Another (pregnant) race in the books!  On Sunday morning, I ran the West Seattle 5K with my friend Katie, while Casey and Cullen cheered from the sidelines.  I had only ever been over to West Seattle once before – last summer – and I have been itching to get back.  On a clear, summer day this area provides some of the most breathtaking scenery and views in the whole region.  People even spot orcas in the Sound during the late summer months!

Sunday morning was chilly and grey, so the mountains were hiding from us.  But it was still beautiful to run along the water and see the panoramic Seattle skyline across the water.  I was worried about parking so we left really early, and ended up with almost 30 minutes to spare before the race start.  We camped out in a coffee shop to keep the kiddos warm and get some drinks, and we were so busy talking we almost missed the start!

We realized we were the last ones still sitting there and literally ran down the street to make our way into the pack. 

Since we were late to get lined up, we just headed to the very end of the group.  We weren’t really racing for a time, and Katie was pushing a jogging stroller, so we figured there was no point in pushing forward any further.  This meant we had a LOT of people in front of us though, which made our first mile reaaaally slow.

Eventually, we made our way around all of the walkers and spotted Casey and Cullen on the sidelines!

I did my first pregnant race a few weeks ago at 16.5 weeks, and it’s amazing the difference three weeks makes.  I felt (and look!) a lot bigger this time, and I definitely felt it more that first mile.  I never felt any pain or cramping, but I did  feel a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen during the first mile. 

I was shocked when I saw the first mile marker, since I thought we were probably closer to 1.5 miles in at that point (forgot to grab my watch out of the stroller during the last minute rush!).  Once we passed the Mile 1 sign we both picked it up a bit.  Our second mile felt good, and I felt relieved from a lot of the aches and pressure I’d felt early in the race. 

By the third mile, we’d definitely picked up our pace significantly, and I felt really comfortable.  Katie and I were able to chat the whole time, which made the race go by really quickly.  As we came down the final stretch and saw the finish line, I was bummed to see the clock at 33 minutes. 

I didn’t have any “real” goals other than to finish without walk breaks (which we did!), but I had hoped to either meet or beat the time from my last race (31:51).  Due to our back-of-the-pack start, my time ended up actually being 31:57 – still slower than I’d hoped, but still pretty good considering the extra baggage in the belly. 

I’d still like to try again and see if I can finish closer to 30 minutes next time.  I’d also like to finally remember to wear my watch, which I think would make a big difference.  Third time’s the charm?  Let’s hope.

Considering I didn’t run at all during my last pregnancy, I’m just really grateful to be feeling so healthy and active this time around, and I’m hoping to keep running as long as I can.  Nineteen (point five!) weeks and still going!

After the race, we let the boys get down and stretch their legs on the beach.

They had a blast throwing rocks into the water, and eventually cramming them into their mouths (which meant it was time to go). 

So many thanks to Katie for running with a slow, pregnant lady!  She was pushing about 50 pounds of stroller/toddler, so we felt like we did pretty well considering our handicap.  :)  It is always so much more fun to run with a friend.

After the race, we packed up and headed to the West Seattle location of one of our favorite North Seattle spots – Chaco Canyon.  I wish we lived closer to this one because they have a huge play area in the back of the restaurant with a chalk wall, train table, and tons of toys.  Cullen was in heaven. 

I was busy stuffing my face with this delicious lentil burger. 

And a side of kale minestrone soup.  The perfect post-race meal!

After my last 5k I was really sore and felt incredibly drained all day.  I can tell I’m either getting back into better shape (although getting bigger at the same time) or maybe just improving my running fitness, because I felt a lot better this time.  I spent the afternoon packing and cleaning out our garage with Casey, followed by a long family walk in the evening. 

We have a BIG week coming up!  We have our 20-week ultrasound on Thursday, our moving truck arriving on Saturday morning, and a fun (cheesy) gender reveal party planned with friends for Sunday evening.  In the meantime, we have a house to pack up and clean, and a lot of other odds and ends to fit in. 

And here on DG, I have a fun Barre promo to share with you guys (tomorrow), a pregnancy update (Wednesday), and some more moving and house updates planned for Thursday!

