10 Months!!

My baby turned 10 months old yesterday. That doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem like it was 10 months ago that I was in labor, anxiously awaiting his arrival. I have a good friend who is due with her son in a few weeks, and I look at her in awe, remembering how I was nearly as pregnant as she one year ago. The time has truly flown. It seems so recent that I was up late with my little man, watching Big Brother After Dark, letting him fall asleep at my side on the couch as Duane slumbered upstairs.

And now, here we are. At his last doctor's appointment, Gavin was 30 inches long and 18.12 pounds. That puts him at 90th percentile for height and 23rd percentile for weight. I don't know where we got this tall baby, but I am already looking into basketball lessons! =) His health is excellent, and he is exceptionally happy. It amazes me how happy he is. Everywhere I take him, it seems like someone remarks on what a good baby he is, and I am proud to say it is true. He fusses only when he needs/wants something or isn't feeling so great.

He isn't eating many solids yet, and he doesn't have any teeth. Though, neither did big sister at his age. He has started to crawl (before he just army-crawled) and pull himself up to a standing position. He really enjoys talking. His favorite word is "GA!" I can't tell what he is trying to say, but he says it with a lot of emphasis!

He loves  ADORES his sister, and she has informed me that I am to refer to her as "Sissy" in Gavin's presence. I can't imagine making it through the past year raising two children with a traveling husband if Rachel hadn't been so interested in helping take care of Gavin. I am starting to understand how people have more than two children -- perhaps they have helpful siblings!

And so, as I am preparing for my first baby's first second third fourth birthday party, I look back and marvel over the past 10 months. I hope I am doing everything that I can to make the most of each day with my children, though I know I could work less and enjoy them more. I am looking forward to some vacation time with them this summer, as I will be working summer hours and getting Thursday afternoons off! And I am already planning several trips to the lakehouse. We enjoyed a trip this weekend for Memorial Day, and Rachel put her swimming lessons to use. Gavin also really loves the water. I hope this trip was this first of many. =)

My New Year's Resolution

You may recall that one of my New Year's Resolutions was to run a 5K. I have been training to run since January, and my initial thought was that I would participate in the Commit to Be Fit 5K on Saturday May 5th.

But after a lot of thought, I changed my focus to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday, May 19th.

Both are for great causes, but something about the Race for the Cure seemed to appeal to me more. So I joined Team Whitmore, which is the team my friend Carie joined and graciously invited me to join as well.

I have put so much time and energy into my training for this 5K. I can't imagine how much more time and effort it would take to run a half-marathon. I started this resolution because I was in awe of people who did that -- and I am finishing this resolution even more in awe.

There have been so many times where I wanted to stop running. I wanted to walk the rest of my 3.1 miles. I wanted to give up. And one of the things that has constantly kept me pushing forward has been the thought of the ultimate goal of running this 5K. And since I signed up for the Komen Race for the Cure, it has been the thought of people who are battling breast cancer. They don't have the option to give up, to stop fighting, to "walk" the rest of their journey. They have to give everything they have got to get through their illness.

That may sound corny or overly dramatic to you, but I guess I really don't care if that is what you think. That is what has pushed me forward toward my ultimate goal, and it is an important goal to me. I will run in my first official 5K on Saturday, May 19th. I don't know how fast I will run it -- but I will run it. After that, I am hoping to start training for a possible 10K. And, if I can, I really want to train for a half-marathon in October. I have a long way to go to train for that, but it is in my mind now as a possibility.

Until then, I promise to try to update more with fun kid pictures and updates. Gavin is getting so big. He is chasing Rachel around the house. Rachel is precocious, and I am already seeing some attitude in her personality. They both have birthdays coming up!!