It's Almost Olivia Time!

  Today I was that crazy lady who tried every old wives tale she could think of to get her labor started! I drank cinnamon tea until I was ready to float away. I had eggplant parmesan for lunch and pineapple for dessert. Cheyenne and I went on several walks. I think I may have even thrown in a few squats. But I'm still very pregnant! I'm still hoping the full moon does it's job.

 On Monday, I had my final OBGYN appointment. Crazy, huh?!

  I absolutely love going to the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) for my appointments for one reason. No, it's not for the stellar medical care, timely service or consistency of care because they are definitely lacking in those areas. It is simply because every time I visit SAMMC, someone goes out of their way to tell me that I make a beautiful pregnant lady or that I am all belly! It surely brightens the day of this very pregnant chic!

  I am happy to report that everything went well. Olivia's head is deep down in my pelvis. I could have told them that without an ultrasound because the pressure and discomfort I feel all the time now made it pretty obvious. I am not dilated at all but I'm about 50% effaced. They are still predicting that Olivia is a little peanut with a strong heartbeat.

  We have known for a while now that I was going to be induced at 39 weeks. This is due to the blood thinners that I have been on throughout my whole pregnancy for the blood clot I had 11 years ago. While on the blood thinners, they prefer to have you in a controlled environment. I will be induced sometime this Saturday (no time yet), as in less than 3 days from today! Miss Olivia will be here this weekend!

  I am so grateful that I will only be pregnant for a handful more days. I'm over being pregnant. I am beyond exhausted all the time now and my legs/feet always ache. There is a constant discomfort in my pelvis and I've even started having occasional intense contraction while walking Cheyenne. And please don't tell me that I'm going to be even more exhausted once Olivia arrives or that I need to enjoy the last week of pregnancy. I will probably come to your house to dropkick you! I'm well aware that I'll be up with her every couple hours but having her in my arms will make it all worth it. I have not slept well in almost 9 months and I'm just done!

  This past weekend, my hot handsome husband and I went on our last date night before Olivia's arrival. Like I said, we had a good idea that I would be induced this coming weekend. We went to a Brazilian Steakhouse and it was perfect. The food was delicious and the service was amazing. It was nice to spend some time together outside of our "cozy" apartment.

  My hot handsome husband has been absolutely amazing this entire pregnancy. He has been especially great the last few weeks. He has taken over all of Cheyenne's walks (when he is home), helps around the house (including with dinner), constantly making sure I am as comfortable as I can be and so much more. I cannot wait to see him with Olivia!

  It's almost time to meet our little love!

Bump Day - 34 Weeks

  Things have been pretty low key the past couple of weeks. My hot handsome hubby spends his weeks flying, going to class and studying while I spend mine doing chores, running errands, going to OB appointments and napping. The past couple weekends we have spent hanging out with friends and just relaxing. You can also add growing by the minute to the list of things I've been up to. I am very thankful that I am still mostly belly but let me tell you my belly is large and in charge!

33 Weeks!

34 Weeks!

How Far Along: 34 weeks! Only 6 weeks, but hopefully less left, until we meet Olivia!

Sleep: I've started sleeping a little bit better. I can get in a stretch of 3 hours before I have to get up to go to the bathroom. My hips don't start hurting me until around 4:00 AM and then it's hard to get comfortable.

Movement: She doesn't stop! I love feeling her move around but most times her movements are painful. It feels like she is trying to bust out of the womb! She's still a little peanut (per the doctors) so she is still able to flip all around and she definitely does! Sometimes she likes to lay horizontally but she's getting too big and I usually have a head trying to push itself out my abdomen and a foot or baby butt pressing on my ribs, not comfortable!

Best Moment(s) this Past Week: Last weekend my hot handsome husband and I put together Olivia's Pack n' Play, Rock n' Play and organized most of her things. Today I put together her mamaRoo and this week we'll install her car seat. It's exciting to be making the final preparations for her arrival.

Looking Forward to: Going to a wedding next weekend and seeing some of our military family. It'll be our last road trip and big adventure before Olivia's arrival.

