Thanksgiving Weekend 2014, Everly's Dedication

Hmm, haven't posted on the blog for over 2 months... Why not throw one up today?

I don't like to post when I have nothing to talk about and obviously I need time to post. Today the stars have aligned. I have a topic and I have time (for the moment).

So, where to start? Everly's been sick all weekend. Her first little cold virus and it broke my heart. She was all stuffed up and so pitiful. Luckily my parents were here and they were a huge help as always. There were plenty of cuddles to go around.

Our friends from KY visited and mom and dad encouraged us to go hang out with them for awhile Saturday night. It was really great to see them and relax for a little bit.

We went to Nightbell, which is a newer speakeasy type restaurant/lounge. It's Katie Button's second place in Asheville (her first restaurant is Curate and if you're in Asheville you should make reservations and go because it's the best place in town in my opinion!). We really enjoyed the drinks and the small plates we tried. The margarita was delicious and the lobster roll was SO GOOD.

Sunday morning we got up for breakfast before church. Everly was being dedicated at church so I had bought her a beautiful cream colored dress for the event. I'm sure you can guess what happened. Holy poop storm. #firsttimemom

Should've took her to breakfast in her PJs and changed her at the church. Oh well. Luckily I had packed a second dress.

The dedication went great and she LOVED being up on stage. She's such a ham. I was just really grateful for the prayer from our church family.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?

Get any good deals on Black Friday?

what i'm loving wednesday

Paleo Kitchen Sync's recipe for Whole 30 friendly Bang Bang Shrimp. 

OMG yum. Although I bought fresh shrimp and had to peel and devein them... I don't know if I'll ever get the smell out of my nose. And the sauce that you put on them?!? I've been using it as salad dressing. So good. 

Carnival squash that I found at the farmers market. So pretty!

this multi-surface cleaner from the honest company. (although don't get it from amazon, holy crap i just saw the price! i got mine on sale last week at target!). this is my first honest company purchase and i LOVE it. powerful mist spray, great smell, and cleans well. i keep cleaning all the counters and tables because i love it so! (i'm not OCD at all...lol)

can't.stop.watching. we started a netflix binge (well, as much of a netflix binge that two new parents with full time jobs can manage) and it is soooo good!

so what are you loving right now??

seasons of life

isn't it funny how things change? as a runner i used to be so proud of myself when i'd think about my saturday mornings. i was usually up and had a double digit mile run under my belt before most people were out of bed, and i took pride in that. but maybe i should have just realized that some people have lives that are a little more demanding than mine were at that time. 

for instance, i'm calling this saturday morning a win. i've fed and changed the baby twice, fed myself breakfast, pumped three times, and showered. there was a moment when i thought about dragging myself to pure barre, but then my comfy bed called my name... and i'm okay with that right now. 

one thing that everly has taught me (among 1000 things) is to enjoy the moment. she's growing so fast and i'm trying really hard to tell myself that the dishes can wait, that dog hair won't kill us, it won't kill me if i don't go to pure barre 5 times a week, it'll all be alright. because honestly when it comes down to it, i'd rather get my exercise being outside in this beautiful fall weather pushing my sweet baby girl in her stroller. because she's not always going to enjoy that as much as she does right now, but while she does i'm going to soak it up!

hope you all have an amazing weekend!

first trip to the farmers market 9.19.14

everly 2 months

two pictures for two months...

i'm pretty sure i'm a mean momma for thinking the second one is hilarious. i can't even begin to tell you how much joy this little girl has brought into so many lives. we are so grateful to God for blessing us with her!

so big things during her second month of life:

• she's becoming way more chatty. she'll babble on and on and i swear sometimes you'd think she was carrying on a conversation! especially in the evening when we ask her to tell us about her day ;)
• she likes to be faced out to the world so she can look around, especially when she's outside.
• she has really great head control for her age and has really strong legs. When she's in the bathtub she loves to kick her ducks (temperature control rubber ducks that we put in the bath with her) and splash! she also loves to 'go for walks' on her changing table. we ask her where she's running to, and say different places and she just kicks those legs!
• she loves to be read to
• has slept through the night twice
• very smiley girl, especially first thing in the morning after she's stretched!
• she made her second trip to kentucky where she got to meet her other great grandpa
• loves stroller rides
• moved to a new house

what would you do?

