Couch to 5K

Yet again I have been inspired by the blogging world - Thanks to Laura and my hair dresser I am now on the Couch to 5K program! I am bound and determined to get my old body back, the one I had before babies - minus the sagging boobs and stretch marks (but we will take care of those later) and needed a challenge to get motivated. Well, I think I have found the ticket - I absolutely hate running, maybe because I don't know how to do it properly... Never have I enjoyed it, but I do know its the best way to get into shape, tone your body, and doesn't require me attending a gym since I don't have a whole lot of extra time these days - I can just run outside, even with my babies if needed! So this program - on paper - is PERFECT for me, as long as I stay motivated. Well, today I started the 9 week program - Not going to lie, I felt like throwing up a couple times, but I did finish the 25 minute workout. This morning, I buckled the kids into the jogger and started down the path behind our house - didn't realise what a windy day it was until I was pushing a double jogging stroller with 2 kids, up a hill, running into the wind - Nothing like a little resistance training on the 1st day! There is a reason I hate running, and that's because it is hard, not quite as comfy as the Eliptical - but for some reason I am optimistic and excited to see if I can really learn to run and actually enjoy it as a workout which hopefully will get me the results I am looking for. Although, I am on a look out for a running path that stays at one elevation a bit more - found out today just how "hilly" our neighborhood is! I have hired Shannon as my teammate, whom I hope holds me accountable and has thankfully signed up for a 5K with me, so I actually have a goal to work towards. That's right I am signed up to run in the Anthem Turkey 5K in Broomfield, Thanksgiving Day - hopefully I will be able to finish the race and then I can stuff my face with turkey afterwards- PERFECT! The marathon is in exactly 9 weeks, so I better stay on track. Wish me luck...

Family Pictures

My mother-n-law absolutely LOVES pictures! And with our family growing, I thought it might be nice to start taking family pictures every year for all of us to enjoy as we watch our little ones grow up and for Sandy to always have! It was a PERFECT day for pictures on the CU Campus, which is just an absolutely gorgeous backdrop for pictures. The session went quite well given we have three kids all under the age of 2! Ashtyn proved to be difficult as usual. She wanted to pick up sticks, acorns or play chase more then smiling or posing for the camera - hopefully the photographer was able to capture some good shots! At one time we were sitting on some steps and the photographer asked Ashtyn to move down a step and over a little and she responded very sternly "I sit right here!" and would not move! Why is she so stubborn? - the terrible twos have officially entered our lives - WELCOME!

The family picture above is only a "Preview" of our several shots, but the rest should be posted soon to view - www.bdawsonphoto.smugmug.com/family

When we got in the car to head home we asked Ashtyn if she had fun and she replied "That was quite an adventure" - Matt and I just looked at each other and had to laughed - it definitely was an adventure! Thank you to my beautiful family for taking the time to create pictures we will cherish forever - Love you all!

Love me some Country...

This year Matt and I celebrate our 30th birthdays! It was always my plan to take Matt to a concert for his 30th birthday since he loves music so much - especially country. So on Saturday afternoon we headed down to Fiddlers Green to watch Brad Paisley in concert with our friends Shannon and Kole! Matt was quite a trooper given the fact he had his Vasectomy surgery the day before - I bought the tickets before realizing this - whoops! We still managed to have a GREAT time like always - even with a little confusion about the concert start time. I thought I had bought tickets to a show that started at 4:00 and so we planned on attending the show and then head to dinner afterwards! Well, I was totally wrong - apparently there was a pre-show at 4pm and then the main show would start at 7:30! Change of PLANS! So we set our blanket out, had some beers and waited a couple hours for the show to start!

Even though the night didn't go quite as planned we had a GREAT time! Enjoying a night away from our kids and enjoying time with our best friends ever! It was also a perfect Colorado evening to watch a concert - which by the way was awesome! Along with Brad Paisley we got see Darius Rucker, the lead singer from Hootie and the Blowfish, so it was a nice surprise to hear all their old hits along with his new country songs. Thank you Shannon and Kole for joining us to celebrate Matt's birthday and of course for "going with the flow" since I have seem to have lost my brain! Happy Birthday BABE! Can't believe you are 30!

