Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 35 & 36

I wrote this at the end of 36 weeks, just never posted it.  (I'm currently 37 weeks 3 days)...eeeekkk!!!

How far along/size of baby: I turned 36 weeks on July 9th and according to Baby Center (which at this point is definitely not accurate since all babies are growing at different rates at this stage, baby weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18.5 inches long, about the length of a head of romaine lettuce (where do they get this stuff??).  However, I'm convinced my baby is a giant so I'm sure he's 12 pounds by now!

(I'll post my week 36 photos first. My week 35 photos are from the maternity photos I took and will be a bit below!)
36 Weeks

Work Selfie - 36 weeks 4 days
Sleep: I do have some good nights where I wake a few times but I sleep pretty good. Still having some bad nights where I'm up constantly. It's pretty 50/50. But I'm definitely more uncomfortable sleeping now. Turning over is hard, getting up is hard. I breathe like I just worked out when I'm trying to get comfortable in bed. lol. But all in all, I'd say it's a bit better than it was a month ago.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks:  My friend Jill (she's so awesome) took my maternity photos for us so that's exciting. Getting them back was even more exciting! We don't have many pregnancy photos of me and my husband so it's definitely nice to have. I mostly just have my weekly updates. So thank you Jill!!
Maternity - Bump Shot

With the man behind the bump!
(Literally, he's behind my bump... get it...never mind)
Miss anything:  Everything right now. But it doesn't bother me. It will be over soon. And I think I'm going to miss having this baby in my belly sometimes.

Movement: Yes very often! I wasn't sure a few weeks ago but since then, the baby definitely moves much more. I don't necessarily see the outward huge movements but it's more inside. Baby is just running out of room.

Symptoms: Feet/ankle swelling. It actually was a little better in week 35 but week 36 is back to some of it's old tricks.

I also wasn't sure if I was feeling Braxton Hicks contractions or the baby moving. I'm still not sure. I thought BH but now...I don't know. Clueless first-timer here.

Looking forward to: My next Doctor appointment on Thursday. I had one this week (36 week) and the doctor said I was dilated to 2 cm (!!) and head was low. That made me convinced I was going to have this baby any minute and freaked me out royally earlier this week. Granted I could stay this way for a few weeks but I'm anxious to get back to the doctor after 10 days and see where I'm at.

Food Cravings or Aversions:  None.

Belly button in or out: In. And should stay that way. Sorry hubby.

Wedding rings on or off: Off now. Both my engagement ring and wedding band. I don't like it but it is what it is.

Running/Working Out:  No more running. I stopped after my last 5k on June 21st. I did try to come back out of retirement around the beginning of July but decided it's better not to push anything.

I've been walking 2-3 times per week mostly. Although this week since I was so freaked out about going into labor early, I skipped a few days and "rested". Although resting turned into nesting and did some cleaning that needed to get done.  I really haven't done any other exercising because I'm lacking motivation. I guess it's ok now that I'm nearing the end anyway. Getting some rest in.
 

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 32-34

Oh well, hey there! It's been a while since I posted an update. In fact, I have 2 other blog posts that I started and never finished too! Let's just say June got away from me a bit! But I'm still pregnant and hanging in there!

I'm currently 35 weeks 3 days pregnant today. BUT... this post will be from the last 3 weeks before, so weeks 32-34. There is probably enough info to post about just in that 3 week time frame!

How far along/size of baby: As of June 25 through July 1st, I was 34 weeks pregnant! I just can't even begin to comprehend that I will have a little one very shortly!

Measurements for babies in the womb vary so much that it's really difficult to just look up the websites and apps for this information. However, according to babycenter.com, the baby is around 4.75 pounds and the size of a cantaloupe. Give or take some ounces/pounds.

32 Weeks
33 Weeks
34 Weeks

Sleep: Sleep is sometimes "not bad" and sometimes terrible. My "not bad" nights are generally referred to as good nights. They are usually comprised of some solid sleep segments and maybe 2-3 times to get up for a potty break. That's a good night. The terrible nights are generally waking up every hour to 1.5 hours and just really getting not much solid sleep. I would say I get about half and half on "good" vs "terrible."

Best moment of the past 3 weeks: There are generally lots of good moments. We had our baby shower with my family and some friends the other week. Baby stuff is just so darn cute. It's even cuter when it's for your own baby!
Derek and I with our present helper
Miss anything:  Moving around comfortably. Bending over, rolling over in bed or getting up, sitting comfortably sometimes can all be difficult now.

Movement: Yes but I have to say I was freaking out a little bit during the 34th week. I just wasn't sure that he was moving as much as he should. I can go hours without feeling anything (or at least I think I don't) and then wasn't getting the same BIG rolls I was getting in the previous couple weeks. I had my doctor appointment and she said I'm probably not noticing it at work when I'm busy, which is probably true. And sometimes my husband says he feels it and I didn't realize it (one night when I was sleeping). The baby NEVER wakes me up or keeps me up at night with moving but he still might be moving around. She told me to try to pay more attention to it and call if I'm concerned. (Editors note, I've been feeling lots of movements all weekend so I think I'm good).

I have to say, it's stressful being the sole person to make a decision on whether things seem right with the baby or not when you really have no idea what the heck is going on and this is your first baby. You don't want to be that over reacting person that calls the doctor and gets checked out in the ER every week, but you definitely don't want to be the person that doesn't follow your gut and say something and then there is a problem. Being a mom is stressful! lol

Symptoms: My nausea has gotten better mostly so that's good. My calf cramps are few and far between at night so that seems a bit better.

I'm having terrible sciatic pain at times. I definitely don't do a good job with stretching it out or rolling it on something though. And at the chiropractor, my IT band was in rare form so I better get on that too!

And skin tags are just out of control and gross. Hate these things.

By the 34th week, my swelling in my feet and fingers are getting a bit out of control too! Especially my feet and ankles.

Looking forward to: ....  Having a baby?  lol. I'm not sure. My doctor appointments are weekly (or in my case 1.5 weeks because that's all I could schedule it). As much as I don't want frequent doctor appointments, they will be more "involved" and I will be strapped to monitors so I'm interested in having more information on what's going on there.

Oh...and my friend Jill took my maternity photos (because she's pretty awesome) so I can't wait to see what they look like!

Food Cravings or Aversions:  Nope. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Belly button in or out: In. But...it seems like it wishes it could be an outie, if that makes any sense. But nope, it's hanging in there! Thanks belly button! I'm not a fan of outies. Also note, my skin tags like to hang out here, which I think it TMI and pretty gross but there you have it!

Wedding rings on or off: So much sadness with this one. I stopped wearing my engagement ring in week 32, I think. My wedding band seemed slightly bigger so I kept that on. I should have never resized my engagement ring right before my wedding. It might still fit. Oh well. (new update on this as of week 35...more sadness...)

Running/Working Out:  As far as running is concerned. I had a 5k on June 21st, which was in week 33. I decided that I would make that my last official run. My recovery is much harder the next day and I'm much more sore. I did a 2:2 interval and quite enjoyed myself and thought maybe I would keep running. However, the next day was ROUGH! My belly is fine, but my joints in the lower section were just sore! So sore! It probably would have helped if I stretched after the 5k but I didn't. So after that, my running days are behind me until after baby. Running until 34 weeks though is pretty good in my books.
 
