Weekend Update

This past weekend seemed very uneventful to me but it was a nice relaxing weekend for sure. Casey had to work on Saturday (boo, but yay for our paychecks) so Dax and I just hung out at home (Caleb is at his Dads house until August 2nd). Sunday we hung out at home (again) because of a few reasons. 1. Casey worked all week long and just wanted to chill at the house. 2. We are trying to save money and not spend it on "crap" we do not need and 3. We are eating clean and only eating at home, so no need to go out to eat. 

Dax and I got bored on Saturday so we started to play with things in his room... one of them being the bumbo chair. The cover is from Etsy. He loved sitting up like a big boy and he is really learning how to hold his head up, he is getting strong for sure! He is 6 weeks old (yesterday), man how time goes by so quickly!!!

Sunday I decided to leave the house for the 1st time without taking Dax with me! I am getting a pedicure on Wednesday so I figured I needed to do a trial run. I just went to Sonic and was gone for about 20 minutes... but I didn't cry and that is a big deal. I have been dealing with really bad separation anxiety with Dax (never had it with Caleb). I mean it is so bad that I get jealous when other people hold him (besides Casey). I can tell it is getting better the past few weeks/day though. I guess it is a good thing I took an extra 6 weeks off so that I have more time to get over it... 

Another "fun" thing that happened this weekend was during our shopping trip at Wal-Mart for groceries... Dax (& Casey) decided it would be a great thing if we bought a Veggetti!!! I am so excited. If you want to check out my Fitness Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/fitbyjordan) I posted a video of me using it last night! 

Last night after getting home we decided that we would take Dax out on a walk, his 1st walk in our neighborhood. Caleb will be attending the school down the street from us so we walked to the school to time it and see how long it will take when we start walking him to and from school. It wasn't that shabby... man I cant believe he is about to be in KINDER!!!

I also taught Casey how to make a quiche! I am trying to teach him how to cook, not sure how much he remembers from each cooking lesson though. It is fun to be in the kitchen with my husband!! Seriously he is the cutest sou chef! 

And then there was this... HAHAHA!!! 

I hope you have a happy Monday!! 

SwaddleSure by HALO - Baby Product Review

Since having Caleb in 2009, a LOT of things have changed. It has been very surprising actually. Some good and some bad... With that being said, I have had the pleasure to test out a product on Dax and give you guys my review on it. 

SwaddleSure by HALO

On our first night home from the hospital we wanted to make sure we slept so I decided to pull out the SwaddleSure. The nurses at the hospital showed me how to swaddle a baby with a blanket BUT I didn't master it very well. Every time I would swaddle Dax, he would squirm around and the blanket would come undone. It was frustrating to say the least. 

Casey and I laid the SwaddleSure out on the bed and read the directions, yes we had to read the directions... I am new at this swaddle stuff. The package provided very easy to follow directions and made me feel very sure of myself. Once we figured it out, which didn't take long, we started to put it on Dax. It was easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

Funny story - Casey said it looks like a baby straight jacket so that is what he calls it now. It holds the baby in tight and actually allows you to tighten and loosen the Velcro straps. 

My favorite part of it is that the bag their feet goes in is very loose and allows the baby to move their feet around. Dax HATES having his feet covered and restrained so the SwaddleSure works perfectly for us. 

Details on the SwaddleSure by HALO - The product is $14.99 and you can purchase it on Amazon and at Babies-R-Us. The SwaddleSure by HALO product is also designated as hip-healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, making it safer and more secure for baby. 

Back to Blogging - Fitness, Family & Fun

I am getting back to blogging on a regular basis this week. I am going to try and sit down at least twice a week and blog about Fitness, Family and fun! 

These past 5 weeks have been an adventure for us. We have been learning how to juggle life as a family of four. Learning how to rearrange our budget. Learning how to fit in fitness into the mix without having a gym membership. Lets just say, there has been a lot of learning going on. And I think I am finally getting the hang of it. 

Fitness - We have cancelled our gym memberships and I do not plan on going back to my trainers for a few months. I am taking 6 weeks of FMLA (unpaid leave) and then going back to work part time (starting September 8th) so we are having to rearrange our budget and its a learning process. For the the time being we are cutting out all the "fun" stuff... gym being one of the things that had to be cut. SO, I started the 21 Day Fix (which I previously owned before getting pregnant). 

