Hot Potato: semi ferrous!

2012-01-31T11:30:00.000+13:00

Yet another week has flown by, and now I'm in my last week of work, and a week away from full term. Hopefully Chip's going to stay put a bit after 37 weeks though- much as I'd like to meet it and know it's OK, I'd like it to bake a little more, I'd like to enjoy some of my maternity leave, and we're hoping Phil can get through a couple of big cases at work before rushing to the birthing centre. So baby, please stay put until a couple of days after your due date, even if crazy Mummy tries to suggest otherwise.

What we ate: Quick and boring meals, using lots of summer veges. Pasta, eggs and so on. The standout meal for the week was last night's: schnitzel, boiled (garden) potatoes, (garden) beans and corn on the cob. Healthiness, be damned! (but hey, at least the meat has iron). Also, one of our plum trees is fruiting beautifully, and I've been enjoying plenty of those!

How we moved: Another good, consistent week. It's great having Phil swimming frequently, as I'll basically go to the pool when he does unless I'm completely exhausted. I "make" myself do 1k, usually free+pull, then I'm free to putz around with breaststroke, and generally relax. The water feels wonderful on my swollen feet, and it's a wonderful way to end the day! As well as 3 swims, I squeezed in two evening walks (plus the walk to yoga) and a yoga class.

Where we went: Nowhere. Dude- I'm 36 weeks pregnant. Where am I gonna go?

What we wore: As little as possible. We've been blessed with a couple of weeks of perfect pregnancy summer weather- crisp and cool mornings with sunny and warm afternoons, but it's still plenty warm for me most of the time. A little bit of humidity has returned, so it's short summer dresses when I'm hanging out at home!

What we bought/got given: We finished our baby shopping on Saturday- exchanging a bassinet, and picking up some bits and bobs for the car. There'll be more before the day- things I don't realise I've forgotten, things I've been waiting until after my baby shower for, and things for the hospital bag. But as far as my mega baby list goes, we're there!

What changed: I'm increasingly puffy, but it's still not too bad by pregnant in summer standards! An odd and new side effect of pregnancy

Exciting moments: None really- this next week is going to be a biggie though!

What I miss: Getting out and enjoying the summer. I'm so tired and we have so many chores to do over the next few weeks that I've barely seen the beach this summer. And, in other foods I miss: Subway. Phil and I lived on it pre-preg; it was a post workout staple! If there's a chicken sensation to be had in early March, it may just have to be my first post baby meal!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 35

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000+13:00

Another week, another weekly update! Time is flying. Two weeks to full term. 7 weeks until I think I'm going to meet little Chippo!

What we ate: Watermelon. Also, lots. I am ravenous all morning, and much less hungry in the afternoons and evenings. So I take second breakfast (usually a peanut butter sandwich) and a couple of morning tea options with me to work every day! We've been getting into the meal planning zone a bit more recently- an important place to get used to, as we'll be living one income soon. Gulp.

How we moved: I was awesome. Swims on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Monday (for a total of 6km), yoga and a walk to and from on Thursday, and an hour long neighbourhood walk on Sunday. That's about 6 hours total- not bad given that I've been back to full time work. We had a late night planned on Wednesday, so I decided to be smart and take the night off swimming and have a nap instead. In the end, that meant I was groggy for our evening out, wide awake when we got home and went to bed, and exhausted on Thursday. Shoulda just swum!

Where we went: The pub. Yep, that now gets a special entry! Our local was hosting TVNZ 7's politics show Backbenchers, so we went along to show our support for our preferred party. It started at 9pm, so was a lateish evening, but lots of fun to get out of the house on a summery night, drink cranberry and soda, and talk about grown up things like bikes and beer.

What we wore: One pair of my maternity togs are nearing the end of their useful life- they should fit, but the waistband on the bottoms has a tendency to flip down, bearing rather too much white, stretch-marked, belly to the good folk of Cambridge.

What we bought/got given: I got a parcel from BRITT which was just the best thing ever. Cute blankies and cloths, and the bestest little outfit, including a plaid shirt onesie and Chip's first pair of jeans. Aww! (and a pair of super soft pajama pants, which have put straight into my hospital bag)

What changed: More of the same. Slowing down. Sleeping a bit less. Feeling pretty good though- to the extent that one can feel "good" at 35 weeks pregnant.

Exciting moments: Washing the baby clothes. So cute. The only time I'll probably ever be excited about baby laundry.

What I miss: I miss not worrying. I've been a super anxious pregnant lady, usually without any particular reason to be. I realise that the worry doesn't end on D-Day, so not sure if this is really an acceptable "miss" or not. Also, sushi. I walked to work on the other side of the road on Monday and caught a whiff of sushi through a vent. I'd never thought of sushi having a smell, but seriously- this was the best smell ever. Definitely a contender for my "first meal"!

(Note: the NZ pregnancy guidelines warn pregnant women off all sushi, not just raw fish, so I've been steering completely clear of all my favourite haunts)

Hot Potato Chip: Week 34

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000+13:00

It really seems like only yesterday that I was writing about week 33 (though week 32 seems an age ago). Week 34 was returning to work, being tired, and slowly getting more uncomfortable!

Ready for work at 34 weeks

What we ate: I had a reasonably good return to work: lunches with lots of salads (including bits and pieces from the vege garden), lots of lovely summer fruit, and not too much chocolate from the snackbox. I did, however, underestimate for the first couple of days just how much food I need to get me though a day of work at this stage, and had to keep popping to the convenience store (for cornflakes and tinned fruit- I managed to walk past the chips). Phil and I also enjoyed a lovely meal out on Saturday night- in the buzzing metropolis of Putaruru. One of last season's MasterChef finalists has started cooking for a new restaurant in the old hotel there, so we drove out for an earlybird venison dinner (us and the pensioners).

How we moved: Being back into a routine plus some nice weather was a good combo for me. I did something every day but Friday, totalling 5:40 of exercise- less than half of a big week for Old Kate, but not bad by my current standards :) This is how it broke down:

Tuesday: 7km walk along the river path
Wednesday: 30 minute swim
Thursday: 25 minute walk and 1 hour of preggy yoga
Friday: Off
Saturday: 40 minute walk
Sunday: 50 minute walk
Monday: 55 minute swim

Where we went: Putaruru (see above).

What we wore: Work clothes- scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit now, so it's lucky I only have 3 weeks to go!

What we bought/got given: Not much actually, apart from some PJs and things for my hospital bag. I was a bit slack. But we did a bit more building and organising, and I did a little more list writing so I'm not TOO panicked. Only about 85% panicked!

What changed: I'm slowing down more, and struggling a lot more with sleep since last week. I also may be having more braxton hicks- but it's not always easy to tell the difference between them and some of Chip's big press-y movements! And lastly, my feet have grown at least half a size. It's not just swelling (though that's started too)- the hormone relaxin causes the ligaments all over the body to, well, relax. This includes the ligaments holding all the foot bones together. Relaxed ligaments = spreading feet. And it's permanent! Not what this already wide-footed girl wants to hear!

