Since we are now in the 5th week of the semester (WHAT?!?) I would have hoped that I would be in a better groove by now but I am still searching for the perfect routine where I feel like I am getting in all of my training and not dropping other important parts of my life. Right now it feels like I am dropping balls all the time, so it might be time to evaluate priorities and decide what can stay on my plate and what can go, but for now I will just keep trying to show up when I can. The cracks in my day where I used to train or work feel so much smaller now.

This was a cutback week before real training begins next week for my first big race back (YAY!)

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Monday: Spin class! I could go spin on my bike in the basement but it’s so much nicer to go to a class with other people and have an instructor tell me what to do. I have been focusing on lower resistance and higher cadence to give my legs some recovery from running.

Tuesday: 30 minute strength training. This could also be called dinking around picking things up and putting them down. I haven’t really committed to a strength program and I really need to make it a priority. Anyone have and programs that the love?

Wednesday: Up early for an easy 3.2 mile run with 4 x 30 second strides in the last mile.

Thursday: FAIL…missed my easy run.

Friday: Up early to head to spin class before we took the kids to Vail for Oktoberfest. We all had a great time but Cannon seemed to be having the most fun running and climbing all over the fountains in Vail Village. 

Emmy was a champ hanging out with us and sleeping in her carrier, she is just the best baby!

Saturday: Saturday I took the full rest day in favor of getting some chores done, even though I didn’t need it and missed my run on Thursday. This was my last prep week before real training starts so I let it slide.

Sunday: I have been waiting for this for over a year!

As soon as I found out I was pregnant last August I started daydreaming about running with both kiddos. We purchased a double Thule Cougar and got an infant sling for Emmy so she could ride along. We only take her on easy runs and are sure to be careful. But just a month after Emmy was born Cory ruptured his Achilles and was sidelined from all activities. Once I was cleared to run I took both kids out myself but we haven’t been out as a family of four until just recently. Cory was cleared by his doctor to slowly start running again. He is taking it easy with very slow, short runs to start. I am so excited to have my running buddy back and I am looking forward to many runs as a family.

Happy Running Everyone!

After two weeks out of town it’s been a bit of a shock to come back home and jump back into working and a new semester. I will admit that I was a bit overwhelmed adjusting to working and getting two kids ready for the day but hopefully we will find a good rhythm soon. It feels good to start to get into a schedule and start thinking about what races I want to train for!

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Monday: I had planned to go to spin class in the morning but my gym was closed for the week so I took a rest day instead.

Tuesday: First day back to work, I left my run to the evening after the kids went to bed (thanks summer for still being light out). 3 easy miles with some strides thrown in during the last mile.

Wednesday: Early morning strength training and easy spin on the trainer. It felt so weird to be back on my TT bike.

Thursday: Rest Day

Friday: 4 miles with 10 by 30 second intervals. I didn’t feel great on this run but having intervals kept things interesting.

Saturday: 3 easy miles pushing the babe

Sunday: Long run Sunday only clocks in at 6 miles these days but you have to start somewhere and this is just the begining.

Happy Running Everyone!

I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked if I am breastfeeding my baby, here in Boulder there is a lot of mom-shaming if you aren’t. I actually got the feeling they might not let me leave the hospital with my baby if I wasn’t planning to breastfeed her (not REALLY but there was a lot of pressure).

When I respond that, yes, I am breastfeeding my baby often times the response is oh great, the weight will just FALL off. When this is said I can’t help but feel my eye twitch and blood pressure rise a little. This is decidedly not the case for me and many other women I know. Serena Williams has talked openly with her struggles with weight loss and breastfeeding. Here is another article explaining some of the reasons.

It was harder the first time when breastfeeding wasn’t helping me lose weight and in fact seemed to impede my weight loss attempts. I had heard for so long how it helps so much and how the baby weight would just melt off. I did struggle with my supply with Cannon I worked hard to get my supply up enough to feed Cannon and have a freezer supply for him for when I went back to work. But no matter how I ate or exercised the weight barley budged. By the time Cannon was 10 months old my supply was drying up and Cannon didn’t care too much about nursing, he was happy to take a bottle. I was emotional about stopping, there was guilt about not making it to the one year mark but I had a freezer stash and it just wasn’t working for us anymore.

The one lucky thing was that I didn’t have any trouble weaning, we just stopped and my supply dried up, no need to slowly taper our feedings. That’s when things shifted, my hormones changed, I had much more energy and the weight literally did fall off. I was able to run further and I felt better than I had in months.

