Spending Time Playing

Lately I'm feeling some mommy guilt. I've been so consumed with everything that has been going on in our lives that I feel like I haven't been spending enough time with the girls playing. I feel like when we are home I am always trying to get them to clean up or sit still or eat dinner. When we are out of the house I expect them to behave and act like little ladies. Then I came across this graphic this morning and when I saw it it hit me hard.

Lately I've been having unrealistic expectations of my kids. I need to remember that they were built to play. I need to remember that this stage in my life my most important job is being a mom. I need to remember all my other "jobs" are not the primary one. That God should come first, my husband second and my kids third. Everything else can wait.

In today's Proverbs 31 devotional it talks about Genesis 25 when Esau traded his birth right to Jacob for a bowl of stew. It talks about how some trades are good while others suck. What trades am I going to make today? I am going to trade my time to read this afternoon for a snuggle nap with the baby. I'm going to trade playing video games tonight and instead spend time with my husband. Instead of doing laundry before and after dinner I am going to spend time playing with my kids.

I also need to remember that I'm not someone else. My kids were made for me. They are different than someone else's kids. They each are different from one another. What works for one of them doesn't work for the other. I also need to remember my challenges and skill set is different from another mom. I'm made to handle what I have while another mom has a different purpose.

I also keep thinking of the course of this song:

It says:
"Love like I'm not scared Give when it's not fair Live life for another Take time for a brother Fight for the weak ones Speak out for freedom Find faith in the battle Stand tall but above it all Fix my eyes on You On You"

I am going to let these words soak in today. I want to fight for my kids. I want to show them my love. I want to show them what it is like to give to others. I also want to show them how to fix their eyes on God. I also want to show them that they are more important then me. I want them to know they are always loved and that I am here for them. That nothing else but God and daddy are more important then them.

I hope everyone has a blessed day. 

Week1 Piyo and T25 hybrid

This week has been awesome. It didn't go quite as planned but I still made progress. I had more cheats than I wanted this week since we were on vacation but I know that I can just jump right back on to my clean eating plan this week and not feel guilty!

Monday was Piyo Sculpt. I loved getting back to Piyo. Those triceps pushups are a killer. I had to modify after a few sets as I was losing my form and I had to drop to my knees. I couldn't believe how flexible I was. My nutrition was perfect today. I absolutely loved how I felt after this workout. Muscles that I didn't even know I had were sore.

Tuesday was Focus T25 Speed 1.0. I forgot how fun this workout is. It has moments of fast paced footwork intermixed with stretch. It felt so good to get moving like this again. I loved every moment of this workout. I also loved how I could do almost all of it with any modification. I ended up having to modify a little bit because my hamstrings started to burn so bad.

My nutrition was perfect again. I feel so awesome. I pushed my body today and didn't want to take a nap. I ran the sweeper in the entire house, cleaned the first floor,  did laundry, cleaned both girls car seats, cleaned a portion of the basement, and much more. I felt like a million bucks. I felt like I could do anything!

Wednesday we traveled all day to Charleston, WV. The total drive time was five and a half hours. But of course we stopped a few times and it felt like we were in the car seven hours. All in all with four kids, one being nine weeks old, I think adding one and a half hours wasn't too bad.

When we got to the hotel I need my workout. We did Piyo Core. It was such an awesome workout. We did have to move some furniture around to make room but it was doable in hotel room. The side series in this workout is a killer but I managed to do it all without modifying. I love this workout and how it made me feel afterwards.

I had an awesome dinner. I had pizza but made sure to stay within my containers. It was awesome to be able to eat healthy and still enjoy something that I love. Then I had my cheat. We went and had homemade ice cream. I got a small waffle cone and I savored every moment.

On Thursday I walked most of the morning. We went to the Children's Museum. then we went to a place called capitol market and go healthy sandwiches and fresh vegetables. I did awesome on my nutrition today even getting a small steak with vegetable and salad for dinner. I was so proud of myself.

Carrying the baby on the front and the diaper bag on my back was a workout itself 

Today we did T25 Cardio and it was awesome. I felt so powerful after this workout. It felt good to get moving. I was also exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel. IT was 8:30 and I was ready for bed. My back hurt from carrying the baby in the carrier and the diaper bag on my back all day. This trip has been totally worth it.

