Where, oh where did my flat abs go?

An unfortunate and expected side effect of pregnancy is a bad stomach after birth. It's true what they say about coming out of the hospital looking six months (or so) pregnant, and that you may look pregnant for some time afterward. At 8 weeks, I think I'm about down to 4.5-5 months pregnant-looking. And I've got quite a ways to go. My mother likes to keep reminding me, and it is good to keep in mind, that it took 9 months for the belly to expand and grow and so you shouldn't expect miracles before 9 months post-partum.

Now that I am 8 weeks in and have started exercising more frequently, I need to start focusing on my abs. I've searched for some exercises that will help and which ab muscles should be targeted. This is important, as I've read that by only doing regular crunches you are not working the right ab muscles to pull the pooch in and will only keep you from gaining a flat stomach again.

That's where I found that the transverse abdominal muscles are the key to getting the flat abs back. I've started doing specific exercises to target these muscles this week. While training my abs to go back to their original position and picking up my walks and swims, I'm hoping for a miracle sooner rather than later. :)

Let the games begin

Since mid-September, I haven't been allowed to workout. (And I still can't get over it.) My dry spell ended mid-December when I (finally) set foot at the gym. And boy did that feel weird. I felt like the new person who just joined and knew nothing about working out. I wanted everyone to know "I have a four-week-old at home!" yet I wanted no one to look at the pooch under my shirt (which probably didn't help the newby look in my eyes).

Actually, I guess it ended two days from being home from the hospital after delivery and we took Emmy for a walk. It was exhausting and painful, but was so nice to get out. After a few more walks and a few more weeks of recovery, I moved up to the gym. I may not be like many endurance athlete moms out there, but I decided to make it an easy recovery and not do any strenuous activity until after six weeks. I wanted to avoid any possible injuries or long-term effects of working out too soon. This meant no running (and still, to this day - 8 weeks later - I haven't run).

During my sixth week post-delivery, and after my doctor check-up, I decided to take the plunge - in the pool, of course. Wow - did that feel weird. I'm so glad I kept up swimming during my pregnancy; I think it made it a lot easier to get back into it, not to mention help my delivery and recovery. Like I mentioned before, I believe working out during pregnancy is so important (but please make sure you've cleared it with your doctor beforehand AND make sure not to push yourself too hard).

It started with 30 minutes in the pool. I've now swum four more times in the last two weeks and I'm almost to my old swimming self - almost. The second swim I must have been swimming in mud, but the third and fourth were better. I started doing intervals, and doing drills every swim to work on the ol' form. The only thing I wish would snap back is my swimsuit body, but I'm being told that'll come in time (ugh).

Mixed in with the swims are walks outside, on the treadmill or time spent on the elliptical, and some weights. My legs are already more toned, I can see my arms coming back to form and my sides tighten up. But I can tell this is going to take a few more months. Too bad I don't have as much patience for this as I do with Emmy!

You mean *I* have patience?? Who knew?

Even before my husband and I were having a baby, we'd always talk about how we'd be with a baby. When we were at a restaurant and heard a baby screaming, we'd look at each other and I'd say, jokingly, "This is when I'd hand the baby to you and walk away." And he'd agree.

Flash forward to today, and my, have the tables turned. Everyone in my family knows I have little patience. And I'm sure many of those who know me would agree. I dislike surprises, I have bouts of road rage and if I have to wait on others I could possibly blow a gasket one day. But from the day I had my baby, it's as if I'm a totally different person with her. Could I possibly be a mother? Hmm.

Now, don't get me wrong, now that I've gotten out and about since the birth I've noticed I still don't have patience for strangers. And sometimes for my husband either. But for little Emmy, she could be wailing and I can hold her and try to make it go away. My husband, on the other hand, is now the complete opposite. And I am the one who is trying to teach him patience!

For instance, Emmy's crying and we do what we can to settle her down. Usually this is around (or to be more exact, past) bed time and we've calmed her down, she's sleep and we put her in her crib. Five minutes later she's crying again. One parent gets frustrated; the other tries to soothe her back asleep. Another scenario is she's crying and one parent wants to immediately give her a bottle or hand her to mom to feed so she'll stop. The other wants to make sure she doesn't have a wet diaper or just wants to be held. It's hard when both are tired and this is usually where nerves are shorter, but it's getting easier.

