Thad's 28th Birthday

Abby went to her first birthday party on Friday night...her papa's. We had Oktoberfest...Arizona style. Anna smoked turkey legs all day and Thad grilled up the brats and sausages. We had all the German fixin's too...potato salad, spaetzle, bean salad, rum cake...well, maybe it wasn't all German influenced, but hey, we had a great time. We even managed to find the little mini-kegs of Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen and Hefeweizen bier. Abby hung out with mom, dad, and all our friends on the patio and enjoyed the 75 deg evening in the desert...we were so content that we forgot to introduce her to the Chicken Dance. Maybe next week at the Tucson Oktoberfest at Hi Corbett Field...although I see one of the head-liners is a band called Peña Flamenca de Tucson. We might be a little too close to Mexico to have a true German Oktoberfest experience, but I bet we'll have fun.

http://www.tucsonoktoberfest.org/

We don't have any good pics of the party so here's a cute one of Abby in her "Someone in TX loves me" outfit from Debbi and Larry McConnell. Thanks for the cute onesie - she has lots of people in TX that love her!!

Also, here's the picture I had blown up to 11X14 and framed for Thad's birthday. Funny how most of his presents are somehow related to Abigail!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THAD! I love you.

Growin' Like a Weed

Well, I'm sad to report that Abby has officially outgrown her newborn outfits. It took us quite a while to get her chubby little arms into her cute pink dress that Brooklyn got her one last time. Although it's amazing and wonderful to see her progress marked with outgrowing her cute first outfits, it's a little sad for us to know that she's well on her way to growing up too fast.

Thad and Abby getting ready for church

(Crib that we built in the background)

Anna and Abby with pink dress on for the last time

Epic Spit-Up

Just when I thought Abby was the ultimate baby...hardly ever cries, only poo's every other day, sleeps almost through the night, eats like a champ, doesn't spit-up...UNTIL TONIGHT! Thad is working nights, so we were sitting here on the sofa nursing, passing the time until he gets home. I picked her up to burp her, held her up against my chest and held her head over my shoulder. I could tell she was pushing back against my hand, which she sometimes does in order to look around, so I let her back her head up so I could see her face. Before I could see her beautiful big blue eyes, she spit a tummy full of warm boobie milk down my shirt! Enough to soak my shirt, bra, shorts, and our new sofa. Yucko. I guess I thought all those moms that complained about spit-up were a bunch of wussies. I was using the nice burp clothes that Kate Kubicek made us as blankets when she was in her car seat - I really didn't know what all the hype was about. I didn't even know her little tummy could hold that much milk, much less have the strength to force it back up all over me! It kind of feels like she christened me with the less than peachy aspects of motherhood. I guess it could have been worse...it can always be worse!! Don't worry darlin', you're more than worth it!

On the bright side, she is doing some new cooler, less volatile things. She started sucking her thumb this week, except she doesn't curl her other fingers in a fist. Instead, she kind of just plants them on her face, usually at least one finger in each eye. It kind of gives her a look like "Uuugh, do I really have to get back in my car seat lady?".

She also talks a mile a minute. Just babbles, but sometimes you can make out words like "Hi", "Boo", "Wow" and "Maggie smells funny". I guess it depends on who is listening, but I'm betting she'll be making complete sentences in a couple of months. Way to go Abby!!

Abby's First 5K

Thanks to our new little alarm clock named Abigail, we woke up at 0500 and nursed (so I could successfully get a sports bra on) and made it to the muster location at 0630. Roughly 30 members of the 354th Fighter Squadron and their spouses and kids were there. Here are the "before" pics of us:

The run course was mostly around the static displays of almost every historic jet in US military and civilian history, but the surface was mostly dirt...and apparently dirt that had quite a few cactus thorns in it. We successfully ran the 3.1 miles, but as we crossed the finish line we noticed two flat tires on the babyjogger. Whew! No wonder our time was a little slower than it should've been. I wonder if we should get extra points for that. Speaking of which, our clever little squadron morale officer made a "Bulldog" formula that would help out those of us that may not be in the best physical shape...or as he put it being a "repulsive slob"! Here's the formula for calculating our "Bulldog" time. By the way, Foot (squadron commander), Frog, Freaq, Bunson, Gomer, and Sniper are the call-signs of several pilots in my squadron - can you believe they went to this much trouble to make things fair???

