Confession: I'm not the most graceful trick on the planet. Last Sunday, I fell down in the locker room at the gym. Yeah, there was a bright orange Wet Floor cone in the middle of the floor that I completely didn't notice until I flattened it. And yeah, I bailed in front of a gaggle of 17-year-old girls.

At the time, my pride was hurt the most. But over the next couple of days, my knee got more and more stiff and sore. A big purple bruise bloomed over my knee and something inside felt all twisted and off every time I bent or straightened my leg.

As a result, I took an unplanned rest day last week and didn't push myself too much all week with hills or trying to be too speedy. Things are feeling a lot better now - still a little stiff, but I was able to do my long run on the weekend and will try to incorporate some hills in my short run today and hopefully not cripple myself completely.

Last week looked like this:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 miles, 26 minutes. This was post-Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. I swear those pancakes turned to lead as soon as they hit my stomach. Woof.
Wednesday: 4 miles, 36 minutes. In spite of a decent 9:00 pace I was in agony and felt like crap for the last half of this run. I went home, wimped and whined around the house, and finished off the night with an ice pack on my knee.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3 miles, 28 minutes. This was an easy run to test out my knee and make sure it was feeling OK. I capped off with 20 minutes on the bike.
Sunday: 8 miles, 1 hour 13 minutes. Surprisingly, this felt a little easier than my 7 miles the weekend before.

The course for the Blue Nose half-marathon has been posted here. Unfortunately, the map isn't up yet, and I don't know where half these side streets are. But this route sounds looooooooooong. And confusing. I can definitely see myself being super slow, getting separated from the rest of the pack, getting entirely lost and ending up in Cape Breton or something. On the other hand, maybe I'll discover a sweet shortcut and get a massive PR. I've never done an organized race before. How do they keep everybody on track? Are there route police making sure nobody tries to pull a Sneaky McSneakerson? It looks like there are a couple uphills, but mostly a pretty level course which I am grateful for. There's also a spin through Point Pleasant Park which is one of my favourite places in the city.

This is my sixth week on the schedule which means I'm about halfway done training. It calls for a 5K race this weekend, but I'm planning to do another long run instead, hopefully outside if the weather cooperates. Anything more than five miles on the treadmill makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty fork.

Gap Body had a super sale on recently and I ordered some fancy new shirts with !!THUMBHOLES!! which arrived yesterday. Getting new workout clothes actually gets me excited to go for a run. New clothes + new music on my playlist are the best motivators. That being said, what's one must-have song on your workout playlist?

Before Eli was born, I was clueless as to how to help out my new-parent friends. Usually I'd bake some cookies, buy some flowers, and drop them off a few days after the new family arrived home from the hospital, along with a "Let me know if you need anything!" As it turns out, I was on the right track. But for someone with very little experience with babies, I always wondered if there was something else I should be doing.

A friend shared this post on Facebook today: How to Help a New Mom. This is an awesome list for anybody who has a friend or relative who's expecting or has a new baby. In a nutshell, the best thing you can do for a new mom (or dad) is to offer your support. Whether it's something tangible, such as bringing over a meal or helping her clean the house, or just being available to lend an ear or meet her and the baby for a walk or for a coffee break, letting her know that you're there for her is the best gift you can give.

Here are a few other things I'd recommend.

Give her some notice. When you've got a newborn, your house can be in any kind of state, from spic-and-span (unlikely) to war zone (more likely). You can be covered in barf, poop, and lord knows what other bodily fluids for extended periods of time. And while visits from friends are always welcome, it's important to remember the days of the drop-in are over. Now is not the time to call her and say, "we're in the neighbourhood. Are you going to be home in 10 minutes?" If you're planning to come by after work, ask her in the morning - that gives her a few hours, at least, to get herself, the baby, and the house looking presentable. (That being said, a good friend won't care what you and your home look like!)

