Claire and Crossfit: a 1 year update

3 months into my Crossfit journey, I made a blog post about my experience and I'm pretty sure it was seen on all 7 continents. 7,000 people viewed it in the first week alone! More than likely it was due to the before and after photos... everyone loves a good fat girl redemption story (or at least I sure do!). I received so much positive feedback from many people, and I have friends who have been begging for an update photo, so I thought this would be a great time to do it... My 1 year anniversary of my love affair with Crossfit!

SO much has happened this year in the gym that it could not be contained in the confines of The Garage. The mystery of the WOD awakens something in people that is just unexplainable. Confidence? Yes, tons of it. Humility? Servin' up hot, fresh Humble Pie! I have had a hard time figuring out what it is, but I think I've finally nailed it down: HONOR. Not really a word you think of in the gym. The following words explain it much better than I can........

1 Corinthians 9:27 "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple."

Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."


This year I have learned to honor God by taking care of my body and making it a strong dwelling place for Him. I honor my family by taking care of my physical self so I can be the best wife/mom/daughter/friend I can be. I honor God's gifts to us by enjoying nature's foods and animals (which have turned out to be more delicious than I ever imagined!). 

 I honor other athletes who are on this journey with me. We grunt, scream, cry, laugh, come to the brink of death, and back again, day after day, together, because we love it. We hold each other accountable and push each other to the limits. There is just something unexplainably comforting in looking around during a workout and seeing everyone else suffering as much as you (sounds bad, but it's true!). If they can do it, I can do it. If I can do it, they can do it. And we won't stop until the work is done. Then, when we come out on the other side, we are all stronger!  

And last but not least, we honor the sport. It may just be a barbell, or a pull up rig, or a bag of sand, but it has the ability to transform you if you humble yourself and become the student. Crossfit is a sport but it is also a practice. Something magical happens inside of us between the confines of "3-2-1-Go," and "Time." I just can't describe it. If you haven't tried it, you will never understand.

OK, so what all have I accomplished this year? Maybe I'll just make a list...
My proudest accomplishment would probably be becoming a "mostly Rx athlete." I rarely scale WODs now (Mostly due to Coach Tim not letting me!) I can do almost every skill: double unders, pistols, STRICT RING DIPS <<woot! woot!>>, toes-to-bar, handstand push ups, all kinds of pullups-- kipping, strict, chest-to-bar, strict chest-to-bar-- pretty much everything but muscle ups(... which I want to have by June 14, 2013!) 200# Back squat, 180# Front squat, 115# snatch, 148# clean, 168# jerk, 140# x 2 overhead squat, 97# strict press... I could talk about weightlifting for days............ 

Weight loss has been so dramatic! I think it is 75% due to my diet alone. I ate strict Paleo for the first 3 months, then about 90% Paleo for a few months, then Whole30 for 3 weeks (cut off by family vacation), then 85% Paleo for a few months, finishing up with a good month of Whole30. In that time, I have lost a whopping 53 lbs and dropped 4 pant sizes!! All of my clothes are too small! Matt says I look like we did when we got married (I don't believe that). But between you and me (and Matt), I am lookin' good and feelin' confident! ;)

So now comes the part where I want to thank so many people! 

My sweet husband Matt. He not only provides for my membership, but understands the value of exercise and encourages me to be healthy. He makes sure I have the time I need as well as all the resources available to be the best Claire I can be. And he loves me just the way I am! And my 2 kids, Ollie (age 4) and William (age 1) who make me use my functional fitness every single day. Ollie tells me "Mommy, you are strong like a rock!" I hope my new-found passion for health and wellness gives me many, many more full, healthy, active years with all 3 of you! 

The owners of The Garage for making such a great family-oriented place where I can bring my kids and they can see me work out and think that exercise is just a normal part of every day.  So Andy, Shane, Dr. Eric, and Wes... THANK YOU! 

