39 Weeks Pregnancy Update: Baby # 2

39 Weeks Pregnancy Update: Baby #2

 

^^^38 weeks^^^

 

^^^My in laws are seriously so sweet and got me a pedicure at Life Time Fitness so i was able to relax for an hour by myself and then work out for an hour at the gym there, afterwards we met up at the pool and they brought my little guy for some fun in the sun.  Im trying to work this baby out with the couple days i get to the gym each week and walking. ^^^

 

^^^38.5 week bump at the pool last weekend with my little guy & my sweet in laws^^^

 

^^^just about 39 Weeks Bumpin at Sea world^^^

How far along: 39 weeks pregnant (tomorrow!)

Due date: June 11 2015

Weight Gain: 26.5 lbs. 

Symptoms:  bathroom trips usually once a night, TONS of braxton hicks daily, cervical sharp pains here and there that stop me in my tracks and i have stand there cringing until they're gone. Last week i had some realllllly awful ones at night. I have alot of labor symptoms going on so read those below.. I still have lower abdomen soreness probably from the weight of the baby lying low, nausea off and on but super minor (started around 36-37 weeks again).  NESTING has started the past 2 weeks for sure.

Cravings: Chocolate, sandwhiches still.  Chocolate donuts and cupcakes sound good after having a cupcake on memorial day i crave them.  Not usually one of my cravings when not pregnant, im more of a salt girl. But its fun to spoil myself with sweet treats here and there. Craving smoothies and fresh COLD fruit.  Cereal sounds good and food is turning me off, especially at dinner time if ive had any nausea or cramping im hungry but nothing sounds good.

Wedding Rings: on.

Belly button: out

Exercise: cardio once a week. Im lucky if i get to go twice. But mostly just walking here and there

Sleep: sleep is good compared to my first pregnancy. i wake up just once to use the restroom & its easy for me to fall asleep

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Excited for: labor! Well, also a bit nervous. But i cannnnnnnot wait to meet her and see what she looks like and meet her little personality.

Missing: nothing right now, im really just enjoying this time being pregnant with these last few days i have left

Pre Labor Signs: YES!  I have had plug showing up almost every day since last week. I have had bloody show (sorry TMI) here and there, cramping with lower back ache off and on and braxton hicks like crazy. I lost a pound this week which also happened the week i had my son. I have had lose stools (sorry I know its tmi but its the truth and this is a pregnancy post afterall), which can also be your body clearing itself out for labor, so who knows if thats a symptom!?  My abdomen is achey down low as i mentioned above and sometimes my bones ache down there.

Dr Update: My dr started internal exams at 36 weeks so here is the breakdown since i dont do weekly pregnancy updates. 

week 36 exam: 56% effaced, no dilation, baby was high at -3 station.

week 37 exam:  60% effaced, no dilation, baby was still high at -3 station.. so basically no progress. Dr told me to not hold back and exercise and walk like mad to get this baber lower.

week 38 exam:  60% effaced, 1/2 cm dilated, baby moved down lower to -2 station. I was happy for that little progress! Started losing plug around here and had some on and off bloody show with cramping/braxton hicks and back ache

week 39 exam: Check was today, im 2 cm dilated!! WOOHOO! 60% effaced still, SUPER ripe/soft, and baby is -2 (although also told baby is -1 so not sure).

 ***Dr did a membrane sweep this morning so ive had lots of cramping/with dull back ache for several hours (which is normal) and a little spotting.We will see if anything happens otherwise i will have another sweep next week***  Also my ultrasound i had at 36 weeks for growth came out to be completely normal, baby measured 36 weeks and 2 days, she was around 6.7 lbs already (give or take a pound they said; i guess theyre hard to get an accurate measurement at that late in gestation).  So thats sooo great!

I hope you all have a wonderful day! I have some other fun posts planned for this week so keep checking back!!   
OH and be sure to leave a comment below with your guess for when baby will come, as well as birth weight and height just for fun!!!

