Pregnancy Update: 26 Weeks

How many weeks are you now?
26 Weeks + 6 Days

Baby's size? 
Eggplant and measuring right at 27 weeks! My little basketball! :)

Weight gain?
According to my home scale, I've gained 14 pounds but according to the Doctor's office scale, I've gained 18. Sooo, somewhere in there!

I officially weigh the most I've ever weighed in my life and it's the oddest thing to see those numbers on the scale! As long as everyone's healthy, I'm ok with whatever! :)

Symptoms:

Oh boy. This week has been a doozey.

Apart from the sinus garbage that's been going around (and losing my voice), I've also had a few strange symptoms. Here's the problem - as a first time mom, I have no clue what's normal and what's not normal. I wasn't sure if I was going crazy, dying, or just having normal pregnancy symptoms.

The first symptom I've experienced is this odd sensation over my bump - tightening when I stand up from a sitting position to walk around. I've also felt a lot of lower pelvic pressure and some cramping (which is the part that really freaked me out). When I described the sensations to my MD this week, she got concerned that I was having early contractions and pretty much took me off all of the "extra" stuff. I have to be careful at work, sit as much as possible, don't push wheelchairs anymore, sit as much as possible, take it easy, did I mention sit as much as possible? Well, you get the picture. None of the above is easy for me and my non-diagnosed ADD self but it's absolutely necessary to keep Baby Seal in there as long as possible. If I don't follow those instructions, the next step is bed rest and taking me completely off of work. Needless to say, I'm following her instructions and I'm a-ok with that right now!!

She also checked my cervix and I'm not dilated or anything like that. The last thing she did was an fFN test to check and see if I'm going to deliver in the next three weeks. Thank goodness that was negative!

The other symptom I've been experiencing is near-syncope. It's the ODDEST thing. At first I thought I was just standing too long but then it happened while we were watching Star Wars earlier this week (and I was sitting down)! Basically, my heart rate will slowly rise and before long, I can feel it pounding out of my chest...then I start to see stars. Now, I do have PSVT but this isn't my normal PSVT - this isn't like my heart is jumping into another rhythm like an electric shock. Basically, my heart rate just slowly rises and I start to see stars. The fastest I've counted so far has been in the 130's but it's usually in the 120's. Most of the time, I just have to change positions and it slows back down again and the stars go away....like when it happened during the movie, I just moved to my left side and laid my head down on Jason's arm and my heart rate returned to normal and the stars subsided. My thoughts are that the baby is pressing on something he's not supposed to which is causing my heart to go out of whack. My OB thinks I might be anemic and we'll see on upcoming blood work. I know I'm not dehydrated because I've been drinking at least 120 oz of water per day!

In the meantime of all of this, I ordered a Gabriella support band from Amazon and it arrived yesterday. I'm hoping that helps!

Whew...see what I mean? This week's appointment was definitely a full one! We would appreciate the prayers that Baby Seal cooks as long as possible! :)

Exercise:
Does sitting count? As mentioned above, I've been taken off all "extra" which includes walking. I'm glad I already made the decision to defer Princess!!

Cravings?
Nothing new this week!

Aversions? 

Just keep the fish away from me....

Sleep:

I've woken up a few times with Charlie horse cramps in my legs but other than that, it's been great! I am back to being super sleepy during the day, though...almost feels like the first trimester in that aspect.

Purchases:

Nothing new this past week.

What I miss: 

Moving around and being my normal hyper self.

What I’m looking forward to:
2016....it's the year baby Seal will officially meet us! My husband and I are also supposed to go furniture shopping (without a lot of walking) sometime in the near future and I'm really looking forward to that!

Best Moment of the Week:

Feeling Baby Seal move so much...he's really super active lately (probably because I'm not super active and he's wondering what in the world is going on)!

Well, that's it! Although I'm encouraged not to partake in anything distance related for the time being, I'm super proud of my accomplishments while pregnant thus far and looking forward to logging more miles with Baby Seal once he's out in the world! :) My present circumstances will only be for a short time and I'm ok with that - my running shoes will still be there waiting for me when I return!

Happy New Year's Eve! Here's to a fun-filled and safe 2016!

Were you ever on "extra rest" while pregnant? If so, what did you do to pass the time?

Gone For A Run's Four Magical Miles

This January, Gone for a Run is hosting a fabulous virtual race - so fabulous in fact, I decided I couldn't let the opportunity pass by!

