saturday date night

I think I’m going to start loving weekends (really, who doesn’t?) for the next 6 weeks.  After a 5 AM wake-up call every morning this past week, waking up at 7 AM felt so good!  (And the fact that I fell asleep on the couch at 9 on Friday night probably helped too.)  I hit the gym to get a 3rd weight lifting session in for the week.  I usually hate lifting on the weekends because I try to dedicate my weekends to long runs, but since my long run consists of 2 miles tops, I actually have time to get some weights in.

I’ve been doing some workouts from New Rules of Lifting (not the one for women).  Please note, I do NOT have the book.  I was able to find some workout logs online and have been doing the workouts from there since I’m pretty familiar with the exercises (at least those strength training certifications are good for something!).  So, I am unable to give a review on the book, but I am thinking it might be a good one to add to my Strength Training Library.  (Hint, hint – Mom + Matt – birthday gift!)

Since I am pregnant, I have to change up some of the exercises to suit my body.  They emphasize some rotational exercises that kill my round ligaments, so I’ve had to substitute.  And obviously, I can’t lay on my back, so I’ve had to change up those exercises too.  But, it was still a great workout!

Exercise	Sets/Reps	Weight (pounds)
Back Squats	3 sets, 15-12-10 reps	45-55-75
Cable Row	3 sets, 15-12-10 reps	45-60-70
Seated Hamstring Curls	3 sets, 15-12-10 reps	30-40-50
Dumbbell Push Press	3 sets, 15-12-10 reps	15-20-20
Walking Lunges	3 sets, 15-12-10 reps	10-15-20
Hanging Leg Raise	3 sets, 15-12-10 reps	0

It was way too nice of a morning to run on the treadmill, so I can home, strapped on the Garmin, and headed out in the neighborhood.  I’m so happy that I can still go 2 miles and feel good, even if it is mostly walking.  My body has been feeling great on these little run/walks and I’m hoping I can keep them up the next 6 weeks!

I came home hot and starving!  Normally, on the weekends, I would opt for a bowl of stovetop oatmeal, but a smoothie in a bowl sounded so much better!

• 1 frozen banana
• 1-ish cups frozen peaches
• 1/4 cup oatmeal (makes it extra fluffy)
• 2 tablespoons peanut flour
• 1 cup vanilla soymilk

Blend until smooth (I have the crappiest blender ever, so this takes a good 5 to 10 minutes).  Topped with Kashi Go Lean Crunch and raisins.  Raisins should ALWAYS be a topping – they add the perfect amount of sweetness!

After spending the day cleaning, studying my Bradley Method book (you’d think I was being tested over it with how many notes I’m taking on it), and budgeting, I was happy Matt + I had planned a date night out to Fountain on Locust.   I had a deal that was going to expire at the beginning of October, so we wanted to use it up while we still could.  We went back in January (before I even knew I was pregnant) when there was snow on the ground, so we were happy to be going when it was a little bit warmer and the ice cream would taste even better!

With $30 to spend, we started with dinner.  Upon walking in the door, it smelled like grilled cheese and I knew I needed something with ooey, gooey melted cheese on it.  I decided on the Royal Grille – a grilled cheese sandwich with Fuji apples and their secrete sauce on whole wheat bread.  Apples + cheese are one of my favorite combinations so this was an absolute winner.  YUM!

Matt went for the Hot Roast Beef Melt – roast beef with melted cheddar and horseradish sauce on a huge slice of French bread.  He ended up ordering more sauce because the bread made it taste a little dry.

I love how the default side is a salad (although you do have the choice of chips, but I really needed some veggies for the day).  We both went for the St. Louis salad – an Italian salad with red onions, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and parmesan cheese.  We both thought it was much better than Pasta House’s salad!

And of course, you can’t go to Fountain on Locust without getting ice cream!  The reason we had originally wanted to go was because they have a pretzel cone!  Matt has been searching for a pretzel cone since he saw one watching Unwrapped on Food Network several years ago.  You know my love for sweet + salty together, so we knew we had to try it.  Matt got the pretzel cone with Zanzibar chocolate and The World’s Smallest Ice Cream cone to try their Coconut Almond Joy ice cream.

Both extremely delicious and the pretzel cone was AH-mazing!  We thought it would make a great drumstick cone!  Oh, the ideas that are swirling through my head…

I would’ve gotten a pretzel cone also, but I just wasn’t in the mood for a cone.  Instead, I went for the Dark + Sinister sundae – Zanzibar chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, marshmallow cream, and whipped cream on top.

Seriously, that Zanzibar chocolate is by far the best chocolate ice cream on the planet.  I know I had it somewhere else before (Chicago maybe?), but it is just so sinfully good.  And their hot fudge is rich and sort of chewy.  The bottom of my glass was the best – melted ice cream with tons of hot fudge to spoon out.  I was in heaven…

I realized 2 things on Saturday: (1) This might be one of our last date nights together as just the 2 of us.  Sure, we can still go on dates after the baby comes because I know we will have plenty of people who would love to babysit our little girl, but that’s just it.  We can’t go out spontaneously anymore just the 2 of us.  We have to find a babysitter.  I will miss being able to be spontaneous like we have been the past 10 years together, but I do know the sacrifice will be worth it!  And…

(2) There are only 6 weeks left in my pregnancy, and I am honestly going to miss being pregnant.  Pregnancy has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life and I feel so blessed to have had the chance to watch my belly grow and bond with my daughter the past 8.5 months.  I have loved feeling her roll and kick constantly and I know this will be the only time in her life that I will be able to protect her 24-hours a day.  It is an experience I’m not quite ready to give up yet, so I will be taking advantage of every kick + roll I feel for the next 6 weeks because I have no idea when or if I’ll ever be able to experience it again.