vitamixing and baby update

I have been vitamixing it up for the past week, making smoothies, pureeing veggies, making nut butters... lots of fun stuff and I love the thing! I've found the food processor to actually do a better job at frozen bananas and berries but I feel like the vitamix should probably do the job - any tips? the nut butters and everything else - the whole process goes so quickly and the blender doesn't just get stuck (like my other blender was doing when I was cursing at it).  Yay for the vitamix!  I'll have to put up some pictures or a video soon.

Swimming - I'm getting slow - some sets I am so bored and by the time I finish whatever we are doing, I miss the interval and I have to turn around and go again so it ends up being a straight swim of the set.
I'm still managing around 3000 yds in just around an hour.  Lifting is going sooo well and I'm super motivated to go to the gym and lift! I feel like it took the spot of running as far as energizing me and giving me happy endorphins.  Also, I'm totally into yoga and motivated to go. I was going to go to a class this morning but decided to stay in the pool instead.

BABY ------


Today I had an appointment and was measuring a bit small, the baby is 30% percentile, coming in at 5 lb 9 oz.  Everything was fine - this is probably good news for me pushing him/her out :) Nick was 45% percentile around the same time and 5 lb 12 oz.. so I'm not concerned.  I was a fingertip dilated (a fingertip!) and not effaced. I feel like from things I read that things could change within a day - what do you think? With Nick I was 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated and had him 3 days later. I don't know how long I was dilated or effaced, since that was the first time they checked me, but the doctor had told me that I had another week or 2 to go with Nick and then bam - 3 days later, here comes Nick.  For the second baby, do things stay the same longer and then happen quicker? The doctor even said I could go to the shore this weekend??  2 weeks ago he said I couldn't travel past 36 weeks, and I'm not sure if I want to risk heading to the shore and getting stuck there. 

I'd love to hear stories of going into labor/effaced/dilated with #1 versus #2, how quickly it happened, etc! Please share mamas!

36 weeks;yoga;

Thank you for all of the anniversary wishes! We went for a family dinner just for pizza on Friday and nice dinner just Bill and I last night. On Friday I put on our wedding video and our baby picture montage made me cry - and watching everyone walk up the aisle. Haha!

36 weeks - going much stronger than the last few weeks! This week my sleeping returned! I have been sleeping so nicely and it has been great. It makes such a difference! I also added in weight training and yoga, and the elliptical machine. The weight training has been awesome. I have this book:

and this log:


I've had them for 4 years and used them on and off but I'm using them now in addition to some saved magazine lifting moves that I've had for years in a book. It helps motivate and keeps things fresh!

Yesterday I did a vinyasa yoga class. I don't know the difference between all the yogas - I was into power yoga when I was doing it regularly. I am very very tight, so I want to get yoga back into the routine 2x a week. I was doing a video of it but it's so not the same! The elliptical machine - ehh. I dread that thing. It is so boring! I'll do some biking here and there on the stationary bike, but other than that, for cardio, swimming is my best bet right now and feels great!

Here's my 36 week belly shot below- only a few weeks to go. My concerns at this point are getting back into a nice routine with 2 babies and finding time for myself. I go to the doctor on Wednesday and see if anything is going on! I'm good to wait 4 weeks now that I am sleeping and not sick!

I think compared to with Nick that I'm carrying higher! (see Nick in belly below)
I still have no idea boy or girl!

5 years ago...

This is where we are supposed to be today:

But because of these 2 small reasons - we're here:

I can't believe it has been 5 years - time flies!

vitamix & Bars

Guess what came in the mail today??  Vitamix! On Friday is our 5th wedding anniversary :

and I suppose 5 years of outstanding service earns a vitamix! Woo hoo! Just kidding about the years of service - what a great gift from Bill!  I am not a jewelry/girly girl - I am a foodie and athlete. Anything food related or athletic, I'll take it!! I actually opened it by accident. Whoops. So now, I don't know what my first trial recipe should be. Do I go for banana softserve? A smoothie? some almond butter? fudgie babies? This is going to be tough! What should I make w/ the vitamix?!!

This week has been going 10x better than the last couple of weeks. I've been able to have some great swims and feel good from lifting. Now the elliptical machine sucks, I have to tell you, but I feel in a good place even though I am not running. I thought I would lose my mind, but instead, it is a good and needed break and I think I'll come back ready to run.  Swimming has seemed to help my headcold, which lingers but is improving. I can't believe it is Wednesday and I have 4.5 weeks to go. Yesterday we worked on #2's room which is an office being turned into a nursery.  It's getting close!

