What about "baby weight"?!

Getting active hiking San Tan

There are so many, many posts and articles out there that give advice on how to "lose the baby weight". I was confident, having been so active during my pregnancy, gaining on the low end of the weight spectrum, that this baby weight would be a small hurdle to overcome. I knew that breast feeding was a key in weight loss, so having made the commitment to breastfeed for Emerson's first year, I figured I would barely need to work out and that weight would just fall off. Then, there was maternity leave. What else did I have to do but go to the gym (after getting cleared to, of course). And last, we had already committed to healthier eating the year prior, so going back to that meal plan would feel natural, even after 9 months of hunger pangs or ice cream and smoothie cravings.

Here is where my blog post gets real, real fast. I promised you all that I wouldn't hold back the truth so that I could be of assistance to all of you who may need to know that you have an ally out here. The truth is, none of what I believed to be true about post-pregnancy weight-loss was accurate, just like nothing I thought about having a newborn was accurate, and nothing about balancing work and being a mom was accurate, and nothing about... well, you get the idea.

So, instead of writing you a long post that explains how I miraculously, with little effort, got back into my size 8 jeans 6 weeks after Emerson was born, I will instead give you the only advice I can.

How to Maintain or Even Increase That Baby Weight After Birth

1. Take a minimum maternity leave (6 weeks) and then throw yourself back into work full force, leaving you a very short amount of "free time" to work out.

2. Breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, leaving you with the daily tough decision of "Should I work out now?" or "Do I need to pump or feed now, or in the next hour or so?"

3. Give in to every craving just as you did when you were pregnant. You are actually HUNGRIER now that there is room in your abdomen for it.

4. Sleep, like, 5-6 hours a night, interrupted frequently.

5. Take up that drinking habit again. Beer. Especially beer.

6. Go to numerous baby showers, weddings, and birthday parties where there is plentiful cake.

7. Endure an Arizona summer where outdoor recreation and therefore, any beneficial and healthy movement, is impossible. This summer will last 5-6 months.

8. Assure your child cries, poops, or spits up every time you drop him off at the gym daycare, so that they will call you and interrupt your workout within the first 20 minutes and make you take him home.

9. Have a husband who is very active, 2-3 nights a week, but in a sport or activity that you aren't involved in and that starts after your little one's bedtime. This assures that you are definitely stuck at home with the baby at least 2 nights a week without other options. (Love you, dear).

10. On that note, have a husband that really likes Mexican food and pizza, oh, and beer, and consistently requests for these items for meals.

11. Get into the habit of eating out a minimum of 4 nights a week! I know! There is NO time to cook with that little one hanging off your leg, begging for milk or snacks, and then needing to be changed, bathed, put to bed...

12. WORK A FULL TIME JOB THAT REQUIRES AFTER HOURS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

13. While all this crazy change is happening in your life, decide it is a good time to move. Then spend all your free time for 2-3 months looking at houses, then spend all your free time packing, then spend all your free time unpacking, and then spend all your free time browsing for or buying things for new house, and then spend all your free time arranging things and decorating said new house.

14. Hit your breaking point for weight gain. That's right, after baby WEIGHT GAIN. Not loss. No, that didn't happen. You are now a full 15 pounds HEAVIER than when you GAVE BIRTH. What the heck has happened to you? Are you that lazy and out of shape? When is the last time you picked up a weight that wasn't in the form of a child?

All that being said, in January (so stereotypical, I know), we recommitted to our health, and for those of you going through the same year that my last year was, know that it has gotten much more feasible to find time for working out recently. Emerson's gaining independence daily, and I have found new outlets for activity and new ways to make sure I schedule exercise and meal planning into my daily routine.  It is NOT easy and takes sacrifice, but my health and happiness will be worth a few months of making hard choices between socializing and steaming vegetables.

How being a sorority girl prepared me for motherhood

I have recently been getting more involved with my sorority alumni group again. I have always had a passion for my sorority, but for some reason now that I am a mom I feel the desire to be surrounded even more by their wisdom and influence. Perhaps it is the insurgence of anchor baby gear out there recently...

