He's here!

Liam Thomas was born on August 19th at 10:03pm. At some point soon, I'll post a little bit about his birth story, but right now I'm still overwhelmed with everything. In addition to bringing this tiny person into the world, we bought a house and moved into it. Talk about overwhelming! Trying to pack/unpack your entire life while a week overdue, and then with a brand new baby while you are still healing from the delivery is insane. The husband has been amazing through this whole process, and I don't think I could have gotten through without breaking down without him.

Right after delivery. I was in labor for 30 hours (I didn't feel most of it, thanks to the epidural), and pushed for about 25 minutes. Easy peasy.

Liam is wonderful. He's so strong and alert. Breastfeeding can be a bit of a battle, but we're both learning. I don't remember what sleeping was like. He loves to nap during the day, but for some reason I can't make myself sleep. I used to be able to nap during the day with no problem. Not anymore. Instead its "quick! Do ALL the things before he wakes up for his next shrieking/feeding!" Between breastfeeding and pumping, I might get an hour or so of "down time" before needing to tend to Liam again. It's exhausting, but rewarding. I will admit to having a few hormonal breakdowns (including cold flashes. Who knew you could feel freezing in 90 degree weather?!). Thankfully, the husband was there to keep me from going bonkers. It's quite an adjustment going from pregnant to not-pregnant. It's strange to have my body back for myself (for the most part. My breasts still seem to be held hostage.)

Daddy picked out the coming home outfit.

Kid loves to sleep.

Daddy's first night. Kiddo is sleeping, but dad isn't.

He likes to conduct a symphony in his sleep.

We went outside for some vey brief sun. Still snoozing. I swear he doesn't sleep ALL the time.

I am so eager to get back on the bike. There is a fantastic trail near the new house, and I get to watch people riding/walking/running on it every day. I can't wait until I can explore this new area and see where it can take me. I'm still healing from the birth, but in a few more weeks I should be cleared to go. I'm hoping that in the next few days, we can at least take a few walks together. I haven't really been able to stand/walk for more than 10 minutes at a time without soreness/pain. It's starting to fade though.

It's strange living so far from DC. Looking at photos on twitter and instagram, I find myself missing activities that I used to take for granted: running along the Mall, night rides around the monuments, biking through Rock Creek & the C&O canal, group rides, 5K's downtown... I don't regret moving at all; it was definitely time. But I will still miss the ease in which I was able to participate in those things. However, I'm also eager to see what sorts of things I can participate in HERE. There are beaches and parks, and I've already found a local cycling group that does a bunch of rides. I'm sure there are local running groups and races too. And I'm still going to participate in the "big" cycling/running events in DC too.

Speaking of, the 50 States Ride and the Boundary Stone Ride are both coming up. I've done the 50 States Ride a bunch of times, and its one of my favorite rides to do in DC. It's also one of the more challenging rides I've ever done. You wouldn't think that simply riding around the city (the "goal" of the 50 States Ride is to ride on every single state street/avenue) would be difficult, but you would be wrong. There are some killer hills in the city! And for some reason, this ride loves to attract bad weather. It's always either super HOT or super RAINY.  I believe registration is already full though (its a super popular ride), but they are always looking for volunteers! Check it out here: http://www.waba.org/50-states-13-colonies/

The Boundary Stone Ride is one that I've heard about, but never had the chance to participate in. Similar to the 50 States Ride, the Boundary Stone Ride is all about exploring DC by riding to all of the old DC Boundary Stones. Doing the whole ride amounts to a metric century, or you can simply break it up into "sides" (about 15 miles on each side).  It will be taking place on Saturday, September 19th, and you can find more info about it on their facebook page or registration page. Registration is free, and you still get a t-shirt and a swag bag! (So, make a donation!) Phoenix Bikes will be providing bike support at rest stops, and Boundary Stone (of course) and DC Brau are sponsoring the ride and hosting the after-party. I'm seriously considering doing this ride. I should be healed and recovered by then.  I doubt I could do the whole metric century, but I could at least do a side, maybe two.

For October, I've registered for the Law Enforcement Ride & Run to Remember again. This will be my 3rd year participating, and I will be part of a team again (Blood, Sweat & Tires). It is a fundraiser for the NLEOMF, so stay tuned for more info on that!

That's it for now. It's been a whirlwind and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down anytime soon.