Have showers ever felt so fantastic?

Has my chest EVER been this big?

Has my bed ever felt so delicious?

Have I started working out yet? (Only a bit of yoga and walking).

Have I ever been more happy about weight gain (hers, not mine )?

Have I ever been more excited about bodily functions?

Have I ever been so obsessed with somebody’s feet?

Have I ever wanted to care for my family and home this much?

Have I enjoyed every baby this much?

I’m sure I have. But, man, am I sure glad to be able to do it all again.

At Roxie’s two week appointment, the doctor asked me if things were “back to normal” around our house.  I pried my eyes off this beauty queen, looked at him and said, “No.  Not even close.”

Things will never be the same.  Life is better, so much better, with this little one as a new part of it.

Tired?  Exhausting?  Stressful?  Emotional?  Of course.

But, with the arrival of my new love I been reminded once again of my purpose, focus, and direction in my life:  to be a mother.

I’ll be on a bit of a blogging break for the time being.

Foxy Roxie and I are still getting to know each other.

** All photos were taken by the talented Amy Nelson.  If you live in San Antonio and want some precious pictures, she’s your gal!  Find her here…

It’s a girl!

Roxie, me, and the very happy Doc

Baby Roxie Joy
Born October 6, 2011
7 lbs. 15 oz.
18 inches

Roxie Joy

How wonderful life is, now that she’s in the world…

Does running bleachers help induce labor?

The kids want to meet this new one as much as I do.

NO.

Neither does going on long walks, walking curbs, stair stepping, moving water heaters, jogging, walking on inclines, changing bed sheets on the bunk beds, and rearranging the garage.

I’ve done all these things.

I know, I know — we all have our stories.  But, I’m convinced, that in the end the baby comes when the baby comes.

Here's some cheese. Really, though, it felt wonderful to really MOVE!

I must say, however, going up and down those bleachers FELT GREAT. Finally, I felt free to push myself without the fear of going into labor too early. I just enjoyed the weather, the music, the kids, my heart pumping, and the sweat.  And an occasional contraction.

Man, it’s been a long time, bleachers.

Too long.

I will be back.

I am officially due tomorrow and as of this writing this baby plans on staying put for who knows how long.  No signs, people.  Nothing.  Nada.

All I can do is enjoy the slowness of my days and pray for more patience.

Last week was my personal pampering week.  I’ve done this indulgent routine a grand total of four times in my life, before each baby.  I highly recommend it.

Pre-natal Massage.
Having someone rub my aching back, shoulders, and legs is the least I can do for this bod.

Pedicure.
When the rest of me is falling apart, leaking everywhere and everything, I can always look at the Atomic Orange toes in the stirrups and feel cute for a moment.

Hair is colored.
My hair is once again Fox Newscaster blonde.

OK, Baby Reading, the pampering is done.

It’s Week 40 and I’m officially ready.

Aren’t you?

It’s gotten a bit crowded in there, hasn’t it?

There are a whole lot of people out here waiting to finally meet you.

Anytime, really.

I’ll just sit here and wait.

‘Cause you know I’m not sleeping.  :)

I received a great question from Fit Momma Audrey recently:

I’m preparing for my first ever 10K. I live on the east coast, which is flat and no elevation. The race is in Utah. The last time I visited, it took me quite awhile to adjust to the elevation, thinner air and hills. I don’t have very much time before my race to adjust, so I’m wondering what I can do in my training here to help prepare for that adjustment. Do you have any tips?

There are devices out there that simulate training at higher altitudes, however, unless you are training for the Olympic trials, save your pennies.

Some people are more effected by altitude than others. Some are puking on the side of the road and others are just breathing harder. I don’t think with this length of race you’ll see that much of a drastic difference. Yes, you will be breathing harder and it may take you a bit longer to get into your “groove” — but just accept it and enjoy the fact that you are able to run such a gorgeous race in such a gorgeous place!

A few suggestions are:

- Run hills either on a treadmill or actual hills

- Run sprints on flats and hills

- Throw the kids in a jog stroller and run! You’ll feel like Florence Griffith Joyner during the race without them!

Instead of just miles, miles, miles, think intensity. Training for any sort of endurance race does need the miles, yes, however to dedicate some time each week to some HIIT is very effective, takes less time, and your body loves the change!

It’s great training for altitude training as well as just getting in great shape.

Also, I would definitely suggest to stay nice and hydrated during your stay there as well.

Good luck on your race!

Hey Fit Mommas!  What have you done to train for a race at a higher elevation?  What was your experience during the race?  Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS!

