Preparing for a Natural Birth

I am 16 weeks and 1 day today! My baby is still tiny only about 4 or 5 inches long, I still can't feel it moving although I'm sure it's taking advantage of all of it's space right now, stretching and listening to all of Mommy's crazy music! It's skin is thin and mostly see-through, and it's body should be starting to accumulate some fat. The baby's eyes are finally positioned in the front of it's face and although the eyelids are still sealed it's eyes can start to move side to side and maybe begin to pick up some light. 


I had planned to blog more about pregnancy and exercise however today I'd rather talk about something else that I've been learning a lot about. I've known for a while that I wanted to deliver my baby naturally, to just let my body go through the delivery process the way it was designed to do, as every other woman's body is designed to do. This should be an easy decision for any woman to make but I feel like growing up we're brain washed to believe that giving birth is a scary, painful thing to do instead of something natural. What I'm learning is that it can be difficult to find a Doctor who is willing to work with a woman who wants a natural birth with absolutely no medical interventions. Why? Because OB Doctors work in hospitals and hospitals are driven to do things a certain way, for example if a woman's labor isn't progressing fast enough give her Pitocin, Pitocin makes contractions stronger making it impossible for a woman to relax, if the woman can't relax her labor can't progress, the woman's in pain and finally decides it's time for an Epidural, this makes it harder to push the baby out, this could then lead to an unwanted C-Section. One intervention leads to another. Obviously this isn't how it always happens but I have heard stories similar to this from multiple friends. So what am I doing to prevent this from happening to me? LOTS OF RESEARCH!!! It's important to understand how these drugs affect your body and your baby's body, otherwise why would you feel the need to avoid them. Personally the biggest problem I have with these drugs is that they would do to me is take away my ability to fully experience and appreciate the birth process. This is something that is very important to me.
It also helps to be physically fit and healthy because labor is hard work. 
Michael and I are reading a book together called "Natural Birth the Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon. I've found this book to be very helpful and informative. After I read the chapter that explains how labor works, I was even more relaxed and confident in my plans to go natural. The book also teaches you lots of methods to help you relax through a contraction, it explains that relaxing through contractions allows your body to do what it's trying to do (dilate the cervix) whereas tensing can slow the process down.
Michael and I have also toured the hospitals we had to choose from for delivery and we have chosen the one that is more natural birth friendly. Believe me after our tours its was painfully obvious which hospital felt like a machine versus the one that would give me the best chance of achieving a natural birth. We are also looking into switching from my OB Doctor to the midwives, we met with one of them yesterday just to ask questions, and we definitely liked her more than my Doctor. I would love to deliver in a Birth Center or even do a home birth however with the way our insurance works it's way more expensive to do it that way than to deliver in the hospital, plus since this is my first pregnancy we would probably be more comfortable being in the hospital  just in case there are complications during the delivery. 
So that's my natural birth soapbox, I tried to keep it toned down as I do feel strongly about this and can get pretty intense when I talk about it. Plus there is a lot more information and detail that I could go into about why I feel so strongly, but I also don't want to overwhelm you with information. 
The possibility that complications could occur is always there in any pregnancy, I can't control that but what I can do is prepare myself as much as possible for the natural birth and then like I said before let God handle the rest. I guess this pregnancy is teaching me a lot about patience and trusting God. 

Prenatal Yoga

Destination Maternity offers free prenatal yoga classes pretty much every day of the week! They're good classes too, the instructor is very caring and knowledgeable. I took yoga today, it's work but it's very relaxing. I still have pretty good muscle tone on my stomach, my arms get tired the fastest especially when holding the plank poses! 

Last weekend Michael and I took partner yoga, that is only offered once or twice a month and only on Saturdays. We both enjoyed that, there was only one other couple in there so it was like a private session! Partner yoga is different because we work together and help each other balance through the poses. 

How does the body adapt to pregnancy? What about Exercise?

Alright here is the blog entry you've all been waiting for! This whole time I've been talking about exercising while pregnant and telling you that it's good but isn't it time for me to start to prove it? I think so! Now this may take a few entries but I'm going to get started. The bulk of my information comes from a book called "Exercising Through Your Pregnancy" by James F. Clapp. Clapp has run many studies on pregnant women who continued weight bearing exercise throughout their pregnancies and compared them to women who did not. This book has a lot of great, detailed, scientific information and I would recommend it to anyone who is even remotely interested! 

