I am "full term" on Friday (so I will be 39 weeks). I did some adventurey things in the past month!
It all started when I shared this photo of myself on the T-Tapp Support page on facebook at the beginning of July.
I was just sharing how thankful I was for having the T-Tapp workout to consistently do during pregnancy. This workout doesn't break your body down, it makes it get stronger without too much muscle ripping. :) (I still get sore and I still lose inches, but my adrenals are not fatigued the next day and I want to do it!)
So I shared it on facebook at the beginning of July, and later that evening, I got a call (on Sunday) from a number I didn't recognize. I thought it was a telemarketer, so I didn't answer, but when I got a voicemail, I obliged and listened to it. It was Teresa Tapp (the creator of the T-Tapp workout) calling me from her cell phone (!), telling me how impressed she was with my progress/results, and that she had a game plan and to call her back. I was shocked and elated.
"Ben! Teresa Tapp just called me!!"
"So call her back!"
"Ok!"
So I called her back and she invited me to come to Florida at the beginning of August to be a part of a pregnancy-specific T-Tapp workout VIDEO. And to stay for the annual T-Tapp retreat that she held at the local spa hotel.
Wow.
I couldn't believe it.
Ben and I looked at the timing, and originally we thought I would already be 36 weeks and it wasn't going to quite line up. But then. Then! I was Skyping Marie because I was so excited. And she was really encouraging me to make it work and go even though it would be late in my pregnancy. And I looked at the dates again--and I wasn't right-- it was 35 weeks at the beginning of August. So, while Naisa or Yonah talked to Marie, I called Teresa back and said YES I COULD come!
I got my midwife's permission (and blessing!) to fly and then I called my Aunt Rosie and asked her if she wanted to come to be my travel buddy. She said she hadn't planned a vacation and was planning to do so soon and that this was perfect timing.
Then I spend the month of July not getting too excited in case anything would change with my pregnancy. But everything went smoothly! I got a couple emails from Imal, Teresa's publicist, who got my photos and then later emailed me to let me know that I was going to be filmed for the local TV station's T-Tapp Tuesday! So my adventure got even more exciting.
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| This picture is funny because I am pulling her dress at the waist so it actually has a waist! This is on the way out to the TV studio. |
At the end of July Aunt Rosie flew in and the 1st of August, we flew out of our local airport and headed to Tampa Bay! We finally got there around 6:00 and got an Uber to the hotel and went to the cafe and met Teresa and the several people who were also going to be filmed for TV the next day AND the ladies who would be in the pregnancy workout video the next day. It was a big WOW and exciting thing!
The next day (Wednesday) I got up early and had my makeup done.
Then we were off in a limo (!) to the local TV station!
Teresa, Imal (Teresa's publicist), Renee (who had been T-Tapping for 18 years), Alicia (who had lost 40 pounds of menopause weight in four months and kept it off for four years), me (pregnant T-tapp!) and Chantelle, who lost 30 inches in the 60 day challenge and was a Grand Prize Winner, and of course, Aunt Rosie, my personal photographer :).
The interviews went great, we did them all in one take each. And Imal and Aunt Rosie made sure I got to try the maple bacon creme filled donut that was sitting in the green room. (It was quite interesting, and I only had half). We were all super excited/elated/adrenalined by the experience when we got in the limo to head back to the hotel. Of course, when my door unexpectedly swung open when the limo went around a turn, and I casually shut it like it was no big deal, that was quite the surprise as well!
When we got back, we were beginning to prep for the pregnancy workout video! We met the videographers and also did our professional photos for the DVD cover/promos/website promo!
That was fun (and tiring! You really hold it all in when you are doing that!!). Aunt Rosie got me some food during this time (it was lunch time!) and I ate between being needed and also got to chat with Margaret (the pregnant T-Tapp trainer who is the same age as me), Vivian (Margaret's sis in law who t-tapped through her first pregnancy and was part of the first video), and Shannon (Margaret's mom who had seven babies... including the last one at 47.5! and she T-tapped off the baby weight even then!) . They did the instructional workout first, and I took a few pictures and talked with Teresa while they did the workout. Then we started the portions I was a part of-- some with just me and Margaret, and the main workout with Margaret, Shannon, and me. It was long, it was good, we sweated, we giggled, we smiled, and when it was done we were starving and ready for dinner!!
I got the salmon that time, and Margaret and I got a cheese plate! Yum!
Thursday morning, the T-Tapp retreat started! So many enthusiastic people, so much good food. Highlights include
Hanging out with Margaret, Shannon, Dana (one of Margaret's T-Tapp friends), meeting Rebecca,
seeing Aunt Rosie learn to T-Tapp!
working out near trainers who I've only known through facebook,
meeting an Israeli T-tapper and speaking in Hebrew with her (!).
Seeing Teresa give so much love and energy to her students with a full heart.
Seeing a company with the sole goal of helping people better themselves.
Getting a prenatal massage (they had more pregnant security than the airport!)
Getting reflexology on my feetsies.
Getting holy-crap challenged in the standing workouts (I didn't really participate in the floor workouts because I was so pregnant!)
Rocking the Hoedown showdown (and then needing a nap that afternoon)
Losing several inches in my arms, ribs, and hips!
Eating more good food! Loving on people!
Aunt Rosie and I had a great time! it was crazy when Sunday morning arrived. I participated an hour of the morning workout before we got in our Uber to the airport. The security didn't last as long as week expected (we could have waited a little longer). Then we were on our way home. Rosie had to get back checked twice (which was super annoying!), but she made it home just fine, it was just a little overwhelming.
We had received these two huge tote bags of goodies from companies who had sent samples to T-Tapp for the retreat. Becuase I had already packed pretty light, I just decided to really smash my stuff in my bag and check the one with liquids (it turned out to be cheaper than shipping it).
That bag of goodies was gone in a week (save some toiletry items, some hot sauces, and some stevia). And every day I look for them in the snack cabinet because they were SO GOOD. But they saved me money on breakfast and snacks on the plane. And I don't eat that much snacky food, so I enjoyed it!
It was crazy coming home! Benjamen and the kids managed without me. He, in fact, upped the bar for going to the park every day! The kids said almost every day and still occasionally say, "mom, we're glad you came home on the airplane." They said it yesterday when I showed them the TV segment I was in. :)
Reasons to use T-Tapp during pregnancy!
I am now almost 39 weeks pregnant, I am still T-Tapping! It was been a wonderful workout for the entire pregnancy. I am still doing portions of workouts when I feel like it, and yesterday I did a full workout because I felt like it!)
- It has given me great posture (and if not, great knowledge of posture),
- stronger back muscles (I have not had back fat this pregnancy!),
- a WAAAY stronger core (I have subtle oblique lines on either side of my belly!),
- the only time I needed my support belt was when I was having issues with an umbilical hernia in the first and second trimesters),
- I have had NO balance issues (with my second, I had to sit in the last trimester so I wouldn't tumble over putting on shoes),
- I have a method to control my back pain (due to baby's positioning) (it's T-Tapp!!)
- I only started experiencing swelling in the past week (!) and I am also managing it! (Epsom salt baths, pregnancy tea)
- My weight gain has been much more controlled!
- I have had little to no aches and pains this pregnancy and can only complain about the challenge of getting out of bed because my belly is so large. It doesn't hurt, it's just BIG.
- My blood pressure has been ON POINT this entire pregnancy (save the one day I wasn't feeling well, and it was 130/80). I think that's related to my great workout routine!
- I have been able to lie on my back without feeling like I can't breathe. I don't do it for long periods, but it's not uncomfortable unless I put my legs in the air. I contribute this to stronger muscles in my back and abdomen.