Every Runner's raw times will be converted into "Foot Time" by using this http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/ageequivalent.cfm calculator. For instance, if a Sara Reed runs a 25 minute 5k, her "Foot Time" would be 23:31. To clarify what "Foot Time" is: all scores will be adjusted to "40 year old male" equivalents.

Next, your "Foot Time" will be converted to "Frog Time" by dividing your Body Mass Index as calculated here http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ by 25, then dividing your Foot Time (in minutes converted to decimal format) by the quotient. For instance, I would divide my calculated BMI of 26.9 by 25 resulting in a quotient of 1.076. My Foot Time of 25:00 becomes 25.00 minutes and would be divided by 1.076 giving me a "Frog Time" of 23.23 minutes. Yes, Bunsen, this can damage your score as well...

Your Frog Time will then be converted to "Freaq Time" by decreasing your Frog Time by 15 seconds (.25 minutes) for every alcoholic drink you consume past 1900 local time (12-hour rule), Friday, 19 Sep 08 up until race time. To receive time credit for your drinks, you will need a voucher of equivalent or better cognitive state. As an example, if Swinga had a Frog Time of 25.00 but consumed three wine coolers between 7 and 10 pm Friday night, his "Freaq Time" would be 24.25. For tabulation purposes 1 drink=1 beer=1 glass of wine=1 shot of liquor=1 Tilt=1 Zima. On second thought, let's make that until you FINISH the race. If you choose to slurp a couple bloody marys from a camelback during the race, you should get full credit for that...

Your Freaq Time will then be converted to "Sniper Time" by decreasing your Freaq Time by 10 seconds (.1666666 repeating, of course, minutes) for every cigarette you smoke past 1900 local time, Friday, 19 Sep 08 up until you finish the race. To receive time credit for your smokes, you will need a voucher of equivalent or better cognitive state. Example:If FNG Harris has a Freaq Time of 25.00, but fires down 5 Camel Lights Friday night, his "Sniper Time" will be 24.17. Cigars count for one cigarette, dip receives no credit.

To arrive at your ultimate "Bulldog Score", your Sniper Time can be reduced by what is known as the "Gomer/Pyle Factor." That is, if you soil yourself at any point from 15 minutes before the race until 15 minutes after crossing the finish line, your Sniper Time will be reduced by 6.9%. To qualify for the "Gomer/Pyle Factor," an occurrence of incontinence or involuntary regurgitation must be witnessed and attested to by a voucher of equivalent or better cognitive state. Let's say Vicki, as a random example, were to throw up in the car on the way home from the race, a mere ten minutes after crossing the finish line. Her Sniper Time of 25.00 would turn into an overall "Bulldog Score" of 23.28.

Pushing another human being in a stroller or wheelbarrow will reduce your time by 6.9% as well.

The individual posting the lowest overall Bulldog Score shall be declared grand champion and receive a prize package (sts) worth over $35.40. You'll notice that Bulldog "A" can have a far superior run time, but that Bulldog "B," by virtue of being a repulsive slob, can actually post a better overall Bulldog Score. Let this be a lesson to all you health freaks out there...

So, our Bulldog calculated time comes out to:

Anna and Thad (and Abby) actual time: 32:00

"Foot time" (40 year old male equivalent): Anna 29:11; Thad 33:56

"Frog time" (body mass index): Anna 29:18; Thad 34:46

"Freaq time" (alcoholic drinks consumed in past 12 hrs): Anna 28:03; Thad 33:31

"Sniper time" (smokes in past 12 hours): Anna 28:03; Thad 33:31

The "Gomer/Pyle factor" doesn't apply to either one of us...thankfully!

