Team Rainey: Duathletes

A few months after Marli was born, like any mother who has just given birth, I was ready to lose some unwanted weight. However, the motivation to do so was severly lacking. You would think the way I looked in the mirror would be enough motivation, but apparently not. Allan had (has) been doing mountain bike races through Dirty Spokes Productions for a while, so I was lollygagging on their site one day & noticed they had a duathlon coming up. Oooh.. fancy word, DUATHLON!!! Hmmm... I thought, wonder if I could do that?? So, I told Allan sign us up! The only thing that was going to motivate me to get my butt in gear was KNOWING my name was on the roster. My plan to train leading up to the first race went like this: download couch to 5K app, do it once, and then.... NOTHING. LOL! I literally went into my first race blind and ignorant. Heck, I didn't even feel the need to stretch! haha! Clearly, I had no idea how tough a trail run would be.

Here's our schedule of races:
March: Fort Yargo: 3.8 mile run, 10 mile bike, 2.1 mile run
April: Mt. Tabor: 3.1 mile run, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
May: Tribble Mill: 2.8 mile run, 8 mile bike, 2.8 mile run

Of course, Allan sailed right through his biking portion. He is used to bustin' his tail in races. I, on the other hand, not so much. I did survive the first race and no one had to drag me across the finish line. That was a huge accomplishment in itself. I ended up beating a goal I had set for myself on the first leg. Was I first?? Heck no...but I had my iPod charged with uplifting & encouraging music that helped push me that extra mile to get the job done!
So, since I had not trained for the first race and I actually survived it, I got a little cocky going into the 2nd race. I thought... Hmph, I did the first race 3.8 miles.... surely 3.1 won't hurt. Ummm.... well, apparently newbie trail runner here didn't account for the fact that the TERRAIN would be different! Mt. Tabor had way more inclines and declines, roots & rocks. That kicked my tail. I even ended up with battle wounds. On the 2nd leg of the race at Mt. Tabor, I tripped on a root & slid off the trail a little bit down the mountain. Skinned my arm and hands. Man, did it burn. It has been a really long time, probably since I was a kid, that I took a tumble that caused me to bleed. Ironically, the night before we had watched the Passion of the Christ and I told myself to get back up and keep going. Those little boo boos were nothing in comparison to what Christ did for me on the cross. Get back up & keep going. So, I did.
Tribble Mill was the final race in the series. It had climbs, too, but it wasn't too bad. I think the hardest race in the series for me was Mount Tabor. I never finished first. If anything I was probably last at every race, but I finished. I would tell myself on the course that I wasn't last... the person at home on their couch was last! In just 3 races, I was able to improve my time and I am VERY happy about that!
On the first leg of each race I was able to improve my average of a 15:14 minute mile down to a 12:21 minute mile. And, on the 2nd leg of the race, I went from averaging a 18:57 minute mile down to a 13:08 minute mile! That's HUGE improvement for me and I'm excited!

So, has the race bug bitten me?? I don't know. When I'm on the trail, I hate every minute of it. It's hard, hot, and I'm slow... BUT from day one I've said I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! Phil 4:13 and He did give me strength!

Maybe I am a glutton for punishment, the night after our last race I was back online looking for another trail run!

Here's a couple photos from the races.

Freezing before the first race... it was 42 degrees

After I finished the first race at Yargo

Coming into the finish line at Tribble Mill... not pretty.

My Man... ridin' his bike like a BOSS!

