Monthly Archives: August 2011

Hi friends! Thanks so much for all your kind words and comments on yesterday’s post! The baby and I feel so loved!

So, tonight we had a mini celebration of sorts. Tonight is last Wednesday night before Youth Ministry starts which means I’m busy pretty much every Wednesday night until I go on maternity leave. We decided it would nice to go out to eat. We took short stroll down the street to the only Greek restaurant in town, Gracie’s. Whenever I eat at an ethnic place I LOVE I am always amazed that our small town has such a diverse offerings of restaurants. Gracie’s has AMAZING Gyros and that’s just what we were craving!

They are so big that you actually have to take some of the filling out in order to pick it up and eat it! I think Brian does a pretty good job!

The Gyro meat is so delicious and the pita bread so soft and chewy! Yum! Sandwiches also come with soup which I forgot to photograph plus on Wednesday night you get a FREE piece of Baklava with your meal!

I can’t even begin to tell you how flakey and perfectly sweet this was. It melted in your mouth!

Baby Sneaker likes Greek food! We got all that plus beverages for $20! Brian and I both agreed we need to eat here more often, especially considering it’s just down the street from our house!

It was the perfect ending to the final day of August and really the final day of summer!

Hi there! How are you this fine day? I am doing pretty well. The weather is cool and rainy and for some reason I am loving it! I guess later this week it is suppose to get into the 90’s again! Crazy!

So, today I am 16 weeks pregnant. Baby Sneaker is now the size of an avocado!

Some how I think an avocado is smaller than an orange but all my pregnancy sources compared the baby to an avocado saying it is 4.6 inches long and weighs 3.5 oz.

My daily dilemma is to show “the bump” or not. As you can tell from the following pictures depending on what I’m wearing I look more or less pregnant (or fat).

These are maternity capris I bought at Once Upon A Child (a consignment shop) for $6.50. I saw the EXACT same capris at JC Penny on sale for $15 originally $36! DO NOT buy new maternity clothes ladies if you can help it! I guess I thought this loose top made me look less pregnant but now that I see the picture maybe not!

In the next picture I am wearing a top that is NOT a maternity top. I bought this and a few other similar tops a couple of years ago. I hardly ever wore them because every time I did I kept thinking, “I wonder if this makes me look pregnant?”

Well, now I’m pretty sure I do look pregnant and since I am  I’m okay with wearing them. I think they will come in handy during these warm early days of fall.

And of course a picture in my Zumba clothes.

I feel like I look HUGE when I  wear exercise clothes!  And I know this is just the beginning. I really want to embrace “the bump”  but I’m just not sure how obvious it is yet. I’m also having a hard time figuring out what to wear. Most of the clothes I bought are for fall and winter and it just isn’t getting cool enough yet. I tried to find some inexpensive short sleeved clothes last week but no luck!

As someone who as gained and lost weight several times in my life I find the physical changes I’m going through to be very interesting. It’s a lot different then gaining weight that is for sure! So far I have gained about 10lbs which is right on track. I actually weight less than I did last summer at this time after too many summer parties and enjoying one to many ice cold beers! I am actually happy to be gaining weight for a GOOD reason!

How am I feeling? Pretty darn good! I am loving the 2nd trimester. I feel more like my old self and the tiniest activity doesn’t seem to knock me out any more! As far as symptoms go I still have the  acne, I have to use the bathroom AT LEAST once a night, and I’m not sure if this is a symptom or allergies but I seem to have an excess of phlegm and congestion (sorry if that is TMI). I’m taking some allergy meds with the approval of my midwife and it helps a little but it still bothers me, especially at night.

So, that’s all for this week’s update. To keep up on all things related to my pregnancy be sure to check out my Baby Sneaker Page!

Have a good Tuesday night!

This past weekend when we attended Brian’s Aunt and Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary I got a little practice in.

That’s Laila, one of Brian’s cousin’s newest additions. I don’t even know how old she is but boy was she fun to hold! She was super snuggly and just check out all that hair!

It was good to get some practice in, can’t wait until I get to hold my little one!

Hey! How’s the end of your weekend going? Good I hope. My day has been the perfect mix of fun and work.

This morning when I woke up it was about 52 degrees. It ALMOST felt like Fall! I got up and walked Izzy right away. While I was walking her I contemplated what I would have for breakfast. I decided there was only one thing that would do on this cool morning.

Yes, I did it! I cracked opened the first can of pumpkin of the year and added some to my oatmeal. It was delightful!

I then headed to church and after then back home to start some laundry and work on a new cycling workout.

Then I headed over to campus where they were holding the annual Folk Festaval. Our church had a booth that sold ice cream sundaes. I volunteered for a few hours and then walked around the festival. I was going to bring my camera but I totally forgot!

