Keepin it weird in Austin

I love Austin. In fact, I want to live there.  Then again, I usually say that every time I go on vacation, so maybe I just love vacations.  

Because of whole "yea your dogs can't stay here experience," I didn't get any pictures of Friday night. Not a big deal, you already know about all that excitement. 

Lets start with Saturday.  We woke up early, there was an overcast, the weather was perfect and I just knew this would be perfect race weather.  

Our group decided to hit the running expo first to pick up our race packets and t-shirts.

 

But not before, I demanded that everyone stop at Starbucks, so I could pay an arm and a leg for some good coffee. (Yes, I realize that there is free coffee at the hotel).  

Evan's first stroller ride outside the neighborhood. 

Leave me alone, $5 is not too much for coffee. 

There was no way Savanna and John were spending hard earned money on coffee, so they paused for a photo op instead. 

The race expo was nice.  A little small, but then again, I have never been to or ran a 10K that actually had an expo, so it was a nice touch.  Dad and Savanna actually scored really nice Asics for $50.  I have the most common shoe size in the world, so no super discounted shoes for me.  

After breakfast, expo and walking around downtown, it was time to relax at the hotel. 

Our little travelers did such a great job!

We decided to eat lunch at the Hula Hut on Lake Austin.

The food was really good and inexpensive.  I got Fish Tacos, Bill got the biggest burrito known to man, and we shared a fried banana dessert (I can't remember the name). Evan had milk.  We were happy campers when we left.

After lunch, my mom, Ashley, Evan and I decided to tour the Texas State Capitol while everyone else was napping.

Here is a picture looking down from the capitol to the start of the race.  Beautiful views.

The Texas Capital is so beautiful.  Here is a picture looking up into the rotunda.

What mom?  Dee and I are educating ourselves.

Even the door hinges were decorated.

Looking down from the third floor: 

I would like to introduce you to the future governor of Texas:

After our tour, we decided that ice cream was a necessity, so we found Amy's Ice Cream thanks to the GPS on my phone.  (Aren't Iphones wonderful!)  Amy's is kind of like Marble Slab or Cold Stone creamery, but with a local Austin touch.  The workers actually through ice cream scoops in the air pizza dough style.  So fun! 

After ice cream it was back to the hotel for more nap time. Naked, of course.  

We packed in so much in to Saturday since it was our only day for sightseeing.  After the race on Sunday, Bill  , Evan and I headed straight back to OKC.   We cannot wait to travel to Austin again and hopefully stay longer next time, maybe even see a band or two.  You know it is the live music capital of the world, right!?!

Austin Hotel Experience

We had such a great time in Austin this weekend and I cannot wait to share all the details with you guys.  However, the hotel is an entire blog post in itself, so I will start with that tonight.  

First lets start with the drive down.  It was nice up until about an hour before we arrived.  At that point, my mom called to ask once again if the hotel was pet friendly.  She and my sister-in-law had asked the same question the week before the trip and I was getting annoyed with the repeat questions.  I assured them that it was and that I swore I checked the website, I would not have brought my dogs if I wasn't 100% sure they could stay in the hotel.  My mom then said "well I'm looking at the website and it says no pets allowed.  Are you sure you checked the right place."  Well, Crap!  Here we were 45 minutes from Austin with two dogs (three including my mom's dog who was already living it up inside our two bedroom suite).  Everyone was totally panicked.  What the heck were we going to do?  I was very angry with myself and thought well maybe I made a mistake, but was sure that I did check.  My mom and I both started brainstorming.  While I was calling around for kennels in Austin, my mom called.  She had booked a room for the dogs at LaQuinta.  Yes, our dogs got their very own hotel room for the weekend (although my dad did stay the night there.  Thanks dad!).   Feeling bad that my parents bought an extra hotel room, I decided to call the manager of the hotel and see if I could get a better understanding of how I could have messed up so badly. The manager told me that the hotel stopped accepting pets in October 2011 when it renovated.  I informed him that I was pretty sure I booked my room before that date and was never informed of the policy change.  He then checked my reservation and stated "Oh yes, it looks like we stopped accepting pets on the exact day you booked your reservation."  Even  through the phone I could see his lying little smirk and I was pissed.  I just knew he was lying to me.  The exact day, seriously?  Once he told me there was absolutely nothing he could do, I thanked him for his time and called Embassy Suites customer service to file a complaint.  Writing this now, I feel like a crazy hormonal chick, but we were so stressed and mad over this ordeal that I could not just let it go.  

