Summertime...and the livin's easy.....

And happy weekend to you!  I started to write this post last night, and I'm ashamed to admit that, well...I'm no quite the party animal that I used to be on Friday nights.  So, um, I may have been in bed asleep by 11pm.  Yikes.  No judging-remember, I'm doing everything for 2.
Well, it mostly paid off, because even though I was up 3 separate times to LMNO last night (seriously, can we really discuss the concept of preggo diapers??) I woke up pretty ready to go this morning.  Then I looked outside.  Yikes.  What a rainy day.  Now usually, I'm a big fan of dancing in the rain....but Greg and I are going to a retirement party today for a couple of my favorite Polish cousins, so I hope it clears up soon!  They're going with a N'Awlins themed par-tay, which means the food and music will be Cajun- can't wait to see whats served up!
In order to help out, I was enlisted to bring an appetizer, so I dug out the ole NOLA charm (okay, not really) and came up with this simple summer salad.....

Beans n Corn NOLA style (serves 12)

2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups corn (I used frozen, canned would work as well)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced cilantro
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp black pepper

Easiest salad ever- mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Stir, stir stir.  Stick it in the fridge for at least 12 hours to develop flavor throughout.

I'm not embarrassed to say that I *may* have given this the spoon test over my eggs this morning.  And it passed with flying colors - perfect for a summer picnic.  No need to heat, easy to serve, and stays stable outside for a few hours.  Plus...did I mention the ease of "cooking"?  Win, win win.  Now if we could only get some of that summer sunshine out.....but hey, you can't have it all :-)  NOLA pics comin' tomorrow!

Do you have a go-to summer picnic salad?

Week 36: Tick tick BOOM

One week till turtle is full term!  One week!  Woah!  Break out the (non alcoholic) champagne!  Toast the turtle!  Holy crap....are we ready for this????  .....
Week 36

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce). She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

I can attest to the fact that turtle is on a grown spurt.  The doc told me this week that s/he has gained almost a pound since my last visit (we are starting to go every week now!).  Grow turtle, grow!  We can't wait to meet you!!!

Momma:

Blocks are back!  yay!!!

Body:  Up 24 pounds this week!  Woahhh, Nelly.  Thats officially 30 pounds over race weight, 24 since positive preggo test.  And....a new milestone this week.  As of 36 weeks pregnant, I now weigh what I weighed in 2000 when I graduated high school.  Impressive or sad?  You decide :-P

Cravings: Tang.  With the heat wave that's hit lately, I've been in love with two things:  the gym pool and tang.  Unfortunately, the latter makes me spend way more time in the bathroom and the former makes me smell like bromine 24/7.  So sexy. 
Aversions: This is an old story.  I think I'll add work to the list this week, along with unnecessary drama.  There, that spices it up quite a bit (rolling eyes).  On a lighter note, I'm off work as of July 8th, who wants to play?  I suggest swimming, air conditioned shopping, or a nice subway sammie.  You pick, Ill be there :-).
Sleep: I give up.  I sleep great for a few hours, then nothing.  Looking forward to being out of work so that I don't need to set an alarm and I can vacuum at 3am when I can't sleep.  Oops, sorry Greg. 
Fears: How much does labor really hurt?  No, I don't want to know.  And how much is it really going to suck after the kiddo is born?  I thought I was getting away scot free, but some mommas in the know clued me in on post pregnancy body woes....yikes!  Saying my prayers here......
Best Baby Moment: I just love this kiddo.  I got the okay from the doc to stop doing kick counts because....turtle says "yo" at least a dozen times a day with a kicking, elbowing flurry.  And while it can come as a shock sometimes, I love the fact that I get a check in so frequently and that our little turtle is just as eager to say hello as we are!!
Items Bought/Received: I'm now on the hunt for garage sale clothes and cheap diapers.  I scored a great deal on target diapers this week - 2 boxes of 100 each (size 1 and size 2)- paid $45, got a $5 target card, $8 off in coupons, and sent away for a $10 MIR and used my cartwheel, which ended up making the diapers cost $21 for both boxes.  Sweet. 

IRON BABY: Week 35

Swimming: 4.5 miles
Biking: 78 miles
Running: 3 miles

Total: 85.5 miles. Got a decent treadmill run in this week- still going :-) It's almost comical at this point to try to run, but I'm a stubborn beast.  Hey, it works.  I'm gonna go with it. 
Iron Baby’s Travels to date (week 19 on)….1586.9 miles-that's the distance from Rochester NY to Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Yeah, turtle mon.....get your swim on!

Next week we'll have a full term bambino....it's the final countdown!!

Makin Whoopie

Aww c'mon people, get your mind outta the gutter.  We're not talking about that.  THAT happened 8 months ago...just look at my tummy! 