Mommy of Two

For the last 3 months I have experienced being a mom of 2! I LOVE being a mom - there is nothing more rewarding then raising a child, but nothing prepares you for the changes your life undergoes. I always blog about my babies and what new things they are learning or what they have accomplished and I thought I should reflect a bit on what I have come to learn about the reality of being a mommy for two...

1 - Bathroom Breaks. I will never or maybe for a long time ever enjoy going to the bathroom by myself. I always have one or the other with me, and most the time the door is open so I can talk to them while going about my business. Going to the bathroom in public is so much fun now with a talking 2-year old let me tell you - the whole bathroom knows our business by the time we leave.

2 - Multi-tasking. I have become an excellent multi-tasker! I think every woman is born with this ability, but it is definitely perfected once you have children. It seems whenever I am at home I am managing at least 3 things at one time. At one time, I have successfully fed the baby, read a book and went to the bathroom all at the same time!

3 - Time Management. I ALWAYS feel like I am rushing! Every where I go - to work, to the grocery store, to the mall, to parties - it doesn't matter I am always behind schedule and RUSHING out the door - hence the 2 speeding tickets I racked up this past week - Yikes! I really do try to have a schedule in tact, but inevitably there is something that puts us behind - whether it's when Eli decides to poop just after being buckled into his car seat, or Ashtyn decides she wants to take her bunny with us and it is no where to be found! I wonder if every mother constantly feels "out of control" - I sure do, I guess there will just never be enough minutes in the day, but I really need to learn to slow down or my license will soon be taken away!

4 - Housekeeping. This is probably my biggest battle - my house is constantly a MESS! I grew up in a home where it was required to be clean, so I naturally have that instinct to keeps things in order. Well about the time Ashtyn learned to crawl the idea of a "neat and clean" home flew out the window. And now with 2 babies it is almost impossible - 3 if you count my husband! I feel like all I ever do is clean up toys, wash bottles, do laundry and finally when I feel done - it's somehow a mess again! I used to love when I could spend the day cleaning my house and see the pretty vacuum lines in the carpet - now, they are gone in a matter of seconds! But what I have learned is to lighten up a bit and just enjoy playing with my kids - there will always be a home to clean and organize but my babies are only little for so long.

5 - Sharing. For anyone that knows me, I never share my drinks, food, chap stick, ect with anybody ESPECIALLY kids because I have this fear of slobber that makes me sick to my stomach. One time Matt licked the ice cream off of Emily's ice cream cone when it was melting and I about threw up! Well, I have come to reality that slobber - of my own children - is not so bad. How could I ever not have an "open" mouth kiss from Eli or share a drink with Ashtyn when she is thirsty - even with a bunch of slobber pouring out of their mouths. Licking a Popsicle after they have slobbered on it may be where I draw the line, but I am sure eventually I will be challenged to overcome that fear.

6 - Patience. This is something I pray to God every night for, and thankfully he continues to deliver. I am one whom never has patience for anybody - I am a horrible teacher because of my lack for patience, I get very irritated with people FAST! Well, having babies has forced me to learn the art of patience, and for some reason with them, I can do it! I am not saying I don't have days where I feel like I am going to lose it, but for the most part I try to give my children my undivided attention and help them in that moment of need. I still have to constantly remind myself when I am trying to get dinner ready and Ashtyn keeps asking me to read a book, or get her markers, that it will only take a minute of my time and will put a BIG smile on my baby's face. Teaching Ashtyn to do certain tasks has also been good therapy - it's amazing to watch her learn, and all it takes is a little bit of time and help for her to learn something new. I am sure this will always be a rough area for me, but hopefully with God at my side I can do it and enjoy every minute of my babies.

7 - Sleep. Matt and I talk about this all time, about how we long for the day when we can sleep in till 10 on a Saturday morning! I am not a morning person, so waking up early is extremely challenging. Honestly, I thought when you had kids your body automatically switched to being able to wake up at 5am and be happy - well with me not so much. I will admit, my children are excellent sleepers, but I always feel exhausted and always think the alarm clock is wrong when it goes off! It's even worse that alchol now serves as a sleeping pill for me - one margarita and I am out! I think this is just a reality of having babies and eventually, maybe, sleep will become more consistent, but for now I will figure out how to live without it!

