Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Portrait of a Toddler
I love my Nikon 50mm lens meant for natural light use. The only problem with it is that any movement at all on the part of the subject makes for a blurry picture. As a result, I can't take as many portraits of the munchkin as I'd like to because he is a fast moving little guy. However, I have learned that right after nap time is the perfect opportunity to catch some natural shots and if I'm balancing a container of Play-Doh on my head, I can even get him to smile. Here, I snapped two shots before I lost his attention to the Play-Doh that I had to fork over as payment for his stillness.
Here, he's biting his lip in concentration while he plays. Play-Doh is very serious business.
Here, he's biting his lip in concentration while he plays. Play-Doh is very serious business.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Greek Meatball Soup
My parents are in town for the holidays and that means that it's been a cooking and baking frenzy here for the last couple of days. I've vowed this holiday season to do something that I've been intending to do for the last 5 years - write down all of my mother's recipes that exist only in her head.
Last night, we made Euvarlakia (Greek Meatball Soup). Here's my mom writing down the recipe for me.
This was one of my absolute favorite things to eat as a kid and it was also the first thing that the Irishman requested when my mom was making her menu for the week.
Without further ado, let's get this recipe going, shall we? Here are the ingredients. 1 lb. lean ground beef, two stocks celery, two carrots, one small onion, 3 potatoes, 3/4 cup rice, 1 tsp. parsley, 1 tsp. garlic, 1 Tbs. olive oil, 2 eggs, 1 lemon, salt and pepper. (Not pictured is flour and baking soda because my mom didn't tell me that we needed them until later.)
First, chop your celery, carrots and potatoes. (You'll notice that only half of our onion is chopped, but that's because my mom thought that the whole thing would have been too much.)
Put 12 cups of water into your pot and add in the chopped celery, carrots and 1 Tbs. olive oil. Bring to a simmer. (You'll notice the unchopped half of an onion floating in the water. My mom decided to add it in for flavor after all.)
While the water and veggies are simmering, we're going to make the meatballs. Put the ground beef into a bowl and add in the 1 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of pepper, 1 tsp. of parsley and 1 tsp. of garlic.
Next, add into the bowl the chopped onion, one egg and 1/2 of the rice that you measured out.
Now, get your Greek mother to mush it all together while you keep your hands completely clean.
It's time to roll out the meatballs. My mom scoops them out with a tablespoon and lines them up onto the cutting board to insure that they're all the same size.
Once they're all measured out, roll them into little balls.
Hello little meatballs. You look very nice. I, of course, won't be eating any of you, but the rest of the clan here will gobble you all up. I'm sorry about that.
Next, bring the water and veggies up to a boil.
Put a plate with a 1/2 cup of flour and a sprinkle of salt next to the pot.
Next, roll each meatball into the flour. This will keep them whole in the pot.
Hello plate full of floured meatballs. You look very nice. I, of course, will not be eating.... well, you know the rest.
Now drop your meatballs one at a time into the pot and add in your potatoes too. This is also where we add the remaining 1/2 of the rice.
Lower the temperature to a simmer and set your timer to 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, it's time to make the avgo lemono (egg and lemon mixture), which is the tour de force of most Greek soups. It's really easy to do. Come, let my little Greek mother show you.
First, add just the whites of your second egg into your bowl.
Whisk this for 30 seconds or so until it just starts to froth.
Next, juice your lemon and add this to your egg mixture.
We're also going to add an 1/8 tsp. of baking soda and a pinch of salt. Keep whisking!
Now, we're going to slowly start adding one ladel of broth into our egg mixture while whisking continuously. We want to be careful not to scramble the eggs, so make sure that you add the broth slowly to bring the eggs up to temperature.
Continue this process until you've added about half of the broth into the bowl. Then, slowly pour the egg and broth mixture back into the main soup pot.
Increase the temperature until just shy of boiling, add in another tsp. of salt and viola, you're all done!
This was the Irishman's bowl that I took a picture of. Can you tell that he was impatient for me to snap the picture so that he could dig in?
Last night, we made Euvarlakia (Greek Meatball Soup). Here's my mom writing down the recipe for me.
