Third Trimester Update - 28+ Weeks

I hit 27 weeks, which officially marked the third trimester, on July 20. And it's only taken me about 17 days to finally get around to this post; not bad, right?

This pregnancy felt pretty similar to the first for a while, aside from not getting wildly sick at conception, so I felt blindsided when, about halfway through the second trimester, I finally recognized that, in fact, this pregnancy feels completely different.

Physically I feel far more exhausted and less agile. I am falling asleep by 9 pm every night and I'm asking Terry to do a lot more around the house (granted, last time we didn't have a toddler mattress that needed changing every other evening or a 30-pound kid to pick up at random intervals, so I'd likely have been just as exhausted back then, too). My workouts are still going well, but I'm happy to squeeze in two "official" workouts per week, as opposed to easily finding time for four or five last round. Now I walk a lot throughout the day (between 5,000 and 7,500 steps, which is enough for me right now) and feel all sorts of tuckered out by the time we put Marshall to bed. The heat adds another element of lethargy, so mustering up energy for brief workouts still feels like a feat. I've been taking it easier on myself this time, too, so if I'm tired or hot or just want a break, I don't push it.

Here's a typical prenatal workout that has felt really great for me, even on the hot days:

Upper Body
(5-lb. weights have felt comfortable for me so far)
15 biceps curls
15 triceps overhead extension
15 hammer curls
15 bench dips
15 reverse curls
15 push ups (on knees)
Complete three rounds of the above

10 overhead press
10 lateral raises
10 upright rows
10 front raises
Complete two rounds of the above

I take lots of breaks, drink a ton of water, and quit if I'm not feeling well. Having been through it already, I know there will be a time when I can get back into shape for intense workouts, but now is not that time. My goal for pregnancy workouts is to give myself energy, keep myself and the baby healthy, prepare my body for labor and birth, and to maintain my sanity.

The other physical challenge I've faced this time is crazy stomachaches. I have struggled with these stomachaches for over ten years, so I'm familiar with the symptoms (back ache, tight stomach pain in my upper abdomen, chills, clammy feeling all over), but I had them completely under control for a long time. And for whatever reason they've just been brutal lately. For one stretch, I had a stomachache every day--about an hour to five hours at a time--for two full weeks. Unfortunately, I still haven't figured out the exact trigger(s) nor the best way to get rid of them, other than sleeping it off (not exactly appropriate at work). I do know that they tend to be more frequent when I am stressed, so I try to keep my stress levels low, and I know that eating too much or too fast can exacerbate things.

Emotionally, this pregnancy has been worlds better than the last. I've said it before, but I feel so much lighter this time. There are stressors in my life, of course--the rush of daily errands and chores, election madness, sad news around the world, stress at work, inevitable life issues--but it's all so much more manageable and in better perspective this time around.

Speaking of perspective, a big emotional hurdle I have had to conquer has been my hopes of having a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) coupled with my emotional recovery from having an unplanned C-section with Marshall. Luckily, I've made a ton of progress! I still hope--and am planning--to have a VBAC with this baby, but I am also at peace with what happened with Marshall. More importantly, I also know that another C-section with this baby will be okay. Ultimately, I am thankful to live in a time and place where I will be allowed to try for a VBAC but also where a C-section is an option if that's what's best for baby.

Overall, it's been a happy, albeit uncomfortable pregnancy. I am so grateful for this experience, and I am trying to view even the aches and pains as a blessing.

For comparison, here's a snapshot of the beginning of my third trimester with Marshall.

As far as the baby goes, we just had an appointment last Monday, and baby is growing and healthy, right on track for size. And--huge news for me--baby is head down already! I am thrilled he or she is already in good position for labor. I remember feeling Marshall roll from breech to head down, but this one did so much more subtly. I get TONS of kicks all day, some of which are rather uncomfortable (sharp knees and feet!), but they are reassuring and funny, too. Marshall still hasn't had the patience to feel baby kicking, but he does refer to the baby on occasion: "Baby is coming out in five weeks!" (He has been saying this for about two months, and thankfully it hasn't come true yet.) "This puzzle is for the baby." "Baby is going to eat dinner!" So we'll see how that goes.

We don't feel rushed to get much else done before baby arrives, but we have a decent to-do list, such as touring our hospital (same hospital as last time, but we thought it would be good to review their policies and to make sure we're in the know about any changes since two-plus years ago), registering for delivery, finishing our labor/birth books, and buying a couple more items to refresh our newborn stash of goods. We're certainly a lot more prepared than last time! (Or so we think...)

This week I hit 30 weeks, and we're feeling excited, although we have a big challenge ahead: Terry is getting knee surgery on Wednesday for a torn ACL and meniscus. I've planned ahead for meals as much as possible, and we have a few friends helping us with meals and such, too. I won't lie: I'm a little nervous about handling the whole house on my own while Terry is recovering, but I know we'll get through it. Wish us luck, especially Terry in his recovery!