8 - Nap Time. I LIVE for nap time or bed time! I know that sounds horrible to say, but honestly I do. When I know there is going to be a brief break from the insanity I get very excited! And even though it only lasts for an hour or so, I really enjoy my time alone. To just have peace and quiet is a lovely welcome, and for just a moment I feel like a real person again! What did I ever do before children is a question I constantly ask myself - how boring life must have been!

9 - Disney Channel. Oh the Disney Channel is my best friend. I am not going to lie, I use the TV to buy some time so I can get chores done around the house or just take a shower. Thankfully my babies LOVE their TV time. I do make sure Ashtyn watches shows where she can learn a little something, and she has been learning a bit of Spanish from Dora - it's so cute to hear her say "Hola!" or she can say "Rojo and Verde". I am sure this will become more of an issue when they get older and homework needs to be done, but I will deal with that as it comes...

10 - Unconditional LOVE. I don't think any mother knows how much she can possibly love a child until she has her own. I LOVE my babies more then I could ever express. I will do anything for them and will never miss a moment in their life. It kills me already that I work three days a week, and miss the things I do, but I will be at every concert, sporting event, school event or anything else they do because I love them so much! I am so excited to watch them grow and lead them to become amazing people. It will be challeging - but so WORTH it!

Swim Little Fishy, SWIM!

Ashtyn has been telling me for months "Me take swim lessons there mommy?" Every time we drive by the Erie Rec Center, which is every day since we live right next to it. I have been avoiding the question due to my circumstances of 1st being pregnant and then of not wanting to be in a swim suit. But then I got to thinking, how great it would be to have something just for her and I to do together, so I finally got us registered for swim lessons for the next 8 weeks! Ashtyn was so excited when I told her - she has been asking me every day since if it was swimming lesson day, and finally on Saturday morning she was just beside herself with excitement! We are still enrolled in the parent tot class since she is not three yet, but I was very impressed with how advanced she was compared to all the other kids. I guess all that swimming this past summer really paid off! Ashtyn already knew how to blow bubbles, kick her legs and paddle through the water, and of course was a pro when it came to jumping in! So really the only thing she has to learn is going under water and off to the next level she can go! We have the next 8 weeks to work on that! Her most favorite part of the class was when we got to sing the "Wheels on the Bus" - which is her favorite song ever! She even sang all the words and did all the motions! I was so proud of her in the water - she reminds me so much of me and my bother and how we lived in the water when we were younger. Couple more years and she will be on the swim team! The picture of her makes it look like she didn't enjoy herself - but she actually got very MAD when we had to leave - hence the sad face!

Happy 3 Months!

Eli is 3 months! Once again it amazes me how fast time flies - he will be walking before we know it! The third month has been filled with advancements as he continues to discover the world and all his appendages! He has officially found his hands and loves to suck on them. He bats at his toys on his swing, bouncer and car seat - he also likes to talk to these toys. It continues to amaze me how vocal he is! He is always talking, singing or cooing at someone or something - its absolutely adorable! If you talk back to him he will seriously carry on a conversation like he has so much to tell you. He's starting to grab for things like hair, familiar faces and his paci! It's so cute to watch him try to get his paci in his mouth, which usually he is pretty successful at. He has gotten much stronger, holding his head up all by himself now and can stand on his feet when you hold him. We've started putting him in his Bumbo, which he likes for about 5 minutes and then I guess he exhausts himself, because he screams till he is taken out and then falls to sleep!

