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!~