I have to thank my favorite coaches: Travis, Justin, Tim, and Bruce. I made my first big gains under Travis' guidance and learned never to be afraid of the weight! Then Justin came along and awakened the Oly beast within me, and has written some gnarly programming that as a result, has packed on some major muscle mass to us all! And then came Tim who watches (prowles!) over me every day and NEVER EVER EVER lets me take it easy. I just "get" his way of coaching, and he just "gets" me. Almost all of my skills have developed exclusively under Tim's guidance. He may be young, but age is by no means indicative of one's abilities as a coach! And Bruce, my very first coach for a little while there, and also has become my nutrition coach. He is such a wonderful mentor and role model as he takes the Master's division by storm. He is just one of those people that knowing him makes your life feel a little bit richer.  

And a big thank you to the Garage family.

 I could not do it without the morning crew-- You guys make my mornings fun and it is great to start the day will y'all! 

Garage Girls-- You ladies are so inspiring and fun to compete and celebrate our accomplishments with! Thank you for the constant reminders that every day is a chance to be great! 

And all those random friends I get to see on "reunion day" (Saturdays) and at Barbell Club-- it is cool to watch everyone progress and get stronger week by week, month by month. Team Garage... woot woot!

What about now? Well, I still have a long way to go. I want to hit new PRs in everything. I want to perfect my skills. I want to try gymnastics again. I dream about getting my first muscle up. I want to compete in the individual Rx woman's division. I want to lose a bit more fat from my lower body <bleh!> Will I ever make it to THE Games? Let's just be realistic, probably not. But GG athlete Crystal McCullough said it perfectly "But I will train like I am."  I said it before, and I'll say it again. I want to honor God with my body and be the best Claire I can be!  




And now... the before and afters... I am pleased to announce that it is time to retire the old yellow bathing suit!  The bottoms are so big that they fall down when I walk! 







































 The "befores" are March 2012                                                                   The "afters" are March 2013

90 Days of Awesome

So I wasn't going to do this. And I REALLY wasn't going to post photos. But I want people to know that they can do it too. So if you are a random person searching the internet for Crossfit and/or Paleo before and after photos (like I was 3 months ago!), here you have it!





Today marks 90 days, the end of the beginning of my journey into Crossfit. 91 days ago, if you had told me that I would be doing the things that I can do today, I would have laughed at you. If you told me that I would stop eating bread, I would have laughed even harder. If you told me that I would be wearing clothes I have not worn since before Ollie was born, I would have told you to shut the front door. But I am doing it!

 Let's start at the beginning...

I first discovered Crossfit by trolling a women's workout page on Facebook. There was a post looking for women who do Crossfit that would like to try out for American Ninja Warrior. I LOVE that show! Those normal, everyday people, are amazing athletes! If there is some form of exercise that would get me into that type of shape, I would do it! I forgot all about it until I saw a photo on Facebook of a friend from high school (Casie P!) at her Crossfit gym. She was on gymnast rings, and it looked fun! So I started digging around online and discovered a CF gym (or box, as they are called) right around the corner from me! After reading about CF online and some of the before/after testimonies, I knew without a doubt that this is what I wanted to do. I would gladly give up my beautiful globo-gym membership with it's spin classes, Zumba, "weight training" classes, Pilates studio, shiny mirrors, army of elliptical machines, hot tubs, spa, and even watersides to "become a Ninja Warrior" (ok, that's a little dramatic, I'm not REALLY going to be a Ninja Warrior. Or will I?....)

