Running

I began running in college but that's more because it was the "cool" So Cal thing to do. I didn't really start enjoying it until 2001. I was going through a rough year and it was my stress relief. I was in the best shape of my life that year and ran almost every day. In 2005 I started training for a 1/2 marathon but shortly into training I pulled my achilles in 3 areas. I endured months of braces, physical therapy and even crutches. That injury kind of took the wind out of my sails because I don't know if I'll ever be able to run more than 5 or 6 miles at a time. Over the past few years I've done a few 5ks but nothing serious. At the turn of the new year I decided to get back into running. When Rob doesn't work he hangs out with Preston while our neighbor and I go for a run together. It's been 2 years since I've run 3.1 miles and 8 years since I've run anything more than that....until today. After church Rob stayed with Preston so Michelle and I set out for a run. By the time we got home we had run 3.8 miles- at 6300 feet elevation!!! My legs are Jell-O and I doubt I'll be able to walk tomorrow but I feel so good mentally. It's nice to know I can still run more than a mile or two, which is good since Michelle and I are running a couple 5ks next month!

Saturday- For Lack of a Better Title

We are thankful that Rob has a job, especially in this economy. But, I get selfish on the weekends and want him to have a couple days off to be with me and Preston. When he does work on the weekend I try to get together with friends to make the most of the day. We have been so busy that that hasn't happened recently. Today I was finally able to get together with two friends, one that has a son a couple months younger than Preston. We all met up at a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Of course Preston squealed the whole time, getting a lot of smiles and a few scowls. When we got ready to leave I heard a lady say, "I thought that was Preston's squeals". Apparently, Preston has made a name for himself because it was a Gymboree mom that was there with her family. (It's so nice that I'm getting to know people around town who have kids.) My friends and I left, making a mad dash through the rain to get to our cars. Preston and I were going to run a couple more errands and say hi to yet another friend but it was raining too hard so we came home. Once we got home it started snowing so I attempted to build a fire and turned on NASCAR. Now the sun is shining, Preston is sleeping and I'm looking forward to Rob getting home even though he's not feeling well. We'll get a few minutes of family time before I take off to meet a couple friends for dinner while Rob has "Daddy Duty". Not a perfect Saturday because Rob wasn't home all day, but a pretty good one never-the-less!

You Never Know

In our house you never know what kind of day you're gonna get. Sometimes we stay at home but have a productive day like today. Some days we spend a lot of time down the hill, running errands or being social. On very rare occasions we have lazy days where my only goal is to just hang out with Preston. Some days you walk into the house hearing Preston's squeals. On other days you'll hear him fuss. When he's eating he may spend the entire time grunting or sighing after each bite. At least once a day he fills his diaper while enjoying his meal. Some days you'll see him banging on his musical toys while other days he's content with his teether toys. But, some things are certain in our house....... You will always see Preston moving in some way, shape or form. You will always see Holly close to Preston, usually being his "pillow". You will always hear Preston laugh several times a day, even at silly things. And you will ALWAYS see him showered with a lot of love!

Death

It's not a word I think a lot about because I am not afraid to die and I feel like I have several years to go before that's a common thought for me (I'd like to hope so anyway!). So, when someone I know dies it makes it that much harder for me. My mom teaches the elderly people at their church. Most of the time I like it because some of the people have become like surrogate grandparents to me over the years. But, sometimes it's hard. Tonight is one of those nights. My heart is heavy because one of the ladies suffered an aneurysm and didn't make it. We got closer through my pregnancy and Preston's life. She doted on him, constantly asking my mom every Sunday about him. When I'd be in town and take him to their church she was one that would "ooh" and "aah" over him again and again. She spoiled him with gifts and love. I wish there was a way to stop time long enough to tell people how much they mean to you before it's too late. At least I get comfort in knowing she's in a better place and isn't suffering.

