Georgia Peaches (Week 12)

I am now officially 3 months pregnant!  I can't believe that I'm a third of the way through this pregnancy already.  It's kinda crazy when I say it out loud.  And when I think about the fact that I only have 6 more months to go is really insane.  I feel like we have so much to do in such a short time!  Cody and I have really started talking about which direction we want to go with the nursery if it's a boy or a girl.  I'll be keeping that a secret until we find out the sex of the baby!  And I probably won't completely reveal it until I can do a full nursery re-cap.  But...we both think that what we've come up with so far is pretty adorable for either!  It won't be much longer until we find out what we're having...which is super exciting!  We are already counting down the days.!!!

Anywho...back to the 12 week pregnancy update!  Baby Kelley is the size of a sweet Georgia Peach this week!  Already 3 inches long and I'm really starting to show!  I've worn a couple of tight shirts this week and my belly is really starting to pop out through them.  It's still pretty flat in the mornings...but it doesn't stay that way for long!  After every meal, my belly gets bigger and bigger.  The only complaint that I've had this week about being pregnant is the fact that I've had a head cold since the weekend and there is nothing I can take.  I have been so congested and had a runny/stuffy nose pretty much everyday this week.  Which makes for not very much restful sleep because I've woken myself up with a dry throat from having to breath out of my mouth.  I've felt much better as everyday of the week has gone on.  But Monday and Tuesday I felt like a zombie!  I did still workout everyday...running and CrossFit of course!  I was a little slower than normal just because it was harder to breathe.  But I think continuing to workout really helped break up all this junk in my head.  Every night I've gotten better, more restful sleep.  And everyday I've felt more and more like myself.  I'm still a little stuffy...but nothing compared to what I was earlier in the week!

We did do some fun things we did for the baby this week.  On Saturday, my mom and I went to some estate sales.  The boys were at the ranch hunting...so we had time to go and do the estate sale thing while they were playing.  We found an adorable cradle for our bedroom for the baby's first few weeks as well as some gorgeous, antique furniture that we'll have re-done for the nursery.  I just said earlier I wasn't going to spill the beans on anything with the nursery...but that was just too fun not to tell!  We also went in to Kid's Village just to look around and see what all they had for cribs and bedding...and just all the other amazing things they have!  We sat down with their interior designer and picked out some fabric for a boy and a girl to have custom bedding made depending on the gender.  We are just so picky when it comes to what we want for the nursery and neither one of us like anything too "baby."  After we looked through the store and some books with pre-made stuff, we both decided that custom bedding was the way to go.  It will be exactly what we want, in the colors we want, and made just for us...which is so special.  Especially for the first one!  It was really fun to go in and look around and pick out fabrics.  It will be even more fun after we find out what it is and we can really get serious with all the planning!

The longer I've been pregnant, the more fun I've had and the more I'm enjoying it.  I'm feeling great, other than being sick with a head cold.  I'm still working out and doing all the things with that that I used to do.  And...I'm only one week away from being out of the 1st trimester!!!  Our sweet little Georgia Peach just gets cuter and cuter!!!

Week 12 Symptoms:

• Super, super tired.  Being pregnant on top of having a cold has put me to bed every night around 8:00!
• Ravenously hungry!!!
• Every growing boobs.  We did double-unders in a lot of WODs this week and they were bouncing all over the place!
• Still pretty moody and irritable :-(
• Aversions: still the same...meat and veggies
• Cravings: I'm not really having any!  Sometimes I'll see a commercial for something or be in a grocery store and see something and that's when I realize that whatever it is sounds good.  I don't always cave...but I have given in a couple of times!

Only 28 more weeks to go!!!

I Forgot How Much I LOVE Plums!!! (Week 11)

Baby Kelley is 11 weeks in the making and growing at a rapid pace!  Another .5 inches longer this week and weighs another .2 ounces.  That means that this sweet, precious baby is now the size of a large plum...or 2.5 inches long and weighs .5 ounces!  We ran to the store the other night to pick up a few things we ran out of and I passed by the fruit section and found a plum that was about the size of our little baby.  We were both shocked at how big this baby is already!  I know a plum is fairly small.  But, to think that just 4 weeks ago this baby was the size of a raspberry and now it's the size of a large plum is pretty incredible.  I mean...I had NO idea that in such a short amount of time it would grow so fast!  I guess that explains my ever growing appetite!  I've only done this a handful of times since I've been pregnant...but just this week I've gotten up a couple of times in the middle of the night to snack on some granola.  Last night I had actually gone to bed and about 10 minutes later just decided to get up and grab a handful of it to hold me over until after my workout when I drink my protein shakes.  I eat several times throughout the day but have just really noticed that I need to be eating more to keep this baby satisfied.  The only times I've really felt bad is just when I've let myself get to hungry.  Either I'm in the middle of working and just don't pay attention to my growling belly or I'm just waiting for the oven timer to go off to let me know that dinner is ready.  Those are the only times when I just can't get food in fast enough and kinda blah.  But as soon as I eat, I feel a lot better.  Funny how that works...you'd think that would be the last thing you would want to do when you feel kinda gross...but nope!