I was completely intimidated by everyone and everything the first time I walked into The Garage. However I was shocked to discover how friendly and down-to-earth every was! Every single person came to shake my hand and welcome me. I could immediately get the sense of a team atmosphere. Bruce was my coach and I as the only person at the 7:00pm class. As he took me through my first warm up, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself in to. 1/4 mile run, bear crawls, mountain climbers, squats, push ups, and burpee broad jumps. And that was just the warm up?!?! The WOD (workout of the day) was scaled down to accommodate to my fitness level. It was 12 minutes for time: 50 wall ball shots (squatting low, then throwing a 12 pound medicine ball to a 9ft mark on the wall, catch, squat, throw, repeat), 100 single jumps with a jump rope, 10 pull ups. Repeat if time is not up. About 3 minutes into it, I wanted to quit so bad. I needed water so bad. I thought I was going to vomit and faint at the same time. Bruce, Simon, and Tim kept telling me I was doing great. Keep moving, even if it is slow, just keep moving. When I couldn't get my chin up over the pull up bar anymore, Bruce physically pushed me up over the bar. He would not let me stop. I suffered through 1 round + 13 more wall balls. When it was finally over I was delirious. I took a spot flat on my back on the floor. I can't tell you how long I laid there trying to catch my breath and stop my flailing legs. When I finally was still, I felt...different. I have had many exercise induced "endorphin highs" before, but this was different. The only way I can accurately describe it was sort of euphoric. And it lasted the next few hours. I was hooked!

That same day, I began "The Paleo Diet" (but it truly is a Paleo lifestyle). The prospect of it was horrifying. Before, I used to drink 4-5 diet cokes a day, cookies every night after dinner, a giant dessert once a week, and my family still lovingly (yet truthfully) calls me "Biscuit Butt" because I LOVE biscuits, bread, and pretty much anything with a carb. Seriously, if I can give up grains, ANYONE can give up grains. I expected to feel awful for a few weeks, especially since I was starting Cold Turkey, however it was just the opposite. I felt amazing from the very beginning! I had tons of energy, I was not hungry, no headaches, and very few cravings. I lost 7 lbs the first week. I then began to research the diet, and I decided to eliminate all gluten from my diet. Let me tell you, this was one of the best decisions I have ever made! I have always been what my mom calls "a worry wort." And when I was 18, I began suffering from panic attacks and severe anxiety. I have never accepted prescribed medication at multiple doctors' advice, but rather I have tried to manage it on my own. Since I have been eating Paleo, I have had ZERO anxiety. And that was even through weathering the storm of unexpectedly losing my brother-in-law. I absolutely will eat this way for the rest of my life. (Don't get me wrong, I do allow myself 2 treats a week, just to keep my taste-buds happy!) All of the work I do in the gym is fueled by my food choices. And now, 3 months later, junk food makes me literally sick! MAJOR lifestyle change for me!

I can not talk about my experience with Crossfit and not talk about the people at The Garage. There are so many characters who effect me in different ways. Some keep me laughing, some keep me going, and some and just plain inspirational. There are a few in particular that I want to note, just in case they happen to read this: My #1 coach, Travis, for having confidence in me and making me "lift that grown woman weight." My lifting partner Susan, for calling me on my B.S., constantly reminding me of my goals, and never, ever, ever letting me sandbag.  And so many other women who celebrate my victories and serve as daily inspiration. I hope that one day I can lift like Jennifer, do pull ups like Angel, be fast like Laura, explain things like Aubrey, and be an all-around bad ass like Jamie. After I've had 4 kids, I hope I look like Verity. Then when I "grow up," I want to be just like Renee, still Crossfitting! (I didn't mention the guys here, but they are awesome too!) Those are just a few, but seriously, I could not have my rear in the gym and keep going every day without the Crossfit community. So if you are reading this, thank you for being you!!

So that brings me to the big evaluation. How awesome did I really get in 90 days? Pretty dang awesome from where I began! My goal for the year (which I reached in 2 months!) is to do 1 unassisted pull up.. check, I can string together 12 in a row! I can front squat 165 lbs. (started at 70 lbs). Back squat 185 lbs (started at 135) I can easily run 3 miles (0 before). I can do toes-to-bar. I can hang squat clean 110 lbs. I can do real chest-to-ground push ups. I am no longer afraid of box jumps. I can do 50 1.5 pood unbroken kettle bell swings. The word "tabata" no longer makes me weak in the knees. I have discovered that I love rowing. I LOVE olympic lifting. Most importantly, I have learned to *RESPECT* this one body that God gave me by filling it with nutritious food and using it how it was meant to be used so I can live a full life in all areas of my life. It is funny how when I sit down to write my accomplishments, I begin with my working gains. The weight loss is truly secondary, in my mind. But just for the record, I have actually only lost a total of 16 lbs, but I have lost MAJOR fat! I went from approximately 34% body fat down to 27%. I have gone from a size 12 to a size 6 (in my favorite brand). And for the first time since I was 22, I am very happy about my body. Sure, there are still changes I want to make, improvements that will happen, things that will never be the same after having 2 babies (helloooo falling center of gravity!) but I now value my body not for what it looks like, but for what it can do! That is priceless.

