Did anyone say nesting instinct???

WOW! Maybe it's the Holiday spirit that's taken over my body, or the fact that we've gotten a lot of new baby stuff or maybe it's just good 'ole mother nature kickin' in and tellin me, "Get ready for baby!" Whatever it is, I've been busy these past few days getting things organized and ready. We now have all of the essential baby furniture that we'll need for the first few months, I think. We've got the crib, changing table, glider and ottoman, bassinet/pack-n-play and baby carrier with 2 car-seat bases. Phew!

The thing that I'm most excited about today is that glider! We've been looking for one for a long time and keep going back to one that'd be nearly $800 after tax and such and we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend that. Well, I've gone to several furniture stores on my own and today Brendan and I went to another 4-5. The first 2 had nothing! After going to those Brendan suggested that maybe we just not even try HOM and I decided we should still stop in since it's at the same exit as the 2 baby stores we were gonna go re-check. Well, THANK goodness that we went there. We found an awesome deal on a black metal glider and ottoman combo. However, as we're sitting there enjoying the comfort of the chair the salesperson mentioned that they just ran an ad on that chair a few weeks ago and they are now on backorder until MARCH! Darn-it-all! Thankfully, I remembered that when we looked at Furniture Outlet USA a few months ago we saw either the same chair or one very similar. Well, we decided to go home and have some lunch and I'd go check out F.O. USA. Guess what they had in-stock AND cheaper??? You got it, the glider-ottoman combo! YEEHAW!!! SO, for $168.00 I got a glider and ottoman with teflon treatment for stains! NICE!

I also got the changing table and pack 'n play all put together and set-up, stocked with diapers, wipes and booty-cream.

On the baby-front: I had my bi-monthly check-up on Tuesday. Heartrate of Baby was 148 and s/he is now in the head-down position... getting closer and closer to being ready to be here. The gestational diabetes is going ok. Still no fun pricking the finger 4 times daily, but I'm doing a good job of keeping my glucose levels in a healthy range which is good for both Baby and me. Speaking of Baby... it's getting to his/her busy time, so I gotta go... it doesn't like me leanin' over at all and that's what I'm doing now. HA! :) Already a picky person. I tried to upload pics of the pack 'n play and changing table, but blogger isn't working right, so another time...
Love to all!!!
~j & baby m

Testing, testing 1-2-3-4

Well, this is what I use 4 times a day to test my blood glucose levels... it is with me at all times, though I wouldn't exactly call it my new best friend. So far things are going ok... when I eat too much carbs I can feel it and my test results prove it. It's all just taking time to learn what I can handle and cant. I'll be perfectly honest that I would not be upset if this child were to arrive a few weeks early.

Other than my testing there's really not a whole lot else to report. Sleep is something that I dream of... day-dream that is. I woke up the other night and realized that in the 4 hours it had been since I went to bed I hadn't moved. Obviously I was beyond exhausted, though it's almost rougher that way cause rolling over is the most painful thing I've ever experienced, especially when I've been perfectly still for so long.

Any questions just ask. I can't think of anything else to say, sorry. Love to all!!!
~jen & baby m
p.s. here's me at 32 1/2 weeks... I feel like house!!! (I guess I kind-of am for someone, huh?!)

Not what we hoped for...

Thursday I was informed that I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes :(

This coming Tuesday I will be meeting with a nutritionist/dietitian and a diabetes educator. I will learn the details of what I will be doing to manage my condition throughout the duration of my pregnancy. Based on what we've read on the Mayo Clinic website, I will for sure be monitoring/testing my blood sugar multiple times daily. Also, a study was completed in 2005 that determined that it is best to treat the condition with insulin, so even though this isn't something I was hoping that I'd have to do, I do want to do whatever is best for baby and I can handle daily injections if that is ensuring my child's health.

That's really all for now. I'll post more as I learn more... Please keep the prayers coming that this can now be managed easily and appropriately.
Love to all!!! Thanks for your support!
~jen & baby & brendan

Prayers Please!!!

Hello to all. Well, I had my non-fasting glucose test this past Tuesday. Man, did baby like that sugar! Well, Friday morning I got a call on my cell from the doctor. As soon as I heard who it was I knew the news probably wasn't great. Well, it turns out that my body seemed to have a hard time and my glucose level (preferably below 129) was 168. SO, what that means is that I'm at risk for having developed gestational diabetes and I need to go in for a more comprehensive set of tests. This coming Tuesday I'll be taking part in a 3 hour glucose test which involves fasting for 12 hours prior to the test. Upon arrival at the clinic they will take an initial blood sample to see my beginning glucose level. I will then enjoy the scrumptious glucose (sugar) filled drink and over the following 3 hours my blood will be tested numerous times to see how my body responds to the high levels of glucose.

Needless to say, I was pretty emotional after I got the call just because no one wants to have to deal with any complications during pregnancy and I already dealt with 3-4 months of morning/all day sickness. Well, Brendan and I researched a bit and it turns out that up to 25% of women have high glucose readings on their initial test. Out of all pregnancies 3-5% develop gestational diabetes. So, I had about a 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 chance of testing high to begin with. It's not really an outrageously serious condition as it can be treated and managed with a diet high in fiber, complex carbs, and protein and very low in sugar. But seriously, of ALL times of the year to have to avoid sugary stuff?! CHRISTMAS!!! Grr!

So, please pray that the 2nd test turns out ok and I can still partake in the holiday goodies. Really, though, pray that no matter the results I am able to easily maintain a healthy pregnancy. Love to all and thank you!
~j

I'm an Aunt!!!

I am now the proud aunt of a a little girl, Aubrey Nicole. Yes, Brianne had her baby!!! She is 8 lbs 12 oz and 21 inches long! We are so excited! I just wanted to share it with all who read my blog. Sorry, no pics yet but I'm sure she's beautiful! Love to all!!!
~jen
P.S. Please pray that this baby in my belly gives my crotch a break for at least a day tomorrow... it's been kicking like crazy and I've been beyond uncomfortable all day.

10 weeks to go...

Well, I've made it to 30 weeks! YAY! The Braxton Hicks (practice) contractions has begun and at my check-up yesterday the midwife said that as long as they aren't painful, regulated (i.e. every 10 min) or accompanied by my water breaking all should be fine.

The Baby is also VERY active. Midwife suggested I count how many times baby moves within an hour and make sure I'm getting to 10 movements in that time. I responded by letting her know that it would only take me a matter of minutes to count 10 movements. She just laughed.

