while Gunner and I spent a week at Nanny and Pawpaw's! The last day of our trip was the Babb family Christmas party. Those two weeks were busy! We really enjoyed it, and Nanny got some good quality time with Gunner.
Once we came home, we had my family's Christmas party on Christmas Eve. It's been a very busy December! Gunner really got into Christmas this year. It was so fun shopping for him and watching him open his gifts.
We are getting back into the swing of normal life again and preparing for our birthdays. Daniel's birthday is tomorrow and mine is in January. We will see what 2013 holds for us all!

Run my first 5k race: Check!

I can mark running a 5k race off my bucket list! Saturday October 27th I participated in a 5k with my mom and brother. It was so exciting! I'm thankful they did it with me because it would not have been as fun doing it alone.
I've been training since July so I've worked hard to get this far. It wasn't easy though. From being over weight, taking care of a toddler, not having much time to get runs in, and having the worst nights sleep before the race, I'd say it was a tough road.
I don't have a gym membership. Even if I did (and I have thought about getting one) I would have to wait until Daniel got home from work so he could keep Gunner. I'm not a morning person in the slightest, so running before he leaves for work is out of the question (for now...hopefully some day I will be brave enough to want to make that happen). So, I can either run on the weekends, or in the evenings. Running in the evenings has its challenges. Cooking dinner, feeding the family, getting out before it gets dark, figuring out if I should eat before or after I run, being exhausted from a full day, etc. The main thing I have to do is mentally prepare all day for my run. If I'm in the mindset of going, it seems that I do better.
I can say that as of a few weeks ago I have lost 20 pounds since I started. I still have many more pounds to go! I'm feeling better though and it makes me excited to keep working towards my goal.
Race day was crazy! The race was in Fayetteville so I thought it would be smart to stay with my parents so we would be closer. It would have been great had I not been up all night. Gunner woke up at 1:30, and I couldn't get back to sleep after that. At 2:45 I finally moved to the living room and cat napped in an oversized chair till 5:30. I woke up thinking "I'll never be able to finish...maybe I should just stay home." After sucking it up, I left with Mom at 6:30. We arrived, parked, got our bibs, found my brother, and walked around in the 32 degree frozen morning air for 30 minutes. My sister and sis in law were there to cheer us on. (And hold our coats!)
We took some pictures, got in line, and started getting nervous. (At least I got nervous!) I had read some helpful tips online about your first race, and I knew to get in the back of the group. Mom and David had both run a few races before so they didn't have the pre race jitters like I did. But alas, here we went! And before I could even find my pace they were both dashing out ahead of me. I knew I would be in the back of the group, but at last place? Well, I can't turn back now! There were four of us in the tail of the group, and we were all running the same speed. Two girls were behind me. As long as I stay in front of them I'm fine. Running, running, left turn, right turn, run...motivational thoughts, deep breaths, second song on my playlist, I'm doing it! It's still incredibly cold out but it almost seemed to help numb my sore legs. Half mile down. still see at least half the group ahead of me. Open field, I see Mom! Wow she's wayyyy up there. David is nowhere to be found...he's probably across the finish line being given flowers and hot chocolate, doing an interview for the local news. Focus, keep pushing through. One mile, done. The crowd has thinned out where I'm pretty sure the four of us are the only ones who aren't finished yet. That old lady who I swore I would pass is long gone. The rest of the group is probably having a party and eating fine cheeses and are being fed grapes and the most expensive cuts of meat fresh from a grill. Snap out of it! You're nearly done...*check phone* oh dear...I'm only at mile 1.5. This is hard. Ok, I've got this, focus, positive thoughts. Running, sunshine, dirt, running more, pace is good. Suddenly, I catch something out of the corner of my eye. What is that? Two girls?! WHAT?! They're passing me!!!? Noooo!!! I cannot be last...speed up! Ok no, finishing is the goal, not going into cardiac arrest in the middle of a pasture. Just finish. Who cares if they passed you. Run. Run more. New song. Oh good, this is perfect timing for this song, it always keeps me pushing. Turning corners, watching ahead to make sure there aren't holes in the trail. Sweating has kicked in. I see runners way ahead. Two miles done! Yes, time to speed up slightly. Run. Breathe. Should I take my gloves off? *frozen air slaps face* No, no I should wait a while. Why is it so cold today? Corner. What....what is that? Is that a hill?! Why is it so steep!?!?! UGH........horrible!!!! Ok got it....wait, another one?! Ahhhh!!!!!! Burning legs! Shut up Black Eyed Peas! I am pumping it as hard as I can! Leave me alone! I'm losing it, I need to focus. Think about your fat. You hate it. It's stupid. You want it gone. Yes, feeling better. I can do this. 2.40 miles! I'm nearly done! The faster I run, the sooner it's done. The faster I run, the sooner it's done.....the faster.....who is that? Someone is walking the wrong direction. ... ....? Is that........David?! YES! He's going to give me a piggy back ride to the end!!! How awesome! Oh, no...no he's going to run with me. That's good too! Sharp turn, volunteer and high five, nearly there! What's this?I'm passing those two girls! Yes! I'm not last! Here's Mom! She's here too! We are in this together! I can do it, it's almost over. Run, maintain. Keep it up. There it is! The finish line!!! Ok, give it everything you have! As fast as you can go! PLEASE DO NOT FALL!!! Aaaaaaaaaand FINISHED!!!!!!!!!
I did it! It's over! And I wasn't last place!!!!! Yes. I am so proud. I suddenly realized my legs were jello. I earned jello legs! It's worth it.

