Introducing Francesca Marie

Family shot - she looks just like Dad.


On Wednesday morning, July 22nd at 3:59am, Jody and I welcomed Francesca Marie into our lives. She weighed in at 7.1lbs and 22 inches long and is in perfect health. We are absolutely in love with her and I am so thrilled to have a little girl.

Labor was interesting as it started with discussion of a possible emergency c section because they were getting a very low heart rate with the external HR monitor. The drama included them sprinting me in an office chair from the clinic to the hospital (they are connected) because they couldn't find a wheel chair, putting a node on her head and breaking my water to make sure she hadn't pooped in the water (a sign of stress for the baby). Once all that happened my labor had officially started. I had gone to the doc at 6 days overdue and I was having contractions in a strange pattern. They broke my water at about 3:30 and I immediately started having regular contractions and went from a tight 2cm to 5cm in about 5 hours.

I was having back labor and made a decision to get an epidural at about 9pm. I know each of you who have had children have made your own choices to have or not to have an epidural - it was the right decision for ME and didn't slow down my labor at all. It made the experience much more enjoyable for me and I was able to enjoy my family and friends leading up to the actual delivery. I never had to get Pitocin and my contractions were literally 1 minute apart lasting for 90 seconds. I was at 10cm by 2am but they were unable to start me pushing until 3:15 because my doctor was in surgery.

I pushed for about 5 push sessions of 3 pushes each - total lasting about 20 minutes and she arrived!! I had let my epidural drip wear off a bit so that I could have control of my legs during but still couldn't feel my you know what. :) It was hard to push without "feeling" things but I had a couple of great coaches. Frankie was born without any manual interventions and outside of a squished nose, she looks great.

Next post will be all about post baby exercise plan! And I will show you the before baby pic!!

Hope you all are doing awesome! The next 8 weeks will be spent enjoying time with my daughter, husband and catching up on you guys!

Love to all!
Jess

40 Weeks + One Day - STILL PREGNANT! :)

Hey everyone,

At last update I was just a month out and feeling great! I am still feeling great however I am now one day past due and this little baby hasn't budged!

Here are my updates:

• Weeks: 40 + 1 day
  
• Weight Gain: 23lbs (average at this point is 35lbs)
  
• Fundus (belly measurement): 37 weeks
• Had an ultra sound three weeks ago and baby was estimated at 7.5lbs (already!!)

My workouts have been great with the exception of last week.....and here's why.

Three weeks ago, my step father passed away peacefully at home after a three month battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his kids, his wife, grandson, brother and dog and went painlessly and peacefully. We are very sad to lose Jack but we also know he is in a better place and lived a full and wonderful life. I will miss him dearly.

Two weeks ago, I started having major pre-labor/false-labor symptoms and had dilated to a 1 and 50% effaced. I was no longer having the "subtle" Braxton Hicks (Jody likes to call them Toni Braxton's) contractions but was having really strong contractions - not full blown but they were strong and got closer and closer up until 5 mins apart lasting for a minute. I laid down that night to sleep and about an hour later the contractions stopped. And I had every other symptom as well. Then last week I went in and was a tight 2 and 60% effaced. My mom drove down from Iowa to bring my aunt half way (she lives in Louisiana) and stayed for a week. We all thought baby was coming. Then a week ago, after my 2/60 appointment everything stopped. No more contractions, nada. And I literally have felt like I did three weeks ago. CRAZY!

And trust me guys, I have done everything to get this baby to come including:

• Spicy food (lots of jalapenos)
• Acupuncture
• Got a massage
• Pedicure
• Castor Oil (yes, tried it and you are just miserable and pregnant)
• Sex (sex and more sex)
• Walking (like an hour in the AM and an hour at night
  

So yesterday I went into the doc and I am still 2/60. The good news is my doc is awesome and isn't wanting to talk induction until next week. I have an appt Thursday and they will do an ultra sound and make sure the baby is doing well.

I have a stubborn baby in my belly! Stubborn. But I am also just a day past the due date so will let baby H come when baby H wants to come.

Here are a couple pics of me post workout inspired by Julie and her baby belly pics! :)




If I have the baby I will post a new blog to let you all know ASAP! Sorry I haven't posted a whole lot - I feel like I don't really have a lot of new news. :)

Love you guys and thanks for all the comments and coming back to check on me!!

Jess

Week 35 and Family Update

Hi everyone!! Thanks so much for all of your notes and comments....the pregnancy is doing awesome - I am feeling great and I have MUCH to update you on!!

Stat Update:

• Weeks: 35
• Weight Gain: 19 (average is around 25)
• Fundus (belly measurement): 33 cm or 33 weeks
• At last doc appt I had only gained about 3 ounces which kind of worried me but the doc said it wasn't an issue at all - because I have been gaining weight consistently and my belly is still growing, doc says everything is on track.
  

Monday is my next doc appt (tomorrow) and they will actually do the FULL check up if you know what I mean. With a little less than 5 weeks to go, maybe I will have a little dilation - maybe??

We had two incredible baby showers - one for family and close friends and another with close friends and co-workers. We received tons of wonderful gifts and had a great time!! I have a bit more work to do on the baby room and then will take some pics for you. We have the essentials - crib, diapers, car seat. :) Here are a couple pics from the showers (we are waiting to get more pics from people who took more pics and I will post them for you soon!):



Other fun facts:

• No stretch marks - YEAH!!! :) Still rubbing the tummy butter every morning and then put on my Bella Band over top. I think it is working!
  
• Workouts are definitely getting harder - I am sure it is a combination of additional weight gain, diaphragm getting smaller and just having a bigger belly.
  
• Sleep is the biggest challenge right now - tough to find a comfortable position and lots of peeing throughout the night.
  
• No swelling - rings still fit. YEAH!
  
• LOTS and LOTS of baby movement - getting kicked in the ribs - LOTS and is sometimes painful - I find myself stretching out as long as I possibly can to give the little critter more room.
• Not so much room in the tummy right now lots of small meals and snacks.
  
• Workouts right now are still 3-4 body pump style workouts a week and 3-4 cardio sessions - usually Spin or Elliptical. Will probably go back to walking or even some light jogging in a week or so (once the baby is full term to encourage delivery :) hee hee). Also want to do some yoga again to make sure I am fully stretched and ready.
• Jody is getting more and more excited about our new family unit and he is going to be an AMAZING daddy. I fall in love with him more each day thinking about what a great dad he will be.
  

Now, the bad news.....we have had a number of family health challenges over the last month which is one of the main reasons I haven't been posting much. My father in law had double by-pass heart surgery. He did NOT have a heart attack but instead listened to his body - he had very low energy, tingliness in his arms and tightness in his chest. He went to the doc and they found out he had 95% blockage in his main artery. If he would have had a heart attack he would have died instantly with how bad the blockage was....I am so thankful he went to the doctor. He had his surgery about 3 weeks ago and is feeling so much better. Very weak but better. We are so thankful the doc found it so he can enjoy many, many years with his grand baby.