Friday we woke up to rain. It was thunderstorming and there was lots of wind. We went to the capitol museum and the capitol building. Both were completely awesome. The museum was completely neat. It was cool to see how West Virginia was part of the south and then became the 35th state in the United States. It was cool to see how the state became the way it is today. the capitol buildings marble was absolutely beautiful. I was also surprised at how accessible everything is. We just walked right in.

Today we did Piyo Buns. This is one of my favorite Piyo workouts as I know my butt will look awesome in my bathing suit this summer because of it. I absolutely felt awesome when I finished it. I forgot to set my fitbit before the workout so I have no clue how many calories I burned :(

I did really great on my nutrition till dinner. We went to an Italian family restaurant. I ended up getting a Cannolli. I had salad without dressing. I skipped the bread. My cannoli had a little cheese and lots of lamb and spinach. IT wasn't quite the correct portions but it is one meal and I'm moving on. I won't feel guilty and will get back on it tomorrow.

Saturday brought a day of traveling. We wanted to get in some last minute fun in Charleston before we left. Instead of doing our scheduled we headed down to the hotel pool. It was fun to swim with the girls. D loved the water. I think she is going to be a fish like A. Then we packed up and drove around a while before heading home.

My nutrition was good in the car. I was proud I didn't cave into something too horrible and completely off my eating plan. I even picked up a vegetable snack on the way home.

 

We ended up in Pittsburgh at the perfect time so we went to Easter service at Orchard Hill Church. I missed my church family. It was great to see so many old friends. I'm always amazed at how welcome everyone feels as soon as they walk in. It was nice to be back home.

 

Sunday was a rest day. I needed it. We didn't get home until late and then by the time we got everyone asleep it was late! I enjoyed our trip but needed some time to at home before we start out another hectic week. It was also Easter. We decided to not doing anything for the girls this year. Since when has Easter become like Christmas? It was our decision that we'd get the girls something small that they wanted but not do the whole Easter Bunny thing. We want them to know the true meaning of Easter.

 

This week will be a fun week. We have lots of exciting things planned and the weather is supposed to be nicer here in Erie, PA. I'm hoping for a few evening family walks. I miss that time to talk to my husband and have the girls outside playing. Here is my schedule for the week:

I am not doing a meal plan this week. We have been at this for a year tomorrow (April 7th)! This week's plan is to use what we have instead of buying new things.  I usually try to do this pantry and freezer cleanout a few times a year. It ends up in some interesting combos but is always fun. I will be grocery shopping today but only buying the staples. We usually have the same things for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

 

I also wanted to make the comment that I wasn't perfect this week. I stuck to my meal plan as much as possible but did have more cheats this week than usual. I also didn't exercise one day this week. I had already scheduled a rest day and then didn't exercise on Saturday either. My swim was fun but it wasn't anything like my T25 workout. Even though I wasn't perfect this week I still managed to lose 0.4 pounds. I wanted to mention this as I wanted to say just get started. Just making small changes will help you start to see results and get you headed in the right direction.

  

 

I hope everyone has a blessed week.

Traveling -- Finding Things to Do

Anytime we head to a new place I always look for the odd things to do. Yes it is always fun to go to the museums and the big tourist places but I also like to try and find the odd out of the way places. What types of things do the locals like to do as you know they aren't going to the museum everyday. So how do I find things to do?

Before kids I used to make friends with the concierge. I use to ask them what they liked to do in their city. I use to end up at some really fun places. If I took a cab to the place the concierge suggested then I'd ask the cabby for another place. I'd continue to do this every place I went and I'd end up with a really fun trip of out of the way fun places.

As we've gotten older these adventures as we like to call them haven't got old. Now we just look for things to do in a different manner. With four under five finding family friendly things can be a challenge. Before we headed to Charleston this week I contacted both the MOMS Club (R) and a few of the local MOPS groups for ideas.

MOMS stand for Mother Offering Mothers Support. They are a group of stay-at-home moms that hold a monthly meeting and usually meet throughout the month for play dates. They usually have one Moms night our a month. They also usually have a service project for the year. These clubs are in a lot of cities around the United States. Go to momsclub.org to find your local chapter.

MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. They usually meet at churches all over the world. They usually meet twice a month during the school year. With MOMS Club you usually have your kids with you at activities. During MOPS your kids go to a special program called MOPPETS and you get to enjoy a morning to yourself learning about things that affect the mother of preschoolers lives. To search for a group in your area go to mops.org.

Using both of these groups we came up with a list of things we wanted to do this trip. We had some big things like the Children's Museum and the History Museum. We also had some items the locals would know like Pies and Pints a local pizza shop and Ellen's Ice Cream.

One other thing we always look for is things to do outdoors. Where we are this week isn't far from New River Gorge. So if it nice on Saturday when we are preparing to drive back home we may go a little out of our way to enjoy this beautiful park. There is also a few great nature preserves right here in Charleston that we might check out today if the girls are in the mood and the weather is great (for my Erie friends it was 77 and sunny yesterday and is supposed to be 72 and sunny today).

One thing I definitely have to say that  is different between traveling just Brian and I to traveling with kids is the amount of stuff you can pack into one day. When we were just married we could go from morning to night without stopping. Now that we have kids everything gets planned around their nap time and bed time. With four under five nap time is a big priority for me. Without naps everyone gets cranky. We can push bedtime a little bit but not much. The baby is even more sensitive to difference in her bed time than her older sisters.

Also another thing with kids is that it really doesn't matter where we go just as long as we are together. They don't care if we buy them something or go some place wild and crazy. Just going to a park with them and swinging on a swing is good enough.  They just enjoy being with us. I think some of my favorite memories from this trip will be spending time together as a family in the hotel pool or sitting in our hotel room talking and coloring.

I love that our kids are easy going like us. I love that they are up for anything. I think sometimes I'm the one that holds them back as I will say "we shouldn't go there as that is too old for them." but then when we get there I see that they have a ton of fun and it actually was to their ability level.

 

I also love looking at things through the eyes of a child. They notice some of the most innocent things. I love how God's creation looks to them. There are things I take for granted everyday but things like them seeing tulips and daffodils growing make me really stop and wonder what else I am missing as we run through our days.

I hope everyone has a happy Friday. Today is our last full day in Charleston so we are heading out to find some more fun things to do.



Traveling - Not killing my results

One of the most important things to consider while travelling is the amount of time you'll eat out, Many times you won't have access to a means to cook. Some hotels don't have refrigerators in them. Others may have a free breakfast. Yet others like the one we are staying at this week have a free evening reception. How do you navigate these choices.

Last night we went to the evening reception at our hotel. There was cheese and crackers, dips, pretzels and chips and then fruit. I got us each a piece of fruit and then walked away. I didn't pick up anything else as I knew it wasn't good for us. Don't even give into the temptation.

Same goes for hotel breakfasts. Some have a continental breakfast. This usually means that they have some type of fruit. Skip the junk like high sugar cereals and those Danishes and fuel up on some fruit. If there is yogurt get some of that for protein. If there is eggs and they aren't fried or fake get those. Stay away from the bacon and sausage. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don't skip it and make sure to properly fuel your body.

As far as eating out there are a few things we need to remember:
1. A cheat meal once a week is okay.  This means that we will eat outside of our normal diet. You can choose any meal or snack but NOT both.
2. You must consider portion size. You cannot eat all of your calories in a day for your cheat meal. It will hurt your progress.
3. Don't feel guilty for your cheat meal. Remember this is a one time occurrence during the week. Savor every bite and then move on.
4. Don't let it trigger more unhealthy eating. Don't say well I've already "fallen off the wagon" and then continue to eat poorly. Eat this one meal and then move on.

So number two says to plan your indulgence meals and this is where I want to spend a little time. Last night we knew we were going to a restaurant called Pies and Pints. Before we left the hotel I pulled up their menu with nutrition information. I choose something that was within my calorie budget and as close to the containers that I had left.

I also use this strategy if I am going out to eat and don't want a cheat meal. I head to the restaurant's web site and then look for items that meet my meal plan. If the restaurant's web site doesn't have calorie information another great resource to use is either My Fitness Pal or Spark People. Both have users that have entered in items from restaurants that normally wouldn't have calorie information on the company's websites.

