The Light At The End of the Tunnel

Posted on April 23, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

39 weeks! We made it to the final week before baby girl is born! Mike and I have been a little impatient with little one coming. We totally thought we would have her early, but that is not the case. If I don’t have her by Friday, we may have to talk about induction!

There have been many suggestions on how to induce labor and one of them is to get regular exercise. Thankfully I have a membership to the gym, so I made this workout for the week. When I am on the treadmill, I put it on incline about 1.5 and keep my speed at about 2.5. I am loving the weights. It makes me feel like less of a marshmallow and tones out those arms and legs!

By the way, if you are impatient about your baby coming, here are some suggestions on how to naturally INDUCE labor according to my midwives:

Personally, I don’t believe it works. I think the baby comes when it wants to, but people swear by it. I think it is some kind of conspiracy that the midwives came up with so that crazy nine month pregnant ladies don’t lose it. We have been doing this since 38 weeks and NOTHING.

But hey, I still do it anyway. Doesn’t hurt to try!

Diabetic Breakfast

Posted on April 16, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

So when I wake up in the morning, I have to check my blood sugar to make sure it is below 95 on the glucose meter. After that, I am game to make breakfast and eat!

Two hours after breakfast, I have to make sure my blood sugar levels are below 120. I try to keep my numbers in 80’s and 90’s, so I follow the plan the lady at the health district gave me on how to eat a diabetic breakfast.

She suggested to steer clear of super sugary foods. I try to lay off the carbs, but this is pretty much what I eat every work day. I am a creature of routine and thankfully, I can handle eating the same breakfast every day.

Ideas:

She told me to always pair a carb with protein. I guess the fact that you eat protein helps to break down the carbohydrates that you eat. They balance each other out. Hence, apples and peanut butter make a good snack or breakfast item. I use this as my snack after I check my blood sugar later on in the day.

Meats are good. I eat two or three strips of turkey bacon a lot or a few links of turkey sausage on the side of my breakfast dish.

Every morning I make myself an almond milk shake. I love milkshakes! The problem is milk has a lot of sugar. Almond milk has 50 percent more calcium than milk and fewer calories. I prefer the Almond breeze Original, which is only 60 calories. I add a dash of chocolate almond milk to my blender to make it a little chocolate-y. (I am a chocoholic!) I freeze my Cool Whip Free or in my case, the Wal-Mart brand of whipped topping LIGHT. Add a couple of scoops to one cup of almond milk, blend it, and you have a pretty good shake! I used to drink these all the time when I was on my wedding diet too. It makes a great dessert. Add some sugar free jello chocolate pudding if you don’t have chocolate milk.

Since I save my peanut butter and apples for a snack later, peanut butter toast is the way to start off the day. I highly recommend finding Ezekiel Bread from the local organic food store. My mom freezes hers and then toasts it to keep it fresher longer. The cinnamon raisin is my preference. If you don’t want to try Ezekiel Bread, any whole grain bread will do. My dietician recommends to steer clear of any bread with honey, since it has hidden sugars.

Another breakfast idea is anything with eggs! Eggs are a great source of protein and help keep your blood sugar levels at bay. A lot of times if I am out and about in the morning, I will stop by McDonald’s and get an Egg McMuffin. They are only 380 calories and keep the sugars down.

38 Weeks!

Posted on April 15, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

How far along: 38 Weeks, 3 Days

Maternity clothes: So it’s kind of sad because I can’t fit into some of my maternity clothes too! I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t even care. Workout clothes it is! The hardest part is going to work because I don’t really have any professional clothes to wear that look really nice.

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep: Pretty good. I just keep having the weirdest dreams!

Best moment this week: Seeing her at the ultrasound. Also, Mike and I got a lot of alone time this week just hanging out, watching TV, talking, sleeping, and going out on little dates. We know it’s the calm before the storm so we’ve been having a lot of fun just enjoying the last moments of freedom!

Miss anything: The usual. Working out has been a pretty big thing on my mind lately. Usually this time of year I am training for some sort of race and it feels funny not to be doing it.

