33 Weeks and a Baby Shower!

Man, so these last two weeks, actually the last month has been AMAZING! I am having a hard time understanding why I feel relatively good this far along, but I'm definitely not complaining about it. I'm already into my 8th month and Nugs is doing spectacular; no problems and growing like a champ. According to some apps, she's just over 4lbs and her bones are getting stronger by the day. We are starting to figure out which body parts she's kicking me with during the day, which is pretty awesome. I've gained ~26 pounds. I've just been ellipticaling lately while doing core, some light weights, and lots of stretching.  Jer's been wonderful. He's been getting just as excited about our little chiquita coming into the world as I have...and YES, we're STILL struggling with a name. We've also got a good deal going on where he'll scoop me coffee ice cream and I'll give him a leg rub in exchange. It's been working out quite well if I say so myself :)

I also had a baby shower thrown for me by some really awesome ladies last weekend! I was fortunate enough to have so many loved ones there, along with fun games and delicious food...it was perfect. Also, it wouldn't be an official baby shower unless the mom-to-be dropped meatballs all over herself  (before all the pictures of course)!

The Klutz!

My mom cheating during the game on my MT!

How big is the preggo?!

Delicious cake courtesy of The Stacey Lenderman

Super cute decor!

ABC's of baby stuff!

Baby Bingo during the presents! Such a great idea

These lovely ladies...soon-to-be-grandma and college/hs xc teammates!

My amazing hosts...Keener, Lenderman, Lizzy, Lauren, and Jess :) 

Throwback to my BRIDAL shower circa 2011, with most of the same hosts:)

Now time for some bumpity bump photos! 

32 Weeks

32 Weeks

33 Weeks

33 Weeks

Another Weight PR!

We are in the single digit countdown for weeks.....9! EEEEK. 63 days seems like it will be here in no time. I hit 31 weeks today and I've gained 24 pounds, which is a new personal record!! I figure since I almost undoubtedly won't be getting any type of race PR in the next few months I can at least focus on PR'ing in other aspects of life :) Nugs is only ~3.5 pounds of that...the rest is 20 pounds of pure baby making goodness (maybe some other stuff too).  

It’s a little weird because these last two weeks especially I've had nothing to really complain about. I’m getting a good amount of sleep (7-8hrs/night), Nugs hasn't woken me up at all with her strong little kicks fortunately. I’m able to get in a decent amount of exercise each day, no back pain, and luckily I don’t have gestational diabetes either. I also don’t feel quite as tired as I did during the first trimester and first half of the second trimester. It’s been perfect timing for the start of track season! Hopefully this boost of energy will last until spring break, but that might be a little much to ask for.

I suppose if I had to complain about one thing it would be spending so much time in the bathroom. A few days ago I counted how many times I had to use the ladies room in a single day. Ready? TWENTY times! My poor bladder probably holds as much liquid as a single grape. At least it probably means I’m well hydrated. Until next time!

 

30 Weeks

30 Weeks

31 Weeks

31 Weeks

Starting the New Year a Little Larger than Last

We are 29 weeks into this pregnancy and the last two weeks have gone by quite fast. I’m up 22ish pounds from getting pregnant, still in the normal range. Of course I have a handful of apps telling me this and on one I've been at the higher end of weight gain each week for the last two months. I asked my doctor about it at my last appointment and she had the same response my super smart husband told me just days before. Since I started out with lower body fat than what most women have my body is just making up for the difference.

It has been a little interesting food wise. I've noticed that I’m not craving my typical unhealthy food as much...flaming hot cheetos, mexican candy, etc. Instead I've indulged in the sweeter side of things. I've always loved chocolate and coffee ice cream and that has probably increased a little more these last few weeks. Obviously I'm getting in a ton of healthy foods too, but those aren't quite as fun to talk about : ) A few people have asked  me if now I'm able to eat however much I want. The answer is not what they expect. It is kind of shocking to know that creating a human life actually burns fewer calories than 75-85 miles a week of running. Much less.

Running has been decreasing a lot lately. I've kept runs very short, three miles, and very slow. I still seem to have foot issues so I've take a full week+ off, but I’m having a hard time seeing that increasing during the rest of the pregnancy. I’m still keeping Jer company on the bike during some of his runs, being VERY careful, along with keeping up with cross training and body pump classes. I really can’t complain too much about the inability to run right now. Things have been pretty smooth this pregnancy compared to what it could be. For instance, my wonderful mom. She was basically bed ridden starting the day she found out she was pregnant with me. I gave her much more obnoxious morning sickness that what I dealt with a few months ago. I was also a big turd who stayed in a few weeks past the due date. We’ll have to wait and see how things play out with that last part, but so far so good.

Nugs is doing great. She is getting increasingly stronger each passing day. I’m still having a hard time figuring out how her kicks could get more powerful over the next 2+ months, but I have no doubt they will. We are still trying to come up with a name for this little chiquita. So. Much. Pressure.

