Week 32 Update!

What a crazy two weeks it's been! I feel like I've grown leaps and bounds in the past two weeks. I had the past week and two days off for spring break so I got to relax, organize, spend time with friends, paint my nails (party animal!), and spend some quality time with a certain puppy. It got a bit cold for a few days so we enjoyed some Today Show, coffee, and snuggles.

Energy level: I am enjoying my sleep. Not working has been interesting. I still go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time, but I find myself having much more peaceful sleep. Although I've been waking up every night with heartburn around 12/1am, I am able to go right back to sleep. We had some really nice weather, which got me out and excited about Spring! However, being a bit larger has made things such as laying on my back (Even just for a sonogram) and sitting on the couch are no longer okay. I find myself short of breath while sitting still...so odd!

We sneaked Lamby onto Jone's Beach! SHHHH!!! Also, Rogas are fitting REALLY well these days, perfect maternity shorts!!!

Exercise: I'm enjoying taking it easy. My friend downloaded a Couch to 5K app, so I joined her for a few runs in addition to my own exercise. It's been nice to go at my own pace. I really haven't minded transitioning to a run/walk method, it's actually very peaceful to me! No need to push the limits, just simply enjoy the outdoors and exercising with Henry.

 We visited CT this weekend and enjoyed a 3 mile hike! I got some wicked awesome tan lines too!

Cravings: Nothing in particular. However, I am eating a TON more! I feel hungry after I eat what would be a regular portion for me. Then I wait. I get more food then I wait. It's like a never ending hunger cycle!

Does craving holding babies count? Jennie Fizz helped with that craving! WHAT A CUTIE!

Weight gain: 25lbs. Yup. UP 4lbs! I was complaining about not having gained any weight in four weeks, then BAM there was all that missing weight at once! I definitely felt it too. I'm feeling larger and heavier. Henry's STATS came in today at an ultrasound! He is 4 pounds 9 ounces and is projected to be a healthy 8.5 pounds. Oh Lordy Loo Henry, lay off the cookies! ;-)

 I live in those Old Navy shirts!

 Two of my older sisters

My Boston Strong shirt BARELY fit, but it made its appearance as Henry and I cheered for an amazing race! Also I would like to be called brave because this picture is without make up. I'm so daring.

Mental status: I have eight weeks left. EEK. I'm starting to get excited, and I guess you could say nesting has taken over. I get overwhelmed at times (In a joyful unbelievable way) with the thought of "Oh my goodness we're having a baby!" Overall I'm feeling more and more prepared as we've received a large majority of our registry items, and we just have a few key furniture pieces to purchase and set up. Hopefully at the 34 week update I'll have the nursery nook ready to show! (We're sharing our one bedroom him!)

Lambeau had to adjust to the belly in the car. He finally gave up and moved to the ground. His space is already getting encroached upon!

Best advice: buy the coming home outfit in newborn and in 0-3 months. Apparently most newborn sizes are only for up to 8lbs, so that could be a bit snug for his debut outfit based on his predicted numbers! Of course my sister told me this as I was getting on the highway leaving Target...so ANOTHER trip back there. Darn.

How about you? If you had a baby, did the doctor's predictions of weight etc come close? How did you celebrate Easter? Do you have some amazing tan lines from this weekend? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

My Shower!!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I am blessed by the family and friends I have. When we were telling our closest friends that we were pregnant, we decided to invite them over for football. Brian made a toast at half time basically saying "Let's toast to a Packers comeback, and to all of you becoming aunts and uncles in June!" This revelation was followed by shrieks, shouts, hugs, and (male) tears from our amazing NYC family. Within ten minutes the conversation turned to "WE'RE THROWING YOUR SHOWER!" and Mrs. Anders, Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Gray began planning immediately. I can only imagine the reply to all emails that ensued! On April 5, I got to enjoy a beautiful party with my beautiful friends and family. I am so thankful for their encouragement, generosity, and support during this exciting time! Henry's impending arrival is made all the more special by their part in it. Here are a few photos of the day:

 The food and decor were ADORABLE!

 Cannolis, cupcakes, and minis cheesecakes!

 My family from L-R: Niece number 1, sister number 2, sister number 1, me, mom, niece number 2

 My hostesses with the mostestess!

