Mall Rat

Yesterday afternoon I did a pretty brisk walk with Baby Max. We walked to the mall, did some Christmas shopping and quickly walked back home. I think I may have pushed it a bit, but I'm feeling okay today. The mall is about a 10-12 minute walk from my home. So in total, I probably walked a good 30-45 minutes, when you include the jaunt inside.

Surprisingly, I've been quite mobile since a day or so after my C-section, now about two weeks ago. In fact, since we've been home, the B, The Maxity and I have seen pretty much the inside of most malls in and around our area. I know my mobility has surprised some people who've had C-sections before, saying that they're "impressed that I am already out and about." (I guess my pregnancy fitness really has helped in getting me on my feet sooner than most.)

I was never much of a "mall rat" before, but with the temperatures dipping and the nice festive mood inside, it's hard to resist. Plus, now with a little guy, I do like to look at the latest in baby fashions!

I honestly never thought I'd become "one of those moms" who push their strollers around the mall. However, now I understand why. For me, it's more about getting some mileage and slowly getting back into shape. For many more mamas though, I've noticed that going to the mall is also about getting out of the house. While not everyone is as gung ho to traipse outdoors at this time of year, the mall does provide some much needed social interaction for new, and perhaps veteran moms. And though it's only been a few weeks, social interaction, outside of the home, is a wonderful break.

My belly continues to shrink down and my incision is healing. Baby Max is also growing. While I love to see him gain weight and grow, I'm getting a bit wistful that he's already growing out of his newborn onesies. This morning, The B and I had a little laugh when we put on one of his older onesies. It was stretched tightly and Baby Max looked like a Baby Sausage! It was really cute.

I've read that growth spurts in newborn typically occur during weeks 2 and 4. Well, that's my boy, on time!

Tools of the Trade

Since I became a mommy, oh, about 12 days ago, I've discovered some tools of the trade that have helped to make the transition to "Parents Inc." a lot easier.

As many runners and Runnermamas can relate, I'm totally into my Garmin 405 GPS watch. It's hardcore! I always like to know my speed, distance, caloric output, heart rate and other metrics. Like an "American Express Card," I never leave for a run without it. So it's only natural that I love the first "tool of the trade" below.

Since my C-section, I've been in recovery mode and am out of commission- at least running-wise- for a little while. So Mr. Garmin is all snug and nestled in his bed. (I don't think he's dreaming of sugar plums dancing though!) My current favourite toy is my new iPod Touch. (An early Christmas present from The B)

I love this device. It's like a mini-computer. And since we have Wi-Fi, I can surf the Internet from the comfort of our bedroom, in our bed. It's fabulous. One of the best "aps" is something called "Total Baby." It helps me keep track of feeding and diaper changes. In my somewhat sleep-deprived state I need every tool that helps me remember even the simplest of tasks!

Another tool that has helped us transition to parenthood has been the abundance of friends and family able and willing to come and visit us. Many have not only brought us glad tidings, but also...food! It's such a blessing. I never thought I could love frozen food so much. But when my parents came over on one of their many visits, they brought us frozen casseroles. All we have to do is pop them in the oven. It makes life a lot simpler - and anything that does that these days is a Godsend.

Finally, one of the other tools of the trade that I couldn't live without these last few weeks have been My B. He's been super supportive and is there to make life easier. While I take care of night feedings (he's working and needs to be well-rested), he takes care of most of the housework. He dotes on his Baby Maxity...and our Fur Baby, Ellie, and is always willing to help me.

My list is not huge - it's quite short really. But during these last few, life-changing weeks, keeping things simple is the way to go and has helped us a lot.

Babymoon

Many veteran parents have told us that this time - about a week after birth - is considered the "Babymoon" period when newborns typically "sleep like a baby" all the time, only waking to tell us when they need a diaper change or is hungry.

Well, so far, this description has been pretty accurate. My C-section incision continues to heal and Baby Maxity continues to grow and grow every day. One of my long-time girlfriends, Beth, a vet mom of two little girls, told me that everyday brings changes and new experiences.

How right she is.

The B and I are slowly adjusting to parenthood and are really enjoying it. I love nursing Baby Max and then looking - actually staring at him - in wonder after.

Did I really bring this little guy into this world?
I still can't believe it.

