Training Plan for my Uterus

Lately I've been noticing that my abdomen will tighten up sometimes. And by tighten up, I mean get rock hard for about a minute at a time. No sit-ups or crunches or deliberate ab workout of any kind going on here... nope. Just rock hard abs. How can this be, you ask?

Apparently, my body is 'practicing' for labor. Those are my uterine muscles contracting- putting in a good workout all on their own in an effort to get stronger. Preparing for D-Day. 14 weeks out. Seems like a good time for them to start their training plan.

I looked it up online to see what was going on. My body has been doing all sorts of weird stuff for the last 26 weeks; all apparently normal pregnancy behavior, but weird nonetheless. I always figure that as long as I don't start bleeding, everything is fine. I'm not much of a worrier I guess. Anyway, the latest with the contractions appear to be "Braxton Hicks contractions". The American Pregnancy Association has this to say about Braxton Hicks:

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions can begin as early as the second trimester, however they are most common in the third trimester. The muscles of your uterus tighten for approximately 30 to 60 seconds or as long as 2 minutes. Braxton Hicks are also called “practice contractions” because they will prepare you for the real thing and you can practice the breathing exercises you are learning in your childbirth classes.
Braxton Hicks are described as:
Irregular in intensity
Infrequent
Unpredictable
Non-rhythmic
More uncomfortable than painful
They do not increase in intensity, or frequency
They taper off and then disappear altogether
If your contractions are easing up in any way, they are most likely Braxton Hicks.
What causes Braxton Hicks contractions?
There are a few speculations for why women have these contractions. Some physicians and midwives think they may play a part in toning the uterine muscle and promoting the flow of blood to the placenta. They are not believed to have any connection with dilating the cervix, but may have some effect on the softening of the cervix. However, as Braxton Hicks contractions become more intense closer to the time of delivery, the contractions are considered false labor, which can help in the dilation and effacement process.

So there you go. Training Plan for my uterus. I wonder if I'll get a good taper in before the main event?

Check out that backbone!

Baby's got a backbone! I'm sure I'll appreciate that when he/she is a toddler and realizes it too...

Pretty cool though that you can see the ribs in the first picture... and it's brain in the second (look closely... brain pretty much fills the skull). I think it's head is looking awfully big... and knowing that it still has 14 weeks to get bigger before I have to pop it out isn't such a comforting thought. Of course Scott and my MD didn't share my same level of concern...

Speaking of popping it out... I've started looking into birthing classes that Scott and I can take. Nothing too crazy, but Castle Hospital offers a basic birthing class that just goes over, well, the basics. I asked Scott what he thought... here's what I got from him via email today...

Not sure if he thinks a furry cat is gonna come out of me or what??

Baby Weighs 2 Lbs!

So if the baby weighs 2 pounds, why have I gained 14?

We had our monthly MD check-up today... and all is still progressing along as normal! Scott has the ultrasound pics so if/when he gets a chance to scan them, we'll post 'em here for y'all to see. I don't think they're as clear this time around as they were last time. Maybe the baby is getting too big to see the whole thing in the picture? Or maybe it's that there's so much more to see- kidneys and liver and brain and all! Doc said baby's brain looks nice and symmetrical. We've got Baby Einstein on the way! HA! Still no look for clues to whether it's a boy or girl... although I thought I briefly saw a little something that might indicate BOY! But then again, the heartbeat was 150 and all the wives tales there would say it's a GIRL! 3 more months to sit on pins and needles with our breaths held before we find out... ;)

Speaking of finding out... I really would like to know soon! I've been inspired to create a nursery suitable for our little one and found these adorable surfboard wall decorations online... How cute would this be?? These surfboards go on like wall paper and are about 3 feet tall. Scott would be so proud!

But if it's a girl, we could put up something like this:

I think I like the surfer theme... so there are some things I could get that would be unisex... but for most of it, we'll just have to wait!!

Good Eats...

Since I now have more free time on my hands, I've started to put more effort into creating good meals for dinner each night (Scott loves this!). Previously, I tried to cook healthy, but any recipe that called for more than 5 simple ingredients got passed over. I wouldn't even really call what I used to do 'cooking'. It was more like 'preparing food'.