28 Weeks

28 Weeks

29 Weeks

29 Weeks

   

Officially in the Third Trimester! EEEEK!

Christmas day marked 27 weeks into my pregnancy. A few days prior to that the app I've been using mentioned that I was officially in the THIRD trimester. CRAZY! Time is flying by and there's still quite a bit to do.

Weeks 26 and 27 have  been pretty good to me. The biggest issue is that I messed up my right foot a bit. I've got some serious tendonitis and possible bone bruising on the inside of the foot, right below the ankle. It's most likely from the added weight and old shoes. I quickly got a pair of new nimbus trainers and took a few days off like the head trainer at Trinity prescribed. I also got the pregnancy belt I've been meaning to get which is helping to support my lower back and belly while running.

The belt...stylin!

Unfortunately I came back a day or two too soon and the tendonitis is still giving me problems. So I'll be a little wiser this week and take a few more days off. I've added some body pump classes at the gym along with some cross training. I'm modifying weights and activities during the body bump classes to accommodate the pregnancy. I think Nugs is enjoying them. She gives me quite a few kicks on the way home from class. I'm still keeping up with core and myrtl exercises to help with all the loosening of muscles/ligaments/etc. 

I've now put on nearly 20 lbs since the beginning, still in the healthy/normal range. I've been sleeping a little better these last few weeks compared to 24-25. I'm still getting up to use the bathroom 1-2 times. I'll also get a little nudge from Jer if I'm sleeping on my back, but I can get to sleep pretty quick after that. 

Until next time, I'll leave you with some more bump photos!

26 Weeks + Dex

26 Weeks

27 Weeks

27 Weeks

25 Weeks with Nugs!

Nugs is officially 25 weeks old today! She is doing phenomenal, as far as we can tell. All of the tests we’ve done so far have declared her a healthy baby. She is still a kicking fiend. I think the dogs are starting to sense a change too. Dex, who only sleeps in our room once or twice a week, is now not only sleeping in our bed, but cuddled right up next to me.

I’m trying to enjoy the “honeymoon” trimester as much as I possibly can, especially since it’s almost over. I’ve been getting in roughly half an hour of cardio work a day, pretty much alternating days between running and ellipticaling. I’ll have to stop half way through and take a potty break of course. I’ve ordered a running belt so that should hopefully help alleviate a lot of the discomfort I’ve been having towards the ends of my runs. I’ve also been incorporating a little more strength work recently.

I’ve gained roughly 17 pounds since getting pregnant, which is right in the normal range being this far along. The only complaint is about once every two-three nights I’ll get up at 2:00am or 3:00am and have the hardest time falling back asleep. It’ll take a few hours. Other than that things have been going pretty smooth. 

I also made my first maternity clothes purchase! It was definitely time. Got some leggings, a belly band to keep my jeans up, and some larger tops (two of them overpriced maternity specific ones). I’m going to be honest, I HATE shopping, so when I say “it was time” it means it was actually time a few weeks ago.

Here’s the growing baby bump!

24 Weeks 

25 Weeks

25 Weeks

Making a Daum Family

The summer of 2014 will forever go down as the most memorable for me. It was filled with tons of fun with friends and family, travels, getting my dream job, and arguably the most significant event...getting pregnant!

Just a few short weeks after getting offered the head cross country coach position Jer and I found out we were expecting our first kiddo. Baby Daum is scheduled to arrive March 26, 2015!

I started feeling awful on my runs late in the summer. My body was working overtime. Trying to go 7:40 pace for an easy run seemed like a hard workout or even an all out race effort depending on the day. To add to my easy runs feeling absolutely miserable, I got struck with a bad case of morning sickness. Once I realized it was due to pregnancy I pulled back on the training. Feeling the worst I’ve ever felt on easy runs alone, along with the constant fear of miscarriage, I decided I’d wise up and take it easy; at least until I made it out of the first trimester and started feeling a little better.

The morning sickness, or constant all day sickness as it ended up being, went away after 10 weeks. By this point the easy run pace went from 9:00min/mile pace down to 8:30’s and even low 8:00’s on the good days. Fast forward another 13 weeks and I am 23 weeks pregnant! I’m still feeling pretty exhausted in the afternoons and the past four weeks my lower abdomen has been painfully sore from the expanding ligaments. I was running in the mid 20’s for mileage, but it’s been a little lower recently. I’ve been good about getting in core and I’ll ride the bike with Jer on some of his afternoon runs, but I think the notion of me getting in 40-50 miles a week (roughly half the mileage I had been doing) like I originally thought I’d be able to do is out the window. I know a lot of women out there who can do it, but having gone through the first half of this pregnancy I wholeheartedly believe that everyone is going to be different along with every pregnancy being different. I just have to do what feels the best for my body, even if that changes on a daily basis. A few days ago I was able to get in 5.5miles at sub 8 pace, but then the next day I couldn’t take more than three steps at the start of the run because my lower abdomen ached so bad I literally couldn’t go any farther. Hopefully the next go around I’ll be able to get in a little more running as I do miss it a ton!!