Moving on....this past weekend (what a weekend!) involved swimming, doctor interviewing, picture taking, stroller installing, and....DADS day!!  See, we're super special in the fact that we are just not bound by one day (or, um, Dad had to work) so on Saturday, we celebrated Dad's day with my side, then on Sunday, Greg's side.  Golfing, grilling, and Dad time.  And mine...happens to love carrot cake.  But hey, I'm his kid.  And kids like pies.  So we did pies.  Whoopie ones.  


Whoopie Pies (makes 12)

1 box carrot cake mix
2 egg whites
1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup butter
 2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Add egg whites and applesauce to cake mix, stir thoroughly until lumps are out.  Place parchment paper on 2 cookie sheets, and drop dough by tablespoonful on cookie sheets (24 cookies).  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack for half hour, or until fully cool.

For the frosting, warm butter to room temperature.  Add all ingredients into high powered mixer, whip on high for 2-3 minutes until stiff.  Spread between cake layers to make 12 whoopie pies.

Nom nom nom nom.  Dad approved.  Kid approved.  And one more recipe for that Mommy arsenal :-)  But i would wait a few days on these guys...at least till it cools down. Until then, popsicle molds are where its at!

Pregnancy Myths and Truths

So....it's almost D day.  one month from tomorrow, our little kiddo is due to make his or her grand appearance!  Yes, I realize that he or she could show up tomorrow.  Or in 6 weeks.  But dammit, kiddo, listen to your mom for once, please.  You need to stay baking for at least 10 more days....but no more than 31.  Capiesce?  Thank you very much.
As I round into the last month of pregnancy, I've been doing alot of thinking.  Like...did I used to be able to do child's pose and paint my toes?  Yeah, I think so...but I don't really remember.  Did I used to be able to sleep on my tummy?  I think so.  Pregnancy is funny.  The 9 months go by in a blink of an eye, but they also take FOREVER.  I miss my body being mine.  But I wouldn't trade it in for the world.  And now that I'm in the home stretch....I've been thinking alot about pregnancy myths and truths.  You know...all the things "they" said would happen during these 9 months....but....um...didn't.  I know everyone is different, but I can only speak for me....and here are some of the big ones that...are either waiting until week 36 to make an appearance....or....I'm weird.....or...they lied.  So let me tell you about these "What were they talking about?"  Pregnancy related things.....

1.  Eating for 2 and your appetite.  You'll be sooo hungry.  You're going to have massive cravings.  Um.  Lie, lie lie.  You know the last time I felt hungry?  Back in October, when I ran a half marathon.  Since then?  Nien.  Sometimes my tummy will growl, but that's my body's system of
being hungry.  Otherwise, I am seriously counting food to make sure I eat enough.  Stop throwing things at me.  I wish I could eat a whole garbage plate and blame it on the alien.  But there's not been too much room at the inn for alot of food, and while things sound good, there is no such thing as waking Greg up at 3am for a burning desire for a quarter pounder.  Don't mean to throw my fellow preggos under the bus, but I'm not convinced that there's a craving any more than during that time of month.

Kershaw Swim at almost 36 weeks!

2.  Cankles.  Not to tempt fate with the string of 90 degree days  coming up here, but even with hot weather, I've only had swelling once.  after a 16 hour day and a flight from DC.  Where I walked 5 miles before 8am.  In wedges.  So....I think I must be lucky on this one, and also my obsession with swimming helps.  I've been swimming at least 3 times a week since trimester 1, which I fraking love anyways (yes, Russ, I can be taught!) but also seems to make the swelling go down from water pessure.  I'll get back to ya next week if that one doesn't hold true. 

3.  Constipation.  Yeah, I went there.  Seriously, maybe for one day.  But I've kept up the fruit and
veggie habbit, along with some great whole grains with dinner, and I'm pretty regular.  Without getting too graphic here, I think I got more plugged up the week before Ironman with a low fiber diet.  I'll take it.  I also haven't had any of the nasty "h" word either.  Whew.

4.  Raging Emotions.  Of the PMS variety.  I broke down once (last week), and told Greg to just go with it, but to let me know later if I was being unreasonable.  The smart man took it, but 48 hours later when it was all fixed and I was calm, told me that it had nothing to do with my belly or hormones and that I was totally right.  Which means he is ether - waiting until this baby is out of me before tempting fate, or he was telling thr truth.  I'm preferring to go with option A, but again, I'll keep you posted :-P

5.  The belly bump is round.  It's not!!  The last 3 times I've been to the docs, they tell me how clearly they can see baby g....which is freaky, but true.  I can really tell where the baby is nestled, which makes me feel like I have a sling across my tummy with a kiddo wrapped in a layer of skin.  Weird.  But totally healthy, I'm told. 

