Jonsing for Fall....

Week 18-

 I'm at that point in the Florida summer where I can't get my sights (and my smells) off of fall.  The crisp, cool air (well, what little we get in Florida), time spent at local coffee shops with some of my dear friends, pumpkin spice EVERYTHING (lattes, coffees, candles, cookies, etc.) the feel of the fall layers against your skin, I could seriously go on forever in detailing all that I love about fall.  Which is why it came so easy to both Chris and I to decide on one of our name options, but I'll save that for a later post!  For now I'll just post several photos of that remind me of fall...(I hope to locate my snapshots of Manhappenin' leaves in the fall because they are absolutely incredible!)

~Fall on the beach!~

~Two people I adore from the Little Apple~



~K-State tailgating with two of my faves!  Warming our wine on the grill!~

And some of the biggest news this week? The crib has arrived!!  It literally came overnight after we ordered it doing night after night of research as to what would be the perfect fit for the little one.  This week was busy as we prepped for sending Andy off overseas. The weekend was awesome as we spent time at some of our favorite local hangouts and restaurants, talking, laughing and just making good memories before Chris had to say good-bye to his partner in crime for 5 months.  We know the time will fly but for us it's almost like we sent off a member of our family!  Chris is especially down but I promised him that I would comfort him and that I am pretty sure I know what he is going through.  We're excited to have a housewarming party for Andy when he gets back not to mention have him be here for the birth (if the military wills it!) as he is the godfather.  It was an easy choice for Lauren as the godmother.  We both decided that although we have no plans to baptize Baby Premo at this time, the symbolism of a godmother and godfather was important to us and we knew the two of them would be perfect at acting like second parents to our little one.


How big is baby?
Baby Premo has reached the size of a sweet potato!  Its remarkable to think of him being that size already in what seems like 18 short weeks.  Apparently he has become incredibly mobile as well sucking his thumb, tossing, turning, swallowing, hiccuping, and yawning.  Wow!!  Still I feel no movement but I am hoping that in the coming weeks I'll be feeling little kicks and punches. I know it will help bring the reality of everything even closer to us once we're both able to actually feel him. 

~taken in the evening and I was definitely ready to go to bed! The bump is totally growing though...~

Current feeling: relaxed...

After taking class at Abhaya this week it was fantastic as usual to be a student.  I truthfully cherish each and ever class I get to take rather than teach, especially while being pregnant.  It reaffirms my own practice and deepens my appreciation for all of the aspects of my practice that will bring continued health in my pregnancy, delivery and beyond.  With the added hours at work lately it's been hard to squeeze in my home practice or get to as many classes as I'd like but hopefully next week I can iron out my schedule better.  After all, it's not only just for me but for the baby too!

Running and Pregnancy:

My running actually picked up a bit this week and my pace for my last mile on my last run was a whopping 9:05!  It was a fierce accomplishment for me accomplished only out of adrenaline.  I pretended the guy that was on the last leg of my run was chasing me, weird I know.  I thought to myself though, if I needed to sprint while pregnant out of necessity, could I?  While a 9:05 pace is far from a sprint, it sure felt like it!  Not only was there that, but it was also the first run that I have been on that I have had to make a pit stop mid run.  It felt natural in a way because it's not like I haven't done it before on some of my longer runs pre-pregnancy, thank goodness I have route that allows me to hop in the woods out of site.
Overall,  it was reassuring to know that even though the belly is getting bigger and bigger by the week that I can still run on.  The benefits that it gives my mood I think are almost greater than the physical benefits for me and baby.  I have a long run planned for Sunday, we'll see how it goes!

The Countdown to Week 20 begins....

