Hoka 10k 2018

Hoka 10k 2018

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Baby Boo:23 Weeks

 
Grapefruit.
 
Thebump.com fun fact of the week: "She's more aware, too, and is listening to your voice and your heartbeat, as well as to loud sounds, such as cars honking and dogs barking. You may also feel your baby move when she hears something familiar."
 
I laughed when I read dogs barking...at least Baby Boo will be used to Izzie's loud bark when it comes out into the real world ;)
 
The Bradley Birth classes continue to be going well. After making our birth plans last week, we talked this week about unexpected situations that may arise. We learned how to make decisions that may sway from our original birth plan.
During the class, she asked us our biggest fear about labor and birth. Honestly, because of all the crap Mr. Boo and I have been getting from people about us attempting an unmedicated birth, my biggest fear is that I will have to use meds and that those people who doubt us will say "I told you so." I'm not scared that the pain will be so high that I need meds...I'm afraid that something in the process will go wrong that will require me to take meds to keep me and the baby safe. Our teacher encouraged us not to feel like "failures" if we have to sway from our plan. But that's REALLY hard when so many people doubt that you can do it.
 
On a positive note, I have been feeling Baby Boo a lot more this week. I even saw my belly move because he/she kicked so hard!
 
My parents finished Baby Boo's dresser! I can't wait to see it next month and figure out how to arrange it in the nursery! It looks so pretty :)
 
A also decided on a theme for my maternity shoot in October (you know me...I love themes!). Since it will be fall and I LOVE the fall season, we will go to Lynd's fruit farm to take some pics with the apple trees, pumpkins, etc.
 
Here's my 22 week photo from this past weekend:
Did I blow up all of a sudden or what?! Dang!
 
Also, the sweet Hip Hop instructor, Martha, was kind enough to send me some pics of me hip hopping with my bump (ignore the fact that I look weird...lol...just notice the bump):


 
Woo Pig Sooie!
 
 
 
 

 


Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Dog Jog and Heart Walk

I've been promising a Dog Jog report...so sorry it took me a week! Last Sunday morning, Mr. Boo and I woke up  bright and early to take the girls to the CHA 2013 Dog Jog. The goal was to raise money for the humane society. As most of you know, my beagle, Angel, was adopted. So giving money to this is close to our hearts :)
 
 
After the dogs got over the initial shock of being around the other hundreds of dogs that they weren't allowed to play with, they took in all of the scents around the place.
 
 
 
After 45 minutes of sniffing, they were ready to start!
 
The event was a 5k. The four of us, a.k.a. The Davii, did a combo of walking and jogging. I was so proud of my boo and the girls! They were amazing! Around the end of each mile, they had a plastic pool full of ice...this was Izzie's dream come true!! Angel just wanted water...but Izzie took time to play in the ice and cool off. I'm sure she ate her fair share of ice cubes :)
 
After finishing, we were all pooped! We all came home for late morning naps.

 
************
 
Yesterday, I met my coworkers at Columbus Commons for the Heart Walk. It was also a 5k. I saw so many people from church, old coworkers, my hip hop fitness buddies...it was awesome. I also developed new relationships with my new coworkers.
(from left: Me and Baby Boo, Andrea and her son Landon in the stroller, Tere and her son James)
 
There were a ton of other MacIntosh employees there but we were representing Amity Home Health. It was awesome to walk/run with Andrea. I learned a lot about pregnancy and about her! I might have even recruited her for hip hop fitness!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Baby Boo: 22 Weeks

 
The coolest thing Thebump.com mentioned about the baby this week is that it is starting to sleep in cycles...about 12-14 hours per day. I do feel movements occasionally but nothing consistent. Although, it seems as if it has been a little more active today...maybe that means I'll feel the "real" movements soon!
 
I'm getting closer to getting my "outie" and looking at my belly is still SO WEIRD! I'm interested to see what my weight is next week at the doctor!
 