He's such a cuddly baby and loves to be held. Also, lucky for me, or at least for now, he seems to be a relatively calm baby who likes to eat and sleep. So far this week, I've mustered a few days of sleeping six hours a night - once interrupted by a diaper change and a feeding. And since Baby Max has already surpassed his birth weight of 8.02 lbs., I've been fortunate enough to let him sleep as long as he wants and can typically get 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep in a stretch.

I'm not complaining. I've heard the horror stories of other parents who have to stay up all night feeding and soothing.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he stays like this, but according the experts, he apparently may get a lot fussier as he approaches six weeks.

Oh boy. I'll have to adapt.

Obviously, with the C-section, I have to take it easy. And I am. But The B and I have made an attempt to get out and at least walk everyday since we've been home. I never thought I'd like walking around, but at this stage in the game, I'm pretty game!

I also don't want to rush it. Last summer I bumped into another runner at a local race who had a baby a few months earlier. This was no ordinary runner. She was an age grouper who typically won races for her age group or came pretty close. She's a Boston Qualifier many times over, so when she gave me advice for postpartum exercise, I listened.

"Whatever you do, take it easy postpartum," she said. "Don't rush it. I did and paid. I ended up with a stress fracture."

She's not the only one. I remember reading about Paula Radcliffe's postpartum return to running. Yes, she won the New York City Marathon short of a year after Baby Isla was born, but she admitted that she may have pushed it too hard, too soon after having the baby because she was sidelined for a period with an injury.

So I'll follow a slow course of recovery and at this time, will have to exercise extreme discipline and patience as I listen to my midwives and the doctors who've all told me to slow down.

One Week...Seems like a Lifetime!

One week ago, The B's and my life changed forever.

One week ago, the real marathon - the one I've been "training" for over the last nine months - began.

One week ago, on Thursday, November 12, my son, Maximilian Roy, aka Baby Max(ity) took his first breath at 1:16 p.m. He weighed a (colossal, for me anyway) 8 pounds 2 ounces and measured 22 inches long.

And one week ago, you could say, I fell in love with another guy - albeit a little, tiny dictator who can't do much more than poo, pee, nurse and make the cutest sounds.

Baby Max is our pride and joy. I never believed I could love something or someone this much, but it's true.

Needless to say, these last few days have been busy.

In these last few days, I've learned and observed a number of things:

1. I can still live and function with only a few hours of sporadic sleep.
2. I never realized how much I could love a tiny, helpless human being.
3. Breastfeeding is a skill that both mom and baby master together. For me, a week in, breastfeeding is getting easier and is very enjoyable.
4. Labour hurts. No, really, really hurts much, much more than mile 25 in a marathon.
5. Delivering Baby Max was a team effort. I don't think I could have done it without My B. He was a superstar Daddy B. Truly the best.

Now for the L & D lowdown.

I celebrated my due date, November 11th, by going to the Ontario Science Centre's Body Works exhibit. I figured I might as well walk around and enjoy the exhibits...and hoped that my efforts would get labour started. (hee hee) Over the days prior, I had experienced a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. These were now getting stronger and more regular, but not regular enough to start labour.

When we got home, The B went to Pilates and I had planned to go to the gym and do 40 minutes on the elliptical in a kind of twisted way to celebrate 40 weeks. (I also thought it might get labour started.)

I didn't need to go to the gym.

I started getting somewhat regular, moderate contractions and noticed a show at 7:30 p.m. I told The B when he got home. We both knew labour was imminent. I didn't really feel that bad until about 11:00 p.m. when I couldn't really watch the late night news - something I usually do. By midnight the contractions were coming on strong - so strong, in fact, that I had trouble talking and felt nauseated. We called our midwife, but I wasn't ready to go to the hospital yet. However, by 3:30 a.m., the contractions were now about five minutes apart.

Time to head over to Markham Stouffville Hospital.

When we got there, I was only dilated 5 cm and so Rezvan and Deepa, my midwives, told me to walk around. Wow...that was the longest hospital hallway I've ever walked! By now, the contractions were about every four minutes. At times, I felt faint and needed to rest on the benches where The B rubbed my back.

We returned to our birthing suite and the midwives checked again, I was still only about 5-6 cm dilated. Poo. I was able to hang on and deal with the pain for about three more hours - that's when the "rolling" or "double" contractions came - one intense contraction after another, about one minute apart.

The pain was intense. The funny thing, I can't really remember what it felt like now.

I asked for - no demanded - an epidural. I remember thinking, "I don't care if this is wimping out, but I can't go through with this any longer. Let me out the chicken exit!"