See my pregnancy posts with my first baby at 37 weeks pregnant here, 38 weeks pregnant here, &  at 39 weeks pregnant here.

35 Weeks: Pregnancy Update

35 Weeks: Pregnancy Update

 

How far along: 35.5 weeks pregnant (quickly moving onto 36 in 2 days)

Due date: June 11 2015

Weight Gain: 24 lbs. 

Symptoms:  Lower back aches at night, bathroom trips usually once a night, TONS of braxton hicks daily, cervical sharp pains here and there that stop me in my tracks and i have stand there cringing until they're gone. This week i had some really bad ones. I was told they are the baby either moving lower or hitting a nerve on your cervix that sends shooting pain.  Shes so active and her movements are sometimes uncomfortable but thats to be expected at this stage.  Im SUPER exhausted, all day long, so being motivated to do anything is tough. I have to go go go with my toddler so resting isnt really much of an option besides nap time and night time..which i look more and more forward to do these days (;  I have a little acid reflux here and there but not often, maybe once every few weeks. I eat spicy and acidic foods all the time and eat regular sized meals and dont seem to have an issue with heart burn, which is SOOOO nice because i crave mexican food and limes/tangerines.  I have that darn numbness under my rib cage (especially on the right hand side), i had this with my first pregnancy too, it seems to be aggravated by my bra and sitting.  At 35.5 weeks i started experiencing pelvic pain or lower abdomen pain, it just feels really really sore/heavy, the dr said thats "pressure" from the baby.

Still a little acid reflux (burning in my throat) but not really that intense, and hasnt led to that dreaded heart burn a lot of mommies talk about. Im still eating spicy foods, late at night, and big meals and haven't had too much of a problem yet. I have a numbness on my right upper rib under my right breast. I read this is common for a lot of moms and its just my uterus pressing up against my other organs  cramming them

Cravings: Chocolate, sandwhiches, and chips w lime and rock salt still.. new ones lately are smoothies, cold tangerines again, and sees candy loli pops.  Coffee is and off and on thing for me, i cant make it myself because the smell makes me gauge, so ive been opting for Chai Tea Lattes when my hubby and i do coffee runs.

Wedding Rings: on. Although im just wearing my engagement ring because im too afraid my wedding rings will cause another allergic reaction so i put them on only for special occasions.

Belly button: out, no question there!

Exercise: Lately just cardio once a week. Im lucky if i get to go twice.  Ive been so tired though that its probably for the best to rest more often.

Sleep: sleep is ok, i wake up tired though and it lingers throughout the day. I still use my pregnancy pillow and ask for massages nightly. Which reminds me, i had the best pregnancy massage at Burke Williams spa this past week, if you havent had a spa treatment during you pregnancy... get one!!

Maternity Clothes: Yes rotating between maternity pieces and non maternity pieces. Im all about comfort these days. Anything tight or restricting hurts.

Excited for:  finishing her nursery, our babymoon next week!!!, and meeting our little girl.

Missing: feeling comfortable. I often have waves of nausea lately, and ill get hot flashes and feel like im going to faint if im standing in heels or in heat for too long.

Pre Labor Signs: YEP, we are at that point where this is now part of the update!! AH! I started having a little menstrual like cramping in my lower belly with a dull back ache (at 35.5 weeks) for an hour here and there throughout the day. Im thinking this is just practice and/or dilating or effacing my cervix, who knows?! I remember having this all the time with my first pregnancy but not so sure it was this early on?  Im excited for my dr visit this week to check!  Im feeling sore around my lower pelvic region and my bones down there feel achey on and off.

Dr Update: My dr will start doing internal exams this next week! im excited to see if things are already progressing.  I also have a scheduled growth scan, the dr didnt say why she just said she would like to do one. My fundal measurement is right on track so not too sure what her curiosity is but im not too worried about it.

