tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30996702528312931332024-03-13T16:54:43.596-07:00Sassy Molassy<em>Running for fun and living healthy in Oregon</em>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.comBlogger1323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-35744738685865760852019-05-10T08:54:00.002-07:002019-05-10T22:02:03.236-07:0010 Months: Sweet Sleep<i>Written Wed, May 8</i><br />
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I feel like I owed you guys an update on the sleep situation in our world after my last post of our awful nine month sleep. Thankfully, things have turned around for the better.<br />
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First, <b>on the sleeping arrangements.</b> Greyson had been in a normal crib in our room since birth pretty much, save for the first eight weeks or so in a Rock n Play next to our bed. It seemed to get harder as he got older because he seemed to be sleeping a bit lighter. Pete and I would nearly tip toe into the bedroom at night to go to sleep.<br />
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When sleep got really bad, I finally took the night light out of the room to see if having it near pitch black would help. I don't think it made a difference.<br />
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Finally, for all of our sanity, we decided to move Greyson's crib into Henry's room. It seemed like a good decision because 1) Henry sleeps like a rock 2) Greyson wouldn't wake up because he knew I was right there every time he stirred (i.e. non stop nursing) 3) Henry was excited about sharing a room with his little brother and 4) it honestly couldn't get any worse than it already had been. So, we gave it a shot!<br />
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I can't say for sure whether it's a developmental thing or moving him into Henry's room or both, but Greyson now wakes up usually twice a night around 1:30/2 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. to nurse. While I'd love to be sleeping through the night, it is a HUGE improvement from a month or two ago.<br />
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Some days, he decides to be up for the day at 5/5:30 a.m., but usually he's not getting up until around 6:30 or 7, which is manageable. Last week, our mornings were comical because Henry decided to wake up around 5 a.m. a few times and consequently wake up Greyson, too! Pete and I groggily woke up to the sounds of Greyson laughing at Henry's antics. BUT, at least they were both happy!<br />
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<b>How we do bedtime</b><br />
Now that both boys are going to sleep in the same room, we have adjusted our evening routine. About half the time, we do a bath after dinner for both boys. Greyson is first and then Henry gets in a few minutes later so Greyson doesn't have to deal with Henry stealing all the toys his entire bath. ;)<br />
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After we do PJs, brush teeth and sleep sack (for G), we try to read one short book (G isn't always up for it) and then Pete takes Henry into the living room or our room to read books while I take Greyson into the boys' room to nurse and put him down. About five minutes after I've put him down, Pete and Henry head back to the room and quietly sing a few songs before Henry is snoring.<br />
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All that to say, it's working for us and I feel like a much saner and more rested person. The next sleep issue I hope we have to deal with is weaning the night nursings. Because I nursed H until 2, I know that G will likely continue to wake up at night until we cut those out by having Pete go in to soothe him in the middle of the night. It worked pretty easily at 18 months with H, so we will probably do the same thing this time around.<br />
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And finally, <b>a bit on nursing</b>. I mentioned in my last post that nursing had gotten pretty painful with baby's sharp teething teeth. Well, it continued to get worse until I got a puncture (think of a tooth shaped hole punch on my chest). I finally went to the lactation consultant who I think was a bit shocked to see how bad it was. She recommended I use APNO after every nursing session and come back in if it didn't heal. Spoiler alert: it still hasn't healed and I also have a sore on the other side now too.<br />
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My guess is they don't see many moms after the newborn stage. I didn't have any issues with nursing like this the first time around, so that's different. I tried not nursing on that side for a few weeks and only pumping, which helped it almost heal, but then G started demanding to nurse on that side again.<br />
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There's not much to say on it, other than I see why people quit nursing. It sometimes feels like brutality to the mom. I have had many sessions lately where I'm curling my toes, wincing and cursing inside from the pain. It's getting better, but still not healed yet. Sigh. Let's just say, I'm going to need to invest in some good bras when this is all over with.<br />
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<b>Edited to add: </b>Greyson now has some kind of little virus because he's had a 103F temperature on and off the last few nights, which has resulted in some pretty poor night sleep and a cranky babe. 😭 And on the nursing front, I'm feeling desperate to heal this puncture, so back to trying to only pump on the right side. Oh, the joys!<br />
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Well, I think that's all for now. I've been up since 4:30 today and the sun is coming up, so it's time for a little run before a day with the kiddos. <b>Have a great one! </b><br />
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Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-81985449278204343282019-04-03T23:30:00.001-07:002019-04-03T23:30:43.253-07:00Why Being the Parent of a 9-Month-Old is ToughLet me preface this to say, I don't think a nine-month-old is the hardest baby age. I'm not sure there is one really. Each baby and stage is SO different with unique challenges. <br />
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But for us, nine months has been somewhere between frustrating and wonderful. For nine months, I basically let Greyson's schedule be whatever it would be. Meaning, if he woke up at 5 a.m. one day and 6:30 another, his naps would be completely different. The naps were good (1-2 hours usually), but not at a specific time. There was no schedule. This method is completely fine and works. In my opinion, you do not HAVE to put your baby on a schedule (although it <i>might</i> bring more sanity to your life if you do). <br />
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I work three days a week and am home with the boys the other days. The lack of a schedule didn't really bother me any until it did. For his first five months of life, he woke up every two hours through the night to nurse and I went along with it. Gradually, he started stretching his sleep to three or even four hours on occasion, which felt glorious and manageable.<br />
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But somewhere between eight and nine months, he not only started waking up every 2-3 hours, but after I'd nurse him and lay him down, he would scream and all of a sudden be wide awake. Not ideal at 1, 2, 3 or 4 am... When I felt desperate, I'd either bring him out to the living room to tire him out for an hour (or more) with toys, or I would pull him into bed, nurse a bit more and try to get him back to sleep.<br />
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Sometime in the last few weeks, I hit a breaking point. A few nights in a row I was up for multiple hours on end trying to nurse, rock, entertain, change diaper, nurse again, etc. only to have a wide-eyed baby crying back at me each time I put him down for sleep. After one particularly bad night where I was up from 12-4 am <i>(I nearly lost my sh*t that night)</i>, I declared it time to start sleep training.<br />
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We had generally followed <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Whisperer-Solves-Your-Problems/dp/0743488946">The Baby Whisperer </a>'s sleep methods with Henry and were happy with how effective it was in teaching him to self soothe without letting him cry forever. After a week or so of following this with Greyson, I'm not confident this will be enough. I feel we've made small steps forward, but nothing earth shattering. I am still needing to nurse him a few times in the night (~11, 1, 4/5) after he simply will not give in when Pete tries to soothe him back to sleep.<br />
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I think we are also coming to the conclusion that it's time to move the little guy's crib from our room into Henry's room. I'm just fearful that if we do that, we'll all of a sudden have two children wide awake at night (which has happened a few times in the last two months as well). 😁<br />
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I'm reminding myself that there is a lot going on in Greyson's development between gaining the skills necessary to walk (he pulls up to standing on nearly everything) and popping a new tooth every few weeks it seems. I hope that this is just a phase that changes soon without much more struggle, but we'll see.<br />
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Additionally, with his new sharp teeth on top, the nursing department has been very painful on one side. As in toe curling, cursing to yourself silently painful. I even had to call the lactation consultants today to ask how to decrease the pain and let a puncture on my breast heal while continuing to nurse on that side. Oh the joys of motherhood!<br />
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But for all the bad, there's good and great, too! Every morning I wake up thankful for coffee and truly enjoy the ritual of making my pour-over half caff coffee. I love the bond Greyson and Henry have. The way their eyes light up when they first see each other in the morning is my favorite. Greyson is getting close to walking, but for now just wants to be standing at everything, which of course also means falling and bonking his head on occasion. And his deep belly laughs and giggles when his brother does something hilarious are something else.<br />
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Okay, I think that about sums it up for now. Nine months has been hard on us and I can't even fathom how in less than three months I'll have a one-year-old.<br />
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<b>I hope you're having a great week. Feel free to leave me your favorite sleep book/tip or just a funny "I can relate" story.</b>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-73759114857828936292018-11-01T22:54:00.002-07:002018-11-01T22:54:24.031-07:00Ramblings of a Newborn Mom<i>You're not reading that wrong. This is a journal style post I drafted a few months ago when Greyson was just eight weeks old. I'm going to publish a few more of these and then write posts on a few reader request topics, so let me know if you have a topic you want me to write about!</i><br />
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<b>Saturday, August 25, 2018 // 9:40 p.m.</b><br />
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I haven't been writing here lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought about writing here, or publishing the other two drafts I have sitting in the queue. I've been trying to jot some things down in my journal, but life and tiredness and bedtime and scrolling on Instagram. #truth</div>
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I don't have anything earth shattering to say here, so please enjoy my evening rambles. </div>
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Lately, as I've stared at my baby as he sleeps in his car seat, as I put him into the wrap or carrier or he coos back at me, I've taken a mental pause to say <i>"this. don't forget this."</i><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">And I'm already missing that baby stage when they'll just fall asleep on you anywhere.</span><br />
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<i>Hannah cuddling baby G at my grandparents' cabin</i></div>
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If you'd asked me before Greyson was born or in those first few weeks if I wanted another child, I would have said maybe. Many of our friends are <i>"one or two and done. for sure."</i> But Pete and I each have two siblings and frankly, there's not much that makes my heart happier than raising small humans. BUT... age, career, money, world population, etc.<br />
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<i>Just look at those sweet chubby cheeks</i></div>
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And after the past few months of taking care of Greyson (who by most accounts is "an easy baby") and Henry, I'm more convinced that two is our number.<br />
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Some days, just trying to get us all fed, dressed and out the door to an appointment or playdate has my mind spinning at HOW parents of three or four don't completely lose their minds. And individuality. I'm not sure when I'll go on a date now that I have a newborn and a toddler. How do those with more do it??<br />
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I am starting to run again! And that feels pretty awesome and weird at the same time. I've done a whopping three run/walks ranging from 1-2 miles. At this point, my lungs burn and my pelvis feels awkward and tight after nearly a year of no running (and pregnancy/birth), so I'm going slowly alternating 1-2 min running w/ 1 min walking.</div>
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I've also been seeing a pelvic floor PT to work on strengthening the whole system down there and bring my abs back together. I currently have a 2-3 finger ab separation, AKA diastasis recti. It's slow going, but I'm going to stick with it. <i>Spoiler: I think closing my ab separation is going to take some time. </i></div>
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Body image this go around is okay, so far. I'm sure in the next few months if I can't transition out of maternity wear into my old jeans and shirts, I'll start to feel a little frustrated, but for now I'm giving myself grace. I also hope that running will help tighten up some of the softer areas so that things fit a bit better. More about this topic coming soon!</div>
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<b>Okay, I think that's enough baby and postpartum talk for today. What are you looking forward to this month? </b><br />
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I'm looking forward to extra family time and our local turkey trot, the Turkey Stuffer 5K!</div>
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Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-46254523720794176942018-10-14T20:48:00.000-07:002018-10-14T21:48:40.692-07:00Greyson's Birth Story<i>[Tap, tap, tap.] Is anybody there? I've had this post drafted for months (literally) and finally decided to add the photos and hit publish. Sorry to keep anyone hanging who has been waiting for the update. :)</i><br />
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<i>Hello from the other side of pregnancy - the fourth trimester! In those last two weeks of pregnancy it really felt like I might be pregnant forever. The little guy was so happy inside, my fluid levels were great, he was doing well at the no stress test and I wasn't having many contractions.</i><br />
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Here's the story of Greyson's birth both for me and those who are interested. Birth stories are fascinating to me in that they are all so unique. So here goes...<br />
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Greyson was due June 12 and when he hadn't come at 41 weeks (June 19), I headed to the midwifery center for a no stress test and placenta fluid check. Everything looked good there, so I opted to have my membranes "swept and stretched" which can help induce labor if the body is ready.<br />
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That evening, I felt some contractions that seemed semi regular for about 90 minutes, so I asked my mom to drive down so she would be there with Henry in case things picked up in the middle of the night. She arrived around 8:00 p.m. and sadly contractions had stopped, so we took a slow waddle at sunset. Contractions didn't really return, so the morning of Thursday, June 21 (summer solstice), nine days after his due date, we headed to the hospital for an induction.<br />
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We got settled into our room, saw the midwife and then the nurse got my antibiotics flowing (I was GBS+ so needed antibiotics every 4 hours in the hospital). Around 12:30 pm, the midwife finally came back to break my water. At that point, I was already about 3-4 cm dilated (which I had been earlier that week). Within 1.5-2 hours, contractions started and my body took it from there.<br />
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I was thankful not to need pitocin to get labor really going. To help things keep moving along, Pete and I walked laps around the labor and delivery unit as I was able to wear the wireless monitors to track baby's heart rate and my contractions. (I’m so happy I asked for wireless monitoring this time around because with my labor with baby #1, I didn’t know that was an option and sort of felt chained to the monitors and my room.)<br />
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I also tried to keep eating snacks throughout the afternoon to keep my energy up - things like nuts, dried mango, a Picky Bar and a bagel & cream cheese. With Henry, I felt nauseous during labor early on, so didn't eat much.<br />
