6 Weeks After Baby

I wanted to share with you all a conversation that I had with a friend today. My friend just had her second child a week and a half ago and is also in the fitness industry, but was unaware of the information I shared with her. I called to check up on her and she began to question me about how soon after my second child I had begun doing abdominal exercises. Like me, she's ready to get back in pre-baby shape!
After having Emma I researched exercise, how long you should abstain from exercise, and particularly, how long you should abstain from abdominal exercise. The abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy and it takes them time to close together and become normal again. Doing too much too soon can damage these muscles. I told her that I was so worried about damaging my precious ab muscles that I did precisely what the doctors recommended and waited six weeks to do any serious abdominal work.
Furthermore, I prefer to lose the extra fat around my middle before working my abs hard. Otherwise, I will just end up bulking up my middle (because the extra fat lying over the muscles will just cause it to extend and look a little butchy instead of lean and sleek).
I know some women who jump right back into things after having a baby. While I wanted to do that, I also wanted to enjoy my baby, enjoy any sleep and rest that I could, and take things slow and simple. When you train and instruct all the time workouts tend to be intense and fast-paced. Personally, I enjoyed the downtime. I enjoyed the leisurely walks with my new daughter and my son on his trike. I enjoyed slow and gentle yoga. I enjoyed occasional workouts when my body and mind felt up to it. Yes, I wanted that old body back, but I also really enjoyed not working so hard for awhile. I hope my friend will do the same.
If you are way past the baby days just know that it's ok for you to slow things down some days as well. It feels great to have some super sweaty days followed by some less intense ones, maybe doing things that you and your family love. As long as you're staying active and prioritizing, you're doing great!

Trek for Teens...My First 5K!

I did it. I really did it! Yesterday I went and signed up for my first 5K and wondered what exactly I had gotten myself into. I told you previously that I was preparing for this road race. I had only given myself about three weeks to train, which isn't very much! But given what I had accomplished in those few weeks, I did a pretty good job!

Carver and Emma were there, along with our Aunt Tish, cheering me on. Before I began the race I thought, "If I just finish this I will be happy with myself. I don't care what I place or who comes out ahead of me." When I actually began running, it was a very different story. I very much cared how I placed! But I also realized that the people around me were running at a much quicker pace that I was accustomed to! I began to get worried that I was in the back of the group. A seasoned runner who seemed like he was just out for his daily walk stopped at my pace for a few minutes to chat (which I eventually just had to stop talking because while he could do that comfortably, I certainly could not!) and assured me that we weren't in the back. I wasn't so sure he was telling me the truth because I didn't see anyone behind me any of the twenty times I turned around to check!

During the last mile there was this kid....oh, this kid. He was a young teenage guy and he kept stopping to walk and then just as I would go to pass him he would sprint out ahead of me. Over and over this went on. During the last 1/2 mile this woman that I assume was a coach of his (or a really crazy mother) came out and kept pushing him along. He said he had a cramp, he kept stopping, but she just kept pushing, pushing, pushing. People along the way kept telling me "the finish line is just around the corner!" Ok, I must have come around five corners and there was still no finish line! At least, it felt like that! In the end me and this kid sprinted it out together. I thought that the finish was at the exact starting point, but it turned out to be a little farther up. With this woman yelling behind me for her kid to go, I pushed as hard as I possibly could. I forgot to eat breakfast this morning and I think it was for the better because I have never felt more like I was going to throw up without actually throwing up. When I saw that the finish line was further up than I anticipated I knew I couldn't push it anymore. My body just wouldn't do it that far. So I finished about 10 seconds behind this guy. Which, if you consider that I just had a baby and am probably at least ten years older than him, is pretty darn good.

As I was coming around one of the last bends in the course, I saw Carver standing there with Emma and Aunt Tish. As I crossed the finish line I heard people cheering me on and calling my name. I looked up and I saw my husband. What a sweetie. He had left for work that morning and wasn't planning to come. But it meant a lot to me and I had a feeling that he would try to be there if he could. I'm so glad he was there at the end. It just made everything perfect.

