Testing 1, 2, 3

I've heard people say to give yourself at least 9 months to get "back to normal" after having a baby. I understand where this is coming from because so many of us are anxious to get back into those pre-pregnancy jeans and pre-pregnancy workouts, but for many of us, 9 months is still way too quick. Luca is a little over a year old and I'm just starting to feel ready to run again. I've been doing exercises my physical therapist recommended to strengthen my pelvic floor and core. They are both so weak and I have diastasis recti (my abdominal muscles haven't joined back together). I thought I would jump back into doing videos at home. After I had Gideon, I would do a quick workout video while dinner was cooking or with him crawling all over me. My gal at FemFusion fitness (who is also a pelvic health physical therapist) has an incredible selection of workout videos that are all safe for pelvic floor prolapse and diastasis recti. Two kids is such a game changer. I haven't had time to do many videos and I found myself skipping exercises that were down on the floor. I made a list of exercises I could do all standing up. For whatever reason, that made it so much easier to fit them in during the day. I also wrote the list on a marker board on our wall so that it was staring at me all day.

In addition to daily walks, here is my list: 

1. W stretch: The Most Famous Physical Therapists on the Internet demonstrate this stretch in the video below. If you haven't watched them, they are pretty funny and have great stretches and exercise videos on youtube.

2. Hip Circles: I've talked about this one before from FemFusion fitness:

3. Calf Raises: The goal is not to hold on to something for balance but when I first started doing these I definitely held on! 10 on each side. 

 4. Squats with Luca and Gideon: They love this! 30 squats holding Luca or Gideon. Keep your knees behind your toes. 

 5. 5 deep breaths: Maybe not an "exercise" but just as important! Take time each day for belly breaths-at least 5! A deep belly breath can completely change how I feel at any given moment. 

6. Deep squat: This is sitting in a deep "baby" squat with your feet flat on the floor. I try to sit this way when I'm getting down on the floor with the boys. I've worked really hard to be able to sit like this. When I first started, I couldn't get my feet flat on the floor and I couldn't hold the position for very long. Yoga with Adrienne demonstrates the deep squat in this "yummy" video.

7. Side leg lifts: This is standing and lifting your leg straight out to the side. Works the hip muscles. 10 each side. 

8. Knee raises: This is just lifting your knee straight up to your chest. 10 on each side. 

9. Knee to elbow: This one is lifting your knee up to the side and touching your elbow. 10 on each side. 

10. Kegels: Not too few, not too much. I don't know why these are so hard to do. Half the battle is just learning where these muscles are located and how to activate them. The other big deal is learning how to fully release and relax them. Does anyone else hate doing these? I really don't do them often...which is why my pelvic floor is so weak! I'm much more likely to do them when following a video or guided routine. I've posted it before, but FemFusion has "Kegel Camp" and it explains how to do these correctly and then guides you through a series of videos.

That's it! I've been doing these every day or every other day along with one more exercise that is on the floor called "prance". It's laying on your back with your knees bent and lifting and lowering one leg at a time. The key is to brace your core and not let your belly pooch out. This is the best exercise for diastasis recti and there are different levels as you grow stronger with it. These exercises are where I started to get ready to get back into running. I finally went on my first run on Memorial Day! A one mile "test" to see how everything felt.

It felt great! I felt a little weak around my middle (core) so I know I still have a lot of work to do. I took it really easy and ran half a mile, walked, and then ran another half a mile. It helped that the weather was surprisingly cool and I was in Dasher where everything is flat. The success of the test mile got me excited to attempt a 5K today. Probably a bit ambitious, but it was the Parkrun 5K in Oak Grove. They do a timed 5K every Saturday and this was the first Saturday back after COVID. It was great to get out and run with RWB and other runner friends. Luca came with me and enjoyed his ride in the stroller. I ended up just doing 2 miles. I ran most of one mile and walked most of the second. It was HOT, but I was happy to be out running again! Hopefully this means more blog posts are in the near future as well.