Mack Truck

Today is one of those days that I wish we lived within minutes of family or had a childcare provider that we trusted to watch Preston for the day. If we did, I would spend the day in bed. It all started last night with a headache. As the evening progressed my headache turned into a migraine. By the time I put Preston down for bed I was miserable. I did all the usual tricks....hot bath, dark room, Extra Strength Tylenol. Nothing made it subside so I decided to call it an early night and just go to bed, hoping it'd go away. I even slept in Preston's room because I figured it was cooler in there and having a bed to myself would help me sleep better. WRONG! I had nightmares when I did actually sleep, but I spent most of the night tossing and turning. Preston woke up early this morning much to my dismay. I got out of bed, feeling like I'd been hit by a Mack truck. I was going to go down the hill and run a lot of errands but it is snowing and that's more than I can handle today. I laid down for a nap when Preston went down for his morning nap but it didn't help. I had more nightmares and weird dreams, waking up feeling even more exhausted. I hate days like this where I have no energy to do anything. Hopefully I'll be able to get some sleep during Preston's nap times so I'll feel back to normal by the end of the day. Sitting around and being lethargic is not my thing. Until then I'm glad Preston is playing on his own, being a low maintenance baby this morning.

Bad Day Gone Good

Yesterday I got an email from Bank of America about our home loan that we are trying to refinance. That email sent me into "Stress Out Mode" so I decided to go down the hill to get things done while the sun was out. The trip to Walmart went well. Preston talked to everyone, letting them know he was happy to be out of the house. Then we went to Winco and that wasn't so much fun. I kept forgetting things and then when I got in line the lady in front of me wanted a refund when the cashier was halfway through ringing me up. So, I had to wait while Preston tried to get out of the cart. From there we went to Papa Murphys, where I had forgotten my coupon. The lady wouldn't give me the discount and was kind of snotty about it. By the time I started back up the hill I was kind of grumpy. My mood quickly changed when I got the mail, though. I got a letter from the Children's Writing Institute stating that I'll most likely be published at some point this year, which put me over the moon. Then I got home and found out my offer for a BOB stroller got accepted and that made me really happy. To top it off, I got an email that we'll be getting back a little more from our tax return than originally thought. Fast forward to after dinner......Preston had us laughing so hard. He was playing and talking so much. When we tried to interact with him, he'd talk more....and LOUDER. He had us laughing up until he went to bed. So, my day didn't start out that great but by the time I went to sleep I had a huge smile on my face!

Crawling, Sitting, Cheerios and Snow

Yesterday Rob and I shot our bows when we got home from Sacto. I didn't shoot for long because it was cold. As soon as I got in the house it started snowing and hasn't stopped. It's been snowing so much that we woke up to over a foot of the white stuff!
It was nice being bundled up, hanging out as a family. Rob and I got a kick out of Preston as always. I was in the kitchen and Rob got all excited because Preston had crawled a little. I came in to see it but by then he was just sitting there on all fours, smiling really big. He can now pull himself into a sitting position so he'll move to where he wants to go then sit up and play with his toys. All this moving around makes Preston hungry. Every day he takes 4 bottles, 2-3 jars of food, oatmeal, a few pieces of solid food and a couple small handfuls of Cheerios. It's funny to watch him eat Cheerios these days. He's working on fine motor skills so he doesn't quite grasp the concept of grabbing a Cheerio or two and putting it in his mouth. He pounds his highchair until he gets a few in his hand. Then he crams his fist into his mouth. Whenever there's food involved (even jarred baby food) he chews like he's really eating. So, after he gets his fist in his mouth he chews. That makes me think he's chewing Cheerios. But, when I pick him up all the Cheerios are in his highchair and all over his pants. He'll get it eventually but right now it's just funny to watch.
OK, off to get firewood so we can keep warm while the snow keeps falling.

30s Club

Do you remember how you celebrated your 30th birthday? I don't and it was only a few years ago. I remember being treated to a cruise to Mexico for one of my gifts but don't actually remember the day itself. In fact only a handful of birthdays stand out... My 14th where there was a surprise party, my 21st where my friend and I saw a really depressing movie and my 27th when I went to Colorado to celebrate. The rest are blurred memories of my mom's delicious dessert crepes, dinner with friends, going out on the town, the usual. I may not remember all my birthday celebrations but I remember getting ready to turn 30 and still being single, much like my good friend Aimee is going through. We came to Sacramento last night just to help aimee and her sisters (they're triplets) celebrate their 30th birthdays. Aimee is not happy about being single at 30 but then I remind her of my story, about meeting rob at 31, and it helps. I also told her last night that, in my opinion, the 30s Club is much better than your 20s so we'll see if she agrees in the next few years. Either way, Happy 30th Aimee, Amber and Alisha!!!

