41 weeks PREGGGGGGGGGNANT!!

So, it seems as if I will be pregnant FOREVER!! Haha.

I know SO many women carry their babies past the "due date" & everyone has their story as to what they swear put them into labor, but in my current situation... I believe it just happens when it happens.

The last three weeks I've been dilated, effaced, having regular contractions, feeling extreme pelvic pain,  pressure, heaviness and much much more -- And still, no baby ;) 

I've tried all of the home remedies to induce labor... 

Eaten PLENTY of pineapple

Accu-pressure points

Massage

Swimming

Squatting

Walking

Hill-climbing

Sex <-- Super fun when you feel like a whale!

Had my membranes stripped <-- Not at home for that one ;)

Drank TONS of raspberry tea

Focused on everything besides being pregnant

Talking to my belly

Laying on my left side for two hours... (weird one, right?) 

Fiber capsules 

Bouncing on a Yoga ball

Induce-your-labor-yoga <-- Found that on YouTube... Strange one, but I did it!

And there are more... This is all my weary-preggo-brain could think of at the moment.

Basically, little Moses is going to come when he comes and I think that will be PERFECT timing. Yes, there are days where I have emotional fits and super crazy personality disorder moments:

Here are a few of my personalities -- They are happy to meet you:

Mrs. Sadness -- that Moses is not here yet...

Mrs. Pity -- Like I'm the ONLY one who has ever gone through this "10 months pregnant" agony.

Mrs. Emotional -- Just crying, no reason... Just crying in random locations over absolutely nothing. Yesterday I cried over the rotisserie chicken I was eating... "This little fella was once alive..." :(

Mrs. Excitement -- Overjoyed, happy feelings about his arrival and what he'll look like and the excitement of being a mom. Almost a "High on Life" experience! <-- Endorphin overload.

Mrs. Cranky -- Total disregard for anyones feelings around me. I could care less feelings... "How dare you (anyone) even look at me or talk to me?! I'm over here suffering in the name of pregnancy" <-- I experienced this in Costco yesterday and about lost it on a little kid who was staring at me, or maybe he wasn't, but I wasn't having it... Whatever it was! 

Mrs. Clean -- Everything must be scrubbed RIGHT NOW!

Mrs. Self-Concious -- This comes from living in the ONLY thing that fits me, stretchy pants and huge shirts... "How unattractive can I get??" I finally went and bought myself a pair of big hoop earrings, like that will take the attention off of my huge yoga-pants-covered behind ;)

Mrs. Lovey -- I just want to cuddle my dogs and hubby forever, super at peace with everything, no worries about being pregnant or the uncomfortable-ness I feel. 

Mrs. Stretchmark Patrol -- The moments when I lock myself in my bathroom & survey my belly/thighs/butt for stretch marks --> Attack potential "marks" with coco butter/shea butter/coconut oil/vitamin E oil and pray healing over my skin!

Mrs. Post-baby planner -- Diving into blogs/books about breastfeeding, post-baby weight loss, exercise, meal planning, After-labor care, having a newborn at home, etc...

These are a few of the Hannah's my hubby has been so AMAZING at dealing with. 

Oh, and speaking of my husband... He's awesome! He's SO excited to meet Moses, some days even more than I am. He's working hard for us, going to RN school and still coming home and giving me foot massages, making sure my vitamins are taken, telling me how beautiful I look, "Those yoga pants look hot on youuuuu!" ;) 

I'm SO grateful for him, words can't even express it!

Anywho, hopefully my next post will have little newborn photos all sprinkled through it :)

XO,

Hannah

Maternity Photo's {38 weeks}

My amazing and talented friend, Alysse & her hubby Clint, offered to snap some pics of Dave and I so we could have some memories to cherish of this pregnancy.

She took SO many amazing ones, they are BEAUTIFUL!!!

Here are a few...

XO,
Hannah

Fall is upon us... What are some of your health/fitness/wellness goals?

