I have my bikini body back. FINALLY. That said, I didn't exactly have the greatest bikini body before I got pregnant, and that hasn't changed, but I think I can say that I look almost as good in a bikini NOW as I did THEN ("then" being before Ironman gave me a set of six-pack abs...I doubt we will ever see those puppies again).
So, I guess that's really the best I can hope for.
Before Ironman training (in 2009), I weighed about 143 pounds. That's a size 10 and on the high end of the BMI scale. My dearm goal was to get down to a size 8...I've NEVER been a size 8. Not even in high school when I was a skinny minny.
Alas, Ironman training began and while I got VERY toned, I did not lose a single pound, nor drop a single inch. I had rock hard abs, could do 100 push ups, and about a million V-ups before collapsing, but I didn't lose a single pound or a single inch. I was still a size 10.
After Ironman, I started seeing some doctors because that's just not normal. I was diagnosed with PCOS. In short, there is a fat girl version and a skinny girl version. I had the fat girl version and the only reason I didn't weigh 400lbs is because I was training for an Ironman and making healthy food choices. I began getting treated for insulin resistance with a medication called Metformin which initially made me want to hurl, but once I got regulated on it, I felt amazing and the weight started dropping off. In the summer of 2010, I was the skinniest I have been since mid-high school - 136 pounds - but still a solid size 10.
Those effing pants!! Makes me crazy. Luckily, my husband likes a girl with some hips. But really I think he just says that because he doesn't want to buy me all new pants.
Then I got pregnant. My pre-pregnancy weight was 136 pounds (but I consider my REAL pre-pregnancy weight to be about 143). By the end of those 40 weeks, I had grown to a solid 177 pounds. I weighed more than Tommy (but he was training for Ironman and therefore at his optimal race weight, soooo, I tried not to dwell on it).
I was told that breastfeeding would make the weight melt off.
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHA.
Breastfeeding made me want to become a cannibal because then there would ALWAYS be food available to me. Breastfeeding made me the hungriest person in the world. I would have beaten some starving Ethiopians for their dinner. Seriously. I would wake up 2-3 times a night, RAVENOUS, and eat a few slices of pizza or a few bowls of cereal or whatever (a couple of timese a night). I kept snacks next to my boppie because while I was feeding Anna I would sometimes get so hungry I would cry. Not to be rude, but you can't lose weight if you are eating 124 large pizzas a day. I'm just saying. And I'm telling you that I was NEVER full. Ever.
Then I stopped breastfeeding. And while I had developed some terrible habits (McDonald's Chicken Biscuit anyone??), I was no longer starving and was able to at least ATTEMPT to make good choices. But bad habits are hard to break and it's been tough going. I was finally able to control my hunger. THANK GOODNESS.
Getting into the routine of work, baby, working out, preparing meals made a huge difference for me and I started seeing some results.
By Christmas, I was down to 146 pounds.I made a new years resolution that in 10 weeks, I would lose 10 pounds. 10 weeks just also happens to be my birthday and the start of summer (here in Texas). That's 1 pound a week for 10 weeks. I'm 4 weeks in and have lost 4 pounds, but I know these last 6 pounds are going to be the hardest...since I was never able to lose them before.
But I'm gonna try!!
And finally, today, when I looked in the mirror, I wasn't repulsed by what I saw. 142 pounds of me wasn't gross. My boobs were a little saggier (but they are so microscopically small, that it don't really matter), and my belly is flabbier, but overall, I'm about back to where I was before the Ironman. I wore a bikini then, so I can wear a bikini now. Can't say that I will rock it, but you probably won't vomit.
At 6:30AM this morning, in 50 degree weather, I put on my bikini just to be sure. Lo and behold, it wasn't too bad.
6 more pounds to lose. 6 more packs of abs to find. I can do it.
Showing posts with label Barfing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barfing. Show all posts
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Monday, October 03, 2011
The Don
I got this furball of a dog in college against my parents will (shocking!). I lied to the shelter saying that I would be living in a house with a friend (when I really lived in a tiny efficiency apartment) and had her pretend to be my landlord when they called to confirm this story. (Why is adopting a shelter dog so freaking hard?!?!)
Anyways, I picked up The Don on February 14, 2004. He was assumed to be about 8 months old (birthday of June-ish 2003), and was part-Newfoundland, part-Chow, part-Lab, part-Any Other Giant and Furry Beast You Can Think Of.
He was giant and furry and adorable. And probably the best dog ever. We had our moments of course, but overall, he was potty trained and crate trained when I got him, so other than the fact that he took a giant dump in the middle of my BFF's house on his first visit there, he was a perfect gentleman.
I was a sloth-like, overweight college senior (also shocking!) because I ate predominately french fries coated in melted cheese with a side of Jack Daniels and Coke while playing as much dominoes as one could handle. It was a fairly glorious victory lap (also known as the 5th year of college). But, when I got Don, we started running because you can't keep an 80lb Furry Beast in an efficiency apartment without also giving him sufficient exercise.
And so the endurance athlete was born.
Over the next year, Don and I moved to Houston for work, into a slightly larger apartment (I got him his own bedroom) and started training for my first half marathon. I lost 40 lbs, started eating well (although, I have never lost my adoration for cheese fries and Jack and Coke...and dominoes), and Don and I were running fools.
He was a man-magnet at the park - even though running in Houston summers is not the most attractive activity in the world - he scored me dates on a regular basis. He and I would run our loop or 2 and spend the next hour chatting with fellow runners. He and I could run up to about 13 miles together in the winter...the summers were a different ball game though. Nonetheless, I ran my first half in Houston in January about a year after I ran my first mile. I ran my first marathon a year after that. And my next marathon the year after that. And then a triathlon. And then Ironman. Donny created an evil monster!
Donny used to be TERRIFIED of men. He would hide in the closet, under all my clothes, until the man left. Until I met Tommy. Tommy showed Don that all men weren't evil and now he is just the sweetest puppy you ever met.
He doesn't get on the furniture, he doesn't really bark (unless we are being robbed), he doesn't run away, and he doesn't dig or really do anything else mischevious. His only tragic flaw is the EXTREME shedding. And he went through this phase of hiking his leg at other people's houses for about 6 months. Otherwise, BEST. Dog. Ever.
This brings us to today. Don is getting old. For the last few years, he has been struggling with his hips and has been on medicine as needed, but overall, wasn't very bad off. However, when Anna was about 4 weeks old, he fell down the stairs and he hasn't really been the same since.
We got carpeted stair treads and got rugs for the entire downstairs so he wouldn't slip or struggle. It helped a little, but he didn't come upstairs as often and kind of generally stayed in one place. We would take Dixie on walks, but Donny couldn't really go, so he would whine at the door until Dixie got back and then he would run out into the field in an act of defiance. It has been really sad to watch him.
Early last week, we noticed that he hasn't been eating as much (if anything). He has never been much of an eater, so him skipping a meal or two is not alarming...so who knows how long he hadn't been eating. We took him to the vet on Tuesday of last week and they ran some tests - told us to go get a drink and come back in an hour - and they found what looked to be like Kidney Failure. He had lost 6lbs in a month. They gave him fluids and some different pain meds for his hip (the other medicine may have caused the kidney problems) and an antacid to help him eat something.
We tried to get him to eat anything - we gave him treats and wet food (that smelled good enough that I considered trying it), we made him chicken and rice and sushi, we gave him cheese and peanut butter...nothing. He ate nothing.
Then Dixie ate it all and shat her brains out all over my rug, but that's a different story.
He was still very pitiful and feeling awful. He didn't wag his tail. He didn't get up. He didn't go outside. Nothing. It was awful.
We took him back in for more tests on Thursday - there was another disease that they needed to confirm or rule out that often presented itself like Kidney Failure. He stayed at the vet all day while they took more blood, gave him more fluids and ran the tests. Confirmed. He didn't have kidney failure, instead he has Addison's Disease. Addison's Disease is less dire than kidney failure and is often managed with treatment, but can still be quite ugly.
Addison's Disease is basically a failure of the adrenal gland to produce the stress hormone that we release to combat stressors in life. Without it, your body has no way to cope and will ultimately collapse and go into crisis...and die. Donny's body does not produce this hormone which is why he was feeling so awful.
Treatment is a shot of steroids every 28 days and daily doses of prednisone to keep levels of the hormone where they need to be. He got his first dose of the steroids on Friday and was doing much better on Saturday - got up to greet me when I got home and ate a few pieces of a treat. But then on Saturday night, he woke me up at midnight, barking to go outside (of course, I was home alone with a sick baby). I went downstairs to let him out and I found the crime scene...bloody diarrhea everywhere. I spent the next hour cleaning and emailing my vet (who is AWESOME btw) and then I slept on the couch, because Donny needed to go outside about once every hour and a half. He continued to poop blood for most of the next day until we picked up the RX my vet called in.
He is now on 6 different medicines, one of which has to be dissolved in water and shot into his mouth an hour before the other meds. He still can't really go up the stairs - he will whine at the bottom until you come and get him (let's remember that he weighs about 70lbs). But he is wagging his tail and getting around a little bit better. The vet says the meds will make a huge difference, but I'm skeptical. He is definitely on the downhill side of things and I think we are getting very close to having to make a decision.
I keep hoping that he will snap out of it and get better, but at the same time, I know he won't and I don't want him to be miserable. We are playing the wait and see game...and it's not particularly fun.
Added to the sick baby, our house is one giant stressball. My mom is coming to visit tomorrow...her arrival will either easse some stress because we will have more hands around to help or increase it because you can't release your stress anger when company is around...we will see.
Keep Don in your thoughts...he has lead a good life and I don't want him to be in pain or miserable. I love that giant mutt.
Anyways, I picked up The Don on February 14, 2004. He was assumed to be about 8 months old (birthday of June-ish 2003), and was part-Newfoundland, part-Chow, part-Lab, part-Any Other Giant and Furry Beast You Can Think Of.
He was giant and furry and adorable. And probably the best dog ever. We had our moments of course, but overall, he was potty trained and crate trained when I got him, so other than the fact that he took a giant dump in the middle of my BFF's house on his first visit there, he was a perfect gentleman.
I was a sloth-like, overweight college senior (also shocking!) because I ate predominately french fries coated in melted cheese with a side of Jack Daniels and Coke while playing as much dominoes as one could handle. It was a fairly glorious victory lap (also known as the 5th year of college). But, when I got Don, we started running because you can't keep an 80lb Furry Beast in an efficiency apartment without also giving him sufficient exercise.
And so the endurance athlete was born.
Over the next year, Don and I moved to Houston for work, into a slightly larger apartment (I got him his own bedroom) and started training for my first half marathon. I lost 40 lbs, started eating well (although, I have never lost my adoration for cheese fries and Jack and Coke...and dominoes), and Don and I were running fools.
He was a man-magnet at the park - even though running in Houston summers is not the most attractive activity in the world - he scored me dates on a regular basis. He and I would run our loop or 2 and spend the next hour chatting with fellow runners. He and I could run up to about 13 miles together in the winter...the summers were a different ball game though. Nonetheless, I ran my first half in Houston in January about a year after I ran my first mile. I ran my first marathon a year after that. And my next marathon the year after that. And then a triathlon. And then Ironman. Donny created an evil monster!
Donny used to be TERRIFIED of men. He would hide in the closet, under all my clothes, until the man left. Until I met Tommy. Tommy showed Don that all men weren't evil and now he is just the sweetest puppy you ever met.
He doesn't get on the furniture, he doesn't really bark (unless we are being robbed), he doesn't run away, and he doesn't dig or really do anything else mischevious. His only tragic flaw is the EXTREME shedding. And he went through this phase of hiking his leg at other people's houses for about 6 months. Otherwise, BEST. Dog. Ever.
This brings us to today. Don is getting old. For the last few years, he has been struggling with his hips and has been on medicine as needed, but overall, wasn't very bad off. However, when Anna was about 4 weeks old, he fell down the stairs and he hasn't really been the same since.
We got carpeted stair treads and got rugs for the entire downstairs so he wouldn't slip or struggle. It helped a little, but he didn't come upstairs as often and kind of generally stayed in one place. We would take Dixie on walks, but Donny couldn't really go, so he would whine at the door until Dixie got back and then he would run out into the field in an act of defiance. It has been really sad to watch him.