Baby Girl & Hypothyroidism

When MG was 2 weeks old, we got a call from our pediatrician’s office letting us know that MG had a part of her newborn screening test (PKU) to come back from the state with abnormal results. They wanted us to do a repeat blood test to confirm what the original test was showing. So, on Friday, October 27^th, we went in for them to take her blood for retesting. Reading on the internet can really scare the pants off of ya. Everything I was reading was saying that there was a chance, that due to the high TSH level, she could have mental or physical retardation. Fear shot through me like an arrow. I know the Lord gave her the verse Jeremiah 29:11 for a reason. I sat in her nursery, rocking her & praying that verse over her. What a great reminder that even when I think I’m in control, the Lord reminds me that He is the one who is in control. He loves her more than I do and His plans for her are to prosper & not harm her, to give her hope & a future. I was so thankful for the peace He gave me through praying those words over her little body. The results came back on Monday, Oct 31^st. Her TSH level was still high. It was 20, but it was down from the hospital score of 79. Surely, that is okay right?! Wrong. We were referred to a pediatric endocrinologist where we received some reassuring news. She has a super nice doctor. He basically told me that she would have to go undiagnosed for 3 mos. before any kind of mental or physical retardation set in. We caught hers very early. That made me feel LOTS better because in all my research, I couldn't find a definite time frame that we were working with. I mean, did it set in at 2 weeks, 6 mos., a year? what?? So, getting that answer was great relief. They started her on 50 mcg of Synthroid. He said it was very important that we get her TSH level down as quickly as possible. TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone and it is released when the pituitary gland detects low levels of T4 hormone. Once we get the Synthroid (T4) in her.. the TSH will go down because the pituitary gland will detect proper levels of the hormones. Basically he equated it to being vitamin deficient... if you were deficient, you'd take a vitamin... with her she's hormone deficient so she'll be on hormone. He did say close to her 2nd BD we'll reevaluate her. If we've not had to increase her dosage in the months leading up to her 2nd BD, then we may be able to take her off to see how she does on her own. If she does great, then she can come off. If not, she'll be on it indefinitely. Right now, it's essential that she be on it to keep her brain growing and developing properly.


She’s going to be fine, just fine! I know it…for the LORD has told me so! J

Our Baby Girl

{click the pics to view them larger}

Introducing Our Sweet Princess

37 Weeks + 1 Day

Sooo... this is all new to me!
Waiting... for sweet baby girl to make her appearance. With all the boys, I had already delivered by now. I was ready on Monday... that was 36 weeks 3 days... then I was ready on Wednesday... that was 36 weeks 5 days and here I sit at 37 weeks 1 day with baby girl still rolling away in my tummy! I feel like I'm waiting for the Fed Ex man to deliver a super duper special surprise package and he's not showing up on time! I know I should be patient and let her stay in for a while longer, but I'm so anxious to meet her and get into a routine with four kiddos, not to mention I'm extremely uncomfortable physically at this time. Rolling over in bed is a HUGE and painful ordeal!
On Monday 9/26, she was about 5 pounds 13 ounces. She's a itty bitty baby squirt. But, Seth was estimated to be 8 pounds and was born 2 days later at 9 pounds. So, I'm hoping she's actually closer to 7 pounds.
So.... I'll be waiting til sweet baby girl decides she's ready to meet her family!!

Thirty Five Weeks ~ One Day

33 Weeks 2 Days

Marli Grace's Room

It's starting to come together!! Still missing a few things, but hopefully we'll get the rest completed before she gets here!! We're still working on getting polyurethane on the dresser I am refinishing for her. And, there's a mirror that's in the paint stages... almost ready to hang above the lamp. And, of course, the rocking chair. I'd like to slipcover the cushions, but we'll see if I get to that! ;) If I don't, it'll still rock the same I think!! Enjoy the sneak peek!!

view with lamp on... no overhead light

her lamp I painted and trimmed... eventually there will be a mirror hanging above the lamp... still in paint stage!

overhead light on.. very bright!!

the hairbow holder I painted for her

crib with the canvases I've been working on... still need to finish the "G"

32 Weeks 2 Days

Thought I'd post a couple of pictures of my belly! Won't be much longer and she will be here!!

{and She will be called}

Yesterday, Baby Girl Rainey's bedding arrived.
Her room is starting to come together and it's finally starting to sink in we will be welcoming a baby girl into our family very soon! She is going to be Daddy's little princess & very protected by her big brothers who can't wait for her to be here!
Tomorrow, I'll be 27 weeks. The boys all came at 36 weeks 5 days, 36 weeks 3 days and 36 weeks 5 days. So, she could very well be well on her way in just 9 short weeks! We have so much to do to get ready for her arrival.
We love & can't wait to meet you Marli Grace Rainey!!

