Minneapolis-Star-Tribune-runningkellometers

When putting together our baby registry, I spent lots of time researching just about every single item on the list. Picking the jogging stroller I wished for was no different. I chose the BOB Ironman in yellow. Consumer reports named it one of the top running strollers. Since YORO (You Only Register Once), I added it to the list. Since this is something I plan to get a lot of use out of in the years to come, I wanted something I loved. And I loved that stroller. It remained on the registry after the baby showers. It was something that we would have to figure out a creative way to pay for one because I knew I was getting it, one way or another. I had lots of ideas of using coupons and gift cards at various places, depending on where I could get the best deal. With the chaos leading up to Patsy's birth, there was no immediate need for the jogging stroller.

For those of you that aren't from the Chicago area (or perhaps have been living under a rock), the Chicago Marathon was this past weekend. I DVRed the race and recently finished watching the coverage. Seeing the course and all the people running it, it brought back some strong emotions. (I may or may not have shed some tears.) I have a lot of history with this race over the years, both spectating and attempting to run it.

Helping my cousin cross the finish line 2009

Marathon Expo 2011

Running with Maggie in 2012

My history with the marathon is a long and bumpy one. I also had plans to run the Illinois Marathon in 2013, but my little nugget decided to exist so I put my marathon plans on hold. (Totally worth it, obviously.) Every October I get the itch to run the Chicago Marathon. This year was no different and I'm thinking that 2014 might be the year I cross the finish line. I plan on doing things very differently than the first time around (I plan on hiring Coach Britt again.) I'm hoping that the extra motivation of little Patsy will help me with that extra push to break through the wall and cross the finish line! Registration will open in February or March and there are rumors that the registration system might be changing, but we'll see how it goes. If it is meant to be, it is meant to be.


This year, I did get the chance to meet up with some amazing Oiselle teammates that were in town for the race from both Illinois and all over the U.S.! They were all happy to meet Patsy and were very accommodating. It was so nice to actually meet people that I've been following on Twitter and Instagram in real life! Also, I had no idea we had so many local team members (the team recently expanded, including more team members in IL). The wheels are already turning to plan another local Oiselle event. I am excited! Stay tuned!

It really is quite amazing how quickly the time goes by when taking care of a small child. I can only imagine how fast the time will go by when I'm also running and working too! I thought I would put together a list of some of my favorite things from Patsy's first few weeks of life!

1) Wubbanubs - these came recommended from Michelle at Crazy Running Legs. I saw them and thought they were so adorable, I needed to register for a few. In addition to being adorable, they are pretty functional too. They are much more difficult to lose than the normal pacifier. When Patsy spits it out (which is often), it sits on her instead of rolling onto the floor.


2) Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets - These were recommended to me by several different folks. I love that they are muslin and breathable. It makes me feel better about using them and the lessened suffocation hazard. They are also pretty large which is great for the novice swaddler. Last but not least, the patterns are absolutely adorable. They are a little on the expensive side but they occasionally go on sale at Babies R Us and are also available on the Kohl's website. I highly recommend you pick up some!


3) Fisher Price Rock N Play Sleeper - This was something that I didn't register for but my SILs bought for me because they thought I would love it. Oh my goodness, this is the best thing ever! It pretty much is a portable crib that is super easy to maneuver around. We live in a ranch and this sleeper is pushed around to the kitchen, living room, bathroom... wherever! I'm so glad we have this little piece of furniture.


4) Summer Infant Swaddlers - These are fantastic. The nurses at the hospital are able to swaddle your baby for you beautifully. Then you come home and no one in your house has the same amazing swaddling skills. Therefore, the folks at Summer Infant created swaddles that use velcro to keep in place. We put Patsy in them just for sleeping and she loves them. Babies are only supposed to be tightly swaddled for the first few months so I didn't get a ton, just a few. These swaddles are currently available at TJ Maxx and Marshall's stores for much, much cheaper than Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby.


5) Honest Company Diapers - I heard about this company from a friend and I liked that they had diapers that were plant based and biodegradable. I consider myself to be semi-crunchy-granola and I thought that these diapers were a good fit for us. They are delivered to my house as regularly as I want them to be (and wipes are included in the package). The patterns are also super adorable. The only downside is that they don't come with the blue/yellow line that says whether or not the diaper is wet. As often as she is peeing and pooping, I'm not too worried about it at this point. The company doesn't just do diapers. They also offer cleaning products, baby care products, and even vitamins. All of their products are organic, plant based, and uber-enviro-friendly.



