Monday, April 29, 2013
22 Weeks
This is basically a repost from my other blog, but I wanted it here as well. I'll be 23 weeks tomorrow and these shots were taken last Friday.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Salt Lake Half Marathon
I just finished my 6th half marathon! The accomplishment of it never gets old for me, especially this time being pregnant. It was the coldest and wettest half that I have ever run, but it was amazing to finish it. My mom, sister and I all met at my brother's house before to get ready and get some pictures. I had to be up at 4:00 and out the door at 4:45, so it was an early morning.
Before the race, I thought about leaving my jacket and decided against it at the last minute. I'm so glad that I had it. I was pretty much soaked by mile 3, and had water squishing in between my toes every time I landed. At mile 3.5, I had to use the bathroom for the first time. It was one of 4 times that I had to stop. I've never had to stop during a race before and I actually spent close to 20 minutes standing in line between the 4 stops. Whenever I would stop, my knees would start throbbing. I also had a good amount of pelvic pressure the entire time which I think was to be expected.
By mile 10 I was done and tired. I was about ready to start walking when I saw my brother and his friend at mile 11. They ran the last 2 miles with me which was absolutely awesome and just what I needed. As I neared the finish line, I heard my dad call out out my name. I was so excited to see him! Then I saw Marsh and the boys. I stopped to give them all a kiss before I crossed the finish line. My time this year was 50 minutes slower than last year, which I totally expected. Between all of my bathroom breaks, I averaged about a 13 minute mile. Without bathroom breaks, it was about 11:45 minute miles, which is a lot slower than my usual, but I'm pretty darn proud of that at 22 weeks pregnant.
I've decided I'm going to start tapering off with my running and really I'm being forced to do so. I've got tendonitis in my right foot and have had a lot of pain in it this week. I've had to take it easy, but I'm trying to continue to be active by doing yoga and low impact exercises. After I have the baby, I'm going to be training to improve on my half and marathon times. My friend asked if I was interested in running the Ogden marathon (full) next May. I'm all for it, but I want to improve upon my time. :)
Before the race, I thought about leaving my jacket and decided against it at the last minute. I'm so glad that I had it. I was pretty much soaked by mile 3, and had water squishing in between my toes every time I landed. At mile 3.5, I had to use the bathroom for the first time. It was one of 4 times that I had to stop. I've never had to stop during a race before and I actually spent close to 20 minutes standing in line between the 4 stops. Whenever I would stop, my knees would start throbbing. I also had a good amount of pelvic pressure the entire time which I think was to be expected.
By mile 10 I was done and tired. I was about ready to start walking when I saw my brother and his friend at mile 11. They ran the last 2 miles with me which was absolutely awesome and just what I needed. As I neared the finish line, I heard my dad call out out my name. I was so excited to see him! Then I saw Marsh and the boys. I stopped to give them all a kiss before I crossed the finish line. My time this year was 50 minutes slower than last year, which I totally expected. Between all of my bathroom breaks, I averaged about a 13 minute mile. Without bathroom breaks, it was about 11:45 minute miles, which is a lot slower than my usual, but I'm pretty darn proud of that at 22 weeks pregnant.
I've decided I'm going to start tapering off with my running and really I'm being forced to do so. I've got tendonitis in my right foot and have had a lot of pain in it this week. I've had to take it easy, but I'm trying to continue to be active by doing yoga and low impact exercises. After I have the baby, I'm going to be training to improve on my half and marathon times. My friend asked if I was interested in running the Ogden marathon (full) next May. I'm all for it, but I want to improve upon my time. :)
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Early Intervention
Today I had a meeting with Rowan's preschool teacher, principal and speech therapist. It was to discuss his IEP and plans for Kindergarten. His teacher said he is very smart. He knows his letters, is sounding out words and has great fine motor skills. He can write his name and has made huge progress since I wrote this delayed post a year and a half ago. The part where she was concerned is that he has a hard time focusing and he still struggles in some areas where we've set goals. She thinks if we were to mainstream him completely, that it might be to his disadvantage.
