Thank You God!

A funny story was relayed to me after I posted last and need to share it with you regarding our ever quotable kids.
Apparently, when Wendy was bringing our kids to the hospital when Addison was born Chloe asked how her new baby sister got in Mommy's tummy. I'm sure the frozen look of fear on Wendy's face was priceless and I wish I could have seen it. How do you answer that question from someone else's kids? Luckily she didn't have to do that as Dylan piped up. "Well, God makes the baby, lets it grow a little bit then put it in Mommy's tummy to finish growing." Overexcited Chloe with her eyes looking toward heaven I'm sure, yells out "Thank You God!"

Truer words have never been spoken.

As we are now a week and a half into newborn parenting you would think things might settle down a bit. Well, you'd be wrong. Things are as crazy as ever and I'm pretty sure it's not going to change any time soon. While we are getting the hang of having a newborn again and recalling some things we had long forgotten there is just enough chaos to keep us on our toes. We have not had visitors over mostly due to Steph and Addison getting used to each other and feeding. Steph also has a bit of a cold and just is exhausted. The house is a mess and we have family in town. I think we will be open to visitations next week as I begin my paternity leave then and can be around to help a bit. We will be guest free for a couple of weeks until my parents come in the middle of February. Rod and Bonnie were here for 10 days and left on Tuesday morning. That time went way too fast and they both helped out a tremendous amount with food, cooking, cleaning and mostly support. Bonnie's main project this visit was a success - helping Steph with Addison. Amber, Ryan and Lainey came in on Wednesday night and will be here until Sunday. Amber planned the trip as they came were flying here during a KU game and will be taking off to go home about the time the Super Bowl Kick-Off. We're glad they are here as we haven't seen them since their visit last Summer when Lainey was just a couple of month old. She is getting so big it's kinda funny to see her compared to Addison - What a difference 9 months makes.

My running is going well. A couple of weeks ago was a 7 mile run on a Saturday. I just couldn't get a rhythm going so I was uncomfortable for the entire run. It's no fun to feel bad for a hour and a half. My times were slower and even when I thought that if I could speed up I wouldn't have to be out there as long it didn't help. I powered through and made it. I wasn't sure how things would progress. Then last Saturday was the 8 mile trip. It was a bit cold and windy with gusts up to about 30 mph at times. I got into my cadence early and felt good the whole run. Except that I kept burping up the lasagna I had for lunch for the first 4 miles. Ugh. Even with the 30 mph headwind I had my fastest sustained run ever for my longest run ever. After that I felt like I could definately do this thing. This weekend I have a 10 mile run scheduled. I'm not sure how that will go. I only got a short weekday run in last night due to the ice and snow we got. I know all of you in the Mid-West think that's a bit silly but remember - this is DC. They don't prep the side roads or shovel the sidewalks here. It was complete ice for a couple of days. When I went for my 'short' 4 miler last night I was running on the streets in the neighborhood and thought everytime a car came by that I'd have to jump into the ice to dodge it or that I would hit an ice patch and fall in front of the car - it was kinda dark out too. I also had my left shoe jabbing something into the top of my big toe that started early. They about 2 miles in I stepped in a pothole, jammed my knee wierd and pulled a muscle in my lower back. I headed home after that and called it a night. This morning my back is in sorry shape and I'm going to the store where I bought my shoes in hopes they can help me figure out what is causing my toe so much pain. Hopefully I can get this all cleared up so I can put the in the 10 miles I need this weekend.

I also had to put in my recommitment form for the fundraising and race. I'm about $825 into my necessary $1900. If you are planning to donate and haven't yet please do so soon. I really need your help to reach that number.

Addison Marie

It's been a busy week.

Addison Marie Reeve was born on Monday January 19, 2009 at 6:53pm. She was 21 inches and 8lbs 6oz.

We went into the hospital about 10am on Monday and by 10:30 Steph was hooked to the IV with a Pitocin drip. Pitocin is the drug that induces labor. She had the amount increased periodically throughout the day. About 6:15 Rod, Carrie and I decided to head to dinner since nothing was really happening. Bonnie was in the room with Steph and we figured we had about an hour before the next check. We were going to go to the hospital cafeteria but then decided to head across the street to Chipotle. What better way to gear up for the birth of my child than a Chipotle Burrito. We got over there and I was finishing my order - Barbacoa, black beans, spicy, corn, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese and lettuce (mmmm Chipotle...) when my phone rang. It was 6:35 and Bonnie was calling to say to hurry back, Steph was at 9 cm so we were getting close. Carrie quickly got back in line to order because we forgot to get something for Bonnie and we headed back to the hospital. They dropped me off at the door and I ran to the elevators, up to the 3rd floor, through the security doors and into the room - it was 6:45. The door to the room was partially blocked because they had the delivery equipment out as the doctor and nurses were quickly getting things ready. Steph apparently had them check her again about 30 seconds after Bonnie called me and she was at 10 cm and ready. The nurses didn't even have the things set up so it was a rush. Bonnie was at her side and stepped back as I manuevered around the tables and people to get to Steph's side. Steph did a great job and 7 minutes later Addison was born. Bonnie stayed in the room to see her first delivery and was in a state of amazement.

