a 40 week transformation...

6 weeks pregnant
33 weeks pregnant
6 weeks post-delivery
total weight gain: 30 pounds
now back to pre-baby weight!

I've made the full circle of transformations over the past few weeks and months... and you can clearly see it! From starting at 6 weeks of being pregnant and clearly feeling sick with the flu (so awful...I've never felt more miserable or exhausted in my life!), to being 33 weeks pregnant, to finally 6 weeks post-partum and the delivery of our sweet baby! I'd be lying if I said I was never worried about the baby weight that I was gaining and what my post-baby body would look like... I actually would have several conversations with my sister and we would say "operation post-baby body" whenever I talked about working out or if I said I felt like I was eating/gaining way too much. I kept things in perspective because I knew I had to be gaining weight to have a healthy baby but I also didn't want to overdo it because all of that weight was going to have to come off one way or another! I wish I could add to this post some awesome workout plan that I've been doing since having Everly to help with the weight loss and to bounce back to my now post-baby body shape so fast...but I don't have any secrets. Well, I take that back. My secret to my post-baby bod started when I was pregnant. I ate a ton of fresh fruits and veggies everyday and walked at least 3-6 miles a day which was a huge help right there. I know some women use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever they want to and to lay around being a bum (which trust me, I still had my days where I ate anything in sight and didn't leave the couch!) but I never let myself get into that mentality. I never said, "well I'm eating for two!" while other people would be quick to tell me that and give me permission to devour whatever was placed in front of me. I looked at it just like any other sort of healthy work-out and diet plan: everything in moderation. I knew I wouldn't be very happy with myself after having the baby if I was still going to be carrying around a lot of extra weight or had to continue wearing maternity clothes or buy bigger clothes so I always made a conscious effort to watch what I was eating, drank almost 200oz of water a day, and always tried to stay active and get walking at least! Everly was only 5 pounds when she was born so I had to knock off another 25 pounds to get back down to my pre-baby weight. A lot of that comes off easy because of the fluid/blood loss during delivery but the rest you have to work for! My other secret would be breastfeeding and pumping. That is a huge help with weight loss as it burns soo many calories, forces you to stay hydrated (I always have a water bottle with me!), and makes me reach for healthy snacks because I know everything that I take in, will eventually get to Everly. Regaining your pre-baby body after gaining 25-35 pounds doesn't have to be a dream like some women talk about...it is completely possible! And it starts with being pro-active and doing something about it while pregnant. A healthy mama makes for a healthy baby! Jordan and I hope to carry over these healthy habits as Everly grows so we can be active together and lead happy and healthy lives as a family! 

20 Weeks

20 weeks update: 20 WEEKS! Umm, halfway already?! Seriously, that is just crazy talk and does not seem possible! Wow! 20 weeks down and now 20 weeks (plus or minus a few days!) to go! Our last appointment and ultrasound couldn't have went any better so here is what we were told. Peanut is measuring perfectly and right on track, there were no abnormalities of any kind found, and the placenta is anterior which means on the front so that is why I have been feeling little movement so far and if I do, it will mostly be on my sides. Our midwife said we had an ultrasound "to dream for" and one that is "textbook perfect." She also said, "you are the healthiest mom/baby pair that I have seen all week and probably will see..." Whoo hoo! So that made me feel extra great! I have only gained 8 pounds total so far and my blood pressure is still running low which isn't a concern of my midwife since it was low at my first appointment and she said they would rather see it low than going high. It was so awesome getting to see Peanut on the ultrasound screen but SO HARD to not look when the technician went "down there" to get all of the measurements that she needed. I told Jordan that if he hadn't been there with me, then I definitely would have looked at the screen because the suspense of not knowing is starting to kill me......but thinking ahead when Peanut does arrive and I hear Jordan say, "it's a boy!" or "it's a girl!" gets me all kinds of excited and emotional. I am still feeling really great and my face has finally decided to start clearing up. Some nights I still end up sleeping on my stomach so I'm not entirely toooo uncomfortable sleeping like that but I do like to have a pillow between my legs or under my one side to avoid laying completely flat. Other than that, we had a great report from our doctor and go back in 4 weeks. I can't believe how fast this has went.....we have so much to do still and I feel like so little time if the next 20 weeks go by as fast as the first 20 weeks did!

Peanut's perfect profile!
I think we even got a little smile too... :)

left hand waving at Mama and Daddy!

right foot...so that's what I feel kicking and poking me every now and then!

finally 100%

100%. Today I am finally feeling 100% better and I'm so thankful for that. I can smell, breathe, taste, and hear all completely normal again! And I've never been happier...it's the small things in life, like our senses, that we tend to take for granted until we don't have them. Nothing like sleepless nights from a stuffy nose and no appetite from not being able to smell anything. So thankful the gunk is gone and the rumble in my stomach has disappeared. What a relief. No seriously, what a relief. And another huge relief is that I found out I got 93% on my research paper that was due last week. Booyah! That's close enough to 100% and a heck of a lot better than I thought I was going to get and gave myself credit for! Just all in a day's work.....  

healthy schmealthy

I despise the grocery store. I loathe grocery shopping. And for one reason: the damn price of everything. In a society where you get ridiculed and judged for being over weight and laughed out of some retail stores, they sure don't make buying healthy food an easy task. 


I have one thing to say about healthy food prices: ahem, screw them.


Thankfully, I still have my trusty genetics to rely on. Although at some point, I'm sure my high metabolism is bound to slow down, but until then, I'd like to stay ahead of it. And I really don't ever want my future kids to look at pictures of myself from high school or college and say, "Wow Mom, you were pretty skinny back then....what happened and is that going to happen to me?!" Yeah, yikes. A day I dread and hope to never experience. They'd get soap in their mouths for sure.......just kidding. Actually all of our lunches would be canceled for the rest of the week due to lack of hustle. 


But seriously. I have an idea: why not make fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, yogurt, teas, and pasta along with any other healthy alternative half the price it is now? I bet that would encourage people to eat better. I know I'm not the only person who sees the section "Healthy Market" in the stores but reads it as "Too Expensive For You Grad Student" (or whichever alternative fits you better, like maybe "Don't even think about it. You have 4 other mouths to feed at home.") Geez louise, what's a girl gotta do around here to feed herself and her fiance some healthy meals without breaking the bank?!! All I know is that my future home will have a big enough backyard to have a giant garden. Basically like a replica of my parents at our old house. Then I will just reap all the benefits of homegrown goodness and love every minute of it. And shove it in the face of the grocery stores. But until then, I will continue to just suck it up, pay the prices (and still bitch about it) and let my body reap the benefits. I only hope all of these healthy meals pay off in the long run....


Speaking of run, I blame all of this entirely on the class I am a TA for: Health For Living. Everyone I TA with is in Health & Sports Studies, personal trainers, love to run, yada yada yada. Workout freaks I like to call them and I want to be one of them. But not really because I hate running. And I reallllllly hate sweating. Which means I have a really big love/hate relationship with exercising in general. Which brings me back to the whole point of this post about eating healthy. Clearly I gotta eat healthy since I hate sweating which means I gotta pay astronomical prices for the healthy food......ughh it's a vicious circle I'm living in I tell ya. Vicious. healthy schmealthy, can't live with it. Definitely can't live without it. Damn. I'm going to enjoy every last grape I bought now, even the wrinkly ones.