::Get Fit:: Week 1

(Note: Since all of my workout trackers are on a calendar week M-F, this post is for last week's workouts)

This week is the first week where I can actually say I made a solid effort to get out there and work out. It feels so good to be on track to getting fit and toning up. I ran once on my own and my sister joined me for the second run. She is going to be racing in the Half Marathon with me in November so we are helping each other get back in the groove.

Both runs were two miles, each better than the one before. My goal is to get to a 10:00/mile pace before increasing mileage, this week I averaged 12:12 per mile. 

Plan for next week:

• Run 3 times, 2 miles each run. Hoping to get my pace into the 11's
• Saturday morning yoga
• Eat a little healthier than I have been (although making a homemade chocolate cake today may not have been the best idea to facilitate this goal :-) ! )

I didn't weigh myself this week but I did take "before" pictures. I'm not confident enough to post those just yet...maybe once I get back in shape and I have awesome "after" pictures I'll share (here's hoping).

Also, I added my Daily Mile widget in the sidebar of my blog for those that want to follow along.

I have seen on Pinterest tons of these "at home work out plans" like this one:

Has anyone found any of these to be worthwhile? I've never been one to workout at home but I was thinking that these might be worth exploring. If you have one you love, please share!

Did anyone out there have a productive week? Any tips or pointers you'd like to share?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Mere :-)

::Get Fit:: Getting my Bod Back!

Henley has been in our lives for two months. I have loved every single minute of it. While some moments have been challenging, each moment has been worth every pound, every stretch mark, each and every bout of nausea and heartburn, and every, single ache and pain. Speaking of pounds and stretch marks, I am now ready to reclaim my body. I thought I'd do a weekly check in on my weight, fitness, and any other goals I have, I'll post once a week. I need an accountability partner and nothing is better than all of you!

Just to recap, here was my last picture before Henley joined our family:

I delivered six days later. On that day, I was up 36 pounds. I thought I only had stretch marks on my breasts but once she was out, I discovered more stretch marks on my lower abdomen (I guess something was obstructing my view).

Throughout my pregnancy I tried to stay active, I ran on the treadmill a handful of time and in the last 3-4 months, the hubs and I walked about 2 miles or so a couple times a week. 

Here are some pictures from then to now:

I wasn't posing for this picture but it's a perfect picture for what I looked like postpartum. This is 12/22/2012, which was 4 days after Henley's arrival. I think I look about 5 months pregnant here.

This is me now:

I don't typically have pictures of just my body, especially when I'm not happy with it but these are the best pictures for what I look like now. At my 6 week postpartum appointment, I was down 31 pounds,which I am totally happy with but there is a lot of work to do. My stomach is larger and flabbier than I would like and I've lost tone pretty much every where. I just want to get in better shape overall so I feel confident and happy with everything.

So....here we go!

CURRENTLY:

Weight: 157

Fitness: Since being cleared by my doctor three weeks ago, I ran once---1.26 miles in 14 minutes. 

Races: Signed up for Fort Myers Beach Half Marathon in November

Stretch Marks: Red marks all over breasts and some on my lower abdomen.

Stomach: My arch nemesis 

Diet: Eating everything in sight, including tons of baked goods--uh oh!

GOALS: 

Weight: 150

Fitness: Run 3-4 times per week, able to run 5 miles under one hour. 

Races: Run a 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon by the end of the year.

Stretch Marks: Successfully find a cream/oil/lotion/magic potion to lighten them

Stomach: Confidently wear a bathing suit (I'm in FL, we wear bathing suits A LOT! and I feel I need to be comfortable before boating and beach season arrives)

Diet: Healthy foods that keep my milk supply up and thriving for Henley as that is priority numero uno!

Like I mentioned, I ran last week for the first time outside in about a year. It felt great to get out. I ran with no end goal in mind, just to make it back to the condo alive. I ran to our downtown area and started feeling winded and tired so I thought it was a good time to turn around. 

Overall the run felt great, my biggest complaint is my sports bra, I have one that I read would offer the best support for a breastfeeding mom but I may need more. My legs felt great. I stopped about a quarter of a mile from the house and walked the rest of the way. At this point, I got a little lightheaded so right when I got home I drank a ton of water and rested. Today my legs feel a little sore but that's to be expected after this long of a hiatus.

As for stretch marks, I have been applying Bio Oil twice daily but seeing little change. I ordered a cream from Mama Mio that got great reviews for minimizing the appearance. This cream acknowledges that there is no miracle for stretch marks but claims with proper application, stretch marks appear lighter after three months. I figure it can't hurt. I took before and after pictures, fingers crossed for some results.

Ok I think this is everything. Any new mama's out there want to be accountable with me?? Let's get fit together!

...and because I can't resist:

My cutie patootie!

Mere :-)

::Henley:: Two Months Old!

It's that time again and just like my one month post, I can't believe it's been two months already. In some ways I feel like it's been such a short amount of time but in other ways I feel like I have known and loved her forever. She's a lot of work but worth every single bit of it.

Weight

I did a hodge-podge weighing of her on our scale today and got 14-15 pounds which seems high. We go to the doctor tomorrow so we will get an accurate reading then. 


