Migraines

I had always thought migraines happened to stressed out menopausal women and I guess I thought I was immune to them... until the past couple months. I have had 3 or 4 migraines since March and the worst one happened this morning. I was eating blueberry pancakes for breakfast and noticed I had this weird blind spot in my right eye. I couldn't see out of half my eye (and I've learned via the internet that those blind spots are called 'auras') Within a few minutes my head started to pound on the left side, behind my eye and left temple. I felt tension down my neck and shoulder. I downed some rapid release tylenol, hoping that would make it go away fast, but it didn't help. I was miserable and felt absolutely sick. Jake and I drove to his parents' house and I had my head in front of the AC the entire way, trying to breathe in and out slowly so I wouldn't puke. As we pulled up to the house I got out of the car and made my way to the bathroom and threw up half my pancakes. When we got home I closed all the blinds, shut myself up in our room, and went to sleep with a cold washcloth over my eyes. I can't even remember the last time I felt this ill! Hard to believe your body can get this way all because of a stupid headache. I've been reading more about migraines, the causes and symptoms, and it's interesting stuff. My very first one was just 6 months ago and each time it's happened I've noticed I get an aura right before the migraine hits. (It happened once when I was driving, scared me out of my mind having blind spots... very dangerous!) From what I've read it's hard to pinpoint a cause but some factors that could contribute to them are hormonal changes (no, not on my period right now, just in case you were wondering), stress, diet, exercise, lack of sleep, etc. Hopefully this doesn't become a common occurrence. This morning was just awful! Anyone ever had one? What makes them go away quickly?

PS Thanks for all your advice on my last post. It was fun reading about your experiences and reading your advice. I think we just need to be honest and open, willing to answer whatever he asks... not too many details, but enough for him to understand. Anyway, thanks everyone!

The Birds and the Bees

Ben and I had an interesting conversation at dinner time tonight. Here is how it went down:

Ben: Mom, how big are babies when they are in the mom's tummy?

Me: Well, they start out very, very small and then get to be a normal sized baby when they finally come out. Do you remember how big Josh was when he came out of my tummy?

Ben: Yes. So, I know the baby exits through a hole in your tummy (technically true for me because I had them all c-sections). How does the baby get in there? Does a ghost come into your tummy and then it turns into a baby and starts getting bigger?

Me: No ghosts. Actually, a daddy has some special seeds and the mom has a lot of eggs in her tummy. When the seed gets in the egg it makes a baby. Then the baby starts getting bigger and bigger and comes out when it's big enough to live outside of the mommy's tummy.

Ben: Do I have seeds?

Me: Not yet, but you will when you get older.

Ben: Whoa. That's crazy! So... how do the seeds get to the eggs?

I sat there for a second, staring straight at him and wondered how far I should take this. The protective mother in me, wanting to keep him naive forever, decided to say...


Go ask your dad. ;)



A few seconds later Ben then says "Speaking of seeds. Mom? When are we going to plant our garden?"

Wow, that conversation came out of no where. Ben is my smart little guy (will be 7 in December) and I'm just wondering how long it will be until I'm giving him a full Human Development 101 course. So, I ask you all... when did your parents teach you about the birds and the bees? Did you feel it was awkward? Interesting? What could have made the situation better/easier/etc.? I would love to hear your opinions and advice. I'm entering a strange new world of hard-to-answer questions now and I feel I need to be more prepared than I am.

Sam Tsui

I found this on Youtube this morning. I was watching clips from the new Fox series "Glee". (Yes, I'm already hooked and it hasn't even started it's regular season yet.) I love how the cast performed Don't Stop Believin' and this kid, Sam Tsui (not on the show) posted himself singing the same version of the song (and yes, he is singing all 5 parts. You can't see him singing the 5th part because the screen is cut-off.) He's dang good! Enjoy.

Ben and the 'ladies'

So, Ben started 1st grade last week and has been loving every minute of it. He is no stranger to the 'little ladies', which I posted about last year. Today after school I took the kids to the grocery store. I asked Ben how his day was and here is our conversation:

Ben: It was fun. I talked a lot with Ashton. She sits at my table.
Me: Good. So Ashton is a girl?
Ben: Yep.
Me: Is she nice?
Ben: Yes.
Me: Is she pretty?
Ben: (with a smirk on his face) Yes... but not as pretty as you!

Well, good thing I have that boy trained. ;) I think he's definitely going to be a ladies-man and we are okay with that... just no kissing (as we instructed him today at dinner.) Love it.

