He's Moving, We're Moving

Thomas is moving!!! He recently received his second dose of Zoledronic Acid (a biphosphonate).  Zole slows down bone resorption, allowing the bone-forming cells time to rebuild normal bone and allowing bone remodeling. He received his first dose at the beginning of February and his second dose mid-June. It's been about a month and I can see HUGE improvements in gross motor skills! Thomas is doing things that normal babies typically do by 3 months. It's a big deal for us though considering that until his trach surgery on April 27th, he had spent half of his life in the hospital and the most of that time struggling to breathe.

Our strong little boy is finally kicking his legs when he's happy, when he's mad, and just to play. Thomas is lifting arms enough that his shoulders are off the ground. He's reaching for and holding on to toys with both hands. Head turning is becoming more common when he sees something he likes and he's trying to find it. His grasp is getting stronger and loves to hold our finger to go to sleep.

Some of the funny things about Thomas:

- He loves to play and bat at Taylor's bright pink and purple necklaces.
- He eats like a hungry dinosaur. They even noted that in Thomas's chart as "hungry dinosaur". Baby food is one of Thomas's favorite things in life. I guess if you go months without taking anything by mouth rice mush and pureed prunes taste amazing.
-Baths are awesome! He enjoys them hot and loves getting his hair washed.
- Typically, a trached baby is silent because they don't get to move air across their vocal chords. However, Tommy has figured it out and loves to hear himself talk. He only does it when he's relaxed, but once he gets a squeak out he'll keep going until he's distracted.
- Thomas goes every where in his diaper. All the time. No matter what. He sweats so much which is typical of severe OI. No one knows why but they all share that odd characteristic. Thomas gets so hot even just laying on a pillow that we always have a fan on him even in an air conditioned room. He goes to church in his diaper, out in public, and probably won't be wearing clothes again until fall.
- Taylor and Thomas have inherited a mommy trait. They both twirl their hair. I have a horrible habit of playing with my hair and both of my kids do it when they're falling asleep. We noticed it in Taylor when she was a baby and she still does it. Thomas has long enough hair and he does it when he's relaxing and going to sleep. It's weird seeing your kids do the exact same things that you do and you wonder how the heck did that get passed on? It's like it was prewired in them.
- Thomas loves to be kissed everywhere and loves getting raspberries. He enjoys his feet being stroked and his favorite way to fall asleep is on mom's chest (if I can manage to get him there without the trach getting accidentally pulled out).
- Thomas is the happiest boy you've ever seen at 3am in the morning. He is sunshine and rainbows and will just smile at you until he goes back to sleep.
- Finally, Tommy  gets to have blue poop every once in awhile. It's like he's a unicorn or something. Every so often he has to have his food dyed blue so we can see if he's eating safely and not aspirating. The whole next day is full bright blue surprises.


WE'RE MOVING!!! Well, at least we thought we were...
Living in a three story house has been very difficult when it comes to regular day to day stuff as a mom. First off, Tommy hasn't slept in his bed ever since February. He hasn't even seen another floor of the house since then. He is stationed to a 3 foot radius in the main room off of the kitchen. That's it. His trach is his airway and therefore he has to supervised CONSTANTLY. I can run upstairs quickly to do laundry but if I hear him beep I have to fly down the stairs to make sure he's ok. We haven't had a real scare since May, but that's because we've gotten better at managing everything and preventing issues with the trach. But back in May Tommy was having so much condensation build up in the tube that he was coughing on it all the time, so we thought we'd take him off the humidity and just use the little filter that's meant for when we're on the go. Terrible and life threatening idea... Tommy's lungs got so dry that his mucus was super thick and clogged the trache and we almost lost him. We were able to switch out the trache quickly and he started breathing again with the help of the vent. That moment will forever be burned into my memory but also reminds me how quickly something could go wrong for Thomas and how someone knowledgeable ALWAYS has to be near.

I would love to be able to have a routine with Taylor and Thomas of how we do our days, play, and get things done. But it is so hard with three floors. Plus, even getting Tommy out of the house is hard because of the steps out of the house. So, we made the decision to put our house on the market and look for a spacious rambler with easy entry! We decided to look up in Davis County to be closer to family. After two failed offers, we found a new planned community in Layton that works with a builder we were impressed with and has a layout that's perfect for what we need. We don't get to start construction until our South Jordan home sells. We did go under contract within a few days of going on the market, but their financing failed so we're back on the market. It's scary to not have any idea when things will happen, but I trust that it will work out. In the meanwhile, we're enjoying staying with Meg and Kent (Shane's parents) in Centerville. It's nice to be able to do things with his siblings and be back in our old stomping grounds from when we were dating and first married.

Staying out of our house while on the market was a decision we made to make buyers feel more comfortable in the home without all of Thomas's equipment and to make it less stressful on Thomas. Getting him out of the house is a ton of work. Unless Shane or his parents are available to be with him, I am with him most of the time. If I'm alone with Thomas and miss T, I am not able to just pack the kids up and go to the store or to the park. It is a lot of work to get all the machines set up for on the go and then into the car. I can't take him in the stroller by myself because I can't take him down the steps without a second set of hands. Also, Thomas gets extremely hot and kinked in his carseat. The trache sits below his chin and the connection to the tubing is hard plastic. His head is also really big for a 7 month old and he doesn't have the strength yet to hold it up. But, his head is also too big for the infant padding insert that is meant for newborns. So his head rolls to the side. It's just stressful for all involved but he does love to get out. Thomas enjoys seeing the trees, the colors, the lights in the hallways of a building, and other kids. It'll get easier, but for now we mostly hang out in our 3 foot radius.

The only day this summer that Thomas has worn clothes. For the Broadbent Family pictures.
He looks like a cute young man!

An awesome benefit of living at Grandma's- unlimited access to cousin fun!

Three Months We Didn't Know We Had...

Month One- 

Uncertainty, overjoyed, unbalanced, blessed, strengthened, hope, fear, immeasurable love, inspired.

These are all the emotions that I went through during Thomas's first month of life outside the womb. That little boy amazed everyone. He was born with a broken body with barely a heart beat, but was able to overcome and persevere through so much pain and other health issues. We could only look on and try our best to comfort him when we were at the hospital and to make sure he knew how much we loved him. 

I hated feeling like I wasn't able to be with Thomas as much as I wanted OR with Taylor as much as I wanted. I don't know how parents do it without family or friends to help them. How would a single mother do it? I feel like I barely survived. On top of that I was pumping breast milk every three hours while Shane worked all day long and then went straight to the hospital afterward and didn't come home until Tay was in bed. 

Month Two- 

Excitement, scrambled, tired, self doubt, frustrated, blessed, strengthened, hope, fear, immeasurable love, inspired.

