Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Changing Everyday

This first picture was taken December 10th and it's amazing to see how much Cheyenne has grown in a short amount of time.


These pictures are current.



So, last night was unusual. One, we had a hail storm move through and second, Cheyenne's sleeping schedule was off.

Since she was about 2 months, she's been so good sleeping through the night, but last night, past 2 am, she woke up ever 30 minutes. Every time, I'd crawl out of bed and go to her. I wouldn't pick her up, I just tried to pacifier her, while she was in bed. This worked and she feel back asleep, but 30 minutes later she'd start to cry again. This cycle, went on for a while, until I finally caved and feed her at 4 am; 30 minutes before I normally get going for the day. I typically have to wake her up at 5:30 am. So, I don't know what was going on last night, but I'm hoping she will be back to her normal schedule, tonight.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Run to Joe's Official Race Results

Distance 10K
Clock Time 1:04:13
Chip Time 1:04:08
Overall Place 208 / 298
Gender Place 66 / 125
Division Place 6 / 9
Total Pace 10:21/M


So, there are the results. Next race is in April and I'm running with Amanda. It'll be a 5K, so it should be interesting to see if my pace per mile decreases, since it'll be shorter/ 3 miles . I'm really looking forward to nice race weather; surely it won't be freezing, but with my luck it may rain.

In other news, Cheyenne and I need to go shopping today. I need to find her an easter dress.

Good news, I found a bunny and I didn't have to search far. I found it in her room! Someone, I think my mom's co-workers, gave her this. It's just the right size.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Run to Joe's 10K

Trey is back in town! He got in Friday evening. It's good to have him home. He's been working in Abilene for last 2 weeks. Now he's back and we're glad to have him.

This morning, I had my race and since it was cold and windy Cheyenne and Trey stayed home. We could've asked someone to watch her, but Trey really missed her and I knew it would be best for them to stay behind.

Despite the cold weather and being by myself, I had a blast. Before the race started a group of runners gathered in the courtyard for a dance warm up. There was a PA system with music blasting and everyone, including myself danced to stay warm. I think it helped because when it was time to start, I was good to go.

Race results have not been posted, but my unofficial time: 1 hr 4 mins. I will post the official results later.

Last year, I ran Joe's 5K. This year they offered a 10K option, I guess since they had a good turn out last time. I thought about running the 5K again, but I really want to work on adding more miles to my runs, so I signed up for the 10. I'm glad I did, because the course was great! I saw parts of Ft. Worth I had never seen. I ran through a historic neighborhood and through the medical district.

This was after the race. Run to Joe's always has the best post-race party. They had a handful of vendors handing out free food. It was so good, but not all of it was healthy. One booth gave out huge chocalate chip cookies, nothing says reward like that. I went to the booths that offered tamales, vegetable rice, pitas, and coffee.



In other news, I'm bunny shopping for Cheyenne, for her easter portraits. I also need to find her a nice easter dress.

While we were at the store, Trey showed her this bunny that sang and moved its ears. Poor Cheyenne didn't know what to make of it. I didn't like any of the bunnies I saw today, maybe I'll have better luck next time I go shopping.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Now We Get to Chillax

What a busy day at work. It was good, but I love coming home to this precious baby.

Mouth open. Big surprise.




Yeah, it seems like there is so much to be done at work. And who would've thought there'd be so much paper work involved to go out of town on a business trip. And I hear, there will be more when I return.

I've been so consumed with projects, I haven't had a chance to look into vegas dinning or entertainment. Any suggestions? I've never been.

Okay that's it for now. I'm cooking and watching a baby. Busy, Busy...I miss Trey!

Another One for Trey

It's getting hard to stretch these photos, so I hope Trey comes home tonight.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Thinking about Running is Not the Same as the Act of Running

I do believe she is in the beginning stages of teething. This is her latest thing; chewing and slobbering. I was convinced she had a tooth trying to make its way through, but the doctor said it was only a cyst. Yesterday, when I picked her up, from childcare, I found her chewing on a hard toy....I'm telling you she was getting after it!

I think Cheyenne is still in spring break mode. During the break she got in a very good habit of sleeping 12 hours straight. I loved it! It was wonderful and now that we're back to our normal routine, I'm having to wake her up again. Yesterday, she was mad at me, but today she did better and she actually gave me a smile once she opened her eyes.


