Marathon Mommy and 18 month Old Son

The home stretch
About a minute from the finish line!

My inspiration

Today I completed my first ever Marathon and finished in 4 hours and 29 minutes. After 5 months of training, I was very anxious about today, but everything went well. The race began at 7 am and was so much fun! There were thousands of people along the way that cheered and held signs and there were many musical entertainers as well. Also, running with other people who were sharing in the experience made it an exciting and memorable day (so much better than training alone). The scenery was gorgeous and even though the most challenging part of the course (mile 17-18) took us up a steep hill, it led to the beautiful St. John's bridge and an even more gorgeous view of the city.

As I started the race, I felt very emotional. I was actually doing this! I felt so strong in the beginning, but the down hill stretches, even though easy endurance-wise, proved to be torture for my knees. By mile 8, I began to feel intense knee pain, but I soldiered on and it dissipated. Unfortunately, the pain continued with every downhill stretch, which is unfortunate since this is when I could have picked up the pace.

I found miles 18-26 to be the most difficult. The steep climb up towards St. John's Bridge drained me, but I knew that I was getting closer to the finish line and with each mile marker passed, I cheered. I also kept thinking about Leo's smiling face at the finish line. I want to be a good example to him and show him through my actions, that with hard work and determination, big goals can be accomplished. I know this is a lesson he will not grasp now, but he will some day.

As I approached the home stretch and re-entered downtown, cheering crowds lined the streets and shouted words of encouragement. It was exhilarating! As I approached the finish line, I saw/heard Joe. He was with Leo, my mom, Tiffany and Martin and they were all cheering for me. I had reached my destination and I felt so proud that I finished. YEAH!!!

After the race, I picked up my finisher's shirt, medal, pin and tree seedling and they wrapped me in a foil blanket. I looked pretty crazy in that blanket, but it sure did help.

Even though this was a life changing experience, the physical strain was immense. Currently, I can barely walk. I have been nick-named the hobbler because hobbling is all I can do. I hate to imagine how I will feel tomorrow.

Leo News
Leo also had his 18 month doctor appointment and he is doing great. Here are the stats:

22.1 pounds (7-8%)
32 inches (42%)
19.1 inches head circumference (74%)

He is talking so much now, it is hard to keep up with him vocabulary because he seems to learn more than a word everyday. Our new favorite combo of words is cheese crack (cheese crackers), which he is addicted to.

He is also testing his limits, especially with dumping his water cup all over the place, especially his books. He never ceases to get a kick out of this, regardless of the number of times we have said no.

Leo's First Trip to the Beach

This week, Grandma Laurel is visiting, so we decided to all go to Cannon Beach for the day. The weather was GORGEOUS, which is a big deal for the Oregon coast. Leo has never seen the ocean, so it was a very exciting trip for all of us. I didn't expect Leo to like the ocean or waves because he has always been very apprehensive about water at water parks, hoses, pools etc, but he loved everything about the beach. When the first wave approached him, he squealed with delight and also loved when the wave receded leaving his feet immersed in the sand. He kept charging for the waves and when we told him we were at the beach, he chanted, "beach, beach, beach!" He also loved the sand and found a deep pit to play in. He went into the pit as if it was a slide and would grab fistfuls of sand and throw them. He really was in heaven and I was thrilled too because the beach is my favorite place in the world and I am glad we can share this love.

Our trip to the beach just reminded us of how each day with Leo gets better and better. He is just so much fun and we couldn't love him more. Now I guess we need to plan a trip to somewhere tropical!

17 months old

Future Rock Star?

Having fun at Gymboree

Leo's "girlfriend" at Gymboree

Leo is now 17 months old and all he wants to do is PLAY! One of our favorite places to go is Gymoree. I have been taking him there since he was 10 months old and he has always been in class with a pretty little gal named Mikayla (Mika). As you can see by the photo, this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. ;-)

Sidenote: The other night, I was trying to get Leo to fall asleep and I needed something, so I called "Joe!" Ever since then, when Leo is trying to get Joe's attention, but his pleas for Daddy are ignored, he calls "Joe!" It is soooo funny!

Perfect Day

Just being cute!

He said goat for the first time today!

Leo is pretending that the Lego is a train.

Still parallel playing

Today we had perfect weather and a great Monday! I am really trying to savor these days and appreciate them because I know soon enough the rain and cold will be back.