Another strategy of eating out is to request a quiet spot. those that eat in front of a TV or next to the kitchen are considerably more likely to eat more.  Also, skip the appetizers and the bread. each of these are just fillers.

Another thing I do if a restaurant doesn't have a menu online and there is no information on any websites I make the server my best friend. I'll ask him or her how it is prepared and if there are any hidden ingredients like butter or salt.

Remember that weight loss is 80% diet and 10% exercise

You could exercise an hour or two a day but if you don't get you diet in check you'll never lose weight or never stay healthy.

I hope these tips help you navigate either the next time you are away from home or the next time you are going out to eat.

Traveling with Kids-Prep

So today we are leaving for a little family trip. Yesterday I spent the day preparing for our trip. With six of us traveling and one in cloth diapers this will be an interesting trip. With four car seats in the car space is a premium.

For starters I pack using laundry baskets:

I let all the girls except D pack their own bags. I told them basically what they need to pack (5 pairs underwear, 4 socks, a bathing suit etc) and they pick what they want. This way later in the week when they say they don't like the outfits they had I can remind them that they picked them.

I pack them in the laundry basket so that as they wear the clothes I put them in the laundry basket. This way when I get home I am able to take the laundry basket into the laundry room and wash it. I do the same for our clothes to. This allows me to have a very easy clean up.

The diapers will also go in a  laundry basket. In one side of the laundry basket will be my wet bag. In the other side will be all the clean diapers. I love this method. I will however miss my diaper sprayer. If you cloth diaper and have never used a diaper sprayer you must get one. It is especially clutch when you have a 15 month old in diapers and are pregnant with twins.

I packed snacks for us as the drive is supposed to be 5.5 hours. I don't know if we will hit traffic around Pittsburgh as we are leaving by 8AM and will hit Wexford around 9:30.

I packed each of us an apple and a single serving a carrots. We will be taking our water. We also will be taking granola bars. This will allow us to stop at rest stops and not have to get off at any exits. We also wont make any bad choices and try to get something from a vending machine or McDonalds.

We will be taking our Shakeology. We won't be taking the travel blender this time. We didn't want to have to take frozen fruit with us. We instead will drink our Shakeology with just water for our morning snack. We get free breakfast at the hotel. They make omelets to order. I will just grab an extra piece of fruit at breakfast and viola morning snack.

Drinking my Shakeology before we leave

I also will be packing the co-sleeper. I don't want to use a hotel crib.  It is so much more convenient for  me to nurse her two-three times a night while she is in the co-sleeper.

I will be posing more tips as we travel this week. We haven't even gotten in the car yet and I'm already sick of hearing:

Haha! I'm hope everyone has a great week.

Week 3 Recap

I cannot believe that it is the last week of my first round of the 21 Day Fix post baby number four. This has definitely been my hardest round. I really had to push myself to get all the workouts in. I also know my nutrition was as perfect as it should have been. I know there is room for improvement there but I know I did my best given the fact that I had a new baby in the house and three other kids under five to take care of.

Monday was such a great day. I actually got over six hours of sleep last night. This never happens and was such an awesome treat. This made me feel awesome today. I started off the day by doing Yoga with B and C while A was in school. This was to make up since I didn't get it in yesterday and I needed the stretch. My shoulders were so tight. It felt great to do all the stretches and get limber again.

Then the stars aligned and all four were sleeping at the same time during the early afternoon before my afternoon snack. So I hurried up and got Total Body Cardio completed before the baby woke up to be fed. I did the entire workout with 8 pound weights and no modifiers. I was so proud of myself. I cannot believe how much stronger I already am.

Then I ate my afternoon snack and fed the baby. Once I got her back down I decided to hurry up and do the 10 minute abs since all four were sleeping again. This felt so good. I'm hoping to add this ten minute workout every day this week. It is ambitious but I want to see results.

My nutrition was spot on today. It felt so good to eat the right things in the right proportions and have my body properly fueled.

