I'm trying to catch up. I have uploaded many new posts below, so be sure to check them all out!
My stud athlete
Happy Easter!
Almost Two!!
April....showers
Dont miss the teaser in the Easter post...the big reveal to come soon! Extra points to the first person who guesses (except family, who already know). Get your guess on!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
April...showers
It has been a rough couple of months.
You know that saying, "when it rains, it pours?" I believe it. I realize there is never a good time in our busy lives to deal with turmoil or drama, but seriously, sometimes the timing of it ALL, is just bad.
Since this is a public location, I will not go into the details of my work drama. Let's just say, it has been a BAD month. Really bad. Things happening outside of my control, getting pulled into issues that I have never had to deal with, having my hand slapped for things that I was held responsible for (though never warned I was was responsible for), and an absolute butt-load of work. And yes, I just wrote butt-load. That is the nice way of saying the amount of work that has hit me over the head this month. When I tell you I have been working 12 and 14 hour days, without feeling like I even make a dent in the work, surely that says something. Heck, the intense pain in my back and neck and the tension headaches I keep having say something about this workload. It sucks.
Yesterday, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, not because it's done, but because I could see a dent in the pile. There was progress. I'm no where near the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm doing my best to balance life a little. Lots of work = stressed, not-fun Melody, who often snaps at people (mainly Jesse and Ryleigh), who lives in a dirty house, with a never-ending to-do list. I just keep praying that this will all be over soon, and when all is said and done, someone will look back and say, wow- that girl works hard. Even if that someone does not say it until the judgement day. :)
I wont mention my continued morning sickness or Ryleigh getting sick, and the drama we have had with Jesse's job. Too much whining for one day. So, enough about me and my pity party. My stressful life has been nothing compared to a few other people I know and love.
My sister Sarah and her husband Micah have had quite a difficult couple of months. A few weeks/months ago, Sarah had been sick and so Micah took her to the doctor's office. While they were there, Micah passed out and starting having a pretty severe seizure. Originally, they went to see a neurologist to figure out what had happened in his brain to cause the seizure. They had him complete a sleep-deprived test to trigger the seizure and watch his brain waves. Sure enough, they triggered the seizure...and also caused his heart to stop. It started back up on its own, but a few more seconds, and they would have had to use the paddles. They scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist, who actually called them before their scheduled appointment wanting to see him right away. Within days, he was admitted to the hospital and being prepped for heart surgery to place a pacemaker. Please remember, this is a 26-year-old male. Most pacemaker candidates are over 50! Anyway, so sure enough they had the surgery as planned, and inserted the pacemaker, and within 48 hours, he was discharged to go home. A few days later, while changing the bandages, they noticed that the wound looked funny and had been oozing- not good. So they took him to the ER (it was after hours) and had it checked out in the same hospital where the surgery took place. The next morning, Sarah still did not feel right about it, so she called the doctor who performed the surgery, who immediately sent them back to the hospital. Micah was re-admitted and on watch for infection. Mind you, Micah felt fine and was extremely irritated about this. Within 24 hours, he was diagnosed with a stapph infection at the site of the wound, right over his heart. Not a good place for an infection! He was treated by serious IV antibiotics, hoping to clear it out, with no luck. A second heart surgery was scheduled to remove the current pacemaker and insert a new pacemaker to the other side of his heart. Meanwhile, the doctor spoke of transferring him to another doctor/hospital downtown, because he simply did not feel comfortable performing the procedure. Apparently,putting in a pacemaker is routine. Taking one out, is not. And its very risky. They literally are pulling it out of the heart muscle, hoping that when they pull, it does not tear a hole in the heart. The risks of course, are much higher, and if a hole is pulled, open heart surgery right then and there is inevitable. I could not sit in Houston while all this was going on, so Ryleigh and I went up to be there. As it turns out, they were not able to transfer Micah to another hospital, due to a shortage of beds, so the specialist doctor had to come out to him. The doctor did not feel it would be wise to remove one pacemaker and attempt to put in another one- no need to open new holes with a stapph infection! So, he performed the removal surgery and left the wound open and packed with antibiotics designed to draw the infection out and away from the wound. This surgery was much more painful for Micah, and he was in the hospital for over a week. They finally sent him home, but with home health care to come by and clean his open wound, check his heart, etc. He cannot be left alone, because without a pacemaker, and all the trauma his heart has endured, they dont want anything to happen. So, family has been staying with them non-stop. The plan is to make sure all signs of infection are gone, give his heart some time to recoup, and then have a third heart surgery to insert a new pacemaker into the other side of his heart. Needless to say, it has been a scary and emotional time for them. Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to be starting a new job and moving this month! Now he is on short-term disability and just praying his new boss is patient. They will celebrate their 1st anniversary in a few weeks, and I just cannot imagine all they have endured in their first year of marriage. Please pray for physical healing, emotional healing, and a little rest for their weary bodies and souls.
