Travel.Run.Live.Love

Traveling with a 1 year old

2015-06-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

When I say that ^ statement does it make anyone else feel slightly overwhelmed??

Tonight we fly out for my first solo trip with Gavin! (Okay that's a lie... not really solo because I'll have my sister with me... but no Jake on this trip!) Gavin has been to California, Florida, Utah, and Nevada already in his 15 months of life, so I guess you can say he's a seasoned traveller! He was an easy traveler as a baby (thankfully). Now that we have a toddler on our hands, I'm starting to get a bit nervous for our flight tonight! We're leaving on the red-eye so hopefully the little guy will be tuckered out and sleep the whole time. I doubt I'll get much sleep with 24 pounds & 30-some inches of cuteness sprawled on my lap, but if he is happy, quiet, and well-rested, then I'll feel pretty much the same!

How is it something so small need SO much stuff? I'm packing for a FIVE day trip. I mean seriously, how much does one need? Pre-Gavin, I would fit all my things into a carry on and pack one hour before leaving for the airport. Now, I have a list that takes up a full page and it's like planning a logistical nightmare. Part of that has to do with his food allergies and making sure I have enough snacks/cooking stuff to get by, but the other part is simply that toddlers have a lot of STUFF. Car seat, stroller, Ergo carrier, clothes, toys, books, swimsuit, diapers, wipes, sippy cup, blankey, and the list goes on...

Me on the other hand: Running clothes, running shoes, and Garmin watch. I should be set. :)

Hola One Ones are all I need!

It's been 6 months since my last trip which is far too long! I am beyond excited to see family, friends, and run in a new place. (Not to mention visiting places like TJ's & Cafe Rio at least once daily). The weather is still looking hot enough to melt this Alaskan... but hopefully I'll survive! My broken toe is not being super cooperative so it's looking more and more like I'll do the half marathon, but we will see! Either way, I'm going to have a BLAST! And this little stud is going to have fun in the sun with family and friends!

Twilight 12K

2015-06-06T22:07:00.002-07:00

I decided at the last minute to run the Twilight 12K last night. I knew I wouldn't race it hard because of my marathon next Saturday, but I decided it would be a good opportunity for one last training run!

Photo courtesy of Skinny Raven

It had been raining allllll week in Anchorage and around noon on Friday it was pouring, so when the clouds parted and the sun started to poke out around 6pm... there were 2,500 happy runners! I met up with a couple of my friends at the start and waited for the 7:05 start time!

The gun went off and I felt surprisingly great! Runs have been hit or miss lately thanks to my broken pinky toe.... but last night it was hardly noticeable with all of the adrenaline! If you don't know this about me... I'm slightly competitive, so I made a pact to myself to not run at race pace to save my legs for next weekend. I managed to hold a steady, comfortable pace where I didn't feel winded. I also jammed to my Pandora station and just had a great time! The second I thought about beating other runners, I focused on my REO Speedwagon station instead. P.S. I highly recommend this station. The best.

The course is pretty hilly and there were a couple of sections with a nice headwind, but I was happy to finish with a comfortable 54:57 (7:26/mi). For a training run, I was happy. Although I'm definitely looking forward to running it hard next year!

Bright and early this morning, Michelle and I did another hilly 8 miles, so my legs currently feel like jello. It's time to rest, recover and get ready for racing next weekend! I hope you're having a great weekend!

Gavin's Safari Theme Birthday!

2015-06-06T21:39:00.001-07:00

So this is only 3 months late... but Gavin's first birthday was a BLAST. Jake and I love African animals so it was only fitting to make it a Safari theme!

I had huge help from Jake, my parents and my sister... I don't know how I could have done it without them. Will Gavin remember any of this? No. But I will. It was so worth it!

I made his Happy Birthday banner (which we can use for many birthdays to come!)

And also this photo banner with his monthly photos from birth-12 months!

As most people know, the main event of any birthday party is the food and cake. I am lucky enough to have the most amazing friend, Amy, who makes cakes for a living. I gave her a few different inspiration pictures and she came up with this amazing (and delicious!) cake:

The top layer was Red Velvet with cream cheese, the middle was vanilla with white chocolate filling, and the bottom layer was chocolate with chocolate mousse!

Since Gavin can't eat normal cake because of his food allergies, I made him his own chocolate cake.

The food table was named the "Grazing Table" (written with a chalk pen on chalkboard paper in a white-painted $1 frame. My sister has the BEST handwriting in the world.)

All of the food was jungle themed and I found THIS great DIY label on Etsy that helped me make these labels:

Here were some of the food names:

Tiger Tails (Cheetos)

Tree Twigs (Pretzels)

Pirhana Pasta Salad

Tasmanian Deviled Eggs

Zebra Stripes (Striped Chocolate covered strawberries)

Gorilla Grapes

Jungle Vines (Red Vines)

Hungry Hippo Dip (Hummus)

Rabbit Food (Kale Salad)

Python Potato Salad

Clearly I had way too much time on my hands... :)

I had THIS adorable sign made to display at the party... All about Gavin at age one! It will be a great keepsake for years to come!

The drink table was appropriately named, as was the punch (Jungle Juice!)

I purchased Cheetah print duct tape and rolled it on water bottles to complete the wild theme!

I made the banner on Gavin's high chair using the same supplies as his birthday banner:

And it would be a birthday party without party favors! I found them on Amazon and it ended up being cheaper than making goody bags. And the kiddos loved them :)

The birthday boy wore this custom shirt (another Etsy find!)

Overall, the party was a hit with over 60 people in attendance! Gavin is one lucky kiddo to be so loved. It's scary to think he will be two before we know it! Has anyone figured out how to slow down time?!

Grateful.

2015-06-02T21:51:00.002-07:00

What should have been a normal trip to Costco this afternoon (filled with delicious samples and buying things I don't need...) quickly turned to a very memorable one, and I wish I could say it was a good memory. I started my usual peruse through the fruits and Jake went to look at the engine oil. Typical ;) I saw him start to walk back toward me but he got a very concerned and distracted look on his face. I walked to the edge of the aisle to see what he was looking at and there was an elderly man that had collapsed on the ground. Multiple people were gathered to try to help and Jake, a paramedic, stepped in to see what he could do. Another lady, a nurse, started doing chest compressions as 9-1-1 was called. Another man showed up who said he was an ER doctor so Jake stepped away and told me we should give them some space since they had it handled.

We walked into the Fridge as I started tearing up. I am not meant for emergency medicine. All I could think was, "that's someone's father, husband, and friend." It's someone who means everything to another person. Jake forged ahead, not even affected in the slightest. We continued shopping and passed near the scene a few more times. The paramedics showed up and were working quickly to save the mans' life. A huge crowd had gathered. Why is it in our human nature to want to stand and watch such a critical situation? Human curiosity is a powerful thing. On our way out, we saw the ambulance leaving with it's lights on which Jake told me is a good thing because it means he is still alive.

In the car, I asked Jake how he could just walk forward and move on after witnessing a man who likely had a massive stroke and may/may not live. He said that it is just what he has to do. If he spent time thinking about each patient he takes to the hospital on calls like that one, he would never survive such a taxing job. It was then that I truly realized how brave and amazing my husband is. I mean, I've always known that but today it was made even more clear. It is his job to enter calmly into emotional situations, try to save lives, and walk away emotionally strong to be able to help the next person. I cannot respect him more for doing that day in and day out!

I am probably the exact opposite in handling patients... I come home thinking about my them; contemplating their diagnoses and what I can do to help. Not the best way to handle things, but it is who I am & why I think I am a good primary care provider. I was told as a child that I was too sensitive but I have learned to embrace that quality and let it help me as a PA. I now know with 100% certainty that I could not be a emergency medicine PA, but I am SO thankful for people like the ones I saw today... the doctors, nurses, and paramedics... who daily enter into a challenging situation and handle it with grace and precision. I am most grateful for my husband, who after today I admire even more than I thought possible. (I know you're reading this Jake and hating that I'm writing about you, but YOU. ARE. AMAZING.)