The only other changes I've really noticed this week is that I'm really short fused.  Not so much with a temper or anything.  Just my patience and my tolerance for things is so, so low.  I was never the most patient person to begin with so now it's just really heightened.  And I really don't have much of a filter when I have something on my mind.  It's like my brain thinks of something to say and my mouth just blurts it out before I have time to process what's coming out.  It's a little funny...I feel like I've become a little witty...but it could also be hurtful if I'm not careful.  My mom's beamed me on the head a few times for saying something I probably shouldn't have said...and then we all have a good laugh!  At least we can all joke about it!

Other than my growing appetite and my low patience and tolerance for things, I am still feeling wonderful!  My energy level is definitely much lower than it used to be...but baby growing is hard work and very tiring I'm finding!  I'm still running and CrossFitting in the mornings.  And I absolutely plan to keep it up until I go into labor.  If I just get too tired, then I'll go to the afternoon classes.  But, I'm not going to stop working out through this pregnancy.  It makes me feel so much better...and it will help me have an easier delivery...and I've read that babies are happier when their moms have worked out through the pregnancy.  It's a win for everybody!  Gotta love endorphins!!!  And...I have to brag on Cody.  I really can't say enough about how amazing he is.  He has always been an amazing husband...so loving, caring, kind, and helpful.  But he has really helped me out so much and really gone above and beyond to help me out.  I have been so tired at night the past couple weeks and he has not batted an eye at doing the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, running errands for me, bathing the dogs...I could go on and on!  And it's not just the helpful chores he's been doing.  He is still keeping up with what's going on with my body and how the baby's growing.  After I go to bed, he likes to get on www.babycenter.com and www.whattoexpect.com and read up on all things baby.  I couldn't ask for a better husband and daddy for our sweet little plum!!!

Week 11 Symptoms:

• Hungry, hungry, hungry!
• Still much, much more tired than I ever used to be
• My boobs are really starting to get in my way during my workouts...why did I ever wish for big boobs?!?!?  They just get in the way!
• A little moody, much less patient, not much of a filter on my blabby mouth
• Aversions: still meat and vegetables except for the ones I've mentioned before...like the thought of eating a piece of meat with two sides of vegetables sends my stomach to my throat.  Just writing about it is making me gag!
• Cravings: not many this week really...I've just been eating the same things that I've been craving and I think that's why I'm not craving them like I was!  Oh...I did eat 2 huge bowls of cereal this week...and right now it sounds fabulous!!!  Waffle Crisp, Amie?!?!?

Only 29 more weeks to go!!!

Lime-A-Ritas (Week 10)

How in the world am I already 10 weeks pregnant?!?!  Time is going by SO fast!  What I really can't believe is that I'm just a few weeks away from being out of my first trimester.  I know the first trimester is just a critical time and I'm ready to be out of it simply because I think I will feel like we've made a huge milestone safe and sound.  Not that I have any doubts that everything isn't perfectly fine...it's just the thought of it that scares me.  However, I have not had any hint of a problem!  Praise the Lord!  I haven't had any cramping, light bleeding, or anything else that would give any insight that something was wrong.  And...keeping on the positive side of things...I am feeling SO good!  I'm still running a mile everyday and doing a CrossFit WOD right after.  I've started to do the WODs on my own and not do them with the rest of the group.  I've really noticed that I need to slow down and when I WOD with everyone else, the competitive athlete comes out in me and I find it very hard to remember to take it easy.  I would say that I'm probably going about 60-75% of my normal pace and speed depending on the WOD.  I am still doing pretty much everything with my normal weight that I was doing before I was pregnant.  The only thing I've gone down on is my deadlifts.  They just don't feel comfortable anymore doing them with heavier weight...and I'm certainly not going to do anything that feels uncomfortable because it feels that way for a reason.  My main priority is keeping this baby safe.  So, I'm just counting my blessings that I can still run and CrossFit as normal as I can for being 10 weeks pregnant.  I am super tired and super hungry pretty much constantly.  But, I haven't had any nausea or other type of sick feeling.  Sometimes when I get too hungry, my stomach feels uneasy but I as soon as I feed this sweet baby, I feel so much better.  And guess what else???  The baby has already grown another 1/2 inch!  At week 10 Baby Kelley is the size of a lime..2 inches long and weighs about .3 ounces!  No lime-a-ritas for me for another 6 months though!  I think I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with how my body is changing.  I'm still wearing all my normal clothes...and they are all buttoning up just like always and they fit normal for the most part too...just a little snug in my tummy!  My belly is starting to stick out a little more and I'm really starting to like looking down and see it popping out.  It's really fun and exciting to finally see that this little one is starting to make an appearance!  I do have to say again that I think running has helped me a lot.  There's just this feeling you get when you run...it's so freeing and relaxing and really makes you forget about everything.  I've been taking the dogs out a lot on the weekends and that's been really nice too.  Getting to spend one-on-one time with them and being out on the street running is something I'm learning to really cherish.  I know it won't be long before we'll be accompanied by a jogging stroller with a sweet little one inside.  So, this time with my lovies is beginning to become a time that I really do cherish, look forward to, and enjoy...and I think they do too!  All in all I am really starting to love being pregnant!  As this little one continues to grow inside me, I get more and more excited to see the milestones that he/she will start to make...our precious little lime!!!