I'm still walking, I did go to the barre class but really haven't gone much. Walking and bike trainer are my main source of workouts. I will do an occasional prenatal video on youtube for stretching or strength. My workouts are now 3-4 times a week (down a bit from 4-5 times/week) but I also need to get this house in more shape before baby gets here and I can't really do both after working all day.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 30 & 31

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 30 and 31
How far along/size of baby: I'm 32 weeks today.  But this blog post is from the last 2 weeks (weeks 30 and 31)!!

Baby weighs about 3.3 lbs (about the size of a coconut) and is over 16 inches, all according to the apps.  Yup. I'm feeling every bit of this baby right now.
30 Weeks

31 Weeks
31 Weeks
And here is my husband at 30 weeks...because he likes to take pictures of himself instead of me! lol


Luckily he got a haircut and has shaved since this photo! Derek at 30 weeks.....
Sleep: I had a few good nights recently. It's sad when a "good night" means I only woke up 2 or 3 times. The rest still aren't the greatest. I have some hip pain, calf cramping, and my belly always hurts during the night. So just getting up or turning from side to side hurts. I was recommended to drink some sports drink before bed and have been trying that but calf cramped a bit yesterday morning so... yeah.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: My husband refurbished the baby furniture we got from my cousin and we put them in the baby room. So the baby room has only baby stuff in it! How about that? Minus some of our clothes in the closet (along with my wedding dress...oops) so we need to take care of that. But it looks so nice! I love it! Made me so happy!

Miss anything:  Being normal and feeling normal. I'm now a walking topic for anyone and everyone. Everywhere I go, someone is asking me questions about my pregnancy (which really is fine), and asking me if I'm due soon (no, 2 months, thanks a lot).

Movement: Yes, definitely. There are still some kicks and jabs but I'm feeling a lot more rolling/movement of the baby where I can see my whole belly just shift. It's very interesting but also feels very weird and usually stops me in my tracks  It can definitely get distracting at work too. I have not seen a foot or hand yet...

Symptoms: Minor lower back pain if I stand too long. Some calf cramps in the early mornings. Feet and finger swelling. The baby likes to step on my bladder. All the fun stuff, clearly!

I've been having some nausea in the mornings or on the train to and from work, especially if it's warm in the train car. Not sure if the motion of the train is getting to me or what. Strange, I haven't had any nausea the entire pregnancy and now I'm having some. But it's "relatively" minor and no other issues with that.

I'm definitely finally hitting that "hot flashes" stage, or just being warmer in general. I'm generally a very cold person all the time. I still am sometimes, but have been having very warm moments.

Looking forward to: I'm getting a 32 week ultrasound on Monday! Always fun to see the baby. A lot of people only get 2 ultrasounds during their pregnancy and I'm getting 4 so that's pretty fun. And it just makes me feel more relaxed to see that he is doing ok. Hope he looks good for his picture!
Food Cravings or Aversions:  Nope, I'm pretty good on this one for now.

Belly button in or out: In! Still in. I'm happy about that. Ha! It's the little things.

Wedding rings on or off: On. But my fingers are sometimes more swollen and I have shoved them on a few times, which isn't probably good. I better be careful or I might not get them off one day!

Running/Working Out:  I have definitely had some good runs in the past couple weeks. I ran 3 times one week a couple weeks ago, which is unusual these days. But...1 or 2 times a week is pretty normal. I actually ran last Sunday and did great on a 2:1 interval but haven't run again all week.  I've noticed my recovery after running is not as good. The next day I'm usually pretty sore and very tired. So I'm definitely not pushing myself to run, especially if it will be warmer (like this weekend/next week).
30 Weeks - After a walk
Other workouts this week included walking and a 10 mile bike ride on my bike trainer. I have been going to a barre class generally on the weekends too, if I can make it. So I'm still trying to stay active.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 28 & 29

How far along/size of baby: I'm 29 weeks 4 days today. Baby weighs about 2.5 lbs (about the size of a butternut squash) and is over 15 inches, all according to the apps. Now, looking at my belly, I'm sure my baby is WAY bigger than that and is going to be over 12 lbs at birth! Ha! I've given it a max weight limit of 8 lbs so we will see what happens.
28 Weeks

29 Weeks
Obviously the baby will not be getting too much more length in the next 11 weeks but will be packing on the weight and filling out with some baby fat! Can we all just visualize those cute baby cheeks for a minute...  ..... ok... let's move on.

Sleep: I know I said it's pretty awful last time. And yes, I still don't get much sleep. Between my body, the potty breaks, and other outside factors, I'm generally up every 1.5-2 hours on average. I'm sure this accounts for some crabbiness.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: Gosh, I'm not sure. A lot happens every day and if I don't write it down, I kind of forget. There are a lot of good moments with baby movements and I had a good run the other day so there's that.

Miss anything:  Not being tired. But this has generally been a reoccurring theme in my life. Being able to bend down comfortably.

Movement: I've been feeling A LOT more moving, rolling, jabbing, kicking. Sometimes I'm just not expecting it and it's such a weird feeling that I just have to stop what I'm doing for a minute because I'm momentarily confused. lol. I know the baby is bigger and it's no surprise I'm feeling more movement and jabs in multiple spots at once. Still not "seeing" it yet, except a brief jump in my belly (like it just hiccupped or something).

Symptoms: I have more lower back pain especially if I'm just standing around. I might have had some Braxton Hicks contractions the other night but at first I wasn't sure if that's what I was feeling or if it was the baby. I'm pretty sure it was BH because it was more of a "tightening" feeling and my belly was just contorting weirdly during this brief time. First time mom here so I'm never quite sure what I'm feeling until things are stronger.

Also, the weather was in the 80's for about 5 days and my feet were just SO SWOLLEN! I'm not used to having sausage feet so it was pretty amazing (not in a good way). They are back to normal now. Thankfully.

I also can get pretty moody or depressed at times (like this morning). Some days are very good days, some days are not. I can be tired physically but also mentally. I can handle physically but the mentally tired can wear on me sometimes. There is a lot going on besides the pregnancy and sometimes I just need to cave and let it out.

Food Cravings: I'm adding this back in for a minute. I'm not a huge hot dog person. And you are not supposed to eat hot dogs when pregnant. Should be easy right? Except when you are told not to do it, it makes it harder to resist. I have had a craving for hot dogs for months. My husband gets them every once in a while and I just want to take a delicious bite! So I did have a polish sausage at my parent's restaurant on Mother's Day to make up for that craving and it was delicious! Onions, mustard, relish! Yum!

Belly button in or out: In! I'm pretty sure it will stay that way, to my husband's dismay. He likes to tease me and so he knows I do not want an outie, therefore, he wants me to get an outie. Thanks for the support hun.

Wedding rings on or off: On, but dear God, it was a struggle for a bit when the weather was in the 80's for almost a week. And they are still definitely a bit tighter to get on around the knuckle.