okay i need to vent about something and i need your all's advice. here's the situation:

so i'm back at work and i'm pumping at work so that i can continue giving E breast milk. no big deal, plenty of people do it. there are even laws in place that protect a woman's right to do this. my job (i should say, my profession, not my actual job) makes it a little difficult in that i can't know if the phone is going to ring for me, or if a patient is going to need counseled, or if a prescription is going to need checked. i just have to go when i need to go and take it as it comes.

first thing--- the place where i pump. the only room in the pharmacy with a door is the bathroom. ummm, no. and this is not me being a diva. the bathroom is our bottle storage area (cramped), there's only one place to sit (toilet), and it's the only bathroom (so me taking it up for 25 minutes isn't feasible). not to mention it's just plain gross. so i go into the back room (there's one girl that works back there) into a little corner and cover myself and pump. a little awkward but not really a big deal.

80% of the time i'm at work i have a second pharmacist with me so this is no problem. they can pick up my slack (which i appreciate so, so much that they do this without question) and i go to my corner and pump.

it's the other 20% of the time when it's a little more difficult. for instance, on saturdays i work with a technician and a cashier. so when i go to the back to pump they're flying solo and and have to come back and ask me questions, or have me check prescriptions, or answer the phones. also no big deal, but to be where i can answer the phones i have to sit in the middle of that back room vs. the corner which offers a little coverage.

so saturday was basically a perfect recipe for the shit storm that ensued. i had just gone back to pump when our driver showed up for the day (the only male who would be in the pharmacy all day). he's a bit of a know it all and does not like taking instruction from others (especially females, especially females that are younger than him, or females that seem aloof). both of the girls up front tell him not to go into the back room that i'm back there and need some privacy. what does he do?? literally walks straight into the back room.

i turn my back to him because i'm not covered yet, and ask did he not hear them tell him to stay out? he just stands there so then i yell at him to GET OUT! he still stands there another beat, then says, "Okaaaaaay." This was not an "oh crap i'm sorry" okay, it was said like okay if i have to. I'm not implying anything, but this is how it was said.

When I finished he was already gone and I haven't been back to work since. So my question is what, if anything, would you do? Confront him? Tell the boss? Do nothing?

I've tried to put it out of my mind but it really just burns me up that because he's such a know it all and thinks he doesn't have to listen to anyone, my privacy got invaded. Am I overreacting?

everly 1 month

i cannot believe this sweet little girl has been with us for 1 month already (edited to add, almost 2 before i'm actually posting this!). i truly could not have been less prepared for how much she would change my life. everyone says this and i never understood. i knew things in my day to day life would change, and i knew i'd love her but i had not idea how much. enough about me, let's talk about her!

she LOVES bath time. she just smiles when you put her in and cries when you take her out. 

she LOVES to snuggle and being swaddled. i haven't tried to put her to bed at night without swaddling. 

the front porch swing is her favorite place in the world (which stinks because we're moving). anytime she's unconsolable we go out to the porch and rock and it calms her right down. 

she made her first trip to kentucky. 

she got to meet two of her great grandparents and she has put new light in their lives. they've even figured out how to view pictures on their phone so they can see her more!

she loves her uncle matt and is so content when he holds her (most of the time!).

daddy loves her crab outfit the best. 

she's had three "sleepovers" with mimi (mommy got to sleep!). 

Randomness and the Zone Perfect Winner!

And the winner of the Zone Perfect giveaway is...

Sarah from Sweet and Savory by Sarah! Congrats Sarah! Email me your address and I'll get the package in the mail ASAP!


I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep so please forgive me if this post is a little more random than usual. This picture sums up the kind of night we've had:

Everly finally decided to give in and is currently sleeping on my chest in her Solly Baby Wrap (she either loves or hates being in it and right now it's love).

I should probably be sleeping too, but once I'm up for the day it's hard to lay back down. And if I manage to fall asleep I'm grumpier when I wake up than if I'd just stayed awake. So it might just be a PJ day.

In other sad news, my maternity leave is almost over. I actually worked on Saturday to kind of test the waters because Brad was going to be off. It wasn't as horrible as I imagined, but I still missed her so bad it hurt. I'm very grateful that my boss let me cut back to three days a week, and I have two amazing women that will be taking care of E while I'm there, but it still sucks. Why can't we be in two places at once?

zone perfect blog forward challenge goal check in and GIVEAWAY

It's that time again! Time to check in and evaluate where I am with my 2014 goals. So far I have truly enjoyed this challenge that Zone Perfect has put on. It has really made me check in with my goals continuously rather than making them on January 1st and checking them on December 31st. And this year that would be so much easier to do!

my original post... current updates in purple!

