solar squirrel

I hate to complain so much, but I AM SO UNCOMFORTABLE AND AM TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN ALMOST NOT STAND THIS!!!  No position is comfortable.  Standing hurts my back and feet.  Sitting hurts my butt and ribs (and sometimes my back).  I am constantly tossing and turning when I’m in bed - sleep has become annoying because I wake up almost every hour.  The one savior I have is my hot tub, which I’ve been going in EVERY day, sometimes twice a day.

Tomorrow will be week 38.  I’m hoping that my due date (11/14) isn’t too far off from reality, because I don’t know how much longer I can stand this.  I’m trying to be positive and up-beat, but the lows are REALLY low and the highs are few and far between.  I’ve all but lost the ability to enjoy things - when I do interact with people I have to pretend that I’m happy and things are JUST GREAT!!!!!!  ‘Why, yes!  I LOVE being pregnant!!!  Yes - I’m SO EXCITED to be having a baby!!  So looking forward to everything - pregnancy is going so well…rainbows and puppy dogs and sunshine…’

BARF.

So anyway…that’s how things are going for me.  I’m embarrassed to feel the way I do.  I don’t even have anything real to complain about.  That makes it even worse, because then I feel guilty for not feeling happy.  What’s wrong with me?

Tomorrow will be week 35.  So excited to be getting close to having my body back.  You tend to take for granted being able to bend over and pick something up, put socks and shoes on, run down the stairs without feeling like you’re going to fall face forward, shave your legs (I never really shaved my legs that regularly, so I guess that doesn’t count).  I miss pushing myself during workouts and that awesome feeling after a hard run.  Oh, and when I look down I can’t see the ground - my stomach is in the way.

There are some good things, though:  People hold the door for me and smile at me when I’m out; I don’t feel as guilty as I used to when I take a nap or watch TV; when Mini moves (which is basically ALL the time) it feels really neat.  When I’m driving and listening to music I imagine she is in there dancing!  I like seeing my stomach move - it’s soooooooo cool.  I always thought that it would terrify me to be pregnant and have something moving in there, but it is totally the opposite.  I LOVE it!  On the rare occasions that she’s not moving I miss it.

I missed out on doing the Akron Marathon relay this year, so instead I was a spectator which was pretty fun.  Brittany came over in the am and we decided to watch everyone when they come off of the towpath and head up to Sand Run park (also a relay handoff point).  I had Brittany write ‘GET SOME’ on my giant stomach so that I could flash my friends when they came by.

Me flashing Todd w/ GET SOME written on my stomach

Todd looked great when we saw him around mile 15 - not even close to tired.  He even took the time to stop and kiss my stomach when he ran by!  He had negative splits the entire 2nd half of the race.  I’m sure it was completely because of my amazing cheering abilities.

Even though I am still measuring ‘normal’ I am SO big.  I honestly cannot imagine that my stomach is going to get bigger, but it will.  I still have ~5 cm more to grow.  While I want Mini to be healthy and full term, I am really hoping that she’s not a giant baby and that she comes out closer to 40 weeks than 41 or 42.  I guess nature will just have to run its course and I’ll have to trust that things will work out as they are meant to.

Here is a photo from week 33 (so I am bigger than this right now!):

33 weeks - how can I get any bigger?

After next week I go to the Dr. every week.  (It’s been every other week for the past few months).  Hopefully things will continue to go well and uneventful.  Usually I don’t like to be categorized as ‘normal’ but these days I love hearing those words.

My awesome cake!!!! Check out the squirrel and the spider - and don't forget the running shoes LOL!

Let me start this post by saying that I seriously have the best group of family and friends.  I have had so much wonderful support since I found out I was pregnant - even people who don’t even know me or haven’t talked to me for ages have sent me messages offering advice and guidance, checking in every few months just to say hi and see how I am doing.  These things may seem trivial, but it makes a world of difference to someone who is sometimes on the verge of a breakdown.  Just knowing that I have people out there that I can count on to help me if needed is SO IMPORTANT.