In other news, I have a 10K this weekend. I know another one. What's wrong with me? I think I'm addicted to running. Actually, over spring break, I was planning on logging a lot of miles, but that didn't happen. I only got 1 mile here, 2 miles there, nothing too impressive. I thought about running a lot, that should count for something.

When I got in Monday, I ran 3 miles in race mode and it was exhausting, so Saturday's race should be interesting. I like setting time goals, but this time I might make an exception. You never know how it's going to be until your out there. I hear this weekend a cold front is moving through. Of course it is. We have spring weather for a week or two and then on race day the temperature takes a nose dive. Of course.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Going to Vegas!

Next month, I will be going to Las Vegas on a work trip. It's actually a conference, National Association of Broadcasters. I will be attending the Director of Photography section.

I've been with UTA for almost 2 years and they've never sent me to a conference, so for the first one to be Vegas, makes it worth the wait. As much as I'm looking forward to going, I will miss Cheyenne while I'm away. Trey doesn't have anymore vacation time, otherwise I would haul him and Cheyenne across country. I have the option to stay 5 days, but I decided 3 is just about the longest (I think) I can stand to be without my baby.

Trey will be watching her while I'm away. This will be a great opportunity for them to bond. Even though she's still nursing, I'm not too worried about her feedings, since I have a large amount of milk in the freezer. It's an OCD thing, I really don't want to put her on formula and to prevent that, I've been putting extra milk aside and freezing it. It looks like it'll come in handy, while I'm away.

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Here are more pictures of Chey Chey. Trey and I both noticed she likes to open her mouth a lot when she's being photographed.

This picture reminds me of Trey when he smiles big.

"I have no teeth."

Cheyenne will probably have this same facial expression when I fly out, next month. That makes me sad.

Monday, March 23, 2009

4 month Check-up & Portraits

This morning I took Cheyenne to the doctors office for her 4 month check-up.

She weighs 12 lbs. 14 oz. and she's measuring 23.5 inches long.

The nurse gave her 2 shots and of course she cried. I gave her some pain reliever once we got home and she's doing great.

Other than that, Cheyenne and I have been enjoying our last day of spring break and earlier, I found time to take a few pictures of her. I try to take nice portraits of her every month.

It's a little untraditional, but I haven't taken her to get any studio portraits done. Since, I have all the tools, I might as well take them myself. Plus, you never know what you're gonna get in a studio environment (with somebody else taking them). I've talked to other Mom's about it and some have mentioned they feel rushed and it's hard to change their babies outfits within the limited time frame. Also, if your baby is having a rough day, then chances are, it may be hard to get them to react to the camera.

The upside of me taken them: I can easily gauge her mood and then determine the best time to grab the camera and start snapping away.

Whey I get a chance I want to play around with the coloring of this picture. Yeah, when I have time....




This weekend, I barely got around to getting out her newborn and other pictures to family members. I printed out wallet size pictures of my favorite portraits and handed and mailed them out to everyone. I think they look really good and it was really affordable. I even printed out an 8X10 portrait of her and it turned out amazing. To add more detail to the print, I added a thick white border.

The only thing I regret is not being able to take a good family picture of Trey and I with her. Heather has been meaning to take pictures of us, but she's been really busy with her move. This spring we were planning on making a trip to the Botanical Gardens. Those pictures, should be really colorful!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

We're Still in Abilene

Earlier, we met up with with my family at Buffalo Wild Wings.


The sun was out and we needed something to cover Cheyenne's bald head, so Amy used the burp rag.


Oh, no.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

A Great Day for a Walk

This was from yesterdays walk. Later, I'm meeting Mom again for another walk.

Morning Run at ACU

This morning we dropped by my old workplace, KACU. Then we went for a
short run around campus. Cheyenne did great up until it was time to
load her back in the car. I guess she can't be good all the time.
Today, Trey is off of work, trying to get over being sick. Last night,
we were suppose to go out on a date while his parents watched the
baby, but he wasn't up for it, so I'm hoping tonight he'll feel good
enough to get out.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Family Time

Angelica and Cheyenne.

We've been spending lots of time with family in Abilene. Later, I'm
meeting Mom at the park to go for a walk.

On a side note, I think whatever Cheyenne and I had, we gave to Trey.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A Touch of Green

Trey told me to make sure Cheyenne wears green today so she won't get pinched.


Well, this isn't much, but she does have a green bow, that counts.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Beautiful Day

I'm still getting over my cold, but Cheyenne seems to be back to her normal self.