.: fitness :.

• join the 100 club at pure barre by the end of march. done, so let's update this one. i'd like to reactivate my PB package once i'm cleared by my MD and finish out the year doing at least 2 classes a week. i'd love to do at least 3 a week, but i don't know how realistic that is schedule-wise. 

• continue to work out at least 5 times a week until the big day. i wasn't great about this one, but too late to change it now. my updated goal is to be active with everly at least 5 times a week. even if it's just a 15 minute walk outside, i want to start early setting that example for her. plus she loves being outside (it usually calms her when she's fussy) so it'll be a win, win. 

• i don't want to make a bunch of post pregnancy goals as far as this category goes. i've never had a baby before, and i'm not going to pretend i know how i'll feel afterwards. i hope to get my butt back into pure barre for the bounce back after baby program. and i hope to run some races in the fall. but we'll see. i go see my OB tomorrow and she'll hopefully clear me to run. i've felt mostly good postpartum, although i think it's easy to forget what you're body has been through because you don't feel bad, and push it to hard too fast. last week we moved across town and i definitely over did it. carried too much weight, too many times, and got too little sleep. not smart. i'd like my first race back to be the Cherokee Harvest 5K, because it was the last race I did before I found out I was pregnant last year!

.: health :.

• stay within a healthy weight gain range for me (15-25 pounds). didn't happen, i gained a whopping 40 pounds. thankfully, 20 of that dropped fairly quickly. so now it's time to get rid of the other 20. 

• join weight watchers after the baby is born. joined last week, went to weigh in and the meeting times have changed and no one was there. fail. i'm going friday. 

• aim for 100 ounces of water a day. did it, still doing it.

• keep a healthy snack on me at all times! did it, still doing it.

.:  spiritual :.

• finish reading the Bible. finished the old testament, now i'm in matthew!

• join another connect group at church. haven't done it, need to do it, want to do it.

• begin volunteering at church. still helping at the coffee counter (well i took a few months off with E).

• find a book about praying for your children and put it to good use. i haven't found a book so if you know of a good one let me know. i've obviously been praying for E like crazy. 

.:  everything else :.

• date my husband. life gets crazy, we get into routines, not all of them good. i want to make more of an effort to make him feel special and loved. this has been hard, not so much because of Everly, but because of the house sale and move. we're almost settled in our new place and hopefully we'll get back to our normal soon!

• journal about my pregnancy and then the baby's life at least once a week. i might do it on the blog, i might just type it in a word document, i might just write it down in my planner... but i want to write it down. i've been keeping notes on my phone to put in her monthly updates, which i will share on the blog. 

dear future self,
whatup!?! this is your january self. you know, the all excited, ready to make lots of goals self? so wherever you are in 2014 when you read this, remember how important these goals are to you. you spent a lot of time thinking them through, and they are extremely realistic. so when you want to get lazy and quit, suck it up, buttercup! you've got a lot on your plate now, so balance and prioritizing are going to be the key. you know what's most important, your family and your faith... but you've got to take care of yourself too. you're no good to Brad or Everly if you're worn down and a mess. take care of them, take care of yourself, and let all the silly stuff go. 

**giveaway**

the amazing folks at zone perfect have sent me some goodies to pass along to y'all! it's a very fun care package that includes a variety of things... lip gloss, hair ties, hand sanitizer, a pedometer, and a box of zone bars among other things!

enter by leaving me a comment telling me what has been your favorite way to stay active this summer! giveaway closes Monday August 18th at 9pm. winner will be announced next week!

Introducing Everly Grace

Hi y'all! Things have been busy, busy around here but I just wanted to introduce you to someone...

Everly Grace joined us on Monday June 30th at 5:26 pm. She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 20.25 inches long! We're all doing really well, just adjusting and staying very busy! Now that we're getting into a bit of a routine, I thought I'd try to fire up the blog again.

Hopefully the blog will transition back into a running blog as I begin to train for a spring half marathon (Run the Bluegrass!!), but for now it might be a bit of a mommy blog because let's face it... This is my blog and I want a record of my life and she's the center of it now! We went on our first long walk today and she slept the whole time!

Other fun goings ons that I'll get into more later...

