Pregnant Runner Thoughts III

It's confession time. There are two things I must confess, which pregnancy has highlighted.

Confession number one: I can be a bit of a stubborn runner. I pride myself in wearing shorts 28 degrees and higher, and love it when the elements aren't optimal. It makes me feel like the run was even BETTER because I overcame those obstacles. Case and point from winter 2013:

Yea, Polar Vortex? We had cold last year too. We just forgot about it.

I didn't care that it was a snowy mess, I loved every moment of this run! 

With this pregnancy, I have had to curb my "enthusiasm". I used to have a 3 mile minimum. Now? A two mile run is AWESOME. I went out the other day thinking the sidewalks looked decent, and called it quits after a mile. Was I pouting? No. I've learned that it's not about me anymore. It's about US. It's been a transition, and as I've gotten bigger, accepting that has been easier. I no longer want to be the hero that runs through the crosswalk to beat the car coming...I may not make it now! I'm accepting that my body can't perform the way I wish it would, because something bigger is going on here.

Confession number two: I'm vain. I have been a weight conscious person since I was probably 11 or 12. ALL, read ALL of my friends were thinner than me. I was by no means huge, but I felt bigger than everyone else. I began to exercise around age 14, and it turned into a positive change rather than an obsessive one. I started running around age 17, and loved it ever since. Was I happy with my body? Sometimes. Now that I'm supposed to put on weight, my vanity has shown through intermittently by way of mini moments of panic after a growth spurt. When I was in Puerto Rico, I had an issue with wearing a bathing suit. I was BARELY showing, but felt huge in a two piece. After continual love from the Mr., I got over it. However, my vanity has reared its ugly head more often than I had hoped it would as baby boy continues to grow.

In my heart, I'm totally fine with the weight gain. I know it's for the good of my child. I know it means he's growing healthy and strong. But sometimes, my head gets in the way. The head that says "The scale has never been so high!" or "You're PRing in cookie eating!" or "Unfortunately, your pajama pants aren't work clothes". These thoughts get me down. Thankfully, my husband has been my rock and amazingly supportive. Here are some coping skills I've employed to fight the mental battle:

- Talk about it. Sometimes I just need to get it out of my mind (Sorry dear if I'm a broken record).
- Go for a walk. This automatically brings a sense of wellness to my mind.
- Share it with another pregnant lady/mom. It's good to know you're not alone in feeling "larger than life".

So basically, I'm a reckless head case. Or rather, a recovering one! I am fully aware that I will continue to grow (A LOT), but I think recognizing these feelings is an important step in my personal growth.

How about you? Have you fallen in to a mental rut? Do you have any coping tips for mommies-to-be? Are you an all weather runner? Tell me about it!

Week 22/23 Update

Happy Tuesday! I'm off for winter break this week, so I'm obviously fine sitting here, looking at the beautiful snow sipping some coffee and eating monkey bread. Oh, monkey bread? Yea. This happened:

Tina over at Carrots n Cake posted this recipe and I could hardly wait to make it! Verdict? EASY and delicious. (I didn't have a fluted pan, not as pretty but still did the job wonderfully!)

Here is some more sweet stuff from the past weeks:

 Baby's first Valentine! My running partner/coworker Ms. Bailey and her super creative note!

My little Valentine! He loves this tshirt. Mr. Miller hates walking him in it. Not manly enough I guess.

On to the update! I was hoping to do my updates every two weeks on the even weeks, but time and energy have, of course, gotten in the way! Oh well, at least I'm trying! (Already taking on the mom way of life...)

The belly is real! I'm really pregnant! EVERY PERSON around keeps telling me "I'm small". I don't feel small. There's a definite baby in there!!!

Energy Level: still going strong. I've noticed myself getting tired around 9/9:30, and two nights last week both Mr. Miller AND I fell asleep on the couch! Therefore, I say we just both had a busy week ;-) I'm still waking up raring to go for the day. Stairs are consistently more difficult (as though THAT could even be possible!) but I'm still taking them. Slowly but surely. Sorry subway riders when I'm gasping for air on the platform!!!