And just because, here are some more photos of my adorable baby girl. I might be having a bit too much fun picking out her outfits every day. Headbands are pretty much a necessity.



Note: I was in no way compensated for the reviews of these products. These opinions and views are my own.

It really is amazing how much time has passed since my last post. The days seem to go by fairly quickly, even though I feel like I'm not doing much. Our little Patsy is eating about every 2 hours during the day and every 3+ hours during the night (at least on good nights) which has worked out alright thus far. I can usually tell when she is getting fussy, like clock work. We are trying to keep her up before bed time so she sleeps better during the night. Not every night is perfect, but we're getting there.

We've had lots of fun visitors this week, some of which may be familiar to you!

Amanda (Get to Goal) came by on her day off on Monday, after another marathon finish at Fox Valley on Sunday. Like a bad blogger, I didn't take any photos of her visit. Oops!

Amanda Too Tall Fritz also came by with her kids. As we plan on having more than one child, I always love when kids come to visit. It gives me a glimpse into my potential future, chaos and all.

Kim and Bobbi made the trek from the far north suburbs all the way out to visit me! It was so nice that they came all this way! Kim brought along some delicious Fake Meats Meals (complete from the monthly meal plan that I keep talking about signing up for).

Bobbi and I both wore orange... Unexpectedly

So far I'm loving maternity leave and I'm not looking forward to going back to work in a few weeks. Thankfully I won't be going back until after Thanksgiving so I still have some time. :)

I've been taking a few walks a week and been feeling good. Hoping to get the all-clear to run at my 6 week appointment! I've been feeling much better since the surgery so we'll see how the next 4 weeks go. :) Thanks for following along!

My favorite walking buddies!

Well, Patsy is now over a week old and we've been home from the hospital for just over a week. We have had lots of visitors at our house and I love all the company. It really helps the day go by faster with other people coming by. Pepper also really loves all the visitors. This is Dad's first week back at work since Patsy was born and it has been off to a bit of a rough start (very late to work his first day back and a horrible night's sleep the night before). I'm excited that things seem to be healing well with the incision. I'm happy for when I can take my little nugget out and about (I really dislike being cooped up in the house all day). After 2 weeks, I'm cleared to lift things heavier than the baby, so I will actually be able to pick  her up in her carseat.

Get ready folks. Here comes some of the TMI stuff of what it has been like at home. I had a plan to exclusively breastfeed my baby and I'm happy to report that Patsy has really taken to it. She is eating (and pooping and peeing) like a champ. It isn't easy and it is very tiring being the only food source. But I think it is worth it and I would do it all over again. I hope that things continue to work in the future, so we'll see how it goes! Sometimes the hubs and I will have a conversation strictly about what color poop the baby has. Yes, we've turned into THAT couple. It is kind of hard not to when we are both completely enthralled with our adorable baby girl. All in all, she is pretty much just eating, pooping, peeing, and sleeping these days.  She is eating about every 2 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. At times when she is awake and alert we try to do some tummy time or something. We also try to keep her awake right before we go to bed (only letting her sleep for no more than an hour between 7pm and 10pm). This has worked out fairly well so far. I would like to get into more of a bedtime routine with story time and such when she is probably about a month old.

There are some products that we've liked so far and I'll be sure to do a product post in a little while, once I take some photos of her using the various things. :)

As I mentioned before, I have been pretty much stuck in the house most days, but Patsy has already been out to dinner, out to breakfast, and even made her first trip to Kohl's. I really can't wait until I'm feeling better to take her out and around! As I'm typing this up, I'm contemplating going for a walk around the block, just to get up and out of the house. (And I want to give her stroller system an inaugural trip.)

And here is my new favorite way to spend Sundays.

Since I don't really have much to blog about, I thought I would just post photos of my adorable baby girl! She actually has her own hashtag if you're looking for more photos. Check out #PatsyRose on Instagram. Hope you enjoy!

Carseat snuggles on the way home from the hospital

Wearing Mom's favorite color

Stealing a smile!

Whatchu lookin at?

Momma and baby during our first night out for Daddy and Uncle Dan's birthday