• We're moving! (i'm trying to be enthusiastic, fake it till you make it, right?)
• I was chosen to be an Ambassador for my favorite race, Run the Bluegrass! If you sign up, please select me as your ambassador referral. I'll post more on it later, and you can read my review of the 2012 race here. 
• I've got a great giveaway coming up next week that is sponsored by the awesome folks at Zone Perfect so keep an eye out for that!

my ode to friday

fridays are pretty magical period, but in particular, every other friday is my favorite. every other friday i don't have to work and so begin my five days of freedom. i like to take some time to myself, sit down and figure out what i need to get done over the next few days, and figure out what i also WANT to do.

brad is at work, my house is clean, and i get a little time to myself to plot my attack on the day. it's like the perfect mix for my type A personality that deep down loves to relax, but has to get things done to feel like i deserve to relax!

so anyways, today i'm sitting at panera enjoying a cinnamon crunch bagel (no so healthy, oh so good) that isn't toasted or sliced [the girl at the counter asked me twice... then said, so you just want it cold? yes, i'm weird]. and writing to you all instead of writing all over my planner.... whoops.

so enough rambling, i hope you all have an amazing friday and an even better weekend! if you're racing good luck!

pregnancy rant

oh my goodness y'all... i thought i was getting pretty used to everyone giving me their pregnancy and labor and child whispering advice, but today got me!

background FYI. i got checked at 36 weeks and was 1 cm dilated and not effaced at all. it hurt and i bled for almost 4 days... aka stress for me. i talked to my MD about it and she explained that even if i was 3 or 4 cm dilated and highly effaced, that still doesn't really give you an idea when you're going to go into labor. I had a conversation with MY doctor and I made the decision to not get checked every week since it really doesn't seem to matter in MY opinion. you would think i made the decision to not get a single ultrasound over 40 weeks or something. people are acting like i'm a crazy person.

bottom line, i'll go into labor when i go into labor. don't worry about it! and people telling me "don't give birth on XX date." seriously? seriously?!?!?!

and what's with the people who think just because they've given birth or, hell, even known someone who's given birth, think that my experience is going to be 100% like theirs. c'mon people. i had no idea that i was surrounded by so many board certified OBGYNs who are experts in their field!

end rant. well, for now anyways ;)

baby m's nursery!

here we are at 38 weeks and baby m's nursery still isn't 100% complete, but i decided to show you all some pics anyways!

you enter the room on the far left (you can kind of see her neck roll hanging on the door). so clothes hamper (tj maxx), chest of drawers (buy buy baby but already discontinued), book basket (personalized and stuffed with books by my sweet friend sara) and closet door. on the chest of drawers:  lamp (ikea), two sophies (gifts), elephant bank (life way christian), wubbanubs, and an apothecary jar (world market) full of teething toys and soothies (gifts).

this is the wall directly across from you when you walk in the room. basket (gift) full of stuffed animals and toys (gifts), crib (buy buy baby discontinued), owl rocker (gift) and striped tote (gift from brad's mom and she added the strip of fabric to make it match the room) full of blankets (gifts). the banner over the crib is from my baby shower in kentucky, the afghan on crib was crocheted by my granny june, the crib sheet is from target and brad's mom made the crib skirt.

shelf (ikea), rocking chair (the one my mom used to rock me and my little brother... i had it refinished and love the way it turned out!), lamp (ikea) and pouf ottoman (land of nod). brad's mom is a whiz with the sewing machine and she made the window treatments. i picked the fabrics and found and painted the little elephant buttons that are on the valences (big contribution, i know!). she did a wonderful job, gotta love getting custom drapes! i'm waiting for some gray fabric square totes from land of nod to fit into the cubes on the shelf. i'm hoping that will cut down on the cluttered look because i don't love the look right now.

chest of drawers/changing table (buy buy baby) and diaper pail (gift). i'm using the crate (michael's) to store diapers, wipes, and the like. brad's mom made the changing pad cover and the wall banner is also from my shower. fun side note: the two outfits on the changing pad are mine! i'll show you all close ups later, but one is my coming home outfit from the hospital! mom brought them over this weekend, too cute!

other than the cluttered feeling i'm getting from the shelf area and the corner to the left of it, i'm loving the look of the nursery so far. i've got some really cute silhouettes of both of the pups that i'm trying to hunt down frames for. i'm planning to hang them between the two windows.

so what do you all think? anything you'd recommend?

