How to Talk to a Pregnant Woman

Today is my due date of our second child. Finn, our first, was 13 days late so I realize there is a chance of this one going overdue. Strangely, I don't really mind this. The one thing I don't look forward to is the questions and comments, to be quite honest. Please understand - I'm not trying to be a grouch or anything and I truly know being pregnant is a blessing. It's just that when you get the same question and comment every day, from both people you know and strangers, it gets a little wearing. Allow me to give you some tips on giving a pregnant girl, especially and overdue one, some grace:

Things to Avoid Telling a Soon-to-be Mother

(especially an overdue one)

1. Your tips on how to induce labour 

There is a 100% chance that if you were to look at this mother's Google history, you would find the sentence "how to induce labour". This woman has been pregnant for the better part of a year and is very excited to meet this human growing inside. She has done her research and probably knows exactly what you're going to say: eat pineapple, drink raspberry leaf tea, go for long walks, bounce on an excersize ball, taking Evening Primrose Oil, castor oil (which can give you mad diarrhea, by the way...you're welcome) and of course the favourite; "have lots of sex". FYI, telling her to have lots of sex is just...awkward. Furthermore, these strategies and potions and whatnot don't even really work unless your body is already on its way there. Babies come when they want. Consider it the first time they exert their independence.

2. Saying "No baby yet?" or "Still pregnant huh?" 

If we were to take a poll amongst mothers, this would probably top the charts for Most Frustrating Question Ever Asked. Obviously, if her stomach is looking like a beach ball, the baby is still living in there. 

3. Asking if there are any 'signs' of labour.

Most signs of impending labour involve the words 'mucus', 'plug', 'blood', 'cervix', and 'dialation', among many. Along with these words come visuals. Unless you want amazingly personal details of the woman you are speaking to accompanied with graphic mind images, do not ask these questions. 

4. Horror stories of your or your sister-in-law's cousin's BFF's awful, long labour.

This poor woman is about to embark on possibly the most painful and yet rewarding experience of her life. She knows it's not going to be rainbows and angels dabbing the sweat off her brow with organic fleece cloths made from the baby lambs of heaven. If she asks, then it's fair game, but don't volunteer bad experiences. Imagine the horror on someone's face when you tell them your friend's anestesia never did kick in, just before they go in to get their appendix removed. Oh, but good luck! Same face. Same horror.

5. Commenting on how huge she looks.

Or if she is 'sure' she is not carrying twins. Seriously. Not funny. Someone asked me this when I was pregnant and overdue with Finn in late summer with swollen face and feet, cankles, and the whole shebang. I was polite, but no smiles or courtesy laugh from this one. This is even worse if she is actually carrying twins.

6. Saying they are forfeiting their current amazing, exhilarating, freedom-filled lives.

Telling someone that they are inevitably giving up their "freedom" for the rest of their life is not only untrue, but incredibly mean! Parenthood should not be seen as a jail sentence. It's the greatest privilege ever. Yes, life is drastically different when you have someone depending on you 24/7, but seeing it as a subject of woe is lame. Having babies is some people's ultimate dream and telling them that their dream (and their child!) is going to ruin their life is bad form. And untrue. And just...mean.

7. "Get all the sleep you can now because you will NEVER SLEEP EVER AGAIN!"

Also NOT TRUE! This is one of the most popular things pregnant girls are told. Let it be known, mothers do get to sleep again at some point. For some, it's longer than others, but it does happen. Eventually. 

On the flip side, there are some things that people can do to make the pregnant lady feel like a normal human being and put her at ease.

Green Light Subjects for Talking to a Pregnant Woman

1. Tell her she looks great, especially when she doesn't feel it.

Pregnant women do not typically feel like they look amazing. Huge stomach, swollen everything, pains and zings coming from random nerve endings you never knew you had and waddling like a penguin doesn't feel awesome. They may look cute with the belly, but rarely do they feel beautiful or great. (I don't speak for everyone, of course, but I kind of assume...correct me if I'm wrong) A little compliment can go a long way!

