26.2

4 Days ago I put myself to the test. It was my second attempt at a feat I've always wanted to accomplish, but never knew if I'd actually commit to preparing for.

I ran the 2013 Eugene Marathon and somehow completed it with the WORST TRAINING and PREPARATION possible.

Last year, I gave it a go. I didn't do a single long run, I skipped out on a lot (and I mean A LOT) of training runs and I didn't take it seriously. When the day came, I made it to mile 20 before my right knee completely gave out and I had to quit. It was a terrible feeling, but nothing a little Red Robin couldn't fix.

This year I decided to try again and luckily one of our friends decided he was going to run it as well. He stuck to his training plan like a champion, which helped keep me on track much more than I would have on my own. Because of my crazy schedule I only completed one long run and I failed to keep up with the training schedule I had found online. I pretty much was setting myself up for failed attempt #2.

The day of the race, I got up at 5 am, got dressed and forgot my good-intentioned stop at the store to get a bagel before the race (probably due to nerves). Instead, I pulled up next to the shuttles at Valley River Center, downed a 5 Hour Energy and called it good.

Sitting on the shuttle, I began to feel my nerves ripple through my empty stomach. I was lucky enough to sit next to two old men who decided to get chatty with me about one of my favorite authors and I welcomed the distraction. After arriving and exiting the shuttle, I found my friend Joe, who was near the starting line. While we waited in a maze of lines to use the bathroom, I did everything I could to try and not think about what I was about to do. The bathroom situation used up most of our wait time, so when we finally got in our corral for the start, we only had a few minutes to get situated before the race began.



Our chips were embedded into our race bibs, so they didn't clock your time until you crossed the start line. I decided to walk up to the start line behind a sea of slow moving joggers, as though saving 30 seconds of jogging would allow me to conserve enough energy to run for 5 hours.

Once I crossed that start line, I set myself into my slow and steady pace; a pace that I didn't stray from or stop** for 4 hours and 56 minutes. (**Twice I saw friends cheering along the course and I ran over to them to give hugs/kisses WHILE jogging in place - gotta be honest here!)

I had prepared a playlist on my phone that held everything from Macklemore, to the entire Pitch Perfect soundtrack, to Mumford, to High School Musical. I even had the entire Catching Fire book on there in case I wanted a change during the race.

I was completely overcome with adrenaline for the first 10 miles. There were people everywhere along the route we ran. Playing music, waving funny and motivational signs, cheering for their friends and family. It was so entertaining that I almost missed the 7 mile mark where I wanted to send Shane my first picture update. It looked something like this:



After that, I focused my efforts on the next big milestone in the race: the halfway point. The half marathon runners split with us a few miles before that and I trotted on my way into the woods. It definitely put a sad spin on the race when I realized that almost everyone I was running next to was on their way to the finish line while I wasn't even halfway done. But, I grabbed a half banana from a race volunteer, splashed as much Gatorade into my mouth as I could while running and kept on my way.

Once I hit 13.1, I sent Shane another picture. I still felt really good - no aches or pains and mentally I was still completely in it. I found myself in Springfield, running past Value Village and then winding around past Autzen to Alton Baker Park. We were entering an area I was more familiar with in terms of running, so the change in scenery was a welcome one.

I decided to send Shane one final picture once I hit 20 miles. That was where I had stopped last year and I wanted to show I was still going strong. Just before mile 20, as I was passing Valley River Center, I noticed a few of our friends on the right side of the path. My excitement grew as I realized one of them was holding Colin and as my gaze drifted down the line, I saw Shane and Evan cheering me on with big smiles. This gave me a HUGE burst of energy that helped me forget the slow aches and pains that were starting to register. I ran up to give my boys hugs and kisses and then kept on, feeling my eyes start to sting with tears because I was so happy to see my family.

Realizing you still have a 10K to run once you've completed 20 miles is a little bit of a downer. Seeing my fam energized my mind and body for a few miles, but once I got to mile 22 I started to become more and more aware how much further I had to go. The phrase, "so close, yet so far away" kept repeating itself in my head and even my music wasn't helping to distract me. Every mile seemed to take forever and as I lost track of where I was, I figured the mile-markers could NOT be right. There was no way I was only 2 miles from Hayward Field and they were going to make me run forever.

Once I hit 25 miles, we took a turn and I finally realized how close I was. I knew during the final stretch my body would kick into overdrive to finish as it typically does, but getting to that point without stopping to walk was my concern. I'd run the entire race - a goal I had never set, but now it seemed like the only one that mattered. Turning another corner, I trotted onto the U of O campus and down Agate Street toward the finish. The crowds were thin (what do you mean no one wants to watch someone who ran 11 minute miles finish?!), but the ones who were there were flashing smiles and clapping wildly. I picked up my pace and ran through the gates to Hayward. The sight of the finish line gave me the boost I'd hoped would come and I started to run faster, crossing the finish line as I heard a woman announcer say, "Sarah Foster!!"

I will never forget that moment. My eyes immediately flooded with tears and I jerked/stumbled/sniffled as a young girl put a medal around my neck. "You don't even look like you ran a marathon!", a woman said as she put my space blanket around me, no doubt trying to console the emotional wreck in front of her. I have NO CLUE how I did it. Without the dedicated training runs, without the supplements...looking back on it now I feel so lucky to not have gotten hurt and to have recovered so fast.

All in all, I'm so glad I did it. The mental game for the last few miles was the hardest part, but if I can do it on one bottle of *5 Hour Energy and half of a banana, anything is possible.

*I'm expecting my endorsement deal any day now.

What Do You Use Facebook For?

Earlier this week, I was perusing Facebook, sucking the life from my poke-happy fingers, when I happened to notice how many Facebook "Friends" I had.