Baby has actually been pretty subdued tonight; I'm assuming because I've been so busy all evening cooking dinner, baking up another batch of Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal cookies, cleaning up from all that and just doing stuff around the house. Now that I've eaten (including 2 sample cookies) and am "relaxing" s/he'll probably get moving like s/he did all day! I had Brendan feel my stomach last night as we laid in bed to see how crazy busy baby gets at bedtime and, needless to say, he was in awe. Now if I can just figure out how to get this kid to stop kicking/punching/elbowing me in my unmentionable area I'll be much happier. Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond excited that this kid is already becoming an athelete, I just wish that it wasn't so painful, at times, for me.

What else to share... to be honest I was a bit worried that I'd get scolded for the amount of weight I'd gained between my last appointment about 5 weeks ago and now, but the midwife was glad to see that I'm gaining weight and said that it's obviously, for the most part, all in my belly, so nothing be concerned about as long as I'm eating relatively healthfully.

Well, I think that's all for now... send questions my way if I missed anything you've been wondering about. As of today Bri has not had her baby yet, so whether Baby Moore will have a boy or girl cousin waiting for him/her is still unknown.
Thanks for reading...
~jen & baby m

Comparing

Well, I know I just posted yesterday, but I'm up for a late night/early morning snack and was looking back at pics and I'm just really starting to miss my old body! :( I love baby and how neat it is to see and feel him/her growing, but MAN! Lookin back at what I was, I hope it doesn't take too incredibly long to get back to that point. Here's where I've come... it took 25 weeks (was 4 weeks when I found out) to get to this, hopefully won't take anywhere near that long to get back. Love to all!!!
~j

29 weeks = stomach flu :(

Well, I slept pretty well last night, finally. I could tell this morning cause whenever I hit my snooze it seemed like my alarm was going off 30 seconds later instead of 15 min, but sure enough the 15 min had passed. I got up, had 2 packets of oatmeal for a nice warm and healthy breakfast, got dressed and ready and headed off to work.

Well, the good feelin was short lived. about 10 min before kids were supposed to arrive I suddenly began to feel REALLY hot and nauseaus. Despite the 20 degree temp outside I opened the window in my classroom and still couldn't cool off. I went and bought a bottle of cold water and still nothing better. On the way to go get the kids from the bus I barely made it to the bathroom and then again during the "Morning Meeting" I had to have my teacher aid/paraprofessional take over as I darted to the bathroom again. BLAH!

I called down to the office and they did their best to find me a sub (just going down the list and calling subs) and the nurse and then the school social worker came in to cover while I tried to quickly type up some notes and get everything "organized."

You'd think I would have felt this coming on but not even a hint that I'd be sick. I don't remember ever having the flu before, maybe once when I was 5 or 6, but otherwise I don't think so. NO FUN! The big belly doesn't make it easier, either!

Well, I mustered up a smile for the pic above... yet another pic take with the self-timer, so don't complain if it's not that great. Have a Fantastic Thanksgiving! Brendan returns Wednesday morning, so that's what I'm most thankful for!
Love to all!
~j & baby m

28 Weeks = 3rd Trimester

Well, I'm officially in the home stretch... the 3rd Trimester! YAY! Less than 3 months to go and I can't wait!

Many of you have been on me about posting a new photo on here. Well, as many of you know, Mr. Brendan (my baby's daddy) is currently over seas in Thailand for business, so there's no one here to take any quality pictures. Well, here's that I got by myself with my less than excellent camera. I've been having a lot of problems with my battery lasting and I don't know how, but it seems to be affecting the quality of the pictures as well... or it could just be that the pictures are at such a distance that the flash isn't doing it's job. Who knows?!

What else to share? Well, I went the first week or so after my last check up without gaining any weight and now I'm back up. Let me tell you, it's somehow tough to only gain 1 pound per week. I'm always hungry! I am doing a pretty darn good job of at least eating relatively healthy food when I am hungry, but HEY... I'm pregnant. One of the few times in my life that I'm allowed to give in to cravings, right? There were chocolate covered peanutbutter rice krispie bars in the lounge after school and I DID restrain myself! How good is that?

Other news is that I'm really starting to experience a good deal of back pain. No Fun! I need a good back rub, but those are hard to come by when all you've got around are 2 lazy cats. Even the fat one (Madison...14.5 pounds!) couldn't do anything by walking on it :) Then there's the problem of when Brendan does get home that I can't lay on my stomach which is the best way for me to totally relax. OH well!

Ok, all for today. Love to all!
~jen & baby m

Baby Shower Fun!

Well, today was the big day... Sarah called it Jen Day! Really, though, I think it was about the mysterious Baby Moore. We got so many fun things for baby! YAY! We played some neat games too including: Naming the TV show given a specific child character & Identify the type of chocolate candy that's been melted to resemble poopie in a "diaper." Now to the fun part... the gifts :) Here's what I've gotten pics of so far:
-A neat basket filled with some fun goodies-

-The Baby Bedding-

-Baby Blanket made w/love from Auntie Becca-
-THE G Galore "Travel System"-
-An Umbrella Stroller (Grandma Eastwood's #1 Recommended Travel Necesity)-

Other exciting presents include bottles, Baby Bjorn carrier, lots of cute onsies, a few bibs, books for baby, A super SWEET 80's Denise Austin Pregnancy Workout tape (YES, that's VHS not DVD...thanks BRF), and more :) Thanks to all who came... pics from the shower will be posted once I get them (Sarah B took lots) OH, and I can't forget the MN Northstar's Hockey t-shirt from Jen & Chris as well as Mtn. Bike Mick and his wife Bev :) Brendan is SO jealous!!!

Happy November!!! Maybe I'll be an Aunt myself soon, too... Brendan's sis Bri is due in 3 weeks, but sounds like she could go any time :)

~jen and baby m

What a belly!!!