Beautiful San Diego

I flew out Friday afternoon to San Diego for my cousin's wedding. It was quite weird being without children for 48 hours. I kept looking around the airport for little ones I could keep my eye on. It was nice to get a little break but life just isn't 'right' without my kiddos and Jake, of course. He was a real trooper and managed to take the kids by himself to a wedding the night I flew out. So I flew into Vegas and had an hour layover. When I got on the plane heading to San Diego I sat next to a nice looking man in his mid-30s. His wife and 2 young daughters were seated a couple rows ahead of him. During the flight we talked quite a bit about his work, his family moving from San Diego to San Clemente next week, etc. He was very kind and it made the flight go fast. Halfway through the flight his youngest (nearly 4) climbed into the seat between us and I heard him talking to her and thought it was Spanish. With the cabin pressure and noise from other passengers I couldn't hear very well but thought for sure it was, indeed, Spanish. So I look down at the girl who was pretty shy and I asked her what her name was in Spanish and how old she was. Well, this little girl looked at me like I was crazy. I thought she just must be really shy or my Spanish was really crappy. A few minutes later the dad starting talking to her again and I realized it was NOT Spanish. I asked him what language he was speaking... Oh. It's Farsi. Yes, this family is Iranian. How could I think they were Hispanic? Who knows. Let's just say, I felt pretty dumb. No wonder the girl was giving me weird looks. Anyway, I got a good laugh from that and thankfully the man laughed too and was not offended. Anyway, I arrived in San Diego around 6:45pm Friday and my aunt Vicki and uncle Darrell picked me up and we went to the Marriott Hotel to meet the rest of the family. We ate at TGIFriday's and then I slept in my grandparents' hotel room with them. Saturday morning we went to my cousin, Krystin's sealing to her husband Andy. It was a beautiful wedding. The weather was perfect and everyone looked great. I had never been to the San Diego temple before and it is truly incredible. (Well, all temples are incredible but this one really is so beautiful.) After the wedding we drove 2 1/2 hours to Apple Valley, where my relatives live, and I helped my aunt Andrea get last minute stuff done for the reception. After the reception I went to my aunt Sam and uncle Kerri's house and slept there that night. Then Grandpa and Grammy, Hillary, Mark (her boyfriend), and I left California at 4:30am and we made it home around 3:30pm. It was a quick trip, but still I had a great time. It was nice to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins who I don't see too often and visit with them at their houses. The last time I visited them in Apple Valley was when I was pregnant with Ben... so quite a few years ago. Thanks to all my relatives for putting up with me for a few days. I had a wonderful time.

Here is Krystin and Andy coming out of the temple as husband and wife. Her colors were black and bright lime green. Check out her green converse. Smart girl, not wearing huge heels and killing her feet all day!

The Call Family (Krystin and Andy, my grandparents, Sam and Kerri, Vicki and Darrell, Andrea and Corwin, and a bunch of my cousins)

Krystin and Andy

I was taking a picture of the temple and a missionary (older couple) said he would take one with me in it so I said "Sure." Him and his wife are from St. George and were very sweet.

Vicki, Grammy, Grandpa, Sam, Kerri, and cousin Max (weird to see my cousins all growing up. I remember babysitting Max when he was younger than Josh's age and now he's 15 and definitely not a little kid anymore.)

Uncle Kerri, Grandpa, and cousin Hillary. (I imagine my grandpa was giving Hillary some counsel about dating/marriage as she is heading off to Utah State this fall as a freshman.) Again, I remember Hillary as this tiny 4 year old. Now she is 18 and going to college. She is a beautiful and sweet girl. I'm glad we were able to ride to Utah together and hopefully with her now only 1 1/2 hours away we can have her over for dinner sometime soon.

The reception theme was a whimsical party. There was an italian soda bar, chocolate fountains, and a candy bar. There was a dance floor on the opposite side of the gym and it did feel more like a casual party instead of a formal reception. Everyone had a great time. I enjoyed catching up with my cousins, Sean and Brandy, Brian and his girlfriend Brooke, and Jesse and Adriana.

Adriana and I. She has 4 kids and is only 26. She teaches at a high school full-time, is a yoga instructor, and I hear is a great chef and baker. She's amazing. It was great to talk with her and the rest of my extended family. I just wish I had more time to spend there... next time!

3 - 1 = What?!

