Nutrition During Training

Every athlete knows that the keys to recovery are rest, and proper nutrition. And, I’d hazard a guess that every new parent spends time contemplating when, if ever, they’ll be able to sleep peacefully through the entire night, again. So with little control over the rest side of the equation, the least I can do is nail the nutrition angle.

I know everyone says “moderation” is the key. But, I don’t do well with moderation. I try, but I just find that I gravitate to the extremes in most things that I do. For example, I just made batch “healthy” cookies (see recipe on this blog December 7). But, I pretty much sustained myself on them for half of the day. Also, lately I’ve had a craving for dark chocolate come out of nowhere. My husband has competition for the chocolate in the house whereas it used to sit untouched, exactly where and how he left it. So, I definitely have some work to do.

On the plus side, I do know what I should be doing and I am getting better in some areas. One of these areas is protein. Being a near vegetarian, a nursing mother and an athlete makes demands on a person’s body for protein. With the longer distance runs and rides, the last thing I want to do is to start tearing down my own muscle because I’m not taking in enough. I already drink about 4 cups of organic soy milk a day, which is fortified with calcium and vitamins, but I’m also making a conscious effort to eat tofu, legumes, eggs or fish every day at lunch. In the mornings I make a smoothie with banana, frozen berries and soy milk and now I’m adding a scoop of whey protein powder (26g of protein) into the blend.

On the vegetable and fruit side of things, I’ve been receiving a weekly delivery of organic produce and this forces me to prepare and eat more greens. It also provides variety so that I don’t slide into a fruit rut. For example, this week we got green peas in the pods (snap peas) and red kale. Normally I might not think to buy these items.

The other aspect of nutrition during training is what to consume during the workout itself. This takes practice, practice, practice. I’m currently practicing with grape Cytomax powder in my water and Carboom energy gels. This almost got me through the last 2 and ¾ hour run but by the 2 hour mark my quads were seizing up. My theory is that I was dehydrated, so I’m going to refill my water bottle more next time and see if that helps. Another term for ‘practice’ is ‘trial and error’.

The main challenge for me is finding the time and energy to make nutritious choices, especially when instant-gratification alternatives are on hand. Dark chocolate aside, you won’t find any pre-packaged, highly processed or junk food in our house. Almost everything is organic and as unrefined as we can get. So, even if I turn into a cookie monster for a few hours, at least they are home made and organic cookies and at least I know that tomorrow, I’ll be left with the kale and the peas to eat.

Lucky to Suffer

I've just read an article about Jamie Whitmore, the former Xterra World Champion who was sidelined by cancer. It was in the October issue of Triathlete Magazine. This is one of the most heartbreaking and amazing stories since Lance Armstrong's struggle with cancer, except that her story is going on right now.

Jamie wrote on her blog (February 2):

"I never know why so many people complain about running. I would trade places in a heartbeat with anyone that hates it that much."

She writes this while training on an elliptical, which she had to get to using a cane to walk, and wearing a brace. She also has a tube coming out of her back.

Today while I did my high intensity run at the gym, I thought of Jamie and I felt a spring come to my feet. How lucky I am to be able to suffer on the treadmill.

Training Plan

Training has officially begun! For IM Canada, which is at the end of August, January is a kind of natural start to the training build up. Although I started back in September, it has taken since then to get back to where I would have been if I hadn’t had a baby. I’ve had a few questions about my training plan so I’ve dedicated this blog entry to outlining it.

My training plan is periodized over 4 weeks, so it builds during weeks 1-3 and then there is a recovery week. I also try to have one full day off a week. The workouts are as follows:

• Run: 3 x per week
• Bike: 2 x per week
• Swim: 3 x per week (usually turns into 2)
• Strength/Core: 2 x per week

A typical training week looks like this:

• Sunday – long run, for January it ranges from 2.25-2.5 hours in weeks 1-3, and 1.25 hours in the recovery week.
• Monday – OFF (yay!)
• Tuesday – Afternoon Zone 3 (intense) run, on a treadmill at 2% incline.
  Evening: Swim (focus on technique, not fitness)
• Wednesday – Strength, flexibility and core work (an hour if I focus)
• Thursday – Morning swim (back by 7am) Afternoon – Long bike, for January it ranges from 2.5 to 4 hours in weeks 1-3 and 2 hours in the recovery week.
• Friday – Strength, flexibility and core work. Easy run (30-50 minutes)
• Saturday – Morning swim (back by 8am, take Hannah for her splash-around at 9am).
  Afternoon: High intensity bike ride.
  

