Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The 12th month

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Brecken!!!!

Wow, does time fly when you are having fun! It is hard for me to grasp that Brecken is already 1 years old today, August 7, 2011! It’s been one heck of year! And one heck of a month for that matter!

This twelfth month as been filled with so many amazing milestones! We are so proud of how well Brecken is doing and thank God every day!

Baby Brecken Highlights:

• Walking Machine- Although she still needs assistance, she is a walking machine. Around the house, the yard or the park, Baby Brecken loves walking and running all around with the help of me, Rob or her cousins. She is so close to walking solo, but likes the security of a hand or her push Dora Car.

• Crawling- Brecken started crawling at the beginning of July. We were making dinner one night and Rob looked in the living room where he had placed her with some toys and he didn’t see her! He quickly started towards the living room, but there was Brecken, crawling around the corner to the kitchen to come see us! Now she rarely stays in one spot for long. She is always on the move!

• Pointing- Brecken reaches and points to the kids in the neighborhood and dogs on the bike path. She loves watching and playing with kids and animals.

• Clapping- Brecken started clapping in the 10th month, understanding the word, sound and motion in the 11th month and now she knows when to clap like at the end of stories, games and dances. It’s precious!

• 1st tooth- July 21st her first bottom tooth popped through!

• 2nd tooth- August 1st Brecken started cutting her second bottom tooth.

• 1st knock- Brecken can knock on the windows while she looks for birds and trees outside.

• 1st self feeding and 1st cheerios – Brecken now prefers to feed herself and absolutely loves cheerios!

• 1st boat ride- Brecken had her first boat ride this month on Nana and Papa’s boat. Although the life preserver was so big and bulky, she couldn’t move all that well, she still seemed to really enjoy being out on the open water, especially the wind!

• 1st real swim- Brecken had her first real swim in Freeze Daddy Ron’s pool with her cousins Olivia and Lilly. She loves the water!

• Full conversations- Although we can’t understand her just yet, she does have full conversations with us, her toys, her cousins and the neighbor kids. She loves talking and uses so much expression already!

• 1st bike of the whole path -40 miles! – With heat and humidity finally easing up at the end of July, Brecken and I were able to ride the whole bike path. We often stop home for a quick snack and diaper change after the North Branch, then we ride to Little Generals Ice Cream, eat, play and change a diaper again, then we finish the South Branch and ride all the way home. She naps and plays in there and we have a blast.

• Squealer- When she is around little kids, she gets excited and tends to squeal like her cousin Lilly.

• Motorboat for motor cycles- If I say, “Brecken, what sound does a motorcycle make?” She will make her motorboat sound!

• Sit and spin- She does this cute thing where she’ll sit on the kitchen floor while playing with a toy and then spin herself around with her feet. It’s pretty funny.

• Pull out and put in- Brecken is into pulling out toys and putting them back into her toy baskets.

• Open and close- She is also interested in opening and closing everything from kitchen cabinets to bathroom drawers to the freezer doors at the grocery store.

• Throw and bang- Brecken also loves to throw toys on the hard kitchen floor to hear the loud bang they make. With repetition, she’ll flinch before the toy even makes the noise.

• Jumpin’ bean- Brecken loves to jump and splash in the tub with Daddy’s assistance. She cracks up and gets water everywhere.

• Dancin’ Machine- Brecken loves to dance. Her favorite song is “Here we go” by the Fresh Beat Band. Anytime she hears it, she gets super excited and looks for me to pick her up so we can dance around to it.

• Her favorite toy this month might be her little people. Our neighbors passed on tons of little people figurines, toy houses, a tiny car wash and a little restaurant. She has a great time playing with all of that.

• GI complications- The only bad news is Brecken’s GI issues. We still are not sure what is bothering her stomach, but she is extremely gassy and especially at night. She wakes herself up from the discomfort. I’ve tried eliminating various foods since May and we still can’t seem to figure it out.

Coach Kel update:

I am having so much fun with Brecken every day. But this month had its challenges. The heat and humidity kept us inside for several days and that made Brecken cranky and me miss some runs. And with Brecken’s desire to either be outside or walking around the house, that meant less time for me to get work done. So it’s been tough to keep up with everything, but we are trying to enjoy each phase.

I am proud of my running. Although it’s not easy, I have hit some huge workouts, gotten faster and gained a lot of my strength back. I have lost most of the weight too finally! For more on my training and racing, check out the blog section called “Coach Kel’s training and racing.”

I continue to see the dermatologist regularly as each time I get punches, more have to come out. So far, the major surgery can wait until the fall though! I’m going to continue to remind you all to wear your sunscreen and see your dermatologist every year! Make sure you spread the word!

Well, we made it through the first year of Brecken’s life and it’s been pure heaven every day. She truly is a gift from God! We are the “3 musketeers” and we are truly blessed!

 

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 08/09/11 at 05:21 AM
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Sunday, August 07, 2011

Happy Birthday Baby Brecken

Brecken’s 1st Birthday!!!

Brecken wondered why everyone was starring at her and what the heck this thing was sitting in front of her.

Trusting Mommy and Daddy that this homemade, allergy free, carrot cake was for eating as it sat on her high chair table top, she thought the best way to taste it was to go in mouth first!

Being a neat girl, the messy first bite lead her to move to finger eating. She especially enjoyed the texture of the creamy frosting.

All in all, she did agree, Mommy’s carrot cake was much better than the normal fruits and veggies she eats! 

What a special day! Baby Brecken, we love you!!!!

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 08/07/11 at 06:00 AM
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Thursday, July 07, 2011

The 11th Month

It’s amazing to think Brecken is 11 months old today, July 7, 2011 and her first birthday is just around the corner! This month has been so much fun. I can’t believe how great life is with Rob and Brecken every day! 

The big news this month is Baby Brecken is on the move wanting to walk everywhere! Other exciting news is Mommy is back racing with Brecken and Daddy on the side lines and Daddy celebrated his first Father’s Day and we took Brecken to the airport to see all the planes daddy loves to fly! June and the start of July have been filled with tons of days of sun and fun! We continue to be out on the path nearly every day, riding and / or running! Lathered up with sunscreen and avoiding peak hours, we are still getting out there! Brecken chats away and plays with her toys in the bike trailer and wiggles her toes in the breeze in the running stroller. She loves it outside! We are blessed!

Baby Brecken Highlights:

• Walking- So at the end of this 11th month Brecken started walking with assistance. It began with holding her under her armpits and in encouraging her to walk across the living room. She rapidly progressed to walking laps around the house. I quickly moved to the hand grasp and she adapted within an instant and is moving to taking a couple of steps holding onto the couch or just 1 of my hands. She loves it and insists on walking everywhere now!!

• Kicking the ball- Brecken may become a great soccer player. Along with picking up walking this month, she can walk and kick a ball! She actually has great ball handling skills. I can’t believe her coordination. If the ball gets into a corner or even behind her, she can stand on one leg and retrieve the ball with the other foot and get it moving again as she holds my hands. I’m amazed!

• Waving- Brecken had her first wave in the 10th month and now whenever Daddy comes or goes she proudly waves by lifting her hand in the air. She also likes to wave to the kids in the neighborhood and dogs on the bike path.

• Clapping- Brecken started clapping last month but now she really understands the word, the action and the sound. I was riding my bike on the trainer doing a Spinerval DVD and she was bouncing next to me, not looking at the TV, she heard Troy clap and cheer for the cyclist and she started clapping. Ever since, every time she hears clapping, she joins in and every time we say “yea,” she starts clapping. Even when I was telling my mom the story while pushing Brecken in the jogging stroller, she heard me say clapping and she started clapping. I think that is pretty amazing!

• Imitating- Brecken is having fun imitating more and more sounds and actions. She can repeat several sounds and the basic words of Dada, Mama and Nana. 

• Her funny thing this month is her motorboat sound. She started the lip pucker last month, but now she’ll just be playing away and motorboat sounds come pouring out of her lips. We crack up!

• Her new words/sounds this month are Mama, Mama, ma and Nana, nana, na. She totally associates Dada with Daddy, but I don’t think she has Mama for mommy just yet.

• Brecken is enjoying rocking on her Tigger rocker and her airplane rocker as well as being pushed around in her Dora car. She sits up with her head held high and smiles proudly!

• Brecken continues to pull up on everything and seems to prefer standing over sitting sometimes.

• She is still really into ceiling fans and talking. She babbles all the time!

• Her favorite toy this month might be her books. She happily turns the pages by herself and talks as if she is reading. And when we recite some of the story rhymes when out and about, she totally knows that is from one of her story books. She lights up and smiles. We also use this when she starts to fuss in the bike trailer or running stroller. We can recite about 10 of her favorite stories and she enjoys the rhymes. It puts her at ease and we can finish the workout.

• Brecken gets so excited when she sees something she wants, she reaches for it and goes…”umm, umm, umm!”

Coach Kel update:

I can’t say I’m totally training, but I am doing some local races and it’s been so much fun. So now you can follow my training and racing back at the blog section called “Coach Kel’s training and racing.”

Well, we are almost through the first year of Brecken’s life and I’m more than amazed at how fast it’s gone and how quickly she is developing. I thank God every day. We are the “3 musketeers” we are truly blessed!

I’m going back to the dermatologist in July for more punches so please do keep me in your prayers for good news to come back from the lab! I’m going to continue to remind you all to wear your sunscreen and see your dermatologist every year! Make sure you spread the word!

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 07/07/11 at 01:12 PM
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Tuesday, June 07, 2011

The 10th Month

Brecken is 10 months old today, June 7, 2011 and she is growing up so fast! With tri season in full swing, it’s super busy here and we are having so much fun! The weather is finally improving and we are taking advantage of it! I’m so thankful for the bike path, the running stroller and the bike trailer. We are out there every day it’s nice!