Morning sickness: None

Movement: She keeps staying head down but switching her body from the left side to the right side. When she sticks her butt out, we call it “The Horn” because my stomach looks like a massive horn sticking up. Her shoulders and arms have been sticking out my left side a lot too.

Food cravings: Crepes. Totally random!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing as of late.

Have you started to show yet: Still hanging on strong at the same weight this week. She is measuring at 40 weeks. She is a big girl!

Gender prediction: Girl. The ultrasound this week definitely confirmed that!

Labor signs: Occasional cramps. A lot of pelvic pressure. Some contractions here or there….but no steady contractions. 😦

Belly button in or out: Out…. and showing through shirts. I tried the band-aid trick this week to hide it, but it didn’t work.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both. It depends on the time of day.

I’m not going to lie…my doctor’s appointments used to be exciting to go to, but since my midwives are SO stuck on me not inducing or even checking my cervix to see if I am dialated, I just show up each week thinking “Yep, I’m still pregnant. Go ahead, take my blood pressure and weight and then measure the baby and send me on my way.” (I know I should be grateful to have a healthy baby…but as you can tell, I AM READY!)

I realized this week how impatient we were being, but it’s more for me to just “get this show on the road” so I can start adapting to my life to having a baby. I am all business and I like to just get things done. Believe me, I know we will be like “Why were we in such a hurry?”, but my type A personality fights me on it! Plus, hearing birth story after birth story gets me all wound up wondering what mine is going to be!

Looking forward to: Laying on my right side and stomach, workouts, eating deli sandwiches and lots of sushi, drinking Keva Juice, running, mountain and road biking, and walking up the stairs without being winded! To think I could go two more weeks!!

Recipe Round Up #1

Posted on April 10, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

I have been taking the last few days off work to get my life in order before the craziness of the baby sets in. (I was also hoping that the baby would decide to come too, but she is pretty darn comfy in there, so back to work it is!) In between my errands and chores, I’ve been trying out different recipes.

Of course, the sweet tooth in me has been going crazy and considering I do have gestational diabetes, I have to be really careful! I still tried a couple of recipes out that I found on Pinterest or the internet that I would highly recommend.

I have never made crepes before and came across a basic recipe. Since I am not drinking milk right now, I substituted almond milk for regular milk and put splenda in instead of sugar. I felt so accomplished! Here is my finished product!

It was pretty easy to pour into a skillet and it stays pretty thin. I added some strawberries on the inside, cool whip free, and a little dash of chocolate syrup (which can be substituted with sugar-free chocolate syrup). It was great!

When my mom was here, we tried out a Pinterest recipe on how to make a simple berry cobbler.

All you do is put frozen berries in a baking pan, pour white or vanilla cake mix on top, and then pour 12 ounces of sprite on top of it without stirring. Bake in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes and you get an awesome, crispy cobbler! So easy!!

Of course, I had to put some Sweet Cece’s vanilla yogurt on top!

Dealing With MS

Posted on April 10, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Last week Mike was feeling numb in the nose area of his face. Since we had the scare in April of 2011 when Mike lost his eyesight to optic neuritis, we were a little on edge waiting to see if symptoms got worse this week. A couple of days later the side of his face started going numb all the way up to his scalp.

With a little provoking at the doctor’s office to get Mike in as soon as possible (which required me sitting in the waiting room while he was at work and negotiating with the secretary), we were able to get him into a quick appointment that afternoon where the doctor diagnosed a new lesion near his brain stem (different from the previous few he has) and quickly sent us to Memorial Medical Center for infusion therapy.

There are so many theories as to why we think these lesions are popping up. Multiple Sclerosis is one of those diseases that no one really knows the cause. There are so many theories out there as to why it is so common now and what causes it. I am all for research on it so that they can find the cause! I find it strange that the optic neuritis from two years ago was in the same month. We’ve researched so many things linked to MS, which includes stress, heat, and genetics, that it could be anything!

