It’s been CRAZY busy since we last talked and now I’m in Virginia for work. 

On Sunday we watched Tessa so that my sister and her husband could go hunting and fishing.  My brother-in-law is a pilot and they take his plane and go to the “back-country”-you can’t get there with a car.  It was the first time in almost 2 years that they got to get out in the plane, just the two of them.  Tessa has always been with them.  I am SO happy that we got to help out and the girls were utterly adorable. This is why we moved!

Here they are in the morning, both sitting on the bird’s food containers, drinking water.  Right before this, they were scooting the containers around and squealing:

Yes, Lu is still in her PJs and yes that is a necklace around her neck.  Gram and Pop sent her a necklace for her birthday and it is now on her whenever she is awake.

Later that morning, we hopped on our bikes and took the girls to the zoo.  They had a blast!  I have all sorts of cute pictures but alas they are at home.  I did capture this shot on my phone from the ride home:

Poor Tessa was tired.  Lu isn’t quite sure how she feels about being a human pillow 🙂 (Do you see the necklace?)

Lu also always has her purse and “cell phone” with her.  Here she is taking a picture of Mommy with her “cell phone”-it’s an old defunct T-Mobile phone that her sitter gave her.  I was trying to get a picture of the hundreds of butterfly stickers on her chest and she, in turn, was taking a “picture” of Mommy:

Where did this girly-girl come from?  If there was ever a question in my mind about nature vs. nurture, there is no longer.  We have NOT encouraged this behavior.  We don’t discourage it either but purses, necklaces, and obsessions with shoes?  She is a girl, through and through.  That stuff is NOT learned.  Believe me!

~~~~~

How am I doing?  I’m good.  I’m really good.  I’m continuing to eat gluten, corn, dairy, and meat (sans fish) free. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t helping.  It is helping.  At the encouragement of my doctor I tried some lamb (my favorite) last week-we were working under the assumption that I’m very allergic to corn so I should try truly grass fed animals.  Big mistake. Big. HUGE.  I got a stomach ache almost immediately and spent the night in the bathroom.  Lovely.

As for my energy level, I ran 10 miles this weekend in 1 hour and 59 minutes.  Like I said on Twitter, Ironman Chelsea would have cried because it was so slow.  Lucy’s Mommy?  Was really proud of herself.  I’m learning NOT to compare me to my pre-Lucy self.  I will get there BUT I was in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant, I had just finished an Ironman for goodness sake!  My half marathon is next weekend and I feel confident that I can finish with a 12 minute mile pace. The 10-miler didn’t make me sore! YAY!

Want to know what has made me sore?  Soccer and mountain biking.  Both of which, I am LOVING.  Absolutely LOVING.  Soccer is such a rush and I love playing on a team.  Mountain biking is fun and I love that Shaun and I have something to do together again.  Just the two of us.  We go during the week at lunchtime and it is awesome.

I love that our move has afforded me the possibility to be so active again.  I haven’t once missed my 2 hour commute.  I love that I get to work from home, see Lucy 20 times more, and work out during the time that I used to spend in the car.  Life is good, really good.

I’d better get to bed.  I have an 8 hour meeting that I’m leading tomorrow and it starts in 7 hours.  *Gulp*

Well, it’s official, she’s 2!  It was a very emotional day for me today which I wasn’t expecting.  I re-read her birth story this morning and was crying like a baby when Shaun woke up.  His comment?  “Women are so weird sometimes.”  Lu’s birth seems like yesterday AND like a lifetime ago.  I didn’t think it was possible but I love my little munchkin more today than I did 2 years ago. 

Lucy,

You are the light of my life.  You and your Daddy make me complete.  Everyday with you is more and more fun.  You are such a smart girl.  You can already count to 5 on your own and 10 with help.  You can draw circles and identify all sorts of different colors.  You claim that PINK is your favorite color when asked. And your favorite person is TESSA!  Every morning it’s one of the first things I hear and you talk about your cousin All.The.Time. You’re talking in 4 and 5 word sentences.  You’re calling food “Delicious”.  You’re using “I”, “My”, and “Mine” but I still get to hear you say things like “Lucy fix it.” and “Lucy buckle it.”  You’ve started to tell me stories about things that happened in the past.  You still like to tell the story of how you got 2 owies in Washington, DC.  “Mama, I fell.  Outside.  Big OWIE.”  You know the difference between big and little.  Today I told you that we’d take a shower for a “little longer” and you told me “BIG longer Mama.  BIG longer.”  You’re a total Virgo and I wouldn’t have you any other way!  We’re working on the bossy britches and you’re ability to strategize is already staggering.  I think I’m in some big trouble!  You used 2 chopsticks today to feed yourself and you climbed up to the big slide all by yourself.  You’re a thinker and a planner but you still giggle and have fun.  You are such a girlie girl and we don’t know where you get it!  You love jewelry, shoes, purses, bows, and pretty clothes.  Who knew that I’d have a kid who likes all these things?  It makes both your Mimi and your Gram VERY happy.  You’re a beautiful little girl whose smile lights up the room.  I love you so much and I can’t wait to see what the next year (and all the rest) has in store.  You make Mommy a better person.  Thank you.

You look 2 today!:

Playing at the park with your Cousin Tessa:

Going down the big girl slide all by yourself!

Tessa wonders where you went!

To the swings!

Seeing your presents!

Opening presents! And Tessa’s Belly!

Riding in your big present!

Opening your favorite thing:

Your very own purse!

You love your purse so much that you wore it until bedtime and were very sad when you couldn’t take it to bed.  Don’t worry Mommy promised you could have it as soon as you got up in the morning and she WILL follow through! 🙂

Seeing your cake for the first time:

Pure joy:

Blowing out the candle:

I love you little one!

Love,

Mommy