Sunday, May 29, 2011

Running partner void

In the past 11 years, I have never been at a shortage of running partners or motivation to get out to get my long runs in. However, in the last couple months here in LA I've been struggling to get into a routine....which makes me miss my running friends!!

At Lourdes, I had LITERALLY 100 girls to pick from. Runs were always interesting...filled with stories of boys, school, gossip, cosmo topics, and so much more entertainment.
When I got to UF, my options narrowed down a little, from 100 to about 14 girls...However, I lived with 3 other runners. I still remember the first week of school when I moved to UF, my roommates and I woke up everyday at 5am to run before our orientation. Those first runs were really hard and long, because none of us wanted to be the first to complain or say it was too hard or fast. Living with teammates wasn't always easy but it made it really HARD to be LAZY and to not get up for a run. And there was always someone up for a run...so lonely runs were few and far between and often a welcomed change. Throughout the years at UF I started preferring runs with some people...people who became some of my best friends. My last year I ran with the girls from TRACK OMEGA...which was always a BLAST. All my running partners throughout my time at UF filled my runs with philosophical talks on the meaning of life, heart-ache support, frustration soothers, and millions of funny, weird, and interesting stories.

(Norte Dame Invite)(100mile Relay)

After UF, I was lucky to find some friends in the Peace Corps, Lindsay, Lee, and Shiv, who would also get up a run in the mornings...mainly Lee. Most days I did run on my own throughout Santa Clara before I got hurt.

In Austin, I was lucky to find a group of girls who were super disciplined and dedicated. They would get me up at 5am to go meet them for 5:45am runs when Nico was only a couple months old! Some nights, when Nico would be up for a couple hours, I didn't think I had it in me to go for a 6 or 7 mile run...but they would text me to let me know they were waiting...and I would drag myself out of bed, and go meet them. I was also lucky that one of those running friends was a BABY MOMMA.


Since moving to LA, we have have found 2 running groups (LADC and MDR Running Clubs). I have also run a couple (2x) with another baby momma....BUT it's been really hard for me to get into a running groove.....IRONIC, since it's the most BEAUTIFUL place I've ever lived, with the ocean a few short strides away, and miles of sidewalk by the ocean.

Nico has been a supportive running partner since he was a couple months old and has made me work hard, but he's not very good a motivating me to get out the door when "I'm not FEELING IT". Instead, he makes it very easy to do ANYTHING else instead of heading out the door.
The last 2 runs I have been feeling really nostalgic. I know I'm just being a baby, but I wish I had a person that would make me accountable for my miles...and would chat with me for miles and miles about life, gossip, and things that don't matter. I feel that I need that extra push right now, while I get back into a routine.

I want to hear stories, gossip, and have senseless convos on runs up and down and all around LA with someone who is a little competitive and will keep the pace up, but not race pace everyday all the time. I know that I can't wait to find someone...I need to start doing it myself, even if it's harder...but with every lonely run that goes by....I'm pretty sure I'm gonna keep yearning for what I took for granted for SO many years. Hope all you girls are doing great...miss you!!!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Luz Mila's Visit!

Luz Mila,my Godmother, came to visit us here in LA for 10 days!!!
She got to hang out with Nico's friends
Hang out around our apartment and complex:
1st paleta (popsicle)
"Cheers"ing with daddy

We went to Santa Barbara for the day last Saturday and toured on a trolley after Peter's Race---WHICH he won 1st Place:
5k race that was all on Sand
We Toured Santa Barbara:


We are at Aldo's Restaurant before heading back to the car:

We stopped at Lee Cabillo Park on the way back home for some Paddle Ball and Rock Climbing:


Toured Hollywood and Beverly Hills and spotted a celebrity.
(Griffith Park Observatory)
With the HOLLYWOOD hills in the back

Beverly Hills...On Rodeo Drive

AND
But our favorite part of the whole trip was that she BOUGHT ME a SEWING MACHINE!!!!
I have been wanting one for a while now.
Luz Mila helped me make a Messanger bag for our hammock that doubles as a book bag!! And then she made Nico a pair of jean shorts!