This time around is a little easier, I have tempered my expectations. Again the weight is not falling off but I don’t expect it to until we stop breastfeeding.

I did some research and found that the most important macros for creating breastmilk are protein and fat. After my research and talking to my Midwife I decided to try cutting out all processed carbs and raising my fat and protein percentage.

It’s not my easy but it does seem to be working, even if I have to fight for every pound. After eating this way for a month I have lost about ten pounds and my milk supply has stayed the same. I also have been increasing my exercise volume so I try to focus on lots of healthy fats and staying hydrated.

My point in writing this is not to complain, I know how lucky I am to have had two healthy babies and to be able to nurse them at all. My reason for writing this is to hopefully shed some light on women’s’ different experiences so maybe one new mama won’t be so caught off guard like I was. Everyone has a different experience, for some women the weight does fall off and I have even heard stories from women where they put weight back on when they stop nursing, Serena explains that she couldn’t lose weight at all, for me it just makes it that much harder. And for now, that’s okay.

 

Emerald’s second month was pretty difficult times for our family and string of bad luck that we couldn’t believe as we were walking through it including our pug getting very sick and Cory rupturing his Achilles.  While these things were difficult on us little Emmy sailed through them like a champ.

At two months Emerald is 23.25 inches long (83%) and 11lbs 13oz (63%)

EAT

We are still trying for exclusively breast feeding but some days we need to supplement with some formula. Our pediatrician encouraged me not to stress about giving her formula like I did with Cannon, waking up multiple times at night to pump, and I am trying to be a peace with that.

SLEEP

Sleep seems to be progressing and we have moved up to only waking once or twice a night often giving us 5-6 hour stretches of sleep. I looks like she might be a good night sleeper just like Cannon.

During the day we don’t really have a set nap schedule as much as I would love one. Being kid number two she has had to learn to sleep on the go, but also similar to Cannon she will often “cat nap” 10-20 minutes at a time.

Unfortunately for me this means that Emerald is usually asleep while we are out in the morning and then awake for all of Cannon’s nap.

GROW

Emerald is making great making great strides with head control and working on her tummy time as much as possible.

Her head full of dark hair just continues to grow and grow, it’s not falling out the way Cannon’s did. She is also growing like a weed and not fitting into her newborn clothes anymore and wearing her 0-3 months clothes. I loved dressing Cannon but little girl clothes are just so much fun!

PLAY

 

We are trying to give Emerald as much tummy time as we can and showing her toys to reach for but mostly she likes to lay on her back and kick.

 

 

I was really worried when Cory had surgery to repair his Achilles that things would be unmanageable trying to keep up with everything. But I have to say it was much easier than I thought it would be. Cory was on bed rest for a week, having to keep his leg elevated as much as possible so he couldn’t run after Cannon but he did a great job helping with Emerald. They got a lot of time snuggling and he even changed her diaper multiple times from his perch on the couch.   The time home from work was actually really good bonding time for them.

Past Monthly Updates

1 Month

Cannon at 2 Months

Baby is now the size of:

Baby is giant….well she is probably normal baby sized but I feel giant. I am very interested to see how big she is when she is born. Cannon was 7 lbs 13oz at birth, much smaller than the 9lbs + I was fearing.

Sleep: Sleep is very limited and uncomfortable. Maybe I will have good sleep again in 2 or 3 years…..mamas out there, when did you sleep well again?

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: Pajamas. But since I am still working I have to get dressed most days. The biggest thing is that my feet are getting SO HOT so I have been wearing sandals even when the weather isn’t very warm. I find that if my feet get too hot I start to feel ill.

Symptoms: General discomfort, exhaustion and short temper. I think having high blood pressure really makes me feel on edge.

Cravings, aversions and favorite foods: Craving easy comfort food. It’s going to be a shock to the system when this baby is out and I have to start watching what I eat again.

Exercise: I have been advised against exercise (even walking too much) as it can increase blood pressure. I am so looking forward to family walks!

Mood: Excited, nervous, impatient. Stressing about getting everything ready/done before baby comes.

Missing: wine, breathing, sleeping, playing actively with Cannon.

Best moments: Fun moments were:

Worst moments: Having to wake up Cannon late on Saturday night, drop him off at his grandparents so we could go to the hospital.

Buying: This week we are focused on getting the house ready and getting easy to make food in the house.

Dreaming About:  Getting to meet my little girl.