Oh goodness, Thomas was actually discharged to come home! We were able to spend a full week at home before he had his first trip of many to the ER. This became the month of surprises. Every week there was something different we were worried about- feeding, re-flux, aspiration, hernia, breathing, But this was also a great month of learning and growth for all of us. Thomas was doing well with Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. Thomas was starting to move more and didn't seem in pain from healed fractures. Shane, his parents, and myself were learning more about Thomas and his cues. We were learning more about what was normal for Thomas and what was concerning. We researched more about respiratory and digestive issues with babies that have severe OI. We became more comfortable with the machines and with handling Thomas. I became associated with the OI Parents group and immediately felt them encircle me with their strength and experience.

One particular night, I know Shane and I felt so tired and were having a hard time handling Thomas's schedule and cries throughout the night. Everytime I heard Thomas start to cry that night, I'd say a prayer to Heavenly Father that if it wasn't serious that Thomas would be okay and go back to sleep. Thomas ended up having such a good night that night...

It seemed that there were a lot of questions I still had about the plans for Thomas and why things didn't seem constant for Thomas. Why were we going up to the ER so often? Why can't I get things figured out for my son so we can stay out of the hospital for at least two weeks? What was I doing wrong?

However, my family was together all under one roof. I was able to wake up and cuddle Thomas while Shane and Taylor chased each other around the house.

Month Three- 

Nervous, confidence, tired, frustrated, blessed, strengthened, hope, fear, immeasurable love, inspired. 

I was about to return to school. I had a couple of weeks left. Time to start making freezer meals. Time to look at lesson plans. Do I even remember all of my students' names? How am I going to balance teaching, Taylor, and Thomas? 

Thomas was still having pulmonary and digestive issues, but we were getting sick of staying trapped in the house. We grew confidence in Thomas and in ourselves and ventured to a family party, sacrament meeting, and to the park. I started looking at our situation differently. No matter how much time we have, I don't want to say that we spent all of it on one floor of our house because we were too scared to live life. I needed to figure out how to live life with Thomas's machines and his fragile body. 

Great Grandma B got to hold her first great grandson! This woman inspires me. I was exhausted from being at the ER all night so my grandma came and made me lunch and cleaned the house. She is in her 80s and is still willing to get her hands dirty and serve. I have always been able to count on her and hope she knows that I will be there to clean her house and make her lunch when it's my turn to take care of her. 

Looking ahead at the next couple months and looking back at the last few months, I realized that there was no predictability to Thomas's situation. Not only was his mutation completely unique to him, Thomas's story was unique as well. Thomas has never gone more than a week and a half without an ER visit, a sudden need for a primary care visit, or a hospital admission. So given that pretty busy history, it didn't seem doable or even smart to continue working. It seemed like it would only end up hurting my family. I had been praying as to how I can better help Thomas and without a doubt this was an answer. My family needed all of me.  

Luckily, we were able to find a replacement at the end of my first week back. Thomas made it the entire week and then needed to be taken by ambulance to Primary's. 

Month Four- 

Angry, tired, frustrated, unbalanced, relieved, blessed, strengthened, hope, fear, immeasurable love, inspired. 

Thomas celebrated his one month, two month, and three month birthdays in the hospital. Maybe his four month birthday will be different. 

During this hospital admission I have often found myself angry that Thomas isn't being handled with enough care in regards to his limbs and possibility of fractures, angry that not enough was being done to ensure that a definitive plan was in place to make sure that he didn't end up in the ambulance again, angry that I was not being listened to when speaking about experiences of other babies with severe OI. 

At the same time, I was also sinking myself into conference talks from the last session and praying daily independently and with my children. In the car to and from the hospital I was finding comfort in Primary songs and conversations with Taylor about the Plan of Salvation. 

Tired and trying to figure out how am I going to do this. It's only been a week and half but this is not a quick fix. Thomas needs a lot of help for a long time. What decisions are we going to have to make? Will today's doctor be doom and gloom or optimistic? Will today's doctor be familiar with OI? Blah..... I'm exhausted even thinking about it. But Shane and I know where we stand and know that we do not want to be the ones to tell Thomas when he is done living on this earth. We trust in Heavenly Father and we trust in Thomas. We want to give Thomas EVERY OPPORTUNITY to live his life on this earth and when and if Thomas decides it is more than his precious body can handle, his body will let us know. I will not fail Thomas. 

We were blessed to watch the play based on a book by Nathan Glad (one of our dear friends with OI)- "Climbing With Tigers". This kiddo has been such a motivator for us to fight for Thomas. He is the happiest kid and doesn't let OI get in his way from living life. The play helps others to see what life is like through his eyes. Nathan's play also teaches so much about bravery and friendship. We walked away truly lifted and grateful that Taylor was able to experience that.  GO SEE IT!!! We are so grateful to know his family and look forward to learning how to pay it forward and serve other families. 

http://www.saltlakeactingcompany.org/this-season/item/1003-climbing-with-tigers

Continuing to pray for guidance on how to take care of Thomas, consulting with my army of OI mamas, and relying on friends and family to help us as we scramble day to day... finally a care conference was set. With Thomas's entire team, we were going to finally build a plan for my little guy to not only get him to a barely safe place to go home but to get him to a strong and sturdy place that would be the most promising for Thomas in the long run. We know Thomas needs to get his lungs to mature, the proper nutrition, and the best possible way for us to support his lungs. The days leading up to the conference my prayers had changed. Instead of praying for guidance for myself, I prayed for the doctors and Thomas's team to be guided. 

The day before the conference a new attending was assigned who also happened to have a child with special needs and knew the importance of a support group and the value that other parents were able to share with me. She recognized the weaknesses of his current care plan and immediately wanted it to be more driven and goal oriented. She also reached out to other resources that specialize in OI. Between her, our primary care doctor, and the OI specialists I felt that a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. The care conference was a team of 10 who's primary concern was helping Thomas get the care he needed so he can not only come home but have the best chance of staying home for awhile. 

He's needing to have better pulmonary support via High Flow and BiPap (or Cpap... they are going to do some studies with Thomas to decide which). He's now receiving Zole treatments to help his bones and will be starting some respiratory medicine as well. I don't know how our new plan will turn out but I do know that I finally feel peace that Thomas IS in the right hands now and the doctors are going to do the best they can. 

Dreams

Tonight when I was getting ready to put Taylor to bed, she pulled out several books that we have read a million times. Finally, I stepped in to see if there was something on her shelves that we hadn't read in a while. I found a book of hers that I had actually never read with her- "Fanny's Dream". 

I read about this woman who was waiting for her fairy godmother who never came. She never got to marry the prince or live in a castle or live a life free from hard work. But she did marry a man who loved her. They worked side by side. She had her hands full with taking care of the children and the life they had created for themselves. Their house burned down, but they rebuilt it and pushed forward. Later, her fairy godmother finally came and offered her the dreams she had long ago. She chose the life she had built. 

Holding back tears as I finished reading this book to Taylor, I realized that I would not have my life any other way. Yes, of course I wish I could take away Thomas's struggles, the medical bills, the stress, splitting our time between our children, and how tired we are.....