If you look closely, you can see her bubble


Yesterday, as Brandon was leaving town, Linda and Steve arrived. They were only in town for the night and left this afternoon. While they were here, Trey and I decided to introduce them to Riscky's BBQ, the one downtown. Nothing says Ft. Worth like some good BBQ.

We mentioned to them that we wanted to get a room for next years Cowtown and they're up for it. It's hard to believe that next year when we run the half, Cheyenne will be a year old. I wonder if she'll have a full head of hair by then?

Linda and I usually run together any chance we get, but this morning I decided it would be best not to, since I'm getting over this cold. Stupid cold!

Before they left town, I introduced them to FW Running Co. and Luke's Locker. Luke's Locker is part of an outdoor mall and the weather was perfect. When they left town, Cheyenne and I went outside for a few minutes and sat under our pathetic tree. One of the downsides of building a new home is premature landscaping. Trey and I keep saying we're going to plant more trees, but you'd be surprised how expensive trees are.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

A Nasty Cough

Cheyenne has developed a nasty cough. No fever, just a cough and a lot of snot. Even though her cough sounds bad, she has managed to be in good spirits.

She slept fine last night and the cough didn't keep her awake. She's already in bed for the night and so far she's doing great.

Earlier, I called the nurse hotline and there's not much I can give her at this point, since she's not running a fever and she's not in any pain. But there were some things we could do around the house to try to help her get over it. We put a humidifier in her room, levitated her mattress (so the bed is at an angle) and we also gave her some saline drops.

I have the same cough she has and I feel like I'm getting over it, so I'm hoping tomorrow she'll be back to normal. This isn't the best way to start spring break, but at least if it's going to happen, it might as well be at the beginning of it.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Shrinking and Growing



So, my hair situation is extremely annoying, but the baby weight is all gone. That's good! It came off pretty fast, but it took me a while for my pants to fit right around the waist. Now, I feel like I have a new wardrobe. I'm pulling out clothes from the back of the closest that I haven't seen in months.

Cheyenne on the other hand, is growing like crazy. Trey took these pictures, yesterday and when I was looking over them, I thought: my goodness, look at that big baby. Those cheeks, that neck...wait...where's her neck?



So, spring break is coming up and I'm really looking forward to spending time with my baby girl.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Baby Shades are Practical

Cheyenne, Sunday afternoon, before our run.

Believe it or not, Cheyenne's sunglasses are very practical,
especially when it's sunny out.

So, it's been a few weeks and I'm still shedding. I'm so over it and I
just want it to stop. Another not so great thing going on with my
hair, I'm finding a few gray strands here and there. Seriously?!
Premature graying has begun.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Balancing Time While Freelancing

Both Trey and I have gone from kind of busy at work to full blown busy. Yesterday, I was assigned to video switching for a nursing event. The event ran smoothly and fortunately, the people I work with are laid back so everyone had a good time.

Switching station.

Everyone filtering out, after the event.


More on work:
It looks like I will have an opportunity to do some freelance in the coming months. For one of the projects, I’m partnering with a faculty to produce an educational nursing video and then it looks like I have a photo gig in May. I’m looking forward to all the projects and extra cash flow, I’m just hoping it won’t interfere with my family time. The photo gig, I’m not too worried about, it’s the video project that has me worried. I’ve gotten pretty fast at editing, but it still takes a lot of attention. Maybe, I can do all of the editing at night and on weekends.

So, how is everyone doing with the time change? Cheyenne is doing okay, last night she went to bed at 9, instead of 8. Partially, because Trey worked late and he wanted me to keep her up so he could see her when he got home. Brandon also saw her last night. He’s in town visiting for the week. I asked him if he wanted to watch Cheyenne all week, but he declined. Those two, would probably get themselves into some trouble.

Monday, March 09, 2009

A Bigger Wardrobe than Mom

I' d say she has a few outfits, and there's more to the right. Well, I
finally got around to cleaning out both closets. I have a bag full of
my clothes ready to be dropped off at Goodwill.

The clothes Cheyenne has grown out of will be stored away.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

A Good Day with My Sweet Heart

It's been a good day, but then again it's always good, when I get to spend lots of time with Cheyenne.

I haven't mentioned it, but Trey has been playing electric guitar with the church band, for a few weeks now. He's doing a great job too. This morning they practiced at the church and Cheyenne and I ran there to meet him.

