the post in which i am humbled by the long run

yesterday i wrote a guest post for a friend about running & exercising during pregnancy. i feel as if i was in very good shape (for me) when i got pregnant and continued to exercise regularly throughout my pregnancy. when we found out back in august, i was already at the end of a long and intense marathon training program and after doing some research and talking to a doctor (not my doctor*) about running while pregnant, i decided to go ahead and run the two marathons i had already trained for.

*my doctor was not keen on me running while pregnant. another doctor in her office is a runner and is an advocate for pregnant runners. i did not want to switch doctors as i am really overall happy with mine, but i knew that running being a passion of mine i would want to continue to do so. my doctor didnt tell me no i couldnt run, but i was happy to hear the support of a medical professional before i continued.

all that being said, the marathons (as are all of them) werent easy. at 7 weeks pregnant not much had changed in my body other than being overly emotional and my boobs growing (heh heh). covering the 26.2 miles in the fastest time i ever had felt great. i had trained hard for that and it paid off. two weeks later, however, was a different story. sure i was sore as would be expected, but my heart rate had gone from a normally low resting rate of 45 to almost double that. i also think that i was more in my head than in the previous marathon, and was very concerned about the health of my baby vs what i was doing out there (sure the marathon is for me, but i couldnt be selfish any more). overall i felt awful, and knew at the end i had to take it easy so that i didnt get hurt or risk something happening to the baby. from that day on i continued to run but really slowed things down a lot and walked/stopped if anything felt out of the ordinary or painful.

i continued to run up until just past the 28 week mark. when we went to florida and ran the gasparilla 5k, i knew my running would be coming to an end, and soon. my legs were filled with much more fluid than normal. my growing belly added excess weight i was not used to. my pelvis was shifting and it became very painful at times. everything just felt off. as much as i wish i could have been one of those people to go out for a run the day they delivered, i knew this wasnt in the cards for me, and i learned to be ok with this. i continued to walk a lot and got some good miles in on the stationary bike and elliptical. i am confident that continuing to work out throughout the remainder of my pregnancy, despite not being able to run, seriously helped with my easy delivery and recovery.

what i was not prepared for was just how difficult it was going to be for me getting back into running. i think i had this grand idea that i would just bounce back. the weight came off quickly and easily and i was walking the next day after delivery. i continued to walk daily and was feeling great. at 3 weeks postpartum i decided i would give running a try. i ran one mile... nothing fast, but i ran. and mentally i felt great. physically my heart was beating like crazy and my legs were sore. i needed it though, and i was eager to get more miles in.

at 4 weeks postpartum i started training for the mount desert island marathon (october 20th, an 18 week plan). i went with a very basic beginners program starting with 3 mile days during the week, and a long run of 6 miles the first weekend. i did it, and was again sore, but my heart and breathing had settled down and i really thought i was coming back fairly easily. i even ran a 5k on wednesday at a 8:46 pace... things were feeling good. enter in todays 7.5 mile run.

i met kristal at her house and she had mapped out a 7 mile run through gorham. she said it was flat (or maybe im making this up so i can be mad at her). i actually got fairly good sleep last night as henry had been awake all day yesterday refusing to nap. i had my usual cup of coffee and peanut butter toast before heading over. both of us ditched our long sleeved shirts before even starting the run, hazy and humid 65 degrees. i had told her i would want to probably try for 9:30 pace and she was on board with that (shes pretty stupid fast these days, so i was pleased she would stick with me). as always, i started out too fast and the first two miles were 9:19 and 9:08. whoops. we also had run up some really dumb hills right from the start. so much for flat.

it got hotter and more humid as we went on, and i started feeling pretty bad. i continue to get nervous about drinking too much water after over hydrating at around the lake last year, but i knew i still needed the fluids. sadly, this made me have to pee and i almost didnt make it to the dunkin donuts bathroom at mile 5.5. (side note: delivering a baby does weird things to your body if you can imagine so its not so easy to hold it anymore... when i gotta go, i gotta go. also, long runs need to have more bathroom options or ill be ducking into the woods). we both agreed at DD's we were pretty sad we didnt have our phones because we both wanted kristals husband to come pick us up... we were a disgusting mess. but we only had what was supposed to be 1.5 miles left, so we decided to gut it out.