Well, my students are now including my belly in their pictures they draw of me. I wish I scanned in one from today. The kids were "decorating" pumpkins (coloring a picture and adding the face if desired) and one student decided that I was standing under the pumpkin. All he drew was a head with a sad face (not sure why) and then a big circle that he said was my "bump" and then pointed to my stomach. It was beyond cute! A 2nd grader asked me yesterday if I am "pregnant", if it's my "first child" and if I knew whether it was a boy or girl. Her genuine interest and intrigue told me she must be from a large family... her teacher confirmed that she is one of several kids :)

Well, the diaper bag arrived and I LOVE IT! The ironic thing is that I commented to Brendan the other day that I saw a Coach bag at Marshalls that I liked and would make a good diaper bag (though now that I think back, it was a bit small... maybe a good bag for a quick trip to a friends place or lunch) but the bag was still about $150 which, for me, is too much for something you put diapers (and sometimes poopy diapers) in. When I showed Brendan the one I ordered tonight he "confessed" that he was going to go buy the Coach bag to surprise me, but didn't know if I had ordered the one I found online. Instead of asking me, he checked my blog so as to not seem suspicious. :) I told him it was the thought that counts and that truly I don't need a Coach bag to be used for a diaper bag. He said it was something I could use for more than a diaper bag, but still, I insisted that the brown one I ordered is just fine and I really do LOVE it :) What a great husband!!!

Well, nothing new on the baby front except s/he is growing. My belly was really sore this afternoon at school; I could feel it stretching. That's not very fun, but I do love feeling baby movin around. So neat! Speaking of... there s/he goes :)
~jen & baby

Another Purchase :)

Well, I've been feeling a bit down since we haven't bought much for baby or nursery in a long time so I went to Babies 'R Us yesterday to buy the diaper bag I found online and love and get the stroller/travel system. Well, no luck on the diaper bag. It looks like it's only available online. Then, when I went over to the travel system/stroller area I noticed there's another stroller now that's even cuter than the one that I registered for. Well, darn it all if it wasn't out of stock as well! BOO HOO! So, I came home, empty handed, and decided to order the diaper bag online and see if the stroller was there too, since I might get free shipping if I did it that way. Well, the diaper bag is on order (YAY!) but the stroller isn't even listed on the website even though it's a "Babies 'R Us exclusive." So, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled and check back in a few days.

Last night was the awards ceremony for Brendan's MNSCS (Minnesota State Championship Series), which he WON!!! Well, what do you think the overall winner of the MN Mountain bike series would win? You guessed it... an amazing, grey, cotton T-Shirt! WOW! If that's not motivation to do it again I don't know what is. But hey, I'm beyond proud of my man with skills (cause everyone knows that girls only want boyfriends [or husbands] with great skills). Way to go sweetie! (see Brendan's blog for more details: www.brendansbikeblog.blogspot.com)

Another exciting find occurred today. I went to Marshalls 'cause I love the place AND I can no longer zip up my fleece jacket which I live in. Well, I found a great deal on a fleece jacket that retails for $75 and I got it on sale for $12! But the more exciting find was a onsie with the MN Wild (hockey) mascot (or whatever it is) on it! Very cute and only $5.99 (originally $24 at Sears). Brendan was very happy that I finally found something for baby that is MN Wild. :)

Well, all for now. Vikings are on. Let's just hope they perform like the Packers did! :)
~jen & baby

Squirmy!

Well, I'm now 24 1/2 weeks along and things are going well. Had my monthly check up this morning and all is measuring and sounding and weighing up good. I'm gaining about 1 pound a week, so that's right on track, baby's heartrate is down to about 140 now, so that's good and my uterus is measuing normally (she didn't tell me the measurment, but said it's good). SO, that's all good news.

As with every other appointment, as soon as the midwife puts the heartrate moniter/doppler on my tummy to find baby's heartbeat the kid starts squirming around and kicking like crazy! I'm assuming it's just cause we've got a kid who is a lot like it's dad in there and is very stubborn and doesn't like going to the doctor. OH, an they gave me a flu shot! :( That was painful... ok, not really and I better not complain cause squeezing this thing outta me isn't gonna feel good, I already know that!

After the appointment I cleaned the house a bit and then met my great friend Sarah B. for lunch. MMMM, Subway! It was good, let me tell you! When you're pregnant and hungry, food is just simply amazing! :) She took the pic posted today, so 3 cheers for that one! My head is acutally in it (as with the ones where it's just belly... those are ones that I tried to take myself or Brendan, a.k.a. mr. photography , took).

I can't believe I'm already hungry again! Well, I think I've got one more Jello Jiggler left in the fridge (my latest craving) so it's callin my name and I'm gonna call this the end to this post.
~jen & baby

An Icky Morning

23 Weeks:

Well, had my 2nd official scare this morning. Was sitting at my computer at work and suddenly felt extremely hot but still cold, dizzy, nauseaus, etc. Did end up getting sick and then stopped by the nurses office at school and she looked at me and knew right away something was wrong. She said I looked like a ghost, white as a sheet. A full fledged nurse, she took my temp. blood pressure and immediately had me lie down on my left side :) Blood pressure was a bit low, but after talking to the doctors office later on found out it was normal for me now that I'm in my 2nd trimester, so they weren't worried since there was no fever and I didn't pass out.

After I drank a bit of water and laid down for a bit and felt better, though my principal continued to ask if I wanted a sub, so I took what I thought was a bit of a hint and they called a sub. Thankfully I have an awesome coworker, Chrissy, who got my kids for me from the bus and took them to her room for the morning routine (calendar, sharing, etc.) until the sub arrived and I quickly wrote up sub plans. The sub arrived, I went through the plans and then felt good enough to drive myself home.

I got home around 10am and shortly thereafter my parents arrived to keep watch over me for the day since Brendan was up north of the cities for work. Needless to say, I'm feeling better and I now have a very clean house thanks to Mom :)

For all who have been complaining that I have not updated this in a while (even though it's only been 3 or 4 days) here's the latest picture. :)

23 Weeks down...17 to go

Well. We just returned from a beautiful weekend at Devil's Lake State Park. While the guys were mtn biking (big surprise) a group of us went for a hike on the West Bluff trail. Then, today it was back out to the East Bluff (I think). Needless to say I'm beyond sore and my feet are enjoying doing nothing right now. :)

Pregnancy wise, the heart burn/sour stomach has now set in . No fun, but thankfully easily taken care of with some Tums, which also just provide some extra calcium. Also, the need to use the bathroom several times a night has ended for the time being. I'm sure as baby starts to get bigger the urge will return, but I'll enjoy the break while it lasts. :)

Itchy!!!

Well, it's getting itchy and lemme tell ya, by the end of the day, there's really not much of a belly button left! Thankfully there's those inbetween house where I get to sleep and belly shrinks a little bit (you know, due to digetstion and gravity and who knows why else). Oh, and you may have heard of the incredible shrinking man or woman or whatever... well how about the incredibe, expanding BOOBS! the darn things just won't stop growing. Seriously! They were big enough long before this whole pregnancy thing. I guess to that one I say, "thanks mom!"

