Micah is 15 Months & I ran a marathon!

Micah is a little over 15 months, and has it been fun! He is running around and getting into everything. How does the time go by so quickly, can you answer me that?

In December, I RAN A MARATHON! It was such a huge accomplishment for me, and I am so very glad I did it. Getting there was an emotional journey, one that I can say I did, but won't be doing again anytime soon. I don't know if I will ever do it again, unless I have someone to train with me. It was so trying to get through training alone. It was also incredibly difficult running the race. My goal was to finish in under four hours, and I did so! However, I had to go to the restroom at the start of the race, and couldn't because the lines to the restrooms were too long. I had to stop at mile three and run into a Porta Potty, leaving behind my pacing crew. I did catch up with them pretty quickly though, meaning I was running faster than I should have been. I started hurting at mile 20, and the last couple of miles were torture. I had to walk (a little) towards the end, but didn't allow myself to walk too much fearing I would see Conrad and he would make fun of me :). When I crossed the finish line I was determined not to look up at the cameras because I was hurting too much and too mad at my body and mind for falling apart at the end! But you know what!? I can say that I ran a marathon. I didn't give up, and I did it! I think my pace was a little over 9 min/mi, and I wanted to be a little under that, but WHO CARES!? I wouldn't have gotten a prize or anything. The prize was in the finish. And I did it.

Then afterwards I quit exercising for a couple of months because my back was giving me problems, and I went to a chiropractor to try to get it right. I am still having a little discomfort, but I think it is getting better. I don't know if it will ever be completely better because I have a crazy little toddler to run after, and to pick up.

The crazy little toddler is such a joy. He does everything with me, and mostly without complaint. He's always so happy, and he teaches me more than I ever knew he could. I want to be a better person for him.

He still uses a pacifier when he sleeps, and I haven't really wanted to break him of it because it makes life so easy. He loves his pacifier. He has even started trying to get them out of his crib when he is in his room, so I have to remember to keep them out of his reach.

He still loves balls of all shapes and sizes, and when he sees a basketball hoop he goes crazy! He loves basketball, and I don't know if it is because he gets such praise from his daddy when he makes a shot (in his room) or if he just loves it all on his own! When we went to watch Conrad play, he was entertained for an hour! That would be nice if he really liked it, and was actually good at it! If not, oh well! He will be what he will be.

Conrad and I went on a trip to New Orleans, and left Micah with my parents. He did so well, even though he was sick. My mom and dad loved spending time with him, but were ready for us to get back from our short weekend away! I think what really helped was Micah being able to stay at his own home.

I am so excited for our future, but I want life to slow down a little bit so I have a chance to take it all in. We are going to try for baby number two this summer, and I will be griping and complaining all over again. I am so afraid to have another child and not give Micah all the attention he deserves, but I think that is the only child in me talking. I know he will probably be better for it!

Micah and I have been going on short runs together, in order to get ready for half marathon number five! I think the half is my distance! I love it. I hope everyone is doing well. Sorry it has been so long.

Happy birthday, Micah!

I am so emotional today! My big boy has turned one, and it has gone by faster than I ever thought it could. They say once you have kids, time flies, and now I can say that I truly know what that means.

A year of "is he okay?", diaper changes, giggles, messes, nose scrunches, and two happy parents, well, among other things. 

Gosh, did we learn so much! We learned about his gassy moments, how to let him sleep through the night, what to feed him, and how much...and we even trusted our gut and introduced cow's milk a little early! 11 1/2 months of breastmilk is all we could get to, sorry doctors and nurses, I know that two weeks makes a HUGE difference! 🙄😉

I just couldn't see what two weeks would do, and I didn't want to do formula for two weeks, really...did they do research on 12 month babies and 11 1/2 month babies? Do they really know that 12 months is that key number??

Micah is now getting two small bottles a day, one in the morning and one at night. We give him an almond milk/cow's milk combo. I will soon cut one of those bottles, and just give him a sippy cup.

On Sunday, I will run my first marathon...just a year after giving birth! That is such a huge accomplishment...if I finish! This year, I've trained hard and ran two half marathons, as well. 

What I can say about all of this is you can get through it!!! You can get through the sleepless nights, you can get through marathon training (by yourself). Take it one day at a time, and you will be where I am! Or better! 

