It's been a very long week!!

Oh, gosh where to start with what's been going on since Monday. After I posted the blog update from the shower, I called in to the doctors office to just go in and have things checked out due to some leakage. Well they had me come in right away and turns out I was in labor (contractions and all) and I was 2cm dilated. At under 34 weeks this means an immediate trip to the hospital, do not pass go, do not get your toothbrush. So Monday at 1pm, I was admitted to Labor and Delivery and started on IV fluids to try and stop the contractions and therefore labor. Then I was given a does of steroids to try and mature her lungs as quickly as possible. When the regular fluids did not seem to be working I was put on Magnesium Sulfate (also known as epsom salt). This is some wicked stuff, it is used to stop seizures so it really makes you feel crappy (I used the term ass). You get very flushed and hot, with a searing headache, blurred vision, and you have to be on permanent bed rest so using a bed pan became my new talent. This part of the treatment lasted for 48 hours (until 3pm on Wed) to give the steroid the most time to be effective. This meant a liquid diet, blood draws every 6 hours through out the day and night, and very little sleep. On Tuesday I had an ultrasound to determine her size, and see what she was doing in there. At the time she was estimated at 5lb 2 oz, and acting just perfect inside; practicing breathing, and swallowing fluid. Did I mention that Fitz was at a site visit in Regina, Canada?! Luckily, my folks are real troopers and they stated with me around the clock; even learning the bed pan routine very well. Thank goodness I was back in MHC.

The Mag managed to stop my cervical progression and hold me at a steady 2cm, 90% effaced, and -1 station. So all good news; until around 11pm Wed evening when the contractions started again. I still was not making any progress towards labor, but it seems as if the little one was hell bent on coming in to the world. Each day brought new challenges and a different doctor with a different "game plan" for me. Some indicated that they just wanted me to make it to 34 weeks (Wed) others thought I might be going home on very strict bed rest, others wanted to ship me to Pitt Memorial hospital via helicopter in Greenville NC, and still others thought I just might need to go back on Mag to stop the labor. Thursday started with a new IV being put in my hand to start Mag at noon. I got 2 doses of tribotaline (another drug used to stop labor and contractions), this worked mostly all day so that was good. And I even got to get up and use the bathroom alone (it's the little things in life). So Fitz and I hunkered down for the night around 11:30pm. This was quickly followed by and very meek "uh-oh!" from my hospital bed as I now lay in a puddle. It was the feeling like a balloon popped from the inside and there was no stopping the flow. Fitz jumped up and I rang for the nurse to come in just as the contractions really started to be tough.

The doctor on call came in, checked me and said "well looks like your going to be a Mommy." As the minutes passed my perfectly planned all natural birth began slipping out of the window; the pain was very intense so I just could not imagine going on for hours like this. Since my water had broken I was not allowed to stand up and walk around to ease the discomfort; nor could I use the whirl pool tub for the pain. So I decided to call for an epidural, and hopefully calm my aching body (just as a reminder I have now been in the hospital for nearly 4 days with minimal food, privacy, sleep ect-I was just basically drained on all levels). The doctor came in and checked again and I was progressing fast, but they called the anesthesiologist on call and he was there within 15 min. To my dismay; when I was checked again prior to the epidural; I was 9cm, 100% effaced, and at -2 station. She was basically ready to come on out. No time for drugs of any kind, just had to let my body work it's magic. So after 30 or so minutes of pushing, it was all over. Lilliana Kolina Fitzula had been born at 1:43am on 4/4/08. She was a whopping 5lb 9 oz, and nearly 18 inches long (very tiny), and boy did she have a set of lungs on her. I think the steroids really helped with that. So I remained on the table sans drugs getting stitched up with my Mom by my side (Fitz had gone with the baby). The doctor indicated that all was well with me and the baby they were just getting her warm and keeping a close eye on her vitals. At 3am I got to go and see the little one all hooked up to monitors, but doing just great and then it was time to try and rest.

Since I had been in the hospital for such along time, the nurses and I had a repertoire that was a little more then just caregiver and patient. So when asked what was more painful the Ironman or child birth...hands down this child birth wins. I was really pushing with all of my might and managed to pop blood vessels in my face and neck (luckily they just look like freckles on me). Also my upper body is very sore now, it seems that I was really lifting my body off the bed to ease the pain. As of now; Lilly is doing great for a preemie; she has lost a little more weight then the pediatrician would like (she's down about 7%), and she has a case of the "tomato" jaundice, but so do nearly 80% of preemies so it's nothing to be too concerned about. She will not be released home today, but hopefully tomorrow or the next day. I am waiting for my final evaluation and hopefully get my discharge papers. They have a very cool program here at CGH where if the mother is discharged and is breast feeding, but the baby has to stay they allow you to keep a room at no charge and still get fed by the hospital. This would allow to leave the hospital and get somethings done, but still stay over night here and be there to feed.

We want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, flowers and gifts since Monday; it has been an interesting time for our little family and your well wishes are irreplaceable and helped us through the whole process. Come visit us when possible and thanks for everything. All the best to you and yours. More pictures will be posted as we find time to take them and up load them.

It was a sea of pink at the Baby Shower!!

