Feeding a Tiny Person

When we first starting giving Liam solids around 5 months I remember thinking this isn't so bad!  Until we ran through all the basic purees.  Then it was like hmmmm....what else can I make him?  (I made ~90% of Liam's food, it was easy even for this working momma!).  As Liam grew I'd try to change it up with the ultimate goal being...I didn't want to raise a picky eater!  I tried hard to expose him to a wide variety of foods, still do!  Overall I think I did a good job, he eats just about anything and has even grown to like carrots (once his arch enemy).

Now that Liam is One Year Old! (How did that happen?)  I feel like he's in this brand new place, he can eat a vast majority of things we eat!  It's wonderful, most of the time. We just introduced Whole Cow's Milk and in true Liam fashion he likes it.  We are in the process of eliminating bottles as well, almost there!

Here's the thing.  I sorta liked it a bit more when Liam was around 8-9 months, when there were still things I felt he wasn't ready for so I was making him a meal and making us a different one.  It really wasn't all that bad, most of the time I had things I could throw together quickly for him that were healthy.  Liam loves to eat right when we get home, right when we get him...5pm sharp.  (V doesn't get home until about 6pm).  Sometimes when I felt lazy I'd make Liam his healthy little dinner and skimp on V and I (or we'd have something super easy like cereal).  Now that Liam is big enough to eat most things we eat so it's silly, and way too much work, to make two dinners....but I don't always feel like eating a healthy dinner! Most of the time yes, not always though.  But my Momma brain doesn't really want Liam eating these less healthy items.

In the grand scheme of things I realize one less healthy dinner is not the end of the world but my stance is this:  He has his whole lifetime to eat whatever he wants, I'm responsible for giving him a healthy foundation. I guess I just need to be more prepared and plan out our dinners a week at a time, that's going to take some motivation! 

These are the things that I think far too much about!  Someone tell me I'm not the only one who thinks (or once thought) way too much about this!

Much Love
-Jen

Child-free Time

I will be the first to tell you I don't like spending time away from my child.  Judge if you must. I get about an hour before work and less than three hours after work with him each day, anything other than Liam time can wait until after he's asleep or the weekends.  This has taught me mad time management skills, I thought I was organized pre-Liam, Ha!

However somethings are just impossible with my little sidekick...well at my side.  Like preparing for a mini family vacay.  About once a month we let Liam sleep over at V's parent's house.  Usually we use this time to get extra chores done and maybe sleep in a little on a Saturday morning.  This week I just knew we couldn't get as prepared as we wanted with little Liam crawling behind us and it would be impossible for one of us to get everything done after he went to sleep, hence Liam got to sleep over at G'ma & G'pa's!  He loves it there, we got a ton done....win-win.  (Aside from the fact that I miss him like crazy and it's only been 24 hours, I can't pick him up for another 8, boo work-boo!)

One confession I'll make; I so enjoyed sleeping an extra 45 minutes this morning, taking a nice long shower and taking my sweet time straightening my hair this morning.  I ate my breakfast slowly and didn't have to pack up Liam and the car and drive the 20 or so miles ('round trip) only to rush to work.  This morning has been kinda lazy and wonderful. I even had the house all to myself for a half hour because V goes to work before I do, sweet silence how I love thee!  I miss Liam more than I can say but I've enjoyed the free time, if only for a few hours.

Now it's off to work, I can't wait for our mini-vaca!

Final Week of Marathon Training

I'm so thankful that my marathon (half marathon to be specific) is coming to a close, at least for this race.  I am still absolutely in love with running however I'm becoming exhausted.  Here is an overview of reasons I'm ready to be done training.

1.  Liam is going to bed later and later which means I'm running later and later.
2.  It's getting difficult to find enough time to run 8+ miles (this takes me around 2 hours).  
3. When I run late I can't fall asleep, typically I'm out at 9:30p...when I run after 8pm I don't get to bed/fall asleep until around 11p (and I have to be up at 6a to get ready for work).
4. It's getting HOT here, last night I ran at about 8pm and it was still in the eighties....too hot for this girl!  Last night I only did two miles and was dripping sweat!
5. I'm yearning to hike, hiking and training is killing me (although I love how tone my legs are).  It's just too much to mix.
6.  My body is just tired, luckily the rest of my runs before the actual marathon are 4 miles are less.
7. Lastly, I'm just ready to go out and run with no mileage requirement, no nothing other than the desire to run.

Ok one more, I'm just really ready to do the race, see my time and have the accomplishment.  But for now I'm pooped, it's going to be a super early bed time for me.

Much Love,
Jen

Celebrating My One Year Old

This Saturday friends and family will gather and celebrate my little boy's first birthday.  Little boy, not really a baby any more.  He's waving like mad and side-steps around furniture, walking is on the horizon! 

My bestie is making mounds of sweets, I've got almost all the decor ready now as long as the weather plays nice we should have a fun little time.  I've planned a few games that the kids can play if they'd like, the adults can just mingle and hang out.  (V's family is so big that we invited 60 people almost all of which are solely family). 

