Slow but Steady

I have been in more pain, but I have not walked because I have had so much to do. I am still functional only a few hours each day, and that makes it hard to keep up with basic stuff in life. 

I had been starting to really worry about being ready for this baby to come next month, but last Saturday my neighbor threw me a baby shower and I'm WAY more prepared now. It has really taken a load off of me; being ready in time now seems possible, when it did not before.

I am day dreaming of walking on my treadmill again within days of the baby being born; I hope that I really do feel well enough to want to do that. I would really like it if I'm back at the gym starting to lift weights two weeks after the birth; in the past, I've restricted my own activity even when I felt like doing more after my babies were born. This time, I'm determined to listen to my body and do exactly what feels right and good and no more and no less.

I didn't do any hand weights while walking today, but I am grateful that I did get one slow and steady mile in. :)

One day at a time

Today I watched a B-17 movie while I walked. My grandfather was a navigator on a B-17, and we've owned the movie for several years without ever watching it, so it was a good way to spend my time this morning.

In the rest of life, I'm trying to complete projects and get ready for this baby to come in another month or so. It's amazing how I can feel like I know what I'm getting into but I can still feel so completely unprepared right now...

Over a mile & feeling strong again

I haven't walked all week because I've just been too busy. I really don't like being too busy, and I'm learning to fight to keep my schedule clear.

Yesterday I was having trouble every time I stood up, and eventually I realized it was because my left leg ached slightly every time I put weight on it. I know the solution - all I have to do is walk! - so this morning I got onto the treadmill :). Surprisingly, once I did, I felt so good that I picked up my 3 lb hand weights that live on the console and I did 3 sets of 10 shoulder raises and 3 sets of 10 bicep curls. Hooray for feeling better this morning! And, as you can see, I did over 1.8k instead of my usual 1.6k (where 1.6k is a mile). :)

Slow Learner

I really need to learn better; it has been clear for several years that when I don't walk/exercise regularly, I will be in pain, and when I do, generally I will be much more free of pain.

After walking three days last week, I was feeling great! Since then I hadn't walked in 6 days, and last night I ached throughout the night and hardly slept. You would think I would learn...

Last Sunday, sitting through three hours of church was enough to bring my contractions down to a steady 10 minutes apart. I need to make it until 4 weeks from yesterday before I actually go into labor. (I went home and took a nap and they stopped completely.) I think that not walking for several days has made my body more sensitive to walking; today I've had to go MUCH more slowly, and take a break half way through. In the end, though, I made it!

My life has practically stopped for this pregnancy, and for me, that's what needed to happen. I'm grateful that it could happen that way, and that I get this opportunity. Challenging though it is, it is so worth it to me. I am very fortunate to be in a position that I am able to make the sacrifices necessary to have a child, and I am fortunate to even have the opportunity to do so.

It's a Record

I think that walking three days in a row is a record for the last many months!

I was feeling sick this morning, and worse - totally unmotivated to walk. Last night my back was feeling wobbly, which is never a good sign, so it shouldn't be that hard to find my motivation... but, then my sister called, and I laid down to talk to her until I felt better, and then got on the treadmill before hanging up so that by the time I wasn't distracted, I was already moving. It's a great way to get yourself to do something that is good for you and will make yourself happier in the long run, but which you really don't want to do to start with.

Good Day

I feel good today!

Again, I'm just a little faster than I had been a week or two ago. It's odd to say I feel "strong" when clearly I am slow and week, but I feel so much stronger than I have in so long! It's a wonderful feeling.

Grateful for today

I got up this morning and got the kids off to school, then did a little to make the kitchen cleaner and started a load of laundry. By that time I felt terrible, and had to lay down for awhile. Having limited endurance and stamina is very frustrating.

After laying down for a few minutes, though, I felt well enough to get on the treadmill. As I walked, I felt better! I am so grateful! 40 minutes for a mile feels like a decent time for me, right now. I had three or four contractions while walking, but they seem to be less intense and less regular than when I was walking less often. I still hope that labor will start easily and progress well when the time comes, but that needs to be a minimum of five weeks from today. (I'm not due for another nine weeks from today, but I will be delighted if it's 6.5 or 7 weeks when this baby decides to come!)