On to the next health prayer. My other sister, Sarah's twin, Susan and her fiance Brent, have been having their own share of issues!! Brent is a professional hockey player, and had been playing hurt for awhile. When I say, "hurt" I mean, it was STUPID of his team to ask him to play. Brent suffered a concussion awhile back and continued to play. He was having severe headaches and finally got it checked out by someone wise. It turns out he had several concussions, somehow stacked on top of each other, and his brain was a mess! Needless to say, he was officially pulled from playing hockey, as well as doing anything else in his life!! He has to rest his brain, meaning, no driving, no reading, no movies, no nothing. No nothing. Nothing. Catch that? What in the world do you do? Sleep? Well, since he was already out for this injury, he decided to have someone take a look at his shoulder too. Sure enough, it had some pretty significant damage and required surgery. Brent figured it was a good time, since he was already laying low, to take care of it.Problem was, due to his brain injury, they could not put him under. When he heard that he was going to have to be awake, he said "heck no!" So, back to the drawing boards, and sure enough the doctor agreed to put him under, which was a risk in and of itself. He had his shoulder surgery last week, and it went well, though with a lot of pain. Within 48 hours, they were discharged, and headed home to heal. Pray for their patience during this healing process and wisdom from the team doctors before attempting to let him (or anyone else!) play when hurt.
My mom lost her job about 2 months ago. It was a shock, and not a welcomed event. BUT, it has been a blessing in disguise, as she has suddenly been freed up to help out with all the family drama lately. She was able to go spend a week with my granddad when he was released from rehab and able to go home. She was able to go be with Sarah during each of Micah's surgery, and able to stay with them this week, allowing Sarah to go back to work and Micah to not be left alone. She has helped me out with Ryleigh during all my crazy work drama. She might need a little break and downtime from family once this is all said and done, but she sure has been a life saver for the rest of us!
So yeah, when it rains, it pours.
On a side note, I thought it was ironic that I started this post over the weekend, and then literally it rained for 36 hours straight, flooding large portions of Houston. I think they said we received 8 inches on Sunday night within a matter of hours. That's a lot of rain. Kind o a down pour, I would say.
And sure enough, that's what this month has been. A down pour. I'm sorry I have been absent from blogland, but there are only so many hours in a day! I'm just hoping that some of these April showers will bring...yep, you guessed it....May flowers.
You know that saying, "when it rains, it pours?" I believe it. I realize there is never a good time in our busy lives to deal with turmoil or drama, but seriously, sometimes the timing of it ALL, is just bad.
Since this is a public location, I will not go into the details of my work drama. Let's just say, it has been a BAD month. Really bad. Things happening outside of my control, getting pulled into issues that I have never had to deal with, having my hand slapped for things that I was held responsible for (though never warned I was was responsible for), and an absolute butt-load of work. And yes, I just wrote butt-load. That is the nice way of saying the amount of work that has hit me over the head this month. When I tell you I have been working 12 and 14 hour days, without feeling like I even make a dent in the work, surely that says something. Heck, the intense pain in my back and neck and the tension headaches I keep having say something about this workload. It sucks.