We decided to have the baby shower at our house. I’m all about keeping things simple and saving money (and resources!!).  Oh yea, and we used Evite rather than sending out physical invitations.  It’s just so much easier and since I was the one planning everything the easier the better!

When I was planning the shower I made sure that there weren’t any major races on the date I picked.  It ended up being perfect timing.  After Akron and before Towpath and Columbus Marathons.  [I CAN'T WAIT TO BE A RUNNER AGAIN!!!]

Everyone who RSVP’d yes came, and even people I didn’t invite or couldn’t make it sent me cards and gifts!  I seriously cannot believe what thoughtful, wonderful friends and family I have!  We got so many great things that we needed and wanted, which is awesome since we literally had NOTHING.  Todd’s sister just had a baby a little over a year ago and she sent us BOXES of barely used things saving us hundreds and hundreds of dollars.  All in all I think we are now finally ready minus a few little items.

Shot from the side so you can see my belly!

The cake was insane.  Brittany told me she was having it custom made, but I had no idea what it was going to look like.  It was AWESOME.  It had a squirrel, spider, rabbit, and owl - each representing a different member of my family.  It also had 3 pair of running shoes - mine, Todd’s and Mini’s!  There were cute fall leaves and the metroparks symbol for an overall nature theme.  I can just imagine the person who made it thinking how crazy the person getting it must be.  Hahahaaa!  It definitely encompassed so much of who I am.  Oh, and of course the fact that it said ‘Welcome Mini Moo’ which is the nickname I have given her.  (Todd’s nickname is Moo, so she naturally became ‘Mini Moo’ or ‘Mini’ for short).

Opening gifts with my helper Todd

Some of my friends and my giant pile of presents!

Today I had my 34-week Dr. apt. and everything is still going smoothly.  The end is almost in sight and I can now say ‘next month I will have my baby’!

Me holding Sophia - approx. 6 hours old!

Sophia at home 4 days old!

BIG NEWS!!!!!  My sister had her baby last week.  The whole family is very excited since she’s the first baby in the family - my mom especially since this is her first grand baby!  I can’t believe how small she is - she was 6 lbs 12 oz., so not unusually small - but she just seems soooooo tiny.  She’s super soft, too and amazingly cute.  Even when she was just a few hours old she didn’t look smashed or purple - she just looked like a teeny tiny little cutie pie!!!  Everything went very smoothly and my sister didn’t have any problems at all.  She went home from the hospital the day after she gave birth.  I sure hope that things go that well for me.

I’m really looking forward to spending more time with Sophia.  I keep forgetting that I will have one of my own in just 2 months…crazy.  Let me repeat CRAZY.

Things are the same for me - still getting bigger and bigger day by day; although today at my 32 week appointment I actually lost 2 lbs from last time.  My stomach is growing like crazy, though, and I’m measuring right where I should be at 31.5 cm.  Oh, and don’t worry about my lapse in weight gain, I’m doing all I can to get back on track:

Just a 'few' bites!!!

28-week workout (notice the belly)

I am heading into week 30 of my pregnancy and I am so excited to be nearing the end!  I was thinking that I would stop my workouts w/ Larry (Amp Fitness) after August, but at my 28-week Dr. apt. my Dr. told me that I should continue.  Well, OK then!  She also told me to keep running and exercising like normal.  Unfortunately running is really getting uncomfortable and I haven’t ran in a few weeks.  I’m keeping up my aerobic fitness by either doing the elliptical-type machines at the gym or hiking the Buckeye trail.

I’ve been pretty consistent w/ 2 days a week with Larry.  I am SO happy that I decided to continue to workout w/ him while pregnant.  I really think it is going to make a huge difference in my recovery and also aid with the time it takes for me to get back to where I was w/ my running.