This was one of my absolute favorite things to eat as a kid and it was also the first thing that the Irishman requested when my mom was making her menu for the week.
Without further ado, let's get this recipe going, shall we? Here are the ingredients. 1 lb. lean ground beef, two stocks celery, two carrots, one small onion, 3 potatoes, 3/4 cup rice, 1 tsp. parsley, 1 tsp. garlic, 1 Tbs. olive oil, 2 eggs, 1 lemon, salt and pepper. (Not pictured is flour and baking soda because my mom didn't tell me that we needed them until later.)
First, chop your celery, carrots and potatoes. (You'll notice that only half of our onion is chopped, but that's because my mom thought that the whole thing would have been too much.)
Put 12 cups of water into your pot and add in the chopped celery, carrots and 1 Tbs. olive oil. Bring to a simmer. (You'll notice the unchopped half of an onion floating in the water. My mom decided to add it in for flavor after all.)
While the water and veggies are simmering, we're going to make the meatballs. Put the ground beef into a bowl and add in the 1 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of pepper, 1 tsp. of parsley and 1 tsp. of garlic.
Next, add into the bowl the chopped onion, one egg and 1/2 of the rice that you measured out.
Now, get your Greek mother to mush it all together while you keep your hands completely clean.
It's time to roll out the meatballs. My mom scoops them out with a tablespoon and lines them up onto the cutting board to insure that they're all the same size.
Once they're all measured out, roll them into little balls.
Hello little meatballs. You look very nice. I, of course, won't be eating any of you, but the rest of the clan here will gobble you all up. I'm sorry about that.
Next, bring the water and veggies up to a boil.
Put a plate with a 1/2 cup of flour and a sprinkle of salt next to the pot.
Next, roll each meatball into the flour. This will keep them whole in the pot.
Hello plate full of floured meatballs. You look very nice. I, of course, will not be eating.... well, you know the rest.
Now drop your meatballs one at a time into the pot and add in your potatoes too. This is also where we add the remaining 1/2 of the rice.
Lower the temperature to a simmer and set your timer to 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, it's time to make the avgo lemono (egg and lemon mixture), which is the tour de force of most Greek soups. It's really easy to do. Come, let my little Greek mother show you.
First, add just the whites of your second egg into your bowl.
Whisk this for 30 seconds or so until it just starts to froth.
Next, juice your lemon and add this to your egg mixture.
We're also going to add an 1/8 tsp. of baking soda and a pinch of salt. Keep whisking!
Now, we're going to slowly start adding one ladel of broth into our egg mixture while whisking continuously. We want to be careful not to scramble the eggs, so make sure that you add the broth slowly to bring the eggs up to temperature.
Continue this process until you've added about half of the broth into the bowl. Then, slowly pour the egg and broth mixture back into the main soup pot.
Increase the temperature until just shy of boiling, add in another tsp. of salt and viola, you're all done!
This was the Irishman's bowl that I took a picture of. Can you tell that he was impatient for me to snap the picture so that he could dig in?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Santa Who?!?
One of the Irishman's coworkers dressed up as Santa and we decided to take Parker in to see him since the mall Santa is a little bit scary to me (call me paranoid, but I have no clue what screening process they use). These three pictures show the progression of emotions that Parker went through when faced with a pseudo-Santa. I know that I shouldn't laugh, but seriously, kids + Santa = good material for laughs.
Stage 1 - Apprehension. "Dad, are you sure that I should be sitting on the strange man's leg?"
Stage 2 - Marginal Acceptance. "Ok, well since no one is flipping out, I guess it's alright."
Stage 3 - Flight. "I'm over this now, please help me!"
Stage 1 - Apprehension. "Dad, are you sure that I should be sitting on the strange man's leg?"
Stage 2 - Marginal Acceptance. "Ok, well since no one is flipping out, I guess it's alright."
Stage 3 - Flight. "I'm over this now, please help me!"
Monday, December 22, 2008
Running Update And A Funny
I am quite pleased to report that yesterday, I ran (drum roll please) 20 miles! Woohoo! It was quite the painful accomplishment, but any lingering doubts I may have had about my ability to complete the marathon were completely quashed. My ankles were killing me from about mile 15 onward, but the good news is that the pain had a plateau and once it got to "painful as hell," it didn't get any worse. In other words, I now know I can run through it if they start to plague me during the marathon, which I guess is the true purpose of doing a 20 miler in training.
