26 (point two)

This blog is not about how I feel about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  It is not about guns or security or "what is this world coming to."  Nope.  If you are reading this, you are likely a close friend or family member and probably already know how I feel about all of it.  I am sad. I am mad. I am inspired.

How is it possible that I am inspired by any of this?  Well, that would be a complicated and quite lengthy answer.  And I am not even sure that it's one I can articulate today, or probably ever for that matter.  But the gist is that I am inspired to make the world I live in a better place. Better for me.  Better for my family.  And especially better for Bryan.  I want him to know the love I feel for strangers.  I want him to see the good in everything.  And I want for him to know that bad things happen to good people and it is up to the rest of us carry the torch and make things better.

This morning, I logged in to my iGoogle page (which is essentially an RSS feed of my favorite blogs) and my top two are Another Mother Runner and A Happy Little Family.  This morning, my favorite Mother Runners posted about the 26 acts of kindness and paying it forward.  And my favorite mother runner reader, Lisa posted an update to the Mother Runner blog.

Here's my contribution to the 26 acts of kindness.  And in typical Jenna fashion, it's a list!

1.  Between now and the end of the year, I will share 26 random acts of kindness with others.  My typical holiday giving will not count.  If you want to know what I am doing, you can follow me on Twitter.  Ann Curry (NBC News) has created the #26Acts trend on Twitter and just announced that those participating should take pictures and  post videos for Rock Center.  I will not be participating in that part.  I believe that random acts of kindness are not about the recognition you receive for being kind, but rather how you make another person feel.  I will  hashtag (that's the # in Twitter speak) my acts with #26Acts hoping that it helps add to the infectiousness of the trend.  Not because I want recognition.

2.  In 2013, I am registered for two half marathons.  That's 26.2 miles of long racing.  I will direct my "Braver. Stronger. Smarter." mantra to 20 children, 4 teachers, and the shooter's mother as I run one mile for each of them.  The last mile I will run FAST will be my way to demonstrate the need to put an end to violence.  The final two-tenths of a mile is for me.  To remind myself that one person can make a difference.

I guess it's a short list today.  That just means it will be easier to remember.

Merry Wooley and do something extraordinary today.

Merry Wooley!

It seems like Thanksgiving was last week.  Time is absolutely flying around here.  Between work trips and illnesses, we've been a little crazy around these parts.  There's been a lot of fun had.  And this weekend is no exception.  Saturday nigh we head downtown to see White Christmas and I am over the moon excited.  Here's hoping my cough will subside enough by then to not interrupt the performance!  I don't think I've ever had bronchitis before, but I gotta tell you...it's a beat down.  With no time to spare in this last month of the year, my clients certainly aren't taking it easy on me.  But thankfully, this also means that by next Friday, I will be completely caught up and on easy street until January 2!

So, as we wrap up the Christmas preparations and let the excitement for the holiday build, I thought I'd take a time out and share a picture and a couple videos of our little Nugget. I am convinced he's getting cuter by the minute!

No, that's not a quirky smile you are seeing...it's five seconds short of a full on FIT because he does  NOT like his new jacket.  He's getting used to the hat, however!

We've been having some fun with Puffs.  He really does not love them, but they dissolve quickly in his mouth so that he can get used to the chewing action.  Wait until the end.  Looks like he takes after Papa Doug with that shiver!  That means it's perfect!

There's been lots of this around this house.  Bryan had another ear infection the week I was in Dallas, and my ever-perfect little Nugget contaminated me once again (but I'll never stop kissing and loving on him!).  

And just in case I don't get a chance to blog again before Christmas, I wish you all a very Merry Wooley and am very much looking forward to seeing most of you in February! We will be in MI for two weeks!

Busy

It's the theme of the Rowland house this December.  Busy.  It started on Saturday, December 1.  On that day, my sole sister (Lisa) and I were finally able to lace up again for the first time since August 2011.  Between my pregnancy and baby and her pregnancy and baby, we overlapped enough to be out of it for more than a year.  Lisa had her third baby (a little girl) seven weeks ago and was just given the green light to start running.

