Fall Days are the best

Norah is 11 days old.  It's been an adjustment and we are learning to manage two kids.  It's definitely a humbling experience.  

She's a serious cuddler.

And her big brother is diggin her which I'm so greatful for.

Today we spent the morning at a Pumpkin farm.  Sweet Emmit rode ponies, a barrel train, and as you can see pumpkins.  There was a craft fair and pancake breakfast.  Pumpkin pancakes btw are delicious!!! It was the best feeling to do that as a family.  I'm feeling really blessed.

I'm also enjoying my first glass of wine in over 10 months.  Life is good :-) 

To all who are racing and running I have run envy, but ill take these baby moments and live them up.  Truly the best moments in my life.

Welcome Norah!

Sweet baby Norah Josephine has arrived! Born Sept 17th 8lb 10oz.

Everyone is doing well, and I'm so happy to be home, healthy, and not pregnant.  :-) 

I'm looking forward to this new journey.  Being a mom of 2 has already shown to be an entirely different ball game but we are loving it.

Looking forward to sharing my journey of mommyhood and getting back into fitness.  I miss running.  I won't rush the healing process though.  I did have a c section so that really requires minimal lifting and activity in order to heal.  As we should with any injury ill take the time and enjoy my new family of four.  What a blessing.  Love them all.

Where did that dark hair come from lol!?! 

Anyone racing this weekend/ today? How did it go? 

One more pic 

32 years old and 39 weeks pregnant!

Yesterday was my 32nd birthday! It is very true that the years pass quicker as you get older and once you have kids.  

I've never subscribed to the "unlucky" theme of Friday the 13th.  I enjoyed my birthday and it was a great day.  Especially because the temperature was finally perfect for this very preggo lady.  65 degrees and sunny.  I spent the entire day outside with this little fella.

We rode tractors at the farm.  Picked apples and pumpkins in the garden, and played in the sandbox.  My dear husband brought me starbucks for breakfast my absolute favorite thing, and my parents delivered Friday fish fry for supper.  We love our fish fries here in WI.

I've also reached 39 weeks pregnant and can't wait to meet my little lady.  It's gotten extremely uncomfortable and my workouts are down to walking with my the jogger.  There is no room left in this inn.  I've signed the eviction notice.  :-)

When I was a Newbie

A post I recently read on crazyrunninglegs.com inspired this post.

As I sit here not running it makes me nostalgic.  I began running when I was 19 many years ago.  I did it to lose weight, get in shape, and fill that void that going from a 3 sport athlete in high school to nothing in college had left in me.  Little did I know what running would bring me.

At first it was all about losing weight, and being impatient I thought it should work right away. I also made the classic newbie mistake of running every day and piling on mileage as fast as possible.  It took me a while to realize my mistake.  I suffered a case of burnout and injury.  Learning from this I started again with a run walk plan and entered my first race.  CrazyLegs in Madison WI a 5 mile race through the campus and the city finishing on the football field.  It was painful and amazing and I was officially hooked.  My senior year at Madison I took the Marathon class.  The only requirement to pass,run a marathon.  There were 40 of us in that class and thanks to them I ran the Madison 1/2 marathon and then the Chicago Marathon.  Truly the best class i ever took!

I went on from there to run several other marathons and 1/2 marathons.  Every run and race I've done has helped me learn more about myself.  I've learned more about dedication, willpower, strength, and resilience from my years of running and the people I've met along the way.  I've learned to listen to my body.  To know when to push it and when to take it easy.  I've learned that running goes only as good as the shoes you put on your feet, spend the $ get the right show.  

I've learned that I'm a happier, more patient, peaceful person if I can get a run in.  

So as I sit here 38 weeks pregnant ready to be unpregnant I think of all these goals I've reached and things I've learned and I CAN'T WAIT!! To run again.  Where's my patience now?? Oh yea I haven't ran in a while I have none :-)