Now, it's all downhill from here. With only two weeks of training runs left, I have a 10 mile run scheduled for Sunday with an 8 mile run to follow the next weekend. Yup, it's time to taper for the race, which means that the next two weeks are all about resting and getting over the aches and pains. My ankles will very much appreciate the R&R. I can't imagine what it's going to feel like to run on fresh legs since the last month or so has just been brutal.
Now for the funny that I promised in the title. I was at a bookstore looking at vegetarian cookbooks when I came across this:
The Bacon Cookbook? King of the Blue Plate BBQ? What? I'm certain some teenager (or someone like my husband) relocated these cookbooks into the vegetarian section as a joke to see if anyone would notice. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty funny and since I was at the bookstore alone with no one to share it with, I snapped a picture with my iPhone so that I could share it with all of you.
Now, it's all downhill from here. With only two weeks of training runs left, I have a 10 mile run scheduled for Sunday with an 8 mile run to follow the next weekend. Yup, it's time to taper for the race, which means that the next two weeks are all about resting and getting over the aches and pains. My ankles will very much appreciate the R&R. I can't imagine what it's going to feel like to run on fresh legs since the last month or so has just been brutal.
Now for the funny that I promised in the title. I was at a bookstore looking at vegetarian cookbooks when I came across this:
The Bacon Cookbook? King of the Blue Plate BBQ? What? I'm certain some teenager (or someone like my husband) relocated these cookbooks into the vegetarian section as a joke to see if anyone would notice. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty funny and since I was at the bookstore alone with no one to share it with, I snapped a picture with my iPhone so that I could share it with all of you.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tis The Season...To Be Busy!
Man, is Christmas really only 10 days away?!? I realized early last week that I had done absolutely nothing to be ready for Christmas day. No presents, no decorations, nothing. So, I kicked it into high gear and at least made a small dent in the readiness department, but there is still a ton left to do. Ack!
My parents are coming into to town on Friday and praise the Lord for that since Parker is out of school for two weeks starting on Monday. This visit is good for all of you since I'm going to be posting a lot of recipes during the time that my mom is here. Yum and yay!
Ok, I'm off to start hammering out some errands, but I at least wanted to pop in and say we're still here...just crazy busy.
My parents are coming into to town on Friday and praise the Lord for that since Parker is out of school for two weeks starting on Monday. This visit is good for all of you since I'm going to be posting a lot of recipes during the time that my mom is here. Yum and yay!
Ok, I'm off to start hammering out some errands, but I at least wanted to pop in and say we're still here...just crazy busy.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Pay The Piper
Well, I ran 18 miles yesterday...and it hurt...a lot. What's odd about it is that I felt mentally fine, cardiovascularly fine, but my legs felt like they were going to snap off at the hip. It was quite surreal.
When I got home from my run, I was walking very gingerly (Parker was imitating my old lady gait quite accurately) because my ankles felt like they were going to break at any second. Truly, I was concerned that they might just break off. That's a nice visual, isn't it? But really, I have very skinny little ankles and I'm not sure that they're equipped to carry my 5'11" frame over long distances. I'm sure they've filed a complaint with the proper authorities for the amount of abuse they've had to suffer through.
Anyway, I had a few objectives that I had to meet before I collapsed onto the couch: (1)A scalding hot shower; (2) three Advil; (3) nourishment (which consisted of a huge glass of chocolate milk and some homemade buttered popcorn); (4) a good deal of whimpering. Once all those things were accomplished, I blessedly got to put my tortured feet up and I promptly realized that I was having great difficulty staying awake. This shouldn't be surprising considering that I ran for over three hours straight and burned more than 2,000 calories.
Fortunately, Parker was in a snuggly mood and after laying on me for 30 minutes (watching Thomas the Train, naturally), we both headed into the bedroom for a nice, long nap. I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed and while my legs were still protesting any movement, I no longer felt as if they had been beaten with a sledgehammer.