Running: There has been a more definite "lack of running" lately. I'm still running but it moved down to 1x a week last week. This week I had a good run. And I'm supposedly running tonight so depending on how I feel, we will see if it's a run/walk, a walk, or what. I decide to let my body tell me what to do.  And I have a 5k (Food Truck 5k... because I'm all about serious running these days) on Saturday. Will I walk? Or run/walk? Time will tell. So I have a potential of running 3 times this week. But more realistically, one of these will probably be a walk instead.

Before a good run

Supporting my husband and sister-in-law at a duathlon.
I just think this picture is so funny and needed to be on my blog.
Other: I think the baby has been hitting my bladder the last couple days. I work in the city and when I was walking to the train, there was movement and then "Whoa! Let's not pee yourself!" It was so severe, I had to stop walking for a minute. And right now, I think this baby is kicking my bladder as I have sudden urges to pee and it goes away. Stop baby. I'm already struggling with the pee thing. This is definitely not fun.

I also think some of this post has some "complaining" in there. I need to let it out sometimes but I'm not fooled. I know I've been very fortunate during my entire pregnancy so far and my "symptoms" are minor compared to some. I feel very grateful pretty much all the time.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 26 & 27

I'm currently in my 3rd trimester starting at 27 weeks. To be fair, some things say 27 is 3rd trimester and some say it's 28 weeks. However, when I hit May 6th and realized I only had 3 months left, I figured 3rd trimester it is. And my doctor's report also lists the same so there you have it.

I seriously can't believe it. It's FLYING by, I'm VERY overwhelmed by that. There is a ton of stuff that needs to be done. But I guess that's the way it always is, right?

I'm currently 27 weeks and 4 days. And some days, I'm feeling every bit of that. Bending over is not as easy and let's not talk about putting on my right sock (yes, just my right one). I'm sighing, moaning and groaning a lot more!

But I really can't complain. I'm still feeling pretty good. I know I've had a much easier pregnancy than a lot of people and am very grateful.



Left - Week 26/ Right - Week 27
For the record, I absolutely LOVE the tank top from Old Navy on the left. It's really comfortable and I will probably buy a few more heading into warmer weather.

Also, I realized I'm wearing the same shirt and pants in my week 27 picture as I was in my week 23 picture. Boy, that baby has grown (ok, and so has my tummy)...


Week 23 versus Week 27
And just for fun... my weekly pictures don't always turn out this spectacular. They usually also include pictures like this from my wonderful husband (and/or me)...The one on the right, he was supposed to be taking the picture of me. Thanks hun.

I'm sure he's going to love that I added these! Hey...it's life.
So let's get down to it. I took out some of the obvious questions (yes I'm showing, yes I'm wearing maternity clothes and regular clothes, no weird food cravings or aversions, and my beautiful baby is a boy!)...

How far along/size of baby: I'm 27 weeks 4 days today. Baby is as big as a head of lettuce or cauliflower. The baby, according to the apps, measures around 14.5 inches long and is about 2 pounds!

Sleep: It's been pretty awful to be honest. Like I've said, I've never been a good sleeper so I'm somewhat used to it, but the past few days, I've gotten up about every 1-2 hours to pee. If my husband gets home late from work, I'm having a really hard time falling back asleep. I'm not hugely comfortable and have some back pain or hip pain, although this isn't too terrible. It's just getting a bit rougher. Sadness. I really like sleep.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: My cousin was kind enough to give us her old baby furniture! I want to do a little work to it before we put it all together but I was excited to get it! It makes things feel that much more real. She gave me a crib, dresser, changing table, glider, and tons of maternity clothes to go through (we are different heights and sizes so I picked through what might work for me).

I also heard the baby's heartbeat again on Monday at my doctor's appointment and it sounds strong and healthy. I'm sorry, but that sound melts my heart and never gets old.

Miss anything: Running comfortably without having to worry about shortness of breath or where the bathrooms/port-a-potties are (if any!).  I'll talk more about running below.

Movement: Yes! Especially this past week. I've been feeling much more movement throughout the day. The baby is definitely getting bigger, which is most likely why I'm feeling more of his movement. He actually seems most active during the workday. I haven't "seen" any movement yet, with the exception of my belly jumping once at a kick but I know that will come soon.

Symptoms: Week 26 I was having a lot more round ligament pain. It's not as bad this week (27). This week I've having more back aches, however.

Running: Still running at 27 weeks. I tend to go week by week to see how I feel and will stop if I ever feel like I should. Since I'm still doing ok, I'm shooting for at least running through the end of May. I'll reassess as the summer approaches because I'm a bit paranoid about running in the heat and getting too warm. But if I'm still able to, I might keep going. However, the mental thought of it gets exhausting sometimes. Since I don't know how I'll feel during my run that day, if I can make it through the run or need the bathroom, etc. Last Tuesday, I thought I was nearing the end of my running but this past Tuesday, I wanted to run forever (I ran 2 miles, haha).

I'm typically running 2 days a week now around 3 miles each. This varies depending on how much time I have after work since running takes me longer now.  By running, I mean run/walking. Some days I will do a 2:1 run/walk interval. The other day I felt pretty good and just ran what I could and walked what I needed, even running 6 minutes, 5 minutes, and 4 minutes at a time! I know, seems so easy right? Until you are lugging around my little guy who I joke around is... "sucking the life out of me!" and "smashing my organs!" Kidding little guy! (Not really).

Instead of running the 3rd day now, I'm probably just going to walk that one.  Still hopping on the bike trainer one day a week but my bike shorts don't fit and my bike seat just hurts so I'm not as inclined to do this as much right now.  I also would like to hop back in the pool, so we will see.

Oh and I signed up for barre classes again so I'm hoping to go to those 1 or 2 times per week when I'm able to get there.

That's it for now! Happy running, walking, cycling, whatever! Just get out there and move!

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 24 and 25

I can't believe I have less than 15 weeks left. Can.Not.Believe.It. Added a few extra comments near the bottom from the standard update this time too.

How far along/size of baby: I'm 25 weeks 4 days today. Baby is the size of a rutabaga or cauliflower. lol. These size comparisons are ridiculous! The baby, according to the apps, measures around 13.5 inches long and is about 1.5 pounds!

Left 2 pictures are 24 weeks/Right is 25 weeks

The 24 week pictures are actually the day before I turned 24 weeks but whatever. I just got back from a warm 5 mile run/walk and was happy I could still wear that shirt! So I wanted a picture. Haha!

Maternity clothes:  So we can take this one out right? lol. All bottoms except for maxi skirts are maternity. I don't have many items but I try to make due with what I have. Like my ill-fitting saggy butt jeans in my week 25 picture. Those jeans are a little too big but I don't have many jeans.  I have several casual shirts I bought but my work shirts are still mainly my regular non-maternity wear. It's getting harder to wear these items though and I will definitely need something else soon.