 My two oldest friends in NYC: Myssi for seven years, Amanda from six years!

 Henry's name was a focal point for the decor!

 Packers inspired gifts! Baby cheesehead and baby overalls...Mr. Miller has the grown up sized of BOTH! (Much to my chagrin) 

 We played "Who knows Kristin Best" and used customized Baby Henry pencils! I used to get these as a kid, I love them!

All the ladies together! We had a great time!

Thank you especially to my hosts, it was a truly memorable day. 

I am still overwhelmed when I think of it!

How about you? What is your favorite shower game? Do you have a signature gift? What's your favorite party food? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

What is your passion?

Have you heard the news!? Michael Phelps will be competing in his first event in two years. Two years ago he dominated the London Olympics, and I cheered him on just as I did in previous Olympics. He is an incredible athlete whose passion for the sport is clearly evident. When he said he was retired two years ago, I said to my husband "I hope he has another passion, because having nothing to drive toward is not going to sit well with him." Well, he's taking the first steps back, just like I thought! 

Good luck in Arizona, Phelps! Sorry Lochte. 

What do you do when you are unable to fill your passion? During this stage of pregnancy my runs have become less and less frequent. I get out about 2-3 times a week, but more often like 1-2 times a week these days. I LONG for long runs (Even five miles!), the return of runger, the feeling of wearing compression socks on a Saturday afternoon (Not because of pregnancy symptoms!). As I watched the 60 Minutes piece on Shalane Flanagan, I got teary eyed and started crying when they showed a video clip of a finish line filled with cowbells and well wishers. For the first time since before the Philly marathon, I actually missed 26.2. You KNOW I've got the running itch bad if I'm missing that beast!

I love you Shalane. That is all.

Today, our running community remembers the passion we all have with special significance. Today we remember the day when they tried to destroy a sacred place: the finish line. Today we continue to live "Boston Strong" as a community that won't back down, that will run united, that will wield their passion to inspire others. Today I am going to take time to reflect on what the run has given me. I won't remember the marathon of tears, the pain of tempo runs, or the chaffing of summer training. Today I will remember the finish line, what I've learned on my journeys to get there, and how I can't wait to get back there. Here's a beautiful collection of survivor's portraits reminding us that the passion to thrive lives on.

Boston Strong NYC Run 2013

How about you? What is your passion? Will you be doing a special run today? Did you participate in any of the One Fund runs? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

#problems

We all have them. This is a fact of life, right? Social media has changed how we reveal our problems to the world. In my attempts to be less stressed, I have found myself going on social media a little less and focusing on positives a little more. When you type in #pregnant on Twitter, the auto select's first choice is #pregnantproblems. Same thing with #runnerprobs. Shockingly, #teacherproblems doesn't come up....probably because we're scared of social media guidelines!

I've been reflecting on what constitutes to a typed out complaint on social media. At almost 31 weeks pregnant, it would be SO easy for me to complain about things. I could go on and on about heartburn, being short of breath, my lack of endurance, or how I feel like I have NOTHING to wear. But do I really want to throw that thought in the world? No. I am thankful to be pregnant, thankful for my ability to still move, thankful that Henry is healthy and everything is measuring exactly where it should be. I have also been more conscious of this because I know many who struggle with actually getting and staying pregnant. I imagined one of those beautiful people reading a tweet of mine complaining about something they so desperately desire. So, I am anti #pregnancyproblems.

I am also anti #runnerprobs. I think I've used that hash tag a time or two for an ironic purpose, but really, I can't. I have friends who are injured, on bed rest, who are dying to get some miles in. Really, the only runner problems a runner can have is not running. The rest of the stuff just comes with the territory! 

Complaining about work can be a huge stress relief. I try not to post anything about work because we have really strict social media rules; basically anything you type can and will be used against you. Always. But in reality, what is that going to do for me? Telling someone my problem in person might help me actually solve the problem or issue. Getting annoyances off your chest can be cathartic, but does someone really want to read all about them constantly?  Probably not. I'm thankful to have a job despite the stresses of it, and I love my students despite their (sometimes CONSTANT!) frustrations. In the end, I would rather be cup half full about work than cup half empty.

