?

I've had a couple of Cape Cods so my brain isn't coming up with a title for this post. LOL! Viv, this is why, even though I have been eating well (except for this week), my weight loss is slow! Alcohol.

Workouts

Monday

Slim in Six - 24 minutes

Tuesday

Slim in Six - 24 minutes

Treadmill - 2/1 intervals, 20 minutes

Today was the munchkin's 2-month check-up, so that was what I spent most of the morning doing. Well, I spent the 1st part of the morning cussing and freaking out, because all of my clothes that were drying in the dryer when I went to sleep last night were still wet. Then, they were still wet after an additional hour in the dryer....damn, time for a new freakin' dryer! Ummm, it would have been nice if the dryer broke anytime other than during my UNPAID maternity leave. Thank God we've been vigilant about saving money. Our new dryer will be here on Monday. Not soon enough if you ask me...too bad there isn't a "Mattress Mack" of appliances with the whole TODAY delivery thing.

Anywho, the munchkin is up to 13.65 lbs and 25 1/4 inches! That's the 99th and 95th percentiles. If you're not a baby person, that means that he is pretty darn big for a 2-month old. The doctor was suprised to see that he was wearing a 0-3 month outfit. She was impressed with his tummy-time skills, his ability to follow her pen with his eyes and his cooing. :-) He's right on track. He did have 5 shots though, it was painful to watch his wailing!

Afterwards, I took the kiddo to lunch with some girlfriends who have daughters her age. We went to a local restaurant with a big sandbox, which she absolutely loved. I am really loving maternity leave...even if it doesn't leave me with much time to workout. I would have had plenty of time to workout had it not been for the hours of dryer shopping in the afternoon. Ugh!

As for the house, the option period is over and we're waiting to see what the appaiser said. We're supposed to be closing in 2 weeks, so hopefully everything will go well!

Tomorrow the hubby is going fishing for the 1st time in months and I am heading over to my parents to use their dryer. Chances are the hubby will be back late and once again, there will be no workouts...unless the baby takes a nice nap and the kiddo can entertain herself for a bit. We'll see.....

Saturday is the 1st weekend of Woodland's Fit. I am super nervous, because for the 1st time I am not even sure I am capable of finishing 3 miles even at a super slow pace. I predict that I will manage, but it will not be pretty.

The workout that wasn't...

Not much to report as far as workouts are concerned. Friday I had some family obligations and couldn't squeeze in any workouts. Saturday I had class all day. Luckily, we finished up our round of business decisions by 5 pm and got to leave earlier than normal. The in-laws were at the house when I made it home, so no workouts in the pm.

Sunday, I woke up at 6:10 am in order to have time to feed the baby before heading over to the pool. I got my swimming gear and made it to the pool by 7 am. It was dreary and cloudy, but at least there was no thunder or threat of rain. I had decided that this week, I would only allow a 30 second rest between laps so that I could get a better workout.

I swiped my access card on the pool gate and heard the "beep!". I pulled the handle of the gate and nothing. I tried the access card again and again - the door wouldn't give. I tried one more time to make sure I wasn't losing it. Ugh! So, I made the trek back home and told the hubby that I would get in a run/walk instead. However, the kiddo really, really didn't want me to leave the house again. I tried to bargain with her, but it didn't work. So, I ended up walking for about 25 minutes while she rode her bike. Ummm, she's 3, so I wouldn't exactly call it a workout. We might have gone a mile, but definitely no more. I tried to "race" her, just to get her to go fast enough for a brisk walk. Toward the end she was pooped and I had to push her bike the rest of the way. Hahaha...I guess I made her go a bit too far and too fast, but hey, she slept really well last night!

So that was it. I only have a short window of time to use to workout and that was it. I did get in a Slim in Six workout while the hubby took the kiddo to the pool and the baby was in the bouncy seat. I really, really wanted to take a nap though. :-)

Workouts
Swim - didn't happen
Walk - 25 minutes slow
Si6 - 24 minutes

Blah

Feeling a bit blah and not in the mood to blog today. Hell, I really didn't feel like working out today...but I did. All I can say is that starting over with the running sucks. True story.

Workout Stats
AM - "Running", 1 1/2/1 intervals
PM - Si6, 24 minutes

Misc Shiznit, part II

Well, we are in the option period in selling the old house. We have earnest money, we have a contract and the house passed inspection! WOOHOO! Of course, I am scared to get too excited until we close on the 18th!



In other news, the baby is growing so fast! Can you believe it's almost been 8 weeks? He's outgrown any newborn clothes and some of his 0-3 months onesies are even getting tight. He has a check-up next week, so we'll see how much he's grown. He is now smiling a lot! I love it when the hubby and I talk to him and his face lights up with a big 'ol grin!!! Here's a picture taken a few weeks ago.

The kiddo will be out of school for the summer beginning on Monday...if anyone out there has any ideas for activities to keep her busy during the day, please let me know. I figured we'd be heading to the pool, the playground, movies, play board games, do puzzles, etc. I just want to keep her busy and make it fun, since I will probably not have this much time off with her ever again!

No workouts yesterday...my Capstone group had to meet up to work on our project. Joy. It's my last semester, it's my last semester...if I repeat that enough, it makes the semester a little better, lol.

Workouts

Wednesday

AM - Neighborhood bike ride - 30 minutes

PM - Si6 - 24 minutes

Workout Update

Thursday, 6/19
AM - Treadmill, 1/1 intervals - 20 minutes
AM - Slim-in-Six workout - 24 minutes

Friday, 6/20
AM - Treadmill, 1/1 intervals - 20 minutes
PM - Si6 - 24 minutes

Saturday, 6/21
No workout - school day!

Sunday, 6/22
AM - Swim - 350 meters (getting better!)
PM - Si6 - 24 minutes

Monday, 6/23
AM - Si6 - 24 minutes
PM - Brisk walk w/neighborhood chicas - 70 minutes

Tuesday, 6/24
TBD - had to spend AM workout time cleaning out back flower beds!

Save the ta-tas!! (TMI warning)

Mine to be exact! Guys, you may want to skip this post. :-)

I need some help from the well-endowed girls out there! Can you recommend a sports bra with good support for the ta-tas????

I've never had this problem before! I guess it's a good problrm to have though, hehehehehe!

I used to be able to get away with wearing the cheapy $9.99 sports bras from Target..even when I was nursing the kiddo.

But omg, it's totally different with the munchkin! I just started running again last week and I had to hold my boobs!!! Don't worry, I was indoors on my treadmill...not outdoors or in public. Regardless, that's no way for a girl to run!

TIA for your help!!!

Misc Shiznit

Workouts 1st -
Monday
50 minute super brisk walk with some neighborhood gals.
As much as I need to get back to the running, I really enjoyed walking with the chicas from the 'hood. Maybe I can convince them that they need to start running. LOL!

Tuesday
40 minute bike ride
I added 10 extra minutes and increased my pace...by how much I don't know...I need to either get a computer thingy for my bike or dig my Garmin out of the boxes we have yet to unpack.

Wednesday
No workout, unless you count my homework as a workout...maybe a workout of the mind? :-)

Speaking of school, I'm taking 2 classes this semester...have I mentioned that this is my FINAL SEMESTER??? One is a Marketing Capstone class that combines all the stuff from the previous marketing classes. We have to come up with a detailed marketing plan for a fictional product.

Piece.of.cake. (for reals)

The other class is our Management Capstone that combines EVERYTHING we've learned in our illustrious MBA careers and combines it into a big 'ol project. The class is split into 6 groups that make up 6 different companies that all sell the same product. We have to strategize on everything from our R&D, production, marketing, HR, TQM, etc. without knowing what the other teams are doing.

Kicking.my.ass. (true story)

I didn't think this was going to be difficult, afterall our group includes two of the most financially savvy minds in the entire MBA cohort. Plus, we've had this professor before and even though he's the toughest one I've had, he's an excellent teacher. No sweat, right?

WRONG!