Tuesday morning D wanted to be held all morning. She just wouldn't let me put her down. After I got everyone asleep for nap and I actually got her set down I rushed to complete my workout. I know I'm getting stronger as I was able to do 30 pushups on my knees each round and didn't have to modify anything else. I also did 10 minute abs. I can see a change in my stomach as a result of the exercises. I'm definitely getting more tone.

My nutrition was spot on today again. I did however miss my morning snack since D wouldn't let me put her down. I didn't let this affect my lunch. I stuck to what was on my plan and that was it. I was proud of myself for not letting myself eat the extra.

Wednesday is Leg Day. Leg day and I have a love hate relationship. I love it because I know I'm getting stronger by doing it. I hate it as that 10 seconds holds are a killer! I had to do this in the morning as I had two sick little girls last night. It was a long night. A woke up around midnight with a 105.8 temperature and was puking. It was scary. We put her in a cold bath, gave her medicine, and got the fever down to 100.5. Brian cuddled her the rest of the night. C woke up around 3:30 with a 102.5 temperature. We gave her medicine and I cuddled her till she feel back asleep. Both seem to be doing better this morning. Their fevers are both lower. No one has puked today but as a result I wanted to be able to nap at nap time so I worked out this morning.

I also added the 10 minute abs again today. My abs are sore! I pushed through the workout, but could definitely feel this was the third day in a row that I completed this workout.

My nutrition was spot on today. It is so good to be fueling my body correctly. I'm also eating for two so I need to make sure I'm giving the baby proper nutrients too. I'm feeling great.

Thursday is Pilates. A was off school today and since everyone had fevers yesterday I canceled all my plans and we stayed home. We had a tea party for snack. Then she wanted a dance party. I'm so glad my girls are on the mend.

I ended up waiting to do my workout until Brian for home. It was nice to workout with him. I'm getting so much stronger. my only modified move was the plank hip drop. I didn't do abs today as they are burned out. I needed a break.

One funny thing our 3 year old said to us today was "If you don't workout your stomach will be fat". this made us laugh. She gets the point. I love that they watch us and really know why we are making the changes.

My nutrition was spot on today. I loved that I am sticking to the eating plan. I really wanted chocolate as I am posing but I didn't give in.

Friday and it is time for Cardio Fix. I was so tired today. I really wanted to just not work out. I wanted to say I'm too tired but I pushed through and worked out. I was so glad I did. It gave me more energy for the rest of the day. It felt so awesome.

My clothes are feeling loser so I know I'm making progress. I also know my nutrition was spot on today. I'm excited that this week I was able to keep my eating under control this week even though I was tried.

I love Saturdays. We get some fun time as a family. We have a lazy Saturday morning just relaxing and then usually do something as a family. Today we just played Just Dance Disney and relaxed.

We did Dirty 30. I felt so good. I did the entire workout with 5 and 8 pound weights. I had to modify the side plank leg lifts and that was it. I even had to use a 15 lb weight on the ab exercise. Such a great workout.

Then I did the Ab Fix. I'm doing more reps so I know I'm getting stronger. Not my usual post workout selfie but someone was too hungry for mommy to wait for mommy any longer.

 nutrition was spot on again today. I'm loving this last week.

I love our lazy Sundays. We were on the church nursery desk this morning so I put on real clothes for the first time in a week. With two sick little ones and a newborn I was living in yoga pants. It felt good to put on "normal" clothes. The other awesome thing was I put on a prepregnancy outfit. This is such an accomplishment in 21 days. Hello size 10.

I cannot wait to weigh and measure. I'm excited at the way things are fitting. I did have a cheat today. I had a milkshake. I made it a small and it was a good treat.

Today was Yoga Fix. I love the stretch. It felt awesome to complete my first 21 days post baby 4. I cannot wait to share my results tomorrow. Come back and check them out. Have a blessed Sunday.

D's Birth Story

I wanted to write up Ds birth story as I'm still amazed at myself and what I accomplished. God is truly good and an amazing creator. I'm amazed every day how he made woman and all the things we can do.

As many know my pass two births have not gone completely as planned. With the first my water broke and I was group B + so they put me on Pitocin. That was the only drug that I had during delivery so it was painful during transition. With the twins I had an epidural and was in the OR incase the babies started destating and they were both born vaginally. With the third I was hoping I could have the delivery I always wanted and I did.

