Week 2/3: BodyBack "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly"

Welcome to weeks 2 and 3 of BodyBack! Holy rollercoaster is all I can say. I refer to it as the good, the bad, and the ugly. :)

The Good:

• Lost 3.4 lbs at Week 2 weigh in!
• Feel STRONG
• LOVE the inspiration and motivation from my fellow Mama's
• LOVE that I pulled my instructor and another mama, who were holding me back w/ elastic bands around my waist, across an entire basketball court!
• I have only had 1 cup of coffee (today) and 2 Starbuck's since starting BB. And my tummy is thanking me for cutting out the caffeine.
• I am receiving compliments almost daily about how good I am looking. Not just run of the mill, "You look good today", but "Wow. I didn't even recognize you." compliments. Makes my heart smile because I have worked so hard. I have lost almost 45lbs since October now. Only 15lbs to get to pre-Kolton weight.

The Bad:

• The boys and I all caught Strep Throat last week. Made for a very hard week 2.
• Had to miss the first Sat. class because of the Strep Throat.
• The next Saturday (a few days ago) was our first "travel" class where we run and do workout stations every mile. It was awful for me. I was only 5 days into my Strep Throat fiasco and boy did I feel it. (See Ugly)
• freaking push-ups are my arch enemy
• I really REALLY want to eat chips and salsa. Daily. Screw the sweets. I've never been a sweet eater...oh, but chips and salsa....

The Ugly:

• I had a public breakdown after my run last Saturday. I was so frustrated with the way I felt for the whole 4 mile run. In fact, on the last mile my head checked out of the game and started repeating the following, "This is shitty. This run sucks. This is a shitty run." Excuse the cursing, but that is my fisherman's wife mind talking. With the impending Half Marathon I wanted to lay down and die. I couldn't believe I was struggling w/ 4 miles and in a week I would have to run 13.1. hahahahaha Evil mind tricks. Anyway, I broke down. But thank you to the Mama's I picked myself up. Last night I had a GREAT workout. Today I had a tired, but GREAT workout. So I am feeling much better.
• 13.1 miles is ugly. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Just ugly. And that is why it must be killed.

Which leads me to the following:

In just 5 days I will be running my 2nd Half Marathon. My goal is to shave 20 minutes off of my time and HAVE FUN.

At least the run should be GORGEOUS...through Newport Beach...I can't wait for the ocean air. That is reason enough to run! With that said here are some motivational running quotes to get myself and anyone else in the right frame of mind. :)

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, I have finished. There is a lot of satisfaction in that.

- Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."

- Oprah Winfrey

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."

- PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

"Ask yourself: Can I give more? The answer is usually: Yes."

-Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

- John Bingham, running speaker

" You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you, but especially at those who don't run and never will...those who run but don't race...those who started training for a race but didn't carry throught...those who got to the starting line but didn't cross the finish line...those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You're still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all of the people you've outlasted."

-Joe Henderson

WEEK 1 : BodyBack "An athlete. A mother. A runner."

Week 1:

No...I am not lamenting on wanting my teenage body back. I am simply going to blog about my journey towards my new, post birthing two children, body that I am creating.

I have started another session of BodyBack. This is an amazing 8 week boot camp program designed for mom's who need to get their post-partum bodies BACK. As well as our sanity. Hopefully. :)

I just finished my first session 2 weeks ago and am now an addict. The first time around I lost just under 10 lbs and 6 inches. This session my goal is 15lbs. I will do it.

Let's back up and get some background info on why I would even blog about this journey....

In the last 3 years my life has changed dramatically. I became a stay at home mom. Enough said. Gave birth, twice. Started a company w/ my husband. Opened a tackle store. I could go on. But you get the jist. Lots of life changes in a short amount of time. So in October of 2010, just 8 months after having squishy, I found myself lost. In a funk. I was fat, unhappy, post partum depressed, and downright dejected. I didn't know who I was anymore.

