Bump Update: 30 Weeks

It's the final countdown! (cue synthesizer!) After this week I will be in the single digits of how many weeks are left until my due date. So mentally I am celebrating the fact that I can say 10 weeks, but I am also getting nervous. Not about birth or labor but about how much our lives are going to change with #3 here in the house. (I am one of the crazy ones that actually like birthing a baby, unmedicated. I feel strong and even more empowered and it is a total Badass moment for me!) But life is going to change so much. One more mouth to feed. One more direction to be pulled. One more child to love. It is exciting, but so very surreal at this point thinking of it.

Her nursery is almost done! YAY! I know she won't be using it for awhile, but it is still nice to have it set up and ready. And honestly, I didn't plan on doing as much as I am. like new crib sheets. I wasn't planning on getting new ones, but when you find some that are the exact theme, you have to get them! I can't wait to show you how it looks! I just sit in there after I put the boys down for bed and just soak it all in. Seeing my vision of 5 years on how I would decorate my little girls room come to life is pretty amazing!  

Nesting has definitely set in. Remember when I mentioned that I just didn't care to clean or do anything? Well, I care now! My house is actually looking pretty dang good. Kitchen is being kept up with. Basement is picked up. I just can't stand messes right now. If it is cluttered it gets under my skin. We just have a couple more rooms left to organize and the house will be ready to go for Elyse to join the family, and family to visit! (10 weeks, family will be here! WOW!) 

Total Weight Gain: Gained 16.7 pounds total. Weight as of this morning 254.4 pounds. Up .4 from last week! YAY! Trying to be Junk Free in July is WORKING! (it is our theme for this month in my exclusive health and fitness support group)

Symptoms: Minor heartburn this week. Trying not to eat too close to bed time. We are eating dinner around 5:30 pm most night instead of an hour later, like we do when I am teaching. So that has helped a lot. Peeing a ton! But I am making sure I am drinking tons of water though so I don't get dehydrated. My new rule, after every time I go to the bathroom I drink more water.

Baby’s Size: Butternut Squash (~17 inches inches, 3.1 pounds)

Maternity Clothes: Yes, bottoms need to wear maternity or stretchy pants. Tops I wear maternity now and my bigger t-shirts. Wearing my new Fabletics sports bra in these pictures and LOVE THEM and the fun colors! A ton more coverage and super comfy!

Stretch Marks: I already have a ton that I got when I gained weight years ago. So nothing new. I am using Honest Company belly balm right now though to help my belly stretch so I do not get any new ones.

Gender: GIRL!!! 

Sleep: Sleep is like never ending for me. I am up at 11:30pm, 1:30am, and 3:30am without fail to use the bathroom. Then I have a hard time falling asleep again, and then Matt is up for work around 5am so I get up then too. Basically I am up every 2 hours to pee! Nights just seem to drag since I can't get comfy, or back to sleep easily. Oh and she likes to move A TON around the 11:30-midnight wake up. It is crazy how active she gets! 

Miss Anything: Sleeping comfortably flat on my belly or back! Sleeping through the night. 

Cravings: Veggies. Are really the only thing I really have to have with my meals. I really don't have any cravings of things that "I have to have". I just really enjoy eating good foods. 

Aversions: Sweets taste too sweet for me, so I can only handle a little at a time. I guess that is my only aversion.

Excited About: This is the last week in the double digits for counting down the weeks. 10 weeks until my due date. It is getting real. I did get some of the nursery set up. Just waiting for a few more pieces and I will share with you what I did and what it looks like. Still trying to force myself from getting my go bag ready and setting up the pack-n-play. But waiting a little longer before I do that.

Workouts: Okay this week! I only got in 4 days this past week. My regular Workouts include: 21 Day Fix yoga & pilates.  Beachbody On Demand Active Maternity and Diary Of A Fit Mommy's Fit For Two 2nd Trimester workouts in daily. Still trying to get in walks everyday for the kiddos at night, but it didn't happen every night with the rain and thunderstorms.

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Creating Healthy Habits

When you think of the word DIET, what do you think?

For me I think, calorie restriction. 1200 calories total. But after learning about how my body works and what it needs to function (when not pregnant) I require almost double that. RESTRICTING FOODS OR CALORIES LEADS TO DISASTER! Ever wonder why diets fail? THIS IS WHY! Your body needs fuel, it needs calories, and restricting will just lead you to at some point binge eat, then the guilt sets in, then the desire to continue can dissipate.