Baby is now the size of:

Things have gotten a lot better this week than they were last week. My blood pressure has stabilized, at least for now, so no induction this week. I will admit to now feeling pretty overwhelmed. There is a lot to get done and not being able to control when/how this baby will be born stresses me out. I do know that says a lot about me but that’s where I am at. I was excited to finally get my hair done before baby gets here!

Sleep: Sleep is still sporadic but a little better now that I have switched up some medication. Acid reflux was keeping me up but now it seems to be under control (yay!)

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: The weather is finally turning here in Colorado so comfy maternity dresses and linen pants are staples. I am also really happy to be able to wear sandals as my feet seem to be perpetually hot.

Symptoms: I am feeling more and more achey in my hips, increasingly painful headaches and general tiredness.

Cravings, aversions and favorite foods: I have been focusing on iron rich foods to make sure that I am not low when I give birth as well as some foods that are supposed to help prep my body and maybe even help me go into labor.

Exercise: Mainly just walking, and probably not enough. I really should add in more prenatal yoga to help ease my aches.

Mood: Impatient.

Missing: Being able to carry Cannon without back pain and putting on shoes easily.

Best moments: Having Cannon help get his sister’s room ready, it’s so cute, he loves to help!

Worst moments: Headaches getting more and more intense and worrying about Preeclampsia. Luckily we are far enough along that all should be fine if I do have to be induced.

Buying: Lots of little things that we might need for baby girl like bibs and sweet little headbands.

Dreaming About: Having my family all home together. 

Baby is now the size of:

Less than a month to go (hopefully)! Baby feels big, people are starting to comment about “ready to pop” and everything hurts. I am trying to prepare myself for a very long month, I can’t wait to meet this little girl. I have gained about 25 pounds and I can feel every little bit of it. I am so glad that I am not going to be pregnant over the summer, my feet are already feeling too hot.

Sleep: Sleep is not going well, I wake up a lot and feel tired all the time. It feels like a cruel joke that when you are pregnant and when you have a new baby you can’t have much caffeine. I have never needed it more!

Maternity clothes / preferred attire:  Mostly maternity clothing, very little else fits at this point.

Symptoms: Acid reflux is getting really bad and hurting my sleep. I am also really starting to slow down and my body aches. I don’t have time to rest much during the day with running after Cannon and working so by the end of the day I am exhausted.

Cravings, aversions and favorite foods: Anything too acidic doesn’t sit well with me especially in the evenings so I have been avoiding them. A few weeks ago I had to give up kombucha and I have been missing it.

Exercise: Not much happening here and I feel bad about it. I would like to be at least walking and strength training a bit. But I am worried about this baby coming early so I have been poring my time into getting my classes ready for someone to step in if needed. It’s way more work to have someone else teach my classes then to do it myself.

Mood: Feeling so excited to meet this baby and to NOT be pregnant anymore but also wanting her to stay put and cook a little longer. Emotions are also swinging all over the place about Cannon not being my only baby anymore. I think he will be the best big brother ever but I worry that he will be sad that I don’t have as much attention.

Missing: Feeling human.

Best moments: Having Cannon lay his hand on my tummy and say his sisters name very sweetly.

Worst moments: Hearing that my blood pressure is creeping up and there are some proteins in my urine. I developed Preeclampsia with Cannon and was induced during my 39th week. I would really like to get to at least 38 weeks so it’s a little stressful. For now we are just keeping an eye on it.

Buying: All the things for the nursery.

Dreaming About: Bringing baby home and spending time as a family.

Baby is now the size of: 

Of all the weeks of fruit and vegetable comparisons this one seems the most on point. I do really feel like I have a kicking pineapple inside my belly.

Sleep: Sleep is getting worse, I wake up a lot and have a hard time getting comfortable. Getting up in the morning I feel like I am 90 years old. Everything hurts, I am limping and hunched over. Luckily after a few minutes things warm up, and I start to move a little better but I don’t look forward to going to bed, or waking up these days. I keep reminding myself that it won’t be too much longer.

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: There is a limited amount of clothing that I can choose from at this point. I try to think about the last time I wore something so I am not wearing the same shirt every time I go to story time with Cannon but really if it’s clean and fits I am wearing it. I have one pair of maternity jeans that are really comfortable and I am getting my moneys worth out of wearing them all the time (when not at work). I have also taken to wearing a lot of sandals even when the weather is a little questionable.

My feet have been getting hot really easily and putting sandals on is super easy.

