Short sighted

The other week, thanks to my gracious husband, I ordered a slew some maternity clothes from OldNavy.com.

 

The dress was fab, the top is great for work and the shorts, which I was so excited about, well … they didn’t fit. And it made me sad. Sad because the fit issue was my “swollen” legs and not the low-rise (as opposed to full-panel) style.

So I headed out today over my lunch break to hit up Target in the hopes of finding a replacement pair for the weekend as it’s going to hit 90 degrees tomorrow in the land of Grandma.

I didn’t really think much about the trip as I grew accustomed to things fitting – actually fitting – for the first time in my life pre-pregnancy and my maternity clothes thus far have been fairly appeasing to my ego. However, with one pair of shorts on the body, I was instantly taken back to the old days of wanting to cry in the dressing room when nothing seemed to fit and I couldn’t bear to get dressed and search for a bigger size.

I tried to be positive -- trying on styles I didn’t like, leaving Target empty-handed to go to horror-of all-horrors Motherhood Maternity and try on more shorts.

No deal.

I was ready to leave empty-handed, defeated and sad, when I saw a cute floral summer dress on sale. It might not have been the shorts I wanted but at least it could go along for the ride this weekend. And Mark couldn’t fuss because it was on sale. I plundered through the rack, looking for a size small and did a little happy dance when I found one. I picked it up, holding it out to admire it.

“Wait,” I thought. “That’s not a dress.”

It was a romper. Like I wore when I was 5. I know they are all the rage and I’d probably want one if I was still buying size 2 skinny jeans and not staring down car seats at Target BUT I hope we can all agree that no pregnant lady should buy one of these. Ever.

And so I left. No shorts. No dress. No romper. My defeat hung a bit but was minimized by the ridiculousness of a MATERNITY romper.

I may not look good in shorts right now but at least I have sense.

Got a problem? Yo, I’ll solve it

Move that body: 3.26-mile walk



Move over, Vanilla Ice. There’s a new DJ in town to revolve it.

Problem No. 1: My bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with skim milk and a sliced half-banana was sitting heavy on my tummy – even after an hour.

Problem No. 2: I ditched doctor’s orders and ate a 3 Musketeers during my breast-feeding class at the hospital last night. The sugar rush had baby boy doing the Truffle Shuffle late into the evening, and sleep was a bit troublesome. I woke up this morning tired and unmotivated to run yet I didn’t want to run only once this week.

Problem No. 3: We’ll be at Grandma’s this weekend and, lately, I find myself unmotivated to workout when I’m out of my routine.

Solution (to problems 1-3): Take an extra long walk this morning and tell Mark to pack his Brooks – we’re running at Grandma’s. Knowing that I’ll have to run there to save my dignity (aka get in two runs this week) is exercise insurance for the weekend.

Problem No. 4: Doctor tells me to lay off the bread, making my daily egg white muffins a thing of the past.

Solution: Make egg white omelets with deli ham and Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb.

Problem No. 5: Despite making omelets all week, your cooking prowess was also tired this morning and you were unable to flip the omelet and turned your egg whites into an ugly mess.

Solution: Use ham intended for omelet as a faux tortilla and wrap up your egg whites and Laughing cow in a slice.

Problem No. 6: Traveling to Grandma’s = dinner on the road (aka fast food/no vegetables)



Solution: Serve your genius Ham-Egg White Roll-Ups with that zucchini you intended to eat all week. Score a bonus point for not wasting produce.

Problem No. 7: I realized last night that either a) years of being self-conscious about my body has left me permanently damaged; or b) I’m too immature to talk about boobs, even in a clinical fashion, for 2 hours with a nurse and other women.

Solution: Taking funny pictures during breast feeding class (offered for free through the hospital where I’ll deliver) and text Mark about which baby I want to take.



Oh, and tell him that he’s never allowed to watch me feeding the baby. Never ever.

What problems are you fixing today?

Three Things Thursday: Home edition

Move that body: 2-mile walk with Denali and ~1 hour with painting

Instead of talking about my walk today, on which I really wished that Mark would buy me that Taser I’ve been asking for after a cat decided to lie in a fancy-schmancy front yard and turn Denali from docile pet to crazy hunter, I’m going to talk about the house. Deal.

1. The half-bathroom is stripped of wallpaper. It is primed. It is painted.

You can’t really tell from the picture but it’s painted a light green – Mackinac Island from Dutch Boy. I had really wanted to do a coral (I’m sure Mark would have loved that) but my friend reminded me that the floors are a burgundy tile and coral+burgundy = ugly. With a capital WTH were you thinking. Said friend also told me after I bought the paint that a buttery yellow would have been nice. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

I actually painted the bathroom this morning because I won’t be around this weekend and can’t do it tonight because I have a stinkin’ breast feeding class. Don’t call it nesting.

2. I forgot to take a photo this a.m. because I was too busy, well, painting but the baby’s room is really getting there. The crib, dresser and bookshelf are all put together and I think I have the furniture arranged how I like it. Next up is THE art project.

I’m going to get to it in, oh, about two weeks because we have packed weekends coming up between weddings, baby showers and infant classes. Blech. I want my June.

