Saturday Double

OK, so by most people's standards, today's morning run and afternoon walk aren't really a double in the true sense of the word, but I figure at 6 weeks post c-section, I can get away with calling it that :-)

This morning, I headed out for a run along the powerlines. It has been a long time since I've gone farther than the rise just past Highland Green Road which was my walking turn-around late in pregnancy, and I had forgotten how nice it is down the hill along the lines before Topsham Crossing. It was great to squish through the mud, looking up at the fluffy clouds and blue sky above, listening to the chickadees, bluejays and robins chattering and chirping and the wind whistling through trees, bushes and brambles. Today's run was a bit tougher on me than yesterday's run, in part due to the rougher terrain but also as it was the second day in a row of running. Still, I was happy to be out on yet another warm and sunny November morning.

After Ryan got in his run, and we did a few things around the house, we set out to enjoy a bit of the afternoon together. We drove to the Skofield Shores Preserve in Harpswell, and after Ryan suited up with Sam in the Ergo (Thanks Sean and Kris!), we walked down to the water's edge and then along the trails that wind through the woods farther out onto the peninsula. Although the loop is likely only a mile or so, it is a beautiful walk - winding along the edge of several fields, through the pines, meandering by a saltwater marsh and then back along the ocean. The late afternoon light was hitting the golden marsh grasses and glinting off the water, and Sam was content in the carrier, sleeping away as we walked along. It was really nice to be out, with all three of enjoying the woods together!


Sam enjoying her ride in the Ergo


Beautiful November afternoon

6 Weeks

I had my 6-week appointment today. Things are healing up fine and I've been given the green light to do what I want to do provided I feel good. So, I am back to running officially :-) Hurray! Also am back to just 5 pounds above my weight at the beginning of the pregnancy, so I won't complain about that either!

Sam and I got a walk in yesterday afternoon while Ryan was down in Boston for the Boston Ski Show for work, and today I went for a run. I had intended to get out after I fed Sam at 6am, but it was still dark and I was tired, so I crawled back into bed instead. A little extra sleep these days is always a good thing :-) I woke up at 8am and after feeding #2, got dressed, ate a quick snack and headed out the door to run the same loop I ran on Sunday. Of course, by that point it was raining. Oh well. Luckily, it was warm, so the rain and wind didn't feel too bad. I did feel like I was working a bit harder than during Sunday's run, but perhaps part of that was doing battle with the wind both heading out on the powerlines and coming back on the road. I returned soggy but happy, having finished the 3.0 miles in 29:48 (I wore the Garmin this time out of curiosity to both confirm the loop's distance and my pace), and feeling like a runner again having gotten out despite the rain and wind :-)

In other news, Ryan took my car down to Boston, so the B.O.B., which has been living in the back of the car, has been parked in the entry way the past few days. Both Ronnie and Gigi have taken a liking to it, with Gigi curling up in the storage basket below the seat, and Ronnie settling down right in the seat, ready to go for a ride!


I'm ready, are you?

The Test

Yesterday and today were my big test. Could I make it alone through 1) the day with Sam, 2) the evening with Sam, 3) the night with Sam, 4) get out the door to work with her in the morning, and finally 5) survive at least until mid-afternoon at work with her?

I knew I could handle the day along with her. We had a fine time yesterday hanging out, doing some tummy time (She is getting strong and can raise her head up and shift it from side to side too. Yes, she is sooo advanced!), taking a nice afternoon walk, sleeping a bit (for Sam) and relaxing on the couch. She is definitely more alert and active these days. We are also being rewarded with a smile back at us from time to time, which is adorable! Of course, she is also still losing her hair in a rather haphazard fashion, but she is gaining some beautiful eyelashes as part of the deal, so perhaps it is evening out?! :-)


Smile!

The early evening went as well as could be expected, as that time of night is definitely her fussy time and she is a bit of a challenge, but the big kicker was that she did not want to go down to sleep! Ugh. I ended up bringing up the bouncy chair and putting her to sleep in that. I know as she gets older, she'll have to learn to go to sleep in her bed on her own, but for now, all I wanted was to get some rest!