And for the really bad news, my step-dad Jack was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer about 2 months ago. He went to the Mayo clinic and had been going through chemo and radiation when they rechecked him and found neither tumors had decreased in size. They then did a bone biopsy and found the cancer has metastasized in his bone. Because he has stage 4 bone cancer they have given him about 4 weeks to live. After talking to my doctor about the situation, she ok'd us to drive to Iowa to see him and say our goodbyes. While the 9 hour trip in the car was not the most comfortable in my current pregnant state, Jody and I were so glad to be able to go visit and spend some time with him to say our goodbyes. It was also really good for my mom to see the baby belly in all its glory - life affirms life and I think me being there eased some of her pain. We also set up a Caring Bridge site for her so that she can post about Jack's health and people can stay updated through the journal versus calling constantly and my mom having to repeat the same thing over and over again. Jody made mom and Jack both laugh a ton which was great to see smiles and hear laughter.

My mom and Jack have been together for 12 years and he is a wonderful person who has had a fantastic life. While it is ending too soon (he is 68), he has done so many amazing things and has had tons of memories to take with him. He has three children and many grand children and has been a great member of our family. I love him dearly and will miss him terribly. I hope this baby will provide a welcome distraction to my mother during her grief....she is going to be a wonderful grandmother and I can't wait for her to meet our new addition.

I can't stress enough how important it is for all of us to live each day in as healthy a way as possible. Both my father in law and my step dad smoked for many many years (35 and 25 years respectively) and didn't exercise or eat well. While it is tragic their health has taken a turn it certainly makes me even more grateful for the health choices I have made - not smoking, exercise and eating well. While I can't stop anything bad from happening, I can certainly decrease the chances.

And make sure that you cherish each moment with those you love - make sure they know much you love them.

Thanks again for your comments and checking in on me....will keep you posted over the next few weeks as we get closer to BABY TIME! :)

Love you guys!
Jess

Well HECK!

Updated pic - hopefully you guys can see the pic ok when you open up the image in bigger view. Belly is DEFINITELY growing. :) It's official I am preggers. I only have SEVEN more weeks - can you believe it???? Holy cow.

Updated stats:

• Weeks: 32.5
• Weight Gain: 17 (average is around 23)
• Fundus (belly measurement): 30 cm or 30 weeks
• Other stuff: sleep was rough for awhile but I am getting more used to it now and am sleeping much better. No swelling or bloating - rings still fit fine. Bladder is ok - definitely starting to go more often but I am not miserable with 20 minute bathroom breaks. Boobs getting bigger.

I guess I am getting my first glimpse at being able to manage (or not manage as it turns out) all of my responsibilities as a new mom. Right now my non-work time is divided up between:

• Sleep (body is needing more right now - 8 hours minimum a night - I used to only get 7)
• Reading: I am reading a ton right now about labor, delivery and what to do with the little critter once it gets home including breast feeding, sleep patters for baby and all of the new things I need to know with a little one.
• Working Out: As I gear up for birth, my workouts are changing a bit....my full body workouts are the same in terms of frequency and weight load but I definitely have to take longer breaks if I get out of breath. Cardio wise, I am still spinning, walking and doing elliptical 3-5 days a week. But again, I notice I am more out of break. As I get closer to delivery, I am even MORE focused on muscle and endurance as I feel strongly both will serve me well in the delivery room.
• Nesting: Yes, you really do nest - lots of nesting. Lots of organizing and making lists of things to do. :)

I am SO looking forward to having my waist back and getting back into regular workouts. While I definitely love working out pregnant, everything feels different.

Thanks to all of you for continuing to stop by - I am sure I will start posting more the closer I get and then soon will have a baby announcement and baby pics! :) And then, I have a very special post baby blog idea planned and I think you guys are going to LOVE IT!! :)

Love you all - take care and happy memorial day weekend!
Jess

Baby Break :)

Hey guys!!

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo very sorry for my hiatus. I was sick and then got really, really busy with work and the baby is getting REALLY big so I am LUGGING my belly around. :) Here is the latest pic:

I have gained 15lbs total so far. Average weight gain at 30 weeks is 21lbs. The GREAT news is that the baby at last ultra sound measurement (a week and a half ago) is estimated at 3lbs and they expect I will deliver a 7.5 to 8lb baby! So baby is getting all of their nutrients and necessary protein and fats to grow.

I am SUPER happy with my weight....its not jeopardizing the little bambino and I am going to have less work to do because I have moderated during pregnancy. My workouts have been consistent - except the week I was sick (which I took off) - I have been getting in 4-5 cardio workouts a week and 3-4 Body Pump sessions a week. I haven't had to lower my weights for Body Pump but definitely modifying my cardio based on my exertion level and hwo I am feeling.

I obviously haven't been updating my weekly workouts and need to do a month/weekly recap for all of you. For those of you out there considering children, pregnant or thinking of having another - you can be healthy and smart in how you approach your pregnancy weight gain. And working out makes you feel so powerful - I literally feel like I am going to just POP the baby out because of the steps I have taken during pregnancy. Now, that is yet to be seen - I am sure delivery day will be a BIG day. :)

Jody and I went to childbirth class last weekend which was really good. Probably more so for him than me because I knew a lot of the stuff already but we did a ton of breathing work and we learned a lot of great positions for back labor. We also did a really cool exercise where you hold ice in your hand for 60 seconds (OWWWWWWWW!!!) and then do it later with your partner massaging your other hand and talking you through the pain and that was awesome for seeing how those things help you deal with pain. The funniest thing Jody said at the end was: I didn't know about the dilating thing. :) WOW. Good thing we went to class. Hee hee.

A couple other updates:

• Having tons of Braxton Hicks.Kinda funny when the belly gets hard as a rock.
  
• Getting kicked in the ribs tons! Doc had me start doing kick counts - so how fast you get to 10 kicks after a meal or when baby is active - takes this little critter like 2 minutes - TOPS.
• Back is starting to feel the baby more but doing lots of stretching and stuff to work through the discomfort.
• NO stretch marks - YEAH! What has worked for me so far: I lather up my belly every morning after the shower with Palmer's Tummy Butter and then put my Bella Band on - I think this combo has made a big difference in my belly absorbing the lotion. I am also drinking a ton of water and my weight gain has been gradual - two things they say help a ton.

I love all you guys and hope you are working hard at your fitness goals!!!