Consider waiting until she's home from the hospital. We spent two days in the hospital after Eli was born, and they weren't pretty. Most of our friends and families waited until we were home to visit, which was a huge relief. I know some people love having visitors right after their babies arrive, though. Just check with her first. In my case, I felt like I'd been hit repeatedly by a bus. I was exhausted, sore, popping pills, attempting to learn to breastfeed AKA having my boobs groped and kneaded by nurses at all hours of the day and night, and trying to retain information about how to look after my baby. The last thing I wanted to do was entertain visitors or be seen by my friends looking like a bag of ass. Once I got home and started feeling like a human being again, I loved seeing everybody, but that first day or two was just not good times.

Bring her a treat. If you're bringing a gift for baby, add a little something for mama, too. She's feeling like ass and any kind of pick-me-up will make her day. A chocolate bar, a face mask or a nice body lotion, a gift certificate to a spa (that's not exactly a "little" something, but it would be well received nonetheless), a latte, a new bottle of nail polish...something you know she'll enjoy. We also had friends who gave us a toy for Rory along with Eli's present, which is another great idea. If your friend has a pet (or another kid) bring something for them, so they don't feel left out.


Keep her in the loop. It's so nice to take a break from all the baby talk and have an adult conversation. It's even better to have an adult conversation filled with juicy, gossipy tidbits. Since she's not working and probably not getting out as much, a new mom can feel out of touch, so make sure you keep her up to date on all the inter-office fraternizing and the drunken stunt your douchey mutual acquaintance pulled on the weekend, so she doesn't start feeling like an isolated shut-in.

Invite her out. Even if she can't make it out to a movie, dinner, or drinks, keep extending the invitations so she doesn't feel left out and eventually she'll be able to join you.

Know that 'mom brain' is really a thing. She's not being forgetful and scatterbrained on purpose. Your friend is completely exhausted and in the throes of a boatload of craziness, so cut her some slack if she misses calling you on your birthday or forgets she still owes you $20. I was actually worried about how forgetful I was after Eli was born, and how difficult it was to complete the simplest tasks sometimes (i.e. the thank-you cards from my baby showers in September and October - half of them have been sent out; half of them are still sitting on my desk). She'll get her act together soon!

Kelly tagged me in The Random Eleven meme that's been going around, which is the perfect way to spend a spare 10 minutes while le bebe is conked out in his swing. (edit - this is the fifth time I've sat down to finish this post). 

The Rules:

• Post these rules
• You must post 11 random things about yourself
• Answer the questions set for you in their post
• Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
• Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
• No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 random facts about me: 

• I've never eaten brussels sprouts. I have no idea what they taste like or even what they smell like.
• I sang in choirs throughout elementary and middle school, although I'm the worst singer in the world. Honestly, worst ever. 
• I've been on national TV twice. Once was during a Canada Day broadcast in PEI. I was drunk in the background, jumped up and down and then gave the camera the shocker...oy. The second time was a CBC interview about being a first-time homebuyer.
• I've never mowed the lawn. I don't know how to start the lawnmower. Ignorance is bliss.
• One of my favourite things to do in the winter is go snowshoeing, which sounds incredibly lame, but I love it. The best way to spend a sunny winter afternoon, in my opinion. It's a great workout and there's little to no chance of crashing and breaking a limb. 
• I'm a morning person. I love getting up early and getting things done first thing in the day. Sleeping in always makes me feel guilty, like I'm wasting the day, and I have trouble staying awake late at night. 
• I have never had a pedicure. I hate having my feet touched and I think mine are super ugly from running and playing sports and years of wearing absurdly impractical shoes. 
• I used to talk in my sleep, but now I just sweat profusely. Thanks, postpartum hormones. 
• I have never been in a tanning bed. 
• I still like to read Cosmo, but I get embarrassed buying it, so I usually sandwich it between two other more respectable magazines like Real Simple and Shape. I have been reading the exact same sex tips since I was 13. Note to Cosmo editors: That ice cube thing is OLD NEWS.
• I broke a finger playing basketball in grade 9. I saved the metal splint they put on it and maaaay have conveniently pulled it out from time to time to get out of assignments I didn't want to do at both school and work. (Can't type with that thing on your hand. I guess I'll have to just go sit in the cafeteria for third period/roam around town with the camera/sit on my ass and do nothing). 

