Let's Rock!

Several months ago I bought tickets to see AFI and Rise Against for Kyle's birthday. Tuesday night was finally that concert. We decided that since it was an outdoor amphitheater and that kids 2 and under were free that we would take E. I'm not going to lie we were a little hesitant and nervous but we figured why not. This was her first rock concert!

I wore her in her carrier on my back with her headphones on. 

She instantly made friends with everyone to include security guards haha. One in particular had a certificate made for her to remember her first rock show. 

AFI went on at 7:40 and they were incredible! Kyle has loved them since he was in high school, so it was awesome to see him so happy. I've never seen them before but I was definitely impressed. They have been a band since 1991, which is impressive.

They played for 45 minutes and at 8:55 it was time for Rise Against. At this point E was still doing amazing. We were handing her snacks and she was content. She was waving and talking to everyone around us. At one point I moved toward the back of our section so she could see better.

We have seen Rise Against before and once again they did not disappoint! E was enamored by their lights and was clapping along at one point haha.

They ended at 10:40 and E was still happy. She was tired but she did absolutely incredible! The last 4 songs we took her out of carrier and she was so happy haha. We were so proud of her. She instantly fell asleep in the car and slept the entire hour drive home.

We had the best time and it was so much fun taking E. I know most people are hesitant about taking little kids like her to concerts but she was the best! 

All American Marathon Ambassador

Several years ago I heard about the All American Marathon for the first time. It's an event held here in Fort Bragg/ Fayetteville that is pretty amazing. They have a full marathon, half marathon and a 5k.  The marathon and half marathon start in downtown Fayetteville and finish on Fort Bragg. There are so many things to see to include a memorial mile for fallen heroes. This event has been on my bucket list since then. 

When we found out that we would be coming back here I said to Kyle that I had to participate in this race. It was going to happen. I am so excited that this will be my 3rd marathon.

A few weeks ago I was browsing the events Facebook page and I saw the announcement that the application process had opened for Ambassadors for the 2019 event. I figured why not. I am passionate about running and this event is one that I was going to participate in so why not try to be someone who can represent and share this amazing event. 

Well fast forward a few weeks and last Monday I found out that out of 100 applicants I was selected as 1 of 15 Ambassadors! To say I was honored would be a complete understatement. I am so excited to represent and be a part of this event. One of the benefits of being an ambassador means that I get to provide a promo code for those who wish to participate in either the marathon or the half. As a military spouse, I am so proud to represent this outstanding event!

If you or someone you know wants to participate in this event here is my promo code for you to use: JENALLAMERICAN

Register Here!

This will get you a 15% discount! So mark your calendars for March 24, 2019! Come run with us and see how amazing the All American City truly is!

Family Visit

Last weekend was amazing because my family was in town! It was so fun having them here. My Dad, niece, and nephew arrived on Friday and E was beside herself with excitement. She was so happy playing with them and they were so awesome with her. Cousins are the best!

On Friday, my sister arrived! She was traveling for work and it was nice that it worked out for her to just fly here. The main reason for this trip was for us to go to the Panic! At the Disco concert, this was our nephew's first concert. On Friday we went out to dinner and just relaxed at the house. 

Saturday was the day of the concert. It was a low key day but Grayson was excited to show us the helicopter we got him for his birthday.

Lisa, Kylie, Grayson, and I got ready for the concert and headed off to Raleigh. Kyle, my Dad, and E were hanging out at home. We went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then it was time for the show! Once again Panic! didn't disappoint. We all had such an amazing time and Grayson was in shock and awe the whole time, it was awesome.

Sunday we decided to head off to Fort Fisher to visit the NC Aquarium. It was a rainy day but that didn't stop us. The aquarium was really cool and they had a neat outdoor Dinosaur exhibit that the kids loved. 

After the aquarium we headed off to Red Robin to celebrate my birthday! It was so much fun. 

We ended the night was a competitive game of LIFE haha. Kyle won.....boo.

On Monday my sister and I had planned to have a day of pampering. We got manicures and pedicures then did a little shopping. It was so nice to have that time together. We rarely get to do that.

They left early Tuesday but it was such a fun trip! E loved seeing them and getting all of the love and snuggles haha.

The best part is that we get to see them all again next week as she and I are heading to Florida!

Ask Me Anything: The Answers!

Happy August everyone!!!

I am excited to answer the awesome questions y'all asked! It was fun reading them and responding.

