Welcome home, Carter

It's been a year since I last posted--a very eventful year ...



July 2009
I finished my first half-Ironman race


August 2009
Cait and Liz got married in a BEAUTIFUL ceremony on Mount Hood


October 2009
Bill and I traveled to North Carolina to attend my cousin's wedding

October 2009
Bill and I found out we were pregnant (likely a side effect of the NC trip)


February 2010
We went to Hawaii for one last childless vacation


June 2010
Bill completed his second marathon in Newport, OR

June 26, 2010
My due date came and went


July 2, 2010
After 4 days of early labor and 27 hours of active labor, we welcomed Carter James Anderson (all 10 lbs, 13 oz and 22 inches of him) into this world!


Next week Carter will be 2 months old. It's been a trip watching him grow from a bundle of tears and poop to a smiling, wriggling, cooing bundle of tears and poop. We are in love with our little guy; so in love, in fact, that we hope to create a blog soon in his name. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are some photos of the little thwump.

Aloha, Kaimana

Last weekend we said goodbye to the sweetest, most gentle dog that has ever touched my family's lives.

Kaimana ("ocean spirit" in Hawaiian) came to me when I was 22 and working at my first "real" job as a copy editor in Vallejo, CA. My mom and sister brought him down from Oregon to be my companion in my strange, new town. He was a handful, and being 22, I wasn't ready for him. I spent long days at work, and he routinely broke free from my little yard in Benicia. I'd get calls telling me to pick him up from the grocery store (yes, INSIDE the store), or from an elementary school playground (he was a hit with the kids). At 3 months old and already 50-60 lbs, at first sight he was an intimidating Newfoundland-Lab.
We went to class after class of obedience school, and I spent hours training him. He became a very obedient dog--about 95% of the time. I could even walk him off leash, and trust him to stick around if I went into Starbucks for a minute.

Regardless, after about 6 months, I decided I couldn't be a good mother to him and trucked him back up to Oregon. I spent the drive in tears, sad to abandon my wonderful pup, but I couldn't give him the attention he needed. My parents offered to take him in (my mom had wanted to keep him from the get-go!), and they could provide two other dogs to be his companion, as well as a large yard and the McKenzie River. He would be happy there.

My parents became Kai's parents, and provided a wonderful home for him. He was spoiled like a grandchild should be spoiled, but he stayed sweet and (almost) obedient as ever. When I moved to Hawaii, I considered taking Kai with me, but the prospect of hand-building a crate to house his 140-lb body on the plane, and then quarantining him for months, made me change my mind.

Kai spent the rest of his life in Eugene, and then in Waldport, on the coast. As he got older, his legs had more and more trouble supporting his body. He developed other problems, including incontinence. My parents covered the house in towels, learning to predict his bathroom needs, but spending a lot of time cleaning up after Kai. Even though Kai wagged his tail and rolled over when I would visit, he could no longer jump up to greet me at the door. His mind wanted so much more than his body could provide. Though my parents did all they could to make Kai comfortable, his quality of life was nonexistent.

After months and months of deliberation, he was put to rest at home with his parents. I was not there, and I can only imagine what they went through, knowing the grief I felt when he passed. The house must have seemed so empty.

But we all know he truly is in a better place, with the other Upshaw dogs, Bogie and Sam, swimming in the river, chasing tennis balls, and dropping that nasty, slobbery stick in someone else's hot tub. And I hope that someone else is providing a knee for him to lie his head on, looking up to with those big eyes. I love you Kai, and will never forget you ...

Yet Another Thing I Hate About Working for "The Man"

"With temperatures rising this week, it's important to remember the parameters of appropriate dress as outlined in the company's personal appearance policy. Employees have been observed wearing shorts and flip-flop shoes. For clarification, shorts are not appropriate for work. While capri pants are considered acceptable, shorts that are at or above the knee are not permitted. Additionally, flip-flop shoes are not allowed. For a complete list of clothing that is considered inappropriate for the work environment, please refer to the personal appearance policy in the Employee Handbook located on the Employee Portal."