at just over 6 miles, i started getting light headed. this was just how i felt at mdi last year when i thought i was going to pass out. not good. i had on two sports bras (again, yay pregnancy body changes) and i felt like i couldnt get a deep breath from the tightness. i dumped some cold water on my neck and head and we started to walk a bit. from there til her street we ran and walked some (sorry kristal!) but i felt better that way. in the end we finished at 7.5 miles in 1:14:47, averaging just under 10 min miles.

for pre pregnancy danielle, this would be a disaster of a run. i know i put my expectations way too high for this early postpartum, and this run really put me back in my place. i am happy to be back out there on the road but i now know its going to be a longer road back to where i used to be than i had originally thought. my body has changed, my mentality has changed, and whether i finish the marathon running, walking, or at all, im happy that i can still run.

back cove 5k series

last night was race #5 in the back cove 5k series, but was only the second time i made it out (well technically the third, but the first week we had to cut it short at half a mile due to a screaming henry and had a DNF. no big deal). two weeks ago i went 29:55 with a goal of sub 30 (close!) and i walked a few times (ill cut myself a little slack, it was just 3 weeks after delivery). last week i had plans to go to the race but ty wasnt able to get out of work on time. im not too upset... the series (14 races) was just $20 so its ok if i miss some here and there. 

about two hours before the race yesterday there were torrential downpours and thunder. as the race time crept closer i kept checking facebook to see whether the race would be cancelled. kristal texted me to see if i had heard anything, which i hadnt. i asked if she was going to go if they didnt cancel it and she said yes, so i got ready and headed out on my way. the rain had settled down a bit and the humidity and temp broke so it was down to about 60 degrees which felt great! i met up with kristal before heading to the start so we could take our pic...

clearly a huge camera fail for me
(and a win for kristal wearing my sweet smuttynose jacket!)

we hid from the spitting rain under a tree discussing plans for a long run this weekend and our fall half marathon plans, while also questioning why we do these things. the crowd was significantly less than the other week i had gone and we all took off. i immediately could tell that i felt much better than i have in previous runs (i had run 2 miles yesterday morning and felt awful, just tight and sluggish... must have helped to loosen things up before the race). with my plan of hopefully not walking i kept things at a moderate pace, but pushed it a little more than usual. the course is a mostly flat gravel path with a small hill at mile 2, a bridge sidewalk, then a downhill to flat path back to the end. i slowed significantly to get up the hill but pushed it on the downhill and ended up picking off a few people towards the end. i didnt wear my watch but figured without walking and feeling how i did, i knew i would come in under what i had done two weeks ago.

photo courtesy of maine running photos

i was pleasantly surprised when i crossed the finish line and heard the timer say "27:11". woo hoo! i do believe that is a sub 9 min pace. ill take it! i came in 83rd out of 120 runners, an improvement from the last race where i was 153rd out of 191. im happy with the progress im making, despite not really doing any speed work of sorts... just getting out there, running more, and gaining back the muscle ive lost over the past few months. oh, and all the hills that sarah is forcing me to run obviously helps :) i think i am going to take it easy at next wednesdays race (if i make it there of course) because ill be running the ll bean 10k the following morning, and right now my legs are definitely feeling it from last night. compression socks are my friend today!

marathon training & trying something new

well, week one of my 18 week mount desert island marathon training is done. i made a last minute decision to a) start training at 18 weeks vs 16 like i had originally planned and b) to use hal higdons basic beginner training program vs an intermediate plan (or the pfitzinger 18/55 plan... first run 8 miles with 4 at race pace and 33 miles for the first week? thanks, ill pass). i wasnt sure when i would be able to run again after delivery, but i felt good at 3 weeks and decided to give it a go. despite being terribly out of breath, my heart beating out of my chest, and my legs feeling like jello after just a mile, i was happy to get back out there and knew it wouldnt feel that crappy forever. i started slow and eased back into it. will my doctor be happy that i started running at 3 weeks? maybe not. but i wasnt waiting for my 6 week check up (which is actually scheduled at 7 weeks) for her to say "youre ok to run". if something hurt, i wasnt going to continue. so whatever, it is what it is at this point.