Life update: my sister had her baby 6 days ago!! My heart is so so happy! Her little girl is so precious. Being in the delivery room for my sisters birth just a month away or less frm being there myself was a little bit scary.. ive seen births before in person but my poor sisters epidural didnt numb her all the way down there, so she felt all of the crowning and babys head coming out, which looked so extremely painful. I wasnt expecting to feel that because with the epidural i didnt with my son.. but now im preparing myself for it just incase. and lets just say, thats the part im not looking forward to. The part where we meet her and get to see her little face and her personality is all i can think about at the moment though!

See my 35 week pregnancy update with my first here and 36 week update with my first pregnancy here. 

 

^^^35.5 weeks this past Saturday celebrating our sweet friends Andrea & Kileys nuptuals^^^

 

^^^& a huge I LOVE YOU and HAPPY MAMAS DAY to my gorgeous mom who has made me the women i am today, without her I would be so lost. Shes the best mom and I am so honored to follow in her footsteps with my own children^^^

 

& lastly, my sweet niece was born just a little over a week ago!! She is precious and makes me feel extra excited for our sweet angel to be here. 

I hope youre all having a lovely day!!

XO

29 Weeks Pregnant: Update

  29 Weeks Pregnancy Update: Second Baby

How far along: 29 weeks pregnant (29.5 now)

Due date: June 11 2015

Weight Gain: 20 lbs. (I was at 17 lb with cash at this time, so i've gained 3 more, probably from less exercise than i did before without having a baby to watch all day, lol. My goal is to gain 30 or less, well see if that happens). As long as baby and i are staying healthy, bring on the pounds (;

Symptoms:  Still having lower back aches, mostly at night, i ask for a massage nightly and that seems to really help relax my back enough for me to fall asleep. I wake up in the morning and my back kills from sleeping on it (i roll onto unknowingly while im asleep, even with a pregnancy pillow). I find it so interesting that with this baby i havent really had a problem with waking up at night to use the restroom like i hear most mommies complain of and i certainly did multiple times a night with Cash.  I love feeling her move, it never gets old, even if sometimes her movements can be uncomfortable.  Im 7.5 months pregnant and feeling great still but starting to get really really tired again, no matter how much sleep i get.  My ap says baby is 3lbs this week and around 15 inches long. Its incredible to think about how big this little person is inside of me. Last night we went on a date night to the movies and i had a little sharp nerve pain in my lower back, so i know all those little aches and pains of the third trimester are creeping up on us as we approach being full term in 7.5 weeks! That looks far away but i know how quickly months go by around here so she'll be here before i know it.  I get tons of braxton hicks, which is not abnormal for me, i always had them with cash and they start around 16-18 weeks pregnant for me and continue all the way throughout.  I have a tiny bit of collostrum now, as of a week ago, which is a complete trip and made me feel the reality of how soon this little lady will be here nursing!

Cravings: Chocolate still. Chips with rock salt and lime and of course salsa. I love turkey sandwhiches (deli turkey), i have asked for a donut pretty much every couple weeks since my first trimester but have yet to cave and indulge in one. I mostly want one for dessert when its later in the afternoon or evening so its not that convenient of a craving lol. 

Wedding Rings: on and off. I can wear my engagement ring but not my bands because of this random pregnancy allergy im having to my rings.  So ive been taking them off and on.

Belly button: out, no question there!

Exercise:  Still 1-2 times a week, as much as our family schedule permits.

Sleep: sleep is ok, i wake up tired. Some nights ill wake up and cant fall back asleep for an hour.

Maternity Clothes: Yes rotating between maternity pieces and non maternity pieces.

Excited for: Finishing her room, maternity leave in 7 weeks, vacationing to Colorado in a week, and a staycation baby moon in May!

Missing: having options of clothes to wear.

 

^^^The 29 week bump at the beach this past week. We've had incredible weather here lately and im loving the sunshine on my skin and playing at the beach with our family and friends. ^^^

 

^^^And how cute is this sweet horse who was obsessed with giving my belly some love (yesterday visiting the 'horsies' with my hubs and our little man). ^^^

*this reminds me im due to post on life lately! too many things lined up to share with you all!