This onesie with matching socks is from Old Navy

Either way, this past weekend I was able to spend 4 days in the presence of some of the most amazing women from the Fraternity during our Phoenix-hosted convention. It was full of hard work, joy, and amazing leadership that inspired me and moved me. I love feeling reconnected to our purpose and to the organization that gave me my first job out of college, my best friends, my husband, and so much more over the years.

So, in honor of Delta Gamma and all the memories, here are the ways that being a sorority girl prepared me for motherhood:

1. Crafts. The stereotype is quite true here. Being in a sorority, or in Delta Gamma's case, an international fraternity, requires some level of craftiness. From designing anchors for initiation, to decorating for recruitment, I painted, scrapbooked, and designed my little heart out all of college. This naturally translates into doing the same for my son, from designing birth announcements to decorating his nursery. 

2. Late nights. So many of my nights in college were filled with friends, long talks, and sometimes the occasional crazy late night snack runs after parties. Sometimes we cried. Sometimes we laughed until we cried. Sometimes we still get together and repeat these late nights. So, when my son decided to be a night owl, I was not surprised. He loves to stay up until 10 or even 11 these days. And of course, there is always the middle of the night wake ups, which are a lot less painful when I've become more accustomed to late night schedules!

3. Screaming. Sometimes, sorority girls scream. Often, these are playful or cheerful screams rooting each other on in sports, dance marathons, award ceremonies, concerts... We scream our cheers to let others know who we are during recruitment. Yet, sometimes, we scream at each other. It is a side effect of placing hoards of women in the same place for extended periods of time during recruitment, or retreat, or just because we love each other so much we just lose it once in awhile. When Emerson screams, I just walk away for a few breaths and try to figure out the cause. When I can fix it, I do. When it is because he is just so happy, I just cheer along with him!

4. Emotional roller coasters. I think this is pretty self-explanatory. Supporting sisters during tough times, like the loss of a family member, and joyful times, like the many weddings we were all at and in, caused tears for so many reasons. Sometimes we had to say goodbye, and sometimes we embraced in a reunion. Likewise, pregnancy was just the beginning of the hormonal flux of emotion. Sleepless nights and life's stresses added to this roller coaster ride during the first months of motherhood. Now, the emotions continue to flow, unexpected and unwanted at times (darn Google and Carter's commercials) and completely expected at other times (that first smile of recognition, dropping him off for daycare). I am hanging on and enjoying the ride, even if it does require that I take stock in Kleenex.

5. Singing. This skill really started for me before college, in high school, during show choir. It continued when I was song leader for the chapter. Now, everything is a song. Emerson gets a chorus for every occasion, from putting him to sleep at night, to getting him up in the morning. "It's Diaper Time" is his dad's favorite tune. I like "Little Baby Emerson". Just like the sorority songs catered the lyrics to our causes, so do we for Emerson. Hopefully he doesn't care that I can't carry a tune as well as I used to be able to.

6. Support. My sisters and I have supported each other through so many life changes. We continue to be a support system as we all become mothers and can reaffirm each other and help clarify questions when needed. I don't know what I would do without my DGs and all they have done to support me through these past 18 months, really.

There is just so much that being a part of a sorority/Fraternity can provide for young women out there, just like it did for me. When I brought Emerson to Convention over the weekend, every DG momma out there offered to hold him, played with him, smiled at him, and took in the joy that he spreads with every bright-eyed smile. And he wore his anchors proudly as mommy's little anchor man!

Emerson meeting a little legacy Laura!

Anchors during the day!

And anchors at night!

Photo ops!

Seeing Laurie Rubin's lectureship was amazing! Emerson even behaved!

All tired out from a long day at the Biltmore.

Now, I just hope that in the future he doesn't make me pull out the lessons learned from dealing with fraternity boys...

Daytime Discoveries

I have 6 weeks off every summer. However, every summer I spend those 6 weeks traveling, tanning by the pool, and the time always flies by too fast. I thought about this today as I enter my 5th week of maternity leave. Although it feels as if it has gone by quickly in hind sight, the time has passed in a dramatically different way than during my summer breaks. I have spent a lot more time on the couch, in front of the TV.