Food Cravings: Chicken wings, french fries with Whataburger fancy ketchup (I think the first ingredient is crack because I'm addicted) and sandwiches with soup or salad. I'm still eating mostly fruit, yogurt, cereal and cottage cheese. They are my go to when I don't have much of an appetite or my stomach isn't feeling the greatest.

Labor Signs: I think I might have felt some Braxton Hicks this past week but I drank some water and sat down which made me feel much better.

What I Miss: Sleeping through the night, being able to get up from a sitting or laying position with ease, not moving at turtle pace and walking without having pelvic pain. Oh and beer! Seriously, fall brings all my favorite beers and I am dying for one! My hot handsome husband bought a case of Octoberfest so that I can enjoy some once Olivia arrives.

Weirdest Food I Ate This Week: I made breakfast for the hubby and I yesterday and the combination of cinnamon rolls, bacon and strawberries/kiwi sounded perfect to me!

Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: I haven't really been nauseous lately (knock on wood) but I do have days that I don't really have an appetite or my stomach just feels off. I am still vomiting (usually only once or twice a week) after dinner. It's random and completely unpredictable.

Symptoms: Upper back pain that seems to get worse by the day, pelvic pain when I walk, achy legs/feet and sometimes I feel short of breath (or I can't take a deep breath) if I'm out in the heat or sitting for too long. Occasionally if I'm on my feet a lot, my feet swell at the end of the day. Lately, when people ask me how I'm feeling, I reply very pregnant!

Workouts: I am still walking Cheyenne daily but the walks have become shorter and less often. My wonderful hubby has been taking over a lot of the walks because my feet and legs have been hurting a lot lately and he doesn't want me out in the heat.

Things that Suck: See all of the symptoms above! Due to the above symptoms, I sometimes have a sweet waddle going on!

Things that Don't Suck: We will meet Olivia in a month and a half!

  I feel like my first trimester dragged on and my second trimester and the first few weeks of my third flew by. Now that we only have a handful of weeks left, I'm pretty sure time is standing still. I'm ready to have our sweet little angel and adjust to our new life. I've also had the itch to start running again even though I can barely walk now. For now, I'm practicing patience while Olivia continues to grow!

Life in Texas

  Our time in Texas is just flying by, which means Olivia will be here before we know it. My hot handsome husband and I have been going out and exploring the area every Saturday. It's like a little date day! We're trying to get in as much time together as possible before our little angel arrives.

  A couple weekends ago, we went to explore the Natural Bridge Caverns. They were amazing! It was interesting to learn about how the different rock formations were formed. It was also quite a workout! It was a 3/4 mile walk that goes 180 ft below the ground. The steep inclines and multiple stairs going back up required a little extra effort from the 30 week pregnant chic. But I'm proud of myself for how well I did!

30 Weeks!

  Last weekend, we went to explore the little historical town of Gruene. The houses have been converted into cute little shops, their General Store is one of the 40 best places to visit in Texas and it's home to the oldest operating dance hall in Texas. The small town has lots of charm and we enjoyed walking around. They also had the Old Gruene Market going on with tons of vendors with all things Texas. We ate lunch at the Gristmill which is actually an old cotton gin. The atmosphere was awesome and the food was amazing. They also have river floating in Gruene but they won't let the pregnant girl have any fun!

31 Weeks!

  Yesterday, we made a trip to SeaWorld. It's only a 30 minute drive, free for military, includes 30% off food and Matt had never been to a SeaWorld. How could we not go?! I had spent the night before looking up show schedules and planning out our day. We didn't want to spend too much time walking out in the hot sun. And I have to say, our day worked out perfectly. We arrived just as the park was opening. We spent the first two and a half hours exploring the park, visiting the animal exhibits and grabbing a bite to eat. My hot handsome husband was even able to ride on two of their roller coasters with less than a 5 min wait! After lunch, we headed to to our first show, with two sea lions, an otter and a walrus. My hubby made fun of me for wanting to see this particular show but he thoroughly enjoyed it too! From there, we headed to see Azul with a beluga whale, Pacific white-sided dolphins, birds, acrobats and divers. Of course, we finished our day with the Shamu and his killer whale friends! 

