Monday, March 29, 2010

Its 6:30A.M. Good morning!!! I put Ellie down at 10:30 last night and..... SHE's STILL SLEEPING!!!!!! WooHooo yeah!!!! 8 straight hours!!!! This is amazing!! I feel like a new person! (Watch out Stroller BootCamp ladies!!) I hope we get a repeat performance of this tomorrow night! I'm so shocked! I wish I could tell you that I got 8 hours of un-interrupted sleep last night but I couldn't believe that she was sleeping so I got up a few times to make sure she was ok. LOL silly silly irrational mommy!
Well now Ellie is waking up so I will leave you with this video to brighten up your Monday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvP1zJysm-4

Friday, March 26, 2010

Running Through Puddles!

Woke up this morning and it was pouring rain.... I wanted to roll over and keep sleeping, I love sleeping in the rain! Today is one of those rainy days that you just want to curl up into a ball and watch TV and eat chips or ice cream all day!!!


I can't remember the last time I was able to do that, it seems like a million years ago and another life time. But in reality it was less than three years ago, people were always telling me "when you have kids your life is going to change forever" or "enjoy that now because when you have kids, forget about it!" And yes when I had kids my life did change but not in the drastic or dramatic way that people made it out to be. I feel like having kids in a way gives you an excuse to be a kid again. Like today for example, I wake up and see the rain and am moaning and groaning about the puddles and how gross the humidity is, blah blah blah! I leave my house with the kids and carefully step around each puddle, walking on my toes because God forbid my feet get wet or I get some mud on me. Then went to Baby Joggers (awesome 3 miles today by the way!!!) and zigzag around every puddle I see. But what does CJ do when I pick him up from school???? Runs out with a huge smile on his face and yells to me "Mami esta lloviendo!! (Mom it's raining!!!) Immediately finds the first puddle and jumps in it, cracking up and runs to the next one, and next one and next one. Initially I'm getting all worked up thinking he's going to get sooo dirty and wet and then the car is going to be a mess and I’m going to have to bathe him and wash all that clothes and put the shoes out to dry and he's going to get me all dirty and ...... but he's laughing sooo hard that I can't stay upset! So what do I do? Put Ellie in the car and start running through puddles with him! What a blast!!! Yeah I had a huge mess to clean once we got home, but it was worth it!!! Having kids has taught to loosen up and how to have fun in the simple things and make the best out of what you get! Kids have a way of getting over things so quickly; yeah CJ might be upset because he can’t play in the bounce house today but running through some puddles more than made up for it!

Every once in a while when life's just getting to be too much I definitely recommend a quick sprint through some puddles! LOL I can just imagine how much more fun, and what a great workout we would have gotten, if we would have raced through the puddles stomping down as hard as we could! LOL

Well I’m off to watch my sister kick some butt in her football game!! Until next time… love yourself and your babies!!!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

You vs. Skinny Jeans

6AM ... this seems to be turning into a trend for me! LOL But this day light savings time is really kicking my butt!!! But I'm loving the extra daytime in the evenings so I shouldn't complain...


Anyways.... back to the topic at hand ... A few weeks ago in BabyWeight Basics class I had a mom say she thinks that she'll never have abs again and that they were lost FOREVER!!! Although she was exaggerating I know the feeling, and I'm sure we're not alone.

