Happy New Year!

Reflecting back on the past year is something Blaine usually does with me in the beginning of the new year.  I thought I would get a jump start in anticipation of his questioning and think on my top 5 moments of 2008.

1. Having a family of my own.  I have longed for a loving family of my own through all the years of babysitting and caring for the other families in my life.  To hold my very own baby girl, and to see her daddy smile upon her with such a strong and powerful love.... well it is amazing.  I pray each night to our God in thanksgiving of another amazing day - a gift of one more day - and I ask for just one more tomorrow.  It is a time when I feel God so strongly teaching me about His own love for me - a love that I do not feel I deserve, and have difficulty understanding.  

2. Yvonne Gray.  She is my workout partner/therapist.  She has listened to my complaining, whining, and absolute joyful story telling through the years as we work out our bodies and our emotions.  Without her I would NEVER get up at the crack of dawn to run 6 miles in the dark and the rain.  Without her I would NEVER have trained for the half-marathon.  I owe my slightly normal mental state and my rockin' after-baby new bod to my dear friend Yvonne.  She rules.

3. Living close enough to my family.  I have a giant family.  I have a dysfunctional family.  I have a scattered-around-the-globe family.  I have a passionate family.  I really love them all, but we are so far away.  I am thankful to have been able to see my nieces and nephews every chance I get. I hope to be able to visit Amanda and Amy while they are abroad.  No offense Amy, buy I may wait until you get to sunny Hawaii!!  

4.  Taking the big leap to quit my career and become a stay-at-home-mom.  Although it was so tough to make the decision (selfishly wanting the best of both worlds), I cannot imagine another day without my little girl under my very own strict tutillage (sp?).  I want to give her the very best this world has to offer, and I know that is TIME.  High five SAHMs.... hello MOPS... and more time for MAMBI...

5.  Buying expensive jeans.  It may become a narcotic-type addiction.  I am telling you, people - you get what you pay for.  Even if it makes you pass out to write the check. 

Now, that is looking back.  See me next week for resolutions.  They may include the words tri-, clean, and six-pack.  That's all I'm sayin....

Peace,

S-dub

Hola people

"need new camera"

Hello.  Will post more later.  Just some blurry photos of an adorable little munchkin.

**NOTE: That yellow thing Jane is chewing on is a resistance cord.  We used them for strength training in my "Time for Me" mommy/baby stroller exercise class this fall.

She's Going The Distance

THE RACE FINISH LINE

(no, i am not in the photo)

JANE & ME AFTER THE RACE

(yes, that is pouring rain in the background)

READ JANE'S SHIRT

("my mommy is not a quitter")

Sunday, November 9th - I ran the Big Sur Half Marathon on the Monterey Bay with my workout partner Yvonne.  I still can't believe it is finally over.  

Rewind to July of 2005 when I asked this stay-at-home mom I met at the pool if she wanted to work out with me sometime.  Eventually, she agreed.  We began to work out occasionally, and then regularly.  She has two daughters, so we worked around her schedule.  When she went back to work we adjusted our workout time to 5:15 am.  Three days a week, people.  

Then, I got pregnant.  We kept on working out.  In fact, it was either the morning of, or the morning prior to, the night I went into labor that we worked out for the last time.  At 7 weeks old, I left sleeping Jane and sleeping Blaine to begin the process of "losing baby weight". 

It was sometime in there that my sister-in-laws were signing up to run the Nike Women's Half-Marathon in SF.  Did I want to do it?  Not really.  However, Yvonne and I signed up with them. Due to some registration mistake on my part, I was the only member of the group that did not get in.  Sooooo.... I piggybacked on Marie's goal of running the Big Sur.  

Back to present day: Blaine was to be hunting in Colorado the date of the race, so I asked the Serrano family to come for a visit and babysit Jane during the race.  They are the bomb, so of course they agreed.  

Blaine just happened to come home early from his trip because of bad weather and no bucks, so he was home to enjoy the "triplets", a small lasagne dinner, and braving the bad weather in Monterey after the race.

Yvonne drove us to the race in the morning.  We had to arrive super early to get a parking spot before they closed off the streets.  That's when I started to get nervous.  or maybe it was the 4 times I woke up throughout the night.  or maybe it was all that water I drank on the drive.  

The run went pretty well!  My two goals: run the whole thing, and finish in 2 hours 15 minutes - were both met!!  Our finish time was 2:11, and we kept that 10 minute pace up the entire race (even faster in the last couple of miles ;).  The weather was cool, with some sprinkling at the race start, but was totally manageable - yea for cheap pink gloves!!!