Early last week, we noticed that he hasn't been eating as much (if anything). He has never been much of an eater, so him skipping a meal or two is not alarming...so who knows how long he hadn't been eating. We took him to the vet on Tuesday of last week and they ran some tests - told us to go get a drink and come back in an hour - and they found what looked to be like Kidney Failure. He had lost 6lbs in a month. They gave him fluids and some different pain meds for his hip (the other medicine may have caused the kidney problems) and an antacid to help him eat something.
We tried to get him to eat anything - we gave him treats and wet food (that smelled good enough that I considered trying it), we made him chicken and rice and sushi, we gave him cheese and peanut butter...nothing. He ate nothing.
Then Dixie ate it all and shat her brains out all over my rug, but that's a different story.
He was still very pitiful and feeling awful. He didn't wag his tail. He didn't get up. He didn't go outside. Nothing. It was awful.
We took him back in for more tests on Thursday - there was another disease that they needed to confirm or rule out that often presented itself like Kidney Failure. He stayed at the vet all day while they took more blood, gave him more fluids and ran the tests. Confirmed. He didn't have kidney failure, instead he has Addison's Disease. Addison's Disease is less dire than kidney failure and is often managed with treatment, but can still be quite ugly.
Addison's Disease is basically a failure of the adrenal gland to produce the stress hormone that we release to combat stressors in life. Without it, your body has no way to cope and will ultimately collapse and go into crisis...and die. Donny's body does not produce this hormone which is why he was feeling so awful.
Treatment is a shot of steroids every 28 days and daily doses of prednisone to keep levels of the hormone where they need to be. He got his first dose of the steroids on Friday and was doing much better on Saturday - got up to greet me when I got home and ate a few pieces of a treat. But then on Saturday night, he woke me up at midnight, barking to go outside (of course, I was home alone with a sick baby). I went downstairs to let him out and I found the crime scene...bloody diarrhea everywhere. I spent the next hour cleaning and emailing my vet (who is AWESOME btw) and then I slept on the couch, because Donny needed to go outside about once every hour and a half. He continued to poop blood for most of the next day until we picked up the RX my vet called in.
He is now on 6 different medicines, one of which has to be dissolved in water and shot into his mouth an hour before the other meds. He still can't really go up the stairs - he will whine at the bottom until you come and get him (let's remember that he weighs about 70lbs). But he is wagging his tail and getting around a little bit better. The vet says the meds will make a huge difference, but I'm skeptical. He is definitely on the downhill side of things and I think we are getting very close to having to make a decision.
I keep hoping that he will snap out of it and get better, but at the same time, I know he won't and I don't want him to be miserable. We are playing the wait and see game...and it's not particularly fun.
Added to the sick baby, our house is one giant stressball. My mom is coming to visit tomorrow...her arrival will either easse some stress because we will have more hands around to help or increase it because you can't release your stress anger when company is around...we will see.
Keep Don in your thoughts...he has lead a good life and I don't want him to be in pain or miserable. I love that giant mutt.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Post About Nothing.
So, unfortunately, I don't spend as much time surfin' the net like I used to...not because I don't have the time but because I choose to go to bed at 8PM on a regular basis. This is the bedtime I have always dreamed about but never indulged in. I am a morning person, but due to social norms, for years I have been forcing myself to stay awake at least until the sun goes down. But having a baby gives you the perfect excuse to do just about anything you want.
Want to talk about vaginas all day? Sure. You just had a baby. Want to cry for no reason? Yeah, that's normal. You just had a baby. Want to talk about poop and vomit while others are eating? Why not? You just had a baby. Sweating profusely? It's the hormones. You just had a baby. Want to go to bed at 8PM everynight for the rest of your life? No prob. You just had a baby.
As a kid, my mom would tell me that I couldn't get out of bed until the numbers on the clock matched this piece of paper she taped on the wall that 7:00. Unfortunately for me, at my tender age, I didn't know that 6:59 came before 7:00 and that 7:01 came after...so I remember sitting in my bed, staring intently at the clock, just BEGGING the numbers to match and knowing that if I looked away for even a second I could miss 7:00.
It's the little things that really eff up your kids man. It's the little things. She also gave me a phone book and a pair of scissors so I could entertain myself. I spent most of my childhood cutting up phonebooks. That's a life skill I have yet to need.
Back to my point. My original intent was to tell you why I haven't been blogging...which, if you follow the logic, can ultimately be blamed on my mother. So thanks mom for screwing up my blog. I'm sure that when you gave birth to me, you were planning on savings lots of money for some serious therapy sessions down the road (for you or me or both) and you had no comprehension of this newfangled virtual world where I would type up my diahrea of the mouth for everyone to read. I think we can ultimately blame dad for that one though. I'm sure he had something to do with it. And if not, feel free to take your angry out on him anyway. You just had a baby after all (I realize I am 30 years old so the excuse is getting a little tired, but until he capable of pushing a baby out of him, I say just go with it).
Sidenote since my mother has now started reading my blog: I love you mom. But all those times you told me I looked terrible in lavender really messed me up. I don't own a stitch of purple clothing for fear of upsetting the color wheel. But really, I love you mom.
I wish I had something exciting to write about, but the point is that I don't.
So in lieu of actually writing a post, I started a special savings account for Anna's future therapy, which frankly, I feel that her future self should pay for...but since I am the one who styles her hair that way (because OMG, it cracks me up!), I will do what I can to offset the financial strain of years and years of therapy. Here's a quarter sweetheart.
Want to talk about vaginas all day? Sure. You just had a baby. Want to cry for no reason? Yeah, that's normal. You just had a baby. Want to talk about poop and vomit while others are eating? Why not? You just had a baby. Sweating profusely? It's the hormones. You just had a baby. Want to go to bed at 8PM everynight for the rest of your life? No prob. You just had a baby.
As a kid, my mom would tell me that I couldn't get out of bed until the numbers on the clock matched this piece of paper she taped on the wall that 7:00. Unfortunately for me, at my tender age, I didn't know that 6:59 came before 7:00 and that 7:01 came after...so I remember sitting in my bed, staring intently at the clock, just BEGGING the numbers to match and knowing that if I looked away for even a second I could miss 7:00.
It's the little things that really eff up your kids man. It's the little things. She also gave me a phone book and a pair of scissors so I could entertain myself. I spent most of my childhood cutting up phonebooks. That's a life skill I have yet to need.
Back to my point. My original intent was to tell you why I haven't been blogging...which, if you follow the logic, can ultimately be blamed on my mother. So thanks mom for screwing up my blog. I'm sure that when you gave birth to me, you were planning on savings lots of money for some serious therapy sessions down the road (for you or me or both) and you had no comprehension of this newfangled virtual world where I would type up my diahrea of the mouth for everyone to read. I think we can ultimately blame dad for that one though. I'm sure he had something to do with it. And if not, feel free to take your angry out on him anyway. You just had a baby after all (I realize I am 30 years old so the excuse is getting a little tired, but until he capable of pushing a baby out of him, I say just go with it).
Sidenote since my mother has now started reading my blog: I love you mom. But all those times you told me I looked terrible in lavender really messed me up. I don't own a stitch of purple clothing for fear of upsetting the color wheel. But really, I love you mom.
I wish I had something exciting to write about, but the point is that I don't.
 |
| Mmmmm...Nachos is good for me. |
 |
| Cooking up a nugget for dinner! |
Thursday, July 07, 2011
International Travel
Did you know that infants need passports? Yeah. They do. Which is ridiculous, by the way. Because we took passport pictures of her and we travel in 7 months...which means that she will look nothing like she does now. Totally NOT a waste of my time.
Nonetheless, you have to have a passport for an infant and we are going to Mexico for a wedding in December, so the beast will have a passport. Unfortunately, taking a picture of an infant who cannot hold her own head up is like pulling teeth (and hysterical...unlike pulling teeth).
We are highly amused by these.
And then we got to hang out at the passport office for 2.5 hours with an infant. What an awesome system. Luckily, I think she left some crap (yeah, like actual crap) on the floor there. Payback is a bia!
********************
In other news, I started back to work this week. In very un-momlike fashion, I enjoyed almost every single minute of my first day. That said, I spent a good portion of my day looking at pictures of her on my phone (don't tell my boss how much they paid me to do that), but I loved being back at the office, talking to people, solving problems, using the non-babytalk side of my brain, and having a reason to brush my teeth.
I loved staying home with her (WAY more than I thought I could/would) but I was definitely ready to get back in the work force. I took 11.5 weeks off - which was right about what I needed. I started getting really antsy at about 10 weeks and then I had another week to get my ducks in a row...it was perfect. 3 days in, I am tired but overall, work is work. Some parts of it are good, some parts of it are bad...but as an engineer, I CRAVE routine and schedules and spreadsheets. And there are only so many spreadsheets you need for an infant (and I didn't actually have any). I considered making a spreadsheet of her sleep and awake cycles, but since she doesn't sleep during the day AT ALL, the spreadsheet would have been quite short.
I've given myself the week off from working out. But since my office has a great gym, I was able to get an abs class and some weights in yesterday and toda, I woke up early and got 25 minutes on my bike trainer and there is a quick class at lunch again that I will take. So the week won't be a total wash. Next week I will start to try to get workouts in before work - it will be an interesting balancing act, but since Tommy and I are the masters at schedule juggling, I'm sure we will figure it out. AND next week Tommy and I will start alternating middle of the night feedings...right now, Tommy has been doing it because I was pumping in the middle of the night, but that has stopped now that I am back at work. Hopefully the beast will start sleeping through the night soon and life can get some sort of routine!
AND (so many changes!) my track workouts with my group start next week. I cannot wait. It's been a LOOOONG time since I've done speed work...and while I am terrified, I know it will be worth it in the long run. Hooray!
Nonetheless, you have to have a passport for an infant and we are going to Mexico for a wedding in December, so the beast will have a passport. Unfortunately, taking a picture of an infant who cannot hold her own head up is like pulling teeth (and hysterical...unlike pulling teeth).
We are highly amused by these.
And then we got to hang out at the passport office for 2.5 hours with an infant. What an awesome system. Luckily, I think she left some crap (yeah, like actual crap) on the floor there. Payback is a bia!
********************
In other news, I started back to work this week. In very un-momlike fashion, I enjoyed almost every single minute of my first day. That said, I spent a good portion of my day looking at pictures of her on my phone (don't tell my boss how much they paid me to do that), but I loved being back at the office, talking to people, solving problems, using the non-babytalk side of my brain, and having a reason to brush my teeth.
I loved staying home with her (WAY more than I thought I could/would) but I was definitely ready to get back in the work force. I took 11.5 weeks off - which was right about what I needed. I started getting really antsy at about 10 weeks and then I had another week to get my ducks in a row...it was perfect. 3 days in, I am tired but overall, work is work. Some parts of it are good, some parts of it are bad...but as an engineer, I CRAVE routine and schedules and spreadsheets. And there are only so many spreadsheets you need for an infant (and I didn't actually have any). I considered making a spreadsheet of her sleep and awake cycles, but since she doesn't sleep during the day AT ALL, the spreadsheet would have been quite short.
I've given myself the week off from working out. But since my office has a great gym, I was able to get an abs class and some weights in yesterday and toda, I woke up early and got 25 minutes on my bike trainer and there is a quick class at lunch again that I will take. So the week won't be a total wash. Next week I will start to try to get workouts in before work - it will be an interesting balancing act, but since Tommy and I are the masters at schedule juggling, I'm sure we will figure it out. AND next week Tommy and I will start alternating middle of the night feedings...right now, Tommy has been doing it because I was pumping in the middle of the night, but that has stopped now that I am back at work. Hopefully the beast will start sleeping through the night soon and life can get some sort of routine!
AND (so many changes!) my track workouts with my group start next week. I cannot wait. It's been a LOOOONG time since I've done speed work...and while I am terrified, I know it will be worth it in the long run. Hooray!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Ironman Envy!
Ironman Texas was this past weekend and now that the initial exhaustion is over, I can blog. I'm telling you now, spectating Ironman is almost as hard as racing it. Spectating is a sport and I am sore from my participation.
