letters to sunday | you make me a better person

Dearest Sunday,

My girl... my heart overflows with adoration and love for you. You have brought such joy to our family. I am happier now than I have ever been... you make me a better person. In completely random order, here are the things your presence has changed in my everyday life:

1. I don't sit on my computer all day anymore. I actually get up and clean the house and *gasp* I have even mowed the lawn a few times this summer!
2. I exercise more.
3. I drink more water. (Breastfeeding requires it!)
4. I cherish the little things. I know these moments with you are fleeting so I deliberately take the time to pause and appreciate the time we have together right now. I especially am loving the moments together while you are eating. Your curl your little knees up and snuggle into my lap. It's the sweetest time and I hope we continue to enjoy breastfeeding for a long time.
5. I think your dad is more attractive than ever. I can't help it. Watching him ask for you and interact with you makes my heart jump for joy - you have helped our love for each other grow even deeper.
6. I am slowly learning better time management. Slowly. With your help, I take a few steps forward (and one step back) on a regular basis. I thought planning was a positive thing in the past... now it is a requirement! And that's a very good thing for us.
7. The phrase "this too shall pass" is a new mantra in my life. Whether "this" is good or bad, I am learning that what may feel like my whole entire world flipping upside down is really just a small hiccup in our days or weeks.
8. I don't have the energy to be dramatic about little things anymore. When people ask me "how are you?" My answer is a quick "Really good!" these days. In the past I'd pause and try to find something worth complaining about. I just don't have time anymore. I like it this way!
9. Since you now want to eat anything you see me eating, I am making better diet choices. For the both of us.
10. You motivate me every day. To make better choices, to pray more, and to appreciate life more.

Oh this list will grow and grow in the coming years. Life with you is a little piece of heaven on earth and I am so very grateful for it.

xoxox, Mama

Let's talk about running

Getting started with running can be extremely intimidating. I have been trying to "get started" for what feels like my entire life. Trying and trying and never having it click for me. Until recently.

MY HISTORY

I have never understood running as an enjoyable activity. Ever. I tried. I remember watching in both awe and confusion as my high school classmates would run in Cross Country meets… or when my husband heads out for a run with eagerness. Seriously? Who WANTS to run? Who WANTS to do that hard stuff?

Not me.

In 2007 I decide to train for a sprint triathlon. I am honestly not even sure where the idea came from, but I figured it was a good goal to set. I was understandably nervous about it (never really been an athlete before), but I thought "I can swim, which gives me a leg up on at least some of the triathletes…" Hah. Ha ha. Hah.

I trained for the triathlon and I got up to running 2 miles without stopping. But running was still miserable (the entire time). I did participate in my first sprint triathlon and I finished. 4th from last. But I finished. And at the finish line I knew exactly where I needed to improve: the run.

So I vowed that I would run the full distance of a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon before I did my next triathlon. I had to learn to love running.

I tried exactly that. I wrote it on my New Years Resolutions lists. I signed up for races. I printed training plans. I read blogs and books about running. But I dreaded getting out there. It hurt. My body would ache while running… my chest would burn… it was straight up miserable.

Enter Crossfit

When I found Crossfit, I decided running was for the birds. Why put myself through something so miserable if I found something else that finally worked for me? Something I thought was actually fun and gave me great results.

But the need to "get it" was still in me. I was still determined to learn to love running. I wanted to be a part of the running clique! So I made a plan. I decided I'd stick with Crossfit for three months before trying to return to running. In the meantime, I knew Crossfit would help build my core strength which would help make running less miserable for me. (Check out this article about how crossfit can improve your running.)

THE PRESENT

In March I registered for the Virginia Beach Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon to give myself another running goal. Something that required I get out and run. This time, I built in accountability by committing to the race with a group of girls from my home town as well as encouraging some of my closest friends to run with me. And I booked a hotel. And then I went and won a training t-shirt just for registering. I couldn't back out after all that!

After a few months of Crossfit I started forcing myself out to the road. Each time I'd go a little farther before stopping to walk/rest. I went on a few runs with Tommy here and there and the first thing he taught me was how to breathe properly. Then he taught me how to find a resting running pace. And finally, he taught me to just keep running. Slowly but surely, running became the easy part of my Crossfit workouts. After I learned how to find a resting running pace, running became the resting part of my CF workouts. (Shhh don't tell my trainer!)

And two weeks ago it clicked. I went on a run by myself. My goal was to run two miles (of the 5 mile course) without stopping. When I reached the 2 mile mark, I decided to go for 3. Once I made it to 3, I realized that I had the physical ability to run the entire way and I was not feeling miserable. So decided to push it. And the feeling was incredible.

I did it. I CAN do it. And it doesn't have to be torture. Wow. It was truly an unreal experience for me. Years of trying, years of hating running and being miserable on the road... Everything changed in that run and I finally "got it."

And I am addicted.

Sure, I'm running slow. Sure, I only just started. But I am floored that I finally reached my goal to learn to love running.

THE FUTURE

Tommy has always said to me "You don't need a gym or workout videos or anything like that. Just go out and run." And now I get that. Whenever I am in need of something free, quick, and effective, I can just put on some tennis shoes and go out the front door. I'm really grateful to have running in my life now.

I love Crossfit and I will be a CFer for life… but running is something I am excited to now have in my back pocket.

After this half marathon coming up (two weeks away!) I have some big hairy audacious goals (BHAG) that I am a little too scared to mention here just yet. But… they involve running. And I will share when they are officially in the works.

