32 day countdown...

Four weeks from Monday (or sooner) Oliver will have a baby brother. What? I'm slightly terrified about just how soon it is.... yikes! Lots to do... (see list)

34 and 35 week outfits. 

Lots of black. Scarves. Layers.

#1 - black maternity skinny pants - H&M, plaid maternity tunic - Target, white Old Navy cardigan, brown DSW boots. 

#2 - purple maternity dress and black maternity leggings - Destination Maternity (2010)

#3 - brown dress pants - Destination Maternity (2010), white ribbed tank - Target, navy Old Navy cardigan (non-maternity) and orange scarf (Fleming-Reid wedding!) plus Broncos earrings :) 

#4 - white long sleeved maternity shirt (rouched sides) - Destination Maternity (2010), brown sweater tee (non-maternity) - Kohls, black skinny pants - H&M (fans)

#5 - black maternity dress - Target, striped sweater (non-maternity) Kohls.

To do list:

- get bassinet from Gigi's house

- pack hospital bag

- take hospital tour

- buy Oliver present from baby

- get Mamaroo from awesome friend

- buy and assemble new glider/rocker

- install old car seat bases

- put together double stroller

- order double stroller snack tray/car seat adaptor

- finish planning November (for sub)

And, oh yeah... FIGURE OUT A NAME. (touchy subject). Suggestions welcome. 

6 weeks to go!

Somehow, we only have about six short weeks left until we meet P2. That's what I've been calling him seeing as that might end up being his name the way we're going... 

We've been back to work for about a week and a half. Which means a few things for us. It means getting up at 4:45am (yes, I'm still crazy), in turn going to bed at 9:00pm. It means packed lunches and snacks. It means trying not to feel exhausted from 5-8pm. It means that for 10 hours a day I can't wear yoga pants. It means trying to make the most of our weekends. It means not having a whole lot of "free" time and feeling like I do laundry all day Saturday and Sunday. 

Lots of black. And stripes. And more black. (Sorry Mer!)
(Thank you to my little sister for the hand-me-up green sweater!)

"Go purple shirts!" - Oliver watching Auntie play FH last weekend.

How far along: 32.5 weeks
Baby info: 4.5 lbs, 19in. Size of a HONEYDEW. WOAH.
Total weight gain: Haven't been to the doctor in a few weeks and I am NOT getting on my scale at home. It'll all come off. Eventually. Right?
Maternity clothes: Yes and still (!) no. I'm wearing a dress shirt from Old Navy today, just unbuttoned from the sternum down. It doesn't look horrendous? 
Sleep: Pillow between the knees, but still not fantastic. 
Best moment of this week: A happy surprise for B plus getting really sweet, thoughtful emails from parents after curriculum night. I was SO worried about being so pregnant, but I'm feeling pretty supported and valued. Yay!
Miss anything: Still - deli meat, sushi, I think that's about it.
Food cravings: Gatorade. Egg salad. Pizza. Caesar salad. French fries. String cheese. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really? Maybe the smell of 6th grade students after recess? 
Have you started to show yet: Yep. Totally.
Gender: Still a boy!
Looking forward to: Sunday we're headed to the Manning Bowl aka the Broncos/Giants game. Best husband ever.

10 weeks to go!

YIKES! Only 10 weeks? 

I actually put on something other than gym clothes this past week. (Silent cheer!) Luncheon for my grandma's 90th birthday and went to an awful PD course in Long Island (allegedly for iPads in the classroom although I didn't even turn mine on! ...not to mention the flat tire coming home- grrr). I'm trying to slowly get back into the mentality of no more yoga pants (boo!) because I only have a week left of vacation. Seriously, where did the time go? Yikes. 

Two weeks ago, a not-so-lovely elderly woman commented to me at the gym that I "shouldn't be exercising in my condition". This prompted a social media rant (obviously) and I was furious. I exercised (albeit in the comfort of my own home) while pregnant with Oliver until I was 41 (yes, 41!) weeks pregnant. Granted, the pace wasn't too swift, nor was the sweat pouring off my forehead, but it made me feel like less of the whale that 41 weeks of pregnancy can bring. This summer I've been going to the gym 4-5 times a week, going to Stroller Strides 2x, and the occasional prenatal yoga (mmmm sleep!). I feel a MILLION times better after I exercise, regardless of what I've eaten, how I've slept, and what else is going on. 

Here are the ACOG 'Official Guidelines' on exercise while pregnant, although OBs differ in how tight to these guidelines they stick.  Some of them are pretty obvious (what? no skydiving?) and others aren't. My current doctor said it was okay to work out for up to an hour of cardio so long as my heart rate didn't go over 120bpm for more than 20 minutes at a time. The bottom line is to listen to your body and don't try to do too much. Another "rule of thumb" I've heard from various sources is to maintain whatever exercise routine was established before pregnancy (i.e. my love of running) but to not start something new. My OB also put it nicely and said "this is not the time for PRs." There will be plenty of time for that - although pushing my awesome double BOB will make it more challenging than solo! 