OK, friends.  Thirty-nine weeks down and one to go.  After being pregnant now 160 weeks, or 40 months, or 3.333 years out of my life, I’ve heard a few “interesting” comments about pregnancy along the way. I’d much prefer laughing over crying, however, I am admittedly overly sensitive during pregnancy.  I’ve gotten really good at swallowing these too-tender feelings and cracking a joke.  But that doesn’t mean when I’m driving away or in the shower I don’t lose it more than I’d like to admit.

Pregnant woman in the lake! All cameras were banned when I attempted get back in the boat. Now THAT was a laughing matter!

Here are a few doosies:

Whoa.
I know I’m big, but let’s just keep those type of comment to ourselves, shall we?

You’re not having twins?  ARE YOU SURE?
When I’m 8 months pregnant, don’t even go there. After having several sonograms and hearing one heart beat month after month, I’M SURE there are not two babies in there. Promise.

How far along are you?  Oh, bummer.  You still have a long ways to go.
I KNOW.  Trust me, the count down has been going on for 39 weeks.  I don’t care how far along I am — don’t remind me of what I haven’t done.

Can you fit in a booth or do you need a table?
This one was just thrown at me last weekend on our date night. I’m happy to report I fit into a booth just fine (whew!).

I didn’t know they made shorts that big.
Thanks, Dad.

Where did you find a shirt that large?
Again, Dad, way to make me feel like a movie star.

Geez, you’re carrying quite a load.
With this 8-lb ball resting on my bladder and sciatic nerve, pressing my lungs and diaphragm, squishing my stomach, and making my varicose veins look like garden hoses — tell me something I don’t know.

When do you pop?
This one always seems to come from the 18-year-old check out gal at the grocery store.

You’re not sick or broken, you’re just pregnant.
I can’t put into words how much I hate this one. I know women have been getting pregnant for eons, but there are days I FEEL SICK. AND BROKEN.  It’s just part of the process, I realize, but often I feel upside down and inside out.  Just let me lay down for a while, then I’ll perk up.

You’re armpits are sweaty.
I don’t know why, but when my daughter commented on my dinner plate sized sweat marks it just hit a tender spot.

You are eating again?
Ugh,  if I could stop I would.  But eating is the only thing that makes me feel like I’m not going to fall over.  So, get outta my way and give me another bowl of Cheerios.

Are you sure you should be exercising?
YES!  It’s the only time I feel like myself.  I finally feel great!

I never had to buy maternity clothes.  I just wore my  jeans lower on my hips and stretchy shirts.
You think I WANT to be wearing this tent?  I’m in maternity clothes from the word “go” and am busting out of the XL’s during my final weeks.  Elastic waist bands and stretchy panels are my BFF’s.

After the baby, I was back in my jeans within two weeks.
You win, my friend!  Wahoo! I’m taking a BYE on this silly competition.  Gimme a solid year, sister.  I’m in no hurry and neither is this body.

How about you, Fit Mommas.  What are some things you’ve heard while pregnant that should go on the “What NOT to Say” list?  Comment below!

Fit Momma Jennifer is 40 and FABULOUS!

Jennifer decided to embrace her upcoming 40th birthday with style: by completing a triathlon.  Not too shabby for a gal who couldn’t swim a year ago!

Jennifer was featured a few weeks ago on the “Today” show about her fantastic way of welcoming in her fourth decade. The clip is a fun one to watch:

Facing Forty

Her local news did a more in depth story about her that just makes me smile:

I LOVE it when women get recognized for doing something so healthy and inspiring.

Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!

Also, Jennifer has not stopped at just one triathlon! She blogs about her experiences and the mental challenge she experiences during her tris here on her blog:

Magic Brush, Inc.
*A bonus for all you creative types out there — Jennifer is a wonder when it comes to refinishing furniture. Stay a while on her blog and take a look at her masterpieces!

Good luck goes out to my SA friends doing their triathlons this weekend!  I will live vicariously through you…

Ironically, I’ve gotten several Fit Mommas confessing to me lately about their detestation with salads:

Every time I try to eat a salad, I gag. If I can’t eat salad regularly, am I doomed to be at this weight for the rest of my life?

As you know, I’m a shameless salad-aholic.  If someone makes a salad for me, you’ll find me head first in its goodness.

But it hasn’t always been that way for me.

Growing up, I had seen my mother sit at the same dining room table nearly every day of my life and eat the same salad.  So in my mind, the math went like this:

salad = mom food = gross

I swore off salads before I ever even tasted them.