And work, well, I'm still getting the hang of getting up to and being at the gallery with her. She was very good today, and we lasted until around 3:15pm, which was about what I was hoping for. As we move forward, the plan is for her to be up there with me for the 2 days a week I'll be working in December, and then the 3 days a week we're open from January into March. So, I have to get used to it, but it's definitely a juggling act. Luckily it's quiet through the winter so hopefully it juggling paying attention to Sam and getting a bit of work done won't be too much of a problem! I can hope anyway!!

A Run! A Run!

OK, so I cheated a bit... Six weeks after Sam's birth will be this coming Friday, so I technically shouldn't run until then. I do not want to mess up my recovery, and realize I am still healing on the inside even if I feel OK on the outside. But I also have been feeling good and admit to feeling in part that the 6-week rule is just a rather arbitrary number, and that we all are different in our recoveries, much like all of us moms were at a different level of fitness going into pregnancy and birth. So all that being said, I headed out yesterday mid-morning for a walk, with the thought in the back of my mind that I would try running and see how it felt. Well, I walked to the end of the walkway and started to run. And it felt good, so I kept going. Ryan set the over/under for my return to running at 4.5 weeks so I at least held out for longer than that!

I set out on the 3-mile loop through Highland Green, or "the Suck Loop" as Ryan has deemed it. I started out very slowly, gingerly almost. I was unsure how I would feel, and I was really focused on my middle, as I wanted to be sure to stop immediately if anything felt off. I was mostly just praying that my insides wouldn't feel like they were about to fall out. And they didn't. It felt a bit odd at first, but then so did running while pregnant. As I ran long, I got more comfortable, although I still kept the pace mellow. I wasn't breathing hard but I could feel things a bit in my legs. After all, I have had a 9 week layoff from running, so that was inevitable! With the torrential rains Saturday night, the powerlines were wet as were the section of woods by the high school. It was fun to tromp through the puddles and feel like a runner again :-)

I didn't wear the Garmin, but did time the run on my wristwatch, and I finished off the loop in 30:10, which made me pretty happy. It was great to be able to run the whole 3 loop at 10 minute pace without too much effort and to feel good doing it. Of course, I was tired out by the afternoon - perhaps the combination of being up a fair amount that night, running 3 miles, making dinner and feeding and taking care of Sam was a bit much for the day. I suppose a run/walk combination to start out might have been the smartest thing to do, but that is just not me! Anyway, I figured how I felt this morning would be the real test, and I woke up this morning feeling sore not in the stomach area, but in my quads, so I deemed the run a success! I took today off, but hope to get in a walk tomorrow and hopefully run Friday and Saturday. My six-week appointment is on Friday so I should have my official go-ahead for things then :-)

2 and 3

Yesterday Sam and I got out for a 2-mile walk on yet another nice day. It was a bit cooler than Monday, but I still shed my long-sleeve shirt partway through the walk. The B.O.B. is a nifty contraption, and I appreciate that it allows me to get out when I can't leave Sam behind. And I am sure once I'm back running, it will be a good resistance workout as well!

Today, I asked Ryan if he would mind watching Sam while I got in a 3 mile walk. I headed out on the powerlines to do what Ryan has deemed "The Suck Loop." I must admit I did not think of it as sucky today, probably because I haven't run the loop since August, and because I was just enjoying being out on my own on a longer walk. It was a bit chilly with the wind, but the downed leaves crunched beneath my feet, the chickadees chirped in the trees and the sun was out, so all in all, a pretty nice November afternoon. The loop took me 43:00 to walk, and I was walking at as fast a clip as I could. Man, it takes so much longer to walk things than to run them! However, I felt strong as I strode along (and even took a few running steps at one point, but only to cross the street quickly, I swear!) and am really looking forward to running more than a few steps by the end of next week!

