Baby Weight - 5 Months Postpartum

This is me today, actually this picture was taken last week. *details....

When I think about running, fitness, losing "the baby weight" - It's nice to remind myself  -- where I was 5 months ago.

These picture were taken in June, a few hours before I went into labor. Look at my cute chubby face!
The next day I had Dakota. I was just practicing with Cheyenne's baby doll. 
After I had Dakota, the weight didn't fall off as fast as it did, after I had Cheyenne. At the moment, I'm hanging onto about 5 extra pounds or I should say - it's hanging onto me. It's so strange because on any given day, my weight fluctuates 1 - 5 pounds. I'm not even kidding. I'm sure lactating plays a huge role in the roller-coaster scale. These days, I'm ignoring the scale and focusing on how I feel and how my clothes fit. I refuse to buy new clothes, so as of a month ago, I finally stopped wearing maternity pants. I feel like it's a waste of money to buy work pants, that will just be loose, in a matter of weeks. I'm stubborn about stupid stuff like that. Good news, though: Last week, I fit back into my skinny jeans and today, I tried on my old work pants and they fit!!!! If I loose 5 pounds, I might be able to breathe in them, haha! I'm kidding. It's not the weight that is a huge issue, it is waiting for my hips to go back to where they were. I can loose the tummy weight all day - everyday, but if my hip bones are wide, what's the use? My hips are finally starting to shift back, to where they were. Is that science, or is it all in my head????

So, that's where I am - 5 months after having a baby. My main focus now,is to get my eating habits back in-check. To help with my metabolism and to go along with my half marathon training, I've started eating more of a Zone like diet. I'm including some grains, dairy, and treats, but it's a heavy protein, veggies, fruit and healthy fat - diet. I started it on Sunday and so, far I feel good, not deprived. I think the reason why I like the Zone is because if I choose to eat more on the healthy side, the portions are huge and when it comes to food, I honestly love a big bowl/plate/glass of food. :) You try eating 3 ounces of meat, 2 cups of broccoli and a cup of carrots. Would you still be hungry, after that? Also, I like the flexibility of eating treats too.

Dakota's Labor & Delivery Timeline

Sunday, June 10th
6:30 am: Woke up thinking, I'm forever pregnant!

2:00 pm: I walked a little over a mile, to the supermarket and bought pineapple.

3:00 pm: I ate half of the pineapple even though I was still full from lunch.

4:23 pm: This is the exact time my contractions started. I know because I kept a contraction log. This first one, was only 40 seconds. Did the pineapple induce my labor? I don't know....

7:00 - 11 pm: I watched Madagascar and then Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Throughout the night, my contractions kept getting longer and stronger.

Monday, June 11th
12:00 am: I took a shower and the contractions seemed to slow down.

12:30 - 4:00 am: I'm assuming I slept, through contractions.

4:05 am: Trey heard me moaning while I was sleeping and he woke me up and asked: "Are you having a contraction, right now?" I had no idea, until he woke me.

4:30 am STRONG CONTRACTIONS BEGIN. That's when we decide it's time to go to the hospital.

5:30 We took Chey over to Krista's house. By 6 am I was in a hospital room.

7:00 am: The doctor approves me to be officially admitted. By this time, I've been in serious labor for almost 3 hours. I'm in pain! At one point, I tell Trey not to talk, while I have contractions. Sorry, but I needed silence to cope with the pain. 
 
9:00 am: Somewhere around this time the anesthesiologist AKA my hero arrived. I got the relief I needed, an EPIDURAL. Hallelujah, Church Bells, Choir Sings, Doves Fly, All is Right in the World!  I go from feeling like death to, smiling from ear to ear. I was so relaxed, I somehow managed to cat nap. I look like I got ran over by a train, but I'm telling you, I felt GOOOOD!!!!!!

11:30 am I felt a lot of lower pressure. I paged the nurse and told her, "I feel like I need to push." She examined me and confirmed Dakota was ready, but we had to wait for the doctor. We waited and waited.

12:15 pm: My doctor showed up. She had to prep a few things, but before I knew it, I was pushing. I don't know exactly how many times I pushed, but it was only a few.

12:29 pm: Dakota Sky was born.

Ready for a Sister

Someone is excited about being a big sister. She told me all about it during playtime. 
Cheyenne wanted to take the camera...
 She took this photo, not bad.
And then she made me hold up her baby like Lion King
PS. I Think today is the day!

