Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Funny thing about that.























Remember that post about gymnastics? Funny thing. The very same week Sophia fell through the parallel bars and busted her chin open. She was fine and we took her to get it stitched, but the girl is feisty. She spit, yes, spit, at the nurse pract and had to be wrapped in a sheet and held down by three nurses.



Flash backwards to my younger years where I had to be held down by three nurses to get my vaccines when I was little. I still remember that day. And the milkshake my mom bought me afterwards. We carried on the "Milkshake tradition" by saying that if they ever have to get stitches or shots they get a shake.

We also got the nursery painted (mostly Brandon since i had to take Soph again to the doctors) on two Saturdays. We painted it moonshine gray and the upstairs bathroom.

Ava has been saying the funniest things. She has her little friends at preschool and tells me what they say. Sophia and Ava also loved having time with Momma Kuhns and Aunt Becca last week. They were so excited to get gum balls with Aunt Becca it was all they could talk about.

Robots. Robots are also very big right now. The girls like to dress up like robots with boxes, talk like robots and move like robots. As in, "Mom. Look. What. I. Am. Doing." It's fun to see their personalities blooming.

Week 27 in bullet points
  • Gained about a 1 lb.
  • Felt the baby kicking lots!
  • Very hormonal and very emotional. Cue crying at not-sad shows while feeling embarrassed and Brandon shaking his head.
  • Swam furthest I have ever swam! 1025 yards! This is okay by my doctor and actually a very great way to get exercise. I can feel baby kicking a little at first with the cold water and then he goes to sleep. I also put a water bottle at the end of the lane to make sure I get water. My next goal is to swim a mile (with breaks of course).
  • Had to go get checked out at the hospital and felt dumb, but hey, glad it was just round ligament pain. Jessie, my sister, said each baby is more and more painful in terms of ligament and pelvic pain. Totally agree.
  • End of week 27 - sun - Thank you Jesus! So needed and appreciated.
  • Crazy dreams and lots of resting at end of day.
  • Cravings? Hmm. Blizzard last week with butterfinger and fruit and beans. Also, any sweets.
And I made some chicken parm in our cast-iron skillet last Thursday. Just added brined chicken and added panko breading, homemade sauce and topped with mozzarella sauce. The cast-iron skillet made the sauce nice and bubbly. Mmm.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Gymnastics!

The girls love every Friday because it's gymnastics day! Their lessons were part of their Christmas gifts and they love learning new things. Ava is enjoying the balance beam and Sophia loves the trampoline and doing her 'salsasaults.' Sophia is in the 3-4 class and likes to show off her muscles and Ava is in the Little Dolls class (5). They go to Integrity and we really love the coach and place. Such great memories.


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Best Valentine's day card

Love.

COSI





Brandon's parents came and visited us a little while ago and we got to go to breakfast with Karin and Morgan and Mathew and then head to COSI. We loved using our passes from them that day.

COSI is a children's museum that has lots of great exhibits. The girls loved hanging out with their cousins and playing with Momma and Poppa Shmidt. All in all it was a full and fun weekend!

Winter running clothes part 2

After running last Saturday in -3 degree weather with windchill, I realized that I missed a couple of colder weather running items, namely my trusty ear warmers (never wear full hats) and a fleece over my long sleeve sheet. With the wind and running in flat Ohio it was so c-o-l-d. I would sqinch my face and it felt frozen. But, after about .5 miles, it was beautiful and so invigorating.

The North Face Ear Gear

Love these Northface ear warmers.

Below is a Windchill chart that helps you determine how cold it really is outside. I felt last Saturday was the coldest outside it's been for a long time!


Wind Chill Chart shows temperature and wind speed at which frostbite can set in. See wind chill calculator at bottom of page for equivalent.

The NWS Windchill Temperature (WCT) index uses advances in science, technology, and computer modeling to provide an accurate, understandable, and useful formula for calculating the dangers from winter winds and freezing temperatures. The index:

  • Calculates wind speed at an average height of five feet, typical height of an adult human face, based on readings from the national standard height of 33 feet, typical height of an anemometer
  • Is based on a human face model
  • Incorporates heat transfer theory, heat loss from the body to its surroundings, during cold and breezy/windy days
  • Lowers the calm wind threshold to 3 mph
  • Uses a consistent standard for skin tissue resistance
  • Assumes no impact from the sun (i.e., clear night sky).

Windchill Calculator:

Air Temperature

Wind Speed

Wind Chill Temperature:

Note: Windchill Temperature is only defined for temperatures at or below 50 degrees F and wind speeds above 3 mph. Bright sunshine may increase the wind chill temperature by 10 to 18 degrees F.


Thursday, February 09, 2012

Funny girl


















I think when your kids turn 3, 5 they start making you laugh. A lot.

Last night during dinner Ava was praying. And she prayed for something quite specific.

Brandon posted this on Facebook:
Ava, while praying for our dinner, also prayed that "mommy would not get punched in the stomach." How sweet. — with Erin Shmidt.

I died. I was laughing so hard and looking at Brandon that I didn't know what to do since she was stone cold serious.

And then today Sophia told me while watching "Olivia," "I don't want a little brother, little brothers are stinky! (while holding on to her nose)."

Where do they get these funny sayings? What are some funny sayings you have?



Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Vday fashion

Are you looking for some fun Valentine outfit inspirations?

Brandon and I get to have a date night this Friday since Ava's preschool has a parents' nights out. And on Valentines's Day we are having a seafood smorgasbord.

Valentines' Day is one of my fav holidays. There's no pressure, no presents, just lots of red and pink and fun candy. Score!

Love the nude pumps in these shots below.

Go to the Washingtonian to see some ideas from The Daybook.

Winter running

It's Wednesday!
Today the girls and I are going to Ava's preschool to clean her room and maybe getting some sweet new tires tonight for Brandon's car.

Since it snowed last night, I thought it would be cool to highlight some cool winter running apparel that I love or own. Really I keep it pretty basic and don't buy a ton of winter running shirts since I am pretty cheap. But when I shop, I make sure I absolutely love every single thing I buy since it's sometimes steep.

Love
Lulemon Brisk run gloves that let you change your iPhone playlist mid run without taking off your gloves.
W Brisk Run Glove

Own
When I run, I wear pretty much the same thing - a Brooks shirt+Northface Jacket+Nike tights. Even in 10-20 degree weather this keeps me warm enough. Ohio weather is notorious for being crazy, so layers are great.

The Brooks long sleeve shirt I got at Fleet Feet in Polaris during a mad dash for a winter long-sleeve shirt. I appreciate the long sleeves that extend by my thumbs and the tight fit around the midsection so there's no rubbage.

WOMEN'S WINDWALL® 2 JACKET

Jacket
This is similar to the Northface jacket I run in, but for some reason I can't find the exact match. It's a soft, lightweight shell that is a great windstopper and has a hoodie. I love the hoodie because it keeps my head dry when it's snowing/slushing outside.

TightsI run in these tight and love them because of the zipper that allows you to easily take the tights off after sloshing through snow and mud, last Saturday was insanely muddy. Also, they make me not feel so exposed like the Underarmer ones that aren't as thick. Try a couple of designs and see what works for you. The price, $65, is hefty, but each year it gets less expensive. I didn't have to buy any running clothes this year.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Sign up February!























Sign up February!
“Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic.” ~Anonymous

When I first started running, I used to think that races were these intimidating things that only really fast people ran. The start would have lots of pushing, testosterone and intimidating people. But, after doing my first 10k at the Emerald City race in Dublin (white t-shirt) and then Columbus Half and Cap City Half, I realized that it's actually this fun end to a training season that lets you celebrate your goals with others. My sister Becca always comes and cheers and it's so fun to have her there. It's fun to have your mom and Kellly there as you complete your first triathlon when you couldn't even properly swim a far distance two months prior.

So, that's why I am having a sign up February. Starting this month.

Pick out a race or event and sign up. And then come over to this page and let us know how it's going. Tri? Tough Mudder? 5K, 10K, Half?

Last year I had several exercise goals.
  • Complete a tri (yes!)
  • Finish a 10K under 60 minutes (yes!)
Since I am pregnant, my goals are to run/walk at least 10 miles per week. And to work on learning to swim and improve my form. This has been the one key thing that has allowed me to keep my endurance and fitness during pregnancy as well as my sanity. :) Today I ran 4.1 miles at about a 11:30 pace and felt really good.




Fav. cheerleaders - Ava and Soph at my first race.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Changeful Monday

Fruit, fruit and lots of fruit.

Today was a day full of new changes (ironic? oxymoron?) as the girls had a doctors appointment at 8:30 am and I helped take down the frames, knickknacks and things from the nursery. We are registering Ava for Kindergarten this Thursday and she needed to get her checkup for school. They are both little peanuts. Ava is in the 26 percentile and Sophia is in the 36 percentile. They loved the doctor's visit and kept telling her about their aches and bruises.

When we got home, I started organizing Sophia's pink room, which will be the nursery. This Saturday it's going from pink and polka dot green to gray. I am using birch frames and orange pops of color. I won't lie. There was some tears as I switched some of Soph's stuff to Ava's room, which they will be sharing. The changes are hard and hormones don't help. I mean, I cried when I moved out of my apartment that the Health Department had listed 20 complaints about ---change is hard.

Hormones are kicking in strong since I think the baby is almost doubling in weight over these past two weeks (24-26 weeks). It reminds me of when I had the other growth spurt (7-9 weeks). Yummy fruit like strawberries and blueberries and cereal have been what I am craving, along with sweets. Brandon was so sweet to stop yesterday for a Krispy Kreme drive-through.

Last Thursday I made some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that were amazing. Soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside.

Nestle Tollhouse Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
modifications made to recipe on back of bag

I made some oatmeal cookies with bran (actually good) and applesauce that were quite tasty!
  • I substituted 1/4 cup of butter for applesauce (left 3/4 cup of butter in recipe)
  • Added wheat bran
  • Used a cookie scooper for uniformity and a silpat mat to line the baking sheet
  • Also used my favorite baking sheet from Williams-Sonoma (19.) It lasts forever and is my absolute favorite.
Another baking favorite is my french rolling pin, that is lightweight and quickly enables you to roll out pizza, bread or pastry dough better than traditional rolling pins.

Tapered Rolling Pin
Roll Over Image to Z

Have a great week!