Also, all I want lately is bars  - luna bars and z bars. I just ordered some from amazon so I'd have them on hand. I've been making tempo bars for snacks but I like the protein content in the luna bars and like z bars for dessert. I know they aren't your clean eat food but that's what I want right now!

WINNER! CSN

The winner of the $60 CSN giftcard is Denise #30

Denise said...

already a follower and i want a vitamix so badly! i'm in awe when i see them doing the demo w/ them at costco!

6/16/10 12:02 PM

Congrats!
I want a vitamix too!! 
Shoot me an email and we'll get in touch (tosha25italia at yahoo).

Do you lift?

 Since I have been unable to workout, I've been thinking alot about what I will do to get back in shape after the baby is born. I'll be excited to run, but I'm thinking I'll tone down running a bit and aim for shorter races until I'm feeling the itch of doing a marathon.  I plan to continue cross training and coming up with a good training plan for a spring triathlon and see if I like them.  Today I was able to swim- yippee! It felt so good to have the energy to move my body. I also lifted briefly and thought how it would be nice to have a trainer taking me through different exercises and working me hard. I've never found one that I would pay tons of money for, but I'd like to have a partner or a reasonable trainer.

Do you lift? How do you motivate? What kind of exercises do you do? How often?

Last day for the CSN giveaway...

7 months-35 weeks

35 weeks/7 months - Nick (left), Baby #2 (right) - I thought I was carrying way higher this time but maybe not?

Did you check out the CSN stores giveaway???

So - this week has been brutal! I am still fighting a head cold or sinus infection and have basically been on "bed rest" -  no swimming, no running, no walking - nothing! When Nick is sleeping, I have been laying down.  It's depressing!  I've been using the neti pot but I'm so stuffed up, nothing is coming out.  I can't wait to hop back in the pool! I am hoping for 2 more weeks, but preparing myself for 5 more weeks (ugh!)   I have not been on the computer much and hope to catch up on reading some blogs soon.

Nick had his first sleepover at my parents house this weekend and it went well. I have been feeling so awful, I didn't have time to worry about it and it was a pretty nice morning getting things done and being able to rest!  This weekend one of my best friends got married so it was busy - rehearsal dinner and wedding - I am beat.  The food was great and I have little appetite and ate alot of bread!  Nicole, the bride looked beautiful!  I was a reader in the wedding and was looking around at everyone's cute dresses and waist lines with envy!  My camera was sucking this weekend - here's a dark picture of Nicole, Julie and I. Check out their glamorous dresses : )

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Especially Bill - he's a great father!

It's back!

Almond butter, that is! Either I was having too much of it - I call this *marinated mushroom syndrome* (I used to eat marinated mushrooms out of the jar in college and got 2 huge containers of them as costco and now I can't look at them) - or pregnancy turned me off from almond butter! Well, after seeing Mae's crunchy almond butter w/ sunflowers and flaxseeds, I knew I was ready for some! Delicious! What has exited your life due to marinated mushroom syndrome??

On a poopy note, another thing that is back is my lack of sleep and sinus infection. What the H!!!
I am so miserable w/o sleeping.   I start to feel useless and have no energy to workout, so it is just terrible. I'm trying to take it day to day.   Yesterday I was dying to go swimming - it felt GREAT but the rest of my day was shot. Today I really tried to hop on the treadmill and lasted less than a mile walking and just over 10 minutes. It was sad!

I think I quit running. We'll see when I feel better, but for now it's not in the cards.  I think it will help motivate when I start up again since I'm not running till the end this time.

 I enjoyed the comments from my last post - I think I'm going epidural all the way. It was great last time except feeling something like fluid in my spine, but I could totally feel my legs the whole time and was able to get up shortly after - is that normal? 

Also - if you are on the market for a treadmill, and don't mind sifting through ads, here is a site with treadmill reviews you can check out.   It's nice they are all in one place, but the ads can be annoying to bypass.

CSN Giveaway

Here is a great giveaway for a $60 gift card to CSN stores. CSN is an online retail company that offers everything from lights to kid's stuff to everyday appliances and tons more.  They have just about everything and free shipping on most items.


 How to enter:
1) Leave a comment: What is on the top of your list of coveted items right now?
2) Link back from your blog and post the link in a comment
3) Follow my blog, and leave a comment that you are a follower.
This will end on Monday, June 21st.

Here are some of the things that I am coveting right now - CSN stores has all of these.

 From small to big!

WAFFLE MAKER!


VITA MIX!