Now, however, I've started to cook. I go through multiple recipes each day/week to pick out the one that sounds best... get to the store to but the ingredients we need... and however long it takes to make the meal is fine. I've managed to create some pretty yummy dishes... and healthy ones at that! I've found a great resource in Vegetarian Times magazine.

You learn all sorts of interesting stuff from this magazine, and the best part is that all the foods are really good for you! Scott and I aren't actually vegetarians... we both eat meat sometimes. I just prefer not to cook it- so we'll eat it if it is well prepared by someone else! But for cooking at home, the Veggie Magazine is the bomb.

A challenging thing about learning to cook is that sometimes you get a little overly confident and stop actually following the recipes. Ok, I do anyway. Last night was a classic example. I found some interesting looking pre-made chinese black bean and garlic sauce at the store... thought it would be good to marinate some tofu in that then broil it for dinner... layered the tofu over some curried couscous and steamed swiss chard... it looked good! How creative I have become on my own! Who needs that magazine??

Apparently, I do. The chinese sauce was so salty I couldn't even start to eat it. Not even a little bit. YUCK! Totally ruined the whole meal. And you know what? My dear dear husband went back for seconds. He is a tried and true supporter, even when his wife makes something completely inedible for dinner.

Tonight, it's back to the magazine.

A New Kind of Triathlon

During this, my Maternity Season, I am not competing in any of the local triathlon races... but don't think that means that Scott and I aren't doing our own triathlons! Take this weekend, for example:First event, Ecuador, followed by Dominican Republic, and finished up with Ghana... :)
Of course, since my endurance isn't at all what it used to be, we've split this up into a multi-day event... We're on track to be complete by the end of the week!

A Man With Power Tools

Funny how life changes... weekends for me used to be all about long bikes rides, runs, and ocean swims... these days, it's really more about home improvement projects!

Scott has started building his surfboard rack. We decided he needs a good place to store his 9 surfboards which are actually quite challenging to fit in our 2 bedroom condo! I just thought he looked hot while playing with his power tools.


Hot indeed, especially with these safety glasses. I tried to convince him that my swim goggles would work just as well, but he didn't go for it. What you really have to love is the safety factor involved in playing with power tools while drinking a beer.
Ranking next on the list after the surfboard rack as home project... putting together the new crib for baby! Maybe next weekend?

Neighbor Baby

It's amazing how quickly the day can pass, even when you're not working and not training for anything! A friend last night reminded me that my real job right now is to grow a baby, but I've managed to find some other things that nicely fill my day. One of those things involves Hoku and a leash- I can easily spend an hour cruising around outside with her... The great part about being a regular dog walker in our condo complex is the opportunity to meet more of our neighbors.


Today Hoku and I met Erica, our neighbor in the building who is a new mom! We met her adorable 10 week old son, Nico, too. I knew Nico had been born (we hear him sometimes, although not as often as I would have thought! He's NOT collic a kid, thank goodness!), but was waiting until he was a little older before trying to introduce myself to them... figuring that the new mommy must be totally underwater trying to learn to deal with her new infant while not sleeping through the night, etc. Boy was I pleasantly surprised to see that Erica looked GREAT, and her baby seemed totally happy and well adjusted (he spent a significant amount of time cooing and smiling and making funny faces at us! It really does make you melt when you see that genuine toothless smile...) Erica and I chatted for quite some time; she gave me the scoop on the first 10 weeks of childrearing from her experience. She decided not to go back to work so she's found all sorts of things to do with her baby everyday- like joining the 'Stoller Striders' group every morning. I'm gonna have to look into that!

Today she was out and about testing her new BOB Revolution Baby Jogger- it's the one everyone says you need to get...

Cool because she let me try it out too (no, I didn't sit in it- just pushed it around a bit). I agree that it is indeed the coolest thing ever invented for moms. I am pretty much done with pregnant running now since it just doesn't feel so good anymore... I'm envisioning my comeback beginning around Thanksgiving... And this jogger is going to be my regular companion!!

Anyway, I'm just psyched that I have a neighbor who is so cool who is in the same position as I'll be with a new little one. We figured that our kids will be about 6 months apart in age- she said Nico will be happy to be 'older' than someone because right now he's the youngest of everyone he knows! ;) I can picture Erica and I becoming good friends... Now I'll have at least 2 local friends with newborns around the same time (Kelley of course being the first!)... YEA! I can picture us all running in tandem with our babies and our cool joggers... HA!