Joanna runs again, but slowly

I finally had my first post-partum run! This Wednesday morning I laced up my shoes and headed out for what I promised myself would be an easy 20 minute jog. It was 20 minutes, and it was at an "easy" pace, but it wasn't easy! I have a few good excuses--I'm 5 weeks post-partum, it was blazing hot and humid, and it has been two months since I did anything like pretend to run, and that run at 8 months wasn't terribly athletic. So while I didn't expect it to be as hard as it was, I was really pleased with it. While I ran, I got so excited by realizing that the world of fitness is open to me again. I can run, do other cardio, lift weights, do more yoga, etc. I can't wait to get back into decent shape!! And...that's right...training for Indy should be starting here in a few weeks. Meg (my friend and currently-long-distance running partner) and I will probably start to draft a training schedule soon. I'm so excited. Seriously. You have no idea.

yoga dvd

Recently a friend asked for a recommendation on a yoga dvd. Like me, she was afraid of buying something, getting it home, and realizing that it is really lame. I have a dvd called Yoga & Sculpting by Karen Voight that I've really liked. N borrowed it while I was pregnant and enjoyed it. Like all exercise dvds, once you've done it so many times it starts to get easy, or at least easier, as your body adjusts to the routine. Regardless, I like this and have gotten more than enough distance out of it to recommend it. It has 25 minutes of yoga, 20 minutes of pilates, and a 40 minute workout that has a short cardio warm-up, followed by legs, butt, arms & back, and ab workouts.

Elliot!

My husband and I welcomed our son, Elliot Finnegan, into the world on May 22, 2008 at 6:14 pm. He weighed 7lb. 15oz. Both Elliot and I were healthy and doing well following the birth. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us!! I'm not going to post details about labor and delivery here; email me if you'd like more information. :)

Life at home with a newborn has been a learning experience. I love watching him figure things out about the world, like the fact that he can control his arms and hands. My husband has been a great father and an amazing source of comfort and support for me over the last five weeks. All told, we're a happy, healthy little family.

Finally, some pictures. The first is (obviously) me right before he was born. This was taken 4 days before, actually. The second picture was taken about 2 minutes after his birth. The third was taken at home maybe a week later. Of course, I have many, many more pictures of him. Let me know if you'd like to see more!