But I LOVE my husband and how hard he works for us and how much he loves being a dad. His patience and his priesthood has been such a blessing during this time. I LOVE what a strong spirited girl my daughter is, how caring she is to her brother, her creativity and her affectionate personality. I LOVE my son's facial expressions, quiet strength, his smiles and coos, his heavenly spirit, and the humility and perspective he has given me. 

What has happened to Thomas is not any mother's dream, but I know that we can build an even more wonderful life for our family because Thomas is a part of it. 

Day 30- Positive changes, positive results!

I started this summer with many goals to work on different things in my life- balance, health, family, faith, etc. Starting the second week of September, I can definitely say that I've made positive changes and seen positive results!

My summer started off with becoming a Beach Body coach. Through coaching, I've expanded friendships, continued my goal of working towards health and fitness, helped others get closer to their goals, and worked on myself! One of my favorite things that Beach Body encourages is personal development. Some of my favorite reads have been "The Go Giver", "How to Win Friends & Influence People" and "PUSH". Currently, I'm on day 5 of PUSH and have already implemented what I'm learning and seeing immediate results!!!

The challengers that I've had the opportunity to work with this summer have helped to keep me motivated and focused. All this fitness stuff isn't just something I'm trying out- I'm committed and in love. I'm not perfect but I'm not turning back. It's been awesome to see challengers go down this same path! And seeing them make progress is seriously inspiring.

Taylor and I spent the summer doing "preschool", playing and exploring, reading scriptures, making friends, and making healthier meals. She also practiced "Down Dog", "PiYo Flip", and squats with her mama. Her vocabulary exploded and her favorite three word sentence is- I did it!!! She's become obsessed with Frozen... and asks for me to sing it to her every time we're in the car. The soundtrack is in Shane's car so I'm thinking we might need to get another copy...

Macaroni hats

Arts and Crafts

Shane started a new job and a new calling at church. It's been wonderful to see him home early on Fridays and to see him exercise his priesthood at a greater capacity in our awesome ward. We've loved spending time with Taylor in the evenings and cleaning the house together on weekends. He is such a fun dad and we have each other's back when it comes to discipline.

Shane's plane lasted less than 2 minutes in the air before it crashed...

My testimony has grown from more consistent prayer, scripture reading, and teaching the gospel to Taylor. My life is more organized and focussed on what is really important to me- family, faith, fitness, and friends. I can actually wake up early and work out before work. Reaching out and serving is more fun than sitting at home doing nothing.

For any of the changes that I've made- I know that it all comes back to how I spend my time. When I focus on how I spend my time I see positive results in the areas of my life that are most important. Going back to school shook things up a bit, but with some motivation and guidance I'm getting back on track and KNOW that positive results will continue to happen!!!

Day 27,28, 29 Summer is almost over!

Day 27- Finished my 10K!!!

About a month ago, I set out to complete a 10K as one of my goals for summer. Last Friday night, I smashed that goal!

Shane and I had arrange for my dad to come out and spend the night. He was going to help support me at the race and watch Taylor. He came over right after work and enjoyed dinner with us. Then he played with Taylor and watched Frozen for the very first time. It was sweet to watch him spend some one on one time with her. It was so funny, because Taylor had seen only pieces of the movie before because she couldn't sit still. This time, she was so captivated by it and couldn't look away!

Taylor and Grandpa Steve mesmerized by Frozen.  

After Taylor went to bed, I had to wait a couple more hours before it was time to head down to the race. It started at 11:30 so my dad and I headed down at 11pm. I had decked myself out neon clothes and glow sticks. My friend Molly met me down there and she had made herself some pretty awesome glow in the dark braids!

Molly and I before the race!

This was a big deal to me because I hadn't been able to run like this since way before Taylor was born. Within a month, I was able to get myself to run a mile, then 2, then 3, and then 4. I was going to run 6 miles and my promise to myself was that I wasn't going to stop and I wasn't going to go slower than about a 12 min mile.

Molly and I ran together the entire time giving ourselves pep talks to keep going. It was such a nice night out and the trail was great! Little lights from glow sticks could been seen bouncing all along the way. We ended up running a lot faster than anticipated! We completed it with an 11 min mile and we both sprinted across the finish line. Molly was the 17th  person to cross the finish line and I was the 20th! 

I did it!

My dad had returned home to watch Taylor so Shane could greet me at the finish line! I felt so alive sprinting my hardest during the last few seconds of the race. It felt so good accomplish something that proved to myself I CAN!!!

Now, I don't want to lose motivation or ability so I've signed up for another 10K on August 9th. Pushing myself to go farther, I've also signed up for my second half marathon! On August 30th I'll be running a half marathon down Emigration Canyon!

http://www.sports-am.com/Emigtation-Half-Marathon.html

Day 28- My Summer Bucket List

I used to be really into Pinterest. During the spring I was so excited for summer break that I kept looking at Pins for all these fun ideas and activities to do with Taylor. Some of the Pins would be title "Summer Bucket Lists"... things that you had to do before summer was over because they were just that awesome! Well, I came up with a summer to do list of my own and now that summer is almost over I can either look at the list and get all frantic about all the things that I haven't accomplished yet or be happy to be enjoying summer with my little girl and the memories we've made. 

• We've gone on picnics
• We've gone on many MANY walks
• We clean the house together
• We cook together
• We play sidewalk chalk together 
• We blow bubbles together
• We play in her little pool together
• We water the flowers together
• We go to the community pool
• We took swim lessons together
• We went camping together
• We color and paint together
• We sit on the porch together
• We've laid around watching cartoons together
• We've done our own "preschool" most mornings where she's expanded her vocabulary
• We've gone out to lunch just the two of us
• We go to the library weekly
• We've watched fireworks together
• We read scriptures together
• We've cleaned the church together
• We've visited family and friends
• We've worked out together!!!
• We've been to the aquarium
• We've been to the zoo
• We've been to Thanksgiving Point
• We've milked a cow
• We've napped together....

I don't need Pinterest to tell me the most important 100 things that I need to do with my child over the summer to make it meaningful. Just being together and doing what kids do in the summer was meaningful for me. Sure, there's things on my own to do list that will still probably not get done before I go back to teaching mid-August. I'm ok with that. She will only have ONE summer where she is one year old. I know that I haven't missed it. I've loved our summer together!

My favorite thing? Sitting out on the front patio as the sun sets and watching Taylor play. Taylor is squealing because she is excited she found another rock to show me. Shane is sitting next to me.

Day 29- Plans and Plateaus!

I only have a couple of weeks left before I'm back at work. One of MY goals that I had this summer was to kick a plateau I've been on with my weight loss. Plateaus occasionally happen and no matter how long they lasted I always broke through! I know that hard work and adjustments help push me through so I continue to reach new fitness and health goals. 

Right now, I'm running and doing PiYo. I love it!!!

