Obligatory New Years Post: Post Baby Body Plan

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is enjoying these first few days of January. Something about the start of a new year, a new month, is so refreshing. I know everyone makes fun of the false promises made in a New Years resolution, but I completely understand that mentality.

Don’t we all enjoy a fresh start?

I actually don’t quite feel the same way this year since I’m still pregnant. I feel that the start of 2012 is more of a continuation than a new beginning and the “new beginning” will occur at the end of January/beginning of February when my daughter arrives.

Still, I thought I’d offer up some obligatory New Years resolutions in the form of my Post Baby Body Plan.

Up until recently I haven’t thought too much about “getting my body back”. Well, okay that’s a lie- I have thought about it, but I’ve also been in denial about the work I may have ahead of me. It would be great to believe that I will be one of those people that will lose all of the baby weight quickly, but I’ve never been one to lose weight quickly, so I think it’s going to require some serious work on my part.

But how am I going to find the time to commit to working out and eating right ? Lately, all I hear from everyone is that my life will be impossibly busy and I’ll be so exhausted that I’ll be lucky if I remember my own name. It’s discouraging, but I know I’ll find my own way. I also don’t have extreme goals of running a marathon by summer or getting back into my pre-pregnancy jeans after a month.

My Post Baby Body Goals:

1. Be Kind to Myself- This is number one for me. And I think it will actually be the hardest of all of my goals. I tend to be really hard on myself and critique my body more than I should. I look at pictures of myself pre-pregnancy and I’m now just realizing that I like what I see. Wish I could have been more appreciative of my body at the time. Also, pregnancy has showed me how absolutely incredible my body really is. I need to respect and honor it, give it time to heal and recover. I will have goals and expectations, but I am going to treat myself as I would a friend…with kindness and understanding.

2. Join Weight Watchers

Yes Jennifer Hudson, you’re a good spokesperson. But more than that, I think Weight Watchers will be a good plan to help me lose the weight because it’s based on eating real food but it still provides structure and guidance. I think it is going to be hard for me to get back into a routine of counting and measuring, but I know I need to do so in order to lose the baby weight.  Not only do they have a plan designed for nursing moms, but they also have an online program and there is a child friendly express meeting in my area. I think I’ll start with the online tool and then attend meetings when I’m leaving the house more.

3. Get exercise in whatever form works

I don’t have any specific fitness goals for right after the baby is born, except that I want to move more. At this point I have not been working out for at least a month and these days I can barely walk without discomfort. I can’t wait to be able to move without pain.  Once cleared for exercise, I plan to get walks in with the baby (at the mall, or wherever), do on-demand short workouts at home, join Stroller Strides, perhaps join a Zumba class through the township, and ease my way back into short runs on the weekend when Joe can watch the baby (I’ll have a running stroller thanks to my sister, but I have to  get an adapter and also wait a little to run with an infant, especially in the winter). Long term I’d like to try out P90X or P90X2.

So there you have it. My post baby “get my body back” plan.  I look forward to sharing with you how things turn out.

What are your goals for the New Year?

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Roasted Tomato Bruschetta and a quick catch up

I’m very excited to share this recipe with you because it is so good and really easy too. I can’t take credit for it because my mother-in-law gave it to me, and she actually got it from Joe’s aunt (who may have gotten it from somewhere else).

I’ve eaten this dish a few times but this is the first time I made it myself. I brought it in for my office holiday party and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

2-28 oz. cans of Redpack whole tomatoes (this brand is the best, the tomatoes are large and plump)
1 cup of olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt.
fresh garlic minced
basil
goat cheese
1-2 baguettes sliced crosswise and toasted

How To:

Preheat oven 250 degrees.  Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil into 9×13 baking dish.  Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them in the dish cut side up.

Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, dried oregano, sugar and salt.

Bake for 1 hour then turn tomatoes over and bake 1 more hour or until soft. (Mine took about 2.5 hours total)

This is what they look like when done- very soft and pruny

Transfer tomatoes to a new dish and drain out the oil into a bowl/measuring cup. (I served them in this same pan so I cleaned it and then put the tomatoes back in the same dish)

Drizzle some of the olive oil from the baking dish on the tomatoes.  Add garlic (I used about 4 small cloves diced very small) and let them sit on the tomatoes while they were still warm to melt into the tomatoes and get mild and sweet.