773

I always knew my number was fairly high, but I was too lazy to comb through and endure a mass delete-a-thon. I joined Facebook back in 2004 when it was strictly for poor college kids who realized its worth because it was free. Since then, I don't think I've done a single clean-up on my Friends list.

Shane has always maintained the stance that having so many people on Facebook as your "Friend" isn't necessarily a good thing. 773 people were exposed to my endless photo-stream of my children. 773 were exposed to every single BLR link I shared (and there have been a LOT of them). 773 were getting a much more vivid and thorough look into my life than I felt comfortable with.

So I did a little cleaning.

620 people's worth of cleaning.

That's right. I deleted 620 people from my Facebook, leaving me with a grand total of 153...and I feel great about it!

Scrolling through that large list made me think, what do I even use Facebook for and who do I want seeing what I do with it? I enjoy my carefree posting style about my family and spamming the newsfeed with as many Instagram'd pictures as I can. But do I want 773 people having access to that?

The answer was a resounding NO.

An unforeseen benefit of removing so many people is that I find I'm spending much less time on Facebook. Heck, it's only been a few days so I can't say whether or not that will be permanent, but let's pretend it is. Without the 773 status updates, photos, shares, links, and game notifications (just STOP asking me to play Candy Crush already), I get to read about things from people who are currently active in my life.

So if I "unfriended" you on Facebook, it's nothing personal! It just means that Facebook was the only thing connecting us, and in a world where technology brings us all together, I'd like to try to also keep part of the human connection intact.

What do you use Facebook for?

You Gotta Have Faith....Right?

I've been jotting my thoughts down in this post for a few months. Every time I thought of a question or a point I'd like to address I'd sign in, type it and sign back out. Then a good friend of mine recently took her daughter to get baptized into Catholicism and it reminded me about this post and all of the thoughts that have been jumbled inside my brain as long as I can remember.

I was also baptized Catholic when I was a wee one and I was raised Roman Catholic my entire pre-independent life. To say I was uninterested in Mass is an understatement. I did EVERYTHING I could to try to get out of it. I became an expert at slipping into a coma on Sunday mornings through my mother's nagging calls to "get out of bed or we're going to be late!"

I never felt a spiritual connection to the traditional atmosphere of the Catholic Church. As a child/pre-teen in the days prior to mobile technology, I felt forced to sit still and suffer through long homilies and bible verses. When we took time to reflect, I was going over dance team choreography in my head. Nothing felt relatable and every year, I was hearing the same things over and over again. Every so often, something (a word, a verse, a prayer) would change for (what I understood to be) no reason. It seemed like religion was all one big game of telephone. These words had been spoken, written, translated and edited so many times, who could even know for sure what the message was at the beginning of the game.

As an impressionable youth, I had so many doubts and questions. Religion seemed to be about putting all your faith into the belief that it all exists and that without proof (we'll say scientific proof), everything you've learned is the truth.

I don't completely discredit religion. I think that it's a necessity for many people who may not have anywhere else to turn. I know for a fact there have been times in my life when I needed it. It's a comforting thought to put your worries and cares in the hands of something or someone who loves you unconditionally, but that's also where I have a hard time transitioning back into the church. I don't feel like the majority of religious organizations that I've experienced live the message they preach. It feels a lot like a political message, which I interpret as, "Do as I say, not as I do."

That also leads into another issue I have - confession. As RIDICULOUS as this may sound, I was irritated by this while was watching the finale of Big Brother last week. One of the players happened to be Catholic and had played a ruthless and cutthroat game. His final plea to the jury members who were casting their votes for the winner included something about going to confession to cleanse himself of all the wrong he had done in the house. So that's it? You can just knowingly lie, cheat, steal, whatever you want as long as you plan on going to Confession for it? I know very well this is reality show, but I felt like this was the same scenario for many Catholics I've known in my life.

I will not invest time, energy and certainly not money into any establishment that does not endorse equal rights. I REFUSE to believe any church that draws a line between two people who love each other because of their sex, color or background is proclaiming the word of God - a God who forgives us for our sins, but only if they are clearly outlined as being forgive-able. To me, this kind of teaching only promotes hatred and discrimination.

Literal vs. Figurative - Another piece of the puzzle that I've never known how to understand. Which parts of the bible are supposed to be interpreted literally? Which parts figuratively? What makes it okay for some books to be discarded? Others to have been added? Growing up Catholic, I knew many people who thought the Eucharist was symbolic, whereas Catholics like my mom were telling me that scripture told us that it was transformed into JC's body and blood (say what?!). Christian friends were also quoting the bible, telling me to proclaim JC as my savior and that I'd be saved, but in Catholic land, I'd been doing burpees in Mass and confessing to reading my sister's diary for years to get to those golden gates.

I never want to offend anyone - believer or non-believer. I've just struggled with questions, with doubts, with bad examples, with decisions and with the Catholic guilt. But growing up has made me face a very real question:

Is fear of the unknown, going to hell and suffering for eternity the reason I felt the need to go to church?

That shouldn't be the reason you find yourself there and for me, that has been the case for many years. I don't know enough about the bible (setting aside my questions of validity) to get into a debate and that's not my intent with this post. I just wanted to express my thoughts and feelings on the struggle I've had with spirituality my whole life. At the age of 29, I feel like I've come into my own and I no longer feel the need to go to church just because other people say I do. I don't know that I believe, but I'll never tell anyone they're wrong because they do believe.

Toddlerpocolypse

Wait...what just happened?

What's the date?

How long has it been?

I have zero excuses for how long I've been away from the blog world....other than I'm a mom of two toddlers, a wife, a full-time job-holder, a dance team coach, a studio dance instructor and that I need sleep in between all of those things.

Life got in the way of my blogging and until I had something worthwhile to say, I didn't really mind it.

