Halloween

After lunch today, with Sam happily fed and contentedly hanging out on the couch with Ryan, I headed across the street for a walk. As I was alone, I decided I would do my 2 mile walk on the powerlines. I haven't been walking along the powerlines in more than a month, and the first thing I noticed was that it looked like November out there. The vegetation has changed to its late fall palette of shades of brown, punctuated only by the magenta leaves of the raspberry and blackberry brambles and the bright red winter berries.

Today though, the brown didn't seem all that dreary, as the sun shone bright in the blue bird sky and the breeze was warm. It was a gorgeous afternoon to be out, and I felt better for it. However, I did have to restrain myself from running. It was just so nice, and I was feeling good. I wanted to let loose and run! Also, I have been feeling a bit jealous of Ryan these past few days, out running in this nice weather, while I'm home with Sam, and while my exercise routine consists only of walking. This is not to say, not in the least, that I feel trapped at home with Sam, or that Ryan is not helping out - nothing could be further from the truth, but I cannot wait to run again!

As for Halloween, neither Ryan or I are huge fans of it as a holiday. However, Ryan's parents came up for a visit in the afternoon, and for their benefit, we dressed Sam up in a cute outfit that Sean and Marisa sent us. And of course, we did our duty and bought a big bag of candy to give out to all the trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood. Luckily there were only a few mini Twix left, so as not to tempt us too much! We had a fun visit with Irene and Dana, and Sam was really good all day long. She even slept through our lunch at Sea Dog! Good girl :-) (Meghan and Chris, we missed you! Hope you feel better!)



So cute it's scary


Even cuter when sleeping ;-)

Update - Walks and Weight

Ryan finally agreed that it was OK for me to be out walking along with Sam now that I'm feeling more like my old self (I know, so protective, isn't it sweet?), so yesterday and Monday, I walked the 2-mile road loop across the street, pushing Sam in the B.O.B. Monday was beautiful, and while yesterday was a bit cooler and cloudy, it was nice to be out and about. I can now walk the loop, even with the stroller, faster than I was walking it in those final weeks of pregnancy, and am feeling good, so I take all this as a good sign. I'm still pretty tired though but I know that is to be expected with all the nighttime feeding, and am just happy to be able to be out and mobile!

Both Sam and I had doctor's appointments today. Sam is up to a whopping 7.0 lbs! Ryan has taken to calling her "the Tank," which is not really true as she is still pretty darn tiny, but it is an impressive weight gain of over a 1/2 pound since last Thursday's visit. She also peed all over the doctor's office scale after the weigh-in... Yup, that's our girl! :-)

My appointment went well too. The incision is healing up fine, and I am down to 10 pounds above my weight on that first visit to the doctor at 10 weeks. I have no idea what my real "pre-pregnancy" weight is, as we don't own a scale, but losing 17 pounds since Sam's birth seems pretty good to me. (Yes, I gained 27 pounds during the pregnancy. Wow and yikes, all at once!) I'm pretty happy with that, although I know my body is definitely a different shape at this point and I've absolutely lost muscle along the way. Oh well, hopefully that will come back relatively easily once I can be running again.

OK, enough about weight... I'll conclude the update with two 'Ronnie & Gigi' photos (oh yes, Sam is in one of them too) that are too cute not to include :-)


Ronnie the watchcat


Gigi being mischevious

A Night Out

Last night, we tempted fate, packed Sam up in the car and went to Mindy and Pete's for the evening. It was great to see everyone and enjoy some adult conversations! And little Sam was a doll and slept most of the time in her carseat, unfazed by the party going on around her. We couldn't have asked for the night to go better! Of course, by the time we left at 9pm, I was exhausted, but it was well worth it :-) Thanks guys!