What are some of your fitness/health goals for this Fall? Tell me, I really want to know!

****I know most of my "blog readers" are friends with me on FB/Instagram/Twitter and if you want to private message me through there with some of your fitness goals/questions, go on ahead. You don't HAVE to put them out here for all too see ;)

Considering I'm 9 months pregnant --> My goals need to be bite size {smallllll}. If you know me, you know I'm a "Goal Setter Extraordinaire". Even now, this far along into my pregnancy, I come up with these HUGE plans/goals that are way too outrageous for this season I'm going into--- My husband gladly calms me down and reminds me that I could have a baby at any second, maybe I should take my dreams down a few notches... In the moment I feel that he's a dream killer, but when I step back and look at the HUGE life-change that's about to take place, he's right :)

Sooooo... Since it's still a part of WHO I AM, I do have a few goals for this fall I'm going to share with you.

After baby arrives {Again, could be ANYDAY}

My goal(s) will be: Keep baby, mommy and daddy healthy and happy! Boom <-- There it is!

I am taking 2 classes this Fall at the University of Hawaii, still running a business, helping my husband get through nursing school, trying to maintain a clean house, make sure we are eating healthy meals and so on... Sitting at home with baby is not the only thing I have on my plate, but it's definitely one that I'm excited about and hope and pray I'm good at.

My mom is flying in as soon as she gets the "I'm in labor" phone call and she is staying for a few weeks which will be a life-saver. I'm so blessed that she can do this and thankful my dad is able to take over all of her duties while she's here with me.

I do have some health/fitness goals as well... Definitely journaling my food intake, getting back on track with my usual eating {It's changed a lot with pregnancy}, AS SOON as I feel well enough to go on walks, you bet I'm going to be out there walking!! Once I get clearance to work out from my doc, it's ON.

Yes, the goal is to breastfeed-- {Lots of you have been asking}. So I want to make sure I'm eating PLENTY of calories, healthy foods and not overdoing myself as that can lead to lower milk production and that is no bueno...

I'll keep you up to date on the happenings around here and I'm SO excited to share Project: New Mom & Lose the Baby Weight, over the next few months!!!

XO

Hannah

9 MONTHS PREGNANT <-- Waddle alert!

Definitely coming to the END of this pregnancy. This week I'll be starting my 37th week of pregnancy!! ABSOLUTELY crazy that Moses "could" arrive ANY DAY. My doctor said if labor starts, it's go-time, meaning they won't do anything to stop it :)

I have Braxton Hicks contractions every day, all day! Also, everyday I'll have quite a few really strong menstrual-like cramps. Every contraction is one step closer to meeting my son which is VERY exciting.

Walking for any period over 10 minutes is NOT COOL. I have to sit at least every 10 minutes or I have major contractions and then it's too late to find a place to sit and I just have to stand and breathe through my contraction which won't stop until I sit... Good practice for the upcoming birth.

Nesting is kind of here, kind of not. We are totally prepared for Moses, the ONLY thing we haven't done is pack our hospital bag which is TOTALLY not something to "wait till the last minute" but we have. Maybe we'll work on that tonight!! The pic below is really how I'm going about this whole nesting thing...

Being this far along in pregnancy is definitely a challenge. My pregnancy has been AMAZING, no real complaints. But this last week has been pretty rough.

-Hot flashes that DO NOT stop {a constant state of sweat dripping down my neck, SEXY!}
-NO SLEEP- Possibly because I'm propped up against hot pillows and icepacks, I have to pee every 10 minutes and my hips are sore from only being able to sleep on my hips for the last 5 or so months.
-Walking- uugh! Waddle, waddle & then stop for a contraction... Baby is SO low I feel like he may fall out...
-Exercise- I've been getting in the pool everyday, LOVE the weightless-ness of swimming AND the fact that it's cold water which helps with the overheating feeling.
-Water consumption- WOW! I carry a 33oz Camelbak water bottle with me EVERYWHERE and I drink about 6 of them a day. That's 198 oz of water a day. Way over my body weight which is the minimum I want to drink everyday. YAY for me. I'm thirsty all the time and if I forget my bottle {which has happened twice} I panic and pull into the closest mini-mart to pick up a gallon jug. Water is my BFF right now, that is for sure!
- Weight Gain- I want to the doc at the beginning of the week and I lost 2 lbs... LOVED SEEING THAT ;) I don't know how or why, but it happened and I won't complain.
-Complaining- I'm really trying to not complain, but 95% of the time I'm pretty miserable... Just uncomfortable doing anything. I guess that's 9 months pregnant??