My girls know how to take care of me...it's all about sweets, burgers, and pink of course! I had my Raleigh friends baby shower this weekend at a Beth's house (also known as our "Martha"), and the girls went all out. We had made up games by "TOY 2005" Tara, a goodberry's cake, pink funfetti cupcakes, and of course great times with the best friends a girl could have. The little one is well taken care of; now we just hope for sure that we are really having little girl :)! Fitz managed to spend the weekend relaxing with the boys (mostly napping on Tara and Matt's couch). I can't thank my girls enough for all they did and do for me they all hold a very special place in my heart! The photos show the classic belly shot (6 weeks and counting down), the spread (can you believe they actually had burgers for me?!), and some of the books to read to the little one. We are still working on the name, but we will have it all figured out come her "birth" day in May. She got some really cute gifts including but not limited to a Kasey Kane bib and onesie, satin ballet slippers, very soft blankets, and much more. I can't forget to give props to my #1 hair gal, Jill, at crazy combs. She can do wonders with my hair!!

In other news; it is a rainy forecast for MHC today and all week (YUCK!), but it is suppose to be warm. I will have to see if I melt in the rain because I'm so sweet. I might just hit the gym for a spin class this evening, but somewhere in here Sophie NEEDS to go for a walk to get rid of some of her excess energy. I'll keep checking the radar!

Deceivingly sunny outside...but boy that wind can bite!

It is a beautifully sunny day outside, the temperatures without the wind are nearly 75 degrees, but then the wind picks up it can be cool. Oh well, once summer comes we will be wishing for the wind to cool off the temperatures. We had our 33 week check up yesterday, and all went well. I had a small scare that my water had broken or I had a slow leak, but alas it's just extra leakage from the pressure of the baby being low in my pelvis. Baby girl even had an acceleration of her heart rate while they were checking her, and they were happy to hear that indicated that she is receiving adequate oxygen. I still have to check my blood sugar 2x/day and start going in to the doctors' once a week. At least I only have 7 weeks to go and I've managed to only put on a little under 19 pounds, so hopefully that 11 pound baby is not growing inside of me :)

In other news, we are heading to Raleigh this weekend for some time with our friends and my Raleigh baby shower. We are really looking forward to Lilly's pizza, Goodberry's custard, and of course seeing our buds we left behind when we moved down. Hopefully the trip will not be as painful as the trip to PA, but it seems anytime in the car over like 45 min is painful for me.

It took 10 pieces of toilet paper to fit around the Belly!!

We had a great trip up to PA for my baby shower with the family and to spend Easter with my Mom's family. We left of Thursday for what turned out to be a 10.5 hour trip with 3 stops to Lancaster, PA. Not really the best idea for a 32-33 week pregnant girl, but once we were there it was all worth it. We got to hit the farmer's markets on Friday and Saturday, and see family that both live in PA and made the trip into Lancaster for the weekend. On Saturday the shower began at 2pm with nearly 20 guests (all female) and ranging in age from 8 to 88! The first photo is of the beautiful cake that my Aunt Elise and cousin Kit picked out and "designed" for the shower, followed by a photo of the table spread with some decorations. Then the third photo is of the "three old ladies" (my great Aunt Ruth, my grandmother, and my grandmothers' nursing school friend Rosemary) putting their heads together for one of the shower games. And the final photos is of the TP game where you had to guess how many pieces of TP it took to fit around my belly.... 3 people got this one correct!! Then we had a low key Easter with family, and then hit the road in the early afternoon so we could complete the trip in two parts.

The shower was great, it was so nice to see everyone (family and friends), and of course all of the gifts will be so useful once the baby arrives. Now we are in the process of decorating the nursery and organizing. It has been really cold recently (both in PA and MHC), so we have been struggling with running outside, but the spin classes are always a good alternate.

And for those worried about Mr. Fitz while I was gone....well he had plenty to do with our neighbors across the way....boating, drinking, frothing, golfing, eating, hot tubing, and just generally goofing off with the boys. Hope he gets it all out of his system soon because the baby will not do well on a golf course; I think the baby bjorn will decrease his swing efficiency!!

Trying to train the D-O-G or the D-A-D; not really sure which!

We have been reading up on how to begin training your dog for when you baby arrives. Since Sophie has been getting basically undivided attention of either me or Fitz in the recent months, we knew we needed to start soon. So one thing we read said to get a stuffed animal and wrap it in a blanket and begin spending time with the "baby" and not allowing the dog to nudge for attention while you are "feeding," "changing," or just spending time with the baby. Fitz decided to try first, mostly because he wanted to sit in the "big chair" and fall asleep with the baby. Sophie is learning, but I'm not sure anything can really prepare her for what will come her way in May. She is a quick learning when she wants to be, but she really likes to be pet so she will keep trying to get your attention even after being corrected. Oh well, at least "the Dad" seemed to have no trouble falling asleep with the baby in his arms. He even managed to put the baby in the crib before going to bed for the night. It has now been two days and poor Opus the baby is still in his crib. He is a very well behaved training baby; I don't think our really baby will behave quite that well.

All else is good, I am getting ready for my trip up to PA for a family baby shower with my Mom's family. It will be a girls road trip, with lots of potty stops. I have not seen much of my family since last summer, so it will be nice to spend time with everyone. Fitz is looking forward to a boys weekend with the neighborhood men that will include lots of beer and chicken wings. Hopefully they don't get into too much trouble!!

Happy St. Pattie's Day....after all I'm 1/8 Irish!!

