Movin' Mama

Ever wonder why you see so many pictures of Drew like this?

No clothes, ma!

It's because, here in Georgia, the temperature has been above 90 (and many days above 95) for the last two months (and more!).  It's so darn hot!  Drew has developed an almost permanent heat rash; even inside, with the air conditioning, it just doesn't seem to get cool enough, so he stays in only his diaper most of the time.

That heat has also been my excuse for not being more active yet.  I've been wanting to "get moving" for a while, but getting to the gym means I need to plan ahead so when I think about it I just keep telling myself, "oh, we'll just take a walk when it gets cooler this evening."  But it doesn't ever really get cooler.  

On the particular evening shown above we thought it was finally a comfortable bearable somewhat tolerable 84 degrees at 8:30 pm.

But now I've had my 6 weeks of recovery time (plus some!) and it's time to get serious because of this...

That?  That's my bridesmaid's dress for my friend Lisa's wedding on September 11th.  September 11th!? Yup, that's less than 3 weeks away (probably pretty darn close to 2 weeks by the time I get this post published!)

Thankfully the dress fits.  Fits is about all I'm going to say though because it definitely doesn't look very complimentary.  I may already be below my pre-pregnancy weight, but my pre-pregnancy shape is nowhere to be found.  Where there used to be (some) solid lines there now seem to be squishy circles and curves. And while some of those circles and curves will probably be part of my "new shape," I'm still hoping to rein things in a little.

So I've made the commitment to hit the gym again.  Stacey, my faithful gym buddy while I was pregnant, teaches right by my house and gym so we've agreed to meet up again on the afternoons that Jason is off from work (so Drew doesn't have to go to the daycare yet).  We've finally been able to get shakin' on the ellipticals again (my fave!  But they were a little too bouncy for a woman with a watermelon for a belly) and we've even hit up a Spin class (talk about a good butt workout!)

And while the cardio is obviously good for me, especially my CF, my main goal is to tighten these abs again.

I left this picture out yesterday because of my wonderful marshmallow belly

My dress thankfully zips up around the belly just fine (believe it or not but the place it doesn't really fit is my chest! I've never had that problem before!), but it hangs funny and sort of makes me look like I'm expecting #2 already. So... Stacey and I are also getting all comfy on the mats for some of these bad boys...

and these...

 and these...

and even some of these...

But I'd love to know your go-to moves for tightening this problem area!

Getting back into "shape"

There are two products on the market that are designed to help pregnant women recover their pre-pregnancy look.  One is called the Belly Bandit, and the other is called Shrinkx Hips.

The first, the Belly Bandit, works to compress the abdominal area.  This is supposed to not only "reduce uncomfortable uterine swelling" but also "aids in decreasing bloating caused by water retention, and gives additional support for Mommy’s weary legs & back."  Basically it's supposed to help shrink the belly post-birth.

The other, Shrinkx Hips, is designed to compress your hips back to their pre-pregnancy size.  This is supposed to work because during and after pregnancy a woman's body releases a hormone called Relaxin that allows ligaments (and therefore joints) to stretch. Shrinkx Hips is supposed to work because "Relaxin stays in your system up to 8 weeks before joints and ligaments harden in place. Wearing the Shrinkx Hips belt during this time gives you the opportunity to permanently narrow your hips."

I am somewhat interested in these products- who doesn't worry about what their body will look like post-pregnancy?  But do I really need them?

1.  Breastfeeding is supposed to reduce the size of the uterus because it releases oxytocin which causes the uterus to contract. If I'm breastfeeding, is the Belly Bandit really necessary? 
2. I'm afraid if I were to use Shrinkx Hips I might shrink my hips more narrow than they were in the first place, and let's face it- a curvy body can be nice to look at sometimes!  (Though just how curvy, I'm not sure...) 
3. I'm sure the main purpose for the products is to tap into a market of women who are already overly concerned with their body shape, and do I really want to feed into that?

What do you "been there, done that" Moms out there think? If you had had the chance, would you have used these products? What about you pregnant moms, are you considering these products? Why or why not?