week 1

  mon: walked 1.5 miles

  tues: ran 3 miles- 27:52

  wed: ran 1 mile- 8:46, ran 3 miles- 27:02  

  thurs: ran 3 miles- 27:06

  friday: walked 1.5 miles

  saturday: ran 6 miles- 57:54

  sunday: rest (eat all the food)

total: 16 miles (running)

id say all in all, not a bad week seeing as how its my first real week back. my legs are pretty sore but ive been using my compression socks and stretching. im also sickly looking forward to ice baths in my future... yay running! back in december i won free shoes from the operation jack satellite 10k and they arrived this week (perfect timing!). the first few runs when i started back (wearing my old ravennas) felt weird and my feet hurt. im assuming that gaining 38 pounds in 9 months and then losing 30 in 14 days probably affected my running form just a little bit. i decided to change things up with my shoes and ordered the ghost 6 instead of the new ravenna 4's (i knew i would stick with brooks but i wanted to try something new). the 6 miles on saturday felt great (for my feet... i still wanted to quit after each mile cuz my legs were tired).

i wasnt able to get to the back cove 5k last week but am hoping to make it this week (of course the weather forecast says thunderstorms all week. booooo!) im happy that i am using the beginner program, since i truly feel like im starting again from the beginning, and may look into changing things up towards the middle of the training program if i feel good enough to do so. i didnt realize just how much of my fitness i had lost in just a few months of not running, but i am thankful that i continued to walk and bike up until henry was born. i feel like my heart rate is slowly starting to come back down and im sure the running will continue to get easier as i get further along in my training.

im going to try something new this time around in my training... instead of doing strictly running, im really going to try to do more cross training and some lifting. hopefully ill get back into some biking as well (although i dont have a bike this summer... i just might having to find a way to steal eric's again). and to keep things interesting (in the hopes that ill stick with it) im going to try to do something different each week. this week im going to (hopefully) do these workouts i pinned a while back on pinterest:

source

as of right now i have no time goal in mind for MDI, i just want to finish. i may or may not get back to the marathon time i was at pre pregnancy, but thats ok with me. i dont need to be fast, im just happy to be out there again. i enjoy the time to clear my head and am thankful to be able to do it.

sometimes i wonder...

...if kate middleton will play candy crush during middle of the night feedings... or if she has taken weekly bump pictures... or if she will get an epidural... (and why im wondering about all of that)

...how i ever ran 60 miles in one week. the 16 i ran this week made me very sore and tired.

...what life would be like if henry had been caroline

...why i do things like this:

seriously, why? why?!

...what it used to be like to sleep through the night

...why i love bud light so much (and how i went 9 months without it!)

...how people can go without coffee (!!!???)

...if my dog will ever stop acting like a dumbass (as he is running around the house with my flip flop, soaking wet from refusing to come inside during the downpour we just had)

...why this purse has to be so dumb expensive (its purple and zebra!)

...will shane battier become the head coach when coach k retires (and stay until 2031 when henry gets there to play for them hehe)

one month!

happy one month little man. my, how time flies!

dear henry

Dear Henry,
 I'm not even really sure where to start, I feel like I have so much to say and don't exactly know how to say it all. Tomorrow you will have been here with us for one month. It feels just like it was yesterday you arrived. Right now you are asleep on his lap while he watches sports center (you will grow to love watching this with him soon!), and you are smiling in your sleep. Daddy is beaming, so am I... you are so loved Henry, and you have certainly brought so much love into our lives.

 From the second you came into this world and we held you in our arms, you stole our hearts. At that moment I felt what it was like to be a mother, to have a son, and I know your Daddy felt the same way. I looked at your Daddy right after he said the three words we waited 9 months to hear, and have never loved him more than that very moment... "It's a boy!"

 Although you've only been here a short time, you're learning all sorts of things and teaching us many new things as well. We've figured out what your cries mean, and you know Mommy and Daddys voice. You are enjoying tummy time and your head/neck are getting very strong. You're not quite sure what to think of your brother Duke's kisses on your face, and your sister Chips is still kinda afraid of you. You all will be best buds as you start to get older. You haven't figured out the whole sleeping during the night thing, but it's ok. We'll figure it out eventually (Mommy just drinks a lot of coffee). You get very confused by your sneezes (which usually come in groups of three or more, just like Daddy!), and those darn hiccups make us laugh but I don't think you care for them very much (you used to get the hiccups all the time while you were in Mommy's belly!)

