Weston is 9 Months Old!

So...this blog post is a few weeks late, as Weston turned 9 months old near the beginning of this month. But still--I want to take the opportunity to sing my son's praises and post a few pictures! We are so blessed to be his parents!

Weston now weighs 22.5 pounds and measures 29.5 inches long. He is Mr. Active and Mr. Explorer these days! Ben bought him a little blue wooden cart from Ikea, and Weston can walk by himself while pushing the cart! Looking back, it was at 8 months old that things seemed to click for him. It was at 8 months old when he finally began to sleep through the night consistently. (Now sometimes he will sleep for 11 hours without waking--what a pampered mommy I am!) And it was at 8 months old when he finally mastered crawling and pulling himself up to standing. Besides exploring every nook and cranny of our house, Weston loves playing peekaboo, reading books, banging on the piano, grocery-shopping, swimming, and swinging on the swing at the local park.

Our "Mr. Explorer" went on two vacations during the last few months. In April he spent a week in Florida with the Barnett side of the family. And in May he spent a few days in Georgia at Uncle Matt's house and then a few days in Ohio celebrating Uncle Joe's high school graduation!

It is so hard to believe, but Weston will be a year old in 2 1/2 months! (Hopefully he will have at least one tooth by then!) Below are some of our favorite photos from ages 6 to 9 months.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Couch to 5K and a Song for the Way

I did it! Yay! This morning--on the last official day of spring--I finally accomplished my spring fitness goal, which was to complete the Couch to 5K running plan! I woke up at 5:45 AM and ran before my husband left for work so that he could watch the baby. It was a beautiful morning and a wonderful run! I feel so empowered to be able to run 3 miles again after having a baby!

I recommend the Couch to 5K running plan as an ideal way to ease into a running regimen. It is a 9 week plan that combines running with walking, gradually transforming the couch-sitter into a 5K-runner. I love it.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I would not be able to run without my friend Sarah. We did the Couch to 5K plan for the first time 3 years ago, and we had a blast together! Now she has gone on to bigger and better things (like running half marathons), but I think that I am content with the 5K distance!

I would not be able to run without the music on my iPod. Thanks to my friend Hye-Won for giving me that iPod--one of the best gifts ever--a few years ago! I created a special playlist that I enjoyed listening to this spring. Here were some of my favorite songs to listen to while running (mostly Christian and country):

The Only Name - Big Daddy Weave
Give Me Jesus - Galkin Evangelistic Team
Every Promise of Your Word - Keith and Kristyn Getty
Good Morning - Mandisa
The One Thing I Know - Sara Groves
O the Deep Deep Love - Sovereign Grace Music
Get Back Up - tobyMac
Oh How the Years Go By - Vanessa Williams
She's Everything - Brad Paisley
Quitter - Carrie Underwood
Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me - Keith Urban
Pioneer - The Band Perry

And I would not be able to run without God's grace in my life! I have always been the girl who likes to sit and read, or sit and play the piano, or sit and talk, or sit and drink tea, or sit and eat chocolate (key word=SIT!). In college I struggled with emotional eating and was about 20 pounds overweight. Running 3 miles may not mean much to some people, but it means something to me. It reminds me that in the strength of Christ, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13)!