12 Months ....One Year Old! The Bizzle!!!

Today's the day, Biz!!  One year ago today, you graced us with your presence in a typical Glaser fashion - full out, in a hurry, in your face Biz-ness.  In the last year, this has not changed one iota.  And while I will miss my baby girl in a way that only a parent can, I cannot WAIT to see the little toddler that surely won't toddle for long....you have so much to do!  So with that, let's look at our last monthly edition of "the biz" - thanks for reading along as I did these with both kiddos, they were alot of fun and a great way to make sure this busy mommy stopped for a second, took some pictures, and documented important milestones.

Size - 22 pounds, give or take (we shall see for sure this week at the docs!).  Biz, you are such a healthy, sturdy little girl.  Don't ever let anyone tell you that's a bad thing - those muscular and well built Glaser leggos will get you far - maybe even an Ironman someday???

Likes:  Playing catch, chasing cars, running (or bear crawling) around with Rob at the "Glaser Speedway".  Snuggling with Rinny (that cat loves you!!) Playing in the pool (no matter how big!), going down the slide, going for rides in the wagon, and exploring the great outdoors!!!

Dislikes: Morning naps.  Sleeping through the night (again).  The inability to go as fast as Rob.  Someday, kiddo - someday.

Sleep: Time for some ole fashioned love in the form of sleep training, Bizzle.  Right now you are awesome until about midnight, when no one can calm you down except Mom.  Which is so flattering, kiddo, but at the same time...Mommy's tired.  And even though I love snuggling with you, our 3am conversations would be alot cooler if we didn't have things to do in the a.m.  Capiesce?  Mkthanks.  Love you baby girl!

Eating:  You are such a champ.  Every parent's dream.  You are still a boob girl, but I have no problem with that for a few more months, kiddo.  You started whole milk this month and do a great job with the sippy.  You also still love all the foods - you love meat and eggs, cheese, and of course ice cream!  You also through your strawberry cake for your birthday was pretty delish, and decorated your party dress as it needed to be done - with frosting!!

Milestones/Firsts:

Steps:  You've taken two- such a big girl!!
Descending steps - You do this as part of your dance repertoire - gives me a heart attack, but you are pretty good at it!!
Sliding down the slide - You squeal with glee!!
New Words: Ball and Dadden (Dad).  You're gonna be a motor mouth - I know it!!
Birthday cake:!  You loved your pink cake!

Best Moment: You had such an awesome first birthday - watching you during your party, hamming it up, loving your cake, twirling like the princess you are - made me smile with such happiness little one.  You are gonna be a handful when you grow up, and I wouldn't have it any other way!  You are such a little personality and bundle of joy.  

Looking Forward to:  YAll the fun stuff of toddler hood - the walking around, laughing, trying new sounds and words, and yes, even the crayoning of walls and screaming with glee to watch the Lion King for the zillionth time (yep- you heard it hear!)  I LOVE YOU BIZ A BIZ!!!

To my not so much a baby anymore baby girl

Hey Biz biz.

Mommy might be slackin to the max when it comes to some forms of blogging (like your party or a new race development) but kiddo, this is too important to be late for.  It's about you.  My baby girl.  Or, as it seems, not so much a baby anymore baby girl.  See, kiddo, one year ago today, you were still in Mommy's tummy.  We didn't even know if you were an Elisabeth or an Andrew or a Sean then (yep, we had two boys names.  And yep, your real name is NOT biz).

Kiddo, you changed that all one year ago tomorrow.  You came out in a flurry of Miss Bizness, all ready and raring to go!  (even if the hospital staff didn't quite make it to get you!).  I gotta tell ya kiddo, before you came along, Mommy was nervous.  I already had one perfect child - how could I possibly make room in my heart for two?  And how could I be a mommy to a girl if that's what you were??  Here's where you make that famous giggle coo of yours that says....silly Mommy.  Because of course I loved you times a bazillion squizzilion from the moment I saw you.  You are a perfect bundle of sweetness and spitfire all wrapped into one.  And from the moment your brother walked in the room and dubbed you "Biz"...I knew I had my perfect family, with more than enough love for both my kiddos that my heart gets a little bigger and kathumps more and more with unending love for both of you every single minute.  I never pictured a girl....but my Biz Biz....you are every mother's dream baby.