He may think I'm knocking on him, but I'm not - since the begining of our relationship, I've learned a lot from him. But it seems this is his chance to learn a little "motherly love." He's an awesome, wonderful dad and has been such great support; I couldn't imagine going through this - or want to, obviously :) - with anyone else.

But it takes patience, honey.

Outlook on 2010

I'm finally getting the opportunity to complete this post while trying to get Emmy to go back to sleep (it's 6 a.m.). I'm also post-dating this by nearly a week as I've (again) been working on this post but have yet to complete - so wish me luck.

Now that the first week of the year is nearly complete, I guess it's no better time than now to pull together a few things I'd like to work on this year. I've pretty much quit doing 'resolutions' to work on, so I like to call my thoughts for the new year 'perspectives.' And since I'm getting around to this a bit late, I've had a chance to read a lot of others' goals for 2010 and some have been quite aspirational and some pretty darn interesting. Of course, I'm always interested in seeing more ideas that I could possibly be interested in, so let me know what are some you've got on your list.

In no particular order, here are some new perspectives I'd like to achieve in the beginning of this new decade (can you believe it's a new decade already!??):

• Enjoy every minute - whether good or bad - of my baby girl
• Keep the love in my marriage, as we can see it can get a bit trying with the new addition (but luckily we can never stay mad at each other for too long)
• Learn to cook more meals, outside of my usual spaghetti and enchiladas(my husband will laugh at this one)
• Make sure to give myself me-time
• Complete the New York City Marathon (I've yet to get to race it though I've 'won' the lottery 3 times and even had plane tickets in 2007 though I got horribly sick 3 days before leaving)
• Spend less (ha!)
• Don't be guilty about taking aforementioned me-time
• Learn more about photography (which would consist of me getting my longed-for digital SLR camera - ahem)
• Work on my running speed - I'd like to get my mile pace down to the 8's consistently
• Swim consistently (at least 2 times per week, every week)
• Be the best mom and wife I can be

Luckily, this list is a work in progress. I've learned - quickly - that not all goes as planned with a baby around. And for me as a Type A, super-organized, full-speed-ahead chick, this has been hard for me to adjust to. Thankfully my husband is much more laid back.

Speaking of a new decade, at the turn of the new year, we were all looking back at where we were while ringing in 2000. I was a senior in high school, kicking it at my parents' house with my best friend and boyfriend, while my brother and sister had a couple of friends over as well. At the strike of midnight, our lights went out. What?! With all the hooplah over Y2K, we got really freaked out.

Turns out my dad snuck to the garage and popped the switches. Nice one, dad.

And looking back at the decade, I have had so many experiences and have grown so much, it's pretty scary:

• Graduated from high school
• Graduated from college
• Started my first job (and stayed there for the last 6 years)
• Bought my own car
• Rented my first apartment
• Started my obsession with triathlon
• Got married
• Had a kid

Whew. It's been a great decade and a pretty positive one at that. Here's to a great 2010 and an even better decade that brings new experiences. And with Emmy and who knows if a brother or sister for her, I'm sure it will be very, very interesting. And tiring.

7 weeks in heaven (aside from sleep deprivation)

It's been 7 weeks and a few days since my last post, but I have a great excuse, as I've been spending that time getting to know my little pumpkin, Emmy! She joined us Nov. 16, 2009, the day after my last post, at 7lbs 4oz at 10:50 a.m. It's been a whirlwind of a time these last 7.5 weeks and dad and I are quickly trying to adjust to life with a newborn. In fact, I've been "working" on this post since Monday, and hope to get it done before the next feeding.