2. Talk about at least one other subject before bringing up her pregnancy.

Even if it's about the weather, a movie you saw last night, lunch plans...whatever. The only thing people seem to want to talk about with a pregnant woman is pregnancy. (Maybe they think that's all pregnant chicks want to talk about?) Sometimes, the pregnant woman wouldn't really mind just talking about movies or food. Oh, always food. Dessert especially. 

3.  Encourage her that the birth process will be okay.

If the subject comes up, just say it's all going to be okay and she'll do great, no matter what happens. As said above, no horror stories. Everyone's birth story is different and most turn out well in the end. They're full of pain, tears, sometimes complications, but if you ask any mother she will tell you it was the greatest, empowering, most joyous day of her whole life. The best things in life often take loads of work, some pain, and some tears. 

4. Tell her you're praying or will pray for her! (And really do it)

She appreciates all the help and prayers she can get. Prayer goes a long way people!  

There you have it. I had to get that off my chest. I hope it didn't come off too cynical or stuck up...I didn't mean to. Can I use pregnancy as an excuse? One last time? (Hopefully)

Singin'.

I am singing along to a song on the radio.

Me: Hey Finn, do you like my singing?
Finn: No.

Dear Body...

The following post is a challenge from SheLoves Magazine, to write a love letter to your body...here goes...

Dear Body,

This year marks your thirtieth. We’ve been through some crazy times in those years, haven’t we? We began with a squishy little 8lb 12 oz bundle of baby fat and a head of dark hair. You somewhat resembled an Eskimo. Of course, I don’t remember much of those early days. Apparently after i lost some of that dark hair, people called me "Charlie Brown head" because of the size of my melon (thanks by the way). I do know you put up with a lot considering the family dynamics we went through together. Lots of tears spilled on your cheeks, red eyes, runny noses.

I remember my ten year old self, unsatisfied with your smile, which I thought was too wide and showed too much gum. Your teeth, which weren’t quite the shape I wanted them to be. Your eyes, which are brown, but I wanted green or blue. Your breasts, which to my absolute horror grew before anyone else in my school class (the first to wear a bra...how embarrassing!) Your hair, which was brown and not blonde. Your freckles, which annoyed me and had no hope of being rid of. Every time I looked in the mirror at you I was disappointed at something new.

In my teen years, I did not think you to be ‘fat’, but I thought you could lose a couple inches. To have skinnier thighs that didn’t touch in the middle. To have some skinnier hips. HA! Looking back on those photos, what was I thinking? If I were any thinner I would have wasted away. Thus, that didn’t save me from comparing you to my friend’s bodies and those in magazines. Why must we do that anyway?

In my twenties, I learned to love you a bit more. I learned to like the waviness of your hair, and the brown colour. I stopped smiling in photos with a closed mouth and embraced the slightly crooked front tooth. I appreciated your hips. I even started wearing shorts, exposing your pasty white skin. Yes, people make a joke every once in awhile at your ‘transparency’, but I have learned to laugh at myself too. Really.

Remember last year when we ran that half marathon? Wow. I never ever ever in my entire life thought you could do anything like that. Gym class, you, and me never did get along. That race changed my life you know…after that I felt like I could conquer anything. Physically, mentally. So thanks for coming along for the ride.

I do believe your crowning achievement thus far has been the growth from seed form and birth of my son. You did magnificent – even when his head was stuck somewhere in that pelvis, you persevered and didn’t give out on me. Right at the last second, it seemed, when his heart rate was going up rapidly, you decided to just give it one more go and BAM! Out he came. Thanks for that, by the way. (I really didn’t want a C-section after all that effort.)

And now, here we are, twenty nine years on. When I look in the mirror, there are more tiny creases around your mouth and eyes than when I looked ten years ago. Or even five. There are way more greys sprouting through my brown hair. Those stretch marks are here to stay, and I’m okay with all that. What's the point in complaining about what we can't change? They’re more like trophies anyway. We earned those. We’ve gone through tears, laughter, birth, miscarriage, pregnancy again, ups and downs. Basically, I just want to say thanks for holding up. And I'm sorry for calling you weak, useless, stupid, and unable. I have learned so much from you. Thanks for being so forgiving and I hope we can continue to have a close relationship in the future. We're in this together, you and I. Let's do this.

