Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!  I’m a couple days late with this 22 week update, because my parents and brother are in town from Ohio!

How we’re growing?:  At 22 weeks, our little guy’s about 12 inches long and the size of a spaghetti squash, though he feels more like a bowling ball on my bladder, ha!

How I’m feeling?:  While he’s only a pound, I’m feeling shockingly strong kicks, wiggles, and punches all the time (and especially at night).  Jared and Liv are getting to feel kicks now, too!  I’m starting to have Braxton Hicks contractions, as well as low back and hip pain.  I’m still running, though, and oftentimes, it’s the best I feel all day!  And I’m crazy thankful for that!

What I’m eating?:  While I’m still having regular bouts of nausea, all of my food aversions are gone!  And truly, this is the best time of year to be pregnant!  I’m loving all the comfort foods and you’d better believe I had seconds (okay, and thirds…) on Thanksgiving.  And I don’t feel the least bit guilty about carrying on my childhood tradition of having leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast!

Also, the cooler weather has me craving coffee again!  Normally, these are my feelings about decaf…

After being off of coffee for several months, decaf has been ah-maze-ing!  I’ve even succumbed to Starbucks at the grocery, which Liv doesn’t mind one bit, because… cake pops!

What we’re up to?:  We’ve been busy cleaning and decluttering.  I got a big donation together for Salvation Army, and we had Liv try out the guest room queen bed for a few nights.  We’re still debating whether to upgrade her to a twin bed in her current room, or move her into the guest room.  Either way, she’s more than ready to hand over her crib to her baby bro… “How many days til March, mom?”

Liv loved the big bed, but she’s happily back in her converted crib, since my parents and brother arrived last week.  My mom was able to join us for our midwife appointment on Friday and hear Cookie’s sweet, speedy little heartbeat!  She also treated us to a couple nights at a hotel in Carlsbad (near the beach where Jared and I got married, almost seven years ago, holy smokes).  It was so fun, with an awesome pool, and incredible restaurant next door, where I had the best burger of my life!

The weather’s been ridiculously beautiful (as usual), so we’ve enjoyed a few trips to the beaches in La Jolla, Carlsbad, and Oceanside.

We went to see Shrek the Musical, which was a hit, even though Liv missed a few scenes in the middle, and had to “go pee reeeal bad” during Act 2, ha!

Liv’s been especially attached to Uncle Rhino, who’s always down to play and play and play some more — even when she jumps on his blowup bed at 7AM.  He also shares his Reese’s cups with her!  Best. Uncle. Ever.

On Thursday morning, the whole family joined me for my favorite Thanksgiving tradition: A Turkey Trot!  And what’s better than a race with a bunch of my favorite people?  Two races!

I left the house at 5:30 AM to run the 10K, which went so much better than anticipated.  I’d gotten a terrible night of sleep, and woke up nauseous and achy.  But for me, it seems the further I run, the better I feel, and I crossed the Finish Line on top of the world!

• Mile 1 – 10:08
• Mile 2 – 9:50
• Mile 3 – 9:40
• Mile 4 – 9:26
• Mile 5 – 9:30
• Mile 6 – 8:59

Official Finish:  10K – 59:54 @ 9:39/mile

After the 10K, I met up with the whole crew for the 5K run & walk at 8:30 AM.

Dad, Jared, Liv, and I started with the runners, but my dad quickly pulled ahead, while us Luries had a run/jog/walk/ride-on-daddy’s-shoulders adventure.

Liv ran at least a full mile of the 3.1 — so much more than I expected! — and the 3.5 of us crossed the finish line together, hand in hand!  It was one of those unforgettable, my-heart-is-bursting moments of joy.

Official Finish:  5K – 40:20 @ 12:59/mile

When a volunteer handed Liv a medal, she exclaimed: “I can’t believe I won!”  Another volunteer handed me a second medal, which Liv is holding onto to give to her baby brother, “when he’s big enough,” she says.

Jared and Liv looped back to meet up with my mom and bro, not too far behind us (while I hurried off to pee for the 4th or 5th time), and we all crossed the finish line together, again!

It was pretty chilly at the start — a windy, 50-something degrees, but it was a gorgeous, sunny 70-degrees by the time we finished.  Can’t beat that!

Back home from the race, my dad got right to work on the turkey, and a few hours later, Julie, Andrew, and Nora joined us for the most delicious feast: roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, brussels sprouts, stuffing, lemon meringue pie, and pumpkin pie.  The food was over the top, but the laughs were even better.  Liv and Rhino (the baby whisperer) were overjoyed to have so much playtime with little Nora, who was the star of the night.  Oh, and the Steelers won!

Weeks 21 & 22 in Review:

• Workouts:  11 runs, 5 walks, & so much cleaning/errands/housework
• Miles with Cookie:  460.9
• Weight gained:  +11 lbs.
• Favorite foods:  The best ever burger at Bistro West, Julie’s bacon balsamic brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving, my dad’s pumpkin pie, red grapefruit, dried mango, and decaf coffee with cream
• Cravings:  coffee!
  
• Next appointment:  30 days
• Highlight:  The entirety of Thanksgiving, especially crossing the 5K finish line as a soon-to-be family of four!