Well, this month was special as I celebrated my first Mother’s Day and perhaps the biggest highlight of this month was a family reunion in Pittsburgh, PA! Rob’s whole family converged from the East Coast, West Coast, Colorado, Ohio and PA to meet up and tour the Wissolik’s old stommin’ grounds. Rob’s Dad and Aunt were able to visit places from their early childhood and everyone was able to meet Baby Brecken and cousin, Baby Wyatt. It was Brecken’s first trip to Pittsburgh as well and we enjoyed touring the downtown and being with family. Although this might not be the best age for travel, we persevered. Brecken is really going through separation anxiety this month and wanted to be held by mommy the whole time. She did sit and play well with Wyatt, but whenever anyone went to pick her up, she cried and reached for me. I felt terrible, but I’m sure this is a quick phase and she’ll be running into other’s arms in no time!

Brecken’s personality continues to strengthen and she knows what she wants. She continues to reach and dive for toys, she’s rolling more than crawling, standing well and cruising with a little assistance. She enjoys playing ball, waving, clapping, imitating basic sounds and even lip smacking. It’s precious.

Daddy continues to do well at work and EFC is growing rapidly. As new athletes come aboard and everyone is racing on the weekends, it’s not stop action and fun! Although we might be turning into walking zombies, we are having a blast and couldn’t be more thankful! 

The only major setback this month was trying to wean Brecken from her Zantac. Oh my! She was not ready. We slowly tapered the dose based on the Peds recommendation, but all of a sudden she started getting super fussy in the evening. She was flopping like a fish when we put her down to sleep and then when the belching started, I resumed the Zantac right away. We had one super rough week as her reflux raged and we awaited the medication to heal her esophagus and take effect. I’m so glad to report she is feeling better and doing great once again!

Baby Brecken Highlights:

• 1st wave- Brecken had her first wave this month. We have been waving good-bye to daddy when he leaves for work and hello to everyone we see in the neighborhood and she did her first unassisted wave this month! Now she raises her arm to say hello all the time. She can even spot daddy from afar!

• 1st clap- Brecken started clapping this month. She loves hearing the sound her hands make when they come together and smiles brightly. She continues to pat her legs too and enjoys the slapping sound!

• New Sounds and noises- Other new sounds this month are lip smacking and motor boat. She’s learned how to blow out with relaxed lips and makes a motor boat sound. It’s absolutely hilarious!

• Imitating- Brecken is starting to imitate more of our sounds and movements. Her lip smacking and her “AHH!” is my favorite.

• Brecken continues to kiss everything! From baby dolls, to pictures of kids and animals in her books, to her cousins; she is such a love!

• Brecken is sitting up so well that we are putting her on her rocking toys and she is having fun being perched on top of her Tigger rocker and her airplane rocker playing music and smilingly proudly.

• Brecken is pulling up on everything! She’ll pull to standing on her toy bins and anything she can for that matter. She identifies toys she wants and goes for them. And she loves banging on the windows and even licking the glass.

• She is really into ceiling fans, talking to herself in the mirror and using toys to talk into like it’s a microphone.

• Her favorite toy this month might be her Noah’s Ark shape sorter. We often save it for evenings and pull it out when we are eating our dinner so that we can eat in peace. She amazingly always finds her Giraffe!

• Brecken continues to smile and look for approval, but when she wants something, she will push other stuff, including people out of her way to get it. From hands to faces, to toys and spoons, she’ll push her hand up and move in for what she wants or push things she doesn’t want out of the way. It can be very funny! But, we do remind her to be gentle as she can be quite a brut!

Coach Kel update:

As mentioned in the last post, I stated, “For the first time since before I was pregnant, I can honestly say, I’m back in the saddle, literally and figuratively.” I am riding my Ceepo on the CompuTrainer nearly every day and running with Rob and Brecken about 6 days a week. I am not training per se, but just trying to bike and run consistently and see if I can race a couple of Olympic Distance races this summer. 

I continue to enjoy mountain bike rides with Rob and Brecken on the weekends and I’ve ventured out on the path with just Brecken and me a couple of times to get Ice Cream. I’m so thankful for the awesome bike path by our house and 2 different Ice Cream stops right off the path!

I feel strong on the trainer, but haven’t been outside on my tri bike. I am getting faster and starting to add in intensity to some of my runs. I’m still carrying some extra weight, mostly in my belly. I know it’s bad, but I just haven’t had the time to focus on core work and the c-section has surely taken a toll on my abs! I did try Triathilates a couple times with Brecken. I think she thinks it’s neat to see mommy on TV, but after about 5 minutes, she wants the real thing and is no longer interested in watching me on the big screen which means no more core work for me!

I continue to worry about new moles and I’m constantly scanning my body when playing on the floor with Brecken. I go back in July, but praying for this to be over – at least for a while! I still am on a quest for more information on melanoma and have plans to put together some stuff on the EFC Blog to help create awareness. I look back at the days I used to bake in the sun and even use a tanning bed now and then; I can’t believe I didn’t know how bad that was for my skin. I wish I could take that all back! Well, I’m going to continue to remind you all to wear your sunscreen and see your dermatologist every year! Make sure you spread the word!

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 06/07/11 at 07:14 AM
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Saturday, May 07, 2011

The 9th Month

Brecken is 9 months old today, May 7, 2011 and for the first time since 2009, I’ve been able to really ratchet up the intensity in training!

The month of April and the start of May have been filled with EFC and family fun! Although the weather hasn’t been the best, we are trying to get outside every time it’s nice! Brecken loves being outside and seems to really look forward to stroller rides and sitting on a blanket watching her little cousins play. As a matter of fact, the highlights this month just might be Easter Sunday and my parent’s 39th wedding anniversary. On Easter Sunday, the whole family was out shooting hoops, kicking the soccer ball around, pushing the little ones in toy cars and watching the older ones ride the motorized 4-wheelers. It was great! Then, on May 6th, my parent’s anniversary, they picked up Olivia and Lilly from school and came over to play wiffle ball in our yard. What a hoot it was watching my parents run bases and have some great hits at 59 and 60! After sitting on the sidelines and cheering for the first ½, Brecken and I decided to hop in on the fun. I strapped her in the Baby Bjorn and to the plate we went! Even the neighbors jumped in on the action!

The truth is Brecken and I do everything together! We are really never apart. From sleeping to eating to running, Brecken is right there with me every step of the way! The good news is she goes with the flow. The not so good news might be her separation anxiety. Brecken is really attached to mommy and she won’t really go to anyone else but daddy. Separation anxiety is normal at this age as babies between 9 and 12 months begin realizing cause and effect and who mommy and daddy really are. The Peds and many dear friends assure me she’ll get better and not to worry, but others say I just need to leave for an hour here and there. They say yes she’ll cry but then she’ll learn you’ll come back. Well, I’m not ready to walk away from her tears yet so instead, she’s just coming right along with me! The only time we’ve been apart is when the weather isn’t conducive to take her for a run. Then Rob will stay back and I’ll go for my run. So the truth is, she’s always been with me or Rob. I do think by the time she is 1, we’ll be able to have her stay with family and friends for quick bits and not long after that, she’ll be running into everyone’s arms, not just ours!

Brecken’s personality continues to strengthen and she really knows what she wants. She reaches and dives for toys, but isn’t really crawling yet. She can’t seem to get up and stay up on her knees. I think it’s due to all her baby fat in her legs! She is rolling, starting to pull up on things and she can walk across the room with me holding under her armpits. Before long she’ll be on the move herself!

Daddy is doing great back at work with Rudolph Libbe and we are into a nice routine. Although tired, we are having so much fun and couldn’t be more thankful!

Baby Brecken Highlights:

• Brecken loves to play! She is so happy just banging away at her toys and talking up a storm! Her favorite toys this month seem to be things she can spin and toys that talk back. She enjoys flicking and spinning toys and adores anything with a face. She absolutely loves her baby dolls and her talking puppy. Not only does she kiss them as soon as she sees them but she really lights up and gets so excited when she sees them, even from afar! She’ll shake her hands in anticipation and once they are within reach, she grabs them and pulls them in for a kiss!

• Brecken kisses everything! From her cousins, particularly Lilly, to her stuffed animals and toys. She is especially into kissing her puppy, her Tigger rocker, her dolls, and Rob and me. She is a cuddlier and puckers right up to lean in for a kiss. It’s more than precious.

• Brecken loves to stand. I think she may skip crawling and go right to walking! She is not crawling yet, but I can tell she is getting frustrated with not being able to get around herself. She’ll hop a little on her bottom, dive and reach for toys, get into the crawling position and then push backward, but not forward yet. She’ll also roll around the living room with a toy in hand.

• She has 2 funny things this month – the head shake – especially in awe of the fan and – the chest dive. When on the floor or in bed, she’ll look up at the ceiling fan and shake her head back and forth and crack up at the fan. She’ll do this in the jogging stroller sometimes too! She’ll also imitate us when we shake our head and say, “No, no, no, no.” When she is hungry or looking for comfort, she’ll face dive right into my chest to snuggle and give me a squeeze.

• She is rapidly developing a little personality and talks loudly to her toys, family, friends, Rob and me, and even the TV! She says things like “Dada Dada, baba baba” the most. Even a “mum mum mum” when she eats and she gets really loud when she strings together “ahhhs” and “yaaas.” She is surely not a soft spoken kid.

• Brecken is such a happy baby and smiles all the time. Her smile is so big, her little tongue curls up, eyes widen and her whole face brightens. Her eyes are stunning and capture everyone’s attention wherever we are. She holds good eye contact, observes everything closely, intensely pays attention and tries to figure things out. She even gets mad and frustrated when she can’t do something.

• Brecken is a “Summer Girl” as she loves to have her feet and legs out. No more sleepers, pants or socks for this little one, she likes to be free! She loves pulling her socks off and sitting up and patting her legs making a clapping sound. In the jogging stroller, she loves having her toes hang out of the blanket and flaps them around in the breeze.

• Baby Brecken loves her bouncies. I have 2 different ones down by my bike, both with farm animals and one “Jimmy Johnson” car upstairs that I can pull around the house with her in it to put away laundry and keep her safe in the bathroom when I shower. She absolutely goes nuts jumping, swiveling and playing, always grinning ear to ear!

• Foods this month include the introduction of wheat. We’ll grind up whole wheat noodles, break apart homemade, whole wheat bread and put wheat germ in her yogurt. She also has tried and likes chicken, watermelon, prunes, apricots, blueberries, melon, spinach, black beans and pinto beans. So far so good on it all!

