One Year Later...

Ahhh...the infamous yearly Vegas trip. Two years ago it was booked and I was ready to go only to find out I was pregnant 1.5 weeks before! Last year, I went sleep deprived and just weaned from breast feeding to find a bit of solitude and sanity....which lead me to a 3:26 PR.This year, I did not think I would be able to pull it off with all the travels, racing and work that had accumulated. But, low and behold, I had a project come up that would coincide perfectly with the Rock n Roll Las Vegas marathon. So I signed up...I mean, who wouldn’t want to run the strip at night??

I have had a wonderful year....well, let me rephrase that, an “Unbelievable” year of racing, travelling and accomplishment following having Emma. I have done more in a year after having a baby than I have ever done, single, married, or young and stupid. It blows my mind, but builds so much confidence!

A lot of people attribute the “post-baby athletic success” to something physiological like larger blood flow and oxygen delivery etc... I care to disagree. I attribute it to learning how to be tough as nails. Firstly, you deliver a baby, which is harder than anything...EVER! Then you take care of it, which is harder than anything...EVER x 100! You learn that 3 hours of sleep will do, and you learn how to multitask and you learn to LOVE your spouse more than anything because they take care of the baby so you can have some time to run and shower!

Before I even begin describing my Vegas experience, NONE of it would have been possible without my wonderful husband who has been there since day one. Feeding Emma a bottle while I pumped milk...taking night shift turns and making sure I got out of the house and...at the end of this year, doing water support and motivational support for my last long run leading up to Vegas while the wind was howling and we would have rather been in bed!

It takes a family unit to do what I did this year, so as I write this race report, I want you to keep in mind that this is not about me, it is about a fortunate woman who has an amazing husband and absolutely adorable, good natured and way too overactive baby who support me.

Ok, on to the race. Firstly, Vegas was more of a business trip and the first 2 days were spent working the expo as i am a part of the Brooks ID program. So, I volunteered Friday and Saturday for Brooks. WOW! The number of people at the expo was incomprehensible. I did not realize that we were dealing with a +40,000 field until I got to the expo and then to experience that number of people was crazy! Needless to say I was a bit worn out from the expo at the end of the day.

I have run Chicago a few times which has over a 40,000 and I knew what a race like that has to look like that for a smooth execution and I already anticipated some of the issues that would come up on Sunday when the race was run at night. Firstly, you had to get to the race start EARLY! and secondly, something I could not control but could brace myself for is the merging of the marathon onto the half marathon course.

To summarise the marathon course, it pretty much starts at Mandalay Bay and zig-zags around a western industrial neighborhood for 13 miles before feeding you back onto the Las Vegas strip for the last half of the marathon. The marathon starts at 4 and the half starts at 5:30...I braced myself for utter chaos merging onto a massive crowd of runners....but, rather than worry about what I could not control, I did what I could and got to the race 2 hours early.

Arriving at the race, it was pretty calm. The marathon field was only a small fraction of the half marathon field. I mean, only the crazies want to run an extra 13 miles off the strip, right???:) So I hung out, got my tunes on and then found bag check which was a good 10 minute walk from the race start through the hotel (note: Vegas hotels are like mini-cities). I decided upon shorts and a long sleeve as we would be running when the sun went down and temperatures were going to be around 34 ish...cold! The wind was picking up and I was dreading waiting in my corral, but at 3:40 I made my way into the box and put on a pair of sweatpants that were abandoned on the side of the corral gates...yes, I am white trash to the core, I don’t mind wearing other peoples clothes that have been left behind.

It was time to eat my last gel and wait for the start. There was a nervous energy but absolute excitement as the area had filled with the ½ marathoners waiting to start and the air was buzzing with anticipation.The start was anti-climatic. A little gun went off and we were off.....

A little more background information. It has been years since I have ran a stand-alone marathon fit and not injured. My PR was actually the year before 4 months after having a baby, so I had a bunch of uncharted territory to navigate as I was actually fit and ready to run this marathon. I had asked a trusted source before heading out what pace I should go for and the agreed upon answer was “GO FOR IT”...and attempt the more aggressive pace. That pace was 3:10.

I started with the 3:10 group.Immediately I got into a groove and was feeling strong, nothing outside of my comfort zone. I pretty much hop scotched with the 3:10 group as I don’t like my pace to be dictated by a pacer, but how I feel. I usually can dial in my pace to the tee within 2 miles and I try to stick with it. 3 women around me we jockeying for positions and putting on surges, but I held back. In my opinion, the key to a successful marathon is to refrain oneself from pushing the first half marathon. The real test is the last half ...so I let the ladies go and kept groovin to “Move’s Like Jagger!” (thank you Diana!)

I wish I had some exciting details to tell you about the first 5 miles, but it was pretty mundane. It actually felt like a nice training run and the oxygen at sea level was heaven! If anything I get the “boredom” lows during the first half of a marathon because I know you have to keep it easy and control, yet you want to go! yet...having so many blow up experiences I knew better.