This has lead me to some interesting daytime discoveries. We all know that daytime TV sucks. Commercials for ITT Technical Institute, or Medicare, lead us to discover exactly who the audience of daytime TV is. Jerry Springer or Maury should further support this hypothesis. What about us moms? There are plenty of stay-at-home moms out there. Where is their TV?

Oh, I found it. HGTV. TLC. Bravo. A&E. Who knew that I could literally watch every single episode of "Love It or List It" ever made? Or find fascination in "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant"? I started watching more wedding shows than I did planning my own wedding. I got stuck in a conundrum. I was no longer attracted to "Property Brothers". I could only endure so much "Say Yes to the Dress". I had to branch out.

Aha! Discovery.
"Ellen" at 3:00 p.m. I love this lady! She is funny! So I now find myself trying to schedule feedings and couch time around 3:00 so I can indulge. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law had already discovered this phenomenon, so I am slow on the uptake.

Then- get this- I find the Music Choice channel selection (I always have known it was there for the great "Sounds of the Season" selection, but in a moment of desperation I tried to find lullabies and found the 90's channel. O. M. G.  If you EVER wanted to know just how much your life has changed, juxtapose the now with your junior high and high school music library. Let me illustrate what the last hour has brought me:

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

En Vogue- Never Gonna Get It

Bobbi Brown- Humpin' Around

Wilson Phillips- Hold On

Wallflowers- One Headlight

Mariah Carey with Boys II Men- One Sweet Day

Dee Light- Groove is in the Heart

Puff Daddy and the Family- Nobody Slow Me Down

Mmmmmm- Crash Test Dummies

What if God was One of Us- Joan Osborne

JayZ- Can I Get A What What

Holy Flashback, Batman! I never thought I'd remember the lyrics to Gangsta's Paradise so accurately. If there were a monitor watching me, I would have been embarrased by what I just did when Puff Daddy and the Family or JayZ came on and I booty shaked like I was back at the Kappa Sigma house in college. Anything to get Emerson to stop crying, right? He loved me singing "Never Gonna Get It"- even though I now know that sleep is what I will "never get"...

On that note, we've entered the joys of what my baby books have deemed "the fussiest stage" when Emerson has realized he'd rather be awake and social than asleep. Which means he either has to be held and rocked (and fighting sleep with all his might) or feeding to stay happy. Or in the car. I'm ready to rack up some major mileage after the evening we had last night and the day I've had today. And how, might you ask, have I found time to write a blog. This is called an emergency for sanity. I can ignore cries for 10 minutes at a time. And then he drifts off and I get 10 minutes of peace. Then I take care of him for 10 minutes. Then the cycle repeats. So, needless to say, I wrote this! It may have taken the last 4 hours, but I did it! And I won't go nuts because of this much needed "adult time".

Unless, of course, Notorious BIG or Tupac come on. Then I'll go nuts, just a different type of nuts.

Then:

Rockin' 1992 at my 12th birthday party

Junior winter formal- 1997- when I learned to booty shake

And now... the mess of the ottoman where I camp out during the day

32 is my Lucky Number!

Here I am, in week 32. I have always had 32 as my lucky number. I am not even sure the origin of this becoming my lucky number, but I have referred to it for as long as I can remember as my favorite!

So, it only seems natural that this week is one of the best weeks of my pregnancy thus far, right?

Well, sure enough, as luck would have it, I lost something on Saturday night, but I have already found it!

My ankles.

You heard me correctly. It happened. My ankles went away. I came home from a 4-bar, I-am-the-coolest-pregnant-wife-on-the planet evening with great friends and family and sat on the couch when I noticed it.

My ankles no longer had ankle bones.

My calves continued right into my puffy little insoles.

Kyle tried to help assuage my shock by giving me a quick foot rub, but considering it was a 4-bar evening, this was an ineffective treatment.

So I sat with my feet WAY up on the back of the couch and downed some water.

Was it the super over-salted popcorn at bar #4?

Was it dancing to the blues band?

Was it simply drinking a ton of water, a tea, and a root beer over the course of the evening?

Or would my ankles be gone for good?

This story has a happy ending.

THEY ARE BACK!!! That is exactly why I am sure that 32 IS my lucky number!