It's Confirmed: It's a Baby Girl

On Friday, I went in for my 20 week appointment. My tummy was measuring right on time. We were very fortunate that the docs office was testing out a new ultrasound machine & the tech had a sales rep there showing her all the bells & whistles that the machine would do, so we got a pretty lengthy appointment! That combined with Dr. Williams had been called to an emergency over at the hospital gave us extra peeking time! All her measurements were within normal limits. This made me very happy because I was worried that I had not gained enough weight therefore maybe she wasn't growing like she should be. Dr. Williams reassured me that a 3 pound gain in a month is plenty right now and everything with the baby looked good. She is very active. Moving all the time in my tummy. I've only been able to feel kicks and movements on the outside a couple of times. It's all mainly felt inside. Can't wait for the boys to feel their baby sister kicking!!

The ultrasound tech at Dr. Williams agreed with the other ultrasound tech at Baby Vision that Baby Rainey is in fact a girl! We are so excited! Still pondering names and keeping them to ourselves to prevent any feedback. We have one we think we're pretty set on though. Most likely she'll have a good ol' southern double name, but we're trying to come up with something that isn't so popular. I mean, we don't want her to have a crazy radical name, just would rather there not be 3 or 4 in her class one day! I've used Nate & Alex's school yearbook to look through names. The name we have wasn't listed anywhere in their yearbook. So, we're hoping in the next few months we won't come across very many!

Anyway, here's the photos we got! If you click on them, it'll be bigger and you can see more!

top: hand beside head
middle: not a great pic
bottom: profile facing upwards





top: foot with all piggies
middle: girlie parts.. three white horizonal lines
bottom: sweet face and arm



I'm Choosing To Trust My Lord!

**Warning Long Post**
Ok, so ever since Saturday & our exciting news that the baby is a sweet girl, I have been consumed with worry, doubt and fear. My mind hasn't stopped racing. Did the ultrasound tech really see a girl? Did she really know what she was doing? Am I far enough along to really tell what the baby is? Am I going to have to call all our family & friends in 5 more weeks to say 'we jumped the gun'? Am I crazy for really believing the Lord has promised to hear & answer my prayers? Doubt and worry led me to have a horrendous headache all day yesterday. It was the kind of headache that felt like my head was about to literally explode! Where was my focus? Not on the Lord & what He's told me since I've been pregnant.
Coincidentally, our resident snake is back, too. The one who hangs out in the knot-hole in the tree in our backyard. Each day I go out & sit on the deck & we just stare at each other. Interesting how the timing is with our fantastic news & the arrival of this slithering creature! LIGHTBULB MOMENT: I've been focusing on that crazy snake "the devil" and not keeping my eyes on the Lord.


Yesterday & today, I've had wonderful devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministries which have given me a swift kick in the pants for me to get refocused on the Lord and to take my eyes off of that crazy snake A.K.A. doubt, fear, worry!


See the Lord showed me several times in my bible study where He was going to fulfill my desire. Scripture He's given me over the past few months: Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding 2 Samuel 7:28 Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Philipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.


And, on the way home to take the pregnancy test, He gave me His words through song: Casting Crowns - Voice of Truth lyrics that were on the radio right as I pulled out of CVS on my way home - the voice of Truth says, "this is for MY glory".... the voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid"


So WHY do I question?? I'm not focused on Him!


And, here's what I have learned from my 2 devotions the past couple of days.


Today's Lesson:


Feeling Emotional
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” John 14:1


I felt, I felt, I felt … all I was doing was feeling, letting my emotions spread out and lay claim over every aspect of my day. There are instances where Jesus is described as feeling “deeply troubled” and “distressed.” (Mark 14:33, John 13:21, John 12:27, NLT)



If Jesus got emotionally agitated, then it’s unrealistic for me to expect to go through life without feeling some stress. The problem isn’t my emotions, it’s my reaction to them. The trouble comes when I give them free reign in my heart and mind. That’s when I become unstable. **Note to self: Hello, this is EXACTLY what I've been doing!**


That’s when I lose sight of God.


That’s when I say or do things I regret.


Jesus spoke today’s key verse to His disciples, knowing what their futures would hold. He knew His death was coming and it would trigger fear, sorrow and doubt in their hearts. Not wanting them to wallow in those emotions, He counseled them ahead of time to keep their focus on God and all that He’d been teaching them. Jesus, knowing what our day holds, speaks the same words to us. He tells us to not let our emotions fly about, creating an unstable and troubled heart. Instead, our trustworthy Lord tells us to focus our attention on Him.** Yes, He has... He's been telling me all along! **



Eventually, I made the decision that morning to pray and place my trust in God, despite how my day was shaping up and despite how volatile my emotions felt. He calmed my anxious heart. It feels good when I trade in my troubled emotions for a source of strength that will get me through my day.