Kelly's questions for me:

• Valentine's Day: Love it or Hate it? Love it! A holiday that celebrates love and involves chocolate and romantic gestures is a good thing in my books.
• Favorite place to shop? Banana Republic or Gap, especially the outlet/factory stores now that we have those. I just got a 40-60% off coupon in my email to the BR factory store today. Granted, I need new clothes like I need a kick in the face but you know I'm going to be heading over there, "just to look around".
• Social media outlet of choice: Twitter or Facebook or Other? Twitter for sure. I hate Facebook and I debate deactivating my account every day. I also love Instagram.
• iPhone, Blackberry, Driod,  or Other? I love the iPhone but I can't type on it very well, so for work, I say the Blackberry.
• Biggest fear: Sinking on a cruise ship or airplane crashing? Unhhh. I feel like I have more of a chance on a sinking ship. Women and children first to the lifeboats, and all that. On a crashing airplane, everyone's equally fucked.
• Did you go to public school or private school growing up? Plain ol' public school.
• Coffee, tea, red bull, none of the above? Coffee! I only like tea on occasion and I abhor Red Bull.
• Best Spring Break trip? Dominican Republic - we've been there twice on spring break. The first visit was my favourite because the second time we were there I got an ear infection and couldn't drink alcohol or go swimming for the second half of the trip. Plus I wasted an entire day visiting an off-resort hospital, which was an experience I'm not keen to repeat.
• General bathing/showering: at night or morning or choose to go the dirty hippie route? It depends on when I go to the gym. If it's not a gym day, I do it in the morning but if i go to the gym in the evening I wait and shower then.
• Favorite boy band? NKOTB, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC or one of the others that don't matter? NKOTB is the only one I've ever gotten excited about and that was in grade 3. Step By Step was my jam.
• Dogs or cats? Dogs dogs dogs. Every day and twice on Sunday. I'm sorry, kitties.

My 11 questions:

• What's your favourite body part and why? 
• Salty snacks or sweet treats? 
• What's your dream job? 
• If you could spend the day hanging out with any famous person, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do? 
• Would you rather live on the North Pole or the Equator? 
• Favourite Beatle? 
• What's "your" drink? 
• What do you order when you go to Starbucks (or Tim Horton's, or Dunkin' Donuts, or wherever, YOU MUST GO SOMEWHERE WITH HOT BEVERAGES COME ON)
• Would you rather go naked or wear fur? 
• What's your biggest fear? 
• Your favourite foreign accent? 

I tag...

• Mallory
• Supahmama!
• Lindsey
• Jayme
• Ainsley 
• Holly
• Tara 
• Marian
• Natasha
• Kim
• Julie

(no pressure to participate, of course! And sorry if you've already been tagged!)

This was the first week where I seriously began to think, "I'm an idiot for thinking I can run a half marathon." WOMP.

I had an atrocious short run during the week, which got me all emo, like, if I can't do three or four miles comfortably, there's no way I can do 13.1. Saturday's long run was brutal as well, although I suspect that had something to do with the fact that the thermostat at the gym was cranked up to about a bazillion degrees. For some reason, the staff at the Stadium are trying to create a sauna-like ambiance in the cardio room which makes everything nice and...moist. Plus, spending more than one consecutive hour on the treadmill makes Homer something something at the best of times.

Overall, though, I was happy to get all my workouts in this week like a good girl.

Here's a summary of the week:

Monday: rest day
Tuesday: 3 mile run, 26:00. I ran hills and it was just OK.
Wednesday: 4 mile pace run, 37:00. Easy peasy.
Thursday: rest day, unplanned, because I felt like ass. Friday was supposed to be my rest day but I was all Captain Can't about running on Thursday, so I stayed home and watched Community instead. Sorry I'm not sorry.
Friday: yoga, 1 hour with my BFF Jillian.
Saturday: 7 mile run, 1:05. It started off horrendously but once I got into a groove around four and a half miles in (gag) it got better. But that first four and a half miles was gross.
Sunday: 3 mile run, 27:00, plus 15 minutes on the cross-trainer and a walk with the dog. I did hills again and they just killed me this time. There was nothing on TV to watch and I was sleepy. Wahhhh.