Post 3 mile run. My winter running jacket is reaching its limit. Hold on, Nike performance running jacket, hold on! Just a few more weeks! (Hopefully)

Exercising: Baby boy and I are moving and grooving. I ran a few times in the past couple of weeks despite the rough snow/sidewalk conditions. I am VERY wise when it comes to evaluating the conditions. Case and point: I ran 3 miles in 36 minutes yesterday. My pace was decent when there was a clear sidewalk, but I ended up having to walk/baby step across numerous icy patches. I've gotten better at controlling the, uh hmm need to use the bathroom. I made it three whole miles without stopping. I'm getting  a belly band today to help with the round ligament pain (which wasn't as bad this week).

Joan and I forgot about some pictures she took of me this summer...I will never put down my body again. Looking back I think "I hope and pray I can get close to looking like that again!"

Cravings: sweets, then back to veggies! I was so tired one day last week at the end of the day, but on the way home I got a SERIOUS craving for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I went the lazy route and they were DELICIOUS. I think I had too many sweets and finally became vegetable OBSESSED. Mr. Miller drove me 30 miles out to Long Island to go to Ruby Tuesday (Yes you read right) so I could annihilate the salad bar. That was delicious. This was my first extreme "got to go out of the way" craving. We also stopped at the Gap outlet and picked up a few more cute items. Must. Stop.

Just follow the Betty Crocker recipe and add chocolate chips. They are as good as they look.

The Ruby Tuesday salads were inhaled, so no pictures. This is my own homemade salad, no judgies on the bacon bits thanks. 

Mr. Miller picked out a few items! He hadn't really purchased anything for our little boy, so this was exciting.

Weight gain: about 15-16 pounds. Maybe more? 17? I don't feel like getting on the scale today! Last week it was 15lbs, so we're in the ballpark.

Mental status: it's definitely becoming more real. I had my first ever "How am I going to birth a baby" breakdown, but quickly recovered and stuck my head back in the sand. Seeing the school calendar, making shower plans, registering (hopefully this weekend!), is making it more and more real. Well, and the bulging belly is a clear reality check!

Gender prediction: HE is a BOY! We have our name picked out and continually use it. I'm explaining lots of things to him, like "That's your puppy brother Lambeau barking. He's a bad boy." or "You're going to be 7lbs 6oz" over and over and over. I'm sure he understands EVERYTHING! Currently playing Mumford and Sons and Carol King when I'm cooking or cleaning.

Best advice: This is a new section. I've been getting ALL SORTS of advice, but I figured, why not highlight some good stuff? This came from a retired colleague who said, "Do whatever you can for yourself now. Spend an extra five minutes in the shower, sleep in an extra hour, go get a mani just because, spend as much time loving your husband. Soon it will be all about the baby, and your needs will be secondary. This isn't a bad thing, it will just be the new thing." I had been out and about yesterday and wasn't sure if I wanted to run. I decided, hey, no baby, no work, why not? I was so glad I did. I felt alive running my old 3 mile route. I plan on being purposeful and enjoying these last 17+/- weeks as much as possible.

How about you? Do you set aside time for just you? Have you baked anything super yummy lately? How are the outdoor running conditions in your neck of the woods?

Baby Things I'm Loving I

This is not going to be an informative post. This is a "how cute is this" kind of post! I have not tried any of these things, and therefore I am not a baby product expert. However, it is exciting to have a nursery theme coming together and little baby things slowly trickling in the house. Here are a few of the latest additions to our baby collection:

Flowers! Mr. Miller bought me the (Only!) blue flowers to celebrate a boy. Also, I love this sonogram picture, because you can see his face pretty clearly! Not pictured: The unwanted 3D picture. Did. Not. Want. It. There is nothing cute about that picture! He was all smooshed and odd looking! I'll take the 2D thanks!

Little baby bibs! We've decided on an elephant theme, so this cute bib collection from Target HAD to happen! (Couldn't find it online, must be in store only)

 Our nursery theme/colors! Elephants in navy blue and gray. It won't look exactly like this (Bumpers aren't safe until they're older, I learned something new!), but this is the blueprint for what we want. 

We got a baby swing! We scored a gently used MamaRoo swing on Craigslist for a fraction of the price.