Speaking of appointments, at next week's visit, I'm going to mention to Dr. P that Mr. Boo and I are starting a rough draft of our birth plan. I'm not planning to share all of the details with him yet (unless he asks) but simply want to let him know that we are discussing it and that the basics are that we want a drug-free experience. I would love prayers regarding this because drug-free births aren't the norm around here and I don't want to feel like I'm being annoying and complicated because of this request.
 
We had our 7th (of 12) birth class this week and it was all about making your birth plan. I have some things I want to research more but have an overall idea of what we want. We also did Mr. Boo's favorite activity this week...simulation of contractions! It's so hard to take this part seriously, though. Mr. Boo did such an amazing job!!! He was a good coach, timed the contractions perfectly, and knew when to tell me to relax and breathe properly. :) I have total confidence in him!
 
Here it is...my 21 week picture taken last week on Friday:
 
P.S. I survived a 2 hour Hip Hop Fitness session this week and only rested for 1 song (an hour and a half into it!)...Yes, I'm bragging a little :) We also did the Dog Jog this past Sunday with our girls (which I still need to post about! Oops!)


Saturday, August 17, 2013

There Will Be Doubters...

 
When you are trying to accomplish something that seems difficult and potentially impossible, there WILL be doubters. I know this...I'm sure, at some point, I've been some one's doubter. Since being pregnant, there have been two situations in which people have doubted my abilities: running/exercising and having a natural birth. I've never been pregnant so, of course, I don't know what do expect...I just deal with things as they come. BUT this does not mean that I'm going to give up and not prepare myself in the best way that I can.
 
The quote above isn't exactly how I would have written it. No one has actually said to me "You can't." The things that have been said, though, have motivated me to make things happen.
 
I wrote THIS post back in June about someone who doubted my abilities to run while pregnant. That person did motivate me...and, guess what? I'm still running and doing 5k's each month. MOTIVATION.
 
Most recently, Mr. Boo and I have become very excited about the opportunity to have a natural, drug-free child birth experience. We have been taking the Bradley courses and we're learning SO MUCH! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to pay for and participate in the class.
 
Here's what I know:
 
-every one's birth experience is unique and individual
-labor is painful...very painful at times
-pushing a baby out of your hoo-ha is difficult, painful, and it totally freaks me out to think about
-anything can happen and that I need to be willing to change whatever plan I have in my head at any moment
 
You know what else I know?
-millions and millions of women around the world deliver naturally and drug free and survive all at the same time
-I have THE LORD on my side...if he has put this on my heart, I can and will make it happen
-my husband will be at my side and, as a team, we can make this happen...when I can't think for myself, he will be my rock and my decision maker...it's called marriage
-this is not about thinking I'm better because I'm doing it this way...it's about having a healthy me and and healthy baby
 
So, to those people in my life who doubt me, even the ones closest to me that I love dearly...those who say "Just be ready for anything...you are going to want the drugs...I'd be interested to hear your story IF you are able to do it....you dont' have to justify why you are taking those birth classes...etc."...
 
 
I CAN do this. And, as my friends, you should love me and show me all kinds of support for the decisions my husband and I are making to have the healthiest baby possible. If I'm being completely honest, I'm scared...scared to death of the pain. But I know that, with the moral support of you guys, we will make this happen.


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Baby Boo: 21 Weeks

 
Apparently, this is a pomegranate...I've never even seen one up close so this means nothing to me.
 
Anyway, I haven't consistently felt the baby yet but I'm pretty sure I've felt it a little. It feels sort of like gas bubbles. I'm sure it will let me know it's there soon enough! One of the things TheBump.com said about this week is that, if it's a girl, it already has all of its eggs! I thought that was so cool.
 
Now that my belly is feeling tight all the time, I've been thinking about potential stretch marks. From what I've read, they may or may not fade. I don't have any yet but I'm still taking my sister's advice and using a lotion with cocoa butter.
 
