Pregnant Workout 4.30.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 26 minutes 28 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles


It's time to get this back on track, as in more than just once a week. Three times a would be ideal, if not four. So, let's do this!!
Today I felt very slow and sluggish. The lack of sleep is quickly catching up to me in all aspects of my life, and I just feel like the life has been sucked out of me. However, it does not seem to be affecting Baby J at all--he's kicking up a storm and rolling around in his own little jungle gym in my belly. :)
I had the company of 3 of the young kids on my walk today. I was 2/3 of the way done, and the kids were hanging out on my library stoop waiting for me to answer the door. I laughed and said I had 10 more minutes till I opened the library again, and one more lap to walk, and they could join me if they wanted to. I told them if they finished they would receive a star and a snack (they collect stars for various activities and actions which translates into a monetary amount for them to spend at Wal-Mart at the end of a school quarter). So they gladly joined. They ran ahead of me, ran back to walk with me, ran on ahead again, and seemed to have fun. (A different staff member ran a "Running Club" with the kids this spring, but she was doing an internship and has since left, so the kids missed doing that.) If I could have run with them, I would have. :) I miss running.
My time was a bit slower than I'd like, but it has been a while since I walked...and I haven't been doing it very regularly either. Hopefully this week will get me back into a regular pattern of walking! :)

Pregnant Workout 4.25.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 25 minutes 00 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

It's been a few days since my last romp around the circle. Life happens. But it was nice to get a walk in today, even if my walks are getting ever-longer timewise---in complete corelation to my ever-growing belly. :)

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. Today is a great day because, I got to see my Baby Boy's heartbeat and face again today. :)

2. Tomorrow I will bake 8 dozen cupcakes, frost 8 dozen cupcakes and 10 dozen cookies. I shouldn't procrastinate like I do.

3. My favorite time of day is late afternoon and early evening. I get out of work and go home and play with my dogs outside and prepare dinner and get to spend some QT with my hubby.

4. Sometimes you just have to Let Go and Let God.

5. A song that I just can't get enough of lately is "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Not entirely by choice, but I've been hearing it daily, sometimes twice a day, on the radio...and it has a lot of meaning to me, Josh, and all of our close friends. Such a good song, such a good message, so much feeling and emotion.

6. My favorite accessory is my engagement and wedding bands. Aside from that? A huge mother-of-pearl ring I wear on my right middle finger. Love it.


7. My favorite thing about this week was spending so many evenings with Josh. This is double edged: it means he didn't get much work done on the house at all. We had a great dinner on Monday at Texas Roadhouse with Brenda and Dave (love me some good steak and good company!), and a Dogs and Babies class on Tuesday night, then last night we spent a lot of the evening outside playing with our dogs until it was dark and time for dinner, and tonight we are going grocery shopping and to a bar for Chad's birthday celebration...but the house still sits, unfinished...sigh. I'm looking at #4 above... :)

Baby J Update 4.20.12

Today I had a sonogram, Doctor's appointment, and non-stress test all scheduled for early afternoon. The sonogram is usually quite easy--the tech measures all the parts necessary two times (head size, belly size, femur length, and humerus length), then measures the fluid in the uterus surrounding the baby in all 4 quadrants, then she gets a 4D image for me to take home, then watches for the baby to move, and I'm outta there. Today it went as it usually does, until the 4D image and baby movement parts. Today Baby J has his face smooshed up against my uterus, completely distorting his face. The picture wasn't any good, so I left the appointment without any pictures. That's ok. But then the bugger didn't want to move. He was perfectly content in his position, his heart a beating away, and practicing breathing. I could see his hand moving--almost clenching and unclenching a fist--and his lips would open and close with his breathing motion. It was so cool to see all that! And to see the heart beating while his chest moved up and down with each practice breath. But, he needed to move! I laid on the table, rolling from side to side hoping to get him to move, but nothing. I tried coughing and tensing my ab muscles, and nothing. The tech kept pushing on my stomach with the sonogram wand, and finally, after about 10 minutes of prodding from different angles, he moved enough to satisfy the tech and I could get up. He's usually not that difficult when it comes to moving--he's constantly having his own dance party or kickboxing match in there!
Next was the Doctor appointment. I had two questions for him, which he answered right away. A. Why do my fingers feel like all the knuckles are broken when I wake up in the morning? It's due to carpal tunnel and the way all humans naturally curl in our wrists while sleeping. I can wear splints to sleep in if I want to, but other than that there's nothing else to do and it won't go away until the baby is born. B. Why am I getting a terrible shooting and debilitating pain below my belly between my two pelvic bones that doubles me over in pain? Because your baby's head is pushing down, moving down into birth position, and it's pushing on your pelvis and stretching out all the muscles, ligaments, and pelvic bones to make way for his head to come through. Oh, and PS your baby's head is humongous.
So last time, Baby J was big for his gestational age. This week, he's still a little big, but he's in the 72nd percentile for his belly, leg, and arm size...while his head is another story. His head, as the doctor said, is humongous--92nd percentile. The doctor just laughed and said "Your poor va-jay-jay" and laughed again. I should have expected as much: Josh had to be born via c-section because his head was too large for a vaginal birth. So, lucky me, he gave our kid a giant dome too. Just fabulous. But there's absolutely no doubt that it's his child! (As though there was any doubt before) :)
Then I was on to my Non-Stress Test, hoping that it didn't end up being as stressful as the last one I took, and hoping that he felt like moving at this point and I didn't have a repeat of the sonogram! I got hooked up and he immediately started kicking. I drank some juice, then snacked on some pretzels, and he kept on moving. Off to a good start at least! Then, he must have fallen asleep, because nothing for a while (but I could see my belly moving from his practice breathing...it was so cool! but didn't count for movement). I was given some ice water, and drank that and chewed the ice up, and it must have woken him up because he gave two more bursts of movement, and luckily that was enough to finish off the test!
Unfortunately, all this ended up taking far longer than I expected, and I didn't get to visit Meghan and Kasen at the women's hospital. :( I was so looking forward to seeing them! But Meghan texted me right when I was done with the NST and said she was lying down for a while and that she didn't feel so well, so I didn't go visit so she could rest and hopefully get to feeling better. Soon though...very soon. :)