So, what's been ringing true?  I won't pretend sliging around another human being is all roses.  It's not.  I wouldn't change it for the world, but there are a few things "they" said would happen....that happened.  Here goes...

1.  Exhaustion.  I think they are prepping me for the baby.  Especially from the last month on....though the thought of running 10 miles or biking more than 20 just makes me laugh...did I used to do that???  But seriously, 8pm is couch time.  1pm if I had my way.  I can't manage to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time and there is NO comfortable position to sleep in.  I've tried pillows, blanket arrangements, body pillows....no dice.  I seem to conk out best semi reclined on the couch.  My husband just loves that.  Clearly, he sleeps well when we sleep in the same bed.  Not so much.

2.  Stress Overload - I definitely have less of a penchant for people's bull hockey lately.  It takes less

Source

to press my buttons.  But it feels kinds good....like I have a built in excuse.  Right?  Right.  Or not.  But I haven't milked this pregnancy for much, so dammit, I will.  Now stop being annoying.  And no, I won't do your job/errands/chores for you.  Thank you and go away.  (I'm kidding.  I love you guys.  Wait, what hormones???)

3.  Panic Mode- My mother used to say I didn't come with an instruction manual.  I thought she was right, but then they came out with "What to Expect While You're Expecting"...and you should be all set, right?  Hah!  You'd think that after a zillion years of birthing, we would have it figured out, but there are so many steps they don't tell you about.  Like making a will.  Or adding the baby to your insurance.  Doctor interviews.  Prepping your pet for baby.  What you really need for the nursery, and whats crap.  Signing up for product recalls.  Daycare shopping.  Oiy.  I'm missing a few zillion things, but I sometimes have issues keeping my life in order.  How am I going to manage another human being?  Panic onset.  Then I calm the hell down and remember that zillions of parents have done it, and dammit, so can we.

So...I'm sure there's more, but there are my two cents for today.  One month to go.....should be interesting to see if any of these myths reverse (I sure hope not....knock on wood!)

What was true and what was not so true for your pregnancy?

Week 35: The Conundrum of that health nut

2 more weeks until baby g is considered full term!  Woah!  We keep talking to my belly, letting kiddo know s/he has 2 more weeks at least but no more than 5.  We'll see if the kiddo listens to it's parents or not....forecast of the next 21 years :-P  So what's kiddo up to?....

Week 35

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Woohoo!  Fully developed kiddo!  Now it's time to jab mommy in the ribs, side, tummy....you go, my lil kickboxer!  Found out from the doc this week (after commenting on my perfectly shaped tummy...lol) that baby g is about 5 pounds to their measurement....right on task.  Good going, kiddo!

Momma's Week: 
Body: Up 23 pounds - still steadily gaining, no big news here.  Still all belly...up to 42" on my tummy - over 15 inches bigger than pre baby tums!  Just for funsies....check out the difference 30 weeks makes.

Week 5 - hey look, I DID used to have a flat tummy!

 

Week 35.....think the clothes shrunk!

Holy cow-who IS that woman??

Cravings: More fruit down the ole hatch, and still on the cheese kick.  Seriously, I think I'm in the market for a picnic....french bread, cheddar, and berries....sign me up!  Nom nom nom  Also, frozen mangoes are the best. The dollar store sells bags of 'em that taste just like sorbet...I think I ate 4 bags this week!!

Aversions: Still the same ole suspects-by now, we just know enough to stay the heck away.
 
Sleep: Just not happening.  It's getting rather miserable, to be honest.  I cat nap.  Then I wake up crampy or having to go potty.  Ugh.  I asked Greg to hit me over the head with a sledgehammer, but he sucks and won't do it.  What happened to comforting your preggo wife, huh greg?  HUH?  lol

Fears: Well, here's the thing. It's been a good pregnancy.  A little uncomfortable, a little frustrating, a little a little.  But for the most part, I've been good.  Going a little slower, a little less gung ho, but able to do everything.  And oh my-my head might not fit through the door after all the "You look great"! And "You're so tiny!" and "You are the perfect pregnant woman!".  Yikes.  Well, I'll tell ya, I've done my best to not kill chocolate, stay active, and be good to myself and baby.  And I think it's worked well so far, but I've found a few downsides.  First of all, I started to get paranoid about the tiny comments, so I asked my OB if the baby was too small.  She said for my stage, I'm measuring a whopping .5 centimeters small.  Bog whoop.  She told me I'm great, baby's great, and not to listen to anyone's crap except what the doc tells me.  Score.  Worry #2:  Since I look so great, I must feel so great and you don't have to worry about me, right?  Not.  I had a massive melt down with Greg a few days ago-while I adore being able to give life 80% of all of it lately, I kinda wish sometimes that I could be the coddled preggo.  Does it work well with my personality?  Nope.  But just for once, I wanted to not be the one in charge of people.  I wanted to be taken care of, dammit.  So Greg did.  Love that man.  Worry #3- This whole being healthy schtick is gonna bite me in the butt when I want to stay out on maternity leave.  Blast.  I mean, now that the AMA made obesity a disease that should be treated as such, why the hell am I eating carrot sticks and chicken breasts that will only send me back to work so I can pay for slacker's health care?  Oh right.  Cause I Care about my kiddo and my long term health.  Soapbox rant over :-P

