Comparison is the thief of {JOY}.

I’ve been receiving some messages/e-mails lately from some ladies in my “fit-fam”. {I’m in a TON of fit mom, bodybuilding, fitness, healthy eating groups and meet TONS of ladies who now earn the title of my “fit-family”} They are asking, “How are you losing your baby weight?” and “What exercises are you doing?”, “Do you have stretch marks?”, “How do you have energy to workout?”

I think it’s great that we as women can encourage each other by sharing our tips and tricks to getting the baby weight off. Talking about how we can get a workout in when we are BEYOND exhausted or what we can do to lose weight without losing our milk supply. What’s NOT great is when you compare your body/story to mine or vice-versa. Losing baby weight takes TIME à a concept I didn’t quite understand until I had Moses. I thought at {3 months Postpartum} I would be close to where I was before I had him… Not realizing the havoc pregnancy throws at your body. Not only your “physical shape” but your hormones, your motivation, your lack of sleep AFTER baby gets here, the stretch marks, the mommy brain {They never told me that “pregnancy brain” lasts BEYOND the pregnancy}.

What is working for me, may not work for you. You may lose 10 lbs. in the time it takes me to lose 2 lbs. Maybe you can go on a juice cleanse, well I can’t because I get a farty/unhappy baby. Maybe I’m up walking a couple miles a day and you are still icing it on the couch… The list goes on in ways we can compare our journeys to others, but what’s important is that we LOVE our bodies at whatever post-baby stage they’re at.

The honest truth is that ALL women {and men, but I’m speaking mainly for women} can let judgment and jealousy into our lives and it can steal our happiness.  Moms, you’ve had a beautiful child GROW inside of you. YOU provided life for that child you love so very much. As important as it is to me to get rid of the baby weight! It’s MORE important to me to enjoy my son and his amazingness. Also, to realize how magnificent it is that my body made him and is now feeding him and keeping him healthy. HELLO???? Not everyone gets that gift!!

I’d LOVE to share what I’m doing to shed this weight, where I’m getting my motivation, what I’m eating. But don’t compare. Look deep inside who YOU are and be happy with your journey. We ALL start somewhere and wherever you start is beautiful. You are beautiful!

XO

Hannah

My favorite {JUICE} recipe!

I'm OBSESSED with juicing. {period} It tastes good, it makes me feel energetic and healthy. I whipped up my favorite recipe this morning and here it is to share with you! So if you juice, you have to try this recipe and tell me how it is via: Facebook, IG, twitter or comment here ;)

I'm breastfeeding and a lot of you have commented about my "juicing and BFing" Currently I'm trying to increase my production, so I juice once a day, not as a detox, but as a way to get extra nutrition ANNNNNDDDDD to help me with energy!! Waking up every couple hours during the night to nurse my babe is t.i.r.i.n.g {other mommas can relate, I'm sure}

Later this afternoon when Moses goes down for a nap I'm gonna get my workout in! This is what I'm doing… It's gonna burn! I hope y'all are having a fabulous Friday!! #TGIF

XO

Hannah

Happy New Year 2014 {resolutions and such}

Hello January!!

The month of NEW promises to ourselves and new resolutions made! I LOVE IT! So many people diss the “resolution” process… Not I.

Setting goals, Creating dreams, Finding new beginnings… I THRIVE on those things ;)

Anywho, The last three months have been nothing but CRAZY with becoming parents, the holiday season, traveling to Oregon for those holidays. I’ve loved showing off our little Moses to family and friends. There is NOTHING like being home --- > and I feel like Oregon IS my home.

 

Moses' First Christmas {in Oregon}

But being back at our “home for the next 11 months” MAUI feels great as well! Getting back in to our regular routine, Dave starting his LAST year of Nursing school, watching Moses do all those baby things that are just too adorable. Ahh, life is good.

 

Our first hike of the year {in Maui}

Soooo….

My New Years resolutions: “clears throat & stands on pedestal” ;) {These are not in order of importance as they all interact with each other to create the ultimate resolution = To be better than I was last year}

1} Be a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC wife and mom to my boys. Nurture them, love on them, cook for them, clean for them, be patient with them, give lots of kisses and hugs to them… You get the idea!