Yesterday's Lesson:


I Need To Know The Truth
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32


When did I start believing I was crazy? ** yep, I thought I was crazy to believe the U/S tech ** I recalled the chronic pain I’ve suffered for the last two years. As I did, familiar accusations ran through my mind: You’re such a wimp. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re crazy. Ah, there it was, the lie that had slithered unbidden into my mind and nested there. **There's that crazy snake in my yard (mind) nesting and taking up room! **
You don’t have to be a survivor of childhood abuse to believe lies. I think they’re part of the human condition. And women seem especially susceptible. Perhaps that susceptibility is an imprint of the fall when Eve believed that first untruth the serpent hissed at her in the garden.

But good news comes with the truth. Not our truth. But the Truth — Jesus Christ. **REFOCUS KELLY**
In other words, when condemning accusations coil around my mind, I know — I can be fully assured — they’re not from God. And if they’re not from God, they’re not worth believing.After my doctor’s appointment when I recognized I’d fallen prey to the lies again, another thought went through my mind: You’ll never get it right. Good grief! This time, I had to laugh. I was aware of the crafty serpent and wasn’t falling for another lie. Instead, I turned to Jesus and thanked Him for the freedom found in Him, the Truth.**Thank you, Jesus for refocusing me! **

While the enemy will continue to try and thwart God’s truth, we can know he’s already lost the battle. It’s a done deal. In Genesis 3 we read that the head of the serpent will be crushed under Jesus’ heel, defeating him for all time. He holds no real power over us.
The longer we walk with Jesus, and the more we seek His truth, the more we’ll recognize His voice and enjoy the freedom found in Him. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Galatians 5:1, NIV)

Ok... that's my blip for today!
Pretend I have a great singing voice and hear me singing...

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long; this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
2. Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight; angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

(Refrain)

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest, watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
(Refrain)

It's A......... Girl?!?!

Friday, I went in as last reported to my OB for my 15 week check up. All is well with the baby & my doctor wanted to see me back in 5 weeks for the "big ultrasound". However, I couldn't stand waiting 5 more weeks to find out what Baby Rainey is. So, Allan & I talked about it & decided to go to a 3D place in Roswell called Baby Vision. It was $60 for gender determination. After, Nate's ball game yesterday, we loaded up the boys & headed up to our appointment. The appointment from start to finish was only 15 mins. It took her about 5-6 mins to get some pics of the baby. I tried really hard to find the "turtle head" like I saw in Nate, Alex & Seth's ultrasound photos and never saw it. The ultrasound tech told us with almost no doubt that Baby Rainey is indeed a girl. I was in total shock & am still in shock. Why? I'm not sure. I think I really thought it would be a boy. I have prayed and asked if it is God's will, for Him to bless us with a baby girl. And, I've claimed Psalm 37:4 "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart". I've felt this whole time that this baby is a girl, so why can't I make myself believe it's a girl?? Doubt? Fear? I don't know. We've called and told all our family & friends and now I think I fear having to call them all in 5 weeks to tell them it's actually a baby boy. Lord knows I would be thrilled with a boy, too. I can't really put it into words the confusion I am feeling right now and if it's actually warranted or if I'm just over analyzing our fantastic news. Reading wrong gender predictions on the internet doesn't seem to help either. I've promised myself after today no more looking at ultrasounds online. 
Here's a few photos they took of her. You can click on them for a larger view.

15 Weeks and Counting

I am 15 weeks today. I just got back a little while ago from the doctor. Everything looks great. I've only gained 1 pound. That's good. I got to hear the heart beat. Dr. W said the heartbeat sounds like a boy to him. Only time will tell! He's probably right. I think he's been in the biz long enough to give an accurate guess. They took blood for the maternal serum alpha fetoprotein test. This is the lovely test we had come back with a false positive with Alex. It's not mandatory, but I opt for it anyway. If there were to be a problem in utero, we'd like to know as early as possible. Praying for good results. We should get results in about a week.

We're still pondering names. We have no idea for a boy. If it is a boy, we'll have to dig deep since we have already used all the names we LOVED. Now it seems a bit more challenging because even if we like the name, sometimes it brings to mind kids we've played ball with or taught in Sunday school. LOL... and those are usually the ones you remember .. and not for good reason! :)
We've got 2 girl names. We'll divulge when the time is right.