Tommy raced like a champ and I know we are all glad the race is over and behind us! He didn't really want to race (he did not enjoy his experience in Cozumel) but signed up because I wanted him to...and then I got pregnant. Ooops. But he put in the long hours of training before Anna arrived and did what he could once she was here. It wasn't the optimal training season, but it is what it is!
I dropped Tommy off in the Woodlands on Friday night so he could stay at the hotel and get a decent nights sleep before the race. I came home and spent the evening packing for a day in the sun with a newborn. Ha.
I wasn't sure Anna and I would make it for the swim in the morning, but we did! We got there in time to see the 1st pro get out of the water and to see Tommy get his bike! I had to wake up at 2AM to get there, but I am so glad we did. She had this adorable UnderArmour outfit that my mom's BFF sent to me...she wore it for all of 20 seconds before she shat all over it.
He gave us a kiss before rolling out. It was then that I realized I was covered in poop. So romantic. I didn't see many of my other friends get on their bikes because I spent the next 30 minutes cleaning poop off my hands, my camera, the Anna, the diaper bag and the carseat. I stuck her in the Bjorn so the carseat could dry out a little and we watched the end of the swim. And then I had to go to the port-a-potty. With Anna in the Bjorn. Triathlon is a nasty nasty sport.
After most of the people had left for the bike, Anna and I went to the hotel for snacks and naptime. And air conditioning. I love air conditioning.
The hardest part of the day was not actually toting a 5 week old baby around outside all day (alone), but the logistics of it all. How do you pack enough cold breastmilk to last all day without breaking your back or tipping over your stroller? How do you pump without having to go back to the hotel every 3 hours? How do you pack enough food and drink for yourself? How do you plan on enough diapers and clothes for blowouts? What if the stroller gets too hot? Don't forget the Bjorn. Or the clip-on fan. Or the mosquito netting. Or your camera. Or phone. Or wallet. Oh dear lord. The logistics of it all were enough to essplode the brains of a small village of geniuses. Let's be honest though, I LOVE logistics and I was kind of in hog heaven planning for all the possible risks and doing it all as minimalistically as possible. I even remembered toilet paper for port-a-potty trips and a small jar of dish soap so I could wash bottles. I mean, if you ever need a logistics planner, I'm your gal. That said, if I had to do it all over again, I would have packed her powdered formula for the day so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping breastmilk cold...but I didn't think of that genius idea until 2am when I was getting ready to leave, and I decided 2am was not the appropriate time to learn how to make a bottle of formula. The milk thing worked out just fine though. It was messy, but the Anna had food!
Anna and I spent the day wandering between groups of friends, tracking down Tommy and just enjoying the great outdoors. It was balls hot, but we were expecting WAY worse, so all in all, it was a gorgeous day. the breeze on the canal made things very bearable. And the heat kind of made Anna comatose (bonus!)...she was a champ all day long!
After naptime, our first stop was to hang out at the end of the bike course so we could see Tommy coming into T2. He finished looking strong!! Then we went to join our friends to hang out on the run course at about mile 0.5. The run course was 3 loops - each about 8 miles long - so I was able to see Tommy at mile 0.5 and then cross the canal and see him again at about mile 5.
Anna and I crossed the canal and caught up with him around mile 5!
We spent the day wandering between groups of friends...I walked at LEAST 10 miles (if not 13-15), pushing a jogging stroller in flip flops. The flops were not my smartest decision. I had a blast seeing friends, watching the race and tracking down Tommy at various points on the course. I may or may not have cried several times throughout the day - sometimes due to jealousy and sometimes just because I get so overcome by Ironman. I just love it soooo much!
We saw Tommy for the last time around mile 22 and walked with him for a mile or so. He was really hurting but was almost done!! I had realized earlier in the day that there was no way I was going to be able to get close to the finish line with my giant stroller so I jumped ship when we got close to transition and headed down to get his bike and gear bags so I could take them back to the hotel and he wouldn't have to worry about them when he was done. Unfortunately, at this point, I was kind of done - Anna was chillin' in the Bjorn and my shoulders were hurting, my feet were hurting because I was an idiot and wore flip flops, and I kept picking the wrong side of transition to try to get into. Pushing that stroller through sh1ttons of people is like trying to fit my post-partum ass in my pre-pregnancy jeans. Unpleasant for everyone involved.
I ran into an old friend of mine from college, the lovely and wonderful Cayla (who gets her meat for free) and her mom and sister. They asked if there was anything if they could do for me and offered to get Tommy's bike and gear bags for me. I didn't realize exactly how tired I was until that moment. I started crying out of gratitude. They saved me another quarter mile of walking through transition and then Cayla helped me steer Tommy's bike back to the hotel. These women pretty much saved my sanity that night. I seriously had no idea how exhausted I was until they offered to help. Apparently spectating Ironman with an infant on 3 hours of sleep is less than optimal. Ha. I seriously owe them big time. THANKYOUGUYSSOMUCH.
I got back to the hotel and was planning on taking a quick shower and then packing up the Anna in the bjorn to try to brave the finish line, but Tommy called and said he was done and was heading back so I just packed up the room.
He didn't quite have the race he had hoped for, but he still did amazingly well considering the heat and his training hadn't been optimal at the end. I am so proud of him for sticking it out and finishing despite not really wanting to. He is so strong!
We realized when we got back that his morning clothes bag was not in the gear bags we got from transition so I had to trek back down to the finish line to find that bag...whoever decided not to put all the gear bags in the same place is a dumbass and I hate them. But whatever. We got packed up and headed out and finally got home around 11:30PM. I bathed Anna and put her to bed and finally, after being awake for 24 hours, I crawled into bed around 2...and slept like I had just finished an Ironman.
I am so proud of Tommy for putting in the hours of training required to finish this race. And not only that, he did it while being an amazing husband becoming a new father. He is amazing and goes above and beyond in loving and taking care of Anna and I. We are so lucky to have him.
And now we are all so lucky that it's over. Haha. It was a huge stress on all of us the last few months and I think we are all glad that it is finally over. Tommy can relax, focus on work, us, and some Honey-dos that have been stressing him out...and I get to take advantage of his lack of exercising to focus on my own fitness and my race in August. :)
Congrats to the most wonderful husband, bestest friend, and loving father in the whole world - you are an Ironman! Again!
Tommy raced like a champ and I know we are all glad the race is over and behind us! He didn't really want to race (he did not enjoy his experience in Cozumel) but signed up because I wanted him to...and then I got pregnant. Ooops. But he put in the long hours of training before Anna arrived and did what he could once she was here. It wasn't the optimal training season, but it is what it is!
I dropped Tommy off in the Woodlands on Friday night so he could stay at the hotel and get a decent nights sleep before the race. I came home and spent the evening packing for a day in the sun with a newborn. Ha.
 |
| #915 Ready to Rock!! |
 |
| In traditional triathlon fashion, we ran into just about everyone we know at bike check in. I heart the tri community. |
 |
| #160 will be using a stroller for the bike portion of the race. Anna was not amused. |
 |
| Baby running gear. OMG. |
 |
| Heat makes baby comatose. |
 |
| Tommy headed out for 112 beautiful miles! |
After most of the people had left for the bike, Anna and I went to the hotel for snacks and naptime. And air conditioning. I love air conditioning.
The hardest part of the day was not actually toting a 5 week old baby around outside all day (alone), but the logistics of it all. How do you pack enough cold breastmilk to last all day without breaking your back or tipping over your stroller? How do you pump without having to go back to the hotel every 3 hours? How do you pack enough food and drink for yourself? How do you plan on enough diapers and clothes for blowouts? What if the stroller gets too hot? Don't forget the Bjorn. Or the clip-on fan. Or the mosquito netting. Or your camera. Or phone. Or wallet. Oh dear lord. The logistics of it all were enough to essplode the brains of a small village of geniuses. Let's be honest though, I LOVE logistics and I was kind of in hog heaven planning for all the possible risks and doing it all as minimalistically as possible. I even remembered toilet paper for port-a-potty trips and a small jar of dish soap so I could wash bottles. I mean, if you ever need a logistics planner, I'm your gal. That said, if I had to do it all over again, I would have packed her powdered formula for the day so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping breastmilk cold...but I didn't think of that genius idea until 2am when I was getting ready to leave, and I decided 2am was not the appropriate time to learn how to make a bottle of formula. The milk thing worked out just fine though. It was messy, but the Anna had food!
Anna and I spent the day wandering between groups of friends, tracking down Tommy and just enjoying the great outdoors. It was balls hot, but we were expecting WAY worse, so all in all, it was a gorgeous day. the breeze on the canal made things very bearable. And the heat kind of made Anna comatose (bonus!)...she was a champ all day long!
After naptime, our first stop was to hang out at the end of the bike course so we could see Tommy coming into T2. He finished looking strong!! Then we went to join our friends to hang out on the run course at about mile 0.5. The run course was 3 loops - each about 8 miles long - so I was able to see Tommy at mile 0.5 and then cross the canal and see him again at about mile 5.
 |
| Mile 0.5ish. Looking strong but says he feels like death. |
 |
| Looking good at Mile 5! |
 |
| That's one good lookin' piece of ace right there. |
 |
| A daddy and his girl. She says, "Dad, this triathlon sh1t is hot. Can we go home now?" |
 |
| He loves the horsey dance. |
 |
| My husband is hot. |
I ran into an old friend of mine from college, the lovely and wonderful Cayla (who gets her meat for free) and her mom and sister. They asked if there was anything if they could do for me and offered to get Tommy's bike and gear bags for me. I didn't realize exactly how tired I was until that moment. I started crying out of gratitude. They saved me another quarter mile of walking through transition and then Cayla helped me steer Tommy's bike back to the hotel. These women pretty much saved my sanity that night. I seriously had no idea how exhausted I was until they offered to help. Apparently spectating Ironman with an infant on 3 hours of sleep is less than optimal. Ha. I seriously owe them big time. THANKYOUGUYSSOMUCH.
I got back to the hotel and was planning on taking a quick shower and then packing up the Anna in the bjorn to try to brave the finish line, but Tommy called and said he was done and was heading back so I just packed up the room.
He didn't quite have the race he had hoped for, but he still did amazingly well considering the heat and his training hadn't been optimal at the end. I am so proud of him for sticking it out and finishing despite not really wanting to. He is so strong!
 |
| The finishers chute of Ironman Texas. There is really nothing like it. A.Maze.Ing. |
 |
| Tommy, you are an Ironman! |
I am so proud of Tommy for putting in the hours of training required to finish this race. And not only that, he did it while being an amazing husband becoming a new father. He is amazing and goes above and beyond in loving and taking care of Anna and I. We are so lucky to have him.
And now we are all so lucky that it's over. Haha. It was a huge stress on all of us the last few months and I think we are all glad that it is finally over. Tommy can relax, focus on work, us, and some Honey-dos that have been stressing him out...and I get to take advantage of his lack of exercising to focus on my own fitness and my race in August. :)
Congrats to the most wonderful husband, bestest friend, and loving father in the whole world - you are an Ironman! Again!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Portable Peeing Devices.
I've decided that someone needs to make a Sneaky Leaker for Miss Anna. Or a She-Wee. Or something, because seriously, this diapering thing is out of control. Yesterday was a 4 bath day and today we were on our third outfit by 9am. I've lost track of the outfit count at this point.
I learned of the She-Wee when Tommy and I first got into triathlon and I was curious what women did during races. If you google "women peeing in triathlon", the She-Wee is the first link. Stay classy triathletes. I never did purchase the She-Wee, because I quickly learned the peeing your pants is totally acceptable while racing and I quickly mastered this skill. I recommend not touching me post-race. And not biking behind me. And, in general, if I am sitting on a curb in the middle of the run, I'm fine...just trying to preserve my socks. Regardless, making a baby sized version of this would sell like hotcakes (or bagels if you are Heidi Klum).
Triathlon is gross.
In exercise related news, the running is going really well. I am LOVING being outside but I am still slower than crap and sooo out of shape. The little underpasses in my neighborhood (we don't have hills, just underpasses and overpasses), used to be cake, but now they are a force to be reckoned with. Especially against the wind. Pushing a jogging stroller. So much pain! I ran today with my friend Merry and it was wonderful. It's amazing how much better I can feel when I don't run in the heat of the day and can leave the Anna at home. I was a running champion!