Perfect Day

Do you ever have one of those days that is perfect but you can't put your finger on it as to why? Well, that was how yesterday was. I woke up earlier than planned because apparently Preston wanted to see the sunrise. =) He very rarely comes into our bed anymore so I cherished him cuddling with me in bed for a few minutes. Once we got up and around Preston happily played while I got laundry started and the kitchen cleaned up. After his morning nap we headed down the hill to enjoy the beautiful weather at the park. We met up with a mom from our mommy and me group so she and I talked while Preston watched her daughter play. We left the park, ran a few errands then came home. Preston napped and I shot my bow, watered plants and spent time outside. When Rob got home we had shish kabobs on the grill and enjoyed our time together, laughing at Preston. So, as you can see, our day wasn't filled with anything out of the norm but it was just a picture perfect day from beginning to end. I love days like yesterday!

A Lil Taste of Spring

Spring is slowly making its way to Nevada. It's not because the flowers are blooming but because the heater isn't running during the day, the snow is melting and our trucks only have about an inch worth of mud instead of the usual 6 inches that coats them in the Winter. The weather has been in the 50's/60's with the sun shining bright. I've been taking advantage of this nice change of weather. I've had the windows open, have gone for walks and have not had to worry about our "one socked bandit" losing his socks. The weather is supposed to go back to raining and snowing in a few days so we're taking advantage of the warm weather today. Preston and I met with our "mommy and me" group at park down the hill this morning then drove home with the window down a little. When I got home I signed up for two 5k runs next month to get in shape for Summer. I also tossed my hoodie aside and am donning a short sleeved shirt. Later Rob and I will be shooting our new bows when Rob gets home from work (while Preston is napping so he is nowhere near the bows/arrows) . Then we'll go for a family walk before ending the beautiful day with shish kabobs on the BBQ. I'm not quite ready for the constant warm weather yet but it's a nice break from the gloomy winter weather....at least for a few days.

An Earful and a Yay!

Okay, I have 2 vents so if you're not in the mood to hear venting then just skip this blog. (But, skip to the bottom * to see the YAY!)
I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if I don't agree with it. That's what makes everyone unique. That being said, I get frustrated when people are being ignorant and make a choice because it's the "cool" thing to do. A friend of mine joined PETA on her Facebook page, which is fine. However, I think she did it more because it's the "cool" thing in her neighborhood. I say this because she volunteers at the animal shelter, her husband is a fisherman and she eats meat. None of these things are correlated with the ethical treatment of animals. She's a very educated person so, like I said, I think she's doing this without thinking about what it truly means to her and her lifestyle. On a side note, that's why I don't talk politics. I'm not knowledgeable about them to have an educated conversation except for when it comes to education.
My second vent is about LOL. I CAN'T STAND THAT TERM for two reasons!!!!!!!!! The first reason is when people write it are they truly laughing ALOUD or are they just smiling? If you're laughing then by all means write it but I highly doubt that many people really laugh at what people write/say to justify a LOL every time. The other reason is that grammatically it should be laughing ALOUD, not out loud. So, it should really be LAL. You will NEVER see me write LOL because I am so against that little abbreviation that everyone has coined.
Okay, enough of my venting. Here's my YAY:
*** Preston went from lying down to sitting up on his own tonight...a first for him...and Rob was home to witness it. YAY!!!!!