Why I'm NOT ready

 At 38 weeks I know a lot of women are just "done" with pregnancy.  They're over the whole thing, tired of sharing their body and all the aches, pains, and side effects caused by it.

I, however, am apparently not at that point yet.  It could be partially due to my long "to-do" list which looks something like this:

1. PACK!
2. Install car seat!
3. Clean carpets
4. Get glider cleaned and moved
5. Make curtains
6. Hang wall art
7. Find a solution for bookshelves
8. Finish organizing nursery

I need more time!

I'm sure there's a "fear" element too.... fear of not being a good mom, not knowing what to do, not being able to handle things, not getting enough sleep, and overall life changing so drastically!  But I'm also super excited to meet this little guy and get to see who he looks like, what he'll be like, and who he'll grow up to be!

It could also be due to the fact that I'm simply not miserable.  What I'm about to write makes me nervous because I could be ruining everything, right here, right now, as I bring up all the things I have yet to suffer.  I could be "jinxing" myself to say these thing "out loud" (okay, in writing, but still...).  But here goes....

Overall I feel I've had a really good pregnancy.  Except for the pretty rocky beginning (see these posts: 1, 2, 3) I've skipped out on a lot of the typical complaints, as I've mentioned before.  I have been happy not to suffer from:

• Morning sickness- except for the one morning I actually threw up and an overall sense of "bleh" for a little while, I never really had a problem with morning sickness
• Itchiness- I don't know if it's been the stretch mark creams, or what, but I am thankful that my belly and skin haven't been driving me nuts!
• Moodiness- even ask Jason, he'd tell you overall I've probably been more level-headed than normal.  Until the last few weeks that is... I'm getting a little irritable and the stress of the unknown with my job is getting to me too... but still, I don't seem to have "whoa, watch out for the pregnant lady!" mood swings.
• Trouble sleeping- okay, this one is kind of surprising me.  I still only get up once, maybe twice, a night to go to the bathroom, then I go right back to sleep!  Sleeping is not as comfortable as it used to be, but it really doesn't take me long to fall asleep, nor do I wake up out of discomfort or from Floodling squirming around.  I used to be an incredibly light sleeper, but things have changed and now I sleep like a rock.  I swear this kid could kick me right between the ribs and I wouldn't even roll over.  Kind of makes me worry about when he arrives.... will I wake up when he cries!?
• Painful kicks- I've heard a lot of people complain about their little ones getting their hands or feet all tangled up in their ribs, or getting really painful kicks.  Every once in a while Floodling will do something that makes me go "oof" (especially if he hits my bladder) but it hasn't been bad at all!
• Swelling- unless I sit in a chair for too long I really haven't had any swelling!
• Food cravings/aversions- I've had a few things that I've had "hankerings" for- spicy pickles in the beginning, steak in the middle, and right now it seems to be s'mores, but I haven't sent Jason out in the middle of the night to grab me anything because I haven't needed anything "right now!!".  Nor is there anything that just completely turns me off.
• Weight gain- I've put on the appropriate amount of weight, not too much, not too little, so I feel good and mobile still! 
• Stretch marks- I know I still have 2 weeks to go, and he's going to grow a lot in those two weeks, so I really shouldn't say anything yet, but so far, so good!  My secret? Check here!
• Heat- I really haven't been overly hot at all. I think, though, that I've really just become more like a normal person.  I am usually always freezing cold and my husband and I would always argue over the house temperature.  I think he's fairly pleased that I am now happy to have the temperature set where he likes it!

Now I'm not going to say I haven't had my complaints....

• Back pain- if I move the wrong way, or sit in the wrong type of chair, my back gets so achey that the only thing I can do to make it go away is lay down.  I can't even do the stretches I love at the gym because they make my back hurt!  And spending more than an hour at a restaurant? No thanks!
• Bending- it's getting incredibly difficult these days, and so, of course, I seem to be dropping everything!  I can thankfully still tie my shoes, though that is a long and annoying process in and of itself!  I'm loving that it's summer break and I can wear flip flops all the time!
• Getting around- getting up off the couch, out of the car, out of bed.... everything takes a little extra effort these days and it's getting a little old.
• Exhaustion- trying to get my "to do" list finished seems impossible sometimes because I get half a task completed and am just too tired to keep going!
• Bras- This is probably THE one thing that is getting to me the most.... the pain I posted about earlier has still not gone away!  Even after giving the bra a break for a bit.... the doctor thinks Floodling must have a foot there or something and it's stretching the muscles or skin.  I don't know, but living with this stabbing/burning sensation constantly is one thing I am looking forward to getting rid of!
• Bathroom- for someone who used to go maybe 3 times a day, it's hard sometimes having to go 3 times in one hour!  But I do have to admit that's not the norm for me.  I think I went from peeing like a camel (hardly at all!) to peeing like an actual normal person.