February 29 is the early bird cutoff date for half-marathon registration. Part of me wants to go ahead and register early to save some dollars and make a formal commitment to running this race. Part of me wants to wait until the very last minute to make sure I can actually do it and I'm not wasting all my money. A big part of me says a half-marathon is not a good idea for my first organized race and I should do a shorter distance instead. And there's another part of me that says stop being a crybaby and just f'ing do it.

Decisions, decisions.

After Eli was born, I insisted on sticking to a morning routine of putting on a bit of makeup every day, even if we weren't leaving the house. It made me feel slightly more human on the zombiest of days. Taking five minutes to look less dead has been important for me over the past three months, and even now that he's a little bigger, I've stuck with this streamlined routine - especially lately when it seems like the four-month sleep regression has hit our wee boy early.

(Can it still be considered "regression" if it was never really there to begin with?)

Aaaaaaaaaanyway.

Here are the products I've been relying on lately:






1. Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer - I've used this for years and love it. It absorbs nicely into skin and does a great job in the harsh winter air.

2. Clinique All About Eyes roller ball serum - genius product, especially for new parents. It helps to wake up puffy eyes, and the roller ball applicator feels soooo good on tired peepers.

3. Maybelline Age Rewind concealer in Neutralize - the yellow tones help to cancel out bluish dark circles and it stays put all day. It goes on with a soft spongy applicator too, so it's hard to use too much, unlike some gloopy wand concealers.

4.  Clinique Almost Powder Makeup in Neutral (04) - I loooove this too. It gives just enough coverage to even out my skin tone, but feels very light, like a pressed powder. It also zaps any shine and is super easy to apply. And it has SPF 15.

5. Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in Peach Satin - I have been having trouble finding a new one lately. If they've discontinued this blush I'm gonna throw down. I like the peachy shade, and the moussey texture blends in easily and looks pretty natural, no brushes required.

6. Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow in Like Mink - this came free in a gift with purchase but I'd buy the full-size product for sure. I hate garish eyeshadow but this is nice and natural and would probably work on just about any skin tone.

7. L'Oreal Voluminous False Fibre Lashes in Blackest Black - Mascara is a weird product. Everybody has their hands-down favourite, and pretty much everyone I know likes a different kind. I'd been using the Voluminous Million Lashes mascara and loved it and just picked up this False Fibre version over the weekend. So far so good! It works as well as pricier mascaras I've tried for about half the cost.

The only other product I use daily is some kind of lip balm - I give Eli lots of kisses all day long and I don't want his little baby head covered with creepy lipstick or sticky gloss. I like Blistex Silk 'n' Shine or Burt's Bees. That's my morning routine. Probably not enough to get you ready to attend the Oscars, but enough so the delivery man won't vomit upon seeing your face if you answer the door.

1. Snack-snackity alert! This week I made a batch of roasted chickpeas (can you guess where I found the recipe? Here's a hint: I found it on the Internet in a magical place that starts with P and ends with NTEREST.) In summation: spread a can of chickpeas on a cookie sheet; bake at 450 for 30 minutes; drizzle with oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little salt; enjoy the perfect addictive snack that's fun for vegans, lactose intolerants, dieters, and all ages). If you're interested in making them properly the recipe is here.

2. How to annoy me: overuse FML. I think this bothers me more than the overuse of LOL. LOL drives me crazy but FML is just too much. Every time I check Facebook there's a new flurry of FMLs marching down my news feed. "Slept through my alarm. FML!" "There were no Corn Pops left so I had to have Rice Krispies, FML!" or just the vague and attention-whoring "What a day.......................FML" followed by a million "what's wrong" and "***HUGS***" comments. Cereal, alarm clock mishaps, bad hair days, having to get up and go to work - these are no reasons to F one's L.