Our group placed last in the 1st two practice rounds! Out of 5 stars we could obtain, we obtained none in the 1st round and 1 in the 2nd round. But, thank God that was just practice. The problem, you ask??? Our financial geniuses over analyzed everything and overestimated the program we're using. Fortunately, we've dumb-downed our strategies and viola, we're now in 2nd place. Last year, our stock price rose by $25!!! LOL! We start the real rounds on Saturday, so hopefully we've learned from our mistakes and will kick butt. Oh, and on Saturdays, we're at school from 8 am - 8 pm getting this shiznit done...plus we're meeting during the week. Someone keep reminding me that this is my LAST SEMESTER please.

That's enough blabbering for now...I'll fill you in on the baby stuff and work tomorrow.

Weekend

Despite being in school all day on Saturday, it was a fan-freaking-tastic weekend. Friday was a fun-filled day with the kiddo (Viv, we enjoyed hanging out with ya'll!!).

Saturday was school, followed by a fajita dinner with the in-laws. I stopped at the store on the way home from school for some margarita mix, but the kiddo and I fell asleep on the couch before the margarita's were even made. LOL!

Sunday started with a swim at the pool - 400 super slow meters, some laps were better than others. About 100 of those meters were backstroke...just so I could take a break from inhaling pool water and coughing up a lung. :-) The rest of the day was split between time with my inlaws and my parents to celebrate Father's Day. Here's a little project I worked on for the hubby from the kiddos. Next year, I fully intend to have a new camera because the pics from my current point and shoot are getting worse and worse. Maybe there's a SLR in my future!?!?!

Pics, pics and more pics (this for you Pony!)

First of all, I had my 6 weeks dr appt today and I am officially cleared to workout. Woohoo!

After my appt, I had one errand to run before heading home. I had the baby with me...you could day this was our 2nd real outing together. I was pleasantly surprised to run into Tiggs! Cassie, was great talking to you!!!

No workouts today...unless you count cleaning the house as a workout. A couple of friends are swinging by tomorrow to check out the house and see the baby, so I wanted to mop, vacuum, dust, etc. I did get in a 30 minute brisk walk on Tuesday and a 30 minute bike ride on Wednesday. I really wanted to get in a swim on Wednesday, but by the time I actually got out there, the pool was crowded. Looks like my next swim will be in the wee morning hours on Sunday!

So, without further ado, I am posting some pics of the new house and neighborhood. Some of these were taken way back in April and in all honesty, not much has changed. There are still boxes everywhere, we haven't bought any new furniture and there is still nothing on any of the walls (except in the kid's rooms)! I don't think I will get to any decorating until I am done with school in August. Pony asked for these months ago...so Pony, these are for you! Please excuse the quaility...I need a new camera. I forgot to get pics of the kitchen and dining room..and, I left out the pic of the playroom/guestroom (it's mess with toys everywhere!).

The exterior...

The entryway...

The living area (okay, it really needs some color!!!)

Breakfast area...I don't know why I didn't take any pics of the kitchen!?!

Master Bed & Bath...(yes, we need a king-sized bed!)

Upstairs gameroom...aka Hubby's future media room (right now it houses an old couch, the treadmill and our computer desk)

The kiddo's room:

The munchkin's room:

The kid's bathroom theme:

The backyard:

My favorite things...the trails, playgrounds and lake!

Time Management

I woke up at 7 am this morning...later than usual. The kiddo is usually in our bedroom by 6:15, wanting to watch her cartoon and ready for breakfast. I decided that today I would get on a better schedule...even though I am not at work, I am answering e-mails and doing a little work here and there. I also have school work...there's a ton of that this semester! And of course, there is the main part of my life right now - the new baby!

What I learned in my 1st day of getting on a schedule is that life with a 5 week old does not fit into a perfect schedule! My hour of reading work e-mails, was more like 10 minutes before the munchkin wanted to be held...he's still not sure about the bouncy seat yet. :-) My hour of homework while the baby napped, ended up being tummy time with the baby and bathing the baby after some nasty spit-up.

The hubby and I did manage to take turns working out. We both chose to ride our bikes today. He went first - an hour ride on the trails. Then me - a 1/2 hour on the streets of the 'hood. This ride was much better than last week's..! Less headwind, less humidity and not quite as hot. I originally wanted to do the 2-mile loop around the neighborhood 3x, but opted to explore more sections of the neighborhood instead. Once I have the go ahead to really workout from the doc on Thursday, I want to increase the mileage a bit more. Then maybe I will start posting my real workout stats, lol.

Tomorrow, I'll head out for a walk and see if I want to start some slow intervals. Wednesday will be my swim day.

Now, if I could just get better with my WW points. The hubby being home during the day is not helping...today he insisted on getting us both a milkshake from Sonic! Ugh! Somewhere along the way, I lost my will power!

Workout Stats
30 minute bike ride

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly

THE GOOD
I did it. For the 1st time in over a year I made it to the pool for a swim. In fact, I managed to get in a 1/4 mile swim! I've been to the pool in the new 'hood several times with the kiddo, but that only consisted of splashing around and playing with the kiddo.

My neighbor, Kathy, met me there at 7 am as planned. She's also an avid runner, but sticks to trails due to some past stress fractures. She also bikes and like me, is a novice swimmer. However, she has been in the pool a lot lately and is much better than me.


THE BAD
Due to all the rain last summer, a majority of my swim lessons were cancelled. However, I did feel like I had made a lot of progress by the time my 3 weeks of lessons were over. Unfortunately, when I started my attempt in the pool this morning, I felt like I had forgotten a lot...well okay, I felt like I had forgotten pretty much everything.

I still have the issue of not being able to breathe correctly. Several laps consisted of me stopping midway to cough up the water I had either snorted or swallowed. Around my 3 lap, I caught myself just swimming with my head up. Then I had to give myself a stern talking to..."Christy, this is not how you're supposed to swim, this is stupid!"..."If you don't at least try to get the breathing down, you're never going to get it!"... or a simple, "get your freaking head in the water!"

So yes, I did get in a quarter mile...but I stopped after a length and rested. Kathy rested for 15 seconds between length...my rests were more like 30 seconds, sometimes longer. 30 seconds of panting and trying to catch my breath. So, I won't tell you how long it took me to do that 1/4 mile. ;-) It was bad.


THE UGLY
By the end of my swim, I was pooped. In the last two laps, my calves were cramping and I was done. That part was ugly. Well, that and my hair. LOL! I need to get a new swim cap, because I haven't been able to find mine since the move.

The not so ugly part was that I had fun. Hell, I had a blast. Kind of like riding my bike...I really, deeply enjoy it and it doesn't feel so much like work. Now, if I could just suck less at it....

I think I am going to try to work in 2 swims per week, 2 runs per week and a bike ride per week (and maybe a few brick workouts mixed in) until the maternity leave is over. After that, I'll have to rethink the strategy.

Workout Stats
1/4 mile swim

Update

Sorry for the sporadic posting. Check out my graduation pics here.



LOL, Barbara I STILL haven't seen SATC!! Trying to get my group of girlfriends together is almost impossible...hopefully this weekend. Either that or I'm going to go by myself during the week.

Jamoosh, I had the long awaited margarita last night and it was de-lish!!!!

I finally tested the waters...I had a real workout today. My 1st post partum one and the first one since about 6-7 weeks ago, since I didn't really count my walks to the pool or playground with the kiddo as a workout.

I headed out on the bike today around 2:30 pm. Well I tried to head out at 1:30, but the bike gods were not cooperating. 1st, I had a flat....I haven't been on the bike since October of last year and I had a friggin' flat! To top it off, the spare I was sold was not the right one for the bike. Thankfully, the hubby had a spare tube! Then, something was up with my gears and I kept hearing a clicking noise. Again, the hubby helped me out. I was finally on my way, but I realized now why I REALLY needed to take the bike maintenance workshop at Bike Barn that I had signed up for 2x, but had to cancel both times thanks to school.

The ride was only 30 minutes...just enough time to see if I was truly ready to get back into the swing of things. For some reason, I can tolerate the heat better on the bike than I can running...that hasn't changed since last year! Since I still have the slicks on my bike from the Tour de Pink, I stayed on the road (rather than the trails, although the trails would have been more fun). I've been wanting to check out some parts of the neighborhood that I'd never seen before and that's exactly what I did. I'll admit, between the headwind and the heat, 30 minutes was all I could take. My heart rate was up and my legs felt like jello afterwards, but I enjoyed the hell out of it!