Must haves: These are things I've been pinning and pining over, follow me for my latest cute finds! 

Customized Nike Baby Shoes: Puh-lease. SO cute, and you can add their name to the bottom!

Cute hats: 

And anything that looks like this:

How about you? Do you have anything cute you've been loving lately? Any favorite Pinterest people to follow? What's your favorite animal? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

Baby Miller is a.....

BOY!

We are so excited to welcome a little boy into our family. He is "the picture of health", and everything is measuring perfectly. We are so thankful for the good report and to finally be able to say "he" instead of "it"!

Here's how we told those closest to us:

1. Gender reveal bags. We made these for our family members, since none of them live near us. We texted all of them telling them which bag to open, and it contained some gender specific items. I had to throw it together quickly, otherwise I would have done a better job with a mix of candies!

Once we knew we sent out the word for which bag to open! Staples prevented cheating ;-)

2. Cake Pop Party with our friends. We got together our closest NYC dwelling friends so we could tell them in person. Joan made these amazing cake pops...if you're in NYC and need some custom work, she does this on the side and creates a YUMMY product! Our friends wore the color that they guessed. Mr. Miller made a pink drink and a blue drink for each party goer to toast with. I created the guessing props so we could add them to the baby's (eventual) photo album. Here's how it went:

Everyone made their guesses and wore the color of their guesses! 

Then we bit into these delicious cake pops! Result? BOY!

After that, we ate a lot of yummy food. I ate the beef tip mac and cheese with Tabasco onion strings. Chew on THAT thought for a minute! Chunky monkey empanadas at the end...banana and nutella...yea, Queens Comfort, you're naughty yummy goodness!

So, were you right?! Tell me!

Pregnant Runner Thoughts II

Running with a human is, well, different. The first trimester contained VERY limited running, but that was to be expected. Now in the second trimester, nothing really changed until week 20. I know I have been slower (Don't care), and I certainly haven't had any great distances (Again, don't care....okay don't mind), but week 20 and 21 have developed some interesting changes.

The belly is getting bigger! I'm carrying fairly low.

I can't run too far from home. Mr. Miller instituted a "stay within a mile of home" rule, which I think is quite wise now. You see, there's a certain 'drinking water while running' habit that I have and continue to do...but, my bladder is not cooperating! For now, I will simply suffer through the constant urge to go while trying to enjoy my run!

I will not regretting running with a tiny bladder...as long as I remain accident free...

I've been getting some pain in my lower stomach region. This is a recent development while running or climbing a lot of stairs (Which I try to do every day at work). I did some googling and stumbled onto a blog I usually read, The Local Elite. Jen posted about the same symptoms and linked in information about round ligament pain. So, I guess my next purchase will be a support belt in the near future! (Her other thoughts and recommendations are great, check them out!)

This picture needed to make an appearance. The amount of love that I have for this commercial is slightly embarrassing...or not.

This ice situation stinks. I don't belong to a gym, so a treadmill isn't readily available. Today I took Lambeau for his first real walk all week, since the ice and cold have deterred both of us. I'm hoping things melt a bit for some weekend fun! However, with another storm looming, I'm not sure if this is possible. Thankfully my running partner has offered up her building's treadmill, so we may be running some miles together this weekend! I'm intrigued to see how it feels to run on the treadmill with a bigger belly, seeming I bang myself on one normally without the extra depth!

Scene from my commute. So pretty. So dangerous.

Here's to more weeks of running and thawing! I plan to run as long as I can, as long as I am comfortable. Baby is "The picture of health" according to our most recent anatomy scan, so get ready for the GENDER REVEAL this Saturday!!!

How about you? Are you sticking to the treadmill? Have you ever worn gear for soreness (braces etc)? Are you taking pictures of the beauty outside your window? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

Unleash Speed: The Nike Speed Lounge

For the past month, Nike has been getting ready for the Super Bowl! Needless to say, the game was less than stellar. However, Nike Speed Lounge was fantastic! The Nike Speed Lounge featured amazing Super Bowl displays and intense football inspired workouts. On occassion, they even included some football stars! The rooftop of the flagship Nike store was enclosed in a tent to provide a unique workout location. It was great to get in some workouts that were different than the regular NTC workouts, and they definitely tested my agility with my extra (baby) pounds! 

