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| In memory of Chucky Mullins |
Thirty-eight weeks strong, can you believe it?! Two weeks, give or take a little. I'm really hoping it's "take a little" at this point. I find it impossible to believe that I could pass September 25th with Vaught still in my belly! But if I do then I guess that's the good Lord's will!
My appointment Tuesday (technically the week 37 appointment) went really well. I am Group B Strep negative, which is great! You'll have to Google GBS because being positive for it really is no big deal, but I was glad to be negative. It basically just means a little less work for my nurses. I gained one pound, but I'm pretty sure it all went to Vaught since his measurements show him weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces, up nearly a pound from last week. Can I just say that I love the fact that he's probably going to be a little Fatty McFatso? I love it. My doctor apparently loves it too. My mother could not believe that he wasn't the least bit concerned with Vaught's size. In my doctor's words, there are no weight limits on babies; women are designed the carry and birth children regardless of the woman's size or baby's size. Now, there are circumstances sometimes and that's understandable, but I trust my doctor wholeheartedly. He says he isn't concerned until I get to week 40. And let's just pray that doesn't happen!
I did not get examined Tuesday. My doctor doesn't really like to do them until you're past 40 weeks but said he'd be glad to check me if I wanted it. After hearing him explain why he doesn't like to, I chose to forego the ordeal. You see, you can be 2 or 3 centimeters dilated and stay that way for two weeks, longer even. It is fairly uncommon, but it happens. I love reading the discussion boards on the Baby Center website. Some of those women have supposedly been 2 centimeters since 32 weeks and are going on 38 or 39! Or there's always the chance that I might not be dilated at all but could be 10 centimeters by supper time. It just doesn't do me any good, and I would have most definitely been discouraged and stressed to discover I wasn't dilated at all. I feel as if I am seconds from active labor... like it could happen at any moment. But I still just didn't want the letdown. Vaught will come when he's good and ready! And my doctor assured me that I would know without a shadow of a doubt when "it's time."
The tendinitis in my right wrist has now extended to my left one. It's the damndest thing! My doctor feels that it will disappear shortly after having the baby, but we still discussed some options in case it doesn't. I really don't want to have surgery on my wrists!
Contractions are still coming; faint but there. Some get a little uncomfortable to the point where I feel like I should begin timing them, but then they die down. Since I have such a high pain threshold, I'm really hoping my water breaks to signal active labor; I just don't fully trust my body with these contractions.
Up Next
My birthday is next Thursday, and I've barely thought about it! I will be 24. We may or may not have our little guy here by then, but wouldn't he be a wonderful birthday present??
I've been given the green light to attend the first home game at Ole Miss this Saturday assuming Vaught is still in tow! I'm excited to go but excited for him to be here too! I really don't mind which comes first :)
Bump Pics
My Ole Miss tank is dirty... Sorry :( I've got it washing and will hopefully have a picture with it by tonight to add on here. If you've ever wondered, I'm in the bathroom at my work. The building was built in like 1918 and was formerly the original First State Bank in Holly Springs. Right beside the bathroom is an old elevator too. Like the ones with the caged door! I keep telling my mom that I'm going to test it out one day (it hasn't been used in at least fifty years) and she says she'll kill me if I do... if riding it doesn't kill me!
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| 37+6 |
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| 37+5 |
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| 37+3 like seriously? I used to have a lap! |
If you've still got time, don't go anywhere...
The Fourth Trimester Project
I woke up at 6:30 this morning and did what I do a few mornings a week: checked my Blogger profile. I love reading other people's blogs and try to make a point to do so now and then. One of my favorite bloggers is a girl named Mallory at Mal Smiles Blog. She is a proud army wife and new mother; her pregnancy was about three weeks ahead of mine, so I loved reading all about her bumpdates and different things going on in her life in Colorado. That's the fun with blogging; you get connected with people you would have never knew existed otherwise! Anyway, her most recent post caught my eye and I just had to go read then after reading I told my mom I'd be a few minutes late to work because I had to get this out... I follow Mallory on Instagram, so I see most of what she posts on there, including a postpartum progress picture a few days ago when she was 6 days postpartum. She looks incredible. Not to have just had a baby but in general. I looked at it thinking hell, I'd like to look like that any day! Well, apparently she posted it to Facebook, where a Facebook friend she hardly knows messaged her and although she complimented Mallory on her postpartum recovery, she basically told her that she shouldn't post pictures like that for fear of hurting other recovering mothers' feelings because some of them still carry around baby weight for years...
My first thought was I am so glad I don't have Facebook. Secondly, girls can be such bitches. Since when should we ever feel guilty about the progress we make with ourselves? Since when should we feel bad for posting a progress picture on our own social media account? It's ours to do what we want with, right? If you don't like it, unfollow or just don't look. If you're friends with Mallory on Instagram and I assume Facebook too, then you know she's really into fitness. She worked out her entire pregnancy, up until the day before she delivered. Not only does she love fitness, but she was also motivated to keep up a workout regimen in hopes that her body would bounce back easily after pregnancy--and what do you know?! She looks so good!