Best Baby Moment: Aside from the fact that we are ready to go except the car seat - nursery done, bags packed, check check check (small things left - a zillion times of paperwork and  a doc interview), it's been nice hearing every week from the doc how well baby is progressing and validating my choices as a soon to be momma.  I want the very best for this baby, and I'm trying hard to make that happen pre-birth!

Items Bought/Received: Curtain rod for the nursery so Greg could finish her off!  Woot woot!

IRON BABY: Week 34
Swimming: 5.5 miles
Biking: 85 miles
Running: 0 miles

Total: 90.5 miles. No running again - getting fickle about this one.  Hope to get a run in this weekend, whether it's an actual 5k or just a jaunt around the block.

Iron Baby’s Travels to date (week 19 on)….1501.4 miles-that's the distance from Rochester NY to Houston, Texas.  Yeehaw, baby G!  let's get our line dance on!  (Seriously, I would be up for Nashville's....anyone???)

On to week 36...time for weekly doc visits and the last month (as of Saturday- 1 month to go!!).  2.5 weeks till my "vacation"/maternity leave.....home stretch!

My Precious

Whole lotta mish mash coming your way...fair warning!!
How was your weekend?  Aside from the obligatory baby ready-ing and a titch of drama, we did well this weekend.  Celebrated Father's Day yesterday with the hubbers (daddy to be, current daddy and fur daddy...it all counts!) - my godfather had to work, so we arranged for our Dad's day to be next Saturday.  Hey, whatever works, works.   We got the baby room finis - Greg hung the curtains and wall accoutrement's, and I organized all of our clothes by size to figure out what we still need (nothing until 12 months).  Sweet.  This week, we meet with the OB nurse, I get to do disability paperwork, and we interview our pediatrician.  Still looking for that car seat inspection (all of the towns around us require you to be a resident, and our town doesn't so them.  Lame.)  Luckily, we have some fire department members in the fam, so we've agreed on a fair lunch swap for our kiddos safety check.  It works.

On Saturday, we went out to Honeoye Falls to move some furniture to clean out Gram Glaser's apartment - we took a beautiful hutch that matches our china cabinet, which fits perfectly in our dining room.  Score.  We also helped move some other furniture (fine- I directed, on family orders :-P)  and unraveled the mystery of the bequest.  See, Gram had a pretty standard Will....with a few extras she left to a few selected people.  My cousin got the chandelier.  My Aunt got a specific gift Gram had in mind.  And she left me something.  What?  Well, I had no clue what it was, but it had the family in stitches, so clearly this must have been something I made a comment on that she remembered.  Well....I found out what it is.  And I have a few ideas....but was not prepared for this one.  She left us a dog.  Yep, my very own black poodle.  A guard dog.  One that should not be messed with...

...lest you stub your toe.  LOL.  I'm thinking I must have commented on her guard dog at some point, or lamented about how I wanted my own dog so badly, but Greg is making me wait until kiddo g is 3 or 4.  (Which I totally can do, but it's a joke with us).  So....Gram got us a dog.  A non shedding, non pooping, non barking dog that's heavy as all get out, wears pearls on Mondays, and makes a great door stop.
I love her.  I immediately named her Precious, cause it's clearly a girl dog and....somewhat creepy.  But ya know what?  She thought of me, thought it was important to leave with me, and I'm going with it.  Plus, I burst out laughing every time I pass this silly dog standing watch by our front door.
Love you Gram.
And that's my big story for the weekend.  Have you ever had something really strange left to you that you can't figure out?  Share!

Week 34: Checkin it off....

Wait, are you telling me that in 6 weeks we're gonna have a baby??  How in the heck did this happen?  Well, okay, fine, we all know how it HAPPENED, but this is a family blog, remember?  So, let's talk about the stork, the kiddo, momma and daddy and all that jazz.  After all, that's why you're here, right?  Right!

Week 34:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of a cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Awww, it seems we've hit another layer of safe zone (does that even exist?)  It's good to know that Baby G would most likely be okay if I delivered today, and also to know that my hospital (which doesn't have the NICU) would be able to deliver safely.  Still...bake, baby, bake!  Give us a few more weeks before you come to play, please.  Speaking of playing, though, it seems to be my lil rambunctious kicker wants to do just that.  All. the. time.  Good thing s/he lets momma know whats up in that little world, huh??  And without further adieu, here's whats up in my world in week 34....

