The end of a wonderful 2007

"Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This year has brought many milestones: buying our first house, turning 30, owning my first dog and now being pregnant for the first time. It's been an amazing year, and I'm so grateful for all the new joys in my life. So that's why what happened last Friday took me so off guard; my husband was let go from his job, which happened right after we opened Christmas presents with my side of the family.

I couldn't believe the callousness of his former workplace. Not only the timing - the Friday between Christmas and New Years - but that it was done over the phone and during his vacation. I'll admit I threw an enormous pity party for about a day. However, when I was trying to go to bed that night I remembered a simple affirmation I learned from Louise L. Hay:

"All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this, I will receive only good and abundance, and I am safe."

Simple as it is, these words really helped calm me down and moved me into a more positive outlook the next day. It also helped me be strong for my husband, and now we're saying the affirmations together to keep both of us in a positive state of mind so he can move onto bigger and better opportunities in 2008.

Another family slideshow of the holidays

Family slideshow of Christmas

New bundle of joy for Christmas

Introducing Drew Miles to the world!

I had the pleasure of meeting Drew this weekend - he's my good friend Shannan's new baby boy. Even held and fed him. Scared me half to death to pick him up, but he didn't break! Good 'baby step' (forgive the bad pun) to prepare me for our baby on the way.

I'll have to admit it was comforting holding Drew, and it gave me more confidence I could handle being a mom in 20 (or so) weeks when our little bundle of joy arrives. So thanks Drew, big sister Avery (pictured right) and Shannan for giving me a confidence boost.

To know or not to know - that is the question

Yesterday was our big sonogram appointment where we could find out the sex of the baby. Early on in our pregnancy, my husband made it known he didn't want to find out. Not find out? I couldn't fathom it! 'What do you mean you don't want to find out?' was my initial response.

After discussing with friends who didn't find out until the birth, I did become more convinced maybe it would be a good idea. They all said it made the labor more exciting and endurable knowing they would soon find out the biggest surprise of their life.

But what about the baby's room, clothes, EVERYTHING? How will you plan? How will you be prepared? These were the questions shot at me like missiles by family, friends and strangers (i.e., naysayers) when I responded that we weren't going to find out the baby's sex. Their reply was the, 'are you crazy' look.

So the big day finally arrived, and I started having my doubts I could actually go through with not knowing. I mean, I'm known for my impatience (yoga has leveled me out, but it's still a character flaw). How could I wait another five months to know if our baby was a boy or a girl? OMG! This is the hardest task EVER and is self-imposed, nonetheless. I'm CRAZY!

Even throughout the ultrasound, I kept asking my husband, "Are you sure you don't want to find out?" Unfortunately he held strong so I had to as well! The lady performing the sonogram did ask whether or not she should note the sex of the baby in my chart, and I did succumb. You never know... a girl's gotta keep her options open. :)

Finding Samadhi?

I feel so exhilirated! I taught my 6 p.m. power-vinyasa yoga class tonight and felt the best I have while doing the asanas or postures in a long time. Since becoming pregnant, when I go to my mat, I'm not feeling the passion I used to feel. Maybe it's due to my body not being as agile and strong as it was prior to being pregnant. However, tonight everything was clicking and moving in sync. As I type, I'm still experiencing my yoga buzz.

I wonder if I reached samadhi? It's the eighth limb of Patanjali's eightfold path, and according to Yoga Journal is the "ecstatic or unitive state in which the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation." I was one with my asana practice tonight, which I consider to be my form of meditation (Not to discount "true" meditation. I think asana practice prepares me for it). I didn't allow the "static in the attic," as Baron Baptiste calls it, to get in the way of the postures, but I moved with my body and embraced my breath.

Obviously when I teach it's for the students, but tonight I rode the wave and really enjoyed my practice. Maybe that's selfish, but it sure felt good.

Merry Christmas!

I'm off of my corporate job until Jan. 2, and I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy. I haven't taken more than a week of vacation in YEARS! Merry Christmas to me!

Today I woke up around 8 a.m., which is sleeping late these days, especially with our dog Charlie not letting us. Did about 90 minutes of yoga (Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga) and then went out to breakfast at a place I've been wanting to try. Very yummy food but I'm still stuffed four hours later. I think I'll take a nap soon and tonight we're off to my mother-in-laws to celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas!
(Someone sent me this cute photo saying next Christmas I'll have a new one just like this - thought it was cute.)

