Midwives, Marathons & Massages

3 Comments

Today is the last day of my 6 day vacation and I’m sad for it to be over. Neil and I have been super busy every day of this vacation and I am using today to relax and get ready for the short but surely busy work week.

Thursday I spent most of the day trying to get some work done around the house, I took a nap and then headed out to watch Neil’s softball game. After his game, we went to American Flatbread for our traditional post-midwife appointment flatbread date a day early since we had made different plans for after our Friday midwife appointment.

Friday Neil and I woke up early and headed out to an early morning midwife appointment at their main office 75 minutes away. We usually go to the satellite office that is only 45 minutes away but we had hoped that we would be able to tour the birth center but unfortunately all the birthing suites were full when we arrived so we couldn’t tour. On the upside we found out that the baby turned and that now there is a 98% chance they will stay head down!!

After our appointment we headed to Hill Farmstead Brewery so Neil could sample a few beers and pick up a stock (you can only buy bottles at the brewery). On our way there, we stopped in Hardwick at the Buffalo Mountain Co-op for lunch where we both got veggie and tempeh bowls with brown rice for me and quinoa for him. After we finally made it to the brewery (after getting lost, asking for directions, learning we needed cash, getting cash and returning) we finally headed to Little River State Park in Waterbury (where my parents were camping) for dinner. Neil helped them set up camp and then we ate tons of raw veggies with dip, Field Roast Sausages and potatoes, then Neil and I finally packed up and headed home.


Saturday we stopped into the VCM Race Expo, ran a bunch of errands and then relaxed.  Since Neil was running Sunday we didn’t want to over do it and spent all afternoon/evening relaxing on the couch.

Sunday = RACE DAY! Neil and I both woke up bright and early to get ready for the Vermont City Marathon. I spent the day as a spectator and Neil ran his very first half marathon! We dropped Neil off at the starting line and then we headed to our planned viewing spot, just after mile 10.  Since we were going to have a few hours to wait before Neil passed through we headed up the hill to cheer him on just pass the 2-mile marker.

Just Pass 2-Mile Mark (Neil with yellow hat)

After we cheered on Neil and his fellow runners we headed back down the hill to our spots and set up camp to cheer on runners as they passed by.

Finally we spotted Neil with the 4:15 pace group and gave him a big cheer as he passed.

We stayed and cheered on all the runners up until the very last one passed us by and then packed things up and walked down to the waterfront to meet official Half-Marathoner Neil (his unofficial time is 2:20!)

Monday after spending the day in the hot sun and running Sunday, Neil and I were both ready for our anniversary massages at The Essex Resort and Spa.  About a month ago I scheduled appointments for a sports-specific massage for Neil and a prenatal massage for myself for our anniversary which is May 31st, BEST IDEA EVER.

(Source)

We arrived a bit early, checked into the spa and then went the relaxation lounge to relax, sip green juice and water before our massages.  We ended up having our massages in the same room together which was really nice and they were honestly some of the best massages either of us have had.  We had the same massages about 3 months ago in Boston and although they were good these were amazing.  The best part was I could lay on my stomach thanks to the special pregnancy belly pillow they had for prenatal massages.

(Source)

After our massages we decided to take advantage of the facilities (you have access to the pool, gym, sauna, steam room and relaxation lounges) and we headed to the indoor pool for a swim.  It was so nice to get in the water and swim around, I wish I had been doing this throughout all of my pregnancy! Walking has becoming more challenging but swimming yesterday I was able to do 300 yards with no problem!

(Source)

After the pool, we headed back to our designated (men/women) spa changing rooms so that Neil could use the steam room and I took the time to put my feet up and enjoy a cup of tea, a cup of water and a trashy magazine since neither the sauna nor the steam room were options for me.  We both showered and got ourselves ready for the day and then headed out to pick up a picnic lunch and run a few errands before settling in at home.

We ended our night with this delicious homemade flatbread and caught up on a few shows.

Recipe Of The Week: Tempeh-Brussels Sprout Flatbread

1 Comment

Ingredients:

  • 1 pizza dough
  • 4-5 Brussels Sprouts, shredded
  • 1 medium red onion, caramelized
  • 1 package temeph bacon or homemade tempeh bacon
  • Garlic Sauce (mix together):
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon earth balance
    • 2 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • Sriracha (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 550F; place pizza stone on the bottom shelf in the oven.  Top the dough with the garlic sauce, caramelized onions, tempeh bacon and shredded Brussels. Bake for 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes before cutting. Drizzle with sriracha if desired.

{Pregnancy Update} 33 Weeks

1 Comment

How far along are you: 33 Weeks — ONLY 49 DAYS LEFT!!!

How big is the baby: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He’s rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren’t fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. (source)

Baby’s Gender: We both think it’s a boy (most of the time).

Baby’s Name: We have a name for a boy or a girl

Weight Gained: 22-23 lbs

Clothes: My tops are getting shorter and for bottoms I’m pretty much down to leggings. Luckily, I have a few dresses that still work, although I was disappointed to find that two dresses that worked for me before are now WAY too short to be worn in public. I also am on a mission to find a bathing suit this weekend so that I can hopefully get in some swim time at the tennis club (husband gets in free – work perk!).  I plan on only buying a top because my regular bottoms seem to still fit okay and I have little swim skirts I can wear with them so I’d rather not take on the expense of a full tankini and one pieces just look ridiculous on me.