2} Create a awesome post baby body, my {fitness} goals for the year consist of yoga, walking with the stroller, TurboFire and general exercises using my own body weight {lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.} I realize that it took 9 months to create little Moses in my body, I want to take it nice and slow to get back to where I was.

3} My health goals: Juicing more with my {Omega 8006}. Eating 80/20 that’s 80% clean, 20% indulge. Choose greens over grease. Lay off the cheese/dairy and bread, that stuff should be used in moderation {my personal choice, I feel better when I don’t consume tons of dairy & I’m addicted to bread so… That’s an issue}

4} Daily devotions… 13 days in and I’m going strong. Doing different devotion books, spending time reading from the Word, studying and joining a few online bible studies. Bringing the bible into our everyday lives. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. <- My assignment as a mom right thurrrrr…  Teach my baby the word diligently, which mean I have to know it myself! Boom, done!

5} ENJOY my last 11 months in Hawaii. We’ll be moving back to the mainland in December and I want to do EVERRRRRYTHING I can to leave this island feeling amazing and ready for our next adventure.  This summer especially, because Dave will be out of school and we’ll have 4 months to LIVE IT UP!! There are so many amazing people here and so much beauty, I want to soak it up {as well as some sunshine} before we head to Oregon.

Alright! Whew! My resolutions are out there for all to see. Bring it 2014!

XO

Hannah

Mundane Thursday, but I got a workout in and some new makeup!

So far today, it’s been a “get things done” morning!

My mother-in-law left last night after being here for two weeks with us. I’m really blessed with an awesome mother-in-law… ALL of her daughter-in-laws would agree 100% with me! She’s so helpful, encouraging and fun to hang out with. There was lots of girl talk and laughing. But, everything comes to and end and it did yesterday after I dropped her at the airport.

Smiley boy this morning!

This morning after Moses gave me an amazing night of sleep (two, four hour increments) we woke up and hit the pavement with my friend and neighbor, Jen. We walked for an hour and a half and it felt SO good! I burned some major calories!! BOOM ;) I’m slowly getting back into my workouts, mainly walking hills and doing some squats/lunges/pushups. I haven’t started an actual “program” yet, I’m still researching which one I should dive into. DO you have any suggestions???

Burned some MAJOR calories today!

When we got home it was naptime for Moses, so I got some things done around the house, scheduled some appointments, returned e-mails, cleaned, did laundry… Normal housewife duties!

Anywho, in more exciting news…  I literally haven’t worn any makeup since Moses was born 8 weeks ago! I’m not the most amazing woman when it comes to applying makeup, but I love it. Some ladies (most of my girlfriends) can get all dolled up and their makeup looks professional!! I get all dolled up and look like a first grader got a hold of the makeup brushes. BUT things are about to change. I’ve been watching some awesome youtube makeup gurus and they are teaching me how to do my makeup and look good, not scary.

In honor of this “research” I’ve been doing. My hubby bought me some new MAC makeup :D Well, the truth is, I asked him to pick up the blacktrack fluidline eye liner and he went there and they got all crazy and in his words “were talking so fast and telling him, she needs this, she needs that” and soon enough the card was swiped and he walked out all confused on how he got bamboozled by crazy MAC ladies {They are pretty convincing.. And pretty}. Anywho, it ended up in a early Christmas gift for me. Hooray!

My IG pic of the new makeup! So excited to dive in!

I’m excited to try out some looks and look all cute for our Christmas vacation to Oregon!

I hope you are having a great Thursday!

XO

Hannah

{Baby Moses Arrives} Part 2

Right after I delivered Moses, he was laid on my chest. I was overjoyed to see him after carrying him for 41 weeks and 6 days! He was beautiful. We all knew something was wrong though. He wasn’t breathing well, not crying, he was more blue than pink. Shortly after he was laid on my chest he was taken away to the nursery.  They got me all cleaned and stitched up and moved me to the postpartum floor a couple hours after I delivered. My mom and doula, Lora, left and it was just Dave and I waiting to hear any news at all about Moses. At this point I had no clue what was going on. I was confused as to why I wasn’t able to breastfeed him or see him, but the nurse assured me his pediatrician would be in to speak with me shortly.