Yesterday, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, not because it's done, but because I could see a dent in the pile. There was progress. I'm no where near the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm doing my best to balance life a little. Lots of work = stressed, not-fun Melody, who often snaps at people (mainly Jesse and Ryleigh), who lives in a dirty house, with a never-ending to-do list. I just keep praying that this will all be over soon, and when all is said and done, someone will look back and say, wow- that girl works hard. Even if that someone does not say it until the judgement day. :)
I wont mention my continued morning sickness or Ryleigh getting sick, and the drama we have had with Jesse's job. Too much whining for one day. So, enough about me and my pity party. My stressful life has been nothing compared to a few other people I know and love.
My sister Sarah and her husband Micah have had quite a difficult couple of months. A few weeks/months ago, Sarah had been sick and so Micah took her to the doctor's office. While they were there, Micah passed out and starting having a pretty severe seizure. Originally, they went to see a neurologist to figure out what had happened in his brain to cause the seizure. They had him complete a sleep-deprived test to trigger the seizure and watch his brain waves. Sure enough, they triggered the seizure...and also caused his heart to stop. It started back up on its own, but a few more seconds, and they would have had to use the paddles. They scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist, who actually called them before their scheduled appointment wanting to see him right away. Within days, he was admitted to the hospital and being prepped for heart surgery to place a pacemaker. Please remember, this is a 26-year-old male. Most pacemaker candidates are over 50! Anyway, so sure enough they had the surgery as planned, and inserted the pacemaker, and within 48 hours, he was discharged to go home. A few days later, while changing the bandages, they noticed that the wound looked funny and had been oozing- not good. So they took him to the ER (it was after hours) and had it checked out in the same hospital where the surgery took place. The next morning, Sarah still did not feel right about it, so she called the doctor who performed the surgery, who immediately sent them back to the hospital. Micah was re-admitted and on watch for infection. Mind you, Micah felt fine and was extremely irritated about this. Within 24 hours, he was diagnosed with a stapph infection at the site of the wound, right over his heart. Not a good place for an infection! He was treated by serious IV antibiotics, hoping to clear it out, with no luck. A second heart surgery was scheduled to remove the current pacemaker and insert a new pacemaker to the other side of his heart. Meanwhile, the doctor spoke of transferring him to another doctor/hospital downtown, because he simply did not feel comfortable performing the procedure. Apparently,putting in a pacemaker is routine. Taking one out, is not. And its very risky. They literally are pulling it out of the heart muscle, hoping that when they pull, it does not tear a hole in the heart. The risks of course, are much higher, and if a hole is pulled, open heart surgery right then and there is inevitable. I could not sit in Houston while all this was going on, so Ryleigh and I went up to be there. As it turns out, they were not able to transfer Micah to another hospital, due to a shortage of beds, so the specialist doctor had to come out to him. The doctor did not feel it would be wise to remove one pacemaker and attempt to put in another one- no need to open new holes with a stapph infection! So, he performed the removal surgery and left the wound open and packed with antibiotics designed to draw the infection out and away from the wound. This surgery was much more painful for Micah, and he was in the hospital for over a week. They finally sent him home, but with home health care to come by and clean his open wound, check his heart, etc. He cannot be left alone, because without a pacemaker, and all the trauma his heart has endured, they dont want anything to happen. So, family has been staying with them non-stop. The plan is to make sure all signs of infection are gone, give his heart some time to recoup, and then have a third heart surgery to insert a new pacemaker into the other side of his heart. Needless to say, it has been a scary and emotional time for them. Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to be starting a new job and moving this month! Now he is on short-term disability and just praying his new boss is patient. They will celebrate their 1st anniversary in a few weeks, and I just cannot imagine all they have endured in their first year of marriage. Please pray for physical healing, emotional healing, and a little rest for their weary bodies and souls.
