Christmas, Training, and Happy New Year

Some pictures from Christmas:

Christmas Eve before dinner

Santa came!

 On Wednesday Sophie woke up with a horrible cough, some wheezing and labored breathing. It seemed like, at times, she was struggling to catch her breath. Scared the crap out of me so I called in sick to work and made a doctor appointment. They didn't have one till 12:30!! Lots of sick kids out there right now. So by mid morning she seemed to be doing a little better and was running around and playing, so I cancelled the doctor appointment.

Because I'm not a doctor, I self diagnosed her with Croup. Actually I read about it, my sister's kids have had it and when she heard her cough and breathing we were both pretty sure it was croup. Of course if she seemed to not be doing well I was going to call the doctor back, but croup is a virus and just like with all viruses you have to let it run it's course.

Luckily that night she slept very well and sounded so much better the next morning. Poor kid, I hate it when she's sick.

Running has been going well this week, I've mostly forgotten about that horrible run and am moving forward. I am scheduled to do 12 miles tomorrow but will possibly do a couple extra. Just to make sure my base is strong and to make way for the crap ton of calories I will be eating and drinking for New Years. We are having some friends at our house and I am going all out.

In typical Jennifer fashion I have a lot going on in the next few weeks. Charleston Marathon is only 2 weeks away!! I can't believe it!! I'm super excited (because I'm no longer going to think negatively).

Aside from wrapping up training I will be painting Sophie's new room (she'll be "moving in" sometime in Feb.). I will also be re-painting our kitchen because we are getting granite counter tops installed today!! Now I just have to find the time to do it all!!

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be an awesome year, I can feel it.

Steppin Up in the World

Merry Christmas! It has been a fast couple of days and I've been a busy little bee baking my little heart out the last few days.

I am happy to report that I've mentally and physically recovered from my sucky run on Friday. I have come to realize that I pushed it and wasn't in the mood to run that day but wanted to get it done so I didn't have to worry about it over Christmas. I realize that I should have waited a few days. It's all good. I redeemed myself this morning with a 7.5 miler on the treadmill. I had planned on running outside but for some reason the treadmill was calling my name. Weird but I had a great run so that's all that matters at this point.

Sophie had a fantastic Christmas. I think she was very overwhelmed by it all but she made out good with a doll house, Wooden food sets and a Diner stand to cook us up some good "play" food. A bunch of other stuff too. I have pictures I need to download but haven't gotten around to it just yet.

I made homemade cinnamon rolls from the Pioneer Woman. I made them last year and figured these would be my Christmas tradition. They take some time but are well worth it. So yummy and so bad for you but that's OK, it's Christmas!

I was suprised myself this year. My hubby got me an iPhone 4. I think I mentioned it like a month ago that having one would be kind of neat. I just figured the phone and plan were too expensive but when I opened my present there it was! I spent the majority of the moring getting it set up and playing with it. This is the girl who didn't have a cell phone for the longest time and still manages to leave it in my purse and miss a ton of calls and text. But the iPhone is pretty neat and I feel like I'm a little more technologically advanced now.

I got my hubby some fishing apparel, some spiced rum that he likes and he pretty much between his mom, my family, got everything on his list.

Sad that it's my last day off and I have a ton of cleaning to do but it's been a nice 4 day weekend and I can't really say that I've relaxed like I wanted to but that's just the way it is sometimes. I guess when my kids are older and can fend for themselves or at least be a little self sufficient I can relax.

Looking forward to a short work week and then another 3 day weekend for New Years!

Friday Already?

I mean not that I'm complaining that it's Friday already and we are one week closer to Christmas, but what happened to this week?

Oh yeah, I know. I have been elbow deep in quotes and orders. Which is not a bad thing. I mean really if the company gets orders and makes money that means I get to keep my job! But my theme lately is there is no rest for the weary.

I ran three times this week, yay! I did not make it to Body Pump this week (or the last 3 weeks) boo! And I'm not even sure if I'll get a chance to run this weekend but it is what it is and I have to learn to roll with it. Might be a good time for a small rest before my next 20 miler. My plantar fasciitis in my right heel is flaring up again.

So last night I was supposed to be packing so we could head out to Charlotte today. I'm leaving work early and I wanted to get on the road to be to my sister's house at a decent time. My husband apparently ate something bad yesterday and was laid up in bed by the time I got home from work. He didn't move for the rest of the night which means I had to fly solo for dinner, bath and bed with Sophie. Not a bad thing, it just means that I got zero packing done.

So now I have to make it home, pack, load up the car with presents, luggage, child and dogs, in hopes that we can still make it on the road at a decent time. Hubby is still feeling funky so that means I will more than likely be driving and I hate driving at night. This will be fun (and fun = stressful in my world).