32 Weeks! And feeling as big as Shamu!

Those are Hubby's feet in last seat all the way to the right!

  And now for a little pregnancy update. I have noticed lots of changes over the last few weeks. I was extremely exhausted, like taking several two hour naps during the day and still going to bed by 10 PM and having lots of leg pain. I blamed it on my third trimester and the increasing lbs! Turns out, my thyroid levels were double what they are supposed to be. My medication has been changed and I should start feeling a little better soon. I had some pretty rough days this past week between the pure exhaustion and a random day of vomiting. But, there has been no vomiting (just a little nausea) since that day.

  Sleeping at night has slightly improved. I now sleep 3 - 4 hours straight before I am up a million times going to the bathroom and trying to get comfortable. 

  My daily walks with Cheyenne have become shorter. Our long morning walk has turned into a medium walk and I'm only able to join my hot handsome husband for our nightly family walk on occasion. It mostly has to do with my tired/achy legs. But more recently, I have noticed I get out of breathe easily. Oh and the swelling! Between the heat and the tons of walking we've been doing on Saturdays, I always end up with swollen feet. Saturday nights usually end up with my feet elevated and compression socks on. It's quite the sight!

  Now let's talk about my growing belly! Its not only growing out in front now, but also its starting to expand on the sides. I feel HUGE! It takes a lot to get out of bed, out of the car, off the couch, etc. And walking, well I'm pretty sure I'm moving in slow motion! 

  Olivia, Mommy is tired and achy and if you wanted to make your debut 2 -3 weeks early, I would be completely okay with that. Just don't tell Daddy because he's still hoping you come as close to your due date as possible. 

  Over the next couple weeks, I will continue to get ready for Olivia, get lots of rest and waddle my way around!

Bump Day - 29 Weeks

How Far Along: 29 Weeks

Baby Size: 15 inches long and 2 1/2 lbs, about the size of a butternut squash!

Weight Gain: Our scale is packed up somewhere in Oklahoma so I honestly have no idea. At my last appointment, I had gained 12 lbs but that was 3 weeks ago. My next appointment is Wednesday so I suppose I'll find out then. But don't you worry, my baby bump just keeps on growing!

Stretch Marks: I don't think so but every once in a while I think I see one starting and I obsessively apply the Bio Oil!

Sleep: I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since I was 6 weeks pregnant and it keeps getting worse. I toss and turn more than ever because my hips start to hurt if I lay on one side for too long! And let's not forget the fact that I get up 200 times to go to the bathroom!

Movement: Oh boy, I think she moves more than she sleeps now! Except now some of her movements are painful! Especially when she likes to jab me somewhere in the pelvic region. 

Best Moment this Past Week: It's not baby related, but we closed on our house in South Carolina this past week. It is such a relief that everything went smoothly! Also, my hot handsome husband and I were out running a couple errands after dinner one night and he randomly surprised me by bringing me for frozen yogurt. He's definitely a keeper! 

Looking Forward to: My first official OBGYN appointment here in San Antonio. I had a meeting with the OB coordinator last week (along with my glucose test!) but this week I'll get to see the Nurse Practitioner. And I'll be pre-registering with Labor & Delivery! How crazy is that?!

Food Cravings: I still have a very small appetite. My nausea (mostly in the mornings) and my vomiting after dinner is back. Small meals are my friend.

What I Miss: Being able to get up from a sitting/laying position with ease and sleep. Oh and I have been dying for a beer! 

Symptoms: Apparently pure exhaustion comes back in the third trimester because I feel like I could sleep all the time. But at the same time I am very uncomfortable when I lay down! The nausea and vomiting are back in action (with lots of heartburn too!) but not as extreme as it was before. I think the biggest change this past week is the pelvic pain. Oh and my legs are very tired and achy by the end of the day.

Workouts: Cheyenne and I go on a mile walk every morning (although that mile is getting harder), a couple 1/4 mile walks during the day and then walk a little over a half mile every night after dinner. The joys of apartment living!

Things that Suck: Being pregnant in this Texas heat! It definitely takes a lot out of me!