Week 10 Symptoms:

• So, so, so hungry!  Our little one sure loves to eat!  And I am really starting to enjoy it!
• Very tired...like I go to bed at 8:30 or 9:00 every night!  It probably doesn't help that I'm getting up at 4:50 to go to CrossFit...but I'm still way more tired than normal.
• And my boobs...I think they just continue to grow!  I can really tell when I'm running or jumping rope...I've never had bouncy boobs before...so weird!
• Aversions: meat (except: lunch meat, seafood, and ground beef), veggies (except: spinach, carrots, and tomatoes), really, really strong smells...no matter what they are it kinda sends my stomach lurching
• Cravings: fruit (especially: strawberries, pineapple, mango, green grapes, granny smith apples), sandwiches, spaghetti with meat sauce, blueberry waffles, baked potatoes

Only 30 more weeks to go!!!

A Sweet Little Prune (Week 9)

Sweet baby Kelley is the size of a prune!  This little baby has grown another half inch in a week!  Last week it was the size of a green olive, which is 1 inch.  So, this week, that sweet little one is 1.5 inches already!  We had our first appointment and finally got to see our little one.  Let me just say...I have NEVER seen or heard anything so amazing, sweet, and precious in my life.  That tiny little baby was wiggling all around inside me during our sonogram!  He/she was moving it's hands all around and one time it looked like it was kicking at something...so awesome!  I can't imagine how that's going to feel when they get bigger!  Needless to say, this has been my favorite week so far of my pregnancy.  It was so wonderful to be there together and see our baby for this first time...the look on Cody's face was priceless and I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful husband and daddy to share this amazing experience with!

Week 9 Symptoms:

• Still very tired...especially at night
• My appetite continues to grow...this baby likes to eat!
• Boobs are still sore...and huge...for me anyways
• Aversions: meat, gum, mints, most veggies (I am able to eat tomatoes, raw spinach, and carrots)
• Cravings: I'm not really having cravings...but I'm definitely eating more carbs. than I used to.

Only 31 more weeks to go!

Green Olive...No Martini's for Me Please! (Week 8)

I cannot believe that I'm already 8 weeks pregnant!  That's 2 months!  Holy Cow...  Our first appointment is on March 28th and so we have been talking and talking and talking about that this week...only one more week to go until we hear the baby's heartbeat and actually get to see it inside my tummy!  Not that it's not real now, especially for me.  But, I know this will make being pregnant even more real and will probably bring us both to very joyous tears.  I also know that it will solidify everything for Cody.  He rubs on my ever growing belly all the time and gives it kisses.  But it's really hard for him to see or feel anything else except for the fact that my poochy tummy is growing!  However, it is very real for me.  I think it's probably always this way very early on for women and men.  We start to see and feel how our bodies are changing and it's not so obvious to them.  I also really feel it when it comes to my energy levels, my appetite, and the foods that I'm (rather the baby) is wanting.  He sees me eating things that I haven't eaten since we decided to go Paleo, so that's very obvious to him.  And he knows how exhausted I am by 8:00 at night.  But he can't feel it like I can.  Needless to say, we are pumped to hear this sweet pea's heart beat and see it on March 28th!