• She continues to put on weight and is in 12 month plus clothes as well as in 4 moving to 5 diapers because her thighs are so thick!

• I think she is so focused on playing that she is having a harder time falling asleep and sleeping in. In turn, she gets a bit crankier because she’s over tired. So getting naps in has become my key to success!

• She continues to squeak toys on her gums but no teeth yet.

• I think she may have seasonal allergies like me. She is sneezing a lot and rubbing her eyes but nothing is really slowing her down.  She is always on the go!

Coach Kel update:

Well, for the first time since before I was pregnant, I can honestly say, “I’m back in the saddle,” literally and figuratively. My new routine of working out during Brecken’s first nap is paying off and I’m substituting intensity for volume. I used to love to just ride and do the Elliptical in Zone 2 for hours. For me, exercising relives stress and the Elliptical provides time for me to catch up on reading and I just love to ride my bike. But now, with limited time, I’m focused on working harder and smarter. I may only get 30 minutes to workout, so every other day, I make my workouts very hard. I’ve never been able to push this hard before and my watts are much higher than ever before. I’m looking forward to getting outside and even racing a couple duathlons this summer to see where I am on the bike.

Running is going okay. I’m consistent but not fast. Part of it is due to the intensity on the bike, by the time I do get to run in the evening, my legs are usually fatigued, plus 90% of my runs are with Brecken in the stroller.

I’m also enjoying mountain bike rides with Rob and Brecken on the weekends. Our new Chariot bike trailer for Brecken is amazing! I’ve done a couple rides, with just Brecken and me as well. We just stick to the awesome bike path by our house and we can ride 16 to 40 miles with ease and no traffic!

I’m still carrying some extra weight, but I continue to slim down and put muscle back on. So things are good overall. We are on top of the melanoma so far. After my third surgery in April, it brought the total to 7 wide local incisions and over 20 punch biopsies. Although, I am not out of the woods yet, it looks like I might be able to wait until fall, go under general and get about 20 to 25 all taken out at once. I now am more diligent than ever in wearing sunscreen. I put it on right after the shower and reapply when we are out in the sun for long periods. I also am trying to avoid the peak hours.

I still am on a quest for more information as my case is highly unusual. I don’t have a family history and I’m only 33 years old. So if anyone has any information on causes of multiple melanomas in a young person, please let me know! Perhaps it’s due to my autoimmune issues? I know pregnancy can increase the amount of moles, but apparently there is no data that supports an increased risk in melanoma.

Well, wear your sunscreen! See your dermatologist every year! And let’s catch up at the races this summer!

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 05/07/11 at 04:57 PM
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Thursday, April 07, 2011

The 8th month

I can’t believe Brecken turned 8 months today, April 7, 2011. After having our first child, everyone we met and everyone we’d see always said…”It goes so fast!”

I believed them, but I didn’t really understand why everyone said it. Well, now I do. It’s so true! It is amazing how quickly Brecken is developing and how rapidly she grows!  Just a couple short months ago, she was so tiny she looked like a baby doll and now she is little person with funny facial expressions, tons of movements and she’s even developing her own personality.

Brecken has nearly quadrupled her birth weight in 8 months! She is still petite with her clothes on, but upon diaper changes, her chubbers are revealed.  She seems to carry her baby fat in her thighs! We joke about it because she’s really fatting out of her clothes. We’ve had to make some clothes runs and search high and low just for sleepers with really wide legs!

Although we didn’t travel in March, there were some big changes this month. The biggest for Brecken was a new schedule as Daddy got a job as a project manager for a great local construction company, Rudolph Libbe. Although she seemed to be looking for Daddy the first couple of days, she adjusted well and actually the new schedule has been great for all of us!

Baby Brecken Highlights:

• Brecken easily sits and plays by herself and talks to her toys. She loves books, her new toy truck, her new toy kitchen and her Baby Einstein Mobil.  The workbench and Jimmy Johnson car are still among the favorites.

• Brecken can stand with a little support. When pulled to seated, she’ll then come all the way up to standing and she can hang on to her Jimmy Johnson car and hold herself up for about 10 to 30 seconds.

• She seems to prefer drinking water from EFC Water bottles and real cups over baby bottles and sippy cups.

• Her funny trick this month is her squirmy wormy. When sitting in her chair for breakfast or dinner, she likes when Daddy shakes his head saying “No, no, no…” and she’ll light up and shake her whole body back and forth. We crack up and she does it even more.

• She continues to be chatty catty and is saying “Dada Dada, baba baba and lots of ahhh and yaaas.” And she still loves being the center of attention! She’ll talk up a storm when athletes are over as she wants to make sure we are paying attention to her. She also seems to have fun smiling with and talking to her stuffed animals and toys. Our favorite is watching her play and seeing her reach for a toy and topple over.

• Baby Brecken loves the pool! Her first time in the pool was Sunday, March 13th after a swim clinic. She had so much fun so we’ve put her in the water after each swim clinic and then at her cousins water park birthday party. She loves the water and the kids. She splashes and giggles and even puts her lips and the tip of her nose right in the water.

• So it seemed Brecken did not like Green Beans or broccoli. Upon her first several spoonfuls of both vegetables, her lips puckered and her eyebrows crunched down. It was so cute. The good news is, I waited a couple of weeks and re-introduced green beans and she actually loves them now! I’ll give broccoli a try again soon! On the opposite spectrum, Baby Brecken’s favorite food just might be mangos! She absolutely goes crazy over mangos, it’s hilarious! Other new foods this month include peaches, melon, yogurt, cottage cheese, plums and even steak!

• Unfortunately she got another bad cold this month! I think it’s because we’ve been having her little cousins over a lot more and they keep passing stuff back and forth. Poor Brecken woke up one night and puked all over. She soaked through her clothes and the sheets. It was heart breaking. On top of a GI bug, she was hacking, coughing and filled with congestion. We continue to pump the Humidifier all night long and I’m still the nasal aspirator nazi.

• Brecken loves kids, particularly her cousins. She watches them play intently, reaches for them and loves when they play with her.

Coach Kel update:

So I left off on my last post that I was going for more punch biopsies and praying for good news…well, it wasn’t good news. I have 4 more for sure and most likely 8 more incisions coming up. I have 3 surgeries booked starting April 15th. The same week I received the reports back from the dermatologist, I ended up getting Mastitis. Of course at first my mind started racing…oh no, maybe I have breast cancer, the melanoma is in my lymph nodes…silly I know, but in the moment, I’m sure many can relate. It took 2 rounds of antibiotic, but finally that cleared up.

The news from the dermatologist surely overwhelmed me and sent us on quest for more information and understanding. I tried not to worry, but deep down inside I did. I worried every night while lying in bed...I worried that we’d miss something and all of a sudden I wouldn’t be here for Brecken and Rob. I know it seems silly, but I thought about missing out on Brecken’s big events like high school and college graduations, finding a perfect partner like I found with Rob, getting married, having a baby…it was a whole new thought process. I am looking forward to growing old with Rob and enjoying all of these precious times with Brecken.

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say, I don’t even think of myself first or even second. I only think of the effect things would have on Brecken and Rob. It’s kind of amazing how much Everything changes when you become a parent.

Well, the good news is…we did the research, we spoke to so many different people and we learned a lot. We are blessed to know so many amazing friends who were concerned and able to offer good advice and information. It helped ease the worry. I made appointments with my primary care, had blood work done, a chest x-ray and even met with a great oncologist. The lab work and chest x-ray came back okay. I do need to see a hepatologist as the liver enzymes are a little high. Thereafter, I’ll check in with the OB and the eye doctor. I had no idea melanoma can be found in the retina! Well, we are learning a lot and very thankful the dermatologist is catching this stuff early! I can live with more scars. Sure it will be a bit of a hassle, but much better than the alternative.

On top of this emotional roller coaster, Rob suddenly got a job and started working full time! I must admit, I did freak out upon the initial call with a start date less than a week out from the call, but, I’m proud to report, the transition went smoothly and this is really a great thing!

I quickly found a new routine and it’s working out very well! Rob and I wake up at 6am, start breakfast, I catch up on reading on the Elliptical for a quick 20 to 30 minutes, I finish making breakfast, we eat and Rob heads off to work. I then get as much work done as possible until Brecken wakes up. She is so happy in the morning, after I change her, she plays by herself and I do some laundry, a little more work and then I make her breakfast. At her first nap, I get my workout in. The time varies but I can usually get 30 minute to 1.5hrs in on the bike. If she wakes up, I’ll cut up a pear, put it in her fruit sucker and place her in her bouncy next to the trainer and she’ll bounce, suck away on her pear and watch Coach Troy while I finish up my ride. Then she plays in the bathroom while I shower. Next up is lunch and then the rest of the day is work a little, play with Brecken, work a little, play a little, clean a little… The bonus is on the nicer weather days, when Rob gets home, we’ll put her in the stroller and go for a walk and run. Several evenings have been filled with EFC Run Clinics and our weekends have been very busy with EFC kids clinics, swim clinics and races. Oh, and family parties too! So, I must admit, there are days where we are so exhausted, we just end up making dinner, getting Brecken to bed, working until we crash and then we head to bed too.

Overall I think things are going well. I’m super proud of how well Rob is doing at work and how smooth the change has gone. My only complaint…well, I guess it’s not a complaint, it’s more like something that bothers me, is my inability to be the Queen of Follow Through and Follow Up like I used to be. I would never let an email go unanswered for more than a day, 2 at the most. And, I’d always check in frequently with family, friends and potential athletes. But honestly, I just can’t keep up now. I am giving it all 150% but with the focus on taking care of EFC Athletes first and the 100 to 150 emails I get every day, I am just not able to respond as quickly and check in as often.

Other than that, I’m happy with how well our athletes are doing and all the success we are having with our EFC clinics. I’m also happy with my consistent training and looking forward to some local Triathlons and Duathlons this summer. I’m also super excited to use the best birthday present ever – the new Chariot CX2 bike trailer that converts to a double jogging stroller! What more could I want as a new mom at 33 years old?? Thanks Rob, you are the best!

Well, it was a crazy March and start of April but Sunny days are ahead and I can’t wait to get out there with Brecken!

