16 Months

Posted in Family by Kendra G.

This little guy is 16 months old!

Crosby had a rough couple of days this month and got his fourth ear infection. He was the most lethargic I have ever seen him. I picked him up from school after he had fallen asleep on someone’s lap that morning and was just not acting like himself. He then fell alseep in my arms at the doctor’s office (don’t worry, he still had a firm grasp on his cars). After the diagnosis, we headed to Target to get his antibiotic filled. By this time, it really was nap time, so I decided to carry him in rather than putting him in the cart. Of course, the pharmacy took longer than expected and my 24 pound baby passed out in my arms. We spent the rest of the day snuggling on the couch. He was in and out of sleep all afternoon, wouldn’t eat anything, and barely drank his water. I felt so bad for him. The next morning (after a couple rounds of antibiotics), he was feeling much better and was signing “eat” as soon as he woke up. I, on the other hand, woke up to two very sore arms from carrying 24 pounds of dead weight around all day. We are hoping this was the last of the ear infections, but I’m not so sure. Every little tug of his ear gets me worried now.

On to more exciting things… Crosby is talking and signing more and more each day. Kenley had such a robust vocabulary at this age, but Crosby is signing so much more than she did. Each week he is picking up a new sign from school and using it on a regular basis. This week, he started to use the sign for “reading”. The boy does love his books, so I’m not surprised. Each meal time includes signs for “more”, “milk”, and “all done”. We are still working on using “please” more frequently. I love that his teachers use sign language with them so much and I love how much he’s picking it up. It is really amazing. Some of his favorite words to say are: car, hi, bye, uh-oh, Kyler, mama, dada, and mine. He is starting to master his body parts: head, ear, nose, mouth, and his most favorite of all BELLY!

He absolutely loves throwing objects into the garbage can, laundry hamper, bath tub, toilet, bins, buckets … really anything. If you are ever missing something, I guarantee that Crosby has put it into something else. I recently found a board book in our garbage can in our bathroom and a shirt in Kenley’s bath tub. He’s a funny dude, that’s for sure.

Crosby has been sleeping great for several months now. We usually start reading books around 7pm and then he is down for the night. This month it seems like he has been getting up earlier (closer to 5:30am rather than 6am), except for the nights that he wears his fleece zip up footie pajamas. Greg mentioned it to me when I was away for work and I just thought it was funny, but it really seems like he sleeps in later EVERY time he wears them! We have even tried them two nights in a row and it has worked. Maybe it is because he is all warm and cozy in them? Who knows, but he will wear them every night if he has to!

Sixteen month notes:

Weight – Around 24 pounds
Hair – His hair is growing so fast! He definitely needs another haircut soon.
Teeth – All four of his molars have broke through, thank goodness! He has 12 teeth total. I’m sure the next four are not too far behind.
Eyes – Brown
Clothes – A good mix of 12-18 months and 18-24 months. I’m only buying 2T and up from here on out.
Diapers – Cloth diapers by day, disposables by night, size 4
Likes – cars, trucks, trains, airplanes, birds, Daniel Tiger, food, balls, running, throwing food on the floor, books, fruit, Goldfish, playing with whatever toy Kenley is playing with, showing his belly
Dislikes – apple slices, getting his diaper changed, being contained, staying still

27Feb2015

Friday I’m in Love

Posted in Friday I'm in Love by Kendra G.

Happy Friday!

o n e

I can’t even tell you the last time I’ve read a book…for fun…and I just finished Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving–and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity. I highly recommend this book if you’re at all interested in running. It’s very informative and easy to read. I also learned this week they have another book out too – Train Like a Mother – which is on my list to read next.

t w o

I stumbled upon this article this week and it is very thought provoking.

How To Ruin Your Life (Without Even Noticing You Are)

Have a read for yourself.

t h r e e

This article, on the other hand, is not as thought provoking. It’s just true. Give me all the coffee and ALL the wine.

Why Do Moms Always Talk About Coffee and Wine?

f o u r

This one is two-fold. Greg and I have been catching up on the Hunger Games movies. We watched Hunger Games last week and this week we watched Catching Fire. We are planning to watch Mockingjay (Part I) tonight! The movies have been really good (even Greg likes them) and it’s been so nice to just sit on the couch with each other and watch a movie. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since we’ve done that. No phones, no technology, no kids, just us. It’s been just what I’ve needed.