It was a little scary for Rod and Carrie in the waiting room though. They called Bonnie when they got to the waiting room while Steph was pushing. The ringing really annoyed Steph so Bonnie was quick to answer it once we figured out whose phone it was and where it was. She quickly said that she couldn't talk and had to go and hung up. Carrie, on the other end, thought she said "I can't talk now, they're doing CPR, gotta go". They were with that belief until Bonnie came out about 30 minutes later. It was even a bit more scary because before they could talk to her Rod and Carrie saw that Bonnie had tears in her eyes and had been crying. All were happy once the communication cleared up a bit.

Shady Grove Hospital now has private recovery rooms after deliveries with no set visiting hours or number of people to visit limits. Wendy Bailey had been watching the kids all day and brought them up to meet their new sister. Chloe was ecstatic and Wendy said she probably would have run to the hospital if she'd let her. Dylan was excited but more reserved about it. Steph did make it into the recovery room in time for the beginning of the KU basketball game vs Texas A&M (they won which is a good omen)

We couldn't decide on a name and had it narrowed down to a short list. Wednesday morning before discharge Steph and I whittled it down even more to 2. Still not able to decide we talked with the nurses and processing and were able to leave without her name. The processing person was going to call us when she was putting the information in the next day. After asking family and friends in a poll on our two names (it was pretty much a tie) we did a complete change and opted for one we crossed off the list (it was the last one we crossed out though). Like I said - Everyone gets a say, just not the final say.

We are all doing well and are adjusting to life with a hungry newborn. Thanks to all for your help and support.

Easy Runnin

I didn't ever think I'd say this but I went out for an easy 3 mile run this morning in 20 degree weather. Also, I now understand what I used to hear from long distance runners about the first couple of miles being warm-up miles. Of course in the cold all the miles help keep you warm.
I do need to start working on my speed a bit now that I have the confidence that I can make it the full 13.1 miles. 7 miles are due this weekend.
Baby news is that Steph went in for her checkup today. The little girl is about 8.5 lbs already. Monday can't come soon enough for Steph now.
Rod & Bonnie come in to town on Saturday morning so it will be nice for them to be here when the baby is born. We tried that with my parents when Chloe was born but she was late and was born a day or two after Mom & Dad left to go back home. I don't think we'll have that problem this time.
The baby is all out front and when Steph was sitting down last night she seriously looked like she had a basketball under her shirt.
Stay Tuned.

Running High

It's amazing what the proper shoes and a couple days rest will do. Last week was rough. Tuesday's run of 3 miles lasted only about 3/4 of a mile due to pain. That afternoon I went to get my new shoes - Wed was a cross train day and Thursday was to be 4 miles - I got in 3. I probably could have done the 4 but I got up late and didn't really have the time. I was still getting lots of shin pain so I was glad that Friday was a rest day. Saturday was to be a 6 mile run and a 20 minute on Sunday. I had planned to switch them but by the time I got the lights down Saturday afternoon it started raining. Since it was about 30 degrees out I didn't really want to go run in freezing rain so I assessed the situation and decided that my legs needed another day of rest so that when I did the 6 miles I wouldn't be aggravating sore muscles... So then comes Sunday. I was busy with lots of things most importantly a nap after church so my run got pushed back to early evening. I wasn't really looking forward to it. I would have to run at night and due to the lateness my route had to change so I was running 3 miles out and 3 miles back instead of having Steph drop me off 6 miles out so I would run home. That plan was great because it was mostly downhill... Now I would be running the first 3 uphill. With Russ' good news this week and donations starting to come in I knew people were counting on me to train. I headed out and took it easy. It was nice out - about 33 degrees and a full moon rising that was a bright orange. The first mile wasn't bad. The next two were a little tough as that was the uphill part. At my 3 mile turnaround I stopped a minute to retie my shoes and started out again. I felt pretty good and was running faster that before ( I was heading on the downslope after all). About mile 5 I was feeling very good and began to feel only what I've heard described as a runner's high. I was running easy with no pain at all. That feeling stayed with me through the last two miles and I felt like I could have gone more. I'm not sure if I've ever run 6 miles at one shot before so I feel a huge shot of confidence. Specifically because my last two miles were the fastest of the run. After stretching and cool down my shins and calves did not scream out in pain. I thank the guy who fitted me for my new shoes for that - 6 miles with no pain. This morning I do have some muscle aches but it's the good kind of ache like you get from a good workout not the pain from something going wrong. Woo-Hoo!

