Girl Named 28 Weeks

Almost to the 3rd trimester! I can't believe Christmas is next week, this month has flown by! We are moving our offices, so tomorrow I will be going to the new office for the first time. I'm excited to have a nice new office, that's bigger, and has a window, but they are in the middle of nowhere, so I'm not excited about having to drive to get lunch! This week is crazy, and I'm on vacation starting Friday all through next week, so I'm super excited about that! 

The Belly: Still getting exponentially bigger, I am concerned about how big it's going to get!

Food: Still can't hold much and I get full really quickly. 

Baby: She's the size of a large eggplant! She doesn't move as much as Claire did, I really hope that's a good sign that she's a calm and laid back baby!

Feeling: I have felt pretty good the past few days, other than still being so tired (which I know isn't going away for a long time!) Yesterday I felt better than I've felt in weeks, so that was a nice break.

Activity: Putting on socks and shoes. 

Girl Named 27 Weeks

Things have been crazy with Thanksgiving and Black Friday (I had to work midnight to 3am, and the store was crazy!), we've been pretty busy! We put up Christmas decorations, we organized the girls room and unbunked the beds (which I like for ease of access, but it does take up a lot of extra room), then we had a huge snowstorm on Friday so we didn't leave our house for 3 days! I was so happy to "break free" today, although Kylie's school was cancelled again today, so dad kept her. I haven't even started to shop for Christmas (last minute anyone?) and I haven't sent Christmas cards yet. I'm training a girl at work to take over for me while I'm on maternity leave, and trying to get as much done before I leave as I can. We are also moving offices in the next couple weeks, plus I'm taking the week of Christmas off. So much to do! 

I can't believe she will be here in less than 12 weeks! We got the crib put back together, and her room is SEMI organized...we still can't decide if we're going to use the owls or use Claire's jungle animals (but then we'd have to paint). At least we have a few weeks left to get it figured out, but this is way too last minute for me. I guess with your 3rd you're not as quick with things as you are with your first! 

The Belly: It's officially big, and uncomfortable. After working all day putting up decorations and organizing the girls room, I was up half the night with contractions so bad I couldn't get comfortable, then my belly was sore for 2 days afterwards! I think I overdid it, and I definitely learned my lesson, that was horrible.

Food: I haven't had much of an appetite, I get full very quickly and stay full for a long time. I guess that's good for the weight gain though!

Baby: She's the size of a head of cauliflower! She's getting big, and I definitely feel her move a lot. She especially moves when Claire is around, I think she really likes her!

Feeling: Just exhausted and tired. My body gets tired easily and I have no energy. I can sleep for 10 hours at night and wake up tired! Only 12 weeks to go...

Activity: Ha! See comment above about overdoing it. No thanks. 

Girl Named 25 Weeks

Okay, so I haven't posted since 21 weeks. I work in retail advertising, and Black Friday is a nightmare, so I am just now getting around to this! Let's just pretend that weeks 21 - 25 were all the same, because now I don't remember them to update. Things have been crazy - we're slowly but surely getting the girls rooms combined, right now they have bunk beds that will be "unbunked" shortly, and we've gotten most of the clothes organized in the closet. There's still a lot to do in Chloe's room, but we have a couple months for that. We've had Pete's birthday, now Thanksgiving this week (including the ever-important Brownwards Thanksgiving on Friday!)

It's Thanksgiving week, and while I don't participate in the "Thankful November" posts (I think they're annoying, and people should be thankful all year and not just in November), I do want everyone to know that I am indeed thankful for everything I am blessed with in my life. I have a wonderful husband, who some days I think is so much more than I deserve. I have 2 beautiful, healthy, smart (I could go on...) daughters and another on the way. I have a beautiful home, a great job, and wonderful friends and family. I honestly couldn't ask for more.

The Belly: Is getting pretty huge. Some mornings I wake up and feel like it doubled in size, and I'm now at the "bumping into things" stage. Hopefully it doesn't continue to grow exponentially over the next 14 weeks! I pretty much have 5 shirts that fit me right now. 

Food: I have no aversions (unfortunately) but I'm to the stage where I get full really fast, and stay full for hours. So by dinner every night, I'm really not hungry. 

Baby: She's the size of a rutabaga (not too sure what that is).

Feeling: I feel great, other than a cold that's been hanging around for 2+ weeks. I'm exhausted - a full time job and two kids doesn't allow much rest time! I'm looking forward to my week long vacation at Christmas (the first time I've taken more than 2 days off work in a row in 2 years!)! 

Activity: I've been trying to walk, but it's cold outside and I've been sick, so not too much. We're supposed to do the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but it's supposed to be in the teens that morning, so not too sure I want to be out in it or get the girls out either. I seriously miss running. People look at me like I'm crazy when I say that, and think I'm lying. But I DO miss it! I daydream about it, and I actually dream at night that I'm running in races, or around the neighborhood. I had planned on running while I'm pregnant, but outside forces, and a giant belly, beg to differ. According to my calculations it should be about 5 months before I can run again (which sounds like FOREVER) but it will be spring, and nice weather to get outside and run! I absolutely can't wait. I can't wait to schedule a race, and am already planning on doing a half marathon next Fall with a friend!  