Week 34:  Momma

Body: Up 22 pounds- go baby, go! This week, I truly feel every inch of 8 months pregnant.  Not waddling yet, but Greg is officially on alert to let me know when it happens :-P

Cravings: Fruit.  Loving cherries, peaches, mangoes, blueberries, and oranges.  So refreshing and yummy!!

Aversions: I gave up on oatmeal and bought whole wheat English muffins, cheese, and egg beaters to make breakfast sammies.  It takes me awhile, but I learn.  Eventually. 

Sleep:2 hour stretches.  That's just the way it is.  Thanks lil turtle, for training momma one month early (face palm).

Fears: Doing super well this week as far as "stuff"...hospital visit done, hospital bag packed, nursery 99% done (just need to hang curtains!), and Greg has started teaching me my Bradley Methods exercises.  Makin the list, checkin it off. One step at a time-baby is coming soon!!

Best Baby Moment: Well, I must officially look socially acceptably pregnant (about damn time!) because I've gotten a ton of "You look awesome"! And "You are doing everything right!" and "8 months-holy cow, you look amazing!"  Which....hey, I'll take it.  Everyone likes compliments :-)  And then the baby will kick when someone's holding my tummy and it's even more worth it :-)

Items Bought/Received: One of our old family friends sewed me a baby blanket in the shape of a turtle that will look PERFECT on our wall.  I also bought 3 bottles of baby shampoo, diaper rash creme, infant toothpaste, 2 onesies, and a 40 pack of pampers for $11.  Sweet.  Mom also bought us some 9 month turtle onesies....so spoiled!!

IRON BABY: Week 32

Swimming: 6.5 miles

Biking: 61 miles

Running: 3.1 miles

Total: 70.6 miles.

Iron Baby’s Travels to date (week 19 on)….1405.9 miles-that's the distance from Rochester NY to Bismark, North Dakota.  Where I wanted to take our honeymoon.  No joke.  Seriously, why go somewhere exotic when all you want to do is spend time in the....wait.  PG.  I'm sorry.  So sorry.  (We went to Vermont for our honeymoon....but it was gorgeous for hiking and biking in August :-))

And, of course...more nursery shots!!  AHHH, I can't wait to meet our kiddo!!

Swiss Family Glaser

I'd like to promise you that "Tri'ing for Balance" is in a little bit of a blogging break and I'll soon go back to posting every day or at the least, every other day.
But I promised I wouldn't lie to you quite some time ago.  And as I'm working through this darn third trimester and family emergencies, work commitments, and, oh well, lets face it...LIFE...keeps getting in the way, I find myself being able to grab 15 minutes to blog less and less.  So, we're working through it.  I'm assuming life with an infant will improve many things. But not the blog.
So, bear with me if you will.  I promise to keep posting on my pregnancy, running adventures (waning now, but planning 2014 with a vengeance!) and recipe testing...just maybe not as frequently.  After all, your time is just as valuable as mine, right?  Right.
So, speaking of recipes, whens the last time I posted something good?  I know!  It's not the I've fallen out of love with cooking, but due to time constraints (see above #firstworldproblems) and lack of functioning taste buds (really does happen when you have da Buddha belly), I just have been more reliant on non-interesting food.  But this past weekend, I decided to change that.  Greg and I had designs to grill out, but the combination of the crap weather and running out of propane cooled our jets (literally).  So here I had these gorgeous steaks all ready to go and no grill to work with.  What's a girl to do?  Make swiss steak!  (with some tweaks, natch).

Swiss Steak a la Glaser (serves 4)

2 8 oz sirloin steaks, cubed

2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 onions, diced
2 cups mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups white rice, uncooked


Just a note- this dish can be done in the crock pot for those busy weeknights.  Don't tell Julia Child, but I've been known to throw the above mentioned ingredients all together in the crock, set on low for 8 hours, then go (omitting olive oil).  But, you want a real recipe.  So if you want real swiss steak, let's do it.
In a skillet, heat oil.  Dredge steak cubes in flour, salt and pepper, and brown.  Add in onions and garlic, saute for about 5 minutes. 
In a dutch oven, add in tomatoes and mushrooms.  Top with beef, onions and garlic, cover.  Cook at 300 for 90 minutes, no peeking!
During the last 20 minutes of cooking, cook rice as directed on stove top.  Spoon rice onto plate and top with beef and veggie deliciousness.  Serves 4 people comfortably.

Well, it might be summertime, but comfort food has no season.  And this was delicious.  I would add peppers next time a la traditional swiss steak but....the pepper fairy forgot to pick those up at the market this week.  Ooops.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!  Any recipes you're loving on lately?

