Monday, May 30, 2011

Weekend Wrap Up!

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!

Our weekend started off a little early with some great news..Parker got an A+ from the orthopedic doc. yahooo! The rest of the weekend was filled with a family softball game, BBQ's, horseshoes, running, shopping, and home projects.

Time to go to bed... Actually Cory is forcing me to watch "Rad"..has anyone ever heard of this horrible 80's movie?
Aparantly it's one of the best movies ever and my childhood was incomplete because I didn't watch it. Off to watch more BMX'in..80's style. GNARLEY!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

1st Prize Pack Arrival!

Man, has this month been a month of firsts for me or what?

Well, remember back when I won Best Costume in the Jelly Bean 5K? My prize pack came from Jess the other day! Yahoo! My first prize pack!


The pack included a book about running stories for women...you guessed it..A book review will be coming!

Also, it had BioFreeze, which I used to use in my volleyball days and is awesome. I actually used it before the Heart & Sole 5K over the weekend.

There were a couple of Emergen-C packs to keep me healthy, as well as some candy to keep me happy! An awesome Run With Jess sticker..I can't decide where it's home will be yet. And some GU's for when I actually start running longer distances.

Thanks so much to Jess for the pack!! My sister, mom, and I are already thinking of our costumes for next year, so remember my address, Jess! :)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Heart & Sole 5K Recap

I DID IT!! I FINISHED MY FIRST 5K!!




The day started out great with the kids competing in the 50 yard dash. Parker was feeling great so he went for it! Callie hung back and trotted along with Daddy.



Next up was the 1K. My mom and sis ran that event. I'm not sure what their official time was, but they did great! I am so proud of them! The kids made them signs with a little help from me.





Last was the 5K event. There were TONS of kids with their parents lined up and I was near the back of the pack. Can you find me?



I got across the start line a few minutes after the horn went off and started the timer on my iPod. There wasn't any chip timing, so it was up to the runners if they wanted to know their official time. I ended up finishing at 33:50, according to my Ipod stopclock. I made my 34 minute goal! Barely..but still.. yay!




The bad points:
-The first mile was spent pretty much weaving around walkers and little kids. I ended up having to run off the path into the weeds and gravel a lot.
-My leg was hurting and burning all through the first 2 miles, and each step was killer.
-The weather was warm and humid.
-People were just randomly stopping and turning around whenever they wanted, tying their shoes, stopping and chatting, whatever in the middle of the path...it was extremely laid back.

The good points:
-The swag bags were cool. We got them after picking up our race packets the day before. I got my tech tee, a week pass to a local gym, a pen, and a little tote.

-It was fun to see so many kids running with their parents or teachers. They were cheering for everyone the whole way. When I was running back, there were lots of kids giving me high fives and yelling for you..that was sweet.
-The 50 yard dash was super cute! The kids all won ribbons.
-There were games and fun things for the kids to do after the race.


- My family came and stayed to cheer me on. When I saw them at the finish line, I wanted to cry. I was so happy to see them, so tired, and proud that I met my goal.



So overall, I was happy with my race. I didn't get to train for 2 weeks prior, so I felt I could have done better with my pace. But, with an injury, it is what it is. I will for sure do more 5K's and work my up to a 10K. When will the next one be? Just wait and see!!

Friday, May 20, 2011

I can breathe again...

What a rollercoaster of emotions today has been. I would first like to take a moment to thank everyone for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers for Parker. His recovery over the last 24 hours has been remarkable. The power of prayer along with this kids will is amazing!

This morning Parker wasn't complainging of pain at all. He was able to put a small amount of weight on his right leg, which was a huge improvement. When trying to walk, he was still falling. It was like the whole leg was just giving out from under him and that's the only time when he would cry out in pain. As the day went on, he was crawling around and scooting on his butt. We had some errands to run, so I pushed him in a stoller, which he usually would fight and protest, but he had no problem with it today. He knew his leg was "sick". He kept saying, "I cant walk anymore" in a sad, whiney voice which totally broke my heart.

Finally the afternoon rolled around and it was time for Parker's appointment with the orthopedist. As we were getting out of the car, Parker hopped out of his carseat like always. He was standing on both feet! As we got out of the car, his leg was extremely shakey and after a few steps, it gave way. Still what a HUGE improvement!