Girl Named 21 Weeks

We had our ultrasound last week, and it confirmed that the baby is indeed another girl! So girl #3 will be here in March! I can't believe we're having another girl, my husband is drastically outnumbered!

We had a busy weekend - Saturday Pete had a race at 8am, Kylie had a race (her first race all by herself!) at 10:30am, then she had a soccer game at 11am, then we had to eat lunch and run by my store for an event we were having, then another soccer game at 1:30pm, then we took the girls to see The Little Mermaid play at 2:30pm, then friends came over at 5:30 with their 3 kids for dinner. Whew! We all slept very good Saturday night! I'm pretty sure I'm still tired...

The Belly: Getting bigger. I already have a few "maternity" shirts that are too short to wear. I've been shopping Old Navy clearance and Plato's Closet for cheap shirts. I apologize in advance to co-workers, I may wear the same shirts every week, because I only have like 6. 

Food: Pretty much everything is good. 

Baby: She's the size of a pomegranate! In the ultrasound, she was 14oz, so almost a pound!

Feeling: Still completely exhausted. Everyone that says you have so much energy in the 2nd trimester apparently doesn't have 2 other kids to chase and a full-time job! I cannot. Get. Enough. Sleep.

Activity:  Thursday night I went to my first prenatal yoga class, and it kicked my booty! It was actual yoga, with upside down poses and arms and legs akimbo. I was sore the next day, but it felt so good to do something! And, I am so excited that Friday I walked 2 miles on my treadmill! Then Saturday I probably walked another 2 miles at the farm and soccer games. I feel so much better doing something active, rather than sitting around with a broken foot! 

Girl Named 20 Weeks

Half way!! I can't believe it, it seems like I've already been pregnant a year! ;) We had a pretty quiet weekend, I took the girls to my bestie's house to eat dinner and paint pumpkins Friday, and Saturday we had a soccer game, then went to see MSU Homecoming (they actually won!) and sat in the skybox with my bosses and their kids. Sunday we just watched football and relaxed (and ate Mexican Villa, of course). 

We have our 20 week ultrasound Thursday, so we will get confirmation of the gender, as well as make sure everything is okay health-wise. I'm nervous and excited! 

The Belly: I had the first person actually ask if I was pregnant at the MSU tailgate, so that's good! 

Food: I told my husband last night that the "bottomless pit" is growing a bottom, thank goodness. I haven't been eating nearly as much this week, so that's good! It takes a lot of energy to eat that much! ;)

Baby: The size of a banana!

Feeling: This is the first week I've actually felt pregnant. I am exhausted, I feel like I could sleep all day. My belly is just starting to get heavy, I just started sleeping with the belly pillow this week. Oh, and I had my first cankles last night, so I hope that doesn't mean I'm in for 20 weeks of giant feet again! I think I need to stop eating so much salt...

Activity: I finally got rid of the boot! We walked a lot at the football game, but I didn't do a whole lot more. My foot gets pretty sore still, especially when I walk a lot. I am starting prenatal yoga this Thursday though, so I'm really excited about that! I'm hoping to go on a little walk this weekend, or get a walk or two in on the treadmill. I should be able to run/jog in a couple weeks! 

Girl Named 19 Weeks

We had a great weekend - we took Friday off and went to northwest Arkansas for the wedding of two of our good friends, and it was beautiful! We hung out with great friends Friday night, Saturday we went to the Razorbacks homecoming game (the played South Carolina and they lost horribly!) and Saturday night we had a date night to P.F. Changs, did some shopping at the Promenade, and went and saw Gravity (the first movie we've seen together in probably 4 years. We stayed in the Embassy Suites and it was completely paid for (not by us) so that was nice. It was really nice to get away for 3 days just the two of us and actually spend some time together and talk without interruptions! We would have had a lot more fun if I wasn't pregnant (I took a nap both days and was in bed by 11pm, plus I couldn't drink) but it was still nice. I didn't want to come back on Sunday!

The Belly: It's getting bigger...but not big enough for the cashier at Walgreens to think better of making a comment about how many snacks I was purchasing. I almost punched him in the face. 

Food: I'm a starving bottomless pit (hence above comment about a mass quantity of snacks). Pete made fun of me all weekend because we ate so much food, but I was always ready to eat more! I'm going to weigh 300 pounds before I have this baby!

Baby: The size of an heirloom tomato (pretty specific)!

Feeling: Aside from feeling like I could sleep for 24 hours straight, I'm feeling pretty good! Not really any symptoms right now. I have been sleeping comfortably - we have a Tempur-Pedic this time, and it's making a HUGE difference in my sleeping comfort!

Activity: I'm still in the boot, but at the game we did end up having to walk about 2 miles total, most of it uphill, because we didn't really know our way around the stadium, and they wouldn't let us cut through. I thought I was going to die when we got to our car, but I at least got some exercise! Only one more week in the boot! 

Girl Named 18 Weeks

We had a very quiet and relaxing weekend! Saturday it stormed all day, so Kylie's soccer game was cancelled and so was Pete's softball tournament. We stayed inside all day and did nothing, and it was fabulous! Kylie decided it was Otter's (her favorite stuffed animal) birthday, so we took him to Mexican Villa for dinner, then had cupcakes on Sunday for him. It was a really good weekend, but it went too fast, as always. 