Here's a glimpse of some of the features of the Nike Speed Lounge:

 There are three different conditioning tools in this photo. They may be small, but they are tough!

 My arch nemesis: The ropes! Mr. Miller killed it!!!

 The crew at the Speed Lounge was always pumped with energy, how every workout should be!

Two Seahawks and two Broncos joined together to push us to unleash speed! They were inspiring.

Thank you @NikeNYC for an amazing workout opportunity!

Want to try a football conditioning workout at home? Why not?! You don't need any equipment! I loved the challenge of quick movements in intervals. If you want to try it out, click on this link! (I would sub box jumps for steps on stairs etc.)

How about you? Have you tried another sport's conditioning exercises? Do you enjoy a good ladder drill? Did you win money in the Super Bowl?! (We won $20!) TELL ME ABOUT IT!

20 week update (Really 21)

I fell a little behind on my updates! I had a very busy week last week, and time seems to be flying by! Lots of exciting things have been going on and are about to go on, so here's the skinny!

Energy level: Still flying high off non first trimester feelings! Even though trying on maternity clothes leaves me winded, I've been doing really well with balancing rest and activity. I've been cooking some of my favorite meals, finding time to go out with friends, and the never ending organizing of our lives to make room for baby.

 This is my new niece! EBaby3 joined us almost three weeks ago. She's dreamy.

Exercising: Things have been consistent! I've been going to 1-2 NTC classes a week, as well as attempting some runs. The polar vortex really put a cramp in my running style (Fear of black ice really), so it's been a great feeling to get out and run again! I even jumped into a race last minute because Mr. Miller wanted to get in the Super Bowl spirit! (Don't worry, I brought my own water and everything!) It was great to be in the crowd, running with hundreds of others and readily available restrooms (Yea...that's been a fun development! No running too far from a bathroom for this girl!)

 At a Nike Speed Lounge NTC workout with Seahawks Player O'brien Schofield. We got to meet four NFL players. Two guessed boy two guessed girl. One said "No matter what, that baby is going to be an athlete girl!"

 Running some miles with some of my favorite people!

Completing my first four mile run since November was pretty fabulous!

Eating: I started to crave veggies. I was on a pasta kick for a little while, then all of a sudden I needed a crazy amount of vegetables! I made up my own "kale bowl" and ate it for three lunches straight. It was so delicious and satisfying. I've also been craving chocolate chip cookies, but that has paled in comparison to the Super Bowl dessert we picked up from Queens Comfort: OREO S'MORE BREAD PUDDING.

 My rice bowl: Brown rice, kale broccoli brussels sprout cabbage and chard slave, beets, sweet potato, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and poppy seed dressing. DELICIOUS.

You're welcome for the food envy I just gave you. And yes, it is as good as it looks.

Weight gain: 13lbs! I guess I'm following the "pound a week" rule since I was about 4 pounds less a few weeks ago. I have definitely popped out and can feel my jackets getting tighter. Come on coats, just one more month! March won't be so cold hopefully!

Post work out belly pop and lock. 

Mental status: I had a bit of a breakdown...over a mug. I was washing out my FAVORITE mug and it slipped out of my soapy hand...perfect hitting the handle and breaking it off. I was given this mug by a friend, and I use it every day. (I was sobbing while Mr. Miller consoled me that we could, indeed, go purchase another one immediately.) In other news, I only cried at two Super Bowl commercials, so I'd call that a win.

I will miss you, my original NYC Starbucks coffee mug.

Gender prediction: WE FIND OUT TOMORROW!!! Pending cooperation, we will know if we are having a boy or a girl around 12pm tomorrow. I'm guessing girl, and Mr. Miller has no idea. People have been generally split. Even my class with twelve students voted 6 for girl and 6 for boy!

Team pink or team blue???

What do you think? Cast your prediction now! Will I be putting bows or bow ties on my baby? The winner gets satisfaction in being all knowing in things baby gender! TELL ME ABOUT IT!