Friday is Here Again

This week has been really great. Ben is actually off work because he starts a new job on Monday! This is a really exciting change for him and our family and we are very excited to see what this next chapter brings. We have been enjoying having him home, getting to do some activities as a family and getting some chores done around the house.

Last week I had a pretty frustrating week as my back problem flared up again. It seems like the pattern has been when I start back running, it flares. I am hoping to just ease back into my workouts because it seems like in the past I just stop working out for months after a flare up and then jump back in and the cycle continues. I haven't really done much for the past week and a half so this week I have slowly done a couple core workouts and am hoping to get back to yoga next week.

A few weeks ago I was invited to be part of a workout program that I was actually really excited about. A lot of it seems like some of the stuff I am already doing but it also includes a meal plan. It is the Revolt Fitness Program and I am excited to get into some of the workouts. I am not promising that I will be following exactly day by day due to my back issues but I will try my best! There isn't anything wrong with some clean eating, which we do a lot of anyway, and some new workout moves invented by a mom right?! I also love that it promotes getting fit in your own home as opposed to spending hours and hours in a gym if we don't have the time. Not that I have anything against gyms. I just, personally, don't have a membership and am always a fan of quick, intense workouts. I think that's why so many of us are fans of the 30 Day Shred. Am I right?!

I feel a little bad about my back last week and then of course on top of that dealing with the ol' lady business this week. I can't say I have been the biggest treat for my husband to hang out with but hey, he's a good sport and hopefully I can buck up for these last couple days of vacation. Speaking of vacation, my in-laws will be coming into town in a couple of weeks and for the weekend we will be venturing back up to our college town to explore, shop around, eat around maybe even venture to the snow.

Speaking of again of college towns, we headed into the city the other night right near where my brother went to college and went to a few bars in celebration of Ben's going away happy hour with his old team. It was fun to feel a little trendy for the night and have a couple drinks with his former co-workers.

This weekend we are hopefully finishing up a few DIY projects we decided to tackle, one of which includes chalkboard paint which I am trying not to use on everything, so hopefully I will be back next week with some pictures of those projects and some more fitness chit chat! Have a great weekend!

Rugged Mountain Baby

...Or something along those lines.

She didn't get bit by bugs. She didn't eat much dirt. She slept. She wasn't too wiggly or wanting to be down all the time.

We camped and it was a success!

About a month ago, I think I was maybe feeling like I was missing out on summer fun, the sun, camping, swimming and all that goes with summer. Don't get me wrong, of course I am having so much fun with the babe, but it's definitely a different type of summer than we are used to. So on a whim, I declared to Ben that I wanted to go camping. Of course he was on board right away because a.) he is always up for an outing or doing things that are outside my comfort zone because he thinks he knows what is best for me...and b.) because he loooves camping. So do I. So, why not, right?!

Loves of my life!

We found a spot about 20 minutes from our house and put the invite out to our group of friends that have babies and that we go on our vacations with. The two couples with babies responded with yes so it was planned.

Yes, we still have a dog and she even got to come! 

About every other day I was skeptical. I tried to back out a couple of times and Ben was not happy about it. I was worried about E not sleeping, eating dirt, getting bit and getting West Nile or something. You know, crazy-first-time-mom-stuff.

Two Fridays ago, we began yet another new sleeping technique. We did the normal bath, cuddle, jammies, lotions, etc. routine, I nursed her for about thirty minutes and we put her in her crib. She cried. We let her cry for five minutes, went in, soothed her, patted, sung, etc. and repeat. I can't remember all the days and nights and how they went down but after a few nights of doing this at bedtime and a couple nights of not running right into her room when she fussed in the middle of the night, she was sleeping 8-10 hour stretches. Whatintheworld? Whoisthisbaby? We had in in our minds that if we went right in, got her before she was all the way awake that she would always go back down easier. Well, turns out, as of now, if we give her some time, she may put herself back to sleep. Go ahead and think it all you moms out there...well, duh, I could have told you this! I guess we had to learn it on our own and be ready to let her cry/fuss a bit.

The reason I mention all this is because she did it while we were camping too! We didn't quite let her cry too much as to not disturb the rest of the campground--which was great because it was full of families with kids and babies--or the other babies at our campsite, but I think all the fresh air, playing, new scenery just wore her our. The second night she slept 10 hours...her her pack and play...in a tent! 

So awesome.