Lots of love,
B
xo

Feels Like Flying.

Finn has found a new love for the swings at the playground. He's discovered the exhilaration of closing his eyes while being pushed high and fast. I love it because that was my (is my) favourite thing to do on the playground.

My least fave? Monkey bars.

Prince George-in It.

Summer time = road trip time. First stop: Prince George, BC.

Chris' mom and boyfriend live there (AKA Grams and Grandpa Mike) and we organized for us and Chris' older brother Mike and his family to go at the same time, so our kids could meet. It was the coolest thing seeing the four of them play together! Unfortunately Joey, the youngest, wasn't able to get in on some of the fun because he had a broken leg. So sad! He was a great sport though.

Finn playing "football" with Jamie and Jesse

This is Joey. :)

Mike and Kristy also brought the family dog, Rio. Finn loved her, and I think she loved another playmate!

This is Grams entertaining the kids in the rain. Rain was a common occurrence the whole weekend. I think the kids started getting batty (or was it us adults?) so we took them outside in the rain. Bubble popping was a very popular activity.

Finn discovered caterpillars for the first time. It was so cute seeing him be so gentle with them. He would watch it crawl along, pick it up and put it on his arm, put it back on the bench, then watch it again. Then do the same thing. The poor creature was probably scared out of its tiny little mind.

Some other highlights:

Mike and Chris were super excited about their ride!

Finn discovered "CHEESE!" 

Tiny table, lots of life and fun. :)

Finn and Grams

Finn and Grandpa Mike

Cravings, Take 2.

During my pregnancy with Finn, I craved two things, and they often had to go together:

1. Ice
2. Carbonated water (Bonus if it was lemon/lime flavour)

For this pregnancy I haven't had many cravings thus far. Since there is only less than two months to go, I'm not sure if I will develop any new ones. However, if my life depended on me telling someone what I craved this pregnancy, it would be two things. Nay, three:

1. Anything coconut (regular coconut stuff, coconut curry, and basically anything that says to add coconut milk)
2. Carbonated water (I don't know if this counts because I never stopped drinking it)
3. Black licorice babies. (NOT the ones found at Superstore. Barf)

Once, in a moment of desperation, I tried tonic water. NOT THE SAME THING. Probably the most revolting beverage I have ever allowed in my mouth.

I am interested to see what I will crave when I start nursing...when I first started nursing Finn, I craved chocolate like a mofo. I have never needed chocolate in my whole life except during that time. Basically, if you stood in the way of me and said chocolate, someone was going down. And it wasn't me. Or the chocolate. Stay tuned for that one...

Blueberry Coconut Flour Muffins (Gluten Free)

Some peeps were asking about some muffins I made...here is the recipe! It's taken directly from The Gluten Free Bible cookbook.

Gluten Free Blueberry Coconut Flour Muffins

6            Eggs
1/4 c      Butter, melted
1/4 c      Milk
1/2 c      Sugar
1/2 c      Coconut flour
2 tsp      Grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp   Salt
1/2 tsp   Baking powder
1/2 tsp   Xanthan gum
1 c         Blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line muffin pan with paper cups.

2. Whisk eggs, butter, milk and sugar in a medium bowl until well blended.

3. Thoroughly combine 1/2c coconut flour, lemon peel, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum in medium bowl. Whisk til batter is smooth.

4. Combine blueberries with remaining 2 tsp coconut flour in small bowl. Stirl gently in to batter. (I skipped this step and they turned out fine!)

5. Fill prepared muffin cups almost full. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in to centre comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on wire rack. Serve warm.

First Joke.

Finn: Knock knock.
Mom: Who's there?
Finn: Knock knock.
Mom: Who's there?
Finn: Knock knock.
Mom: Who's there?
Finn: Knock knock.
Mom: Who's there?
Finn: Daddy.
Mom: Daddy who?

...And the joke ends there.

Father's Day

This is somewhat late, but I would like to extend a Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there, especially the father of my child and the one on the way. Chris is a great dad.

