TIME is flying

Wow it has been FOREVER since I have found time to Blog.  I have a few adorable reasons that have kept me away from the computer, baby girl cries whenever Mommy starts typing.  With Christmas just around the corner it is the best time for me to post my review of Watchco.com, I was contacted to review a watch of my choice, and believe me it was a TOUGH choice.  I narrowed it down to a couple brands that really stood out Citizen and TOKYObay.

I chose the Citizen Watch above- Citizen Women's Eco-Drive Sport Chronograph Stainless.  This watch is amazingly light weight, classy and easy to read.  Other than running a little big on me (I need to remove a link or two) this watch is great to wear every day. I expected this watch to be heavy and was surprised when it felt more like a bracelet. 

Watch Details:

Model Number	FB1158-55D
Gender	Womens
Display	Chronograph
Movement	Eco-Drive
Crystal	Mineral
Case Material	Stainless steel
Case Color	Silver
Case Diameter	35mm
Case Thickness	11mm
Band Width	18mm
Band Color	Silver
Band Type	Bracelet
Dial Color	Silver
Warranty	Five-year
Water Resistance	100m

What they say about their brand:

Citizen Watch Company was established in 1924. The founding fathers selected the name Citizen so it would be "close to the hearts of people everywhere", and soon after adopted the company's formal name, Citizen Watch Company.  During the last seventy-five years, Citizen has expanded its business throughout the world and has achieved recognition as a global watch brand. The past 25 year period has coincided with the company's dramatic rise to its current position as the world's largest watchmaker, a distinction Citizen has held every year since 1986.  Beyond sheer size, Citizen is also recognized as a worldwide leader in advanced technology. From the world's slimmest LCD watch to the first voice recognition watch and the world's first professional dive watch with an electronic depth sensor, Citizen's record of "world's firsts" is unmatched. More recently, Citizen Watch Company has staked out a new position as the leader in Ecologically-friendly timekeeping with its Eco-Drive collection of light- powered watches. With models ranging from dress watches to sport watches, to professional dive watches, Citizen Eco-Drive runs continuously in any kind of natural or artificial light for a lifetime use. Fueled by light, it never needs a battery.

The watch I nearly chose was from TOKYObay below-

I don't usually wear leather bands, but how cool is the look of this watch?!?!?!  Hmmm maybe Muscle Man will read this and pick up a last minute gift for me.

Head over to Watchco.com and check out their Holiday gift guide, shop with FREE shipping on orders over $50.  From kids watches, to high end amazingness you cant go wrong.

**Note- I was sent a watch for review free of charge, however my opinions are my own.

Baby Growth Week by Week

Hard to believe but our baby girl is 2 months already!!  The adjustment going from 2 kids to 3 kids has been pretty easy on me and Muscle Man, although having a baby around means much less downtime.  The boys are in love with their sister and seeing her react to them with a smile melts my heart.  What a blessing to have 3 miracles in our lives. 

I have been back to work nearly 2 weeks now.  It has been an adjustment.  I find that I am OK in the morning, but by afternoon I miss her like crazy making it difficult to focus.  I do my 'Mom Duty' in a little conference room which is a bit strange as well but I am getting used to it, it saves us money and keeps my baby girl healthy so I will keep it up.  I am TIRED by the end of the day which has put a damper on my running... Although last night I was able to bust out a PPPR- Post Pregnancy Personal Record running a 5K in our HILLY neighborhood with MM.  We finished with a 28:27, my goal was sub 30 so I was pretty thrilled. Taking baby steps to getting my speed back, for now I will push it when I have juice in the tank.

Below is photo proof of her growth, I was not great at taking photos on the exact day week by week but close enough.

1 Week- barely focusing with no hand control

2 Weeks- The sleepy stage

3 Weeks- More alert and tracking those around her

4 weeks- Seeing real smiles off and on

5 Weeks- Starting to get into a routine, she LOVES to sleep on Mommy and Daddy

6 Weeks- Really showing her personality and getting cuter by the minute

7 Weeks- Sleeping beauty loves to nap in her carseat and the jogging stroller

8 Weeks- Smiling, making eye contact and playing little games with Mommy.

I will take her 2 Month photo tonight, hoping to catch her dimple in the photo but she makes funny faces with the camera/flash come out.  For my own record here are a few more details about Minnie-Me at 2 months old.

