Maybe a Marathon

Everyone has been asking about the Boston Marathon - whether I'll run it or not. I've been running for two weeks now and my hamstring hasn't thrown any protests. I even did a workout last night and feel great today. So I'm going to run a 15k on Saturday and test it out. If I feel good, I'll run the marathon. If not, I'll chill out and save my legs for the summer racing season.

Here's a picture of Master Bruce. What is it about wires that attracts babies?

Scott, Bruce, and I were in Ohio last weekend. We welcomed Elder Mars home from Spain and hung out with our 40+ member family. The best part was Sunday, when everyone squashed into about 2,500 square feet. The kids went haywire in the basement and the adults cooked and chatted upstairs. To add to the chaos, something started burning in the oven and the fire alarms went off periodically. After awhile, both kids and adults started dropping to the floor and just falling asleep. There were bodies all over the living room.

Mobility and Injury

Bruce is getting more and more mobile. He decided to start crawling for real, but I don't think he will be crawling for long. He pulls himself up on the couch and anything else he can reach. My neighbor calls this the "pull to fall" stage, which is right on. Bruce pulled himself up on the couch, then got a mouthfull of hardwood floor on his way down (see fat-lipped photo).

Bruce is getting four new teeth on top. Last week, he was a little sick too - fever, snot, cough, etc. So between the illness and the teething, Bruce was a handful. I'm so glad he's at least over the sickness!

The other picture is of Bruce with one of his favorite books. It has all these flaps for learning colors and shapes; he loves it. Also notice the toothbrush in his hand; he can't get enough of that thing.

My marathon plans are still a little sketchy. I've been swimming, biking, and elipticizing for a few weeks. I started running last week and am running 4-5 miles a day right now. The trick will be to go from these few miles a day to 26.2 miles in less than a month - without getting injured. The Boston Marathon is April 17, so I probably won't know what I'm up to until the day before!

-Emily

Teeth, Shots, and an Oversized Armoire

Bruce had another doctor's appointment today. He got his monthly RSV shot, which he did not enjoy. He also got weighed: 15 lb 13 oz at 10 months. Still far off the bottom of the growth chart. He was sick over the weekend, but is doing much better now. He's cutting about four teeth on the top, so he has some painful moments.

Scott and I had a painful moment yesterday when we bought an armoire (to put the TV and all those wires that Bruce just loves off the floor) and couldn't fit it into our car. It was about an inch too wide, so someone from our ward is driving his truck over to get it for us tomorrow. Still, what a pain! We won't be moving for a long time. It's just too much work!

Scott has a test tomorrow, so he's doing lots of studying. I have a load of laundry waiting for me.

Life is Good

Bruce has picked up a few new tricks. He now likes to pull down the bottom lip and let it snap up. He does this to Scott often. The other day, he banged a rattle into Scott's face - so Scott now has a little red bruise on his nose. The other picture is of me and Bruce before I put him to bed tonight. He really likes reading books, especially There's a Wocket in My Pocket. Mark got him that book when he was still in my belly. Good choice too. Bruce just can't get enough of that book. I almost know it by heart.

Did you ever have the feeling there's a nink in the sink? Or a woset in the closet?

Anyway, I just read him a few books and fed him and he fell asleep without a fuss. Hooray!

Baby Einstein

Here is Bruce....

n2z xcx z x4,..,h ixz9kljjkzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,po0plklklm.,,, m, b ,/?/././, ;.;waxfvcyg.,.9ui/xz.,m, mx ./ ,x...m nm,./wse908m, m,liuyjklkj,., ,
-'/-./[]'

I didn't even help him write 'poop' or 'wax.' I'd say I've got a genius on my hands.

PMA 2006

It has been a long week. Bruce and I went to Orlando for the Photo Marketing Association show. Mom flew down and watched Bruce all day while I went to the show and looked at a bunch of new digital cameras. The top photo is Bruce getting special treatment and the bottom two are of Bruce playing this morning.

Orlando was a lot of work for me, but it had some highlights. Mom and Grandma Tompkins (yep, she came too), Bruce, and I ate yummy food almost every night. We had Indian food one night and Thai food the next day. It wasn't all that good though; I had to stoop down and eat Denny's once and you'll have to ask mom about her "bowl" of IHOP soup. Bruce and I did have a little time to splash in the pool. He loved splashing in the water, but loved crawling around on the patio and chasing ants even more.

Bruce is spazzing out on my lap, so perhaps I'll let him write the next post.
-Emily