Right on the money...at 37 weeks

After a week of nothing happening, I'm happy to report that we still have nothing happening! :)

My boss couldn't be happier. Every morning he swings by my desk and happily says, "You're still here!" I suppose it's good to be needed! People keep asking, "so how long are you going to work?" This only makes me wish (for like 2 seconds) we lived in Canada, where mom gets 1 YEAR off to have the baby. I'm working up until we're on the way to the hospital because here in the USA we clearly think it's no big deal to give birth and/or raise a child for that matter! I mean who thinks 12 weeks is enough time for anything....I took longer to train for my marathons! Anywho - this is a whole other situation for a whole other blog (which I do not plan on starting).

On a less controversial note: we had Lori double check Baby Z's car seat for us, and of course, she was able to tighten the strap in basically another inch or so! I'd seen her do this before - she basically is small enough to put her entire body in the car seat base and use all her weight to squish out that extra inch of safety in the strap. It's like magic. Simon and I are just too big/bulky to maneuver our bodies in such small places. So now I'm convinced Baby Z's car seat is going NOWHERE, which is great. Everyone should have tiny people in their lives for purposes such as this.

Today's 37 week appointment went fine. Baby Z's numbers are good, my numbers are good, and I'm pretty sure the doctor is now convinced I WILL make it to 40 weeks. (and I kinda am too) He just gave me this look like, "You're way too comfortable to be having a baby any time soon." OK, so maybe I'm reading into his facial expressions a bit too much...who knows! And his "right on the money" comment as he was measuring my belly sounded like he had won some bet with the receptionist about where I'd be measuring today.

I suppose something did happen, I've gone from 1 cm to 2 cm dilated this week, so I suppose that's progress. After all, I guess I could have regressed and hit 0, right?

And after giving up running last week, I have begun walking. It's been pretty good for the most part. We have a lake with a walking trail at work, so I'm able to get out and enjoy some fresh air in a beautiful fall setting most days. This weekend I took to our treadmill at the house, which is super convenient.

We've been pretty busy with odds and ends, which has helped keep me distracted from the fact that last week I was convinced I'd have a baby by this time this week, and now I'm convinced I have another 3 weeks to go!

Luckily, one of my friends from home recently moved to Charlotte, and it's been so great having her and her husband nearby now. They have a 12 week old. Last night we met them at another friend's house for dinner - and they have an-almost 6 month old . It was awesome to be able to see where Baby Z will be in 3-6 months and to have these friends so close to us. I joked that the three couples should do our New Year's party together since we'll all be in bed by 12:01!

 

Well, here's hoping there's something more exciting to report next week!

It's Curtains!

literally and figuratively....for the treadmill and Baby Z's room!

Well, we'll see. For the past couple of weeks, I've been able to keep up my 30 minute runs three times a week. Just this past Friday, I started feeling like maybe it's time to start walking - not necessarily because I don't feel good running, but mostly because I don't really feel any better after running. So I told myself Friday that I would give it one more week. Today was a good treadmill day, but again, I didn't really get that 'runners' high' that I'd been getting in the previous weeks, so I'm wondering if that is my body telling me to start walking maybe? I'll finish out this week and see how I feel just walking next week. Should be interesting....

Because everyone seems to be shocked at the fact that I've been running, here's a little snapshot of what I look like afterward....just to proove that it's not like I'm out there running marathons weekly or anything...see my hair isn't even that sweaty:

So - as for the literal curtains, here's a peek:

My awesome faux in-laws came over Saturday to hang the rod and get exact measurements for the hem. I absolutely love them....and to top it off, they have that blackout stuff on the back, so his room can get nice and cozy even during daylight hours.

We continued our nesting by busting out the pack-n-play for a test run...looks good! Once the curtains are hung, Baby Z's room will be pretty much ready!

And speaking of peeks....here are some photos from our friend Annie. Annie has a regular 'ole corporate job during the day, but luckily for her friends and family, she has a super after-work hobby that involves a fancy camera and chasing awesome outdoor lighting. We are blessed to have her as a friend!

More to come after she finishes editing the 200+ she took at the park!

I have my 36 week appointment next Monday, and I'm super curious to see if anything is happening. Lately I've been having the feeling that maybe I will, in fact, go all 40 weeks. As my faux mother-in-law reminded me this weekend...I'm not exactly built like my sisters! (Though I think she thinks I'm a giant even though I'm only 5'6"....she's maybe 4'10") If I continue to feel as I have been feeling, then I'm ok with making it to 40 weeks....and as long as Simon agrees to continue rubbing my feet at the end of days where I stand too much! (I'm sure I can convince him)

We have our final shower this weekend...I'm calling it the Charlotte Shower! I'm excited to have all my friends in one place at one time. Stay tuned for photos from that fun event!

How Training for a Marathon Prepared Me for Pregnancy

While on the treadmill today, I had a thought: "I've felt like this before...." When? How? Then it hit me....during my previous marathon trainings. So here are my thoughts is my thought on how all those months of running prepped me for all these months of growing a baby:

1. Both consume your life

OK, so here's how/why that happens:

• Both dictate when, how much and how often you go to the bathroom....and yes, I went straight for the bathroom commentary. If you've either grown a baby or trained for a marathon, you know why.
• Both dictate your sleeping patterns - everything from going to bed at 7 p.m.; waking up at 5 a.m.; and the achy hips you discover at 3 a.m.
• Both totally dictate your eating patterns. You have never in your life wanted a milkshake so badly nor ever in your life known a milkshake was probably the worst thing you could consume...which leads me to...
• Both make you ridiculously responsible. From not drinking alcohol while prego to wearing sneakers with your dress pants for safety the week before your race.

Yes, that's been me!



So yes, I am still running at 30 weeks pregnant. Why bother, you may ask? Well, for me, running has become my free version of therapy. I take the time to either:

a) watch trashy television while on the treadmill OR

b) jam out to some total chick rock music while on the road.

After a mere 30 minutes of running, I have worked up a good, healthy sweat and have forgotten about any and all things that may have stressed me out just 30 minutes prior.

When I got pregnant I did some research (OK, Googled the heck out of it) about running while pregnant, asked my doctors, asked some friends who are moms and runners, and finally I came to terms with the fact that I might only have a few weeks left with my afternoon therapy session. The consensus among the aforementioned group of experts (including Google) was somewhere in the 20s, I'd probably have to stop running and resign myself to walking. :(

So here I am at week 30 and still enjoying running. I can't believe it! Granted, I'm not getting my usual 3 miles in 30 minutes anymore, but who cares! With a little 5-minutes walking warm up, I can hang in there for at least 20 minutes of jogging. I don't get as sweaty anymore because everyone says it's important not to overheat (and I keep the fans directly on me at the gym), but that's worked out well too since my hair isn't gross and sticking to my face afterward!

With 10 weeks to go, I'm sure the day will come soon enough where even a mere 20 minutes seems like an eternity to me on the treadmill. Until then...I'm going to be hitting the rubber road - aka treadmill with fan and TV.

And yes, I've given up wearing heels to work again.....no one seems to mind or really to have even noticed!