This time Mike had to have steroid treatments for three days in a row instead of five days, which we were excited about. Last time at about day three, Mike was feeling super bloated and could hardly breathe. A few of the symptoms from this therapy is queasiness, bloating in the stomach and chest area, and insomnia.

(Yes, I look nine months pregnant…because I am. Try not to notice the lack of makeup and grooming. I promise when this baby comes that I will worry more about public appearances.)

I was glad to spend time with Mike this time because last time I had to work the whole time he went into therapy. It makes the time go by faster and I am cherishing these one on one times now that the baby is looming around the corner. Too bad it had to be in a hospital! Mike has been riding his bike and going to the gym and it seems to make him feel a little bit better this time around.

This picture was taken on day three. We were/are so excited to not have to go back there (and hopefully not for a long, long time). I must say that the staff at MMC Infusion Therapy are the nicest people I have ever met. I am so impressed.

Now it’s a pill version of a steroid (not the good kind) for a couple of weeks. Keep your fingers crossed that he bounces back! We hope the lesion will decrease in size and stay away from that brain stem!

37 Weeks!

Posted on April 10, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

How far along: 37 weeks, 4 days

Maternity clothes: I saw a girl at the hospital in a really cute jumper (who was pregnant) and was kind of jealous that she could buy spring clothes. The sensible side of me won’t buy anything new…so it’s workout clothes and winter clothes. I look like a slob but I will be happy for myself when I have money to shop this summer! 🙂 P.S. Can anyone please start making cute clothes for 30 somethings that don’t involve 80’s colors or sleeveless?

Stretch marks: No. The midwife commented on it this week how surprised she was. I’ll take it!!

Sleep: Pretty good. I think my body is finally telling me to chill out, which is nice. I slept in this morning and I’m taking lots of naps. I know it’s coming soon!!

Best moment this week: Doctor’s appointments are always pretty good. Finding out I was negative for the Strep B test. Olivia is really long and is weighing about 7 pounds right now…. and the best part, she is starting to drop….which means she is on her way! Also, having a fire man install a car seat for me made me realize this was it!!

Miss anything: The great outdoors of the Dona Ana’s…and the fact that the Coyote Classic (mountain bike race) is this week and my normal grudge matches I have on that race are all going to be there. Next year…. I tell you!

Morning sickness: None

Movement: She slowed down on moving because she doesn’t have any room. The doctor was laughing because she is WAY spread out on my left side making herself all comfortable and pushing all my fluid to the right side of me. She has such a long back and then curls her feet under and that’s why I keep getting her butt sticking out so much!

Food cravings: Cece’s Frozen Yogurt. That place is dangerous!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just at night. For some reason I wake up queasy.

Have you started to show yet: The good news is that I have remained at the same weight for the last three weeks, so I think this is going to be as big as I get. I was having such a hard time with the weight on my legs this week. My legs felt like they were going to snap like twigs!

Gender prediction: Girl. Even though every person I run into in public asks if it is a boy because of how I am holding her.

Labor signs: She dropped! And I have been getting a lot of Braxton Hicks and pelvic pain. She is resting snugly on my pelvis right now as I type this.

Belly button in or out: Out. and flat. Gross.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody. In fact, I am taking off work next week because of the meltdowns I have been having at work. It’s mainly because I feel so useless there. I have a student teacher, I sit around all day doing odds and ends and then I am constantly bombarded with questions like “Are you still here?” “You still haven’t had the baby??” “How big are you going to get?” “Are you having twins?”. And me being a crazy, emotional person gets all in a huff and takes it personally. I know…it’s the hormones.

Looking forward to: Being able to turn over in bed. 🙂

Trifecta Omnium March 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Every year Las Cruces (and the Zia Velo team) hosts the Trifecta Omnium race for the NMRS series. It starts the season off with some good grudge matches and gets the legs all warmed up for the road series ahead.

The first day consists of a Time Trial that is 20k and takes place out by the Las Cruces airport. The picture above shows the road they take out and the turnaround point. I was lucky enough to be the volunteer at this point, so I was able to see the action!

