We saw our baby!

Good morning, afternoon, or evening...depending on when you are reading this. 
We experienced the most amazing thing yesterday! We got to see our little peanut inside of my uterus. The first ultrasound was quite the experience. I know very little about the whole carrying a child thing, and I learned yesterday that they inspect EVERYTHING to make sure all is where it should be, and that all is measuring accordingly. 
We learned that my due date was correct: December 5th. Although they said I was measuring a day early, they want to keep the same due date. I guess due dates are just estimations anyway! 
As you can see, the little guy/girl has his mama's nose (haha, it is probably too early to tell that and it is just now starting to form completely). However, that is what it looks like in this image! In a couple of weeks the baby will only be growing because it is almost fully developed!

As you can see I am getting a little more round in the middle. It is easier to tell if you see all of the pictures together though, because simply looking at this picture you may just say that I probably consumed too many Rebel Donuts.  If you know me though, you would definitely agree...I am becoming a MAMA!
Of course I am constantly wondering if I will be any good (at being a mom), and I am hoping that I will be because I will not return to teaching for several years...this means I better be a pretty darn good stay-at-home MOM...and wife too! It is all pretty new and frightening! 

I am still running. This morning I finished my first race of the pregnancy. I ran Polly's run here in ABQ to support pancreatic cancer research. This is my friend Linda, whose dad is battling the cancer right now. It was nice to run with my friend, and to run for a cause. 
It turns out, that although we walked a little in the beginning...I ended up placing fourth in my age group. I thought that was pretty cool. Although it was nothing close to my 5k PR of 23:01, I was proud! 
My goal is to continue running as long as I can...even if it is only 5ks. Don't get me wrong, 5ks are a lot of fun, and a good workout, but after trying to train for a marathon...I just fell in love with the longer distances.
I love how it feels to be pregnant (knowing a baby is growing in there), although I may be a complainer...this pregnancy definitely isn't a rough one (so far, and knock on wood). Conrad has been amazing, and it is nice to have a great support system with my MAGNIFICENT family and friends. 

Keep on pushing yourself, you never know how far you're able to go. 

Any first time moms out there? Running moms? Anyone? :) Have a great morning/day/night.

I RUN!

P.S. Sorry for all of the parenthesis usage, as you can tell I have many thoughts, and a lot of side remarks to make because of all the many emotions I am feeling! I do hope you understand.

Sitting this one out...

My best friends are running a marathon right now...

My best friends are running a marathon right now...and I'm sitting this one out.

I have such mixed feelings. While I am sooooo incredibly proud of them, I'm a little jealous as well.

They've been running so much every week, and I feel like I've been gaining weight each week. My energy just hasn't been present.

Anyway, here I am at a cafe in the beautiful Santa Cruz, CA, waiting for them to pass me at their halfway mark. 

I just wish I was running with them. It is such a huge accomplishment, and a life goal! I'm proud of them.

The love of my life didn't even want to do this, and he completed the rest of the training for me 😍. So although I'm jealous, I'm truly proud and I know I'm extremely blessed. 

Steph and I made a new goal...marathon next summer :)

Anyway, my pregnancy has been beautiful and wonderful so far! I am a little over 11 weeks! 

I'm showing (a little) and my body is changing. What I'm looking forward to the most is feeling my baby move! My next appointment is on May 30th! 

Have you ever had to sit one out? How did you feel? 

Don't get me wrong, I know what I'm doing is much more difficult than running a marathon! I'm growing a human!!!! :) 

Mother's Day and the wind is rolling...

Good morning! I am writing to you from the Grand Canyon. Although it is very grand, we woke up to 20mph winds and hail. I am sitting in the car because it is too miserable to venture outside. 

My inspirations are running in this absolutely horrid weather! It is the day we leave, so at least we got to enjoy a couple nice days! 

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day! A term I am going to have to get used to from now on...once a year, anyway. I've received gifts and cards from my great family and friends, and I truly know that I'm blessed. 

Are you going to be a first-time mom? Are you scared? Do you wonder if you will be inspirational, motivating, and hard-working enough to instill that into your child(ren)? 

I know there is a lot that I would love to make sure to do, but I hear what you want to do, and what you end up doing are two different things. I am trying to read parenting books so I'm better educated. I don't want to screw this up, ya know?

I'm still feeling okay, I have nothing really to complain about although I feel like I'm in a somewhat awkward stage. Things are just now starting to get bigger, but I'm still the only one who can tell ;) 

Anyway, I would love your advice and any feedback you can give me! Have a marvelous Mother's Day!!?

While one journey ends another begins...

Hello everyone. I know it has been a while, but I have been trying to figure out how to let the world know our big news.

On the journey to my first marathon...my longest run ended up being 17 miles (go me)! And we ran the One Run for Boston (a 13.5 mile leg). We ended that week with a total of 50 miles! An all-time high!

I was just feeling funny, and I started crying halfway through an eight mile run because it seemed to me that it wasn't getting easier after all of those miles we were putting in. Come to find out that  shortness of breath, and irrationality are just two of the symptoms.

I woke up one night with indigestion, which seemed odd because I never got indigestion. My period was also off...by a few days. I decided it was time to figure this out. 

I took a test and found out that we are pregnant!

I'm sitting here with my new favorite show, Pretty Little Liars, on pause while working up the courage get this news out there...to the public. Go figure, a show full of lies and craziness would give me the push to tell my few followers that I had to quit marathon training halfway through. 

However, we have a different and better journey ahead of us...the journey to motherhood. So this blog has now changed from one goal to another.

We are so very excited, and I am happy to say that I'm 9 weeks pregnant! I know a little early to announce. But we are happy. We just saw our little peanut's heartbeat yesterday, and it was such a miracle! 

Conrad has decided to push through and continue marathon training. We are still going to Santa Cruz, so Conrad can run with Jalen and Steph. I will be on the sidelines cheering them on!

I'm still running! The first trimester so far is full of energy loss, nausea (without vomiting, thankfully), sore boobs (TMI), occasional headaches, and cravings! Hello weight gain! It is an easygoing pregnancy, I would have to say! However, I'm making sure that I keep running. Of course, I'm toning it down quite a few notches. A few miles has been my max lately, and I make sure to run at a conversational pace. I've decided that although I probably could have run a half marathon instead of the full, why? Why even bother? This isn't about me anymore and I want to give this baby the best shot possible. 

This is my life...stay tuned for my new journey :)

Strong heart+strong mind= strong body