Myth or Fact: Natural Ways to Induce Labor

You guys, I've gone two days, past my due date. Will I be forever pregnant?????
I'm starting to get desperate. There are a few myths floating out there on how to naturally induce labor. Some women swear by them, but I'm under the impression, that unless your body is ready for labor, these things may not be effective, BUTTTTTT if they are safe, I say why not give it a shot -- ESPECIALLY if you are past due.

I've heard, one way to naturally induce labor is to eat fresh pineapple. Mmmm. Done!

Here are a few more that I've heard helps to naturally induce labor:
1. Walking - YES! I've walked 8 miles in the last few days. I'm thankful I live close to a supermarket. Earlier today, instead of driving to buy the pineapple, I walked there and back.
2. Sex - sperm contains prostaglandins, which can ripen the cervix. No need to paint a picture for you folks. Annnnnnd that's the extent that I will talk about that....moving ON! 
3. Raspberry Leaf Tea: I don't know enough about this one.
4. Castor Oil - Something about lots of pooping and diarehhea - (that sounds like fun. NOT.)
5. Nipple Stimulation - Why would a woman want to do this, especially knowing that in a few hours you could be nursing a newborn? And if you know anything about nursing, you know it can be painful. I wouldn't want to willingly aggravate my skin like that...
6. Sweeping the Membrane - My doctor did this last week and obviously my body was not ready for labor. I had one hour of serious contractions, but after that they fizzled.
7. Eating Extra Spicy Food: NO THANK YOU. I don't want to deal with heartburn.

There are a few more, but those seem to be some of the common ones, I always hear about. So, what do you think about all of this????

I'll leave you with a picture of Trey. The other weekend we went shopping at the Cowboys Pro Shop. We are well stocked for football season, but I guess he wanted more clothes. Today, he got two more items. He spoils himself rotten.

40 Weeks Pregnancy Snapshot

It's one day past my due date....AND ladies and gentlemen, I'm still pregnant, with no signs of going into labor anytime soon.

The only benefit, if any, is all the extra sleep I'm getting. However, I'm doing my part to try to help mother nature speed things along. Today, I walked 5 miles, which is equivalent to a half marathon, in pregnancy world. If I could, I would run a half marathon -- right now. Earlier, I went to the mall, cleaned the house, and did several loads of laundry. As of now, I'm really thinking this baby will wait it out and I will be induced on Friday, the 15th.

Sleep
I've been sleeping so good, even I'm shocked. My body must know what's coming up, sleepless nights and all and it's giving me a break --- for now.

Comfort Level
I'm comfortable while I sleep, but getting around day to day, especially getting in and out of the car is a pain, literally. Sometimes just standing up, I can get dizzy or winded.

Food
Lately, every meal I eat, I feel like it's my last meal before I'm about to go into labor, so I usually eat big. Perhaps, I should stop doing that....
As far as cravings, I'm still craving warm cookies. Chocolate Chip!

Nice angle Trey....
This shirt, is actually a dress, but since my belly is so big, it looks like a mini-dress. That explains why I'm wearing pants.

My Week in Photos

Dakota didn't get the memo, that today is her due date. She's slow cooking and apparently she's in no rush to come out. Dang, my womb must be like a hot spot condo or something. Maybe, it's better than beachfront property.

Well, I'm so glad I didn't invest my hopes in what my doctor predicted, "I think you will deliver as early as 10 days before your due date." Yeah, right.

Here is a text convo between Trey and I.  FYI: C 30 = a 30 second contraction.

Perhaps, I mentioned taking it easy and not exercising, this week. You could say I'm getting impatient, so I walked 2 miles last night, hoping to naturally induce Dakota out of my body. It wasn't all sweat and hard work --- to balance things out, afterwards, I immediately drove to the store and bought cookies.

While Trey and I have been working, Cheyenne has been vacationing in Abilene. I'm so jealous! I also miss her, a lot!


I finally got around to trying the Keurig herbal tea sample. I wouldn't recommend it, but for free, I'd drink it all day. By the way, if you have a Keurig Vue, bed bath and beyond has the mother load of Vue Cups.

A few weeks ago, I used a promo code and order cups directly from Keurig's site. I'm not impressed with the mocha, I prefer the vanilla latte.

Do you eat fish? I do, but it's not my first option. Earlier in the week, I put off grocery shopping until there was nothing left to eat except for fish. Now, that we're going into the weekend, I will put off grocery shopping again. Who knows when this baby will come and I don't want my produce to spoil.

What are your plans for the weekend?
Me, ohhhhh I plan on having a baby. If I'm not in labor, I think Trey and I may try to go out on a date tonight. That is, if he doesn't have to work late. The last two nights he has been working around the clock. All the overtime will be good, but he is beyond exhausted.