Now I’m back home finishing up the laundry, putting together a playlist for my cycling class, and relaxing!

See? The perfect mix for a Sunday!

Last year at this time Brian and I were having one last summer adventure in Door County. It’s kind of been our tradition to do this the last weekend in August because after this weekend, the University students move back in and my weekends get pretty busy. Also hunting season starts up for Brian so he gets busy on the weekends and after work too!

Not gonna lie, kind of bummed that we didn’t get up to Door County this year. But, one of our main activities is going to wineries. With me being pregnant that would have been pretty boring for me. I also wasn’t sure how I would feel sleeping in a tent considering I have to get up to use the restroom at least once (if not twice) a night. Oh well, maybe next year we’ll take our little one up there!

Fall is certainly in the air! I LOVE fall even though it means I’m busier. I love the weather, the colors, the food! I hope you’re looking forward to fall too!

Hey there! Hope your Saturday was a everything you wanted it to be! Mine was pretty great! Still feeling the energy of the second trimester and got a lot done! I taught a cycling class at the Y and then hit up the Food Co-Op for our weekly fruit and veggies. When I got home I had a little project that I needed to complete. I present to you, “My Room”

About three years ago when Brian and I decided we wanted to start a family we realized that in our two bedroom house the room that we were currently using as our guest room/office would one day be a nursery. We had a large storage room in our basement that I decided we should convert into “My Room”.” Brian already had a room downstairs, his den, where he has all of his animal mounts and a bunch of other hunting related items, plus a futon, beer fridge and a TV. A true “man cave.”

My room looked pretty rough before Brian and his dad put a lot of hard work into to it (please excuse the quality of these photos as they are from Facebook).

Over the past few years we gradually moved some book cases and books down there. I would occasionally do yoga and practice Zumba in “My Room” but we never fully committed to using it as an office. I mean why would we? We didn’t need to room upstairs for anything else so we figured we might as well keep the computer and bed upstairs.

Now that we know we will actually be using our second bedroom as a nursery it was time to move more stuff out. When my brother-in-laws were in town last weekend they did some of the heavy lifting and helped Brian haul the computer desk, file cabinet, and computer down to my room. We did everything in such a rush that there was stuff EVERYWHERE. That combined with the fact that the room had become a dumping place for stuff I didn’t know what to do with made it a very messy and unpleasant room. I decided to get to work and clean it up! I should have taken a before picture. I am really pleased with how it all turned out!

The screen is masking our giant air conditioning unit. But you can see my crate which is full of exercise equipment, my yoga mat, and a exercise ball. Plus some of my Barbie collection.

My a book case with photos, another bookcase with board games, more photos, and office supplies and my desk top.

File cabinet and Brian’s bookcase.

I still have room to do yoga if I like!

I even swept and scrubbed the floor and got rid of all the cobwebs!

Sometimes I use to feel sad when I was in “my room” I thought about how foolish it was to prepare for baby we didn’t even have and wondered why we bothered to create “my room.” But now I am I so glad we did! One last thing to think about. The bed in the guest room is going away and guests will have to sleep on the futon in Brian’s room or on a air bed in my room.

Now, lets just hope I can keep it as a used space rather than a glorified storage area! Stayed tuned to see how I change the former guest room into a nursery.

Besides that we went to a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for Brian’s Aunt and Uncle. It was pretty fun to catch up with some family that we don’t always see. Other than that we are just hanging out waiting for Gardner to arrive, he’s make a brief visit to return Brian’s backpack and get some trout fishing in.

More fun planned for tomorrow! Hope you have some fun planned too!

Hey there! Happy Wednesday to you! Half way through the week whoo hoo!

I think there is a reason that nature gives you 9 months to prepare you to have a child as well as giving you so many physical changes! Pretty much from the moment I found out I was pregnant I knew life as I knew it was never going to be the same. I was ready, and embraced the change which included making some changes to my diet and exercise.

If you recall, before I found out I was pregnant I was committed to healthy eating and specifically was following the new Weight Watchers Points Plus Plan and doing pretty well finding balance between eating healthy and allowing myself indulgences. Of course I stopped counting “points” once I found out I was pregnant. The suggestions they give as far as eating goes for pregnant women is pretty similar to how I was eating with addition of a few more calories. They also suggest 3 servings of dairy a day and I was only getting two so I have definitely upped that. I’ll admit I have let the reigns a little lose knowing I was pregnant. I pretty much give in to my cravings, eat when I’m hungry (I’m definitely more hungry than usual), and not worry too much about what I’m eating. I’ve had some really healthy meals,

vegetables for breakfast? I think so!

That’s a green smoothie with a piece of whole wheat toast, an egg puff (egg made in the microwave) topped with a fresh tomato.

