Preggo Running - 21 weeks

Just a quick update on pregnant running.  It's still going.  Usually 4 days per week, 4-6 miles each run.  I haven't slowed down a ton on good days.  This baby is riding a little lower than the last so I'm already having a lot of bladder pressure.  Some days it's irritating enough to force a walk break or two.  On good days running is still a lot of fun - even if it's in the rain (as it has the last couple weekends).  Pushing the stroller does cause a slow up, especially up hills.  I've been getting up to do early runs before B goes to work to combat that issue and taking M for more walks during the day.  All in all running is still going good.  Fingers crossed for another 19ish weeks of running!  :-)

Beach Baby

Going to the beach with a one year old gives you a new love of the splendors of the ocean!

B and I took Mira to Matagorda Bay over Labor Day weekend.  It's a pretty non-commercialized area on the Gulf.  There are 20+ miles of beach and only a couple miles of that are inhabited.  Even on a  holiday weekend it was easy to get away from everyone if you had a 4 wheel drive (which luckily we did).  The first night we just walked on the beach.

The next day we headed out to walk on the pier and play in the sand:
           

Later we actually got in the water and Mira loved it all!  She even put up with Mom making her dress up for a few minutes!

I think after quite a few trips I finally have the packing with a baby thing down.  We really didn't take too much, but still had everything we needed.  It did help knowing we had a washer and dryer at the VRBO, but we only used it on the last day to dry our towels and swim suits after our last ocean frolic.

Mira's packing went like this: 

- 2 reusable diapers, 6 inserts, 7 disposable diapers, and 8 swim diapers

- 3 everyday outfits, 2 dresses, 2 swimsuits, 1 swim cover-up that I threw on her when we took her swimsuit off so she would be dry when we put her back in the car seat.

- bath soap, sunscreen, tylenol, clippers, organic bug spray (mosquitoes were bad away from the ocean), small bath toy

- we splurged and took 4 stuffed animals and 2 books, she loved on and played with them all so I thought it was justified

- car seat and base - I hate lugging them, but it ended up being much cheaper than renting them

- stroller - we took the Bob which is cumbersome, but the knobby tires on the beach was nice and it allowed us to go for family runs

- bjorn, we could have done without it this trip, but it was still nice to have and it doesn't take up much space

- blanket to sleep on - the rental had a pack and play with sheets, but she's got a special blanket she likes to sleep on so we splurged and took it too since we had room

All of our clothes fit into a roll behind small suitcase (one that we could have carried on).  That included 3 beach towels.  Our shoes, rain jackets, necessities, beach blanket, and Mira's blanket fit into a large backpack that we also checked.  (On Southwest we got 2 free checked bags per person so we took advantage).  I had my purse/diaper bag to carry on and a small Trader Joe bag with Mira's toys and snack food for the family.  Brady had his Timbuk 2 messenger bag with a grown up book for each of us and all our electronics (phones, chargers, Mira's monitor, our old iPhone we use for white noise for Mira, 2 headlamps (which came in super handy when walking back across the dunes after night strolls on the beach), cameras, and chargers.  

Just can't wait to go again!