Hand & Wrist Exercises

How does a whole month plus go by so quickly?  Although some of the recent days being pregnant, I feel like time has stopped.  The worst part of my third trimester is the tendonitis in my hands and wrists.

Aside from breaking my hand in January (doing something so not cool or exciting) – I’m working through several strengthening exercises.  Really it is okay, because I can’t handle firearms, and it’s been too cold this winter for our outdoor archery range.

If you have trigger-finger tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, stretch and resistance exercises can help reduce some of the pain and get you back on track. Of course, DISCLAIMER, consult professional medical advice before trying anything I’ve posted below.

Invest in a light/medium weight “grip master” like this one, and then work your way up to the heavier resistance.  I found this to help me get my grip back and improve my confidence gripping a gun handle again.

There are also many, many YouTube videos on homeopathic wrist exercises for carpal tunnel.  Here are some of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUyMNyrOHJQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfyLB9PFehw (I think she is pregnant too)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtNhccBwK6Q&playnext=1&list=PLA1000E3C4715C983&feature=results_main

Luckily, my doctor reassured me that the carpal tunnel syndrome will go away within weeks of the baby arriving as my body gets back to normal.  Still – with all this down time right now – I wonder what kind of mommy I will be.  A gun-totin’ momma, with the official handbag?

Hunting Safety for Babies?

This weekend was a very warm one, but I never quite made it to the Club for archery practice. Since Hubs isn’t here – it’s just not the same. It’s not any fun.   Hubs has been away on business, at his company’s plant in China.  I’ve spent most of the time catching up on organizing the house, my closet, and watching a lot of Netflix.

Being pregnant makes me wonder how we’re going to safeguard this house, with all of the pointy objects that have to be secured.  We’ve got the gun safes, gun locks, and now cases for the bows.  While I know I have maybe 18 months before Baby starts walking, it’s a little daunting thinking about all the things I have to prepare.  Ultimately, it is up to Hubs and I to teach Baby about hunting safety.  It becomes so incredibly important when one reads the “accidental shooting stories” like the one in North Carolina this month.

How do I raise the child to respect archery and firearms safety?  I didn’t grow up with it, but Baby will soon grow up with Hubs 10-point trophy hanging above our television.  Did I mention Hubs sent his buck to the taxidermist?  We won’t be able to avoid it. Although, I just hope no one buys me a copy of Bambi.

When I think about the woman I was two years ago before that awesome Ladies’ Day at the Club, I can’t believe how much of my life has changed. I know it’s going to keep changing … and it is extremely exciting.  I can’t wait for Hubs to get back so we can make our baby-prep plan.

A Pack & Play

Being pregnant makes one think about so many new things.   Besides trying to furiously read through every baby book I can get my hands on, I’ve been faced with several challenges.  It’s been a lot of what I can and cannot eat, and even what I can and cannot do.

Firearms still make me a little sad, since I can’t handle lead.  But Hubs recently went on his annual hunting trip, to a place his hunting friends call “the magical pen.” There is a private tract of land full of deer, with less than 20 club members that can hunt them.  Last year, Hubs first trip, was fruitless.

This time around, I made sure Hubs was ready to be successful; he had a bag of food, water, and extra clothes just in case it was cold that day.  I was so excited for him, and hopeful that maybe this year, he’d get a doe, or even a buck.  In my post “D is for Deer,” you’ll have read that he got not one, but THREE deer this year.  Just after Christmas, Hubs picked it up from the butcher.  There was at least 60 lbs of venison in various forms! The freezer is full to the brim.

We went to a New Year’s Party, hosted by the Magical Pen Club Member.  I met one of Hubs’ coworkers and his wife who actually bow hunt together. She was about my age and size, but clearly had a few years of archery in her skill set. I can only imagine how cool and empowering it must be to handle a bow and be able to hunt like male counterparts.

I don’t think that Hubs and I will get to that point of hunting together.  I do however enjoy target practice at our well-regulated club. I recently made a trip to my favorite new outfitters to pick up new packs for our bows.  Keeping bows, arrows, and releases will make it a lot easier to pack up and play.

Most of the time though I am just more focused on finding food I want to eat.  Unfortunately, venison isn’t on my menu right now.   Ugh.

A Chinese Christmas Diet

I know there are a lot of things I cannot physically do while pregnant: cardio-kickboxing, weight lifting above 45 pounds, and shoot any lead ammunition just to name a few. Yet being pregnant isn’t just about what you do with your body, but also what you put in your body.

I was seeing a nutritionist well before I got pregnant to help me balance and control my diet in order to help me get fit. I was at a physical peak when the stick test Being pregnant changed everything; no deli meat, no sushi or raw meat, and no unpasteurized cheeses. These things seem really hard to avoid, especially during the holidays.

Little did I know that my Chinese aunts and uncles had many more no-no foods to add to the list: no mango, no pineapple, no watermelon, and no lamb… The citrus foods they believe promote “itchy-ness.” Yet they were more than happy to push seafood on me, when I had already reached my 12 oz. limit. Forget mercury intake…

When one becomes pregnant, one learns a lot about other people’s opinions, experiences and stories they believe to be true. Auntie knew someone who knew someone who’s baby couldn’t stop scratching when she was born. Was it eczema? Was it a fabric allergy? Was the baby born late and subject to shedding skin? What ever it was, the believed cause was the mother’s watermelon intake.

