Terry Fox Run 2013

19 weeks, detailed ultrasound for our Kuczko Babe - Details

So yesterday Steve & I had our detailed ultrasound @ 19 weeks & 1 day. It started off the usual way, filling myself with water as directed by the tech & then uncomfortably waiting until I was told to basically empty my entire bladder. Lol What was the point of that! We lucked out & got another fantastic technician. Before Steve was permitted into the room, she (the tech) & I chatted about my triathlon endeavours & her running endeavours during both of our pregnancies. It's always really refreshing for me to talk to other moms or mommy-to-be's who also maintain a high level of activity during pregnancy. We all love someone we can relate to. As she pushed and prodded me with her ultrasound to ensure she got all the correct pictures it became clear to me that I have a stubborn babe on my hands, no surprise, both her daddy & myself are that way! Little babe laid in the most difficult positions possible making it a challenge for my kind tech to get the pics, but after sometime, the mission was a success. After she got what she needed she went & retrieved Steve who was anxiously sitting in the waiting room. He came into the dimly lit room I was in already smiling ear to ear. He is so genuinely proud that he has made this little babe with me & it is very clear to see. We watched the screen both smiling like idiots in love, tears trickling out of my eyes as I watched him & watched my babe. Pretty amazing. Two little feet, long legs, two arms & hands, a strong heartbeat & a gorgeous little face with the tiniest little nose I've ever seen. Hello my sweetheart! I'm already in love. We left our appointment happy & proudly toting our DVD with a few snap shots of our sweet little babe. I must have looked at this picture about 100 times since I got it yesterday ...

(I wasn't going to go into medical detail but I decided I wanted to. I've always found comfort in being an open book, someone people can relate to & also because being open is the easiest way to make connections with other amazing people). So, this morning bright & early & true to my fantastic doctors tactful form he called me at 7:30am to go over details about the ultrasound. Our little babe looks perfectly healthy, all organs & parts are accounted for. He was even ready to tell us if we are having a little girl or boy, but I made him keep it a secret as we are doing a cake gender reveal with our family on the 20th and I want to be surprised too! He agreed & let me know he'd make sure to give me the gender in a sealed envelope. (I'll take that precious information straight to the baker & let her be the only one to know!) Then my doctor added he had a couple more things to go over. I held my breath, accustomed to getting bad news from doctors, I knew I had to stay calm & open minded. In my own terms, he went on to tell me that as of right now my placenta is too close to my birth canal. Not a big worry, as most of the time as you get further along in pregnancy it does shift further away. (There is no cause or remedy for this, just that I'll need another ultrasound in my 3rd trimester to check on it.) The second piece of information is that me & the baby have SUA (single umbilical artery) basically means I am missing an artery in the umbilical cord. (There is also no cause or remedy for this). This can mean that the baby can have harder times getting nutrients or getting rid of them. The first thing they do is check the babies kidneys, if the kidneys look small or abnormal then it means the baby isn't getting what it needs. Thank goodness, he informed me that they were checked & our little babes kidneys looked very healthy. Deep breath. I feel partially relieved knowing this news & of course partially worried about my sweet unborn babe. In times like this I know what is important:

1) Trust in my doctor, if he says I shouldn't worry & that my baby is healthy, I need to trust my very educated & experienced doctor. I picked him as a doctor for a reason. He's never steered me in the wrong direction & knows that with my medical history, I need the facts. Give it to me straight!

2) Trust in myself & my body. I feel great, I eat extremely healthy & lead a highly active lifestyle. I know that I am feeding my sweet babe all the right things for her or him to grow into a strong little person. 

3) Try my best NOT to worry or over analyze things. Do not go crazy on google looking up the pros & cons of each detail, this is a recipe for stress & unnecessary tension, if I have questions, I need to ask a professional, not an Internet site. There is no sense in worrying over something I have no control over especially when I know I take good care of myself, which in turn is taking good care of our babe .... But I'd be lying if I said I didn't add EXTRA spinach to my scrambled egg whites this morning! Lol it worked for Popeye right?! 

