Marathon Spending

The marathon experience this year was great. I've got no regrets about signing up for LARR. I've had a wonderful time using the premium waiting areas and getting on the coaching calls every Thursday. I didn't love this year's shirt, but that's okay. I wish they were doing a brunch this year, but it's okay, they did one last year. Maybe it's only something they do on a milestone year like #40.

Registration $187.50
Photo Package $43.19
Gu and Bloks $62.76
KPA dress & orange shorts $52.03
Old Navy outfit for expo day and medal monday $72.46 + $21.94
Footwear $806.59
CHI Massage $75
LARR membership $127.00
Total $1448.47

We didn't get a hotel this year, either the night before or the night after the race. This spending is about on par with what we've done in the past.

https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/11/cost-of-racecations.html

I've already registered the family for the Mission Inn Run.

$55 Kayla 10k
$40 Mike 5k
$25 Albert 1/2k

And we'll have a hotel for that weekend.

Considering the Nike After Dark half marathon, the Bimbo Global 10k. Very glad we didn't register for the Palm Springs Half because we were all super sick that weekend anyway.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nlowhAJIjB3sM-9cfg-DOi0__HRAWyN1w2tEz_LIxPg/edit?usp=sharing 

Anyone who knows has made a powerpoint presentation of upcoming races and their registration dates. I'm still working on this, but I'll try to get it updated.

11 days until LAM

How am I feeling about the marathon today? I'm proud of my accomplishments. I had a great training cycle. We did a bunch of races in the past year. With family. With friends.

Rose Bowl Half	Apr 2025	13.1	3:09:49	14.5
CdM	Jun 2025	3.1	0:58:29	18.9
Cookie Mile	Jun 2025	1	0:11:08	11.1
Bimbo Global	Sep 2025	6.2	1:27:34	14.1
Mission Inn	Oct 2025	6.2	1:22:45	13.4
Clueless and Breathless	Dec 2025	12.66	3:05:04	14.6
Citrus	Jan 2026	6.2	2:08:54	20.8
Rose Bowl Half	Jan 2026	13.1	3:18:44	14.8
LA Marathon	Mar 2026	26.2	?	?

RBH 2025    44/47        3/18-6/7

In Summer    38/44        6/9-8/24

RunClub 6    27/32        8/26-10/19

RunClub 7    33/36        10/21-1/18

RunClub 8    21/22        1/21-2/24

Total            163/181 = 90.1%

My training was scheduled four days per week, and I count walks as well as runs. I skipped runs if I was sick or just feeling like asphalt. I'm not sure I'll do this many races next year. In fact, I haven't signed up for any except the Mission Inn Run. But I can definitely see myself doing the Citrus Heritage Run again. Rose Bowl I will do if I sign up for the Marathon / LA Road Runners again.

Summer bucket list

It's that time of year when the countdown to Back-to-School begins. We have just three weeks until Albert goes back to school (Kindergarten!). So I made a list of things that we might do. Some of these are things I had planned in advance, some of these we may not get to at this time but we'll come back to it later when we have more money and time.

beach
Zoo
Discovery Cube
San Fran
Central Library
Water slides
Playdates
Getty museum
Botanical garden
Dodger game
Drive-in movie
San Diego
Santa Barbara 

Shampoo rugs
Declutter tv stand in Queen suite
Declutter closet in Queen suite

Declutter close in King suite  
Declutter kitchen corner cabinet

Buy new fitted sheets for King and Queen

Make a visual race calendar for the family

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LA Marathon Race Report

This is the official race report following the format of my prior race reports. I will add the official race photos later, and hopefully, some of them will turn out well.

The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?

This course started in Dodger Stadium. From the stadium we went over to Chinatown. Past Olvera Street and the Courthouse. Past Echo Park Lake. And a long straightaway on Sunset. Through Sunset Junction and Silverlake. Onto Hollywood Blvd, past the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign. Past the Walk of Fame. Along the Sunset Strip, through West Hollywood to Beverly Hills. A fun jaunt through Rodeo Dr. And a long straightaway down Santa Monica Boulevard aka historic Rte 66. Past Century City. Past the VA hospital. Through Westwood and Brentwood. You get to see so much running a marathon because it's incredibly long, and if you're me, you're not going all that fast.

Race day was March 16th. Although we had a lot of rain the week before, the weather on race day was nearly perfect. It wasn't too windy, and it didn't even sprinkle. I felt like it was sunny the whole day. I brought a ski hat and gloves, sweatpants, and a sweatshirt, all of which I left behind at the starting line. I had a great experience with my race day outfit and would not have changed anything about it.

Course description and evaluation of event logistics

I do not think that I over-prepared for the marathon. I am glad I made a route sheet, which I used at several points during the race. Knowing when the hills were coming and how my fueling plan lined up with the elevation changes was helpful. I am also grateful that I had a bathroom plan. The restrooms at the early aid stations were absolutely swamped. And I overheard people saying that the toilets at the starting line were horrible. 

I don't know the price of the starting line hospitality, but I did enjoy it. I used the private toilets twice. I used the private gear check. I used the foam rollers and yoga mats. I ate the bagels, drank the coffee, and grabbed two extra Gu's. It was hot and cozy in that tent. They let us in at 4:30 a.m. And I stayed there until about 5:15 a.m. I could have stayed longer but it got increasingly crowded the closer it got to the start of the race. I appreciated sitting in a chair, staying off my feet, and not having to sit on the ground. 

