Irritating!

I had my 24 week doctor appointment on Wednesday and it included the standard gestational diabetes screening test. Well, I failed! For those not familiar with the test they have you drink a high glucose drink and then check your blood sugar an hour later. They want you blood sugar reading to be less than 140 at that time. Mine was 162! This is so irritating to me! I exercise and eat healthy 90% of the time and I fail. What gives! I failed the one hour test when I was pregnant with Sam and passed the three hour. I'm doing the three hour next Tuesday morning. Hopefully I pass his time too.

Exercising is still going pretty well. I've started retaining a little fluid in my legs though. I ordered some Zoot compression socks and some CWX compression tights and so far they have been amazing! I really have noticed less swelling and my legs feel more fresh when I run. I've actually bumped my running mileage and backed off the biking because running has felt so good. I hope this continues!

We are also working on summer vacation plans. Travis signed up for a sprint tri in Boulder, CO at the end of June. That should be fun. Hopefully the car ride out there will be tolerable for me and hopefully I will be able to hike at 7 months pregnant. We shall see!

Tomorrow my mom, little sister and I are going to see Pirates. My mom loves Johnny Depp. I'm excited to see it too! This is the first movie I've been excited to go see in a long time. I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Almost 20 weeks along...still spinning and running and feeling good!

We had a second level ultrasound last Thursday and things looked great.  We found out the sex of baby #2 but we are keeping it a secret for the time being.  We'll reveal it to my side of the family next weekend and to the hubby's side at the beginning of May.  We want to do it in person and we have some fun planned - not a full blown Gender Reveal Party like some people have.  If you've never heard of it, google it and check out how elaborate some of these events get!  Anyway, we are super excited as the reason we did the second level ultrasound was because we did the first trimester screen for Down Syndrome and the odds came back at 1/170.  The odds based on my age alone are 1/95 (so the doctor tells me but everywhere I look that would make me really old and I'm only moderately old so I really don't know where they came up with that figure).  The test didn't put my mind at ease so we did the second level ultrasound to check for any soft markers for DS.  The doctor said the baby looks great and was actually measuring about a week ahead of my due date.  I don't think I will get another ultrasound so that may be the last time we get to see the little one until he/she comes screaming into this great big world.

Running and biking (via spin class, indoor trainer and even an occasional easy ride outside) are still going pretty good.  I feel much larger than I did at this stage with Sam but I haven't taken a belly picture yet to compare.  I don't know if I'm going to....looking at the ones from when I was pregnant with Sam kind of creeps me out!  Last night a friend I used to work with went to spin with me.  It was her first ever class and she did great.  I forgot to check in on her today to see how she was feeling.  I need to call her tomorrow. 

Sam update - she will be 22 months old at the end of this month and is so much fun.  She talks up a storm and can keep herself somewhat entertained now and I'm loving this age.  I finally don't feel like I have a kid strapped to my hip 24/7 - but that will soon start all over again.  I took some great pictures of her last weekend and the weekend before that and I've posted a few here.

Mom update - she finished radiation on Wednesday!!!! Now it is hormone therapy and lifestyle management and hopes and prayers that the cancer never ever returns.  I still talk to her every day and Sam and I pray for her every night.  She has a pretty bad radiation burn in her left armpit area.  Hopefully now that treatment is over, it will start to heal nicely.

Well, gotta run.  The hubby has been in PA for training and I need to go pick him up at the airport.  Take care!

Cookie Ministry

I am officially going to start utilizing my love of baking for a good purpose and since I am pregnant and can't eat raw cookie dough my figure shouldn't suffer too much.  I signed up for the "Cookie Ministry" at church.  We make cookies and they get delivered in a variety of ways to the community throughout the month.  Some are put in meals they hand out to the homeless.  Some are delivered to local patient care centers such as those for pregnant teens.  This should be fun but it is a lot of cookies.  They ask for six dozen once a month.  I need to buy some cooling racks.  I've always just sat my cookies to cool on foil on my counter top.  The hubby thinks it is time to upgrade a bit.

I think these will be my first batch which I stumbled across on this blog:  http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chocolate-chip-cookiesa-must-make/

Exercise update.  Last week looked like this:

Bike:  70.95 Mi - 4h 15m Pace: 17.08 Mi/hr

Run:  11.00 Mi - 1h 54m

I also spent about 20 minutes lifting some weights and a little bit of time on the elliptical.  I didn't run as much as I would have liked but I did put in 4 days of running.  It is difficult to have any mile accumulation when I'm really only doing 3 miles per session.