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 04/07/11 at 11:44 AM
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Monday, March 07, 2011

The 7th Month

Brecken turned 7 months today, March 7, 2011. I can’t believe how big she is getting! I feel like she is growing right before our eyes! Her looks are really changing and her actions and movements continue to get more refined. She can reach and move for toys and I can tell she can really see more detail as she’ll go for smaller objects or particular points on a toy or clothing. I think she really likes the EFC logo.

Well, February was surely a busy month with Brecken’s first trip to Ann Arbor to meet up with Athletes Andy and Jenny as well as have pizza with Athletes Jenn and Jay. Brecken also had her first trip to Indy. We had a USA Triathlon Regional meeting in Indianapolis and although Brecken had her first real cold, she did great! She especially enjoyed the commotion at Buca di Beppo after the meeting.

Throughout this month we are continuing to introduce new food. We are using the food grinder and the fruit sucker to prepare fresh fruits and veggies. She is a great eater!

She continues to be our little cuddle bug and loves to snuggle. She is a happy baby and her huge smile and bright eyes are a little bit of heaven every day.

She is really having more and more fun with her cousins. Olivia 9, Lilly 4 and Derek 20 months, come over a couple times a week and all the kids play. Brecken really loves little kids!

Baby Brecken Highlights:

•Brecken is sitting up all by herself!

•Brecken had her first sip of water and drinks from a regular cup

•She got to 10 on her toy workbench. She bangs away at the “screws” and works all the way up to 10!

•She is really into her big Monkey stuffed animal and loves touching soft things from the carpet to our fleeces and even her Baby Touch and Feel book.

•She goes to town in her Jimmy Johnson car and bangs the heck out of her rings in there. She also enjoys sucking on apples and pears while sitting in there.

•Her funny trick this month is her gum squeak. She’ll take a toy, put it in her mouth and rub it back and forth on her gums and it makes a squeaking noise. We crack up and she does it even more.

•She loves to talk too! She is stringing more sounds and syllables together and loves to be the center of attention.

•Food this month include yams, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, peaches, zucchini and squash along with rice cereal and oat and barely cereal.

•Unfortunately she got her first real cold this month. It was heart breaking. She was hacking, coughing and filled with congestion.

Coach Kel update:

This month was so much better for me personally. I found a new routine that worked out very well! I’ve tried various things from waking up super early to workout to trying to get a workout in super late after the baby was down…but nothing was working to become a sustainable plan. However, this new system is working great! We now all wake up together, I change the baby, we make breakfast, we feed the baby, we eat our breakfast, and I work while Rob plays with Brecken. Then at her first nap, I get my workout in. I get 1.5 to 2 hours to warm up on the Elliptical, go for my 30 to 35 minute run and get back to spin my legs out on the bike. If the baby wakes up before I’m done, Rob feeds her lunch.  Then I have the rest of the day to work and I’m much more energized and focused.

I’m starting to get excited about the possibility of training again. If I can keep this up, I think I can easily race some local Triathlons and Duathlons. Will see…but it’s just nice to start to have my abs come back again! I am still nursing but the intro of real foods has made things so much easier. I noticed that my milk supply went way down at the end of January but seemed to really increase mid February. I think a big part is just relaxing and not being so stressed about it and the other could be keeping on the extra body fat. Well, so far I’ve been able to store a lot more so we can begin weaning soon!

Overall, things are getting a lot easier as Brecken can go for longer stretches entertaining herself and I’m in a better groove with consistent workouts. The only downfall ahead is I go back to the dermatologist tomorrow for four more punches. I’m praying for good news.

Posted by Coach Kelly on 03/07/11 at 08:10 PM
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Tuesday, February 08, 2011

The 6th Month

So we celebrated Baby Brecken’s ½ Birthday yesterday  and just returned from her 6 month appointment today. Brecken is now 24.5 inches long coming in at 10% on the growth charts and up from 3% at her 1 week appointment. She’s 15lbs 13 ounces weighing in at 50% up from 3% at her 1 week visit. She is doing awesome!

The month of January has been filled with so many milestones. We are in awe of how quickly she is growing and developing. She is heaven on earth and each day with her is a true blessing!

Although I must admit, we are terribly inefficient; we continue to give 110% to EFC and to Brecken. Instead, our house is always a mess, workouts are often cut short or skipped and we rarely get out. Alternately, we keep Baby Brecken moving right along with us and are happy to work from home. From Bike Fit weekends, EFC clinics and one on one sessions at the house, to the Team Toledo Expo, Brecken goes with the flow, usually strapped to me in the Baby Bjorn and smiling all the way! EFC is off to a strong start this 2011 and we are cherishing every moment with Baby Brecken.

Baby Brecken Highlights:

• She knows her name. A simple call to her and she looks up with a huge smile!

• She is aware of sounds and where they are coming from. She looks in the direction of where the noise is emanating from and is recognizing regular sounds such as the ice machine, the coffee grinder, the vacuum and the CompuTrainer.

• She loves and seeks attention and approval. When playing or eating, she constantly looks up at Rob or me, looking for approval and/or personal attention. She wants to know one of us is focused on her at all times. She is starting to entertain herself for short periods of time and is reaching for toys and scooting with assistance, but she seems to prefer playing with someone. She has so much fun being around us, she even delays falling asleep some times by “talking.”

• She’s turning into a little “Chatty Katty. “ She will string together various syllables and sounds and talk for several minutes at a time. It’s super cute.

• She is able to turn the pages in her books. As we read to her daily, she has learned how to turn the page with her left hand. Although now she is mostly interested in “eating” the books, as everything goes in her mouth at this stage, she surely seems to enjoy the colors and rhymes of the stories too.

• She is nearly sitting by herself and she is able to roll over side to side. We think she has strong abs too because she’s always doing ab crunches in attempt to sit up!

• We increased her rice cereal to once every day and started introducing more food this month. Brecken loves bananas and carrots so far and has a blast when her cousins, Olivia and Lilly feed her. She is really into watching us eat as well. She stares at each spoonful of oatmeal and each drink from the cup. She even recognizes the banana and reaches for it. Because she’s so into food already, we have given her rice cereal from a cup and she happily drinks it like a “big girl.”

• Her favorite toys this month include her Jimmy Johnson bouncy car, rings, workbench, piggy bank and stars. We also love the bumpo chair and the baby Einstein gym.

• Our two favorite Milestones this month are…

o Belly laughs – Brecken started giggling this month and then she’s dropped some all out Belly Laughs. She just cracks up at Rob or me when we dance around making dinner. The first time she started belly laughing, she got us laughing so hard we were crying! She reminds us of the E-trade baby.

o Kisses – We call Brecken “cuddle bug” because she is a cuddlier. She loves to hug up on us and snuggle to sleep. Well, this month she started the most precious new thing upon waking from naps. When I go into pick her up from her nap, she’ll grab my head with both hands and pull my face right to her mouth and she’ll “kiss,” well slobber, all over my cheek. Then she pulls herself away and beams with an ear to ear smile. It melts my heart!

Coach Kel update:

Well, I thought it was going to get easier…but I’m hearing from others, it’s the first year that’s the toughest. I’m not complaining, as I’m so thankful for Brecken, but I surely under estimated the change. I knew life would be drastically different, however, being the planner that I am, I didn’t account for many things.

I love being able to work from home, not need daycare and be with Brecken 24 hours a day, yet I can see where having an hour or two to myself or just with Rob for run or ride would be nice. I guess I assumed family would come over now and then and we’d be able to head out for a workout. Instead, Rob and I work really hard to try to tag team so one of us has the baby and the other can get in a workout. But, if the baby is sick, fussy or extra clingy, or something work related has to be done during nap time, my workout usually gets skipped.

I also didn’t factor in the weather. In August, September, October and even much of November, I was able to strap the baby in the jogging stroller or the carrier and at least head out for a walk. But this very cold and snowy winter has kept us inside. Instead of getting out and being more active, I’ve been sitting at the computer for long stretches and eating mindlessly to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning as it’s the most productive time where I can get a solid block of work done while the baby is asleep.

And being a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect from a hormonal and physical stand point personally. First, I’ve lost so much hair particularly this January that it’s been rather traumatic. Thankfully it’s seeming to ease up this February. I also can’t seem to find my abs! Since the emergency c-section, the nerves there seem to be “dead.” Add my extra layer of fat from the lack of exercise and too many calories coming in, let’s just say, I don’t look like my old self right now. Oh, and I can’t forget about the challenge of breastfeeding. I had no idea how much goes into it! It’s not like I can just go out for a run…now I have to not only time naps, work, feedings but pumping too!

On top of all that, I got more melanoma cut out of my quad and all the skin died around the incision. I experienced a lot of pain as it didn’t seem to heal and it prevented me from running and biking for 4 weeks! Finally, at the 4 week check up, the Dermatologist saw the wound and said that what happened was extremely rare, with odds of 1 in 2000! Figures, I get the weird stuff! I’m just glad we are catching this early! And I’m thankful I can run again without too much pain!

So this sure sounds like a rant and for that I’m sorry. The truth is, yes, it’s been hard. Emotionally I’m enjoying every moment with Brecken, but physically I’m not where I thought I would be. But God works in wonderful ways and one unique way He helped me continue to stay relaxed and not worry about getting back at training, is through an article I read. The article was published in USA Triathlon Life, titled “Family First” and was written by Olympian Barb Lindquist. If you are a parent, about to become a parent, or perhaps even a little reluctant to become a parent, I encourage you to read this wonderful article.

Not only was it a pure miracle to watch Brecken grow inside and to really embrace pregnancy, but every day I see the miracle of life in her! Babies grow so fast. We are so grateful to be here for each milestone. I’m oaky with 100% focus on Brecken’s growth and development right now. There is plenty of time ahead for me to “get back at it.”

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m so thankful for 30 minute runs! Going longer would be nice, and soon enough the time will be right for longer runs, bike rides and more. But for now, this short bout is all I need! I love coming in from the cold and seeing Rob carrying Brecken towards me, just glowing with excitement and reaching to give me a hug. She is amazing and I love being a mom.