Our Social Frank

Now that Preston is getting more hair it doesn't really lay down anymore. It sticks up on top and on the sides. The way his hair sticks out on the sides reminds us of Frank (the dad) on "Everyone Loves Raymond". No matter how much I wet it and brush it down it still sticks up. Unfortunately, it's a look I have yet to capture on film in a way that does the hairstyle justice so you'll just have to use your imagination until I do.
Anyway, "Frank" has been super busy the past three days. Thursday was Gymboree (which I already blogged about) and yesterday we went to an acquaintance's house who has a 15 month old boy. Preston didn't really know what to do because Asher (the 15 mo old) kept taking Preston's toys that we had brought, kept trying to pat his head and run circles around him. Preston just sat there, taking it all in. Just hanging out with Asher for an hour and a half wore him out. He was asleep by the time we got to the freeway! Today we topped off his social calendar by going to a sledding party with a new mommy and me group. He had lost his shoe on the way there (surprise, surprise) so we showed up with him just in his socks while all the other kids (and parents) were bundled up for the snow. He had on his jacket and beanie but I didn't want to put his snow suit on so we just hung out. Of course out of all the people that were there, the weird mom scouts me out and talks my ear off. By the time she was done talking I was done with being there, as was Preston. When we got home Preston seemed so happy just to be at the house with his toys....and Holly. He's like me in the fact that he loves being social but also likes to come home where life is calm and familiar. Tomorrow we'll lay low to recoup before having company on Monday/Tuesday and Gymboree on Thursday. At least he'll get a little break. AAHHHHHHHH!

Happy Hallmark Day...a little early

Tomorrow is the most commercialized, overhyped, pointless holiday....in my opinion of course. During my 34 years on this Earth there is only one Valentine's Day that stands out as being spectacular and that was when 2 guy FRIENDS planned a fun evening for me and 3 other female friends my graduate year. I think it's because it was a group of friends that made it so much fun. After that I realized that I'm not a fan of the "holiday". Some may say I'm cynical but I told Rob when we first met that I don't celebrate the Hallmark Holiday and here is why: There are 365 days to tell someone you love them so why do people focus on that ONE day to buy half dying flowers at twice the price, wait hours to eat at a restaurant that is too loud to have a conversation or use a HALLMARK card to tell someone something that you should be saying every day? Rob shows and tells me EVERY day that he loves me. He verbally tells me at least a dozen times a day. He shows me by waking up at 4:30am and working hard to provide for our family. He leaves me notes on Facebook, around the house or in my car telling me he loves me on a daily basis. He helps around the house or with Preston to give me a break. He surprises me with Snickers Ice Cream Bars (although I had to ask him to stop because my jeans are getting a little tight) or a CD that I had mentioned I wanted. He takes off work when I'm not feeling well to help me and Preston. We go on Date Night (with Preston of course) every Thursday. The first thing Rob does when he gets home from work is give me a kiss and ask me about my day. So, I don't understand why one day has to stand out from the rest if you truly love someone.
Now, don't get me wrong. It is a special day in our household. It is the weekend we celebrate NASCAR Opening Season. Our fancy meal consists of Papa Johns pizza and our gifts to each other is NASCAR themed. I love surprises so I have a couple small ones up my sleeve for our special day. To me, that's what I enjoy about the Hallmark Holiday everyone else knows as Valentine's Day. So, happy Hallmark Day or in our case NASCAR Opening Day.........DAYTONA BABY!!!!

Gym Rat

I took Preston to Gymboree today, a place for different age groups to socialize, "exercise" and "sing". Since being social was the main component, he thrived! He immediately wowed the employees when we first walked in. Then he wowed the other moms in the class. He did pretty good with the activities: playing with a wiffle ball, popping bubbles, rolling a large ball to knock over blocks and picking up plastic shapes off a balance beam. But, the activity he liked the best got everyone in the room laughing. Each mom held their baby and used them to kick a big beach ball. Every time the ball came to Preston he laughed hysterically, which became contagious. He was laughing so hard that the moms had to put their babies down for a minute because they too were laughing. He was definitely the most interactive in that game and he was the only baby that belly laughed throughout the class. I met 3 other moms and bonded with one that is a 1st grade teacher. I signed Preston up for a month's worth of classes. It's nice for him to get out, to be social with other babies and "exercise" to music, especially during the Winter months. It also wore him out!! (He was asleep by 7:45 tonight, even after taking a 1 1/2 hour nap in the late afternoon) In fact, it's nice for the both of us and I'm looking forward to future Gym classes!

