Perfect Sunday

Yesterday was Addie’s first day at church. That morning we woke up early to get to church early. We needed to leave our house by 10 AM to get there on time. Addie was fed, changed and ready to go at 9:30. Then it happened….

She started screaming! I figured it was from gas, so I tried to burp her again. That didn’t work. I tried laying her on the floor on her blanket and massaging her tummy and legs. She just kept screaming.

At 9:55 I decided to put her in her swing so I could through on my church dress. Normally she falls asleep in her car seat, so I figured we would just put her in there and leave.

As soon as I set her down in her swing she closed her eyes and stopped crying. We quickly got ready and left the house. Addie was great through the entire church service. She slept soundly even through praise and worship. We were a few minutes late and arrived just in time to start singing the 2nd praise song.

After Church we came home and rested. Addie and I took another nap around 4 PM. I awoke to a hungry baby and dinner almost done. My hubby cooked some very good chicken tenders. After Addie was fed and I finished eating, I started getting ready for my run.

I had a 15 minute run planned. I was going to run intervals. 30 seconds of running and 60 seconds of walking. I started off around our blocks. Running felt so good. After the intervals were over I even ran another minute before starting my cool down. These are the stats from my Garmin:

Distance:	.96
Pace:	15.39
Time	15.03

It is not fast, but it is a start. I am also a member on Nike+. (Click Here to be my friend on Nike+)

Today I did my Nike + Kinect workout. Wow! I think I may have been sweating more today then I was yesterday on my run. I felt good afterwards even though I was exhausted!

I plan on weighing in every Monday to track my weight loss/gain. Be sure to check out my progress by visiting my Weight-In Page at the top.

I leave you with this…

"I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth." -Psalm 121:1-2

Training Plan

There are so many training plans out on the internet for 5ks and 10ks and half marathons. Well I decided to use the Jeff Galloway method. I used his method to train for the Disney Princess Half in 2012. It is a running method that uses walk breaks to increase endurance.

My sister-in-law and I are going to run the Color Run 5k in Orlando on September 22nd. It is just over 12 weeks away from now. I used Jeff Galloway’s template for a 12 week 5k plan. I put it into excel and penciled it in my planner. I also used his pacing times to begin shaving time off of my miles.

The plan starts off easy with only two 15 minute runs on Tuesday and Thursday then a 1 mile run on Saturday. I am starting off running 30 seconds and walking a minute. This translates to about a 16 minute mile. The further into the plan I go, to faster pacing I plan to train for. Most half marathons and other races require a 16 minute mile.

Here is a link to the training plan that I am using. **I did not come up with the times, I just added my pace into the workouts. This is basically the same training plan from Jeff Galloway’s website. Click here >>Training Plan

After the 5k, I continue the training for a 10K that I am thinking of doing in November. If you want to use my document I do not mind at all, but please link back to my blog.

Below is the pacing times. This is directly off of Jeff Galloway’s website as well:

Run/Walk	Minutes/Mile
30s/60s	16
30s/45s	15
30s/30s	14
1m/1m	13
2/1	12
2:30/1	11
3/1	10
4/1	9

I will start this training plan on July 1st. The cross training days (Mon, Wed, Fri) are used for working out, walking, or resting. I plan on doing my Kinect Nike + workout two of those days. Sundays are specifically for resting. Jeff goes into detail that your body needs a resting day at least once a week to gain strength and recover. I am sure for the first few weeks I will need to take more than one resting day, at least until my sore muscles get stronger.

My goal:

 

Ok well that is my goal, to get back in shape, but I like running for much more than just to tone and tighten. Running is a perfect time to clear your head and get right with God. I love listening to Christian Rock and worshiping God on my runs. Not only does it pass the time, it also helps me relieve stress.

