Collin is 6 MONTHS

I can't get over how fast the past 6 months have gone. They literally just flew by. And I keep thinking that Collin really isn't as old as he is. Maybe it is because with Mason, he was only 4 months old at Thanksgiving and such and I am not on the timeline quite yet of Collin, but intact he is 6 months old at Thanksgiving.

I have so much to be thankful for with him. He is such a good baby. Even when he is crying at night, I still love him. He is such an efficient nurser. He gets the job done fast and is over and done with. When he is happy, he is really happy and he often doesn't get mad. Except for 2 am sometimes. He will be transition to his room for good I think this month because we are at the point where we are just keeping each other up at night and that just isn't cool!

He is mobile! He is crawling. And it is the weirdest thing to watch. He isn't old enough I keep thinking about it. All the sudden I see his little head bob back and forth and off he goes. He can't really sit up on his own yet, doesn't like to roll over and mostly it is not of his own free will and he can't get into a sitting position on his own. He is just crawling to get to the toys his brother has or to keep up with brother.

This past month we saw how much he and Mason really do love each other and understand each other. Mason makes it a point every night to give Collin a hug and muah, as he calls it. Mason has also started saying, Hi Brother. Or he will inform me that Collin is his brother. And also tells him that he loves him while patting his head like a dog. It really is so cute and melts my heart. Collin celebrated his first Halloween and passed out in the middle of it. The life of a baby!

We are so thankful that this little guy is part of our family! Everyone comments how much he and Mason look alike and it really is unreal how much they are corbon copies of each other, except for the hair. Mason was quite dark and had a lot more hair and Collin is quite blond.

Life Happenings

I am at that point in my life where I totally relate with other mothers. My house is no longer spotless as it once was. Yes maybe the main living room is very clean 3 days a week, but that is because I teach and it has to be clean! But the rest of my house, nope. It was a disaster. Piles of clean laundry waiting to be put away. Piles of dirty laundry, the never ending laundry as I am calling it now, waiting to be cleaned. Toys, toys and more toys all over the floor. Kitchen gets cleaned regularly only because of health reasons, but somedays the dishes pile high waiting for me to get busy.

This past weekend, Matt and I tackled the house and did a nice "fall cleaning." Thanks in part to having so many guests over for various activities. That's good motivation to get the house clean. People coming over! When the hubs helps out, and helps out A LOT then you know you are due for a good cleaning! I am now sitting in a pretty darn clean house now and it just feels SO GOOD! i have been making my bed, and trying to put things back where they are supposed to go and such. Finally sorted through all the clothing that was given to us for Collin and Mason too, so now we can see the floor in the nursery again and it is ready for Collin to move in there full time!

Few tricks I have learned this past weekend. Laundry is overwhelming to me. I hate doing it. I was just letting it pile up, which would mean laundry day turns into days and that is why we had clean clothing waiting to be put away. I finally realized that we no longer have just 1 laundry day a week. And that's ok. And I have to do smaller loads otherwise it just is too much for me to do with a 3 year old climbing all over the clothes as I am folding and a 6 month old screaming at me. Smaller is better.

Goals now are to keep the house more tip top shape. Doing more small things to help with the big picture. But you know what? Cleaning shouldn't take forever to do because that is just time I am missing being with my kids. So doing a little everyday is the key for me right now.

Any other mother's out there have any advice for me?

November Week 2 Recap

So glad that this week is over and done with. I hate being sick. I don't want to push my body too much so that I stay sick forever but I also don't want to miss my exercise runs or anything and yep, I missed a run. It is the additional run day but I still missed a run and that makes me frustrated! But I did get Monday and Wednesday's run so at least I did that. I am at the beginning of my training and already having to miss my run is so not a cool way to start out.

I did get an early birthday present from the hubs. I have been asking for over a year to get a Garmin running watch and I finally got one and I LOVE IT! I went with the Forerunner 15 because of the battery life, and step counter. Debating on getting the foot pod to wear when on the treadmill. I have been using it at the gym during the week and I got to use it for the first time with GPS on Saturday. I have a lovely little map of a circle since I was running around on the track. But pretty soon I will be out and about and having cool looking maps!

I have been super jealous of all the races going on this past week that I haven't been apart of. I definitely have that "race fever!" I miss running in a race, but I am not prepared in anyway to be running a race quite yet. Still have training to go but thankful that I am missing not running. I have been looking at training plans for future races that I would love to run. (I looked at the Dopey race training plan by Jeff Galloway and wow! SCARY! Then I moved over to the WDW Marathon plan and that looks about right!) A girl can dream right! But I am planning on running which is the amazing part. Now to lose some of this giggle on my hips, but and tummy!

Collin Update: Collin is full on crawling now. Before 6 months old and he can make his way  around the house. It is so weird to look up and see him crawling to toys he wants to his brother. He has crawled to me once. I ask him, " Why you crawling away from me!" all the time and he just gives me the cutest little toothless grin showing me that he is super proud of what he is doing. And he isn't as frustrated anymore with the fact that he couldn't get around. He is so happy, and he is sleeping a little better now since he is exerting himself more.

