It's a "Sunny" Day!

One of our good friends and neighbor, Juanee (named after her grandmother) was coming up on her due date with her first baby. Juanee is a RN who did all her clinicals in the labor/delivery unit in our local hospital, so this "first timer" title really didn't fit her.

In fact, she probably the calmest, most confident person I'd ever seen when it came to talking about everything that was about to happen.

She learned about my ordeal with Nathan. (Read about it here, at least the version where I'd repressed most of the trauma. And here when I realized that crying about your son's birth every day when he is ten months old is not normal!). Juanee knew that one of the most helpful things for me would be to have a normal experience. Since we're not quite ready for another one, though, and that experience is probably over a year away, she invited me to her birth! I reluctantly said yes, hoping she wasn't just offering to be polite. I kept asking her over the next few weeks, and her answer never changed. We then decided that I might as well photograph the birth while I was there. It was an easy thing to count as a baby gift!

Then, last Thursday, Feb. 23rd, she knocked on my door at 3:30 in the afternoon. Being a Thursday afternoon (I have Tuesdays & Thursdays off from classes) I had all my homework and chores done for the day, and I didn't have a class the next day until 11:30. What perfect timing! She could labor all night and I wouldn't miss a thing in class!

Her contractions started around 10:30. They left for the doctor's office at 3:30 and called me at 4:30, saying they'd just been admitted, and that she was already at a SIX so I should hurry up! When I got to the hospital (half an hour away, after filling up my gas tank and grabbing treats for the "support staff"), she had just had her epidural and was at an EIGHT! This girly was movin' fast! Since she was comfortable we took some fun maternity pictures (I never got her up to my house to take any!), and her sweet husband brushed her hair. It was only an hour or so before things got exciting!

Not one stretch mark on this girl...lucky duck!

She'd even painted her fingers and toes the NIGHT before!

Juanee's awesome husband, Ryan, and amazing nurse!

Juanee's mom was driving from her home, five hours away, at 85 mph just trying not to get pulled over. She managed to peek in 15 MINUTES before Juanee delivered! We were ecstatic, expecting the person peeking through the curtain to be a doctor, nurse, etc. She was so glad to have her mother there and I was excited to go back to being in the background, in my own little corner by Juanee's head, taking pictures :o)

Just waiting and breathing in between contractions

Little bed waiting for a baby!

Ryan was so supportive and such a great coach! She and I both feel so lucky to have husbands that don't get queasy or nervous; they just help us power through!

Her mom had just arrived and had a cold hand for Juanee's forehead, which was greatly appreciated :o)

Working SO hard; baby almost out!

Sunny Marie Baxter was born at 8:08 pm. Remember, she was admitted at 4:30 pm. This girl is a ROCKSTAR! We were all so impressed! She swore she'd have to be induced and would take 20+ hours to deliver. I sent her my "good vibes" all along the way and we joke that they shortened her delivery :o)

I love this one...Juanee's face when she saw Sunny for the first time! I just love how genuine the expression is :o)

Watching Sunny from across the room; she hadn't gotten to hold her baby yet and was just so anxious!

Beautiful, perfect baby! This kiddo came out clean as a whistle, I swear!

I was able to take over 400 pictures that night, and her mom and I were bawling messes (not to mention Juanee and her husband, who cried more than any of us!). It was Juanee's mom's first grandbaby, and the first birth I'd attended that wasn't my own!

I have to thank Juanee...I am so eternally grateful for the opportunity to see a smooth, peaceful, happy delivery, full of joy when little Sunny was born. Even when Nathan was born, we cried because we were happy he was here, but he was supposed to have heart problems and he didn't make a peep and looked pretty limp. We were more scared than anything. I'll never forget that fear, and I hope I never have to have an experience like that again! My whole paradigm of birth has shifted, and I'm finally ready to start planning the day when I'll be there again! (This is a HUGE step for me...nothing I've ever come close to before!) I didn't know that this process was so HAPPY! I mean, I'd assumed it was, but I was so surprised to be crying so hard and overwhelmed by the emotions...and it wasn't even my baby! Who knows what kind of wreck I'll be when it is my baby I'm seeing for the first time :o)

Enjoy some more of my favorites from that day below.

Thank you, Ryan and Juanee! Sunny is beautiful and just so perfect!!

PS--she and Nathan should date in like, 16 years...just sayin' :o)

Proud daddy, trying to soak in every detail of his first baby :o) I just love the look of pride and amazement on his face!

fresh, new baby feet! What could be better?

Okay, maybe that sweet face :o)

Juanee finally getting to hold her baby for the first time :o)

Welcome home, Sunny! She had no idea what to think but went straight to sleep and snuggled into her mama the moment she got into Juanee's arms!