At around 4:00 PM I woke up from a nap with Brianna and was noticing some cramping I also thought I may have had my water break but wasn't completely sure. I called Brian and he wasn't answering. I called my mother in law and told her she should probably prepare to come to our place. I started to get everything ready to go to the hospital.

labor selfie

Around 4:50 Brian got home. I was having contractions every 10 minutes. I had his birthday dinner in the oven and he started to get everything ready so the girls would be able to eat.

By 5:15 the contractions were coming at about 6 minutes a part. Brian called our neighbor who came down to watch the three girls. I'm so lucky to have such great neighbors where we live. They are so awesome and it is a great place for my kids to grow up.

By 5:30 we were at the hospital. I broke the snow scraper on the way out of the car. This was hilarious as the day we came home there was about an inch of ice on the car and we are in winter here in Erie. Don't worry my awesome husband has already purchased a new one.

I walked into the OB ward of the hospital and both nurses were so excited. My husband works at the hospital that I delivered at so it was awesome that they were waiting for us and ready.

My OB showed up a short while later. He is an amazing man. He is so laid back. He also has a sense of humor.

The nice thing about delivering at a small hospital was that both nurses were attending to me. There was only one other patient on the floor as she had delivered two days prior. It was strange as the last two I had at Magee and it was always different people in and out and they were always very busy.

labor selfie 2

We were sitting there discussing an upcoming vacation that my OB was taking and I remember thinking "wow this isn't so bad".

My OB decided that he wanted to check me and he said you are at 9 cm. I remember thinking that I would see my baby soon. He said that he wanted to break my water. I went to sit up for him to do this and it broke on its own.

A few minutes later I knew I had to push. 4 pushes later Danielle was born. I remember when my OB said it was a girl thinking Wait What? I would have swore it was a boy. It was such a happy surprise. God knows that I can handle girls and wouldn't be a good mom for boys.

They put her on my chest and it was love at first site

When they weighed D she was 6 pounds 13 ounces.

Abby weighed 6 pound 13 ounces. D was 19 inches long. A was 19.75 inches long. They were both born at 38 weeks and 2 days.

They handed her back to me after being weighed and measured and cleaned up and she latched right on. This was exciting as I had a ton of problems with A and pumped for three months with B and C because they were in the NICU.

My hospital stay was incredible. You stay in the same room you deliver in. No one else came in to have a baby. So the entire stay there were two nurses and two patients. It was awesome.

The food was good for a hospital. Also the staff were incredible. After two nights  was discharged. I don't sleep well without my husband. Also that first night I was poked and prodded ever few hours.

We weren't even home an hour and this is what I did:

This was such an awesome experience. People keep asking if we are going to have another to try for a boy. I don't want to have another as this experience was too perfect and I don't want to play the odds. My husband is such an incredible father to our four girls and such an amazing partner for me. He is used to the pink that has taken over our household and doesn't mind not having a boy.

I pray each day that we raise all four girls to be Godly women. Thank you God for giving me the privilege to be their mom.

Week 2 Round up

Well this week was much better than last week. I got my nutrition more under control. I was very proud of myself. It was hard but I knew I needed to do it to reach my goals and to be healthy for my kids.

On Monday I did Total Body Cardio Fix. I used 5 lb weights. I just kept thinking of what Autumn says at the beginning of the workout: "Take it one day at a time one pound at a time". This will be my mantra for this week. I really want to lose the weight and I know it won't come off fast. I know I need to do my best today and tomorrow will be another one. Also what is in the past is in the past.

I made progress from last week. I could do 30 seconds of the cross country skiers before I had to modify each round. This was exciting for me. These have always been my hardest exercise and now they seem even tougher.

I also added the Ab Fix today. IT felt good to get them working. It is such a short but fun workout. The only thing that sucks is that I have a cough and every time I cough my Abs hurt.

I got over four hours of sleep last night which is a record for the last few days. We have been up multiple times with D as she needs fed. We have also been up multiple times with C. She is a very light sleeper and I think she wants attention. A and B have also been up a few times the last few nights. This leads to us being up way more than normal.