We managed to limp out three and a half miles together.  We ran one and a quarter, walked one then ran the rest.  It was a wonderful day and we are both so glad to have our Saturday mornings together every week from now until half-marathon day in May with only a few exceptions.

Saturday night, Chris and I went to a University of Denver hockey game.  It's not the Red Wings, or even the NHL, but at least it was hockey.

Monday (yesterday), Bryan went back to the pediatrician and has another really bad ear infection.  So, last night was a big fat bummer.  He finally settled down around 11:30 pm and slept until morning.  Poor little guy.  And my poor washing machine.  The antibiotics will cause several blowouts daily.  I guess I'll have to go buy more onesies.  I refuse to scrub those suckers anymore.  It's just gross.

Today I am getting my ducks in a row to leave tomorrow for Dallas until Friday.  Oh, and Chris' birthday is Thursday and he's not happy about it.  Apparently caring for our son on his birthday while I am out of town did not make the list of "best birthday ever" criteria.  I don't really blame him, I guess.  So, to make up for it, here's what I am doing today:
I just finished baking four dozen of his favorite cookies
This afternoon I am making lasagna with a homemade bolognese sauce
I have to run to the store to pick up a bunch of birthday cards because I am hiding little gifts all over the house for him to find.  Gift cards to his favorite places so he can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the places he loves.

I am also headed to the Carters store to buy more PJ's for Nuggs.  He has only two jammies that fit him and even wearing them each twice doesn't leave a lot of room for error and/or forgetting to get the laundry started.

I get home on Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning, Lisa and I are running the Ugly Sweater 5k. And Saturday night, we are headed downtown for Chris' birthday dinner.

Next Saturday we are going to see White Christmas at the Buell Theater downtown and on that Sunday our neighborhood is hosting a cookie exchange (ensue more banking) and then on the 21st Chris' parents fly in for the holiday.

I'll sleep in January, I guess.  But not on Saturdays when Lisa and I run and Nuggs has swimming lessons!  Holy catfish.  Why am I starting to get the feeling that weekends will be like this for the next 18ish years?  But I love every second of it!

16 days in pictures...sort of

It's hard to believe it's been 16 days since my last post.  Time is flying.  Everyone here is happy and healthy.  So glad to report the healthy part!!  And we are pretty sure Bryan is teething.  I can see the little bumps where his chompers will be filling in soon.

Work is crazy busy right now so it's been difficult to find the time to blog.  And since most of you see my Facebook status, you know we are all doing well.  So rather than posting lots of words, I thought I'd post the update in pictures.

Enjoy!

What's the date today?

Seriously?  It's November 13?  That can't be right.  I mean, really...that's not right!  I have realized that as I get older, time goes by faster. Even on those days when it seems time is standing still.  The hours can seem long, but the days pass so quickly.

Today, one of our client support reps emailed a client of mine in an effort to fix a technological hiccup the client was experiencing.  It was a list. I quickly thanked the support guru and let him know how great I thought the email was...especially the list part.  His response to me was, "Sometimes people just need a list or it all looks like a heavy fog of crazy, so they don't know where to start."  Brilliant!

With that, here's the list of Rowland happenings in the past week!

1.  My business trip went really well. I left with strep throat and returned with a double ear infection.  I was a mess but the presentation was outstanding.  In my boss' words, I "knocked it out of the park!"  That will make me feel better all day long!!
2.  Bryan is totally on the mend.  I actually think the antibiotic for his double ear infection helped with the chronic cough.  We see the pulmonologist on Thursday and are hoping for a clean bill of health!

Sleeping in his swing. We've learned that if we give
Nuggs a blankie, he will cuddle up and sleep!