In retrospect, it was time to pay the piper. This is the climax of my training (I have a 20 miler in two weeks) and these runs are definitely the ones that separate the quitters from the finishers...or the sane from the crazies - anyone want to venture a guess as to where I fall??
The marathon is only 5 weeks away and I am absolutely certain of one thing - I will be ready. This journey has been both a mental and physical struggle. My head is definitely in the game and my body is doing it's best to hang in there. When I first signed up for the marathon, I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to complete these double-digit runs and while I knew that it wouldn't be easy (obviously), I wasn't prepared for the sheer mental toughness that it takes to keep going when every joint in your body is screaming, "STOP!" I think you have to be a little crazy to do this because when I hit that place, it just makes me want to keep going just to prove that I can. It's nuts, I know.
When I got home from my run, I was walking very gingerly (Parker was imitating my old lady gait quite accurately) because my ankles felt like they were going to break at any second. Truly, I was concerned that they might just break off. That's a nice visual, isn't it? But really, I have very skinny little ankles and I'm not sure that they're equipped to carry my 5'11" frame over long distances. I'm sure they've filed a complaint with the proper authorities for the amount of abuse they've had to suffer through.
Anyway, I had a few objectives that I had to meet before I collapsed onto the couch: (1)A scalding hot shower; (2) three Advil; (3) nourishment (which consisted of a huge glass of chocolate milk and some homemade buttered popcorn); (4) a good deal of whimpering. Once all those things were accomplished, I blessedly got to put my tortured feet up and I promptly realized that I was having great difficulty staying awake. This shouldn't be surprising considering that I ran for over three hours straight and burned more than 2,000 calories.
Fortunately, Parker was in a snuggly mood and after laying on me for 30 minutes (watching Thomas the Train, naturally), we both headed into the bedroom for a nice, long nap. I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed and while my legs were still protesting any movement, I no longer felt as if they had been beaten with a sledgehammer.
In retrospect, it was time to pay the piper. This is the climax of my training (I have a 20 miler in two weeks) and these runs are definitely the ones that separate the quitters from the finishers...or the sane from the crazies - anyone want to venture a guess as to where I fall??
The marathon is only 5 weeks away and I am absolutely certain of one thing - I will be ready. This journey has been both a mental and physical struggle. My head is definitely in the game and my body is doing it's best to hang in there. When I first signed up for the marathon, I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to complete these double-digit runs and while I knew that it wouldn't be easy (obviously), I wasn't prepared for the sheer mental toughness that it takes to keep going when every joint in your body is screaming, "STOP!" I think you have to be a little crazy to do this because when I hit that place, it just makes me want to keep going just to prove that I can. It's nuts, I know.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Almost Back To Normal
So, it has been a very crazy week. I found out on Monday that I was getting flown out to a university in North Carolina on Tuesday for a faculty interview. It seems like it would be a really good fit for me (and the rest of my little clan), but they are interviewing additional candidates, so I'll keep you posted as to whether they make me an offer I can't refuse...sorry, I couldn't resist.
I wish I could have brought my camera with me (call me crazy, but it seems like it would have been tacky if I was snapping pictures during my campus tour). It was so beautiful out there. All mountainous and every shade of gold, orange and red that you could imagine. It also snowed the day before I arrived, so there was a light dusting of snow on the mountains. To this Florida girl, I was in awe of the change of scenery.
I'll find out next week whether I was the candidate chosen and that will give us 6 months to plan our relocation (the position would begin in August). I'll definitely share the news one way or the other.
Anyway, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and I'm quite happy that we have a weekend coming up. I need to decorate for the holidays tomorrow and run 18 miles this Sunday. The marathon is 5 weeks away and after the 18 miler this weekend, I only have one 20 miler left before I start slowly tapering down to rest my legs before the big day. I'm really excited that it's almost here.
I wish I could have brought my camera with me (call me crazy, but it seems like it would have been tacky if I was snapping pictures during my campus tour). It was so beautiful out there. All mountainous and every shade of gold, orange and red that you could imagine. It also snowed the day before I arrived, so there was a light dusting of snow on the mountains. To this Florida girl, I was in awe of the change of scenery.
I'll find out next week whether I was the candidate chosen and that will give us 6 months to plan our relocation (the position would begin in August). I'll definitely share the news one way or the other.