I signed up for my first post-baby race. It's a sprint tri in August - I hope I have enough time to prepare. My only goal is to not embarrass myself. I'd like to bike 20mph and run 8:30s...if I can do that, I will be COMPLETELY happy. I haven't been on a bike yet (the fear of the teeny tiny seat hasn't gone away yet), but I'm hoping I didn't lose too much of that fitness since I was spinning up until the last month of pregnancy...we will see!
I may also try to do a few 5k and 10ks this summer, but since triathlon is my first love, it's also top priority on the list! Tommy is racing Ironman Texas next weekend and he will rock it - even though the last 5 weeks of training were probably not what one would want their last 5 weeks to look like leading up to an IM. He will be amazing. And either way, training on no sleep because of living with a newborn is no small feat! I am so proud of him! But afterwards, I get to race...and I am soooo excited!!
 |
| 4 weeks old and modeling baby denim. There is little else in this world that is more cute than baby denim. |
I learned of the She-Wee when Tommy and I first got into triathlon and I was curious what women did during races. If you google "women peeing in triathlon", the She-Wee is the first link. Stay classy triathletes. I never did purchase the She-Wee, because I quickly learned the peeing your pants is totally acceptable while racing and I quickly mastered this skill. I recommend not touching me post-race. And not biking behind me. And, in general, if I am sitting on a curb in the middle of the run, I'm fine...just trying to preserve my socks. Regardless, making a baby sized version of this would sell like hotcakes (or bagels if you are Heidi Klum).
Triathlon is gross.
In exercise related news, the running is going really well. I am LOVING being outside but I am still slower than crap and sooo out of shape. The little underpasses in my neighborhood (we don't have hills, just underpasses and overpasses), used to be cake, but now they are a force to be reckoned with. Especially against the wind. Pushing a jogging stroller. So much pain! I ran today with my friend Merry and it was wonderful. It's amazing how much better I can feel when I don't run in the heat of the day and can leave the Anna at home. I was a running champion!
I signed up for my first post-baby race. It's a sprint tri in August - I hope I have enough time to prepare. My only goal is to not embarrass myself. I'd like to bike 20mph and run 8:30s...if I can do that, I will be COMPLETELY happy. I haven't been on a bike yet (the fear of the teeny tiny seat hasn't gone away yet), but I'm hoping I didn't lose too much of that fitness since I was spinning up until the last month of pregnancy...we will see!
I may also try to do a few 5k and 10ks this summer, but since triathlon is my first love, it's also top priority on the list! Tommy is racing Ironman Texas next weekend and he will rock it - even though the last 5 weeks of training were probably not what one would want their last 5 weeks to look like leading up to an IM. He will be amazing. And either way, training on no sleep because of living with a newborn is no small feat! I am so proud of him! But afterwards, I get to race...and I am soooo excited!!
 |
| Stop looking at me. Or else. |
 |
| I may have a little Nazi baby. She is a work in progress. |
 |
| Winner! |
 |
| Heisman Trophy Winner! |
 |
| I love my daddy! |
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Brag.
The intent of this post is entirely to boast the cuteness of my little monster. If that nauseates you, and it should, I recommend that you stop reading now. However, if you live in the greater Houston metro, I recommend you look through this photos and then call Studio Ainsley Photography to set up your next photo session. This woman is a genius.
I apologize if you have vomited on yourself. Send me a bill. I will pay your dry cleaning.
 |
| My wonderful family! |
 |
| Adorable little monster! |
 |
| This was my grandmothers chair - we just had it dry cleaned because she was a huge smoker and it reeked but I LOVED the chair and needed it in my house. We were so afraid of Anna pooping all over it, but she didn't. We were so proud. And then Donny came outside and peed all over it. Asshole dog. |
 |
| My gorgeous child and my ridiculous addiction to Etsy. |
 |
| How she was able to get this picture is absolutely baffling to me. I worship her. |
 |
| My cute nugget! |
 |
| Darn you Etsy and your extreme cuteness! |
 |
| Etsy took most of my paycheck this month. Totally worth it. |
 |
| This is the face that Anna made for most of her first 2 weeks. |
 |
| This is the face we WISH she had made for most of her first 2 weeks. |
Thursday, March 10, 2011
She's Baaaaack!
Okay, Debbie Downer is gone. She has been replaced with her more rested sister I Finally Feel Like a Human Again Christy. Thank the lord. Now, to reach this rested state, I had to drug myself, go to bed at 8PM and lay in bed until 7AM, but I feel human. Maybe, just MAYBE, I will eat lunch with my co-workers instead of napping in the backseat of my car. [gasp!]
Tidbits:
I have given up cursing for Lent. I give up cursing every year for Lent, but since I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE cursing, it's never stuck. I'm moderately hoping it sticks this time since we have a little monster on the way, but I can't teach her what NOT to say unless she learns the words, eh? Let's be honest, there is no better way to express your frustration than the F word. Oh, how I love it and it's many different meanings.
I definitely weigh more than Tommy. This makes me want to curse.
My biggest pet peeve in the world is when people sing or hum in public places. I.e. in gym locker rooms, elevators, grocery stores, etc...DUDE, I don't care if you are Celine F-word Dion, shut the hell up. Sidenote: Hell is not a bad word. My child will not be allowed to say it, but that's the beauty of me being the parent and her being the child. I get full authority on language restriction.
I did not get a single slice of king cake this year. I still can't believe it.
I am counting the down the days (2) until I get to run/walk in the great outdoors. Tommy and I have plans, weather pending, to spend most of my birthday afternoon walking the park. I CANNOT wait. I think it will do wonders for my morale. (I'm tearing up just thinking about it...) And then we will come home and eat the delicious Kroger Cupcake Cake he is supposed to buy me. I don't care what you say, Kroger has the best cupcakes EVER. Had I known of their deliciousness earlier in my life, I would have had a grocery store made wedding cake. Seriously. Crave and Sprinkles and whatever don't have nothin' on Kroger.
And without further ado and because my life is boring, the ABC's of me:
(A) Age: 29...until Sunday when I hit the Dirty Thirty!
(B) Bed Size: KING. We slept on my full sized bed when we were dating (not that we slept in the same bed while we were dating mom, promise) and I have no idea how we fit. Especially now. I can only assume that all other pregnant women who sleep in smaller beds must have their husbands sleep on the couch.
(C) Chore You Hate: Taking the trash to the street. HATE IT. But I also hate folding laundry (I will go wrinkly before I will fold) and I hate washing dishes (that's what dish washers are for!)
(D) Dogs?: LOVE THEM! If Anna is allergic, we may have to send her to live with someone else. Donny the Newfie (8ish years old) and Dixie the Great Pyrenees Monster (1 year-ish)
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Nothing really. I'm a morning person. Once you get me out of bed, I'm usually good to go. (I also haven't stayed awake until midnight since like 4th grade when I was afraid they would freeze my underwear if I feel asleep first. I quickly realized that frozen underwear will eventually de-thaw and be just fine...and I haven't stayed awake that late ever again.)
(F) Favorite Color: It depends on my mood, but in general, fushia (I think there is a C somewhere in the spelling of fushia), all shades of green and brown.
(G) Gold or Silver? GOLD. Always gold.
(H) Height: 5'6" or 5'7" - ish. But I rarely leave the house in less than 3" heels, so most people think I am a little taller than that. Ha. So sneaky!
(I) Instruments You Play: I can rock it out on the Rock Band Drums, but beyond that, my musical talent is pretty much zilch.
(J) Job Title: Supply Chain Planner (sounds exciting, eh?)
(K) Kids: They are a necessity for the continuation of this specie. Ha. I am 8 months pregnant so I am supposed to say I love kids and babies and yayyy! But in reality, I LOVE my friends kids and my friends babies, but I do not love random babies at the mall and I do not love strange kids who want to make faces at me over my booth at a restaurant. I will love Anna with all my heart and I CANNOT wait for her to get here...but I do not think random babies are cute.
(L) Live: Texas, ya'll. My only complaint is that when ordering something online, when I go to put in my state and press "T" to get to the T states, I have to scroll down one (stupid Tennessee and its superior spelling). I'm probably never leaving.
(M) Mom's Name: Candy. And no, she isn't a stripper. At least I don't think she is.
(N) Nicknames: CBenne, Bennett, Ben, BenBen...and of course, Christy.
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? None...yet. I'm really shooting for one in my very near future though!
(P) Pet Peeve: People who sing in public places. But since I already mentioned that, my second pet peeve is people in the locker room who want to be my naked friends. You can be naked or we can chat...we cannot do both at the same time. AND FOR GODSAKE, THE AUTOMATIC HANDDRYER IS NOT INTENDED TO DRY YOUR BUTTHOLE.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: "You lock it up. No you lock it up. Lock it up. Lock it up." Wedding Crashers. Tommy and I probably say this at least once a day. It relates to everything.
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right, but I got pretty good with my left in high school when I used to fear breaking my right hand and being stuck with only my left (my dad's favorite quote is "paranoid is a good way to be when everyone is out to get ya"...I don't know where I get it). I'm not ambidextrous by any means, but I can get the job done.
(S) Siblings: 1 Sister - Cathy and 1 Sisdog - Belle.
(T) Time You Wake Up? Pre-pregnancy - 4:30AM on the dot, 6 days a week, no ifs, ands or buts. During pregnancy - 4:30AM, with a little snoozy snooze, or sometimes 7AM. Depending on my mood. Today, it was a solid 6:39...plus a little snoozing.
(U) Underwear: It believe in its existence.
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Cooked carrots. [gagging]
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Not much. I'm rarely late. But if I am, it's because I overscheduled myself...ooops.
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: I'm a paranoid athlete, so most everything...teeth, ears, knees, feet, ankles, hips, shoulders...
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: Homemade mac and cheese. Let's be honest, I have a lot of skills, but cooking is sooo not one of them.
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Bears! I just want to cuddle them!
Tidbits:
I have given up cursing for Lent. I give up cursing every year for Lent, but since I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE cursing, it's never stuck. I'm moderately hoping it sticks this time since we have a little monster on the way, but I can't teach her what NOT to say unless she learns the words, eh? Let's be honest, there is no better way to express your frustration than the F word. Oh, how I love it and it's many different meanings.
I definitely weigh more than Tommy. This makes me want to curse.
My biggest pet peeve in the world is when people sing or hum in public places. I.e. in gym locker rooms, elevators, grocery stores, etc...DUDE, I don't care if you are Celine F-word Dion, shut the hell up. Sidenote: Hell is not a bad word. My child will not be allowed to say it, but that's the beauty of me being the parent and her being the child. I get full authority on language restriction.
I did not get a single slice of king cake this year. I still can't believe it.
I am counting the down the days (2) until I get to run/walk in the great outdoors. Tommy and I have plans, weather pending, to spend most of my birthday afternoon walking the park. I CANNOT wait. I think it will do wonders for my morale. (I'm tearing up just thinking about it...) And then we will come home and eat the delicious Kroger Cupcake Cake he is supposed to buy me. I don't care what you say, Kroger has the best cupcakes EVER. Had I known of their deliciousness earlier in my life, I would have had a grocery store made wedding cake. Seriously. Crave and Sprinkles and whatever don't have nothin' on Kroger.
And without further ado and because my life is boring, the ABC's of me:
(A) Age: 29...until Sunday when I hit the Dirty Thirty!
(B) Bed Size: KING. We slept on my full sized bed when we were dating (not that we slept in the same bed while we were dating mom, promise) and I have no idea how we fit. Especially now. I can only assume that all other pregnant women who sleep in smaller beds must have their husbands sleep on the couch.
(C) Chore You Hate: Taking the trash to the street. HATE IT. But I also hate folding laundry (I will go wrinkly before I will fold) and I hate washing dishes (that's what dish washers are for!)