Luckily, the doctor was available and soon put me out of my misery. It was like a Jekyll and Hyde experience. By 9 a.m. I was blissfully unable to feel the action below. Strapped to fetal monitors, computers now watched Baby Max's heart rate.

Because my labour was still not progressing as fast as my midwives and the on call Ob/Gyn would have liked, they gave me a shot of Oxytocin to increase the intensity of the contractions. At this point, I still would have liked to push the baby out, but Rezvan, one of our midwives, was starting to doubt this would happen.

"I don't like the way this is progressing," she said. "You're not dilating fast enough and Baby is not responding very well to the Oxytocin. It looks like we may need a (C) section."

Again, I was a bit disappointed. I really wanted a vaginal delivery, given the increased recovery time and risks associated with C-sections. But I thought, "I'll do whatever is good for the baby."

Well, by 1 p.m. my midwives and the Ob/Gyn agreed: C-section.

The B and I agreed. And so I was rolled into the OR.

The C-section was actually painfree and somewhat enjoyable (?) The doctors were in good spirits and even joked with me on the table. However, no one - not my midwives, not the doctors - ever thought Baby Max would be so big. In fact, at first attempt to get him out, the doc had to cut a bigger incision. When he finally pulled him out, he said, "This is a lot more baby that we thought. There's no way you could have pushed him out!"

As soon as I saw my son, there was a sudden gush of emotion.

It was a life-changing, life-defining moment- perhaps the best moment of my life so far.

Over the last few days I've come to love Baby Max more and more. Each day brings new feelings, new experiences.

I'm so excited and honoured to share my life with this little guy.

I made a promise to Baby Max on his birthday: I promised to try my best and be the best parent I can be.

Hopefully he won't mind that I'm still learning and will make some mistakes!

False Alarm

Last night I had what I would call a false alarm. Shortly after a nice birthday dinner at our favourite Japanese restaurant with some of my favourite people, my parents, Auntie Merna and The B, I went home where I began to experience some Braxton Hicks contractions. I honestly thought I was going into labour - and so did The B.

At the first one, I looked at the clock 7:31 p.m. It was mild-moderate, however, I was able to continue knitting and watching a really engrossing documentary about World War I. Then the next one came at 8:03 p.m. Again, it was mild. Then another came at 8:31 p.m. This one was a bit more painful and I had to put down my knitting for a moment.

I got a bit scared and excited at the same time. By the time The B got around to timing the contractions on his iPod Touch, (he's obsessed with this toy and has downloaded loads of apps, one of them being one that records pregnancy contractions!) Mr. Braxton Hicks decided to bugger off for a little while.

Last night's episode got The B to finally get around to packing his bag and for me to do a load of laundry that contained some newborn onesies and hats I had picked up a few days earlier. It also got me thinking about what else needs to be done.

I went to bed not knowing what could transpire during the night. However, all was quiet and I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to face the day. Unfortunately, I had to miss my workout yesterday, so if all goes as planned today, then I'll venture to the gym for a little elliptical and weight training action.

Circle of Life

This week has been a busy one, relatively speaking.

My dear grandmother passed away one week ago. I'll remember her for her caring heart, compassion and mostly her humour - especially in her later years. She was an avid fan of wrestling and horror movies and she and my grandfather loved to fish. I'll really miss the fact that she will not get to meet Baby Max. As I sat listening to the priest during the service, I recalled the times when she knit me dresses and fried fish. They were pleasing memories. And it all reminded me of how fast life goes by.

Embrace every moment I say.

And so at the visitation and funeral, it was a bit strange at times. Here we all were, saying goodbye to a life and with my bulging belly, about to welcome a new one. It is the Circle of Life indeed.

And speaking of embracing moments...this week has been one where I've really felt pregnant - no REALLY! It's funny how my comfort level seemed to change almost overnight. Since last Sunday I've been feeling a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions and pressure on my pelvis - even when I'm not exercising. Now changing positions while watching T.V. can be uncomfortable at times.

A few months ago, one of my girlfriends, Beth, said to me, "If you feel big now, you'll never believe how big you're going to get, especially in the last weeks."

I laughed then. And yesterday, when I looked at my side profile in the downstairs bathroom mirror, I couldn't help but laugh again, hearing her voice in my head. I'm truly shaped like a boat - more like a submarine! Surely, my grandmother would have loved to see that. Always honest and pretty frank, I wonder what she would have said.