Well, not a whole lot else to say. Baby is pretty quiet today, but I think it's cause I was busy yesterday (went hiking with my friend Jen, no not myself, another Jen) and then I'm all "drugged" up on allergy medicine (which doc says is safe) but I think it puts Baby to sleep :) Once I ate a little after work s/he started movin' a bit, so I'm not too worried.

Here's the latest pics... just about 21 weeks along! (amazing how quickly it flies once I stopped puking every 5 minutes)

Baby Bump at 19 1/2 Weeks

Well, I've heard complaints about there not being a pic of the belly for a while, so here it is. 19 1/2 weeks along and growing daily, I think! Feeling lots of stretching tonight, but that could be the 2 cookies, 2 handfuls of Doritos, 2 glasses of milk and a few bites of tuna noodle cassarole (gotta have something healthy, right?) that I had for dinner over the course of the last 2 hours :) We're off to Cable, WI (near Hayward) this weekend for the "big" race: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Check for updates about that on Brendan's blog. Happy Weekend!
~ Jen & Baby M
P.S. Here's a pic from the ultrasound that Brendan doctored up... sure made me laugh cause the thought of me having a child that's a biker is just that funny! (just kidding!) :)

Ultrasound!

Hello all! Well, this morning was our first scheduled ultrasound and it went OK (keep reading). Baby looks fantastic, so that's GREAT, mom was the one having a bit of trouble. They have you lay flat on your back, which causes an artery that runs down your back to be compressed by baby's and other baby stuff's weight thus limiting oxygen flow to both of us... I think mostly me in this case. To make a long story short, I got sick :(
Extremely embarassing for me, despite the fact that the technician said it's really quite common. She said that when she was in for her u/s with her first she passed out from the limited oxygen. Ok, enough about me. Baby looks great! 10 fingers and 10 toes, 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 eyes, 2 kidneys, 1 stomach, 1 bladder, 1 heart with 4 ventricles... we got to see more than we'll hopefully ever see of our baby's insides ever again (Lord willing!) Here are pics... most are labeled within the scan. One is of the profile, but it's not very good because we have a very stubborn child on our hands that wouldn't turn over, but rather liked getting it's pic taken facing forward. OH, the other cute thing was s/he had the hiccups! HA! The poor thing only had a few seconds between each one, too! Well, all for now. Gotta work!
~ J & baby M

Bump, bump, bump!

Well, it's official, Baby Moore is an active little person! I felt the first kick yesterday that you could feel externally (if that makes sense). Was just sitting with my hand on my stomach and BOOM... ok, so really it was a tap, a strong tap (speaking of, he/she is saying "hi" right now). It was SO COOL! I immediately grabbed Brendan's hand and he claims he felt one too as did our friend Jen Meyer. Since then Baby has been quite active. Baby prefers my right side, although when I woke up this morning s/he was just about dead center... now back to my right side. MAN it feels strange! It's like there's a little ball rolling around right under your skin or something, that's the only way I can think of to describe it.

Nothing else to report, baby-wise, if there is anything the kicks have totally overshadowed it in my brain. The only thing I can think of is that I'm up another pound, which is good.

Brendan had a SUPERB racing weekend up at Maplelag Resort in northern MN. We had a great time and hope to go visit the resort again. Check out his blog for a race recap and race pics. Happy Labor Day!
~Jen and our future cyclist (according to Brendan and all his friends) otherwise known as Baby M :)

Rumble Rumble

Did you know that when listening to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler you can hear the baby kicking? You can, and did you know what that sounds like? Thunder! So neat! I got to experience this on Friday at my most recent doctor appointment, though only long enough for the midwife to calculate Baby M's heartrate... so maybe 15 or 20 seconds. I was definitely hoping that I could savor the moment a little bit longer, but oh well. SO, the heartrate has dropped down to 150 from the 180 it was about 6 weeks ago, which is completely normal. It was so neat to hear, it always is!

It's still so hard for me to truly comprehend that there is a little person growing in me! I mean think about it, I can't see it, I can't really feel him/her too much yet (just a few flutters a few times a day with a random good, strong KICK maybe two times so far) and the last time I did "see" this little guy/girl, he/she was the size of a raisin with little to distinguish other than the flashing of the heart beating. It's just so amazing to even conceive (mentally, that is... and physically, too.)

Not a whole lot to complain about at this point (THANK GOD!!!) other than my allergies, which would be here regardless. They are definitely less intense than when I wasn't prego, but very much here, too. Starting to feel pregnant, belly is showing and firming up as baby continues to rise up into my abdomin and less so in my pelvis... thus less bathroom trips (YAY!). Not only am I not supposed to lay flat on my back anymore (because when I do it can compress an artery runny down my back which feeds not only my lower body but also Baby) but when I DO lay on my back, it's quite uncomfortable. A very odd feeling for sure!

Well, all for now. Thanks for reading... my ultrasound has been scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11, so I'll be sure to scan in those images and post those so that the world can get a glimpse at our little ray of sunshine. :)
~jen & baby m

16 Weeks: Expanding...

Well, I'll be 16 weeks (4 months) tomorrow and I am feeling a lot of stretching. The belly started itching yesterday and Brendan and I both noticed this morning that I HAD a baby belly when I got up. Usually my tummy more or less just looks like it's bloated in the morning and then gets bigger as the day goes on, gravity takes effect and the stomach muscles relax. But, like I said, this morning it was still there! I can tell the 'ole uterus is slowly "rising into my abdominal cavity" as the books put it because I have been feeling a LOT of pulling and tightness, which explains the growing belly. Well, that and the fact that Baby is approaching 5-6 inches (from head to butt) this week. I'm still amazed how this whole pregnancy thing takes it's course and the different things that happen to my body throughout it all. Pretty darn cool and just miraculous, I think!

Well, all for now...

~Jen & Baby M

P.S. Brendan and I decided that I should take my belly button ring out when I was cleaning it and noticed that my belly button is getting bigger and shallower, also confirming the growing and stretching. Amazing!!! :)

Gone But Not Forgotten... :)

Don't get worried by the title... it pertains to my waist.

