Kicks.

I have a new shoe obsession, and it's very odd because I've been wearing the same brands for the last several years and never thought I'd digress. Working at REI (in the shoe department to be even more specific) has been a big plus because it's really allowed me to explore different options and load up on good deals. 

My new love is now with Brooks running shoes. They've come out with their own version of minimalist running shoes. They are a more visually appealing barefoot running shoe for the person that is not quite ready to go to the 5 Finger minimalist. That's me folks. 

The Pure Grit & Pure Connect shoes are oh-so-comfortable! And they allow you to really begin to run forward  on your foot, just like a traditional barefoot runner while still giving you a little extra cushion and comfort. For me, the added perk is that they are a bit more normal looking as well. 

Brooks Pure Connect

Road Runner

Brooks Pure Grit

Trail Runner

Now I have to admit that I haven't actually taken these beauties out for a "real" run yet, but have walked in them a few times each. I'm trying to save them for post-baby Jackson. However, the rave is out. They are selling so fast we can't keep them on the shelves. Who would have thought? I was even able to convince Lyle to get a pair now that he's back to running again with his healthier knee. Minimalist running is really the way to go for those that have had injury, so we're giving it a try with him. He has these:

Brooks Pure Connect

Road Runner

I know, we are that dorky married couple with matching shoes. But how could you pass up such awesome shoes? Especially when they are a good deal?

Let me tell you...I cannot wait to try these out on a run. I've been dreaming already about going for long runs fro the last few months. Maybe just one more month?

Has anyone tried these out themselves? If so, what do you think?

Happy Running everyone!

lauren

A Bumpdate....Week 16.

I must first start out by apologizing for the poor photo quality. Hopefully come December 25 this problem will have been resolved and we'll have high quality and well lit pictures!! However, I thought I'd share a little update of our small but growing bump....because it's there! Can you see it? It's even bigger today as these were take a few days ago. Even in my loose fitting clothes it's starting to show through and if you know what you're looking for you'd definitely see it. 

 Don't I look lovely? Ahhh!!!! Yuck.

So a little update on how things have been going in case you're interested. 

WARNING: this is a little longer and winded than most of my posts. If you don't have time or aren't interested, just skip to the end. I'm using this as a bit of a journal. Beware. 

I'm 16 and a half weeks now and little baby J is about the size of an avocado. That really gets to me; I just can't believe it. Here's why: I've started to really feel physically pregnant recently. This little baby is taking up quite a bit a space in there, but really hasn't made much room for itself. Does that make since? My belly just doesn't seem to be growing so much with the darling, so I've been a little uncomfortable sleeping and moving around, but looking at belly's size you might not think so...why would she be uncomfortable? She doesn't really look pregnant?

One really awesome and amazing milestone I hit two weeks ago was feeling little baby move around. Yupp, I can feel him or her. I love it. I can especially feel it in the evening when I'm sitting down and space is a little more constricted. Last night I realized that the movement is getting even stronger and more noticeable. Again, I love it. I only wish that Lyle could feel it right now too. A few days ago a friend lent me a little home doppler to borrow for a bit. We've been able to hear the heart beat which has been really great for Lyle since he's never been to an ultrasound or appointment. But soon enough!

Other milestones I've overcome or hit: no more morning sickness (hooray!), unbuttoning the top of my pants (especially as the day progresses), and a little bit more energy (however, I'm not truly convinced on this one). Sleeping has definitely become more of a task and I broke down and got a body pillow a little bit ago. Lyle is very jealous of this pillow, but Maddy seems to really like it as I find she takes over it in the middle of the night. I think it really helps with finding a reasonable position to sleep in. The bathroom has become a frequent friend, no surprise to anyone that's been pregnant before. And lastly, no maternity clothes yet. 

Naps have become an almost regular activity if I'm able to. I was feeling really guilty about it, but now I've just accepted it and embrace them. I find myself worrying like crazy about getting enough nutrients to the baby. Am I getting enough water, DHA, calcium, or iron? And every week I find myself obsessing over a new topic, for example I shouldn't be drinking tea, but I can't drink caffeine; sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) in products, and radiation from my laptop. I think it's normal though.....

My guilty pleasure, since I've been in my second trimester, has been decaf lattes. I wasn't wanting coffee at all earlier and prior to pregnancy rarely drank lattes. Now I've been exceeding our coffee budget a bit....I should probably cut back for several reasons...Lyle's not too happy with this one.

You may be wondering if I'm still running....no I'm not. I was for quite a while earlier on, but I had some normal cramping that bothered me and then I got really sick a couple times with a bug closer to the end of my first trimester on top of regular morning sickness. This set me back. I'd lost some weight and was feeling really weak so I decided to forgo the running. I know runners often will run throughout their pregnancies and I always thought that I would. When it came down to it, for me I just wasn't feeling safe anymore and I care too much about this new little life of ours. Instead, I've been walking pretty regularly and doing some exercises, but even that has been quite a workout for me. I'm not used to getting so easily exhausted and I usually always try to push myself a little further, but now I laugh because I'm so easily winded and beat! Some days I'm lucky if I'm able to finish my loop! What's going to happen to me later on? I do miss running though and hope that it's not too hard for me to get back into once this is all over. But for now, my running shoes have been put away and are taking a hiatus.