Ben started first grade on Monday so he is gone from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday. I have to say, it's been a weird experience for me, but of course a great experience for Ben. He loves being gone and "not having quiet time after lunch." He has been counting down the days until school started again since the last day of kindergarten. He missed the learning and social time. I warned Ben all summer though that I was not ready to have him leave and be a big boy because I would miss him too much. His reply "Well, mom. Too bad. I'm going to school all day and you will just have to miss me while I'm gone." But then he says "I'll be back, though." Well, good thing. I've come to a huge realization this week... my babies are growing up, and growing up quick! I went basically from 3 kids to 2 in a matter of days and it's sad and sort of nice rolled into one. I know I need to soak up every minute I have with my kids now because soon they will be gone more hours than they are here.

Here are Ben, Emma, and Josh minutes before we left for school on Ben's first day. They all had to wear their backpacks and be like Ben.

Here is Ben looking very excited in the crowd of first graders. (You can tell first day of school is a little chaotic!)

Here is Ben with his friend, Elliott. They are in the same class and that was quite a relief for Ben to have him in there (and a few other kids he knew from t-ball and kindergarten last year.)

Elliott, Landon, Max, and Ben. They stuck together that morning and couldn't stop talking. I'm sure part of it was excitement and part of it was nerves.

Joshie being a ham, waiting for Ben to go with his class. He wouldn't let go of his backpack the rest of the day. In fact, even now when Ben leaves for school, Josh needs his backpack on when he walks outside to say goodbye to Ben. It's going to be really hard for him once Emma goes to school and he is the lone kid with mom.

And here is Ben leaving with his class, heading out to the new paved path the school put in over the summer. They had to fundraise and they met their goal right at the end of the year. It was cute seeing all the moms teary eyed as they waved good-bye to their kids. It's an exciting day for everyone (and emotional.)

So, besides school we've still been busy (does it ever get less busy?!) Emma starts dance again and preschool next week. I'm flying out to San Diego tomorrow for my cousin's wedding. And my mom has been here the past couple days. She dropped Whitney off at BYU (my little sister) and we have had fun playing today. She came with me to a Body Combat class this morning (her first ever) and I think she liked it... although, will be feeling it tomorrow. We went shopping, played Simpson's Clue with Ben twice, cooked the salmon my dad caught last week, and now the kids are in bed and we are unwinding for the night. She leaves in the morning. I took this picture just before the kids went to bed. You can tell they adore her. Emma told her tonight as she was brushing her hair how she didn't want her to go home because she would "miss her SO very much!" (Said in only the dramatic way that Emma can.) It's true though. We love when Grandma comes (and grandpa too!) and it's hard to say good-bye. We've been lucky though and have seen her quite a few times this year. Anyway, back to real life now.

Hobble Creek Half Marathon- August 22, 2009

The start line. I love seeing the elite runners, so intense. Most of them come in around 1-1:20 minutes. Nuts! Amazing athletes.

Me at 6 1/2 miles, making it to the top of one of the 'hills.' My friend, Leslie, took the pic and cheered me on throughout the course. I know I look a little 'too' excited to be there... maybe I was! ;)

