I don’t want to talk about how late this post is. Or how 2011 has been an embarrassing year for onbeingbrowns.  Don’t mention it.

In another last-ditch effort to get caught up and breath some life into this site, here is another month in review.

For my 30th birthday, I had pressured Doug (for the last five or so years) to throw an epic party for me.  But, as it turns out, the closer the day got and as I entered the third trimester, a party was feeling a little less exciting.  There’s something about celebrating while wearing panel pants, wondering if my protruding belly button is showing, and imagining looking at pictures a year down the road and wondering why I never realized how much weight I had gained in my face.  Something about all those things made my birthday bonanza less appealing.  Maybe it was an overreaction.

Instead, to celebrate, we took our first ever family vacation to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Colorado in the summer/fall is maybe my favorite place in the world, and it did not disappoint this year.  We drove overnight from Austin to Pagosa Springs and Rhett was a champ.  He fell asleep around 10:30 PM in the car and slept until we arrived around 7:15 AM.   We stayed for four days, three nights and mostly just enjoyed being a family.  We cooked most of our meals, we went hiking, we sat outside and talked.  We did normal family things without having the pressures of cleaning the house, work, doing laundry, and (my final mention of it) the heatwave of 2011.  It was perfect and definitely a highlight of the whole year.

On our way back home, we stopped in Amarillo to see Doug’s grandparents.  Rhett had never met Grandmother and Pa Brawley, so it was a big treat for everyone.

The day after we got home from Colorado, Rhett had his first day at preschool.  He is going just one day a week from 9-2.  The drop-off was difficult for both of us.  I was pretty sure I would be able to hold it together, but I underestimated the power of my hormones.  He cried when I dropped him off, and I cried when I got in the car.  Turns out that we both made it through the day, and neither of us show the signs of separation anxiety anymore.  A few pictures from his first day.

And finally, I’m still pregnant.  At the time of this picture, I was 28 weeks pregnant.  The closer we get to adding a new member to our family, the more emotional I get about this little man.  I am anxious about the transition for him.  How will he do with a little brother or sister?  I wonder if I am going to miss just having him.  It hurts my heart how much I love him.  I am so thankful for the nearly two years that we’ve had with just him and thankful that God isn’t done growing our little family.

Because most of my time in August (and the two months prior) was spent complaining about the heat, I neglected to chronicle the life of our firstborn and the events of August 2011.  Therefore, a photographic account of the month follows.

We took Rhett to The Big Bounce – an indoor inflatable playground.  I had taken him months ago, and he hated it.  This time, all it took was Doug and me getting into the bouncy inflatables with him (mildly humiliating).  Once he saw that we were okay with plastic inflated dogs, mountains and hammers, he seemed cool with it.  Because he can go for free until he’s two, we went there several times to get some energy out before naptime.

June 8 was not a good day for us.  Turns out that we weren’t in the clear yet.  Rhett has become pretty clever in taking his clothes off at night…even the pajamas that zip up and snap.  I asked for some advice from friends, and we have started to dress Rhett like this for bed. So far, baby Houdini hasn’t cracked our code.

The Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Brothers Circus was in town this month.  So, for some family fun before Doug left town for a week for work, we treated ourselves to a night of wildly entertaining acts – the highlights were the 7 motorcycles riding in the globe and the man with stilts  being bounced off a seesaw and doing a flip in mid-air.  A lowlight was the incredibly tense tiger act – picture a man in a cage with 10 very uncooperative and seemingly angry (or hungry) tigers.  We were sure we were about to witness murder.  A picture from the pre-show.

Doug was in San Francisco for a week, so Rhett, Bagby and I went to Waco.  Take that, San Fran.  Rhett, Memaw Hudson and I went to Pittsburg, Texas for a day to visit another set of Rhett’s great-grandparents.  Memaw and Pepaw Finnell hadn’t seen Rhett since his first birthday, so it was quite a treat.

If I haven’t made my position clear on the heat this summer, I haven’t done my job.  I am miserable.  I am at least 15 lbs heavier and I am burning from the insides.  Which means bad news for Rhett.  I am certain he must think we are the most boring family ever, as most of our time is spent at home with the windows closed.  So, finding indoor activities has been crucial this summer.  While we were in Waco, we hit the jackpot.  Memaw and Pepaw Hudson have an annual membership to the Mayborn Children’s Museum.  If you’re ever in or near the City of Dreams and you have littles, you must stop.  It was gold.