The exciting part was watching the sun set and running into darkness. It was kind of surreal and I was so looking forward to that experience of merging onto the strip with 40,000 other runners.The first quarter of the marathon includes some overpasses and lots of gradual incline. I was happy to get it over with and knowing my strength on the uphills I was able to keep with my group while staying comfortable.

At mile 9 you turn and head East back to the strip which is a gradual downhill and I decided to take advantage of it. I knew i wanted to bank some time if I was to stay with the 3:10 group through the second half. Once again, I apologise for this absolutely boring race report thus far, because that is what is was for me for the first half of the marathon...in control, comfortable and just...running.

I started getting really excited around mile 11. I has just taken my first gel and my stomach was feeling ok. With the race being at night and not having nailed any nutritional regime etc....I knew stomach upset would most likely be an issue. Hence, I did take an immodium before the race. So far, so good. I had the 2 overpasses to cover and then it was time to start the party.....

THE SECOND HALF

This is where the fun begins. I was having an absolute fantastic time , hitting my time goals and feeling comfortable. Half a mile out from the strip I turned my IPOD off and you could hear it. The crowds were amazing. It was if it were a bunch of bees buzzing....and it just intensified the closer you got the the strip.

Finally I hit 13 miles and then started the turn. The crowds were roaring!! I mean roaring!! it felt like the road was shaking as I merged. There were so many spectators I didn’t even see the ½ marathoners until I got around the curve and the pedestrian barricades had absolved into no where and I was in a see of dressed up, costume, and crazy runners!! All of a sudden there was a biker right beside me and I was like “ is this how they are separating the fields” and then I saw a few neon pylons marking “marathon left” and “half marathon right”....It was not working. Anyhow, the biker stayed with me for about a quarter mile until he/she could not get through the crowds anymore. What I learned in hind site is that was my first “pace biker” as I was in the top ten....I had NO idea!

So, I kept running. To be honest, the merge onto the course was great but then it became a royal pain in the butt to navigate through the crowds, but I did not let it deter me. I just kept trying to be consistent which meant running on curbs, nicely tapping those on the shoulder in front of me and asking them to move over. There were some irate marathoners who were screaming nasty things, but I really had not patience for that. We were fortunate to have this experience and the health to do it...does a minute or two on a marathon really mean that much!! A marathoner actually started yelling at me because he thought I was a half marathoner and when he realized I was not he apologised and was complaining about how the half marathoners were “wrecking his race” I felt sorry for him...it is just a run and when the crowds thinned out, you had the opportunity to see the lights and experience something for the first time (the first time this race has been held at night!).

Mile 13-17 was all about making sure that I did not run into anyone or trip/fall. It went by very quickly…but I knew I was fading at mile 16 so I took my last gel, knowing it would be not enough to finish. I know myself well enough to know that when my demeanor gets cranky it is time to eat, and I was getting cranky. The dilemma was if I have my gel now, what do I do for the next 10 miles??? But, I couldn’t worry about it; I needed sugar and energy at that moment, so I took it. I was running in the moment and loving it!

…until mile 18-19…my stomach turned. The Imodium had worn off and I needed a bathroom ASAP!! I could not believe the race of my life was going to be derailed for a potty-break!! I knew an aid station was ahead so I did the best I could to get ready. Got the Imodium out of my pocket (I ALWAYS carry it as I have the worst poop problems while racing long distance) grabbed two cups of water and darted into the nearest porta potty to do my business while chugging water and taking the magic pill. I knew I lost a few minutes, but I had to do “damage control” if I was to finish strong. I left the toilet and ran like a bat outta hell as I wanted so much to make up some time I had lost…

Then my stomach turned again and this almost derailed my whole race. I actually saw things falling apart. “What happens if I have to stop at every toilet?”…”How much more time am I going to lose?” …”What if my stomach does not settle?”…and most importantly, “Where am I going to go poop now??”!!Well, we were on the North side of the strip in a shady neighborhood and I brought out my white-trash side of me and pulled behind a bush in a parking lot……yes, I did that! Sshhhhh…don’t tell anyone:)

I was dreading having a horrible 6 miles back to the finish, but I kept focused and after I had done my business I took off in a hurry trying to make up time without pushing the envelope too much that I would not make it to the finish strong. We made a few twists and turns/corners and running around the block and my stomach was doing fine…and then…mile 20!!!