When I did jump onto the weight loss/healthy train I agreed with my presonal trainer to eat a salad every day. He explained that I needed 5-6 servings of veggies a day, so a salad was the easiest way to get those in. That made sense to me.  So, what did I do? I just replicated my mother’s salad since that’s all I thought exisisted in the world. It went something like this:

- iceburg lettuce
- sliced cucumbers
- mini carrots
- diced tomato
- Fat Free Ranch dressing

I swear to you I ate that same exact salad nearly every day for nearly three years.

And then I hit a wall.

I couldn’t do it anymore. I hated it. I could not bring the fork to the mouth.  I hated the smell, look, and taste of it. I had OD’ed on what I thought was the only option for salad and I couldn’t be in the same room with it ever again.

Until I was fed a real salad by my SIL.

She made a killer, huge salad for my family that was full of leafy greens, interesting cheeses, nuts, fruit, colorful vegetables and a salad dressing she whipped up herself in a jar.

I didn’t even know those glorious types of things existed until she walked into my brother’s life and in turn into mine.

Afterwards, I replicated what she did and have never looked back.

My biggest tip for enjoying salad is to try new ones. There are an infinite number of combos out there, which is probably why I love this food so much. Mix it up with the vegetables, dressings, oils, nuts, seeds, beans, cheeses, WOW!! When does this get old? Just writing about it makes my taste buds water.

But, alas, there are STILL those of you who aren’t going to be converted.

So the short answer is this:  There is no rule saying only salad lovers can be healthy and fit. There is a rule saying, however, that we all need to eat tons of vegetables each day in order to be healthy (notice I didn’t say just skinny — HEALTH IS THE GOAL HERE, friends).  If you aren’t going to load up your plate with some lucious rabbit food, then here are some other ideas:

- Broth based soups packed with veggies
- TM Concoction
- Smoothies with vegetables thrown in there (green smoothies are all the rage, haven’t you heard?)
- Raw veggies
- Steamed veggies

Hey Fit Mommas — what about you?  Are you a salad hater?  How do you sneak the vegetables in?  Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS!

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Yes! Yes! Yes! The New USDA Nutritional Guidelines

I danced for the first 15 years of my life. All those years of toe shoes, blisters, and rehearsals played a large role into contributing to who I am today. However, around my sophomore and junior years of high school it soon became apparent that the directors of the Amercian Ballet Theatre were not going to be knocking on my door any time soon. I moved on to more traditional teenage activities: sports, student council and boys. My older sister, however, never gave up her leotard. She still is a professional dancer, teaches modern and ballet at several colleges and universities, and is the director of her own modern dance company. She is an athletic, strong, and amazing dancer and mother of two – next week she’ll make it three! – kids.

Ten years ago, before either of us had had any children, my sister came to me with a sweet smile and a reassuring hug. She had a performance coming up, a big one. She asked me to be in one of her numbers. Despite the fact that even though I had stopped my formal dance training a dozen years earlier, I still loved to dance. I still do. The idea of being on a stage again, in front of an audience, under the lights — well, that was enticing.

However, there was an issue.

I was 38 weeks pregnant.

You see, my sister was in a modern dance piece about pregnancy (if you are familiar with modern, you know anything goes). Their “expectant” mother had unexpectedly had her baby (THE NERVE!) and they were out their token pregnant mom for the piece.

After some back and forth, I agreed to be her token pregnant “dancer”.

Rehearsals came and went. I learned what I had to do. There was a rotating pedestal involved. I was to turn slowly around and around on the pedestal, waving my arms, leaning forward and backward, reaching, twisting, and arching to the music. All the other non-pregnant dancers would do their moves all around me. Truthfully, I enjoyed the movement and the rehearsals. I just averted my eyes when the mirror came around.

It was the night of the performance and I was beyond nervous when I arrived backstage.

Reality came crashing down as my sister handed me my costume: a UNITARD.

Not some nice black or camouflage color.

No, it was purple at the ankles, then cruelly graduated up to hot pink at the top.

You know, some gals can get away with wearing a unitard while pregnant. Maybe you are one of them. Maybe you wear a unitard every day for kicks.

NOT ME.

Heck, unitards and I stay in different zip codes even when I’m NOT pregnant. But at 38 weeks? Every bit of my overripe body from my pregnant eyelids to my pregnant kankles screamed that was just wrong.

I sat in that dressing room with the unitard in my hand, trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Other than willing myself into labor right at that very minute, I couldn’t figure out an escape plan. So, I just did the deed and squeezed myself — all of me — into that thing and started the dreaded walk to the wings.

When I heard my musical cue, I lifted up my double D’s and slowly started my death walk out onto the the stage. The spotlight was on my huge belly and that blasted unitard.

