Blogged Brain!

It is sort of like a clogged drain, get it? Oh boy I'm clever! You know you have it when suddenly every thought that pops into your head is formed in blog format. I had a bad case of it last night between 4 and 6 am. It started innocently enough with thinking of future posts I wanted to do, legitimate ones, and ended up with me coming up with these gems...

• Wow, I have to pee again, I should do a post on the fun perks of being pregnant.
• Why is Brady awake? Should I do a post right now?
• Why does putting a pillow over your head seem to help you fall asleep? (And that is exactly how the thought came out, in question format! That would be an awesome post)
• Are those sheep out in my yard, yes they are. (I then came up with these brilliant blog titles)Sheeeeep!; Moving to the Country, Gonna Meet a Lot of Sheepses; Sheep, all I really want is, Sheep!

There were probably others, but lets stop there! I couldn't fall back asleep till I got blogging off my brain, and was able to relax. I believe I sang some annoying song in my head, don't remember which one. And yes, I did put the pillow over my head and it seemed to help! I've had times when I view life's moments as possible blog posts, but this was the worst I had ever gotten. Ever been that way?

Well, I was going to do a real post today, or as real as it gets for me right now, but I think I will just leave you with this instead! Enjoy!

Three Things Thursday!

I finally remembered! Yay for me, ok here are my big three for the day...

1.  Let's take a moment to bow our heads and give thanks for the miracle taking place tonight...  that's right, So You Think You Can Dance is back on! I wait all year for this show and it often brings me tears. My school didn't have a dance team, but if it did I may have done that instead of one of my sports. It would have been a tough call, but dancing is the one thing I always wished I had been able to do. Not saying I am a gifted groover and shaker or anything, but I love it! My anticipation may even cause me to watch it live (my DVR is gasping at me!)
2.  My hubby is gone for 3 days to State Track in Cheney. I don't know how you army wives, single moms, and those with traveling husbands do it. I have always had an innate ability to freak myself out at night. "What was that noise?" "Is someone at the door?" "Am I sure that wasn't an alien that just walked by the window?" All these things run through my head and I come up with completely nonsensical scenarios to explain what I think I heard or saw. So while Jesse is off playing Laser Tag, I will be at home sleeping with the TV on so I can't hear the random noises!
3. I want to give a big shout out to Stacie at Impossible is Nothing. She participated in the Relay for Life last weekend and if that isn't enough, she took the middle of the night shift (in the rain) and beat her previous best mileage (again, in the rain!) Long time readers know Stacie and I don't live far apart and have been known for our crazy photos and convincing our husbands to do dumb stuff. Since I have been laid up I haven't been able to see her much or partake in any races or training with her. I miss her, but I know she is out doing great things on her own!

In case you don't remember, we all did lunges at Applebees!

Did I mention I am excited for SYTYCD! Well I am!

Wordless Wednesday!

Odds and Ends Friday!

I have a hard time getting together a complete thought these days so doing a fascinating bullet style post is what I can handle and what you all get today. Enjoy!

• My little boy is 4! Peyton is 4! I have a 4 year old! That is crazy. Soon I will be a 26 yr old with 3 kids, possibly crazier!



At school!



Blowing out his cookies!

• I am excited for Riley to get here, or anxious I should say. Her due date isn't until the 3rd of July but I have been telling her to come by June 15th so we both have some recovery time by Rock N Roll Seattle. I think it will be good for her to learn at this early age how to work her schedule around our racing!
• I love Amanda from 5 Miles Past Empty! She recently completed a 70.3, holy incredible, and now wants more! Because she is so awesome, especially at the swim, she is going to give Jesse some pointers so he doesn't just flop about in the water and has a better chance at creaming his brother (a big goal of his)! Also, she was sweet enough to hand pick me as a winner for her easy-bandz giveaway. I chose a sparkly, sequined headband to wear in the delivery room, so my little girl can see her momma sporting some bling along with that fashionable gown! So, basically, lots of love to Amanda!
• Speaking of Coach, his track season is almost done. Today is districts, and next week they head over to Cheney, WA for State. I love that they go Eastern, what I still consider my school even though I only went there a year, and am bummed I can't accompany them. After this he will have more time to train, sleep, and see us. His 15 miler last week went pretty well, and he was able to try out the new handheld I got him. He still can't decide whether or not to bring it on race day. Any opinions on that?
• The sun has arrived, and even though it isn't staying for long, it has been nice to see it. I wish I could enjoy it more, but luckily the boys have been able to get outside a lot with Grandma and Grandpa. We stay here a few days every week, and they really enjoy the change of pace. Unfortunately, it is the only time I get reliable Internet anymore, so that is why my posting/ comments are so sporadic!