I've also learned that nurses and doctors believe strongly in certain research, but not every single baby fits the mold with every little thing. Use your common sense too! 

For example, research said "most babies" nurse on each breast for 10-20 minutes. Micah? Yeah, right! He was a fast nurser, so I spent my time worrying that he wasn't getting enough. Do you know that's all I've done this year? Is worry? And...smile! A lot of smiling has occurred, as well! 

Then, the whole issue on breastfeeding the whole year, like two weeks, one week, even one day makes a difference! I swear, the nurse I talked to told me I shouldn't do cow's milk for another couple of days! Really?

Anyway, sorry I've been gone so long! This fall has been so busy! Enough of my journaling!

Happy birthday, my love!

10 months old!

Good morning everyone. In two months, Micah will be a year! Time travels so very quickly.
He has been all over the place lately. He's a speedy crawler, and is now wanting to use our hands to help him walk. If he had it his way, he would use our hands all day long! Which is quite tiring, let me tell you.
Remember when I did the post about how I will raise my baby boy? I've decided…I will raise him with an overwhelming amount of love. Although, he will be disciplined for things, he will get a lot of love! What mom wouldn't raise her kids that way?
Right now Micah is a spoiled little boy, and I am starting to feel guilty about having another child! Does this happen to single kid moms? I just think of how it is right now, and it is such a beautiful thing…I know it will be even more beautiful with another child, but I always wonder if Micah will be okay. Haha, I am crazy huh? People do it every day, and here I am, Miss Only Child! Thinking that Micah will suffer when we have another kid! I am sure that he will be better because of it. I hope that I can find a good balance, once I get the hang of having two kids.
Here I am going into detail about having another child…no, I'm not pregnant. We are thinking of trying after my marathon in December. Ideally, I would like to be pregnant in June (six months later). Then maybe we will have a spring baby, and our kids will be a little over two years apart.

Micah and Mama went to Deming for five days, and had a lot of fun. Micah loved spending time with his grandparents, and they really enjoyed getting to spend more than just a rushed trip with him. It is really good that we were able to do that.
Soon Conrad & I will be leaving Micah with his Ley grandparents so we can try to get an elk to provide for our family for the year.  I have been having anxiety about going for months now, but I think I should go. I know Micah will be fine, although he will have some adjusting to do. It is hard to leave him, but I know it is good for Conrad & I. I would only be leaving him for Saturday and Sunday, so it isn't as long as it was when I went to my friend's bachelorette party! I just know I will be thinking about him the whole time.
I'm almost halfway through marathon training, and it has been trying. It is so much harder to train by yourself than I thought it would be. When I was half marathon training, Steph was in LA and I was in ABQ, but it was okay because we talked about it to each other every day, and we would motivate one another to keep going. Now, it is hard because I don't have that extra motivation. All the motivation I have is within myself. I know that it will probably be even more gratifying once I finish to know I did it all by myself…but I can tell you right now that the next two months are going to be difficult for me! I just recently finished my fourth half marathon (Zia Pueblo), and it was fun!

Micah is: sleeping through the night, still taking two 1/2 naps, eating everything, saying "dog" in addition to "mama" & "dada", learning to walk (with our hands), learning to lay on his back in the bathtub, crawling quickly, clapping his legs (he doesn't clap his hands), waving hello and goodbye, signing "milk", and learning more and more every day!

Daddy & I sure love the little guy!

Exercising with baby, getting it back!

As I sit here with my sleeping baby I know it is wrong. Don't let him fall asleep in your arms, it is too comfy! He won't nap well when put down, which is partially true. I've been putting in him the crib for naps now, but he sleeps longer when I hold him, sorry to say. He has been so fussy lately, and we have a dinner date tonight so I want him to be happy for it! 

Anyway, I wanted to run with him today, but he's been grumpy even in the stroller. I may have to wait until Conrad gets off of work before I go. 

Exercise has been going well. I love the boot camp I go to three days a week. It is great, and just what I need to get back into shape. I run the other two days,  and sometimes I run on boot camp days. Of course, I walk every day to get out of the house, and for Georgie the Corgi. I really should run more consistently since the half marathon is next month, but things have really changed with my baby Micah around! I'm okay with it all, too! As long as I get my long runs in, I'm good.