He SMILES all the time - something I love the most about him! He smiles at just about anything and has even let out a couple giggles - once when I made a monkey sound or when I kiss his neck! I can't wait to hear him full on laugh. Eating is getting better - Thank GOD! He still has no consistent schedule, but he will consistently eat about 20 ounces a day which is a huge improvement from where we were a couple weeks ago. He actually gets excited now when he sees his bottle - what a great feeling that was! Things that he still is not real fond of are: lotion, he screams when I lather him up! mirrors, when he sees himself in the mirror on his car seat he gets the "pout" lip and whines! and when people sneeze, again he gets the "pout" lip and cries! It's kind of hilarious, but still breaks my heart to see such a sad face. Eli is definitely growing - not sure if he is putting on any weight, but he has definitely gotten longer. I had to put him in 6 month jammies, because his feet were scrunched, but they swim on him because he is still so tiny around his tummy. I think he is going to be a 6' baller!

I love, LOVE this little boy and I still can't believe I have him in my arms! I am trying to enjoy every minute of him and get in as much snuggle time as I can, because I know how quickly that goes away. My favorite time of day is when all 4 of us get into Ashtyn's bed and Matt reads books before we tuck them into bed. Eli lays right beside Ashtyn and actually follows along - I sometimes just stare at my beautiful children and Thank God so much for blessing me with such an amazing family!

Rockies Game

On Wednesday, Nana, Kevin, Ashtyn and I headed down to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play the San Diego Padres! It was a beautiful day and of course Coors Field is always an enjoyable experience! Last year when I took Ashtyn, she loved it, so I thought she would enjoy it just as much if not more this year - well she was very excited to get there. Especially when we got to ride the bus from the parking lot to the stadium. But half-way through the 1st inning she said in her famous words "Ready go home mommy!" Well I was able to get her through the third inning before having to buy some dip-n-dots to pass the time for her. She ended up making it through the entire game with some fussing here and there, but I am sure in her little world it seemed like an eternity. I on the other hand enjoyed myself - the game was great and watching Tulo play is very exciting! The Rockies won - they always seem to play well at the end of the season, so hopefully they will make it into the playoffs! None the less it was a fun day and it was great to finally enjoy a day with just Ashtyn - maybe something we should do more often. Go Rockies!

Sleeping Beauty

Ashtyn LOVES to play downstairs in our basement - it has become her little getaway! I always check on her sporadically to make sure she is ok and the other day I found her like this...


This is why kids make life SO much fun! What would I do without her! I love you Ashtyn!

Labor Day Parade

For as long as I can remember I have been going to the parade in Louisville every year for Labor Day. We sit in the same spot every year and watch the same firetrucks, cars, school bands, cheerleaders, floats and horses go by. I of course had to introduce Ashtyn and Eli to the same ol' tradition. So we headed out this year to the same spot right across the historical museum, sitting with the rest of our family and watched the famous parade go by. Ashtyn had tons of fun this year being able to share in the candy fun - she would wave to everyone thinking they would throw her candy and when they did she would run after it! We got a ton of goodies from the parade - even a soccer ball!

This picture is so precious to me - I remember every year enjoying the parade with my great grandma and now my kids get to experience the same. I hope they will learn to love their Mimi as much as I do...

The four older cousins - they were so great helping Ashtyn get candy!

Labor day came and went very quickly - but we enjoyed the day hanging out with family and then getting to just enjoy a quiet day at home resting. Now it's time to enjoy the beautiful Colorado FALL - my favorite!

Go BUFFS!

It's football season again - YES! And along with football season comes FALL! One of my most favorite seasons of all - I don't know what it is, but I do love fall in colorado. We started the Buff season out by attending the Pep Rally on Pearl Street along with Nana and Papa Labor day weekend. Ashtyn was much more interested then last year and would clap to the music and dance a little! Eli did surprisingly well considering how loud it was - he actually slept through the whole thing - Amazing! Given I am a band nerd at heart I always enjoy watching them - so I asked Ashtyn at the end if she wanted to be in the band when she got older and she said with no hesitation "NO!" which Matt then laughed at! I guess I will just represent the band all on my own...

Couch Hawkins walked right by us and tried to give Ashtyn a high five, but she refused as usual!

We had a great time marching down Pearl Street with the band cheering and singing the fight songs. It's so fun to be apart of these traditions and share them with Ashtyn and Eli! I can't wait till they are old enough to take to the games. The Buffs played great on Saturday beating my college alum the CSU Rams! Let's hope they have a good season... Go BUFFS!