Getting back in Shape is for Suckers...and I am a Sucker...

I am a sucker...being in shape is the best feeling in the world...being able to do pretty much whatever you want without worrying about lungs, heart, muscles freaking out and abandoning you...on the flip side the worst thing in the world is getting in shape. The Worst!!! The lungs burn...the heart rate rapid and out of control...oh and the lactic acid coursing through my muscles...the pain...the next day...all hurt...all bad. That is my life at the moment. I need to get in shape...or at least it's time to get busy and move my booty. So I've been running and biking and all that jazz...but I feel the pain...I keep telling myself the pain is good...it is weakness leaving the body. Happily I keep on trucking and lately I have been seeing some nice results...granted I still have quite a lot of baby weight to take off but my level of fitness is steadily improving. I'm in California with my parents for a few weeks and my Dad and I biked up to the Observatory in the South Bay...it was a 19 mile steady forever long never ending climb. I was passed by everyone...I wish I could ride with a disclaimer on my back 'I am not your white rabbit, just had baby'. But I thought that would be lame...so when I was getting passed I would just make it easier on them by making enjoyable chit chat...for the first 14 miles I felt pretty good...the last 5 miles were slow and me not feeling so good...but I stayed on my bike and went to the top. It was awesome to be back with those who enjoy a good sufferin' on the weekends. My type of people.

Hard Times for the Future

Since the economy is going through such a turbulent time Fisher has decided to take an active role on finding out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. He has been talking about Alan Greenspan for days now...'Alan did this' and 'Alan said that'...it's nuts! His first hero is Mr. Greenspan. This kid is weird...I even got a candid shot of him reading his first book.

Where's the Beach?

Fisher is showing me where the beach is...lucky for me I have him around.

Fisher has found his first stuffed friend.

Cute Boys

I am visiting Seth in Missouri while he does his out rotation...today we went for a little nature walk...it was late when we started, so we couldn't really go far. However now I know where it is, so I think Fisher and I may go back tomorrow...the weather here is so nice...because there is no snow...the leaves are just barely starting to turn...it's mid October...how awesome it this...I still want more time before winter and this is perfect. Next week Fisher and I are in California for a month...that should prolong winter's arrival for an extra 4 weeks. If I didn't have to get back to work I would do this all winter.

Chef Eugie

About a year ago there was an auction at a cancer benefit. A meal was auctioned off, it was suppose to be doctors cooking for doctors. They sold 12 tickets at $500 a piece...crazy! It took them nearly a year to coordinate everyone schedule and to set this up...well the main Dr. who was suppose to cook this meal was not able to be there so he asked my friend John if he would do it for him. Well John is some what of a perfectionist so he went all out...he asked me and his friend Claire to help out in the kitchen. I really only did a little part of the meal. I made the chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup and made and plated the salads. I left the hard stuff to them...and I am glad I did...this is what they came up with. Incredible appetizers, this was a lime lox puff of some sort, but then she made this incredible caramelized onion cheese tart...delicious!


For dinner he rolled this amazing Chateaubriand it was stuffed with caramelized onions and mushrooms. Cooked to perfection...then topped in with a herb butter...oh my it was to die for. Sided with veggies and potatoes. A labor of love. Here are the dessert plates...don't forget I have a terrible camera for pics...so trust me everything looked so amazing. John made the tarts, a doctor lady made the lemon poppy cookies and I made the mousse. Everything turned out great. We are so glad the dinner went off with out a hitch...it was an elaborate 5 course meal that included but not pictured a fab butternut soup, salad, sorbet, and a lot of wine. John the head chef has had 2 fights with cancer and he is a strong survivor. I am glad I could do this for him...it's always nice to be able to do something that has matter. Sure I was just cooking for people, but it was for a great cause...and the fight against cancer is a necessary fight for everyone...and since I don't have money to give...I can give time. It was great just to be there with a number of oncologist who really fight this disease everyday and they are peoples greatest coaches.

Pumpkin Boy

Seth's parents grew like 40 pumpkins in their garden this year. The tradition is that each of their grandchildren get to pick out one pumpkin out of the garden and since Fisher is the oldest he got to pick first...he picked the large pumpkin behind him. I think he made a wise choice.