On to lighter and happier things...

In case a broken toe & intermittent injuries weren't enough to test my marathon training... How's this weather forecast for race day?!

89 degrees? I think I might melt! Oh well, I'm looking forward to the trip nonetheless :)

Gavin has been the happiest baby on the block the last few days! After his horrible week of ear infections and teething... he must feel pretty good about life! His favorite thing to do these days is sing the ABC song and play in his Thomas the Train tent. I highly recommend shelling out the big bucks and spending $2 on such a tent at a Garage sale. Best purchase ever.

I choo choo choo choose you!

SUMMER is here!

2015-05-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

All of the sudden, it is SUMMER. Absolutely amazing!

We had a bit of a rough week in our house because of two little things called teething and ear infections. (I had the ear infections first, then Gavin, and now Jake! Sheesh!) For the first time in probably our whole lives, Jake, Gavin & I barely got out of bed almost the entire Memorial Day weekend. Last Friday when I picked Gavin up from daycare he was feverish and not acting like himself at all. I peeked in his ear and his tube was once again clogged and infected :( We had three days of him being feverish, lethargic, sleepy, and EXTRA snuggly.

On Monday, I was changing his diaper and he opened his mouth to say "ahhhhh" (one of his favorite things to do these days :)), I saw a molar peeking through his gums! No wonder. Teething is painful. But teething molars is just downright cruel. It took 5 days and he is finally getting back to his happy self!

This week of running has actually gone pretty well! I was able to do 14 miles last Saturday and another 12 miler on Tuesday, so that's encouraging. I had every intention of doing 16 today, but I didn't have enough time this morning before the hubs left for work... so I settled on 10 + a 4 mile walk with a friend in the AMAZING sunshine.

Best buds. Gavin was clearly unamused by my 162nd picture of the day.

When I got home, we played in the yard for a while (aka... Pulling grass, touching every rock humanly possible, and attempting to roll in the dirt.) Boys will be boys :)

P.S. Is there anything cuter than boys in overalls? I can't get enough.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even more beautiful so I plan to stay outside as much as possible!

Summer is here!

2015-05-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

Somehow it's almost the end of May! When did that happen? This month has been crazzzyyy busy at our house. With the hubs working extra, beautiful weather, random events, and trying to keep up with an increasingly more active one-year-old... the days fly by!

Jake and I got all done up for a Gala a few weeks ago!

Running in the past month has been humbling for me (to say the least). After my rough 20-miler, I felt some tight areas that, combined with a new shoe problem, lead to shin splints and a pulled quad. After two weeks of little to no running and I was finally ready to try a long run... but instead, I broke my pinky toe.

I'm sure you wanted to see my super attractive foot. You're welcome.

I am scheduled to run a marathon in three weeks from today. Not exactly ideal. So where does that leave me? Well, I don't know. Tickets are purchased, so ~~worst case scenario I will run the half marathon.~~ Okay, worst case scenario I won't run at all, but I think I could do the half. And I'm hoping I can do the full. I'm not a person that likes to run half-heartedly in full marathons, but I also need to set realistic expectations coming off a month of injuries. I guess I will just wait and see how my body cooperates, Lesson to all of you: NEVER take advantage of pain-free running. It's a blessing.

On a much more positive note... it is amazing to me how quickly children learn. They are like little sponges! Here is a quick 14-month update on Gavin!

His favorite new tricks this month:
- Blowing kisses, pointing out ears/eyes/noses, throwing his head back in fake laughter, dancing, stacking toys, bringing books to me and plopping on my lap so I will read to him, playing outside, practicing going up/down stairs, rolling his r's, waving, coloring and chasing Diego.

This laugh. Goof.

All of the sudden he is 18 drafting architectural plans.
(OR scribbling. But seriously! Time.... slow DOWN!)

He LOVES running after Diego.

Words he Says:
- Up, no, yes, all done, 'nana (banana), E-I-E-I-O (Old McDonald song), Mama, Dada, Amba, (Amber, my sis), ruff ruff, ABC, uh-oh, uh-huh, eat, and lots of others I can't think of! He is SO talkative and is constantly trying to mimic what we say. Love it.

Challenges:
- His allergies :( His skin has been at an all-time LOW. He has a rash all over his body and we cannot figure out what it's from. We're leaning toward a pollen allergy but not sure. Thank goodness most kids outgrow this stuff. And thank goodness he is happy as a clam.
- Daycare germs. He is currently sick with his 628th ear infection. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but it feels like every week he gets a runny nose from daycare which then progresses into a clogged ear tube (he had tubes placed when he was 9 months old) and then it gets infected. My heart breaks for him every time.

Luckily he's just as fun as ever and really doesn't seem phased by any of it!

When the days get longer and the weather gets more beautiful, Alaskans can't stay inside. Gavin and I have been spending time outside every day whether it is walking around in the yard, going to the park, hiking, or playing with friends.

Who's having more fun, Gavin or Mom?

Bestest little bud.

"Mother's hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever"

My little hiking buddy.

Does it count as double mileage since I'm carrying him?

I'm getting more and more excited for the next few months because we have a two out-of-state trips planned, tons of camping adventures, my BFF in the whole world will be back for 6 weeks, BBQ season, and trail running! My plan is to slow down on the road running and focus on trails a bit more since the pavement has not been very kind to my body lately. My super rock-star sister is a hard core trail runner so I'm hoping to tag along on her adventures! There's going to be lots of fun times and I'll try to keep updating as I go!

And in case you didn't get enough cuteness from these pictures, I'll fill that quota.

Tangent Sunday and My Favorite allergy-free Muffin recipe!

2015-04-26T17:46:00.001-07:00

- It's been beautiful all weekend so a piggy back ride was mandatory after church!

-Woke up with super tight left quad... So this is now my BFF. Come on body, get it together.

Gavin is a pro at rolling out his quads.

- Jake and I have a huge date night next Satuday... A Greek Gala! It's a formal affair so I will be getting all dolled up. The first time I've done this since probably our wedding day. I decided to rent a dress from this site so I am super excited to see how it looks in person. Quite the risk taker since it arrives the night before! Hopefully it fits!

Has anyone ever used a dress rental site? Thanks Michelle for the idea :) It's still a pretty pricy option, but after looking into buying a dress I'll probably never wear again, it seemed like a great idea! After I wear/return the dress I'll let you know what I think!

- This morning I made Gavin and my favorite paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free, no sugar added banana muffins (Gavin's muffins don't have the chocolate chips, just mine. Chocolate chips don't count as sugar, right?). These seriously make me forget a world exists with grains, dairy, and added sugar! YUM.

Brittany's Allergy Free Banana Muffins
(Adapted from Paleo Kitchen's Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread)

Ingredients:
4 bananas, mashed with a fork (the more ripe, the better)
4 eggs
1/2 cup sunflower butter (room temperature or it won't mix well)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 generous cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips (optional, but why would you not?!)

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cups.
- In a stand mixer combine bananas, eggs, sunflower butter, coconut oil, and vanilla.
- Add in the coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Blend into the wet mixture, scraping down the sides with a spatula. Distribute the batter evenly into the lined muffin tins, filling each about two-thirds of the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. These are very moist so store leftovers in the refrigerator. I hope you enjoy!

OH I ALMOST FORGOT. These turn green. Do NOT be alarmed. The naturally occurring chlorogenic acid that is found in all plant leaves and stems is also present in the seeds of the sunflower seeds. Chlorogenic acid is an antioxidant and is one of the reasons that sunflower butter is good for you (as well as being a great source of vegetable protein, potassium, vitamin E, and other vitamins and minerals). When chlorogenic acid meets alkaline baking conditions (i.e., if you add baking soda), it turns a dark green (see photo, below). This completely harmless effect happens after the muffins completely cool down (and increases with additional hours.) This is a great muffin recipe to make with kids when they are learning about plants…or for St. Patrick’s Day!