Once the belly goes down and your back at your pre-baby weight you're all pumped to put on those "skinny jeans" so you pull them out of the closet, shake the dust off of them and start to slip them on .... And (if you're anything like me) all of a sudden you're stuck, WHAT??!?! They won't go up!?! They won't get past those hips and booty!! So like all rational women, you think "they must have shrunk a little from the last time I washed them! Ugh why did I put them in the dryer?!?" Soooo ... you start to fight your jeans, a battle that even if you win will leave you exhausted and defeated, you grab on tight and start to pull up as you wiggle back and forth (a dance I know all too well), when that doesn't work on to the next strategy, you jump up and down as you pull those jeans up, slowly but surely they start slipping up, we're almost there.... just a few more inches and victory will be yours!!! Ahhh yes now the jeans are up the thighs and your booty is squeezed in nice and secure, now to concur ... THE ZIPPER! you suck in your stomach until your intestines are flattened, hold your breath and pull up on that zipper, your fingers start to turn white from the pressure, you start to turn blue (from holding your breath) and that zipper doesn't budge, most people would give up by now, but not you!!! You went through child birth!! If you could do that then you can do ANYTHING!! All you need is a new plan of attack, you lie down on your back, gravity will help smush that stomach down, and you squeeze together at the top of the jeans, if you could only get the button buttoned then the zipper will be a breeze. Your sooo close only centimeters away, one ... more ... pull.... AND you did it! Button done! Now you pull on that zipper and up it goes!! YAY!! WOOHOO!! YOU: 1 JEANS: 0 you did it! Your skinny jeans fit again! So excited and on a high you rush to the mirror to check yourself out..... And the score suddenly changes, sure the jeans fit and everything is more or less squeezed in the jeans but you can't be seen in PUBLIC like this!!! So defeated and emotionally scarred you start to take the jeans off (which surprisingly is almost as hard coming off as putting on!!) Like I said before, exhausted and defeated, you fold your jeans back up and put them in the closet to collect dust. YOU: 0 JEANS: 1

Now you're confused and angry and this is when the thought of "I lost my body forever! It will never be the same!!" comes in your mind. But this doesn’t have to be the end of the story, sure you lost battle 1 with the jeans but you could still win the war! So many changes happen in your body to make pregnancy and labor possible that you can't expect your body to change back overnight once the baby is out! These changes in essence change the structure and alignment of our bodies. We have to re-learn how to carry ourselves, where our bodies are in space and slowly (if you keep up the exercise and eating right) everything will fall back into place, or should I say tighten back up into place.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Exercise Fights Postnatal Depression!!!

I'm a strong believer that when I exercise consistently that I stay sane, and now it’s been proven!!! LOL But seriously exercising can help prevent postnatal depression and improve the overall well being of new mothers!


There was a study done which supports these findings. I'll spare you all the research mumbo-jumbo but basically a hospital in Australia initiated a Mommy and Baby Program (that is very similar to our BabyWeight Program) the program started when babies were between 6 and 8 weeks old and ran for about 8 weeks. During the course of the program moms participated once a week in an exercise program with their babies that involved cardio and strength training; they were also able to participate in educational seminars (Coffee Talk!!) in which they provided information about infant massage, nutritional info for mothers and babies, communicating with baby, etc. And basically what they found at the end of the study was that "there was significant improvement in the well-being scores and depressive symptoms of the group." The moms in this group reported they "felt like better mothers", and were "feeling positive, more energetic, happy and more refreshed." than mothers not participating. Whether the exercise, the educational seminars or the social component of the program is responsible for the results isn't known.

In my opinion all three aspects probably played a big role in women feeling better both physically and emotionally. Exercise gives you endorphins and makes you physically stronger and more fit, the educational seminars put your mind at ease that you know what you're doing and the social component gives you support and lets you know that you're not alone or the only person going through the sleepless nights, new lifestyle, etc.

I wish new mothers everywhere could participate in a group like this and this is why I'm so passionate about BabyWeight!!! If anyone is interested in reading a copy of the study please email me luly@babyweightinc.com and I'll send you a copy!

Until next time..... Love yourself and your babies!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Jackson 5K Run and Fitness Walk Canceled!

Unfortunately the Jackson 5K Run and Fitness Walk was canceled! I'm sorry and so bummed about it!! I'm looking into other local races that are going on around that date! There is the Celebrity 5K on March 21st on the beach which looks like a lot of fun and a really nice place to run.... BUT... the info on the website says that they DON'T ALLOW BABY JOGGERS!!! Boo! What is that?!?!?!? Either way I'm looking into it, I've already contacted the organizers of the race to see if they would let us participate. In the mean time I'll keep looking up other races in late March/ early April to see if there is one that would be fun for us to participate in!