My Second Mother's Day

Today marks my second official Mother's Day as a mom (I missed 2014 by this much), and it was a perfect day. We woke up early, as usual, and Terry made sure to give me time for my morning wish: a workout.

You're quite mistaken if you think I finished that whole thing. I set the timer for 25 minutes but ended up taking a few breaks, and I also stopped at 20 minutes instead of 25. Also, those "bonus" minutes of walking lunges just didn't happen at all. Given how sore I already feel, it was a wise choice to stop when I did!

After breakfast (Terry made French toast--and Marshall ate more than either of us did!), we all headed toward Venice beach for donuts and a walk. A friend told me about Blue Star donuts, a shop that started in Portland, Oregon. We were at bit taken aback at the prices ($4 for one donut!), but the treats absolutely lived up to the hype. 

I chose a buttermilk old fashioned; Terry went with chocolate ganache almond. Mine won, but both were unique and delicious. Next time I want to go back with more people so we can try a bunch of different flavors (especially the apple cider fritter and the Mexican hot chocolate!). 

Marshall got a small piece and loved it!

We strolled along Abbot Kinney for a while,

and then we headed over to the Venice canals.

(running to give Daddy a hug)

(looking for the butterfly who flew away)

After such a busy morning, we got our first car nap in a very long time. Excuse the dirty mirror.

Another awesome Mother's Day treat: some gifts from people I love, including cereal, chocolate, homemade cards, a manicure/pedicure (coming soon), and a card from my mom.

After lunch and putting Marshall down for his real nap, Terry and I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon--some TV, some tidying, some food prep, some small projects around the house. 

My dinner request was homemade pizza, and I decided to tackle a copycat version of our favorite Old School pizza from Fresh Brothers (a Southern California chain). It has a spicy sauce, sliced meatballs, pepperoni, and pickled vegetables, so we made the meatballs last night (baked about a dozen of them for the pizza, froze the rest raw to use another time). 

For the sauce, I combined the pickled vegetables (we just used a jar of giardiniera from the store), diced tomatoes, and a bit of leftover pasta sauce.

For the dough, we used my favorite recipe.

And then we layered everything up with mozzarella (and forgot to take a photo of the final product).

It didn't taste too much like the original, but it was delicious and made two full pizzas, so we have plenty of leftovers for lunches this week.

And now we're chilling on the couch, catching up on Once Upon a Time and munching on some of hat chocolate I mentioned earlier. 

Some more miscellaneous fun from the week:

Saturday's breakfast: scrambled eggs with spinach and ricotta, raspberries, and toast with ricotta.

Copycat Chipotle bowls (brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, sauteed onions and peppers, cheese, salsa, guac, and yogurt.

A lunch for Marshall this week--hard boiled egg, blackberries, frozen peas, and a carrot-applesauce muffin.

These sweet, sweet teacups my brother and sister-in-law sent me for Mother's Day! Aren't they so cute? 

I recently made a batch of this baked oatmeal, which was pretty good. I still haven't found a steel-cut oatmeal recipe that I LOVE, so if you have any I should try, please let me know! I also want to try this one again with pecans instead of peanuts. I love peanut butter, but I don't love peanuts the same way, so maybe pecans is the answer.

And now I'm off to get this week started! Enjoy yours, and happy Mother's Day to all the moms, moms-to-be, and moms-at-heart. <3

EAT IT!!

These two make my day, every day.

But today (Saturday) I got a special treat: A full hour at home by myself! Much as I love love love my boys, sometimes I really miss the days of getting two or three hours on my own while Marshall took a nap each day. Now my only alone time is my walk to or from work. So I appreciate what little time I do get on my own. Today, I chose to take a short break with a hot cup of tea and a rice cake topped with peanut butter and homemade granola. It was a delightful twenty minutes!

Backing up a bit, here are some meals we've enjoyed lately:

Roasted sweet potatoes with a taco mix (ground beef, onion, bell pepper, chopped spinach, black beans) on the top, plus pepper jack cheese, guacamole, Greek yogurt, and salsa. Turned out to be delicious!

I meal planned terribly this week (remember my bacon guacamole sandwich suggestion?), so after work one day I hit Trader Joe's to grab some pizza dough. Unfortunately, their "wheat" pizza dough isn't whole wheat, but it was quite tasty in a pinch (tough to roll out, though!). I made two white pizzas (ricotta cheese instead of sauce): one with arugula that Terry's coworker gave us from his garden

drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

(Marshall picked all the arugula off his pizza, and Terry told him, "You can put it on your plate or eat it," to which Marshall replied, "EAT IT!" and scarfed it down)

and Brussels sprouts and bacon pizza, which we saved to eat for lunches. 

