26 weeks pregnant. Stress, reflections and gratefulness

At 26 weeks the baby can hear conversions and distinguish voices! Our baby responds to big sister every time she speaks. It’s so amazing;-) babe weighs in at almost 2 pounds!!! We have less then 14 weeks to go until we get to meet our new tiny human and I am not sure how the time is going so fast!
I have been reflecting lots lately about this pregnancy. How different it is from my first (which was pretty smooth). This one started super bumpy. Lots of pain, a traumatic misdiagnose, that thank goodness didn’t end in tragedy, the loss of one baby, the discovery of a healthy second one, the work issues, the high blood pressure, heart murmur, the horrendous migraines and then medical leave.
It’s been a blur, a whirl wind and also an amazing journey. Amazing because this life is so wanted. It is worth every bit of stress and complication that has happened. I have discovered a lot about myself and the people in my life.

About myself: I have discovered that I am exactly where I am meant to be. My little family has never been a stronger unit. I have learned, finally to move past what others think and to look after myself and my family. It’s funny that you can actually learn to do this when your decisions impact the life of your unborn child.

About others: those that are truly there for you really are. They support you and care for you and just understand all the things that you can’t put into words. For them I am forever grateful. Then there are those that claim to be there. That tell others that they are there for you, but in reality they do everything to make things more difficult and have their own reasons why they can’t actually care about your well being. The funny thing is, it’s ok. Their true colours become obvious and it’s just not worth moving past. When it comes to your children and your health it’s just not worth trying to force trust. So, you let go and you move on and you become grateful to see then for what they really are.
I am grateful. I am happy. Yes, most of my days are hard and I struggle to maintain normalcy for my amazing four year old but I am also blessed to be able to rest in my home and watch my daughter play. Here is safe and relaxing and exactly where we need to be.

In roughly 14 weeks we will get to officially meet this amazing new person that kicks me so hard! Lol. We can’t wait to meet you babe. You are amazing and so wanted! Your big sister wishes every day for you to arrive now. I am happy that you are not listening to her. She will be the worlds best big sister!

The secret of goals

We guarantee every one of you had a goal in mind when ordering Shakeology. From wanting to lose weight, to simply eating healthier, we all want to get something out of Shakeology.

The tricky part can be pin-pointing a goal and creating measurable ways and strategies to obtain it.

If you are discouraged about the outcome of last year’s goals or past New Years’ Resolutions, it is time to make changes in how you plan and achieve your dreams. After all, “You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.” – Charles Noble

Here are 4 tips for success and to hold yourself accountable to your goals:

1. WRITE DOWN your goals and be specific.
Don’t just say, “I want to lose weight.” Since muscle weighs more than fat, that’s a misleading statement. Instead, write down a physical attribute you want to change about yourself, set a time frame, then describe how you plan to achieve it.

Example:
“I will [drop two sizes and wear my favorite pair of jeans] by [my birthday three months from now] by [replacing one meal a day with Shakeology and walking 30 minutes every morning.]“

2. VISUALIZE your results!
Rip a picture of your dream body (or body part) out of a magazine and tape it to your mirror or fridge. That way you’ll have a constant reminder of what specific goal you’re working towards.

3. REWARD yourself for success along the way.
For example, if one of your goals is to work out 5 times a week for a month, once accomplished, reward yourself with a new pair of tennis shoes or a workout top. DON’T reward yourself with garbage (like an eating-fest at your favorite restaurant).

4. Be REALISTIC with your goals!
This is the most important one of all. If your goal is to lose 100 lbs. in 3 months, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. You didn’t put the weight on overnight, so you’re not going to lose it overnight either.

Always keep in mind, the name of the game is to enjoy yourself. Change is an uncomfortable process but your journey doesn’t have to be. Remember to stop and smell the roses, be kind to yourself and take note of how far you’ve progressed on the way to your ultimate goal!

Awesome thought:

22 weeks

The baby:

At 22 weeks the baby is 11 inches and almost 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash). Apparently the baby now looks like a TINY HUMAN!

Lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and there are even tiny tooth buds developing beneath the gums.

Me:

Well, I have a definite pregnant belly. Have gained 8 pounds and it’s starting to get awkward to bend over! Unlike my last pregnancy I have not swelled this time and for that I am extremely grateful.

Thoughts:

I can’t even believe how fast this pregnancy is going. All things considered I thought it would be dragging out. There have been so many bumps along the way, starting with a misdiagnosis, that I will write about one day as I feel that it is extremely important to share, but today is not the day. For whatever reason, I can’t write about it until this baby has safely arrived.

