Back at it!

Sorry I've been MIA lately.  My in-laws were in town this past week and left this morning, so we're all trying to get back into the swing of things around  here.  I've tried to keep up with everyone's blogs, but it's just amazing how many posts build up when you miss a couple of days!

So much has happened this past week, so I thought I'd do a quick recap!

Training:
* I am not going to post any numbers from last week because let's just say that not much training actually happened!  I was able to get in some swims, runs, and bike rides, but not nearly as much as I should have.  But, I'm o-kay with it because I got to spend tons of quality time with my in-laws (this is a good thing...they are awesome!), my husband (he took the week off too), and my two boys.

*  My husband and I decided to go on a bike date together on Saturday instead of doing a dinner date.  We never get to ride together because one of us is usually watching our boys, so it was a great treat.  We were supposed to do a 2 1/2 hr. ride, but once again, we had to cut it short to 1 1/2 because of Mother Nature.  This time, it was the wind that did us in.  It sucked! The crosswinds were so strong that I was having a really hard time keeping my bike on the road and not being blown into the traffic!  It was pretty scary, but we made it home safely.  Even with the wind, it was great to be out riding with my husband.

*  I did my first OWS yesterday and it was awesome!  The water was about 58 degrees....brrr, but the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day!  When I first walked into the water my feet started burning and aching from the cold.  I went under a couple of times to lesson the shock of the cold water on my face and try to warm up, but really I was just procrastinating.  Finally, I just said screw it and started swimming.  It was cold in the beginning, but soon I started warming up and the water actually felt great!
     The lake is in the process of being drained and worked on, so the water level was a little low.  At one point, as I neared the first buoy, I started getting caught in weeds and could actually feel sand.  I stopped and saw some guys standing up in the water about 20 feet in front of me.  I stood up, laughed a little, and got myself untangled from the weeds.  I walked about 10 feet further into the water and then it was fine to swim again.
     I felt great in the water, which is a far cry from how I usually feel when I do my first OWS of the season. I didn't freak out like I usually do and revert to swimming breast stroke every 10 strokes.  I really tried to focus on my stroke and sighting, and I felt fast!  I actually passed some swimmers and gained on the ones that started before me!  Woohoo!  It was a huge confidence booster and I can't wait to get out there again! :)

Life Stuff:

Three years ago, by youngest son was born 5 weeks premature.  He was so ready to come out that I literally pushed for about 5 minutes and he popped out (my first took 8 hours...yikes!).  He ended up having to spend a week in the NICU because he didn't have his sucking reflex yet and was having a hard time eating and gaining weight.  While that was very difficult, he got stronger, gained weight, and was finally able to come home with us.

Then, when he was 5 weeks old he stopped breathing and just started starring at me (which we found out was a sign he was  having a seizure) while I was trying to feed him one morning.  My husband was on his way out the door when I called to him, panicked.  We rushed to the ER where the doctors quickly gathered around him to keep him alive.  It was a nightmare.  I can remember sitting in the hallway watching a dozen doctors and nurses working on him trying to figure out what was wrong with him.  Without going into all of the details, he ended up getting tons of tests done, and an MRI which revealed that he had some type of brain damage which the doctors had never seen before.  It was determined that he was born with the brain damage, but no one knew what caused it or what it would mean for his development.  He ended up spending a week in the hospital, then was finally able to come home with us.

He received OT and PT every week to help him learn how to sit up, crawl, walk, etc..  And, we had to give him seizure medicine to keep the seizures at bay.  At 18months, we was developing so well that the OT and PT services were no longer needed.  And, at 2yrs. we were able to take him off the seizure medicine.  The doctors still do not know how his injury will effect him as he grows.  But, we'll take it as it comes.  So far, he is doing well and is a pretty normal 3 yr. old (with temper tantrums and all!).
  So, it was a pretty special birthday for our little guy!  He has come a long way from the tiny 5 pounder that he was when he was born.

Owen and Grammy