All three of us came down with minor colds this week, so we've kept workouts relatively light the last few days. Today, though, we headed out early for a long walk around the neighborhood, and the fresh air felt awesome. 

Okay, picking up again on Sunday. Yesterday Terry and I ended up getting several hours together for a date day. We grabbed drinks at one of our favorite restaurants, saw a movie (Star Wars--not my choice, but actually a fun, entertaining movie), and went out to dinner. It was really nice to hang out with that guy I like so much, and I really appreciated that he pushed so hard for us to get a day out.

Today after a rough night of sleep, Terry let me sleep in a bit and then we all headed to the park, Costco, and Trader Joe's. Here's our meal plan:

Sunday: crock pot pulled pork and sweet potato casserole

Monday: leftovers for lunch; pappa al pomodoro for dinner

Tuesday: my new favorite salad for lunch (roasted sweet potatoes, feta, pomegranate seeds, farro, greens, balsamic vinegar); leftover soup for dinner

Wednesday: same salad for lunch; shredded chicken burritos/salads for dinner

Thursday: leftover chicken burritos/salads for lunch; shop the fridge for dinner

Friday: leftovers or whatever's in the fridge for lunch; fish and vegetables for dinner

Today I'm also prepping:

- banana blueberry muffins (using this base recipe)

- brownie batter bites similar to these ones, but since I don't eat protein powder and I think 5 is far to few, I use 1/2 cup coconut, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon sea salt

- as much as possible to get meals ready for the week

Now let's talk about some workouts!

Over the last two or three months I've been really working on increasing intensity, consistency, and overall effectiveness of my workouts. I'm lifting heavier, working harder, and feeling really good fitness-wise. Here are some workouts that have made me feel good:

This Leg + Plyo workout from PB Fingers (super tough, but each time it gets a little easier)

Tabata + Lower Body:

Complete the first exercise in each set for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds, and repeat for a total of 4 minutes. At the end of each plyometric exercise, complete the listed lower body exercise.

Set 1: Jumping lunges // 100 walking lunges

Set 2: Squat jumps // 75 squats

Set 3: Mountain climbers // 50 plie squats

Set 4: Squat thrusters // 25 pendulum lunges per leg

This upper body workout I gave Terry when he asked me for a challenge:

Another Tabata workout:

Complete all five exercises for a total of 8 rounds (20 minutes):

Squat jumps

Burpees

Squat jacks

Jumping lunges

Push ups

Plus lots of yoga, walking, and a jog here and there. 

Now it's time to get ready for Monday. Enjoy the evening and have fun this week!

Bacon Guacamole Sandwiches?

What a week! I survived my illness, but being sick Sunday to Monday really makes for a crazy rest of the week. I have approximately one photo from Tuesday through Friday, but it's a cute one. Marshall and Terry came to meet me on my walk home from work (in Marshall's new wagon!) and saw a fire truck.

The rest of the week remained mercifully uneventful to let us get back on track, and on Friday night I got to sneak out of the house for a few hours to hang out with Amanda. She recommended The Last Five Years on Netflix, a musical starring Anna Kendrick, and I loved it! It's a departure from Anna's normal comedy, and she is truly a phenomenal singer and actress. Plus the night involved ice cream and wine, so we really lived it up!

Saturday morning Marshall and Terry got back in the pool after a months-long hiatus for swim lessons! Marshall wasn't sure what to think...

I got to watch from an observation deck above the pool, so I couldn't always tell what was going on, but there were tears to start and smiles to end the lesson. The pool was pretty cold because all the little ones were shivering when they got out and it took a while to get Marshall warm. Pitiful, but adorable too.

Once Terry gave him a ball to "chase," Marshall was distracted from the cold and happy to splash around.

After swim and lunch, we had a birthday party, which was at a My Gym and so fun! And we were home in time for dinner, which made for a relaxing evening.

On Sunday, Terry wasn't feeling great, so we kept close to home. I found a recipe or two I wanted to try while both boys napped, and ended up prepping food for most of the week.

(I made these donuts, which were awesome!)

Roasted sweet potatoes, donuts, farro (not pictured), and a frittata with spinach, roasted tomatoes, and goat cheese.

Marshall and I had the day off today, and I was so happy for a whole day together! Terry ended up staying home to work, too, so we were all around. Marshall and I took a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond and then enjoyed a long walk around the block (I love when we aren't in a rush and I can just let him wander at his own pace; he is so funny to watch!). 

He loves stop signs (???), and this is what he did every two steps for at least half a block. 

Future crossing guard, just like his mama. (I kid you not, I won an award for Best Crossing Guard in 6th grade. Proud moment.)

And some food lately:

Mahi mahi (topped with pesto, baked at 375 for 20 minutes), peas, and farro with feta

Salad with greens, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, farro, feta, and an egg. YUM.