***

Your turn! What are you loving this week?

Don’t forget to check out what these ladies are loving too!

Misha // Mary Beth // Amanda // Laura

17Feb2015

Lady Track Shack 5K {Race Recap}

Posted in Running by Kendra G.

I finished out the month of January with the Lady Track Shack 5K in Mead Gardens. This was the weekend following the Celebration Half Marathon so it was a great recovery race. My running partner Kayla was out of town, so I was planning to run the race by myself. I definitely had a goal to get a PR (personal record) and in the back of my mind, I really wanted to get a sub-30 minute 5K.

I rode down with some ladies from the running group. The sun wasn’t up yet when we arrived and it was COLD. I had on a short sleeve shirt, a long sleeve shirt, pants, my tutu, and an ear warmer and I was still freezing. Once the race started, I warmed up a little, but I definitely was never hot. It had been a long time since I ran a 5K race, so I started off steady with hopes of increasing each mile.

My splits were as follows:

Mile 1 – 10:25
Mile 2 – 9:48.0
Mile 3 – 8:44.8
Mile 4 – 0:44.4

Total time: 29:42 for 3.1 miles Average pace: 9:35

I am honestly shocked that I ran an 8:44 mile in my third mile. Towards the end, I was keeping an eye on my watch and trying to figure out my projected final time, I knew I could definitely get it under 30 minutes so I was pushing myself hard. I really want to work on increasing my pace this year and this race gave me a boost of encouragement. I really had no idea what to expect going into this race. My last official 5K race was in May 2014 and my time was 33:43. Not only did I improve my time, but I felt so much better after this race.

It was good to see some friends after the race too!

Untitled

The race itself was awesome! Track Shack did such a great job. For $35, we got a Raw Threads shirt (two weekends in a row!!), a tutu, and a really nice medal. Not to mention the great sponsors handing out goodies after the race. The race was all women and by running we helped fund mammograms in Central Florida. This race will definitely be on my calendar next year!

15Feb2015

my weekend in photos

Posted in Random by Kendra G.

friday morning started with a quick 3 mile run before work (then a blurry picture followed).

greg worked on friday night so the kids and i took a walk around the block. two hands = two cars.

saturday morning, we headed down to sea world!

it was cold. but we bundled up and made the best of it.
kenley rode shamu express for the first time and greg and i both rode kraken for the first time (separately).

family selfie. crosby can ride some of the kid rides, which is so fun.

after a couple of hours, we headed home, but we sure had a good time!

this boy. he sure is funny. the aftermath was 8 board books, a stuffed turtle, a car, and the top of the humidifier.

this morning, our running group had our semi-annual virtual race. kayla and i ran the 10k. the theme was ‘frozen booty’ which seemed fitting.

we went out to dinner tonight with the jenkinsons. after about an hour, it was pure chaos. crosby spilled beer over greg and kenley. tension was high, patience was low. we opted to feed the kids and take the rest to go. greg and i enjoyed our sushi together after the kids were (pretty much) asleep while watching the hoosiers. i think we redeemed ourselves.

***

we had a good, chilly weekend. how was yours?

13Feb2015

Friday I’m in Love

Posted in Friday I'm in Love by Kendra G.

Happy Friday and Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! Love is in the air, so let’s get to it.

o n e

I seriously love putting together the kids’ valentines. There are SO many great ideas out there now (thanks to Pinterest) that are great alternatives to sending candy to school (hello, we’re talking one year olds and three year olds here). This year I went with We’re the perfect match with Matchbox cars for Kenley’s class and I’m glad we’re in the same school with Goldfish snacks for Crosby’s class. I shared a little bit more about Kenley’s valentines over on Orlando Moms Blog last week if you want to check them out.

t w o

I have had this adorable Valentine’s Day banner hanging in our family room for a month now. It is probably one of the best $6 purchases I’ve made. It just makes me happy and is the perfect little Valentine’s Day decor.

t h r e e

The last thing I want to do is get into a vaccination debate, but I have mentioned freely on here that the kids have gotten their vaccination shots at their doctor appointments, so it’s no surprise that we are pro-vaccinations. With that being said, I was pleased to see Autism Speaks urge people to get vaccinations in a recent article this week.

f o u r

Another fabulous article I found this week was by Elizabeth Gilbert – The Best Thing You Can Do For Yourself — And All The Women Around You. Good read for all you women (and mamas) out there.

f i v e

We have had a couple of sick kiddos this week so I FINALLY broke down and purchased a new thermometer. I chose the Braun Ear Thermometer and have been asking myself all week why I waited so long? There are definitely mixed reviews on these type of thermometers (accuracy, price, etc.), but for the convenience alone of having the temperature in a matter of seconds, it is well worth the price, in my (short lived) opinion.