I know that my eating needs to be better and that I need be focused on my long term goals and not instant gratification. Cold Stone Ice Cream is instant gratification... Just saying. Some days I've even worked out three times, but fitness is nothing without nutrition. 

I'm excited for my last Challenge Group for the summer. It's a 60 day challenge focusing on nutrition and fitness. The complete package. We're going to follow a 30 day meal plan and I'm starting the challenge off by doing 3 Day Refresh. It's brand new from Beach Body and so many people have seen great results and have loved  it! I'm not hoping- I'm COMMITTED to refresh my body and get off of this plateau on the 28th. That's when our challenge starts. I'm so excited. This is the biggest challenge I've done so far. I'm excited for the challengers that will be doing it with me and the progress that I know they will make!!! For myself, I'm going to lose 10 more pounds before school starts. Hopefully, we will be able to get pregnant this fall and I want to be at my goal weight before that happens. I want to be healthy for this baby!

Also, I'm getting to the point where I need several other coaches working with me. I know there are people out there who are wanting to help motivate others (and themselves) while they are on their own fitness & health journey.  I want to find them! 

When I first became a coach, I thought the discount will be great and I'm excited to learn what my coaches have learned. Now, I'm grateful that I am blessed to be in a position to help, coach, and motivate people to go after their goals. This job entails my favorite things- teaching, marketing, inspiring, and fitness/health. It not only holds you accountable but it seriously makes you walk the walk.

I want to help one person learn about this job and work with them! 

Day 25 & Day 26- Temple Service and 10K Training

Day 25- Service in the Temple

I love the temple! As a young girl, I really would dream about what the temple looked like on the inside and what it would be like, what I would I learn, and who I would marry in there some day. As a college student, I would take TRAX down to the SLC temple and would sit on the plaza staring up at the temple, read my scriptures, and write in my journal. As a wife and mother, I love to sit in the temple with my spouse holding hands and love to take Taylor to the temple grounds. The Primary song is still true for me- I love to see the temple!

When we lived in Centerville, there were one or two times when volunteers were needed from our ward to help clean the temple. Because it was during the school year, it would have been difficult to fulfill the service so early in the morning or so late at night. I had a strong desire though to serve the Lord and help clean the Lord's house.

My opportunity came last Sunday! A signup sheet was passed around during church to help clean the temple! I was so excited and signed up! I arrived at the temple in my Sunday best and walked in with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart for the opportunity.

There were over 40 people there with me that had volunteered to spend their late evening helping to clean the temple. With reverence, we were given instructions and sent to complete our tasks. While cleaning, a very warm feeling came over my heart. I realized that some recent prayers of mine had been answered. I had been praying for opportunities to serve others for a week or two. In the temple, it became known to me all the ways I had been able to serve the last couple of weeks. I had received multiple opportunities to serve, had a heart desiring to serve, and took action to serve in the opportunities. I just didn't realize all of those acts were acts of service until I was in the temple. I know that Heavenly Father was teaching me about how my prayers WERE answered.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve and to be served by others. I am grateful for the temple and all of the blessings it has brought to my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord and the members in my community by helping to keep the temple clean.

Oahu Temple- taken from our visit during our honeymoon

DAY 26- Training for a 10K

I'm so excited! I registered for a 10 K that will take place in 11 days!!!! I can't believe I am going to do it! It's at midnight and will be glow in the dark themed! I haven't ran in a race since before Taylor was born so probably 2011. I know I can currently run 2 miles, but I need to get up to six. With dedication I know I can do it. 

Shane and I (with Shane's best friend Paul in the background) right before I started running Leg 1 of Ragnar Las Vegas

Taken after completing the Salt Lake Half Marathon

In my early twenties, I participated in two Ragnar Races, one Half Marathon, and several 5ks. It's not a matter of if I can run a 10K, but if I'm willing to work and train for a 10k. I want to do this for multiple reasons, but the biggest reason is because I want to show myself that I CAN DO IT! I am in better shape than I've been thinking. I want that feeling of accomplishment again- that I killed a goal that I set for myself. I really love a quote I found the other day about being in your own way. My own fears and doubts are the only thing that can keep me from training for this 10K. Am I going to let them? I am not. I am not going to let fear and doubt stand between me and training for this 10K. There is no reason why I can't run, train, and complete a 10K on the night of the 18th! 

10K Map

I'm going to have my husband and parents there to cheer me on!!!! I don't care if I feel like collapsing afterwards or if I have to talk out loud to myself to keep my motivation up.... I'm going to finish!

Day 22 & 23- Appreciation in small things and hurtful moments

Day 22- Appreciating the Small Things

Taylor accidentally erased this even as I was typing. The other day I was on a walk with her over to the Oquirrh Temple and was thinking about how incredibly blessed I am to be the mother to this precious daughter of God. I appreciate her sweet spirit so much and the happiness she has brought to our little family. This little one year old has taught me a lot about giving, patience, forgiveness, love, and fun.

• Whenever I tell her let's go for a walk she'll run and find my sandals and try to help me put them on. 
• While cleaning the house Taylor will clean and "wipe" things down with us. She also loves to vacuum and sweep. 
• She will say she's sorry by nuzzling her head in our chest and giving a warm smile. 
• When Shane comes home she lights up like a Christmas tree and that look is only reserved for him. 

Shane and Taylor walking to swim lessons! 

• Even if we accidentally bonk her (she is at just the right height to get bonked often) she will show forgiveness by hugging us after we've said we're sorry. 
• She will run up to us randomly to hug us and lay her head on us. Also if she catches our glance while she is playing she will pull a funny face to make us laugh. 
• When she sees a baby she will say hi and try her best to be "soft". 
• MY FAVORITE!!! Whether it's an animal or a bug, Taylor shows love and appreciation to all of God's little creatures. She will talk to them and watch them with the most loving care a one year old could muster. Taylor will get excited over an ant walking by her toes and get the most joyful and curious look on her face!

Taylor is trying to pick up a bug that looked injured...

Day 23- Finding Appreciation in a Hurtful Moment

Taylor and I went to the library to return our books and she kept running around. I think she really likes the other kids, the child sized furniture, and all the books to choose from. While we were waiting to check out our books, one of the items dropped from my hands. I had a squirmy Taylor in one arm and a pile of children's books in the other. The mother in front of me said "Oh let me get that for you" with a kind smile on her face. She bent down to pick up the item and said "It's hard enough to have a one year old, but to have a one year old and to be pregnant is REALLY hard." She gave me sympathetic eyes while she put the item in my hand. I said "Thank you so much" without pausing or showing the hurt that her comment had made. However, I couldn't stop thinking about ir while we checked out our books... while we walked to the car... while I drove home... and while I tried to enjoy the evening with my family.

