Currently, In the Life of Whitney

I am now 25 as of yesterday.  I feel so grown up.  I can rent a car all by myself!  Last year I had to have my brother in law put his name on it because I wasn't old enough.  Although, I'd been married for over 3 years and had a kid and had the money to pay for it.  I felt silly.  But now, I'm bound no more!  I'm free to go anywhere I want!  Well... almost anywhere.  And if Jaren's with me it never would matter since he's been a grown up for lots longer than I.  Although, he's leaving his 20's this year and he seems to be taking it personally.  So anytime I mention feeling old I get quite this withering look.... 

I've also been training for a half marathon that's coming end of this month.  The training was going well until about 2 weeks ago.  Each run started to feel like it was dragging and felt difficult.  I bought new shoes and they really aren't agreeing with my feet.  I have blisters on each of my fourth toes (the one's next to the pinky's).  Right on the outside.  Painful.  A new blister on the insole of my left foot, an ankle that hurts and now after each run my KNEE'S hurt.  They used to not bug me so much.  And it feels like I'm just pulling  and pulling myself along.  It's discouraging.  Friday I did 11 miles in 80 degree's and it feel terrible.  My time was HORRIBLE and I didn't enjoy it.  Now, that's not what I signed up for.  But texting my sister in law, the marathoner, Lena, mentioned I might be burning out.  I realized I've been pushing myself quite a bit for quite a while.  I think I need to cool it for this week.  So, I'm going to try to do 5 miles 3 times, then a 10 mile Friday instead of 5, 6, 7, and then 12 like I had planned.  I hope it works.  I want to enjoy my runs and enjoy this half marathon.  Good luck to me.

Naomi is hilarious.  I need to video and take millions of pictures because I think anyone struggling to find happiness in life just needs a toddler.  Well, I guess a toddler and a massive dose of patience.  Because she can test mine quite a bit.  But, it seems every day she is doing something more and more funny.  Like waking up and saying, "Help!  Help!" over and over from her crib thinking that will get me in there faster.  Or holding her fork in her mouth, then stabbing it down into her food trying to spear it using no hands.  Or putting 15 animals on a little people train (I took pictures, they'll come someday - it's quite impressive).  Or making everything kiss.  A vulture and a seal, a bulldozer and a garbage truck, a puppy dog and a bunny.  Or, yelling, "POO! POO!"  around the house.  Repeating what we say, "I do."  "Cute."  "Stinky!"  "Alright"  "Otay"  Dancing and sitting on animals and jumping and scooting on her bum.  The other day she was looking at a Disney Princess book and pointed to Belle and said, "Mama"  I was like, "Ohh, that's so sweet, thinking I'm Belle"  I was just telling her how she would be my favorite always when she turned the page and pointed to Sleeping Beauties Fairy Godmother and said, "Mama"  Well...  then she turned the page again and pointed to the crocodile on Princess Tiana's page and said, "Mama" and LAUGHED.  Alright, she lost it.  Then she looks at me, smiles and says, "Ow whow"  Which is , "Love you".  So, I forgave her.  As long as she doesn't call the crocodile Mama again.

This week I'm trying to do 637 things before I take off to Washington for our mostly annual Oregon Beach trip.  This will be the first uber long drive with Naomi.  9 hours without stops (so, 10.5-11 with them) the first day.  Then a few days later 7 hours without stops (so, probably 9 with them) to the beach.  Then 7 hours back to Washington some days later, then I'll split the trip home (by myself) by stopping in Boise, then heading the rest of the way home (by myself) the next day.  All in all I'll be gone for almost 2 and a half weeks.  We still don't know if Jaren can join us at the Beach.  I sure hope so, because that's a long time for him not to see his baby.  Or babies.... :)

But I'm really excited about spending so much time with family.  And nervous because Naomi seems to have some sort of phobia of children.  Not all children, but lots.  And people she doesn't know.  I'm hoping this will break her of it, because it drives me CRAZY bonker bananas. 

Oh, good news is she eats EVERYTHING.  She'll at least try everything and eats just about all of it.  She tried broccoli yesterday and seemed unsure of it, but still took a few bites anyway.  She still wont touch dolls or anything girly except necklaces and chapstick.  She loves anything with wheels and animals.  Hard or stuffed.  Mostly stuffed dogs.  Still loves Dora, Bubble Guppies, Baby Signing Time and her favorite song will probably always be Wheels on the Bus.  Oh, and I'm her favorite person.  Still :)  I kind of love it.  And I don't think I'll ever teach her the word, "Mom."  I like the sound of, "Mama" too much.  I hope she's 16 and says, "Mama, can you make spaghetti tonight?"  Or, "Mama, Jameraqui asked me on a date Friday, can I go?"  Or, "You know hot pants went out of style in the 90's, MAMA" 

One thing that's nice about burning hundreds and sometimes thousands of calories 4-5 times a week is that I eat whatever I want and I never gain more than a few ounces, only to lose them the days I run.  But I still can't figure out why I still have more stuff in the love handle region now than I did before I had Naomi and I'm running like a crazy person.  I'm just hoping that someday I can find a way to get that to go away.  Probably not till after the next kid.  Oh, and no babies coming anytime soon.  We keep decide to wait to start trying.  Lots of different things.  I just hope they are less than 3 years apart.  We'll see, though.  Can't say I'm too disappointed when I have a headache that makes me want to bury myself in a glacier and I can take Excedrin.  Like today.  Which is why I'm writing this, because I'm mad hopped up on caffeine.  And now I'm off to switch and fold laundry. 

Toodaloo!