CRIB FOR #2


PLAYSET FOR BACKYARD that I don't have

34 weeks - 3 weeks until INDUCE ME NOW

34 weeks and ready to have my body back!  No heartburn, trouble breathing or sleeping in 6 weeks or so!

This pregnancy has taken a toll on me - I think the last week has been rough. A few weeks ago, I wasn't sleeping, and then I got sick probably from lack of sleep and my immune system being down. I'm trying to save myself from that happening again. I had a great week of sleep and then back into the troubles falling asleep and breathing problems at night. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat.  I've been downing vitamin C & bananas today hoping I won't go back into another sinus infection: that was terrible!

Early this past week, my back started hurting. With Nick, my back hurt after my last run on a Wednesday, and I delivered him on Friday morning. I also asked the doctor and it sounds like I am having contractions here and there, but nothing to be concerned about.  The back pain +  weird pains, I thought I was for sure going into labor in the middle of the night one night last week.  I guess it is normal for your back to hurt, especially now that I am picking up my little 23 pounder - didn't do that the first go-around!

I don't feel huge, but I feel uncomfortable for sure.  My patience level is about zero and my desire to stand up for a long time is also zero. I think it helped with Nick that I had to keep on teaching, had to walk up three flights to my classroom. This time, I just feel so lazy and want to be done.  I am definitely much less comfortable than I was with Nick.


What is funny is that at 34 weeks with Nick, I ran 8 miles of the disney marathon with my sister.  This time around, I don't even think I could make it 2 miles.  Running has become very uncomfortable. When I am running, I feel like I have a belt on that is tightening around my waist.   Still, what do I do to take the place of running. What did the other running moms out there do when you stopped running? I wouldn't mind giving it up or continuing to scale back.  This week we headed to the shore midweek and I've run about 10 miles on the week, maybe I'll do about 15 by week's end.  Swimming continues to be awesome! The people that I swim with think it is funny that I can still keep up and/or still beat them.

w/ nick:

#2:

Cocoa: how much caffeine is in that???
I have had so much trouble falling asleep many nights.  One thing I decided to do was stop eating anything chocolate before bed to see if it helps. That led me to wonder how much caffeine is in cocoa powder since I have been making fudgie babies w/ cocoa and eating chocolate too.  I couldn't find too much on it but there's definitely a significant amount of caffeine in it  - maybe that was causing me to be up, exhausted, but unable to fall asleep.

Thoughts at 34 weeks:
* When do you go to the hospital this time around? Last time it was wait as long as possible - this time goes quicker right - so what are the guidelines? (haven't looked it up yet)

*Epidural - get it right away? or try to go natural round 2 and end up getting epidural anyway?
Can you feel a whole lot of pain when you are pushing and having contractions if you go natural?

Blueberry Fruity Muffins

I came across this muffin recipe that Heather posted and wanted to try it Tues morning for a playdate.

I renamed them blueberry fruity muffins:

• 1 C milk (I used coconut)
• 1 t Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 C Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 t Baking Soda
• 1/3 C + 1-2  t sugar
• 3/4 C chopped blueberries and raspberries
• 1/3 C Unsweetened Apple Sauce

No butter or oil, and no egg in the muffin! You couldn't tell - they were yummy! I added a crumb topping (2 T butter, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 c ww flour) on the top just incase they weren't tasty - but they were, so I don't think they would need it. It was an added bonus.

I also made some of Mae's 'get regular' brownies and some pecan/chocolate fudgie babies - yum yum.

I think the half is a good idea, with a tri still as a goal for the spring! Thanks for all of the thoughts! 

Marathons, Races

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on the anxiety of the arrival on #2 - I found it helpful to read the comments :)

The idea of doing a marathon in the later fall this year has crossed my mind a few times. Should I do Philly? or another local one? Or stick with the half. Or not even sign up for anything and take it easy this fall/early winter season?  I know the races fill up soon, so if I am thinking about doing one, I should sign up now. I'm thinking the motivation won't be there for a full - that I need to switch it up and get into the triathlons, but how about a half? I'm already signed up for the Philly Distance Run/Rock and Roll Philly half in September which will be 2 months post due date, and the Philly 1/2 is in November - I'm considering it.   Ask me on a different day and I'm also considering the full marathon.  There's something about doing a handful of them that makes them seem almost easy to do, but then you have to think about the training, your goals, motivation, and the desire to avoid burnout!

I haven't found a triathlon yet to sign up for but did see tips to visit different sites for ideas and training plans. I think that will be my next goal and to decide on the Philly 1/2 in November by the end of June.

