Tuesdays on the Run: Lucky Charms and Rituals

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!  I'm not really big on the holiday, but I do wear green to avoid the pinches!  But, I know many people love St. Patty's Day, so I hope you enjoy celebrating however you choose to do so!

Things have been really busy for me this week as I wound up having an all-day professional development presentation to give today.  But, after seeing the topic for this week's Tuesdays on the Run link-up, I just had to get in a post no matter how late!

Today's theme is Race Day Lucky Charms and Rituals!  Perfect for St. Patty's Day :)  While I don't have any lucky charms, I do have a few race day rituals that I wanted to share.  Thanks to Ericka of MCM Mama Runs, April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, and Patty from My No-Guilt Life for the link-up!  Head over to any of their blogs to check out other bloggers and their race day lucky charms and rituals.

Laying out my clothes the night before

Before each race, I lay out my race day outfit!  It helps me save time in the mornings, and I also enjoy taking pictures of "flat Amy" the night before.

Eating cereal/granola/oatmeal for breakfast

My race morning meal is either cereal, granola, or oatmeal before I had to the race.  If those things aren't available, I normally go for a peanut butter sandwich.  But, either way, I must eat something before heading to the race.

Using the port-a-potties at least one beforehand.

Maybe this is TMI, but I have to hit the port-a-potty before I run a race.  ESPECIALLY running races while pregnant.  If I don't get to use one beforehand, then I worry about it the whole race.  Definitely not what you want to focus on while running!

Stretch when I get to the corral.

Once I get to my corral and get situated, I do some active stretching to prepare for the race.  Most of the time I have room, but sometimes this proves to be pretty challenging when there are a ton of people in the same corral!

Text Joe when I finish.

If Joe doesn't come to the race, I always text him when I finish, especially when running a half marathon.  I just like him to know that I'm done, and he usually sends me an congratulatory message in response!

Taking a picture with my medal afterward.

After the 2014 Space Coast Half

You've probably noticed from my race recaps, but after every race, I have to take the same medal-pose picture when the race is done.  I started this tradition after my first half marathon and love looking back at each of these pictures and feeling proud of the accomplishment of that race.

Question for you: What are your race day lucky charms or any rituals you have?

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Time to get real with y'all.  Recently, I've just been feeling overwhelmed about life.  There are a lot of unknowns right now--when will the baby come?  What's being a mother going to be like?  What will happen after Joe graduates chiropractic school?  Will I go back to work in the fall?  One thing that makes me especially overwhelmed is that people ask me these questions, and I don't have a way to answer many of them!  Talk about stressful!

I think it's really common for us to get worried, anxious, or overwhelmed in life.  It can be over little things or big things, changes or new situations, or just everyday life.  As I've been dealing with these feelings this year, I wanted to share some general ideas of how to cope with these feelings.

1) Ask yourself: Is this a situation that I have control over?
As a worrier, the first thing I always have to ask myself when I feel overwhelmed is, "What can I control about this situation?"  Sometimes, I can control the whole thing.  Other times, I have control over a part of the situation.  Still others, I have zero control over the situation.  To deal with my feelings of being overwhelmed, I have to start by figuring out my level of control.

2) Do what you can.
If I do have control over some or all of the situation, the next step is to do something about it!  Sometimes, doing something really does ease the feelings of worry or anxiety, especially if it helps in that particular situation!

For example, when I feel overwhelmed about the baby coming, I do something that I actually have control over to prepare.  I organize the baby stuff we already have into piles according to when we'll need it.  I de-clutter the room that will be the baby's room.  I read up on things that I have questions about or things that I'm worried about.  I make a list of things that still need to be done and estimate a deadline for them.

Having control over some or all of the situation that's causing worry or anxiety really does help me calm down a lot faster.  Actually doing something about it helps even more!

3) Pray about what you can't control.
There are a lot of times that we really have NO control over a situation that's causing us to feel overwhelmed.  These are the tough ones, the ones that can cause us the most worry, anxiety, and stress.  We just have to sit back and wait for them to come, whether we like it or not.

In these times, I lean on prayer and Scripture to help ease my worry and anxiety.  That's why I chose the first two memory verses I did--to arm me with those comforting verses whenever I have no control over the situation.  It's the hard part, but "letting go and letting God" really can provide peace if you trust in Him to handle the situation.  Last Sunday's sermon was actually about that very thing, and the pastor suggested to switch the order by "letting God then letting go."  Interesting way to think about it!

4) Talk to someone that's been in a similar situation to vent or get advice.
Especially when I have no control over a situation, it helps me to talk to someone who understands what I'm dealing with.  Sometimes it's comforting to know that your feelings aren't unique to you--they're things that other people have felt.  It's also comforting to hear how someone else dealt with a similar situation.

If there's no one that understands what you're dealing with, sometimes you just need to talk out those feelings of worry of anxiety with someone who will listen.  It may not seem helpful since you aren't finding solutions, but just letting those emotions out is a step in the right direction.


