Apparently we do have things going on in our life, besides preparing for baby.
Steve completed another ultra, the Devil's Backbone 50-miler. I'm losing count how many 50-milers we're at...four? five? six? He also ran 100K last year. Let's blame it on pregnancy brain.
We met our good friends in Bozeman for the race - they're from Sheridan & we miss them since moving to Helena, so it was great to catch up. The two crazies pre-race:
(It's ok hubby, you can smile. Or maybe you're thinking about another pre-race porta potty trip).
Ah-ha, there's the smile! Post-race excitement.
Nothing like an ultra through the mountains, followed by a refreshing IPA.
This race is known for being extremely tough & to make matters more exciting, it's essentially unsupported. The runners are expected to have general navigation skills, in addition to packing their own water (or filter system) & food. Steve finished in a very admirable 11:35 - good job honey!
Now that we live in Helena and within twenty minutes of several lakes (yay!), we've tried to take full advantage of the warm weather. Here's what it looks like when we take four big dogs to the lake:
Guinness (appropriately named) enjoying the park after a dip in the river.
Enter the Haggis.
Just like a little kid, he quickly passed out after a busy afternoon.
Young Dubliners with special guest Eric Rigler (far left)
They put on a great show & the fact everything was free was awesome! We got their early enough to score great seats (it's in a park, so BYO chair) & had a very fun time.
It's never to early to introduce baby to our love for all things Irish. She certainly spent a good portion of the night dancing. We don't know who's playing at the festival next year but we might have to bring her along.
I just looked at our blog posts & realized we haven't posted since May. I KNOW for a fact I posted a blog update in June but it is nowhere to be found. So my apologies to everyone...and by everyone, I mean the three people that read our blog. You're one of them, Meghan. ;)
Oh, hello baby bump.
As odd as it sounds, I sometimes forget how big the baby bump has grown until I catch a glance of myself in the mirror. Or, when I try to lean over the kitchen sink & realize I can't reach the window anymore. These pics are two weeks old (just getting around to posting this at 32 weeks) & it seems like she grows everyday. Which, I suppose, is the truth as she's packing on more fat in anticipation of delivery.
Due Date: September 27, 2014 Gender: Girl Weight Gain: Approximately 26 lbs. Food Likes/Dislikes: Cravings & aversions are pretty much gone. I'm trying to reel myself back in & stick to more healthy food decisions this last trimester. Our healthcare provider is extremely pleased with my weight progression but let's be honest - I have ten weeks left until predicted due date & if I don't behave, I could still blow up like a blimp. Symptoms: Knock on wood, I really can't complain. I felt pretty good first & second trimester, so I didn't understand when everyone says the second trimester is the "honeymoon." Well, now I get it. I get so much more tired, so quickly. As soon as I hit 31-weeks, it was night & day with how I felt. Generally, I still feel good but the third trimester is much more trying. Tasks as simple as standing in the kitchen cooking for an hour or 45-minutes on the elliptical leave me desiring a nap. Increased number of Braxton Hicks but they're just annoying; they're more common when I'm dehydrated. Ring: Still fits! The summer heat catches up to me faster & if I'm not diligent about hydrating or staying cool, my digits swell quicker. Running/Workouts: I'm continuing to work out 5 days/wk but very very sadly, my pregnancy running became history at 31 weeks. I had a great running week at 30 weeks but post-run soreness in my lower abs reared its ugly head when I entered 31 weeks. I was wearing my maternity belt & felt good during the run but for the rest of the day, my lower abs were very sore & tight. I'm sure it's entirely the weight of the ever-growing belly & the strain on the lower ab muscles & ligaments. While runners (myself included) are typically their own worst enemies, running through soreness or injury, it's just not worth it when it comes to baby. So elliptical it is, with additional weight lifting to keep me strong (elliptical 3X/wk, weights 2X/wk). I'm also trying to work myself into a habit of core work either immediately after the elliptical - if I have time in the morning - or while we're watching TV at night.
Until next time (which will be sooner rather than later, I promise!)...
As I write this post, we're at 22 weeks. When we took the pictures, we were at 20 weeks - halfway! Time crawled the first half but now that I'm showing (bigger everyday!) & we know the gender, time seems to be zipping by at a rapidly increasing rate...