My interview with Dana Hilmer, Relationship Expert

As a participant in the Zone Perfect Blog Forward Challenge I was given an amazing opportunity to conduct a phone interview with Dana Hilmer, author of Blindsided by a Diaper: Over 30 Men and Women Reveal How Parenthood Changes a Relationship. 

A little background on Dana (from her website DanaHilmer.com) :

Dana Hilmer is the founder of THRIVE*itude, Inc., a media and consulting company, the mission of which is to help people live their truth and to create a life of happiness, well-being, meaning and wonder. Her pet project is forwarding the mission of the THRIVE*olution™, a community – and movement – dedicated to embracing a new definition of success, one that puts happiness, wellbeing, and making a difference at the top of the list. Dana is certified in the science and application of Positive Psychology with Tal Ben-Shahar at the Wholebeing Institute. She is pleased and honored to now be serving as a TA for the program.

Prior to THRIVE*itude, Dana founded LifestyleMom™, an online destination for women who want to live passionately while raising a family. She is also the author of Blindsided by a Diaper(Random House, 2007), a podcaster, inspirational speaker, media spokesperson and long-time marketing executive and consultant.

Dana is a media-savvy interviewee and her insights and tips have been featured on hundreds of radio and television shows across the country. She also writes and speaks widely on making a difference and topics related to healthy, happy, authentic living. Dana lives in a beautiful shoreline town in CT with her husband (and college sweetheart!) and their three young boys.

As nervous as these types of things make me, I knew I had to jump on this opportunity! Luckily, Dana is amazing and I immediately felt like I was talking to an old friend. 

My main question for Dana... What advice would you offer to me and my husband as we embark on this new journey of parenthood? (Dana's comments are paraphrased, I did not record the conversation, just took notes). 

The 4 C's

• Connect:  Physically and emotionally. Have fun with each other. Make checking in with each other a priority.
• Communicate:  Make a point to spend 10 minutes together daily with the intention of purposefully communicating. Put away phones, turn off the TV,  make eye contact. 
• Create:  Goals and dreams for your family together. Declare dreams for yourselves, your child(ten), and family. If you put these goals out there you can help each other work towards them. 
• Celebrate:  Who you are as a couple. Appreciate each other and your relationship.

Another fun thing she pointed out... Appreciate has two definitions:(1) being grateful (2) increasing in value. Just like anything else that you want to appreciate in value, you've got to put time and energy into it!

I'm very grateful to Dana for taking the time to speak with me and to Zone Perfect for allowing me the opportunity. I also wanted to pass along to you all that Dana is offering a really cool program right now, called the Thrive Circle. Twice a month you can call in and she'll be discussing various topics centering around well-being and happiness. The really great thing is that right now she's offering the program for free! Check it out here to sign up! 

zone perfect blog forward challenge #2 :::: an update on my goals and a giveaway!

it's time to check in with the goals i made for myself at the beginning of the year in this post... How could I have made better choices (or did how did I make better choices) regarding them.

.: fitness :.

• join the 100 club at pure barre by the end of march. I made it into the 100 club on april 3rd... pretty darn close!
• continue to work out at least 5 times a week until the big day. i did really well with this through the end of february then i fell off a little. i have hit 3 days a week consistently, but it's time to step it back up. kind of. i think today MIGHT have been my last official pure barre class before the baby. but i'm planning on walking at least 5 days a week. 
• i don't want to make a bunch of post pregnancy goals as far as this category goes. i've never had a baby before, and i'm not going to pretend i know how i'll feel afterwards. i hope to get my butt back into pure barre for the bounce back after baby program. and i hope to run some races in the fall. but we'll see. haven't had a chance to mess this one up yet!

.: health :.

• stay within a healthy weight gain range for me (15-25 pounds). well this one has not went so well. i know myself and i really should have been more proactive about this. i went through a spell when i could only stomach certain things and those things weren't exactly healthy. my MD is perfectly fine with my weight gain, so that's good. i have a horrible habit of either being on a diet or being full blown off a diet. so i'm either losing or gaining. NOT GOOD. 
• join weight watchers after the baby is born. this will happen. 
• aim for 100 ounces of water a day. i've done really well with this one.
• keep a healthy snack on me at all times! this one too, i keep a zone bar in my purse at all times!

.:  spiritual :.

• finish reading the Bible. still plugging along. almost to the new testament!
• join another connect group at church. epic fail. 
• begin volunteering at church. done and done. i work the coffee counter every fourth sunday!
• find a book about praying for your children and put it to good use. i need a big old smack on the hand for this one. priorities... this needs to be one!