Next week I am looking forward to my 20 miler and then a 4 day weekend with relaxing and watching my daughter open and play with her presents as top priority!

I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas and birthdays this weekend. Just wish we had longer (it's my Mom's b-day on the 20th and my nephew is turning 6 on the 22nd).

So fingers crossed that I make it in one piece tonight with my sanity in tact!

Oh and the other day I realized but didn't have time to post, that I run my marathon in one month!!!!!!!!!!

Santa Hangover

It's been a busy busy weekend. And it will be like this till the end of the year. We have something planned every weekend between now and New Year's Day. I'm going to be exhausted by the time this race comes around. I'm almost looking forward to being pregnant again so I can take it easy. However relax is not in my vocabulary, even when pregnant. 

Friday I finished all my painting. Well, not all. I still have other items I need to get done but the bulk of Sophie's furniture is DONE! Headboard, bookcase and a mirror. Whew! All I need to do is the clear coat but it's been a little humid with this rain that moved in, and I didn't want it to dry funky so the furniture is still sitting in the garage till I can do this last step. Pictures to come.

Saturday I ran 12 miles, 1:46, avg pace 8:54. Getting better with this distance. Would love to run just one more before I get pregnant so I can PR again. There is a 15k (Charlie Post Classic) at the end of January and a no frills half marathon (Save The Light Half Marathon) first weekend of Feb. that I'm thinking about doing. We'll see, I don't want to jump hard core into running after my marathon. Body would probably like to recover and we'll pretty much go from marathon to "trying" to get pregnant.

Sunday we woke up and got ready for a Brunch with Santa with a friend of mine at her neighborhood country club. It was a nice spread of food, they had a mini pancake station for the kids and I topped Sophie's pancakes with yummy strawberries, chocolate chips, whipped cream. She only ate the chocolate chips. And some bacon. Mom of the year, right here! 

We even got her to sit on Santa's lap for a few minutes. The look she gave him the whole time was priceless.

Not so sure about this guy. 

There's a high 5, she's warming up....slightly

After brunch we walked down to a little area near the clubhouse that was on a marsh to take some pictures. They actually turned out really nice and I have to credit my good hair day to my friend who spend 2 hours highlighting my mass of hair on Saturday. Actually my hair is not very thick, just long.

A rare moment - I'm usually behind the camera

My favorite! Love this little girl!! This is a keeper.

Another keeper!! Even if we all aren't looking at the camera we are all smiling.

My loves!

On the way home, little bit feel asleep so we sat through the Starbucks drive through for about 20 minutes. Apparently everyone in our town decided to go to Starbucks at exactly 12:20 Sunday afternoon. We got home and rested/relaxed for a few hours until it was time to head back out for the James Island County Park Festival of Lights. 

All the 6 years I've lived here and we've never been. Mainly because it gets packed, there's traffic, a ton of people and I hate all of that. I'm probably the world's most impatient person. But since Sophie is getting older I want to start doing traditions so I decided to suck it up and deal with the mass of people. And we went on a Sunday which was less crowded than Saturday. And we got there right when it opened so we didn't sit in too much traffic.

So basically you drive around the county park and look at all the light displays. The have a Santa's Village you can park and walk to. Includes fire pits for marshmallow roasting, a carousel, Santa of course, food and beverages and a climbing wall (??) Not sure about that last one but people looked to be having a good time.

Getting ready for the lights

Sophie got to ride on the carousel, almost caught my hair on fire roasting marshmallows. Again, letting my child play near fire = mom of the year. Actually she's becoming quite the Miss Independent so I let her try it out. Teach em young, that's what I say!

Fun with Daddy!

Waving at us every time she passed by. It was too cute and I'm so happy she loved it.

All good things must come to and end and she started getting upset and fussy and we knew it was time to go. Sleepy Sophie is not a fun thing to deal with. Luckily we made it back to the car, saw the rest of the lights, and got home before a full meltdown occurred. So I call it a success.

However this morning she was NOT a happy camper to be woken up. Thus I call it a Santa hangover. Poor girl could barely keep her eyes open and fell back asleep in the car. These are the days I feel guilty to be a working mom. Clearly she needs to sleep longer and I felt so bad having to get her out of bed. One day, one day I won't have to do this to her. Hopefully. That's the plan anyway. In the meantime there's money to be made and bills we gotta pay.

Because I didn't get to workout and do my cross training I dragged myself out of bed and went to the gym. Ran 4 miles, 33:49, avg pace 8:27 or something like that. Did some legs, chest and back.

It's a very rainy, cold and dreary day today so I'm anxious to get this Monday over with.