One Month

Samantha is one month old today. Amazing! It seems both like we've had her forever and that time has flown by and this month has passed so quickly. Somehow I think this trend will continue, and we'll be saying this again and again as time passes and new milestones are reached. She had her one month appointment this morning, and she is up to 7 pounds 15 ounces and 21" inches. This puts her in the 50th percentile for height and the 25th for weight. She is also losing some of her dark hair (or as Ryan puts it so nicely, she is getting power alleys in the front!) and also has a case of baby acne. Poor little one. Ah well, we still think she is a beautiful child, even if she is going through 'an ugly phase' :-)

She is definitely changing - following objects with her eyes, focusing more on our faces, giving us what seem like little smiles here and there. She seems to be getting pretty strong too, holding her head up for good stretches when we hold her upright by our shoulders and lifting her head off the mat during 'tummy time.' She also graced us with great night last night. I fed her at 9pm, and she didn't wake up again until 3:00am! Hurray! This meant we actually got to sleep for over 5 hours. I feel almost human again :-) Of course, prior to Sam's birth, 5 hours of sleep would not be cause for celebration, but hey, I'll take what I can get at this point!

In other news, it was yet another gorgeous day today. I have never been all that fond of November, as it tends to be a bit dreary as the leaves fall off the trees and the days get cold and dark with the time change. However, I must admit that this year, the month has been pretty nice, and I've been fully enjoying this warmer weather! Now, I do want us to have winter eventually, but I'll take an extension of this warmer early fall weather into late November with no hesitation! After Sam's doctor's appointment, she and I headed across the street for a walk. It was so warm, I almost immediately shed my long sleeve top and was comfortable in tights and short sleeves. I'll take it! I have been feeling good and strong, and am counting down the days until my 6-week appointment next Friday. You had better believe I'll be out for a run that next morning!

This was supposed to be a test

This weekend was supposed to be a test. Ryan had to be up at work all weekend, staying overnight last night. This was bound to happen eventually, and I knew it would be a big test for me... an overnight alone! I was a little nervous, but figured it would work out OK, even if it would mean it was a pretty long weekend of just 'me and Sam' time. However, the test was diverted to another date, as my mom decided this was the perfect excuse to fly up for a long weekend and help me out. Isn't that nice?! Thanks Mom!

She flew in on Thursday, which gave her the chance to hang out with Kristen and Morgan too, and then the three of them came up yesterday morning to visit. Morgan had a cold, so we headed outside and took a walk around the neighborhood in an attempt to keep little Sam healthy out in the fresh air. Despite her cold, Morgan was on the run the whole time and did not want to stop to be photographed. I got a bunch of shots of her back and shadow, but did at least manage to catch this one shot of her on the fly!


On the move

After a mellow afternoon hanging out and a good night, this morning, Mom, Sam and I got out for another walk. We headed to the bike path to enjoy the sunshine and warm temps. The blue sky above and bare trees were reflected in the flat, calm waters of the river, and the path was busy with people out biking, walking and running. What a perfect day!


Mom pushing the B.O.B.

We did 3 miles at a quick pace, and it felt great. It was a really nice walk, except that about 3/4 of a mile from the end, Sam let us know she was hot and way overdressed. She screamed the rest of the way back to the car. She was not a happy camper and was sure to let us know it! Poor girl! She calmed down once we took off her sweater and took her out of the carrier for a few minutes to cool down before heading home. Amazing how the day warmed up while we were out there!

However, lest you think this post will go by without a photo of Samantha, here is one of her smiling up at me yesterday morning. I suppose it might be gas, but it sure looks like a real smile to me! :-)


Smile!

Good Day for a Day Off

We awoke to a dusting of wet snow on the ground, and although that has melted, it has stayed cold, overcast and damp. It is a good day for a day off, as Ryan is up at work and I'm home alone with Sam. Not exactly the best weather to taking an almost-4 week old baby out for a walk.