I have been dealing with high blood pressure, dizziness and horrible migraines. Migraines that are triggered by the pregnancy hormone! Who knew that could even happen! The odds are similar to winning the lottery, yet, it doesn’t cause the same excitement. Lol 

Some days are awful and some days are alright. There are a lot that are in between the two. Rest has become my friend and is very much needed. I thought I would be going stir crazy, but, I am oddly ok with this all. Growing a tiny human is the most important amazing thing and I am grateful for the ability to do so. Despite the issues, I am one of those women that absolutely LOVES being pregnant. The growing belly, the kicking baby, all of it really. This baby is so very active. It’s great. Feeling the movement is the most amazing thing ever and it keeps me focused.

My big girl is so thrilled to be a big sister. She has such plans. I only hope she isn’t too disappointed that they baby will not be able to play with her for quite some time. Having said that, she is baby obsessed, so maybe it will all work out;-)

As a little family we could not be happier. We are excited to be a family of four;-)

Shakeology review

A guest post from 12 Star Diamond and founding coach, Traci Morrow When Shakeology was added to our exclusive Beachbody Coach store, it made a lot of sense to me: the idea of a meal replaced with a shake that in effect, filled in the large gaps of my present diet’s nutrition. An unhealthy accumulation of days – even years – stacked up where my body wasn't getting what I was needing and I felt it. Tired, feeling run down from my busy life, and out of time to prepare what I thought I needed – or did I even know what that was? Fruits that don't taste all that great anymore because they’re pulled from the trees or vines too early for mass crops, vegetables that came from a frozen bag and devoid of flavor as well. I’m a terrible pill taker, so my multivitamin consumption was more hit than miss. A shake that “acted like a salad but tasted like a dessert” is what it said, and as a protein shake consumer, I was game.

Shakeology turned out to be far more than I knew to hope for. A complete system: two workouts (30 and 50 minutes), a month of recipes for both flavors, and a meal plan (through the Club) for how to incorporate the shake into my day? This wasn't just a meal replacement shake that was going to require me to figure out how to incorporate it into my day – this was a lifestyle shift and one I desperately needed if I wanted to LIVE healthy. I love being able to speak from personal experience of how the Shakeology system has helped me regain energy, and have everyone I love on it! My 70+ year old parents, my 86 year old father in law, my siblings, my teenagers, and my 6 & 7 year olds love it too. All ages, both genders; experiencing health in a shake and a lifestyle shift that helps “End the Trend” of obesity, fast food diets, and highly processed foods that harm our generation..starting with us. ☺ If you’d like to try Shakeology for free, ask for a free sample and I’ll be happy to send you one!

I'm worth the investment. Are you?

Drinking Shakeology is a lot like brushing your teeth and exercising—you’ve got to participate in these healthy habits every day to see their benefits. The more you do it, the more you can experience these advantages.

 Here are 5 reasons you should drink Shakeology daily:

1. ☀️Your cravings for unhealthy foods can eventually disappear—and be replaced by cravings for healthy choices. It’s true!
2. ☀️You can save time! Replace one meal a day with Shakeology and that’s one less meal to plan. Whip up your shake and go. It’s fast food that’s great for you.
3. ☀️You can save money! If you drink Shakeology instead of eating lunch or dinner, you’ll spend just $4 on your meal.
4. ☀️You can save money! As Shakeology improves your digestion, boosts your energy, and keeps you lean, you’re bound to have fewer medical bills.
5. 
   
6. You can keep the weight off! Studies show that people who eat breakfast every day are less likely to regain the weight. Furthermore, a protein-rich breakfast helps you feel full and reduces the tendency to snack throughout the day.

Our Pregnancy Story

I share this story for no other reason then to simply share our story. It is in no way intended to provide medical advice or to slam our medical system as we had some amazing doctors along the way. We are grateful for their support, without them our sweet little Karis would not be with us.

Early in this pregnancy I was experiencing some severe pain and it was decided to do an early ultrasound to rule out tubal pregnancy. The first ultrasound was too early and it was not possible to say that it was not tubal. We went back a week later with the hope of ruling out a tubal pregnancy. The doctor came in at the end of the ultrasound and told us the baby was gone. They could not detect any cardiac activity and we were told to go get a D&C.

By that evening we didn't "feel" right about the diagnosis. We talked to our GP and maternity doctor and they agreed to support us in "waiting" it out to see what happened.