To view my 29 weeks pregnancy post for my first pregnancy with our little boy, See here

20 Weeks Pregnancy Update: Second Baby

20 Weeks Pregnancy Update: Second Baby

(*20 weeks in photo above)

How far along: 21 Weeks now (but i'll do my 20 week post since thats halfway and a big one!)

Gender: GIRL!

Maternity Clothes:  Maternity Jeans and leggings yes please. Wearing normal shirts/sweaters since its still a little chilly out

Sleep: I wake up usually around 6am from my husband getting up to get ready, i'll go to the bathroom and then go back to sleep until my little one is up. So im doing pretty well with sleep right now still.

Miss Anything:  working out regularly, not being as tired as i currently am

Cravings: chips and salsa with lime

Adversions: Just the smell of coffee. I cant stand the smell of coffee brewing in our house (which i use to love!) so my husband and i both cant make coffee here at home anymore. I can sometimes drink it if someone else makes it like starbucks or at church but i've mostly been opting to skip on coffee all together (as much as i miss it and really need it because im so tired ha)

Symptoms: I feel tired still but I think thats just part of your body sustaining two lives instead of one. Other than that I have felt really great lately! This past week my wedding ring was irritating my ring finder and started to get really dry underneath, i took my rings off just to let it heal because the skin was a tad raw. I googled it and i guess its a common occurence in pregnancy because of hormones our skin can become more sensitive and when you do dishes or wash your hands a lot soap and water can get underneath and dry out your skin even more.  SO if any of you ladies have experienced this i guess its common and normal ( ;

Belly Button in or out: sort of flat/out

Mood: happy, productive

Best Moment this week: Feeling our sweet little lady moving around constantly. Its just such an incredible feeling and amazing for bonding. OH and our 20 week anatomy scan last week went so well, she was WILD moving all over the place, nothing like our first child in the womb who was much more calm, she wouldn't sit still but it was so cute to watch! Shes healthy and all of her organs are functioning and developing perfectly! AMEN, that was so so wonderful to hear. Praise Jesus for this healthy miracle growing inside of me.

Looking forward to:  Our upcoming baby shower, putting together a girly nursery sounds so fun(:

Exercise: I explained in my last pregnancy update that I hadnt worked out at all thus far (much different than my 5 days a week i did while pregnant with cash), now i have managed to get a small workout in about once a week. Which doesnt really do much but the way our schedules are right now i dont really have an option, so i'll take what i can get & be grateful for it!. It is hard though because im an active person and exercising is fun and sort of a hobby/outlet and stress reducer for me so not having that has been a change but i know once we get a new routine down with our new schedules things will even out and i can get back on it. Im halfway and have gained about the same i had with my first pregnancy at this point so i feel good about where I am and am just trying to enjoy this time with my little guy while its just the three of us before we add another one to the bunch! 

I'll be sharing some posts in the upcoming weeks/months on some of your ideas you guys left for me in the comments section on my last post! Thank you for following along on our journey, for being so sweet to us, and for sharing your thoughts (;

XO

Body Talk: Pregnancy, Wellness, and Health

Body Talk:  Pregnancy, Wellness, and Health

I have received several emails from you guys about some of my previous posts discussing body image, self confidence, and pregnancy and how it changes your body.  I think these have been the posts that you guys have connected with the most based on your emails over the years. I have decided to try to do more of these, especially now that I'm pregnant again and my body is going through those fun changes all over again. I would love to hear from you guys in the comments what you'd like to see, topics you'd like for me to touch on, etc.  Its more fun when I get to do this in community with you!

If you are new to following I thought I would share a few of my past posts on body talk below while I work on something to share with you this week or next on the subject!

3 Months Postpartum, BODY TALK: POSTPARTUM PRESSURE

4 Months Postpartum, BODY TALK: Healthy eyes to see

Pregnancy And The Female Body

Also a 20 week pregnancy update coming this week!*

& dont forget to leave your ideas below!