Sooooo, I am officially back. I need to come up with a game plan for working on my mileage both with running and on the bike. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Fortunately, I have already met someone in the neighborhood who has offered to show me the trails (for biking and running) and who swims laps at the pool before anyone else gets there. I *think* I meeting up with her at the pool early Sunday morning to see what I've retained from the lessons I took last summer. I imagine it will NOT be pretty. :-)

The girls are back!!!!

And I can't wait to see them!

Offer

Our house was listed on Friday and we actually received (and accepted) an offer yesterday!

Keep your fingers crossed!

Playing catch up

Who knew life could be so busy when you're not at work and school is out?!?!?!

I spent all day Wednesday going through 6, count'em 6, 30-gallon Rubbermaid containers of the kiddo's old clothes. Yes, my child has 2 grandparents that buy an obscene amount of clothes for the one and only Granddaughter...it's sickening how many things that were only worn once or (gulp) still had tags on it. I sorted them into the following categories:

• Things that were gender neutral that the munchkin could also wear
• Things that were in good condition, name brand, etc. that could go to consignment
• Things that had sentimental value that I wanted to keep (i.e. the kiddo's coming home from the hospital outfit, 1st Christmas dress, Christening gown, etc.)
• Things that didn't fit into the above categories that would be sold at an upcoming garage sale or be given to Purple Heart, Goodwill, NAM, or other charity

Then, I washed the stuff going to consignment and even ironed it. It was totally worth it, because about 3/4 of the stuff in the 2 Rubbermaid bins did get taken by the consignment shop. Woohoo! There's also a small amount of stuff that is going on E-bay...mostly the classic pooh bedding and room decor from the kiddo's nursery. I am also going to be selling our china on Ebay...we only had 4 place settings and the set has been discontinued. Oh well! Let's just say that I am on quest to get rid of anything and everything that we don't need that is cluttering up the new house. I wanted to do all this before we moved, but between work, school and just being pregnant and tired, I didn't have time.

We also worked with the Realtor to finally get the old house in the hood on the market. Keep your fingers crossed that it gets sold in a reasonable amount of time! :-) I wanna buy some new furniture for the house, but refuse to purchase with anything other than cash (thank you Dave Ramsey!).

I am happy to say that I did get to spend time hanging out too. I've been taking the kiddo to the neighborhood pool for some mommy/daughter time this weekend and we've hung out in the backyard, made cookies, etc.

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day!

Graduation

I don't officially finish my last 2 classes until August, but since my school doesn't have an August graduation ceremony the folks in my cohort will be participating in the graduation ceremony this weekend. It's a bit anti-climatic, walking now and finishing later...I don't feel like I can "celebrate" this weekend. I might jinx something. :-) But, it is proof that I am one step closer to meeting my goal, so that's a good thing. I have to admit, it is a little exciting to be participating with the 20+ other people that I began this endeavor with 19 months ago. Despite the stress, mommy guilt, missed runs and sleep deprivation, it's been a great experience!

Maternity Leave

I have officially been on maternity leave for one week and I have to admit, while I love being at home with the baby, I am a tad bit bored! Partly because until a few days ago, I really didn't feel well enough to do a whole heck of a lot. The main thing I had to do last week was finish my Ethics paper, so that's pretty much all I did when I had time. Now that's done. The hubby is holding me to that 2 weeks of no driving after the baby that the Doctor advised...personally, I think it's silly...why can't I drive? I am looking forward to getting in some workouts, but I know I'm not quite ready for that yet. The kiddo and I have been taking little walks to the mailbox in the afternoons, but that's about it.

So, in my boredom I have discovered once again that I hate daytime TV. I love watching Ellen, but I can no longer tolerate the soap I used to watch in college. I have watched the last few episodes of The Hills, so I'm finally all caught up with that. Speaking of The Hills, it looks like Heidi is pulling a Lauren and throwing away a great career opportunity for a loser guy. What is it with those girls, anyway? Am I the only 30-something who actually cares? The preview for the next season looks like it's going to get really good!

So now, I have 4 episodes of ER that I still need to watch. After that, I'll need to find out where all my books are packed, because I have quite a few to choose from for some leisurely reading before the summer session of school begins. After school starts, I have a feeling that between that and the little bit of work I am doing from home, my maternity leave will fly by faster than I'd like.

Of course, it is fun when the baby is awake. I love to watch the little faces he makes! Here's the latest pic of him:

Blessed.

Last week, you could say I received the best Mother's Day gift of all. :-) I may be a bit hormonal and sleep deprived, but I can say that I am truly blessed this Mother's Day!

Hope all the Moms out there have a wonderful day!!!

He's Here!

After posting on Friday, I managed to get in a hour nap before the hospital called. They told me that I could come in around 11 am! Woohoo! Okay, the next paragraph may contain TMI...so skip it if you don't wanna read some childbirthing stuff...it's not bad, I promise.

We arrived and were greeted by our nurse Angela, who had just started her shift and would be with us for the "long haul". She was awesome. She started the pictocin drip around 11:45 and said I was about 2 cm dialated. My doctor came in to see me around 12:45, said I was at 4 cm and broke my water. My parents arrived next and about an hour later I could really start to feel the contractions. Enough was enough, so I asked for my epidural before they got any worse. About 5 minutes later, the epidural man (aka "my saviour") arrived and administered the drugs. Around 3 pm, my parents left to pic up the kiddo from school. DH & I decided to dim the lights and take a nap. Next thing I know, I am waking up to see Oprah on the tv. The epidural was working really well, because I couldn't feel the contractions at all...but, I could feel pressure...major pressure. The nurse had already gotten all the necessary tools out and came over to check on me. She looked a little suprised and said, "the baby is ready! I'll call the doc!" In came the doc and 2 sets of pushes later....





Baby Joseph Christopher was here at 4:45 pm! 8 lbs, 9 oz and 21 cm long.

Here's the proud Big Sister:




The 1st night in the hospital is the worst...you don't feel so great and you constantly have people coming in and out of your room all night. Naturally, they all tell you to "try to get some rest". Yeah right.

Here's the proud Daddy...



The 2nd night, we let the baby stay in the nursery so we could try to get some "real" rest. Of course, nothing is as nice as being at home in your own bed.

Here we are leaving the hospital.


So now we're at home. Trying to get some rest and just enjoying finally having the baby here. He's a sweet little guy...and he has some great lungs! :-) He does have his days and nights confused, but we'll work on that. Big Sis is so excited to have him here and wants to show him all her toys.

Babywatch cont'd

Well, I called the "Charge Nurse" this morning at 5 am and was told there was no room at the inn, um I mean, hospital right now. I am supposed to wait until the day Charge Nurse arrives at 10 am to call back if I haven't heard anything.

Soooo....it's almost 9 am now. Keep your fingers crossed that the nurse says to come right in. :-)

Until then, I think I am going to catch a quick nap...it might be a lllloooonnnngggg day!

And, thanks to everyone for their kind words, thoughts and prayers!

BABY UPDATE!

I had my regular, weekly Dr's visit this morning. Here comes the TMI part.....

I am 2 cm dialated & the baby has dropped (as if I couldn't tell my the increasing pain and pressure in the crotch area that has been especially bad this week!).

The doc is going to try to get me into Women's Hosp tomorrow to be induced! When she asked me about this at my appointment today, I decided to take her up on the offer (rather than play the ol' "wait & see" game until next week). She made the same offer with Riley and I panicked and said "No!"...which resulted in me having to wait another week and two days beyond my due date to finally be induced (and resulted in an 8 lb 13 oz baby!).

There's still the chance that because this is an "elective" inducement (meaning I'm not overdue or have any health risks), that the hospital will be too busy to admit me. If I can't get in, I will have to wait until Monday (unless little Joseph decides to come earlier). Soooo...if you think about it, please send me some prayers and "easy labor vibes" tomorrow! :-) Hopefully, we'll have a healthy baby boy by the end of the day!

