The Bed Rest Book Club
Share it!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Dining (Vegan and Nonvegan)
  • Running Stuff
  • Recipes!

Hitting our Stride

2/19/2010

0 Comments

 
So much to discuss! This will be a long post, so pull up a seat, pour yourself some coffee, and settle in, dear friend.

It all started with the simple task of cleaning out the closets...

As you know, we are in the throes of Baby House. As of today, the sellers accepted the appraisal price (!!!) AND they completed all of the necessary repairs, minus one big one. The Whippersnapper is on it and is assuring us that the house will be ready by this weekend. The lender has all of our finances in order and we have transferred all necessary monies to complete the deal...in other words, our bags are packed, we know where the hospital is, we are just waiting for those first few contractions to really kick in (or our housing 'water' to break, so to speak) and then WE ARE BUYING A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!  ::squeal::

I've only felt this level of excitement during several other moments in my life...leaving for Ireland caused this feeling of butterflies. When Brian proposed. The weeks before our wedding (not the actual week of the wedding; no, that was a trainwreck-filled disaster of seven days that started with a broken water heater and ended with...well, you know what.) The weekend before Scotty's arrival, I had this feeling. And now, my toes are a little tingly, my stomach is a little queasy, and I'm probably talking faster than normal.

I've been quizzing the Whippersnapper about our closing date much in the same manner I quizzed George for my due date. "Do you think it will happen soon?" "What else needs to happen?" "What can we do to make this happen sooner?" "Does everything look okay?" I actually told the Whippersnapper about my ob/realtor analogy, and she loved it. I'm really starting to like her -- she is amazingly good at her job and is just a really nice, fun person. I feel like we've entrusted her with a job so important (and essential to our physical and mental well-being) and she has just been a super star. I think she is definitely making the list for Christmas cards this year.

So, with our move just weeks away, I started to clean out our cabinets. My goal was to use up - not throw out - all of the stuff we've collected over the years. Do I really need 4 different kinds of shampoo? Why do I keep buying more? Ditto for body lotion, bath soap, etc. Even our kitchen cabinets are packed to the gills with cans of food, coffee, tuna. We would likely survive nuclear war based on my preparations. Anyways, this has spurred my creativity to figure out how to use up all of this before we move. And, as we know, thinking about new uses for old things (just like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand) actually strengthens your brain. Poor Brian has had to endure all kinds of creative meals in the last few weeks, but it has made my mood brighten and dinner time has become a fun challenge, not the boring task it has been in months past.

Also, in my cleaning frenzy, I stumbled across a small sample of face tanner. I had likely ripped this out of a magazine in months past, threw it under the bathroom cabinet and promptly forgot about it. Now, you also have to know that I stopped tanning cold turkey about three years ago. I'm not sure if I fit the definition of a tan-o-rexic, but I certainly loved indoor tanning (and outdoor!). I felt better when I was tan. I gave it when we started trying to have a baby, not because it is nearly toxic for your health. It was a hard thing to give up, but I'm glad I did it. I had a bad experience with self-tanner about eight years ago (that prompted Brian to hold up an orange near my leg, and declare my leg to be the winner) so I felt resigned to just figure out how to embrace my fleshy white self.

Cue the facial tanner. In my mission to use up everything in our house, I decided to slather a little on. My face brightened! It was tan...kind of. It was tan enough for me, at least, and I did it in a safe manner. I was so excited I ran out to buy body lotion with self-tanner. I guess things have really improved in eight years.

Looking at my lovely bronzed legs inspired me to think about what is underneath that skin...which lead me to the gym. I'm happy to report that since February started, I've managed to hit the treadmill, elliptical several times AND attend one (horribly painful) body pump class. I don't think I've lost any weight, but I cannot state how wonderful it feels to actually use my body again and to use it for non-incubator purposes. I feel like me again. I think I might have underestimated the extent that bed rest took on my body; not only could I not do a lunge with weight, I could barely do the damn lunge at all. Wow. I hadn't lifted a weight since 2008. I'm fairly certain my abs haven't even come together yet, since if you poke me in the middle of my tummy, it's still really squishy. So yes, I have a lot of work to do but I feel so excited to be able to run, walk, lunge (kind of) and break a sweat without worrying about how I'm affecting my baby. Hooray!

(also, this gym commitment was spurred on by a recent wardrobe reduction. I was collecting clothing to give to charity when I stumbled upon several old skirts and shirts. "Look at how teeny-tiny this skirt is!" I cried to Brian one night. He nodded appreciatively. "I wore this to Jen's bachelorette party! That was only four years ago!" Brian nodded again. "I was a saucy little thing, wasn't I?" I asked him. He agreed again. (poor guy. He could only nod at this point. We were headed into dangerous territory.)  "Now, I'm not saucy; I'm just sauce," I told him. "Gravy. I'm like gravy." And at this point, he started snickering. At least he thinks I'm funny, despite the current size of my waist.)

I have just had tons of energy since my recent gym visits (minus the few days after Body Pump; I can barely walk up and down the stairs). Scotty and I have gone to the park (facing forward in the stroller!) to enjoy the lovely Vegas weather.  We attended a Valentine's Day party last Saturday and on Friday night, I sat at our kitchen table, happily cutting out paper hearts for cards that we planned to distribute to the other children. My oatmeal cookies were cooling on the counter and I thought to myself, "Is this motherhood? Because if it is, this rocks." THIS is how I picture motherhood - sunny days in the park, crafts, cookies, happy baby babbling in the high chair. I know that I've vacillated between staying at home and possibly going back to work, but I am so happy I chose to stay home. This lifestyle is really fun, not to mention incredibly rewarding. We have finally moved past sleep-deprivation and SwaddleGate and are really hitting our stride.

So yeah, after all of that, I am feeling great. Cleaning out the closets lead to me using my brain in new and creative ways. Which then prompted me to tan safely, hit the gym, start some craft projects and actually enjoy my choices. It only took us six months, but we got there. We got there.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    About Me

    Think of this as the epilogue to Bridget Jones' story. Well, mostly. Bridget marries the handsome lawyer, starts a blog while on bedrest, and decides marathon running sounds like fun. Bridget goes through a divorce but keeps running. Hilarity ensues. 

    Archives

    September 2020
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    September 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009

    Categories

    All
    Adolescence
    Baby Activities
    Baby Care
    Bed Rest
    Book Reviews
    Bravo Tv
    Breast Feeding
    Cool Stuff
    Craftiness
    Craig\'s List
    Dogs
    Emma
    Ethical Dilemmas
    Family
    Family Relationships
    Food
    Football Season
    Friendship
    Google List
    Grief
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Bloggers
    I Hate Our Neighborhood
    Junior League
    Kernicterus
    Milestones
    Motherdhood
    Motherhood
    Movies
    My Bladder
    New House
    Numbers
    Pending Reviews
    Post Partum
    Potty Training
    Potty-training
    Pregnancy
    Relationships
    Reviews
    Running
    Scary Stuff
    School
    Scotty
    Sleep
    Sororities
    Sunshine Cupcakes
    Surgery
    The Bobby
    The Holidays
    The Miracle Blanket
    The New House
    Todderville
    Toddlerville
    Toys
    Tv
    Tv Review
    Tv Reviews
    Unpopular Opinions
    Vegas
    Weight Loss
    Weird Stuff Kim Says
    Work

    RSS Feed

Thanks for reading!