Due Date: September 27, 2014 How Far Along: 20 weeks! Halfway! Symptoms: Very little (knock on wood). Some right upper rib pain wrapping around my back. It's fairly common for pregnant women to experience rib pain, especially the more they grow, as their rib cages are stretching to make room for baby. I think my right side is feeling it more because I'm right-hand dominant & my right side muscles are probably much stronger/tighter. It's most noticeable when I'm sitting down on a couch or lying in bed. Maternity Clothes: Absolutely. So damn comfortable. The outfit from the picture above is not maternity but they're a few of the last strongholds that haven't been delegated to boxes. Ring: Still fits! Weight Gain: At our 20-week appointment, I'd gained approximately 14-15 lbs. Not sure as of post date. Cravings: Oranges, OJ, & chocolate milk. Aversions: Meat. The farther along, the lesser the aversion. Running/Workouts: Still feeling good on my runs & strength training sessions. I stay very in-tune with my body anytime I'm working out & if I'm going to be longer than 45-minutes or so, I take water & food. I ran a 12K trail race on May 11 & although my time was slow, I felt good & enjoyed the ride. Early on, I purchased a maternity support belt for running purposes & after using it a few times, know it's going to be very handy in the near future. I'm running (waddling?) a half-marathon in a few weeks & my training is on par. By taking it easy & carefully, I hope to enjoy staying active as far into this pregnancy as possible. Gender: (Drum roll...)
We're having a girl!! We weren't set on a particular gender & would be happy either way - our biggest concern was knowing our baby is healthy. Each person has an opinion on ultrasounds but we chose the modern healthcare route & selected the 20-week ultrasound (besides the ultrasound at 7 weeks, we won't have any other ultrasounds unless there are signs of complications). I have to say, it was an absolute joy & thrill to watch as our tech checked the brain, heart, fingers, toes, arms, legs, spine...& all appeared to be developing very healthy. When we first found out we were pregnant, I had a very strong feeling we were having a girl. Call it motherly instinct or call it unbalanced hormones...
We're well into the second trimester & days away from the official halfway mark (gasp!). I'm still feeling very good - knock on wood - & the baby bump seems to pop more everyday.
13 weeks
17 weeks
We're due for another picture (as of blog post date, I'm now 19.5 weeks) & I believe there is a fairly significant change, but then again, the baby bump seems to grow significantly more by the end of the day (bloat, food, you name it).
Due Date: September 27, 2014
Symptoms: Nothing significant, just a few small nuisances. In the first trimester, I was starvingall the time & had to keep food with me everywhere I went. It was crazy. After 15 weeks, I hit the magical "honeymoon" phase & noticed increased energy & a decrease in extreme hunger. I still keep food with me in case of emergencies but if I'm late eating my lunch, I don't turn into a catatonic, food-crazed bundle of hormones.
Nails are growing rapidly but I haven't noticed a significant change in my hair.
Pregnancy comes with a wide variety of experiences - heartburn, hemorrhoids, acne, weird rashes, dry skin, stretch marks - & I will neither admit nor deny any of those listed. It's not always glamorous. If you haven't seen the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting, I highly recommend it. It's [mostly] hilarious, with a few heavier, more serious topics thrown in, but it sheds a funny light on the joys of pregnancy. One of my favorite, & now most relevant, clips:
Clothes: Now into full on maternity wear. And damn these clothes are comfy. About 16-17 weeks, I could no longer comfortably wear my pre-pregnancy pants (jeans or dress). I was lucky to have a bin of donated maternity clothes from a friend that I was able to pull out several tops & a few jeans to wear; a few weekends ago, we hit a few stores to pick up a few more items.
Weight: As of today, I've gained approximately 14 lbs; approximate because I weighed at the end of the day & typically I weigh first thing in the morning. In my world, time of day can be a difference of 2-3 lbs. I'm not stepping on the scale regularly & happy to not focus on weight; if my midwife is concerned, she can discuss it with us (& thus far, she has not expressed any concerns). Since reaching the second trimester, I've noticed the rapid weight increase, as second & third trimester average a pound per week.
Running/Working Out: I'm still comfortably running & training for my June half-marathon. My increased energy levels assisted an increase in motivation. I'm trying to maintain light strength training 1-2X/wk. I bought a maternity band, highly recommended by a few women runners as their baby bumps expanded & the need for ligament support during a run became a necessity. No matter how empty my bladder feels, I've now reached the stage I must potty before a run. The jostling is no bueno on the bladder already being squished by growing baby.
