Work at Home Mom

In my first video, I told you I would give you some information about my awesome job that allows me to work from home. I hope that you will take some time to watch this. I would love to have you join my team as a coach or a customer!

Divine Deals at Divine Consign

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (or anywhere close), you need to add yourself to the Divine Consign mailing list. (These are pictures from the actual sale in Grapevine!)

Last night, the also preggo Meagan Bergeron and I, along with our husbands, made a trip to the twice annual Divine Consign sale in Grapevine. Basically, families get together anything related to children (toys, clothes, car seats, furniture, strollers, swings, books, etc.) from newborn through junior sizes that they want to sell at Divine Consign. If the item sells, the consigner gets 70% commission on the sale.

The sale began on Saturday, and it ends today at noon. Yesterday, they closed from 5-6pm to set up for the 50% sale. When we arrived, not only were the items originally priced at 75% off the original price, but most items were an additional 50% off.

Since Meagan and I both have a few months to go before we learn the gender of our baby, we browsed through the newborn items, but we did our shopping along the racks of the maternity wear. I ended up with a really nice winter coat, two shirts, a sweater, and a pair of pants...and paid less than $30!

I'll keep you posted about other deals as I find them! (Thanks to Kelly Nelson for passing along this awesome sale to me.)

Pets & Pregnancy

So I'm not that blonde anymore, and Bauer's definitely not that little....but isn't he the cutest pup you've ever seen?!

Bauer is now 6.5 months old and weighing right at 60 lbs. He's not finished growing, and he is crazy. Really. In fact, as I type this, his paws are in my lap, and he's licking my face. Surely, he doesn't want my attention. (Be warned - this will be a short post.)

I read a little bit about this subject in my books and online, but I came up with conflicting arguments. I decided I needed an expert opinion - YOURS!

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed Bauer getting even more protective of me. (Sometimes, he doesn't even like it if James gets too close to me!) He seems to know when I'm not feeling well. On those days, he won't leave my side. Plus, here's the kicker: I've heard my entire life that dogs have incredible hearing abilities. Well, for about the past 2 weeks, whenever I am sitting down on the couch, he rests his head on my stomach. He's always snuggled up beside me, but never this close. Is it possible that Bauer can hear the heartbeat?

Did your pets act differently when you were pregnant? How?

Do You Smell That?

So, it's the beginning of Week 7. The baby is going through a rapid growth spurt this week. By the end of this week, the baby will have doubled in size...and be about 1/2 inch. :) The heart has divided into right and left chambers, and small arm and leg buds are forming. So amazing...

But the baby is not the only one going through changes! I've noticed some crazy things changing in my body. I may not be showing yet...but I've got the tears to prove I'm pregnant! Normally, I'm not a very emotional person, but these days, I can cry over just about anything. (Example - remember the Tim Allen movie Jungle 2 Jungle? I caught the last 10 minutes of it yesterday, and cried like someone hit me. It wasn't even sad!)

However, I think the thing that has surprised me the most is my new super sonic sense of smell. I can smell ANYTHING. Normally, I chew peppermint gum. Now, it makes me sick. The smell is way too strong. I used to not really notice when our automatic Lysol sanitizer would go off. Now, I can tell you when it sprays no matter where I am in the house. It's crazy.

So, I'm obviously getting some of my intense motherly senses. I wonder when the eyes in the back of my head will start coming in...

Did I really just say that?

Yesterday, Tony Horton (you know, the crazy P90X guy) came to Dallas to meet with Beachbody coaches in the area. Our day started with a combination cardio and strength training workout.

Normally, at these events, I'm as close to the front row as I can get. I go all out, doing whatever I can to get to my max level of intensity. (Usually, that means competing with Jimmy Nelson - the husband to the BEAUTIFUL Kelly, who is pictured here on my right. Baby Nelson is due in February!)

Yesterday was different. The workout started, and I managed to do low impact versions of the exercises Tony was leading for about 25 minutes.

Then, my body said, "I'm done."

So....I stopped.

Really, I did.

I actually remember thinking, "I don't have anything to prove here."

Seven weeks ago, those words would have NEVER come out of my mouth.

But each day is different. Today, I did a 45-minute workout from TurboFIRE after church and felt fantastic. If it had been an hour, I could have finished it.

If you've been pregnant or are currently pregnant, I'd love to hear about your workout routine. What worked/works for you?

How long will I be this tired?!

TODAY'S STATS

Nutrition:

Breakfast: Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with Blue Diamond unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana

Lunch: P.F. Chang's vegetarian lettuce wraps

Dinner: 6 oz, grilled chicken & green beans

Post-Dinner: Randomly throughout the day, I snacked on an apple and saltine crackers. I was definitely needing something to settle my stomach at several points!

