She Runs By Faith

May is one day away and pregnancy week 34 is nearing its end! Here are a few things happening in our house this week: We had an appointment with our midwife  and the homebirth kit arrived that same day! I feel like I haven't done anything to prepare for our baby this time - no nursery decorating, no baby clothes buying, no crib or carseat shopping. To feel like I have "done something", I sorted through the newborn cloth diapers a friend is borrowing me. Aren't those Blueberry diapers adorable?! Baby is growing... a lot. Here is my "weight gain progress" photo. That's something new, huh? From week 5 to week 35, baby/my body has done some major growing - like 20 lbs. worth! It's completely amazing how God has made a woman's body to grow new life. I feel surprisingly comfortable at this point, though I look like I'm smuggling a football under my shirt. This baby is carrying all out front, just like Mr. E. Freezer meals are work ...

Heyo, it's time for another the Fit Dish Tuesday link-up! This week the [optional] topic is: This has been a challenging topic to write on because there are so many women in my life who inspire me. Instead of making a mega-list for you, I thought it would be best to look into what qualities these women have that inspire me - what they have in common. ..... The Proverbs 31 woman is the epitome of the perfect godly woman and she is a great example to learn from. But it's not her perfection that inspires me. The "perfect woman/wife/mom" status is unattainable in this life. What inspires me is seeing women who are living examples of what it looks like to be a Proverbs 31 woman in today's world. These women aren't mirror images of the woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31 . They don't live their lives totally stressed out by trying to be perfect. An inspiring woman is  real . She has daily struggles. She has bad days. She messes up. But s...

Happy last full week of April 2015! I'm so excited for my favorite month to begin... May = the Fargo Marathon, summer weather, Mother's Day, our wedding anniversary, my birthday, my mom's birthday and likely our baby #2's birthday! MB from Tutus & Tennies tagged me to share some of my running favorites just in time for tomorrow's Fitness Friday  and Monday's Mommy Moments link-up. Plus, it's time for another baby update, too :) Alright, let's jump right in: My Running Favorites: Questions Answered 1.) LOCATION: Trail, Road or Indoors? My heart belongs to trail running . My first full marathon was on the trails and there is never a dull moment. I don't trail run much anymore because I am usually pushing a jogging stroller along with me. These days, running outdoors is wonderful to me. Best trail running memory ---> My husband and I went trail running a ton on our honeymoon (almost 3 years ago!) and it was absolutely gorgeo...

This week marks my blog's second "blogiversary" (blog + anniversary)! Yes, blogs get anniversaries, too. I learned that last year :) Today also happens to be Marathon Monday in Boston, too! I squeezed on my 2012 Boston shirt to celebrate during my snowy 5k run this morning (yes, snowy). It fits over the baby bump but my belly band covers about 2" of exposed belly. #preggoproblems Two years ago I wrote my first post on Life to the Full! Why a Blog? I started reading blogs when I was pregnant with E. While there were many pregnant women around me, maybe a few worked out but zero were interested in running. Most people thought it was quite weird to run while pregnant - like it scared them. That's when I found Jen's blog, This Runner's Trials , and Janae's blog, The Hungry Runner Girl . While I prefer a good old coffee date conversation over blog-reading, reading about these women and their experiences with being an active pregnant woman...

We're talking potty training on One Year and Beyond this week. It's a topic I'm totally unqualified to write on but I will share our experiences at this point nonetheless. Is our toddler potty trained? Short answer: No. Here's where we are as of today. E is 25 months old and there are days when I question his readiness to ditch the diapers. Potty training has been on the mind for a few months now but our game plan is to postpone until Baby #2 arrives around the end of May/early June. Though our plan makes perfect sense to me, there are times I've wondered is it right to wait until after Baby is born? Or should we just take the plunge now and deal with a regression later? The potty has been set up in the bathroom for a few months. He certainly has no fear of it but his interest in actually using the potty like a "big boy" is wavering. He would rather wear the seat as a hat. Gross, I know! He's not allowed to do that anymore :) One day ...

Confession: I am have been a strength training slacker. While most days I love to go out for a run, my number #1 excuse for slacking on strength training has been that "it takes too much time" . Over the past year, I have started to strength train consistently a couple times a week and my view of strength training has changed immensely. A strength training workout doesn't require an hour or even 45 minutes at the gym. Even a short strength session is better than none at all and it can be done at home! Have 20 minutes you can spare? Fit it in then! I have worked in strength training while cooking supper and I didn't even burn the food ;) (Just make sure to set a timer!) In all honesty, I just like to run a lot more than I like to strength train. Remember, we make time for what is important to us! And strength training just wasn't that important to me. Until now. Though I'm far from "hardcore" in the strength training world, a quick workout ...

This title is a bit misleading. Grocery shopping isn't usually a matter of survival with our toddler. This week on One Year and Beyond , we are sharing the ways we keep our toddlers occupied while grocery shopping. Shopping with E is enjoyable 98% of the time. My goal in the below strategies is to prevent the 2% chance of him morphing into an absolute grocery store terror. (Keep in mind, these strategies are geared towards parents shopping with ONE toddler. If you have more than one, I've got nothing. Haven't been there, haven't done that.) My Toddler Grocery Shopping Strategies Take the cart.  Even if you need only one item... take the cart. Every time I grab the basket instead, I end up waddling around with a toddler in one arm and basket in the other. Involve them in the process.  Talk your toddler through the grocery list. Ask them to help looking for items. They may be small, but toddlers are people too! Let your toddler walk or push the cart. If you...

For this week's the Fit Dish link-up, I'm sharing a little story of my golden birthday and the biggest hiking adventure of my life (so far). Let's go wayyy back in time...  My golden birthday celebration all started with running my first road marathon on May 21, 2011 . My almost 24-year-old self doesn't look that much different than me now - just add my husband, a big ole pregnant belly and our toddler to this picture: I survived the 26.2, stopped to tie my shoe once and crossed the finish with one dying toenail. Gross. My older-younger brother was my "pit crew" and it was a wonderful day because... Early Birthday Present: I qualified for the Boston marathon! Equally Awesome: My family and I were leaving for Arizona the next day! Three days after the marathon, it was officially my golden birthday so my adventurous brothers and I took off to hike across the Grand Canyon. Apparently we take hiking very seriously. The older-younger bro at m...

Spring is here and we are one step closer to shorts weather! We are so excited to be outside in the sunshine again. E and I both love the outdoors plus it's a great way to burn off all of his toddler energy! Today I'm sharing a few of our favorite spring activities and crafts with the One Year and Beyond link-up. Here are a few ways we are keeping busy indoors and outdoors: Our Favorite Spring Toddler Activities & Crafts Go On a Nature Walk // We found a fake leaf on one of our recent walks and E was so proud! There is always something new to see or collect when exploring outside. Make a Playdough Pizza // When it's a bit too chilly outside, we stay in and play with our homemade playdough. E loves to make "pizza"! Take a Stroller Walk or Run // This is mom's favorite! When I want to get in some extra exercise, E and I take the stroller out to run a few miles. It's still a bit cool and breezy here most days so we use the weather s...