Maute Moo Update – Week 32

Another Week. Another Update. It is crazy how much can change in one week when you are pregnant. This baby is growing and moving. Although it hasn’t been confirmed by my doctor, I feel like his positioning in my stomach has changed. Fingers crossed that he is head down and preparing for his journey into the world.  He still favors my right side. Last night Christian and I were treated to a belly show put on by Chet’s acrobatics. At one point my stomach was huge on my right side and nearly flat on the left. I love this part of pregnancy except for when he decides to wedge himself under my rib cage. Ouch!

Running – After finishing the Wicked 10k on Saturday, I told Christian I will happily embrace my 2-3 mile runs through out the week from this point forward.  I’m really glad I ran that race. It felt good to be in a race corral. It felt good to cross a finish line, but it was a hard race. Now that the race is behind me, I am quite content with the idea of running a few miles here or there for the rest of my pregnancy. I might even give the elliptical a try.

Yoga – All I have to say about yoga is Thank Goodness! Thank goodness I have it in my weekly routine. Thank goodness my mom has embraced Thursday afternoons with Cole so I can have the 2 hours to myself.

Belly Growth – I really feel pregnant this week. I mean REALLY pregnant! Since I already have a short torso, I feel like Chet has claimed every possible vertical inch in my body. There is no where left for him to go but out. The space that used to exist between my boobs and my belly no long exists. Putting on my shoes is now difficult. Shaving my legs is getting hard. I know I’m supposed to gain a pound per week until my due date, but I’m not sure where I’m going to store another 8 lbs. It will be fun to watch it all evolve although I suspect it will be quite uncomfortable.

Cravings – No crazy cravings this week, although I am constantly hungry again. I feel like I’m eating from the moment I wake up right up until dinner time. I’m really glad we didn’t pass out Halloween candy this year. I might have eaten it all out of convenience!

Sleep – I can’t get enough. I’m still sleeping fairly well each night. I always wake up to use the bathroom once. If only I could make my alarm clock break, I might wake up feeling refreshed.

Birthing Plan – I’ve touched on this topic quite a bit lately. It’s the thing I think about the most. I used to think about running after work. I used to think about what fun family activity I could plan on the weekends. Those have all taken a back burn. My focus lately has been the delivery of Chet. I’m reading books. I’m searching blogs. I’m googling it like crazy.

After some unexpected insecurities surfaced last Wednesday, Christian and I revisited the idea of hiring one of the doulas who teaches our class. We talked about it briefly on Thursday morning. I talked about it again before and after my yoga class with a few friends and the yoga instructor. Sometimes you just need someone else to put their stamp of approval on your thought process. Katie, my yoga instructor, said in to me, “Based on everything you’ve said, you kind of scream doula to me”. She couldn’t have said it better. I’ve known since I got pregnant that I’d love to have a doula in the delivery room with us. The only thing holding us back from hiring a doula from day 1 is the cost of the service.

As soon as I got home from yoga that night, I emailed our doulas. I didn’t want to get my heart set on having one of them in the room with us if they were already committed to another mom. The following day I heard back from them. We have a doula! I think I even did a little dance around the living room.  As soon as I heard yes, everything felt right about our birth plan. After all my stressing and anxiety over the protocol involved in the process, I finally feel like I have all the pieces we need  for Chet’s arrival. Christian and I have gained so much knowledge about the birthing process. I love the idea of having a doula with us to serve as our advocate and our support system.  I know that the day Chet is born with be an emotion filled process. It feels good knowing we will have someone logical in the room with us who has done this all before.

As for the cost hesitations associated with hiring a doula, as soon as I put it into perspective it seems like a no brainer for us. We spent more on one road bike last year than we will spend on having a doula. We easily spent more on Cole’s birthday. Why not spend the same on Chet’s actual birth day? Although the timing of an additional expense is hard consider the holidays always drain our bank account, I have no doubt that it will work itself out. It always does.