On the walking front, Ryan and Sam in the B.O.B. joined me for a nice walk across the street both on Friday and today. Although yesterday was a dreary, cold and rainy day, both Friday and today were gorgeous, and it was so nice to be outside! I am feeling much, much better (no drugs needed for the past few days - hurray!), and today Ryan commented that my idea of a "walk" was not quite what he had in mind, and it was making him sweat. Sorry man, this is my workout! Gotta keep the pace up :-)

Now that Nanie and Pip are gone, and we aren't having visitors every day, we haven't been taking quite as many photos, but just in case you need your fix of Sam photos, here are a few shots from the past few days:


Our little monster :-) - outfit courtesy of Sean and Marisa


Can I play too?

Maiden Voyage of the B.O.B.

Happy lady.

Yesterday afternoon, Ryan suggested we take advantage of the Indian Summer day and go over to the bikepath to take the B.O.B. for a spin. It was gorgeous out - 61 degrees with bright blue skies - so I was more than game. Besides, getting outside is always good for the soul, especially a tired one :-)

We walked 2+ miles along the river, enjoying the views. I pushed the stroller for about 0.75 miles, while Ryan pushed it the rest of the way. It was easy to manuever and definitely seemed like it would work well when I'm finally back up and running. It will be a workout on hills, though! As for whether Sam enjoyed her first ride in the B.O.B., I would like to think yes, but truth be told, she was asleep the whole time. Perhaps that means it was a success? :-)

Beautiful Day, Rough Night

Yesterday morning, we headed over to Brunswick to the farmer's market on the town green. The farmer's market is one of the reasons we love this area. It is a vibrant community that supports things like the farmer's market, and being able to talk with the farmers and producers and get local, fresh produce that was just picked it such a great thing! Yum. Of course, I dressed Sam in her "Let's Go to the Farm" hat from Krisser :-) Couldn't resist!


Sam at the farmer's market

We then headed up Maine Street towards Bowdoin, stopping to pick up cups of coffee along the way. It was a nice morning, and so good to be out. Campus was, as usual, looking gorgeous with the foliage and fallen leaves. We walked around the quad, and got a few pictures. Couldn't miss out on getting Sam in front of Mass Hall!


Can you see the baby? :-)



Happy with coffee in hand

Of course, after such an idyllic morning, last night did not go so well. There was lots of inconsolable crying. And little sleeping. I finally sent Ryan to bed around midnight, and let him sleep into the morning hours. He reciprocated this morning by watching Sam while I took a nice nap after breakfast. Hopefully tonight will go a bit better!

Family Visits

I realize this blog was intended to be about running, hiking and skiing, but as my exercise at this point in time consists of small walks and carrying around a 6 pound baby, for the time being, you'll just have to put up with posts about our new life with Sam :-) I promise there will be talk about running, hiking and skiing soon enough! I am already looking forward to my first run next month, especially now that I can move around better and without much pain ;-)

This past week, my parents have stayed in Brunswick and came over every day to help us out around the house, watch and hold Sam, cook dinner for us and generally support us. A huge thank you to them for all their help! It was awesome, and we really appreciate it!


Mom and Sam

They also went over to my aunt's house and picked my grandmother, Mim, up for a visit this week. Sam loved hanging out with her great-grandmother and Mim was in fine spirits for the whole time.


Visiting with Mim

We also had a wonderful visit yesterday with Ryan's parents and grandparents. Sam didn't get put down for a second, and truly enjoyed Great-Grammie's singing and hanging out in Great-Bampie's lap! Thanks to Irene and Dana for making the trip happen :-) We loved seeing you all!


Hanging out with Great-Grammie and Great-Bampie

But as of tomorrow, we will be on our own, and the week should be fairly quiet. We have really enjoyed having everyone visit and help out, and hope we'll do OK without the extra help, but are also looking forward to settling into a routine with just the three of us. With Ryan working at home for the next few weeks, things will be much easier for me next week as I continue to heal. Even after only a week, he is already a great dad and has been really involved in helping out with feedings, diaper changings, calming Samantha, cleaning, etc. He even purchased an adorable (albeit huge) onesie for her during a quick trip to Target the other day. She has him wrapped around her finger already :-)


Ryan's first impulse buy for Sam

And today, he gave Sam the majority of her second bath this morning, and now she is all sparkly clean.