When I was pregnant with you, we called you "Hank"... we're not entirely sure why. Your name "Henry" was a name we both decided on, and is actually your great great grandpa Speckman and your great great grandpa Braasch's names. You can decide your nickname(s) later on (or your friends will do it for you)... but we will teach you about who Hank Aaron is (you still need to be a Red Sox fan though!) We did, however, know your middle name long before we decided on Henry as your first name. Just about two years before you were born, Daddy's brother passed away. We are very sad that you never got to meet your uncle Aaron... he was truly a wonderful man. You two would have gotten in a lot of trouble together for sure, and we will be sure that you know all about him as you grow up. We know that he is watching you as you grow up with us though, and he will look after you. You'll get to meet him one day.

 I know we still don't have this whole parenting thing down quite yet, but we're doing our best. I hope you'll understand one day if everything doesn't turn out perfect (we'll try not to screw you up too much!) I sing a lot, and probably always off key. Daddy smells funny sometimes and makes silly faces. You'll (hopefully) learn to love it all. Although you've gone to a few places already (the beach, your grandpa's convenient store, Catbird Creamery, and even Target- mommy's favorite place!) there is so much more out there for you to explore. I hope that we can give you all the opportunities for you to see the world.We might not always be able to give you everything you want, but I promise we will do our best to give you what you need.

 We are excited to watch you grow, question, discover, and learn. Take your time growing up, there's a lot to see and it all goes by way too fast.

All our love, forever,
 Mommy & Daddy

henry: week four

weight: (vague estimate based on me on the scale then bringing henry on the scale with me) 8.2 lbs! he might have had a full belly though, but im sure he is just at 8lbs, if not just over.

health: other than still being kinda gassy (we've been using a little gas relief medicine which has seemed to help) he is doing well. he also has a nice face full of baby acne (breast milk seems to be helping with that).

love you too, bubba!

sleep: this last week of sleep was terrible. i think henry was going through a growth spurt and was constantly fussy, gassy, and wanting to eat. we barely slept on wednesday, thursday and friday night. on saturday night i decided to try having henry sleep in the pack and play. we can put him in the sleeper part any time of day and he will sleep sound in there, but when we go to bed at night he wants nothing to do with his co sleeper, bassinet, or even our bed with us. i slept downstairs on the couch and he fell asleep from 10:20pm-3:40am, and then again from 4:30am-6am. yesterday we moved the pack and play up to the nursery, set up the baby monitors, and he slept again for a 4 hour stretch and a 2 hour stretch. it was weird to not have him in the bedroom with us (and chips certainly seemed to enjoy having our bed back!) but getting the sleep was amazing. sadly, henrys nursery is very crowded now.

clothes: his basic white newborn onesies that used to be big on him are now feeling a little tighter. his newborn tshirt/shorts outfit with the caterpillar and turtle fit him better than they used to.

he might look like he's happy in the onesie old aunt brenda 

sent him but he's gonna be a sox fan!

nicknames: bubba

outings: henry came with me to get lunch at panera, a few more trips to babies r us, henrys first trip to mellen street market and the bowling alley (parents of the year!), and the airport to pick up cassie!

baby gear love: clearly after getting two nights in a row of 6 hours of sleep, im loving the pack and play. also still very happy with the ergo, and even dad seems to enjoy it!

the 5 S's: swaddling- still hates it. i tried to swaddle him the other night to get him to sleep and he just screamed. he loves having his arms out and his legs stretched out (yet he will curl all up on my chest. go figure). side lying- loves. shushing- still doesnt do anything for him. sucking- all the time. still enjoying the pacifier, and before it falls out of his mouth while he is sleeping you can see that he is just sucking away. swinging- henry likes his new bouncer/swing!

crying: same, cries when hes hungry or needs to be changed. overall hes a very happy baby.

milestones: smiling and laughing, much more alert and looking around. henry has successfully taken a bottle twice from ty and hung out while we all ate lobster! (and mommy had fun with babymugging!)

postpartum/motherhood: the weekend was pretty taxing on me both physically and emotionally. my best friend was in town to meet henry and all he wanted to do was eat so i felt pretty bad that i wasnt being all too entertaining with my boobs out all the time (well for some people that is entertainment... haha xoxo cass!).
i was exhausted from not getting good sleep and i just didnt know if i was meting all of henrys needs. i ran 8.6 slow miles last week... felt great to get back out there. im still about 8lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight, but im not sure i even care about getting back to my original weight. i also know that once i start training/running more, ill gain muscle back that i lost which will add pounds. i feel fine with the way i look now other than wanting to tone up more, and i know that will come (my pre pregnancy clothes fit for the most part).