I will do a VLOG this weekend (for Mama's Day) so stay tuned! :)
Jess

Sicky

Hey guys...just a quickie...I am sick. One of my co-workers came to work last week sick, sick, sick and eventually was diagnosed with bronchitis. Which is awesome since he is in the cube next to me coughing his head off. Anyhoo, now I am sick (got sick Sunday) and stayed home from work today. The bad thing about being sick and preggers is:

1. I can't breathe.
2. I can't take anything for said lack of breathing.
3. As an asthmatic, colds = more asthma = not awesomeness.

Will try to get in some little workout tomorrow but will probably just be a lift and maybe some light cardio if I don't cough up a lung.

Hope you are all having a good week!
Jess

P.S. We are still taking the pregger continuum pics - I just haven't updated yet. Will do soon!

Easter Vlog - Belly Button Ring and Wkly Recap!

Happy Easter everyone! My first VLOG in a long time - almost 7 months! Video baby bump! :) And I had just finished my workout so red/sweaty face - if you could ONLY smell me too! And check out my new belly ring!



I hope you are all having a great weekend! I have to give a HUGE shout out to my hubby for his last two sporting events. He did the Hogeye half marathon last weekend with his goal of 1:44 minutes. He finished 1:44 minutes and 44 seconds. He did awesome!! Then THIS weekend he did a duathalon which consisted of a 3 mile run a 19 mile bike and a 3 mile run. His goal was 1:40 or less and he did it in 1:37!! Would have gotten top 3 in his age group had it not been a ten year age group. Normally age groups are 40-45 but they did 40-49 this time. He did AMAZING!! I am so proud of him. NICE JOB BABY!

I have been asked a lot lately if Jody is having any sympathy symptoms with pregnancy and he is but you guys are going to DIE when you hear what they are: pregnancy hemorrhoids. No joke. Now, I haven't had any hemorrhoids (sorry for those of you out there this grosses out - for those of you who have had kids - you know hemorrhoids are a reality for most pregnant women) but I thought I had one and read a bunch about them and they talk a lot about them in my pregnancy books. So all of a sudden the hubby starts saying he is having hemorrhoids. Too friggin funny. :) Thought you guys would get a kick out of that!

I am feeling pretty darn good....definitely starting to feel like the 3rd trimester is upon me - heavier belly, sleep not as easy, back hurting. And then the other night I realized that the baby could be here in as little as 10 weeks. Holy crapper. Weight gain is still at 11-12lbs - will need to weigh myself tomorrow morning. Again, feeling pretty good about everything since two pounds a week over the next 13 weeks would only put me at my original goal of 30lbs and I can't imagine I will gain 2lbs a week for the next 13 weeks but who knows. The body is a wondrous thing!

One thing pregnancy has done for me is force me to plan my workouts better and be more dilligent in keeping records. I don't know why I wouldn't have been more diligent at this previously but I just haven't been....with pregnancy it is fun to see what I'm accomplishing. And I had a long talk with a guy at my job who told me his wife ran and worked out in all of her pregnancies and she breezed through delivery - pushed the kids out super fast. How cool will that be for me??!!! :)

Here is my recap for this week - a pretty good one overall:

Week of April 6th:
Monday: Treadmill, 2% incline 6MPH jog 45 mins AM; Shoulders PM
Tuesday: SPIN 60 minutes AM; 70 minute Body Pump PM
Wednesday: 50 minutes Precor PM w/10 minutes abs PM
Thursday: SPIN 50 minutes AM; Body Pump 50 minutes PM
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 60 minutes upper body circuits, 45 minute run treadmill 2% incline 6MPH 45 minutes
Sunday: 45 minutes leg circuits followed by 45 minutes of cardio kick boxing (Cathe Legs & Glutes + Kick, Punch & Crunch cardio premix)

Running Weekly Totals:
6 cardio
5 lift: 3 Body Pump; 2 lift
0 stretch
1 days off

Have a great week everyone! Keep rocking your goals! You are ONE STEP CLOSER!!

Love you guys!
Jess

Darn RIGHT It's GOOD FRIDAY!! Monthly Recap!

Happy Friday everyone!! And Happy GOOD Friday - I hope everyone is having a WONDERFUL day - some of you are probably off....I am working but clearly taking a little time away to blog.

I am feeling great!! Definitely starting to grow more (Jody says my belly looks bigger every day). But holding steady at about 11-12lbs weight gain which I am super happy with! I am almost 27 weeks so even if I gain a pound a week through the end, I will stay under my 30lb max weight. I feel really strong and powerful and LOVE how I feel after a great workout!

This week I have been NAILING it with my workouts! I already have in four cardio sessions and three lifting sessions and I plan on getting in a shoulder/bicep workout tonight followed by 1/2 hour of cardio! And the more women I talk to about how exercise helped them have faster/better deliveries the happier I am that I am having such a healthy pregnancy. My eating is awesome - I am pretty much following the Precision Nutrition principles and trying to stay compliant 90% of the time. My stomach is getting smaller and I can tell certain foods/meals fill me up a lot faster.

I have also been trying to catch up on everyone's blogs and I am slowing getting there! I hope none of you are taking that personally - you know I love you all. Work has finally slowed to a more manageable pace and that makes a HUGE difference for me on all levels - when I get home at night I can actually workout and then blog as opposed to workout and work. :(

Let me know in comments if you guys have any particular questions for me - happy to answer anything and everything!

Have a great weekend you guys! Happy Easter and love you guys!

Monthly Recap:

Totals for March:

• Total days in month: 31
• Total cardio: 17
• Total lifts: 17
• Yoga stretching: 1
• Days off: 6

Compared to Monthly Totals for February:

• Total days in month: 28
• Total cardio: 16
• Total lifts: 14
• Yoga stretching: 3
• Days off: 8

Difference in March vs. February:

• 3 more days in the month!
• 3 more cardio sessions!
• 3 more lift/weight training sessions!
• 2 less yoga/stretching (need to work on this!)
• 2 less days off!

