7:22 AM: The cats are smothering me. I must smell different. They can't get close enough and if they're not sitting directly ON me, they are licking me. It's all cats all the time here. 

Chris is on litterbox duty, though. Not advised for pregnant women to hang around all that cat poo.

5:14 PM: Levels are perfect for my Last Menstrual Period. That's a relief. Now, the next hurdle is making it to 9/27/2013 arriving intact with a tiny Parker inside of me @ the early ultrasound.

Check this out: Photo from Bitch #2 taken by my friend, the multi talented Ali Engin. Ali started out as a triathlete, but after a pretty terrible achilles tendon injury, he pursued sports photography and has become a first class awesome sports photographer. 

You can certainly spot the afro. That's me, of course. Next to me in the dark blue is Schmize. Next to me in the light blue is Irish Peter. The kid banging on the drum is an elite runner from my old digs, and the winner of many a March Madness Half Marathon. 

I don't know where Chris is??

1:08 PM: The blood, again, is drawn. I asked for advice/guidance from the nurse and she told me the following, given my age and history:

• No sex (Sorry Chris)
• No vigorous exercise.
• No bike riding
• No swimming
• No running
• No weights
• Walking (non vigorously) is OK.
• 1 caffeine beverage per day is OK. No more.
• No alcohol.
• No cigarette smoke. First hand, second hand, or otherwise. 

I am to call and come in if I encounter bleeding, cramping, sharp pains or anything else that appears ominous or questionable.

These are not limitations that everyone has when they are newly pregnant. Just me as a  "geriatric" with my fibroids, my hypertension, and my history of miscarriage.

I am basically to wrap myself in bubble wrap and set myself aside for a couple of months....

That seems straightforward enough.

Traveled back home from Houston.

Fell asleep on the flight. Actually took a nap during the party.

It's hard to be the only person at a reunion who's not drinking....

Yes. You read that right. In the middle of a fibroid/fertility crisis, and less than 12 hours after having that conversation with my doctor, I found out I'm pregnant. My period was late, and it's usually ON TIME or early... I figured I ought to pee on the stick, just to be sure, before I fly out to Houston and drink for 2 days straight..

And shock of all shocks... It was positive.

I'm not sure how this will all play out. My fibroids are large and they're certainly THERE so that part of the equation has not changed. I don't know how that's going to work out. It's early. I'm old. It is what it is.

However, I think I'd rather be honest about why I'm not working out, why I'm taking it easy for these first several weeks and why I'm not riding my beloved bike(s) anymore.

Anything can happen. I figure the more people we have out there rooting for us, the better.

Doctor (blood draw only) at lunch tomorrow. Early ultrasound on 9/27.

Holy Shit. There goes 'Cross season!

DAY 2 

Phi Mu Reunion

Everyone!

Everyone except Tristan!

Traveling to TX for the Phi Mu Reunion. 

That's me, flexing. Heh.

Me and Leo, the cutest dog ever.

Group shot, day 1. One of us "fell asleep" while the sun was still up. 

Abs. And boxing.
We spent the first half hour doing a circuit that involved the Swiss ball and included this:
-
10 Pike reverse v-ups
10 push ups with shins on ball
15 of these face up leg lifts with my hands on the railing, ball under lower back
25 push up/push off burpees off the ball.
5 18' box jumps (This is a huge box jump PR for me. I am deathly afraid of any and all box jumps and it took much coaxing and positive self talk to get me to jump up on this 18" box. Pathetic. I know. But I did it and had room to spare and good knees-to-chest form. I think I tripped too much as a child. No joke.)
All of that x 3
-
Then boxing. Many combinations this time, including knees. My forearms are shaking.

9:45 AM: My AMH test came back "normal". This means I've still got eggs and I'm not headed headlong toward menopause in the foreseeable future. I do still get regular periods, so that's also good. I'm not washed up yet.

The next step is to head off to Northwestern and see what Dr. Lin says about about the size and location of my fibroids and see what he thinks about removing them through robotic surgery. Dr. Gallo didn't seem too thrilled about the concept, believing they are too big to be removed via a laparoscopic procedure... so I guess we wait and see and let the specialist help us decide.

THROWBACK THURSDAY:

Me, U of I, 1989 or 1990. This was at a party at the Sigma Nu house... that much I recall. The rest? A beer soaked vague memory. My hair, makeup, jewelry and nail style has changed very little since the late 80's. Not sure what that says about me. Not sure I want to think about it. Hahaha.

150 warm up
4 x 100 (50 fist, 25 scull + 25 dps)
4 x 75 (25 dps, 50 build)
9 x 50 (fast, fast, easy)
2 x 300 (200 easy + 100 fast)
200 pull
--------
2100 M

Oh my God. Here we go again. Back to the pool. Of course this never goes well upon my return...

Swimming tonight.