Exciting moments: It was actually a bit of a stressful week. Nothing major, but I worried about things, struggled to get back into work, and had a couple of minor sads. But the first of my February Forum babies was born, as well as the first two of my ante-natal babies! The list of babies between now and Chip is getting ever shorter!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back. And being able to shave my legs/tie my shoes.

11 things about me

2012-01-16T06:44:00.000+13:00

I'm sitting on the couch trying to find more ways to justify staying on the couch- I'm not particularly tired, just particularly lazy! So I was stoked when I saw that Britt had tagged me- I'm it, which means I have to post!

So, here goes:

Rules:

[01.] You must post the rules.

[02.] Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

[03.] Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.

[04.] Tag eleven people and link them on your post

[05.] Let them know you’ve tagged them!

11 things about me:

1. It took me a year or two of cycling to learn to drink on the bike.

2. If I wasn't a triathlete I'd want to be a rower. Or a cross-fitter.

3. Despite what all the diet books tell me, I firmly believe that some things are just better with a bit of butter. Scones. Popcorn. Jam toast.

4. I'm addicted to Child of Our Time.

5. I am a real old stick in the mud when it comes to music. I frequently discover a "new" song, only to find out it's 5 years old and horrifically overplayed. And you will often hear me saying "Oh, is this that song from Glee?"

6. I have no idea at ALL how to garden. This coupled with my black thumbs is a bad combination.

7. I can read (most) books at least three times.

8. I'm not a pet person. I don't dislike animals- I quite like them. But I've never truly loved a pet, and have no burning desire to get one. This makes me feel like a bad person, but I can assure you I'm nice :)

9. I have wanted to go to Canada since I was about 5 years old.

10. I took Latin throughout all of high school. It comes in handy occasionally in European countries and pub quizzes. And once I translated a Latin maxim that came up in a legal text without having to check the footnote.

11. I tend to be That Girl who Hogs the Singstar Mic.

Britt's questions for me:

1. Do you floss? If not, do you lie to your hygienist about it? Yes (in part thanks to Britt)! But before I was a good girl, I stretched the truth on occasion.

2. It’s Friday night. What would you love to be doing? I would love to be out for (quiet) drinks with a group of girlfriends.

3. Favourite movie of all time? The Sound of Music

4. Do you remember your dreams? Maybe once a month, on average

5. What’s the worst pick up line you’ve ever heard? I've never really had one used on me (*shame*). Always liked "seen any seagulls lately?" "how about a shag?" though!

6. If you won the lottery would you quit your job? Yes. I thoroughly enjoy my job, but we're about to have a baby, and I would love the financial freedom to stay home for longer.

7. Do you like mitts or gloves better? Gloves.

8. Do you use the library? Yes- I probably read 50+ books a year and buy about 2?

9. Would you rather travel to the future or the past? Future- nothing I'm particularly interested in seeing for real at the moment.

10. How much is too much to spend on a pair of jeans? Shoes? $200 would be my absolute limit for jeans, though I've probably never spent more than $160, and I usually buy the $60 chain store ones. I'm going to treat "shoes" as normal shoes, not including specialty or sports shoes, or boots. In that case, I'd also say about $200 as my limit, again with the most I've spent being about $180. What's "too much" is a tricky one- I try very hard not to judge how people spend their money- but I'd probably start rolling my eyes a little north of the $300 mark.

11. Favourite song of the day? See #5 in my 11 things! My song of the moment is The Carpenters' Top of the World, cos I'm trying to make it my "Baby Theme Tune." Oh, and I've also been playing "Life's a Happy Song" from the Muppets over and over again. So much delightfulness!

My questions for you:

1. Where do you sit when you blog?

2. What's your hot drink of choice?

3. When did you get your driver's licence?

4. Which toiletries are you "brand loyal" in relation to?

5. What accounts for the biggest proportion of your grocery budget?

6. Are there any authors whose books you will automatically buy? If so, who?

7. Do you still read the paper newspaper?

8. Be honest- do you like McDonalds?

9. Do you prefer crosswords or sudoku? Or do you hate 'em both?

10. What is your least favourite household chore?

11. If I told you my birthday, could you tell me my star sign?

I tag Lucinda, Casie, Liz, Angela and anyone else who wants to play!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 33

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000+13:00

It appears that this blog has officially become a "Chip: Weekly Updates" blog. Sorry about that, folks, but I'm not exactly doing a lot in the way of triathlon at the moment...

Week 33 was our last week of holiday. We got home from our trip away late in Week 32, and had most of a week to potter around before heading away again for Phil to race. It was good to have a few solid days at home to cook a freezer full of meals (seriously- I think we have 30 meals in there?), build a little bit of baby furniture and pretend to do some work in our garden...

What we ate: I craved healthiness after our holiday indulgences, but didn't always do the best job of making good choices; and we were so busy feeding Future Kate and Future Phil that we didn't always pay quite enough attention to feeding Present Kate and Present Phil!

How we moved: I did a lot, but didn't do very much in the way of deliberate "exercise". I think I ended up at one walk and two swims for the week. Plus a quickie swim in Pilot Bay. But I also spent two solid days cooking, an afternoon in a hot garden, and a long morning spectating at a half ironman. Given how much those things take it out of me nowadays, I'm not beating myself up for not doing more workout-workouts. Hopefully I'll do a little more this week, now that I'm back at work!

Where we went: Tauranga for Phil's half ironman. Just over a 24 hour trip in total, and possibly a little too tiring for this gigantosaur, especially with the 3:30am wake up call!

What we wore: Slouchy, round the home, kinda stuff. Trackies, stretchy cotton dresses. Old baggy t-shirts. It was nice not to have to get properly dressed for a few days! But then on Monday I had to put on work clothes again. And learned that, sadly, my proper work shoes are now too small (pregnancy can cause your feet to go up a full shoe size. Permanently).

What we bought/got given: Loads! I had a bit of a panic attack about being behind the 8-ball and went on a bit of a purchasing frenzy. Baby clothes, feeding, changing and sleeping accessories. Bassinet and cot mattresses and linens. And some of the delightful things I need to put in my hospital bag for me!

What changed: Chip has moved from my right side to my left, which is good news for labour if Chip stays that way. Clever baby! Other than that, not a lot has changed- I feel much the same as last week. Tired, slow but not too bad.
Exciting moments: Clearing out the baby's room and building the cot. The nursery is far from "done" (and we're really not "doing" much... it won't surprise you to learn that I'm not the sewing acres of bunting and painting the walls type...), but it gives both of us a warm feeling inside when we walk past and see the cot in there. We also passed the one month til full term (37 weeks) point- and it's 4 weeks til full-term today!

What I miss: Being able to shop for an afternoon without multiple loo stops and without getting sore feet after an hour or so!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 32

2012-01-03T08:37:00.000+13:00

What we ate: Sweetcorn and stone fruit! The next phase of summer food is well and truly upon us.

