Almost ONE!

Holy crap. I can't believe Lola is eleven months already. It really does seem like just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. I am in the planning stages of her birthday party. Originally thought it would be a HUGE shindig, but I think it's just going to be small, not so quiet, but just family and a few pals who wish to show. We will be getting a slip n' slide and one or two baby pools. Thought that would be fun enough for the older cousins and also fun for Lola...if she happens to decide she wants to get in a pool. I am going to have to try that out before the party of course. Hopefully she doesn't freak when I put her in the pool.

So, eleven months...what is she doing now? Crawling everywhere, clapping, pointing (her personal favorite thing to do), walking while holding onto whatever she can, pulling up like a champ, jumping!, babbling (everything is dada right now). She is so close to walking, but is still hesitant to give it a go without some help from momma. I think her personality is starting to shine through a bit. Well, at least her tantrums are becoming a bit more frequent. And I shouldn't really call them "tantrums", she just screams and cries for a while and then is over it. She seems to be pretty easy-going, observant, inquisitive, HAPPY, and sweet sweet sweet. Oh, she also knows how to give kisses...complete with "mmmuah" and everything! I love it! It's my favorite thing that she does.

I can't believe our little baby will be one in 28 days! Gosh, it's been such a whirlwind of a year!Can't wait for number two! (second year...NOT second baby, I can definitely wait for that!)

Lola & her Great Aunt Denise

Lola's favorite place - outside!

Crawling to Momma

I think she was saying, "cha cha" trying to say "tree" perhaps?

Lola & PawPaw John

Training

I have officially begun "training" to becoming a better runner. I have run 5K's before, and before my little bundle of joy was part of this world, I was an occassional/leisurely runner/walker. I've always enjoyed the outdoors and the hobby of going to a park and running the track. Never did I think that I would become one of those runners who actually LOVED to run. Well, it has happened. I look forward to my runs every day. I know that I have to take my rest days, but I honestly feel jipped when I can't run outside. I've never been a fan of the treadmill either. But, now that I realize that it's a good training method, I have learned to love it. Given the weather we are forced to endure here in Houston, learning to love the treadmill is a good thing. Now that it's almost June and still a short three weeks from the official beginning of summer, I believe the gym will quickly replace my 4-pm daily runs. I love taking the little munchkin with me to the park. It took a while to get her acclimated to the somewhat-rough ride at Memorial Park, but I think she's pretty used to it now. Although, an occassional scream is heard before the 3-mile marker, it's pretty rare that she wants out before I am done.

I have my second 5K this Saturday, and I am pretty confident that I will shave at least 2 minutes off of my finish time. This time I will not have to worry about a screaming Lola, as I did last time when my mom had to walk with her. I actually ran my best mile to date yesterday(thanks Nike+ for that nice tidbit of information), yep, when I ended my workout a nice voice congratulated me for running my fastest mile; a brisk 10.44 mile. Ha. Hopefully I will laugh one day when I see that number. I would really love to run an eight-minute mile! But, I digress...that "best" mile was while pushing 50 pounds of weight in front of me! That stroller business is serious. I do like the extra 100 calories that I burn, although at times it is rough to remain in full training mode while moving with that extra bundle.

So with that being said, the Impact-a-Hero 5K this weekend I will be baby & stroller free and running with my mom, who by the way, runs a 30 minute 5K. So, I won't push myself too hard, but I will try to keep up and beat my last finishing time of 36.38. I have ran 4 miles and 6 miles since the last race and I believe my endurance and speed has increased. I will be sure to post my official time Saturday evening!

Mini-Vacay

I guess the days of taking a whole week off to travel to another American city to visit bars and restaurants have been left in the dust of my prior life.

This year, my vacation consisted of traveling to Arkansas to visit my family, and then on the way home, stop at a KOA Campground for some good, old-fashioned, cabin-camping. We had a great time. The 8-hour drive was nice; no screaming baby. She was actually very well behaved. I sat in the back with her for a few hours and we played and danced as she dozed off. She did have a major diaper blowout, though. We had to stop in Lufkin to buy something to cover the car seat up where her poop and pee seeped through her clothes and onto the lining of the car seat. Yep, it was that bad. Her little outfit is a goner now...still stained after two washes. We arrived in Little Rock while it was still light outside! A departure from our two previous visits, when we arrived close to midnight each time. It was good to get into town while you're not dead tired from night driving. Since we were also there during Max's birthday, my dad and step-mom decided that he would get to choose where and what we ate all weekend. We went to a pretty good, given the fact that we were no longer in Texas, Mexican food restaurant. Service pretty much sucked, but it was Friday night rush. I rode with my little (step) sister, who isn't so little anymore. She got a new Ford Mustang for her 16th birthday! She didn't scare me too much while driving the short distance to the restaurant.