My Life is Over

It snowed today. Didn't the snow just melt. Why oh why did it have to snow...I thought Autumn and I had a plan...she was going to slowly ease me into winter this year. I had a plan to enjoy winter this year, as I do every year and every year my plans fail and I hate winter and go into a deep dark place where no amount of pills can help. Maybe this year I will take real pills instead of pretending tic-tacs and Mentos are my medicine. I'm not emotionally ready for this winter...Logan is a freezing winter landscape...and I love winter landscapes when they are oil painted or photographed...but not the real thing...that's what TV's are for to enjoy the look of winter. Okay so I need to get ready a lot sooner than planned to enjoy the worst time of the year. You know that song with the chorus going' it's the most wonderful time of the year' it's a winter/Christmas song...well that song is winter propaganda!!! During indian summer do you hear carols? Songs praising summer or indian summer? No of course not because people don't need to be reminded! Of course late spring, summer, late summer are the best time of the year...no songs needed. The Winter Group is pushing their propaganda all over us! Who do they think they are fooling? Skiers, Snowboards, and the weird freaks who think that snow shoeing is a sport...I hate to break it to you guys snow shoeing is walking, but just on-top of snow...now I know what you are thinking...walking is an olympic sport so if walking is a sport then snowshoeing should be a sport because it is walking on snow. Well the olympics are wrong...if they don't have lacrosse as a sport then walking defiantly should not be a sport. I can't breath! Okay okay I will calm down and meditate on how I should and can enjoy my depression due to the lack of sun, green, strolls, creeks, swimming outside, tans, happiness, and whatever winter takes with it. I can do other stuff...like be a freak who snow shoes...which I actually do enjoy...maybe Fisher and I can do that everyday...or maybe I can cross country ski with the boy. Hmmm...maybe my life isn't over yet...maybe just maybe there is a shot that I may actually love this winter...then again maybe not. The good and bad thing about this experiment is that I have no choice. It is coming and it is coming fast and sooner than expected. I of course will let you know how it all goes. I think I see the sun now...and maybe the snow will be gone soon.

Quick Post

My baby looks like a puppy.

Today we went mountain biking and the colors were amazing...this is the backside of Mt. Timp. Amazing weather, amazing colors, amazing downhill...hmmm...amazing amaziness?

Here's my Father-in-Law and cousin Scott doing the family's official pose.

Life is Good

Life is Good. Sadly Seth is gone for a few months on out-rotations, even though I miss him I am still living a good life. I am staying with his parents in Sandy for a month or so...it's just 70 miles from Logan, so I can go back to Logan to take care of the personal matters and the house...but while I am in Sandy I am living the good life. Seth mother loves Fisher and loves hanging out with Fisher so that gives me hours everyday to go play. The above picture is of me riding in Corner Canyon in Draper Utah. There is something different about this ride...well let me tell you what is different, it's my bike...below is a picture of my new bike 'Lil Brudder'. Its a new Gary Fisher bike with big 29 inch wheels. It feels like I am riding my big brothers bike...it's so big and freakin' awesome. I have been having a blast! So I get to bike everyday, but then it gets better...I know what you are thinking, how? How could it get better!?! Well my in-laws home is like the Garden of Eden. They have the most incredible garden ever! Tomatoes, peaches, grapes, apples, pumpkins, squash, and so much more it's beautiful. Everyday I get to eat fresh fabulous food and be surrounded to flowers and mountains. Like I said before it is a good life I live.

Lil' Brudder

Kiowa enjoyin the sun and flowers

Delicious Grapes

Amazing White Peaches

Ken my Father in law grows about 6 different kinds of tomatoes...oh so good

Kiowa in the pumpkin patch

Blackberries

I Love Fisher Like a Fat Kid Loves Candy

I have been having a blast hanging out with little Fisher. Of course there were some rocky spots, like trying to figure out how to keep him alive. Since we have made it a month I think I may have the hang of it. He has been such a delightful baby. He keeps changing and is becoming more alert...I mean more alert than a newborn so that is not saying much. Oh I haven't talked about the whole birthing experience and how hypnobirthing worked out. Well it did not work out...not at all. I think the main problem could have been that I was induced and since that happened the whole 'natural' thing is already thrown out the window...how can you have a natural delivery if they un-naturally start your labor. Oh my gosh though when everything got going it was a living hell...I still tried to do it with out an epidural...but that was just lunacy...It could have been the longest hour and a half of my life. Crazy pain...I wish that the contractions would have started a little slower and maybe a little more mellow...but it was 0-200mph in about 30 seconds from when my water broke. Since I was induced they had me hooked up to everything, and that sucked! I wanted to be able to move around, take a bath, do some stretches, but they were crazy about keeping me in bed. I can't emphasize enough how it sucked...I really began to see the beauty of a home birth where you don't have to deal with a lot of that junk...however I don't think it would be wise for me personally to do a home birth. However I digress, I was about 90 minutes into labor when I had the nurses get the anasthesiogogist for the epidural...and finally when he showed up I could breath again...thank freakin heaven...after that it was breeze until it was time to push. The Doc said I would maybe push for 30 minutes and I should be set to go...unfortunately he did not know that Fisher had his arm wrapped around his neck making it very difficult to push him out....no one expected that I would have to push for 2.5 hours and by then my epidural wore off completely....yeah good times. You know how it is though, once the baby is born, you don't care what you had to go through...and when Fisher was born...I didn't care about all the things that happened that weren't planned. I was just excited to meet my son. From that day to today I have just had the biggest crush on him...I love him like a fat kid loves candy.