Sleep: (Same as last update) Still the same. I was never a great sleeper and everything wakes me up. I've been sleeping with the snoogle and I think it definitely helps me sleep better. When I don't, I definitely have hip pain and just more uncomfortable. It helps keep my hips and body more in line so my back and hips aren't as sore.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: Sooooo... right after my last blog post, I had some really large kicks and my husband has now been able to feel them! I was SO EXCITED! You have no idea. I'm more excited than he is, I think. The baby also did some weird roll thing last week and he felt that too before I even said anything. But, the baby probably just sleeps a lot and I don't feel much that often.

Miss anything: Yes kind of. I wouldn't mind a drink of wine or beer or a margarita or something. And yes, I know some people say you can have a glass of wine. I choose not to. I don't need it and I will be fine without it. BUT...I was in the grocery store the other day and just wanted beer! Out of the blue. Not even good beer. And I rarely drink beer. So you know how the story goes. lol

Movement: Yes! As stated above! But I want more kicks! I know I'll regret saying that later. lol.  I've had a few strong kicks and they just make me laugh! I want more of those.

Symptoms: Some lower ligament pain every once in a while. I had a bit of nausea for about 1.5 weeks but nothing severe. I've been really lucky though.

Food cravings: No, not really. My hunger isn't too bad these days.

Anything making you queasy or sick: A little nausea as I stated before but not from anything specific.

Have you started to show yet: Another question that seems like it can be removed now!

Gender: BOY!!!!

Belly button in or out: In. My husband still teases me about getting an outie. "How's that belly button doing today?" He's such a funny guy. Not amused. lol

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Been feeling pretty happy these days.

Exercise: Still running 2-3 days a week although I really need to tell myself to go do it. I did a 10k last weekend but that is really my last "long" run. My motivation is lacking and my pace is just getting slower and slower. I'm typically running/walking a pace of 12:30-13:00 per mile these days. Far cry from my 9:30-10:30 pace pre-pregnancy. So my 3 mile runs take 40 mins now and it's exhausting. Plus bathroom breaks.

Also still a day of bike trainer, walking, whatever else I feel like doing. I try to get movement/activity in 5 days a week if I can at a minimum. I love going for a walk on a nice day!

Looking forward to: Figuring out what we will actually name the baby (this is a whole other story) and maybe figuring out nursery stuff. I'm a bit overwhelmed on all things baby related these days.

Other: I started my recap for my half marathon on April 1st but never finished it. I promise it will be up next week. Also did the 10k at the Illinois Marathon in Champaign on a whim. I finished and that's all that needs to be said! Ha!

Husband: Decided to add this in for a post. He's been great! I don't know if he actually reads these or not so I guess I'll see. Ha! But really, he helps me if I need it. He rubs my belly if I ask him to. It makes my lower ligament pain feel better. He will do some work around the house if I'm not getting to something. I get really tired sometimes and need to sit down. It seems he understands I'm going through things even if I'm not saying it. I still try to "pull my weight" but I have more weight to pull these days (lol) so it's not easy and he has been really great about it.

Doctor and weight - I will need to do an update on this but I will say there was a period of time I was SO hungry! I never had severe nausea or got sick and I was just so hungry for a period of time, that I gained a bit of weight in the month between January and February. My doctor did her doctor duties by telling me to watch that. So I've been mostly tracking my food during the week to keep my bad food habits slightly in check. Its definitely helped. But I also need to try not to feel bad about myself or my weight gain so I've been looking at it with a grain of salt. Every "body" is different. Every person gains weight during pregnancy differently. I think I might do a blog post just about this. I'm pregnant and I want to LOVE myself and my pregnant body changes. Eating healthy is always a good option. And I'm glad I started monitoring it at least somewhat. But I'm not going to restrict myself completely. If I want a burger and fries, I will have one maybe on a weekend. I still workout and I'm still doing good for myself and I'm healthy (very healthy according to my stats) and my baby is healthy and that's what matters to me. Love yourself. Right?

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Pregnancy Update - Weeks 22 & 23


How far along/size of baby: I'm 23 weeks 3 days today. Baby is the size of a grapefruit or papaya (or whatever else these apps say these days). The baby, according to the apps, measures around 11 inches long (or more) and now is about a full pound!

 
22 Weeks (Left) & 23 Weeks (Right)
I think I look SO much bigger in the 22 week picture. Maybe it's the shirt, maybe it's the day, I don't know. Also, I always take the photos on Sunday when my week switches over but I take them at all times of the day. Oh and the ugly yellow socks have made a reappearance in the photos! NOOOOOO!


Maternity clothes: Definitely wearing whatever maternity bottoms I can. I have a couple workout capris, one pair of saggy-butt jeans, and just bought 2 pairs of shorts and a pair of leggings. I still wear the normal maxi skirts to work also. I have made some casual maternity shirt purchases that I have been wearing but at work I'm just wearing my normal non-maternity stuff.

Sleep: Still the same. I was never a great sleeper and everything wakes me up. Now I just get angry when the dog or husband does something that wakes me up. lol. I also did purchase the snoogle and I think it definitely helps me sleep better. It helps keep my hips and body more in line so my back and hips aren't as sore.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: Feeling kicks! They feel like small stomach twitches but they definitely have to be kicks (right?) and they have been getting stronger. Nothing felt from the outside yet.

Miss anything: Same stuff. Not enough to care really. lol

Movement: Yup. See above. It's pretty funny sometimes when I feel the kicks.

Symptoms: Calf cramps when I stretch out in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. They can be SO BAD! Some slight nausea lately but it's pretty minor.

Food cravings: Not a whole lot of cravings for anything.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Have you started to show yet: We should just take this question out now. My belly is so big (I think). Sometimes I think it looks bigger than other times.

Gender: BOY!!!!

Belly button in or out: In. I won't even get started on my husband's nonsense! lol

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Getting excited. But I'm really overwhelmed at how fast this is moving.

Exercise: I'm still doing the same 4-5 days. It's pretty easy workouts these days. 2-3 days of running (3-4 miles each time), 1 day of bike trainer. I did do the elliptical last Saturday. Some walking. My runs are generally between 12-13 min mile pace. I have done faster and slower but this is the general pace these days with lots of walking included.

Looking forward to: Feeling the kicks from the outside so my husband can feel it.

Other: I finished the half marathon on April 1st. I have been meaning to do a blog post but it hasn't happened yet. Soon!

Also, I was playing mad libs with my husband (remember those??) and was laughing my ass off...until I had the sudden urge to break down into tears. Not happy crying, but crying crying. Ugh. Hormones.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Pregnancy Update: 20 & 21 Weeks

How far along/size of baby: I'm 21 weeks 3 days today. Baby is the size of a large carrot or a banana (depending on which website/app you look at). The baby measures around 10.5 inches long and about 12 ounces. Starting now through the rest of the pregnancy, the baby is being measured from head to feet (instead of head to rump). Obviously these are not my baby's exact numbers but just averaged numbers based on the different websites/apps.

Left 20 Weeks & Right 21 Weeks (& after a run)
At least I have on blue socks and not those ugly yellow ones that I seem to be wearing in EVERY picture! Must be my Sunday finest!
 
