40-something, schmorty-something

As a 40-something mom of a 2-year-old, I sometimes worry that people will think I'm Milo's grandma. Some days are definitely better than others. I know it's vanity that makes me want to look younger than my 40-something years, but something deeper than vanity makes me want to feel younger.

Backyard bubbles

I suppose every mother worries about not being around for her child -- heck, I'm sure fathers feel that too -- but when you start out later than lots of other moms, you probably worry more. My family has mixed results when it comes to longevity. My paternal grandpa lived to be 98. My paternal grandma was in her mid-80s, having fought Parkinson's disease for many, many years. My mother's parents were both in their 70s, and Mom was just 70 when we lost her.

Active Mom does active stuff (at Milo's birthday party).

I try really hard to eat right (ish) and exercise on a regular basis. All with the hopes of living long enough to see grandchildren one day. Yes, I know he's only 2 and I don't want him to be a teenage father. So, I'll have to live well into my 90s to get the most out of grandparenthood. And I'll need to keep active so my grandkids don't remember me as tottering (or worse, invalid) old Grandma Pammeey. I also want Milo to remember his childhood as active, with a youthful-seeming mom.

It would be great to look like a 30-something mom, but the more important objective for me is to act and feel like a much younger person. Lucky for me, my high-energy toddler keeps me active, and I have a really good gym membership. And, in 30 or so years, I hope I can be an active granny too.

Family outing

This afternoon, the whole family went for a walk. The S.O. and I packed Milo into his Baby Bjorn, strapped Ripley into her harness, put on our walking shoes and took a hike around the block.

True, it wasn't much of an outing, but it's one of my first small steps toward getting back in shape. I see the doctor next week and I expect her to release me to exercise. Still, I don't think I'll be ready for Boot Camp or boxing for a while.

We really need to get a tripod so we can get photos of these family moments! Because we don't and we didn't, here's a picture of Milo in his superhero cape.*

*Actually a picture of what it looks like when you swaddle your baby while you're half asleep.

Take a hike

The S.O. is pretty excited about the Baby Bjorn. Milo? Not so much.

We'll all have to wait a few days before we get out anyway. Springtime in Colorado means for every warm sunny day, we get a cold gloomy one.

Week 28: A bag of flour

With approximately three months left in my pregnancy, things are starting to get really real. I have started purchasing some items. The S.O. and I have created baby registries. My friends are starting to plan a shower. I've even started my hospital checklist. And we'll attend a birth class this month.

My e-mail newsletter from Fit Pregnancy this week tells me I may start to experience Braxton Hicks contractions around this time. For those of you who don't know (like me):

Braxton Hicks contractions  are "irregular, mild tightness or cramping, usually felt in the lower abdomen, lasts a few seconds and may increase during the night and while exercising. Unlike true labor contractions, Braxton Hicks do not progress in frequency."

The information about Baby is pretty interesting:

"Your baby has doubled her weight in the past month and is the size of a bag of flour. She now weighs almost 2 1/2 pounds. Her total length is nearly fifteen inches. Your baby's lungs are now capable of breathing air! This is big news. It means if the baby is born from now on, she'll be able to survive with less medical intervention. Your baby's main job right now is to put the finishing touches on major organ systems, such as her brain, lungs, and liver. As you can probably tell, she's also working on gaining layers of fat. Her body fat is about 2 to 3 percent. Your baby's eyes, which were covered by her eyelid folds at the sixth week of development, are capable of opening this week. Her sucking and swallowing skills are improving."

But the info on my changing body is a bit redundant now as I already see or am experiencing those things without being told. "You're getting larger, and as you get larger, you become more uncomfortable. Your legs may ache or cramp, it's hard to get a good sleeping position, and the baby is big enough to give you some sharp kicks to the ribs!"

Yep. You don't need to tell me I'm getting larger. I see it. Almost daily. Everything is more difficult now. I'm still working out, but at a much, much lower intensity. Just walking up and down the stairs has me out of breath, but I know how important exercise is, so I'm keeping at it. (In fact, I recently became a Certified Fitness Trainer! That should help motivate me to get back in shape after Baby is born.)

This is a real thing

Earlier this month, I posted a funny video about prenatal pole dancing. Ha ha. Nobody's going to pole dance while pregnant. Right? However, it seems they just might belly dance while pregnant.

I found this DVD while looking for some prenatal workout videos at Amazon. And it gets four stars from customers. What it doesn't get is any kind of description. It's also not the only prenatal belly dance DVD available.

Maybe I'm just really self-conscious, and maybe I wouldn't belly dance if I weren't pregnant, but it seems a little silly to me.  I just can't imagine shimmying my big ol' pregnant belly around the way belly dancing requires. (At least the way I've seen it done.)

On the other hand, if it gets a momma-to-be up off the couch and moving, who am I to judge?

Week 12: All about high fiber and low impact

I'm right at week 12 now and definitely feeling better. Although, today is a gloomy fall day, dreary, cool and rainy, and it has me feeling a little blue. And my e-mail newsletter from Fit Pregnancy didn't really help.

This is about the time the muscles of your stomach slow down, making your stools harder and drier and making you gassier.

This whole miracle of life thing can be pretty gross sometimes. They do go on to tell me that brisk walks, high-fiber foods -- like fresh vegetables and dried fruit -- plenty of water will help keep my intestinal tract moving.

Then there's this sentence about my growing baby: "This begins the age when the fetus starts to look really cut in those womb pictures." I think they probably mean "cute." But I was working out an awful lot before I got pregnant and this is Fit Pregnancy, so maybe the little Nubbin is totally "cut" and buff.

Speaking of working out, I tried my first Yoga Mama workout this morning. It was available to watching instantly on Netflix so I didn't have to buy it. I've never been very good at yoga, and in the past, yoga videos have sometimes been annoying, because it's hard to watch and recreate the poses at the same time. The instructor in this video describes the poses thoroughly, then gives the pose name. Because it's designed for pregnant women, it's very slow and low impact and more about connecting with your body and your baby. It may be a bit airy fairy for some people, but I needed something relaxing on this ugly fall morning. And it did calm my mind.