(D) Dogs?: LOVE THEM! If Anna is allergic, we may have to send her to live with someone else. Donny the Newfie (8ish years old) and Dixie the Great Pyrenees Monster (1 year-ish)
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Nothing really. I'm a morning person. Once you get me out of bed, I'm usually good to go. (I also haven't stayed awake until midnight since like 4th grade when I was afraid they would freeze my underwear if I feel asleep first. I quickly realized that frozen underwear will eventually de-thaw and be just fine...and I haven't stayed awake that late ever again.)
(F) Favorite Color: It depends on my mood, but in general, fushia (I think there is a C somewhere in the spelling of fushia), all shades of green and brown.
(G) Gold or Silver? GOLD. Always gold.
(H) Height: 5'6" or 5'7" - ish. But I rarely leave the house in less than 3" heels, so most people think I am a little taller than that. Ha. So sneaky!
(I) Instruments You Play: I can rock it out on the Rock Band Drums, but beyond that, my musical talent is pretty much zilch.
(J) Job Title: Supply Chain Planner (sounds exciting, eh?)
(K) Kids: They are a necessity for the continuation of this specie. Ha. I am 8 months pregnant so I am supposed to say I love kids and babies and yayyy! But in reality, I LOVE my friends kids and my friends babies, but I do not love random babies at the mall and I do not love strange kids who want to make faces at me over my booth at a restaurant. I will love Anna with all my heart and I CANNOT wait for her to get here...but I do not think random babies are cute.
(L) Live: Texas, ya'll. My only complaint is that when ordering something online, when I go to put in my state and press "T" to get to the T states, I have to scroll down one (stupid Tennessee and its superior spelling). I'm probably never leaving.
(M) Mom's Name: Candy. And no, she isn't a stripper. At least I don't think she is.
(N) Nicknames: CBenne, Bennett, Ben, BenBen...and of course, Christy.
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? None...yet. I'm really shooting for one in my very near future though!
(P) Pet Peeve: People who sing in public places. But since I already mentioned that, my second pet peeve is people in the locker room who want to be my naked friends. You can be naked or we can chat...we cannot do both at the same time. AND FOR GODSAKE, THE AUTOMATIC HANDDRYER IS NOT INTENDED TO DRY YOUR BUTTHOLE.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: "You lock it up. No you lock it up. Lock it up. Lock it up." Wedding Crashers. Tommy and I probably say this at least once a day. It relates to everything.
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right, but I got pretty good with my left in high school when I used to fear breaking my right hand and being stuck with only my left (my dad's favorite quote is "paranoid is a good way to be when everyone is out to get ya"...I don't know where I get it). I'm not ambidextrous by any means, but I can get the job done.
(S) Siblings: 1 Sister - Cathy and 1 Sisdog - Belle.
(T) Time You Wake Up? Pre-pregnancy - 4:30AM on the dot, 6 days a week, no ifs, ands or buts. During pregnancy - 4:30AM, with a little snoozy snooze, or sometimes 7AM. Depending on my mood. Today, it was a solid 6:39...plus a little snoozing.
(U) Underwear: It believe in its existence.
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Cooked carrots. [gagging]
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Not much. I'm rarely late. But if I am, it's because I overscheduled myself...ooops.
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: I'm a paranoid athlete, so most everything...teeth, ears, knees, feet, ankles, hips, shoulders...
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: Homemade mac and cheese. Let's be honest, I have a lot of skills, but cooking is sooo not one of them.
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Bears! I just want to cuddle them!
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Debbie Downer
Hi. My name is Debbie Downer.
1. I married a Katrina Evacuee, it's Mardi Gras, and I can't get a piece of a good King Cake? What the hell? Haven't I done my part for the city of New Orleans? :)
2. My maternity pants are VERY tight. They are so tight in fact that some of the stitching that holds the elastic band on is coming off and I am grateful. I have no intention of sewing them back together. Every inch counts.
3. I am pretty sure that as of today, I weigh more than Tommy.
4. I haven't slept in a really long time. I know this is "preparation for what is to come"...whatever. It still sucks right now and I am not happy about it. I get about 2 hours of straight sleep each night...and then a few 30 minute catnaps the rest of the night. If I'm lucky. If I can get a good workout in, I can make those 2 hours stretch into 3, which is glorious. However, on 2 hours of sleep, a good workout is pretty tough to finagle.
5. It's beautiful outside. Well, not at this moment, but it HAS been beautiful and all I want to do is go play. I want to run or walk or just read a book...but I can't run and I can't walk and my back hurts too bad to sit out there for more than about 30 seconds.
6. I miss my family terribly. We had such a good time this weekend...I wish they would move here!
7. I'm ready to meet Anna...but want her to hibernate for a little while longer. So frustrating!
1. I married a Katrina Evacuee, it's Mardi Gras, and I can't get a piece of a good King Cake? What the hell? Haven't I done my part for the city of New Orleans? :)
2. My maternity pants are VERY tight. They are so tight in fact that some of the stitching that holds the elastic band on is coming off and I am grateful. I have no intention of sewing them back together. Every inch counts.
3. I am pretty sure that as of today, I weigh more than Tommy.
4. I haven't slept in a really long time. I know this is "preparation for what is to come"...whatever. It still sucks right now and I am not happy about it. I get about 2 hours of straight sleep each night...and then a few 30 minute catnaps the rest of the night. If I'm lucky. If I can get a good workout in, I can make those 2 hours stretch into 3, which is glorious. However, on 2 hours of sleep, a good workout is pretty tough to finagle.
5. It's beautiful outside. Well, not at this moment, but it HAS been beautiful and all I want to do is go play. I want to run or walk or just read a book...but I can't run and I can't walk and my back hurts too bad to sit out there for more than about 30 seconds.
6. I miss my family terribly. We had such a good time this weekend...I wish they would move here!
7. I'm ready to meet Anna...but want her to hibernate for a little while longer. So frustrating!
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Great Balls of Ice!
The Great Freeze of 2011!! It was a glorious day. Tommy and I both had off work - he locked himself away upstairs in the spare room and I took over the living room so I could make red beans and rice (for him, not me...beans are gross) and potato soup. Our house smelled AMAZING...and then about 7 hours later we ate lunch. Ha.
Well, Houston did in fact freeze, and it was slippery. At least for the dogs. The stairs to our yard were frozen solid and the dogs had some trouble navigating. The first time Tommy let them out in the morning, he didn't think about the stairs freezing, so he just opened the door and the 2 mutts raced down the stairs...where they slipped and slammed into the fence at the bottom. Ooops. This was probably hysterically fun for Dixie but for Don (who is 8 and has hip dysplasia) this was less than ideal.
So for the rest of the day, night and the next morning, Tommy had to pick up each of the dogs everytime they needed to pee and carry them down the slippery stairs. Unfortunately, the dogs weigh 65-70lbs each and due to their size are rather cumbersome to carry with one arm (the other hand was used to grip the railing). They would pee and then he would have to carry them back up. It was hysterical. They aren't big fans of being picked up (like their mom!) and they toes were splayed as far as they could go! I have video footage but it's definitely only footage that a mom could enjoy so I won't torture you with all 5 minutes of Dog Carrying. Just trust me, it's funny.
Then that night, we were supposed to go to a riveting breastfeeding class but it got cancelled...but we didn't find that out until after I had bathed and everything. I hate getting dressed after a day on the couch (call me gross, I care not)...I was not happy. So, I insisted that we go do SOMETHING. I mean, I was CLEAN afterall. So we went to the movies - saw No Strings Attached. It was cute. And I was able to limit my Slurpee intake to 1. Impressive.
Saturday was still icey and miserably cold, so I slept in and eventually Tommy made me go to the YMCA to swim. Unfortunately, the pool had not quite recovered from the freeze and it was ICEY. BRRRR! I sat on the edge for about 10 minutes before getting in. I count this as part of my workout.
Have I mentioned that I do not like winter? I do, however, like working from home for any reason. So, I will try to keep me complaints to a minimum.
*******************
In baby news, I am 31 weeks along (just over 2 months left!) and the baby's room is basically complete! We still need all the little necessities like, I dunno, diapers, but the decorating part is pretty much done.
Large and in charge and taking illegal pictures in the locker room.
I love love love her room. It didn't turn out how I had planned but I really love it. I wanted it to look like a kid's room, but wanted to avoid Mickey and Pooh and cutesy baby stuff. I think I acheived my goal!
In pregnancy related health information: I have started feeling tired as they say is typical in the 3rd trimester, but so far, it's just tired. It's NOTHING compared to mind-numbing exhaustion of the 1st trimester and I am only getting about 3 hours of sleep a night, so the tiredness could be because of the pregnancy or because I'm only sleeping about 3 hours a night (which is due to the pregnancy, but whatever). Little Anna (I wasn't going to tell you her name, but then I posted the nursery pic, so oh well) likes to hang out on my right side...which is all well and good except that this means I can no longer sleep on my right side. This leaves me with one sleeping option...my left side. Which makes my arms go numb and hurts my hips. Soooo, sleeping just isn't happening. Such is life! Otherwise, we are all healthy and counting down the days until we meet (and I get to sleep on my stomach)!
Well, Houston did in fact freeze, and it was slippery. At least for the dogs. The stairs to our yard were frozen solid and the dogs had some trouble navigating. The first time Tommy let them out in the morning, he didn't think about the stairs freezing, so he just opened the door and the 2 mutts raced down the stairs...where they slipped and slammed into the fence at the bottom. Ooops. This was probably hysterically fun for Dixie but for Don (who is 8 and has hip dysplasia) this was less than ideal.
So for the rest of the day, night and the next morning, Tommy had to pick up each of the dogs everytime they needed to pee and carry them down the slippery stairs. Unfortunately, the dogs weigh 65-70lbs each and due to their size are rather cumbersome to carry with one arm (the other hand was used to grip the railing). They would pee and then he would have to carry them back up. It was hysterical. They aren't big fans of being picked up (like their mom!) and they toes were splayed as far as they could go! I have video footage but it's definitely only footage that a mom could enjoy so I won't torture you with all 5 minutes of Dog Carrying. Just trust me, it's funny.
Then that night, we were supposed to go to a riveting breastfeeding class but it got cancelled...but we didn't find that out until after I had bathed and everything. I hate getting dressed after a day on the couch (call me gross, I care not)...I was not happy. So, I insisted that we go do SOMETHING. I mean, I was CLEAN afterall. So we went to the movies - saw No Strings Attached. It was cute. And I was able to limit my Slurpee intake to 1. Impressive.
Saturday was still icey and miserably cold, so I slept in and eventually Tommy made me go to the YMCA to swim. Unfortunately, the pool had not quite recovered from the freeze and it was ICEY. BRRRR! I sat on the edge for about 10 minutes before getting in. I count this as part of my workout.
Have I mentioned that I do not like winter? I do, however, like working from home for any reason. So, I will try to keep me complaints to a minimum.
*******************
In baby news, I am 31 weeks along (just over 2 months left!) and the baby's room is basically complete! We still need all the little necessities like, I dunno, diapers, but the decorating part is pretty much done.
Large and in charge and taking illegal pictures in the locker room.
I love love love her room. It didn't turn out how I had planned but I really love it. I wanted it to look like a kid's room, but wanted to avoid Mickey and Pooh and cutesy baby stuff. I think I acheived my goal!In pregnancy related health information: I have started feeling tired as they say is typical in the 3rd trimester, but so far, it's just tired. It's NOTHING compared to mind-numbing exhaustion of the 1st trimester and I am only getting about 3 hours of sleep a night, so the tiredness could be because of the pregnancy or because I'm only sleeping about 3 hours a night (which is due to the pregnancy, but whatever). Little Anna (I wasn't going to tell you her name, but then I posted the nursery pic, so oh well) likes to hang out on my right side...which is all well and good except that this means I can no longer sleep on my right side. This leaves me with one sleeping option...my left side. Which makes my arms go numb and hurts my hips. Soooo, sleeping just isn't happening. Such is life! Otherwise, we are all healthy and counting down the days until we meet (and I get to sleep on my stomach)!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Pottery Barn.
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but Pottery Barn threw up in my house. It's like that Friends episode where Rachel and Phoebe live together and Rachel decorates the entire house in Pottery Barn stuff, but has to lie to Phoebe - "oh, this is an antique apothecary table...not at all from Pottery Barn".