We had another great week in our birth class! We learned about the second stage of labor (a.k.a. the pushing stage). Unfortunately, we had to watch a video of real labor/birth situation. I was cool with watching the labor part because it gave me a good idea of how to cope with contractions. The part that got me was when they showed the baby coming out of the hoo-ha. OUCH. It seriously made me cry thinking about it...not the joy of the baby, but the pain! After learning push positions/techniques, we got on the floor and practiced...it was entertaining that's for sure!
 
The only other significant thing that happened this week was the Le Leche League meeting which I blogged about HERE.
 
Here is my 20 week pic I took last Friday (this one cracks me up because I wore a shirt that used to go below my belly button):
 
Here's a pre Hip Hop picture from Monday night:

 


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Most Uncomfortable Situation I've Ever Been In

Ok...I'm about to share my feelings about something in which I'm trying to educate myself. This is not meant to offend anyone. I'm simply seeking/pursuing thoughts and education on the topic of breastfeeding.
 
For my birth class, we were asked to attend a Le Leche League meeting. It's a breastfeeding group of sorts that meets once a month. It provides education and experiences related to breastfeeding. I was initially excited to attend since I plan to breastfeed and know nothing about it.
 
I went in excited and left balling my eyes out...
 
The atmosphere was all wrong for me: new place I've never been, women I don't know, and other peoples' kids. As some of you may know, I can be slow when it comes to developing relationships with other women. As more of you may know, I don't like strangers' kids. If you're family, I love your child...If I know you, I might like your child...If you are a stranger, it's not likely that I like your child. You get the point.
 
So we've established that, upon my arrival, I'm experiencing slight social anxiety. This specific month, the group was addressing nutrition while breastfeeding and weaning from breastfeeding your child. As the mothers were sharing their experiences, I looked over and saw that a lady was breastfeeding her 2 year old. It totally freaked me out. Let me say this, breastfeeding in public does not bother me. It was the fact that this boy looked like a little man and he was still sucking his mom's boob that freaked me out. I've just never witnessed it before and I've never known anyone to breastfeed a child that long. As other moms shared, this seemed to be a pretty common theme in the room...one mom even did it until her child was 4 years old.
 
This was so shocking to me that I could feel that my face was red, my jaw was dropped...or maybe I looked as pale as a ghost. I don't know. I just knew I felt overwhelmed. The women were kind and encouraging me to come to the next meeting...I just don't know if I can do it. As soon as I stepped out of the building, I started balling my eyes out. I felt like something was wrong with me and just prayed that God would provide me knowledge. I honestly was grossed out by hearing stories of older children still nursing and it freaked me out. I pray that this doesn't keep me from wanting to breastfeed Baby Boo. I understand it's benefits but don't understand why it's beneficial for that amount of time. I'm hoping a good nights rest will cure my emotions.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Our Nashville Trip

Our trips to Nashville always seem like such a blur. It's awesome that we get to go but I always feel like we're in such a hurry to see people. We left Columbus mid afternoon on Friday to head to our favorite city! Two traffic jams and some crazy rain later, we arrived at our friends' house (Thanks Casey and Shana for letting us stay with you!!!). We were pooped from work and travel and decided not to go out that night. We ordered pizza from one of Jimmy's favorite places, Matteo's, and hung out with Casey and Shana.
The next morning, Mr. Boo made plans to play sand volleyball with some friends....but not before I was able to get a chicken biscuit from Jack in the Box (I used to be obsessed with them when I lived in Nashville). While he was playing volleyball, I read my labor book and enjoyed the view at Fellowship Bible Church:
 
This is also the same pond in which Mr. Boo proposed :)
 
After volleyball, we met some old church friends at Blue Coast Burrito! I've been wanting one of these burritos for an entire year. I can only eat so much Chipotle before I need the taste of Blue Coast! This was such an amazing time to catch up and reminisce about good times we had together.
 