Find some Breathing Space or OM

One the eve of Christmas Eve, I'm reminded how stress can take over and make me forget what the holiday season is all about. If you're feeling like you need a time out, I have a few suggestions. Go online and visit Breathing Space, a Web site by PregnancyWeekly for the pregnant yogini. It's a fairly simple site and there are three areas of focus: mind, body and spirit. Doesn't appear to get updated often - maybe weekly if not longer - but check it out and utilize some of the ideas for relaxing and letting go.

Daily OM is another site for everyone , not just yogis or pregnant people, that I think is better than the first suggestion, since it's updated more frequently. You may sign up for daily reminders of calm to arrive in your inbox as well.

If anything, I find repeating this affirmation helps me in times of stress (from the book and CD "I Can Do It"): "All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Only goodness and abundance will come out of this, and I am safe." - Louise L. Hay

PregTASTIC podcasts ROCK!

Maria, one of my loyal readers, recommended I listen to a podcast called PregTASTIC by women who are pregnant. I listened to one of the more recent podcasts, episode #77, titled "PregTASTIC Pregnancy Resources." It had a lot of interesting information about where to shop for various items and what books they enjoyed.

Sites and products I learned about from the podcast:

• Felicite.com – online registry where you can bring any gift from any merchant on one site.
• Bumpstyle.com – maternity clothes that don’t suck, original artwork from Portland artists.
• Ecochildsplay.com – a site to look on to make sure your toys are safe
• Baby Bargains – book has a new edition every year and explains why a product is good and why it isn’t. One of the PregTASTIC women checked everything on her registry in it.
• Baby Hawk - baby slings.
• Halo sleep slack

Recommended books:

• I’m pregnant now what do I eat – simple recipes.
• Belly Book – by trimester journal.
• Pregnancy Journal – day by day journal.
• Unofficial guide to having a baby – things to ask your doctor.

Check out PregTASTIC's podcast and tell me what you think.

Movement to make me smile

On Tuesday night, as my husband and I were vegging on the couch, watching TV, I felt this vibration and pressure inside my belly. Could it be? The moment I've been waiting for the last few weeks... Many pregnancy Web sites and books say some women feel the baby as early as 12 weeks. However, most women in their first pregnancy feel the baby between 16-22 weeks or so. The feeling happened three or four more times and then it was gone. During it, I told my husband, "I think I'm feeling the baby move for the first time!" I'm glad he was there to share in the moment.

If I had any doubt what I felt Tuesday evening, yesterday afternoon confirmed my belief. As I was sitting in front of my computer at my corporate job, I was typing away and all of a sudden felt the same, feathery vibration, almost like a flutter as decribed by other women. So exciting and reassuring to know that our baby is moving around and is safe.

Check out The Mommy Diary blog on PregnancyWeekly.com - once you sign up, it posts the week you're in on your PW home page, so this post is about her 17th week. The author also feels the baby move this week and describes it similarly to me. Very reassuring to hear others going through the same thing.

Yoga does a body good

"Each body is a universe, as good a universe as you could conceive." -- Swami Amar Jyoti

This quote was the lead for day 92 in Meditations from the Mat, which I try to read daily but usually a few times a week. After 30 minutes of yoga this morning, the excerpt really resonated with me.

"The postures and the breath form a bridge between the wisdom of the mind and the wisdom of the body. A divine spark is kindled, and the resulting fire is our spiritual transformation." The author is speaking about svadhyaya, or self study, and through yoga we embrace the universe inside of us through the asanas and pranayama (postures and breath).

Yoga teaches me to embrace and love myself for who I am in this moment. As you may know from past posts, I'm having a bit of a hard time accepting the new shape my body is taking through my pregnancy. My husband took a few photos of me last night to document the bump, and I look so BIG! He swears I look bigger in the photos (God love him) and reassures me that I look fine, which helps. However, this chapter from the book really put it together for me that I'm okay as I am, in this moment.

Tis' the season for Zen

Yoga Journal magazine is an awesome resource and its Web site is packed with information. I believe the site recently had a redesign and now has a way to build a pose or asana sequence with coordinating photos - pretty cool.

I am signed up for every e-mail newsletter YJ online offers, including one it sends weekly for a "dose of yoga tips, information and advice." Last week's was titled the "Yogi's Holiday Guide to the Holidays" and had some interesting article/ideas on how to cope through this typically stressful season.

One was called Gifts for the Greedless and had a bunch of great ideas for gift giving by type of person (college student, children, golfers, etc.), and I thought this one was great for me and my husband, since we're soon to be new parents:

For Parents: Zen Parenting: The Art of Learning What You Already Know, by Judith Costello and Jurgen Haver (Robins Lane). A thought-provoking meditation on child-rearing as sadhana (practice).