I am currently on my 1st round on Day 10 and I am feeling great. I have more energy then I have had in a while. I am getting stronger (again) and I am focused on my clean eating again. The containers that come with the program are amazing. They help portion out your food and keep it very simple. I am eating more now then I was before starting the program. You have to eat to lose! I will post a menu of my food next week... 

I plan to keep re-doing this program for 3-4 rounds and then will probably start something else. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. I am praying that by October, we will have a better understanding on our budget and I will be able to get back to the gym or back with my trainer, if not both. 

My goals right now are to just stay focused on my meal plans. I have this dress I want to wear on my 30th birthday, which is exactly one month from now. It is hanging in my kitchen to remind me to eat good and stay on track. My overall goal is to be back down to my comfortable maintenance weight of 175 by the first of 2016. One step at a time though... right?!

Check back with me later this week as I update more on my family and fun!

Labor & Delivery Photos!!!

I hired the amazing Alicia Mitchell Photography to take some Labor & Delivery photos and she didn't disappoint... 

The song "Home" by Phillip Phillips is the song I sang to Dax almost every single day while he was in my tummy and now I sing it to him when he needs to be calmed down... LOVE!

Guest Post - How to adjust to your Postpartum Body

How to adjust to your Postpartum Body

As a new mom with a 10 month old, it has taken me some time to adjust to my

postpartum body. Pregnancy is an amazing gift, and so worth it.

But I know for me, I really had to adjust to accepting my new body. It can be hard,

it can be overwhelming. Here are some tips that helped me to ACCEPT & LOVE this

newly earned body.

Focus on your beautiful new baby.

Yep that's right, stop nitpicking your self apart in the mirror

and enjoy those new baby snuggles. As every mom will

tell you, those newborn days go by SO FAST. And it is so

important to enjoy living in the moment with your new precious babe.

Give yourself some grace.

As a new mom, I had a C-section, and my body

looked almost unrecognizable in the 24 hours

after I had my daughter. I couldn’t really get over

how different my stomach looked and how I still

looked pregnant. That's okay, YOU JUST HAD A BABY.

Allow yourself some grace, don’t worry about jumping

back into getting your body back. You have plenty of time.

Stop the Negative self talk.

I could tell women all the time that they needed

to love their bodies and should be proud, but then

I would go bathing suit shopping and immediately start 

criticizing myself. After I first had my daughter, I said

I would NEVER wear a bikini again. I had so many stretch marks

on my stomach and felt that I could never wear a two piece

bathing suit in public. BUT GUESS WHAT, I have! I stopped

focusing on everything that I didn’t like and I started focusing on what

I did! I started focusing on the fact that I now have this beautiful baby

and I should be proud of the journey my body has taken, not ashamed of it.

Be thankful for your postpartum body.

It took my husband and I, over three years to get pregnant.

having those years of infertility struggles, made me appreciate my pregnancy.

It made me realize its a GIFT and a MIRACLE. Whenever I get to a point

when I feel that I am being judgmental of myself, I just think about

all those years when I would have GIVEN ANYTHING just to get pregnant.

Some women go decades struggling with infertility, I know the emotional

toll that takes. So be THANKFUL for the experience and enjoy the journey.

If you want to hear ME talk more about my Postpartum Body Image,

here’s My Story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGp-elFe9ZI

I hope that this helps all the new mommas out there!

Learn to love your body and the amazing life it has given to your

sweet little one. It is totally worth it :)

-Alesha Haley

www.aleshahaley.com

Guest Blog - Making Motherhood Look Easy!

Hey Yall! All of my friends and family ask me how I manage to make things look easy....... Ha! That makes me laugh! Motherhood is nothing even close to "easy". There are days where I (like I'm sure all other mothers do) (or so I like to tell myself that all other mothers do) hide in the bathroom and just cry, but that's ok. Its ok to acknowledge that we are not perfect. For example, this picture is of my daughter drinking a sugary "blue juice" at 7:45am on the way to the babysitter because I ran out of heathery things to drink.

 

It happens. She was delighted to have it, I was cringing as I handed it to her, feeling like I had already lost the battle for the day. But life goes on. That's what Motherhood is, winning some days and losing others.