Monday I had my endocrinologist appointment. He upped my dose of Synthroid to 137 mcg. from 125 mcg.  He seems to think that will be good until the baby is born. I go back in 2 months to check again. Feeling like a human pin cushion. You'd think I'd be used to needles by now between pregnancies & thyroid issues, but I'm not. I still cringe!

I feel great. I have no nausea which is a true blessing. I'm having to remind myself that there is life growing inside since nothing really fits and I'm not quite in maternity clothes either. Trying to take it easy & enjoy this last pregnancy.
I will go back to Dr. W in 5 weeks to get the big ultrasound. I'll be 20 weeks then. Very excited to find out what this baby is!
Til next time.......

Spring Break in Blue Ridge

About 3 weeks before Spring Break, we had the idea of going back to Blue Ridge, GA and staying in a cabin that we had previously stayed in. The boys ask us all the time, "when can we go back & stay in the cabin with the piano & "hotpool"?" Well, we decided to book it & spend the last 4 days of our Spring Break in the mountains! We had a great time & ate LOTS of yummy food! We arrived around 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon. Went in, got settled & headed out for groceries where we spent more on 4 days worth of groceries than I normally spend on 2 weeks worth of groceries! We ate good!
Friday morning we got up & the boys wanted to go fishing. However, it was very misty rainy and there was a chance of thunderstorms. We headed out anyway looking for some water to wet our hooks! Lake Blue Ridge has been drained in order to fix the dam and won't be filled up again until the rainwaters fill it. I wonder if that's why there was so many homes for sale in Blue Ridge. I bet that eats into the town's profits since that lake is beautiful and offers so much recreation for the area. Anyway, we ended up in McCaysville, GA on the Tennessee border at a park called Horseshoe Bend Park on the Toccoa River. It was a very nice park & after going into ACE for a few fishing supplies and the local IGA store for a can of corn for bait... we baited their hooks hoping the rain would stop. The rain stopped and the haze finally burned off to reveal a beautiful sunshiney day! The boys never caught a fish, but Allan caught one small rainbow trout. He tried to get Nate to reel it in, but Nate was by a little waterfall area of the river and couldn't hear him over the water rushing. He let Nate hold it up & have his pic made as if he caught it. That made Nate's day! After staying at the park all day, we headed back to the cabin and grilled yummy baby back ribs! The kids played in the "hotpool" for a long time. Then after dinner we played UNO. Nate became quite the little player & schooled us a few times!
On Saturday, we were up early to find something else to do. We ended up driving into Morganton and taking a small hike to a Swinging Bridge over the Toccoa River. It was on the Benton MacKaye trail. We found a neat little waterfall. Lucy loved playing in the water! Then, the boys wanted to go fishing again. So, we went on an adventure trying to find another public area to fish at since the Horseshoe Bend Park was about a 45 min to hour drive from where we were. We ended up on the Toccoa River again in the Aska Adventure area next to the Shallowford Bridge. That water was faster moving than the other area & we didn't stay long. I learned I am not a river fisher... I'd rather fish a lake! We stopped & got hot boiled peanuts & other snacks and headed back to the cabin. We had planned a yummy dinner, but were so full from boiled peanuts that we just cooked some garlic shrimp while the boys enjoyed the "hotpool" then we watched Terminator 2. Nate had been wanting to see it & since it was on TV it was a "better" version for him to watch.
Sunday morning came way too soon! We hated leaving our mini-vacation, but we had to get back to reality. Of course, we made a stop at Mercier's Orchard for a jar of jalapeno peach jelly (my pick) and southern peach pecan preserves (Allan's pick). We all got a fried pie and some old fashioned sodas made with cane sugar. Yummy and we spent $50 less than we did last time! We disciplined ourselves because that's what it takes when you go in that place. Everything looks & sounds so yummy! We walked around downtown Blue Ridge & browsed through a couple shops and the boys played at the little park in the center of town before heading back home. We had a yummy dinner of grilled ribeyes, grilled onions and corn on the cob and yummy parmesan red potatoes! It was the perfect ending to our Spring Break!
Here's a few photos of our trip! Enjoy!