Saturday, July 25, 2009

12 Pounds

I've been thinking for quite some time that I should blog about my post-partum weight loss. I've played with the idea of starting a separate blog completely dedicated to weight loss - Bringing Sexy Back - or something equally as clever. Yes, I fancy myself clever.

I am horrified at the thought of looking the way I look right now, forever. With the beauty of pregnancy and the miracle of childbirth comes the misery of post-partum. I was distracted from the horror of it for the first 4 weeks, just completely wrapped up in my baby boy. But as he and I have gotten ourselves into a groove, I've had a few more minutes to myself and a few more minutes to linger in front of the mirror after a shower or scrutinize the photos of myself and Myki that I'm sending off to family and friends.

I still look huge! In the photos, you can see how my pre-pregnancy clothes are stretched to capacity to cover a wider frame. I'm left with not much of a waist and my stomach looks as if it has literally deflated causing my skin to hang down in all its stretch-marked glory. Combine that with what nursing has done to my breasts and I am the picture of saggy skin.

Now, I was fully aware that my post-partum body would not look ideal. My problem, is the fear I have in getting it back to what it looked like before...and ideally, continuing to work on it until I look the way I did in college. Funny how fat I thought I was then.

Unfortunately I have a lazy streak and I've never been much for working out. This is why I've been hesitant to post on the weight loss issue. Once I put it out here in cyberspace, I will be held accountable...I will have to really work on my weight and more importantly, my health.

So here it is, my pledge to work really hard to overcome my laziness and get into shape. I gained 55 lbs in my pregnancy...I walked into the hospital on June 4, 2009 weighing 250 lbs. I am now down to 207 lbs. My goal is to be at my pre-pregnancy weight of 195 by the time Myki is 3 months old (September 5) and to be at my ideal weight of 160 by the time he is 1 year old. I want to have the energy to go outside and run after my son everyday...to help him learn to play sports, swim, ride a bike and just enjoy activity. So I will work to do something physical each and every day - go for a walk, pop in a workout DVD, visit the stroller strides class I just discovered online, maybe even go for a swim. And I commit to post monthly on my progress.

For now, I find solace in my progress thus far (the benefits of nursing!) and revel in the fact that I'm just 12 lbs from my pre-preggo weight.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Wowzers


We just got back from the Dr's office and our baby boy weighs a whopping 13 lbs. That means he's gained 2 lbs in a week and a half. Amazing for a baby who left the hospital refusing to breastfeed. He's wearing a size 3 diaper and clothes that are 3-6 months. I'm amazed at how quickly he's growing and already nostalgic for the day when he was 8 lbs, 10 ounces.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

A Day in the Life











As my maternity leave comes to an end, I marvel at the past six weeks. My son has grown so much in this time. He has literally grown 2 inches and gained at least 4 lbs. He's now round and chubby. He reacts to my voice, to my face, my touch, to music and movement.

Yesterday was a fun-filled day of activity. We woke up at around 8:30 am and sat in our trusty recliner for breakfast. As Michael nursed and stared up at me, I read him a segment from "The Time Traveler's Wife," my first grown-up read in months that doesn't have to do with pregnancy or baby care. He dozed off on a full belly and woke up an hour later wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. He had a mid-morning snack and off to the living room to play.

I put him on his belly for tummy time. The pediatrician says to put him on his belly whenever he's awake so he can learn to lift his head, do baby push-ups and eventually, roll over. He is an expert head lifter and can get about halfway up on his arms for push-ups. Unfortunately, his exercise only lasts about 10 minutes as he gets frustrated with not being able to look around the room or flip himself over. Even his frustration is adorable though.

Once we've hit his cap on tummy time, we move to his back on his new play mat (care of Titi Dionne). He is entranced by the mirror and stares at his beautiful self in awe. He starts to protest at not being held but I begin the music and his protest subsides. I may have a musician on my hands because music and singing always seems to do the trick. We hang out there for a while and when that gets old, we move on to his song stage and mirror...another present. I get some smiles out of that one.

Myki starts sucking on his fingers, a sign that it is mealtime once again. I tune into some HGTV (a maternity leave obsession) as he eats lunch and ponder when I'll get to make my own lunch (it's not 2:15). He doses off and I start to nod off myself so I skip lunch in favor of an afternoon nap. I put him in my bed with me...a no-no, I know but sometimes when we're alone, I can't help myself. I wake up at 4:15 as Daddy blows up my phone wondering where we are. Myki wakes up just as I finish off a very late lunch.

Then off to a relaxing bath so that he smells good for Daddy.

I left out the diaper changes which are oh so much fun as you can imagine. You really do just need to laugh when you change a little boys diaper. At least 50% of the diaper changes end up in messes to be cleaned up. That air hitting his backside when you open the diaper usually prompts a "reaction."

Mike and I then enjoy a yummy (and more and more healthy since baby) dinner with Myki looking on from his rocker. A wonderful end to my day, dinner with my boys.








Monday, July 6, 2009

Thank You Baby Michael




What a whirlwind month....yes a month! Michael turned a month old yesterday and although I feel like the time has just flown by, so much has happened in that month. From walking into the hospital with soggy pants on June 4 to the dreaded c-section on the 5th and finally meeting my son at 11 PM, my Dad's two week visit (the help and company was such a blessing), Mike and I's very overwhelming and emotional bouts in those first weeks as we adjusted to our new roles as parents, little Michael's first look of recognition on Father's Day (he was horrified that his grandmother took him from me - yes, there was a pouty bottom lip) and that first gummy smile a few days later while I read to him, 3 Doctor's visits and a whopping 10 lb weigh-in, bath time progressing from absolute hysterics to a few whimpers of discomfort, many late nights in my recliner nursing, then burping, then trying to figure out how to put my son down and get some sleep, the worries of acid reflux, my breastfeeding struggles, the many gifts and tons of phone calls...it has all combined to be the most challenging and rewarding month of my life.

I've been reminded how blessed I am with fantastic friends, family and coworkers. Myki's fully stocked room and the stack of gift cards we have yet to spend is a testament to that. And I have been challenged - each day I wonder if tomorrow I'll give in and give him formula instead of being a slave to his nursing needs and the sore nipples they have caused. Each day I set another goal - today, I will do laundry; today, I will clean my room, or the kitchen; today, I will attempt to write in my blog and call 3 people back. Sometimes I am successful, most times I'm not but slowly, I'm finding the energy and stolen moments to begin fulfilling my responsibilities again.

I'm still not sure if I'll make it to a year of exclusive breastfeeding as I'd originally planned. My ability to keep my house clean and orderly while working and taking care of Myki is also in question...hell, my ability to start working again is in question. But each day I get at least one big, bright smile, a few calm moments with my snuggle bucket and little expressions and actions that make me laugh and smile. Each day I watch my baby (wow, my baby) grow and learn and those moments have caused an optimism in me that I thought had been lost long ago.