I'd Make It Again

Yesterday, I tried a sweet potato casserole recipe.
The recipe caught my attention because it's made in a slow cooker and it calls for paleo ingredients.

Here is the recipe. My image looks nothing like the one posted on that site. It was tasty, especially sprinkled with fresh herbs. I'd make it again. The only thing I would change is probably next time, set the crock pot to 8 hours instead of 10 or maybe even 6 hours, and then let it stay warm the rest of the day, until I'm ready to eat it. This meal should freeze nicely.

THIS CHILD IS COMFY IN MY WOMB
I wish I had more slower cooker recipes. If you have any please share! I'm going to need them, when/if Dakota ever decides to exit the womb. Yesterday, during my commute home I had a ton of contractions. It seems like being in a car triggers them, but once I get home, they stop. Today, I've only had a few.

Tomorrow is Dakota's DUE DATE. Tomorrow is also the date I submitted to human resources, saying I would start my maternity leave. I'll have to play it by ear, but if I'm not experiencing contractions, I plan on working.

I have reached THAT point in the pregnancy, I'm tired of waiting; I'M READY!

Still Waiting, But Not Bored

I know, I know, I'm still here blogging, instead of having a baby. I'm sorry.
2 days, until my due date...


I haven't decided if knowing what to expect during labor and delivery is a good or bad thing. Look, I'm going to give birth to a watermelon, yay.

Green Machine 
Well, other than waking up refreshed this morning, here is something that made my morning ----> 38 miles to the gallon. I'm really enjoying my new ford focus. I'm still trying to get accustomed to the MyTouch system, but more on that later, in another post. I still think it's too early to share my thoughts, so to be fair, I'm going to wait....

Date Night

I'm so close to my due date, but that didn't stop Trey and I from going on a date, last night. We went to the Movie Tavern, watched Snow White and the Huntsman, and shared a dessert at Sweet Sammies. Tonight, we may Red Box it because at this rate, I might be pregnant forever, so I might as well fill the time while I can.

National Running Day
Today is National Running Day, so someone please run for me. I don't even think I will attempt to walk this evening. I want to enjoy these last few days, relaxing. Exercise can wait --- longer. Here is my DailyMile Training from last week. Keep in mind, these are walking miles.

What a difference compared to me at say, 20 weeks, pregnant. This is when I was still running, 30 miles a week. Now, seeing these numbers makes me miss running!!!!!!! I'm so serious! 

Make My Dinner While I Work
This morning, before heading off to work, I thew a bunch of food in the crockpot, set the slow cooker to a low setting and walked out the door. So, when I come home, tonight, dinner will be waiting for me. I will walk in the door and be greeted with the sweet aroma of beef and sweet potatoes.

I always worry about trying a new crockpot recipe, when I'm away from home because I'm scared it will turn into a mushy disaster. I hope that's not the case with this...I'll let you know how it goes, stay tune and I'll share the recipe, if it's worth sharing.

I Have Good and Bad News

Bad news is I'm 3 days away from my due date and I'm still pregnant. Another thing, I went to put my wedding ring on and for the first time ever, it does not fit my obese finger. I'm going to try again, later because I'm in denial. A day without diamonds is a sad day indeed.

The good news is I slept great last night, so at least I have that...

What did the doctor say? 
My doctor said I'm 3 CM, which is progress, from last week <----- I'll take that. She also swept my membrane. She did that and then told me after the fact. It was ok with it, in fact I was going to ask her if she could do that, but a heads up would've been nice. Not me asking about it and then saying, Oh, that's what I was just doing....."

She kept talking about inducing me and said towards the end, she likes it when her patients are induced -- "You (meaning the mother/family members) can plan ahead!" It sounded like she was trying to sell me on the idea....

I'm still working, so that makes the hours and days go by faster. I'd be going crazy if I was at home, especially, since Cheyenne isn't there. I plan on working up until delivery day, so technically I could go into labor, while I'm at work. That could be interesting, since my hospital is a good 30 miles away. My co-workers are on standby ready to drive me, if I need assistance.

I'll leave you with two random things:

 1. Check out my new favorite iPhone App, it's called Action Movie. I recorded this clip at London's Birthday Party. Don't blink or you'll miss it.  I told you guys, I went to film school. ;)

2. My Huge Garden Harvest:
If I had to survive off of my garden, I'd surely starve.

At this point, I feel like a ticking time bomb

Yesterday, I had a doctors appointment. Even with all the Braxton Hicks contractions I've been experiencing, there has not been much progress.

