Books Read 2012

My goal every year is to read 12 or more books.  I wish I read a lot more like Kyria, but alas, one book a month will have to do.  Unfortunately, I fell a little short of that goal this year.  The problem was I got bogged down in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".  Yeah, I know, it's like 100 pages and an easy read, but I wasn't enjoying it.  So I stopped reading it and then I took a several month break from reading.  I want to finish it, though, as I was 2/3 of the way through it, so I'm back on the waiting list at the library and I guess the book will have to count towards my 2013 reading.  But I think reading is going to get a little easier and quicker as I've learned how to download books from the library to my iPad and you can only check them out for a maximum of 21 days before they disappear.  Guess I'll have to actual read them instead of renew them or just pay the late fees.

Onto the list:

1. "The Happiness Project" by Gretchin Rubin
This book was given to me by a friend who knew I was going through a really rough patch.  Unfortunately that rough patch was more like a nervous breakdown, which needed more help than a book could provide.  Dave and I both read this book and were able to pull ideas from it that have helped us this year in different ways.  This is a good book to read at the start of the year when wanting to radically change your life for the next 12 months.

2, 3, and 4. "The Hunger Games", "Catching Fire", "Mockingjay" all by Suzanne Collins
Dave and I bought The Hunger Games trilogy so that we could read it before the movie(s) came out.  Dave flew through all three books in about 3 days.  It took me a bit longer.  I loved Hunger Games and it made the movie so much better.  I kinda felt like the other two books were repeats of the first book, however, I did like the way Suzanne Collins ended the series.

5. "What do you want to do before you die?" by The Buried Life
I'm kinda obsessed with Life Lists (bucket lists) and absolutely love The Buried Life guys.  I thought this book would be a more than it was.  This was basically a picture book of other people's items on their life lists with very little stories about people actually accomplishing items on their lists.

6. "It Looked Different on the Model" by Laurie Notaro
Laurie Notaro is far and away my favorite comedy writer.  My favorite book of all time is "The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club".  Although nothing will be as funny as that book, this one was really good and funny.

7. "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy
I've got to admit, I haven't read a single book about pregnancy, child birth, or how to raise a kid.  I don't know if I'm totally screwed or doing the right thing and soaking my mind with worries I don't need.  Anyway, I did really "Belly Laughs" which was funny but not really informational.

8. "Running on Empty" by Marshall Ulrich
Ummm, I don't know.  I'm so burnt out on running/triathlon books.  There's not much I don't know about running.  Not that this book was really about running.  It was about running away from problems.  I know several people in real life who use their running to escape life.  I like to think I use my running as therapy but live in the real world.

9. "Let's Pretend this Never Happened" by Jenny Lawson
Another comedy book.  Very, very funny.  A good recommendation from a friend on Facebook.

10. "Crossing Over" by Ruth Irene Garrett
Anyone could have finished this book in about a day.  It took me four weeks.  The story could have been over in half the number of pages.  Yawn.

Overall, I call it a down year for books.  I'm having trouble finding a book that I can be excited about.  I've asked for recommendations and have gotten a few.  I'm not a fast reader so I don't like to get bogged down in long books.  If you have any good recommendations, please let me know.  I'm going to try harder in 2013 (I'm so sure (sarcasm) that will be possible once the baby comes) to read more.

Week in Review

Monday - 1500 yard swim - 300 swim, 800 pull, 400 swim

Tuesday - 3 mile neighborhood walk with Dave
Being that it was Christmas and we both had the day off, Dave and I bundled up and took to the neighborhood for a longer walk.  It was slower than normal (I'm getting slower) but it was good to get it done.

Wednesday - 1/2 hour shoveling snow
I know, I know.  Go ahead and stone me about why I should not have been shoveling snow.  But, I thought I could just use this snow shoveling as a workout.  I have an ergonomic shovel and I was being safe.  Later in the night, though, my back was killing me.  I've had issues during this pregnancy with previous injuries and shoveling the snow definitely aggravated them.  I slept horribly and by Thursday I was still feeling pretty crappy.  Next time I'll make Dave get the snow blower out of the basement instead of using the shovel.