How we moved: Wellington was good motivation to exercise, even in the rain. I missed my old favourite pools!

Tuesday: Rest (travel)
Wednesday: 45 min (hilly) walk
Thursday: 1hr (waterfront) walk
Friday: 50 min swim
Saturday: 50 min swim
Sunday: Rest (travel)
Monday: Rest

Where we went: Wellington. I'm sure the number of visits I've made while pregnant (this was #4) will help Chip recognise his or her true home town. Right?

What we wore: Started off the week in lovely summer dresses and jandals (thank you, Glassons). Finished it in jeans, wishing I had brought a jacket!

What we bought/got given: Lovely books. Thank you lovely friends! I spent yesterday mucking around in Chip's room realising just how much more we need to get. Ugh!

What changed: Chip has GROWN and is making me much less comfortable! Finding a comfy sitting position can be tricky. Finding a comfy sleeping position is damn near impossible!

Exciting moments: We passed the "2 months to go" milestone (well, in theory. I suspect Chip will NOT be here 2 months from now), and entered Chip's birth year. Woo!

What I miss: Running. Walking just isn't the same- especially in the rain!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 31

2011-12-27T16:30:00.000+13:00

What we ate: Christmas treats. A few too many, of course... Our main meals were fairly healthy, so I hope that makes up for it!

How we moved: Relaxed and fun, and feeling a bit more energetic again.

Tuesday: 35 minutes at home yoga (started as a walk, but the rain put an end to that!)
Wednesday: 45 minute swim
Thursday: Yoga
Friday: Was supposed to swim, but alarm didn't go off
Saturday: 40 minute swim
Sunday: 40 minute ride / walk (on the Napier waterfront path- I gave my bike to my sister with about 2km to go)
Monday: 45 minute walk; 15 minute OW swim (the rest of the time I mucked around)

Where we went: Napier. Such a lovely place to visit, I didn't want to leave!

What we wore: My sister made me a gorgeous maternity dress (and I may have stocked up a little on summer essentials in the Boxing Day sales)

What we bought/got given: Chip got some lovely Christmas presents- a book and cardi from his auntie and some cuuute wee hats from his Grandma

What changed: Not a lot, though getting some rest means I am feeling a bit more like me again! I just need to remember to keep resting and not wear myself out.

Exciting moments: Single digit weeks to go... Exciting? Or scary!?

What I miss: Being able to eat what I want. Runny Boxing Day brunch eggs, rare meat, cold leftovers...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000+13:00

(source)
From the Hotpotatos and Chip

Hot Potato Chip: Week 30

2011-12-20T10:08:00.002+13:00

I'm 30 weeks pregnant today, and feeling absolutely ginormous. I'm honestly looking at this photo and wondering how on earth I'm expected to fit TEN more weeks of baby in there! For some context, here's 25 weeks... so twice that amount of growth (and then some) left.

What we ate: My first stone fruit of the season. And the first jersey bennies from *our* garden (I say *our* because although it's at our house, my mother-in-law is the gardener, and I can't take credit for anything... apart from choosing a house with what is virtually a greenhouse for a backyard!)

How we moved: Not much. I decided after a couple of lacklustre weeks to admit that I was just bloody worn out and to take a week off. The one exception was going to be yoga, but we got stood up by our instructor- obviously a sign! I got back into it slowly over the weekend (put off a bit by the inclement weather the whole country's been suffering from), and had a great "workout" with Phil yesterday evening; riding Penelope the Cruiser on the Karapiro bike path while he ran a 5k TT (in 18:07... Hopefully Chip inherits his speed, not mine!)

Where we went: Nowhere. It was bliss.

What we wore: A new work skirt, half price at Pumpkin Patch. It's far from elegant, but boy oh boy it's comfortable.

What we bought/got given: Clothes from a family friend. And our cot arrived. Yay! Phil has a good bit of furniture building ahead of him!

What changed: Chip seems to have found some room to move over the past couple of days; instead of squashy, pushy movements I'm back to feeling happy little kicks and punches every which where.

Exciting moments: Reaching the 30s. I now feel like the countdown is actually on, and it's bloody frightening! I'm doing my best to forget about the loooong list of baby jobs on my list so we can relax over Christmas. But once we get back from holiday, it's game on!

What I miss: Booze! It's been a few weeks of holiday parties, and I'm sick to death of lemon lime and bitters!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 29

2011-12-14T11:00:00.000+13:00

What we ate: Nothing stands out. I worked. I ate meals at stupid times. I ate too many things from the snack box. We didn't even have time to get the good strawberries.

How we moved: Not much. Not much at all. I am really letting the side down, advent challenge-wise.

Tuesday: Yoga

Wednesday: REST (work)

Thursday: REST (work)

Friday:REST (just tired, and lazy)

Saturday: REST (in Wellington. And lazy)

Sunday: 40 minute walk

Monday: REST

Where we went: Wellington. I have decided I don't like pregnant flying any more. It was hot and stuffy, I was tired and a bit nauseous, and the airplane seat forced me into a really uncomfortable position. Fortunately I have no flights left (and if things change and I need to get on a plane it's not like it's THAT bad).

What we wore: A new work skirt, and some trousers I'm planning to get turned into capris.

What we bought/got given: Some lovely knitted overnaps from Organic Baby in Petone. I couldn't resist. Also, a small pile of Golden Books.

What changed: I have slowed down a LOT. I'm moving slowly, and I'm feeling utterly exhausted. Too many weekends away mean I haven't caught up enough on rest, and also that I'm trying to catch up on housework and laundry while dealing with a busy time at work, and stressing about Christmas. Chip is definitely bigger, and definitely less comfortable inside me. Poor wee baby.

Exciting moments: Chip was doing very well at our midwife appointment today. Sitting in the right sort of place, measuring the right sort of size, generally doing the right sorts of things. Go Chippo!

What I miss: Feeling energetic. I hate not feeling like me!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 28 (nearly a week late)

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000+13:00

What we ate: The return of nausea + the onset of summer meant the return of grain waves and orange juice, and a renewed love of iceblocks (I'm loathe to spend $2.80 on a glorified popsicle, but BOY those new ginger beer ice blocks are good!)

How we moved: Another full on week!

Tuesday: 30 minute walk

Wednesday: 40 minute swim

Thursday: 50 minute walk; preggy yoga

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 40 minute walk around the Mount

Sunday: Tinman!

Monday: Swim (35 minutes)

Where we went: Mount Maunganui for Tinman. We stayed in a caravan at the Mount holiday park; a bit more run down than I'd expected, but it was wonderful falling asleep to the sound of the sea, and the couch-bed I slept on was surprisingly comfortable.

What we wore: It's more what we DIDN'T wear, which is the clothes I ordered online a couple of weeks ago. The sizing was all haywire, and I confess to having a bit of a meltdown when I discovered I had only one top I could wear!

What we bought/got given: A bassinet and boppy feeding pillow. There was a sale, OK!