 

 

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I will leave you with my ALL time favorite Bible Verse. I actually had a bracelet made with this on it when I ran my first race. It helps me get through the tough miles…

“I can do all things through Christ…” Phil 4:13

Welcome back to running

6 weeks have already flew by. Addie is 6 weeks today, and I had my 6 week check up on Tuesday. I healed well from the c-section, so I am now released for exercise. Which means I can run again!!
Addie had her one month check up last week. She was 11 lbs. 9 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long. The Dr. said she was in the 90th percentile for both weight gain and length. I guess she eats well Her next appointment is at 9 weeks and she gets her shots. I am not looking forward to that appointment by any means.
1 month
Sleep is getting better. We are on a routine. Napping and awake spells during the day, bath time between 7-8:30 P.M. Then she eats and goes to bed. She sleeps for 4-5 hours then eats again. Sometimes she goes right back to sleep, other times she stays up “talking” for 30 minutes. Good thing is she then sleeps another 3-4 hours. This routine has worked for over a week now, so hopefully it will continue to lengthen.

Back to running…

Monday I decided I would go walking after my husband got home from work. He watched the baby and I hit the road. After I started walking, I decided a little bit of running would be good. We live in a neighborhood with blocks. I walked the long sides and jogged the short sides to get started. I only did two laps around my block. It felt really good to run again. There are some things I need to fix. For instance, since having Addie, my belly moves much more than it used to. The feeling is weird and kind of distracting. I am going to start wearing a compression tank top to see if that will help that issue.

The next day my legs were on FIRE! My quads hurt so bad. I know it was only .86 of a mile but it was still a hard workout! I didn’t realize how out of shape I was until I started running again.
I also finally talked my Hubby into letting me purchase the Nike + Kinect game. WOW!!! Let me tell you… it kicked this out of shape mama’s butt! Besides the fact that my legs hurt from running on Monday, my whole body hurts from this game. My rating for the game is pretty high, with the exception of the sensitivity of the kinect sensor. There was one exercise that wasn’t picking me up. Because the game acts like an actual trainer, it didn’t count my reps so instead of doing 15 reps, I completed like 50! Overall, I really enjoy the game though. Keep on the lookout for more reviews of it.
My goal is to get back to 150 lbs. This is the weight that I was before I got married. Although I am more focused on the shape that I am in rather than the number on the scale. I am currently at 175 lbs. This is still 10 lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight.
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“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.” - Romans 12:1

It does get easier!

I think the most common advice given to new parents is: “It gets easier.”
“Yeah Right!” Week 1 was a whirlwind. Recovering from a c-section and adjusting to breastfeeding. That week flew by, only because my mom-in-law stayed with me and helped me adjust to motherhood. **I have amazing in-laws!!! My mom-in-love came over everyday to help me. She took her vacation and spent almost every single day helping me clean my house and take care of my new baby! I honestly think I would have had a break down had she not been there for me.**
“I don’t think I can do this!” Week 2 was a wave of emotions and denial. I honestly didn’t think I could do this whole parenting thing. I was sleep deprived and still getting a hang of taking care of a little human. There were a few nights that I just started crying. I felt like I couldn’t do it. I was extremely tired, and breastfeeding HURT! I wanted so bad to give up breastfeeding and formula feed. I think I text my girlfriend every single night this week to get motivation to continue putting myself through this pain!
“Maybe this isn’t quite so bad!” By week 3 I was getting the hang of this mommy thing. I knew how to soothe the cries of my little one, and feeding was getting a little bit easier. Still sleep deprived but the love for our little girl was growing with everyday.
“It does get easier!” We have reached week 4. I believe those people with the common advice now. It truly does get easier. You learn how to soothe the baby when she cries. I am still learning what she wants with each cry, but I am getting much faster at figuring out what it is. Breastfeeding is much easier then before. This realization of the light at the end of the tunnel came last night. Our little girl ate and went to sleep at 10 PM, she woke up at 3 AM to eat again, and went right back to sleep until 6:15 AM. It was amazing! This mama got almost 7 hours of sleep.

1 day old (Born at 8lbs 2 oz.)






1 week old (7lbs 15 oz.)