The Story of Baby Luca

I would describe Luca's arrival into the world as both agonizingly slow and suddenly very fast. About a week before his due date I started having prodromal labor. Every night I would wake up in the middle of the night with contractions that would become pretty regular but never were very intense. Sometimes I could fall back to sleep, but usually, either because of discomfort or anticipation, I would get up and move around thinking, "this might be it!" Several times I went for a walk outside around 3 am, and every time the contractions would die down and I would go about my day still pregnant.    

The day before my due date I started having contractions that evening and they lasted ALL NIGHT. Still not very intense but I started getting excited that this was different and maybe Luca was ready to make his arrival! We called the midwife and she told us to head down to the birth center. We took our time gathering our things, making arrangements for Gideon, and driving down to Nashville. This leisurely drive was completely different from Gideon's labor day...

Gideon was born a little over a week before his due date. I wasn't expecting him that early so when my water broke that morning I was actually unsure of what was happening. I wasn't having contractions so I took a shower and went for a walk around the neighborhood. That's when the contractions started and I knew this was it! They were manageable and coming regularly so we called the midwife and let her know. She gave us a plan to come down when they were happening more regularly for about an hour. We thought we had lots of time to get everything together and wrap up last minute things. The contractions started to get more intense and then...I threw up. I looked at Luke and told him, "I can't do this." We thought we were still early on in labor, but I actually was going through transition and getting ready to push. I told Luke we needed to go to the hospital, NOW.

We drove the hour to Nashville and because they were doing construction at Vanderbilt we had to park what felt like miles away, but probably wasn't as far as it felt at the time. We walked from the parking garage to labor and delivery and I stopped every so often to lean against the wall and get through a contraction. We arrived at the Labor and Delivery front desk and the nurse called the midwife. She said, "Your patient is here, and she looks very uncomfortable." The midwife asked if I was ready to push...I was trying not to push in the car, so yes, I was ready!

The support I received from Luke, the midwife, the nurse...they were all fantastic. Gideon came into the world quietly, which apparently is not a great thing. They placed him on my belly and I remember just soaking in his sweet little body while they vigorously rubbed him with a blanket trying to get him to cry. He was breathing, but they wanted him to yell and get those lungs open. The beauty of being at Vanderbilt was how quickly the NICU team was able to arrive and take care of him. I don't know if someone pinched him or what, but eventually he was hollering and they left the room. Gideon has been a happy kid, even from birth.

Luca, however, tested my patience in drawing out labor night after night, so when the midwife suggested they break my water, I was more than ready. I was progressing but my contractions just kept starting and stopping. It was maddening. I was so ready for him to arrive and so ready to not be pregnant any more!! Luke and I had spent the day walking West End in Nashville, getting food from a local coffee shop, taking a nap back at the birth center, doing the "Miles Circuit" to try to speed labor along. All of this during the COVID pandemic. It was actually quite a pleasant day spending time together just the two of us, but that afternoon I was ready for things to move along. They broke my water at 6:00pm and Luca was in my arms at 8:50pm.

Our Baby + Co Suite

Taking a nap before Luca arrives

Baby+Co has beautiful birth suites with queen size beds, large showers, and birthing tubs. I did not want to have a water birth but was able to labor in the tub which made a huge difference when the contractions got more intense. When I told the midwife I was about to throw up, she said I better go ahead and get out of the tub unless I changed my mind about having a water birth. I think I pushed for about 20 minutes and right when I thought I was almost done, I heard the midwife make a call and she was talking to 911. She was coaching me though pushing, my nurse was encouraging me, and Luke was right there holding my hand and cheering me on, but something in the room changed and the calm encouragement took on an urgency to push the baby out right now! 

Luca had shoulder dystocia and he was stuck behind my pubic bone. His head was out which was why I felt the finish line was so close, but he wasn't coming the rest of the way. It all happened very quickly and hearing the midwife talk to the 911 operator was terrifying. Later, Luke and I said we both thought we lost Luca. The midwife and nurse took action and had me get onto my hands and knees and then flip back over. This is called the Gaskin maneuver, named for Ina May Gaskin, an amazing midwife who lives/works right here in Middle Tennessee. The nurse pushed on my belly while I pushed as hard as I possibly could and I'm pretty sure the midwife reached in and pulled him out! He was screaming his head off. No worries about his lungs! We are so very thankful that everything turned out fine. Luca was a bit bruised but otherwise he was perfect. We were able to send the paramedics packing-we didn't need them at all.