What changed: Nausea and fatigue returned- they did tell me this would happen in the third trimester, but I wasn't expecting it to happen on day 1! Fortunately, I haven't yet experienced a number of other third trimester complaints (knock wood), so I can't complain!

What stayed the same: Everything else- but things feel like they're starting to happen (not in a labour sense, just in a stepping up the baby growing sense).

Exciting moments: Reaching the third trimester! And an old friend and colleague had her baby at 39 weeks- the number of ladies left between now and me is starting to dwindle!

What I miss: Clothes that fit!

Tinman 2011: Ending my pregnant running career on a high

2011-12-05T20:56:00.001+13:00

This was my third year going to Tinman. I set my standard distance PB there in 2009, then had a pretty pants race there in 2010 (which was a pretty pants season overall). So I was keen to participate in some way, shape or form, even though I wasn't keen on a swim (with the risk of a good kick to the belly), and I haven't been able to ride a bike (except Penelope Cruz-er, sort of) for quite some weeks!

I asked Mike if he was keen to put in a team to do the sprint, and he hooked us up with a swimmer (Tom, who did the bike last year when I did the swim in Rotorua), and Team 3.5 was good to go!

The day was grey and a tiny bit chilly; a nice change from previous hot years. We arrived at transition at about 6:45am, got Phil set up, then met my fellow team members to kill some time before it was time for the swimmers to "(wet)suit up". I didn't quite know what to do with myself for a bit while Phil warmed up and the others mucked around- I realised doing the run in a team was sort of the worst of both worlds, spectating and racing. Lots of waiting around, but not necessarily able to be in the places I wanted to be in.

Fifteen minutes or so after finding Tom post-swim I headed to T2 to kill time there. I figured Mike would be back between 30 and 40 minutes, and wanted to make sure I was there for him. I wasn't very sure of the timing, but after awhile I decided that I had time for a quick pee break, as it was taking people a reasonable amount of time to get their bikes in. Unfortunately, Mike has his speedy shoes on, and when I came out he was looking around the transition area, bike racked and transponder off. What a fail! Despite wandering round with nothing to do for ages, I managed not to be in the ONE place I needed to be at the right time. I'm not sure how much I cost us, but T2 was 1:48!

Bladder emptied and guilt fuelled, I started off at a cracking pace, about 11km/h, though by a few hundred metres in, I'd settled into a slightly more realistic (flat) run pace of more like 9.5km/h! It was fun to feel like I was "running" again- however slowly! Of course, that didn't last long. But I kept running along the Mall, with plenty of cheers the whole way. My hips started to ache a little before I made it to 1k, but I wanted to make it to the Mount before I walked, so just slowed my pace some more and concentrated on my gait.

I walked the hill at the beginning of the Mount (and OMG, that was such a treat- I've run that bastard so many times in races and always resisted the urge to stop; last time only because a certain paparazzo was waiting for me...), and then started thinking about my strategy for getting around. Eventually, I settled on a run 2 mins: walk 1 min system, which I tweaked a bit depending on where the hills came in. I took a look at my average pace and realised I could aim to do 5km in 40 minutes, but the course is long so I wasn't actually sure I could finish in that time.

It was strange having people passing me the whole run. I'm a decent runner, and usually run at a sensible pace, so I only usually get passed by speedsters on double lap courses. There were no speedies with me this time (the lead men ran me down at the end of the Mount)- it was just middling to slow team runners who were burning me off! What I found particularly weird (and what my ego found damned annoying) is that none of these passers could see that I was pregnant unless they took a good look at my profile as they passed. One girl actually ran "with" me and chatted for a few hundred metres and didn't say anything to suggest that she'd noticed. My poor wee ego just wanted to shout: "I'M NOT JUST FAT! I'M NEARLY SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT, OK? And if I weren't, I would be SO much faster than you!". Luckily, I do have some manners.

Walking up the second "hard" hill on the Mount (those familiar with races on the Mount will recognise it as the one where the second photographer always hides), I was caught by a guy with one leg, who was crutching up the hill like a machine. Dude was a total legend- swam, picked up his crutches to get to T1, one-pedalled it the whole 20km, and then crutched his way around the run course. He called out "pick it up, you don't want to be passed by the one-legged guy" and I replied "you think one leg's hard, try four?!" (yeah, not my best work...)

I did end up passing him, and temporarily passed another couple of walkers too. By the end of the Mount, I was still averaging under my goal of 8:00min/ks (...and to think it would usually be 8 minute MILES...for a 10km... off the bike...), and I was motivated to run the length of the Mall to the finish.

I didn't get quite as many cheers on the way back- the men's winners had just come through ahead of me, and Mr One Leg was closing the gap behind me. Quite often I'd hear a "Way to Go....." that would trail off and turn into "Oh my god, look at that guy go!"

It was very strange not being able to pick it up at the end- I was "working", but there is a limit to how hard I will push with Chip on board, so I was not only slow but also pretty relaxed, and some of the walkers who'd been conquered by the Mount streaked past me on the final straight. However, when I saw my teammates cheering, and realised that my Garmin had ticked over 39:00 as I approached the chute, I confess to digging in just a little bit more.

I stopped my watch at 40:04, Garmin time, satisfied that my official time would squeak under 40. As my Garmin distance was 5.27km, I was pretty pleased.

It's not every day a PW feels so good. But my hips have had enough of this, and it's time to focus on yoga and swimming, and to start really thinking about getting this body ready to bring Chip into the world in 2-3 months time!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 27

2011-12-01T20:01:00.001+13:00


26 weeks, 6 days

What we ate: Heathily from Monday to Thursday. Less healthily after I passed my gestational diabetes test. And then more healthily again, after I remembered that you don't need to celebrate not having diabetes by doing your best to GET diabetes.

How we moved: When we could- it was a busy week!

Tuesday: Morning 6k wog along the river trail. Lovely!

Wednesday: At home workout before rushing to get Phil from the airport.

Thursday: Walk + yoga

Friday: Lunchtime walk

Saturday: Walk with my sister along river trails in Taupo. Plus spectating...

Sunday: 3 hour walk

Monday: REST

Where we went: Taupo. And it was bliss.

What we wore: I ordered yet another Piwaka t-shirt from one-day tees. Ooops! A girl can never have too many.

What we bought/got given: A capsule. For some reason imagining a tiny baby all scrunched up in it was particularly exciting! I'm taking a bit of a break from baby buying in the lead up to Christmas now- I'll still pick things up when there's a good sale, but I'm trying to focus on Christmas first!

What changed: I realised that running is pretty much over for me for good. Carrying this much booty is just too hard on my poor legs and back. I'm still planning to do as much as I can at Tinman though- I want to go out on a high note!

What stayed the same: Everything else. Still sleeping well, still not too achy or painy. Still relatively energetic in relation to the first tri, but not in relation to any previous version of me!

Exciting moments: I'm 27 weeks today, which means by many people's calculation I'm in the third trimester. Which is very freaky and exciting. We also passed the "3 months til due date" marker this week, though we were too busy worrying and being relieved to notice. So maybe I'll count the third trimester as starting from 28 weeks.