I couldn't stop thinking about it because I KNOW that at my heaviest weight after having Taylor I still looked like I was pregnant. I didn't just look like I was barely showing- I looked like I was 6 months along. For any woman, it's hard to be overweight but it aches to be so overweight that people mistake you for carrying another life in your belly. I had been working so hard! I had gained close to 50 pounds with Taylor and have lost all of it. What is left is a work in progress...  I thought my body was showing progress as well so this made me take a step back and look at what had just happened. 

Another woman with sincere intentions was trying to help me out because she thought I was pregnant and struggling with my one year old in a library. That was very kind of her. On the other hand, she didn't know that I have lost 30 lbs, bra sizes, pant and shirt sizes, and inches in the last couple of months. She didn't know that I used to have a hard time going to church because I felt that no matter what I wore I looked frumpy. She didn't know that I've struggled with my weight for the past 7 years of my life and am finally doing something about. She didn't know that I'm so happy about working out and eating healthier that I'm a coach now. 

But she didn't need to know all of that. She just needed to have me say thank you and show appreciation for her simple gesture of kindness. 

It made me think though about my latest plateau. I've been stuck at the same spot for about a month. Why have I not continued to make progress? I am not where I want to be even though I'm happy at how far I've come. I'm not happy staying in the same place and want to continue making progress. I'm thinking that maybe the efforts I've been making were enough to get me this far but not enough to take me farther...

I'm wanting to go farther so I need to push my efforts farther. I need to keep challenging myself. So I'm registering for a 10k in July and going back to tracking my food in My Fitness Pal. I'm going to be more diligent about my blog as well. :) Change makes change!

Day 20- Summer is on it's way!

Shane and I spontaneously decided to go camping down in Moab with some friends for Memorial Day weekend. I can't believe I've never been there before! It was so beautiful! I loved the scenery, the hiking, the quality time with my family, and laughing with friends...

On our way! Thirty minutes in and realize that Taylor didn't get in the car with any shoes!

Yes, we look like we belong to Big Bird's family. 

I love this picture of Shane. He didn't get why I had him point his finger. 

Shane and Taylor were great climbers!

Taylor's first s'more!

Getting ready for a swim to cool down... 

I have about 5 days left of school. I'm two days in to my second Beach Body Challenge and am loving it! The accountability and the workouts are going to help me smash my goals! I have big plans for the summer:

• Continuing to read the Old Testament. 
• Put Taylor in a "mommy and me" swimming class. 
• Camping! Lots of camping...
• Get reunited with my cousins for my grandparents' anniversary party. 
• Take care of my first garden and make some homemade salsa with what I grow. 
• Succeed with second Beach Body Challenge. 
• Go to the temple regularly. 
• Take Taylor to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden. 
• Run a 5K. 
• Go mountain biking with Shane. 
• Get my hearing checked... (I can't hear what people say unless they practically yell)
• Take my family on picnics to the near by parks/lake. 
• Try new recipes!

Day 18- My Favorite Job of All...

So while I was busy at school today thinking about all the things I needed to do this week to get my classes ready for their final tests, what I needed to do to clean and organize my classroom, and what I needed to start doing to prepare for next year's classes- I started thinking about my FAVORITE JOB OF ALL!

I love being a mom and wife! I love grocery shopping, making dinner, giving Taylor a bath, the satisfaction of a clean house after a deep clean, going on walks with my family, reading with Taylor, family scripture reading on weekday mornings when I'm on a school break, folding laundry, planning meals, planning our week, planting flowers, watering the flowers, wiping Taylor's hands after a meal or snack, teaching her and showing her something new, hanging out with Shane, improving myself, educating myself, working out, inspiring others, taking pictures, and writing about my life and family.

Yes, I enjoy teaching and my students. I love business/marketing and DECA. My favorite job of all is being a mom and wife though. I am excited because I have found a new passion which combines teaching and nutrition/fitness- coaching! This summer I will get to stay at home and be a full time mommy while I continue to coach and help others reach their fitness and health goals.

I'm going to love what I do every day this summer! It also makes me look forward even more to when I switch to part time or completely leave teaching to raise my little ones.

I feel peace and comfort about this decision. I just can't wait!!!


Tonight's dinner was pretty good and would make a great dinner for a camp out!

Chicken Foil Dinners-
raw chicken breast, cut into strips
red pepper, chopped
onion, chopped
thyme
sea salt
black pepper

Wrap completely in foil! Bake or grill for 25 minutes!

Day 13- I'm going to be a coach!!!

I'm so excited! Earlier this week I made the decision to become a coach! I will be trained by Beach Body to help others reach their fitness goals and to motivate progress towards a healthier lifestyle! Currently, I've lost 28 pounds and am still going! I am more active, energetic, and feel happier about body than I have since I started college! I love Turbo Fire and will be starting up T25 soon. Shakeology has seriously changed my appetite and my cravings for junk. Joining the Beach Body Challenge in January has changed my life by helping change how I take care of me!

Before picture... 215 lbs October 2014. 

10 Months Postpartum, Size 18, XXL

Progress Picture...28 lb LOSS. May 2014.
Week 17 of Beach Body Challenge.

Size 12, Large

Read my story on previous posts to learn about what I'm doing differently and my weight loss journey. This has been an amazing experience so far and I plan to continue working towards a healthier body and lifestyle- for myself and for my family!  I'll be starting my second challenge soon for T-25! 

If you want to do a Beach Body Challenge to kick off the summer you need to contact me so I can get you on board!!!

                                      -------------------------------------------------------------

I'm going to make some Shakeology and plan a workout this afternoon while I wait for my students to kill it at their competition! We're in Atlanta, Georgia for DECA and I am so proud of my students! I think if they've worked hard and prepared we could have some awards coming our way! 

We walked a lot today and yesterday. That's been awesome! Standing in line for Superman at Six Flags for 3 hours was not so awesome. We spent 6 hours at an amusement park and went on 2 rides! Woo hoo! But the time I've spent with my students and laughed was so much more fun. Today they're starting to compete, but we'll go tour the CNN Center later. 

I miss Taylor and Shane, but I know they're having their own "fun" this weekend as Shane flies solo with Taylor. 

Taylor and Shane having "Daddy/Daughter time" for breakfast!

Day 12- Beating Plateaus!

Day 12- Beating Plateaus!

Well, I think I went an entire week without posting... I'm not going to go back and try to make up what I missed... It was a good week though!

Yesterday I beat my plateau! I was stuck at 190 since mid march. It was my 25lb point which was a huge deal for me! I kept hovering in the low 190s and couldn't get past it. Reminding myself that it would eventually past if I put in the work, I saw my results yesterday. I weighed 189.5! Yes, a half pound down and I was celebrating! It wasn't about the number, but about the perseverance to keep going and to not give up. Today, I weighed in at 187.5! That's a 12.7% loss from my starting weight.

I'm continuing to get better at Turbo Fire and Taylor sometimes will clap and cheer me on or even start trying to do squats with me!

Seeing those small triumphs gave me a second wind of motivation, a much needed pay off, and confidence in the new habits I've formed. By the way, I LOVE eating grape tomatoes with my lunch!

