Fetus Friday - Week 21

Baby Center has this to say about Lumpy during week 21:

You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better.

I am more and more confident that I have actually started to feel Lumpy move during the past couple of days. It's hard to tell exactly what something is when you've never felt it before, but Lumpy's little movements are pretty unmistakable now.

Lumpy moving is very exciting, but you know what's not exciting - acne, spider veins and varicose veins - all of which are things that might start happening to me during this time in pregnancy. The good news is that Baby Center says this is how you prevent varicose veins:

To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs whenever possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.

At least I've got the exercise and propping my feet up part, down (I love my naps and now I have a new excuse to tell Buttin when I want something from the kitchen). I don't think the support hose are going to happen - that doesn't sound comfortable at all, but I will try sleeping on my left side.

Next week is Thanksgiving - which is very exciting. However, I do think that it's difficult to NOT gain a little extra weight while being pregnant during the months of October, November & December - oh well, I'm going to enjoy my slice of pie (or seven) and I'm sure Lumpy will too.

Back To Running & A New Blog Header

After a brief two day break from running, I did a short little 3 mile run yesterday morning - it was only 37 degrees! What a relief - so much better from the 80 degrees and high humidity of the weekend. I actually had to wear cool weather running clothes and it felt so much better - I think I like running again.

In other news, I decided to amend the header to this blog. Can you spot he difference? Here' s a hint - I look like I'm hiding a basketball under my shirt. I have felt in the last week or so that I've really "popped"- so I decided it was time to show me in a more accurate state. Hopefully, one day, I will return to my pre-Lumpy shape, but for now - I'm going to enjoy my belly and all the yummy holiday food!

RIP - Chewy

I brought Chewy to work yesterday.

Here is Chewy before:

Here is Chewy after:

Most of Chewy is now gone. I would say between yesterday and today - I've eaten 80%.

Lumpy Has Arms & Legs!

Today we had Lumpy's 20 week anatomy ultrasound.

Buttin spent most of the 30 minutes intently looking to see if he could tell if Lumpy is a boy or girl - he was unsuccessful. Buttin got VERY jealous when he ask the ultrasound technician if she knew if Lumpy was a boy or girl and she said, "Yes."

We have to go back for another appointment in a couple weeks - Lumpy wasn't in a good position to see all of his/her spine. The doctor said that everything we did see looked very good and right on target. Lumpy's heartbeat is 144 bpm and we got to see all four chambers of the heart. We also saw Lumpy's brain (yeah . . a brain!), Lumpy's bladder and the blood flow going to Lumpy's kidneys. Lumpy is weighing in at a very average 12 oz.

Now - some pictures!

Here's Lumpy's little profile. Lumpy was moving around all over the place and really loves to touch his/her feet. I love all the pictures with the arms and legs.

Here's a good picture of Lumpy's nose and mouth.

OK - so these next couple make Lumpy look a little scary - eyeballs in ultrasound form look a little freaky.

Here's a 3D picture of Lumpy - you can see part of his/her face and a little arm.

Thirty Second Movie Review - An Education

An Education

Really loved this movie! It's a little slice of life/coming of age film that Buttin and I enjoyed. I loved the relationship between the father and daughter - you want the best for your child, but sometimes even daddies make the wrong decision.

Marathon Pictures

I don't think all the pictures made it onto the CD. I KNOW that I took a picture of our wonderful rickshaw driver, but that one didn't make it. I also didn't manage to get a post-race picture - I guess my legs and feet weren't allowing my brain to work.

Here are some good ones:

We decorated our bibs with glitter and our shirts with our names. I think my mom preferred to run on the outside (next to the spectators) so that people could cheer for us!

Here we are at my parents' house before the race. Buttin got up at 4:45 AM to drop us off.

Standing next to our corral.

Mariachi Band - can you spot Momsy?

Here we are before the very warm, humid start of the race.

First Bill sighting - did I mention he showed up SIX times while we were on the course? Meanwhile, our husbands were at home asleep.
First picture with a bird/chicken.

Yeah - The Alamo.

Running past Lulu's Bakery - birth place of Chewy. Misfits - bring your appetite tomorrow morning!If I remember correctly - this is the THIRD Bill sighting. I love the sign!

This is somewhere around Mile 20 - more pictures with chickens. Can you tell how sweaty I am? The top part of my shirt is a completely different color green than the bottom.

SAN ANTONIO ROCK N' ROLL MARATHON REPORT

This is the first report, with just a couple pictures - will post more when I get the disposable camera pictures developed.

THE BASICS

Time: 6:57.46 - HERE IS THE GARMIN REPORT
Temperature/Humidity
Starting = 67 degrees/95% humidity
Ending = 80 degrees/78% humidity

Regarding our speed, in my (our - my mom ran too) defense:

• I spent about 10 minutes in disgusting port-a-potties (should have just peed behind a bush) and about 25 minutes in line waiting for the disgusting port-a-potties (seriously, I think some people decided to wait and take their first poop in weeks during the marathon);
• I spent another 5 minutes taking pictures with people dressed as chickens (no joke - I guess this was a popular cheering costume);
• I spent about 5 miles walking backwards trying to relieve my horrible foot and leg cramps (more on those later);
• It was freaking hot and humid out!!! It's not supposed to be THIS hot in November. I got a freaking sunburn.

(I know it's difficult to tell, but my shoulder is really burned and here is the spot where you can see my ipod tan line.)