And a new heading as we head towards the final countdown (courtesy of Lisa); What I miss: Cycling. Mountain or road; whatever. I miss the fast wooshing downhill feeling, and the uphill grinds. While I was not sad not to be racing this past weekend, thanks to the insaneo winds, I had some serious bike envy. I'm worried that the bike mojo I've worked so hard to build will be lost when I get back into it. There will need to be lots of trips to the Redwoods to visit Sprocket and ride the Dipper!

Advent Challenge

2011-11-30T09:47:00.001+13:00

Since there's been a bit of enthusiasm for an advent challenge (yay!), and since advent starts tomorrow in NZ (double yay! and also EEK!) I thought I'd better actually come up with, and share, the "rules" of the challenge (even if that does mean posting three times in three days, which might just make your computers explode with hotpotato overload).

The advent challenge is meant to be motivating, but flexible. For one thing, it's holiday season, which is mental for everyone. For another thing, the people who have so far expressed an interest are a mixture of marathoners, triathletes, active preggos at varying stages of gestation, gym bunnies, and people who want to generally increase their activity levels. So we can't exactly compete for hours of training or calories burned or anything. And it's hardly in the holiday spirit from us to "compete" at all. So the "rules" of the challenge are that it is low-key, fun and flexible.
Here's what I suggest:
- buy an advent calendar of your choice. It can have crappy chocolate behind the doors, or it can have dear wee pictures of Victoria nativity scenes. It's totally up to you.

- get hold of some plain white stickers; about the size of the doors on your calendar if possible

- think of 5 or 6 different types of workout you do (mine will be strength, stretch, swim and walk/wog I think, but yours might be tempo, hill, speedwork, race, or swim, bike, run and MTB, or whatever you want). Try to include something new, or something that you want to do more of, if possible.

- fill in some stickers for each workout type, and some rest stickers too- we want to keep things flexible, and we don't want anyone burning out and falling asleep during present time on Christmas day

- every day, once you have done your workout or played your rest card, you get to open the wee door on your advent calendar and look at the dear wee picture or eat the crappy chocolate. If you don't do your workout or you run out of rest cards, no door for you!

- THEN you can blog or tweet about it. I'll go for a really creative hashtag - hows about #AdventChallenge? I'll publish a list of participants later this week, so let me know if you're participating.

- there are no winners, cos that's just too hard. But if you do something that I deem to be ridiculously awesome, I'll send you a bag of Cadbury Magic Elves- the best and most ridiculous Christmas candy in NZ.

NOTE: I realise there are LOTS of people who don't celebrate Christmas. Aotearoa is pretty short on people who celebrate Hannukah or Kwanzaa, and I am only very vaguely familiar with the traditions associated with those holidays. But if you would like to be involved in the challenge and you are not a marker of advent, please come up with your own holiday themed challenge and share the love.

The end of a streak- and a new challenge!

2011-11-29T19:30:00.000+13:00

Sometime early in November, I realised I'd exercised every day of the month so far. So I decided why not keep it up? I recruited Lizzy to join me, and together we ran, swam, walked and yoga'd our way through the month of November.

Until Monday, when my streak came to an end.

I'd been struggling with the streak for a week or so. Work, midwife and testing appointments, ante-natal classes and things were starting to pile up. Last Wednesday I was out of the house at 6:30 to make it to the lab for my glucose screening test. I worked til 5:30 or so, got home a little after 6, caught up on the chores (after a weekend away and long days on Monday and Tuesday there was a bit to do) and got dinner, so we'd just have to heat it up when Phil got back from the airport. I then had 25 minutes to squeeze in an at home workout before driving to the airport to collect him. So I did it- and that's good, cos something is better than nothing. But it was that point that I realised my streak was starting to interfere with my sanity. It had stopped being about making exercise a priority, and had turned into being about sticking doggedly to an arbitrary plan.
On Sunday after W2K and the hot trip home from Taupo, I was so tired I collapsed on the couch while Phil did the groceries. Then we prepared tonight's dinner (we're having people to stay), ate Sunday's dinner, and I fell into bed and slept, and slept. There was no way I was working out on Monday morning, and I spent lunchtime at the midwife's, worrying because dear Chip had been uncommonly quiet. The extreme couch time on Sunday meant we still had to tidy up both guest rooms (making up beds, removing clothes horses and so on), unpack and do laundry after the weekend away, and just generally catch up. I soon realised starting that process after swimming (i.e. about 7:30) was going to be a Bad Idea. Plus, I had a feeling that Chip's quietness was related to my big walk and overall fatigue, despite my midwife's assurances to the contrary.

So, with a little sadness, I decided to flag my 28/11 workout, and devote my evening to vacuuming, laundering and bed-making. And I feel a million times better for it. I'm disappointed that I couldn't keep my streak going, but at the end of the day I've also got to be a lawyer, wife, host, and weekend holiday-er, and I've got to be even smarter about how I use my time, because I'm also a Chip-baker.

But because I still love arbitrary meaningless goals...details of my Advent Exercise Challenge to come!

W2K Walk Report

2011-11-28T19:41:00.001+13:00

We spent the past weekend in Taupo with a bunch of friends. Theoretically, it was a bunch of different people doing different bits of the cycle challenge (NZ's biggest cycle event by far), but in the end it was Phil and my brother in law doing the MTB as a team, and 8 taggers along!

We rented a fantastic house in Acacia Bay for the weekend- room for ten, a spa, smoochy cats, chooks and amazing gardens. If anyone's looking for somewhere to house a big group at a reasonable price, let me know and I'll get the details to you.

After a long day of spectating, and a long night of election watching, I had a lovely, luxurious sleep in in the king sized bed Phil and I had bagsed. Nonetheless, I was first up, and had plenty of time to relax on the deck with my book, eating my breakfast and drinking my caro. And admiring the view too!

Everyone was planning non-pregnancy appropriate cycling adventures for Sunday, so I planned to hang out at the house, do some reading, and maybe wander down to the Bay. But after spending the morning on the deck, book in hand, I realised I was feeling energetic and wanted more. So I came up with the brilliant plan of having Phil drop me off at Whakaipo Bay, walking W2K and meeting him in Kinloch post ride.

I rode W2K last Labour Weekend, so I had a good idea of what to expect, and I thought as long as I sunscreened, fuelled well, and rested if I needed to, I could make it over. A perfect endurance challenge for a 27 week pregnant lady!

W2K is basically the perfect trail. It winds gradually up one side of a peninsula (I guess), and then winds back down the other side, for 14km in total (see the blue trail- the red trail is a 10km, extra for experts loop- the views from the headland are amazing!)