The perks of being an LA Roadrunner were also great. Our pre-race loge level at Dodger Stadium was something that really pumped me up. I used the restrooms there twice and they were nice, clean, and well-lit. It wasn't warm there because it was outdoors, but there was good company and I really enjoyed Coach David's pre-race pep talk. It gave me a feeling of continuity to see Coach David at all training runs, on Thursday zoom calls, before and after the race. I would 100% recommend joining the Roadrunners.

How did you train for the event

I ended up following the LA Roadrunners level 3 training plan. I squeezed in my weekday runs either early in the morning or midday. I did not do any runs in the afternoon or evening. I got a Planet Fitness membership to use the treadmill, which I've written about before. 

Gear and Nutrition

I will do a separate post on gear, but let's say I found a way to fit everything in my shorts pockets and hydration vest. I was actively bleeding (menstruating), so I had to carry tampons and wipes. One Gu exploded in my pocket, so I just ate it in the corral before the start of the race. I wasn't planning on doing it, but I don't think it hurt.

The goal was to get 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour for the first three hours and then increase to 60-90g of carbs per hour afterward. It was good that I had each time and a place marked down to eat, roughly based on my estimated pace. I didn't look at this plan every mile, but there were some times when I did look at it, and it helped me feel calm and situated. I didn't rely on the aid stations for food, water, or electrolytes, but I did take them when it felt right. I didn't take any food or drinks from spectators. Most of the water I took from the aid stations was dumped on my body to cool down. Even though I trained with Stroopwaffles and Fruit strips from Aldi, I didn't end up bringing those on race day. I was trying to keep the simplest possible race day strategy. And Stroopwaffles take too long to eat. 

I made my electrolyte plan the morning prior to race day. I wasn't sure I needed to do this, but also I wanted to make sure I had enough salt tablets. I put them in bags. 4 bags with 6 tabs each. Since I ran a bit slower than I had planned, I almost ran out. But also there was a stretch there where I didn't want to eat anything. It was a good thing I brought the Biscoff cookies. That was something I was considering skipping but at the last minute, I threw them in. And that was a good decision because as some point, that was the only thing I could tolerate, and they helped immensely.

The other items I had in my vest were (1) sunscreen, which I did apply at mile 22 when we turned around and had the sun at our back. (2) a chapstick with SPF, which I did apply several times. And (3) Her chamois butter. I didn't use the anti-chafe but possibly I should have each time I used the restroom. I did get some chafing from the tampon string, which I could have put lotion on. I didn't practice that.

Specific experiences

It was pretty special meeting up with my husband around the half-marathon mark. I think he had to pay $3 for parking. We chatted for a bit and he took a video interview of me. I was so flustered I forgot to include him in my Instagram story. My aunt wanted to be there but I thought logistically it would be too challenging to coordinate. She encouraged me to take lots of pictures, which I did. It did slow me down to get my camera out and pose each mile, but now I can look back and see exactly how I was feeling. 

Finish and associated emotions

I felt like I could still run across the finish line. I didn't start crying until I saw Coach David. I almost feel like it hasn't hit me yet that it's over. My legs are still sore, but also I don't feel injured. I feel there's just a lot of trauma there. Kind of like how you feel after giving birth. Everything is a bit swollen. My body feels like it went through something intense, which it did. I might lose my left big toenail.

Overall evaluation of the event 

Overall, I might do this event again. Others said that this year we had the best weather ever. It's a toss up in the spring whether you might have cold, hot, rain, etc. I didn't know how I would feel. As my friend Yahaira pointed out, doing the same race again helps give you a comparison to know if your fitness is trending up or down. What's funny is that even the list of landmarks ends at mile 21 as if the last 5 miles don't exist. I think most people agree that the last 6 miles was the worst. Partly because that's where people hit the wall, but partly because that part of the course was mentally difficult. 

It would be fabulous if the race could have gone to the ocean. But as I understand, the city of Santa Monica was asking 5x as much as every other city for permits. And I didn't particularly enjoy the Santa Monica Classic. It would have been a full-circle moment to start and end the race season in Santa Monica. 

This season was so impacted by climate change it's actually nuts. The mid-season race, the Rose Bowl Half, hasn't even happened yet. It's been rescheduled for April, so there will be a forthcoming race report for that event. I felt it was insincere to hand out the challenge medals at the marathon for doing all three races when one hasn't even happened yet, but it was easier for the race organizers logistically. They decided to give the medal for the races people were registered for, even if the participants chose to skip the race.

1 day after the marathon

I'm still trying to finish my post-race meal from El Pollo Loco. I'm so thirsty. I'm walking but I'm moving slow. It's weird. I'm hungry but I'm too tired to eat.

I really enjoyed the marathon experience. Looking at my photos, I'm glad I recorded as much as I did. On a sunny day, all the colors and the whole experience was so vibrant.

Yes, it sucked knowing I had already crossed the finish line and having to go back. Yes, those miles after mile 18 were hard. Yes, my smile faded a bit. But after the turnaround, each mile I got progressively more excited for the finish line.

I reached mile 18 right around noon. And that's when I noticed that I was feeling nauseous. I realized that I was almost out of electrolyte tablets. I realized that I wasn't going to make my time goal.

