Monday, February 25, 2013

Cuteness

I need to write a post for Hunter's grandparents and many fans. Feel free to just skip to the pictures. He keeps getting cuter every day. 

- Hunter will give me kisses now! It's more like a lick, but I love them.

- I'm amazed at how he grows like a weed and learns so much so fast. I can almost see his hands grow some days-- he's like kudzu--and watching things click in his mind is so cool. He sees something once and knows how it works-- like battery compartments in remotes. 

- He is so funny; he knows how to make us laugh and has learned some little jokes already. We have a little game of running to each bedpost knob in his crib (see, we do use it!). He also pretends to bite my nose and waits for me to tickle him. Sometimes he gets really involved in something he's doing and he looks so cute I laugh. He looks up at me, caught, and laughs.

- His latest trick is putting multiple items (like sticks, pens, remote controls) all in one hand. He's so proud of himself and goes around waving them and talking

- I tend to have a running commentary of life when he's around, and I think he has started to do the same. He babbles and talks constantly, to me, daddy, the kitties, himself.

- While nursing he has to either put his foot or hand up to the other side. Or both. If he gets inside my shirt over there, he giggles.

- Our neighbor's kitty has started coming around our yard, and he's very playful. When we were outside, he came bouncing around the corner of the house. Hunter was so startled he actually yipped a little "ah!!" Then I died laughing.

- He still hasn't met a food he doesn't like. He must've gotten his mommy's appetite. We never did the whole baby food thing, but instead went straight to bite sized pieces of whatever we are eating. Some days he will practically bite our fingers off eagerly getting his next piece. 

- He has started dancing to my horrible off-key singing. It makes me feel like a star.

- Hunter is the busiest baby. There just aren't enough hours in the day for him to get everything done that he wants. 

Can I help you? I'm kinda busy here.


- I have so many blurry pictures of Hunter because he won't stand still! And now he must put the lens cap back on the camera every time he notices it is off. Helps with the picture taking.

Well hello, handsome. I see you share my love of lens caps.


 Do roses make your hair grow faster?


Daddy is teaching me some skillz.



So many things to check out at a playground.



Daddy is also teaching me sword fighting skillz.


I love my new sandbox, guys.



It's time for your daily oral exam, Daddy.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

It's about endurance

Since that brief time in college when my coach made me a middle distance runner (out of desperation I think), I have been much more focused on endurance. Just about any length triathlon can be considered an endurance event-- even that one I did a couple years ago that took significantly less than an hour. While a sprint is still an endurance event, more and more triathletes these days are pushing the endurance envelope with the really lengthy stuff like ironman distance.


 college. there it is again


Well I've been away from that distance for over 3 years now, and actually have not even done a half ironman in almost 3 years, but I have begun a journey in the oldest endurance event known to mankind: mothering. It requires endurance unlike anything else. First you go through nine months of growing a baby (side note: it's not 10 months, people. I know I'm not good at math, according to the old lady at the pool who told me 9 laps is a mile, but you are not pregnant 10 months unless you are an elephant). Then comes the endurance nursing, babywearing, rocking, isometric biceps exercises, carrying baby around the grocery store when you have a fever, hunchback stooping and hand holding...the list goes on.

Recently I've come back into the triathlon endurance world. Sort of. I call 3.5 hour rides "long," partly because it is by far the longest I've ever ridden my trainer, and partly because that's a long time to go not seeing my baby. Most of the indoor rides are broken up by a quick baby nursing, which makes me worry about Hunter's "training" for this upcoming race. The actual event will surely take me over 5 hours (why can't I just pick a fast course?), added to all of the race morning preparations that will take me away from him, and we will be apart at least 6 hours!

This makes me sound so overprotective. He will, after all, be a year old, playing with daddy the whole time, and it's not like I'm leaving him overnight or anything. My mind keeps having to tell my heart that it is ok. We will all have to be little endurance athletes that day. And if Hunter's ability to spend hours chasing kitties or digging in the rocks and sand is any indication, he will be just fine. Now maybe I should worry about my own speed and endurance because the faster I go, the less endurance I need. 


world's largest sandbox

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Training through it

Saturday'slong bike ride, at least in my head, started something like this: Hmmm kinda windy out, and it willprobably just get stronger, so I'll go ahead and start this ride outside, thencome in when I get blown over. I have never done any formal wind tunnel testing, but I ampretty sure that after riding on the Big Island's west coast a few times plus ridingaround our basin between two mountain ranges, that I know what it's like. If you picture a nice ocean breeze blowing through your hair, you'd have it all wrong, except for the potential sand stuck all over you. It's more like sticking your whole body out ofan open car window while on the interstate. I had knots in my hair afterward. I had sand in my teeth afterward. The mountain that rises a few thousand feet just a mile from me slowly got whitewashed out of view, like someone had erased it. White Sands National Monument, being just 15 miles away, sends its gypsum sand over to us frequently, and where does that sand land? In my house, on my carpet, according to my vacuum.

I started the ride going slightly uphill with the wind, thinking, why this isn't so bad! Then I turned and got blown across the lane. My eyes stung, so I kept the windward eye closed. Headed in the other direction, I had a specific power zone to hit. The gusts did not do much for my consistency, and I had to go way out of zone 5 to even climb the short hills without falling over. Riding eleven miles per hour downhill, I was reminded of that Ironman that I have little desire to do again, mostly because of the wind. We smaller girls have it hardest. After two hours of dodging huge garbage cans and tumbleweeds and various other blowing trash, I conceded and packed myself and my bike into the boring, calm office where my trainer is located. At least I'm not afraid to take my hands off the bars in there so I can set up an Arrested Development marathon.

Sunday I awoke tobeautiful clear, blue skies, with only a slight breeze: perfect for long run. The only excitement involved 3 humvees with armed men sticking out on top, in the middle of a nice neighborhood. I knew it wasn't anything too serious when the guy sticking out of the last one waved at me with his gun-free hand. They pulled over, jumped out, pointing their rifles, and my heart rate when up. Boringly, it seemed to be some training exercise. I felt pretty tired after that run, but it had been a long weekend, and Hunter has been sleeping less than optimally lately. I chalked my tiredness up to that.

Monday I was achy, feeling old and out of shape, and Hunter seemed to weigh 10 pounds more than usual when I had to carry him all over the grocery store. I swore I'd never put him in that heavy outfit again! Tears even came to my eyes as I recounted to Jeremy just how physically hard that shopping was. I was feeling worse and worse, complaining to myself how my boob hurt...oh wait! My boob hurts, I'm having chills and feel feverish, my joints ache! Look, it's mastitis again! Isn't this supposed to be a first-few-weeks-of-nursing thing? Thankfully I was quick to pick up on it, then I took some antibiotics, went to bed, and felt a hundred times better in the morning. I'm once again able to pick up my heavy baby and run after him when he sprints to the stairs as soon as I turn my back. 

I took today off from the official training, but kept up the outdoor trekking and baby hefting. With the hurdles of the weekend I feel that it is a much deserved -- required -- rest. 

 
 We could spend all day every day outside, especially if there are sticks involved.