I didn't have to get a cast (thank goodness), and I declared myself done with the crutches on Friday (I was supposed to use them until tomorrow) because I was SO tired of them. Now it's just the boot, and my foot hurts by the evening every day from walking so much, but I'm sure that will get better. I'm just happy to have my hands back!

The Belly: Getting bigger, and more noticeably pregnant. Pete was amazed when he saw me with my shirt off, even though he's seen this happen twice before!

Food: I'm getting better and being able to pick things to eat, and I was constantly starving last week, which is awesome. Hopefully I didn't make TOO many bad choices...

Baby: Baby is the size of a bell pepper! I'm excited (and nervous) to have the "big" ultrasound here in a couple weeks!

Feeling: I had more energy this week, this is the first weekend since I've been pregnant that I didn't take a nap either day, by choice! I did sleep until 9am both days though... I haven't been sick, and I haven't had any aches and pains yet, so I'm enjoying it right now!

Activity: Boot = no activity. I'm thinking of going to the gym and swimming or doing the bike though this week, just to do something. 

Girl Named 17 Weeks

I'm a few days late on this update, we've been busy! My husband was out of town all week at a conference, and as I mentioned last time, I re-broke my foot (the first time it was fractured but still together, this time it is broken through, but non-displaced). Went to the dr last Tuesday and he put me in a (very high fashion) bigger boot up to my knee (he wanted to put me in a cast, but I cried and talked him out of it), and crutches. I have to go back in a week and see how it's healing to determine if I need a cast or not. Taking care of the girls by myself all week, on crutches, has been a huge challenge! By the time Pete got home, I was exhausted! Anyone that knows me, knows I'm not a complainer. If something hurts, I suck it up and deal with it, and if I complain you know it's really bad! I have tried my best to not complain to Pete, because he's doing such an awesome job at taking care of me, but it really hurts (like all night long) and after almost 4 weeks of being in a boot already, with 5 to go, I'm tired of it! I just want to be able to walk and do things at a normal speed. There, my complaining rant is over. :)

We had a quiet weekend, Kylie had her first soccer game, and I met some friends for dinner Saturday night. Sunday I sat around all day while Pete did everything (which sounds awesome, but at this point I kind of just want to go back to being able to do everything! I feel really guilty asking him for so much help, when I feel like I should be doing it. It's hard to ask for help from people!). As for the pregnancy...

The Belly: It's actually starting to look pregnant! Claire's teacher mentioned yesterday that I'm finally starting to look pregnant. Maybe being pregnant AND on crutches will get me extra sympathy? ;)

Food: I really don't have any aversions or cravings right now. Absolutely no food sounds good, and I can't pick something to eat for the life of me. But I'm hungry, and when I eat it's always good. 

Baby: The size of an onion! Heartbeat was 156 at my appointment Friday. I haven't felt much movement yet, but she was definitely moving on the ultrasound!

Feeling: I'm feeling great, some days I even forget I'm pregnant! (I'm going to enjoy that while it lasts!) I'm tired, but that's to be expected, especially hobbling around on crutches everywhere.

Activity: Ha! I don't think I even need to answer this. :)

Girl Named 16 Weeks

We found out we're having a ...GIRL! Oh my gosh, 3 girls! Our house is going to be so full of drama. As a friend pointed out, at one point we'll have girls that are 18, 16 and 13. I will be heavily drinking at that point. We are very excited though, as long as she's healthy! We will go for the 20 week ultrasound in a few weeks (this one was an elective early gender ultrasound) but we did get to see her moving a lot, she waved at us, so that was cool! Here she is waving!

We had a good weekend; Friday we got to eat dinner at Nakato with a good friend that just had a baby, Saturday Pete and I went to KC for The Chive night at Kauffman and saw a Royals game, and it was nice to spend time together alone. Sunday he left for a conference in Virginia, so we are excited for him to get home! 

The Belly: It seems like it's about the same size as last week. Still bigger than normal, but not big enough for me to look pregnant - just fat. 

Food: I've been eating pretty normal, still love nachos and queso! Still not a fan of sweet things.

Baby: The size of an avocado! 

Feeling: This is a rough one. We all came down with colds Saturday, so I have been feeling really bad. Can't sleep much because of the congestion, and can't really take anything that works! I haven't been too nauseous though, so that's good! A good friend was very nice and took the girls to the park for 4 hours Sunday, so I got a good nap and some housework done!

Activity: Another rough one. I walked a lot at the game, but Sunday night Claire jumped on my (broken) foot and this morning I couldn't walk on it at all, and it was swollen again. I'm going back to the dr in the morning so he can look at it. Ugh. I'm starting to feel like I'll be in this boot forever, and I'll never be able to run again! I'm SO tired of it. 

Girl Named 15 Weeks

This has been a better week - found out the culture on my UTI came back negative, so I got to stop taking the nasty antibiotics! We went to Steam-O-Rama Saturday, and it was beautiful outside! The girls had fun eating corn dogs and riding the little train around. It was a lot of walking though, and my foot was pretty sore that night! Then we went to a friends house for dinner and the girls played with their kids and we had a lot of fun!