New shoes, birthdays, and date night!

2015-04-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

After my horrible case of the stomach flu last week, I was glad to feel better and enjoy time with this cutie!

Diego's face is classic.

We had a random snowstorm earlier in the week that dumped more snow than it has probably snowed all winter!

Luckily it's spring so the snow was gone the next day. Just in time to help Dad outside!

Baby beanie hat for the win.

14 miles today. It felt great to cut back on mileage this week. I had to split it into two runs because I worked this morning, but overall it felt okay! Anything feels better than last week's horrible run! Does anyone else hit a slump in their marathon training? Where you just want to take a nap instead of go run? That was me this week. Hopefully it passes quickly because I still have 7 more weeks of training!!

I've been feeling some leg tightness since last weekend which always makes me go into freak out mode, so I went to my awesome PT and had some dry needling done which worked wonders! Whenever things start to get tight, it usually means I need new shoes. (Really though, I'll find any excuse to get new shoes. Especially when they are Tiffany blue!)

I put some new shoes on, an suddenly everything is right :)

I'm definitely on the injury prone end of the spectrum so I need to listen to my body and get new shoes sooner than once every 14 months!!

Gavin had a friend's birthday party today. It was a blast!! It was extra special for me because a little girl I nannied for NINE years ago was also at the party!! Wow do I feel old.

There were approximately 12 other babies stepping all over each other, stealing each others toys and pulling hair off any head within arms reach. I think one year old birthdays are more for parents to get together and eat/drink than anything else! (And I think there has to be wine and beer for the adults to survive the chaos, haha!)

Jake and I had a much needed date on Thursday thanks to my sister! We're so lucky to have so many wonderful family members who love to watch Gavin :) Every time we get out we say how we need to do it every week. Somehow that ends up being more like every 2 months... We're working in it! Life is busy but I'll tell you what, it's SO much fun to get out with my #1 man.

My blurry attempt at a sly date picture.

I hope you had a great week!

Outhouses.

2015-04-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Our house has been a bit of a petrie dish in the last couple of weeks. I blame daycare. Supposedly all of these bugs will make Gavin's immune system stronger, but I sure could do without them! Gavin recovered very quickly from his stomach flu last weekend, just in time for me to get his sinus congestion. Thursday night was a rough night when both Jake and my sister came down with his stomach flu also! They are feeling much better but I was crossing my fingers and toes that I would be spared.

No such luck.

This morning Michelle and I had 20 miles on the books. Yesterday I felt off, but I assumed that was from taking care of Jake all night. I try not to take medicine of any kind, but I actually took some Zofran (anti-nausea medication) to try to make it through the day. It shook away the quesiness although my tummy was very "rumbly" all day. I must be a bit of a die-hard because I refused to let any sort of quesy or rumbling stomach hold me back from running 20 miles.

I woke up at 5:30 feeling great so I quickly threw on my running clothes, had a date with my Medela pump, scarfed down some food, and drove to our meeting place. (I do not recommend scarfing down food 30 minutes before a 20 mile run! I am horrible about allowing myself extra time in the morning.) Our plan was a 10 mile loop back to our cars (for a water break), followed by 10 miles out and back. The first 7 miles felt great! Then, like a thief in the night... it hit. I somehow made it the 3 more miles to an outhouse (thank GOODNESS for outhouses near the trail!), which helped me feel better slightly. I was stubborn and still refused to miss out on my long run, so I continued with Michelle until we hit the 12 mile mark.

Despite feeling like poo (no pun intended),
Michelle and I were very excited to see an Eagle on the trail!

Bald Eagle hanging out on our run

At that point, I was slowing wayyy down and didn't want to take away from her workout. I told her to power ahead and my pace got slower and slower... but I continued! Eight more miles and 2 more outhouse visits later.... I did it. I pushed through 20 miles! (Please disregard my pace! I'm just happy I finished)

Am I proud? A little. Am I crazy? Yes. I do not encourage you to make the decisions I made today... it was not fun. But next week is a cut-back week so I am looking forward to decreased mileage next weekend!

My day involved some rest, chugging of Pedialite, bites of applesauce and a lot of entertainment from the cutest little singer and dancer I know.

To all the moms out there, exactly how does one truly recover with a one-year-old in the house? Chasing around Gavin is almost as much of a workout as a 20 mile run! When my stomach began to feel a bit less angry, we decided to venture into the sun and take Diego for a walk to Gavin's all time-favorite place... the park.

Heyyyyyy, just dancing. NBD.
(I promise to never use than acronym again).

Old picture, but one of my favorites from the park!

I'm hoping we're over all of the germs for a while!

Have any of you ever had a horrible run involving outhouses? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?? :)

Finding Motivation

2015-04-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Who knew that being a parent was a full time, 24 hour per day job? Gavin went to bed happy last night and at 2am he woke up. I assumed it was to nurse; he still does 1-2x at night (if you must ask, yes I am sleep deprived and tired. And yes, I know I should wean him at night, haha). I went to his crib to get him and he was covered in vomit. :( Jake was at work so I held a crying baby and one-handedly stripped his crib, changed his sheets, and both of our clothes. He truly needed a bath, but at 2am neither of us wanted to do that. After rocking him for a bit, he wanted to nurse, so I did. Bad idea. Two hours and three more PJ changes later... He finally stopped vomiting and fell asleep!

So why am I telling you this other than it's no fun to have a sick baby? Well, today I had 18 miles on the schedule and my motivation was nowhere to be found! Little sleep coupled with a quesy stomach don't exactly equate to ideal running conditions. So what does one do in a time like this?

Suck it up. I laced up my shoes and hit the roads. Sometimes it's better just to go through the motions and get out there than it is to think about what you're about to do. For the first few miles, I waited patiently for the run to get easier and my legs to settle into a rhythm, but unfortunately that never happened. Luckily it was a beautiful morning for a run.

To make the time go by faster, I mentally split the run into 3 parts: a 7 mile loop, and two 5.5 mile runs (11 miles out-and-back). I finished and that is what mattered! (And apparently I can't do math because I somehow added on an extra 0.5 mile).

Sometimes the runs aren't easy physically or mentally, but I definitely never regret putting in the time and effort!

I hope you had a great weekend! How long was your long run this weekend?

Food Allergies

2015-04-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned in a couple of posts that Gavin has ~~some~~ a gazillion food allergies. I've been asked the question multiple times, "How did it occur to you to get him allergy tested?" Well, first let me back up a bit and give some background information. (P.S. This is lengthy, sorry in advance!)

It seems most people have some sort of food allergy/intolerance these days. Is it that the chemicals in our foods have caused this? Is it because foods are genetically-modified? It's hard to say. I don't think those factors help. I believe a big part of people having relatively more allergies is that there is testing available to diagnose people with allergies. Whereas even 20 years ago, tests were used infrequently.

The terms food allergy and food intolerance are often used interchangeably, but they are actually very different terms. A food allergy is also known as a "Type I Sensitivity" and is due to an adverse immune response to a food. Food allergies produce an immediate reaction and can cause anaphylaxis (throat closing shut). People who have a true food allergy must avoid the food completely. Those with food intolerances have a delayed, multi-system response to a food (most frequently gastrointestinal & skin). People who have intolerances can have the foods without immediately risking their life, but it makes life miserable.

I've had many allergies and intolerances since infancy/childhood, but luckily I've learned to manage them well! So back to Gavin...