I'll be sure to update any more information I get on my sweet babe. 

My best,

K

New Gym/Training Leg ~ THANK YOU Barber Prosthetics !!!!

VERY exciting day this past Friday, my amazing sponsors @ Barber Prosthetics fitted me for the newest edition to my athletic prosthetics, my new gym&training leg! I've been wanting this leg for years! This beauty makes #4 to my leg lineup. (My "barbie" leg isn't in the picture).

From left to right: 

Cycling leg (Suction skin to socket fit hybrid MAS socket, Mauch Hydraulic Knee Unit & custom made cleat)

Running leg (New suction fit w/ four ring liner hybrid MAS socket, Total Knee & Flex Run Foot, Nike runner sole)

Gym&Training leg (Suction skin to socket fit MAS socket, Mauch Hydraulic Knee Unit & Vari-Flex XC foot)

I can't thank my team @ Barber enough for their incredible support of all of my athletic dreams, thank you Dave, Darryl & the rest of the team @ Barber! 

Second Trimester (Weeks 14-26) 6 Pack to Baby Pack! Baby Body Progress Pics

14 Weeks & 6 days! (August 4th/2013) I keep getting comments that I'm barely showing, which is fine b/c I'm feeling fantastic, but it's a different case when it's happening to your own body - I sure FEEL pregnant & to me I feel like I'm majorly showing. The changes that happen are crazy, it's amazing what the female body can do. My boobs have literally tripled in size, making training slightly awkward & clothes to fit tight, but feeling good. Hopefully I can keep my core strength up so I don't get too much back pain, only mild so far.

  

15 weeks & 5 days! (August 10th/2013) This was a bit of a rough week for me, really the first one  (so far) because up until now I've been able to cope & manage the fatigue or nausea I've felt. This week was a whole new ball game. I had severe stomach pain. I really couldn't pin point what it was (this being my first pregnancy, I had nothing to compare it to). It felt like back cramps, stomach cramps, pulled muscles, over-filled tummy... To the point that I spent the better part of two full days laid up on the couch. Not fun. After two full days & on day 3 the pain was so bad & became such a worry to me that Steve took me to emergency. (Of course I spoke to other moms and did some research before making this decision, but it was late at night & I was starting to feel really worried). Thankfully everything was ok, after blood work, urine sample, doctors examination & an ultrasound, the doctor determined I was suffering from a mixture of ligament stretching pain & possible gas. Lovely right? LOL. Not much they can do about that but send you on your way & let you know it should ease up with time. (The one good thing that came out of the pain was that we got to see our baby, which we wouldn't have until our detailed ultrasound coming up on September 3rd, that will make any mommy-to-be smile - regardless of pain).

I took 3 full days off training & just stuck to extra stretching & some yoga & am now feeling much better. I'm going to do that regime for one more day & them get back to training, lightly & then hopefully back to where I was pre ligament pain. Here's my this week pic! I feel like I've really started to pop :) 

16 weeks & 3 days (August 15th/2013)

16 Weeks 6 Days (August 18th/2013) Ok I'm not going to lie, it's getting a little more difficult for me to post  half-naked tummy pics. I MISS MY ABS!!!! Lol but here it is, no editing, no filter, just me :) & my bump. I'll be 17 weeks tomorrow. Feeling kind of a bit run down today, I'm realizing more & more that I really do need to take the time to rest. I'm a really go go go type of a person, so I find this  extremely difficult, but feeling like crap because I overdo it is definitely not worth it. Goal for this week is to prioritize REST into everyday. (It helps that we're leaving for our annual summer holidays in Penticton this Wednesday!) 

17 weeks (August 19th/2013) ~ Mini update! Had a doctors check up today. Heard my little babes heart beat, was quite a bit slower than the last time we heard it, about 140. My blood pressure is good. We also got back our Down syndrome test results (I wasn't going to do them but then decided to anyways, always good to be prepared) & results were great, little babe is not at risk. All in all a great appointment :) Mommy is healthy & so is baby, two weeks until our detailed ultra sound.