I could not substantiate the itchy claims, but I know enough not to eat these foods in front of my family. I’m going to keep a list of these ancient wife’s tales…

D is for Deer

“Did you get my picture?” my excited Hubs asked me by phone late Saturday?  Unfortunately, I had not heard my phone go off, but soon realized what was in store.

It was his first hunting trip of 2012.  Friday night we both prepped him, pulling out his boots, Scent-Lok, and the much needed blaze orange vest and hats.  It was supposed to be around 50-degrees over the weekend, but I wasn’t convinced it would feel like 50-degrees as he sat motionless in a tree-stand all day.  I also made sure that I made enough sandwiches to last him his 10+ hour shift. Since I gave up cooking, poor Hubs was left with peanut butter and jellies and a grilled cheese.

I pulled open my picture message, and there was Hubs with his first antlerless deer!  I felt a wave of pride wash over me, and just pure happiness for him. Although one deer would feed us for the winter, I knew he really wanted his buck (a boy deer with antlers).  He wouldn’t be calling me again for several more hours after he tried for a buck.

I had a sorority alumnae holiday party to prepare for Saturday night, and I expected Hubs  would attend with me.  Hunting Trip 2011 was fruitless and quick for him.  Little did I know that when I got a call from him before I left for the party, his group harvested another antlerless deer AND a buck!  8-points!

I am referring to the number of points on the buck’s antler rack that are at least one inch long. This buck had 4 points on each side!  Hubs was at the butcher when I spoke to him, and not coming to the party with me.  How would I explain this to my sorority sisters?

As it turns out, half of the sisters there had similar stories growing up for their dads, uncles, and brothers going out on hunts.  Only then did I realize that this was my new normal.  But what would we do with all the meat? Lucky for me, my good friend has a great home food delivery company, and some venison recipes we can try.

For the 2013 trip, Hubs will likely have to get his own slug gun. Maybe I will tell the anniversary fairy … but here’s hoping he ventures out for a spring turkey and I have enough room in the deep freezer.

Stocking Up

Hubs and I took a trek out to the Outfitters this Sunday. No, it wasn’t a place where I was getting dressed and styled. It’s our favorite outdoor recreation store. Like a small scale Cabela’s, our Outfitters have everything from ammo and firearms to bows and arrows. Oh, did I mention the stuffies?

The best thing about it, when you walk into the converted grocery store, you are greeted either by a stuffed mountain lion or a brown bear. This season, Beary was wearing a Santa hat and a menacing look. I should have taken a picture.

We didn’t have much time to spare, but managed to spend $150 in 30 minutes: 3 boxes of 20g slugs, and a dozen arrows… I wish I could open my own outfitters closer to home! Outdoor enthusiasts spend beau-coup dollars on gear and supplies. Just like we did.

Hubs is going on his first hunt of 2012 just in time to hopefully get a buck. I just hope he has enough ammo and PB&J sandwiches (yes, I can at least prepare the latter).

We needed to stock up on arrows because we both lost a couple in the fall leaves and, oh yeah, I split one! How proud was I when I told Jim the Archery specialist that I split it!!! Now I will have to go to the craft store for some type of shadow box to display it.

I wanted to wait until Christmas to get the arrows, but it’s been so warm that we might go out this weekend… Besides, driving out to that store is like a whole day thing (okay it’s a long 40 minute drive).

I am just glad that I can still have hobbies in this condition of mine.

Splitting (Arrow) Hairs

It was a beautiful, crisp fall day at about 65-degrees altough cloudy.  The leaves were gently falling as each soft breeze rustled through the trees.  Hubs and I made it to the Archery Range today at our Club; just our second visit, but we decided that Saturdays would be less crowded since it’s hunting season.

There were only two or three other people at the range, and lucky for me, the 10-yard raven target was wide open.  My bow was sighted in for 10-yards, and I was feeling pretty confident with my aim.  My groupings were very tight, meaning that the arrows were all landing very close together.

Until I shot on my second round… we all heard “ppppffffff  ssssliiiicccceeee.”  Well, I don’t know how else you describe the noise of carbon ripping apart.

I SPLIT AN ARROW!

I didn’t see it happen, because 10-yards really isn’t that far.  Yet – holy moly… check out the damage!  At first, I was so upset that I lost an arrow, since they are about $6 a pop for the low-end ones.

Yet, even a veteran archer at the other end of the range commented.  “Let me take a picture of you. Grab your bow!”  He told me, if I could split an arrow once, I could do it again.  Maybe some day even on command (but I would never want to waste the money).

It was a pretty cool morning…

A is for Archery

In my condition, I am essentially prohibited from the pistol range, rifle range and handling any kind of lead ammunition.  While it is very disappointing, I realized I didn’t give myself the opportunity to think about what else I could do instead.