Hope everyone has recovered from their weekend of festivities honoring St. Patrick. Anyone who still needs to fulfill their drinking needs I have a toast for you.."as you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way."

We had an interesting night here in MHC last night; I woke up at 12:30am thinking that I had some heart burn from my little baby moving all of my organs around too much. So I took some TUMS and did a few laps around the house (inside of course). But to no avail; I ended up sick to my stomach, from both ends at around 1:30am. Luckily Fitz was in town and he did his best to take care of me (not that there is alot to do other then just be there and clean up). Then we were both alittle worried because in out birthing class last week we learned that a sign of early labor is diarrhea and nausea; so Fitz kept a close eye on me. So far nothing strange this morning other then being really hungry!!

Other then last night, we had great weekend with mostly great weather. Our usual Friday night pizza date night at Luigi's Pizza was great. The owner has started to recognize us and told me that I am for sure having a baby boy based on how I'm carrying!! I think Fitz is starting to second guess if we are having a girl or a boy now! At least we have an ultrasound in 5-6 weeks or we can just be "surprised" when I deliver. Saturday was a the start of tourist season due to the sunny day with high temperatures. We tried to take Sophie for a walk on the beach, but there were too many people to let her run off lead so we just walked alittle way and then came home and ran around the backyard with her. Sunday was low key with some NASCAR watching at a friends house with beer of course.

Happy St. Pattie's Day; Hope everyone get's lucky today!!

Finally feeling better, able to enjoy the sunrise!

It's been a good 5 days of fighting a cold/sinus thing-y that can about on Monday. But after some serious nasal irrigation with salt water last night; I am finally feeling better and was able to run a big 20 minutes this morning. With the time change I was able to enjoy the sunrise over the Bogue Sound and Calico Creek. The above photo is not mine, but is very close to what my view looked like this morning. For my super interested friend Dustin; we left Sophie sleeping in her bed in her usual position while we ran this morning. She is SOOOOOO lazy!!!

Last night we got an update from little bro Bob-O! And we passed his IronCross PT test (or something like that) and with that he is able to travel off base on the weekends by himself. The dive class before him all did not pass their final AIT PT and they are waiting to find out their fate so the mood is not very good about the bunks. So it will be nice to get away for the weekend!!

Fitz and I are looking forward to spending a weekend at home, and being able to enjoy the nice weather that is coming our way in Morehead City. It is suppose to be in the 70's today and tomorrow and then in the 60's on Sunday. Today I think I will test and see if I can still fit in the bikini from last summer and get some more Vitamin D!! Hope everyone has a nice sunny day!

There's a BOB on my doorstep!!

I returned from some errands this morning to find a BOB stroller on my doorstep!! So exciting, it's red and everything!! It looks super fast too!! I can't wait until Fitz is back and we can set it all up. I'm not sure if someone is trying to tell me to start getting back into shape, but it sure makes me think I'll be racing in a new category come May, June, and July. I better start practicing now on my runs. A BIG THANKS GOES TO MY MAN DUSTIN for making it possible. I might be out there as soon as tomorrow morning for a jog around the neighborhood with a stuffed animal holding the place of the baby. I will take photos of that if I do.

In other news, I only have to prick my finger 2x/day now, and the doc is not really sure how I tested positive in the first place. It does mean that I have another ultrasound between 37 and 38 weeks to see what size baby I'm gonna have, and if she needs to be brought into this world early. Fitz and I were joking that they might take the ultrasound and find that I'm only carrying a 5 lb baby due to me cutting down on the sugar and carbs to prevent having a huge baby, guess we will see in a few weeks. All else looked great at the appointment, other then my lack of weight gain from 11 days prior, but I still have an upward trend so that's all they look for.

1/2 Marathon in a Monsoon....anyone?

So on Saturday Morehead City has it's inaugural Crystal Coast 1/2 Marathon in conditions that were sub-par to say the least. When the alarm went off at 6am, the weather channel was reporting "gail force winds" (over 20mph steady) with gusts up to 35 mph for Carteret County. So what do we do, we wait and watch the radar to see if Fitz is really going to try to run this thing. At 7:20am we left our house to register and make the 8am start. The race director had to delay the start by 30 minutes due to having to re-set up the start line after taking it down the night before. My dad of course had on 3 layers of clothes (to protect him from the balmy 67 degree temperatures), long pants, a poncho, gloves, and a baseball hat. He ended up ditching the poncho in hopes that it would not rain anymore. The race start and my mom and I trekked up to the only hill on the course, the bridge over to the beach to cheer and watch the racers. At 57 min in to the race the skies opened up with rain that felt like mother nature was shoot droplets at you out of a nail gun (and we were standing still). I can not imagine what the racers must have felt like; Fitz said he actually had water going up his nose. Then us cheerers started our trek back to the finish line to see how everyone did. Fitz ended up 5th overall and still beat the first woman; I am not 100% sure of the time because we did not make it to the finish line in time, and they have not printed the results in the local paper.

The rest of the weekend was great; we made the drive to Raleigh then Fitz continued on to Richmond for a bachelor party. I got to have goodberry's (heath bar speciality sundae with rainbow sprinkle) with my bud Dustin. Got to do a bit of shopping at REI, picked up Tara and had dinner with my good friend Leslie from CA, Michele and Brett from FL, and Jessica. Then I faced the cold weather for a "long jog" of 45 min in Cary, NC followed by a fabulous brunch at 518 West with my girls to catch up sans kids on everyone's goings on. All in all a great weekend. I am now fighting a bit of a cold, but will be back in the swing of things tomorrow. One thing I can say about being pregnant is the baby will take all that she needs and leave me feeling like crap. So I'm not so worried about her even though I feel under the weather.