The days are just flying by now. I cannot believe my baby shower is on Sunday. It seemed so far in the distance only yesterday it seems! Only 6 weeks left until my due date...probably less in all reality until Baby J comes into this world! I feel so unprepared, so nervous, and at the same time it's all so surreal...like is this really happening to me?? *Sigh* Nothing I can do about it at this point...he'll be here when he's ready to be here, and all I can do is love him and feed him and protect him and hope it's enough. :)

Pregnant Workout 4.19.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 24 minutes 50 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

Such a beautiful day for a walk! I was feeling really great today, and wished I had more time to walk another few laps! Sadly, my usual 3 laps takes up a majority of my break time. Probably just as well, so that I don't overdo it. I'm good at doing things like that. :)

And, a big Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law Jake! :)

Pregnant Workout 4.18.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 25 minutes 03 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

Man, my time keeps increasing for the same distance traveled! Oy!
But, it was a beautiful day out so I'm glad I got the opportunity to get outside and walk! It has been a few days since I have been able to get my daily walk in (5 days missed, to be exact), and the baby is ever-growing, so a decline in pace is to be expected around now. Hopefully I can keep up with the walks for a few more weeks, even if they take a bit longer!! :)

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. Today is a good day because I got to see Baby J's precious face again today via sonogram! And both the sono and the Non-Stress Test went very well, so we're good for another week. Also I got to visit with a dear friend I haven't seen in a while and though the visit was too brief, it was very nice to see her!

2. The best thing I did all week was clean out and reorganize 3 food cupboards with air-tight storage containers while simultaniously starting to destroying a colony of ants that has been plaguing our kitchen. Terro liquid ant bait to the rescue! I found a good spot to put the bait and they've been coming all week and taking it back to their home nest...each day there are fewer and fewer of them, and sometimes they wander the wrong way and end up writhing and dying on the counter and it makes me SO HAPPY to see them suffering! If only they had just left my cereal and baking goods alone...but noooo...so DIE!

3. The current weather is sunny and mild and it makes me feel very happy and warm and energetic.

4. The best thing about spring is seeing more color in the world: the grass turns green again, green showing as the trees leaf out, the multiple hues of the bulb flowers blooming and the flowering trees, and all the wide range of colorful birds making their way back to their nesting areas.

5. A fashion trend that I'm dying to try out for spring is color blocking. I'm not really in tune with the "fashion trends", but I do know that color blocking is "in" now, and it looks fun. Perhaps a new dress for my upcoming baby shower! :)

6. A person who made me smile this week was aside from my hubby, who makes me smile each and every day in one way or another...I'd have to say Eileen...see #1 above.

7. The most delicious thing I ate all week was stuffed mushroom caps from Olive Garden. They were amazing! Along with their salad and breadsticks...mmm, salivating over this! :)

Pregnant Workout 4.12.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 23 minutes 53 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

I didn't walk yesterday. The wind was too much and it was raining a bit too heavily at my break time, and I just plain didn't feel like it. I have a wicked ear ache that I didn't want to get any worse by being out in the cold rain. It feels full, I can barely hear out of it, it feels like it should pop but it won't, and there's nothing I can take for it. Unsure if it's really infected or just filled with fluid...but it is causing me jaw pain, and it's worst when I wake up in the morning. SIGH. Dr. Feel Good has told me to try Benadryl, chew gum, and massage under and behind my ear...I'm trying it all, but nothing. Such is life. Stupid ear.

