4.03.2010

Family & 24 weeks

I'm the oldest of 3 kids all close to 2 years apart.  On Wednesday, my brother Rich and girlfriend + 2 dogs Sandy (San Diego) and Callie (California) (they are obsessed) left to drive cross country to San Diego where they plan to live for a while.  Rich has been talking about moving to North Carolina or somewhere warm for years, and finally did it. His job in New York City gave him the go-ahead to work remotely from Cali, so he was thrilled and got everything together and is outta here!  He was at my parents house for 2 days before heading out, and I saw him both those days and said farewell on Wednesday.  I'm super happy for him and know he wanted to do this for so long, but I started getting sad thinking of all the times I'm not going to see him and realizing he is now going to be a plane ride away instead of 2 hour car ride. When it comes down to it, we didn't get to see him all that much, but now he's on a different time zone. So... I've been kind of sad about it.

 saying goodbye - my dad, nick, miranda and rich

My sister had moved back to the Philly area last summer to go to grad school. Her boyfriend at the time was living in this area. They got an apartment together and within a month, she moved out and they broke up and she withdrew from school, and by the beginning of this year moved back to D.C. She started enjoying running more and as a college athlete (swimming) and stronger natural athlete than me, she'll probably start beating my times. She is into the triathlon scene and is trying to get serious about it, so the running was definitely her weak point and she is improving on it.
Picture from last weekend's finish - loving it!

My brother keeps to himself most of the time but I know if I ever need anything, he'd be there for me. We went to the same high school and college and were 2 years apart. He bought me beer with his fake ID when he was a freshmen in college and I was a junior.  Sometimes I get disappointed that he doesn't want to divulge more info and he seems to have been forever wounded by his older sister tripping him when he was learning to walk -I guess I was around 3 and was not thrilled with any competition.  It sounds like a was a real mean and bratty sister growing up, but now I would do anything for either of my siblings and never would want to do anything to hurt them!

My sister is Nick's godmother.  In the summers growing up, she was my sidekick and tagged along everywhere with me. We both swam and she hung out with my crowd even though she is 4+ years younger than me. We were always close but drifted apart a little bit in college and over the past year, most especially when I started dating Bill (she was still in high school), and probably after having Nick(she can't relate too much).  Sometimes I get frustrated that she isn't more interested in Nick and find it difficult that we are in different places in our lives.  Also, she's extremely outgoing and has a million friends and a carefree attitude about life.  I am more of an introvert with a handful of really good friends and friends here and there, but would never be the center of attention or life of the party. We're very opposite.

I feel so lucky to have a brother and a sister, but I will admit that sometimes I feel like I put more into our relationships than they do.  It is probably my personality but sometimes I want more - closer, deeper relationships and I get frustrated.  I feel disappointed often.  I am truly working on counting my blessings, because there are so many, and not dwelling on the things I'd want to change.  I am so lucky with everything that I have. And one thing that I think ahead to is that I hope to really foster relationships between my kids so that they are super close. After #2, I definitely want to have at least 1-2 more kids.

What is your relationship with your siblings?  I'll save another day for parents.  Yikes.

This morning I went swimming - I can deal with 6:30 instead of 5:30! Then we did a family 5k! I was thinking of my goals and I think instead of a marathon, that I want to focus on doing a triathlon next spring. That is going to be my goal post baby: Short races and a tri!

Nick psyching out the competition:
You can't really see it, but I got and wore a NO MEAT ATHLETE SHIRT :)



24 weeks: Lots of heartburn, don't have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom! (I don't remember this last time), running slow, swimming slow, feeling pretty good!

Happy Easter !

15 comments:

  1. What a sweet post about your siblings! Lots of nice pictures as well.

    I have an older brother (2.5 yrs) and a younger sister (7 yrs). I haven't been to close with them the last few years since I've been married. My brother lives close by and my sister lives about an hour away now.

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  2. Thanks for sharing all of that Natalie.