Week 8 Symptoms:

• Ravenously, starving, can't get enough food no matter how much I eat all the time!
• So, so, so tired (not even going to CrossFit every morning I'm so tired...I've gone twice this week and have done a WOD later in the day on the other days)
• Cravings - Chinese food, donuts (the baked ones I home make!), blueberry muffins (homemade), egg sandwiches (homemade egg mcmuffins), Morningstar Farms chicken patties, salad (finally!), cheeseball with Ritz crackers, funfetti cupcakes, sweets of all kinds, Mexican food, fruit (thank goodness)
• Food aversions - meat (except for seafood...which I can't have very much of), most veggies (bummer), the smell of most food cooking (so that's not happening at our house right now)

I have to be completely honest and say that even though we are so very excited and blessed that God has given us the miracle of being pregnant and having a baby, this week was hard for me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still so excited and absolutely can't wait to hear this sweet pea's heartbeat and to be parents in 8 months.  But, I could really tell a difference in my body this week.  Which is hard for me seeing as how everything I do is to stay fit, healthy, strong, and somewhat thin.  I don't want to be grossly skinny...but I do want to be a fit, healthy, and strong type of thin.  My clothes are getting a bit tight in my tummy, which doesn't so much bother me.  But I put on a pair of my favorite skinny jeans and they were a bit tight for my liking in my butt and legs.  It freaked me out because I thought...I can't already be gaining weight this early in those places!  I can still wear every single item of clothing I have in my closet and no one would even know I'm preggers, but they are just fitting a bit tighter and different than they used to.  However, I had to take a step back and first look at how my eating has changed and realize that my body is freaking out because of all the foods that I'm eating now that I haven't eaten in so long.  Then, I took an even bigger step back and realized that I need to be doing and eating whatever sounds good and what I can stomach so that this baby grows healthy and strong.  Because I'm having a lot of food aversions, it's mainly that whatever I ate the day before grossed me out, especially meat and veggies...so I want to be sure the baby is getting the nutrients that it needs from other sources.  I also have to be honest and say that I did start running again this week.  Before we joined CF325 and were doing CrossFit on our own, I would always run a mile before a WOD and sometimes I would run one after too if I had time.  I guess putting on those skinny jeans and them being a little tight freaked me out more than I'd like to admit and I felt like running a mile a day as well as doing a WOD would help me feel better.  And you know what, it has.  I've also tried to make it a point to eat more healthy than I had been.  I felt so terrible last week I was just eating anything that sounded good, which was carbs, carbs, carbs, and junk food.  I've still been splurging on things that the baby wants: fro-yo, Chinese food (hello Little Panda!), sweets, and lots of bread!  I think right now it's all about finding a happy, healthy balance for the baby and me.  I am glad that I'm running...I love running and only gave it up because I didn't have time to do it before or after a WOD.  Now, I'm doing a mile run for my warm-up at the box before the WOD, so I have plenty of time.  When I run, I feel so free and it gives me these extra endorphins that make me feel so good throughout the day on top of the ones I get from a WOD.  And don't think that just because I said all that that I'm not doing what I need to do for this baby.  It's my first priority and I'm eating 3 solid meals and 3-4 solid snacks throughout the day.  And if I get hungry and need something to eat in between a meal or snack, I have a supply stash in my desk for reserves and if I'm at home, I go and get a handful of anything that sounds good!  But, I also needed to do something for me to help this pregnancy (at least at this stage) not get me do bummed about how my body was changing.  I'm learning to embrace this sweet baby bump (and all the other changes that go along with it) and can't wait until it and the baby grows and we can start to feel it moving around inside of me!  Only 32 more weeks to go!!!

Raspberries are So Sweet! (Week 7) And a Spring Break Re-Cap

And so it begins...

It's spring break week and the first thing I did when I woke up on Monday morning (early...like 3:30) was run to the bathroom.  I proceeded to go two more times before Cody got up for work at 7:00.  I didn't throw-up...so I'll let you guess what this sweet little raspberry was causing me to do!  I got up when Cody did and went straight to the kitchen to grab some crackers that I had bought just in case and ate a big handful because I was so weak and so hungry.  I felt better and by 8:30 I made some oatmeal for breakfast.  I took one bite of it and it was not what the baby wanted.  It tasted horrible to me...and oatmeal is my favorite!  So, I called Cody to see if he would run and get me a loaf of bread so I could make some toast.  And before he could get home, I did throw-up.  Sorry...it's gross...but it happened.  I think I had drank too much water on an empty, weak stomach and I just couldn't handle the sloshy, water-logged business.  So, thankfully, that's all I threw-up was water.  And then I felt like I champ.  Cody walked in the door as soon as I came out of the bathroom and I immediately made some toast and felt even better.  So, then I cleaned house...slowly.  And proceeded to eat some more bread for a snack and a sandwich for lunch and for dinner.  There was no working out for me this day.  I figured since I had gotten sick and I had cleaned house, that was enough for one day.