Our midwife knew exactly what to do and I am very thankful she was there to take care of us. We brought Luca home the next morning. Gideon was absolutely thrilled and it was very sweet to watch them meet one another. 

 
I am so happy to be done being pregnant. Not just because I have my sweet baby. I'm happy to be able to walk and not waddle, to sleep in any position I want, to pick up Gideon and hold him on my lap. 

I gained A LOT of weight with Luca, but I'm very slowly getting back into shape by walking a ton, doing simple and safe exercises, and eating good food! I'm also trying to get as much sleep as possible, but discussions about sleep are fighting words in our house right now. We are obsessed with sleep. It is one of the most important things for our health and brain function, yet so hard to get enough when you have a newborn and toddler in the house. It's just mean to talk to a new mom about sleep, yet people always want to ask how your baby is sleeping. Just stop asking this, ok? Put it on the list along with asking people when/if they'll have another baby. Just shush people. 

I definitely feel like I'm starting over again with marathon training. I saw a physical therapist for a few sessions and have some great exercises to work on getting my body ready to run. This website has a great article and checklist to determine if you are ready to run postpartum: Ready to Run?  

I also have to share a couple of resources from my fave, FemFusion Fitness:

Here is a great podcast for new moms about prolapse.

And this is Kegel Camp! A YouTube series to learn to gradually strengthen your pelvic floor.

I remember with Gideon I felt this same contradiction of feeling like my body was fat, sore, tired, weak...but at the same time feeling like I was super mom-I pushed giant babies out of me-I can do anything! It’s going to be baby steps, but I’ll get back to running eventually. Right now I’m building a strong foundation and I’m trying not to give myself a timeline but just keep one foot in front of the other and when given the opportunity, take a nap!

Obedience

I went for a run last week! Actually, I ran down my driveway and around my yard in an effort to get two little four year old twin girls to chase me and wear them out. It worked pretty well. 

Running around the yard

 

Going for a walk

Granted this wasn't a "real" run, but I've been given the all clear to resume normal activities! The pregnancy complication has cleared and I won't have to schedule a C-section. Baby Boy Baine can arrive whenever he is good and ready. This is such an answered prayer!!

It felt great to run, even just slowly around the yard. Those little girls had us moving non-stop for a couple of weeks. We had them stay with us as a respite for another foster family. There are seven siblings in their family: a one year old, two year old, three year old, 2 four year olds (the twins), a five year old, and a thirteen year old. The foster family we did respite for has four of the girls in their home. I feel exhausted just thinking about their life, and watching just two of the girls completely wore me out! They went back "home" yesterday and I'm sitting here this morning with a nasty cold and wanting to sleep for the next week. At this point in pregnancy sleep is pretty hard to come by. I wake up all through the night because my back hurts, or I need to use the bathroom, or my arm is numb from laying on my side. Rolling over to my other side is a monumental event where I look like a turtle that rolled over on his back and just has to rock back and forth helplessly. When I finally make it to my other side, and adjust the dozens of pillows surrounding me, my body then decides I need to get up and use the restroom again. Pregnancy: the most exciting and uncomfortable time of your life!

When Youth Villages asked us if we would watch the girls, my initial thought was, "No way!" I didn't think it would be physically possible for me. I feel out of breath just bending down to pick up something off the floor. We would be crazy to take on a couple of wild, never-ending energy preschoolers. We decided to pray about it and see what God had to say about the matter.

God gave both Luke and I abundantly clear instructions that we should watch the girls.  I promise you that at no point in this situation did I feel this was a feasible task. I never felt capable, never felt that I had "enough", never felt certain. I did feel very tired. I cried a couple of times. I asked Luke for A LOT of help. I asked others for help. I rejoiced when I dropped them off at school. I tried to take a nap when they took theirs. I felt resentful when I caught a cold. I felt frustrated when they threw temper tantrums. I felt sad when I saw how far behind they are developmentally.

I also promise you that I understand that this minor, insignificant, short period of time in no way compares to the stresses of life that others deal with 24/7. I'm under no illusion of how incredibly blessed I am. I do believe however that these two weeks have taught me an important lesson in obedience.