Symptoms: Most of the same continuing plus some new pain in my hips, I googled sciatica in pregnancy this week.

Cravings, aversions and favorite foods: Lots of cravings for sweets and salads. I have also been craving lots of water, it seems like I can never get enough.

Exercise: Slowing down here, an hour or more of cardio just wipes me out for the day so I am sticking closer to 30-45 minutes and less weight in strength training.

Mood: Swinging from “it’s taking sooooooooo long” to “I have no time left!!!!”

Missing:  Feeling good, moving, running, picking up Cannon without pain and breathing.

Best moments: When Cannon gave my belly a hug and kiss. Getting to see Cannon egg hunt with his cousins for the first time and seeing his face when he got his “you’re going to be a big brother” gift.

Worst moments: Nothing that is the worst just more pain and difficulty sleeping.

Buying: All the non fun essentials for the hospital and postpartum. It’s time to get everything organized and start packing the hospital bags.

Dreaming About: Spending time as a family after baby comes home.

I wanted to write a post covering a day in the life on a day that I am not working on campus. It’s not that these days are so exciting or glamorous but I want to be able to remember what the days were like when it was just Cannon and me. This is also such a fun, sweet age, Cannon is so much fun to be around and really lights up my days.

This was a Monday and fairly typical for a day that I don’t go to work. The details may vary but this is a normal Cannon/Mommy day.

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4:30 AM My alarm goes off and I struggle to get up….getting up at anytime is a struggle for this 35+ weeks pregnant body. I change into some workout clothes and head downstairs for some coffee.

I can’t have much caffeine right now so it’s more about the habit of having coffee and I can pretend that it is helping me wake up. In the morning I usually try to do some type of strength training or yoga.

I workout until Cannon wakes up for the day.

5:30 AM – Cannon usually wakes up around 5:30, Cory and I switch off getting him up for the day, but often both end up in his room because we can’t wait to see him. Then it’s a whirlwind of diaper changes, getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast.

Cannon loves to eat multi grain cheerios, bananas, berries, oatmeal and waffles. He used to love eggs to but has been rejecting them lately, we keep trying though because you never know when he will change his mind again.

6:30 to 8:30 AM we play at home or run errands if we need to after Cory heads off to work. On this Monday we stayed home, played and I finished getting ready for the day.

9:00 – 11:00AM Cannon and I head to a friends house for a playdate. We have a fun group of mom and kids we like to get together with at least once a week to play. Cannon is just getting old enough to really enjoy playing with other kids and loves getting out of the house and around other people. He goes stir crazy really easy if we stay home too long.

11:00 – 11:30 AM we rush home to eat lunch, although Cannon loves to snack throughout the day so lunch usually isn’t much. After lunch we head upstairs to his room where we sit in his rocker, read a book and on most days he falls asleep in my arms. This is one of my favorite things. Cannon is go, go, go all day so it’s nice when he slows down to snuggle.

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Most days Cannon naps between one and a half to two hours. During this time I will often eat lunch, clean up a little, respond to work emails or work on a blog post if I can. While I LOVE spending the day with Cannon nap time does go by in a flash, it feels more like 15 minutes. This is really the one part of the day that I actually get to sit down.

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM When Cannon wakes up we have a snack, play a little and get ready to head out to the Rec Center.

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Cannon loves going to the child sitting at our local Rec Center. I started taking him there when he was about 14 months old and he did cry at drop off then (talk about mom guilt!) but now he loves the women who work there and walks in without even thinking to give me a hug. I use the time that he is playing with other kiddos to get in a workout. Right now that looks like about an hour walking hills on the treadmill or elliptical.

4:00 – 4:30 We rush home to meet Cory who usually gets home from work around 4:30.

4:30 – 5:30 We play at home and Cannon usually helps Cory get dinner ready.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM We eat dinner together before taking taking Cannon upstairs for a bath.

After bath, it’s pajamas and story time

Then one of us cuddles Cannon and puts him down for the night where Cannon usually sleeps all the way to the next morning.

6:30 PM – 9:00 PM After Cannon goes to bed is my main work time. I park myself on the couch with the monitor so I can watch Cannon sleep and laptop for most of the evening.

This schedule doesn’t leave much if any time for me to clean our house or get other things done that I would like to but it does allow me to teach 3/4 time and spend much more time with Cannon than when I worked full time so I can’t complain too much.

9:00 PM I head up to get ready for bed, I am usually exhausted and fall asleep fast.

Soon this schedule will be turned on it’s head by the addition of a little sister.