I must have given "big mom" or "big teacher" energy because some of the SRLA students asked me for help pacing and getting in touch with their parents. 

I'm so glad I brought the two fuel rods. When my phone got from 100% down to below 70%, I put a fuel rod on it until it was back up to 100%. I finished the race with my phone having >60% battery left. And I think my watch was about the same. I did have a moment with my phone where it was saying there was water or some debris stuck in the charging port, but I just turned it upside down so the charging port was down and ran for a mile or two with it like that and then it was fine.

I got to sit with my former student Parker Smith and his aunt and uncle before the race. She is a high-school chemistry teacher who has run the LA Marathon many times. She didn't run this year because she's having a knee replacement in a few weeks. But she kept me entertained with stories from the front lines of teaching chemistry at a school in Malibu that burned down in the wildfires. I didn't get nervous at all.

According to my Samsung Watch5, I was in Zone 2 for 1 hour, 18 minutes and in Zone 3 for 1 hour. This was the first 9 miles from 7am - 9:23am. I was waiting until then to change my tampon because someone told me the port-a-potties at mile 9 were the best ones because they're on a side street that you can't see unless you know they're gonna be there. So I was holding out for them, and it was one short line for about 9 bathrooms, and the line went quick. Other people told me the lines at other bathroom stops were 10-15 minutes long. My pace for the first 9 miles ranged from 11'13" to 16'01". It was my intention to walk almost all of the first 6 miles.

The next 5 miles from 9:29am - 10:51am were until I found Mikey waiting for me across from The Comedy Store. I was definitely running this part using my interval timer. I was doing 3 minute run and 1 minute walk. Mostly. My watch says I spent 10 minutes in Zone 2, 47 minutes in Zone 3, and 23 minutes in Zone 4. My pace ranged from 11'13" to 15'56".

The next 5.5 miles from 10:55am to 12:25pm were mainly in the aerobic zone (56 minutes), with some time in the anaerobic zone (27 minutes). I don't really remember what intervals I was doing. Probably still 3 minute run and 1 minute walk. At some point I changed it to 2 minute run, 1 minute walk. Maybe around mile 18. I believe I stopped here to change my tampon again. There was a row of restrooms hiding behind the run clubs and there was no line there. I also refilled my hydration bladder.

It was at some point here where I started dumping water on my body from the water stops. The first tables had electrolytes and the second tables had just water. Well around mile 15 I forgot this and dumped blue electrolytes on my head. I love the running hat and it's great but it doesn't really absorb water like my hair does. So I started raising up my hat and dumping the water on my hair, which is where the electrolytes went. I also dumped it on my shoulders and arms, down my chest and my back. It really helped.

My watch bundled the remaining 7.5 miles together from 12:27 - 2:48 pm, even though I did stop briefly around mile 22 to pee. There was no line for the toilets there. It was right at the turnaround to come back towards the finish line. I was feeling overheated, there was very little shade during this part of the course. There was good crowd support. Lots of people offering lots of different things. Fruit, water, pretzels, coca-cola, gatorade, etc. 

At this point, I was feeling nauseous and I could feel the liquid sloshing around in my belly so I took an electrolyte chew and that helped. But I stopped being able to take Gu and Bloks. I was just so sick of all the sugar in my mouth. Luckily, I had packed Biscoff cookies so I ate those and felt much better. Next 20 minutes I ate as much of a Clif bar as I could and that sat okay. Next 20 minutes, I ate another set of 4 cookies and that settled my tummy.

As much as it sucked to do an out-and-back for the last 8 miles, the saving grace was that we were close enough to the ocean to feel a cool breeze. Even though the sun was out, it was like being near the beach where you don't feel cold but you can get a nasty sunburn. It was like once we got up and over the hill at avenue of the stars, it was a cool breeze for the remainder of the race. Nothing like finishing right at the ocean in Santa Monica, but it was still nice.

According to my watch, I barely ran any of this. But most of my pace was in the aerobic zone (zone 3) for 1 hour and 17 minutes. I was also in Zone 2 for almost 1 hour. I kept telling myself that that's where you want to be for burning fat, so there's no need to rush. Also, I was hot and I didn't want to cramp. I ran a few downhills when that felt easier than walking.

LA Marathon 2025
Distance	Projected Time	Actual Time	Projected Pace	Actual Pace	Projected Carb	Actual Carb
miles 1-2	7:36	7:33	18	16.5	Gu + bloks	Gu + bloks
miles 3-4	8:16	8:03	20	15.3	Gu + bloks	Gu + bloks
mile 5	8:36	8:19	20	16	Gu	Gu
miles 6-8	9:21	9:23	15	14.8	bloks	bloks
miles 9-12	10:06	10:22	15	14.4	Gu + bloks	Gu + bloks
miles 13-16	10:54	11:19	16	14.7	Gu + Clif bar	Gu + bloks
miles 17-20	11:42	12:23	16	16	Gu + bloks	Biscoff + Clif bar
miles 21-24	12:30	1:33	16	17.75	Gu + bloks	bloks
miles 25-26	1:06	2:06	18	16.75	Rx bar	just electrolytes

What I didn't factor in was all the other walking I would be doing that day. My watch clocked 1.2 miles prior to race start. It also logged 2.5 miles after the race. My husband and I congratulated ourselves for making pre-race and post-race transportation plans but we both agreed that we could have been more thorough. I forgot my gear check bag in the car when I got dropped off and he had to circle around and bring it to me. Luckily, we were so early it was no problem. I'm actually glad I got there so early.

