My hero, inspiration and LOVE!

Before I continue posting 'blogs to the blog', I wanted to do a brief one on my incredible niece. Anyone that knows me, knows I adore her. I never knew there could be such a love, but if you met her, I really think you'd fall in love, too! She's just a cool gal! Smart, sassy, athletic, loving, innocent and oh so kind, that's Isabella.

A few notes on the pics above: first one, of course her just copying Aunt Jessie in a restaurant (not to my sister's liking). Second, her giving me her best bicep curl in one of my (and now her) favorite jerseys. Third, her climbing (and beating all of us) a 1200 stepped mountain (Koko Crater on Oah'u). She did it no complaints, no stress, no fatigue; busted her knee a couple of times but you'd never know it. Tough little gal. Fourth, her rubbing it our faces. Fifth, her beautiful face.

Well, as you can see, I could talk about her forever. I love her! One of my favorite Isabella lines..."ok, aunt jessie, are you ready...on your march, get set, gooooo!" and then she proceeds to start just a second or two before me to try to gain a good lead. Girl after my own heart! I swear I didn't teach her that! Miss you, Isabella! (They live in Daphne, AL, near my parents in P'cola, FL).

Ok, back to the real world. Been plugging away at the business 'thing." I think I talked to 15 or more people this afternoon about credentialing with various insurance companies. My favorite part, after you request the application, you must submit another request online, via fax or mail JUST to get the REAL application. Then, after you've given them nearly every piece of information you even know, they say it will take up to TWO MONTHS for it to go through! Oh, that's super helpful! I'm all ready to go, I even think I love/like a space and now I have to wait 2 months to even be able to take anyone with insurance!! It's like they don't even want you to succeed. It's tiring and frustrating. Lori, pipe in any time with some tips:)

That is my afternoon session. My morning session consists of working at the nursing home. So today I decide to run to/from work (it's only 5.5 m round trip). I decide to run in full scrubs, rolled up at the botton, back pack. Who's idea was this again? It's at least 80deg...I know not hot for TX, but hot for Jessica. I'm running basically at a fast walk (or so I feel). It takes just over 23 min one way (I know it sounds like a lot...it felt like more). Exhausted, hot, tired at just 2.7 miles! What's happening to me! X-Country2 and AM pipe in! Is running supposed to be this hard and laborious at such an early stage of my pregnancy...already!! I'm just at 4 months (a few days shy...pics to come)!!! I could hardly run the hills (if you should call them hills!). Don't worry, I'm listening to my body and taking it to my comfort level but even that seemed uncomfortable. Decided to do a short shoulder workout and yoga session today b/c the run was all the hard effort I had for the day.

Speaking of...I really think I 'popped' yesterday! So, I'm so confident and happy. Great, now everyone knows I'm pregnant! Woohoo...strutting my belly at the gym. Walking around like I own it, baby! Then, I cruise back from the gym off to Whole Foods (where else!) with hubby for a healthy dinner. We pass our front desk guy on the way out and I get excited...finally I'll announce! I tell, him "Terrik, I forgot to tell you, we're pregnant!! 4 months!!" He said, "you don't look pregnant!" WTH! Are you freakin' kidding me! OH CRAP! I'm back to having a complex! Oh no, these people in this city don't know me and so they must just think I'm chubby. Shoot, I thought I had it in the bag:( I'll post pics next week on my anniversary and you guys need to be honest!

Oh, back to the scrubs...coolest thing is coworkers don't even know I'm preggo! I think I could wear those scrubs for 2 more months and get away with it. They swallow me whole. Got love baggy right now!

What a year so far!

2 months preggo above.
3.5 months preggo in pic above with some good friends that visited us in Austin from HI!! Thanks Amy and Erik Eck!

6 weeks preggo (above) at my last spin class in Honolulu at the Oahu Club. I miss you guys already!
The day I found out I was pregnant! (above on a Trilogy tour from Maui to Lanai'i. I highly recommend this trip!). That's water I'm drinking, I promise!
Around the time of conception (pic above).

Welcome to my blog (if I'm even talking to anyone right now besides myself:)! I have been wanting to start a blog for a while. I LOVE reading others' blogs and really do learn a lot. I hope for my blog to have the same effect on my readers. There is so much to blog about right now in my life, it seems (or at least to me).

We just made a big move. Honolulu to Austin 2.5 weeks ago and it's been a huge whirlwind. We drove in from California so we could visit some of our dear mainland friends en route. We started that drive a month ago already! Yikes, time flies. I miss Hawai'i and our dear friends (and all of my wonderful clients!!) so much, but Austin has been good to me so far. The weather has been perfect and our condo is across the street from the flagship Whole Foods! I'll try not to talk about that store too much.

I started a part-time job yesterday at a NURSING HOME. I'm not sure how long I will last but hopefully it's long enough for me to make it to the grand opening of my new business. BTW, if you need some free tips on how to start your own business in TX (especially health care), ask me...I think I should write a book! I have done so much research lately!

I've come up with a name and I'm incorporated...yay!! (Am I still talking to myself?lol!) PRIMO Performance and Rehabilitation. PRIMO stands for Premier Rehabilitative & Integrative Manual Orthopedic Therapists and we specialize in Physical Therapy, A.R.T and most likely Occupational Therapy if my husband starts working in the space. www.primorehab.com

Speaking of space, I NEED ONE! That's my latest project. Once I have a space, I can give a physical address to insurance companies and get contracted with them.

OK so that was project 2 (1 being the big move). Project 3 (and in no particular order, mind you:) is my pregnancy. I'm almost four months pregnant already (next Saturday marks the anniversary). That's so crazy to me! People that don't know me don't know (I'm sure they're thinking I'm just a little chubby!) but I KNOW!

Let's talk about the pregnancy. I knew right away. You just know. If you're an athlete especially, you just know. It wasn't the nausea or the fatigue that gave it away at first, it was the feeling while exercising. You think you feel good (and of course sometimes you don't) but you're moving much slower than your perceived exertion. You become in serious trouble when your husband starts passing you. You then proceed to yell, "you just wait until after this is over, buddy. I'll be back to kicking your butt in no time." I know many women that abandoned working out throughout their first trimester, but let me tell you ladies, it was my saving grace. It actually helped me. Weird sounding, I know, but true for me. Sure I had "icky" moments (dizziness, occassional but rare queasiness, fatigue) but all were managed much better due to exercising through them. Of course EASY exercising! Easy runs, easy to moderate swims and easy rides...don't misunderstand me; I was nowhere near race pace. Now that I'm in my second trimester and I feel like a rockstar, my workout schedule has been sketchy due to the move. I'll have to find a good masters' program (hopefully the Y across the street is to my liking) and a couple of cycle routes and a new schedule. My favorite (sense the sarcasm?).

If there is anyone reading this that knows of a good group in Austin (at this time, not too competitive or a mix of both) for me to join, please advise! I would love to meet new athletes in the area.

Welcome to my blog again!