Not Much

Can't say there's much to report from the Herrington household. Tuesday Preston and I had a "Lounging Around" Day. It was gloomy and I wasn't feeling overly productive. Yesterday was a different story. The sun was out so Preston and I went for a long walk before running errands. When we got back I was able to get a lot done around the house in preparation for my friend coming to stay with us on Monday. On top of getting things done around the house, I also spent the day chasing after Mr. Rolly Polly. The best is when Preston rolled over to the fireplace. By the time I got him he was covered from head to toe in ashes (The next thing on my To Do list: sweep the fireplace area). The highlight of my day was when Rob got home because Rob is able to get belly laughs from Preston. We've been trying to video it but as soon as Preston sees the camera he stops laughing. But, last night we were able to get it on video. Now I have my favorite sound taped so I can listen to it for years to come! I topped off my productive night by going to our neighbor's for our book club. Rob and Preston had a "Boy's Night" while I hung out with the ladies. All in all, yesterday was way more fun and productive than the day before.

Goldilocks

Even though Preston sleeps through the night and has been doing so for the last 6 weeks, I have yet to sleep through the night consistently. On top of not being able to sleep, I've been waking up with my back hurting. Rob has horrible back problems and has been waking up with his back hurting as well. So, I thought that, even though our mattress is only a couple years old, maybe it would do some good to sleep on a different one for awhile. Yesterday while Rob was at work, I swapped our mattress with one in one of the guest rooms, hoping that would help. Last night was our first night with the "new" mattress but neither of us noticed a change. Once again I didn't sleep and once again Rob woke up with a sore back. I guess playing Goldilocks didn't work as well as I had hoped. There's always tonight.....

Overcoming Fear

I believe that knowledge is power. However, I've been too scared to find out about Preston's virus for the past 7 months, always worrying that it'll rear its ugly head again. I felt that by researching it memories of that horrible 2 weeks would flood my mind. I prayed about it, asking the Lord to save me from the heartbreak that it had already brought once. Today I overcame that fear since I am guardedly optimistic that he is pretty much out of the woods with a recurrence during his first year. When Preston was taking his nap, I googled the virus and found more info than I could handle. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I read how a 21 year old mother lost her baby to the same virus. Another mother had her baby in ICU after only having her baby home for 4 days. She was told that her baby was most likely going to have central nervous system damage....if it survived. The thing I kept reading over and over again is how RARE it is for babies to have the virus. In fact, our pediatrician has only dealt with this twice in 13 years (Preston and another boy who didn't have a good outcome). My doctor that delivered Preston had never dealt with it in the 5 years she'd been practicing. All this info just made me realize, even more than we already do, how blessed we are to have gotten through this ordeal with such a normal, healthy baby boy. He's hitting all his developmental milestones, either early or on time, something we were told may not happen. He brings us so much hope and joy and laughter and love every day, beyond what I could ever put into words!!!

Mr. Rolly Polly

Preston may not have the crawling thing down but he sure knows how to get places these days. He's pretty much rolled over every square inch of our family room today. This afternoon he discovered that he can move the firewood holder when there's no wood in it. Once he got bored with that, he rolled over to my running shoes and put one in his mouth...yuck! While I was pulling the cookies out of the oven Rob called me in the room to look at Preston. He had rolled over to the entertainment center and had opened the VHS cabinet. He was laying there, looking at all the movies, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. To top it all off, he rolled over to a plant, pulled a leaf off and had it in his mouth before I could rush over and get it out. Lord help us all when he starts crawling and walking! I see many ER visits and the Poison Control number being used in our future!!

Rare Day

It has been such a busy week between errands, trying to fit in my part time job and being a mommy. So, I was really looking forward to this day. Although it's been a busy one, it's been PERFECT so far! Preston woke us up at 6:45 all smiles and squeals. I made a big weekend breakfast since Rob didn't have to work. Then Rob hung out with Preston while I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure (the first time in months). After I got back and got cleaned up we went to the Big Sheep Exhibit. I didn't think I'd like it that much but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the auction and was tempted to bid on something but I/we both refrained. Of course while we were there EVERYONE commented on how cute Preston is! I also got a text from a close friend, asking if she could talk to me about becoming a born again christian! (WAHOO!) We left because we had a couples baby shower to go to. But, when we got home the snow was really coming down. We started down the hill then decided it was coming down too fast and too hard. Much to my delight we turned around to come home. Now I am sitting in front of the fireplace while the snow falls outside, watching Preston, teasing Rob, reading my People magazine and watching the NASCAR shootout....all the while with cookies baking in the oven. What a PERFECT day!!!