It actually started a few weeks ago.  Upon opening the front door one night, I noticed that Mr. Cat had to carefully maneuver over a very large composite bow lying on the floor to greet me.  So I asked him, “dear Sir, why do you have a bow on the floor?”

With no answer, he only purred as he wormed around on the floor begging for pets.

I proceeded to then ask Hubs, who had a very logical reason: a co-worker gave him the bow to try out.  And thus started my archery journey.

A few more weeks went by, until Hubs told me about a local outdoors shop that specialized in bow services.  It was about an hour from our house, and over several highways that I hate driving down.  We decided on a Sunday, we would make the trek (although we should have opted for Saturday, while everyone was out hunting instead of buying supplies).

After my morning nausea wore off, we loaded up the car with snacks and water, then hit the road.  The traffic wasn’t so bad, but only because I got in the wrong lane and had to jump in about ½ mile into the traffic… my apologies to the mini-van that I cut-off!

We waited patiently to be seen by one of the three technicians.  They all looked like they were marksmen, even the 16-year-old had way more archery experience than I imagined.  A hunter/salesman named Bob helped us out.  He gave Hubs the sad news the lender bow was much too big for Hubs’ frame.

After talking with Bob about some options, we learned at that local shop – they provide a fitting, service and lesson to get us started on the archery range.  So Bob fitted us both for new bows.  Hubs special ordered a Hoyt Rampage and paid in full.

For my much smaller wing span and low pull weight, Bob said that he was getting in some Hoyt Ruckus models that would be better suited for my frame.  When I read more about my Hoyt model – I laughed a little.  It’s a youth size.

Yep, I might be child size but there is no “child size” discount on these bows.  We picked up both bows today, had them fitted with accessories, and had our scopes sighted in with a mini-lesson on best form.  My only disappointment is that the local shop caters to hunters and has nothing in stock that is camo-pink.  Of course, they can order it.

While it is fairly costly to get started in archery – in the long run, it is much more cost effective.  So long as I can stand up (or sit up straight), I can use the bow at the Club.  It will be a great activity to get me out of the house with Hubs and into the great outdoors.  And besides, I feel pretty bad-ass carrying around such an incredible piece of technology.

Getting the Lead Out

I’ve never been so happy and so sad at the same time. I found out recently my life will change forever next May 2013 when Hubs and I get to meet our baby. Yup, two stick tests and blood work at my doctor told me I’m pregnant.

Much like my affection for learning about and shooting firearms, I haven’t told many people. Mostly because it’s good to wait until one’s second trimester since anything could happen. Yet, keeping this secret for another 6 weeks is one of the toughest mind games I’ve played!

Only our parents and a couple of my girlfriends know, and I need to keep it secret at work as long as possible. I don’t want to use this baby as an excuse (except when it comes to Mr. Cat’s litter box and the trash).

While I wanted desperately to start out family, I didn’t realize how much I had to give up during pregnancy: alcohol (obviously), but soft cheeses too! I also get completely winded from working out and I can’t rack on the barbell weight like I want.

What I realized tonight though is that I can’t just go to the range as I please. There are so many more precautions a pregnant woman has to take, and even reading a badly formatted website on the topic, I realized that I can’t be too careful if I really want to give this kid a chance!

“For the woman who must shoot while pregnant, we recommend:
– Discuss this with your doctor, and show him/her this article
– Use lead-free ammo (with lead-free primers)
– Shoot outdoors (to reduce exposure to noise and chemicals)
– Shoot the smallest possible number of rounds
– Wear a respirator
– Wash hands carefully (3 times) with cold water
– Do not drink/eat within 1 hour after shooting
– Use a silencer when possible
– Wear heavy clothing and or soft body armor covering the abdomen”
Article Link

I’ve got to do more research and really understand what I should and should not do. Everyone seems to have an opinion too but for now – I feel great and I’m so happy!

Days Without Beer

I just turned 30, which triggered a lot of mental milestones for me.  A good friend of mine is a very talent cake decorator, and I needed her to design my Birthday cake.  I told her exactly what I love: pandas, purple and firearms…

She sure delivered!  With the gold-gun totin’ panda, full with a belt of 9mm silver bullets.  Panda also had a lasso-of-truth, and very cute black tail.  I was lucky that the head she made from Styrofoam, so I could cherish it (a recommendation I make to everyone commissioning a designer cake – make the whole thing from Styrofoam and love it forever).

It was a great birthday, full of love, laughter, friends, and family.  Even my parents and Hubs entire family made the road trip out to our “western themed barbecue” complete with snap-and-glow pistols.

Next step for me… expanding the family.  With that comes a lot of work and sacrifices as any parent can attest. Yet what I didn’t know is how much I would have to do to prepare my body and mind.  Hubs home-brewed up a lovely grand cru birthday beer and friends brought enough wine to fill a case.  Now it’s all being stored in the root cellar, and I pray it still as good next summer.

Though, if this baby thing works out, I can always throw a “Case Kill” party and ask my good friends to help me rid of the temptation of libations – and I am sure they wouldn’t mind.