As we waited in the waiting room to be called back, Parker was playing with the toys and taking a few steps in the waiting room. He was still pretty wobblely and fell only once. I was shocked! Parker decided he had to go to the potty and on the way out, was able to walk without holding my hand at all-completely on his own.

The doctor was very good and did a very thourough exam. He was thinking Parker probably had synovitis, but after the exam, wasnt really sure. He said kids are very hard to diagnose, because when they say their knee hurts, it could be their toe. When they say their foot hurts, it could be their hip.

So for now, we are in a waiting period. Parker has an appointment next week. The doctor said if Parker is completely better, we can cancel the appointment and just write the whole thing off as probably synovitis, or even a freak thing that happened. If he is still limping, we are to go back for further testing. The fact that he's recovering so quickly is extremely reassuring and everything will most likely be fine. The doctor said to follow Parker's lead, and if he wants to run, let him run. If he's complaining of pain, have him rest. We are to give Ibuprofen until the limp is gone. No TBall or running around until the limp is gone either.

When we got home, Parker was running in the front yard saying "I can walk!" Callie asked me to take them on a walk in the wagon (that means I do all the walking! lol) and Parker put his iron man costume on. He said he was tough and has big muscles. I guess he's pretty proud of himself!




I feel SO relieved that Parker seems to be on the mend. The sound of him walking around the house and playing with his sister is sweet music to my ears.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Another leg problem BUT

This time it's not me..It's Parker.

Throughout the night Parker woke up, crying, saying his leg hurt. I thought maybe his leg was just falling asleep so I would rub it for him and he'd drift off again. Then he would wake up an hour or 2 later with the same complaint. This cycle went on a 3-4 times. This morning when he tried to get out of bed, he cried out and couldn't put any weight down. He was in a lot of pain.

Cory came home and we decided to take Parker to the doctor. At first, the doctor was worried about SCFE, but after the xrays came back normal, he wasn't really sure. The doctor said that because the pain came on so suddenly and because Parker can't put any weight down (he fell in the waiting room trying to stand and take a step), that is concerning to him. He said it still could be SCFE, could be just a bad muscle strain, or could be some kind of necrotic bone problem going on. He really wanted Parker to see an Orthopedic doctor today or tomorrow.

So, our appointment is tomorrow and we will see what is going on. Until then, Parker is resting in bed since he can't walk anyway, and taking Ibuprofen to help with the pain. He's watching a lot of TV and playing computer games.


Please keep the little guy in your prayers that everything will be okay.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Run On!

I cannot believe I haven't really ran in nearly 2 weeks!! I totally feel like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers..Ewwww...

Due to No Weigh May, I have no clue how much weight, if any, I've gained. I guess we'll find out June 1st!

Yesterday I went for a 3 mile walk and my shin and foot were burning and tight. I couldn't believe this morning how tight my whole lower body was. It sure doesn't take long to get back out of shape, does it?

Tonight I wanted to run some just because of the 5K I am running on Saturday, and I didn't want to go into it with such a long gap of no running at all. I ran a 1.5 route in 15 minutes, which is a kinda faster than normal pace. I ran the first mile with my mom and I think running with someone is always helpful for me. Afterwards, my foot, ankle, shin, and even knee were tight and sore, but is wasn't anything too bad.

I was happy though because I wasn't too out of breath and the pace felt really good. I was worried I would be much slower from taking the last couple weeks off and my time on Saturday would be humilating! Now I know I haven't lost the progress I've made and I'll be fine. Bring on Saturday and hopefully I can finish the day pain-free! :)

Oh, and did I mention I get to pick up my race packet from an actual Runner's Store? I am so excited to look at all the awesome running stuff that's out there!! The shoes, the gear, the clothes...yay!!

So come on all you runner followers..give this first timer some advice on what to expect on my first 5K!!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Weekend Wrap Up

This will be a quick one cuz I gotta leave for work in about 10 minutes. Here we go!

Friday had a yard sale at my sisters. Ended up riding bikes a lot. That was fun, but my but is sore!! I made 31 bucks from the day. SAH-WEET!
Saturday Cory went fishing with his lil brother. I went to the dump with the kiddos (they LOVE the dump) to clear out some lovely items from our bathroom project.
Sunday was my favorite day this weekend. I got a glitter-tastic makeover from Callie that would make Ke$ha jealous!

