Staying Active While Pregnant

I don’t know about anyone else, but being pregnant occasionally makes me want to be lazy. I mean, laaaazzzyyyy. I’m carrying extra weight; I get short on breath and tired so much more easily than I did a few months ago. There are days where I would love to just sit on the couch all evening and drown my thoughts in Pinterest. But if there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that staying active during pregnancy is incredibly important! Both my Dr. and my body tell me so.

My Dr. recommended I refrain from doing any high-impact workouts that could cause a lot of jarring, so I've been doing some research on workouts appropriate for pregnancy. Here are the five workouts I found to be the most commonly recommended:

Walking. This is my number one go-to workout while pregnant. Since my workouts happen first thing in the morning, this is the perfect way for me to get some fresh air, clear my head, pray, and get my heart rate up a little bit.

Yoga. I have to admit, I haven’t tried this yet. But I’d love to start! I know that colder weather is on the way so my commitment level of getting up and walking to the gym will begin to dwindle. I’ll have no excuse to stay in bed if I can just go down to the basement and throw in a workout video. I think I’ll venture over to Amazon to check into this as soon as I finish this post…

Swimming. I can totally see how this would be a great workout during pregnancy. It’s low impact yet a great way to stay in shape. Unfortunately, my small town does not house any sort of indoor pool, and the outdoor pool is out of commission until summer – Not that I would be interested in swimming outdoors this time of year anyway, let’s be honest. So, I may have to pass on this one, but I love the idea.

Elliptical. This is my go-to when I have to hit the gym. It gives me a welcome break from the “dreadmill” and I feel it gives me a little tougher workout while still remaining low impact. I don’t do it every day, but when I’m in need of breaking a little sweat, this is where I turn.

Light Strength Training. I think this is a must during pregnancy. Cardio helps get me going, burn calories, and raise my heart rate a bit, but strength training makes me feel strong and in all around better shape. Plus I don’t need to remind other mother’s out there how much strength is needed during labor. And that’s all I’ll say about that. J

So, to sum this up, I believe whole-heartedly that staying active while pregnant is important.  While I’m just as guilty as the next person on having a “lazy” day, I know deep down that the benefits of staying active during this point in my life is crucial as ever. I’ve noticed that when I do workout, I sleep a lot better, my head is clearer, and I’m in a much more positive mood. So I’m going to try to mix the above activities into my workout routine as much as possible and get myself off the couch. Besides, I can look at Pinterest on my phone while I’m on the treadmill, right? J

*I would like to note that I am not a certified trainer and most definitely do not have a degree in pre-natal care, so please check with your Dr. before beginning your own pregnancy workout routine!

Hanging Up My Running Shoes

It’s officially October! My absolute favorite month of the year (of course, this could be because it’s my birthday month...), but I also love the beautiful colors, crunching leaves, and let’s not forget fall means it’s leggings and sweater weather - The best, most comfortable attire there is. Pardon me while I open a window and take a second to breathe in this cool, fall air…

Beautiful. Ok, now back to reality! I can’t help but think about what I was doing this time last year – Training and nervously awaiting the Market to Market Relay race, a mere 12 days away. I remember hoping and praying not only that I wouldn’t let my team down, but that I would also just survive the 9 miles I had signed up for months ago. And guess what?  I did! In fact, the best part about it is that it sprung me back into running. And I continued to run, day in and day out, races here and there, another appearance at the Lincoln Half Marathon (with a PR at 2:07), until about the middle of July.

Why did I quit running in July? Well, I’m happy to announce that the hubby and I are expecting baby #2 in February! I could not feel more blessed about this new addition to our lives and we’re both over the moon excited for our growing family. And yet I must (selfishly) confess that I still have days where I struggle with my personal decision to put running on hold for the remainder of the pregnancy. I love to run. I feel like it’s part of who I am. Some days I miss running so much, I actually crave it over the ice cold, blended margarita that I haven’t had since Memorial Day weekend. Some days, I’m even afraid I’ll forget what running feels like… Eek! The horror!   