Likes:

• Napping on Mom and Dad
• Watching her brothers play
• Her carseat
• Helping Daddy around the house in the baby carrier
• Bright colors
• Bathtime
• Her swing
• Visits from Grandma and Auntie
• Sucking on her hands

Dislikes:

• Pacifier, she may take one when she is really tired but overall she is not a fan
• Wet/dirty diaper, she wants to be changed almost immediately
• Being cold after the bath
• Going to sleep before 9:30 or 10 at night
• Waiting to be fed
• Hats, she will pull them off
• When Daddy is loud cheering on his team or sneezing
• The dark

This girl is a smiley and happy baby.  She loves to coo like she is having a conversation.  If I take my eyes off her when she is sitting with me when I look back down she will be watching me with the prettiest smile.  She does not like to cry in general, she really only fusses when she is getting tired.  If we stand up and rock her she stops almost instantly.  Her schedule is not set in stone yet but Daddy and her are getting into a rhythm during the day.  I am hoping that bedtime will be 9pm soon, in the mean time I am cherishing the extra time with her at night.

On the running front I have a 5K I may run next weekend...although I dont feel fit to race it will be fun to get back out there.  I will keep you posted if I do run.

Hope everyone is doing great... and as Ellen says "Be Kind to One Another."

Running and a 6 week update

I am so excited to write a post about RUNNING!!!!  Last week Muscle Man, me and the family recorder 13.3 miles.  I was cleared by the doctor and am feeling back to normal.

If you want to follow my training you can find me on Dailymile HERE. 

Labor Day 5K- Pace: 11:33
First post baby real run.  I pushed Minnie-Me in her carseat/jogger while Muscle Man pushed the Little studs in the double.  I am fully aware that we are well beyond the weight capacity in the jogger, but our boys are not interested in riding bikes, so we are stuck.  We stopped 3 times during the run but not because I needed to stop.

9/5 5K- Pace: 10:11
Muscle Man pushed the little ones so I got to run normal.  We kept a good pace and I pushed it the last half mile, which felt AMAZING!!

9/6 4 miles- Pace 10:23
My knee was a little sore and it was humid and muggy.  I wanted to go beyond the 5K mark so we took the long way :)

9/8 Hilly 5K- Pace 11:33
This was a Sunday so we had all the kiddos which meant 2 strollers.  We took the sidewalks in a local neighborhood with a GIANT hill.  We walked the hill which impacted our overall pace.  My quads were pretty sore after.

9/9- Pace 10:17
It was a crisp morning, we dropped both boys off at school!!  Little Stud #2 is in Kindergarten and LS#1 is in second grade.  Minnie-Me was sleeping and stayed asleep the whole run, such a good baby!!  My knee was a little sore to start but warmed up quickly.  The trail is packed with Fisheman.  We set out from Orting so we could go to the bakery after, but it is closed on Moondays, BUMMER!

First Day of school 2013

Yep 13.3 miles total last week at 6 weeks post baby!  I am very proud of that.  Staying active during pregnancy was key to being able to get back to running so quickly.  I am sad to report that next Monday I return to work... BOOOOO!!  It is going to be hard to leave Minnie-Me and I have truly enjoyed running with hubby anytime I want.  But Muscle Man is a stay at home Daddy so she will be in good hands and he said he will come visit me for lunch!!

So how is our little lady??

We went on our first shopping trip together, she slept the whole time.  she also came with me to lunch with my co-workers and slept the whole time.  And has slept the whole time on ALL of our runs... Yes she loves he carseat, which is GREAT!!

 Proof of her favorite place to sleep.  Muscle Man jokes that if he needs a break during the day he just needs to drive around the block.

This week is transition week for us.  What does that mean? A few things.  We transitioned baby to her crib, this will help me to sleep better and help so I dont wake her up when I get ready for work.  The first night was ROUGH I was very anxious, but with a few nights now I feel GREAT!  She likes her crib and needed the room since she loves to have her arms above her head.  I have a night light in her room and play white noise while she sleeps, I think it helps for her to not feel alone.  She is on a schedule to sleep for about 4.5 to 5 hours, up to nurse and be changed, back down and up about 2.5 to 3 hours later.  This schedule will work well as I would like to nurse before I leave for the day.

 

Another transition is getting her used to the bottle.  I have been pumping to get the reserves stocked but also keeping a few ounces in the fridge for Muscle Man to feed her.  I figure this will help since she will be bottle fed during the day.  She seems OK with this but it is not her favorite.

