Miscellaneous

A few odds and ends going on around here...

Happy T:

Playing the piano together:

I've taught P how to write most of her name, as in she can draw a P and make an i and she is pretty close to R. Just need to work on the E. Really though her P is a circle with a line coming out of it which most of the time looks more like a lollipop. Well because she has seen us draw stick figures, she has also started drawing pretty good stick people, which I am super impressed with. She basically has figured out the circle head and line make a body and she draws more lines for arms and legs.

Here is what she drew outside on the driveway the other day- (left to right) baby T is on the bottom left, then P dancing, then mama sitting in a chair and then dada dancing

Getting Dressed

P has gotten into a phase where she wants to pick out her own clothes. I really don't care as long as we aren't headed to a party of some sorts, and there are a few exceptions. She wanted to wear a skirt with tights and a dress, which was find on the weekend, but I didn't let her go to school that way. Same with wearing swim suit bottoms as underwear (ones with ruffles), its ok at home but not to school.

She has even gotten into a phase of wearing tights with skirts, which is really cute. Except when she wants to match her stuff, which typically doesn't match. However, I got her dressed in the following attire the other day, which I just think is really cute (the cowboy boots make the outfit).

And a close up just for fun-

Charlotte

We went to Charlotte to visit our friends for the weekend. We headed down for our friends daughters 3rd birthday party. P and Claire always have a good time together. It was the first time we let P sleep basically not in a pack n play or a crib. She managed to do well. Even though her and Claire got up at 6am and didn't nap. They still had lots of fun.

 Playing dress up was a hit too!

T 10 Months

I should have posted over a week ago, but T has been walking and she is getting pretty good now. I would say she started walking a little over a week before she hit the 10 month mark beating her sister by about a week. Her balance is really good and she can stand up without holding on to anything and she can bend over and pick stuff up and then keep walking. These kinds of things took P a bit longer.

Her two front bottom teeth are out and while they aren't completely full, they are about halfway up. She is generally really happy and loves her daddy. And she loves big sis. She thinks P is just so funny. Watching the two of them laugh is awesome.

And she (just like her sister) loves pillows.

Getting Fit

I sometimes have a really hard time deciding on what to commit too in terms of training and races. Do I want to train for a half marathon or a 5K, get back into triathlons, and lately the crossfit surge. I sometimes think I can just do it all when I know that isn't possible. In the past few weeks, I've decided that sure, I can add crossfit into my running routine to make me stronger and faster. Doing so though makes me sore and tired and trying to run harder and do intervals on tired and sore legs or just a tired a sore body is rough.

It comes down to what is my ultimate goal, or really can I focus on just one goal for now and change it up after completing that goal. For a long time now (at least 4 years) I have had a goal to break 22 min in a 5K. My PR is 22:08 which I ran in 2005. I did run 22:30ish in 2009 which is a bit more recent at least.

After T when I started running again, I was doing great and had a goal of 1:45 for the half marathon I was going to run in December before I got injured. That would have been a PR by about 3 minutes, but I definitely knew I could do it. I had done a 12.1 mile run in 1:39. After that injury and all the time I took off trying to get better I debated signing up for another half with a friend. In the end, she chose not to sign up and then I didn't either, and stuck with the original goal of going after this 5K time.

Crossfit is definitely a crazy monster. It is definitely tough. But I think what it does tell me is how weak I am truly  I am pretty fit and I have some strong quads, but I know I am not as strong as I could be or maybe as I want to be. Coach EZ has told me that really I can't do it all, and he is right. I can do crossfit and at the same time be capable of running intervals and tempo runs on a weekly basis.

I've decided to scale down the crossfit and ramp up the running-as in doing more intervals and speed work and hill repeats. EZ tells me that that is how to become faster. I'm aiming for a 5k on April 14th. I think 22:00 is going down.

Getting Close

T still doesn't haven't any teeth but they are right at the top of her gums. Maybe they will come in by the time she turns 1. She is such a busy bee. She has learned how to clap her hands which is sooo cute. I woke up one morning and looked at her in the monitor when she woke up, and she was just sitting in her crib clapping her hands. Too cute.

She is super close to walking, perhaps in the next couple weeks. I think P had more balance at this stage but man oh man, T is determine to walk. She has started letting go of furniture and taking about 4-5 steps out into space and then will fall down. Here is a couple pictures of our little girl and two videos.

Snow Day

We had our first snow here last week. P has never really seen snow or played in it, so we headed out in the morning. Unfortunately the snow wasn't soft, it was like ice, but she had fun playing in it and eating big chunks! She is in a bit of a phase of sticking out her tongue. Here we are all bundled up getting ready to go outside. 

More Holiday Photos

Of course when your home for a couple weeks with the kids, lots of photos get taken. And P is obsessed when the camera right now. Loves to have me take her picture and then wants to see it.

 

T 9 Months

Well, T is growing up fast it seems. At her 9 month check up she weighed only 16.3lbs (10th %) and I can't remember her height but it was the 75th%. I would say that just this week it seems like she has stopped spitting up as much. Maybe just a couple times a day, which, compared to the 15+ times a day it has been is a HUGE improvement! I can't begin to say how exciting this is for me. And maybe then in a couple months I can get the carpets totally cleaned since they are just filled with spit up.

She gets 4 bottles a day at about 7+oz each. And right now she has two meals of 4oz each and then a snack of puffs of some sort while we eat dinner. She is FINALLY getting a tooth, perhaps 2, the bottom 2 in the front. The gum has just split open, so it won't be long until the tooth actually pops up.

And she is also starting to take some steps. She frequently lets go while standing and is fairly decent with her balance. But has started to let go of things and take perhaps 3-4 steps to something else like me or EZ or to another piece of furniture. I still wouldn't say she is walking, but it is coming soon. She is a massive climber though, loves to climb on stuff, on P's chairs, or up the stairs if the gate isn't closed and she loves the bath.

Still not really napping much at daycare but takes great naps at home and sleeps 12ish hours straight at night at home, which is awesome!

Christmas Part 2

A few days after Christmas my sister and her family came down, bring my grandma down and then my dad and Evelyn came too. Lots of people and playing and craziness. And P had so much fun with cousin Amelia. I got in some runs with my sister and we manage to make some great food. Round 2 of present opening was fun and P loved the cape and mask made just for her. Even this morning she put it on and asked me to take her flying. Fun times with the family.