From the first week home, Gavin was a fussy baby. He was inconsolable many days, would not sleep more than 1-2 hours at a time, had explosive & runny poop, and was constantly arching his back in pain. He started to develop horrible eczema around 9 weeks of age, so I began to have my suspicions at that time. I requested a referral to the Allergist in Anchorage, but I couldn't get him in for over 3 months. After a camping trip to Talkeetna with a fussy, miserable baby, I decided to make some changes. On the trip, I overindulged in popcorn, edamame crackers, and dairy (among other delicious camping foods!). I evaluated my diet and realized I was eating a lottttt of dairy, corn, and soy products. Since Gavin was exclusively breastfeeding at that point, anything I ate, he was getting through my breastmilk. So, I cut them out. Let's just talk about corn for a minute:

Those ingredients are in most processed foods. Eliminating corn meant not just eliminating popcorn, corn on the cob, and my favorite salsa... it's in almost everything.

A long three months passed without much change in Gavin's symptoms. Maybe slight improvement, but not enough to be convinced I eliminated the right foods. The day finally came in October when he would be tested for food allergies/intolerances! The first appointment they did skin prick testing to test for immediate, Type I sensitivities. He didn't have any! Yay! No need to worry about having an Epi-Pen like I do. Such a relief.

They put a patch on his back to test the most common food intolerances and we followed up 3 days later. My heart broke when I saw his poor little back.

He tested positive for: Corn, rice, wheat, oat, barley, rye, soy, dairy, beef and pork.

I challenge you to read a label to find none of the ingredients above. Nearly impossible! Did you know many canned tomatoes have high-fructose corn syrup in them? And anything gummy (my favorite candy, vitamins, etc) has gelatin, which is a beef product. Aveeno products use either soy or oat in them (which we were using on his skin!). Most chocolate chips have soy lecithin (an emulsifier). It was enlightening to say the least.

They asked me to consider switching him to formula (although there is only one that had a partial chance of working for him since most have a corn derivative in them) since it would be such a challenging diet for me to stick to. (I am intolerant or allergic to garlic, most raw fruits, all nuts, shellfish, and dairy). I am stubborn, and did NOT want to quit breastfeeding because I surprisingly love it and think it is best for Gavin. After crying in my car after the appointment for 5 minutes, I went online and starting doing my research and educating myself on other food alternatives. There are some pretty amazing resources out there once you start looking! Once I got the hang of cooking with new flours like quinoa, teff, amaranth, coconut, sorghum, garbazo bean, fava bean, potato, and tapioca... I started creating my own recipes.

Safe to say I have a flour problem.

So far, so good!

Pumpkin Sunbutter Coconut Flour Waffles

Gluten-free, rice-free, oat-free, dairy-free bread with coconut oil "butter."

No-added sugar coconut flour banana chocolate chip muffins

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Sunflower butter chocolate-chip cookies. NUM.

So I have done my best to stick to an allergen-free diet for the past 6 months, and Gavin is thriving. When I cut out the foods, he was a new baby. He was suddenly a better sleeper, his skin cleared up, and most importantly, he was happy! He was comfortable for the first time in his life! It's been a rough road for me at times. I had to give up my favorite foods in the world: cereal and Froyo. I've had a few moments of tears and frustration, but it's worth it as long as Gavin is happy and healthy!

Now let me tell you the BEST news about all of this. Infants who have food allergies generally outgrow them by age 3! Rarely do they have them for life. That was music to my ears! And we had a retest last week and he can now have dairy and pork (still allergic to the other 8 foods). Bring on the cheese and bacon, haha! :)

If you or your child are struggling with food allergies, please feel free to ask questions. I'm happy to help! It seemed like a death sentence when I saw his list of positive foods. But there are far worse diagnoses in life and I feel blessed to have a happy, fun kiddo! (And luckily he doesn't know what he's missing out on!) It will some day be a distant memory, but for now... I'm off to bake some grain-free banana bread and crackers! :)

Running These Days & Saying Goodbye

2015-04-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm training for a marathon in June. So that means track workouts, long runs, and hill repeats are back in action. I must be a bit crazy because I actually missed training like a crazy person.

I've become good friends with Michelle who is also training for a marathon in June, so I've had an awesome training partner 1-2x/wk! She is a super-speedy runner and makes me train hard! I've been doing my best to be smart with training and stretch, do some ab work, and cross train so I don't get injured. I've been swimming with the masters swim team 2-3x/week and I think it is making a huge positive impact on my running! It strengthens the glutes and other muscles that are normally weak. I definitely recommend it if you have pool access.

Yesterday I did Yasso 800's and was pleasantly surprised with my pace. I'm not hoping for a specific time in the marathon, but I just hope to finish strong and if I get BQ, it would be an added perk. :) If you're not familiar with the concept, Yasso 800's are said to predict your overall marathon time. The concept is simple. Want to run a 3 hour marathon? Train to run 10 x 800m in 3 minutes (each 800m). Want to run a 4:00 marathon? Train to do the 800s in 4:00, etc. I've read a few articles and blogs that say it isn't an accurate predictor of overall marathon time (here and here), but regardless of predicting my marathon pace, I will say it was a fabulous workout!

I had to say goodbye to an old friend last week; my first Garmin watch. It wouldn't hold a charge for more than 2 hours, it took ~10 minutes to find a satellite, and the screen was cracked. I had a lot of fond memories with it: my first marathon ever, my PR marathon in St George, miles and miles of training along the sunny California coast, my first Boston marathon, and so much more! I was sad to say goodbye but I quickly got over that when I said hello to this beauty:

The Garmin Forerunner 220. In love. It instantaneously finds the satellite, vibrates at each mile, holds a charge for up to 10 hours, and so much more! And it's purple. :) I have a lot to learn about all do it's features, but so far, I'm sold!

ONE.

2015-04-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

And just like that, we have a one-year-old.

The blink of an eye. It's like the saying goes, "The years are short, but the days are long." Some days seemed to stretch on forever (colic for 5 months, Gavin waking every 1-2 hours for the first 9 months of life, etc.), but overall, I can't believe an entire year has gone by. What was life like before having this cute side-kick around?

(Okay, I do remember... freedom to do pretty much anything anytime I wanted, with as much sleep as I wanted, but wouldn't trade it in a second!)

Life with a "pre-toddler" (age 12-18 mos) is fun, exciting, and exhausting. He is everywhere.

He is walking...

Rehydrating after his workout.

And talking (tried to upload a video but it didn't work! So just imagine the cutest baby voice ever!) ...

And practicing all sorts of fun tricks that make keep me on my toes!

Believe it or not, I had just cleaned the house 20 minutes before.

Jake is the best Dad I could ever imagine for our little kiddo. The love they share makes me melt.

Gavin's favorite things these days are: going down slides, reading his books, playing with Diego, walking, dancing, playing his Piano, pushing his firetrucks & cars and snuggling (my favorite).

He gives the best hugs.

Best buds

We are so blessed to have this little guy as our son. Thanks for giving us the privilege of being your parents, Gavin! We love you to the moon!

Running and Breastfeeding

2015-01-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine from The Runner's Plate just had an adorable little guy, Cullen, a few months ago. She asked me for pointers on long distance running and breastfeeding - and though I'm no expert, I'm proud to say I've been able to exclusively breastfeed Gavin and continue to run for the past 10 months! I had been working on a post for months about breastfeeding, so this prompted me to actually finish it!!

This is likely not going to be very entertaining for those of you who aren't lactating (so I suggest closing this window ASAP !)... but I hope it helps those of you continue to nourish your baby and yourself by running!

First off, if you were anything like me, you read a gazillion blogs about how to keep your supply strong and run a lot of miles. I think there are some essential tips, but I also believe it comes down to your natural milk production and also the way your body handles physical stress. Some may bounce back quickly, others not so much. With that said...