Anyway, we had a great time, it was nice being close to home in case we thought we needed to rush home, it was great to be able to head out after Ben got off work on Friday, and it was beautiful weather. We arrived Friday night, made dinner, put the babies down, got to sit by the fire for a bit, hiked Saturday morning, had lunch went down to the river, dinner and fire Saturday night and packed up and headed home Sunday morning.

I am so happy and thankful--I think Ben was even more so than me--that it all worked out. I am by no means a negative person, but since becoming a mom, I think I can get myself worked up about all the negative or difficult situations we could encounter on such excursions and that can lead me to just not want to do them all together.

Very glad I busted out of that and we survived Eleanor's first camping trip, survived it well and are eager to do it again!

Happy Family

I really can't put into words how great our last 9 days were. We had Ben home and it was just perfect. Some may say we are boring because we do anything or go anywhere, but truthfully, we did just what we wanted: Stayed home, enjoyed our girl and enjoyed each other. We haven't had that much time all together since the peanut was born and then it was pretty much just survival mode.

Each day we got into a little routine, sleeping in as much as the babe allowed, making meals, playing with the girl, exercising, and getting a few chores done around the house.

The strength of mine and Ben's relationship has really shined through over the past year. I would say the past four months but really it has been since we learned I was pregnant. It is funny to look back over the course of our relationship and see where we are now because we started out dating as sophomores in college. Who could have seen then where we would be now?! It really is amazing how much we grow and change and it is so fun to do it together. I am so blessed to have a man who is so involved in every aspect of my life and now our daughter's life. He is so supportive and we are such a good balance. Things he may not know as much about or isn't as sure of he lets me take the reigns and vice versa. If either of us have a concern, we like to voice it right away. Even if a conversation starts out defensive on one end, it ends up being a healthy conversation and ends with understanding on both ends.

I guess the reason I am reflecting on this is because we had so much time together last week and got to see each other day to day in our new roles as Mom and Dad in addition to husband and wife. I also pointed out to Ben that in addition to all of our responsibilities to Eleanor, a huge one we have to her is showing her a strong, healthy marriage and relationship. Ben looked at me and said, "Yeah, I mean the way I treat you is going to show her how a man should treat her." Exactly my thoughts, Husband. She is a lucky girl because her dad treats her mom pretty dang well.

Source: Uploaded by user via Allyce on Pinterest

So much more about life becomes clear and things that didn't seem like a big deal before are a big deal now because we are the example for our sweet babe. That is a huge deal! However, there are many other things that used to be a big deal that aren't anymore. For instance, I think when Hub and I started dating sophomore year, many of our arguments are definitely not things we would argue about today.

Living, learning and loving day by day. I am just a lucky, happy Mama and Wife to have such a wonderful husband and daughter to be on this adventure with.

A Weekend at the Coast

This past weekend we traveled a little south and a little west to end up at a small Oregon coast town staying in a hotel with three other couples. We each had our own room which was a little different than the vacation last year with this same group where we stayed in a house together.

We arrived Thursday afternoon and just kind of got settled and waited for everyone to arrive. We went down to the beach even though it was pretty windy and not too sunny out. Once everyone had arrived, we headed out to a famous chowder and seafood house for dinner. I ended up hitting the hay pretty early that night after getting up too early in the morning and the long car ride.

Friday morning we were up early and headed to the outlet mall that was nearby. Ben scored on a great deal for some new work pants and we also got some items for our baby at the Carter's outlet. Very fun. We then met up with one of the other couples and their three month old and visited a light house. It was really neat and we even got to go to the top, however we couldn't really wander around the the lighthouse very much because it was incredibly windy. We headed back and got some really good pizza on the way and then met up with everyone else. The boys started a washers tournament and we all just kind of relaxed. We then made some dinner and hung out after dinner.

Not sure what made me want to take this pic

Hub at the top of the lighthouse

Saturday morning a couple of the girls and I went back to the outlets to wander around for a bit. Once we got back, we got some lunch and it was much sunnier this day. The boys continued their washers tournament and then decided to hold the championship game down at the beach because the "losers" were to jump in the ocean so they wanted to be able to run right in. It was nice down at the beach for most of the time and then the wind picked up a little more. We watched them get in the ocean which is not a warm ocean and then we all headed back so they could warm up.