I tried to put on a belt yesterday and I've officially outgrown all of our belts (including Brendan's, but his are the same size as mine, so not a huge deal). I haven't measured my "waist" but our belts fit up to about 32". I was just showing B pics of the growing tummy and we got back to the one from the day we found out we/I was preggers. He just smiled, I took that as a good thing. Thankfully, other than the growing tummy, there's not a whole lot to report. The "morning sickness" has basically disappeared other than a few sporadic occasions that actually tend to occur in the evening, around dinner time and last through 'til bed time. Also, I've been experiencing a lot of headaches, which can be contributed to pregnancy and I think the approaching allergy season. I read, just the other day, though, that allergies actually tend to be not as bad during pregnancy. So I'm REALLY excited about that since my allergies really tend to just knock me on my bum... I basically lose all functions of my nose and nasal passages. I'm definitely praying that this blessing falls on me :)Well, thanks for reading. The next doctor appointment is Aug. 25... so I'm excited to get to hear the hearbeat again! Maybe it'll have slowed down a little (if you remember it was about 180 last time, which is a bit high, but it was early on enough that the doc wasn't worried at all).

Until next time...~J & Baby M

A Bun in the Oven- 12 Weeks

Well, we (well, really I) officially sent out the announcement email today. So if I've got your email, you got an announcement whether you knew about Baby M or not. It feels neat to know that others know now, especially those that live far away and/or we don't get to see often.

Today is Day 3 of me feeling pretty darn good. Had some trouble with dinner last night, but I should have known better than to eat salad... those veggies are pretty tough on the tummy, especially lettuce for some reason. Rest of dinner was great, though. No details, to save YOUR stomach. :) I'm now back to being just plain tired, which I can handle. I still feel a bit useless since I feel like I'm either in bed or resting 1/2 the day, but it, too, shall pass.

Not really a whole lot else to "blog" on, so I'll keep it short. Hope July is wrapping up well for ya - - - can you believe it's almost over?! Crazy!
~Jen & Baby M

(: The Nursery Has Begun to Take Shape :)

Well, I "ran" (drove) over to the Once Upon A Child across the street yesterday to see what fun new things they've got in and... they got in a crib just like what we/I've been looking at. It's a sleigh bed style crib, natural wood color, real wood, very easy to assemble, AND it becomes a full size bed when baby out grows it... or the last baby to use it out-grows it. :) Originally $400, I got it for $189 and then because I spend over $200 (after taxes and I got some kids books, too) I was able to save 15% on my next purchase, which was the mattress. SO, for less than $300 I bought a convertible crib and mattress. SO excited! I figure since we are just a few days away from being 3 months, it's safe to start buying some big stuff.

Still need a glider and otoman. Sorry, Dad, but the old brown chair that survived your office, me and my queesy stomach when I was little, 4 years in un-climate controlled Madison apartments (including a summer in a musty basement) and the past 2 years here in our house just isn't ideal, and, probably should have been thrown or recovered years ago. :) Also, a bassinet/cradle and changing table.

Feeling ok so far today, it's 8 am now, and yesterday was pretty darn good... a bit nauseaus last night, though. Slept pretty solid from 9:30 or 10 last night until 7:30 this morning. The only thing able to rise me was, you guessed it, my bladder. :) Thanks for reading...
~j

Word of the Day: YUCK!

Well, I thought I was getting better, and I shouldn't complain cause I really am starting to feel much better, stomach wise at least, but this morning was definitely an exception to that. BLAH, blah and MORE blah! Just didn't sleep well last night, tummy was gurgling all night with every move I made. I keep looking up pictures/images/illustrations of what Baby Moore looks [somewhat] like at this point to keep me positive and remind me that all this pukin' is for a reason. It's so darn hard to be positive when you're staring down the throne that is meant for sittin' (if you catch my drift).

Another food was added to the, "No, this does NOT settle your stomach" list, which already includes bananas, toast (due to over use of settling the tum-tum), ice cream (tho a milk shake sounds good) and many many others, that'd be obvious (chicken, salad...). Today the magic food, or should I say beverage, was Apple Juice. Not recommended the 2nd time around. I'll go no further into detail for you.

It's so neat, to me, how animals can sense your discomfort. I promise you that on any given day that I feel absolutely miserable, or at least pretty darn yucky, one or both of my cats is somewhere within petting distance of me, even if I'm in the ever so popular but not so pleasant bathroom. They don't bother me, make no real sounds, just more so make their presence known so that I feel comforted. It's great! Brendan may not "love" or even really like OUR cats (despite his trying to pawn their ownership off soley onto me), but they sure do help me out when I'm feelin' the effects of progesterone.

Well, all for now. OH, by the way, Baby M is approx. the size of a 'large lime' according to several of my books (hence the image above and right)... by the end of next week he/she will be approaching 'fist' size, which is relative, but I'm assuming it's compared to my fist, since women tend to have small fists (at least compared to men and gorillas...) Smile, it's sunny today!
~jen

Heartbeat!

We got to hear the heartbeat this morning at our first official appointment. WOW! We've seen the baby on an ultrasound when I was about 6 weeks and saw the heartbeat then, but hearing it is a whole new experience. Wow! That's all I can say is "wow!" It's simply amazing to think there's a living thing in me. Crazy! Also, it turns out that I've lost a few pounds since I've been so sick, so it's hard to think that something is growing and thriving when I feel so crummy.

Also, my nurse-midwife said that morning sickness usually peaks at around 9 weeks, which was last week when we were in Colorado and I felt so horrible every day. SO, that could explain why I felt so sick and maybe it wasn't the elevation after all. Either way, I'm feeling relatively well today, especially considering yesterday wasn't so great.

Actually, right now I'm watching "A Baby Story" on TLC and this woman is determined to go through labor and delivery without any pain medicine and she's screaming like crazy... let me tell you now, when it hurts, I'll be askin for drugs. :) All for today!
~jen & baby m

A New Family in the Making

Hello, hello, hello. Well, the focus of my life has dramatically changed and the amount of postings to this blog will vastly increase in the coming months. You can also keep track of my pregnancy experiences at my online pregnancy journal "The Moores: A New Family" on babyzone.com. However, it'll be easier to post pictures on this site, so look for those here. Thanks ahead of time for reading and being supportive along the way. :)

4 Weeks

6 1/2 Weeks

Injury Plagued but nothing related to running...

Hello, hello, hello!

Well, yet another injury, though this one was not realized for nearly a month. So, the short story is I fell and landed on my right arm. No real unbearable pain, soreness and a bit of pain for a few days, but nothing to make me think a 'serious' injury had occurred. Now, fast forward 2-2 1/2 weeks... my arm is really starting to hurt when I try to straighten it all the way and rotating my wrist (palm up vs. palm down) is not that easy or enjoyable either. After about 3 weeks the pain is bugging me nearly all day and effecting how I sleep. So I decide to go to urgent care. Turns out, I either broke or cracked my radial head...your radius in a bone in your forearm and the radial head is where that bone connects in your elbow. HA!

