Time Out - One Step at a Time (Almost Literally)

About nine days after Phinn was born, I came down with a pretty bad case of cabin fever. I was beginning to feel as if I was becoming a part of the couch or bed or rocking chair because let's face it, I pretty much rotated from one to another depending on the activity (watching TV/reading, sleeping, or feeding Phinn). I had not been out of the house besides the two visits to the pediatrician's office and was desperately needing a change in scenery. After a little convincing, I talked Hunter into going to the outlet mall and walking around under the pretense that Phinn needed a couple newborn size onesies. (Who knew that you go through at least three of them a day?!)

I started off feeling great. It was wonderful to breathe in fresh air and feel a little bit of sunshine on my face! I was walking at a decent pace but shortly after perusing the Christmas section at Pottery Barn, my stitches were killing me and my rear end felt like it was on fire. As we moved on to a few more stores, my pace slowed to that of a crawl. I think I might have even given in to using a rascal, if it had been offered. I will say that while I was managing some physical discomfort, mentally I was in heaven. It felt so good to just be out and about, see other people, and remember how it feels to wear clothes (not pajamas) with a little bit of make-up and my hair straightened. I managed to stumble through the last few stores, but needless to say I was very excited when Hunter offered to go get the car and I could wait on a bench for him.

Since Friday, I have managed to squeeze in a little trip out of the house each day. We went to Purcellville Marketplace (cute little store in town that has a year-round Christmas section) on Saturday and Church and Target on Sunday. I think getting out is important not only because it gets me up and moving, but my little field trips also provide me with sanity! As I've mentioned before, I hate to feel chained to the couch. I'm not good at vegging out or sitting still. It just leads to more restlessness, not to mention it also lengthens my "to-do" list as I stare at piles of clutter, baby gear strewn about the house, dirty floors, and I could go on about the ten things I see that need cleaning right now as I type...

I'm still optimistic that I will be back at the gym - at least walking or using the elliptical - before Thanksgiving. This week I am going to start formulating my plan to get back to "me" which will include both exercise and nutrition, and I will share my progress with you. I am doing my best to be patient and give my body some recovery time, but I also think that I'm going to have to manage some level of discomfort as I reenter my exercise routine. As long as my two best friends - Motrin IB and heating pad - are nearby, I will survive.