Week 17-

It has been a constant battle with my intuition on what I think our little bundle of joy will be.  The days of an extremely nauseous first trimester had me guessing for sure a boy, since I have heard that they tend to cause the most sickness early on!  And then, like a breath of fresh air, the second trimester swept me back in normalcy and I can't help but look forward to fall as this summer heat is not my favorite season.  Or perhaps I'm looking forward to 'Autumn' I ask myself? Hmm...I keep getting asked what my true intuition is and I can't help but lean towards the girl side.  Something, and I'm not quite sure what, has my mind going in that direction.  According to the old wives tale, a heartbeat below 140 is boy, above 140 girl.  At our 17 week check-up yesterday his/her heartbeat was a strong 152, just 2 beats off from the 150 when we last heard it.  Right on that cusp I believe of being either one!  Of course, again, just a tale, not perfect truth by any means.  I am currently following a blog where her baby 'boys' heartbeat is a high 160, and even though they have seen clear pictures of his family 'ah-hmm', she isn't quite convinced that it's time to paint the nursery.  And I don't blame her! All the time there are mishaps with the ultrasound reading, which brings me to our overwhelming excitement~ we have our 20 week ultrasound in 4 weeks!  Which seems like an eternity, but I know the time will fly. 

Current feeling: anxious!


This week my anxiousness went into overdrive when A:) we heard the heartbeat again!  B:) We purchased the crib!  With my belly not being absolutely huge by now, no morning sickness and no kicking for the next couple of weeks,  it's easy to sometimes forget the reality that 'hey, I'm pregnant!'

How I'm exercising:

I feel obligated to eventually dedicate an entire post to this but for now, I will just say that exercise has been consistent and good!  It's hard as a personal trainer to not use the words, 'progressing', 'hitting goals' or 'improving' because it is everything but!  It's a matter of maintaining, listening to my body, monitoring my breath and staying in tune with my intuition more than anything.  Walking on runs, hitting a heartbeat of 150 at mile 1 and decreasing mileage every couple of weeks is something I am hardly used to but realize how necessary it is for the health of not only the baby but myself.  My body is much more achy after yoga class and tight after runs and lifting but as long as I remain consistent, stay hydrated and give myself the nutrition my body (and the little one) needs, I know that I will be extremely happy with having a fit pregnancy.  The benefits to staying fit while pregnant are overwhelming: healthier baby, healthier mama during AND after pregnancy, a body prepared to bounce back more quickly, an easier delivery, and in general, a happier YOU!  While I can't wait to return to my old workout regimen, I have taken this as an opportunity to accept a different type of challenge and looking at it that way has made a WORLD of difference!

How's the Little One? 

Baby is the size of an onion! His skeleton is hardening and bone structure is beginning to form more completely.  Fat is beginning to accumulate around the bone (and around my waistline as well!) and his umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger.  The little one officially has a fingerprint of his own and those little hands are beginning to tug away on the umbilical cord looking for something to grab onto and play with!  This week is ultimately when kicking and somersaulting can begin but I haven't felt anything yet, or anything that I thought felt any different than my stomach growling!

 

 ~The Bump:: Week 16!~

~And Chris's 6-pack! ~

New This Week:

• Weight gain: 8 lbs and climbing!
• Alternative baby shower and reveal party in the works~  I'll explain more next week about the awesome idea for a reveal party my sister came up with!
• Baby purchases this week: 2 (boppy cover and CRIB)
• Baby books purchased: 1 ( The Baby Book, from what I've read it is THE bible of all baby books)
• Ounces of Cocoa Butter used: probably a pound!  

Summer Lovin' in The Blueberry Patch.....

Week 15-

I admit it; I've been bitten by the homemaker bug that word on the street is hits all soon-to-be moms who are in the process of 'nesting'.  (and yes, nesting along with 'baby brain' have been scientifically proven phenomenons! True story!)  I have a love for fresh produce.  While our local organic delivery company Off the Vine is amazing, I felt the strong desire to pick fresh. This weeks adventure was to a local blueberry farm, A & N Blueberries, just north of Pensacola nestled back off the beaten path.  The experience was amazing!  While the heat was breaching 100 with humidity, we couldn't help ourselves from feasting off of the sun-kissed berries that had such a different taste than the ones that come cold and packaged at the store.  They were sweeter, plumper and without pesticides!  We picked til our hearts content (well at least until the cracks of thunder and lightening were just above us) and returned home with just over 18 lbs in berries!  Chris fully admits he would have had more except he just couldn't resist the temptation to fill his belly.  My guess is for every handful that was in his bucket, a handful went into his mouth. :-) The beauty of picking though is that it's totally expected!  I have fond memories of gorging myself on apples up in Washington in the fall~it's just part of the reward of U-Pick!