1) Listen to your body. You are feeding a little human who needs your milk. Running 60+ miles per week while feeding a baby may be possible but I can't say I've done it. My mileage tops out around 40-45 miles/wk and I don't notice any dip in milk supply. My priorities changed the second I held Gavin in my arms, and I wouldn't change that for anything. Yes, I'm still obsessed with running but my miles are about quality not quantity these days.

Running with the G-Man.

Training takes on a whole new meaning!

2.) HYDRATE! May seem obvious, but it's easily overlooked. Bring a handheld bottle, water belt, or camelback for runs over an hour. It's no fun to lug it around, but it helps to keep you hydrated and keep the milk flowing. Also drink a lot before and after runs. And with a baby or without, just do a quick pee check. If your urine is straw colored, you're well hydrated. Yellow- chug, chug, chug. Clear- over hydrated and you risk becoming hyponatremic (or having other electrolyte disturbances).

3.) Obviously, fuel the machine! Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories, and so does running. Wahoo! Now go eat some cake and cookies! Not. Focus on healthy, nutrient dense foods like green,leafy vegetables, avocados, beans, whole grains, nuts (if you're not allergic) chia/flax seeds, fruits, etc. Okay, and yes a cookie here and there is a good idea too. After all, you are a super mother runner who deserves a treat!

Source

4.) Mother's Milk Tea. I drink this one, but there are many on the market that I'm sure work well!! I have 2-3 cups per day because I love the stuff, but if I feel like my milk took a hit, I drink more. I don't know if it's a placebo but I think it works! I also have friends that swear by More Milk Plus (they make capsules and drops), so you could give that a shot too if you find your milk supply decreasing.

5.) Prenatal Vitamin + Calcium/Vitamin D. Take daily. Every. Single. Day. While breastfeeding your body depletes it's own calcium stores to provide for baby. This means less bone density... Which means increased risk for stress fracture and osteoporosis. All bad things. Take one daily and thank me later!

Yum yum yum. Yes, I am 5 years old and
still eat gummy vitamins.

6.) Find your "happy mileage" and be okay with it. Now is not the time to break records (but if it is for you... you are my hero!). Your body will tell you that you are overdoing it in one of these ways: milk supply decreases, exhaustion/being sick, you get injured, or running just isn't fun anymore.

7.) Sleep at least 8 hours at night. HA! Sorry, You just had a baby! If you're lucky and your baby is a great sleeper.... stop reading now, drive to my house, and put a magic spell on Gavin to teach him to sleep. And consider yourself lucky. I haven't slept for a stretch longer than four hours in over a year (I didn't sleep much in my last trimester of pregnancy). Sleep is the best medicine. It allows your body and mind to recover, so if possible, take a nap. Or if you're really struggling, don't get out of bed to run, sleep instead. You risk injury and sleep-deprivation induced psychosis if you don't get enough sleep!

Not my baby, but Gavin shares the same sentiment.

8.) Ramp up your mileage slowly. Follow the 10% rule. Do not add on to your weekly total by more than 10% (e.g. start with 20 miles/wk, only add on 2 the next week, etc.) - and definitely don't add on to long runs more than one mile at a time. See how your body recovers with this mileage and go from there. Don't worry, you'll be back to your old mileage in no time!

9.) Breastfeed (or pump) right before running. You will be a lot more comfortable during the run if you can empty everything before running. If you're at a race and can't have baby with you right before the start to nurse, bring a hand pump, find a secluded area and pump away. Yes, I did this in the bushes right before my last race. Some fellow racer even walked up on the sight... Probably not what he wanted to see before racing! Haha.

Only a mom would understand!

10.) Breastfeed (or pump) right after you run! You will need it and baby will too :) Luckily I never had a problem with Gavin averting to my milk after running. I had read some babies notice a change in the taste of your milk from lactic acid, but Gavin never complained.

My first race after Gavin!

11.) Let down happens. Sometimes if I'm thinking about Gavin, or just randomly... I will let down while running. Apply pressure with your arms while running... And hope for the best! Haha. If you're wearing a padded sport bra, it shouldn't be an issue but just remember it happens... Especially with longer runs.

12.) Definitely invest in a good-quality sports bra. If you're in the first 6 months of breastfeeding, you may be more comfortable with 2 sports bras. After that, things usually mellow out and you aren't as "full."

I TRULY hope this helps you in your decision to run and breastfeed. You are doing the best thing for baby by feeding him your milk, so do whatever you can to keep up! It's such a gift to be able to do both, so I wish you luck! I'm happy to take e-mails with any questions here .

Running distance with a breastfed baby is challenging... but SO rewarding!

Back in Alaska!

2015-01-09T12:06:00.001-08:00

It is always hard to come home after such an amazing vacation. Family, sun, runs, and my favorite foods... It was a perfect getaway. We arrived back just in time for Jake and my 3rd wedding anniversary.

We had Gavin scheduled to go to daycare that day so that we could have a "date day," but instead he had surgery! Gavin has had 6 ear infections in the last 4 months, so after seeing an ENT specialist, we decided it was a good idea to get ear tubes placed.

Cutest little patient I ever did see.

He did GREAT in the surgery and was a champ all day. We're now 10 days post-op, and although he has a cold, he has NO sign of an ear infection which is a first :)

Best Buds, Reunited.

Making Mom Breakfast. One Omelet, coming up!

It's hard to believe we've already been married 3 years.

The first year of marriage we spent apart while I was in PA school. The second year we got a puppy, sold a house, bought a house, and got pregnant. The third year we were given the greatest gift... Gavin. It's been an amazing few years, and cliche as it may be, I can't wait to see what else is in store. Jake's pretty much the best.

I'm one lucky lady.
I thank God every day for this husband!

Jake, you are my favorite.

My sister and I rang in the new year with 15 miles for 2015.

It was a perfect way to start a new year of running! I wish I could say I had big, lofty goals for the year, but my goal is to run strong, run long, and not get injured. I hope to run more trail races, and hopefully a marathon or two. Ultimately, I just want to have a fun time. (Wow, has becoming a mom changed me or what!)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Vegas Vacation!

2015-01-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

Before flying back to Alaska from Las Vegas, Jake and I went on a date out on the town for our anniversary celebration #1! (Having a built-in sitter was amazing... we sure miss my parents and so does Gavin!)

We walked down the strip and although we were both tired (when will Gavin sleep for more than 1.5 stretches?!) the energy was contagious! A certain husband told me for days that we should make diner reservations, but for some reason I figured it wouldn't be an issue so... it never happened. We arrived at the restaurant, Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse, and immediately saw a line out the door. Oops.

I saw a man in a suit who looked important and asked him how long the wait was going to be. He said, "Eek, no reservations? At least 45 minutes." Did I mention it was 6:30 and neither Jake or myself had eaten since breakfast?

One word:

HANGRY.

We politely asked if we could wait at the bar, and he said he could actually seat us there & eat off the full menu there. Best anniversary gift ever.

If you've never heard of/been to a Brazialian Steakhouse, they basically are a carnivore's dream come true. Servers walk around with meat on giant skewers and shave off as much as your gluttonous heart desires. The Brazilian steakhouse was my gift to Jake because I don't really care for meat. They had a great "cold bar" with salads and vegetables... and the best part? They made me a huge skewer of roasted vegetables to enjoy. Heaven.

Paired with decadent white Sangria, my wonderful date, and only a few belligerent Las Vegans at the bar... It was a perfect dinner. :)

We wandered in the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile shops for a bit to let our food settle, then we went to watch the Bellagio fountain show. Best 3 minutes ever. Stunning.

Then the night got crazy. Jake gave us each a dollar to use at the slot machine of our choice.

Jake lost his dollar in one push of a button :( I chose a quarter slot - risky, I know.

But.. it was my lucky day!

He even let me keep my winnings. We quit while we were ahead and called it a night.

10:00PM. We're getting old.

It was a perfect night with the love of my life.

Zion and Merry (belated) Christmas!