To me, a great father is:

• Someone who is transparent: Not afraid to show his real self.
• One that says 'sorry' to his kids when he knows he's wrong or reacted the wrong way. 
• One that doesn't consider it babysitting when he's with the kids while mom is out. 
• Quick to give his son/daughter a hug (even a kiss!), not just a handshake or awkward side-hug 
• One who reads and plays to his children
• One who shows his integrity by saying 'please' and 'thank you' to strangers
• One who treats his kid's mom with respect and kindness
• One who is honest
• One who protects physically and emotionally
• One who builds his family up with words of encouragement
• One who recognizes his kid's strengths and challenges them to strive for more
• One who puts down the gadgets and looks his kids in the eyes
• One whose goal in life is to be his kid's hero.

I can confidently say that Chris is all of these things, and so much more! He is the perfect dad to our kid(s). I couldn't ask for anything more! Happy Father's Day, Christopher Doucette. You deserve it.

Patience, patience.

Flicker

I must say, I have to laugh at myself. This morning, I woke up in a relatively great mood. Not singing-at-the-top-of-my-lungs happy, but not on any kind of warpath either. Somewhere right in the middle. Juuuust right.

During a breakfast bible-prayer sesh I asked for two things:

1. help with patience
2. to be challenged

And some other stuff but that's not relevant.

While I'm not regretting asking for this, per se, I have to laugh at myself. What did I expect? For my kid to do what I ask the first time? To not suddenly adapt a general sour mood and magically be World's Most Patient Mother? To get a parking spot at the mall right next to the entrance in the pouring rain? To not drop my coffee getting out of the car, splashing it on the seat? For someone to not walk in to me? (the opposite of all of these things happened, by the by)

It don't work like that, honey.

I asked for help excersizing patience and a challenge, and this is exactly what I got. Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it. Especially if it's something that you obviously need to work on. I can't say I passed this challenge with flying colours, but the day's not over yet!

Lord, help me...

Time Travel.

If Time Travel were possible, I might go back five and a half years I would ask Chris to get me this ring.

Wait, scratch that. I would go back the aforementioned 5.5 years, find out the winning jackpot numbers of the lottery, get back in to the Delorian, go back a couple more weeks, buy a lottery ticket, win said lottery, THEN ask Chris to purchase this ring to ask me to marry him. Then he would have the $20,000 to do so. WHO WOULDN'T WANT a vintage 1925 Tiffany and Co. engagement ring set in platinum? WHO, I ask?!

From Etsy

Hello, I'm not done yet. After this engagement took place, I would then express my love and need for this pretty vintage eternity wedding band, also set in platinum. Tiffany can't sit alone on my little hand, right? It wouldn't be right.

From Etsy, too!

Word Up, and Other Random Finn Updates.

Hey, I made it just under the six month mark since the last post! Har har. Honestly the last few months have been pretty 'chill', if you will. Nothing crazy exciting, really. However I thought it was time for an update. Finn is now just shy of the 2.5 year mark and is starting to seem more like a little boy that a big baby. Here is a general update for those that are not in regular contact with the boy:

Words or phrases Finn "says"(more like a translation dictionary)

• Noe-ss = Snow
• Minga-mingo = flamingo
• Lion = Rawrrrr
• Four = Bow
• More = Mo'?
• Again = Ah-deeeee?
• Music = Mew=xxxhhggghhxxxaaaaaa? > the only way I can write what it sounds like.
• Sweet! = Wheat!
• Oh maaan! = maybe the one thing that he says clearly.
• Da-doo = Thank You
• Sa-yee = Sorry
• I la-loo = I love you :)

There are lots more but I can't remember for the life of me as I sat down to type them out.

- He knows all of his letters and numbers. If you point to a letter, randomly, he can tell you what it is. With pride. Sometimes he even spots them in books. I feel like he's somewhat of a genius/rocket scientist.

- He can count to four on his own, sometimes five. :)

- He knows the colours red, blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, green, and black.

- He loves to play cars/Hot Wheels, loves computer techy stuff, read books, throw stuff, etc.

- Loves Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora, and Diego.

- Loves to jump, often off high things like tables, couches, and stages. Makes my heart stop most times.