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As the hours passed, my contractions consistently got stronger and stronger. At some point, Pete turned on our birth playlist (a random smattering of pop songs that make me happy and some relaxation style music) and I really couldn't focus on anything besides each contraction and breathing/moaning through each one.<br />
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For the most part, I was either sitting on a yoga ball and leaning against the bed or Pete, or standing up to help the baby's positioning. Time seemed to go quickly and I believe I was checked at one point and told I was 7 cm and the next few cm went fast. At this point (6 p.m. or so), I was getting hot from all that hard work so they brought in a fan for me, lowered the room temp and Pete and the midwives kept getting me cold wash cloths for my face and neck.<br />
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As sh*t was getting real, I was beginning to really doubt my mental and physical strength and asked the midwife about pain options. They checked me and I was at 9 centimeters! Honestly, I was shocked to have gotten so far in such a short time, but I was also getting nervous about pushing this baby out, especially knowing how large Henry was (9lb 3oz).<br />
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I opted for an interthecal, which is essentially a shot of epidural that lasts 2 hours. It seemed like a good option since I was so close to being fully dilated.<br />
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The interthecal was a good choice for me because unlike with my epidural with Henry, I was still able to feel contractions pretty well. About an hour later, I was fully dilated and ready to push.<br />
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When we checked into the room that morning, I remember thinking "Oh, this room will be so pretty at sunset. Hopefully, I'll be holding our new baby by then." Ha! I remember sunset being pretty, but also being blurry amidst some serious pushing.<br />
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Two hours of pushing later, at 10:01 p.m. on June 21, Greyson was born at 9 lb 8.9oz and 21" long. The last few minutes of pushing were a little intense in that they could see he was coming out with his shoulders straight on rather than corkscrewing his way out. And to make matters more difficult, he was also coming out with his hand up by his face.<br />
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They didn't tell me in the moment (thankfully), but it's the reason they brought in extra nurses and had some NICU folks standing by. In the last few pushes they actually had several extra people pushing on my stomach to help get Greyson out. It felt very Grey's Anatomy as it was happening, but whatever it takes to get these babies out safe!<br />
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They cut his cord quickly and whisked him to the back room to get him breathing and just a few minutes later brought him back to me. I remember him feeling big and squishy and perfect.<br />
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Scale was set to kilograms, but 9lb 8.9oz was the conversion</div>
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When you have a little human growing inside you, you wonder what he or she will look like. What attributes will they have of you and your partner? How much hair will they have? How will that little face look? What I honestly didn't expect was to have a baby who looked like a twin to Henry's baby self. But that's exactly what I have. I know he will grow into his own little face and personality, but it's pretty incredible to see the similarity.<br />
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<i>That squishy, wrinkly skin = </i>💗</div>
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Post birth, they stitched me up a bit, did the lovely pressing of the uterus and let us be. Shortly after, I had a turkey sandwich and lots of orange juice and Pete had a nap ;) while my parents came in to see the little guy.<br />
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We stayed the night in the hospital that night (I didn't get more than 15 minutes of sleep) and then asked to be discharged that next evening. Between the lack of sleep, poor food and discomfort of the hospital bed, I just wanted to get home where we could be more comfortable.<br />
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Side note: Has anyone actually slept that first night after having a baby? The nurse looked at me so pitifully when I said I hadn't slept. But I couldn't imagine with either Henry or Greyson to have left them in the bassinet and them being okay with that. We tried with both babies swaddling and putting them in the crib, but it was a no go for the babies and us. So, I stayed awake nursing, cuddling and hoping for the sun to rise quickly while Pete got a few hours of rest.<br />
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Henry came to the hospital that next morning with my mom and brother to meet his new baby brother. He was so sweet and excited. He got up on the bed with me to hold him and declared "I want to hold him all by myself." And when asked what he thought when he first met him, he says "I just loved him."<br />
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The last few weeks have been sweet, full of cuddles and also very tiring. I'm not able to take naps like I was the first time around (Henry no longer naps) and we are lucky to get 4-5 hours of broken sleep most nights. And being 3 years older this time around I'm sure doesn't do me any favors.<br />
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<i>A day of snuggles with baby G while grandma watched Henry</i></div>
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<i>A rare nap</i></div>
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<i>I love the hand under the chin</i></div>
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<b>Okay, I think that about sums it up. Let me know if you have questions. I'm sure I'll be writing more soon. </b><br />
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Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-22032476935706997992018-06-18T06:27:00.000-07:002018-06-18T06:27:29.705-07:00Pregnancy: 41 Weeks If you asked me a few weeks ago if I thought I would still be pregnant at 41 weeks, I would tell you <b>definitely not</b>. I'm not so sure why I was under this notion, but basically, I am a little bigger (3-5 lbs heavier) this time around, everything feels looser, I've been on my feet and active this entire pregnancy and it's my second baby, so don't these things just "slide right out" this time around?<br />
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Apparently not.<br />
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This last week of pregnancy has been mentally very trying. I have been on GO my entire pregnancy with full time work and a toddler, so being still and waiting to care for an infant and not having many other plans has been tough.<br />
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In this last week of pregnancy, I have mopped the house 3 times, vacuumed, made lasagna, cookies and muffins for the freezer, did 5+ loads of laundry and have gone to the grocery store I don't even know how many times.<br />
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By now, I am just really uncomfortable. The carpal tunnel is making my index and middle finger so numb it's painful and hard to grip things. My stomach is red and itchy (I'm one of the lucky ones who got <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/puppps-rash#4">PUPPPS rash</a> this time around - oh the joys of pregnancy!). Oh and the number of clothing items that look decent on me right now are like 2.<br />
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If I knew I would still be pregnant when this week began, I would have tried almost all the "induce baby naturally" tricks. Sigh...<br />
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So if the little guy doesn't come between now and my appointment and non stress test for baby tomorrow morning, I'll be at the place where I'm considering induction. I simply don't want to wait another week to see if this guy is going to show, for my mental sanity, his safety and my fear he is also a large baby like Henry was. That being said, I'd really like to go into labor spontaneously, but things just don't seem to be moving in that direction. 😭<br />
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But <b>on the up side</b>, as a family, we have done a lot of fun things, including picked strawberries with friends, gone to the park several times with H, taken him to get ice cream, visited my parents and saw their new house that is almost finished and I have taken an afternoon nap almost daily.<br />
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<b>Baby is:</b> the size of a watermelon (Ha, no joke! I look like I'm carrying a watermelon around.) and about 19-22 inches and 8+ lbs.<br />
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<b>Okay, I think that's enough fun for now. Happy Monday, friends! I'm off to walk in the sunshine and come up with a plan (yet again) for the day. </b><br />
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<i>Flashback: <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-third-trimester-40-weeks.html">41 weeks with Henry</a> </i>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-51111480794466018582018-06-09T22:19:00.000-07:002018-06-09T22:19:16.921-07:00Pregnancy: 39 WeeksWell, hello. How did we get here? You know, to the end, and so fast! And yet at the same time, it feels as though I've been pregnant forever.<br />
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<b>June 2018 // 39 Weeks</b><br />
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Saying I'm 39 weeks + 5 days pregnant feels pretty surreal. A few weeks ago, I was feeling like I might go into labor early this time (Henry was 1 week late) because I was starting to get Braxton Hicks contractions and just generally felt huge. But now, I feel like I could easily be pregnant for another week.<br />
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<i>37 weeks pregnant</i></div>
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A few weeks ago, we took one last little day trip to the coast as a family of three. The weather looked decent and I had my heart set on making it to the coast again before it becomes a lot more challenging (for a while anyway). It was a really fun day. </div>
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<b>How I'm Feeling</b><br />
Baby boy is feeling very low, but I haven't had any contractions this week that I have noticed, so that's been interesting. Overall, I'm feeling fine other than some numbness and carpal tunnel-like symptoms that started last week. After googling and checking with the midwife, it seems this can be common near the end of pregnancy with an increase of fluids in the body. Regardless, it's annoying to have a tingling right hand all day long.<br />
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The arches of my feet are also sore at times due to the extra weight they're supporting. Sometimes it feels as though my fascia on the arch is going to tear. Yikes!<br />
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Last weekend we had a little park party for Henry's 3rd birthday. After a few not so great nights of sleep and then staying up late to grocery shop and wake up early to prep all the food, I got myself sick. I'm famous for overworking myself until my body forces me to surrender, so I'm trying to nip this cold/sinus infection in the butt. That being said, Henry loved celebrating his birthday and it was so worth it.<br />
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Lately, Henry has just seemed to be going through a lot of growth and change. Physically, yes, he continues to shoot up and get taller by the week, but mentally a lot is going on too.<br />
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We are deep in the "Why?" stage. While cute at first, it wears on you pretty quickly. He has also said some of the sweetest things lately and is clearly a little guy who is paying attention to his surroundings.</div>
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The other day I was frustrated that he wasn't doing what I had asked repeatedly as I was also trying to get out the door to go to work and he said to me "Mommy, I'll take your mad heart and you can have my heart." It was one of those moments that make you question why you were even getting mad in the first place. 💗</div>
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<i>39 weeks pregnant</i></div>
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I've also noticed myself truly savoring these last little moments of just Henry and I together having a conversation, sharing a snack, going to the park or playing on the floor. It's definitely a sweet season of life and I know a lot will change for us both very soon. </div>
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Friday was my last day of <a href="http://runhubnw.com/">work</a> before the little guy comes, so it's nice to have that behind me. It was just getting difficult physically to bend over to help customers with shoes and in this last week I started to really feel the pressure of the baby sitting on my pelvis, and not in a good way. </div>
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<b>Labor signs?</b><br />
Already having a toddler at home and his birthday being June 5, I have noticed myself not wanting to do anything to encourage labor to start sooner. I haven't yet been sitting and bouncing on the yoga ball, I haven't done many squats this week, haven't gone to the store for primrose oil or raspberry leaf tea, etc. Although, I'm thinking spicy food sounds pretty good right about now. Perhaps a good excuse for Thai takeout soon? I've had a few stronger contractions in the last few days, but nothing consistent.<br />
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<b>Baby is:</b> the size of a small watermelon, weighing over 7 lb (my guess is he's at least 8 lb by now) and measuring 20" in length. He is moving a LOT this week. And now that he's so big and strong, the movements are often uncomfortable. His heart beat has regularly been in the 140s-150s during my check ups.<br />
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<b>Baby prep: </b>At this point, I've accepted that he is going to arrive anytime and we aren't going to be picture perfect "ready" like we were with Henry. It's just different. I'm juggling a lot more and we aren't making a nursery for baby boy as we plan for the boys to share a room after the little guy is old enough.<br />
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However, Pete painted the boys' room on Memorial Day, the hospital bag is packed (minus toiletries), I prepped some food for the freezer last week (breakfast burritos and oatmeal cookies) and I've mopped the house twice in the last week. Of course, I'd like to do more, but I'm not beating myself up over not doing #allthethings.<br />
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<b>What I'm wearing:</b> I have approx. four maternity t-shirts that still fit me and I've dug into Pete's stash of tees on occasion to wear something different. I also realized his Oregon Duck sweatshirt is extremely comfortable and fits me perfectly right now. I am beyond ready to burn my maternity jeans. I will not be wearing them postpartum, even if that means I have to go by some jeans that only fit for the next 6-9 months.<br />
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<b>Exercise:</b> I managed a 1 mile walk with a friend and the stroller on Monday and then a 2 mile neighborhood walk early Wednesday morning. It feels good to be moving, but I can't tell you how ready I am to be running again. I really miss the heart pounding, sore muscles, full body exhaustion feel.<br />
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<b>Okay, I think that's all for now. Hope you are enjoying your weekend! </b><br />
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<i>Flashback: <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-third-trimester-week-39.html">39 Weeks Pregnant with Henry</a> and <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-third-trimester-40-weeks.html">40 Weeks Pregnant with Henry</a> </i><br />
<br />Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-4099216638916793272018-05-21T07:24:00.000-07:002018-06-09T22:40:16.980-07:00Dear Baby: 37 WeeksDear Baby,<br />
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Thirty-seven weeks now. Most days I waver between thinking you might come tomorrow (because you could) and then reminding myself you'll likely not come for another 2 or 3 weeks.<br />
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It's this weird place in parenthood feeling like you're standing at the edge of a waterfall just waiting to tip over. On the one hand, the baby clothes have been washed and folded, our infant carseat installed, my hospital bag is 90% packed, and the rocker, bouncy seat and swing covers have been washed.<br />
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But on the other hand, I did not purge half my closet like I dreamed of doing months ago, have not really scrubbed the fridge in far too long, need to wash the car, have not prepped and frozen meals and snacks ahead of time, have not scrubbed the baseboards and every square inch of this house... and on and on. Oh and I still have a few work projects I'd like to tidy up this week just in case you decide to make your debut early.<br />
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I also find myself wondering just <b>how tired</b> will we feel this time? As parents, Pete and I are now three years older, yet three years more the wiser (hopefully). I hope you're a good sleeper, yet I know that a nursing newborn often isn't that predictable, so I'm ready. I've found myself sort of weaning off of coffee more and more in the hopes that it will be there for me when I really need it at 4, 5 or 6 am.<br />