Baby News - None yet though Steph went in on Friday and they said she was dialated 1-2 cm but no contractions. She goes in on Thursday to get an ultrasound so we can see how big she's getting. The nurses estimate last week was that she was over 8 lbs already. We have an induction scheduled for the 19th. The baby is very active and that makes Steph very uncomfortable. We all have our go bags packed. The room is put together, clothes washed and diapers at the ready. Only cosmetic things remain. I will be painting the girls room possibly this weekend (I get 30 days of Paternaty leave so I have so time to finish then if we head to the hospital this weekend) and put her car seat in the van. Some of you may be asking about a name. C'mon, it's us. We have a list but probably won't make the final decision until we meet her and then we'll only put it on the birth certificate right before we leave the hospital. You all will know shortly after we know.

Ouch

Like I said - I'm not a runner. I did my 5 miles on the local high school track. 2 things hit me as I was doing my 20 laps. One is the last time I ran on a track was when I was a freshman in college and I HAD to run for wrestling. We were running single file and the last guy in line had to sprint to the front - I HATED that drill. I think it was during that drill that I swore off running after wrestling... The second thing I thought of was that I don't like running on the track. While it is nice and smooth with no hills it is very boring. I think I'll take the hills and potholes over boring. I did make it and even averaged 10 min/mile. Sunday brought soreness and a shorter 20 minute run. I had to wait until night to do that and I ran a bit faster but paid for it in pain. If pain is weakness leaving the body I must have built up a LOT of weakness. Some of the pain is just from pushing hard to improve. Other is from bad shoes. Today I went into a real running shoe store. I was fitted 2 different ways, they watched my feet and ankles as I walked and pointed out what types of shoes I should wear. I have high arches so my feet elongate when I stand (or when they hit the pavement) so that causes pain in the calves and shins. With the shoes I have and the inserts the calve and shin pain should go away soon. Then I'll only have my endurance to worry about.

Steph and I feel that she'll go into labor within the next week or so. We'll keep you posted on that too.

Proving Myself

Maybe it's that nearing middle age thing that makes guys want to go out and prove they "still got it" or maybe it's just finally time to do it. Whatever the case I know my inspiration is Russ French and wanting to help him out. For those of you that don't know Russ was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. He is undergoing treatments now. Russ is a husband to Marla and Father to Nolan and Audrey. He coaches baseball and is a friend to all he meets. You can read about his diagnosis and treatments on his blog http://visitruss.blogspot.com/. His diagnosis rocked our comfy group of friends. Knowing that I couldn't help much due to the fact I didn't go to years of medical school I prayed. I wanted to do something to support him. Then I remembered a guy I used to work with did the Marine Corp Marathon with the Lukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training a number of years back. I thought I could possibly do that. I started checking out their website and seeing what I would need to do. It seemed to be a no brainer. All I had to do was sign up, raise some money for blood cancer research and run. The first two things - no problem. The third - well, I'm not what you call an avid runner. I ran because I had to. Coach told me to run to get in shape so I ran. After wrestling I swore I would never run like that again. Over the years I lost my hatred of it and started running a few times a week. Nothing much just a mile or two at the most. So now I have signed up to do the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA in March. I chose that one because, well, because it was sponsored by a beer company. After the run there is a party with free beer and Irish stew. The other one in that timeframe was here in DC but was sponsored by a bank. I like beer way more than I like banks right now so there we have it.
Team In Training (TNT) provides a training schedule, group runs, help with fundraising and moral support. It is a group of dedicated people helping to raise money to find a cure for L&L. So believe it or not I have only missed a couple of training runs but I am running 3 miles at a time now during the week with longer runs on the weekends. We add a mile to the run each Saturday - this weekend is a 5 mile run. I have not run that far in a loooong time. It should be intresting. So far I have not joined in the group runs on the weekends yet. As we add mileage I will have to do that to keep going. I don't run very fast (just over 10 min miles on my 3 mile runs), my legs specifically my calves are weak and scream in pain (though it is starting to get better and when my legs burn I think of Russ getting spinal taps that I hear aren't quite like massages so I keep going) my spirit is strong and I get the mileage in.
I will keep you all posted on my progress, pain and performance. Please, if you are able, go to my fundraising web page http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/shamrock09/breeve and donate.
My minimum is $1900. My goal is to get 100 people to give at least $25 for a total of $2500. More is appreciated and it is all tax deductable.
This will not be the last time I ask you to donate for a cause - just the first this year - which is why I'm not asking for $100's all at once. Just so you can plan - in the Spring we do a walk for James - Juvenile Diabetes and next fall the challenge has been thrown down for the Marine Corp Marathon so I'll hopefully be doing that for TNT.

PS - Rod and Bonnie - Thanks for the Wii - I used it the other day and found out that boxing and tenning are a great way to warm up for my run.