Weekly Details:

Sunday, March 1st: 1 lift: biceps/triceps

Week of March 2nd:
Monday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM; Body Pump 60 minutes PM
Tuesday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM;
Wednesday: OFF (not feeling 100%)
Thursday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM; Body Pump 60 minutes LUNCH
Friday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM
Saturday: SPIN class, 45 mins AM; Body Pump 65 mins PM
Sunday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins & 30 minutes yoga

Week of March 9th:
Monday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM; Shoulders 45 mins PM
Tuesday: Back/biceps 45 mins PM
Wednesday: Spin class - 45 mins AM; Body Pump (Muscle Max) 60 mins - 45 mins
Thursday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.3 MPH, 45 mins AM; 40 minute shoulders SLAM!
Friday: 45 minutes Body Pump
Saturday: 45 min Spin class AM; 45 minute Body Pump (Cathe Push/Pull)
Sunday: 5 minute warm up - treadmill at 4.3 10% incline, 45 minute run at 10 min miles, 2% incline, 10 minute cool down walk - 60 mins AM

Week of March 16th:
Monday: Treadmill 10% incline, 4.4 MPH 45 mins AM; Shoulders 45 mins PM
Tuesday: Spin class - 45 mins AM; Body Pump 60 mins PM
Wed - Sat: OFF (30 minute dog walk each day)
Sunday: Body Pump 80 minutes PM

Week of March 23rd:
Monday: Treadmill, 2% incline, 6MPH jog 45 mins AM; Shoulders/Abs 45 mins PM
Tuesday: 50 minutes SPIN AM
Wednesday: 75 minutes total body weight circuit
Thursday: Shoulders/biceps/abs 60 minutes PM
Friday: Treadmill, 2% incline 6PMH jog 45 mins AM
Saturday: 70 minute body pump PM
Sunday: OFF

March 30th & 31st:
Monday:Treadmill, 2% incline, 6MPH jog 45 mins AM
Tuesday: SPIN 50 minutes AM; 75 minute Body Pump PM

Back to Blogville

Hey y'all! I started catching up on blogs this weekend but I still have a long way to go! It is kind of exciting to see where everyone is after a few weeks! And of course, everyone is sill rockin it!!

Basically two weeks ago we got two of the largest projects we will have for the year laid in my lap at the same time. I work in advertising and work with the largest Consumer Package Goods company and the world's largest retailer so the speed of our business is often ridiculously fast. So, upon arriving home from our short baby moon in Atlanta, I proceeded to work 13 days in a row of 9-11 hour minimum days. This Friday I was at the office from 7am to 11pm. YUCK. Anyway, as I am sure you guys can understand, when work picks up like this, I have to make some sacrifices and blogging is one of them. :( Sorry you guys - I missed you all! Be patient with me as I continue to catch up!!

A huge happy birthday to Kelly who turned 40 last week - she is super smart, a wonderful person and beautiful on the outside and inside! You GO girl!

As you can see from my pics, the bump is getting bigger! :) It's kinda fun. I am definitely in maternity clothes full time now and at 6 and a half months, I feel great! My workouts are still kicking ass and although I get a bit more fatigued than normal, I am running with ease and lifting weights with no problem. While I only got in four cardio and three weight sessions this week and took off three days, I still feel really good about the week considering how much I worked. Anyhoozle, eating is still good. Am holding steady at about an 11lb weight gain (yesterday scale said only 10lbs) so feeling great about where I am at rounding out the second trimester. I have a doc appt tomorrow I will let you guys know how it goes!

As hubby and I were doing the week by week picture layout, I compared week 13 to week 26 and HOLY COW!! Look at how small my week 13 belly looks in comparison! WHOA!! Anyway, thought it would be funny to share with you guys! And we will do a reverse picture montage AFTER the baby - we will just take pics every day! How cool will that be??? :)

Getting ready to hit the sack but I promise to blog again this week! I have lots more to share and need to do my March monthly recap.

Keep on hitting it hard guys!! Just a few months to bikini season!!! And you can acheive a LOT in two months! :)

Have a great week everyone! Love ou all!
Jess

Looooooooong Week, Babymoon and Much Bigger Bump!

Happy Hump Day everyone! New baby pic above - holy cow my belly is definitely popping out. 6 months along - 24 weeks! Total weight gain so far: 10.5lbs. Holy crap we only have 16 more weeks! AHHHHH!

I am so sorry I have been MIA in blog land and on your blogs. Work has been insane since a week ago Monday and we went to Atlanta for our babymoon last Thursday - had a great time but we spent 20 hours of 72 in a car. Yikes! And work has been absolutely NUTTY! But I think you guys have figured that out about me....when I go MIA it usually just means work is crazy. I have to prioritize and right now it is hubby, workouts, work, sleep. :) I AM growing a baby after all.

Things I've observed lately:

• I had started walking uphill, fast at an incline but now running feels better. The key here is to listen to your body. :)
  
• After FIVE spin instructors at the new gym, we found a gal we REALLY like who teaches on Tuesday and Thursday morning so those will be my spin days - always.
• I can DEFINITELY tell it is taking longer for my body to recover for weight workouts - even though I am just doing full body workouts.
• It is REALLY strange to do abs. I do ball roll outs, planks, crunches on a ball - all that good stuff.
• I still have absolutely NO cravings. NONE. In fact, I don't even have any taste buds for eating out.
• I feel SO very powerful working out the way I am...it makes me feel like I am going to have such a bigger role in the birth of our child. Can't wait!
• If you are pregnant or know someone who is....I can't recommend enough working out while pregnant (with approval of your doctor)...it makes you feel so much better about your body, delivery, etc.
  

Below is my weekly recap from week before last...it was pretty crappy with work and this week I am feeling run down already.

Week of March 16th:

Monday: Treadmill 10% incline, 4.4 MPH 45 mins AM; Shoulders 45 mins PM
Tuesday: Spin class - 45 mins AM; Body Pump 60 mins PM
Wed - Sat: OFF (had some activity in those three days - dog walking, walking - but no real workouts)
Sunday: Body Pump 80 minutes PM

Running Weekly Totals:
2 cardio
3 lift: 1 body part, 2 Body Pump
0 stretch
4 days off (work was CRAZY!)

I hope you guys have a great week! I hope to catch up soon!
Love to all!
Jess

I Want My Baby Bump, Baby Bump.... :) Week 23

10lb weight gain

Hey y'all! I hope you are having a WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL healthy and POWERFUL weekend! I have had a pretty darn good weekend despite the fact that I worked a bunch yesterday AND today. Basically had some fantastic workouts, a lot of great time with the hubby and friends and am feeling pretty darn fantastic in general.

I had a doc appt on Thursday last week and it was AMAZING. Everything happens for a reason and I feel SO much better about the doc, the nurse and the facility. Everyone was very nice, sweet and ready to answer all of my questions. My doctor is so wonderful...a great bedside manner and very gentle (if you know what I mean - wink, wink). She gave me some great information:

• Fibroid is in a great spot but she will keep monitoring it via ultra sound to make sure it isn't getting any bigger. Shouldn't interfere with birth at all.
  
• My activity level and workout (I actually printed out a monthly recap from my blog for her) are A-OK as long as I am feeling good (which I am). She wants me to be careful with any type of balancing exercise like bicycling or something that would require a lot of balance.
• Recommended weight gain is 25-35 lbs (no sh** but it was good to have the clarity from my crazy previous doc of 50-70lbs).
  
• Everything looks great!!!
  
• Heartbeat is 140 (and it was the last time too) which by the way is he LINE for the old wives tale - so 140 and below is a boy and 140 and above is a girl. We are straight up 140. ;) Of course.
• I go back in four weeks for an updated ultra sound and my glucose test.