best text of the week: adding this in here because... its awesome. and so true. today would be a great beach day... ill be feeding and changing diapers, and maybe taking a nap.

how are chips and duke? overall the pets are doing ok. duke spent much of the weekend out in the yard eating sticks. while henry was chillin in his bouncer swing, duke went up to him and licked his whole face. henry just kinda grimmaced, not quite sure of what had just happened. chips attempts to sneak out onto the deck whenever she can (probably to escape the crazyness!) and has enjoyed chasing, capturing, and eating flies that get in to the house.

hows daddy feeling? (convo with ty and his mom this am after i asked him this question)
 ty- "im good"
 debra- "say something more interesting"
 ty- "why cuz this blog always shows me as being bland? do you want me to be honest? im feeling tired, hungry, and i need to poop."
 debra (rolling her eyes, me too)- "this is supposed to be about henrys one month update, not your personal needs"
 ty- "i feel like this month really flew by. better?"

you just gotta love him.

sterling three generations photo

back cove 5k series

omg i get to write a race report again! well, lets use the word "race" lightly... but still, its not about henry (which may or may not make people happy. i personally LOVE writing about henry... do we need a henry pic here? i think we do...)

oh hi henry!
sweet three different types of stripes, you lucky kid! 

anyway, back to the race report! i registered a few weeks ago for the back cove 5k series. $20 for 14 5k races? absolutely! thats cheaper than most 5k races for one race, let alone 14 of them. and theyre on wednesday nights at 6pm about 5 miles from home, so it doesnt take up your sat or sun am which is nice. its also very flat! (yay for no hills!) i took henry to the first one and we got a half mile along and he started screaming so i turned around. then i missed last weeks. so this was really my first one, and i left hen at home with ty (i really thought i would be getting a phone call halfway there saying he was screaming...)

i arrived with about 10 minutes til race start. as i waited in the small crowd (max 250 people can run), i happened to look over and see a handwritten #71 bib number... it was kristal from just.run.faster! (she already lost her bib and had to make one haha, seems like something i would do! were gonna get along just fine) i had looked up her race number just minutes before the race and hoped i would run into her. we talked right up until the race started, and she said she would wait for me at the end (hoping i didnt croak somewhere along the course). i also told her my goal was sub 30, but i really didnt know if i was really capable of that having not run longer than 2 miles in 3 months (also only having run three times since delivering henry 3 weeks ago...) 

i started out in the middle of the pack and thought i would most likely run two miles and then walk the last mile, depending on how i felt. the first two miles actually went by fairly fast, but i wasnt wearing a watch so i didnt know what my time was or anything. shortly after mile 2, i felt like my heart was beating out of my chest and i got a little nervous, so i stopped, took a few breaths, and walked for a bit. i certainly wasnt out there trying to win any awards, so i felt ok just taking it easy (and there are 11 more of these races for me to dominate haha). prior to getting pregnant my resting heart rate was in the low to mid 40's. during pregnancy i was anywhere between 80-90, and im not sure things have really come down yet (at least not back into the 40's!) so any activity just feels like my heart is racing anyway. after it came back down a little, i felt better and started running again, just a bit slower than before. when i got to mile 2.5, i started crying (anyone who knows me knows this is nothing new... not only are my hormones completely out of control right now, i usually cry during all my races. wtf?!) i was excited to be back out there running again, and the feeling of being in a race was something that i really missed over the past few months. it was such an accomplishment for me to be out there and running again, knowing i was going to finish this first race!

courtesy of maine running photos

when we rounded the last corner, i could see the finish line. i also saw kristal walking back towards me along the path. throughout the race i had (for once) not picked people off to try to race against them. this was a race for me. i didnt care if beat 100 people or no one. i just wanted to get to the finish line. as i passed kristal i yelled out "i didnt die!" and cruised in to the finish line. as i passed, the timer guy said "29:53" (which official time on the website reads 29:55) woo hoo! sub 30! kristal and i walked back to our cars and chatted for a few minute, and i didnt have one missed call or text about a screaming baby! win.