Gone for a Run's Four Magical Miles virtual race really sparked my interested because I'm having to defer my Princess registration to next year due the fact that I'll be in the end stages of my pregnancy. What better way to still participate in a princess themed race than from home?

Along with this race registration, runners receive a full color pre-printed bib (shown above)....

 Smart device friendly gloves...

Fabulous pink knee socks...

...and this gorgeous medal that's as beautiful in person as it is in pictures!

Here's the details:

• This race will be held anytime between January 21st and 24th, on your own turf and on your own terms.
• The fee for this race is $30.00.
• Add on items such as a tshirt, necklace, tutu, etc. are available for an additional fee.
• A percentage of each race registration fee will be donated to Give Kids the World!
• Click here to register.

As always, have a magical race!! :)

Disclaimer: As a Gone For A Run Ambassador, I am receiving complimentary entry into this race. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

2015 - Looking Back

What a year 2015 has been...with ups and downs and everything in between! I think it's fun to look back over the year and remember the events that took place over the course of 365 days, so here they are!

In January, I completed the Louisiana Half Marathon in Baton Rouge. Here, I officially reached my goal of breaking the 2 hour time frame for a half marathon! It wasn't easy but it was oh so worth it!

"One"derland - 1:58:56

In February, Jason and I traveled to Orlando for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend!

My friend and I dressed like Elsa and Anna and had a blast running the 10K!

After completing the Glass Slipper Challenge, we jumped on board the Disney Dream for a few days at sea! There, we completed the Castaway Challenge on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. I loved completing this challenge with Jason - we had so much fun!

In May, Jason had a corrective surgery which was the missing link in our infertility journey. There were many moments of heartache and pain for both us and our family members during this time. You take the highs with the lows and learn to cherish each high - that's something I've learned about life.

In June, my family and I marked an item off our "lifetime experiences list" and travelled to Cooperstown, NY for the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction! We were there to see one of our baseball favorites, Craig Biggio (first Astro to be inducted into the Hall of Fame). This truly was an experience like no other!!

I would travel here again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity!

After returning from Cooperstown, Jason and I discovered a little secret....we were expecting!!

Our FIRST Ultrasound! It's hard for me to believe that I was pregnant in the Cooperstown pictures and didn't even know it!!

We revealed the news to our families in a video and had so much fun in the process!

We loved experiencing everyone's reactions and enjoying the surprise right along with them!

At the end of August, we were both honored with the opportunity of serving in our friend's wedding. No one except our families knew our little secret yet, though! Shhhh!

In October, my little mini-me and I completed the Gulf Coast Half Marathon in Mandeville, LA. I was 16 weeks pregnant at the time!

I am thankful for my friend Heather who graciously agreed to stay with me the entire time! :)

In November, we embarked on a Disney Cruise for our "Baby Moon". It had been planned since the spring and the timing worked out perfectly!

We had a great time and enjoyed spending the week together!

After we returned home, we hosted a Gender Reveal party and discovered that Baby Seal is a BOY!

Last but not least, we traveled to Disney World one final time as a couple in December for a little visit with our friends!

We also had this trip planned since the spring, but added on a few days at the end to enjoy the Disney Christmas festivities.

Looking back, 2015 was a fun year for us and I can't wait to see what 2016 has to hold!! Here's to many MANY new adventures ahead!

Happy New Year, friends! :) I hope you have a blessed one!

What was the best surprise 2015 brought to you?

Christmas 2015

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Even though it was a warm and humid one down south, we still had a great time with our families! (Of course, a cold front passed through last night and we woke up to really cold temps this morning...silly weather.)

My voice decided not to fully return until the Saturday after Christmas - along with a few new developing issues (to be discussed in Thursday's update), I didn't make it out for a walk/run/nadda not one day this week. Honestly, I'm ok with that. Delivering a safe and healthy baby is my priority - exercise will be there in a few months! :) I also enjoyed sleeping in on Friday, Saturday, and a little on Sunday morning!

Our Christmas began at Jason's family's house where we ate traditional Christmas Eve fajitas, read the Christmas story, and opened gifts. Oh yeah, we also took our traditional "goofy" picture! :)

On Christmas morning, the Grinch and Max stopped by to say hello but didn't stay long. By that I mean, their getup was gone in seconds!

Last but not least, we spent Christmas Day with my family!

