Ragnar Relay Update

"Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it The Ragnar Relay Series"

It seems like we will have a team:) I am so excited! I know it's kind of lame to communicate through the blog since majority of the people who read my blog are not interested in this race. So those of you who are wanting to run, please send me your email address so we can communicate via email.

So far I have six runners who are committed for the race. If you aren't and I listed you, no pressure:) Just let me know. I'm doing this on "First come, first serve" basis, so there is no favoritism. Once you are ready to move from "i'm interested" to "I'm doing it", let me know:)

1. Eevi.

2. Eevi's daddio:)

3. Camille

4. Kelly

5. Dani

6. Becky

So we need six more runners. Plus we will need three volunteers to help around the course and two people to drive the vans, but those are details that we can discuss later. I figured we would have a team meeting once we have most of the team established so we can go over the logistics and have a plan.

Also I am not creative so the creative people need to come up with a cool team name:)

Look at This Face and Fall in Love

Can you tell that Saku is our first and only child? He gets all the attention in the world. Honestly, though, could anyone resist this face. He looks like such a big boy since he is sitting up against the couch. He loves sitting up and is starting to hate tummy time. He's showing off his sweet t-shirt from Aunt Aino. Isn't it amazing how much older babies look when they wear something other than an onesie?

"Are you seriously making those ridiculous noises to make me smile?"

"I'm pondering how the universe works"

"Mom, I'm so happy to see you" (At least I'm hoping he's thinking this:))

"Is this silly enough face for you?"

"Life is good."

"Being so cute is so tiring"

"Are those my toes?"

I love having my little boy around. I was worried that I would get bored staying at home, but I am amazed how quickly my days go by. Obviously there are days when I can't wait for Troy to come home and give me few minutes of "Eevi time", but I find my little man so entertaining and fun and he can't even do much yet.

I Want to Run 202.1 Miles-And I Need Your Help!!

Yes, I am 100% serious when I say that I want to run from Prescott to Mesa. It is the Ragnar Relay-Del Sol. And I need 11 runners to help me with this! I love running because you compete against yourself, but sometimes it can get lonely. So here is the chance to run, improve your time and have fun with other runners and feel the team spirit.

So if you do not know what the Ragnar Relay is, I will tell you and you will come and run it with me, right? It will be on February 26-27th, 2010. We will run from Prescott to Mesa, which comes out to 202 miles. Each runner will run three times over the 24 hour period. Each leg is between 3-8 miles. We will have two vans to provide support to us via snacks, water and a place to rest your legs. We will be running in the middle of night and when the sun is setting and rising. Doesn't it sound amazing?

It is a co-ed team; so boys and girls are welcome to join. I am trying to convince my dad to come and run it with me, but I still need 10 more runners. It doesn't matter whether you run a six minute mile or an 11 minute mile. And we will have six months to train, so there is no excuse to not do this:)

Check out the links for more information and come and have fun with me. I really believe that it would be a once in a lifetime experience. You can email me at eevi. grossarth at gmail.com if you rather contact me about this via email than a comment post.

So Many Cute Boys, So Little Time

I'm lucky enough to wake up to these cute faces!

Uncle Mio holding Saku.

The First Two Months Went By Way Too Fast

Our little baby is two months and two days old. There is no question whether Saku is growing or not:) We measured him a week ago and he was 23.5 inches, but we will get the official stats in a week or so.

Saku at two months

-still loves to eat, but only eats for 10-15 minutes compared to the 45 minute feedings

-spits up quite a bit, but it doesn't seem to bother him

-still a snorty baby

-sleeps on average for 6 hours in a row and has finally learned to take better naps

-prefers sleeping in our arms

-likes tummy time, but gets frustrated as he can't move forward yet

-found his hands again and loves to chew them

-likes to go on walks and runs with mom in his stroller

-smiles often and makes happy sounds

-still gets really mad when you put him down when he is sleepy

-has great head control and likes to stand and look around

-gets bored easily

-loves silly sounds

-loves it when mom sings to him

-fits into size 2 diapers

-eyes are still blue

-hair color still looks brown

By the way, this momma is terrified about taking Saku for his two month shots in a week and a half. He will be so mad and upset that I let someone hurt him. I can already picture the look on his face and the pitch of his cry. I think I will need some extra prayers that day:) I always wondered why moms made such a big deal about their kids getting their shots. And now I know. It's amazing how your attitude or opinions change as you "walk in someone else's shoes". Or I guess those "mommy shoes" are now mine, too:)

We are off to Utah and we are driving. Saku mastered the airplane on our last trip. I don't think we will that lucky this time and I am not looking forward to the effects of this trip on his schedule. But we can't wait for Saku to meet uncle Mio and help Mio to get ready for his first year at BYU.

So Hard and Yet So Easy

I have obviously established the fact that sleeping can be battle in our house. Well, not for all of us since Troy sleeps just fine;) He can sleep through almost anything, but he is a sweetheart and so willing to help out once I wake him up. However, I don't want my journaling or blogging to be the account of successful and unsuccessful nights because that is only one part of being Saku's mom.

On Monday night I was looking at my sleeping son and I told myself that I really needed to embrace my role as a mother and not get too stuck on the daily routines. I was holding Saku and listening to his breathing and I thought of how 24 years ago, my mom was holding me and probably going through many of the same things that I am going through. Just like myself, she did not have the opportunity to ask questions from her mom or share the little successes and daily triumphs with her mom because her mom chose not to be part of my mom's life.

When I left for college, my mom wrote me a letter and told me that I taught her how to be a mother since I was her first baby. Now Saku is teaching me how to be a mother. I miss my mother and it breaks my heart that Saku does not get to know her in this life. They say that babies can recognize their moms by their smell. When I close my eyes, I can remember the scent of my mom's skin and how soft her skin felt when I hugged her.

While I find motherhood very challenging, I am amazed how easy it is at the same time. How easy it is to love someone so much. How easy it is to forget the exhaustion you feel when I hold him close to me and I know he is mine, not just for this life, but for all eternity. How I seem to be able to find patience in situations where I normally would get frustrated or upset.

Motherhood is easy because...

I get to see this cute smile multiple times a day. Sometimes I have to tickle and make ridiculous sounds to see the smile and sometimes he just looks at me and smiles. He smiles at me because he knows that I am his mom.

I get to enjoy his silly faces and learn more and more about his personality every day. I get to give him kisses and he pushes his tongue out when I kiss him on his lips.

I get to share the excitement of simple things such as lifting his head up little higher than the day before. I get to listen to the snorty sounds he makes as he tries to push himself forward and I have to rescue him when he moves his body forward and his hands get stuck underneath him.

I get to be a mom of a healthy little boy who seems so strong both in body and spirit.

Tired...

9 pm: Saku goes to sleep without any problems.

1:45 am: Saku wakes up. He eats and won't settle down despite being held, rocked etc.

2:40 am: Mom is too tired to worry about the dos and don'ts of sleeping and takes Saku to sleep on her chest in their bed. Mom sleeps about 15 minutes at a time before waking up to Saku's stirring. Saku is completely out and snoring.

04:30 am: Saku decides that it would be fun to be awake. Dad is kind enough to get up with him.

04:30-0600: Saku drifts in and out of sleep.

06:00 our day starts--mom will have to do her work-out in the evening because she is way too tired to move her muscles in any sort of purposeful way.

Mom takes two naps while Saku naps and prays that this will not happen again tonight. Mom is also amazed how other moms with twins or older kids survive. Mom wonders if she could find a support group for moms whose babies don't like sleeping:)

Mom is still in love with Saku and grateful for the blessing of being a mom.