We find out what we're having on Wednesday, we're having the 15 week 3D ultrasound (although I'm still skeptical they can give me an accurate reading this early), so I'm nervous and excited! I'll update you next week on what it is! Think boy thoughts...

The Belly: Getting bigger, I'm now having people I haven't told "wondering" but are afraid to ask, so that means it looks more pregnant and less fat. I pretty much have 3 dress shirts (that fit properly) to wear to work right now, so I'm going to have to go get a couple more! (Don't tell my husband)

Food: Still love love love Mexican food - queso, chips, burritos, nachos, etc. Still don't really want sweet things, everything sweet tastes exaggeratedly sweet right now, and I don't like it! I do love pickles too. 

Baby: Fittingly, baby is the size of an avocado, and I love guacamole! 

Feeling: I am feeling better every day I think, but I'm still tired and get tired easily. I still need my nap every Saturday and Sunday (and my husband will be out of town coming up, and I'm dreading not getting my nap in!) I haven't been nearly as nauseous, the feeling comes and goes sometimes, but I don't have to eat first thing in the morning anymore.

Activity: With the broken foot, walking around at Steam-O-Rama is about as much activity as I can handle right now, I didn't even have it in me to go to Walmart this weekend. 3 more weeks in the boot!

Girl Named 14 Weeks

Another week already?! This week was CRAZY, and I'm glad it's over. On Tuesday I went for a run, and I got off the road to let two cars pass, stepped on a rock, and fractured my foot. I had to go to Memphis Wednesday and Thursday for a meeting, so by the time I got back on Friday I had to go to the dr because I couldn't walk on it or sleep! Now I'm wearing a boot for 4-6 weeks, which is awesome. Being pregnant and having a broken foot is the best. On top of that, I went to my OB appointment Friday, and I have a UTI, so I'm on antibiotics for that, and I HATE antibiotics. I hate the side effects, and I don't want to take them. So this weekend I was a miserable person! 

The baby's heartbeat was still 180, which seems super fast to me! I don't remember the girls' heartbeats ever being that fast, so I don't know what to think! 10 days until we find out if it's a girl or a boy!

The Belly: I'd say it's roughly the same size this week, although I'm starting to feel less bloated, which is good!

Food: Still on a Mexican kick - nachos, chips, queso, tacos... anything salty!

Baby: The size of a lemon now!

Feeling: Well, up until I broke my foot and started antibiotics, I was actually feeling a lot better! I'm hoping once I finish the meds I will get back to "normal". 

Activity: Well...I tried to run once, and that didn't work out so well. So now, NO activity for at least 4 weeks, but once the dr clears me he said I can do swimming, water aerobics, and other low impact activities. 

Girl Named 13 Weeks

I'm a couple days late, but I'm 13 weeks! Last week was crazy with Labor Day weekend, so I'm just now getting everything together. I'm pretty excited because I scheduled a 3D ultrasound, so we're finding out what we're having a whole 5 WEEKS earlier! September 18th is the day, and I can't wait! Please send me "boy" thoughts! ;) 

We didn't do a whole lot over the long weekend, I had 4 days off and it was spectacular. We hung out with the girls, went to the pool, ate at our favorite restaurants, etc. It was very relaxing, but went by way too fast!

The Belly: It's getting bigger, I'm hoping it will fill with baby soon. I ate lunch with a friend today and she said "You're finally starting to look pregnant!" which is awesome, since I've definitely felt pregnant!

Food: I LOVE mexican food. Taco pizza, queso, rotel dip, burritos, tacos, you name it. My husband laughed at me because we had queso for lunch yesterday at Mexican Villa, then I made rotel dip for dinner. 

Baby: Is the size of a pea pod! Which to me, seems smaller than a lemon, but who's comparing. 

Feeling: I've been feeling better every day, I've gone 3 whole days without taking the Zofran, so that's pretty exciting! I have a little more energy, although I took a nap every day this weekend. But...I may have done that even if I wasn't pregnant.

Activity: I've went for a couple walk/runs, but hurt my foot on the last one so I may take a few days off! I'm just happy to have the energy to walk or run again!

Girl Named 12 Weeks

Well, I made it past the first trimester! (I think, I never know if second trimester starts at week 12 or 13...) Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better than I was a few weeks ago for sure. P and I had a nice weekend away in Branson, I did some shopping with a friend, and we stayed in a super nice hotel, got to eat dinner out (with no kids!) and have drinks (not me, them). It was relaxing, but not long enough! I have a 4 day weekend coming up for Labor Day, so a little more relaxing may be in order!

The Belly: It still isn't baby, but it's definitely there. Although, being a smidgen overweight to begin with, I still just look fat. :)

Food: Fortunately, most aversions are past by now. I still DO NOT want a hamburger, but not as many things turn my stomach now. I still love anything salty or spicy, and I only want to drink unsweetened iced tea, with Truvia in it. I know that's not the best because of the caffeine and artificial sweetener, but I try to mix in some water here and there too.

Baby: It's the size of a lime this week!

Feeling: I've been feeling much better, more energy, but I still crash about 9:00 every night. I have been able to get all the laundry done though, so that's a big step!

Activity: I walked a lot this weekend while shopping, so I'm counting it. I haven't done a deliberate walk/run yet, but I'm planning to this week. 