Anyway, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and I'm quite happy that we have a weekend coming up. I need to decorate for the holidays tomorrow and run 18 miles this Sunday. The marathon is 5 weeks away and after the 18 miler this weekend, I only have one 20 miler left before I start slowly tapering down to rest my legs before the big day. I'm really excited that it's almost here.
Monday, December 1, 2008
St. Louis..belatedly.
Hi folks. I finally got around to downloading the pictures from St. Louis so I thought I would go ahead and share them now. St. Louis was pretty rainy the whole time I was there, but the trees were just gorgeous! Fortunately, our hotel was right behind the arch so I didn't have to get too wet to get some pictures.
The view from my hotel window.
The beautiful trees.
The arch (this is not a black and white photo, it was just that gloomy outside).
One other thing that I can say about St. Louis is that the food was great! I plan on going back for pleasure (not business) so hopefully I'll get to see more of the city then.
The view from my hotel window.
The beautiful trees.
The arch (this is not a black and white photo, it was just that gloomy outside).
One other thing that I can say about St. Louis is that the food was great! I plan on going back for pleasure (not business) so hopefully I'll get to see more of the city then.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Love.
Love is sitting in your car for 1 hour because your precious boy is napping in the back seat and you know that he'll wake up if you try to move him.
Of course, my sacrifice is somewhat diminished since I live in Florida (not Alaska) and I can access my home's Wi Fi connection. Plus, I have an iPhone, which provides endless hours of entertainment. Seriously though, I would be sitting here even without Wi Fi or an iPhone or even if I lived in Alaska because the thing that no one tells you about motherhood is that you would do most anything to make sure that your little love is happy/rested/content.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
16 Miles And Counting...
I ran 16 miles this morning. I was afraid of that distance all week, but I decided to get out there and pretend that I ran 16 miles all the time. You know what? It totally worked. I breezed right through it and if I wasn't sticking to a specific training plan, I would have absolutely kept going to 18 or 20 or however far I got until my legs gave way.
Right now, I feel like I can do anything and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm training for a marathon. I crave this feeling. It's my drug and by the end of the week, I'll be ready for another dose of it. I feel powerful and invincible. I feel like climbing a mountain, or cleaning out my garage - equally daunting tasks.
Instead, I'm going to take a scalding hot shower and eat a cranberry walnut bagel (with butter) and drink an entire pot of coffee. Then, in about 6 hours, I'm going to soak my feet in an ice bath and pray to the good Lord that I don't lose another toenail. Oh well, even invincibility has it's drawbacks.
Right now, I feel like I can do anything and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm training for a marathon. I crave this feeling. It's my drug and by the end of the week, I'll be ready for another dose of it. I feel powerful and invincible. I feel like climbing a mountain, or cleaning out my garage - equally daunting tasks.
Instead, I'm going to take a scalding hot shower and eat a cranberry walnut bagel (with butter) and drink an entire pot of coffee. Then, in about 6 hours, I'm going to soak my feet in an ice bath and pray to the good Lord that I don't lose another toenail. Oh well, even invincibility has it's drawbacks.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Day at the Museum
I recently bought our family annual passes to the local Children's Museum. I thought that it was time for Parker to be exposed to science and art...plus, it's a place that he can run around like a maniac when the weather is bad and we're going stir crazy in our house.
So, Meg joined us as we set out on our maiden voyage to the museum. Parker is definitely into touching things, so this type of hands on setting is perfect for a curious little boy like him and even though he's still small, he didn't have any difficulty interacting with the exhibits.
Here, we're pedaling (ok, I'm pedaling and he's supervising my progess) to generate enough watts of energy to run certain household appliances. The faster you pedal, the more power you generate. I'm wondering why they don't have generator-bikes on the market for the general public because I would definitely buy one for the house. "Alright boys, you can't have dinner until you generate enough energy to start the oven!"
And here, Aunt Meg is hoisting Parker's considerable weight, while he's (again) supervising.
At this particular exhibit, you could replicate a hurricane. May I bring your attention to the adoring look on Parker's face? Yes, he certainly had enough of mom that weekend and was thrilled to have someone else to interact with. He also insisted on holding Meg's hand the entire time we were outside instead of mine. He certainly is learning at a young age how to work his way into a girl's heart. I'm pretty sure that Meg would have taken him home that day.