I think of mile 20 as the golden point of a marathon. This is just my personal opinion, but this is where you really find out what you are made of…mentally that is. Physically, everyone has trained the same and should be fit enough to complete the marathon, but it is what everyone does when they encounter that uncharted territory that matters the most when wanting to finish strong. So, it was “GO” time for me. I had braced and prepared myself for this. A lot of people fear that moment when the going gets tough, but I thrive off of it. It is sadistic, I know. But, I need to know for myself, as if a metaphor for life, that I have “what it takes.” When things get tough, I push harder…and this is how it turned out for me:

Mile 20-21: So pissed from the bathroom breaks I didn’t even focus on the distance, I just hammered away. I broke it down to a 10 km race for me, keep it steady and controlled …but push the envelope. The key in a marathon you WILL slow down the last 6 miles and the way to avoid it is to push harder; the effort will offset the inevitable slow down. So, I pushed. I was not getting faster, but I was not getting slower…I was staying consistent and entering a whole other world of hurt…

Mile 21-22: GU station!! Thankfully I was not bonking but I was not hungry and wanted nothing. The solution? Take 2 gels!! If you throw up or burp up some, you still have enough to finish. Knowing that my whole GI system was F*cked up I was taking chances; it was time to walk out of the comfort zone and gamble in Vegas! I did not want water, so I just took enough to get that God awful stuff down my throat. I could see the Stratosphere and focused on that. I was also in a complete haze….stomach was turning and I was determined not to stop. I kept focused on the time and staying consistent in my turnover. It was boring…..no soul searching here…just pretty lights. The course had thinned out and I was running comfortably without congestion on the course.

Mile 22-23: This is where we get into the nitty gritty. It felt like knives were digging into my lungs and I had anticipated this. 2.5 weeks before I developed pleurisy from an infection. My doctor and I had discussed it and the way to treat it was anti-inflammatory. I am really against anti-infamms because they cause stomach upset and also because I feel that pain is a natural indicator as to what you should or should not be doing. So we agreed that pain would be my limiter as this condition will resolve itself over time. So, I did what I prepared myself to do…I told myself “hang on…and take it…suck it up buttercup…this will be over before you know it”… in hindsight, I think this is something you learn during child birth. Pain that will not go away till it is over and you can’t stop it, so you deal with it. I did have an epidural (Thank God!) but I did experience enough of labor to know that a marathon is nothing compared to it.

Mile 23-24: Mile 23 was the turning point. This is where I took out my “bag of tricks.” Maybe it is experience or just the emotional side of me, but I know when things get tough, I need to remember why it is what I am doing and have some things to focus on. I asked my runners before this marathon to send me some songs and anecdotes that would get me through this tough time….I also have my own “dig deep” strategy, and all of that combined got me through the final 3 miles…I thought of a lady that just lost a battle with cancer; the one my runner emailed me about and I could not even begin to imagine experiencing such pain and ignored my own. It was temporary. Knees up, such it up buttercup… I was at mile 24….and I finally began to enjoy the lights on the stip…

Mile 24-25 Pardon my French, but “Game on B*tches!!” … I looked at my watch and saw Mandalay Bay. It was if I snapped out of a haze and came to my senses. “Down with the Sickness” roared in my Shuffle and I was nearing the end. I think it was a combination of endorphins, nearing the end and actually taking in the journey that got me on this high. I knew I was in for an amazing run for me…but how much?? I mean, how much could I push?? A lot of people do not realize that the finish time is not that important to me as making sure I never look back and say I could do more….So, I pushed, I pushed and I pushed. I got that heart rate up and with the fatigue I was pushing that envelope. I wanted it….I wanted to know that I was going to finish without ever succumbing to any mental demons and I was making the most of everything that was in my control…. And I saw mile 25… and it burned…

Mile 25-26 this is where my mind out did my body and it is the most surreal experience ever. My mind was ready but my body was not. I have had this experience before, actually in many Ironman’s , where the heart rate soars so high with the effort you want to supply so that if you want to finish you have to keep it in control and dial back or stop pushing. Thankfully, I have had enough experience to recognize this, and with the lungs and spent body, I hung on for dear life and kept up what I could. In hindsight, you could say I hit the wall at mile 25…..But, then an amazing thing happened….they separated the course. Marathoners took the left lane on the strip and marathoners to the right. I could hear the finish and see the parking lot…so close…And…I was alone…absolutely alone. There was a man 200 meters ahead of me on the road and then just me. Then I looked to my right and saw swarms of people on the half marathon course finishing. This is the first time I actually realized that I had done really well. I was running on a full street by myself.. And then I turned the corner into the Mandalay parking lot where I had. 2 miles to go

26 to 26.2- I could write a novel about what I felt during those last .2 miles, none of which have to do with the fatigue. It is a journey and some things need to be left personal. But, what I will tell you is that those last .2 miles I knew I had finally NAILED a marathon. I had executed what I wanted to do. Not a moment of weakness was allowed to creep into my head and when it did, and when things were out of my control, I took care of it and kept going….

This has been an amazing experience and it is something I have not done by myself. My family, athletes and friends have been such a support to me and I learned and leaned on each one of them, whether they know it or not.I would love to tell you about the aftermath, but that is a story in itself….

