Sweet as Honey: Mel's First 5K and Zoo

This year marks the third year I have done a 5K at the Louisville Zoo called Throo the Zoo. The first year my sister Kelli and I ran it, the next Meric and I ran it. This year Meric, Lissy, Mel and I planned to run it.

The morning started out early and raining. We arrived at the zoo an hour before the race to check in and get our t-shirts. Because of the rain we all stayed in the truck and waited for the race to begin. The closer we got to the start time the harder it rained. Mel is a little too small to sit in her jogging stroller so we use it by placing her car seat in it. The car seat fits fairly well but the rain flap doesn't quite cover the whole seat. With the rain coming down harder Meric volunteered to stay in the truck with Mel while Lissy and I ran the race in the rain. When Lissy and I got to the starting line they announced that the start time would be delayed 30 minutes. In that 30 minutes the rain let up to a light drizzle so Meric and Mel were back in the race.

Everytime I have done this race the first 2 miles wind through the neighborhood (which is flat) and the last mile winds through the actual zoo (which is hilly). This year the entire race wound through the zoo. I was really not prepared for such a hilly 5K. I almost made it a full 2 miles before I had to stop and walk. We finished the race a little under 40 minutes. That is definitely not my best time but it was a fun and challenging race.

Check out my May 2012 blog to compare Kelli the gorilla to Lissy!

Right after the race we enjoyed the free water, bananas, apples, and yogurt that was offered. I think a lot of people didn't show up because of the rain so there was a lot of food available. We ended up walking away with a couple bunched of bananas, several apple slices and an entire container of yogurt. Between the t-shirt, free admission to the zoo and the free food I think I actually made money on this race. (Being an Irishman's daughter, I can't help but like free stuff.)

Mel slept through the entire 5K and woke up shortly after we started walking around the zoo. She didn't really notice too many of the animals. They were too far away and not moving enough to catch her attention. There was one orangutan that put on a show and had her undivided attention. It was swinging upside down and banging on the window.

At only 3 months old Mel is a little young to really enjoy the zoo or a 5K but we had fun with her. If we have our way there will be several more 5Ks and zoo visits in her future.

Sweet as Honey: Mel's First Day at the Track

With Mel enjoying the Kentucky Derby so much we decided it was time to take her to a live horse race. Its never too early to start hitting the track, right? Actually my sister Melissa came for a visit and we wanted to take her to the track. Melissa (Lissy) is the first family member to actually meet Mel. I was so excited for someone in our family to meet and get to know my sweet little goof ball.


We arrived at Churchill Downs on a warm Thursday afternoon. Pulling into the parking lot the golf cart shuttle driver lead us to a parking spot and then waited for us as we unloaded so that he could give us a ride to the entrance gate. He also gave us tickets so that we got into the track for free.

Once inside we were just in time to place a wager on the next race. Lissy and I each used the sophisticated strategy of picking a horse by how much we liked the name. With our wagers placed we headed out to the track so that we could witness the finish up close and personal. Lissy's horse started out strong and mine started out last. By the end they were neck and neck for 2nd place. Mine came in 2nd and Lissy's came in 3rd. Since we both had bet $2 (the minimum bet) on them to show, we both won money. Lissy came out $0.80 ahead and I came out $0.60 ahead. Whoo hoo we were rolling in the dough!


With Lissy's track side experience complete we decided to head up to 3rd level to enjoy a view from above and some much needed shade on such a warm day. The box we chose was perfect because we had plenty of room for Mel's stroller, a light breeze, shade and a short walk to the betting kiosks.

Each race we took turns picking a horse and laying down some money. Some won and some didn't. The last few races we decided it would be fun to bet on the long shots. One race our long shot actually did great and came in 2nd. It is so much fun to bet and watch your horse run and cheer them on. We started out with $10 to gamble and with winning and losing a few races we walked away with $5.40. Not too shabby, lost a little but not as much as I thought.

Going to the horse races is so much fun and Mel actually did really well for such a long afternoon. She slept a little and only fussed a couple of times. For the most part she enjoyed the outdoors and races.