I have learned that if I need to get something done, like grocery shopping or laundry or cooking dinner, it makes things easier on me if I have them help. "HELP?!?!" Yes, help me at the grocery! I know that when I tell my friends this, they laugh, but my kids LOVE to help me with things like this! They are at the age now where they are learning everything and they enjoy getting to do "big kid" stuff like cross off the grocery list, or place the biscuits on the baking sheet, or dry off the dog after going out to pee-potty in the rain.  So my blog is about my little tricks-of-the-trade to make life a little easier being a mommy to toddlers.

1. Birthday cards are expensive and I HATE buying them! Am I the only one??? So what I do is let the kiddos pick out a couple cheap ones (Kroger has them for 99 cents, or the Dollar Tree has them for 2/$1) and then take them home to let them decorate! We have OODLES of stickers and crayons so I just let them create whatever they want to. Lets them show off their "artwork" to the birthday person, and keeps them busy for a whole 15 mins (if I'm lucky)!

2. " That's MINE!" "NO!! That's MINE!" ....... sigh. Almost everyday we have a situation where they are confused about who's is who's. So at our house, a heart means Sissy's, and a start means Bub's.  This is easier right now since my daughter is only 3 and she cant quite recognize her name yet. So stars and hearts work great!

3. The grocery.... (dramatic music) .... the dreaded place where I used to HATE to go with my kids. One was always running off and one was trying to put random items in the cart, and then its the long sigh with "ARE WE DONE YET?!?!?!" So at the age my kids are now, we can assign "job's" and at this point and time, it is going great! My son's job is to check items off the list as we go. He is going into the 1st grade so we make it fun with sounding out words that he doesn't know and it becomes a great learning experience for him. He also calls off things that we haven't gotten yet, and my daughter's job is to find them. Like a scavenger hunt! She enjoys finding the items and placing them into the cart.

This is a picture of my list from the other day.... and the little note attached to the bottom. He melts my heart! :)

The second job is to help place the items on the belt. Our local Kroger will give both of the kids stickers if I request them, and they cant wait for that sticker at the end of our shopping trip! Taking those stickers home and placing them on a paper hanging on their doors is like a trophy to them! :)

Also, our Kroger gives out free cookies in the bakery and has little taste tester stations along the way of the store, which my kids LOVE!

The last part of the grocery trips is putting things away at home. As I am bringing in the bags, both kids are opening and placing all the items on the kitchen table. His job is to sort the cold vs. box/can goods, and hers is to pickup all the bags. Once all of the groceries are put away, we get a snack and both get a dollar!!! Woot Woot!

These tricks wont always work for me as my babies grow, but right now..... they are lifesavers!

I hope my tricks work for you, too. Let me know if you have some of your own. :) 

Ashley

Guest Post - Loving yourself at every point in your journey!

Hey Jordan followers, I hope this guest blog post finds you well!  Jordan is off enjoying her little blessing and adjusting to life as a wife and mom of 2!!!!  I volunteered to share with you during this time for several reasons. 

#1- I love following Jordan and how honest and fun her blog posts and Facebook posts ALWAYS are!!!!

#2- I, like Jordan, have experienced many ups and downs on this life journey and fitness/weight-loss journey and thought another woman sharing her story always blesses someone in the crowd.

And #3- What a way to honor Jordan and her goal of sharing her story, but to step up when she needs to be focused on family and keep her blog going……

My name is Kayla Trautmann and I am from Wisconsin (finally, finally SUMMER is here in our northern state!!!) where I live with my husband Nate and our yellow lab, or baby, Pfeiffer.

 It’s been the 3 of us for the last 6+ years and as you can see in the photo, we are active family. I personally not only Crossfit but love Yoga, have ran several ½ marathons, and just enjoy being on the go.  I love Coffee, I LOVE Target (and all things girly), and I thank Jesus Christ every day for being my personal savior and for the blessings in my life.  I could go on and on, but the story really starts in 2013 when my husband and I were dealing with a hard time in our marriage.  That is when we decided to start clean eating and Crossfit. Through this I have lost weight, gained confidence, and learned to love my body and myself again.  Also, it helped my husband and I really bond and reconnect. But mostly, this blog is to share with you how this journey is never over….even for those of us who have been at it for some time!