We enjoyed playing games...The Game of Things, y'all (it's hysterical)...eating lots of yummy food, and spending time together! Gifts were in the mix somewhere, too!

Madalynn figured out which gift belonged to her about 3 weeks ago and already opened it once (hence the shabbiness of the paper). She was SO READY to open this on Christmas night...watching her rip into the package was hilarious!

Overall, my Christmas was filled with lots of love, laughter, and time spent with family.

I so hate for Christmas to end...it truly is a magical time of year! Until next year....only 362 days to go!

How did you spend your Christmas? Hope you had a great one!! :)

Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas from our little (growing) family to yours! May your day be filled with lots of wonder and delight!

 We've received so many wonderful blessings this year and pray the same for you and your family! 

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Pregnancy Update: 25 Weeks

How many weeks are you now?
25 Weeks + 6 Days

Baby's size?
Rutabaga - per the What to Expect app

Symptoms:

Wellll...I'm sick with "the crud bug" once again. It began over the weekend and has lingered since. It stinks not being able to take anything but oh well...it will all pass soon enough (I just hope it's in time for Christmas).

Also, I made a phone call to my MD's office this week because I was having a lot of lower pelvic pressure and soreness. I convinced myself I was in early labor and would have to spend the holidays in the hospital (dramatic much? YES). I also learned my limitations on pushing wheelchairs...well, that won't happen again until after the baby comes. I'm pretty sure that's what contributed to some of the discomfort I was experiencing. Thankfully, the nurse who called me back was super nice and didn't make me feel crazy with my questions. She also recommended a support band to wear while on my feet.


After asking a few friends and even facebook for recommendations, I ordered a band from Amazon to wear while exercising. The doctor's office also recommended a band from Target for all-day use - I purchased it that afternoon and it's made a huge difference! (Just in case anyone's interested, this is the band I purchased from Target.)

Exercise: 

Not since Sunday's 5K. I've been resting up, trying to recuperate from this crud mess.

Cravings?
I haven't been able to taste food well this week so nope. Haha!

Aversions? 

Still fish. I've been around it again and ugh...no. I can't even sit at the same table as someone eating it. When it happened over the weekend, I had to keep my head down and not look at them or their plate. Pregnancy is a strange thing and I don't think you fully understand until you've been there. No fish. I can't handle it. Don't bring it anywhere near me or around me. I've even told my friends that if they are interested in eating fish for dinner, just don't invite me - my feelings won't be hurt, I promise.

Sleep:

This week I had a few nights where I woke up midway through the night and couldn't fall back asleep. Guess the insomnia is starting to hit! 

Purchases:

Baby Seal's first ornament! It was an etsy purchase and I love it!!

What I miss:
Besides the obvious (running fast and free)...sleeping on my back and stomach are definitely two others.

What I’m looking forward to:
Christmas this week!! :D

Best Moment of the Week:

Spending time with family for the holiday week!

Happy Christmas Eve!! :)

Did you have a support belt you wore during pregnancy? If so, what was the brand/type?

Spread Cheer This Holiday Season With Betty Crocker

With all of the traveling Jason and I have done over the past few weeks, little time was left for Christmas and holiday preparations. Between parties, baking, family time, shopping, preparing gifts, mailing packages, etc - just the thought of my never ending to-do list made this momma-to-be tired!

When faced with the challenge of baking cookies (with just a little over an hour to spare) for an upcoming Christmas party, I almost panicked. Lucky for me, I had the help of WalMart, Betty Crocker®,  and a good friend! Problem solved!

Betty Crocker® easy to bake cookie mixes are available in a wide variety of flavors, but I narrowed down my choices down to Sugar Cookie and Peanut Butter. At a low price, they are budget friendly, too! Want to spread Christmas cheer with a simple surprise? This is a great way to do so - read on to find out how!

As I mentioned before, I was short on time so my friend Melissa and I got right to work on the cookies! Baking is always more fun with a friend, anyway!

One of my favorite things about the Betty Crocker® cookie mixes was the simplicity of use. Each package only required a few ingredients (usually items that would be stocked in a pantry or fridge anyway)! I even forgot to check the ingredients before leaving the store but lucky for me, all ingredients were on hand at home!
 

While Melissa prepped the peanut butter cookies for baking, I was busy rolling out dough for the sugar cookies.

Although baking time for each type of cookie was different, we were finished in no time! 