1. Favorite subject in school?

When I was in high school my absolute favorite subject was history. I remember checking out several historical books to read just for fun. I briefly thought about majoring in history in college but I was worried that I would mess dates up so I've continued to just be passionate about it.

2. How do you not get bored with running? Is there things you do to change it up?

This is a great question and one that I get asked a lot. I am truly passionate about running, it is the one thing that I can do for myself that no one else can take from me. It's my time to clear my head and relax. As far as changing it up, this is where my SLAM workouts come into play. I am able to go to my class in the morning and do high intensity workouts with weights. That has been a game changer when it comes to my running.

3. What are E's favorite things to eat?

E loves food, plain and simple. There are very few foods that she won't eat. She is particularly a fan of blueberries, strawberries, Annie's bunnies, stuffed peppers, anything with rice, and of course cheese. She is an excellent eater.

4. Do you guys think you'll get another pet?

This is something that I've thought a lot about since we had to say goodbye to our precious Emma in May. Ultimately we have decided that we won't get another pet for quite a while. We still have our cat, Fishy, and that is perfect for us right now. It was just too hard saying goodbye to her and I know we will have to do the same with Fishy at some point so more pets is not something we want to do.

5. Favorite milestone with your little one so far?

Being a parent is one of the most joyous things particularly when it comes to all of the milestones. I think my favorite was when she took her first steps. She worked so hard and when she finally mastered walking she was so excited.

6. Favorite city to live so far?

Everywhere we have lived has been amazing in their own way. However, if I had to choose a favorite it would probably be El Paso, Texas. We absolutely loved our time there and it was such an amazing city that we would jump at the chance to go back again.

7. What's your workout motivation on those days you don't want to get out of the door?

My motivation is how I feel when I don't work out. I know that I always feel sluggish and just yuck the rest of the day. It really is the perfect way to start the day. It has become such a routine for me and E that there is no question about it.

8. What is your favorite thing to cook/bake?

Everything! Haha! One of my favorite things to cook is chicken parmesan. It's such an easy meal but it's just so so good. As far as baking, I love making my Mom's whipped cream chocolate pudding cake. It's such a delicious cake and perfect for the summer.

9. How did you discover your love for running?

Kyle had always encouraged me to run but it was never something that I was interested in. I honestly had to discover it on my own. What really sparked my love was participating in races. I realized that running could be fun and it didn't just have to be mundane and boring. Races helped me see that.

10. What are your go-to weeknight meals?

There are a few that I know I can throw together in a pinch. Stuffed peppers are a favorite in this house. Chicken caesar salad is a favorite because it's easy and I always have those items in the house. 

11. Favorite run?

Oh man, we have run so many amazing events but I have to say that running the Tinkerbell Challenge at Disneyland was pretty amazing and something that I will never forget!

Thank you all for the awesome questions!!

Ask Me Anything!

Over the last few months I've noticed that I have quite a few new readers! Hi!!!!! :) I thought it would be fun for my readers to ask me questions. I always enjoy posts like that because it's a great way to get to know the blogger better.  

I am an open book and those who have been following me for a long period of time know that to be true. So please, ask me anything! 

I'll compile the questions and answer them in a post next week.

I can't wait to see what y'all come up with!

Have a great weekend!!

Life Lately

In a lot of ways I feel like this past weekend went by at a snails pace. I blame the fact that Kyle worked 8pm-8am both Friday and Saturday. I'm used to him working odd hours but E wasn't a fan, she kept trying to distract him so he wouldn't leave haha. 

She walked up to him before he left one of the days and said "daddy, dance?!". My heart instantly melted and I'm pretty sure he was trying not to cry haha. It was so sweet!

To kill some time on Saturday morning, E and I headed to post for the monthly 5k fun run put on by MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation). It was a great event and a few of my fellow SLAM moms were there as well.

It was ridiculously humid because it rained the night before but it was a great event. I had fun pushing E (which I rarely do) and afterwards we continued on for another 4 miles so I could check off my training run haha. She was content as usual, as long as she has her iPad and bunny snacks she is happy.

That evening she and I went to a birthday party for a friend's son. She played hard and passed out once it was bed time. 