The ones we love

This is dedicated to the ones we love......

As I mentioned briefly last week, it's been a rough week in my little corner of the world.
Last Tuesday, I got the news that my aunt passed away from lung cancer.  She was only 62.  To say that I wasn't expecting this one would be like saying that I didn't really expect the sun to rise that morning.  I had no idea.  I guess she found out last December that she had cancer, but decided that she didn't want anyone but her daughters to know.  Which I respect.  She passed peacefully on Tuesday morning at home.  A full life, for sure.  Just cut way too short.
Then, on Thursday afternoon, we got a call from Greg's aunt letting us know that his grandma passed.  Granted, she was in her 80's, but it's never something you want to hear.  I'd only known Grandma Glaser for 8 years, but loved her to bits with her fiery, take no bullsh*t attitude.  So, for one entry, I wanted to remember these two special women and the way they impacted my life.
My Aunt Barb taught me....
Never to take no for an answer.
That I will be a brat, no matter how old I am.
That in order to stay healthy, you gotta stay active.
That watching Twilight in your jammies at 1am when you are 9 years old is...perfectly acceptable.
If it's yellow, let it mellow.  If it's brown....yeah, flush that down.
That exotic birds and super cool, and yes, parrots do mimic you.  Especially if you keep callin' em turds.
 That peanut brittle is the best invention ever.  And the perfect Christmas gift.
That even though you might be getting older chronologically....you're never old unless you say so.
That you can, in fact, change everything about your life.  It just takes some time, creativity, and faith.

Even though she ended up living 3000 miles away, I'll never forget the fun times we had and am so glad I got to see her when Greg and I went out to Cali a few years back.  You will be missed, but I am so thankful we were pals for 30 years :-)

As for Greg's grandma, well.....that was only an 8 year friendship.  But from the moment I met her, I knew this was a grandma to be reckoned with.  One they called "the queen" (she had a striking resemblance to the queen of England.).  One that took no crap, whatsoever.  If you looked fat in the dress, you looked fat in the dress.  But I loved her.  Because....
....She had a ridiculously quirky sense of humor.  Part and parcel for a Glaser, of course.
....She had a real, square between the eyes view of life.  A few years ago, I was visiting my grandma's grave, and saw her grave a few rows down.  Freaked me out.  When I asked her about it, she told me everyone dies, and that was her house for her time.  And I should visit her in real life now, dammit.
....She loved barbies.  In a childlike, magical kind of way.  And delighted in showing me each and every barbie she had.  
....She never treated me like Greg's wife.  Just a granddaughter.  I could actually say the same thing about every member of my husband's family, which is special and amazing to me.  Thy aren't in laws.  (Out laws?: -))  They are family.  And that's priceless.

Grandma G., you will be missed.  Heaven caught two fine ladies last week, and while we are missing them and our world is a little less bright, I know they are up there, raisin' hell and takin' names.

I love you Aunt Barb and Grandma Arlene!

Week 33: Blocked

Well, we've hit another milestone this week.....my pregnancy blocks.  Since I am a cheap frugal mommy to be, I'm using date blocks for my weeks (never ending calendar deal).  Well...since there is no such 33, 34, 35 or 36 in each month...i can't make those numbers in blocks!  Doh!  It's okay....time to bust out my pathetic paint skills.  I'm sorry in advance, but I'll work on it in the next few weeks :-)

Week 33

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark (about the size of a pineapple). He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

I have no doubt this lil bugger is a growin-I've gone from being that teeny pregnant woman to "holy cow"  look at your tummy!  Well, at least they aren't busting on my toosh....

Momma: Week 33

Body: Up 20 pounds.  Steady as she goes....doo doo, doo doo do.. At this stage, I'm just glad I'm not a waddlin like a duck.  It goes without saying that I feel verrrry pregnant by now, even though some people might digress.  Proof is in the puddin-tummy is over 15 inches bigger than at week 5!

Cravings: Cheese, cheese cheese.  String cheese.  Cheddar cheese.  Mac n cheese.  Oh you bet I made some Kraft the other day.  It's funny-I'm still enjoying my sweet treats, but any GOTTA HAVE IT NOWs are all about salty, savory, and...cheese.  I wonder if I will ever eat banana oats again?

Aversions: Not too many, just, as always, food that doesn't sound good.  Mostly sweet stuff.  I can live with that.

Sleep: Sad as it is, the couch is my new best friend.  It's comfy, I can make my own pillow heaven, and use the back for support.  Poor Greg.  Then again, maybe he likes having a big bed all to himself...hmm.

Fears: IT'S ALMOST TIME!  PACK THE HOSPITAL BAG!  WHERE'S THE BIRTH PLAN?? (well, i did finish that this week).  We did our hospital tour this week, which was super cool, but also made shit more real.  Yeah, that'll be me in less than 7 weeks.  Yes, kiddo, you heard me right.  I'm evicting you in 7 weeks.  Stat.