It's a shared use, two-way, trail, and probably just about wide enough for bikes to pass, but it really does work best when everyone is courteous, and everyone pays attention. I saw dozens of mountain bikers out on Sunday, and everyone was polite and friendly. It winds up fairly gradually- it's predominantly uphill, and there a couple of steepy bits, but it's all very walkable (and rideable), even for someone who's the size of a small hippo, and there are plenty of stumps and a couple of seats to pause for a rest and a look out over the lake. It's manageable for all sorts of people, but still fun for super fitties, who can blat up, smash themselves around the headland, head down the other side and turn back (most normal people choose the "two cars" route instead). There's reasonable bush cover on the way up, but it's very exposed on the way down, so sun protection is a must. And there's no drinking water, but there is a loo just past the halfway point- very important for pregnant women (and, to be honest, most people setting out on a 3+ hour walk). The sign at the bottom estimates 3-4 hours, but if pregnant Kate can do it in less, so can you!

From about 1km into the trail itself, you've gained enough elevation to get a glimpse of the views you'll be rewarded with, which is wonderfully motivating. Farmland to one side, views of the Lake, Mt Tauhara, and the mountains (Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe)- it's just spectacular.

I took a camelbak filled with nuun and two muesli bars to get me through- I also packed an apple and a bottle of water in the car, although I knew my recovery food of choice was more likely to be a big fat ice cream in Kinloch!

I wore my Garmin- not (initially, at least) because I had any goals about pace or time in mind, just cos I was interested to see what distance garmy would give me. But once my pace had hovered around the 5 km/h mark for the first few ks, I set myself the cheeky goal of keeping that pace up for the whole walk- which would have led to 15km in 3 hours (I did an extra k at the beginning because of where Phil dropped me off). It's amazing how sloowly each km passes when you're walking instead of running or cycling, but time ticked on and I made my way up, remembering milestones from previous occasions, getting out of the way of mountain bikers, and keeping a beady eye on the numbers.

My lungs and heart were good, and I didn't feel tired at all, but the bigger worry was my legs- my feet and hips get quite sore after a day on my feet, and I was worried that the previous day's spectating exertions would start to affect me soon. At 5k I sat on a stump, texted Phil and ate a muesli bar. I could feel that my feet were starting to get tired as they dangled off the stump, but I mostly felt pretty energetic and didn't doubt that I could finish. Long drop stop at 8km, and another stump stop at 10km. Unfortunately, the second stump stop became a sap stop- it went right through my pants and I had to text Phil to bring a change of clothes to the end!

The last 5 ks is a bit of a tease, really. The trail feels like it's about to end for a couple of ks, then it does end at about 12 (or 13 for me). But there's still a couple of ks to go- through a Kinloch subdivision, over a boardwalk to the lake, past the marina to the domain. My legs and hips/bum were pretty wasted by this time, and part of me hoped I'd run into Phil early, even if that meant I didn't make the distance! But Phil had taken my delaying texts to heart, so we didn't meet until I got through the domain and out the other side with 60m to go (you don't have to know much about me to know I waved at him to keep driving while I walked up and down a little bit of road to make the distance!). Finish time was 2:55 for 15km (11.40/km or 5.1km/h). Roughly twice the time it would take me to run it- but I was still bloody proud!

And my recovery food of choice? Chip butties from the Kinloch store (who'd run out of fish...really???) and a can of deep spring fizz. Brilliant.

I would thoroughly recommend W2K to anyone visiting Taupo- walk, run or ride it, and top it off with a picnic in Kinloch.

Hot Potato Chip: Week 26

2011-11-22T18:17:00.001+13:00

26 weeks today! That's got to be officially pregnant, right? Apparently, Chip is the size of a cauliflower, which seems a little absurd!

What we ate: A pretty good week, apart from Sunday. I worked really hard at cutting out sugary drinks. It's not like I've been drinking fanta all day long, but without booze, coke zero and coffee, I've been drinking more juice, and more flavoured water. It's easy for the sugar in those drinks to add up, so I've focussed on not having them, and saving the sugar for an occasional Macs apple with dinner out. I've also been working on protein, which isn't easy for me- especially not when you add in the zillion or so pregnancy food rules. I realise it's too late to fix anything pre-polycose screening test, but it's still good for me and for Chip!

How we moved: #Novemberstreak continues, but barely. Knowing I was keeping the streak up and feeling "accountable" definitely got me moving a few times!

Tuesday: 25 minute run at the lake; 20 minutes of weights

Wednesday: 1:05 walking (total- before work and at lunchtime); 45 minute swim

Thursday: 25 min walk; preggy yoga

Friday: 30 min swim (pm)

Saturday: 40 min walk in the am; 20 elliptical; 30 min weights; then a hilly 35 minute walk in Auckland

Sunday: Spectating! I don't know if I'd normally count it, but it was a massive day, I was absolutely wiped, and I'd have easily done my 10,000 steps, so for the sake of streaking, I call it insies!

Monday: an at home workout, as I was flustered and still recovering from the weekend. Did a light warm up in front of the TV, some leg and UB strength work, then a 10 minute preggy yoga youtube video. I have indeed become a woman who marches on the spot in front of the telly...

Where we went: To Auckland for the Tri Auckland ITU race. It was awesome, but exhausting- being in a big, busy city at a big event made spectating much more complicated than it usually is- I walked and walked and walked and walked, until my feet hurt and my legs ached and then some! As mentioned above, I also ate like a little hippotamus- the early start combined with spectator syndrome really perked my appetite up!

What we wore: Nothing new or exciting. But I ordered some clothes from gap maternity (...and spent $65 on shipping?! WTF?!) so there'll be new and exciting clothes arriving soon, I hope!

What we bought / got given: Some clothes from the Farmers sale, and got some more second hand gear (just clothes).

What changed: Chip is continuing to grow, and sits quite low and to the front, which is making it harder to get up steep hills and stairs (the top of my leg will basically squash into my belly).

What stayed the same: Everything else! I'm still sleeping fairly well and am mostly comfortable, and thanking my lucky stars for that.

Exciting moments: Nothing much exciting baby related. Phil may have felt his first kick, but the combination of paternal impatience, stubborn baby and not very strong kicks mean he's not entirely sure!

More exciting for me and Chip was watching Phil race in the sprint event at the Tri Auckland race and qualify to represent his age group at Worlds next year! It'll be the most expensive sprint race in the history of time- I shudder to think of the per km cost- but the upsides outweigh the costs. First, there's getting a tri-suit with his name on the bum. Secondly, there's competing at a World Champs in NZ, which is awesome in and of itself, and super awesome for a guy who'll be becoming a Daddy the same year. Thirdly, there's getting to spend the winter months (and the new baby months) training for a sprint race, not a half ironman!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 25

2011-11-15T06:37:00.000+13:00

What we ate: A good week on the whole; lots of lovely berries and fresh veges, not too many dark peppermint mini slabs... I'm getting worried about the gestational diabetes screening test which is coming up, and fear is making it easier to say no to sugar! I still need to work at getting more protein in during the day- not easy when there's a "pregnancy rule" for everything...