I ended up placing 14th out of 33 people. So while I thought I was in the back of the pack, I was just at the tail end of the faster group. And I placed first in my women's age group. For all I know I could have been the only woman in my age group! But just to be recognized and do a decent job for the little training I've had since Emma's been born made it all worth it. I felt so great today. I felt strong, I felt recognized, I felt good about myself. As a mother who stays at home, some days it's difficult to feel any of those things. Today I felt it all and it was amazing!

A Few of My Favorite Things

I hope that yesterday's breakfast ideas were helpful to some of you. Here a just a few of my current favorite snack ideas to get you started.

* Mix almonds and raisins together (golden raisins seem to be more tasty than the dark variety).

* If you have a more picky eater on your hands try mixing almonds with Goldfish. Both are a hit with my son.

* Mix yogurt and chunks of fruit for a light morning or after-nap snack.

* Top Triscuits with cheese and melt in the toaster or microwave. If you have a more adventurous eater you can try flavored Triscuits, like Fire Roasted Tomato and Olive Oil, which are currently in our cabinet. Yum.

* Slice bell peppers and give them some dip such as hummus or ranch to go with it. Orange and red bell peppers are especially sweet. Most kids will love them. And if your child is like mine dip makes everything more fun!

* Cherry tomatoes are another great snack that couldn't get any easier. You can give them dip to go with these as well, or offer them alone. These are one of my son's favorite things to eat. They, like bell peppers, are sweet and, as far as they know, could be a fruit!

Good luck with your own little ones! Remember, start small if you have picky eaters. But continue to offer them a variety of new foods. They, like you, will come to love them!

Kid-Friendly Food Ideas That Won't Make A Chaotic Day Worse By Adding Sugar Highs

I've decided that this week I will provide some healthy and very simple snack and meal ideas for all the moms out there who don't have the time or energy left to prepare a homemade meal from the organic garden just outside your door (I'm sure we all have plans to have one SOME DAY but if that day is not today then continue reading!). So check in everyday for ways to keep you and your children full of vitamins and nutrients that will keep you going strong all day long.

Let's begin with a few breakfast ideas.
*Cereal is probably the easiest little meal you will ever invest in. But before you grab the first thing that looks cool and colorful, remember that this is your child's first meal of the day. Do you really want to start off the wrong way? If your answer is no then remember that most of those colorful, fruity cereals are filled with sugar, food dyes (both of which can lead to hyperactivity), and very few nutrients. Instead, I recommend choosing a cereal that is organic, has about a one-digit amount of sugar, is loaded with nutrients, and doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils (both are bad for the heart and total body). Even if you choose not to go organic, many common cereals (like Cheerios) are now fortified with plenty of nutrients and whole grains. You can also top any cereal with some blueberries, chopped up banana, or any other piece of fruit you have on hand.
*One of my personal favorite breakfast meals is a whole grain frozen waffle (usually organic) or two topped with natural peanut butter. So quick and simple and extremely filling.
*My son loves pancakes and he doesn't yet notice that mine are different than grandma's. I use whole wheat pancake mix, add a little ground flaxseed or wheat bran (both good for heart health and regular digestion), and a small amount of cinnamon. Top with sugar-free or regular syrup.

If you question whether your children will really go for this stuff, give them time. If you let them have what they want now they may be obese by the time they're 12 and have heart problems by the time they're 20. We, as parents, have a duty to teach them how to eat properly and in a way that will keep them healthy and able for years and years to come. If they aren't used to what you're offering them, keep trying. Make small and slow changes, one at a time, and they will grow accustomed to the new foods. Soon, they won't even know the difference. They'll be healthier, and if you're lucky, maybe a little calmer.

Check in tomorrow for quick and healthy snacks!

Last Days of Summer

This is hard to believe but unfortunately true. I did not leave the house for a week until last night...which was exactly a week since the last time I had left the house for Carver's flag football practice. The transmission in my car is being rebuilt and every time they give me a day that I will have it back you can pretty much take that day and add a week to it. So I'm just on the very verge of going insane here! So I decided to post a few pictures of what our week has looked like. Emma ate her very first meal of yummy rice cereal, though I think she spit the majority of it out (you can tell from her face what she thought about that). Carver and I ran around in the sprinkler and then had fun painting ourselves. Carver got his first pair of itty bitty cleats and wore them around the house for days. He has something of an obsession with shoes anyway and this has made it much, much worse. And I have continued my 5k training despite the horrible heat. Although now I'm not even sure I will make it to the actual race without a car. Unless I run to the starting line. Don't count on it.