It was a good visit for all. Max, of course, cooked for them and they loved it. I forgot what he made since I typically don't eat it. I think it was some pork stew-madness. I just know it had big chunks of pork, with the bone still in, and I just don't do bones in my meat, and I don't do stew. I actually made a cheesecake and it turned out so good! It wasn't too rich or heavy, it was just right. I did good! My first attempt at a cheesecake turned out perfect. Well, the crust could have used some help, but that's whatevs. It's the crust...nobody eats that! Max helped Rachael and Kala make some awesome cupcakes (I will post the pics later on today), and they had lots of fun. My dad had a blast running around with Lola and taking tons of pictures.

So, once we arrived at the cabin in Hot Springs, with a sick baby and after driving around Hot Springs for about an hour, I realized that I was on vacation and I hadn't had one drop of alcohol! Well, I had a margarita with dinner one night, but that's it. It was weird. I just began to recall the days when that's what my vacations were made up of and planned around. Bars, bars and more bars. I've reached a point to where I don't miss going on a bender and feeling like crap the next day, but I can admit that I miss the happy hours and hanging out with my friends. So...I went back into town to the nearest gas station and bought a 6-pack of Smirnoff Ice. Hadn't drank that stuff in ages, but it was all they had. Got back to the cabin, Lola was napping, snapped open an "ice", and sat on the front porch swing with Max. Halfway through the bottle I was ready for a nap myself. I only drank one beer and it was done. Gone are those days. Now it's all about family vacations to "family-friendly" locales. I have no problem with that at all. I love Disney, kids are free most places until at least age 12, and I am happy that we will be able to take our little girl around with us. I am excited to be able to help her experience the world...one vacation at a time.

Prejean v. Hilton

I am not sure if anyone has been following the latest debacle that Fox News has been spotlighting. Actually, it was last week so who knows what is going on now in "Fox Nation". But, the drama that has unfolded has really begun to exasperate me!

As much as I hate to admit it, I think...maybe it's the whole getting older thing, or maybe my values/ideals have changed a bit due to the fact that I have more than myself to think about these days...but my political ideals are beginning to take a change. There. I said it. It's out. Not saying that I am a full-fledged, card-carrying Right-Wing Extremist now, but there are some definite points that I feel strongly about and if that labels me as a right-winger, then so be it. And just to preface, I'm not against gay marriage...I'm not a homophobe either, I just believe in everyone's equal right in every way possible. People can't be all "equal rights for us" and then when someone holds an opposite view say they aren't allowed to feel that way. It doesn't work that way, folks. Free Speech - - look it up.

Back to the point at hand...Perez Hilton and the Miss California pageant. Anyone? Anyone? Well, if nobody is aware of the issue - here it is. First, and I still don't understand this, but P-Hilton was a judge for the pageant. Okay? So, during the Q&A session, Carrie Prejean is asked about her support for gay marriage, and much to the dismay of Captian Dumbass, replied, "—"In my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman". WOW. How controversial. How dare she say what she really believes! How dare she NOT be for gay marriage! And how dare she say it to the great and wonderful Perez Hilton - the know-all, be-all for gays everywhere.

Now, don't get me wrong, just because I stated that my ideals were changing, doesn't mean that I am against gay marriage. I have always been a supporter and really don't see the big deal of allowing same-sex marriage. That issue isn't what my rant is about. Rather, it's about the fact that this girl expressed her belief and she is then blasted for it. I watched an interview with her on CNN a few days after the pageant and days after P-Hil went onto his website and called her out for being a "dumb bitch" and a "cunt", and whatever else he felt the need to describe her as. What gives? Can he not deal with a 21-year beauty queen who isn't interested in his bullshit website or who isn't afraid to say what she means? The CNN anchor was rightly appalled at the behavior exhibited by Hilton. Just another reason to compound my growing loathsome feelings towards P-Hilton.

All in all, I think it's sad that someone can be threatened and berated for believing in something that is, after all, in her full rights as a human being to believe. I don't agree with the outrage towards her and I hope she gets to keep her crown (nekkid photos aside), and be in the running for Miss America. I think it's quite refreshing for a young woman to hold her values and ideals to the utmost and not waver with her beliefs when faced with anger and violence.