Anyway, long story short the hotel compensated us for one night, which was the equivalent of the LaQuinta expense.  My friend Ashley's room was also booked under my name since I made the reservations, so he gave her a free night as well even though she insisted that she never intended to bring a dog.  Score for Ashley!  In the end it all worked out fine and I think Baxter, Bailey, Abby and my dad had fun living it up at LaQuinta.  

But that is not all folks.  There is more excitement.  

Apparently, Embassy Suites was a happening place in the Austin crime scene on Saturday night.  My family wouldn't know, however, because we apparently sleep through attempted murders.  That's right, there allegedly was an attempted murder at the hotel while we were there. FUN!  The story goes a little something like this.  My brother was in the elevator on Sunday and a lady asked him if he knew any details about the drama that happened over night.  At a lost, my brother began to ask questions and found out that on the ninth floor of the hotel, which was the top floor where the ritzy folks with the "special" key stay, two guys apparently got in a fight and one attempted to kill the other. Apparently this lady found all of this out by watching the local news because the hotel blew it off and acted like nothing happened. Although, can you really blame them?  Not too many ways you can casually say, no worries, just an attempted murder, hope you enjoyed your stay, please come back soon.  

My brother logically concluded that what probably happened was ritzy runners were getting drunk before the big race, one got mad at the other, retrieved a butter knife from the hotel, and attempted to inflict serious damage.  Probably 100% accurate, especially the butter knife part.  The funny part was earlier that morning Bill and I rode in the elevator with a guy who had a "special key" to the ninth floor.  After learning of the attempted murder, I told Bill that I was kicking myself for not knowing about this before because I so would have pried for information from that guy.  I mean, after all, how many people can actually afford, or are willing to pay for, the rooms located on the "special key" floor.  The guy probably had the murder weapon/butter knife in his pocket while he was riding with us.  Such a close call, we are lucky to be alive! Just to think, I thought I was going to die from the race. 

In sum, if you are looking for a non pet-friendly, yet advertises to be pet-friendly, hotel that provides excitement in the form of attempted murders, Embassy Suites in Austin is your place.  I'm totally kidding.  While I do wish the whole pet thing would have been handled differently from the start, I thought the hotel was great.  The renovations were awesome, the rooms are very nice, the beds were comfortable, and the free breakfast (which included made-to-order omelets) was delicious.  The breakfast even include an enormous pot of hot oatmeal.  For that reason alone, I probably would stay there again when visiting Austin, although I would stay up all night for the good parts.  

First Race Recap

I have read many race recaps from runners in the blog word and I am excited to finally write my own.  This weekend Bill, Evan and I traveled to Austin for the Capitol 10K, the largest 10K in Texas.  I will write tomorrow about all the excitement of the weekend, but today I wanted to do a race recap for you guys.

I signed up for this race in August 2011.  My friend Ashley, who began running  last year, had yet to run a 10K and we wanted to find something fun and big for her first one.  I think we accomplished that goal.  The Capital 10K is the largest 10K in Texas, and Texas is the second largest state in the country, so that sounded big enough, right?  It was!  There were 23,000 people running the race.  Our group included Ashley, my dad, John and myself.   My dad and brother ran in the fun run category and there were so many people in the race that runners were finishing before they were even able to start.  WOW, runners literally stretched over 6 miles in downtown Austin.  To me, that is so awesome.

In the weeks before the race, my emotions would go back and forth between nerves and excitement.  I couldn't wait to see how far I had came and finally get a true picture of where my running fitness currently is. Ashley and I really wanted our "fans" to recognize us, so we purchased neon orange shirts to run in.  

