Exercise, or lack there of

Who would have thought that this one little word has such a huge impact on my life.

I know it has been a long time since my last post.  We were in the groove before the holidays and it just passed us by.  We had a really nice Christmas week vacation in California, even with some sickness mixed in.  It was relaxing and nice to have a whole week with Shannon around.  Seems like we hardly have him home lately.  But the driving did me in.  Not only did I get sick as soon as we got home, but I also aggravated my hips.  I tried Stroller Strides one week after we got home and it was terrible.  I was ready to go back to the level I was at before Christmas and combined with already sore hips, I pushed myself past pain to injury.  I literally couldn't walk, sit or sleep for several days after.  The pain would just escalate the more I tried to stretch or move them, so rest was truly the best thing for me.   Faced with idea of not being able to do Stroller Strides or any "true" exercise besides walking, I went into a funk!  It's January, and by the time I get the postpartum clear to exercise it will be June before I am back.  That brought moments of panic.  Add to that a whinny, defiant 2 year old, and I slipped into downright gloom.  The tipping point was a terrible awful moment in the library.  Yes, public...gasp!  Lilah wouldn't come and kept running the opposite direction.  I tried quiet reasoning, louder yelling, treats, bargaining.  I got no response but giggles and more running in the opposite direction.  I snapped.  I felt intense anger.  I almost injured my child.  I went home and cried...for the rest of the day.   I had to get back out there and burn some energy, get out those pent up emotions, be around somebody else besides Lilah!  I knew something had to give.

So I headed back to Stroller Strides this week.  It is now three weeks later and the hips are feeling better.  If they start to hurt, I just stop what I am doing, take it easy for awhile, and protect them.  I have stepped the activity level down to below "low impact."  Very little running.  No serious strength exercises with the legs and no twisting moves.  But I made it back.   In a few short days, my whole attitude is shifting again.  It is impossible to pinpoint what it is exactly.  But life is just better.  I got a project done for Lilah's new room.  I am feeling less resentment...towards everything, including myself.

So how is it that one little thing, albeit important, can have such an impact on my life?  And how did I survive all those years while I pushed exercise aside for "more important" things?  I think back on some rough patches in my life and wonder how it might have been different.  But there is no going back.  Only moving forward.  And I choose MOVING!

Daily Pictures 2011 - boring version

While we appeal to EMI that we aren't using our Lilah videos with their songs for monetary gain, here is the silent version of the video for those that had trouble viewing the previous post.  

Daily Pictures 2011

We continue our mission to take a picture of Lilah everyday.  It doesn't seem like much each day when I whip out the camera but when we take a look at our results for the year it is truly amazing how much she grows and changes in a year.   We managed to get 328 pictures this year.  So enjoy this look at Lilah.  I think it clearly demonstrates ALL her many moods!

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