Today I ran Brussels' first ever 10 K run for Breast Cancer held in Tervuren Park. I dedicated this run to: Terry Fox, my grandmother, Heidi, my Mom's best friend, Marie, Zio Franco and our friend and neighbour, Anna. Although they lost their battles with cancer, we can continue to fight on their behalf.

Because I've been running a couple of 3-5K runs a week and one 7K a week, doing a 10K run wasn't too big a stretch for me. It took me 1 hour and 21 minutes. (pre-pregnancy would have clocked about 1 hour but who's counting!) I came in third...last! An unseasonably cold morning of 7 degrees Celsius meant my muscles never really warmed up and pre-race excitement meant a terrible sleep of only 3 hours last night= I am thrilled with how I did. Tiny Baby refrained from leaning on any major organs, luckily, and Daddy and Frunty cheered me on at several points along the route, handing me tissues and energy candies.

The organizers of the event did an incredible job and if you didn't know it, you wouldn't have guessed it was the very first year. Everyone was super friendly and efficient at registration and the volunteers along the route were excellent at yelling support and pointing which way to go. I ran by a volunteer named Charlie twice who was quite worried that I'd give birth today. Afterwards he seemed relieved to see that I had made it...with the baby still on the inside.

During the race, a few women recognized me from my picture and article in the BCT magazine and together we encouraged each other to keep going. At the 3K mark I thought the race was going to be too tough for me what with the cobblestone, several steep hills and muddy paths but I plugged away and found myself almost sprinting the last 1K through the pink balloons in my wonderful shirt made by Daddy. I couldn't get enough fresh oranges at the end and was the only one still standing by the refreshment table half an hour later! Hey, I'm pregnant!

After the race, I saw a woman, about my age, with no hair and the fact that she was wearing the race t-shirt indicated that she had completed today's run. She is one of the heroes of today's race and I hope that this experience renewed her spirit somewhat.

Thank you for the offers to sponsor my run today. Due to geography, it is hard for me to get my sponsorship form to some of you so please feel free to donate directly to www.awcb.org or some charity in your own vicinity if you so choose.

Thank you also for your emails and phone calls of support. I appreciated them greatly. With one more month of pregnancy to go, I will continue to do short runs and stairs/light weights as I do my last stretch of training for the big marathon in June! (providing my doctor approves)

After the race, we enjoyed the sunshine and then had a picnic at the playground so that Frunty could run around too. It got cloudy and cool again so we got back home and made chocolate chip cookies together. They are sitting on the counter right now and it is taking me a lot of discipline not to go over there right now. I am really happy that this race was scheduled during my pregnancy as it has given me a goal and helped me stay motivated all these months. I have learned about discipline through my training and have been rewarded with an excellent pregnancy thus far. I'll have another cookie...tomorrow!

Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.

-Maxim Gorky

Frunty told me today that he wants to wear underwear. He said, "No diaper". I asked, "And what about tomorrow?" and he answered, "I want to wear underwear tomorrow." I told him that we would still put a diaper on at night time and he said that that was okay. Frunty still wants a diaper put on for poops but that's fine. Sooner or later, he will feel comfortable using the potty/toilet. The last time we tried underwear, a few months ago, it was our idea to try. This time it is his and we'll see if it works out. If it does, it is great timing as we'll be needing those cloth diapers soon for Tiny Baby!

Today we went to our friend's home, S's, to make sticky rice steamed in banana leaves. They are called "banana" but are really "bamboo". What a lot of work! First the leaves had to be washed and dried by my friend while the other friend worked on the rice mixture in the kitchen and while Frunty played with toys and helped me supervise. I cut the pointy parts off the leaves of the bamboo. But wrapping the rice mixture just perfectly so looked hard...like some kind of Chinese origami and then tying them with a string before they unravelled...wow...so much work to make them and they are so delicious, we ate them in a few seconds!

Downside? I was only allowed one. I couldn't believe it! The two Moms reached for their seconds but told me that these traditional, dragon-boat race "rice dumplings" are too hard on a pregnant woman's digestion. How frustrating. I had to listen to them because they have gotten me through my entire pregnancy so far with all their support and tips and ancient Chinese secrets. So I had to watch them enjoy another. I am only allowed one a day. (they sent a bag home with me.) Frunty loved his one as well. As a little guy, he is also only allowed one but he didn't mind as was eager to go off playing again. Anyway, I will steam one tomorrow morning for breakfast. Talk about heaven wrapped in a leaf!

These 3 Moms from mainland China and Taiwan have helped me more than I can ever express. Because of them, I have no aches or pain. I have not gained any weight in 6 weeks, and they fill me with daily advice and support my recent emotional swings. They always say it is nothing and no problem but it means everything to me. Yesterday they talked to me about all my hospital and birthing fears with such warmth and patience and we were brought to laughter often...probably because I sound so nuts! And they have their cell phones on day and night for me. I write about this in my blog because I need to remember this because one doesn't meet such wonderfully supportive people everyday. I never want to forget this time. And although we know that we will all eventually move on from Brussels, we are cherishing our moments together now which is all anyone can ever do anyway.

Tomorrow we will meet at S's house to pick up our fresh, fish order. We ordered the fish from Holland and once a month it arrives and S's house becomes a little supermarket with women coming and going, picking up their orders, fumbling around in their wallets for exact change, bowing and smiling and going home to make sushi and sashimi for their families that night. We have now been invited into the circle so today is our first time picking up fish although we have been at the mini supermarket on other days when this little tradition took place. So tomorrow night when Daddy gets home, he will enjoy some sashimi and Frunty and I will make sushi rolls too with cooked shrimp. After a week of heavy British and German food, it will be nice for Daddy to have something filling but light.

So tomorrow's chore is fish pick-up and then it is another three day weekend with the highlight of the breast cancer run on Sunday!

Each day we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

-Charles Swindoll

Happy Mother's Day to everyone yesterday! Oh, to be a Mom seems like the greatest joy imaginable.

My guys made me crepes yesterday with Gramma's raspberry jam on top...heavenly and then they took me to one of their favourite places called the Pass. (www.pass.be) It was really fun and we all enjoyed ourselves. Then they made me dinner when we got home. (my favourite fish, Lotte, in a pesto sauce) After that, they gave me my half hour of stair climbing before we watched "The Incredibles." I forgot the gift. On Friday Frunty and Daddy made me a Mother's Day card and Frunty said for the very first time in his life to me, "Happy Mother's Day". What a sweet moment in my own life. Then yesterday they gave me a kitchen scale which weighs both metric/imperial and is battery operated so wherever we move, I can use it!

Cheerio everyone!

Yesterday was 30 degrees Celsius in the sun here in Brussels! It feels like we have gone from winter to summer with hardly a spring at all. But since the winter here is quite spring-like (except for the two weeks of snow we had) it all seems fine to me!

Yesterday was a very busy day. The guys headed off to do a hike and look for a "cache" and I headed out the door for a run at Woluwe Park. Near the end of my run, I got a call to meet the guys at Cinq. park for a bicycle festival. We had a really nice picnic and saw some neat bikes. I really like the little, three-wheel fold-up adult bike and will consider it down the road. Mowgli enjoyed the shade. After looking at all the stands and trying an organic cola (very good) we went home to drop off Mowgli and go for our hike. After my one hour run, I felt a bit tired but what a glorious day to go to the forest.

We hunted around for the "cache" but couldn't find it. Frunty and I waited by some trees while Daddy checked his GPS up ahead. Sometimes these scavenger hunts are very hard and we'll have to try again another weekend to find the treasure!

Hope you all have a lovely week with great weather too!