Nights in Rodanthe....Early Bird Style

I've spent the last 30 minutes trying to post a picture from the movie, but it didn't work. Sorry if it's not as interesting. 

I had a tough day at work yesterday...make that a really tough week. I came home and I was completely exhausted, emotionally and physically. Jason and I had discussed going to a movie later that night, but when he saw my state, he knew a movie would immediately cheer me up. So instead of going to the 7:45 flick, we made it to the 5:00 show. To be extra nice, he forewent his movie choice of "Tropic Thunder" for my choice, "Nights in Rodanthe." When we got to the theatre, I had the irking feeling that we chose the wrong movie. We were younger than everyone in the audience by at least thirty years. Not that I don't love that crowd, I do! I just took it as a bit of an omen. This movie was long, overly dramatic, and really sad. It was so cheesy that tears weren't even necessary on my part, but what can I say, I'm pregnant.  I literally sat there and bawled for about 30 minutes (yes, the sad part went on for over 30 minutes). My eight pounds lighter, non-pregnant self floated above me and was mocking me. No matter how much I hated myself for crying, I could not stop it. Oh well, at least I had an excuse for the tears. 

To make matters worse, there were three 13-year old girls that snuck in after the movie started. Not a movie for kids!! I could hear their internal dialogue so clearly. "This isn't anything like 'The Notebook'! Trust me, I was thinking the exact same thing. 

My husband sat through the whole thing, the bawling, the cheesy movie, and the early bird special just to make me happy. Very sweet. But next time, I'll go with his movie choice.

I'm so excited

...and I just can't hide it. No, I'm not hopped up on caffeine pills, Jessie Spano; I just cannot wait for the season premiere of The Office tonight!!! I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait.

Benefits of Running While Pregnant

I've been doing research (and by research I mean searching the web) about running while pregnant. Basically I just want to learn about the benefits of running and I'm looking for inspiration to continue training. Also, I want to have some ammunition when someone inevitably says, "Should you be doing that?" I can say, "Why, yes. You wouldn't believe what this does for the placenta! " Can you imagine that poor person's face?

Anyway, I found this great sight called Running Skirts. They have this great page devoted to pregnancy running with the best pictures of women running 5K's, half-marathons, and marathons, of course while pregnant. Very inspirational! I wanted to post the benefits, because I thought it was very interesting. I know this may be boring to most, but it is very encouraging to me. And as always, I encourage all of you to exercise...pregnant or not. The benefits far out way the difficulties. Here's what I found!

There is a lot of research about the safety and benefits of running during pregnancy for both mom and baby, some of these include:

Healthier Moms:

-Regular exercise during pregnancy builds stamina and prepares & strengthens muscles and body for delivery

-Running during pregnancy reduces fatigue, nausea and constipation 

-Maternity exercise has been proven to help prevent gestational diabetes

-Maternity fitness contributes to shorter labor & less delivery complications

-Fit mommies have fewer c-sections

-Running moms also experience less lower back pain

-Moms to be who exercise also have less swelling of extremities

Happier Moms:

-Regular exercise and/or running promotes well being a less postpartum depression

-Pregnancy fitness regimens lead to quick recoveries & return to pre-pregnancy weight

-A fit mom has less anxiety & stress related to pregnancy

-Better sleep, less insomnia

Yummy Mummies:

-Running during pregnancy prevents excessive weight gain

-Cardio exercise during pregnancy increases blood flow to skin = healthy glow

-Pregnant running improves posture & appearance

-It just makes you look & feel better!

-A regular moderate running program leads to increased energy in the first and second trimesters

-Maintaining fitness during pregnancy helps moms regain pre-pregnancy body quicker

-Running and other moderate impact exercise leads to less development of varicose veins

Happier Babies:

-A regular pregnancy fitness regimen better prepares baby for transition from womb

-Pregnancy running increases blood circulation & placental efficiency

-Running while pregnant also increases newborn baby's capacity to self calm & self quiet

Healthier Babies:

-Regular exercise decreases baby fat without decreasing normal growth

-Cardio fitness leads to increased blood flow from placenta which supplies nutrition & oxygen to the fetus

Smarter Babies:

-Mommies who run have increased fetal movements, which studies have shown leads to quicker development of oral skills

16 1/2 Week Update

Yes, I'm pulling out the 1/2. I'm like a little kid who wants to get their birthday exactly right.

It's definitely time for a Baby-Lash update. Everything is going really well. I feel better and better everyday, and it helps now that Jason is back home. I have him here for three more weeks before he's off to Ft. Worth for a month. Glamorous life, I know. My belly's starting to get a little bit bigger, and safety pins have become my friend. My regular clothes are still fitting, but my work pants are a little tight in the waist. The safety pins are holding it all together right now. Again, what a glamorous life. By the way, I must apologize for the pictures of me with no makeup and in my workout clothes. For some reason, I only think to take belly pictures after a workout.

I must say that this pregnancy thing is starting to grow (pun intented) on me. This is probably the most peaceful and calm I have felt in my entire life. It's funny how that calmness is so beautifully juxtaposed against the stress of my day to day life--being away from the comforts of home, stressful job, husband away... I guess I feel like this was just meant to be. This is God's plan and I'm learning not to fight it. The one quote that I have posted everywhere in my life (at work, at home, tattooed on my arm...not really) is something that I found the day after I found out I was pregnant, and it is just so beautiful.

Wherever you are, the world will rise up to meet you.

For me, this is really powerful and infinitely true. We are always given the tools, the situations, and the people we need to make it through anything. That is peace.

Totally off the subject, but I need some solicited advice. What prenatal vitamins did you all take during pregnancy? All the brands I have tried make me puke. So much for peace.

The Best Valentine's Day Ever

No, it's not Valentines' Day, but I have to tell my favorite Valentine's Day story. By the way, this story isn't totally random, just sort of. Let me explain my train of thought. We are babysitting my friend's dog, Bailey, while my friend and her husband are out of town. I love it when animal's names are human names, especially when one such dog's name is Abby...

Valentine's Day about 5 years ago. I hate Valentine's Day...even when there's someone to celebrate with. I was living with Jayna at the time and we decided to have some people over to have a non-traditional, non-celebratory sort of celebration for the dreaded day. We were inviting a bunch of people, and we decided to invite Jason. He had just gotten off the road and he was really tired, but I thought I could entice him with an exciting piece of news. We had a girl for him to meet!! (You have to understand at this point, Jason and I were strictly friends. In fact, I think my boyfriend at the time was at this charade too.) I explained that the girl was short and petite, with dark hair and dark eyes; just his type...oh, and her name was Abby. A little while later, Jason shows up, freshly shaven, showered, and looking mighty handsome for his new date. He looks at Jayna and me, giving us the "where is she?" eyes. At that moment, Jayna opens up a kennel, and out pops a petite, dark-haired, dark-eyed dog. Abby actually belonged to Jayna's parents and she was babysitting for the weekend. Mean, I know. But Jason had a really good sense of humor about it. I feel bad even writing about this story, but it really was funny. I need to go home and bake him some cookies or something. Poor guy! I put him through so much.