Girl Named 11 weeks

11 weeks! Only 2 more weeks until I'm out of the horrendous 1st trimester! I have felt better this week as well, I've been taking the Zofran once a day still, but after it wears off I've been able to control the nausea with eating and Tummy Drops. Yesterday I woke up with NO nausea for the first time in 4 weeks! I don't want to jinx it, because as we all know, it can hit at any time. So I'm just enjoying it while it lasts. My oldest daughter started Kindergarten this week, so it's been a bit emotional for this mama. I can't believe she's gotten that big, it feels like I was just pregnant with her! 

The Belly: More noticeably pregnant, still not baby just bloat, but the belly bloat is getting bigger and harder to hold in! 

Food: Still no meat for me, thanks. Not as many aversions, but not many cravings either. A BLT sounds pretty good though...

Baby: The size of a fig now! And almost fully formed, so that's exciting!

Feeling: I've been feeling better, and having more good days than bad. I think it's looking up! This may be TMI (but all you other mamas understand) if I could poop, I would be a new woman! I'm taking Colace, fiber, Miralax, and just drank some Magnesium Sulfate, so I'm waiting for something to happen!

Activity: Still haven't had the energy to run, but last night we went on a family walk, and that's the most activity I've done in a month. I'm hoping in a couple weeks I'll be able to do more. 

Girl Named 10 weeks

Well, I made it to 10 weeks! The nausea is starting to subside, though it is still present. We had our first ultrasound this week, and got to hear the heartbeat! It was 180, so still really fast. It doesn't matter how many kids you have, hearing that heartbeat for the first time is one of the most amazing things. It makes me cry every time. We got a picture of baby, and I instantly fell in love! 

The Belly: I know it's not baby yet, but my amazing remembering belly is definitely getting bigger. It's now pretty noticeable that I'm either fat, or pregnant. 

Food: Although some aversions are gone, I still can't think about meat (cheeseburgers make me want to puke), vegetables in certain forms are still questionable. I haven't really had any cravings this week.

Baby: The size of a kumquat, although that doesn't mean anything to me because I don't know what that is.

Feeling: I'm less tired than I was, and less nauseous. I still have a few bad days here and there, but they're definitely getting more sparse, which gives me hope!

Activity: Still not enough energy for that! 

Girl Named 9 weeks

This week has not been much better, although after my awesome husband had to clean the house that weekend, he let me hire a housekeeper! She came for the first time Wednesday, and when I came home from work and my house was spotless, smelled good, and there were fresh cut flowers on the counter, I literally cried. He asked me "Are you crying??" Yes, yes I am. My house is clean and I didn't have to do it. Men don't understand, but it's such a huge burden and stress relief to have it done. Now I can come home and cook dinner (or bring it home...) and relax. Weekends I only have to worry about laundry because I know she'll be coming back again Wednesday! 

I finally called the doctor and had her call me in a prescription for Zofran. I took it all through both my other pregnancies, and while I haven't been as sick yet, I feel it coming. And it makes me feel better knowing I have it on-hand for when I need it. It helps with the nausea too, which is nice. 

The Belly: Still just fat.

Food: I've been able to eat a few more things this week, but I still have a pretty limited range. I still love PB filled pretzels and lemonheads.

Baby: The size of a grape!

Feeling: Still exhausted and nauseous. My daughter was sick this weekend, and I caught her cold, so throw that in the mix and I'm kind of miserable. Especially since I can't take anything. 

Activity: Okay, I'm starting to feel really lazy. I went from being really active to nothing, but I don't have the energy right now to do anything. Hopefully that will change soon. 

Girl Named 8 weeks

Well, I had more good days this week. I had my first doctor appointment on Wednesday, but it didn't turn out to be where I actually saw the doctor. I saw the nurse, peed in a cup, had 7 vials of blood taken, and was talked to in length about what to expect while being pregnant. They really should just skip that part for the 3rd pregnancy, I'm kind of a pro by now. 

We also went on vacation this week (mini-vacation) to the lake, and spent 5 days at the lake house with family and friends. It was so much fun, and so relaxing, but I SO didn't want to come back to work when it was time! Not to mention on my last day off I was so sick and tired I couldn't get out of the chair all day. C was sick too, so I had an excuse to not do anything because she stayed home from school with me. 

The Belly: Still nothing. I just look really chubby and bloated. I'm sure that can't be from all the extra food I've eaten...

Food: I'm down to snacking every 2-3 hours, so that's better. But still cravings of salty and sour things. The mere thought of a cheeseburger makes me almost puke, in fact it was even hard to type the word.

Baby: Now the size of a kidney bean!

Feeling: Exhausted, sick, nauseous, no energy.

Activity: Again, can't bring myself to walk or run. Hoping this "phase" ends soon so I can get back to exercising. 

Girl Named 7 weeks

Well, this week I had several days where I just wanted to lay around. Saturday and Sunday I was pretty much worthless, but luckily I have an amazing husband who did the laundry, washed and replaced sheets on all the beds, did dishes, cleaned the girls bedrooms and playroom, made meals, etc. He is awesomer than words can say, and I don't know what I'd do without him. 

The Belly: Still don't have one. Well...I do, but it's all bloat and food. 