 

After the race, I tried walking through the mall to get back to Santa Monica Blvd, but I ended up right back where I started at the finish line, but on the spectator side instead of the participant side. I had to walk back to Olympic Blvd and follow the arrows on the ground for SRLA to Beverly Hills High School and the long line of yellow school buses along Moreno Drive. Seeing where the kids had to walk to return to their meetup spot was neat. 

I tried to find the Metro 4 bus, but I guess it was diverted to Olympic, so I was just walking up Santa Monica Blvd until I decided I didn't want to walk anymore. I talked with my dad for 40 minutes, which was really great. I was still in Zone 2, and that walk helped me not to be as sore as I could have been today. I never found the bus, but I called an Uber to take me the last 2 miles to the hotel. I could have walked it, but I didn't want to keep the family waiting longer.

I brought back two unopened Gu's and one unopened Honey Stinger that I got at the start line hospitality suite. I never ate my Rx bar either. I ended up carrying a huge pack of wipes and only using one. I didn't want to throw my tampon applicator in the porta-potty so I ended up carrying one back with me (gross I know). They had Terracycle for Gu wrappers but I ended up throwing most of mine in the trash. Right before the race one of the Gu's exploded in my pocket and my hands got all sticky. I didn't freak out though, but it was something I hadn't planned on. I did use the sunscreen and chapstick with SPF. I had forgot to put sunscreen on my neck so I put that on when we turned around and had the sun at our back.

I unpacked the car this morning and washed all my race clothes. I'm happy with how my outfit performed. I got lots of compliments on it. I was surprised that only my hands were sunburned. Somehow I forgot to put sunscreen on my hands, but my arms and shoulders were covered. Minimal chafing. Taking a shower right after the race felt REALLY good. It also felt great to lay down on a soft bed and recover a bit before driving back to the valley. It was nice to be able to chill until around 6pm before leaving the hotel. The traffic was mellow and we got home in about 30 minutes.

I got a strange alert on my watch that I was out of my circadian rhythm. I went to bed the night before the race at 5pm. I woke up at 12:30am on race morning. I ate a power banana (banana, yogurt, granola, nutella, and sour cherry syrup) and drank chamomile tea. I listened to some music, I made a sparkly shamrock by gem painting. It was relaxing to do that for 90 minutes and then start getting dressed at 2am. I ate a bagel with cream cheese at the start line hospitality around 5am. I used the VIP toilets twice and the private gear check 

Budget

Ramada Plaza by Wyndham West Hollywood Hotel & Suites $153.07

Parking in West Hollywood $50.00
Residence Inn Chatsworth $311

Throwaway Clothes from Goodwill $14

El Pollo Loco $65.03

Uber $20

Chevron Gas $62.49

Feetures Elite Light / Ultra Light (4 pairs) $54

New Goodr sunglasses $25

New Balance $140

Custom Tank Etsy $31.74

Race Registration $186.40

Gym Boss $20.95

Gu / Bloks / Stroopwaffels / Salt Tabs $232.78

TOTAL $1,366.46

I was just 3 minutes in front of the sweepers. In fact, when I was doing mile 24, I could see the garbage truck on the other side of the street cleaning up after the Run Club Row. The water tables were being broken down and carried off the course. I am grateful that I was able to finish in the allowed time. I took my time. I got my money's worth!

I got my medal, and my gear bag was returned to me at the bag check. I got to see Coach David, and I started crying. I felt such a mix of emotions. Relief. Gratitude. Pride. I thanked him for all the excellent coaching and told him to thank Julie for the children's book, which helped Albert understand the journey to becoming a Marathon Goddess.

I'm not really gung-ho on signing up for the LA Marathon again. My training group is all over the map: some say it's their last one, and some have already signed up for 2026. If I were considering another marathon, it would have to be a really special course, AND/OR I would have to have a very special person to train with. It's such a long journey and a big time commitment. 

I did pay the annual fee for Planet Fitness Black Membership $45.02 billed on 3/03. The next payment of $25.02 will be billed on the 17th of the month. So I guess I could have included that gym membership in the cost of training for this marathon. If there hadn't have been wildfires, I wouldn't have needed that. But since I have it now, I could train for a fall race and just run indoors on the treadmill.

The only marathons I'm considering are the Every Woman's Marathon in Scottsdale, AZ and the Disney World Marathon, which is now a bucket list race. It doesn't need to be soon, but it could happen eventually. Every Woman's Marathon was inaugural last year, so this would be the 2nd annual. But it's appealing because I know the area. It might be fun to do a San Diego marathon as well. That's first weekend of June.

My MIL warned me that I would have restless legs the night after the marathon. I know what she meant now. I felt like I needed to massage them and just keep moving. When I laid down in bed, it felt like I was still wearing my hat, sunglasses, and headphones. It felt like I was still running. Like when you go on a long road trip and stop for the night and dream that you're still driving and fall asleep at the wheel. But really, you're in bed just dreaming that you're still driving. Just me? Well okay.