We decided that we are going to put him in small group kindergarten and mainstream him as they see fit. So basically he will go to his small group kindergarten and then will go to the mainstream classroom different times throughout the day with a teacher aide. He will go to the mainstream classroom more or less depending on how he does. He will start out primarily in the small group class though. The small group classes have less than 13 kids, this year they had 9. I really feel like this is the best avenue for Rowan and have to say how thankful I am to have early intervention. Having a child with delays has had it's challenges. It's been challenging to me as a mom try not to compare my child to other kids his age. It's also been frustrating with communication and there have been times that I've envied moms who have kids that talk at 2, or even right before they turn 3. I've never known that.
I think Heavenly Father knew that I needed to learn patience and unconditional love, so he gave me Rowan. I've learned love with both of my boys, but Rowan has taught me more than he'll ever know. He's such an amazing and beautiful little boy. He's my cuddle bug first thing in the morning, loves Transformers and imaginative play. He's healthy and active and perfect in his own way. I'm grateful for early intervention, that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and to live in one of the best school districts in the state. His teacher, teacher's aides, principal, speech therapist and bus drivers have all been wonderful to work with. I feel like they love my child and he loves going to school to see his teachers and friends. This does mean Rowan will go to a different school than Chandler, but I think Rowan will be bused. Hopefully their schedules don't clash too much with each other.
We decided that we are going to put him in small group kindergarten and mainstream him as they see fit. So basically he will go to his small group kindergarten and then will go to the mainstream classroom different times throughout the day with a teacher aide. He will go to the mainstream classroom more or less depending on how he does. He will start out primarily in the small group class though. The small group classes have less than 13 kids, this year they had 9. I really feel like this is the best avenue for Rowan and have to say how thankful I am to have early intervention. Having a child with delays has had it's challenges. It's been challenging to me as a mom try not to compare my child to other kids his age. It's also been frustrating with communication and there have been times that I've envied moms who have kids that talk at 2, or even right before they turn 3. I've never known that.
I think Heavenly Father knew that I needed to learn patience and unconditional love, so he gave me Rowan. I've learned love with both of my boys, but Rowan has taught me more than he'll ever know. He's such an amazing and beautiful little boy. He's my cuddle bug first thing in the morning, loves Transformers and imaginative play. He's healthy and active and perfect in his own way. I'm grateful for early intervention, that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and to live in one of the best school districts in the state. His teacher, teacher's aides, principal, speech therapist and bus drivers have all been wonderful to work with. I feel like they love my child and he loves going to school to see his teachers and friends. This does mean Rowan will go to a different school than Chandler, but I think Rowan will be bused. Hopefully their schedules don't clash too much with each other.
Monday, April 15, 2013
20 Weeks
I can't believe I'm past the halfway mark. I feel impatient in wanting to meet and snuggle this little girl of ours, but I know I've got to take it a day at a time.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Easter
I wasn't around for much of the Easter weekend this year, it was mostly Marsh and the boys. I had to work 12 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday. The week before, we got the boys new bikes. We didn't bring them from the Easter Bunny because we don't want them to have certain expectations every year. So instead, we gave them the bikes early from mom & dad. The boys were thrilled and have had so much fun with their new bikes. I will have to get a picture of them on the bikes.
The Easter Bunny came to our house on Saturday. Chan & Rowan left juice boxes and carrots out for him as well as a note that Chandler had written. The Easter Bunny filled their baskets with treats and small toys.
When they woke up, they also discovered he had hidden eggs around the house. Later that day, Marshall took the boys to the Easter Egg hunt at a local park. Marsh said it was crazy and very unorganized. Tons of parents were frantically looking for their kids. He wouldn't take them again.
Easter Sunday, I made Marsh promise to get some pictures of the boys in their new Easter outfits. This was the best one of the two of them together.
I love this shot of Chandler.