3.  Chris and Nuggs survived their first night home alone together.  And by survived, I really mean that it was business as usual for Bry and Chris got a taste of the routine.  Next up, two or three nights for my company Christmas party.  Maybe.
4.  Bryan is 7 months old today.  Seven months.  How is that possible?  This week he's found his voice and is working on perfecting the most ear-piercing scream/screech you've ever heard.  Super cute, really funny and somewhat annoying all at the same time!  And I love every second of it!

5.  Our basement and office conversion projects will be finished on Thursday.  Yes, Thursday as in the day after tomorrow.  Holy catfish!  The bed and stuff will be delivered on Friday.  I can't believe how incredible it's looking.  In approximately 48 hours, there will not be strange men jumping in and out of the window wells in our basement anymore!  No more Russian Boris and his Johnny Cash music.  No more electricians with wicked senses of  humor (I think this guy's been zapped a time or two!), no more painters who think they communicate better with bi-lingual employees by talking loud enough Helen Keller could hear them.  Seriously.  Spanish is not a synonym of deaf.  I promise. Look it up! 

6.  My parents will be here on Saturday and my in-laws on Tuesday (a week from today).  They each get three nights in the new Grandparent Suite.  How cool is that?  We are all so excited we can hardly stand it!
7.  I am listening to Christmas music.  Because I can.  If the hours are long but the days so short, I want to enjoy every one of these "first Christmas with the baby" days.  And if that means I get a few extra, so be it.  Besides.  Christmas music makes me extra happy.

Happy 7 month birthday, Nuggs! Abby was too tired to play.

It's time...

Today is November 5, 2012.  I have had this week on my calendar for nearly seven months.  Since before I went on maternity leave.  Tomorrow marks the first non-Nana-assisted overnight business trip for me.  I am headed to Peoria, IL for the night.  And because you all know I love a good list, and because I know you all love to ready my lists, here's the list of reasons that I am having so many mixed-emotions about this trip:

1.  Bryan goes to what we call "school" every day.  And really "school" is just a nice way to say "daycare/petri dish."
2.  Bryan is fighting something and is FULL of buggers, the non-medical term for nasal mucus, and his cough is worse than usual.  And he's been up a couple times the last two nights.  I am hoping he's just teething, but based on how I feel, I don't think we will be that lucky.
3.  I am pretty sure I can guess what Bry's coming down with in that what he gets, I get.  And my throat hurts, my nose is runny and my ear is stuffy.
4.  Chris has only gotten up with Bryan at night once, and that was back in April and he only lasted in the room long enough to say, "Jenna, come help me or I am going to break something."  He didn't mean the baby, of course.  But let's just say that because there are no rules, he finds parenting to be quite difficult at times.  Just ask my mom about the game at Christmas and how Chris had to quit because the rules were too vague.
5.  I have to fly American Airlines into Bloomington, IL.  There is a sub-list in that statement for why THAT's a problem, so I will sum it up with this:  McFarlane luck + Airline in bankruptcy = delayed and cancelled flight guarantees.
6.  I get a night to myself.  No cooking, no cleaning, no diapers, no toys to trip over, no dogs to let out and feed.  But in return I get no fish face, no splish-splash, no feedings, no singing, no reading, no rocking, and no goodnight kisses.  That sucks.
7.  The ways in which this will be good for Chris are almost infinite.  Not only will he better appreciate what I do every day, but it will also be a critical bonding experience for my boys.  Bryan spends the mornings (after I have done all the no-fun stuff) with his Daddy.  But the evenings of feedings, baths, books and bedtime are where the real bonding happens.  And now Chris will get to feel how incredible it is when Nuggs looks up at you and touches your face, which I am convinced is his way of saying "thanks, Momma. I love you."
8.  If Nuggs gets sicker while I am gone, I have no idea how Chris will handle it.  What if school calls tomorrow or Wednesday and says Bry has a fever and Chris has to go get him?  They are both screwed if that happens.
9.  The idea of this business trip makes me think I need to look for a job that doesn't require any business travel.
10.  A job in an office requires a commute, a new wardrobe, more money spent on gas, more time spent away from home and my family, significantly less flexibility, office gossip, and a second petri dish to bring into the house.  This goes into the category of SO NOT WORTH IT.