Peyton loves the new squirt bottles Grandma got him!



Poor Brady after he took an accidental dip in the pond!



• Yay for getting back to 137 followers! I know this blog is only a shadow of it's former glory (he he he) but we have lost a few followers and it was nice to see that number go up for once! So thank you to our newest follower!

Ok, that's all my brain has for now. Hope those of you racing and recovering have a great weekend! Oh, and if you have a jogging stroller and didn't respond to my former post, please do, I am so lost!

Help Me Jogging Mamas (and Dads!)

Uh, weird running form, hope she's stretching!

Mel and Hubs

Since I am about to have baby #3, I know I won't always be able to run alone. Up until now, we have survived with just a double stroller (heroically pushed by Coach on a few runs) and a bike trailer. Our bike trailer is really nice, but I don't think I like it for jogging, so haven't ordered the needed additions to turn it into a stroller. But I desperately want to get back on the road, and kids may be involved in the future trips, so I am starting my hunt now for a good, probably double, jogging stroller.

Laurie

I know many of you superhero moms, for some of my biggest heros check right (sorry ladies, I did steal your pics!),  routinely push your kids on your runs and I am looking for your advice. What the heck should I get?! Swivel wheel or always stationary, 1 wheel or 2, storage, height? My brain is getting a little dizzy with all the research, and how can I trust these strangers to tell me what will work, especially since some aren't even using them for running? I have heard that BOB's are great, but they may be a bit out of our price range, even on craigslist. Since I may get it on craigslist, no matter what, I am trying to start shopping now, so when I see the right one, I can pounce!

Ok, so what are using, and what do you like/hate about it? Knowing what to avoid can be good too! Most of our jogging will be on roads and tracks. I see myself mostly using it for the newborn and Brady (who is almost 2 but fairly small) so it needs to be good for wee ones! Thank you so much for any help you can give. I want to be able to take advantage of any running time I can find once this baby comes out!

A weird Mother's Day!

The smell of egg awoke me from a deep sleep, (I won't mention the time, cough, ok 12:30) and I sat up to see Jesse standing over me with an egg sandwich.  He informed me that this was just the first wave. After consuming my sandwich I was greeted with a tray full of scones, my fave, and the opportunity to sit and eat them in bed without any boys crawling over me. That part of the day was delightful.

Then the day got a bit more depressing. Normally, we all go to my parent's and the men make us dinner and do the dishes, but since we had all been together the day before, we decided to spend a restful day at home. Jesse tried to fully give me the day off, and that was nice, but then Peyton reminded me why I was feeling so off this Mother's Day. Being the computer wiz that he is, he's figured out how to look at pictures, and find the exact one he wants. For some reason he often goes to this picture...

He even knows how to zoom in closely on my "smiles"!

Usually, he just makes fun of the wrinkles in my shirt, saying my tummy is smiling (always flattering) but yesterday he had something else to say. Pointing at the picture he said, "She's all better." I confirmed that yes, I did feel better then, and he proceeded to say, "She can play with me." Well my heart bout broke in two. I couldn't stop the tears from coming. He will frequently say that he wants to kiss me better so I can play with him, but for some reason when he seemed so excited to see "old" me I felt so bad for not being able to be that Mom right now. It just made me feel a little guilty for getting any Mother's Day celebration, because I have not been the best Momma lately. I have to take my boys out to my parent's a few days a week just so they can get the rough and outdoor play they need.  I know this isn't a permanent condition, but last time I was pregnant, Peyton was much younger and we still lived at my parent's so it wasn't as noticeable to him. The fact that he is having such a hard time with it, is making it more difficult for me to cope with it.

The rest of the day was spent playing cards and making my Mom's gift. Of course, Jesse had more gifts for me, but I will keep those to myself! Unfortunately, the night ended on a bad note for him too. During his run, usually his foot warms up, but last night it didn't so he was feeling bummed. Tonight's run was better, so he is feeling more optimistic now. I hope you all had good Mother's Days and sorry if mine wasn't very exciting, but things will get better soon! I am telling Riley she should arrive June 15th now, we'll see how well she listens!