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 02/08/11 at 02:52 PM
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Friday, January 07, 2011

The 5th Month

Wow, what an exciting month this has been! Brecken is 5 months old today, January 7, 2011! The first 5 months have gone by so quickly, but we are enjoying every moment with her and this year’s Holiday Season was extra special!

As I mentioned in the 4th month post, Brecken was “eating” her hands and drooling so much, we thought she was teething, but at her 4 month appointment, the Pediatrician said this was just a developmental phase. Well, she continues to eat her hands and anything else she can pick up and put in her mouth. She has found her thumb, but she seems to prefer fingers, fist and even both hands.

Brecken was 17 weeks old at her 4 month appointment, doing well and given the green light to add in some rice cereal since she could sit up so well and needed the iron from the rice. After getting her immunizations though, she did develop a fever that rose to 102 degrees in the following days and sure had us on high alert. After a couple of days the fever was gone and she was back to her happy self!

So during her 18th week, I read up on the need to add in rice cereal, since prior to the Ped visit, everything I read stated breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months was best. However, after further research, I discovered that at this age, in a breastfed baby, especially one born early, the need for additional Iron is important. During the 4th and 5th month, babies lose the iron stores from their mother and by six months of age, infants have depleted the storage supply of iron they had from birth. While iron in infant formula will help meet this iron need, the introduction of iron-fortified cereal is especially important for breastfed infants. I also read that babies this age should be nursing or drinking about 5-6 ounces 4-6 times each day (24-32 ounces) and will probably have given up middle of the night feedings (although some breastfed infants continue to have a feeding in the middle of the night). So it has become even clearer, why Brecken seems to be constantly eating and still eating during the night…because I seem to only produce 2 to 4 ounces at a time. So…she is eating more often to get what she needs.

Well, I was excited to add in the rice cereal as it likely would help fill her up a little more! So, Baby Brecken had her first rice cereal on December 18th and it was precious! The first several spoonfuls came right back out as she presented us with a confused look on her face. But, soon after, with our continued support, she began to swallow the food. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as messy as I thought it would be either. She really did great! So over the next several weeks we worked to give her the cereal every couple days and plan on feeding her rice cereal once a day throughout the next month.

Other Highlights this month…

Brecken is turning into quite the chatter box. We talk to her all the time and are always asking her questions and encouraging her to engage with us and talk to her “friends.” She not only has conversations with us during diaper changes, while lying in bed and during play time, but she’ll also talk to her friends, particularly “Whaley” and “Octopus man” in her Baby Einstein Gym, “Muley” in her swing and her new baby doll, Bella, when she plays alone. She is also enjoying her little singing airplane and new toys she got for Christmas. Aunt Leighan got this baby work bench that cousin Derek loved when he was younger. Brecken can push the screws so they light up and play songs, rattle the hammer and compress the drill press so it spins. She gets so excited and animated. It’s just awesome to watch her play and learn!

She is rapidly hitting milestones this month! Just over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after, we had 3 huge accomplishments. She crawled across her tummy time mat, with assistance of our hands to push off of, all while looking at herself in the mirror. Then she grabbed her flutter, butterfly teething toy and put it in her mouth. It was too cute! I also pulled her up from lying on her back to sitting and all the way up to standing, where she supported herself fully! And, she had her first sharing conflict with cousin Derek who is 18 months old. Brecken was playing with her new “Super Boom Box” that happened to be another favorite of Derek’s, so he came over to play too. Well, he walked over, picked it up and started running around with it. Brecken burst into tears and when Derek came back with it, she calmed down and starting smiling again, until he took off with it again. We all laughed as she is developing her own personality and really knows what she wants or doesn’t want for that matter! For instance, she was not into Christmas pictures at Portrait Innovations earlier this month. We took cousin Lilly who is 4 to help. She posed beautifully and tried to calm Brecken, but out of 70 pictures, we managed to find 5 or 6 where Brecken wasn’t screaming or crying in protest.

A couple other highlights this month include her love for reading and desire for attention. She sits in this little bumbo chair and Rob or I will read her anywhere from 3 to 10 books at a time. She can even turn the pages. It’s adorable! She can entertain herself for longer and longer periods now, but she really thrives on interaction. She lights up when she sees us and when we talk to her. She will be captivated for short moments with colorful shows like Sponge Bob and Dora, but we try to only use those when I am getting a quick ride in on the bike or some reading done on the Elliptical.

And the last exciting highlight of this month was taking Brecken to a Toledo Walleye hockey game. She loved the excitement and really took it all in, except for the very loud buzzer that blared when the team scored a goal. Kids are sponges and we can see Brecken absorbing everything. It’s absolutely awesome!

Coach Kel update…

So as far as how I am doing, well, things were really going well and I was progressing nicely with my running. I had built up from the November 30 to 40 minute runs and in December I was running 40 to 50 minutes 5 to 6 days a week. It was awesome! I actually enjoyed running on the path by our house in the cold, snow and ice with my yak traxs on my shoes, but then I had to get a chunk cut out of my right quad by the Dermasurgeon. So, although he is a marathon runner and understands my desire to get back to running as soon as possible, I did have to take 10 full days off from running at the end of the month and 4 total rest days. That was tough!

My biggest struggle is when I don’t get to exercise, I have less energy, eat more and actually get “lazy.” Lazy is not a word I would relate to myself normally as I am always doing something and I rarely lay around. But, by calling myself lazy, I mean, I just get tired, and instead of bouncing Brecken on the ball and doing ab work while stimulating her, I might just lay on the floor with her instead. Or instead of doing standing functional strength work while entertaining her or cuddling with her, I’ll just sit in the rocking chair. So, at least I am aware of this and hope to start 2011 off with more energy and discipline!

Unfortunately, we did find one more stage 0 melanoma on my right leg and I had that removed Wednesday. So as soon as I can get back to workouts and running especially, I’m confident I’ll be able to build up for some local 5ks, 10ks this winter and ½ marathons by spring!

As life is drastically different for us with Brecken, we are enjoying each phase. We are having so much fun getting our athletes off to an exciting start this 2011 and Rob is gradually getting back at running in prep for the Pittsburg marathon. With a fun year of baby milestones, family events, EFC camps and clinics all ahead, there is so much to look forward to! Well, here is to a great 2011 from our family and yours!

Posted by Coach Kelly on 01/07/11 at 01:15 PM
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Thursday, December 09, 2010

4th Month

Life with Baby Brecken is absolutely awesome, but I must admit, the 4th month was the hardest. Mostly because it was the busiest month so far! From our EFC training weekend:  Form and Fit, to our Chicago Business Trip, along with Papa’s Surgery, Daddy working outside and Thanksgiving, we were nonstop and Brecken moved right along with us!

The month started out with a bang as we rang in Daddy’s 36th birthday! Then it was athletes coming over for the Form and Fit weekend. After following up from all that fun, we were off to Chicago for a busy working trip.

Once we were home, we helped my Dad, “Papa,” recover from knee surgery. Rob worked outside for him while he rehabbed his knee and unfortunately I got some bad news about some spots removed at the Dermatologist. But, before we knew it, Thanksgiving was here and then the month was over!

Baby Brecken highlights this month…

Baby Brecken is really putting on weight and getting long! She is filling out nicely and we love playing with her “chubbers.” She loves diaper changes and she seems to really like hearing us talk to her in our high pitched voices during them! She also really likes all the books we are reading to her and even watching some Fox News with us. She is eating all the time still and dirtying more diapers and clothes than we could ever imagine! I think we go through about 2 to 3 outfits a day! She is almost out of her 3 month clothes and just about ready to move up to Pampers Size 2! It truly is amazing how fast babies grow!

Brecken loved the outdoors during the warm weather and still likes to be outside! She absolutely loves being carried in the Ergo Baby and we’ve ventured out for a few walks in the cold with her bundled snugly next to me. She surely enjoyed walking through downtown Chicago too. With all the lights and tall buildings, there was so much for her to see! But, overall we are definitely not walking as much as we used to since the weather is getting much colder.

Baby Brecken, without a doubt is a cuddlier though! She loves to snuggle up with Rob and me and she loves to be held. Although, she is around us so much since we work from home and one of us is always with her, she seems to be a bit shy and timid when it comes to others. We will have to work on that. Her cousins adore her and she loves them too! Many say she’s spoiled though. Well, the Ped says we can’t spoil a baby so we are not going to show any less love or attention. And honestly, we love the fact that she is our little cuddle bug!

Baby milestones this month…

At the end of the 3rd month, Brecken really started losing her baby hair. This month she is getting a fine “fuzz” all over her head.

She is so much more alert now. She is really into her hands and entertains herself for a good 5 minutes at a time. She also is really into her Baby Einstein mobile and Baby Einstein “gym.” We’ve named her toys and she reaches and grabs onto her favorites which include…Muley, Whaley and Octopus Man. We are also working with her to sit propped up with pillows and blankets and we surround her with her stuffed animal friends. She is not as into them just yet though. However, she surely has become so much more aware of her surroundings.

During the 14th week she really started noticing herself in the mirror and loves to look “at the baby in mirror.” The most exciting milestone for us is that she’s starting to talk. She strings together sounds, looks up at us to tell us what’s she’s thinking and she smiles all the time! She is such a happy! Her smile lights up her whole face and melts are our hearts!

In the 15th week she really increased the talking, especially during diaper changes. She smiles when we smile and talk to her and she’ll give us the lower lip and even a wail when she’s not happy. She’s definitely developing her own personality.

At her 4mth appointment, she weighed 13 lbs and was a little over 23 inches long. Once again the Ped said she was just perfect! The doctor and the nurse were impressed with “Super Baby” and commented on how strong she was as daddy lifted her overhead and flew her like an airplane around the room. She just loves “Super Baby” and we crack up as she leaves little drool spots all over the place as she “flies” around. She has been drooling and “eating” her hands so much we thought she was teething, but the doctor said not yet, it’s just a developmental stage.

We’ve been working on tummy time too and she’s scooting around a bit, but doesn’t really like staying face down. I suspect she’ll be crawling rather soon. Well, she is amazing and just tons of fun all the way around!

Coach Kel update...

