Mileage Monday

Stats for January 5th - January 11th... Sadly, no running happened this week. The weather was down right freezing around here. We are talking -30 degrees below with the wind chill. However, even if I was able to run outside I don't know if I would have or not. I actually am starting to feel and look pregnant, which is definitely different. I'm having trouble bending over comfortably and even though I'm wearing the same clothes I always have I am no longer buttoning my pants. The one thing that does make me feel better about not being overly active is that I still get a ton of walking in because of work. That has to count for something right?

Monday, January 5th, 2015 - 9,798 total steps / 3.1 total miles / 186 calories

Tuesday, January 6th, 2015 - 6,927 total steps / 2.5 total miles / 119 calories

Wednesday, January 7th, 2015 - 14,812 total steps / 4.8 total miles / 302 calories

Thursday, January 8th, 2015 - 11,969 total steps / 4.0 total miles / 254 calories

Friday, January 9th, 2015 - 11,721 total steps / 3.7 total miles / 221 calories

Saturday, January 10th, 2015 - 3,104 total steps / 1.1 total miles / 10 calories

Sunday, January 11th, 2015 - 2,937 total steps / .9 total miles / 5 calories

Totals for the week : 61,268 total steps / 20.1 total miles / 1,097 calories

Isolation

Let's just say... cold and flu season isn't the greatest time to be working in a nursing home...

Several of our residents have come down with the stomach flu or an upper respiratory infection and had to be placed on isolation so it doesn't infect any of the other residents. This is easier said than done of course as the viruses continue to move through our building.

I ended up with a horrible cold that I have been battling for the past week. It's been even worse because I needed to be really careful what medicines I actually took. Dan ended up calling the doctor and they said that Sudafed and Robintussin would be okay and not hurt the baby. It made me uneasy, but I was so miserable I took it. Luckily I started feeling better less than a week later and got off the meds fast! Now if I can just make it through this pregnancy without getting the flu!

How Lucky Were We...

On December 9th... the day after I completed all the requirements needed to finish my Masters degree... my grandmother left this world and entered into Heaven. At the time, even though I was sad... I was more relieved that she was no longer suffering or in any type of pain.

Now, after almost a month has passed by I can feel the grief setting in. I miss her and now am feeling a lot of what I should have been feeling when it all happened. So many things remind me of her every day and my heart aches to hear her voice, or get a letter from her, or have her hold me in her arms.

Not too long before she got really sick I had breakfast with her one morning where she explained to me how she wanted her funeral to go, where certain things in her apartment were, etc. For a very long time she had what would happen after she was gone planned out. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone. So when she passed away, it was no surprise to find a journal with every detail written out and I knew most of these plans. One thing I didn't know about was that she wanted me to speak during her funeral. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it, but I'm so glad I did. So on that day I stood up and read these words that I had written about her....

My Grandma was an amazing lady! But that is no secret to those of you who knew her. 

She was many things to many people, but for me she wasn't just my Grandma...

She was my best friend, mentor, shoulder to cry on, 

Skip Bo partner, pen pal, secret keeper, and biggest cheerleader.

There is no doubt that many of our hearts ache today because of the loss of this

special women, but she gave us many memories to remind us of her as we 

continue on our journey through life. 

During this time I would like to share a few special memories, on from each of her grandchildren.

(Here I shared three memories... one from myself and my cousins Ryan & Stephanie)

All of us have our own special memories that we've shared with her... 

and what a blessing that is! 

So today remember, she would not want this to be a time of sadness,

but instead a time of celebration of her life. 

I want to leave you today with one of my favorite quotes that comes to us 

today from Winnie the Pooh...

"How lucky we were to have someone in our lives 

that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Masters of Science in Gerontology

It took me pretty much six years to do it, but I'm so proud of myself and can finally say I completed my Masters in Gerontology Degree!!! And it feels so good!

And even though it has been over a month since I did any kind of school work I still find myself panicking at times about what assignment I have due next! 

Truly though, it's a great feeling to having nothing to worry about except planning for a new member of our family.

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of December 29th - January 4th... So since I got pregnant my running has really taken a nose dive. I was so sick and just plain exhausted during my first trimester it was hard just making it through the day at work let alone think about getting a run in. But now that I'm in second trimester and my sickness has for the most part passed and I have some of my energy back I'm hoping to slowly get back into it.

After not doing pretty much anything for the past four months I can definitely tell that I have lost a ton of muscle and I'm sure I have no endurance like I use to. Plus, being pregnant I have to make sure not to push myself hard as I start up. Exercising is good when your pregnant, but you still have to be careful.

All I know is that if I'm going to start getting back into running... now is the time when I'm still pretty little and my body can handle it. No run will be long or fast... just slow and steady from here on out.

If You Haven't Already Heard... I'm Pregnant!

So like I said in my previous post... I've been on a roller coaster ride these past few months with different things taking place in my life. The first thing I would like to share with you (if you haven't already heard) is that I'm pregnant!

After trying for a very long period of time the doctors suggested that Dan and I have our fertility tested. Unfortunately, we were soon informed that it probably wouldn't be easy for us to have a baby. Dan and I started racking our brains on what the next step for us should be, but ended up quite surprised when just a few weeks later we found out we were pregnant! 

I did not have an easy first trimester... I was sick almost all day and even during the night (which I didn't even know was possible). But now being a little over 16 weeks pregnant I am finally feeling more like myself. Thank goodness for that!

 

So far everything is progressing just fine. The doctors say that the baby is looking healthy and things are looking completely normal. I have gained about five pounds so far and my cravings right now are salads and cereal. HA! Now that things are getting back to normal for the most part around our household Dan and I have been slowly organizing the house and trying to figure out how we are going to fit this little soul and all its "things" in our home. We definitely are struggling with a bit of a learning curve right now, but I suppose we will learn as we go. 

 

Everyone is very excited around here! Especially Remi who had his own way of telling people he was taking on a new role soon! Of course Remi and how I will adjust him to this huge change is one of my number one priorities... He is an extremely special part of our family and I want to keep it that way.

It's Been Rough...

Do you ever get to that point in your life when it is like EVERYTHING imaginable starts to pile up on you all at once. You try and try to keep up with all the demands that are facing you, with a huge smile on your face of course, and then suddenly right before your eyes the demands disappear and you're at the point where you are sitting there wondering... what now?

That is how these past few months have been for me. It seemed like at one point I was asking myself how I was going to make it through everything that had appeared on my plate and today I'm a little shocked they are no longer there.

So as I slowly get myself accustomed to blogging again like I use to (I'm sorry I fell off the face of the blogging world recently)... I hope to fill you in on what has been happening these past couple months which took so much of my energy and attention that you may have asked yourself what happened to me. It's been rough... a roller coaster of emotions... from shock, to happiness, to sadness, and everything in between... and I'll fill you in on everything in the posts to come.