Let's start by looking at the heart and circulatory system's adaptations to pregnancy. During pregnancy the circulatory system must change to support the mother's body but also that of the developing baby. When the fertilized egg implants in the uterus the outer rim of cells that will form the placenta release a hormone that causes a the woman's blood vessels to relax. This means that the elasticity and volume of the entire circulatory system (heart, arteries, veins) increases. This is what we refer to as "underfill" because now there is not enough blood in the circulation to fill it up, and thus blood pressure falls. This is the cause of a lot of early pregnancy symptoms such as feeling light headed, nausea, and fatigue. The body responds to this underfill by releasing hormones that cause the kidneys to retain more salt and water, thus the volume of plasma expands correcting the underfill problem. Finally blood volume, stroke volume, and cardiac output increases, which as I said before was necessary so that the mother's body can now support not just herself but also the developing baby. 
Now for the adaptations to exercise, quoting directly from Clapp's book, "Many classic studies... have clearly demonstrated that regular, vigorous exercise training increases blood volume, the size of the heart chambers, the volume of blood pumped with each beat, and the maximum cardiac output that can be achieved."  It also increases the bodies ability to dissipate heat, thereby helping to prevent overheating, and it also helps the body become more efficient at delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues. Hmmm I'm seeing a pattern here, some of these adaptions to exercise are similar to the adaptations that a woman's body goes through when she becomes pregnant! "Therefore as you  might have already guessed, the changes produced by regular weight-bearing exercise actually complement those induced by pregnancy. Indeed the circulatory status of a normal pregnant woman at rest has many similarities with that of a trained nonpregnant woman during exercise." So, when a fit woman maintains her regular exercise routine during pregnancy, I be those cardiovascular adaptations to pregnancy are combined with their preexisting adaptations to training! That's the part that makes me the most excited! It makes me think that maybe if I keep up my exercise routine during pregnancy that I should be even stronger after I have the baby! Pregnancy could actually help me be a better athlete! That's exciting! I'm not planning on breaking my 5k record (23 min 45 sec) during my pregnancy but what about after! I'm not gonna lie, going running now is way more work than it ever has been, my heart rate stays real high even though I'm only running like an 11 minute/mile pace and some days I'm just totally out of breath and can't seem to find a rhythm. But I think this is normal simply because of how hard my body is having to work just to keep me alive. Even if I don't come back a stronger athlete than I was prior to being pregnant, exercising will still have been worth it because not only is it benefiting me but it's also good for my baby! I'll save that discussion for another blog entry!

14 weeks and 2 days

The biggest milestone this week for my baby is that now it can hear! I think that's pretty exciting, not as exciting as being able to feel it would be but it's exciting to think about my baby reaching that major development milestone! It's arms and legs are lone enough for it to extend now and it's neck is still lengthening. The baby practices breathing movements and swallowing. Can't wait for me next ultrasound!!!

Welcome to the 2nd Trimester!

I am 13 weeks now, so officially the second trimester! This is crazy! If the second and third trimesters fly by as fast the first one did then I'm not sure where I'm going to find the time to get the house ready for this baby! There's so much that needs to be done, and between sleeping, eating and training I don't have a lot of extra time but it seems like all of it needs to be put toward getting the house ready. 
The baby is starting to grow hair, specifically eyebrows and some on on the scalp. Supposedly there's lots of movement but I can't feel it which is even weirder to think about. 
Well we finally announced the pregnancy to the world! Telling the family at Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, I'm glad we waited until then!  I took the sonograms in a large envelope and told people it was a "formal night" picture from our cruise. It was fun watching as they pulled out the picture and waiting for them to figure out what it really was and then getting the reaction. We also posted a sonogram pic on Facebook so now everybody knows!
Michael and I had a visit with the OB yesterday, she didn't do an ultrasound this time but she checked the heart beat so we got to hear that. I really wanted to see the baby but it's okay I guess, there will be more. 

Smoked Salmon and Mushroom Noodle Skillet

Today, I did a lot of running! I ran 3 miles with my friend Monica D. It was great! I hadn't run that far in a while and it felt good! Then I took one of my clients out for almost a two mile run. And then I ran a little over a mile with Michael. Lots of running spread out across the day, so my body was in need of refueling with some healthy carbs and protein.  That's why for dinner I made one of my favorite pasta dishes! This is one I can say I made up, using inspiration from two other pasta recipes I had used in the past. 