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I'll be honest that I'm really ready to be back in some of my normal clothes. Nearly nothing fits me and I literally want to throw my maternity jeans in a burn pile when they're no longer needed because they sag and bag within a matter of hours of wearing them post wash and dry.<br />
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As big as I am, I'm surprised how good I feel. Occasionally, there's a twinge in my low back or a nerve thing when you move a certain way, but otherwise I'm just tired. I'm no superhero, but I do credit being in shape prior and during pregnancy (as well as general luck of the draw) as to why I'm likely feeling this good. And yet, some days I wonder if it's even worth heading out for a walk or lifting weights at this point.<br />
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We took some family photos last week with my brother Max and his girlfriend Hannah. It was fun to do this and capture our little family of three before it grows to four.<br />
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Your big brother is <b>really</b> excited to meet you ASAP and I have a feeling will be really sweet with you, but lately I've been reminded that he's also still a little guy, bursting into tears when he hurts himself or someone hurts his feelings. Oh my heart.<br />
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Alright, I think that's it for now. I'm looking forward to taking a peak at you via ultrasound today and hearing your little heartbeat.<br />
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Lots of love,<br />
<br />
<i>mom</i>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-75665908081959044122018-05-08T07:23:00.004-07:002018-05-08T07:26:23.852-07:00Pregnancy: 34 Weeks<i>As I type this, the sun is rising outside our living room window and I'm sitting with a blanket on my lap because it was 70 something yesterday afternoon and we turned our heat off. It's that funny time of year where you almost want the heat on for just a bit in the morning and then you practically need AC by the afternoon. With yesterday's late heat, I'm feeling pretty thankful I won't be pregnant through summer.</i><br />
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<b>May 2018 // 34 Weeks</b><br />
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This week I started noticing some Braxton Hicks contractions. Nothing major or for too long, but they were there. I also noticed that I really started feeling that late pregnancy exhaustion. For the most part, I've had good energy my entire pregnancy, but I find myself barely able to keep my eyes open by 9:00 pm. I suppose, I should just haul myself to bed early to take advantage of the sleep I won't get in 6+ weeks, but I've yet to do that.<br />
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This is the week, I also felt a bit of a panic set in over the fact that <i>"this could happen anytime now."</i> To counteract that feeling of helplessness, I got out our infant carseat and washed all the padding and also washed all the baby clothes 12 months and under and started organizing them to see what I have and get them put away in drawers. We still need to get some kind of narrow dresser to serve as a changing table and hold some clothes and diapers in the boys' room, but I've yet to make a trip to Portland for IKEA or search for one used locally.<br />
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I also started packing my hospital bag with comfy pajamas, socks & underwear, a nursing tank, baby outfit, etc. I should also grab some snacks to stash in that bag because I know we'll need them if not before baby arrives, after.<br />
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The other exciting event of the week was that a few friends threw Lindsey and I a joint baby shower on Saturday. While neither of us need very little this second time around (both having boys again), it was a good excuse to get some friends and family together and celebrate.<br />
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<i>A few of the sweet mamas I've known since Henry was born (or before)</i></div>
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It was nice and relaxed and we all got to sit on Julie's back deck thanks to the weather. Unfortunately, I was fighting a cold, so I just tried to not get too close to anyone and washed my hands approx. 10 times in a few hours.<br />
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<i>Grandma Jean, my mom, myself, aunt Linda</i></div>
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I'm not sure if it's the impending baby or just a phase Henry is going through, but we've had some tough evenings and toddler moments with him this past week. One involved carrying him out of the Farmer's Market as he cried and demanded going back. We talked him off the ledge and soothed him, but it's definitely making me think about how much things are about to change in his little world.<br />
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When you love a little human so much, it sort of breaks your heart to have to think about how you're going to split your time between him, a new baby and the general demands of life. But ultimately, he is excited to be a big brother and has started asking <i>"When is Baby Moe going to come?"</i><br />
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<b>Name game: </b>We have a list of names, four or so of which I really like. We've added a few to the list this week, but I'm not a great decision maker, so it will definitely be a game time decision.<br />
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<b>Baby is </b>the size of a cantaloupe at almost 5 lb and 18 inches long.<br />
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<b>Exercise</b> was a little decreased this week, but I still managed to fit in 3 longer morning walks and at least one decent weight lifting session.<br />
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<b>Wearing</b> the same rotation of maternity tees and the two maternity sweatshirts that I have that are comfy. I'm at the "considering to buy a muumuu" status, so to say I'm looking forward to fitting into some of my old clothes is an understatement. I'm less excited about having to buy a swimsuit for the summer postpartum.<br />
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<b>My body</b> is starting to feel the weight of pregnancy. At the end of the day, my feet and arches can definitely tell I've put on 28-29 lbs. My right hip/glute area has been sore, so I assume that I'm favoring that side when I go on walks and just generally go through my day. I'm hopeful I'll ditch this cold soon so I can feel healthy and good for the next 4-6 weeks when this baby arrives.<br />
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<i>Smuggling a large basketball/beach ball</i></div>
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I haven't had many cravings this pregnancy, but for some reason fresh baked chocolate chip cookies sound pretty amazing right now as does a burger.<br />
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<b>What was the best thing you packed in your hospital bag?</b><br />
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<i>Flashback: <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-third-trimester-weeks-34-and-35.html">34 and 35 week post with pregnancy #1</a></i>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-40191370307695486802018-04-25T07:34:00.002-07:002018-05-08T07:26:53.671-07:00Pregnancy: 32 Weeks <i>Happy Wednesday! This week, I'm 33 weeks along and wondering how much bigger this belly will get. Yesterday, I got my first "Are you sure there's not two in there?" comment, so clearly others are are having similar thoughts. ;) In other news, we're having a few amazing days of weather here (sunny and 70-80F). Now if only I could find my stretchy maternity skirt...</i><br />
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<b>32 Weeks // April 2018</b><br />
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Thirty-two weeks. The week I started thinking of ALL THE THINGS I need to do before baby arrives.<br />
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<i> 35 years. 32 weeks. 34 months. </i></div>
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You know what's cathartic for 5:00 a.m. anxiety insomnia? List making.<br />
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Want to know what's on my list of things to do? Things like... paint the boys room a fresh white (I wanted to do that 2 years ago when we moved to this rental), wash and sort all the baby clothes, purge clothes I no longer like or wear, clean out the fridge & freezer, start making some meals and snacks to freeze, etc.<br />
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And then there's the constant thought of we should do X or Y before baby comes. Things like going to the coast again as a family of 3, have my brother take some family photos of us and go on a date night with Pete to the movies (we haven't been to the movie theater in 3 years - kids, man).<br />
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<b>Highlight of the week: Our 32-week ultrasound!</b> I was sort of wishy-washy about this appointment as to whether or not it was necessary. It's generally recommended for mamas of "advanced maternal age" (35 and over).<br />
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Anyway, bottom line is I'm really glad we had the ultrasound. The sonographer was fantastic this time compared to the one who did our 20-week ultrasound. Additionally, it was nice for Pete and Henry to be in the room with me and all three of us to get extra excited about our little guy making his arrival.<br />
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He looked healthy and no surprise, was measuring a little bigger than average (about a 1/2 lb heavier than average for gestational age). Henry was 9lb 3oz at birth, so it seems we have another larger baby on the way.<br />
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Otherwise, everything else looked good and there was no sign of the blood clot left from the bleeding I had at 13 weeks.<br />
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This week, my boss asked if I wanted to work into June at all and it was the first I really thought about it beyond thinking "I'm going to work up to my due date." Currently, I'm planning on working that first week in June, but we'll see!<br />
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<i>Headed to dinner with my original running group gals</i></div>
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<b>Baby is</b> the size of a squash at 16-17" long and about 4-4.5 lb (although, this guy is a bit bigger it seems). Otherwise, baby is moving a LOT. It's crazy to feel how much movement they do in the womb. This week I even got a few sharp kicks up into my ribs, which didn't feel awesome.<br />
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<b>Exercise:</b> I fit in 3 longer morning walks this week, including 1 hike up Mt. Pisgah with a few mom friends. We took it slow with two of us pretty pregnant and one mama carrying her 3 month old, and it was awesome. Weight lifting was a little lighter this week with one longer session (30+ min) and one 10-min session.<br />
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<i>32 week walk: not glamorous</i></div>
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<i>Loved the morning light at Mt. Pisgah</i></div>
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<b>Sleep:</b> Like I mentioned, sleep has been mostly good until about 5:00 am, which would be fine if I weren't going to bed at nearly 11:00 pm. I would just really like to be getting that last 1-1.5 hrs of sleep. This week, I also woke up for the first time this pregnancy in the middle of the night because I was super hungry. I had some cereal and was able to fall back asleep a bit later.<br />
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<b>Weight gained:</b> 27 lb. I officially hit the total amount of weight gain I had gained with Henry's pregnancy this week. I really don't feel like I'm eating more or exercising significantly less, but it is what it is. I'm just bigger this time around.<br />
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Overall, I feel surprisingly good and "normal." I don't feel extremely tired or weighed down until the very end of the day, which I'm thankful for. <a href="http://runhubnw.com/">Work</a> is pretty busy (and exciting) right now as this is the week of the Eugene Marathon and we have a lot going on in terms of upcoming events, sales, a space at the expo and various projects I'm working on.<br />
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<b>Okay, that's all for now. Time for coffee and breakfast! </b><br />
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Flashback: <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-third-trimester-week-32.html">32 Weeks Pregnant with Henry</a> (Yikes - I was already washing and folding baby laundry at this point last pregnancy!)Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-68854677636040951772018-04-13T08:44:00.000-07:002018-04-13T08:44:19.929-07:00Pregnancy: 28 to 30 Weeks <i>Hi friends and happy Friday! I'm currently 31 weeks pregnant and excited that I'm finally "caught up" on the pregnancy reports with this post. Here's to a fun and relaxing weekend!</i><br />
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<b>28 Weeks // March 2018</b><br />
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Baby center is telling me this week is officially the third trimester. Alrighty then!<br />
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This week is officially the week where my wedding ring is starting to feel tight on my finger. I can't remember if this happened during my pregnancy with H. But the other day as I pulled off my ring to do some weight lifting in our living room, I noticed how snug it was.<br />
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I had my gestational diabetes test this week. Chugging the clear container of glucose didn't seem so bad, surprisingly. Although, as I was leaving the appointment I did start to feel a little lightheaded from all that sugar. I was told that no news was good news, so after not hearing back from the nurse this week, I knew I passed (which was confirmed at my 31 week appt).<br />
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<i>Looking for a bump-friendly interview outfit at 28 weeks</i></div>
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This is also the week where the midwifery center wanted to start scheduling me to come in every 2 weeks for appointments. Talk about an eye opener.<br />
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<b>Making progress:</b> Some friends of ours kindly donated their old toddler bed to us as their son got a new bed. Henry was SO excited to help Pete put it together and graduate to a "big boy bed." We are planning to have the boys share a room so that we can still have a guest bedroom for family and friends to come and visit.<br />
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Getting this taken care of truly helps me feel like we're a little closer to being ready for our new arrival.<br />
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<b>Baby is:</b> the size of an eggplant, ~15" long and 2.25 lb.<br />
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<b>Baby movement:</b> Seeing and feeling a baby move inside you is both crazy and so amazing at the same time. Often times I just want to know what little part it is that is making its way across my belly, especially when its some small hard surface. I imagine a knee or elbow, but it's more likely a foot.<br />
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<b>What I'm wearing: </b>I'll be honest, I'm regretting that I have some smalls in my closet as they were perfect for the first half of this pregnancy, but I'm firmly in the mediums camp at this point. Some of those smaller shirts simply aren't long enough anymore. At this point, I'm relying on some longer tanks to help me ride the wave.<br />
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<b>Exercise:</b> Because I've been unable to run for the last 10+ weeks, I find other small victories in my workout routine. Like exceeding 10K steps in a day, getting my heart rate over 150 during a strength workout, walking a few steep hills before dawn and feeling sore two days later from exercise.<br />
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<i>A fun family walk w/ rock throwing on a sunny Sunday</i></div>
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<b>Weight gained:</b> 22 lb<br />
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I find it fascinating that I gained about 7 lbs in a month somewhere in the second trimester, but then literally stayed at the same weight for a month. The body is definitely doing things a bit differently this time around.<br />
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<b>Names:</b> We have 4-5 names that we both agree on and like and I imagine we'll go to the hospital with a few names as options like we did with Henry, although this time we won't have a girl list. I'm not a decisive person, so I cannot imagine having a definitive name picked out at this point.<br />
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<b>30 Weeks // April 2018</b><br />
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Hello, heartburn. While I've had occasional moments of heartburn throughout this pregnancy, this week it really hit me several days in a row. Like two hours after having pasta for dinner. Ugh.<br />
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Literally every single customer at the running store asks me how I'm doing and/or when the baby is due. It's strange to say, but helping people get fitted for shoes seems somehow more comfortable now than it did in my second trimester. Or maybe it's just that I'm used to the bump by now?<br />
