The little dude is eight weeks old! It’s hard to believe but I’m okay with it. There are a few things I’m loving about eight weeks. One, he doesn’t seem as cranky. Two, I can sort of differentiate between his various cries. Three, he’s starting to coo, gurgle, and smile. These things all make it easier to swallow when he’s screaming at us. He’s at least giving us occasional positive feedback for our efforts. He has, however, started spitting up. I’m not sure where this came from or why, but it’s stinky and annoying. I’ve resorted to bibs. It saves me from having to change his clothes six times a day. I have a lot of bibs. And they’re easy to wash.
The other awesome thing about eight weeks is that I got to go for a jog. Oh sweet Jesus, just the thought of running made my day better. Jon was off today so we cut a deal. He watches Owen during my jog and I watch Owen when he goes for a bike ride. Deal. And that’s team parenting! Go team! And for this momentous occasion—my first run in almost six months—I got new running pants. And they arrived in the mail yesterday. It was fate. Nothing motivates you for a jog better than cute new running clothes. I ordered two items from Athleta, the bare to run knicker and the cuteness capri. Sadly, the cuteness capri is going back due to an unfortunate issue with the leggings not staying up. Damn. They were so cute. But oh so annoying. So back they go. But I digress. The bare to run knicker, though, was a winner. And they accompanied me on my first post baby run.
It was a glorious 55 degrees and sunny. Perfect. My new running pants were awesome, Sam was decked out in his sweet harness and was clearly ready to start jogging again. I started slowly on a gradual uphill and felt pretty solid. Looking at the big billowy clouds over Mammoth Mountain, I remembered why I run. Even though I haven’t properly slept in weeks, I had energy that I haven’t had since Owen was born. I felt healthy and fit. Hello endorphins. I’ve missed you. I kept running. I had anticipated needing to stop, but for some reason, my body was cooperating and I kept running. Down the hill, through the neighborhood, my legs and lungs kept working. I didn’t have any goals, just running. Up and down hills, I didn’t stop until I got to the top of a particularly troublesome hill. I stopped for about 1/2 block and walked. Then Sam and I finished with a sprint up hill to the condo.
Today’s total? Not as impressive as this story. Two and a half miles, thirty-one minutes. I’m not winning any races with that time, but I did feel pretty good about it. It was a confidence builder for sure. I can get back in this saddle and it won’t be so bad. A few more and I’ll feel good enough to tackle pushing Owen in the chariot for these outings. I’m going to keep my “goal” at 2.5 miles for now. The mild pain at my incision site says that I need to keep working up to longer jogs. But I’m feeling solid. I’m managing mommy-ing, and something as simple as a successful short little jog has given me confidence to keep pushing the legs and lungs.
The FinnWin Family Adventures 