All new meaning to "Rat Race"

UPDATE:

Approximately 90 minutes after I wrote this blog, Mayor Bloomberg cancelled the New York City Marathon!  While a difficult decision, I believe it to be for the greater good.  And while I understand that thousands of New Yorkers were planning to run the race and are now disappointed, there are millions of New Yorkers who are grateful they are not.

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If you are a regular reader, you know that I am a runner.  I am slow. Very slow.  But I run.  As often as this post-childbirth pain ridden body will let me.  And up until I was pregnant, I ran daily including two (well, almost two) half marathons in the summer of 2011.

I have two friends living in New Jersey, one in Queens NY and family in New Hampshire.  Thankfully all three of them escaped Sandy relatively unharmed.  One lost their car, a few trees and many belongings. One lost their roof, two cars, and most of their house.  The other two managed to avoid loss all together. I am not sure about the cousins in NH, but the friends in NY/NJ are still without power, no generator, and just enough gas to get them far enough away that they may be able to find some food and gas.

September 11, 2001 was the most devastating day in my 36 years of history.  The shock, the tragedy, the loss, the aftermath, the cleanup, the surviving, the rebuilding.  While the death toll from Hurricane Sandy is only a fraction of the 2011 tragedy, the loss is significantly greater.

This weekend marks the 42nd running of the New York City Marathon.  Nearly 50,000 people, a third of whom come from other countries, will descend on the Big Apple to run 26.2 miles through each of the five NYC boroughs.

I am a firm believer in all the cliches:  rising above, making lemonade, silver linings, pulling up by the bootstraps, and it takes a village.  And I agree that the city stands significant financial gains for hosting the race.  And that every racer with a heart will make a donation on top of their race fee to help the victims of the hurricane.

Here's the problem with all the logic:
There are hundreds of thousands without power through the tri-state area.  NYC alone is still half-dark with power restoration estimation being about 10 days.
Headlines read:  Man pull gun after cutting in line for gas and NYC taxis running out of gas as lines grow
Stores are out of food
People on Staten Island are devastated and the death toll is rising

If I were a hungry New Yorker who had lost my home in the storm, was out of gas and/or didn't have a generator, here would be my perception:
The generator they are using to power the media tent can provide electricity to 400 homes
These crazy people running 26.2 through our sand-covered streets are worried about carb-loading before the race...I am worried about finding food for tomorrow.
Because some of these runners will need assistance on the course, there will be fewer cops to stop the looting and fewer paramedics to help with search and rescue/recovery
There's a winter storm brewing in the Atlantic that's shaping up to be a Nor'easter.  I am wondering where to go from here and now comes the snow.  And you think I care if you finish your 26.2 to say that you did it?

If you are running the NYC marathon, it's not your first marathon.  If you are not a contender for one of the spots that pays a prize, how about helping a neighbor instead of crossing an item off your bucket list?

Hey, NY Road Runner Assoc.  Why don't  you offer your shuttle service to the non-contenders so they can do something more fulfilling with significantly greater impact on society.  Bus them to a Borough and let them lend a hand (and foot) and offer to give their race entry fee and the expense of the goodie bag to the American Red Cross.  I know you are donating $26.20 for each runner, totally just about $1 million for relief efforts, but that won't rebuild the Jersey shore, Staten Island, or even fix the damage on Liberty Island for Pete's sake.  Maybe you should postpone the marathon, or let racers defer their entry to next year.

Runners are a loyal lot of wonderful people.  We are a family who looks out for each other.  We run together in different places at different times, but we are all runners and share that eternal bond.  I would like to think that those running NYC this weekend can find a creative way to use their endurance training in a way that will benefit those who have lost everything from this storm.

Just my thoughts.