24 Weeks and A Gold Star

We visited Dr. Troy today after being away for 2 months and he gave me a gold star; even said, "You made my day!" My body is staying in balance and I'm being diligent about keeping it that way. Your body has a message to tell you so be sure you're listening! He's hopeful (and so am I) that another visit in January, and one right before delivery, will keep me smooth sailing through delivery and lessen my chances of another bout of postpartum depression/anxiety. I'm so thankful that Dr. Troy has been on my life path! He's an amazing doctor!
Baby Boy is doing well! Growing and moving lots! We go back to the baby doctor tomorrow so will get a 24 week update then. I'm starting to think about how we will arrange our bedrooms (Elyse's toy room) to make room for our new bundle of joy.
I've been craving milk lately and waking in the middle of the night with charlie horses a few times a week. I only had one of those with Elyse, but they seem more frequent this time. By the time I wake Ross to help rub the pain away, it is usually gone, but some of them leave me feeling like I've been punched in the leg. I've been eating lots of bananas but need to be better about drinking more water! I also have a few bulging veins in my legs this time around. They aren't too pretty, but are easy to hide still! Oh, the little marks the babes leave us are always special too!

Is that what you call hormones?

This past week has had me a little bit nervous that this anxiety is trying to creep back in. Tuesday and Wednesday were kinda rotten. Nothing out of the ordinary going on, but I can feel the anxiety running through my body again and my face is breaking out. I'm writing this off as pregnancy hormones because, quite frankly, I don't have the time, patience, or energy for it to be anything else.
Like I told Ross tonight, the only good thing about anxiety is that my nervous stomach makes my bowels flow more freely, to put it nicely. :) Too much information, I know. But again, try to find the good in each situation right!
Today I'm feeling a little better and so I hope it was just a surge in hormones and now things are calming down again. I've tried to give it very little time, thought, or power and just kept on with my regular schedule trusting that this too shall pass.
I've got a busy week ahead with parent teacher conference on Monday and Thursday, and then a fun-filled weekend with Marie and Adam's wedding! We can't wait to celebrate. I did have to take my bridesmaid dress in to have it let out a little bit this week. Guess the baby belly is really growing!
22 weeks along now, with only 18 to go! We are over half way and keep talking all about this little boy growing inside. Elyse is a proud, big sister. She just doesn't think it is fair that baby brother gets a bedroom upstairs while she has to sleep downstairs, and that he gets to have her rocking chair. We're going to have to replace that chair with something pretty cool! We talked about an "art desk" for her bedroom so she can do "projects!" She's liking that idea so far.
Well, keep praying with me that the hormones level off again and we are smooth sailing ahead!

Sweet Saturday

I love days like this. The sun is shining. I'm cuddled up on the couch with Elyse as she plays on the ipad and I play on the computer. We'll stay in our jammies for a little bit, then head outside to enjoy this beautiful fall day. I have so much to be thankful for.

I was just rereading my blog posts from this summer and realize how far I have come, but am being mindful that there will probably be days like those again. Being the analyzer that I am, I wonder if it was all due to 1st trimester pregnancy hormones. It seems my hormones have great power over my mind and body. I have continued to be wheat and sugar free, am finding it easier than I ever thought it would be, and really don't crave those foods too much anymore, expect on Friday after school. (When you're stressed or have made it through the week, eat right!) Not for me anymore....it would make me feel better right away, but I'd be facing the consequences soon enough.

Sundays and Mondays used to be a really tough days for me. I dreaded that the weekend was almost over and I'd be going back to work. I'd prefer to lay around all day on Sunday trying my hardest to avoid the inevitable...Monday. But as I think back on it, I wonder if it was more than that. I used to eat well all week and then on Friday and Saturday, I'd let loose. Eating out, eating large amount of junk, trying to ease the stress from the work week. As I've noticed since being wheat and sugar free, those foods do affect my mood greatly. Was Sunday such a rotten day because my body was reacting to the two days of junk food I had just gorged on? Monday would be a little better, and then by Tuesday I'd be feeling better. Well, by Tuesday all of that junk was out of my body and so that allowed my mind and body to return to normal as well. What a mess I was creating for my body, which is generally pretty sensitive to lots of things I put in or on my body. You should have seen my lips when I had to wear braces, my body respond to mosquito bites, my ears when I wear earrings...Goes back to a quote I found when I was in Colorado for my yoga training, "Listen to your body! It has a story to tell!" It sure does, but that slowing down to listen is the hardest part for us busy humans!