Another hour passed and finally a pediatrician came in with a look on her face that was awful! I was terrified! She pulled up a chair and started letting us know the severity of his situation. He told us he was not doing well and was going to be airlifted to the neighboring island {Oahu} Where there is a NICU to care for him.

My heart came up into my throat. Most hospitals have NICU’s, they take the kiddo upstairs to the next floor and the moms/dads can still be in the same facility of their babies. HERE in Hawaii, there is ONE NICU for all the islands. It’s on Oahu, making this experience way more difficult.

After the doc came to speak with us my husband had to leave {Another dumb Maui hospital rule} The postpartum woman can’t have ANY visitors, not even the husband from 10pm-8am. It was around 4:30am at this time and I begged the nurse to let Dave stay with me as I was completely devastated not being allowed to see my son. They didn’t agree with that so Dave had to leave.

Around 5am, the helicopter finally flew in to take Moses and the pediatrician asked me if I’d like to go see him before they send him off. OF COURSE I DID! So I followed her into the nursery and saw my beautiful boy. {This was 5 hours after I delivered}, I saw him for a few minutes in this huge incubator, he was all alone, I was all alone. It was so hard to see him like that. I hadn’t been allowed to hold my baby or give him a kiss or love on him at all.

As I walked out I lost it. I could barely make it back to my room – I was heartbroken, empty and totally broken. Not only did I not get to love on my newborn, but he was being flown across the ocean to another island and who knows when I will be able to get there, see him, love on him. I questioned, What if I never saw him again? What if he doesn’t make it? I’ve never experienced such a hard moment in my life.

Napping on and off throughout the night I finally awoke in the morning to crying babies. I woke up and looked around questioning where I was, where my baby was, what had happened, was it a dream? There was no one but me in the room. It was awful, I called for the nurse in panic – What is happening? Where is Moses? She assured me everything that happened earlier that morning was in fact true. Moses wasn’t here. Listening to crying babies was so hard as I wanted to wake to my baby, like I had planned.

Quickly, the care manager came in to talk with me and comfort me. I was almost in a dream, it was slow motion, I couldn’t wrap my head around everything that had happened.  Over the next few hours, I had a flight set for me to get to Oahu, my mom booked the same flight, my hubby packed me a bag, my amazing doctor released me 24 hours early from the hospital to catch my flight, we picked up all my prescriptions {The doc wrote a few knowing I would be up and walking a lot, which isn’t something most people do right after delivering a baby AND I had lost way too much blood during labor and needed a high dose of iron} we caught our plane, got a hotel, took a taxi to the NICU and I saw my beautiful son for REAL—The most special moment was when I spoke and he turned his little head, totally recognizing my voice. It was so touching and emotional. AMAZING, NO words to describe my love for this baby.

Holding him for the first time! 

 It was shocking to see him with tubes and IV’s and all sorts of cords coming out of everywhere. But his nurses were amazing, they loved on him, reassured me. Everyday we stayed in Oahu, we’d wake up around 7-8am, go to Denny’s and get breakfast, catch a taxi to the hospital, spend time with Moses even if it was just sitting and staring at him while he was in the incubator, leave around 9-10pm, and do it all again the next day.

Moses all "hooked up"

The prayers of everyone were so appreciated and we know it’s why he healed SO fast and was able to leave on day 5. It was a miraculous healing, all glory goes to Jesus. When we were there I just visualized my Baby Bjorn Carrier, I looked at it each day and said, that’s what I’m surviving for right now. To pack MY baby up in that carrier and head back to Maui. It gave me the energy I needed to get through. My emotions were so intense, my body was trying to heal, my mind was running on 10% brain power… It was the hardest 5 days on my life.

Taking my baby home!

We are now 8 weeks postpartum and it’s been a journey. I’m so in love with my little boy. He’s so in love with me and I look forward to the MANY years of watching him grown into an amazing person. My little miracle.

 Thanks for reading about our amazing miracle and THANK YOU for your prayers!

Xo,

Hannah {& Moses}