Okay, so I actually should do more cardio for my excess weight and love handles, but boot camp incorporates cardio, so I feel good about that! 

Anyway, eating is the majority of it, and I'm not doing well in that department, but I really haven't felt like limiting myself...yet!

I'm proud of how far I've come in three months! I'm still not where I was before, but before I didn't have a beautiful and healthy baby boy! 

How do I want to raise my child? 8 weeks!

I know that I was spoiled. I still am. I know that I don't want Micah to be as spoiled as I was because I don't know if we can do what my parents did, especially with only Conrad's income. Especially when we want two or three kids. My parents were/are great, and I had all of their time and attention. I would love to give my kids that much attention...and I will, but it will be moreso as a group than individually, obviously. With that said, you never know! Also, they are sure spoiling their first grandchild!!! 😍

I have been struggling with putting Micah down for naps. I would rather him be close to me; therefore, he naps in a swing, in his carseat, or on me! I know that on me is bad, so Conrad and I have decided to give him three months of being spoiled, then we definitely have to let him be independent. I know I am going to have to start now, little by little or I am going to make it harder for myself. 

At night he does pretty well sleeping in the co-sleeper, but I am scared to death of putting him in the other room. We  will finally receive our crib this weekend, and I plan to start laying him in there for naps. 

I am not so disciplined and I know it, but I have to work on it.

I do finally have him on a "schedule" during the day, which works out pretty well because I know when I need to nurse him, so I'm able to plan accordingly. 

Oh the stresses! Oh the joys!

So last post, I complained of Micah's gas pains...and he is still having them.

I took him into the doctor (I know, first time mom!) and they said to try eliminating dairy, so I've been dairy-free for a week! A little over a week more to go before I can say if it worked or not. 

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that he's just a gassy baby. I hate that he is so uncomfortable all the time. 

Hearing Micah cry is torture, so I always shove his pacifier in his mouth. He spits it out, and I put it back in. This is another thing I probably should stop doing, because he is expecting it every time!

Micah and I have been bonding, and now that he is really starting to make eye contact it has been a lot of fun. He has been smiling a lot more lately, and lifting up his head pretty well!

Micah and I have been spending time with his twin cousins. Twins are a lot of work, and I know I shouldn't have too many complaints after hanging out with them. They require teamwork! Jasmine and Liam are gaining weight and doing well. Here is Micah with his cousins:

My friend Ashley and I have started our own club called #abqstrollermoms. Hashtag and all ;)

I started half marathon training this week, and it has been slow. What did I expect? Especially pushing a stroller, no matter how amazing the stroller is! I am not going to give up, I will keep pushing! I have ran three miles a few times now, and I feel stronger each time. 

My body has been trying to go back to normal, and I've been willing it to! However when I sit down, I still have a pooch. You can see progress though! 

 I was just telling Ashley that it is strange how I look like that from the front, but when I sit down I feel like it is mush! 

Anyway, I will check back in with you when Micah turns 2 months old!!! He's growing so quickly, and I'm not as much of a nervous wreck as I was the last time!  Well maybe...

Gas pains? And more...

Hello everyone! 

We have been having gas issues lately, and I am shocked to know that it is a common thing. It keeps him (and me) up all night! Well at least from one onward. It is pretty rough to listen to him grunt and strain all night! The nurse at our Pediatrician's office said it was a common thing and to wait until his two month appointment to talk to our doctor about it. I hope she is right because it is hard at night for the both of us. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears! I've been changing the position I feed him so that he is elevated, I have tried gas drops and bliss water, I burp him frequently, and I keep him elevated after feedings. I think because I am overproducing, he is catching more air than normal, and choking and pulling off frequently. Well block feeding helped, but I was afraid of losing you supply. I may go back to it, but it has helped a little bit when I went back to not skipping a boob twice (only once).

I know it could be allergies, but the nurse said it most likely wasn't, and I shouldn't go through all that to figure it out.

Anyway, I don't know, but the nighttime grunting is so hard to endure. He was making progress at nighttime, and now he goes three hours instead four like he was starting to do. Oh well! 

Anyway, I had my six week appointment and the nurse practitioner said all was well! She said I could do the half in April, and resume exercise as normal. I am up 10 pounds from my starting weight. 