I also worked on the 3rd coat of paint downstairs and started to paint my bedroom. I'm not sharing pics until those are done. Be patient my pretties!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, my leg is feeling a little better. I did not run all weekend. I can feel myself getting out of shape each hour. Hope I'm ready for Saturday!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Me Bum Leg

I have shin splints :(

Remember how I thought it would be a wonderful idea to run 6 miles last Saturday when I've only ran 3 at the most? Well I'm now paying the price. My right outer lower leg is killing me!

I took most of the week off and went for a run with mama on Thursday. Right away my leg was burning and hurting. I tried to run through in, but by the end of the 2 mile run I was a gimp. Now my leg is aching pretty much all the time. Dang leg.

So, I'm going to take it easy because I have my 1st 5K next weekend. I'm going to rest, ice, and use Cory's blue goo stuff he swears by. I'm also going to try and stretch better and look into getting some new shoes. My Walmart ones just aren't cutting it anymore. I'm going to try Jillian Michael's Shred video tonight so I'm not a total slacker.

Running injuries suck.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Blogger Problem...

So my last post got deleted due to the terrible blogger incident from yesterday..apparantly a ton of blogs were effected. So sorry to the people that commented on the previous post...Grrr...Just reposted it. Sorry guys!

No Weigh May Update

I'm a week and a half into "No Weigh May" and so far, it sucks. I've cut myself off from the scale completely and have no clue what my weight is this month. Aaaahhh! It's killing me!!

I've had a lot of temptation so far and I've been a good girl. First off, I work at a Dr's office. That means there is a big fat scale sitting there winking at me all day. I get to weigh other people, but not myself. No fair. No one at work knows about my no weigh rule so it would be so easy. On day, I even emptied my scrub pockets and stood in front of the thing. But the guilt ate me alive. I went back to my desk like a sad lil pup.

Secondly, I found the scale people. That's right. This guy got busted.

It really was a good hiding spot but I came across it on lovely evening. I begged Cory to let me just jump on real quick. I told him no one would know and it would be our little secret. But no. He wouldn't go for it. Instead he's hidden it again. If only I had some Yankees tickets or some Jack Daniels to bribe him...

So my challenge continues..

I did get to toss out all my size 12's though, so I'm pretty happy about that! I even fit into a pair of size 9's!! Now I'm wishing I didn't get rid of all my pre-pregnancy clothes awhile back while in the midst of a tearful tantrum I was having about my weight. You know the kind, having that lump in your throat while looking at yourself in the mirror thinking, "REALLY?! This doesn't fit me anymore? These were my fat pants! I have nothing to wear!! I'm gross!!!" Then bagging up all your clothes in defeat and lighting them on fire in the middle of your front yard. Oh, just me?

If you joined No Weigh May, how is your challenge going?

Monday, May 9, 2011

HAPPY NURSE'S WEEK!!!

Hey friends! Did you hug your favorite nurse this week? It's National Nurse's Week so show us hard workin' gals (and guys) some love!



We get medical assistant students at my job and some of them have asked me about becoming and RN.."Was it hard?" "What's the difference between a 2 year program and a 4 year?" "Why did you pick nursing?"

I chose nursing for many reasons. I wanted to help people, finding a job wouldn't be difficult after graduation, the pay and hours are good, and there are tons of different fields you can get into. I decided to I would become a nurse my Junior year of high school.

I wasn't sure what kind of nursing I wanted to do. I thought I would go into research or the OR. I found I didn't like the operating room, and to get into research I would need a lot more schooling and live in a larger city. I love my hometown, so that wasn't a possibility. I ended up being a Triage nurse..who knew?!





As far as the actual nursing program, I chose an ADN program. That means, I went to a community college that required about 2 year of prereqs, then 2 years in the acutal nursing program. I graduated with an Associate Degree in Nursing, which is a science degree. At a 4 year college, you end up with a Bachelor's Degree (BSN) in Nursing. You both take the exact same state boards to obtain your Registered Nurse licensure. Those nurses with a BSN can work in more administrative roles if they choose. During school, I found the prereq's to get into the program harder than actual nursing school. I really enjoyed learning about medicine and nursing because it was something I was interested in.