3. And, related, is one of the you asked questions.

Rebecca asked …

I know you guys just bought your house and have been redecorating. I love the colors you picked for baby boy's room. How did you go about picking the "right" paint colors to match the idea in your head? We're new homeowners too and I'd love any advice.

To be honest, I probably spent too much time thinking about the colors and I changed my mind more times than I can count. I was not fun for a few weeks, let me tell you. But, I did learn some things:

• Look for inspiration/accents before you pick a paint color. I was doing this a lot with the half bathroom. Find towels, curtains, a comforter that you LOVE and pick a color that coordinate.
• I did a lot of searching on Google Images. I’d type in just “boy’s nursery orange” or “half bathroom paint.”
• When it came to baby boy’s room, I brought home paint swatches and looked at them in different lights to see how I liked them. It was a good thing, too, because I was so gung ho on a combo in Lowe’s and hated it when I got home.
• Also for the nursery, I picked the orange first and then looked for the blue. I knew the orange would be the hardest to get “right” and there are a million and one blues that would work.
• Last, but not least, don’t be afraid of color. Color is fun. It’s easy and cheap to change a color and pick up neutral accents.

Anyone have tips for Rebecca?

Get a whiff

Move that body: 2.68-mile run (one walk break of 0.25 mile)

Dear Park or Golf Course or Richer-than-me people who live in the fancy houses by the park/golf course,

I understand that you want the grass and the flowers and the general things that grow in the ground to look nice. I do. Really. I understand, as well, that there are things that you can buy to help make those things look nice. However, I don’t understand why you have to use things that smell like poo to make them pretty. I seriously felt like I was running through the elephant house at the zoo. For a good half-mile.

And though I did enjoy participating in the Run for the Zoo 10K last year at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, I was running fast enough (for me, at that time) that any “charming” odors of the facility didn’t leave me gagging. I also wasn’t 34 weeks pregnant and equipped with super senses at the time, either.

So if you’d like to keep me from upchucking in your yard or on your greens or in your flower beds, I’d advise you to use a less offensive fertilizers. Mmmkay. Thanks.

Love,

Healthy Strides

***

Side note about the run: This morning, maybe pushed by the desire to run from the offensive odor, I decided to switch up the walk-run routine. I have been running 0.85 and walking 0.15 but I didn’t really feel like walking when I hit that mark and decided to see what I could do. I was feeling good and continued to 1.5 miles when I decided to break. Seeing as it was probably my only one for the day, I made it 0.25 mile, giving me plenty of time to “come down” though I didn’t feel like I needed the whole time to do so. I will say that when I started up again I didn’t have any problems with stitches as I have had and today’s little experiment might be worth repeating. 

Oh, and before I forget, Happy Running Day! What are you doing to celebrate?

You asked: Running

Move that body: 2.8-mile walk with Denali

I wanted to do weights this morning. Really, I did. But then stuff happened – like the work project I needed to get caught up on and the pork loin that needed to go in the slow cooker and the dog who will eat anything deciding it was too hot to eat. I did get in my walk – a hot, humid 70 degrees at 7 a.m. – so at least that’s something.

And since I can’t dazzle you with gun-worthy ambitions, I thought I’d take time to answer some of the questions you asked on the Old Navy pants giveaway post. Today’s questions are all running-related.

LESanaty asked …

Do you have any advice on how to start running?

I am no expert and can tell you only what I did. I started with the Couch to 5K program like so many others. I think it worked well for me because it gave me a plan and goals that were achievable but was still a challenge. In the beginning, I think it’s also important to really think about why you want to run. I don’t think it can be all about weight loss or because it seems cool. For me, I really wanted to be able to run 3 miles with Denali before winter came. Signing up for a race can do the same thing for someone as well.

Jams asked …

What makes you get outside and run, you know, when you wake up not feeling it?

See above. Seriously. There are many times when I want to do nothing and I mean absolutely nothing. But I can’t. Denali just stares at me with those gorgeous blue eyes – I mean blue eye – and I know it will be best for both of us to just get out there. We’ll both feel better and I can go to work with piece of mind knowing he’s he’s less likely to chew the bed. When it was more than just exercise – when I was training for my half marathons – I found it helpful to print out my training schedule and post it on the fridge. Every time I completed a workout, I got a sticker. Seriously. And if a day didn’t get a sticker, it really stuck out like a sore thumb and left me feeling disappointed in myself. Again, goals and races really help to keep me motivated.

Mrs. Bump asked …

My question for your FAQ page would be your strategies for continuing to run during your pregnancy. Did you use any guidelines/books about it, or just go as you feel?

I didn’t read any books but I did scope out the Interwebs for advice. I think it helped that Kara Goucher and Deena Kastor had just had babies when I got the positive test and a lot had been published about the topic. I also follow the blogs of some very inspiring runners who are also pregnant and always find their posts to be a source of good information. And, yes, I do go as I feel. If I need to break, I do. If I don’t, I don’t.

