A Great Weekend

This past weekend was a good one. It was filled with wonderful moments, each one better than the one before.

So, let's start with Saturday.  Saturday was Hans' and my first day off in 3 weeks.  THREE WEEKS!  That alone is cause for celebration.  Did we sleep in and lounge about, though?  Nope!  We had a race to run.  This weekend was the annual Monument Avenue 10k.

Monument Ave was my first 10k back in 2012.  It was a grey, rainy day, and I remember being so excited and nervous.  I was so overcome with emotions that day that I teared up by the 1/2 mile mark.  I also remember both Dad and Hans were at the finish line, and Mom, my best friend, and Hans and I all went out for a celebratory meal afterwards.  I was sore and tired but oh so pleased.  In fact, I was so pleased with myself from my results that day (1:04:18).

Boy was this year different!  This year, I treated this race as just another training run.  It was cold, and I was tired.  I really didn't want to be there, and I wasn't even enjoying the fun costumes or the party atmosphere.  I was excited for Hans who was running it for the second time, and I was nervous for Mom who was walking it (for the 3rd time), but really I just wanted to be at home with Anna.  Anna was at home with Jess who was kind enough to babysit early in the morning.

So, I started the race.  I was layered up, and my race watch was covered, so I didn't take the time to check my pace.  I just listened to my body and hoped I had a pace that was better than that first year. (Note: Due to injuries and pregnancy in previous years, this was the first year I actually had a chance at setting a PR).  I didn't think much of my overall goal of under an hour since training runs hadn't been near that pace.  I just wanted to get it over with.  Imagine my surprise then when, at the end of the race, I checked my watch and saw 1:00:02.  What was my official time!?  When I checked the final results, the race clock read my time at 0:59:57!  That means I finally ran a 10k in under an hour!  This has been a goal for 3 years!  I did and had no clue I was going to do it!  Great surprise!

Hans finished shortly thereafter (can I mention how proud I am of him), and we went home to warm up and shower.  As I mentioned, Mom was walking the 10k.  This wasn't her first time walking it, but it was definitely her first time post chemo and radiation.  Here's the thing.  Chemo and radiation are hard.  For many of her training days, Mom ended up just curled up in bed, either shivering from cold or trying not to be sick.  Her longest walk prior to this was 4 miles, and afterwards she had to sleep in her car for an hour.  So, I was worried.  I had to head on to work, but I was anxious for news of how she did.  Hans picked her up, and gave me the report.  She finished!  She finished with a friend and with one of her coaches.  She was at home sleeping, she was exhausted, but she had finished.  She was ushered in by a police vehicle, but she had finished.  I was so, so proud of her!

Mom (in the floppy hat) with her coach and her walking buddy

 If that had been all there was to the great weekend that would have been fine, but there was still more to come.  I mean, all that happened in just the first 3 hours!  Saturday, Hans and I spent the afternoon together (after my quick moment in work) while Anna spent most of the time napping.  When we got home, I set Anna on the floor to play.  We've been waiting for Anna to crawl for a while now, so tummy time has been important.  Well, not wanting to be outdone by the achievements from earlier in the day, Anna crawled!  Cheers all around!

How could you not cheer this adorable face?

Sunday was a relaxing day.  We went to Romp 'n Roll, followed by church, followed by lunch out with the grandparents.  After that, we came home to a quiet house to rest and recharge for Monday.  Hans grilled burgers, we snuggled, and we simply enjoyed each others' company.  How could it get any better than that?

So, what did I say?  Is that a great weekend or what?  I wish they could all be that wonderful!

I'm Still Here!

Wow!  It's been 2 whole months since my last blog post.  I definitely had not planned on going so long.  Countless times I've thought of great blog posts, but life has gotten in the way.  So, let me fill you in just a little.

Since my last post was about Anna starting daycare, let's start there.  Well, first, she stopped sleeping through the night around the same time she started daycare.  She'd consistently wake up around 2 or 3am, sometimes as early as midnight, and would be super fussy all night long.  Then, she'd be tired and cranky all day because she hadn't slept well the night before.  This is the number one reason I didn't post.  I was so tired and out of it I couldn't function well enough to type.  We seem to have gotten a bit of a handle on it in the past week or so, and Anna is back to sleeping through the night (lots more solid food really helped), so that's good.  That said, I thought a happier baby in general might mean she'd start to like daycare more.  Nope.  She decidedly hates it.  I mean, I know there are times when she's just playing me and is crying for me to see, but I really do think she hates it.  Personally, I think it's just her personality.  She seems to be  happiest at daycare when she's alone in a corner with a toy.  When another kid comes around she cries.  Alternatively, she'll also be OK when one of the teachers holds her and pays attention only to her.  Ah, my poor little introverted kid who's apparently a spoiled only child.  What will I do with you?  It's kind of hard, though, when everyone you encounter says what a happy baby she is, but daycare says, "Well, she cried a little less today."  So, any tips?

OK, on to the next thing.

Last month, Hans, Anna, and I took our first trip to Disney World.  We went down right during the middle of the coldest temperatures and snow, so I think we planned that well.  We planned the trip around their Princess Half Marathon, so we had a booked-solid schedule.  I probably have at least 2 posts to cover the whole trip, but let me sum up a few things.  The Diaper Dash isn't worth it, but the other kids' races seemed fun.  Never EVER stay in one of their All-Star Resorts.  It's nothing more than an over-priced Econo Lodge.  The park itself was a lot of fun.  Some things were a bit overwhelming for Anna, but we stayed flexible (that's key), and we ended up having a great time.  I highly recommend getting a meal plan if you plan on going, and be prepared to walk...a lot.  Actually, by the time we got to the half marathon on Sunday, I was really concerned that my legs would be shot from all the walking we'd been doing in the days prior.  That said, the half was one of the easiest and most fun I've ever done.  There are a few things I'd do differently, but all in all I had blast.  Oh, and as for tips for flying with an infant?  I can't say I have many.  Anna was perfect and slept most of the time.  When she was awake she was really happy.  I did let her nurse however much she wanted to help with ear pressure, but all in all it was a really easy trip.

After the trip, the entire family got sick with the sinus infection from Hell.  Anna was put on antibiotics (which of course upset her stomach), and Hans and I went to the chiropractor and suffered in our own ways.  I whined a lot, and Hans took lots of Advil.  We're all on the mend now, but there were a couple of days last week where I was ready to head to the dentist and have them pull my teeth just to relieve the pressure in my head.  It was awful.

Other than that, life is super hectic.  We're going through some staffing changes at the kennel.  One of our leads decided to move back to Colorado to be with family, and it's left me pulling a lot of long days (6am-10pm anyone?  It's like it was when we first opened!).  I know this is only temporary, though, and we'll get through it.  We'll miss our lead dearly, but I'm excited for some of the things happening at the kennel soon, so I just keep telling myself that when I'm having a particularly bad day.  Mom is doing well.  She just completed three weeks of radiation, so she's recovering from that, but all her scans are still good.  She has her next scan in April and we're all anxious for the results.  If they come back clean she won't have to worry about any more treatments!

All in all, I'm loving life.    I'm finally getting back on some semblance of a schedule since Disney, and I'm getting used to the routine.  I'm lucky to have a ton of support in Hans and family, because I know I couldn't do this without them.  And now that weather is turning warmer, I'm super-happy.  Yay sunny, 60 degree days!  Let's hope it stays that way!