2 weeks old (9lbs 3oz.)
3 1/2 weeks (10lbs 7.5oz)
She is getting so big already. The pediatrician says she is growing very good. She is averaging just under a pound a week.
Back in shape
Now that all of the water weight has disappeared my weight loss has slowed down a bit. I am still losing about 1 1/2 a week though. I am starting to do the dance game on the Xbox kinect while Addie is napping in the mornings. I also still try to squeeze a walk around the block in. Of course Florida is incredibly hot during the day and I usually don’t think about getting out to walk until it is too hot, so I try and walk in the afternoons. I still only walk about 1/2 a mile. I am trying not to push my body too much yet since I am “technically” not released to exercise. My goal is to begin training again at the beginning of July.
I think I am going to run in the Color Run in Orlando, FL in September with my Moms Run This Town group. It is a 5k length which I think is a great start. I am still on the fence about running the Disney Princess Half Marathon next February. I really want to because the RunDisney events are AMAZING! Maybe if I can find someone who will run it with me I wouldn’t be on the fence. Any takers?? It is only 13.1 Miles
Well since my Hubby is home this weekend I am going to find some things to do around the house. It makes it much easier when he is here to keep an eye on the baby.
Have a great weekend my friends and family. Here’s a thought for the day:
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:9-10

3 weeks

Three weeks have gone by since our little girl came into this world! I can not believe that three weeks have already past. It is amazing how in just 21 days a newborn infant can change so much. I am pretty sure Addie is already over 10 lbs. which is 2 lbs. over her birth weight. She is a great baby! She naps well during the day (most of the time) and for the most part she sleeps well at night. We can put her down for the night around 12:30 A.M. and she will sleep till about 5 A.M. They say a breastfed baby should be woke up every 2-3 hours to feed, but since she is gaining weight so well I just have to feed on demand. This means that if she doesn’t wake up for 4 or 5 hours, I get to sleep for 4 or 5 hours. There are some nights that she gets cranky around 11 PM and just fusses for a little while. Her dad is pretty amazing at getting her to calm down and go to sleep.

I am extremely lucky to have such a supportive husband. He watches the baby in the early night hours so I can get a few deep hours of sleep, and he helps me out when I need a break.

Sometimes moms just need a few minutes to themselves… As much as I LOVE my daughter, sometimes I need a break. Just a few minutes to myself to think and to regroup. I used my time to start walking again. It was just a half mile around our block, but it felt so good to get back out on the road. It was my first real walk since having Addie. It was a slow half mile because I don’t want to push myself too hard since I’m not actually released to start working out yet.

Here is a toast to breastfeeding and weight loss. I gained almost 60 lbs. when I was pregnant.I had so much swelling at the end of my pregnancy. From being hooked up to the IVs for almost four days, I literally had an 8lb baby and still gained almost 5 lbs. I am about to break woman code… I was 165 lbs. when I got pregnant. The day before I went in for induction I was 225 lbs. Here’s the kicker… I was 229 lbs. when I was released from the hospital. Why do I toast breastfeeding?? Because at 3 weeks post partum I am down to 173 lbs. I have lost 52 lbs. in just three weeks. Now granted that is a lot of water weight and fluid retention but it is very nice to see that number getting closer to my pre pregnancy weight. My goal is to lose about 20 more lbs. This would put me around 155 lbs. Now that the water weight is gone, I can focus on safely losing the extra weight. I am going to set a goal to lose about 1-2 lbs. per week by exercising and eating right. The awesome thing is I burn about 500 calories a day by just feeding the baby.

It is time for her 3 week picture:

Here she is at three weeks old in her boppy. I set her up in it, and she positioned herself with her arms. She is so cute!!

I hope to get her newborn pictures back soon. I will share them as soon as they come in.

I plan on walking again tonight. It is amazing that when you go for a walk (or run) you actually get more energy then when you just sit on the couch all day. Depending on the weather tonight I may take the jogging stroller and Addie along for the walk.

 

Well since my princess is sleeping, I am going to go finish laundry and wash dishes.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:24-25