Our friends, Ryan and Allison, have a little miss named Blythe.   She turned one in August and we celebrated big at her fiesta.  Looks like Rhett is all kinds of ready for college date parties.  He had no problem trying all kinds of costumes.

And finally, I got a little help around the house.

Listen, I don’t want to talk about how long it’s been since I have posted.  It’s ungodly, I’m aware.  So, in an attempt to gracefully get back into this thing, I shall update you on what it has been like to be Brown for the past two months (ugh).

Doug and I had a super romantic vacation to Napa Valley in March.  We stayed in Yountville (curiously famous for their restaurants), Healdsburg (a town with a square – which all towns need) and Carmel (not in Napa Valley, but for nostalgia’s sake).  It was perfect.  Everything.  The places we stayed, the food we ate, the wine we drank.  It was all a dream.  And for me and Doug, we remembered that we like each other.  Not that we had really forgotten, but there’s something about spending one-on-one time for an entire week and realizing that you would choose that person over anyone else to do it all over again with.

Cakebread Cellars

Super famous bakery that was directly behind our hotel.  If you’re a Today Show watcher, you see the NY version in the Plaza of this quaint cutie.

A surprise “Anniversary Package” from Gigi and Pops in Healdsburg.  Included breakfast in bed, bottle of champagne, flutes to take home, and a stuffed animal – such a funny addition, but Rhett loves his Goober Bear.  A huge thank you to Gigi and Pops for such a sweet surprise.

Doug loves cars.  Not really my thing, but marathoning isn’t really his thing.  So, we learned to make a few compromises on this trip.  On our way to Carmel, we stopped by the Laguna Seca Raceway.  We walked for miles and miles (uphill both ways) to see this beautiful stretch of pavement.  The highlight, for Doug, was this part right here.  In the biz, they call this “The Corkscrew.” 

The view from our room at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley.  This was, by far, the nicest hotel I have ever seen.  It was totally immaculate, which explains why we stayed here just one night.  And yes, we played Bocce Ball.  And yes, I won.

And for old time’s sake, we went to the rocks on Carmel Beach where we got engaged.

Seven days with my hunkity.  Never fought.  Enjoyed every moment.  We were able to video chat with Rhett (who stayed at our house with a healthy rotation of grandparents) a few times.  We missed him, for sure.  But, it was surprisingly easier on us than we had expected.  A huge thank you to The Grands for taking such good care of our peanut while we vacationed.

So, yes, turns out that our vacation was also…uh…productive.

Yes siree.  Baby Brown #2 is due to arrive on December 2, 2011.  This sonogram was done at just 5 weeks.  The baby was only 3mm long and we were still able to see the heartbeat.  Really unbelievable.  We are completely thrilled, and sometimes horrified.  I have to remind myself that people have had two kids for thousands of years and done well.  I just dont know how they do it.  Which kid do you get out of the car first?  When do you ever sleep?

As for me, I am feeling pretty good.  My pregnancy with Rhett was a breeze.  This one, however, has been a little different.  I have only had one day of sickness, but it was the pits.  I have no idea how people handle that for weeks on end.  Other than that, just extreme fatigue.  Definitely more tired than I remember being with Rhett.  Gigi is convinced it’s a girl.  For us, we’ve decided not to find out the gender this time.  Doug didn’t want to find out with Rhett, so he wins this time.

I’m not showing yet, so no belly shots for now…maybe ever.

As for Rhett, he is growing like a weed.  He’s walking like a wild man.  Doing a lot of blabbing, but no real words yet.  He has crazy, unruly hair.  And continues to be the greatest delight in our home.

How’s that for an update?

On my 29th birthday, I made a few goals.  Some of which, I have failed miserably.  Take blogging, for example.  Twice a week?  Not nearly.  Laundry?  Still mocks me.

But one goal, I nailed.

On Sunday, March 6th, I beat my best marathon time.

The Napa Valley Marathon began at 7 AM in the northern part of Napa Valley in Calistoga.  The forecast was 90% chance of rain and it did not disappoint.  On the way to the race, it was raining much harder than I had expected.  Even though I would take rain over heat any day, it was enough to give me a few pre-race jitters.  The lines for porta-potties were also a source of stress for many runners.  I stepped out of the poop tube at 6:54 AM and walked to the starting line as the National Anthem was being sung.  Only a few minutes later, the race had begun and with 2300 other runners, I crossed the starting line.