If you've ever imagined having a child, or are pregnant and hearing stories, you never get the full extent of what people are trying to explain to you until the day you come home from the hospital with your child. No one ever shares with you their secret feelings of the experience, such as being afraid of the night because it seems lonely when she wakes up crying at 2 a.m. to eat and then takes another hour after the feeding to fall back asleep. But I think we're past that now, thank goodness! (*knocks on wood*)

And since this blog focuses on my physical adventures, I'd have to say my fitness and exercise during pregnancy provided a very smooth, easy, short delivery. Now granted, I was technically in labor for two months prior to my induction date, and was on bed rest for those final two months, which is no easy feat. But by the time I got to the hospital on Nov. 16 (I didn't even have to check in on Sunday night because I was already "moving along") I was already nearly half way dilated. Once they began the drugs to induce labor, it was nearly 4.5 hours later that we welcomed Baby Emmy. And yay for epidurals - it was absolutely wonderful with one and I don't think I'd do it any other way. I think my husband may have loved it even more - I didn't scream at him once for doing this to me! (And I am proud to say he was impressed with me.)

In all honesty, I never realized I would love someone so much so quickly as I did the day she was born and I was holding her in my arms. It was - and is - a great feeling. I'm already missing how small she was when she was born but am excited to see what a beautiful girl she turns into. Now to get used to being on someone else's schedule and getting back into shape...

My husband likes to refer to our first two weeks as Navy SEAL training; it was so intense, so stressful, so sleep-depriving your body has little opportunity to slowly work into existing on little sleep. And if it weren't for my parents, I don't know what we would have done. After our second night home (which seemed so horrible, but looking back now really wasn't), my mother stayed with us for a couple nights and, because of those ominous lonely nights, we stayed at their house for a few nights (luckily it was the week of Thanksgiving by then and we had plenty of help). Now we feel like old pros - um, yeah right.

10.5 hours before starting the rest of my life

In 10.5 hours we will be checking in to Labor & Delivery. That's it - 10.5 hours. At times it can't come soon enough, and others - well, it's just me freaking out about so many different things.

The last few days have been more and more uncomfortable, and I thought for sure we'd have to go to L&D last night, but I decided to wait it out and see. No need to do a false labor check-in at this point. The contractions have become increasingly painful and more frequent, but still not in a timely, consistent fashion.

I think I have vacuumed all the rooms every day for the last 3 days, mopped all the wood floors, re-cleaned the bathrooms, dusted the entire house and checked and re-checked the hospital bag. I even made four bows for Baby R, one of which she'll wear home. Bryon's done a good job as well - the cars' registrations are up-to-date, inspections passed, new tires on my car, and his car cleaned and organized for bringing home baby.

I may have mentioned this before in the past, but as a Type A person who thrives on logistics and planning and coordinating, this has been quite exhausting. Add in the random nerve pain in my right rear cheek and contractions, and it's been quite an experience.

We keep hearing "oh, get ready to never do anything again" and "your life is changing forever" -as if we'll never do what we love to do before baby ever again after baby. But we're going in this as though this is the start of our new life together and can't wait for her to join our adventures. As we keep telling ourselves, she's joining our lives, and we can't wait to share them with her!

Walking into parenthood

Now that I've cleared 37 weeks pregnant and I'm into 38 weeks, we have been trying everything to get things moving along even further. Eating spicy foods, walking, cleaning, etc. - nothing so far. Last week was the first time I actually took a walk around the neighborhood since before bed rest, and man was it weird! To be in my sneakers and moving - getting to do something physical - was exhilarating. Since then, I've walked about five more times with the dogs and Bryon. It's been nice to get out of the house in that way, and I can't help but think of pushing Baby R in a stroller around the block when she's here.

Last night, 2007 Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack was at our local running store to chat about his experiences in triathlon and a little signing. Man I love Aussies! They're care-free attitude - let alone their accents - are so nice to be around! Not only listening to him talk about racing but to be in a running store once again (because why have I needed to since ~April??) made me miss running even more.

On a similar note, I must say I'm shocked in myself that I am missing running. I am not good at running, I've always had a complex about running - but man, I cannot WAIT until I can shuffle my feet faster than a waddle. I have visions of fast times, fast legs and baby weight being lifted off my frame. But let's get serious here; I know that once I do get the opportunity to run I will be huffing and puffing and playing mind games all over again.

Here's to less than 6 days until I get the chance to meet Baby R. Anxiety and anticipation grows!