I've decided that I'll finally post my before and "during" pictures this week. There will never be an "after" picture because I'll never be finished. This isn't something I'm doing until I reach my goals and then will stop and go back to the way it was before.

Weight loss aside, I have loved some of the things that I've done to help bring the Spirit into our home. It really does make a difference. So besides me reading to her, Taylor also has a love for me singing to her. She will just rest quietly in my lap while I sing to her. I don't get it- I sound like a dying country singer. Yeah, dying... in the process of dying. It's pretty bad, but she doesn't seem to mind. Maybe it's all those hours she sat in my belly while she listened to me teach at school. When she was little I used to make up songs or raps even about random Taylorisms. Our special song that always soothed her was "You are my Sunshine".

Lately, I've been singing hymns or Primary songs to her. I think she recognizes some from the ones she hears at church on Sundays- especially the Sunbeam song!

I love that the Spirit can still be felt when we're in the car together and I'm singing the Army of Helaman. I hope she feels something too. :)

Day 13- I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

Today at church we had the privilege of hearing from the missionaries during Sacrament Meeting. I loved their talks, passionate and encouraging testimonies, and invitation for us to rejoice in the Gospel! Shane and I have talked about it before, and we'd like to serve a mission when we're retired. I wanted to serve a mission actually before I met Shane and think I would love it. 

This weekend we had Shane's best friends and their wives come over for a BBQ. I did my best to work out before and ate a lunch to accommodate the extra calories for the festivities. My bun method is still my best friend at BBQs. I could even just use a half of bun and be fine. We didn't serve any soda and had our friends bring fruits and a garden salad. I did overeat on my favorite chips Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream and apple pie. 

But this morning, after breakfast, I was able to recruit our friends to do Turbo Fire with me! It was so much fun to work out with friends! We killed it! Their little boy even tried some of the moves with us. 

Day 14- Getting Prepared for Atlanta

This Friday I leave for a 6 day trip with some of my awesome students for DECA ICDC in Atlanta Georgia. I've made the decision that I will be taking my Magic Bullet with me to make Shakeology, KIND granola bars, grape tomatoes, mandarin oranges, and Turbo Fire to stay on track. I am excited because DECA is hosting a 5k while we are there and I'm going to register! I haven't done a 5K since before Taylor was born! I'm getting out of my comfort zone! With change, comes change!

Taylor is getting better at talking and is getting better at exercising her independence. Lately, she's been wanting to play in the trash can, turning off Shane's computer, or not following directions when we ask her to come to us. We just started doing time outs.... ahhhhh! Sometimes she screams and cries and other times she think it's funny to see if she can run away from  time out and out smart us. She is a clever little girl and really has a sweet heart, but she is definitely trying to see where her boundaries are. It's such a new learning experience for us- entering into discipline and rules. I'm really wanting discipline with love and guidance to show her how to behave and how to kind. We have no idea what we're doing though, but at least Shane and I are both on the same page and support each other when the other is having to handle a situation with Miss T. 

I'm going to miss them both so much! Last time I had a work trip, I came home after 3 days and cried when I held Taylor in my arms. 

I also discovered a new blog today that has tons of healthy, inexpensive, meal ideas! She lives in my neighborhood and really has put in a lot of work to her meal planning! I want to go to one of her classes I think. 

Day 11- Why be afraid?

So confession time... when I went to the IMC midwives earlier this week they weighed me as part of their regular routine. I remember that when I weighed in with them while I was pregnant their scale was ALWAYS 5 pounds above what I was weighing at home. Even if I weighed myself with the same clothes on and not eating or going to the bathroom in between, their scale always gave me 5 extra pounds. Sadly, my scale could be giving me a 5 pound kindness. Either way, consistency is what matters.

Consistently, I've been hovering between 190 and 195 for weeks. At the IMC, their scale put me at 200!!! I'm going under the assumption that I was probably at a peak for the day of 195 and their scale was giving me the 5 extra. I'm not crazy. I know that either their scale is wrong or my scale is wrong, but the two scales are always 5 off.

It doesn't matter that the scales are off, but what hit me at the IMC was that I still haven't dipped below 190. So I started reflecting on some of what I've learned from Turbo Fire. I asked myself, "Have I worked my hardest? If you don't know your limits, then you haven't been there yet. Can you push harder? Can you jump higher?"  I may have been saying that I care and want to lose more weight, but have I been acting like it? Nope. I know without a doubt, if were still doing the Beach Body Challenge with the motivation and effort that I was putting in at the beginning, I could've taken myself farther. Why not then? Why get comfortable? Why be afraid? Is it overwhelming? Yes. But the great success and changes I saw earlier this year were because I didn't care if it was scary, uncomfortable, or overwhelming. It only made me stronger. I don't regret it AT ALL so I need to be stop being afraid.

Even though today was supposed to be my rest day for the challenge, I did Hiit 15 and will be doing it again tonight. I ate one of my favorite salads for lunch:

Sunrise Salad:

arugula and spinach

cuties, peeled and segmented

glazed walnuts

low fat feta, crumbled

2 slices of bacon, crumbled

balsamic vinaigrette dressing

I'm calculating my calories and will be fixing a new recipe for dinner. I'll post it if it's a keeper!  I will reach my goal to get below 190 before school starts next Monday! 

Mommy bragging moment! Taylor has approached me today at least 15 times to want me to read to her. Different books and different times of day. My little girly loves me to read her books. She never is asking to get down off my lap to go play, she is instead saying "more, more, more" for me to keep reading to her! LOVE HER!!!!

30 Days of FAITH & FITNESS

Thirty Days... Strengthening my FAITH & my FITNESS

Last night, I went to bed wondering why I always come up with goals and to do lists and always say to myself "I need to wait until X to start". Like when I decided to finally do the work to get healthy, I told myself to wait until the new year. But, even though my Beach Body Challenge didn't start until January 20th, I started working out every day. I just spontaneously started and kept going. I challenged myself to see how far I could go and what kind of results I could get in a set time frame. (With Turbo Fire it's 90 days) I recently bought new pants for work by the way. I'm down from a size 18 to a size 12!!!

So last night, I spontaneously told myself to set a challenge to not only increase my faith but my fitness as well. All the time you read or hear about how writing down your goals, what you eat, etc, helps you to be more accountable. I also know that sharing your testimony strengthens it. Whether it's writing something down or saying it out loud, you become more committed. Invested. It becomes more than a dream or a goal. It becomes an action. 

I WANT to have a stronger spirit in my home. I WANT my husband and I to look at and treat one another with Christlike love. I WANT to have daily personal and family prayer (which I currently don't do). I WANT to continue to pray with my daughter and for her to recognize Jesus Christ. I WANT to follow the commandments and follow the the guidance of the prophets and apostles. I WANT to attend the temple weekly. I WANT to read my scriptures daily. I WANT to read scriptures with my husband and daughter. I WANT those that are around me to know Heavenly Father's love. 