I start this dish by heating about a Tbsp of butter and some olive oil in a large skillet to saute the mushrooms, I like to use cremini (baby portabello) mushrooms in my dishes. The butter is not necessary, it's just to add flavor, really the olive oil is all you need. 

As the mushrooms start to soften, which does not take long, a couple minutes, I add either some white cooking wine or sherry cooking wine, this deglazes the pan and adds flavor. 

Now it's time to add the garlic, I always use fresh garlic and use a garlic press directly over the dish. You don't want to put garlic in too early because it becomes bitter if overcooked, however if undercooked it can cause GI irritation so it's important to let it cook at least a couple of minutes. 

This time I added diced tomatoes, and parsley to this dish, that's not something I normally do, but the tomatoes were good so I'll continue to do that, the parsley was just OK so I won't add that again.  We all know Tomatoes contain Lycopene which is an antioxidant. The Lycopene is more easily absorbed/utilized by our bodies if tomatoes are cooked a little prior to eating. 

Once the garlic has had a short time to cook add the Salmon, I use smoked salmon and I just buy the largest size possible from HEB and throw it all in the dish. Sometimes I bake the salmon on a Pampered Chef stone prior to adding it to this dish, that actually really brings out the flavor much better, tonight I just forgot to do that.

Break the salmon into smaller pieces as it cooks

For the noodles I like King Soba brand Pumpkin, Ginger, and Rice Noodles. 

These noodles cook fast, about 4 minutes once the water is boiling, so what I do is get the water heating at the start of the cooking process but don't add the noodles until the salmon goes in the dish. This way once the noodles are cooked you can drain them and then immediately put them into the skillet. If the noodles sit in the strainer too long they stick together and it's just harder to work with them. 

After the noodles go in, I like to add either Heavy Whipping Cream or Fat Free milk, to make the dish more creamy. Obviously the milk should be fewer calories and fat, but I think the whipping cream really gives it a more delicious, full flavor! I only add about two tablespoons of the whipping cream so it's not much and if you eat like I do most of the time, it's the most fat you're getting all day so it's not a big deal. Tonight I didn't have heavy whipping cream so I used milk. I like lots of cracked pepper on this dish. 

And here is the final product!

I hope you give this delicious, quick and easy recipe a try! Change it up, experiment with ingredients, make it your own! And I hope you love it as much as I do!

Dinner is served!

They Grow up so Fast

Today I am 11 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The baby is already about 2 and a half inches long! Crazy because some days I wonder if I'm even pregnant considering I'm barely showing and my only symptom is being a little extra tired, okay and maybe a little moody. I wish I could have a sonogram once a week just so I can see the baby, I want to see it move!  I bet the baby changes in appearance almost every day! It seems like the concept of kids growing up way too fast starts at conception. 
The baby has more than doubled in size during the past three weeks! Most of it's organ systems are complete, and the digestive system should start to practice contraction movements. The pituitary gland has started producing hormones and the bone marrow is making white blood cells. The ears are formed but the baby can't hear yet because for that the happen the inner ear must be fully formed and that has not happened yet. But once it does it's going to get to know my voice very well considered it's stuck with me for at least the next six months!

My Eleventh Week

Okay so I am going to blog about yesterday because I meant to blog yesterday and never got a chance. Yesterday I was 10 weeks and 1 day, every Monday is a new week for me, so yesterday was Tuesday. Try not to get confused. 
My baby is starting to look like a baby! It's officially a fetus now, I think I mentioned that a few entries ago.  I think it's about two inches long maybe longer, and should be moving a lot although I cannot feel that yet. It's hair and finger nails are beginning to develop and so are it's gender specific organs, but we won't know the gender for a while yet. We will be finding out as soon as wee can and we do have names picked out but I'm not telling : )!
Yesterday I got up early and ate a yummy Kashi brand cereal before heading to my first personal training session. After the session I worked out, let's see what did I do? I did "thrusters" which is a barbell front squat and then you stand and press the bar over head. I did some pull ups, some "toes to bar" (hang on the bar and touch your toes to it) hey I gotta do these crazy exercises before I'm too big. I also did bench press, so basically a lot of lifting and abs. KEEP IN MIND: I was doing these before I got pregnant, which is why I encourage women to make exercise a habit before they get pregnant this will hopefully allow them to do more while they are pregnant. After my workout I had worked up a big appetite so I went home and made an Omelet and turkey sausage. My Omelet had spinach, tomatoes and Goat cheese in it, sooooo yummy!
Goat cheese works great in Omelets, very rich and creamy!