- He will. Not. Stop. Running. He runs everywhere. If you think I am exaggerating, you can babysit and take him to an open space somewhere and see what happens. It's awesome, I love it, and I can't wait to put him in soccer. (Do they have a long distance running program for three year olds? No? Hm.)

- Favourite foods: any kind of fruit, especially mango, raisin bread, crackers of any kind, spaghetti, mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, tofu (yes, you read that correctly), and tri-coloured pasta. (He likes saying the colours as he eats it) You may look at that and think it's not much of a variety, but if you want to come and try to make him eat ANYTHING else, be my guest!

That's the update on Finn for now! We love him more and more each day. I often wonder how that is possible, but it is!

Helping himself to a snack.

Ummm...cuteness?

One of his favourite things to do - raspberries.

Favourite toy from Christmas. 

En route to Osoyoos at Christmas looking cute.

Fascinated by ducks.

First in-store Starbucks date with mom!

Just playing and snacking.

Likes to line up his cars. :)

Blocks with dad.

Marathon: T-Minus 24 Hours

Well, it's here! Pretty much exactly 24 hours until Go Time. I've trained, not blogged a lot about it like I thought I would, and I'm ready as I will ever be. My stomach has had butterflies flying around in it since last Sunday, but I am so excited to see this through!

Last night most of the runners gathered for a 'carb up sesh' at Daniela's (one of the runners and a dear friend) house. Of course, a gathering of women is never complete with out some talking around a circle and a few tears of emotion, right? All of us kind of said why we were doing this run, and my response was two reasons. Of course, I run for these women and our sisters in Uganda that have been terrorized and mutilated and need our support. But, I would be lying if I was not running for selfish reasons also. In school the two things I hated most were math, and running. I was always the one coming in last, heaving out of breath. I came last in everything sports-related. Basically, if my self-worth were based on my athletic confidence and ability, it would be ZERO. So I am doing this to prove to myself that I can tell my body what to do, not it tell me I can't. Because I can. The moment I ran 6km, I knew I could do this. And now, my furthest run has been 16km (a miracle in itself) and tomorrow I will run 21km.

Simply put, my purpose of running this race is to raise money for these women that have had body parts severed, been raped by numerous LRA soldiers, ostracized from their communities and had their dignity stolen from them. I know it doesn't exactly hit home for many here in Canada, but for me it hits home as a woman. How blessed am I to have been born and raised in this country, a place of freedom where I can walk in confidence and with out fear? A place that I don't have a constant, daily fear of being harmed? How blessed am I that I have a nose, mouth, ears? Legs to run? How could I not inconvenience myself to train for a race, if it means I can help someone that desperately needs it? I am able, so I must.

Last night all the runners were given these special, amazing little cards that a woman in Texas and her four year old daughter made for us. Just to bless us and encourage us! Each one is hand-made, different, and has a hand written (not printed on a computer) note, and this amazing Franciscan Benediction. I think we were all in tears when Tina read aloud:

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships,So that we may live deep within our hearts,May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,So that we may work for injustice, freedom and peace.May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,So that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy. And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world,So that we can do what others claim cannot be done.Amen.

I think that pretty much sums up this whole cause.

I would LOVE it if you could donate to our cause and sponsor me in my run. Please click here: http://shelovesmagazine.com/she-loves-half-marathon/

Thank you in advance!

Just Your Average Extraordinary Child.

Today Finn had his twelve month shots. Nope, you're not reading an old post. He will be two this month. Yep, I kept putting it off and putting it off, and finally made the appointment and got 'er done. I was expecting tears and flailing limbs, and he did cry especially during the last needle, but for the most part he was AMAZING. Oh, what? The last needle? Yes, he had FIVE shots. Two in each arm and one in his thigh. What a trooper. (Side note, what did we do in these situations before iPhones and kid apps? Probably saved me and Finn today.)

Also during this visit, Finn was weighed and measured...and he was all average. Average weight, height, and head circumference. Pretty much right in the middle for everything. That's Finn though... virtually every medial point any book says, that's where he his. Not too big, not too small; not too chubby, not too thin. He weighed the average amount and was the average length at birth. He sat up at the expected time, crawled and walked at the projected ages. It's safe to say that he's pretty much your average kid. (Except for his cuteness, in my unbiased opinion...)

