Walk, Walk, Walk

Here I am in my final week(s) of pregnancy. One of the best ways to get a kid out is to WALK! So I am walking about 2 miles almost everyday. It has been so beautiful outside that we can't help but get out and have fun.

But also, I have had an amazing kick in energy lately. (Finally got that nesting feeling.) I haven't been wearing my pedometer around the house but I can tell you I am doing a lot of walking up and down my stairs, bending, and squating getting things ready for baby to arrive. By the end of the day I feel spent, my back hurts and I just pass out almost immediately when my head hits the pillow (even thought I still read a little before falling asleep and often get wacked in the face by my Paperwhite or Matt takes the Kindle away because I am out for the count.)

Whether I walk outside for my 2 miles or do stuff around the house, I feel like I am getting the same amount of walking done or at least the same amount of effort goes into either. So lesson learned. Cleaning your house is super good for you if you can't get out and go on a walk. Just clean your house, or keep it clean in my case because I don't want to have to do a massive pickup clean before Monday (that's when the big clean gets done by MOLLY MAIDS!)

Exactly 1 Week Till My Due Date

(source)

Well here I am. 7 days away from my "estimated due date" for this baby. Sunday I started to get that, I feel awful feeling that many momma's get at the end of their pregnancy. (maybe I was excited about the prospect of yummy Mexican food) But Monday I felt like I had a good kick of energy for most of the day. I got a lot more organized and cleaned up in my house which feels amazing to get things progressing to cleaning up the clutter. I even organized the garage a little better. (don't really want to fall down from all the clutter in the garage when carrying baby.) Here are some things that I have done to get ready for baby:

Food prep:
I have been cooking like a mad woman building up our stock pile of frozen meals so that I won't have to "cook" after baby for awhile. It's a lot of food and I am basically making one meal a day at this point.

In the last week I have made: 
16 breakfast burritos (1 batch makes 10 burritos)
4 pans of chicken enchiladas (one batch makes 4 8x8 pans)
2 pans of chicken tetrazzini (one batch makes 2 8x8 pans)
Large pot of taco soup (makes about 12 servings).
1 frozen loaf of bread (we ate the other loaf for last week) I just need to stock pile them now

I still have to make:
Red sauce enchiladas (2 8x8 pans)
pasta fagoli soup (12 servings)
spaghetti casserole (4 8x8 pans)
quiche (2 pie pans)
chicken pot pie (2 pie pans)
Pot of chili soup (12 servings)
6 loaves of bread

All this food is for some while guests are here and we are hoping to have some even after the family leaves so that I still don't have to cook while I am adjusting to being a mom of 2. That is the plan let's see if it actually works.

Organizing/Cleaning:

I am cleaning and organizing all the rooms of the house it feels like. I believe this is called nesting. I have some boxes that have to be moved down to the basement to get them out of the main part of the house or hidden in closets. It just feels good to finally get things moving and cleaned up even more so.

Also I am scheduled to have Molly maids come out Monday to put the spick and span touch on my house for me. I just don't have the energy to vacuum and mop all in one day the whole house, plus they will deep clean the bathrooms and dust the whole house and just make my house sparkle before our guests arrive. My goal is though to clean the carpet in the main level living room since that has the most stains thanks to Mason and not wanting to keep his food in the kitchen area.

Still need to finish up with the baby clothing too. All of this has to be done by Saturday the 10! I refuse to clean on mother's day and the cleaning ladies will be here early Monday.

Cinco De Mayo

Happy Cinco De Mayo. Being from AZ this is a yummy day for us. Every year Matt and I go to our fav Mexican Restaurant and enjoy our (I mean Matt's) family traditions. Matt's mom grew up in Mexico and Matt spent many summers in Mexico. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Cinco De Mayo today.

Also, thought I might have a Cinco De Mayo baby last night but nope it is just the fun times of having early labor during the night every night! Plus my doc is out of town until late tonight, so no baby today. 5/5/14 has a nice ring to it though!

April Week 5 Workout Recap

Only a few more of these left where I am actually working out, at least until July-ish. This past week I had my first "flocking" for the Women's 4 Miler Training Program as a pink lady. I am so excited to work with and meet all the other Pinks this summer! Hoping that there are enough mommas with strollers that I can lead a group this year. However, I won't be doing hard walking until July, to give my body the 6 weeks it needs to really heal. But still I am so excited to help in any way I can.