Don’t let the bright sun deceive you, Las Cruces had to show its “true colors” when it comes to the month of March. Even though we are told we have one of the best weather places in the country, the only draw back is the wind. These poor riders were fighting off 50 mph winds!

This is a picture of Mike coming up on the turn. He thought he was doing terrible because of his time coming up the road with the wind, but on the way back he was able to have the wind in his favor. He podiumed for this race! He was able to get third place out of 35 riders in his category! I am so proud of him! If you recall our previous post on long-term goals, one of Mike’s goals was to podium on the Trifecta TT.

We weren’t able to get any pictures of the Criterium race (where they lap for a half an hour) because they had to cancel it because of the weather. It is usually held the same day of the time trial. The next day the Zia Velo crew headed up to Hillsboro to race in the road race.

Hillsboro is located about an hour and a half from town. The weather was beautiful and there was a lot of hill climbing. Mike was able to stay with the pack and even made it to the final sprint! He launched his team mate Phil Simpson to win second place!

See last year’s post: https://bikingcouple.com/2012/04/22/trifecta-omnium-in-las-cruces/

Overall, Zia Velo did an awesome job representing!

Top Ten Clothes I Would Recommend If You Ever Get Pregnant

Posted on April 3, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Since I only plan on getting pregnant one more time after this, I thought I would document things that I am experiencing this pregnancy for later times to come, as well as to new moms out there that have no clue what they are doing (like me).

I really have been trying to figure out the clothes situation without going into major debt because, let’s face it, maternity clothes are WAY expensive! I came up with a top ten list that I think will last me nine months and longer!

1. Larger Underwear: This is such a taboo subject, but you have to be realistic that your underwear is not going to fit and it’s going to be WAY uncomfortable. Invest in at least 5-7 pairs so you don’t have to repeat or do laundry all the time.

2. Pajama Pants/Nightgowns: I have always been the fan of pajama pants in the first place, but never before have I loved them so much as when I come home from work or a workout and don’t want anything constricting me. I also am a believer of one cute nightgown that you could wear around, as well as in the hospital when you are delivering.

3. Workout Pants/Sports Bras: Seeing that I am…ahem…flat chested (size A pre-pregnancy) right here, I have never understood the sport bra mentality until I became pregnant. Two words. Life Saver…and a pain saver too. Also, workout pants are great around the house, doing chores, running quick errands, etc. They are the all around “mom jean” but you look like you just got done doing an awesome workout in the process.

4. Maternity Jeans: I didn’t believe this one until I hit about 17 weeks. I originally just bought one size up in my jeans and loved them, but now that I am pooching out even more, I am glad that someone suggested to get them. It doesn’t mean you have to wash them every time either. They are the staple for casual night or a date night with the hubby.

5. Black Skirt: I suggest getting a knee-length or a long skirt. Personally, I prefer my floor length black skirt that I bought pre-pregnancy and it is AWESOME. You can switch any top around with it.

6. Black and White Cami Undershirts: Love them. I bought the Rock and Republic brand at Kohl’s that are super long and help with feeling “supported” when it comes to my stomach. Also, if some of my shirts go a little short, they help out with a layering look.

7. 3-5 Blouses: No need to go too crazy and wear a different outfit every day. If you get the jeans, workout pants, skirts, and tights, then you really have a lot of different ideas for outfits.

8. Cardigan Sweaters/Blazers: I am a huge fan of these anyway WITHOUT being pregnant. I feel better because when I am not feeling too cute on some days, these sweaters elongate me and make me feel skinnier. I would start with the staples: black, white, brown, or grey and then get creative!

9. Dresses, Dresses, and More Dresses: A friend of mine recommended maxi dresses. I am still on the hunt for a cute one and would love to wear one since they are so comfortable. I also love my empire waist dresses that I bought pre-pregnancy.

10. Tights: These are great because if you have any large shirts, dresses, or skirts that just need a little length to them, then you can pull these on. Plus, they are WAY comfortable!