I'll keep you posted! Now I'm off to get ready for BabyWeight Basics, time to get some stability in my loose, wobbly joints!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Oh, MONDAYS!

6:15 AM..... Peace and quiet in my house, a rare moment that I've learned to treasure. I think I have a few moments here to enjoy!!! :0) Carlos, CJ, and Ellie are all sleeping!!! I'm the only one up and it’s not some random hour in the middle of the night?!?! Amazing! I could get used to this!
So yesterday was quite the interesting day!!! I bit like a roller coaster ride!! LOL The morning was great, the weather was perfect; it was a beautiful day. Babyweight Stroller Boot Camp had a great turn out and a really fun workout! We got our blood pumping and heart rates up with strength and cardio intervals, did a few sprints, a few push ups and ended with nice jog around the park. We even got to socialize as the kids played in the park! It was such a nice day that I think no one wanted to leave!!!!

I had endorphins running through my body and I was feeling great, with lots of energy; got home picked up the house (which looked like a hurricane had struck) and was even able to clean CJ's room and get some paperwork done! (unheard of in the mommy world to get so much done in a morning!!)

Sooooo I'm thinking I can concur the world!! I decide to pick up CJ at school and take on Target with the two kids...... BIG BIG MISTAKE!!! See the things that seemed to have slipped my mind were nap time and Ellie's next feeding.... how could I forget nap time and snack time!?!?!?! Long story short my Target trip ended with two screaming babies ( I think they were competing to see who could attract the most attention!) and two big, about pancakes sized, breast milk leak stains on my white shirt, which was now see through. We were quite the site to see at the checkout line, but we made it out alive and I think I was effective birth control for the high school girl in line behind me at the check out!!!!!!!

Needless to say, the rest of my day fell in line with my target experience, ending with finally being able to shower at 10:00pm, with Ellie crying the whole time, I think I got to shave one leg and I'm pretty sure there is still conditioner in my hair!!! What a Monday! I'm exhausted!

I'm hoping Tuesday goes more smoothly, and I"m already off to a great start: had breakfast, made CJ's lunch, did a quick pick up of  Hurricane CJ struck house, got a blog in and going to head out to BabyWeight with my babies!!!!!!

It never stops! Gotta Love It!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

I'm Back!!!

So happy I got my computer back after not having it for a week I’ve realized how much I rely on it! It’s crazy!!!
Soooooooo much has happened since my last post! Ellie is five weeks old!! (Still not sleeping though ... :( ... one day ... one day!) She's actually wearing newborn clothes! yay! she's growing! CJ isn't a snot rocket (at the moment!, it seems the poor kid always has a cold!!) and I'm starting to feel like a person again, instead of a zombie!!
March is going to be a big month for BabyWeight! I'm finally getting organized ( I know I know it ONLY took me 5 or 6 months, organization is a constant struggle for me, but you gotta keep on keeping on!!) But like I was saying, March, a BIG month!

1. BabyWeight Joggers is finally starting!!! We will meet once a week at Jaycee Park for runs with our babies; we'll start small doing a combination of jogging and walking and slowly work our way up to completing the Jackson 5K Run & Fitness Walk on March 28th! Each month or so The Baby Joggers will participate is a local road race for charity. That way we will not only be giving back to ourselves but we will also be giving to the community! (everyone wins!!) You can check out our calendar for meeting dates for The Baby Joggers and due dates for race registration.

2. Our first official Coffee Talk is on the 23rd! We will have a guest speaker come once a month to talk to us about different topics of interest like nutrition, quick fix meals, organization and anything else you guys might want to hear about! So while we enjoy our coffee and bagels and our babies play we'll actually get a little smarter! Awesome! Dr. Norman Ruiz-Castaneda, a local pediatrician will be our fist speaker. Again you can check out our calendar for details like time and location

3. Our Website is finally up!!!!!!!!!! check it out! http://www.babyweightinc.com/
and now I got to go, baby is crying, toddler is breaking something and the oven is beeping!! ahhhh back to the insanity! gotta love it!