    I have an older sister (2.5 years). We were never close growing up and only got close when she went away to college. There was just too much rivalry I think among some other stuff. Now, we are closer than before but don't speak very often as she's in cali herself with husband. Wish she was closer!

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  3. I'm the oldest with two younger brothers. I'm very close to my brother who is 20 months younger than I, and I love my youngest brother to death, but he's 11 years younger than me and the big age gap means we don't have a lot in common. He's 21 and his main concerns are that of a 21 year old. I'm 32 with a young family -- yeah, just not much in common.

    But, both live far away, which sucks. I'd love it if we could all be a bit closer in distance to one another.

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  4. My siblings and I are best friends. With 5 kids in the family, I think that tends to happen.

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  5. I have 2 younger sisters and we've always gotten along well. My youngest sister is still in high school so we don't really have a lot in common right now and don't talk a lot, but I'm looking forward to when we're all "grown-ups" at the same time. I really think siblings are important, especially for girls, and I really hope we can have 3 kids. (My husband thinks 2 is the perfect number...maybe because he just has one sister.)

    Your family 5K is so cute! My husband has just starting running and I'm so ridiculously happy about it! I LOVE seeing families and jogging strollers together at races.

    I think I've said this before, but I cannot believe you haven't done a triathlon already with all the swimming you do! I'm not a big biking fan but I love triathlons and have done a few in the past. I want to get back into it, but there is nowhere to swim here except the lake.

    Have a Happy Easter!

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  6. Feel the same way about my sister- miss the days we were closer but she seems happy the way it is. Hoping my kids are able to have a close relationship that I miss!

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  7. I have one sister, almost five years younger. We've never had a super close relationship, but I have high hopes that we will one day...

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  8. Thanks for sharing! :) I love learning about relationships and how things are with other people. My brother and i are 3 years apart. We faught when we were little but now we get along real well (most of the time) and i love him to pieces. I cant wait to read about your parents! :) happy easter! I love the pics too!

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  9. I love the pic of the 3 of you at the family 5K! The way you described your personality and your sister's reminded me of how they typically describe birth order traits. My brother, who is 2 yrs younger, is so much more social than I am.

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  10. I'm so blessed to have a wonderful older sister (4yrs) for whom there is nothing I wouldn't do and vice versa. She lives about 2 hours away (she was about 20 mins up the road about 3 years ago) and I miss her being further away, but it is not so far and we try to catch up fairly regularly - sometimes as a 4 (my hubby and her partner) and sometimes just her and me. I love her so much. When Al and I b#**ered off to NZ for an indefinite amount of time she flew out to spend 12 days with us as that was all she could get off. Waving goodbye at the airport was awful as we had a one way ticket and we didn't know when we would see each other again.

    I have a brother too (older by 7 yrs). I don't know where he lives - I believe he has moved to the states, but I'm not sure where. I think of him often and hope and pray that he is OK and that perhaps in the future he can come back into our lives physically if that is what is right for us all. Having a sibling that is 'missing' from your life is a terrible bereavement, because you never stop loving them, no matter what.

    Still I am blessed with a wonderful sis and parents and I try to always keep that in mind as you never know when that might change.

    Kaz.

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  11. The Family 5K looks like so much fun. Great shirt!

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  12. Thanks for sharing girly - I think you've read all about my siblings on my blog :p

    I'm the middle child, classic middle child, too. My bro is 9 years older and my little sis is 9 years younger. I'm VERY close to my big bro and my little sis. It's taken longer with my sister, but now that she is in college and 21 she isn't such the "baby" anymore.
    My mom always tells us, hold your brother and sisters close - they are the only people who know you you're whole life! They are YOUR team and you're best allies!

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  13. thankfully i'm really close with my sisters. we were terrible to each other growing up but now we are all so close. i talk to my one sister several times a day which is crazy considering we used to go weeks w/o saying a word to each other.

    the family 5k looks like a great way to spend the wknd!

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  14. You don't even look pregnant!! (Catching up on posts after being crazy busy and avoiding blog world)

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