On to the next health prayer. My other sister, Sarah's twin, Susan and her fiance Brent, have been having their own share of issues!! Brent is a professional hockey player, and had been playing hurt for awhile. When I say, "hurt" I mean, it was STUPID of his team to ask him to play. Brent suffered a concussion awhile back and continued to play. He was having severe headaches and finally got it checked out by someone wise. It turns out he had several concussions, somehow stacked on top of each other, and his brain was a mess! Needless to say, he was officially pulled from playing hockey, as well as doing anything else in his life!! He has to rest his brain, meaning, no driving, no reading, no movies, no nothing. No nothing. Nothing. Catch that? What in the world do you do? Sleep? Well, since he was already out for this injury, he decided to have someone take a look at his shoulder too. Sure enough, it had some pretty significant damage and required surgery. Brent figured it was a good time, since he was already laying low, to take care of it.Problem was, due to his brain injury, they could not put him under. When he heard that he was going to have to be awake, he said "heck no!" So, back to the drawing boards, and sure enough the doctor agreed to put him under, which was a risk in and of itself. He had his shoulder surgery last week, and it went well, though with a lot of pain. Within 48 hours, they were discharged, and headed home to heal. Pray for their patience during this healing process and wisdom from the team doctors before attempting to let him (or anyone else!) play when hurt.
My mom lost her job about 2 months ago. It was a shock, and not a welcomed event. BUT, it has been a blessing in disguise, as she has suddenly been freed up to help out with all the family drama lately. She was able to go spend a week with my granddad when he was released from rehab and able to go home. She was able to go be with Sarah during each of Micah's surgery, and able to stay with them this week, allowing Sarah to go back to work and Micah to not be left alone. She has helped me out with Ryleigh during all my crazy work drama. She might need a little break and downtime from family once this is all said and done, but she sure has been a life saver for the rest of us!
So yeah, when it rains, it pours.
On a side note, I thought it was ironic that I started this post over the weekend, and then literally it rained for 36 hours straight, flooding large portions of Houston. I think they said we received 8 inches on Sunday night within a matter of hours. That's a lot of rain. Kind o a down pour, I would say.
And sure enough, that's what this month has been. A down pour. I'm sorry I have been absent from blogland, but there are only so many hours in a day! I'm just hoping that some of these April showers will bring...yep, you guessed it....May flowers.
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Psalms 30:11-12
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Almost Two!!
Ryleigh turns two next month. W-O-W.
Some days I'm blown away by how smart she is and how much older than her age she seems, and then other days, I look at her, and still see my baby. But, she's not a baby. She's a toddler. A full-blown toddler who walks, talks (all the time), dresses up, sings, dances, pitches fits, cuddles whole-heartedly, and "tests" us at every turn.
Did you know that Ryleigh loves the Wiggles? Yes, the silly guys from Australia who dress up and sing silly songs. Ryleigh is their number 1 fan. And I am grateful, because without them, I would never get any work done during the day!! There is a Wiggles center in Dallas, and my family who lives up there took a trip over there. Ryleigh was sent a Wiggles t-shirt and "Henry" doll from Aunt Kathy and received this "Dorothy" tutu from Michelle and Savannah. Now she twirls along with Dorothy while singing and dancing to the Wiggles.
Honestly, I am amazed I was even able to get this picture of her with the tutu on. I fear that I might have a nudist on my hands. Seriously, the girl will NOT stay in her clothes. I thought at first that perhaps she just liked the freedom to take her clothes off and put them on herself. But now, she will not wear them! We have to force her to wear clothes in order to take her in public! And then I watch her like a hawk the whole time we are out, because inevitably, she starts pulling her arms out of her shirt or kicking off her shorts. The other day, I was working in my office and she was playing with her blocks in the living room. Or so I thought. The next thing I know, she is standing next to me, wearing nothing but my leopard print lingerie cami (which, for those of you are thinking "TMI!" I have not worn in YEARS. It has had more use from Ryleigh in the past week than it has from me in all the years I have owned it.) So yeah, my little nudist is on the loose! I'm kind of hoping she has just been bothered by her eczema lately and that is why she does not like clothing on her skin. I guess time will tell.
Luckily, when she strips down, she does not care to remove her diaper. I have heard of toddlers doing this, and so far, thank you Lord, she is not doing this. I'm hoping the diaper situation will soon go away, as I intend to try and potty train her this summer. She already tells me as she is pooping, and wants to change her diaper right away when she does. So she knows that feeling. Now the pee-pee part, not so much, so we'll have to work on it. But hopefully the diapers will be gone soon!
