Simple Fix

The last several months, even before I was pregnant, I've been struggling quite a bit with lower back pain, hip tightness, and those infamous stomach cramps while running. It had been awhile since I had the cramps. And I figured the back and hip pain just meant I wasn't in very good shape. 

While perusing on the beloved Pinterest, I saw this picture of a rather fit lady, in a skimpy bikini with a red circle drawn around her stomach. The text said something about ending the low stomach pooch...

You'd think that being pregnant I wouldn't care about it, but I still look constantly for ways to improve. Wither now or later. So I thought "Eh...I'll check it out."

I was surprised it wasn't another one of those 'lets do 490 crunches and sit ups EVERY SINGLE DAY! Twice a day!' kind of things. 

The answer was simple. Tight hip flexors. Huh...fancy that. I bet that explains the hip pain.

They talk about an anterior pelvic tilts, and exaggerated lumbar curves. And that explains the lower back pain. 

There was a video on how to stretch your hip flexors.

Pregnancy has amplified all these 'symptoms', so I figured I'd give it a go. 

Just a few days into doing these stretches twice a day has made a HUGE difference! I have high hopes on being able to run more than half a mile without excruciating pain. I'll admit, the first couple of days made my lower back, and obliques sore in ways I didn't think they could be sore. That's probably has a lot to do with being pregnant, though. 

And with the hips where they're supposed to be, I'm sitting correctly, so that has helped with the lower back pain quite a bit too! I'm impressed. 

I suppose I'll do further research on stretching hip flexors. 

Here's the link. Check it out! 

One Exercise To End “Lower Belly Pooch”

Growing, Growing, Growing...

The bump is expanding. A complete stranger asked me when I'm due. I suppose that means, I actually look pregnant now. Woo!!

15 weeks

16 weeks

18 weeks

The morning sickness is totally gone now. Or so, I think. Heh! I haven't puked in almost 2 weeks. Yay!!

Baby had hiccups for the first time during week 17. 

During week 18, Jon felt baby kick! 

Tomorrow ends week 19 and begins week 20, and we have another baby check up. We'll schedule our next ultrasound, too! 

Any guesses on the gender??

According to the ring test (google it) it's a girl....and Jon is fairly convinced it's a girl. Both kids say it's a girl, too...but they might have had a little coaching from dad. ; )

This pregnancy is producing it's more than fair share of Braxton Hicks contractions. I keep telling myself it means my labor and delivery will be nice and short. We shall see.

My belly button is doing this weird popping out thing...but I can pop it back in. Gross, right? I'm pretty sure it's a little hernia, but from everything I've read, it will most likely go away after baby is born. Again, we shall see. It's rather painful, but there isn't much we can do about it right now.

If you are a man...or if you are in any way easily grossed out, you might not want to read this next part.

So...6 weeks of postpartum bleeding and miserableness, plus possible depression, and the unavoidable baby blues seems a bit extreme to me. What if there was a way to lessen all that...if not avoid some of it completely?

Ah, but there is. And it's not a new discovery. Just one that hasn't been exactly...um...accepted by American people.

Placenta consumption.

Believe me...I was as freaked out as I know you are right now, when I first heard about it. Nasty! Bloody, disgusting grossness! But wait until you read this article. The benefits more than outweigh any disgusting-ness. If you haven't had a baby yet, you might not think so. But for all you veteran moms out there...this seems like an obvious fix to me.

The Benefits of Placenta Encapsulation for Postpartum Healing

After doing a bunch of research, I've decided to pay a handsome fee to have my placenta encapsulated with herbs, by a professional. God knows I won't want to touch it...ever. Neither will I have the energy to do so after pushing a human out my lady bits.

Back to the happy, fun stuff.

In other news; we enjoyed a fabulous trip to San Diego this past week. Jon's brother, Joshua, graduated from Marine Boot Camp. The whole family drove out for his graduation, and other fun stuff, as well. Thanksgiving on the beach was pretty fabulous!!

Well, that's all for now.

I hope I didn't gross you out, too much. ; ) 

Peanut butter and I are undergoing a trial separation.

Bananas are on probation.

Avocados now have a clean record.

I've developed 2 new stretch marks. We'll leave their where about unknown.

The toilet is always super super clean, since we're spending a ridiculous amount of time together.

I've acquired a sudden addiction to tea. Iced, sweetened, unsweetened, herbal, caffeine free, caffeinated, fruit flavored. Morning, noon, and night. Don't worry...I'm drinking lots of water, too.

We were sitting on the couch, when Isaiah so sweetly snuggled up next to me and put his hand on my 'starting to look pregnant instead of just chubby' belly. Made me tear up a bit.

I wasn't entirely sure Jayme understood everything that's going on. Then, she ran up to me, lifted my shirt and said "Heeeey, baby!" Either she's nicknamed my belly, or she's absorbing the fact that there really is a baby growing in there.

Picking names, this time, has become a bit of a challenge. Taking into consideration cruel jokes, and mean nicknames, we're a bit stumped. Family names are a no go. Very much loved names are taken by super cute babies we see on a regular basis. There are a few we love, but well...it's just hard to pick a name that you and your child will live with for the rest of their lives.

I was, however, informed that the reason it's hard to pick a name this time, is because the two best names are already taken. Noted. : )

In other news;

The kids find it HILARIOUS! to put the cat in the bathtub with them. Regardless of my attempts to keep the kitten out of the bathroom, the little booger sits faithfully by the tub while his tiny human masters get all clean. He, however, really hates being IN the tub.

After a really tasty dinner of roast and veggies, Jayme tells me "That was a good dinner, mom!" Isaiah says "Yeah, thanks for dinner!" Makes me smile.

Last night, while we were driving home, the kids were talking about our house hold pets. Isaiah says "We have 2 dogs and 2 cats...and 1 fish. That makes 5 pets!!" Yes, my super smart boy. It sure does!