Running a (1/2) marathon while pregnant...

... is SO rad.
That's why I did it: because I'm rad.

The weekend before Halloween I went to Utah to visit with my sister and her husband, and to run with Lisa while she ran her first 1/2 marathon EVER. This wasn't any race. This race involved costumes, getting up at 5:00 to be bussed to the top of a ski resort so we could wait around for an hour in the freezing cold temperatures, only to start running once completely numb for 13.1 miles.
I can't imagine a better first race. However, if there was hot chocolate along the way, it could have been better.

 Lisa and I made our own costumes. We got super creative and made those tutus that are all over the internet right now. Lisa was a spooky ballerina and I was a spooky witch, as evidenced by our color choices, obviously.

Clearly the pink and white is for the ballerina, and the green, purple and black is for the witch. 

 We spent hours at JoAnn Fabric trying to figure out how much of what materials we needed, and wouldn't you know it? The line was also quite staggering. But, it moved pretty quickly, and then we got to eat some lunch. We went home afterward and made our tutus. Lisa sewed the elastic together, and I cut the fabric. Then we watched a movie while we tied the fabric around the elastic.

She's so excited to be all crafty, can't you just see it?

This is us before leaving the house in our finished costumes. I'm sitting on a broom, not just squatting. It's hard to tell. Lisa is posing as quite the fancy dancer. The ribbons lasted about 2 seconds.

Lisa, Jana (dressed as a baseball player), and I waiting for the shuttle to take us to the top of the mountain.

Again, still waiting.

Here we are, nearing the end of the race. We look happy, be we aren't. We want to be dead.

Crossing the finish line!!! (9 wks pregnant. Oh, and Lisa later found out she was pregnant, too!)

Here we are, dying at the end of the race. I could not walk for like 3 days after this. But we did it!!

Jack and I

The race was really fun! It was downhill for a large majority, but there was a sneaky uphill part in the middle that inclined for a good mile to mile and a half. By the end of the race, my body felt like rubber, and I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I supposed it really does pay to train appropriately.

Fortunately no one was injured. Except my toenails got a bit of slight bruising. 

 After the race was over, Lisa and I mainly recovered for the next few days. We did some fun things together two, with Evan, her husband laughing at us every step we took (because we walked like 9 month pregnant 85 yr olds).

I was lucky enough to see a couple friends while in Utah, and I'm so sad about the others! I will be back in Utah next summer, most likely, so try not to hate me until then, and I'll be able to visit.

Jack and Lisa. 

It was good to see my little sister. We missed Robin, as she moved quick as lightning to California as soon as she found out I was going to be visiting. I may have to pay her a special visit and drop in unannounced so she doesn't try to leave again.

Happy Halloween!

Kruger Farm family tradition

Last year one of the very funnest things we did in October was to visit the quaint little Kruger Farm on Sauvie's Island. We played in the corn maize, ate corn on the cob, had candied apples, went on a hay ride, and picked out our very own pumpkins for carving.
We thought we would do it again this year, only in 6 inches of mud and with friends!
We didn't really go through the corn maize due to possible mud pits to which one would lose one's shoe, but we did spend more time in the little farmer's market area. The produce was ginormous. Cabbage heads bigger than MY head. Not even kidding. We also went with a slice of pumpkin pie instead of a caramel apple this year. It was pretty good, but I like my mom's better.

I wasn't kidding about the produce!

Here I am, wearing sea bands, eating corn on the cob. It seems food was the only thing that helped at that point.

 We had planned this trip weeks ahead of when we actually went. We planned it when the weather was absolutely gorgeous, and by the time the appointed weekend came around, it was absolutely iffy.

 We (Bradley and I, as well as the Ashley, Nate, and their kids) decided, despite the high chances of showers to go to the farm anyway. As we were driving there, it started to kind of sprinkle. Oh well, we can handle a little sprinkling. As we got closer, it started to downpour. Rain cats and dogs. Buckets. Etc.
I saw a patch of blue sky, and we said, move on! We are Pacific Northwesterners, are we not???

Then, when we got to the farm, well...Look at the picture to the left! The weather was beautiful, right over the farm. We could see in the distances surrounding the farm the gross, gray clouds, dumping rain everywhere else. But we were in a little haven of loveliness.

Hay ride!

 This is Ashley, Nate and their baby. Ashley was my bestie in high school. Nate's her husband. He's ok.


The hay ride was pretty fun. Here are the highlights: We saw some people we knew, family friends (this is part of the tradition, because last year we also bumped into familiar faces), I got mud all over my sweater boots, the little girls both fell in the mud, and whilst someone was getting back onto the ride, they smeared their nasty, muddy boots all over me. It was a good time.

Love this boy!

A little froggy.

Aren't they the cutest???

 The girls found a cute little critter! They wanted to take it home.

Punkin pie.

butterfly face

She got a full on mask!

The girls also got to have their faces painted! They held really still, and took it very seriously.










Overall, we had a great time. It was fun to be with friends, planned and not planned, and it was cool to have the weather miraculously clear up, just so we could have a good day.

We'll probably do it again next year, only this time with Little Bean in tow!

Little Love Birds

 SQUEEZES!

So happy

These were taken in the beginning of September. Just thought they were cute. Looks like Brad still likes me. Can't say I'm surprised at all...
Have I ever mentioned that I like him, too?

The progression

Brad insists on taking a belly picture every week. You know, cuz my belly is supposed to get bigger. There is a baby the size of a PLUM in there, after all. (Go, ME! Made it to 12 weeks!)
Anyway, I thought that my body hadn't really changed a whole lot, but looking back on week 4?? I looked good! And happy! And not like I want to die!!
I'll let you take a look see. :)

See? The above pictures I have no idea what I'm getting into. Week 6 and 7? Fake smiles.

Week 8 I wanted to punch Brad for making me get up and pose for the dang picture. Week 9 and 10, you can totally see a little pooch!



First trimester is pretty lame. It had better be worth it. I hear it is.