Maternity clothes: Still just mainly wearing maternity pants/jeans and workout capris. I only have 1 maternity tank top that I wear right now. I'm just wearing all the same tops I was wearing before. Some of my smaller tops obviously don't fit but luckily I was once heavier so I have a few different sizes at home and still have some things that work.

Sleep: I'm not sleeping too bad right now but I do have some issues getting comfortable in the middle of the night or my hips or back bothering me. Not sure whether I should invest in one of those pregnancy sleep pillow things? Stacking pillows won't work because I don't have a lot of space in the bed and I'm constantly switching sides while sleeping because of my hips hurting. Anyone have or used those pregnancy pillows (such as the snoogle)?

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: Had the 20 week ultrasound and everything was looking good! I was very anxious the night before so this was welcome news! AND.... we learned we are having a little baby boy! It's nice to just know now and come up with names (and nicknames)!

20 Week Ultrasound
Miss anything: Panera Caesar Salad and a cold turkey sandwich. I know some people might eat some of these things but since I read it's best not to in order to be on the safe side, I'm just going to deal with it. I don't really need to eat these things.

Movement: I believe that I'm finally feeling some kicks! I'm still in the stage where I'm wondering...are those really kicks? But I'm pretty sure they are. It almost feels like muscle twitches. I just haven't had that "WHOA! That's a definite kick!" Although one made me giggle at work.

Symptoms: I have some leg cramping at night in my calves. And I believe I have ankle swelling because my work socks are just too tight (I only notice when I take them off), so I need new socks.

Food cravings: Not much. I might hear about something and think "Oooohhhh that sounds REALLY good!" But I can usually manage to not eat it.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Still good! I've been very lucky this was never much of an issue.

Have you started to show yet: Yes definitely. I feel large and in charge. lol. Although some people are still surprised when they find out I'm pregnant. They must think I'm eating a TON of cupcakes!

Gender: BOY!!!!

Belly button in or out: In. I keep telling my husband to stop harassing me on this!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy.

Exercise: Getting a bit more difficult with the breathing aspect. And I'm tired. I've been consistently taking an extra rest day so mostly working out 4 days now instead of 5. But still running (mostly 2x/week) since I have the half coming up this Saturday.

Looking forward to: Getting the half marathon over and done with. And obviously I would LOVE to feel some stronger kicks so I KNOW that's what the heck is going on. I know I'll regret this later.

Other: I have the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon in Kentucky this Saturday, April 1st. I've been fighting a cold for about a week but it's on the downslide so I should be fine by Saturday. I know that I'll be able to do the and finish in the allotted time. And pace obviously doesn't matter. I will be running the 2:1 run/walk intervals that I've been doing for my long runs. I may need to walk a little more depending on the size of the hill or near the end of the race but I'm ok with that. And if I had to guess, I should be able to finish by 3:00 hours. If not that, then I should be able to finish with no more than a 14 minute pace if all things go as planned. My training generally comes in around 12:00-12:30 pace but factoring in hills, bathroom breaks, and additional walking... a 14 min pace sounds reasonable.  But if not, no worries. I'm not pushing myself, I'm not stressing, I'm just going to keep moving forward providing nothing happens. And I've been feeling fine on my long runs so I'm expecting to be fine. I'll update afterwards on the race.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 18 & 19

How far along/size of baby: I'm 19 weeks 2 days today. Baby is the size of a mango. Mmmmm mangos! They are so delicious! Anyway, the baby measures around 6 inches long (head to rump) and 8.5 ounces. Two weeks ago that was 5 inches and 5 ounces. This baby is getting bigger!
 
Maternity clothes: Yes! Give me ALL the maternity pants! I bought a couple work pants and a pair of jeans. The jeans I bought online for 50% off and they are a bit big and saggy in the butt. But it's fine. The work pants are from motherhood maternity and were an arm and a leg in price. But it feels so much better than my regular pants. Not wearing any maternity shirts except a plain black tank top. My shirts are mostly fine for now.

Sleep: Still the same. Some nights are better than others but I at least get up 2 times a night. Sometimes a lot more.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: I heard the baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office again and it's always such a sweet sound! Heartbeat is in the 150's.

Miss anything: Not really. Maybe just wearing some of my old clothes that are the smallest size I own.

Movement: Nothing yet!  I'm impatiently waiting! Sometimes I think maybe...but nope. Just wishful thinking. Ha!

Symptoms: Not much going on right now. Shortness of breath is my main one.

Food cravings: Pickles and 7up or sprite. Not together. I've always loved pickles but they taste SO GOOD right now!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! I'm good there!

Have you started to show yet: I'm not sure what happened but I feel HUGE now! I'm definitely showing. So if some people don't know at work that I'm pregnant, I'm sure they are wondering how I could be doing so poorly on Weight Watchers! lol. (No, I'm not doing WW while pregnant).

Left 18 weeks & Right 19 weeks
I don't like the sweater picture much but I didn't feel like changing clothes. And I'm thankfully getting a haircut! Also, Camo always likes to make her appearances in my photos.

Gender: I find out NEXT WEEK!!! EEEEKKKKK! I'm so excited! Still going with boy but girl has been running through my mind lately for some reason.

Belly button in or out: In. Hopefully this never changes. Side note: my husband says he thinks I'm getting an outie. He's crazy. Totally not! So much innie! He knows he's driving me crazy!

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy. But life stresses easily make me unhappy at times. I'm partially blaming hormones. But I'm seriously good.

Exercise: Nothing new here. Running 2x a week prepping for my half on April 1st! Among other workouts. Shortness of breath and bathroom breaks are the major problems here.

Looking forward to: First, finding out gender!!!!!! But obviously, wanting to feel some flutters or kicks. Waiting. Waiting.

Other:  I tripped while running outside in the dark alone a couple weeks ago and almost face (and stomach) planted. How I didn't is beyond me. I held on for dear life. I have to say I was pretty shook up from it and haven't run in the dark alone since then. Luckily with the time change, I shouldn't have to. 

Also, I fell down the stairs leading to our basement last weekend. My sock slipped and I probably fell about 3/4 of the way down the stairs. Luckily I fell all on my bottom end and didn't hit my stomach at all. Just a bruise on my arm from trying to grab the railing and a big painful bruise on my butt but I'm ok and I'm sure the baby is too. That also shook me up a bit.  If I make it to August in one piece, I'll be amazed. Sorry baby. I'm trying to be careful here!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Running O' the Green 8k

This past Sunday I participated in the Running O' the Green 8k in Tinley Park. I have done this race a couple of times before but this time I would be running while entering my 5th month of pregnancy, so things were going to be a bit different.

First, I love doing this race for a couple of reasons (pretty much the same reason I love doing ALL of Tinley Park's races).

1.  The race provides an option when pre-registering of getting the race shirt or not. I generally opt not to get the race shirt as I always have tons (and they are unisex) so I only have to pay $16! Not bad!

2.  It's a local race and getting to the start is never more than a 10 minute drive! Plus, I can park right in the lot to the rec center where the race begins.

3. You can wait in the rec center before and after the race to stay warm if it's cold outside. Which includes indoor bathrooms!