I laid down between 7:30pm and 8pm and got my son to sleep and then snuck out of bed for some stretching and to eat a giant bowl of macaroni & cheese from El Pollo Loco. I slept through the night after that and woke up feeling pretty good. I took two naproxen sodium, even though my MIL recommended 4 Advil. Our coach says the maximum of soreness (DOMS) is 48-72 hours after the event, so I guess the worst is yet to come. I would have been okay walking Albert to school today but we kind of ran out of time since I had to clean out the car and do laundry and pack his lunch and walk the dog and all the things and it's St. Patty's Day today.

My MIL said that when she ran the LA Marathon it didn't start at Dodger Stadium and it didn't finish in Santa Monica. It just went around the city. She did the second annual. Albert did surprisingly well spending the day with his grandma and grandpa. Surely he wore them out, but neither one had any complaints about the other(s). I'm so grateful that I have family nearby that is willing to support me in this marathon journey. It does make me feel like I belong in the family, where all of them had completed a marathon except me. Not anymore.

Bike Month 2022

We took kiddo to a couple of group rides: a Walk Bike Glendale event on Apr 3 and then 626 Golden Streets on May 1. Before I forget I wanted to list everything we brought so I can remember what we did and did not use.

Sunscreen 100%

We had a stick and a cream and a spray and we used them all. And nobody got burned. And I put kiddo in long sleeves. And I wore arm bands. And we wore gloves. I think all these things helped.

Diaper bag

100% necessary. I don't know what it is about the bike or if my kid just poops on schedule, but both times we had to do a diaper change of a poopy one in the middle of the event.

Radio Flyer Canopy

I didn't bring this to the first ride but I did have it for the second. It was no hassle and it kept my phone shaded. This is important because phones can get really hot in the sun which drains the battery.

Snacks

100% required. Fruit, crackers, milk, water. We used all these. Energy bar. Saved my butt when it got close to noon and we weren't at our lunch spot yet.

Tools

We brought 2 spare tubes for each bike, Allen wrench, screwdriver, adjustable wrench, tire ions and pump. Thankfully we did not need them but it's always good to have especially when your tires are an unusual size and it is unlikely someone else will have one for you.

Ring Sling

It was nice to have a lightweight carrier but it wasn't necessary. I didn't bring a change of clothes for any of us but that might be worth packing next time especially considering the chance of poop is 2 for 2 so far.

Hand Sanitizer & Toilet Paper

I did have wipes the second time and it was nice to wipe hands around mealtime and diaper change, after applying sunscreen, and before naptime. I almost brought toilet paper but then didn't. We didn't need it but almost. The Port-A-Potty was almost out of TP by 1:30pm and the event ended at 4pm so I imagine at some point in the day, the TP ran out.

Sunglasses & Hats

Kiddo played with them and wore them and they were good to have for all of us. I bought 3 trucker hats in case we took off helmets but wanted to not burn our heads. We didn't really use them but it was probably because we were able to find GOOD shade when we needed it.

Cash

Didn't really need it but it was nice to leave a tip at the bakery where we got lunch. Always good to have.

Cooler Bag & Ice

I brought the fruit in a cooler bag with ice packs and I brought two chillers with ice in them. It was GREAT to have cold water to drink on a warm day. It's not classified as necessary but I would call it nice to have.

Bikemate Bag and Squeaker

This is a set of superfun accessories that were available at Aldi in June 2021. I snatched them because I thought the bag would work well on our Brompton and I was right. But I attached it to the accessory bar of the Taga and it is the perfect place to store masks, keys, phone, sunglasses, just the essentials. Also our kid loves squeaking the horn/bell whatever you call it. We didn't get the flag or water bottle but if I see a set like this again, you better believe I'm buying it.

Cloth diapering

How to get started? How many cloth diapers do you need? What are some laundry issues that you may encounter? What type of fabric is used in cloth diapers? How soon should I be getting all this stuff?

For tiny baby, we've been cloth diapering since 3 weeks old. We used 28 flour sack towels (FSTs) with 2 polyester/polyurethane laminate PUL covers and 2 snappi fasteners. I loved this as a supplement to the 8 all-in-one BumGenius size 1 we had. It was possible to do laundry every other day. 

double FST with Snappi in kite fold

Thirsties Cover (Size 2, 9-36 months, 18-40 lbs)

The FSTs were folded in a newborn kite fold. What I would do is fold them in half lengthwise fresh out of the drier then let them sit overnight. The next day I would do the folding into a diaper shape. I have a nice basket to hold them until needed. FSTs are a way to diaper using flats.

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Cover (size small, 8-15 lbs)

We had a set of 4 newborn all-in-ones from bumgenius, but I have already passed those along to my sister. We never used them because we didn't start cloth diapers until our baby was 3 weeks old, he grew fast, and his inguinal hernia when it bulges actually needs a lot of room. Maybe they would have been more useful for a girl.

BumGenius AIOs in Size 1

What I have not used yet are Fitted Sloomb Overnight Bamboo Fleece aka OBFs (Sustainablebabyish) are made from 70% viscose from bamboo / 30% organic cotton.

AI2 - all in two. I don't think I have any of these. They are a cover and an insert that snaps into place.

Soaker - the absorbent part of an AI2, fitted, or AIO diaper.  Lays in or snaps in. For AIOs, the soaker is sewn into the diaper iself.

