Can I Get What What?

Not that long ago a friend of mine posted on her blog about how being a mom is tiring. I agree with that. I also know that one of the things that makes me less tired is working out. I know some people will disagree with me on that, but I don’t mean the hours and hours at the gym slaving away until my hair falls out kind (you know who you are…and I’m glad that you have chilled out about those overly intense workouts). I mean the thirty to sixty minutes of aerobic activity…running, stair climbing, tread climbing (have you done this? find a tread climber near you and get on that thing! You’ll burn more calories than running, but you’re walking and it feels good), or whatever the next best thing at the gym is.

I haven’t been to the gym now since last week (although it seems like much longer) mostly because to get there, I need to go around 4:30 or 5:00 am and I’m loving sleep more than being awake. I was feeling pretty perplexed about how to burn those calories and wake myself up, until I found FitTV. My parents have the super deluxe digital cable package and it has an entire channel dedicated to working out. Some of the workouts are clearly from the 80s (sse: headbands, shiny lycra/spandex leotards, and now vintage Nikes) but sweat is sweat, so whatever.

Yesterday I did a “dancers workout” along with some yoga and I thought it was no big deal, that technically it was barely a workout at all, the sweat was not much and the weights I used were light. Today, however, I realize that it was doozy. My muscles are telling me that I worked hard, everywhere except where I really want them to, which is of course my abs.

I’m back down to my pre-baby weight now but it has been redistributed into odd pockets of flesh around my torso and upper arms. I can fit into most of pre-baby pants, but with a nasty muffin top. Shirts that have no buttons usually fit but if they do they usually highlight the extra roll of squishy-ness just above my pants, which is not exactly the look I’m going for right now (I can’t wait until it comes into style. I’m going to rock that fashion trend).

All of that to say, the next time you see your mother, hug her and hug her big. She gave up her body for you.

This picture was taken when I thought I was ‘showing’. Little did I know, I’d be three months post delivery and wishing I had that belly.

(Curses on blogger for not letting me rotate this image!)

But I still wouldn’t trade that belly for this little guy.

Not even when he’s doing this.