i was (am) very happy with how this race turned out. i ended up being 153rd out of 191 runners and im excited to use this race as a starting point and see how i progress over the next 12 weeks. marathon training for MDI starts next monday (technically), but i am still going to take it slow for the next two weeks and then start up with 16 weeks left to go. track workouts, 800s, long runs, ice baths (us runners are a rare/crazy breed).... im coming for you!

henry: week three

weight: the visiting nurse came yesterday and weighed him at 7lbs 9oz. little porker!

health: things still seem great minus the occasional gas (ive sadly cut out/down dairy and that has seemed to help)

sleep: ill let the pics do the talking (please note, these pics were all taken during the day... darn kid has his days and nights mixed up i think!)

clothes: his newborn onesies are finally looking more like they fit. socks are staying on his feet a little better.

nicknames: nothing new but we laugh when we realize we are sometimes calling duke and henry interchangable names haha

outings: we went to a breastfeeding group with lisa and her son gavin last week then stopped by and saw my friend cheryl from work. on friday lisa and heather came over to the house for a play date with henry, gavin, and parker, and on sunday henry met his cousin ronan for the first time to celebrate his 1st birthday! (side note: im so excited that ronan and henry are 11 months apart... my cousin erica and i are 11 months apart and were/are very good buds. love that they will grow up together!)

gavin, parker, henry... buds for life!

cousin love!

baby gear love: im currently loving the ergo carrier since henry wont let me put him down without screaming bloody murder. he falls right asleep in here. we bought huggies diapers to try and i didnt like them so we went back to target brand. (cloth diapers will start soon, 8lbs!)

"the 5 S's": swaddling- still isnt a fan, kicks his feet out and arms want to be free. side lying- loves. shushing- does nothing to sooth him. sucking- still loving his pacifier at certain times (helps when ive just fed and hes clean and he just wont settle down). it tends to fall out right as he is falling asleep (we're using the tommee tippee bpa free newborn clear shield pacifier. only complaint is not being able to find them because they are clear/hard to see!). swinging- after sending my MIL on a consignment store search and finding a few options for used swings (thanks for looking!!), i found a 20% off coupon from babies r us and mom and i found this new bouncer/swing... we'll see how it works (thanks mom!)

crying: this morning, a lot. usually, not too bad. related: i need more coffee.

milestones: we've continued doing tummy time to get his head and neck strong which he seems to almost enjoy (and is doing great with his head). we also tried the "walking reflex" and he is doing awesome with that too. its really amazing to see how the body works/knows what to do. henry is making more noises every day and is more awake/alert, taking it all in. it also seems like he is focusing more and might be able to see further than the 8-12 inches like last week.

postpartum/motherhood: still feeling good, although i now know/can feel i am very sleep deprived... which leads to random crying and moments of feeling very overwhelmed. ive learned that i cant do it all, and that its ok to ask for help. related: who wants to come clean my house? i started slowly running this past weekend... one mile on saturday, two miles on sunday. i felt pretty short of breath, and my heart was racing, but overall it felt good. my legs are very sore right now... the muscle loss over the past few months is crazy, but it feels good to get back out there and feel that soreness again. we're still walking every day as well.

how are duke and chips? chips is still really curious but is really great around henry. still likes to sniff his head and then run away. im not exactly sure where she sleeps at night (although there is cat hair all over the guest bed and changing table) but she waits by the bedroom door in the morning for when we open the door and comes right in to see us.

thank you amy for making me this gem

duke... sigh. he is definitely showing signs of feeling like he is taking the back seat to henry. it sucks that we cant focus on him (he is still very much a puppy despite being 92 freaking pounds!). im not exactly sure how this happened but i looked out the window this morning and this is what i found...

duke: 1. fence: 0.

hows daddy doing? daddy is wishing that he had 6 months of paternity leave (so is mommy... why dont we live in canada?!)

it's a start...

henry: week two

weight- at his first doctors appt on wednesday he weighed 6lbs 15oz... over his birth weight already!

health- seems to be doing great. doesnt love the antibiotic every day but is geting better at taking it (and not spitting it everywhere haha... also helps when dad doesnt squirt the entire dropper into his mouth all at once!)