My doctor said she delivered 6 babies this weekend and when she got called out for one of the deliveries, she asked the nurse, "Has Dominique been admitted, yet?" She really thought last weekend it was going to happen for me, but it didn't and I missed this....

Any day now, it will happen or will it? As much as I want to avoid an elective induction, it may be necessary. Yesterday, the doctor made me pick an induction day. I scheduled it a week past my due date.

DUE DATE = Friday, June 8th
SCHEDULED INDUCTION = Friday, June 15th

Today, I've been having sporadic contractions. They started at 10 am and as I write this post, I'm still experiencing them --- off and on. So, far they've been mild and inconsistent, it's probably nothing, just the usual tease. If it was up to me, the earliest I would want Dakota to arrive is Saturday, June 2nd, but the day I'm really betting on is 5th or 8th. Trey has his money on this Friday.

What is your guess?

Who Needs a Table??? & Forced Date Night

One thing I will miss post-pregnancy will be my table top of a belly. It's also a convenient place to rest my arms. Chey gets it!

I have about 12 more days of bearing this child and I'm not sure if my skin can stretch a mila-inch more. Is that even a word? I think my stomach will burst open, first.

Today, one of my old friends from high school stopped by, so we met up for lunch. This is Landrea, she lives in North Carolina. She has family in the area, so she's in town visiting and vacationing. I'm glad I made the list of people she wanted to see.
PS: in case you are wondering, yes that is an outie belly button I'm sporting. I think it's gross. I have the tools to air brush it out, but I figured it is what is, in all it's glory: THE OUTIE!!!! Cheyenne told me, it scares her, I said it scares me too.

When I was pregnant with Cheyenne, Landrea was pregnant with her son, Brandon. Here is a throwback picture from 2008. We were only a few weeks along, when this picture was taken. The kids birthdays are both in November.

Forced Date Night
I want to thank Krista for watching Cheyenne for us yesterday, so Trey and I could enjoy our last date night, EVER! Okay, not ever, but for a long time. I say it was a forced date night because we went out to see a movie and when I called Krista to tell her we were on our way to get Chey, she was like go out for dinner too.

Originally, I misunderstood her because she asked, "are you hungry?"
"Well, sure."
I then started to say, yeah we can all meet up for dinner....and she was like-- no, just you and Trey...
"Oh!!!! I see what you're doing here, you're making us go on a real date."

While, we were out watching Avengers and I was busy eating heartburn -- Thank you, jalapeno Ketchup from Fuddruckers, Cheyenne was playing with her BFF, Makenna. Thank you, Krista! Let me return the favor. 
 

Taper Time, Pregnancy Style & Lots of Changes

I'm about 2 weeks from my due date (technically 15 days) and if I was training for a race, I would begin my taper, right about now. You know, naturally, I will taper during pregnancy too. I'm a runner, so this is how my brain works. But first the important question: Is it too early to start carb loading???? Pasta, sweet potatoes, come to mommy!

During a taper, one can become irritable, so don't be surprised if in the next two weeks, I start acting crabby. Blame it on the hormones and taper. I can only use this excuse for a short period of time, so I might as well make good use of it. Trey might say, I have already started acting this way and have been like this for some time -- watch it, mister!
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...But I Don't Want to Say Goodbye
Yesterday, we went to a farewell party for two families who go to our church. One of the families moving away is Mike and Erin! I just want to cry and hold their ankles and tell them they can't go.

Erin has been watching Cheyenne for two years. Erin means so much more to me, than a childcare provider, she is my friend. I'm going to miss her and her family dearly. The good news is her husband recently graduated and he has accepted a Pastor position near Abilene. Yes, Abilene, Texas. So, that makes me feel a little better. It's not like they are moving out of state or anything.

Cheyenne understands her best friend, Brianna is moving away. She'll be fine, but I know she'll miss her Bia-Boo.

Childcare Change
Erin gave me plenty of notice about moving, so that allowed Trey and I to pray and find someone else to  watch the girls. A friend in our Sunday School Class was eager to talk with us about the possibility of watching the girls. We had her and her family over for dinner, talked about all the details and we all agreed we were on board.

Sometime, in mid-July, Tonya will be providing childcare services for Chey and baby Dakota. I'm thankful and relieved we found someone we know and trust. Tonya and her husband have 3 children, the picture below is of her with her daughter, Jolie. OH! Did I mention they live about 2 miles from our house? YAY!!!!!!

More Changes
Next school year, Chey will not be attending school (She attended a mothers day out program for two years). This makes me sad, but I'm thankful Erin took her while she was also teaching at that school.