Supplements: Beachbody ActiFIT Multivitamin, Beachbody Core Omega-3/Omega-6 supplement, Beachbody Core Cal-Mag

Workout:

Today, I just went for a walk with James and Bauer. I was pretty tired...I'm trying to listen to my body!

Rest:

I slept until about 7am this morning, and I got up and started going about my day. This afternoon, I slept for about an hour and a half. I'm really not used to feeling this tired!

Sickness:

James and I took an opportunity to get away for an evening, and it was awesome to have some time together...even if it was short! However, the drive and I did not get along so well on the way back home. I had a little nausea in the car...but it wasn't something a few crackers couldn't cure! All in all....still no complaints!

Today, I'm most excited about....

The thought of my little one wearing this shirt....I bought it over a year and a half ago, and now I finally have one on the way who will be able to wear it!

I'm in Love :)

Isn't that the most PRECIOUS white blob you've ever seen??!!?! :)

Words cannot describe my joy as soon as the nurse pointed out our baby. That faint heartbeat at 113 bpm was one of the most precious sounds I've ever heard. (Just a note to anyone who is reading this before their first pregnancy...make sure your husband goes with you to this appointment! He will not want to miss hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby for the first time. It was a very special moment for James and me!)

This is a whole new type of love, a whole new outlook on life....and I'm only 6 weeks in.

Yes, that's right - 6 weeks, not 8 weeks, as we originally thought. Based on the size of the fetus, we now have a new due date of May 9, 2011.

According to the materials I've been reading (Your Pregnancy: week by week) and what I saw at the doctor's office today, Baby Myers is about 2 mm. The early brain chambers are forming, along with the eyes and limbs. Six weeks is the earliest week that you should be able to hear the heartbeat, so we were blessed to be able to hear it today. Today, they also did blood work and a routine exam to make sure everything looks normal. So far, so good!

The doctor gave me the all clear to continue to exercise in moderation. I just have to be extremely careful to make sure my heart rate doesn't get up too high and that I don't get too hot. I ordered a heart rate monitor from Beachbody, so it should be here within the next few days. I'm being OVERLY careful until it arrives.

I don't have to go back to the doctor for another 4 weeks unless there is a problem. I have a feeling every time I close my eyes in a quiet place, I'm going to hear that heartbeat...

Praise God for the amazing miracle of life!

Figuring This Out...

TODAY'S STATS

Nutrition:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 banana, 1/3 cup Cascadian Farms Oats & Honey granola

Lunch: Black Bean Soup & whole grain baguette from Panera Bread

Dinner: 2 TBSP Marantha Organic Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, 1 TBSP honey on 2 pieces whole wheat bread

Post-Dinner: 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology, mixed with 1 TBSP peanut butter, 1 TBSP sugar free fat free Butterscotch JELL-O pudding mix, 1 cup Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 5-6 Triscuit crackers (Something about the sweet & salty combo sounded good!)

Supplements: Beachbody ActiFIT Multivitamin, Beachbody Core Omega-3/Omega-6 supplement, Beachbody Core Cal-Mag

Workout:

I taught a cardio class tonight - a mix of TurboKick, mixed in with athletic cardio conditioning and some strength training moves. I went low impact, but I was amazed how hard it was to keep my heart rate below 150. Even though my aerobic threashold allows me to talk comfortably at about 170-180, even if I am not breathless at 150, the baby is. This is definitely going to be an adjustment from what I am used to....but it is so worth it!

Rest:

I went to bed last night around 10:30pm, and I stayed in bed until about 7:15am this morning. (If you know me, that's the equivalent of sleeping until noon for most normal people.) However, when I got out of bed, all I proceeded to do was lay on the couch and go back to sleep until about 8:30am. Then, I was ready to eat breakfast and get my day started. I didn't nap this afternoon. It's now about 9pm, and I'm ready to take a shower a curl into bed. I am not too tired, but I'm definitely ready for bed!

Sickness:

Today, my sickness really hasn't been that bad. (Although, I can tell you, when I am sick, I'm throwing up with the biggest grin on my face. It's pretty comical.) The biggest adjustment I am dealing with right now is the fact that I am not very hungry. My stomach is sensitive and queasy when I eat. I tend to feel worse at night, so instead of doing my normal shake for breakfast, I've decided to try doing Shakeology in the evening. This way, I am guaranteed my body is getting the proper nutrition it needs without requiring me to eat a heavy meal.

Today, I'm most excited about....

My ultrasound is tomorrow morning - I'm getting excited. Check back for details!

So the pregnancy journey begins...

Welcome to The Healthy Baby Bump! Over the next 7 months, I will be documenting my pregnancy: nutrition, exercise, doctor's appointments, books I am reading, etc. getting ready for Baby Myers!

It's actually a pretty amazing (and somewhat long) story of why my pregnancy is such a miracle. So instead of typing it, I'd rather tell it... :)