sleep- something to be desired... sleeps great (and often/anywhere) during the day. nighttime, not so much. henry will fall asleep after feeding in my arms or in bed with us but when we put him into the bassinette, awake and alert and crying. oof. we have gotten a few three hour stretches though... ill take what i can get (i have yet to master sleeping when he sleeps during the day)

well maybe i slept one day

clothes- mostly wearing newborn onesies. he swims in the 0-3 month onesies. and he hates wearing socks. we're constantly finding him with one sock on, having to search for where the other one was kicked off (which usually end up in dukes mouth). he also tends to pee out the top of his diaper (we have to fold the tops of the newborn diapers to avoid the umbilical cord) so hes wearing a lot of different clothes every day.
 
nicknames- so many! poor kids gonna have an identity crisis... henry man, H man, mr. bubbles, mr. squiggle squirms, and of course hank!

outings- henry took his first trip to target (loved it!) and the beach (slept almost the entire time)

baby gear love- henry loves sleeping in the newborn napper part of the graco pack and play. the bob revolution stroller is great... easy to assemble and break down to store (now that i actually read the instructions and figured out how to do it). aden and anais blankets are lightweight and incredible. noodle & boo lotions/shampoo smell so good. still getting used to the ergo carrier but he falls asleep in that too, and it makes getting things done around the house much easier.

did a little more nursery decorating this week

"the 5 S's"- swaddling- not a huge fan, but likes the actual swaddling sacks since he doesnt have to curl up his feet. he loves stretching his feet out. and if you try to tuck his arms in, they will somehow find their way out. side lying- he does this occasionally. shushing- doesnt seem to do much. swinging- we dont have a specific swing, but he likes to sway and be swung in the car seat if youre carrying it. sucking- kid loves to BF... has only used a pacifier when he was getting his procedures done in the hospital and seemed to enjoy it (will start giving him one eventually, just not yet), and he definitely found his thumb.

crying- not too bad (knock on wood)... mostly hungry or change me cries. also when/if hes a little gassy. and in the first 1/2 mile of his first walking 5k last wednesday... thanks for the DNF kid!

milestones- henry is definitely more vocal, making lots of silly noises. he is able to hold his head up while doing tummy time and tries to do the walking/standing reflex (hasnt mastered that one quite yet). he definitely recognizes mommy and daddy's voice and will turn his head or eyes to where our voice is coming from. he has smiled a few times, but i think most of them were because of gas haha. henrys 2nd bath went much better than the 1st.

postpartum/motherhood- motherhood is freaking awesome. i have never felt love like this before (i cannot say that enough). ive learned that ill never get everything done like before. ive figured out ways to get things with my feet, and almost mastered a few daily tasks while BF'ing (specifically making the bed, folding laundry & going to the bathroom). i make up silly songs ("where are henrys socks" and "why wont henry fall asleep" to name a few), sing songs to him from the radio (hootie, ke$ha, taylor swift... sorry henry!) and love reading him stories (favorite so far- "wherever you are my love will find you"- thank you katie for sending it to me! and making me a crying mess reading it!) overall (despite being sleep deprived) i feel great, my recovery didnt take long and i've dropped 30lbs so far. we've gone on walks and ive started some arm lifting with weights and squats. im thinking 2 more weeks and ill start jogging (sloooooowly). after all, marathon training technically starts on june 17th!

how are duke and chips? of course we cant forget brother and sister! chips could kinda care less, she comes up and sniffs/rubs her face on henrys head and then runs off. she doesnt appear to be too upset that shes been kicked out of the bedroom at night. duke hasnt liked the heat wave that came through but it has made him much less spastic than he had been. he enjoys giving henrys head a nice big lick, and stealing socks. and he is very happy that daddy and friends built a fence this weekend to play in the backyard! (mommy is very happy for this too!)

hows daddy doing? (as heard on our walk yesterday am...) "daddy, arent you just so in love?" "right now im really in love with the idea of getting home and having a cup of coffee with my bagel and hummus". translated: daddy is overjoyed with love and happiness. also, his facebook status from yesterday: "as i sat here in the chair watching tv with henry on my lap, i was hit with a sudden warmth. was it the warming feeling of love? of contentment? of pure happiness? nope. pee. it was pee."

and thanks to meg for sending this to me...

please excuse me, i seem to have gotten something in my eyes...