Thank God I took my MIS final yesterday!!! Now, I just have a few things to finish up at work....

F.Y.I.

This came from Houston Fit's Coach Patti...I attended something like this at Fleet Feet sponsored by Brooks and it was muy bueno!!!

It's Girl's Night Out at Luke's Locker!

Join Nike and Luke's for Ladies' Fitness 101

April 30, 2008 (7-9 p.m.)

Let Luke's Locker and Nike pamper you with wine, chocolate, Nike discounts, massage and a little talk about our favorite topic: fitness!

Come to Luke's for a panel discussion with a personal trainer and a nutritionist, enjoy great camaraderie and a special Nike shopping night with discounts galore!

If you are interested in fitness and fun, this is the night for you!

Also....

Unofficial Group Morning Runs Saturdays and Mondays at Luke's Locker (routes will be announced the morning of the run/walk)

Found your running shoes in the closet and want to run/walk a few miles? Then meet at Luke's Locker each Saturday, May 3 - May 24, at 6:45 am. The workouts should be finished by 8:00 AM. The Saturday morning runs are intended to help runners and walkers to prepare themselves for the May 31st kick-off "6 miler" for the Fall Marathon Program but all are welcome. These runs are unsupported so bring your hydration of choice.

The Monday Morning Bagel Run is back!! Meet at 6:00 AM and get in an easy run to start your week right, followed by a hot bagel!!

My how time flies!

I just realized that I am almost at my 2-year "blogiversary"!

It's hard to believe that time has just flown by! When I started this blog, I was training for Chicago '06, studying for my PHR and the GMAT.

Since then, I have started and almost finished grad school, run several 1/2 marathons (as I vowed no more full ones until grad school is done), I got a new job, got knocked up, bought a house and met a bunch of awesome people through blogging (many of whom I now consider friends!).

Hopefully, my next year of blogging will bring more running, more races, less school nd more friends. :-)

Hopefully, before the next blogiversary I will have finally changed my header back to the regular one. LOL!

Oh, and to Margo and Tiggs...yes, we will have to do a blogger-girls margarita night out!!!!

Babywatch 2008

Well, the weekend has passed and still no baby. I did get a voicemail from a friend telling me that her friend, who happens to have the same due date as me, had her baby over the weekend.

Yeah, good for her.

So I am at work, tonight I have Ethics class, tomorrow is my MIS final...oh joy!

That's about it...I'll keep ya'll posted.

Still here...

I had my regular weekly dr's appointment yesterday.

There's no new news..she just did her thing and said, "Yeah, I'll be seeing you again next week." So that's it...another stubborn baby. Well, that or I just have a stubborn cervix/uterus/whatever. So, it looks like I will be taking my MIS final as planned next week...although after reviewing my notes and study questions, I am sooooooooo not ready. Let's see if I can perform a miracle over the weekend with some heavy cramming. Damn, and I can't overload on caffiene in my state for those late night cram sessions! Ugh!

Lemme tell you, once this baby is here and my semester is officially done, this girl is having one of those Cyclone Anaya-sized margarita's! I think it will be well deserved!

Just a follow-up to the earlier post...yes, Holden and K I moved up North! Not exactly in The "real" Woodlands, but about 5 minutes southeast of there. :-) It sounds like I am in good company!

Barbara, I didn't even realize that Champions Fit was that close! But, I have to admit, it may be even closer to go with Woodlands Fit...you know I value that 5 extra minutes of sleep.
;-)

Looks like I have more options than I thought! Cool beans!

Here I am..

just feeling a bit in limbo...ready to have this baby, but still so much work and school stuff to do! Yes, I realize I will never have everything done...but, I'd like to be as close as possible.

Naturally, I am excited to finally meet the little guy I've been carrying around all these months. But, the other thing I am really excited about is working out again!

Not the pansy ass little neighborhood walks...I'm talking REAL WORKOUTS.

The legs and arms like jello, achey muscles the next day, kick my ass kind of workouts. :-)

I am undecided on the running though. My 1st goal will be to lose the baby weight. Sure, running will help me burn calories and all that, but I also want to focus on strength training and getting my core stronger. Before I found out I was preggo, I was having a lot of issues with my lower back...the PT hottie said it was all about building a stronger core. I really want to vary my workouts though - some bike, some swimming, some running. To be honest, I miss my bike more than I miss running. Probably because it was still new to me when I had to stop...kind of that "honeymoon" phase. The running had gotten old...partially because I was burned out from the same old routine and not having enough time to really dedicate to it. The good news is that as of August 16, I will be done with school (not that I'm counting the days or anything)!!!!!!!! Yes, I will have an additional child, but I will have a bit more time to dedicate to working out again. Wooohooo!!!

So, I am up in the air - join a gym? get a trainer? try a new home routine (maybe the P90X? TurboJam looks fun too.)? With the recent move (and the increase in gas prices), I am tinkering with the idea of joining Woodlands Fit....although, I'll admit that the entire time I've been in school I've been wanting to try Kenyan Nights (the morning program doesn't work with the hubby working nights) or a Bootcamp at Memorial Park in addition to Houston Fit. I dunno, I guess I'll wait and see. I may have to eventually change the name of this blog though. :-)

ETA: Just for Jamoosh, I changed the comments so that you no longer have to worry about the word verification...which, as he pointed out, it pretty pointless when your blog is password protected. So now, my 1.8 readers have it easier! :-p

Boston 2008!

Today's the day...Boston Marathon day!

Last year, I swore I'd be taking today off just so I could watch the live coverage on TV. Little did I know I'd be saving my PTO for maternity leave. :-) Oh well, there's alway's next year! I'll try to sneak in a little of the on-line coverage throughout the morning if I can.

Good luck to anyone out there in the blogosphere who's running!

Whew!

I think the symptoms mentioned in the last post were just a fluke. After a good night's sleep, I have developed a stuffy nose, but other than that I feel fine. Thank God!

The good news is, I am almost finished with that lovely 20-page paper. Mine is actually more like 17 pages, but I'm not too worried. Any more pages and I would be including too much BS. And, the topic for my Ethics paper is going well too. Thanks to Viv for the link to a very helpful PBS special! I want have some library time on Saturday morning, so I can knock out both papers. That way, I can avoid looking at them for a couple of days and then go back and read again with fresh eyes. Then, I can just concentrate on my MIS final and those daunting 18 essay questions. Ugh! Fortunately, several of us in the class have gotten together and divided up the essay questions, so that none of us has to do all 18 questions on our own. Divide and conquer seems to be a reoccurring theme in grad school. :-)

In baby news, the bedding set for the crib has finally arrived! Now I can start with the real decorating. I was beginning to worry that the baby would arrive before the room decor. I'll post a pic as soon as it's done...well that and after I dig through more boxes to find the cable to hook up my camera to the computer. :-) Oh and the hubby's Hapkido instructor wants him to take his 2nd Don (i.e. 2nd degree blackbelt) test on May 3rd....ummm, that's 2 days before my due date, so it all depends on when the baby decides to make his grand entrance. If we're still waiting for the big arrival, I intend to go watch the tests. We'll see!

Workout Stats
Wednesday, 4/16 - 25 minute neighborhood waddle

Dammit

These constant changes in our weather are driving me crazy. Not that I am not loving the cooler temps....but, once again I find myself with a sore throat, flushed face and sneezing, which is usually a sign that I am getting sick. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

I simply do not have time to get sick dammit. Nope, it can't happen.

It hit me

Between work, school, family and getting ready for the munchkin, I have way too much to accomplish and not enough time to accomplish it. This simple fact may result in my 3rd B in a grad school class...yeah, call me a slacker. I hope that's not the case, but while everyone else has until May 10th to complete their semester, I am trying to wrap everything up by April 29th. I hate it when I feel like I have so much going on that none of it is being done as well as I would like. The whole mediocrity thing bugs me...but a girl can only do so much, ya know?