Things that Don't Suck: Being pregnant! Yes, I feel yucky a lot but I absolutely love being pregnant! And non-baby related, I'm enjoying having my hot handsome husband home every night and exploring San Antonio with him on the weekends!

  Some days, I can't believe that I'm already 29 weeks pregnant while other days I can't believe that I'm only 29 weeks. I'm starting to feel like I've been pregnant forever. I'm not sure how my bump can get any bigger or how there is going to be any room for Olivia in there! I guess we have 11 weeks (or less!) to answer that question.

Life is an Adventure

  Can you believe that it's been 7 weeks since I last updated y'all?!

  It has been a crazy busy whirlwind couple of months! Things are finally starting to settle down here. Let's rewind a little and go back to when I was 23 weeks pregnant.

23 Weeks!

  I flew to Rhode Island where my cousin/sister, family and friends threw me a beautiful baby shower. It was great to see most of my family. I don't get to do that very often when I go back "home." My family is so big and my time in RI is usually limited.

  Olivia received so many clothes! Seriously, I'm pretty sure my family alone filled her closet for the next year! I cannot wait to play dress up with her! That's what little girls are for, right?!

  My absolute favorite part of the shower, was when my Aunt presented me with a gift bag full of hand knitted clothes my Mom had accumulated over the years and saved for her first grand baby. Everything in the bag was pink and white! It's like she knew her first grandchild was going to be a little girl. It's a sign that Miss Olivia Pearl truly is our precious gift from God. We are lucky to have our guardian angel watching over us.
 

Spending time with my nephew! I miss him so much!

My Big Sister!

Some of the best friends a girl could ask for! Thanks for all the Mommy advice!

Just a teeny tiny portion of my cousins!

  After being in Rhode Island for five days, I flew back home to South Carolina for one whole day! Then it was off to Seattle to spend my 24th week of pregnancy with my hot handsome husband's family. Olivia is already quite the traveler!

  We stayed very busy while in Washington! We celebrated my hubby's baby sister's engagement! There was also a triple 30th birthday celebration (mine, our sister and her fiancé)! June is obviously a great month for birthdays!

  My sisters and Mom also threw me a beautiful baby shower while we were in town. Olivia received so many more great gifts! I am so grateful for how generous all of our friends and family have been.

  We also did some sightseeing while we were in Seattle. We did the whole touristy thing the very first time my hot handsome husband brought me to Washington several years ago but have not done any since. We enjoyed playing tourist for the day!

     Before I knew it, I was 25 weeks pregnant and celebrating the 4th of July with my hubby and some of my favorite people!

25 Weeks!

Celebrating the 4th of July

Miss Crickle misses her Chaser!

Lighting off fireworks with Mr. Starfish

  The next few weeks were spent enjoying Charleston and getting our house ready to be packed up. It's amazing how much we needed to do even though we had packers and movers coming to do the bulk of the work for us. We had to figure out the essentials that we were going to need to survive the next 4 months in Texas. The rest of our belongings are currently in storage waiting our arrival in Oklahoma. 

My Hubby's final flight in the C-17

Our last Riverdogs game!

Last time at the beach for a long time!

  Before we knew it, I was 27 weeks pregnant and we were saying goodbye to Charleston and hitting the road for our temporary home in Texas.  All I am going to say about our road trip is that being very pregnant and stuck in a car with a dog that feeds off your anxiety does not always make for a fun trip. We (me and Cheyenne) only had a couple breakdowns but we made it to Texas safely.

Welcome to our Temporary Home

 
  We are completely settled in our "cozy" 750 square foot one bedroom apartment. It has been an adjustment for all of us but especially Cheyenne. She's still trying to get used to this new living arrangement.

  So far, we are enjoying San Antonio. Our apartment is in the perfect location. We are literally 5 minutes from everything we could ever want or need. The base is less than 10 minutes away and downtown is 20 - 25 minutes away. Our only complaint is the heat! The mornings (before 9:30 AM) are pleasant and so are the evenings (after 7:30 PM) but the mid afternoon is horrible! It's been around (or over) 100 degrees almost every single day. Nothing lots of water and lots of AC can't take care of!