Food: Once the nausea kicked in, I have to eat once an hour, literally. If I'm not putting food in my mouth, I feel like I'll throw up. Anything salty or sour - salt & vinegar chips, lemonheads, peanut butter filled pretzels.

Baby: Still tiny, about the size of a blueberry.

Feeling: Horrible. I had 4 bad days and 3 good days. I just want to be able to eat a normal amount of food and not feel like throwing up or passing out all the time!

Activity: Besides getting off the couch for a snack (and going to work every day), nothing!

Girl Named 6 weeks pregnant

I'm 6 weeks now, and it seems like it's been forever! (I'm writing this before we've announced to everyone) so it seems like forever before I can tell people! I just want to tell everyone I know. With the other 2 we told everyone around 8-10 weeks, so we will at least wait that long this time. I will be writing about the past week, but posting belly pictures from the day I am "that week", if that makes sense. I'm 6 weeks on Saturday, so I'll write about the previous week, and post a picture from Saturday. 

The Belly:
Well, I'm only 6 weeks but I look 4 months. I know it's bloating, and what I refer to as "My Amazing Remembering Belly". They say that with each pregnancy you "show" earlier and earlier because your body knows what to do, and your muscles just kind of relax into it. So, my belly is definitely relaxing at this point. I'm going to try and find my belly pictures from last time so I can compare them. 

Food:
Last week I was a bottomless starving pit. This week I'm hungry, but NOTHING sounds good. It sucks because I want to eat, but can't figure out what I want to eat. Popcorn has been my go-to food so far.

Baby:
About the size of a pumpkin seed, so not up to much right now. 

Feeling:
I have been SO tired (duh). I feel like I could sleep for days straight. Other than a day of heartburn before I even found out I was pregnant, I really haven't had any other physical symptoms. I am incredibly moody and bitchy (just ask Pete) and I cry a lot for no apparent reason. All normal. 

Activity:
Monday: Elliptical
Tuesday: Running
Thursday: Running
Saturday: Running

Girl Named...Terrified?

Well, I haven't made a post in a couple months, apparently. We've been busy! It's now time to share that we are pregnant with our 3rd baby, due in March! We have been waiting to share the news until we felt comfortable. We are so excited (and really hoping for a boy!). Before we "tried", I Googled "how to conceive a boy" and we did EVERYTHING on the list. I even bought a book about how to conceive the gender of your choice. I'll let you know if it works or not, for all of you that would like to try it too!

I am completely terrified to have 3 kids though. I remember being scared to have K, and not scared at all to have C because we already had one. I think I'm more scared to have #3 than I was either of the others! I'm just so worried about how it will affect our life, what our life will be like, how the other two will respond to it...I'm a planner, and for me not to know what will happen and what it will be like, seriously gives me anxiety! 

I will be posting weekly posts about my pregnancy (this is an idea I saw on another blog and loved it) but it's more for me and my kids one day, than for anyone else. I didn't keep a good record for the girls, and I'd like to for this one because I know it's my last chance! Since I waited a while, I will have 5 or 6 to post to catch up, then it will be weekly. 

My goal is to remain active (running, elliptical, bike, walking) for as long as I possibly can. I've read a lot of research about it, and there are SO many benefits to exercise during pregnancy. I didn't exercise at all the other 2 times, and I gained 40 and 50 pounds, respectively. The girls were both VERY healthy and I had healthy pregnancies, but I'm hoping if I eat right and continue to exercise, it will minimize some of my symptoms (like swelling, low energy, weight gain) and give me an easier delivery. I hope you enjoy this ride with me! I can't wait to share it with you!

Girl Named Gratified

   On Saturday April 13th I completed my first half-marathon. I "trained" for 13 weeks, and it didn't go as planned. I got sick a lot, went through 2 rounds of antibiotics, and missed a lot of training runs because of it. I went into the race not feeling ready, but I couldn't back out. The race was Rock the Parkway in Kansas City, and Pete was doing it too. We were staying with friends, and making it our anniversary weekend. We got there at 7:00 am, the race started at 7:30. I was very nervous - would I make it? Would I die? Would I pass out? Would I be last? all of these things were going through my head. There were 5,500 runners participating in the half, so I knew my chances of being last were pretty slim. It was 37 degrees when it started, and I was thankful I had packed a long sleeved shirt just in case. I was in the "G" wave, so my wave didn't start until about 7:42. I wasn't able to get up to my pace group because the crowd was too big, so I went at it alone - I crossed the start line, and started running. The first few miles went pretty quickly - I am a people watcher, and I spent most of it watching the people around me and deciding who would run my pace, who I should pass and who I should stay with. When I run, my wheelhouse is miles 4-7 - I feel really good in those miles in every run I do. When I hit 4 miles, I started to feel good and started making up some time. I was right on the pace I wanted to be at - about 13 minute miles. Then I made it to the hills. Hills are not my friends, they completely wear me out. I lost a lot of time from mile 6-8. Then I regrouped, got some water and a gel, and focused on the remaining 5 miles. About mile 10, I hit "the wall". I was so tired and my body was telling me that was it, I can't go any further. My hamstring was cramping, then my foot started cramping. About that time the 3:05 pace group caught up with me, so I told myself "stick with them until the end, it's only 3 more miles" (my loose time goal was under 3 hours, but with it being my first I was happy with just finishing, so 3:05 was acceptable). I kept up with them, even when they were running 11:30 minute miles. At mile 12 I saw Pete on the side (he's much faster and had been finished for 45 minutes) he came over and started to run with me (that's right, my husband loves me so much that after running 13.1 miles himself, he walked back a mile just to run the last mile with ME <3) That last mile was THE LONGEST MILE I'VE EVER RAN. I'm sure it was at least 3 miles, they must have measured wrong. By the end I hated everyone and if one more person told me how close the finish line was, I was going to punch them. I could see the finish line, and people were sprinting past me, but I could not go any faster. I slowly ran with 100 pound legs and crossed the finish line. I finished in 3:05, and was 4411 out of 5500 (not last!) They gave me my finishers medal, water, mylar blanket and congratulated me. Best. Feeling. Ever. I cried, I was in shock, I didn't know what to do because my legs hurt SO bad - should I walk, sit down, lay down, curl up in a ball? I finally found Pete (he split off before the finish line) and he took me to the chocolate milk and wheat rolls (they were out of bananas and I was SO sad). I began to recover, we had our picture taken, and began to walk up the GIANT hill to our car (huge mistake parking uphill from the race!). It started to sink in that I actually did it. Even with horrible training, I still crossed the finish line of a 13.1 mile race. I was proud of myself, proud of Pete, so many emotions were going through my head. 