Let’s just say that after a 2.5 mile hike back to the hotel and a bag of potato chips on the way, I stopped into Margaretville where I got a “Boat Sized” Pina Colada in which the bartender did not measure by standard (many other patrons at the bar where cheering him on as he was pouring the white-trash marathon runner a drink!) and I am sure there was WAY too much Rum for me to handle on a normal night. Needless to say, I took it up to the hotel room, had a shower and sat like a pig-in-Sh*t drinking it and savoring the accomplishment.

This one is in the books!!

Adventures in Vegas

Wow…3 weeks turns into 4 months!! How time flies. Truth be told I know I have been absent from blogging and every day I can think of things to blog about but then I realize that there is not 30 hours in the day. Since I have the time now I thought I would catch everyone up.

How did I magically make the time? Well, I went to Vegas! Yes, that is right; I am in Sin City BY MYSELF!! Probably one of the hardest things I have done to be away from my daughter and awesome husband…but, I needed it. Last year I was signed up for the Vegas marathon and then I found out we had a little Emma on the way less than 2 weeks before; that kind of put things to a halt.

Fast forward to 2010…I was not sure how I would recover from the pregnancy/childbirth/being a mommy thing, so I kept the idea of the Vegas marathon in the back of my head. When I was able to complete the Denver ½ marathon in October feeling really good about it, I figured why not go for the full?? So, Vegas trip #2 was booked and trust me there was no way another pregnancy would get in the way, LOL!

So that is why I am in Vegas. I had an awesome race, but back to that in a bit. I want to talk about Emma first and how being a “mother” has changed me

Emma is a riot. She is a piece of art. A total blend of Gregory’s and my personality. She is curious like Gregory always wanting to look at things, touch them and learn. She is impatient and hungry like me (Emma is a piggy like me). Most obvious though is how she likes to fight sleeping (my trait). She is a great sleeper at night…we can get a good 10 hours out of her (knock on wood not to jinx ourselves) but Lord help you if you are taking care of her during the day. NO naps…really! Only 20 minutes at most; and when she falls asleep during the day she fights it and throws a fit before finally succumbing. The evenings are epic; we have kicking, screaming, growling and eventually she settles into her deep sleep for the night. Don’t get me wrong, I love this and would prefer it over a baby up every 2 hours at night (been there, done that!)But it can be exhausting. Emma also likes attention. During the day it is at struggle to even use the bathroom with her because she is so curious and does NOT like being left without a parent in sight. We love it! It really is fun, hilarious and rewarding to know someone needs you/your attention that much and the rewards are exponential.

Ok, so back to me and how being a mom has changed me. Since this would turn into a novel if I actually wrote it out, I will try point-form:

Patience: I have a lot more of it. You learn your schedule revolves around someone else and their schedule, yet it is the most rewarding thing ever!

Self-Acceptance: All at once the things you thought were important don’t seem as important anymore after having a child. There is no time to worry about what others think of you, try to impress or be someone you are not. Being a mom supplies a sense of self-confidence I cannot describe, but I know I have grown more confident as a person.

Physical: Believe it or not, I don’t care how much I weigh post-pregnancy or how I look (other than those handful of insecure days…we all have them). I just “made” a baby and that is amazing; why the heck should I be worried about my weight? I used to worry about this but not anymore. I think we all get too obsessed on a scale number to take 10 steps back and re-evaluate the whole picture. Yes, I do know I have lost a bunch of the baby weight and I have good genes and I am running a marathon 4 months post-Emma makes me sound like a hypocrite, but this is my experience. I am sure that even if I was ### lbs heavier and struggling I would still try to walk the marathon because I love the event. It’s about the challenge and satisfaction you get from completing such an event.

I now have hips and my body has changed a ton!! I don’t have saggy boobs because I never had boobs to begin with, so I guess I should be thankful! All of these changes I have embraced. I can relate it to the”battle scars” of mommyhood. I don’t want to get far into this subject because it seems very shallow to me and there are more important things to write/think about.

Time-Management: There is never enough time..PERIOD. I have learned to make the most of my time. I thought I was resourceful and organized before; well let me tell you, having a kid makes you realize how inefficient you were before. I will leave it at that.

Emotional: I have learned to love in a whole new way. I cannot describe the amount of love I feel for my husband and daughter at this time. We are a growing family, yet one unit. It is so satisfying.

Social: You really have to work at this aspect of life. If not, you can become a hermit. I try my best to keep in contact with my friends and make sure that I get “out” in order to sustain some normalcy.

This list could go on and on…but I eventually need to wrap this blog entry up so I am going to close with a mini race-report.

