Running in Circles

Monday: 10 miles outside

Tuesday: 10 miles outside

Wednesday: 6 miles (.25 mile speed intervals for 4 miles)

Thursday: 11 miles outside- these miles were slow :/

Friday: 6 easy miles in 46:00 minutes and 30 minutes of Pilates

Saturday: 12 miles with a friend around White Rock Lake

Sunday: rest day!

Miles this week: 55 (20 weeks pregnant)

Miles this year: 1728

It's been a while since I did an update just on Hazel so here's what shes up to just before she turns TWO!

Hazel at 23 months

- She loves singing songs with us. She's got the hand movements down for Book of Mormon Stories, Popcorn Popping,  and Itsy-Bitsy Spider. 

- Loves singing the ABC's, Sunshine on my Shoulders (Brice taught her this and it is hilarious when they sing together), Row, Row, Row your Boat, and more

- Can identify most colors and letters and is really good associating letters to words that begin with the. We need to work on shapes though.

- Hazel is a really good eater right now- loves applesauce, sandwiches, cheese, chicken, pasta, avocado, Quesidillas, carrots and ranch, hummus, ICE WATER, and any snacks from friends houses ;)

- Is sleeping in a toddler bed now! It's been a week and shes never gotten out when she isn't supposed to. She loves her big girl bed and we love how easy the adjustment has been.

- Goes to bed at 8:00 pm and wakes up between 7:00-7:30 am.

- Naps from 12-2, but sometimes she talks in her bed for a whole 45 minutes and then sleeps which makes nap time longer for me :)

- Hazel loves wearing girly accessories- my hats, necklaces, her headbands, shoes! Every morning I come home from a run to a closet where shoes and jewelry are scattered about.

- Loves animals, especially happy when she gets kisses from dogs when were out on walks.

-Loves to feed the ducks and turtles in the lakes in our complex.

- Lays on the floor and does "exercises" with mama.

- Does great in nursery- and does great at making new friends. 

(Sometimes sharing baby dolls is hard but what are ya gonna do?!?)

- She asks me to paint her toes on a weekly basis.

- Loves playing at the park, splash pad, swimming in the pool, doing puzzles, playing with baby dolls, reading books at the library, and rough housing with daddy on the floor.

- Hazel is quite the talker and is really good at remembering words or phrases shes heard once or twice. Yesterday she told Brice "Big Butt!"

- Most of her sentences are 3-5 words now. 

- Has started answering "no" when we ask her to do anything but time-out or a stern talking to works well.

- Loves playing with friends, holding their hands, and giving them hugs & kisses goodbye.

- Loves coloring with crayons, sweeping the floor, and taking her shoes off by herself.

- Hazel is really affectionate and loves to give hugs and kisses to us when we come home or just out of the blue during the day. We love it!

We love you Hazelbug!

Thank you all so much for the texts, calls, and love sent our way! 

We are very excited and honestly kind of overwhelmed with the thought of another baby! I can't help but laugh out loud because Brice and I both want several more kids, but pregnancy is uncomfortable and motherhood is a lot of work!

This pregnancy has had a lot of similarities and a lot of differences than my first. 

Things that are the same:

- I still am relatively small, but its just because I carry so low (but no complaints from me about this)

- I still have gained a surprisingly amount of weight in the early weeks 

- I'm up 11 pounds already but trying to not even worry about it

- Exercise is enjoyable and easy (knock on wood)

- I'm actually running more this time around but I'm not teaching Pilates so maybe that adjusts for the extra mileage (averaging 50-55 miles a week)

- My longest run has been 13 miles and I do it every two weeks

- My chest has grown fast and guess what- I still don't like it! I like being flat-chested ;)

- Foods that I've enjoyed: turkey and Swiss sandwiches, apples, milk duds?!? and CHEESE

- I felt the baby move at week 18 for the first few times and am feeling him regularly now but mostly after I eat a meal.