Cycling is done on a Compu Trainer right now, but when the weather gets better I look forward to going outdoors. The Peak Centre has teamed up with a riding club called Ride with Rendall and we compete on the Compu Trainers in a kind of virtual race. It’s a great way to use technology to make stationary cycling more compelling.

The strength work I can do in an hour if I’m really focused, which I rarely am and so it sometimes drags out all day. I use the planter in our courtyard for my “bench”. Neighbours probably think I’m a fanatic. OK, so maybe I am.

Running is done solo. I haven’t found a training partner who is flexible enough to meet my schedule, or even one that isn’t working during the day. I keep chatting up girls at the Peak Centre where I train, and hopefully I’ll meet someone soon (now I know how guys feel!).

On a side note, I got hit with a bad sinus cold last Sunday, so I’ve missed a long run and a high-intensity run. I’m going to have to do some research into how to keep my immune system functioning at a high level so that I don’t get taken out by every bug that goes around. Thankfully, Hannah has stayed healthy and high-energy as always.

Emotional Life

At seven months of age, Hannah’s emotional life is taking off. She has a budding sense of humor, protests when things don’t go her way, and is really proud of herself when she ‘walks’ with our help.

Just as Hannah has been grappling with these emotions, I’m still grappling with the lack of control over some of mine. I thought it would end after pregnancy, but it seems I can’t watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy without crying. At least I’m completely unabashed by it now, whereas in the past I would have been squirming, determined not to cry in front of anyone, not even my husband. He looks over at me and comments – Geez, maybe we shouldn’t watch this program – you look drained!

Hannah brings out not only new emotions, but new behaviors, too. We recently discovered (Lord knows how but I’ll credit her Dad) that if we squatted, hands in front of our feet, knees open, and then jumped straight up in the air and ribbitted like a frog, it made Hannah laugh. Really laugh.

Her enjoyment of our undignified display was so infectious she had me, her Dad and two grandparents all jumping and ribbitting in the kitchen. Not sure how this will affect her intellectual and emotional development, but she seemed to enjoy the moment. Actually, it turned out to be a killer quad workout as well…

How is this all relevant to training? Well, all I can say is that if I didn’t have that physical break in the day, where I could carve out some time for myself, I might revert to ribbiting (or moo-ing, baa-ing and quacking) a little too much to feel comfortable in civil society. And, if I couldn’t burn off excess emotional energy by running, biking and swimming, then I might end up crying more often than during Grey’s.

Actually, sometimes swimming makes me want to cry... but that’s a whole other blog.

Back in the Swim of Things

Determined that Hannah will be a better swimmer than her mom, I signed Hannah up for lessons at the local swimming pool. The lessons are held in a small teaching pool, an amenity I never took notice of in all my time at the aquatic centre. Ditto the ‘family change room’.

Of course we were late getting to the first lesson. I hate being late. I walked as quickly and efficiently as I could to the front desk while David parked and I somewhat doubtfully inquired if there was somewhere that both parents could go to get the baby ready. That would be a great idea, I thought. Lord knows I could not manage all the regular swim gear, diaper bag, winter clothing, towels and baby on my own. The attendant gave a knowing nod and very patiently pointed me on my way. Things were shaping up.

I opened the door from the deserted hallway into a sea of chaos. Seems everyone was late. The ‘family’ change room is about as big as a generous walk-in closet, with a communal change table in the centre. Children were positioned head-to-toe and head-to-head as parents tried to eke out their precious territory, let alone defend it, on the change table.

There were at least 15 kids and their parents going in to a lesson, and about the same number coming out. Add to the chaos the din of crying babies, hair dryers, and about 8 sets of parents cooing, cajoling and distracting the roster of babies on the change tables and it was great mental training for keeping cool in the transition zone of a major triathlon on race day.

While I got into the scrum, David joked around with an outgoing couple. He has a way of saying what we are all thinking as he told the couple – “You know, it is comforting to hear that other kids can be as hysterical as Hannah - it actually gives me pleasure.”

Finally, we stuffed our shoes into the inadequate cubby holes and walked, not ran, to the kiddie pool. Parents were in their semi-squat positions towing babies around in the water. We arranged ourselves into a circle to sing a song and splash around. I didn’t know the song, and it seemed everyone else did, but we’re quick studies and we caught on pretty soon.