Cutting out Christmas shapes in the dough was fun, too! 

After baking was complete, we enjoyed a cookie (or two...ok or maybe three...).

Spending time with Melissa was a great way to enjoy a little girl time while calming the pre-holiday jitters. We also shared a few of the cookies with our husbands and enjoyed spreading a little holiday cheer in the mean time!

I can't wait to bring these cookies to my upcoming Christmas party! They're so tasty, no one will believe how easy they were to bake! I didn't add any icing or sprinkles to the sugar cookies because we enjoy eating them as is - however, these would be fun to decorate with icing, sprinkles, and anything else you can imagine (and would also make a fun Christmas activity for the kids). I'm looking forward to a few of these "traditions" in the upcoming years! :)

How are you spreading cheer this holiday season?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Betty Crocker.  The opinions and text are all mine.

Santa Hustle 5K Recap - Galveston, Texas

Yesterday, I participated in the Santa Hustle 5K which was located in Galveston, Texas. I traveled with a group of ladies (my sister in law and her friends) and they all took part in the Half.

The idea for this race first came to me after completing the Gulf Coast Half at 16 weeks pregnant. The Santa Hustle was only 9 weeks away - how much could change in 9 weeks? HAH. Good one. My last long run attempt was a few weekends ago and I was able to make it to 8 miles before the round ligament pain kicked in. I also knew I would be traveling a lot prior to this race and didn't want to push it - so, I made a last minute decision to stick with the 5K. I am super grateful that the logical side of my brain kicked in for this one because I woke up on Friday morning and apparently the crud bug visited me again for the third time this pregnancy. 5K, yes. Half Marathon? NO.

We left Saturday morning for Galveston and it was a gorgeous day - the weather was perfect for a race weekend at the beach! 

We also stayed at the San Luis which was one of the host resorts and it was gorgeous!!

Packet pickup was at the San Luis and it was super easy - no long lines and straight to the point!

The view from our room! Isn't it gorgeous?!

The lobby of the San Luis, all decorated for Christmas!

After settling in our rooms, we decided to go over to Moody Gardens for the Festival of Lights. I'd never been to Moody Gardens or the lights, so this was a neat experience. It's $10 per person to enter and well worth it, in my opinion! 

Basically, a walking path is set up throughout the lights and you just follow the crowd. 

There's different sections of lights, food stops along the way, even campfires for roasting smores! YUM! 

My favorite was the narrated part that told the Christmas story.

Our crew at the lights!

After dinner at McAlisers, we headed back to the hotel and called it a night. 

Flat Karen! 

Kayla and I also tried out our Santa beards and hats! 

The sunrise the morning of the race was gorgeous! 

Our Santa group, ready for the race! After saying goodbye to my half marathon friends, I walked around for a few minutes while waiting on the 5K to begin. (The half began 30 minutes prior to the 5K).

Apparently I lined up WAY far back although I could have been much closer. My goal was to stick to a 3:2 as long as possible, then walk the remainder of the race and I didn't want to be in anyone's way.

Y'all. This guy was hysterical! He was drinking eggnog out of a moose cup! (Christmas Vacation, anyone??)

After 15 minutes of wave starts, I finally made it to the start line...and was kicking myself for not lining up closer to the start. Oh well, lesson learned.

Chick-fil-a cows were out to say hello!

The best part of this race included cookie and candy stations along the route! (The Half had these, too!) 

ME! I was starving, having eaten almost two hours before finally starting the race!

YEAH! 

This route led us along the downtown historical area of Galveston  and in front of some gorgeous homes!

Love this!

I was able to keep a 3:2 cycle until about 23 minutes or so, then I began exclusively walking. 

One more to go! 

Next stop...CANDY! 

Hello! This race was RIGHT up my alley!

M&M's? Yes, please! 

 Before long, the finish line was in view! I finished somewhere in the 45 minute range but can't remember the exact time.

After the race, I drove back to the hotel to shower, change, and wait on a text from Kayla.

Y'all, these medals for the half were so adorable! They sparkle and spin AND are a Christmas theme. I've already sent a text to my BRF as I definitely need a redemption race next year and she agreed! We'll see what the next year has to hold as I'm not making any concrete plans for 2016 just yet! :)

Overall this was a neat race and I really enjoyed the experience! I'll definitely be back!

Have you participated in any Christmas themed races this year? If so, which ones?