Tuesday-Friday I was able to go up to the gym with Cody around 10:30 and do a WOD.  It was nice to be able to CrossFit on my own time and go at my own pace.  It was also really fun to go up there with Cody.  We didn't do the same WOD, he's doing the Invictus WODs and competition training.  But, it was nice to be up there at the same time and see him in the middle of the day.  You know...since I'm a little slower now than I used to be!  It's hard when you're a competitive athlete to take it easy when there are other people around.  So, it was nice for me to be alone and figure out the pace that works best for me during these next few tender weeks.  I'm still getting to WOD and still doing everything RXd...so if taking it easy and going slower is all I have to worry about...I'll count my blessings!  I also didn't really do anything fun over spring break.  Cody was working and I was recovering from Monday.  Which, now, after it's all said and done, I think I had a stomach bug and not morning sickness or nausea.  I haven't had anymore of that since the Monday-Thursday of Spring Break, just some uneasiness of my stomach.  But, Friday-Sunday I was so tired and weak from the four days of being down and out, that I didn't do anything except continue to lay around the house and rest and relax.  I did go with my mom the weekend before spring break to see my Mimi.  And I took Faith of course!  She was the princess and only child for the weekend...and she was in doggie heaven!  She went everywhere with me: the grocery store, to get coffee, on a Sonic run, on a Blizzard run (for my mom) and she got a cookie (doggie treat), and then we went for about a two mile walk downtown around a really pretty walking trail.  It was a fun, relaxing weekend!  We also went to Perini's on Tuesday night to celebrate Jen's 27th birthday!  It was so fun to see the Harrison family and celebrate precious, beautiful Jen!  I did, however, miss Josh's surprise 30th birthday the last weekend of Srping Break.  I was still recovering from being sick, and at that time was still afraid it was from the baby and didn't know when it might spring up on me.  So, I decided to stay home just in case.  But they had a great time and Josh was very surprised!  They had lunch at Chimy's in Ft. Worth on Saturday, then headed back to the Harrison's for the rest of the weekend and grilled out and just hung out.  I'm sad I missed it...but I'm so glad that Josh had an amazing 30th b-day!  So, really all I did over Spring Break was clean house, CrossFit, and lay around!

Week 7 Symptoms:

• Cravings - bread, hot dogs (with veggie dogs), chips, pancakes, banana splits, grapes, cereal
• Morning sickness, nausea, stomach bug...who really knows...but it was miserable
• Absolutely, completely exhausted!
• Food aversions - vegetables (which I love), meat, gum, mints
• I also don't want anything I ate the day before except for bread and eggs

Only 33 more weeks to go!



A Little Blueberry (Week 6)

How fast a week goes by...and how fast a tiny baby grows!  Our little one is already the size of a blueberry after just one week!  And thank goodness that this next week is Spring Break!  Oh how I am looking forward to a nice week off from school! 

Week 6 Symptoms:

Getting pretty tired as the day goes on, especially since I get up at 4:45 in the mornings

Hungry...every 2 hours

Have to pee all the time

Sore boobs

A little bit of an uneasy stomach at random times throughout the day...nothing some crackers won't fix

No cravings as of yet

All in all...I'm still feeling great!  Cody is absolutely the sweetest husband.  Everyday he is keeping up with the little pregnancy tracker that I downloaded on my phone.  It's the "What to Expect" app and I think he may have it too actually.  If he doesn't, he's just getting on the website everyday and keeping up with what's going on.  He also surprised me with the Baby Wise and Baby Wise 2 books!  YAY!!!  I know there's a lot of controversy over these books.  But, hey, I want to read it and use the practices and schedules that will apply to us and our schedule.  I probably won't take every single piece of information from the book and apply it to our baby and our lifestyle, but I know that a lot of things I've already read will help us tremendously if we are able to do it and apply them.  My mom also got me the What to Expect When You're Expecting book, which I'm reading and love!  It's nice to have a guide and know some of the things that you can't do and eat while you're pregnant.  Sad day for me when sushi is off the menu for awhile.  Thank goodness Bonzai has rolls you can get that have cooked seafood in them!  Only 34 more weeks to go!

Little Sweet Pea (Week 5)

So...if you didn't miss the first announcement...we're PREGNANT!!!  OMG...it feels so good to finally air the news.  I have been feeling great so far (I'm now 10 weeks)...but the effects of pregnancy are definitely catching up with me.  My students are starting to wonder why I'm so tired and I have to sit down to teach instead of standing up and walking around the room like I normally do.  Now, I can finally tell them what's been going on!  Oh...and my already big appetite has been hard to cover too.  I've been sneaking snacks and eating mini meals so that I could keep something in my always hungry belly throughout the day.  My co-workers have been looking at me funny because my lunches have gotten smaller and why my food has gone back to what it was pre-Paleo.  So...since I can now tell you guys are amazing news...I want to do a weekly update throughout the pregnancy so that I can always look back on it and see how I was feeling, what my body was doing, and the doctor's appointments and such that we'll be going to.  I hope you keep up with us throughout this amazing journey.  We are SO excited that God has blessed us with this baby and cannot thank Him enough for healing Cody to make this miracle of life.