I WANT to end my plateau and get below 190 lbs. I WANT to stick to the Turbo Fire schedule. I WANT to track my calories and exercise. I WANT to make healthier meals for my family that are also budget friendly. I WANT to be able to run 2 miles without stopping. 

My goals and dreams for my faith and fitness are written out and said out loud. I'm committed. I'm invested. I'm taking action. 

This morning, I woke up to my cute toddler and played with her as usual. This time though, I did something different. I pulled out the iPad and showed her the LDS.org video "I am a Child of God". We watched it three times. She loved it! I then, opened up my scriptures and read a chapter with her. I told her we were going to say a prayer together before we started our day. She folded her little arms and cuddled on my lap while I said a prayer. I cannot recall the last time I said a morning prayer... I then proceeded to give her breakfast and I worked out. 

Why have I not been doing this every day? I don't know if I have an answer or if I do and I just don't want to admit the answer. It doesn't matter though. Just like on making the spontaneous change to just start a new habit and commit to working out, I'm making a change. Change will make change. I had a long list of wants written down. If I want those things to change, I have to change what I'm doing. 

For 30 days, I will be writing down my testimony and progress towards these changes. Every day. Thirty days. I have to jump in. No saying that I have to wait for spring break or next month. It's now. It's today. 

I love General Conference. I love hearing messages from my Heavenly Father. I know that when I pray with my daughter that she feels the spirit. I know that my family is sealed forever because of the priesthood we have here on earth and the covenants that we were able to make in God's Holy Temple. I know the scriptures are true. I know that when I read them this morning my testimony was strengthened and my mind was enlightened. I know that the prophet and apostles are called of God and are his messengers here on earth. Their messages today were inspired and their guidance will lead me back to the arms of my Father in Heaven. I know that I am not alone. The Savior knows me and my family. He knows my concerns and my heart. I am so grateful for this testimony.  

Feeling Accomplished Today

First, in regards to weight loss I'm now down to 190!!! I've lost 25 lbs since the beginning of January. I love my Beach Body Challenge, Turbo Fire, and Shakeology! I did go through a couple of weeks where I lost my groove. Throwing up and having diarrhea at the same time will definitely take away your desire to jump around and sweat. But I didn't realize how even just 3 days of not working out will throw off my motivation and good habits. 

I'm back on track now and have plateaued at 190. I'm recommitting to track my calories on My Fitness Pal and am back into my regular schedule of Turbo Fire! With change... comes change!

Right after I woke up and played with my daughter this morning, I did my HIT 20 workout from Turbo Fire. It felt wonderful to start my day this way! 

Today was the first of the two day LDS General Conference. I love being able to listen to the prophet and apostles of the church. Last night Shane and I went to the Jordan Temple to better prepare spiritually for Conference weekend. It was our first time going since we've moved to our new house. We don't have any family near by so we had some good friends watch Taylor. I want to go at least monthly. When I am in the temple I feel so close to my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I am reminded of who I am and the woman that I can become. Going to the temple with my husband also sparks feelings that I felt when we were married and promised a forever together. 

During the first session of General Conference, I had to attend an ultrasound appointment. No, I'm not pregnant. Before I had Taylor, I used the Nuva Ring for birth control and loved it. I was like clock work and that was really helpful when we started to try to get pregnant. We're not planning to grow our family until later this fall, but what I'm currently using for birth control has been causing problems since day one. About 6 weeks after I had Taylor, I had my doctor insert the Mirena IUD after I heard a lot of benefits from research and friends. While it was being implanted, I was seeing spots and was lightheaded. It almost hurt worse than giving birth. We continued on with placing the IUD. No follow up appointments were made. Over the last year I've noticed discomfort and bleeding at random times. Knowing this wasn't normal, I asked a midwife about it and she ordered me an ultrasound so we could see what was going on. Sure enough at today's appointment, the ultrasound tech clarified that there was something wrong and that my midwife would be in touch with me at the beginning of the week. I don't know how bad, but I do appreciate the ultrasound tech being up front with me. I'm not scared, but know that it's not time yet for us to have another baby. Once we know I'm safe and it's taken out, we'll go back to the Nuva Ring until we feel ready!

On my way back home, I was able to listen to the last of the morning session that I missed. It was so nice and calming. Once I got home, I was happily surprised to find my husband busy cleaning the house while our daughter was down for a nap. We weren't able to spend that much together though since I had to leave soon after to go meet my mom, sister, and grandma for lunch. I hate a small side salad and half of steak sandwich! Go me! I headed back home in time for the afternoon sessions. 

I LOVED the afternoon session of General Conference. Here are some thoughts that I took away from it:

• Linda Reeves- commitment between spouses, spouse should always come first, support your spouses, don't suffer alone if your spouse is struggling with pornography, daily scripture study & prayer are more important than cleaning, be faithful & obedient in inviting the Spirit into our home, protection through temple attendance
• Neil Andersen- it will not be calm leading up to the Second Coming, challenges strengthen us, Helaman 5:12, Christ is my rock and safety, be in the world- not of the world. 
• Russell M. Nelson- Where is my faith? Faith is always safe in God. Look unto Him in every though. Doubt not. Fear not. Am I tied to God or man? All truth is a part of God. Read scriptures will help us make daily decisions. Liken the scriptures unto us. Popular opinion doesn't justify wrong. Have the courage to not compromise what you know to be right. Proclaim your faith. Let your faith show. 
• Richard G Scott- His wife's convictions and faith made all the difference in their life. Love people so they can know God's love. Focus life on Basic parts of the plan of salvation (conversion & strengthening families). Keep your sharing of the Gospel simple. The atonement makes it possible for us to become more like our Heavenly Father & to be with our families forever. We best serve God by being a righteous influence to others. 
• Robert D Hales- The greatest lesson Jesus taught was obedience. We have a sacred obligation to uphold our covenants and to obey God's laws. Obedience brings blessings. Obedience is taught by example. 
• W. Craig Zwick- Only good communication, no corrupt communication. Love, kindness, and civility. A soft answer. Own the truth. Address loved one's fears. Include empathy first. What is the other person thinking? Understand and listen to someone else's perspective. Administer grace. 

After General Conference today, I planned to do two things through my weekly grocery trip. I was going to SAVE MONEY and work on my EMERGENCY FOOD STORAGE. I made a grocery list like always that included 2 new recipes that I'm going to try this week. I wanted to stay focused on healthy meal choices as well. I ended up buying about $30 worth of food storage! I saved some money by buying my needed items on sale or store brands (usually don't buy store brand). 

Besides, grocery shopping I went to a book store and bought to pictures of Jesus Christ. One picture is to go down in our family room, by our computer. It's a painting of Jesus Christ holding a lamb. The other painting is for Taylor. It will go up in the hall leading to her room. It is a painting of Jesus Christ with a little girl holding an oil lamp. I love it and the feelings that it evokes. I also bought Taylor a little board book. 