God sometimes asks us to do things that seem completely unreasonable.

He isn't interested in our ability to handle it.

He wants us to lay down our lives for him, and sometimes that physically hurts.

I had to continually remind myself that God would not ask me to do something without giving me the tools I needed to get the job done. If I relied on him, he would show up and help me make it through.

God showed up in giving us breaks through school, nap times, and babysitters. He showed us how to work together when Luke had to work or when I needed to rest. He showed us how to power through when we just had to get it done. He showed us how much love we could give these girls in such a short time through hugs and kisses, singing songs, snuggling on the couch, tickles, laughter, and having fun together. They needed so much, and God came through every time.

Having fun!

Establish My Steps

One of the reasons I started this blog was to track and share my progress with training for a marathon. It is a goal I have that will hopefully be achieved someday. My progress towards a marathon has been up and down for several years now. This hasn't been something I could set as a goal, work towards, and achieve. Instead, it has been like many other things in my life, something I have planned for, but then the steps to achieve it have been full of twists and turns, often going in the opposite direction! 

My current mantra verse has been Proverbs 16:9. 

I don't know that this verse is teaching that plans are necessarily bad. Perhaps planning is helpful in many ways, preparing us for what is ahead and knowing what we need to get a job completed. However, as much as I make plans, it is the Lord who carries them out (or doesn't) in establishing the path I will take. I'm finding that path does not often lead in the direction I think it will go. More often, it is a winding path with unexpected stops along the way. The sooner I learn to give up control, the easier it will be to walk the path ahead of me. 

My current path involves a whole lot of walking! I've been trying to walk 1-2 miles everyday. Here are some pics: 

My goal for a 5K turned into participating in the Gator Gallop, a 2 mile run/walk in Gainesville, Florida. We drove down last week to South GA and Luke went with my dad, brother, and all of our nephews to hear Lou Holtz speak at a benefit dinner for my old high school. Dad and Luke also got to see the Gators play at The Swamp, while I spent time with sweet friends in Gainesville.

Last Road Trip of the Pregnancy

The snazzy boys before the benefit dinner

Getting ready to walk

Gator Gallop

Dad and Luke ready to enter The Swamp

Luke showing off the Gator Gallop t-shirt

The third trimester is off to a great start. I'm moving slow, but still moving! We have a few weeks to go before we have another ultrasound to check on the complication and see if it has cleared up. We greatly appreciate your prayers!! 

We are taking childbirth classes and preparing to meet our little one. I've found that nesting does not just mean getting ready for the baby by doing "baby prep" type things (setting up the nursery, etc.) but also means cleaning out the entire house of all the junk we don't need. It feels like I couldn't possibly bring home a baby before I have cleared out the coat closet of all the things we don't use in there. I have cleaned out every room and cabinet in our house and rearranged my office a couple of times. Now that those things are finished, I might actually set up the nursery. 👶

God has blessed us so abundantly and we are trusting in him to establish our steps. As we get closer to Baby Baine's arrival I am reminding myself daily to give up my control and simply walk the path that is placed in front of me. 

Parents: What kinds of things did you do to prepare for your baby's arrival?

 

Unexpected Bumps in the Road

We received some really great and exciting news at our mid-pregnancy ultrasound. We also received some not so good news that I hope you will pray through along with us.

First the good news...

It's a BOY!

The ultrasound revealed a healthy baby BOY! Everything was accounted for and developing normally. We are THRILLED!!

The bad news is that the ultrasound also indicated a complication. I'm upset and nervous, but we are also so excited and relieved that things are developing normally for our baby boy. Due to this complication, I've been restricted from running for the rest of the pregnancy. Boo!!

We would be so grateful if you would pray with us that this complication will resolve itself, which is a possibility. They will do another ultrasound around 32 weeks and we are praying and hopeful that things will change.

In the meantime, I'm still encouraged to exercise and I've been walking in the mornings or evenings around the neighborhood. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying it. I love to run, but as I get bigger and slower, walking is much easier and still a great workout!

22 weeks and growing!

