I was scheduled to have a C-section on Friday, July 1st, but baby had other plans. My water broke at 4am on June 30th, and we welcomed a baby girl into the world at 2:45pm. We decided not to find out whether baby was a boy or girl, but we were guessing a boy after our 20 week ultrasound revealed 1) longer femurs than any of our other kids, 2) a narrow face, like Nate’s, and 3) overall measuring in the 70th percentile. I was super excited when they announced she was a girl, and surprised that she was both the lightest of all of our kids, at just 5# 10 oz, and our longest baby, at 20″ long. We ..read more

3:01:17, good for 62nd female. Interestingly enough, that’s the exact time I ran for my very first marathon, also at Grandma’s, right after I graduated college. To the second! I know I have more in me. For the first time in a marathon, I just was not mentally in it. I wanted to do the training – and loved every bit of that – but when it came to race week, I just was not excited to race the marathon distance. I wish Dr. Asp was still alive; I’m sure he would be able to help me unpack my mental funk. I have never entered a race and not wanted to give it my absolute all!  Jack got sick the w ..read more

Training update: There is something fun about building fitness after pregnancy (or an injury). Is it because progress is so easy to see? Or my achiever mindset – where I wake up everyday, excited to get after it, improve on the day before, etc – and building from the bottom up allows me to have more to work at each day? The big goal I’m aiming towards is Grandma’s marathon in Duluth, MN in June and am hoping to break 3 hours there. That will be just a little over a year postpartum. I have a lot to work on, including: base building. It’s been a while since my mileage was where I’d like it to b ..read more

A few updates on C-section recovery, baby Jack, and my return to training! C-section recovery: This was much rougher than with either of the girls. First, my hip still really hurt from the last run I did while pregnant. Second, my incision became infected and a first round of antibiotics didn’t clear it up. I took off the surgical glue one night and it drained yellow pus. Turns out it was a staphylococcus bacteria (resistant) so I was put on a specific antibiotic and within a day or so the incision began to heal. Poor Jack had green poop for 2.5 weeks while I was on antibiotics. Just as that w ..read more

We welcomed Jack Peter into the world on 6/4/2020! I had my 38 week OB appointment on Wednesday, 6/3. She checked my cervix and I wasn’t dilated. That, plus ultrasounds showing baby measuring large, led us to schedule a C-section for 39 weeks.   I had been up the previous night with Braxton Hicks contractions (at first I thought it was just baby stretching out – very often) and they continued through the day at work after the OB appointment. I picked up the girls from the Montessori school, we ate dinner as a family, and then called my parents to let them know about the C-section dat ..read more

In some ways my due date is so near… in other ways, so far away! I’m happy that I have been able to run so late into this pregnancy. Continuing to work with Meghan, my coach, has helped as she has kept me consistent, even when I didn’t really want to be. At the end of my 37th week, though, I’ve had more hip pain after my runs.  I hate to admit it but think I need to either move to the elliptical or to walks. I was hoping to be able to run 5k the day before baby was born, which I did with both Greta and Anna, but alas, it just might not be in the cards. Week 35 (May 11-17): 23.1 miles, 2 d ..read more

5 more weeks down, now just 5 to go! Week 29: 39.2 miles, 3 days off. Long run of 11 miles which included some fartlek work with Claire, one of my high school athletes, and Nate pushing the stroller. From the beginning of the workout, I could only see Claire’s back! They circled back to me on the easy segments. Man, I love doing hard workouts with people. I can’t wait to 1) be doing hard workouts again!, and 2) to be able to recruit the army of individuals I’ve amassed here in Northfield to do these crazy workouts alongside! Soon enough, right?!? I had a 4 mile run the next day where I had mor ..read more

One of my goals in 2020 is to be more diligent about meal planning. Everytime I do it, I am reminded of what a time saver it is! As I go through the year I’ll try to share some of the recipes our family tries and loves. Plus, then I’ll have my recipes here for use for future meal planning. Win-win! We made this on a Monday night and made enough chicken to make a Spaghetti Squash chicken casserole on Tuesday. (recipe wasn’t as awesome, so I won’t share that recipe). Chicken Avocado Bacon Sandwiches Chicken Avocado Bacon Sandwiches Chicken 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts 1 tsp cumin 1/8 cup o ..read more