Washers championship game

Relaxing in the sand

One of the couples who is neither pregnant or has a baby made up a game for the other couples who are either pregnant or have a new baby that had categories mirroring TV shows such as "Baby Naming with the Stars," "Don't Forget the Babies," "Shop 'til You Pop," and "The Newlyparents Game." It was really fun and they had come up with some great questions. We were all laughing pretty hard through most of the game. We all ate some dinner and then I turned in early again.

The hosts of the game "So You Think
You Can Have a Baby"

Ben and I were up and out the door early in the morning after not getting much sleep due to some noisy neighbors in the middle of the night. This was definitely a nice getaway and so nice to spend some quality time with the hub. It was definitely a different type of vacation than we took with this group to San Diego last year where no one was pregnant and there was no new baby. We went a little crazier in the libation and partying department. This year was different in a good way as I'm sure next year will be with three little ones along!

Beautiful Weekend

We are here, enjoying this:

Source

Happy Friday and I hope you and yours have a fab weekend as well!

Is Your Brother an Ironman? Mine is!

My brother, Wes, has been training for the past 10 months for an Ironman Triathlon. Well, yesterday, he completed his goal with a 2 1/2 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run. My parents, husband and I left Saturday morning to head to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to watch the event. It was a really neat event with such an upbeat, positive atmosphere.

Wes did not have such and easy road to get to the Ironman. Nothing serious or health issues but definitely some hiccups along the way. Back in September he competed in his first triathlon and had a little panic in the water and then had a flat tire. A few weeks ago, he did another triathlon where his wet suit choked him and another flat tire in really cold weather. He had a good race a couple of weeks ago so I think that was a confidence booster for him. He left for Coeur d'Alene last Tuesday and on Thursday his bike was stolen. He was checking in for the event, parked among all the other competitors and someone cut the lock and took his bike. Needless to say he was pretty devastated. The police got on the trail and they, thankfully, found the bike at a pawn shop on Friday afternoon. It was a little banged up but luckily the bike shop there was able to help him out with the repairs and he was able to ride his own bike in the race.

We met up with him Saturday afternoon when we got into town and walked around the park where the event was centered and then took him out for some spaghetti. He was definitely more solemn than usual and we could tell he was nervous and excited all at the same time. I don't think it had quite sunk in that the next day was the big day.

We arrived at the event Sunday morning and it was a beautiful but chilly morning at Lake Coeur d'Alene. Here is what we came to see:

Athletes making their way onto the beach

2,500 athletes!

The professional start was at 6:25 am and Wes' start was at 7:00 am. Off they went in the water.

When we talked to him after the race he said it took him about 20 minutes to gain composure and actually start breathing because it was so crazy jumping in with that many people.

We meandered around and headed over to see him at the bike transition. When we saw him, he told us he had lost his heart rate monitor/watch in the water so his girlfriend gave him hers. Luckily he had a time but never ended up registering his heart rate so after a year of training to his heart rate, he had no idea what he was at the whole race.

We got to see him a couple of times on his bike and it was so fun cheering for him and seeing him and you could really tell he loved seeing us too. That is the amazing thing about these races is that the athletes don't care who it is cheering for them so we just cheer for everyone. They love the encouragement, obviously.

While he was off on the bike in places we didn't see him, we headed out to lunch which was delicious. It was a place that had been featured on {shocking, I know} Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It was called Capone's and is sort of a pub/bar with delicious food and about 41 beers on tap. Crazy.

This was by far the best pizza I have had in a really long time. Flavorful yet light crust. Yummy but not overpowering sauce and really fresh meat.

After we had replenished our stomachs, we headed back to the race and waited for him at the bike to run transition. He did not look quite has happy when he came in on his bike as he had when we saw him before on his bike. But off on the run he went.

We relaxed a little at this point and even took naps. Hub and I set off to find some ice cream and then saw a street where we thought it might be possible to see him on the run so we walked up there. The volunteer told us it was about mile 14 or 15 so we posted up to wait for him because we could see online that he hadn't checked in at mile 12 yet. We saw him and here is the point it got a little interesting. I ran out onto the street to give him a high five and he said, "It might be awhile, I think my left foot is broken." Well. Awesome. You still have a little less than half a marathon to run and your foot might be broken. We just cheered him on and he kept going.

We watched a lot of people finish and that was such and amazing part. I can't even imagine the feeling you have as an athlete when you cross that finish line. 

We finally got to see our guy and he looked like he could laugh or cry. 