Fun Pregnancy Observation – My whole life I have looked a lot younger than my actual age. I really disliked this fact for a long time. Now that I’m in my 30s, I embrace it! When I was pregnant with Cole, I was 23 years old. Although I was 23, I could have easily passed for 16. I got a lot of dirty looks from people out in public. I’m assuming they thought I was too young to be pregnant. I got several rude comments. Strangers were always fishing for information to confirm that I was married.

Now that I”m 31, I could probably pass for 25. The water retention at this point in my pregnancy doesn’t help with a mature face. My cheeks are chubbier. My face is more round. I know I look even younger. Everyone I meet who asks about my pregnancy asks me if this is my first child. They all seem shocked when I say no.

According to my appearance, public opinion is that I was too young to be pregnant with Cole. I’m old enough to be pregnant with Chet, but he should probably be my first child. I can’t help but laugh!

We go back to the doctor on Friday! I can’t wait to find out if Chet is head down! 56 more days until my due date!

I got beat by my Mom!

Meet my Mom:

If you asked my mom to talk about herself, she would probably just laugh. If you ask her about her hobbies, she would probably say “oh I don’t know. I like walking. I like painting. I like making my kids happy and my grandkids happy.” Not far off, right Mom?

If you ask anyone about my mom, they will tell you see is always happy and always giving. You may have even notice on my blog that she comments under the name “Happy Maker”.  My mom is a happy maker. She is constantly giving of herself. She does just about anything if it means that outcome will make someone happy. Making other people happy makes my mom happy.

BUT……..

My mom RARELY does anything for just herself. I’ve never know her to indulge in quality alone time. She doesn’t spoil herself. She never puts her needs before the needs of anyone.

There are many, many times in my life that I wish my mom would do more for herself. I wish she would treat herself. I wish she would say no to requests because she had made plans for herself that day. She doesn’t. She never will. It’s not who she is, and it wouldn’t make her happy.  When she called me to tell me she registered for the Wicked 10k this year, I almost feel out of my chair.  I was so excited for her. I know if I had requested that she do it with me, she would have signed up as soon as we hung up the phone.  I didn’t ask her to run this 10k. She did it for herself.

When the weather forecast turned nasty for Saturday, I was afraid she wouldn’t show up to the start line. (She hates to be cold). She showed up.  I got a late start heading to the race, so we never meet up at the start line.

The entire time I was out on the course, I was thinking about my mom. Please let her being enjoying herself. I hope my mom isn’t miserable. I hope she finishes and feels proud. When I made the final turn onto the boardwalk and it started to downpour, I started to worry about her. I really hope she didn’t just head back to her car. My poor mom is never going to run another race again. She has to be miserable in this weather.

When I crossed the finish line, I asked Christian if he had seen my mom on the course.  With a huge grin on his face, he told me she had already finished. What? She beat me!

Not only did my mom sign up, show up, and finish this race on her own………….SHE DID AMAZING! My mom, who routinely walks for exercises, has never run. She ran portions of the 10k on Saturday. She showed up on her own. She kicked ass during the race. She crossed the finished line with an amazing time. To say I’m proud of her is an understatement. I’m over the moon excited for her. She deserves her moment of self-pride more than anyone I know. I wish I could have seen her crossing the finish line, but I’m really glad she beat me. Christian said she was grinning from ear to ear (under the scarf she had tied around her head to protect her from the rain).  Mom…you know they take your picture as you cross the finish line 🙂 I can’t wait for those photos!

Since neither of us expected my mom to kick my butt, I didn’t even get to see her after the race. She figured I was done and headed home.

From cheering me on during races to kicking my butt! Go Mom!!!!

Mom – I hope you hold on to that feeling you had as you crossed the finish line. I even hope you found it addictive. You earned it, and you deserve it!

Chip Time: 1:29:21

Pace: 14:25 min/miles

She finished 220th out of her age group!

This just proves my point that we are so much stronger than we think. We are capable of so much more.

Rematch in 2012…………..(and we have to make sure we actually see each other!)

Wicked 10k Waddle

Let me start by saying that running a 10k at 31 weeks, 5 days pregnant was so much harder than running a half-marathon at 23 weeks, 6 days pregnant.  What start off as two painful first miles turned into 4.2 more enjoyable miles.

