choco-holic

It's funny how you can always find data to support your theories/cravings. Earlier this year, the hot topic was how caffeine increases the risk of miscarriage and no amount is deemed safe. To counteract this, how about an article about how eating dark chocolate is beneficial in pregnancy?

Mmmm.

18+ weeks

"Your baby is twice as big as he was last month but he still weighs only about 190g (6.7oz). Meanwhile, most of the weight you've gained is from amniotic fluid, placenta, and water retention. Although things may seem calm on the surface, your little one is kicking, flexing, reaching, rolling, and even sucking his thumb now. If you haven't felt him move yet, you will in the next few weeks. His hearing is now functioning and he will be listening to your heartbeat."
-babycentre

Can't say I've felt movement yet, but then again, it is hard to know what it feels like the first time around. I read somewhere someone describing it as feeling as though butterfly wings are brushing up against your insides. Poetic, no? Well, I definitely have not felt anything like that yet. Within the next two weeks I should start feeling movement though.

On Earth Day (Tuesday) I decided to walk home. It is 5.2 km, believe it or not, from my office to home, and primarily up hill. It was a beautiful evening though, and I am glad I did it. It makes me think that when I can no longer run I will still be able to enjoy walking.

Ran on the mtn last night, and it was pretty good. We cut a few minutes off our previous time, but that could have been because we skipped out on the last hill in order to run around the lake :) I am definitely finding it harder to breathe & talk and run at my usual pace. Slowing down might be in order in the near future. Or maybe just running on flat?

sunny days

My stomach is actually starting to stick out a little now, although it's still pretty hard to tell I'm pregnant unless you know. Maybe I'll convince Ian to take some photos so you all can judge for yourselves. The 20-week ultrasound is scheduled for next week, so we're getting excited about that!

Went running on Sat with Ian (and by "with" I mean on the same path, not the same pace) and I'm aiming to go tonight as well. The route I now feel like I have to take involves stopping midway (at Beaver Lake) so I can pee. It's pretty funny to have to plan your run around whether you'll be able to make it to the next bathroom.

Ah, the joys of pregnancy!

getting kids to listen

Slate always has interesting articles on a variety of topics and I try to check it out when I can. Today, I found this fascinating explanation about how to get your kids to act in the way in which you want them to act. Obviously this requires patience and might not work in every situation or for every person, but it does provide a neat way to think about how to work on behaviour modification.

Check it out for yourself.

17+ weeks

"Your baby is now nearly 5.5 inches/ 13 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs approximately 5 ounces/ 140 grams. Her skeleton is mostly rubbery cartilage, which will harden later. A protective substance called myelin slowly begins to wrap around the spinal cord."
-babycentre

Went running last night and bumped into my brother and Nave on the path. They had just come from a mammoth run involving the "three peaks" of downtown. Sometimes it's nice to remember that I'm not training for anything (well, except giving birth) and I can just enjoy running because it feels good and is fun. Otherwise I might have been jealous of their challenging adventure!

I might have to go again tonight or tomorrow with all this +20 degree weather we're finally getting.

and so it begins?

On Monday while getting dressed for work, I decided to wear a pair of pants that have been hanging in the closet since they got back from the dry cleaners a few weeks ago (ok, maybe a month ago -- I have a lot of pants). They sit a little higher than most of my other pairs, and sure enough, when I buttoned them up I decided that I would be uncomfortable if I had to sit in them all day. That's right, I might not be busting out yet, but my pants are getting tighter. Baby steps!

Today is supposed to be +18. Very exciting, especially for the run I am planning to go on later. I might actually wear shorts instead of the under armor gear and a puffy vest. I am still aiming for 2-3 runs per week, although this'll be the first one of this week. I did yoga on Sunday & Monday, so I'm trying to vary it up a little to keep challenging my body.

So, we have 4 weddings this summer (May, June, July, August). Any recommendations for ways to wear the same dress 4 times even though I'll be bigger each month? Or suggestions about non-maternity wear that I could modify and make it work for wedding attire? I don't think any of the weddings will be formal.

One more win and the Habs move to round two. I'm claiming one of the tix to the second round, since Ian went to the 2nd home game of round one.

Karl

For those of you who know my dad, here's a cute little article about him. I'm surprised the author didn't mention the cows.

more running!

I think I have spring fever. I've been to the mountain to run 3 times so far this week. Good thing, too, since it is supposed to either rain or SNOW today, tomorrow and Sunday. I guess I'll have to find something else to do this weekend.

I'm not a "sleep on my back" person. However, on occasion I will end up on my back in the middle of the night. But, since I've passed the 3-month mark, and my brain "knows" I am not supposed to lie supine for any length of time, if I do happen to roll over onto my back within about 5 minutes I wake up in a panic and rush to adjust my positioning. I find it amazing that even if I'm sleeping, my body just knows that it is not supposed to be in a certain position.

