Too much of a good thing?

So I love marathon runners as much as the next wannabe. And let's face it -- those silver wraps that you wear at the end of the marathon are super cute. My best friend from college was all bundled up in one after she ran the Flying Pig, and I thought she was plain ol' adorable.

But, as they say, I digress.

I feel privileged to know a few marathon runners, and though I think they really possess some secret super powers that allow them to endure those grueling 26.2 miles, I still admire them.

But what constitutes overdoing it? The New York Times Health section, which I'm now addicted to, has a story on a British runner who ran straight through her pregnancy, ran the day before her baby was born and ran again 12 days later. She apparently worked with her doctor and ran on a restricted schedule. Yes, she's the world record holder in the women's marathon, and as an athlete of that calibre, she needs to train. And some might argue that she shouldn't be hampered by "biology," and that her doctor would know best. Maybe giving up a strict running regime is too much for a professional runner. After all, it's her career. Why should women have to give up everything?

But is it really healthy and worth the risk? We give up a lot for our pregnancies. (Heck, I gave up French cheeses like brie, people. And wine. I'm dying here without an occasional glass of pinot noir. Oops. Digressing again.)

Just take a look at the photo of her and her super sweet-looking baby. It makes you wonder... when is too much too much?

photo: Marilynn K. Yee/New York Times

Belly update

You asked for it, so here's the belly update for week 25.

Webmd.com and kidshealth.org says:

Your developing baby now measures about 8.8 inches from crown to rump and weighs 1.5 pounds. Skin now becomes opaque instead of transparent. Its body is still covered with folds like a puppy dog that need to grow into its skin. Heartbeat can be heard through a stethoscope or, depending on the position of the baby, by others putting an ear against your belly. You may notice that your baby has resting and alert periods. You'll notice fetal activity more readily when you are more sedentary. Your baby's hearing has continued to develop, too — he or she may now be able to hear your voice!


I've read that the baby can start to hear, as you know, so I've been playing lots of good music, including Mozart, Nina Simone, Dixie Chicks, Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan and Angelique Kidjo. My big belly headphones connected to my iPod are getting a workout.

By the way, your playlists are welcome.

Is this a "runner-up" kind of face?

Little Lucas, my cousin's baby, somehow didn't win the cutest baby contest at the mall. I believe he came in second. Hmmm. A sham? Maybe.

Well, he's got my vote as cutest, most photogenic baby. That's good enough.

Formerly Baby M's changing table

Apparently, it now belongs to Clarkie.

My belly may be big, but...

My heels are getting smaller.

See, the security guards at the office were starting to hassle me, albeit very sweetly, about the fact that I'm about 6 months pregnant and still in my 3-inch heels. (One even wagged her finger at Patrick, while giving me quite the lecture about the dangers to my uterus.)

Sooooooo rather than skulk downstairs, slip past the security desk, tiptoe to the back of the building, dash through the executive garage and then take the loooong way around the block to the parking lot just so I can wear my still-comfy heels, I caved. I bought these two adorable pairs of rounded-toe shoes with kitten-ish heels.

Life will be a lot easier simply walking down the stairs and heading out the door. The security guards will love me again, and I got to justify buying two new pairs of shoes.

Meee-ow!

Delicioso!

Patrick and I loved our culinary walking tour of Mexicantown. We tried some things we either never tried before, didn't know we were eating or never would've ordered for fear of what we were ordering.

The morning started with pastries, Mexican hot chocolate and a smoothie made with cactus leaves (nopales). Before Patrick learned that you actually have to clean and de-thorn the leaves before preparation, he got into a prickly fight with one of them at a market we visited.

Some other highlights included appetizers of carnitas, or "little meats," with green salsa at a little store on the tour. Wikipedia describes carnitas as "a type of braised or roasted (often after first being boiled) pork in Mexican cuisine."

We couldn't resist buying some carnitas and green salsa to take home. Later for lunch, we rolled them inside some of the corn tortillas we received from a 60-year-old tortilla factory, a stop on our tour.

We also tried some barbacoa, which wikipedia says, "generally refers to meats or a whole sheep slow cooked over an open fire, or more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with maguey leaves, although the interpretation is loose, and in the present day and in some cases may refer to meat that was steamed until tender."

While the beef barbacoa we tried likely wasn't prepared in a hole, we learned it's a specialty that only shows up in most of the stores on Saturday and Sunday. I'm so proud that we'll be able to order it now that we're in the know.

Other highlights included a taste of some chorizo sausage fried with scrambled eggs and topped with creme fraiche. We also tried some wonderful just-made guacamole from the Honey Bee Market and received a free T-shirt there. The back reads: Wake up and smell the chorizo.

It was quite a day. I don't know if I'll wake up tomorrow smelling the chorizo, but I took home lots of great recipes to recreate the day whenever I want.

If you need one, here's a recipe for Mexican hot chocolate from recipezaar.com...

1 quart milk
7 ounces mexican chocolate (we used ReyAmargo)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
chili powder (optional)

1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces.
2. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and then add the chocolate.
3. After the chocolate is incorporated, add the cinnamon, vanilla, chili powder and salt.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes and then whisk briskly to a foam right before serving.
5. Divide evenly into 4 cups and serve.

Headin' to the D...

In honor of the dia de muertos (day of the dead), Detroit's Mexicantown is holding a festival, and we are taking a Mexicantown culinary walking tour.

Stops: La Jalisciense Tortilla Factory, Algo Especial Store and Honey Bee/La Colmena Supermarket.

Yay!

As Colbert said today: "It's the day after Halloween, so that means it's the beginning of Christmas."

Cool. I love Christmas!

But before we move on to Christmas, let's talk about how the scariest thing about Halloween was the the fact that more lead recalls were announced -- this time on fake teeth. (Earlier, I believe, children's Halloween skeleton pails were recalled.) And we all know about the endless toy recalls.

Fake Teeth Recalled for Too Much Lead

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hours before trick-or-treaters began going door to door, the government warned consumers Wednesday that fake Halloween teeth sold by the tens of thousands since last year contain excessive amounts of lead.

The $2 packages of "Ugly Teeth" are only the latest in a long line of Chinese-made toys and novelty items recalled because of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall in a late-morning news release.

This also comes after a study found several popular lipsticks contain lead.

Let's see: what else can they recall before this issue really changes some legislation? Bathrobes? Toothbrushes or coffee cups? Golf clubs? Maybe machine guns will do it.

Rant over. Now, back to Christmas... how utterly exciting. I'd say, "I can't wait," but I like to season to last as long as possible. Fa la la la la...

:)