Denver Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

I've never considered myself to be an athlete--I played softball and basketball growing up, though not well, and was cut from the field hockey team sophomore year of high school (everyone could play freshman year).  I simply seem to lack hand-eye coordination, something that most sports require; running, however, does not.

I started running in the spring of 2011 in efforts to shape up for our wedding and much to my surprise discovered that I actually enjoyed it!  There was a great trail in Colorado Springs that I would run on a few times a week and it felt great to be able to run longer and longer distances.  Running a half-marathon was something I had always wanted to do, so I signed myself and Matt up for one in Estes Park in June 2012 (I posted all about that one here).  I was on such a runner's high after that race that I signed us both up for the Denver Rock 'n' Roll one last fall as soon as we got home--of course then I got pregnant with Will and my OB nixed running that race.

So, after Will was born this spring, I signed myself up for the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon and began training once my OB gave me the all-clear.  I found a trail up here similar to the one I loved in the Springs and would do a long run once a week while pushing Will in a running stroller.  It definitely was rough at first but every run became easier and it was great training pushing the stroller and running on a rather hilly trail--I knew the actual race course would be much flatter and I wouldn't be pushing a baby in a stroller!

The morning of the race was quite chilly but the weather was perfect by the time I actually started running.  Matt and Will cheered me on along the way and it was great to have that motivation.  I'm not sure exactly how many people ran the race but there were tons of people there, definitely a lot more than at the one in Estes park.  Runners were grouped into different corrals so that everyone didn't start at the same time but in waves, I was towards the back in corral 12 though I think there may have been about 20 corrals.

Lots of runners ready to go!

Pre-race, ready to get out there and run!

My goal was to finish in 2:15 which unfortunately I didn't quite make.  My official time was 2:32 but I clocked myself at 2:18 since I had to wait in line to use the bathroom after mile six and that took about 15 minutes.  Lesson learned: make sure to use the bathroom before starting regardless of how long the line for the porta-potty may be.

Sprinting to the finish!

I'm a bit sore today, but it was absolutely worth it!  I haven't signed myself up for another half just yet though I think I may try to do one a year...and hopefully I'll meet my goal of under 2:15 with the next one!

Feeling good after finishing!

Happy Half-Birthday William!!

Our sweet little boy is officially six months old!  I'm not sure where the last six months have gone, but it has been amazing watching Will grow and develop into his own little person.  He truly is the cutest little boy and has such personality!  He has his own ways of letting us know what he thinks and I swear he can already give the "stink eye".  He learned how to roll over from his back to his tummy about a month ago and that may be his new favorite thing to do.  The down side is that he still spits up incessantly and laying on his tummy is a sure fire way to get his meals to come back up.  I have a feeling that he will start crawling by the time he hits seven months.  We've started solid food as well--it's so fun as a parent to watch him try new foods and the faces that he makes!

Will has taken quite an interest in Cooper recently.  His little face lights up when Cooper comes near him, though Cooper doesn't exactly reciprocate the feelings.  It's so sweet to see those little hands reach out for Cooper; I suspect someday they'll be best friends.  I'm sure Cooper has no idea what's in store for him once Will can actually crawl.

Will's six month check-up was Thursday and he's still a long, skinny boy.  He currently weighs 16 lbs, 12 oz which is the 45 percentile and he's 27 1/4 inches, the 85 percentile for height.  His thighs are the only chubby part about him.  I'm wondering if he got my family's height, but only time will tell.

Here are some recent pictures of our little man:

Four months.

Hanging out in Grandpa's yard in St. Louis this August.

First taste of rice cereal...love his face!

Five months.

He loves to chew his fingers.

Cheering on the Cardinals as they played
the Rockies.

Family of Cardinals' fans!

Six months--and looking so grown up!!

He loves his jumperoo!

Mmmm, sweet potatoes!

Wearing more food than he ate.

 

Sixteen Weeks and Civil Service.