On Sunday, I had a long run that I needed to get done and with Kyle working odd hours I had to adjust when I could get it done. He got home at around 11 and I was able to head to post to get it done. This was a 15 mile run and the longest distance I have run since the El Paso Marathon. I'm not going to lie, I struggled big time. It was mentally hard, I wanted to give up at every mile but I kept pushing. I had to remind myself that it was about the miles and not the pace at which I was running. I felt such a huge sense of relief and pride when I finished.

It's runs like these that reinvigorate me and remind me that I can do this! The rest of Sunday was really lazy for all of us haha. Kyle was running on a few hours of sleep and I was wiped out from the run. We just hung out at home and loved every second.

Yesterday was my birthday! It was a perfectly low key and wonderful day. It started out with my SLAM class and 33 birthday burpees! Woo hoo haha! E and I swung by Starbucks to get my free birthday drink and we ran some errands. She took a nap and I enjoyed a quiet hour to just relax. I was spoiled by family and friends with calls and messages. It was great!

One of my favorite gifts was from E. She got me this precious "Mom" necklace. 

We celebrated with dinner at Mod Pizza and cake/ice cream at home. It was perfect.

It was such a wonderful day spent with my two favorite people and I'm so thankful for all the love. I'll get to celebrate again this weekend with my family here and I can't wait! It's going to be amazing. 

I hope y'all had a great weekend!

PS: I'm still working on Part II of my home tour. It's coming soon, I promise!! :) 

Being A Parent Is Hard

Back in October I shared this post about Emersyn being diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia type 2a. For a quick breakdown, this is what the condition is. It is caused by a defect of the 19th chromosome. It is characterized by high levels of cholesterol as well as high levels of bad cholesterol know as low density lipoprotein (LDL). This defect makes the body unable to remove the LDL from the blood, which can cause narrowing of the arteries at a very early age. Only one parent has to pass this gene onto their children in order for them to get it. If both parents carry this gene and pass it, it can create significant problems and be harder to treat. If this condition goes untreated it can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke at an early age. It is something that should be taken seriously and treated accordingly. Kyle and his Mom both have this condition so we do have experience with it. 

Back in February, E was seen by a pediatric cardiologist in Kansas City and these were her numbers at that appointment:

Total Cholesterol: 242 (less 170 is preferred) 

LDL: 166 (less than 110 is preferred)

Triglyceride: 171 (less than 150 is preferred)

These levels are high for an adult let alone at the time a 17 month old. We were told by her doctor to monitor her diet and make changes. More leafy greens, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, etc. She was already eating most of those things. Exercise is another huge factor and let's face it she never stops moving so that's not an issue. This was our one and only appointment with that doctor as we were moving. 

Once we arrived in NC we met with her PCM to get a referral to a pediatric cardiologist and thankfully there is one at the hospital on post. She had her first appointment with him this past Tuesday. She did amazing. She was a rockstar during both her EKG and Echocardiogram.

After these tests came the blood draw, which I always dread. However, they make it extremely easy here. They swaddled her on a table with one arm out so she couldn't shift. It made things so much better. Afterward we met with the doctor to discuss treatments possibilities but nothing was official until we got the lab results back. She was exhausted after the appointment and fell asleep in the car.

We received the results back on Wednesday and they are scary. 

Total Cholesterol: 262

LDL: 200

Triglycerides: 242

All of these numbers have risen significantly in a 5 month period. To see these type of numbers for a 22 month old is horrifying. Seeing that her LDLs have jumped 34 points is what really concerns us. We knew at this point that diet and exercise weren't cutting it and that we had to move forward with medication. Our biggest fear is that if we wait and her numbers continue to rise that she could potentially have a heart attack by the time she is 5. That is devastating to think about. Her doctor advised us of the possible side effects of the medications but they are minor compared to what could happen to her. Kyle was on this same medication when he was younger, so I'm thankful that she has him to guide her but gosh it's hard. 

Her medication is in powder form that is typically mixed with water, milk, or juice but let's face it trying to get a toddler to take any sort of medicine is difficult. When I talked to the pharmacist yesterday she gave me the okay to mix it with yogurt. She has to take this medicine 3 times a day and   I knew yogurt would make it so much easier. 

She will have a re-check in 6 months to see if this medication is helping. If it is, she will continue taking it until she is 8-10 years old and then she can be prescribed a statin (lipitor). Kyle has been on lipitor and zetia for his since he was 18. All we can do at this point is provide her with the tools that she needs to help her live a healthy life. She will always have this condition but we can help her manage it. We just hate that she has to live with it and I wish I could take it away so she doesn't have to.