Yesterday we finally Got our SEWING ON!!

Gracias Luz Mila por venir a visitar y pasar tiempo con MI REY! Te esperamos por aqui pronto por que necesito aprender mas cosas de la costura!! La maquina fue el mejor regalo que me hubieras podido haber dado!!!

MIL GRACIAS!!!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHday

Happy Birthday Vivi!!!!! We hope you had a great day...and we can't wait to see you in 2 weeks! So Nico can give you your birthday gift in PERSON!!

And Speaking of Birthdays!!!!!!
TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR MY FAMILY IN COLOMBIA! My cousin, Betty had her little son, SAMUEL ANTONIO!!!! Felicidades Betty y Ricardo. Les mandamos un BESOTE.
Samuel is Nico's middle name. We both did it in memory of our grandfather, Samuel....my mom's dad. He would have been so excited to get Nico and now Samuel all dirty around the farm and up on horses!

It's a Special day in Austin too!!! Happy ONE-YEAR Birthday Jackson!
Julia, one of my Austin Baby Momma friends, had her little man ONE YEAR AGO! They are growing up SOOOO FASTTT!!!!

But wait!! There's more birth news in Austin!
Our running friends in Austin, Chris and Anne-Marie, welcomed their little girl, Natalie Alana a week ago, May 19th! Congrats guys! She's adorable and already has 2 body guards, Nico and Miles!!!! Can't wait to see you THREE in Austin in August!

Birthdays have always been a big deal for me, BUT now I truly understand HOW SPECIAL a BIRTHday really is! It's not only the day that your give your child the greatest GIFT---LIFE, but it's the day that you start to GRASP what LOVE really means!

Congratulations all you Mommas: FLORENCE, Betty, JULIA, Anne-Marie!!!
And of course...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Vivi, Jackson and Samuel Antonio!
Happy Belated birthday Natalie Alana!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

16 months old!

Happy 16 months Pumpkinhead!
(sorry it took so long to post this one!)
Motor Skills- We have added more signs to hig vocab list!! He signs for LECHE, MAS, DIAPER, CHANGE, LAVA (for washing his hands), and NOW.....POOP!!

Language skills- He keeps saying CAR, and BALL all the time....but we think he is also saying COOKIE now....I think it's because of a toy that repeats--COOKIE JAR.

Teeth- He got two more teeth....which means he is only missing 2 teeth to have a FULL MOUTH of teeth!

Sleeping habits: He has been doing much better since we started keeping track of his nap schedule. He consistently takes one nap before noon. Some days he takes an afternoon nap. When he doesn't, we put him to bed a little earlier. At night, he's been getting up once (if that). HOWEVER....we have been bringing him to our bed early in the morning when he wakes up around 5ish....and he'll sleep with us for a little. I know we shouldn't but I LOVE that little cat nap that the three of us can take together!!!!

Eating habits: Some foods are hit or miss with Nico but he is all about eating on his OWN! And he has started using a SPORK...half spoon half fork contraption...lol, and he loves it.

Other updates:
Nico has started giving BESITOS! I LOVE IT!!!!!! Here is Nico giving Lorena a BESITO.

On another note, Nico and Daddy have become quite the inseperable DUO!
They workout together: (Legs up)
They play PIC-A-BOO and take siestas together.

MY BOYS ARE ADORABLE!!!

On sunday, Nico's 16 month birthday, we went to an open house at JPL---One of Peter's clients to check out their cool space toys:
THis The one above is going to SPACE in JUNE!!!
We went with the Neighbors: Alexander and Madeline. Here is us in MARS!


I love you to infinity and beyond...for real. As we toured JPL, a recurring theme we kept hearing was how infinite the universe was...how little we have explored it. It made me realize that, that's how I feel about my love for you Nicolon! You havn't even seen a glimpse of how much I LOVE YOU! HAPPY 16 months!!!!

Quotes to Live by:

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

Be kinder than necessary, everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

When you help someone up a hill, you get that much closer to the top yourself.