Yeah, Pottery Barn threw up in my house.
It's not that I am super into trendy stuff or actually decorate like the PB catalog suggests (although, I would if I could afford it slash had someone to dust all that crap), but it's more that the furniture is just my style. I like clean lines with a bit of whimsy. Basically, Pottery Barn is my furniture haven.
BTW - If you aren't currently reading this blog, you should be.
If I had the patience slash time, I would spend my Saturdays shopping all over town to find cool pieces to make my bedroom set...OR I could just go online and buy some PB stuff and spend the rest of my day lounging like the vegetable I desire to be. New furniture is just a click away!!
We have been meaning to buy new bedroom furniture for about 4 years. The stuff we are currently using is the hideous stuff that Tommy's ex-wife picked out. Not only is it the furniture that the ex-wife picked out (although, this bothers me not at all, it's a good excuse to convince Tommy that we NEED new furniture), but it's ugly and poorly made...and we have moved it approximately 14 times in 4 years. Crappy furniture just can't take that kind of abuse. So it's awful and in awful condition.
Alas, I have finally decided to bite the bullet and just buy the stupid Pottery Barn furniture I have loved for 4 years. I kept waiting for something better to come along so my house wouldn't be all Pottery Barn-ed out (I just don't respect myself!), but in 4 years, I still NEED that bed. It's gonna happen.
In other news, we will FINALLY be able to ditch our current crap...we broke the bed a few years ago (brown chicken brown cow!), but the ugly dressers are up for grabs. We will probably just leave them on the the curb...not sure anyone would buy them.
Phoebe, don't hate me. You know you love it. Darn you Pottery Barn and your overpriced crap!
Yeah, Pottery Barn threw up in my house.
It's not that I am super into trendy stuff or actually decorate like the PB catalog suggests (although, I would if I could afford it slash had someone to dust all that crap), but it's more that the furniture is just my style. I like clean lines with a bit of whimsy. Basically, Pottery Barn is my furniture haven.
BTW - If you aren't currently reading this blog, you should be.
If I had the patience slash time, I would spend my Saturdays shopping all over town to find cool pieces to make my bedroom set...OR I could just go online and buy some PB stuff and spend the rest of my day lounging like the vegetable I desire to be. New furniture is just a click away!!
We have been meaning to buy new bedroom furniture for about 4 years. The stuff we are currently using is the hideous stuff that Tommy's ex-wife picked out. Not only is it the furniture that the ex-wife picked out (although, this bothers me not at all, it's a good excuse to convince Tommy that we NEED new furniture), but it's ugly and poorly made...and we have moved it approximately 14 times in 4 years. Crappy furniture just can't take that kind of abuse. So it's awful and in awful condition.
Alas, I have finally decided to bite the bullet and just buy the stupid Pottery Barn furniture I have loved for 4 years. I kept waiting for something better to come along so my house wouldn't be all Pottery Barn-ed out (I just don't respect myself!), but in 4 years, I still NEED that bed. It's gonna happen.
In other news, we will FINALLY be able to ditch our current crap...we broke the bed a few years ago (brown chicken brown cow!), but the ugly dressers are up for grabs. We will probably just leave them on the the curb...not sure anyone would buy them.
Phoebe, don't hate me. You know you love it. Darn you Pottery Barn and your overpriced crap!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tiger in the Tank!
It's true.
I am with child.
I have a tiger in my tank.
I'm knocked up.
I am harboring a fugitive.
I am developing a crotch parasite.
I have a bun in the oven.
I've been screwed.
Tommy and I found out on August 9th that not only do pregnancy tests NOT take 5 minutes to give a postive result, but that I am also pregnant.
I am addicted to pregnancy tests have been taking at least one a month for forever, much to Tommy's chagrin ("they're expensive!"). I can't help it. But on this particularly joyous day, the test did not stop at one pink line...but immediately (and I mean IMMEDIATELY) registered 2 pink lines. If I hadn't already peed in the toilet, I would have just peed my pants.
I called Tommy, he came home (where I presented him with two pee filled sticks...he was thrilled) and we went to dinner to celebrate and gossip about our impending bundle of joy...AHH!
The signs that I should have seen:
The first sign that indicated I might be pregnant is when ShopItToMe had a 1/2 off sale on skinny jeans and the only size they had in stock was mine. It was FATE! Of course I purchased them and took them to get them altered. Only fate would have you alter your first pair of skinny jeans on the day you find out you're pregnant. So now, of course, I can't return them. So, I've pretty much been wearing skinny jeans every single day and plan to squeeze myself into them until I can no longer suck in my gut anymore.
The second sign was that Kroger had Black Box wine on sale the previous weekend. Tommy and I, being the classy folk that we are, purchased 6 (yes, 6) boxes (yes, boxes) of wine (yes, that's 6 BOXES of wine), because well, they were on sale and if you buy 6 you get an additional 10% off.
The third sign was that I joined a 3rd gym the week prior to finding out I was "with child". Luckily, I joined this gym for it's pool and since I plan on swimming up until the day I give birth, this wasn't a terrible move...but lately I've been to disgustingly sick to even think about swimming. So I am a member of 3 gyms...and I haven't been to a single one of these gyms in the last 12 weeks.
And the fourth and final sign was that I accidentally purchased a pair of childrens shoes. I think this is the universe telling me that my child will be punk/grunge. This does not bode well for me.
Alas, despite all these signs, I was still surprised when that second pink line appeared on the stick. Nobody gets lucky enough to find 1/2 off skinny jeans or sales on wine all in the same week...unless they won't be able to use them. Damn you Universe!!
****************
Now for some rules:
Do not touch my belly. Unless I like you. But even then, it's best not to touch the belly. I will remove your arms with my teeth.
Do not use the words "preggo" or "preggy" or "hubby". Unless you are 5. If you are older than 5, it is time to learn to speak properly. Update: This also includes "preggers" and any other variations of fake words.
Do not tell me your labor horror stories. Not sure who you think you are helping here.
****************
In other news: When training for Ironman, I compared the training to pregnancy and the race to labor. The rules for me racing Ironman were similar to the rules listed above. No touching the belly, no "preggo" or "hubby", and no racing horror stories. So, so far, I'm right on the mark!!
But really, so far, it's been pretty similar. I'm on information overload, the result is still too far away to really grasp, I feel like total horse sh1t and I am exhausted. This is all pretty much like Ironman!
Speaking of Ironman, I doubt I will be racing IMTX in May. While I do planning on keeping up my volume (as much as possible), I have no intent of keeping it up to the level that would be required to complete an Ironman. In addition to that, after pushing a baby out of my vagina in April, I seriously doubt that sitting on a very small bike seat for 6+ hours in May will sound appealling. Soooo, that's in the toilet. I plan on appealling to the WTC to see if I can defer until 2012, but even then, I'm not sure I will be ready to race with an infant either. We will see!! Either way, Cletus the Fetus and I will be there on race day to cheer on Daddy Blain and all our friends!
I am with child.
I have a tiger in my tank.
I'm knocked up.
I am harboring a fugitive.
I am developing a crotch parasite.
I have a bun in the oven.
I've been screwed.
Tommy and I found out on August 9th that not only do pregnancy tests NOT take 5 minutes to give a postive result, but that I am also pregnant.
I am addicted to pregnancy tests have been taking at least one a month for forever, much to Tommy's chagrin ("they're expensive!"). I can't help it. But on this particularly joyous day, the test did not stop at one pink line...but immediately (and I mean IMMEDIATELY) registered 2 pink lines. If I hadn't already peed in the toilet, I would have just peed my pants.
I called Tommy, he came home (where I presented him with two pee filled sticks...he was thrilled) and we went to dinner to celebrate and gossip about our impending bundle of joy...AHH!
The signs that I should have seen:
The first sign that indicated I might be pregnant is when ShopItToMe had a 1/2 off sale on skinny jeans and the only size they had in stock was mine. It was FATE! Of course I purchased them and took them to get them altered. Only fate would have you alter your first pair of skinny jeans on the day you find out you're pregnant. So now, of course, I can't return them. So, I've pretty much been wearing skinny jeans every single day and plan to squeeze myself into them until I can no longer suck in my gut anymore.
The second sign was that Kroger had Black Box wine on sale the previous weekend. Tommy and I, being the classy folk that we are, purchased 6 (yes, 6) boxes (yes, boxes) of wine (yes, that's 6 BOXES of wine), because well, they were on sale and if you buy 6 you get an additional 10% off.
The third sign was that I joined a 3rd gym the week prior to finding out I was "with child". Luckily, I joined this gym for it's pool and since I plan on swimming up until the day I give birth, this wasn't a terrible move...but lately I've been to disgustingly sick to even think about swimming. So I am a member of 3 gyms...and I haven't been to a single one of these gyms in the last 12 weeks.
And the fourth and final sign was that I accidentally purchased a pair of childrens shoes. I think this is the universe telling me that my child will be punk/grunge. This does not bode well for me.
Alas, despite all these signs, I was still surprised when that second pink line appeared on the stick. Nobody gets lucky enough to find 1/2 off skinny jeans or sales on wine all in the same week...unless they won't be able to use them. Damn you Universe!!
****************
Now for some rules:
Do not touch my belly. Unless I like you. But even then, it's best not to touch the belly. I will remove your arms with my teeth.
Do not use the words "preggo" or "preggy" or "hubby". Unless you are 5. If you are older than 5, it is time to learn to speak properly. Update: This also includes "preggers" and any other variations of fake words.
Do not tell me your labor horror stories. Not sure who you think you are helping here.
****************
In other news: When training for Ironman, I compared the training to pregnancy and the race to labor. The rules for me racing Ironman were similar to the rules listed above. No touching the belly, no "preggo" or "hubby", and no racing horror stories. So, so far, I'm right on the mark!!
But really, so far, it's been pretty similar. I'm on information overload, the result is still too far away to really grasp, I feel like total horse sh1t and I am exhausted. This is all pretty much like Ironman!
Speaking of Ironman, I doubt I will be racing IMTX in May. While I do planning on keeping up my volume (as much as possible), I have no intent of keeping it up to the level that would be required to complete an Ironman. In addition to that, after pushing a baby out of my vagina in April, I seriously doubt that sitting on a very small bike seat for 6+ hours in May will sound appealling. Soooo, that's in the toilet. I plan on appealling to the WTC to see if I can defer until 2012, but even then, I'm not sure I will be ready to race with an infant either. We will see!! Either way, Cletus the Fetus and I will be there on race day to cheer on Daddy Blain and all our friends!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Mystery of the Beep
Unfortunately for you, my faithful few, I have nothing exciting to talk about. It was kind of a rough week, all in all, and I am ready for it to be over.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up, got dressed for the pool and realized that I couldn't go to the pool because I had a dentist appointment early before work...so I changed into bike clothes and hopped on the trainer. I am terrified of the dentist and hadn't slept well all week in preparation of this appointment...how could I have forgotten about it?!?
My hammies were angry from dead lifts the day before (they hurt so much...must be working!!) and biking was very far from what I wanted to do. But I DID get caught up on my Bachelorette, which is the worst show in the world...yet, I can't stop watching. Then, after my pitiful attempt at a workout, I got off the bike to find a mysterious beeping emanating from somewhere in the house.
I began my quest to solve the Mystery of the Beep. It sounded like a smoke detector beep, but after hauling chairs to all the rooms in the house (it's a small house) I determined that it wasn't a smoke detector. The beeping was starting to make me crazy. Added to the stress of the dentist appointment, I was at my wits end. WITS END (spoken in the voice of Iago in Aladdin). I hurried to get dressed, with the beeping breathing down my neck, and left for the dentist.
No cavities and minimal pain. The technician even said I was a big girl and was getting better. I only bit her a couple of times. So proud!!
I left for work, stress only minimally relieved...the dentist was over, but the beeping had to be sending the dog into hysteria.
At work, I upped my dosage of Metformin, the drug of evil geniuses, and proceeded to dry heave for the rest of the morning. I haven't had any real problems associated with the Metformin up until now - aside of lack of physical ability and reduced appetite - but on Wednesday, the sight of a piece of bread had me running to the bathroom. On Wednesday, I ate an apple and a salad...all day. On Thursday, I ate 2 chicken breasts...all day. Today is going better, but I got about 3/4 of the way through a sandwich until it started to reverse it's fortune. Metformin sucks. On the other hand, I am the skinniest I have been since I was 14...so, I guess there's that.