Mason Update: Oh Mason! My pill of a boy 3 year old. He is doing so well in the gym daycare. He loves going. Gives me a hug and a kiss then pushes me away to go play. He has been interacting with his brother a ton more lately too. Saying "Hi Car-r" (can't quite say his L and so it sounds like he is saying car with 2 syllables.) He then pats Collin's head. It is cute. He has this thing now that he has to give all of us, including the dog, Archer a hug and kiss before he goes to bed. I did have Mason run 2 laps with me around the small track at the gym. He loved it and was trying to race me. (This was after my run already!) All the older folks at the gym sure got a kick out of it too!

Workout Recap: 
Sunday: Yoga
Monday: 2.25 miles- 35 min total. 1.25 mile timed: 15:12 min/mile
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3.65 miles- 60 min total. 1.25 mile timed: 15:21 min/mile
Thursday: sick
Friday: sick (should have done something. felt better. got lazy)
Saturday: 1.80 miles. 30 min total. Run/ walk intervals. Running intervals we at a 12 min/mile avg. Just need to learn how to take shorter walking intervals.

Total Mileage: 7.7 miles total

Starting Over

Can I just tell you that starting over with running, and yes I am starting from square 0, is really, really, REALLY hard to do! It just isn't fun. I am going through the same pains now that I did last year when I first started running with the 4 miler training program. I have shin splints again. And they really suck! I have noticed though since I have been trying to do more mileage than is required, even though it is just walking, that after the first mile and a half my legs are finally warmed up and fine.

This is the frustrating part. The first mile sucks and it takes me 1.5 miles for my legs to cooperate and to deal with what is going on with them. But at this point my required mileage is just over a mile.

But here is the cool part. I have a goal. I want to do this. I want to get back in running shape. And this is a great reminder to not stop running again. Even when I do get pregnant again, I will continue to run just as I did before. As long as my body will let me. This is also good motivation to eat better too because I am carrying more weight on my body and that is another reason why my body hurts while running. All I have to do is just keep on running. That's it. Just keep doing it.

Oh and another cool thing, hubs knew I have been wanting the Garmin Forerunner 15 for awhile now and he got it to help me with my training! Can't wait to use it on Saturday morning!

QOTD: Have you ever had to restart your running? How long did it take for you to feel normal again?

November Week 1 Recap

HELLO to November! Here comes the hard part about this time of year. It is like a constant flow of sweets, treats and all the stuff we shouldn't eat, all begin with NOV 1. Left over Halloween candy, holiday parties and baby it gets cold outside, so lots of home baked goods! To say we haven't indulged a little would be a lie. I have cookie dough ready to make in the fridge now, make for a friend and freeze the rest. But this is also the time that we can counteract all the delicious treats with MORE EXERCISE! And More exercise I did! WAHOO!

This was my first week back at the gym and I took full advantage of that. And being the emotional postpartum mommy I am right now I cried when I took Collin and left him there for the first time. It was just weird to drop him off and leave him. It isn't like I hadn't done that with Matt but this is the first time I left Collin with someone other than family. It was just a little weird, but then I got over it and went and exercised. Only to be so happy to pick him up after my time was done. I am so happy to be back at the gym and I am enjoying it!

Collin update: Collin is in the beginning awkward stages of crawling. He has been doing the "worm" crawl all week but as of last night he is now moving a hand with a knee then falls over. He will be crawling before Thanksgiving. GET READY FAMILY Because he is going to be EVERYWHERE! He is just such a happy go lucky baby and I LOVE THAT!

Mason update: Mason is just Mason. He is showing a lot more affection towards his brother and makes sure to give him a "HAR-UM-MUAH" ever night (hug and kiss) He loves that there is candy in the house. He is only getting 2 pieces a day. (I say only) but he only asks for it in the morning. He is getting so big though. He also went to the dentist for the first time this past week and was a champ! He keeps talking about how he needs to go back to the Teeth Doctor. Good thing, he lets us now brush and FLOSS his teeth without it being a big fight. So for that I am thankful! I will be having surgery at the beginning of the year on my mouth sadly. French horn playing has taken a toll on my poor bottom gums and I will have to have a gum graft. Now on to find a good parodontitis. Not looking forward to that. 

Overall things have been great! My training is going well. I have been keeping track through RunKeeper. I have 130 days to get even better and more comfortable in my running before the 10 miler! 

Workout Recap: 
Sunday: Yoga Fix
Monday: 1.85 miles walk and run (1 mile run 14:30 min/mile .85 miles walk)- 30 min total; 1 mile on elliptical
Tuesday: 2.36 mile walk
Wednesday: PiYo Lower Fix 
Thursday: 3 miles walk and run (1 mile 14:00 min/mile - 2 mile walk) - 50 min total
Friday: rest
Saturday: 1.5 miles walk/run 1.25 mile - 1/4 mile cool down - 20:32 total for both making it a 13:41 min/mile (including cool down!) 

So I am getting better and pushing myself. My body is tired and I am starting to get sick. I can feel it. Nose stuffed and my patience fuse is a little low. It doesn't help that Collin is waking up nearly ever hour at night right now to feed. Gotta love the 6 month growth spurt! 

Total Mileage for run/walk: 8.71 miles. No wonder why my body was super tired on Friday! Mileage only goes up from here though! Not too bad for my first week back!