***

Alright lovers, what are you loving this week? Also, don’t forget to hop on over to see what these ladies are loving:

Misha // Mary Beth // Amanda // Laura

***

I’m also linking up with darci, april, christina + natasha for Five on Friday!

8Feb2015

my weekend in photos

Posted in Random by Kendra G.

friday morning i headed out with these lovely ladies for a run before work. it was my second time running before work this past week which i am very proud of. i am trying to make a habit out of it.

greg worked on friday night so i took the kids out to dinner and caught up on two episodes of grey’s anatomy. while i was watching, i finally made my tassel garland from our last meet + make. greg helped me hang it in the guest bedroom on saturday morning. {side note: all of our guests place a pin on the map where they are visiting from. i got the idea from the natos and i absolutely love it. it’s one of my favorite places in the house.}

also on saturday morning. this kid.

playing at the park.

we had some friends in town for a few hours on saturday. we were so thankful we got to meet up and catch up while they were in town.

kayla and i ran an “easy six miles” this morning and ended up pushing ourselves pretty hard. we were both very impressed at the end result.

it was a gorgeous, chilly morning. just what i needed to clear my head a little.

after nap time and target, we headed down to the park for some fresh air.

***

to be honest, we’ve had better weekends. kenley isn’t feeling well and is headed to the doctor tomorrow. crosby has a couple molars coming in and is rocking a busted lip. and greg got a black eye, thanks to crosby’s wooden truck.

also, we are asking for prayers for my cousin’s 15 month old little girl, charlotte. she will have a biopsy tomorrow on the mass on her liver and will receive the “official diagnosis”. chemo will likely begin this week. please keep charlotte and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they travel this tough road ahead.

6Feb2015

Friday I’m in Love

Posted in Friday I'm in Love by Kendra G.

Happy Friday! Don’t forget to head over to see what these other ladies are loving:
Misha // Mary Beth // Amanda // Laura

o n e

There were several Superbowl commercials that I loved, but this one was by far my favorite:

Greg’s favorite was this one:

t w o

I don’t know how we just found about the show Fixer Upper, but we did and we’re loving it. Greg thinks Chip is hilarious and I just love anything and everything HGTV related. If you haven’t seen it then definitely give it a shot!

t h r e e

Did you see that Harper Lee is going to be publishing her second book in July?! I definitely will be reading To Kill A Mockingbird again before July because it has been quite a while since high school.

f o u r

I tried my first Starbucks Flat White (with added vanilla) yesterday and it was delicious! The Flat White is steamed milk over ristretto shots of espresso. Yum.

Your turn! What are you loving this week?

3Feb2015

Celebration Half Marathon {Race Recap}

Posted in Running by Kendra G.

I completed my fourth half marathon on Sunday, January 25th! I ran the Celebration Half Marathon which was held in Celebration, Florida. This was the first race I have ran where there was an expo beforehand and there was also a full marathon taking place, so there was all sorts of new excitement happening. Sally and I headed down to the expo on Saturday morning to pick up our race packet (race bib, shirt, hat, goodies, coupons, etc.). We also browsed the booths that were set up and did a little bit of window shopping. We both picked up some race day fuel to use the next day.

Sunday morning, my alarm went off at 3:45am and I got ready. I met a group of ladies down at the YMCA to carpool down to Celebration. It was FREEZING. Maybe not freezing, but pretty darn close to it (which is not typical for us Floridians). The temperature was in the low 40s when we got down to Celebration, so we went into the Grand Bohemian hotel to stay warm. It was SO cozy in there, I didn’t want to leave.

