So what have I been doing with my time since I am not blogging very often? Besides nursing and caring for Kiera, working, and trying to get some training in; I have been reading a ton. Really, since finding our we were pregnant about a year ago we have been reading. Some of our favorite/most informative books are the following:
"Hypnobirthing", by ???
"Having a baby naturally", published by Mothering Magazine.
"The complete guide to breastfeeding" (although I disagree that breastfeeding is painless, my left nipple still hurts from Kiera taking a chunk off of it during the first week after birth - thank God for pure lanolin).
"The vaccine book", by Sears (lists what is in and how each vaccine is made)
"Saying no to vaccines", by Dr. Tenpenny
"Vaccines, Are they rally safe and effective?", by Miller
"The vaccine Dilemma", by Murphy
"Crazy Makers", by Simontacchi
"Genetically engineered food: chaing the nature of nature", by "Tietel and Wilson (dry but informative book)
"Organic Baby", by Rider
"Happiest Baby on the block", by Karp
"Your pregnancy week by week" (I liked this better than "what to expect when you are expecting" although there was good information in both books)
and Tons of baby books by various authors.

My favorite magazines are:
Mothering Magazine
Mother Earth News
Oxygen (although I have so many magazines that I have to let this subscription go)

I like to read and be informed so we can make good decisions (hopefully); especially as it relates to Kiera and our health as a family.

Our goal this summer is to expand our garden. I did a lot of drying and freezing last summer that has paid off. What I was not able to grow, I could get at the farmer's market. This winter we are sharing a winter food share from a local farm with some friends. It has been really nice to get local (root) vegetables this way.

Training is starting to improve. I am riding the trainer, running, skiing, and lifting weights. I put Kiera in the baby bjorn when I lift weights. I am careful and I can do mostly everything I normally do, while Kiera loves looking around.

Better run....work is piling up. Looks like I'll be done reading leisure books for a few weeks!

Irv (Scott's dad) babysits for us while Scott and I are both at work. Sometimes the house gets chilly, so he'll wrap her up in his down winter jacket. Goes nicely with pink? Kiera is not a very good sleeper unless she is warm...and the best way to get her to sleep is put her in the baby bjorn and go for a hike. If the sun is out I have taken her out starting at -5F with the temp rising as we walked. She stayed plenty warm as we have a nice fleece one piece outfit for her and I wear a special jacket I bought from a friend that is meant to wrap around both of us. I usually get too hot and end up with my hat and gloves off even when it is really cold. Ideally, I walk with her most days. If I don't get out I'll walk around the house until she falls asleep or take her on errands so she'll sleep in the carseat. I hate lugging that carseat around though.

My training thus has consisted of a lot of hiking/walking, some running as it is fast to get a good workout, some strengthening, and XC skiing. I was riding the trainer some up until we got good snow. I am planning to get out on winter rides once this cold snap lifts (should be by sunday) and now that I fixed the flat on my bike (from when Scott last used it). I was going to enter a running race, until I tried to do some intervals and decided to save my $25 instead. The intervals went really poorly and I am not sure what I was thinking. I am not a fast runner like I was in college.

It is definitely more challenging getting in good workouts after having Kiera. I thought pregnancy was tough! That was nothing, but at least my body feels better and is getting close to back to normal (prepregnancy weight). I still don't feel as strong in my core as I used to. Some of my friends have told me it took them up to two years to feel normal again. I don't have that much patience.

I am sure most people know that the Midwest Trek Regional Team is no longer an entity. Scott and I were disappointed, but understand with the economy the way it is. We love riding for Trek and they have been really good to me/us. I feel really lucky to have ridden for them for 5 years. Scott and I plan on racing this summer, although we have to figure out what we are going to do for bikes. We'll see.

Well, better run. I am on borrowed time and I have loads of work to do. I have never done so much laundry in my life and been so far behind on getting work for my job done.