A Lunch Recipe

I've started being more careful about what I eat lately. I've got the running thing down so I thought to kick it into weight loss mode I would start eating better. I'm taking it slow. None of this "I will only eat lettuce!" or "Zero carbs forever!" because I get burned out in like a day. So, baby steps.
I bought stuff to make wraps for lunch! I really love the ease and versatility you get with doing wraps. Here is what I had today. It was really great.
Start with a wrap. I have garden spinach herb wraps. You can find them where they have tortillas at the store. They're pretty big so you will be full with one.
Spread a flavored cream cheese on it. I like using the low fat options like garden veggie. Spread a very small amount of dijon mustard on that. A little goes a long way. Cover with lots of lettuce. I prefer romaine. Then put deli turkey slices on top. I use a lot of lettuce and turkey to fill it up. On top of that I added a small amount of grated cheese, then some bacon bits because I thought I had real bacon pieces but did not and I really wanted a bit of bacon, diced tomato and whatever else you like! Roll it up, cut it in half and enjoy. Super yummy.
You can do just about any combo, and it's a great way to use up leftovers.
There you have it! Quite delicious and filling.

Friday Randoms

I get a little sad every time I think I hear thunder only to realize it's a moron with loud bass driving by my house.
Gunner's sleeping schedule is confusing me lately. He wakes up at 8 most days, but he's been sleeping later, napping later, and going to bed later. He's talking to himself for an hour before he goes to sleep. I might need to adjust his schedule a little.
Baily needs to go to the groomer in a bad way.
I haven't been able to go run in over a week. I'm feeling lazier each day I skip out.
I actually tried one of the hair tutorials I saw on Pinterest! Turned out better than I expected.
I cannot stop thinking about eating Nutella. I ran out (already) and Daniel has forbidden me to get more. He knows I will eat every bit of it as fast as I can. My precious...
Now I can't think of anything else except Nutella.

