18 weeks: ONE(sie) LOVE



18 weeks. hello bump!






baby updates according to alpha mom:

• Is about the size of a baked potato — five-and-a-half inches long.
• Has actual cute little ears and working ear bones and can hear sounds through the amniotic fluid — similar to how things sound to you underwater.
• Is moving, moving, moving. The baby is still small enough that you may not feel every kick and punch yet, but the movements will start getting less “bubble-like” and more “holy crap, that was totally a foot” pretty soon, if they aren’t already.

-With the funeral services this week, it was a pretty somber week... but Baby & I made it through just fine together....stick with me kiddo. we've got this :) I'm still so sad that Grandpa will never get to "meet" baby bean, but I'm grateful for my faith & I believe that now that he's in heaven, Grandpa knows our little bean better than we do! I just picture him lovin' on our little one & it makes me smile (ok, and cry too but that comes with the preggo territory, doesn't it?)

"Awesomes" of the week: -All of our penta screen tests (genetic screening) all came back normal....so HUGE sigh of relief!

-I LOVE feeling the baby kick. I know I said this last week too but oh my goodness, I really REALLY do!

-check out the adorable onesies we've collected so far:


http://www.etsy.com/shop/tinytwistcreative
the funds made from this little shop on etsy help in funding this sweet couple's adoption from the Democratic Republic of Congo! check 'em out.



from mama's trip to Chicago :)



H&M



...sorry...couldn't figure out how to rotate the first two. i trust that even sideways, the cuteness is still quite evident.

"Awkwards" of the week:
-uh...my morning sickness (oh who am I kidding...all-friggin-day sickness) is back. with a vengeance. what the heck?! whoever said that the 2nd trimester is "sooooooo awesome" is full of crap. I feel just as yucky as I did in my 1st trimester if not worse....and ending pity party now.
-family in town = lots of belly touching which I am NOT a fan of. I let it slide though. this time....
-prenatal yoga kicks my butt every.single.time. seriously? how can i still make it just fine through body pump, spin & kickboxing but yoga leaves me sweaty and gasping for air?!
-nothing fits right! i'm too big for my regular clothes but too small for maternity clothes...getting ready has become an ordeal (well...more so than usual...) my closet is just one big pile of "nope. not gonna work"

 ...all this complaining but seriously, I'm feeling VERY blessed. Every morning feels like Christmas morning when I wake up, put my hand on my belly & smile....

xoxo,
K & Baby

namaste.

so today is september 30th which means...i have successfully completed my 30-day yoga challenge!! yahoo! i've got to admit, the challenge was a little tougher than i thought it would be...not physically but fitting yoga into a pretty busy schedule was not as easy as i expected. but i did it! it didn't change my life...i have not become an enlightened yogi, "oooommmm"ing my way through my day...my hamstrings and hips are still ridiculously tight...but it did re-affirm the importance of some of yoga's most basic principles. the practice of yoga can be applied to everyday life in so many ways. below is a list of the 10 things i learn from yoga:

1. HAVE PATIENCE - it's called a practice for a reason. i love yoga because it is not about the journey but the destination. it's about being patient with yourself and your body and appreciating it where it is right now. there are some days when i just can't master a simple pose, even if i did it fine the day before. there are some days when one side of my body is less flexible than the other. and that is totally fine. what a refreshing change to the other more competitive sports that i love. (that's right running, i'm looking at you!)
2. BREATHE - webster defines breathing as: to draw air into and expel it from the lungs : respire; broadly : to take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide through natural processes b : to inhale and exhale freely
breathing also "centers" you, it brings you to the present, calms your mind and gives you balance (physically & mentally). In yoga you learn to breathe through tough poses. when your legs are screaming in warrior III or your arms are begging for mercy in plank, you learn to turn your mind toward your breath, to breathe oxygen to revitalize those specific muscles. as a result, you amaze yourself with the strength you can muster.
3. BE PRESENT - in yoga, there is very little distraction...maybe some light music and that's about it. in other forms of exercise, there are screaming instructors, blaring pop tunes, harsh lights, television...all forms of distraction from what you are actually doing. in some cases (stepmill) this is a good thing :) but in yoga, you take time to focus on yourself...and appreciate the moment that you are in right NOW.
4. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY - without said distraction, you can really tune in to yourself. once you learn to listen to your body, you can celebrate it's strength and (lovingly) work on it's weakness. you focus on what's sore, which muscles are tight, and how your balance feels. you not only tune in to the physical "you" but you learn to tune into the emotional/spiritual/mental "you" as well. one thing in particular i became aware of during this month was this internal tuning aspect of yoga. my toughest yoga practice, hands down, was not after pounding out 10 fast miles on the trail, or lifting weights in body pump when i was legitimately tired & sore...nope. the toughest yoga for me was when i wasn't "good" emotionally/spiritually/mentally. when i was upset about something...that was the toughest time for me to do yoga, which really speaks to the internal conditioning the practice achieves.
5. COMMIT - like i said, 30 days of yoga was tougher than i thought! but i figured, i promised myself i'd do this...i owed it to myself to take a little time out each day to "check in". and i'm oh so glad i saw that commitment through.
6. TRY - damn you crow pose! no matter how many times i try, i just can't seem to get this one. i try setting up different, i use my core more, i focus. and while i can hold it for maybe maaaaaaaybe 5 seconds, i always wind up with bruises on my arms and a look of exasperation on my face. but the point is i TRY. and i will continue to try. there are other poses that i thought "no way!" but i tried and you know what?..."way!" my body fell right into them...gotta give it a try or you'll never know.
7. STUMBLE & FALL - it's okay to try and fall (not fail...just fall). you just get right back into the pose. there is no judgement, no failure. it's an expected part of the practice. you won't achieve king dancer pose unless you pull that foot up higher....which may mean falling a few times but once you get it....you realize, man, those stumbles were totally worth it!
8. ACCEPT - accept where you are right now. accept what you are doing right now. accept your limitations and accept your abilities. and while you're at it, don't just accept....EMBRACE and...
9. LOVE YOURSELF - always. always. no matter what. whether you are pulling off the perfect pose or vinyasa or whether you are falling flat on your face.
10. RESPECT - deeply respect both yourself and others. open your eyes & see the intrinsic value in yourself and the world around you. the closing statement in yoga class is "namaste" which means "the good/divine in me BOWS to the good/divine in you". when you look through it with a lens of respect, the whole world changes. you begin to see the worth in all you do and in all the people you encounter, which makes your life incredibly rich.

own it.

as i was running on the trail behind our house last weekend i ran past this girl with the most awesome body ever. lean & muscular. and she looked strong & fast too. i thought to myself, "dang, i work so hard...why can't i have HER body?" and this is what i immediately realized: "DUH. because it's HER body. and YOUR body, kerith, is YOUR body"

yes, i work hard. on the outside i don't feel like my arms or legs or my abs look as strong as they really are. but here's the point: they ARE strong. and that makes them awesome, regardless. i might not have the perfect body but here's what i DO have:

i have strong arms that can push through "boy" pushups in boot camp class (stupid term...i'll show you "boy" pushups...). i have arms that embrace my family and friends & carry around my nephew when he comes to visit.

i have legs that have powered me through 4 full marathons, beach to bay with good friends every summer, and just last winter allowed me to run 13.1 miles alongside my cousin as she completed her very first half marathon. i have legs that hurt so good during spin class as we tackle hills. and i have legs that love to dance at parties and weddings.

i have abs that allow me to finish that last round of crunches in kickboxing long after everyone else has collapsed. i have a stomach that can hold plank, plow or boat pose for as long as my yoga teacher urges me to. and i have a stomach that someday i will marvel at as i watch it grow as (God-willing) it supports the life of my child.

one thing i'm slowly learning to value in my old age :) is confidence...not cockiness, but being comfortable in my own skin, workin' with what God gave me and being GRATEFUL for the gift of health. in a society where so much emphasis is placed on outside appearances & superficial achievements, i'm learning to value myself based on much more important things than pounds, good hair days or designer labels. i urge you to make a conscious effort to do the same.



yoga challenge update: going beautifully!

day 4: 60 min. yoga class @ the gym. this class is tough but i love it! we do this standing series that never fails to turn my legs to JELLO by the end.
day 5: 25 min. yoga "sculpt" @ home
day 6: 60 min. body flow @ the gym. body flow is a combination of tai chi, yoga and pilates...great workout for mind & body.
day 7: 20 min. "zen" workout @ home

it can be a challenge to squeeze in time for yoga every single day but i'm finding it's completely worth it!

pumpkin spice lattes

day 2: check! 30 min. of vinyasa after work. very relaxing. it was also helpful to have cody home b/c he kept jack entertained..."downward dog" is much more zen without jack licking my face or jumping on my back.

day 3: 20 min. power vinyasa during lunch w/ jack. lots of emphasis on the upper body w/ tons of planks & chaturanga's. goooooood stuff :)

just to be clear, this challenge is not just about making sure i practice yoga everyday...oh no my friends, it is so much more than that! the physical action of the yoga is just the tip of the iceberg.

my dear yogi friend, jessica wrote a great blog all about yoga and it's "magical aspects" as she describes them. you should check out her blog b/c well, she's amazing but this is the specific information that she shares which i would like to pass on to all (eight)of you:

One of the most magical aspects of yoga is that it means something different to each person. The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj, means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as "union" or a method of discipline.