Bath time!

As I write, Ryan is holding Sam on his lap on the couch, watching football. He says her first words are going to be "nickle defense" or "shotgun formation" if he can help it. Oh my!

What Time is it?

Being a new parent has brought with it a wide array of emotions. Joy at Sam's birth, relief that she was OK, pain from the c-section, frustration about restriction of my movements and as I first tried to figure out the whole breastfeeding thing, hope for the days ahead, contentment as I look down on a sleeping Sam, doubt at how to do it all, exhaustion, happiness, amazement and a whole host of others that I am no doubt forgetting in my slight fog of sleep deprivation. It has also brought with it a whole altered sense of time. The day flashes by, and it is suddenly time for bed. My world has contracted (at least for the moment) and is almost totally focused on little Sam. Feeding, changing, staring at her beautiful face (yes, we are now those totally annoying, biased parents, who think their child is the most beautiful thing in the whole world!), etc takes up a lot of time! This is not a bad thing and she is totally worth it, however it is just an adjustment, and something I am still getting used to.

Yesterday was a busy day, with my sister Kristen and niece Morgan visiting for a few hours before lunch.


Mom and Morgan look in on a sleeping Sam


Hanging with Auntie Kristen

Nate and Finley also stopped by for a brief hello (sorry it was cut short by a cranky baby, Nate!). Then after lunch, we took our first excursion outside with Sam aside from Tuesday's doctor's appointment. We loaded her into the frame stroller and headed out for a 1/2 mile tour of the neighborhood.


Enjoying the foliage

It was a crisp and clear fall day, with a bit of wind, and we bundled her up.



Sleeping Sam, all bundled up

I'm not sure what she thought of her first stroller ride, as she slept through it all! But I thoroughly enjoyed being out! After 5 days of being cooped up inside, it felt great to stretch my legs and breathe in the cool air and to just move. Yes, it was only a 1/2 mile but hey, I'll get there!

The day ended with my mom helping us give Sam her first bath, supervised, of course, by Ronnie :-)


Bath time!

Home Sweet Home

Little Sam

Boy, is it nice to be home! Amazing how much easier it is to sleep when you're in your own bed and don't have nurses bothering you every hour or so for vital signs, etc! (No offense, Emma :-) ) I feel almost human again!

We came home yesterday afternoon, and everyone is doing great. Yes, having a c-section was not much fun (the whole spinal experience with the numb legs was a weird trip I'd rather not do again!), and I am definitely sore and a bit swollen up from all the fluids they pumped into me, but I seem to be handling the pain pretty well and moving around with relative ease considering I had surgery on Friday. And little Sam, after losing a bit more weight than they would have liked and developing a little case of jaundice, is doing great. We went to the doctor's this morning and she had already gained 2 ounces back, bringing her weight to 5 lb 12 oz, and her jaundice was on the low end of the scale after the blood work was done. Hurray!


Wide awake!

We had hoped to get Sam out for a walk today but with the rain and temps in the 40s, I think that isn't going to happen. Maybe tomorrow though!

More photos of Sam's last few days.

Samantha!

Welcome to the world little Sam! :-) We're so happy to have you here with us!!

Samantha arrived at 9:16 am on October 9, 2009, weighing in at 6 lb 2.9 oz and 20" long. Despite being nervous for the scheduled c-section due to her breech position, she arrived happy and healthy, albeit a little blue from being smooshed in my belly in that frank breech position for such a long time :-) She has been eating, pooping and sleeping well, and keeping us amused with her funny little expressions. I am recovering well, and Ryan is settling into his role as diaper changer, swaddler and dad as if he was a natural!!

Although the "traditional"10th anniversary gift is something tin or aluminum, why not just skip the boring stuff and go right to having a baby for your 10th?! So, on that note, happy 10th anniversary to Ryan, my best friend. I'm looking forward to many more years of love, laughter, adventure, chaos and craziness together!