2014-12-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

(I apologize in advance for font/format issues... I'm editing on my phone!)

Our trip through Zion was a huge success! Gavin was a champion napper in his car seat for a couple of hours so Jake and I were able to enjoy he beauty all around us!

When he woke up, we took a nice hike through one of the canyons.

Gavin was in awe of the beauty!!

My grandma (the one who broke her hip in San Diego, but is now doing amazing!) was here for Christmas too and she showed off her impressive agility by hiking with very few breaks! She's amazing!

Definitely put Zion on your Bucket List. It's surreal.

The next day was Christmas Eve and Jake and I made trip #2 to Cafe Rio. Just as amazing, if not better than the first time.

Sly photo skills here.

Gavin has been making huge development strides since we got here... He's crawling at lightning speed and is determined to climb on anything and everything. He loves standing and shows off all day long :)

Gosh I love him.

We went to a beautiful Christmas Eve Mass...

Followed by Christmas Eve dinner and Gavin got to open one present (my family tradition as a child!) Surprisingly he got really into it (although he was definitely more excited about the tissue paper than anything, haha).

He loved his first Airplane!

Christmas Day was wonderfully relaxing with Gavin opening more presents,

A long run with my favorite guy,

Plenty of Christmas movie watching, and more smiles from Gavin.

The best Christmas I could imagine.

I hope you had an amazing day filled with lots of love, family/friends and relaxation!!

Trail Run and Cafe Rio!

2014-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

It happened. Jake got to try my most favorite restaurant in the world, Cafe Rio.

The line was long (as usual) but worth every second of the wait. Jake said,"this is my version of a candy store" when he was ordering his sweet pork salad.

He declared I was amazing all day just for introducing him to such a place. The things I have to do to win his heart ;) we will be going at least one more time... Or maybe two while we're here!

Rewind a few hours and I got to explore the a gorgeous trail right behind my parents house.

Me, the red rocks, blue skies, and a secluded trail = one happy Brittany.

The only problem with the trail was that every turn looked the same and there were multiple trails leading off every turn... so I had to take a mental note of where I was going! My trusty - or not so trusty - iPhone failed me and randomly shut off after taking the above picture. How is it possible to go from 73% battery to 0%? Anyone have the answer to that mystery??

I used good-old fashioned navigation skills and made it back without getting too lost!

Gavin's great-Grandma arrived last night and he is officially the most spoiled and loved little guy ever now. Such a blessing that we get to spend the holidays with family!

Now we're off to Zion!

Mr. Grumpypants & Snow Canyon!

2014-12-22T18:44:00.002-08:00

Yesterday, we decided to name Gavin "Mr. Grumpypants". Since we arrived to Utah, he's been really fussy... Whether it's the change in routine, getting over another ear infection, the nasty cough he developed (darn daycare germs!!), a growth spurt, or teething. I couldn't tell you. It's likely a combination of all of the above. Anyways, we didn't let him slow us down and after church and a run with the hubs, we went to Snow Canyon to hike around!

Incredible!

Look at me mom!

This guy is the best. Seriously love him.

Fun with Nana and Gramps!

Best buds.

❤️. We missed the first true snowfall in Alaska yesterday, but I'm actually okay with it considering I got to see this beautiful scenery!

Let's hope this cutie is in a better mood tonight and lets me sleep tonight!!

Vacations are for running.

2014-12-22T18:38:00.003-08:00

I think we can all agree the best way to start a vacation is a morning run. The earlier the better. On Saturday, Jake didn't exactly share my enthusiasm...

Our faces show how we each feel about the run...

(Don't be fooled though, it was actually 10am! He considered this early because we were still on Alaska time.)

Luckily he warmed up to the idea and we did 8 wonderful miles surrounded by red rocks. A HUGE perk to visiting family? A built in sitter. They practically kick us out of the house so they can hog Gavin. Win-win.

After nap time, Jake, Gavin and I hit the road to run some errands. Note to self: the Saturday before Christmas is not the best day to go shopping. It was madness out there!

Hanging out in the car! Champion shopping companion!

Then that night we went to the Live Nativity performance at Tuacan. It was a short, 15 minute show of the nativity of Christ - complete with camels, donkeys, angels, and more! It was a beautiful way to start the final countdown to Christmas. It's so easy to get caught up in the shopping part of Christmas, I loved taking the time to focus on the true reason for the season!

Though it was long past his bedtime, Gavin loved the lights, music, and of course the mandatory 150 pictures I have to take :)

These two.

A wonderful day with some of my favorite people!

Flying with Baby!

2014-12-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

Last night Jake and I embarked on our first Christmas away from Alaska in years! We were both lucky to be able to get the holiday off so we decided it was a good chance to visit my parents for Gavin's first Christmas!

This was our third time flying with Gavin, and it was a huge success! He has become a pro traveler.

And we're off!

The keys to flying with a baby?

1.) Travel at night (leaving anywhere from 11pm-1am) - a sleeping baby is a quiet baby. And a rested baby is a happy baby!

2.) Nurse, nurse, nurse! Especially on the descent. Helps prevent pressure building up behind their tiny eardrums (= pain). On a side note- Gavin has had 6 ear infections in the last few months and has flown with them twice (today included). As long as he is nursing or using a pacifier, he has been happy a clam.

3.) Don't stress if they do cry. If you haven't learned by now... Babies cry, people get frustrated and then give you nasty looks. But there is a 99.8% chance you will never see those mean strangers again in your life.

4.) Get a window seat for night flights. Not only to babies love to look out the window, but mainly they're great because you'll have more privacy for nursing and you can use the window as a prop in your constant struggle to get comfortable. (I've decided this is impossible- and heaven forbid your leg/arm/butt goes numb with a 20+ lb peacefully sleeping baby in your arms...)

5.) If you do travel during the day, get an aisle seat. Then you can get up and bounce/walk as much as you need to.

6.) Wear your baby as much as you can. The Ergo is a lifesaver. Two free arms are essential when traveling.

7.) Bring extra clothes (For baby AND you!) and also Ziploc bags. Blowouts happen, and as much fun as it would be to travel cross country covered in poop... Just trust me on this one!

8.) I always pack snacks. I kind of have to these days to avoid dairy, wheat, oat, rice, barley, soy, corn, beef, pork, and nuts... Haha but it makes it so much easier on short layovers when you need to change a baby, feed them, and lug around ridiculous amounts of baby stuff through an airport.

9.) On that note, how does something so small need so much? Gavin has his own suitcase and it is FULL. I didn't even overpack. I mean you need clothes for every possible scenario! What if it's hot? What if it rains? Snows? And of course he needed two or three cute Christmas outfits, a swimsuit for the pool, his sound machine... Okay so maybe I did overpack. But better to be prepared than not. Haha :) One tip I have is to buy diapers and wipes when you arrive. Saves a lot of space.

10.) Patience. This is essential for any traveler, baby or not. We will all get to board the plane (but extra thumbs up for pre-boarding with a small child!), the plane will eventually take off (even when you've been sitting at the gate while they fix a light in the cockpit for 30 minutes as they did today)... My theory is be patient, smile, and take deep breaths. We're lucky to get to travel and it's all part of the adventure.

-------------------

So back to our day, after eating breakfast, you can guess the first place we went.

Gavin shares my love of TJ's. (And also PJ's. Why can't adults get away with wearing PJ's in public?)

Shopping at Trader Joe's was actually kind of a sad experience because of all of my fave goodies are off limits due to Gavin's allergies :( But do not fear, TJ's never lets me down and I was able to get some goodies.

The agenda for our vacation involves lots of family time, dates with the hubby, visiting with friends, lots of family time, multiple visits to Café Rio, and as many long runs through the red rocks as I can!

Cannot wait.

Go where there is no trail, and (attempt to) make your own...