Sweet as Honey: Mel's First Kentucky Derby

Living in Kentucky for the past 3 years Meric and I have come to appreciate the Kentucky Derby as an exciting and fun event. We have started to look forward to it every year and were excited to celebrate Mel's first Derby. My mother was also excited for Mel's first Derby and made sure she had an outfit for the occasion. She also sent a cute headband to go with the outfit. A heart made out of red roses was the perfect head accessory for the Derby.

Almost the entire campground gets together and enjoys the day. There is a potluck with everyone bringing food throughout the day. This year I contributed by making a cookie dough cheesecake. It was delicious and only one piece was left by the end of the day. We also enjoy all of the races and betting on some them. The first race we bet on Meric won and Mel and I lost. The next race Meric and I lost while Mel won. For the Derby itself I always ask my best friend what horses her boys think will win and I bet on those. Every year they pick the winner and this year was no exception. Total we ended up betting $14 and came out $3.75 ahead. Not too shabby!

Mel loved watching the races. Between the moving horses and the colorful silks she was fixated on the television. With her actually watching the races and having a cute outfit Mel was a definite hit at this Derby party. Mel even participated in the hat parade.

Tweaking the Trailer: Couch Edition

When we bought the trailer it came with a couch and two recliners that we thought weren't too bad. Really they were pretty good... for the first 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes you have to reposition because the cushions were low quality foam, the arms were high boards and the back was stiff and straight. The recliners weren't much better. First off they took up a lot of space because you can't have anything near them in order for them to recline or swivel. Also you couldn't sit in them for too long or your feet would go numb because of the way the foot rest was put together. After a couple of years trying to make the couch and recliners work Meric and I decide we needed something different.


First we got rid of the recliners. They took up way too much room and we really wanted a couch so that we could sit next to each other. After getting rid of the recliners we started looking for a new couch. Finding the right couch that would be comfortable and space efficient isn't easy. Most couches are too long for the space, heavy and don't come with storage inside. I really didn't want to have to compromise comfort for storage space.


One day I saw an ad for a website called Home Reserve. It sold furniture that had storage in it. After surfing the website I found that they had a lot of options for different types of couches, loveseats, sectionals, ottomans, etc. You could even pick out what color and type of material you wanted. The only trick was they would sent you the furniture in a box and then you had to assemble it yourself. Knowing that I really questioned how good and comfortable the furniture would be. I started looking at reviews and found that most everyone really liked the furniture. They commented on the good quality of foam and ease of assembly. I showed the site to Meric and he agreed, we had found our couch solution.

We decided to get pieces of the sectional. We liked the flexibility of being able to rearrange the couch to fit different spaces. We also picked a durable, WASHABLE fabric. With 3 dogs and a kid I loved the idea of being able to throw the fabric in the washing machine to keep it looking good.

We ordered the pieces online and only waited about 10 days to receive the furniture. When we got the boxes we found it hard to believe that our furniture could break down that small.

Hard to believe there is a couch in there

Excited to see what they would be like Meric and I decided to put one of the pieces together right away. I was amazed at the quality. The foam was very nice and the material seemed very durable.

Putting the chair together was like doing a puzzle. The instructions were very easy to follow and the pieces fit together perfectly.

It took us less than an hour to put together that first chair. I could hardly wait to move out that old couch so that we could have room to put the rest of it together.

Once the old couch was gone we put together the rest of the pieces. I was amazed at how well the material fit on the foam but also was so easy to put on. I kind of expected to struggle a little to get it to fit but everything was made to fit perfectly.

 So easy, so comfortable, looks nice, is lightweight and has storage. I love this furniture!

Little Miss Mel: 1-2 Months

Mel and Daddy

Mel and Emmy. Check out her monkey toes!

My sweet little Miss Mel is almost 3 months old. It is amazing how fast the time has flown by. It is also amazing to see the changes in her as she grows. She isn't a little baby anymore. Every day she grows more and more into a beautiful young lady.

From day one she was bound and determined to hold her head up all by herself!

