.Missed

There were a few things I really missed while I was pregnant:

• Medium rare steak
• Eggs Benedict (poached soft with a ton of hollandaise sauce)
• Sushi
• Super hot showers/baths
• Hot tubs
• Running

Unfortunately with the c-section, baths and hot tubs are out for another month or so. When I get the all-clear, I'm actually tempted to go buy a day pass for a YMCA or city recreation center and just go sit in the hot tub for 20 minutes - that's how much I miss it!

As for the food, I haven't had the steak, eggs or sushi yet. Once we really get settled with the baby, Brian promised he would make me one of the best steaks I've ever tasted! For eggs benedict I want to head to Urban Diner for their crab & shrimp cake eggs benedict. It's been awhile since I've had it and it's SO delicious! I can't wait! And the sushi, well I'm not sure where I'm going to get sushi yet. I've always liked sushi but I've never really craved it, so it's been awhile since I've been to a good sushi restaurant. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can get some good sushi?

Sadly, in the last couple months I found out that both fundraising runs that I did last year (the Underwear Affair for cancers below the waist, and Run for Your Dad for the Heart and Stroke Foundation) have been cancelled. Not only were they cancelled for 2015, but it looks like they are going to be cancelled for good. This makes me so sad! I picked those runs very carefully as I was running for my late aunt/godmother and my Dad, so the fact that they are now nonexistent left me wondering what I could do to raise money this year? I posted this on Facebook to see if anyone had any suggestions and my friend Kelly suggested the Heartbeat Run which is happening in Edmonton in September. The money raised is going to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute which I think is a great cause. I have an email out to them to find out if strollers are allowed on the course for the 5K or 10K walk and if they are I may do the walk with Kendrick! If not, I'll have to decide whether I'll be ready for a 5K or 10K run at that point. Considering I'll be doing a half marathon at the end of October, I may opt for the 10K run to get my legs in gear, but we'll have to see how it goes. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself just in case, but I'm excited to know that I will have a fundraising run to look forward to this year and raise money for a good cause in memory of my Dad. 

Another walk I'm thinking of doing is the 5K Canada Day Road Race first thing in the morning on Canada Day. Last year I did the 15K (not knowing I was pregnant, there were a bunch of hills and I still managed a PR!) and I loved the route. It was a lot of fun! This year I'm not sure I'll be ready to run a 15K at that point, but I may do the 5K with Kendrick to get the legs moving. I really want him to love the jogging stroller and coming to exercise with Mommy so that he gets used to it and I can get in shape while still spending time with him! The 15K was hilly and quite challenging but I think the 5K will be a lot of fun. 

I miss running. Can you tell? :) 30 days until April 20th!

.Reality

Maybe it's because I'm thinking about the fact that this week I'll get my last full pay cheque for a year. Or maybe it's because the nursery is really starting to come together & baby stuff is building up in our living room. Or maybe it's because a new friend in a first time moms group I joined headed to the hospital and delivered her baby five weeks early! Things all of a sudden got real, and I got hit with a bit of a reality check this week.

I know I've mentioned it many times in this blog but I absolutely love to travel. I had a couple of ideas for trips to go on while I'm on maternity leave but my eyes seem to be bigger than my budget. I still want to conquer a few of them but I think DisneyWorld might be on hold until at least 2017. It's disappointing, but at the same time just not realistic. We're going to be in charge of a little person soon! I'm still coming to terms with that. 

At 38 weeks today, technically there's two weeks left before the due date but baby could come really at any time at this point. I can't really explain how it feels to be excited and terrified at the exact same time! I've been trying really hard not to complain during this pregnancy as I am very thankful that I'm able to get pregnant, however, as the days go on I'm starting to feel more and more uncomfortable. I'm pretty lucky that since the first trimester I've had a fairly good pregnancy. Now I believe I have entered the painful, waddling stage :). I also have crazy insomnia, which was bothering me before I got pregnant but now it doesn't seem to matter how little sleep I get the night before, I can't fall asleep until after midnight. Maybe this is my body preparing for lack of sleep once little Baby Peanut comes along?

The nursery is coming along really well. My husband painted, built the crib and changing table, and we just put up the giant Snoopy wall stickers yesterday. I love Snoopy. The room is starting to look awesome!

I miss running. I really, really miss running! Almost as much as I used to miss gymnastics when I was in a car accident and had to quit. I'm really looking forward to slowly getting back into it starting with walking around the neighborhood when the snow melts! We've had such an odd winter so it's kind of hard to say when that will happen, but I'm hoping by April I'll have the energy to start off slowly and work my way up to running half marathons again. I'm still signed up for the half marathon in Vancouver in October and fully plan to rock it (and by rock it, I mean cross the finish line) and I'm hoping to conquer a 15K in June for the Heart & Stroke Foundation, but I may change that to the 5K walk with the family if I'm not feeling up to it.

I've been trying to blog for about a week now & have been having troubles putting my thoughts together, which is why this one is a little all over the place. I blame the baby brain. :)

xo,

Dianne

PS: I've been slowly prepping some freezer meals so that when the baby comes, the nights that we don't feel like cooking we can pop something in the oven or microwave and have an easy, no prep dinner. I had some steak pieces in the fridge so I did some google/pinterest research on some enchilada recipes. I didn't really like any of them - so I created my own! Fairly healthy too! I overstuffed them so they looked more like burritos than enchiladas, but they tasted delicious! See below!

Smothered Steak Burritos

Ingredients

1 package of pre-cut steak bite size steak pieces (or any meat you'd like to use)

1 can of black beans

1 can of corn

Chopped mushrooms

1 cup of cooked whole wheat rice

Salsa 

- (I made my own - chopped up tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cilantro and mixed with a little bit of     lime juice, Epicure's Poco Picante Salsa Mix and salt & pepper to taste)

Shredded cheese

Whole wheat tortillas

Tomato sauce 

- (I used canned organic tomato sauce from Costco and added Epicure's fajita spice and salt & pepper to taste)

Cook the rice in one pot using water & a little bit of butter. In another pot simmer the sauce so the flavors mix together. In one more saucepan cook the steak, mushrooms, corn and black beans and mix in some fajita spice. Once everything is cooked, heat up the tortillas in the microwave for about 45 seconds so they are soft. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread some of the sauce at the bottom of a large glass baking dish. In each tortilla layer rice, the steak mixture, salsa and top with cheese. Fold each like a fajita/burrito and place in the baking dish with the ends down (I fit about six giant ones in my baking dish; four across and two at the top). Cover the top with the remaining tomato sauce and top everything with cheese. Put foil over the baking dish and put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

ENJOY! :)