I just received the official review questions for the MIS final and our topics for our final paper in Ethics. The MIS questions are going to be a total PITA, but the Ethics paper doesn't sound too bad. I think I can easily use what I learned this semester to do a moral analysis on Wal-mart and determine whether Wal-mart is a morally good company, how I can make it morally better, etc. It's either that or examine my own employer and I'm not going there. Sounds like a stimulating topic, don't you think?

Speaking of Ethics...last night we discussed moral marketing. This led to us watching about a 1/2 hour of Super Size Me. After seeing that, I don't know if I ever want to eat fast food again. True story.

Showers, Hockey and KFC

I am beat. I wished I had stopped at Starbucks this morning, because I am soooo sleepy.

This past weekend will hopefully be the last crazy, back-to-back activity filled weekend before the baby is here. I do have tons of school stuff to take care of, but I want to relax as much as possible over the next couple of weeks.

Saturday was nutty! I had class in the am, then had to head home to change and get ready for another baby shower for the munchkin. It was awesome! This one was mostly family with a few friends mixed in. The munchkin received lots of cute clothes, diapers and even a few items that didn't even exist when the kiddo was born! It's amazing how much things have changed in 3 years. The kiddo even received a few gifts from her grandparents...lemme tell you, we found out on Saturday that the kiddo is a natural born entertainer. I wasn't going to bring her to the shower, but I am so glad I did! She helped me open the presents and put on a little show for the guests between each gift. I'm talking about dancing around the room with tissue paper, doing "ballet" turns and just being silly. Talk about comic relief..she had the room rolling.

Afterwards, several family members came by to check out the new house. Then, the hubby and I were just sitting around with the kiddo on the back patio when my mother-in-law asked, "Are ya'll still going to the wedding?" We looked at our watches and it was 6:25....my friend's wedding was starting at 7 pm! Thank God, I was pretty much ready, the hubby can get ready pretty quick and the location was not very far...we made it to the wedding with about 3 minutes to spare. We did get home in time to relax a bit. We watched American Gangster, which I had already seen. The hubby liked it, but apparently not as much as I did.

Sunday was pretty much just as crazy. Grocery store in the am, followed by a birthday party for one of the kiddo's school friends at Monkey Bizness, followed by the Aeros game with the GSA (Graduate Student Association, not the Girl Scouts of America...hehehe) from school. In between, there was a little time for sorting through baby clothes, decorating the nursery a little, but that's about it. Last night at 10:30 pm, I finally got to sit down on the couch and do nothing. Then, I realized that I should probably just go to bed. :-)

Today is work and then school. We're supposed to be getting our final paper topics in my Ethics class, so my goal is to get to work on it asap. I have two other assignments due in that class before the final, so I hope to get all 3 done by the end of this weekend. In MIS, the prof gave us 18 sample essay questions to help us prepare for our final. The final will have 7 of those questions and one "wildcard" essay question....we're supposed to write 4-5 pages on each essay topic! Ummmm, 32 pages to write in 4 hours...I can't wait. Not. Ummm, yeah, so much for the relaxing thing I was talking about at the beginning of this post.

By the way, did I ever mention that my prof looks like Col. Sanders of KFC? True story.

Workout Stats

Friday, 25 minute slow walk in neighborhood

Update

Well, I went to the doc today for the 1st of my now weekly visits. Everything is good...no sign of any progress being made, the doc isn't worried about the size at all which means no 37 week ultrasound, and I actually LOST 2 lbs! Considering all I've been eating lately (pretty much anything in the fridge that doesn't have mold on it), I don't know how in the hell that happened. So that's it. My doc is actually out of town next week, so I don't even have another "weekly" appointment until the 24th. I am so ready for this child to get here. The 1st time around, I was still enjoying being pregnant at this point. This time, I have been ready for a few weeks...of course, now that the doc is going out of town, I guess the baby can wait a little longer.

Honestly, I sort of wished she would have said, "OMG, this baby is ready to come out...you start your maternity leave tomorrow!". LOL. Seriously, I get tired out early every night which makes doing homework after the kiddo is in bed very difficult, I am having trouble concentrating while at school and work, I get sleepy in every meeting and class I have (and even sometimes when driving home)...I just feel so out of it and soooo inefficient. Not to mention the crotchy pain, round ligament pain, crappy sleeping due to the hip pain, the fact that my feet barely fit into my shoes, and all that stuff. Sigh.

Sorry, the intent of this post was not to have a big pity party. I'll stop now.

In other news, my preggo hormones are making me one mean, ol' biotch on the roads. Probably due in part to my new triple the distance, double the time commute. Seriously, people on the roads have been pissing me off lately, so here's a little vent:

• Look lady, the speed limit is 65 on the toll road. Why are you in the left lane doing 50 when there's no one in front of you? Move your ass over to the far right lane! Better yet, take your ass to the feeder road.
• Dude who insisted on tailgaiting me yesterday...traffic was bumper to bumper and moving at about 50 in all the lanes. I'm sorry, but I simply cannot go 80 if there are cars in front of me and on both sides all going 50, now can I??? So why, why, why do you insist on riding on my ass? Yes, that's right...you keep doing it and I will slow down to 50 and maybe even 45 mph.
• Okay mo-fo's, there are signs MILES back telling you which lanes go to which highways in which direction. So why in the hell do you insist on waiting until the very last minute to try to merge in front of me? People like YOU are the reason the traffic is backed up for miles in the 1st place. Oh, and when I am nice and I do let you in, you don't even have the courtesy to wave a thank you! What happened to common courtesy anyway? That's it, I'm not letting anyone else in. Screw you.
• Lady on the cell phone - I have nothing against people talking on the cell phone and driving...IF and ONLY IF they can stay in their lane at the same time. Apparently you can't, so you need to get off the road or get off the phone.

Well, that about sums it up. I feel better already. :-)

Workouts

What workouts?

Ever since I was having those lovely BH contrax a week or so ago, I've been a little scared to do too much. So, here are my lame workouts over the past week:

Wednesday, 4/2
25-ish minute walk with a 1/2 hour stop at the playground in the middle

Friday, 4/4
25 minute fast walk around the mall getting very last minute shower/bachelorette party gifts for that night

Sunday, 4/6
Another not real workout - walked around the block while the kiddo rode her bike..approximately a 1/2 mile, but I was uncomfortably bent over her making sure she didn't ride off of the sidewalk...that has to count for something. LOL!

Monday, 4/7
Trying to stay awake in Ethics class...does that count? It takes quite an effort!

Tuesday, 4/8
Walked up and down stairs what felt like 100 times taking the baby gifts from the living room to the nursery. :-) Hey, I was exhausted afterwards!

March Showers...

Bring many goodies for the munchkin!



My awesome co-workers hosted a shower in honor of the munchkin yesterday. Talk about some great co-workers...check out all the food and loot. Oh, and check out my big buddah belly. :-) This is the 1st time I've seen myself in a picture since Christmas...let's just say I will be purchasing a more flattering outfit for the shower that my family is throwing this weekend, lol!

Here's me...hey, don't mess with my food!

The cute cake that goes with the baby's safari-themed nursery...

A basket made of diapers, with all kinds of cute baby stuff...

Woohooo, diapers and butt paste...the 1st time around, I wasn't sure how to use this. Now, I'm an "old pro"!

The Countdown Begins!

I am due 1 month from today!



Of course, if this little guy would like to make an appearance a teeny, tiny bit early I would have no problem with that. :-)

I have about 10 more pages to write for my MIS paper, a term paper for Ethics (only 5 pages) and my MIS final. Plus, we need to finish getting everything ready in the nursery...looks like the month ahead will be a busy one!

Hello Cankles...

Ahhh, the joys of pregnancy!

My feet and ankles have been swelling a little here and there for the past couple of months, but nothing too severe. Usually it occurs at the end of the day, so it's no big deal. I've still been able to wear my regular shoes, although I've switched to pretty much wearing only flats or really low heels.

Unfortunately, in the past couple of days the swelling has started a little earlier in the day and has gotten worse. So now, heaven forbid I wear a skirt or dress to work...the lovely cankles are out there in front of God and everybody. And, it seems like the more water I drink, the worse it gets! I thought it was supposed to be the other way around!?! Yesterday, I was going to take the kiddo for a walk, but it started raining...probably a good thing, because I wasn't really sure if I would be able to squeeze my feet into my Saucony's!! Hopefully, I will not have to resort to wearing sandals to work everyday...although that would give a good excuse to get a weekly pedicure! :-)

Weekend

Well, the weekend is once again over. Sigh.

