C25K...again!

Today was a bizarre day for weather where we live.  Normally it is cold in February - we must wear jackets at least.  However, today at recess we were talking about how unseasonably warm it was.  Most of my students took their jackets off.  I thought to myself what a wonderful day it would be for a run. 
Let me back-track a little.  About three years ago, I started the Couch to 5K program with two of my closest friends.  I WAS NOT A RUNNER! In fact, in high school I chose to play tennis because that was the one sport that you didn't have to "run".  I mean you do run, but while you are playing it is fun, so you don't realize you are running.  All the other sports you had to run as part of the practice.  Running just was not something I enjoyed doing, and distance running was out of the question!

Anyway, my friends and I wanted to get in better shape, so we decided to train in the evenings after work using C25K. I had never heard of the program before.  It is a way to ease yourself into running.  It's a 9-week program that alternates walking and running for 3 days a week.  Eventually you begin running more than walking, and soon you run the entire 5K.

At first I thought, there is no way I am going to be able to do this.  I don't like running, and I am not sure if I will even be physically able to run. (I was born with a birth defect - I have no joint in my ankle where you do.  Doctors told me I would never run.) I'm not going to lie.  It was hard.  I wanted to quit at times, but I pushed myself every day, and every day I was able to run a little farther than the day before.  By the end of the program I was running 5K!  I loved it! I'm still not a long distance runner.  The only way I will ever run more than 5K is if I see Matthew McConaughey at the other end of the beach. ;)

Shortly after I began running, I got pregnant, and I quit all heavy physical activity for fear that it would harm the baby.  I ate right, did very little exercising, and still we lost that baby. (But you all know about that, and if not, it is in another blog. :))

I didn't run for a while, but then I remembered how much I loved it.  So I started running a little.  Not much though because at this point it was getting to be a hot summer in the south.  Soon we found out I was pregnant with the most precious little girl to ever live!  Once again I gave up running.

Fast forward to now.  I am tired of complaining about my post-baby body, but doing nothing to get back to where I was before.  Granted, I never looked like Heidi Klum, nor do I think I ever will, but I certainly won't get any closer eating ice cream and watching television.  I simply want to feel confident in my own skin again. 

After my run today I came in the house and told Austin I remember how much I loved running, and I realize how much I have missed it.  Hopefully I will continue on this journey to a better me, and I am hoping that the weather won't get to cold for me to continue getting off the couch. :)

Rainy Days Won't Get Me Down

In case you haven't heard, it has rained a little here, and by a little I mean virtually non-stop for almost 2 weeks. Yeah. We were supposed to get a really fabulous snow storm today, but I think it got lost on the way here.

The weather has really messed with our school schedule. We have had 3 2-hour delays, and we left early today. Even though it's really been a train-wreck for my lesson plans, I have really enjoyed getting to spend so much extra time with Catherine. Snuggling and playing in the mornings instead of having to rush is so nice! I think next week will be really hard on all of us.

We haven't really done a whole lot the past week. My kids at school are nuts because they have been trapped inside forever, and Catherine is beginning to forget what outside is. We have been able to do a couple of neat things though.

We went to some of my students' basketball game on Saturday. I always enjoy seeing them outside of school. It's always funny though, especially when they see Mr. Cope without a suit. I'm pretty sure they like seeing him more than me. ;)
My goal is to see each student play at least once, more if we can. Catherine loved watching the balls bounce and hearing the buzzer, but her favorite was people watching - she is her mother's daughter. I wish I had taken a few pictures while I was there, but I didn't think about it until we left.

We also got to spend some time with Mimi and Papa this week. It was on Catherine's 11 month birthday no less! (It is so hard to believe in less than a month we will have a one year old. Where did the time go?)
Austin went for wings with some if his family on Wednesday, so Cece and I went for spaghetti. This was Catherine's first experience with actual spaghetti - not baby food - and she, pardon the pun, ate it up! It was all the way up to her elbows by the time we were through!

I'm really looking forward to the long weekend. I can't wait to sneak some extra snuggle time with both my loves, because there's never such a thing as too much snuggling.