Week 5 of pregnancy doesn't really feel much different than pre-pregnancy.  I can tell a little bit after I eat a big meal that my tummy bloats more than it used to.  And, the more I eat as the day goes on, it gets a little pooched out.  But, when I wake up in the mornings on an empty stomach, it's just as flat as it was before we got pregnant...so I really like the mornings right now!  I'm not feeling very tired, but I am pretty moody!  It's kinda like PMS...bless Cody's heart.  Hopefully it will go away soon!  Thankfully it is not an everyday occurrence...but I'm definitely more emotional than my usual self.  Being overly emotional for me is what actually tipped me off.  I'm not one to cry, really ever, and I was finding myself getting teary eyed about little things that either set me off or even some commercials.  That, and my boobs hurt so bad.  And not from doing a WOD either.  It was definitely not a workout hurt.  That's the other change I've noticed.  I actually have boobs now!  So, all in all week 5 of pregnancy feels just about like normal, everyday life.  I am being more careful when I CrossFit.  I don't (or I try not to) go as high intensity as I was even the week before...still pregnant...just not knowing it!  But, I still do the RX weight, and I'm obviously still doing the Open.  Which, now you probably know why I haven't done as well for me as I normally would do.  I can't go balls to the walls!  This little sweet pea inside of me is much more important than doing well in a WOD or even the Open.  Although, I find myself getting frustrated with my times and reps.  But, I just keep reminding myself that it's for a reason and being safe is much more important than doing well in CrossFit right now.  I'm just so thankful that I can still do CrossFit and I have no restrictions other than to keep my heart rate in check.

This week our baby is the size of a sweet pea!  Only 35 more weeks to go!!!

And here are the pictures we put on the pregnancy announcement we sent to our friends and family!!!

CrossFit Open WOD 13.5

Well...this is the 5th and final WOD of the 2013 CrossFit Open.  Cody and I were both sitting at our computer last night in full anticipation of what they were going to throw at us this week!  Since this was the last WOD of the Open, we knew that it was going to be a brutal, killer one.  We were also excited to see the two groups of athletes compete after the announcement of the WOD.  Camille Leblanc-Bazinet and Samantha Briggs were the two female competitors and Rich Froning and Jason Khalipa were the two men competitors.  All four of these athlete have competed in the previous CrossFit Games and placed in the top 10 or won the Games.  When Dave Castro got ready to make the official announcement, we were on the edge of our seats.  They had the four athletes in another room where they could still hear the announcement, but they showed a little square at the bottom of the screen of their reactions.  Their reaction told us all that this WOD was going to be, by far, the hardest WOD of the Open!  It is basically a modified Fran (21-15-9: Thrusters and Pull-Ups), which every CrossFitter knows is probably the hardest Girl WOD in CrossFit.  Not only that, but the set of 15 in Fran is by far the hardest and most grueling of the 3 sets.  And in this WOD, you repeat that set over, and over, and over again!  We watched the four athletes compete and were blown away by how amazing they did, then talked a little about our goals for 13.5 before we headed to bed.

The last time I did Fran, my time was 4:44.  So, I knew I would be pushing it to get 90 reps before the first 4:00 minutes of this WOD was up.  In fact, I kinda figured I wouldn't get past the 4:00 minutes or probably even close to 90 reps.  Since I've been pregnant, my workouts have slowed down a bit, which they should.  Dr. Tadvick told me that I can keep doing what I'm doing, lifting the same weights I was before and running, and CrossFitting.  I just can't get any new max's and I really need to tone the intensity down.  So, I knew that I needed to keep my goal reasonable for 13.5 so I didn't push myself more than I should (I've done that all through the Open).  I decided that if I could get 60 or more reps, I would be really pleased with myself.

I went in in the morning and warmed up by walking a mile, stretching, doing a few thrusters with the pvc pipe, and a few chest to bar pull-ups.  I was nervous about the chest to bar pull-ups.  I don't do them often and they are A LOT harder than regular kipping pull-ups.  I also haven't gotten my butterfly pull-ups down yet, which would have saved me a lot of energy on the chest to bar pull-ups on this WOD.  After about 15 mintues of warming up, I was ready to do my last WOD of the 2013 CrossFit Open.  At 3...2...1...GO!  And I was getting after it.  I did my first set of thrusters unbroken and went straight to the chest-to bar pull-ups.  I rarely break on a set of 15 pull-ups, but these were different.  I wound up breaking them into 3 sets because I just couldn't keep my grip and I was absolutely drained.  I finished the pull-ups with more than half my time left to go, so I knew I could get through the second set of this WOD.  I broke the second set of thrusters up into two sets.  I did 8, then 7.  And then moved on to the chest to bar pull-ups.  This time, I think I broke them up into 5 sets.  I could really feel my energy level going down and I just couldn't make myself stay on the bar.  BUT...I finished the last pull-up of the second set with 3 seconds left and before I complete a full thruster, the timer went off.  So, I accomplished my goal of getting 60 reps on 13.5!