4. Tinley Park races offer TONS of food. This time around...bagels, oranges, bananas, granola bars, cookies, mini cinnamon rolls, mini Jimmy Johns sandwiches. And they ever rolled in pizza after a small delay. Yes please! It's pretty hard to justify eating all of this after only an 8k but ... whatever.

5. I can guarantee several friends will do it (or get suckered into doing it) and it's always fun doing races with friends!

On to the race. Since I was clearly not trying to PR this race (or even come close), I decided to do a run/walk interval with my friends Becky and Jannelle. They were doing a 4 min run/1 min walk interval throughout and I thought that sounded just fine for me!  We all met up for a pre-race photo (obviously!).
This photo includes MANY of my most favorite run friends!
We headed outside to the start about 5 minutes before the race was going to begin.  I have to say, I was MOST nervous going into this race due to not having any bathrooms on course. Yes, I know it's "only" an 8k. Yes I know an 8k is "only" 4.97 miles. BUT...I'm pregnant and as soon as I start running these days, I need to use the bathroom. No a pre-race jog doesn't clear this up for me. So the thought of running 5 miles without a bathroom to hop into was totally stressing me out! Haha! #PregnantRunnerProblems.

Becky, Jannelle and I started our 4:1 interval and did it throughout the entire race. I thankfully did not have to use the bathroom. Well, I did but I was able to make it through. lol. Ok enough of the bathroom situation. You aren't here for that. I felt good throughout the run. Some of my runs have been rougher lately so I was glad that it was a good day.  I think the baby is a runner and enjoys it. Good because I'm putting you in a kids dash as soon as I can! Haha! Just kidding little one! ... maybe.

My friends rocked it out, as usual. A couple even brought home some first place bling!

The weather was a bit windy but when the wind calmed down, the temperatures were actually quite nice. The race generally runs through neighborhoods with the last half mile on the trail near the rec center. All in all, another great race put on by the Tinley Park District! I'm glad I live so close (and lived in Tinley until I got married).

Next race on my calendar...Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon in Lexington, KY. April 1st. Gulp. Ready or not, here I come! All in all, I feel fine when running. I'm just slower. I do lots of run/walks these days. My breathing is just a bit more difficult. So I should be good to go for this half.

And I purposely haven't been saying much (or anything) to the non-runner about even doing this half because they don't understand. And everyone has an opinion. As much as I'm always willing to hear advice and opinions, I don't need them from people that don't understand and just judge. I'm not doing anything that will harm the baby. I just need encouragement and positivity in my life right now.

I also checked and the half marathon says there are 7 locations for bathrooms throughout the course. This makes a pregnant runner very happy.

Keep on running friends!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

16 & 17 Weeks: Pregnancy Update

These weeks are seriously flying by. I can't believe it was 2 weeks ago since I last did an update!

A few weeks ago, I was all about saying how unhappy I was with my growing belly. More with the shape of it as opposed to just growing a baby. I wanted to be a "pretty pregnant woman" with a nice "round" belly. And I felt as though I had some weird "2 belly" thing going on.

Since then, I've been trying to be kinder to myself. It's a baby. My "top" belly is not just food. It's actually really firm and is growing a human being! It's a beautiful pregnant belly and I should be happy that we are both healthy, no matter whether it's the "perfect" shaped pregnant belly or not! So let's just all be kinder to ourselves and our bodies, pregnant or not! Right??  Ok, back to the update!


17 Weeks (plus my cat Hazel)
How far along/size of baby: I'm 17 weeks 3 days today. Baby is the size of a pomegranate (or a turnip or a pear...depending on what app/website you look at). The baby measures around 5 inches and 5 ounces. I had to go back and double check my last post because at 15 weeks, baby was 4 inches and 2.5 ounces. That means the baby just double it's weight in 2 weeks!

Courtesy of "The Bump" app
Total weight gain: No new info. I have a doctor appointment on Monday. As of last time my weight gained since my first doctor visit mid December was about 9 pounds. I expect it to have gone up a couple pounds.

Maternity clothes: No but I really need to start. I ordered a pair of jeans and workout capris online and bought a tank top and casual shirt at target. I desperately want to get some maternity work pants because I just can't deal with a button and zipper squeezing my belly anymore! (Edited: bought 2 pairs of work pants tonight. I can bet you I'll be wearing one of them tomorrow!)

Sleep: About the same. Some nights are better than others but I at least get up 2 times a night. Sometimes a lot more.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: Not much as happened although I'm definitely getting bigger. Not sure if I have a "best" moment these past 2 weeks though. Whomp whomp. Definitely next time! (Edited: We got our first baby onsies as a gift! SOOOOO CUTE!)

Miss anything: Not really.

Movement: Nope.  But I'm patiently waiting! Hopefully soon!

Symptoms: So many... Out of breath frequently (like just walking down the hall). And I believe I was having some round ligament pain on Monday. That was not much fun. I've definitely also got "pregnancy brain." I forgot to take off my shoes at the beginning of my barre class once (and you are supposed to be in just socks), and sometimes I forget the names of my coworkers when I go to say "hi" to them. "Hi!... Uh..." *Walk Away* Oops.  Otherwise, normal fatigue and some headaches. A little lower backache sometimes but nothing to be concerned about.

Food cravings: Not a whole lot these days. Just food.  Give me all the food.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think my aversions are going away. Nothing is really making my stomach churn. But nothing is really sounding outstandingly appetizing either. Except maybe pineapple and grapes. Yum!

Have you started to show yet: Yes. So much yes. I thought it was just a food belly but it's not. I have gotten so much bigger in the last two weeks. And I feel it.

Gender: Not sure yet. Finding out March 21st!  My guess would be a boy.
Belly button in or out: In. Hopefully this never changes.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy.

Exercise: Same as before. Trying to stay active. Running 2x a week, did a prenatal kickboxing video. I try to walk at least 10-20 minutes on lunch at work when it's nice out. I am giving myself an extra day of rest after my long run (8 miles) this past Sunday. I think my body needs it these days.
Looking forward to: Feeling a kick! Come on baby! Tell me you're there!  Also, finding out the gender.


Anyone want to venture a guess as to the gender of the baby?? 

Monday, February 20, 2017

My Workout Routine

I mentioned in my last post that I was still working out regularly even though I was pregnant. I still work out about 5 days per week right now, although my intensity level has decreased some (with good reason, obviously). It's my first pregnancy and so figuring out what workouts are good to do or what things might not be good to do can be a bit difficult and a bit nerve-wracking at first. 

My first priority is obviously the baby. But, working out and maintaining a fitness level is really good for the baby (and momma). So I read posts on the internet, asked some friends that went through this recently, and asked my doctor. Combining all of this with how I feel, I decided what I think is the right way for me to handle working out and pregnancy.

I'll admit though, it's difficult mentally. Am I doing to much? Can I be doing more? Should I do this ab workout? There is so much information out there and so much conflicting information, that it becomes overwhelming. And with being pregnant comes difficulty breathing, shortness of breath. Add running to that and some days, it's difficult.