So very happy that I changed docs....love it! If you aren't happy with your doc, switch - ASAP!

Here is my weekly recap....I plan on doing a Body Pump workout tonight too so I have logged it and will change it if I need to later. :)

Week of March 9th:
Monday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM; Shoulders 45 mins PM
Tuesday: Back/biceps 45 mins PM
Wednesday: Spin class - 45 mins AM; Body Pump (Muscle Max) 60 mins - 45 mins
Thursday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.3 MPH, 45 mins AM; 40 minute shoulders SLAM!
Friday: 45 minutes Body Pump
Saturday: 45 min Spin class AM; 45 minute Body Pump (Cathe Push/Pull)
Sunday: 5 minute warm up - treadmill at 4.3 10% incline, 45 minute run at 10 min miles, 2% incline, 10 minute cool down walk - 60 mins AM; Body Pump 60 minutes PM

Running Weekly Totals:
5 cardio
7 lift: 3 body parts, 4 Body Pump
0 stretch
0 day off

Overall, pretty darn good week of workouts. I am at around 90% compliance for my food - and am starting to eat more meals because of how tiny my tummy is....I was STUFFED after a small apple the other day - WHEW.

A couple of shouts out to some people that are new to the blog. Prettyface - thank you SO much for stopping by and saying hi! Yes, my doc has given me the thumbs up on my workouts. And Kia - HUGE congrats on your pregnancy! Jacey sent you my way and me yours - can't wait to follow our journey's together!!! Jacey - thank you so much for thinking of me and passing me along to Kia! Sherry Shay - CONGRATS to you too!!! You let the cat out of the bag and I am so excited for you! I hope my email to you didn't deter you from still working towards your goals!! You are gonna ROCK this pregnancy!

And to the rest of you that were so sweet and wonderful and posted so many comments on my last pic post of the night out pics - you guys are all so special and sweet! And I have to tell you, I am still feeling pretty darn sexy and sassy! My hubby says I am the hottest pregnant woman he has every seen but COME ON, he is married to me and he might want to get lucky! :) Hee hee. But it is great to feel strong and powerful.

I am still struggling with the new look in figure....I am acutally not struggling with it - I am just not ready to leave a full blog post on my thoughts. Figure is DEFINITELY becoming a softer sport and I am very interested to see hwo they will award at the Olympia as well. If you haven't yet listened to the lastest Body Sport talk radios, go to BodySport and check out the Jen Hendershott interview and the Allison Ethier interviw (NPC) - Terry Goodlad talks a TON about his thoughts on the new Bikini division along with how Figure is evolving.

And finally, the sweetest moment happened on Tuesday night with the hubby. The baby is moving a TON - like the wiggliest, wildest feelings inside of me. And when our litle peanut is really active, I can feel it on the outside. Well, I am always grabbing the DH's hand to put on my belly and feel it and low and behold as soon as I put Jody's hand there - the baby stops moving. Sneaky little devil! Anyway, the other night we were going to bed and Jody and I have a couple of little rituals...we always go to be together (99.9% of the time) and we kiss before we go to sleep. Not like hot steamy makeout (although sometimes we do that too! ;)) but always a kiss or two to sign out for the day. So I get in bed and am laying on my back (just for the kiss) and he rolls over and puts his hand on my stomach while he kisses me and BAM! the baby kicked his hand! Jody's eyes got really big and he suddenly came face to face (or hand to hand) with the fact that there is a baby in my belly!! :) I couldn't have planned it more perfectly.

I am also sorry I have been a bad blog follower this week....I have been slammed with work and have been working out and then working each night. I am going to do some catch up tonight and tomorrow night but you know I love you guys! Don't forget it.

And I do have one question for you guys....is there anything I am NOT sharing with you guys that you want to know more about?? Anything at all??? Let me know if there is and I will be happy to share!

Love you guys and have a great week!!
Jess

Night on the Town and Lovin My Baby Bump!

Weight gain to date: 9lbs




Hey y'all!!! Happy Day Light Savings Time!!! Do you love Springing forward or hate it? I personally think they should do away with Day Light Savings Time (DLST)... it was invented for farmers that now use equipment with lights so why can't we just NOT have DLST? Help a sister out - if any one knows of another reason I would love to hear it. And from what I understand, it is really hard to get your kids back on a schedule after DLST.

Check out new baby bump pic above...definitely starting to bump out more and more. I am actually loving this stage with two exceptions: 1) I am not quite big enough to fill out my maternity clothes and not small enough to wear my old clothes. 2) I get full really easily. And by the end of the day, I feel like I swallowed a basketball - I have no room left. BUT other than that, pregnancy is awesome. I feel so blessed and lucky. I had a week of drama but in 22 weeks, a week of drama is pretty easy to deal with. And the baby is moving like crazy - before it just felt like little flutters and now it is full out karate practice happening inside my belly. :) So much fun. Jody hasn't felt it yet - but I am sure he will soon - just have to time the baby moving to his hand on my belly right!

The other pics are of me ready for date night with my hubby so you could see what I look like preggers in regular clothes. The shirt is actually a shirt I have from pre-pregnancy - ruched shirts are the BEST! They show your curves but not every bump and lump. And those pants I have on are the absolutely BEST. They are from Japanese Weekend and are their luxe jersey gaucho pants. At $56 they are a little pricey but TOTALLY worth it. So cute cause you can wear them with heels, boots, flip flops...really anything. And SO comfortable. And the only reason they are maternity is because of the soft band at the waist that you can roll - but I will totally wear these post pregnancy. It is kinda fun to wear clothes now since I LOOK pregnant. :) BTW, I had a WONDERFUL date night with my hubby - very romantic. Everyone needs date night now and then!

My workouts are feeling really good...I have had a really good week this week. I am entering in my workout for today as "planned" and will update it tonight if I don't adhere. :) Eats are good too....just a couple of cheat meals - I may even switch to 7-8 meals a day just because of how "full" I feel. Here is my weekly recap:

Week of March 2nd:
Monday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM; Body Pump 60 minutes PM
Tuesday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM;
Wednesday: OFF (not feeling 100%)
Thursday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM; Body Pump 60 minutes LUNCH
Friday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins AM
Saturday: SPIN class, 45 mins AM; Body Pump 65 mins PM
Sunday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.4 MPH, 45 mins & 30 minutes yoga

Running Weekly Totals:
6 cardio
3 lift: 3 Body Pump;
1 stretch
1 day off

Now, on to the Arnold....I will do another post this week on my thoughts about the Arnold placings however I want to say congrats to all the competitors! All of them looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL - stunning! I am not sure what I think of the bikini competition and clearly they are rewarding softer looks in figure. A HUGE congratultions to Stacey and Tina who looked so beautiful and got up on stage and rocked it!!! Nice job ladies!!!

