1 mile

Yesterday I ran a mile. For the first time in about two years.

Since about this time in 2015, I have had the following physical and emotional setbacks. Just listing them makes me realize that, damn, it's been a rough two years.

• Lower back issues requiring PT in early spring 2015
• Upper back spasms requiring muscle relaxers and more PT, late spring 2015
• Shingles in July 2015 (stress-induced beginning the week I defended my thesis)
• Miscarriage September 2015
• Pregnant December 2015-September 2016 (nausea through 25-ish weeks, pubic symphysis pain about 20 weeks on)
• Birth September 2016 - overdue, severe pre-ecclampsia, c-section
• First few months postpartum - postpartum depression and anxiety

In the last few months, Lenny has been sleeping a lot better, she continues to get more and more fun, and I'm starting to embrace/enjoy/get used to our new life. I've started to feel more like myself, too, and like I'm starting to come out of a fog. Work has helped me feel more normal, and lately I've been doing other things that make me feel more like "me". I'm almost done reading the book Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, which is really good and also pretty long - almost 1,000 pages! I've always been a big reader, but grad school and baby pushed that to the wayside for a while. During pregnancy I read, but it was all about pregnancy and baby. This is the first, big, for-pleasure book I've read in a long time! It makes me feel more like myself to read for at least 30 minutes before bed each night, and look forward to the story and the characters.

I bought a Fitbit recently, and have liked it a lot so far. Even if I'm not doing big workouts, it still motivates me to walk and move more, and then gives me a sense of accomplishment when I do well. The weather has been really nice, so we'd been going for walks with Lenny recently, but last night was my first run in a long time.  I'd run a bit since having Lenny, but more just slow walk/runs (mostly walking). Which was fine, but I'm ready to start to push myself a little again. I don't have any solid goals yet, but maybe a 5K sometime this summer? Or I might just be happy to be more active in general.

So on to our main girl Eleanor..... who is the freaking cutest and so fun lately! Here are some pictures of our silly, busy, sweet girl.