Kitchen and baby update

WELL...

We have officially put off doing the kitchen until after the baby....YAY! I feel like I can breathe a little easier now. We're moving our new cabinets and appliances to my aunt's basement (thanks a BILLION times Aunt Sharon) and Neil is going to refinish our existing cabinets and do some cement counter tops (which I am REALLY excited about). You know me...I am not one that likes a lot of different variables and I'm not one to like things that do not move in a somewhat organized flow--so Neil and I decided that this would not be a good time to renovate an old kitchen. WHEW!

I had my 25 week check up today...little Adalei is doing great. Today was the first time I was able to see the doctor that delivered Layla and he is such a riot. He came into the delivery room with Layla looking like they just pulled him out of bed and talking in incomplete sentences. I thought it was the early hour, but today...better hair, but still some crazy mixed up sentences. The good thing--he is a runner....and avid one at that. He is running the Marine Corps Marathon in the fall and has plans to qualify for Boston. SO I was really able to talk to another runner and doctor about my runs.

When I told him I was still doing 12 mile runs, his eyes told me what I dreaded hearing...TOO MUCH running. Well, he wouldn't tell me NOT to run that much, but he did say that I have to be really careful because over the next month, little Adalei's blood flow needs will double (and my ability to supply those needs won't change that much). SO, because running requires more demand for blood flow to my body and hers--and her demands will be greater even when I'm not running...I will have to back off to about 8 mile long runs. He joked that he would make out a written doctor's note if I needed it--to make me feel better. HA! He is a runner, indeed.

SO, I think I'm going to try and squeeze in another 12-13 mile run and be a good listener and scale it back to 8 miles. I've already thought, "hum, well if I'm just doing 8, then I can do some speed work and make them 8 faster miles"....I AM SO STUBBORN--one of the many many areas in my life that I have been focusing on and praying about for months. I'm getting better with my hubby, but I have a long way to go in other areas :-)

OH and baby name is officially....

Adalei (pronounced AdaLAY) Grace Broere the first :-)

I think she'll like it...

Extreme home makeover--kitchen edition

Dad and I finished another 13 mile run last night. It was a nice night for venting our political frustrations--well mostly dad because it was all I could do sometimes to squeeze out an "uh huh". We ran fast last night....8:08 minute miles (yes dad, I was so curious that I calculated it on runnersworld.com when I got in last night). It was the first run thus far where, by the 12th mile, I could really feel the weight of this belly. I'm guessing my abdominal muscles just got tired on me...that's all I can figure. It was the most strange feeling. I wasn't sure if I was going to wet myself or tip over face first...hahahaha. Looks like I'm going to be investing in a belly band--especially for those long runs.

Little Adalei is still enjoying them, as far as I can tell. She lets me know she had fun by kicking me for the entire night following those long runs. Seriously--dad and I finish up around 10:30 pm and she doesn't stop until around 2am.

SO-big week at the Broere house....

Neil is getting started on the kitchen--finally. I'm not a nagger...never have been, but I have been biting my tongue for about 2 weeks regarding that kitchen. You see, the new cabinets and appliances that are going into the kitchen are currently housed in our old bedroom (interesting) because I didn't want to spend money on storage and Neil and I have been up in the spare bedroom (which will now belong to Adalei) for months. In order to get Layla to a big girl bed, because we need her crib for Adalei, I have to get our bed back downstairs, the crib in Adalei's room and all of Layla's new furniture moved into her room. Its like Chinese checkers over here, guys. AND Layla is dying for us to paint her room pink and purple. So, I picked out a lovely shade of Sassy Lilac for her new "big girl" room and am going to suck it up and look for pink accessories. Can you tell that I LOATHE pink...LOATHE it. Mom says I loved it when I was Layla's age--must have been an awkward age for me or something? :-) Anyway, thank God for a capable husband and a willing family. We are truly blessed to have so many family members and friends asking to help out.

So for the next week, we'll be loitering at my parents while Neil does the demo on the current kitchen. I'm praying that all goes as planned and there are not major bumps in the road. But, with a sweet little house that celebrated its 75th birthday this year, I'm thinking its not going to be easy. Even installing new toilets has proved challenging for my o-so-talented husband. I guess that's what happens when rooms aren't quite square.

AND, my classes start back this week. I'm having a hard time getting geared up for teaching government this semester. I can't tell if its that I have other, more interesting things on my plate or if its the knowledge that its going to be AWEFUL difficult to hold back on my opinions this semester. Time will tell, I guess.

Oh yes and update on Layla--

After a hard couple of needy days at the beach, I think she is finally getting back to her normal self. She played upstairs in her room yesterday for about 20-30 minutes without me--I consider that a success after the last 2-3 weeks. She even went down for bed last night without begging for my presence via "one more hug" and "one more kiss"--"mommy, I need YOU...I need YOU right now". I was very proud of her...and happy my heart wasn't being yanked in a different direction than my head. We'll see what today holds--I'm praying for more moves in the positive direction :-)

What happened to Ms. Independent

LAYLA:

She is communicating so well now...I am constantly surprised by what comes out of that little mouth and enjoy a pretty good laugh on a daily basis as well.

She's been going through a really strange stage lately that I think is pretty normal but it tears me apart. She's always been SUPER independent and has never been one who required a ton of my attention. Lately though, she's been stitched to my side (which I kind of enjoy right now). She cries when I leave and when I'm not here if she happens to wake up before I get back from a morning run. She wants me with her in gymnastics--even though she doesn't pay me any attention.

What I really think is happening is this: I feel like at this age, she has started to experience some real independence with the potty and with doing things (like gymnastics) on her own without my help and without me around. And while she loves being independent, I think it is a little overwhelming for her and probably a little scary. In my mind, I'm comparing it to when I left for college and how I wanted so badly to be back at home for the first couple months.

Fortunately since she's our only one right now, I'm able to arrange my schedule so that I minimize my time away from her and make sure that I'm here when she wakes up. I'm also learning a lot in toddler gymnastics, like how to walk like a crab and do a proper front roll. I hope I'm not making her rotten, but I really feel like this is a temporary stage where she needs me to be predictable and she needs me to be present and more importantly she needs me to encourage her to do things on her own. We are now on week 2, so we'll see how temporary this is :-) I may be soliciting help with a rotten child in a few months...

BABY:

She's growing and moving like crazy. In fact, she wakes me every morning at 5:15 for our morning run with some very strong kicks to my ribs. Its funny--the other day I was determined to sleep in and run in the afternoon but baby girl was so persistent that I crawled out of bed and answered her call to go out for run. I think it must rock her to sleep or something, because I swear she's addicted to it. I think the first thing I'll buy her is a sleek pair of running shoes :-)

RUNNING:

I almost gave it up last week due to some CRAZY round ligament pain. Its getting incredibly taxing to even finish a 7 mile run. I feel heavy and lethargic until about the 6-7th mile. Which makes 5 mile runs sort of hard, but strangely enough 8+ mile runs easier. I am starting to feel the weight of my belly when I run and am going to look into a running skirt with some support. I'm hoping to maintain my 12 mile long runs for a least another month or two before I start cutting it back to 8 or 9 mile long runs. I'm hanging on ad hard as I can...and trying to prepare myself for the time when I discover that I have to do more walking than running. Hopefully that won't happen until my 8th month :-)

Finally, Neil and I have started making a point of doing devotions together each morning and we are learning so much about God and about each other. I can't wait to fill you all in on the things that God is doing in our lives, but for now it'll have to wait...I heard my laundry buzzer go off 10 minutes ago and if I don't hop to it, I'm going to have a nice little pile of ironing to do.