The Rhogam (sp?) shot and glucose tolerance tests were SO much better than I thought they would be!  I was seriously worried for nothing.  The glucose test was actually quite enjoyable.  I just had to drink this yummy orange flavored stuff (the nurse even put ice in it and added a cute cocktail umbrella!!!) and then wait a little over an hour.  I did have to have my blood drawn twice - once before the drink and once after, but the nurse loved my veins (she complemented me on them, LOL!) so it was really quick and easy.  The shot that I had to get was to prevent my body from attacking Mini or any future babies if they were to have A+ blood.  I thought the nurse was joking after she gave me the shot.  I DID NOT FEEL IT AT ALL and I didn’t have any kind of reaction.  I’m really hoping that this is how everything else is - way better than I expect!!

I’m going to the Dr. every 2 weeks now.  The visits are pretty uneventful.  I have to pee in a cup, get weighed (not my favorite part) and have my blood pressure taken, and then I see the Dr. or midwife who asks me how I’m feeling, if I’ve had any of a handful of problems (haven’t had them) we go through any questions I have and then they listen to the heartbeat, which is super fast and sounds really cool.  (It’s been about 140 bpm each time).  Oh - and the last two times they used a tape measure to measure my stomach.  It’s measured exactly normal each time.  (It was 28 cm last Dr. visit).

I’ve been cleaning and organizing like crazy trying to get everything ready.  The spare bedroom upstairs is finally done thanks to the help of my sisters.  As of today the old office is now cleaned, emptied, and ready to receive baby furniture.  Todd and I are in the process of putting in a new ceiling and shower in the downstairs bedroom.  I want it to be nice for visitors (Todd’s parents may come this winter and I’m going to likely force my mom to stay over when I first get back from the hospital so she can help me).  The projects are never-ending, though…

Here are some photos from my 28-week workout w/ Larry.  I wanted to take pictures of my last workout session, but now that I’m continuing we’ll have to take them a little bit later!  Anyone who thinks you can’t workout when you are pregnant is WRONG.  You can keep working out as long as you don’t over do it and you go into it already in shape.  Obviously if you were sedentary before you got pregnant then you need to be careful.  Not a day goes by that I’m not consciously thankful for my health and fitness.  It also really helps that I workout w/ Brittany, who makes me laugh at myself when I sometimes want to cry.

Burpees (not my favorite considering the extra belly weight!!)

Plank with weighted arm raises (typically you should try to go lower, but I have to modify due to my heavy mid-section)

Getting ready to do resistance band twists (these were easy).

Me and my partner in crime Brittany. Without her these workouts would SUCK!

Last week I did the Twilight Trail 8k.  I’ve done this race the past 4 years and I absolutely love it because it’s small, on trails, and they give you pizza and beer at the finish.  I usually run this with a team, the first 2 years with ESpeed, and then last year with Bridget.  This year I guess I was on a team, but my team-mate slowed me down and made me carry her the whole way!  (’Mini’ is the nickname I’ve given her).

In order to give myself as much of an advantage as possible, I donated an extra $5 to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (the org. the race benefits) in order to get to start a minute early.  The weather was cool and dry - perfect for running!  We got so lucky with the weather since it has been SO HOT lately.  I was so excited to be running outside on trails!  At the start I lined up with Brittany who had also donated.  I think there were ~10 different waves and our wave was pretty small.  Even still I wanted to make sure to get at the very back so that I didn’t get in anyone’s way.  I jokingly said that I was going to win so look out and this woman was like “oh, here go ahead” and moved out of the way to let me get in front of her.  I was like - “no, I’m just kidding” and touched my stomach.  She hadn’t even noticed that I was pregnant!  It made me feel so good!  It was funny.  Anyway - they gave us the queue to start and we were off.  I felt no pressure.  No nervousness or wave of anxiety when they tell you to go. (I usually don’t get very nervous in races, but I do get a slight twinge of excitement/anxiety at the start).  When you are pregnant you don’t have to worry about this!