I don't plan on slowing down any time soon. I can only imagine what I will be able to do 6 months from now! And one year from now! Muscle ups. Yes, mark it down, in one year, June 14, 2013, I want to be able to do a muscle up.

The proof (in my old bathing suit. It's kinna ugly but I wanted to do it for consistency) The side photos are not very good, but you get the idea:

Day 1-- size 12

Day 90-- size 6

William's Birth Story

William's birth story really begins on Wednesday October 12th. I went for my weekly prenatal checkup and the midwife told me that I would be an excellent candidate for an induction. I was having a pretty rough time at that point- lots of contractions, bleeding, elevated blood pressure, so I decided to take her up on the offer! I knew I would be going into the hospital last Thursday night so I spent the rest of Wednesday cleaning the house and buying any last minute things. On Thursday, Matt took most of the day off work and we had a special "Ollie Day." We took her out for pizza, to the mall to ride the carousel, did pretty much whatever she wanted to do before dropping her off at Matt's parents' house to spend the night. It was really sad leaving her knowing that the next time I see her, she won't be an only child any more!

Matt and I had a really nice dinner at a mexican restaurant where we just sat and talked for a long, long time. We knew that our lives were about to dramatically change and it was so nice to be able to just sit and reflect on how far we've come on the past 5 years together as well as our plans for the future. I will never ever forget that dinner for the rest of my life.

We went home to wait for the call from the hospital to tell us when to come in for the induction. I went to bed around 9:00, didn't fall asleep until around 10:00, and woke up again at 11:00 when Matt came to bed. I tossed and turned for hours until the hospital finally called at 1:30am and we agreed to a 5:00am arrival time! At 2:30 I was contracting, nauseated, and tore up with heartburn (from the mexican food!) so I got up and took a long shower, shaved my legs (not an easy task), dried my hair, put on makeup, and watched a recorded episode of Jersey Shore. Matt woke up at 3:45 and we went to Waffle House for breakfast. Too bad we had the most annoying waitress ever or we would have had a really nice time, but oh well.

We arrived at the hospital around 4:45am and were in the room ready by 5:00am. I had been contracting all night and by the time they hooked me up to the monitors, the contractions were coming every 4 mins! I was already in labor! They started me on pitocin at 11:00am and broke my water around 12:00pm. That was so strange! I thought I was peeing all over the midwife's hand but it was just the water breaking! After the water broke, the contractions started coming really strong so we knew it was only a matter of hours now. I decided to get the epidural before things progressed too far. I gotta say. I still don't like getting an epidural. It feels like I am being prodded into the inside of my body, but in reality it is only about 2 inches. The anesthesiologist talked to me about the owl costume she was making her son for Halloween (and I just happened to know something about owl costumes!) and when that wasn't distracting me enough, I went to my "happy place" playing in the ocean in the Bahamas with Matt and Ollie. After what seemed like hours, it was over! I wasn't completely numb, like with Ollie, I just felt like someone rubbed novacane (?) all over my lower body. I could still move my legs!