 (to read my full story stop over at my page Kayla’s Running, Lifting, and Eating cleaning or https://www.facebook.com/kaylasfitnessjourney ---Come follow me on this crazy journey called LIFE)

What I want to focus on today is how important it is to love yourself at every point in a journey.

We found out just a few months ago that we are expecting our first baby, aka Baby T, (how fitting to be a guest blog for Jordan right now!) and with this exciting news I had no idea the effect it would have on my emotionally when I think about my body, the changes I am going through, and the lifestyle we, in our house, live.

Did you know that I have actually had thoughts of resentment towards my husband because HE does not HAVE to go through these physical changes like I am?  Yes, that’s right.  My bras do not fit; I have 0 swim suit tops that are going to fit this summer.  I can barely button my old jeans or any of my cute summer outfits. I was morning sick for many weeks which caused me to miss workouts or have to scale them back quite a bit. I have ½ the energy I used to have.   Etc…….  It’s hard after losing weight to know you are going to gain it back and meanwhile, feel so sick.

Did you know that I have actually had thoughts of how this baby is going to “wreck” my body?  How I won’t be able to do the things I used to be able to do at Crossfit for some time. How my friends are going to be able to run faster, lift heavier, get to the gym more often, etc…….  I will never look the same; I will never have my flat stomach back, or wear the same size.

Did you know that people have actually said the following things to me?  “You know that once the baby comes you are going to have to stay home more and workout less”.  “Enjoy these last few months of your pre-baby body…it will never be the same” and “Wow, you are really showing all of a sudden”.

Did you know I was crying during my first trimester because I felt “guilt” for throwing up chicken/veggies and needing to eat quinoa noodles and brown rice instead of veggies and a protein?

AND mentally……. I was exhausted 9 weeks into pregnancy……. Already!

And then recently, I woke up one morning and realized that what I am always preaching to my page followers on Facebook (and hopefully a blog to finally come once I am home on maternity leave) is exactly what I needed to remember.  We are NEVER done working towards the healthiest version of US possible. Life will always get in the way and its how we handle the ups and downs that really showcase the HEALTHY lifestyle we live.  We must learn to love ourselves at every step.

I, even when sick, worked out 3-4 times a week the first trimester. And you know what, if I could not have because baby would not have allowed me….. That would have been ok! To all you moms who could not workout or who chose not to, it’s ok! And to those of you that did, you are awesome! There is no right or wrong way for any woman….. We all have to do what works for us.

I ate as clean as I could during the first weeks/months and you know what? I would have survived just fine on cereal or mac & cheese if that is all my body would have allowed.

Guess what? I drink coffee each morning and jumped on a trampoline while pregnant (with Dr. permission).   I ate dinner one night in the bath tub while I cried about how awful I felt that day.  I look in the mirror and see my body changing all over.  

And folks, this does not just go for pregnancy.  We can do this to ourselves at any point on our journey.  Change in job, adjusting to new neighborhood or home, schedule changes in the house, etc….. Anything can start to change our routine or healthy habits QUICKLY and it’s important to take a few seconds each day to remind ourselves how awesome we are for STICKING with it as best as we can and working hard to stay active and healthy. Maybe you are feeling called to be more involved at your current job, in your kids sports teams, or at church. Those all take more time away from working out and prepping meals.  I get it.  Keep fighting for your version of healthy.

My body is doing some amazing things right now.  I am so blessed to be carrying this little baby……  I still weigh less pregnant than I did years ago before I found clean eating and my healthy lifestyle.  I can still lift HEAVY at the gym, run, and swim.  I am beautifully made by God and just thankful for my health every day.  Thankful for people like Jordan who share their stories and struggles so I know I am not alone and its ok to not feel my “best” every-single-day, but to be happy and filled with Joy when I see myself in the mirror each day.

If you are going through something in your life that is holding you back from making ALL of the changes you want to make. It’s ok. I am here to tell you that you will find balance and routine soon. IN the meantime, don’t hate your body, or the situation. Just do your best to overcome it. Pick BETTER choices when it comes to snacks and dinner time.  Fit in 10-20 minutes of walking, squats, push-ups, whatever…… when you can.  Play with your kids, chase your dog around the house, or just simply take time to stop and smell the daisy’s after work. Take care of YOU no matter what is going on in your life and LOVE YOURSELF at every point along this journey. 