Monica caught up to us within a few minutes (she didn’t get the 1 minute head start) and the 3 of us ran together.  We walked up the giant hill at the start and were chatting the whole time.  It was really fun and I felt awesome other than the fact that I had to pee like crazy after only a few hundred feet.  I like to wear this belly band on my stomach when I run.  It’s real thin - sort of looks like a tube top - but it adds just enough support so that I don’t feel like my stomach is bouncing all around.  I honestly can say that I felt comfortable and didn’t have any issues other than my bladder feeling like it was going to explode.

I didn’t wear a watch, so I wasn’t sure what my time was - but I just checked the results and WOW.  What a difference it makes running when you are pregnant!!!

2010 Time (non-preggo) 38:42; (pace per mile = 7:47)
2011 Time (26 weeks preggo) 51:32; (pace per mile = 10:22)

This is absolutely amazing to me on so many levels!  I just can’t believe the impact being pregnant has had on my running speed.  Granted, the effort was less than last year, but I’m guessing even if my life were being threatened I wouldn’t be able to go more than 30 sec faster per mile max.

I brought my camera but totally forgot to take pictures - but here is one that the organizer posted:

Towards the end of the race - felt great!

I’m just so thankful for my health and for the ability to be able to run (albeit incredibly slow).  Lately I seem to have forgotten just how lucky I am (and my family is) for our good health.  Things can get bad, but in the end if you aren’t healthy nothing else matters.

25 weeks and counting

I created a folder on my 2nd hard drive called ‘Stomach Evolution’ to capture photos of my ever-growing belly.  I was just looking through some of the photos and it’s funny - looking back to April when I thought I was already SO BIG and then comparing it to today.  I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like over the next 3 months!  I think I’m big now!

I seem to be more tired than usual this past week.  I hope it’s just temporary and I don’t have to be tired like this for the next several months.  I’ve been managing to keep up with working out, though.  I’ve been steadily doing 5 days / week of at least 40 min of exercise.  I found a new running group on Facebook in Akron.  I’m going to try to make some new running friends that are close to me (and around the same pace as me).  I am not someone who is motivated enough to run by myself regularly.  I really like the social aspect of running and sharing in each others successes and goals.  I think I’m also going to try to find some expecting or new moms who live in the Akron area who would like to start running a few times a week.  If you know anyone please pass along my info to them!

So at my last Dr. apt. I found out that I might have to get a Rhogam shot if Todd isn’t RH-.  My blood type is A- and I guess we could have possible complications if baby’s blood type is +.  The Dr. suggested that Todd just go donate blood so that he could find out his blood type.  This seemed kind of weird to me, because I’ve donated blood before and I don’t remember them ever giving me any follow up paperwork (this was a while ago, though).  I knew my blood type from being in the military, but Todd didn’t know his.  So Todd (on my request) went and donated blood only to find out that he would not be receiving any information!  I felt so bad that I ‘made’ him take time out of work short notice and go donate blood.  So anyway - if you didn’t know (I didn’t) you can buy a test for like $8 - $12 that will tell you your blood type.  Todd ordered one from Amazon that was FDA approved and we found out that he is indeed A+.  Boo.  So I have to get this dumb shot.  ARGH.  I hate giving blood and getting shots.  HATE IT!  In the military they used to line us up and use these crazy air gun shots in our arms.  It was seriously like something out of some science fiction movie.  The good news is that my apt. for my glucose test isn’t until 1pm and I only have to fast for 3 hours before, which means I can eat breakfast AND if necessary a snack beforehand.  YIPPEE!!  Don’t think I didn’t already have this worked out in my head before I called to make the appointment…

What IS it with people?!?  I’m going to have to start taking a tally of the different random strangers who tell me how large I am.  Really people?  The best was last week when the 2 girls who work at the store downstairs from my office told me that my butt had definitely gotten larger.  Then there was the woman at the gym who asked me how far along I was.  After I told her about 5 1/2 months she was visibly shocked at how giant I am already and then asked me if I was having a boy.  (I have learned that if you are big, people automatically assume you are having a boy)  I told her no, I was having a girl, and she then responded ‘how big’ I was.  Thanks.  Just what I wanted to hear at the gym of all places.