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My bump has reached that epic stage where it's making wearing regular clothing (jeans + a top) every day extremely frustrating. The belly bands on my maternity jeans just itch and many of my maternity shirts are becoming too short to wear. I am so ready for it to be sunny so I can just put on shorts, tanks, skirts and dresses.<br />
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Henry and Pete got colds after I got a mild one and while I'm thankful mine wasn't as severe, I feel bad for both of them. We went to Central Oregon for a long weekend to watch my brother and his girlfriend do the Peterson Ridge Rumble that Pete and I did last year. It was good to spectate and spend time with family.<br />
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<b>Baby is:</b> the size of a large cabbage at about 15-16" long and 3 lb now!<br />
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<b>Weight gained: </b>25 lb<br />
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<b>What else? </b>It dawned on me recently that I should start thinking about a hospital bag and what I want to pack. And even more so, that I'd like to make a birth playlist. Just something that has a variety of chill and powerful songs that I really like to get me through hours of pain, boredom, waiting, etc.<br />
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I'm <a href="http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-complications/group-b-strep-infection/">Group B Strep (GBS)</a> positive, which means I'll need antibiotics within 4 hours of my water breaking. So even if labor isn't going super fast, I'll probably have plenty of time at the hospital. While this is a very normal thing for a good portion of women (25% of women have group B strep), I obviously wish I could have more time at home to labor and not be in a hospital room.<br />
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<b>Okay, I think that's all for now! </b>Pete and I have fun weekend plans in Seattle for my friend Annie's wedding. I can't wait to see everyone and celebrate Annie. She and I actually went on a 3-week <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/search/label/European%20adventures">European adventure</a> together back in 2009.Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-80202049297743593172018-04-05T22:41:00.001-07:002018-04-05T22:41:41.055-07:00Pregnancy: 25 Weeks<i>Ah, weekend, I can almost taste you. It's been a long week over here between pregnancy, a busy time at work and having a bit of a head cold. We are getting away this weekend with my family and I can't wait for a little forced relaxation. It's simply too easy to just keep powering on when you're at home between laundry, meals, dishes, etc. I'm currently 30 weeks and am asked several times a day at the running store how much longer I have (a clear sign people think it's soon). Let's look back on week 25!</i><br />
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<b>Week 25 // March 2018</b><br />
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This week could be summed up as itchy. My belly is itchy as the skin is stretching and the belly bands on my maternity jeans seem to only exacerbate the itch. Ugh.<br />
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<i>24 week bump</i></div>
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A customer at the store asked me if I was feeling tired these days to which I responded "No, not really." And I swear, ever since then I've felt exhausted almost daily.<i> {Yawn}</i><br />
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I'm feeling the little guy kick and move all the time, which is so cool. It is incredible to be able to put your hand on your belly and feel a little knee or foot make its way around your insides.<br />
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When I look back on the last month, both from doctor's visits and the few journal entries I've made, it's been a month of serious growth. I gained about 7 lb in a month and then my body sort of hung out there for a few weeks.<br />
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It's fascinating how different the second pregnancy can be. My first pregnancy, I steadily gained weight {and bumpage} as the weeks went on, but this time it feels like my body likes to speed up and then slow down in the growth department.<br />
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<i>25 week bump</i></div>
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<b>What else has been going on?</b> Pete and I actually got out on a little date one evening thanks to my mom. We went out for dinner and then weren't quite ready to come home, so we split a piece of cookies 'n cream cake from Sweet Life.<br />
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I<b> </b>remember when I was about to pop with Henry, I promised myself that post baby I'd buy myself an entire Sweet Life cake to enjoy (over time) as some sort of reward for having that baby. I never bought myself that cake. It's going to happen this time around. Just saying...<br />
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<b>Also, it snowed in Eugene in late February</b>. We didn't get much of an exciting winter this year, so when I woke up to snow on the ground I was seriously giddy. I put on my trail shoes and layers and headed out for a 2.5 mile walk + podcast listening.<br />
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And it's a good thing I did because the sun came out and nearly all of it was melted by the afternoon!<br />
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<b>I've really been trying to soak up my mornings with Henry</b> as I know my focus will be divided in the coming months. It's been a lot of fun to watch him get excited about Baby Moe joining our family, too. He likes to touch my belly, feel the baby kick and talk about playing with the baby. </div>
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<b>Baby is:</b> the size of a cauliflower, roughly 13.5" and 1.5 lb<br />
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<b>Exercise:</b> Throughout this second trimester, I've been really good about exercising almost daily, alternating walking days (usually 2-3 miles) with strength training at home. I've also focused on doing strength moves that get my heart rate up since I'm not up for running anymore. I should probably be doing more yoga.<br />
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<b>Weight gained:</b> 19 lbs<br />
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Flashback: <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-second-trimester-week-25.html">Pregnancy: Week 25 with Henry</a> // <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-second-trimester-week-26.html">Week 26 with Henry</a><br />
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<b>Okay, that's all for now. I didn't write a lot for week 25, so more to come about weeks 28-30. But first, I've got to head to bed!</b>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-16094224204829408462018-03-26T22:53:00.002-07:002018-03-26T22:53:28.362-07:00Pregnancy: 22 Weeks <i>Hi friends, happy Tuesday! I'm currently sitting at 29 weeks (gulp) and holding on to every last week we have left until this baby arrives. Pete and I are starting to get more mentally prepared, but June and life with a newborn seem so far away. Yet at the same time, I find myself yearning for the time to pass quickly so we can experience sun and all that comes with those warm temps sooner than later. </i><br />
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<b>Looking back at 20 Weeks</b><br />
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Around 20 weeks, we had our anatomy scan and found out that Baby Moe is a sweet little boy. With Henry, we didn't want to find out the gender, so were told to look away about half the ultrasound.<br />
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This time, we did want to know and it was very evident when the ultrasound tech told us we were having a boy that it was indeed a male. Admittedly, I teared up a bit as I had hoped we'd have a girl, but I am now really looking forward to having two boys who will hopefully grow up to be two peas in a pod.<br />
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Also, a side note about ultrasounds. Why do they have to be so weird with the excited expectant parents asking questions about what's on the screen and the tech having to dance around each question? It would be so nice if they could just say "These are the types of things I can and can't tell you for X,Y & Z reasons..." from the get go.<br />
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Instead, we got to the end of our ultrasound and I still didn't know if <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2018/02/wrapping-up-first-trimester.html">my hemorrhage</a> had shrunk and if the baby was looking "normal" as she gave us no indication. It wasn't until I asked about the hemorrhage that she went back to my charts, compared the measurements and then noticed I was 35 to which she then needed to alert the doctor and have him talk to us about genetic testing.<br />
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I know there are protocols and such, but I left feeling as though I wouldn't have known the baby was looking "normal" or that indeed the hemorrhage had shrunk if I hadn't asked and she hadn't noticed I was 35. The doctor confirmed baby looked good and he didn't see anything out of the ordinary.<br />
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<b>Week 22 // February 2018</b><br />
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When Pete and I counted the months left until Baby Moe 2.0 arrives recently, we both looked at each other a little wide-eyed. It's four and a half months if you're wondering. That feels so soon.<br />
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This week, besides the realization that baby will be here before we know it, is the general feeling of <i>"Ugh, I am getting so big." </i>I know, I KNOW I have a lot further to grow, <b>but still. </b><br />
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As I was telling a customer at the store the other day, it's hard when you feel like you have lost control of your body after years of being able to generally monitor your body's ebbs and flows through nutrition and exercise. And that's probably compounded for me because I'm not able to run and experience the endorphin high as I did most of my pregnancy with Henry.<br />
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The other strange thing about pregnancy is the way your body is on display. When your body appears as it normally does, no one really says much. But when you have this round belly, people comment. Some days, I'd like to walk around with a little sign that reads <i>"No comments necessary."</i> 😁<br />
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<b>What am I loving about this stage? </b>I am finally feeling the little guy kick from the outside several times a day. There is nothing like having your hand on your belly and feeling a little foot or hand jab out at you!<br />
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Pete even got to feel the little guy kick for the first time last week. Now I just need to try and get Henry to feel it when the baby is kicking repeatedly in the same spot.<br />
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I'm also starting to think about what we might need or want this time around. We have all of the major things covered, but there are a few things I am thinking about: a video monitor (we didn't get one the first time around, just an audio one), a big boy bed for H so we can use the crib again for baby, a double stroller (won't need this right away, but I think it would be nice to have even though the kiddos will be 3 years apart) and probably a few other things.<br />
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<b>I am really relieved that we don't need a ton of new things</b> this time around because we already have an infant carseat, travel crib, rock 'n play, bouncy seat for around the house, play mat, Bumbo, bottles, breast pump, etc.<br />
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<b>Exercise these days:</b> a few 2-3 mile walks a week with short running intervals thrown in, weight lifting at home ~3x per week (roughly 25 min each)<br />
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<b>What I'm wearing:</b> maternity everything or larger, stretchier athletic clothing. I had some items from my first pregnancy that I'm wearing a lot and my mom has also bought me a few long sleeves from Target I've been wearing. Last night we actually went to the local Motherhood Maternity here because I don't have much to wear and the one pair of jeans that still fits well just isn't cutting it.<br />
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I got a few more t-shirts, another pair of full panel lighter denim skinny jeans and a soft, fitted dress that is SO comfy (and was on major clearance). Now I just need to find a place to wear it!<br />
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I would like to get another pair of maternity leggings (I have one pair of <a href="https://www.target.com/p/maternity-overbelly-panel-leggings-isabel-maternity-153-by-ingrid-isabel-174-black/-/A-52452758#lnk=sametab&preselect=52310876" target="_blank">these</a>) as it would be nice to have a second pair to rotate in for workouts and just plain comfort.<br />
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Looking back, I would have bought a high quality pair of maternity jeans during my first pregnancy as I haven't been impressed with the jeans I have bought. They seem to get baggy and saggy after one wear, which is no bueno when you have two pairs of jeans to get you through an entire week.<br />
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<b>Baby is: </b>the size of a spaghetti squash, about 11 inches in length and ~1 lb in weight<br />
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Related: My <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-second-trimester-week-22.html">week 22 pregnancy post</a> with H and <a href="https://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/04/exercising-during-second-trimester.html">Exercise during the Second Trimester</a> last time around<br />
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<b>Okay, that's all for now! I'll check in soon with my 25 week recap.</b>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-55321767546795645762018-03-18T07:24:00.000-07:002018-03-18T07:24:43.671-07:00Pregnancy: 18 Weeks<i>I will catch up. I will catch up. I will catch up. Easier said than done when life gets busy and pregnancy makes you especially tired. I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant. How did that happen? Anyway, read on for my recap of pregnancy around 18 weeks!</i><br />
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Eighteen weeks. Two weeks from twenty. It feels so official and well, halfway there. In the last few weeks, my baby bump has gone from this awkward shape to what is clearly a pregnant belly.<br />
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<i>19 Week Bump</i></div>
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It's somewhat scary and somewhat a relief that I don't necessarily have to declare <i>"BTW, I'm pregnant"</i> to acquaintances. The belly is out there.<br />
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We're coming along, baby. Slowly, slowly, I'm gaining appreciation for this pregnancy and the life that will enter our world in less than six months.<br />
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I've also found myself more aware and appreciative of this pregnancy for the fact that it's likely the last time I'll be pregnant. While it definitely hasn't been rainbows and roses (it seems this is common with second, third, etc. pregnancies), I am reminding myself how lucky I am that getting pregnant has been relatively easy for my body. And I truly am lucky to be capable of carrying a child and bringing a new little life into the world.<br />
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<i>One of my last pregnancy "runs"</i></div>
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Pregnancy this time around has been weird and awkward and just different. The baby is sitting much lower this time around making day to day activities less comfortable and running not so comfortable. During a four mile run/walk last Sunday, I looped back to the house to pee 5 minutes into the run and then took several walk breaks. The rest of the day, the ligaments in my pelvis were sore and it just seemed not worth it.<br />
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So, I'm not really running. I went out for a 25 minute walk later in the week and incorporated maybe 5 short running spurts and that is probably more where my body is at at this point. Instead, I'm planning on incorporating more weight lifting and body weight work indoors to get my heart rate up and stay strong. Plus, I want to make sure my baby holding muscles are plenty strong by June. ;)<br />
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The last two Thursdays, I've also been able to make it to my friend Lindsey's flow class at <a href="http://eugenemudra.com/">Mudra Yoga</a>. While I can't do everything to my usual ability, it feels good to be moving, stretching and doing a bit of yoga. Plus, it's encouraged me to do a bit more stretching at home.<br />
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At my midwifery appointment this week, we got to hear the heart beat again (Pete's first time hearing it), which is always fun. It was at 162 and in the past has been in the 150s. Henry was the cutest. When the doppler picked up the baby's heartbeat, he was very focused just watching me, wide mouthed with a slight grin on his face.<br />
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A fun family beach trip on a sunny February day</div>