This last year has been full of challenges, milestones, new experiences and the beginning of what I'll call, "The End of Down Times".

After Evan was born, I thought, "Man, this kid is easy!" and he was. I assumed that because he had been spent his first few months smiling and coo'ing at us that it would always be that easy. Why did other parents complain? Two kids was a piece of cake. Two pieces of cake, in fact.

Evan grew older and it still was easier than I thought. Colin wasn't jealous and loved to help out (unless Thomas the Train was on...then how DARE you interrupt). Maybe I went into a coma, maybe I got a case of "mommy-brain" or maybe it literally all changed in the blink of an eye, but I can't remember the moment it had gone from being easy to the Toddlerpocolypse.

That phrase sounds creepy, but it's alarmingly accurate. Seemingly overnight, your children turn from adorable smiling babies into wobbling creatures who can barely speak and more often make sounds that mimic demons. They chase after you with their heads that are too big for their body, arms outstretched and remnants of jelly, juice or yogurt dribbling down their chins.

My children started acting like "people", but something was off. Then I realized, it was (here's that word again) the Toddlerpocolypse. A new era had arrived. Gone were the days of children innocently playing on the rug because they had no way to move anywhere else. These children were mobile. They were vocal (sort of). And they were hungry.

Hungry for food, attention, action....you name it. There is no end to the appetite of these small boys. I've done my best to adjust. I carry my weapons at all times: diapers, wipes, apple juice and granola bars. For now I seem to be safe, but I know that in time they'll grow bigger, stronger and yes, even more hungry.

So if you haven't seen me in a while, just know that I am thinking of you and hoping you're well. If you're feeling brave and come to see us, here's some advice: come prepared with an arsenal of hugs, kisses, jokes and 5 Hour Energy Shots. Trust me, you'll need it.

Foster Four

Hello friends.

It's been quite some time...

I haven't written in a while because as most of you know, I had a baby three months ago and to be honest, I wasn't sure if anyone actually read my blog since all I was doing was whining about every aspect of being pregnant.

I think I stopped writing because I have two children and also because I forgot I even had a blog. It wasn't until I began casually perusing some baking blogs this weekend that I realized how much I missed it. So here I am, not claiming to be better about posting, but making an effort on this random Monday because I just can't bring myself to actually work.

Now, to catch you up...

I don't remember what my last entry was about, but I bet it went something like this: "Blah, blah, blah, I must have done something awful to deserve this, blah, blah, blah, curse my husband for doing this to me, blah, blah, blah, my scale just broke."

I can make fun of myself now for complaining, but I definitely still have those same feelings. I didn't enjoy being pregnant this go-around and I do not hope to do it again. All that aside, what I got out of the pregnancy was so enormously rewarding that in the end, I can now say it was all worth it.

I'll skip the traumatic horror story of how Evan was born and just tell you that after having a difficult time dealing with being pregnant for 40 weeks, the arrival of my sweet baby cheeks was the painful cherry on top of my I-hate-pregnancy sundae.

Now, let's get on to the happy stuff!

My beautiful little Evan has been the easiest and sweetest baby I could have ever hoped for. If you happen to be lucky enough to squeeze his chubby bunny cheeks, you'll be rewarded with a heart-melting grin and adorable squeal or coo. His tiny fingers and frog belly fill me up with so much love that my already sensitive hormones kick start the waterworks even faster than usual.

Colin runs in to see us every morning with a huge smile and shouts, "It's baby Evan!!". I think he is under the impression that the name is literally, "Baby Evan".

Colin is getting so big that it's almost scary. His personality matches his red hair perfectly because that little dude is one fiery mister! Life with two kids is not easy, but it's also not as hard as I thought it would be. I definitely attribute that to my better half. It's moments when I walk into the living room and see this that prove I chose the right person to raise a family with...



The first few times I ventured out of what used to be our fairly normal looking home, I'd come back to realize it had turned into one big closet where some maniac (certainly not me!) was storing an obscene amount of baby-related items. To try and keep it organized seemed pointless. Every piece of furniture transformed into a changing table when I needed it to and every nook and cranny was stuffed with wipes, diapers and usually a Thomas the Train that had wandered off its path. I once found one in the fridge, trying it's hardest to chug past the carton of orange juice.

The neat freak in me is pulling her hair out and begging for me to lock the door so no one can ever see it, but the realist in me is brushing baby powder off her shoulders and saying "fo'getabowdit!"

My biggest challenge has definitely been to lose the baby weight. There have been so many excuses to make treats lately that every time I sit down to eat, more often than not, there's a cupcake sitting where my vegetables should be. I've done alright at getting rid of most of the weight, but if I want to wear any type of bathing suit this summer, I'm going to need to get a padlock for my pantry.

Now that you're pretty much caught up on what I've been up to, here are some recent pictures from the past few weeks.

We often go to a local farm called Lone Pine. They have a big playground for kids as well as goats you can feed! Colin wasn't too happy when I tried to get a picture of him feeding the goats (see pouty face in stroller) but all was forgiven after a few turns down the slide.





Shane and I took the kids to the zoo about a month ago and Colin was in awe over the huge tanks. You can barely see him here (little kid in the middle with his arms pressed up against the glass).



Shane likes to get donuts for breakfast (ok, we ALL like it) and Colin is a huge fan of maple bars.





I let Colin watch an episode of Special Agent Oso where he teaches a little kid how to blow his nose. Colin went to the tissue box, grabbed one and walked over to the TV. He then told Oso that he already knows how to do it.



Here are a few pictures of my little men enjoying one of the 5 minute intervals of Oregon sun.





Hope you enjoyed my quick catch-up on the Foster Four!