So that's that, I've still been running some but I don't push myself, I haven't even ran three miles yet. On Monday I ran on the tread mill a little over two miles and it took almost thirty minutes, so that's pretty slow compared to where I used to be. This afternoon Michael and I are supposed to run together, he's really not a long distance runner like me, he's a sprinter, but I challenged him to train for a 5k so hopefully this will be the first of many more training runs for him : )

Giving up Running?

If you're not a runner I'm sure it's hard to fully understand the struggle that I'm having right now. On the one hand I want to and have always wanted to continue running during my pregnancy, I've seen other women do it, and there's lots of research confirming that it's a good thing. On the other hand those women may not have had a close call early in their pregnancy like I did.... If only I could know the exact cause of that close call, there's plenty to speculate about. 
I guess simply to be on the "safe side" I will quit running for the next seven months, wow that was easy to write but actually imagining doing that, or not doing that I should say, it's mind boggling. If I'm going to quit running simply because of possible sheering motions well then there are other things I have to give up too. Step is out because well that's too much bouncing and impact, Cardio Kickboxing has to at least be modified, no more jumping around. Basically anything that involves jumping and landing on my feet with extra impact is not OK. Things that are OK: I can still lift weights, I can do crossfit, I can walk, cycle and do the elliptical.  


The truth is, I could quit running and still have problems with my pregnancy.  However if I run and have problems, running will be blamed NO MATTER WHAT.  Do I feel like I have something to prove? Sure, I guess maybe a part of me wants to prove that I can do this. To prove that pregnancy is not some abnormal condition where everything I do is risky for the baby. But No, I chose to live a healthy lifestyle prior to becoming pregnant knowing that my decisions and my lifestyle would be good enough to continue during pregnancy. I didn't have to give up beer and cigarettes, I gave up coffee, Woah watch out! 
Okay all jokes and sarcasm aside, when I clear my mind and let go of that need to prove something, when it's no longer about what will other people think of me and my decisions then all that I'm left with is a simple desire to continue doing something I love, RUN.

Feeling Conflicted

Yesterday Michael and I went to our first Doctor's visit together! My main concern was seeing the baby on the ultrasound and being cleared to exercise again. We got to see the baby, who has grown so much since my last visit, and it moved! It turned it's whole body towards us while we were looking at it! From the side it looks like a little teddy bear with it's nubs for arms and legs, super cute! The Doctor said I could start exercise again as I have not had any more problems, however I'm not gonna lie, she wasn't sure that running was going to be a good idea. I wanted to leave that part out of my blog but in the real world you can't just edit out the parts of your life that you don't like so I'm including it because it is what the Doctor said and it does bother me. I'm going to run anyway, she didn't say not to, she simply explained her concern with it while also admitting that being a personal trainer makes me a special case. I feel that her concern is unfounded. There's research about pregnancy and running and what she said never came up in the research that I've looked at. There are plenty of women before me who have continued running through pregnancy and they didn't have the problem that this Doctor suggested. It isn't as if I am a new runner, I've been running since middle school and I just spent the last three years road racing competitively. My 5k PR is a respectable time and I see no reason for me to lose that when my pregnancy is not considered high risk. I know now that I was pushing myself too hard early in pregnancy and I won't do that anymore. I went for a jog today only a mile and a half and I walked for a few minutes at every half mile. Despite the slow pace it felt great to get back to it, I will slowly work my way back up to at least three miles, keeping in mind that it's not about speed anymore. After the run I did some squats, push ups, leg raises, and a couple kipping pull ups.  Here is an article written by a woman's personal account of running while pregnant that gave me some hope today: Running While Pregnant