Best Baby Moment:Seeing the nursery and birthing unit at Highland.  I can't wait to meet our kiddo!!

Items Bought/Received: My friend Carly, who is a super couponer, sold me 17 cases of diapers and 6 boxes of wipes for a freakin sweet deal.  I also had some luck at target this week...2 boxes of diapers, 2 things of baby wash, and 2 things of lotion for $11.  Sweet.  Tomorrow is the Gananda garage sale, so more deals on the way for week 34!!

IRON BABY: Week 32

Swimming: 6 miles

Biking: 85 miles

Running: 0 miles

Total: 91 miles.  No running this week....treadmill is busted and I've been a tired momma.  We'll give it a go next week and see if running is still in the picture :-)

Iron Baby’s Travels to date (week 19 on)….1335.3 miles- That's the distance between Rochester,NY and New Orleans.  No, baby, no beads for you!

Week 33 was a bit rough...we had a few deaths in the family, which made for a pretty sad week in the Glaser house.  Here's hoping that week 34 will be lookin up....and we keep counting down the days until we meet our little g!

Who's Your Sherpa?

Hey all, how was your weekend?  We had a pretty crazy one at casa Glaser- a little bit of drama, little bit of excitement, little bit of injury, little bit of pregnancy meltdown.  Such is life, right?  Not to leave anything dangling, but let's just scoot on out to the fun stuff.  Well, I suppose Greg would debate it, but we'll talk about it anyways.
So this weekend was the kick off for tri season in New York-the famous Keuka Lake Tri in Pen Yan, and the Pittsford Tri in Rochester.  We usually venture out to Keuka for our first race-it's a nice town about an hour east of Rochester and the race is run really well.  For the last few years, we've done the Olympic distance tri, and aside from some nasty hills on the bike and a frigid lake, it's a really nice race.  However, this year we decided to stick closer to home (blame it on el preggo) and do the Pittsford Tri. 
We've shied away from this race in the past because the swim portion is a pool swim-which is great, but the open water swim is really a favorite of ours during races.  But, necessity is the mother of invention, and with

baby g waiting to make an appearance, close is best.
The sprint tri event, with a 300 yd swim, 15 mile bike, and 3.3 mile run drew about 250 athletes and started at 7am on Sunday morning.  We arrived about 6am, racked Greg's bike, then took a tour of the transition and swim set up.  He took off to acclimate, and I wandered around.  The structure of the swim was kind of neat-they started at 7am on the dot and one swimmer went off every 15 seconds.  You went up a lane, back down, then under the dividers in order to end up at the end lane with 300 yards swum.  Seeding for the swim was based on your estimate of how fast you planned to do the swim (indicated during race sign up).  So, the fastest estimate was #1, slowest was #250, etc.  Greg was seeded #30, so he took off at 7:07.  Of course, no seeding is perfect, so there was some passing in pool, but it seemed to work pretty well overall.  He came out of the water in 4:19 (speedy Gonzales) and headed out to bike.  I knew the bike would take him anywhere from 45 to 50 minutes, so I walked around a bit and made a few friends....ran into old co-worker, and met a few MIMs (Moms in Motion.  Oh you bet I'm joining those guys in a few months...they are super friendly and fun!)
After almost an hour, I started to worry.  Greg's a strong biker, and I knew he could average about 19 on this course.  He came rolling through in 1:02 (15 mph avg) with black hands and a dejected face.  Crap.  Flatted.  He shouted over his shoulder..."11 minutes gone to hell!" and I really felt for him.  As he threw on his running shoes, I shouted encouragement to have a strong run and forget the effin bike.  He headed out, lookin good, and I travelled to the finishers chute to cheer on the winning men. 
As I waited for Greg with some of the MIM's, I got a chance to fall in love with the sport all over again. It was so neat to see all of the finishers-from about age 12 to age 82...some sprinting in, some smiling, some bursting at the seams, all of them no doubt loving what they do.  It was also cool to see the range that the swim had-since the "faster" swims were the lower numbers (theoretically) you

could see how the bike and run were equalizers.  I saw number 6 and number 83 finish together (#6 had about 15 minutes on #83).  I saw #22 and #25 sprint it out....only 45 seconds separated them.  Kind of cool....even if you "beat" someone to the finish, you didn't necessarily beat them overall.  After about 35 minutes, I saw a figure in red approaching.  Walking.  My poor guy.  I jogged up about a third of a mile to meet him, where he explained that he heard his calf pop at mile 1.5 and was in alot of pain...which I could tell by the limp.  I gave him a big hug and told him how proud I was of him.  We walked to the finish together and he proudly finished his race.  The awesome swim, the frustrating bike, the heartbreaking run (he pulled a calf muscle and is now sidelined for 4-6 weeks, bummer).  He could have quit any time.  But he didn't.  And that's a true warrior of a triathlete.  Not when the race is going well, but when it sucks and you finish anyways, because you need to.  So glad I married that man!
Pittsford Tri, we will be back.  Your course is awesome, your race management flawless, and you are close.  I'm itching to give you a go, and Greg needs retribution.  See you in 2014.
And with that, I sherpa-ed my triathlete home.  And did massages.  And ice cream.  Cause it's all about balance, right? :-)

Confessions of a Pregnant Triathlete: the 3rd Trimester.

