Running circles

  
It's been a shameful amount of time since my last post.  So sorry!  These weeks are flying by, but i'm going to be better.  :)  Let me catch you up!  So this past Saturday I ran the Half-Marathon here in Duluth!  I had been anticipating this race for months.  It was sort of a "comeback" run since this past year my body took a real beating between my back injury and being pregnant (let us not forget the 50 pounds I accumulated:)  

The race started early - 6:45 in the morning, and it was a beautiful cool morning.  The sun was rising over Lake Superior and i spent a reflective 1/2 hour stretching on the shore of the lake before the races start.  I started out feeling calm and relaxed as well as feeling strong.  The whole community comes out to support the runners!  Every 1/2 mile to mile there was some sort of entertainment.  A man dressed in full Scottish garb - kilt and all playing the bagpipes, several bands, the little old ladies from the local nursing home lining the street in their wheelchairs, the neighbors diverting their sprinklers onto the roadway for runners who need a cool down, the army base doing a fly-by with the fighter jets, kids handing out orange slices and strawberries, women in flapper dresses dancing, etc!  I was thoroughly entertained and before i knew it I was at the 10th mile:)  

I was feeling pretty good....I passed by my family and friends and got some huge screams and shoutouts at mile 12....just enough inspiration to eak out the last mile.  The last mile I could feel my legs burning but I was determined not to stop.  I was just behind the 2:00 Pace runner.  I was about to kill it!!!  And then the unthinkable happened.  

I passed out 1/4 mile before the finish line.  

I woke up coughing and spitting as some ladies were pouring water in my mouth while i was unconscience.  Yea....don't ever do that.  Then the police came as well as the paramedics.  After about 20 minutes I was finally able to stand up and managed to convince everyone that I would be o.k. to finish the race.  So, with my police escort I walked to the home stretch where they let me go and I managed to muster up a pathetic jog over the finish line...finishing at 2:19.  

Can you believe it!!!?  My family was there waiting for me and I got a kiss from Ethan and a hug from Shaphan and the world was all good.  After all that's happened this past year, I was just happy to have gotten my medal and finish.  

Ok, so on to Ethan....he's doing great!  He has his top two front teeth as well as two bottom ones as well.  Today he ate Cheerios for the first time!  My little boy is growing up!  hahhaha.  

So i'm not sure if i told some of you this funny story or not, but little Ethan still gets up in the night and wants to nurse.  I'm ok with it.  We have sort of a feed-on-demand thing going and I don't really mind.  

He usually stands up in his crib at night and starts to cry....that's my cue to get up.  

The other night Shaphan and I woke up in the middle of the night to a rustling noise coming from Ethan's crib.  We waited for the usual cry and didn't hear it.  Shaphan whispered to me, "I feel him staring at us."  :)

I peeked over covers and sure enough, there was Ethan staring at us in our bed.  The moon shining on the whites of his eyes revealing a blank stare.  

I know he's my baby - but that really freaked me out.  

It may be time to move him to his own room:) 

Here's a photo I took of little E at the meeting the other night.  I love his little tie and for some reason the podium pictures are my favorite.