He was definitely a little dazed. Said he didn't know what he was feeling. He had a couple pieces of pizza and stumbled around until we got him in the car. He still doesn't know about his foot. He told us the bike was hard and killed his legs for the run. But he did it and he finished. That's all that matters.

Wesley, I am so proud of you and it was an honor to watch you accomplish your goal yesterday. You are such a dedicated athlete and I can't wait to watch you for many more years. You have such a drive when it comes to athleticism that has always shined through in your personality as well as on the field, pavement, or in the water. I love you!

Vacation Recap Part III: New York City

I am recounting our vacation from a week and a half ago and am onto Part III. To catch up, see Part I and Part II.

For the final leg of our trip we visited the Big Apple. We left early Friday morning from the house on the river in Pennsylvania and set out to New Jersey. There we were dropping off our car and getting picked up by a van to take us into our apartment in Midtown Manhattan.

I'll just begin with that none of us, maybe excluding my one brother-in-law and my mother-in-law, are really "big city folk." The minute the van crossed the bridge into the city you could see my father-in-law's grip on the seat tighten. It was quite the experience in the van with the driver weaving in and out of traffic and honking, pedestrians dashing across the street with no obvious fear toward cars racing toward them, construction everywhere, huge buildings, etc.

We made it to our apartment, dropped our bags off and headed out to brave the subway. The subway is awesome. It is so amazing to be able to get from point A to point B so quickly and efficiently. We made a stop at a pizza place that Hub and I had seen on TV. Yummy New York Pizza.

Brother-in-law waiting for the Subway

Me with one of my all-time favorite foods!

We jumped back on the subway and headed to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty.

The park and kids playing in the fountain

There she is

Wow, it fits right between his finger tips!

We then meandered through the financial district and saw the New York Stock Exchange.

We then headed to Ground Zero. I must say it was definitely strange being right in that area. Obviously it was almost 10 years ago {wow, that is even more strange to say} and I was a junior in high school when it happened but honestly I remember it like it was yesterday. The actual spot is a construction zone but there is a memorial on the wall of the fire station. Which we also saw a fire truck come out into action.

We stopped off at Grand Central Station on the way back to our apartment. It is absolutely beautiful and it is really interesting to see things in real life that we have only seen in movies or on TV. It is pretty amazing to stand on the stairs in the middle of the station and see everyone going their own which way. Almost like a movie in fast forward.

We headed back to the apartment for a little bit to wind down and then head out to dinner. We came across a restaurant called Ali Baba's Terrace which had a neon sign. To me, neon signs can be somewhat of a warning but everyone was convinced! And guess what we found? More Turkish food that we loved! After a nice dinner we walked to Times Square. All I have to say is, "Wow." 

Hub's company

On the walk back from Times Square we saw these attractions:

We love 30 Rock :)

St. Patrick's Cathedral

The next day we awoke and headed to The Empire State Building. It was pretty cloudy and a little misty so we didn't go to the top. The lobby is really beautiful though. 

We then headed to the New York Public Library. Hands down my favorite sight to see. It was absolutely beautiful. I can totally see why Carrie Bradshaw would want to get married there. Not only is the lobby beautiful but all of the book rooms are equally as gorgeous. The ceilings are so ornate and there are so many details. I feel smarter just for having visited.

After the library we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral to go inside. Another beautiful building. 

Here's where lunch time came in. And what an event it was. We went to Carnegie Deli. Yum and yum. I have never seen sandwiches or desserts like this before. I had a hot pastrami sandwich and it was delish. We all split the New York Cheesecake with strawberries for dessert. Best cheesecake I have ever had.

We continued onto the Guggenheim and into Central Park. It is crazy that in the midst of a busy city there is just a beautiful park. 

We made a quick stop into the Natural History Museum. It was under construction so the outside wasn't much to look at. 

We continued on and stopped at FAO Schwartz on the way back to the apartment. What a fun toy store!

We headed back to the hotel for a bit and then headed out to our final meal together. It was a really yummy Indian restaurant. Hub and I flew out in the morning.

Our trip to New York was a definite whirlwind but we got to see quite a bit of sights. It was really interesting staying in an actual apartment and feeling like we were immersed in the city for a couple of days. Hub and I both agreed that we didn't think we would be able to get past the crowded nature of the city and actually enjoy it but we both did very much. I am so thankful to my in-laws for bringing me along on this adventure. It was a very fun vacation and a good one to have before the baby comes!