Health

She has been doing really well overall. Last Sunday her and I both got a little cold and she's finally finishing up with that, her congestion is still lingering but she's been in a great mood through it all which helps, especially when mama doesn't feel good. 

No more diaper rash and in fact her bum looks the best it ever has. I swear Earth Mama Angel Bottom Balm is amazing! Definitely pick some up, especially if you are a cloth diapering mama.


Sleep

Her days and nights are definitely all figured out. She is sleeping between 12-14 hours a day, including naps. She has slept in the crib for naps a few times but sleeps in the Rock n' Play most nights.

She goes down between 8 and 9:00 and sleep for about 4 hours, then she is up twice more with only 2.5 hours in between. Daytime naps aren't near as consistent. She is only napping about 30-45 minutes at a time. (She's actually wide awake in the crib right now just laying there staring at the monitor since she woke up about five minutes ago).

I put her in bed with us probably once a night. It's not always because she is up or fussing, sometimes it's more for me. I love snuggling up with her! I know I'll have to stop that soon but she will only be small and snuggly once so I am going to live it up.

I can't decide if I should implement a sleep training plan since her current schedule is working for us for now. I am a little worried if I don't do something more rigid, I'll regret it. We will see! Can't decide quite yet.

Clothing

She is wearing all 0-3 months clothes. It seems like Gerber runs really small, Carter's is right on, and Circo (Target) is a little big. Speaking of Carter's, I discovered that their outlet has the same stuff as the website and Babies r' Us but at 40% cheaper! Needless to say, she has some really cute outfits coming up and has about the same amount of shoes as I do (no surprise there!)

Look at these cute shoes!

Diet

Still just on my breast milk. Breastfeeding has been going really well. I feel like we definitely have a rhythm. I also got a Bebe au Lait nursing cover and I love it, makes it a lot more comfortable nursing in public. I'm not coordinated enough using just a blanket.

 

Baby Gear Love

She really started loving the activity play gym this month. She will lay on her back and stare at the toys or fan just kicking and flailing cooing, it's the cutest thing. She does tummy time too but likes her back better since she can see more things.

We've been using the Bjorn a lot lately. The Moby worked good, it's just too much work to wrap it, by the time I had it wrapped she would be in full panic mode, plus I didn't feel comfortable with my wrapping skills. I bought the Mody GO which is a soft structured carrier like the Bjorn but has much better back support. The Bjorn is great for holding her but kills my back after about 20 minutes.

For her baths, we are using the Puj Tub. I love how easy it is and it's really soft. She loves bath time which probably helps.

The last thing we have been using a ton is our stroller, the Baby Jogger City Micro. It's lightweight but sturdy, I use it at least once every day. Perfect for day to day use.

Crying

She still only cries when she is gassy or hungry for the most part. Now that she is cooing more, she has a fake whimper/cry that she does sometimes, it cracks us up--Ted always calls her a faker.

Social

We are pretty much back into our normal romping schedule. I try to get out with her at least a couple times a week. We have ventured to Babies r' Us quite a few times, Target, the mall, and even the park for Valentine's pictures. She also went to our town's annual Art Festival. We've been going to the park every Friday, meeting Ted at the Farmer's Market and having lunch.

We met my brother and my nieces for dinner a few weeks ago. My littlest niece is so adorable with Henley.

This past weekend she went to her first Edison Festival of Lights Parade. It was freezing so we didn't stay long but this will be the first of many trips to the annual parade, such a tradition for my family.

Yesterday she took her first road trip. We went to Ft. Lauderdale to surprise my best friend at the finish line of her first half marathon. We were a little concerned but she did great in the car, especially considering we went there and back in one day.

Postpartum

I'm totally healed and feeling really good overall. I had a six week post-op appointment a couple weeks ago and I had lost 31 of my total 36 that I gained. I am very pleased with that. Still working on accepting this new body (see my Get Fit posts that I am planning to post weekly once I can get healthy and into a routine.

Milestones

This month was full of milestones, my favorite being her smile and laugh. The first smile I got was one Saturday morning, I sat down to breastfeed and she literally saw my boob and smiled. Ted saw it (which was great) and we both died laughing. She's also holding her head up now really well.

She's also following us and focusing in on us instead of looking through us like she did in the beginning. She's starting to grab things with her hands also.

Tomorrow at her doctor's appointment she is getting her first round of shots which I am dreading (probably worse for me than her!)

This month has been great. We are so blessed to have a happy, healthy baby---I thank God for my family every.single.day!

I hope you have a great week!


Mere :-)

::Henley:: My Little Valentine

Once again the hubs came through with some amazing pictures of our little one. We went to the park last week and captured some great pictures of our little Valentine. Enjoy.

I love how many great shots he always gets! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mere :-)

::Henley:: All Smiles!

We have baby smiles and laughs! She smiled for the first time on Saturday and of course once we brought out the camera she clammed right up. Luckily my phone was nearby today for these smiles. This is the best thing ever!

(she only smiles in the beginning, the rest is just me being an idiot haha)

Mere :-)

::Henley:: What I'm Loving!