And, some not so healthy meals. Like the afternoon I ate an ENTIRE box of this,

(Source)

Um, yeah.

I know that it is important to eat well so that I stay healthy and that my baby grows and develops properly. I of course have stopped drinking alcohol and coffee. I’ve had a little caffeine here and there but have really tried to stay away from it.

I was pretty lucky that I didn’t suffer  from morning sickness. I did have a few food aversions, one mainly being chocolate, which I still haven’t gotten over. Sadly I also had a hard time eating some of the vegetables from our CSA box especially the cooking greens. Usually I would love some sautéed kale but the thought of putting something green, chewy, and a little slimy in my mouth kind of grossed me out! I also cooked up some beets and then just couldn’t eat them! Luckily I froze some of them. All I really wanted to eat was carbs like cereal and bagels and fruit. Oh and ice cream…always ice cream! I tried to keep it balanced but you can only do what you can do. Hopefully now that I’m in the 2nd trimester I can do a little better with the veggies.

As far as exercise goes, they tell you that you can continue to do what you did before you were pregnant. There is one thing I haven’t continued doing and that’s running. You may recall that a few months back I was running with Brian and had a really hard time breathing. This was my first clue that something was up! After that the few times I did run I still had trouble breathing and just felt uncomfortable. That combined with the heat and my over all exhaustion really turned me off to running. So, I took a break, and at this point don’t really feel like starting up again. It is really strange to not miss running. Perhaps once the weather cools off I might miss it but right now I’m content with my current exercise plan.

I was lucky to be able to continue to teach Group Strength, Zumba, and Cycling during the 1st trimester. I plan on continuing to teach these classes up until December when I’ll be 81/2 months!  In addition to teaching classes I’ve rediscovered my love of swimming. I hear this is the perfect exercise for pregnancy. I also have committed myself to at least one yoga class a week (if not two) and if I’m not teaching group strength I will lift weights on my own. Of course I still have the doggie to walk and sometimes a long walk was all I had energy for and that’s ok!

Here’s my exercise plan for this week:

M:Teach Group Strength

T: Teach Zumba

W: Swim Laps, Yoga

Tr: Teach Group Strength and Cycling

F:Yoga

Sat:Teach Cycling

Sun: Rest

I want to continue to stay active to help with labor and delivery and hopefully to help me get back in shape after baby comes!

So that’s what I’m doing! It will be interesting to see how my “plan” changes as my pregnancy progresses!

Hello there!  I am now 15 weeks pregnant! It seems kind of crazy to me since last week I thought I was 12 weeks but after visiting the doctor found out I was 14 weeks!

I consult several different internet sources to learn about my baby’s development. They usually give you some type of food to compare your baby’s size to. This week they disagree. One says a pear, one an orange, and another apple.

Hmmmm.. seems like a bit of a discrepancy to me!

I decided to go with the orange since it was in the middle!

Baby is all ready for Zumba! I am definitely noticing some bumpage! Especially when I’m wearing my workout clothes since they are so fitted.

Check out the difference from week 7 (which I thought was week 5!) to today

Week 7 (this was a self timer photo)

Week 15

I’m dying to wear some of my maternity clothes but I don’t think I’m really there yet. Several weeks ago I went with Marianne’s mom Carolyn to a secondhand children’s store that had maternity clothes. She gave me some suggestions on what I might need and helped me try stuff on since they really didn’t have a proper fitting room with a mirror. I found a TON of really cute stuff and nothing was more than $10! Most of the clothes are more fall and winter type clothes and it’s still pretty warm here. I have a few pairs of shorts and one pair of capris that have and elastic waist band and several loose fitting dresses that I’ve been wearing but I’m kind of running out of creative ways to wear them! If it doesn’t cool down soon I might have to buy some short sleeved shirts too.

How am I feeling? Pretty darn good! I seem to be over the first trimester exhaustion. I had a pretty full day yesterday then a late meeting at the church, came home and even prepped dinner in the crop pot for today without feeling like I was going to die! I even stayed up until 10pm reading. My love for veggies has returned as well. Sure I’d love to just eat carbs but now that the thought of veggies doesn’t make me squeamish I am enjoying them more. Still haven’t found my love for chocolate again!

The only symptoms I’m experiencing right now is some annoying acne! I was always prone to acne as a teen and even in college but right before I got pregnant I was feeling pretty good about how my skin looked. Now, not so much!

No real cravings except we were just watching Man vs. Food Nations and the challenge was some type of Vietnamese soup which made me want Wanton Soup. I’ll have to work on that! I plan on doing a full post on what I’m eating soon!

So that’s what’s new with baby sneaker! can’t believe I’m this far along already! The first trimester seemed to go so slow! I’m thinking the second trimester is going to fly!