Thursday -  1.5 mile walk, treadmill / 1 hour prenatal yoga
This was hilarious.  First of all, I'm not too much into the yoga thing.  I don't really feel like I get a whole lot out of it and overall I find it kind of boring.  But, I thought maybe I should try it again now as I'm not very flexible and maybe it could help me in the whole labor and delivery process.  So, I did a prenatal yoga video at home.  The people in the video show you how to modify each pose depending on your trimester.  Sure, I probably could have been following the third trimester poses, but since I'm a little small and still can reach okay, I followed the second trimester poses.  My dog kept helping me out too by bringing me her toys or sitting right in front of me.  But my favorite part was at the very end of the exercise when you lay on your side and go through the mediation and relaxation.  I kid you not, my dog crawled up next to me and laid down on her back and did the same thing.  I wish I had a picture of this. 

Friday - Off

Saturday - 3 mile winter wonderland walk

Sunday - Off

Totals:
Swim - 1500 yards
Walk - 7.5 miles
Other - 1 hour yoga, 1/2 hour shoveling

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Man, winter has hit hard this year and there's no end in sight!  Last night, the forecast called for 2-4 inches of new snow.  Dave and I went hung out with friends last night and when we left their house after midnight, it had yet to start snowing.  The forecast had called for the snow to be between 7:00pm and 1:00am so we figured, hmmm, this storm is going to miss us.  I checked the radar before we went to bed and it showed snow and lots of it, yet there was no snow outside.

Being that I can only sleep two hours at a time without having to get up and go the bathroom I was able to see throughout the night that was indeed snowing.  A LOT!!

When we got up in the morning for our group run, we had a lot of new snow on the ground.  Looks like we got about 6 inches of fresh snow, which made for our run/walk to be quite fun.  And beautiful!  Dang, I wish I had brought my camera!  It was quite, the snow was falling, and I was all alone on the trails.  I absolutely love winter running (walking).  It was a slow three mile walk, but it was so refreshing.  Dave managed to get in 6 hilly, snowy miles.  We celebrated with hot chocolates at Starbucks. 

Although I really wish I could run (or sled ride) in this weather, I'm so glad I can get out and still enjoy it.

26 Weeks

Thursday Thoughts

For the third year in a row I will be spending my New Year's Eve working.  This is the third year we have a wedding on this date.  Feels a little strange to be having a wedding on a Monday, but NYE weddings are big business and we'll take the business.  I'm too old to be going out and partying on my NYE, but I sometimes miss the days of staying at home in my pajamas to watch the ball drop on TV and then immediately going to bed at 12:01.  :)

Do you have awesome NYE plans?  What's your favorite thing to do on New Year's?  What will you be drinking that I can't have until next year?  Do you even stay up until midnight on New Year's?  Will you be running a race on New Year's Day?

Christmas 2012

Did you have a good Christmas?  Did you clean up on the loot?

Our Christmas was spread out over several days.  We spent last weekend in Cleveland with Dave's family celebrating.  I had to work on Christmas Eve, so we celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day just the two of us.  We realized it was the first time in the 13 years we've been together that we attended Christmas Eve services just the two of us.  Both of us had to work today, the day after Christmas, a day we are getting a major snow storm, and the day we were supposed to celebrate Christmas with my family. Because of the snow storm, though, we had emergency Christmas in the morning, in which everyone descended on my parents' house, unwrapped presents quickly, and got home before we got snowed in.

Although I expected a Christmas full of gifts for the baby, I was surprised to only get two baby gifts and everything else was for ourselves.  Nice, because this will be the last time this happens, but also makes me a little nervous because we have absolutely NOTHING for the baby.