To wrap it up, here are the major changes coming up:
- new baby
- friends moving
- new childcare provider
- no school for Chey

Change is inevitable and we can only learn and grow from it.

Prenatal Appointment & Our Bags Are Packed

Today, I had another prenatal appointment. I don't have any major changes from last week. The only difference is, I'm 1.5 cm dilated and 70/80% effaced. If you are keeping tabs, last week I was 1 cm and 50% effaced. The Braxton Hicks contractions have really calmed down, since last weekend. THANK GOODNESS!

I told my doctor about my little sisters high school graduation ceremony, which is scheduled for this weekend. I asked her if she thought it was ok for me to travel to Abilene and she said absolutely not. She does not want me traveling, even though I explained it would be a day trip, back and forth, she said NO.
 
This evening, I shared the news with Tasha. She was so upset. I feel TERRIBLE! I'm going to miss my little sisters high school graduation!!!!! If you ask me, I don't think Dakota is going to arrive on or before Saturday, especially since I did this ------ I packed my hospital bags. Lots of PJs and loose fitting clothes. I decided to use these bags because I don't want to take any of my nice luggage or backpacks to a hospital.

Look who else has a bag packed, Dakota. I tried to delay packing bags, long enough. Now, we are patiently waiting.

Real quick, I just want to say I'm thankful for the workers at Sams Club. I didn't have to load this water in my cart or in my car. I drink filtered water from the fridge, but I get bottled water for Trey, so he can stay hydrated at work. Last week, I made the mistake of picking up this water case and I was in some serious pain. So, this week, I asked for help. People are willing to help, when you are pregnant, yay for that!

Speaking of hydration...
These girls were staying hydrated while playing outside. Thanks Krista for watching Cheyenne, while I went to my appointment, today. Oh, while I was at the office getting my blood pressure checked, the office assistant told my doctor, "they" need you for a delivery. I had to wait 30 extra minutes, so she could run across the street, deliver the baby and then come back to the office. So, I'm thankful Chey was not with me for my 2.5 hour appointment. I'm also thankful I took Dakota's Baby Book with me. I got a head start on that.

Pregnancy Progress at 37 Weeks & Chey's First Mani

Today, I'm 37 weeks pregnant. Most of the time I don't feel like I'm that far along. I'm big -- but I feel like I should be HUGE at this point. There is the possibility of carrying this baby full term, all the way to 40 weeks, so I have time to grow or I should say, she does.

I'll tell you more about the pregnancy but first I wanted to show you what we did today. Cheyenne had her first manicure.

We had some great girl time with Erin and Brianna. We met them for lunch at Fuzzy's Taco Shop and then we took the girls to get their nails done. We were hoping to get our nails done too, but there wasn't enough time.

Chey and Brianna both did great and were well behaved.
Guess what color nail polish they chose? Pink! Right now, Chey loves anything and everything PINK. She's such a girly girl.

OK, switching gears again --- Back on the pregnancy subject...

Pregnancy Progress: 
This morning, I met with my doctor. I have started to dilate, a whopping 1 cm dilate and 50 percent effaced. Nothing to brag about, but the process has started. My doctor said, "I'm going to guess you will deliver 3 - 10 days early." That's a massive range of days, but she thinks I will go into labor before June 8th. I think I will go full term. Who wants to start a baby due date pool?

Tasha is graduating soon, I would like to make it to her graduation, but the idea of traveling out of town -- so close to the due date frightens me. I guess, next Monday my doctor will see how things look down there and I'll see what she thinks about me traveling and making a day trip to Abilene.

Next Monday, my doctor said she will give me the option to schedule an induction. She's not saying I will be induced next Monday, but she said I can pick a day and time if I wanted to. I already know that I want things to happen naturally, this time, so there will be no elective induction. I really want that SURPRISE, of OMG I'm in labor!

How Will I Know It's Real?
Saturday, I was on my feet all morning and afternoon working. When I finally got home, I started having contractions. I honestly thought I was going into labor. Every time I had a contraction I would hold my stomach and have to stop doing whatever it was that I was doing. I even started writing down the time and duration of the contractions to keep track of them. By the time I got to that point, they started to decrease and eventually went away. If I keep having these Braxton Hicks Contractions how will I know when I'm going into real labor? I want my water to break, when it's time, so there will be no doubt because the last thing I want to do is go to the hospital, just to be sent home because I'm not in active labor.

By the way, I constantly think I'm in labor. These contractions happen so frequent...the thought of labor is ALWAYS on my mind.