One of our friends is pregnant and when I was pregnant, I got some really great advice and tips from some friends that are new moms. I thought I'd pass this gift along to her because I remember being so overwhelmed and their advice helped me so much.

Since there are tons of prego's out there right now, I thought I'd just share what I sent to her in case any of you are looking for suggestions too!

My Favorites and Tips & Tricks:

Rock n' Play: This is a sleeper that you can move around the house. Up until this week, Henley wouldn't sleep anywhere but here. It's at an incline so she loved it if she had any gas or reflux. She hates being flat on her back so this helps immensely. Plus I can move it all around the house and it fits perfectly by my bed.

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets: These are bigger than receiving blankets so she doesn't kick her feet out of them and they are made from a really light material, muslin I think, so its not too hot or suffocating which will be nice when it gets hotter. Target sells some that are just Aden and they are the same material (which is great) but they are a smidge smaller, just fyi.

Snuza: This is a baby breathing monitor that clips on their diaper and beeps if they stop breathing. This is a good thing for peace of mind with SIDS. I got it as a gift, not sure if Babies r us sells it. There is also a monitor like this that lays under the crib mattress call the Angle Care. This one has a receiver and beeps if it doesn't sense movement. I like the Snuza better since she can have it clipped on her diaper in the pack n' play, the rock n' play, or even in bed with us. (I never thought I'd be one to sleep with her but sometimes if she'll sleep with me but no where else, I'll take it).

Lily Pads: If you are breastfeeding, these are great. Instead of using pads that catch whatever you leak, these prevent leaking. I haven't worn mine out yet but they are really comfortable and my friend loves them.

Wubbanub Pacifier: Search this on Amazon, there are tons of different animals. At first when I gave her a paci, she would spit it out and it would fall down in her seat or fall away from her. With this, if she spits out the paci, it stays right near her and she is able to get it back in her mouth most of the time, plus it's SO adorable!

All of the Aveeno baby stuff is amazing (lotion and bath washes). Desitin diaper rash medicine works great but it smells like fish (there is cod liver oil in it). Since I discovered that, we have been using Burt Bee's as a barrier cream when she has diaper rash since it has zinc oxide in it. For everyday use, we have been using Earth Mama Angle Baby Bottom Balm and I absolutely love it, plus it's cloth diaper friends---bonus!

Puj Tub: This is nice because it's made from a soft material and it stores flat, unlike most tubs. I really love this one. Fits perfectly in my sink and she loves it.

When you register for a swing, make sure it has a plug and not just batteries.

Buy Gripe Water and Gas Drops: The minute she gets hiccups we give her a little Gripe Water (way less than the package recommends for a dosage) and they stop immediately. She gets them a lot and they wake her up---no good! Also the gas drops are pretty quick at calming her if she's having tummy troubles.

Wipe Warmer: Some say this is a complete waste but if we use cold wipes on her in the middle of the night she wakes right up, the warmer we use is for cloth wipes but the same company has one for normal disposable wipes also. Love this.

We have the Skip Hop Bento diaper bag and really love it. There are tons of great bags out there, this is just a side note.

For carriers, I got the Moby Wrap which has tons of great reviews. When I get it wrapped correctly, she loves it but its difficult to wrap and takes a while. By the time she was fussing and I got it wrapped, she was in full on screaming mode. Plus I wasn't confident I could wrap it well enough to keep her safe. I just ordered the Moby Go which is brand new and their version of the Bjorn, not sure how it is just yet. We got the Bjorn as a hand-me-down from a friend but it places all of the weight on your shoulder and starts hurting your back after a while, plus I've heard it can cause hip displaysia in the babies since their legs hang, their legs should be supported all of the way to the knees. I've had a bunch of my friends really love the Ergo Carrier and it can be used from birth (with an infant insert) to like 45 lbs.

Lanolin: Get this, get a few of these! I had no idea that when I breastfed, even if she has the best latch ever, that my nipples would hurt. They hurt SO bad for 2 weeks that I dreaded feeding her and this lanolin was the best stuff. I put it on after every time she nursed and it helped heal any cracks or pains. I'm telling you this because I was blindsided lol. I always heard it shouldn't hurt if you are doing it right----not! :-)

We have the Baby Jogger City Micro (Target's version of the City Mini) and we really love it. We ordered the car seat adapter for it and our Maxi Cosi Mico Car Seat fits perfectly.

Of course get a boppy pillow, this frees up your hands while nursing and she lays on it on the couch next to me sometimes.

Make sure to get a play gym for the floor. At about 4 weeks she started doing tummy time and really loving it, plus it gives you are moment to breathe and not hold her continuously.

Baby Bargains is a great reference for checking safety ratings of the big purchases. Also don't read What to Expect---they use scare tactics. One of the best resources for me was thebump.com. They have message boards by month of your due date so everyone on there is going through the same things. I still go on there for questions for her now that she's here. I highly recommend that.

These are just my thoughts and opinions and things I have learned in the short six weeks of being a mom. I'm sure I'll look back at these soon and have learned new and better things that work but for now this is what I love.

Any of you agree or disagree? Anything to add? Thanks for stopping by!!

Mere :-)