Hopefully my husband isn't reading my blog because this book may be in his stocking!

The bump IS showing

All right, I give! The bump is showing! I didn't notice it really showing under my clothes until tonight when I changed into my yoga garb before I taught my power-vinyasa class. I was wearing my regular clothes but used the belly band as an expander between my tank and capris. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized, I look like a pregnant woman! OMG! This is really happening... I'm with child, I have a bun in the oven, the rabbit done died - I'm going to have a baby. Reality has set in.

Enough about my bump - I'm a bit obsessive about it, aren't I? I received another shipment of EBay maternity clothes; 31 pieces for $46, shipping included. A bit of a gamble since there was only one photo posted, and it was folded up. However the seller had a strong rating and said it was "awesome" so I thought, what the heck! So happy I took the risk. Lots of Motherhood and Old Navy Maternity. Cute, long-sleeve tops, although some of the pants were short, which will definitely not work for me, but all in all, a great deal.

My question is, when do I start wearing the maternity clothes? My old clothes still fit, especially with the assistance of the belly band... What's the rule of thumb on this?

"The bargain that yields mutual satisfaction is the only one that is apt to be repeated." - B. C. Forbes

Winter Wonderland

Although we missed the large amount of snow expected overnight last night, I think there is at least three inches of snow on the ground and still coming down. It's so pretty and our dog Charlie loves it (I've posted a short clip of video of him running around in it.).

Finally put out the Christmas decorations - yay for me! There isn't that much, but at least it's out, and I don't look like Scrooge. Here's my tree. It may be a little pathetic, but at least it's up! And I found some leftover Christmas cards from last year (I knew there were a few), and I have them addressed, stamped and ready to go to ALMOST everyone on the list. I'm on a Christmas roll.

My husband had to work this afternoon so I'm going to reward myself with a girl movie or two and possibly a nap. I love Saturdays!

Bloom'n into new fashion

I received six packages in the mail yesterday from some of my EBay orders! So exciting!

One was a three pack of belly bands by Bloom’n Fashion, and as I understand it, is supposed to help lengthen the time I can wear my normal clothes and also kind of act as an extender between my pants and shirts. Here's the description from the site: Wear a Bloom'n Belly Band to cover your belly before, during, or after pregnancy. Wear it to fit your own style: wear it over your whole belly for secure comfort or fold or roll it for an under the belly style. Create a trendy layered look for pregnancy and nursing to keep your tummy covered until you get back to pre-pregnancy shape.

On the tag it said “By purchasing our products, you support Moms who work from home.” I didn’t realize when I bought it; I only thought it was a good deal – three bands for $22.95 plus shipping in whatever color combo you want! Fast delivery as well!

The only bummer is I was on the bubble between medium and large, and I went with large. I’m testing the black band today and although it fits, it’s not very tight. Thinking medium would have been better. I may order a few mediums since they are so reasonably priced – I’m sure the large bands will fit soon enough though! :)

Too cold (or pregnant) to decorate...

Am I an awful person for not putting out any Christmas decorations yet? I definitely haven't hit the nesting phase of pregnancy because I am just avoiding decorating for the holidays. Plus, all of it is tucked away in boxes located in our icky basement, and I need help carrying them. I keep telling my husband he needs to bring them up, but he doesn't seem to care - and yes, I'm pushing the buck off on him! HA!

I think decorating is the one holiday item really stressing me out. Granted I don't have my gifts all purchased yet, but I know I'll get it done. Who cares if people receive cards from us or not? Although I guess it would be a good way to communicate we're expecting, even though I would think most would know already. We already did a cookie exchange so we have plenty of cookies, although they're already half gone... again, it must be my husband who is eating ALL of them.;)

I guess the decorations will happen when they happen (or better yet IF they happen!).

I better go do some yoga and try to rid myself of this stress.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

My fav - Prenatal Yoga DVD

Today I practiced Shiva Rea’s DVD Prenatal Yoga for the fourth or fifth time, and I think it’s my favorite yoga workout for pregnancy so far. It’s a little slow, but it really seems to center me and open up my hips and my back to prepare me for labor. In the video are three models representing each trimester of pregnancy (Shiva is in her first.), which makes the DVD usable throughout the entire nine months.