And here is my alien child. I was actually quite terrified by this exhibit (my worst nightmare!) so we didn't go into it, but Parker looked cute peeking through the sign. I'm still not sure why they would have a Roswell exhibit at the Children's museum (shudder), but fortunately it was tucked out of the way. If you are reading this without a clue as to why I'm so freaked out, trust me, you really don't want to know.
I had to post this picture simply because I got yelled at for taking it by some 18-year-old who thought she was guarding the Mona Lisa. Plus, it shows all three levels of the museum.
Finally, here are some other random exhibits that I couldn't figure out, but Parker instinctively knew what to do. I'm sure that there's merit to the theory that people lose intelligence with age. I'm definitely dumber than a 5th grader.
So, Meg joined us as we set out on our maiden voyage to the museum. Parker is definitely into touching things, so this type of hands on setting is perfect for a curious little boy like him and even though he's still small, he didn't have any difficulty interacting with the exhibits.
Here, we're pedaling (ok, I'm pedaling and he's supervising my progess) to generate enough watts of energy to run certain household appliances. The faster you pedal, the more power you generate. I'm wondering why they don't have generator-bikes on the market for the general public because I would definitely buy one for the house. "Alright boys, you can't have dinner until you generate enough energy to start the oven!"
And here, Aunt Meg is hoisting Parker's considerable weight, while he's (again) supervising.
At this particular exhibit, you could replicate a hurricane. May I bring your attention to the adoring look on Parker's face? Yes, he certainly had enough of mom that weekend and was thrilled to have someone else to interact with. He also insisted on holding Meg's hand the entire time we were outside instead of mine. He certainly is learning at a young age how to work his way into a girl's heart. I'm pretty sure that Meg would have taken him home that day.
And here is my alien child. I was actually quite terrified by this exhibit (my worst nightmare!) so we didn't go into it, but Parker looked cute peeking through the sign. I'm still not sure why they would have a Roswell exhibit at the Children's museum (shudder), but fortunately it was tucked out of the way. If you are reading this without a clue as to why I'm so freaked out, trust me, you really don't want to know.
I had to post this picture simply because I got yelled at for taking it by some 18-year-old who thought she was guarding the Mona Lisa. Plus, it shows all three levels of the museum.
Finally, here are some other random exhibits that I couldn't figure out, but Parker instinctively knew what to do. I'm sure that there's merit to the theory that people lose intelligence with age. I'm definitely dumber than a 5th grader.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Football Season
Football season is a very busy time of year for us. Florida State plays on Saturdays and the Redskins and Steelers play on Sundays (or Mondays). The Irishman and I have a silent feud over which NFL team Parker will support. As a baby, he had both a Steelers and a Redskins bib, but the Irishman's recent trip to Heinz Field greatly expanded Parker's Steelers wardrobe. Yup, the Steelers definitely loom larger in our house, (aided primarily by the Irishman's sheer volume), but I have a plan.
If Parker is anything like I was growing up, he will move in the exact opposite direction than you want him to. And when he rebels against the loud, garish Steeler gold, I'll be waiting in the wings with a viable alternative - my beloved Redskins. We don't run around flaunting our Superbowl victories and we prefer to use gold as an accent color. Besides, I've always been a fan of the underdog and I have a feeling that Parker will too.
My other advantage is that our house is 100% Florida State, so if we can succeed in making him a Florida State fan, then the Redskins would be a natural extension (same theme, similar colors...) To that end, Parker has a Florida State jersey and the Irishman has arguments with himself as to whether Parker will be a quarterback or a wide receiver. Little does he know that I'm pretty sure Parker is genetically predisposed to be a swimmer, which I might add, results in far fewer sports related injuries and cardiac arrests for the parents who have to watch.
Of course, only time will tell what sport Parker will end up playing, but in the meantime, he looks awfully cute in his jersey.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Freezing My Tail Off...Literally.
Hi folks. Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I was in St. Louis last week for a criminology conference. I have lots of pictures to post from Parker's tiny birthday party and a trip to the museum, but while I'm working on editing those, I thought I would write about what's been most on my mind...freezing weather!