More photos of little Sam here.

Pumpkin Pie in the Sky

Since I can't eat or drink anything (Not even water!! How do they expect me to do that? I love my water!) after midnight, we went out for a "last supper" tonight, and even though I was full to the brim, Snowman took me to Cold Stone for dessert. I was super excited as they had pumpkin as a seasonal flavor! Mix in some graham crackers, caramel, cinnamon and that mysterious whipped topping, and you have "Pumpkin Pie in the Sky." Heaven! So now I am well loaded up in preparation for a long morning with no food or drink :-)

Speaking of which, and most importantly, in approximately 14 hours (we're scheduled for 9:45 am, but aren't the first c-section on the schedule, so it could be a bit earlier or a bit later), we will be meeting the little lady! WOW!!!

Last Day of Work

Today is my last day of work for a while. I will be going back in to the gallery in late November and into December a day or two a week to help with end-of-the-year stuff, but still... Amazing that the day, and the little lady, is almost here! Wow! On one hand, 9 months seems like a long time, and these last few weeks have been moving especially slowly, but on the other hand, time flies and I can't believe it is almost time!

It is a dreary, windy, rainy morning, with temps in the mid-50s, so instead of getting up for a walk, I rolled over for a few more minutes and got a bit more sleep. I know at this point, that one less day of walking this week won't make a difference. Still, I'll plan to get out tomorrow after our final doctor's appointment, even if the main benefit is just to clear my head for a few minutes :-)

We did get out for a nice walk on Monday morning. It was a beautiful fall day, with bright blue skies and comfortable temperatures. Snowman was nice enough to accompany me on a walk along the trails at the Cathance River preserve, even though he'd been running through there the day before with Mindy and Jamie. The woods were quiet and the foliage was gorgeous along the river, the brilliant reds of the maple trees reflecting in the quiet pools, and the yellow and orange leaves collecting on the green moss on the rocks along the banks. Lovely.


Me at 38 weeks, 5 days, enjoying a beautiful fall day.

That afternoon we headed to Portland to see the Jay Hall Connaway exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art and to meet up with Amy and Brian for dinner. A fun day off!

The Last Week

Assuming all goes as currently planned and the little lady doesn't turn, this is my last week as just "me." I mean, she's been with me for the past 39 weeks, but I've still just been Danielle. But come Friday, that will change. I feel an amazing mixture of excitement, hope, nerves, worry at this change. Not nerves and worry about being a parent or the changes in our life that are to come, but about her, about whether she will be OK, whether she will come out strong and crying, whether I have provided her with all she needs in these past months. We are so looking forward to meeting the little lady but I admit to still being a bit caught up in the process of it all and what needs to get done before she arrives. Perhaps this is my way of containing my worry. I have been reading Teresa Strasser's blog, thanks to Mindy and Snowman, and I think her post sums up a bit of how I'm feeling. I may not have a stretch mark to focus on (at least not yet!) but I know how she feels. There are so many unknowns out there still, and it's easier to think about the little things sometimes. Regardless, Friday, as things stand, our world will be changing! CRAZY :-) But in a good way.

This morning I got out for a nice walk across the street. The maples along the pond by the high school have turned a brilliant red, and the cattail leaves have begun to turn yellow. I rescued a little red newt trying to cross the pavement, picking him up on a fallen leaf and releasing him on the other side, in amongst the grasses and purple asters. When I got home, Mindy and Jamie were there, gearing up for a run on the Cathance River trails with Snowman. When they left, I made some pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and upon their return Snowman whipped up a few of his signature omelettes to complete a yummy breakfast. It was a nice relaxing morning, chatting with friends and enjoying our last quiet Sunday :-)

Officially Ready!