After putting away groceries and welcoming my sweet husband home from his evening Priesthood Session, I am so happy today. I feel accomplished. I feel that today was a good day. I worked on goals that I've set for myself. I started the day with playing with my daughter and working out. I ended the day with pondering on the inspired messages from General Conference, chores done, an updated food storage, and an invitation to remember the Savior in our home. 

No longer someday... it's today!

I've thought about this post for quite some time. I've thought about why I wanted to write it and what I wanted to write. Finally, with courage and no excuses- I'm sharing my health journey and my goals to hold myself accountable and hopefully to inspire.

In college, I was staying up way late and sleeping in until noon on the weekends. I wasn't exercising or caring that I was eating out for most of my dinners. Highly processed foods seemed economical to me so that's what I bought at the store. Growing up, my family didn't cook a large variety of fruits, vegetables, or proteins so I didn't know what other satisfying options were out there for meals. Within one year, I gained twenty pounds. Each year, even becoming more aware of my weight gain, I continued to gain. My first year of college,  at 5' 10" I wore a size 4 and wore a size 8 my second year.


I was nearing college graduation at about 175 and knew something had to change. First, I joined Weight Watchers so I could learn how to eat and live a more healthy life. This was such an eye opener to see how I was eating way more than I needed and how my food choices weren't healthy. I would stay on program for a couple weeks and lose a couple of pounds and then get discouraged because I wasn't seeing the results I wanted and wasn't even getting to a 5 lb loss! I was going to the gym a couple time a week but never really got into it or had accurate measurements of how many calories I was burning.

 I joined WW a couple different times between the age of 20 and 22. I only lost 5 pounds once. Yes, if I stuck to my points I saw small losses but I felt that I was starving myself to get there and depriving myself of the tasty food I loved and craved. I kept binge eating and the process would start all over. At this point, I was wearing a size 10/12.

In 2010, I married my wonderful husband and the weight kept adding on. We started eating more at home and spent less dinners eating out. I got into a Jilian Michael's workout DVD, but that lasted only one month. I started experimenting with recipes and learning how to incorporate different vegetables and proteins in our meals. I also started to experiment with different methods of cooking. I participated in two different ragnars and completed a half marathon. However, the weight kept adding on.

In May 2012, I found out I was expecting our little girl. Weighing about 180, I told myself not to go over the 200 lb mark. During the first trimester, I only ate "little kid" junk food such as macaroni and cheese, spagettios, and top ramen. Those were the only things that sounded good to me. By the end of my second trimester, I reached 200 lbs and people would look at me and ask if I was having twins. My feet were so swollen and I felt so heavy that I didn't have the energy to work out and didn't believe that working out would make me feel better.

My little girl was born on Christmas Eve. Even after warnings from the midwives, I was drinking half a gallon of eggnog per week all throughout December. I was craving liquids and sadly, that was beverage of my choice next to hot chocolate. I ended up at 240 lbs.

I didn't workout during my pregnancy so after I had my little girl I could figure out how to start working out again. My body was weak and I felt crummy. Looking at the pictures from my baby's blessing, I felt so embarrassed. There was a very special 4 generation picture that we took with my grandma, mother, and daughter... but I didn't want to get a nice print of it because of how I looked. During the summer, I would try and go on walks with the stroller or go on runs. My goal was to be able to run a mile without stopping. I never reached it.

Hovering at around 215 lbs throughout the rest of the year, I kept wondering how could I motivate myself enough to make the drastic changes that needed to be made. Obviously I wasn't at a healthy weight. I was wearing size 18 clothes, maternity pants, and a tired/old looking face. I started asking myself questions about the new year. What would keep me going? What food would I need to be eating? What kind of effort would be required? Would I be binge like I did before? Would I give up? If I ever reached my goals, would that mean giving up oreos and pizza forever? How quick would I see progress? What if I didn't see progress or I plateaued? How would I make time for the changes that needed to be made?

New Year's day came. I decided to buy some new jeans. Skinny jeans! I thought I looked funny, but I forced myself to stop wearing my maternity jeans.

Next, inspired by a post from my good friend Jessie Larson I sat down the chocolates at the grocery store and went straight to the DVD section and bought The Biggest Loser Cardio Blast DVD. Worked out to with Bob Harper and Dolvette Quince for the next several days.

Then, Jessie Larson invited me to join a Beach Body Challenge that she was going to coach. She sent me information via Facebook about it and while my motivation was high I decided to jump on it! It would be a 90 day challenge where I would follow a Beach Body fitness program of my choice (Turbo Fire), drink Shakeology daily, and give &receive support on our Facebook Challenge Group. It officially started on January 20th. Up until then I worked every day with The Biggest Loser Cardio Blast.

Once the challenge started, I was little scared if I'd be able to keep up, but I was ready! I learned the moves of the fitness program and got better each day. I've been tracking my calories and progress using myfitnesspal.com. I had my husband take a whole bunch of before shots so I can see the visual evidence of improvement. From all the hard work from the exercise plan, I only wanted to fuel my body with good things. I actually WANTED to eat more vegetables, less calories, more lean proteins, fruits, and less refined carbs. I WANTED to work out instead of watching my favorite show. I WANTED to push myself until my hair was wet with sweat. I started making challenges for myself and pushed myself to reach them. As of last week, I weigh 198.5 lbs which is a 7% loss and am looking forward to reaching a 20 lb weight loss soon.  On average I've lost 1-2 lbs a week.

What's changed? I'm about to start week 6 of the program and plan on getting as close as I can to 170 in the weeks that are left. I even brought my magic bullet with me on a 3 day trip that I took so I could have Shakeology. I have more energy, more stamina, and a love for working out! With TurboFire, I've been able to work out for anywhere from 10 minutes up 50 minutes here at home. I've been able to stay motivated and push through 2 different plateaus. Healthy, delicious meals are on my dinner table every night. I am constantly on the hunt for new recipes! I keep telling myself that I'm worth the change. I work out 6 nights a week and am fueling my body with healthy food.  NO MORE EXCUSES! NO GOING BACK!

What's next? When my 90 days are finished, I want to complete another 90 day challenge with either T25 or P90X3. This spring, I would like to be a Beach Body Coach to help others and to stay motivated!

Lessons learned so far:
1. Always stick to your workout plan even if you don't feel up to it. You will never regret it afterwards. Just push through.
2. Workout and stay active throughout pregnancy.
3. A lot of foods just aren't worth throwing away hard work. (Wendy's and Taco Time are not worth it!)
4. If you're going to eat a lot of calories make it worth it and be sure you won't regret it. (The Wild Rose, Red Iguana)
5. Drink lots of water and always early to bed- early to rise.
6. Stick to a schedule! Especially one that continues to progress and challenge you.

This is the only time in my life where I have stuck to my goals in regards to health and fitness. I feel wonderful and have loved the results so far!!!