And 5 Months Later!

Wow, where do I begin? Sorry to leave everyone hanging out there like that... my wonderful son entered the world 2 1/2 weeks early, on October 24, 2009. He is my light and my life. My world has been turned upside down, and I love it. By far the most life-changing event in my thirty years on earth, I love being a mom in so many ways. My husband and I are doing very well, and little boy is growing and thriving more and more each day.

Now, the challenge of being a good mom, wife, homemaker, student, writer, coach/trainer, business owner, Christian, runner, fitness competitor, comes into play. With that comes my next announcement: I will be starting a new blog! I will still be posting in this blog, more personal and informal stuff. My new blog will be a reflection of my life experiences, worldview and long-term goals. It will encompass more of the essence of "me." I will post the blog link up here so you guys can continue to keep tabs on me there, too. I hope to offer some insight and humor to women who can relate to me in any of the above areas.

36 Weeks - 1 Month Left!

I haven't been updating in a while... trying to get everything in order before my little boy arrives in only 4 weeks! I just had a maternity photo shoot last Thursday (35 weeks preggo) and they are posted on my Facebook. I highly recommend capturing this moment, especially when it's your first baby. the photographer, Brooke Daniels, lives in Stafford, VA, and I highly recommend her for any family/lifestyle photos you may need. Her work is amazing.

Anyway... as for my pregnancy, I am feeling great! I have a few bad days here and there, but I am still managing to sleep well, exercise regularly, eat well, and basically feel good. I've had no problems with backache, swelling, or any other of the common physical pregnancy symptoms. I also am fortunate enough to have no stretch marks on my belly! I do have some on the butt, thighs and boobies, but they are battle wounds, lol! Not worried, totally worth it for the end result.

My weekly workout schedule is somewhat more lax now and has been for about 4 weeks. Mind you, I begin my 9th month tomorrow (36 weeks). I am lifting 3x weekly, walking 2x weekly and stretching 2x weekly. I don't hit every body part every week, but I rotate through in 2 weeks. I usually pair two bodyparts together for each workout, and it lasts 30-45 minutes depending on those body parts (longer on the leg days). Walking in my neighborhood for about 25 minutes, 1.5 miles or so, usually once a week and then just being active around the house, running errands, etc. 2-3x weekly. Normally I wouldn't count "being active" but it makes a huge difference when you are 8-9 months preggo! It feels like a workout, lol! And I am keeping my back, hips and legs limber by stretching twice a week. I really think that my fitness and strength prior to pregnancy has helped me feel so good even this far into it. Rock on!

Moving Along!

Here I am with nearly 11 weeks to go. Pretty soon I'll be in single digit weeks! I feel great, but the anxiousness of his arrival is growing daily. I do notice it's harder to maneuver this cumbersome body around, and if I'm standing too long I might get a little grumpy, but other than that, I feel great.

His movements changed, about two days ago, to fluid, pressing, turning motions. Not too many jerks, flutters or kicks anymore (although I do feel those). I can SEE him underneath my belly when he turns over on his side or presses his feet or knees up into me... it is sooooo cool, but a lil' freaky too!

I spent the last two Saturdays at local figure competitions with two of my clients. Here's a pic from Aug. 15, with my client Robin and my BFF Heather. I'm 28 1/2 weeks pregnant here!

99 Days to go!

Yeah baby, I am in double digits counting down until Baby Carpio is born! In weeks, that equates to only 14 as of this coming Wednesday. Heck, that's shorter than most of my contest prep phases!

I am feeling great, all things considered. I occasionally get tired feet, swollen ankles and an achy back, but it's fairly short-lived and doesn't interfere with my everyday activities. (I'm still on my feet for 4 straight hours in the mornings training clients!) I'm also trying to remain as positive as I can throughout my pregnancy. First, I know it's short-lived and the pain will soon be over. Second, it's the most unique and important experience in my life to date, and I want to try and enjoy it and remember it for the good, not the bad. It seems to be working so far. :)

Last Week's Workouts

Since I haven't posted any details of my workouts in a while, here's an excerpt of what I did last week. In fact, starting last week, I decided to pair two bodyparts together and work them in superset fashion. This will help me get a longer workout at a slightly higher intensity, both of which will be beneficial to my anaerobic and aerobic conditioning.

Mon - Walk/Jog (20 minutes)
Tue - Quads/Chest (45 minutes)
Wed - AM: Prenatal Yoga (45 minutes); PM: Shoulders (30 minutes)
Thu - Back/Hamstrings (45 minutes), stretching (10 minutes)
Fri - Bis/Tris/Calves (30 minutes), followed by Arc trainer cardio (15 minutes)

It's a Boy!!!!!

Just got back from the US appointment this morning. Yay, it's a little baby boy and we are so excited! I was right on the guess, and so were 99% of our friends and family. About 30 boy guesses and 1-2 girl guesses! Here are a few pics - the entire album is on my Facebook page though.

Back from Florida

Dave and I had a great time visiting the family in Florida. While we only spent 4 1/2 days there, it was quality time with my Mom, sis, her hubby and my nephew. We are ready to leave VA for good and relocate to the sunshine state!

Here's a pic from our adventures at Washington Oaks Park near Palm Coast, FL.