28 Weeks!

The Alamo!

    I'm officially 29 weeks today but I think I've done enough rambling for the day! I'll be back with an update on Miss Olivia and me within the next couple days! 

  I hope your life has been just as exciting as mine lately!

Bump Day - 22 Weeks

21 Weeks!

22 Weeks!

How Far Along: 22 Weeks

Baby Size: 11 inches long and almost 1 whole pound, about the size of a spaghetti squash!

Baby's Progress: She sleeps around 12 - 14 hours a day but when she isn't sleeping, she is trying to touch anything she can. She's working on her physical abilities and motor skills. My daughter is already so advanced! Her eyes are perfectly formed but lack color. She can also hear my voice, gurgling stomach and blood circulating through my body.

Weight Gain: 8 lbs total. And my thighs just keep on growing!

Stretch Marks: Nope and still loving my cocoa butter and bio oil!

Sleep: Oh how I miss it!

Gender: Baby Girl

Movement: Yes! Those weren’t gas bubbles last week, it was definitely movement. She’s been moving around like crazy in there. I really want my hot handsome husband to feel her but she saves the big karate kicks for when we're alone. 

Best Moment this Past Week: My dear sweet friend T threw me a baby shower last weekend with my military family. It was absolutely perfect and Baby Froyo received so many great gifts! I managed to organize all of her gifts into what's coming with us to Texas and what's being packed up for Oklahoma. I also sent out my Thank You cards! Go me! In other exciting news, Baby Girl's crib also came in this week. I really wish that we were setting up a nursery for her but in true military fashion, poor little girl will not have a room until December when we're settled in Oklahoma.

Looking Forward to: My Dad coming into town today. He is so excited for his granddaughter (even more excited than me sometimes) and he cannot wait to see my baby belly in person. My unborn daughter has already replaced me as the number one in my Dad's life! She's lucky I already like her a whole lot!

Food Cravings: Nothing really. I actually don't even have an appetite most of the time and have to force myself to eat. I eat what sounds good in the moment but once I have my mind set on something, I have to have it immediately. I'm still loving milk and fruit (specifically blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)! 

Labor Signs: No thank you!

What I Miss: Sleep! Enjoying food and ab muscles! No seriously, I have to scoot to the edge of the couch or bed to get up and sometimes I even have to do a little roll action to give myself some momentum!

Weirdest Food I Ate This Week: Nothing weird. I’ve actually had little desire to eat anything. 

Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Food. I’ve felt nauseous after almost every meal I’ve eaten this week but have only vomited a handful of times with the exception of one really bad night where I went from good to worse in a matter of seconds. 

Symptoms: Still nauseous and I was very tired this week! That no sleep thing is catching up to me. My legs have also been achy (must be the extra weight from my expanding thighs!) and I've woken up with a couple Charley horses in my calf. 

Workouts: I've gone for I think 2 leisurely strolls within the last 2 weeks. The humidity is killer out there. I can barely breath just walking from my driveway to my door sometimes.

Things that Suck: The nausea and vomiting. I am thankful that the vomiting is getting less frequent. Let's hope that trend continues. 

Things that Don't Suck: Feeling all her wiggles this week. The thoughtful gifts that just keep coming in. I honestly feel so blessed by the number of people who already love our baby girl. 

  My hot handsome husband and I took this picture before going out for my pre-birthday celebration dinner last night. I am so proud, he is loosing weight like a champ which is not an easy task when your pregnant wife keeps things like Oreos and chips stocked in the house! But I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. His face is thinning out while mine is starting to get rounder! Preggo problems! 

  And now the moment you've been waiting for, Baby Girl Froyo officially has a name! We have been back and forth between two names and have decided on...drum roll please...Olivia Pearl! Although, we both agreed that from time to time we are still going to refer to her as Baby Froyo, it just holds a special place in our hearts!

  I'm looking forward to a weekend with the two most important people in my life (my hubby and my Dad) celebrating Father's Day and the big 3-0 for me! Hope y'all have exciting weekend plans too!