Yesterday I went for my final prenatal massage. Oh, the world truly does need more registered massaged therapists. Not only was my 50-minute massage relaxing, but also when I arose from the table, I felt light and spry again - if only for a moment. It was 50 minutes well spent.

Today, I have another busy day, again relatively speaking. I want to finish up on another little cute baby hat for Baby Max that I'm knitting. I have a hair cut at 1:30 p.m., but before that I'd like to squeeze in an hour workout at the gym.

Hopefully Mr. Braxton Hicks will hold off for most of the day today.

My Ode to Running

Running, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee for taking my breath away
I love thee for making my heart stronger
I love thee for the feelings you bestow upon me when I finish a nice run...

Just like many Runnermamas have done before me, I've decided to hang up my running shoes... for a little while. I'll still give my heart a workout on the elliptical, but for now at 39 weeks, running will be something I do in my dreams - or until I heal from L&D.

Sunday's run on the treadmill went fairly well and other than the pressure (I've felt it before) in my bladder area, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. However, that evening and the next day, I was plagued with a sore and tight pelvis. And for some reason, Mr. Braxton Hicks was really becoming an annoying guest. I've come to the conclusion: if I'm going to be using these muscles any day now*, then I should really give them some rest.

*I say any day now because those are the words one of my midwives, Rezvan, used during my last prenatal appointment, yesterday. Baby Max is very low (which explains the increased pressure on my bladder when I ran on Sunday) and he's now in position to make his grand entrance. In her beautiful Parisian accent Rezvan said, "Zis baby iz ready to come out, I'm on call zis weekend. I'm betting I'll be busy!"

Oh boy! I'm hoping and keeping my fingers crossed I make it to 40 weeks! The bags are now packed and The B is also hurrying to get stuff done - like the mobile (which we're making) and putting up a small mirror along Baby Maxity's floor bed.

Though I'm a bit sad to hang up my running shoes for the next little while, I know I've accomplished my goal I set for myself at the beginning of this pregnancy: to run throughout this marvelous adventure and share my experience with my growing baby.

At 39 weeks, I've done it.

We've logged a lot of kilometres together and shared in the joy of crossing many finish lines.

We did it...and we did it together.

Not only have I enriched my soul and my body with increased blood and endorphin flow, but I've also shared one of my passions with a little spirit who is now ready to come out and spread his love. I don't know if Baby Max will enjoy sport and running as much as I do, but at this point, I really don't care. All I do know is that I gave him a wonderful experience while he sprouted from a tiny cell to become a tiny little human.

I'm very, very blessed indeed. I've had a very good pregnancy and I have a very supportive B who didn't nag or lecture me about working out or exercising. He trusted and believed in my decisions. (Trust me, I've heard of many other moms-to-be whose husbands constantly fussed over them like they were made of glass. Seriously guys, if the pregnancy is low-risk, moms-to-be are unlike breakable China Dolls!)

And as strange as this sounds, I know I'll miss my baby bump and feeling Baby Max move from within me. It's been a wonderful and beautiful journey so far and I'm really looking forward to meeting my little friend and sharing new experiences with him.

Still going at 38.5 Weeks

Today was the New York City Marathon. Someday, I know I'll take part in that run - just not today, obviously!

I've come to the realization: running at 38.5 weeks is uncomfortable...sometimes. I'm still surprised I can still do it, but there are points when Baby Max really pushes on my bladder that it slows me to a power walk. But still, I feel good, for the most part.

Since I've now brought all my workouts indoors, the treadmill and elliptical have become my new friends. Far from feeling the wind move me when I run, I now feel the push on my bladder more and more. But today, I felt good pre-workout and decided to do a quickie on the treadmill.

These days I start out with a 5-minute walk that escalates into a power walk by the end of the five minutes. Then I adjust the machine and push up the speed to a gentle --- oh so VERY GENTLE --- run. Today, I was able to complete 3X8-minute intervals of running with two-minute power walks in-between. That's a total of 24-minutes of running. Not bad for someone who now looks - and feels - like a boat...more like a barge. Now, I'm starting to see why so many other Runnermamas gave up running long ago and hung up their shoes.

Heading into 39 weeks, I'll see how I feel and decide whether I'll continue running, even on a treadmill. It's interesting how fast my body changes and continues to grow day-by-day. I can honestly say I feel bigger today than I felt even two days ago.