Oops How is it Friday?

How is it Friday?

Oh yeah-- I got hit with that HORRIBLE stomach bug for a day and a half and missed one of my runs this week along with being completely out of commission!  That is when working from home with a 12 month old was just not working.  Thankfully I have an easy going kiddo because I literally only picked him up to nap or eat and I laid around and watched him play.  When he had both naps I took naps too.  I don't think I turned on my computer all day Wednesday which is saying a lot.  Very Sick.  I thought it was food poisoning as sick as I got and quickly as it came on but it seems to be going around here after talking to people.

So I shall get back to the grind and hopefully knock out a long run this weekend.  I have missed running and actually am kinda feeling bad about saying I don't feel like a runner... because when I miss running I am reminded that I am a runner regardless of how slow or often I get at it!

Weaning is going ok-- little man is 100% ok with it and actually is nursing for shorter amounts of time when he does nurse.  He kinda likes this people food thing!  One day he did great with the sippy cup and the next few-- not so much.  So we'll see how that continues to go.  So we've heard me say how much I have enjoyed the bonding moments and snuggles that come with nursing... here are a few things I won't miss:

Things I won't miss about no longer nursing:
Being sore when I shower
Wearing nursing bras
Craving sweets and carbs constantly (I honestly see a difference in just a week of tapered feedings in my level of cravings-- hopefully not coincidence!)
Wearing two bras to run
Pumping
Being engorged (... before a run, in the morning, after missing a feeding, traveling... anytime!)
Nursing pads

A little secret...

Want to hear a little secret?

I don't actually consider myself a runner.  There I admitted it.  Are you shocked?

I really don't, though.

I know I have this blog and I talk about running but hear me out on this...

In a typical week my only exercise is a run 3 days a week.  If I'm not quite feeling it, that number may drop down and I don't let myself feel that guility about it. 

I only do a race or two a year.

Up until about three years ago I would start training for the April half-marathon and after the race not run regularly again until the winter to start over again.

I don't really get into heartrate, PRs, hill trainings, cross training...

Sometimes I don't even like running very much.

I don't look at protein, eat special bars before a run or even subscribe to a running magazine.

When you blogger runners post stats and details and paces about your runs I gloss over until you write sentences again.

When I run a mile around 9 minutes I feel like I had a pretty good mile.  I was never the sporty one in my family or friends!

I don't follow a training plan for working up to a half-marathon.  (After doing lots of them I go with a gradual build up that just seems to work.)

What do you think?  What makes a person a runner to you?


Now my husband... he's a runner.

He doesn't run regularly at all-- as in I don't think he has run in months maybe even years now-- but he is a runner to me. When he does run, he runs fast! And he can even talk and run fast!  He coached cross country to high schoolers for years.  He knows about heartrates, proteins, carb loading and reads books by a guy named after a whiskey (Daniels' Running Formula - 2nd Edition)



But me... I run to keep my head straight and my stress down.  I run so I can eat the sweets and carbs I can't seem to stop eating! 

I buy gear when I need it and don't geak out on it when I do.  I own a few running shorts, a few running shirts, have a few pairs of running socks, a working pair of running shoes, got some blinky lights (as a Christmas gift) so I can run in the dark and a very nice jogging stroller (as a shower gift) to make sure I couldn't use a baby as an excuse not to run...

I read some great blogs about running and see how dedicated many of you are to making it an actual competative sport.

I love supporting others who think they can't run for whatever reason.  Maybe I have that passion because I don't feel like I am a pro at running myself?  I'd like to think that as long as a doctor gives you a decent bill of health-- anyone can run.  Anyone can do a 5k and I truly think anyone can even do a half or a full marathon too! 

Shoo... I feel better getting that off my chest. 

I'm just your average 30 year old (when did that happen?) running for fun and fitness and I want to take as many of you along on the ride too!

Weaning

While this blog started to cronicle running while pregnant I also desire to keep it real on life with a baby (ok-- 1 year old) too.  I know breastfeeding unto itself is sometimes a sensative subject... but I am going to kick it up a notch and talk about weaning.
Now that baby boy is a year old and I shared that I am ready for another kiddo (whenever the good Lord would bless us with another) and since Aunt Flo has yet to return onb her own-- we're going to start the weaning process.  (How else can I keep a blog called Running for Two?  Haha!!)  My plan now (sitting at day 1) is to drop a feeding and stay one less feeding for a week or so before dropping another.  Of course replacing the feeding with solids (which he already gets) and whole milk.  I may hang on to the morning and night feeding a bit longer.  The night will definately be the last one I drop because it's such a bonding time to snuggle and be the one to put him to bed.  I could cry thinking about dropping it right now.

Baby boy currently nurses 4 times a day-- when he wakes up in the morning, after his morning nap, after his second nap and before bed for the night... so the first feeding to go will be the one after his second nap. 

The pediatrician gave the okay to start organic whole milk.  I gave him some yesterday when he woke up from a nap and after about an ounce he was signing "please" to nurse instead.  So in today's replacement milk I warmed it up and mixed it with my milk and he did fine with it.  I should also mention that because he has nursed he hasn't really figured out a sippy cup.  And he is going through a stage of being soooo picky with solid foods-- but we're forging on. 

His 1 year stats:
20 lbs (exactly) -- only in the 10-25th percentile
30" tall (exactly) -- 50th percentile

I'll keep you posted on how things go, physically, emotionally, etc.

Happy 1st birthday to our sweet Little Man!

Happy 1st birthday to our sweet Little Man!

A year ago today I laid eyes on the most beautiful baby boy I had ever seen.  Around 9 last night I asked my husband to remember back with me and we talked about where we were this time last year.  In case you missed it... his birth story is here.

Here is a photo from the first moments we met our sweet boy...

To a photo taken just a few hours ago (on his first birthday)!  Oh how I love this little guy!  I did not know I was capable of being so full of love until I became his mama a year ago today...

Edit:  For the sake of his Mama... I wanted to add his last "weekly" photo here-- taken on his birthday.  His shirt was another one I made that says "I'm Uno".

Turning Uno-- The Birthday Party Edition

Watch out Blog Friends... The cat is coming out of the bag to talk about the birthday bash... we officially celebrated kiddo turning UNO!  I'm going to let pictures do the talking in this post.

He officially hides from the camera now so this is the best I could do getting his Uno shirt...  (oh and his dad had him wearing his tool belt!)

Weely photos from weeks 1-48...

 We asked guests to sign in with there favorite memory from the past year... hoping to do that at all birthdays!

I made up cards for the food and such.  This one for the party favors said that "he likes to sign 'please.' Kids-- please accept a little gift!"

I made an "UNO" fruit pizza as the cake for the big people.

My Father-in-law and baby boy share a birthday.  So I made him a cake that said 71 and a shirt also announcing his age.  ; )

Fruit bowl in "Uno" colors...

Kiddo's shirt...

The birthday boys!

 The food!!

With all of the food I made signs like the one below...  Around N's birth I craved Papa John's Pizzs with tomatoes and extra sauce!

Guests (and no this is not at my house-- it's a rented clubhouse.)

And this is pretty much how he wanted to be the entire time... in my arms or holding my hand.  He was a bit overwhelmed!

I ended up going with the vanilla (reduced sugar) cake that I posted the recipe for.  I surrounded it with bananas and put a dab of (melted) whip cream on top for a mess-factor.  He LOVED it and cheered up a little after eating.  I think that many people were a little too much for him.  But cake helped make it better!

So that's it... the Uno party is over and the guy officially turns Uno on Thursday.  Sniff.