Busy, Busy Day

Yesterday was a VERY busy day from the beginning to the end. Preston has decided that 6:30 is a good wake-up time now, which is fine. It gives me extra time with him, extra time to get things done. I got some things accomplished around the house (i.e. laundry and dishes) before meeting up with a friend that asked me to work part time as her assistant. She went over what she wants me to do and I started work yesterday (from home while Preston is napping). After training with her, Preston and I went down the hill to get my tires rotated, make a Walmart run, get a baby shower gift and pick up a customized frame. By the time we got home Preston was exhausted. While he napped I worked and made shish kabobs on the grill. We (Rob and I) woke him up after dinner to go meet up with our tax lady. By the time we got home, watched "Friday Night Lights" and got Preston to bed Rob and I were exhausted. I tried to read but couldn't stay awake. So, we both went to bed before 9:30. Today will be another busy day but tomorrow should be more relaxing.....aaahhhhhhh!!

7 months already!

By the time you read this our lil cowboy will be 7 months old. Over half of his first year has flown by!! I keep thinking about how much he's changed since July 3, 2009 at 3:57pm. He can now:

* sleep through the night
* hold his bottle
* roll over
* sit up
* grab his toys
* "talk"...a lot
* laugh and smile
* interact with others
* eat table food (mashed up of course)
* pet Holly
* follow along as I read books to him
* sleep in his crib
* sit in his "big boy" carseat
* grab every part of his body
* understand "no" (kind of) =)
* watch things going on around him
* crawl backwards
* make us (and everyone he comes in contact with) smile every day!!!

My cup runneth over! I never knew a love like this! Happy 7 month birthday Preston!

Grocery carts, Toofers and Squeals

Like I start most of my blogs....Preston is growing up way too fast! It seems he changes every day. He tries new things constantly, which is so fun to watch. His newest thing is his backwards crawl (He gets frustrated because he'll try to get to a toy and ends up getting further away from it) and the loudest squeal you've ever heard. Okay, the squealing isn't new but he's doing it a lot more.....in a lot quieter places. He loves to make his presence known so the quieter the place is the louder Preston squeals. Yesterday while we were waiting for Rob to get done with his epidural procedure Preston was making so much noise I had to take him outside. Today I was running errands and went to a quiet office building. I'm sure the employees couldn't hear the people they were talking to on the phone because Preston was having fun letting everyone know he was there. One employee asked if she could have him because he was making her laugh so much. After we went there we went to the grocery store. It was Preston's first time sitting in the grocery cart (That's what the pic is of) and he seemed so proud of himself. He smiled and squealed at everyone that walked by. I love taking Preston out in public because everyone always asks about him or comments about what a happy baby he is. The old ladies fall in love with him every time! The last big change is the biggest......his bottom tooth has broken through! It's not where it's easily visible but if he opens his mouth just right (or you pull his lower lip down like I do several times a day)you can see it. It's caused him to be pretty fussy at times but I figure that having a toofer break through the skin of your gums probably doesn't feel that great. So, he has every right to be fussy. SO many changes happening all at once. Have I mentioned that he's growing up too fast??

Social Butterflies

Preston may look like Rob, but he has my personality. He loves to talk all the time, laugh and be social. If we stay in the house all day he's cranky by the time he goes to bed, probably because he doesn't get any interaction other than with me and Rob. So, I signed us up for some mommy and me, social groups. Next week we have a lot of social activities planned. We're going to a free class at Gymboree, where he'll be with other babies around his age, playing and "exercising". The next day I'm getting together with a couple other moms to make Valentine projects (Even though I don't celebrate that Hallmark holiday). On Saturday we're going to go sledding and have a potluck with a mommy and me group. I was nervous about signing us up for anything because of his virus. But, then I got to thinking about how he is out in public several times a week, has been around other kids and has yet to have a recurrence. So, I'm more comfortable having him in social groups. Plus, I think it'll help with his separation anxiety. In my book, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I'm excited to meet other moms and I'm sure Preston will be excited to play with other kids. All in all, a win-win situation!