Training

This Sunday is a huge milestone for me. I've been preparing for four months to run my first half-marathon. 13.1 miles. Five months ago I could barely walk one mile!

Training for a run of this level brings a new realization about what you're actually capable of handling. Taking the risk of running 13.1 miles and making it happen has allowed me to realize I can succeed at anything I put my mind to. No matter how impossible it may seem.

Writing is my passion. I've missed writing this year and I never imagined training for a half-marathon would lead me back to it. This experience has made me want to focus on writing, wherever it may lead me.

I look forward to sharing my next post about the excitement of finishing the race and finally putting that 13.1 magnet on the back of my car.

"A" for Effort

It never fails, you finally make a decision to get back into shape. You wake up early to walk/run several days a week to be prepared for a 5K, and ultimately a half-marathon. You get super pumped about the 5K, even buying new running apparel for the big day. You load up the kids bright and early on that exciting morning and drive out to the race. You pull up to the race with that feeling of "I can do this.." and then you hear from the back seat....Blllluuuggghhh...and then "Eeeewwww Mommy, Chelsea threw up!"

Really?

Seriously?

Both of my kids are prone to car sickness? This isn't fair.

So, I put on my Mommy hat and went to work. I basically bathed my baby in a public bathroom. I'm not sure which was nastier, the puke or the bathroom. I eventually get her cleaned, myself together and everyone settled. My friend/running buddy Helen and her husband David were lifesavers by helping me with both kids. David agrees to watch J.K. and their son, while Helen and I planned to push Chel and their daughter in a double jogging stroller. As we are loading the girls into the stroller we realize that the race is starting...without us. We rush to get the girls piled in and take off, leaving David to hang with our boys. In the end, we finished in about 36 minutes, which wasn't too bad considering how our morning started.

As ridiculous as the morning was, the 5K was for a wonderful cause. It was the 3rd Annual Baby Steps 5K Memorial Run. The race supports The Amelia Center, a grief counseling center offering free services to those who have lost loved ones. The Center has been a wonderful source of hope for us over the years and I believe we are blessed to have a place like this in Birmingham. A big thank you to my friend Abby Nicholas for being one of the founders of this race. Everything she does is to remember her twin boys, Braden and Brody, and I'm so proud of her efforts and to have her as a friend. So regardless of how my morning started, it ended with lots of smiles and a few tears as we remembered those we love.

Respect for the SAHM

Every time I stay home alone with the kids I always end up with much respect for my SAHM friends! When I'm at the office I have to deal with things like deadlines, paperwork, emails, phone calls, etc. I don't have to come up with creative projects like making toilet paper roll puppets or baking Dora cupcakes (see previous post). I've never had to pull a crayon out of my co-worker's mouth and I most definitely haven't had to build a fort out of my office furniture. And I promise you I've NEVER had to forcefully pry a fishing net off of anyone's head after their big brother "caught" them as if they were the big catch of day! Luckily I was able to handle this last task without calling the paramedics, which I thought I was going to have to do after I was unsuccessful in removing the net with the first few attempts.

So, yes I have serious respect for the SAHM. Anyone that ever said it was easy has obviously never spent a day in her shoes!

Cupcake Disaster

I'm thinking of opening one of those cute little cupcake shops. What do you think?

The Poo Incident

Hi there...remember me? Yeah, I know it's been forever, but we'll just move on as if it's only been a few days since my last blog post.

So anyway, I have one of those glorious Mommy moments to share. One day last week I woke up at 6 a.m. as I usually do and began my day by rolling out of bed and walking to the kitchen to start the coffee, only before I made it to the kitchen I found that our finicky French Bulldog, Lily, decided to leave me a lovely surprise of poop on my living room floor. Oh, what a lovely way to start the day. So I proceed to clean up her nasty mess and of course, I used entirely too much toilet paper and plugged the toilet. Fabulous! Time to bring out the plunger and put my plumber's daughter skills to work. I unstop the toilet, yay me!