 XO

What I've Been Eating Lately: Quick Healthy Meal Recipe's & Ideas

What I've Been Eating Lately: Quick Healthy Meal Recipe's & Ideas

 Ground Turkey Tacos:You guys know Im a sucker for mexican food, so i cook something mexican-"ish" at least 2x weekly.  I have posted on ground turkey tacos before, but here we added in some red and green bell peppers, corn, cilantro, and cabbage to mix it up and give it a new flavor. I also topped with lettuce, avacado, and cheese and wrapped it in a soft whole wheat flour tortilla.  I usually cook the ground turkey in a skillet with EVOO or coconut oil and put in some onion, garlic, garlic salt, chili pepper, cumin and a cajun spice spend we have. You can play with the spices or even add in salsa. Trader Joe's has a great taco seasoning if you'd rather do something easy.

 Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches & Tomato Soup: One of my all time favorites is a gooey grilled cheese sandwhich and some hearty tomato soup. I made this a month or so ago and through in a little spin on the standard grilled cheese by adding jalepenos, artichoke, spinach and used monzerella and jack cheese. Grill it in olive oil and you're set! Its spicy and so delish! Serve with a side of tomato soup. I used frozen artichoke and spinach (they dont go bad as quickly so i have some time to use them up)

 Breakfast in Bed with Blueberry Raspberry Pancakes: I've posted on my applesauce pancakes before, we simply added in some blueberries and raspberries. Find the recipee here. 

 Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta with Chicken Artichoke and Veggies: These lemon pepper noodles are from Trader Joe's and they are so yummy because they are packed with flavor so you can just coat the pasta with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and you dont really even need a heavy duty sauce. I sauteed some yellow, green and red bell pepper with onion and used minced garlic, basil, and italian seasonings with sea salt and pepper to taste. I separately grilled chicken and sauteed some frozen artichoke.  Toss together with olive oil in a bowl and serve.  I served it with TJ's Chopped House salad (my current favorite premade Trader's salad).

Ground Turkey Taco Salad with Homemade Dressing:  This is so easy and so filling and of course so yummy.  Cook the ground turkey in coconut oil in a pan with onion and bell pepper and season the same way mentioned above in the tacos i made. Toss over a bed of lettuce, add some cheese and whatever veggies you feel like. Then top with the taco sauce i have previously posted on for a light meal (recipe here)

Spicy Cajun Salmon, Broccoli, and Feta Spinach Brown Rice: This meal is healthy, quick and so easy. Sauteed TJ's preseasoned Spicy Cajun salmon (highly recommend trying this, its really good, a little salty but good) use olive oil or coconut oil.  Steam some fresh broccoli and season with Steak Seasoning or garlic salt.  Sometimes we'll sprinkle parmesan on our broccoli.  Make enough brown rice to serve your family and then on the side sauteed some fresh or frozen spinach in a skillet, when its ready add in the cooked brown rice and sprinkle on as much feta as you'd like. You can season with a little garlic salt and pepper. This blend is so good! It's definetly something i'll be making more often.

Ground Turkey & Cheese Enchiladas: These are easy to make and a new take on my chicken enchiladas i've previously posted the recipe on (here).  Instead of chicken you use ground turkey, you can lightly season with a little chili powder, and garlic salt.  I also sauteed some onion and through that in too.  

Chimichurri Steak Salad: This was TO DIE FOR. I loved this meal! You will need to cook a bag of TJ's Rice Medley (includes brown rice, red rice, & black barley, it cookes in 3 minutes in the microwave).  Cook some Edamame (i used frozen, from TJ's).  Cook some yellow corn, fresh, canned or frozen.  Then grill TJ's premarinated herb and garlic seasoned sirloin steak in Chimichurri sauce, cut into pieces and set aside.  First do a layer of the rice, then top with a bed of lettuce, then top with a tiny bit of cheese, then the steak, then corn and edamame. You will really love this salad. I used some of the left over chimichurri sauce to put a little atop the salad.

ENJOY!