My marathon heroes:

1. My mother - she could have run way faster than 6 hours; however, she promised Buttin (without my knowledge) that she wouldn't leave me, even though I begged her to go on ahead.
2. Bill McDonald - first of all, he brought me Chewy - so right there, that makes him like the number four most influential man in my life (after my husband and two dads). Secondly, Bill has had two spinal surgeries (and I'm sure a few other things), is still walking (very carefully) with a cane while he is recovering AND still managed to find my mother and me no less than SIX TIMES on the race course. One of these times he was standing under a bridge (it couldn't have been easy to get to), holding a sign and cheering for us. It was always so nice to see him - THANKS BILL!
   

Mile-by-Mile Report

• Mile 1 - 12:40 - Great start. Thankfully, the race started on time and corral #22 started around 8:12 AM.
• Mile 2 - 13:18 - This was the first Bill sighting - we stopped to take pictures.
• Mile 3 - 13:08 - This was pictures at the Alamo and with the first person in the chicken costume. Also - very sad and rather uncomfortable occurrence - we saw a runner being wheeled to an ambulance (thankfully it was close) - he did not appear to be conscious and someone was doing chest compressions, my mom said - probably a heart attack. I really hope he's OK. It's just something you NEVER want to see.
• Mile 4 - 12:38 - can't remember anything interesting - we just kept moving along.
• Mile 5 - 19:22 - first potty break. Met another preggo - she was doing the half-marathon and is 32 weeks along. She was allowed (very rightly, I think) to cut in line, but I didn't feel pregnant enough to cut in line. Her baby was very obviously pushing on her bladder; whereas Lumpy was just kicking mine occasionally.
  
• Mile 6 - 11:25 - catching up to Momsy.
• Mile 7 - 12:47 - doing well.
• Mile 8 - 12:31 - same.
• Mile 9 - 12:41 - same.
• Mile 10 - 12:22 - same.
• Mile 11 - 14:56 - 2nd potty break (eweeee)
• Mile 12 - 12:49 - doing OK, but starting to feel some discomfort in me legs, feet and lower back.
• Mile 13 - 16:59 - the struggle, fight and begging/pleading with my feet and legs begins and continues for the rest of the marathon.
• Mile 14 - 16:11 - Me: "Please little feet - cooperate, I will stop and stretch and treat you with love." Feet: "No, crazy lady - we don't like this."
  
• Mile 15 - 16:07 - more of the same. No amount of Cytomax or salt or Tylenol is helping.
  
• Mile 16 - 16:44 - Me: "Feet, the faster we go, the sooner we finish." Feet: "Why don't you trip that person on a bike and let us peddle home - we prefer to peddle or stop."
• Mile 17 - 16:51 - more of the same.
• Mile 18 - 18:45 - it gets worse. My lower back and calves decide to seize up. I begin to walk backwards, as this relieves the discomfort somewhat, but makes me VERY slow.
  
• Mile 19 - 18:57 - potty again and more walking backwards.
• Mile 20 - 17:48 - Me: "Feet, if you can just make it one more 10K - we'll be good." Feet: "We'd rather not."
• Mile 21 - 18:36 - more of the same.
• Mile 22 - 17:42 - still more of the same. I try some "mind over matter" chants - my legs laugh at me.
• Mile 23 - 18:23 - thinking only a 5K left, doesn't really help.
• Mile 24 - 17:15 - we do some jogging. Actually, jogging feels much better on my legs and feet than walking, but every time I jog - my heart rate jumps (I blame the humidity) and I need to slow down. I had one very bad spike (188) at mile 17 and don't want to repeat it.
• Mile 25 - 20:08 - certainly the WORST mile EVER. I knew I wasn't doing any damage - I was just very uncomfortable.
• Mile 26 - 17:07 - my mom and I start to jog, we will run (jog) through the finish line.
• Mile 26 (well last .71 miles) - 9:23 - I actually get happy that we're almost done and I'm in less pain because we're jogging.

Mentally, I felt just fine. My stomach and head and every other part of my body were cooperating during my first marathon; however, my legs and feet (kind of crucial to the running aspect of a marathon -doncha think?) just weren't cooperating.

My mom and I finished with smiles although shockingly the pain in my feet didn't stop when we crossed the finish line (what a surprise!). Because we were bringing up the rear end of the race, we got an entire box of food (3 packages of bagels, tons of fruit roll-ups, bags of chips and countless other things.) After I ate a bagel, we still had to walk about 5 blocks to the Denny's to meet Buttin and my dad. My feet apparently couldn't tell the difference between the race and post-race. We walked about one block and then saw one of the best sights of the entire day - a rickshaw. I had $5 and my mom had $2 - and the very kind, wonderful man said he would take us to the Denny's. Best $5 I've EVER spent or at least that's what it felt like at the time!

Buttin drove me home (after grabbing us some Icees). I took a shower and after getting out - I felt human again (if a little sunburned) and was able to walk around just fine - no foot or leg discomfort, just some normal stiffness.

I will certainly marathon again. I'm sure my mom will too. I might be ready by this time next year for the San Antonio Marathon again or maybe we'll try Dallas in December 2010 or Houston in January 2011.

One little (but important) suggestion for the race organizers/volunteers:

• First of all, the volunteers were WONDERFUL and encouraging and there were TONS of them. Next year - I would recommend that they take just a tiny number of those volunteers and have them re-stock the toilet paper in the port-a-potties or at least put some toilet paper outside of them on a table (some handiwipes would have been nice too - but I don't want to push my luck). Thankfully, I had a bunch of Kleenex, but some toilet paper would have been nice for additional cleaning purposes

OK - I'm sure that I'll remember more stories when I see all the pictures tomorrow, but this race report will have to do for now.

Time for food and a nap!