Johnny Jump Up

Hair.

I got my hair cut. No more tickling Abby with the end of my braid.

Before:After:


In retrospect, I should've made a wig for Abby out of what they cut off : )

Sitting Around

Abby is nearly able to sit by herself. If you sit her down, she can hold herself in that position for quite a while before face-planting to the left or right. I think in a week she'll have it down pat. By the way, if you can't tell from the pictures, she loves sitting.

Nesting Wrens

We have a birdhouse hanging in the tree in the front yard (a Christmas present from Tory two years ago). Last year, something built a nest in it, but either didn't use it or used it while I was in Italy so that I didn't get to see it. Anyway, this year I had high hopes for it. I saw Chickadees and House Sparrows fighting over it early in the season. The House Sparrows apparently won (blah), but they never nested. They went in and out but never had chicks. So my hopes were dashed. Then I noticed a little House Wren in the tree. It's an aggressive little bugger. It chased a squirrel out of the tree one day. Yesterday I noticed another House Wren and saw that they were going in and out of the bird house! Hopefully they'll be able to successfully nest in there and I can see baby House Wrens. I've been trying to get some pictures, but House Wrens are so small and I don't want to scare them away. So this is all I've got.

Family Portrait

Good job Alex, for being the only family member to look at the camera! We'll work on this.

Does this mean she's going to be a plumber?

Uncle Matt

Abby loves Matt. I don't think she did anything but smile at him the whole time he was here. I love Matt too. Besides being a delightful focal point for Abby's staring eyes, he provided great conversation, an excellent excuse to eat good food (like Anthony's pizza, The Pizza House, and lots of goodies from Plum Market), AND he went grocery shopping and did the dishes! I wish he could have stayed forever. We'll miss you Matt!

Abby Sticks a Spoon in her Mouth (title idea courtesy of Tory)

Playing with Blocks

Wedged Between Dog Butts

How else should I describe it?

Quote of the Week (or Year maybe)

So I've found another blog that I am really enjoying reading (takes some of the pressure of Liv, Mom, and Linds). It's written by a mother and is only about being a mother and all the joyous, torturous, frustrating things that go with it. It's fun to read, but more importantly, her baby (The Pumkin) sounds A LOT like Abby (read her post about fidgety babies--it's Abby to a tee). A Fussy Baby. An Active Baby. An Adorable-But-Trying Baby. It just makes me feel like I'm not alone and that it IS possible to survive this whole motherhood thing. Plus, she's due with another child any time now which makes me feel like maybe someday I too will want to have another child. Maybe.

Anyway, I was reading some of her older posts this morning in order to feel better about last night's debacle (the details are unimportant, let's just say two-thirds of the family weren't sleeping well) and found this gem.

"Apparently the car seat is the most evil device ever created to torture the baby! But my boobs... They are magic!"

I feel better already.

Mom Wins Again

Playing with the Pig

Let's call it what it is: another couple of random pictures of Abby. This time she happens to be playing with the Pig in her swing.

Abby V. The Rattle

Abby is just certain that if she tries hard enough she'll be able to fit that rattle in her mouth. As you can see, it frustrates her to no end that she hasn't been able to do it yet.

A Smile

It's hard to get Abby's smiles on film because the second you point a camera at her she's dying of curiosity and only makes thoughtful, inquisitive expressions (until she gets sick of it at which point she makes pouty or fussy expressions). But I finally caught a smile on film yesterday. It isn't one of her huge, nose crinkling ones, but it's still cute.


P.S. I have noticed that when I'm rocking Abby and she smiles in her sleep I always smile back, even though her eyes are completely shut! And no matter how hard I try, I can't help it. Amazing the power a smile can have.

Up Close and Personal

What is that thing?

Well get it out of my face!

Abby's First Half Marathon

If you recall back a while ago I mentioned that I was training to run a half marathon with Abby. Well, yesterday was the day of reckoning. All in all, I'd say it was a successful venture. We finished in 1:43:22 which is about a minute under my goal time. Alex also ran, but he stayed with Abby and I the whole way even though he could have undoubtedly gone much faster. He was our support team, running ahead to take pictures, fetching me water and gatorade at the aid stations, yelling at people to move out of the way, and encouraging me to run faster (even if I didn't).

If you're considering running a race with a baby anytime in the future (you can borrow Abby if you don't have one of your own), I've listed the benefits and drawbacks below for your consideration.

Drawbacks first:

1. Imagine 2500 people packed onto a two lane road, stacked up behind the starting line for at least a half mile. Then imagine standing among them with a giant stroller. Then imagine running among them with a giant stroller. Craziness I tell you, craziness. It wouldn't have been so bad except that the race directors request people with strollers to start at the end of the pack "as a courtesy to other runners." I submit that this is a stupid request. By starting in the back, not only did I have to avoid tripping the runners in my immediate vicinity, I also had to figure out how to pass them. Based on my experience, someone with a stroller is much more likely to trip other runners when passing them than when running next to them. If any of you have ever run a big race you know that this is difficult even without a stroller. So our first mile was pretty stressful. I think I ran most of it off the side of the road in the ditch, trying to avoid rocks and fallen tree branches with limited success. Abby must have been terrified, bouncing around like a pea in a coffee can, occasionally being lifted off the ground, and listening to her crazy mom and dad yelling "Stroller on your left! Stroller on your right! Sorry!"

2. Your baby may start crying. This can be stressful. Small babies apparently just don't understand the concept of racing--that it precludes stopping for a diaper change, a quick nip at the boob, or just for kicks. For example, around mile 9 Abby woke up from a nap and decided she didn't want to be in the stroller anymore and loudly protested.

3. There aren't any special "people with strollers" categories. So even though you might be the first mom with baby to cross the finish line, you still come up as 26th place in the standings.

4. Hills are hard. I already hate running up hills and with a stroller they're ten times harder!

5. If everything goes well and you run fast, there will be a small part of you that wonders how fast you could have gone without the stroller. Maybe you could've set a new personal record...

Now the benefits:

1. It's a great way to get your much faster husband to not only run with you, but to wait on you hand and foot while he does it.

2. Your baby may start crying. "Wait," I hear you say, "didn't you list that as a drawback?" Yes, but there is a hidden benefit. There's nothing like a screaming baby to motivate someone to run faster. The ninth mile of the race was probably my fastest. And probably the fastest for everyone around me too. I was running faster so I could finish sooner and everyone else was running faster to try to get away from the annoying lady with the screaming baby.

3. Everyone thinks you're awesome even though it really isn't that hard to push something as well made as the chariot. So many people cheered me on without even taking a second glance at poor Alex by my side.

4. Going downhill is easy. Just try to keep up with the stroller.

5. The stroller is a great scapegoat. You can always imagine that without it you would have run so much faster. Probably could've done 7 minute miles and set a new personal record...