Be sure to follow my blog on the side bar by entering your email! And thank you to all who have been so supportive and all of the beautiful people i have met since I began this journey. You are all so loved!

 Share with me one of your favorite meals or recipes in the comments section!

Xo

What I've Been Eating Lately: Quick Healthy Meals Recipes/Ideas

What I've Been Eating Lately: Quick Healthy Meals & Recipes/Ideas

Hey all, I have been stacking up some food pics for you ladies. I try to throw in some new ideas and mix it up throughout the week as well as have some quick healthy meal options for those nights when im exhausted, just put the baby down, and want to get something nutritious in my tummy ASAP without much work involved. If there is ever anything you ladies cook up that you'd like to share i would love to know! Please share below in the comment section your favorite easy healthy meals or even places that make premade preservative free meals or have easy meal prep ideas!

Dinner- Sweet Potato Burger with Organic Grass Fed Beef:

Instructions for Sweet Potatoe Bun: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice sweet potatos into 1/4-1/2 inch and lay flat onto a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes and then turn over and cook another 15 minutes. 

The next time I make a sweet potato bun im going to make one that sticks together so you can pick the bun up instead of eating the burger with a fork.  Heres the recipe for that:

You'll need: 1 large sweet potato (about 3 cups, shredded), 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2-4 tablespoons coconut oil

Shred the sweet potato using either the shredding blade of a food processor or box grater. Stir into a bowl with the eggs and cumin. Over medium heat place 1/4 cup sweet potato into a ball (flatten into a patty) onto a skillet with 2 tbspn of coconut oil or EVOO. Once the bottom browns and holds together, flip it over and cook the other side.
(makes 8 patties)

Grill up a regular patty and layer on top with whatever toppings and sauces you're into. We put bell peppers, cheddar cheese, lettuce, mustard and ketchup with avocado on ours.

I put a side of backed zuchini fries (Trader Joe's premade/frozen) and a delish mango tangerine slaw. ((below))

I used TJ's salad medly of kale, brussle sprouts, and cabbage mixed it together with a dollop of greek yogurt, and chopped mango and tangerines with tangerine juice squeezed on top. Mix together for a sweet tangy light salad.

Dinner- Grilled Chicken, Potatoes with Sauteed Vegetables:

Instructions: Grill chicken tenders or breasts in EVOO until almost done. Add Trader Joe's Garlic Sauce on top and cook until no longer pink inside.  Grill onion in EVOO with chicken until translucent.

Heat oven to 375 and put tiny potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO, spribkle salt and pepper to taste, and fresh rosemary. Bake for 20 minutes.

Sautee red, green & yellow sliced bell peppers in EVOO.  If you want to be really quck you can buy TJs frozen pre-sliced pepper medly.

Luch- Italian Chicken Salad: 

Grill chicken on a skilet with some EVOO, lemon, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.  Slice up some romaine lettuce, tomato, and onion. Top with light Mozerella cheese and your favorite Italian salad dressing. 

Dinner- Spicy Ground Turkey Taco Salad: 

Romaine lettuce, cabage, chopped tomato and onion, chopped cilantro, top with chedder cheese. Cook 1 lb ground turkey in a skillet on medium head in 1-2 tbspn EVOO. Add 1 tbspn Chili powder, 1-2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste, cajun spice, & cayenne pepper to taste. Add crushed chipped and avocado on top. I used Trader's Flaxseed Tortilla chips.  Add a side of light sour cream or greek yogurt to be healthier.

Dinner- Lemon Garlic Chicken over Parmesan Rice with Grilled Asparagus & Greek Salad:

Cook chicken tenders or breast in EVOO, squeeze half a lemon to flavor chicken, use TJ's garlic sauce (enough to cover the top layer of chicken).  Grill asparus on George Forman or a BBQ with a little bit of EVOO and sprinkle on steak seasoning.  

Pour the chicken sauce and chicken tenders on top of a bed of cooked brown rice (sprinkle rice with parmesan beforehand if you'd like).  