It was impossible to find a picture of my mom, she hates having her photo taken, so I settled for a group shot. She is in the plaid.
Love you Mom!

Four Things Friday...

Because I kind of missed Thursday!

1. I don't know if it is because this is my third pregnancy or what, but I am starting to realize I have not been documenting my growth very well. My big goal at the start was to stay under 160, big for some of you, but that would be the lightest I have ever been at the end of a pregnancy. With about 2 months (hopefully less) left, I am coming in around 155! Not good for my goal. Here is the only recent pic I can find with my belly in it. It's from my shower and you think my mom (the photographer) would have taken a good belly shot, but apparently she got too distracted!

2. So when is a PR not a good thing. When you do it on a training run that is supposed to be marathon pace! Jesse ran a 10k last night in about 42 min (5 min faster then his current PR), which he said felt like a good pace, and totally didn't mean to run that fast. Now we either need to get him a garmin, or hire someone to pace him! He just said he is glad that there are lots of people to pace him on race day.

3. My boys like dirt! Not different from most kids, I just feel bad because due to me and the weather they haven't got much outdoor time. But last week I stayed a few nights at my parent's house and their grandpa was nice enough to let them go all out on a hill of sand, cuteness captured below.

4. And for dazzling number 4, my youngest sister and her family are going to the Portland Temple tomorrow to get sealed. It's like a second wedding, so a pretty big deal. I am very excited for her! Go Mia! 

Hope you all have a great weekend, and good luck to those racing!

I'm gonna get you...

That's what we always say to the kiddies when we are chasing them around. It is usually an easy task for us to be able to catch them, but we hold back to make it a better game. Not putting in your full effort, having fun, and eventually accomplishing your task (we always catch them!) is a great combo. My life is nothing like that right now. I fully plan on accomplishing this task, if this baby doesn't come out we will have some serious issues, but it isn't a lot of fun and it seems to take all my effort. But now, as the due date creeps nearer I find myself being able to see past this temporary disability.  People suffer through injuries all the time, and they don't end up with a baby in the end. I know I need to be more grateful for my situation, I just struggle with it when I feel like I am burdening others and missing out on doing everything myself.

Then, this morning I read Mel or Tall Mom's post on envy to inspiration. To be honest, I have felt lots of running envy over the past months. When I first got pregnant it was getting too hard to read about other's plans and accomplishments, because I wasn't a participating member of the club. It wasn't even like I could write about my recovery from an injury. Unless you wanted to hear about my upchuck reflexes and what was good to watch on tv, I had little to share with you. So to shield myself from the disappointment, I backed out of this world for a while, taking a full break. I didn't write, I didn't read. Sometimes I still couldn't get away from it. My husband was still training for a marathon that I was also supposed to be running, with lots of friends too, and there was no way not to hear about it. But as I felt more envious that I wasn't running and more left out because I wasn't currently a runner, I decided to just throw myself into the race and make myself as visible and helpful as possible. Jesse still doesn't want me to go, but I am working on coaxing the baby out by the 17th of June so I should be more mobile come race day. Our hotel is booked and now a friend might run in my place, which means I have to go up there to get my stuff.

All of this began to make me feel better and I started looking ahead. Soon the call of the bloggy world was too much. The past few days I have found myself lurking around, reading, and sometimes even commenting, testing the waters I guess, to see if I still have a place here. And this is when I read Mel's post. I commented about how I have been feeling envious, even now, and that I just want to be out on the road too. She was sweet enough to write me back and remind me that I am pregnant. Not that I forgot, but she was saying that many others are envious of me, and right now my job is to bake this child and love it! So, with that advice I am going to focus not on me, but you guys. I want to relish in your races and celebrate your accomplishments, and even commiserate if you need it. I need to be able to be part of this world without lacing up my own sneakers. My day will come when I will catch you all (ok not really, but I will run at a decent pace behind you) and my blog will once again be full of sweaty photos, race recaps, and happy posts. Of course, there will also be the occasional photo of a little baby way too overdressed for whatever occasion causes me to snap her picture! Till then, I will be planning out my race schedule, keeping you updated on Coach, giving shout outs to my fellow bloggers, and keeping you all on baby watch.  Thanks to those of you who have supported me and family, and to those who still believe there is an adorable running wife under this belly! Now I wan't to catch back up with you all.