I got all of what I asked for on my list:

• Socks - 12 pair, I kid you not
• Running shoes - 2 pair - I'm set for all of 2013
• Headbands - I got two Sparkly Soul headbands.  One in grey and one in red, my favorite color.  Now I can't wait for my hair to grow long enough to use them.
• 2013 calendar - I had barely taken it out of the wrapping paper and I had already written appointments in it.
• Gift cards - I got two Old Navy gift cards which I'm going to use one for maternity clothes and one for after I have the baby in the transitional phase as I'm losing the weight.  I also got two iTunes gift cards totaling $75.  I am set for music for a while.  My iPod is going to rock!
• Mug/Thermos - I got three thermoses actually.  One is a Stanley mug that keeps things cold or hot for up to 6 hours.  We tested this and yes, things were warm at 6 hours and still hot through 4.  I also got two other basic travel mugs which will be great if drinking the drink right away.  One was a girly color and the other was not.  I think Dave and I will both use these.

Some other stuff I got that's awesome:

• LED shoelaces.  They light up blue and will be awesome for running or walking at night or if I get the opportunity to do another overnight relay race.
• Air mattress.  When we created the baby's room, we got rid of our guest room, essentially, including our guest queen-sized bed.  I don't know how I feel about having overnight guests once baby comes, but at least we have an air mattress now for them to sleep on.
• Household products.  This gift was quite funny.  My parents have a membership to Sam's Club and got each of the adults in the family their own giant gift.  Dave and I combined got toilet paper, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, paper towels, Gatorade, etc.  This was a great gift.
• As I mentioned we got two baby gifts.  We got a Magic Bullet Baby Bullet that we will use to make and freeze our own baby food once baby starts eating real food.  And then my sister's family made Dave, me, and baby matching Ohio State tie-dye shirts.  They're really cute and perfect for football season.
• Finally, the most unexpected, biggest, and maybe greatest gift of all time.....Dave got me a new treadmill.  Seriously.  We have an old one that has seen better days.  It has sliders and a stretched out belt.  It no longer inclines.  And I alone have probably put 1000 miles on it.  The new one comes WiFi enabled where you can program in routes and the machine adjusts for the routes.  It has a heavy duty belt that he got the extended warranty on.  I has one touch buttons to control speed.  Not only does it incline, it also declines up to 3%.  This is a dream machine.  I cannot wait for it to be delivered next month.  It will be so helpful after baby arrives and my time outside may not be what it once was and it will also help me get back in shape.  

Overall, a great Christmas.  I'm glad it's over, though.  Now it's 100% concentration on baby, baby, baby!!!

Merry Christmas from the Gordons

Pregnant Seahorse

I love that it looks like there is a pregnant seahorse right in the middle of my big, pregnant belly on my swimsuit.

Dave had today, Christmas Eve off.  I, unfortunately, had to work.  But since I only work part time, we had a few hours in the afternoon to run errands and hit the pool.  I haven't been to the pool in a few weeks and Dave hadn't been there in over a year.  I've gotten quite rounder in those three weeks.  This was going to be interesting.

The plan was to swim 3 X 500.  Dave's plan was to survive 1000 yards, somehow.  I pushed off first and it was barely 10 strokes in he was already passing me.  Good gosh.  I have slowed that much in the pool too?!  After a few laps I looked up and he was already resting on the wall and I was still going.  Sure, I may not have the speed right now, but I've still got some swim endurance.  By the time I reached 300 yards, I was feeling a little gassy and needed to stop before I threw up and then everyone would be done with their swim.  ;)  I did a few calculations in my head and decided to make it 5 X 300 instead.  The next set I would pull the 300.  300 came and went and I was feeling comfortable.  500 came and went.  Well, shoot, I might as well make it 800 yards at this point.  And then I took a break again.  Dave said he was done.  I still had 400 yards left.  I did these regular stroke with kick.  It always feel so funny to go back to kicking after using the pull buoy.  It feels even weirder when you're pregnant because it's hard enough to keep your butt and feet up when your belly is pulling you down. 

And then I was finished.  Dave said he was impressed with how consistent I was in the pool.  Running is virtually non-existent at this point, so I need to make a more conscious effort to get my buns to the pool and continue to work out and be consistent.  Summer races are looming!!!