2014-12-06T23:17:00.001-08:00

My sister moved back to Alaska in June which has been amazing. She is probably the most hard-core trail runner and talented athlete I know! We just started running together because I hadn't been physically ready her 4 hour adventures in the mountains ~~until lately~~. I take that back. I thought I was ready for an adventure with her, but this morning I realized very quickly this was not going to be your average trail run.

After dropping Gavin off with his grandparents, my sister and I drove up to Glen Alps trailhead and started our trek into a dark, winter wonderland toward Williwaw Lakes. The temperature was perfect, the city lights twinkled in the distance, and I was feeling great.

Anchorage in the distance

After a couple of miles on a snowy, but well-packed, trail, we steered off to a single-footprint led "trail" (not even). The snow was deep and covered roots, rocks, and streams. I may or may not have stepped mid-calf deep into an icy-cold stream just 3 miles into our trek. My toes were numb, my ankles chafed from snow scraping them as I plunged into the snow, but my fearless leader trudged forward!

Not even kidding. Just another day in AK.

Luckily the views were incredible with tall mountains surrounding us, light snow falling, and a pink, glowing sunrise!

We're not alone... Lynx tracks guide us forward...

1 hour and 37 minutes into the run (uhhhh but who's counting?), we decided to turn around. My legs were cold, my stomach was growling, and I was mentally done. Have you ever had one of those days? Where you love being out and running but you're just over it? Yeah. That was me. I've also decided trail running involves a lot more brain power than your average run. Avoid that rock, don't trip on that stump, don't fall in the hole/stream/bushes... (all of which happened today at one point!) Gracefulness is not my strongest quality. Then there's watching out for animals. We saw just one moose in the distance and Lynx tracks, so that was good!

Winter bliss. Or torture. It's a tough call :)

We made it back to the car with a lot of mental cheerleading/convincing/bribery and I was pretty excited to take my frozen toes out of my frozen shoes. All in all, 2 hours & 45 minutes that made me a stronger person! And it also made me appreciate my amazing sister even more than I already do for pushing to go where there is no trail and trudge forward when you're mentally wiped! Oh and I might add, she barely looked tired after the entire day. Seriously, she's a pro.

We got home and this little wiggleworm was pretty excited to see me.

Upside-down cutie.

There's nothing better than this smile :)

9 months

2014-12-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

Wow. This little man is almost 9 months old. When did that happen?

I'm sure you've all missed me terribly and while I would like to promise that I'll write more frequently, let's be honest- given my history that is probably not going to happen! But I promise to try! Life has been busy and I've been savoring every moment of motherhood!

Every day keeps getting better and better as a mom. Gavin is incredible. His smile, his laugh, his personality... Each day there is something more I can't get enough of! He is crawling all over, clapping and waving his hands, pushing himself to standing, and he loves to talk about his favorite person "da da" or maybe that's short for Diego... It's hard to say! He is the smiliest little guy and seriously brings more joy to life than we could ever have imagined.

I am back at work part time and feel so blessed to have this schedule. I get to have 4 days in a row with Gavin and 3 days working and seeing my patients. It's truly the perfect balance! Luckily Jake has a schedule that allows him to watch Gavin a couple days per week when I work as well, so he gets his alone time with him too!

"And they lived happily ever after..."

It's funny how each month I feel like things get easier and I look back to the month before and think, how did I think things were easy then? The first few months were rough, I won't lie. My love of being a mom was instant and I truly felt connected to Gavin the moment I felt his skin on mine. But let me tell you a little something about being a new mom: sleep deprivation + hormones + breastfeeding = zombie like state. Much of the time I felt like I was in a fog! But I'm finally out of that cloud and every minute gets better than the last!

There's so many surprises that becoming a parent brings, like:

1.) That warmth you're feeling at 3am when you're up changing a diaper is not a warm breeze, but a bullseye shot of pee...

2.) Learning that a three hour stretch of sleep is more precious than gold

3.) A shower becomes your 3 minute getaway to the spa

4.) "Fashionable" equates to a shirt without milk stains or God knows what

5.) The car becomes your best friend when a certain someone doesn't want to nap

6.) Hill training takes on a whole new meaning with a 20 pound baby plus stroller

7.) You spend more time talking about poop than you'd like to admit

8.) There is nothing as cute as a baby's smile and giggle

9.) Yoga pants, a pony tail, and no make-up are perfectly acceptable for any occasion

10.) You cheer for your baby like they've just won a gold medal when they do something cute (including poop. See number 7 for more information).

It's the best. Parenting truly has brought so much joy to my life and I feel so so lucky to be able to be this little guys' mom.

The last few weeks I've been missing writing on the blog, and so of course my goal is to write as much as I can! I have lots to share about running, baby food allergies, traveling with baby, and the laughs, joys, and challenges of being a first-time parent!

I hope this finds you well!!

Birth Story!

2014-05-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

***

Please note this is just my own personal experience and everyone experiences birth differently! Yours may be way shorter and easier than mine was, so if you're nearing your due date, don't worry! Your birth will probably be a walk in the park :)

***

Never listen to anyone who tells you that you will give birth early. When you start approaching your 39th week and you still have no baby, things start to get a little frustrating! I was convinced I would be early since everyone and their cousin said I would. At my 37th week prenatal appointment, my OB started checking me to see if I was dilated and effaced.

Week 37? Nothing. “High and closed” is what they told me. Okay, it's still early yet... I can handle that.

Week 38? The same. Okay baby, this has got to be your week.

Week 39? I started having a lot of signs that made me think it was going to happen at any time (more BH contractions & cramping). At our prenatal appointment… I’ll give you one guess what my doc said after he checked me.

No change.

At that point, I was discouraged and as silly as it sounds, I was starting to feel helpless! I just wanted to meet our little guy. The next week things continued to be crampy and I had other changes so I knew something good was happening. We had our 40 week prenatal appointment on Monday, March 10. When he checked me… I was a whopping 1 cm dilated and 40% effaced! Wahoo! I asked him to strip my membranes, if possible, to try to help things along. He let me know that there was about a 50% chance that it would actually do anything and he’d see me back in a week if nothing happened. I walked out of the room praying that it worked.

It did.

I went to the gym after my appointment and noticed a lot more cramping, but nothing to get too excited about. I went home and had a lot of energy for some reason (nesting??) so I cleaned our room, finished packing my hospital bag, and made two loaves of banana bread. Jake’s sister came over and we all took Diego on a walk to the park. I ran up and down the sledding hill with Diego, trying to get this baby moving. When we got back to the house, I started to notice a little more cramping, but nothing organized. My mom made a delicious dinner and during dinner I started to notice increasingly strong contractions.

I decided to start timing them, just for kicks, and realized they were 7 minutes apart! We watched a movie and I tried not to get my hopes up but they consistently were coming anywhere from 6-9 minutes apart. Jake and I went to bed, but there was no way I could sleep. The contractions were getting stronger and more regular, so I did my best to rest and continued timing them. After a long, sleepless night, I got up and told my parents that I thought “today is the day” and that I was having real contractions. At this point, they were around 4-7 mins apart and were tolerable- although it definitely took some breathing techniques. Diego was my constant companion and never left my side throughout the process.

By noon, things were definitely stronger and thing were picking up time wise. They were 4-5 minutes apart and lasting at least 1 minute each. By 2:30 they were 3 minutes apart and I was in a lot of pain, so we decided it was time to go to the hospital. After getting checked in and hooked up to a monitor, they checked me to see what changes had been made. I was totally expecting a “3 or 4 cm” but instead, the nurse said, “well, you’re 1.5 cm dilated.” I almost cried right then and there. Over 16 hours of contractions and no change. They had me walk around the hospital for an hour, then asked me to come back to reassess. That hour just about killed me. 3 steps, contraction. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. 3 more steps, contraction. Breathe, Breathe. Breathe.