By that time, my parents, my brother and his girlfriend, and my Paw Paw (William!) had come so I just relaxed and talked to them until I started feeling like I was going to poop everywhere! I called the nurse to come check me but I was only 6cm dilated! That may have been true but I knew he was coming, and FAST. At that point everyone left except Matt. The next contraction I felt like I had to push! I called the nurse but she didn't come fast enough. Finally Matt went into the hall to get someone, I had another contraction and freaked out because it felt like the baby was coming out. I couldn't stop my body from pushing! I was like "Oh my goodness! I'm going to have this baby laying here all by myself!" Matt and the nurse arrived in time! Nurse took one look and said "Looks like we're having a baby!" The midwife was there in the next minute, my mom came to check on me and decided to stay (in the corner where she didn't have to "see anything"- she can't even take the sight of a bleeding paper cut.. lol!).

The midwife looked and said "You are probably going to have him in 2 pushes!" So I pushed and it felt so good! Like a release of pressure or something. She told me to stop- which was SO hard to do, then push about 5 more times really really hard. I am SO glad I kept exercising and even worked out my abs until I was 36 weeks because it took every thread of abdominal muscle I had! (Matt later told me that Will's shoulders were stuck and I was having to work really hard to get them out!) He finally came out and the first thing I said was "He's so cute!" The midwife tried to hand him to me but the umbilical cord was so short that she had to hold him close while Matt cut the cord. When I finally got a good look at him I thought he looked just like Ollie, but with a tan! He sort of fussed a little but he never even cried! They let me hold him for a while instead of whisking him away for a bath, etc. I even got him to breast feed within 10 minutes of being born! After I got cleaned up, my family came in to see him. It was so sweet to see my Paw Paw, who William is named after, take pictures of him. He was SO prideful. My dad was there too. He didn't get to be there when Ollie was born so this was special for him too. We all sat around and held him and talked about who he looked like for about an hour until they moved me up to the mom and baby floor (and laughed at me trying to walk to the bathroom after the epidural!). It was a priceless hour! Oh! And I can't forget the saltine crackers and apple juice the nurse brought me! It was one of the tastiest snacks I've ever eaten in my entire life!

Matt's parents brought Ollie to visit when we were going to the new room and she got to visit for about an hour. However she lost interest after about 15 minutes! But it was sweet and I knew there were be plenty of time for making friends later!

Matt, Will, and I settled in for the night and Will was the only one who really slept! We were too busy talking, being excited, and checking to make sure he was ok all night long! It really couldn't have been any better! Praise God for miracles!!!

Will's 1st week

This has been one of the best weeks ever! I was really nervous because everyone know that having a brand new baby is not easy. However, it was not nearly as difficult as I anticipated!

Our stay at the hospital was EXCELLENT! I was not happy about having to deliver at Northside-Atlanta because of the reputation of it being a "baby factory" but let me tell you- The level of care I received was WAY better than Kennestone and I really felt like I was in a hotel with nurses popping in sporadically, not a hospital (ok, other than the food... YUCK!). They did not "mess with us" as much as they did at Kennestone. There were not nurses in and out to take blood pressure, temp., etc. every 2 hours. I only saw a nurse every 6 hours (who brought me pain meds!) or when they had to take Will to the nursery to have his biliruben (?) checked. Other than that, we were pretty much left alone unless we called for help. Also, they knew of my history of breast surgery and automatically sent lactation consultants 3 different times to help us! I really just can't say enough about Northside. If we have more children, I will absolutely go there again. No questions asked.

We got home last Sunday and had a really nice quiet afternoon. Ollie was with my parents so the 3 of us just hung out, Will and I slept, Matt watched football, it was really nice.

Ollie has been EXCELLENT! She was a little defiant toward me but I understand. The best part is, she adores William! She doesn't really want to touch him, luckily. She just wants to look at him and describe him. "He has on a hat! He has monkeys on his feet!" She does like to hold him and kiss him but she is very, very gentle! The transition has not been at all as tough as I expected!