I am by no means an expert on coping with being overwhelmed, but I just felt like I needed to share these tips with y'all that I have found useful over the past few months.  Hopefully, something in this post will help someone out there!

If you are feeling overwhelmed and are having a hard time coping with it on your own, please seek help from a professional.

Question for you: How do you cope with worry, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed?

WIAW #49: From Healthy to Cravings

Good morning everyone!  Once again, this week is flying by, as it's already Wednesday!  Seriously, before I know it, it's going to be March 29th and Baby Fish will be with us.  Crazy!!

I want to say a huge congratulations to my friend Jen and her husband Preston!  Their first son Caden was born yesterday, and both Jen and Caden are healthy and happy.  

Jen and me before her wedding, June 9, 2012

Jen and I have known each other since elementary school, and what's cool is we both got married the same month in 2012 and we are both going to have our first baby in the same month (or close to it) in 2015!  It's pretty cool to have a friend going through the same things you are at the same time.  Love you, Jen and Preston, and can't wait to meet little Caden!!!

Ok, now on to the post...

Since it's Wednesday, I thought I'd join in the What I Ate Wednesday fun!  We're going to take a look at Tuesday's meals today.  I started the day with every intention of having a really healthy eating day.  I purchased good things to eat from the store this weekend and was all set...until my day got really crazy.  Let's take a look!

Image Source

As always, thanks to Arman from The Big Man's World for the link-up today for Jenn!  Head over to his blog to see what WIAW is all about, and to check out other bloggers' eats!

Breakfast

I started the morning with a bowl of Special K Protein cereal.  This is the Cinnamon Maple Brown Sugar flavor, and boy is it tasty!  Since it's a protein cereal, it keeps me full for longer.  I really look forward to eating this every morning.

Morning Snack

I'm back to my Greek yogurt with granola mixed in!  I've certainly missed this snack, so I really enjoyed eating it on Tuesday.  Tuesday's mix: Yoplait Strawberry Banana Greek yogurt and Wild Blueberry Flax Granola from Naturebox.  Good stuff!

Lunch

Lunch was another back-to-the-norm: a salad!  I topped spinach with tomatoes, orange peppers, cucumbers, and an avocado.  I also ate baby carrots and an apple on the side.  Very yummy and healthy!!

Afternoon Snack #1
My lunch wasn't too filling (delicious, but the fruits and veggies didn't really hold me over), so I had a Nature Valley Protein bar around 1:30pm.  I normally eat that as I'm driving home from work around 3pm, but no big deal, the stomach was growling and I have to keep Baby Fish well fed!

Afternoon Snack #2

So here's where I started to give in to the pregnancy cravings, thanks to my not-so-filling lunch and eating my normal snack about 1.5 hours early.  I had to stop by the store to pick up some snacks for a presentation I was giving in the afternoon.  I happened to walk by the Easter candy and spotted the Reese's Eggs.  I know we've talked about how the Reese's shapes are so much better than regular Reese's, so I had to eat one.  No big deal, though!  Gotta treat yourself every now and then, and I'd had a healthy day of eats so far!

Afternoon Snack #2

While at the store, I wanted some carbs.  So I picked up some Cheetos (pregnancy craving #2) and ate some when I got home.  I was still hungry and needed something to keep me going for my busy late afternoon/evening.  The Cheetos hit the spot, then it was off to give my presentation at 4:30!

Dinner

I had to leave my presentation early so that I could get to my second birthing class!  I wanted to go to Chipotle, but by the time I left and got close, I didn't have time to wait and make it to the class on time.  So, I opted for Wendy's drive-thru.  I had chicken nuggets, fries, and a chocolate frosty.  While certainly not healthy, I need to eat something and I got the taste for the nuggets as I was getting close to the Wendy's.

So, there you have it!  A day that started healthy and turned into satisfy-the-cravings.  Hey, it happens!  I am set up for a full day of healthy eats today and hope that'll continue for the rest of the week.

Question for you: How often do you give in to cravings?
It's a lot easier to do when you aren't pregnant and/or running around from work to meeting to meeting.

Pregnancy Update: 37 Weeks + Birthing Classes

Hey everyone!  Hope you had a great weekend and a wonderful Monday.  I wanted to stop by yesterday with a post, both I had a pretty exciting Sunday that kept me from doing so.

On the second Sunday of the month, the youth group does Second Sunday Super Surprise, where Tony (the youth director) plans a surprise trip/activity for the night's program.  Well, this past Sunday we went to an Orlando Magic basketball game!

We were sitting really high, but it was a lot of fun.  And, after a terrible 1st quarter, the Magic wound up winning!  We did get back late, so I'm still trying to catch up on sleep!  And, of course, I stayed up until 11 last night to watch the Bachelor finale.  Priorities, people!