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Next Monday, we will have the big anatomy scan ultrasound, which I'm looking forward to. We are planning on finding out the sex too. Can't wait. Part of me would like to do a gender reveal, but part of me just wants to know and not have to look away half of the ultrasound.<br />
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<b>A few stats as of late...</b><br />
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Weight gained: ~10 lb<br />
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Feeling: Less tired than first trimester, for sure, but heavy in the pelvis area with the baby so low<br />
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Workouts: Walks + a little run, yoga, 2 strength workouts<br />
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What I'm wearing: Maternity jeans (old) - H&M and a Motherhood Maternity brand, maternity tops and stretchy workout tops<br />
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Baby is: ~5.5" long and the size of a sweet potato or artichoke<br />
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<b>How has your week been? What are you looking forward to in the next week or month?</b><br />
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<i>I'm looking forward to a few fun weekend events, including a short trip to Central Oregon with the fan and the wedding of a high school friend in Seattle. </i>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-24345840730136049822018-03-04T22:46:00.001-08:002018-03-04T22:46:53.354-08:00Pregnancy: 14 to 16 Weeks<i>I'm currently sitting at 25 weeks pregnant. Read on for my 14-16 week recap. I've drafted several posts journal style throughout this pregnancy, but am still working on getting you caught up. Maybe I'll do so before the baby's born, eh?</i><br />
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<b>Weeks 14-16 // December 2017 </b><br />
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I remember this feeling well. That point in pregnancy at which you feel like your body is being taken over by pregnancy, by this new little life form. Only this time, I think it's happening much earlier.<br />
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My boobs didn't stretch, swell and hurt at five weeks like they did with my first pregnancy. This time, that happened around 10 weeks. And around that time, my jeans started becoming uncomfortable, my waistline was quickly thickening and my body quickly became a landscape I no longer recognized, yet again.<br />
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And it's all fine and good. I know it's for an important cause, but it doesn't mean I'm instantly accepting of this new landscape.<br />
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I'm also at that funny place where I've told my good friends, but not the whole world that I am pregnant. I find myself oddly protective and not quite ready to announce it to anyone and everyone. And yet, I realize that my quickly rounding belly is making it hard to disguise.<br />
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With a few unexpected changes in the latter part of 2017, it's honestly been hard to find as much as excitement about this sweet little baby as I was when pregnant with Henry. Seeing as today is January 1, 2018, I'm looking forward to changing that and moving forward opening my heart to this new little one.<br />
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Our 20 week anatomy scan is coming up in three weeks, and I'm confident that will get both Pete and I especially excited for what's to come. And this time (unlike with Henry), we're planning to find out the sex of the baby, which I think will help too.<br />
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Also around this time, the combination of extra shifts at work + Christmas prep (late night wrapping and trips to Michael's for photo frames) + pregnancy had me extra tired. A few days after Christmas, I came down with the flu or a very bad cold that wiped me out for a solid week.<br />
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Thank goodness for Oiselle lux track pants and Brooks Levitates. I wore this outfit for a solid three days straight (minus changing into my PJs for bed).<br />
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<i>Comfort when you're sick = everything</i></div>
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Pete also got really sick, but somehow Henry managed to stay healthy. </div>
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Weight gained: 4-6 lbs<br />
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What I'm wearing: Still wearing some of my regular jeans with the assistance of a hair tie and/or belly band to keep them up.<br />
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Exercise: I had probably one of my last runs of this pregnancy, running 4 miles with a friend and our toddlers in strollers. As soon as I got a bit of a belly, the impact of running just hasn't felt great, so I've been doing a lot more walking with short jogging stretches. I'm also stepping up my strength game, trying to lift 3-4 days a week for 20-30 minutes at a time.<br />
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<b>Alrighty, time for bed! I hope you had a great weekend. These days, I could go to bed around 8:00 pm, although I don't often hit the hay until 10:30 or so...</b><br />
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Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-34594349465470395442018-02-19T08:47:00.002-08:002018-02-19T08:53:53.619-08:00Wrapping up the first trimester<i>Good morning and happy Monday! I'm getting ready to do a little at home strength training and then walk with a friend (and Henry). As I type this, I can see a few white flakes falling from the sky. We are finally experiencing a little bit of winter here in Oregon! I'm crossing my fingers for a little bit more snow later this week. Currently, I am 23 weeks along, but recapping the end of my first trimester.</i><br />
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December 2017<br />
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Oh how time flies the second time around the pregnancy block! I had intentions of writing here around 11 weeks and then 12 weeks and now here we are at 13 weeks.<br />
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Because it's on my mind, let's talk about how pregnancy is different the second time around when you already have a little one.<br />
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<b>Each week, I think about taking a bump photo, but then I realize</b> a) Pete's not home to take one for me b) I look like a hot mess unshowered and in workout clothes c) I need to tend to a toddler's needs rather than spending 5 minutes trying to take a good bump photo d) I don't feel like taking a selfie because our old house just had "prettier" aesthetics for taking photos (i.e. hardwood floor, white trim). We're in a rental now.<br />
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<b>Just when I'm firmly in one week, all of a sudden the calendar flips</b> over to a new week of pregnancy. These first three months have <i>flown</i> by. I'm still hoping time slows down a bit for us to do more mental and physical prep for baby, but the reality is we'll just wing it and hang on for the ride.<br />
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<b>In the 2.5 years since I was pregnant last, I forgot just how exhausting pregnancy was</b> the first time around. There are many days where I really need a nap and am not able to get much of my Run Hub work done, which is frustrating.<br />
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<b>My bump is indeed larger this time around. </b>The two main factors in my opinion: Henry stretched out by ab muscles quite well and now I just don't have the time to do core work like I used to. My core strength is a sad glimmer of what it used to be.<br />
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13 weeks now<br />
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vs. 13 weeks with Henry (December 2014)<br />
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Suffice it to say, last time it was nearly unnoticeable anything was happening at 13 weeks.<br />
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<b>I waver between being excited about this new second tiny human we've always wanted and being terrified we just won't be able to handle it.</b> Of course, I know we'll rise to the occasion, but every sweet moment playing Henry is a reminder that things will look different with a new baby in the mix.<br />
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Because Henry knows (we told him around 10 weeks right before we told my parents), he likes to kiss and hug the baby bump. 😊<br />
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<b>How did we tell our family?</b> We had a Thanksgiving brunch scheduled with my parents, grandparents, aunt, cousins and siblings when I was around 10+ weeks along. Henry wore his Big Brother shirt and we had him take the sonogram up to my parents and say "I'm going to be a big brother!" As people arrived, he went up to each person and shared his big news. It was a really fun way to tell everyone. That weekend, we also FaceTimed with Pete's parents to tell them our news.<br />
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<b>So, what's new this week?</b><br />
On Tuesday afternoon, I noticed a tiny bit of bleeding and a little cramping. Luckily, Pete happened to come home early from work that day and encouraged me to call the midwifery center. A bit later a nurse called back and asked me to come in to be checked by a midwife. Thankfully, all looked good with the baby - strong heart beat and it was moving around plenty. They referred me to get a higher level ultrasound the next day.<br />
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The ultrasound showed that I have a small <a href="https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/tc/subchorionic-hemorrhage-topic-overview" target="_blank">subchorionic hemorrhage</a>, which does increase the risk of miscarriage a bit and can cause early onset of labor. The doctor basically told me to take it easy for a bit and of course call if I had any reoccurring bleeding and cramping.<br />
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I'll just say that hearing I need to lay low/take it easy for a bit is just kind of annoying. On the one hand, I agree and understand the need and then on the other hand, I'd like more specific guidelines, like "no running, hiking, weight lifting, etc." for 2-3 weeks. When I asked about running, she just said not to do anything strenuous for a while. I'm glad I have another midwife appointment this week because I want to ask the question again.<br />
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I'll be honest, if I can't run the rest of this pregnancy, I might go crazy. Walks are fine, but they don't induce the endorphins like running does.<br />
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Looking back on this post and these reflections post bleeding, I realize it's a bit silly. At the time, those 2 weeks of laying low probably drove me a little batty, but in reality, it wasn't a big deal. I'm glad I followed doctor's orders and gave my body a bit of a break from exercise during this time.<br />
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During those two weeks, I did do this one family 4-mile jog/walk at the annual Over the River and Through the Woods 10K/4 Miler a running friend puts on (shown above). We walked for a while any time I got my heart rate up too much or I started feeling any discomfort.<br />
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<b>Okay, that's all for the first trimester recaps! I'm planning on posting later this week and getting you caught up to current day in the next two weeks, hopefully. </b><br />
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<b>Hope your week is off to a great start! I know Mondays can be a big rough for everyone. </b><br />
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Of possible interest: My <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2014/12/getting-caught-up-first-trimester.html" target="_blank">First Trimester</a> post from pregnancy #1Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-20320521330940112852018-02-12T07:52:00.000-08:002018-02-12T07:52:09.752-08:00Pregnancy: Eight Weeks<i style="font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Good morning! Over the next few weeks I'll be posting these to get us caught up to current day. This post was written around eight weeks into my pregnancy. I'm currently 22 weeks along. Let me know if you have any questions!</i><br />
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November 2017<br />
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Let's see, what's happened in the last four weeks? Well, mainly a lot of nausea and exhaustion. This pregnancy, I've definitely felt considerably worse than I did during my first pregnancy. From weeks 6-9, I had pretty much all day nausea that just wouldn't stop and was only briefly mitigated by small meals or snacks.<br />
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<i>A nightly craving in this early weeks</i></div>
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Feeling nauseous and tired all day long definitely has left me with a short temper. I simply don't have the bandwidth to deal with toddler antics some days. And then when I lash out, I have to take a deep breathe, apologize and reassess the situation.<br />
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On top of that, it's hard to be around friends and family members because I have to pretend I don't feel like garbage. Telling people is always a tricky thing. On the one hand, I'd like to just tell friends and family, but on the other hand, it's nice to have something that's just your own secret for a while longer.<br />
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<i>H reading books with his great grandma Jean</i></div>
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And the exhaustion? Whew. Never would I have imagined how tired I could feel growing a human and chasing after a toddler at the same time. On more than one occasion, I've nearly fallen asleep reading Henry books before nap or bedtime, or while he played in the living room during the day. I know I need to be awake and present, but my body is willing me to la la land. But don't worry, a toddler won't really let you sleep in the same room with them, so he's been sure to bang his drum, knock down blocks and climb on me to keep me half awake.<br />
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Exercise has been really lame this pregnancy so far thanks to rolling my ankle in Bend, OR at the end of September. My ankle is slowly healing, but even heading out for a 2-3 mile jog makes it sore and achy for a few days and weight lifting and yoga just don't seem to be happening. For me, if it doesn't happen first thing in the morning, it's not likely to happen. I've managed to make it to most of our weekly stroller runs from the store, but not without a few walk breaks for the ankle.<br />
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What I'm wearing: I haven't gained any weight yet, but with everything that's expanding inside, it doesn't feel too good to wear my regular high rise jeans. I tried on my maternity jeans the other day, but they fit awkwardly at this point.<br />
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Sleep: Sleep has been frustrating these last few weeks, but more often than not thanks to a certain toddler getting out of his bed at 4:00 a.m. I'd really like these next 30+ weeks to be sleep filled since I know I'll rack up some sleep debt after that. <i>*We ended up buying an "Okay to wake" clock and removing the front side of his crib. The combo of these two things seemed to solve our 4:00 a.m. toddler wake-ups.</i><br />
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Okay, so suffice it to say, the first trimester wasn't much fun for me, but I'm pretty sure it's not a party for most women. And, I wasn't sick all the time, so that's a plus!<br />
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But today, today is sunny and I have Mondays off, so I'm looking forward to doing some computer work at home and spending some time with my little family. Have a great week!Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-59942260677176461482018-02-05T09:48:00.001-08:002018-02-05T09:48:45.899-08:00Pregnancy: Four Weeks <i>Hi friends! I'm starting to recap pregnancy #2 with you. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting these to get us caught up to current day. This post was written a few days after we found out we were pregnant and I am now 21 weeks along. </i><br />
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October 2017<br />
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Four weeks in. I think. I never understand how they count pregnancy weeks seeing as how they start from first day of your last period. Clearly you conceive 1-2 weeks later. Anyway...<br />
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So we knew we wanted to start trying as we were ready to have another kiddo. I always imagined I would have 2, maybe 3 kids. But because we got pregnant so quickly the first time, we wanted to really be ready when we tried for a second. Mentally, I'd been ready for another baby for 6-9 months, but we were finally ready to commit.<br />
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And sure enough, it happened pretty quickly again, which left me somehow a little shocked. I knew it was possible, but didn't really believe it would happen that way again. After all, I'm three years older than I was when I got pregnant with Henry and not so much a spring chicken (I'll turn 35 in January).<br />