   This race was so inspiring because there were people of all sizes, ages, body types and it shows you don't have to fit into a certain mold to accomplish something like this. I've struggled with my weight my whole life, and after losing 40 pounds and plateauing I finally realized - I don't need to lose any more weight. Look what I've done at my current weight! Something that the majority of "skinny" people haven't done! I may be bigger than what society considers "thin", but I believe myself to be of a normal weight, and I'm not going to kill myself trying to diet and lose pounds. I've always thought my legs are too big - well, those legs carried me 13.1 miles to the finish line, so now I think they're just right; they're strong. This race taught me to be happy with who I am - my body can do so much more than I think it can. My mind stayed strong through the race, and that's what got me through. Below is a link to a wonderful video that Dove did with women, it really makes you think about how you see yourself vs. how others see you. We are our own worst critics, and we have to stop living our lives criticizing ourselves so much. As women we've got to start looking at all the beautiful things about ourselves, instead of picking apart our flaws. 

Dove Real Beauty Sketches


After the race I said "I'm never doing that again!" but now, I'm already thinking of when I can do it again (next time I want a friend to run with though, so I'll wait until I can recruit someone), and next time I will train harder and take it seriously, and hopefully knock some time off this one. I can see how people get addicted to marathons. Running fascinates me - I read everything I can about these elite runners that run 50 milers or 100 milers, and run at a 5 or 6 minute pace. It is amazing the discipline and incredibly physical ability these people have. The man that won the half marathon we ran, finished in 1:06 (roughly 5 minute miles), I was at the 3 mile mark and he was headed back and passed us, he had already ran 10 miles. Everyone around me started clapping for him, it was a pretty amazing moment. I know I could never be that fast, and I have so much respect for those elite athletes. 

Slow Is A State of Mind

After the half-marathon

  

   I debated whether to post this today or not, but I wanted a record (more for myself) of how the race went and what I was feeling so I can relive it when I want to. When I heard the news about the Boston Marathon yesterday, it broke my heart. After just finishing a large race it hit close to home. I can't imagine being there when something like that happens, and my heart truly goes out to all the victims and people involved. It is so sad that what has been such a happy and celebratory day for 117 years, is now tainted with this evil act, and it will never be the same. I do believe there is so much more good in this world than evil, and the good will prevail. We have to remember though that the nature of our world is that good cannot exist without bad, and vice versa. The bad brings out the good, as it did yesterday when so many people scrambled to help, runners kept running past the finish line directly to the hospital to give blood, people ran toward the blast to do what they can for people that were injured, hundreds of people posted on a Google doc that they have space in their homes for people to stay, offered food and drinks, etc. Bad things will always happen, there is no changing that. We don't have to let them rule our lives though, and we can make the good prevail. I was going to take this week off from running, but tonight I will #runforboston, because that's what I can do. I know that I will never qualify for the Boston Marathon, and I have so much respect and admiration for the amazing runners that do it each year. Runners are strong, and the running community is tight. We may not all know each other, but we identify with each other, no matter what the pace. I saw a quote on Facebook that said "If you're trying to defeat the human spirit, marathoners are the wrong group to target". Love it.

   Finally, I'd like to thank my husband for always supporting me in my crazy ideas, and actually doing them with me. There is no one in the world I would rather be next to as we experience new things together. I am so thankful to have him, and I can't wait to see what other new crazy things we do together! Sky diving anyone?? ;)

Girl Named Disappointed

So, my girls are in a "stage" where they don't like to listen. By "stage" I mean "childhood". Tonight started off well, but by the end of the night I was at the end of my rope. After telling them to brush their teeth no less than 9 times, Kylie went in the bathroom with stuffed toys (why not?) and of course, dropped one in the toilet. She was crying and crying, I told her I would wash it and toys don't belong in the bathroom. I took it into the laundry room and came back, and they had somehow covered the entire counter with toothpaste and water, and soaked 5 towels in water and said toothpaste. At this point I completely lost my temper and yelling and spanking ensued. Now, I'm not proud of this, but it happened. I feel there's this stigma with moms that we are supposed to be perfect and have endless patience, and make perfect Pinterest recipes every day, and go to school functions, plan perfect birthday parties, have perfectly clean houses, laundry done, dinner made...all while working 40+ hours a week! Today, for me, I've been sick, I'm tired, with work stress and everything else, I took it out on my kids. I debated whether or not to talk about this private part of my day, but you can judge me if you want - I wanted to share it so other moms that this happens to don't feel like I did afterwards. Like the worst mom in the world. 