I have decided to end my breast feeding days. It was a decision Matt and I made together so I feel 100% confident that it is best for all of us. Will did so good in the hospital but things quickly went downhill as soon as we got home. He was taking 30 mins to latch on, 20-30mins on one breast, 20-30 mins to latch on to the other side, then feeding for 20-30 mins again. And he wasn't draining each breast so I was having to pump 10-15 mins after each feeding. By the time it was all done, we were starting over again. Not to mention the entire left side of my left breast has completely blocked ducts so I literally feel like I have huge golf balls under my skin. But you know what? I am totally proud of myself! We did the colostrum, the transitional milk, and a few days of "real milk." And I am so happy for what I was able to do! The formula feeding is going well. He is gaining weight and is not having gas problems (like Ollie had)! I am just so so so happy about what little breast milk he did get and there were no tears shed when we made his first formula bottle, so I'd say success!!

Will is a pee machine! He pees through his clothes at least 3 times a day, which means he is really getting to wear all his newborn clothes! Yesterday he even peed on Matt's brother! And he poops while he's eating! Gotta love that predictability!

One of the toughest things is taking care of his poor little circumcision wound! When we first saw it, it made Matt "weak in the knees" and he could not bear to change his diaper! Now it is almost 100% completely healed! Too bad I ruined my favorite pair of pajamas with vaseline trying to get it on his thingy! Luckily, it is almost healed up now... whew!

Will can hold his head up! Pretty amazing! And he can switch it back and forth when he's on his stomach! Classic overachiever, just like his dad.

He has black hair growing on his back and side burns half way down his face... what a man!

Matt is absolutely the most wonderful guy ever! It is crazy how having a baby makes you love someone even more! I want to cry just thinking about him!

Speaking of crying, if I think too hard about my new little family, I get all choked up. I don't know what I ever did in my life to deserve such blessings. God is truly merciful because I did not earn all of this on merit! I just can't stop thinking Him for everything he has given me!

1/2 of everyone say that Will looks like Ollie (who looks just like Matt), the other 1/2 say he looks like a Culver. But I think he looks like himself. His skin is so dark compared to me and Ollie (Matt's grandmother is Cherokee Indian), his hair is dark, he is very tall, and I think his eyes are going to be blue... tall, dark, and handsome with blue eyes-- ooh la la!!

He is sleeping so good at night! Eating every 4 hours so I am getting 5-6 hours of sleep every night!! Lucky me!!

Well, that's all for now... hope to update again next week!!

Thank You

I know so many of my mom friends know that child rearing is truly a labor of love in which we will more than likely not receive the "thank yous" that we would love to hear until our children are grown. But to hear "thank you" is not why we decided to have children. I had such a special little moment with Ollie this morning that I just had to share. I hope it will encourage my friends with little babies who can't really talk yet to keep the course...

Ollie woke me up this morning around 4:30 from a dead sleep yelling "Mommy, please come!" I ran into her room to find that (for the millionth time) she had wet through her diaper, PJ's, and onto her bed. I gave her a little sponge bath, changed her clothes, then her sheets, tucked her in, and got her some milk to help her go back to sleep. Before I left the room she called out "Mommy, thank you so much." I can't even explain how much that meant to me. It made me want to burst into tears. I struggle to sleep all night as it is, the last thing I want to do is wake up to clean up pee. But as a mom, you don't think. You just do it. That's just what you do. To hear a two and a half year old be sincerely thankful for you just doing your "duty" is truly heartwarming. It makes those other 999,999 nights that I have gotten up during the night so much more worth it. :)

Most embarrassing moment EVER!

There are many gross things about pregnancy and most of them are kept private (until you get to the delivery room, of course) but sometimes, things just happen in public. And at least this time, I have pregnancy to blame it on. But it still doesn't make it any less mortifying!