How we moved: I've started a twitter pact with Lizzy to move our booties every day in November. It doesn't have to be much to count, so long as we do a little something every day. For me this is about enjoying the last few weeks of the second trimester before I start suffering from too many aches and pains, and embracing the spring sun before the real summer warmth arrives! This week wasn't as impressive as last week, but it was a bloody busy week now that we've added 2-hour long ante-natal classes every Tuesday, so I'm pleased that #Novemberstreak motivated me to keep going.

Tuesday: 30 minute walk; 10 minutes stretching (am)
Wednesday: 30 min swim (am)

Thursday: 30 min walk; preggy yoga

Friday: 45 min swim

Saturday: 20 min walk; 20 elliptical; 30 min weights (and then a looong day on my feeties)

Sunday: 35 min run between prepping for and going to a friend's baby shower

Monday: 30 minute swim (am) (we slept in...)

Where we went: To the On Your Bike expo on Saturday. Walking around and chatting for a couple of hours made it a long afternoon, and I was pretty beat afterwards, but it was great fun (and I will hopefully post about some of the fun things we found there later)

What we wore: I love my Pumpkin Patch maternity leggings. I'm now pretty much out of tops- trying to figure out how long the next size or so up will last, or whether it would be better just to bite the bullet and go maternity.

What we bought / got given: We bought our stroller, and ordered our cot. Exciting times!

What changed: Nuttin' really. Chip grew a little, moved a little more, and bending down got a little harder.[ditto] I also realised for the first time that things like sitting at my desk and doing the dishes are getting a little more awkward!

What stayed the same: Purty much everything! [ditto]

Exciting moments: I always count down to midwife appointments- hearing the heartbeat and knowing that everything's OK with me and the baby (as far as we can tell) usually gives me a couple of weeks of comfort. We're moving from 4 weekly to 3 weekly now, and it won't be long before we move to fortnightly- so soon I won't have time to start getting anxious between visits ;)

The other "exciting" thing was starting ante-natal classes (we've started quite early due to the inconveniently timed Christmas break, so will be all done with learning when I'm only 30 weeks), even though they're not exactly enthralling at this stage...

And, because you've been good, and you haven't a bump pic for a while, here's the bump after a quick gym workout this morning (at 25 weeks on the dot):

(and yes, I am freaked by the fact that this belleh has another 15 weeks of growing to do!)

My pregnant tri-season

2011-11-11T09:20:00.001+13:00

Tri-season is well and truly under way, and just because I won't really be competing this year doesn't mean I'm not excited. Of course, I'm also freaked, because Chip is due to arrive during this tri-season. Blimey!

So, what does my season look like?

Phil's season kicks off with the Tri Auckland sprint race the weekend after next. It's going to be a massive race, as both the sprint and the Olympic distance are qualifying events for worlds next year, so there are heaps of people racing, including plenty of "names". While some of me would love to be racing too, I'm not a huge fan of big competitive races, because there are always too many super fast men whizzing past and lapping me on the scary bits of the bike (of which there are many in this hilly, technical course), and I'm super looking forward to spectating. And shopping in Auckland. OK, and ice creams in Pokeno too.

Then it's Tinman, which we'll be participating in for the third time. I'm running in a sprint team; Phil's doing the Olympic distance. Currently, I'm feeling pretty good about getting through the 5k, and if previous years are anything to go by, I have a much greater chance of winning a good spot prize than he does ;)

Phil has December off, but we'll hopefully make it down to Rotovegas for my favourite race of all. There's always someone to cheer on (at least two people this year, anyway), and I'm sure by that stage I'll be perfectly happy just to sit in the shallows at Blue Lake getting pruney for the whole race!

Phil's biggie this season is, again, the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman, which is going to be epic. I'll be part of a big, awesome cheer squad cheering on heaps of blog and twitter buddies, and real life people too. I'm planning my water gun strategy already.

Then it will be time for my one and only triathlon for the season; a small (field of two) maternity mini tri at my favourite triathlon stomping ground, Blue Lake. Course and dates are TBD, but it looks as though I'll have a good chance of placing in my category (25-29 preggos- hey, if it's not TriNZ sanctified, why should I have to age up??)

I'm hoping that by through limited participation and plenty of spectating I'll be able to keep my passion for the sport alive- I know I'll need all the motivation and enthusiasm I can lay my little hands on if I want to have a cracker 2012 season!*

*And by "cracker", I mean FUN!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 24

2011-11-08T06:52:00.003+13:00

What we ate: Mostly well with a few exceptions (grain waves when my nausea returned on Monday, a couple of servings of pre-dinner corn chips, and a few Whittakers dark mint mini slabs kindly brought to me by Ally).

How we moved: Easy and often! I said goodbye to my cold last weekend, and got to spend the week walking and swimming- with preggy yoga, a couple of gym sessions, and a run thrown in for good measure. Long may this energy last...

Tuesday: 40 mins elliptical; 35 min walk
Wednesday: 40 min swim

Thursday: 45 min swim;30 min walk; preggy yoga

Friday:30 min walk; 55 min swim

Saturday: 30 min weights; 35 min swim

Sunday:35 min run

Monday: 45 min walk (am); 45 min swim (pm)

What we wore: The excitement for me this week was solving my burgeoning chub rub problem by purchasing a few pairs of cheap cotton "bike" shorts from good old Glassons. Hello summer skirts, goodbye chafing! I was also stoked to finally find a pair of maternity shorts I liked- and super stoked when I got them for roughly half price due to the combination of a few different discounts.

What we bought / got given: I went clothes crazy at the Base yesterday. Spent a small fortune, and we still don't have everything we need for any stage, but Chip will be two-thirds clothed until he or she is 1. Unless he or she is abnormally small or large, in which case it'll be about 6 months or 18 months :) We also ordered our chest freezer, so I can start preparing freezer meals :)

What changed: Nuttin' really. Chip grew a little, moved a little more, and bending down got a little harder.

What stayed the same: Purty much everything!

Exciting moments: Reaching the 24 week mark, which means that Chip could, theoretically, make it if I went into labour now. This, of course, would not be ideal for many reasons; not least of which is the fact that we do not have nearly enough of the stuff we need to bring a baby home. Stay in there, buddy!

Deep breaths and bean bags: Hot Potato hits up preggy yoga

2011-11-06T18:47:00.001+13:00

I have been meaning to find a pregnancy yoga class for, oh, about 19 weeks now. I've had the contact numbers saved in a gmail folder, I've talked to pregnant colleagues, but I never actually DID it. First it was work. Then work again. Then general slackness. Then sickness.

But finally this week, I got off my bum (not literally, I was in my trusty office chair) and phoned around, and found a class at the local parents' centre for Thursday night. I wasn't sure quite what to expect; knowing that some preggy yoga classes are basically focussed ordinary yoga classes (i.e. pretty much a workout), whereas others are more of the deep breathing and feeling centred ilk (it didn't matter much to me which one I got- I just didn't know).

After a 3k walk there (thanks to a wrong turn) I was hot and running late and feeling a little flustered, but I had time to lay my towel out and settle myself down before we started. I wasn't even last there, quite.