But overall I don't have the feeling yet that I'm just ready for this to be over.  (Of course, nor do I feel like I want to do this forever!)

My grandmother said that her mom told her not to wish away the pregnancy because "they're easier to take care of on the inside than the outside!".  So for now I'm happy to go with the flow and not wish away my time. 

We'll see how I feel in another week or so........

Body Image

This photo is currently being displayed on my refrigerator right now.  This was Easter a year ago (my sis and I had a blast dyeing Easter eggs and decorating cupcakes! And no, we didn't mean to match our shirts!). It is on a wonderful photo calendar that Jason's step-mother gave us for Christmas.  At the moment my head is covered with an important bill hung using the same magnet holding up the right corner of the calendar, so I walk past every day and see.... my belly.  And it shocks me every time!  Look how small it is! And I was feeling fat at that point... I was weighing more than I ever really had.  Now I wonder if I'll ever get back to that size and shape!

And don't get me wrong, I love my big belly now... but there are times that I just feel so enormous.  I have had to plan new routes to get around in my garage because I can no longer squeeze between the trash bin and the car... I have to ask people to pull in chairs so I can walk by in food courts and restaurants... even reaching the soap dispenser at my counter is difficult!

Before getting pregnant Jason and I had purchased a number of personal training sessions at our gym and it was really helping us get into shape.  I could have continued while pregnant (and did for a bit) because the trainer knew I had to take it easy, but in the end I decided I didn't want to "waste" the sessions doing silly little "weak" stuff- I'd rather hold onto them to help me get back into shape afterward.  I'm still going to the gym  but I do light stuff just to keep myself healthy (and mobile! I've seen friends who could hardly move in the last few weeks because of weight gain and swelling).

In any case, there's no use dwelling on the past.  Here's to my new body, and whatever shape it ends up being!

 
P.S. I finally uploaded the ultrasound photo in the blog post below.  You can also see another one here. The doctor gave us one more that I'm not sharing... it was a picture of his "turtle".  For anyone who knows anything about ultrasounds these days the technicians look for a "hamburger" or a "turtle" when determining gender. His "turtle" was very obvious... again, apparently he's not very shy!

Massage from the inside?

I wish you could feel my belly right now!  Floodling is sliding around in there and making my tummy look all kinds of funky!  While getting my pedicure the other day it hit me!  I know what he feels like now, he feels like a massage chair!  The kind with the balls that roll around.  Except it feels like that inside my stomach (maybe not as comfy and relaxing though....).  He isn't much for the short, sharp "kicks" these days; he seems to be all about dragging his elbow or foot from one end of my belly to the other.  It is one of the strangest sensations!

We got to see our little one again this week!  I always look forward to sneaking a peak at what he's up to and how much he's grown.  And grown he has!  His estimated weight is 3 lbs. 11 oz.  Definitely on the big side for being at week 30 (as you'll see below).  In fact my due date was apparently still wrong in their computer... they had me at 30 weeks 5 days when I was in fact 29 weeks 6 days (they were almost a week ahead!).  I didn't realize this until I left.  At the appointment I asked how he was measuring for his "age" and they said "he's slightly on the big side" and that was with them thinking I was a week farther along!  I'm getting a little nervous about how big he's going to get...

