Going Ons

I have been home all week with Isla as hand/foot/mouth virus made its way through her daycare.  She was the last kid standing in her room, but we didn't escape.  I am fortunate that I have the flexibility to decrease my work load as needed to stay home with Isla, but of course I completely stress because it is loss of income for me + I have already paid for daycare I don't get to use.  So, it is a double $$$ whammy.  The financial side of my personality tends to be stressed out and worried.  I mean, money doesn't grow on trees at our house!  So, I have to really work on letting things go when it comes to money and to be at peace with the income and outflow that is part of life, especially what I can't control. 

Hand/foot/mouth has been a huge pain, both literally and figuratively.  It is really hard to see my baby sick and in pain, especially when I can't really help.  Isla has had a fever all week and stopped nursing and eating due to the pain in her mouth.  After 5 days of not nursing, I am a sad mama. 

Nursing can be a pain for an athlete.  I have to pump all of the time, take care of my boobs, cut workouts short to nurse/pump,and adjust my schedule to feed Isla.  I am even wondering if I will have to pump in T2 of ironman as I don't see how I can go that long.  But, I find this all really rewarding, fun, and worth it! 

I am hoping the nursing strike will end this weekend and that we don't prematurely wean.  I didn't imagine weaning for us to be this abrupt or early.  I am also fighting plugged ducts/mastitis with the decreased nursing.  I am still pumping, so we will see what happens. 

I am back to racing and going to do a quasi-Olympic distance race this weekend.  I can't say that I am in better shape now than I was at last month's race.  It seems that I put in some work, and then Isla is sick...or I am sick...or daycare closes...or Dave's work schedule changes... or whatever excuse there is that keeps me from really nailing workouts or seeing progress.  I am used to having some sort of gauge for fitness before racing, but now I just feel so blind going into them.  Regardless, I am super excited to go and race.  I just want to be out there. Every race is a step in the right direction.  AND- this will be the very first night that I ever spend away from Isla.  Whoa.  

  Isla and I snuck in a Back Row Girls reunion last week.  Our back row keeps growing!  

 So, over and out.  I am waiting for Dave to get home so I can hit the road.  I don't have a thing packed, as Isla has been extra "high needs" today, and I can't seem to put her down.  (She is sleeping on my back right now in the ergo).   Hopefully a good race report to come later!