I'm excited to celebrate him with those who love him! 

Liam is One Year Old

One year and two days if your counting. ;) Thrusday I was in full sappiness mode!  Each time I glanced at the clock I knew exactly what was going on at that time last year, I was full of joyful tears all day!  I simply couldn't wait to scoop up my baby and kiss him!

It's hard to believe I've been Liam's mom for a year now, well really more like almost two years (personally I believe life begins at conception so I've been a mom since Oct '10). I digress, I've been a mom now for a little while, it's hard to remember life before him.  We wanted a child, we tried for a him, we prayed for the blessing of a child.  And when we did get pregnant we weren't certain my permanency would make it so I spent each day loving on this little baby inside of me just praying I would have a "outside baby".  Being a mom is a challenge, it makes you grow in new ways and if your priorities weren't in line to begin with they will be rapidly!  It wasn't a difficult change for me, I was so ready but I had a lot to learn!  Luckily Liam had never been a newborn before so he didn't know I was still figuring a few things out! ;) I've learned to love in new ways and I certainly love more than I ever thought possible, each day my love grows.  I often think I can't love him anymore then the smallest thing will happen and my love grows wider and taller and fuller, it's taught me so much about the love of our creator.

It's funny how proud of him I get over funny things like standing.  I giggle a little to myself over this pride, I find myself cheering him on, out loud, Good Job Buddy!  Yay Liam!!!!  And he loves it, he'll stand and sit a thousand times if I cheer him on, it's hobby both of us enjoy.  I recently taught him to put smaller items inside of larger ones (cups), the other night he decided to put away his bath toys, he'd pick up one and put it in the basket we store them in.  One by one he put away about half of the toys.  I was so amazed!  Here is this little person that one year ago couldn't hold up his own head and now he's putting his bath toys away! WOW! My how time flies!

I cherish these moments, I try desperately to live in them, store them up in my soul to keep forever.  Motherhood is such a incredible blessing, my soul has new purpose and more love than it can possible hold.  I love each phase but I'm so excited for the next one.  I feel so blessed!

Much Love,
-Jen

A year ago today I was in labor....

It's hard to believe.  I've spent the whole day glancing at the clock and remembering exactly what was going on at that time one year ago today.  (You can read Liam's birth story here.)  I'm finding it difficult to put into words the emotions I've experienced today but it's been wonderful to look back on.  I'm literally sitting  crying as I type and re-type this trying to find the right words to express the joy I have because of this little boy, the happiness he's brought to my life in the last year and what a blessing he is and I can't.  There are no words to express how much I love him, how much I love being his mom and how I would do anything, literally anything, for him.   All I can say is I believe in miracles, I know they happen because I'm a mom and when you look at me [medically] on paper I probably never should have been able to have a baby and I do, I have the most amazing baby boy on the planet and I am the luckiest momma there is.  One year ago today my life changed forever because I was in the process of welcoming my son.


Much Love
-Jen

My {Running} Addiction

Finding the time to run is a challenge but it's always worth it once I'm out there doing it.  Last night was the perfect example of this.  V made dinner after he got home around 5:45p, we all ate and before we knew it Liam's bedtime had arrived.  I changed into my running clothes, got Liam ready for bed, V gave him the last bottle of the evening and I read to him.  Soon V was placing our little blessing in his bed and I was headed out the door.  I always stop to tell V exactly where I am going and how long it should take, it's just something I have to do.

7:30ish I was out the door and on the pavement.  One earphone playing my favorite songs and the rhythm of my pace carried me away.  There are a few things I must be worried about because they kept bouncing through my mind, each time I'd push them away and just enjoy the moment.  Not to mention I had to pay attention to traffic on my way to the trail.  It was a comfortable 65 degrees, I was working hard enough that I needed to take off my top layer shirt, the cooler air felt so good as I went along the winding river path.  There is what some call a "running community" here, and now that I consider myself a runner I understand why!  It is beautiful place to run, running here has given me a new understanding and love of this city. I wish I could eloquently describe how running clears my mind but my words are too simple, the peace and silence is such a blessing!  I almost always feel like I have a fresh perspective and the energy to take on the world after a run.

I logged four miles last night, had you told me six months ago that I would be doing this I would have laughed at you. Doing a marathon has always been on my bucket list but I guess I never really thought it was achievable considering I've had asthma for 20 years.  I don't even recall why exactly I took up running this spring but I did and the more I did it the more I thought I really could do the half marathon this summer!  Now it's a true joy and passion in my life.  I'm deeply concerned about running in the fall and winter, running on a treadmill just isn't the same...in fact it's mind numbing comparatively.  Before I knew it 50 minutes had passed, I was back at my front door dripping sweat, feeling so relaxed and ready for a snack and shower.  I always get the best rest the night after a good run!

Two of my co-workers run with their children, age 17 and 11, I genuinely hope that one day running is a hobby that Liam and I can enjoy together.  Perhaps that should be on my bucket list (although if running isn't his thing that is ok).

Much Love
-Jen

(*written 5/31, I didn't have time to post it)