Anyhow, whatever hormones are traveling through my body right now are helping me to feel pretty great. I love feeling Baby Boy kick up a storm, watching my pregnant belly grow, and seeing the love that Elyse already shows towards her little brother. She always has to give him a kiss when I drop her off at daycare in the morning. She's sure he won't like the box elder bugs that have been sneaking into our house, and when she drink water out of her cup, she reminds me that little brother likes water too!

And I can't believe my baby sister is getting married in 13 days! We can't wait to celebrate with her, Adam, and Josie on their wedding day. It will also be Ross and my 5th wedding anniversary! We get to share the same anniversary day. Although I'm probably a little too hard on him sometimes, Ross is an amazing husband and daddy. He has put up with more in the last 5 years than he could have ever imagined, but he continues to keep calm and carry on. I am blessed, and God knew what he was doing when he planned for us to meet at 1330 Monks Avenue 10 years ago! Times flies when you're having fun! E

Enjoy this Sweet Saturday!

20 weeks!

 Half way there!! There were quite a few days in June, July, and August where it felt like I would never get to this point, but here we are! And we are expecting a BOY!! Elyse is going to have a little brother to protect and love on. She wasn't so sure about it even though she was proudly wearing her, "I'm the big sister!" shirt, but she got over it and is now very excited. Everything has been going so well and we are beyond blessed. Just proves again that you have to take the good with the bad. The rewards are so much greater when you grow working through the bumps along the way. I've been feeling great, loving my kids yoga classes, and enjoying my new batch of 1st graders. Life is good!

Back to School

I can't believe how quickly August came and went! Time flies when you're having fun...August was the fastest month of the summer without a doubt! We finished up our workshop week at school last night with Open House. I got to meet all of my new first graders and their families. It is going to be a great year!
The last half of August I spent a lot of energy getting my yoga website and schedule up and organized. Most of you probably know about my yoga classes coming up, but just incase I have followers here that don't know, here is my new yoga website. Check it out!  http://learninglotusyoga.weebly.com
I have at least 4 kids signing up for my Kindergarten - 2nd Grade session, and am excited to see what the other sessions bring. Hopefully a handful of kids for both. I don't have room for much more than 5 or 6, so hopefully we can get everyone to fit!
We are 17 weeks pregnant now! Seems like just yesterday I was shocked by the two little lines that appeared on the pregnancy test. September 19th is the date of our first ultrasound and hopefully when we can find out if we're having a little gal or a little guy this time! We will happily take either. Elyse continues to say it is both, so hopefully we can just clear that confusion up for her too! Other than that, once we got out of the 1st trimester, this pregnancy has been going very well. Feeling good, good energy levels, leveled out moods, with a little tailbone pain in the evening, and an early bedtime between 8 and 9. My latest craving is greek yogurt with granola. Yum!
I had my last appointment with Dr. Troy a week ago and he is so impressed with how far my body and mind have come. All of my muscles are holding just right, everything seems to be in the right place, and my mood/anxiety is so much better. He did retest for sugar and wheat sensitivity. My body still responded to wheat, but no reaction to sugar. He feels that being wheat-free will be a for life thing. Sugar is something I can "play" with and see how it works out, but to treat it like alcohol with an alcoholic. So of course, I played with it right away. Not good. Kind of what I expected. It seems like once I remove something for an extended period of time, my body doesn't do well when I try to re-introduce...this has happened a few times when I think I can handle caffeine also. It always makes me feel worse and proves to me that I don't really need it. So, I'm going to stick to no sugar, no wheat and enjoy how my body feels without it.
Enjoy the last day of August! It was a great month! Welcome September!