Pushing a human being in stroller: Anna -1.935; Thad -2.31

Bulldog time Anna: 26:07; Thad: 31:12


So "Bulldog" time doesn't quite put us at our personal best 5K!! I still think we should've received extra points for having two flat tires!!

Abby got her own finisher's medal!

Somebody sweated more than others!

Mom and Abby - one of us taking a nap, one of us needing a nap!

Post-race half-smile...she puts up with so much!

All and all, we had a great time! Hopefully this is just the first of many races for little Abby! Now time for a big nap and some college football...

Abby's Favorite Place

See what I mean about how much she loves her changing table? I guess it feels really good to get a new diaper because no matter what wee hour of the morning I put her down on it, her face lights up like this.

Who knew having a clean, dry butt could be so exciting?! I really can't get her to smile this big anywhere else or for any other reason.

After we get a new diaper, we nurse and our happy little Abby Rose turns into this:

Talk about a food coma!! She's so funny!

Training For Abby's First 5K

Well...it's time. Mom is recovered from that traumatic miracle known as childbirth and Abby is more than comfortable in her Baby Trend babyjogger. There are no more excuses. It doesn't hurt that my squadron has organized participation in the Air Force Anniversary 5K at the Pima Air and Space Museum on Saturday. http://www.pimaair.org/

The 5K route winds amongst some of the greatest aircraft in history - including the SR-71 Blackbird - and should inspire Abby and I to go faster! And to boot, all proceeds go to the Tucson chapter of the Air Force Association. http://www.afa5k.com/

So last night we decided it was time to start tapering our training (Ha!) and went out for one last training run. With Maggie in one hand and the babyjogger in the other, we ran 3 miles and gained the confidence that I won't have to sit and gasp for air in front of all the guys in my squadron. (Thad is going to run it too and he's promised to wait for us at the finish line!). Sooo, wish us luck - hopefully we'll have some celebratory photos of us at the finish line of Abby's first 5K!

We Don't Like Ike!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of our friends and family in Houston and Galveston that endured Ike this past weekend. We've heard good news from Kate Kubicek and Jen Kuhl, but we hope everyone else made it through unscathed. If you evacuated, we hope and pray you have a house to go back to. If you didn't, we hope you are safe and sound amongst all the damage.

Go Cowboys!

Abby got to see her parents jumping up and down like fools last night when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles 41-37 on MNF!!

She seems to enjoy all the excitement and handles screams at the TV better than the dogs...oh, yeah, we still have dogs!! Although, I think I caught Maggie drafting a letter to the ASPCA to help her find a family without a baby...poor things, they get no love. Anyway, where was I...oh yeah - Abby loves the Cowboys! Thanks to Jen for the outfit!! She'll be able to wear the skirt for next football season.

Abby 2 Mos

Hello everyone! This will hopefully serve to keep you up to date on our little angel. Abby turned 2 mos last Friday and is the most amazing little girl. She is the happiest little baby I've ever been around...always smiling and laughing. Her favorite spot in the house is her changing table where her entire face lights up when she sees the light come through her window. She is holding her head up without many bobbles and has the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen. Her favorite toys are her activity mat and the stroller toy that April and Dave Reddaway sent from New Zealand. She is so much fun. We're not sure what we used to do with our time, but it must have been pretty boring!!

Even though we moved "way out in the desert" her Grams, Aunt Jane, Aunt Sharon, cousins Jennifer, Lilly, Wes, Christy, and Zoe, and Grandmamma Sherry have been to visit her. She is convinced that she has the best family in the world (and has the gifts to prove it!). Thank y'all so much for travelling all the way to AZ to see her and showering her with your love!

We'll write soon. Let us know how y'all are doing!
anna