I love that I can workout while the girls are napping. All four nap at the same time. This is so awesome! I love that I put D in the bouncer after I fed her. At the beginning of the workout she was watching me and I don't know when but she eventually fell asleep. I love that I can teach them healthy lifestyles from such a young age.

Day 2 brought Upper Fix. I used 5 and 8 pound weights again. I as able to do more reps so I know I'm getting stronger. I'm still having trouble doing pushups and the forearm plank. My abs need lots of love. I love the ab work during the second round. It felt so good. And I was pushing myself.

I did have to do this workout later today. When nap time hit I was so exhausted from being sick. I listened to my body and napped and then got my antibiotics after nap and was able to push through the workout in the evening.

My nutrition today was spot on. I was so excited and I got antibiotics today so I'm finally feeling a little better. I'm excited to see what tomorrow will bring.

Day three was Leg Day. I finally felt human again! I was able to do the entire workout with no modifications. This was exciting. I used the 5 and 8 pound weights. It was exciting to be able to dot he entire workout again. It hurt so good.

My nutrition was great again today. I did have to add a vegetable to my afternoon snack as I was starving and was worried about my milk supply.

Day four and time for pilates. I needed the stretch today. If you are doing this program you cannot skip pilates. It is an active recovery day and will help you feel better. I loved every moment of today's workout. I did the forearm without putting my knees down. This is a huge improvement from last week. I had to modify the plank hip drop though. I'm improving every workout.

I did have a cheat this morning at mops. I had some crackers with pepperoni and cheese. I also have a couple chocolate covered strawberries. These were my cheat for the week. Then this afternoon for lunch I got right back on my plan.

Day five and it should have been time for Cardio Fix. This by far is the hardest workout of the week and I ended up not getting to it today. This morning we had open gym play at my church. I spent a lot of time chasing the girls around and kicking balls with them. Then we got home and I rushed to make lunch. Then it was nap time almost an hour late. The baby needed nursed and didn't want to go to sleep. Then C woke up with  102 degree temperature. My husband didn't get home late from work. Then we just ordered out as it was already almost 6pm. By the time we got all four asleep in bed it was 9pm. So we just didn't work out. The worst part about it was that we ordered pizza for dinner. I only had two pieces and a bread stick but that still was two too many.

Saturday morning I was ready to recommit to working out. I did Dirty 30 in the morning and then did the cardio fix in the afternoon. I was determined to do all seven workouts this week. I love Dirty 30. I'm sad as I can no longer do the side plank leg lifts at the end of the workout without modifying. Give me a few weeks and I'll be back to doing them unmodified.

This was from after Dirty 30

 My eating today was awesome. I stayed right on my eating plan with no extras.

Sunday and it is yoga day. I'm was so excited for yoga today. I needed the stretch. I needed to stretch out my shoulders. I'm definitely feeling the chest flies from Dirty 30 yesterday. Then I ended up falling asleep during nap time. I was so tired. D clustered fed last night. she ate for 30 minutes every hour. This evening C puked all over at dinner time and then D decided to just eat and eat and eat this evening so I didn't get it in. I was so sad.

My nutrition was okay today as I didn't get my morning snack as we went straight from church to grocery shopping as the fridge was bare. I didn't have anything to take with me. Then we went to Sam's Club first so I didn't get any food that was easy to eat there. By the time we got to Wegmans it was too close to lunch. Therefore I had a big lunch. Then I ended up sleeping through my afternoon snack. Then I wasn't really hungry for dinner so I ate a tiny dinner.

Here is my plan for week 3:

Here is my meal plan for the week.

Week 3 21 Day Fix 2015

I'm looking forward to a great week 3.

Beachbody on Demand

I'm so excited for Beachbody's newest workout program option to be launched on Monday. Are you the type who has workout ADD? It seems like you always want to do more than one program. Maybe on Monday you want to do the 21 Day Fix and then on Tuesday you think you want to do Piyo. On Wednesday you want to do P90X2. Now you can.

Starting Monday with the purchase of your club membership you will get access to Beachbody on Demand. This will allow you to stream workouts where ever you are right on your computer. Do you like taking your workout to the gym? Well no you can. Travel a lot? No problem all different types of workouts are available right at a few clicks of a button. Plus you'll get all the digital versions of the program guides and workout calendars so you can start seeing results today.