Although tempted to print these out to have them handy in case of nasty looks or (!) comments, I understand that this woman may have been told to put her feet up when she, herself, was pregnant perhaps 45 or 50 years ago. Times have changed, and she obviously felt strongly enough to say something to me. Although, here are some friends (plus 42 'likes') who agree with me (yes, they've all had children and two of them are currently pregnant).  ::sigh:: 

Up next for this running baby belly? Hopefully a 5K on Labor Day Monday (hope that isn't a jinx! Ha! Sorry, Mom!) and another on September 19th. Not going above that distance for a few months. 

Happy running waddling. 

Summer "Vacation"

So, apparently it's been two months (?!?!) since my last post. I suppose there are some excuses. 1) It's summer. 2) I haven't been getting 'dressed' because it's summer. 3) I've been exhausted because it's summer. Anyway, here's a quick recap.

I ran a 4 mile race on the 4th of July (okay, so it was over a month ago), but it's been waaaay too hot to run more than a few miles since then. It was also about 90% humidity that day, so I was humbled to say the least. Next year I'll rock it with the double.

I'm heading back to work in three weeks - whaaaat? and will be off for about four months. Looking forward to it, but this pregnancy has gone by SO much faster than last time.

Four on the Fourth.

The only outfits I've worn this summer. Apparently. 

How far along: 27.5 weeks
Baby info: 2.5 lbs and 16" long. Third trimester - bam!
Total weight gain: 20 lbs. YIKES.
Maternity clothes: Yes and no. Not workout pants (Yoga pants are my BEST friend). Maternity tops for sure. Still have ONE pair of pre pregnancy pants that fit.
Sleep: Starting to get bad... the dog isn't helping.
Best moment of this week: My Wednesdays. I'll explain next week if I remember to bring my camera with me!
Miss anything: deli meat, sushi, I think that's about it.
Food cravings: Gatorade. Egg salad. Pizza. Caesar salad. French fries.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just that nasty glucose test this morning. Couldn't even drink water to wash it down... yuck.
Have you started to show yet: Yes? Not to the point of lots of people asking about it, but I guess they might just think I've had a baby? My landlord was over the other day and asked where the baby was. Weird.....  and then there was that crazy old bat at the gym.
Gender: Boy! (Trucks, hand-me-downs, puddles... I'm ready!)
Looking forward to: Figuring out a name for this kiddo... it's really difficult. I'm surprised we agreed on Oliver so quickly. Wish we had 6 weeks post-delivery to decide like they do in the UK. And, no, it won't be named George...

17 weeks and Gender Predictor Fun!

17 weeks and it's getting warmer out!

You know all of those wive's tales about what gender you're having? Well seeing as my class (and others, for that matter) have been guessing Green Pear's gender, so why shouldn't we? :) 

Carrying high or low? Low. Boy. (Or is that because it's the second time?)

HR: Above 140. Girl.

Cravings? Sweet. Girl.

Chinese Chart: Girl.  (Try it here. It also said Oliver was a girl. Ha.)

Drano test: Blue. Boy.

Odd/Even numbers: Both odd (2013, 29). Girl.

Skin? Not breaking out. Boy.

First trimester sickness? Nope! None! Hallelujah! Boy.

Hair growth? Not noticeably different (weird one). Girl. 

Husband's siblings? One sister, no brothers. Girl. 

Feet temperature? Warmer than before - but is that just the weather? Girl.

Nose size? Um I don't think it's changed? Boy. 

We will find out in about three weeks. Not sure if I can wait that long! AH! 

16 weeks, another 5K in the books, and Oliver's first race!

Best twenty seconds EVER!

16 weeks and counting. (More Old Navy outfits, a dress down day and one gym outfit

A highlight of this week was absolutely the Memorial Day race held in nearby South Salem, NY. I ran the 10K last year (holy hills!) and managed the 5K this year. Meredith came to visit all the way from Pittsburgh and we rocked out some pretty decent 'rolling hills' at a nice 9:12/mi pace. (Not sure my heart rate or 'Green Pear' could've handled much faster than that.)

As much as I loved my own race, the best part was how excited Oliver was to run his own race! Although he could have handled a good quarter (or half!) mile, he enjoyed running once he saw the other kids heading out. He ended up coming in third (Ben was keeping track!) and he wore his (humongous!) race shirt all afternoon. His bib and blue ribbon are hanging up on his wall right where he can see them. 

Soulmate comes to CT/NY!

Oliver lined up with all of the other two year olds ready to go!
(His buddy, Scott, is the second from right)

A not-so-bad family photo. 

Hooray!

 ...and I told my class about Green Pear, they're super excited so I'll get to wear what I want to work from now on - no hiding the belly! WOO HOO!

...five months from tomorrow is our scheduled date. WOAH. 

15 weeks!

15 Down, 23/24 to go!

The pants on the left are my absolute favorite Old Navy pants. The rockstar super skinnies (HERE) that are surprisingly flattering. Even at this point. I picked up three pairs in January when they first (?) came out - red cord, grey cord and yellow cotton. These blue ones (a size up) were on sale for $19! 

The pink maternity pants were a great find at H&M last week! They have a fold over top which will end up being great this summer. (Tutoring at school with no A/C!) I can still get away without maternity clothes for the time being - but these were such a fun color I wanted to try them out!  

We'll see how far into this week I get without spilling the beans. It's getting harder and harder to get dressed in the morning, especially as the mercury is rising. No longer can I really pull of scarves or cardigans!  I (no exaggeration here) tried on twelve different outfits on Friday morning. Stress!