Another positive is that it’s broken down into sections, although she doesn’t have it broken down into chapters, but you could skip through until you found the four major sections:
* Meditation and Pranayama (Breathwork)
* Standing Poses
* Floorwork
* Relaxation

You could probably do each section as its own workout if you’re low on time (each section is about 15-20 minutes and the entire video is about an hour long depending on how long you stay in savasana), but I usually end up doing the entire workout.

The first section is much more than meditation and pranayama and includes various warm up asanas and hip openers. Keigel exercises are also done and a good reminder to do them (I always forget!)

The standing poses section is decent. Shiva recommends a lot of props throughout the practice, especially for second and third trimester. So you may want to have a block and a strap handy and also a blanket and chair (more common items laying around the house).

The floorwork is nice and relaxing and stretches those pesky hammies that cause my back to hurt (knock on wood, my back has been great so far during my 16 weeks of pregnancy).

Of course at the end is savasana, and she has very good instruction on how to be in the various trimesters and gives okay, guided relaxation.

After doing about three or four different yoga workouts on DVD for pregnancy, I'd say this one is my favorite so far.

Tell me more about these eight limbs

If you want to dive deeper into yoga check out the book Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison. It has daily reflections for every day of the year about yoga and are based on the eight-limbs of yoga and its subsets. Each day Gates, a yoga instructor who trained with Baron Baptiste, takes you through each one with real-life scenarios, quotes and “reflections from the mat.” I checked it out at the library first and because it was so good, I purchased it on amazon.com used for $3! (You know I love a good deal!)

Eight limbs of yoga
1. Yamas (Five moral restaints)
2. Niyamas (Five observances)
3. Asana (Postures)
4. Pranayama (Mindful breathing)
5. Pratyahara (Turning inward)
6. Dharna (Cocentration)
7. Dhyana (Meditation)
8. Samadhi

If you’re at all interested in growing your knowledge of yoga beyond the postures or asanas and learning about the other seven limbs of yoga (you probably know two others and didn't know it - breathing and meditation), this book is definitely a step in the right direction. The chapters or days are also in bite-size pieces - one to two pages per day - so it’s easy to keep returning to it.

I read day 89 (p. 118) this morning after my asana practice and learned about Svadhyaya, which means self study. It encouraged being open to inspiration everywhere and “connecting to the energy you find healing and inspiring.” The author said he was using the movie Gladiator to inspire him and his yoga teaching and writing by watching interviews with the cast and director, listening to the movie score, etc.

I’m ready for inspiration world – I’ll keep my eyes peeled.

EBay madness

Since I'm showing I've become concerned that I won't be prepared with maternity clothes, so yesterday I opened EBay up after abstaining for a few years. Now I remember why I stopped going - I become a looney, competitive junky. I set my eyes on a "large lot" of maternity clothes: 2 pairs of pants, a few sweaters, long sleeve shirts and button downs. It was all in my size (I guess you wear the same size you currently wear but in maternity.) and it was only at $30 when I first started looking at it. The garments were from nice stores like Pea in a Pod so I thought this will be a steal! Plus I have my sister-in-laws maternity clothes as well (she had our niece Quinn in July) so I thought, I'll be set.

Well, then the bidding started to heat up in the last three hours. I set my maximum bid to $67 after bidding $45. Once I returned about an hour before closing, I was outbid! What?! Well, my competitive nature kicked in (I know, very anti-yoga!) and I went for it again... well then in the last five minutes my competitor tried to swoop in and steal my loot, er, I mean lot. No way sister - this maternity garb is mine! So I bid a dollar above her and set my maximum a few bids away so it'd take her a while to figure it out. With 10 seconds to go, she outbid my max - AAAAAAAHHHH!! So I did what any crazy, pregnant lady would do, I outbid her by $1 and somehow pulled off the steal of the day.

The final total ended up at $88 plus $15 shipping but still less than $10 a piece for decent clothes. Hope it fits after all that! Hmmm, wouldn't that be karma? Okay, let's not go there... it will fit, it will fit, it will fit. Part of EBay is the "fight" so bring it on!

A new book for new moms

Yesterday I received books ordered online at Hay House Publishing's site for a steal at $5 each (a holiday special). Some of the books usually sell for $15-$30 so I felt like I found some bargains and wonderful gifts as well. I found one for myself called The Mommy Chronicles by Sara Ellington and Stephanie Triplett. It's a collection of real e-mails between two girlfriends who both are pregnant for the first time a few weeks apart. They keep in touch through birth and new motherhood via electronic mail since they live in different areas of the country.

