Tag Archives: Zumba

One Step at a Time

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One Step at a Time

My body stopped working. I’m serious, it just didn’t work.  Well, it did work, but it didn’t work the way it used to. That’s right – after two months on bed rest and six weeks post baby – I realized that for the first time in a long time I was out of shape.  Not just kinda out of shape.  I was starting from level zero. For someone that has always been athletic, it really played with my emotions.

After finally being cleared by the OB-GYN, it was time to get back into shape.  But I had one really big problem – a newborn son (well not a problem, but more of a hindrance).  No longer could I just run out to the gym and get in a quick workout.  No longer could I go downstairs in the basement to workout with no worries.  No, now every weight I lifted or cardio step I took involved checking on Maximus.

The first thing I tried to do was a Zumba song.  I helped organize a Zumba flash mob on 4th Street Live and had one week to learn the routine.  The first time I tried it I was out of breath by the third eight count.  I had to stop.  I tried to do it again and made it through halfway and that was the end of my workout.  I felt like the ultimate beginner’s beginner.

I was tired, sweating and out of breath.  Instead of giving up, I pushed a little harder each day.  I never did more than one song that week, but each day I tried to make it better. The day of the flash mob I prayed that I would be able to make it through the entire song (especially since I was one of the people leading it).  As the music started, I felt all the Zumba energy that had been stored inside my body quickly ease out.  The passion I’d once had, had now returned.  I loved every minute of it!

I’m still trying to establish a routine that can work around sleeping, eating and changing diapers.  Some days I don’t get in a workout, other times it’s interrupted, but at least I’m doing something!  I weighed 150 pounds right before delivery and with my ViSalus shakes am down to 126. I only have 3 pounds to go. But, my next goal is to build back the muscle I lost so that I can gain access in the MILF Society, lol!

CLICK HERE to watch Flash Mob

Almost There & Sad About Zumba

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Hooray, I am 31 weeks and 4 days pregnant!  To me, this (and every day) is a milestone because I entered the hospital at 27 weeks and slept on a labor and delivery bed for several days. If everything goes as planned – and I try not to get my hopes up – I’ll get to go home this weekend.  This is important for two reasons.  1) Our Baby Shower is supposed to be on Sunday and 2) Our 1 year wedding anniversary is on April 30.  I would love to sleep in my husband’s arms on that day.

My sole purpose in life is to lay.  If I’m in bed, my doctor thinks I’m a rockstar!  I haven’t had major contractions since Easter Sunday.  I feel and look fine. My weight is at an all-time high 141.9 pounds.  (Wowsers, that Ensure must really be working) Everyone says I’m all belly, and I believe them. Well, I WAS at 141.9 pounds, but that was right after Milton and I ate Red Lobster.  The weight has now gone down to 138.

Today I had an ultrasound.  Baby Turner is at 4 pounds.  YEAH BABY!  All looked well.  The only things I noticed was that his head was very close to my pubic bone which means he’s sitting LOW!

This is an emotional week for me. For the past six months I’ve been working directly with the KY Derby Festival to bring a Zumba event to their Fest-a-Ville.  When I say I’ve put in a lot of work, I put in A LOT of work.  When the doctor said I’d be on bed rest for four weeks, the first thing I thought about was not being able to perform at the event.  Hours, days, months of preparation and work – everyone else will be doing Zumba, I’ll be in bed watching a rerun of Shark Tank with Milton.

Now, I could have been the type of person that backed out of organizing when I knew I wouldn’t be there, but I’ve built a wonderful relationship with the KY Derby Festival and know how many other opportunities can come from the event.  It definitely sucks that I won’t be there, especially watching all of my Zumba friends that are overly excited about the event.  I hope the event will be a success, but I also hope that people give me credit and show appreciation for putting the event together.

I guess Milton, Baby Turner and I can have our own jam in our room.  Well, maybe not.  Maybe Baby Turner and I will just watch Milton entertain us with his funny dances!

What a Meal!

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Milton and I love to have date nights!  We also love to eat so when we can combine date night with food it’s a win-win situation.  On Saturday, March 24 we went to eat at Smokey Bones.  We had received a $10 gift certificate and decided to go check it out.  The food was actually very good and we both enjoyed the smokey chicken wings.  I saw some of my friends, Tanya and Kellie, there and we had a nice chat.

As we got up to leave the restaurant, I had some lower abdominal cramping.  It was uncomfortable to walk.  Once we got home, I went upstairs to lay down but there was too much pressure to sit up straight.  I don’t remember the rest of the night,  I just know I leaned back and was knocked out.  Milton says I was in a lot of pain.

