Camelback Mountain hike at 30 weeks!

I can't believe I'm 30 weeks today!  I feel HUGE!  It's not so bad in the morning, but by the evening I feel like my belly expands several inches.  Jack is a busy boy most of the day and a lot at night too - kicking, punching, rolling around, etc.  Matt finds it a little creepy but I feel comforted carrying around my little boy all day.  :)

My running has been going extremely well and I'm getting out to do anywhere between 3.5 and 6 miles a day most days of the week.  It's continued to be my sanity as my body changes.  Yesterday Matt and I joined 4 of our friends to hike Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, something we haven't done since the day after our wedding a little over a year ago!  Lucky for me, all 4 of our friends were hiking the mountain for the first time and one of them is 12 weeks pregnant, so by no means was I going to have to push myself.  If you're familiar with the hike, you know it's a tough one!  It was a gorgeous day and everyone did a great job.  I was happy to get several nice comments and one "You get an A+ for the day!" from fellow hikers.  Afterwards, we enjoyed some food at Camelback Inn (okay fine, and some Dairy Queen too!) - the perfect Sunday!

29 weeks!

What a gorgeous weekend we had - with lots of sun and 70 degree temperatures.  Jealous mid westerners? I can't believe we may be trading this in some day for cold, snow, and clouds!

Yesterday I headed out for a 6 mile run, which felt A-MAZ-ING even with my slow pace.  I've been still regularly going to the gym for cardio and weights and running outside - usually 4-5 days a week.  Some days it's hard to get going but I feel so good once I'm done.  Isn't that always the case? 

I'm now 29 weeks pregnant and as of today, 25 lbs heavier per my doctor.  Yes, 25 lbs!!!!  No wonder my runs are hard!  Luckily my eating habits have finally returned to normal and I'm not chowing down a pound of pasta every night, so hopefully I won't gain too much more.  Plus, I feel great!  My doctor reassured me that I look healthy and am exercising and my body is going to do what it needs to do.  He thinks I'll put on another 10 lbs at most. 

I'm excited about some races that will be on the calendar soon to motivate my post baby weight loss.  I will hopefully do the Ragnar Relay in June, my favorite Blueberry Fest 5k in August, and the Chicago Marathon in October (6 months post baby!).  As long as I keep up with my running/working out schedule I feel confident I'll be back in the game (and faster than Matt) in no time! 

Off on a 4 mile walk/run with Clifford!  Gotta get out and enjoy this sunshine!  :)

28 weeks and new car!

What a busy weekend we had!  After going back and forth between lots of vehicle options, we decided on a Volkswagen Touareg.  It's a small to mid sized SUV, black, and gorgeous!  Matt is driving it for now while his Infiniti sits in the garage to be sold and my poor Grand Prix got booted to the driveway.  When the baby is born, I'll drive the Touareg and Matt gets the Grand Prix - so I can't be too jealous that he gets to drive it for the next couple months!  I think Clifford likes it too, although it may be a tight fit for that big goof.....

Opinions

I've always been an opinionated person, but not necessarily confrontational or overly emotionally attached to my views.  I do my best to not place judgment or treat anyone with views different than mine with disrespect. I expect the same from others.  As we begin making decisions affecting our baby boy, we have been faced with opinions that differ from ours and I'm having a hard time reacting appropriately.  It's one thing when someone thinks I'm crazy to be a vegetarian of 22 years because I can't imagine eating an animal or not believe in god, since that's who I am and I'm confident in that - but when someone thinks I'm risking my baby's life by running or considering a home birth, I feel a surge of protectiveness and become defensive.  What I'm realizing is that this is only the beginning of the opinions that will come our way as we make decisions as parents - and I've got to learn to take it all with a grain of salt.  That's all.  :)

Finally - working out and some shopping!

It's so nice to be back in the swing of things workout wise.  I've been trying to workout 5-6 days a week, whether it's at the gym doing the stair master and lifting weights or running outside.  I feel my workouts getting progressively harder but it still feels so good to be active!  I'm also doing lots of squats and stretching to "train" for the birth. Yesterday Matt and I took Clifford with us on a 3 mile run and he did awesome.  Running with me is more of a fast walk for him, so it's perfect. 

We also finally did some shopping for baby Jack for the first time.  After some research, we picked out a nice travel system that includes an infant car seat and a stroller.  We decided to hold off on our BOB Revolution stroller that's on our wish list, since we wouldn't be able to use it with the baby for a couple months anyway.  We also got a breast pump and some newborn outfits.  I think Matt is experiencing some sticker shock on how expensive a baby really is!  And to think, we've only just begun......  :)

Rose Bowl!

All Matt wanted for Christmas was a trip to the Rose Bowl - so off we went to cheer on the University of Wisconsin!  We took a road trip to Pasadena on New Years Eve - about a 6 hour drive.  Upon arrival, we headed to downtown Pasadena to walk around and have some dinner.  We could not believe the amount of people lining the streets to get their overnight spot for the parade the next morning!  Those people are crazy.  Many had sleeping bags, a fire going, lots of chairs set up, and were playing cards/games.  Matt wasn't interested in going to the parade, so we skipped it. 

Our tickets included entrance into a hospitality tent with free food and drinks - so that was nice and it gave me an opportunity to sit down for awhile in the sun.  It was a sea of red everywhere!  Not many TCU fans wandering around at all.  It was exciting to be at the game, despite the outcome.  I'm definitely glad we were able to go!

Holiday Fun at 25 weeks!

The reality of a baby in 3 months is starting to set in big time now that the holiday's are over!  We had a great time with family in both Michigan and Wisconsin.  We arrived in Michigan late Christmas Eve, and spend Christmas day relaxing, playing games, eating, playing with the pups, and walking in the woods outside - my favorite things to do when I'm home!  We also spent time reflecting on how different next year will be with a little one around, since almost all of our family events include just my parents, sisters, and brother in law.  There will be a lot of joy with the new addition, but I'm sure we'll miss the adult activities, beverages, and games that are the focus when we normally get together.  Hopefully we can find a happy medium!

We don't focus so much on gifts during Christmas but rather experiences, and this year my mom surprised us with a trip up to Muskegon to cross country ski!  I've always wanted to try it, but I can't say my enthusiasm was shared with everyone.  It was a gorgeous day and we ended up having the best time!  I had to take it easy (booooo....), but everyone else both skied and fell hard - except for my dad who was a pro!  I'm so thankful for an active family and parents that are in shape and get right out and do anything with us kiddos.

After several days in Michigan we drove the 4+ hours to Wisconsin to see Matt's family.  We took our 6-year-old niece and nephew out on an "adventure" for their Christmas gift, which included shopping for U of W gear for the baby and me, doing some indoor mini golf, and having a special treat.  It's so fun to spend time with them and they just adore anything they can do with Matt!  We also went to Olbrich gardens and bowling with everyone - and I'm not sure any of us are going to quit our day jobs to become professional bowlers any time soon!

Overall, it was a nice trip with family but much too short - as usual it seems!