Now to a more exciting topic! We have not begun the process of getting "baby things" yet other than some wonderful things that Lyle's sister has passed down to us. We're just not ready for it. Although....I did get my diaper bag! Please laugh. This was my Christmas gift from Lyle and I'm so excited about it. It's a diaperbag/handbag that I purchased off of Ebay. I'd been eyeing it for a while and decided to go for it. I did open it up when it came, just to make sure it was what I'd ordered, but now it's all wrapped up and under the tree. 

That's the update for now! I warned you it was a long one. Did I forget anything? Oh yeah! We find out what we're having in less than 2 weeks! Can you believe it? Time flies by. The ultrasound is on the 22nd, however we're going to wait until Christmas morning to find out together. A little Christmas excitement for ourselves alone here in Greenville. Don't worry, I'll keep you all "posted"....haha...get it?

Have a happy and restful weekend. Happy Holidays.

lauren

fall for greenville.

It's definitely fall here in Greenville. Today it's been absolutely gorgeous; the epitome of what fall is.

It's been sunny, crisp, and in the 50s with a touch of wind. Can't get much better, right? I even had to turn on the heat in my car when I was doing my Meals On Wheels route today. I have yet to take my run yet, but am just about to do that and I can't wait for that fresh air to fill my lungs. I love the smell that fall air brings into the house when I come inside after a long run. Do you know what smell I'm talking about?

I haven't done much decorating for fall yet, and don't really have too big of plans, but we do have a Cinderella Pumpkin on our porch and I do plan do get a few more in various colors. That's one of my favorite things. Lots of pumpkins.

If I had our new camera, I'd have been outside taking pictures today of all the leaves and fall changes. But that's still a dilemma. However, we are getting closer to solving this problem. We are trying to research various affordable SLR cameras right now. Any suggestions? What has been your favorite? Please leave a comment and tell me your advice!

lauren

Rain.

This is what this week has consisted of here in Greenville. Not a bad thing since we really haven't had any good rain in a while. When it rains here, it rains. I'm not talking Seattle rain....drizzle rain, or a hard pour than a slow in-and-out rain, but torrential down pour rain. Typically it doesn't last very long; maybe 15-30 minutes then the sun is back out shining and you can go about your business in a typical manner. However, this week it's been torrential down pour all day, multiple days in a row. Therefore activities really have changed the past few days. My week on my "off-work" days has consisted mostly of staying inside with a few projects: laundry, cleaning, starting my "wall" project for the living room (still in process though; pictures later), walking our neighbors'/friends' dog when it's cleared up in the evening..... because they had their new baby girl!, napping, baking cookies (try them, they are delicious!), and some extra Meals on Wheels routes. Fortunately, I did not do a route yesterday when it was the heaviest rain. It would have been a wet one.

I could have been blogging, but I really didn't have much to blog about.

By the way, did I mention that I've started volunteering for Meals on Wheels? I have and I love it. I've been doing it for a few months now. If you're not familiar with the non-profit organization, check it out on my link above. Basically I pick up meals for a route of about 11 clients and drop them off mid-day. They are for people, mostly elderly, that can't get out of their home enough or manage to cook enough for themselves most often due to medical conditions. This service allows them to be able to stay in their own home rather than move into a retirement home or something of the sort. Often times I'm the only person they'll see all day, so they are very excited to see me, and they send me off with plenty of blessings and well-wishings. It's so simple (for me to do), very much needed, and extremely rewarding. I often finish with some fun stories to share with Lyle, and am frequently touched by the stories of the clients I serve.

Now typically I wouldn't have allowed the rain to stop me from my love of running, but it came at a good time this week because I hurt myself and have had to take some time off. I may have some mild tendonitis in my achilles. I ran my last pair of shoes out so hard that I think I caused this to happen. I didn't realize that there was absolutely no tred left on my shoes! So I quickly ordered a new pair of the new model, AdiZero Boston, and decided to walk until they arrived. Here they are.


The only problem is that I was so excited to run again when they were planted on my doorstep that I hurt myself even more when I went for a run last night. Bummer. I do not like not being able to run! I need to nurse this one though. I was planning on doing the Greenville 1/2 Marathon at the end of October, and had been feeling so good, but plans may have changed. I may have some other reasons I won't be able to run, but this would be the big one. So we'll see. Please pray for a quick healing because I get very sad and uncomfortable when I can't run....

What have you all been up to this week? Any projects? Baking? What do you do when it pours outside?

lauren