Well, as I mentioned, it’s been the toughest month so far because it’s been so busy. Fitting in workouts was really challenging. With Rob working for my dad, me home alone trying to work and care for the baby, it left no time or energy for workouts. I did the best I could this month to get in something most days, but it was tough. My goal was 30 to 40 minute runs 4 to 5 days a week and then whatever else I had time or energy for, which was only a little Elliptical and a couple quick hits on the trainer. The new thing I’ve added this month is a bit of functional strength work with the baby. I’ll do some core and lateral strength moves while holding her and I’ve been using the stability ball more with her as well. That seems to really help me get some core strength back and she likes the movement. The trip to Chicago was tough as we forgot bottles so I couldn’t leave the baby with Rob. So I just relied on some walks with the baby. We were lucky the weather was mild.

With this erratic schedule and inconsistent training, I’m struggling to lose the rest of the baby weight and my belly is still pudgy. I’m giving myself until January 1st to be relaxed about it and then I’m going to improve by getting more disciplined with my eating. I’ve been eating way too much, especially snacky treats!

I’m not complaining, but I do really feel like breastfeeding is the hardest thing! Perhaps more so because I don’t produce a lot so it’s even more challenging for me? I know of other moms who produce so much more and can get on a schedule but I’m having a hard time and I think it’s because Brecken doesn’t get as much at one feeding so she eats so much more frequently than others? Well, I’m just thankful I can do this and that I can be with her all the time! I’m enjoying each phase!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 12/09/10 at 09:05 AM
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you had fun with family and friends! We sure did and we celebrated by cooking our first full Thanksgiving meal! Rob and I baked 5 loaves of bread in the bread machine (2 whole wheat and 3 ½ whole wheat/ ½ white). Upon serving up yummy, warm homemade bread, we also made our own stuffing out of some of it with celery and onions mixed in! For the recipe, checkout Kelly’s Kicthen on the website. Along with bread, we also made fresh cranberries, yummy yams and sweet potatoes with some marshmellows of course,  mashed potatoes, my healthy pumpkin pie squares (Recipe is also at Kelly’s Kitchen) and of course, the Turkey!

We have so much to be thankful for this year! The birth of Baby Brecken, health, fitness and sharing so many wonderful times with family and friends! It’s been an absolutely amazing year! We are enjoying every day and hope you are too!

Take time for yourself each day, wheater it’s a run, Triathilates or a spin on the bike, but take care of you first - then you can take care of everyone else so much better! That is one thing Rob and I truly believe in. We are working to tag team the care of Brecken and all that life brings each day, to ensure that we can take a short bit of time for something quick for ourselves. Just a short run makes a world of difference. I am so thankful for the little things! 

What are you Thankful for? Share your comments here!

 

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 11/30/10 at 08:34 AM
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Saturday, October 30, 2010

3rd Month with Baby Brecken

So I thought the 2nd month was busy, but this month has been even busier! I also thought it would get easier and more scheduled with the baby, but this has actually been the toughest month so far. I think the 2 main reasons though, have been due to the weather changing and the long drive to and from Colorado this month! Well, with so many exciting things to share during this busy month, it’s hard to know where to start! So, let’s begin with an update on how Baby Brecken has done this month.

First, Brecken is starting to sleep for longer stretches. The longest stretch she went in September was a couple of 4 hours segments, a 4.5 hour stretch and one 5 hour stretch. However, early in the month of October, Brecken began consistently going about 4 hours each night between feedings. By the end of this month, Brecken is seeming to settle into a pattern of falling asleep between 9:30 and 11pm, waking for a little feeding and diaper change just before we got to bed, then sleeping through the night with only 1 to 2 quick side lying feeds, 1 diaper change and then waking up between 6:30 and 8am for a full feeding and diaper change. The longer stretches of about 5 hours are really helping me because this month is when I really started feeling the accumulated fatigue from the lack of sleep.

The second exciting things to report are related to some more developmental milestones. As mentioned in the 2nd month post, Baby Brecken is a happy baby and once she started smiling, she hasn’t really stopped. So throughout this month we have been lit up with bigger and brighter smiles and even some giggles. Baby Brecken is starting to make sounds back when we talk to her and it’s absolutely amazing! In the 11th week she really starting recognizing her hands. She began starring at them and consciously putting them in her mouth and trying to find her thumb. She is really reaching for things and the Baby Einstein mobile that we hang over her swing and the Baby Einstein “gym” she can lay on, has really become popular. Even though she doesn’t really love tummy time we do encourage it and she is benefiting. She is getting stronger and able to push herself up to nearly 90 degrees in the push up position and she kind of scoots herself forward if you allow her to push off by placing an arm or knees behind her feet. Her head control is getting much stronger and it’s so much easier to pick her up and carry her around now. Plus, she’s filling out so well, she doesn’t feel so fragile. In her 12th week, we noticed she really is starting to grab, pull and hold. She loves to hold onto a finger or even a blanket. She seems to be able to grab for things and even pull a light toy or blanket. It’s so cute!

The only downside has been a couple minor colds that have continued to crop up. And, as a nervous first time parent, I feel like I’m always calling the Ped. So, on October 5th we took her in to double check on her cold but ended up combining her 2 month well check and immunization appointment since she was actually on up side of the cold. Well, she was up to 9 lbs already and despite the sniffles and a very low fever that she ran for a couple of days before the appointment, the doctor said she was doing just great! She then received her immunizations. Oh my goodness, that was one of the saddest things! Her tiny, dainty, precious little body took 3 big shots and caused her to scream but no sound came out. Her mouth was wide open and her whole face red, but nothing came out. It was absolutely heart breaking! I quickly was allowed to scoop her up and hold her tightly to my chest and then the cries poured out and even her first tears flowed down her cheeks. Her tiny tear ducts were now starting to work and it was so sad to see her in pain. The funny thing is, I was corresponding with a good friend who just had her first baby and she told me she recently took her daughter for her 2 month well check and immunizations and cried when she saw her daughter cry. So I told Rob and while in the doctor’s office, waiting for the nurse to come in with the shots, Rob was coaching me to stay strong and not cry. But once Brecken got the shots, it was Daddy crying and not Mommy. So I had to console Brecken and Rob! Well, despite a couple more colds this month, Brecken is growing like a weed, filling out nicely and overall healthy and strong!

So now I’ll shift gears and share some family updates. Well, at the beginning of October, we learned that Rob’s family was meeting up the weekend of October 16th at his parent’s new cabin in the mountains of Red Feather Lake, Colorado. After some discussion and a check in with the doctors, we decided to go for it and make the trip. We would drive 20+ hours with a 9 week old baby so that Rob’s whole family could meet Baby Brecken. Although it was a very long drive, it was so worth it! We left on Friday, October 15th and arrived in the middle of nowhere at 11:30pm Saturday, October 15th. Seriously, we were in the middle of the mountains! Our last stop was Cheyenne, Wyoming for pizza at 9pm. Once we entered Colorado, we realized we were heading deep into the mountains. After about 1 hour of driving on dirt roads winding up into the mountains, we arrived at a beautiful log cabin in the middle of the woods. When we awoke the next morning, it was like being in a picture book. Surrounded by trees and in the midst of bears, moose, elk, deer and even mountain lions’ habits, we were in awe! Not only was the log cabin absolutely beautiful but the mountain scenery was surreal. We enjoyed tons of family fun. Mike’s brother and girlfriend came in from California, Rob’s Aunt came in from Connecticut, Rob’s parents drove up from Lafayette and Rob’s sister and 4 kids drove up from Boulder. Baby Brecken was able to meet the whole family! The first meeting with her little cousins; 5 yr old twins Amber and Aiden, Irish twin 4 yr old Ashlyn and new baby 8 week old, Wyatt was truly amazing! It was so neat to have everyone together. While there, we enjoyed tons of stories, special memories, breathtaking hikes and millions of classic pictures. Although the kids seem to throw Brecken for a loop once again and she would cling to me when it was noisy, everyone had so much fun holding her and sharing in her smiles. And even though the travel threw all 3 of us out of sorts, we are so glad we did it! She’s just growing and changing so quickly; we are thankful for every day we share with her!

Well, onto another update about our adventures…this one is about our walks, runs and hikes. So, we obtained our longest walk so far this month, several epic hikes and even our first family 5k! As mentioned in the last posts, we have been building up our distance of walk/jogs. Well, this month we built up from 14 miles to a couple 16 mile walk/jogs, a 19 miler and our longest walk ever of 21 miles! It included some running here and there, but we were moving for nearly 4 hours! This month, our walks took us from our home, down the path, through Oak Openings Metro Park where we saw the tornado destruction and learned about the settlers passing through hundreds of years ago. Our walks also led us to the last days of the season at both Little Generals Ice Cream and Mr. Freeze too. We are so thankful that Brecken loves the outdoors. We have been enjoying the most beautiful fall with good weather and gorgeous leave changes! We’ve made up some new songs to sing while walking along the path as we enjoy the fall colors and the warm sun!

Our epic hikes were in the mountains of Colorado. Rob’s mom took us on the most remarkable hikes through winding paths and rugged terrain as Brecken was nestled warmly in my Ergo baby front carrier. Rob and I also enjoyed some very challenging runs while Grandma held Baby Brecken.

Our first family 5k was October 9th for Kaylee’s course. It’s a neighborhood charity event for a little girl who lives just a couple houses over. Little Kaylee has Progeria. For more information on Progeria and donating to a good cause, click here:  http://www.progeriaresearch.org/5th-kaylees-5k.html. Well, Baby Brecken ran her first 5k and won the 0-6 age group! So with trips to WI and Colorado already and numerous miles of walks and runs, our family is continuing to keep up with a busy lifestyle, that is for sure!

And so finally, I’ll share some highlights on how I’m doing…

Well, as I mentioned, this month has been the toughest as well as the busiest. Sickness played a role and perhaps the weather getting colder, the travel and the fragmented sleep too. All 3 of us have been a little more run down this month. Both Brecken and I struggled with sore throats and mucous for about 1 week earlier in the month. And later in the month, we got hit with some GI stuff. This month has been much colder too and the days are growing shorter, so the walks have really decreased. With work, family and travel, I’ve not been able to fit in nearly as much exercise either. I still haven’t been able to get consistent with anything. Sometimes I’m too tired to get up and get a quick hit in on the Elliptical and I’ve been way too tired to jump on the bike in the evenings. So instead, I’ve just skipped workouts. The lack of exercise and all the travel surely lowered my energy levels and slowed me down a bit. So this lead me to 2 weeks that included 3 full rest days in a row of no workouts - Oct 11th, 12th and 13th as well as Oct 25th, 26th and 27th.

