Big Time

I know.....I'm sure relative to this whole ordeal, I am not that big and will obviously continue to get bigger.  However!  Right now, I am feeling big.  Today at work, I started out feeling pretty comfortable in my skin and body - I was used to my new size and it didn't phase me.  I was sitting there working with one of my patients in the gym and I caught a side view of myself and thought - woah, who is THAT?!  I crack myself up - because I still don't expect to look like that yet.  But hey girlie, you're there.  And then it's really funny when I try to squeeze through a narrow space or in between people - but then realize that I am too big to actually fit.  Ay, poor body awareness. By this afternoon I felt really big.  It's funny how you change during the day.  I don't know if it's just eating, water retention or just my abs failing against gravity.  I tried going to the gym and had a hard time tying my shoes and found myself grunting to bend over.  And I'm not even into the third trimester... So here I am, 23.5 weeks along.

A few weeks ago I went out to Boston to cheer my sister on at the Boston Marathon.  She is a complete and total rock star.  It was really really hot, (88-90 degrees!) and she ran an incredible race.  Steady and strong - I was so proud of her.  Here we are at the expo.

Here we are at the start of the race.  I ran the first mile with her and then trotted to meet my folks on the sideline.  I think I am officially done running for a while.  It was fun to be there at the start with her.  If you can't read her visor, it says "Sturdy Bitch" - she brings honor to the name!  And this is a huge compliment, truly.

 This is the virgin blood mary I had that night - it was soooooooo good and hit the spot.  Mmmmm.

The next weekend we went to the cabin at Crescent Lake.  It was so beautiful.  Cold enough to have some snow on the ground (which kept the mosquitos away) and there weren't many people up there.  Here I am showing off my new maternity jeans that Lindsay and my cousin Katie helped me buy in Boston.  Thank you ladies.  I have always been nervous to wear skinny jeans - b/c it just still seems weird to me.  However I've decided that skinny jeans with a very stretchy waist/belly part are awesome.  I think Ill wear these every year for Thanksgiving.

 I love relaxing and reading at Crescent Lake.  (oh, and baking! we made cinnamon rolls)  It's one of my favorite places in the world.  It was a great weekend with good friends and family.

This is a tulip from our yard!  Finally things are blooming.  To my surprise, our lilac tree in the front of the house is FINALLY blooming!  This is the fifth year we have had it and it always has greenery, but no blooms.  I am stoked!  

Laundry Turmoil

Jake and I are officially in the market for a new washing machine.  Recommendations anyone?  Thankfully we were home tonight (and might I recommend that you NEVER leave the house with the washer running), so when our laundry machine started pouring out water through the bottom we thankfully noticed 10min later (and not 8hrs later!).  We had inches of water in the bathroom - like a little wading pool, no joke.  After an hour of soaking up the water with towels and a shop vac (and turning on every heater downstairs), we are now perusing consumer reports and the internet.  I would love suggestions if anyone has them.  I feel like I'm buying a car - I need something really good, energy efficient.......but I don't want to spend a lot, you know?  I realize I may need to drop some dough and double down.  We are going to be doing a lot more laundry this next year.  My eyes, ears and inbox are open!  More posts to come this weekend, I'll add some pictures then.  23 weeks today!  I had an MD appt today and got to hear the baby's heart beat.  Such a great sound.

Growing like a weed in spring

One minute I feel totally comfortable, with a little belly (or as some call it, a baby bump).  The next minute I am so uncomfortable and feel like this little guy is doing all his growing in one day!  Wow - I feel big this week.  And I'm only half way!  

There is definitely no hiding it anymore.  So, based on some advice from a hip friend in Brooklyn, I am going to wear some tight clothes and embrace being pregnant.  Why not, right?  I finally went through my wardrobe and packed up my normal clothes.  I was starting to get really frustrated every morning, digging through my drawers of regular pants (passing by my favorite jeans, sniff sniff).  But alas!  My drawers and closet are only full of clothes I can actually wear now.  And I've decided I need to go find some comfy maternity jeans as a temporary substitute.  Any suggestions?

This week all the tulips and daffodils and trees are blooming.  The weeds are growing like crazy.  It's still raining in Eugene, but it's warmer rain.  It just plain SMELLS like spring outside.  I'm loving it!

I am flying to Boston to support my sister in the Boston Marathon on Monday.  I was signed up to run it with her before I found out I was pregnant.  I'm excited to go out and cheer her on, carry water and gels for her for a mile or two.  We'll see if I last a mile!  Lindsay is going to rock this race, follow her online!

Jake is running a 20mile trail run in Sisters, OR on Sunday.  He has trained so well, I know he's going to do great.  Wish I could be at both races!

We went up to Pickett Butte Lookout last weekend with our friends Carrie and Brian.  It was so cool and peaceful.  And tall!!!  The stairs made me cringe climbing to the top.  We had some great food, went on a nice hike and ate lot's of chocolate.

Hope yall have a good weekend.  One last photo for you...........

WOAH!!!!

Colds

One thing I did not anticipate about being pregnant.............a lowered immune system and lot's of colds!!  I've always had great pride that I had a tough immune system, thanks to all of the exposure to my patients every day.  I hadn't gotten a cold in 2 years!  And then came week 8 of pregnancy and bam!  I've had four colds in the last three months.  And now I've got another.  Bust out the netti pot, and brew some tea.  I even set up my old vaporizer/humidifier from childhood.  Ugh.  What a pain.  I can deal as long as I know this immune system of mine is protecting Willy Chuck (my dad's nickname for the little guy).

I had the ultimate cute thing happen yesterday.  I've had about 6 patients point blank ask me if I was pregnant.  Granted, I am started to show more, but I still think people are pretty gutsy to ask their health care provider such a question.  However!  Yesterday one of my patients brought their 5yr old daughter in with them to PT, and the mom didn't know I was pregnant (or at least I hadn't told her).  The first thing the little girl did/said when we got in the room was look at my belly, then back up at me and say very non-chalant "YOU have a baby in your belly".  As if I didn't know.  But it really was the cutest thing in the world.  Made my day.  During her mom's visit she proceeded to bust out random comments like "YOU need to eat really good because you have a baby in your belly, huh".  I proceeded to tell her - "yep, no candy.  But LOTS of ice cream".  She looked kind of confused ;o)

One more day until the weekend!!  Today I am officially half way there, 20 weeks!