Time is getting short as a mommy of only one son. I am really enjoying my cuddle time with Mason this week and over the next week or however long it takes baby to join our family. It is still a guessing game at this point.

Pregnancy Changes- Had my checkup on Thursday with my OB and he told me I am not to have this baby this weekend because he is running the Tacoma Washington marathon on Sunday. He really wants to deliver my baby because he knows I will go all natural (no pain meds) and we talked about me doing Hypnobirthing and he is super stoked about that. Baby is still super high up but I am dilated. He just didn't determine how much because he didn't want to aggravate my cervix and make it start opening more. My guess is either a 1-2 at most 3 cm. (I was at 3cm with Mason at 37 until the induction at 39.1 weeks).

Not as much heartburn this week. (Thank goodness) Baby has dropped a tiny amount. But he is engaged in my right hip bone. (wrong place baby to be engaged) But I know he will move to the right place when he is ready to.

Whattoexpect.com still says baby is as big as a watermelon. My weight gain is up to 14lbs. My doc is super excited with how well I have done this pregnancy. He says that my belly is measuring right at 38 weeks and that I have a very average sized baby in there. (roughly about 6.5 lbs right now)

Prepping For Baby- Bags are all packed. Had the itch all week. I am keeping all my black and pj bottoms near the bag for easy packing when we have to leave. Plus I am living out of my medicine bag in the bathroom for easy pack when we need to.

Archer's food is all separated out. Mason's stuff isn't really put together though so he isn't ready. Also I still have to clean all the clothing off the floor of the nursery and get that put away. But I am feeling relatively ready for baby.

Prepping Mason For Baby- Mason and I have been talking a lot about him becoming a big brother. His responsibilities, and how he is going to have a new best friend. He has been kissing my belly more and saying hi to baby more. He has been such a great friend this week in helping his younger friends stay safe, (a 1 year old was here and when he left the area his momma and I were sitting Mason would go grab him and steer him back into the room saying, "No no, go Mama.") (Another friend who is 2, Mason would encourage him to stay sitting at the dinner table when they were eating together. And was taking turns and sharing.) He has also been escorting me to my car door and helping me in the car and shutting the door for me. (Matt has been there to put him in his car seat and strap him in.) It is super cute. He likes to walk me to the bathroom and close the door for me when I say I have to go. (So efficient) It is kind of sad with how much he is growing up so soon.

He is also talking a ton more. Everyday he has new words he is saying, surprising me and Matt. And he is starting to put words in sentences or copy how we say phrases. This will make it so much easier for when Baby arrives. I will know what Mace wants and be able to help him as best as I can.

Workout Recap:

Sunday: rest (had my concert)

Monday: 2 mile walk (with 1/2 mile slow jog) 18 min/mile. 30 min stationary bike

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: last day at gym. 2 mile walk. Super slow just having fun

Thursday: gardening day

Friday: 2 mile walk outside in the beautiful weather we are having!

Saturday: 2 mile family walk (studio spring piano recital and last day of teaching before extended summer break!)

Total Mileage: 8 miles
38 weeks pregnant

Woman's 4 Miler Training Program

Registration is up and running for the Charlottesville Women's 4 miler training program. Click here to go to the website and click on ONLINE REGISTRATION!

Fee is $20 which includes the summer of AWESOMENESS! The Workout Booklet and Other fun prizes. (There are raffle prizes every single week)

*The W4MTP fee is not the race fee itself. That is separate.*

1st day of training begins on June 14th at 7:00am! Yes, it is early, yes, you want it to be early. It can get very hot very fast and we want to be out running before it gets too bad.

Questions about the program?:
I'm not a runner I can't do a 4 mile run. 
You do not have to be a runner. Anyone is welcome. A non walker, a strutter, a new mommy, a walker, a wogger, jogger, a slow runner, and a sprinter. IF you fit any of these  categories please come out to join us. This program is for EVERYONE! We want to help you get new friends, an outlet for exercise and just to have fun. And you will have fun every week! I still talk to my friends from last summer by the way! Hey VAL!