There have been some positives with this pregnancy though, even if i can’t train like I hoped. At around 16 weeks I was able to feel Nugs (short for Nugget) kick for the first time. I can’t begin to describe how incredible of a feeling it is was. Nugs has only gotten stronger with each passing day and Jer was even able to feel a kick during week 17! Now at 23 weeks it’s like Nugs is trying to get out! The kicks are so strong and I feel multiple ones at the same time. It is absolutely the most amazing feeling in the world.

My apologies for the long winded post, but for those that have managed to get to this part of it I’ll tell you that we found out a few weeks ago we’re having a baby girl! We’re working on a name. So far we have Something Something Daum. I know, a ton of progress, but we’re trying! Jer is pretty excited about the gender. It’s actually pretty funny because for years Jer vowed he would NEVER have a girl, mainly because he only has brothers and said he would have no idea how to raise one. Maybe he changed his mind once he realized she will probably end up being daddy’s girl.

Jer has been the absolute best since day one of finding out we were expecting. I’m so very lucky. I think I’ve also beaten most of the stereotypes (so far) too. I already had super weird food cravings before, so that really hasn’t changed. I honestly think I’ve gotten less moody since getting pregnant....too tired to complain maybe? Or maybe it’s finally sinking in how fortunate I’ve been to have such a wonderful partner in my life. I do miss coffee a bunch, but hot chocolate and decaf have helped. I’m not going to lie, I do miss my margaritas and cucumber saketini’s too, but lime slushes and putting lime on half of my meals has been a surprisingly effective replacement. Oh, also Jimmy John’s! I used to get the Vito once every two weeks, but you’re supposed to heat up deli meat before eating it (listeria is a big concern for pregnant peeps), and when I did heat up the meat it tasted NOTHING like the sandwich I’m used to getting. Oh wellsies. Small prices to pay to say the least.

Anyways, that’s the update on our biggest life event to date. I’m going to attempt to do better about updating bimonthly on how Nugs and I are doing. Until then, happy running to those that can :)

Here are some progression photos of the bump thus far! 

~17 weeks

~18 weeks

~20 weeks

~22 weeks

~23 Weeks

Summer of 2014 and the Beginning of Something Wonderful

So again, Jer and I have been awful about keeping this blog updated on our running lives unfortunately. So I’ll do a quick recap on what we had going on this summer and the new and exciting adventure we’ve got going on.

So late spring/early summer our goal race was the San Diego Rock n’ Roll half. It was just a few days after our three year wedding anniversary and we thought it would be a fun mini getaway. I eventually got my training up into the 80’s with some decent workouts. Since winter didn’t go great, I wasn’t trying to set my sights on an unreasonable goal. We thought 1:20 would be a decent time to shoot for. Unfortunately, I didn’t do much research for San Diego weather and it’s allergens. I’ve been taking allergy meds and getting allergy shots for quite some time for my allergy induced asthma, and unfortunately the shots only work for San Antonio allergies. Needless to say, even with giving it my all from start to finish I could only manage a 1:21:11, a measly 6:11 pace per mile. Jer performed better than me, but still disappointing races to say the least. We sulked for a little bit and then decided to enjoy the rest of our time in San Diego.

Post half, I took a few days off and then I was able to get in some decent summer training in order to not embarrass myself for the few summer races I was able to participate in. 

Jer and I took two big vacations over the summer. The first, to Gunnison Colorado, with a great group of friends. The weather there was absolutely gorgeous and we even got to meet up with my old college coach who was coaching a summer group. We piled six people and three dogs into my Hyndaui Veracruz. Let’s just say it made for a very entertaining road trip!

A little over a week later we went to Hawaii for the first time ever to celebrate my Uncle Joe’s retirement from the Air Force. We had a good time visiting with relatives, however the running there was not super ideal when we were down in Waikiki.

On top of having a few great vacations, we also had some dear friends tie the knot! I got to be matron of honor in my MT's gorgeous wedding!

The other, was Jer's college roommate and our cross country teammate Brad Robinson. He lives out in California now, but they got married right here in San Antonio.

 

In late July our lives were quickly came to a dramatic change when we found out that the head cross country coach at Trinity resigned to take another job up north. I was soon offered the head position at my alma mater. Jer and I were over the moon with this once in a lifetime opportunity. Jer luckily accepted the position as a volunteer assistant coach for the team and I was able to hire a full-time assistant just in time for the season to start. I am so excited to start this wonderful journey, doing what I love, at the institution that I love!