Ashley is totally blowing me out of the water in the neon shirt department.  We also had to run in our "running sunglasses" because the sun was so bright. Yes, we are very serious runners.

Here's a pic of the other runners in our group:

Anyway, back to the race.  It started at 9:00 a.m. and Ashley and I didn't cross the start until 8:57 minutes later.  The race started out at the river and ran up Congress to the Texas Capital.  From there, we ran to the UT stadium.  We then turned and ran Lake Austin Drive and then back down the river back to Congress.  I decided not to run with my headphones and instead wanted to take in the spirit of Austin.  I must say they are still "keeping it weird" in Austin.

The first three miles of the race was pretty much uphill.  It was tough.  I am not sure what pace we maintained throughout the hills because the time was not displayed throughout the course.  Bummer, I know.  Somewhere around mile three we headed back down Ceaser Chavez along the river.  I felt really good throughout the first four miles.  However, somewhere around mile 4 1/2 I started getting really tired.  It seems like every race I mentally break down in the last 2/3 of the race.  I start doubting myself and thinking that I am not going to be able to maintain pace to the finish.  I'm not sure why I do that, but I wish I could fix it.  Right when I was about to quit, I heard a spectator yelling repeatedly "Your body is trained for this, do not listen to your mind."  It was exactly what I needed to hear and it kicked my butt into gear.  I will know be yelling that at the final mile of any race I watch.

Ashley and I had a goal to finish in under an hour and our time was 59:08, a 9:30 pace.  Not bad for my first post-pregnancy race.  Ashley did amazing and could have ran faster, but she graciously slowed down for me to get water many times.  She has come such a long way and has gained so much confidence as a runner.  I cannot wait to run more races with her.  We have big plans people, big plans!

I wasn't able to get any pics of Ashley and I crossing the finish line, although I think we should get a few from the race organizers in a week or so.  I stood at the finish line to watch my dad and John cross, turned to ask Bill for the camera so that I could take a picture and my mom said "Oh look, there they are."  So, we didn't get a picture of them finishing, but did get this:

You can see day in the first row of people, at the end in the blue shorts with white stripes.  I promise, they did not walk across the finish line.

Now for the post race pics:

My favorite favorite fan and I:

My nephew was a pretty good fan as well, although I am sure he was probably there to cheer for his daddy:

I wish I would have taken a picture of Bill and I, but he was the photographer, so we completely forgot.

Race Stats:

Date:  March 25, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. (note to race administrators:  You live in Texas, all running should be completed before 9:00 a.m.)
Weather: HOT
Course: hilly but fast
Overall:  Had a blast and so excited to be back.

Three Months

Three months has gone by so quickly!  Here is a little snapshot into the life of a three month old (big things I tell you, big things).  

 

Evan is so much more relaxed now that he is a little bit older.  He generally only cries when hungry, tired or bored.  Gone are the days when he would cry for no reason.  He loves to “talk” to us, and even giggled for the first time this month.  It melted our hearts.  He started daycare at 12 weeks and seems to be loving it.  He loves to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy every night and generally will not go to bed unless someone is cuddling with him.  Honestly, it is really nice.  I miss him so much during the day while at work and cherish this evening time with so much.  

 

Lately, he has been chewing on his hands and even loves when I help him reach his feet so he can chew on those too.  It is only a matter of time before he begins sticking his feet in his mouth.  

To me, he looks so much like Bill in this picture

Loving on my sock monkey:

Acting just like my daddy:

Truly an insight into what he does every night.  Follow mommy with his eyes everywhere she goes.  Yes, I love it!

A few other stats: 

Sleeping:  Overall, this is going great.  He usually goes to sleep around 8, wakes up at 10 p.m. to eat and is asleep until anywhere from 5:30 - 7:30.  Occasionally, he will wake up at 2:30 am to eat, but only once or twice a week it seems. 

