Veronica's first DATE with Ethan (& Petunia chaperones...)

FIT 4 TWO-- Stroller Moms

I can't believe it's taken me this long to blog about this!! After all -- fitness, diet & being skinny have all been (borderline unhealthy) obsessions of mine since I decided to go into the theatre / film world... and getting back into shape became my biggest concern the first day I suspected I was pregnant. And I gotta tell you - this is the hardest weight I've ever had to lose in my life! I WAS going to blog about Weight Gain & how to deal with it Pre & Postnatal... but I figured I'd combine it with a plug for the amazing organization that is "Fit 4 Two".

(I hope the ladies don't mind that I scooped this pic off the Fit 4 Two website!!)

Sooo you can just picture it, right? You're sitting with your hubby & 2 dogs, having some brekkie & your morning coffee on the 'Bo Jangles' patio in Marinaside / Yaletown when all of a sudden-- they appear around the corner. An ENTOURAGE of Moms, pushing their strollers along the seawall. They're laughing and talking about men & babies & other random mom stuff, and even though some of their babies are screaming bloody murder, they're doing LUNGES. Yup. That's what I said. LUNGES. Squats. Push ups. You name it, they're doing it. Right there in the middle of the seawall.

So you giggle. And you make fun a little bit. And you may even try to snap a photo because it's just so surreal to see! And you vow, that if you were ever to be a Yaletown mom, you would NEVER be so Yuppy as to join them.

UNTIL... you have a 12-week-old. And you're sitting on the patio by yourself now (because you're on maternity leave and your husband is not) with your sleeping newborn baby & 2 puppies. And a group of Stroller Moms come in for coffee after their class -- laughing & talking about the class & other random mom stuff that you now suddenly 'get'-- and you realize something you didn't think about before... they're all getting fit. AND they have friends! Or at least someone to talk to.

At least, that was my turning point! Once Veronica was 12-weeks-old and Brad was back at work full time, I started to crave some 'adult interaction'. I'm the first out of many of my friends to have a baby-- definitely the only one living downtown... so I started to feel a bit alone during the day and I was going STIR CRAZY!! I would go to the dog park 4x/day, the coffee shop every morning & the 'Hurricane Grill' in the afternoon JUST so that I could talk to the waitresses!! (Anyone who has ever had a baby knows that at the beginning they sleep a lot.) I was having a LOT of 'alone time'. And yet, I couldn't go to the gym! The second I'd get down there Veronica would fuss & I wasn't going to be 'that person'. I would sit & mope at all my local hangouts about the fact that I couldn't get rid of my baby weight-- (and breast feeding alone wasn't doing it for me folks). Something needed to change.

And so I found it. The organization is called 'Fit 4 Two' and my first class was 'Stroller Fitness'. (Who'd have thought there was such a thing??) I had been 'flyered' in 'Bo Jangles' by one of the Stroller Moms when V was about 10 days old & the nice girl who gave me the flyer was like "Oh... well, maybe you'll want to wait a few more weeks" and inside my head I was like "Uh, yeah-- never." But I smiled politely & took the flyer. BUT- I kept it by my computer, and on that life changing Friday-- I emailed the instructor (Melanie) and committed to going to class that following Monday.

And I haven't looked back! Now, 15 lbs lighter, and more sane than ever, Veronica and I take "Mom & Baby Fitness" at the Roundhouse Community Center Mon/Wed and have graduated from "Stroller Fit" to "Stroller Bootcamp" Tues, Thurs. Fri! I still have some trimming to do but I'm well on my way. AND I have a group of like-minded people who are all going through the same thing as me. I couldn't be more grateful.

Link to Fit 4 Two below in case you're interested!

http://www.fit4two.ca/

Veronica Giggles at 6 months

Veronica in her Jolly Jumper :)

So my little monkey is 6 months old huh??

Who'd have thought it could go so fast?? Or that I would love it so much? My little monkey is officially 6 months + 1 day old today, and it's all such a blur!!

Halloween is tomorrow and she's been sporting her monkey outfit every day this weekend. Daddy gets home tonight from his crazy adventures in Las Vegas just in time to take his little girl 'Trick or Treating' tomorrow. We're going to do the Yaletown Costume Parade followed by a trip to North Van so that we can see our God Daughters Anika & Lene in costume.. too cute :) I'm suddenly SUCH a mom!!

Milestones these past few months include discovering hands and toes, rolling over, using her sippy cup, eating solids: rice cereal & rice crackers & the occasional other food I shove in her mouth ;p (Like melons & Pumpkin Pie & whipped cream today!! V is much more of a fan of Whipped Cream for the record ;p) She decidedly plays with one toy over another, and needs to shove EVERYTHING into her mouth :) The Bumbo is our new best friend and comes with us almost everywhere now because Miss V needs to be part of the action but is too small for a highchair... She has developed an amazing giggle and we love to tickle her into laughing fits :) She's such a little person now! She talks up a storm & makes everyone smile that comes into contact with her.

We are hoping she wins "Vancouver's Cutest Kid" but are just proud she made Top 20! WE know she's the cutest... but can't be bothered with the competing politics... (I've never been one for competition.)

She seems to recognize her name... "Monk-a-roo" or 'Monkey" ;p Some day I'm sure she'll realize her name is really VERONICA!!

Ahhh babies :)

Great Grandpa & Baby V on Thanksgiving 2010

Ain't it the truth?? ;p