The baby next to Hannah loved the water. He had figured out how to make the biggest splash with little hands and did so with alarming speed, flapping his arms up and down and keeping eyes wide open in the ensuing shower. Hannah, on the other hand, curled her hands into little fists and spent the circle time rubbing the water away from her eyes, incensed that she should get her face wet.

We then ‘rocketed’ around by towing the baby on their backs. Again, some kids seemed to love it and kicked their legs in glee. Hannah squealed until we put her in a semi upright position and distracted her with itsy-bitsy-spider.

Then they had the babies sit on the wall and we let them ‘launch’ into the water (never taking our hands off of them). Hannah seemed to love this. Ditto the ‘throwing and jumping’ into the air. In fact, I think she loved anything that took her farther away from the water.

Next week we do submersions. I’m sure Hannah will love it.

Housebound

In Vancouver, British Columbia, we’re used to a rainy winter. It starts in October and pretty much rains until March. The up side is that it is usually mild. Not this winter. After a relatively dry November, and mild start to December, we got hit hard with the snow over the holidays (photo shows view from our front door).

West Coast snow is wet and heavy – twice as heavy as the snow that falls to the east of the Rockies. It is usually followed by alternating rain and sub-zero temperatures, leaving us with icy roads, slush, blocked storm sewers and finally, floods.

Needless to say, the snow, infrequent as it is, brought our fair city to a halt over the Christmas period. I couldn’t even drag the baby stroller down the street due to the snow banks. Hannah didn’t seem too impressed with the snow gear, as you can see in the photo, so we stayed home a lot.

Training has had to change gears a bit too. Luckily, the Peak Centre for Human Performance, with whom I am training, adopted out their fleet of CompuTrainers to clients. I’ve had some indoor-fun on the first part of the IM Canada course, and my husband raced against a cyborg cyclist on the Honolulu World Championship course (it was a bit of a nail biter).

Running has been better. I have done some workouts on compact snow and others on an indoor treadmill (painful but necessary for the speed work). Today, I swam for the first time because getting to the pool was nearly impossible given the level of motivation I have for swimming.

I’ve set up Mommy-and-me play areas so that I can do my strength and core work alongside Hannah, who just seems to do it naturally anyway (picture shows Hannah with the foam roller that is great for tight IT bands).

Even though I’ve been at it for 4 months, psychologically January feels like the real start of the training program for IM Canada (August 30, 2009). In a fit of hyper-enthusiasm, I signed up for the Oliver Half Iron to be held June 7, 2009. It’s a beautiful, relatively easy course that I’ve done twice before, so my performance will be a bit of a bellwether for my training post-baby.

With training being my main reason for getting out of the house, I’ve been feeling a bit cooped up lately. I had to laugh when it was my husband who said today that he was going stir crazy, after he’s had just a few days off of work. Whatever situation I may be faced with weather wise, I just remember that here, at least, it comes to an end and I’ll be outdoors in the sunshine before I know it.

All Consuming

Season’s Greetings & Happy New Year!

Triathlon is a gear-hungry sport, and it’s hard to resist the never ending parade of new toys and products designed to make us faster, faster-to-recover, more efficient, or just better looking. Not to mention the travelling to races and tri-vacations.

If you think tri gear is hard to resist, try resisting baby toys. They are designed to delight and develop young minds and bodies. But, the laws of nature dictate that matter cannot be created nor destroyed, so it’s hard to ignore the fact that today’s toys are tomorrow’s landfill material, no matter how many little hands it goes through en route to its final destiny.

So, I decided to cut out plastic as much as I possibly could. This was a simple decision, despite the fact that I could practically hear the eyes rolling in my friends and relatives who undoubtedly think I’m a bit of an extremist (ok, maybe not just a bit of one…)

Anyway, just when we got over lead paint, melamine tainted milk products and Bisphenol-A plastics we hear about a new toxin, or rather, an old toxin newly discovered to be harmful. The flavour of the month is phthlates. Phthlates are an additive to plastics that help soften them, making them more appealing to babies. Problem is, despite appearing stable, the phthalates have a nasty habit of continually off-gassing, a process that is accelerated when the plastic is gummed by a baby.

Are they safe? Well, this is what Health Canada has to say (and Canada hasn't even banned it yet):

"Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has effects on laboratory animals that include birth defects and changes to the liver, kidneys, and reproductive systems. The substance is suspected of affecting hormone systems which makes it a potential endocrine disruptor. Risk assessments conducted by the European Union (EU) have identified DEHP as a reprotoxic substance.

