Mixed nuts

Some of the most recent pictures from my phone!

Flowers for my MIL's b-day from our local farmer's market!  So pretty.

Gussy - My uncle thinks her eyes are creepy!

Proud owners of 1.5 bottles of 16year Black Maple Hill.  This stuff is $$$ and goes down like butter. 2ish more weeks until I can have some!!

Knitting fail - this deserves it's own post.

Baby's first Halloween costume!

When my mom visits, I trade her Ikea napkins for fresh tortillas from home.  I hope 400 napkins are enough!  Do you see Artichoke??

Bouncy houses are fun for adults too!

Our neighbors had their son this week!  Their friends were really excited!

 Fun times on my phone!
-ELH

Super easy project

I love ceiling fans.  I know they are considered ugly and all the home decorators frown upon them, but I need that constant air moving, especially at night.

The nursery didn't have one and since it is in the back of the house and doesn't get a lot of air movement, we installed a nice looking one from home depot.  I had also read that constant air movement while the baby sleeps can help prevent SIDS.

I do think the ugly part of the fan are the light and fan pulls.

Turns out that our bedroom has the same ceiling fan!

I've had colored painted state quarters that I received from family members when I moved - GA and NM.  I've never really known what do with them, so they have just sort of been around the house. 

Then I go the bright idea, that they would make great fan and light pulls on the new ceiling fan! 

I just used some needle nose pliers to destroy the old pulls, slip on the quarters, and crimp the ends to secure the quarters.  A ~5min project that adds the perfect amount of details to a ceiling fan!

What easy home projects have you been up to??
The nursery is just about finished.  I got a beautiful colorful mobile from etsy that needs to be hung and then I can take finished pics! 
-ELH

WWW

Mon, Aug 19^th – This was a busy day/week, so not a lot of walking.  I had an early morning at work and that night we took G’s brother and family dinner and hung out with their new baby girl.

Tues, Aug 20^th – Prenatal workout class in the evening! 

Wed, Aug 21^st – Super early morning and I was exhausted when I got home, so no walking.  I did get a swim in!

1100yards in the pool.

Workout –

2x {100 free, 100, back, 100kick}

9x50 – 3 free on 1min, 3 back on 1min, 3 kick on 1:15

50free warm-down

Thurs, Aug 22^nd – 36week Drs appointment in the morning!  Baby is doing great and I am only up 23lbs for the whole pregnancy.  Only a few more short weeks until we meet this baby boy or girl!  I was planning on walking Molly after work, but the weather had other plans – pouring rain!  Oh well.

Fri, Aug 23^rd – I decided to swim instead of taking Molly for a walk in the morning and the evening was dinner with G’s family for our SIL’s b-day.

1100yards in the pool.

Workout –

1x {100 free, 100, back, 100kick}

8x75 – 4 x free {50swim, 25 breast kick}, 4 x back {50swim, 25 free kick}

100 warm-down

Sat, Aug 24^th – 2.02 mile walk with Molly in the morning, then lots of cleaning and chores around the house.  I did get a 2hr nap!

Sun, Aug 25^th – More morning walking with Molly – 2.16miles and more random chores around the house, followed by another 2hr nap.  I guess cooking this baby at the end makes one really tired.

-Enjoy!

ELH

Random foot update

If have feet issues!  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have had 3 foot surgeries!  The first 2 were ~9years ago to remove excess bones on the tops of both feet.
You actually have a joint there and mine had become compressed and calcium/bone had grown over the joint causing lots of constant pain.  I had the calcium/bone shaved off/back.  My podiatrist said had "old feet" and the surgery would last ~15years. 
My left foot has started to "grow" again and it hurts off and on.  Fun!

1" scar on tops of feet - surgery 1+2, surgery 3 - left foot scars between the middle toe (hard to see in pic), and dried blood on right tallest toe.

A few months before that surgery, I got a pedicure for my BFF's wedding and they ended up scrapping a chuck of skin off the bottom of my foot - ouch!! 

After that bad pedicure experience and the surgery, my feet have become super sensitive.  I love soaking my feet and rubbing lotion on them - but don't particularly like anyone else touching them.  Add to that, they are super ticklish!

It has been a little over a year since my 3rd surgery to remove the damaged nerves in my left foot from running.  The surgery went well and after a few months I have gotten feeling back in my middle toes.  It was weird touching the toes and not feeling anything!  I still don't like walking without any shoes on - I need that little bit of soft support.

As for running - I was just starting to get back into and liked running in the cold when we found out about the baby.  Who new it would only take ~1 month to get preggers!  Needless to say, my running has been sideline, so I can't really give a great update on my foot recovery and Morton's neuroma surgery.

Taking all that foot hoopla into consideration, I haven't been a big fan of pedicures - I'd rather just do them myself!  At around 33 weeks my belly has gotten so big, that I can't reach my toes!  And since it is still summer weather, I need pretty painted toes.  I have gotten 2 pedicures in the last few weeks and the last one was another disaster!  She cut the cuticle on my right foot and it bleed, and bleed, and bleed, and bleed.  Lovely!