I am so thankful that I was able to compete in the 2013 CrossFit Open.  Not just because I love CrossFit and I am so blessed to be a part of something so awesome that pushes you every single day and where the community is more like a family.  But, also because I started the open at 5 weeks pregnant and finished the last WOD at 9 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  I did every single WOD RXd and wound up coming in the top half of the women that competed in the Open for the South Central Region.  Not bad for a pregnant girl!  I loved how the people at my box pushed me and cheered me on each and every time that timer went off for a WOD to begin and I love the fact that I can still compete and WOD even though I'm pregnant with this sweet little baby.  I've said it before and I'll say it again...I absolutely love CrossFit!!!  I have never felt better, been more fit, or been stronger in my whole life.  Even through this pregnancy, CrossFit is something that I love doing and look forward to each and everyday.  The Open was a blast and I am super excited about going to watch Regionals at the end of May in San Antonio.  Hopefully, we'll be cheering Brent on and one other guy from Abilene that will definitely make it, Roy, as they represent the South Central Region of CrossFit.  The CrossFit Open 2013 was unbelievably fun, challenging, brutal, and just amazing.  All in all, I'm really happy with all 5 of my WODs and I look forward to competing in the 2014 Open next year!!!

Open WOD 13.5 - 60 reps

Weeks Pregnant - 9

CrossFit Open WOD 13.4

I seriously can't believe that we are already in week 4 of the Open.  This has flown by!  But...I guess that's how things go when you love CrossFit and look forward to it everyday.  I have been especially looking forward to every Wednesday night these past few weeks wondering what the Open WOD will be.  It's so much anticipation and excitement...and a little nervousness!  This was the first week that I thought...oh my gosh...what if I can't clean and jerk 95lbs more than just a few times.  My max on cleans is 125...but my max on clean and jerks (the last time I did it was months ago) is 115.  95lbs is about 80% of my max...so I was afraid that I would really struggle with this one.

On Thursday morning I walked into CF325 and was immediately nervous.  I warmed up really good...rowed and stretched a lot.  Then did a bunch of clean and jerks with just the PVC pipe and then did some with the 35lb bar.  Jeremy told me to do a few with the 95lbs just to see how it felt...but I told him no.  Which I never do!  I told him I was afraid that it would take too much strength from me since I knew it was going to be so heavy anyways and I didn't want to burn off any strength or energy that I knew I would need.  After I did a few T2B...I was ready to get this show on the road.

3...2...1...GO!  And the 7 minutes started.  The first 3 clean and jerks were the hardest throughout the whole AMRAP.  I had to split jerk it to get the bar all the way up and my elbows locked out.  Then...I had to get my feet back to being under my body, shoulder width apart, and locked out before 1 rep counted.  But, the first 3 didn't take me long and I was off to the T2B.  When I started the 6 clean and jerks, they surprisingly got easier.  I was still having to use a lot of body power to jerk it up, but I wasn't having to split jerk anymore.  I finished the round of 6 for T2B quick and started the 9 clean and jerks.  By this point, I was super warm (and I think my little baby cakes was giving me extra strength and energy) and I was push pressing the 95lb bar up after I cleaned it.  The 9 T2B were getting harder by this point because my grip was starting to get tired, but I finished them pretty quick and started the round of 12.  I think I had a little over a minute left when I started the 12 clean and jerks.  So, I knew that this would be it and I needed to try to get as many as I could before the timer went off.  I wound up getting 6 of the 12 and was still push pressing the bar up after I cleaned it.  I found that the weight got easier for me the warmer I got and the more my body got used to the weight.   All in all I'm super pleased with my number on 13.4...I finished with 42 reps total.  My goal was to get 36 or more and I definitely accomplished my goal!  Only one more week of the 2013 CrossFit Open to go!!!

