Birthdays

Anyone that knows me knows I L-O-V-E birthdays. I enjoy making a big deal about them, finding the perfect gift, card, place to celebrate, etc. Granted, these last few years I've been less than excited to turn a year older (and I have now officially reached my maximum age of 29) but I still manage to have a good time.

Kurt turned 31 last week. It was pretty low key. Ezri & I made him an ice cream cake complete with oreos and strawberries (his favorite mix-ins at the drive-in!) and that was pretty much it. Partly because his birthday has never been a big deal for him, but mostly because we were busy planning Ezri's first birthday party the following Sunday.

Which brings me to....

How is it possible that I have an 1-year-old daughter? I look back on this past year and I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute of it. I know everyone thinks that's a lie. How can you possibly enjoy midnight wakings, changing diapers, teething, and just the basic need to recover from birth? Okay fine. The recovery part wasn't fun. But it went so fast and smoothly I really don't have anything to complain about. I know how lucky I am. Trust me.

And the midnight wakings? Well, Ez was a decent sleeper from the start. Plus we co-slept, which means it was rare if I was sleep-deprived. And diapers? With breastfeeding, those weren't so bad either! And the teething we didn't even notice until we saw a tooth come through!

I've said it before. We have the most amazing, perfect daughter there ever was. Or will be, for that matter.

So what would I do differently? I would have bought a better camera before I gave birth. We were low on cash, and I decided to make due with what I had. I still regret that decision!

I wouldn't have freaked out about "advice" others told me. No one seems concerned that since Ezri wears diapers now, I'll never be able to get her out of them later. The same principle applies to our sleeping arrangement. Babies have different needs, and if I could go back I'd savor every second I had holding her while she slept, rather than worry about when she'll sleep on her own.

And third, I would trust my instincts more. I was so unsure of everything that I second-guessed myself A LOT. My first instincts were usually right on. So my advice to others is to trust yourself.

I'm holding back tears as I post this, because I love verso much and a part of me doesn't want her to ever grow up...

Happy First Birthday Baby Girl. I love you with everything I am.

-mommy.

Fall(in)

Fall Fun!

Last Sunday, I took Ezri to Pumpkinfest near New Ulm with my sister and her boys. I know she's still too young to really enjoy this stuff, but I love taking her places and starting new traditions with her. My nephews (ages 5 & 3) had a blast. They went on a train ride and loved picking out the perfect pumpkins! It was crazy busy, but the weather was great and (bonus!) Culver's had their frozen custard desert bar there! Yum. You all know how crazy I am for ice cream :) Here's a couple pictures from the day...

Kurt carved one of our pumpkins a few nights ago, but unfortunately, it's already collapsing in on itself. We'll wait until it gets closer to Halloween to carve the others.

We also got some (more, I know) family pictures taken last week. The leaves were in perfect color, and our amazing photographer friend (www.lmbphotog.com) got some great shots. We've only seen a sneak peak so far, but I know I'm going to have a tough time deciding what to order.

I'm preparing for my first trip away from Ezri without Kurt. We left her with my parents for the weekend back in June, but Kurt was with me and I was distracted by an amazing wedding and visiting old friends, so it went pretty quick. This time, I'm going alone for a work conference. I'm terrified that I'll be a blubbering mess the whole way to the airport. And I'll probably cry myself to sleep too! I really didn't think I'd be this kind of mom before I had kids. But here I am, having a panic attack about leaving my almost-1-year-old daughter with her dad for two nights. I know she'll be fine, although Kurt seems nervous about being her sole caregiver for three days. Maybe it would be easier if I was going somewhere more desirable. Don't get me wrong, I love Chicago. But this is my fourth time going and my good friend Gina (who lives there) will be out of the country while I'm there. So nothing for me to look forward to really. Then factor in the whole lugging a breast pump through airport security (I've read horror stories involving TSA agents) and I'm really dreading it. Here's hoping I can get through it with a smile....wish me luck!!

.b.

Fit. ness.

I've been pretty lucky in my life with avoiding weight struggles. My body's naturally been on the slender side, and my sweet tooth doesn't do much damage to the scale. However, I was concerned that by never having to experience this, I was really going to struggle with a work out regimen post-baby. So a few years before I started thinking about having kids, I decided it was time to get in the habit. I would alternate between running and circuit training (usually Jillian Michaels workouts. Can't stand that woman, but her workouts are short and effective.) 6-7 days a week. I even bought a treadmill! Because, let's face it, my clumsy self would never be able to run on an icy MN sidewalk in the winter.

And guess what? I didn't die. I didn't even hate it as much as I thought I would. Actually, I loved it!

When I first found out I was pregnant, I naturally was on the cautious side. It was five long weeks between the positive pregnancy test and when my doctor would schedule my first prenatal appointment. All the books said it was okay, but this being my first pregnancy I wasn't taking any chances. Plus I was sooooo tired that first trimester I had trouble standing let alone running a few miles. Once I got the okay from her to continue my usual exercise, I picked up right where I left off.

I was fortunate enough to be able to keep up with my running throughout my entire pregnancy. Well, almost. I ran slower. Actually, "run" is being generous. Let's say "jog". I jogged up until week 37 before I had too much pain to continue. My biggest obstacle was finding cute maternity running gear that didn't cost a fortune (which I was never able to find while I was pregnant, but I discovered For Two Fitness shortly after delivery. of course.)  And I replaced the higher impact Jillian Michaels with yoga or workouts geared for pregnant ladies.

I did get a lot of "are you sure you should be doing that?" or "you know you're supposed to gain weight, right?" but I know most people meant well. We just don't see a lot of 8-month prego women running the trails around here! And somehow I still managed to gain the recommended 25 lbs.

I had the smoothest labor and delivery possible, I think. I guess I don't really have anything to compare it to, but it was so much better than I ever could have imagined. I progressed naturally and quickly, and the nurses even commented on how quickly I was moving around the hospital afterwords. I don't know if it's because of my exercise routine (studies suggest this to be true), genetics, or just dumb luck, but I know this. I will be continuing it with any future pregnancies I may have.

With my doctor's blessing, of course.

So now what? My first post-partum run was 6 weeks after delivery. I was scared I wouldn't be able to go far, so I set a goal of 2 miles. I made it 3!! I did pretty well with continuing my old schedule of alternating running with circuit training through the spring, but since June I've struggled to find the time. I did one 5k (the Dirty Girl mud run, which was a blast!! totally recommend) in August, and if I workout twice a week I call that a successful week. How do all the working mamas out there find the time? I only get my daughter for a couple hours at night between work and bedtime, and there's no way I'm giving up those precious minutes :) At least I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight shortly after delivery, but I need to get my strength and endurance back!

Hopefully I can get back to where I was....someday.

.b.