Yesterday however, I took Ryan up on his offer to watch Sam and headed across the street on my own for a walk on the powerlines. As I walked along, I was thinking that next week I'm planning to slightly lengthen my walks to 3 miles. Walking 3 miles takes a lot longer than running 3 miles but at this point I have the time, and if I am planning to start running again in 2 weeks, I want to at least be able to have walked 3 miles a few times before I head out running 3 miles again! It was a bright afternoon but a bit blustery. I enjoyed the change of scenery from the road route that has become my "normal" loop, and as I crested the rise before my turn-around, I stopped and watched a Red-tailed Hawk circling on the air currents and listened to the chickadees chirping in the bushes. Ahhhh. Another nice day to be out.

When I returned, we went out for ice cream. I've been craving a "Pumpkin Pie in the Sky" from Cold Stone ever since Sam was born, and finally got it today! Yum. There should be pumpkin beer, pie, ice cream and coffee (yes, I like Pumpkin Spice coffee, what can I say?!) all the time! But I guess that would make it less special. Needless to say, pumpkin ice cream with caramel, graham crackers, mysterious whipped topping and cinnamon mixed in is a heavenly treat!


This ice cream is bigger than my head!

Myths

Yes, Samantha is only a little more than 3 weeks old, and no doubt things will change in the upcoming weeks, months and years, but in the meantime, there are a few baby myths I'd like to clear up.

1. "Sleeps like a baby." I'd rather sleep like an adult. 8 hours without waking up. If I were to sleep like a baby, I'd be up every 2 to 4 hours, crying and hungry. This is not how I want to be.

2. "All babies need is love." Having a baby has meant our home is quickly filling up with ridiculous "stuff." Plastic stuff. Swings. Pack n' Plays. Play mats. Diapers. Wipes. Toys. A special bathtub. And on, and on, and on. It's impossible to resist. Yes, what babies need most is our attention and for us to listen to their cry and respond, to change their diaper and feed them accordingly, but really, it's all about the stuff!

3. "We're loving every minute!" We love Sam. We did before we even met her. But it is work. And it is tough. It is not all rainbows and candy. All the advice we've gotten from people in these past few weeks is that you just have to get through the first three months, and then it gets better. That is not an endorsement for "loving every minute." Still, when she smiles (or is it gas?), and is cute and quiet, we love it. When she's crying at 3 am, and won't go to sleep, I won't lie and say I'm loving it. But I know this too will pass, and that better days are on the way. I think having a baby is like most other things. There are good times and bad, and it's all in how you handle it. Hopefully we'll continue to handle it OK! :-)

4. The whole breastfeeding thing. Yes, it might be best, and it might be "the most natural thing in the world" but man, it is a lot of work. They don't tell you this beforehand. All the portrayals of breastfeeding are of quiet, contented babies, and moms gazing down at their babies with stars in their eyes. While this may be true for some, I am not finding it to be so. Sam is a squirmer. She burps and poops and moves around. It's a workout keeping her eating. I am feeding her many hours a day. It is tiring. Again, as she gets older, all this will likely change and get better, and I'm not giving up yet, but all I have to say is, if you're thinking of breastfeeding in the future, be warned!

5. "Breastfed baby poop doesn't smell." This is just not true. It is poop. It smells. Perhaps it smells less than formula-fed baby poop. And likely less than once we start to feed her solid foods. But seriously, people, don't lie.

I'm sure there will be other myths to contend with as we continue on this journey, but in the meantime, here is a photo of little Sam in her FuzziBunz cloth diapers. So, far it is going well and we are loving not buying and throwing out a zillion disposable diapers!


Fresh as a Daisy!

This afternoon, Sam and I didn't get out for a walk until right before 4pm. The soft late afternoon light was hitting the treetops, and I walked along, the sun beginning to set, highlighting the clouds as they began to turn light purple. I was tired and hadn't known whether it was better to take a nap or take a walk, but as always, once I got out there, I knew it was the right choice.

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!