The class was very much "deep breathing and feeling centred", and it was great. The stretches were easy and relaxing, and we focussed on the problem areas we'd all identified in the beginning (mostly rib and lower back pain- ho boy, do I have a lot to look forward to). The instructor kept up a running commentary about various pregnancy/labour related things as we stretched, which eased the tension- you just have to relax and stop feeling like a spoon when you're in a room full of women talking about the bodily processes involved in pregnancy and labour! At the end, we had 10 minutes to give each other back rubs and chat, followed by 5 minutes of relaxing on beanbags and "connecting with our babies."

I left feeling a little taller, a lot calmer, and with an inexplicable craving for chickpeas... Looking forward to next Thursday!

"Swim tag" or "how soon can you lap Kate?"

2011-11-04T20:34:00.002+13:00

Today at swimming (...where I did 1700m- woot!), I invented a sweet new workout game I like to call "swim tag", or, as I introduced it to Phil, "how soon can you lap Kate?"*

It worked really well for us, and I thought it would be a fun training game for anyone who trains with a speedster!

What you need:
- two swimmers, one fastish, one slowish
- one pool, preferably not too busy

What you do:
- fastish swimmer starts first, slowish swimmer jumps on his or her heels
- both swimmers keep swimming until fastish swimmer catches slowish swimmer's feet

Repeat as desired.

We "played" twice- the first time, Phil lapped me at my 300 (his 350). The second time he upped his game and caught me at 275 (he also got brainy and took off really fast on the first 25 so I couldn't hold on). It meant that Phil was motivated to put some effort it for a decent interval, and that I was motivated to just keep going (pregnant Kate tends to swim shorter intervals), and it was a great way to get 600+ metres in.

*I say invented, but I'm going to guess I'm not the first person to "invent" this one. But for now, let me enjoy it, OK?

Hot Potato Chip: Week 23

2011-10-31T16:11:00.002+13:00

What we ate: Spaghetti on toast; my go-to "sick" food.

How we moved: Very little. A few walks was all I had in me. I've beaten myself up about this, but Rational Kate knows it was for the best.

Where we went: From bed to the couch to work to bed.

What we wore: A shrinking selection of clothes, precious few of which are going to work for summer. I wish someone would invent mid-thigh length underwear for those of us with too much thigh...

What we bought/got given: Lots! I cleaned up at a local secondhand baby bonanza, and we received a generous pile of bits and bobs from our neighbours. I love hand-me-downs; cheap/free, green and good for the community.

What changed: Chip got MUCH more active over the past few days; I've felt movement every day since Friday, and it was non-stop for a good chunk of this morning.

What stayed the same: Belly still feels like it's stagnating a bit. I'm not complaining- I know someone's still growing in there, and it's about time I had a belly-growth slowdown!

Exciting moments: Movements are definitely still new enough to be exciting, so I'm counting them again :)

Hot Potato Chip: Week 22

2011-10-25T19:13:00.001+13:00

The final halfway point. I found out at (about) 4 weeks, with 36 weeks to go, and I'm 22 weeks pregnant today, with only 18 weeks (theoretically) remaining. I guess there's no denying it- I should probably start doing some more planning...

What we ate: My appetite is still a bit iffy, and I am working on not eating too much, as my "say when" button seems to be a bit munted. I get much less "hungry" and get full much easier- but have to make sure I eat a sensible amount and sensible things.

How we moved: It was truly a week of walking- and good walking too. I did my usual weights on Tuesday, and a 5k "run" on Wednesday, and from then on it was walking all the way, aside from a short swim on Sunday. An hour (plus) of gnarly hills on each of Friday and Saturday, and lots and lots and LOTS of incidental walking which was awesome if a little hard on my feet, and a little bit too tiring for me at times.

Where we went: To windy wonderful Wellington. What a weekend! Decaf flat whites, hills, friends, sea air...

What we wore: We dressed up in a black maxi dress for my friend's wedding- with a turquoise sash and necklace for some colour. I was feeling pretty frumpy and hippopotamusy in the lead up, but scrubbed up OK on the night, I think!

What we bought/got given: A lovely wee bamboo silk hat from a good friend, and my sister made me a fantastic maternity skirt.

What changed: I started feeling Chip moving, for real this time. It's still pretty light, and pretty sporadic, but it's definitely there and it's very cute! No morning sickness for a week or so. Fingers crossed it stays that way... Unfortunately, at this stage it's being replaced by my first cold in ages, which is why I'm blogging instead of enjoying this gorgeous evening. Grr.

What stayed the same: Not much! Maybe the belly, which hasn't grown much this week as far as I can tell.

Exciting moments: Feeling Chip squirming during our friends' wedding vows. Keyoooot!

Hot Potato Chip: Week 21

2011-10-18T09:29:00.004+13:00

Another half way point! We are now half way from (theoretical) conception to (estimated) birth. Woot! One more week, and we're truly halfway through.

What we ate: Chip has gotten to the squishing my insides stage, meaning my appetite is all outta whack. But I'm loving having salad veges and asparagus, and especially loving the beginning of strawberry season.

How we moved: Not enough. Again. I'm having trouble sleeping and have been exhausted. And lazy. The gym isn't air-conditioned enough for me, so it's not exactly tempting. Add a couple of days of emotional turmoil, and you have one lazy mama potato. A pissy swim on Wednesday, decent enough gym sesh on Thursday and a 5k walk on Sunday was it for me this week. Oh- and a 40 minute run that became a walk due to a soaring HR on Monday after I first drafted this :)

Where we went: To the pub to watch the Mighty ABs! (making it through the whole game which started at 9pm on a school night is no mean feat for preggo Kate)

What we wore: The white shirt, black bottoms combo got a workout again. I love Court, but was relieved to dump the white shirt in the wash on Thursday afternoon! I also got new maternity togs, which make me look like an oversized stripy something or other. I'm thinking of buying a plain black pair as well- for those times when I don't want to look like an oversized stripy something or other.

What we bought/got given: I bought Chip's first tiny outfit, and we made some serious progress on our decision list. No more purchases for now, but we're a darn sight closer to figuring out what we MIGHT buy, which is a step in the right direction.

What changed:

We saw Chip's bits!

I figured out I probably wasn't feeling Chip move- which was all but confirmed when I saw Chip wriggling all over the place at the 20 week scan, and punching and kicking me relentlessly, but was totally oblivious to it. Chip's placenta is right at the front of my body, so it may be that it's a while before I feel much more. Oh well!

What stayed the same: Still getting occasional days of morning sickness, but that's about it. Still figuring out how best to set up my pillow fortress every night.

Exciting moments: The 20 week scan, which confirmed that Chip is healthy and all major organs are present and correct and doing what they should. There was an "incidental finding" which, combined with googling and deciding I could read ultrasounds real good, sent me into a complete tailspin over the weekend, but I am now happy to rely on the medical profession who are unanimous that there is nothing to worry about.

And because you've been so patient, and because I was a good girl who made it to the gym this morning, some bump action:

(and 13 weeks, to compare)