I got a pedicure this week, a massage and the hubby bought me an air conditioner :D Overall, a great week!! I'm hoping this next week will be a tad more active if ya know what I mean... ;)

Here I am this week: comfy dresses are my lifesaver. They are lightweight, they are flowy and I still feel cute in them.

XO,

Hannah

::Just being honest:: A new way of thinking...

This is a totally raw and honest post from yours truly J

2 ½ years ago I took on a HUGE goal—LOSE weight! Get HEALTHY! It was my life, it was my passion, my every thought, my total mindset was focused around this. I did it too—I lost 30 lbs of FAT! Put on muscle and never felt better in my whole life. I never starved myself, didn’t use a “lose-weight-quick” plan, never thought about throwing up my food, nor did I obsessively weigh myself. I am proud to say I got healthy the healthiest way you can do it. Eating healthy and getting active…

In this pursuit for the perfect body ;) What’s that? Right! LOL!

SOOOOOOO many changes occurred. As they do whenever you make or have a significant life change. My goals, focuses, aspirations changed. A lot of them were for the better, but some weren’t… I started asking questions like:

WHY doesn’t everyone do this?? Why don’t people lose weight? What’s with all of the excuses? {I know I had my excuses for about 5 years} What will MAKE people change? How can I MAKE people change? I posted about it on my FB, twitter, told everyone I knew, I just became obsessed with “Fit-Thinking”. I have to make everyone lose weight!!

What I didn’t realize in this crazy, one-track-mind, obsessed frenzy I was in, was that not everyone wants to make this change. Not everyone was as obsessed as I was about their body image. Needless to say, the “healthy-looking mindset” I thought I had, wasn’t too healthy. I offended people with these thoughts and couldn’t give my clients what THEY NEEDED. Even though I thought I was doing it out of love {Who wants to watch their family/friends die, be depressed or get sick because of obesity related issues you can do something about it??} The way I was going about it, was not loving.

My point of this post is not to be an advocate to being overweight or that it’s okay to shovel fast food into our mouths on a daily basis while we follow it with a HUGE soda. I 100% believe in living a healthy lifestyle, but that also means being able to have “cheats”, enjoy cake, take a rest day from fitness, be a size 8/10 without having criticism, help people find a plan that works for them and their lifestyle.

Over the last year-ish {steadily gaining weight} during this pregnancy, not being involved in any fitness/weight loss company, stepping back from FB, prioritizing and re-fueling, I feel I’ve have a “mindset change” I’ve been able to step back, take a break and my eyes have been opened. I thank the Lord for this time. Although I’ve maintained a healthy pregnancy and stayed active throughout- I’ve still GAINED… My skin has stretched and I’m a vessel for this little boy who has already stole my heart and I haven’t even met him!! Also, stepping out of the fitness industry has been huge, constantly feeling the pressure of the competitions and media can take a tole on your thoughts!!

I want to be in a place where I can HELP people. Not force people to be a certain size or weight, but ENCOURAGE them to just make healthy changes in their lives.

It really, really, really is AMAZING to have a healthy, functioning body. To sweat out toxins, fill up with endorphins, feel confident in swimwear, have energy to LIVE, fight off diseases, feel sexy and proud of the work you are putting in. I’ll never stop living a healthy lifestyle!!