Pregnant Workout 4.10.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 23 minutes 40 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

It was cold today! And quite windy. I was lucky to get my walk in--the rain/slush/snow mix that was coming down earlier let up long enough to allow me to get my 1.5 miles in without getting soaked. It drizzled a little, but it was tolerable. Silly me, packed away my winter hats and gloves last week, even though I've lived here my entire life and know better than to do that at the beginning of April....sigh. So I went without and used my hood on my sweatshirt and pulled my sleeves over my hands. It worked for 23 minutes...much more and my ears might have fallen off. :)

Pregnant Workout 4.09.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 23 minutes 55 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

Feeling great still! Thankful I can keep up with these walks. :)

Baby Update 4.06.12

I had a 2 week check up today, and actually got to see my doctor!
Baby J is doing well...I guess you could perhaps say a little TOO well! He's huge! I am just at 32 weeks right now, and his head and torso size are measuring at a 36 week baby size! He's weighing in at 4 lb 14 oz and is quite a happy little camper in there. My fluid levels are very good, which was the reason for the sonogram in the first place. It was awesome to see little Baby J again...it had been awhile since my last sonogram, and man has he grown since that last time! When I saw the doctor, he said that it's a very good sign that he is on the big side: usually they are worried about a small, undernurished baby with women who have Factor V and are on Lovenox. Something about having an insufficient placenta and poor flow through the umbilical cord...however I do not seem to be having that problem! (And I got to see the flow through the umbilical cord on the sonogram in color...it was pretty awesome to see!) My other vital stats: BP 110/68, 200 lbs, belly measures 32cm (which Doc said is a little big and explains the baby's big size). I now have weekly visits to the doctor's office - every week I get a sonogram and non-stress test, and every other week I will also see the doctor. This is again due to my Factor V condition and the Lovenox I take daily, and to monitor Baby J's growth and comfort inside my belly. A bit of a nuisance, yes, but we need to be sure that he's happy and safe and that I remain happy and safe as well! So no problem at all. :)
The only bit of bad news of the day actually has nothing to do with the baby: I asked if I would be permitted to travel to Oklahoma in May for a good friend's wedding. Doc said that the AMA answer is no, after 36 weeks pregnant women are to stay within 2.5 hours of home and not travel extensively. He then said that there was no way he could MAKE me stay at home, but there was no way he could guarantee me that I would not go into labor at that time or have any other kind of emergency that would send me searching for a hospital. Sigh. Looks like my trip to Oklahoma isn't going to happen now afterall. :( No real shock there, I didn't expect him to say yes. After all, that weekend will put me at 37 weeks pregnancy...that is awfully close, no need to push the envelope.
I just hope he stays in as long as possible...the house work is coming along nicely, but it would be great to have a nursery complete and be mostly settled into the house before he comes into this world!! :)

Pregnant Workout 4.04.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 23 minutes 20 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

Today's pace was back up a bit! I felt absolutely great on today's walk, from start to finish!
I think the breeze on the chilly days that I walked without a hat over my ears, added to the pollen in the air has given me an earache derived from allergies. Boo. I know better, as I get this each and every year, and if I don't do something now it will turn into a nasty strep infection of both of my ears and throat. Right now it's just a pain and fullness in my left ear, and it radiates to my jaw causing me some discomfort there. *Sigh* Awaiting a return call to see what I can take to alleve this. Hopefully there is something!

Pregnant Workout 4.03.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 24 minutes 00 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

I slowed down considerably from my time yesterday. About half way through my walk, I started experiencing a nagging twinge in my left groin area. I am guessing this is what they call Round Ligament Pain? It felt the same as the pain in my right groin area that I get when I cough or sneeze extremely hard, and my doctor said it was RLP and nothing to be too worried about. (I thought it was a hernia, haha!)
As soon as my walk was done, the pain subsided, and I feel great now. At least I finished the walk, the whole thing, even if at a slower pace than I'm used to! :)

Pregnant Workout 4.02.12

Walked at work on my half hour break.

Time: 23 minutes 28 seconds
Dist: 1.56 miles

My walk time is slowly getting slower...boo. To be expected with an ever-increasing belly though, I suppose! At least I'm still going for the walks!! :)

My heels hurt today...and my left knee. The knee concerns me, as I had clots near there a few years ago. :/ I shall keep an eye on it...hopefully it's nothing!