In the last 12 months, Biz, you and I have become tighter than tight.  We get to see each other every day, and since Mommy works from home, we get to snuggle, feed, and sometimes you even poose out on Mommy while I'm working!  Aww Biz.  We snug so well together.  There is nothing you love more than to be wrapped in the bjorn, right up against me, chattering, nomsing, giggling, or passed out on my chest, a perfect earprint a leftover reminder of our bond.

And we play.  We go for runs in the stroller (you JUST beat me every time!), we read, we blow raspberries, we feed each other yogurt (true story) and we play silly made up mommy n Biz games.

You are such a daredevil!  You love exploring in the fridge, racing alongside Bro, climbing up and down stairs, and practicing ballet on the third step up, grabbing the railing (your barre) and cracking me up.  You also love your kitties so much, and Rinny loves you to pieces - snugging up against you when you don't have a mommy nearby to nap on.

Biz, your brother adores you.  Watching the two of you play together as he teaches you and you strive to emulate him bursts my mommy heart into a zillion pieces.  If I thought life was amazing with one, it doesn't compare to the love I feel for each of you seperately, but also together.  I can't imagine a life filled with as much joy, love and laughter as we have now!

Tomorrow, you will be one.  It makes me a little bit sad, as I think of the nights that you spent snuggled on my chest, the days you spent wrapped tightly in my arms, needing and loving your mommy so much as she protected you from the big world out there.  Never again will you need me so much, baby girl.  As I packed up your baby clothes, I got a little bit (ok a lot a bit) emotional as I looked at the NB onesie you wore on the way home....your froggy slippers...and the most perfect little cap built for a tiny head.  As you are our youngest, there will be no more newborn outfits.  No more rocking and feeding 5 times a night.  No
more 14 diaper a day changes....(Ok, that I won't miss).  It's bittersweet.

But then I remember the sound of a Biz laugh.  And you petting Meb so gently, eyes full of wonder.  Or as you pull up to stand, let go of the couch, and stare at me in amazement as you conquer your first steps.  And then I remember....that each stage is only better and better.  And soon we will be giggling together as we read a book and then go splashing in the pool, or play candy land, or snuggle on the couch and watch Madagascar for the 400th time  (Oh wait, that's all your bro!) and I remember that each stage and phase is the most amazing ever.  And how very lucky I am to be your mommy.

Thank you, Biz a biz.  You showed your mommy how very much love a person could have for someone.....you have been the best baby biz a mom could ask for, and I can't wait to spend the next rest of my life sharing mommy and biz and daddy and rob time together.....I am so very blessed that you came into my life.  And I love you so much, my princess.

Love,
Mommy

Black Diamond Express Half Marathon: Its gettin HOT in here!

You think I would have learned my lesson.  Run the damned race, decompress, eat Pizza, BLOG.  Makes it a bit easier to remember shit, right?  But, of course, here I sit, 2 weeks later, wanting to write this race report (and about 3 other posts!) and it's gettin a little fuzzy to remember the deets.  But, to be fair, the whole second half of this race was fuzzy, so it's a legit race report, right?  Right.

Greg and I signed up for the Black Diamond Half back in April for a few reasons - it was close (about a half hour away), 6 weeks out from our A Race (Empire) and it was cheap ($50).  Plus, it was on a rail trail, which was pretty darn flat (less than 200 ft gain for 13.1 miles).  he only downfalls were that it was a day after a wedding shoot and...August.  But hey, we figured we would roll the dice and see what happened - either way, it seemed like a great tune up!

