Spoiled!!

Josh and I have talked alot lately about what a good baby Brynn has been.. in the beginning it was pretty rough because she was colicky, but after the 1st 8-12 weeks she has been so good. We will go full days without her crying at all about anything. I guess we didn't realize how lucky we really were until more recently other people have been telling us how good she is. I am not trying to be one of those parents who thinks their child can do no wrong, because I know that isn't the truth. I am just spoiled in the fact that we got such a good baby the 1st time around. Plus, she is a great sleeper, it is 9 am and she is still sleeping. I was able to get up and run on the treadmill and get my kitchen cleaned before she even wakes up today. I think this is a trap though, our next child will probably be a living tear!

Am I crazy?

So I have decided to run another mini marathon in Terre Haute in September. I figured it is the only way to hold me accountable and make me workout. I haven't done hardly anything since the Indianapolis one so I think the only way I will continue running is if I sign up for another. I convinced my sister to do it too.. she will be home that weekend for a Colts game on Sunday so we will run it together Saturday morning. I think Sarah is doing it with me again and possibly Suzanne(Brynn's babysitter) so if anyone else is interested let me know.

I picked Kristine and LL up Wednesday night after work in Carmel. They flew in earlier that day and I picked them up at one of her friends house. We headed to Loogootee for a busy weekend. Thursday my dad watched Brynn and LL while us ladies went to Vincennes to get mani/pedicures with my cousin before her wedding. It was alot of fun.. there were about 30 people there. Then Friday my friend Jill and her little girl Mara came over to my parents house. My parents had gotten a new swing set delivered and we had a baby pool and Elmo sprinkler set up. The kids had a blast. Brynn was like a little fish in the pool.. she loved it. I had to keep reapplying sunscreen because she didn't want to get out. Saturday was the wedding. It was a Catholic wedding so it was a long ceremony.. I was worried sick about how Brynn would do but she was very well behaved.. I just kept feeding her snacks the whole time to keep her occupied. Bob and Linda took her for the night after the wedding. If she had been walking we would have taken her to the reception but she isn't quite there yet so they took her for the night. Sunday we had LL's 2nd birthday party at my parents. I can't believe he is two. It was nice to get to celebrate with him.. since last year I was big and pregnant and didn't get to.

This week has just been trying to get things back in order.. it is always hard after being gone for a long weekend. Brynn has been sleeping a ton the past two days. I think the weekend caught up with her and I think finally she might be getting another tooth.

This weekend Josh is doing a 40 mile bike race Saturday morning and then later that day we are going to Jocelyn's 1st birthday party, which mean Brynn's is right around the corner. I can't believe it and can't hardly talk about it without tearing up.



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Super Excited

So I have been wanting a bike trailer so that I can pull Brynn behind me on my bike. I have been doing research for a while now and couldn't believe how expensive they can be.. but today I took the plunge and made the purchase and I should have it by the end of next week.. I can't wait. I got a great deal on it and justified it even more because it can be used as a jogging stroller too. Brynn is going to be traveling in style.. I will post pictures once I get it.

I am watching the Big Ten baseball tournament on TV right now. My cousin Matt is a freshmen at IU and is on the baseball team and he got his 1st collegiate start tonight. I am so excited and nervous.. I can't imagine how his parents feel. I never thought I would say this but "Go IU!"

New Found Respect

I knew my mom was remarkable growing up, but I don't think I knew how much until I had a child of my own and still working full time(well 30 hours counts). I don't see how she did it with 4 kids. I ask Josh all the time how his mom did it with twins. It just seems like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.. I feel like I am scrambling alot of time to get the necessities done and have to let the other things slide. Josh thinks I am crazy 1/2 the time, but I think he has always thought that and has nothing to do with having a baby now.

Last weekend Josh and I had a three day weekend off together.. it was so nice. It has been a long time since we have done that and not been going out of town.. we loved every second of it. Friday we got alot of stuff done outside. We cleaned out the gutters, well it isn't fair to see we, I should say he and my dad cleaned out the gutters, pulled weeds, and washed the windows. All things you hate to do but have to be done. That night we went over to Dan and Sarah's and they grilled out for us.. it was nice to hang out and watch Brynn and Olivia play. They are so cute together.. Olivia is motherly to Brynn, it is so sweet to watch her bring her juice or her pacifier.

Saturday morning we ran a 5k race. It was at the Feline Rescue Center in Centerpoint. It was really cool and crazy to think that something like that exists in this part of IN. The cats were beautiful. It was a pretty tough run because I had taken time off since the mini to let my legs rest, I didn't taper down like I was supposed to so basically I was running that after not running at all for two weeks but for me I did good. I finished right under 30 minutes and Josh finished at 22:30.. pretty sad that he finished 7 minutes ahead of me in a 3.1 mile race but I was trying my hardest. Now I am contemplating running the mini marathon in Terre Haute on September 12th. I am trying to convince my sister to do it with me.. she will be home that weekend for the Colts game on Sunday so I told her we should do it.. anyone else interested?