Crazy for Cupcakes

It should come to no surprise to friends and family that I love to bake. Breads, pies, cookies, cakes...I love all of it! The dessert I make most often has got to be cupcakes. I find any excuse to whip up a batch and sometimes I find myself baking multiple nights a week. Last night is a perfect example of my random baking habit. I teach a dance class at 6 pm every Thursday and for some reason, after I got home from work last night I decided that it was necessary for me to bake some cupcakes to take to my class for Valentine's Day. One hour later I was out the door with some confetti cupcakes complete with candy hearts on top. Could I be addicted? Possibly.

Shane always asks why I take the time to make elaborate cupcakes, but it's almost therapeutic. Don't get me wrong, I get frustrated sometimes when one turns out perfect and then I get to the next one and it comes out completely deformed (happens ALL the time), but I think Shane might complain more if I stopped making them all together. :) Plus, if anyone should understand why working on your craft is fun, even when you're upset, it should be him. I've seen him "have fun" playing Call of Duty and drop more F bombs than Debra Morgan. (Dexter reference...I couldn't help myself!)

So I decided to put together a post of some of the cupcakes I've created in the past for various events and/or random nights when I was just plain hungry. I wish I took pictures of all them, but this assortment is good enough!


A friend's baby shower...baby cupcakes!


I made these cupcakes for Colin's 1st Birthday Party - Pablo from The Backyardians


A friend's bridal shower - butterfly cupcakes


4th of July - firework cupcakes


Christmas Party - holly cupcakes


Our friend's wedding rehearsal - I made 3 different types of cupcakes for them








How Shane and I chose to tell his family we were pregnant again


One of the first set of novelty cupcakes I ever did...unfortunately I dropped 2 in my car...so we put those in the back. :)


Superbowl 2011 - football cupcakes


No reason at all - chocolate cupcakes with Irish whipped cream frosting...YUM!

Pregnancy Perks & Problems

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and there were a number of things that occurred simply because I am pregnant. This got me thinking about all of the things that are made more difficult or funny by pregnancy and all the things that come with it. So, I decided to create a small list of experiences I've had during my pregnancies that I've found frustrating, funny, ironic and just plain weird. Feel free to comment below to add yours as well!

1. Getting into my car yesterday, I slid into the driver seat as I normally do. My belly, however, had a mind of it's own and hit the steering wheel right on the horn. Hands-free honking? I didn't sign up for that.

2. Do you ever get tired of the urine samples at your doctor's appointments? How about when you get to the point where it becomes a guessing game called "Blindly Catch Enough Ounces for Your Urine Sample". I didn't realize that I needed to bring a handheld mirror so I can avoid peeing everywhere BUT the cup. Can someone please just invent a urine sample only toilet so we can all put the days of awkwardly holding a cup down there behind us?

3. It's a good thing I can barely see my feet, because not only am I unable to bend my body in a way that enables me to put on socks, but I can kiss goodbye the days of putting on nail polish, foot scrubs or any other luxury that makes my feet feel good. Pregnancy should come with an on-call pedicurist. Just saying.

4. I work in an office where it's expected for the employees to dress somewhere in between business professional and business casual. Up until a few months ago, this was no issue at all. My pants still buttoned, all my shirts were long enough to cover my belly and my feet weren't puffy and therefore still comfortably fit into all my shoes. Nowadays, I walk into the office wearing something out of my limited maternity rotation of clothes. I don't care if that means jeans on a Monday, if it makes me comfortable, that's what I'm wearing! I'm not going to go out and buy a new set of clothes that I'll be swimming in later on just so I can uphold the dress code.

5. Eating for Two. I'd like to know who created this false phrase that brainwashed me into thinking I could eat whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted while I was pregnant. I remember reading the first time around that you really only needed an extra 200 calories a day and I immediately thought back to the days I'd spent eating everything in sight "so the baby would be healthy"...aka because I had an excuse to get fat. I still eat more than is recommended, but this is really nothing different than non-pregnant life. We'll see how much I regret those extra cupcakes when I give birth to a 13 pound baby.

6. I'm not sure what it is about pregnancy, but it gives people cause to have the strangest reactions. The people I like least are the ones who think they have a right to touch your belly, even if they don't know you. I've only had this happen a few times, but one time was so uncomfortable that I don't think I'll ever forget it. Shane and I were in Fred Meyer late in my first pregnancy when a woman stopped us in one of the aisles. She asked the typical questions and then proceeded to move closer to me while asking if she could pray for the baby. I remember thinking, "Sure lady, knock yourself out", but what I didn't realize is that she meant right then and there. She put her hands on my stomach, closed her eyes and began going off in prayer as I stared at Shane with huge eyes and tried to think of a way to wrap it up. Don't me wrong, I'm all for prayer. I'm not for strangers touching me and creating a clog in a grocery aisle when all other people want to do is get past us to pick up their cereal.

7. A few nights ago, Shane and I were watching TV before bedtime. Our show ended and I gave a big grunt as I tried to stand up....then nothing. I was stuck. Actually, physically stuck in a squat position. Butt off the couch, far from standing up straight and I couldn't move! I wobbled a bit before I finally found the balance, strength and flexibility to straighten my body out. This wasn't the first time my belly has completely thrown off my balance. For the first time in my adult life, about a week ago, I actually rolled off our bed. I was asleep up until the point my butt hit the ground, but I remember looking up at Shane and saying, "I just fell off the bed!!" He, of course, was still half-asleep so I think he mumbled something about me being ok and then went back to sleep (how the thud didn't shake the house, I'll never know!).

8. I love the pregnancy waddle. There's something so hilarious about watching a woman walk like a bowl-legged toddler for a few months. I especially love when we're on one of our nightly walks and I can feel my ponytail violently swishing from side to side because it's gotten that out of control. It's one of my few pregnancy joys!