Have a great weekend everyone! Keep up the hard work - the year is almost 1/4 of the way through - are you on track to reach your goals????

Jess

Monthly Recap and Baby Bump 20.5 Weeks!

Hey y'all! New bump pics for you....Kinda funny week 20.5 looks less bumpy that week 19.5. Funny huh? Who knows - maybe I ate more last week..?? ;) I will have Jody take a pic of me in my maternity clothes on the way to work one of these days and post it for you since it is weird to see me in maternity clothes versus my green (GRRR!) shorts and blue tank. :)

I hope everyone had an absolutely WONDERFUL weekend! I certainly did...hanging with the hubby and feeling like $1 million bucks! :) I can't tell you the peace of mind I got from the Thursday ultra sound and talking to smart docs. I have had a couple great workouts and plan to get back to my normal regimen tomorrow. Plus I will dial in my eating back in...for me, when I can't work out, I struggle with eating super healthy which is actually silly b/c if I could eat good I can stop whatever ill effects I could have from not working out. But it's mental so what can you do??

I can't believe the Arnold is NEXT weekend!! A huge shout out to Tina and Stacey who are competing at the show! You guys are going to ROCK IT! Someone please stop by Carla Sanchez's VPX booth and tell her Jessica said hi - she has been so awesome to talk to during my pregnancy and I am sure she is absolutely gorgeous in person!

Below is my monthly recap for February. I technically took off two full weeks (with a smattering of workouts during those two weeks) and since February is a short month, it was definitely not my best in terms of total number of workouts. BUT with the complications I had which cause the two weeks off I am absolutely 100% OK with taking that time off. What is most important is the bambino and taking care of my precious cargo. :) And God forbid, if I have anything else happen, I will be happy to take more time off. My goal is to be healthy and active and share my journey of pregnancy fitness and my post postpartum rebound.

So here is how February shaped up:

Monthly totals for February:

• Total days in month: 28
• Total cardio: 16
  
• Total lifts: 14
• Yoga/stretching: 3
• Days off: 8

Compared to monthly totals for January:

• Total days: 31
• Total cardio: 31
• Total lifts: 18
• Yoga/stretching: 3
• Days off: 3

Difference in January vs. February:

• 3 less days in the month!
• 15 fewer cardio sessions
• 4 fewer lift/weight training sessions
• Same number of yoga stretching
• 5 additional days off

And here is the weekly detail of my workouts!
Week of February 23rd:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Biceps (light)
Wednesday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.2 MPH, 30 mins
Thursday: Body Pump 60 mins
Friday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.2 MPH, 30 mins
Saturday: Treadmill, 10% incline, 4.2 MPH, 30 mins; 60 mins Vinyasa Yoga
Sunday: Biceps/triceps

Running Weekly Totals:
3 cardio
3 lift: 1 Body Pump, 2 bi's, tris
1 stretch: 1 yoga
1 day off

Week of February 16th:
Monday-Friday: OFF (rest and recovery on doc's orders)
Saturday: Biceps and shoulders - 45 minutes
Sunday: Light leg workout - 30 mins, Elliptical - 30 mins.

Running Weekly Totals:
2 cardio
2 lift: 1 bi's/shoulders & 1 legs
5 days off

Week of February 9th:
Monday: 45 minute treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM; Body Pump 60 mins plus 15 mins stability ball abs PM
Tuesday: Yoga 30 mins AM; Shoulders/abs 40 minutes & 30 minutes elliptical PM
Wednesday: 45 minute treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM; Body Pump 60 mins PM
Thursday: OFF (yeah! :))
Friday: 55 minute SPIN AM;
Saturday: 45 minute SPIN AM
Sunday: OFF

Running Weekly Totals:
5 cardio
3 lift: 2 Body Pump; 1 shoulder
1 stretch
2 days off

Week of Feb 2nd:
Monday: 45 minute treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM
Tuesday: Shoulders - 45 mins PM
Wednesday: 45 minute treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM; Body Pump 60 mins PM
Thursday: 45 minutes treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM; Spin class PM
Friday: 70 minute Body Pump workout (double arms) followed by 30 minute steady state cardio PM
Saturday: 45 minute AWESOME SPIN class! AM
Sunday: DOUBLE Body Pump - 1 hr, 45 mins WHEW

Running Weekly Totals:
6 cardio
5 lift: 4 Body Pump, 1 body part :)
0 stretch
0 days off

Have a great week everyone! Love you guys!
Jess

Grinning Ear to Ear and New Ultra Sound Pics! :)

Tummy, leg and foot!

Profile. Think he/she has my nose?? :)

Profile and thumb sucking.

Ahhhhh.........mental relief. I had my level II ultra sound today with people that have a brain and actually know what they are talking about! :) It was at a separate facility and they teleconference with the main hospital in Little Rock to a physician there who is trained and specializes in reading ultra sounds.

I am happy to report our little baby is 100% healthy (barring any enzyme or blood disorders that can't be detected by the ultra sound!)!! The baby is growing exactly at the rate it should be....and everything is in perfect proportion. :) YEAH!!! I looked away when they verified gender...I am so looking forward to our suprise! For the record, I have said all along it's a boy. Keep having boy dreams. :)

The other good news is that the fibroid is getting smaller and is in the BEST location possible - right under my belly button. So, they don't think it will interfere with delivery or the baby for the duration of the pregnancy. The doc said there MAY be some additional pain and discomfort on and off as a result of the fibroid and they can treat the symptoms but can't do anything about the fibroid. Because it is shrinking, the likelihood of pain or other complications is low. My pre-term labor contractions two weekends ago were from the blood supply getting cut off to the fibroid and causing it to degenerate (as I read online). They ALSO said every thing else looked great and they told me it is A-OK to exercise!

I walked out of the appointment floating with happiness...our baby's heart, stomach, lungs, kidneys, skull, legs, arms, face...all are perfect! Such a relief. Ahhhhhhhhhh. I couldn't stop smiling. Unfortunately the DH was out of town and I tried to reschedule the appt but they couldn't get me in until April. Yikes. But I got some great pics and he was just happy to hear all is well.

Got home tonight and did Body Pump....man, I missed working out. Felt really good. Kept my weight moderate and really watched myself on some of the exercises. I am going to do some treadmill time in the am and see how that feels.

Hope you guys are having a kick ass week! Since I am back at the workouts, I will be keeping my rolling log updated on the right side of the blog. :)

Love you guys!
Jess

What a Difference Two Weeks Made!! New BUMP Pics!

I told you guys my bump popped! Holy cow! It looks so crazy in just two weeks! WHOA! :) Kinda fun though...I am actually starting to look a little pregnant. Which I like...as opposed to looking chubby - I like pregnant! :) And I wore maternity clothes last week which was a little weird. Click on the pic above if you want to see it BIGGER!