How are you feeling: I am getting tired out really easily now but I am otherwise feeling pretty good.  I have been napping in the afternoon which has really been helping my energy levels and still making sure to get lots of walks in. We have had some crazy heat lately though which really hasn’t helped when I am already tired out though.

What do you miss: I miss running still but what I really miss this week is having my girlfriends around.  My two BFF’s live 5-9 hours away (Toronto and NYC) and right now it would be so nice to have them around while I finish my last trimester and get ready for this baby to come.

Symptoms: Forgetfulness and clumsiness, also known as baby brain, frequent urination, Braxton Hicks contractions (just on long walks when I am slightly dehydrated), dry, brittle nails and due to the heat I have been feeling overheated.

Cravings: WATERMELON. I have eaten so much watermelon in the last week, I just can’t get enough.  Also ranch dip which I am waiting on my order of vegan ranch packets from Kaycee.

How are you sleeping: Sleeping is going fairly well, I get up 4-5 times a night to pee but otherwise doing pretty well.

Workouts: This week I skipped yoga for a much needed nap after a ridiculously busy weekend but I have made sure to get in a number of walks.

Things I’m looking forward to: Our baby shower! Finishing work (only 5 more weeks!!!)

In other news:

I am ready to go shopping for baby but I’m trying to hold off on buying anything off our two registries until the shower.

It finally hit me hard this week that we are having a baby and I need to finish my pre-baby projects because they could be here in as few as four weeks <– my husband keeps reminding me of his because a guy he works with wife just had their first at 36.5 weeks.

We are still on track to launch Naturally Family on June 4th but until then check us out of Facebook and Twitter.

 

Yoga For Beginngers: DVD Edition

Leave a Comment

 

Getting Our Yoga on At Wanderlust Vermont

When I first started practicing yoga I did almost all of my practices at home through the guidance of a variety of yoga DVD’s.  As I became more confident I finally signed up for a few different types of yoga for beginners series to allow me to try yoga in a real studio and with a real teacher, this is when my love for yoga really started to develop.  There really is nothing that compares to practicing at a studio with others and a live teacher but sometimes there are just things that get in the way (lack of studios, cost, time, etc.) that result in home practice being the best (or only) option.  Luckily, there are a number of really great DVD’s out there for beginners and beyond.

My personal recommendations:

Rodney Yee’s Abs Yoga for Beginners:  If you haven’t picked up on the trend already- I LOVE Rodney Yee. I have around six (maybe more) of his yoga DVD’s and there isn’t one that I don’t like.  This has really become one of my favorites and I have missed being able to do it since I became pregnant.  I think this is a great beginners workout for the abs, however if you are a little more advanced I would direct you to his Core Cross Train yoga workout instead.  This is a great and slightly challenging abs workout that is perfect for beginners.

 

 

 

Rodney Yee’s A.M. P.M. Yoga: This is one my absolute favorite yoga DVD’s and I can’t wait to get back to doing it regularly.  The A.M. Yoga with Rodney Yee is just what I need to jump start my day and is wonderful for those who are new to yoga, are looking for a short yoga session to start their day or those who are looking for a relaxed practice.  To be honest I HATE the P.M. portion of the DVD that is with Patricia Walden, just a personal annoyance with her practice and her all white spandex body suit. That being said it I would recommend this even if all you use it for is the A.M. Yoga portion.

 

 

A.M. Yoga For Your Week: Another favorite DVD of mine is this A.M. Yoga for Your Week with Rodney Yee. It is very different from the first a.m. yoga one that I mentioned above. There are five 20-minute workouts that each focus on different types of poses including Standing Poses, Twists, Backbends, Forward Bends and Hip Openers. It is great for both beginners and intermediates. Although it is called “A.M. Yoga” I love to do this DVD at any time of the day. I really like to do the hip openers after a run, it gives me a great stretch.

 

 

 

Ashtanga Yoga Beginners Practice:  I am not a lover of ashtanga yoga but I did find that this was a great introduction to the practice.  I honestly don’t use this DVD any longer but I felt that it should be included in this list because even though I personally am not a fan of Ashtanga yoga, I did find that this was a really great beginners introduction to it.  I used this DVD when Neil and I took a six-week beginners Ashtanga series a few years ago and it is right on track with what we learned.  I have to say that the Nicki Doane has a bit of a monotone voice which can make it a little challenging to listen to but once you get over that it’s a good DVD.

What are you favorite yoga for beginners DVD’s?

 

 

Recipe(s) of the Week: Memorial Day Round-Up

1 Comment

This upcoming weekend is a big weekend for Memorial Day BBQ’s and Parties so I have rounded up a few of my favorite recipes that would work really well for this weekend!

What are your plans for the weekend? Neil is running  the two person relay of  the Vermont City Marathon and then we are going to spend Monday celebrating our anniversary (a few days early) with massages at The Essex.