My Fish being a frog.

Fisher the Pirate Boy

Meet Fisher.
He was born on Tuesday the 5th, he weighed 7.7lbs.
He's pretty much perfect except for the fact that he won't let me put him down long enough to write a decent post about everything. When I get more time I will give all you devotees the low down on the down low.

Farmer Seth

Check it out, Seth and I are farmers...yes that is right we farm. Our crops this year will be 5 tomato plants, 4 pepper plants, 1 cucumber, and some herbs. Actually we have been terrible farmers...so bad in fact that Seth's cute mom came up and had to give our garden a face lift...something about the dirt and fertilizer and apparently weeds are not a crop. Yeah we were way off. Since the face lift things have actually been doing a ton better. Maybe, just maybe will will get to make some salsa with our harvest.

Breathe and Relax

Since I got 'knocked up' I have been hesitant to write too much about the pregnancy...I hesitate because I am sure I would offend a mother out there somewhere...no necessarily my mother, but a mother none the less. No matter how excited I am, or thrilled to be having a kick ass kid I can't help being sarcastic and blasphemous. You know some people were just born to be a cynic and to point out irony...I know it's a 'bad' trait to have...but hey it's me and it's how I roll...pregnancy not excluded. If I wrote all that I was really feeling people would think I was the most ungrateful thing out there...well little would they know it's just all truth most women hide from other women to make them want to have children. It's a cycle. Like if anyone would have told me that in reality you are pregnant for closer than 10 months than 9...I would have liked to have put that in my plan, or your body is put together by silly putty and at any moment a joint you heavily rely on could go out at any time, I would have better prepared myself, and lets not even talk about the food issue...my gosh, I can't wait to have a healthy relationship with food again...it's all about feeding...they say you don't eat for two, but that is such a joke...if I try to just eat for one I get sick because I have not had enough to eat. That was mainly my biggest problem for the first 5 months...but we need to tell each other these things. I was ill prepared to handle much of this. When I train for an athletic event I know what I am getting myself into...I know what I will be doing or should be doing on any given day, I know how to eat, how to recover, how to race, but with pregnancy I have nothing...all the books kind of suck. You know nothing really helps you because you don't really have all that much control over how your pregnancy is taking shape. Sure I would love to get my cardio in everyday but good hell I feel like trash and it's a blessing if I can get to work. Now in my 3rd trimester things are a whole heck of a lot better for me and that's great and all but I am afraid my body is just trying to make me forget all the cruddy things it had to put me through to get to this point. I usually use the same tactic if I am babysitting...you just have to be really nice for the last 15 minutes of babysitting then the kids totally forget you wouldn't let them watch the Finding Nemo for the 5th time in a row...mean sitter. As of now I am in my 'birthing' stage where I could have this kid anytime with in the next month because it goes to 42 weeks. Yeah I am not excited if I went at 42 weeks...my gosh I would be so ready to go. But I am doing the whole HypnoBirthing technique for labor and delivery. I am excited but I feel that there's a whole lot happening during labor that a lot of moms are not sharing with me. All they tell you to do is relax and breathe...and if you do that you won't feel any pain. Okay cool...so breathe and relax...check. I can do that. Is that all I need to do? Yeah. Just that...and don't have any medical interfence. Oh okay well that sounds easy enough. So I know how to breathe and I can relax with the best of them...so I think I should be set. With that advice I'm not sure why any woman gets an epidural. See where I am going with this. Yeah breathe and relax...with that kind of mind altering advice we could put anasthesiologist out of business in all the women centers of the world. Yeah I feel that they may be missing a step. Hmmm. All and all though everything is going well...it just makes me laugh.

You know...stuff

Couple things going on in my life right now, they are;

Not a whole lot.

I made a cherry pie from scratch. My friend gave me a really good and easy pie crust recipe...so once I had the crust made it was a breeze. Check out the picture before I baked it. I know it looks like a pie! Shocking!!!


Today Seth and I went to pick apricots in Brigham City about 25 miles from where we live. There is an orchard that needed to be harvested, so Seth and I were able to go a pick as many apricots as we possible could. We didn't even make a dent on the orchard. I am going to try and make fruit leather with the fruit. I will let you know how it goes.
Also, here's a pic of me and Kiowa...this picture is me at 38 weeks. I know I could be having this kid any day now. I hope early...but I expect the kid to come late. I am trying to get everything in order for the little tyke...I'm not exactly sure what I am suppose to be doing...but I figure that nesting urge will kick in soon...I hope.
Other than that not a whole lot is happening in my world...it's pretty slow. I am not working anymore...it was becoming too difficult on my hands...I am just waiting...it kind of sucks! It's too hot for me to go outside...if I do I swell up like a balloon. Good times.