January 7th 2009

On January 7th, 2009 (3.5 years ago) I wrote on my blog that I had a goal to run a 5k by the fall. Did I do it? Of course not! Hahahahahahaha....
Sorry. I'm not sure why anyone thought I would ever do that. Running sucks.
Well, I'm currently in the process of "training" myself to run a 5k. 'Say WHAT?!?' you ask? Yes. I am. I'm just 3 weeks in, getting ready to start week 4. I'm doing it!! It's not as bad as I anticipated. It's terrible, don't get me wrong. It's just not killing me like I thought it would.
I'm using an iPhone application that coaches me through 30 minutes of walking and running. You start out super duper slow, like running 30 seconds, walking 1 1/2 minutes for 30 minutes. You gradually work your way up to running a 5k in 9 weeks. I'm getting ready to try 5 minutes of running on and off this week. Wish me luck.
I have never been a runner, even when I was in grade school and played basketball. I just never had any endurance. I'm at a place in my life where I'm not happy with myself as far as weight and general health, and I want to change that. It's become important to me to teach Gunner to make good choices when he eats and I want to encourage a healthy lifestyle. How can I do that when I'm not anywhere near healthy? I can't. This is my motivation. Well, not just that. I also want to feel good. Several weeks ago I started noticing how run down and sad I felt all day. I kept feeling like I couldn't get enough sleep even though I was sleeping 8 hours a night. I would wake up often, but I would still get plenty of sleep. That's not normal. I should have had enough energy to get through the day and I just couldn't do it without a nap. Even with a nap I still felt awful. Something had to change, and I am not one who is ok with taking medication to fix myself. I decided to start exercising, and for some reason I really was ready to try this running thing. It's working. I feel amazing nearly every day. I've got loads of energy and I don't tire out as quickly anymore. I've been having less headaches and I've also been sleeping so much better. My mood has changed as well. Have I lost weight? I have no idea, honestly. Probably not. But that's not my goal right now. Right now I'm trying to get into this habit of exercise on a regular basis. Everything else can wait. Dieting, running in the early morning, weighing myself, it can all wait because I am easily discouraged and those are things that could bring discouragement.
It feels really good to have a goal. Not only that, I am starting to really notice a difference on how long I can run. That's been awesome. It makes me realize that I really can do this if I just keep going.
On a lighter note, I have had some interesting moments during the last three weeks of this. The first day I did this, I was very nervous. I honestly didn't know if I had it in me. That was a learning experience because after that I figured out how to add a select group of songs from my iPod to the app for my run. That first day I was running short bursts while I was trying to skip through hundreds of songs. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is NOT a very motivating song to run to, let me tell you. So that was a nice distraction from my nervousness. On another day, I ended up getting out there pretty late so it was nearly dark when I started. I had to wear one of Daniel's LED head lamps while I ran around the neighborhood so I could see where I was going. I probably looked like an insane coal miner. Actually, I had to wear it twice in one week. This last run I got to do with my mom who has already done a couple 5k's. So I'm sure she was having a hard time running that slow. (I'll work on speed later) Anyway, it's been really interesting, and it's starting to get a little bit fun. I'm hoping I can keep up and not have to do any of these weeks over again, but it should take me at least another 6 weeks before I'm finished.
When I'm on the last day of this, I want my neighbors to bring out the lawn chairs and cheer me on!!!! Ha! That would be so hilarious. Maybe I can just get Daniel to do that.

Yes, I would like some cheese with my whine

My head hurts. I've had a weird headache in my eyes for two days. It's annoying. Tylenol doesn't help. Resting doesn't help because I fall asleep and it seems worse after I wake up. Yes, I'm whining. It's really annoying. I feel very blah and I've got no get up and go. That's all. I've got nothing special for you today. Just wanted to complain for a bit since I try to avoid complaining most days.
On a positive note, I think I finally finished the insane amount of laundry we had.

Things Gunner Says

Gunner's verbal skills are improving all the time. He is learning new words constantly, and he is starting to repeat things he hears. A little scary considering I can't always control what he hears, but every parent deals with this I guess.
He is excellent at using the same tone and inflection he hears other people use. When he says certain things, it sounds identical to the way I would say it. One funny thing he has been doing for a couple of days is yelling "MAMAAAA!!!!" and I will say (a bit quieter) "GUNNER!" and he loves it. He has started saying it slower, lower and quieter and I will copy him. He just laughs and laughs.
He likes to call out for people he knows (Mama, Daddy, Nana, Papa, Nanny, Pawpaw) and can name each of them in his photo albums.
He's been trying to master saying "okay", but it's coming out "ahshaaa". That darn k sound. He loves saying "yeah", and if he hears us say it he will go crazy saying "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"
He's been repeating things from his favorite cartoons, like when they say yes, no, or make animal sounds like moo. There's a song they play on Nick Jr. that has ooo ooo parts, and he repeats it. In the car today a song on the radio had something like nah nah nah, and he was singing it!! Smart kit.
He's starting to make two word sentences also. He loves saying "Uh oh Daddy" and "Uh oh Mama". (he also uses "uh oh" when a recorded episode of Bubble Guppies is over. He says uh oh and finds me to turn on another episode. Spoiled!) He can say "Bye bye Daddy/Momma/Nana/Papa" and he has also invented a new word that he uses when he can't say your name or doesn't know your name. It sounds something like "Bye bye ledledledle". He just sticks his tongue in and out. Ha! Lately, when it's time for bed or for a nap, when I lay him down he tells me bye bye. So sweet!
He's started saying "wow", "Wheeee!" and "yay" when he's playing.
My favorite thing he has said thus far though pertains to diaper changes. He has had some particularly epic poopy diapers the last few days, and most of them have caught me off guard. I wasn't prepared with the amount or nastiness when I opened the diapers, so I would just say "Oh noooo!" and then do what moms do and talk silly to keep their kid entertained. (funny sounds, silly faces, whatever.) After that, each time I open his diapers, he says "Oh no!" Ohhh noo!!" and smiles at me. Silly kid!!!! Gotta learn to be careful what I say from now on.