At the Dr. last week they measured my stomach and told me that it was exactly normal (24 cm for 24 weeks).  So I want to know why on EARTH everyone seems to think I am so big!?!  It’s really starting to make me irritated.

The good news is that my excessive weight gain has slowed.  I’m now averaging ~1 lb/week (actually less THANK GOODNESS!!!) and last month [only] gained 3 lbs.  (As of last week I have gained 22 lbs total; 10-15 lbs of which is entirely in my hips, thighs, and butt)  I have been trying to get in at least 40 min of exercise every day.  Running in this heat has been out of the question, but my good pal Brittany has been meeting me at the gym for some treadmill running and I’m still seeing Larry 2 times a week.  I sadly only usually run about 3-4 miles at about a 9:40 pace w/ 1 incline.  Even though I don’t really enjoy it, I am going to keep trying to do it as long as possible because I feel good afterwords.  It helps me w/ anxiety and stress and I need as much help as I can get in that department!

Here are some photos from last Saturday’s workout for your viewing pleasure!

Lifting a really light sand bag

Kettle bell swings

I will have to get a picture that shows my stomach when it is relaxed.  These pictures don’t really do it justice.  I think when I am working out my abs are engaged and I am compressing things a bit.  I was taking photos weekly for a while, but I haven’t done it since the beginning of June, so I’ll take some this week and post in my next update.

In other news I will be doing the 5 mile Twilight Trail Race next Thursday!  I am hoping for cooler weather so that I don’t have to walk the entire thing.  It’s a great race for a great cause so if you can you should try to do it!

~20 weeks

Quick post to share the news!

So I’m officially half way there.  Today I had a Dr. apt. and as part of it they did an ultrasound and we were able to find out that we are going to have a girl.  The tech did measurements of the eyes, spine, brain, legs, feet, stomach - pretty much everything - to make sure that things were ‘normal’.  She said that everything looked good.

In case you were wondering, my weight gain has been moving along quite extraordinarily!  I have now gained 19 lbs! 

Where to start?  How about a random fact:  15 years ago today I was just finishing up my 2nd week in USMC bootcamp.  I remember it because it was Father’s day and a Sunday and it was our first trip as a platoon to church.  I remember standing in formation outside waiting to go into the church - deathly hot and sweaty and miserable - and having a realization.  I was only 17, but at that moment in time it had never dawned on me that there were unhappy, suffering people in the world.  That at that moment, there was someone else who was feeling just as miserable as me somewhere else in the world.  It’s hard to explain, but until then I never realized that there could be people suffering or dealing with a tough situation in which they couldn’t immediately resolve.  It was strange, and after that day I never went back to church on Sundays.  I preferred to stay in our barracks and write letters to my family and friends.  (You couldn’t do both - you had to choose what you would do with your free time on Sunday if you even got any).

Jump to today.  If you haven’t heard, I am going to have a baby.  The Dr. estimates that the due date is 11/14.  I’m hoping for 11/11/11, which would be pretty cool.  So as of right now I’m about 4 months along.  When I first found out I felt really trapped and scared and sad and mad and a few other emotions that I don’t even know how to explain.  It was a weird feeling similar to the feeling I had when I was back in bootcamp.  Like a weird realization / emotion / feeling that I had never felt before.  How selfish, right?  There are so many people who spend YEARS trying to have a child of their own…spend thousands of dollars and countless trips to specialists only to never succeed.  And there I was, mad because I wasn’t going to be able to finish training for my marathon, scared because I have no clue about babies or pregnancy, irritated because I was going to get FAT, annoyed because I would no longer have control of my LIFE or my MONEY or my TIME!  UGH!  I cried a bit the first few weeks.  I didn’t want to tell ANYONE.  (Obviously, Todd knew about 2 min after I knew - actually, I was in denial and thought the at-home test was wrong so I went to the Dr. that same day to confirm) [SIDE NOTE:  Why do people tell you congratulations?  It made me feel uncomfortable...even when I bought the take-home test at the grocery store the girl was like 'oh!  you think you might be expecting?!  good luck!']