 

Moving the work clothes to transition back to work wear.  My pants are a little snug but will work.  I may be wearing dresses a lot until things tighten up again. 



I am still not 100% set on her Blog nickname but Minnie-Me works for now.  As you can see she is my little clone, matching nose, ears, lips and dimple....BUT she has Muscle Mans blue eyes!! 

Well she needs me so I better log off..

Blessing to all!!

Tall Baby 1 Month Update

1 month already!! Time has flown by and has been great.  I am really enjoying having the Summer off with my family and getting to know our little lady.  With 4 weeks left in my leave I am savoring every moment.  I am not sure what I want to do on the blog for updates for her, afterall this is a Running Blog.  Will see??  I have my 5 week checkup next week, hoping the Dr. will clear me to run, I have tried a little and felt great other than needing more support.  I had tried to get weekly photos but now am hopeful for good 1 month photos, below is my first attempt.  I plan to always have the pillow, bear and block in the photo which will really show her growth.

Photo take 8-26 at 1 month- she was a bit stunned by the flash which made for a funny face

Photo taken 8-28 after her 1 month checkup

1 Month:

Weight: 12.2 pounds 95%   Height: 24 inches 95%

Special Moments: We went on a family vacation to Lincoln City Oregon, it was awesome.  Baby slept for most of the beach trips and was a good girl overall.  Travelling with an infant is hard but we made the best of it.  I did not eat as well as I hoped but thankful for nursing I didn't gain any weight!!  It was great to relax and watch the boys explore and play.  I did not want having a baby to impact the boys summer, and this trip was key to the fun factor.

Notable Accomplishments: SMILES!!  This little lady is already starting to smile, which is amazing.  She smiles more for Muscle Man, she seems to only think about food when I talk.  She tracks with her eyes and makes great eye contact.  She loves to play with her brother on the activity mat.  LOVES her carseat which served us well when stuck in traffic on our way home 5+ hour trip!

Sleep:  We have been working on a good schedule for her, although vacation messed with it a bit.  We have found that if we keep her up from 5pm on she sleeps best, as a general rule no naps longer than 20minutes in the evening.  She likes to go down about 10PM, up around 2:30AM for a quick diaper and to eat, up again about 6:00AM, and up for the day about 8:30 or 9:00AM.  I am guessing that I will be able to reduce the feedings soon and maybe go down to once a night.  Either way I am HAPPY!  Our Little Studs were up every 2 hours for a long time....so having her quick turn and back to bed is AMAZING!  It is going to be tough when I have to put her in her crib, for now bassinet is great.

Mom's Recovery: 7 pounds to pre-baby weight!!  I feel like my loose belly skin is showing more these days but that could have been from poor diet on vacation.  My clothes almost fit but are tight in the thighs and waist.  I purchased a couple pair of $19 jeans at Old Navy to hold me over until I can run my thighs back into shape. Other than slight back pain and headaches (dehydration from breast feeding??) I have been GREAT!  Dr. apt next week will tell us for sure.  Muscle Man is looking forward to having his running partner back, although we don't yet have a plan for carting 3 kiddos on the run.

There you have it.  I HOPE that my next post will be about my first run post baby and an update on races I have registered for.


Wishing you Well- Tall Mom

Welcome Baby Girl

Sorry I have been MIA I am a little busy enjoying our new addition and spending time with my boys and Muscle Man.  Maternity leave in the Summer with a Stay-at-home Dad is AWESOME!!

Baby Girl came into the world on 7-26 at 10:57AM weighing 9'15 and 21.5 inches.  BIG BABY, I am not sure where I was hiding her, guess it pays to be TALL!

Last post talked about the the failed induction, after that I had a sour taste in my mouth for induction and prayed that baby would come on her own.  4 days later she did..

TALL BIRTH STORY:

About Midnight I started to feel some cramping, it woke me up but I was able to flip over and get some relief.  This continued throughout the night about every 30 minutes and then getting closer and more intense.  At 4AM the contractions were coming stronger so I got up to take a shower and start getting ready.  I woke Muscle Man at 4:30AM and we let Uncle Marky know that we were going to the hospital, he had stayed overnight to watch the Little Studs.

We called the hospital, ANNOYING to talk to the people this is baby #3 I know what a real contraction is.  By the time we left the contractions were 2 minutes apart.  We arrived and I had to fill out some more ANNOYING paperwork while working through contractions.  They put us in a triage room to check me, I was already dialated to 5cm so they put us in our real room.