My training had been going pretty darn well until the week of the race, when I stupidly (out loud) made note of the fact that I had been feeling strong and had no injury since April.  Rae, you dummy.  I spent the latter part of the week feeling like crap - Achilles flair up and low grade sickness.  Lesson learned - my poker face is on with training now!!  The night before, Greg got home at 1am from the wedding, and the kids decided not t go to bed until 10:30 - and then Biz woke up every frickin hour from 12am on.  Sweet.  This was compounded by the fact that Friday night, I got about 4 hours of sleep because I wanted to let Greg sleep in.  Dammit.  I woke up race morning exhausted, sore and super queasy.  Looked at the forecast, which was calling for 80 degrees....at a 8am start time.  On a course with little shade.  You'd think I would have gotten used to that from Running with the Devil, but it always sucks to see a hot day ahead.  Eh, it is what it is.  Packed up our crap, waited for Gramma and Liz (thank you so much for babysitting!!) and headed out to the race site.

Pre Race, we hung out, relaxed, and chatted up some fellow runners.  And I hit the potty.  Alot.  Five times, to be exact.  (Yes, I know its TMI....but this is a race report.  Deal).  I was seriously questioning a 3rd immodium and if I should stuff tissues in my bra (yeah, theres a runner problem!) when they started the anthem.  Shit.  Greg and I revised our race goals....my A goal was a sub 1:50 (PR) which I was sorta thinking would be doable....but with the weather (83 at 8am), humidity, and my tummy, I knew it was probably dumb.  So I decided to play it be ear (Famous last words).

And we were off!!  This race attracts some serious runners, because its low key, cheap, no frills, and situated perfectly for a fall marathon tune up.  All of my running skirt ladies were there (they are ALL faster than me, 3rd place OA coming in 1:30 something.  I asked her for a piggy back.  I think she thought I was kidding...I wasn't.)  I planted myself behind a few BQers and tried to settle in with my sloshing stomach.  Miles 1, 2 and 3 all clocked in around 8:15, which was what I needed for a PR....could i do it?  I hooked up with a fellow skirter at mile 4, and we decided to aim for 8:20s, which would set us up for a 1:49.  Cool.  My stomach started to settle, but I was hungry, so I ate my fuel (gummi bears, cause I'm cool like that) at mile 5.  Sweet.  The water stops were every 2 - 2.5 miles, which was fine on the way out....but you  know whats coming.  The temperature climbed...and it got grosser.  Hit the turnaround (mile 6.55) in 54:00 and I started to think a PR might be doable!  Then....we started running into the sun.  And I lost it.  I was thirsty, foggy, hungry, and yucky feeling.  I stopped for a quick walk break, and was done.

no joke.

The back part of this race report is lame and completely predictable.  Run five minutes, curse, walk, hitch up m soggy skirt, try not to flash people, look at my garmin, swear, repeat.  Add in a few extra colorful expressions, good to go.  Amuse myself with the people still running out with a "What the fuck" expression on their face.  Curse some more.  WHERE THE HELL IS THE WATER??  Miles 6.5 to 8/5 were an unhappy blur, as were miles 8.5 to 10.5 (we all told the RD afterward he needed water every mile).  At mile 11, I decided to suck it up and just run - which I did, still hitching up my skirt every 2-3 minutes (this is not the marathon skirt!) and I finally crossed the finish in 1:55 - not what I originally went into the day for, but it seemed everyone suffered by at least a few minutes or more....evidence that my out split was 6 minutes faster than my return!!

Post race I grabbed a bagel, pickle ade  (nectar from the gods) and hung out with my girls while I waited for Greg (who finished epically and strong).  I came in 16th OA woman (out of about 80) and 7th in my 30-39 AG (out of 23) so I was pretty pleased, even though I hadn't gotten the time I wanted.

I felt pretty good about a sub 4 in 6 weeks (now 4!) in Empire.  And that's what I came to do.  And thankfully, my tummy cooperated once we got started!  Now, onto the little things - like picking out a race outfit, a new bra to store gus (the struggle is real) and a few little 20 milers.  Such a charmed life, I know :-)).