If I had to give advice to a nursing student, I would tell them grades are important, but succeeding in clinicals is key. Soak up every opportunity to start an IV, drop an NG tube, give CPR..get your hands dirty (with gloves on of course!!)
If you don't know what area of nursing you want to go into- don't worry about it! Start on the medical floor where you will get TONS of experience quickly.
Another thing I wasn't prepared for was how working with crabby patients, crabby families, crabby doctors, and crabby coworkers can get you down. I think professors kinda shelter students from that while in school. They really should teach some sort of preperation class for that. Not sure if that's possible, but it sure would be helpful!

The last thing I would recommend is to try to think of your patients as if it were your Grandmother or child. This can sometimes be hard when you're cleaning out a gross wound, or when your patient is combative and swinging at you, or how about when your peds patient vomits down your leg? Yum! I have to remind myself many times a shift to treat each patient like they are my only focus in the world. Even if I only talk to a patient for a few minutes, I want them to feel heard and cared for. At least that's the goal.

So there's my 2 cents about nursing! Happy Nurse's Week!! And remember- be nice to me..I might be your nurse someday!! Muah hahaha!!

March for Babies 2011 Recap

Sorry for the emotional post yesterday. Don't get me writing about my mom and my kids. I'll get all worked up and crying because I heart them so much.

So moving on- Thank you everyone who participated in March for Babies this year. I don't think I'll ever forget this years walk because it was the first year I ran the whole thing!! It's also the first time Cory didn't have baseball to coach so he got to come!



Parker and Callie were featured in the "Your Story Matters" tent again, which is always special. When I was taking my daughter to the bathroom after the race, I stopped to show their poster/story to her. There was a family in the tent that was so amazed by Parker and Callie's story and recognized Callie from her poster. They felt like they were meeting a little mini celebrity from the event. She immediatly got shy, but the families comments were very sweet.




Okay- onto the juicy details. I ran the full event with my Father In Law, Bruce. I am so glad he was with me because, believe me, I would have walked if it wasn't for him. This guy is 50 years old and can kick my butt anyday at running. He's done triathlons people. And won for his age group I might add. He helped me the whole way reminding me to push through the mentality of it all, and gave me some running tips too. Thanks Bruce! I think I might have to recruit him to run more races with me. And no, didn't realize I had a huge white toothpaste stain down the front of my shirt until AFTER the event.



As you know, I was planning on only running the first 3 miles. That plan was thrown out the window because actually, I didn't feel that bad and I had a great running partner. About mile 4 though, I hit the wall. I was pooped. My legs felt like cement blocks and I was slowing down. Even with the end in sight at mile 5, I couldn't push any further. Bruce wanted to sprint to the end, but my gas tank was empty. My pace went in the toilet, but it wasn't about to get me down! I had never ever ran that far before so finish time wasn't even in my mind. Bruce actually bikes that same path and taught me the route was actually closer to 6.25 miles long. HELLO PRD(Personal Record, Distance)!! There was no official timer for this race, so I had to use my iPod, which clocked us at 1 hr, 10 minutes. HELLO instant PR!

We totally blasted my goal of finishing in 90 minutes. Anyone think I can get under 1 hr next year? My legs and lower back were so sore that evening. I think it might be my crummy shoes. Okay, it's probably the fact that I doubled my usual distance. I don't think that's the proper way to go about increasing mileage, but I'm going to ignore that for now.

My mom also ran a HUGE portion of the event and came in only 10 minutes behind us. She's amazing. I'm so proud of her!!



My Dad, Grandma Lucy, Jaclyn, Avah, Parker, Callie, and Cory crossed the finish line as a group. They went at a nice pace for having 3 little ones with them. They stopped to throw rocks in the river and play on the toys. That's the way to enjoy a race guys!! I am so appreciative for my family because they helped watch the kids so I could meet my goal. Thank you so much family!!



My sister and her group of friends rounded out the event by coming in nearly last, which is awesome!! They also had little guys with them, so it was more about getting some fresh air and supporting a great cause. I really hope they had a good time and will come out again next year.