.:  everything else :.

• date my husband. life gets crazy, we get into routines, not all of them good. i want to make more of an effort to make him feel special and loved. i think we've both been doing really well with this one. i guess you'd have to ask brad to be sure ;)
• journal about my pregnancy and then the baby's life at least once a week. i might do it on the blog, i might just type it in a word document, i might just write it down in my planner... but i want to write it down. i should've done better about this, but between the blog, instagram, and FB i think i've kept up with it pretty well. 

*giveaway*

zone perfect sent me this really cool portable charger and they also included one for me to to share with you all! 

leave me a comment below telling me about a goal you've done well with this year  and that'll get you entered. i'll pick a winner on Saturday night!

“Become A ZonePerfect® VIP & Save up to $10*

 

Your first coupon will be emailed to you. Join Now <<  [link to:https://zoneperfect.com/offers?cid=social_an_zop_44&utm_campaign=zop-blogger&utm_medium=social&utm_source=zop-blogger-outreach&utm_content=zop-vip-offer&utm_term=join-now]

 

 *$10 in savings relates to savings spread across a one year period and may vary.”

ten things i learned during 100 pure barre classes

in april i earned my spot in the 100 club at pure barre asheville. that's 5500 minutes that i've spent at the barre! i was way too excited to sign my name onto the 100 club barre in the locker area and to have my name up on the chalkboard. 

i was also super excited to earn the coveted red sticky socks! PB sells socks in all kinds of fun colors, but you can only get red if you're in the 100 club. might sound silly, but i think it's pretty cool. 

source

i've mentioned pure barre to you all several times, but i've never really talked about the experience in detail. so here are ten things i've learned during my time working towards 100 classes:

1. no one is judging you.  if you're new to PB it's easy to feel intimidated. don't worry about how you look doing something! the only person who will notice what you're doing is the instructor (because she's trained to help you get it right!). everyone else is going to be shaking in their sticky socks and way too busy concentrating on their own movements to notice what you're doing. seriously... i'm pretty sure a zebra could walk through the studio during class and i wouldn't notice because i'm too busy trying not to crumple to the floor. 
2. buy the socks.  i've only taken one class without the sticky socks and that was enough to make me never want to forget mine at home again. you will slide all over the place! buy a couple pairs and stash them everywhere. i try to keep pairs in my purse, car, and gym bag (and yes i still forget and have to borrow them way too often). 
3. get to class on time.  and on time is at least 10 minutes early. at the very least you've got to take off your shoes, put on your socks, sign in, and get all your equipment. you should really do a little stretching and it's always nice to catch up with your classmates and instructors.  **if it's your first class go earlier. you'll get shown around the studio and the instructor will go over some of the key movements and lingo with you**
4. don't be surprised if the instructor physically corrects your movement during class. sometimes it's hard to explain what you should be doing so if you're not doing it correctly the instructor will physically manipulate your leg or hips or whatever to the correct position. it's super helpful and i guarantee you'll notice the difference as soon as they do it. 
5. if the instructor does correct you, she's only trying to help you get the most out of your time at the barre. the instructors always cover the microphone when giving corrections to a single person. they aren't going to call you out in front of everyone, so relax and listen to what they're saying! 
6. pay attention! seriously, listen to what the instructor is saying! everything she says is designed to help you get into the right position and get the most out of your workout. pure barre is based on very SMALL movements so little things make a big difference. you need to know if your toes are supposed to be pointed or flexed, are you supposed to be flat footed, on your highest tip toes, or in between, etc. 
7. when they say to move 'just an inch' they mean it.  i'm not kidding. this isn't the kind of workout where bigger is better. you'll hear the phrases "make it smaller", "trace a circle the size of a dime", and "down an inch, up an inch" over and over... that's because it's important! if you can make the movement way bigger than everyone else, odds are you're doing it wrong!
8. dress the part. i'm not saying you need to go on a shopping spree at lululemon or anything. but you're gonna want some tights or crops that fit you well and that aren't see through when you bend over. form fitting clothing is best so that the instructor can see your lines and tell if you're doing things incorrectly. 
9. bring water to class. trust me. 
10. the instructors are amazing. so are your classmates. get to know them! make friends! cheer each other on! it's so great to see the same faces, check in with each other, and keep up with what's going on in each others lives. it creates a really encouraging environment and it's a really great thing to have. we cheer each other on and support each other. it's great to be a part of the pure barre family!