The BEST part was that I ended up with Gretchen a nurse we had met earlier the week who was a Runner and my good friend Tammy's neighbor.  Gretchen was training Jessica who was also amazing!!  By about 7:30AM I was in major pain and opted for an epidural, the Dr. was great, I barely felt anything and had some movement in my legs.  Once the meds hit Muscle Man and I took a nap for about 90 minutes.

By the time we woke they decided to check me again, I was at a 10!!!!  Amazing I could be so relaxed while my body did the work.  Trouble was my Dr. and Tall Sister had not arrived yet.  There was another Dr. there who checked me and said we could wait since baby was still at a high station.  Thankfully I had the epidural or I would not have cared to wait.  Both arrived and it was time to PUSH!  I am a good pusher, this I already knew, so when it was time I went for it.  About 5 pushes or 5 minutes, not sure, and Baby Girl was born.

I asked Muscle Man to check and tell me 100% that we had a girl, confirmed.  They put her on my chest and she stopped crying and was cozy with Mommy.  Her birth was so peaceful and wonderful I could not have asked for a better experience all around.

The first night was a little tough since she was so big and I was not producing milk yet, she was up often and when she was sleeping I was staring at her.  We were able to leave the hospital the next day at 3pm once she and I were cleared.  I felt GREAT the whole time, very little pain and lots of energy.

She is now 2 1/2 weeks old and a complete JOY!  We have gone on walks, went to the zoo, went to a wedding and really enjoyed our family time.  We are learning her sounds and needs.  She is up a couple times a night generally to get a diaper change, nurse then back to her bassinet.  We were due for a good sleeper, and are feeling very BLESSED!!  Her carseat is her favorite place to sleep, making car trips a breeze. 

I was not successful with breast feeding with the Little Studs so although it is new I feel like she and I are doing a good job with it.  I even fed her while the boys played at the park, whole new world for me!  One thing about Breast Feeding is it makes me HUNGRY and THIRSTY!!  WOW!!

On a personal note I am 9 pounds from my pre-baby weight!!  There is still some puffy tummy but I am super happy with how I feel and look.

Baby knows when I have food on my plate and when I am on the computer....so I must depart.  Hope to Blog again soon but I cant promise anything #priorities.


All the Best,

Tall Mom and Family

Pregnancy week 40!!

I truly cant believe that I am still pregnant!!  My whole pregnancy I had a feeling that I would have her early.  This lead me to end work earlier than planned and make a few other choices that I am now regretting :(  Our unborn child is already teaching me that I cant plan everything as much as I would like to.

On my due date we had scheduled an elective induction, I made this decision for a couple reasons but it really came down to childcare for the boys and not taking more time than necessary off of work.  The plan was that the hospital would call after 5am on Monday 7/22...  We dropped the boys with Tall Grandma the night before and settled in, both Muscle Man and I hardly slept.  5am came and went.. WAITING!! WAITING!!  I called the hospital at 6:45am, they said I was second on the list and that they were very busy..

We sat around the house ALL DAY waiting for the call.  This was SUPER frustrating!! I called my Dr's office and the hospital again.  Finally around 3pm they said we could come in at 7pm.  Having been away from the boys all day we went to visit them for a while.

Got checked in at the hospital and had the first TINY dose of Cytotec at about 9:30PM.  It did nothing!  Tall Sister, Muscle Man and I did what we could to pass the time.  Eventually we settled in to sleep.  I got the second bigger dose at about 1:30AM and thought for sure it would do something.. It didn't!!  Baby's heartbeat was good so I tried to sleep more.

Seemed like we waited forever for the next step.  They began Pitocin the next morning.  Again NOTHING!!  Wow!!  I could not believe that I was feeling no contractions.  I had read a lot about inductions and the risks, etc. but nowhere did I recall seeing that it may not work.

At about 1:30PM I was starting to think that we should stop, clearly baby was not ready..  There was some confusion on who my nurse was as one had gone to lunch...they called my Dr., a lady came in with the table for delivery?!?!  I found this very annoying, we were trying to decide if I was going home and someone brings in the delivery stuff, UGH!!  My Dr. had the Dr. on call come in to check me.  The Tall strong gal started talking about breaking my water, which I was TOTALLY against, I had not had one real contraction, there was no way I was going to let her do that.  After checking me it was clear that baby girl was not moving toward the station to be able to deliver.  We all decided it was time for me to head home.