Focus on Protein

I may have just figured out why I was so hungry the first few weeks of pregnancy. I was ridiculously hungry to the point that I got tired of eating because it was just too much work (hey when you're pregnant everything is tiring). I think the reason was because I was not eating enough protein. When I was in college I learned that the average person needs .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To find your weight in kilograms simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. (1 pound is equivalent to 2.2 kilograms). In the months prior to becoming pregnant I weighed 120 pounds, 120/2.2 = 54, therefore my body needed 54 grams of protein each day. Well now that I'm pregnant I guess it's not based on weight anymore, but I apparently need to be getting around 70 to 75 grams of protein per day. I can almost guarantee I wasn't do that early on. I think I am now as I have started eating more meat, cheese, and rice and beans (which when mixed create a complete protein = one that contains all nine essential amino acids). 
Okay Protein soapbox time, the sad truth is that most people in America consume excessive amounts of protein. Most people can't imagine going a day without meat let alone a meal without meat. And don't get me wrong protein is good for you but too much, like many things, can be bad. The Liver is an amazing organ, it has the ability to transform the things we put into our bodies. When we eat more protein than our body needs, the liver may convert it into carbohydrates or fats for storage. We all love it when our bodies store fat right? Excessive protein usually means excessive nitrogen, and it's your kidney's job to get rid of that. Thus consuming excess protein also stresses the kidneys. People don't seem to realize how much they stress their body by simply eating badly....
So back to me. I've always taken pride in the fact that I do eat less meat than the average American. As part of living a healthy lifestyle I find ways to get protein from non-animal sources, in the past we were eating meat maybe once a week, if that. So it's possible that early in my pregnancy I wasn't getting the recommended amount of protein for a pregnant woman and my body was letting me know by keeping me hungry all the time. Now that I am aware of this I have taken steps to add protein to my diet. After my pregnancy is over I will go back to the rule of .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. 

Can't Wait to Get Back to Exercising!!!!!!

I am 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. At the end of this week (or maybe during this week, not sure how that works) the baby will no longer be considered an "embryo" but a "fetus." The baby is about the size of an olive. Tiny muscles are beginning to develop allowing the baby to begin making spontaneous movements, however I won't be able to feel that for a while.  I have noticed that my stomach has grown, I'm starting to need maternity clothes, which is fine because I love going clothes shopping!
I am still not supposed to be exercising this week.  I've been going for long walks plus being a personal trainer keeps me moving but that's about all I've been doing. It's tough because the weather is cooling down making it perfect for running. I go to the Doctor on Monday and I'm sure she will clear me to begin exercising again, at which time I will start easing back into it. Pregnancy is not the time to focus on intensity, the goal should be to stay healthy and strong (thanks crossfitmom.com), I would add to that maintaining joint mobility.
I love this picture, it's very inspiring, (actually there are lots of inspiring pictures on www.crossfitmom.com)! She appears to be doing a Sumo Deadlift High Pull with a Kettlebell.
Although I can't exercise like I want to, what I can do is continue to eat healthy, which I have been doing. Last night for dinner we had Brown rice with steamed Asparagus and Turkey Meatballs seasoned with a homemade Spincah and Olive Tapenade. The Turkey Meatball and Tapenade recipe is a Pampered Chef one, I wanted to practice it because I do have a couple of cooking shows coming up and I thought that would be a good recipe for a show.

Telling the Parents

 Yesterday we told Michael's parents! Right after church we took them to lunch and then showed them the little sonogram! Right after that we drove to New Braunfels and met my parents there because my Dad was buying Michael's Cadillac from him so that was actually the point of that trip. Since I'm not sure I'll make it to Austin before Thanksgiving I decided I wanted to tell them now, which is actually also why we decided to tell Michael's parents since I wanted to tell my parents since we were meeting them in New Braunfels, okay sorry for the circular reasoning. Okay so now they know but we're not announcing to the whole world until Thanksgiving!
Today I am 7 weeks pregnant, the baby (actually considered an embryo) is developing fingers and toes!
I'm still taking it easy, no vigorous exercise, however I am going to start walking tomorrow, I really haven't done anything since the scare last Wednesday.