Other positives of the week to further support my claim:
-Another clean bill of health at the doctor this week
-A great evaluation at school
-My sorority kick-off party is Thursday, which is always fun
-We got the baby's room painted!

Overall, I'd say that it would be hard to argue against the fact that this is a great week to be pregnant.

32 weeks (almost) in front of our newly-painted nursery wall!

The Hospital Tour

I don't know about you, but this just got real.

This past Saturday was our hospital tour. Although I didn't really feel like I got a whole lot of new information out of the experience, I still feel like it was a good idea because I will feel much more comfortable in the chaos of labor knowing that I've been there before and have a plan of sorts.

Fun facts to note from our tour:
1. I am still trying to be cute as a pregnant woman, but apparently this is not the norm.  Not to be arrogant, but I mean, come on! Make up, ladies, has not suddenly become toxic due to pregnancy. And just because you are big doesn't mean your clothes have to come from the elephant-size rack.
2. Even with a yeti-length beard, my husband still looks cute, too! You aren't on the tour for a 12-24 hour long marathon of labor, so don't come in pjs, sweats, or anything of the like. Wait until the real deal to come in your comfy clothes, even if it is a Saturday!
3. There is no policy on whether or not I can eat during labor from the hospital, but I must first discuss this option with my Dr. I would love to hear that I am allowed more than ice chips in case I am in it for the long haul!
4. You can "rent" a birthing tub for labor, but then you can't have an epidural, because your legs won't work well enough to get in and out of the tub. You can also rent a birthing ball or a mirror. I am thinking of hosting a core class with ab focus while in labor. Who wants to sign up?
5. You can labor in the shower if you want.
6. Must pass ER before moving on to your next stop.
7.Check out time (without a C-section) is at MOST 48 hours after arrival. Yikes! That gives us 2 days or fewer to figure out what the heck this parenting thing is all about.
8. Don't steal the blankets or other hospital supplies that haven't been in baby's mouth or butt. 

Now, I knew SOME of this information before, but as the tour was quick and simple, only bits of information really stood out to me.  And I guess I didn't really worry about the size of the companion bed in the room, or the open-ended visiting hours policy, because I already knew that having visited friends and family in the hospital after babies were born.

I can't wait for baby classes to find out even more. (Maybe then I'll be less critical and sarcastic and will perhaps be a bit scared out of my mind for the impending birth instead...)

Hopefully I didn't offend anyone.

Mercy Gilbert Hospital- baby's first home! And me at 30 weeks.

Feeling a Part of the Elite

I used to feel like I was out of the loop. Everyone I knew was pregnant or had a little one. I didn't know what to ask about because I wasn't sure who was on the edge or who wanted to share their personal stories of all the "behind the scenes" symptoms of pregnancy. However, once I learned of my pregnancy, I got to join this exclusive club of women who know the reality about what it's like to be pregnant. Since then, I have been "privileged" to learn about a number of the fun things that people don't want to explain to women before pregnancy, most likely because NO ONE WOULD EVER GET PREGNANT if people really talked bluntly about it. Or maybe I wouldn't have been so naive.

I didn't want to believe that I had been living in any sort of utopian world of the joys of pregnancy because I have been surrounded by pregnant women for the past four or five years of my life. But I STILL didn't know about all the things that I was in for until I was in the middle of them.All the books say "Well, no one will tell you about this until you read this book", so screw that, I'm going to give it to you for free throughout this blog, not just this post, and I have a very hard time holding it back.

For one, and I know this is where some of you should probably stop reading, having a child, as we all know, means hours of eating and pooping as part of the daily routine. You count how many times your kid has pood in a day. You begin to post status updates on Twitter and Facebook that revolve around the "health" of your baby based on (gasp!) fecal matter. You brag about potty training, and we ALL know someone who has actually taken a picture of the first time her kid pood in the toilet. I had already vowed not to be that mommy. Well, guess what, I already take back every eye roll because I am about to share something. It isn't that life gets filled with food and poo after the baby. This type of daily record begins IN PREGNANCY!

"What do you mean?" you say. Well, as a pregnant woman, a small victory every day is having a regular bowl movement. A week that is constipation-free is a true reason to celebrate! Jenny McCarthy actually did a great job in her book Belly Laughs treating the subject of constipation with dignity. But I have actually had days where I was grateful for a good, old-fashioned BM, one that didn't involve praying and some geriatric-style Metamusil and prune juice.

