Running Again!

Wednesday, Nov 21st was officially 4 weeks. I am now back to running...well walk/run type of running...I did my first 2 mile run yesterday with 3 walk breaks and did 2 miles in 22:08.
It was great...feeling slightly sore, but the good sore today and went back out this morning for my own Turkey trot and did the 2 mile course through my neighborhood and the walk breaks were less and the run was faster...2 miles in  21:09.
Tomorrow will ride the bike to give the legs a break and try to get 30 minutes or more in plus some weights. I am excited to be able to run, Feb was a long time ago since I was able to do something like this and I have asked Santa for new running shoes as my brooks are worn from dealing with me over the last 10 months wearing them with all that extra weight.

While I haven't decided on any races in the near future...mainly b/c I don't think I will be consistent on running until I get Alexandra in Daycare, I am thinking this Spring to maybe find a 10km at least, maybe even the 1/2 marathon in April...just will have to see how things go with the weather and my training...hopefully I can at least get runs on the weekends and maybe once during the week when I have a babysitter or can enlist someone to watch Alexandra and Matthew for me if Jay is late....otherwise...hopefully we get into a routine with the morning feedings and maybe I could manage a quick run at 5 or 530am before Jay has to get going to work....but goodness, it has been a while since I was up running that early so it might be tough to get back into that mode....but might be necessary to try once or twice a week to at least get runs in if I do figure out my race to train for this Spring.

Happy Thanksgiving...we are cooking a very simple meal, turkey, mashed potatoes, a box of 5 minute stove-top stuffing, and green beans....keeping it simple...have desserts from the Time for Dinner place here in St. Louis...the saving grace for us the past few weeks for food...I have a pumpkin gooey butter cake that is some type of St Louis thing...gooey butter cake...never tried it but saved it so we have something pumpkin for dessert...have 2 peanut butter pies which Jay and I have had and enjoy way too much....plus Mom made oatmeal cookies and we have company joining us for dinner who might bring another pie...plus whip cream in the fridge...so I think we are good to go...my goal is Saturday to make a Gumbo of whatever we don't eat on this 15 lb turkey we bought...yep, we have this huge bird b/c it was the smallest there at the 88 cents per pound price...the other smaller ones in a different brand were 1.22 per pound so we decided to just get the smallest one we could find of the cheaper turkey and just enjoy a gumbo withe leftovers....Jay and I are big gumbo fans and the weather on Friday will turn cold here and possibly flurries of Snow by Sunday or Monday so I definitely think this qualifies as gumbo weather!

I am hopeful that Matthew might eat some turkey...he is hit and miss at times on poultry...also on mashed potatoes...the daycare folks say he loves them at school but I don't usually get him to eat them here...and I make them from scratch with real butter, milk etc...so he either doesn't like the home-aide kind or is just difficult with me....like last night...Granny (my mom) and Granddad offered to take Alexandra for the night and do the feedings...so yeah, Jay and I were going to get some sleep...well except for when I would wake up to pump...but of course..Matthew woke up screaming at 1230....it took an hour to get him to settle back down...and that included both Jay and I up, reading, changing his diaper, taking him downstairs to rock, giving him water to drink....finally at 130 am we put him back in bed...he cried for another 15-20 minutes...so not sure what was up...maybe a nightmare or just a tantrum....then up at 630 am with a bright smile and great mood....again, not sure what happened but still with that hour up and pumping, it was still a good night of sleep....hopefully tonight will be another good night...without the Matthew tantrum at 1230 am...plan is to take him to the park and wear his butt out before nap-time and again after nap-time....

Well, will post pictures later...on facebook of hopefully a wonderful and tantrum free day!

21 Months and 3 Weeks old kiddies!

Well, yesterday was a big day, Matthew hit the 21 month mark and Alexandra is officially 3 weeks old.

 This picture is actually from the 1st of Nov so Alex is actually 2 weeks old. She is finally no longer yellow and was putting on weight....Mommy was having fun putting her in pink...kinda overdid it with pink outfit, pink bow and the blanket....

 Again, 2 weeks old...growing into her face and her body....still wearing new born size clothes. Mostly legs and arms, she is long and skinny like Matthew.