Then this happened. I was putting Kylie to bed, and I had tears in my eyes from the guilt and frustration. She asked if I was crying and I told her I'm sorry I yelled at her, I shouldn't have done that. She says "Well, when I need to stop crying I just calm myself, and breathe in and out. You should try that" Be still my heart. Then when putting Claire to bed she says "You need to feel better. I will give you a hug and a kiss so you feel better". Okay, so that made me feel better and worse. I have these wonderful little girls with such big hearts that love me, and forgive me that easily for committing an awful crime in motherhood. I love those little girls more than life itself, and that's why I feel so crappy for taking my frustration out on them like that. I then turned to my favorite blog for some words of healing, and read this post:

Finding Joy - What if sometimes you don't like motherhood?

And it of course spoke to me, like her blog always does. I read her "Dear Mom" posts almost daily, because she is so real and honest. That's what inspired me to talk about the bad days as well as the good, in hopes that I can provide healing and encouraging words to a mom that's reading this. I know tomorrow will be better. That's the awesome thing about kids - when they wake up tomorrow they will have forgiven and forgotten, and I get a fresh start. Being a mom is hard enough without all the added outside pressures to be perfect. 

On a related note, I would love to start a local group (Springfield, MO) of moms that get together once a month and eat dinner, have drinks, and talk. We don't even have to talk about being moms, or our kids (but we can if we want!) I would just love to have a support group, and provide support to other moms as well. If you are interested, please comment below, or if we're friends on Facebook, message me! Us moms have to stick together, and let each other know that we are perfect, at least in our children's eyes! And our kids don't care about Pinterest, or a perfectly clean house, they care about us spending time with them, paying attention to them. They just want us to be their mom. 

Girl Named Speechless

I know, anyone that knows me knows I'm never speechless. I haven't written for a LONG time, mainly because I don't know what to write about. I don't want to be too bragadocious about my life, and I hesitate to share too many intimate details of my life and my family's life, so I feel that I've run out of topics! Here is an overview of what's been happening:

I registered for a half-marathon (yikes) on April 13th in Kansas City. Pete is doing it with me (not that it matters, because he doesn't run with me) but I am really nervous. There is a time limit on this race (I curse Crystal for convincing me to sign up for this one, then backing out!) and I'm not sure I can make it in the time limit. I am running a 15k this weekend (9.32 miles) and am also very nervous (although there is no time limit on this one, whew!) My last long run was 7.5 miles, and was the worst run of my life. I have never had a run where I literally wondered if I would make it back home, or if Pete would have to come pick me up. I made it home...very slowly. I had a sinus infection, lack of sleep, and strong winds were the perfect cherry on top. I've started antibiotics and feel MUCH better, but am wondering if I'm ready to tackle 9 miles yet. I wish I had one more week. It's so hard to overcome those doubts and voices telling me I can't do it, I'm too fat, I'm not athletic, why would I ever think I could do something like this, I'll come in last, everyone will laugh at me, I will pass out, I will die, etc. etc. I am terrified of this race.  

We registered Kylie for kindergarten (gasp), she will start this fall. We have her orientation April 10th, and I can't believe it. She's so funny though, she knows I am (like a typical mom) in disbelief that she's that old, so when I mention it she says "We aren't supposed to talk about me going to kindergarten, because it makes you sad". Be still my heart. It's so cliche, but I honestly don't know how they grow up so fast. Claire is almost 3, and talking SO much, telling stories, singing songs, and it seems like she was just born too. Such is life. 

4 1/2 going on 16

My job is going great, after being there a year in January I finally feel like I've gotten into the groove and everything is going smoothly (knock on wood). I enjoy what I do, and am so thankful to have found this job when I did! 

I was recently honored with being selected as one of the Springfield Business Journal's 40 Under 40 2013 Class. They put a nice article in their publication, and Pete, Heather and Nathan accompanied me to a wonderful dinner and award ceremony where they presented all the honorees with beautiful hand-made glass awards. I was truly humbled by the experience. The other honorees were accomplished, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, successful members of society, I felt I didn't belong and it must be some mistake that I was chosen. I am proud of my accomplishments, but don't feel that they rank in the top 40 of Springfield's under 40 population! It was so amazing to be placed in the company of the other honorees.

My handsome husband and I at the 40 Under 40 dinner

Other than that, life has been pretty "normal". I count my blessings every day - that I have such awesome, healthy kids; an amazing husband; so many awesome friends and family that support me; a roof over my head; a good job; I am truly the luckiest girl alive. With that I'll leave you, and hopefully it won't be 3 months until my next post!