When I started the race, my goal was to break 4 hours.  My previous personal record was set at the 2007 Virginia Beach Marathon with a finish time of 4:03.  I had hoped to break this time at the Chicago Marathon, but the heat and the crowds were no match for my training.  To break 4 hours, I needed to keep a pace of about 9:09/mile.  So, my strategy was to keep a 9:05-9:10 pace for the first 16 or 18 miles.  The temptation for me is to always start faster than I should and then I risk a major crash around mile 20.  So, to keep at my finishing pace for the first 18 miles, I could pick up the pace after 18 if I had any energy.  That was the strategy.  And somehow, I forgot that strategy 9 minutes after crossing the starting line.

My first mile was 9:03.  I told myself to slow down, which resulted in a 8:56 second mile.  And at that point, the strategy had been abandoned.  I just went for it.  Hoped for the best.  At 13.1, I was at 1:56:15.  I did the math, and if I were to finish with exactly the same time for the second half, I would finish at 3:52:30.  And while that was exciting, I was still not confident that I had locked in the 4 hour finish.  I thought, if I crashed even a little bit, I could lose 8 minutes over the next 13.1 miles.

Even though the rain had subsided, mile 16 was the hardest mile for me.  I had an 8:59 pace, which was my slowest mile besides the first.  The elevation slightly increased over that mile and I lost some confidence, fearing that I was hitting the wall.  At the tail end of that mile, I saw Doug on the horizon, taking pictures of the race, waving at me, cheering for me and waiting to hand me a couple Clif Shots.  Seeing him and having him run beside me for just a couple of steps was like chugging a Red Bull.  It gave me so much energy and confidence to take on the last 10 miles.

And at that point, I don’t remember a single person passing me for the last 10 miles.  At mile 18, I did the math and figured that I could run 10 minute miles and still finish under 4 hours.  So, I was confident at that point that I had sealed the deal for my goal.  At about mile 21, I realized that I was about on pace for a sub 3:50 marathon.  Realizing that was beyond anything I could have even dreamed for, so I wasn’t feeling confident in my math or my ability to finish in that time.  However, the possibility was enough to put one last kick in me for the last 5 miles.  And somehow, not one of those last 5 miles was slower than an 8:10 pace.   At mile 26, the shoots for the finish line were in sight, the horse smelled the barn, and I gave it all that I could.  I finished my 13th marathon at 3:46:33 (an 8:34 overall pace).

I was sure that I would not come close to Boston qualifying time until I was 50 years old.  And now, in my 29th year, I am just 5 minutes away from qualifying.  I feel so proud and so surprised.

Another major accomplishment was my second half of the race was my fastest half marathon time so far.  My previous record was 1 hour, 53 minutes.  The second half of the Napa Valley Marathon was 1:50.

A huge thank you to the Napa Valley Marathon for putting on a fantastic race – small, but well organized and well supported.  A must do marathon.  And thank you to Doug for being so supportive and for always being so willing to take Rhett duty while I trained.

Pre-race

The Course

A Finisher

On Monday, I watched Dancing with the Stars.  After the individual dances, they did a “dance marathon.”  Four minutes of dancing.  And it made me think the term “marathon” is maybe just a little overused.  Four minutes, for crying out loud. I get that 4 minutes of solid dancing would be tough and you’d probably need a few minutes to catch your breath.  But, a marathon?  C’mon.

Let me tell you what a marathon is.  It’s 26.2 miles that you either run, walk, or trot.  And for most people, it takes a lot longer than 4 minutes.

For me, it took 4 hours and 15 minutes.  On October 10, my dad and I ran the Chicago Marathon with 38,000 other people.  It was my 12th marathon, my first one after participating in the miracle of birth.  I trained harder than I have ever trained before, hoping to beat my best time of 4 hours, 3 minutes.  But, having an injury 3 weeks before the race and vomiting seven times 4 days before the race, I did my very best.  And it resulted in my 4th best time instead.  It was hot.  Too hot for a marathon – 85 degrees.  They raised the alert level to red (high).  Nearly 2,000 people did not finish.

Some highlights:

• We saw (and passed) this man carrying the Eiffel Tower.  I don’t understand these people, as much as I don’t understand women that run with their hair down.
  
• My dad ran all 26.2 miles with me.  You remember, he’s a crazy runner.  And he’s only run my first marathon with me.  Otherwise, he has left me in his dust.  He ran every step with me, helping pace me to beat my best time.
• I got to see my sweet peanut (and inspiration) three times throughout the race.
• The crowd support was the best I have experienced so far, and the race was very well organized.

Biggest regret is not getting a photo with Doug and Rhett at the finish.  Ugh!  This is a photo of us at lunch the day before the race.

Two years ago today, I said yes.