I am so grateful that I saw my foolish ways early on in this pregnancy and quickly snapped out of the mindset I was in.  I am now fully enjoying the growing belly, prenatal yoga, exhaustion, and soon…the baby’s movement.   I am eating my normal daily regimen again and working out 5x a week because that works well for me.  I am loving this journey full circle.

God Bless, Thank you for reading!

Kayla T

To Jordan, Enjoy this precious time with your little man and whole family.  You are an amazing inspiration, wife, and mother.

And Come follow me at Kayla’s Running, Lifting, and Eating Clean: https://www.facebook.com/kaylasfitnessjourney

Guest Blog - No One Wants to Talk About It (Sexual Abuse)

Hey! This week I will be posting some guest blogs from some of my wonderful friends... I hope you enjoy them!!!

Next week I plan to start blogging again, at least once or twice a week... now that I am figuring out life with 2 boys! It is still a work in progress for sure. Check back next week for an update and pictures from our Labor and Delivery & our Sip and See!!!

Guest Blog: 

No One Wants to Talk About It (Sexual Abuse)

Hello everyone!! I would first like to introduce myself and give you some insight to my life before I get into the “heavy stuff.” My name is Amanda, please bear with me, because this is my first blogging experience! I have often considered writing as a hobby or even writing a book based on some of my life experiences, which I will get into during this blog. I met Jordan through Instagram and her Facebook page, FIT by Jordan. I loved watching her and became inspired to get healthy myself. I have had many ups and downs throughout my own fitness journey, as many people do. Feel free to add me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/agoolsby1) or follow my fitness journey on Instagram @mrsmiller_10. In December 2010, I had the pleasure of marrying my high school sweetheart, Brant. Since then, we have added two four-legged babies to our family, Brutus and Bella, our miniature schnauzers. We have been together for eight total years now and I’ve loved every second of it. My husband just graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and I will be graduating in December with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

                I suppose it’s now time to get into the conversation about sexual abuse. I’m sure many of you have recently heard about Josh Duggar’s past convictions coming to light in the news. Now I won’t go into detail about his specific case, but I will give you another story much like it, mine. As a child, I had a very large family, including three siblings and eight cousins. I enjoyed spending time with each and every one of them because they loved me too. Around the age of 8, I started experiencing something that didn’t feel quite right. I was not sure how to explain it, but I felt like I needed to tell someone. Without going into additional detail, I will say that this same strange thing was happening to two of my cousins as well. We discussed what was happening and even compared our stories, realizing that we were all experiencing the same thing.

My grandfather would often take us for rides on the four-wheeler and motorcycle, take us swimming in his pond and even let us stay the night. As I mentioned, around the age of 8, things began to change. I noticed him doing things that I felt were awkward and not something he should be doing. He would rub and touch my body in areas I knew he shouldn’t be doing that. He would also pin me up against things, using his body weight to perform acts that would benefit him. [I must clarify here that my clothes were never removed and I was not raped. I do not want anyone to be confused as to what exactly happened.] My cousins and I talked about how we wanted to tell someone what was happening to us, but we were not sure how to explain it, because as children, we didn’t know what the name for it was. We were also concerned with who we would tell, afraid no one would believe us and even thought we would be taken away from our families, then we would never see each other again. Since we were scared of what would happen, we kept quiet and didn’t tell anyone. The abuse continued until I was around 13/14, at this time, it slowly became less and less until it finally stopped all together. I guess my cousins and I were so happy that it stopped that we never thought to tell anyone what happened, so we went on with our lives as if nothing had ever happened.

Fast forward to Easter 2009, the end of my senior year of high school. During my senior year, I was only taking one class at the high school and taking post-secondary classes at the community college to get college credits. This means I was home a lot. One morning I was just standing around in the kitchen when my mom approached me. She had a look on her face that made me wonder what she was about to ask me. The conversation went as follows:

She said something along the lines of “I have a very serious question for you, and please tell me the truth,” this is really when I began to wonder.

“OK,” I agreed.

“Has your pappaw (this is what we called my grandfather) ever touched you?” she asked curiously.