Today I ran outside with Travis & Sam right after church.  It was about 65 degrees and we had a break in rain showers so we decided to take advantage of it.  We ran 3.62 miles and Sam fell asleep about 20 minutes into it so while I was done running after the 3.62 we did walk for a total of around 5.5 miles.  It was nice.  Now if I could just stop peeing myself when I run I would be a happy camper.  TMI I know but hey it is one of the crappy things about being pregnant and it is what I am dealing with every time I run so I figured I may as well share - sorry!

Hotel Gyms

I travel about once a month for work. I try to just be gone overnight but sometimes I have to make a longer trip. This week is one of those longer trips and I hate it! I miss Travis, Sam and Dakota like crazy. I can't relax an sleep at night. An I hate workin out in the hotel gym! It is always full of work out wanna-bees. I feel bad typing that because at least they are making some effort, but when they impact my workout it drives me crazy!

I hav spent around an hour in the gym every day and since becoming pregnant I rarely just do one activity per workout. I like to run a couple of miles then jump on the bike or elliptical then hit the treadmill again and repeat the cycle. Well every night someone has grabbed the bike about a minute before I was ready to make the switch. Thank goodness they don't work out for long....the longest I have waited is 10 minutes but it still drives me crazy! Maybe I'm just being mean or maybe it is the hormones!

Today I cut back just a little and did 20 minutes on the treadmill and 20 on the bike. My heel hurts! I know I need some new running shoes but I think this might be more than that. I don't want to say plantar fasciitis but I'm a little concerned here.

I am loving the bike though and I've been doing a lot of that.

Today I ate a few of my favorites...Jimmy John's #1 with no cheese or mayo (and for those wondering I did heat the ham to steaming first), salt and vinegar chips for lunch and a chicken burrito bowl from Chipolte for dinner. I'm getting hungry again and would love some M&M's but I think I will force myself to eat some yogurt and All Bran.

Sam update, she ran into a fence at daycare today and cut her lip with her teeth. Travis sent me a pic and her little lip is so swollen. Poor baby. They said she cried a little bit but cried more because she dropped her popsicle. Now that sounds like my little girl!

Spin class while pregnant - good idea????

So I am now 13 weeks pregnant with #2.  I went for the NT test today and got to see the little bean on ultrasound.  He/she was being a little stubborn but so cute.  The tech was trying to get a good profile to look at the fluid behind the neck but little one was jumping from facing us and waving to a total 180 with it's little butt side pointing at us.  After a half hour we got one second of the perfect position and the ultrasound lady captured it perfectly.  Everything looked good.  They took some blood from me and we will have the results in 7-10 days.

Exercise-wise I've been hitting spin class at the gym with the hubby almost twice a week.  I'm sure some people who have been to spin are probably freaking out right now.  Spin is HARD they will say and I agree it isn't easy but I'm not quite following the instructors direction (I tend to back off a few gears and RPM's).  I sweat a bit but my heart rate never gets up there very high.  Not even close to what it does when I run.  I think I average about 125 BPM so I think I am ok.  I'm just wondering how many dirty looks I will get walking in visibly pregnant.  Or maybe by then I won't dare to enter.  We shall see. 

Since today is the last day of the month it is now time to post my time and mileage for Feb:


Bike: 9h 52m - 166.29 Mi

Run: 9h 03m 30s - 51.44 Mi

Strength: 1h 05m

Elliptical Training: 2h 35m

Walking: 3h 02m

I'm feeling good.  The only problem I've had has to do with needing to pee every 5 seconds while running and the simple truth that sometimes I don't make it to the bathroom before some leaks out.  Disgusting I know but I want to hear from a pregnant woman who has never wet her pants! 
 
Mom update:  She started radiation today!  I know it makes her nervous.  I pray every night for God to bless her and the doctors and nurses and let him know that she is in his hands.  That's all we can really do but I really hope that radiation isn't too hard on her and she can relax soon and not feel so anxious.
 
Sam update:  Weekends are tough.  I think it is because she is sooooo stimulated at day care with other kids and all that she gets bored with just Travis and I.  Nap time is ridiculous.  It has come to me having to rock her and then hold her while she sleeps.  She won't fall asleep for Travis any more.  Yesterday he was trying to get her to sleep and she wouldn't go so we decided to put her in her crib and see if she would calm herself down and take a nap.  About 2 minutes later we heard a thud and then she came running into the living room.  No cries, no whimpers, nothing but somehow she climbed out of the crib and must have landed on her feet and took off.  Needless to say after we made sure she was ok I had to rock and hold her while she slept.  I vow baby #2 will be different.  Baby #2 will nap in the crib.  Yeah - we'll see how that works out.
 