Yesterday was the Hobble Creek Half Marathon. It starts up the right fork of Hobble Creek Canyon in Utah county and ends at the Mapleton City Park. Friday night I drove down to Orem and picked up my packet at the Runner's Corner. I had some extra time so decided to drive the course since I had never been there before, and it would help me mentally prepare for the next morning.  I took notes of where the two hills were (one around 6 1/2 miles, and the other around 10 1/2 or 11.)  The drive was gorgeous and I was getting excited for the race.  I spent the night at a friend's house in Spanish Fork (thanks again, Nancy!)  She lives only 6 miles from Mapleton Park, where the busses were picking everyone up.  I woke up at 4:50am and was out the door by 5:20am.  I found one of my online runner friends, Heidi, pretty soon after I got there and we loaded the bus together.  It was nice to have the company and she educated me on fuel and why simple sugars are not great for your gut.  (By that point I was wishing I had some hammer gel to try!)  When we got to the top we saw Megan with her family and Becky and her husband (2 other online runners.) I also saw Lynette Bowers, a friend from the U's student housing. (Sorry we didn't get to talk very long. Great job, though! 1:36... you're awesome!)  Heidi, Becky, and I waited nearly 25 minutes to use the porto-potties and got up to the starting line at 7:10am.  (The race was supposed to start at 7:15am).  At that point they started separating the crowd into pace groups.  I placed myself in-between the 8 and 9 minute mile groups and then we just sat there.  The gun didn't go off until nearly 30 minutes later (7:45ish) because 3 busses didn't show up so that meant 3 groups had to wait at the bottom until they were picked up.  I was nervous about starting later because I knew it was just going to get hotter and hotter the more we waited.  I listened to music and tried to dance a little to keep myself warm.  I also talked a lot with these two guys next to me who were funny and seemed to be just as eager as I was.  I love people watching, and especially at events like these.  So many of us with a passion for the same thing, hearts pounding, blood pumping, ready to push our bodies hard.  I saw a 6-7 month pregnant girl in-line for the race.  (Wow!)  There was a girl with a backpack on, blasting music from a stereo inside it.  I noticed one lady with make-up caked on and I thought "Does she not sweat?!"  If I wore a lot of make-up, it would be dripping in my eyes and off my face by the end.  Amazingly, I saw her after the finish and she looked exactly like she did at the start.  Wow.  I guess some people are just lucky.  I saw one girl wearing just a sports bra and tiny shorts and she had a 12-pack... a tad jealous on that one. ;)  Anyway, finally the race started and I was on my way.  I felt really good the first 7 miles or so.  I was hitting my splits and I knew if I kept it up I would get sub-2.  (My last half I got 2:22 but I had IT band issues and I had to walk a mile, so this time I knew I could beat my old time, I just didn't know by how much.  I for sure wanted under 2:10 and knew I could do it. I really wanted under 2 but knew the stars had to be aligned for me to keep under a 9 min pace.)  I hit mile 1 at 8:47.  Mile 2 at 17 something.  Mile 3 at 25 something.  I was feeling good and kept thinking "Jamie, keep this up and you will do it!"  Mile 4 at 35.  Mile 5 at 44 something.  Mile 6 at 53 something.  (My 10K time was 54 min., which beats my last 10K time I did in September '08 by 15 minutes!)  At mile 7 I was at 1:03 something so I knew I was right on time, but getting slower.  Mile 8 around 1:13.  Mile 9 at 1:23.  Mile 10 at 1:32.  Mile 11 at 1:42.  Slowing down.  So at this point I knew I had 18 minutes to run the last 2.1 miles.  Physically I KNEW I could do it, but I was mentally running out of gas.  The course I had driven the night before wasn't actually the full course. After mile 7 it veered off to a bike trail, which was more hilly than I was prepared for and it messed with my head a little. My last two miles were slow.  Mile 12 at 1:54ish and my chip says I crossed the finish line at 2:05:57.  I was happy overall, but of course, a tad disappointed that I couldn't finish the last two miles strong. Leslie, another online friend who broke her foot doing a triathlon a couple months ago and was our photographer told me at the end how great I did, and next time I will get sub-2.  If I work more on my speed workouts and do more longer runs so I can work on my endurance those last few miles, I'm sure I can shave 6+ minutes off my time.  So... a goal for next time!  I want to experiment with different fuel too and see if that makes a difference.  

After the race I actually felt really good, a tad sore, but NOTHING like after the Salt Lake 1/2.  (I hobbled past the finish line and was in excruciating pain for days and couldn't run more than 1/2 a mile for nearly a month!  Found out I had IT band syndrome and so took time off from running and didn't really get back into it until last month.)  I took 2 aleve at the beginning of this race and 2 rapid release tylenol at the end and I never felt a twinge of hip or knee pain.  I want to thank Leslie for being there at the top of the hill around 6 1/2 miles.  She was on her bike, taking pics of all the online runners.  Not having dh and the kids there, it was nice to feel like I had my own 'little family' there cheering me on.  Around mile 10 Leslie was there again, cheering and reminding me I 'only had a 5K left.'  That was great to hear and get in my brain.  I knew I was so close. When I crossed the finish line I felt relief, happiness, and exhaustion all rolled into one.  

So this morning I feel fine.  My quads are still a little sore but overall my body feels good.  No knee pain at all!!  I'm really thinking hard about a marathon now.  If I can stay injury-free and work up my mileage slowly and get stronger, I know I can do it. Who would have guessed a year ago that I would be loving running so much, plotting out my next races, educating myself on electrolytes and endurolytes, thinking about Garmin forerunners, wondering what's better: Clif gels, shot bloks, Gu, or Hammer gels, and seriously contemplating a marathon?!! I think the best thing about all this is that I actually feel strong mentally and physically, something I can't say I've ever felt my entire life until now. Pretty cool.

This pic was taken about an hour after I crossed the finish line. It's of Vince and Becky (husband and wife), Heidi, me, and Leslie.

Last month some girls I met online through an LDS families forum met and had a playdate. We started a runners thread and we all post about our workouts, races, whatever is on our minds. I've learned a lot from these ladies and really appreciate their wisdom (and of course their friendships). From left to right- Crystal, Heidi, Becky, me, Megan, and Leslie.