Let’s pause and let me do the math for you.  We got engaged on August 5, 2008.  Married on December 20, 2008.  Pregnant in April 2009 (surprise!).  And became parents on December 18, 2009.

Doug and I had taken a trip to San Francisco with my family to see my older sister get hitched.  After her wedding, the two of us took a day trip down to Carmel.  Well, no, not directly to Carmel.  Like proper educated Americans, we had to stop in Salinas at the John Steinbeck museum.  Then we moseyed down to Monterey, where again we paid homage to Mr. Steinbeck and took pictures on Cannery Row and in front of Doc’s Lab.  If this doesn’t sound like Greek to you, you and Doug may be fast friends.

We ate sushi in Monterey which beats Texas sushi any day.   Then we got in our rented Mustang convertible, like we owned the place, and drove down Route 1 to Big Sur.

The whole day I had wondered if maybe he might pop the question.  But because I was certain there was no ring box anywhere on his person, I had decided this wasn’t the day.   Coming back from Big Sur, we stopped on Carmel Valley Road to visit a winery.  We landed at Bernardus.  I’m dying to go back there.  We just had just enough time to do a tasting before they closed.

After they closed, we had a bit of time before we were ready for dinner.  So, we headed to Carmel Beach we found some big rocks we could prop ourselves up on and enjoy the sunset.

It was cloudy, but somehow there was just a ribbon of sunlight right below the clouds, and above the water on the horizon.  As the sun started to set, we realized we were about to see the most beautiful sunset we’d ever seen.  The pictures don’t come close to doing it justice.

Just before the sun dropped below the horizon, Doug told me to put my camera down and said “you don’t want to miss this.”  And he looked at me, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  YES!

Afterwards, he informed me that he had dinner reservations for us at an Italian restaurant in the town (which was funny, because I had told him earlier in the day that I wanted Italian for dinner).  When we showed up, the hostess showed us to the table where my family had come to meet us for dinner!  It was such a perfect surprise.  We celebrated together and then made the drive back to San Francisco to our hotel.

Doug, I made a decision this day two years ago to spend the rest of my life with you.  We’ve had a crazy couple of years.  It’s seemed impossible at times.  But, there hasn’t been a single day that I’ve questioned that decision.  For the best days of our lives and the worst, I am in.  I’m so glad you asked.

A few weeks ago, Doug and I made a very quick road trip to visit our good friends James and Ginny before they moved to Taiwan for a year.

We dropped Rhett off to visit with Gigi and Pops and got on the road.  Oh, to be young.  We listened to music as loud as wanted.  We rolled the windows down, and back up because of Texas.  We drank Red Bulls.  We laughed and laughed and laughed.

And then we saw a spaceship.  And we exited.  Duh.  There was a gas station next to it, so we asked the cashier what the deal was with the spaceship.  She said “Oh, it used to be an arcade and gift shop.  But now, it’s just a flea market on the weekends.”  Awesome.

We obviously took that opportunity for a few pictures.

Thank you, I-35.

Welcome to a new look.  We were having some trouble with the way our old site was looking on some browsers, so we’ve had a facelift.  We’re still getting some kinks worked out and working on transferring our photos.  We should be up to date soon.

But, lately…

• Grandaddy and Mawmaw (Amanda’s dad and stepmom) came to visit.  They are wild about Rhett.  They hadn’t seen him since Christmas, so they were due.  The weather was awesome that weekend, so we took Rhett out for his first picnic.

• It’s hard to believe that it could be picnic weather one day, and snow the very next day.  Oh, Texas.  Rhett was completely uninterested, but I think one day he will appreciate that we have documented his first snow.

• Rhett was born two days before our first anniversary (yes, the math works out).  So, we were coming home from the hospital on our anniversary.  We didn’t really celebrate…unless we count Rhett peeing all over his room as his rookie parents unpacked diapers.  So, on Friday, the 26th, we finally got a chance to celebrate.  Gigi and Pops (Amanda’s mom and stepdad) took the day off and came for babysitting duty.  Doug and I headed out to Bastrop, to the Hyatt Lost Pines.  We got there as early as we could, and stayed as late as we could.  We had a great time – rode bikes, kicked a soccer ball, went on a walk, played pool (I won), had a great dinner, and slept till 11 AM (I told you that I like to sleep like a college student).  It’s hard to believe how quickly life can change.  It’s been one crazy year – a new marriage, a new house, a new baby.  We’ve never looked back.  So thankful for so many amazing blessings in our life.  A look back at our big day…