DEHP was assessed in 1994 by the Government of Canada and declared toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. In 2005, the EU prohibited DEHP from all toys and childcare articles.

Health Canada considers children under three years of age to be at the greatest risk of adverse health effects from exposure to DEHP. DEHP can migrate out of soft vinyl children's products in response to sucking or chewing. "

Note DEHP is one of many components of plastics, one that happens to have been studied. I have no doubt we will be hearing about other components of plastic in tomorrow’s news. So, why not cut out plastics altogether just to be safe?

OK, so what about alternatives? There are websites full of healthy, toxin and chemical free playthings. One nice site is http://www.babynaturopathics.com/ featuring brands such as HABA, Erzi and Neal’s Yard. I have also found some European brands such as Plan have classics in colourful non-toxic painted wood. US brand Melissa and Doug has a range of developmental toys that wouldn’t make me feel like I was depriving Hannah of popular culture.

Happy shopping (and returning, as the case may be) and my advice is to go for quality, not quantity….after all, that’s the argument that worked for justifying my carbon fibre Cervelo P2C a few years ago.

Tis the Season

It’s the season for colds. Hannah got her first cold this week. At first I thought the runny nose was due to teething, as she recently sprouted two bottom-front teeth. But, then I caught it as well, and now my husband has it.

Training, babies and colds don’t mix very well. While Hannah doesn’t seem too bothered by the cold, per se, she definitely objects to having her nose wiped, and she definitely isn’t sleeping very well. This means, we’re not sleeping very well either. So, on top of the cold I’m feeling pretty exhausted.

It’s always hard to know whether to rest completely when I get sick, or to struggle through it, after all it’s “just” a head cold and about the only time I feel good is when I’m exercising and my blood is flowing, clearing my stuffy head. So far I’ve kept the schedule, although I am supposed to do my long run today and it’s already 2:30 and we’ve had our first major snowfall of the year. Does this sound like a list of excuses? Probably. I think I need to read a few inspirational stories in Triathlete Magazine and then I’ll feel pumped enough to go out for a run.

Happy training!

Aaron and Vanessa’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I suspect these are more Vanessa’s, but I know Aaron enjoys eating them (as do we). Perhaps these are what fuel Aaron on his solidly sub-3 hour marathons. Aaron also publishes a great running newsletter, check out his website at http://www.keepingyourunning.com/

Oven: 350°F
Mix together the wet ingredients in a medium bowl:

1 egg plus 1 egg white (extra egg white is optional)
¼ cup nut butter
1/3 cup apple sauce (non sweetened)
1 tsp, vanilla

Option: use some iron-rich molasses in place of some of the sugar, below

Add and mix dry ingredients:
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
2.5 cups whole or quick oats (or combo of)
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup raisins (optional)

If mixture is too dry and won't stick, add more apple sauce, egg whites or some soy/rice milk.

Spoon into balls (I use an ice cream scoop and make giant cookies) and flatten slightly with a fork. For extra decadence, put a square of dark chocolate on top of each one.

Bake for 10 minutes for smaller ones and 15 for larger ones. Cool on a rack.

Training Zone Progress

The good news is that the past 10-12 weeks of training have created some good changes in my run training zones (see Figure showing curves for December and August). Since my goal is Ironman Canada, the program provided by Peak Centre for Human Performance has focussed on improving my aerobic threshold, representing the intensity I can maintain for a prolonged period, and lactate threshold, which is the point at which blood lactate starts accumulating quickly, leading to fatigue.

The desired result is to see the lactate curve on the graph shift to the right and downwards. This translates into being able to go faster for longer. During this last training phase, I have shifted my aerobic threshold from 10.5 to 11.8 kph (6.5 to 7.4 mph). Yay!

The bad news is that now I have to train at these higher intensities. In other words, my ‘easy’ run is now going to be less easy.

So, off I went today to test drive the new training zones, as approximated by a heart rate. My new Zone 1 heart rate is 124 to 139 beats per minute, correlating to an outdoor run speed of 10.3-11.8 km/h (6.3-7.3 mph). I got about 10 minutes into the run when a freak squall passed by and it poured, and I mean really poured with sideways sheets of rain. I had confidently decided on not taking a jacket today and quickly regretted the decision. I planned a circular route back home to change, but at the last minute decided against it, knowing I might not leave again if I went home. So, I stuck it out and lo-and-behold 20 minutes later the sun was out.