All that to say, that this is probably my last pedicure for awhile!
Fun times!!
-ELH

WWW

Mon, Aug 12^th – Busy work day and it rained all day…. It has rained almost everyday this summer.  I can’t complain, but all this wet makes summer activities hard to do!

Tue, Aug 13^th – 1.61 mile walk with Molly in the morning and prenatal workout class in the evening!

Wed, Aug 14^th – 2.11 mile walk at night with G and Molly.  I tried to swim….the pool was closed last week for annual maintenance.  It was reopened this week, but not heated.  And won’t be heated until next week.  I didn’t know that when I jumped in and thought I was going to drown!  Seriously, I couldn’t get my breathing under control and I was freezing only after 50 yards.  I totally wussed out and got.  No need pushing myself right now!

Thurs, Aug 15^th – Another busy work day and we took a hospital tour in the evening, so we didn’t have time to walk Molly in the evening.

Fri, Aug 16^th – 1.68mile walk with Molly and G after our steamed snow crab dinner!

Sat, Aug 17^th – 3.04mile morning walk with Molly and some arm weights!

Sun, Aug 18^th – We were able to get in a 1.85mile walk between the rain storms and Target shopping.

Hoping this week will be dryer and the pool is warmer!

-ELH

Butterfly bush

Have I ever told you that we have yard-guys?  They've been doing our yard for ~18month or so and it is money well spent! 
I love pulling up to the house every other Monday and seeing the yard looking spectacular!  Especially in the fall when all the pinestraw is cleaned up!

The back yard is a little over grown because of all the pine trees preventing grass to grow in a majority of the yard.  We do have some lovely flowering bushes, which I have been told are pretty pricy plants!  One plant it particular is a butterfly bush.  In my opinion it is a hot mess of a plant and looks like a big fat weed.  What do I know??

Doesn't it look like a hot mess?

Butterflies on the butterfly bush!

I talked to the owner of the lawn company about our options with this butterfly bush.  He told me it was a pricy plant and the best option would be to trim it back now and then in the late fall they could move it to a more ideal location.  Cool!

Not sure I would call that a "trim," but it looks great!

The spot it is in used to be a vegetable garden and I would like to get that area cleaned up, put some grass in, and make a much smaller vegetable garden.  Keeping house plants alive it about the extent of my gardening skills/experience.  Starting out small seems like a good idea.

I'll keep you posted on the bush's new home later this year!
Enjoy!
ELH

WWW

Mon, Aug 5^th – Early work day, so we took Molly for a 2.03mile walk in the evening.

Tues, Aug 6^th – I went back to doing the prenatal combo class (busy last July Tuesdays!) and had a great time.  We did a lot of legs and I am sure they will be sore tomorrow!

My SIL also had her baby today!  Their first girl and third baby, making this little girl the second girl out of 6 grandchildren on G’s side of the family.  Mom and baby are doing great and we plan on seeing them on Wednesday.

Wed, Aug 7^th – Early work morning so we could bring G’s family lunch at the hospital and meet Miss Sarah Elizabeth!  She is a cutie and has a fun head of dark brown hair.

Thurs, Aug 8^th – 2.12 mile walk with Molly and G in the evening.

Fri, Aug 9^th – 1.59mile walk with Molly in the morning before work.

Sat, Aug 10^th – All day childbirth class with G.  Fortunately, the class went really fast and we were out of the hospital ~2pm.  It did rain in the evening, but we were able to get in a quick 0.73mile walk with Molly between storms.

Sun, Aug 11^th – Lazy morning at home and when we finally got ourselves in gear is was pretty hot out, so we only walked 2.16miles with Molly.

Sort of a lazy week, but at 34weeks preggo, I'll take it!

Enjoy!

-ELH

July Mileage

Running - 5.18miles according to my garmin, but this does take into account my 0.18mile warm-up walk that I did 1 time so my actual mileage is 5.

Walking - 32.42miles

Yearly totals - 

166.08miles running

231.26miles walking

I am pretty happy about my progress and am well on my way to achieving my goals!

Enjoy!

ELH

WWW

Mon, July 29^th – 2mile walk with Molly – feeling much better from my bought of food poisoning, but now I a little crazy about making sure my food is cook thoroughly and pasteurized.  Yes, this is crazy, but after a night like I had, I am okay with crazy for the last 6 weeks of cooking this baby!

I have also started to do more arm weights with my 5 and 10lb weights.  This momma doesn’t need saggy arms!

Tues, July 30^th – 1.65mile walk in the morning with Molly and then swimming in the afternoon.

1000yards in the pool.

Workout –

2x {100 free, 100, back, 100kick}

7x50 – 2 free on 1min, 2 back on 1min, 3 kick on 1:15

50free warm-down

Wed, July 31^st – rest/off/busy work day/pick G up from the airport

Thurs, Aug 1^st – 2.07mile walk with Molly and G and then more arms!

Fri, Aug 2^nd – early morning walk, 1.64miles with Molly and lots more arms.

Sat, Aug 3^rd – 3mile morning walk with Molly and a few arm exercises.

Sun, Aug 4^th – Another 3mile early morning walk with Molly and then cleaning/organizing 3 of our main closets.  I still need to tackle the nursery closet….

Enjoy!

-ELH