a whole lot of randomness

is it totally horrible that i stood in world market for like 30 minutes the other day debating on whether or not i should buy some of these adorable little champagnes to put in the fridge at the hospital for when baby m comes? the ones on the right even say 'bambino' on the label! i didn't get them, i decided if momma can't have it, no one else can either ;)

this little girl is in heat right now and you cannot imagine how it's changed the dynamics of our household. holy hell, it's what i imagine hormonal teenagers would be like. we aren't planning on breeding her or anything but our vet said it lowers the rate of osteosarcoma in GSDs if you wait and let them go through one heat cycle. one heat cycle and no more!

i cannot quit eating watermelon. i craved it early on in my pregnancy and it was hard to find good ones. now they're everywhere and i cannot get enough!

catch up!! 26.5 weeks pregnant

^^25.5 weeks pregnant^^

my symptoms:  i'm experiencing what i'm pretty sure is sciatic nerve pain. it's only on one side and it comes and goes, but i have to be careful putting all my weight on my right leg because when i'm stepping a certain way it literally can just give out because of the pain. and given my current state of imbalance, that's just no good :)

wednesday i woke up with a lovely patch of shingles on my face. that's the third time in two years if you're keeping up. as soon as i'm allowed i'm getting the zostavax, insurance be damned. 

weight:  i haven't weighed myself in almost a month. here's hoping i don't pass out when i see the number at the doctors office today. 

gender:  it's a GIRL!

maternity clothes: all the time minus scrubs, some dresses, and workout clothes. we'll see how long that lasts. 

movement:  she's all over the place. it's so fun and reassuring to feel her throughout the day. 

sleep: i still have back pain if i sleep flat, so i sleep on a slight incline and it seems to help a lot. i've actually been sleeping through the night!

cravings:  sweet tarts

what i miss:  doing unmodified workouts!

appointments:  glucose test today. please pray i pass. 

questions/concerns:  i feel like i've gained too much weight.  

goals for the week:  get outside and walk! the weather has been awesome!

achievements from the past few weeks:  we picked up the crib and got it put together! completed my 100th pure barre class!

let's try this whole blogging thing again...

i go thru phases in my life just like i'm sure everyone else does. the last 3 months (and maybe even a few before that) are what i like to call my "blogging is  chore" phase. i found myself getting stressed by the amount of things i needed to do, so less important things started getting cut. And let's be honest, spending time writing a "running" blog when i'm not really running is just not at the top of the MUST DO list.

i've had plenty of time to mull it over and had to consider some blunt truths. i write this blog for myself (you'd have to be pretty damn narcissistic interesting to write a blog about your life for others) and while it takes up some time, i love the friendships i've formed, the accountability, and being able to look back on how far i've come.

the blog is obviously going to under go some changes in the next few months. there'll be a lot more pregnancy updates/getting ready for baby posts/freaking the eff out posts (you get the picture) and a lot less running posts.

but i think that's one of the beautiful parts of life... change is inevitable. so hang around if you'd like to follow along as i continue to change and go through my phases ;)

22ish weeks pregnant

my symptoms:  i'm sick to my stomach again. it's not the all day every day sickness, just certain things and smells that seem to bring it on. G2 was on sale last week so i bought 12 bottles to get the best deal. the first bottle went down fine, but now anytime i drink them i get very nauseous. 

yesterday brad had some bourbon before the game (KY thing) and the smell of it made me want to gag. (the way UK played yesterday made me sick too, but i think that's a whole 'nother can of worms!)

weight:  last time i checked i'm up 15 pounds. i've stopped eating whatever i feel like [for the most part] and trying to eat better. not less, just better. more protein, fruits, and veggies. to be honest, this is a bit of a struggle for me. it's hard to just watch my weight go up. 

gender:  hopefully we'll find out on thursday. 

maternity clothes: i've been stealing brad's old t-shirts (he's lost so much weight that his current ones would not be very comfy for me!!). wishing it was socially acceptable to wear sweats and pajamas everywhere. 

movement:  still hanging out down low. maybe i just can't feel the higher movements because of where my placenta is, who knows. moves a lot more at night when i lay down to go to bed, which i'm sure bodes well for my future sleeping plans :)

sleep: this subject makes me grumpy. i've had several weeks of blissful sleep with my leachco pregnancy pillow, but now i'm having these crazy back pains. they're pretty intense and i can't seem to find a way to get comfortable once i have them. last night when they woke me up and ended up propping up 4 pillows and sleeping upright. i hope this isn't here to stay. i can only imagine these type of pains get worse as i get bigger, but DANG. 