Here it goes:

I ran with Elvis….and it was fun!! First 13 miles of the race were up and down the strip and they flew by and it was so much fun!! At mile 11 I had some tummy problems and made a few stops. With a little care and attention to what was going on (aka immodium!) I was back on track by mile 14 and kept plugging away at a constant pace. By mile 18 the legs let me know they were tired and I told them to shut-up. Believe it or not, as I felt my legs turn to lead I kept looking at my garmin and the pace remained consistent…although effort increased exponentially. At mile 25 I knew I had a PR in the bag despite my previous stops earlier and told myself to “suck it up princess”….which really seemed so lame and shallow compared to everything that has happened in my life thus far this year, but I kept pushing until the finish…and then I finished…5 minute PR…game over, time to party!!

There you have it, race report galore. As you may notice, racing and race-reporting is not much of a priority right now, but more of a privilege. Half of this post should be dedicated to my wonderful husband who supports me 200% which enables me to do these crazy things that I love.

Tomorrow I am home and I could not be happier!! I cannot wait to see my amazing family.
I am probably one of the very few who will hit the pit before the bars open in Vegas because I want to be well rested to see my family tomorrow. But, that is how it goes..and I am content. I will however admit to having a “Vegas Slurpee” which was extremely yummy and well worth it!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

3 weeks!

My daughter is precious. I am sure every mom can say this about their child…But, I like to think that Emma is the exception.

She is exceptional at eating, pooping and making those great grunting noises. She even dances to AC/DC; or at least that is what her father tells me. I am sure she is always smiling at me when I hold her (it has nothing to do with the giant crap she is taking). Emma is wonderful!
Life as a parent does not get much better than this. And I mean it! Days are filled with eat, burp, poo…and sometimes sleep (our daughter gets her sleeping habits from her father) and I love every minute of it. The thing that amazes me is how quickly our little monster is growing. It is amazing to see the little changes every day. There are outfits she has outgrown even before wearing them!

Now, I could go on and on about how perfect Emma is, but then it would get boring. I am going to talk a bit about me, the post-partums and life moving forward after a munchkin enters your world.

First, the post-partums…in my opinion it is just a hormonal flux mixed in with sleep deprivation, feeling overwhelmed and life as you know it will never be the same (which it won’t, but it won’t always be waking up every hour to feed your baby). AND, although this may be graphic, what woman would not struggle with a new baby, on a handful of hours of sleep a night whose boobs are ready to explode every 3 hours and needs to keep in mind that it is not only a new baby to take care of, but herself (umm, there is a bit of physical maintenance that needs to be done after you squeezed a watermelon out of you and that might have involved stitches etc…let alone the trauma of a c-section for others) This all hit me last week; you would think going from a jaundiced baby (Emma had to go back to the hospital after 4 days to sun-tan because she was badly jaundiced..but is FINE now) who had to eat every hour to a healthy one who eats every 2-3 hours would be refreshing and a positive change for the mentality. Well, that extra time was enough to remind me what lies outside in the real world and what my life has been like for the past 2 weeks. I had a few mini-breakdowns, had Gregory have to wake me up for feeds because I was dead to the world asleep, but it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be in terms of the post-partum stories people tell you. So, there you have it, that is my sob-story, I am over it, I feel better…. I am not going to dwell, because honestly, I think I have filled my time with some positive events I would prefer to write about.

First and foremost, I went for dinner with my husband. Last Wednesday was our anniversary and we headed out for some good eats and time away from “baby.” Thank goodness for Claude and Joelle who have allowed Gregory and I a LOT of freedom these past few weeks and are AWESOME babysitters. This marked the first time G and I were away from Emma for our “couple time”. All I can say is “FREEDOM”..we had a long dinner, went for a walk..I had to walk off the “drink” I had with dinnerJ (one word pump-n-dump) and we actually had time to experience life outside of a child. It was heaven…but let me tell you, the mother-child separation anxiety is a killer. Once a mom, you will always NEED your child.

Second, “Ladies Night”!! Friday I went out with a bunch of my girlfriends. Gregory, Claude and Joelle had a mini party of their own with Emma. I had such a refreshing time catching up with my girlfriends and feeling not so “mom-like”….what happens, or is consumed on ladies night will remain under strict confidentiality (actually, I was rather disappointed in myself!)…but, let’s just say I made it home to tuck my baby into bed. My friends are awesome! Throughout the past 10 months I have gone from the athlete/friend to “mom” and my friends have been there for me through thick and thin…I am one of the first to pop out a child so it is a change for the whole social-scene dynamic, but the ladies I hang out with make it work and make me feel awesome. Thanks ladies!