Finally, it's time to start the coffee and jump in the shower before the kids wake up. I get out of the shower and hear Chelsea chatting up-a-storm in her room. I go into check on her and notice that she's soaked from head to toe. I knew better than to let her sleep in a LUVS diaper. Time to put the brakes on getting ready and give Chel a quick bath. I bathe her and then let her play in the tub while I get ready in the bathroom with her. Now, from where I'm standing I can see her every little move in the mirror. Then I see it...the face...you know what I'm talking about, the squished eyes, wrinkled nose and red coloring. I scream, "Nooooooooo!" But it was too late. Yes, there it was in the tub with my adorable (oh-so-proud-of-herself) baby girl...poop. Mind you, in my 3 1/2 years of motherhood this has NEVER happened to me. This was a true holy-crap (no pun intended)-what-do-I-do kind of moment! So I grab the baby, who proceeds to scream at the top of her lungs because of course she's perfectly happy playing in poo-water, get her cleaned up and dressed. I then go back into the bathroom with a plastic cup in one hand and bleach in the other to begin the removal and clean-up process. After disinfecting everything in sight, I was finally able to resume my morning routine and get J.K. up and ready.

We get out the door to head to the car when J.K. finds a rolly-polly, picks it up and then drops it. He thus begins a crying fit because he's lost his new-found pal. I ask him to search for him while I buckle Chel into her seat, then I smell it...you know the smell. I pull back the diaper and not only do I see it, but oh yes...it's all over my hand!!! I mean seriously? How can this much poo happen to one person in less than 45 minutes?? So I get the baby into a football hold to carry her in the house and clean her up...again! Meanwhile, J.K. refuses to come inside because he can't find the dang rolly-polly. I finally lose it and scream, "It's just a BUG and I have POO on my HAND! Now get in the house!" I think I scarred him for life at that moment, but we'll deal with that another day. I finally get Chel cleaned up, both kids in the car and after an unbelievable poo-filled morning we were finally on our merry way to school and work.

And no, we never found the poor bug.

A Christmas Wish

We talk openly and honestly about Olivia with Jeffrey. He knows he has a big sister in Heaven. He's seen her pictures and he understands as best he can at the age of 3. I'm always able to talk to him in a calm voice and keep my composure when talking about her with him, but he said something yesterday that nearly brought me to my knees. I don't want to forget this conversation, which is why I'm choosing to share it here..

"Mommy, can Santa fly way up into Heaven and bring Olivia down to me so that she can sit in my lap like Chelsea does?"

"I'm sorry sweetie, but even Santa can't do that. Anytime you want to hold Chelsea you just let me know and you can tell her all about your big sister. Okay?"

"Okay Mommy. I love you."

I love that boy.

I Can Do This..

I can do this. I can post to my blog, which has been abandoned for quite some time now. I'd like to say that it's because I'm too busy. Yes, I'm busy, but deep in my heart, I know that's not it. This is the place where reality most often hits me and lately I just haven't wanted to face that reality. Why? I have no idea, but you see some days are better than others and some days still hurt like you can never imagine. I don't want Chelsea to be known as the baby who was born on the day her sister went to Heaven, but at the same time I know this was a gift. I don't want anyone to ever forget Olivia, but I don't want Jeffrey and Chelsea to be overshadowed by our story. These are the thoughts that are going through my mind. They probably make no sense to most of you, and in all honesty they don't always make sense to me, but this is the real reason I've been away for so long. The reality of my two daughters sharing a birthday and angel day is just a bit overwhelming.

My goal today, is to post here once again. To let you guys know that I'm still here, I've just been hiding I guess. We've been living our life and it's been wonderful. Jeffrey had a great 3rd birthday and Chelsea is already 6 months old! Where does the time go?? Since I was here last we've had a birthday party, pumpkin patch fun, a visit to the farm, Christmas decorating and Chelsea's baptism.

I've also recently accepted the role of coordinator for Footprints Ministry's Birmingham Chapter. I knew that our experience with Chelsea's birth would lead me to do more with Footprints, but I never imagined that it would bring me to leading the group. However, I couldn't be happier about it. We have an amazing group of volunteers and we've been able to share God's love in some unbelievable ways in only a few short months. We're really looking forward to a Santa visit and family dinner this Sunday.

So between work, family and Footprints, my life has been busy, but it shouldn't be too busy for the one place that has been mine and has provided solace in days past. I've missed my blog and I hope and pray that I can let go and just write.

Here are a few pictures from our little family: