13 Weeks

How far along: 13 weeks (1/19/13)  I'm in the second trimester!

Baby size: Baby K. is about 2-1/2 to 3 inches long.

Total weight gain: About 8 pounds.  (I finally decide on what I'm going to call my "starting weight" and I'll use what my scale at home says since I can use that weekly.)

Maternity clothes: Still just maternity pants.  I love my yoga pants too!

Stretch marks: None, but I have the coconut oil ready!

Sleep: So much better!  I've been getting about 10 hours a night and it's amazing!

Best moment this week: Telling our friends about the baby!

Miss anything? The motivation to go to the gym!

Movement: None yet.

Food cravings: Donuts this week, but only after seeing a picture of them!

Have you started to show yet? I've got a little bump! (And my body in general is looking a little "plumper")

Gender: Not sure yet...Mike's hoping for a boy...I'm hoping for a girl.  But we'll both be thrilled either way!

Labor signs: no

Belly button in or out? In 
Wedding rings on or off? on.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!  I don't think I've really had mood swings.
Looking forward to: Our doctor's appointment in a couple weeks.

12 Weeks

How far along: 12 weeks (1/12/13)

Baby size: Baby K. is about the size a plum

Total weight gain: About 4 or 5 pounds.

Maternity clothes: Yes!  Maternity pants are the best!  My sweaters are started to get too short, so I'll probably need to go shopping soon.

Stretch marks: None, but I have the coconut oil ready!

Sleep: Much better this week!  I bought some Unisom though, just in case.

Best moment this week: Telling my co-workers!  They were all so excited!

Miss anything? I miss having energy, I feel like I'm always tired!

Movement: None yet.

Food cravings: Chocolate cake this week!

Have you started to show yet? My belly is getting bigger.  Two people noticed and said something about my "little bump" this week.

Gender: Not sure yet...Mike's hoping for a boy...I'm hoping for a girl.  But we'll both be thrilled either way!

Labor signs: no

Belly button in or out? In 
Wedding rings on or off? on.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!  I don't think I've really had mood swings.
Looking forward to: Making the big announcement to all our friends next week!

11 weeks

How far along: 11 weeks (1/5/13)

Baby size: Baby K. is about the size of my thumb

Total weight gain: I'm not 100% sure of my starting weight since there's a significant difference between my scale and the doctor's.  I'll base off mine at home and say 4-5 pounds.  What can I say?  My appetite is huge!

Maternity clothes: I started wearing maternity pants this week.  These things are amazing!  It was actually painful to wear regular pants!

Stretch marks: None, but I have the coconut oil ready!

Sleep: Ugh.  It takes a while to fall asleep, but one night I woke up 12 times!  I feel like I'm tired all the time.

Best moment this week: Seeing our little baby on the ultrasound!  And, watching Mike check out all the aspects of baby strollers--he's going to be a great daddy!

Miss anything? I miss having energy, I feel like I'm always tired!

Movement: None yet.

Food cravings: It really varies between salty like cheese and crackers, or french fries, or sweet like a piece of cake!

Have you started to show yet? I can definitely tell that my belly is getting bigger, Mike can too.  It's not very noticeable with winter sweaters on though...if anything it just looks like I'm eating too many donuts!

Gender: Not sure yet...Mike's hoping for a boy...I'm hoping for a girl.  But we'll both be thrilled either way!

Labor signs: no

Belly button in or out? In 
Wedding rings on or off? on.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!  I don't think I've really had mood swings.
Looking forward to: Actually looking like I'm pregnant!

Champ Has Something To Tell You...

Christmas Stuff Survey

I saw this over at Janae's blog the other day and I thought I'd play along!  Feel free to post your answers in the comments or on your blog!

1. Favorite Christmas Album/CD/Song? I love Casting Crown's Christmas CD.

2. Run on Christmas morning or take the day off? I don't remember if I ran last year on Christmas day, but probably not.  I'm not planning to run this year either...oops!