It's about making healthy habits rather than restrictions! Choose to eat healthy carbs instead of white bread, or regular pasta. Choose to eat fruit as treats, instead of candy. Because fruit is nature's candy! Choose to exercise for just 30 minutes instead of busting your butt in the gym for over an hour. It is all about finding that balance of good eating, enjoying what you are eating and doing the right kinds of exercise that will benefit your body the most!

You can go HERE AT CALCULATOR.NET to give you a rough estimate on how many calories you need to maintain your weight, to lose 1 pound, 2 pounds and so forth. Now I am not a calorie counter, because I follow the 21 Day Fix program where I use color coded containers for each food group. And based on my weight and height and other factors, I fall into a calorie bracket. Then it tells me how many of each container to eat. It is so easy and takes the guess work out of EVERYTHING! 

And make sure to PIN for later or print out this FREE document to help you know what foods you should actually be eating vs what not to eat. This is using the 21 Day Fix containers but these are the foods you want to be consuming! If it isn't on the list, do not put it in your mouth. But isn't this list great! LOOK at how many things you can actually enjoy! (this is just one of the many documents you get access to in my free or EXCLUSIVE health and fitness support group! If you would like more info on how to join or what it is about please EMAIL ME so we can chat. I would love to help you reach your health and fitness goals and make a true healthy lifestyle change!)

Make the word "DIET" a bad word in your book. Diet's don't work, they don't last. A healthy lifestyle change is what works and will give you the results you want and deserve.

Today think about some healthy swaps you can make to your everyday life. Like, replacing your bread in the morning with 1/2 cup of oatmeal. Adding veggies to every main meal of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Drinking more water when you feel cravings set in. 

**Comment below with some healthy swaps that you can do! Share some ideas with all of us!** Also dust off one of your old workout videos. Pop it in and give it a go! See how it makes you feel. Remember that feeling and do it again tomorrow!

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Fit And Healthy Plus Size Pregnancy: Same Weight, Feel Amazing 3rd Time Around

Here we are. My crunch time in pregnancy. Tomorrow marks my final 10 weeks until my due date and with my last 2 pregnancies, the last 10 weeks I GAINED the most weight. Especially with Collin. Since I stopped marathon training and I just sat on my butt and really didn't exercise, and ate whatever I wanted. Look at these 2 pictures. I am the exact same weight in both of these pictures. 254 pounds. (which is a really scary number to admit to everyone but there it is.) The left is me with Collin at 39.5 weeks pregnant. The right is 29 weeks (last Wednesday) with Elyse. But...

BUT! I FEEL TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOW THAN I DID 2 YEARS AGO! 2 years ago I felt sluggish. I felt tired. I was hungry all the time and I ate whatever I wanted. I didn't really like how I looked, I knew I was pregnant but in my eyes I LOOKED HUGE and I FELT MISERABLE!

NOW, I feel amazing. I have more energy. I know I am feeding my baby the right foods and actually getting my veggies in everyday and superfoods that I never even knew how to get in my daily diet. I actually love how I look, which is a first for me.

I have completely changed my lifestyle of eating and exercise. I am working so hard to eat the right foods. The right portions. And yes, I eat other foods too, but I really try to limit how much "extra" I eat, and what I eat, unlike I did 2 years ago with Collin. I finally learned what to feed my body and I want to share all that information with you and support you if you are ready to make changes in your lifestyle too. Let's get you started today if you are tired of getting stuck in the same cycle of yo-yo dieting and are ready to make a life long change for the better! Let's chat. Email me or comment below!

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6 Tips To Help Siblings Transition To Sharing A Room

We are now going on 3 full weeks of our boys sharing a room full time! I have been imagining this for years you guys! My two boys sharing a room and then the other room for our little girl. Now that Collin has moved into Mason's room full time I get to start working on baby girl's room! SO EXCITING...but onto what this is really about. How to transition siblings to sharing a room.

Mason is 5 next week and Collin just turned 2. To give you an idea on their ages. Collin moved out of our room as a newborn at 3 months because he could not stand being in a room with us. He actually slept better in his own room than in the room with us. Frankly, we all slept better. It was amazing. Considering that it took me 8 months to get Mason to sleep ok in his room by himself. I had been really nervous about putting the boys in the same room for this reason.