So sorry, no photos for today.

It is a rainy, but warm day in Morehead City today. I keep meaning to go outside a take a photo of our daffodils that have come up with the warm weather, but again; it's rainy and I'm so sweet that I melt when I get wet. Hahahaha! Yesterday it got up to at least 75 degrees in the sun, with few clouds, and little wind. So I took the opportunity to head outside for some tanning....yes my friends I still fit into my bikini...woohoo! But of course I over did it alittle bit, and now my whole front is alittle pink-ish, very normal for me, but I got tons of comments at the pool today when I went for my swim. I know my girl friends are glad that I am not going to be pregnant during beach season, because I always threatened to be that girl on the beach with a huge belly and still sporting the bikini. For now I will only sport the belly uncovered in my own backyard. Part of the reason I am still willing to sport the bikini is due to me continuing to workout; this week I have logged 6,000yds swimming, 3hr of spin class, and we think around 25 miles of running. I'm sure this will have to be cut back soon, but until then....I'm going to keep going.

The Fitzula's are heading to Raleigh/Richmond for the weekend, I am getting dropped off in Raleigh-wood for some girl time, and Fitz is heading up to Richmond for a bachelor party. We should be well worn out when we return home at the end of the weekend. I am really looking forward to seeing my girls, and catch up with all of them.

Last night I had the opportunity to chat with my baby bro, and he is sooo glad to be done with boot camp, and into the beginnings of training for diving. He has about 5 weeks until the real 2 week diving basic training starts at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO; then if he can pass the PT for the diving program he will be moved to Panama City, FL to train with the Navy Seals. I am really hoping he can make it through the Ft. LW training and move on the Panama City, FL because then we can travel down there and take him off base for the weekend. Send him good vibes so hopefully we can introduce him to his niece in June/July sometime.

The Baby Furniture is finally in and set up....well mostly!

So the saga of the baby furniture is finally over and the room is looking more like a nursery each day. We have all parts of the crib (minus the bed rails to convert the crib to a bed, but the lady at the store forgot to order them), the bookcase and baskets, and the dresser/changer. In the lonely corner next to the bookcase is the rocking chair my Mom used for both Bobby and I while we were little (it's just on lone, but matches really well). Now we just need to decorate the walls, get some room darkening curtains, and make it completely ready for the baby. Luckily we still have 10 weeks to make all of this happen.

I have managed to keep running thus far in to my pregnancy, and then there is the swimming and spin classes I am taking to make sure I stay active and healthy. Since I have to check my blood sugar regularly, I have found the staying active allows me to still sneak a sweet treat here and there. Fitz is usually a help with keeping me on track to eat well, but he has cravings too sometimes (like last night when we made a quick run to Cold Stone for some ice cream). By morning my sugar was back to normal so I do not think I caused any real harm. In any case I am looking forward to traveling to Raleigh for the weekend to see my girl friends and catch up on the goings on in their lives. Can't wait to see everyone!!

Beautiful Sun-Shine-y Day!!

Yesterday was a very bright sunny day, and with our backyard being surrounded by trees, and in the sun for most of the afternoon, we took advantage of enjoying some Vitamin D through sun exposure. It was only about 50 degrees, but the sun was too inviting, so the family took a nap in the sun for around 45 minutes. I remained in full clothes plus a jacket, while Fitz ended up in a T-shirt and jeans for his nap. The above is a photo of me a Sophie-girl taking a nap before Fitz joined us. The first photo is the 30 week belly shot, where things are really starting to pop out. And the "pelvic pain" has really started with the muscle fighting to stay in-tacked, while the baby is pushing for them to release and spread.

The Docs seem to think that I am able to control my diabetes with just diet and exercise, so that is the plan for the rest of this week. Then on 3/10 I go back in for another evaluation and perhaps I can cut back on my finger sticking to maybe only 2 times a day. WOO-HOO!! But it seems that even if I keep it all under control, they will still not let me go past my due date of May 14th. But we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

A big congrats goes out to my little bro, Bobby, who graduated from boot camp last week at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. My folks made the trip out there and said he looks great. He will be starting AIT (advanced individual training) for the dive program soon. All the best to him, and go ARMY!!

Lordy, Lordy what do you know Mike Fitzula is the BIG 3-Oh!!

On Saturday February 23rd, Fitz turned 30, into a new decade for him. We celebrated with some of our closets friends who made the trek down to Morehead for the party. We did most of our celebrating at Fitz's favorite Carteret County restaurant in Beaufort, The Beaufort Grocery. The food was great, and the atmosphere was perfect for us to begin the celebration. We managed to down two bottle of wine with dinner, and as you can see by the photos above even the youngest guest (keagan saft) at the party had a great time, he fought sleep during dinner, but finally gave in when we spiked his bottle (just kidding-no foul play here!). Then it was back to the house for more wine and partying. Fitz received "Thriller" the 25th anniversary special as a gift and it turned into a Moon Walk Dance Off between Katie, and Tara. Those two sure know how to party!! Thanks to everyone who made the trip down; Katie, Dugan, Tara, Matt, Aaron, Beth, and Keagan; the party would not have been the same without any of you!! Can't wait until next time we can all get together!

