Back in…Pink?

Ok, having been absent for a YEAR (really?!) I realize there are a few updates I need to state right off the bat from 2014: #1: I had a baby! Yes, two crazies have created another crazy. More on her below. #2: My baby sister got married! She was absolutely stunning and her hubby was a stud. Cheers to them as they venture down the road of marriage. #3: We spent two and a half weeks in the Czech Republic! Brandon and I, another couple, and 7 high school students ventured on a mission trip to spread the gospel to youth in CZ. Amazing adventure, amazing people and truly got to see God working in many lives. We also found out we were pregnant 3 DAYS before we left. Needless to say, morning sickness made for an interesting challenge on the trip! #4: We lost my grandpa. My grandpa Bopa passed away at the age of 90th. He was a genuine man of respect, hard work, loved by his family, humble, stubborn and a fellow lover of ice cream. Actually, he is who I credit my stubbornness and love of vanilla ice cream! He is deeply missed by many. #5 I ran the Vancouver half marathon, while pregnant. No, I did not know it at the time. Yes, I missed my PR by 7 seconds – MAJOR BUMMER! But great race with great friends!! Ran along side three coworkers and roommate from college. Can’t beat that!

Ok, we’re caught up. Back to the baby. We had a beautiful baby girl on February 23, 2015. If you go by when my contractions first started, I was in labor for just under 30 hours. But I would start when contractions got “intense” and I went to the hospital for the first time, which would mean I was in labor for 15 hours. In the interest in preserving my womanhood, I will skip the details and sum up my birth story by saying: I broke down and got an epidural, rainbows and ponies instantly danced around my birthing room, baby girl got stressed and pooped en route, I got cut, baby girl made it out safely, I was stitched, and Brandon and I cried like little girls as we welcomed our daughter into the world.

Ok, now pre-baby (please excuse my randomness. it is truly evidence of mommy brain!). Throughout my pregnancy, I tried to stay as active as my body would allow. I ran until I was 28 weeks. It got pretty rough at the end and I pushed it a little too hard on a 7-mile run with my brother. Don’t worry, My hips and groin muscles screamed at me the entire next week. When I gave up running, I switched to walking and swimming. NOTE TO PREGGO MOMMAS: Swim!! It seriously was amazing to feel weightless in the water and be able to exercise with no pain or strain. As far as eating goes, well, let’s just say there were times (many times) that I didn’t brag about being a dietitian. I craved everything sugar, including root bear floats, cinnamon candy, ice cream (shocker!), and fruit. And I have to admit, I fully indulged in far too many cravings. However, my saving grace was my short torso and subsequent placement of baby girl in my ribs and stomach. Hence, until she dropped at around 36 weeks, I felt like I’d explode if I simply ate a piece of lettuce. Hence, my pregnancy weight gain was around 25 pounds total. Upon her arrival, I lost 16 of it immediately. Once my milk came in, I thought I was going to eat my arm off. Everything in the house was consumed, health and unhealthy, and I still lost a few more pounds. Unfortunately, this ravenous binge didn’t stop. Between my constant eating and the justification of, “I can eat that, I’m nursing,” I gained a few pounds back. Awesome. I felt like a failure, a fatty, a bloated dairy cow (to use exact wording).

Which brings me to present day. I’m now 10 weeks post-baby and starting to get back into a routine of healthy eating and exercising. I’ve been running sparingly for 4 weeks and walking a lot. I’ve got about 10-15 pounds to lose and long way to go to get back to my pre-baby fitness level, but I’m taking it one step at a time. With patience, commitment, accountability and realistic goals, I’m back on a healthy path of achieving my goals. I’m going to give myself a break and enjoy every minute of being a new mom to the most beautiful girl!!

Why do I take the time to write all this? #1 So you see me as a real person with struggles and failures, same as everyone else. #2 To relate to all the other mamas out there who think they might be the only ones struggling with finding a healthy balance with their family and body, post baby. #3 To keep myself accountable to my goals.

So that’s where this blog is headed: babies, exercising, food, goals, nursing, and more. For now, my challenge is to you: WHAT GOAL CAN YOU SET FOR YOURSELF THIS WEEK? Make is simple, attainable (and dare I say easy?!) so you can reach it this week.

Talk to ya’ll soon!

-Kristen

Our team in the Czech Republic.

Baby Girl in Daddy’s arms.