My First 5K

I grew up in a family of runners.  My father has run the NYC marathon, my sister was a competitive cross country runner in college, my brother is a personal fitness trainer/soccer player/athlete that could run a race without any kind of training, and even my mother has run a 5k in the past.  And then there is me, the one person in the family that has trouble running to the mailbox and back.  I have always said that I would be in big trouble if I ever had to run for my life!  Well, I decided it was time to give running a try.

It all started when my sister decided to run the Seaside Heights half marathon.  She asked us to go along and run the 5k race and the help support her.  My original plan was just to put Ryan in the jogging stroller and walk the race.  I planned on doing it at a quick pace, but not to run.  But then I started working out much more regularly and I felt like I was in much better shape.  Side note- like I said earlier, I have the advantage of having a brother who is a personal strength and conditioning coach and owns his own gym.  As long as I have a babysitter, I can go and workout whenever I want.  His group sessions really kick my ass, but I have become addicted to them.  I try to go at least 3 times a week, but Mike and I have to take turns with who gets to go at night.  Anyway, this past week I was feeling pretty good and decided what the hell, I am going to run the race.  The final push was when my dad volunteered to hang out with Ryan during the run so I didn't even have to worry about the stroller. 

So I didn't train to run (like I have attempted to do in the past), instead I just worked out and got into better shape over all.  I still didn't expect to run the entire 3 miles.  Mom and I had made a plan to run as much as we could, but take several breaks to walk.  That being said, I shocked myself when I actually ran the entire race.  If you are a runner this probably seems like such a small accomplishment and a silly blog post, but for someone who doesn't run EVER, this is really a big deal. 

The first mile felt really long and I got a cramp in my stomach.  But I kept going and the cramp went away and I found a good pace.  The second and third mile were much easier.  By the end I was definitely tired but I felt pretty good.  Running in a race type setting was a huge help!  I am super competitive so running with other people pushed me to keep going and stay focused.  When I looked around and saw a 9 year old girl keeping pace with me or the 75 year old women pass me during the second mile, I kept thinking "If they can do it, I absolutely can do it." 

I am proud to say that I completed this first race in 35 minutes and ran 97% of it.  More importantly, I want to do it again.  Maybe one day I will actually run fast instead of my slow paced jog.  But hey at least I have taken the first step!

We have Teeth!

After "teething" since he was 2 months old, Ryan cut his first two teeth this morning.  We have been checking his gums every day for weeks since he has been drooling incessantly, fussy, and putting everything in his mouth.  This morning, I jokingly asked my mom to check Ryan for teeth assuming there wouldn't be anything there... and to our surprise she could actually feel the teeth.  My mom was so excited that she was the one to find them and promises she will follow the old tradition of buying him his first pair of shoes!  My dad even got a silver spoon and tapped it along RJ's gums to make sure he heard the official clink of the teeth.  I didn't know anything about these old traditions, but it was fun to see my parents get so excited and do the things they did with us when we were babies. 

So its official, Ryan's first tooth - 7 1/2 months old!

7 months!

Another great month!  Ryan is at such a great stage.  He is much happier (most days), he is silly and fun, and he is very expressive.  It is easy to tell what mood he is in.  Ryan is better and playing on his own and overall he is so much fun.

As always, here are some of the fun things we did from 6-7 months of age.  We had a labor day BBQ at the house,  we went to Monmouth racetrack, we went to the O'Brien Irish Angle golf outing, we watched football (the Giants are currently 3-1) and Yankees playoff baseball, we walked in a charity event for breast cancer, we went apple and pumpkin picking, we babysat for Jay, Emma, and Brooklynn, and we spent lots of time with both sets of grandparents.  Most importantly, I did not go back to work this month as planned so we got to spend lots of time together!

Here are the developmental events of the month:

-Ryan sits very well on his own.  He likes to sit with toys all around him and play.
-He is very close to crawling.  He can get on all fours and rock back and forth.  He wants to be on the move badly.
-He can get around by scooting, pushing backwards, and rolling all over the place.
-He is completely sleeping through the night.  We have reached the 7am-7pm sleep schedule!
-He is getting better at naps.  In the morning, I can just lay him down and leave the room and he will go to sleep on his own for about 1.5 hours.  The afternoon is a little bit harder, I still have to rock him to sleep.  Some days he takes a 3rd nap, but not always.
- He is STILL teething, but no teeth have come through. 
- He eats two meals a day- fruit for breakfast and veggies for dinner.  I am trying to wait til his teeth come in to get into a real solids schedule, but your a hungry boy!
- He still loves to be on the move.  He loves going on walks and he just watches and observes the world around him. 
- As a have said, diaper changes are a real wrestling match.
-Bath time is chaos. 
-He can take his pacifier in and out of his mouth on his own.
-He is becoming a thumb sucker.
-He loves being up on Daddy's shoulders
-I feel like his face is always changing.
-He is so sweet and smiley and cuddly and just plain love-able!

And because I love his little hands!

I know Ryan can give me a run for my money, but I wouldn't change one thing about him.  I am more in love than I ever imagined I could be!  He is perfect!