Bump Day - 20 Weeks

  I have had quite a few requests (aka demands) from family asking me to continue my blogging during my pregnancy and continue once Baby Girl Froyo makes her grand entrance. Since it is a great way to keep our friends and family up to date on our crazy life adventures, I will try my very best to at least do weekly (although it most likely be every other week) updates!

  My goal is to start with the present and work backwards. I plan to update you on everything that's been going on in the Froyo household and believe me, it's been busy! I'll start with the most important update, our Baby Girl!

How Far Along: 20 Weeks! Halfway there! Where did the time go?!

Baby Size: Banana (measured from the top of her teeny tiny head to the bottom of her feet!)

Baby's Progress: She is growing like crazy and so is Mama! She weighs approximately 10 ounces and  is around 10 inches from head to heel. Baby girl's ovaries are fully formed and producing eggs. How crazy is that?! She's also swallowing more these days! I hope her amniotic fluid tastes extra sweet from all the fruit I've been eating!

Weight Gain: 5 lbs! I gained 3 lbs this week alone and had a minor freak out but then I came back down to reality and realized 5 lbs in 5 months is nothing!

Stretch Marks: Some old ones on my hips and butt (thank you large booty!) but nothing new. I slather on cocoa butter in the morning and bio oil at night.

Sleep: Oh how I miss sleep! I toss and turn most of the night. I do have a body pillow that helps but I just can't seem to get/stay comfortable. Some nights, I will just stare at my peacefully sleeping husband and imagine punching him in the face because he's sleeping so well! Love you hunny!

Gender: Baby Girl! No name yet but we're getting close!

Movement: I think so! This past week, I started feeling what I think is movement. Although, if I'm being honest, it could be gas bubbles too! At my ultrasound last week, the tech told us that I have an anterior placenta which means that my placenta is on the front side of my uterus (the cushy part faces outwards) so it may take a little longer for me to feel movement.

Best Moment(s) this Past Week: Starting to feel Baby Girl move! And receiving my mamaRoo swing in the mail from my other half and adopted Mom! If you haven't seen or heard of this awesome invention, look it up!

Looking Forward to: Feeling more movement and hopefully starting to feel better!

Food Cravings: Fruit! Lots of fruit! My poor husband doesn't get a chance to enjoy any because it lasts a maximum on 2 days in our house! And milk!

Labor Signs: Lots of stretching and pulling going on but no signs of labor!

What I Miss: Being able to sleep through the night and actually enjoying food/not worrying if I'm going to throw it up!

Weirdest Food I Ate This Week: Milk! I'm not a huge milk person but I can't seem to get enough lately. My hot handsome husband found me in the kitchen thoroughly enjoying a large glass of milk and he just gave me a strange look, shook his head and said, "I never thought I'd see this day." It just tastes so good right now!

Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: This baby, the hormones, everything! Still feeling queasy on and off throughout most days. And still vomiting at least several times a week. Evenings are the worst! Most nights, I can't even stomach dinner and if I am able to get anything down, let's just say it makes a second appearance.

Symptoms: Nauseous but hungry at the same time, vomiting at times, indigestion (the feeling of food stuck in my throat and coughing after eating) and lots of feeling of pulling and stretching this week.

Workouts: HAHAHA! Oh seriously?! I try to walk a couple times a week but this week I was a slacker!

Things that Suck: No longer enjoying food! Still being sick at 20 weeks! Peeing my pants when I sneeze or have an intense vomit session! You're welcome for that lovely visual!

Things that Don't Suck: My baby bump! I absolutely love it, I think it's the best ever! And starting to feel our Baby Girl move!

  Honestly, even though this hasn't been the easiest pregnancy, I LOVE being pregnant! Just knowing that there is a little life growing inside me is such an amazing feeling. I keep saying, all of this sickness will be totally worth it as long as we have a healthy baby come home with us in October! For our daughter, I would happily be miserable for the next 20 weeks! But seriously Baby Girl, can you give your Mama a break?!

Life, It's What You Make of It

  Somehow it's already February 5th (where did January go?!) and I have yet to write a new blog post. So yeah about that, I don't really have a good excuse!