Another bummer was my visit to my FP. I asked him when my uterus would ever go back down as I pointed to my incision and my flabby little stomach. Well, he said, “The good news is your uterus is back down, the bad news is, this is just your weakened abdominal muscles.” Oh my, that was a reality check. I guess I have to do a better job on getting back to my core work!

However, on a positive note, I enjoyed my first continuous runs and even some runs without the baby. My first continuous run was pushing Baby Brecken in the jogging stroller at the Kaylee 5k. Although I was slow, it felt so good to run for 3 miles straight! It was the longest time I consecutively ran since July! I ran the 5k in 24 minutes and it was the longest I had run without stopping since pre-baby. The jogging stroller we have is awesome. I cruised with ease.  It was kind of funny because as I shouted, “passing on your left,” most people could not hear me with their I-Pods on, but with Brecken screaming for the first mile and parts of the second, people would slide over when they heard her cries. Thankfully, when we broke away from the crowd in the last mile, she calmed down and finally seemed to enjoy it!

On October 14th, I went for my first run without the baby. It was only 30 minutes, but it was the first time I was ever away from the baby and the longest I ran consecutively. It was actually quite liberating. It felt good to run without pushing the stroller and it was nice to be at peace with the quietness of just me out there.

My first run with Rob and without the baby was up in Colorado at the cabin. At 8000+ feet of elevation and roads that only went up or down, I realized how out of shape I really am. Wow, that was tough but not too bad I guess for just having a baby 10 weeks prior. It felt so good to breath in the fresh, crisp air and it was so nice to be able to run with Rob again!

I also have been super thankful for my parents coming over about once a week in the evenings, so they can cuddle with Brecken and I can get a quick workout in on the bike. I’m just trying to keep my cycling technique up.

Overall life is great! Sure we worry about the economy and the direction of the country and sure I get stressed with my inability to fit it all in…but all I have to do is pick up Baby Brecken and then I am filled with joy and peace. I’m just so thankful for every day of life with the 3 of us!

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 10/30/10 at 12:20 PM
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Thursday, September 30, 2010

2nd Month with Baby Brecken

This second month has been a busy one! Baby Brecken experienced her first road trip, her first Ironman, met her Grandparents from Colorado and shared her first smile! Rob and I are having so much fun with Baby Brecken! We never knew life could be this good!

So, her 1 month appointment was on September 7th and the Ped, Dr. Jon said, “She’s just perfect.”

We said, “We think so too!!” She is so beautiful and healthy and for that we are so thankful!

At her 1 month well check, Brecken weighed 7 lbs and everything checked out in good health! Her Zantac along with positioning her upright for feedings, keeping her upright for 30 minutes after and keeping her a bit elevated when sleeping, seems to be helping the reflux. Although we have absolutely no schedule with her yet, we are managing to take advantage of the sunny, warm weather and get out on walks and jogs nearly every day! The fresh air and the motion seem to do the baby well and keep my energy level up too!

So Baby Brecken highlights this month…

Baby Brecken’s first road trip and first Ironman:  On Saturday, September 11th, we drove to Madison, WI to catch up with EFC Athletes at Ironman Wisconsin. Baby Brecken did great in the car! On the way, we only had 3 quick stops for feedings and diaper changes and no fussy fits! We were so proud to show her off Saturday night at Ian’s Pizza on State Street and all Sunday along the Ironman Course. For more details on the exciting adventure, click here:  Ironman Wisconsin 2010. After a busy day on the Ironman course supporting our athletes Sunday, we ended up on another adventure Monday afternoon in Madison. We were told there was a path that ran about 6 miles around Lake Monona, the lake of the Ironman Swim. With not a cloud in the sky, a warm 70 degrees and full bellies from Ian’s Pizza, we decided to push Brecken in the jogging stroller and walk around the lake. Well, 13 miles, 2 diaper changes, 2 feedings, an Ice Cream stop and 5 hours later, we finally made it back to the parking garage at Monona Terrace where we started!

So we surely were mistaken, as it was much farther than 6 miles around Lake Monona! When we started, we planned on about an hour and a half walk, but in the end, we just made it back before sunset! After an hour of walking with the lake seemingly much vaster than we first thought, we started asking people on how to get back to Monona Terrace. Although no one stopped to clarify, we started assuming it was much further than we initially thought based on the answers and directions to get back. At times we did grow concerned if we were going to make it back by dark, but we just focused on enjoying our time together. And even though we walked for over 3 hours with some jogging in there too, it was actually really fun! Somehow Rob and I always seem to make things an adventure! We were glad we had plenty of diapers and money for a snack! And thankfully Baby Brecken enjoys the outdoors!

Although she did amazingly well on the long drive there, all day out on the course and on the 13 mile walk on Monday, the drive home on Tuesday was a bit more challenging. Baby Brecken displayed her first act of protest  and it was really funny. After hours in the car seat, she grew annoyed and hungry. All our high pitched singing, baby talk, arm motions and attempts with the pacifier failed. As I sat next to her in the car and Rob drove through Chicago traffic, I tried to soothe her holding the pacifier in her mouth, but she protested by biting down on the pacifier and kind of grunting in aggravation. We felt so bad, but we were rather amused with her feistiness.  All in all, we had an amazing first road trip with Brecken and the best time sharing in her first Ironman experience!

Adjusting from the travel was also a bit challenging. Brecken was much fussier and started back to marathon feedings where she literally was attached to me nearly every hour of the day. That was tough but, we were glad to be home. And although exhausted ourselves, gradually we started back to our walks and runs. Brecken did come down with a cold as well the week we got home. That was heart breaking. Hearing her little whimper of a cry and not being able to console her was so sad. So after numerous calls to the Ped and me becoming the Nasal Aspirator Nazi, Brecken slowly continued to get back to “normal.”

Baby Brecken met her Grandparents from Colorado:  September 21st Rob’s parents came in town from Colorado. We had the most splendid week! The weather was amazing – 80s and sunny every day and the extra help was awesome! Each morning I was able to get a little Elliptical in while Grandma held the baby and Rob made steel cut oats and coffee. Each afternoon I took the baby on long walks while working in sprits of jogging here and there. The evenings were filled with healthy dinners, which often included Rob’s homemade canned tomatoes as pasta sauce for whole wheat pasta dishes or brown rice crusted pizzas! We learned so much from Grandma and Grandpa in the week they were in town and actually got caught up with laundry too!

We also had a big family cookout on Friday with my whole family and Rob’s parents. Then on Sunday we had the family over again to celebrate Great Grandma’s 81st birthday. It was bustling couple of evenings with the entire family, including Brecken’s cousins, Olivia 9, Lilly 4 and Derek 14 months. As one could imagine, it was quite loud and busy. Baby Brecken wasn’t sure how to handle all the commotion at times and seemed to really cling to me. However, she surely is adored by everyone, especially her little cousin Lilly whom seems to take a special interest in Baby Brecken. As soon as she walks in the door Lilly says, “I’m going to wash my hands so I can hold Baby Brecken.” It’s so sweet!

Baby Brecken shared her first smile: While Grandma and Grandpa were in town, Brecken shared her first smile! At 6 weeks, we knew this was a real one. One morning, she was looking up at Grandma and just grinned from ear to ear! It was precious. Since her first big smile, she hasn’t seemed to stop grinning! She is such a happy baby and continuously melts our heart! But, I must admit, she did learn the “lower lip” frown first and sure knows how to make us stop what we are doing and attend to her needs.

And now for how I am doing…

Well, I started some light jogging – a minute here, couple minutes there, while pushing the jogging stroller at the end of August. I kept this up until I got the okay at my 6 week OB appointment. On September 15th I saw the OB and although my wound was still a little open and yucky, she gave me the go ahead on resuming full exercise. I was so excited to really get consistent building back into running and getting back on the bike!!

At the appointment I had pretty much lost all the baby weight gain, standing on the scale at 112 lbs. For that I was happy, but my stomach surely didn’t suggest it. It still looked and felt flabby. Pre-appointment, I wasn’t sure if I should push it more than my power walks, so I kept the jogging light and short and I didn’t do any core work or ride the bike. So I was so excited to get back to that after this 6 week OB appointment.

Throughout the month of September, I walked nearly every day 1 to 2 hours at a time and even up to 3 hours with Rob. I pushed Brecken in the jogging stroller, stopping to feed and change her when needed and even strapping her in the sling to finish the walk home when she was done with the car seat. Rob and I even went on some epic adventure walks, gradually building from 8 to 10 to 12 and up to 14 miles on the paths by our house. I also gradually increased my running time with Brecken in the jogging stroller. Although broken by 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there while pushing the baby, stopping to cross a street or lifting over some branches on the bike path, by the end of September, I was running 30 minutes up to 1 hour at a time. I also started back on the bike. My first ride on the CompuTrainer was Sunday night, September 19th. Although I only got in an easy 57 minutes before Brecken started rooting for milk…it felt so good to get on the bike and actually be able to get into the aero position!

So, I have managed to get something in most days of the week. Sometimes it’s only a quick hit on the Elliptical early in the morning, sometimes it’s only a quick trainer ride at 9 or 10pm, but something is better than nothing. I have been most grateful for the awesome weather and being able to get outside in the sun for long walks with the baby and sometimes daddy too!

I still believe the key to my success is getting in some cardio nearly every day. The lack of sleep still hasn’t really hit me yet, but I do notice the days I get in the cardio, I do have more energy and I’m more productive. It is still challenging to fit it all in – work – family – exercise, but it’s getting better. I feel like I’m catching up on EFC stuff, so that’s good. But, I feel terrible because I still haven’t been able to get thank you notes out yet! Part of the problem there is that we dropped our camera at Ironman WI and it broke. Good thing we bought the warranty as a new one is on the way, but we’ve been without it for 3 weeks so far. And our desk top computer “died.” It too is getting repaired. So, while we are waiting to get our new camera and our computer back, the Thank You notes are on hold. When we send the Thank Yous, we want to include pictures of Baby Brecken - so thanks for your patience!