Needless to say from the following pictures, Rowan wasn't in the picture taking mood. When I was going through the shot Marsh took, all of them looked like this....
The Easter Bunny came to our house on Saturday. Chan & Rowan left juice boxes and carrots out for him as well as a note that Chandler had written. The Easter Bunny filled their baskets with treats and small toys.
When they woke up, they also discovered he had hidden eggs around the house. Later that day, Marshall took the boys to the Easter Egg hunt at a local park. Marsh said it was crazy and very unorganized. Tons of parents were frantically looking for their kids. He wouldn't take them again.
Easter Sunday, I made Marsh promise to get some pictures of the boys in their new Easter outfits. This was the best one of the two of them together.
I love this shot of Chandler.
Needless to say from the following pictures, Rowan wasn't in the picture taking mood. When I was going through the shot Marsh took, all of them looked like this....
and this....
and this.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Saving Money With Online Coupon Codes
This post was brought to you by Amanda Green
Saving Money With Online Coupon Codes
Even though the politicians and economists have been telling us for a couple of years that the recession officially ended quite some time ago, many of us gained money-saving skills and knowledge during that time that we are not going to easily stop using. For instance, plenty of moms and other household managers didn't bother much with coupons until the recession caused a substantial number of shoppers to discover and use new financial strategies like using Brownells coupons as a matter of routine.
Saving Money With Online Coupon Codes
Even though the politicians and economists have been telling us for a couple of years that the recession officially ended quite some time ago, many of us gained money-saving skills and knowledge during that time that we are not going to easily stop using. For instance, plenty of moms and other household managers didn't bother much with coupons until the recession caused a substantial number of shoppers to discover and use new financial strategies like using Brownells coupons as a matter of routine.
How You Can Save By Using Brownells
The best thing about this coupon site is that you can find codes for Brownells for a huge variety of products. Remember that coupons only really save you money when you use them to purchase products that you would normally buy anyway. Brownells offers codes for family apparel, software, party supplies, books, DVDs, cosmetics, housewares and many other items. You can even get codes for automotive supplies and phone cards, and once you start using this service, you'll be amazed at the amount of money that you can save on everyday purchases.
Discount Coupons and Codes for Adobe Products
You'll be able to save money on software products that the kids need for educational projects or to use in your home office by using discount codes for Adobe products. By joining their site, you'll receive significant savings on special deals including the latest technology in cloud computing. Because most modern people need to make at least occasional investments in software, you might as well buy from Adobe and save money on top-quality products.
Other available Adobe products include Photoshop, Creative Suite and Digital Publishing Suite. Adobe also offers training and certification in a variety of business programs.
RetailMeNot
RetailMeNot claims to be the largest coupon site on the Internet, and it is true that they have a giant selection of coupons and special offers. New printable coupons are added on a daily basis, and many of them feature national retailers and restaurant chains that are found in most communities. RetailMeNot also receives an abundance of exclusive offers, and you have the convenience with this site of searching for coupons by individual retailer rather than by product.
ToMuse
If you are looking for a good social group coupon, you should start your search on ToMuse. This site does most of the research for you by providing honest reviews of various group buying sites. Most of these sites offer very short-term deals that quick consumers can save a lot of money by snagging in a timely fashion. They are also an excellent way for small businesses to save on office products, and if you are a merchant, these sites provide you with the chance to get your product noticed by ocal consumers if you choose to offer coupons.
Coupon Cabin
If your household includes furry friends, you're probably always looking for ways to save on pet products such as chew toys, dog and cat beds, food dishes and grooming supplies. Although Coupon Cabin doesn't exclusively offer money-saving opportunities on pet products, they do have an excellent selection of pet-specific items. An example of one of the deals that you can find there is a free pet identification tag from Hartz.
Coupon Cabin also features coupon codes for a substantial number of other household products.
Savings are so easy to find online that it seems silly not to use coupons and promotions whenever possible. By spending just a little time each day searching for deals on items that you plan to purchase, you can save quite a bit of money on household and personal products.
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