Time is absolutely flying.  Will is now just over 16 weeks old...wow!  I swear sometimes it seems like he grows over night.  His little personality is shining through and he is simply the sweetest little boy.  He has a smile that will just melt you and has started laughing.  He is sitting up on his own though he's still rather unsteady and wobbly.  It's crazy how babies just reach these milestones out of nowhere.  One day he was propped against a pillow on the couch and the next thing I know, Matt is calling me over to check out our kid sitting up on his own.  I can't wait for that moment when he starts to crawl and then the day when he takes his first steps.  

He is a very vocal little boy and will chat away at me in the mornings.  He still eats like a champ and spits up like crazy...at least he has gotten better about having his clothes changed.  His thighs have chunked out, though that's about the only part of him that is chubby.  I'm interested to see his weight and height at his four month checkup this Thursday.  Thus far he's been in roughly the 50th percentile for both height and weight but lately strangers who see him comment that he looks older than 16 weeks.

He has definitely learned that he can manipulate his environment and use his hands for things.  He is in that stage of sticking everything in his mouth, especially his hands.  He plays with toys and understands that certain toys make noise/play music and boy does he get frustrated when he can't make them work!  You can just tell that he is yelling at the elephant on his gym when he can't get it to play music.  

We seem to have developed a pretty good schedule: he sleeps from about 8:30 pm to 7 am or so with one overnight feeding and then he takes a nap in the morning and the afternoon.  We hit a rough patch a week or so ago with a bit of sleep regression but thankfully we seem to be on the other side of that.  

Will attended his first baseball game last weekend as well.  He is such a good baby when we are out and about and we are making every effort to take advantage of that while we can.  He even managed to fall asleep at the stadium despite the crowd cheering...he must take after his dad with his ability to fall asleep anywhere.

 

Chewing on Truman the Tiger...a favorite activity.

Growing so quickly! 

Love those cheeks!

How sweet is that little face?!?

Taking in his first baseball game.

Just hanging out in the Bumbo.

On an entirely different note, I had my first encounter with jury duty last week.  I first received a summons back in March for jury duty in April, about a week or so after Will's due date.  I requested a postponement due to the fact that I would most likely have just given birth and was granted one with my jury duty date moved to July.  I have to admit, I was less than thrilled to see that lovely summons in our mailbox; we don't have childcare for Will which meant Matt would need to take off work, and Will is exclusively breastfed which meant I would have to pump throughout the day.  Of course it's pretty hard to get out of jury duty so I sucked it up and went with the hope that I wouldn't be one of the lucky ones selected.  

Unfortunately that wasn't the case and I was chosen to serve on the jury for the trial of a man accused of aggravated motor vehicle theft, forgery, and theft.  At first I was pretty upset as this was a big inconvenience for both Matt and I as we would both be missing work.  However, I got over it and actually found the whole process pretty interesting.  Thankfully the judge and his staff were very accommodating with my need to take longer breaks for pumping and we finished a day earlier than originally anticipated.  We found the defendant not guilty on all three counts if anyone is wondering (the prosecution's case was awful and I have no idea why they though they had a chance of winning).  Of course, I still hope I don't have to perform jury duty again any time soon. :)

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Matt's birthday is tomorrow and when I asked him what yummy dessert he'd like me to make in his honor, I figured he'd either request some sort of German chocolate concoction or a yellow cake with chocolate icing.  Imagine my surprise when he asked for Boston Cream cupcakes (though they are in the same vein as yellow cake with chocolate icing).  So, I turned to the ever handy Pinterest to find a recipe that sounded good and whipped him up some birthday cupcakes.  I ended up with about 26 cupcakes which is way more than either of us needs to eat, so Matt will be taking them with him to work tomorrow--sort of like the good old days when you brought a treat to school on your birthday. :)

Boston Cream Cupcakes
Recipe from Will Cook for Smiles

Cream Filling:

1 cup of milk

2/3 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (though I believe I added more like 1 tablespoon)

Make the filling first as it needs to cool before it can be used.