But deep down inside, I know that taking a few months off of running to ensure a healthy baby is such a small price to pay. So I remind myself every day that my legs and my Garmin are still in good working order and there’s no reason to give up on exercise all together. In fact, my Dr. recommends I keep moving! So, my running shoes are now walking/elliptical/light strength training shoes and will stay that way until I can pound the pavement again this spring.

To take an even more positive spin, I’ve decided  I’ll take the next few months to blog about what workouts I’m doing, how I’m coping with running withdrawals, and how I’m attempting to stay healthy with those blasted pregnancy cravings (hello, McDonald’s French fries… we meet again). I’m hoping that by writing everything out, it will keep me on the right track and keep me accountable!

So, dear running shoes, while I revoke your running privileges for the time being, please don’t fail me in my quest to stay active these next few months!

With Love,

Kris

Helmet Update!

[Such a big girl!]

We are continuing to cruise through our helmet routine! Makenna has had it now since February 10^th, so just a few days shy of 4 months. We recently had her 6 week checkup and received amazing news. Makenna will be helmet-less by her next appointment on July 2^nd!! We could not be more thrilled!

Our missy has been seeing such great results from the helmet, the Dr. was even surprised. So let me run a few statistics: When Makenna first had her head scanned for this piece of plastic and foam, her head was off by 12 millimeters – just shy of a half inch and what they call a moderate case. At her checkup last week, she’s now only off by 7 – nearly half of the distance from where she began! The Dr. also said that if other babies with this issue are within 5 millimeters of being completely round, no one can even tell the difference. And to be honest, I’m having trouble seeing the difference already. She looks great to me! But it’s also nice to know that it’s not a biased opinion or wishful thinking on my part. J 

For all the stress I went through before this process began, and for all the tears shed thinking my daughter would look silly, be uncomfortable, or be too old to achieve results, it all pays off now. The Dr. is going to let her continue to wear the helmet for 6 more weeks, and then we’re calling it quits. He also mentioned that she’s getting the same results that a 6 month old would get, which is incredibly wonderful considering Makenna is almost 15 months old.

Also, if anyone heard in the news lately about the study that came out Europe claiming that these helmets don’t work, I beg to differ! If anyone is even considering using a helmet to correct a flattened head on their little one, I strongly encourage them to do so! It’s so worth it and Makenna is the proof!

4 and a half weeks and counting… ;) 

Pinspiration Inspiration

I'm feeling very inspirational today and happened to come across this picture on Pinterest:

With so much going on in the Larson household right now, I could not have found this picture at a better time, or put these thoughts into better words.

I've always had confidence that God will carry me though any rough roads, but sometimes I forget to just give it up to Him and remember that I can't change some of the things that happen in life.

Every time I read this quote I just think of pure freedom. So, I'll just let this sink in and keep it short and simple for today. :)

Week One is Done!

We've made it through the first week with the helmet! How was it? Well it was... easy. Seriously! I can't believe how fast little Missy adjusted to it. If someone would have told me how smooth the first week would go, I would have never worried so much! Here was the rundown on our week:

Tuesday, Day 1: Wear the helmet for 1 hour on, 1 hour off, no naps, and no overnight time
Wednesday, Day 2: 2 hours on, 1 hour on, no naps, no overnight time
Thursday, Day 3: 3-4 hours on, 1 hour off, begin wearing it at nap time, but not overnight
Friday, Day 4: 4-8 hours on, 1 hour off, wear during naps, and wear overnight
Saturday, Day 5: Full time use

Friday was the first night she had to wear the helmet to bed, so I was prepared for the worst! But Makenna was a total champ. She didn't wake up once. Not even a little fuss! I actually got up 3 times just to check on her and make sure the helmet hadn't rolled over her face and sufficated her. (Which, I'm quite sure would never happen, but my mind goes to weird places in the middle of the night.)