We went back to be checked and I’ll give you one guess as to what they said.

Yep. No change.

Well, I take that back. I was then 80% effaced which is a great sign. The nurse wanted to monitor my contractions and baby’s heartrate for a while longer before sending me home, so I got on the trusty birthing ball and attempted to work through contractions.

They were lasting approximately 2 minutes each and coming every 4 minutes. The nurse checked me again after an hour, and said I was still 1.5cm but I was almost completely effaced and the baby’s head was “right there” so they decided I would be admitted. This was music to my ears!

We walked from triage to L&D where I met my amazing labor nurse, Marie. She literally was my saving grace and I am so grateful she was there for me! We got settled in and they allowed me to get in the shower. As much as I loved this, I also wanted to die. The contractions were starting to stack on one another and I felt like I was constantly in searing pain. Some one told me contractions feel like menstrual cramps. HA. Maybe menstrual cramps on steroids with a side of gut-wrenching agony.

As I progressed, the best way to describe it is someone has a hold of your insides and they’re tearing them out of you while attempting to cut your low back in half with an ax. No breathing method could help lessen the pain. No trip to my happy place could take me away. No visualization, aromatherapy, or music could relieve the pain. I tried it all. I honestly don’t know how I did it besides just making it through each contraction, one at a time. That became my mantra. Just one more, just one more. I was rechecked each hour and at midnight, my contractions were 3 mins apart, still lasting 2 minutes and they said I had progressed to 2cm.

With every contraction that came, I wanted to get an epidural, some pain meds, anything, but Jake helped me keep my focus and honestly, the contractions were coming so quickly and lasting so long, I didn’t really have time to consider it. By 1am, I had been in labor for over 30 hours, hadn’t eaten in probably the same, and hadn’t slept in about 40 hours. I was so drained and felt hopeless. At 1 am when I was only 3cm, I asked what I could take that was the most harmless but would just take the edge off. They gave me a half dose of Stadol which did nothing more than make me dizzy and sleepy in between awful contractions. But it was exactly what I needed. The small 30 seconds of rest in between contractions allowed me to relax and my body finally started to dilate. Quickly. They checked me an hour later at 2 am and I was at 7 cm.

The last two hours were the hardest I have ever experienced. It literally took every ounce of my soul and all my depleted strength to get through each contraction. I was about to ask for another dose of stadol but the nurse said based on my contractions she thought this baby would be here soon!

The pain was like a train coming in the night... Complete silence until slowly the sound comes and begins to shatter the ground beneath it until passes by and leaves the world silent once again. I could feel each contraction building until my whole world was torn apart. I honestly can't remember much about each horrendous contraction except that Jake and the hospital bed handle bars were my saving grace. I was lying on my left side in the fetal position and would grab Jake's hand with my right hand and the handle bar with the other and give them tightest death grip possible. I remember sliding my legs up and down the bed as I waited for each second to pass. It felt like I was in a hopeless, dark place for the 2 minutes they lasted and it took every breath I had to make it through. Jake said it broke his heart to hear me whimpering in pain, but I don't even remember making a sound. The nurse checked me not even a half hour later and said I was 9, almost 9 1/2 cm and that it was time to get the doctor in there!

When they say you will have the urge to push… it is an uncontrollable, all consuming need. It took every last bit of my strength to not push. I can still hear the nurse saying, “Brittany, breathe like this… quick hoo hoo hoo hoo.” Ha. Impossible.

I remember seeing my doctor walk in and almost cried tears of joy because I knew the end was in sight and I was allowed to push! My Mom, Dad, sister-in-law, and our photographer friend, Aliki, showed up just in time, although I honestly don’t remember seeing them. They had the mirror for me to watch each push, but it distracted me too much so I kept my eyes closed to focus. My contractions were so long I was usually able to get out 3-4 long pushes per contraction. Then I had about 30 seconds to re-group before the next one came. The pain of pushing wasn’t as bad as the laboring process for me. Pushing was the most gratifying part of the whole process because it meant it would all be over soon! I remember being so focused and quiet, just trying to breathe and use my strength to get him out! When the final pushes happened 30 minutes later, our beautiful boy was placed immediately on my chest and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He was finally here!

I was so overwhelmed with immediate love. A part of my soul was born that day.

It's amazing how quickly the pain fades from your memory. I would do it all again in a heartbeat for this precious soul.

He is our whole world.

*** Photo credit goes to our amazing friend Aliki

Introducing Gavin William

2014-05-23T00:17:00.003-07:00

How has it been over two months since I wrote on the blog? It could have something to do with the fact that this little man took over my world.

I'd like to introduce you to Gavin William. He was born on March 12, 2014 at 4:17am weighing 8 lbs, 3 oz and 22 inches long. My labor was a longgggg 34 hours but I'm happy to say I was able to deliver naturally without any medications or complications (birth story to come in another post)!

Gavin entered our world and cliche as it may be, we truly cannot imagine life without him. Well I guess I take that back... I can definitely imagine sleeping more than 5 hours each night, not having spit up stains on every shirt, having more than 5 minutes alone and taking less than 15 minutes to get out of the house... but I would never trade any of that for this little guy.

It's true when they say that the first month of parenthood is a complete blur. Days fade into nights and every minute of every day is wrapped up in taking care of your little one. Every moment that passes you learn about your baby's personality, preferences, and you are mesmerized by their adorable face, and teeny tiny toes and fingers.

Jake and I would just sit and stare at his face for hours on end. Being a parent is truly the most magical gift in the world!

With that being said, Gavin was definitely a crier for the first 8 weeks. I've been a nanny, babysitter, worked in a daycare, and spent countless hours caring for newborns. But somehow I managed to forget the fact that babies cry. A lot. The average newborn spends over 3 hours/day crying. And that's if you don't have a colicky baby. Then it goes up to 6+ hours of crying. I can't even begin to tell you how many hours I spent bouncing on the exercise ball and doing squats (his two favorite movements) to calm him down. There were nights we both cried because I didn't know how to soothe his tears. If hearing your baby's cries doesn't break your heart, I don't know what does. There is definitely a hormonal shift that moms experience when hearing their infant cry because it would literally tear out a piece of my soul!

Gavin hit the height of his screaming/crying around 7.5 weeks and I was willing to try anything to make things better. I don't consider myself a huge "natural/alternative medicine" person... not because I don't agree with it but mainly because I don't have a lot of experience with it. However, one of my friends sells DoTerra essential oils and I decided to give it a try. AMAZING. We combined Serenity and Citrus Bliss into a carrier oil and massaged it on Gavin's back and soles of his feet and I kid you not, it was instant relief. He changed from a grumpy, sad baby into a happy, more laid back baby practically overnight. I also began wearing Gavin in a sling for a lot of the day and I think that was a huge contributing factor as well. He still has his moments, but he's a baby and that's to be expected!

He is just changing every day and it has been so much fun to see! He's cooing like crazy, grabbing at objects, smiling at everyone (and loves his reflection in the mirror!), holding up his head, and has rolled over twice. Last night he sat and looked at his books as I read to him for almost 30 minutes straight! I just love watching him grow :)

Discovered he has hands!

Big changes in just one month!

As for me, obviously this Mommy thing is going great.

I had a bit of a rough recovery including infection and later to find out retained placenta (sorry if TMI), but luckily once that was taken care of at 6 weeks postpartum (pp), I felt amazing! I started working out lightly (walks and elliptical) around 2 weeks pp and started running again at 8 weeks pp. Life is good again. I am starting out slow with running so I don't injure myself, but I hope to get back up to speed in no time!

Well, that's the quick version of how my life has changed! I have so much more to tell you about Jake & Daddyhood, Diego being a big brother, and my plans for work... but sleep is calling my name. I plan to update more frequently and share tons and tons of pictures because I've become a bit obsessed with taking pictures of Gavin :)