Love me some proud daddy pictures!

Watching her man be a daddy for the first time :o)

This was right after Juanee said, "Wow...we grew this!!!" It was awesome!

 I know not every labor and delivery go this smoothly, but what a great example for me to witness. And what a great first experience for Juanee!

We had another good friend who had their second baby on Sunday at 4 am...FIVE minutes after they got to the hospital...in TRIAGE on the exam table!! They grabbed a doctor out of the hallway to catch the baby and she was done! No skipping meals, etc.

After two newborn baby girls in one week, you can guess what's on our wish list! (Sunny's amazing closet and all the cuteness in it doesn't help!) Luckily we'll get our fix as we babysit these two little girls!

Re-Distribution of Wealth

That's how I heard a friend describe what had happened to her body since her wedding day (and after having five children). Now, I think she's completely insane and looks fantastic, but I loved the phrase. I can also totally appreciate the concern. And I've only had one kid! That stinkin' progesterone during pregnancy just relaxes anything that was toned, and sure you get a beautiful baby who's of course worth it, but then you have to EXERCISE and work to get it back!! Ugh, puke in my mouth!!

So yeah, exercise and I are not friends. Mortal enemies, actually. This is me:

 Source

Here's another little bit of hilarity I found on Pinterest:

Source

Except I seriously have not RUN just to RUN, like, ever. Only when forced by a chubby gym teacher who insisted we were all disappointments.

Anyway....

I have not exercised ONCE since Nathan was born. I am back down to my pre-baby/pre-marital size, but that was due to the "adventures" my anti-anxiety pills sent me on (losing ten lbs in about ten days as a side effect of a medication...NOT healthy!!), and the baby I had who insisted on constantly nursing for the first six months of his life (at least!). That was one blessing of a colicky child; eating always "reset" him and calmed him down (until he had to digest what he ate, that is!)

I was super toned in high school. I had awesome muscles. I had a six-pack (not that anyone ever saw it; yup, I was proud to be a modestly-dressed teenager!), and I could squat close to 300 lbs. That's right! As proud of that big number as I was, my thighs bulked up like mad. It was probably because my weights coach was also the football coach and treated the 3 girls in our class like the jocks.

Oh well, that's all said and done, and the effects of high school weightlifting are all gone. Needless to say, I know how to build muscle, but I mainly just want to tone what I have. I don't want to bulk up again!

But, I have been feeling an itch to DO something active lately. Which totally isn't me.

Maybe it has to do with being cooped up inside all winter.

Maybe it's because I got an amazing bike for Christmas that's just been living in our garage. It's seriously the prettiest thing you've ever seen: all light blue and girly but still looks sleek and cool, its light blue paint with this glisten-y finish. Oh man. I swear if drivers in Rexburg didn't speed up to hit bikers, I'd totally be one every day! on the warm days!

So, here's my question...the reason for this 300-some word post...

I want to get my legs in shape for summer. And hey, my arms could use a little less flab than most 85 year-old grannies have, so let's go there too.

I have lots of great friends with lots of great advice, so here's my question:

What should I do to tone!?
I'd like to not buy anything, besides maybe cheap-o hand weights or something. And some cute exercise clothes that will make it worth it to actually get up! :o)

We have access to a Roku (which has some very cheesy, yet I'm sure effective, exercise channels), Netflix + Hulu Plus, and a living room that is all mine on certain days/nights when Mitch is working or in class and Nathan is taking a nap. (Kickboxing with a toddler around? Not gonna happen, that kid is gonna get kicked in the head!)

Privacy is required; I don't want Mitchell to be laughing it up at his cheesy bubble-chasing awkward girl. I know it sounds silly, but I think a lot of people feel like they don't want to exercise with someone watching them!

I also have next semester, April - September, as my "off track" (my one of the three semesters where I don't have to be in school...I'm only taking 2 credits). This would give me plenty of time to work out before swimsuit season.

Let's go over the conditions again:
1) As close to free as possible. I'm a budget Nazi right now.
2) I'm not goin out in public, unless it's on a bike. End of story.
3) I have 2 pairs of "toning shoes" that I swear do nothing. Stupid knock-offs!
4) Let's tone, not bulk.

I'd love some help; any advice is good advice!

PS--For those of you who "used to hate exercise" and now it "gives you a reason for living"...I don't believe you. Prove me wrong! But I'll tell ya, it is so much fun to sit on my couch and watch Last Man Standing with Mitch. We laugh enough to count it as our 20 minutes of exercise for the week :o)