This is For Me

Today I "graduated" from 9 weeks of working with my amazing therapist, Jen. When I saw her two years ago I remember getting to this point also, where I go wondering what we will talk about. When I'm in the middle of the muck I know exactly what I need to talk about, but again, I'm at that point where I've learned a lot and feel a lot better than I did 9 weeks ago when we started.
This week I also finished my 6-week treatment plan with Dr. Troy and I will have my re-evaluation next week. He is so impressed with how my muscles are holding and believes that physically we have everything right where it needs to be for optimal functioning. We still need to keep an eye on the hormones, which he feels played a big part in the strong anxiety I was having earlier. As the first trimester has ended, the anxiety has become so much more manageable. It's there a little bit still, but it doesn't come with the racing thoughts that it did for the past few months. So, we will keep an eye on those hormones and hope everything hold physically. If not, I know right where to go.
So, like the title of this post says, this is for me. I want to record what I've learned this summer because accepting anxiety as a gift and as a learning tool has much better results than fighting it. So here is my top 10 list.
Laura's Top 10 Reasons Why Anxiety is a Gift
10. It forces me to open up and talk about my emotions and what is bothering me.
9. It forces me to slow down, relax, and take more naps.
8. I have become aware of the fact that foods, specifically sugar and wheat, greatly impact my moods and energy levels.
7. It has allowed me to share my story with others and make new friends along the way.
6. I know that I can overcome anxiety without taking a pill.
5. Yoga, breathing, walking, reading, blogging, listening to music, and focusing on others helps ease anxiety.
4. I have become less of a perfectionist.
3. I am stronger than I think and have never once lost control.
2. Feeling more comfortable with this pregnancy and my ability to be a great mom!
1. I can use what I have learned to help others.

I googled "Anxiety as a Gift" and came up with this amazing article. It says it all so well. http://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-gift-of-anxiety-7-ways-to-get-the-message-and-find-peace/

When, and if, panic and/or anxiety creeps back into my days, I hope I can refer back to this blog post so that I can remember this is a gift given to me because I can handle it, I can learn from it, and I can help others.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon

August is Here!

I'm back from Colorado and in the last two days I finally feel like my mind is clearing. I am hesitant to even say it out loud, but I'm very hopeful that the start of the 2nd trimester is going to calm the hormones, fatigue, and anxiety. So much as went on since I've blogged last, but I'll try to recap it all in a way that isn't too lengthy.

To start, Estes Park was wonderful. The weather was beautiful with a spotty thunderstorm that rolled in each afternoon. Our training was in a building that allowed us to have the doors and windows all open so we were able to take in the fresh Colorado air as well as observe the scenery and wildlife while training. I met some amazing women who all had stories to share and learn from. We meshed well and enjoyed learning from each other. It was helpful to be "away" while fighting off the anxiety and fatigue as it did seem to take my mind off it a little bit...but I powered through regardless and as so thankful that I had the opportunity. My wheels are turning and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me. Just to put my vision out there, I'd love to be a traveling YogaKids teacher who can share yoga with as many kids as possible. I know I was born to teach, but I'm open to the idea of teaching in different ways as well. I'll trust in this journey and follow where the path might lead!

Upon returning, I've been catching up on my sleep and cuddles with Elyse and Ross. It's been wonderful returning to open-window weather, but I can't believe that August is already here. I did stop in at school today to check on my classroom. The boxes have all been moved to my new room, so I can start unpacking anytime! I am a little excited. Fall is always a fun time, and as much as I will miss summer, I do look forward to getting back into a routine and putting my creativity into my classroom.

As far as the little baby inside me, we are just edging out of the 1st trimester and into the 2nd. There isn't much of a baby bump yet, but you might get a baby bump picture in the next couple weeks. I've been looking back at Elyse's blog and comparing her pregnancy to this one. If you want to look back, the web address is www.justalittlebebe.blogspot.com. Since sugar and wheat are out, I've managed to find a few substitutes for my cravings. Chips with melted cheese are a treat, as well as milk and string cheese.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to do a yoga practice with the Waseca High School Marching band! It will be exciting to see some of my little 3rd graders as high schoolers now! And this will be, by a long shot, my largest group of yogis! I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

I also want to thank those people who crossed my path in the last week that reminded me we are given those we need in the times that we need them: the kind man in the MSP airport who asked about my journey and eased my nerves, my roommates at Estes Park, Kristy from Canada who openly shared about her life, and Katie who sat next to me on the flight home. Oh, the I forgot the most ironic part of the trip!

I sat down in my seat on the airplane to fly home from Colorado...seat 9A. A couple sat down next to me saying that the ticket checker informed them that seat 9A was double booked. So both the woman and I gave our ticket stubs to the flight attendant so that they could move one of us. The flight attendant came back quickly saying, "I have two ticket stubs for Laura Nelson. I need the other person's stub. Who is Laura Nelson?" and we both responded, "I am!" All of us were a bit shocked and left speechless for a few seconds! What are the chances that two people with the name Laura Nelson are booked for the exact same seat on the exact same flight. I'm still trying to understand the meaning in that! :)