Today I took Leo to the zoo and he picked up a new word - goat. Very cute! It is days like today that make me feel so fortunate to be able to spend my days with Leo and watch him grow and experience all that life has to offer. I am so thankful that Joe is so supportive and is able to allow me to stay at home with Leo.

Everyday Leo seems to become more of a little boy. He takes walks with daddy. He comes up for hugs. He amuses himself. It is so fun and rewarding to see him emerge into such a sweet, adventurous, intelligent, curious and funny person (did I say handsome too?).

Leo is obsessed with climbing into things, such as his toy basket, storage baskets etc. He also is in a stage where he is throwing everything! This has included fistfuls of sand at his buddy Forest and dirt at the goats at the petting zoo. Not cool, but luckily no one was hurt. Luckily both Forest and the goats were very tolerant of Leo's mischievous behavior. Our standard response for this behavior is "balls are for throwing, (fill in the blank) is not for throwing)." Sometimes this is followed by a time out, but Leo is still a bit young for real discipline.

Joe and I are still continuing with our fitness routines. Joe lifts weights 4 times a week and I am still marathon training. I ran 18 miles Saturday and am starting to get really excited for the Portland Marathon that is October 4th. The run will be so much more fun than the training because I will be surrounded by other runners and there will be tons of entertainment and gorgeous scenery along the way. Plus I will have my loved ones to greet me at the finish line. As for Joe, he looks amazing and is the healthiest he has ever been.

Our Toddler

Watching tv...I know, it's not the best habit for a toddler! He looks like such a little boy in this pic.

"Mommy, I can't smile all the time!"

Trouble!

"I feed ducks too!"

Leo is almost 17 months and is all boy! He is full of mischief and is really testing his limits. Joe and I will be checking out a couple of books from the library about raising a toddler, because we are at a loss at times. We feel that Leo understands when he is doing something we don't want him to, so we have started giving him time-outs in his crib. All in all, he is a good boy. He doesn't hurt other children and he is sweet in nature, but he is ALWAYS doing things that are dangerous or dirty.

Leo continues to be obsessed with "dinatoos" (dinosaurs). It is by far, the cutest word he says!

I am continuing my marathon training and will be thrilled when October 4th arrives. On Saturday, I have an 18 mile run. I wish I could say that I am looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to this training being completed. Joe also works out 4-5 times a week and is getting so strong. He is looking fantastic too!!!

Trucks are Serious Business!

I think Leo liked the School Bus the best

Leo and his buddy EvieDinosaurs are AWESOME!

We had a great weekend. It started with me completing a 16 mile run. I was so happy to have that done with and was really ready to start the weekend. Joe and I took Leo to a truck show that is an annual event hosted by our local parks and rec. center. They had all the trucks a little boy could ever hope to see: a fire truck, construction vehicles, a big rig from Conway (Joe's employer), buses and we even witnessed a helicopter taking off! Throughout the event, Leo was quiet and stoic, which is not like him at all. He was like this at the Thomas event as well. I think it is so much for him to process, he zones out and just soaks it all up. It's as if he is saying, "this is so exciting, I can hardly believe it!"

Leo seems to have a new obsession with dinosaurs. He actually tries to say it too, but only we can gather what he means.

He has also been giving us real hugs in which he wraps his arms around our neck and squeezes. It is to date, the best parenting moment I have had. I think Joe would agree.

Beautiful Weather, Singing and Running!

The heat wave is over and we are experiencing some gorgeous days. Leo still loves nothing more than being outside, but being that he is a very mischievous little boy, we have to keep an eagle's eye on him at all times.

Leo has been engaging in a lot of games and tries to make us laugh now. He really has quite the sense of humor.

He has also been a bit more manageable at night. Perhaps the teething has subsided a bit, and the cooler weather is making everyone happier.

Leo has started singing....it is the cutest thing. He says..."lalalalala." He's not too melodic yet, but, it's a start. He also can identify all the parts of his face and major body parts.

In addition to Leo news, I have also been training for the Portland Marathon that takes place October 4th. Last Saturday I ran 15 miles and now I feel confident that I can complete the marathon. It is very hard work, but I feel so satisfies with my progress. Finishing a marathon has been a lifelong goal and I am less than 2 months from making this a reality. I am aiming to run 10 minute miles and I don't want to walk at all. Luckily for me, Joe has been super supportive and has been putting extra babysitting hours. Also, my mom bought me some high end running shoes that are sure to make the run easier.