Runner's medium

All of my runs since having Sophia have been painful, tedious, and not much fun. I've kept on, though, because I have a vague memory of when running used to be great. I actually used to love hills, especially for passing people during a race.* Not now. Generally speaking these days, hills suck, along with the rest of my run.

So today was a momentous occasion.

I left to go for my run feeling pretty crappy and not really wanting to go. I wanted to get my 10 miles in this week like I did last week, though, and today was the last day to do it.

Once I stopped griping in my head, and told myself to enjoy it I finally started to notice how bright and sunny it was. And how nice it was to NOT be pushing the jogging stroller. And how good the sun felt on my face.

And about halfway into my run, everything clicked.

My arms and legs and lungs and posture and stride all worked together, and I felt . . . good. Not runner's high great, but good. And that was a first since before being pregnant.

So today I coined a new phrase. Instead of runner's high, I experienced runner's medium. Not the low I had been having, but a preview of what is to come. And it's going to keep me running, because it reminded me of what is out there, just waiting for me.

*Not because I have awesome quads of steel or anything, but I do tend to run hills better than other folks who are as slow as I am, because I have learned to enjoy the challenge.

My very own drowned rat

(WARNING: Grossness to follow.)

I have grown accustomed to seeing gross things. As an ICU nurse I have viewed my fair share of OR-at-the-bedside-scenarios, more poop than you ever thought could be in one body, and any number of bloody, gory scenes. Doesn't faze me. Ordinary folks would wretch or keel over . . . I just keep eating my lunch.

Today, though, I discovered something that succeeds in grossing me out. Perhaps some of you have had a similar experience? Well, this was a new one for me.

Our tub has been draining a bit slowly lately. By "a bit" I mean that a 2-minute shower turns into a bath up to your knees. I had planned to pick up some Drain-O, but due to lack of a brain have forgotten it the last three times I was at Wal-Mart.

Today I headed in to take my shower after my run, but the thought of another shower-bath was not very exciting. Soooo, I decided to investigate.

Out come the yellow rubber gloves. Turn on all the lights in the bathroom. (I'm not sure why I thought all the light was necessary. In hindsight less is more.) Pull up the drain plug out of the tub.

Except it doesn't come out.

Hmmm. I readjust my position, pull harder. Twist. Pull again. No go.

I decide to try once more, give it all I've got . . . and it moves. Doesn't come all the way out, but an inch is a start.

Give one more fierce yank . . . GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY!!!

The lower half of the drain plug has taken on the appearance of a fully grown drowned sewer rat! The lab rats from Anatomy and Physiology have got nothing on my little drain pet. I don't know why hair (from my own head!) looks so disgusting when it is all collected together and then pulled from the dank of the tub drain, but it is wretch-worthy.

I am mostly grateful that I thought to put on gloves before I tried this little experiment. That is the only way I could get that drain cleaned off and back where it belonged. Blech. You know when you give a little involuntary shiver when something is truly horribly nasty? Picture me hunched over the bathroom trash, yellow rubber gloves, shivering away.

One thing I have learned. I am good at some home maintenance tasks. I am awesome at vacuuming and decorating and cleaning the kitchen and organizing and any number of other tasks. Cleaning out the bathroom drain, though? That's a job for a man.

John?

Hat fun

With the arrival of spring weather, I decided to get started making Sophia some hats for the summer. I found a pattern at JoAnn's (on sale for a dollar!) that has patterns for nine different hats in sizes XS to XL. Then Phia (thanks, Connor) and I headed to the Quiltessentials to get some quality fabric.

Last night I cut out the pattern pieces and fabric but because you can make so many different hats (in a variety of sizes) from one pattern, I decided not to cut out the actual pattern. Instead I traced it onto other paper in the size I wanted to make. That way the pattern is intact for when her head grows or I want to make a different kind of hat. Easiest way to trace was to tape the pattern on a glass door, tape paper to trace onto over it, and voila!

This morning I sewed it together, and then we had a photo shoot before lunch. Phia was a very good sport.

And here's the first hat!

This picture doesn't show the hat as well, but I had to include it because it is my favorite.

Orange Stripes Day

Today is Orange Stripes Day. Sophia has three articles of clothing with orange stripes, so we decided to mix them all together. Here's the very cute (if clashy) result!