After cooling a little, add ribbons of basil and goat cheese to taste.   (Sorry this picture is so dark, I actually took it when it was already in my bag on my way to work.)

 

Serve with the toasted bread in a basket on the side.

 

Oh and in other news:

I got a manicure for the first time in….I have no idea how long. I also got a pedicure and it was amazing. OH and the most exciting part of my day….I got jury duty! Happy Holidays from Montgomery County, PA.

I also realized I’m at that ridiculously large pregnant stage. The manicure lady asked if I was having twins. No. I’m not. But if I did have twins, I would ask them both to help me paint my hideous blue bathroom.

Not much else to report, hence the lack of posting lately. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the holiday season!

Does your company have a holiday party? What’s it like?

When’s the last time you had your nails done?
Ever served jury duty? I haven’t- I was summoned once but didn’t have to report.

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Week 29 Pregnancy Update

Hey guys- Happy Saturday! I’ve been meaning to post this week’s update but been pretty busy every day after work so I just got around to it!

 

This week has had a lot of highs and lows (all which are really highs because nothing is that bad). All in all I’ve been feeling very good. Joe and I went to my doctors appt on Wednesday and that wasn’t the most fun. After seeing all of the other doctors in the practice, I finally got to have a visit with my OBGYN that I’ve seen for the past 2 years.  Unfortunately, when the doctor came in to my room she introduced herself. I wasn’t amused. I was hoping that she would have looked at my file (I don’t expect her to remember me), and know that we’d met before. Oh well.

 

Oh and at some point after that she mentioned that I need to watch my weight gain. OH THE HORROR!

Of course I was upset about that. I mean, getting weighed and then scolded about how much you’ve gained isn’t an easy thing to take. If you read this blog you probably know, I’m a woman who has many emotions tied up in my weight. I’ve struggled with this over the years. So, needless to say, I left the office in tears.

I felt like a failure. Like I’d failed myself and my baby.

I felt ashamed and embarrassed.

I felt frustrated that I can’t go back and change some of my eating patterns during the beginning of my pregnancy.

 

Joe and I talked for a while and eventually I felt better. Through our dialogue I realized that this warning from the doctor has nothing to do with me as a person. I asked myself- how can I make things better from here on out? What else can I do to ensure that I’m staying healthy and keeping baby healthy too?

The answers that emerged were more simple than I thought.

I need to be more active- even if I do have pelvic and hip pain, it doesn’t mean that I have to do NOTHING. I ended up getting right on the horse and got in two short workouts on Thursday and Friday, and I went to yoga this morning. I’m going to prenatal yoga tomorrow.

I need to be more aware of my eating habits. I need to eat when hungry but I KNOW I can watch the mindless eating and snacking. I need to focus my calories on healthy whole foods and limit the amount of sugar I’m eating. I have been indulging too much.

 

Looking myself in the mirror and realizing that I can do more to take control of my health made me feel empowered and strong. Instead of crying about how “I’m doing all I can” and how mean the doctor is, I just owned it and moved on. I’ve felt so good in the past few days. Better than I have in a while. It’s amazing to see the effects of a little exercise and reduction in sugar.

 

I also wanted to let you guys know that in the next few weeks I do plan to focus more on food and eating on the blog. I recognize that this has turned into a pregnancy blog and I’m sure some of you are not enjoying that so much. It’s hard not to blog about pregnancy all the time-especially because I enjoy having the blog as a way for me to look back on this journey. But I also want to keep things less one-note.

 

This week’s pic:

Other Stuff:

 

Baby Size: 15.25  inches (Butternut Squash)

 

Baby Weight: 2.5 lbs

Fav Foods: Weekly meal highlight- lunch today (eggs with spinach and goat cheese, bulgar wheat), also loving warm almond milk w/unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa

 

New Pregnancy Gadgets: My sister gave this to me and I’ve been wearing it during my workouts. It has helped with the pelvic pain.