I started reading it last night, and it's really entertaining. Reminds me a lot of e-mails between myself and some of my friends who are pregnant or have already given birth. In fact, my good friend Shannan had her second baby yesterday morning! It's a boy, and they named him Drew Miles! (She didn't find out the sex and kept the name a secret.) Now she has a boy and a girl, which is awesome because it sounds like she's done with pregnancy, no matter what they ended up having! Congratulations Shannan and Kurt!

Back to the book. Seems like the pregnancy section of the book must be a small percentage of the actual content, and the book is more focused on being new mothers (I'm on page 25, and they are both over halfway done with the pregnancy. The book is 231 pages total.) Not sure if I'm quite ready to read about the baby actually being here - I'm definitely more nervous about taking care of the baby versus the labor. It's basically a simple, time comparison; labor, hopefully, will take hours versus child rearing, which is FOREVER! OK, breathe deeply - inhale, exhale. I'm better now... I'll keep reading and will let you know what I think, but so far so good.

Finding yoga sequences online - priceless

Found this yoga sequence specific for those in the second trimester on http://www.healthandyoga.com/. Added it to del.ico.us! I'll try it out soon and will let you know what I think.

I'm elated the weekend is finally here, and I can chill. Work has heated up a bit for me, so I will enjoy having some downtime. I teach a hatha yoga class tomorrow morning and then have nothing the rest of the weekend. Plus the weather is supposed to be icy and snowy in Kansas City so we'll probably have to stay in - fine by me. I must admit I enjoy couch time - if my husgand read this he'd say that's an understatement! I follow the scientific rule of a body in motion stays in motion and a body at rest stays at rest.

I should take advantage of being at home and hang artwork I've had for three months sitting against my guest bedroom wall, but I'm nervous to do it since we have plaster walls. My parents were planning to visit and help me do some of this type of stuff around the house (we moved in about five months ago). However, their drive is three hours and with the winter-weather conditions, it didn't seem worth it. Hopefully the weather will be nicer next weekend, and they can visit then - my mom is good at decorating so I need her help!

I guess even when you're about to be a mommy a girl still needs her mommy.

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Heartbreak for my hometown

I debated whether or not to write about this, but I just have to address the deadly shooting that took place in Omaha, Neb., yesterday. The reason it really haunts me is because I grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa right across the Missouri River from Omaha. Hearing the news broke my heart.

I didn't know any of the victims but the news was still shocking, nonetheless. The randomness of it makes it even more perplexing. Why take the lives of people you don't even know? Why kill another human being, period? I guess there is no reasoning behind it, but how does one move forward from something like this?

Maybe the teachings of The Secret are the answer. The main point of it, at least to me, seems to be to reverse negative thoughts to positive ones to bring about what you want not only in your own life but in the world. So if you're against the war, don't protest the war, instead have a peace rally. 'What we resist, persists' so next time you see a news story about the shooting, change the channel or stop reading so you don't dwell on it (in fact, I originally had a hyperlink to a CNN story about the event in the first paragraph, but I removed it because I didn't want to perpetuate.).

Let's all pray and envision a peaceful and safe society for us all to live in - our minds are powerful things so let's use them in a positive way.

A DVD for the pregger yogini

Have you ever tried Yoga Zone's DVD Postures for Pregnancy? The instructor says it's safe for all three trimesters of pregnancy, which is convenient. The pregnant lady performing the postures looks about ready to pop so it must be okay for me being only at the beginning of the second trimester. I just completed a few chapters of it - never seem to have enough time in the morning!

Checked it out at the local library (I LOVE the the library!) and have done it a few times. It's a little slower than what I'm used to and is more Iyengar (form-focused) versus Vinyasa-style yoga (linking the breath with the movement), which is my favorite type of yoga. However, I feel great after doing a few chapters of it this a.m.

The instructor is actually the husband of the pregnant lady showing the postures - Alan Finger and his wife Greta. He seems to know a lot about alignment, but he has a bit of an accent (British I think) and pronounces words differently than I'm used to, which distracts me a bit.

Overall, I recommend this DVD, which I think is overdue at the library, so I better return it! Maybe I'll buy it or just check it out again in a few months.