It's A Political Jungle Out There

Normally, I tend to stay out of politics. After taking a college course a few semesters ago that exposed some horrifying details of the way American politics works I decided that I wanted no part of it! Lately, however, I've actually begun to listen when the candidates speak. I noticed that John McCain has an adopted daughter, which greatly impressed me as I would one day like to adopt myself. After googling the issue, however, I found something I almost wish I hadn't. Perhaps this won't change anyone else's opinion, perhaps you already are aware of it, but it certainly changed my opinion of this man. Just yesterday, after the old footage of his war days came out, I told my husband how cute he was. Apparently, McCain was aware of this himself, and knew that he could do better than his permanently deformed first wife.
I, of all people, know that mistakes are made everyday. But to me, this is more of a character flaw. One that changed an unfortunate woman's life forever, and that of her children's. If this is news to you, take it how you will. Maybe you won't care. Maybe that's not what's important to you. But for me, character as well as politics matter.
Read this article start to finish.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html
Let's get educated and vote!

(And maybe this is an exaggerated article. I don't know. If you have some insight you would like to share, by all means, do so!)

The first trip my hubby ever took me on was not our honeymoon, nor was it a trip to lay all day in each other's arms. It was a surf trip. To Barbados....so no, I didn't really care!

I think surfing is his first love. I'm, like, second or even third on the list. Ok, I'm joking but sometimes it does seem as though I have to compete for that top spot! But at the end of the day, I really love that he surfs. Surfers are hot. Come on, we all know they are. They're tan all the time (and especially my husband because he's half Mexicano) and they hardly ever have shirts on. What's not to love about that? But seriously, it keeps him in shape and happy. And for those two reasons, I stay happy.

I'm not allowed to say where this picture was taken, because apparently the locals surfers will hunt me down if I do, but I will say that it was taken during our recent tropical storm Hanna swell.

Don't let him know I told you so....but I'm quite proud. :-)

Sports Time Already??

On the one hand I am sad to realize that my first little baby, my baby boy, is not such a baby at all anymore. He is my firstborn and the one who really changed my life for good and forever. But on the other hand, I am so excited that he is old enough to begin playing team sports! I actually didn't think that would come for a few more years. The church we have been going to for the past few weeks, however, offers Upward flag football for the younger kids. Technically, he should be three to play, but they let him slide in since he'll be three in just a few months. So, wow, before I knew what was happening my sweet little one was signed up for football. I'm so going to be one of those moms who proudly displays the car magnet!

I was equally proud of my husband on Monday, Carver's first practice day with his team, when he got out there to help coach the littlest guys. Looking back on that day and thinking how Emma and I stood on the sidelines fighting off bugs while watching Carver run his little heart out when they told him to run (and smile proudly up at me to make sure I was watching) and my husband successfully teach our son and the others how to hike a football, I am reminded of that country song that goes, "...just another day in paradise..."

Little By Little It Can Be Done

I just popped in for a minute to offer up a bit of encouragement for those who find themselves time-crunched or so exhausted that they would rather get an extra hour of sleep than give it up in order to exercise. I understand. The good news is, it doesn't take two hours, or even one, to get in exercise each day that will noticeably change your body. The key is not the length of your workout, but that you consistently DO work out each day. You can take just 10 minutes out of your day and make a difference. Since our second child came and we STOPPED sending our two-year-old to his mother's morning out program three days a week (I know, it's so crazy but our new town is all filled up...he's on a waiting list for the good morning preschool) there seems to be less and less time to do the things that I would not only like to do, but need to do. But while maybe I don't spend as much time hitting the weights, I do spend some and I can still see a difference. It's easier to see a difference if you eat clean as well.
My cousin was in town this week and joked that I could do squats while holding the baby. He was laughing when he said it and completely joking, but it's been done! Plus, it used to put her to sleep when she was smaller. She will be four months in a few more days and sleeps less during the day. Now I'm known to randomly burst into jump squats, lay down during some good cartoon time and spend five or ten minutes on my abs (which my son sees and always wants to join in), and run around in the sprinkler until my son lets me drop!
As long as you do something most every day, you're doing great and will see a difference.

Amanda