Finally, and I know most of you are wondering, “What about the workouts?” Well, I will be honest and say that I am not sitting on my butt and doing nothing. Today marks 3 weeks since Emma was born. That is 3 more weeks before I am allowed to swim…..darn, I am SO upset! Actually, I will just say it as it is and many can call me crazy and many will applaud me for keeping active etc…but, after 1.5 weeks I started back on the elliptical. I do 30 minutes with no resistance and do keigals at the same time. Yup, the most important thing to me is to keep my uterus intact and make sure I never pee myself. I do my abdominal exercises every day and I make sure to do SOMETHING every day. Why would I torture myself like this being sleep deprived and only a few weeks out from giving birth??? Because it makes me feel better! T rust me, when you need toothpicks to pry open your eyes in the morning and a triple shot espresso won’t help either, getting the blood pumping does wonders! AND, I get a chance to watch the news on the TV down in the clubhouse. That is my morning time that Gregory so kindly lets/enforces I have. We have a great schedule worked out such that I get the morning shift of feeding while he sleeps and then he will take Emma so I can have some “me time.” Having a kid/marriage etc..is compromise and every day I am reminded what a wonderful, generous and understanding husband I have. However, I may have to put a stop to these rendezvous because when I come back, AC/DC is blasting and both husband and child are dancing around the apartment..hmmmm….
So, there you have it, a real blog entry!! There is more exciting stuff happening that you should stay tuned in for (AKA…I am getting my crap together and freeing up time to blog so this blog will become more interesting!)…

2 weeks!

Gosh! I know bad, bad blogger!! But, really! I have an excuse…..her name is Emma.

Truth be told, having a child is awesome! I am so happy and so fulfilled. But, writing about all the little things day in and day out that go on with a newborn are not so interesting for those reading…. I mean, how many times do you want to read about Emma’s feeding schedule, diaper changes and my lack of sleep? Probably not much…

So, I will give a rundown of some of the fun/interesting stuff.
First of all, Emma is a crazy active child…I don’t know who she gets that from?? She already rolls side to side, so that means no forgetting her on the changing table. She also cannot stop moving her legs, and keeping her swaddled is impossible. We time how long it takes her to squirm out of her blanket.

Emma is also a little piggy, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. She is the best kid and SO well behaved until she realizes she is hungry. Then watch out, she screams bloody murder as if she will waste away to nothing (which is not the case considering the double…almost triple chin developing on her). The good part is that it makes Gregory and my job easier: fussy baby? Feed her, angry baby? Feed her, lonely baby? Feed her, crying baby? Feed her. I don’t know if it is the right thing to do but it works!

The downside of the “feed her” solution is that it requires a “mom”…yes, Erin has not gotten much sleep and be careful, I could blow at any moment. I consider myself a huge pot of “stew”…a bunch of stuff cooking/boiling together that could yield the best tasting concoction ever or something that could turn sour…in other words, I am post-partum crazy…which is better than depressed.

For example, last night, I decided it would be a great idea to unleash on Gregory when we are in the middle of our feeding session because he had time to eat a “cookie” while prepping a bottle and I did not because I had to start with breast feeding (remember, we have a child who thinks she is going to die screaming her lungs off and will not stop until she gets fed..aka, mom!) and move onto pumping …what transpired was not pretty. Good news is I did not get the cookie so I continue to lose the pregnancy weight and Gregory did not kill me because he is the most patient, loving and supportive husband ever!! (Despite what he posts on Facebook)

Ummm, what else…. I swear, my pregnancy brain gets worse! I am becoming stupid…and I am not kidding. On the “real life” front outside of Emma, Gregory and I are busy working out a schedule. A work/real life/baby schedule and it is hard work! I am becoming adjusted to the fact that I will be a full-time “mommy” and that work/training will be of less priority for the while. But, because I have such a great hubby who understands what makes me happy, I do have some “morning” time to be allocated to what I want and I am SO grateful. More on those morning plans later….

Finally, one last funny thing that I wanted to share because Gregory thinks it is the funniest and sent out a mass email telling all his friends: the 2 things that stood out in his mind during my labor:

1. The nurse asked me if I wanted to see a Chaplain because it was standard procedure and my response: “Only if they can administer an epidural.” I was then the nurse’s best friend.

2. About 7 minutes into my 13 minute pushing ordeal..which, I thought was not bad at all because I had the epidural and I thought I was awesome at the time…I told Gregory in front of the doctor and nurses suited up and ready to deliver “I am going to kick you’re a$$ at Ironman next year!!” …after 2 weeks and 1 day of taking care of Emma and lack of sleep I think I am not so sure anymore….

Alright, time to put the mommy hat on! More later

Made It One Week!

It’s been one week since Emma Lee Menvielle entered this world…and what a crazy/fun/extrodinary week it has been!

At 6:31 August 2nd, our little monster arrived in style and much to my surprise, with ease. Less than 6 hours of labor and 13 minutes of pushing Emma Lee Menvielle was born weighing 7 lbs and 5 oz and measuring 20.5 inches in length. We knew that this baby would be long and she has strong runner legs and long swimmer arms!

This week has been beyond amazing on so many different levels. Gregory and I are of course a bit sleep deprived, but Emma is an angel. She only fusses when she is hungry…hmmm, I wonder who she gets that from????

There is so much more to write and I know in a few days (or weeks!) I will be posting more details and such, but for the time being I would like to congratulate Emma on surviving one week with Gregory and I!