3. I'm pretty addicted to Words With Friends. I really don't know how I'd make it through middle-of-the-night baby feedings without it. The other night, Words With Friends was broken and I was going insane. I had to resort to playing Sudoku on my ipod (FML!!!!!) This morning, at about 4:45 AM, I played a 108-point word. 108 POINTS!!! Usually I just start games with random strangers. Let me know if you play it and maybe we can play together! Tee hee!

4. I started reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King this week. This book is crazy long but so far it's pretty good - if I could ever get more than 10 consecutive minutes to sit down and read (AHEM ELI) I think it would be a quick read. This is the last of my Christmas present books so it's back to the library for me once it's finished. Any suggestions for what I should read next?

5. It's Friday! This weekend's plans include a couple runs, cooking, visits with friends, catching up on the DVR, cuddlin', errands, and hopefully my first purchase at lululemon. I got a gift card for Christmas and am pumped to get some lulus on my tush. I hear they do great things for the heinie. I need all the help I can get when it comes to avoiding the mom-ass. And what is it about thumb holes in workout shirts that makes them 100% better than all the other shirts?

Happy weekend! xoxo

Peter and I have been together for almost five years. In the beginning, there were grandiose gestures of love happening all the time. There were monthly anniversary celebrations: getting dressed up for multi-course dinners capped off with the presentation of a sparkly piece of jewelry or a box of pricey chocolates. There were weekend breakfasts in bed devoured closer to noon. There were hours spent on primping for dates that lasted all day long. Bottles of champagne were glugged (Blogger is telling me "glugged" isn't a word. I disagree). Bouquets of flowers were delivered to my office. Fancy underthings were picked out and flaunted.

These days, date night is more likely to mean curling up under a blanket on the couch to eat cookies and watch a DVD. And more often than not, we pass out before the movie is over, ears cocked to pick up the first peep out of the baby monitor that's always hovering nearby like an annoying chaperone. These days, 7:15 is considered sleeping in. A glass of wine is responsibly sipped, never glugged, and only after the baby has gone to bed for the evening. Fancy underthings are on hold until further notice and "primping" is not even in my vocabulary anymore.

Last night I stumbled into Eli's room at some ungodly hour to feed him. A few seconds later, Peter came in to put a blanket over us and brought me a glass of water.

Sitting in the rocking chair, dressed in the opposite of fancy underthings, looking and feeling like death warmed over and barely able to keep my eyes open, was one of the times I've felt most loved. A blanket, a glass of water, a kiss on the forehead from my husband, a sleepy smile from a hungry little boy at 3AM. Love is different for us these days, but it's still here.

Eli Alexander, you turned three months old on Friday. How is that possible? In the past three months you've gone from being a teeny warm slug-baby who slept all day to a lively, bouncy little man who thinks sneezes are hilarious and naps are for suckas.

The past month has been a big one for you, little man. You've learned how to roll over and laugh. You've discovered your hands and you love to grab onto things and slobber all over them. You became a drool machine and you want to gnaw on everything in sight, which has me worrying about teeth already, but from what I've read, the drool-chew-slobber stage can last for many weeks.

You went on your first sleepover and had some play dates. You made Valentines for your grandparents, aunts and uncles, went for walks around the neighbourhood, and spent most of your days hanging out with your mama.

Your smile is hands down the most beautiful one I've ever seen. When you're happy, your whole face lights up, your big brown eyes crinkle up and you let out a squeal that makes whoever's holding you absolutely melt. When you wake us up at some obscenely early hour and we stagger into your room to get you, a little crabby at the rude awakening, and you greet us with one of those smiles, we stop caring about what time it is. That smile is what makes me think "oh, we could have another baby or two, absolutely."

When you're mad, you're a completely different baby. Your little face turns tomato red, your hands ball up into fists and you kick and punch like a maniac. We're starting to discover what calms you down quickly. On that note, we'll be installing a ceiling fan in your room very, very soon, and your nightly bath has become a welcome ritual - as soon as your clothes come off you're instantly quiet and happy. When you're in a particularly horrendous mood, I start googling vasectomies and swear up and down you'll be an only child. But eventually you smile again or give us one of your crazy giggles and that's all forgotten.