When I checked the temperature for my run this morning, I cringed when I read that it was 34 degrees outside. So, I promptly layered on my short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, jacket, gloves, ear muffs and running tights. I stepped outside and it was so cold, I still felt like I was in my skivvies. This was not good.
I drove down to the track with icicles for fingers willing my car to warm up and wondering if I've completely lost my mind. Most sane people, I was sure, were still tucked into their nicely heated homes snoozing away for at least another hour or two. I, on the other hand, was making my way to a pitch black running track. My crazy theory was confirmed when there wasn't a single car in the parking lot. Yup, I was the only crazy out this morning, but at least my friends were going to join me.
When they showed up, I felt much better. Misery loves company and we were a chorus of groans and complaints as we walked to the other side of the track. We left all of our layers on as we started our warm up, but slowly, we started peeling layers off one at a time until, at mile four, I was running in a short-sleeved shirt and gloves.
It's amazing how quickly your body warms up. It equally amazing that you forget this fact every single time you head out for an early morning run. I'm half convinced in the ride over that this particular time, I will not get warm. I will run with chattering teeth and numb fingers cursing the first time that I ever laced on running shoes. Thankfully, that's never happened and the bigger concern is making yourself pile on all of your layers after your run so that you don't catch a chill on the way home.
What's funny though is that, while your muscles warm up, your fat cells never do. It has something to do with the fact that blood does not circulate as well through fat as it does through muscle. So, without fail, I hop into a searing hot shower after my run and feel as if my backside (the largest deposit of fat on my body) is frostbitten. This process invariable serves as a reminder that regardless of how fit I think I am, there's always room for improvement.
When I checked the temperature for my run this morning, I cringed when I read that it was 34 degrees outside. So, I promptly layered on my short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, jacket, gloves, ear muffs and running tights. I stepped outside and it was so cold, I still felt like I was in my skivvies. This was not good.
I drove down to the track with icicles for fingers willing my car to warm up and wondering if I've completely lost my mind. Most sane people, I was sure, were still tucked into their nicely heated homes snoozing away for at least another hour or two. I, on the other hand, was making my way to a pitch black running track. My crazy theory was confirmed when there wasn't a single car in the parking lot. Yup, I was the only crazy out this morning, but at least my friends were going to join me.
When they showed up, I felt much better. Misery loves company and we were a chorus of groans and complaints as we walked to the other side of the track. We left all of our layers on as we started our warm up, but slowly, we started peeling layers off one at a time until, at mile four, I was running in a short-sleeved shirt and gloves.
It's amazing how quickly your body warms up. It equally amazing that you forget this fact every single time you head out for an early morning run. I'm half convinced in the ride over that this particular time, I will not get warm. I will run with chattering teeth and numb fingers cursing the first time that I ever laced on running shoes. Thankfully, that's never happened and the bigger concern is making yourself pile on all of your layers after your run so that you don't catch a chill on the way home.
What's funny though is that, while your muscles warm up, your fat cells never do. It has something to do with the fact that blood does not circulate as well through fat as it does through muscle. So, without fail, I hop into a searing hot shower after my run and feel as if my backside (the largest deposit of fat on my body) is frostbitten. This process invariable serves as a reminder that regardless of how fit I think I am, there's always room for improvement.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Happy Birthday Parker!!
Wow, I can't believe that today is Parker's 2nd birthday. It seems like yesterday that I was checking into the hospital. Like most surreal events, I remember every detail of his birth so clearly. I thought it would be fun to post his birth story here along with some pictures of his first days, so I dug up the original birth story I wrote just hours after his birth. Happy reading!
11/11/2006 - We checked into the hospital at 5pm for our planned induction. The previous Wednesday, we had an ultrasound at 40 1/2 weeks that estimated Parker's weight at 9 - 9 1/2 lbs. We agreed that it was in Parker's best interest to induce at 41 weeks. The last thing that I wanted to end up with was a C-section. The doctor inserted the Cervadil at 7:30pm and we settled into the hospital for a long night full of monitors, fluids and shuffled trips to the restroom. I didn't sleep at all.