Eviction Notice Served!

I didn’t know how to take it this morning when the doctor walked into the office, took a look at me and said “wow! You’re still pregnant!”…. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means 42 weeks or long overdue (although it seems like it since it has been 6 weeks since things started going crazy with my body) but, because we have 4 doctors to rotate with and this one saw me 4 weeks ago in the ER and put me on bed rest, I think she was under the assumption I would pop early….little did she know we are dealing with MY child.

So, I will have you all know that the Ambien is working wonders! I can now sleep 3 hours at a time before contractions wake me up (can you sense the sarcasm..But at least it is better than last week when I had NO sarcasm). Contractions have “changed”…I don’t like to say “gotten stronger” or make any assumptions here, because heck, I have NO idea of what full blown labor is going to feel like, but things are different and Emma is REALLY launched in my crotch now. It is like walking with a basketball between the legs and the peanut gallery (aka Gregory) bursts into fits of laughter when I have to get up and walk. After 5 weeks of no weight gain, I just put on the mother-load…4 lbs in 6 days…and I swell up like a cheese poof! I am still peeing myself because they checked to see if my water had broke today...no such luck…sigh. Oh, and I have dilated a whopping 0%; this is real progress folks.

Despite my desperate begs to induce this Friday (1 day before 39 weeks); you will notice, gone are the sobs of last week “Am I a bad mom if I ask you to induce before 40 weeks!!??” and replaced with “I don’t care how, just get her out!” (I made a new best-friend nurse who said I was her favorite mom-to-be because I wanted to do it the “easy way”) the doctor kept a firm stand on Monday. Which, I can fully understand and respect; sanctions are in place for certain reasons. And really, why wouldn’t I want to spend another weekend bonding with my unborn squirming child, Ambien and gummi bears?...Plus, I do have a few things to take care of before Emma arrives, including stocking up on the olives (for the gin martini) and tonic water (for the gin and tonic) and a sushi menu (for the 20 rolls of sushi I will stuff my face with once Emma arrives!).

All kidding aside, some people have asked me if I am nervous/scared/excited and the answer is a little bit of everything. As for labor, since it will be a controlled induction….which, I like to joke about that they will pump me full of pitocin till I am contracting like crazy and I still WON’T dilate (Gregory jokes Emma has put up an electric fence around my uterus, a brick wall and has guard dogs because she is content on eating gummi bears and gelato, and is in a temperature regulated environment in the middle of one heck of a hot summer!) Anyhow, back to controlled induction; the minute it starts to hurt, I am going for the epidural. In my mind, they can load me up with as much pitocin as they want to get the process rolling as long as I have an epidural or some sort of narcotic; I am not picky. And, God forbid, if there are complications, they can get Emma out however they wish, just as long as she gets out healthy and safe. I know, I am a really high pain-in-the-butt patient…actually, I AM considering the last 6 weeks and that every doctor/nurse/staff knows who I am, but I blame it on Emma; she is high maintenance.

One thing I am going to say, and it is not to judge or be judged by anyone. But, I REFUSE to set expectations about birthing….if I have learned anything at all over the past 6 weeks, It is everyone is different. How you get to the end goal does not matter, the only thing that matters is that Gregory and I end up with a healthy, screaming (even cone-headed and squished face) Emma.

And that cone-headed, squished face comment comes from the latest pregnancy magazine that lists all the things your husband “may” want to say about your new child/childbirth process vs. what he should say. Somehow I don’t think that Gregory reads these magazines….he is the man who steals my “pregnancy pillow” in the middle of the night and jokes about my “barricaded cervix.”

So, here is how it is going to go down. On Sunday I get to go to the hospital to have a “balloon” put into my cervix by my favorite doctor: the cutest 4 foot lady with a booming, energetic voice; she is a maternity cheerleader! It’s like a party, balloons and all!! I know, TMI, but if my cervix is not dilated, they need to help it out. Then home to sleep and Monday morning I go in to be hooked up to the pitocin drip…and the epidural..Can’t forget that! Then Emma will be evicted whether she likes it or not. AND the doctor on call for the “delivery” is the one who dealt with me in the hospital 6 weeks ago with infections and all, so I am SURE she is just as excited to learn she won’t have to deal with me anymore. Overall, it is shaping up to be quite the day!

One more thing…people ask me what I look forward to the most not being pregnant. And as much as everyone bets it is that “drink” or roll of “sushi” it is actually being able to eat a “full” meal. The stomach is a muscle; I will TRAIN it back into shape! I also can’t wait to get in the pool (have not been in since the infections due to obvious reasons); yes, hell just froze over…I said I wanted to get in the water! I also want to get back on the bike…but, that is no surprise and Gregory and I have started looking at some frame. I am also not sure what it will be like not to have a squirming baby inside of me or feel a contraction every 10 minutes. That being said, I think there will be MANY other things to keep my attention.