Christmas is Almost 2 Months Away

Every year I tell myself around Summertime that I will start Christmas shopping early and be done by Thanksgiving.

And every year Thanksgiving rolls around and I haven't bought one darn thing.

So when I glanced at my calendar today I realized that after this weekend Christmas is 2 months away. Oh how time flies.

I'm not a very good shopper, in fact I really despise going into a store. I'd rather shop online, especially is there's free shipping involved. Mostly I hate shopping because I hate crowds and around the Holidays I refuse to go to a store at peak time. I'll get up and go early, like right when the store opens.

I started jotting down some ideas for Sophie. Ricky and I don't really buy anything for each other anymore. Something small to open on Christmas but at the age we are, if we need something and budget allows, we just buy it.

Same rule for extended family. We mainly buy for the kids now. In my family we draw names and buy a gift for that person who's name we drew. It works, I like it. I really would all in all rather Sophie get all the gifts instead of me or Ricky anyway.

So thinking back to Sophie, she's really into fake food. She has a little hand me down kitchen and a ton of plastic food she got for her birthday. So looking online at Pottery Barn Kids I found this:

I really want her to have this. I think she'd have a blast because right now she likes to "serve" us food. Also there's a company called Melissa and Doug that makes wooden toys and I've found several wooden food sets that would be great with this. It's also currently on sale so once Hubby gets paid I think I'm going to go ahead and purchase it.

Something else I think she'll love is a doll house. My mom kept the old Sylvanian Family I used to play with when I was little. It's basically a doll house with animals instead of people. At Toys R Us I found Callico Critters so I think I'm also going to purchase her this:

For a 2 year old I think this is perfect and as she gets older we can always add-on to her collection.

I also saw this but passed the idea onto my brother and sister-in-law because at some point I realize I can't buy her everything.

He he, it's pink!! If we ever have a little boy he's probably not going to want to play with a pink basketball goal. That's why there's spray paint.

Actually Sophie loves to play ball and I think this is something she'll enjoy. If she takes after her mommy then she's going to be a natural basketball player :) Gotta start her young so we can get the skills going, girl is probably going to need either a sports scholarship or academic scholarship.

Of course there will be clothes and other smaller items that she'll have to open from Mommy and Daddy but the one's above (Diner and Doll House) will be from Santa. I have to spoil her while I can, this might be the last year she's an only child.

At least I've got the list going and that's a start. I mean seriously it's not even Halloween and I'm thinking about Christmas!

Catching Up - Part 1

Yes I realize that, yet again, I've fallen behind on my blogging. January has been a busy month filled with sickness and work. Looks like February is going to be busy with house guests and traveling (which is good because I hate the month of February so as fast as we can get it over with the better!). Bring on Spring because I'm sick of this cold weather!

So here is a quick look at Christmas: Sophie woke up Christmas Eve with a cold. Then she woke up Christmas morning with eye nasties and a really snotty nose. I felt so bad for her but she was a trooper. Fast forward a week or two and she ended up having RSV (which was going around her class). So three doctor's visits, one ENT visit, and multiple prescriptions for ear drops - because RSV led to a nasty ear infection that drained like crazy b/c of her tubes - and she is FINALLY well. No more ear infection, no more runny nose. I, on the other hand, have avoided two colds (they were just runny noses) by upping my Vitamin C intake to the point of OD. But hey, it worked!

I should have known January was going to be a rough month when I woke up on New Years Day with food poisoning. It can only get better from here right?

Sophie had a wonderful Christmas and was so happy to have her Uncle Mike and Aunt Sarah plus Gran and Pop come visit. She got lots of cool toys! Not to mention a wagon from Santa and her own table and chairs to have tea parties and color. I cooked a yummy Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch, complete with homemade cinnamon rolls, which I really did make and roll myself (thanks Pioneer Woman).

Tea party with Daddy

Poor kid, look at her rosy red cheeks. She was not feeling good.

LOVES her tea set from Aunt Amy

Funny little girl wanted to put the majority of her toys in her wagon with her.

Sophie's 1st Christmas

Finally home and we've celebrated Christmas with all the families. Sophie's 1st Christmas was so much fun and very special. She got a ton of presents, lots of clothes and some really cool toys! Christmas Eve we drove to Stanley, NC and spent the day and night with my family. Then on Christmas Day we spent the day with my parents in Charlotte. Today we drove home and had Christmas with Ricky's family at Maegan and Doug's house. Needless to say we are all super tired but had a wonderful time. I can't wait till next year. I mean she loved the presents but was very intrigued with the wrapping paper. 2010 is going to be a great year with her getting older and learing so much everyday!