Previous Updates:

Week 28

Week 27

Week 26

Week 25

Week 24

Week 23

Week 22

Week 21

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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Escaping my pants

I’d say that it’s not what it sounds like…but it totally is.

I’m a big believer in wearing clothing that makes you feel good no matter what size you are. Even at my highest weight, I always made sure that I had clothing that fits and makes me feel confident. Sometimes it’s hard to bite the bullet and buy that bigger size, but in the end it’s the best thing you can do.  Dealing with your rolls being squeezed all day certainly doesn’t help you to think…”Wow, I love and respect my body.” Red marks in your flesh by the time you get home from work does not equal respect.

And ultimately if you want to lose weight and take care of yourself, you need to believe that you’re worth it. You’re worth the money for a new pair of pants. Even if you wear them every day. It’s the same mentality that you’re worth that extra hour of  “me time” in the morning to exercise or to pack a lunch that is healthy.

Anyhow, back to the story of how I escaped my pants.

This morning at 6am when it was dark out and my thoughts were hazy, I decided that I couldn’t wear the same black maternity pants to work for the 3rd day in a row.

Reluctantly, I grabbed a pair of grey pants that I hadn’t worn in a few weeks. These pants are pretty cute and while they fit well in the butt and legs, they have a demi-panel which is not really 3rd trimester belly friendly for me. Basically it cuts me off right in the middle of the belly and when I sit down, it puts pressure on my stomach in a not-so-comfy way.

Somehow I just thought I would be okay though. They’re still stretchy, right?

At 7:30 I got to work only to realize that I had missed the memo that it was random casual Wednesday. I guess my status as temporary receptionist doesn’t get me placed on the company wide email listserv. Whatever. As I sat in my chair the pants started digging into me and the pressure was already unbearable.

I looked at the clock. It was only 7:47. Shit.

As the pants slowly squeezed tighter like a South American Boa Constrictor, I started to channel the pain into feelings of guilt about how much weight I’ve gained during my pregnancy so far.

The constant pressure in my waistline was serving as a constant reminder that my pants don’t fit and I’m fat. I googled pregnancy weight gain and began to search around the internet for comfort that I’m not alone. In between searches I watched people walk in and out of the office in jeans looking very comfortable. I gasped for air.

12 o’clock hit and I knew I had to remedy this situation. I have 30 minutes for lunch. There is not a maternity store in this area. Walmart is close by, maybe I can score a pair of super elasticy pants that will somehow work? Ultimately I decided that in my 30 minute lunch break I would run home and change into new pants.

15 minutes in to the voyage I realized I’d never make it back in time. Around this time, I was driving by the mall where there is a new Old Navy. With a maternity section.

I parked my car and ran into the mall. It was pouring rain, I forgot to add. I struggled to push past people on the escalator and not swipe them with my huge stomach.  I ran into Old Navy, grabbed a pair of full panel jeggings (that I had been eyeing), as well as 2 sweater dresses that were on major sale (bonus).

No trying on. Just ran to the register, gave the lady in front of me the “If you don’t hurry up, I will tackle you” face, and got my pants.

Drove back to work. I had been gone 35 minutes. Ran into the bathroom, slid on the jeans. HEAVEN.

Back upstairs at work I walked in 10 minutes late and no one was the wiser. But oh how good I feel now.  And I feel good not just comfort wise, but self-esteem wise. I checked myself out in the mirror, and you know what? I look really cute. And I actually feel like a normal person again. The negative voices in my head are quiet now.

And just to make sure this doesn’t happen again, I ordered a new pair of full panel work pants. At least I’ll have 2 pairs in rotation along with leggings I can wear with my new sweater dresses.

And that my friends. Is how I escaped my pants. And the negativity that went along with them.

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How I Got Pregnant

I’ve wanted to share this for a while; sorry it took me so long!

Before We Started Trying:

Despite having lots of talks with Joe and making sure we were both ready for this journey, I didn’t do anything too major to prepare for conception.

