Outta the gate...

You know how it feels when you've been really sick for awhile, and then that new day comes along and you don't feel like crap? You feel like a million bucks instead? Eight days post-partum, I am feeling way more spunky and energetic than I have in ages -- even with some sleep deprivation. Last night Baby C was a night owl and kept mommy and daddy up till near midnight, and then the little toddler man decided to start wailing at just before 5 a.m. this morning and kept wailing until daddy gave in near 6. I think our coffee bill is going to go up a bit the next few months.

I even got my first post-partum workout in yesterday, woohoo!, and another one today. I'm just doing some post-natal workouts from some pre-natal workout DVDs I already had, “10 Minute Solution: Prenatal Pilates” ($8.99, amazon.com) and Gabrielle Reece's Fit & Healthy Pre-Natal Workouts, which has three post-natal workouts. I'll be doing a review soon on some workout DVDs you can do with your kids and including these as good workouts to try and get your core strength back post-baby. Even just holding my tiny eight-pounder, I can tell by my lower back that my abs are shot and I need to work on getting them back. And I am so ready to start walking again -- it's still pretty chilly here for March, but spring-like weather will be here soon, right?

It's hard to know exactly what to do without over-doing it -- all new mommies are facing physical limitations, from stitches from a C-section or episiotomy, to sciatica (me, though it's finally getting better!), and other factors, such as how much you exercised during pregnancy. It's always best to check with your doctor on this; fortunately, mine is pretty laid back and knows I'm a runner, so her advice was do what feels good and be sensible. So I will not be running this week, haha, though I really hope to try a gentle run/walk by next weekend. I signed up for a 5k race on May 1 with absolutely no expectations for speed or to get anywhere near my PR (personal record), since that would be stupid. But I just miss running outside and the thrill of a race, so I am looking forward to whatever happens that day. :-)

Happy workout! I'm back, baby!