Insert - the absorbent part of a pocket diaper.  The same thing as a soaker but is inserted into the pocket.

Doubler - used on top of or in addition to a soaker/insert when baby is older/a heavy wetter/at night. Meant to provide extra absorbancy. Thinner and smaller than an insert. Sometimes called "newborn inserts".

Booster - same thing as a doubler, not related to staying dry or wicking, meant to boost the absorbency.

Liner - usually single-layer pieces of fabric laid in a diaper to either create a stay-dry feeling or to make disposing of poop easier or to protect the diaper when using diaper cream. Can be disposable or reusable.

https://www.momadvice.com/post/cloth_diapers

https://mamanloupsden.com/2015/12/16/how-to-cloth-diaper-your-newborn-with-flour-sack-towels/

FSTs from Amazon we bought 30 more!

Cloth diaper sprayer

Toilet funnel, clips, grabber

How often you should clean your washing machine — and how to do it https://www.today.com/series/how-often-should-you/how-clean-washing-machine-t20131 

Washing machine cleaner

Dec 27 - bought new dryer (week 29)

Jan 27 - washed new CDs (week 34)

Feb 4 - washed UCLA used CDs (week 35)

Feb 24 - washed CDs from Mykel (week 38)

Feb 25 - washed CDs from Christiana

You will also get a lot of use from two Pail liners that you can alternate. They can be washed with the diapers (turned inside out) and then I line dry the bag and PUL covers, while the flats (FSTs) I dry in the dryer.

How to properly fit cloth diapers YouTube tutorial.

300: Easter in the time of COVID-19 with a 1 month old baby boy

I just want to write a quick post giving an update on the current situation in our household. We've been doing cloth diapers for 5 days now and it seems like we have a pretty decent workflow going. We have transitioned away from formula with the exception of one bottle per day. Albert is drinking around 25 oz per day. We've been doing 1 to 2 breastfeeding sessions per day with the rest of the milk coming in bottles. I have been using the Medela "Pump In Style" to collect my breast milk. I am able to pump between 2 and 6 ounces per session by pumping both breasts simultaneously.

Nursing Hoodie

https://www.motherhood.com/side-access-hooded-nursing-hoodie/001-92679-002-001.html

Nursing Dress

https://www.motherhood.com/plus-size-lift-up-tiered-nursing-dress/006-96240-000-001.html

Nursing Tee

https://www.motherhood.com/lift-up-nursing-tee/006-92676-12.html

Graphic Tee

https://www.motherhood.com/eat-local-zipper-side-access-nursing-top/006-96623-000-001.html

Pumping Bra

https://snugabell.com/products/pumpease-hands-free-pumping-bra/

I spend a lot of time worrying about nursing, pumping, producing milk. I spend lots of time feeding the baby, changing diapers, burping baby, cleaning up baby's puke, doing laundry, washing pump parts. I am super hungry. Here's what I've been eating:

Pork burritos https://damndelicious.net/2014/10/10/slow-cooker-pork-carnitas/ With canned refried beans, shredded cheese and cooked minute rice. Freezes well.

Egg burritos https://kaiserwellnesscenter.tumblr.com/post/614660394599022592/step-1-make-pesto-step-2-scramble-eggs-step-3/

Meatloaf https://kaiserwellnesscenter.tumblr.com/post/614660854937436160/cubed-meatloaf-makes-a-great-addition-to-pasta/

Chicken nuggets https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8849/baked-chicken-nuggets/

Date balls https://www.loveandlemons.com/almost-raw-carrot-cake-bliss-balls/

Chocolate caramel balls https://kaiserwellnesscenter.tumblr.com/post/614659844723621888/these-homemade-chocolate-truffles-are-great-for-a

Chocolate oat balls https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-bake-energy-bites/

Trail mix https://kaiserwellnesscenter.tumblr.com/post/614163056456564736/clean-out-your-pantry-and-make-your-own-trail-mix

Biscuits & Gravy: Bacon grease, 2 C milk, 2 C beef broth, 1 1/4 C flour, 3 pieces of crumbled bacon. Bisquick biscuits.

Monster cookies https://www.justataste.com/re-post-monster-cookies/

Barley risotto https://www.oviahealth.com/guide/2023/pregnancy-recipe-butternut-squash-barley-risotto

Simple scones https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/79470/simple-scones/

Eggs Benedict (see recipe in the Joy of Cooking)

Deviled Eggs https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/classic-deviled-eggs-recipe-1911032

So as you can see: lots of butter and animal fat. Not a lot of dairy. Lots of nuts. There was the first week we were home from the hospital that I was getting between 1-2 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period (according to my FitBit). Then there were a couple of weeks where I was getting 7-8 hours of sleep. In the past week I'm back down to 5-6 hours. Albert is waking up in the night and doing a fair bit of fussing, which breaks up the long night into two chunks. I can't seem to do well with mid-day naps.

I have transitioned back into "regular" underwear (with pads attached). I am still bleeding but it's much less than it was two weeks ago. I am wearing maternity jeans today (not PJ pants) for the first time since baby's birthday, so we'll see how that goes. I am wearing the nursing bra with underwires that I picked out very early on in pregnancy. The "Tummy Transformer" that I bought and tried on two weeks ago (that didn't fit at that time) fits now. I wore it yesterday while walking and it helped stabilize my core a bit. I pulled it up over my breasts for a bit of stabilization there too.