 

~Rows upon rows of blueberries!  And a storm rolling in....~

~What Chris did best! ;-)~

~Dare I say I picked 15 of the 17 pounds of blueberries?!? I was on a mission!~

My plan was to use part of the blueberries for our 4th of July BBQ~ fruit salad, cobbler, and Popsicles, freeze some, and then can the rest and make a divine blueberry jam.  I enlisted the assistance of my mom because after all, she is the professional when it comes to all things domestic!  We made a night out of it and got down to business boiling the fruit in a sugar mixture, sanitizing the jars and then filling them with yummy blueberry jam.  It was so rewarding and such a bonding experience, both picking and canning.  I can't believe of all the domestic creations that I have gotten my hands into that I had yet to can.  No more $4 jars of jam~ we now have our very own 'Premo Jam' for months to come!

 ~Mom helping with the prep~

 ~The finished product ready for the pantry!~

Next week, we have a pretty full plate.  Chris will be in the field, I will be packing for us both to head to North Carolina to finally see Leslee and Rhett make it official!  Its a double duty trip where I get to see Meg and Micah as well and of course get another glimpse at a city that Chris and I potentially have on our radar to move to post military. Keeping the options open of course!

 This Week In Review: 

• I have been eating blueberries with everything~surprised?!
• Post meals I have been feeling extra bloated~to be expected I know but none the less it keeps me from eating more I suppose!
• Sleeping on the belly is getting difficult.  While I start out on my side I somehow always turn face down~pretty soon the bump won't allow it!
• Surprisingly no new cravings or foods I have to have~I'm sure the weeks to follow will hold plenty of those
• The pool has been a wonderful break from lifting weights and running, and thanks to Chris I can still bring my Garmin and Heartrate monitor in the water and keep track of where i'm at! Lap swimming has definately brought back the days of triathlon training, but there won't be any races in this girls future as of now! 
• Weight gain: 7 lbs~just about on target!

Settling into a new reality....

Week 14-

The time has finally come that everything is all sinking in- I'm going to be a MOM! It's been the toughest thing to swallow that it's actually happening but now that the bump is getting a tad bit bigger, I have been accepting the changes in my body with more ease as well as beginning the 'nesting' phase of the pregnancy with plenty of time for planning I hope!

This week was exciting for me because I was finally offered to come on board to SAIC as an official employee and not longer a contracted temp.!  I was seriously jumping for joy.  The timing couldn't be better with a little one on the way.  I am thrilled to begin receiving more tasking and to take on a more distinct role in Environmental Public Outreach.  The benefits of the company are superior, I received a pay raise (yay!) and I will now be increasing my hours to approx 25-30 hrs. a week.  With three jobs on my plate I know I'll be staying super busy but hopefully I'll still be able to keep the balance between work and family life, it's truly of the upmost importance to me.

This weeks revelations:

• I can run one of my routes straight through again WITHOUT feeling like I have to pee every 5minutes.  This truly was a momentous time for me even though I know the reality is that it won't last for long.
• Scents of the week: lavendar, rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon-mint...all of these mild herbal scents whether they're from cleaning products or lotions I've discovered have had a very soothing effect to them.  Although my nausea has disappeared, these certain smells tend to calm my upset tummy 
• My cravings from my nausea days are beginning to disappear and I feel as if I can look at food normally again! Its been a breath of fresh air....

 ~Week 14 Belly!~