These are just a few of things that irritate, confuse and entertain me about pregnancy. Hopefully some of you can relate and I'm not the only one!

Here's to the last 6 weeks!

New Camera!

As some of you might know, Shane and I have been in the market for a new video camera of some sort. We had one for many years, but it saw it's final days a few months ago when a tape got stuck in it and Shane felt compelled to take it completely apart. It then sat on his desk, collecting dust and odds that it would be tossed out.

I wasn't quite sure what to do. We had a decent Canon digital camera that we had gotten about a year and a half ago. It took video, but the quality wasn't good enough to make it our sole device for capturing all those one of a kind moments. I researched the Flip UltraHD camera, the Kodak Zi8 camera, pretty much every Sony camera....basically any type of camera that was on the market was under my scrutiny. I couldn't decide if I wanted to carry around TWO cameras, sacrifice zoom quality or deal with a smaller memory that required me to upload every 1 to 2 hours.

In the back of my mind, there was also that little voice that was telling me to just give in and get a DSLR camera. I have wanted one for so long but could never really justify the cost. The second factor was the size. They all were roughly the same size and weight (that I had looked into) which was a little too big for my taste.

That's when I finally came across the Sony Alpha NEX-3. It's basically one of the smallest, lightest interchangeable lens digital cameras there are and the quality is that of a DLSR AND it films HD movies. I bought it a few weeks ago and I've been going crazy taking pictures, video and trying to familiarize myself with all of the settings it has to offer. I'm definitely excited to have everything I need in ONE camera while not compromising the size. Don't get me wrong, the lens is still big, but the body of the camera is small, which is a great balance.

I promise to have one post filled with just pictures and/or video from our latest purchase and I can't wait to see how beautiful the shots turn out when edited by my in-house graphic designer. :)

So if you're unable to locate me, just listen for the endless repeat of "Cheese!" coming from Colin and my squeals of delight as I gaze at each shot. I'm in love!

Time flies when you're having fun and stops when you're pregnant

It's been about 2 months since my last post and honestly, I just haven't felt like writing. In truth, I haven't felt like doing ANYTHING. The smallest chores and tasks now feel like huge hassles and burdens that have been thrown at me simply to make life more difficult.

It hasn't been much of secret that I am OVER being pregnant. I feel bad for saying it, but there is no amount of energy in me that can be spared to muster up a fake response when asked how I'm feeling lately. With Colin, I loved being pregnant. I enjoyed every milestone, every month, every kick/jab combo...those were all reminders of the amazing transformation that was happening.

This time, the pregnancy fairies must have run out of delusional dust when they got to me. I only feel what I imagine to be fingers and toes playing harp with my ribcage and am increasingly aware of this little guy who is stealing the space reserved for my stomach and bladder. I'm reminded every time I eat a little too much or wait a little too long to go to the bathroom. He then begins treating me like a bouncy house, ricocheting from one side to the other in what must be attempts to do a triple back flip.

I'm sure it has a great deal to do with the fact that this time around I'm no longer able to lay on the couch for hours on end, eating wheat thins with string cheese and reminding myself that I'm pregnant, therefore allowed to be lazy. This time I'm chasing a naked toddler who runs about the house yelling "choo-choo!!" and calling our cat a "Titty". Don't get me wrong, it's been a great distraction. Up until the past month or so, Colin's energy and schedule have kept my mind off the ordeal my body was going through. But lately, it's been hard to find anything that can replace the mental countdown until baby #2 arrives. I know, I know....I won't be getting any rest once the baby comes! This hasn't been about rest for me. It's been about the restrictions my body faces as I grow larger, which isn't easy on someone who likes to be active and say, touch or even SEE her toes.

So this is for all the pregnant women who have ever been sweaty, puffy, uncomfortable and jiggly. If I could, I'd waddle over and give you a hug because you deserve it. And if you're anything like me the first time I was pregnant: glowing, giddy, energetic and joyful...I'd like to waddle over and punch you in the face.

It's a healthy BOY!!!

Yesterday was a day I had been looking forward to since the moment I found out I was pregnant: our ultrasound. The nerves and tension of desperately hoping everything was developing normally were starting to get to me and I just wanted reassurance that baby was doing well.

This time around, I had a pretty certain feeling that it was a boy, but I couldn't wait until I could be absolutely sure. As I laid down and got that warm jelly spread across my mushy abdomen, the tech asked us if we wanted to know the sex. "YES!" was our immediate response. The moment she touched her instrument to my belly, a clear picture of two spread legs and a little something-something in the middle came into view. There was no question about it! I, of course, got emotional and the tech immediately grabbed a box of tissues like a pro.

Wiggling and moving, baby boy was sucking on his fingers and toes the whole time. I had forgotten how incredible it was to watch him open and close his mouth and re-adjust his position while all I felt were flutters. I felt so blessed to have been given another opportunity to witness this miracle.

After we made our rounds of phone calls and text messages, we started to talk about how incredible it's going to be for Colin to have a little brother. A best friend, a playmate, a wrestling opponent, a protector and partner in crime. I can already imagine the overwhelming love I'll feel watching them interact. I'm well aware there are going to be fights, bruises, whining and a whole lot of chaos. But I wouldn't want it any other way.

Here's to our newest beautiful baby boy and the magic he'll bring to our family. I love you so much already!

What to Expect: Rough Patch Ahead!

If you've ever been pregnant, you may have signed up for these weekly emails from the Parents or What to Expect websites. They're full of good information and I look forward to getting the Fetal Development email that tells me what size fruit my baby compares to this week.

They also include a drawing of what your baby might look like right now and in the beginning stages, all I can see in the pictures they send of the baby is that they look like the creatures Ursela turns the mer-people into in The Little Mermaid. Or a less-creepy version of the "real" mermaid at Ripley's Believe it or Not!.