Eating: Loves it! Breastfeeding is going really well.  He does not seem to have any problems taking a bottle as long as it is really warm (say 98.6 degrees).  I am constantly stressed about pumping enough at work. I need a chill pill, seriously.  

Hair: It is growing!  It looks like my baby won't be a baldy after all.  

Playing:  He loves play mats and his bouncy seat.  Generally, he just wants to be able to see whats going on and he is happy.   He got a mobile in his crib at day care this week and loves it too.  

Hollywood Preview

This video was intended to be a snapshot into the life of Evan and I after work each night.  We laugh, we play, and he enjoys his mommy time. However, as you will see, Evan wasn't amused by hardly anything I tried to do, although I did get a few smiles and one giggle in there. Sorry about the video quality.  All moms should be given an extra set of hands upon being discharged from the hospital.

How did I learn that he loves to chew on his feet, you ask?  The same way I learned that he loves to chew on my nose.  I got it close to his mouth and he just went for it!  Yep, my child has chewed on my nose.  Multiple times in fact.  The first I was giving him Eskimo kisses and he just tilted his head back and stuck his mouth up to my nose like it was a pasi.  I thought this was hilarious, so I kept doing it so that Bill can see. I know I should stop and that it is gross (and someday he will hate that I wrote this on the blog), but I cannot help it.  Babies are so funny!

Tomorrow I will post Evan's three month pictures and give you a little more detail on what he has been up to these days.

Paparazzi

UGGHH!! I have been trying all evening to upload two videos to share on the blog.  Sometimes, I just hate technology.  Just when you think it should be so easy to share a video with your phone, it turns out you have to jump through a bajillion (yes that is a word) hoops!  Anyway, enough with the ranting, on to bigger and better things. (Hopefully I will have figured out the video sharing thing by tomorrow).

I thought that instead, I will share some of my favorite pictures that I have taken over the last week or so.  Yes, I am the paparazzi constantly taking pictures of Evan.

Evan's first day at daycare.  I just love love love this photo.  I'm not sure why. Maybe it is because he looks so peaceful and I was so worried about him that first day.

I try to go visit Evan at lunch to feed and play with him.  I never want to go back to work after lunch.  Can you blame me?

Evan loves the quality daddy time he gets in the evenings.  I took this picture while Bill was playing games on his phone and Evan was obviously very engaged.

Evan is such a chill little guy these days.  Last night I laid him on the rug in the bathroom, turned around to get something, and when I turned back around, this is what I found.  Cracks me up.

When I saw Bill and Evan sitting like this, I instantly got a glimpse into what my life would be like for the next, well forever actually.  It is like I have two Bills. Oh No!

 

Lastly, I took this picture today at day care.  I sent it to my sister in law Savanna, who responded, "He is like, Mom, they have me in this pink swing.  I cannot watch this, wake me when its over."  Lol, she is probably right! 

Good night everyone!

Things I "need"

Disclaimer - This will be a completely random post.  Unless you are considering buying me a gift, then this post might actually come in handy. :)

I spend a lot of time on the internet.  I love to read blogs, mainly about running, health and cooking healthy recipes because they inspire me.  I also love to read craft blogs for the same reason.   However, reading these blogs has exponentially expanded the things I "need".  Don't you just love when you find a product that you didn't even know about, but now think your life is incomplete without it.  Like I am not truly living because I do not have x, y, or z.  Yes, I realize that I am easily influenced and the perfect consumer target for any ad agency, but aren't we all.  Please tell me I am not the only one you sees a restaurant commercial and can think about nothing else until I eat there.  I've been thinking about Olive Garden soup and salad lunch for weeks!

Anyway, back to the things I need:

1. Cappuccino Maker

I really do not think this even needs an explanation.  If you do not think that waking up to a delicious cappuccino sounds like heaven, I'm not sure why we are even friends.  I have to fight a mental battle every morning not to stop at Starbucks or even more expensive, Coffee Slingers, for a $5 cup of coffee.  If I had this (and a barista), I would probably save money in the long run. Maybe Bill could be my barista.  Bill the Barista, or Barista Bill.  I like it.

