Yummy treats!

A fabulous surprise showed up on our door step this morning - COOKIES!!!  Thanks to my Grandma Martin and mother in law for getting us my favorite molasses cookies and Matt's favorite peanut butter chocolate chip!  I'm going to try to exercise some portion control, but we'll see.  Luckily, I did run 6 miles this morning...so I've got some justification there right?  Yes, I have a little bump too - part baby, part molasses cookies!

15 weeks!

I feel like my belly has popped out over the weekend!  Matt seems to think it's not that noticeable, but I'm sure noticing!  I think a shopping trip is in order soon.  :)

We ran 10 miles yesterday and it was a great feeling!  We got an earlier start than last week, so the weather stayed pretty cool the whole time.  It took 2 hours with my pace, but Matt was able to run ahead of me and do push ups, dips, sit ups, and sprint intervals.  I think I worked him pretty hard!  We're both signed up for the YMCA Half Marathon (13.1 miles) next Saturday, so I'm looking forward to that.  It was a big goal of mine to be able to do a half marathon while pregnant, as motivation to keep in shape and not veg out on the couch.  Last year my goal was to do a half marathon in under 2 hours, and I did a 1:58 in June at the Rock N Roll Seattle Half Marathon!  Next weekend, I think I'll be doing it in 2:30 - 2:45....quite the change but I'll still be proud of myself!  Hopefully Matt will be able to break 2 hours.  I'll post some pictures next weekend and maybe show my growing belly!

On Sunday we went to Joe's Farm Grill with Matt, Kourtney and baby Cooper - where I splurged on french fries and a chocolate shake.  Yummmm!!  Between keeping up my running and being pregnant - I think it's well deserved! 

8 miles!

What a nice, relaxing weekend we had with no plans!  I was excited to do an 8 mile run on Sunday, especially now that it's getting cooler outside.  We slept in a little (someone had a little too much to drink Saturday night!) and the late start meant we would finish in high 80 degree temps.  Like usual, Matt starts out at my pace (slow!) and then goes ahead and does some fast intervals.  That way, we both get in a great workout! 

I know there are some people that are skeptical about running being safe for pregnancy.  Trust me, I did lots of research and talked to my doctor.  Benefits include controlled weight gain, better muscle strength, better sleep, better mood, and faster recovery from labor.  The general consensus is to listen to your body and don't push it.  I know 8 miles may seem like a lot to some, but you have to keep in mind that before pregnancy I was doing 8 miles several days a week and then 12+ miles on the weekend.  It's all relative. 

Paula Radcliffe, the marathon world record holder pictured below, was featured in a great article in Runner's World about her experience running while pregnant.  I won't go into too much detail, but you can check out the article here.

 

Today is Columbus Day so I have the day off, and started the morning with a nice 3 mile run and then a 4 mile walk with my friend Kourtney and baby Cooper.  Happy Monday!   

Almost 14 weeks!

What an exciting couple of weeks!  And yes, I'm almost 14 weeks because the due date has changed to April 11th! I had an ultrasound last Friday - which was so amazing!  The little guy wasn't moving around much, because apparently I didn't get the memo about eating sugar prior.  I'm not sure if I'd want to do that anyway....you know how I feel about giving young children extra sugar!  Ha!  The test results from the NT test were normal, so no worries there thank goodness.  Then on Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment and he measured my stomach and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat using a Doppler - 166 bpm!  What do they say about a high heartbeat?  Boy or girl?  Check out the ultrasound picture below...he/she is waving! 

Last weekend my parents were in town - which was just great!  I love having them here!  It was their first time meeting Clifford, and I think it was love at first sight for both of them.  My mom can barely live across the country for Clifford, so hopefully we'll be headed back to the mid west in the future.  My mom and I also ran an Oktoberfest 5k while Matt ran a 5 mile race and my dad brought Clifford - good times!

As for how I'm feeling - well - I'm a new woman!!!!  What a difference a few weeks makes.  I'm happier (just ask Matt), not craving tons of food, not sleeping 12 hours a day and not feeling like I'm going to puke!  Makes me worried that something happened and I'm not pregnant anymore....but again, all we can do is trust in science.  :)

Today I went for a nice 3 mile run to meet my friend Kourtney and her new baby Cooper.  We walked almost 4 miles - and it was so nice to chat with someone who knows what I'm going through.  Hopefully we can drag them to the mid west with us!