Don't they know I'm an Elf....my 4 basic food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup?!

So it's official, I have ..... gestational diabetes. For those of you who know me it should have been obvious when I did not post on Wednesday after I got my test results back. I am still not 100% sure what this whole GD thing means but I have a at home glucose monitor that I am suppose to check my blood sugar 4x/day. I have an appointment at the doctor's office today to find out what else I need to change (I'm sure my high sugar norm will be out the door). From what I have read the biggest concern for the baby is that she will be LARGE due to the excess sugar she gets from me since I can't break it down like normal. I am not really sure how if would be possible for me at my current 28-29 week weight gain of 15lbs total to have an extremely large baby, but I suppose it could happen in the last few weeks. I am hoping they don't drastically change my diet, but if so I will make the necessary changes to help the baby come out as healthy as possible. And for all those baby showers in my future there might have to be some menu tweaking to account for my new condition. Wish me luck this afternoon.

Third Trimester Here We Come!

So we are beginning our journey into the last 12 weeks our first pregnancy. So far weight gain is good, and little Ladybug movies around like crazy, she just seems to like being able to still movie around in there. The nursery furniture should be in this week sometime and then it's time to find decorations and really clean up the room for visitors. I recently heard about a local MHC gal who was told by modern medicine that she was having a boy, and she got all of her bedding, clothes, and such in very boy patterns then she delivered a beautiful baby girl. All would have been fine except she was trying to be prepared and had taken all of the tags off and washed everything. Hopefully, her next baby will be a boy! So we are trying to be careful to not buy too much and make sure that what we do buy we keep the reciepts so they can be returned if we are suprised in May. I am antipciating my glucose tolerance test tomorrow morning, I called the office earlier today and they said that I can't even drink water after mid-night, but they want a urine sample when I arrive. Just a thought, I need to drink water to make urine, and if there is no water then how can there be urine. Just something to ponder. Wish me luck, and I'll report back as to whether I have to change my diet or start taking my blood sugar.

A cold day in the MHC!

On Friday morning after our run, I decided to take a photo of the frost that had covered our backyard. We had temperatures in the low 30's in the shade, but it did warm up to about 55 by mid-afternoon. For our last Valentine's day we made a home cooked meal of shrimp and grits, and made it to bed before 10pm to ensure we got in our 8+ hours of sleep. We hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day as well.

And my Friends think I have the Life?

So it's a rainy, windy day in Morehead City, and unlike the puppies that our neighbor's have (who have to just endure the weather in their outside dog house), Sophie gets to take naps on the futon while Fitz works. As you can see she takes up the entire thing, and does not leave room for anyone else to take a load off. Man, I'd like her life! Maybe the weather will clear and I can take her for a walk outside!

Does this mean no more frosted flakes?
So I had my 1 hour glucose test to see how fast I break down sugar....and I failed! I needed to break down the sugary drink to a level of 140 mg/dl in an hour, and my number was 147 mg/dl. Oh, no...what does this mean; I had not expected to fail this test so I was not prepared for this scenario. As it turns out I need to complete a 3 hour glucose tolerant test (GTT) next Tuesday, and this will determine if I have gestational diabetes. This simply means that during pregnancy my body is not efficiently breaking down sugars due to hormones and body changes. All other results were perfect; good blood pressure, weight gain, uterus growth, and baby’s heart beat. She was very active after I drank the fruit punch flavored sugar drink; I think she will be a sugar junkie like her Mom!!

Life as a housewife, Lovin' it!!

I have finished my first week as a housewife (not yet a stay at home mom status), and I have been pretty productive so far. I have been able to get all of my sleep, and working out in each day. While preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for Mr. Fitz; at least when he is home-based. The dishes are always clean, and so is the laundry. Sophie is getting tons of attention, and the photos have finally been organized by year. The house is also clean, so now all we need is visitors to admire my hard work! I can't wait for the baby furniture to come in so I can really start on the nursary, and then there is that learning to sew thing so I can make some curtains.

The pregnancy update is not exciting; we are just growing and growing (waist is up to nearly 35 inches around-yikes!!, but Fitz keeps telling me I'm still really cute). Next week I have my gluclose test to see if I am diabetic. When my friend Meg took this test, it made her sick, so she had to go back and do a longer test a different day (hoping that does not happen to me). Ladybug is much more active (or I just feel her more) since I have time to sit and focus on my belly, it's nice to have time to do that. We do miss our friends in Raleigh-wood, but I'm sure we will have plenty of visitors come this summer and nicer weather!

Quick update on Private First Class Hoover, he is in his last 20-ish days of boot camp, and he is really looking forward to starting the dive program. Send him good vibes for getting through this last bit of boot camp.

KKC-Krispy Kreme Run Challenge

So Becky's parents (and a few other brave souls from Morehead City), decided to compete in the KKC on Saturday. For those of you who don't know about the KKC, shame on you...it's the only sporting event that you can actually gain weight while competing. Starting at the NCSU bell tower, you run 2 miles to Krispy Kreme on Peace St, then eat a dozen hot donuts, and then run back aka 2/12/2; for more details read the article below.