The next morning I was fine.  I called my friend that is an OB-GYN and told her what happened.  She suggested to follow up with my doctor if I continue to feel pressure.  The rest of the day Sunday was fine.  I went and met with the Derby City Naturals, taught a couple of Zumba songs, went to a Challenge Party and relaxed more with Milton.  Monday was fine too.  The day went as planned including teaching Zumba later that night.

Tuesday ran it’s course… until I started doing Zumba.  During the class, I kept feeling pressure again in my lower abdomen.  It wasn’t to the same extent as Saturday, but I definitely felt pressure.  I assumed it was baby growing and moving while I was dancing.  I also, though, had diarrhea which was uncommon. I came home around 8:00pm, Milton had cooked dinner, we ate, we watched my show “Dance Moms” and I still felt some discomfort.  We decided to call the on-call doctor just to be safe.

I told her my symptoms and she suggested I go on and come into Baptist East Labor and Delivery just to be safe.  This was close to 10:30pm.  Once I came in, they attached me to a contractions monitor.  It showed that I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. YIKES!!  The odd thing, though, was that I couldn’t feel myself having them.  I was given a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions.  I hated this medicine because it made me feel real jittery.  After about an hour, they checked the monitors and the contractions had lessened. A nurse checked my cervix and didn’t think I had dialated.  I was sent home around 12:30am and told to call my regular doctor in the morning for a follow up appointment and relax from Zumba until they could check me out.

I would have never guessed what all would have happened next!

Baby’s TV Debut (weeks 15/16)

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I received a phone call on a Wednesday from Keith Kaiser with WDRB in the Morning.  He heard I was pregnant and wanted to do a special on exercising while pregnant. It’s always fun to work with Keith.  And, although I had looked forward to sleeping in the next day, I woke up before the crack of dawn to meet him at my studio at 4:30am. Yes, you read that right, 4:30am.  We filmed several different segments and were on at various times between 5:00-8:30am.  It was my national debut of the baby bump and I can say baby did a pretty good job.

Although bump is starting to show, most people that notice it tell me I have the “cutest little baby bump”.  While it looks huge to me, everyone else says it’s all belly and all in the front.

I actually went to the doctor and she noticed my belly button sticking out.  She said that usually shouldn’t start to happen until the 20 week mark.  However, when she measured me, I measured correctly.  SO…. we discovered that I have a short torso.  What does that mean in baby terms?  It means that all of my baby weight and baby will go straight out from my stomach.  I don’t have much room to grow sideways.  That’s why when I am showing so early.  This makes me believe that I will be directing traffic with my stomach and he/she will have her own seat on a plane.

As long as the baby is healthy, I am happy.  We are supposed to find out the sex on Friday the 13th (yikes)!  Wish us luck!

Daylight Savings Time, Zumba and Feeling Like Crap (6 weeks/4 days)

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My bed and I have become the bestest of friends. I mean I would do absolutely anything for my bed. She’s been there for me through thick or thin. And whether it’s late at night or in the middle of the afternoon, she always welcomes and embraces me with open arms.

I kinda wish my bed was eligible for frequent flyer points because I would be racking up! I should have earned at least a free roundtrip to Africa!

November 3, 2011

Yearbook Proof

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Words of the Week
MYTGG
Yearbook Proof
Jessica and I have been great friends through teaching Zumba together.  I first met her in December 2010 when she took my class, then I encouraged her to become a Zumba instructor and the rest is history.  She’s my ride-or-die chic and I’d do anything for her.

Well, recently I invited my friend Tosia to a Challenge Party. She and I ran track in high school together.  She walks in and says hi to Jessica as if they were long time friends.  I thought nothing of it because Louisville is a small place.  Tosia later says that Jessica and I went to middle school together.  What?!  I said I doubted it because they were older than I.  Tosia kept claiming it was true, so I went home to look it up.

As I opened my Westport Middle School yearbook from 1988, I flipped to the sports section.  On page 54 is a picture of Jessica on the girl’s basketball team. Right next to it on page 55 is a photo of me in front of the the cheerleading formation.  Who would have thunk it?!

I now remember Jessica.  She was an 8th grader when I was a 6th grader.  I remember her because she was the ‘busty basketball player”.  As a cheerleader (that was – and still is- waiting for her own larger chest size) that stuck out.

Jessica says she remembers me as “little Michelle” because I was the little cheerleader that flipped down the court. It’s such a weird feeling to know that someone that I feel so close to is someone that I’ve known for sometime (which may be the reason we had an instant bond!)

We shared the story at our Zumba classes and what’s even more ironic is that one of our members, Julie, was in the same class as Jessica.  So, when we flip to page 10, there Julie is also.

It’s a small world after all! Instead of being the Possibility City, maybe we should be Louisville – the city where its possible to know everybody!