So why, you ask, did I choose to keep the baby?  Well, the thought never crossed my mind until someone else brought it up.  I hadn’t even considered it an option.  Actually, I don’t think it is an option.  I have managed to snag a pretty evolutionarily fit guy if you hadn’t noticed.  And I am 32 now.  (I know, I know, I’m 29, but let’s be real for just a second)  And I am finished with my MBA.  And Todd has a stable job and is capable of supporting the 2 of us even if I didn’t work.  And we’ve been together over 5 years now.  I guess if I was ever going to have a baby the timing is actually perfect.  Added bonus was that I had managed to lose 12 lbs. and was the fittest I’ve been since USMC bootcamp.  So, I decided that everything happens for a reason and that this was just my time.

My weight gain so far is atrocious.  I’ve gained about 15 lbs already, which is NOT normal.  It’s because my activity level has plummeted and my eating has not changed.  I can’t help it - I’m constantly starving!  (Un)luckily I didn’t have any morning sickness.  There was a stretch of about 4 days where I felt pretty bad, but other than that I didn’t skip a single meal!  In fact, for the first 2 months I was eating multiple lunches and dinners.  At 13-weeks - my 1st Dr. apt. - I had already gained 10 lbs!  I guess this is what I get for making fun of fat people my entire life.

And let me also state that my friends who have recently had children are THE BEST!  I’ve gotten clothes and books and advice that is invaluable!  It’s especially helpful that these girls are marathon runners and triathletes.  They can give me advice on staying active and getting back into shape and anything pregnancy and baby related.

My running hasn’t been going very well.  I’ve only been managing one or two days a week at most.  The main reason I haven’t been going more often is because I’m just so tired all the time!  I think I might need to start running in the am when I have more energy.  By the end of the day I’m just exhausted and don’t want to do anything.  Luckily I’ve been sticking with my workouts w/ Larry.  We are still doing 2 days a week.  This is keeping me sane.  Todd and I also started biking on the towpath.  I go really slow and we don’t go far, but it’s fun.  I did go running today and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  I can still go a lot faster than most of the joggers on the multi-purpose trail (which isn’t saying much).  And I have enough endurance to run for an hour.  (I think I’m going to limit myself to around an hour of running until after the baby).

I’ll have to do a separate post to recap my race in Fargo, but it was pretty fun.  I finished in 2 hours and 14 seconds.  If I wouldn’t have stopped so many times to pee I would have been well under 2 hours.  I felt good the whole time, but definitely don’t want to do another half marathon while pregnant.  Even though my stomach isn’t that big and I don’t look really look like I’m pregnant, I sure FEEL like it.  I get out of breath WALKING up hills I used to do sprint repeats on.  When I’m running a 9-min pace it feels as difficult as a 7-min pace used to feel.  Looking back that’s what was wrong w/ me at the St. Malachi race (see my previous post).  I felt heavy and couldn’t breathe.  IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS A 9 - 10 MIN PACE MILER AND WOULD LIKE SOME COMPANY PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!  I COULD SURE USE SOME COMPANY THESE DAYS!

So that’s the story, kids.  I’ll try to post more often.  (I know, I know, this time I mean it Brian!!!)

And I’ll leave you with a photo.  This was taken today, so it’s the most recent insight into my new look - enjoy!

18 weeks and counting!