Hey all, how's life treating you on this gorgeous 90 degree day?  Other than the fact that I would bribe my high school nemesis for a dip in a nice, cold outdoor pool....things are good.  Lack of cankles?  Check.  Plenty of Popsicles?  Check.  Out for a run?  Not so much.  Which, with a recent comment on my last "confessions" post, made me realize that....5 months pregnant and rounding 8 months pregnant....changes a few things.  A few things other than proximity to my due date.  (Holy hell is that coming fast).  So as I round out 33 weeks in this gestating an alien stage of my life, I thought I would share how my "training" (used SO loosely) is going.  Read on.

Confessions of a (very) Pregnant Triathlete

1.  I can't race.  Its not fair.  As the "tri" season kicks off tomorrow in western NY with the Keuka Lake Tri and the Pittsford Tri (which Greg is breaking his cherry on this year!)...I'm excited to see another year of multi sport in our house.  And on facebook.  And with my tri-friends.  And....I'm jealous as hell.  I thought about doing the relay but....my father in law would have a heart attack (yes Dad, I KNOW) and it was kinda pricey for a 300 yard swim and 3.3 mile run. So, we're spectating.  Which is totally fine.  I love just being around the sport and cheering my hubby on, but....let's be real.  I wish I was out there, toeing the line.  baby, you're worth it.  But wouldn't it be cool if I could just take you off for 2 hours like those fake bellies they used to train 16 year olds how to cross their legs with?  No? No?
2.  I'm down to one pair of shorts that fit.  Running shorts, that is.  NONE of my bike shorts fit, and I thank goodness that I have a male in the house who is a bit bigger than me.  But I still feel bad....as he goes out for a ride, "Hey Babe, where are my favorite shorts"  Oh, you mean the super comfy ones with the high waist and nice big chammy?  Um....I dunno......Poor guy.  He heard he might lose his clothes, but probably not his bike shorts. 

3.  My treadmill is broken.  Lame.  It's been 90 degrees for most of the week, which means my big tummy ain't sweating outside, so I haven't run since last weekend.  We ordered new springs for it, so fingers crossed they come in soon.  Aside from the fact that I have to pee every 5 seconds when I run anyways (no kidding, I think I went 16 times during the du...DURING BREAKS OF COURSE!)...it's nice to be lumbering on the dreadmill.  Yeah, you'll never hear me say that again!
4.  Swimming is my saving grace.  Except that whole rotation thing.  I visited the pool four times this week for 45 minutes of freestyle, backstroke, and kicking.  Aside from the fact that I get some wicked leg cramps and a few side stitches (we take breaks, no worries), swimming is manna from heaven.  I asked Greg if we could install an endless pool in the backyard this weekend.  He thought I was joking.  HA.  Um, no.
5.  I'm sorta looking into a June 5k, with caution.  I've managed to run every month in a race with the lil bit (except December, damn).  I contemplated the Mendon Mauler today (4 miles of trail) but once again, too damn hot.  I'm hoping for the airport 5k in 5 weeks.  If I can still run, and my clothes fit.  Never thought that would be a consideration for a race :-P  I also never thought I would be so amped about a freakin 5k.  I know, I'm a snob.
6.  Here's the big one.  (Pun intended).  Even though I would kill to be at the starting line of Keuka or Pittsford tomorrow....I sort of doubt I could pull off a swim, bike run right now...even a 90 minute one.  And that sort of depresses me.  C'mon, I can do half marathons in my sleep.  This is lame.  But I know that it's only short term, and for the best reason possible, so I'm trying to remember that.  Even with all those damn bike pictures and medals on facebook.  Lucky stiffs :-P

7 weeks left (ish).   Just always trying to remember how damn blessed I've been not only to have a healthy kiddo, but to even be able to swim, bike and even do some running races during these last 7.5 months! This has been the coolest, weirdest, most rewarding, most frustrating experience ever.  All at the same time.  And we've barely begun!  (Note:  Remember that these "confessions" posts are meant to be tongue in cheek.  I adore the fact that we're going to have a baby.  But I'm also honest about that little green monster.)