Random side note - Now I'm thinking about those 4D ultrasounds some hospitals do these days. I got a few pictures when I was pregnant with Colin and they are pretty crazy looking. Here is what I mean:

Regular Ultrasound Picture:



4D Ultrasound Picture:



Shane at one time compared the 4D picture to the cover of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, so I know it's not just me.

Anyway, back to my original thought: I've been getting these emails and while I've gone through it all before, it's interesting and helpful to have these weekly reminders of what my body is doing. Not to mention I sit and plead with my email before I open it that somehow I've time-traveled to week 36 and I'm almost done. I'm beginning to feel like this pregnancy has slowed down to slug speed and I'm not even halfway yet. If I haven't even gotten to the point where I can barely get a seat belt around me, should I really feel like this? I guess I need to write to What to Expect to get them to send a "I know you're sick of being pregnant, here's how to fix it" email.

Next week is our scheduled ultrasound where we'll get to see if baby is healthy, hopefully find out the sex and get some pictures that Shane will deem scary enough to land a horror movie poster. I'm sticking by my prediction and crossing my fingers that this will give me the boost I need to waddle through the last couple of months.

Until next week!

How Open is TOO Open?

Before you read any further, I should just warn you that if you don't think you can be open about my "openness", then don't bother reading this. I don't want to have to censor myself and as you read on (if you chose to) you'll see that's just how I am.

I've always had a harder time connecting with people who can't fully open up. I think it's because I have no problem giving the full story if people ask for it and sometimes I want the same in return. Take childbirth for example. Any part of mine you want to know about, I'll tell you. I'm talking about all the things that other people leave out because they either are embarrassed or want to pretend it didn't happen to them. Now, if any of your minds went to the tales of pooping during delivery, that didn't happen to me, BUT I'd have no problem telling you if it did.

I've always been the girl who would sit in the bathroom while her roommate was showering (or vis versa) and have long talks about whatever was going on in our lives. The girl who is completely honest about only washing her hair 3 times a week. The girl who received a banner from her dance team coaches in high school that said, "Miss Teen Oregon - would you still win if they knew you could burp and fart like a logger". - correction...I can't burp but the other rings true.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because while I was at my friend Missy's bachelorette party a few months ago, I had the most interesting conversation with one of her high school friends while dangling my feet in the hot tub. She had just gotten married and as she began to tell me about her relationship with her husband, I was totally in awe at how different our marriages were. She explained how if they were sitting on the couch watching tv and one of them needed to toot, they would, without letting the other person know, go into another room and try to muffle it. Going to the bathroom was also completely private with shut doors and sometimes waiting until the other person wasn't home before you dropped the kids off.

This eternal honeymoon stage just baffled me! She was completely comfortable living in what I saw as the most uncomfortable way to live. Maybe I'm the strange one, but I've always been most comfortable when I can act completely uninhibited around my partner. If you marry someone, why would you want to put on an act for the rest of your life and never feel like yourself in your own home? To maintain that spark? To keep up a vision of perfection that your partner first saw in you? Those sound like good reasons, but in my mind, if you can't still find your partner attractive after you've found out that they sometimes poop, fart or burp, then I think you might have a hard time finding anyone to settle down with.

I get that some people know it happens, but just don't want to know WHEN it happens. That's fine, to each their own. For me, I'm just saying that I need to feel like the person I am with will love me even if I follow them into the bathroom because I feel like what I have to say is much too important to wait.

This isn't to say that poor Shane has to deal with a wife that doesn't put any effort into being like that girl he first met; I do. I want him to always be able to feel a spark similar to the ones you experience when you first begin dating. I enjoy taking the time to make myself up so he can feel proud to have me on his arm when we go out. But, I also like to come home, put on a pair of sweats and laugh uncontrollably when he lets out one of his Polly Pocket-sized farts.

I guess that's just us!


Thanks for reading and feel free to let me know if I'm crazy! :)

Prediction

I just have to make a really quick comment...I'm about 99.9% sure we're having a boy.

That's all.

Endings and New Beginnings

It's been a busy few weeks at the Foster house. After our friend's wedding, we assumed things would start to slow down, but things just seem to keep popping up!

I started teaching my hip-hop class at All That! dance studio a few weeks ago. It's been going great and there are still quite a few kids in it from when I taught it 2 years ago. The studio will be adding an adult hip-hop class for me to teach after my teen class so I'm hoping they get a good turnout so it can become a regular class in their schedule. We've got a show coming up in December so we will be busy getting the kids ready for their performance.

This Saturday is the Stanford vs. UO Football game and the UO Dance Team is putting on their first ever Alumni Performance! I'm so excited to see some of my old teammates and kick back in the Moshofsky Center like we used to do back in the day! I'm a little nervous to dance with my pot belly/baby bump, especially during a certain "shake your booty" section. I'll cross my fingers I'm in the back for that part. I'll post video after the game!

Lastly, my mom has been here because our house finally sold. The papers are signed today and the new owners get the keys tomorrow afternoon. It's been a long process to sell this house so I've made my peace with it, but it's definitely sad to know that the place I grew up will no longer be available for my trips down memory lane.

That's all for now, here's a picture of my sweet angel to hold you over until I get around to uploading the hundreds of pictures on our camera. :)

Weekend Update with Sarah Foster

Let me just start off by saying that every weekend should be a 3 day weekend....sigh.

I had the most incredible weekend filled with friends, family, food and festivities. It was one I wont soon forget and a large part of that is because I got to attend the beautiful wedding of our dear friends Joe & Missy.

I left work early on Friday so I could continue to bake cupcakes for their rehearsal dinner that evening. I had made one batch ahead of time, but completely underestimated how much time I'd need to make 4 more complete with frosting and decorations while entertaining a small and slightly psychotic little boy.