The new pace felt a lot more natural than the former slower pace and I really hit my zone. I had a great run, listening to Lenny Kravitz albums on my husband’s iPod (which I had given him as a gift but which we now seem to share:)).

On Monday I should be getting my bike re-assessment results, but the preliminary analysis also shows a good improvement. So now I am re-inspired to stick to my plan. It’s working!

Keeping Track

It’s now nearly the end of November and I’m coming up to the blessed recovery week. It’s been a good month: no injuries, I’ve stuck more or less to the plan and did a swim workshop based on the Total Immersion techniques. The only casualty has been the strength/core/flexibility sessions – which should be the easiest since I can do them at home. But, the combination of them being my least favorite and the fact that I don’t carve out a time has led to some missed sessions. I’d never have noticed this if I didn’t track my workouts, because I mentally gloss over the missed strength sessions, always intending to make it up later, until later turns into the next scheduled session.

I am a bit of a freak when it comes to documenting and tracking things (or so I’m told). I document my workouts – what type, duration, average and max heart rates, time ‘in zone’ and so on. This may sound like a lot but I purposely resisted replacing my old Polar heart rate watch (which had distance and downloading capability) because it sucked up way too much time and there always seemed to be some quirk with the process. Plus, I found it tedious to get wired up for every run or ride (mp3, heart rate monitor and foot pod). So, I am trying to go with the simple is better plan. I have a simple bike computer and a simple heart rate monitor watch. Still, I manage to find things to track.

On the plus side, having a baby’s activities to track is a great salve to those of us who feel the need to track things. I am tracking Hannah’s primary activities – night sleeping, naps, nursing and hysterical crying bouts. So far the main trend has been an increase in the duration of the hysterical crying before she goes to sleep at night. I think she’s figured out what we react to…

I guess old habits die hard. In my old (paying) job I had goals and objectives and monthly reports. Now I channel this energy into my training and Hannah. Just somebody please stop me if I start to making to-do lists that say “laundry”, “clean up toys” and “make dinner”.

Two Months into Training

So far I have two months under my training belt and I am headed into month three with the feeling that I have settled into a bit more of a groove. But, it’s a real juggling act.

I have been following a customized training plan put together the Peak Centre for Human Performance. After measuring my response to exercise on in terms of lactate production and VO2 max when running as well as cycling, speed and power output ranges were developed. This allows me to do workouts according to zones of effort, with zone 1 work being the slower and longer workouts and zone 5 being the more intense workouts.

So far they have me doing three runs, two bikes, two swims and two strength/core sessions per week, as well as stretching as much as possible. Having a plan that I have total confidence in has been invaluable. Without it, I’d probably do too much of the wrong type of workout and end up injured.

It’s been a bit (actually, a lot) of a juggling act trying to fit in the long workouts. It’s only with the help of my Mom looking after Hannah on her one weekday off, my husband coming home for lunch now and then, and the supplemental food lovingly prepared for us by my mom-in-law that I have been able to manage so far. On weekends, my parents sometimes come over while David and I go out for a bike ride; otherwise, we have to do our workouts separately.

I’ve also been doing an early shift. On Wednesdays I get up at 5am so that I can get my workout at Peak Performance in. They have Computrainers which allow me to do a high-intensity ride on my own bike at a constant power output level (measured in Wattage). I then try to get home before it is time for David to leave for work and, sometimes, even before Hannah wakes up.

On Thursdays and Saturdays I have early morning swim practice. David and I signed up for four days a week with the Canadian Dolphin Masters and we each take two of the four sessions.

It seems to work out that whenever I come home from a workout, it is just in time to catch Hannah needing to eat or wanting her mom, so I almost never have time to stretch while I’m still warm. This is the biggest casualty of the training. Instead, I am stretching at night but without the benefit of having just worked out. Hopefully this doesn’t lead to injury.

After two months I am feeling stronger and have lost all the baby weight. I wouldn’t say I totally have my pre-baby body back, as my stomach and waist still look a bit barrel-shaped to my eye, but I think that will get better over time. One of the best things about having a baby is the realization of how unimportant these things are.

Fasting

Today is Yom Kippur and I can’t train, or eat for that matter. A fast traditionally accompanies Yom Kippur and it started last night. I asked the doctor at the Vancouver Breastfeeding Centre and our Rabbi and both said that in my case a 24-hour fast would do no harm to the baby (drat). So, instead of swimming this morning I slept as long as I could (as long as Hannah would allow) and have been trying to spend as much time in spiritual introspection as possible.