Week In Review

Monday - 2.15 mile walk, treadmill
Ugh.  That's about all I can say about every workout it seems.  How do those chicks run all the way through their pregnancies?  I've still got my eyes on 30 weeks, but everything is getting harder and harder.

Tuesday - 2 mile walk, neighborhood.
It was cold outside but Dave convinced me to get out of the house and walk this evening.  He thought it might be easier for me when it wasn't a gazillion degrees inside a gym.  He was right.  This walk seemed so much better than the previous day's, although I was certainly huffing and puffing (and freezing) the entire walk.

Wednesday -2 mile elliptical/walk treadmill
You can read about the meltdown here.

Thursday -Off

Friday - The scary 2 mile walk

Saturday and Sunday - Off
We spent the weekend out of town at the in-laws for Christmas

Totals - 8 miles of walking.  Things are starting to slow down.

The Scariest Thing

Friday was my favorite type of winter workout weather.  It was cold but not freezing and it was snowing - a very peaceful time to be out exercising.  I really wanted to do a walk and I didn't want it to be on the treadmill, so I bundled up in layers and headed out for a short two mile walk.  It was wonderful to not be walking on the treadmill and things were going great.  The snow had drifted in some spots and I kinda wished I had my YakTraks on, but I was getting it done nonetheless.  The wind was strong and caused me to really work in some spots.  As I made my way home and up the steps of the porch, I got really hot, and dizzy, and things started to go black.  All I could think was "oh crap, I'm going to pass out and land on the baby."  I found a way to open the door and yelled to Dave, "Help!  I don't feel well!!"  I sat myself on the floor before I did pass out and Dave came rushing down the stairs.  I kept telling him, "I'm hot.  I'm hot."  He helped me strip off some layers of clothes and take my shoes off.  My heart was pounding and Dave said my face was all red.  I sat on the floor a while until everything calmed down.  And then I felt fine. 

My mom thinks maybe I had a sudden drop in blood pressure or blood sugar.  It didn't worry me enough to call the doctor as I felt better afterwards.  Maybe I need to take it down a notch when I workout outside.  I'm just going to write it off as a freak thing and move on.  But scary!!!

My Christmas List

This was a weird Christmas to ask for any presents.  Sure, I always have a running list in my head, but it seems weird to be asking for things for myself when we have absolutely nothing for baby.  Nonetheless, I made a small Christmas list that would make my life easier post-baby.

Socks Galore!!!!
All of my socks are old and have hole in them.  Winter socks, summer socks, running socks.  I asked for all of them.

Running Shoes
I ALWAYS need a new pair of running shoes.  I thought it would be smart to stock up so that I would have some that would last me into summer and hopefully beyond.

Headbands
Last year I cut off all my hair into a pixie.  It was fun for a while but now it's growing out and it's just awful!  Hopefully it will be long enough for a pony tail or something makeshift by the time the baby comes because I know there will be days that not only do I not get to fix my hair, I probably won't even get to shower.  So, I asked for some of those Sparkly Soul headbands to hold back my hair.  I've heard good things about them.

2013 Calendar
I know I have electronics out the wazoo and can keep an electronic calendar, but there's something about keeping a paper calendar.  I love being able to write down appointments and to dos and to be able to scratch them out after finishing them.  I asked for a Moleskine calendar.  It's my favorite.

Gift Cards
It's hard to find clothes to fit me this year and I don't want to buy clothes that may or may not fit me after this pregnancy, so I asked for gift cards that would help me with maternity clothes and/or clothes post-pregnancy (Old Navy).  This is a toughie as it is a competitor to the retail outlet I work for, however, I'm not sure I'm returning to work after the baby is born (more on that in another post).  I also asked for iTunes gift cards.  You can never have enough music on the iPod.

Mug/Thermos
When I was training for ironman, I always wanted to have warm hot chocolate waiting for me when I got out of the cold pool in the winter.  And I did, but it required a trip to Starbucks and a gazillion dollars spent.  My goal for 2013 is to spend as little money on frivolous things as possible, including hot chocolate.  So, I asked for an insulated mug to take beverages with me, whether hot or cold. 