Cravings: Oranges, orange juice, chocolate milk, grilled cheese. Dessert will always be a passion but I noticed I'm more particular about what I fancy when it's time for sweets. Smoothies for breakfast are a must - I can cram plenty of protein & a day's worth of fruit into an easy drink.
Aversion: Meat. Except fried chicken. More specifically, chicken strips. I'm like a 5-year-old when we go out to eat - chicken strips & french fries. I can eat meat if it's put in front of me but if I had to choose at every meal, I'd probably avoid meat. Hamburgers, meatballs, steaks, ham...it just doesn't sound appealing.
Aw, isn't that cute, when we took this picture, I was positive I was showing. (Don't mind the no make-up, messy hair, gym clothes look. I just finished working out. And I'm pregnant, I can do what I want. ;))
Due date: September 27, 2014
Date we found out: January 31, 2014. Exactly two weeks before I was to move to Helena - yikes!
7 weeks
Heartbeat: First ultrasound was a strong, steady 164 bpm. We've had a second appointment in which the midwife found the heartbeat for about 10 seconds on the Doppler fetal monitor.
Symptoms: Very few - for which I feel very, very blessed. Tiredness early on, which really only meant I fell asleep on the couch most nights by 8 PM. I experienced nausea weeks 6-8 but no bodily fluid expulsions, just limited food desires.
Food: The few weeks I experienced nausea, I ate a lot of plain pasta & toast. Since then, most foods seem to be ok except meat. I can eat it if it's put in front of me but something about the smell/texture/taste has me reaching for entirely vegetarian foods. Oranges & chocolate milk are my favorites. Tried an amazing Cara Cara orange...ohhhh yummy, I could eat an entire case by myself.
Running/Workouts: I can probably pinpoint exactly when Baby Lipetzky began life as two little cells. Pre-pregnancy, I was easily putting in 45-90 min workouts, 5X week. Around the time I interviewed for the job in Helena, my workout willpower waned. I was still teaching classes at the Y & running, but I just couldn't maintain the motivation. Coupled with the stress/anxiety of a pending move & lingering plantar fasciitis, I chalked it up to needing a break. Looking back, I think my hormone shift caused my body to go into a natural nesting mode. After moving to Helena, the increased elevation, shitty spring weather & continued plantar fasciitis didn't help. Although my speed & mileage dropped, I'm still running 5X week. While I used to average 30 mi/wk, I'm now averaging 20 mi/wk. Not my ideal, but I'm very happy to still put in miles & luxuriate in the fact I'm pregnant & don't have to meet any goals. I doing this to keep healthy for baby & me. Weight Gain: Um, I think I gained approximately 5 pounds in the first trimester. I haven't kept track & when I asked the midwife, she wasn't concerned & told me not to worry. Clothes: Pants started feeling tight in the waist but haven't had to move to maternity clothes yet. Thank goodness.
On our second day in Arizona, we meandered to the Phoenix Zoo. We thoroughly enjoyed it, although it did get a bit warm (high-80's is hot for pale Wyomingites in March).
Of course I spent part of the time worrying that all the animals had enough space & love. One elephant looked particularly lonely. Steve reassured me he was probably just hot. (He doesn't realize he married someone that tried to plant a branch that had recently broken off a live tree because I was worried it would suffer. Doesn't a tree have feelings?? I was approximately 7 years old at the time. I've matured since then. Slightly).
I asked Steve if we could take home a kitty because I thought Brewer needed a friend. He said no.
The zoo doesn't quite know how old the tortoises are...except that they're really, really old. And they eat really, really slow.
The monkeys were so cute & curious!
A terribly zoomed-in & blurry picture of my absolute favorite animal of the zoo. Aren't they so elegant? Another kitty I wanted to take home. Steve wasn't too keen on the idea.
Even rhino had enough of the heat.
Play ball! We spent the afternoon in the shade at a Cubs spring training game. The game was fun (albeit short) & we enjoyed a beer & hot dog, old school style.
We finished up the day with one of these:
Visiting a fast-paced & crowded city is not our idea of a relaxing vacay, but we enjoyed the many activity & restaurant choices Phoenix had to offer. (It helped we zipped around in a new Mustang.) It was fabulous to step away from Wyoming & into warm, sunny Arizona. Who knows, maybe we'll try to hit a race in every state! :)
We took a trip to Arizona in March for a trail race & had a blast. It was a short trip but the weather was beautiful.