Well, we have a half marathon in 2 weeks - so I'm hoping to fit in a nice long run now that the weather is cooler!

11 weeks!

I think I need some new running shorts!  I've felt a little bigger in the belly lately, but it might have something to do with the Tootsie Rolls I've been addicted to lately.  I'm trying to cut down on sweets, I swear!

After a busy start to the week with coming back from Wisconsin and Matt going out of town for work, I was finally able to get in a 5 mile run on Friday and a 6 mile run on Saturday.  Today, I had all intentions of heading out for 7 miles.  I ended up sleeping in until 7am, and by the time I headed out at 8am it was 90 degrees!  Not ideal running conditions for a pregnant woman.  The old me would have pushed through in the heat, came home half dead, and loved it (no pain, no gain!) but the pregnant me came home after 1.5 miles.  Sigh.  Matt will be home tonight and I hope to get more workouts in.  As someone that was previously so active and almost addicted to working out, I've found it hard to not be able to keep that up and be faced with weight gain.  I just have to keep the bigger picture in mind!

On Friday I went over to our friend's house to babysit their 1 month old.  He is absolutely precious!  Just holding him and feeding him made me feel so amazed at what's to come.

We are so very excited for my ultrasound on Friday!  I'll also be having the nucal translucency screening test to assess the baby's risk of having Down syndrome and some other chromosomal abnormalities, as well as major congenital heart problems.  We hope to be able to share some exciting news with more people next weekend!

10 weeks, 1 day!

Double digits - yesssss! In the past week or so I've gotten in several great, albeit slow, 6 mile runs that I hope to continue to do regularly. It's hard to get going but if feels so amazing once I'm finished. I guess 6 is the new 12?

I've been a little sloppy on my eating lately. If you know me, you know that I eat the same bean burrito every single night. Well, that's been the last thing I've felt like eating over the past 3 weeks. I have a hard time finding other low carb options, and end up having a bowl of pasta. I moved away from carb overload when I wanted to lose weight training for my Ironman, so I'm not happy to go back. Hopefully I'll feel like eating my beloved black beans again! As for weight, I've gained maybe 2 or 3 pounds and I'm convinced it's all in the boobs!!

We had an exciting weekend in Madison visiting Matt's family and finally sharing the exciting news! It will be Matt's parents' 5th grandchild, but they are excited nonetheless! Our nieces and nephew made us some very cute and thoughtful "Congratulations!" cards too. I'm thinking of framing 2 of them and saving them for Baby Z's room...they are too adorable to not save!

Well, Matt is leaving me for the week to launch a rocket! I hope to still get in some runs in between work and taking care of Cliff - I've got a half marathon to train for!

8 weeks!

Time sure is moving slowly!  I guess that's a good thing, when we think of how much our lives are going to change in 32 more weeks.  Yesterday we went and saw our good friends' baby, Cooper.  He's absolutely adorable, and you can tell that they are all so happy and proud.  It makes me excited for our future with our baby Z!

This week has been pretty good in terms of keeping active.  I fit in two 4 mile runs and several gym days.  Today, Matt and I did a 5 mile run in the 90 degree heat.  It felt good to get out.  My pace is a lot slower than usual, so Matt has had to do intervals to get a good workout in.  I'm just happy he's still running with me at all!  I know when I was in tip top Ironman shape, I had a hard time being patient when we'd run together and he'd struggle.  Lots I can learn from my patient husband. 

Later this afternoon we watched "The Business of Being Born".  What an eye opener!  I'm so glad we watched it this early in my pregnancy.  I'm sure those who know me best will think I'm crazy, but we've decided to look into using a mid wife and having a natural pregnancy at a birth center rather than a hospital.  No, we haven't turned into radical granola's, but the idea of a more natural experience is very attractive.  I hate hospitals, I hate needles, and the thought of even getting my blood pressure checked makes me want to pass out.  The anxiety of being in a hospital for several days?  Through the roof!  Besides, did you forget I'm a Ford Ironman Finisher?!?!?!  Can giving birth be much different than competing in a 14 hour Ironman in hilly Wisconsin?  And to think - I'd get our gorgeous baby Zernicke instead of a medal and a finisher's t-shirt! 

All I can say is this:  keep an open mind with us, and check out the movie if you get a chance.  At least watch the trailer below.  Happy 8 weeks!