I dread when I will have to give up sleeping on my stomach though. Side sleeping is just not that pleasant.

16+ weeks

"Your baby is now about the size of an avocado (about 5 inches / 11.6 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighing approximately 4 ounces / 100 grams). In the next three weeks he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his weight and adding inches to his length. The circulatory system and urinary tract are in full working order, and he's inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through his lungs. "
-babycentre

I'm four months! It seems more "real" than three months, for some reason. I'm still fitting in regular clothes, but now I can foresee a time when I'll have to go and actually try to find some pants that fit over a growing belly. Hopefully I'll be able to push it until 5 months, but, we'll see.

Ran on Sunday through the big, icy puddles because it was just easier than trying to keep my feet dry. And it made me feel like a little kid splashing around, only without the yellow rubber boots. Last night, I went for another run and low and behold, the sun from the past few days did its job! The Mount Royal path was dry, or at least dry enough that you didn't splash freezing cold water all over while running.

Right now running is feeling pretty good. Yoga on Monday felt pretty good as well, so I'm happy to be able to continue to enjoy exercise that I love for now!

yoga!

Now that ultimate is over, I am planning to go back to yoga at the gym (the class I like --and can make it to-- is on Mondays, same as indoor ultimate). I'm excited to get back into it, although I am interested to see what positions my body no longer feels comfortable doing.

This whole "you aren't supposed to lie in a supine position after 3 months" could limit what I can do in the class. Luckily I will probably be able to figure out some variations that work just as well.

I'm also looking into some prenatal yoga options, but I'm not super thrilled with the concept. I like my yoga to be tough, or at least somewhat challenging, and while I might want a relaxing class at month 7, right now I'm not really keen on it. So, prenatal yoga classes might just have to wait.

In other news, spring appears to finally have decided to show up in Montreal, so I'm aiming to run 2-3 times per week outside. I might have to downgrade from running on the mountain when I get too big, but right now it feels good.

ecoist

Although I cannot claim to be a fashion trendsetter in any sense, I do have a purse that lots of people have asked me about. It's made of soda tabs. That's right, the whole thing is put together with recycled tabs from soda cans. I received it as a gift from my Dad, who is a pro unique-gift shopper. It helps to have all those handcraft markets in NYC at the holidays!

In any event, since so many people have been asking about the purse when I carry it around, I thought I'd do a little research and see if I couldn't find any info on it. Sure enough, the company that makes them has a website. They're the same company that makes the candy-wrapper purses too. Furthermore, they plant a tree for every bag you buy.

Now, I wonder if they make diaper bags?

ecoist.com

wannabe

You know the guy who skis in the jeans tucked into or over the ski boots, the wide open too-big jacket and sunglasses -- who has no concept what his poles are for? I think I passed the running equivalent today while out for a jog on the mountain. This guy was wearing sunglasses (obviously) and had "rips" in each knee of his green combat pants (but the kind of rips that come pre-torn when you buy the pants), a wide open jacket, and I am pretty sure he was running in oxfords. Plus, he was wearing cologne. A ton of it.

It was definitely amusing.

I love the running culture on the mountain. The real runners always smile or nod or give a little two finger wave as they pass you. A running buddy and I used to drag ourselves to the mountain at 6:30 am once a week during the winter months and made a particular effort to say hi to everyone we passed. We were only outdone once, where someone who was passing us (in the same direction) said hi before he even passed us.

I'm really enjoying my current running mix, particularly GnR's "Get In the Ring." Ian doesn't think it's the kind of music I should be exposing the baby to, but I don't want to discriminate against types of music this early on, do I?

15+ weeks

"Your tiny tenant frequently gets the hiccups, which babies master before breathing. Babies don't make any sound because their trachea is filled with fluid rather than air. The fetus weighs in at around only 2.5 ounces / 70 grams. It measures nearly 4 inches / 11 centimetres long, crown to rump. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, fingernails are fully formed and all the joints and limbs can move." -from babycentre

Still feeling good so far. I played my last game of indoor ultimate on Monday night (which we won, woohoo!). Since there is still so much snow on the ground, I doubt I'll get to play outside before I get too far along and probably shouldn't be out on the field. So, I'm now shifting my focus to running. It was warm enough to run on Mount Royal last Sunday, so Ian and I went for a nice jog. We didn't run together (I'm anxiously awaiting when he has to push the baby stroller while running so I'll be able to keep up with him) but it was nice to be out and not breathe the stale gym air.

I'm aiming to go again tonight, since it is supposed to be +8 today. I'm also contemplating running a 5 km race at the end of April just for fun. I was scheduled to do a leg of a marathon in Burlington with some ultimate ladies in May, but we decided that probably wasn't the best plan of action. But, I figure a 5 km in 3 weeks is definitely do-able. I'll keep you posted.