So, the doctor says no cast is neaded (there is no longer a break evident in the x-rays but rather bone that looks recently healed) and thus he recommends that I wear a sling. I admit that I probably won't even use it because it's my right arm that's injured (i'm right handed) and being a teacher, I can't not write, so, the 'prescription' is no resistance activity with my arm (he could tell I haven't laid off any sort of activity that involves using my arm and lifting muscle other than the weight of my arm), so no push-ups, lifting, carrying things (even books and groceries...) basically anything that's going to put pressure on my elbow joint.

THANKFULLY, running is ok... but if it hurts my arm and/or write and/or elbow to do this, I should stop. Cross your fingers that all continues to heal. I ran a 1/2 marathon last weekend and don't remember my arm bothering me during running, although it was a bit sore after... Typing probably isn't great either, but oh well.

OK, enough of a book. Happy Easter!!!
~j

Viva Vegas!

Hello, hello to the select, but important, few who read this. :) Well, we are sitting in the Las Vegas airport awaiting our flight back home (otherwise known as the frozen tundra). The past 7 days have been a blur despite the never-ending first day we were here (up at 4:30 am central time and arrived in Vegas at 8:15 am pacific time). For a more detailed rundown of what we did just go to Brendan's blog: www.brendansbikeblog.blogspot.com The only few differences are that I didn't go biking AT ALL, went running once, hiking/trail speed walking once and actually had a relatively relaxing vacation. The hiking was awesome! I went with a great friend Jen (great name she's got!) and we were able to hike through some canyons that used to be under the ocean and then found some natural hot springs. Very fun! Here's a pic of Jen (the other one) climbin up the ladder to get to the springs.

We found it so amazing how the springs became this waterfall you can see behind the ladder and then within 30-40 feet had been absorbed back into the earth and there was no trace of their existance! CRAZY!

On Tuesday night we went out with some of my girlies from school to Studio 54... I will not judge it until I'm there on a weekend night because nothing to write home about regarding the crowd we experienced except they made us feel like models...which isn't such a bad feeling, though, except for sore feet. Damn sexy shoes hurt! Still, we were THE fine ladies there despite the fact that we had to pay for all of our own drinks. I guess that's what happens when 21ish year olds try to dance with you and you tell them you're married! HA!

On our last full day, us girls (minus Jen M. ... the other one) spent the day lounging by the pool. Even though we didn't actually go swimming, Brendan made sure to squirt me with his water bottle when he got back from riding... revenge will be sweet.

Ok, one last pic... Brendan and I before our fancy-pants dinner. Peace and love... ~j

Sore, Sore, Sore... massage please!!!

It's almost Hump Day... so I hope you're getting in the mood to hump :)

Howdy, howdy, howdy! Things today are coming in threes, I guess. My students' art project involved 3 stars, I had 3 students absent and I've had 3 hard days of work-outs in a row, make that 5 actually... and hard is saying things nicely.

Many of you also check my husband's blog (www.brendansbikeblog.blogspot.com) but either way, if you live in the cities you know the weather has been CRAZIE the past few days. Planning my runs is coming along, and this week was no exception. Brendan wants me to mention that I'm comando right now (I'll get to the reason in a bit)... ok back to the story. I got home on Friday in good time and decided to get my run in while it was still beautiful (upper 40's low 50's for temp). I was avoiding my hill sprints all week, and I knew I needed to get it in, so it was time. At least the weather would keep my spirits up. So I ran my 1 or 1.25 mile warm up to this hill about that far away... not some crazy hill, but exactly what the workout calls for (approx. 200m long). It was to be 5 times up that sucker. The first 2 sprints went well... tough, but not horrible. It felt good to sprint, it's been years since I went that hard and fast. The only thing that was pissin me off at that point was some stupid Doberman at the bottom of the hill. He has a shock collar/invisible fence so wouldn't go out of the yard, but would shut up and freaked out when I tried to let him smell me. 3rd time up the hill was a bit tougher and I was seriously considering only doing 4 instead of 5 trips, but I wasn't gonna short myself. Darn it all if I wasn't dying by the end of that one, but I just can't keep pace when I run alone. Needless to say the "cool down" mile was still at a sub 8 min pace.

I had a 4 mile and 13 mile run left for the week; Saturday was supposed to be warm, but windy and Sunday the opposite, cool-cold but little to no wind. I hate running in the cold, but I hate wind even more, especially on long runs, so I decided to do the 4 on Saturday and the 13 on Sunday. Not a whole lot to report on those except, like I said, that darn pace problem: Sub 8min pace for the 4 (in a 20 mph wind or so Brendan reports) and between 8 and 8:30 for the 13 and SUPER hilly. Turns out the 13 was more like 12, but I decided those hills really made up for it.

So, there was 3 harder workouts. Then there was shoveling the whole flippin' driveway on Monday (a snow-day--> no school) because I got Brendan's car stuck IN the driveway as I was backing out. This pic does my job no justice :(


THEN, tonight B and I went to our friend Sarah's spin class at Lifetime and I pushed to the point that I was about to passout, but dang it feels good to push that threshold! I'll be beggin for a massage tonight... cross your fingers that I get it. Which gets me to the comando thing: after spinning we went in the hot tub and I didn't bring dry clothes and didn't feel like wearing sweaty bike shorts or a swimsuit under my sweats, so I didn't. HA!

So I Blog like I Journal...life goes on.

Hello to all who read this, however many or few that is. Word on the street (specifically my husband) is that I should keep up on my blog a little more frequently than I have been lately; so here goes.

So, yet again I've changed my training regimine. The Advanced I was just kicking me in the you-know-what a little more than I'd like and taking nearly 2 weeks off for my case of strep and then a sinus infection didn't help matters. Basically, the only difference between the 2 training schedules is the mileage and intensity. In my new one the runs, as a whole, don't get as long and as intense as quickly as the Advanced schedule. I'm gonna try to get my new schedule on here, but this blogger thing doesn't really support spreadsheets, at least not when I've tried. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve before I give up on that endeavor.