Really I should be in synagogue praying but I find it hard to follow the service because my Hebrew is a beginner’s Hebrew and I still feel self conscious because I am not yet familiar with the liturgy and all the rituals.

I usually enjoy listening to the Rabbi’s sermon and we were keen to try a synagogue that is close to our new home by attending the family service. We were about to step out the door this morning to walk there when Hannah started screaming.

Is she hungry? Tired? Wet? Bored? Upset tummy? We went through the list and took action accordingly. By 2:00 pm she was finally asleep in her crib and I still hadn’t gone, but at least my husband was able to join his Dad at another synagogue across the street.

In truth I get far more out of reading and reflecting at home than I do in a synagogue, because I don’t have much experience with it. But, I have been inspired by Rosh Ha -Shanah and Yom Kippur to re-start working on my Hebrew. Hopefully this will allow me to get more out of services in the future, as well as counteract the mush-brain effect of nursery rhymes!

Changes

I think my husband is the sexiest man in the world (I’m not sure how often he reads my blog but I think I have at least a few days before he makes me edit that out). Anyway, this was reconfirmed for me when we attended the Sheryl Crow concert in Vancouver last weekend. It felt, for the few hours we were out, like we were dating again.

In one of those Venus-and-Mars type moments, we both recently commented on how weird it was to be out without Hannah. I then proceeded to say how it felt like I was missing a part of my body, while he started to say how he could almost forget we had a baby!

So yes, I guess a lot of things change when you have a baby. But, not in the way people seemed to imply when I was pregnant, with the ‘just-wait-until-you-have-the-baby’ and ‘enjoy-it-while-you-can’ kind of comments. It’s more like there is a different lens on my eyes, and a different filter on my ears.

One change as a result of these filters is in how much more I appreciate spending one-on-one time with my husband. We really had fun at the Sheryl Crow concert. We were out of our seats dancing for nearly every song and enjoying each others’ company in the way that came so easily when we first met and still had that new-love giddiness.

Another change is in the way I hear lyrics. It’s cool how the same songs I’ve listened to many times have new layers and meaning when I think in terms of Hannah. The line in her song “Light in Your Eyes” makes tears (of happiness) come to my eyes thinking about how much lies ahead for Hannah:

You're just beginning…

You haven't missed it - it's all ahead of you

And, her line:

It’s not having what you want
It’s wanting what you’ve got

from Soak up the Sun fills me with a deep sense of satisfaction that I wish I could freeze because right now I feel like I have everything I could want, but I know that one day I’ll start to crave more, which leads to feeling less satisfied.

Sheryl saved her song Detours for near the end, explaining it was about how life can hand you all sorts of funky challenges but in the end it is the detours that make you stronger. Her lyrics make me want to be there for Hannah the way our own moms have always been there for David and I:
Mother, I know you are with me

You were there when I took my first breath…

Well, I’m going to go and find my husband to tell him how much I appreciate him because, as Sheryl says:

The question is:

Does anybody want you?

Does anybody need you?

…All I really know for certain, babe

Is that Love Is All There Is

What’s in a Name?

This week, Hannah reached the 3-month mark. It’s a bit of a milestone because everyone told me that it takes about 3 months before a baby settles down. I have found this to be true. Hannah has started to laugh, and to cry less. When she does cry, I have a much easier time understanding why. She also sleeps in more consolidated chunks of time.

We celebrated this milestone, coincidentally, with Hannah’s naming ceremony. This is a Jewish tradition (among other cultures) called a Brit Bat and usually takes place closer to the birth, but we wanted to take advantage of the fact that several of my family members would be here in Vancouver from England.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was a gorgeous Sunday morning and about 40 family members and close friends convened at my husband’s parents’ house. At about 11:30 we gathered in the living room along with the Rabbi who married us. My husband and I made some brief speeches and I asked my sister to read a poem. Actually, I had planned to read it myself but was too overcome with emotion (which I didn’t see coming). After lighting a candle and explaining the meaning of Hannah’s names with a tribute to family members past and present, we feasted.

Some people gave gifts, which was not required, and we were totally spoiled once again. Hannah was given some beautiful items for her bedroom and some toys, and our cousins gave a gift certificate for a photography session.

Occasions like this are what make memories, and that was a special one – even if I did have to get up at 5:30 to get my bike ride in.