I swear I heard some gasps and whispers from the audience (“Oh my gosh, she’s really pregnant!”).

After I stepped carefully up onto my pedestal (I did not pull a Miss USA falling stunt, thank goodness) and began waving my arms around, it started. The laughter. I could not control it. My entire pregnant self started shaking with the ridiculousness of what I was doing. As I was rotated around and around, the dancers did their choreography around me, basically worshipping me, the pregnant woman. They emoted with every movement, lunge, and layout. And there I was: giggling, hiccuping, trying to breath, and laughing my head off in front of several hundred people with tears streaming down my face.

IN A UNITARD.

Carley, Mike (her husband) and myself before the laugh fest

Finally – finally! – the number was over and I waddled off the stage (if sprinting was a remote possibility, trust me, I would have). Without looking at a soul, I charged into the dressing room and ripped off the unitard. I had never been so happy to be back in the safety of my XL sweat pants with the lovely panel waistband and my lime green t-shirt that could have been used for a six-man tent.

Ah – home.

I left the unitard in a ball on the floor and went straight to the car at the back of the auditorium where the Doc was waiting for me in our getaway car. I told him to get me the heck outta there and I’m pretty sure he peeled out.

I know, I know, pregnancy is a beautiful thing. To be able to create another human is a miracle. Period. Our bodies naturally adapt and transform in order to accommodate a new little person.

But I strongly believe unitards should not be involved.

Let me be honest:  this pregnancy has consumed me completely for 37 weeks — my body, my thoughts, my energy, my conversations. Everything else suddenly fell to the back of the line when I saw that little red plus sign on the pregnancy test.

Thus, the many pregnancy posts here on Trainer Momma.

The view from up here.

I AM SLOW:  With each passing day the mph just keeps registering lower on the speedometer. I have no concept of “nesting” like all you other moms out there.  What I’m doing would be better defined as “vegging”.  It is such a shame because for the first time in my mothering life  all three of my kids are in school right now. Yet, here I sit looking at floors that must be swept, laundry that is piling, yardwork that needs to be done, grocery shopping that is long overdue. Just thinking about all that stuff enlarges dark bags under my eyes even more.  And that’s saying something.

Weight gained: 47 – 50 lbs. I have been hovering there for a few weeks. I went to the OB’s office and dragged the Doc with me last week. As I stepped on the scale, it registered that I had gained over 30 lbs. in ONE FREAKING WEEK! Holy crap — I knew I was a heavy weight, but this was unprecedented! A world record!  Someone bring in the crane, because that was the only way you were going to get this pregnant momma off the floor. I start shrieking and turn around with wide eyes to the Doc, only to find him with a big smile and his bigger foot pressing on the back of my scale. JERK. Truthfully, I laughed so hard I started crying. It was classic Jared.  I can’t believe I fell for it again.

Eating: This baby is pushing and squashing my stomach 24/7. It’s like my own personal lap band surgery. My appetite has been reduced to small portions of everything more often. I have no idea when the urge to eat is going to come. All I know is, if I overdo it — I PAY. Heartburn and upset stomach galore.  Any plans for desserts or treats have all been shelved.  It’s a disgrace, I know.

Exercise:  I’m still going through the motions, friends.  I am lifting twice a week and doing “cardio”, um – let’s call it moving –  four days a week.  Just one foot in front of the other.

Sleep:  This is the area I’m flunking out hard core in.   I’m up to 6 pillows and have been on the couch for over a month in a futile effort to relieve some discomfort.  The upside is there are many more hours in the dead of night to inhale some more great books.  My personal thanks goes out to all the many, many talented authors out there.  I don’t know what I’d do without you.  Probably get the kitchen cleaned, but we won’t go there.

The upside down baby issue:  This baby has been breech for many weeks now. After seeing that little cranium pop up by my ribs day after day and staying up nights watching clips through my fingers on YouTube about it, I had decided to go ahead with the external version. In this small town, that is unheard of, but I twisted my doctor’s arm to give it a go. I figured I could endure anything for 2 minutes in an effort to deliver this baby without a c-section.  However, after all was decided and scheduled at the hospital (it was supposed to be today), this little one pulled a front somersault when no one was looking. So, head is down, feet are happily kicking me in the ribs as I write and I have been smiling about this development for days.

So, now the waiting game begins.  I guess I’d better pack a bag or something.  Actually, I’ll have my kids do it.  I just don’t have the energy right now…

How about you, Fit Mommas?  How do you feel during your last weeks of pregnancy?  Do you throw it into high gear with preparations, or slow down to a near stand still like me?  Comment below — I’d love to hear your stories!