1.Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until completely combined.

2. Add flour and whisk very well--set aside while heating the milk.

3. Heat the milk, heavy cream, butter and salt until simmering and then slowly add the heated milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture stirring constantly. 

4. Return the mixture into the pot and bring to simmer while stirring constantly.  The mixture will begin to thicken and at this point, take it off the heat.

5. Whisk in the vanilla and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Vanilla Cupcakes:

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (Again, I used more like a tablespoon)
1 1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F and line the cupcake pan with liners. 

(**Because we live at high altitude, I have had some issues with cupcakes turning out properly and find it works better for me if I reduce the heat to 325˚ F)

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl for 1 minute until fluffy, then add sugar and beat until well mixed, approximately another minute.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Then, mix in the vanilla until smooth.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the mixture, making sure the ingredients are well mixed.

5. Add the milk and beat until well incorporated, approximately 1-2 minutes.

6. Pour the batter into the liners, filling them about halfway and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

(**I found that 18 minutes worked well for me, and I rotated the pan halfway through.)

The original recipe says to fill a decorating bag with the cream filling and using a long thin decorating tip, insert the tip into the baked cupcakes while they are still hot and pipe in the cream filling.  I followed this technique and both Matt and I agreed that the cupcake could stand to have more filling in the center.  Next time, I think I will core the center of the cupcakes once they have cooled and pipe the filling in as I've had better success with that method in the past.  

Ganache Frosting:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Place the chocolate chips into a medium sized bowl.  Bring the heavy cream just to a boil and then remove from heat.

2. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate chips, continuing to stir until melted.  Cool to a little warmer then room temperature.

3. When the cupcakes are completely cooled, spoon the ganache frosting on top of the cupcake, letting it slowly spread. If it does not spread too easily, you can carefully spread it out using the edge of a rubber spatula.

Enjoy!! :)

Hello Again!

This blog has taken a bit of a back seat to life lately so prepare yourself for a massive update on what we have been up to--complete with a large number of pictures of our super cute babe.  You have been warned. :)

Will is now 14 weeks old which is just crazy.  I cannot believe our little baby is over three months old.  That's 0.25 years!!  The kid is going to be walking and talking before we know it, I'm just sure of it.  He is absolutely the cutest little boy I've ever seen and is a very happy baby.  He has the sweetest smile and will even smile at strangers.  He's going to be a charmer, that's for sure.  We have also managed to create some sort of schedule which is fantastic and he is now sleeping in roughly seven hour stretches at night--even more fantastic!

We moved from our old one bedroom apartment to a two bedroom unit in the same complex.  With Will we just needed more space and it has been great to have the extra space.  He has been sleeping in his own room for the last month, an adjustment that was much harder on me than it was on him.

I have been back to work for about a month now and it gets easier with each shift.  I don't get much sleep before and after a shift but I'm making it work.  Matt is over halfway done with his internship and has been enjoying working for Ball Corp.  I must admit, it's nice that his evenings and weekends are free from school work and we can enjoy the time together as a family.

We have been enjoying the summer and trying to take advantage of the outdoors as much as possible.  Thankfully we have not been affected by the wildfires that have been rampant in the state.  I have started running again using a running stroller (a great way to get Will to nap in the morning) and am starting to train for the Denver Rock n' Roll half marathon this October.  It's been great to be able to get out on the trails and run again, even if I do feel horribly out of shape.

We drove down to Colorado Springs back in May with a group of friends and it was so good to visit our old stomping grounds.  The Springs was the first place other than St. Louis that felt like home and we had an absolutely fantastic year living there.  We stopped by our old house to introduce Will to our old neighbors and it was nice to catch up.

Our two year wedding anniversary was June 11th.  It's hard to believe that it has already been two years since we said "I do" but they've been a busy two years!  We celebrated our anniversary racing high speed go-karts before enjoying a delicious dinner at one of Denver's best restaurants.