Hey there! How’s your Monday treating you? Mine has been pretty good. I seem to be getting my mojo back and feel like I accomplished a lot today. I cleaned the house, taught a fitness class, did a load of laundry, and prepped a healthy casserole to eat throughout the week for lunch. I’ll be sharing that recipe soon.

Remember way back at Christmas when I gave my mom a homemade gift certificate to a dinner theater trip with myself and my aunt and cousin? Well yesterday was our trip! We traveled to the Fireside Theater to see the show David. Before the play we enjoyed a few drinks and dinner.

My Aunt and Cousin.

My mom and me!

I don’t know about you but when I dine somewhere that is considered “banquet” dining (you don’t order and everybody gets the same meal, they are feeding hundreds of people) I don’t expect the food to be that great but this meal was pretty delicious.

We started with an orchard salad.

Strawberries, Flame Grapes, Golden Pineapple, Grapefruit, and Mandarin Oranges over Spinach Leaves, Belgium Endive, and Romaine Lettuce, glazed with Poppy Seed Dressing.

This is was so light and refreshing perfect for a summer afternoon.

Our main course was Chicken Vienna served with sweet potato soufflé with pecan crust and asparagus spears.

Skinless Breast of Chicken, dipped in Egg Batter, rolled in Seasoned Bread Crumbs, sautéed to a golden brown, topped with Jones Country Club Ham, French Boursin Cheese, and presented on a Madeira Wine Sauce.

How did they know sweet potatoes and asparagus are some of my favorite things?

For dessert we had a slice of lemon chess tart.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a lemon tart before. I loved it and ate every bite!

Besides the meal the show was also excellent. It told the story of King David from the Bible. The performers were amazing. Most importantly it was nice to spend time with my mom and my aunt and cousin. Gotta love some girl time!

I would highly recommend a trip to the Fireside Theater!

Hi there! Hope you are having a great Saturday. I’ve been having quite a nice day if I do say so myself!

This morning we slept in, which is always nice. Once I was awake, had eaten breakfast, and started some laundry Brian and I took Izzy for a nice long walk, it was a really beautiful morning!

When we returned there was a message on my phone from my dear friend Marianne who was in town for the day. She invited us over to her parent’s house to go for a boat ride!

Marianne and John as we started out boat tour.

Bruce and Carolyn Marianne’s mom and dad.

Nell!

And Brian and Me!

Marianne and her mom packed a nice light lunch of crackers, cheese, fruit, and shrimp and I brought a long some fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, basil, and mozzarella cheese. We had a nice little picnic on the boat.

We tooled all around the Black River, the Mississippi River, and through some neat back water slews. It was the perfect day for a boat ride! We even saw the boat Brian use to work on, the Julia Belle Swain.

Sadly this is where it has been docked for the last four years since the owner decided to stop running it and try and sell it . Such a beautiful boat!

After our boat ride we headed home and then got the grocery shopping done for the next two weeks. It was good to get that out of the way.

We’re just relaxing for awhile before we meet my parents who are taking us out to dinner  for our anniversary. I would bring my camera along but this is a VERY fancy place and I just don’t feel it would be appropriate to whip out my camera and take pictures of my food!

Tomorrow I’m going on a little adventure with my mom! Stay tuned!

Hey friends! Wow! Thanks for all the love on my blog yesterday. I feel so lucky that you all want to share in our exciting news!

Today, besides working, I’ve been hanging out with this guy!

In addition to celebrating the fact that we will soon be parents today we are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary! We went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants in Coon Valley, DiSciasscio’s. I didn’t bring the camera tonight because I just wanted some “us” time, ya know? You can read all about our dining experience there last fall for Brian’s birthday.

Not going to lie, we both picked out our own anniversary gifts but I think I got something truly special. I wanted to get a piece of jewelry to commemorate 5 years together and the start of our family.

I know it doesn’t look like much but this is a really cool ring. It comes with 10 interchangeable stones so you can match your outfit or your mood!

But that’s not even the best part! This jewelry is part of the Sarah’s Hope collection. Sarah’s Hope takes a portion of each sale and donates it to organizations that support micro loans given to women in this country and around the world so that they start businesses and help improve their lives. I did a book study about micro loans for grad school and one of my classmates shared with us that she was influential in starting Sarah’s Hope. I knew that some day I would want to purchase a special piece of jewelry from this collection, our anniversary seemed like the perfect reason! Check out their web-site to see all the beautiful pieces you can buy!

Of course Brian surprised me with these beautiful flowers.

I think we are just going chill for the rest of the night!

Just in case you missed it, I created a separate Baby Sneaker Page and posted some entries I had written while newly pregnant. I’ll also be sure to post all my pregnancy related news there as well.

Have a good night!