Things that are different:

- With Hazel, I hit 6 weeks and just felt terrible with nausea and vomiting. This time around week 6 came and went, 7, and 8, and nothing. Around week 9 i started being nauseous in the mornings/afternoons but never threw up more than once a twice.

-The nausea was totally gone by week 14.
- I am so tired still! I cannot for the life of me keep my eyes open past 10:00 am and sneak a nap in every chance I get. I do get up early to run most mornings though 6:20 am...It's week 20 now and I still don't have the flood of energy back.

- I have broken out so much more on my face this time around :/

- We kept our good news to ourselves a lot longer and honestly nobody in Dallas still knows I'm pregnant except for friends I see regularly.

- My favorite treat; plain M&Ms haven't been touched since week 5-- peanut M&M's were enjoyable for a little bit, but sweets are just to sweet. Chocolate doesn't taste right and the thought of ice cream makes me want to gag. I still have sweet tooth but nothing sounds good so it gets passed over almost every craving.

 - I'm still running relatively "fast"- with Hazel my pace slowed down right away and there was nothing I could do about it. Right now I'm running between 7:15 and 8:45 minute miles, the longer the run the faster the miles get. its kinda strange.

 ^15 weeks^

^20 weeks^

We are so excited to finally announce to friends and family that we are expecting another baby in early January! 

I had a hunch I might be pregnant after moving into our new apartment in Dallas and being exhausted for days afterwards! I mean moving is a lot of work, especially going up two flights of stairs- but I was so wiped out for days I just knew something was different. I didn't say anything to Brice because we tend to both get a little overwhelmed with pregnancy announcements so I waited until Brice's birthday to take a pregnancy test. I figured if it was negative no big deal and if it was positive- then it'd be the perfect surprise! 

Well, he loved his "birthday present" and couldn't believe that I had kept my mouth shut about my suspicions. 

*I tend to blab my feelings and concerns fairly quickly since being married :)

So here we are already 20 weeks along and today we found out we're having a BOY!!!

Happy Anniversary Brice!

In four years we've been in college, graduated college, moved three times, worked 3 internships and three different jobs, lived in Provo, Waterloo, Seattle, and Dallas, had a baby girl, fixed a car together, found hobbies to share, cheered at sporting events, eaten dinner together daily, we've redone furniture, gotten really good at speed scrabble, vacationed in Costa Rica, and have had so many everyday adventures together. 

I am happiest when I am with you and am so grateful for your kindness and support in everything I try and accomplish. I'm looking forward to our night out on the town.
I love you!

This is one of our favorite summer recipes because you don't have to use the oven on a hot day.

Its the perfect side salad for sandwiches, a Sunday dinner, or to eat for lunch the next day!

Couscous Salad:

 2 T olive oil

2 cups of Israeli couscous

4 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 T fresh Rosemary (minced)

1 green apple chopped into small pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 slivered, toasted almonds ( toast them on a baking sheet at 350* for 8-10 minutes)

Dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 T pure maple syrup

1/4 cup olive oil

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

- Heat olive oil in sauce pan on medium high heat.

- Add couscous and stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes

- Add chicken broth and bring to a boil

- Lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the liquid evaporates

- Transfer to large bowl to cool (1 hour at least)

- Add the rest of ingredients and toss with dressing

Monday: 6 miles outside in 45:00

Tuesday: 11 miles outside, early in the morning with a friend

Wednesday: 6 miles outside

Thursday: 10 miles outside + ab workout

Friday: 6 hard, hot miles outside + 30 minutes of Pilates

Saturday: 10 miles around White Rock Lake in 1:18

Sunday: rest day

Total Miles this Week: 49

Miles this year: 1566

Monday: 10 miles on treadmill in 1:15

Tuesday: 8 easy miles in an hour

Wednesday: 6 miles and weights

Thursday: 12 miles with 4 miles of speed intervals

Friday: 6 miles outside in the rain and it felt so good!!

Saturday: 13 miles at White Rock Lake with a new friend and by far my favorite run in a long time--thanks Megan!

Sunday: rest day

Weekly Miles: 55

Miles this year: 1516