I can't go every week.
That's ok! Come as often as you can. I can't go ever week either. My hubs has military weekend one weekend a month so I won't be there the first weekend of July or August for sure. It's ok. Come as often as you can.

I don't have the time for the mid week training. 
We encourage you to exercise as much as possible. The training program recommends 2 "running" days a week. (I do Tuesday and Thursday) Get outside and walk. Take a friend with you. Or your dog. Your dog will thank you. Just be safe in the heat of the summer that you go out early and drink plenty of water.

I promise you that you will love this program. It seriously changed my life and the way I look at running and at myself. Last year I went through my miscarriage. I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and being "fat". I signed up for my first 5k. That 5k I met a pink lady, Janet, from the training program and we walked together the whole time. She kept telling me about the training program and that I should totally do it. By the end of the 5k she convinced me to "look into it." That next day, I contacted her on FB and told her I signed up. Every week I said hi to her and she was so interest in my progress and super happy I was there. I was in the second running group and made many friends. We all encouraged each other and pushed each other. And accomplish so many great goals last summer. I couldn't wait for the next summer because I loved it so much! Because of the W4MTP I am a runner.

Please if you are in the area think about this program and the race itself. It is for a great cause, the charity is the UVA Breast Cancer Care Program. Last year over $370,000 was raised for this charity. Click Here for the website for the race itself and more info on the charity work. It is a limited number of participants and registration will open and close in just a few short hours on sign up day, June 21! Hope to see you this summer!

Did you sign up! Let me know so I can look for you at the track on June 14!!!

5 Things I'm Looking Forward To After Baby

I have had ideas of grandeur for the things I am longing for when I am no longer pregnant. There are really some things you can't do, or do very well while pregnant and these things are what I am really missing or looking forward to.

1. Sleeping on my belly. I miss it so much. I HATE sleeping on my side because it kills my hips and I have to flip from one side to the other. I can't really sleep on my back either because the weight of the baby is so heavy it actually hurts a little and I have to sleep like that propped up so much that it just isn't comfy. I often find myself woken up by Baby because I have rolled too much onto my belly from the side. He kicks the crap out of me till I wake up and move. Needless to say, I am very excited for the day when I can sleep with one pillow on my belly.

2. Running. I really am missing running. My legs ache for it most days which is surprising to me. Who would have thought, I would miss running. If you had told me that a year ago I would have laughed at you and said, "yeah right!" But I really do. So much so that I actually ran 1/2 a mile the other day during my walk. It felt really great. My legs got that nice warm burn in them and I just felt great. It was only a 1/2 mile though and I have a long way to go to build my endurance back up but I know I can and I will.

3. Kicking These Crazy Cravings! I have had cravings galore this pregnancy. I have been able to not indulge too much up until recently. My sweet tooth has gone nuts! I am trying to hard not to eat junk food that is around the house, but I have been, however, I AM NOT EATING THE WHOLE BAG in one sitting. I know that sounds weird and gross, but when you are a hormonal pregnant lady and you want some leftover Easter candy and there is a bag in the freezer, a bag can disappear very quickly. (think about thin mint cookies and how quickly they disappear when eating them).  I have been holding back though with is a miracle for me.

4. Getting my energy back. I have been so exhausted most of this pregnancy. A lot of that was self induced exhaustion. I am making a baby and on top of that I trained for a 1/2 marathon. Plus had to take care of my 2 year old and the hubs, and keep the house clean and take care of the dog. I had a lot going on. Now I have the end of the pregnancy exhaustion. It just knocks me down. But I also have the drive to nest. So last night super exhausted. Had Matt and Mace clean the basement, and I vacuumed the whole thing. Then proceeded to clean my bedroom, after already cleaning and organizing the closet, oh then picked up in the bathroom. I have the drive that I have to do every job all the way and not just a little bit. Hence why I am hiring Molly Maids to come clean my house before baby because I don't have the energy to be neurotic about cleaning.