3. What do you usually eat on Christmas morning? Growing up I think we always had a big breakfast, but that is pretty typical if we were at Grandma's house.  This year Mike has requested omelets, and I'll make some toast and bacon too.

 4. Favorite holiday or Christmas tradition? I don't know if it counts as a tradition, but I love the time with family.  Trips to Kentucy and Canada for family parties.  Christmas Eve with my family--appetizer buffet for dinner, then the Christmas story, and then opening gifts.  Then Christmas day with Mike's family and of course, Christmas BINGO!

5. Real tree, fake tree or no tree? Fake--it's easier :)

6. Christmas pajamas… yay or nay? I love the idea, but it's not something we do.

7. Where do you spend the holidays? Your own house, your parents’ house, extended family, in-laws, friends? See #4--we'll be at my parents' on Christmas Eve.  Then our house Christmas morning and Mike's Grandma's Christmas night.  We'll do Mike's family later in the week.

8. Food that you always have during the holiday season? Favorite Christmas food/treat? Dutch treats--pepernoten and taai taai.

9. Open presents all at once or take turns? Stockings… yes or no?  We all take turns so we can see what everyone else is getting.  Mike and I do stockings for each other...and for Champ!

10. Favorite Christmas(ish) movie? Elf and Mary Christmas

Two Years

It's hard to believe it's been 2 years already, but in some ways it seems like so much longer.  I know that we were meant for each other...

 

You warm me up when I'm cold

 

You wipe away my tears when I'm sad

 

You're my protector when I'm scared

 

You bring me more happiness than I could have ever imagined

 

You're the provider for our families needs

 

You make me laugh (sometimes at inappropriate times)

 

You put my needs first

 

You're the taste tester for all my recipes

 

Most of all, you're my best friend and the love of my life!

Friend Makin' Mondays: Inside Your Home

Ah Monday...it came way too quickly this week!  I felt like I was barely home this weekend...maybe because I wasn't.  Mike and I went downtown for ArtPrize on Friday after he got out of work.  Then Saturday I spent the day shopping in Michigan City with our cousins and aunts.  Saturday night we went to a late dinner at my parents because my Aunt and Uncle were visiting.  Then Sunday consisted of church, family lunch, a small amount of relaxation, and then youth group.  Busy busy busy!  Hopefully this coming weekend will be a little slower!

But, Mondays mean it's time for Friend Makin' Monday.  It's been a while since I linked up...I hope you'll play along too!

From Kenlie's blog: If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Inside Your Home

1. Do you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse or house? A house

 

2. What is your home’s coolest feature? I love the bay window in our dining room.

 3. Do you enjoy DIY projects? If so, what are you working on now? I do enjoy DIY projects.  However, I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to do much.  The last thing I did was paint some wine glasses for my friend who got married on Saturday.

 4. When using the dishwasher do you use powder detergent or liquid?  Neither...we use the powerballs, which might be powder, but they're hard.

 5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom?  No we don't.  We only have 1 TV in our house and that's in the living room.

6. Is your range gas or electric? Electric. I grew up using gas and the transition was difficult...we had a few burned dinners...

 

7. How often do you sweep/mop/vacuum?  We try to vacuum every Monday night.  If the dog hair gets overwhelming, we vacuum as needed.

 8. What is your favorite place to shop for home furniture and accents?  I haven't done much of that type of shopping since we moved in 2 years ago.  Then we hit up Art Van and Bed Bath & Beyond.

 9. Do you decorate for holidays?  I love decorating for Christmas and I put a few things out for fall.  I have a spring wreath but that's about it.

 10. If you could have HGTV come in and redo one room in your home which room would you choose?  Good question...I'd love to have my kitchen redone, except I just want it bigger, everything is only 2 years old.  I think it would be fun to have them decorate our master bedroom!

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments. Happy Monday, friends!