 Officially 3 weeks old, wearing some of the gender neutral clothes that I bought before we knew what we were having...Matthew lived in these sleeper-footie outfits and Alex finally is fitting somewhat in the 0-3 month size...the length is perfect, but b/c she is so skinny she somewhat doesn't fill it out...the New Born size footie outfits are getting a bit tight if she wants to stretch out and extend her legs...so basically have one or two more wears in them and then they will have to get packed up....kinda sad....already having to pack up clothes at just 3 weeks.

 Matt did not want to cooperate on the pictures...he kept pulling off the sticker and giving me the frown face...so decided I would just try again the next morning...this was 14 Nov, officially 21 months....he had a great day at daycare and is loving this Marching song at daycare and walks around the house saying "March, March"

A Much more cooperative boy, but at least he didn't pull the sticker off constantly and I got an almost smile here....officially my picture taking boy is gone...I guess it has started...hopefully he will be more cooperative come family picture day which I need to call and schedule....
Looks like Sears portraits is running the best deal. So I got a cute little red dress for Alexandra and need idea...what should I put Matt in for the picture? do I do a red shirt for him or try to do White? Green? I guess this is where having 2 kids of the same gender is really to your advantage, you can dress them alike but the sizes are different.

As for size on Matthew...he is definitely getting taller and still not filling out that much...we tried some 18 month size pants on and again, still too big on the waist and he pulls them off...so he is still basically wearing his 12 month size pants which are totally Capri looking/high water...but he is eating quite a bit these days so I am keeping my fingers crossed he fills out some so we can finally get him into his 18 month pants...before they are too high-water as well....shirts....the 18 months size are fitting but some of those are getting small to get over his head...and his PJs are actually 24 month size...we just got these really cute Elmo fleece PJs and he loving them! We did go ahead and get some 2T sized stuff b/c it looks like in PJs which seem to run tight and small are about to be too small....crazy huh, 12 month pants, 18 month shirts, 24 month PJs.

As for Queenie...she is doing great, loves the quiet time when Matthew is at daycare and Alexandra is taking a nap and she gets her Mommy Time! Plus loving the sleeping in bed with Mommy while Daddy is in the other room...but the barking at Daddy in the middle of the night and waking mommy up is killing me.

2 Weeks Today!

Wow, how time is flying...can't believe Alexandra has been with us for 2 weeks already! So far things are good, we are getting 3-4 hour stretches at night with a feeding...the worst is the 430am feeding...by the time I finish and she is falling somewhat asleep...it is 5 am and with daylight savings time, I hear Matthew talking so do I go ahead and get up and give Matthew some attention or not.....this morning I opted for another 15-20 minutes of sleep and Matthew started knocking and whining around 6am....so hopefully he will adjust to the time-shift and get back to 6-7am wake-ups and not this 5-6am....

As for everything else, it is going ok. Alexandra is feeding, sleeping, and producing the wet/BM diapers according to normal standards...Matt is jealous and difficult but it is to be expected....We got some advice that we should get Matt a doll so he can mimick what I am doing with the baby??? Any thoughts?? He has plenty of stuffed animals so their is this side of me that is "not another toy" but if it works at getting him to handle the situation of a new baby better I am open to the idea...just wondering what others have done with a not quite 2 yrs old when a new baby enters the picture.

As for the weight...it is stabilized...I have to lose 16lbs to get back to pre-pregnancy weight....not too bad. Was going to start my workouts back up this morning but a hiccup with Jay forgetting his phone and having to drive it to him plus meet folks at his work took a chunk out of morning nap time for me so now I am losing motivation...so Tomorrow...the 2 week lay-off will officially end and I will start slowly by just getting 15 or so minutes on the bike and some gentle yoga....Goal will be in a few weeks to get back to 30 or so minutes on the bike and some more advanced strength and core work through yoga and weights.

Here are some pictures from last week...yep, I know I will get on it for this week...in fact will take some in a bit here for 2 weeks...and will get them on facebook hopefully by tomorrow.
The yellow in her face has gone almost all away and she is filled out a bit more...she is really long and skinny so about to have to move to the 0-3 months clothes for the length but they sorta overpower her b/c she is not really filling out the clothes...

Looks like she will be a blond and bluish on the eyes...she started to follow sounds today, when she heard the vacuum cleaner, she turned her head to look for it and while people talk she is appearing to turn her head towards the voice....facial expressions are also beginning to appear. I think she has smiled a bit at me, especially following a feeding where the full belly certainly helps to make a happy baby.

Well that is about all.
More to come I am sure by next week.