The weather forecast for today was not looking good when I went to bed last night. Temperatures were predicted to drop to 40 degrees. Rain was highly likely to occur. The wind was predicted to reach 20 – 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. I woke up this morning half way hoping it was pouring outside. Pouring Rain plus cold plus wind plus pregnant would be a good enough excuse for me to stay in bed. Much to my sleep deprived body’s disappointment, it wasn’t raining when I woke up. It wasn’t even cold out. It was in the 60s.

Christian was nice enough to tell me he would run with me if I wanted him to today. Remember? He is not a runner. Just the fact that he was willing to put on running shoes to support me was enough motivation to get out of bed. I knew I’d regret staying in bed and missing the race. (No. I didn’t make him run!)

I got to the start line with just enough time to say hello to the moms from Mom’s Run this Town and to use the bathroom.

I headed to the back of all the corrals so I would remember to walk the first half mile instead of running. When I don’t walk the first half mile my legs have been cramping on every run. Got to love pregnant circulation!

As soon as my corral got to the start line, race day excitement got the best of me. I started running from the start. Not only was I running, but I was running at a pace that is way too fast for me at this point in pregnancy. Oops! I really do know better. I even knew better while I was doing it. I was just hoping that today my legs would not cramp.Wishful thinking. A half mile from the start line, my right leg cramped up and would not relax. I ended up walking to the 2 mile marker before my leg muscles relaxed and warmed up enough for me to be wiling to run again.

I took a quick bathroom break and head off down the board walk. At this point the 20-30 mph winds that were in our face were now at our back. I fell nicely into my run/walk pattern of running 2 songs, walking 1 song. I kept this pattern for the rest of the 4.2 miles. Christian surprised me by showing up along the course to cheer for me. I love seeing his face out there will I’m running.

Someone please comment on the lady behind me!

Around mile 5 the course changed directions and the wind was back in my face. It also started to downpour when I had 1 mile left. I just had to laugh to myself. If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have been under the beer tent enjoying a free beer or two. I really do love running in the rain though.

I crossed the finish line feeling great in 1:32:22 according to my race chip. Since I’ve never run an official 10k before, I can claim this race as a PR! Let’s hope I beat it next year 🙂

Mile 1: 14:42

Mile 2: 17:30

Mile 3: 15:11 (bathroom break)

Mile 4: 13:54

Mile 5: 13:22

Mile 6: 14:02

Final .31: 13:12 pace

Total: 6.31 miles in 1:32:48  (Garmin Stats)

Although I’m just so happy that I completed a 10k while 31 weeks pregnant, I’m even more excited that MY MOM finished the race today – her first race ever! I don’t want to give anything away because I want to write about it all by itself………BUT she beat me!

And did I mention that this race is such a great race to people watch. Christian had the camera ready to snag some photos!

My friend Megan finished her first 10k today too!!!

 

Pumpkin Spirit

The Halloween excitement has slowly crept its way into our house over the past week.  We carved the one lonely pumpkin on our front porch Tuesday night. Cole, our resident artist, drew several sketches before he decided on a face for his pumpkin. We still like carving pumpkins the old-fashioned way – no stencils, no fancy tools, just Cole’s imagination, a knife and a spoon….and a drill.

Cole is now at his dad’s house for the weekend and for Halloween. He and his dad will be dressing up in matching costumes this year – werewolves!

Christian and I have kept the Halloween spirit going by roasting the pumpkin seeds that were donated to us by Cole’s cyclops pumpkin.  I’ve also loved roasted pumpkin seeds. They are yummy, so I planned on making them. Besides being yummy, I also just realized how good they are for you. The doula’s who teach our class wrote a blog post about the benefits of pumpkin seeds.  As soon as we read the article, we cleaned off our pumpkin seeds and stuck them in the oven.

Pumpkin seeds are full of zinc.  Zinc helps build our immune system. Who doesn’t want a strong immune system going into flu and cold season.