Half Crazy

The forecast for Saturday, September 22 didn't look promising.  When I went to bed on Friday night, they were calling for a 60% chance of showers.  I got up in plenty of time on Saturday morning to eat breakfast and get ready and the sun was shining.  My friend from church, Erica, met me at our house and we pinned our number bibs to our shirts and put our chips on our shoes. 

We headed out in plenty of time for the race...so we thought!  Traffic was backed up for a couple of miles getting on the road where the race started.  We passed the first parking lot and it was packed.  We knew that we had 30 minutes left before the race would start.  By time we made it down to the second lot, we had less than 25 minutes.  There wasn't enough time to walk/jog to the starting line at the church(over a mile away), so we opted to wait for the shuttle bus.  We made it to the starting line with 10 minutes to spare, but we needed to check our bags and jackets and use the bathroom.  The lines for the port-a-potties were really long so we decided to wear our jackets and carry our bag until we found Mike and his parents somewhere around the 6 mile mark...it was either that or have to stop along the route to use the bathroom.  We actually were in the bathroom when the race started, but since the race was chipped that didn't matter. 

The race started out good, Erica and I settled into a good pace (around a 10 minute mile) and enjoyed the cool dry weather.  Around mile 5 we were running along the lakeshore by Lake Macatawa when we heard thunder.  Clouds were rolling in, but it wasn't raining.  We passed Mike and his parents just past mile 6 and they cheered us on.  Since we were coming up on the halfway point, Erica and I both took a Gu and then a drink from the water/Gatorade stand. 

And then it went downhill for me.  I got a bad side cramp (I think from the water) and had to slow down.  Erica kept up her pace and before I knew it she was out of sight! (Go Erica!)  I kept on running and I got to the Holland State Park. 

I was just entering the park when I started hearing people say that the race was called because the lightning was getting too close.  It wasn't raining and I had only seen a few bolts of lightning so I kept on running.  I got confirmation from a race volunteer that we would be able to continue running if we desired but the race was cancelled and we would not receive an official time. Since I was past the 8 mile mark by this time I decided that I would keep on going.  Then the rain decided to come down and the wind picked up.  I found another lady to keep pace with so we chatted for a bit and we both decided we were going to finish the race (there were volunteers and police officers offering rides back to the finish line if we wanted).  I kept on going and the rain kept on coming, harder and harder.  My phone stopped playing music, so I was left in silence except for the thunder and rain and wind.  I had put a plastic bag in my pocket in case of rain so I stuck my phone in there, thinking I had probably already ruined it with the water.  I kept running and running...it felt like forever. 

After the 10 mile mark (the furthest I'd run thus far), the mile markers were packed up so I had no idea where I was.  I was freezing and completely soaked.  My shoes felt like they weighed 50 pounds a piece because I was running through puddles 2 inches deep.  As I would catch up to other runners (or as they would catch up to me), we'd offer words of encouragement.  I guessed that I had about 2 miles to go at this point, but by time I finished it felt like I had run 5.  I turned the corner to the street I knew the church was on and I picked up a bit.  I left the lady I had been talking to and saw Erica coming back for me.  (Thanks again!)  She asked if I had it in me and we sprinted toward the finished line.

I DID IT!  I RAN A HALF-MARATHON!  13.1 MILES! My mind was spinning as I hugged Mike and his parents.  They went back to the car to stay dry (you guys rock for putting up with the weather!).  Erica and I went to get our finishers medals and some food.  The race was really tough, but I can honestly say that I never once thought about quitting or getting a ride back.  I also never stopped running, unless you could 3 steps that I walked while drinking water around mile 8 :)  I'm proud of myself for accomplishing a huge goal, and I'm hoping to run another one in the future...and hopefully get an official time!

Catching up

Life has been busy, as usual, around our household.  Now that summer is over, we thought we'd be slowing down a little bit, but that certainly hasn't happened!  We are already scheduled to hang out with friends well into October.  With our schdeules, weekend are the only times we have to really hang out with our friends, so any time we can spend with them is great.  We've been up to a lot this summer/fall.