Reading a little on a rainy day.  We were talking about her upcoming birthday party. :)

Happy 11 months precious angel!

Why haven't I had this meal before?!

On the Other Side of the World

Teachers' views of current technology vary greatly depending on who you ask.  Some are fearful of it, while others welcome the new gadgets with open arms. I was lucky enough to go to school during a time when the technology being used right now was being introduced, so I was trained on it, but I know a time is coming when there will be new technology that will be unfamiliar to me and my colleagues that graduated with me. 
Regardless of your skill level, technology is scary in many ways, but it is also wonderful in many ways. This blog is about one way it has changed our lives forever.

When Austin's brother Terry was in high school, his family hosted a foreign exchange student from Russia named Daniil. He became part of their family.  I have heard so many Daniil stories, and, though I've never met him, I feel like we are old friends.

Austin was in 8th grade at the time, so it has been a quite a while. Austin and Daniil have sent a few e-mails over the years, and they have kept in contact that way. Technology wow # 1 - e-mail. I can type a letter, press send, and you can be reading it before I get up from the computer - even if you are on the other side of the world. That is amazing!

Next came the Facebook movement. Let's face it, FB has changed our lives. We upload where we are, what we are doing, pictures of ourselves and our families, you name it! Some people can't sneeze without letting the world know about, or in my case, my kid can't move without me telling you. (Step 1 - I just admitted I have a problem.)  We are able to see Daniil, his wife Vera, and their baby through pictures all the way from Russia, and they keep up with all of Austin's family. Thank you Facebook.

Finally, another amazing technological feat - Skype. Austin has spent the past couple of weeks talking almost daily to Daniil. I have been able to meet his wife, and we have seen his beautiful baby girl. Russia is literally on the other side of the world, yet we are able to see each other daily for FREE. What a blessing!

Austin misses Daniil very much, and he has told me that since we started dating. Technology has brought his friend from across the world into our home at the click of a mouse. For all the scary things that can come from it, bringing old friends back together is magical. :)

Girls' Night Out

When you become a mommy, you get a whole new appreciation for the rare girls' nights that you do get, and you treasure your friends just a little bit more. (Love you ladies!) However, tonight was a different outing.

My date tonight was the most amazing gal I know. She's my very best friend, and the person who knows every single one of my secrets (mainly because I don't have to worry about her repeating them) - Little Miss Catherine!

Austin spent Tuesday night and tonight judging senior projects at Ridgeland, which is something we both enjoyed doing B.C. (before Catherine), but now that we get so little time with her during the week, I don't like to miss out on any. I don't think senior Annaliese would have enjoyed a hyper baby in the room while I was trying to present to a group of strangers, so I think it's best if we sit them out.  Tuesday evening we went to my parents' house so my dad could get a Catherine fix, but tonight it was just us girls.

We started the night by going to visit my Nanny. Catherine hadn't napped all afternoon, so the 15 minute nap she got on the way was just a tease. She was welcomed by my Nanny's bird squaking - she doesn't like birds. Needless to say we are calling a mulligan on that visit.

We then went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. This was a big deal because we have never eaten out without her daddy before. We had so much fun! My good little eater ate chicken salad, I had a sandwich, and we split a cup of fruit. She also just happened to be the best behaved kid in the place. She did scream at me once, but she was out of food, and I didn't realize it. Don't come between that girl and her meals. ;)

When we left, we stopped at K-Mart to pick up a couple of things. We ended up in the toy aisle dancing to a Mickey Mouse singing the Hot Dog song 12 times. Yes, we are the reason that the batteries never work once the toy is home. My husband says it is funny how much even the music you listen to when you are a parent changes. I may or may not have enjoyed that Mickey just as much as she did.

It may not have been up to society's standards of a GNO, but it was a pretty good one for these girls. As Catherine gets older I can't wait to see what other adventures we get to experience together.

Welcome 2013

One of my resolutions this year was to be a better blogger, so far I'm already behind.

2012 was a huge year for us.  We had a baby. Sweet Catherine was just the start to that wonderful year, and most of the amazing things that happened in 2012 stem from her. She went from being a newborn that slept, ate, and pooped, to being a sweet little girl with a fabulous personality.