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BUT, it did! At first, I was excited. And then I was sort of in shock and almost regret thinking "Maybe we should have waited? We do have this wedding coming up. It would have been fun to <i>really</i> be able to celebrate with our friends."<br />
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But the fact is, there is always something. Always a social event, a reason that would seem good enough to wait another month (or five).<br />
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And then one night I thought to myself how <i><b>fun</b> </i>Henry is now at two years old and how we're finally sort of able to get away on occasion for a date night. And how I <i>could</i>, if I wanted, go to yoga class or a running group on a weeknight. Or Pete could go out for a guys' night. And yet, we're going to trade that all in for months upon months of broken sleep? 😭<br />
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<i>Family hike up Spencer Butte in October</i></div>
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I'll admit that as much as we've both dreamt about a baby #2, I felt my body flood with sheer panic of entering that twilight zone again.<br />
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And because my head was already in a bad place, I thought about how much harder it will be to get back to where I'm at now with my body. Goodbye, midsection.<br />
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But the fact is, despite all my hesitations and worries, <b>this baby is so wanted</b>. I feel tremendously lucky to have been able to get pregnant twice now as I know it's a struggle for so many people out there. So many women and families struggle with infertility and/or miscarriages and that doesn't fall lightly on me.<br />
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Work: If I'm being honest, I know that some of this fear is rooted in the fact that I feel like I'm not contributing financially what I could be. <i>(Update: things have changed quite a lot in that arena and I am now working full time and Pete is home with H and looking for a new job. Oh how things change!) </i><br />
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Around 4-6 weeks pregnant, I was going through an interview process, which was a bit of a trip. Not to mention, trying to find something that fit and looked professional was a challenge as I was thicker through the midsection.<br />
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I didn't end up getting the job, but it was a confidence booster to go through the process and be one of two finalists. In my career, I have done very little interviewing, so it was a good personal challenge for me. </div>
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And on the other hand, I feel <b>incredibly lucky</b> to have had these last 2+ years home with Henry to take care of him and form such a special relationship. These 2.5 years have been honestly the most valuable and meaningful years of my life.<br />
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How I'm feeling: It's honestly hard to remember just how I felt with Henry, but I'd say I feel worse than I did with him. Most days, I feel sick about half the day. And it's tough being around friends and family members who you don't want to tell just yet and then feel like complete garbage inside. There's a lot of grin and bear it.<br />
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What I'm eating: What makes me feel less nauseous is drinking water/tea, eating a snack (preferably crackers) and taking deep breaths. I'm able to eat plenty of veggies and fruits, but sometimes I do just have to shovel it in for the nutrition. It doesn't necessarily sound good to me to eat a salad these days.<br />
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Bump? No one else would probably notice a thing, but I can tell that my belly just wants to be pooched out more. And I've noticed that since I found out that I was pregnant, I'm just naturally not holding in my core like I would normally.<br />
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What I'm wearing: All my regular clothes feel just fine at this point.<br />
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<i>Hike past Tumalo Falls outside Bend, OR</i></div>
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Exercise: Well, I rolled my ankle on a run/hike while I was on a solo trip in Bend (to be recapped on the blog soon) and it's still swollen almost two weeks later, so I've only ran twice since then. Otherwise, I'm doing some indoor strength and HIIT workouts (SarahFit), a little yoga, and I rode the bike with Henry in the bike trailer today. Pete and I are registered for a half marathon in 3 weeks, so I'm getting a little nervous that I may have to drop down to the 7 miler.<br />
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<i>Spoiler: We didn't race that trail half marathon because my ankle had been so bad I couldn't really run more than 2-3 miles and it didn't seem safe. Plus, going to my brother and sister-in-law's Friendsgiving sounded like a lot more fun!</i><br />
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So, there you have it. Four weeks in was a bit of a trip mentally. I definitely rode the roller coaster of emotions between terrified and excited.<br />
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<b>Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a good start. </b>I have today off, so will be heading out for a little stroller walk in one of my favorite spots today and then hopefully some chores and computer work around the house.<br />
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<br />Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-46646771451026263602018-01-30T22:04:00.000-08:002018-01-30T22:04:35.245-08:00Where Have I Been? Well, the story remains somewhat the same. I'm busy with work, taking care of a toddler, enjoying some down time on occasion and now... <b>growing another human! </b><br />
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I'm currently 21 weeks pregnant with baby Moe 2.0 due in June.<br />
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I'm not sure why pregnancy makes me want to write more, but for some reason it feels natural to write about the process as I did while I was pregnant with Henry and I suppose it gives me a focus, too.<br />
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I've been writing some posts here in draft form for the past several months, so I'm hoping to catch you all up soon on the pregnancy so far. But long story short, I feel and look a lot more pregnant than I did last time at just halfway through my pregnancy. It's all to be expected with a second pregnancy (and beyond), but it's never easy to accept that you can't do as much as you once did.<br />
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<a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-second-trimester-week-21.html" target="_blank">21 weeks (pregnancy 1)</a><br />
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vs. 21 weeks (now)</div>
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Crazy, right?<br />
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Essentially, running is nearly non existent, save for a few 1-2 minute bursts during my few weekly 2-3 mile walks. It just doesn't feel good on the round ligaments as everything in the pelvic floor is all stretched out. The way it feels to me this time is like a relaxed hammock in there vs. a tightly stretched trampoline. The weight of the baby and the uterus really presses on my bladder and just doesn't feel great when I'm trying to run. So, I'm focusing on what I <i><b>can</b> </i>do. Walks, weights and a little HIIT training at home.<br />
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I won't lie that when I start to think of when I might have time to do X, Y or Z project these days, I feel a bit of a panic attack coming on. Cleaning out storage boxes in the garage, decluttering, mopping the floors or deep cleaning the bathroom. They once seemed doable with a little one napping for 2 hrs, but I'm now working a lot more and Henry is only napping about an hour, so there's not much time for tasks.<br />
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And let's not get started about how little I'm already imagining I can accomplish when I have a nursing (hopefully) newborn and a toddler. H is just at the stage where he can play well independently, but not always. He often wants us to play with him, read a book or "stop working out, mommy!" when I'm taking a precious 20 minutes in the morning to get my strength in.<br />
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As I've recently switched to more of a full time schedule at the running store, I am constantly wondering how parents of multiple children ever get quality time to themselves or each other.<br />
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Anyway, that's probably enough for now. I need to take some deep breaths and get settled for bed. We'll chat more soon.<br />
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<b>Let me know if you have any questions (or advice)!</b><br />
<br />Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-92071585357171215082017-10-10T21:09:00.000-07:002017-10-10T21:09:15.841-07:00So Big, Yet So Little For whatever reason, I was feeling a little sappy today. Maybe it's the changing of the seasons. Enjoying these last mornings and days of sun and plenty of outdoor time. Maybe it's the idea of heading back to work full time. Maybe it's this sore throat and a lack of running thanks to a swollen ankle.<br />
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There wasn't anything in particular that made today a special one, but we toured a daycare and Henry wanted to stay.<br />
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We walked through a little dahlia garden near the Lane County Fairgrounds and I was in awe. There were dahlias bigger than my hand!<br />
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H fell on the pavement, cried, put his head on my shoulder and just wanted to be held for a while.<br />
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He fell asleep on the way home, just 3 minutes from the house. He let me pick him up, carry him inside, take off his shoes and transfer him to the crib for nap with no fuss.<br />
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<i> When toddlerhood sometimes feels like babyhood</i></div>
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After nap, he ate his PBJ middle first getting almond and peanut butter ALL over his face.<br />
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A little later, he pulled out an air popper we've never used and wanted me to open it. So, I cut open the box and we made some popcorn. How did I forget how much I like popcorn?<br />
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Before dinner he wanted to put on last year's Halloween costume and ran around in it a bit and then ate dinner in it. <i>Granted, he can only put the wings on and wear it like a cape as he's grown much too tall for it. </i></div>
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<i>2016 Halloween</i></div>
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That's all to say it feels like while our little guy is growing up, he's still very young. For now, I'm holding on to these sweet moments because I know these years will go by in a flash and he won't always need me this much. </div>
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This afternoon brought rain, so I'm already looking forward to the three days of sun we have coming this weekend. It's funny how even as an Oregonian, I forget just how much it rains here every year. </div>
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<b>Alright, time to hit the hay. Have a great week! </b></div>
Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-31198788509349387022017-09-20T07:09:00.002-07:002017-09-20T07:11:23.847-07:00Running These Days<i>Thanks to everyone who left a comment, e-mailed or texted about <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-postpartum-body-roller-coaster.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>. Clearly, I'm not alone. Body image and postpartum, changing bodies can be challenging for so many. </i><br />
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I want to get back to writing here regularly, so I need to figure that out, but I was thinking this week about this post as I worked on stretching my hamstrings. I was thinking about how so many things, but running in particular is more than just going for a run (although it can be that simple).<br />
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It's about setting your clothes out the night before, making a date with a running buddy, doing a little dynamic warm up before you head out, easing into your run, hitting your stride, walking when you're finished, <i>hopefully</i> taking 5 minutes to stretch and eating something nutritious afterward. It's more than just those 3 (or 5 or 10) miles.<br />
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These days, I'm running about 25 miles a week, trying to keep my body strong and ready to start ramping up for an upcoming <a href="http://www.silverfallsmarathon.com/" target="_blank">trail half marathon</a> Pete and I are both signed up for. But running that much also means I have tightness and soreness that needs to be dealt with to keep me healthy and able to do decent mileage.<br />
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So while I'm not taking my training as seriously as I did with marathon training, I'm trying to force myself to do the foam rolling, stretching and strength training that will make all these training miles and the 13.1 hilly trail miles more manageable.<br />
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Stretching and foam rolling feel like meal planning - it's a nice idea that reaps big rewards, but it isn't always fun and takes a lot of time. But on the other hand, once you do it, it saves you time and agony later on because you aren't scrambling to swing by the grocery store and invent a meal when you need food on the table ASAP.<br />
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Anyway, earlier this week I opted to do 30 minutes of <a href="https://video.jasyoga.com/home" target="_blank">Jasyoga</a> while Pete did bedtime to take care of my cranky hamstring. Too often in the evenings, I park myself on the couch rather than spending 5-10 minutes on some much needed yoga. I keep telling myself I'm going to try and start going to yoga once a week in the evenings, but evenings are just hard with young kids. And <b>the guilt</b> of leaving your partner to go do something fun while they have to do the dinner, bath, bedtime routine solo, <b>is real</b>.<br />
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With all the wildfires happening in Oregon over the past month, we have seen a LOT of smoky air here in Eugene. So much so that most of us were unable to do much of anything outdoors for several days at a time when the air quality was "very unhealthy" and even "hazardous." Even walking to the car or driving places sometimes made it a little painful to breathe.<br />
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Not being able to run for 4-5 days isn't the biggest deal, but it did make me so thankful for clear skies and the ability to run when I want. I made do with a few good living room sweat sessions via dumbbells and HIIT workouts (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SarahsFabChannel" target="_blank">Sarah Fit</a> has had some great ones lately).<br />
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Thankfully, the rain showed up this week, so our air is nice and clean at the moment. But the rain... I have mixed feelings on that. There is so much to love about fall (namely pumpkins, apples, leaves and crisp mornings), but the unending rain we get here can wear on you. But walks with colors like these? I'd take a million of them.<br />
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<i>A little walk in the woods with my guy yesterday </i>😍</div>
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Overall, I'm taking a more relaxed approach to fitness and my body. Honestly, since writing that post on my postpartum body struggles, I have given so much less time to those negative, critical thoughts. And when I do have them, I try to frame them as I would when I see 100+ different mom bodies at the public pool: "Oh look, there's a body shape and isn't it unique." So, I'm moving forward and focusing on creating a strong body to keep doing the things I want to do.<br />
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<b>How is your week going? Speaking of meal planning... do you do it? What are your tips? </b>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-55742042098547096492017-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:002017-08-31T13:27:33.665-07:00The Postpartum Body Roller Coaster <i>Disclaimer: If you are someone who struggles with body image and weight talk, this post is probably not for you. </i><br />
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It's been a journey. Up, down, up, down. I remember around a year postpartum I was back to my pre baby weight and fitting into most of my clothes pretty well (although sure enough, the hips did widen after 41 weeks of pregnancy and birth).<br />
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And I thought "O<i>kay, so now it's just about getting stronger and toning up."</i> I was running several days a week and still nursing probably 4x a day and often 1-2x per night.<br />
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Around 18 months, Henry finally started sleeping through the night. According to what I've seen and read, this is normal with breastfed babies. Many continue waking up in the middle of the night because they know they can get milk. At this point, we had Pete start going in when Henry would wake up and soothe him back to sleep by talking or singing to him. Henry was nursing about two times a day.<br />