Now that our pink TMR onesie has arrived, we are officially ready for the little lady's arrival! :-)



In other news, Snowman's sister, Meghan, sent us a box of really cute baby clothes (thanks Meghan!) and Ronnie, seeing them on the arm of the couch, decided they would be better off on the floor where he could happily sit on them. I guess he approves of all the cute patterns :-)

What is Normal Anyway?

Monday mid-morning, I got out for a walk on the powerlines while Snowman ran. He doubled back and walked the last 1/2 mile with me, which was nice. After a quick lunch, we headed to Portland for ultrasound #7 in 'the little lady' series. Seriously, that is just silly! We know much too much about fundal measurements, etc. Aie. Anyway, all went well and after the tech had done her part and gotten all the measurements and pictures necessary, the doctor came in for about 15 seconds - just enough time to say to us, "We've deemed you normal. We've concluded you just make genetically small babies." Although the conclusion is what Snowman and I have been thinking all along, it certainly was nice to hear it from the doctor! She is measuring in at 5 pounds 13 ounces, and is in the 15% percentile. And of course, she is still in the breech position, with her head jammed up against my right rib. Soooo comfy! :-) As for me being normal, I don't know about that, but hey, I'll take it...

During our day out and about, we also picked up some new road shoes for me. Boy, are they white and crisp looking! The ones I've been wearing for the past 300 miles look dark and dingy compared to these new things. And oh, so cushiony! I do love a new pair of running shoes. It seemed a little silly to be buying new running shoes when I am not running at the moment, but as Snowman says, won't you feel better when the time comes to run again if you have new shoes to put on?! There is something about getting out in new shoes that just makes a girl happy :-) So, while this pair got broken in this morning during my walk, and will likely get more walking miles than running miles over the next few months, I am happy to have them!

On a Break

Fall is officially here! It was 39 degrees at 7:45 am this morning. The air was crisp, there was frost on the ground, and the maples leaves are beginning to turn. I put on tights for the first time. Luckily I still have an old, stretched out pair that fit, even with my 37 week belly :-)

I headed across the street for a walk. As I walked along, I thought about running. I've been running since high school. I can't think of too many times where I haven't been running. Yes, there have been breaks here and there, but I've never been seriously injured, and unlike Snowman and running, who had a bit of a falling out after college, I never stopped running once I started. I was thinking of all the places I've run. Of all the friends I've run with. How I have relied on running to keep me sane. To keep me healthy. To empty my mind. I've run through the winding streets of Nantes, France in the early morning hours. The Commons a million times over. Flow miles at Wolfe's Neck with the cross country team. On the trails. In the mountains. On the roads. On the snow. Through the mud. In the heat. Alone, with Snowman, with the Trail Monsters. In the 100m hurdles. The 10k. Road races with a zillion people. Along the edge of Somes Sound in the MDI Marathon. The rolling pastures of Pineland, and the rocky single track of Bradbury. Sure, I haven't always been fast. Or run far. I've had good days and bad, but I'm always glad to be out there. The longest stretch of no running was in 2005 when we were hiking the AT for four months. I think I was back to running within 3 days after we stopped, as this body of mine just needs to and wants to move!

So, it is with great regret that I admit that running and I are now on a short break. The mind wants to run. But the body does not. My joints/ligaments are loosening. My groin has been hurting after my runs. As has my right shin, likely due to the new gait I've taken on in the past month or so as my belly expands. And the belly, well, it is just feeling heavy and stretched to the limit. These things are putting a bit of a damper on the whole running thing. I had hoped to be able to run right through to the end. But I did manage to run through 36 weeks of pregnancy, and of that I am happy and proud. Anyway, walking has now replaced running. It is not the same, but it gets me out moving and is much gentler on the body at this point.

If I do end up having the c-section that is now scheduled for 9:30am on October 9th, I know I will have a mandatory 6 week hiatus from running as I heal. And even if I do not have the c-section, I will have to take some time off to recover. So, you likely won't be reading any running-related blogs in the next 8 weeks. But you can bet I'll be counting down the days (November 21st if it's a c-section) until I can run again! :-)