Becky's Dad managed to eat all 12, while Becky's mom came in a very close second with 9 + donuts. They did both finish in under 1 hour; making them official finishers, and unlike many folks; they did not "toss their donuts." However, they did say they were cured of their love for donuts. Becky, Fitz, Dustin and Sophie; made the trek out to watch and managed to avoid the donut tossing even though they were in the turn around, just past the donut eating point. I hope everyone had as adventurous of a weekend.


Get Out! Get Fit!
Saturday, January 26, 2008Krispy Kreme Challenge
Note: This is an expanded version of a story running in the Sunday, Jan. 27 The News & Observer.

Steve Marks was worried that he wouldn't graduate from N.C. State this spring.Bad case of senioritis?Actually, the civil engineering major had vowed that he wouldn't leave State until he completed the school's newest tradition: Running two miles, eating a dozen donuts and running two more miles all in less than an hour.Without throwing up.
Queue up to throw up: the starting line on Hillsborough Street.
What began four years ago as a lark and a dare among 10 friends has exploded into an event that's fast becoming a Wolfpack tradition: the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Yesterday's fourth running drew 3.035 runners/eaters whose goal was to run two miles from the N.C. State Belltower on Hillsbourgh Street to the Krispy Kreme at Peace and Person streets, eat 12 glazed donuts, then run the two miles back to the Belltower.
Three percussionists gave runners a lift on the grueling post-donut climb up St. Mary's Street.
To successfully complete the challenge — and earn a coveted green T-shirt — runners had to complete the course in 60 minutes or less, with all 12 donuts still on board."Those last three donuts were tough," said a green Mark Whitfield after crossing the finish. "Every one I looked at, I thought [I may be seeing this again soon]." Whitfield, who is 20 and of a major yet-to-be-determined, ran the race with his dad, One-Donut-John. Running back to the Belltower, Whitfield said he didn't feel sick. Collecting himself at the finish, though, he added "But I kinda do now."The Belltower finish area was not for those with an easily triggered gag reflex. Twelve plastic-lined trash cans greeted the finishers. Dreier Carr, a photographer with the student newspaper, the Technician, was on his knees, camera poised, at one."It's for the frat page," he told a cooperating runner wearing Bib No. 81."Hey camera boy!" yelled a woman at another active trash can, "you're missing your money shot."Which begs the obvious question: Why? Why would 3,035 people, ranging in age from 2 to 64, break up a four-mile run with a snack of 2,400 calories and 144 grams of fat, a snack that smacks of gastrointestinal disaster?First, not all 3,035 runners ate 12 donuts."I ate four," said senior Clint Baron as he left the Krispy Kreme. "I started to feel sick." (Just so you don't think Baron was completely sane, he and 19 fellow students ran shirtless — in the sub-freezing weather — and painted their chests to spell "Krispy Kreme Challenge.")"How many did you eat?" yelled a spectator to another donut box-toting runner leaving the Krispy Kreme."None," the guy responded. "I'm taking 'em home for breakfast."One big attraction of the race: Registration fees benefit the North Carolina Children's Hospital. This year, the race raised $20,000."The run is in keeping with the mission of the hospital," said Ben Gaddy, one of the original 10 KKC runners who has since graduated but returns from Washington, D.C., to volunteer. "You know, with the whole health thing."Except for the dozen donuts?"Well, yeah. Except for that."But something more basic may be behind the quirky event's success."We've been losing our traditions," said runner Andy Gospodarek, a 2001 State grad who works as a software developer at Red Hat. In short succession students have seen school administration put the kibosh on the beginning-of-school block party on Brent Road, an annual frat-fest called Lawn Party, tailgating before football games, camping out for tickets before big basketball games."It's something students can rally around," said Gospodarek. "I'd love to one day see 10 or 15,000 people running in this. It could put Raleigh on the map as one of those quirky things that would make people think of Raleigh as a cool place."At the finish, perhaps the most relived Challenge-taker of all was Marks, the civil engineering senior who needed the KKC to complete his curriculum. He finished with a few minutes to spare, with no need for a plastic-lined trash can."Now," he said with a smile, "I can graduate."
Ironic momentThe 3,035 runners were given an escort to the Krispy Kreme by an entity that no doubt knew the way: the Raleigh Police.
Uh ohThe KKC may be an N.C. State tradition, but a lot of Wolfpackers were left feeling a little blue at the awards ceremony. Upon being awarded the coveted gold donut medal on the awards stand, winner Philip Curley (time: 31 minutes, 20 seconds) graciously thanked race officials for his grand prize — of six dozen donuts. He drew a laugh by saying they were free to the first taker. Not so much laughter with his concluding remark: "Go Heels!"
Training IHow does one train to run a 2/12/2 race? Most people I asked, hand't. Then there was 41-year-old Arjay Hinek of Fayetteville, who did a practice KKC by running 1.5 miles, eating 10 donuts, running another 1.5. "It went well."
Training IIOf greater concern was how to efficiently ingest a dozen donuts in the shortest amount of time. Techniques varied, from breaking the donut into quarters and wolfing it down to smooshing four or six together and eating them en mass. But most seemed to embrace the technique made famous by hot-dog eating champion Takeru Kobayashi (50 in 12 minutes) of dipping the donut in water before consuming. "It makes it not slosh as much," said one runner.
"Twelve donuts? Ha!"
Elvis sightingElvis ran the KKC. I'm guessing he had no trouble downing the 12 donuts. In fact, race officials probably had to keep him from eating more.
Mullet sightingPrior to the race, I spotted a guy wearing a shirt reading "Scuba Steve" and sporting a sweet mullet. Alas, it was a fall.
This guy was the first to the Krispy Kreme. But what happened to him then?
Bib No. 1874Bib No. 1874 (I've got a call in to identify him) set a blistering pace from the start, reaching the Krispy Kreme a good 400 yards in front of his next competitor. He ran at about a 12-mile-per-hour pace (according to my bike computer; I rode alongside him) and pulled into the Krispy Kreme in 11 minutes, 51 seconds. Alas, he did not appear to be among the top 10 finishers, leaving me to think that on the run back he ... DQ'd.
Spoken words
"OK, that's enough of that." A spectator hanging around the finish area after watching a third runner lose their donuts.
"I want to throw up so bad." A female finisher apparently experiencing performance anxiety.
"I'm not letting these puppies come up." Steve Marks, senior civil engineering major who came up short on his first to KKCs and vowed not to leave N.C. State until he had met the challenge.
"You're cheating!" Yelled at me a number of times by runners and bystanders as I rode my bike to follow the pack.
KKC by the numbersEveryone who completed the Krispy Kreme Challenge got the chance to buy (with proceeds benefiting the N.C. Children's Hospital) a green T-shirt that read: "I completed the Krispy Kreme Challenge." Below that were some key race stats:2,400 calories4 miles12 donuts1 hourIn order, those numbers refer to: number of calories eaten, distance ran, number of glazed donuts consumed, time alloted to complete the challenge. Some other key stats from the race:31:20 — Winning time, registered by Philip Curley10 — No. of runners for the first Krispy Kreme Challenge, in 2005.3,035 — Number of registered runners for this year's race.$20,000 — Money raised by the event for the North Carolina Children's Hospital36,420 — Number of donuts prepared for the event144 — No. of grams of fat in a dozen donuts (more than twice the recommended daily allowance)2 — No. of minutes it took Dylan Selinger, a sophomore majoring in business at N.C. State to eat his 12 donuts12 — No. of plastic lined trash cans awaiting runners at the finish line