I'm still planning to sign up for a 5K, but I will be walking it instead of running. Maybe I can walk a 45 minute 5K? Just this week I came across an article discussing why walking is better for you than running. I still intend to pick up running again post-pregnancy, but it is encouraging to read all of the great benefits of walking since that is what I'm stuck with for now! For me, walking relieves pain I've been feeling in my back, relieves stress and makes me feel happier, and it provides all the benefits of cardio exercise that are important for everyone.

Cody celebrating his little brother!

We are so blessed to have so many people share in our excitement and anticipation during our pregnancy. I also hope you will join with us and pray through the complication we are experiencing as well. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, but I often struggle with my prayer life. There are times when prayer feels like the most natural thing, and other times when I feel like my prayers are forced. Recently someone reminded me that one of the greatest gifts we can give others is to pray for them. We have this amazing offering that we can share and use anytime we want or need it.

Old Wives Tales

Pink and Blue for our Gender Reveal Party

Have you come across a great book or study on prayer? Please share in the comments below!

Running with a Bump

Running isn't very easy when you're pregnant. During the first trimester I felt too nauseous and tired to run, but since I've hit the second trimester my nausea has completely gone away for the first time in several years! I have finally hit the halfway mark in this pregnancy and that growing baby bump is heavy, especially when I run! I know I will only get bigger from here, but I feel huge already.

Babymoon at Dauphin Island

My goal is a 5K in the second trimester. I'd like to leave it at that, but I really want to finish it with a 10 minute/mile pace or faster. Fortunately there are lots of 5K races coming up to choose from.

There is one in Franklin, TN, also a 10K, on Labor Day:
 

Franklin Classic

The Go Commando Half Marathon is October 21st. There is also a 5K. I'll be in my 3rd trimester then so might not be doable:

Go Commando

Things I'm learning about running when you're pregnant:

 -It's safe to do. My midwife gave the green light on pretty much any exercise, as long as I feel comfortable doing it. Beginning in the second trimester you should avoid anything you're at risk for falling. That means no bike rides, but I actually didn't find that comfortable in my first trimester, maybe being hunched over? Plus I got tired way too quickly. Luke and I went for a ride and I was done after 4 miles!

-It's not the time to push yourself. A 10 minute/mile pace feels painfully slow to me, but it's better than nothing! If I start getting out of breath it just doesn't feel good, so I'm running at a slow and easy pace where I can easily talk and not feel winded.

-It's harder, but it feels so good! Each step feels like I'm lugging a set of weights around with me, and I get tired more quickly, but running gives me more energy during the day, helps me clear my head, relieves stress, and helps loosen up some aches and pains.

 -It's nice to have a goal. I like having something to focus on and know what my body is able to do. Gaining weight is actually kind of exciting for me because it's fun to think about the little one growing inside me! However, if I just sat around and ate all day I would feel like a fat cow. It's nice to get up and accomplish something.

Team RWB Monday Running Group

Luke has been running with the RWB group at Ft. Campbell. He also joins them on bike rides. I'm just learning about RWB, but they are an awesome group. According to their website their mission is to "enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity." They have several different running, biking, and other exercise meet ups throughout the week. They also participate in all kinds of volunteer activities in the community.

Yesterday we did 100s, which were done at the track to work on speed. You sprint 100 meters, then walk/slow jog 100 meters, then repeat. We did 16 reps which is about 1 mile sprinting and 1 mile walk/jogging. I couldn't sprint (not pushing myself that hard!) but I found this workout perfect for being pregnant. I would jog 100 meters and then walk 100 meters. Add the 1/2 mile warm up and cool down and we ended up doing 3 miles total. That felt great! I had a different goal in mind than speed work, but it was a routine that worked really well. It reminds me of Tabata Training, which I've always enjoyed. Here is a good website explaining Tabata, but basically it is pushing yourself hard for a certain amount of time and then resting, then repeating. You are able to workout longer because of the rest breaks in between, but your body still achieves the same benefits.

Anyone want to do a 10 minute pace 5K in September?? Let me know if there is a good one you know about and let's sign up!

A different kind of marathon

Looks like I won't be running the type of marathon I thought I would anytime soon. Instead, I have a different kind of 9 month marathon ahead of me (6 months at this point). 