2.  Foam Roller

I run and I run often.  But, apparently I am not a real runner because I do not foam roll.  Based on what I've read, if my legs knew what they were missing out on, they would probably go on strike and let me fall flat on my face when I get out of bed tomorrow.  This foam roller is only $20, so I should probably just buy it, but I would have to spend my budgeted miscellaneous money on it, and I usually reserve that money for overpriced coffee and junk food.  Sorry legs, maybe next month. 

3.  Make Me Healthier Rice Cooker

OMG this little gadget makes me squeal.  It is a rice cooker on steroids.  You can cook anything in this, including all types of rice and grains, and even oatmeal.  The best thing about this little beauty is its timer.  That's right, you can set it for when you want it to begin cooking.  How much healthier would you be if you had hot brown rice or quinoa (my new favorite word) waiting for you when you got home.  Bill and I love to eat steel cut oatmeal, but it takes forever to cook and is time prohibitive during the week.  Not with this thing.  Set it up at night and you have hot oatmeal waiting for you in the morning.  The $150 price tag isn't looking so outlandish now, huh?  Didn't think so.

4.  Garmin Forerunner

 
They say that running is a cheap sport.  All you need is a pair of running shoes and the road.  That is so not true.  If you want to be a real runner, you must have a Garmin.  Yes, I know I know, there are all kinds of apps for iphone that will track your distance and pace.  I've tried them, and they are not accurate.  At least not as accurate as the Garmin.  Particularly in my neighborhood, where my cellphone loses signal constantly.   The Garmin also give you pace per mile, which my iphone app currently does not do.  Anyway, sometimes you just do not want to be connected to your cellphone while out on a run.   All you want is a pair of running shoes and the road, and an awesome running watch.

This list of things I need could go on and on, but I think four is good for tonight.

What about you?  Anything you think you must have?  Anything that I must add to my list?  

Night life

Happy hour, drink specials, naked baby dances.  Oh yes, don't be fooled, I still have a night life and it looks a little something like this:

I know, right! He's the best date, dance partner and cuddle buddy ever.  When I wrote my day in the life post, I talked about how Evan is generally really fussy from 8 until bedtime.  I'm not sure if it is the fact that he isn't sleeping as much at daycare or that he just loves to cuddle with his mommy, but he hasn't been fussy once this week.  Instead, I bath him around 7, play for a little while, and he is peacefully sleeping by 8 and is sleeping through the night (all but one day this week I have had to wake him up at 7 a.m.)  I know I could put him in his pack and play but I just do not want to.  All to soon, he will not want to snuggle with me, so I am milking this time for all it is worth.  I do put him in his pack and play when I go to bed.

I wanted to try to video his laughter this evening, but by the time I actually settled down enough to get out the camera, he was tired and having none of it.  I will try again this weekend.

Wonderful Wednesday

Today turned out to be a pretty good day.  Bill works from 6 am to 2 pm on Wednesdays so he was able to get Evan early from daycare.  That made me so much more relaxed at work this afternoon.  When Evan is at daycare, I am constantly worried about doing everything as fast as humanly possible so that I can go get him.  I am not sure why I place that stress on myself because: (1) it is not as if I could leave work early to pick him up even if I had nothing to do at work, and (2) it is not as if I would stay any later at work even if there is stuff to do.  I think subconsciously I worry that something will happen at work that will make it difficult for me to get him on time, so I stress all afternoon.  However, today, even though I planned to leave at the exact same time as Monday and Tuesday, I was so much more relaxed.  Knowing that Evan was at home, hanging out with his dad, and was safe, comforted and being loved on just gave me so much peace.  I am very thankful that at least this one day per week I do not have to stress about Evan the entire time I am at work.

When I got home, Bill and I had our usual hang out with Evan and bath time routine.  Here is a picture from bath time:

This picture makes me laugh, and it makes me sing Arabain Nights from Aladdin.