17 Weeks 1 Day (August 20th/2013) I wanted to post a pic of what my baby belly looks like in the morning when I wake up. I take most of my baby belly pics in the evening or later in the day, but at 17 weeks I find it amazing that my tummy changes so much, & in the morning barely even looks like a bump at all! This is today before a glass of water, tea, breakfast or anything... I just HOPPED out of of bed ;) (crazy in comparison to the one (above) taken just two days ago but at night before I went to bed. Female bodies are AMAZING!!! 

17 Weeks 6 Days (August 25th/2013) Ahhhh :) We're away on our annual summer holidays in beautiful Penticton BC, my favourite part of the Okanagan. I've been coming here with my family since I was a baby. Luckily, I brought Steve with me once when we first started dating and he fell in love with it here too. We come every summer & he even proposed to me on our boat on Okanagan Lake. So many wonderful memories here. This year we have started a new tradition of camping (we usually rent a summer house on the lake, but because we have a new huge camping trailer we decided to make the most of it!) We are at Wrights Campground located right on Skaha Lake. ANYWAYS! Back to my baby bump action ;) Baby bump is growing for sure but is still kinda easy for me to hide. I see other mommies-to-be who are at the same point in their pregnancy as me who's bumps are so popped & so cute & sometimes I wonder if mine is even obvious to other people... Because its not always super obvious to me. Part of me wishes I was "showing" more prominently but the other part of me is like, "no thanks! I'd rather stay smaller as long as I can (as long as baby is healthy) it makes it much easier to train & move around in general lol. So I took two photos this week to show what I mean. The first "showing" & the second "hiding" 

18 Weeks & 3 Days (August 29th/2013) feeling the bump today! I'm about to do a strength training workout. As you'll notice I'm even equipt with my newest prosthetic leg edition, my gym/training leg :) ready to giver' with baby on board!!!

18 Weeks & 4 Days (August 30th/2013) heading out to dinner with Steve & my mum to Sammy's (a restaurant my sister, Kristen, works at). Filling in my maternity jean tummy area much better. (Top not maternity wear) Looking forward to not having to cook tonight & indulging a little.

19 weeks and 4 days (September 6th/2013) This morning when I woke up:

This morning after I got ready, the bump is dressed ;) 

HALFWAY!!!! :) 20 Weeks & 1 Day (September 10th/2013) feeling great aside from the fact that my boobs have still not stopped growing. Finding them really uncomfortable & it's really hard to find comfortable bras... Not to mention training with them is a huge pain in the neck & back! I miss my little athlete boobies :'( 

Dinner out with my bestie, Jessica, tonight. Decided that seeing as we're having such a beautiful September so far that I'd take advantage & wear a maxi, won't be able to for much long I bet. Rainy BC weather is just around the corner!

 

Exactly 21 Weeks today (September 16th 2013) I'm feeling pretty crappy today, hence the jeans/tshirt/ponytail combo. Rough night! Was up almost the entire night with sever phantom limb pain.

21 Weeks 1 Day (September 17th/2013) Feeling much better today :) even though I was up multiple times throughout the night to pee & switch positions I actually had pretty restful sleep. SO needed! Woke up starving!! This has become the new norm in mid 2nd trimester, I'm always a breakfast eatter but these days I just can't get to it quick enough. Infact if I lay in bed any longer than 15 minutes after I wake up I not only have a grumbling tummy but I have a very active baby, rolling around, kicking & stretching :) his or her way of telling mommy, FEED ME! Lol it's pretty amazing & very cute. So I get up & eat immediately. I took these pics pre workout today. Far left is "relaxed" with no tightening/flexing of my core muscles, middle is flexing my core slightly and the right is the dreaded front shot... My least favourite during pregnancy. 

21 Weeks & 2 Days (September 18th/2013) Here's a first thing in the morning view at my bump. Pre breakfast, literally the first few minutes I'm vertical after I wake up ;) Crazy how the bump changes throughout the day & night. Seems SO tiny in the morning!!! It's actually funny because in pictures it really doesn't look that big but on my body & for me personally it feels massive. Not going to lie, as much as I'm loving the pregnancy experience & my growing bump, I really do miss my tight toned mid section BIG TIME. Talk about putting body image & the way my body feels when I'm at my best physical state into perspective. Adding a belly to my frame has made me majorly appreciate the hard work & dedication it takes to have a tight & toned body. 