Ollie and I were at Old Navy this morning looking at dresses. They were having a huge sale, and the place was full of people. Out of no where I had to sneeze. No biggie, right? Well, sneeze #1 was OK, sneeze #2 also produced a giant, trombone-ish fart (it gets worse), and sneeze #3 was enough to break the levee. I peed all over myself. And not just a little bit, but I had 3 glasses of tea at breakfast plus more water after that with no bathroom stops! I was wearing jeans so the denim turned dark blue from my crotch all the way down past my knees! To make it even worse, Ollie saw it and realized what was going on and started saying "Mommy, do you need to sit on the potty? Mommy is all wet. Mommy needs to change her diaper. Mommy needs to put on dry panties." Of all places, I was in the maternity section and there just happened to be another pregnant chick beside me. We both were laughing so hard, she said that she was going to pee in her pants too! (Luckily she didn't) So I threw down what I was going to buy, grabbed Ollie out of the buggie, and ran out the door- somehow still laughing, with Ollie still talking about how mommy peed on herself. Oh my goodness. So much for Kegel exercises! If it is this bad at 23 weeks, what am I going to be like at 33 weeks?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Some thoughts on having a boy

-I am absolutely terrified of changing a boy diaper! I baby sat my cousin's newborn son one time and EVERY time I changed his diaper, he peed so bad, I couldn't contain it, and  I had to change his clothes!

-I am also freaked out about the whole circumcision thing. Not really the procedure itself, but taking care of it until after it heals. I heard you're not supposed to use baby wipes on "it". And something is supposed to fall off?!?! WHAT?!?!

- I used to not like boy clothes but I guess I just didn't know what I liked. But now I do: I DO NOT like anything with teddy bears, "cutsie sayings" like "Daddy's little man" or "Mommy's big boy" (barf!), and I DESPISE anything resembling a jumper or shortalls or whatever they call them, and also anything remotely feminine looking. I pretty much just like grown men's clothing but shrunk into baby sizes.

- I REALLY want William to love sports like Matt and I do. Even Ollie seems to really like them too. It would be so great to go to a high school football game and cheer on my own son! But if he doesn't, that's perfectly fine too. The world needs lots of scientists, writers, musicians, and artists too. Not everyone can be a big jock.

- That being said, I do want him to be in a sport regardless of what it is. I think it is especially important for boys to have the structure and discipline of a sports team and the ability to productively get all the energy out. And if he plays in high school or college, there is a grade and conduct requirement, which is an even bigger bonus. I guess I just feel really strongly about playing sports in general.

- I will tell Will, as I tell Ollie already, that I want him to take risks, but be accountable. I don't want him to live in constant fear of failure or punishment. (I'm sure this one will come back and bite me in the butt with many trips to the ER over the years) But I want them to go out on a limb and take a challenge head on. Those are the movers and shakers of the world.

- I hope he will be even 1/2 as forward thinking as Matt. I think Matt was a wild child but he had the foresight to prepare for his future very young. Which in-turn has made him a brilliant business man, scholar, and provider. He was offered full scholarships to college to play football but turned them down. He had the wisdom to see computers and the internet and the impact they were going to have on society, and got into that industry before it became popular. He traded a "fun time," for seriously preparing himself for the future. (FYI in college, he was the first webmaster at KSU. He actually had to teach the teachers what the internet was and why it was going to be so important. How funny!) He bought his first house at age 21 and started saving for retirement even before that. He is very smart with his money and his passion for responsible personal finance is contagious. I know Matt will teach these lessons to Will, I just hope he really listens.

- At first we wanted to name the baby Solomon. Then Orion. Then Greer. But I'm really glad we went with William. I have heard so many off-the-wall baby names lately, that I feel like William is a breath of fresh air. It may be historically the 2nd most popular name in the entire world (the first is Muhammad-- and the variations of it) but it is still special to me. My mom's dad is named William Eli Wood and he is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. And I hope Will loves the Lord like my Paw Paw does.

-I have the feeling that he is going to be one of those boys who will eat us out of house and home. If my current appetite is any indication, I know he will! I am completely ravenous, yet I don't gain weight. If that is true, I hope he is a "human garbage disposal" and will eat anything I put in front of him. One picky eater (well, 2 if you include Matt) is quite enough for me!

That's all for now. More to come...

Matt is the youngest of 3 boys. This is him (snaggle-toothed  #12) and his next oldest brother, Mark. His oldest brother, Michael, was their coach-- how cute! (but I can't seem to find the photo of the 3 of them)