Getting My Groove Back

Ever since M and I discovered we were expecting, it seems like life has gotten even more crazy…yet not much has changed. I’m still working basically two full-time jobs and one part-time gig, he’s back on second shift (4pm to midnight) so we rarely see each other, and I’m still working out like usual.

Saturdays have been full of activity lately–wake up early to get in a long run with my running group (usually 6-8 miles for me right now), errand running, etc. Then Sundays have been the days that I am supposed to devote to my freelance writing, but they mostly end up being the days I wake up with a crick in my neck from falling asleep on my laptop at least two or three times throughout the day. I’ve heard everyone tell me making a baby is hard–they weren’t kidding! I’m about to say that’s my third full-time job.

I’ve still been working out regularly. 3-4 days a week you’ll find me up bright and early at Man O’War CrossFit getting my sweat on. I’ve toned back on my weights (not going as heavy as I normally would) and my intensity (taking more breaks during WODs to catch my breath). My coaches have been great, offering different options for me and making sure I’m not overdoing things.

My coach at Man O’War CrossFit is always inspired by WODs he does in competitions, so this week has been all about mirroring some of the CrossFit Games WODs… Oy! Monday’s was fun, though–finished in 7:37 with 1 35lb kettlebell. Also, accidentally, earned a new PR in the overhead squat–80 lbs (I didn’t realize it, I promise I wasn’t pushing it–it actually felt easy).

 

Right now I’m running only once a week, but I know I need to add at least one more day to that list. I run on Saturday mornings with the Striders and have slowed down my pace from the usual 9:30 to 10-10:30. At first I thought it would be difficult to scale back on the intensity of my runs, but surprisingly I’m OK with it already. I’m just hoping to stay as close to 10:30 as possible for as long as possible right now. For my half marathon in October, they have a pace cut-off of 14 minutes, and while I know I am still pretty far from that, that’s also still two months away and a lot can happen. I’m trying to keep my distance up, without pushing it too much, so it’ll be easier as I get heavier.

I got new running shoes!! Found the same Saucony Ride6 on Ebay for 46% off the regular price! Score!! (Can you tell it was time to get new shoes??)

I’m finishing up the summer league playing on two sand volleyball teams, and after that I think I’ll be done playing until next year. I’m careful not to dive too much for balls (and, if I do, I lead with my leg so I’m not flopping on my stomach), but I’m finding that I’m moving slower than I used to. It’s not fair to my teams to have them cover for me, especially on my exhausted days. Plus, there are too many circumstances that I need to be conscious about. I’m going to miss playing because I’ve had so much fun this summer, but I’ll still be reffing for a couple more months, so at least I’ll be somewhat part of the action.

I’m trying to do better about eating healthier. I figured, while this baby-making stuff has me eating more often than usual, I need to be more attentive to what I’m putting in my body in mass quantities. Granted, there are days I say, “Screw it…I want ice cream” and I get ice cream, but luckily that doesn’t happen everyday, and we don’t keep it in the house.

Healthy meals, healthy snacks, for a healthy baby & momma–I’ve tried to keep us stocked up on fruits, and making filling meals that are easy to heat up for lunches.

This blog has always been a work in progress ever since I started it over two years ago. My plans for right now are to try to document life as a 30-something active, extremely busy, woman who just happens to be pregnant. I’m currently at 11 weeks and we’re one week from our second ultrasound. I have a lot of conflicting feelings about things, and maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to share them on here. Right now I’m just trying to wrap my head around how much my life is about to change and how much I’ll have to really find myself before I can bring a child into the world.

So, stick with me as I continue this journey!

Big Announcement…**** Makes 3

Remember how I said things have been crazy busy and I have a big announcement to share?

Well…it’s a bit of surprise (read: VERY big surprise for me and M), but…

 

(Yes, even if the line is faint, it counts…)

No, it wasn’t planned, so we weren’t expecting it. In fact, I had been on birth control pills for about 13 years. So, yes, when they say contraceptive isn’t 100%, they’re right. 🙂

But, that doesn’t mean we’re not excited.