Chop up some romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, cabbage, and throw together with green or black olives, feta cheese and some sliced cucumber. Top with your favorite greek salad dressing.

Lunch- Trader's Butternut Squash premade Salad with pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, spinach and romaine lettuce, pomegranate seeds, and a light vinegarette dressing. Delish! I didn't make this but their salads are worth sharing..they're so easy and i eat them all of the time for lunch with a side of some type of carb or protein.

Xo 

8 Months Postpartum + Behind The Scenes of Swim Spot Shoot

 8 Months Postpartum

So I 've been 8 months postpartum for a couple weeks now but I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my heart with you ladies.  I've really been doing the same thing for the past 6 months that I've been working out since having my sweet angel: cardio & weight training. I do the precore for 45-60 mins 3 days a week and then a 50 minute weight training class 1-2 times a week.  I haven't changed anything about my diet besides eating more because im always hungry while breastfeeding.  I definitely have way more of a sweet tooth while EBF too. Which i've embraced to the fullest. For me I eat healthy because I enjoy putting delicious nutrition packed real food into my body because I care about my health and well being as a wife and mother.  I appreciate that God has thus far given me a heathly body that doesn't have any handicaps or ailments, is pain free, a body that can be strong and idependent and get me to and from where i want and need to go, a body that can birth a child, feed a child, have fun and play! This body is a gift and that is why i take care of it. With that said, I definitely indulge at least once a day in something and its usually dessert after dinner or eating something less nutritious and more processed because lets face it, we gotta live a little and enjoy some delicious and naughty foods like nachos, pizza and bread and butter, YUM! I always say everything in moderation, but sometimes you go a little overboard and just have to let it roll of your back and get back to the grind of eating health  and being active the next day or week as best you can. I hope that answers some of the questions I get asked about "what i eat", "what I do for work outs", and "what my mentality is about healthy eating and living". 

I was asked to model for Swim Spot this past week and took the opportunity to get out there and feel free and confident in my postpartum body. There was a tiny distant voice inside tempting me to believe the lie that I wasn't a "good fit" or "what they're looking for" but they chose me and that reassured me that even though im a mom that doesnt make me less appealing, less beautiful, less free to be myself, less of a women, any less sexy, any less strong, or any less confident.  It actually makes me even more proud of my body, and forces me to look at the evidence of my strength and feel empowered by this body God has blessed me with. So I said yes and I am so happy I did! Swim spot brought the best team of people who were so easygoing, fun, and sweet! I had a blast shooting with them yesterday and will be sure to share with you all the finished product once the article comes out in the Orange County Register at the end of the month.  Check out their bikinis, they are the cutest!! I'll share more on that in a separate Swim Spot post. For now I just want to encourage you mamas to enjoy your healthy bodies, learn to love yourselves, it takes time and a TON of effort and fighting off negative thoughts and lies about yourself, but you CAN do it, you can live with self confidence and accept yourself the way you are. There is no such thing as perfection so if you are seeking it you will always fail and that is no way to live. We can always better ourselves, its a journey, not a destination..so get rid of the idea of wanting to achieve perfection and be accepting of your best self.. whatever that looks like it will be personal to who you are. You are God's creation, so you are exactly the way He wanted you to be, unique and beautiful.. a stunning image of His handy work.

This little guy and I make an effort to get outside everyday and go for a walk or hang at the park or pool.

Him and his daddy are my home and no matter what my day is like the path im on always leads me home.

Here are some behind the scenes snaps from the SwimSpot crew's Iphones. Cant wait to see the real photos and share them with you all! These cute bikinis definitely make a girl feel gorgeous and playful!

Lauren of Swell Beauty touching up my red lip for this retro look

How about this Hurley one piece... SO CUTE!

* all photos were taken with an iphone in this post *

 Black & White Retro Bikini by Guess

TIger One piece by Hurley

White Lacey Two Piece by Reef Girls

All Bikinis c/o Swim spot

Makeup by Me

Hair Styled by Swell Beauty (Dee & Lauren)