A couple short hours later, Boo and I headed to Belmont to begin our 5 year PT school reunion.
 
The Belmont campus has changed SO MUCH! It was amazing. Our professor, Dr. Halle, took us on a tour of the new PT building as well as the cadaver lab. It brought back so many memories! Our spouses were probably bored but we didn't care...it was awesome for us. We then headed to Bound'ry for cocktail hour (which, obviously, I couldn't partake in). Mr. Boo and I had to leave around 715 to meet Casey and Shana but it was nice to catch up with everyone! I love those people!
 
From Bound'ry, we headed back to the Nolensville, TN area to meet the Bresnahans at Burger Republic. This place was awesome! Great shakes, great burgers, and, apparently, great beer! While eating, the four of us reminisced about how we all met. We realized that the four of us were at some of the same events before we actually knew each other/started dating!
 
As we were headed home today, I was both sad and excited. I love Nashville...it will always have a special place in my heart. Who knows...maybe Boo and I will retire there :) The good news is we are finally home with our pups!
 


Thursday, August 8, 2013

My Most Recent Discovery

I've been terrified to look at my bare belly since it began growing. Tonight, I decided to go for it! It was crazy! 
 
When I was in high school, my parents let me get my belly button pierced. It fell out on its own a short time later because I just didn't have the meat to support it. I now have a scar because of it. The scar is mostly hidden because of where it's located on my navel. I noticed tonight, when I decided to look at my belly, it has moved up and it's now extremely obvious and visible! I could care less that the scar is showing...I'm just stunned about the growth of my belly that caused it to show. CRAZY! 
 
You guys probably think I'm nuts but it's so intriguing to me. Ok. That's all.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Baby Boo: 20 weeks

HALF WAY THERE!!! I can't believe I'm at 20 weeks! I have to admit, I'm starting to get annoyed by the fruit/food references on TheBump, but it's become a blog tradition and something to laugh at...especially this week:
 
 
From a mango to a banana?! Really?! Guess Baby Boo got really skinny in the matter of a week.
 
I'm still getting leg cramps this week but less frequently (probably because  I've been drinking WAY more water than before). I'm also getting shortness of breath during the day...I need to start making my patients count their own exercises so I can focus on breathing!
 
I've done two runs so far this week in addition to my other exercise. I was able to run 40 minutes this past Saturday and 25 minutes on Monday! I haven't been measuring my distance but feel as if I'm running at a pretty good pace.
 
Our birth class was pretty awesome this week. I felt like I learned so much! We talked about the 1st stage of labor...early and active stages. We began talking about how to practice and what my role/tasks are versus Mr. Boo's role/tasks. Tonight, she had our husbands simulate contractions so that we could practice abdominal breathing. It was pretty hilarious because, in order to simulate it, the men had to squeeze one of our arms as hard as they could (gradually of course) and climax the intensity at 30 seconds then slowly release. Mr. Boo was so scared that he was going to hurt me...it was so cute...and sweet :) I know I still have a ton to learn but it was exciting to get a general idea of what I need to do to prepare myself for labor.
 
Here's the pic I took last Friday (at 19 weeks):
 
Yes, we were watching Married with Children :)
 
 


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Baby Boo: 19 Weeks

 
Baby Boo has a lot more growing to do if it wants to catch up with me (I was 23 inches long and 10lbs.)! I've been on cloud 9 about Baby Boo since the ultrasound :) I still don't feel any movement and I'm losing my patience! Not really, but I am looking forward to the first time.
 
Thebump.com doesn't say anything earth-shattering this week but it does mention that I may be having abdominal aches and pains from the muscles stretching (which I am) and that I may be getting leg cramps (which I definitely am...EVERY NIGHT!). I'm not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post but, over the weekend, my abdomen starting feeling tight and, all of a sudden, has grown like crazy. Here is a picture Mr. Boo took of me on Sunday (my 18 week pic):