What followed was the longest 10 days of my life. Daily blood work to test the hCG levels. In early pregnancy the hCG usually doubles every 48-72 hours and it should normally increase by at least 60% every two days. My levels were doubling as expected but there was a 2% chance that I was experiencing a "missed miscarriage". This is when your body has lost the baby, but still continues to produce the hormone and act pregnant, even though you are not. We were told continually that the results looked optimistic but we should be cautious and not get our hopes up. It really made it difficult to not question my mental sanity. I wondered how deep my grief was that I just couldn't let go.......fast forward to the Friday before Christmas......our third ultrasound was scheduled.

Jeff and I went to the appointment, more nervous and anxious then we had ever been for anything before. It was the worlds longest hour. The technician was lovely and amazing but not allowed to discuss with us what she was seeing until the doctor was able to come and review the findings.

The findings were: twins. One that was viable, and up until this point had not been seen, and one that was not. This condition is referred to as vanishing twin syndrome. (Vanishing twin syndrome was first recognized in 1945. Vanishing twin syndrome is when one of a set of twin/multiple fetuses disappears in the uterus during pregnancy. This is the result of a miscarriage of one twin/multiple. The fetal tissue is absorbed by the other twin/multiple, placenta or the mother. This gives the appearance of a “vanishing twin”). The sweet little babe that they had found first was being re-absorbed by my body. The sac was almost empty by this point. The second baby that was just discovered appeared to be healthy. We were told to wait another two weeks to make sure that the baby was developing as they expected before we got too excited but at this point everything looked very hopeful.

With the Christmas holiday we ended up waiting for 3 weeks for ultrasound number 4. During the ultrasound everything checked out. The second sac was still present but empty and our other baby was thriving.

By the time we got to our 18 week ultrasound we had a healthy and super active babe. The babe that was discovered first was now 100% gone. Had we not had early ultrasounds we would have never known that it had been there. Other then the initial pain there were no symptoms to suggest that this was happening within my body. For the remainder of the pregnancy I was grateful for the super active baby that remained. I had constant reassurance that she was there.

On July 31, 2014 our sweet Karis Hope was born.

Healthy. Beautiful. Real.

You need a Challenge Group

I've Got Just What you Need to Succeed

• Have you been stuck in a rut with your workout and need a change?

• Are you going to the gym every day, but not seeing any results?

• Do you to eat healthy but you just can't stay away from the chips and cookies?

I have the perfect solution for you.  It is my Personal Fitness Challenge Accountability Group.

What is a Fitness Challenge Accountability Group?

It is a small group of 4-5 people who are committed to their health and fitness and want to achieve their goals.  Its a group of people who push each other to be the best that they can be.  Its a group that shares their accomplishments, their struggles, their goals and their challenges in the hopes of supporting and motivating the rest of the group.  Everyone in the group is committed to working out at least 3 days a week, committed to a healthy nutrition plan including Shakeology, and open to sharing their fitness goals and accomplishments with the group.  I will be actively coaching the group, participating in the group, and moderating the discussions.  The primary method of communications for the group is a private Facebook Group where everyone will be encouraged to post updates on a daily basis.  This approach eliminates any kind of geographical restrictions and lets us bring together anyone who wants to make the commitment.

Why are Fitness Challenge Accountability Groups so effective?

Accountability is the key to our success.  Most people start out a new fitness program full of enthusiasm and energy, but often that enthusiasm fades quickly at the first sign of adversity.  In the accountability group, your fellow participants will be expecting to see your workout logged  3 days each week and see the progress that you are making towards your goals.  Those mornings that you don't feel like getting up to workout, you will know in the back of your mind that the rest of the group will notice if you don't show up.  When you are tempted by that donut in the office break-room you can think about the others in the group who are making sacrifices to achieve their goals.  You can even tap into your competitive side by comparing your progress to the others in the group.  If you have 3 or 4 friends who all want to work toward their health and fitness goals, we can even form a group just for you and your friends.

How do I join the group?

The first step is the really think about WHY you want to be in a group like this.  I would love to have you in my group, but YOU have to be committed.  You have to truly want to make a change in your life.  When you and I talk about the Challenge Group, my first question will be "Why do you want to join this group?"  I am looking to see what is driving and motivating you.  Next, you need to sign up for your free Beachbody account with me as your coach.  We use the Team Beachbody account for logging and tracking your workouts so this step is important.  click here to start setting up your free account.  Once you setup your account I will contact you to discuss your goals, nutrition, and what fitness program you would like to do.