My Sweet Boy

I am the mother of a boy.

A wiggly, never-stop-moving, incredibly sweet-with a touch of stubborn, fearless and almost too smart-for his-own good boy.

My boy is happy and he knows it, he favors his left hand while swinging his golf clubs and sleeps best with his pacifier and a warm bottle of milk.

He's my sweet boy.

I prayed for a boy.  I silently begged God for a boy because I knew deep down that I was created to be boy mom.

Girls are good and all, but I wanted a boy.

I like to run, I like to play hard and wrestle, but most of all I love the sweet snuggles little boys give their mamas. 

I have to pray for my boy because boy is he fearless. He creates the cadence and marches hard with quick steps to the beat of his own drum.  Falls, scrapes and busted lips don't faze him cause he's a shake it off and keep it moving kind of boy.  At this point they don't faze me either because I know that's my boy.

I love hard and my sweet boy is not exempt. 

To the moon and back, I tell him, that's how much I love him.  But that doesn't describe my love for him.  I love him to my core.  That big black pit deep within my belly where he was planted as a seed and grew into a little boy...that's where my  love for him comes from.

He's my boy on loan. He was birthed by me, but he belongs to God.

I am good for him and he's good for me.

He's my boy. The boy who made me a boy mom.

He's my sweet boy.

Do you know yours?

About Me...

30 something God lover trying to figure out the life thing while juggling marriage, motherhood, relationships, work and school...whew.  Running, reading and creating keep me sane while choosing joy and being grateful keep me grounded.  I live to share and encourage and I hope that my life impacts the world in a positive way.

I can be messy, I'm silly, I like to daydream and I'm proud to be be perfectly imperfect.  I'm saved by grace and I am redeemed. This is me. 

2012 Race Calendar

Here's my race calendar for the rest of the year.  Can you believe that I have a race calendar?

June 16th- Baltimore 10 Miler
June 24th- Baltimore Women's Classic 5k
July- no racing...too hot
August 11th- Back on My Feet Twilight Run 15 (maybe)
August 19th- Boordy Vineyard 5k (maybe)
September 15th- Black Girls Run Conference and Race 10k
October 13th- Baltimore Running Festival- 1/2 marathon
November 10th- Suntrust Marathon- 1/2 marathon or 8k  (I want the half scenery and medal)
December 15th- Celctic Soltice 5 miler

The Prodigal Skirt

Today I have the pleasure of wearing a skirt that I affectionately refer to as the prodigal skirt.  Back in the early 2000's I purchased a cute red and pink skirt with dotted yellow leaves from H&M.  This simple A-line skirt was my summer go-to skirt.  I could wear it to work, wear it out on the town and even to church. I loved this skirt.  Every season when I took  my summer clothes out I would smile and welcome the skirt’s return to the rotation.  Somewhere between 2005-2009 I decided to put the skirt in the Goodwill bag. I can't remember the exact reason why, but I'm assuming the skirt became too large during one of my weight loss kicks.  Fast forward to the next year when I pulled out my summer clothes...I could not find my skirt; crap, I gave it away.  There's nothing sadder than thinking of what you're going to wear to work, deciding to wear the cute red, a-line skirt and then realizing that it's gone. 

During the summer of  2011 the heaven's opened.  Yes, my son was born and that was great and all, but something else epic happened. I found the same skirt that I thrifted in 2005-2009 on the racks at a local consignment shop.

So what did I do? I fist pumped, did the happy dance, and called my best friend....I was in heaven.  It didn’t matter that the skirt was two sizes too small on my postpartum body, it was coming home with me.  I would never let this skirt leave me again. 

Today I'm wearing the prodigal skirt and all is well in the world.

Prodigal skirt, I love you.

From Black Girl Shuffling to Black Girl Running

New Years Eve 2011 was the first time I went out with the ladies of Black Girls Run! Baltimore.  I was 7 months postpartum and determined that I was going to get back in running shape.  Rewind to the Baltimore Running Festival in October of the same year.  I was gearing up for my first 5k after my son's birth.  I registered for the 5k in August to give myself incentive to get back on the pavement.  Two days before the race I posted a status update on Facebook asking if anyone was going to run the 5k at the Baltimore Running Festival; nope, just me.  Everyone I knew was either doing the half-marathon or the full.  On the morning of the race I quickly realized how lonely I was. I didn't have anyone to run with, and I didn't have anyone to cheer me on since my husband was away on business and my family lives out of town.  It didn't matter to me since I had just had baby and here I was running, or rather shuffling as my race time indicated.

I had heard of Black Girls Run from a good friend in another state.  What I didn't realize was that these beautiful women of color would have such a strong presence at the Baltimore Running Festival.  It seemed like every few minutes I would see someone sporting their Black Girls Run! tee.  When I finished my race, I went back out to the course and cheered them on because I was so happy to see other black women running. That was it, I wanted in.  As soon as I got home I emailed the Ambassadors, Leeann Sands and Minka Carter and asked that I be added to the Facebook page.

I was so excited about my first run with BGR! Baltimore the morning of New Year's Eve that I could barely stand myself.  I'm not a fast runner and tried to channel my nervous energy by joking with the ladies and telling them that I would be "black girl shuffling" and not really a "black girl running." This was my way of telling them that I was slow and that I was fine with it.

I'm in the pink on the left

Fast forward to May 19, 2012.  I just completed my first 10k along side my brother at the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington, DC.  Not only did I have the support from him, but I had the cheers from my BGR! Baltimore ladies via Facebook and the waves and high fives from the BGR! DC ladies who I saw on the course. 

I'm proud to say that I'm no longer "black girl shuffling," but that I am now "black girl running." I'm a part of a group of women who support me, who tolerate my endless chatter and who never leave me behind.  I'm a part of the movement because I am moving.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Everyone

'Cause it's my birthday

Since it's my birthday I decided I would eat, eat, and eat some more.  Don't get me wrong I'm not overweight or anything like that, but I definitely can get down.

*Breakfast- fruit, pastry, bagel, juice, cupcake
*Lunch- thai mango chicken
*Happy Hour- cornona & fries pilfered from other's plates
*Snack- stella
*Birthday Dinner at Clementines- apricot stuffed chicken leg, the best damn grits e-v-e-r, braised kale, and strawberry shortcake

To say the least, I'm full.  The good thing is that I'm not only full off of good food, but also good relationships and an overall good day. My family, my son and my friends are what make me stop and think about how special my birthday really is.

Mike is a sweet heart and surrounded me with the things that make my birthdays come alive.  I had flowers and cards waiting for me at work, lunch purchased by friends, andI skipped out of work early to go to the movies. Boo ya.

I have a 5k tomorrow and a clean eating starts on Monday.  If it weren't for the gray strands in my cornrows I would never guess that I'm 32.  God is good, life is good and 50 said it's my birthday.

Deuces

12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days

It's the eve of my 32nd birthday and I'm preparing to embark on a journery for the next 365 days. Somedays I'll get it right and somedays I won't, but as long as moving forward something, I'll be somewhere different. 
I've got a few things I've wanted to do for awhile and now I think I'm ready.

Here's to the next 365.

I've made my wish and I'm blowing out my candle.

 

Welcome

Welcome to my plot of land on the internet.  I'm Raina and this is my blog.

*epic hair day*

God seeker
31 years old
Wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.
I work for a pretty amazing company.
I'm in college completing my undergraduate degree (for free btw). 
May 2013 graduation.  September 2013 grad school.
I like to day dream, create, and relax.
Dancer, turned runner working towards completing my first half-marathon.
I'm constantly working on being a better me.

Welcome.