Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The Story of my BOB and my First Run Back

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.

As you know by now, our beautiful nugget was born a few days early. When we got home from the hospital, a few surprises were waiting for me. As I previously mentioned, our friends and family decorated our front entryway for us. However, that wasn't the only surprise. When I walked inside the house I saw the biggest surprise of all, the BOB stroller box sitting in our living room. I immediately turned to my husband, asking him where it came from. He said it was his gift to me, as it was the one thing he knew I really wanted that we didn't already have. It was really unexpected and I was speechless. I was so overcome with love and emotion, I even teared up a bit. I have always thought my husband was a catch and when he does amazing things like this, I'm just more thankful to have him in my life. (Totally mushy, I know.) Right now the stroller is assembled and ready to roll!


If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was cleared to run at my 6 week doctors appointment. I was overcome with joy and excited to get back out there. This past weekend got the chance to put the stroller together, only to find out I didn't have the correct infant car seat connector. The correct one has since been ordered from Amazon and will be arriving shortly. In the mean time, the hubs took over baby duties when I went for my first solo run with the pup. 

It was really great to be out there again. I didn't have a particular pace target. I just wanted to run 2 miles and see how I felt. I know I'm not going to start out fast after taking a 5 month break and having a child. Knowing that before going into it made my (comparatively) slow pace seem irrelevant. Being out on the pavement was like being reunited with an old friend. We hadn't talked in awhile, but we were able to pick up where we left off. I see so many bloggers bounce back so quickly and speedily after having children. I don't think I'll fit into that category and I'm okay with that. You know I'm going to be honest and tell you that it was hard. My legs were sore after running just 2 miles. I also wanted to quit at 1.5 miles but I kept going. I loved every minute of being out there and I'm very much looking forward to the miles ahead for me, Patsy and Pepper.

Watch out! There's a new mother runner in town :)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Chicago Marathon Thoughts

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!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Baby Wilson's Favorite Baby Items

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.