1. Notice that you are NOT restricted from wearing short skirts ... (I wonder who wrote this stuff)

2. WHO CARES?!?!

5 Days Till Race Day

Five days from now I will "race" (possibly just endure?) my first half-Ironman. I am 30% nervous and 70% excited. What if I forget something? What if I run out of calories on the bike or run? What if I get dehydrated? What if I get a flat? Or, worst case, what if my mind decides (probably due to lack of calories!) that I just can't go any farther?
I guess the bottom line is I have to trust all the training, and trust that my coach did all she could to prepare me to be successful. We both know I am no Chrissie Wellington, but we also know that I have put in a lot of hours and have what it takes to exercise at a moderate intensity for 6 hours. I know that my body is capable of finishing.
That said, I am looking forward to the adventure, and all the adventures that follow (particularly, those that involve much-deserved sloth and gluttony)!

I'm Alive!

Boise

Bill and I went to Boise for the annual Race to Robie Creek. Because I don't feel like writing, here is my photo essay! : )


Doug, Ann, Lisel, and random toddler aboard the bouncy rubber ring thing. SO much fun.



At the race start; Bill in middle with visor.



Michael and Olivia.


Trouble ...



Troublemaker

Previously on Lost ... Or, What's Going On with Us

It's been a hectic, but fun, time in the Anderson household.

Two weeks ago we started our raised-bed vegetable garden, using the Square Foot Gardening method. We planted lettuce, onions, broccoli, cauliflower ... And we still have tons of stuff to plant. With the unpredictable weather, it was a hassle finding the time to build the beds, mix the soil, and plant, but we are almost there.



Bill's parents were in town the past two weekends as they drove to/from Ashland from their Montana home. It was a lot of fun. This past weekend, we visited the Oregon Garden--albeit a couple weeks early for the spring bloom. Spring seems to be late this year.

We received our couch, finally. For those of you who have visited and noticed the gaping emptiness in the living room, you will now have a place to sit.

I've also been occupied with my triathlon training, which is going really well. The most noticeable improvement--I am not as tired as I used to be! My running will soon be back on track, as I received my orthotics today. I'm only running 12-15 miles a week now to reduce risk of injury, but we should be able to increase that once I break the orthotics in. I am cycling about 5 hours a week--some on the trainer, and some on the road. I am learning that I don't have to ride at 80% all the time, and can ride at 50% and still continue to get stronger. I am swimming 7000-9000 yards a week, and just started incorporating longer interval sets. Except for the early hour at which I must swim to avoid the pool crowd, it is still my favorite sport!

I also started "Athletes' Yoga", which has so far been great. The instructor has incredible knowledge of the body, particularly of endurance athletes' bodies. He knows what ails us, and how to use yoga to lengthen and stretch those trouble spots. Yes, it's one more thing to do in the week, but it's a welcome and peaceful change.

I have had my down weeks of feeling sluggish and unmotivated, and questioning why I devote so much time to this, but those are becoming fewer and farther between as I get stronger and realize I might *actually* make it through the race in July! I can't thank enough my friends who have been very patient with me saying no to happy hours and late nights ... and most social activity altogether! I hope you can remain patient for a few more months.

At the urging of my coach and others, I tried chicken again. It's fair to state that keeping up with my body's calorie demands is no small chore. I am constantly eating. But it's getting the right calories (i.e. efficient protein sources) that is the tough part. So I'm hoping chicken can become a semi-regular part of my diet.

Bill and I will be heading to Boise on April 17th for his annual Race to Robie Creek 1/2 marathon. He's also been putting a lot of hours into training (watch out, Michael!).

Work is getting incredibly busy, which is why I must finish this post so I can get up early, get to work, work out after work, eat, get back to bed, and start over again the next day. : )