About 6 months in advance I went off my birth control. I wanted to allow for my cycle to regulate itself naturally. I also went off another medication I was taking. I started pre-natal vitamins (an over the counter gummy version). Lastly, I  told my OBGYN that I was planning to try soon at my 1 year annual visit.

source

Other than that, I just lived my life.

For us, trying to conceive took about 5 months. I feel very, very lucky about that. I’m even more thankful considering that it took a month to even really understand how to get pregnant. It’s one of those, “you think you know, but you have no idea” kind of things. And once you figure out how hard it is, it kind of makes you re-think all of those pregnancy freak outs you may or may not have had in the past. Just sayin.

Some Basic Stuff to Know (but seriously, please consult a doctor for this information)

• Your cycle begins on the first day of your period
• If you are lucky enough to ovulate, it should happen once a month.
• Standard charts you pull off the internet or on phone apps would default you to a 28 day cycle with ovulation happening around the 14^th day of your cycle
• Ovulation is when the egg is released
• Around the time of ovulation is your “fertile time” and when you need to have sex in order to try to fertilize the egg.
• The egg only survives for about 24 hours, and needs to be fertilized or it is no longer viable and will eventually pass as your next period
• If you fertilize the egg it still needs to implant in order to be a viable pregnancy.
• Implantation happens 7-14 days after conception

So really, there is only a tiny window each month that you can actually get pregnant, and you need to time it just right for everything to align. Eye opening, isn’t it? I always thought you could get pregnant at any time. Although technically if you don’t know when you are ovulating or if you don’t know anything about your cycle then it’s always possible that it can just “happen”.

Once I knew the basics about how to conceive, I used some tools to help. The best thing I found was ovulation predictor strips, or an ovulation predictor kit (OPK)s. I bought a bulk pack of both OPK and Pregnancy strips on Amazon. These are no frills dip sticks, but they are a bazillion times cheaper than the store bought tests. (Please read the instructions though- although they look similar, ovulation strips and pregnancy strips are two different tests and you read them differently. It also goes without saying that all brands are different so read your brands specific directions.)

source

Ovulation tests tell you when you are about to ovulate so you can “catch” the egg. There is a control line and a test line and when your test line is the same as/or darker than the control that means you better get in the bedroom and do it. The positive test is supposed to indicate that in the next 12-36 hours you will release an egg and it can be fertilized if you take care of business. This is your most fertile time. Is it guaranteed to happen? Um, no. But at least you know that your efforts are well timed.

The first few months I used the OPKs but didn’t really use them correctly. I assumed my cycle was 28 days and missed the positive OPK by starting to test too early and then stopping too soon. I thought maybe I wasn’t ovulating. All of my timing was off. However, after two months of charting, I realized that my cycles were more like 35-36 days long meaning that I would ovulate around Day 18, not Day 14 (and definitely not Day 11) which was when I sometimes started testing.

During the month I got pregnant, I was determined not to miss the positive OPK. I started testing as soon as 10 days into my cycle. I tested every day (sometimes twice a day when the test and control were close). And I waited, and waited and waited. It wasn’t until around day 19 that I finally had a positive OPK.

Since I was still paranoid that I was missing the ovulation, we had sex before the positive OPK (every other day or so), and then we did it for 3 days in a row once I got the positive. It was a lot, and we were both tired and drained. I knew that we could not keep that up if I didn’t get pregnant that month. I just had to try everything for at least one cycle. In the end you need to figure out what works for you and your partner. You don’t want it to become like a job. You don’t want to feel like you are using each other.

Basically what I would advise is getting the OPK strips before you even start trying, and learn your cycle. I charted mine with an iphone app called “Monthly Cycles” and I also charted what days we were having sex. The more you know…as they say.

source

It’s really important to remember that the same thing doesn’t work for everyone. I chatted with women who correctly used OPKs for years and never got pregnant. For some they didn’t even use OPKs and got pregnant on the first try. People told me that charting may make me too nervous and that my stress would keep me from getting pregnant. But it’s a hell of a lot easier for someone else to tell you “relax, it will happen” To anyone reading, I advise you to never say that to anyone that is trying to conceive.

