Going for a Walk

I am out of shape, and it sucks!

Quite frankly, I blame pregnancy. Not going to a gym in a few years may play a part, but being pregnant with Grace pushed it over the edge.  The reason? Well, my asthma got so bad that I could barely walk across the street without having issues breathing, much less walking a mile.

Now that I am nearly 4 weeks postpartum, recovering from the c-section, I feel the need to be more active. But how in the world do I manage that in the middle autumn with a 19-month-old and newborn?  A special blessing of good weather I suppose. :)  Starting yesterday and for the next few days, the temperatures are supposed to be in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Yee haw!  I do LOVE winter and the temps involved don't bother me one bit; however, this warmth means I can get out of the house and go for a walk.  What a wonderful blessing!

In anticipation of this lovely weather, I had my lovely husband put together the new double stroller that we just bought.  He got it together for me, and yesterday morning, my girls and I went for a walk in our neighborhood.  My street is basically one big loop, just under a mile long.  Despite not going for long walks in a while, I decided to go for it and do that large loop.  I managed it okay.  It did take me longer than normal, but I walked the length.

Ginny & Grace ready to go. Ginny loves the new stroller!

Last night, I began regretting the decision to walk the long loop instead of a shorter walk.  My muscles ached in ways I haven't felt in a while.  I also was exhausted. I had sworn to myself that each day we had this nice weather, I would go for a walk with my girls.  Because of the aches, I was doubtful I would be able to do the daily walk.

This morning, I awoke (after little Grace started fussing because she was hungry), got dressed, and weighed my options.  I decided that I had to do this walk. It was good for me and good for the girls to get the fresh air.  Then I figured I could always go for a shorter walk instead.  At 10:15 this morning, the girls and I started on our walk. Instead of going on the shorter walk, though, I challenged myself by doing the longer walk again.  I'm not sure if that was the right choice since right now my arms and back are sore from pushing the stroller; however, I'm glad we went for our walk.  It was beautiful out and felt great to be out of the house.

My view before we started our walk this morning.

I know this nice weather will not last.  Soon we will find ourselves under the cold temperatures winter offers us.  Once that happens, I don't imagine I will be walking with the stroller around the neighborhood. It would be too cold for my girls.  As for me, I hope to start doing pilates during Ginny's naps, provided Grace "lets" me.  Come March, once Grace is 4 months old, I plan on joining a local gym with daycare offered so I can start really working on getting in shape again.  And, as the temperatures warm up, I want to start taking regular walks with my girls.  I even have a goal.  I want to walk a 5K** again.  In May, Springfield has a 5K that I have my eyes on, the Fat Ass 5K.  Hopefully, my girls and I will be able to tackle that.


**For those wondering, I do NOT run.  Never will run.  I can't run.  I can't run for two reasons:  my asthma and my drop foot.  Before I had drop foot, I attempted several times to become a runner, but my asthma kicked my butt every time. Now, because of my drop foot, I would trip and do a face plant if I even tried to run. Now there is an image for you. LOL! ;)

Surviving Solo

I have now been a mom for 19 months. Unbelievable, to me, still  I went "solo" as a parent for the first time when Ginny, our first born, turned 3 weeks old.  I had no doubts I could handle it.  In fact, I looked forward to it.  Going solo after Grace arrived worried me.  This time I would not only have my 3 week old to care for, but also her 19-month-old sister. Eek!

 

A couple of months before I had Grace, I found myself getting nervous about her arrival for this reason alone.  Having a c-section? That was nothing. Getting no sleep? Been there, done that. Being left alone with 2 little ones all day? Terrifying!

Why was I worried? I was not sure how I could balance it all--taking care of a newborns needs as well as giving Ginny the attention she requires.  The thought was overwhelming. I knew Ginny would be jealous of the new baby and the attention she would get. My concern was in helping her see that she still has my love and attention. Additionally, I had developed a schedule with Ginny. Would that be thrown off because of Grace's needs? How would Ginny handle things when I nursed Grace? Lots of questions and concerns weighed on me.

On Tuesday, just 2 days ago, I went solo for the first time with Ginny and Grace.  I am surviving thus far, and so are the girls.  My schedule seems to mainly revolve around nursing Grace (she is exclusively breastfed); however, I have been able to balance that with Ginny's schedule.  Luckily, Ginny got past most of the jealousy issues by the time Grace was 2 weeks old.  When I nurse Grace, Ginny does seem to suddenly want attention from me. Usually, I can read her a book at those times and it is enough to satisfy her. 

The best thing about this week has been watching Ginny with Grace. She loves giving her hugs and kisses, especially when I nurse.  That can be a bit awkward, but worth it. Before Ginny can give Grace a hug, she points at me and says her newest word--boob. 

Right now, I am just trying to survive our days and schedules solo. The only other thing I work on is laundry, never ending when you have 2 little ones AND cloth diaper. Cleaning will have to wait until my DH has a day off. In a week or two, I will add it to our daily schedules, but I'm not ready for that now. My goal is just taking things one day at a time. So far, so good.

Introducing Grace Magdalen

A week ago, on November 5, 2012, at 8:03 a.m. I gave birth to our newest daughter, Grace Magdalen.  She was 9 lbs 6 oz and 21 inches long!

 Screaming soon after birth.

I finally get to hold Grace.

My lovely family

Under the blue lights

My c-section went well, even better than my last one. I swear it was quicker too.  Grace and I stayed in the hospital longer than anticipated though. On Thursday, we were dressed and ready to go home when a doctor and nurse came in to tell me that Grace's bilirubin level (jaundice levels) were too high and she would need to stay one more day, at least. Since insurance would cover me for 96 hours after a c-section, I decided we would both stay in the hospital. I was not leaving without my baby girl.  So, Grace was put under blue lights.  She was not thrilled with the experience, but she and I managed. The next morning, Grace's levels had dropped substantially and we were both released and headed home.

Home, sweet, home

Grace is a sweet, baby girl and HUNGRY nearly all the time. Her sister Ginny has decided that she likes her and enjoys giving her hugs.  Ginny is a bit jealous though of the attention Grace gets over her, especially when I'm feeding Grace.  However, I'm sure with time she will adjust to the new situation and the changes in her world.  I hope. :)