*We spent a weekend camping in Canada with my mom's side of the family.  We had fun, but sure wish we could have stayed an extra day with everyone!

*Mike got a promotion at work.  He was what I'll call a "line worker" for his area at work.  He is now the team leader/supervisor for his team.  I'm so proud of him and all his hard work!

*We spent another weekend camping with Mike's cousins.  It was so much fun to spend a couple days with everyone.  We're already looking forward to next year, and planning to go the whole week!

*Champ is a little over a year old now.  He got stung by a bee a couple weeks ago and his face swelled up.  He was still acting odd a couple days later so we took him to the vet.  He was fine and she said he is in great shape.  He now weighs 67 pounds! He's our big loveable fur-ball!

*My half marathon is coming up on Saturday!  I'm thrilled that I'll be running it with a friend from church and I think that will be a huge motivator...13.1 miles is a long way to run by yourself!  I'm really excited for the race.  I've decided that my goal is to complete it and not really worry about the time.  Most of my training runs have focused on distance, not speed and I'm happy just to say I ran a half!

*Our deck is finished, Mike and his dad replaced and rebuilt our shed doors, and we're looking into having our big hole filled.  It's exciting to make progress on our house.

*I went up to Cran Hill with some of the youth leaders from church.  We spent a lot of time getting to know each other and preparing for this school year.  Things are quite different now for youth group, but I'm really excited about building relationships with my girls!

*Alecia and I are getting together next week to do some freezer cooking.  We've selected some meals to make and freeze because it's so much easier to have ready made food when you're as busy as we are.  Plus, with her expecting a baby (!!!!) she's really going to need the ready made food.  I'm looking forward to cooking with her all day :)

*Mike had 2 moles biopsied a few weeks ago.  One came back moderately abnormal and needed to be removed completely.  The doctor took out a chunk of skin about 2 inches by 1 inch.  I got to see inside Mike...not too many people can say they know their husband inside and out!  He now has 17 stitches in his back and a strict order to wear sunscreen (and a shirt) at all times.  And we have peace of mind knowing that mole is gone!

*We bought Champ a toy that treats get hidden in and he has to move the puzzle pieces to find the treat.  I was a little skeptical that he could do it, but he loves it.  He's such a smart puppy!

*We are experience fall-like temperatures now.  Monday it was nearly 80 degrees and yesterday we were lucky to hit 60.  Mike thinks it's time to put the fleece sheets on our bed :)

My mind is all over the place so that's just a random sampling of some of the events in our lives right now!

Food Stuff

Last year (wow, that seems like forever ago!) my mom, Mike's mom, and Mike's sister, and I took a road trip to Shipshewana.  We had one purpose of this trip: eating and shopping!  Our first stop was at Rise and Roll Bakery for some delicious breakfast treats.  I got a fabulous cinnamon roll :)  I of course, had to bring some goodies back home. 

Peach Butter....oh so very very yummy!!!

Dried Cataloupe...I wanted to try something different.  This was delicious!

Our next stop was at E&S Sales.  Oh. My. Word.  This was totally my kind of store.  Aisles upon aisles of fun foods, some I'd never seen before.  We spent a lot of time in this store.  My mom and I filled an entire shopping cart of fun items, and the prices are awesome!  Here are some fun things I bought:

Christmas Tree shaped pretzels.  I dipped these in white chocolate and covered them in sprinkles for Christmas for my youth group girls.

This is the product I was most excited about...dehydrated marshmallow bits, like the ones in hot chocolate packets.  I love to eat these plain, but I've made a few recipes with them too.  Keep your eye out on my food blog for them...soon!

Dried Pineapple...I love dried pineapple!

Yeast donut mix...so delicious!

 

 

Peanut butter filled pretzels.  They're such a delicious snack!

Mike will tell you that I always snatch a few marshmallows from his bowl of Lucky Charms.  I found this bag of marshmallows and I bought them so I don't have to steal his any more!

Bacon cheese.  Enough said!