  Moving right along, let's get to the good, the bad and the ugly from 2014 so far.

  The Good:

• I completed my second half marathon with my hot handsome husband. It was his first half marathon and he totally rocked it! 

• The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl which is my hubby's dream come true! I, however, was over it a few minutes after it happened. Because funny story, my life does not revolve around football! But I did the whole supportive wife thing and supported my hubby's dream (aka his team). 

soaking up the Seahawks victory

The Bad:

• Mother nature decided to mess with some "woman issues." Not a great thing for someone trying to start a family but I've learned that there is nothing I can do to control this part of my life and stressing about it will only make things worse. 

• Remember that half marathon I mentioned, yeah it didn't go as well as I hoped. The first 7 miles were no big deal. I felt great and the scenery was nice. Somewhere around mile 8 while running through the boring/not so great part of town, I started cursing the wind that we were running into the entire time. It was up to 25 mph at some points! I may have muttered something to the effect of, "can't this f*ing wind just ease up for a little bit." It was starting to wear on me. Towards the end of the race, my hot handsome husband starting telling me to "push it" and "run faster." I don't remember if it was in my head or out loud, but I threatened my husband's life. I knew I was going to finish the 13.1 miles (in under my goal of 2 hours and 30 minutes) but my legs were tired, my hips hurt and I just wanted the race to be over! My last burst of energy came around the last quarter mile and to all the bystanders it looked like I was "dragging" my husband across the finish line! (You can add that to my good list!) No one knew that just a mile earlier I was struggling to keep up! But honestly, I'm proud of myself for finishing 13.1 miles (all running!) because although I may have struggled both mentally and physically, I still finished it in 2:25:18! Go me!

"dragging" my hubby across the finish

• Somehow, my clumsy ways resulted in a rib fracture! Awesome! It's actually not that great of a story. I woke up in the early morning to use the bathroom. I was half asleep, it was still kind of dark out (or maybe my eyes were still closed, who knows) and I managed to trip over and land on a Crystal sized duffel bag. It was not graceful, there were no reflexes (I was pretty much walking in my sleep) but there was a sharp pain. Later I would learn this was my rib breaking! After a few minutes the pain went away and I forgot all about the fall. The pain didn't come back until hours after I finished my half marathon. That's right, I ran my half marathon with a fractured rib and didn't even know it. Yeah, I'm that hardcore. You don't want to mess with me.

The Ugly:

• On top of that rib issue I'm having, I also seem to be having some sort of gallbladder flair up. I spoke with the nurse today and she said "wow a broken rib and gallbladder issues, what are the odds?!" Just add that to my bad luck streak! I'm heading back to the doctor's tomorrow (for the third time) to hopefully get some answers!

just a nice little visit to the ER



• I have not been able to run (or workout) in two and a half weeks (see above issues!) but honestly it feels like a lifetime. Running is my therapy. Training helped keep me strong both mentally and physically. I NEED to get back to running soon for both my sanity and for the safety of others! Plus, I may or may not have already signed up for another half marathon at the end of April that I would like to start training for. If anyone has a miracle cure or a healthier body they'd like to loan me, that would be awesome!

  So, as you can see, some of that bad juju from 2013 has leaked into the new year. I am doing my very best to stay positive and making the best out of it but a girl can only take so much. 

  My hot handsome husband asked me if I was stressed the other day. Silly question if you ask me but of course I said yes! He asked what was there to be stressed about and my answer was life. Life has me stressed. Just when I start to make the best of a crappy situation, I get thrown another curve ball. However, I am trying (very hard but not always succeeding) to live by my new philosophy, a positive attitude will get you to positive places and negativity will only bring you down. 

  With a rib I'd like to glue back together, a gallbladder I'd like to rip out and the get your sh*t together letter I'd like to send to Mother Nature, I wear a smile. Things could be worse. I am lucky enough to have a husband who loves me, a Dad who would move mountains if it meant he could take all my pain away, friends who support me and the best fur baby/cuddle bug ever.

  On a positive note, my hot handsome husband is having a helluva year and I am so very happy for him! So for now, I will just try to jump aboard his good luck train!