We are also talking about moving Ryleigh out of her crib and into a "big girl" twin bed. This makes me more sad than any of the other changes she is experiencing. I think it makes her seem that much older. Right now, we put her to bed and we go in and get her out of bed in the morning. She crawls right out of her crib and into my snuggles. Once she is in a big girl bed, she can just jump down and get on with her day. It was always inevitable, and I definitely want to do it fairly soon so that she stops associating herself with the crib before the baby gets here, but its still hard. I'm sure we'll begin that transition within the next month or so. Pray for patience!
I could go on and on and tell you how incredibly smart this girl is, or how much she amazes me daily. My words do little justice. I'm telling you, this is one smart girl. She throws out new words daily and increases her sentences just as often. We are really, finally, able to communicate with her, without much (if any) confusion. She knows what she wants and eagerly lets us know. Granted, with this new found communication understanding has come a whole new world of learning as parents. When she wants something we do not want her to have, she does not simply nod and smile and say, "okay- you know best!" She's angry! And defiant! And she will try every single trick in the book to get it. I wish I could say that her whines are nothing compared to my stamina, but that's not always true. I'm not a patient person, and right now, her perseverance often beats mine. I'm working on this. We're also working on new methods of discipline when she does not obey and blatantly defies us. This is tough. I never knew I could love someone so much...or be so completely angry and frustrated with someone so much. She can make my blood boil like no one else. And she has already learned exactly which buttons to push to make that happen! Sneaky little thing! :)
In all honesty, this is a tough age. Ryleigh is learning and exploring and trying her wings, and often I have to remind her that though her wings might work, there is a big cliff ahead. It's all about setting boundaries and being consistent- two areas I struggle with daily. No matter how long or frustrating the day, I always get big smiles, hugs, and kisses in the evening, and it washes away the pains of the day. I know many-a-moms who have struggled with strong-willed, independent kids and still lived to tell about it, so I know we will get through it. I'm just learning the hard way, I afraid.
My baby is going to be two, and life is going to be an adjustment. We are learning together and I'm sure there will come a time when I look back at this phase and think what a breeze it was compared to our next big hurdle. I'm just trying to enjoy every positive thing I can right now and soak up all the sweetness that is my precious toddler.
Some days I'm blown away by how smart she is and how much older than her age she seems, and then other days, I look at her, and still see my baby. But, she's not a baby. She's a toddler. A full-blown toddler who walks, talks (all the time), dresses up, sings, dances, pitches fits, cuddles whole-heartedly, and "tests" us at every turn.
Did you know that Ryleigh loves the Wiggles? Yes, the silly guys from Australia who dress up and sing silly songs. Ryleigh is their number 1 fan. And I am grateful, because without them, I would never get any work done during the day!! There is a Wiggles center in Dallas, and my family who lives up there took a trip over there. Ryleigh was sent a Wiggles t-shirt and "Henry" doll from Aunt Kathy and received this "Dorothy" tutu from Michelle and Savannah. Now she twirls along with Dorothy while singing and dancing to the Wiggles.
Honestly, I am amazed I was even able to get this picture of her with the tutu on. I fear that I might have a nudist on my hands. Seriously, the girl will NOT stay in her clothes. I thought at first that perhaps she just liked the freedom to take her clothes off and put them on herself. But now, she will not wear them! We have to force her to wear clothes in order to take her in public! And then I watch her like a hawk the whole time we are out, because inevitably, she starts pulling her arms out of her shirt or kicking off her shorts. The other day, I was working in my office and she was playing with her blocks in the living room. Or so I thought. The next thing I know, she is standing next to me, wearing nothing but my leopard print lingerie cami (which, for those of you are thinking "TMI!" I have not worn in YEARS. It has had more use from Ryleigh in the past week than it has from me in all the years I have owned it.) So yeah, my little nudist is on the loose! I'm kind of hoping she has just been bothered by her eczema lately and that is why she does not like clothing on her skin. I guess time will tell.Luckily, when she strips down, she does not care to remove her diaper. I have heard of toddlers doing this, and so far, thank you Lord, she is not doing this. I'm hoping the diaper situation will soon go away, as I intend to try and potty train her this summer. She already tells me as she is pooping, and wants to change her diaper right away when she does. So she knows that feeling. Now the pee-pee part, not so much, so we'll have to work on it. But hopefully the diapers will be gone soon!