We had to wait 1 hour and monitor the baby while the Pitocin left my system.  I felt horrible guilt for putting my body and baby through all of that.  I started crying and could hardly stop.  We headed home about 3pm. 

That was Tuesday, now it is Thursday and I am not feeling great.  My body went through a lot so it is hard to tell if I am still recovering from that or if this is the early stages of real labor.  Time will tell.

Monday- 40 weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy Week 40:

 

Miles Run Pregnant: 225 total, done running at about 30 weeks.

Miles Walked Pregnant: I have not walked much, have heard mixed things about walking.  Right now it is painful so I am resting mostly.

 

Weight Gained: 33 pounds total.  Which is amazing!!

 

Current Cravings: the only thing that sounded good when we left the hospital was KFC boneless wings, they tasted AMAZING.  I also am loving Velveeta shells and cheese macaroni. 

 

Current Aversion: Nothing really, but also not much sounds good.

 

Baby Likes: Baby girl likes it when I lay on my left side, this was very clear in the hospital when I was on the heart rate monitor.  I told the staff that she would calm down once I switched positions and it worked.

 

Baby Dislikes: At this point I think she dislikes getting into position to be born.

 

Excitement: Her Birth!!  When????

 

Gripes: Hormones.  Feeling Guilt for my decisions.  Failed induction.  Feeling judged.  Going past my due date.

 

Purchases: Gifts from the baby to her big brothers for in the hospital.

 

So there you have it.  Due date +3 and not sure when baby will come into the world.  In case you are curious we have tried SEVERAL natural induction methods.

 

(Rumored) Ways to Naturally Induce Labor:

Walking

Resting

Sitting on a medicine ball

Being on all 4's on the ground

Eating Pineapple

Drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea

Intercourse

Stimulation of upper region

And on and on

I don't eat spicy food so that it out

I may try to get a massage or reflexology today or tomorrow

 

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes!  Will keep you posted.

 

 

39 Weeks Pregnant

At 39 Weeks Pregnant yesterday it has been a bit CRAZY since my last post.  For those of you who follow me on Facebook HERE, you already know that at my 38 week apt last Wednesday the Dr. discovered that our little wiggly baby had moved from her head down to a breech position!!  This was not even a worry in my mind, she had been head down since week 32.  So I went home with some exercises and a plan to go to hospital for what I called the "flip appointment." 

 

All weekend I did the exercises, walked and prayed.  I was at peace with whatever had to happen.  Tall Grandma took the boys on Sunday night so Muscle Man and I could get to the hospital at 7am.  When we arrived they quickly hooked me up and my Dr. started the ultrasound...  Her head was back down and I got a glimpse of her cute little cheeks!!  What a relief.  We spent more time completing the discharge papers than the actual apt.  Since it was still early we went home, had breakfast, took a little nap, then went for a 2.5 mile sunny walk.  It turned out better than I had hoped for, hope she keeps that head down.

 

I have another checkup tomorrow, will see if there are any signs of movement toward labor.  In the mean time I am resting, walking, eating and enjoying time with my boys.  It is a relief not to have to think about work and just BE this week!  +- 6 days!!!

 

Pregnancy Week 39:

 

Miles Run Pregnant: 225 total, done running at about 30 weeks.

Miles Walked Pregnant: I have lost track, I think I am at 175.  I plan to walk a lot this week to help get things MOVING toward meeting our baby girl.

Weight Gained: 32 pounds and holding.  I am proud of this number and feel very fit.

 

Current Cravings: Ice Cream, Fruit, Corn on the cob and Taco Bell  

 

Current Aversion: Nothing really, but also not much sounds good.

Baby Likes: Baby girl likes it when her Daddy and brothers talk to her, she calms almost immediatly.

Baby Dislikes: Sleeping!!  Hehe.. She has been moving in the middle of the night, making it a little tough for me to sleep.  Hopefully this is not a preview of what is to come.

Excitement: Being done with work and knowing that we will meet our baby girl in about a week!!

Gripes: Not knowing when she will come and feeling like I am going to spoil plans of the people I love.  This is a busy week for my family, but I cannot pick when she will come.  As long as the boys are taken care of and Muscle Man is with me all will be fine.  I am a planner so this all stresses me out.

Purchases: Pedicures with Tall Sister.  Shopping trip with Tall Grandma to get gripper socks and a robe.  Nothing new for baby, we have so much already :)

 

I am hoping that the next post will have pictures of our newest addition!!  Thank you for your well wishes and positive vibes.