As I drove away from the clinic, my 'average boy' in the back seat, I pondered that. I began to wonder about his future as a child...will he always be average? Will he think of himself as mediocre, second rate, undistinguished, unexceptional? Dear Lord, I hope not. I remember school...all the kids that are almost-prodigies get all the attention, all the awards, all the blue ribbons, all the trophies. The expressive ones that sing well make the leads in all the plays. The best basketball players will make the team. The class clowns get all the laughs. The smart ones get the A's and their names on the honour roll.

With my hands on the wheel, I made a promise to myself: I will make a purpose to tell Finn his whole life that he is exceptional. Incredible. Talented. More than enough. Amazing. Memorable. Bright. Incomparable. I will tell him that whatever he loves doing, to do his very best; even if he doesn't get the trophy, lead, or honour roll. Those things are just bonuses. He'll be our ordinary kid, with an extraordinary heart, who will do extraordinary things.

I have always loved this quote by Marianne Nash, and just recently came back to my attention during a message at church. It gets me every time. I think I need to design this in to a poster and put it in his room, so he can read it every day or every night when he's falling asleep (in the years to come, of course!) and know that he is meant to shine in this world. He was born to. He has a responsibility to.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (Marianne Nash)

Finn and the Sprinkler

Can you believe these photos chronicle Finn's first time playing with a sprinkler? It occurred to me one day that he had yet to have his first experience with one. I remember back to my childhood and how much fun my friends and I had with this simple little contraption. Clearly, it's still cool.

Snack break.

SheLoves Half Marathon: Week 4 - The Worst Yet.

I think week four was the worst, in a general sense. Two of the seven days were terrible runs, but the bright side is I totally learned a lesson. Apparently it was an important one, because I made the same mistake twice. I think God might have been telling me something here?

On day four, which was a short run, I only ran 3.7km in a half hour. Not a bad distance, mind you, but I felt like crap at the end. On my way back home I was extremely thirsty, and when I got home my head was pounding and I felt dizzy. Oh and my knee was killing me. "Lesson learned!", I wrote in my journal...ha!

Fast forward to Saturday, which was my long run day. My goal was 7km. In the morning Finn and I went to the mall, I got a Slurpee, then we went to the park and played. Later on that evening Chris and I were going on a dinner and a movie date, so I was pretty excited for the day ahead. It was a great day - everyone was in a good mood, there was warm sun, and it being Saturday just made the day even better. One o'clock rolled around and it was time for my run. MISTAKE! Do you know how warm it was outside? About 25 degrees, cloudless sky...just pure sun. The section of the park I jogged in had little shade at that time. I hardly drank any water and I nicely polished off that Slurpee about an hour previous. What was I thinking? After 25 minutes I couldn't go on. I had to pee, I wanted to crap my pants, my stomach was hurting, it was hot and I was sweating a tonne...need I go on? I stopped running and sat on a park bench in the shade to catch my breath. I started to cry. Basically, every good feeling I had from last week's 6km success was completely deflated.

I walked home, dragged myself through the door, climbed (quite literally) up the stairs and sat down across from Chris. I broke down. Tears. Sniffles. Ugly cry face. Shrill voice as I try to explain why I'm blubbering like a baby. I cried to him about what a failure that was, and I began to doubt my ability to do this. How am I going to run 21 kilometres if I can't run 7? How am I going to do this? Chris assured me that it was just a bad run, that I shouldn't have ran in the heat of the day (concept!) and I definitely should not have had that Slurpee. I should have ate better and drank more water. He was right, and THIS time I learned the lesson: what I put in myself will directly and faithfully affect the way I function. Honestly I am glad I learned it the hard way, because now I know and I take more care of what I eat and how much water I drink, especially on long run days. I don't ever want to feel like that again, if I can help it...

Thank God for new days and new weeks. Whew!

Want to know info on how to sponsor me in this run and cause? Click here!