Same day, about 4 hours later... (Please don't mind my messy workout room, it's in pre reorganization for nursery stage!!) I'm clearly not tightening my core at all in this pic lol hello growing baby belly :)

21 Weeks & 6 Days (September 22/13) just got changed & ready for the 2nd time today. Busy busy, had a baby shower for Lindsay & her baby boy & now headed to my TEN year grad reunion! Craziness! This mama's feeling pretty pooped. 

22 Weeks & 1 Day (Sept 24th/2013) yikes, GROWING!!!!!

Same day, later in the afternoon after lunch :D about to do a HIIT sesh @ my little home gym. Exercise has been such an amazing thing for me so far in this pregnancy. Aside from the nausea, I've suffered mostly from fatigue, relentless tiredness (building a human is no small feat!) Add the extra expenditure of energy I use as an above knee amputee (roughly about 60-75% more energy used than an "able bodied" person) I feel pretty sluggish some days. But keeping on top of my workouts has been my saving grace, giving me back the energy I need & love :) I'm mostly doing strength training HIIT with cardio these days & hitting the pool a couple days a week doing laps & drills. Feeling pretty damn good for 22 weeks & a growing baby bump instead of abs lol 

22 Weeks & 6 Days (September 29th/2913) 23 weeks tomorrow & FALL IS HERE!!! :D I loooove fall. I'm all cozy & headed out for lunch & a nice Sunday drive w/ Steve.

23 Weeks! (September 30th/2013) Time for some raw shots of the baby body. I'm definitely starting to REALLY feel like a pregnant woman. My belly is growing by the day. Dear god I think if my boobs grow anymore I will fall over, from side to side are much wider & my cleavage is out of control. This has been pretty annoying as I've come to quite like my smaller athlete boobies. I feel like the weight that I have gained has been pretty evenly disprussed from belly to boobs but now feel it a little in my upper arms as well. Going from competition weight & form is a big difference to pregnancy form. Even though my training is consistent, it is still way less than what it was pre pregnancy plus the intensity is MUCH lower. Regardless, I'm sticking to it & feeling pretty great :) getting SO excited for baby to be here. 

23 Weeks & 3 Days (October 3rd/2013)

23 Weeks & 4 Days (October 4th/2013) First thing in the morning bump watch :)

23 Weeks & 5 Days (October 5th/13) Steve came into our bedroom while I was getting ready & said he thought my bump looking bigger today! So here it is in all it's growing glory lol ;) I actually think it looks smallish in this pic!

23 Weeks & 6 Days (October 6th/2013) 24 weeks tomorrow! Wearing this adorable hand me down gem from my beautiful sister (who has a 3 year old daughter). I Love My Bump! Thank you sees! XoXo

24 Weeks & 1 Day (October 8th/2013)

Dinner time

Baby belly seems so much bigger in the evening!!! I'm starting to feel huge lol 

24 Weeks & 6 Days (October 13th/2013) Happy Thanksgiving Y'all! I can't believe I'm already 6 months pregnant, it's literally just flying by. Headed out to turkey dinner #2 :)

25 Weeks & 3 Days (October 17th/13)

25 Weeks & 5 Days (October 19th/13) Proud to say I'm taking this pic right before my 6th workout of the week :) I've been feeling tired & because of that I decided to squeeze in an extra workout, it ALWAYS gives me a boost. From about 9 weeks until last week (24) I was consistently doing 4-5 workouts per week. I'm feeling good going into this workout, hoping I can keep up @ least 4-5 works a week until she arrives (6 was definitely a bonus this week!)