5. Getting back to my pre-pre pregnancy weight. Yes pre-pre pregnancy weight. The weight I was before Mason. I might have only gained 14 lbs this pregnancy so far, but I started 30 lbs heavier than when I got pregnant with Mason. It has bothered me. It has driven me to eat smarter this pregnancy because I refused to end this pregnancy 30 lbs higher that what I had Mason at which would have made me cry if I did. So I am glad that I have only gained 14 lbs so far, and will likely end this pregnancy just under or at what I had Mason but I still want to get to back to what I was with Mason, then work on getting under that weight at that point. I have a long way to go, but I know that I can. It will make running so much easier on my body and the running will help me get back to the body I want. At least I have the tools in my pocket now on how to do that which I am so thankful for!

There you have it. 5 things I am excited for post baby! Have you ever made a list like this at the end of your pregnancy? What is on your list?

Tra La! It's May!

Name the musical in the comments, if you can, for the name of this post!!!

13 days left until my due date as of today! Still have no idea if baby will be slightly early, on time or super late. It is really a guessing game at this point. Matt and I have come up with a possible scenario of the deliver date and the dates for when he will have time off following said delivery day. But I am having a natural birth and don't have the option to say, "baby will arrive by X date." Actually that is not true. Baby will be here by the 28th of May because I know my doc will NOT let me go beyond 42 weeks pregnant. But who wants to be that pregnant anyways??? But one can hope, and wish for the exact date you want, right?!?

Sweet Relief

Chiroprax

I love my chiropractors! Yes I have 2. It is a husband and wife practice and they are both amazing. Dr. Brian is my go to for when my back needs to be "cracked" and I need a good purring. (Yes, I actually purr when I am getting my adjustments because it is so, so very nice and feels so very good.) Then there is Dr. Jen. She specializes in pregnancy and children chiropractic care only. She has been adjusting Mason since he was 3 days old. She will do the same for baby when he arrives!

I have been suffering from from low back pain for most of this pregnancy. The sacrum area to be exact. Ask my hubs, he can attest to the countless massages just rubbing that one little area. It hurt from running, walking, standing, sitting. It was a constant pain in my...low back. This past Thursday, I had a prenatal massage at their practice, a weekly occurrence until baby arrives (so lucky, I know), and also my normal "cracking" from Dr. Brian. Later that afternoon after my OB/GYN apt I made my way back to the office and met with Dr. Jen. She did a little bit of this, a little bit of that with the jackhammer like adjuster. She had me lean against a wall in a standing squat position putting most of the pressure on my sacrum and within 5 minutes I felt this little twinge in my low back just a smudge of discomfort, then sweet relief of my low back pain.

I don't know what happened. It was amazing though. Like my sacrum just aligned, or popped back in place. And my low back has not hurt once since last Thursday! IT IS A MIRACLE! No more hobbling around, no more bending over at the sink because it hurts to stand for long periods of time. I've been healed and it is such a blessing!!!

I highly recommend finding a great chiropractor and trying them out to see if they can help you too.

Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador

I have been accepted by Girls Gone Sporty to be an ambassador. I am already learning so much from other bloggers and amazing women in this tight knit community, in 1 day, and so excited to work with them in the future!

What is Girls Gone Sporty? It is a website that has various articles written by professionals and ambassadors, maybe even me one day, to help teach and motivate you in your exercise and fitness goals! There is also a recipe collection that looks great too.

The women who are ambassadors are real women who have done whatever they can to be fit and healthy. This is why I blog. Because there are so many others out here that have changed their life that I have learned from, but there will always be someone out there looking for that little nudge to help them start a new lifestyle. I hope to help inspire you that you can do this. Just 1 step at a time! Hope on. Journey on!

April Week 4 Workout Recap

So long, and farewell to April! Another one bites the dust as the months just tick, tick, tick by. It is so hard to believe that it is already May. I made it. 9 months ago my I started a few things and finally today I have accomplished so many things. I finished a year of concerts while pregnant with the Charlottesville Symphony including playing one of the most demanding symphonies for french horn as the last concert series, I ran through 3/4 of my pregnancy, completing 4 races including my first half marathon, and I started yoga. The past 9 months have been amazing!

Now only about 2 more weeks until my life will change forever and I will become a mother of 2! P.S. 2 weeks from today is Mother's Day!

I've been thinking about how these workout recaps are going to be over the next few months. I think they will be more of a weekly recap of my life and things that are going on and if I do actually exercise I will mark it down. But my plan of action at this point is to walk for fun after baby comes, not counting mileage at all. And beginning in June I will be walking more and more for the training program I am helping with. So pretty much once baby comes I will be recovering, allowing my body the full time of recovery before I start running and walking large miles again. I am sure you already figured that but I like to put it down for my own reminder!