This, my friends, is the vehicle we got to play with all weekend:
Budget was having a deal & the Mustang was the most reasonably priced selection. I'll never own a Mustang but who can pass up driving a sports car for a weekend? This baby was super fun - the interior night lights made me feel like I was Knight Rider, only cooler.
Where we raced (flags on the far right of the pic are start/finish) - I ran a half-marathon, Steve ran a 50K. Amazingly, these trails are right outside Phoenix - fantastic single-track trails that took us through the hills in the picture.
Hey! I know that guy!
Sweaty, stinky, tired, & oh-so-happy.
After cleaning up, we squeezed in an afternoon visit to the Desert Botanical Gardens (long story, but our previous trip to Phoenix included purchasing a year-long membership to the gardens b/c of the price savings, so we were happy to use the membership again before it expires).
Butterfly garden! My absolute favorite place.
Bob White
Not to be confused with this Bob White:
(Picture taken during honeymoon road trip)
Hello, beautiful.
Cool sculpture at the entrance of the gardens.
Us & finger of random nice person that offered to take our picture
One of my friends recently commented she liked to read my old blog when I posted my workouts. She inspired me to get back into that - not only because it's fun, but because I find it a motivator to post my fitness habits for everyone to see (oy vey). So, to your right, you will see two new tool bars (haha, tool): Workout Stats and Run Stats. Not only will it update with my stats, but under Workout Stats, you can click on a specific workout & it will take you to my personal training log I keep through Runner's World. Which is kiiiiiinda tough for me to do because I've always kept my log personal & sometimes I'll write things in the notes like "felt like sh*t" or "totally unmotivated" or "had the runs during run & had to find a bathroom or ruin my pants" or "I fist-pumped when the Rocky theme came on the iPod & a car honked & I loved it."
(Just kidding...although I probably would fist pump while running, it wouldn't be to the Rocky theme. And I would definitely honk at someone if I saw them fist-pumping while running. I have been caught singing while running. But that's about the most embarrassing. Besides using the woods as my bathroom during a marathon. And that's in my log. Ha!)
So check it out. Be embarrassed for me. Be inspired. Be thinking..."has she finally lost it?" Be hopeful I find it on one of my runs. But don't get the runs.
If you've read our blog & know us (me), you probably know I have an affinity for dressing up for runs. Or dressing ridiculous. Steve & I ran the CASA 1/2 marathon in July, which is a great run through Spearfish Canyon. I had a serious desire to break 2 hours in the half & was poised to do so at this race, but it didn't happen. Don't ask. I have issues with this. (Luckily this time, it had nothing to do with runners trots) The elusive "break 2 hours in a half" is still a pipe dream.
So if I can't meet my goal time, why not look fabulous instead?
Look! That blur in the green tank top, sparkly heart skirt, & pink compression socks is ME. Moving so fast the camera had a difficult time snapping a photo. (Let's not point out the fact that the lady in front of me is 89 years old. I overheard it in conversation because she sat in front of us on the bus. It's a similar feeling to having a lady pushing a double jogging stroller pass me on an uphill. With two kids in it.)
Who's that stud?
We're a compression-sock-loving family.
So despite the fact I didn't break two hours & an 89-year old rockstar beat me, I still was so excited for the race director to stop me after I crossed the finish line & exlaim, "you were, by far, the most colorful runner on the course!" And one of his little volunteers, handing me my medal, saying "you looked really cute."
Oh, hello. Apparently you have to upload pictures & write things to keep this thing, called a "blog," updated. Weird.
Blankets of wildflowers we saw during one of our adventurous trail runs. These fields of flowers turn me into a waxing poetic, blubbering, hopeless romantic. "The cool mountain air tickling our sun-warmed skin, dancing off beads of sweat. A babbling mountain creek twinkling in the bright sun..." Just like people amaze themselves with their singing abilities when they're alone in the car, I become the next world famous poet when I'm prancing through the fields of wildflowers. Move over Shakespeare, I'm 'bout to take ova!
How can you not be moved by this gorgeousness??
It's tough to see in the picture, but yes, that was a moose in the far, far distance.
When the ladies took a "different route," we literally stumbled upon a small herd of elk. Three bulls & one cow - which is an unusual grouping, although it's possible the cow elk was really a very young bull elk with no visible antlers (which would also be odd).
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