7 months

Helen and Ella

Helen - always ready with a smile; and I think she knows what I mean when I say "Smile!" when I get the camera out

A little play time on the floor

Ella usually pulls the blanket over her face when she eats but this time she left herself a little peep hole

Ella has her tank top on and she is ready for Florida!

Grandma feeding Alex

Grandma's precious bundles - Ella, Helen, and Alex

Grandma is teaching Ella how to cook (they made chili)

We have started packing for our big trip home. Only one week left here and then it is back to Jacksonville. So far, things are going smoothly. The babies are going to fly back with me, my mom and my aunt. My dad and a friend are going to drive the minivan and my dad's truck with all the stuff. If everything goes as planned, it should all go smoothly. I'm trying to prepare the babies for their first flying experience.

Alex is getting his first tooth! This week we were feeling his gums and finally felt the first hard edges of a tooth. I think Helen is not far behind but I have not felt any on Ella yet.

Everyone is thankfully healthy again. Grandma ended up getting sick too but hers only lasted a couple of days and then she was back in action. Let's hope that is all behind us.

We had another major milestone this week - I did my first triathlon since the babies. It may seem crazy that I would have the time or the energy to train for a triathlon right now. But training is so second nature to me, I cannot imagine not having something to train for. And when you have three babies at home, trust me, it is not hard to take an hour to go to the gym each day. The race went well - I was happy with my time. But it was also bittersweet. A lot of what I love about racing is all the friends we race with. It is not as much fun doing a race without Cecil and our regular group of friends there.

Not having anyone to talk to at the race this morning gave me a chance to reflect on what a big part of our lives triathlon is. When Cecil and I first met, one of the first things we figured out that we had in common was triathlon. Our first date was a bike ride together. Then we did our first race (Red Hills) together a few months later. That was also the year we did our first Ironman together. That was an interesting experience training for that together and then getting to experience the awesome event that is an Ironman together.

Since then, Cecil has gone on to race the Ironman two more times - including the year where he injured himself on the run and I walked next to him for most of the 26.2 miles of the run and kept him on pace so he would finish before midnight (the official cut off time). It seems like many of our best memories center around triathlon - we got married in St. Croix so that we could do the St. Croix half Ironman two days after our wedding (Cecil could not do the bike though since his bike never made it and was never seen again). And there was the true test of our relationship when Shawn, Cecil and I decided to do an adventure race together. Shawn and Cecil taught me how to ride a mountain bike but forgot that a Blue Bellied Yankee does not necessarily know how to climb over a wall. We went back to Red Hills every year for that race - including the year it was 40 degrees and no one could feel their extremities for the whole race. The Lake Tahoe Century was worth it just because that is where we met Freddy and what would we do without Freddy? The Marine Corp marathon was unforgettable - not only because Cecil and Kendall decided to walk most of it but because I took them seriously when they said they could use some cheeseburgers and french fries. Thanksgiving would not be the same without the Atlanta half marathon and what would the Fourth of July be without the Peachtree 10K?

I miss the local races with all of our local Hammerhead Triathlon Club there - we know so many people that it is more like a moving social than a race. And there are the regular races that are so near and dear to our hearts: Ironman Florida, the steam baths of St. Anthony's and Gulf Coast, the BFASTs, the Disney Half Ironman (and the death march of the inaugural year). Triathlon would not be triathlon without the Pooh Crew: Shawn, Freddy, Kendall, Cecil, and me. We train together, eat together, race together, and generally share our lives together. I'm really looking forward to sharing this with our kids too. I don't expect that they will be as enthralled with triathlon as we are, but I am sure they will have their share of early morning races cheering on mommy or daddy. And they will get to experience Disney and their first marathon this January when we all make the trip to Disney for a few days for Cecil to do the Disney marathon. Life would not be life without one or both of us training for a race.

So I had a good race today in terms of time and performance. But like I said, it was bittersweet without everyone else there - especially Cecil. There are very few races that we have not done together or at least been at the finish line for each other. The thought that kept me going today was looking forward to the day when I cross the finish line with Cecil and my three angels waiting there for me.