I will say that I am more than likely running against my doctor’s recommendation, which I don’t suggest. He was hesitant the last time I asked him about running and decided to employ a “don’t ask, don’t tell policy.”

Bobbi asked …

Did you find it harder or easier to exercise through pregnancy than you expected? What surprised you?

Oh, geez. Good question! If you had asked me in November whether I’d still run at 34 weeks (well, 34 weeks tomorrow), I would have probably said no. My goal was always to just make it to the third trimester and hope for the best. Now it’s day by day, week by week, and I’m so glad that I can still move. I’m surprised that I don’t feel my belly or feel inhibited by it when I work out. Of course, I’m not doing a push-up any time soon. So … physically … I’d say it’s been easier than I thought it would be.

Of course, that’s not to say it’s been easy. The first trimester fatigue is no joke and it was difficult to get moving some days. Also, I think I psyched myself out a lot knowing that I should feel tired and therefore felt tired. Does that make sense?

Holly asked …

Do you want your child become a runner? If so how will you introduce the 'lil one to your #1 sport?

I think Baby Boy is destined to be a runner ;) Of course, if he decides to be totally uncool, I’ll be OK with it if he doesn’t. My priority as a future parent is to raise him to be healthy and active. Mark and I have had a lot of discussions about this, many rooted in my fears of repeating my own unhealthy childhood, and we know the best way to do this is by example. I picture us spending weekend going on family bike rides and fun running around the park and playing catch with Dad. Mom going on long runs with Dad on bike and baby in the bike trailer. I do hope that he will feel inspired by his mom (and dad) as we continue to pursue our athletic goals (Hello, marathon 2012!) and maybe, just maybe, he’ll want to sign up for some of the kids races. But if he wants to play Wildcat baseball, that’s OK, too.

Paper heart

I lied to you yesterday.

I did. And I’m sorry.

Except I’m not.

After blogging, I decided that I really didn’t want to walk Denali.

I wanted to run.

Actually, I think I wanted to wear my new moisture-wicking capris from Old Navy and decided that a run was the only way to test ’em out.

Aren’t they cute?

I picked them up on Saturday with my Crowdtap coupon and was pleasantly surprised that my “swollen” thighs and 33.5-week belly fit – or sort of fit – into the size small. “They stretch now, fit later” is my new saying. I picked them for more than fit, though  - they are compression, cute (love the stripe) and moisture-wicking.

Sunday’s run put the moisture wicking to the test as it was nearly 70 degrees by the time we headed out.

No worries, though, I made sure to hydrate.

Yep, I sure did bust out the Nathan handheld. Mark said it was like old times. Yeah, except instead of gels in the zipper pouch I put a plastic bag to pick up poo.

The run, all 2.57 miles of it, was OK. Not great but not horrible. I’m noticing that I get stitches a lot more often and that I need to sometimes walk a bit longer than I’d like – walk breaks totaled 0.5 mile yesterday :(

Thankfully, the capris held up better than me. I’m not sure how to compare them – my others are C9 from Target – but they were comfy and cool and didn’t stink this morning after air drying on one of three towel bars in the half-bath downstairs.

And speaking of the half-bath …

I was warned by a very smart and lovely lady that picking at wallpaper was addicting and you shouldn’t do it.

Why don’t I listen?

It began with just a tiny spot to see how easily it would pull off and kind of grew when I had to pee six times before work the other day. Thank goodness Mark wasn’t mad but he sure did it make it clear that I was going to be responsible for finishing through.

Hello, Memorial Day project.

Take me out to the …

Move that body: Imminent walk with Denali and Mark

Anywhere it’s not raining! It seriously will not stop here in northeast Indiana. It’s like we live in the jungle without the benefit of tribal men running around in loin cloths.

Not that I’m letting it damper our holiday weekend.

So far we’ve had breakfast with Mark’s parents, were treated to pedicures, did some shopping (woot for diapers!) and worked around the house.

And made a trip to the minor league baseball stadium.

I scored the creme de la creme seats from work and invited some of Mark’s friends to join us.

 

Somehow, I also included the rain.

We tried to wait it out a bit in the hopes that the rain delay would be just that … a delay.

 

But it wasn’t. So we hoofed it back to the car, which walking back up to the deck and then four flights of stairs at the parking garage.

I swear, steps are the bane of my pregnant existence. Sure, I can still run but ask me to climb a flight of steps and I need a cool rag and a nap.

Not ready to end the night, Mark’s friends stopped for pizza and top pick up cards.

I dropped off Mark so he could get Denali wrangled before his friends and went out for something special.

Nothing like a 33-week pregnant lady with a six-pack of Blue Moon. Don’t worry – I didn’t have any though Mark did catch me joining in on some of the fun.

After four days where Cocoa-Coconut Oatmeal was the most decadent thing I had eaten, Little Caesar’s tasted delightful.

Sorry, Denali – I’m not sharin’.

What’s in store for the rest of your weekend?

We were going to run this morning but my late night (I went to bed at the shocking hour of 11:30) combined with a headache had me lookin’ for something a little more chill. Plus, I’m going to use the excuse that I need to save my hammys for an afternoon of backyard gardening with my mother-in-law.