Same day, dinner out :)

25 weeks & 6 days (October 20th/13) Ok I'm really starting to feel huge. Looking back on these pics really puts how massively pregnancy changes your body into perspective. I feel like I've been able to maintain the tone in my legs & lower body but my arms have definitely lost some definition, my leanness is for sure subsiding to a much softer look. I have been doing way less than half the amount of cardio I did pre pregnancy & upped my weight training & strength training. I do not want to lose muscle, mainly because I'm a huge believer that having a well built body helps aliviate any issues you may have, for example back pain with the growth of giant breasts & a babybelly. My muscles are helping support my growth, so far so good! Secondly I really want to be able to bounce back quickly & remaining strong is key, my cardio endurance has been affected most during pregnancy & I know that I will be able to whip myself into shape in that area easier than the task of regaining lost muscle & strength. Well this is my theory for now. I'm keeping my goals high & leaving an open mind for what's to come regarding post baby training, athletic performance, endurance & strength. As a woman I think it's also important that I keep my hopes realistic in regards to what my body will look like, I obviously have set my goals high, but I need to allow my body the time to go back to it's pre pregnancy form keeping in mind that it takes 40 weeks for it to make all the baby building changes. I'm not going to lie though, I look back at my before picture with extreme pride in the the body I built by good nutrition & dedicated/disciplined training, but I've set my goal to be in even better shape than that. I have some areas I'm going to be focusing on (arms & abs, both areas that I struggle with more when wanting to see solid muscle definition). I think I can definitely do it, it's just going to take time & discipline. 

26 Weeks & 5 Days (October 26th/13) Boom! Look at that belly! LOL hard to imagine she's still has roughly 13 weeks to grow MORE!

Here's this trimester put into perspective (Pictures below) 

TOP: Week 14 Day 7 (taken Aug 4/13) BOTTOM: Week 26 Day 6 (taken Oct 26/13). 

Roughly 13 weeks of growth. My sweet GIRL has grown from the size of a lemon, weighing only about 1.5 oz to the size of a cucumber and now weighing about 2 lbs. 

Saying goodbye to Trimester 2 & hello to Trimester 3!

K

Beauty Day out on our boat @ Pitt Lake w/ my love & our pup

Nothing like a relaxing date day with my love & our pup. We love getting out doors, all year round, but we especially love the summer time & the hot afternoons spent out on the water floating around in our boat.

First Trimester (Weeks 1-13)6 pack to baby pack! (Baby body progress pics)

Week 4!

Week 5!

Week 6! (Feeling BLOATED) 

Week 7!

Week 8!

Week 9! (June 23rd/13) 

(Day after Nationals & consuming half a large pizza LOL race made me VERY hungry, feeling a bit bloated in this pic, rightfully so!) 

10 weeks 6 Days & BUMPING!!! (July 6th/13) 

This week I felt some serious growth in the baby bump department. It may not be super noticeable to others, but to me this bump is poppin', or at least beginning too ;) 

11 weeks & 6 days! (July 14th/2013) Tomorrow I'm 12 weeks!!!!! Yeeeee!!!! I'm so excited, Steve & I even have our 12 week doctors appointment tomorrow & it includes an ultra sound. Can't wait to see our baby for the 2nd time. I forgot to take a proper baby body progress pic this week so here's one from our boating day today :) my bump is still pretty teeny tiny but definitely poking out!

It's OFFICIAL! (July 16th/2013) I was 12 weeks yesterday! This pic was taken today at 12 weeks 2 days :) right before a morning HIIT workout at my (messy) home gym (we're renovating our master bedroom & adding a ensuite bathroom to it, so all of my stuff from our bedroom has taken over my work out space) 

13 Weeks 3 Days (July 24th/2013) this pic was taken at nighttime after dinner. My little baby belly varies SO much depending on time of day & what I have eaten. Today I have drank 3 litres of water (normal) & eaten 5 clean meals. The bump is poking out in this pic WAY more than it was this morning when I woke up. HI Kuczko babe!!! XoXo 

13 Weeks & 5 Days (July 27th/2013) thought my bump was looking extra cute in my Lulu's :) Some outfits still make me feel like I'm just bloated lol but for some reason in my workout clothes I feel the best :)