I am gratefully using all the mommy products so lovingly given to me by friends and family members. The calendula nipple cream is on my breasts right now, thanks to CT Organics. I am drinking Pink Stork Herbal Mint lactation tea from my sister. I used lanolin on my nipples last night, which was gifted to me by the same person who gave me the breastpump and a ton of bottles. I am absolutely humbled by the gifts that people gave me, and I already have a box ready to ship out to my other sister to pay it forward.

Pregnancy Part 12

Today I want to check-in. We have had our fetal echocardiogram at 21 weeks. We have had our 22 week appointment at the OB. Everything is looking good. No "holes" where they shouldn't be in baby's anatomy. Cervical length is good. Upcoming appointments at 24 weeks will re-check cervical length and at 26 weeks test for gestational diabetes. I thought my blood pressure was high at 137/77 but my birth class teacher says that something like 150/90 would be cause for alarm.

Here's the roundup of symptoms:

Week 19 - Oct 14-20 headache, neckache, heartburn, tender breasts, nipple soreness, increased thirst, appetite increase, shortness of breath
Week 20 - Oct 21-27 nipple soreness, bleeding gums/nose, headache
Week 21 - Oct 28-Nov 3 headache, abdominal (back) itchiness, heartburn, fatigue/exhaustion

Tonight is the fourth of my pregnancy HIIT workout classes (out of 6). I think it came along in just the right time of my pregnancy, where I had energy, which I am starting to feel is dwindling.

Last night was the second of our Bradley birth class. I am grateful for the information we get in these classes. Such as, the Babycentre diet I've been following lists papaya as a common food for the second trimester but I didn't know why. Our teacher explained that it is a natural source of digestive enzymes which can act as a natural antacid. The Bradley birth diet emphasizes eggs as a protein source. I also didn't know why, but our teacher explained that eggs represent complete protein that is easy to digest. As the baby gets larger, he will occupy more of the volume of my body cavity, leaving less and less room for my stomach. Hence, I will need to rely on eggs to get the protein I need rather than beef or other slower-digesting foods.

I started to google "bicycling while pregnant" this past weekend. The articles I found suggested that women experience a range of reactions from stopping entirely right from the moment you get a positive pregnancy test (like myself) all the way to biking until delivery. I feel comfortable with my decision, I don't regret deciding to step away from the bicycle, but some days I do miss it. For example, there is a CicLAvia coming up near our house and I guess I'll be supporting it in some way other than on a bicycle. Maybe we'll do some tabling.

We completed the third part of our three-weekend babymoon. First, Sept 13-15. Second, Oct 11-13.

Third, Oct 25-27: It was kind of sad because my nephew tore his ACL in a football game so he is out for the rest of the season. But we did have a great time walking around Dana Point. We parked at the corner of Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive. Then we walked to the Ocean Institute. It was beautiful and so relaxing. On the map it looks small, but in person it felt like a very long walk. Luckily there were restrooms along the way so nobody had to be uncomfortable.

I've been assigned a nurse by my insurance company who follows up with me about lots of things. She gave me some dietary guidelines to follow:

• whole grains (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw)
• vegetables (3 cup)
• fruits (2 pieces)
• milk (3 cup)
• protein (6 oz = 170 g)
• water (64 oz)

The Bradley method diet recommends similar things:

• whole grains (4 servings)
• vegetables (3 servings)
• fruits (1 serving)
• milk products (4 servings)
• protein (80-100 g)
• water (to thirst)

I have been feeling well when I eat 2100 calories and unwell if I eat 1600-1700 only. Last post, I wrote that I was afraid of gaining too much weight too fast. My birth class teacher suggested that I wouldn't need to worry about an overweight baby (9 lbs or greater) unless I start to show symptoms of gestational diabetes. So I think I'm going to stop worrying about gaining too much weight, because restricting my calories really made me feel like crap (bad headache) and I lost 2 pounds pretty quickly. A big take-home of yesterday's class meeting is that diet is something we do have control over so we might as well be mindful of it. And a healthy mom has more choices when it comes to labor and delivery. Next class, we'll be getting into drugs.

Another great thing about our babymoon holidays was that I got into the swimming pool. It felt good the first time in mid-October (pregnancy week 18). I mostly just stood there in the water. I also tried taking a shallow bath at the hotel. I was scared the water was too hot and I was scared to fall getting in or out of the tub so dear husband helped and supervised me. It felt really good getting in the pool during the third babymoon weekend at the end of October (pregnancy week 20). I actually did some light treading water and swam some very slow laps. This past Sunday night (pregnancy week 22), I took a bath at our house. My birth class teacher said that swimming pools and bath tubs, in general, are good for baby unless there is any reason to suspect that the cervical plug has been disrupted. If we get any leakage of amniotic fluid, then public bathing will have to stop.

I had a big technology scare last week. My work computer wouldn't turn on (semester week 10). This was a big problem because my home computer also wouldn't turn on and we got rid of it mid-October (semester week 5). Time is flying by so quickly yet slowly. It didn't seem like that long ago but it didn't seem like such a crisis because we were starting to consider nursery configurations. But to have both computers go out, I started panicking because I still have 5 weeks to go in the semester and I need to do a lot of grading and preparing lessons. I ended up using an old laptop from 2011 that had Word 2003 installed. It was crazy. I couldn't find any of the functions because they've all moved around. But dear husband found a PC that wasn't being used. We put my hard drive in there and it booted right up (after we bought a $30 cable to convert from DisplayPort to HDMI).