With that said, I wanted to run through a typical 2 weeks of working out in the day and the life of a "pregnant runner."  I generally schedule rest days on Monday and Friday. So I try to do something all other days, even if it's a light/short workout.

Also, for comparison, I generally ran 3 days a week prior to becoming pregnant (around 9:45-10:30 pace), biked 1 day a week, and did "something" else (barre or bike) the other day.

Saturday, February 4th - Saturday, February 11th

2/4, Sat. - Barre class (1 hour)
2/5, Sun. - 5 mile run @ Waterfall Glen (56:33 - 5:1 intervals - 11:18 pace)


2/7, Tues - Prenatal strength workout at home (YouTube, 25 mins)
2/8, Wed - Bike trainer (12.5 miles, 45 mins)
2/9, Thurs - 3.8 mile run (Group Run, 42:54, 11:04 pace)

2/11, Sat. - 5 mile run (57:30, 11:30) - I really struggled this day
                  5.1 mile outdoor bike w/ Derek (28:22)

Sunday, February 12th - Sunday, February 19th
2/12, Sun. - Gym workout (20 mins stair climber, 20 mins elliptical)

2/14, Tues - 3 mile run (35:35, 11:50 pace)
2/15, Wed - Bike trainer (10 miles, 37:35)
2/16, Thurs - 4 mile run (group run, 42:39, 10:39 pace)

2/18, Sat. - Barre class (1 hour)
2/19, Sun. - 7 mile run w/ friends (1:25:54, 2:1 intervals - 12:16 pace)
                   25 mile outdoor bike (2:08:18)  - I mean...it was a really nice weekend. lol



So, I didn't swim even though I was starting to go. I just didn't want to go to the pool and leave wet and cold. Also Derek was working late and I opted to stay and do things at home so I was there for the animals. And last Sunday, it was in the 60's, so might as well do a million things outdoors. I've also slowed my pace for pretty much everything I do, at least a little bit (bike trainer, stair climber, etc.).

As you can see, my runs are kind of all over the place, pace wise. I'm trying to figure things out right now. The problems I'm having are shortness of breath and the fact that I have to use the bathroom every 5 seconds. Obviously both totally normal pregnancy running issues. But it can be frustrating nonetheless, especially when all the port-a-potties have been removed for the winter. I peed in the bushes twice this past week. I'm not proud of that, lol, but I have to do what I have to do.

I tried the 2:1 intervals with some friends last weekend because my solo run the weekend before was miserable (mentally). I'm signed up for a half marathon on April 1st and I will be almost 22 weeks pregnant. I signed up for the insurance so I can back down if I don't think I can do it, but I really want to do it. So my weekends right now are for trying to figure out the best long run strategy for me to get through the half comfortably.

Some runs feel great, some aren't so great (mostly breathing). But all in all, I feel fine running. No tummy issues or anything. I think baby likes it. I mean, it's going to be a triathlete... and apparently a soccer play (according to hubby). Haha!  I'll do an update on how the half marathon training is going in a few weeks.

For those interested, I'm doing Run the Bluegrass in Lexington, Kentucky on April 1st. Come join me! I hear it's beautiful but really hilly (hence trying to get some hills in my running schedule).

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

14 & 15 Weeks: Pregnancy Update

As of today, I'm 15 weeks 3 days. The time is flying. And thanks for all the wonderful comments on my last post about running the F^3 Half Marathon.

So let's see what's been happening the last couple weeks, shall we?

15 Weeks - Cameo by "Camo the dog"

15 weeks - Trying to be funny and "create" a bump
Yes, I tried to "create" a bump in the second picture to be funny. I'm tired of just being "fatter." I want to look pregnant. Not like I'm just eating ALL THE FOOD. Don't be fooled. I have two bellies (always have, I hate it). A top belly and a bottom belly. The baby is in the bottom belly. But my top belly is just getting bigger. I'm waiting until the baby makes the two bumps one. lol. Yes, all my insecurities laid out for you!  I think my insecurities are stemming from losing 40 pounds right before getting pregnant and now gaining weight again.

How far along/size of baby: I'm 15 weeks 3 days today. Baby is the size of a large navel orange! Wow! I think that seems pretty big! The baby measures around 4 inches and 2.5 ounces.

Total weight gain: Weight gained since my first doctor visit mid December is about 9 pounds.

Maternity clothes: Not quite yet but I did order some jeans that were 50% off. I'm hoping they fit when I need them. I've definitely moved from my smaller pants size back up 1 size though. Thankfully I have them from when I lost weight last year.

Sleep: I was never a good sleeper. I always woke up several times a night so this is no exception.  I definitely get up at least 2, sometimes 3 times to go to the bathroom at night but it has gotten better from before. I definitely hate the nights I get up every 1-2 hours ALL NIGHT LONG. Those are not too often now though.

Best moment of the past 2 weeks: Hearing the baby's heartbeat when I was 14 weeks pregnant. That was the first time I actually heard it and it was more amazing than I thought it would be. Seriously, I was on cloud 9 for two days.

Miss anything: Not really. Eating a cold turkey sandwich sometimes.

Movement: None yet. Still too early.

Symptoms: I'm still pretty tired but much better than I was during the first trimester. I have a general lack of energy right now. I'm still working out but my motivation to even get up from the couch is lacking. Also it's weird, but I say that I can "feel my uterus" which I think sounds weird. But I can kind of feel the lower area when I'm pretty much doing anything...walking, running, moving in general.  I also have had some discomfort in that lower area periodically. My guess is that it's my uterus expanding... ?  Also, I get out of breath pretty quickly.

Food cravings: Fruit. Sweet things. Bagels.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The thought of greasy pizza or ground beef was turning my stomach a bit. It "might" be starting to go away though because pizza kinda sounds good right about now.

Have you started to show yet: No I don't think so. Again, I think my belly is just filled with food.

Gender: Not sure yet. Finding out March 21st!  My guess would be a boy.
 
Belly button in or out: In.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: A bit of both right now I think. My lack of energy and being tired makes me moody.  At times I feel a bit depressed.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited about everything.. but you know... life takes a lot out of you mentally sometimes.

Exercise: Still exercising. Just not as vigorously. I think I'm using baby as an excuse. But I'm running (2-3x/week), indoor biking (1x/week), swimming (on occasion), barre classes (1x/week), and workouts at home. Oh and I did the stair climber and elliptical this week. I'll give a general exercise update post soon. I generally work out in some capacity 5 days a week.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender on March 21st. It almost can't come soon enough. Also, really looking forward to having an actual bump and feeling movement.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

F^3 Half Marathon Race Recap

I signed up for the 2017 F^3 Half Marathon reluctantly around October.  The reason I signed up was that A LOT of my friends in the Frankfort/New Lenox Running Club were doing the race. It's so much fun when there are so many people you know.  Also, my running had been improving and I thought that maybe I could have a decent half (definitely not a PR, but decent nonetheless).

On the other end, I was reluctant to sign up because I wasn't sure if I would end up getting pregnant by then. Also, you just never know what the weather will be like in January in Chicago.