Unfortunately, he's on call this weekend and you guessed it, he got paged to go on three jobs. So, right after practice, he headed out. While he was working, Cheyenne and I had some girl time at the house. I also had some time to clean out the DVR. I caught up on all my Rachel Ray and Oprah episodes.

After Trey finished up his calls, we met at Heather and Dave's. They bought a house, not too far from us. They had a nice cook out and we got a tour of the house.

She was talking to me a lot today

Dark Blue
This picture reminds me of Trey. She's looking at me like I just told her a bad joke.

Lazy Saturday Morning

Don't forget, tomorrow, we spring forward.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

It's Been 5 Years

Today, marks our 5 year wedding anniversary. About eleven years ago I met Trey. He was riding his bike and I was rollerblading. I remember, he used to ask me to be his girlfriend, just about everyday. Fast forward to 2009, we are married and have a beautiful baby. Having a baby really changes things. So, far it's been an easy transition going from 2 to 3. And it's great seeing Trey in his new role as Dad.

To celebrate, we were originally planning on going to get a couples massage and dining at a nice restaurant, but now we are re-evaluating because we got an unexpected bill. Thanks escrow. Regardless of whether or not we spend any money, I will enjoy the time. You can't put a price on that.

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So, other than that, I've been extremly busy at work. Monday, we are gearing up for an annual scholarship event and our team will be providing video support. Earlier this week, I had to wait on some content, before I could start editing. I finally got what I needed and I managed to put a nice promotional piece together in about 3 business days. I don't like editing in a short amount of time, but it worked out fine. Now that I'm almost done with this project, I have another one lined up. Whatever keeps me busy.

I'm really having fun with my camera phone. Can you tell? But it's no substitute for the real deal.

Fashion Faux Pas

Only a baby could get away with wearing Pjs during the day.

By the way, I did not make the previos post while I was driving. I
agree, that would be scary!

Okay, back to work. We have an event Monday and I'm editing a video
for it.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

My Hair is Everywhere

I knew my hair would start falling out post partum, but my goodness, it's everywhere! It's been falling out for about one week, now. I hope it stops soon. It's annoying me and I know it's annoying Trey.

So, my mom and Natasha came into town this weekend. My mom watched Cheyenne for us, while I ran the 10K.


I can't believe how big and fast she's growing. It seems like everyday, she's changing. It's happening right before my eyes. She's holding her head up so strong and she recently started gripping my hand. The other day I caught her reaching and grabbing a toy.

Yesterday, I took Cheyenne to UTA, so my co-workers could have a look at her. Our trip, was much better than the first one we made, when she was only a few weeks old. She did get hungry in the middle of our visit and it was one of those times when she wanted to eat and she wanted to eat IMMEDIATELY! So, I went to my office, closed the door and fed her. 20 minutes later she emerged much happier. It's amazing what warm milk and a clean diaper can do for a baby.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

2009 Cowtown!

Clock Time 1:06:41 - I started late due to car traffic and foot traffic
Chip Time 1:03:31 - Under 1:05
Overall Place 1387 / 3259
Gender Place 541 / 1358
Division Place 104 / 179
Total Pace 10:15/M ---I don't run with a digital watch, so I had no idea I was pacing at that time. A nice surprise.

About a mile from the start line, we got stuck in traffic, so I had to get out of the car and run to it. I heard there was a record amount of participants: 17,000 this year! There were over 3,000 runners in the 10K, but there was also the Ultra, Marathon, Half, 5K Adults, and 5K kids.


Since, I had to run to the start line, the race went from 6 miles to 7. I just had to think of it as a pre-race warm up.

Once I got near the start line, I was packed like a sardine with the MARATHONERS. What?! My 10K training wouldn't get me very far running with those guys. After the marathoners started, I had to wait until they cleared out and then I ran down the block to the 10K start line. I started 3 minutes late, but since everyone had to wear a chip, it didn't matter. I also didn't have much time to stretch, so the running I did prior, really helped me out.

As you see, Trey managed to stay warm with his Cowboys fleece. He said he learned the hard way last year, when he freezed his but off. I also learned the hard way. Last year, I ran in shorts in freezing weather, this year I wised up and added layers. The smartest thing I wore; gloves. They were a lifesaver!

Now that the 10K is over, I'm looking forward to participating in the Half Marathon with Linda (2010). Since, traffic was so bad, next year Trey and I are seriously considering staying in a hotel downtown, so all we'll have to do is step out of our hotel room and not have to deal with traffic.