With as much fruit as I have been consuming, you'd think this wouldn't be a true issue for me. But as I had a couple of uncomfortable days over the course of this pregnancy (understated for your protection), I know that it must be one of those inevitable side-effects of pregnancy that no one wants to talk about. 
Until I just unloaded that load of s@*# on you, you poor and unassuming reader.

I guess the moral of this story is that we shouldn't assume anything, and we should be nice to those women who post about their babies' diaper contents. After all, they are probably just happy it is no longer just about their bathroom issues. I am sure that I am going to be relieved when it is all over. Pun intended.

As a reward for making it through this, a picture for you.

19 weeks from the deck in Dillon, Colorado with the lake and Breckenridge in the background.

Blueberry's Texas Adventure!

This past June, to escape the Arizona heat, we escaped to the Texas beach. Yep, Texas. Nope, not cooler than Phoenix once you factor in 90% humidity.

We traveled to South Padre Island, a place that is near and dear to Kyle's childhood, as his grandma lived there in winters and he visited often. Having never been there, I was excited to get to share in his nostalgia. We filled the weekend with family fun. Blueberry got to take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico, met some sea turtles, and took a sandcastle building class. We even went snorkeling! That is one busy kid!

My favorite part of the trip was the food! We ate so much great sea food and had a fabulous breakfast buffet to start my day. And I got a Fanta Pineapple and Peach?! Only on the Mexican border :)

Here are some pictures (one you may recognize as my current Facebook profile picture).

We're on a boat! On our snorkel trip

This bench is carved like our wedding bench! At the turtle sanctuary.

Hello turtle! It's Crush in real life!

Blueberry, your parents are so weird! These are our turtle faces.

The sandcastle class. Yours truly may have knocked over the tower...

Taking my profile pic shot!

The sandcastle extravaganza! Ours became a pirate fort.

Learning to Appreciate the Little Things

In pregnancy, sometimes it is the little things that matter. A tiny flutter in your tummy indicating movement that provides proof of life. A healthy heartbeat at the OB. A night of sleep without needing to get up to pee.

Perhaps it isn't just the little things that make me happy, but also the little things that I miss, which make me a little sad.

I have a new-found appreciation for escalators.
I have never loved fruit more.
I miss being able to eat fruit without heartburn.
I miss being able to use the restroom when it is convenient.

This entire post was inspired by a prenatal massage that I had last night. Considered a luxury to most, a massage becomes a sort of necessity for pregnancy. (This is my third). Let me recount the hour:

Massages--meant to be relaxing and soothing. I was tired as hell after my first 8-hour work day after 6 weeks off. The Arizona heat is taking it all out of me. I get set to enjoy a nice, indulgent hour in peace and quiet with all attention on me (and not just coworkers wanting to see how large I've gotten over summer!) I lay down, and even with the pillow between my knees and my head propped, I feel like I am going to tumble forward as my therapist pushes on my back. So instead of completely letting go, I had to use my muscle to hold myself up. (Note: I seriously miss laying on my back at this moment).

Next, this is where the real fun comes. The motions of the the massage churn up all the gas from my dinner. First comes the heartburn. I continue to swallow, but man! it burns. I swallow so many times I am sure my therapist thinks I am about to blow chunks. Then I burp. Seriously, just burp. How gross am I?

Oh no, that wasn't the worst. Then I feel the need to pass gas. (In case you are unaware, this is a common and frequent need in pregnancy). This would just be beyond inappropriate. So I have to hold that in, and then start to feel even less relaxed as I am holding myself on the table and holding my gasses in.

Moral of the story, I have learned to appreciate the little things. But even more I miss the little things I took for granted.

If it is worth anything, I still appreciated the massage. And I could have avoided eating that calzone for dinner right before a massage, so maybe I need to make better decisions about meals.

Which brings it all back to learning to appreciate things like being in control of my body instead of being held prisoner by it.

Isn't pregnancy a beautiful thing?

The first ultrasound at 8 weeks! See what I mean, appreciating the "little" things! :)