California

This last week I was in California for our annual bike training camp....yes if you are a devotee to this blog then you know this trip would not be the best for me. Watching people ride their bikes all through the most gorgeous areas of the country is like putting a diabetic in a candy shop. It was a cruel form of punishment...for what sin...I'm not sure. I did not take a lot of pictures there...I regret it. Because the first day I got there I went to a apricot orchard to pick apricots for apricot jam...it was soooo hot that I think I doubled in size. Then I had a baby shower which was great, it was awesome to see some people I haven't seen for a while. I also got some super cute baby clothes.

Then on Monday Seth's family came out for the training camp. It was pretty awesome...it was way cool that my sister and Dad rode all the rides too. I don't have a lot of pix but here are a few I do have.

This picture is part of the San Francisco Bay.The roads in California are amazing.Seth and Kellen standing with the family's mascot.The BoysK-dogCharlotte my younger sister rode out of her mind the entire week.Motor pacing

Fabulous Sugar

We are starting a Sugar line of baby clothes. Here are a few of our first attempts. We will get better with some time and practice.

Loved

Yesterday I had such a great and unexpected gift delivered to work for me. Check it out; I had a patient bring in these amazing home grown roses for me. Come on I felt totally loved!

Then this morning when I went to the kitchen to find some breakfast I found a bowl of red and pink Mambas;Seth bought a bag of Mamba's and my favorite flavors happen to be the red and pink...they are suppose to be strawberry and raspberry, but they taste more like red and pink. It was really sweet of Seth to pick out my favorites and give them to me. Side note: I did resist the temptation to make the entire contents of that bowl my breakfast. Seth is so cute he always gives me the red skittles, pink starbusts, pink mentos, red harabo gummi bears, and watermelon jolly ranchers. He even does it when I'm not there...he will somtimes bring home a bag of the red gummi bears for me. He's pretty much got me figured out. It's hard to find guys like that now a days.

Web Sitting

I wonder what the legal ramifications would be if I was ever caught having some one baby sit my kid via web camera.  Last night Hubby and I were heading out for dinner and as usual Kiowa our ever loyal puppy was watching us leave out the front window...we always thought that it was kind of sweet...you know maybe she just hates being away from us.  As we were driving off I watched Kiowa watched us and as soon as she thought we were gone I saw her spin around really fast and run into the back of the house...toward the kitchen.   We stopped and went back to the house...we wanted to know what our crazy dog was up to.  We caught her doing nothing.  So we are Mac people and we are connected to other Mac people and if you know Mac people you know that they are always on their computers.  So we turned on our web camera and called Seth's Dad to watch Kiowa via web camera, then we left for dinner.  It was great knowing that if Kiowa wanted to get anything off the counter, or move her food around there was someone to scold her via web.   So I'm thinking that when I need to go out I can just turn on the web cam and have a Mac'er watch the kid.  Maybe someone from India...I heard we were beginning to outsource our daycare responsibilities to India.  

ALERT: Creativity at all time low

So I've heard about it happening to women but I never thought it could happen to me...'baby brain'. Yeah apparently it's a huge 'hush-hush' medical condition...I went to wikipedia and looked up 'baby brain'...I got 'Pinky and the Brain', 'Newsboy Legion', and a whole lot of nothing. Went to the Mayo Clinic and Web MD website and again nothing. I thought this whole hazy brain thing would pass...but it hasn't I haven't written anything good on the blog in forever...oh wait I never write anything good on this blog. I can't think of anything to write about...maybe it's because my life is a little more...hmmm whats the right word? Slower? Boring? I'm not sure but I just don't have stuff to write about...I don't cook, I don't play, and winter just puts me in a depressive place...so yeah I blame baby brain for so much of this tho. So I am going to shake my self out of the brain cloud and see if I can think again...oh yeah Seth totally out witted me the other day...that never happens...I am totally loosing my edge. But if I am going to raise a sarcastic, quick witted child then he is going to need a role model, so I am going to get it back not just for me but for my children. They are going to need a good sense of humor to survive this household!

Dog Bliss

We found these Dr. Seuss stuffed animals for $2.50 at Kohls. Friggin Awesome...so we bought like 10 animals, now Kiowa can focus on her own toys to tear up and leave our stuff alone. Every time I come home with a new toy or something for the baby, she just follows me in hopes that it's hers. Poor puppy is going to have a hard time adjusting to having a baby around. Good thing we have her watch Lady and the Tramp everytime...you know to prepare her.