I won't put all if the cool things she did last year in this post, mainly because I don't have room. However, by the end of 2012 Catherine could crawl (quickly and dangerously at times), eat by herself (although she REFUSES to hold her own bottle to this day), pull up on anything, stand by herself for very long time frames, read books (She points to the words as we read, and she points by herself when she does her independent reading.) and say a complete sentence ("There she is!") She amazes us every day.  She even chose to use January 2, 2013 to take her first steps. Our child wasted no time in making the start to our year spectacular. :)

Catherine wasn't the only one who had a big year. Austin and I celebrated 3 wonderful years of marriage. We dated for such a long time that in reality we have almost been together for a decade, but this man still sweeps me off my feet all the time. Whether it is by all the meals he makes for us, surprises he keeps up his sleeves, sweet gestures, or the way he is such a great father - I fall a little more in love every day.

I also had a major life changing moment (other than becoming someone's mom of course). I went from my comfort zone of teaching kindergarten to teaching first grade. Thankfully I got to keep my fabulous class (give or take a few wonderful kids). When everyone says that first grade is the hardest to teach they are not kidding! Though here are many challenges, I could not ask for better team mates, students, or parents.

I still struggle daily about being a working mom. It is so difficult to want to be with her all the time, but my husband and I have had many conversations about it. If we want to give Catherine the kind of lifestyle we want to give her, we both have to work. Now don't get me wrong, she has the BEST babysitter ever, my mom. Mom works with her on various skills, they read books, and, most importantly, Catherine knows she is loved, and her mommy knows she's being taken care of very well. All of that being said, I love my job and the kids I teach very much, but I would still like to be the one that gets to spend the day learning through Catherine's eyes. :)

Sorry this post was long. There was a lot to say to start the year off. Thank you for taking interest in our journey. I can't wait to see what the rest of 2013 has in store for us!

The Power of Prayer

With everything that has been going on the news surrounding Ridgeland's football team and coach, I have been thinking a great deal about prayer, and how vital it is to all of us.

I have really been anxious the past couple of weeks because school is going to be back in swing soon. It's not that I don't miss my school friends because I do. I also miss my school babies. However, I do not want to have to leave my baby. I know I am lucky because my mom is keeping her, but I would much rather spend every day with her. I have already broken down several times, and I've spent so much time just watching her. I have maybe been away from her a total of 8 hours in the past 3 months, so I know the next few weeks will not be easy!

I feel guilty asking for prayer, especially after looking at my news feed on Facebook and seeing friends' loved ones passing away, an 8 month old being laid to rest, friends batting cancer, friends who desperately would like to be parents, and other more serious events that can really use prayer. Please know that so many prayers are going up surrounding these events. However, I also know that our God hears and answers all prayers. From the tiniest prayer to the most miraculous, He is there. I know that it is not always what we want to hear or even in the time period we want, but prayer is so very powerful! Of course in this case I would love for a giant check to show up in my mailbox that would enable me to stay home, but I know that is not going to happen. I am instead asking for you to pray with me to help keep my mind at ease about my baby during the work day. I also pray for my mom as she will have my baby and my precious nephew on a couple of days each week. Lastly, I pray for my school babies and their parents. I pray they know that I am going to love them and treat them the same way I treat Catherine. I now realize how difficult it is to leave your baby in someone else's hands - even if they are the most capable. :)

I thank you for your prayers, and know that you are thought of in mine. :)

6 Months!

It's hard to believe that 6 months ago I was laying in a hospital bed holding a newborn. Presently I am sitting in the kitchen floor watching my daughter run across the floor in her walker. She only stops long enough to sing and dance.

She has gone from crying and sleeping in those first few days to rolling over, sitting up, jabbering, and actually playing with us. My husband said the other day, "She is so much fun now!"

I have learned a lot these past six months. First, I don't need as much sleep as I once thought. I also like coffee now, which I didn't use to; now I can't get enough. I have learned a new form of love. I couldn't even imagine this love before. I have learned to put myself second. My every choice affects her, so my choices must be good.

I have also learned much more, but someone is ready to play with her mama.

I can't see what's in store for the next six months!