Approaching the finish line, I heard "Stacey rules!" (or something like that) and turned to see Dean on the left side with Delaney in a baby back carrier.  So, we sprinted through the finish line, entered the cattle herd of finishers, and tried to find my family.  Then, the rain really let go.  It was pouring so hard, and so darn cold, that we didn't check out any of the post-race party.  Instead, I saw Jodi, Dean, Delaney, Emelyn, and Jane - all with shirts that read "Mommy/Aunt Stacey/My sister... is not a quitter".  I started tearing up and smiling like crazy.  

How awesome are those Serranos, anyway?

So, we all (except Yvonne who went to be with her family) met the Costa family {(The dad, David ran the race in 1:52!!!) - Melissa their daughter babysits jane once in a while} at California Pizza Kitchen.  Kylie, Jason, Madison, Joseph, and Griffin met us there, too.  As we started to eat my Dad and Cheryl even stopped in to congratulate us!  

It was a fantastic day made super special by my supportive family.

And, Yvonne still rules more than me, because she has done the WHOLE San Francisco Marathon before.  Yes, that's right people.  She is the bomb.  Without her, ain't no way I would ever run 13.1...... or even 3.1 for that matter.

For more photos of the race day, check out Dean Serrano's blog (there's a link on the right).

Happy Halloween

Thank you aunt Amanda

 (and Brian and Trevor and Parker)

Jane as a Chicken

"The beginning is always today"

quote by Mary Wollstonecraft.

OK, so my sister pointed out that my blog has not been updated for a while.  I guess she forgot what Jane looked like. 

Soooooo..... she also wants me to announce to the two or three people who read this blog that I am retiring, as of the end of this year.  Starting January first it is all bon-bons, oprah, and teased hair (a la Peggy Bundy).  Me and Jane all the way, baby.

However, this is one of the easiest and most difficult decisions I have made in my not-as-short-as-it-used-to-be life.  I really like being the boss.  I really like work challenges.  I really like making a difference in my community.  I really like calling the shots.  I really like being the boss (oh, I already said that one didn't I).  On the other hand, the babysitter sees Jane more than I do during the week.  I do not really know what happens at the babysitter all of those hours.  I do not like that.  I do not like that I was at a board meeting when Jane crawled for the first time.  I do not like someone else raising my girl.  I do not like missing out on the very best thing in this whole world: my family.

Just look at this ragamuffin:

10-7-2008

Photo taken just before this post.

Here is a photo of Jane wondering why my phone is talking.  

She then picked up the phone, screeched, and hung up on Aunt Jodi.  How rude.

September 19, 2008

9 months old

January 9, 2008

3 weeks old

These weeks and months are just slipping by - just like everyone said they would - and I don't want to miss another moment.  

But, it will be hard for me to give up power, feel unimportant, and of course not make any moo-lah.  

No doubt in my mind it is the very best decision.  

September

Lots of changes around here:

Jane:
1. New nickname: snaggletooth. This is due to her rather interesting new tooth: it appears to be her upper right eye tooth. She only has the other two bottom ones (they are perfectly normal looking). Don't get me wrong, she is as cute as ever... No. She is actually cuter with her little snaggletooth.>

2. Crawling. Just started this on August 11th. I was a bad mother attending a board meeting for work. I was ssooooo disappointed to read Blaine's text stating "guess who can crawl?". Devastated would be more accurate.


3. Pulling herself up onto things. The dishwasher, the couch, the coffee table, and my legs are the most popular choices for her to pull up on. She first would pull herself up, look around excitedly, then grow bored and want to get down.... but couldn't figure it out. it was hilarious. Now she has figured it out & quickly alternates between the couch and the coffee table with a cute little thud on her butt in between.



Blaine:
1. Hunting. Is this a change? No. just the hunting season changes. Monday it was doves. Yes, the bird of peace. Shot down. By Blaine. 10 of them. They taste like chicken. Teeny tiny mini chickens.
2. Work. This is also not a change. Except his responsibilities are changing and increasing. He becomes the full-fledged Salinas branch manager at the end of the year, and is learning lots of new things.

3. Working on the Rhino (his atv golf cart-ish thing).  New lights, new racks, new exhaust, new muffler.... and this was SUCH a bargain (dry cough inserted here).

Me:

1. Researching a retail business opportunity.  Maternity, nursing, baby gear.  Sound great?  Let me know, we may need investors :)

2. Work.  Coaching swim team, roping jello, and trying to expand the Recreation District.  It rules.

3. Vegas.  This is actually an extension of number 1: researching at the ABC kids trade show next week in vegas: GO BLACK 13!!!

4. Trying to be the best mom ever.  This is difficult people. My little girl is growing up right before my eyes.

5. Training for the Big Sur HALF marathon in November.  Holy crap that is soon!  We have done an average of 10-12 miles per week, and completed our second 8 miler this past sunday!  BIG accomplishment!

p.s. guess who can crawl...