See, I am a goal addict. I set goals. I achieve them. It is how I have always lived. I wanted to be married. check. I wanted to put myself through college. check. Wanted to be a teacher. check. Wanted a Master's degree. check.....you get my drift. Major goal: have children. check. Now what. I just RAISE THEM??? Much easier said then done. I understand. Boy, do I understand. But do I just sacrifice me in the process. So...back to fat October. I needed a goal. More then just lose weight. That wouldn't work anymore. So I decided I would become...

duh duh duuuuuuhhhhhhh...... a runner. Now come the laughs...I did. A lot. Here I am. 35 years old. The fattest I've ever been. I have asthma. I have a super bum ankle. I don't run. I couldn't even run a mile in Jr. High. The fastest thing I can do is talk and eat....not run.

So here was the goal: Half Marathon. I trained. I conquered. I cried. I puked. I finished. I ran the whole darn thing. RAN. (Ok..so the last few miles I probably could have walked faster...)

Thank you to BodyBack, Stroller Strides, and the inspirational mamas that pushed me. Thank you to my supportive friends and family. I am a runner. I guess. I still have trouble swallowing that! But in just 3 weeks I will run again. The OC Half Marathon. And my new goal: better time. That's all. Even if it is just a minute faster...

Sooo Here I come back to BodyBack...Week 1.

No regrets this time. I said that last time. But I will push harder. Have stronger willpower. I will. I promise myself I will. And these pics below will help me remember when I'm feeling fat, dejected, depressed, not wanting to run, not wanting to workout... They help me remember that in just one year I went from this:

To this:

An athlete. A mother. A runner.

Wow...It has been a year...

...since I blogged. Ooops. I guess you just don't realize how busy you are until you blink and a year goes by. Sorry my family and friends that it took me so long to update. So there is no way possible that I would be able to fill in a year, but a brief synopsis on each K should help out...

Kolton: He is 3 and full of life. He is the pickiest eater I have ever seen. I once made him a cake he refused to eat because it was messy. Not sure he is my child. :) He looks more and more like Ben everyday. He loves swimming, Transformers, trains, Annagail, Tinkerbell (much to my hubby's chagrin), anything outdoors really. He just got his like umpteenth "Awesome" ribbon at swim lessons today. He is a serious fish. He blew me away today because he can dive to the bottom of the pool unassisted and retrieve things...like swimming around on the bottom retrieving multiple things. He is amazing. He is also very math brained. One of my favorite things he did recently was see 3 of my curlers laying on the ground and point out to me that together the 3 curlers made the 3 points of a triangle. That's my boy!
Karson: He just turned 15 months. He is still huge and squishy. He is so sweet and will eat anything and everything you give him. He loves Kolton more then the world...can't say Kolton feels the same way just yet. Ha ha... He wants whatever Kolton has and has to be wherever Kolton is. He loves to swim as well and is kicking butt in his lessons, too. He has an amazingly sweet personality and picks up on things remarkably quickly. He still loves his paci, carries his blanky around like a cartoon character, and sits and reads like he knows what he is doing. He is starting to find his voice and his opinions...with this is coming his tantrums, but in comparison to Kolton they are more comedic relief most days. He is my squishy!

Kelly: I became a runner. I ran my first half marathon (The IMS/ Arizona Marathon) on Feb. 20th and will be running my next one in 3 weeks on May 1st. The OC half marathon in Newport Beach, CA. I am trying to survive as a mother. Trying to find my new role as stay at home mom. And trying to keep my 17 year marriage as fresh as day 1. But there will be more to come of my story because I promise to blog more now that I am starting BodyBack again!

Ben KOLLER: (The original K) Is working his butt off like always. Running the Hook Up Tackle store at the lake, the guide business, and the online store. He is so busy and I am soooooooooooooo unbelievably proud of him. He still doesn't fish as much as he needs to, but that will come in time. It is season for him, so he is scrambling everyday just to survive! He is amazing.

The K dogs:

Stormy is feeling much better after her overdose and doing well. I think it aged her a bit. Today is her birthday. She is 9 years old and looking quite svelte for her age if you ask me!