Open WOD 13.4 - 42 reps
Weeks Pregnant - 8

CrossFit Open WOD 13.3

Man on man.  When I watched the announcment and the two athletes compete in this WOD...I was not looking forward to it on Thursday morning.  "Karen" is one of the girl WODs...which is 150 wall balls by itself.  We did that WOD at CF325 not too long ago and doing that by itself was a killer.  I remember my quads, hamstrings, and butt were sore for several days after doing it.  My time for "Karen" was 6:34...so my goal was to do the wall balls in around that time so I could get as many double-unders as I could in the remaining time.  Double-unders are something I struggle with.  I can string about 10-15 together...but after doing 150 wall balls...you're shoulders are shot and you're pretty much beat.  My plan was just to do the wall balls as fast I could because I knew that doing 90 double unders was going to take me awhile after being so drained from the wall balls.  So, I knew that 13.3 was going to be pretty brutal.  And...this was a repeat WOD from last year's 12.4...so everyone remembers it from the year before and was NOT looking forward to it!

All in all...I'm happy with my performance on this WOD.  I didn't do as good on the wall balls as I planned.  I think mentally I was pacing myself more than I had physically allowed myself to do.  My mind and body were not exactly on the same page...and that happens sometimes.  I don't know if I had kinda psyched myself out trying to strategize the night before or what.  But, I can honestly say that I did my best and pushed myself to the max.  I wound up getting 181 reps.  Which means that I did all 150 wall balls and 31 double unders.  I finished the wall balls at 9:48...so I had 2:52 left to try to get as many double unders as I could.  And let me say that after those wall balls...they were super hard for me.  I wound up doing them one at a time...which wasted a lot of time.  But, I also didn't think that jumping up and landing so hard to try and string as many together as I could would be a good idea.  So...13.3 ended with 181 reps.  Two more weeks of the Open left to go!!!

Open WOD 13.3 - 181 reps

Weeks Pregnant - 7

Telling Our Parents They're Going to be Grandparents!

Cody and I talked, and talked, and talked, and talked about how we were going to tell our parents that they were going to be promoted to grandparents.  I had seen so many ideas on Pinterest about how to tell your parents, or anyone else for that matter, that you're pregnant.  I found out on Saturday afternoon, February 23rd and told Cody that same night.  I posted about that in the blog post right before this one.  It's a super cute video of him opening up a box full of baby goodies...and the two tests I had taken...you should go watch it if you haven't!  So, we spent most of Sunday discussing different ideas on how to tell them.  I suggested waiting a few days so that we could come up with something super cute and creative.  I mentioned a puzzle, making a picture frame, making something like a bulletin board with cut out letters and cute decals, etc.  The more we talked about it, the more we agreed we should tell them soon because the news was going to be hard to keep from them.

The way we decided to tell my parents was by having a cake made.  We went to Albertson's right after life group on Sunday night to pick out a cake.  Thankfully, they already had one made up that all we had to do was tell the lady what we wanted written on it.  It was just a regular rectangle cake with chocolate frosting and then all along the sides it had pink, blue, and yellow squiggles and sprinkles on it.  Perfect right?!?!?  We had them wright, "Surprise...We're Pregnant!  You're going to be Grandparents" on the cake in yellow.  I had called my parents on the way home and told them that we had leftover cake from life group and wanted to bring them some and of course they said bring it over!  So, we pull up and go inside with the cake and I sat it down on the counter and Cody came behind me.  I'm sure they knew something was up because we told them that this cake was decorated really cool and wanted them both to see it...so they would be in the kitchen and open it up at the same time.  My mom was timid...she thought something was going to pop out at her!  But, when they opened the box and read the cake, the were SO excited!  It was so exciting to see their very surprised and sweet reaction.  They were overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling.  My dad immediately took a picture and sent it to Michael (who was at a friend's house) and Michael sent a text back right away that he couldn't be happier.  They will be amazing grandparents and Michael will be an awesome uncle!  We stayed over there and talked to them for awhile then headed back home to see our four legged babies.  I'm so glad that we didn't wait...it would have been so hard!

I had blood work done on Monday, February 25th and as soon as we go the word back from Dr. Tadvick that my levels were perfect and we were pregnant, Cody called his dad to come over for dinner that night.  He called his mom right after to see if she was at work...he was going to take her pink flowers with a blue ribbon tied around it with a card telling her she was going to be a grandma.  But...she wasn't at work that day...bummer.  But...he went up there the following day and gave them to her.  She was so excited and said she knew it...mother's intuition!  So, Cody's dad came over on Tuesday night for dinner, but he had no idea what he was in store for.  Cody had gotten me a gift card from Healthy Skin awhile back and I kept the bag it came in.  He filled that bag up with some of the same goodies that I had put in his box and told his dad that we had gotten him some new skin care stuff.  He rides a motorcycle and has to wear heavy duty sunscreen and keep his face moisturized so he doesn't get sun damage.  So, he was just thinking that we had gotten him some new stuff.  Well, as soon as he opened up that bag he knew immediately.  He started crying and gave us both hugs and couldn't stop talking about how excited he was.  We had SO much fun telling our parents!!!  This is going to be such a sweet journey!

Some AMAZING NEWS!!!