I have decided that my official goal pace for the Med-City is 8:30. For the TC Marathon I had a goal pace of 9:00, which calculates out to about a 4hr marathon time, but being that I finished at 4hr42min I didn't really achieve that goal... even if you take out the 10 minutes that I was harfing on the side of the road that only takes me down to about a 4 1/2hr time. This way, with a 8:30 pace and a resulting total time of approx. 3:45, I should be able to hit that 4 hr mark a little more closely this time. Plus, now I know what various bodily feelings are telling me and those override preset schedules (such as, drink when I'm thirsty and don't drink just cause it's available). Hopefully this will solve one major problem. Also, just cause it feels like I need to pee at mile 20 doesn't mean that I really need to. :) A few interesting things I've learned in my extensive marathon career... or maybe just trying not to repeat past mistakes.

Ok, enough gabbing for tonight. I just made cookies and they are smelling great so I think I'm gonna go reward myself for my workout tonight (which I pushed myself quite hard at! GO ME!) Happy Hump Day!
~jen

Healin' & Spinnin'

Hello again! Well, the throat is healing quite quickly, but gotta keep taking those horse-pills they prescribed me; darn are those hard to swallow, litterally! Happy Valentine's Day, a day late. Brendan and I extended our celebration to encompass 2 days this year. On Monday night we went to Figlio's in Uptown (minneapolis)...this one was on Seagate (his place of work). The lucky dog won a $50 gift card to basically anywhere so he picked Figlio's, good choice! Then on Valentine's night, we went to a spin class at Lifetime Fitness, where I'm a member, and a friend of ours teaches. Needless to say I'm a bit sore today in the buttocks area. Working with kindergartners should help me loosen up quickly, though. :) The plan is to get back to the "official" training tonight and as of last night I'm substituting my Tuesday night runs with the spin class (or some other cardio-crosstraining activity). I had a hard time running towards the end of my training for the TCM (twin cities marathon) just from being bored of running/burnt-out. Hopefully this will prevent that or at least prolong it's arrival. Thanks for reading... OH, and here's the training schedule I'm following for this marathon. :) Ya know, 2nd marathon, Advanced I training schedule... whatever... http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/advanced1/advanced1.htm

Twin Cities Marathon Reflection

Here's the little schpeal I wrote after my first marathon... enjoy!

My First Marathon…

OK, here goes. Brendan has such a knack for writing his little logs of his races, so I’m going to take a stab at it, too…

On Sunday, October 2, 2005 I ran my first ever marathon, something I’d thought about several times, but until this year never seriously considered doing. 26.2 miles! It’s a pretty amazing thing. Even until the start (and up through mile 11½… keep reading) I thought I was insane, I’ll be the first to admit it, and there was no way that I could or would ever run another one. However, now that it’s finished I can clearly see how these things are addicting. My official chip time was 4 hours 42 minutes and 22 seconds… the time on my watch was 4 hours 7 minutes and 7 seconds. Now, you are like, ok, how on earth is there a 35 minute difference between the two. Well, I stopped my watch at each water stop, bathroom stop and when I stopped to tie my shoe after the tag was starting to rub me around mile 15 or 16. Oh, and there was one more time around mile 11½, but I’ll get to that later. Now, here’s the play-by-play of what stood out.

The start: crazy! Just imagine 10,000 some odd people lined up (thankfully not single file, but still squished together like sardines) waiting to begin a race that can last up to 6 hours (the cut-off is 6 hrs)… old, young and in-between… I trained and began the race with my great friend Kaela so we were right there together at the start. I find it hilarious that I never felt a twinge of nervousness before or during my wedding, but was more nervous before this race/run than I had ever been in my life! So, in the starting chute, we were in-between a whole group of old people, and I’m not kidding about being old, they were in their 60’s and smelled like they just stepped out of a nursing home. Needless to say, being nervous and smelling this odor didn’t do wonders for my stomach, but I was determined to keep my breakfast down, I needed the calories and didn’t need the embarrassment. The 1st heat (the AMAZING runners) started what seemed to be about 3-5 minutes before the 2nd heat, (the rest of us). Then there was the 5 minutes after that before we got to the starting line ourselves…

The first few miles were definitely overwhelming, people were running so close to each other, there were huge cracks in the street where I nearly bit it several times, but thankfully didn’t. At about mile 2 or 2½ Kaela and I were separated, I think for me it ended up being a good thing. I was then able to run at the pace that felt perfect to me and didn’t feel any pressure from anyone around me. I have learned that I really enjoy training with others, but racing needs to be on my own, an individual event and experience. I’ve found that when I run with others, we tend to push ourselves harder than we should or at least I should and I cramp up earlier than I should… when I felt my side starting to cramp up around mile 3 I knew it was a good thing that I was running on my own because I was able to change my stride and pace and avoid the cramp worsening and it eventually went away. My next fear was getting sick… at my 20 mile race in early September I began getting physically sick at mile 10 ½ and continued to every few miles after that, I still don’t know how I finished that race! Ok, back to the marathon…

My plan was to eat 1/3 of an energy bar every 4 miles or so, because that’s how I trained, then I realized that the water stops were at miles 2½, 5, 7, 9… (odd numbered miles), but I decided to stick with the every 4 miles, for the time being. I made myself eat 1/3 of a bar at mile 4 or 4½ but I quickly realized that I needed water with the bar, they got so gooey in my mouth and were almost gagging me, so then I waited until the water stops. To be honest, I really don’t remember much between miles 2½ and mile 9 or 10 except that I saw Brendan at mile 4½ or so and that I also started seeing our friends Jen and Chris off and on starting at mile 2ish. I don’t exactly remember the next time I saw Brendan and his dad and brother… I remember that around mile 9 I was hoping I’d see them… it’d been about 4½ miles since the last sighting, so about 40 min. or so. *I was able to maintain about a 9 minute pace for about the first 10-11 miles. All I remember is that around mile 11 I started feeling REALLY sick, like I was going to toss my cookies… er… uh… Powerade :) I was so glad to see Chris and Jen at that point. They were SO positive and asked me what I needed and all I could say was “I think I need a bucket” and started pointing to my stomach. We were coming up to a bridge on the course, the best place for me to duck off to the side and take care of that problem. Jen biked up and was there for me with water to wash my mouth out and keep me positive. To be honest, my biggest fear at this point was for a race official or medic to see me and make me stop the race. I knew that I had just taken in too much fluid and after my side-line investigation of the wildlife I’d be fine. Thankfully, my prayers were answered… it just took a chunk of time (about 5-10 minutes) to get my nature walk finished. At this point, I was now back about 8-10 minutes from where I wanted to be, but I was just glad to keep going. Only 15 miles left, right?! (Was I actually thinking that?! ONLY 15 miles to go? Yes! Never did I think I would be placing “only” and “15 miles” together in a sentence when talking about running!)