So that's it homies. I finished an unofficial 10K without stopping. What a great Mother's Day gift to myself!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all my mama readers out there. Prepare yourself for a sappy lil post..

Here's a lovely song to listen to as you read.



My mom reads my blog, so here's my message to her. I love you Mom. You are my best friend in the whole world. I know it's corny, but it's true. Thank you for always seeing the hilarity that life brings us and laughing with me..even when sometimes the situation is kinda serious. You always can crack me up and find the lighter side. I love our little adventures. You are my biggest supporter and I know you got my back-always. I didn't truley understand all your love and commitment to me until I had children myself. Thank you.



For me, it's been quite the adventure becoming a mom. I never knew I could love someone so much before I had Parker. Then to be so blessed again with that love after Callie was born. Each of my kids have taught me something different about being a mom.




Parker was my first born. He taught me there is a greater purpose to my life outside of me. He gave me the right to be called "Mommy". His birth showed me what true love is. He loves making everyone laugh and his smile and giggle are contagious. The twinkle in his eye lights up the room. Over these last few months, he's really teaching me patience I never knew I had in me. He's a 3 year old onry boy. He's got energy to burn. He is a tough, daredevil, carefree, stubborn firecracker. In the next moment, he's holding his sister's hand. He's asking me how he can help me. He wants a hug, wants a kiss. He flashes those dimples at me and it's all over. Man, I'm in trouble.




Callie is my daughter. I was scared when I found out I was having a girl. Could I handle it? Girls are so emotional, sensitive, dramatic. Girls become teenagers that say the meanest things. I know. I was one. But as Callie is growing up, I see why having a daughter is such an amazing gift. Callie is teaching me how to be gentle with my words, my gestures, and my in my everday life. Callie is showing me how to be a tough cookie who takes charge of a room full of boys and not think twice. Although shy, she is never intimidated. She is strong. She is silly. She is artistic and careful. She is a free spirit, yet responsible. Her imagination is charming. Callie tells me I'm her best friend. I know to a 2 year old, everyone is her best friend, but geez, that melts my heart everytime. I hope we can share the bond my own mom and I share.




Being a mom is frickin' hard. I always knew I wanted to be nothing more than a mother, but never expected how insane this ride would be. I'm only about 4 years into it and wow- I can't believe how different I thought it would be- but in a good way. I never imagined I could feel 2 contradicting emotions so strongly at once until my 2 babies came into the world: Total frusteration, yet total enchantment. Overwhelming weakness, yet suprising strength. Wanting to cry, wanting to laugh. Thinking to myself, "I've got the most uncertain, vague, precise, definite plan in the world. Wait. What?"



The biggest surprise has been how fleeting time is. People warn me. "Enjoy it" they say. Now, I understand. They are mothers. They know too.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

MFB Complete!

I'll do a full race recap later because I'm pooped and kids are tired too..It's about naptime around here..

Just a hint though- I got a PRD! I ran the whole 10K! YAHOOOOO!!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Weekend Plans and some DIY projects

Hi All! Hope you're having a wonderful Friday!! Parker is becoming my personal photographer.



Tomorrow is the March for Babies down by good old Columbia River. It's a 6 mile walk. As you know, my plan is to run the first 3 miles and do what I can for the second half. My goal is to finish in 90 minutes or under. Go Team Supreemie!!

Other than that, our plan is to do some home projects because, well, right now, pretty much every room has something going on that needs a'fixin'. Our kitchen looks like this:

A whole bunch of randomness but mostly needs mouldings and light fixtures. We still don't have hardware on our cabinets.

Our downstairs looks like this:

We're going for the cabin look, but right now it looks like a scary shack!!

Our bedroom looks like this:
Oh yes, we love a little NiHao Kailan in our day. But really, I seriously cannot believe we have lived here for a year and a half and we haven't even touched our bedroom. It's just a mismatch of bedding- no paint. Not even a single picture up. Sad!
So yes, I have a TON of stuff to keep me busy for the rest of the year!!

On Sunday, depending on how sore I am, I plan to hike Badger again. Seems to be becoming a Sunday ritual.


Hope you all enjoy your weekend. What are your plans? Do you have lingering home projects? What are your weekend rituals?