We are also talking about moving Ryleigh out of her crib and into a "big girl" twin bed. This makes me more sad than any of the other changes she is experiencing. I think it makes her seem that much older. Right now, we put her to bed and we go in and get her out of bed in the morning. She crawls right out of her crib and into my snuggles. Once she is in a big girl bed, she can just jump down and get on with her day. It was always inevitable, and I definitely want to do it fairly soon so that she stops associating herself with the crib before the baby gets here, but its still hard. I'm sure we'll begin that transition within the next month or so. Pray for patience!
I could go on and on and tell you how incredibly smart this girl is, or how much she amazes me daily. My words do little justice. I'm telling you, this is one smart girl. She throws out new words daily and increases her sentences just as often. We are really, finally, able to communicate with her, without much (if any) confusion. She knows what she wants and eagerly lets us know. Granted, with this new found communication understanding has come a whole new world of learning as parents. When she wants something we do not want her to have, she does not simply nod and smile and say, "okay- you know best!" She's angry! And defiant! And she will try every single trick in the book to get it. I wish I could say that her whines are nothing compared to my stamina, but that's not always true. I'm not a patient person, and right now, her perseverance often beats mine. I'm working on this. We're also working on new methods of discipline when she does not obey and blatantly defies us. This is tough. I never knew I could love someone so much...or be so completely angry and frustrated with someone so much. She can make my blood boil like no one else. And she has already learned exactly which buttons to push to make that happen! Sneaky little thing! :)
In all honesty, this is a tough age. Ryleigh is learning and exploring and trying her wings, and often I have to remind her that though her wings might work, there is a big cliff ahead. It's all about setting boundaries and being consistent- two areas I struggle with daily. No matter how long or frustrating the day, I always get big smiles, hugs, and kisses in the evening, and it washes away the pains of the day. I know many-a-moms who have struggled with strong-willed, independent kids and still lived to tell about it, so I know we will get through it. I'm just learning the hard way, I afraid.
My baby is going to be two, and life is going to be an adjustment. We are learning together and I'm sure there will come a time when I look back at this phase and think what a breeze it was compared to our next big hurdle. I'm just trying to enjoy every positive thing I can right now and soak up all the sweetness that is my precious toddler.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Happy Easter!
Easter was a rainy morning...but luckily, as Christians, we rejoice through the rain and get our tails to church anyway and praise our God for sending a savior.
Jesse had to work in the morning, so I tried to hold Ryleigh off from her goodies as long as possible. As soon as Daddy was home, she was free to charge the baskets!
And of course, went straight for the chocolate! Ha!
We did not hide Easter eggs outside, due to the weather, but I did put a few around the living room for her to "find." I'm not a good hider, I must admit. I told Jesse that next year, it's his job! 
...and had a better Easter egg hunt. :) Check her out on the run to find another egg! Haha.
After a nap for Ryleigh, fellowship and dinner for the rest of us, it was time to go home. A fun day was had by all. 
Jesse had to work in the morning, so I tried to hold Ryleigh off from her goodies as long as possible. As soon as Daddy was home, she was free to charge the baskets!
And of course, went straight for the chocolate! Ha!
We did not hide Easter eggs outside, due to the weather, but I did put a few around the living room for her to "find." I'm not a good hider, I must admit. I told Jesse that next year, it's his job!We pulled up to church just as the skies decided to open up and POUR. Jesse let me and Ryleigh out, and I still had to run for it. Not the prettiest picture...mom, running through rain, carrying a toddler, diaper bag, purse, and bible....in heels... But my experience was nothing compared to Jesse's! Obviously, being Easter Sunday, there were a lot of guests, and he was pushed to the overflow lot way at the back of the church- in the dirt. Which, with the help of the pouring rain, was now mud. So he had to run all the way in, through the mud. He looked pretty when he made it inside. :) But all the drama faded once the worship began and we were able to praise our Lord and Savior. Then Ben Stuart preached, and as always, it was a great word.