I read lots of articles and even heard that my cycle was too long to have viable eggs. I can admit that I freaked myself out and over thought everything. I would analyze every symptom with the hope that it meant I was pregnant. Each month I would think I was pregnant, and then getting my period each month was heartbreaking. In the end I was blessed with a short timeframe for getting pregnant and I am so grateful for that.

I hope that maybe my tips will be able to help someone else out there. And if you have any other questions (even ones you may think are silly), please email me at FoodIRL@gmail.com. I’m no expert but I’d be more than willing to share my experience with you.

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27 Week Pregnancy Update

27 weeks! Woah! This is my last week in the 2^nd trimester and I simply can’t believe it. What I also can’t believe is that I’m not freaked out at all. I’m actually ready to be here right now. There were certain weeks that passed where I was feeling nervous about how fast the time was going, and wondering how I would feel when I knew that my days as a pregnant woman were numbered. As excited as I am to have my little girl, there is also something very magical about this time.

This week I’m not feeling so magical. In fact, I have to admit that I’ve had my fair share of yearning for my pre-pregnancy body. It’s the little things that have started getting more and more difficult – like getting off the couch, packing a suitcase, and cleaning my house. I used to run around like a madwoman to get errands and things done and now it takes me a lot longer to get through my to-do list.

I’ve also been reading about many people who are training for and running upcoming races (Savannah, NYCM, Philly marathons) as well as Turkey trots and all that jazz, and I’m totally jealous. I really miss running.

I actually have dreams about it. Last night I had a dream that I was using a treadmill that required an input of time of year and city. Then the treadmill would mimic a road race that takes place around that time. The treadmill I was on defaulted to have me run at 6.3mph and I was barefoot and could barely keep up. It was not fun.

 (Disclaimer: Please don’t take this as me saying that I’d rather be running than be pregnant. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just expressing some of my feelings honestly, but I do realize I have my whole life to run races, exercise, etc.)

I’m not very active right now because of the hip and pelvic pain I get from working out. But it’s not just that. I also feel pretty tired and unmotivated to exercise at the end of my work day. By the time I get out of work and run a few errands, I’m spent. And I’m not getting up any earlier than I already do at 6am. But you know what? I’m not going to blame all of my inactivity on pregnancy. I know I could do more, and I’m not. Maybe I’ll find motivation again. I hope so! I think I could use the endorphin boost. I feel heavy, slow, and pretty unattractive these days.

Food wise things aren’t that interesting. We’ve had a lot of evening obligations and errands so I haven’t cooked that much this week. My go-to snacks lately have been brown rice cakes with laughing cow cheese, pears, and fun size Halloween candy, shredded wheat with almond milk.

I didn’t take my usual belly shot this week, so I’ll use a pic from last weekend.

I’m looking forward to getting a lot of new pictures this Saturday at my baby shower! YAY!

 Other Info

Baby Length: 14.5 inches (cauliflower)

Baby Weight: 2 lbs

Cravings: Pizza! I could eat it at every meal. I’m not kidding.

New clothing purchased: 2 pairs of pants. A black pair and a pair of jeans. I really needed a pair of black pants with a full panel. Demi panels just aren’t cutting it anymore. I also bought a new top for my shower.

Days left until my due date: 86

Days until Christmas: 50

Previous Updates:

Week 26

Week 25

Week 24

Week 23

Week 22

Week 21

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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Merry Halloween Weekend Recap

I know it’s a day late, but hey- who doesn’t want to reminisce about the weekend?

Mine was pretty fun- not overly Halloween themed- honestly it was more like Christmas with all of the snow!

Friday

Friday night was really low key. I came home from work and just relaxed. I received the books I ordered a few weeks ago and read Jenny McCarthy’s Belly Laughs from cover to cover in just a few hours.

It was really funny and I could totally relate to it. I loved her honesty and humor about pregnancy. It was so refreshing! Joe ended up having to work until around 8:30 so he didn’t get home until late. We ate leftovers from the freezer and fell asleep on the couch.

