Almost there

Wow, I can't believe that this Friday I am going in for my 12 week visit. Has it really been 3 months that I have been pregnant? It seems like yesterday when I peed on a stick and cried in joy when I saw the words "Pregnant" appear on my Clearblue Easy pregnancy test.

So baby is about the size of a lime this week which is getting pretty big. My morning sickness is not too bad in the mornings, but around 3pm, it starts to show itself. I cannot wait to get to the 2nd trimester so that I can be rid of this morning sickness and fatigue.

Workout:
I had a little scare last week and have decided to drop from the full marathon to the half marathon Oct 17th. I am sad that I am not running the full, but I have to understand that I have to take care of my body for baby. I am however going to run the Rock n Roll half marathon this coming Sunday..which I am excited for! I just bought this fitness shirt that says "Running For Two", so at least when I wear it while running, people will understand why I am slow......and fat.

I am finally getting more energy to workout a little harder, meaning, I can increase my weights. Since I lost a lot of muscle tone, I know I will have to work twice as hard to get that back now. And since I am not running a full (sniffle sniffle) I will not have to worry about the high mileage.

Strollers:
This weekend I wanted to check out some strollers. Looking for strollers is like looking for cars. I am never the one to just get something because it's cheap. I like for it to be practical, simple, modern looking and the only stroller that fit this was the Orbit Baby G2. Seriously this stroller is just so unique and pretty to look at too. My husband gave me it the thumbs up as well as we played with in the store. Sure, it's pricey, but the ease of use and it's 360 degree swivel will be worth it.

I see a lot of people with these ginormous strollers that looks poorly made, heavy, and clunky. I don't get it. Why on earth would I want to schlep around a tank that would be very difficult to maneuver.

Sticks and stones may break my bones

In General:
Can I just say that when you're pregnant, you're suddenly a target for inappropriate comments and jokes. It's very strange, it's like when you're pregnant people think that you're suddenly void of all feelings.

 Just last week, someone said to me "You're awfully big for 8 weeks." I was embarrassed and responded with, "well, I am actually 9 1/2 weeks and I do have a lot of bloating around my tummy." She then responds with, "What are you having triplets?"

Oh no..not twins..but triplets. And yes, it was from a female....a mother in fact. I've also received wonderful comments about what I eat as well. Good times.
When did this type of behavior become ok?  I mean, seriously, when is it EVER OK to comment about someone's size or what they eat? The answer is NEVER. Unless you're my physician or nutritionist and practice what you preach...you have no right to make comments.....ever!

Ok, besides my little rant, my morning sickness has come back. It usually occurs around 2 pm and lasts for a few hours and then it rears it's ugly head right after dinner. My energy level is getting a little better, but doing physical things really wipes me out.

On Running:
My runs have been ok. I have days where I am able to run during lunch without an issue and then there are days when I have to walk most of the second half. I only ran 6 miles on Sat which was already very challenging. I am definitely not going to run the 20 miles this Saturday with the rest of the team.

For those that have never run a marathon, the 20 miles is the last long run before the race. You run it to ensure that you have the endurance and the will to complete the marathon. It does take a toll on you both physically and emotionally.

Since I have run a few marathons and done a good share of 20 milers....I will sit this one out. I don't have the strength to put my body through that right now. Also, this long run will be in Monterey, which is a few hours away. After a run, I like to shower and crash. I will not be able to sustain any sort of energy after the run to be able to make the drive home. Being that I am always exhausted now, it doesn't make sense to wear my body out.

My story on YouTube

I am only a few weeks away before the deadline of my fund raising and not gonna lie, I am far behind. I created a video to share my story and promote the efforts of my fund raising and Leukemia. Please take the time to view my video.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CJsXr_nC5w

Food, festivities and a disappointing run

Well, the week was starting off really nice because I was able to get a run in during lunch and realized how much I love running. It was a short and sweet 4.5 miler and absolutely gorgeous out. Again, I took the necessary walk breaks that I needed and I couldn't have felt better after the run.

Unfortunately, my Saturday long run was cut in half. I only ran 9 miles and was supposed to do 18. I dunno what happened. I was getting fatigued, a little light headed and I lost all motivation to run the distance. I know that I will be able to run the full marathon next month because I will be thousands of other runners. However, these long runs drain all motivation from me. I am debating now if I will do the 20 miler with the Team in Monterey. It was nice that everyone was so understanding and still think that I am slightly crazy for running for two.


Festivities
The great perk to being pregnant is the guiltless indulgence on food. Yes, before I was pregnant I actually counted my calories and was very religious about not over-doing the carbs. However, now since I can't drink, I can't have sushi, I can't have mass quantities of caffeine....I will in no doubt indulge on foods that I can have.