And here's the close-up:

Poor Sophia. Her clothing is subject to Mommy's whims, never know what she'll have to put up with!

Spring

Sophia and I are so enjoying spring. I never realized how long winter is when you are locked away inside with an infant! "Let's go out for a run, Sophia! . . . Oh, right, it's 12 degrees out, you'd freeze." Grrr.

So I can take a day of rain (or two or three) because I know it won't be sticking around white and cold and 6 inches deep for months at a time. And when it stops raining we can get back out there with the baby jogger, and go for a run.

Or a walk.

Or just play in the yard.

Or go to the Tripp's house.

Or . . .

The possibilities are endless when it is 50 degrees out there. Yay for spring!

More cuteness

Snuggle time!

First time feeding herself.

Maybe shouldn't have started with spinach.

Good job, Sophia!

Mommy loves to spike the Snuggler's hair after bathtime.

I love coming in to find a happy baby after naptime!

She is always so pleased with herself when she turns over.

Our house

I love our house. Though there are a few downsides to where we live, there are so many wonderful reasons to be happy with it. Here goes:

1. Close to family. Now when we want to visit family, we can walk around the corner to visit my sister and her fam, drive 6 miles to John's parents, or drive 10 miles to my parents. Sure beats an hour each way for the holidays!

2. The upgrade from 500 square feet to just over 1400. Lack of furniture was a great "problem" to have when we moved in last spring!

3. Getting to decorate! This is especially great for me; living in our white walled apartment was getting really old. Now we live in a purple/blue/gray/yellow/cream walled house! More colors to come, as I am so not into the whole white walled thing. Next up on the painting menu: green dining room.

4. Location, location, location. Of course, this one is a blessing and a curse, but it is so nice to live just a couple miles from Wal-Mart, the library, our bank, and of course the Home Depot.

5. Sidewalks to run on. Sophia and I have been getting out for runs regularly now that it is spring, and it's great to run without worrying that I'm going to get her killed because we can run on the sidewalk. Something I never thought about before having a kid.

6. I can see the stars! Never could see the stars very well when I lived in Portland or South Portland. I was walking outside tonight and when I looked up there was the Big Dipper! Of course, that and the Little Dipper are the extent of my constellation knowledge.

7. Storage. As faithful followers of my blog may know, I did a basement makeover at the start of the year. How nice to have a basement to makeover! When we lived in South Portland our upstairs neighbors let us store stuff in their attic area (Thanks, N & B!), but having it in your own basement is so much nicer.

8. We have our own little yard. It may be only a quarter of an acre, but I'm sure it will be fun to take Sophia out there this summer for playtime.

9. My favorite reason (today): my craft area! All of my craft supplies (from sewing/quilting to paper goods, beading, etc) have all been stored away for literally years, but as of today I have my own craft area. Our den is off-limits to kids, and is our office/music room at one end, and my craft room at the other end. With the addition of some new free furniture, I finally got it (mostly) organized, and can't wait to start my next project.

Why do you love your place, be it apartment, house, whatever?

Lunchtime confessions

Nowadays Sophia eats several ice cubes worth of puree mixed with rice cereal for lunch. Usually I thaw a green veggie cube, and a cube of some sort of fruit, and throw them in a bowl together with some rice cereal. She doesn't seem to mind mixed food (unlike her mama!) so why not?

Today's meal was a non-mixer, however, as it was peas and prunes. I just don't think you can mix those two like you can peas and applesauce. Really, though, the true reason for not mixing them is the "confession" part of this post.

There are a few baby foods that belong in the "one bite for you, one bite for me" category. Pureed prunes is one of them. Also making the short list are apricots, peaches, and pears. Definitely not chicken or beef, those just look nasty, never mind trying them.

The "one bite, one bite" started a long time ago, while babysitting the next door neighbor boys. (Sorry, Donnabeth, but I made sure your kids didn't go hungry!) Peaches especially; those are tasty!

So when I feed Sophia her lunchtime meal I have to consider whether I plan to steal some of it so that I thaw the right amount. Yummy, two cubes thawed and not mixed with the veggies. Yucky, you can have it all, kid!