After baby comes I’m SO BEYOND excited to work on my post-baby body {I dream about it everyday, lol}, which will be amazing, beautiful and any flaws will be proof that I created LIFE inside of me! I want to encourage others to join me and help people find their way of living healthy.

It’s just important to keep healthy and happy in the forefront of my dreams! There is no one-size fits all fitness plan, people are fabulous no matter their shape or size. As long as they happy and healthy!!

Over the past couple years I’ve been BLESSED to have helped quite a few ladies {And men}

lose weight, get their bodies to a place where they feel confident and sexy. It’s a passion of mine to help, motivate and encourage people. It’s also been amazing to go through this journey and discover my flaws so I can better help MORE people. Thank you Lord for showing us our weaknesses and flaws so we can work on ourselves and be better, more joyful people J

30 weeks and counting!

I can’t tell you how FAST 30 weeks goes by, but the time sure does fly! I’m entering my 31^st week of pregnancy, getting everything prepared for baby Moses’ arrival and ENJOYING the last few weeks as a family of two with my husband.

 A couple of weeks ago I was able to take a MUCH needed and super relaxing trip to the mainland, Oregon to be exact! It’s where I was born and raised until two years ago when my husband and I packed up and flew across the Pacific to reside in Maui. It was so great to see my family & friends. Having almost two weeks of total relaxation, fun get togethers and enjoying Oregon with the people I love. I definitely ate my way around Oregon, lol! Gaining some poundage in that two weeks {I’ll discuss later}, but it was 100% worth it! I love living in Hawaii, but I will ALWAYS be an Oregon girl at heart and I enjoyed myself THOROUGHLY! Here are a few of my Oregon pics :) ENJOY!

Grandma-Me-Mom on the 4th of July-- My FAVORITE ladies in the WHOLE world!!!!\

My fam! Dad, Mom & my amazing brothers!

I visited my in-laws for a BBQ and fun in the Oregon sun! Not pictured {my 6 brother/sister in laws and 8 nieces/nephews}

My grandpa-- One of my VERY favorite people in this world <3

Lunch with Jaime (Who got married the weekend after this was taken) and our moms. I've known her my WHOLE life. Our moms even grew up together. Such great family friends!

Visited with my BEAUTIFUL friend Meg & her little cutie- Emma. LOVE, LOVE these girls!!!

Girls night with my mom, my BFF Tara (who is pregnant with a little girl!! YAYAY :) and her mom-in-law Candice (my momma's BFF).

Crashed a Johnson family get together, this is my BFF (Ruth's) family and these are her two strapping brothers!! Love them!

 Coming back home to my hubby was also amazing—I am so blessed with a rock solid marriage and a sexy, fun and kind husband. We’ve been together for almost a decade and been married for 7 of those years and my Oregon trip was the longest we’ve been apart. Embracing him when I got off that plane almost brought tears to my eyes. I am in love and there are no words to describe the passion and love I have for my husband. He also had a big surprise for me when I got home. He had completed SO many things off my Honey Do list that I’ve been compiling throughout this pregnancy. He’s continued to spruce up our home and make everything PERFECT for our family. It’s definitely helped me out, because my anxiety has been at an all-time high during this pregnancy, he knows this and has done everything without me asking—He just does it and blesses me beyond what I would’ve asked for. 

FLASHBACK-- 7 years ago on our wedding day! LOVE THAT MAN!!!!!!

 

 As for my health... I’ve been rocking this bump like a pro! Of course back pain is starting to creep in due to all the pressure and weight coming out of the front of my body. Heartburn has been so crazy, I’m poppin’ antacids like nobody’s business. I’ve been trying other things as well and all jokes aside have been really changing my diet to see what helps—Honestly, it doesn’t matter what I eat… Baby is pushing up, my smooth muscle is weak and that combo creates a burn that is excruciating, but will end once baby is born. Sleep is some nights, amazing and others nights I roll from side to side 300 times… It can be annoying for my bedmate, but hey—I’m the one getting kicked ALL night from our future NFL kicker! So, he doesn’t complain. Like I mentioned earlier, I gained a bit “more than normal” when I took my vacation to Oregon and I KNEW I would. Heck, my family took me to EVERY one of my favorite restaurants... Hello!? Yes please, pass the bread basket. LOL All of that to say to you now, I’m back on track! Dave and I have been eating super well since my return, we’ve been doing a two-mile walk almost every night that gets us both sweating. I also get in the pool everyday no matter what and do laps, get my heart rate up and stretch. Having a pool has been Ahhhh-Mazing! I love it! 