SheLoves Half Marathon: Week 2 & 3

Week 2
I don't think I felt like posting about week two because it didn't go as great as I anticipated. It was just one of those weeks where most things went sour, the kid was fussy, and I was off my running goal by .03km. I forced myself to look at it from a different angle: 4.97km is the furthest I had ever run in one session, so it was actually a triumph after all. Week two taught me that:

1. Not every run or every week is going to be a good one, and I'm glad to have learned that early on in the training.
2. I need to look for the positive thing in what seems like a failure. 

 And that's all I'm going to say about that. Let's move on.

Week 3
Like I said, week three was better! I changed my routine. Instead of just running five days a week, which I learned from others is not a great idea as it can lead to injury faster, I now do:

• two short run days
• two cross training days
• one long run day
• two rest days

This is working much better for me, I think. The first cross training day wasn't terrific. I went on the elliptical and quickly learned I was not a fan of it. It was so awkward...so I just went on the treadmill and jogged for a bit. Next crosstraining day I did the bike, and it was much better and really worked my legs!

Where I would defeat my small giant...

Fast forward to Saturday: my long run day. I was nervous - it felt like a small giant I had to defeat. My goal was to do 6km with a run 3 minute, walk 1 minute method. In 45 minutes I not only met my goal but surpassed it by .24km! I had Wake Up by Arcade Fire playing at the time, so it felt pretty epic. I almost cried...I never thought I would ever run that far. I have not felt this good about doing something physical since I gave birth to Finn. It felt THAT good. I walked back to my car with a big smile on my face.

My kicks, 6km, and post-run face.

 

Honestly, I felt like if I can run 6km, I can run 21. If I can do something I never thought I would or could do, and I did it, what is stopping me from running 7? 10? 15? 21? Watch out next Saturday...I'm coming for you and your 7km!

SheLoves Half Marathon: Week 1 (Run for Your Sisters)

`Hey y'all, I'm just going to get straight to the point here: I'm running a half marathon in September. *double take* WHAT? It's true. Last Saturday (one week ago today!) I signed up for this. I have this friend that had a vision to do this herself, and to raise $2500 to pay for reconstructive surgery for women that have been mutilated be LRA Soldiers in Uganda. (Read Tina's story here)

Once I saw this, it was like God took a match and struck it on my heart, and a flame was ignited. Already many other girls, many of them friends from our church, were getting on board. It was one of those things that every time I thought of it, I began to tear up. My heart pounded, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I went out on a limb, signed up, and paid my entry fee for the run. That was on Saturday, and Sunday I began running. I dug out (literally) these old sad 'running shoes' I remembered I had somewhere in a box. I dressed myself in my yoga pants, put on two bras, a tee-shirt, stretched, grabbed my iPod (does anyone else always type 'iPood'?) and stood at the door. Here we go! 

I stood at this treadmill for five minute pressing buttons to no avail.

The first run was what I expected it to be- TOUGH. I remember huffing and puffing, my face hot and tomato-like, and wondering how much longer it was going to be. Still had ten minutes. OF MY FIFTEEN MINUTE RUN. Then this song came on - Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine. There's a line in the chorus that says

Run for your children, for your sisters, for your brothers...

That line, mainly just run for your sisters, has been on constant repeat in my head this whole week. Honestly, it sounds like a skipping record. Run for your sisters...run for your sisters...run for your sisters... That's what I'm doing - running for my sisters in Uganda. My sisters that had their dignity violently stolen, and had backs turned on them from the people they loved and trusted. Thinking of that made motivated me to keep going. At the end, I was sweaty, red-faced, and noodle-legged.

Me after run #2. You can't see the redness of my face, but know it is there.

 

Last run of week one! New shoes, new sports bra and feeling pretty great. :)

The next day, though, was easier. So was day three, four, five and six. I am currently running five days a week, which 500% more excersize than what I was doing before. It feels challenging, and great at the same time. The fact that this whole thing is for a great cause is what motivates me. Otherwise I'm not sure I would have got passed Day One.

Please take a second to see why we are doing this- Watoto Living Hope. (we are currently working on sponsorship details, if you feel so inclined to sponsor me!)

Week Two...let's do this.

I think this is where the image is from: loveartalways

A Work of Art

Here is Finn making his first work of art with paint. That tray of Crayola watercolour paints brought me back to my childhood. They haven't changed a bit!

 

Ta Daaa!