You weigh 13 pounds, 12 ounces. You're wearing 3-6 month clothes and are starting to bust out of your size 1 diapers.You're still rocking the full head of hair, and it's getting lighter. You've got rolls on your legs and dimply elbows, a big fat belly and a skinny bum.

We love every single inch of you and can't wait to see what month four brings.

In sad news, my Nike+ sensor has up and shit the bed. Just stopped working altogether. RIP. I've seen tutorials about how to change the battery yourself, but it involves prying it open with a sharp knife and putting it back together Super Glue and electrical tape and all these shenanigans. I may call the Mac store to see if they can fix it for me, or what they'd recommend. If it's truly dead, I'll have to decide whether to shell out for a new sensor or just try something different altogether, like a Garmin - what do you guys suggest?

I was a good girl this week and did all my scheduled workouts on their assigned days:

Monday: rest
Tuesday: three miles, 27 minutes. I did speed intervals and finished up with 15 minutes on the bike.
Wednesday: four miles, 36 minutes. Another relatively easy run. I was sleepy and not as speedy as I'd have liked, maybe because I ate about a thousand pretzel M&Ms before going to the gym.
Thursday: three miles, 28 minutes. Worst run of the week hands down. I thought I was going to woof my cookies all over the treadmill the whole time and wanted to quit pretty badly.
Friday: the most anticipated rest day in the entire world. Just took it easy and walked the baby and dog around the neighbourhood.
Saturday: six miles, 53 minutes. I felt really good the entire time. Just got to double this plus 1.1 more miles to do the half! Woof.
Sunday: yoga, one hour.

I can't wait for the weather to get nicer so I'm not stuck on the treadmill, especially on long-run Saturdays. We have a 30 minute time limit for cardio equipment at our gym so I'm going to feel like quite the asshole hogging a treadmill for an hour-plus next weekend. Fingers crossed for sunshine on Saturday! 

1. My little boy is three months old today. He's officially an infant now, making the big upgrade from newborn status. Happy three months, Eli! Want to hear something freaky? I don't remember being pregnant. I mean, I remember it, but having the big belly, waddling around, the feeling of toting a fat, writhing, kicking watermelon 24/7 - I don't remember what any of that felt like. Is blocking out those memories nature's way of trying to trick me into wanting another baby? Don't get your hopes up. STFU, ovaries.



2. Yesterday's big accomplishment was organizing the cutlery drawer. I don't have a before picture, because it was a veritable orgy of utensils. I took everything out and put all the orphan knives, forks, and spoons elsewhere, so now everything in this drawer matches and we have backups in case of emergency. I don't know what kind of emergency requires a spoon, and I don't know when we'd get to the point where all 16 spoons are dirty, but there you go. I bought the clear plastic organizer at Stokes this week for 50% off - it would also work for organizing makeup, jewelry, craft supplies, and so on. Now when I open the drawer I don't have heart palpitations. I just need to do this to the rest of the kitchen.

3. Eli made Valentines for his grandparents, aunts and uncles. I found them, surprise surprise, on Pinterest. I forgot to take pictures of Eli's masterpiece but here's the inspiration:

Photos via Pinterest courtesy of this blog

Have you ever tried to create paint handprints of a three month old? It's rull fun. See, babies don't understand you when you say "Flatten your hand out and press it on the paper!" They just want to make fists and rub paint all over their faces, clothes, and rug. Babies suck at crafts.

4. So far I haven't made any progress on my February resolution, which is to try a new way of working out. The closest I've come is giving the side-eye to the rowing machines at the gym. Feel free to throw your suggestions my way. Is there a class I should try taking or a video you'd recommend? Or even just a routine you've seen online that looks good?

Please don't say Zumba. I tried Zumba once and I will eat cat feces before I attempt Zumba again.