I decided on flavors earlier in the week so I assumed I had all the necessary ingredients...oh I couldn't have been more wrong! After baking all three flavors, I started on the first frosting: Vanilla Buttercream. This particular recipe calls for heavy whipping cream and I would have bet my favorite shoes on there being an unopened carton in my fridge. Not only was I completely out, but I luckily noticed that I also seemed to be missing a package of confectioners sugar. Colin probably hid it under the bathroom sink (not kidding....you don't know where he'll hide things once he gets his hands on them) but I was just thankful that I noticed it before I went to the store.

Throwing open the door after returning from Fred Meyer, my face was red and sweaty and my arm was starting to throb from holding a wiggly child. I finished my first set of cupcakes and packed them up in one of my cupcake carriers. After completing the other two flavors, I was finally able to pack up the desserts, my kid and myself to go and celebrate with my friends.

The rehearsal dinner was at a gorgeous location and we enjoyed tasty BBQ and good company. I didn't last long though and it was shortly after sunset that my fam packed up our belongings and headed home.

Here are pictures of the cupcakes I made:








On Saturday, Jason and Megan came down from Portland and I drove Colin to Albany so he could stay the night with Grandma & Grandpa Foster. We had an amazing time at the wedding and couldn't have felt more lucky to be in the presence of two people who are so in love and starting their "legal" lives together. :)

On Sunday, we got to see Kristen and while it may not have been the most eventful evening ever, ("What do YOU want to eat? I don't know...what do YOU want to eat?) it doesn't matter what we do because I'll always have fun with that girl!

Monday brought a nice visit with Blake who traveled with his girlfriend from Michigan for the weekend. We also got to spend some time with the newlyweds and The Meisen-Vehrs/Vasey clan while we watched Boise State squeak by Virgina Tech.

It was the best way to spend a three day weekend: with all of the people we love and care about! Here's the the Holiday season and many more long weekends coming our way!

Pregnancy Update

I don't remember much about the beginning of my pregnancy with Colin. It's a bunch of pieces to a puzzle that give me clues as to how I felt. I remember falling asleep on the copy room floor at my job because I couldn't function any longer. I remember eating countless amounts of wheat thins because I felt a light wave of nausea throughout the morning, but not enough to make me unable to function. I remember sleeping away the daylight while Shane hung out with our friends, Jason and Megan.

I'm now 11 weeks pregnant. It's been 6 weeks since I discovered the magical blue plus sign and I can't say it's been easy.

I don't know why I didn't feel any symptoms until after I knew I was pregnant. It's like my body was holding out on me so I had an explanation as to why I was going to bed at 8:30 and unable to button my jeans.

I know I'm a different person these days. It takes a heck of a lot to pull me out from the auto-pilot version of myself that I've become. Get up, get ready, go to work, come home, attempt to give Colin the playfulness I know he wants/needs, feel guilty for failing, bed. That's been my routine. The only reason I've ever been able to slip out of this first trimester coma is because of one person: Shane.

I can't tell you all that I feel when I think about what he's doing for me. I can try, but I already feel my eyes stinging from tears starting to form and once that gets going there is virtually nothing I can do to stop it.

It's not just that he put away my laundry that had been sitting on the floor in our bedroom for a month.

It's not just that he gives me spontaneous massages to help me fall asleep faster.

It's not just that he listens, really listens, to my rants, my whining and my irritable complaints about how I feel.

It's not just that he wrote me a poem in hopes of brightening my afternoon.

.....

It's the way that every day, without hesitation, he makes every effort to make my life easier and more comfortable. How, without spending a penny, he comes up with amazing ways to make me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I couldn't imagine going through this journey and not having his love and unwavering support.

More now than ever, I love this man.

I know this will get easier. I know I'll start feeling more like myself and that my energy will be replenished. But it would be hard to look to the light at the end of the tunnel if I didn't have Shane's hands to help hold my head up.

So here's to the first trimester almost being over, to the 5 lbs I've quickly gained and to Shane. Oh, and to getting through this post without crying....almost.

Good Things

This week has been pretty awesome so far. We went to the doctor for Colin on Monday and got an update on our boy. Here it is: he's short and chubby with a huge noggin. He only had to get 2 shots (thanks goodness) and was a total pro, especially when he saw the stickers on the table for him.

The next day was my baby appointment and I was SO excited to see my doctor again. I know, who likes their OBGYN? I DO! She is amazing, smart, calm, funny, sarcastic and completely understands me. I could not be more comfortable with any other doctor. To top it off, the nurse we always have, Marcie, is amazing as well. We email them pictures and updates of Colin and I got a huge hug from both when I came back into the doctor's office.

Shane met me there with a grocery bag of food because I was feeling nauseated all day. I've already gained 5 lbs but if eating makes the sick feeling go away then I'll eat until I feel better!

We had our ultrasound and I was amazed at how far along I was already...10 weeks. I was thinking 8 max. Another awesome part of the visit was how much more detail I got at this early ultrasound than I did with Colin's. His picture was of a peanut, but this one showed feet and that kiddo was wiggling around like crazy! My doctor tried to take a peek at the "private area" but nothing had formed yet so we still have a long wait ahead of us to find out what we're having.

All in all things are great. I'm exhausted, but going to bed early solves that. I'm a little sick, but eating all the time helps that. Plus, I've got this incredible husband that not only has been doing ALL the housework, but after I stumbled into bed last night at 8:50, he came in shortly and without hesitation gave me an amazing full body massage. It was exactly what I needed to relax and slip into a deep sleep. I'm one lucky lady.

In a lame attempt to return the favor, tonight I'm making breakfast for dinner with his favorite: waffles!!

That's all for now...thanks for reading!