On Sunday we went to a street festival in Berkeley which had over 23 blocks of vendors. Since this was the first street festival that I have been to in a few years...I took advantage of it. I dined on polish sausage, funnel cake, garlic parmesan fries, shaved ice, some chicken bbq on a stick and a big ole bag of kettle corn. Yes my friends...no guilt.

Race to the End of Summer 10k

Well, after a few weeks of being benched from some virus I had, I was so glad to be out and running again. I was a little apprehensive because I had been feeling fatigued and nauseous, but that soon went away once we reached the race.

Since I had not been running for some time, it was so nice to be greeted from all of my Team in Training friends. Catching up with people definitely made the morning sickness go away.
My time for the 10k (6.2 miles) was 1:12, which wasn't bad. I was thinking that I would be a lot slower because well, I am pregnant and get out of breathe quickly, but I managed to have a really nice and faster 2nd half. Running the race definitely motivated me to get back to the gym to work out and continue my running routine again.
I also wanted to wear this sign to show folks that yes..you CAN RUN while you're pregnant, and I don't want people to think...man, this chick is slow..for no reason. I did however, pass quite a few people which felt good ;)

Friday was the day that we got to meet with my doc and see our little jellybean. It's like, I know I am pregnant, but it just reaffirms that there is something inside of me, taking away my energy and making me pee so much. I did shed a tear when we got to see the pictures and listen to the heart beat. The doc said that baby is nice and healthy and that we can finally tell people. I am so ecstatic because people at work can finally know why I am getting so fat.

I have also learned that I need to stay away from the Internet. As great as it is with the vast information we can get at our fingertips, it can be pretty harmful. Seriously, every little cramp I get, I would freak out and think that something is wrong with baby. Everywhere I read, there is something that I should not have eaten. And the big myth about waiting until 12 weeks to tell everyone...this one I am glad was busted. I guess back in the day, ultrasounds were not as strong and so when people came in for the 8 week checkup, you couldn't hear a heartbeat. But now with technology being so sophisticated...we can see the jellybean and listen to the little heart beat.

Food for thought

Update

I am 7 weeks and 4 days pregnant and baby is the size of a blueberry. Baby’s facial features are forming and pretty much all the organs and such have been formed. The organs were being developed during week six, hence the extreme misery and nausea that I was feeling.

I am slowly and finally getting to the end of whatever virus it is that I currently have. And I am happy that my morning sickness has dwindled down. I am still tired, but its not that bad anymore. I haven’t ran in over a week and am excited to run a 10k this Sunday. I know that I will not be able to PR, but at least I will be able to get out there.

I have learned that just because you’re pregnant and are excited to start a family does not mean that you have to love other children. For example, last weekend we went to Monterey Bay Aquarium for my husband’s birthday and I was already not feeling well from the morning sickness..but hey, I will suffer a bit to look at some cute animals.

There were little kids everywhere screaming in their high pitches that could break glass and just seriously made me hate them. Another thing that irked me was some moms. There was a sign that said “Please leave strollers in the corner”. Some of the exhibits were in tight quarters, but of course some mothers had to drag there friggen ginormous strollers in there to hog all the space and cause traffic.

Ok, if your baby is too small that it can’t walk around..why the in the world did you bring it to the aquarium. It’s a baby and it doesn’t care, it most likely has no clue as to what it is looking at. Anyhoo, here are some pictures from our weekend getaway.

Things I learned while being pregnant.

Cravings

Its so strange how my cravings started out. At week 4 ½ to week 5 ½, the only thing I wanted to eat was carbs and comfort foods. Now the thought of some of those foods make me ill. So as you can see, my cravings last for a day or two…and that’s it. Our fridge is now full of unfinished food. It’s hard for me to cook elaborate meals, because by the time it’s finished, I don’t even want to eat it. 

Belly Bands

These things are a wardrobe savior. Trendy clothes can be expensive and so it makes no sense to spend a fortune on maternity clothes if they’re just going to be worn for a few months. Also, people like me that are in that in-between stage (where regular clothes are too snug and maternity clothes are too big) need clothes to wear that won’t make us look frumpy. I have discovered belly bands.  These are intended to extend the life your regular clothes. You put these things over pants or skirts that you can’t zip up all the way. I got these on Amazon and so far, its worked out pretty well. The brand I got is nice because the band is nice and long…long enough to double layer it. You kind of need to double layer it because you can see the out line of your open zipper.

Stairs

A flight of stairs will cause you to lose your breath. I know…I know..I can run for 6 hours but I can’t even walk up a flight of stairs anymore. It’s sad, but it’s reality.