 Saturday

Saturday morning I had to wake up bright and early for my glucose tolerance test. As I may have mentioned, I wasn’t looking forward to it. I have to say though- that it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. The drink was orange flavored and really sweet (so sweet that it burned my throat when I drank it). But it was chilled and the whole ordeal was over quickly. After drinking it, I felt a bit dizzy, but that subsided. I put some headphones on, read a book, and the hour was over before I knew it.

Now I’m hoping I passed.

After the appointment I walked outside into a winter wonderland! It was snowing and actually sticking. Crazy!

The rest of the day was spent running errands with my friend Diana and then driving home on crappy roads.

While I was out, Joe was at home working on the nursery. He was prepping the room for painting and by the time he went out to get the paint, the store was closed. It’s amazing how things work out for the best. Because I think I changed my mind on the paint AGAIN. Time to sample one more color. Fingers crossed because this is getting ridiculous.

FYI: None of the colors above are the actual color I chose

Although I had plans to meet up with some friends downtown, Saturday night was spent in the house. I was having a major cranky, headache, moody, teary, pregnant lady evening and didn’t want to grace anyone with my presence. The roads were also pretty nasty.

Sunday

On Sunday Joe and I drove down to Atlantic City(about 1.5 hours away) and met up with my Dad and stepmom for lunch. It was a great day to be outside by the beach and we enjoyed walking the boardwalk. Lunch was also delicious! (I had a Chinese chicken salad), and then the trip was completed with some delicious salt water taffy for dessert. YUM!

How did you spend your weekend? (Or what do you have planned for this upcoming weekend?)

Did you dress up for Halloween? If so, as what?

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Week 26 Pregnancy Update

Greetings from my 26^th week of pregnancy!

This week has been an interesting one, and not really in the most fun ways. I’d describe this week as the beginning of the “uncomfortable” pregnancy stage. I honestly just feel big, slow, and achy.

 

Also, I’m writing this, I’m sitting at work also realizing that my demi-panel work pants are starting to feel really uncomfortable and digging into my belly. I think it’s time to invest in a few more pairs of pants, but I can’t say I’m happy about it!

 

 

Maternity pants are pricey! The truth is though, that I sit at a desk for 8 hours a day, so there is no way I can continue to be uncomfortable on a daily basis.

 

This past weekend also marked the 3^rd wedding that I’ve attended since being pregnant. The first one was at 8 weeks and no one knew, the second was at 12 weeks so I got to share the fun news with all of my friends, and now this one at 26 weeks!

I had a great time but on Sunday was having serious pelvic and hip pain. I believe it was a combination of standing a lot in heels (low ones), dancing, and sleeping in a hotel bed. My doctor said it is common, so I’m not worried about it, but it certainly was not fun.

As a result, I’ve basically had to stop exercising because I don’t think my body can take it anymore. Even when I run extra errands after work (like going to the mall and also grocery shopping), I have pain by the end of the night. So I’m going to be taking it easy with the cardio.

And the last fun thing I get to do during my 26^th week….is take the dreaded Gestational Diabetes test! I’m nervous about the test because I’ve heard that there can be a lot of false positives. I’m just trying to watch my huge sweet tooth (um, it’s Halloween), and we’ll see what happens.

Fortunately, week 26 isn’t all bad!

This week I was so excited to get a Living Social deal to a yoga studio near my house. I looked at the studio before but it was just too darn expensive. I ended up getting 10 classes for $30 (instead of $125). Now I can start attending pre-natal yoga! I’m hoping this will help with my aches and pains.

Another good thing- is that my baby is kicking like crazy! Today I seriously felt like she was doing Tae-Bo in there. I loved it!

Also, I’m also only one week away from my first baby shower (yes, I said first). We have family all over so I’ll be having 3. One in Connecticut hosted by my mom, one in Pittsburgh hosted by my mother –in-law, and another at my house for my local friends and family, also hosted by my mom. I’m a lucky girl, (and so is my daughter!)

 

Ok, I know this is getting long, so let’s get to the pictures.

 

26 week bump

It’s so big! Love it!