So, there you have it…baby Menvielle WILL be here soon and the fun is about to begin. Starting with Friday…the French invasion begins! Oh Lord…if there is nothing cuter/exciting than a newborn it must be the soon-to-be grandparent(s). Oh, and for the record, I DID manage to remove my 2 month old toenail polish the other day…now I just need to find the flexibility and energy to re-paint them. My Auntie-In-Law is extremely concerned that my toenails look nice since they will probably be the first thing Emma sees when she comes out. If Emma is not here by Friday, I know what Cocole will be doing on Saturday!

So, I am sure everyone is tired of reading about “Baby Emma” and “Pregnancy”…next post will still be about “Baby Emma” hopefully with cute pictures and all!

The powerful combination of Green Gummi Bears and Ambien

I am hungover….really, I am. I’m on the juice, the Ambien juice that is. Doctors offered me morphine, but I am just not into that harder stuff. Woke up from a 4 hour induced sleep and am feeling really groovy…

And no, this is not just because I just delivered Emma….however, she will come on August 2nd, if not sooner. That is my induction date. I fall at 39 weeks on a Saturday so they will induce the following Monday. It will be a party. Everyone start preparing; I think we should have carrot cake, a sushi buffet and martini station set up in the hospital room.

So what exactly has been going on? Other than I have banished myself to crochet island? Well, I don’t want to bore you with details and it is relatively simple; my body is shot. Ever since I dealt with the hospital stay/infections and all the other life stresses handed to me (which, BTW IS LIFE…crap happens and we can only deal with it the best I can…guess my mind is stronger than my body) I have been dealing “false labor/contractions.” At first they were mild and taken care of with bed rest, then they got stronger and we ended up in the ER the other weekend and then they keep getting stronger but never enough to warrant an ER visit or claw my eyeballs out. I have not been able to sleep and most of what I eat comes back up (except for Candy and gelato..Emma has great taste!). So, when I went into the doctors today, took a look at me, my vitals, the contractions etc…they came to the conclusion that this woman should be institutionalized….just kidding! They did conclude that my body has been so “traumatized and run down” that my uterus contracts, just not in an efficient manner (I was ready to tell them if they want to see a traumatized and run down body, they should come see me after an Ironman…but I figured it smarter to keep my mouth shut). Now, for all of you ladies who have had babies, imagine “early labor” for weeks on end…it is a great workout!


My newest project: Baby Mittens! Next up: Booties and Hats...and there is a "major" project in the mix that needs to remain secret for now...plus it might give away exactly how much time I spend crocheting, LOL!


All kidding aside, the doctors must weigh the health of the mom and baby in these situations. Right now, Emma is super! Mom, not so super….they are worried that I don’t have the energy/reserves to deliver a baby, let alone take care of one. So, the doctor wanted to admit me to the hospital and put me into morphine induced sleep. I had to politely decline since that would mean missing the last stages of the TDF and I have seen the hospital room enough… Plus, Emma likes watching bike racing and I am getting some great ideas for my “birthing present”..Which, has been upgraded from my “as long as it fits bike frame” to “I deserve full carbon, Durace and a powermeter” because they said my cervix will “pop” and are now offering me morphine…really, having that glass of red wine right now does not sound so bad considering all the drugs they are offering.

So, for all of you wondering “what’s next”…well, Gregory is set on Emma arriving this weekend because it is a full moon. I am not sure what to think about this….

Until Emma arrives or the 2nd, I am on orders to keep myself “juiced up” and sleeping. So, my days will be awfully exciting….this does resemble my comment to Gregory earlier today “If I have not progressed at all, they will have to tranquilize me.” I think Gregory is taking some sick sort of satisfaction out of that…his last week of peace and quiet before he has 2 monsters in the house.

I am at 1.5 cm dilated and baby is dropped to -1 and I am 60% effaced. I know, this means everything!! I don’t even know why I keep telling people…

Emma likes to squirm a lot! She is tired of this pregnancy too…and she knows her bassinet is made and ready. Right now it is occupied by her stuffed toys so Gregory has stuff to “play” with in the middle of the night until his daughter arrives.

Oh, and I had the BEST gift arrive today!! I don’t know who it is from…but all I can say is it is greatly appreciated and EXACTLY what I needed to lift mine and Emma’s spirits (well, get us out of bed that is). A 2 lb bag of green gummi bears arrived in the mail…1 lb is gone…I still have “potentially” 10 days to indulge and I am going to make the most of it!

Alright, on a final note, I want to thank everyone for checking in on me and your kind comments/thoughts; it means the world to me! Emma is going to have a great group of friends to entertain! For now, I am putting myself on “stand bye” if I don’t answer the phone/email, I am most likely sleeping or in labor; let’s hope for the latter!

Once Emma arrives, I will make sure to have Gregory update this blog with a few pictures and such….

This is Chewy and Emma signing off!!....