We finished-ish our baby registry. It was kind of fun trying on babywearing stuff. I bought a couple pairs of new shoes in 1 size up from my normal size. They are both slip-ons because tying shoes is getting trickier by the day. I got a few new pieces of maternity clothing. I started getting excited about the upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and wanted to have a few nice things to wear. It seems like each month is more expensive than the one before it, there are just so many little expenses that we have as we prepare for the arrival of this baby. Tomorrow we're touring a day care. They don't accept children under 12 months of age and they want a deposit to hold our spot.

I am looking forward to that time in pregnancy when I can stay at home and lounge around in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I want to take my dog out on dog walks and eat whenever I feel like it.

Pregnancy Part 9

This is week 17. I feel like my belly is really stretching out. Mike says next week my belly button will pop out. I feel like my breasts have taken on a life of their own, they are large and veiny.

  

How I feel now is nervous about the upcoming scans. This month we have lots of appointments. Next week is the 18 week ultrasound with our OB, Dr. Marr. I believe she will be taking samples for the second trimester screening. In three weeks we have our 20 week anatomy scan with the MFM, Dr. Incerpi. Four weeks from now we go in for a fetal echocardiogram at 21 weeks, Dr. Nancy Kim. Until proven otherwise, this is a normal pregnancy. The docs are just being cautious.

I got a call from the Department of Public Health yesterday, they say the doctor needs to send them our insurance information to do the billing for the first trimester screening tests. I am definitely handling medical stuff, including billing and insurance, much better than before. It's all just business and something that has to be done. I don't really get as upset and worked-up as I did before. I called my doctor's office and they said that it was really strange. If DPH didn't give me a fax number then there's nothing they can do. I guess I will just try to deal with it at our appointment next week.

A colleague at work said, "pregnancy suits you." I'm not sure exactly what she meant by that, but I can agree. I don't feel absolutely terrible like some people have told me horror stories of pregnancy. I feel calm, for the most part. My husband spoils me. He gives me so much attention and I only really notice how much when he can't be there for me. Last night I had a bit of a sob-fest over just feeling alone when I used to LOVE being at school late by myself and walking/biking home in the dark.

Dear husband was out last night at the City of Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee. I'm really proud of him for doing that work, but it was hard getting myself home all alone. He was also having a meeting with the Community Advisory Group for the Aliso Canyon SoCal Gas blowout Department of Public Health study. I used to be involved in a lot of advocacy and activism, but with this pregnancy, it's just important to rest and keep up with the work I am being paid for.

There is a CicLAvia this weekend but we won't be going. Instead, we will be doing outreach at the Granada Hills Street Faire. I get it. Local is better. Now that we're living "deep in the valley," we don't get out to downtown LA as much as when we lived in Glendale. The following day there is the Encino Family Festival, which is on Ventura Blvd. I guess we could check it out just to get out of the house. Unfortunately, by Sunday it is supposed to be in the mid-90s so maybe we will just stay home in the air conditioning.

Fertility Part 20

A few significant things happened this week. First, my acupuncturist will no longer see me because I am pregnant. Second, I got the results of my blood-work back and I am still pregnant.

July 3rd - 11dp5dt - hCG: 260 IU/L - E2: 1,014 pg/mL - P4: 31.4 ng/mL
July 5th - 13dp5dt - hCG: 664 IU/L - E2: 912 pg/mL - P4: 28.6 ng/mL
July 12th - 20dp5dt - hCG: 7,986 IU/L - E2: 1,110 pg/mL - P4: 29.4 ng/mL

What is considered normal E2 levels? 188 - 2497 pg/mL in the first trimester. What is considered normal P4 levels? 100-200 ng/ml by the end of pregnancy. There are also some values presented in this paper. hCG: 4620 IU/L - E2: 1,627 pg/mL - P4: 24.8 ng/mL in 42 women, average age 29, at 8 weeks pregnant.

There are so many acronyms in the fertility community. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the placenta after implantation. This is the substance that is detected in home pregnancy tests, such as First Response Early Response (FRER). E2 is estradiol and P4 is progesterone, these are the hormones that I am taking every day.

The way women tell other women online how far along they are is in weeks+days. For example today I am 5+1. For IVF cycles with a frozen embryo transfer (IVF), the abbreviation is days past (dp) and age of the embryo transferred (dt). So for me, I did a 5dt because the embryo we transferred was a 5 day blastocyst when it was frozen and thawed.

Today I am attending my first RESOLVE meeting. It is a support group for infertility. I do not know how the group will respond to a newcomer that is actually already pregnant, but I know that I do need support and connections in case I do end up with a miscarriage. I am not expecting that outcome, but until 8-10 weeks, there is still a chance.

My symptoms include feeling hot, very tender breasts, sore backside (where I take the shots), alternating between hungry/full/nauseous. I felt a little emotional the past few days, crying easily. I am not in the phase yet of taking pictures of my invisible baby bump. We got our first gift from a friend last weekend in Riverside. So cute booties, hats and onesies. I am starting to create space in our 2nd bedroom to accumulate "baby stuff."