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At 2 years + 3 weeks, Henry was finally weaned. That's a story for another day, but it happened and thankfully wasn't too traumatic for either of us.<br />
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*The reason I include this nursing timeline in here is that it took me some time to realize that one of the reasons my clothes fit noticeably different this summer versus last is that I'm no longer nursing away 400+ calories a day.<br />
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<b>Coming to Terms with My Body</b><br />
Honestly, I've come back to this draft post several times in the last six months. And each time, my mindset is different. Some days I'm in the <i>"Boohoo. Why does my body look like this?"</i> stage and other days I'm in the <i>"Well, this is the mom bod thing that people joke about. But, actually it's reality and I'm going to come to terms with it"</i> stage.<br />
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For several reasons, I'm slowly leaning (and staying) more and more in the "coming to terms with it" stage. And I'm happy about that!<br />
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<b>Body Image</b><br />
As someone who struggled with weight growing up (and was made fun of in public by "friends" and a family member) and has been an athlete most of her life, I've had my share of struggles with body image, as I know most women have. And as an adult who often worked out multiple times a day (not always the most healthy habit, I know) and ate pretty well prior to having a child, I struggled when what I saw in the mirror didn't reflect (to me) a woman who worked her ASS off daily.<br />
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Fast forward to maybe 18 months postpartum and my flat(ish) stomach started to change as we gradually weaned from nursing. And since then, I've noticed that no matter how clean I eat - all the salads, only a square of dark chocolate for dessert, almost no alcohol - plus, running 5-6 days a week and weight lifting a bit, my stomach doesn't change. This is it, folks.<br />
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<i>Strength work in my PJ's @ 22 months postpartum</i></div>
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I'm not someone that likes to put her vulnerabilities out there (heck, who is?), but I felt like showing what my belly actually looks like when I'm planking <b>and tightening my core</b> sheds a little bit of truth on that whole body after baby stuff we see on Instagram. Yeah, some women don't have much extra skin or fat left over post pregnancy (I'm jealous), but some of us do. I also realize there's a wide spectrum and while to some people my body issues seem negligible, it's all relative.<br />
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So, I guess I'm putting this out there now because <b>I'm tired of putting myself down when I work so hard</b> and frankly can't do much to change things. <i>Maybe </i>I'd see a change if I were putting in 50-60 miles a week of running + more intense weight lifting, but right now I just don't have the time or interest in that.<br />
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And I'm also owning the fact that sometimes when I was working out 2-3x a day, it was partially a punishment or a nagging feeling that if I didn't workout, I couldn't maintain a flat stomach and size _ clothing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to workout because the endorphins make me so happy, but there's also a point at which you <b>just KNOW </b>you've crossed the boundary from healthy to unhealthy.<br />
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<b>So, I want to let go of this burden I've carried around. </b>And maybe you have a body burden you want to let go of too?<br />
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I want to stop the internal dialog that says <i>"Why does my stomach look like this?",</i> <i>"Why is there still fat on my hips?" or "Why doesn't my body look like so-and-so's?"</i> Because woman. That's how we were made and you've always had fat on your hips.<br />
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While I know I'll screw up and I won't always think my body is just great no matter what, it's a step in the right direction. Already, I've noticed myself a few times have a thought and then say <i>"So what? This is a body. With some curves. There are so many more interesting things in life."</i><br />
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<b>And finally, donate the clothes that don't fit.</b><br />
I had kept a few pairs of jeans in my smaller size that used to fit well pre pregnancy, but they really haven't felt good any time I've worn them postpartum. So, the last time I pulled on those black skinny jeans and they made me feel like shit, I washed them, folded them and threw them in a pile for donation.<br />
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<b>So, if you're struggling with body confidence right now, I feel you. </b>I hope this helps someone else who might have unrealistic expectations about their body as I did. And if you're a new mom or soon-to-be new mom, go easy on yourself. Your priority is now a tiny human and sleep for quite a while.<br />
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<b>People I credit for inspiring me to start to think differently about how my body looks and to write this post: </b><br />
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<a href="http://www.stephandbenbruce.com/blog/" target="_blank">Steph Rothstein Bruce</a> for sharing her motherhood and running journey with the world. And helping women with diastasis recti (DR) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StephanieRothsteinBruce/" target="_blank">find solutions</a> and realize they're not alone. She did an amazing hour long Facebook live earlier this year and answered so many women's questions about diastasis recti and safe core exercises. If you go to her page, you'll find it in her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/StephanieRothsteinBruce/videos" target="_blank">videos section</a> from April 6. The woman is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stephrothstein" target="_blank">strong as hell</a> and has made it clear that the journey doesn't always look "pretty" in the way we often define it. I didn't have DR, but appreciate her honesty as a professional runner and mom of two.<br />
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<a href="http://fitnessista.com/got-breast-implants-removed-experience-explant-surgery/" target="_blank">Gina</a>, the Fitnessista, for putting her breast explant and diastasis recti repair story out there. Go read her story!<br />
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<a href="http://girlsgonewodpodcast.com/" target="_blank">Girls Gone WOD</a> podcast (Joy and Claire) for recently becoming more vocal about letting go of negative self talk around your body. Joy has also been talking a lot about not letting your thoughts around food or exercise be related to your body's appearance. It's not a transactional relationship. If you're hungry, eat. If you want some chips and guac, have it and move on. Follow them on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/girlsgonewodpodcast/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and/or listen to <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/girls-gone-wod-podcast" target="_blank">their podcast</a>. I don't do Crossfit and I still love to listen.<br />
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<b>Do you have any good body positive resources to share? Leave them in the comments. </b><br />
<br />Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-9867894914118440462017-07-30T21:35:00.002-07:002017-07-30T21:56:55.356-07:00Exploring the North Umpqua Trail Or, alternatively titled <i>"The First Time We Both Left Henry Overnight Since He Was Born."</i><br />
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</i> Prepare for a photo deluge because this trip was all about the scenery (for me) and miles (for Pete). This summer, the manfriend/husband/Pete has been training for the <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/search/label/MRTR%2050K" target="_blank">McKenzie River 50K</a>, so many of his weekend mornings consist of running 15-20+ miles. When we started talking about what we wanted to do this summer (I love writing a good summer bucket list), the North Umpqua Trail was high up there for me. So, we put it on the calendar and asked my mom to watch Henry so we could head about 1.5 hrs south for a weekend of camping and running.<br />
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Just a couple 'a parents who are heading out of town without the kiddo overnight for the first time since he was born (2+ years ago)!!</div>
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Before heading south, I consulted a runner friend Raina who lives much closer to the North Umpqua Trail (NUT) for advice on good sections to run and camping. She recommended <a href="https://www.recreation.gov/camping/susan-creek-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=75820" target="_blank">Susan Creek Campground</a>, which has heated showers AND real bathrooms, so when we pulled in Saturday afternoon and there were still a few spots left, we snagged one! </div>
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We set up our tent, had a snack and then suited up for an hour run on the trial. The <a href="https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/recreation/umpquatrails/" target="_blank">North Umpqua Trail</a> is 79 miles long and is open to runners, hikers, horses and mountain bikers. There are <a href="https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/recreation/umpquatrails/the_north_umpqua_trail_at_a_glance.html" target="_blank">several trailheads</a> along the way as well as campgrounds. </div>
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<b>Hiker/runner tip:</b> If you're planning to explore the trail, be sure to pick up a trail map at a ranger station or one of the campgrounds. A runner who stopped into Run Hub a week before we went happened to have an extra one in his car one day and gave it to us, which was so helpful. It talks in detail about each section of the trail. </div>
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Running over the Tioga Bridge on the Tioga segment of the trail</div>
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Hot, hard run, but the views were pretty sweet from the Tioga bridge. </div>
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Big trees</div>
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Once we were sufficiently hot and tired, we turned around and ran back to camp. The run was shortly followed by a cold beer and showers to make sure we didn't have any poison oak on us (there's a lot of it along the trail). </div>
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Besides being my first night away from Henry since he was born and not have to worry about another little human for 30 hours, it was really nice to not have much cell service at the campsite. We could text, but that's about it and it was a nice break from social media and an opportunity to just slow down and relax. </div>
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Sunday, we woke up with the sun (as you do when camping) and started the fire, coffee and pancake making. </div>
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Around 9 a.m., we were packed up and ready to hit the road for Pete's long run. We had scoped out a few sections of the trail that weren't too hard (or easy, although I'm not sure any of that trail is "easy") or long and pieced them together for his 20 mile run. </div>
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Happy feet = a well fitting shoe and new Stance socks to keep the brush and dirt off the legs. </div>
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Because it was going to get hot and we figured it would be fun to see more of the trail, I opted to run a bit and make sure he had plenty of water and fuel at a few stops. I dropped Pete off at the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/recreation/umpquatrails/the_north_umpqua_trail_at_a_glance.html" target="_blank">Marsters Trailhead/Jessie Wright Segment</a> and then leapfrogged ahead 4 miles to Soda Springs Trailhead where I met him and ran/hiked about 8 miles total on the Deer Leap section. </div>
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These rock formations at Soda Springs were pretty cool. </div>
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He was looking good at Soda Springs (4 miles done), so I started up the trail as he refueled at the car. </div>
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Medicine Springs was a happy little surprise among the forest of trees and one of only TWO other people we saw on the trail was sitting and reading by it as I ran by. </div>
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Pete finished the 9.6 mile Deer Leap section and I met him at Toketee Lake after lots of elevation gain and drop on his part. Then I said goodbye as he headed out on his last section, an out and back from Toketee to the Hot Springs Trailhead (3.5 miles each way). </div>
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I headed off with the goal of soaking my feet in the Umpqua Hot Springs. My 8 mile jaunt had left my legs plenty tired (plus, I've been dealing with this hip flexor and foot issue since the marathon), so I was excited for the hot springs and the view. </div>
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<b>Visitor tip:</b> You'll need to buy a $5 day pass at the Umpqua Hot Springs trailhead to park, but they do accept cash, check or cc #. Also, it's a steep 1/4 mile hike up to the hot springs. Definitely not what I would have expected.</div>
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You can't really tell here, but the hot springs are situated high above the Umpqua River. It was so cool to look down on them, and to see the 7 or so different tiered hot spring pools. Clothing is optional, but thankfully <i>most</i> people were clothed. ;)</div>
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After a 15-20 min soak, I clambered back down to my car and went to pick up the tired runner. We both took the opportunity to take a refreshing cold water bath at the Toketee Lake Trailhead. It took your breathe away, but I'm sure it was beneficial. And just like that, Pete did 20 miles with 4,800 ft of climbing.</div>
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By that point it was around 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, so we had some food and hopped back in the car to head back to Eugene to see our little man. </div>
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Overall, I'd say our weekend was a success. We saw so many great sights along the trail, enjoyed camping off the grid and ran on a new trail. Whether it's the NUT, or a trail near you that you've always wondered about, just go! </div>
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<b>Happy trails</b></div>
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<br />Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-42450296068854401072017-07-10T21:49:00.001-07:002017-07-10T21:49:41.231-07:00Conversations Will Never Be the Same AgainIt's been a while, eh?<br />
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I have a few posts drafted that I just need to add photos to, but the uploading and editing just seems to take too long. Anyway, I want to write more. My mind seems cluttered these days and the best way I know to dust off the cobwebs is to write.<br />
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In busy stages of life, I know we all feel a little frazzled, but I've noticed that after having a baby and how a toddler, it seems like a constant. During the first 6-9 months of Henry's life, I couldn't think of specific words during conversations because I was simply too consumed with caring for a small baby and I was running on fumes/a handful of broken hours of sleep.<br />
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But now, I think the chaos brain is thanks to having this other human's life as priority: his schedule, his food needs, his sleep. And then add that to taking care of yourself, managing a household (meals, groceries, bills, cleaning, etc.), paying attention to your spouse, trying to fit in work, exercising, and finally thinking about your friends, family and community. Oh yeah, and then <b>balance</b>. Find some. <i>(Good luck to us all.)</i><br />
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No one tells you that having a conversation likely won't ever be the same again. My train of thought or questioning often ends sooner than it would have previously. I don't always have the mental space to think of that next question I want to know the answer to. And sometimes, the thoughts simply get interrupted by needing to parent my kid (ask him to stop throwing sand or to share a toy).<br />
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Anyway, that's what's on my mind right now. My brain feels fuzzy. Like it literally feels likely head is in a cloud. Seven hours of sleep doesn't seem enough. I know it's a luxury compared to those newborn days, but still, I could use more.<br />
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<b>You know what else I've been thinking about?</b> How crazy it is that being home with a small human for a day is like doing all the micro tasks you might do at a workplace to achieve your overall goal, but not actually crossing that big thing off the list. Like finishing the project proposal, submitting a story, or sending a brochure to print.<br />
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You might pick up <b>3,492 toys/cups/articles of clothing in a day</b>, make meals, go grocery shopping, take your kid to a park, and STILL have a house that looks like a disaster and a kid who is melting down at 6:00 p.m. Anyway, sometimes I finish the day not sure what I really accomplished besides feeding and taking care of my kid. <br />