Oh, one other thing.  I made a monkey cake for my niece's birthday.  This is my first attempt at decorating a cake.  It turned out ok.  Still not sure how it tastes.  The littlest niece got sick so we had to postpone the party to next weekend.  Hopefully it keeps in the freezer.

Bun #2 is in the Oven - due 9/7/2011

So I thought I would announce it today.  Samantha is going to have a little baby brother or sister.  Estimated date of arrival is 9/7/2011.  We are sooooooo excited and yet a little tiny bit terrified at the same time.  I think that is normal or at least I hope it is normal.  Sam will be 2 years and approximately 3 months old by the time the baby arrives.  Terrible 2's and a newborn.....I must be loony!

So far things have been going good.  I'm not sure but I think I am up a couple of lbs but it feels like much more.  We haven't taken any pictures but I'm pretty sure I look much more pregnant at this point in time then I did at the same time with Sam.  I've had terrible constipation and switched to Flintstones, a DHA supplement and a bowl of Total cereal every other day.  It seems to have helped a little bit.  I've been doing good keeping up the workouts.  Here is what last week looked like:

Weekly totals & Avgs
Biking (indoor trainer and spin classes) 53.14 Mi - 3h 12m           Pace: 16.62 Mi/hr
Running   12.00 Mi - 2h 04m          Pace: 10m 20s /Mi
Other (walking and elliptical)  1.67 hours
Strength  15 minutes

So far I've been managing an average of 12 miles running per week and approx 30 miles of biking.  I'm looking to keep that average pretty much where it is.

I am also secretly glad I won't be able to compete in any triathlons this summer because that means I don't have to swim!  I really don't like swimming!  I love triathlon but I HATE swimming! 

I also need to get this diet thing figured out.  I try to be soooooo good and then I end up craving sweets.  I think I need a nutritionist to review what I'm doing.  Actually, I think I need to do some BMR testing after this pregnancy is over with to figure out where I need to be so I can plan my day accordingly.  I'm probably not eating enough on most days and then my body knows it needs the nutrients so I have cravings to fill that need.  Someday I'll get this figured out.  Today I had some frosting off of some chocolate cake and I just had to down a bowl of Total because I just felt hungry.

Side note and update on the family.  Mom of course finished chemo mid January and now it is on to radiation which she starts this week.  36 sessions and then hopefully she is cancer free forever.  Love You Mom!  I know it has been hard.  Today she had a little scare.  She hasn't been feeling the best - has had some odd upper right quadrant pain since about 1/2 way through chemo and she has been forgetful.  Really forgetful.  This afternoon she was doing some stuff around the house and got faint.  Did I mention her blood sugar has been a bit off lately too.  I think the change of not being on all of the chemo drugs is playing a little number on her diabetes treatment plan.  Anyway, she called 911 because she thought she was going to pass out and was scared.  She spent the normal 4-5 hours at the hospital in the ER and they did all sorts of tests.  All of the scans show nothing (PET Scan, CT Scan, Ultrasound of her abdomen, liver, pancreas and gallbladder, etc., etc) thankfully but it is a bummer when you can't figure out why you feel the way you do.  She also has a history of acid reflux and has had a few bouts of nausea and has thrown up a few times.  Odd, she made it through chemo without too much nausea and I don't think she even threw up once but now that she is done she is having problems.  All I can say is keep fighting through it mom and take it easy.  I think you need to rest!  We love you!

Last day of chemotherapy for mom

Today I am sitting with mom & Julee while mom gets her last chemotherapy treatment. It is a big day! After this she has reconstruction and then radiation. Then she is done with treatment and we pray that she is cancer free forever!  We had a big cookie made for all of the nurses, admins, doctors, etc., etc. that mom has gotten to know very well over the last 5 months.  They have done an amazing job over the past several months!

In running news, we just got home yesterday from Disney World. Travis, my brother-in-law and I completed the Goofy Challenge and it was hard. I don't advise anyone to do their first marathon the day after running a half marathon. I hit the wall or something like that at mile 22 although I don't know if it was a typical wall hitting experience. I couldn't catch my breath and started to cry. I walked for a bit and thought I was ok....I wasn't. My hubby made me walk for three miles. We ran the last one. I'm glad I did it but I really don't think I will run another. I will stick to halfs and triathlons!