Pregnancy Changes:  I feel like I am getting huge. I am my own zip code. But really, I am not that big. Considering I still have 2+ weeks before baby comes I am only going to get bigger. I am really keeping my weight in check and trying very hard to not gain too much. I am currently up 12-13 lbs. Crazy huh! But sadly I am craving sweets right now. And icy cold things. I feel like I am frying hot all the time! So I don't think the sweets craving is going to be good for me, but I am trying to limit how many sweets I eat in a day. (i.e. not the whole bag or only 1 cupcake)

I had my last concert today for the symphony and I am so thankful that that is over with. It is getting so hard to play horn with a huge belly and a lack of air support. I actually iced my lips for the last 2 nights after rehearsal and the concerts because I was using my face to get the notes out and not my breathing/air. NOT GOOD! But I did what I needed to do and we still rocked it.

For the first time in months I have been pain free in my sacrum. Thursday I went and saw the chiropractor, twice. The second time did the trick. And it finally is realigned and I feel so much better. It is amazing. I am actually feeling pretty good at this point. I still waddle a little as I am feeing my pelvis starting to open up and that's ok. I earned my waddle. Also after another check up at the doc this past week baby is still super high and tight. NO dilation, NO engagement. Doc couldn't even feel the baby on the internal exam to determine position of baby. So this coming week, if he can't find the position of the baby than I have to get an ultrasound to determine. I am pretty sure he is head down but just not in the pelvis yet. I am talking baby now to try and get him to get locked and loaded but not ready to fire!

Prepping For Baby:  Haven't done much in this area. But I am feeling the itch. Everyday I keep having the feeling to just get everything, toiletries and last minute packing stuff in my hospital bag. I have clothing and such but not the necessities that I need after baby. I will more than likely do this this week. As far as nesting urges. I just want my house to be clean and stay clean but I don't want to do it. Don't have the energy to do it. I still have 1 more week of teaching and when teaching is over I might actually get the deep cleaning done (actually hiring someone to do that, happy Mother's Day to me!)

Prepping Mason For Baby:  Yesterday we went to watch the Dogwood Festival Parade with some friends. They recently had a baby and after the parade we went and got some lunch. The baby started fussing and Matt helped feed the baby with the bottle and even held the baby to burp it and comfort it. Matt hasn't really been around a 3 month old. He missed that with Mason and did a really great job. Mason also saw Matt holding a baby. Mason pulled Matt's hand off the baby's back and put his head in his daddy's hand like, daddy hold me too. It was really good for Mason to see Matt holding a baby and Mason was pretty good. He really could care less cause he just walked away after that. But we will see. I am starting to think that there is some hope for us.

Workout Recap: 

Sunday: rest.

Monday: rest. Mason had to go to the doctor due to an infection on his hand from his fall a week ago.

Tuesday: rest. Let antibiotics kick in before he went back to the gym

Wednesday: 2 mile walk. 18 min mile pace. 15 min bike. I was planning on doing 3 miles but body and baby had other ideas. Baby started moving around and stretching out like he was going to come out completely and made walking really uncomfortable for me. Went on the bike but kneeing my belly was just uncomfortable.

Thursday: 1 hour 15 min prenatal yoga class. This class is starting to kick my butt. Scratch that, it is kicking my butt. I am having to modify the modified poses. I just can't bend over as easily, downward dog is a thing of the past, because it makes me want to puke. On the plus side, my triangle pose is rocking still! Plus I got an hour massage and 2 chiropractic adjustments!

Friday: 2 mile walk. Another 2 miles went better. Chatted with the lady next to me asking all sorts of questions about baby and how I was feeling. Makes the time go by very quickly. 18:15 min mile pace.

Saturday: 1.5 mile walk to and from the parade. It was a long walk from where we parked to where we watched. So I counted this as my exercise for the day. It wore me out because it was hot and pushing a stroller and such. But it wasn't at any sort of quick pace.

Total Mileage: 5.5 miles
37 weeks pregnant

~Heading to the gym for my last week before account is on hold for baby!~