Ok, well, let's just get to today's post!  It's hard to believe that there are potentially only 3 more of this pregnancy updates before Baby Fish makes his/her arrival!  People say the last month drags by, but really, it's gone by fast (so far) for me!

Pregnancy Update: 37 Weeks

How far along? 37 weeks (and 2 days)

Baby Bump progress: Baby Fish continues to grow, and was apparently in a weird position when we took this picture!

Baby's Size? a wintermelon (what are those?)! Around 6.5 pounds and 19-20 inches long.

What's happening this week?  

• Baby is full term now!  All crucial functions are developed.
• Baby is practicing inhaling, exhaling, gripping, sucking, and blinking.
• Baby is getting the first sticky poop ready, called the meconium.
• Continues to gain fat all over the body

Total weight gain/loss: 28.6 pounds total since my first doctor's visit.  I'll be going back to the doctor on Thursday, and I suspect this number will be around 30 for the next update!

Stretch marks?: I think I might have a faint one going down my belly, but I'm regularly putting on the cocoa butter, so I'm hoping it'll fade/go away quickly.

Sleep: still sleeping well with just a few wake-ups in the middle of the night.  I've started sleeping with my feet on a pillow to keep them propped up and help reduce the swelling that occurs during the day.

Best moment this week: I have two best moments.  First, I very much enjoyed my nice low-key weekend with Joe!  We gotta enjoy all the quiet and the downtime before Baby Fish arrives and changes all of that!  Second, I'm really happy I got my hair cut on Thursday!

In case you didn't see it on Instagram, I donated 10 inches of my hair and got a styled new 'do!  I'm glad I got that done before baby comes because of the time AND I don't need my long hair getting pulled!

Miss anything?: my normal-sized ankles, not being able to sit any way I want because of my feet/ankles, running/wanting to exercise, and fitting in to my normal clothes

Movement: Still lots of moving in there!  I've been recording my kick count each day as the doctor asked, and it sure doesn't take long to get to 10 movements!

Food cravings: I've mainly been wanting carbs, but ice cream also has been a craving this week!

Anything making you queasy or sick: other than acid reflux, I'm doing well on the being sick/nausea thing!

Gender: We'll find out when Baby Fish is born :)  I'm starting to get antsy to find out!

Labor Signs: I think I've been having some Braxton-Hicks (practice) contractions this week, but that's about it!

Symptoms:

• Swollen feet/ankles LIKE WHOA--it continues to be bad this week!
• Acid reflux
• Clumsiness and forgetfulness
• Some "nesting" instincts--I just want to get things done!

Belly Button in or out? still in just a bit!

Wedding rings on or off? I can get them on, but I had two mornings this week were that was tough!  

Happy or Moody?: I've been pretty happy this week, except Thursday I had a mini-meltdown.  After my haircut, I really needed to get a bunch of stuff done, but my feet were SO swollen.  I ran just one of my errands, and seeing as that took me FOREVER thanks to the Bike Week traffic coming in, I lost it!  Yeah, it was no good.

Funny moments this week: On Friday, Joe and I went to dinner with some of his classmates.  We were talking about the baby, and someone mentioned "What if the baby comes on Pi day?"  aka 3-14.  Well, I got SUPER excited over the thought of this, especially because this year is EPIC Pi Day (3-14-15...3.1415...).  So, that's the only way I want Baby Fish coming early.  I mean, how perfect would that be?  A math teacher whose baby was born on the best Pi Day ever!  Ok, sorry for that nerdy moment :)

Looking forward to: meeting Baby Fish and finding out the gender! (that's probably going to be a constant until he/she arrives) and getting things together in the house

Exercise this week: not a great week on the exercise front, but I did get in about 3 walks this week.  Walking is about the only exercise I feel up to, but hey, something is better than nothing!

Baby Fish Feature: Birthing Classes

Last Tuesday, we had our first birthing class!  We had to sign up for 4 2-hour sessions at the hospital since the 1 7-hour session didn't work for us.  I'm really glad we are taking this class because I've already learned so much!

This first week was all about the signs and stages of labor and how to prepare for it.  Let me tell you, I was already concerned about labor, but this class made me realize how much I don't know about the process!  For example, I was sure I would know I was in labor because of my water breaking.  Well, I learned that that doesn't always happen at the beginning of labor!  What?!?!  Again, very glad we went to this class.

It was also comforting to know that I wasn't the only mom with the same fears about having a baby.  We split up into groups of moms and groups of dads and listed our fears and excitements about having a baby.  Then, the teacher read the lists and we had to guess whether it was a mom group of a dad group.  It was so interesting that it was easy to be able to tell!  At least all the moms had the same fears (mainly labor-related haha).

Question for you: Have you or would you take a birthing class?  Does your birthdate have any significance (holiday, fun number pattern, etc.)?

Both my dad and my grandfather (mom's dad) were born on the same day (just about 25+ years apart)!