Lego my Ego please

Taught my Wednesday night, YMCA power yoga class and had a full room, which is always exciting (I can't help the ego sometimes.) I've been trying to guide the class more with my voice than by demonstrating physically up in the front, to prepare for when my bump grows so big I won't be able to touch my toes. I'm feeling more comfortable with this teaching style and feel like I am helping as well. If I do "correct" students, I usually try to do it verbally or demonstrate next to them how to alter what they are doing for the best alignment. I'm still not super comfortable with touching people, but every once in a while I will lightly touch to show the area that I'm talking about if verbal cues don't seem to be getting anywhere (i.e., between the shoulder bladed in down dog so they'll release more deeply.)

Any suggestions out there on what's right or wrong, good or bad? Keep in mind, I teach at a YMCA, not a yoga studio, however these people are kind of hard core yogis and know their stuff more than you might think so I don't think they'd mind physical adjustments. But I just remember how I felt when I received my first adjustment and wasn't expecting it - plus it kind of hurt my ego - there's that pesky ego again.

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize it was so late - better hit the hay.

Showing at 15 weeks - RAMA?

Apparently I'm beginning to show. The last few days, once I break the news to someone, he or she says, "I was wondering..." Well, what's that supposed to mean?? Is the bump really that noticeable? I can still fit into my normal jeans without any struggle. In fact, some of my pants fit me better now - I swear my butt is getting smaller while my belly enlarges! Fine by me!

Since I'm beginning to show, I figure I better start looking for some maternity yoga clothes. Surfing online, I'm not seeing much and what I am seeing is kind of pricey. After googling "pregnancy yoga clothes" I found a decent article on this topic, such as where to shop and what you should buy on www.BabyFit.com. Here's the list of suggestions for mothers to be in terms of workout gear:

• 1 pair maternity fitness shorts
• 1 pair maternity yoga pants (long or capri); for yoga or any activity
• 2 really good and supportive bras
• 1 supportive swimsuit for any kind of water workout
• 2 maternity tanks or tees for layering

Since I teach yoga 3x week, I'm not sure if that's enough yoga pants... guess I'll be a smelly teacher! :)

Being grateful is so RAMA

Today I actually felt awake the first time in months, for a Monday that is. Maybe it’s because I’m finally out of the first trimester, but I think it also has to do with the fact that I did a little yoga this morning (which I have been negligent on doing consistently in the a.m. the past few months). Also I set my intentions for the day and gave thanks. I discovered this process from a John Gray book called How to get what you want and want what you have. First, I get comfortable, usually on my back with my hands open to the sky and I start to say, “God (or whomever you want to talk to) my heart is open to you, please come into my heart.” I say it on every finger of my hands until they start to tingle and I feel physically connected. Then I state how I want my day to unfold and the following:
* What I’m happy about
* Who / what I love
* What I’m confident about
* What I’m grateful for
* And I always end with saying I’m grateful to you God for EVERYTHING!

Well I haven’t set my intentions or really prayed for a while. I hate to admit that, but when things are going well in my life, I tend to feel like it’s not necessary and then things start to fall apart. So this morning in savasana, I set my intentions, and I really do think it helps my day go more smoothly and brings to fruition what I want to happen.

Thank you GRATITUDE!

Sundays are so RAMA!

So I'm starting my blog, which I have been procrastinating for MONTHS! I never think I have enough to write about, but I guess one has to start somewhere ... so here it goes. I found this quote to illustrate what I mean (I love quotes and will probably share them a lot.)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." --Lao Tzu

Sundays have such possibility to them, but then I always feel like I didn't accomplish enough and dread the coming Monday back to work. Although today I think I did do enough and my body is agreeing with me. First I walked Charlie (our lab/border collie), and then I did some yoga - since I just began my second trimester, I've been exploring various prenatal DVDs. I gave Penatal Vinyasa Yoga with Jennifer Wolfe to my sister-in-law when she was pregnant last year, and she gave it back to me. I wasn't sure how long the DVD ran because my first time I only did about 20 minutes of it... this time I did an hour and ended up fast forwarding the last 10-15 minutes to the guided relaxation so it must be about 75 minutes long. It's a good series of asanas or poses if you enjoy Vinyasa-style yoga where you're linking the breath with the movement, but I wish it was broken down into bite-size pieces, like 20-minute segments.

After cooking some sad looking hashbrowns for me and my husband, we ended up raking the yard together. Our street is beautifully lined with old Elm trees and I love looking at them every time I turn onto our street, except for this time of year. Neither of us enjoy doing yard work, but at least we got it done. My legs and arms are definitely feeling a little sore; hope I'm not stiff tomorrow. I should do a few poses before I go to bed - yoga is always the answer.

Let me know if you have any prental yoga DVDs, CDs and books you'd like to share. I'll keep sharing as well.