Half Marathon #6. Check.

Back in December, my friend Stacy told me about her New Year's resolution to run a 5K a month. I absolutely loved the idea of that challenge, and even thought that the annual April Country Music Half Marathon would be a perfect addition to the goal.

And then, in early January, I found out I was pregnant. But I didn't let that stop me. I ran the ZooRunRun in January.

Then came the Fangtastic Preds 5K.

March included the Kegs and Eggs St. Patty's Day race. Which led me to April.

Every month that I went to my OB to check on Baby2, I'd ask my doc if I could still run a half marathon. And every month, she always said yes (with the caveat, of course, that I train properly and NOT go for a personal record). Even still, I was nervous and didn't sign up for the run until just a week before the race - after one last doctor's visit and one final 11 mile run that felt great.

In all honesty, I most likely would have backed out of running the 13.1-mile race, except that my former college roommate, Ashley, was coming down from Chicago to run it. I couldn't let her down and do it alone. Especially since I got the "all clear" from my doc and didn't really have a legitimate excuse not to.

So, last Friday, I picked Ash up from the airport, we headed to the Expo, pasta-ed it up for dinner, and went to bed early to prepare for the big race.

It's hard not to get pumped about running when you've got 30,000 other folks all lined up on West End Avenue feeling the same mix of excitement, nervousness, and "what the heck did I just sign up for?" emotions during the opening performance of our National Anthem. And then we were off.

I turned on my trusty Garmin and told myself to go SLOW, no matter what. My normal 10-12 minute pre-pregnancy miles needed to turn into a slow and steady 14-15 minute pace. I kept reminding myself that just completing a 13.1 mile run, regardless of the speed, is an accomplishment. Whether it be at my personal best of 2:19 or at what I was anticipating to be a 3:30 finish.

Yet, despite the heat and the hills, I was feeling pretty darn good, and actually exceeded my own expectations and finished much earlier than expected at a final time of 3:07. Sure, it's nowhere close to a PR, but it was quite an accomplishment nonetheless. And, yes, I am pretty darn proud of myself.

(My shirt says, "Yes, my doctor says it's ok to run!" Haha.)

Ashley also managed to do awesome, despite her nervousness about the crazy Nashville hills, and she managed to get a PR by 7 minutes. Whoo-hoo!!!

Afterwards, we celebrated with lunch with friends and a nap. A nice long nap.

It was a fun, fun weekend with a fabulous old friend, and I'm so so grateful that I did it. It was a different set of satisfaction as my last half marathon last September, but an awesome achievement, nonetheless!

Look out, May - here I come!

P.S. I'm amending my New Year's resolution to stop running outside when the weather reaches 90+ degrees. I'm pretty sure Baby Boy will appreciate that change of plans. Also, of course, I'm taking September and October off for recovery, but I plan on running two more 5Ks to round out the year.

P.P.S. It looks like Lissie's a runner, too!

P.P.P.S. Who's running it with me next year?

Halfway there!

We had a lot of people tell us these last few months that they were praying hard for a boy. Many folks know that Justin is the last male to carry on the surname, which means the "pressure" to produce a boy has sort of been there since we started talking about getting married all those years ago. In fact, he warned me on several occasions that "It doesn't matter how many kids we have, I'm not stopping until I get three boys."

Umm.

I'm really banking on the fact that he was kidding because I don't really know how many more children are feasible.

But, indeed, the pressure is sort of off now that we have one healthy boy in utero just waiting for September to make his appearance! (Little does Justin know, though, that there are also several relatives who are praying for a priest in the family, so the surname may still be in trouble of carrying on!)

Of course, I'm mainly grateful that Baby Boy Y is looking very healthy in his current place of residence. He's measuring well, his heartbeat is great, his organs are developing on track, and he is currently in the 71st percentile of growth. What a relief!

It's just, of course, an extra bonus that it's a boy! Lissie's gonna have herself a little brother come September. Yay!!!

And, just for fun, here's a belly shot since today marks the beginning of my 20th week of pregnancy. We're halfway there! See ya in about 20 weeks little guy :-)

And we've got a walker!