Waiting to check into the hospital.
One of my many trips to the restroom.
11/12/2006 - The Cervadil fell out by itself at 6am and the OB decided to start the Pitocin at 7am. I began having regular contractions immediately, but they were not very painful. At 10am, the OB decided to break my water, which really increased the intensity of the contractions. In all honesty, if felt like someone was hitting me in the back with a sledgehammer (not that I've ever experienced that, but you get my point.) The worst part about the contractions was that I didn't know how much longer I had to go through them.
I labored without any drugs until 4:30pm, when the contractions began coming every 90 seconds and were very, very painful. The most difficult part of the labor process was deciding to get an epidural. I had really wanted to complete the childbirth process naturally, but those Pitocin contractions were excruciating and combined with the fact that I had intense back labor, I could not relax enough to allow my cervix to dilate rapidly. When I received the epidural, I was 5cm dilated. About an hour later, I felt like the epidural was wearing off on one side because I began to feel the contractions again. When the OB checked me, we were all shocked when she said that I was complete and I could start pushing.
The high risk team was already planning on being in the room due to the fact that there was meconium present when my water was broken, but when I started pushing, their presence was necessary because his heartrate began dropping drastically. We all got a little scared because we knew that he was distressed in the birth canal and the OB told me I needed to push with everything I had to get Parker out because he wasn't doing well in the birth canal. So, she gave me an oxygen mask and needless to say, I pushed with all of my might and he was born less than 20 minutes (and three pushes) later at 6:02pm. He was 9 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long at birth. He is absolutely perfect in every way and we couldn't be happier! Happy Birthday Parker!
Just minutes old!
The Irishman meeting Parker for the first time.
24 hours old.
Man, how tired do I look?
Ready to go home!
All in all, this was the most incredible experience of my life. Happy birthday Parker and thank you for letting me be your mom. I love you.
11/11/2006 - We checked into the hospital at 5pm for our planned induction. The previous Wednesday, we had an ultrasound at 40 1/2 weeks that estimated Parker's weight at 9 - 9 1/2 lbs. We agreed that it was in Parker's best interest to induce at 41 weeks. The last thing that I wanted to end up with was a C-section. The doctor inserted the Cervadil at 7:30pm and we settled into the hospital for a long night full of monitors, fluids and shuffled trips to the restroom. I didn't sleep at all.
Waiting to check into the hospital.
One of my many trips to the restroom.
11/12/2006 - The Cervadil fell out by itself at 6am and the OB decided to start the Pitocin at 7am. I began having regular contractions immediately, but they were not very painful. At 10am, the OB decided to break my water, which really increased the intensity of the contractions. In all honesty, if felt like someone was hitting me in the back with a sledgehammer (not that I've ever experienced that, but you get my point.) The worst part about the contractions was that I didn't know how much longer I had to go through them.
I labored without any drugs until 4:30pm, when the contractions began coming every 90 seconds and were very, very painful. The most difficult part of the labor process was deciding to get an epidural. I had really wanted to complete the childbirth process naturally, but those Pitocin contractions were excruciating and combined with the fact that I had intense back labor, I could not relax enough to allow my cervix to dilate rapidly. When I received the epidural, I was 5cm dilated. About an hour later, I felt like the epidural was wearing off on one side because I began to feel the contractions again. When the OB checked me, we were all shocked when she said that I was complete and I could start pushing.
The high risk team was already planning on being in the room due to the fact that there was meconium present when my water was broken, but when I started pushing, their presence was necessary because his heartrate began dropping drastically. We all got a little scared because we knew that he was distressed in the birth canal and the OB told me I needed to push with everything I had to get Parker out because he wasn't doing well in the birth canal. So, she gave me an oxygen mask and needless to say, I pushed with all of my might and he was born less than 20 minutes (and three pushes) later at 6:02pm. He was 9 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long at birth. He is absolutely perfect in every way and we couldn't be happier! Happy Birthday Parker!
Just minutes old!
The Irishman meeting Parker for the first time.
24 hours old.
Man, how tired do I look?
Ready to go home!
All in all, this was the most incredible experience of my life. Happy birthday Parker and thank you for letting me be your mom. I love you.
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