After all the hurling and such on Wednesday, I find out that I did not get a job I had interviewed for...but then I couldn't go home because it would look like I was so upset by the job. So I had to suffer through the rest of the day. Awful. Working when I all I want to do is hurl, when I haven't eaten, I've had no caffiene (oh and I gave up caffiene this week...bad timing!), and I've just been rejected for a job is not my ideal afternoon.
Nonetheless, I forged onward and treated myself to a mani/pedi. And I didn't puke on the nail girls, so that was a bonus.
I got home and found my wonderful husband cleaning up the chair havok I had created in the morning. And he had found the source of the beeping...an old carbon monoxide detector that we never hung, stuck in the back of a cabinet in the laundry room. I guess it needs new batteries now, eh?
Then we attempted to ease my pain with some retail therapy at T-Mobile - I've been needing a new phone for like 7 years, but wanted to wait till my contract ran out so I could get an iPhone. But then I remembered that I despise AT&T and Verizon hasn't unveiled theirs yet, soooo, T-Mobile it is. And they were having a "Buy one, get one free" deal...so Tommy and I now have matching phones. Very 2008. Mine has a very cool fuschia case.
Anyways, nothing fun or funny here. Just trucking along. I DID get a pair of racing flats named Green Silence though. And that's enough to make anyone's week tolerable.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up, got dressed for the pool and realized that I couldn't go to the pool because I had a dentist appointment early before work...so I changed into bike clothes and hopped on the trainer. I am terrified of the dentist and hadn't slept well all week in preparation of this appointment...how could I have forgotten about it?!?
My hammies were angry from dead lifts the day before (they hurt so much...must be working!!) and biking was very far from what I wanted to do. But I DID get caught up on my Bachelorette, which is the worst show in the world...yet, I can't stop watching. Then, after my pitiful attempt at a workout, I got off the bike to find a mysterious beeping emanating from somewhere in the house.
I began my quest to solve the Mystery of the Beep. It sounded like a smoke detector beep, but after hauling chairs to all the rooms in the house (it's a small house) I determined that it wasn't a smoke detector. The beeping was starting to make me crazy. Added to the stress of the dentist appointment, I was at my wits end. WITS END (spoken in the voice of Iago in Aladdin). I hurried to get dressed, with the beeping breathing down my neck, and left for the dentist.
No cavities and minimal pain. The technician even said I was a big girl and was getting better. I only bit her a couple of times. So proud!!
I left for work, stress only minimally relieved...the dentist was over, but the beeping had to be sending the dog into hysteria.
At work, I upped my dosage of Metformin, the drug of evil geniuses, and proceeded to dry heave for the rest of the morning. I haven't had any real problems associated with the Metformin up until now - aside of lack of physical ability and reduced appetite - but on Wednesday, the sight of a piece of bread had me running to the bathroom. On Wednesday, I ate an apple and a salad...all day. On Thursday, I ate 2 chicken breasts...all day. Today is going better, but I got about 3/4 of the way through a sandwich until it started to reverse it's fortune. Metformin sucks. On the other hand, I am the skinniest I have been since I was 14...so, I guess there's that.
After all the hurling and such on Wednesday, I find out that I did not get a job I had interviewed for...but then I couldn't go home because it would look like I was so upset by the job. So I had to suffer through the rest of the day. Awful. Working when I all I want to do is hurl, when I haven't eaten, I've had no caffiene (oh and I gave up caffiene this week...bad timing!), and I've just been rejected for a job is not my ideal afternoon.
Nonetheless, I forged onward and treated myself to a mani/pedi. And I didn't puke on the nail girls, so that was a bonus.
I got home and found my wonderful husband cleaning up the chair havok I had created in the morning. And he had found the source of the beeping...an old carbon monoxide detector that we never hung, stuck in the back of a cabinet in the laundry room. I guess it needs new batteries now, eh?
Then we attempted to ease my pain with some retail therapy at T-Mobile - I've been needing a new phone for like 7 years, but wanted to wait till my contract ran out so I could get an iPhone. But then I remembered that I despise AT&T and Verizon hasn't unveiled theirs yet, soooo, T-Mobile it is. And they were having a "Buy one, get one free" deal...so Tommy and I now have matching phones. Very 2008. Mine has a very cool fuschia case.
Anyways, nothing fun or funny here. Just trucking along. I DID get a pair of racing flats named Green Silence though. And that's enough to make anyone's week tolerable.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Olympic
Last weekend, we raced the Sprint distance tri on Saturday, went home, took a nap, hung out with Tiffany and Harold and then drove out to Richmond for Bill and Amber's wedding...where drank wine and danced our little hearts out! We got home around 11pm, packed our bags for Sunday's Olympic distance race (1500m swim, 25 mile bike, and 10K run) and set the alarm for 3:30am. 3.5 hours of sleep is not IDEAL for proper recovery and fueling for a race, but eh, that's what we had!
Alarms went off and I skipped my ritual pre-race shower (I need wet hair for my braids) in an effort to sleep more...I TOTALLY did not want to go. Between the allergies, the wedding, and the sheer exhaustion, if Tommy had given me even the slightest hestitation about going to the race, I totally would have bailed. I sooooo did not want to be racing and I knew the day was going to be rough considering how hard I had pushed myself the day before.
We drove to Kemah (AGAIN), set up transition, squished into wetsuits, wandered down to the docks and boarded our respective boats for the swim start. This particular race is a qualifier for Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and it starts with party barges dropping us off in the middle of the ocean (like the Escape) and then we get to swim to shore. While we were waiting to board our respective boats, Andy Potts (a super cutie professional triathlete) walked up and I was able to score a piture with him. I'm also pretty sure I grabbed his butt (totally on accident...and it was nice...although, that could have been the neoprene). I, unfortunately, am not good when talking to famous people...I tend to stutter and do stupid things (like grab people's butts) when I get nervous, so our conversation went a little like this:
Me: Heehee (snort) hehuhhaaheehee
Andy: Yeah, so, um, wanna take a picture?
Me: Heeheheh (snort/butt grab)
As you can see, I am totally geeked out and I have my crazy eyes on. I do not have many social skillz.
After all the Andy Potts butt-grabbing, I boarded my boat with all the women from the race. We spent about an hour on the boat, gossiping and freaking each other out. Merry peed in her wetsuit and while we encouraged her to stick her legs off the side of the boat to let it drain out, she opted to wallow in it. Triathlon is a dirty, dirty, disgusting sport.
We hopped in the water and I was pleased to find out that the water was not nearly as bad as the day before. It was still choppy, but not as bad and since we were only swimming with the current (never against it) it just wasn't as bad. This swim, however, was one of the most aggressive swims I have ever been on - women were punching and I swear to you that I got b1tch slapped across the face. It was insane. And the waves were big enough and the bouys were small enough that you couldn't really sight much of anything. My swim still sucked, but not NEARLY as bad as it did the day before...getting the crap beat out of me by some hoes really sucked up my adrenaline and wore me out! I finished the swim in a respectable (but not good) 36:25.1. Definitely not my best effort - I should be swimming below 30 minutes, but considering the effor the day before, the sickness and the late night of partying, I will call it a wash!
T1 was quicker than the day before, but I had to stop and pee (in my pants...why waste time in a portacan?) but I figured out the wetsuit thing a little better...into bike shoes and I was off.
The bike was not as good as the day before - as to be expected - and I didn't pass nearly as many people, but up and over Kemah twice and I was to the flat part for 12 miles (my specialty!). Then up and over Kemah twice more and 12 more miles of flat...I gained a lot of ground on the bike and pushed it as hard as I could go. My legs were feeling okay, but I just couldn't make them go any faster...so, I only averaged 19.9mph on the bike. I was really hoping to break 20mph again, but all things considered, I will just shut my mouth! I biked in 1:25.1 and moved from 7th to 3rd place.
In T2, I put on socks (I was glad I had done this the day before) and off I went.
I didn't wear my garmin or heart rate monitor again - I just didn't want to know. I was going to run as hard as I could for as long as I could and I didn't need a watch telling me anything! My plan was to kill the run as best as I could...but since I had PR'ed my 5K the day before (by 2 minutes!) I wasn't expecting much. Tommy passed me on my way out (he was on his way home) and he told me that Francis was the guy in front of me. I couldn't see anyone in front of me, so I just kept on trucking...eventually I caught up to Francis - we were both hurting pretty bad! I saw Merry and Ingrid on the run as well...and everyone was looking pretty good (considering!). I was able to maintain my speed at about an 8:30 mile for the whole 10K (I just used the lap timing feature on my watch) and finished up the 10K in 52:13.6. I felt like death - I have never ever felt that bad after a run. I couldn't smile, I couldn't wave, I couldn't pick it up for a mad dash to the finish...I was DONE. And it felt amazing. My run wasn't great compared to the rest of the field, but once again, considered my PR the day before, I will shut my mouth and be happy!
I held onto 3rd place to get a spot on the podium and scored a qualifying spot to Alcatraz!! A 2:48 finish wouldn't have placed me in any of the other age groups, but it is very respectable and a significant improvement over my other olympic distance times...I'm very proud of what I have accomplished this year!
All in all, I had a super exhausting sick weekend and had the best races I could have hoped for! No complaints here!!
I always tend to race better when I'm a little under the weather...it just doesn't make sense!
Congrats to Tommy who scred 5th in his age group, Kim who got 5th in our age group, Team Jam got 2nd in the relay, and to Ingrid and Merry for racing so well!
Alarms went off and I skipped my ritual pre-race shower (I need wet hair for my braids) in an effort to sleep more...I TOTALLY did not want to go. Between the allergies, the wedding, and the sheer exhaustion, if Tommy had given me even the slightest hestitation about going to the race, I totally would have bailed. I sooooo did not want to be racing and I knew the day was going to be rough considering how hard I had pushed myself the day before.
We drove to Kemah (AGAIN), set up transition, squished into wetsuits, wandered down to the docks and boarded our respective boats for the swim start. This particular race is a qualifier for Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and it starts with party barges dropping us off in the middle of the ocean (like the Escape) and then we get to swim to shore. While we were waiting to board our respective boats, Andy Potts (a super cutie professional triathlete) walked up and I was able to score a piture with him. I'm also pretty sure I grabbed his butt (totally on accident...and it was nice...although, that could have been the neoprene). I, unfortunately, am not good when talking to famous people...I tend to stutter and do stupid things (like grab people's butts) when I get nervous, so our conversation went a little like this:
Me: Heehee (snort) hehuhhaaheehee
Andy: Yeah, so, um, wanna take a picture?
Me: Heeheheh (snort/butt grab)
As you can see, I am totally geeked out and I have my crazy eyes on. I do not have many social skillz.
After all the Andy Potts butt-grabbing, I boarded my boat with all the women from the race. We spent about an hour on the boat, gossiping and freaking each other out. Merry peed in her wetsuit and while we encouraged her to stick her legs off the side of the boat to let it drain out, she opted to wallow in it. Triathlon is a dirty, dirty, disgusting sport.
We hopped in the water and I was pleased to find out that the water was not nearly as bad as the day before. It was still choppy, but not as bad and since we were only swimming with the current (never against it) it just wasn't as bad. This swim, however, was one of the most aggressive swims I have ever been on - women were punching and I swear to you that I got b1tch slapped across the face. It was insane. And the waves were big enough and the bouys were small enough that you couldn't really sight much of anything. My swim still sucked, but not NEARLY as bad as it did the day before...getting the crap beat out of me by some hoes really sucked up my adrenaline and wore me out! I finished the swim in a respectable (but not good) 36:25.1. Definitely not my best effort - I should be swimming below 30 minutes, but considering the effor the day before, the sickness and the late night of partying, I will call it a wash!
T1 was quicker than the day before, but I had to stop and pee (in my pants...why waste time in a portacan?) but I figured out the wetsuit thing a little better...into bike shoes and I was off.
