One month left to due date!

Saturday I will be 9 months pregnant!  I'm feeling better than I ever thought I would and I am oh so grateful. 

I can already tell my JC consultant will play a big part in my "food and body recovery."  I think I need some sort of recon team to come in and assess the damage! HAHA  My upper body has held up well thanks to the gym, but my legs are kinda soft, even though I've been walking!  Isn't that wierd?  Every day I remind myself of what a special time it is, but I would be lying if my mind doesn't drift ahead to the buckle down that I know is coming....

I hope everyone is doing well!  I sure miss my potstickers!  Can anybody relate???

8 1/2 months!!!

Well here I am at week 34, 8 1/2 months pregnant!  I can't believe I only have five weeks or so left!  I just finished a morning walk, which thankfully, I am still able to do. I am still hitting the gym for upper body work twice per week and walking 3 - 4 times per week. 

I can no longer distinguish what is my fat and what is baby fat so therefore I have no way of knowing how much or little I should be beating myself up.  So....I'm not gonna!  I find the hunger signals and cues extremely confusing and frankly, I have the rest of my life to be on the "watch how many calories I eat" way of life.  I can't even remember the last time I weighed this much, but the good news is I hear the I will lose 20 - 25 lbs. when the baby is born.  So, if the worse case scenario is that I am left with 20 to take off - I can darn sure do it!  If I can lose 80 plus lbs - what's 20 people???

So my ultimate goal for this pregnancy was to be able to keep moving (check) and to be healthy (check) so I have absolutely nothing to complain about!

I will be back on JC as soon as they will let me.  Since I'm not going to breastfeed, I'm hoping I can have my fridge stocked for when I get home from the hospital.    I like to not give myself time to wander into baby love land and neglect my own body and health.  I hear it's really, really easy to do. 

But, overall, I'm very excited about the baby!

8 months!

Well people, here I am at 8 months and I feel so great!  The Doc says all is well and I am still walking 30 minutes 3 -5x's per week and hitting the gym for light weights.  I have definately gained weight, but strangly, I don't feel "fat" just pregnant.  So, I think that's good right?

So, is it true that with a vaginal delivery you have to wait six weeks to exercise?  No way!  Jenny Craig told me I couldn't start back until six weeks either! BOO HOO!

baby's room!

The Shower - me at 27 weeks

Well, I was feeling good that day.  But today kinda sucks.  I'm up 30 freakin' lbs!  Are you serious people?  OH MY FREAKING GOD!  Being pregnant, watching my food intake, then trying to eat the right nutrients for the baby is absolutely crazy making!

The upside:  I'm still walking 4-5 mornings a week at 1.5 miles and going to the gym 2x's per week for upper body only.  But still people - 30 lbs. at 28 weeks?  UGH! UGH UGH!

I'm curious - How much baby weight comes off after delivery?  I mean - how much will I "really" be left with?

6 months pregnant!

Is it crazy that I'm previewing a blissful birth mediation mp3 while typing this?  Do I have some kind of multi-taking ADD?

So I am up 23 lbs. at 25 weeks.  I can't believe I'm six months pregnant!  I have made it back to the gym for maintainence weight lifting two days per week.  I am still able to walk 1.5-2 miles 4 days per week.  I feel good and more importantly, when I look in the mirror, I like what I see.  I know that my arms, legs, and chest are still very toned, and even my pregnant belly looks like it's supposed to be there.  It's very interesting how a body gains weight when pregnant.  It's kinda cool and helps me not freak out at the upwards scale.

I am still getting in my calcium requirement, not just through vitamins, but through lots of skim milk, yogurt, and broccoli.  I never realized how grateful I would be to my body for taking care of me now that I am pregnant.  This morning at 5am my baby boy was kicking me gently.  Do you think he already knows his crazy Mom walks at 5am when it's cool?  I love it!  I can't wait to bring the baby walking in the stroller.  I want to savor every moment, every day and not place any worry to the future or bring bitterness from my past.

My main goal for this week is to walk 4x and weight lift for 2 days.  I plan to eat as healthy as possible, but never allowing myself to get so hungry that I get nausated (which seems to be my only vice - knock on wood). 

I hope everyone is doing well!

4 days of walking!

Well, since I hit the 2nd trimester, I have gained 1 lb per week.  But this week, 23 weeks, I have stayed the same.  YEAH!  I would hope my long walks four days this week helped.  That and the fact I was busy teaching and back to my regular routine (read: no eating out). 

I had pretty  much weaned myself off eating out thanks to Jenny Craig, but I have been enjoying some meals out since I got pregnant - especially for cravings I don't feel like cooking or shopping to make!  But, man, there are definately some hidden calories in eating out.  Not only that, but the portions are so much bigger and if I am starving, it's really hard to just eat "a little."

My favorite food the past two weeks have been varieties of Bush's Baked Beans.  YUMMO and healthy.  For you JC'ers, they are very much like the turkey chili but minus the meat.

Hey peeps

Yesterday I feel into the iky category.  Is anyone into that "eating right for your blood type" stuff?  I dunno...I'm not really into it, however, I've noticed if I don't get enough protein I get really sicky.   I'm Type O, and according to that I need major protein.  I'm occasionally getting headaches, low energy, and queasy.  Yesterday, I bought a burger (from a local place that's supposed to all natural beef - yeah I hope so) and ya'll - I felt so much better!!!  It's just so hard for me sometimes to wrap my brain around my changing food needs.  The things I was eating - my little fruits, skim milks, light soups, etc. don't seem to cut it for more than a few days at 5 months.  I mean, I'm still getting what I think is plenty calories (1700-2000) but it seems that unless there is some serious meat-eating going on every couple of days, I am just not feeling "right."  CRAZY!  But, the good news is, I'm listening to my body and trying not to freak about every lb.  It's just so hard to know which pounds are "legit" and which will be on my butt post-baby....and please don't tell me to stop worrying! (hugs my peeps)

Anyhoo, off to walk before the Louisiana heat does me in!

21 weeks

Well here I am at 21 weeks today (5 months and 1 week).  I am feeling pretty good and I love being able to get out and have a good walk.  I am up another pound - bringing the total to 14 lbs.  I seem to be averaging somewhere around 1800-2000 calories per day.  Keeping track feels really good!  I like knowing the numbers.  I really like this blog because it seems anytime I mention food/calories to anyone they say, "oh don't worry about it!" blah blah blah.  What makes them think I am worrying about it?  That's kind of aggravating. 

I'm also getting already aggravated at people's opinion of whatever to do with the baby or parenting.  It reminds me of the times I gave unsolicited advice and how annoying that must be.  I know that I am the ultimate decision maker when it comes to what goes in my mouth and I know what's right for me.  I would just like one person to say, "Do what's right for you," or "Listen to your instincts."  

HA!  OK - off my soapbox now! :-)

The ultrasound photos...