Lexi: Then & Now

Our little Lexi is growing up. She got her last round of shots this week and didn't cry or budge at all. She hardly seemed to realize anything was going on - although she did chew Drew's hand a bit while he distracted her with a treat. This is a fun post before her 4month birthday on Monday.

Miss Lexi days after we brought her home (7 weeks old) and now (16 weeks)...

Then 19lbs:

Now 48lbs:

Then:

Now:Then:

Now:Then:Now:

Working Weekends

...isn't so bad. Especially when a fiesta is planned!! Yes, on Saturday, we had a fiesta at the station. Most of us took the fiesta seriously bringing in Mexican food.
Our meteorologist cooked fajitas on the grill.Some ate tacos and fajitas food was even put aside for the photographers & reporters out covering a storyand there was even authentic Mexican dessert.
Others went the American "party" route with cheese and crackers and fruit and chocolate.Regardless, there was PLENTY of food to go around and it made the shift a lot more fun and enjoyable.

Life is good

My headline says it all.

Really, life is good. Life is busy. But, things are great. Work has kept me insanely busy the last 4 weeks. Boy, I can't believe I am four weeks into the 10. Anyways, when I am away from work, I find myself always on the go. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, it's just a big change of pace which is funny, because I thought I was busy before my shift change. I went from working 2 part time jobs that complimented each other nicely, to working overtime/45 hrs a week. Then, I babysit and play volleyball on Monday (my "weekend") and Drew and I have been trying to play golf on Tuesdays. So, yes I have been staying very busy - but I do it to myself so I am smiling about it. The last 5 days or so were super busy. I had to be at the station during the morning show Saturday (it was nice to see everybody) after working Friday night, then again Saturday night. On Sunday I did army stuff with Drew and went to a bridal shower before going to work. Monday was the big Jimmy Buffet concert and Tuesday Drew and I had dinner with another couple.

Jimmy Buffet was COLD this year. Burr!! Luckily, mother nature held off and it didn't rain on us. Unfortunately, I ended up in jeans and a jacket instead of the fun floral clothes I planned on wearing. But, we still made sure to wear our glow in the dark bracelets/necklaces. This is Jill and i trying to show off our glow sticks with a tough face :) We really did have a great time. A big group of us took a boat over again. And, Buffet wrapped up the show with one of my favorite songs... FINS! Check out all the fins behind me too!(Drew has a way of capturing me in the most awkward photos.)

Here is Drew and the future bride. Mallory, Drew and Mallory's fiance Patrick are all in the military. Mallory and Patrick just got back from their tours in Iraq and will be getting married this summer. Drew is in the wedding, and as you can tell was excited to see Mallory this weekend. She and Patrick are stationed in Texas.

And here are some Lexi pictures. Unfortunately, they are not the most current. These are actually from a couple weeks ago - she is even bigger now - and is not even close to growing into her paws! Thankfully, she loves water! She even seems to understand the word bath. Drew and his sister were talking about giving her a bath the other day within a couple minutes, she walked herself into the bathroom and climbed into the tub. She just sat there waiting for someone to bathe her!

And lastly, but certainly not least. I got the most amazing surprise the other day from my fabulous friend Kelli. God bless her. She sent me this fantastic box of Gluten Free goodies, all made by General Mills. I can't even begin to describe how excited I was to open it. At this point, I have only had the fruit snacks (yes, I said fruit snacks) and they were yummy. I'm planning on having some cereal tomorrow and maybe a fruit roll up or some gushers. Thank you thank you thank you Kelli for thinking of me. I can't wait to try it all!

Mothers Day

Happy Mother's day to all of those moms out there, including my own mother!

I too, got my first Mother's day card today. Little Lexi and Drew got me a card and recorded Lexi barking in it! I also received some beautiful frames with pictures of Lexi and I from her first bath... bringing her home the day we got her and playing in the yard. It was a really sweet, unexpected gift. She definitely isn't that small anymore. I will upload some more recent pictures ASAP.
It turned out to be a pretty nice day here, and a great way to wrap up the week. Yes, my weekend starts now. Work is going well. The first night I produced was rocky, but I've sailed through the last two weeks. Eight more to go, and then it's the big question mark as to what I do next. Stay on full-time? Or go back to my part-time schedule. Only time will tell. I will say, with the first two weeks under my belt, it is beginning to NOT feel like work again. For the most part, I have always felt as though working in news is more of a learning time and not work. That's how I feel again. I am learning about what's going on in the community and nation. I am though looking forward to my days off - who doesn't like personal time! Although, I expect them to be pretty busy. I am still playing sand volleyball Monday nights. And will be doing a little babysitting Monday mornings.
The good news though, I have been able to enjoy some of the time after work. It turned out to be a late night, but Drew and I saw Iron Man 2 Friday with another couple. The two of us really enjoyed the movie. The other couple thought the first one was better. My advice: see the movie. There is something about Robert Downey Jr. that I just love. His Tony Stark character is so pompous and arrogant it's fantastic.

13.1

I did it. I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon this Sunday. And boy, was it a lot tougher than I anticipated. Now, I have to be honest. I did not train as well as I should. Originally, I had planned to run the entire marathon, but opted for the half when my training began to suffer due to work, spending time with Lexi and pure laziness/loss of motivation. Drew and I signed up together and once he hurt his knees I lost my running partner and sort of gave up. Regardless, I FINISHED! I pushed myself and finished the race in a little over two hours. I did have to stop a couple of times to walk - my hip flexors and knees were on fire. But, even with the added walks I kept at a 10:20 mile. The pouring rain and thunderstorm didn't help much either. Thank you mom for coming out and supporting me at mile 9. I was definitely in need of boost of encouragement and that was the perfect spot. It actually brought tears to my eyes. I was hurting at that point and did not expect to see a familiar face. The day was a big accomplishment on many levels. 1. I have never done anything more than a 5K, 2. I hate storms and ran through thunder and lightening, 3. I survived work only a couple of hours later! It was really exciting to be a part of something that has become such a big event in the city. I wish the weather had been better to really showcase the type of event it can be, but maybe that curiosity will pull me to running again in the future...

Will I ever run the race again?
- Depends on when you ask me :) During the race I had had enough, but I am feeling more optimistic (and less sore) today. I would absolutely do the relay. I think that would be a lot of fun to get 3 other people to be a part of. I would want to do the 3 or 4th legs of the race because once we hit mile nine the half and full marathoners split off. I would do the half again knowing that I need to completely commit to training and practice the course. It's way too hilly not to. As for a whole marathon... I now realize the only way I would agree to that would be if I was able to train with a running group. It's way too rough on your body not to prep properly. Plus, I think the motivation is really important.

Things that surprised me:
- How bad my lower back hurt after the race. I didn't notice it running, but as soon as I crossed the finish line and bent down - holy moly! It was and still is a bit sore.
- How much the crowd/spectators are motivators. Cheering definitely makes a difference.
- How I couldn't eat afterwards. My stomach didn't settle until about 3:30 or 4pm. I thought I would be ravenous or hungry, but my body was totally against digesting anything. The orange I had after the race made me sick and the grilled cheese I ate hours later went right through me. I definitely wasn't expecting that response. Then again, I did just push my body beyond what I've ever asked it to do before.

Overall, great experience. Sadly, I don't have a picture. It was rainy and as soon as I got to my car I got out of there so I could take a short nap before going to work. Maybe I'll stage a picture with my medal later...