The bike was not as good as the day before - as to be expected - and I didn't pass nearly as many people, but up and over Kemah twice and I was to the flat part for 12 miles (my specialty!). Then up and over Kemah twice more and 12 more miles of flat...I gained a lot of ground on the bike and pushed it as hard as I could go. My legs were feeling okay, but I just couldn't make them go any faster...so, I only averaged 19.9mph on the bike. I was really hoping to break 20mph again, but all things considered, I will just shut my mouth! I biked in 1:25.1 and moved from 7th to 3rd place.
In T2, I put on socks (I was glad I had done this the day before) and off I went.
I didn't wear my garmin or heart rate monitor again - I just didn't want to know. I was going to run as hard as I could for as long as I could and I didn't need a watch telling me anything! My plan was to kill the run as best as I could...but since I had PR'ed my 5K the day before (by 2 minutes!) I wasn't expecting much. Tommy passed me on my way out (he was on his way home) and he told me that Francis was the guy in front of me. I couldn't see anyone in front of me, so I just kept on trucking...eventually I caught up to Francis - we were both hurting pretty bad! I saw Merry and Ingrid on the run as well...and everyone was looking pretty good (considering!). I was able to maintain my speed at about an 8:30 mile for the whole 10K (I just used the lap timing feature on my watch) and finished up the 10K in 52:13.6. I felt like death - I have never ever felt that bad after a run. I couldn't smile, I couldn't wave, I couldn't pick it up for a mad dash to the finish...I was DONE. And it felt amazing. My run wasn't great compared to the rest of the field, but once again, considered my PR the day before, I will shut my mouth and be happy!
I held onto 3rd place to get a spot on the podium and scored a qualifying spot to Alcatraz!! A 2:48 finish wouldn't have placed me in any of the other age groups, but it is very respectable and a significant improvement over my other olympic distance times...I'm very proud of what I have accomplished this year!
All in all, I had a super exhausting sick weekend and had the best races I could have hoped for! No complaints here!!
I always tend to race better when I'm a little under the weather...it just doesn't make sense!
Congrats to Tommy who scred 5th in his age group, Kim who got 5th in our age group, Team Jam got 2nd in the relay, and to Ingrid and Merry for racing so well!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Candy Etiquette
There is a right and a wrong way to eat candy. This blog will teach you everything you need to know.
The main rule is to always eat the favorite flavor last. If in doubt, eat in pairs and always ending with red.
Starburst – Open the whole package, eat the yellow and orange ones in whatever order you deem appropriate. Then eat the pink and red ones on an alternating basis, finishing with the color you like better that day.
Now-N-Laters – Due to the individually packaged nature of this candy, make sure you have a trash receptacle near by. These candies also require a slightly warmer temperature than normal candies, so be prepared to heat them.1 To eat them, you must open the green section and eat them first. Nobody likes green candy and I’m still not sure why candy companies continue to make it. Regardless, eat the green ones because it’s candy and it’s just wrong to throw it out. Then, open the red and purple sections, warm them to the appropriate temperature, and eat them in an alternating fashion, beginning with purple (so that you will end on red).
Skittles – Skittles are a candy that are okay to waste. Assuming you are eating a full bag2, you are allowed to throw out the yellow, green and orange ones if you so desire. If you want to eat the whole bag, eat these colors in whatever order you want, but always (always) at least two at a time. Mixing colors is acceptable. Once the offending colors are removed from the bag, you may now move on to the purple and red. These too shall be eaten in pairs, but mixing colors is no longer allowed. You will pour a handful from the bag, pair them up, always ending each handful with red. If you happen to pour an odd number you may eat three at once…of all the same color.
SweetTarts – Due to the packaging (Spree will have a similar problem), you are required to eat these in the order given to you…and no two packages are the same. Unfortunately, no one on earth likes the blue ones, so you will forced to eat them.3 So, unwrap one end and begin your quest. Once you near the last 5-10 SweetTarts, you should unwrap the remaining candies and sort them according to color. All the blues shall be eaten first, then yellow and green, followed closely by orange, and of course, finishing with an alternating purple and red strategy. If you have been bad lately, you may not have any red in your last handful, at which point you should seriously evaluate your life because someone is out to get you.
Spree – With similar packaging as the SweetTarts, your plan of attack will be similar. HOWEVER (and I cannot stress this enough), Spree is the only candy on Earth where the green ones are the best. Please follow the SweetTart regimen but finish with green. You must finish with green.
Nerds – The key to Nerds is that you mustn’t EVER mix the colors.4 Upon purchasing a box of Nerds, you should decide which side of the box will be the best and eat that side last. You are required to fully consume the less-good side of the box before moving to the more-good side. If your spouse asks to have a taste of your Nerds, he/she is required to take a pull from the side you are currently eating.5
Gummi Worms – Gummi Worms are surprisingly easy to eat and have very few rules. They must be eaten in pairs, and preferably ending with at least one blue/red worm.
Gum – Also an easy-to-eat candy. Gum must eaten in pairs. If your spouse chooses to eat only one piece of gum, you are allowed to either hit him/her or eat three pieces in your next round.
Lollipops – How many licks DOES it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? I dunno. And neither should you. Lollipops should only be licked until they lose their sticky outer layer at which point, they should be bitten and their innards eaten.
Gummi-Savers – Thankfully for the plastic carrying case, this package can be opened all at once and the appropriate candies eaten in order. Open your Gummi Savers and eat all the yellow and green ones. Then, because in gummi form you can’t tell which is orange or red, alternate them with the purple and find which ever one you like the best. End with that one.
Life-Savers – Life Savers should be eaten in the order in which they are packaged. Unfortunately, depending on which end you open, this could be catastrophic or delicious. Regardless, eat them in the order in which they are packaged until you get to the end – your last two Lifesavers should always be red then white.6
Fun Dip – When will Fun-Dip makers learn that 2 Lik-M-Aid sticks are not enough? You will eat the purple sugary goodness first (even though it’s in the middle…make it work) with your first Lik-M-Aid stick. Then, after you have sufficiently crashed from your sugar high and your spouse is about to divorce you, you should begin on the red section with your second Lik-M-Aid stick. Shortly after eating this second pack, you will be covered in colored sugar7 and totally disgusted with yourself. When you feel the need to fuel your self loathing again, you should begin on the blue/green packet…but you will be out of Lik-M-Aid sticks, so you will have to use your finger. Your finger and tongue will be green for approximately 3 days.8
1. I use the “under the leg method”. Since I eat these while driving, I will warm a couple up by sticking them under my leg and turning on the seat warmer. It’s quite effective.
2. Not a Fun Pack. Due to the restricted amount of candies in a fun pack, you are always required to consume the full amount in a Fun Pack.
3. Ideally, you will eat these with a friend who has their own package and by some wishful thinking, this friend will prefer the blue ones and you will be able to trade with them.
4. In the event of a rainbow box, you may mix colors, but you must separate out the big fat ones from the small ones. The big fatties should be eaten individually.
5. If your spouse is sneaky and waits until you have finished the less-good side to ask for some candy (because all he wants is the more-good side) you are no longer required to share with him.
6. Another one of the candy anomalies, white Lifesavers are clearly the best flavor.
7. Because this is EASILY the messiest candy ever created.
8. It is sometimes best to find a small child with a harried mother to give this to. They will appreciate it.
The main rule is to always eat the favorite flavor last. If in doubt, eat in pairs and always ending with red.
Starburst – Open the whole package, eat the yellow and orange ones in whatever order you deem appropriate. Then eat the pink and red ones on an alternating basis, finishing with the color you like better that day.
Now-N-Laters – Due to the individually packaged nature of this candy, make sure you have a trash receptacle near by. These candies also require a slightly warmer temperature than normal candies, so be prepared to heat them.1 To eat them, you must open the green section and eat them first. Nobody likes green candy and I’m still not sure why candy companies continue to make it. Regardless, eat the green ones because it’s candy and it’s just wrong to throw it out. Then, open the red and purple sections, warm them to the appropriate temperature, and eat them in an alternating fashion, beginning with purple (so that you will end on red).
Skittles – Skittles are a candy that are okay to waste. Assuming you are eating a full bag2, you are allowed to throw out the yellow, green and orange ones if you so desire. If you want to eat the whole bag, eat these colors in whatever order you want, but always (always) at least two at a time. Mixing colors is acceptable. Once the offending colors are removed from the bag, you may now move on to the purple and red. These too shall be eaten in pairs, but mixing colors is no longer allowed. You will pour a handful from the bag, pair them up, always ending each handful with red. If you happen to pour an odd number you may eat three at once…of all the same color.
SweetTarts – Due to the packaging (Spree will have a similar problem), you are required to eat these in the order given to you…and no two packages are the same. Unfortunately, no one on earth likes the blue ones, so you will forced to eat them.3 So, unwrap one end and begin your quest. Once you near the last 5-10 SweetTarts, you should unwrap the remaining candies and sort them according to color. All the blues shall be eaten first, then yellow and green, followed closely by orange, and of course, finishing with an alternating purple and red strategy. If you have been bad lately, you may not have any red in your last handful, at which point you should seriously evaluate your life because someone is out to get you.
Spree – With similar packaging as the SweetTarts, your plan of attack will be similar. HOWEVER (and I cannot stress this enough), Spree is the only candy on Earth where the green ones are the best. Please follow the SweetTart regimen but finish with green. You must finish with green.
Nerds – The key to Nerds is that you mustn’t EVER mix the colors.4 Upon purchasing a box of Nerds, you should decide which side of the box will be the best and eat that side last. You are required to fully consume the less-good side of the box before moving to the more-good side. If your spouse asks to have a taste of your Nerds, he/she is required to take a pull from the side you are currently eating.5
Gummi Worms – Gummi Worms are surprisingly easy to eat and have very few rules. They must be eaten in pairs, and preferably ending with at least one blue/red worm.
Gum – Also an easy-to-eat candy. Gum must eaten in pairs. If your spouse chooses to eat only one piece of gum, you are allowed to either hit him/her or eat three pieces in your next round.
Lollipops – How many licks DOES it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? I dunno. And neither should you. Lollipops should only be licked until they lose their sticky outer layer at which point, they should be bitten and their innards eaten.
Gummi-Savers – Thankfully for the plastic carrying case, this package can be opened all at once and the appropriate candies eaten in order. Open your Gummi Savers and eat all the yellow and green ones. Then, because in gummi form you can’t tell which is orange or red, alternate them with the purple and find which ever one you like the best. End with that one.
Life-Savers – Life Savers should be eaten in the order in which they are packaged. Unfortunately, depending on which end you open, this could be catastrophic or delicious. Regardless, eat them in the order in which they are packaged until you get to the end – your last two Lifesavers should always be red then white.6
Fun Dip – When will Fun-Dip makers learn that 2 Lik-M-Aid sticks are not enough? You will eat the purple sugary goodness first (even though it’s in the middle…make it work) with your first Lik-M-Aid stick. Then, after you have sufficiently crashed from your sugar high and your spouse is about to divorce you, you should begin on the red section with your second Lik-M-Aid stick. Shortly after eating this second pack, you will be covered in colored sugar7 and totally disgusted with yourself. When you feel the need to fuel your self loathing again, you should begin on the blue/green packet…but you will be out of Lik-M-Aid sticks, so you will have to use your finger. Your finger and tongue will be green for approximately 3 days.8
1. I use the “under the leg method”. Since I eat these while driving, I will warm a couple up by sticking them under my leg and turning on the seat warmer. It’s quite effective.
2. Not a Fun Pack. Due to the restricted amount of candies in a fun pack, you are always required to consume the full amount in a Fun Pack.
3. Ideally, you will eat these with a friend who has their own package and by some wishful thinking, this friend will prefer the blue ones and you will be able to trade with them.
4. In the event of a rainbow box, you may mix colors, but you must separate out the big fat ones from the small ones. The big fatties should be eaten individually.
5. If your spouse is sneaky and waits until you have finished the less-good side to ask for some candy (because all he wants is the more-good side) you are no longer required to share with him.
6. Another one of the candy anomalies, white Lifesavers are clearly the best flavor.
7. Because this is EASILY the messiest candy ever created.
8. It is sometimes best to find a small child with a harried mother to give this to. They will appreciate it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