I'm also getting nervous about how big I'M going to get!  I've had a lot of comments lately about just how big I am.  I have to laugh because I've read about how pregnant women don't like to be told they're big, and I've also read that pregnant women don't like to be told their small.  Because of this my friend Stacey always tells me "you look 30 weeks pregnant" (or however many weeks I am) in response to my comments of how huge I'm getting.  I didn't think I really cared either way, but I guess the comments are starting to get to me now.  One person told me "wow, you're so big already! Do you think you'll end up on bed rest??".  Not very comforting... Though one lady at work told me "you're already7 months? You're not going to get very big!".  I guess it's all perspective.

I did tell Jason though that I'm going to have a complex after the baby is born and I no longer have a cute tummy (no matter how large it gets).  I've been told so many times "you look so great!" and "you're so cute pregnant!" or even "I want to look like you when I'm pregnant!". After the baby is born and I no longer have people telling me how cute I am I fear I'm just going to feel fat and ugly!  I guess people will be staring at the baby though and telling me how cute he is, and that will more than make up for it I'm sure! :)

30 weeks... can you believe we've made it this far? 10 weeks to go!  It feels like a lifetime away, and yet it feels like there's not nearly enough time to be ready!

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

It's that time again!

It's been four weeks, so I'm "technically" in a new month.... month 7? (My discussion of my confusion with the months can be read here).

I forgot about the "pregnancy reflections" last month, so this month's reflection is a little longer... (questions come from www.babycrowd.com)


Buying maternity clothes was: fun, but frustrating too.  I bought them kind of early (while visiting with mom and sis) so it made it hard to know what would look good later when I was actually big.  I need to go again and get more spring stuff (I have mostly winter). I'm not looking forward to it as I'm getting to a point where I look at everything and just think "geez... I look pregnant!"

The biggest change in my body has been: my belly of course!  I can't get over how much it grows, and I'm terrified of what it will look like in three months!  I'm so happy to have a cute belly right now though!

My favorite change in my body has been: my clear skin! 

My least favorite change has been: my belly button!  It seems like I wake up to a new belly button every morning... how many changes can it go through? Right now it's practically flat (probably will be popping out by the end) but it has an extra "pocket".  Where did that come from??

I've started thinking about the nursery: We finally decided to go with the golf/argyle/blue/green theme. My mom and I are going to design/make the comforter.  I'm considering attempting to paint some wall art.... and my mom is going to paint the room when she is visiting next weekend! :D

I used to love food! Now I avoid: mostly I try to avoid foods that are "empty calories"... ie. I'm trying to eat healthy.  I am by no means perfect (I had ramen noodles for lunch yesterday! A girl can't be perfect all the time...) but overall I'm trying to pick whole grain, high fiber, high protein foods.... and I'm eating TONS of fruits and veggies! (I swear the grocery cart is probably half full of produce bags these days...and that's definitely not a bad thing!).

I never thought pregnancy would make me: so happy!  I mean, this is what I wanted, so of course I'm happy, but I expected to be an emotional wreck nonetheless.  I've technically been diagnosed with PMDD (basically super-PMS) and hormones tend to make me fly off the handle, but so far I've been really good.  I have to admit that I did spend this past Sunday crying ALL day for no apparent reason, but that was really a first!

I can't wait to: see who our baby most looks like! I can't wait to see if he'll have our curly hair, my brown eyes or Jason's blue eyes, whose nose he'll have... and I really can't wait to actually meet him and learn about his personality and what he'll be like!

At this month's prenatal visit I learned: about the circumcision process.  Yet another decision to be made, but I guess Jason has made it easy for me ("ummm... of course he'll be circumcised... dugh!").  That is if I can just let it be at that... but I'm sure you guys have figured out that I'm pretty obsessed with researching both sides of an issue...

My hopes: to keep stretch marks at bay with cocoa butter (at least it smells awesome!)

My fears: of getting so large that I just look...well... something like this. (Don't know if that's photoshopped, or if that woman is expecting multipes...but yikes!)

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Of course, be on the lookout for my new monthly belly shot... I know I'm horrible for always making you wait but you can blame Jason.  He's the main reason I don't do weekly shots... I can't very well take the photos myself (I've done the timer thing, but that involves moving things around so I have somewhere to set the camera) but getting him to take a simple photo is like pulling teeth.  He just doesn't understand the "why". So... when I actually convince him to take the photo it will be posted here!