See, a pretty basic list.  I told my family that they can use this as a shell and build upon it or use it as a starting point for other gifts.  We'll see what they come up with.

Thursday Thoughts

I don't know about you, but I keep a rolling gift list in my head of things I want.  Only during Christmas time do I write it out on paper.  Tomorrow you can read all about that.  Today I want to know, what are you asking for for Christmas?  Any big ticket items?  Anything that's a must-have that you're going to be disappointed if you don't get.  Any gifts you're giving that are going to be super-awesome?

Another {bleep} Meltdown

Tonight, I had another epic meltdown.  It went something like this...


Actually, it wasn't as dramatic but it did involve being crawled up on the floor in front of the kitchen, crying, while Dave hugged me and Sloopy licked my tears away.

Let's start from the beginning.

After procrastinating as long as I could, I headed to the gym.  Alone.  Dave's foot has been bothering him this week so he decided to take the day off.  I have not had great workouts for a while and I was kinda hoping without the pressure of Dave breezing through his workout that I would be able to take my time and just enjoy myself.  I started on the elliptical.  I took all the resistance and climb off of it and just went slowly between 140-150 steps per minute.  Barely 3/4 of a mile into it my heart rate was above 140 and I was frustrated.  I stopped and moved to the treadmill.  Again, I've been doing my walking in the 14:XX/mile range, but because Dave wasn't there I decided to back off and only do about 17:00/miles.  Even this seemed like too much.  I've been experiencing really bad reflux, so getting warm and getting my heart rate up just makes me want to get sick.  Regardless, I pushed myself to finish two miles total between the elliptical and treadmill and called it a day.

Last week I read coach's blog about Quiet Confidence.  What I got from her post is something we've talked about before - stay away from social media!!!  More and more I've been feeling like maybe I should. (Minus the blog, of course.  I have total control on the blog.)  I've recently put some things out on Facebook that have not gotten the response I had expected, which has caused me to just get frustrated and delete the post entirely.  I like Facebook because it keeps me in touch with people from my past, but it has also left me frustrated as these are not my real friends and they do not know me at all, yet feel like they can just comment on whatever.

Anyway, after the rough workout and being that I was all alone, I turned my frustration to Facebook and posted this:

Feeling super discouraged. I'm not sure there are a whole lot of meaningful workouts left. I really can't run anymore, my heart rate gets too high on the elliptical, and I feel overheated and feel sick just walking 17:00+ min/miles. If I stopped doing anything I'll gain another 30 pounds before this baby is born. I don't have a lot of faith in losing the weight afterwards. What can I do?

I got a lot of responses.  Most were positive and reassuring and then some were just, in my opinion, dumb.  Telling me to relax, that it doesn't matter how much weight I gain, to make sure my baby was healthy. 

First of all,  I am going with the flow with this pregnancy and being so much more laid back and calm than I ever have in my life.  Seriously. 

Secondly, it may not really matter how much weight I gain because I'm going to gain what I gain, but if I don't have to gain those extra pounds, I don't want to.  All that weight has to come off and I know that's not going to be easy for me.  I do not want to gain 40, 50, or more pounds.  I'm nervous because I gained a lot in the last 10 weeks - about 17 pounds.  And I haven't even hit my third trimester yet.  I do not want to have stretch marks; I do not want to gain weight in my face, my arms, my butt; and damn right if I can do something about it I will.  I have always been self conscious about my weight and size.  I'm 5'1".  Every pound counts.  Pregnancy has not changed the way I feel about myself when I'm at a size I do not want to be at.  I knew this would be the hardest part about pregnancy for me.

Lastly, my baby is healthy.  Everything has been great with the pregnancy and with the baby.  I am doing things like eating healthy, getting enough sleep, etc. to make sure the baby is healthy.  But, there are things I want and like to do to keep healthy - like working out.  I love running.  I love being fit and active.  It is my sanctuary.  If I can't do it, I might go insane.  Plus, I want to stay fit.  I do not want to have a whole year of trying to get the baby weight off.  I do not want to lose any of my muscle mass.  I want to be able to fit into my real clothes as soon as possible.  I want to race, really race, next summer.  If you can't understand this, then you don't know me at all.