 

Other Fun Stuff:

Length of Baby: 14 inches (hot house cucumber)

Weight of Baby: 1.75 lbs. (grow baby grow!)

Cravings: Sour stuff! I was dying for some mega warheads after seeing them on TV. I did buy some and had one yesterday. Turned my whole mouth blue, but it was worth it! I’ll save the rest for after the gestational diabetes test.

Things I can check off the list: I finally chose a paint color! Thank goodness, that was not a fun process.

 

Alright, I’m off to make cupcakes for a work party and try not to eat any to keep my blood sugar down. BORING!

 

Previous Updates:

Week 25

Week 24

Week 23

Week 22

Week 21

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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Well Rounded Weekend

First things first, have you entered my Sentry Safe giveaway? You can win a pink fire safe ($30 value) that will help your protect your important items in case of a fire. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

 

Hi guys!

How was your weekend? Mine was actually really fun and relaxing (and somewhat productive) all at the same time.

Really can’t ask for more than that, can I?

 

Friday night Joe and I chilled at home, made pizzas and watched the rest of Season 5 of Dexter. Overall, a good season, but I kind of think the series is ready to end soon. A bit too formulaic at this point, but that’s just my opinion.

 

Anyhow, back to the food. We used fresh whole wheat dough from Wegman’s and made our own pizzas.

Most of mine was topped with with tomato sauce, mozzarella, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and turkey sausage.

The other side had olive oil, balsamic glaze, a little mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese.

Joe made his with most of the same toppings I used for my red sauce side, but also added some spicy banana peppers from his garden.

We love toppings!

 

Saturday morning was so calm and relaxing. Both Joe and I slept in until around 8:45. I whipped us up some whole wheat pancakes, and added some pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice the batter.

Not the prettiest picture, but once topped with syrup and a little more cinnamon these were soooo good!

 

After a little cleaning up around the house, I had to get packed and showered.  By 12:15 we were on the road heading to the Poconos for a friend’s wedding. The wedding was at the Blue Mountain ski lodge and it had the most beautiful views. All of the trees were changing colors and it was simply gorgeous!

Joe and I had a great time eating, drinking (club soda for me), and dancing.

Unfortunately all of my sweet moves accompanied with a not-so-comfy hotel bed led to some bad pelvic pain on Sunday. Guess I can’t get down like I used to right now.  No biggie.

 

Sunday was spent getting a carpet estimate, watching football, and clipping coupons (look for a follow up to my first coupon post on Tuesday!) and dinner was prepared by Joe!

 

We had grilled sirloin with caramelized onions, greens, mozzarella and spicy mayo on toasted baguette. Some leftover mashed potatoes on the side. I love this man.

Now it’s back to the grind…blah!

 

What did you do this weekend?
Are you enjoying fall foliage where you live?

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A Not So Fun Walk

This afternoon when I walked outside after work and felt the cool breeze and sunshine, I knew I had to get out for a walk when I got home.

 

As soon as I got home, I searched through my drawers to find something that I wouldn’t be totally embarrassed to wear for an outdoor workout. Most of my workouts up until now have been done in my basement or living room, so I haven’t had this problem.

 

I put on a pair of maternity leggings and a big tee shirt (and probably looked ridiculous), but I didn’t care. The fresh air felt soooo good as I hit the pavement.

I planned on a 35-45 minute walk around my hilly neighborhood, including a few loops around a local park.

When I first started walking I had some major tightness in my pelvic area that I’ve noticed lately when I’m walking (especially uphill). It did start to go away though once I got warmed up.

(oy.)

However, the walk took a bad turn around minute 35 when I got a shooting pain in my left side. It felt like a gas pain, but it really hurt. I was already headed home, but I slowed my pace and stopped a few times to stretch and breathe. I suspect this is round ligament pain, but I’m surely glad that I have a doctors appointment on Thursday to talk to someone.

 

Im glad to say that when I got home, drank a glass of water, ate a banana and put my feet up, I felt instantly better.

 

It was scary though. And I’m hoping that the doctor doesn’t prohibit exercise from here on out. I’ll keep you posted.

 

Going to go back to resting.

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