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But then, he says the darndest thing, cracks up in a hilarious giggle, or gives you the cutest hug and you're like <i>"Okay, kid, you win. I get it. All 3,492 toys/cups/articles of clothing were worth it." </i><br />
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Anyway, that's all for now. I hope you're having a great week!<br />
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<b>Tell me something that's dawned on you recently. Favorite podcast currently? </b><i>I have several, but a new fav is <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/myleik-teeles-podcast/id942696396?mt=2" target="_blank">Myleik Teele's Podcast</a>. She's an entrepreneur and just has a lot of good general life/career advice. And <a href="http://happierinhollywood.com/" target="_blank">Happier in Hollywood</a>, a spinoff of Happier by Gretchen Rubin, focused on work and life happiness. </i>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-90477409987279781982017-05-22T09:48:00.002-07:002017-05-22T21:58:07.770-07:00Eugene Marathon 2017<i>Nine marathons in the books (I had to go back and count). It's been two weeks now since I finished the Eugene Marathon and I'm already starting to think about what's next. But for now, let's get to the race recap. </i><br />
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<b>The Before</b><br />
For all intense purposes, race week was what it was intended to be<b> in terms of running</b>. My mileage was significantly lighter and only one run with the team on Tuesday night that included a few miles at race pace and a few 1 minute pick-ups. I walked during the stroller run and I skipped my strength training. All good.<br />
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Believe me, that hasn't always been the case. There've been marathons where I showed up sore to the start line because I wouldn't give up strength training.<br />
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But there were other aspects of race week that weren't what they should have been. <b>My race week sleep was crap</b>. Coincidentally, Henry had popped his last pacifier on Sunday or Monday of that week, so we decided <i>"what the heck, let's try weaning him cold turkey!" </i><br />
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That, plus the little guy got a cold midweek resulted in a few nights of rough sleep where I was up with him for an hour or so in the middle of the night. And on other nights where I should have been in bed by 9:00 p.m., I just wasn't. And then we had a busy weekend on Friday and Saturday at the <a href="http://runhubnw.com/" target="_blank">running store</a> and our race expo booth.<br />
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To top it all off, when I got home from work on Saturday afternoon,<b> </b>Henry had decided to <b><strike>climb</strike> fall out of his crib</b> for the first time during nap and proceeded not to nap. This led to an afternoon and evening of tantrum city and us throwing in the towel and giving him the paci back.<br />
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<i>Someone passed out HARD on a short car ride downtown that eve</i></div>
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By Saturday night, my throat was a bit raw and sore and I was tired. I did my best to put my compression socks on and lay with my legs up the wall for 20 minutes that night and got to bed around 10:30.<br />
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Sunday morning, my throat didn't feel any worse for wear and decided that a sore throat wouldn't bring me down. I felt pretty good otherwise, so planned to just ignore it.<br />
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<i>Race morning sunrise. Not too shabby.</i></div>
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<b>The During</b><br />
I did my prerace nutrition and routine at home with a little <a href="http://www.jasyoga.com/" target="_blank">Jasyoga</a> race day meditation and warm up, UCAN superstarch drink, peanut butter toast and banana. Around 5:45 a.m. I drove to the race to meet up with the team for warm ups at 6:15 and then the 7:00 a.m. start.<br />
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My goal was to run ~3:45 marathon with my A goal: 3:40, B goal: 3:50 and C goal: 4:00 or under.<br />
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Feeling pretty good and ready to go, with perfect chilly, but sunny conditions (it was about 38F at the start), we were off.<br />
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<b>Miles 1-8</b>, I felt pretty strong. I had started between the 3:45 and 4:00 pacers and was clocking times of 8:30s-8:40s and was running comfortably, but not easy. Once we were up and over the hill at mile 8, I was excited to move on to the next part of the race that would take us along the river and into Springfield. <i>Mile splits 1-8: 8:52, 8:32, 8:28, 8:37, 8:34, 8:38, 8:27, 8:30</i><br />
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<b>Miles 9-10</b>, I noticed that it just started feeling a little harder to keep up my current pace. I tried to tell myself to just relax, but I also didn't want to back off the pace. At this point in the race, the half marathoners turn and the marathoners keep on going into Springfield where the course gets pretty sparse with spectators. <i>Mile splits 9-10: 8:53, 8:34</i><br />
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<b>Somewhere between mile 10-13</b>, out of nowhere it seemed, my right knee started having shooting pains from what felt like a tight IT band tugging on it with every stride. It sort of caught me off guard because I hadn't dealt with any IT band issues through training, only hip tightness (but also on the right side).<br />
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It was the kind of pain that made it impossible to keep my stride as it was and maintain an 8:30-8:40 pace. So, I gradually slowed down. My splits show that I actually managed to keep my average pace under 9 minutes until mile 19, but it definitely didn't feel like that! <i>Mile splits 11-18: 8:46, 8:50, 8:53, 8:47, 8:57, 8:53, 8:55, 8:50</i><br />
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<b>Miles 19-26.2</b><br />
As you might know, the race in a marathon doesn't really start until mile 20 where your reserves are getting low, your brain feels a bit fuzzy and your legs are just plain tired. For me, the last six miles were all about maintaining a decent pace and willing myself not to walk. <i>Mile splits 19-21: 9:20, 9:27, 9:54</i><br />
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When I realized I'd finish far behind my goal (of 3:45 or so), it took some serious mental toughness not to just walk whenever I felt like it. <i>Mile splits 22-24: 10:30, 10:16, 9:29</i><br />
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But, I told myself things like at mile 22, you can't walk until mile 23 and then you can walk for a minute. The few times I stopped to walk, it was only for 15-20 seconds. When all was said and done, I probably walked 1-2 minutes total of the race. And oddly enough, somewhere in the last few miles, I noticed my shooting knee pain dissipate.<br />
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<i>Focused on getting to the line</i></div>
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I managed to haul it into Hayward Field at a good clip with the incentive of beating that 4:00 hour finish time. <b>I clocked in at 3:59:28</b>. While it wasn't one of my proudest or strongest marathons, it was one I worked hard for and had put a lot of training into. <i>Mile splits 25-26: 10:22, 9:25</i><br />
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<b>The Aftermath</b><br />
No matter the time on the clock, <b>it always hurts a bit</b> <b>to have an outcome that's not indicative of the work you put into something</b>. As I hobbled around the finish area, I said more than once to others that I think I might be retired from the marathon.<br />
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And yet, the next day, as I started to feel some of that pain ease up, I thought <i>"Maybe if I could fix this IT band issue, I could run another one in a few months and better my time?" </i>Ha. Typical marathoner status.<br />
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When I did some mental prep and meditation for this race, I found that the reason I wanted a strong outcome from this race was to show myself that I could come back after three years of pregnancy, caring for an infant and now toddler around the clock and still run strong. That somehow I hadn't lost all of my running mojo despite living on less sleep and having a changed body that's a little more soft (and ahem, saggy), widened hips, etc.<br />
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But if I'm being honest, this race taught me a few things. <b>Race week sleep matters</b>, but sometimes can't be protected. #kids And, maybe it's okay if my story ISN'T one of "<b>I had a baby and I came back 10x stronger!". </b>The fact is, we can't always perform at our best if we're lacking in other areas.<b> </b>Bottom line is, I still managed to train for and run a marathon.<br />
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<b>What Could I Have Done Differently?</b><br />
In the past two weeks I've reflected on the race a bit more and wondered what I could have done differently to prevent the knee issue or simply be stronger overall. The tendon on my outer left ankle (opposite of the right knee) has been swollen and very painful these past two weeks and I assume it's a result of altering my stride during the race because of the knee pain.<br />
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Besides more sleep and less time on my feet, I think I could have started a bit slower, aiming for 9:00 pace to really let myself warm up slowly for the first 3-6 miles. But who knows if that would have helped or not.<br />
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Beyond that, I noticed that the major differences between this training cycle and in 2012-2013 (when I was running my fastest) was that I haven't been taking yoga classes regularly or doing the HIIT training I was doing a lot of back then. And, in 2012 I was running and racing a LOT.<br />
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It's ultimately a lack of time. It's rare that I'm able to make it to a class these days, but there's still a lot I can do at home. As I'm stepping back in mileage now, I'll be adding both of these back into my regular routine to improve my overall strength and work on imbalances. Despite how the race went for me, I'm really happy I joined the <a href="http://runhubnw.com/training-programs/" target="_blank">Run Hub training team</a> for this cycle as it kept me focused and motivated to work hard every week. And, it was really nice to feel like part of a team during those Tuesday night workouts.<br />
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So there you have it! As far as what's next, I'm looking forward to running some shorter races this summer and maybe training for a half marathon in the fall.<br />
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<b>What's on your summer plan for racing or fitness? Happy Monday! </b><br />
<b><br /></b>Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3099670252831293133.post-38840423928804902012017-05-06T21:42:00.004-07:002017-05-06T21:42:59.029-07:00Marathon Training: Week 11So, the week after <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2017/04/peterson-ridge-rumble-20-miler.html" target="_blank">Peterson Ridge Rumble</a> was both a recovery week and my highest mileage week, clocking 49 miles of total training. Getting the legs back in regular working condition was harder than I remembered. I guess it's rare that I've done multiple races close together in a training cycle. Alas, I felt sluggish most of the week, so here goes!<br />
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<b>Monday - 1.5 mile walk </b>// My legs weren't as bad on Monday when I woke up as they were on Sunday after the race, so I was thankful for that. Because we stayed in Sisters an extra night, we spent that day in Bend getting coffee, taking H to the kids section of the public library, going to a playground and grabbing lunch. It was nice to hang out in Bend, but keeping things low key.<br />
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<b>Tuesday - 3 easy miles @ 9:54 avg </b>// I purposely kept this run really easy to help the legs get back up to speed.<br />
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<i>"Enjoying" the cold bath at ReCharge</i></div>
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<i>*My boss got me a gift certificate to 10 passes at <a href="https://www.rechargesporteugene.com/" target="_blank">ReCharge</a> where you can use the compression boots, ice bath, infrared sauna and foam rolling tools. This afternoon I had a babysitter come in the afternoon so I could get a little recovery in.</i><br />
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<b>Wednesday - 8.25 miles split up in 2 runs, 9:30 avg</b> // Wednesdays I help lead the stroller run from the store, but also had 8 miles on my schedule, so needed to run a shorter run first thing in the morning prior to the stroller run. Again, I just kept these runs nice and easy.<br />
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<b>Thursday - 7 miles, speed workout: 3 x 1200m/800m repeats @ tempo-5K pace (splits: 5:28, 3:28, 5:30, 3:37, 5:31, 3:21) // </b>The rest of our team was assigned The Michigan workout, but because of the race, coach suggested the two of us who did Peterson Ridge, do shorter speed work to try to help flush out any residual soreness and not add too much load. It's always weird not running the same intervals that everyone else is, but it was still nice to be on the track with familiar faces.<br />
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<b>Friday - 5.2 miles @ 10:11 avg</b> // My legs were clearly still not recovered from the race + took a beating from the previous nights' speed work.<br />
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<b>Saturday - 5.4 miles @ 9:00 avg</b> // Because my legs still needed the recovery time and Pete worked on Saturday, my long run was moved to Sunday. In order to get all my miles in this week, there were a lot of early mornings, even through the weekend.<br />
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While I like mornings, I wouldn't mind another hour of sleep. ;) But I also LOVE running through town with almost zero cars on the road.<br />
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<i>I took every opportunity on this run to notice all the tulips.</i></div>
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<b>Easter Sunday - 20 miles @ 9:15 avg //</b> Welp, this wasn't my best planning ever. Ahem, Easter Sunday. I sort of spaced the fact that I had to do 20 miles AND go to family brunch an hour a way that morning. So, I was up and pounding the pavement by 6:00 a.m. Off!<br />
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But again, the streets were quiet and I felt pretty good considering I was running 20 miles that morning. I'll admit that 9:15's felt a lot harder than I would have liked, but I'm reminding myself that those miles were also done on pretty tired legs.<br />
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<b>What else? </b><br />
As we're now only <strike>four days</strike> a matter of hours (!) from the Eugene Marathon, I'm trusting that this week of high mileage on tired legs is going to help me out on race day.<br />
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Last week, my phone reminded me that five years ago on April 29, the manfriend got down on one knee at the end of the Eugene Marathon course. It was <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2012/04/time-i-almost-qualified-for-boston.html" target="_blank">my best marathon ever</a> and I missed my BQ by 33 seconds, but it was all okay in the end.<br />
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I'm just hoping that I feel <i>nearly</i> as strong as I did during that race. I remember the first half feeling easy at my goal pace. I purposely held back even when I felt like I could go faster, until the halfway point, at which I started picking up the pace and passing people.<br />
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Around mile 20 it started really hurting and my brain got fuzzy so I sort of let that BQ dream go, but kept running. And when I hit mile 23, my friend Chris was there waiting for me (not planned out) and he ran me to the finish. I stuck as close as I could to him and without him, I honestly would have just jogged those last few miles in.</div>
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<i>Mile 24-25</i></div>
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And finally, finishing on Hayward Field.<br />
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Exhaustion. Disappointment. Confusion. Proposal. YES.</div>
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So while I know Sunday's story won't be anything like <a href="http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2012/04/time-i-almost-qualified-for-boston.html" target="_blank">2012</a>, I hope to feel strong and remember that girl. 2012 was a BIG mileage year. I raced a lot and ran fast that year. Someday, I'll find my way back to her, but right now, I'm happy with being strong and fit enough to run a marathon.<br />
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<b>Okay, g'night, sleep tight! Hope you're having a fantastic weekend! </b><br />
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<i>Let's just say we are experiencing what I hope life with a two year old is not always about. Tantrum city over here. Pray for us. Mama and daddy are tired. ;) </i><br />
<br />Lauren @ Sassy Molassyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09386991766331711286noreply@blogger.com1