New bowls! I've been meaning to find some soup/pasta bowls for a while and finally did! Also, this was tonight's dinner, a savior from the freezer. (I hadn't labeled it, so on our meal plan it was literally "Mystery Soup." I'm so glad it turned out to be Mexican chicken soup! 

Tonight's dessert: donuts! I dipped the 100 Days of Real Food donuts in melted butter, then in a little sugar and cinnamon. Heavenly. 

We've been rocking our workouts (minus a few sick days here and there) and eating at home almost exclusively, hence my inability to find time to write here. My workouts this week look as follows:

Sunday: yoga and walk 

Monday: Heavy upper body weights

Tuesday: Leg & Plyo workout

Wednesday: Rest / Yoga for stretching

Thursday: Upper body with light cardio (long walk/easy jog)

Friday: HIIT of some sort

Saturday: Rest

Since I'm doing two intense workouts (Tuesday and Friday), my other days are pretty light this week. 

Our dinners this week are completely unknown at the moment. I used all my creative energy on breakfast (frittata, which will be reheated each day all week) and lunch (big salads most of the week). I seriously sat staring at my blank menu planning page for half an hour and came up with "bacon guacamole sandwiches." WHAT?! THAT'S NOT A THING! And we don't even have guacamole! We'll see what we pull out of thin air when we get home tomorrow and have no ingredients!

Hope your week is off to a magnificent start! 

Milestone Week

This week was a milestone marker for our family: Our first since I started work where all three of us were scheduled to attend work (or school) all five days. And we made it! Granted, Marshall was well on his way to being sick by the time he got home Friday evening, but we still survived the week itself. Friday night was rough, but by Saturday we all felt chipper enough to head out to the Grove to see Santa, just like last year.

Honestly, the wait was ridiculous, but we had a wonderful time. We walked around, took some photos, laughed a lot at Marshall's antics, checked out the decorations, grabbed a snack at the farmers' market, and eventually made our way in to see Santa. Best of all, Marshall gave us a really great smile for the photo! We came home, let the little one settle in for a (very late) long winter's nap, and got to work on some Christmas gift baking and assembling.

Today, we had a voucher for brunch for four at the Beverly Hilton that needed to be used, so we left Marshall with family and headed out with our friends Amanda and Jenn, who weren't about to turn down free brunch! The deal came with unlimited trips to the buffet (including an incredible assortment of desserts), endless prosecco, and a side entree.

Thanks to my mom for gifting us the voucher! XOXOXO We also wandered around the lobby to spy on the Christmas decorations, including a 13-foot gingerbread tower!

Some other happenings lately:

Some awesome workouts! I'm thrilled about that because it feels like it's been awhile since I've really pushed myself. Yes, I've gained consistency in my 18 months postpartum, but "consistency" doesn't always translate to intensity. I've enjoyed cranking up the challenge lately!

Here's a tough leg and plyometric workout from PB Fingers. I did it yesterday before the Grove and I was huffing and puffing (Terry was concerned...shows how out of shape I am for that kind of workout!). I'm trying to compile a post with more recent workouts, but it's slow going. They're good, though!

Obviously we're all decorated and loving the cheer of our cozy apartment this season. I'm currently watching Love Actually (second time so far) as I write.

Marshall's shown some interest in writing on paper, so we let him try crayons. He's really awful at drawing so far. ;-)

In preparation for the holidays, we're doing our best to eat healthy and have lots of easy options for meals at home. (Full disclosure, I also recently saw my doctor, who told me he'd like me to lose a few pounds to get back to my pre-baby weight, so that's helping me stay motivated.)

So yesterday I made this butternut squash soup from Giada (my mom made some and let us try it over Thanksgiving, so I wanted to make some, too). Marshall LOVED it. (I added peas to his, which was a wise choice, apparently.)

Speaking of the little dude, I mentioned that we're trying to find ways to get him involved in the kitchen. He likes playing with real kitchen tools, like measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoons, bowls, etc., but I think he's excited to help with actual tasks, too. He can take potatoes out of the bag and put them into a colander for rinsing. He can kiiiiind of stir. He can shake up a bag of vegetables to get them coated with olive oil. And this weekend we tried a new one: separating the silicone baking cups into the muffin tins!

Another favorite: wearing oven mitts.

He's also working on mastering chopsticks. (He actually managed to get three or four bites of food into his mouth with chopsticks!)

And though it's rare now, we do still go to the park. Here are some photos from today:

And with that, I'm off to fight the cold that Marshall gave me this weekend. Here's hoping we can make it through this week, too!

I hope your holiday season is starting off beautifully. Be sure to enjoy some time to yourself and cherish the time you have with others. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and to-do lists, but it's important to keep the spirit of the season alive, too. Enjoy in whatever way feels best!