I knew this day would eventually come. In fact, we all thought it would happen sooner. Lissie has preferred to be in a standing position since she was nine months old. She has long since been a master "cruiser." Her pediatrician even said she wouldn't be surprised if she skipped crawling altogether.

But then, indeed, she started crawling. And climbing stairs. And she figured out how to do them FAST. So much so that it looked like she would never ever walk. Ever.

Over the course of the last month or so, though, she discovered how fun it was to walk with her mini shopping cart and baby stroller.

Oh, and, of course, her Disney Princess ride-on toy that her Lola got her for her birthday. Over the last month, we've spent virtually every day outside pushing that sucker around the neighborhood, only stopping to point out the leaves on the trees and the cars going by.

Last Thursday, quite unexpectedly, Lissie started pointing at something out on our balcony. She took three wobbly steps to get closer to the door, and I was soooo excited. But then she refused to do it again, and so no one believed me.

But over the course of the last week, Lissie became a pro at one-handed walking (either with her walking toys or having a very firm grip on my finger).

So I knew that the inevitable was going to be in our very, very near future.

Yesterday, we went to a party to celebrate a first birthday of one of Lissie's (and our) friends. Lissie was one of the only ones not walking. I didn't think she noticed or cared, but we think it must've motivated her somehow because when we got home....



She literally became a giggly, walking machine.

Go, Lissie, go!

A Brother or a Sister?!?

It's that time again! Our anatomy scan is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th. Is Lissie going to have a brother or a sister?!? Take the poll at the top left of this page!

I think Lissie is going to have a brother. In fact, I refer to "him" as "her brother" all the time. Of course, I'll be thrilled if it's a girl, but I'm really feeling the boy vibe this time. Granted, I felt the same with Lissie, so I most definitely could be very wrong.

Justin is convinced it's a girl. I don't know if it's more because he's trying to brace himself for a house full of estrogen instead of getting his hopes up for someone to carry on the surname.

Either way, we're hoping to catch a glimpse of a healthy baby on April 24th. Regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl!

My Second Easter (by Lissie)

It's fun looking back at last Easter and comparing it to this one. I look so different! Almost everything about Easter was different this year!

On Saturday, I went on my first Easter egg hunt at the zoo. I had such a fabulous time hunting for eggs and hanging out with my friends!

On Easter, we went to Mass and took pictures in the courtyard like last year. I look so different! Last year I made funny faces and didn't even know it. This year, though, I barely wanted to look at the camera to take a good picture to show off the Easter dress mommy made for me.

Mass wasn't as interesting to me as it was last year, since I've already been to an Easter service before. I stayed in the cry room and played with some friends and got cranky when daddy had to leave to go to work.

Afterwards, Lolo and Lola took mommy and me to a lovely buffet brunch just like last year. But instead of sleeping through the meal, this time I ate my fill of all sorts of good Easter foods! I was still eating when everyone else was finished!

Since daddy had to work and missed brunch, mommy made a special Easter dinner of cornish hens and green bean casserole for him to enjoy. We also played with my new books and toddler crayons that I got in my Easter basket!

All in all, I had a great time celebrating Jesus' resurrection. Alleluia, alleluia! He is risen!

My First Birthday - A Recap (by Lissie)

So it's been a month since my first birthday (wow - I'm such a big 13-month-old now!), but I thought I'd write about all the fun I had on my special first birthday weekend.

My actual birthday was spent celebrating with my family. Mommy and daddy came in my nursery early and woke me up singing "Happy Birthday" to me. I was a little confused and scared because I didn't really know what that meant! But we started the day by going to Mass and saying "thank you" to Jesus for a blessed first year of life.

Afterwards, we enjoyed opening presents and going to a puppet show at the downtown library.

That night we celebrated with my Lolos and Lola with a birthday celebration dinner at Buca diBeppo and a smash cake at Lolo and Lola's house. Yum!

The next day we celebrated with my baby friends and family friends. Everyone had a blast! Special thanks to Elizabeth Clements for her awesome pictures of the day.

So I've decided I really like birthdays! I can't wait to celebrate many more!