Steph and I have been enjoying our boot camp class, and we really like our trainer! 

I've also been walking and jogging with my BOB and Micah, but the last two days have been snowy, so I took those off. 

I sure have been enjoying our baby boy! Even when I am worrying myself sick. Why do moms do that? Why can't they just enjoy it instead of worrying about everything!? 

If anyone reads this that knows about gas pains, please give me some advice...preferably advice I haven't heard yet!! 

Jogging stroller, hiking, and other things

Hello everyone! Last week was a pretty amazing week. My parents arrived on Thursday, and stayed until Saturday. My dad and I had a father daughter day on Friday which was very fun! We went to the gym (my dad likes to get four days in a week), we met my mom and Conrad for lunch, and then we went to REI. My parents bought Conrad and I a stroller and car seat! I've known I wanted a B.O.B. Stroller for about a year now, after seeing Dorothy Beal use one on Instagram. 

The stroller is so cool! It is easy to collapse and to put it back it only takes a flick of the wrist. Conrad and I are very blessed to have the parents we do. 

The B.O.B. stroller is amazing (my dad and Conrad are talking in the background...sorry! Georgie is there, too!)

I got Conrad to take Georgie and I hiking this weekend. It is my new favorite thing to do now because running isn't as easy as it was before! Everything is getting larger...everything!! Anyway, hiking still gets me breathing hard and seeing the beauty New Mexico has to offer is always so fun.
We will ask our OB on Friday how long I can hike, and if I can horseback ride. The latter is something that we kind of know the answer to, but horseback riding is Conrad's favorite thing so we want to be able to go!
Anyway, my future sister-in-law (I can say that as long as Mat isn't reading my blog, right?) bought me this onesie. What makes it so hilarious is that I was telling her the day before she gave it to me how a hecho en Mexico onesie would be the funniest. Well it turns out that she had it for awhile now, but she thought it was perfect timing! I couldn't agree more!
Ps our baby was actually conceived in Mexico, TMI? I think not.
I've still been keeping active, but last week I only got three days in. I'm going to do at least four days this week. I went on a three mile jog today!  I will no longer consider it "running." I went to Body Pump, and right after did 30 minutes on the elliptical yesterday. And, we went for a hike Sunday. I guess I'm already doing better than last week! YAY!The weeks are flying by!
How far along: 16 weeks 5 days

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 7 pounds, only because I haven't weighed in for this month yet. Friday, at my next appointment, will be a different story! 

Maternity clothes: Not yet. But I should buy some pants! I'm starting to have to unbutton :(

Stretch marks: Just old ones...

Sleep: bla! I am so uncomfortable! :/ it is hard waking up twice every night, and then getting comfortable is impossible. 

Best moment last week: Conrad taking me on a surprise trip to Buy Buy Baby! That place is so amazing!

Movement: Not yet.

Food cravings: I am eating everything, but I haven't had crazy cravings lately.

Gender: I have to wait one more month to find out! 

Labor signs: Zilch, thank goodness.

Belly button - in or out? Oh my goodness, it is slowly coming out! What!???

What I miss: Red red wine! And coffee...and sushi 

What I am looking forward to: Finding out what we're having at our gender reveal party! :) and feeling the baby move!

Strong heart +strong mind = strong body

As sad as it is to admit, I think I am injured. After I solid second week of running, the Sunday long run (nine miles) took a toll on my groin. It must be a mild pull, but I'm no medical professional or personal trainer, so I am just guessing. I'm extremely afraid to keep running because I don't want to injure it further. My biggest fear is to have to stop running! I took two days off, but I know that isn't enough recovery time. Pray for me, please. 
Conrad and I ran in my hometown this weekend, and my parents drove us nine miles from their house, and then we ran back. It was nice for once not to have to do a down and back. I am grateful for their support. Our average pace was 8:28 min/mi. Of course, I was sad that we didn't do better, but I really enjoyed the run. Conrad wore my watch, and it was nice not to check it throughout the run and just put my shoes on the pavement and enjoy it!

Conrad and I signed up to do a stage in the run that goes from LA to Boston. It is to raise money for those who were injured and who died at the Boston Marathon. It is called One Run for Boston. We are excited to participate in such an amazing cause. Please visit: http://www.onerunforboston.org
By sponsoring my run, you will be donating to this cause.

