I ran!

I know it's not really that monumental to most people, since men and women have been running since the dawn of time and all... but I ran yesterday for the first time since July 5th when I broke my ankle during a run.
My physical therapy folks advised that I should start slow by alternating walking and jogging on the treadmill and eventually build up to the three or so miles I was running before the break (then I can go back to running outside, which is the ultimate goal). So I ran a quarter mile or more at a time, and made it almost a mile and a half before Isabel decided she was done in child watch. The best part is that I had NO PAIN afterward. I was good about icing my ankle that afternoon, but I didn't even need to take motrin or anything! Yippieeeee!
I am so excited.

i love face book

OK, I have a new addiction. It's Face Book, or FB for those in the know. I was hesitant to join at first, because between my email, texting and blogging, I just felt like I didn't need another method to contact people (and another place where I could fall behind on messages...). But it is just the easiest way to connect with friends. Not only have I reconnected with many many people from my past, but I also find it easier to stay close to the people that I miss. I think the coolest example is this: Annie (in MA) posted something vague about "John's surprise" and it sparked a lot of curiosity. When she finally posted what the surprise was, Joanne (in Vegas) commented on it, as did Andy (in my home...) and other friends. Normally I would have missed out on what Joanne had to say, and trust me that is something you don't want to miss! So in a way FB gives people in disparate places a method to easily communicate. You can write a proper message to someone, or just dash off a quick note. You can easily comment on what other people post, be it a picture, a comment, a status update. Also, uploading pictures to FB is a breeze. It's incredibly fast. Don't get me wrong, I can post pictures here, but it takes a while. I have far more pictures posted there (tempted yet?).
Plus, I am one of those people who likes to play mindless games on the laptop when I am relaxing in front of the TV. FB has provided a whole new category of games for me to attempt.

Enough of my singing the praises. If you don't have a FB account, get one. And send me a "friend" request. You won't regret it.

Isabel update

Now Isabel has a full blown cold in addition to everything else. You know how it is, snot running down her face, nose completely congested so she has to breathe through her mouth. That poses a real issue when she tries to do things like nurse or drink a bottle or suck on a binki.

So Isabel is totally snotty, has ear infections, hives, diarrhea and a bonus of diaper rash. Should be a fun weekend. Poor baby!

best laid plans

It's pretty amazing how quickly things can change. I woke to rain this morning and quickly decided that Isabel and I would have a mellow day at home while the boys were at school. I figured that we'd get lots of play time and I could knock a few thing off my ever-growing "to do" list while Izzy napped. But then I noticed the nasty bumpy rash on Izzy's tummy and legs...
She has been on amoxicillin for her ears since the 9th, but I thought any reaction to the antibiotics would have surfaced within days. Plus she had been on amoxicillin for her previous ear infection without any issues. So I thought it might be chicken pox (side note: Devin contracted chicken pox when he was two despite being vaccinated a year before. I completely mistook the spots for mosquito bites, since he only had about ten of them. Then I felt like a complete moron when I brought him to the doctor thinking he had a flu when he clearly had chicken pox).
But Isabel is indeed allergic to penicillin (amoxicillin being a form of penicillin) and the hives were our proof. She's on benadryl for the itchy hives (it will take a few days for the amoxicillin to get out of her system) and will start a new type of antibiotic tomorrow because her ears haven't cleared yet. In fact, the doc suggested that we keep her pumped full of motrin and tylenol for her ear pain and recommended probiotics for the accompanying loose bowels that the variety of antibiotics will bring. So Isabel has ear infections, hives and diarrhea with a bonus of diaper rash. We are pumping this little one full of so many meds it's crazy. Poor little baby!
I am hopeful that I can tackle a couple things on my list this weekend. We will see...

Isabel's wave

I came down from upstairs and Isabel was playing on the floor with Andy. When she saw me her face just absolutely lit up and she started waving to me! First it was a full arm wave and then she alternated that with a simple hand wave (think squishing fingers through playdough) . This continued for a couple minutes. Can my little princess be communicating already?

I did it!

I managed to pull off an Andy Blake quality meal for Andy's birthday. I made a yummy salad of greens with strawberries, slivered almonds and gorgonzola, marinated filet mignon (Andy grilled it for me) with horseradish sauce and cheesy jalapeno grits. We finished it off with a Triple Chocolate Cheesecake that was soooo rich! All of the recipes were provided by Andy (courtesy of Bobby Flay and Cooking Light), so I knew he's like them... but more importantly I executed. It wasn't easy though. Andy makes it look easy, but it's really not. At least it's not easy for me.
Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!

wonderful weekend

We had the best weekend. Bill and Belinda came to town for Isabel's baptism (they are her godparents) and it was really great. We all enjoyed their company; whether Bill and Andy were drinking beers and talking politics (and not agreeing, of course) or Alex was dancing with Aunt Belinda, or Devin was reading to Aunt Belinda, or both boys were 'sumo-wrestling' Uncle Billy... it was great. I wished their kids could have joined us, but I think it was wonderful to have them to ourselves too. It really gave my boys and Isabel time to get to know them better (since when the cousins are around the aunts and uncles don't stand a chance!) and it gave us some time to talk and catch up once my little ones were in bed. I miss having them around.
Isabel's baptism was great. She was really good in church and look adorable, of course (pictures to follow!). Afterward we had a really nice party with our friends, and I was so glad that our so many people were willing and able to join us. When the boys were baptized in Massachusetts, we always had our "chosen family" of friends (whom we have known for a long time) around us. Given that we have not been here all that long, I was glad that we had good friends to celebrate with us.
Devin started school today at St. Matthews. He was excited about going, but tired from the busy weekend. I really hope that everything goes well!

triumph of Achilles

My ankle was feeling really good. I had started back with yoga and was planning to start easing my way into running (first run/walk on the treadmill and build up slowly). I was still doing PT every day, but only going in once per week. In fact, I was feeling so good that I decided to wear heels to church last week (I have been wearing gym shoes or flip flops since I got the boot off). Clearly I wasn't ready, and the next day my Achilles started hurting. Not a constant pain, but a fierce twinge that would nearly make me stumble. This was new; my Achilles had been fine throughout the whole break, the boot and the PT.
I gave it a week of continued PT and some exercise, and nothing seemed to help. Ugh!! So I called my therapist and he suggested that I ease up on the ankle. Stretch, ice and rest. I am so frustrated! It has been almost three months since I broke the ankle and I am so ready to get back to a normal workout routine. I truly believe that I am a kinder person and a more patient mom (and genuinely more pleasant) when I work out regularly.

I know I need to give it time, but my patience is wearing thin. =(