Later that day I went to my great-aunts 50th wedding anniversary celebration. I took Brynn because my mom loves to show her off.. it made me realize how hard she is to contain at some place like that where she can't crawl around. She is so close to walking.. I am hoping it happens soon. I know everyone says then you are chasing them even more but at least she can walk around and tired herself.. but I can't let her crawl around at a place like that.. she will get stepped on. It was nice to see cousins I haven't seen forever. It made me really miss my grandma and grandpa though.. I feel like they would have been the life of the party if they were there. It was sad to see them in their later years in life because I feel like they were robbed of so much when they had their strokes and couldn't get around as well, but they used to be social butterflies. Big family things like that always make me miss them that much more.

Sunday we had a cookout at our house for two of the rph I work with.. one is pregnant and the other ones wife is pregnant. We had about 30 people here.. lots of kids. It was so fun to see them all play together. I love having people over. I stress til they get here making everything is set up and if I have enough food or not and if the house is clean enough.. then I stress when they leave about cleaning everything up.. but I love every minute they are here.

Wednesday night after work Brynn and I went to watch Bailey graduate from pre-school. I can't believe she is old enough for that. She looked pretty darn cute.. it was so funny to watch all those kids sing their songs and recite their pledges.

I am off the next two days and then work Sunday. Not to much going on over the weekend.. I know alot of people get super excited about holiday weekends but unfortunately we work alot of them so it doesn't mean too much to us.

Before I go.. I just have new found respect for all of you mothers out there.. I love every minute of being a mom but I just don't think I have figured out how to balance everything yet. I shouldn't complain because I only have 1 child and a great support system around.

It has been awhile!!

So I haven't written in two weeks.. I have been so busy.

The weekend of May 2nd, Josh and I ran the mini. It was alot of fun. I never thought I would say that about running 13.1 miles but it truly was.. it definitely was one of the hardest things I have done in my life but the whole time I was running I kept telling myself that I delivered a 9 lb 7 ounce baby, that this was nothing. I did pretty well for my 1st time.. I finished in 2 hours and 28 minutes. I was on pace to do 2 hours and 20 minutes but at mile 10 I cramped really bad and had to walk some, but the main this is that I finished and was so happy to cross the finish line. Josh finished in 1 hour and 53 minutes. I was so proud of him. That day I said I would never do it again, but I am already thinking about how I am going to improve my time next year.

We spent that weekend downtown Indy. My mom and dad had Brynn so it was so nice to have the weekend away. Josh felt horrible that afternoon.. I was ready for a night out on the town but he didn't feel to well. He had worked 13 days straight leading up to the race so I think it just all caught up with him. He finally started feeling better later that evening so we were able to go to dinner and grab a drink.. it was so nice to have adult conversation. It made us realize that we need to make an effort more often to have "date" night. It doesn't ever happen because we work opposite schedules to limit the amount of time Brynn is at the babysitter so we very rarely have an evening during the week at home together and then the weekends seem so busy with everything else, plus we work every 3rd, but we realized we have to make the time.

This past weekend, Brynn and I flew to Long Island, NY to visit my sister and her family. My mom and two of my aunts went as well. It was the 1st time Brynn was on an airplane, I was a nervous wreck about how she would do but all and all she did very well. She was fussy a few times but it wasn't for very long and other passengers made the comment about how well she was behaved. Kristine and I went to the spa on Friday afternoon and got facials while the others shopped. Then later that day we went out on the boat for a ride and then to dinner that night, Saturday we got pedicures and went to church later that day and then just visited Saturday night. It went by so fast but I was happy to be home Sunday. It was my 1st Mother's Day... Josh was sweet, once we got home he could tell I was beat so he let me lay on the couch and be lazy while he took care of Brynn.. it was the best Mother's day present ever.

Brynn is starting to walk more behind her walker toys.. I think she will be doing it on her own in no time. She will be ten months old on the 14th.. I can't believe it. She is babbling alot and starting to say more and more words.. it is so fun to listen to her carry on a conversation with herself.

Big Girl!!

We have been giving Brynn table food for awhile now, slowly introducing new things to her. She has had carrots, peaches, strawberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, green beans, yogurt, pancakes, french fries, and the list goes on and on. She loves it.. but not the problem is she doesn't want us feeding her anything anymore. She only wants things she can pick up and feed herself. She hasn't used any utensils yet so I am having a hard time coming up with enough vegetables for her to eat that are small and soft enough that she can chew with her gums basically because she only has 1 and 1/2 teeth. Any suggestions? I thought maybe some of you moms out there that read this could help me out.
Thanks!!

Surprise!!

Sunday my sister called and said they had frequent flyer miles that were going to expire at the end of this month if they didn't use them so her and little Lincoln flew home yesterday. I have to admit I was super excited for my parents but also sad because I have to work this week and usually when they are home I try to arrange my schedule to be off the majority of the time they are here. They did come up to see me today and took Brynn back with them so that she could hang out with her cousin since they don't get to see each other very often. There is only a year difference between them and although Lincoln is alot bigger than her he plays so well with her. She was chasing him up the stairs while they were here. That is her new thing, she loves climbing the stairs. Needless to say we don't have a baby gate yet so we have to keep an eye on her all the time. That is one of our projects for this weekend. It hadn't been a problem til this past weekend when she discovered she could do it and now that is all she wants to do.. it is nice because it does wear her out so she takes good naps during the day now.

We went for her 9 month check up today. She is 18 lbs 14 ounces and 27 1/2 inches long. She is 50th percentile for weight and 25th for height.. she keeps decreasing in that department but I guess what do we expect with Josh and I as her parents. It was nice because no shots this time around... but her year appt will be a rough one.