I felt much better when I woke up on Saturday and headed to school. The thought of skipping class did cross my mind, but I had a presentation to do and would not think of putting that off. After class, I basically just hung out with the hubby and kiddo. We went to the grocery store and the kiddo was acting so much like herself, that we decided to walk to the "big" playground in the neighborhood. The weather was great and it felt good to get out, but I didn't realize that the playground was right at a mile away the way we went to the playground...we took a different route the way back, which was over a mile. Ummm, can I just say that that little walk was the longest I've had in several weeks and being in the sun didn't help either. My back was killing me when we were done! To top it off, I had to pee. I felt like a complete wuss!

I'm not sure if the walk had anything to do with this or not, but I had a few of what I *think* were Braxton Hicks contractions about an hour later. Then, I had them again this morning for about an hour. Scary! I say I *think* they were BH, because with the kiddo I had to be induced. She was nowhere near ready to come out...she hadn't dropped, there was no effacement, almost no dilation, no water breaking with me saying "Honey, it's time!" in the middle of the night. By the time I had *real* contractions, I had an epidural!

After I was sure I wasn't in real labor, we took the kiddo to Chuck E Cheese (we missed her playgroup earlier), where she ate pizza and played games until she was worn out. And after that, we pretty much called it a day.

Now, I'm off to get as much homework done as possible...just in case!

Workout
Neighborhood walk - 40 minutes (it felt like I was walking faster than that!!!)

Crap!

That's what I've felt like for the past couple of days. It started with a nice and phlimy cough, then a sore throat, then sneezing, now a runny nose and watery eyes. I actually broke down and called my OB to find out what, if anything, I could take. All I can say is thank God for Tylenol Allergy!!!

To make matters worse, the kiddo woke up at 1:30 am with a 104.5 temp! I've never seen her temp go beyond 102-something, so that freaked me out. And, even with the Motrin/Tylenol regime, the temp would not drop below 103-something. She kept waking up asking for cold water. Finally, this morning it went down to 100. We went to the doc and it turns out she has a nasty double ear infection. Poor kiddo! I had to head into work in the afternoon, but the hubby said she just layed on the couch and slept off and on the entire afternoon....that's very unlike her, but hopefully it will help! When I got home from work, we both slept on the couch for a couple of hours.

Good luck to my peeps doing the tri this weekend...I can't wait to hear all about it!!!

Thanks!

Thanks to Marcy and Viv for the encouraging words about this big 'ol baby!

Honestly, I think I am destined to have big babies no matter how active I am. I am sure everything will be fine!

Now, if I could just stop feeling so sleepy all the time! Honestly, I have felt drowsy and groggy for the past few days. It's making it very hard to concentrate at work...thank God I don't deal with any life-threatening situations or drive heavy machinery. LOL! Shhh....I actually broke down and bought a Mocha at Starbucks this morning - the 1st one since I found out I was preggers.

Let's keep that between us. Okay?

Oh Baby!

We'll the little guy is measuring big, but my doc is still not concerned.

I am!

He currently weighs 5 lbs...I have 5 more weeks. Ack! They tend to gain about 1 lb per week at the end! And, to top it off the doc said, "He's in the 63rd percentile, so he's not that big. (pause)Well, his head is big". Um yeah, not exactly what I wanna hear. Seriously, I could have done without that info. I'd rather go into labor & delivery blindly on that one. LOL! I'm like, "How big? Abnormally big? Huge-mongous big? Yep, I am concerned...my va-jay-jay is too.

Workout Stats
25 minute neighborhood walk w/the kiddo in the stroller. Good times!

Ps...Pony, I will post some pics of the house and neighborhood just as soon as I get some new batteries for our camera. I can't find the rechargeable ones...well, that and the cord that lets me download pics. Doh!

Back to Reality

Ugh, it's back - the real world.

Having 4 consecutive days off was awesome! Although, I did get two work e-mails on the Blackberry on Easter Sunday....WTH? Some folks seriously have no life.

Yesterday was much more relaxing than the previous 3 days. The kiddo and I hung out in our PJs as late as possible yesterday morning - which wasn't late enough, but I had an ultrasound at 10:45 am on the other side of town. The baby looks great, but is still measuring 2 weeks ahead. I dunno if I was wrong with my dates -or- if I am just going to have one huge baby....that last thought scares the heck outta me! Later, the kiddo and I headed to the only playground in the neighborhood that we hadn't already checked out and played in the backyard after that.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I had class last night and actually got to campus a couple of hours early to work on a project. I have been a serious slacker this entire semester, but by the time the kiddo goes to bed (around 9:30), I am beat and haven't had the motivation to stay up late working on my projects. But, with the semester coming to an end and with this baby on the way, I am going to have to make myself work on this stuff!

Busy, Busy

Wow, for my "relaxing" 4-day weekend, it has been a busy 3 days so far!

I have a problem - it's called crowding waaayyy too much in one day! I think it's some kind of freakish disorder, because I do it and then wonder why I'm so freaking tired! Friday, the day consisted of taking the kiddo to play in the mall play area, getting the kiddo a haircut, a ride on the carosel, waiting over an hour for a pic with the Easter Bunny, seeing "Horton Hears a Who!" (cute movie, but maybe a little over a 3 year old's head), straightening up the house, going to the grocery store, a walk to the playground and finally dinner. The hubby and I did watch the new Halloween movie, which was actually not bad!

Saturday was just as crazy. After picking up a package from Fed Ex , we headed to the old house for the last of our stuff (well, except for what's in the shed), stopped at Target for the kiddo's Light Sketcher:

She announced 2 days before Christmas that she wanted it, but we had already done our shopping. So, when she actually slept all night in her "big girl bed", I decided it was time to break out a year-old gift card that I had tucked away and take her to get it. Anywho, next was an Easter egg hunt at my parent's neighborhood, dyeing eggs, making cupcakes, taking another walk to the playground and finally ending the day with dinner and "No Country for Old Men" (excellent movie, which I had already seen...the hubby hated the ending.)

Sunday, we headed to my parents for early lunch and an egg hunt, then to the sister-in-laws for another egg hunt and dinner. The kiddo was worn out after all the egg hunting with her cousins and chasing each other around the yard with confetti eggs.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to have a day that's a bit more calm. I'm taking my last vacation day before going on maternity leave. I have an ultrasound in the morning and school at night...in between, I hope that the kiddo and I can just hang out and do a lot of nothing.

Workouts

Thursday - 30 minute neighborhood walk

Friday - 25 minute neighborhood walk

Saturday - 30 minutes neighborhood walk

If only it were that cool...

"Workouts"

Okay, so some of these may not qualify as a *real* workout...the kiddo was walking with me and we took a break midway through the walks to check out the neighborhood playground equipment. Quite honestly, at this point in my pregnancy, I am perfectly okay with that. With less than 6 weeks left to go, my pace is slow and I get winded quickly.

Can I just say - I love, love, love the nature trails in the new neighborhood?!?! Yesterday, as the kiddo and I got to the playground, the sun was sparkling on the little man-made lake and it was just absolutely gorgeous!

Saturday
30 minute walk
Took the kiddo for a stroll on the nature trails around the neighborhood. 15 minutes, then a 30 minute stop at the playgroup, followed by another 15 minutes.

Sunday
30 minute walk
Same as Saturday, just a different route and different playground

Tuesday
Treadmill - 25 minute walk
Started out slow, but felt great midway through and increased the speed a little.

Wednesday
30 minute walk
Same as Sat & Sun, but this time the kiddo was in the jog stroller which meant I could go a little faster.

We've Moved!