                Shocked is the only way to explain what I was feeling at that very moment. I didn’t know what to say. My instinct was to lie, I so badly wanted to say no because I was completely ashamed as all those bad memories came rushing back to my mind. Then, my second thought were the next words that came from my mouth “How did you know?” After this, we began to cry and I came to realize that other family member had come forward with accusations. The other family member was only 11 at the time of this, so my family was not sure if she had taken something out of context, so they came to me next. I felt so responsible for her abuse. I felt that if I had told at that time, it would not have happened to her. I became very depressed and cried myself to sleep many nights, although I was good at pretending everything was alright when I needed to be somewhere. That summer, my grandfather was convicted of three counts of GSI (Gross Sexual Imposition) and one count of attempted GSI. You can read more about GSI here (http://www.sexoffenderattorney.com/resources/criminal-defense/sex-crimes/what-gross-sexual-imposition-penalties-defense ). He served in prison for a total of 4 ½ years, never once was I given an apology. I, along with my cousins and other family member, were blamed for him being in prison. This made things even worse for me and made me question if I had done the right thing.

Prior to his release, I came to realize that I needed help. I was still depressed and not dealing with it very well. I would often become stressed, have anxiety attacks and seemed to be going out less and less. The abuse even crept into my marriage and began to affect my relationship with my husband. I decided to go to therapy. This was not a decision I took lightly, I was afraid of how it would be perceived or that people would consider me to be crazy. I found an amazing Christian therapist and continued to see her on and off for a year. As I went to therapy, I would talk about things that made me feel stressed and came up with techniques to handle the stress and anxiety I was experiencing. My husband once told me “I can really tell a difference when you go to therapy, you seem so much happier after you go.” Wow! Never had I imagined my husband would say something like that, but it was true. I was happier and able to start letting go of the past. Now, I feel that I am able to share my story and help people. I want to be an advocate for people who aren’t sure if they should speak out. What I want to discuss now are ways that you can talk to your family about sexual abuse, I do not have kids but having experienced abuse myself, I can give some suggestions on how to talk about this with ease.

3 Discussion Points:

1.       Explain that their body is just that, theirs.

Young children often do not understand or know body safety. It is important to explain that they do not have to do anything that they do not want, especially if it makes them uncomfortable. If you find it difficult to have this conversation with your child, you can find children’s books written specifically for this. You could also schedule an appointment with a therapist for your whole family. When I was receiving counseling, my therapist stated that many times parents do not know how to talk about this with their children so they have their whole family talk to her as a group. Found on the right is a great handout you can read to your child(ren) and help them understand that they are in charge of their bodies. It is also a good idea to discuss this, and the second tip, with your adult family and friends because they need to understand the rules that your child(ren) is expected to follow.  

2.       No secrets

I read an excellent blog that discussed the importance of not keeping secrets. The article is found here (http://www.denvermomsblog.com/parenting/why-we-dont-keep-secrets-in-our-house/ ). I know, I know, everyone has secrets they like to keep but as far as children go, I do not believe they should keep secrets for this very reason. A child should be encouraged to tell their parents/ guardians everything. At one point in time one of my siblings was asked to keep a secret for a friend. This secret involved the friend contemplating suicide. My sibling was scared for the friend and told my parents. I believe this case provided to opportunity for the friend to receive help, which she did. Keeping secrets may seem harmless, but if a child is with a sex offender and is asked to not tell anyone, or even pressured to keep the secret, it can help save your child from being harmed.

3.       Openly talk

There is not enough I can say about this. While it is important to not have secrets and explain that your child is in charge of their body, it is extremely important to talk about these often. For example, start talking to your child around age 4/5. They may not understand everything that you need to tell them but you can start them out easy, like reading one of the children’s books which discuss body safety, while providing body safety rules for them to follow. Then bring up this topic a year or two later, around age 7/8. At this time, your child may understand more than the last time you talked to them. Each time you discuss this with you child(ren), increase the knowledge level and importance of the topic. Also explain why they need to follow your suggestions or rules!

Although this blog was extremely hard for me to write, my hope is that I can get the discussion about sexual abuse/assault going and help someone better understand how to prevent this happening to their child(ren) in the future. Thank you all for reading J