5. Even though I'm doing the SAHM thing these days, I probably look forward to Fridays even more than I do when I'm at work. I love having Pete home for a couple days and getting to hang out as a family. This weekend we'll be doing a little shopping, having a birthday visit and lunch with Pete's dad who turned 60 this week, and catching up on some stuff around the house. Nothing too crazy planned, just a nice cozy weekend with my boys. Happy Friday, kids!

Two weeks of training down, 10 to go. Last week's training went pretty well. The bad news first: I skipped my cross-training workout. Just wrote that sucker off. Waaah. The weekend got away from me - I ended up taking the bebe to New Brunswick for a sleepover with his grandparents Saturday and Sunday, so with all the family time, driving, and whatnot, there wasn't a spare hour to cross-train. But I'm back on the wagon this week.

I have 10 more weeks on my training plan, which takes us to mid-April. The actual race is 100 days from today, May 18-20 weekend. So once I finish my 12-week training I'm planning to just repeat the last few weeks leading up to the half. I would like to run 13.1 miles at least twice before the actual event, just to prove I can do it without croaking. 

Last week's mileage was supposed to consist of two plain old three-mile runs, a three-mile pace run, and a five-mile run plus the cross-training that I skipped. Here's what I did:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 3 mile run, 00:25. This was a personal best for me. My secret? I went to the gym suuuuper pissed off. Eli had been a tyrant all afternoon and evening and I was aggravated and ready to snap. Papa bear arrived home from work and took over with the little beast so I could tootboot 'er to the gym. I took out all my angst on the treadmill and felt 100 times better when I got home. Of course, I was all jacked up and couldn't get to sleep. But this run definitely helped me calm down from a very trying day.

Wednesday: 3 mile pace (00:27) & strength train. I set my pace at a 9-minute mile. I don't know why I think I can accomplish my first half-marathon at a 9:00 pace. I don't think I was really thinking, because while a few miles at 9:00 pace is doable for me, I don't know if I could maintain it for 13.1. Actually, I know I couldn't. Anyway, it was a fairly easy run and then some weight room action afterward.

Thursday: rest

Friday: 5 mile run, 00:44. I did 800m repeats and watched What Not To Wear. It went really quick and I felt great.

Saturday: rest

Sunday: 3 mile run, 00:28. I did hills and watched the Super Bowl pregame show. I don't want to talk about the Super Bowl any more.

Today Eli and I are checking out a day care, and while part of me is glad we're doing our research and getting a spot secured nice and early, it makes me feel a little bit sick to think that sometime in the near-ish future, I'll be back at work and somebody else will be spending the days with my tiny man. Yes, there are times when I would happily head back to work right.this.second. if someone even remotely competent showed up at my house and offered to watch him. And it's not that I'm dreading going back to work - I like my job. But I don't think handing your baby over to a relative stranger and having them essentially raise your child until he goes to school is ever an easy thing to do.

This week was a week of firsts for Mr. Eli. He started rolling over, he went for his first sleepover, and he laughed for the first time on Saturday. Seeing him laugh was the highlight of my week, easily. It wasn't a timid little giggle, but a full-on, "hyuck! hyuck! hyuck!" hillbilly belly laugh, and I was happy I got to see and hear it. Knowing that there's a good chance it won't be me who sees him take his first steps or hears him say his first word makes me a little weepy. I'm sad that I'll be missing a lot of big firsts and that he'll be seeing more of his daycare provider than of me. I wonder, when he's sick, will he want his mom or his babysitter? What if he likes her better than me? What if he hates being home and is happier at the daycare and has a fit when weekends roll around and he can't go? Will he feel like we're neglecting him or don't want to be with him all day? 

Annnnd just writing the last paragraph has my eyes welling up. The thought of somebody else raising my baby has me in a massive flap. Somebody else teaching him how to talk and read and catch a ball, and my role being the person who feeds him breakfast and dinner, drops him off, picks him up, and puts him to sleep.