Since it was so cold, I was really stressing out about what I was going to wear on race day. I wanted to be warm, but I didn’t want to get too warm too fast and I really didn’t want to have to take off any layers because I didn’t want to have to run with them. I opted for long tights with shorts over them; a short sleeve shirt under a long sleeve shirt (with thumb holes so it covered some of my hands); and my visor with an ear warmer over it. I was legitimately shivering until we started running. Since it was so cold out, I chose not to run with my Camelbak, which usually has water and Cocogo in it. There were plenty of water stops along the course which I figured would be good since it wasn’t going to be hot out.

We made our way over to the start line for a 7:00am start. I started to warm up a little bit only because I was standing in a mass of people. Right before we started, I got super nervous and was bouncing all over the place. Our goal was to beat 2 hours and 30 minutes, which happened to be our Lake Nona 13.1 time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done at the OUC Half Marathon, so we were determined this time around. Our plan was to run for 5 minutes and walk for 1 minute, but intentionally keep our walks at a brisk walk so we didn’t lose too much time.

The entire race course was beautiful (see above) and ran through the entire town of Celebration. We were mostly commenting on how beautiful the houses were. The miles were passing by and at 45 minutes I ate my first GU (Caramel Macchiato – yum!) for some fuel. Knowing that I didn’t have my Camelbak with electrolytes in it, I was determined to have both of my GUs at 45 minutes and an hour and a half whether I felt like I needed them or not. I had a bagel at 4:45am, so the last thing I wanted to do was be starving at the end of the race. I took water whenever the water stops coincided with our walks, which worked out very well. Since it was so cold, I didn’t feel like I was sweating a lot, even though I know I was. I had my second GU (Salted Caramel – also yum!) right around an hour and 40 minutes. We still had about 50 minutes left until we were hitting the 2:30 mark, so I forced myself to eat it. I wanted to make sure I had enough energy the whole race. Overall, I felt great throughout the race. In previous races, I felt like I hit the wall around the 10 mile mark, but I made a comment this race about how good I felt. Don’t get me wrong, I felt like I had just ran 10 miles, but I also was a in good place to do the last 3.1. Mile 12 was the hardest. I knew we were close to being done but I was also getting worried about our time. We picked up the pace a little bit so our chatting with each other completely stopped. We were in the zone. My watch buzzed to tell us to walk for one minute while we were getting close to the end, but we decided to just finish. The last part of the race was around a lake so we could see the finish line in the center of town for a while. I felt like it was much closer than it really was. We finished strong, almost sprinting, so I was almost completely out of breath. While trying to catch my breath, I grabbed a water and a banana and saw Greg and the kids standing on the other side of table directly behind the finish line. I made my way over to them (still panting) and started crying. We finished in 2:26! Greg kept asking what was wrong but I was STILL trying to catch my breath and couldn’t get any words out. The poor guy thought we did horrible or I was injured or something. None of the above, thankfully!

My official time and pace:

85   902  1606 Kendra Gilbertson        30 Orlando              FL 2:26:17 11:10

We made our way back over to the after party (which I will add was amazing!). We were given a food card as we crossed the finish line. Most of the restaurants in Celebration had a tent and we could get food and drinks from each tent. There was a wide array of food: pizza, egg rolls, rice & beans, rolls, as well as beer, mimosas, and coffee. Kayla and I also got a massage, which was awesome. The weather was nice, so we hung out for a bit before heading back home.

The Celebration Half Marathon was a fabulous race start to finish. The swag bag was great and included a Raw Threads shirt (which I am now obsessed with). The course was beautiful, flat, and scenic. The after party was the best I’ve been to so far and the medal was so pretty! I will definitely be running this race again next year.

1Feb2015

my weekend in photos

Posted in Random by Kendra G.

the weekend started thursday night with haircuts for everyone. and crosby aged five years.

i ran the lady track shack 5k on saturday morning. it was cold. more details to come.

after my race, we took the kids to the school parking lot to let them drive their cars.

here is a glimpse of crosby’s senior pictures in 18 years.

it was hilarious watching them drive around.

after nap time, i took the kids down to the science center to meet ben & molly for a play date. it was super fun.

after church, we headed to bj’s. kenley asked for a picture. crosby clearly wasn’t thrilled about it.

we took advantage of a beautiful day and headed out for a bike ride!

our playground just got new sunshades and we are so happy about them!

due to a no nap day for kenley, both kids were asleep by 7pm and greg and i were parked on the couch for the superbowl. even though we weren’t attending a party, we still ate appetizers for dinner. and it was awesome.

***

how was your weekend?