125 BPM

Well I had a bit of a scare last night. Without going into too much detail I had reason to believe that I was having a miscarriage. It was too late to contact the Ob/Gyn and we didn't feel that going to the Emergency room was necessary.  It was nerve wracking, it was scary not knowing exactly what was happening, wondering if the baby was still okay, wondering if my pregnancy was over just as soon as it had begun. I found peace reminding myself that God was in control of the situation, there was literally nothing I could have done to prevent a miscarriage. I slept as well as I could that night and as soon as I could I started calling the Ob/Gyn office this morning and was able to get in to see the "On Call" Doctor.  Actually walking into the Doctor's office and being so close to finding out the answers brought all those anxious feelings back and I was a mess by the time the Doctor (whom I had never met) walked in. She did a good job of calming me down and being understanding. The first thing she did was the ultrasound and sure enough the baby was okay! I got to hear the baby's quick, little heart beat pumping along at 125 beats per minute. Needless to say I was extremely relieved. According to the ultrasound I am 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant, which is very close to what I had thought.  We are still left with the question of why I was having the symptoms I was having, and the Doctor really isn't sure. I asked her if it was perhaps due to working out hard that day, she said that was highly unlikely and that there is not a correlation between exercise and miscarriage. She is recommending that I take it easy for two weeks (sounds like a standard recommendation to me), but otherwise there is nothing more that can be done, which is fine because I am just grateful to know that I am still pregnant and happy to leave the rest in God's hands!

My Little Dinosaur

I am in week six, I read that the baby is about the size of a pea, so it may have been more appropriate to title this blog "My little Sweet Pea," however I felt that "My Little Dinosaur" was more endearing! Kidney's, Liver and Lungs are developing this week.

I am feeling more energetic today than yesterday. I had my 6:30am personal training session today and after that (since I was already at the gym) I did some heavy lifting: Leg Press, Bench and Shoulder Press, Kettlebell swings etc. And then went for a little walk. My ankle is acting up otherwise I would have gone running. 

Today I am on the search for an OB/Gyn that has extended hours so that Michael can come to my pregnancy check ups. I found the perfect location they are open until 5:30pm, I'm just waiting for them to call me back so that I can schedule my first appointment which is supposed to happen around 8 or 9 weeks! Super excited for that first sonogram!

There's a Hungry Pregnant Woman Loose in Costco!

So I walked into Costco today with the goal of purchasing just three specific items. And as I was walking through the store heading toward my three specific destinations I started spotting various edible items and just couldn't help myself! Needless to say I left with a few extra things in my shopping cart : )
With that said I have been noticeably more hungry this week, and tired. Sometimes when I try to take a nap I just can't because I'm just too hungry. My workouts the last two days have been pretty toned down. Yesterday I decided it was a good idea to walk to the gym (just a little over a mile), lift weights and then walk home. By the time I arrived to the gym I was ready for my workout to be over but I forced myself to just do squats, push ups and a few pull ups before heading home. Today I ran two miles.
My stomach does feel funny sometimes, but it's nothing like the nausea that I hear often accompanies pregnancy.

When can I announce???

I am pregnant!!!! Can't believe I'm finally saying it, I mean Michael and I have been pretty sure I was pregnant, but now we have proof! That's right, I finally took the pregnancy test! I woke up at 5 AM and took the test (it's supposed to be best to test first thing in the morning because HCG levels may be higher). 

According to my Day by Day pregnancy book, I am 5 weeks pregnant today! My "embryo" is 0.09 in (2.5mm) long, and the "building blocks of the baby's spine are being laid down." 

I attempted to go for a run this morning, my goal was 5 miles but I only did 3.5; by mile two I was starving, I ended up walking a lot, it feels like my heart rate is staying higher than it used to, I need to start wearing my heart rate monitor. I've been extra tired today, actually the last few days I've been super tired....and hungry. 

Anyway, after my morning run I ate a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon (so yummy, I discovered that on the cruise this summer). For lunch I had whole wheat pasta with chicken and broccoli. Then Michael and I went to look at cars, we're hoping to sell his Cadillac in the near future. When we returned home I attempted to make his Granny's awesome Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. It's sooo good and I'm hoping to be able to make it for my family at Thanksgiving this year so I needed to try to make it ahead of time. Anyway it turned out pretty good! Then we went to dinner at Michael's mom's house, with Tim and Kathryn and the girls. That was fun, but it's so hard not to tell everyone that I'm pregnant, a few people do know but I really want to surprise my parents in a special way! I guess the main reason we're not telling everyone yet is because the risk of miscarriage is still pretty high. I think the plan is to announce to my family at Thanksgiving, which is still a while to wait! 