So now that we're on to full time, here's kind of our schedule:

Take the helmet off for 15-20 minutes in the morning to give her a little break from overnight. Her poor little head sweats quite a bit so this helps to air everything out (Cuz let me tell you, that helmet starts to STINK after a while. Pew!) and then we put it back on until after her afternoon nap when we take it off again for a 15-20 minute break. Then it's back on until bath time in the evening when we get to leave it off for a whole hour before bed. During the hour, she gets a bath and we rub the helmet with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol to try to keep it clean. And then it's back on until the next morning.

When we first learned of the helmet, we were told she would need to have it on 23 hours a day, and that seemed like a lot! But at the appointment they told us we had to leave it on for 20-23 hours a day, so she has it off for about 1.5 hours a day. And the day goes by so fast, it doesn't even seem like she's wearing it that much! See? Easy! Who knew?

As one last note, I had to share a pic of her wearing it this weekend. We're (still) redoing the bathroom so this tool bag of Cory's is a popular attention-getter.

[Hmm... I think I'll help dad with his tools :) ]

So, now we wait until her next appointment on March 10th. But so far, so good!

Cookies

Ah, Peanut Butter Patties... my arch nemesis. I may seem like a healthy eater, but don't let that fool you. I've definitely over-indulged a time or two on these babies in the past.

Here's how it used to work during Girls Scout season: I would convince myself that I could go without eating these decadent delights. You can do it, I would tell myself, It's just a silly cookie! But let me tell you, after two straight days of "convincing myself" and constantly remembering that they were in my cupboard begging to be eaten, I would inevitably give in. And before I knew it, the box was more than half gone and I'd only be 10 minutes into my recording of the The Bachelor. 15 minutes into the show, I was in remorse and guilt. I can't believe I ate all those cookies!

It took me a long time to figure out that by completely restricting myself from sweets, I was actually setting myself up for failure. I didn't want food to control me and I should be able to indulge in Girl Scout cookies every now and then, right? So, I decided to make a change. Why not enjoy a sweet every now and then and quit beating myself up about it? Seems so simple... I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out!

Now I actually make it a point to keep chocolate in my house. Seems backwards, I know, but it actually works for me. If there's no chocolate, I crave it. And then crave it so bad that before I know it I'm in the drive-through at Dairy Queen ordering a large Chocolate Extreme blizzard.

There's no harm in balancing your diet with some chocolate every now and then. Or, in my case, every day. :) My favorite is to eat a Dove Milk Chocolate candy every night after supper. It's so delicious and melts in my mouth... it cures any craving I have and keeps me from going overboard. Plus, who doesn't love an inspiring quote with every piece! Thanks, Dove! :)

Here's to chocolate eating!

Helmet Day

Today was the day. Our 4:30 appointment at Children’s Hospital in Omaha would mean that from now until 6 months from now (potentially), Miss Makenna would need to wear a helmet for 20-23 hours a day.

Let me begin with a little history: At Makenna’s 4 month check up at the clinic, my Dr. and I discussed the flatness on the back of her head. It wasn’t bad, but still noticeable.

The child slept on her back all night long and didn’t move! And she wasn’t sitting up enough yet to let it round out. We agreed to take a picture from the top looking down on her head, and then another one on her 6 month appointment to see if it had rounded out at all. 

By her 6 month check-up, it really was looking better. She was sitting up completely by herself at this point and we thought for sure it would finish rounding out by itself. 

That brings us to her 9 month check-up, when we realized we would need to do more. It really wasn’t rounding out, and she still slept all night on her back, not moving at all, which continued to put pressure directly on her flat spot. 

Our Dr. recommended a specialist. Fast forward a month and here we are. Talk about an anxious Mom! My stomach was doing flips all day. I was ready to get to the appointment and get it over with. 

It's going to be an adjustment at first, but I'm confident she will do just great once she's used to it. Let's pray I do the same! Why is it so much harder for Moms?

But I do have to share a couple of pics to document the day. Here's a pic of her in the bath with wet hair. It's the official "before" pic. You can really tell that she needs the helmet in this one! 

[Naked baby]

And here's a pic with the new helmet. She still looks sweet to me! ;) 

[New accessory!]

I'll be continuing to update throughout the process in order to document the whole thing. This first week should be interesting... :)