This is ME, 7/26/13 entering my 31st week!

 Anywho, that’s where life’s at for us! We have it pretty good, I think!\

XO Hannah

The Bump Gets Advice! Who knew?!

10 things I didn't know about pregnancy:


Having a baby bump automatically signals people, complete strangers, to:

1- touch you
2- Stare at you
3- tell you their birth story (doesn't matter if you are in a line at the grocery store, in the stall next to them peeing, or anywhere!)
4- show you what breastfeeding did to their breasts
5- comment about what you should or should not be doing
6- Suggest an epidural
7- ask how much you've gained
8- comment on how the baby name should be spelled
9- SET NIPPLE CREAM IN YOUR CART, stating-- You have to have this!
10- give you a handout on why vaccines are bad (who carries those pamphlets in their purse??)

Now, not all of these things are bad, I just smile and nod. I just had no clue how vocal women can be just because they see a baby bump!!  I've received some great advice from some complete strangers... I've also received some horrible advice (:

This is exactly what I think to myself as I walk away from these people...

Anywho, my thoughts for today!

XO Hannah

It's a BOY!

It's a Boy!!!

Not only are we having a baby boy, but he is HEALTHY!!! 

My alarm clock went off at 3:30 am on Wednesday, I got out of bed, made some coffee, got dressed and started my long day of traveling...  Not many people have to catch a flight to have their ultrasound done, but yet, another JOY of living in Maui... The best doctors are an island away! 

A few weeks ago we found out I'd have to head over to Oahu to see a specialist and have an extensive ultrasound done to confirm baby's skeletal structure was normal. My hubby was born with Craniocynastosis- a condition where the baby's fontanelle's (soft spots) close too early, causing a plethera of issues to a newborn, including a smaller chance of survival {Something NO pregnant woman wants to hear}. Miraculously, Dave was healed from this genetic disorder, but we didn't know that there was a huge chance of it being passed down to our little one. So, my doctor here on Maui sent us over to see a specialist at Kapiolani Fetal and Maternal Medicine Institute in Honolulu to have this ultrasound to make sure everything was doing what it was suppose to. There have been a lot of medical advances in the past 27 years {Since the hubby was born} Therefore, if they see any abnormalities they could do some pre-birth treatments to help baby's bones :)

When we heard I'd have to travel over to Oahu to have this done and Dave couldn't go with me, my friend, Megan, didn't hesitate to buy a plane ticket, put her kiddo's in daycare, get up at the crack of dawn and come with me. TRUE friendship right there. Not many people would sacrifice their time, and money just to make sure you felt comfortable and had a partner just in case something was wrong! I felt overwhelmingly blessed by her presence! 

So, we turned it into a "girl's day" and made the best! One quick plane ride there, about 30 minutes in the air, a taxi ride to the hospital, and it began. They took us back right away, yay for no wait, and the US began. It took over an hour. The Ultrasound Tech counted every bone fragment {Since not every bone is fused yet}, measured all sorts of things, measured blood flow, monitored the heart, took tons of pics, etc. Once she left, the specialist came in and did another ultrasound, talked about different things he saw, chatted with me and confirmed that everything looked normal. He was so reassuring and happy, which made me happy! After this, we headed back to chat with another specialist who was just as kind. She looked over some things and also gave baby the clear. Overall, GREAT news! Baby was healthy- I was not longer classified as a "high risk" pregnancy, we can deliver in Maui and all of that news made my MONTH! :) Oh, also, during this US, Megan was by my side the whole time-- Every step of the way. She even got to see what the baby was. I didn't want to know what it was until I was with my hubby so she kept it a secret ALL day and when I got home that evening, Dave and I opened the little picture album they gave us to see a PENIS! YAY :) We were both sure it was a girl, so we were totally caught off guard, but so stinking excited! 