PS - if you need a good laugh for the day, then watch this:

Jimmy Fallon - Fake Arms

You'll have to search for Part 2 afterward, but trust me it's worth it!!

Bachelorette Party Time!

This weekend was the Bachelorette Party for my friend Missy who is getting married in 2 weeks. She had this amazing lake house set up with everything you need for a fun weekend with some wild ladies. Being knocked up, I knew I'd be completely exhausted if I went both nights so I ended up only going from Saturday to Sunday. This left my Friday night free to go watch Shane's dad perform with his band at his company picnic.

Here's an amazing video Shane got of Colin freaking out when he sees Grandpa and then dancing up a storm with his cousin Molly:

Link to the video

After some good food and family time, we went back to Eugene and went to bed (I think Shane has sympathy exhaustion).

Saturday I made some cupcakes for the bachelorette party and headed over to Florence to meet up with the girls. We sat on the dock for a few hours just talking and snacking on amazing food (french bread and brie!!). After that, it was time to change into our superhero outfits and compete in an obstacle course that some of the girls had set up. Surrounding neighbors later yelled out that they wanted to make bets on us, but I'm sure they were probably happy enough just watching us run around like idiots for an hour or two.

After we changed back into sweats and swimsuits, it was dinner and hot tub time. Now, being that it was 8:30 p.m., I was already tired enough to go to bed....so I did. :) But I hear the girls got some good use out of some random dance mix CD's and the hot tub.

In the morning, I got out the food I had brought for breakfast (croissants, bagels with cream cheese, apple danishes and fruit) and we started to clean up the mess that had accumulated over the past few days. Afterward, I said my goodbyes and left because I was aching to see my boys and I knew I still had a little over an hours worth of driving ahead of me. Luckily, it went by fast and I came home to find my adorable boys sitting on the couch together with a blanket. Who wouldn't love that?!

Shane's sister and her fam came down a few hours later so we could all partake in the never-ending pasta bowl special at The Olive Garden. After one bowl of fettuccine alfredo, I was completely stuffed but had to get just one more bowl, in case I wanted seconds later at home. :) We spent a good hour at the park just playing around and trying to burn off some calories (unsuccessful as most of us were to stuffed to even move) and then we headed back to our place so we could relax and Shane could make us some cookies. Now, even though I was stuffed, you need to understand that my dessert stomach (totally separate) was still empty. They were pretty darn good and completely satisfied my sweet tooth.

After the Ciaffoni clan left, we ended up just relaxing at home with Colin until he could no longer keep his eyes open.

Overall, it was a great weekend...full of family and friends and food!!

Today we have Colin's 17 month check-up and tomorrow is my first baby appointment to learn our due date so we'll keep you posted once find out!

Until then, thanks for reading!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Sunday night, I felt the need to bake something since I wanted something sweet (apparently my salty cravings had the night off). This usually calls for cookies because I love to eat the dough while they are baking. I decided to make some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Now, this recipe is deadly because they ALWAYS turn out amazing and if you use an ice cream scoop like I do to section out the cookies, they taste just like Otis Spunkmeyer cookies!



Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped



1. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and peanut butter until just incorporated.

3. Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.

4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (you don’t have to, I only did it for an hour).

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with granulated sugar and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until the tops of the cookies just begin to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family did!

Just for Megan!

It's been a very, very, VERY long time since I last posted. Life is crazy and I honestly don't know anyone who would be reading this anyway! Well, little did I know that a good friend of mine who sits at her work computer had been checking the blog to see if there would be a new post lately. Whoops!

So this post is for Megan; to not only give her something to look at while she works, but as a thank you for reminding me that I should finish what I started!

I can't recall all the things that have happened since April, but I can fill you in on the most important: I'm pregnant! Shocked, happy, scared and excited are all great ways to describe how I felt when I saw that blue plus sign (actually, two to be exact!).

We're not sure how far along I am, because this came as a total surprise, but we've become increasingly enthusiastic as our first appointment approaches. I'll be very interested to find out my due date and when this little swimmer battled the odds to knock me up (too much?).

In other news, Colin has been growing so fast and learning so much lately. He signs "please", "more" and "eat" and says a hilariously butchered version of "Thank You" that sounds more like "dankgoo". Gotta love it! His next doctor's appointment is Monday and I'm looking forward to seeing how much he's grown physically since our last appointment was around his first birthday.

We've taken him to Amazon Pool a few times this summer and each time he becomes more and more into it. The first time, his death grip around my neck was so tight and any time a kid splashed his face he started to pout and fake cry. (damn you 10 year-olds...are you not thinking of the infants in the pool while you splash about?!) The last time we went, however, for my nephew's 10th birthday party, Colin couldn't get enough of the pool. He laughed at people splashing and was even sticking his face in the water. I know I need to expose him to it more often so he gets used to it, which will probably be a great fall/winter activity for me in an indoor pool while I slowly inflate with baby #2.

In more news, Shane and my 4 year wedding anniversary is in 2 days. I can't believe it's been 4 years since we boogied down to Barry White and the Ying Yang Twins. As a related note, our great friends Joe and Missy are getting married in less than 3 weeks and we could not be more excited!!! Shane is in the wedding party, and I personally am very excited to have an excuse to go out and buy a cute dress. If he's going to be all slick, I gotta look good too, right?? While it kind of stinks that I'll be a DD that night, it might just be for the best so I can fully experience the chaos that I am sure will unfold. Before I found out I was pregnant, I was actually running my very first Half Marathon the day after. I nixed that plan though because I plan on 5+ hours of dancing so my feet will useless for anything other than receiving massages.

There's not much more I have to say, other than: Megan, I vow to be a better blogger!! This one's for you!

I'll leave you now with a link to Shane's YouTube Channel where there are tons of hilarious/adorable video's of Colin laughing.

Adorable Video's of Colin Link!