A few weeks ago we had a really bad and noisy thunderstorm and Collin was so scared to go to bed. It was 9:30pm and hour and a half past his bedtime and he was just screaming when I said it was time to go to bed. Mason had been asking to have a sleepover with Collin in his bed. I was hesitant because I didn't want Collin to get squished against the wall or fall out of bed. But I gave in because Collin was so excited when I asked him if he wanted to sleep in Mason's bed. Collin climbed right up and giggled and had a huge grin on his face (see above picture). It was too cute! And Mason was so excited too! That was the first night of them sharing a bed/room. For the next 2 weeks Collin continued to sleep in the bed with Mason, and taking naps in his crib so he could actually get some sleep during the day. It was crazy but it actually worked. The boys sharing a bed. Collin actually getting some sleep. The down side, they were up by 6am every morning without fail which is really too early for Collin, considering he was sleeping in until 8:30-9am everyday before that. Oh We had already ordered the bunk bed and just were waiting for it to be delivered.

After a 3 long weeks of waiting for the bed to arrive it did! And it was put together in less than 30 minutes. It was amazing. We hadn't planned on Mason sleeping on the top bunk until he was 5 and even pushing it longer because I didn't know how Collin would react to Mason being on the top bunk. But after a week and a half we decided, that the change needed to be done. Collin was becoming dependent on Mason being next to him to sleep. So we ordered our new Hyphen mattress for Collin on the bottom bunk and 6 days ago, the boys started sleeping in their separate bunk beds.

(Getting the room ready for the new bunk beds!) 

Has it been easy? NO! Collin was very dependent and didn't understand why Mason was above him. And Collin wanted to be up there with him. We also do not have the ladder attached to the bed. Collin has already tried to climb up it, and for his safety we only pull the ladder out for Mason to climb up to the top. Mason knows how to get down safely without it. (and up, but not every time, unless he really wants it, then he can get up every time.)  Collin still wants someone to cuddle with him as he falls asleep, and I did that for 2 nights, then decided he needs to get used to this. We have had to be more flexible and talk to him about it. We are doing things to make sure that they are really tired before they go to bed. And that helps.

6 TIPS TO HELP SIBLINGS TRANSITION TO SHARING A ROOM

1) Know that they might not sleep as long as they used to
All of you might be getting less sleep because they won't go to bed exactly when you want them too. Having too much fun talking or playing quietly. Plus they wake each other up, and waking up earlier in the day then they and you are used to. They are ready to play together first thing in the morning and they won't be afraid to let you know. We have had early wake up times as early as 4:30am. I have to talk to them and tell them that the sun isn't awake and they can't be either. And send them back to bed. But they don't want to...They want to play.

2) Make a new bedtime routine
We have made sure to do a big play time or walk before bed to wear them out. Then we have to get them ready for bed with potty, brushing teeth, prayers and then I sing a few songs for them. This seems to calm them down. And we are trying to stick to this schedule every night. We added in the walk and singing for them.

3) Be Flexible
We now have to turn off the light at the fan because Mason would get up and flip on the switch and wake Collin up if he had to get up to go to the bathroom. Collin would come in our room crying and mad because Mason woke him up. Understand that they are learning the new routine. And Collin, sometimes he doesn't like to go in his bed and he escapes. Just keep talking to them. Encouraging them to stay there and why it is so great!

4) Make new rules
For safety, we do not have the ladder, and we have to explain all the time why to Mason. It's for the safety of his brother. Another new rule, if Mason wants some alone time he can now escape to his bed, which is out of reach from his brother. Same with Collin. I tell him, that his bed is a safe zone and that if he needs a break he can go sit and play or rest on it.

5) Make it fun 
Change is so hard for kids. They do not like it, as much as they act like they do, they don't like change. Make sharing a room the coolest thing since sliced bread. Congratulate them for sleeping in their bed. Be overly excited that they slept through the night. Make it fun for them and something that they look forward to.

6) Keep something the same.
With the sibling moving into the room, trying to bring something from his previous bed into the new bed so that it is familiar. It is so easy to just go straight into new bedding and a new setup, but you really have to ease them into it. Collin and Mason both sleep on a sheepskin blanket, so that was in there, but I also pulled Collin's favorite two blankets and his small pillow from his crib. It took about 3 weeks before we could transition to his big boy blankets without him wanting his other blankets. And he was so excited to get his big boy pillow.

(Final look after both Mattress are set up and room is DONE!) 

It is an exciting thing for siblings to share a room! They have a friend to be around, as much as the other one might not want it, or act like they don't like it, they really do. Hang in there and before you know it, they will be sleeping soundlessly!

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Meal Prep Tip #5

Meal prep is going to make or break you from reaching your goals! If you want to succeed, you HAVE to plan and prepare. Check out Tip #5.

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