So we are borrowing Miles's parents' treadmill, and I have been using it... for two days. Trying to keep my New Year's resolution, and all...

I like having it, although it is the reason for the MAJOR rearrangement of the house, and that was not exactly fun. Having it here takes away every excuse that I could ever come up with as to why I couldn't exercise.  Since my kids nap at the same time, I have a great exercise time and they are sleeping peacefully in their beds... it has been great.

Since I haven't worked out since August, I decided to start slow... walking. But then I got bored and started running. It has been going well (for two days) but now my back hurts and I am wondering if it is an injury from moving muscles that weren't ready for "strenuous" exercise or if it is just a little muscle soreness since I haven't moved those muscles in a while... I am hoping it is the latter, as the first option seems a little more embarrassing. :)  I am sure that I will be fine... I take a Vitamin D supplement for goodness sake.

I had my follow-up appointment with the nurologist today to talk about the results of my blood work (that totalled $4500... thank goodness for insurance). After telling me that I am HORRIBLY deficient in Vitamin D, he said, "Other than the Vitamin D deficency, you may be the healthiest person I have ever seen."  It was hilarious, for several reasons... #1 I take a daily pill because I had heart failure, three very short years ago. #2 He had just gotten done telling me that I was so deficent in vitamin D that it was prbably doing skeletal damage. #3 I could be in better shape... or in any shape. #4 Oh yeah, and I had four migraines in a week last month, which set off this round of appointments... yeah, I am totally the picture of health. :)

Here are a couple pictures from our week. Halleigh and I have been making great use of our new ride. Visiting various parks has been Halleigh's favorite part and it has been really fun to ride around Durham seeing it from the biking point of view. I have yet to go to the grocery store on my bike, but I am excited to try that out soon.

We had an hour to kill the other day and so we went over to the Museum of Life and Science. We LOVE this museum. Miles' grandparents gave us a membership and we have used it A LOT! Halleigh ran for an hour straight from exhibit to exhibit. She had a very good time, and slept VERY soundly for her nap. I had to go in and wake her up after 2 1/2 hours so we could pick up Mary from the airport.

Oh by the way, I took these picture with my phone. Pretty good, I'd say!

So the last couple weeks, I have been walking with Kristy Kent on her lunch break.  BCBS has a walking trail around its campus that we walk around twice (about 2 miles).  It has been such a huge blessing to have someone who is taking this seriously and wanting to walk several times a week. I have really enjoyed the motivation and also the friendship that I have in Kristy.

Yesterday, though, we got our wires crossed and as fate would have it, Kristy and I were not able to walk together, and so I went and walked by myself.  I didn't have very much fun, Halleigh fell asleep about 10 minutes in and so I was left to dwell on how far I had gone and still had to go on each lap, all alone. I realized then, how much I really need Kristy.. to fill the time with conversation.

Today, I was not looking forward to going, since I had yesterday's after-taste left over. But as soon as we got going, laughing and talking, I was so glad again to be doing this.

I was accidentally without the jogging stroller and so had to improvise and carry Halleigh in the Baby Bjorn, even though that thing says that it is for babies up to 28lbs I would not recommend it.  Just carrying the 23lbs of Halleigh was incredibly tiring. She is REALLY heavy, but it was just extra weight to help burn calories so I shouldn't complain too much.  One funny thing about it was that when we got back to the car I took Halleigh out of the carrier and my legs felt really light.  As I walked around to the other side to get in it dawned on me after about five steps that my legs felt so light because I had just lost 23lbs by putting Halleigh down. (Further motivation to lose another 23 of my OWN lbs)

This picture is a picture of the original Pilates studio.  In the picture is Joseph Pilates  (creator of Pilates) and his niece Ann.

I promise that this blog will not be all about my work-out issues, but I wanted to update you all on the first Pilates class. It was AWESOME! Actually it started out really funny, but then, as it went on, it was intense.

So the funny parts came at the beginning when we were "meditating."  The instructor said, "Now some people like to repeat a mantra to themselves like ‘ohmmm,’ or some other personal mantra."  All I could think was that I was not going to be able to contain my laughter if someone breaks out with an ‘ohmmm,’ or other “personal mantra;” it was too cliché.  I thought I was going to lose it, luckily, no one said anything out loud.  Then the instructor said, “one way for us to center is to focus on the space in between our eyebrows, picture your third eye...” What third eye, are you kidding me?!? At that point I DID have a personal mantra, “please don't laugh, I know this is funny, but PLEASE don't laugh! Grow up; this is supposed to be relaxing, not hilarious.” Later, talking to Kelly she said, at the third eye part I was thinking, “What have I gotten Brooklynne into.”

But once the meditation time was over and the work-out started, it kicked our butts. It was great. I loved it. I can't wait for the next class... which is Wednesday.

After reading my previous entry about working out, my dear sister-in-law, Kelly asked me how it was going. Since I haven't been but two other times since writing that post, I sort of laughed it off telling her about all of my excuses for not going.

Not wanting to leave Halleigh at the day-care area, hating to shower multiple times in a day, etc. I really appreciate Kelly, she is so much like a sister to me.  She says what she thinks and is so honest and open about herself. Anyway, to make a long story short we decided that we would start going to a Pilates class at the Y that is on Monday's and Wednesday's.  I am so excited about this, as she will hold me accountable and two times a week, at least, I will get a good work out in. If she expects me to be there, I can't let her down!

I told Miles this, and we are going to work it out so that he meets me at the Y and takes Halleigh home.  This is great, as a side note, because it will give Halleigh and Miles time to spend together just by themselves; dads and daughters need that.  And the days that he can't or other days that I want to work out, I am getting over my day-care fear and am going try it again... I deserve a little "me" time a couple times a week!

I have been feeling extremely tired lately. In part I am sure that is has to do with the fact that Miles and I have been staying up WAY too late, but there has been another component that I haven't been able to put my finger on. I just have been in a funk for the last couple of weeks. Yes, stress over the usual, money, time, cars etc. but it seems more than that. 

I used to work out regularly, having Miles mom and grandmother watch Halleigh while I worked out served two purposes, #1 gave them scheduled time every week when they got to see her and #2 a shove in the right direction to get me to the gym. I stopped having them watch Halleigh, because we started swimming lessons and she had to join the Y in order to participate. So I decided to just take her with me instead and that way it was using my time more effectively. But the result mostly was that I stopped working out. UGH! I hate how predictable I am!

But I have renewed my effort to force myself to the gym under the mental auspices of taking Halleigh swimming for practice... So I take her, work out and then pick her up and we go and swim for a little while. It was fun and I have felt so much better because of it. Where I was tired and draggy all day, I am already starting to feel more energy and just feeling more positive all the way around. Hopefully this will be GOOD BYE funk.

In an update, since our first swimming lesson, Halleigh has become much happier in the water. Today she almost blew bubbles. It was an amazing leap for her. She splashed and floated happily... maybe she is my child after all. ha ha ha Hopefully she will wow everyone at this week's lesson by how comfortable she is in the water now.