By the end of today, my disappointment and sadness had just turned into anger and it took everything in my power not to delete the post entirely from Facebook.  I am going to think long and hard next time I want to post anything on Facebook about this pregnancy.  It's left me frustrated and angry with people.  This is MY pregnancy and I am doing it MY way. 

Non-Traditional Baby Shower

There are some things I absolutely despise about being a girl.  One of them is the "girl party."  You know what I'm talking about: bridal showers, baby showers, Tupperware parties, etc.  These are just dumb.  And let's face it, no one likes them.  So why do we continue to do it?  Is it like hazing?  The generations before us had to put up with that crap and you must too!

When you tell boys just how awful these parties are, they just kinda giggle and say, "come on, it can't be that bad."  Yes it can!  So when I told Dave that I would ABSOLUTELY NOT be having a traditional baby shower he wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  He did what he does best and googled it.  And wouldn't you know that the first entry that came up said, "UGGGGHHHH!!!"  See?  I told you so.

In the end, Dave agreed with me to have a non-traditional baby shower. What does this mean exactly?  Well, we're basically just throwing a party.  It's co-ed (and we have specified no kids - last hurrah, right?) and there will be food, adult beverages, X-box Kinect, board and card games, and of course, the photo booth.  We would love our guests to bring a gift, however, it's just whatever.  There are about 30+ people on the guest list and about 6 have RSVPed.  (If you were invited and you're reading this blog, please RSVP!!!)  We will not be having any stupid "baby shower" games like smelling dirty diapers or drinking things out of baby bottles, and we will not be opening presents in front of our guests (how uncomfortable).  We're hoping it's a good time.

My mom, though, was not all that keen to the idea of this non-traditional baby shower.  (Hazing?  Tradition?)  I caved and have agreed to have a more traditional shower the next day for all the women-folk.  I have said absolutely NO GAMES!!! 

What are your thoughts on these silly "girl parties"?  Do you actually like these types of parties?  What excuses do you use to get out of them?  What would you have done differently for your bridal/baby showers? 

I'm Streaking!!!

If you haven't noticed, I've been streaking.  Blog streaking.  In 2009 I blogged every single day and kinda really enjoyed it.  Not every day was an epic post, but every day was something.  Once I got going, it seemed pretty easy to come up withe something every day.  I wanted to try it again and just started doing it one day in October (the 21st to be exact).  This is my 58th day in a row I've blogged.  Most days it's been easy to come up with topics especially since every day is a new experience with being pregnant.  But, as winter is setting in, my workouts are getting less and less, and this pregnancy is dragging on, I'm finding it more difficult to come up with daily topics. 

I need your help.  I need topics.  What burning questions do you have for me?  Are there any topics you'd like me to write about?  Please leave me a comment below with a question or a topic.  Please!  I want to keep the streak alive, but I need your help!!!

Week In Review

Monday - 3 mile walk, treadmill
I fully expect my child to pop out hairless and be that way for several years.  Dave and I are both natural blondes and both of us were born without hair.  I looked liked the poster child for any cancer society until the age of three when I started growing hair.  Where am I going with this?  I kind of expected to go through this pregnancy without any heartburn.  Well, I haven't.  I've started to develop reflux in my throat following my afternoon nap.  Today I went for a power walk on the treadmill following my nap.  My throat was on fire!  Maybe I've got to rethink my nap or rethink what I'm eating for lunch.

Tuesday - 2 mile run/walk, treadmill
Dave and I have had a hectic week already.  The earliest we got to go to the gym today was 8:00pm.  I started my routine of 2-1/2 minutes walk, 2-1/2 minutes jog.  Dave must have had a lot of stress to sweat out because he was flying beside me.  He finished three miles and started his cool down before I had even finished two miles.  So, I just stopped.  Something's better than nothing, right?