The best part bout it is that for the month of March you can get Beachbody on Demand and one month of Shakeology on sale as a Challenge Pack. This will allow you to jump start your fitness goals. This gives you access to the club membership tools and Beachbody on demand for three months. After three months you'd pay the quarterly fee to continue having access to these features.

With the Club membership you have access to a customizable meal planner. You also get access to trainer tips. videos, VIP chat rooms, recipes, nutrition tools and blogs. Now it will include Beachbody on Demand too. To keep it fresh the workouts will be updated monthly. You'll never run out of options.

Now you may be wondering what workouts are included. At launch there will be:

• P90X base and deluxe kits
• P90X2 base and deluxe kits
• P90X3 Base and Deluxe Kids
• P90X one on one volume 1
• Insanity Base and Deluxe Kits
• Insanity:  The Asylum Volume 1
• Turbofire
• Brazil Butt Lift Base and Deluxe Kits
• ChaLean Extreme
• 10 Minute Trainer
• Hip Hop Abs

Also included is a one workout "sneak peak" from some of the newer programs:

• 21 Day Fix Total Body Cardio Fix
• 21 Day Fix Extreme Plyo Fix Extreme
• Piyo sweat
• Focus T25 Alpha Cardio
• Insanity Max 30 Sweat Intervals
• Body Beast Build Chest and Tris
• P90 Sculpt

Does this sound like something you may be interested in? I have a challenge group starting preseason on Monday March 2nd. We will start workouts on Monday March 9th. This would be a perfect option for this group. This will be a 30 day group. You pick the workout (I can help you with this). You commit to replacing one meal a day with Shakeology. I teach you portion control, give you meal plans, recipes, tips and help you in your journey. Together we can get your body ready for Spring and warmer weather clothes. Sounds awesome Right?

I'm looking forward to helping you reach you workout goals. Either send me an email pittdrum98@gmail.com or fill out the contact form on my blog and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Let's get started today!  

Month One with Four

I cannot believe D is one month old today. Where did the month go? Everyone said to me that once you have 2 kids the rest get easier. I never believed this until now. It has been the easiest transition for us yet. This may be a skewed perception though as we went from 1 to 3 overnight so 3to 4 doesn't seem like a big deal at all.

A is such a great big sister. She loves holding D. She kisses and hugs her whenever she gets a chance. She is most likely to be seen trying to burp her or make her quit crying. I'm so lucky to have an older child this time around.

B is more of the lover. She will want to bounce the baby but has no patience so it looks like she is going to give her whip lash. She is the first one to jump up when you ask for something because she will do anything to get D to stop crying.

C is still surprising me. She doesn't want to hold her baby sister. She loves her and gives her kisses but isn't as affectionate like the other two. After a month she finally held her last night. She is also doing things to act out because she is no longer the youngest. I know it will get better soon.

D is a great baby and is pretty laid back. We do have a period of time from about 8-10 where she will just want to eat and eat and eat. If you put her down before she is full she will just scream. This has been the hardest adjustment for us as this was Brian and I's time together. We know that this is only a season but it is hard knowing Brian went back to work this week.

She is growing. In one month she is 2 pounds over her birth weight. We had to pull out the 0-3 month clothes as the newborn size didn't fit her.

She is also strong. She can already hold her head up and loves tummy time.

I'm so thankful for my morning Shakeology. There are many days I couldn't get through without it. It is so easy to make. I can make it and drink it one handed while nursing. Then I have energy for the rest of the day. I also know that at least one meal I'm getting all the nutrients I need.

I also resumed working out last week. It felt good to start working out again. I love getting my body moving. It also helps me get my energy up when I really want to hide in the afternoon.

All in all month one has been awesome. I loved having three weeks with Brian at home. It was nice to reconnect as a couple. I also enjoyed just holding D and not having to worry about laundry, cooking, etc. I'm so lucky my husband can do that and help me in that way. Week one solo with four girls was awesome. Besides picking A up late from PERK one day and dropping her off late another it went real well. I'm excited to see what month two will bring. I'm so blessed.