There happened to be a discount code for $10 off in October. I wasn't pregnant yet and so I thought, if I do get pregnant, I probably would be newly pregnant and still be able to do the half marathon. So I signed up. Why not. Plus is was "only" $50 so worse scenario, I didn't HAVE to do it if I couldn't.

Then I got pregnant in the beginning of November. Faster than I anticipated.  I found out on Black Friday but wasn't really sure how far along I was. I'm not "regular", if you know what I mean. But I calculated based on that anyway and then calculated how far along I would be for this half. I thought as long as I was feeling fine, I would still be in the first trimester and still be able to run.  I also asked my doctor if I could still run and she said yes, just to watch my heart rate.

So I kept up with my training plan. My friends didn't know yet so I had to make sure I wouldn't be running too fast with them on the long runs. Luckily I was feeling good, they were doing their long runs at an easy pace, and we took walk breaks every 1.5 to 2 miles as needed.  I ended up doing two 10 mile training runs for this half. I didn't want to run more than that for training.

DAY OF RACE

I was able to tell everyone before this day that I was pregnant, which helped me out in being able to take my time during the run without people wondering why I was running slowly and walking often. (I know that's all in my head and no one really cares how fast I'm running). Anyway, I had thought about wearing a sign on my back indicating that I was pregnant for fun, but wasn't sure if that was weird. My friend Jill made me a fun "baby on board" sign that I absolutely loved and decided to wear that. If nothing else, I figured it's good for people to know I was pregnant so that if something happened, people were aware for an emergency purpose.

I was pretty nervous about running this half, despite having run almost 30 half marathons, most of which were since 2011. This was the first time doing it while pregnant and there is just a lot to think about with that. I had been fueling with bananas and cliff bars on my long runs instead of with the normal gels in an attempt to be more "natural" with my fueling. I brought a cliff bar and a Huma gel just in case I needed it.

I also ate more for breakfast because I'm always hungry these days. Normally before a half, I would just eat oatmeal and then a banana before the race. This time I ate a rice cake with peanut butter at home, oatmeal in the car, and a banana before the race. Hopefully that would do the trick.  I also decided to wear my hydration belt so I had my own water in addition to the aid stations so I could make sure I was well hydrated.  Yes, I was definitely nervous!

I carpooled with a few friends, which is always nice. Met up with more friends at Soldier Field (the start and finish for the race), which was also nice. And waited in the nice and warm Soldier Field with real bathrooms for the start, definitely nice!  I went to the bathroom twice but I was sure that I would have to go during the race.  The week before this half, my running started getting harder (more out of breath) and I always had to pee on my runs. So I knew without a doubt I'd have to hit a port-a-potty during the half. 

As always, we took a group photo.  Meet part of the Frankfort/New Lenox Running Club.


I, of course, had to take a pre-race photo of my first pregnancy half with my Baby on Board sign.


RACE

Prior to the race, I wasn't sure what my "plan" was. I mean, clearly I wasn't going to attempt a PR. I wasn't even going to try to "run my best race." I mean, I'm pregnant and didn't want to exert myself too much. I also didn't want to "bomb" half way through.  My goal for the first time in a long time was just "to finish."

How to accomplish this goal? 

- I thought about doing what I did in training and maybe run 1.5 miles and take a walk/fuel break.

- I thought about doing a 5:1 run/walk interval. There was also a 2:30 pacer that was supposed to do that interval so I thought about joining them. I decided not to join the pace group though as I figured I'd lose them when I went to the bathroom.

- I thought about just running until I needed a break.

- I thought about doing a 9:1 run/walk interval.

My ultimate plan was decided when I started running. I decided to do choice number one, which was mostly what I did during training. I decided on running 1.5 miles and taking a 1 minute walk break (which turned into a 1 or 2 minute walk break depending on what I needed).

Here's how the race went down.  I had to use the bathroom as soon as I took my first run step. No joke. I rolled my eyes at that. I decided to wait until hopefully mile 4 or 5.  When I got to mile 3.5 and there was a bathroom, I decided to stop and use it just in case the other wasn't for a while.

I tried to keep my pace steady and slow. I tend to run faster than I want to because I'm just used to running that pace. And a few times, my run pace was a bit too fast. For the first 10 miles, I kept to my plan. Run 1.5 miles, walk 1 or 2 minutes. I ran a straight 2 miles from mile 5-7 just because I decided I felt fine and I would wait until the turn around to walk.

I was pretty happy that I kept my intervals for the first 10 miles. However, by mile 8, I knew I needed to use the bathroom again. Luckily I was able to hold off until after the race. I did NOT want to stop again! Also by around mile 8, I was starting to get fatigued. I could feel my butt muscles getting sore. I was just trying to keep hanging on as long as I could. 

By mile 10, I decided to bring my run interval down to 1 mile. By this point, I was actually struggling to keep running 1 mile.  I was feeling fine as far as the baby went. My legs and butt were just fatigued and I was really feeling it at this point. I managed to stick with the 1 mile run intervals the last 3 miles though and I was pretty proud of that.

As far as the sign on my back, let's just say I did get lots of comments. All the comments would come at the same time and then there would be a long break of nothing, then more comments, then nothing. Once at mile 5, I was taking a walk break and eating half of my cliff bar (more like stuffing my face), when a few women ran by and congratulated me. I thanked them with crumbs in my mouth, looking like a stereotypical hungry pregnant woman. lol

I got lots of "Congratulations!" comments, I also got a "good job pregnant lady!", which I thought could have been phrased better, lol. But my favorite were these 2 guys in bright yellow jackets that played leap frog with me from around miles 8 through 13. "Congratulations! I could barely get myself out here and you are doing it for 2! You are awesome! Way to go!", etc etc etc. They were so much fun and definitely helped brighten the end of my run. They also introduced me to someone after the race! I think they were truly amazed a pregnant woman was running. I was too guys! I was too! lol

I finished in 2:25, which wasn't bad considering that's what my halves were last year before I lost some weight and started improving them. I was pretty happy to have been under 2:30. No, I didn't set a time goal. I didn't really care as long as I finished and did it safely for the baby. But the time still made me a bit happy!

Around mile 2
 
Getting rough somewhere probably around mile 10 or so.
You can also see my favorite guys in yellow jackets just behind. I LOVED THEM!
Finished. Done.
For fueling, I was glad I brought my own water. I drank at the aid stations maybe twice but I liked having my own water to drink when I wanted to drink it. I ate half the cliff bar. I also chowed down a package of the Gatorade chews they handed out like I'd never eaten before!

After the race, I gladly took a bagel and proceeded to inhale that as well. Clearly I was hungry.

We met back up with our friends inside, I went to the bathroom, took some finisher photos of myself and sat down for a while. All in all, I was glad it was over, happy with my accomplishment, and did nothing for the rest of the day!

Happy Finisher
Don't mind my hair in the photo. I had a hat on during the race and didn't care what I looked like afterwards!  Half marathon at just about 13 weeks pregnant...in the done column! Thankfully.

Sweet medal and I loved being able to stay warm before and after the race inside Soldier Field.