I wanted to thank EACH of you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. As I have said 1,000 times, I am so lucky to have you all in my life and I am blessed to have this support system. I only shared the story with you b/c I knew you would each view it with compassion and empathy. I am sure your prayers and thoughts are one of the reasons nothing more has happened. :)


I am feeling SOOOOOO much better - no thanks to my old doc. I have slept the last three nights without hardly any discomfort or pain (night time was always when the pain peaked) and haven't had to take anything for the pain. I don't feel 100% but I feel about 90% which is awesome. Makes me very happy. Yesterday I was much more active than I have been any other day this week - just standing more, walking around the house, cleaning, etc. I also decided to go to the gym with Jody and just lift some really light weights and do exercises that don't involve the core or the pelvic area. I did seated bicep curls with 10lbs, seated overhead presses with 15lbs and dips. I also did straight bar curls and then did overhead presses with a straight bar. FELT GREAT!! I was definitely paying very close attention to my body and I didn't feel any strain or tension. When I spoke with the nurse at my new doc's office, she told me to do light exercise and just pay close attention to how I was feeling - and that's just what I did. :) Man, I miss working out. Holy cow

For those of you who DIDN'T see what I put in comments from my last post...here is what I know so far doing my own research online:

have a uterine fibroid, roughly the size of a small tangerine. Fibroids are fairly normal for a lot of women however most don't know they have them and with pregnancy, the hormones that "grow" the uterus also "grow" the fibroid. What I read this week (on forums and websites) is that usually fibroids stop growing after about 4-5 months and sometimes at that same time the blood supply gets cut off to the fibroid and then the fibroid starts to degenerate which is what causes the pain. This is just one option.

The other option is that the fibroid is just causing massive discomfort and pain because of HOW it is attached to my uterus. I read a terrible forum post about a woman 19.5 weeks along who miscarried after having a week of intense pain as a result of her fibroid and the doctor ignoring her concerns. It just infuriates me that I had to find that information on my OWN and that I don't know anything more about how my fibroid is affecting me.

The good news is I see the new doc a week from Monday and the nurse there was reviewing my chart in its entirety and will call me tomorrow if she sees any reason for me to come in ASAP.

So the hubby pointed out something pretty insightful...I have done a crappy job of showing my weight gain over pregnancy which is probably something you guys and other pregger women want to see. So here is my weight in a little chart for you:


I don't know how well you can see the chart (click on it to see it larger) but basically I have gained 8lbs over 20 weeks. Average is 12lbs so I am pretty happy with where I am tracking. I know now I will probably gain around a lb a week till the end (or more) which will put me around 28-30lbs. Most recommendations are around 25-35 a week (although my former LOSER doctor told me I could gain between 50 & 70lbs - I should have known at that exact moment she was coo coo for cocoa puffs) so I am feeling pretty darn good about my weight gain. I never go hungry and eat good, nutritious whole foods all day long.

Have a great week you guys! Work has been a little nuts for me but it should be slowing down a bit this week. :) Love you guys! Keep reaching for the stars!!

Jess

Honeymoon is Over

Hey guys,

Sorry I have been MIA for a few days...and I wish I had better news for you guys but unfortunately I have had a bit of baby and mommy trouble. Baby is safe and I am ok but my perfect pregnancy honeymoon is officially over.

Here is the skinny....I spent the day on Sunday in the hospital (again, baby and mom are ok). The short story is that I was having pre-term labor and contractions apparently due in part to a fibroid (had no idea I even had one) that is sharing space with my baby that has enlarged to the size of a tangerine.

The pain started Friday night, was strong Saturday and in particular Saturday night (couldn't sleep it hurt so bad). Sunday morning my stomach was hard as a rock and felt like a baseball was under my belly button. When I finally called the doc on call on Sunday morning, they told me to come to hospital immediately. Jody was really upset and worried and put me in the car immediately. When we got there, I heard the baby's heart beat right way and it was strong (that was the scariest moment for us – waiting to make sure the heart beat was still there) and they hooked me up to the contraction node thing that measures contractions with a needle graph (think lie detector). The pain I was experiencing was in fact, contractions. I was having one every 3-5 minutes when I arrived.

They also did an ultra sound and everything appeared to be fine – in fact, we got lots of awesome pics - but the ultra sound did expose the fibroid - which is a non-malignant tumor/mass of cells that feeds off of pregnancy hormones and grows b/c of the hormones. They gave me some ibuprofen and did urine, blood tests and everything was fine. The ibuprofen decreased the swelling and slowed down the contractions. When I was examined (sorry, I know WTMI), on-call doc said she WAS concerned because my uterus was thinning out (which as you know is what happens before you start dilating).

I, of course, asked 1,000 questions - one of which was if exercise could have possibly caused this and the doc said absolutely NOT - that clearly something else is happening with the fibroid but she wanted me to talk to my regular doctor so gave me little info. After confirming that my contractions had slowed and I wasn't in danger of miscarrying, they released us at 4:30pm - again with very little information or explanation for why I was having contractions (outside of the ultrasound tech who said that she has known people who have fibroids and go into preterm because the body is trying to reject the fibroid).

I felt ok when I left but the pain was excruciating that night so I took some more ibuprofen (doc approved) which thankfully got me through the night and I got some sleep. Monday I felt good in the morning but by about 1pm I was in serious pain again and that night the pain was horrible and the only thing that made me feel better was getting in the bath tub. I took ibuprofen to sleep.

Yesterday I had a doc appointment with my regular OBGYN and I was very disappointed. Basically she, as suspected, treated me like a whiny wimpy first time pregnancy. "The baby is fine. The pain it probably just your uterus and ligaments changing position. This is just part of pregnancy. I will give you something to help you manage the pain if you absolutely MUST take something." Then she asked me if I could take some time off work....my response was that I sit most of the day anyway so what would taking time off work do and of course, she didn't have an answer. She said my cervix and uterus looked fine. The more I asked, the more irritated she got with me. I will see her again in four weeks. Gave me a prescription for Percocet. No explanation for why Sunday happened or any information about the fibroid or why I am having so much constant extreme pain.

Throughout my pregnancy, I have not been impressed with her when I have asked more difficult or in depth questions. I could give you guys lots of examples but the BEST example is the fact that I was in her office for all of about 7 minutes yesterday and walked out with absolutely no more information on what happened on Sunday and what that meant for my body going forward.