The Waiting Game

Soooo, I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant (woohoo) but I haven't taken a pregnancy test yet because I wanted to give it a few more days. I'm ready to take a test and find out for sure, I'm tired of waiting! Today is Tuesday, I'm thinking I should give it until Saturday to find out. Meanwhile I'm doing everything I normally would, no morning sickness, although I'm feeling extra tired and hungry today. I'm starting to be grossed out by certain cuts, or types, of meat. For example Michael and I made a pasta sauce yesterday and put ground deer in it. I normally love deer meat, however yesterday we started eating it and I thought it tasted pretty odd. Not enough to make me stop eating it, but it just wasn't as enjoyable and I remember....weird huh?  

I'm still working out regularly, lifting weights and getting back into running. Right now I'm on a pull up kick! Every time I see a bar (normally in the gym) I jump up and do a few pull ups, kipping pull ups, but hey that's a start! Thanks to my friend Monica D. who's been helping me with Crossfit, I can now do those : )

Eating Healthy

Eating healthy is a way of life for me, I have worked hard to make this discipline a habit for me. It is a misconception that if you exercise then you can just eat all the junk food you want. Exercise and proper nutrition go hand in hand! I am not a fan of dieting, just eat healthy! Make it a part of who you are! Does that meant I never eat desserts or "junk food?" Of course not, I just have them occasionally. But I will say that the longer I have been eating nutritious foods the less and less I seem to crave junky foods. I am a big proponent of cooking for yourself, I think it helps you appreciate what you're eating and gets you to think more about what you are putting into your body, not the mention the activity of cooking burns calories. Here are examples of foods I cook for myself throughout the day. 

Breakfast: Eggs and Oatmeal with Raisins, Cinnamon, and Walnuts

Lunch: Turkey, cheese, hummus sand which, with steamed Broccoli and  Cottage Cheese

Another Possible Lunch: Green Salad with egg, peas, tomatoes, and cucumbers

Dinner: Farfalle Pomodoro, with a side of steamed broccoli

Dinner: Chili-glazed salmon, with steamed broccolini, and red kidney beans sauted with red bell pepper and onions

Dinner: Spinach Fettucini  with citrus basil pesto sauce and chicken, with a side of creamy brussel sprouts

Pregnant Runners

Taken immediately after crossing the finish line of  my first half marathon

Today I weigh about 120 pounds, I say "about" because honestly I haven't checked in a few weeks but I doubt it's changed. A year ago at this time I weighed 110 pounds and I was training for my first Half Marathon. It was called Chosen: Marathon For Adoption, run in New Braunfels. Prior to that Race I had done many 5ks and one 10k. I love running and I just wanted to take on the challenge of the half marathon!

After I finished that half marathon I decided it was time to try something entirely new. I'd always wanted to be stronger and to put on more muscle but I thought I was just someone who had a hard time gaining muscle. But then one day another personal trainer at USAA who also happened to be a body builder came up to me and said I should train for a figure competition. So to make a long story short, for three months I trained as if I was going to compete, although I never did end up competing. However I did put on about 8 pounds of muscle before getting back into running but even since then I've continued my weight lifting and obviously continued to put on weight! I love it, I never thought I'd be able to put on that much muscle, but that was only because I'd never really tried! Now I have a good balance between weight lifting and running and I'd love to continue both during my pregnancy. I've heard some runners say that running while pregnant felt weird, but I've also seen examples of runners that continued running through their pregnancy. For example Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe are both Olympic runners who were featured in several magazines as "Pregnant Runners." I'm sure even they slowed their pace to at least a 7 minute mile during pregnancy!

Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe

Paula pregnant and outrunning the men!

Welcome to my first ever blog!

Well I am starting my new blog today! I've had this idea for a while, because the truth is I've been thinking about becoming pregnant for a while and I always wondered how my life would change during pregnancy. Primarily wondering how can I exercise during my pregnancy? I have since done plenty of research and learned that exercise during pregnancy is perfectly safe provided I am not considered "high risk" and the exercises I choose during pregnancy are similar to what I was doing prior to becoming pregnant. I've always been a runner but I've never run a full marathon, is pregnancy the time to start training for a marathon? Probably not. You get the idea.
Anyway this is the first month I have been trying to get pregnant and I hope that I am already but it's still too early to test, I need to give that at least another week maybe two. I can't wait to find out if I'm pregnant! I can't wait to surprise my family and friends with the news, as long as I can keep this blog secret until I'm ready! Alright well that's enough for today soon I will start blogging about my workout routines and even what I am eating! A healthy diet and structured exercise routine go hand in hand!