Sweet little sleeper

Hanging out in bed

Pick me up!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Tweaking the Trailer: The Baby Edition

When Meric and I moved into the trailer we weren't thinking we would ever have kids. Of course now that we no longer live in a 3 bedroom house we were in need of a baby room. I love our trailer but I was having a little bit of trouble deciding how to best fit a newborn and all of the stuff that goes with it.


For our baby/Christmas gift the Smiths (our landlords) took me on a shopping spree at Baby's R Us. We picked out several cute outfits and she showed me some other essentials I might like to get for when the baby was born. Then we started looking at car seats, strollers and pack n plays. She told me that we were not leaving the store with out at least one of those items. After looking at several options we came across the most perfect pack n play. This pack n play has 3 sleep stages to it. There is a newborn napper that cradles the little one while they sleep and a changing table. Underneath those is stage 2 for sleeping when the baby gets too big for the napper. Then when the baby outgrows stage two everything can be removed from above and it turns into a regular pack n play. Also while you aren't using stage 3 there is removable storage shelves that be accessed from the side of the pack n play. A place for baby to sleep for a while and extra storage, I couldn't have found a better option for our living situation. It really was the perfect gift.

When I got it home and we set it up we discovered it fit perfectly where our old couch use to sit. Not only that but the storage unit we had gotten for all of the baby's clothes and other items fit nicely in the space as well. Now we have a baby room and I think it will do nicely for a couple of years.

Tweaking Our Lives: The Baby Addition

When I found out I was pregnant it came as a shock. We had happily given up on having kids so it wasn't a good shock. My pregnancy was pretty much by the book. Every appointment it seemed I had gained the normal amount of weight, the baby was growing at a normal rate and everything looked very normal. Where I was very happy that both the baby and I were healthy, I couldn't seem to get excited about having a baby.


Wednesday 1/29: My due date came...and went.


Thursday 1/30: My neighbor told me that he had a dream I would go into labor while watching the Superbowl that Sunday. Meric and I actually thought that wouldn't be too bad.


Friday 1/31: I went to my next doctors appointment. She told me I was at 2 and 50. (All you mothers out there know what that means.) We discussed a couple of options and decided to schedule another appointment for the next week.


Saturday 2/1: I woke up at 4:30 in the morning with some mild cramps. I drank some water and went back to bed to see if they would go away. They didn't. Around 5:30 Meric woke up and asked me if I was doing okay. I told him I was pretty sure the baby wasn't waiting until Superbowl Sunday. We both got up at that point and Meric took care of a few things around the house while I timed my contractions. Once they got to be every 5 minutes and lasted for about a minute we figured we better head to the hospital.


We got there around 7:30 and I was at a 4 and 70. The nurse told me that they would check me again in an hour to see if those numbers had changed before I would be officially admitted. The next time I was checked I had advanced to 5 and 80. After being admitted and getting my IV I toughed out a few more contractions before asking for a little something to help with the pain. Not an epidural just an IV pain killer to take off some of the edge. It helped for a couple of hours and then I asked for some more. She checked to see my progress before giving me more painkillers only to discover that I was at a 9 already. She told me at that point I could have the doctor break my water and I would be good to start pushing to have the baby. When the doctor broke my water it had a brown tinge to it which meant the baby had had a bowel movement. Meconium is the term for it and it can be common in babies that are overdue but it is dangerous because it gets into their lungs. This meant that we had to keep a monitor on baby and clear out those lungs as soon as possible. I started to push and an hour later my baby was born. Once she came out everything went very fast. She was covered in meconium and coughed a bunch out as soon as she was born. Meric wasn't able to cut the cord because they had to get her cleaned up and clear out her lungs as quickly as possible. (I understand why he wasn't able to cut the cord but it makes me a little sad he didn't get to.)

It wasn't too long before they handed me the most precious baby girl. Only then did I start to cry a little because I couldn't believe she was mine. (Sometimes it is still hard to wrap my head around the fact that I am her mom.) Meric and I had been torn between two names and had been waiting until she was born to make our final decision. Once I saw her I knew she was a Mel. (Mel means honey in Portuguese) She is our sweet little Mel Leia. And not that I am bias but I have the most adorable baby ever. She is such a calm and happy kid and she will melt anyone's heart with her big blue eyes and smile.

Meeting the dogs