Well, here are some pictures for now…hope you enjoy…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 09/30/10 at 11:36 AM
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Thursday, September 09, 2010

1st month with Baby Brecken

The first month has been a busy one to say the least! This is the busiest time of year for EFC as nearly all of our athletes are peaking for A priority races. With Brecken’s due date of September 6th, I had planned the week of August 9th through August 13th to be the “plan ahead training log week.” Well, that week became “first week with our baby” and a recovery week from my c-section. Needless to say, there was no time, nor energy to get the “ahead planning” done that week. Instead, this month consisted of figuring out how to work and juggle the care of a premature newborn.

I believe the biggest key to my success has been my daily walks. Although not the exercise mode I’m used to, I’d take it! The weather was amazing this spring and summer and this month was no different. And with our paved bike path that runs by our neighborhood, I could easily get out and enjoy a smooth ride with Brecken. So at the beginning of Brecken’s second week of life, we invested in a really sweet jogging stroller. The Performance Baby Jogger securely fits Brecken’s car seat and she snuggly sleeps inside it as I get my vitamin D and light cardio.

The incision continued to cause problems and I worried that the walking was aggravating it, so we checked with the OB 3 times over this month and she said it was not and I was okay to walk and actually encouraged exercise. She even gave me the go head on the Elliptical too. Instead, I had to get creative with clothing as the friction was aggravating the area where the staple was coiled. Perhaps it’s too much information, but it looked as if my skin there had gone through a meat grinder. Well, I made it work and I know the exercise really helped give me energy and provided stress relief. I was better able to care for Brecken and our athletes because of it.

With breastfeeding, working and the daily exercise, I was eating even more than before the baby! Within the first week I had dropped from 129 to 116 lbs, but I haven’t been able to really budge from there. I feel strong; look rather lean and pretty fit, except for my uterus. It’s gone down, but not as much as I thought it would by now. I think my body is maintaining some extra body fat so I can effectively feed Brecken. I’m totally fine with that and enjoying the extra calories!

Brecken’s first week consisted mainly of us getting more prepared for the baby, me recovering and Daddy trying to get some much needed sleep. Brecken was sleeping most of the days and nights and only waking to eat every 2 to 3 hours and dirtying 8 to 12 diapers a day!

Her second week wasn’t much different. She continued to sleep, eat and dirty diapers a lot! However, at the end of the second week I noticed some changes. Brecken started becoming more and more fussy. She just seemed uncomfortable. On Sunday morning, August 22nd, Brecken woke us gagging and choking. I picked her up and she was turning red and really struggling. Holding her, trying to comfort her, I was extremely scared. After a couple more occurrences, I decided to call the doctor. Being a Sunday, I spoke with a nurse on call and after she spoke with the Ped, they put us more at ease explaining the gag reflex. Unfortunately, Brecken continued to struggle, even worsening and seeming to be in a lot of pain. So I continued to question. Well, 3 doctors and 4 appointments later, Brecken was put on Zantac and diagnosed with GERD. We’ve learned some techniques to minimize the reflux but weeks 3 and 4 were really tough as she was really struggling until the medication and the techniques started easing the pain.

So weeks 3 and 4 have been much more challenging, with Brecken now nursing for about 1 to 1.5 hours at a time with little breaks for burping and resting, but still eating every 2.5 to 3 hours from the start of the previous feeding. Plus, she then needs to be held upright after feeding for 30 minutes. So that leaves me with only about 1 hour at most where I am not holding or feeding her. Exhausted, but still not really feeling it, I can see it will likely be catching up with me soon. All worth it though! We are loving life with this little miracle!

So a couple of highlights…

Monday, August 16th - 1 week Ped appointment:  – Dr. Dvorak says, “She’s perfect!” Brecken was born at 5 lbs 6 oz, left the hospital just under 5 lbs. Now, 9 days later she was 5 lbs 3 oz and 18 inches long. He was very happy with how well she was doing and her check up was 100% A Okay!

September 1st appt:  Brecken was up to 6 lbs and 18.5 inches. Besides the reflux, she was doing amazingly well!

September 8th - 1 month Ped appointment:  Brecken gained a whole pound in 1 week! Brecken weighed 7 lbs and nearly 19 inches already!

This first month has been filled with so much fun despite the craziness as we learn how to care for a new baby and keep up with EFC. Baby Brecken has received so many amazing gifts from family and friends here, across the U.S. and even abroad! We are just so appreciative yet so behind in sending out thank yous! For that we are terribly sorry! Brecken, Rob and I have been enjoying so many friends and family stopping by and coming in town for visits. We are truly blessed and we know she is loved by so many!

-Kel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Coach Kelly on 09/09/10 at 10:34 AM
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Sunday, August 15, 2010

1st week with Baby Brecken

As I mentioned in my last post, my first night as a mom was amazing! Well, it continues to be amazing every day! I love being a mom! Rob and I are so happy and thankful. With Baby Brecken’s early arrival and all that could have gone wrong, we know we are truly blessed! She is perfect and just the cutest thing!

Although the recovery from this emergency c-section has been tough, I would go through it all over again and suffer much worse for the health of our little sweetheart. I’m just so glad I came into this in such good shape. It’s really helping.

Sleep is pretty much non-existent due to the frequent feedings, my limited mobility, the pain in my incision and the need to work, but, I’m not feeling it yet. I feel great. I think I’m on a high from this whole experience and each time I hold Brecken, I forget about the pain, fatigue and all that needs to be done. Each little movement is heart melting. I could never imagine how this would feel, but it’s been the neatest experience in our lives.

We didn’t particularly enjoy our stay at the hospital. In turn, we worked to get me moving and get us home! We did meet several amazing nurses, learned as much as we could and enjoyed family visitors while there, but in just over 48 hours after birth, we were discharged from the hospital. We were more than ready to get home! Brecken was doing great! She passed every test and was feeding well. We got the go ahead from the Pediatrician and although I was feeling a very sharp, stabbing pain in the left side of my incision with every movement, I pressed to get out of the hospital. I just wanted to get home to our clean house and healthy food. The OB gave us the okay on Monday and we left that evening.

It was so neat to walk into our home with our new addition. We were exhausted, but we hiked her around the house, pointing out each room and being presently surprised by all that my parents had done. They had folded the 7 loads of laundry that we had started after our 2 last minute Babies R Us runs Friday evening. They also put sheets on the basinet and crib, decorated her crib with all her new stuffed animals and left balloons and a card. 

It felt so good to be home in our bed! Although sleep finally occurred, it wasn’t much. I seemed to swell up like a balloon and actually grew more uncomfortable for a couple days. The milk arrived on Tuesday and Brecken began cluster feeding on Wednesday. We also attended our Breast Feeding class we had scheduled for before birth, but now we attended with our baby! All the soon to be mothers got a kick out of our story, enjoyed seeing our baby and asked how breastfeeding was going for us thus far. It was nice to get out of the house and get moving as well.

By mid-week, sleep was improving, lasting about 1.5 hours at a time as she needed to eat every 2.5 to 3 hours and she would nurse for 20 to 45 minutes at a time. Unfortunately the swelling was not improving and it actually escalated to the extent that my feet looked like they belonged to a 300 pound person! My whole body was puffy! It was affecting everything – especially my GI system. After bouts of severe pain and even tears, overall I stayed optimistic and just focused on the fact that our baby was doing so well!

We had a very busy Thursday and although tiring, it was good to get out and about! Our day began with Baby Brecken’s first bath at home. That was so much fun! She really likes getting her hair washed! Thereafter, we went to my OB appointment and they removed the staples. That’s when we discovered the reason for the intense pain in my left side…one of the staples was not stitched correctly and ended up coiling up inside!  It twist in my abdominal muscles and was affecting the nerves. When the nurse pulled it out, I thought I was going to jump off the table.  The good news was the sharp, stabbing pain with every movement immediately went away. The bad news was that area would be tender for the next 6 weeks and become infected in the weeks ahead. 

After the doctor’s visit, we changed and fed Brecken in the car and then we went to lunch. From there we had to do some major shopping for all the stuff we still needed for the baby. On the way home from a busy shopping day, we stopped by my parents house. My mom, dad and little nieces all got to hold little Baby Brecken for the first time since she was born. After being out and about all day, we were exhausted and very thankful to pop in some Lou Malnati’s Glenn and Marry had sent. After 35 minutes in the oven, warm and gooey spinach pizza was on our plates and then in our bellies. We wolfed down some Chicago pizza for the first time of many to come with Brecken.

Finally on Friday, 6 days out, I started to get some relief on the swelling front. I also went on my first walk with the baby. Our good friends and neighbor let us borrow their stroller until we got our Baby Jogger. It was so nice to get outside and exercise a little. I felt really good and was happy to only be down and out for 6 days. Only 30 minutes Friday evening out on the bike path, but it was a great walk for me and Baby Brecken!  The next morning we walked again and Brecken seemed to really enjoy it. I hope she keeps enjoying it!  My swelling virtually disappeared over night! It was amazing! I went from being the state puff marshmallow woman, back to Coach Kel. I was so happy and felt so much better! 

Getting out of the house for shopping and walks has been a big help. Eventhough I am not able to drive yet or lift anything heavier than the baby, we were learning quickly how to feed and change on the go. Rob and I make a good team and are enjoying taking the baby all over the place. It is a ton of fun to have everyone stop and look at little Brecken everywhere we go! Compliments and smiles pour our way as people see this little sweetheart. We are reminded all the time of just how special she is!

So in less than one week out, ’m back to light exercise with outside walks with the baby. I’m eating a ton once again, filling up on oatmeal, whole wheat pasta and ice cream too.  Brecken is feeding and dirtying diapers like a champ! We seem to be right on schedule!

Thank you all for your support and excitement!

Love,

-Kel

 

  

 

  

Posted by Coach Kelly on 08/15/10 at 09:45 AM
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