cravings:  sushi [and while i know that certain kinds are perfectly acceptable for me to eat, it's not worth it to me to even try again. i did once around 10 weeks and made myself sick with worry after eating it. yes i know i'm crazy]

what i miss:  feeling in control of my body. 

appointments:  second anatomy scan thursday.

questions/concerns:  hopefully they'll have some suggestions to help with the back pain. 

goals for the week:  get the baby's room cleared out next weekend.

18-20 weeks pregnant

so we were supposed to find out the gender of baby m at week 19... but the little stinker sat breach and indian style pretty much the whole time. good news is that everything else looked great and it was so amazing to see that little face and everything else! we'll have another scan in a few weeks and hopefully the baby will be a little more cooperative!

my symptoms:  i've just felt really full lately. i've also had a weird back pain, but it doesn't seem to last long. 

weight:  i'm up 13 pounds. this scares the bejeezus out of me, but i brought it up with my doctor and she said i'm right on track. i feel like my hips are way more pregnant than my belly, but i think i've mentioned that already.

gender:  hopefully we'll find out in 17 days! 

maternity clothes: maternity clothes, scrubs, sweats, dresses, leggings... they're my faves. 

movement:  i was right about the baby sitting low! now i feel like it's a little higher. i do feel like i feel the baby more. my placenta is in the front of my belly though, so the doc said it might take a little longer for me to feel it.  

sleep: still loving my pregnancy pillow. i'm waking up once a night to head to the bathroom, but i'm getting really good at not totally waking up to do it ;)

cravings:  oatmeal cream pies, milk, toaster strudels, watermelon, strawberries, pineapples, water, water, water. 

what i miss:  diet mountain dew

appointments:  none this week

questions/concerns:  i want to ask my doctor about this back pain. it's only happened twice but dang does it hurt when it happens. 

goals for the week:  pick out nursery furniture

three things thursday

what have you all been up to? we're hunkering down for the "storm of the century" or something like that. it's really, really beautiful, but DANG. snow really seems to bring out the idiots. i saw 3 people sliding out of control on the way home. and it was 95% stupidity and 5% road conditions. anyways, here's the view from our driveway:

in workout related news, i completed the pure barre challenge! 20 classes in 30 days [actually 31 days because they extended it a few days due to canceled classes].

this weekend i drove to KY and got to visit lots of my favorites! brad had to work so i took off. it was so great to see everyone but i wish brad could've come with. driving that long by yourself is no fun! here's a picture my dad took while i was home. mom posted it to Facebook and said she was rocking her two babies ;)

what i'm loving wednesday:::: alex and ani bracelets

i cannot tell y'all how much i love these bangles that alex and ani make! i originally saw these when dorothy at mile posts shared them and i seriously fell in love. i love the idea of charm bracelets, but i don't like the traditional ones and brad hooked me up for valentines day last year and got me the B, C,  a dog paw (that also has the NYC skyline in the paw), and a black beaded one.

then after my full he got me this one:

i love how they look when you layer them! i think it's fair to say that i'm obsessed now. i gave some as Christmas gifts and they were a big hit!

you should definitely check them out! they do specials and put new bangles out all the time!

i really want a feather one next (just like cecilia at mommies run!):

17 weeks pregnant...

late again! posting this the day before i'll be 18 weeks. hopefully the baby will not take after it's mommy and be late ;)

my symptoms:  this has been a great week for me, nothing too noticeable!

weight:  i don't really want to talk about it this week ;)

gender:  hopefully we'll find out on february 5th.

maternity clothes: still in a mixture of regular and maternity clothes. i'm in maternity clothes in my picture. they're so comfy!

movement:  i didn't feel a lot this week. i have had a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen this week so that's where i feel like the baby is. but that could be all in my head. 

sleep:  i finally broke down and ordered a pregnancy pillow, and i swear it might be the best $65 i've ever spent. i can't sleep through the night, but i feel supported and my body doesn't ache when i wake up. 

cravings:  grilled cheese, watermelon, sweet tarts

what i miss:  nothing yet. 

appointments:  none this week

questions/concerns:  none this week

goals for the week:  workout 5 days