I have been getting up to go to master's swimming again ! I have been getting there about 15-20 minutes late and hop in for the workout, then go back and do the warmup at the end.   It has been wonderful! and swimming feels fantastic right now.  Running is pretty uncomfortable. Last week I ended with just over 22 miles, but I don't recall much of it feeling good. I'm just keeping up with it to try to keep my running fitness level in check and not pushing it.

Last, I'm on an amazing Grass powder + banana softserve and frozen berries kick. It's perfect for summer and I've been having it everyday. Nick is still enjoying it with me. Amazon has it for decent prices w/ free shipping and if you subscribe (you can cancel anytime) you save an additional 15%. I ordered one of each flavor (berry, kidz, and chocolate) to get me through the summer :) Has anyone tried the wheat grass? I kind of forget what I did with it when I tried it last summer - added it to some milk? and what to do with the powder besides adding it to banana softserve. Any ideas?

Parenting/33 weeks

Yesterday was my doctor's appointment, the baby's heart rate was 140, my weight gain was 19 lbs and everything was looking good. I think with Nick I gained 19 around 33.5 weeks and now I'm almost at 33 so it seems to have tapered off and everything seems pretty similar. The baby is doing somersaults lately in my belly - all over the place!  The doctor said history tends to repeat itself - as far as timing of the babies. He said since Nick was 38 weeks, usually the 2nd one would be around the same, but maybe a little bigger.  I think it could go any way - #2 could be late, early or on time.  I go back and forth between wanting the baby to come early (37/38 weeks) and not caring - more 1 on 1 chill time with Nick!  I think many of you have commented on this before but how did it work out for your babies? Early/Late/On time? Did they follow suit?

The last 2 days I've taken Nick to the pool to swim -  it has been so great and refreshing with this heat wave in early June, yikes!

I'm super super anxious about going into labor and leaving Nick for a couple of days. We've left him for the night once with Bill's parents at our house, but he hasn't stayed anywhere else except in our house when we've been gone.  I would like it the most if someone could stay here with him - I don't want his world flipped upside down and then we come home with a baby.  I'm trying to work that out to make it happen. My parents live close by and would probably take him to their house, but I might convince my mom to stay at our house with Nick. My other concern: his meals.  What I have to think about is that it is 2 days (hopefully tops) and not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Nick eats mostly organic, no/low sugar, fruits/veggies, grains, nuts, beans.  I can't imagine what they would give him - but I guess I shouldn't worry about it. I could maybe have meals prepared and frozen?? Is that nuts?  I'm kind of a nutty parent so far.  I like to have control and I like structure.  I get anxious/stressed when he doesn't sleep enough and am very scheduled.   I want to make sure he's eating right, I don't trust other people watching him for the most part and I don't want to miss a moment with him, especially now with 7 weeks left of 1 on 1 time.  I'm hoping having the 2nd baby will loosen me up a bit - I've been an uptight kind of person for a while.  I don't want to be a crazy parent. What kind of parent are you? What have you found makes for a happy medium?




Here's my little peanut butter lover:


Also -sports fans - check out this sports blog - sporting goods and equipment.

33 weeks -
Running back to being pretty uncomfortable - lower ab pressure
Have to go to the bathroom all the time
swimming feels awesome!
Not sleeping well - again. Can't get comfortable or stay asleep - tired often!
Going to bed early!
Able to get up and get in workouts in the early am again, woohoo!
Have to eat mini meals, can't eat too much in one sitting
Belly button still not out, hanging in there but real close to flattening out
Carrying pretty high up - breathing problems
Think I have a girl name but not a boy name - just a list

National Running Day!

Get out and run today !

For Philadelphia runners, check out some events that are going on locally - the 5 mile city tour sounds awesome to me! I am going to try to run a few miles on the treadmill - it is really hot here, with an expected high of 87.  What are you doing to celebrate running today?

A few nights ago I had a triathlon dream - I finished the swim and was on to the bike. My bike was a shopping cart! I was pushing it and running with it  - what sparks a dream like that?  It cracked me up.  I have been thinking of tris and trying to determine when I should set up a training plan for post-baby and still to pick out a good one to do. Unfortunately, I think about 6 months later would be good, but it will be the dead of winter. I think next spring would be a good time for the first tri, if I can get out there and bike - that will be my uncertainty. Are there good websites for training plans for tris?

I'm drawing a blank on cooking lately and haven't done much of it - I need some good recipes for vegetables or all out veggie meals.

Check out Chari's healthy living event over at Take time to smell the roses!






Happy Running Day!