Moose is still Moose. Crazy with more to come everyday.

And our newest addition::::: the KRABS: Beebo and Hank seem to be enjoying their new crab shack digs and hope to survive any more traumas that are sure to come their way. :) Will keep you posted!

It's been tooooo long....

Well, it has been so long since my last post that I don't even know where to begin. I have quite a few pics to show, lots of things I could talk about, and am so tired I promise I will forget everything important! hahaha

Let's start with pics some pics I have readily available....(more to come tonight after the kids go to bed.)

Kolton: He is doing great. Growing up so quickly and definitely into the terrible twos. Everyday holds new and exciting adventures, as well as challenges. He can put his shoes on by himself, but hates clothes. He takes his diaper off every time he pees in it (please be a sign we are getting closer to potty training). He is still the pickiest eater ever, but gets so hungry I can usually get something down him he supposedly "hates". He is sleeping through the night again, but has now had 2 real sleepwalking episodes. He has a temper just like his dad. He is super independent and is quick to show his frustration by throwing a toy across the room. He weighs about 31 lbs and is 38 in tall. He asks questions nonstop and now LOVES TO SWIM. In fact he takes private swim lessons AND city swim lessons. He is a fish! Below is a ribbon he just won at swim for floating on his back by himself! We are so proud of him!!!!!!!!

Saying Goodbye::::

Here are the babies growing up so quickly. It seems like yesterday Katie, Erica, and I were "charting" are temperatures hoping for that positive pregnancy test. Now are babies are 4/5 months old. But, as we all know change is constant and we have had to say goodbye to our first friends. Erica, Tim, Jackson, and Bianca moved home to San Antonio. It was so sad, and Kolton still doesn't understand why he can't play with Jackson. I don't think these things will ever get easier. I just hope that somehow in the future we can take another one of these pics with the 3 babies all grown up. We miss you Mohr family!

Saying Congratulations!!!!

Over Mother's Day weekend I packed up Karson, kissed Ben and Kolton goodbye, and drove to Newport Beach to watch my baby sister graduate college. I am so proud of her. It was really hard to be away from Kolton and Ben on Mother's Day, but so amazing to watch BB graduate! We had a wonderful weekend together and Karson even was kind enough to explode in the middle of the graduation ceremony! hahaha Here's to my sister and her future, may all of her dreams come true! She deserves it!

**on a side note, after graduation I drove down to San Diego to see my cousin, Jess, who had her first baby, Jaycee. She is the most beautiful baby girl ever! These are some of the pics I will try to download tonight!!!

Karson: The day I got to Newport Beach Karson turned 4 months. He is amazing. At his 4 mos appointment he was 20lb 4oz and 27 in. He is 100% for weight and 97% for height. I fondly refer to him as chubs or squishy. He smiles all of the time and loves to play. He recently started sitting up and needs just a little support. He is big and strong. He wasn't sleeping very well, but I have worked really hard the last two weeks and he now (...knock on wood) sleeps through the night. I can't say enough about how wonderful his temperament is. The only thing the baby doesn't like is the car. Lets just say I heard a lot of crying on the drive to California and back!

Finally, me and Ben. We are great and really tired. We have been working very hard and just got back from a whirlwind work trip to Arkansas. We worked the FLW tournament there. What a beautiful place Arkansas is and how NICE, and I mean NICE the people are! VERY different from here. It was a great trip, fun and tiring. I will try to post some fun pics tonight from this trip as well!

Happy Memorial Day, btw. Thank you to all of the men and women who have served our country. Thank you to my father for serving during Vietnam.

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

Soul Mates....

So for those of you in the know....it is NO secret that Kolton has found his soul mate, Annagail. Since the day these two first met they have been in love. So it was fitting that when Katie and I got pregnant at the same time we would be happily surprised to find out that we were having the next pair of soul mates, Harper and Karson. Well, naturally we thought it would only be proper to have their love documented.......hence the pictures posted below of our beautiful kids!!!! Save the date for a double wedding in about 28 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The big smooch after winning her over with a flower.