Hooray! We've officially moved into the new house. Moved, but not unpacked. Unpacking is going to take some time. We have the most important room in the house unpacked - the kitchen! I also went to our brand-spanking-new Kroger's and stocked up on lots of healthy items, so the fast-food frenzy can stop. (Thanks to everyone for the comments about the weight gain!) We've also unpacked the bathrooms and for the most part, the kiddo's room. Every empty box that was thrown in the garage felt like a huge accomplishment. Woohooo, one more unpacked...only 367 more to go. :-)

Some things, like our book collection, will have to wait to be unpacked. When we finally buy some furniture, we are planning to get new bookshelves, so until then the books (among other things) will remain packed. We've also unpacked the other necesseties like our clothes. Most of the other stuff will just have to wait. I have been neglecting my school work for way too long, so it's time to buckle down and hit the books! If I can get a box unpacked here and there, then that will have to do. About the time we have our 2 week break between the Spring and Summer semesters, the munchkin will be here and I will probably not be concerned with boxes. Then, the hell that's known as summer school will begin and again, I will not be concerned with boxes. So, the estimated unpacking completion date? September '08. LOL, that's about as good as it's gonna get!

Oh and Sarah, you're right - every pregnancy is different, that's for sure! My only concern is that the kiddo was (according to our Dr) only going to be around 7 lbs....she ended up being 8 lbs, 13 oz! I really hope this one isn't any bigger!!!

Step away from the thin mints...

Just a little word of advice to any gals out there who may become pregnant in the future....

At the beginning of your pregnancy, you might set a goal of how much weight you want to gain (and not a ounce more)...DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT gain it ALL with 7 weeks of your pregnancy to go!

Seriously people, I need to put down the thin mints and grab some celery. I am almost at the point where I was at FULL TERM with Riley. And I have 7 WEEKS to go! I swore that I wouldn't let myself gain any more than last time and ack!

I am a stress eater, I know that. Between moving, school, work, family, pregnancy, etc. you might say I've been a tad bit stressed these days. And, because of juggling all this, my workouts have been shorter and less frequent. I haven't done a good job of planning meals which results in either making quick meals (that are not healthy) or stopping on the way home and picking something up (again - not healthy).

My life is not going to get any less crazy anytime soon, that's for sure. Guess I just need to get myself organized again, so I can start planning my meals. Now that we'll be in a neighborhood where I feel safe walking and now that it gets dark later, I am planning on taking lots of evening walks with the kiddo. Hope that will help!

Still Movin'

Just not on the treadmill.

Who would have thought that our little house could hold so much crap?!?!?! It seems like I keep packing box after box after box and I still have a ton more to pack. Not to mention all the crap that's boxed in our attic and shed. We could just move it all to the new house, but I imagine that I can throw away a lot of it and would prefer to only move the stuff I really want to move. Luckily, we're not in a rush to get out of our house. But, I would like for it to be presentable for selling purposes very soon.

Sorry there's nothing more exciting to report. Oh wait, I do have something exciting - I am going to buy my cap and gown tomorrow! I don't officially finish my MBA until August, but we are walking in the graduation ceremony in May (there's no August graduation ceremony). It's a bit anti-climatic, but it's at least another sign that I am almost done. Wooohooo!

Come August, furnished house or not, I am having a Margarita-Fest at the new casa! Anyone want to join me???

@$#&*?@!!!

Dammit! So much for getting through my final two semesters without another Finance or Econ class. The summer schedule just came out and there are no Ethics or Marketing electives being offered in the summer. Gaaaah!

As if the condensed version of a semester isn't bad enough! This is going to be fun...not!

S.O.S.

Nothing new to report, hence the same ol' sh*t title of this post. The packing continues and my house is gradually becoming a vast wasteland of boxes. Okay, maybe vast isn't the right word...it's a small house. School work is being neglected, so it's time I get my butt in gear! I need to read chapters, work on a presentation and begin working on a term-paper.

Workout Stats
Treadmill, 30 minutes @ a 17 minute pace.

I am getting slower and slower! I swear I couldn't go any faster no matter how hard I tried.

Bigger belly = Slower pace.

I also wanted to work out my arms again, but I sat down on the couch to watch a couple minutes of the news and the next thing I know I am waking up to the last 5 minutes of Nightline! LOL! Maybe tonight?

Okay Texans....don't forget to vote today! And, in case you didn't know, you can vote in the primary today and then caucus tonight.

I actually considered voting during early voting, but there's something exciting about voting on election day. Okay, so maybe it's just me and I'm a dork that way. :-) I seem to have a knack for being preggo during the election year. Riley was due in late November 2004 and I was so worried that she would decide to come early, that I actually did vote in early voting...just in case! Little did I know she would be over a week late and would have to be induced.

Anyway, whoever you're supporting - just get out there and vote!

Workout Stats - Sunday
Treadmill walk - 30 minutes (side stitch paid me another visit, but luckily it went away quickly!)
Arms - 15-ish minutes of free weights

It's official

We are officially the owners of a brand-spanking-new house! We closed on Friday and even picked up our mailbox keys from the post office. Oh, and I found out that our realtor ran Houston this year!

We'll be moving in a few things here and there, but all of our furniture will be moved in 2-weeks. We wanted to wait until it was official before starting to pack...I guess we're superstitious that way and didn't want to jinx anything. LOL!

We bought the kiddo new bedroom furniture this weekend, so that we can transition her current bedroom furniture into the baby's room. She wants pink walls...because her favorite color is pink. lol! So, I bought a cute bedspread for her room that will coordinate well with the most pepto-bismol-est pink I can find. :-)

So that's what we've been doing over the past few days. It's going to be a crazy few weeks!

Go Bloggers Go!

I just wanted to send out a huge GOOD LUCK to my peeps who are running the Texas Independence Relay this week.

For obvious reasons I can't participate, but I will be thinking of ya'll this weekend (as I sit in my MIS class)!!!

Go Battling Bloggers of the Texas Republic!!!!

Phoenix Fun

I've been in Phoenix for the past couple of days. The one nice thing about traveling for work is that I can usually make time for working out. No kiddo + no meals to cook + no house to clean = a little free time. I'll fill in all the details later, but for now here are my workouts...

Workout Stats

Sunday
35 minute stroll around the shopping center across the street from hotel

(Okay, not a real workout, but the weather was awesome and it was better than being on a treadmill outdoors!)

Monday
Treadmill, 30 minutes
(hooray, no side stitch! My pace was around 16 min/mile...yes, that means I was actually going slower than that when I did have the side stitch issues)

Tuesday
Stationary bike, 30 minutes
(I discovered that this is much, much better for me right now! I must get a trainer for my bike at home...I had none of that pesky crotchy pregnancy pain afterwards!)

Okay, the rest of the week doesn't look good for working out. I have homework to do and the hubby and I need to work on packing up the house!

Finally!

After a week-long hiatus, I got back on the treadmill last night! It was 10 pm and I only did 30 minutes at a pretty slow pace while watching the news, but the best part was that I didn't get that painful side stitch! Woohooo! The mid-term is officially done, otherwise I would have been studying at 10 pm.

Tonight is the hubby's night off from work, so it's his turn to put the kiddo to bed. That means I will have time for another treadmill walk!

It's official, we will be closing on the new house one week from today! I'm so excited, but at the same time I am overwhelmed. Between work and school, I have no clue how we're going to get our packing done. (And, going out of town for a few days next week for work is certainly not helping matters!) Fortunately, we're not in a huge hurry to get out of our current house, so that's good. But of course, since we now will have a mortgage payment on the new house, I want to be using and enjoying the new house! Some of you know, we live in a tiny house right now. The new one is almost 3x as big, so we will have almost no furniture at first. In fact, we are pretty much going to wait until our current house sells to buy furniture...who knows how long that will take!?!?! Of course, I already have most of our future furniture picked out. LOL!

Have a great weekend everyone! There are a few races going on around town this weekend, so good luck to anyone running those...may a new PR be in your future. ;-)

PS. I just have to send out a special thanks to Holden. The other day he said something that stuck with me about the issues I've been having with balancing school, work, pregnancy, house hunting, etc. He said, "Just think, before the year's out, you get to be yourself again" and viola, it hit me! I will have a baby boy, be moved into a new house and finished with school - all by the end of August. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel...and the tunnel, while it feels really long, is actually pretty damn short. Six months! Six months people! Six months and I will have my freakin' life back. I can't wait!

