massage

Midwives, Marathons & Massages

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Today is the last day of my 6 day vacation and I’m sad for it to be over. Neil and I have been super busy every day of this vacation and I am using today to relax and get ready for the short but surely busy work week.

Thursday I spent most of the day trying to get some work done around the house, I took a nap and then headed out to watch Neil’s softball game. After his game, we went to American Flatbread for our traditional post-midwife appointment flatbread date a day early since we had made different plans for after our Friday midwife appointment.

Friday Neil and I woke up early and headed out to an early morning midwife appointment at their main office 75 minutes away. We usually go to the satellite office that is only 45 minutes away but we had hoped that we would be able to tour the birth center but unfortunately all the birthing suites were full when we arrived so we couldn’t tour. On the upside we found out that the baby turned and that now there is a 98% chance they will stay head down!!

After our appointment we headed to Hill Farmstead Brewery so Neil could sample a few beers and pick up a stock (you can only buy bottles at the brewery). On our way there, we stopped in Hardwick at the Buffalo Mountain Co-op for lunch where we both got veggie and tempeh bowls with brown rice for me and quinoa for him. After we finally made it to the brewery (after getting lost, asking for directions, learning we needed cash, getting cash and returning) we finally headed to Little River State Park in Waterbury (where my parents were camping) for dinner. Neil helped them set up camp and then we ate tons of raw veggies with dip, Field Roast Sausages and potatoes, then Neil and I finally packed up and headed home.


Saturday we stopped into the VCM Race Expo, ran a bunch of errands and then relaxed.  Since Neil was running Sunday we didn’t want to over do it and spent all afternoon/evening relaxing on the couch.

Sunday = RACE DAY! Neil and I both woke up bright and early to get ready for the Vermont City Marathon. I spent the day as a spectator and Neil ran his very first half marathon! We dropped Neil off at the starting line and then we headed to our planned viewing spot, just after mile 10.  Since we were going to have a few hours to wait before Neil passed through we headed up the hill to cheer him on just pass the 2-mile marker.

Just Pass 2-Mile Mark (Neil with yellow hat)

After we cheered on Neil and his fellow runners we headed back down the hill to our spots and set up camp to cheer on runners as they passed by.

Finally we spotted Neil with the 4:15 pace group and gave him a big cheer as he passed.

We stayed and cheered on all the runners up until the very last one passed us by and then packed things up and walked down to the waterfront to meet official Half-Marathoner Neil (his unofficial time is 2:20!)

Monday after spending the day in the hot sun and running Sunday, Neil and I were both ready for our anniversary massages at The Essex Resort and Spa.  About a month ago I scheduled appointments for a sports-specific massage for Neil and a prenatal massage for myself for our anniversary which is May 31st, BEST IDEA EVER.

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We arrived a bit early, checked into the spa and then went the relaxation lounge to relax, sip green juice and water before our massages.  We ended up having our massages in the same room together which was really nice and they were honestly some of the best massages either of us have had.  We had the same massages about 3 months ago in Boston and although they were good these were amazing.  The best part was I could lay on my stomach thanks to the special pregnancy belly pillow they had for prenatal massages.

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After our massages we decided to take advantage of the facilities (you have access to the pool, gym, sauna, steam room and relaxation lounges) and we headed to the indoor pool for a swim.  It was so nice to get in the water and swim around, I wish I had been doing this throughout all of my pregnancy! Walking has becoming more challenging but swimming yesterday I was able to do 300 yards with no problem!

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After the pool, we headed back to our designated (men/women) spa changing rooms so that Neil could use the steam room and I took the time to put my feet up and enjoy a cup of tea, a cup of water and a trashy magazine since neither the sauna nor the steam room were options for me.  We both showered and got ourselves ready for the day and then headed out to pick up a picnic lunch and run a few errands before settling in at home.

We ended our night with this delicious homemade flatbread and caught up on a few shows.

Up, Up and Away!

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Hello from Logan Airport! Hubz and I are currently awaiting our flight to Raleigh to meet my parents and head to Myrtle Beach (where I hear it is currently pouring). Until our flight we are hanging out, enjoying the free wi-fi and “enjoying” an airport breakfast of Starbucks oatmeal, OJ (for me), coffee (for him) and a fruit cup (to share).

REWIND!

Lets rewind a bit to Friday….

Friday afternoon started our Babymoon journey to Myrtle Beach by way of Boston, but first we had to stop into our midwife office for our mid-pregnancy ultrasound and appointment. We have a very active baby growing inside me and it took forever for the tech to get all the shots she needed but she finally got all the necessary shots and even caught a side profile for us. We did not catch a glimpse of the goods so we still have no idea what we are having. Well I mean we know it’s either a boy or a girl …we hope anyways. After our appointment we headed to Boston where we first stopped to have flatbread (our post appointment tradition) at Flatbread Company in Somerville. We ordered the vegan flatbread and it was good but we both agreed American Flatbread in Vermont is so much better. After dinner we checked into the Westin Copley Place where we passed out pretty quickly.

Saturday morning started off as it always does when we travel to Boston with bagels and lattes at our favorite spot- Espresso Royale on Newbury Street. We both ordered our favorite whole wheat everything bagels with veggie tofu spread and tomatoes (and sprouts for husband <--I miss sprouts so much!) and a decaf latte for me and an americano for him. We were so hungry that the bagels were gone before I could take a photo but I did shoot a quick pic of my beautiful and amazing latte.

After breakfast we took a walk around Newbury Street and the Prudential Center (actually that’s what we spent most of the day doing) and eventually we ended up at OMBE Boston for our massages. It felt wonderful to get a massage and just relax.

After our massage we strolled down Newbury Street and then stopped into my favorite college spot The Otherside Cafe where we shared a pot of tea and a big bowl of fruit with raw chocolate mousse.

After a little more shopping and strolling we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Estragon Tapas Bar where I actually purchased a Living Social deal for a few weeks back. I started with a virgin pineapple mojito which was amazing and for my second drink I asked the waiter if he could have the bartender make another virgin cocktail and he came back with this amazing ginger brew concoction that had caradmom, cinnamon, salt and one other thing I can’t remember.

The restaurant was dimly lit so I didn’t take any photos of the food but everything was so delicious! They have the vegetarian and vegan options labeled right on the menu which makes things so much easier. They have an amazing waitstaff, our water glasses were always full and our waiter attentive, friendly and knowledgeable.

We were tempted to go with the vegetarian paella but decided to try a variety of tapas, we had:

  • Garbanzos Fritos (VG) crispy paprika chickpeas
  • Puerros Con Romesco (VG) grilled leeks, romesco
  • Patatas Bravas (VG) feisty fried potatoes
  • Espinacas A La Catalana (VG) sauteed spinach, pine nuts, golden raisins
  • Pimientos Shishito (VG) blistered shishito peppers, sea salt
  • Esparragos Verdes (VG) Grilled Green Asparagus, Lemon Oil, Sea Salt

We really enjoyed all of the dishes but our favorites were the spinach and the leeks. I actually wasn’t really interested in the spinach but Neil insisted that we order it and I am so glad we did because it was AMAZING. I would really recommend trying this restaurant if you visit Boston.