Annagail consoling Kolton.

Annagail stares in puzzlement...kind of the same way we all do when our men throw tantrums.

I call this the engagement photo.

I had to throw it in....ISN'T HE ADORABLE!

Ahhh....love....

Planning their elopement......

The new couple!!!!!!!

2 Month Chunky Monkey & Picture Pages...

(I wrote this 3 weeks ago....just took a while to finally post it!)

Karson had his 2 month appointment today. He is doing better then the norm...literally. He is topping the scales at a whooping 15lbs3oz, or 98th percentile. He also grew 2 inches in the last month and is 24 3/4in, or 97th percentile. I told you the boy loves to eat. And that RSV setback didn't phase him at all! Goooooooo Karson...

I know you aren't supposed to compare your kids....but lets do for the fun of it. :)

Kolton Karson

Weight/Height Weight/Height

birth 8.1 lbs/22 in 8.5 lbs/21 in

2 months 13.7lbs/25 in 15.3lbs/ 24.75 in

After 20 seconds of holding Karson, Kolton always screams, "He's tooooo heavy!"

My favorite monkey!

I have about a million pictures of Kolton closing his eyes like this! Stinker.

Karson LOVES his bath!!!

Karson and Daddy!

Kolton with Croup....

These pictures didn't show up with the post for whatever reason. But here is my little man with Croup. :( so sad....

Cuts, Croup, and Coughs

Whew....I am sooooooo happy February is over with. What a month. Started out great with Kolton's birthday, but we were in for a dousy of a ride after that. So I will try to be brief and condense the craziness for you....

1. Cuts

Kolton got his first real haircut. I was REALLY scared, but it turned out to be a piece of cake, or really a piece of candy (or a few) that made the haircut go so smoothly. I have to say that his long, shaggy hair really looked cute in a surfer dude kind of way. But now he looks sooooo much cuter! At least I think so.

2. Croup

Little did I know (Although you can see it in his eyes in the haircut pics) Kolton would get REALLY sick that same day. He took a nap and woke up with a 104 F temp and a cough that was really scary. After doing everything I could to get through the night I took him into the Dr. the next day and he was diagnosed with Croup before the Dr. could get all the way through the door. I guess his seal cough gave it away. Poor Kolton spent a week on the couch really ill, this included Valentines Day in which he slept the WHOLE day!

While most people were out being romantic this was our Valentine's Day.

I snuck these pics in because Karson turned 5 weeks during the Croup incident.

3. Coughs.......

If you have ever nursed a sick toddler while taking care of your newborn you know it is no easy task. Now throw in the husband who has gone to Alabama for work and you're destined for disaster. The day I took Ben to the airport Kolton was feeling better, but I was feeling bad and Karson had started to cough and become congested. Ben's parents picked Kolton up that night to watch him overnight so I could try to get some rest with Karson. But that night turned into a long night of nursing a sick newborn. The next morning I had my 6 week post partum checkup and didn't think much other then I and Karson were rocking colds. By that afternoon Karson could barely breathe. I rushed him to the Pediatric Hospital where he was diagnosed with RSV. For those who don't know RSV is an epidemic cold that makes you and I sniffle and can cause serious issues for small children and infants. Karson was hospitalized immediatly. So, for the next 4 nights and 5 days I was awake by my newborns side while he recovered in the hospital. But remember, not only was I sick, too, but Ben was out of town. Thank God for my close family and friends who jumped to my rescue and took care of Kolton and me. Thank you to Ben's parents who watched him that whole time. To Erika for bringing me food, clothes, and deoderant! To my dad for just being there. And thank you to everyone who offered their love and support.

Karson and Dr. McKernan at my 6 week check up. This picture was taken just hours before he was really sick and hospitalized. :(

All I can say is I am sooooooooooooooooooo happy February is over. And I hope the spring brings a renewed sense of calm, happiness, and good health to this household because we could sure use it!