I took my first test on June 15, after my Bourbon Derby Half Marathon, and on Father’s Day. I waited until M came home from work (he was on second shift), and the pups met him with these signs:

LaMesa: “I’m going to be a big sister! (But I’m still your Baby Bitz)” Dally: “Oh no…another one?? (I’m still #1)”

It took M a while to figure out what the signs meant…at first he thought we were getting another puppy (without me asking him), then he thought another cat… I finally showed him the test and his confusion turned to a big grin…then more confusion. Sure we’ve been talking about the potential of us having children, but we never came up with a certain decision. It’s been said that’s probably the best way for this to happen–just let nature handle it.

I took another test the next morning, then made a doctor’s appointment for the blood test.  After the test came positive, I was recommended an OBGYN and we had our first appointment last week.

We had gone ahead and told our families over the 4th of July weekend because we wanted to tell them in person, and that was the only time we could do so. There were some mixed reactions, but it warmed my heart when I heard that my dad had just said he didn’t think he’d ever be a grandpa…and now he will be. M’s grandma, who has been in a nursing home since having a stroke, had said she didn’t think she’d live to be a great-grandma, and she’s very excited.

Of course, I had traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, right after I found out I was pregnant, so I had to do my best to not tell everyone. I did, however, stop by Litchfield Beach, where M and I had our honeymoon, and was able to share the news with the beach/ocean I fell in love with:

 

Ironically, M and I met and had our first date on February 1, 2009, so to have our baby due in February 2015 is pretty cool.

The official due date is February 11, 2015.

I’ve already talked with my nurses/doctors about my busy lifestyle. I explained that the antiquated recommendation of pregnant women not lifting more than 25 pounds would not work for me. “Here’s what I do,” I said. “I do CrossFit 4-5 days a week, run 1-2 days a week, play sand volleyball twice a week, dog agility, and lots of dog walks. I’ve already talked with friends who have done CrossFit while pregnant and I have done research already. I just lifted 80 pounds yesterday morning, and that was cutting the weight down.”

Needless to say my doctors were impressed, pregnant or not, I was their most active patient. I explained my concern that I had registered for a half marathon in October back in April. For right now, I’m going to continue my running, but cut back on my pace and take more walk breaks. A woman that runs in the same running group as me let me borrow the book Running & Pregnancy by Runners’ World to read up on how to continue running and live a healthy lifestyle while pregnant. So far it’s been a good read.

I’m most likely not going to be that typical expectant mother and share ultrasounds and belly photos–I’m having a hard time just wrapping my head around being pregnant (I’ll probably post on that more later). I’ll share how I’ve been doing with my workouts, and my struggles with staying healthy. (I have not experienced any morning sickness, but instead I’m extremely exhausted and starving all the time.)

Your turn: Any pregnancy nutrition and workout tips are appreciated!

Happy 4th of July

This holiday weekend, don’t forget about the safety of pets and other animals–be sure they’re kept where they can’t run away and be lost. Also, please be cognizant of our veterans who might be suffering from PTSD, as the holiday celebrations can be very stressful and upsetting to them.

Celebrate our nation’s independence!! Safely!

Easy Desert Recipe: Cinnamon Banana Roll-Ups

Looking for a quick desert, or even just something to calm the sweet tooth? The other night I came up with this quick and easy desert that complimented our spicy dinner.

We had some leftover crescent roll dough, so I decided to make something with it. Enter Banana Roll-Ups.

Cinnamon Banana Roll-Ups: Ooey, Gooey & Yummy!

Cinnamon Banana Roll-Ups

Crescent roll dough
1 banana, sliced
Butter
Cinnamon
Sugar
Honey

1. Spread a thin layer of butter on the crescent triangles. Then sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar over the butter layer.
2. Thinly slice the banana over the wider half of the triangle.
3. Roll up the crescent dough, wide part first, careful that the bananas don’t all fall out. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon and sugar, if you so desire.
4. Bake according to the instructions on the package.
5. After removing from the oven, I drizzled a little bit of honey over the top of the rolls and we enjoyed them fresh from the oven–ooey-gooey-ness!!

You could probably use any kind of fruit in this recipe! I just had half a banana that needed to be used up.

Your turn: What was the last desert you pulled off at the last minute?