Wednesday - Off
I had the busiest day today.  Work, doctor's appointment, longest phone conversation with our lawyer (business issues), had to drive across town to get some basketball tickets, basketball game.  I did not spend one hour at home before going to bed.  And this wasn't a "productive day" so it just felt like I lost a day.  

Thursday -3 miles elliptical
And the meltdowns continue.  The workout was going pretty well but I noticed my heart rate was starting to creep as it went on.  Of course, I was getting hotter.  And pregnant-er.  Somewhere towards the end of the workout, somehow my heart rate spiked over 150 and that's when everything fell apart.  I slowed down to 160 steps per minute, took off all resistance, and had no crossramp.  It was ridiculous.  Dave asked me if I was okay and I cried.  I freakin' cried.  I know it's going to be difficult to continue to workout the whole pregnancy; I'm just not ready to let go of it yet.

Friday - Off
Dave, miraculously, had the day off.  So we took the afternoon to finish our Christmas shopping and just spend time together instead of work off.  I'll take these days any day!

Saturday - 3 mile walk, Highbanks Metro Park, group workout
Either I was slow today or the group was fast today because they finished their 6 right about the same time I was finishing my 3.  Highbanks is a tough workout because of the hills and trails and landscape.  It was a good walk, though, and I'm glad I got out there.  The weather was good - can't ask for anything more than that for December.

Sunday - Off
Sundays are difficult.  I usually only get up in enough time to shower, eat, and head out to church without getting a workout in beforehand.  By the time we get home from church it's lunch, nap, and then chores until Sunday is over.  I've got to find a way to get another workout in during the week so I do not have to rely on Sundays.

And I've got to find a way to get back in the pool!!!

Totals - 11 miles

Oh no! Not chocolate!

I knew this easy pregnancy was too good to be true.  As I've inched my way closer and closer to my third trimester, I've noticed some symptoms.  I've started to get back pains, my feet are killing me with very little walking, I'm a little more tired than I was, and I know get heart burn/reflux.  I actually expected to not get heart burn like a lot of people do because Dave and I are both natural blondes and we fully expect our baby to not have any hair.  Nonetheless, the reflux has been bad.  And the worst part, I notice I get it any time I eat chocolate.  NOOOOO!!!!  Although I've been told that I can take Tums or other antacids, my goal is to get through this pregnancy without taking anything.  So far, so good.  It looks like, though, I may have to give up my beloved chocolate from here until the end.  This is gonna suck.

Thursday Thoughts (on a Friday)

Enough talk about baby this week.  Let's talk winter running.  Winter is my absolute favorite time of the year to run outside.  And I'd say, I love to run when it is snowing.  Winter running takes a lot of equipment, though.  Hats, gloves, base layers, warmer socks, etc.

What's your favorite piece of winter running equipment?

24 weeks - 6 months!!!

Mmmm, Yum!

Another day, another doctor's appointment.

This one I was kind of dreading: the glucose test.  I have no reason to believe I would have gestational diabetes, but my sugar intake is, um, a lot.  I ate pretty well leading up to the test: eggs and toast for breakfast, a banana for a snack, a sandwich and salad for lunch.  When I got to the appointment they handed me a little plastic cup of pink liquid.  I was told I had three minutes to drink it.  I took a sip to determine the taste and....

It was freakin' delicious.  It tasted just like the punch you would have at a baby or bridal shower.  You know, the fruit punch, sprite, sherbet concoction.  I downed that sucker in like 30 seconds. 

Then I had an appointment with the doctor.  Usual measurements, usual questions.  She then told me again that the baby was up in my ribs.  This time I corrected her and told her at the ultrasound yesterday that the baby was laying sideways, hip to hip.  She said, hmmm, we're going to need it to move.  Uh, duh! 

Finally, I got the blood test for the glucose screening; two more vials of blood.  For those of you keeping count at home, we're now up to 36 vials of blood taken during this pregnancy.  I'll have the results tomorrow. 

And then when I checked out, they scheduled the rest of my appointments until the baby is born.  I believe there are only eight more appointments with the regular doctor and I have at least one more with the high risk doctor.  There IS a light at the end of this tunnel.