Counting down…

During the first update, I told you guys I’d probably pop in monthly to talk about this pregnancy.  I was surprised by how many of you wanted more frequent updates!  I kind of thought it was overkill last time, but I’m happy to hear the posts have been so helpful to so many of you.

I still don’t plan to update on weekly basis, but I’ll probably do it every few just so I don’t lose track.  And this way I won’t forget anything!  I love reading the old updates too – fun to see what I was doing at this same point last time around. 

As of today, I’m 15 weeks along, but let’s back up to last week (where we left off).  Here is the growth at week 14 – last time vs this time. 

I’m definitely much thicker through the middle than last time already, but luckily my clothes are still fitting well and I’m pretty comfortable.  I threw up once during week 14 and once again this week (15), but have felt mostly okay otherwise.   

My appetite has continued to be much of the same, although the veggies are slowly creeping back in.  I still feel like I could live off of baked potatoes and soup.  This week I ate an alarming amount of strawberries.  Between me and Cullen, we are working at a rate of a pint per day – good thing I just bought four more!

While last week felt pretty low key and uneventful, I feel like this week has brought a lot of changes.  I don’t think it’s as evident in the photos as it is in real life, but I woke up Wednesday morning and my stomach had literally popped out.  I walked in the door of my friend’s house on Wednesday and she immediately said, “woah baby bump!”

There is no hiding it, although I’m happy that most of my clothes are still fitting well for now.  It’s interesting to read the updates from last time.  By this point last pregnancy, I was already itching to get into bigger, looser clothes because my expanding midsection felt really uncomfortable.  This time I’m holding out as long as I can because it still feels okay, and I know just how long I’ll have to wear them having been through it once before.  I also started this pregnancy at a lower weight than my last, which is probably making a difference.  So far I’m up about two pounds!

I had a 15-week appointment on Monday that was very short and to the point – weighed in, gave blood work, heard the heartbeat, and then sent on my way!  Everything is still looking and sounding good.  Up next is scheduling our 20-week anatomy scan.  As it draws closer and closer, I’m starting to have second thoughts about finding about the gender.  Casey really wants to, but I’m on the fence.  I feel like it might be fun to be surprised!

Other exciting developments this week – my boobs are finally bigger.  Hallelujah!  I was starting to seriously think they had deflated past the point of return.  I think my hair is growing quickly too – time for a trim!

The biggest issue right now related to pregnancy is that I’m still experiencing what feels like crippling fatigue.  Last night I fell asleep at 8pm!  I’m still getting up at 5:30am in order to get some work done in the mornings, and so by the time Cullen goes to bed at 7:30pm, I have nothing left in me.  And it takes every ounce of energy I have to work during Cullen’s naps instead of napping myself.  I am so ready for this supposed burst of energy!

Despite being tired, my workouts are continuing to go well.  I feel so much more motivated and excited to work out this time, mostly because I’m not nervous or worried about any of the physical pregnancy stuff this time around.  My workout of choice continues to be Barre3 classes, and I’m averaging going to two each week.  I’d like to be going to more, but scheduling/childcare makes that difficult, and they are also not cheap – so two works for now. 

I think the class I went to this morning was the hardest one yet.  The instructor said her husband was there, so I think she was being extra tough.  I had to do a few pregnancy modifications during some twists and stretches, but otherwise I still feel like it’s a great option during pregnancy (and otherwise!) because it’s not very cardiovascular, but it’s an intense muscular workout.  I’m happy to have found something that feels like a good fit!

While 15 weeks still isn’t all that far along, I already feel like the weeks are flying by.  Last time I felt like I counted each day, and this time I’m not even really aware of the passing week until Wednesday hits and a new one starts. 

At this point, I’m looking forward to feeling some kicks (so ready!) and having a real belly other than just a thick, round lump.  And even though it’s still very early, I feel like (and look like ) I’m carrying higher this time, which makes me wonder if this is possibly a little girl.  We’ll know soon enough.  Or maybe not!  Still have a few more weeks to decide.