So people say to me, "well, why don't you just stay home with Eli?" But it's not that simple. In addition to legitimately enjoying my job and getting lots of satisfaction out of it, there's a myriad of reasons why not working doesn't make sense for me. Bills, obviously. Adult interaction. Independence. Being able to waste my hard-earned dollars on frivolous things like $6 coffees and not waiting for the paperback edition of the new book that just came out without worrying about it too much. I've worked since I was 16 - I don't know if I could handle not working.

My mom stayed home with us and now I appreciate how lucky we were to have her there, but that was what worked for my parents - I don't think it's the best option for everybody. I don't necessarily think it's the best option for us. The perfect scenario would be working from home or being able to bring Eli to work with me, but obviously an office full of babies would be chaotic to say the very least. So a choice has to be made.

And so, we're going to look at a daycare today, and keep our fingers crossed that Eli gets a spot in a good place. One where he'll learn a lot and eat healthy snacks and get lots of outdoor play and contract as few germies as possible. Preferably one that can refer me to a good shrink when the time comes that I finally have to drop him off for the day.

1. I made Asian Sweet Potato Stew in the slow cooker on Wednesday. Hoo doggies! This stuff is good. It's vegan friendly, hearty and filling. It's from my Campbell's Crockpot cookbook, but since I can't find it online here it is in a handy 6x4 recipe card format :) :



2. Thanks to Lindsey, I discovered Sprik Space, which is a wonderful blog featuring lots of free downloadable subway art, cards, calendars and other goodies (click on "freebies" in the menu bar). I've downloaded a few prints for Eli's room and there are some nice holiday ones as well.

3. My friend Jayme is one of the most talented crafty gals I know. She has been making her sock monsters for a long time and recently started a blog to showcase her creations. She does custom designs and adds new designs to her shop regularly. They make fantastic gifts for kiddos of all ages. Eli has one of her owls in his nursery:
4. I need to vent about Pinterest for a minute. I find amazing things on there every day. Delicious recipes, crafty ideas, home inspirations. But the more I look at it the more inadequate I feel. I will never have a 1,000-square-foot kitchen with three wall-mounted ovens and exposed beams and marble floors. And I still can't do a fishtail braid, no matter how many tutorial videos I watch. I can't even do the sock bun correctly. So thanks, Pinterest, for making me fat and making me feel like a chump.

5. Must-see TV recos...I need them. Glee and Gossip Girl have both gone completely arse over teakettle and I feel like I missed too much Bachelor to catch up at this point (correct me if I'm wrong). What shows are worth checking out? For reference, shows I like include Friday Night Lights, Community, Big Brother, The Office, Gossip Girl before it went to shit, ditto Glee, and America's Next Top Model. I hate all music shows i.e. American Idol, X Factor, etc., all crime shows, all medical dramas... Maybe I should just stop watching TV and cancel cable.

Did you guys say "rabbits, rabbits, rabbits" on the first day of every new month? No? Just a bodunk Maritime custom? I'm so happy to see the ass end of January. It's my least favourite month of the year. This year was no exception. February isn't awesome by any means, but at least it's short, and we're that much closer to seeing winter GTFO. Also, Valentine's Day is coming up, and even if you think it's a BS holiday (which it is) there's bound to be some sweet treats circulating around and some mushy cards, too. I love me some mush.

Today is also the first day of the February Photo A Day challenge on Instagram. I finished the January challenge and it was fun to see everybody's contributions - I think there were almost 200,000 photos uploaded in January, which is crazy. Having a daily prompt makes it so much easier to take a photo each day. I tried to do Project 365 last year and it was a disaster. Without having an assigned photo I just ended up taking pictures of the dog or closeups of stuff in the kitchen, and within a few weeks I was dunzo.


You can see my photos on Instagram (amyw1981) or follow along here.

My New Year's Resolution for January was to use the slow cooker more. Success! I made falafels, ratatouille, and curry chicken. The falafels especially turned out amazing. The recipe I used is right hurr. I hope to keep using the slow cooker at least weekly - it's the easiest way to get a healthy dinner on the table in the evenings and there are always leftovers the next day.

My goal for February is to try a new way to work out. I've given it zero thought so far, but I have 29 days to figure it out.