The Indian sage Patanjali is believed to have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra is a collection of 195 statements that serves as a philosophical guidebook for most of the yoga that is practiced today. It also outlines eight limbs of yoga. Each limb relates to an aspect of achieving a healthy and fulfilling life, and each builds upon the one before it.

For the most part, the Western world is familiar with the third limb, the asanas, or practice of yoga postures. But really, yoga is about so much more. Below are descriptions of the eight limbs (courtesy of about.com):

1. Yama: Five ethical guidelines regarding moral behavior towards others:

Ahimsa: Nonviolence

Satya: Truthfulness

Asteya: Nonstealing

Brahmacharya: Nonlust

Aparigraha: Noncovetesness

2. Niyama: Five ethical guidelines regarding moral behavior towards oneself:

Saucha: Cleanliness

Santosa: Contentment

Tapas: Sustained practice

Svadhyaya: Self study

Isvara pranidhana: Surrender to God

3. Asana: Practice of yoga postures.

4. Pranayama: Practice of breathing exercises.

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses, meaning that the exterior world is not a distraction from the interior world within oneself.

6. Dharana: Concentration, meaning the ability to focus on something uninterrupted by external or internal distractions.

7. Dhyana: Meditation. Building upon Dharana, the concentration is no longer focused on a single thing but is all encompassing.

8. Samadhi: Bliss. Building upon Dhyana, the transcendence of the self through meditation. The merging of the self with the universe. Sometimes translated as enlightenment

interesting huh? to sum it all up ~ it makes you a better person. and it's soooooo true! when i take time for myself to do a little yoga, i find i am more kind to others, more relaxed, more giving, more grateful...just MORE of the me that i like. so, rock on yoga challenge!

on a completely random note: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES are back! amen.

30 day yoga challenge

so, this post on FB is what got me thinking:

lululemon athletica: ‎30 days has September... It's officially yoga month and a perfect time to start a 30 day yoga challenge of your own, and give your body some love into the changing season. How many yoga classes will you attend this month?

my yoga teacher is always telling us to practice as much as we can to get the most benefit from yoga. sure, once or twice a week is great but 3...4...5 times a week & just imagine how it has the possibility to change your entire life.

okay, i know that might sound like a lot of new-age garbage to some of you but trust me...yoga has a powerful effect. it's taken me years to really learn to appreciate and benefit from the practice but it spills over into all aspects of my life. my relationships, my work, my workouts, my eating habits...they are all affected by my yoga practice. it's like it changes the lens that i look through to see the world. yoga teaches me to be aware, to be grateful, to be patient, to be strong. in a world that is so results-oriented & demanding of a "quick fix" for everything, yoga teaches me to enjoy the journey and the practice and to just....be.



so in honor of national yoga month, this girl is committing to practicing yoga every.single.day. whether it's 15 min or an hour doesn't matter. what matters is that i'm committing to something i know will benefit me mind, body and spirit.

so let's get this party started.

day one: check.

without even knowing it was yoga month, i woke up this morning early b/c cody was going hunting at the crack of dawn. by 6 am i was wide awake and had the house to myself so i decided yoga would be the perfect way to start this day. 25 minutes of gentle hatha & 5 minutes of meditation and i was good to go.

this challenge couldn't have come at a better time for me. i'm in major need of an attitude adjustment and yoga is going to be just the ticket.
check out this blog post - it sums up how i've been feeling lately much better than i could ever articulate:

http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/love-your-body-2/
thank you, Laura @ lululemon for reading my mind.

as always, namaste.

motivated mondays

remember motivated mondays? oh yeah probably not because i wrote mayyyybe TWO? i'm really trying to get back into this blogging thing more often!

so anyway, i came across this album on fb by lululemon. can i just say how much i adore everything about lululemon. yoga/running/fashion/community service/positivity. what's not to love about this brand? oh yeah. the price tags! nonetheless...love love love them & i love how healthy, fit & happy their ambassadors are in this album. now if this isn't motivation, i don't know what is! happy monday - have a beautiful week.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=197030&id=33693527731