Terrific Two's and One Month Wonders!!!!!

Well, we've been sooooooo busy around here that I am really behind on updating this thing...and will have to go back to add pictures from lots of events. But for now I thought I would give everyone a quick sneak peak at my little men!

Karson is a month old today. I love the pictures below because you can really see how much he has chunked up from 3 weeks old to a month. He is a crazy eater and some days I feel like a walking milk machine. It is so nice that he is great at nursing, but hard at the same time since I feel strapped down and not able to give Kolton as much attention at all. Karson does NOT sleep through the night (which no newborn should so I hate that people even ask if he does, especially breast fed babies.....). But he is relatively laid back and easy going. He loves a pacifier (Kolton didn't), and hates to be put down. He does seem to like the vibrating bouncy (another thing Kolton did not like), which does give me the chance to play hands free with Kolton. :)

Needless to say. Things are tough. I'm not going to lie. But we are starting to figure out schedules and routines. Ben is working like crazy. He rarely takes a day off, but we take full advantage of it when he does. However, his long hours and crazy work schedule do make me feel like a single parent with a newborn and a 2 year old. All of which qualifies me for the insane asylum, I'm sure.

Last week Kolton also turned 2~~ We had a wonderful birthday party at the train park with lots of friends and family. I will post pics as soon as I get them up. On his actual birthday Ben took the day off and we drove up to the snow and took Kolton sledding for the first time. He loved it instantly. Again I will post pics asap.

He seems to be adjusting to his new roll as big brother. Although he is mostly indifferent, he does help out a lot more and seems to want to give kisses a lot more freely. :) Just today Karson was crying and Kolton found a pacifier and held it in Karson's mouth. It was really adorable. As you can see below Kolton still thinks the bouncy and swing are for him as well. He likes to use the bouncy as his recliner while he watches TV. It is so cute. He is growing up too fast, and he is so much fun to be around. We are struggling with his bedtime routine now, and he does try to pull a fast one to get out of bed by saying he needs to see baby Karson, but we see through his cute facade!!! He is mischievous, that is for sure!

LIfe as a family of 4....FINALLY! :)

Christmas Day

My labor story:

After the previous post on the evils of the week of induction I marched into the Dr's office ready to tell the Dr. to shove his induction and no more then 15 minutes of waiting for him the hospital calls and tells me to come in. Hmmmm.... figures.

Anyway, so I apparently was close to being in labor on my own anyway. I was 3 cm and almost fully effaced when they first checked me. I was given the smallest dose of pitocin which immediately put me into labor. Within 30min of being admitted I was given my epidural (AWESOME!). Things happened so fast. 30 minutes after that they broke my water and I was immediately 5cm. In an hour I was 6cm. Then I stalled for 3 hours. I was so depressed. But suddenly I started feeling a lot of pressure and my nurse said, "let's check you just in case..." Well, I was 9 1/2 cm. WHOA! Ben and I freaked out. They let me labor down for about another hour and had me start pushing. After only 15min of pushing the nurse was yelling at me to stop because they needed to get the Dr. in. As soon as he was there I gave a few good pushes and the next thing I knew the Dr. told me to, "Reach down and grab your son." So I actually got to pull Karson out and onto my stomach. Although that may sound gross it was actually one of the most cherished moments of my life. Absolutely amazing.

So for the hardest pregnancy I was blessed with the most wonderful birth! Thank you Karson!

Well, we are home and happy to be home. Trying to adjust has been difficult and challenging, but well worth it. I couldn't believe how quickly Kolton changed. The tantrums have been bigger, MINE has become a favorite word, and he actually developed an evil eye that beams in my direction if I am holding Karson. It makes me sad. I expected the changes and challenges and with each day there are the little things that make me smile. Like when Kolton brings Karson a pacifier out of the blue. Or when he rubs Karson's head and gives him a kiss without being asked to. I have hope that my "new" Kolton realizes that mine is now "ours" soon and that Karson is a wonderful blessing for our family. :)