After church, we went to my parent's house for the afternoon. Ryleigh got another Easter basket at their house,
...and had a better Easter egg hunt. :) Check her out on the run to find another egg! Haha.
After a nap for Ryleigh, fellowship and dinner for the rest of us, it was time to go home. A fun day was had by all.Happy Easter!
Love the Shulse family
PS...Did you notice anything different in the pictures? Teaser, teaser, with details to come later!
Friday, April 10, 2009
My stud athlete
The first weekend in April, Jesse and I headed down to Moody Gardens in Galveston so he could compete in another triathlon. Originally, he had signed up to do the half-iron (which is a LOT) and a few weeks before the race, realizing he had not trained the way he should have, he dropped back to the quarter-iron, or Olympic triathlon. Still, no small feat!
Because of the time of year and the location of the swim (the ocean!), Jesse decided to bite the bullet and purchase a wetsuit. He was very embarrassed wearing it, but once we got there and everyone had one on, he fit right in. And I hear it really helped keep the cold out during the almost 1-mile swim.
After they get out of the water, there is a "wetsuit strip station" where the athlete lay down on the ground and the strippers literally rip that suit off them! I saw a couple suits go flying through the air, because they were pulled so hard. It was absolutely hilarious watching the strippers, and they made sure to have a good time with their job. Funny stuff. That is Jesse on the ground (the guy to the left) having his suit stripped.
Next it was time for the bike. I hear that the bike ride can really help you out if you use it correctly, and shave a lot of time off. In Galveston, they had the athletes ride up and down the Seawall, so you can imagine how the wind factored into the equation during the 28-mile bike ride. Jesse did alright on the bike, but he is really working on that portion of the race for his next triathlon.
And of course, last is the run. I cannot imagine running 6.5 miles period, but to do it AFTER all the other events-- no thank you. But, Jesse made it look easy.
Nice and steady, all the way through the finish line. Of course, he had set a goal, based on times he planned for each of the three events. He pretty much stayed true to his goals, except went over a bit on the bike. He wanted to finish under 3 hours, and his final time was 3 hours 8 minutes. Not to shabby.
It never ceases to amaze me the pride I feel as I watch him finish an event. I wish I could explain it! My heart is beating and feels like it could jump out of my chest. Plus, I love the smile he gives me when he sees me near the finish line, right before he lifts his chin and runs in with his head held high. Very cool.
Because of the time of year and the location of the swim (the ocean!), Jesse decided to bite the bullet and purchase a wetsuit. He was very embarrassed wearing it, but once we got there and everyone had one on, he fit right in. And I hear it really helped keep the cold out during the almost 1-mile swim.
After they get out of the water, there is a "wetsuit strip station" where the athlete lay down on the ground and the strippers literally rip that suit off them! I saw a couple suits go flying through the air, because they were pulled so hard. It was absolutely hilarious watching the strippers, and they made sure to have a good time with their job. Funny stuff. That is Jesse on the ground (the guy to the left) having his suit stripped.
Next it was time for the bike. I hear that the bike ride can really help you out if you use it correctly, and shave a lot of time off. In Galveston, they had the athletes ride up and down the Seawall, so you can imagine how the wind factored into the equation during the 28-mile bike ride. Jesse did alright on the bike, but he is really working on that portion of the race for his next triathlon.
And of course, last is the run. I cannot imagine running 6.5 miles period, but to do it AFTER all the other events-- no thank you. But, Jesse made it look easy.
Nice and steady, all the way through the finish line. Of course, he had set a goal, based on times he planned for each of the three events. He pretty much stayed true to his goals, except went over a bit on the bike. He wanted to finish under 3 hours, and his final time was 3 hours 8 minutes. Not to shabby.