I will be in New York City this weekend and my ultimate goal is to run around Central Park. I have never been and am so excited. I am following this girl on Instagram who lives there and posts pictures all of the time..She makes it look so breathtaking. We leave on Thursday!! Yippiieee!
Anyway, we run five miles tomorrow, and hopefully I feel well. I will stretch and heat it before the run...and I'll definitely stretch and ice it afterwards. Pain is weakness leaving the body! 
Conrad and I have a new saying: strong heart+strong mind=strong body!

I kicked this week's booty...but not food-wise!

     Okay, so I have not completed my training for the week yet, but I just want to say that I am pretty pumped up and ready to rock this training program. Again, I am using the Hal Higdon Intermediate training program. For more information, or to look at the different Higdon training plans, please visit: 
Hal Higdon rocks my socks! <<<Click here
     Anyway, the strange thing about this running program is that it skips both interval and tempo training. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but I loved interval training throughout both of my half marathons. I think I am going to mix it in once a week, or even every other week instead of a short run. I think it would be more effective if I did it every week though, if I want to get faster...but I have discovered something very obvious this week:
If I want to race faster, I have to become uncomfortable in my training! Go figure. Who would have thought!? :) And so, for the past few days these were my average paces for each of my runs:
3 mile run: 7:52 min/mi
5 mile run: 8:15 min/mi
3 mile run: 8:15 min/mi

I am already getting a little faster, and I am getting to be somewhat consistent. I think I was at a 7:59 min/mi average a couple of different runs last week, but if I can see a seven something once each week, I would be absolutely fine with that.

I am trying to eat healthier, but that has been the constant battle my whole life. I probably do not eat as bad as most people, but I expect more from myself for some reason, although I have never been the perfect eater. I think the problem is my self-control (I have none), and I get disappointed in myself if I eat too many sweets, or large portions.

Being a teacher is hard I have realized when it comes to having to turn away sweets. When any student has a birthday, they bring treats and they are usually HOMEMADE. I know, the hardest treats in the world to resist. It isn't just that my students bring treats, but all of the students in our building come around and offer goodies for their birthdays. So in a year, you would have to turn down a great many treats! Don't get me wrong, I do turn down some of them, but not all. Sometimes I just take the treat, and once they leave I  take a bite and throw the rest in the trash...that should count for something, right?

It is also a constant struggle when the people you live with eat differently than you do. There are temptations everywhere, and with very little self-control...I'm sunk! 

Anyway, I would like to eat better. I just want to be HEALTHIER. I want to establish BETTER eating habits. I see a new goal for February...

We have a five miler on Saturday, and eight miles on Sunday! Looking forward to it. 

“You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.” -Percy Cerutty

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<One of my favorite running songs!

and I run...

Well, it feels like it has been a while since I last posted. 
I have been running...but I can't wait to get back into MARATHON training. It has been hard without a set schedule (as usual). 
Last weekend, I only logged in ten miles (four Saturday & six Sunday). I was able to run in my hometown on both days. It is a lot flatter in My hometown than it is in Albuquerque, so I was speedy. I think I am getting faster, and it is great to see those faster times on my Garmin watch. 

Recent Times: Sunday 6.08 miles 8:18/mi

Saturday: 4.01 miles 8:29/mi

January 16th: 3.01 miles 7:59/mi

January 15th: 4.01 miles 7:59/mi

January 13th: 5.01 miles 8:18/mi :) 

My husband's family have been here for the last few weekends working on our house...so he has been unable to workout consistently (since he is helping). However, since I am not very handy with tools, I am able to still get my runs in, and I noticed that even without him I am keeping it consistent (GO ME!). 
Tonight I am going to change it up a bit and go to Hot Yoga. My friend told me about a Living Social deal, and I decided that I needed to stretch more often, so I went for it. We will see how nice it truly is. I haven't done any type of yoga in a year and half, and supposedly yoga is a good thing for runners...so we shall see. If all goes well, I will continue going once a week, just so I make sure I am aligned in all of the necessary places. :) I will let you know. 
We start training again on Monday, and I cannot wait. We already did a week of training, when our schedule got pushed back a few weeks. I am ready to go strong again. 

#runner #irun #workhardtrainhard #runner +Stephanie Miers