Birthday Baby Bump

Yesterday was my 26th birthday and I really do feel that old, though I usually still act like a teenager.  Next weekend, Coach and I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary, and that I can't believe. I can't even believe I have been out of high school for more than 6 years! The presence of my ever protruding belly only adds to my age. I know I am having a baby, and that is fine, but sometimes I forget that from then on I will have 3 kids! That still needs to sink in. But anyways, I have been promising a picture of Riley in the womb and for my birthday, since I can't do anything else, we went to a buffet for dinner so she was proudly showing afterwards and I thought it a good opportunity to catch a pic of her.

Right now I believe I am at 25 weeks, so only a lot more weeks to go. But I may get to see some of you at Seattle Rock n Roll with baby either in tow or with a huge belly. We'll see. My sister has offered to push me around in a wheel chair so I can attend, but Jesse is still wary about letting me attend. Hope all of your running and training is going well. Take care!

Desire

I haven't run a lick since I found out I was pregnant. Now that I am not as sick, my pelvic bone has started separating and walking is becoming increasingly difficult. It happens every time, but I was hoping that my future daughter would be nicer to me than my sons, now I just think it is a foreshadowing of things to come. She actually seems to be lower than my sons, which I thought was impossible, yet I can feel her kicking my wooha basically. What this really means is no running till she graces us with her presence. This means the Seattle Rock n Roll Half is out for sure, as is my money. However, my sister has volunteered to push me around so I can watch Track Coach's first attempt at a marathon.

But despite the hardship my running has taken this year I find myself hopeful.  Why? Well as a huge surprise to myself, I still find myself wanting to run. I have never been a runner before, quite despised the activity in fact, and it wasn't until this past summer that I ever laced up just to run, and stuck with it. This then took me to triathlons as well and I got cozy with a padded seat. It was never particularly easy for me to make these activities habits, as I fancied myself to be the worlds greatest couch weight. My biggest fear as I have been pinned to the couch in prisoner type fashion, was that this immobile way of life would become my norm again. If I was away for too long, I thought I would completely lose my desire to sweat away the hours, pounding the pavement. But I haven't! And it isn't just the social aspect that makes me miss it, although hearing about every one's workouts and races, makes me a bit sad still, especially Rock n Roll. More impressively, when there was a clear night or sometimes even a rainy one, I found myself wanting to be out on the road. Sometimes just a good song would spur my desire to move. I am even still pouring through Runner's World, looking for tips and workouts, and I have a stack ready to go for when I am freed from my pregnant cage.

I may still not feel ready to rejoin you runners full time, as I have nothing constructive to contribute and feel a fraud for wandering in to this pool too often, but I know I will be back full time, and that makes me very happy and better able to deal with this hiatus. I love all the support and loyalty I have received from you all, and thanks for hanging in there.  My pleas to coach to share his marathon training with you all is falling on very tired ears as track season just started, but I promise he'll check in soon. So may you all rediscover your desires to run, bike, whatever and let them reignite your love for what you do. Oh, and I promise to post a pic soon as I am about 23 weeks and the belly is starting to show!

Mystery Solved...Maybe?

Thanks for all the congratulations, I really am super psyched! Now if she would just come out! Ok maybe it's a bit early for that, but I no like being pregnant!

Anyways, on to the mystery. For months now, I have been to the doctor, trying to figure out what is wrong with me. My symptoms of joint pain, fatigue, and headaches pointed to it possibly being lyme disease. But my doctor decided before we would do the expensive test for lyme that straight out tells you if you have it, we would test for food allergies first. Apparently, these aren't normal allergies, but the sneaky kind that take hours or days to show up.  The body creates antibodies when these foods are eaten and it can cause you to be tired, have headaches, and joint pain. So they drew my blood and he indicated if it was just a few low intolerances that this probably wasn't the answer, but if I had too many, it might be the cause. When the test came back, I was very unhappy with the results! It turns out I am allergic to almost everything they tested me for (88 different things.) To allow me to be able to still eat, he wants me to eliminate all foods that came back 1+, 2+, and 3+. This is still a ton of stuff. See for yourself...

lactalbumin?
asparagus
beets
celery
cucumber
garlic
mushroom
onion
sweet potato
white potato
spinach

lots of fish

chicken
buckwheat
corn
corn gluten
gluten

lentil

lima bean
oat

peanut

pecan

pinto bean

rice

rye

sesame 2+

soy

sunflower seed

walnut

wheat

yeast

chocolate 3+
coffee

If I didn't mark it, then it's a 1+. By your awesome deduction skills, you may notice that this eliminates all grains, well every grain they tested for and he said to avoid them all. This means no bread, chips, tortillas, pasta, rice anything that you use to make most meals. I am also suddenly very on board with products not using corn syrup! In the honor of science, I am giving it a chance, at least two weeks completely, until I see the doc. Being pregnant and having to eat mostly fruit and dairy is not easy. I have been unusually hard to deal with and I have to say after a week, I finally cracked yesterday for a bit to have an Arby's Beef n Cheddar and some curly fries. Somehow I have managed to avoid chocolate, but I am bummed it is my only 3+, so I may have to always steer away from it. That means no more chocolate milk or protein shakes after runs...tear, tear. 

Enough of my whining, if it helps that would be great. I hate always feeling sick! Although I might kill for a doughnut right now!