It never ceases to amaze me the pride I feel as I watch him finish an event. I wish I could explain it! My heart is beating and feels like it could jump out of my chest. Plus, I love the smile he gives me when he sees me near the finish line, right before he lifts his chin and runs in with his head held high. Very cool.Before the race, while all the athletes were setting up their transition areas, the rest of us spectators had to wait outside the parking lot. We could see them, but were roped off. Well, another girl was standing there with me and talking to her husband, who was only a couple spots down from Jesse. Turns out the guys were in the same heat. She and I got to talking, (her name is Devon) and it turns out we had a lot in common! They both went to Texas A&M and live in Houston. We had a good time getting to know each other, walking together during the different events and cheering for each other's husbands. Her husband finished a few minutes before Jesse, and they both came back to wait with me at the finish line and cheer him in. I think Jesse and John have a lot in common as well, and hopefully we will hang out with them sometime in the future.
It was a fun race, and I was very proud of Jesse. He has signed up for another triathlon, of the same distance, for the end of May. He is really working on his speed so he can better his time and then maybe later on he will try again for the half-iron. Crazy boy. But oh-so-studly...especially in a wetsuit. :)
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
A fun Saturday afternoon
Ryleigh has been very interested in animals lately. She knows the names of the most common animals, and can identify their color and sound. So, with all the nice weather we have had lately, we thought it would be fun to take her back to the zoo. After all, the last time we went, she was only about 7 months old-- she was due a trip!
Last Saturday we laid her down for an early nap and anxiously awaited her waking up so we could surprise her with a trip to the zoo. And she was excited! We arrived and walked through all the animal exhibits, as she excitedly told us what she saw, what that animal says, and of course, said, "hi friend" to every child that passed us...which as you can imagine, was a LOT.
When we finally left, she talked about the "aminals" (no, that is not a misspelling, just Ryleigh language), nonstop. For days she kept asking to go back to the zoo. If it was not so far away, I would invest in a season pass!! Anyway, it was a fun afternoon. Here are a few pictures from the day.
Daddy showing Ryleigh how to use the brush to comb the goat at the petting zoo. I think this is why Ryleigh's allergies got so crazy when we got home that night...
An eagle! I couldn't resist snapping a picture of my elementary school mascot. :)
Daddy and Ryleigh
The baby elephant was cracking us up! He must have had an itch on it's back or something. First, he kept rubbing against the pole trying to scratch his back, but when that did not help, the elephant found this large "stick" and tried pushing it up so he could slide under it to scratch his back! Smart guy, I'd say!
The giraffes were my favorite. I wonder if it's because I'm so short that I love them so much...anyway. If you look closely in this picture, you can tell there are three giraffes, of three different ages and sizes. The youngest baby is only a few weeks old, and was so short and cute compared to the others!
Last Saturday we laid her down for an early nap and anxiously awaited her waking up so we could surprise her with a trip to the zoo. And she was excited! We arrived and walked through all the animal exhibits, as she excitedly told us what she saw, what that animal says, and of course, said, "hi friend" to every child that passed us...which as you can imagine, was a LOT.
When we finally left, she talked about the "aminals" (no, that is not a misspelling, just Ryleigh language), nonstop. For days she kept asking to go back to the zoo. If it was not so far away, I would invest in a season pass!! Anyway, it was a fun afternoon. Here are a few pictures from the day.
Daddy showing Ryleigh how to use the brush to comb the goat at the petting zoo. I think this is why Ryleigh's allergies got so crazy when we got home that night...
An eagle! I couldn't resist snapping a picture of my elementary school mascot. :)
Daddy and Ryleigh
The baby elephant was cracking us up! He must have had an itch on it's back or something. First, he kept rubbing against the pole trying to scratch his back, but when that did not help, the elephant found this large "stick" and tried pushing it up so he could slide under it to scratch his back! Smart guy, I'd say!
The giraffes were my favorite. I wonder if it's because I'm so short that I love them so much...anyway. If you look closely in this picture, you can tell there are three giraffes, of three different ages and sizes. The youngest baby is only a few weeks old, and was so short and cute compared to the others!
A good time was had by all, and we look forward to going back again soon while the weather is still nice.