We took a quick weekend trip up to Copper Mountain a few weeks ago and it was wonderful.  It was great to escape the heat (the mountains were a good 20 degrees cooler, so we're talking upper 70s as opposed to upper 90s) and enjoy the area in the summer.  We did lots of hiking and Cooper had a blast.  I will never get sick of the beauty that this state has to offer and simply love spending time up in the mountains.

I have been making some new mom friends thanks to a new moms group that the hospital sponsors.  It really is so reassuring and helpful to have other moms to get together with and chat or ask questions.  Plus, it will be great for Will to have other babies to socialize with once he's actually aware of them.

We are planning a trip back to St. Louis in August and plan to be there the 8th through the 20th or so.  We are incredibly excited to see all our family and friends back there and cannot wait to introduce everyone to Will!!

I'm sure that I've forgotten things that I meant to include, but if you are friends with me or Matt on Facebook I'm sure you have an idea of what we've been up to these last few months.  So, here's plenty of pictures to enjoy:

Daddy and Will napping.

Little man loves baths.

The start of a smile...he smiles much bigger now.

Grandpa came to visit!

Showing Will around Garden of the Gods in the Springs.

Happy two years to the love of my life!!

Ready to head up to Copper!

Hiking Mayflower Gulch near Copper.

Happy pup in the snow.

Mayflower Gulch.

Our little family...minus Cooper.

He is currently in the phase of putting his hands and toys in his mouth.

My sweet little man.

Family hike in Boulder.

Still growing into his hat...and still chewing on everything.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there!!  Clearly this is my first Mother's Day as a mom myself and I think that gives the day a whole new meaning.  I have a new appreciation for motherhood now having a child myself.  There is nothing quite like the love you have for your child.  It is an amazing feeling to look at this adorable little boy and know that he is mine, a part of me.  It is equally amazing to watch him grow, develop, and begin to turn into a tiny little person all his own.  I am so very grateful to my mother for her unconditional love and guidance and I feel blessed to have such a lovely mother-in-law as well.

Matt surprised me with a morning at the spa last week as an early gift and it was simply amazing--a massage, facial, manicure, and pedicure made me feel like a new woman!  Today, we had a delicious brunch at a restaurant in nearby Louisville, spent the afternoon having a picnic in the park, and Matt prepared a tasty dinner.  The weather was absolutely perfect and it was wonderful to spend the day with my sweet boys.  I don't think my first Mother's Day could have been any better!

Two Weeks.

It's hard to believe that our little man is already over two weeks old.  He has grown immensely in such a short time, it's unbelievable.  He's up to 9 lbs now and 21 1/4 inches long.  He eats like a champ (and has therefore earned himself the nickname "Milk Monster") and is one strong little boy--he can almost hold his head up completely on his own!  He is not a fan of being manipulated into the car seat, having his diaper changed, or having his clothes changed.  This is unfortunate because he spits up constantly and thus ends up with multiple outfit changes during the day.  He can go about three to three and a half hours between feedings which means I'm able to get some sleep throughout the night.  I don't yet feel like a sleep deprived new parent (knock on wood) and I attribute that to the fact that I work nights and am used to functioning on small amounts of sleep.

It has been amazing to watch this little being we created start to turn into a little person.  Will makes some of the cutest little faces, though I doubt he has much control over his facial muscles.  Sometimes he coincidentally smiles at just the right time and it absolutely melts my heart.  He has the most adorable little nose (which I think he got from Matt) and precious little lips.  Overall I'd say he is a pretty easy going and sweet little babe and I hope his temperament continues like this.

I haven't been the greatest about taking pictures of him, though I do snap some with my phone and put a few on Facebook.  Here are few pictures from my phone so pardon the quality:

Wide awake at night...still working on figuring out night and day. :)

Milk drunk Will.

Loves his swing!