If you read me often, then you know that I was in the midst of my own fitness journey when I discovered I was pregnant. I was down about twenty pounds and had been carrying out my lifestyle change for about 28 days. In those 28 days, I had never felt so good. I could already see and feel a major difference, and I'd never been so determined in my life. But then came a few positive pregnancy tests, and I nearly panicked. After a few days of that "shit shit shit" state of mind though, I began accepting what this meant for me. God has orchestrated every single moment of my life, and this was totally in His plan. I decided that I would take the blessing He'd given me and make it the healthiest nine months of my life. And that's exactly what I've done. No, not every day is perfect. For lunch yesterday I had a hamburger and French fries from Sonic. Really, I'm still human. But from the beginning I've had the same mindset as Mallory; perhaps by staying really active through this pregnancy, I can get back to where I was quicker and then work even harder towards my fitness goals. Sounds like a pretty good plan, right?
So with that, I give you the Fourth Trimester Project. I know what you're thinking; trimester means three terms, so how is there a fourth trimester? I'm an English teacher; I know what trimester means, and I'm only calling it that because I think it's a clever name for the recovery period after pregnancy. So you have three trimesters in pregnancy, all about 12-13 weeks in length. The fourth is a 12 week period I came up with that begins the day after I deliver. I've been thinking on this since April or May. Since I decided to start blogging again, I knew I wanted to make this site a place where I could be open and honest about my fitness success and gain support from other enthusiasts and bloggers as I continue towards a better, healthier me. Everything about the FTP will be here on my blog, and although I do not have all the kinks worked out, I have made a pretty good outline with my husband's help.
I've divided it into four three-week sections, with the end goal for me to be back at my lowest weight before getting pregnant. I'm not a numbers person, but one day I will share those numbers with you. I won't now because yes, I'm a woman who is embarrassed by the number on the scale and at the same time knows it does not define her in the least bit. I promise: one day I will share it with you. But for now, it's not important :) But I will record the exact amount of weight gained (23 pounds at this point) and then reveal how much is lost after each three week sector. Also, keep in mind that this could change a little depending on how well delivery goes. If I have a C-section, we may need to extend this to a 16 week project, as I might need a few extra weeks to rest. But we'll see!
Weeks 1-3: Rest. Well, as much as I can at least! I'll be a new mama, a breastfeeding mama, a tired mama, a stressed mama... Going out for a walk in my neighborhood on a breezy day would be okay, but no trips to the gym yet. There are some ab-tightening exercises I can do while laying down that are okay to start within 24 hours of delivery, so I'll be trying a few of those!
Weeks 4-6: Light to moderate cardio with light strength training. Back to the gym I go! I will definitely try jogging, but if it feels too heavy still, I'll hold off until I'm comfortable with it. I won't be picking up any 20-pound dumbbells for a little while. I'll stick with fives, eights, and tens.
Weeks 7-9: Moderate cardio/moderate strength training. I'll be wanting to leave the gym during these weeks the way I'm used to leaving the gym: a hot, sweaty mess. I'm not one of those girls who dresses all cute in matching workout clothes and leaves with my hair and makeup completely in tact. No, I look disgusting by the end. I can't wait to get back to that! I'll be wearing my Polar watch again (don't ask me why I've been afraid to wear it while pregnant), and I plan to keep my heart rate up and going. This is where I'll be focused a lot more on muscle toning and fat burning.
Weeks 10-12: Assuming all is well, I hope to be back in full power. I plan to start back up with HIIT while doing cardio and return to heavy squats and lots of bench work. At the end of week 12, we'll see where I'm at. I have the number in my mind right now, and maybe by then I'll share with you.
And from there, we just move forward. Of course, it's not all about the exercise. My problem before was that despite being a runner and lifting weights, a healthy diet was not a part of my regimen, at least not totally. But on Christmas Day last year, when I knew that something had to change, that was the main change I just knew I had to make. I worked out at about the same pace, but I changed my eating habits and that's when the numbers began to slip away. That was when success happened.
And speaking of success, yes, there will be photos. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see them there, though I may just sometimes direct you to this blog to see and read more. I am aware that no one wants to see me in a bra and panties, so no, I will not post that... at least not for a while. But if I can't share my progress with you, then why am I doing this? It is for me and my family definitely, but I've gotten so much support from people who read this blog and enjoy keeping up with me. You are so encouraging, and it's a great way to keep me motivated, knowing I'm being "watched." How embarrassing would it be for me to post a picture of Vaught and me when he's three months old and I still look like I'm carrying him in my belly?! I know that happens to a lot of women; many struggle to lose the weight and some never do. My sisters struggled after putting on tons of excess weight during their pregnancies, and they both pleaded with me to not do what they did. They are my motivation. Mallory is my motivation and inspiration. Other women who post their postpartum success stories and pictures are my motivation. I can't imagine why Mallory's Facebook friend was so unsupportive of her posting a progress picture (well, I can imagine why, but I won't go there), but I hope to never encounter someone like that. I'm trying to change the picture of what a lot of women think pregnancy is "supposed" to look like. I have been encouraged and inspired by fit mothers, and if I can inspire just one person, I'd say my job is done.
One more thing to add is a great big THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading. I get close to two hundred views every week, which I never thought would happen. I appreciate it so so much. I can never place a value on your support of my pregnancy, new baby, and of course the fourth trimester project :)
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