Update

I took my Ethics mid-term today. I can't say I kicked ass on it, but considering I had to take it 4 days earlier than expected, I think I did pretty well.

Hopefully tonight the kiddo will cooperate and get to sleep early enough for me to hop on the treadmill!

As for baby news, things are going well. The munchkin is now big enough for me really feel those jabs to the ribs, bladder or whatever else when he moves around! It's a neat feeling, but I can't help but think of the movie Alien when I see my stomach move. LOL!

I considered taking the kiddo downtown for the Race Against Violence on Saturday, but I'm still undecided. With this damn stitch in my side and now the added round ligament pain (a new OUCHY), I don't think I can even walk a 5k! Maybe I'll just take her for the kid's K....it was her 1st one last year and she had a blast earning her medal. Plus, she got her face painted and played with bubbles. It's a great event for the entire family!

Just a quickie post....since I am traveling out of town for work on Monday and Tuesday of next week, I get to take my Ethics mid-term on Thursday (instead of a week from today). Can we say holy shiat??? Yeah, I am not exactly ready. So, my workouts will come to a grinding halt (not that I have worked out much in the past few days) and the posts will probably not be happening either.

The weekend was pretty great. It feels great to not be out househunting all weekend. As much as I love looking at houses, it was getting really old! I had class on Saturday morning. Since it was such a nasty day outside, the hubby and I decided to stay in the afternoon and finish up the painting in the kitchen (FINALLY). We just had to touch up around the molding and baseboards and finish up some of the other trim. So, the hubby and I + painting = the kiddo watching too much TV and playing on Disney.com. After the kiddo was asleep, we watched "The Brave One" with Jodie Foster...not a bad flick!
Sunday, I couldn't not take advantage of the awesome weather! We started the day with an early breakfast at Cracker Barrel, followed by a trip to one of my favorite places on earth - SUPER TARGET. Next, it was playgroup and then a picnic at the playground, followed by more outdoor playtime in the backyard.

So, today it was back to reality - work, homework and mid-terms. Blah! I am really annoyed that I will be spending Oscar Sunday all alone in a hotel room the night before my training class for work. This will only be the 2nd time in about 13 years that I have not hosted an Oscar party...yes, I am a big nerd. Lol!

180

Okay, I am in a better place today. Thanks to those who left a comment yesterday.

I did get on the treadmill for about 25 minutes last night, I finished my term paper proposal and got a good night's sleep. The combination of these things made a world of difference and life looked much better in the morning light.

I will suck it up and stay in school and just do the best I can. For some reason, I am feeling uncomfortably pregnant this week. I never felt uncomfortable with Riley...well, until I passed my due date. :-) Anyway, this uncomfortableness is leaving me really irritable. I am sure the hubby is getting tired of that. Lol!

Have a great weekend!

I've. had. it.

Work, school, housework, house hunting, renovations, moving, pregnancy, trying to get on the freakin' treadmill...I don't think I can keep doing all this much longer. I am seriously sick of school and it's really the only thing on my plate that can be eliminated.

That whole 50/50 thing with the housework when your married?

Yeah, maybe in a dreamworld....definitely not the reality.

Not that I mean to complain about the hubby, but I am the neat freak responsible one...and he, well, he just isn't. Lol!

Maybe being sick earlier this week is making me grumpy. I dunno. I am in need of a massive attitude adjustment. Hell, I need a complete overhaul in that department.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since the hubby and I are about to fork over thousands for our house downpayment and closing cost, we decided to forego the gifts this year. We did get a few, cute things for the kiddo to make her day special, but that's about it. DH does want to splurge and get this for dinner tonight...

(rather than our usual $5 pizza from Little Caesars!) I just had to laugh!

Tag, I'm it...

Damn, I got the crud from the kiddo. It struck at about 1:30 am. I am still a bit queasy, but going to try to make it to Tech today anyway. We'll see...

Update: No Tech for me.

Weekend....

I took Thursday and Friday off as far as workouts go. Saturday the kiddo actually slept until 7:47 am..oh bliss!!! We made it to Memorial Park a little after 9 am and I think everyone was determined to enjoy this awesome weather, because the park was packed! I managed to get in about 13 minutes with the jog stroller before the stitch in my side hit. It was all I could do to make it to the park bench near the 3/4 mile marker. It sucked! But, the kiddo didn't seem to mind the stop, because she liked watching the runners and walkers go by, as well as the golfers on the golf course. Afterwards, I agreed to let the kiddo run and walk...it gave me an excuse to slow down the pace for awhile. I finished up and then we headed to the playground. The weather was so amazing, I'm glad I had a chance to enjoy it with the kiddo. In the afternoon, after the hubby woke up, we headed out to look at houses. In about 3 weeks, I am hoping that I will be announcing that we're the proud owners of a new home...I'll keep you posted!



The goal was to get out to the park again this morning. Unfortunately, the kiddo tummy wasn't feeling well. Later, I started feeling queasy. Turns out DH noticed the same feeling after eating some peanut butter a couple of days before....gee, wish he would have shared that info with me before the kiddo and I both indulged in PB toast the afternoon before. The kiddo did get sick later in the evening. Poor thing! So far, I've only had the queasy stomach...let's hope it stays that way!


Tomorrow, I have class until late into the evening and on Tuesday it's off to Lubbock to visit Tech. I'm hoping to get some walking in on the hotel treadmill on at least one day.

another workout...

This one was cut short due to time constraints...the kiddo did not go to sleep until after 10:30 pm!

Workout Stats - Wed
Treadmill - 20 minutes, slow as usual

BTW, the older house did get snatched up by someone else. Lessons learned:

1) Stop procrastinating. If you really like a house, make a freakin' offer already. Don't waste 2-3 weeks hemming and hawing. If the other person is doing the hemming and hawing, give him a swift kick in the arse. :)

2) Listen to your realtor. If they think you are offering too little, hear them out and heed their advice. They probably know what they're talking about.

That is all for now. The house hunt continues and now I am all bitchy. Great.

Workout...

Tuesday Workout
Treadmill, 30 minutes, super sloooooowwwwww

Not much to report here. I still get that damn stitch in my side when I walk and now a lovely crotch pain afterwards. (LOL, this reminds me of Marcy's "broken crotch" a few months back.) I had my regular monthly OB appointment this morning and the Doc said the pain was common with a 2nd pregnancy. Apparently, the pelvic muscles and round ligament aren't as strong as before the 1st pregnancy and well, they just don't support as well. Lovely!

Changing the subject (to your relief I'm sure), we are still on the fence about our houses. We love both! And, our realtor says the other realtor is expecting an offer from someone today on the older house, so I guess we better get our arses in gear and make a decision.

School is okay...no group projects or mind numbing numerical problems this time around. I was thankful for that at first; However, the amount of reading both classes require is making me wish I just had some numbers to crunch instead. Who would have guessed that would ever happen with me?!?!?

Annoyed

I am slightly annoyed with my treadmill walks. Not that walking isn't boring enough, but being forced to do it at an extremely slow pace sucks. For some reason over the past few weeks, I have been getting a really painful stitch in my side after walking for about 5 minutes. Then, I either have to slow waaaaayyy down (like to a 3.0 pace) or stop completely. Once it begins to subside, I slowly increase the pace and walk for awhile and it comes back again. So, I slow down again, try to get it to subside and then slowly pick up the pace....I do this over and over.

It's annoying. I mean, how much cardio am I truly getting when my average pace is 17 minute miles??? Prior to this, I was walking at a pace slightly under 15 min/miles. I guess something is better than nothing, but I hate that my body has to be such a PITA.

I told the hubby that I might either look into getting a trainer for my bike, or join the Y so I can swim instead. Ugh! The upside is that pregnancy is a temporary condition and I will be back to running (with a double jog stroller) in a few months. Only 91 more days till this munchkin is here!!!!

Workout Stats
Sunday, 1/27 - treadmill, 30 minutes
Thursday, 1/31 - treadmill, 35 minutes
Sunday, 2/3 - treadmill, 25 minutes