When did running click for you? Did you have a "moment" like I did? I'd love to hear your story, please share in the comments!

What my nightstand says about me

As I reached up last night to turn off the light next to my bed I caught a glimpse of my nightstand. The first thought that came to mind was "I really need to clear that off." But then I started thinking of which books I'd put away on a shelf… and I couldn't decide which needed to go! I am reading all of them. So I started thinking about some other options and before I knew it I was asleep.

This morning I took a second glance and instead of continuing my problem solving from the night before, it occurred to me that you could probably tell a lot about a person by the books on their nightstand. Well, maybe not always. But the case was definitely true for me this morning.

Here's what I'm reading:

• Songs in the key of Solomon - This is a couple's devotional book. I'm gonna be honest and tell you all that we are not reading this right now. But I keep hoping we will, so I won't take it off of my nightstand.
• Nathan Training Log - I got this training log recently as part of a running program I joined and it's still blank. Of course that's because there is no pen on my night stand with which to fill in the pages (NOT because I haven't been running). ;) I shall remedy this situation today.
• Unclutter Your Life in One Week!! - I am a big fan of the Unclutterer Blog and at the bottom of every. single. post. the writer encourages you to purchase her book. And every single time I read it I say "No, I don't need that." Well… obviously that didn't happen every single time. I could only fight temptation for so long. So now here is her book… cluttering up my nightstand. :) Honestly, I'm really enjoying it and I'm already being inspired to continue simplifying my own life.
• Montessori From The Start - I picked this up at a yard sale and have enjoyed reading through it. The biggest thing it has done for me is shown me that allowing my daughter self-play time and self-discovery is, indeed, seen as a good thing by people other than me. It has given me the pat on the back that each mom occasionally needs throughout her mothering experience. It has also given me a lot of fun ideas for directing Sunday into further self-discovery.
• Made to Crave - I had the pleasure of seeing Lisa speak live a few weekends ago and she is hilarious! I've had this book for a while and I went ahead and bought her new book as well (and she signed it!). But I vow to finish this one before I start the next.
• Practical Paleo - This book has floored me. Here I thought I was buying a book about making the Paleo diet a practical part of my life and when it showed up at my doorstep I quickly realized I was reading a biology book. 400+ pages of full color information. Straight up education about our bodies, what we are putting into them, and how it is affecting us. It is inspiring, you guys. I'm seriously considering starting a Paleo Challenge for myself in the next few months… we shall see. (Speaking of, would anyone be interested in joining me??)

So those are the books on my night stand. What you cannot see are the other 10 books on the floor next to my bed. Eeek! I have this little empty black bookshelf in my home that I really want to use… but I know as soon as I pull it out to put books on it, it will quickly become cluttered with other items and start driving me crazy. So what's better? A bookshelf of clutter or another pile of books next to my night stand? Oh gosh… this simplifying things is such a work in progress!

What are you reading right now? Not that I need more books to add to my collection... well, you never know. Maybe I do. :) Please, share your current favorites in the comments!!

Big Brother anyone?!

Alright -- Let's talk game.

I know there are some Big Brother fans out there reading this. What are you guys thinking of this season?! This is the only show we watch in the summer and since we don't have TV this year, we are watching the episodes a few days late. It's a little risky bringing up conversation when we aren't really completely caught up, so I waited until we were. :)

And holy moly! I am LOVING the twists this season! Props to Big Brother for finding an original way to spice things up!

So far, Dan and Ian are my absolute favs. I know Dan is a mastermind, but he seems to come across as a super genuine guy at the same time (score!). And the fact that he has only one other person playing this game with him makes this season challenging for him. So if he ends up winning, I'd be thrilled.

Ian? Come on - how can you not love him? He is so adorable! I would love for him to win this and somehow still stay humble. His personality is so precious and I adore watching him try to flirt with Ashley. So cute.

Speaking of masterminds… wow Boogie is amazing. I am also a Britney fan, but mostly because she's funny. I could do without her winning this year. :) And I have to bring up the Shane/Danielle situation. Could he be any more obvious about using her? And could she be anymore gullible? It's embarrassing… :( It is hard to watch. Yuck.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments! And be sure to join the conversation on Twitter by using hashtag #BB14!

Baby S | Lynchburg Birth Photographer

Earlier this week I had the honor of witnessing new life enter this world. This never, ever gets old. Birth photography is definitely my favorite type of photography and I'm not afraid to say it. These moments are irreplaceable... they are truly moments you can never get back. To be able to capture them is something I don't take lightly. I know - all moments are irreplaceable. But there's just something about new life… that first breath... the first mama/baby touch. All of it. (sigh)

Emily is a rockstar. She endured a 46hour labor and delivered her sweet girl completely naturally. I am awed by her strength and endurance.

Look at these precious moments...!

Soon after she was born, their sweet girl started showing signs of respiratory problems. She was checked into the NICU later that night and Emily has not been able to hold her or breastfeed her since then. I am asking for your prayers for baby S. If you would so kindly, these are her mama's own words:

1. That S would continue to progress and get better! This is huge and so important to us. We hate seeing our little girl hurting and it's incredibly hard to not be able to hold her (while on oxygen she cannot be moved) and for me to not breastfeed her.

2. That S would improve to the point that she can be discharged on Sunday (or Monday morning -- not sure exactly of the timeline) and will not have to stay for a week of antibiotics treatment (this is a situation the staff has already presented to us as necessary if her tests still show signs of infection after the 48 hour treatment).

3. Finally, that no additional issues would arise.

Thank you SO much! I will keep you all posted on her progress!