It was a very relaxing weekend at the Fitzula household. The weather was either rainy or very cold, so we mostly spent time inside just being. Since we did not get any snow here, we saw no real need to head out during the precipitation. Above are photos from the two times we actually ventured outside; the first is post run and showing what a pregnant Becky looks like a 6 months (only 16 weeks to go), and the second is of our walk on the beach with the Sophie dog. She gets to run free off lead this time of year because there is rarely another soul out. This time was even more so with 20-25mph North winds that took the temperature plus wind chill down below 30 degrees. Tomorrow's drive to Raleigh marks the last time Becky will be making the trip for "business," she only has 10 working days left in her career at GSK.

The letter went in to my boss, and now I am waiting to hear from Human Resources. So the big news is that I finally, put in my 2 week notice at GSK ending my career as a Research Scientist (turning bunnies purple-right Dustin?) to begin a career as a stay-at-home Mom. My last day should be 01Feb08, but I will have to see what HR comes back at me with. Until then, just waiting.

So here is the Christmas present Fitz got for me this year. It is a super cool beach crusier bike in pink with more pink flowers!! His plan is for me to start riding it while he runs because I am getting slower and slower by the day. Since the weather was so nice over the holidays I got to do two rides on my new ride, and it's spiffy! I can't wait to put my basket on it and cruise on up to the grocery store to do some shopping (I will wear a helmet of course). Fitz got to try out his turkey fryer at the Pig Pickin' on Sat the 29th of December. I must say I will never eat turkey cooked in an oven again, it even tasted good after being re-heated in the microwave (not chewy). We are looking foward to being able to use the turkey fryer to cook other items, like oysters, shrimp, and cron on the cob. Until next time. Beach Crusin' Becky...signing off.

Merry Christmas!!!!
We did most of our celebrating on Christmas Eve with Becky's family between their house and our house. We had a great meal prepared by Becky and Fitz, and then headed to the Hoover's house for present opening and gingerbread house building. Becky got her Beach Cruiser Bike in pink that she had asked Santa for, while Fitz got a turkey fryer complete with a turkey to fry. The Gingerbread houses; as usual took on a life of their own; Becky's dad completed a military style pool complete with sharks, and drill sergeants with artillery rifles, Fitz's started out as a skate park and ended up being a tunnel in to the future with bears being lead to the future by swedish fish, and Becky and Bobby worked as a tag team on a more traditional gingerbread house. Hope everyone had a very merry christmas and safe travels over the holidays.

It's a Girl!!

Fitz and Becky found out yesterday afternoon that they will become parents to a girl (so long as the sonogram is correct). She has all 10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 feet, 2 hands, and all the other parts that she should have right now. She is in the 56% for her size at a whopping 9 ounces and she is right on target for all other measurements. Her due date has not been changed so she is still expected in Mid-May. Becky and Fitz have decided to change the nickname they have been using from "Chestnut" or "LadyBug." Becky is very excited about starting to decorate with all pink.

