Hitting the Double Digits
Garrick is our fourth child to make it to double digits. I am amazed they've all lived that long quite frankly! We must be doing something right - although all of our kids, Garrick included - have had their share of bumps, bruises, cuts, scrapes, stitches and broken bones.
As I was getting ready for the day I thought back to the night Garrick was born - he was our first child delivered at home. In retrospect it was one of the wisest decisions we made: if we had chosen to deliver at the birthing center (where both his older sisters were born), he undoubtably would have been delivered in the minivan on the side of Southfield Freeway. From the first contraction to his birth was under 50 minutes; he might have decided to arrive after his due date, but when he made an entrance, he was certainly dramatic!
And some things never change - Garrick is a natural comedian (inherited his Dad's quick wit), and talented actor (again, shades of Terry); he has an excellent voice and is very musically gifted. But most of all, he is boy who loves Jesus.
On Friday night a group of friends will come over and a videogame-a-thon is planned - we are bringing out the Wii, the Playstation, and the Nintendo. Sleep is optional - and I doubt very much that it is on the cards!
Labels: birth, Birthday, drama, Garrick, homebirth, Nintendo, playstation, Wii
Tri-ng
Little Xavier turned eight weeks yesterday! He looks more like his father every day and his parents are quite literally glowing! Their lives have been completely transformed with the arrival of their son, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
Those of you who knew me after our fifth child Carson was born, will know that I lost all the weight after having our own children. You may also remember that between pregnancies (most notably between Hayley and Garrick) I didn't lose all the weight. As a result when I delivered Garrick I was much heavier than I would have liked. BUT, I lost it all!
Carrying four babies in under three years has made some changes to this body. Although I didn't gain a lot of weight with the twins, what weight I did gain I didn't lose because I knew I would be getting pregnant again. So when Jackson came along in April 2007 I was about as heavy as I was when I delivered Garrick. I dropped the baby weight pretty quickly, but again was stuck with the extra pounds that I just didn't lose after the twins. I was also a little 'hamstrung' because I fell during my pregnancy with Jackson and broke two toes on my right foot. Plus, I experienced painful braxton-hicks contractions from about 20 weeks into that pregnancy. Walking more than a block would bring one long 45 minute contraction so painful I would have to stop whatever I was doing and lie down. I would like to think I am not a pain wimp, after all I do natural child birth, but man, those puppies hurt!
After Jackson was born I did try to lose the weight, and was successful in dropping all the baby weight in the first 6 weeks. He was born in April, and by the end of May we were 'matched' with our third couple and there was talk that we might try for a July transfer. My then-OB had given me the go-ahead. Knowing I was going to get pregnant again caused all thought of trying to shed extra pounds go out the window! Well, July never materialised, August was out because the parents were in Spain visiting family, and then there were delays because of medications that weren't working properly. However every month there was a chance we'd be transferring. I therefore started my eighth pregnancy at the highest weight I had ever been in a non-pregnant state.
All of that back story to say that after Xavier was born I became determined to lose the weight. Unfortunately the contractions I experienced with Jackson I experienced with this last pregnancy and so my exercise was severely curtailed. Who wants to exercise knowing that walking for 10 minutes will land you on the couch for 45? I swam a fair bit, and that probably kept me from gaining too much.
Two weeks after Xavier was born I started working out. My goal was just to lose the weight and get some muscle tone back. But Xavier's mom has given me a challenge. She completed a marathon while I was pregnant and she was training for a 150 mile bike ride from San Antonio to Corpus to raise money for MS.
But she is also training for a triathlon. She challenged me to participate in the triathlon as well. The more I thought about it, the more it appealed to me. It gives me a specific goal, and a deadline - something I work well under. And because the triathlon is not until next spring, I have time to train.
Now I am working hard to participate in my very first (and possibly last!) triathlon. I am glad I have several months to get ready because I am really out of shape - it is quite pathetic! When I started working out two weeks after Xavier was born I could only walk 1 or 1.5 miles at a slow three miles an hour pace. I can now walk 4.25 miles in just under 55 minutes. I will be adding running to that this week, and then increasing the distance. The first time I tried cycling I could barely do three miles!
I feel so much better, with more energy and definitely more healthy - and people are noticing the change in my shape. Although I still have 25-30 lbs to lose, I am confident I can do it. My goal is to lose most of that by Christmas, and the rest in January. But more than that, my goal is to be fit and ready so that when I join an official triathlon team next March and being team training for the May triathlon that I can keep up with the team and actually do well!
Labels: braxton-hicks, pregnancy, running, training, triathlon, walking, Xavier