Needless to say, I have been asking around to get a new OBGYN and am switchign immediately. I have two doctors that I will be considering....but it has really been a struggle. My cousin, an OBGYN nurse with years of experience, summed it up for me: "Cuz (she is from deep, deep Louisiana), there are good doctor's out there and bad doctor's, jus like there are good cooks and bad cooks, good singers and bad singers....and your lil ole doc, she jus wants to deal with textbook pregnancies. Minute she gets a prob'm she just gets that patient right out the door. But girl, you got to get somebody you can talk to....you need some answers girl!"

And she is exactly right. :) I am MOVING on.

As you can imagine, I am having lots of emotions. It is really scary, especially after not having ANY problems. I am so happy the baby is healthy....of course, the doc did tell me to take it easy until I started feeling better so I am officially off of the workouts - which I am ok with since I have said all along I would stop when my body or baby told me to stop. And who knows what the future holds but for a few more months I can hang tight and just enjoy the extra time I have to focus on other things - reading, blogging :), talking to friends, sleeping, preparing for baby!

Today has been better for pain...didn't really start until around 4pm (normally starts around 12 or 1pm)...and I am curious to see what happens tonight when I try to sleep. I slept last night without any pain meds (YEAH!) and I really don't want to take Percocet - even if she prescribed it. Maybe this is just a blip on the radar screen...I hope so but I am going to do everything in my power to make sure the baby is safe and sound.

Through it all, Jody has been amazing - as always - asking how I am doing every 30 minutes. He is really worried and wants our little baby to be happy and healthy along with mommy. And it is great being married to your best friend in situations like this. He is awesome, of course.

Sorry I haven't been on all of your blogs lately...hope you all understand. And if ANY of you have any insight or have had a similar pregnancy experience....would love to hear your experience. Email if you don't want to post in comments.

Love you guys...

Jess

P.S. I have a major baby bump. It literally just popped out on Monday but now that I know I have a baby AND a tangerine in there, it makes sense to have a bump. :) Can't wait to show you pics.

Whew! What a week!! And I heart you all!

Hey guys!

Just wanted to post a quick one....I am having one of the weeks I used to have...crazy, nutty, out of control with client requests and fast time lines. Today I had 7 hours of back to back meetings...no breaks - thank goodness I pack my food eh??

I took today off from working out (hadn't had an off day in 2+ weeks) and I am really glad I did. Sometimes the body just starts to get overtrained and a day off can be JUST what the doc ordered! My body is saying AHHHHHHHH.

I will post this weekend with baby bump pics but if I don't do it BEFORE Valentine's Day I just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Valentine's Day! If you have someone special in your life, make sure they know you love them and take the time to show them how much. Be grateful for all the people in your life that you love....if you DON'T have someone in your life, then give yourself some love. After all, if you don't love yourself how can you expect someone else to love YOU?? :)

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
Jess

Baby Bump Pics Part Tres and Weekly Recap! It's a Big One!

Good morning all! Happy Sunday to you!

So notice anything about my baby bump pics??? Well, I will give you three things:

1. I was half a week late (remember, weekly baby bump pics)
2. I have on my GREEN shorts, not my blue ones
3. I am getting a BUMP! :)
   

Let's discuss the WHY behind each of those:

1. Crazy, crazy busy week at work. Nutty. So I didn't have a chance to blog or catch up on blogs. So my apologies to those of you I am still haven't gotten to...I will today...promise. Work was crazy and so between that and getting in my workouts I had very little free time. Hopefully things will be better next week.
2. You aren't going to BELIEVE this but somehow the blue shorts have been misplaced AGAIN. We actually think that last weekend when we went through all of Jody's t-shirts and gave like 50 to good will that perhaps the shorts were on the floor and got thrown into the bag. It is like some terrible joke with these shorts!!! GRRRRR. Maybe they will turn up - regardless, it is frustrating b/c I wanted my bump pics to look the same in each pics (except the first one :)). Sorry for the inconsistency - I DID try to put the shorts in the same hip position but I think they are a little high still.
3. I am definitely getting more of a bump. I am still in my regular clothes but barely. It is kinda fun. At night it sticks way out. It is fun! :) But the biggest news of all is that I am feeling the baby now. It feels like little bubbles in your belly. So cool.

Next week I enter MONTH 5!!! How crazy is that?? I am so excited to start showing more and to have Jody feel the baby move. I know 5 months seems really far along but here is how pregnancy works (I am explaining this for those of you who don't know because it is really confusing how pregnancy math is done):

Weeks/Month
1-4/First (and it starts from the day of your last period so technically you aren't preggers until like week 3 but this is how all the docs, books, etc. calculate it)
5-8/Second
9-13/Third
14-17/Fourth
18-22/Fifth
23-27/Sixth
28-31/Seventh
32-35/Eighth
36-40/Ninth

I will tell you this is the hardest part of pregnancy - when you don't really look pregnant and aren't ready for pregnancy clothes - so you just feel and look chubby. The funny thing is when you are in this stage, no one is going to ask you if you are pregnant cause they really just think you look thick through the middle. So I look forward to getting through this stage and into the "OH, she is pregnant" stage. :)

Anyhoo, I had an pretty good workout week - I only got in two total body body pump workouts although I am planning on doing a double class today since my goal if four week. But I have got in all my cardio workouts so that is good. Eating has been about 85%. Had a couple of bad meals but they were worth it! :) No yoga so far this week but we are hoping to get one in today.

Here is my weekly recap for the week:

Monday: 45 minute treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM
Tuesday: Shoulders - 45 mins PM
Wednesday: 45 minute treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM; Body Pump 60 mins PM
Thursday: 45 minutes treadmill @10% incline 4.4 MPH AM; Spin class PM
Friday: 70 minute Body Pump workout (double arms) followed by 30 minute stead state cardio PM
Saturday: 45 minute AWESOME SPIN class! AM
Sunday (planned workout): 110 minute body pump class

Running Weekly Totals:
6 cardio
4 lift: 3 Body Pump, 1 body part :)
0 stretch

And the last thing I wanted to share with you guys is an excerpt from Self Magazine on Thinking Yourself Thinner (it is part of a bigger program that involves eating right and working out). It is the mind/body connection that is often the biggest part of the battle so I wanted to share a couple of their healthy behaviors hints with all of my girls out there...since I know we all battle with some of these:

1. Flatter yourself. It is a fact that women who see themselves as heavy have a harder time losing weight. Every time you think something bad about yourself, write down 10 things that are positive.
2. Find a release valve. If you eat for stress, find something to help you with the stress that isn't food. Talk a walk, crank up the music and dance, watch a movie...lots of different options. :)
3. Slow down. Focus on eating slowly so your mind and body connect to the fact that you are eating food and are nourishing your body.
4. Celebrate. When you achieve your goals (and make sure to set little ones along the way), make sure to celebrate. Reward yourself for your hard work!

Have a great Sunday everyone! ROCK OUT your goals and achieve what you KNOW you are capable of!
Jess