Pumpkin seeds are especially beneficial for expecting mothers. They contain high amounts of protein, zinc and other vitamins. They also are thought reduce cholesterol to safe levels. One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains an amount of Tryptophan equivalent to a glass of milk. These seeds supply lots of magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and phytosterols that improve the function of the liver and your body’s immunity. Pumpkin seed oil contains fatty acids that make the blood vessels, tissues and the nerves healthy. Pumpkin is also rich in fiber that is much needed by expectant women to relieve conditions of constipation common during pregnancy.

I will be roasting more pumpkin seeds this weekend!

Tomorrow morning is the wicked 10k….fingers crossed it won’t be too wet or too windy. My skeleton t-shirt is going to have to hide beneath a water proof jacket.

Hope you all have a great Halloween weekend!

Unexpected Insecurities

Wednesday nights are the nights that Christian and I attend our natural birthing classes. Classes up until this week has focused on all the details leading up to active labor – maintaining a healthy pregnancy, signs of preterm labor, early labor, and the transition into active labor. Last night’s class focused on comfort techniques. I have been motivated and inspired by all the classes up until last night….

Last nights class brought to the surface some unaccepted insecurities.

In classes prior to last night, our doula’s mentioned that things have a way of surfacing during the birthing process. Any leftover “issues” that haven’t been addressed in our past can bubble to the surface. I didn’t think much of it when they said it. I’ve had my share of “issues” in my past, but I feel confident that I’ve addressed all the skeletons in my closet. I’m very happy in my life. I’m surrounded by great people who love me and support me.

Well……….sometimes things do bubble to the surface.

While we were practicing the comfort positions in class, I became incredibly overwhelmed. All of the positions require me to trust and rely on Christian. I trust Christian. I rely on Christian. This should not be problem. He is my biggest and best supporter. What I didn’t take into account was that we were in a room with 12 other couples from all walks of life that I don’t know, that I haven’t established trust with, and that I’m not comfortable with.

Let the issues bubble to the surface….

When I become uncomfortable in my environment (which happens when I feel vulnerable in a situation surround by people I don’t know), I tend to laugh nervously. When that self-defense mechanism doesn’t work, I tend to withdraw. I turn inward and try to protect myself. I feel the need to protect myself from everyone around me, Christian included.

We were asked to work our way through 13 comfort stations. Each station required me to relax, trust Christian, and accept the fact that I will be vulnerable during delivery. I couldn’t do it last night. Before I even realized what I was feeling, I felt like I was going to cry. I wanted to go home. I wanted to push Christian away. I wanted to be by myself. It wasn’t the positions that made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t my relationship with Christian that left me feeling insecure. It was being surrounded by strangers while I was feeling vulnerable that made me feel like I needed to protect myself. I still don’t know how to let down my guard enough to allow my support people in when I’m feeling insecure. I still need to learn to trust my support system.

The entire evening left me a little shaken. More than anything, I was so surprised to experience feelings that are rooted in experiences that happened in my life almost 15 years ago – things I’ve dealt with, things I’ve worked through, things I’ve overcome, things that have made me a strong person. What is left over is a distrust of support.

My childbirth journey isn’t about strength. It isn’t about achieving something on my own. I’m good at strong. I’m good at being self-reliant. This journey is going to teach me to remain strong while feeling vulnerable. The only way for me to remain strong is to allow Christian to my backbone. (holy crap! that concept is scary for me!) I need to learn to turn inward while trusting Christian to protect me.

With each passage of human growth we must shed a protective structure [like a hardy crustacean]. We are left exposed and vulnerable – but also yeasty and embryonic again, capable of stretching in ways we hadn’t known before.  ~ Gail Sheehy

After a good nights sleep, I’ve been able to put perspective on the situation. Accepting support and trusting the support I receive is challenging for me, but I can learn and grown from this experience. I’m thankful that Christian and I were able to experience this prior to our delivery day. I’m even more grateful that Christian is my support person in my life. He understands me. He supports my way of thinking and my way of life. He encourages me to further explore and define the important things in my life.

I also have another motivator to remain drug-free during labor. Vulnerability plus medication might be disastrous for me. I need to feel my way through the entire process.

I know this entire experience will not only bring a new love to my life, but it will also add a new dimension to my love for Christian and Cole. I value growth in life, and I know this journey will teach me to accept and to trust support.