After all of the doctors appts were done, Megan and I walked to downtown Honolulu and spent a few hours at Ala Moana shopping center <--- OMG an actual mall, with a Nordstrom! {Something you don't find on Maui}. We ate at the Macaroni Grill {Super YUM!}, window shopped at the high end stores and then headed back to the airport for the flight home. 

It was a FABULOUS day with my friend!

When I met this girl 2 years ago, I had no idea the impact she'd make on my life. So blessed by her friendship! She can turn a day full of stress in to a fun girls day on the town!

Anywho, just thought I'd share a little of my week! Now it's the weekend and I'm spending it with my hubby-- YAY!

XO,

Hannah

19 Weeks Along!

The last few months have been insane! The wife of a nursing student, pregnant for the first time, taking classes myself, homework, studying, sleeping and managing everything… Whew! It’s been tiring.

The day after tomorrow this semester will be O.V.E.R! Yay! {Can you tell, I’m ready?} It will be so nice to just focus on my pregnancy, preparing for Baby S, spending time with my hubby, NOT thinking about projects/homework/studying. There are SO many other things that I’ll inevitably get wrapped up in—That’s just me!

What have I done these last three months??

I became a founding coach of an amazing online fitness/health company called Body FX, I’m uber excited to jump in and get started. It’s still in the pre-launch phase {Thank goodness} because I’ve just been so busy to add another thing to my plate. BUT this opportunity is amazing. It lines up with my passions and goals: Helping others get fit/healthy, making money from home, and enjoying amazing “clean” products.

I got another step closer to my bachelor’s degree in Business! So proud of myself. This semester was difficult for me, but I stayed focused and kept on keeping on. My last final is on Friday and then I will not have to think about school until August. A three month, MUCH needed break!

I’ve been making a baby! Baby S is 19 weeks {the size of a mango} <- How fitting is that, being that I live in Hawaii! 

The past 19 weeks have definitely had their ups and downs, WAY more ups than downs. This pregnancy is so easy compared to some other ladies horror stories. 

The first trimester I was SO exhausted, my morning coffee was what got me through {I’m aware some of you may disagree with caffeine and pregnancy, BUT this is my pregnancy and I am deciding what I am/am not going to consume}. Though I am proud to say, I did not have one ounce of morning sickness which makes me so happy. I did eat WAY more than I should have, but hey, can’t go back… The second trimester has been a breeze. Gaining weight isn’t my favorite part but I’m really just accepting it and getting totally excited for the “post baby shred”, my boobs are absolutely huge {Perk for the hubby} I went from a full A cup to a “I’m too big for a C cup, but not quite a D” and they are suppose to get bigger?? I have no clue how that is going to work out. We shall wait and see! ;) I’m eating every 2-3 hours, totally trying to snack on healthies, but OMG—I just crave junk! LOL! Self control, Hannah, Self-control!

I find out 5/15 if it’s a boy or girl, but right now I’m just enjoying the occasional flutter/popcorn popping feeling in my tummy and trying to create a happy environment for Baby S to grow in <3

My birthday was a few weeks ago and my BFF, Ruth, from Oregon {who now lives in Arkansas} flew here to TOTALLY surprise me! It was the week of a lifetime. I could write a whole blog post about it’s epic-ness, but honestly, it was just one of those “you had to have been Ruth or Hannah to enjoy it” type of trips! Words to describe the feeling the trip gave me: Happy-Crazy-Emotional-Blessed-Thankful-Honored-Funny-Memorable.

That’s about it! Sorry for the HUGE delay between posts—This momma has been BUSY!

XOXO

Hannah