Much to our surprise, we are having a baby and we couldn't be more excited! 

Our little family in Denver, CO

Here were my first thoughts on finding out I was pregnant:

"Is that right? Let me check the instructions on the box again. Does it really have two lines??"

"YAY!" Along with tears of JOY!

"Oh man, what have we gotten ourselves into? There's really no turning back now."

The above thoughts are pretty much exactly what I was thinking those first few moments we found out I was pregnant. The main overwhelming emotion was excitement, anxiety, thinking, "it's about time!", and some fear. The first night, I lay in bed for hours unable to fall asleep. I was excited, but really, really scared. My fear wasn't about labor or parenting or the enormity of having a child (I'm sure those fears will come at some point!). Instead, I was afraid it wasn't real or if it was, it wouldn't be for long. I was terrified to wake up and not be pregnant anymore. One of the risks with endometriosis is miscarriage and that first night I could not stop thinking about the possibility of it. Finally, I remembered to turn my thoughts to God and pray (why did it take me until 1:30am to do this?). I don't remember thinking about anything after that, but finally fell asleep.

Everybody loves a baby bump progression, so here we are with barely a bump to see:

4 weeks

One of the positive things about waiting for 3 years to become pregnant is you have a lot of time to do research. I have three books on pregnancy, one that I've already read the first part of, we've interviewed providers (that seems really ridiculous now, but hey, it's already done!), I have about 30 bookmarked pages of lists of things you should do while pregnant, what you should eat, things to register for, everything you wanted to know about breastfeeding and cloth diapers, and a million other topics no one cares about when you aren't pregnant. The first year or so that we tried to get pregnant I researched like a mad woman. This made me pretty depressed the second year and I had to put it all out of sight, but now I'm feeling pretty ahead of the game.
 

8 weeks

I think in the back of my mind (very far back) I held on to the possibility of becoming pregnant, but we had pretty much given up on it. We decided against trying fertility treatments and didn't think we would adopt (we are in no way against those things, it just wasn't for us). Even with my doctor telling me there would be a chance of conceiving since my surgery last August was so successful, I still didn't want to get my hopes up. Luke and I prayed for God to show us his plan for our lives. Maybe there were things we would do that others, who had kids, couldn't easily do. Maybe there were positive things about being childless (yes, there are many!). On one level I resigned myself to not having kids and I could even feel joyful in that, but I knew deep down what my true feelings were because they would creep up on me especially when I saw or read something about someone else's struggle with infertility. Amazingly I never felt sad when others announced their pregnancies and I'm glad I could feel genuinely happy for them. The hardest thing though was knowing how much Luke wanted to be a dad and seeing him with our friend's and family's kids and knowing what an awesome dad he would be! 

11 weeks with a tiny bump

We've made it 15 weeks and I'm breathing easier after hearing Baby Baine's heartbeat and seeing him/her on an ultrasound (5 more weeks until we find out the gender!). Everything is healthy so far! This pregnancy and baby are an absolute miracle! I can't believe how many doctors told me that I would never be able to get pregnant, how sure they were that I needed a hysterectomy, and how none of them knew there was a specialist in Atlanta who would look at my chart and confidently tell me that he could remove every bit of the endo and leave all of my organs intact. We are so thankful to have found Dr. Sinervo, at The Center for Endometriosis Care. My concern at that time was to get back my life, to not be in pain and nausea everyday. The icing on the cake is this miracle baby growing inside me. 




 My goal is to run a 5K in my second trimester. I stopped running in the first trimester because I was tired all the time and feeling nauseous (no change there!) but now I'm feeling less nauseous and a little more energy so I'm determined to get back to running. I went for a run yesterday with Luke and my dad, who is in town for the 4th of July. It felt great!

For all my mom friends out there, what kinds of exercises did you like to do when you were pregnant? I'm doing lots of walking, and a little bit of core and yoga. I'm thinking about finding a pool to do some swimming or pool walking.

Thanks for sharing in our excitement! I spent an entire day on Facebook reading congratulations messages from friends after we posted our announcement. Facebook gets a bad rap, but man it made me so happy to read all of those comments!! Here is our post if you missed it:

Ready to Roll January 2018!