Week 18: Sweet Potato

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

So as usual it has been a while since Becky or Fitz has had time to post anything on the blog. We still need to load the photos from Paris....it will get done over Christmas. Everything is going really well for Becky and her pregnancy so far. We have OUR BIG APPOINTMENT 17Dec07, to see all of the parts via ultrasound and find out the sex of the baby. That will be posted also. Becky's bro, Bobby is doing well in Army Boot Camp and is looking forward to coming home for a visit over the holidays. He should be starting his training for his specific field in the new year and he will be pursuing either a diving program or an intelligence program to represent the good ole' USA. Otherwise, no news just keeping it going until the holidays.

Paris bound....so Fitz and Becky have been putting in some long hours at work and even on the weekends, but it's all in preparation for leaving tomorrow at 2pm for France. The bags are packed and the dog is taken care of...so tomorrow through next Tuesday...since us "posh, snooty" Parisian vibes and we'll bring back some sick pictures.

We will let you all figure this one out?! But here is a hint .... 30% of the way to 40 weeks!

Ladies, and Gentlemen....let me introduce you to the BIGGEST DOG contest winner in Cartert County at the PAWS October-Pet Expo. Sophie beat out another Great Dane and a St. Benard to take the title. Fitz and Becky were able to take Sophie over to the Expo after learning that there was a 4pm contest for the Biggest/Smallest Dog. The smallest dog winner was a 1.5lb Chihuahua...luckily there were no "incidents" that occurred between the winners. Becky and Fitz also met other owners of Great Danes and began making play dates for Sophie to get some time to actually be a DOG and play with other dogs her size.

Fitz was also able to get in his October surfing to keep with his resolution. Although it was a short (10min) session consisting of 1 shore break ride....it is done. Becky and Fitz are anxiously counting down the days until they leave for Paris in November.

Well, Sophie got to go to the vet yesterday and BOY was it a wake up call. She is up to a whopping 155lbs....how the heck did that happen...oh wait could it be the dog food plus people food along with no exercise......yup that's it! The worst thing about it is that now her meds have to be up-ed to because she weights so much. Time to start both Fitz and Sophie on a diet and exercise plan to get them back in shape. Prime example....Fitz had pizza for dinner last night so what did Sophie have-you got it- dog food PLUS pizza. Good thing Becky can try to help them out with encouragement. Other then the weight Sophie is fit as a fiddle so here is to the good health of a fat dog!

Well, this past weekend was the 21st annual NC Seafood Festival http://www.ncseafoodfestival.org/ in sunny Morehead City, NC. And for the 8th year in a row Fitz has managed to miss it....this time he was in Miami (South Beach) for a business meeting.

For anyone who had not attended the Seafood Festival it is a MUST DO.....it's like the NC State Fair only with less Red Necks and more Fisherman, not that you can understand what either is saying anyhow. Becky got to spend the weekend with her family and eating her favorite foods....as sea spud (seafood filled baked potato) and sweet corn on the cob drenched in butter. Other highlights for food included: funnel cake, alligator and black eye pea chili, shrimp burgers, crab sandwiches, and any other way there is to cook seafood. There is also a local 8K road race that is point to point, Becky just played the roll of support team for her parents, but they all had a great time. This is the ONLY race known to give a trophy for the person who spends the most time at the beer wagon after the race...no lie, this year is went to a couple who simple plopped down next to the coolers of beer and have a grand time. And they give out super cool door prizes to almost everyone there. Sophie did not get to attend the festival but did got to chase some bug on the beach and then take a long nap in the A/C...what more could a dog ask for?!

Hopefully next year Becky and Fitz can get a crew from Raleigh to come down and enjoy some people watching, and good seafood.

Gosh, is it really Septmeber already??? Where has the summer gone...oh that's right traveling between MHC and RDU for living and working. So, to do a bit of recapping for the last few months. We have been living and working like in May, but the arrangement has been extended to the end of the year. Fitz has kept up his surfing at least once a month since May, the only difference is Becky has been able to tolerate the water temperature also so she has not been able to take photos for posting. In August, Fitz got a chance to surf on both coasts in one day....thanks to the help of our dear friends Karen, John, and Miles. Nothing too exciting, but we did book a trip to Paris in Nov of this year as a late anniversary present to each other.....how romantic ;)!

Becky's Dad and Becky's Brother have signed up to compete in a 75 mile foot race in Canada during August, deemed the "Canadian Death Race." Yes, something as crazy as this actually exists and as for all large races, Becky's Dad needs some sort of body modification to mark the event. The decision was a tattoo was not "man" enough so the boys decided on branding. Now for those of you who don't know; branding is where you pay someone to burn you with hot metal to make an imprint and eventually a scar so an image can be seen on your skin. The photos below show the course of events for the branding. In this case a cautery iron (like they use in surgery), is used to open the flesh and create a wound in the shape of whatever you want. Becky's Dad chose the letter of the race "CDR" and Becky's brother chose the emblem for the race; a skull. And let me just tell you the best part: the whole room smells like burnt flesh and then so do your clothes, it's a great way to return to finish experiments on the Friday before Memorial Day. Enjoy!

So, Fitz did get his surfing in for the months of March and April both on weekends right at the end of the months and in not the nicest weather, but the photos below are of the May surfing where out friend Dustin made the trip to the Crystal Coast for the first time. He had never surfed before and "claimed" to be scared of the ocean, but armed with a 8'6'' fun shape and a wetsuit he braved the waters for his first surfing lesson. He is now hooked and trying to find a board of his own but being over 6ft tall is making that a bit of a challenge. We hope he had a great time and that he will come back for lesson number two sometime.