So, I'm choosing to complain less. I am going to try to relax and focus on the positives. There is nothing more refreshing than a person who is genuine about life, but doesn't look at it as "here's another bad thing" etc. I'm going to take a step back before complaining about something and reflect on how other's could think my bad moment is enviable. I'm going to embrace the hot weather, because darn it polar vortex, you almost took my soul.

How about you? Do you try to stay complaint free on social media? What are your tricks to staying positive? TELL ME ABOUT IT! 

Week 30 Update - Name reveal!

Oh. My. Gosh. We are in the thirties! I can't believe this. We are entering the single digit countdown next week. Heart, stop beating so fast! This was an amazing couple of weeks, I'm so excited to recap them!

I had my shower this weekend! More details on that for another post. It was the most beautiful day, I felt BEYOND blessed by my lovely friends who generously gifted us with the most creative and amazing things. In case you haven't caught the comments from close friends, I figured it was time to reveal what this little boy's name is! (Also, I would not be able to post most of the pictures from the shower, since his name was a prominent decoration inspiration!) So, without further ado...

Introducing: Henry Joseph Miller

 Oh Henry! I LOVED this dress. I wish I could live in it. Target, make it in five colors please. Thank you.

Energy level: Going steady. I have definitely had a harder time falling back to sleep when I wake up in the  middle of the night. My mind is racing and it's hard for it to calm down! I did sleep for an eight hour stretch last Friday night and was SO confused when I woke up to use the bathroom and it was light out! I'd say going eight hours without peeing is going to be a fluke for the next ten weeks! I've also been noticing some nesting symptoms, which have spurred me on to tackling some things I would normally put off. I still couldn't stay up for the Uconn game (GO HUSKIES! NATIONAL CHAMPS!) because, my goodness, it was on LATE! I tapped out at 10:20pm.

Exercising: Staying consistent. With the nicer weather slowly becoming a normal occurrence, I have found it easier to lace up and get moving! I have also been keeping up with the Beautiful Belly yoga app, which I cannot say enough good things about! It helps me calm down when I'm stressed or find myself tired but with a million things on my mind. I even found the motivation to travel out to my coworker's apartment to do a group workout since NTC was canceled due to rain. This was a good two weeks of feeling healthy and active.

 Lambeau seriously loves yoga. I seriously don't love Lambeau's distractions during yoga.

Rain or shine we are NTC!

Cravings: still loving sweets with some grilling! We have been making some delicious meals, including BBQ chicken, veggie turkey burgers, and couscous salads to go with it all. Thankfully the ability to grill without fear of hypothermia has helped me "I don't know what I want to make for dinner" syndrome that I found myself with often.

This picture needed to make an appearance. A shower gift that helped us practice swaddling.

Weight gain: 21lbs. I haven't gained any weight in three weeks. This slightly concerned me, but all my mama friends have told me it happens, not to worry, there is still plenty of time to gain! JOY! I got nervous when I started to gain weight a little faster than "normal", now I'm nervous about not gaining weight! Ah, the side affects of pregnancy!

Mental status: I am feeling so much joy. Work has been stressful, and I have felt in limbo with getting things ready for Henry (Ah I can type his name now!). This week was filled with being with people I love, work pressures (slightly) calming, and receiving and organizing important things for this baby! We had family in town, got some painting/projects in the apartment done (Thanks Mr. Miller! You're a super star dad already!), and got to share the joy of expecting our son with those we love. I had been dealing with being VERY emotional for a few days, so this has been a welcomed change for sure!

Myssi (left) surprised me all the way from California!!! Amanda (Right) was the hostess  extraordinaire. 

Best advice: When you are stressed, repeat "I am healthy, my baby is healthy, it will all be okay." I can't remember who told me this, I think it was a coworker. I have been taking on a bit of stress lately, and this advice has done wonders for me. It's very simple, but repeating it to myself has helped me calm down over some silly things that sent me into a tizzy (Like breaking ANOTHER plate which held a perfectly dressed baked potato right before sitting down to dinner...).

How about you? Are you getting outdoors now that we are in a "thaw"? Did you do anything fun this weekend? What is your favorite thing to grill? TELL ME ABOUT IT!