SIDE NOTE: prior to and during the race I kept seeing a group of runners who had a bible verse written on their shirts… loosely it is “My strength comes through Him, from whom all things are possible…” This is what kept me going, and I’d say it over and over to myself when the thought of not finishing came into my mind… that and darn-it all, I wanted that finisher shirt! :)

After my little escapade around the ever mentioned mile 11½ the next thing I remember is making it to the ½ way point and then seeing Brendan, Bradley and Gary (brother and father-in-law), Jen and Chris around mile 14. Then the miles began to blur together until mile 17 when I was thinking, “Hey, I’ve run 17 miles, there less than 10 to go, heck there’s 9 to go.. I can do this!” Everyone’s right, it’s all a mental game… I had to keep it positive and not feeling sick or hurting made it pretty easy to keep it positive.

Then, around mile 19, I think, I saw a girl (probably my age or a little younger) limping along the sidelines and crying her eyes out (mascara all over her face!). I asked her if she was ok and she said yes, but then about 100 feet up I remembered that I had some electrolyte pills in my shorts pocket and I ran back to her and gave her a few, explained what they were and told her to take them with water. She thanked me and I was on my way… a little ways up I saw another woman, trying to run through the pain and I gave my last 2 pills to her. Then, around mile 20 I remember seeing a young couple embracing each other, the wife crying in pain… I said the only thing I could think of, which was “you’re doing great! You’ve made it 20 miles! You can walk the rest and still finish in about 5 hours” (based on the timer on my watch)… I was just trying to stay positive. They gave me a thumbs-up and I kept running.

Mile 21, I think, was when the tag in my shoe started bothering me… thankfully, I was able to get my shoe tied, and retied and retied and finally fixed by mile 22, when “the hill” that I’d heard so much about on Summit Ave. arrived. The funny thing, to me, is that about at the top of the hill I saw Brendan, Jen, Chris, Bradley, Gary and Brendan’s cousin Jeff. I either grabbed a quick drink from them or they ran next to me… I can’t remember which, but I asked Jeff (who ran the marathon in 2004) if this was “THE” hill and he said yes, and I started laughing because I was running it like it was a downhill. I had dreaded and feared this hill since last year [2004], when I ran the Twin Cities 10 mile race, where I ran the whole thing feeling like crap! From this point in the race, it was all “oh, only 4 miles to go, that’s about 36-38 minutes” then 3 miles… then 2 and then 1½, 1, ½ and then I hit mile 26!!! Only 0.2 miles to go, and ALL downhill! I kicked it up and sprinted as hard as I could to just before the finish. I remember Brendan kept trying to take a picture of me, but was yelling at me because I was going too fast for the digital camera to get me! HA! About 100 feet from the finish was an older woman (looking to be in her late 60’s) literally tripping/running backwards and spinning in slow circles and looking like she was about to collapse. All I could do was picture her tripping and falling backwards, landing first on her tailbone and then slamming her head into the pavement. I ran over to her and helped her to the side and then finished the race.

The first person I saw after finishing was Kaela… she had finished only 30 seconds or so in front of me! She had done the same thing I had near the finish, but helped an older man. He was cramping horribly and so she grabbed him by the arm and they walked in to the finish. I ran/hobbled over to Kaela, gave her the biggest hug and all I could do was cry and say that we did it.

All in all, I walked more than I wanted to… Probably a mile in all, which is better than I hoped to, but when I was able to run into the finish like I did, I knew I could have pushed it harder, especially the last few miles. Now I know what it’s like to be addicted to marathons… you always want to one-up yourself!

So, that’s my experience… I DID IT!!! I ran a marathon. Twenty-six point two miles! I smiled almost the whole way… then there was mile marker 11½ :)…HA!!! Thank you to everyone who was there to support me. I cannot thank you enough for the water, smiles, waves, words of encouragement, etc. See you next year… maybe… :)

First Post and I've got Strep... AGAIN!!!

Hello all and welcome to my first official "blog." My husband just started his up a few weeks ago and I thought I'd be fun to make one too. So, here goes.

A little bit about myself: currently 25 years old, married to my amazing husband Brendan for over 2 years now, Twin Cities Marathon finisher, life-long runner (sprints when I was in school and now moved on to marathons... more to come on that) mother to 2 cats who my husband got for me and hates (ha!), teacher to twenty-six (26) 5 and 6 year olds, friend of many, sister of a lovely girl/woman named Amanda and daughter to Bob and Julie.

As you noticed I'm a little crabby today; woke up and my throat still hurt like mad wildfire, so I knew it had to really be strep and not just a sore throat from a night out in the loud bars. Needless to say, I'll unfortunatly be looking into getting my tonsils out this summer to help avoid this recurring illness. I already know it'll be painful, so please don't remind me and let me forget about it as long as I can.

Now, the purpose of this blog is to share the trials and tribulations of my training for my 2nd marathon in less than 12 months. I ran the Twin Cities Marathon on October 2nd, 2005 with my great friend Kaela. Basically, she convinced me to run the 'thon with her before registration was even open, we signed up the first day possible and I was in shock and horror that I was officially obligated to run one. Needless to say, the training went great despite the major kink that I bought shoes that were NOT meant for my feet, but that got fixed once the source of the problem was determined and all ended up working out relatively well. Official finishing time was 4:40, a ways off of my "goal" of 4hrs, but that's what the 2nd try is for, right? I'll include my post-marathon reflection in my next posting, so all can relish in and relive my rollercoaster experience. :) I am now registered and training for the 2006 Med-City Marathon in Rochester, MN on May 28th. I'd really have liked to run the Mad-City in Madison, WI where I went to college, but it's so darn far away and I don't want to have to get a sub during the last week of school (like I said, I'm a teacher).

Training through these first 3 weeks has been filled with peaks and valleys of training progress. The first 2 weeks I was trying to kick a cold/cough that I'd been battling for a little while and has now turned into strep throat. Also, the cold weather running is a very new experience for me. I've been a runner since I was 12 but never really run during the winter unless it's really nice outside. Needless to say, training during the summer, although it gets outrageously hot, it much more enjoyable. Hate to cut this short, but gotta rest, and get sub plans ready for tomorrow. Thanks for readin'... ~jen