Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Over here at the home gym...

After my son was born I walked away from the gym. I had been teaching group fitness classes for 5 years and as heartbreaking as it was I left the gym the Wednesday night after my 5:30pm Barbell Strength class at 39 weeks pregnant and decided that would be the end...for now. I am hopeful that in another season of my life I will return as a group fitness instructor, but right now it just can't be part of my life. 

When my son was born I knew that after a long day at school (and a long day at daycare for him), I could not justify giving up an hour of the 4 hours I get to see his precious face each weekday to hit the gym (and put him into childcare again...). **Now, moms out there who do this- please know that I am NOT judging you. Each family is different, each situation is different, each decision we make based on those circumstances is different. Keep on keeping on at the gym!**

But, let's be honest. If you love to workout and it is part of who you are, you can't just walk away from that. So the way that I workout and when I workout looks a lot different than it did a year ago. I'm just glad to say that I am still working out! I know many families are trying to stay fit and making decisions about their budget so I just thought I'd tell you a little bit about how we tackled the home gym. 

First of all - my husband still has a gym membership. He sells fitness equipment in gyms, so we felt it was really important for him to continue working out at a facility that uses his equipment so that he can be a better salesman of the product. Also, he travels some with his job and his clients all over welcome him into their gyms, so he always try to hit the gym hard when he is on the road...because we just never know when he might get to the gym when he's at home!


Here is a little tour of our home gym....

First we had to find a space. This took a while. I worked out in a living room for a while, but that wasn't very practical as more and more baby stuff started taking over every square inch of our home. This past summer I worked out in the garage for a while, but then it got August hot and I begged my husband to let me figure out a solution inside in the sweet AC. We have this really oddly shaped room above our garage so I did some rearranging and now we have it set up so half of the room is like a living room and the other half is my little workout space. And it is little - but it is exactly the amount of space one me-sized person needs to workout.


Over the years we have collected a variety of fitness gear. Above you can see the swiss ball, kettle bell, dumbbell, foam rollers, resistance bands and assistance bands. The assistance bands are what I use with our pull-up bar (that hooks on the door) to help me actually do a pull-up.


Another thing we decided to get was a piece of cardio equipment. We went with this awesome yellow spin bike (mostly because it came at no cost to us).


In the spring Forrest and I like to hit the Greenway near our home for a run or a bike ride, so we invested in this adorable blue (and super smooth riding) running stroller/bike trailer combo. It is AMAZING!


I realized early on that I was not going to be very successful trying to come up with my own workouts every week and decided to invest in my first challenge pack through BeachBody last April. The first program I purchased was Les Mills Combat. I lost over 13 pounds in 30 days using this program and actually got under my pre-pregnancy weight.


I wanted to make some changes in my body composition and wanted a program to help me build muscle while still burning lots of fat. That's when I decided to purchase Les Mills Pump. I absolutely love this program. I was a certified BodyPump instructor back before I left the gym, and it feels good to do those same workouts at home. 



I've already seen some changes in my arms and legs using this program. For the first few months I was so overwhelmed at my  new job, being back in the classroom and balancing mommy/teacher/wife responsibilities that I didn't make working out a priority. Now that I am more settled into my new job I have more time to workout in the mornings or late in the evenings like I was doing before. 


What kinds of fit gear and/or fitness programs do you use in your home gym? If you home gym how do you fit in the workouts around your schedule?

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On a side note, if you are interested in learning more about BeachBody products, go over to my Muscle Mama Facebook page and send me a message. I'd love to tell you more and get you connected with one of my upcoming challenge groups. If you want to see what kinds of programs are available, feel free to check out my BeachBody coach site .


Saturday, February 1, 2014

Snow days and other lovely things

Who doesn't love the snow?

Put your hand down right now - snow is wonderful

...in small amounts...that melt quickly...and get teachers out of school for at least 1 or 2 days, but no more than 3.

Because making up school days is a terrible awful thing that makes no sense.

Anyhow, we really enjoyed a little snow-cation. Fo3 was finally over the stomach crud that forced him into exile in the far reaches of our home where he was to have no contact with Fo4 or me for over 72 hours. With that nightmare behind us, we were actually able to enjoy his presence during the snow days.

On Tuesday I got a snow day where it didn't actually snow...which is fabulous. So after much internal debate I finally decided to take lil man to daycare and run some errands on my own. Which I did. And then on my way to pick him up I saw a Starbucks...and then a nail salon...and the temptation to spend about one hour spoiling myself won out and I treated myself to a nonfat white chocolate mocha, a manipedi and an eyebrow wax (which was not a treat - it was a necessity because the caterpillars over my eyes were getting out of control).


Then lil man and I enjoyed an awesome afternoon together hunkered down waiting for the snow to arrive...because that was the whole reason we didn't have school you see...and it finally did around 6pm.

Wednesday was a full on fun day with the family. Breakfast together. Playtime together. Snow excursions together. I mean it was awesome.

(note the only pair of snow bibs left at Target were a purple girls size 12 months - they would have to do)


his first steps into the fluffy stuff...he wasn't so sure

then he thought this could be pretty cool

if only he could touch it...wait..."how do i get up?"

the stuff was cold...he was not so impressed then

but sledding was fun...

yes the thrill of adventure comes honest from his father

but then he was hungry and tuckered out so we couldn't get a smile here

and then we ate some macncheesenpeas

The next day lil man woke up with a fever and so we snuggled up on the sofa most of the day, but we did manage to get in a little bit of fun playtime which is documented below.


seriously mommy

he loves puzzles

i loves those hands

and this smile melts my heart


and then this pic happened and i can't stop laughing at it. this is definitely going to be in the high school graduation and  rehearsal dinner photo montage. 

And then it was back to work yesterday...but even that wasn't too bad knowing that we didn't have to make the days up.

Hope you southerners enjoyed the snow-cation and hopefully we are done for snow for the year.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Homemade LARABARS

I have an obsession with Peanut Butter Cookie LARABARS. They are the perfect mid-morning snack during my planning period and help fill the void until lunch time. But at about $5.99 a box they are a little steep for my budget. I saw this awesome blog post with several varieties of LARABAR combinations and decided to try out the recipe for my favorite flavor.

And - they are delicious. Like I immediately packed them into individual baggies so that I would not consume them all at once.





I had to modify the recipe a bit based on the amount of dates that I purchased in bulk from Whole Foods.

Peanut Butter Cookie LARABARS
1lb (or 2 1/4 cups dried dates) - pitted
2 c warm water
1 3/4 c unsalted peanuts
5 tbsp dark chocolate chips
1/8 tsp sea salt
yields 12 bars

Gather your ingredients around. I managed not to scarf a single peanut down while prepping this recipe! Self control - nailed it.


Then soak the dates in the warm water. I soaked mine for about 5 minutes, but time will vary based on how dry the dates are. 


Time to put the ole food processor to work chopping the peanuts....


Until they look like this.


Once you have drained and patted the dates dry with a paper towel throw them into the food processor with the chocolate chips and salt.


And pulse the ingredients until they look about like this.


I used two 9 x 5 loaf pans lined with plastic wrap and sprayed them with coconut oil, but you can use whatever shape pan you like. Another option I saw online was to spray your hands with oil and form them into cookies. 


If you use the loaf pan method like me, fold the plastic wrap down over the mixture and pat them out until they are flat. Then chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes.



After 30 minutes, take them out of the fridge and slice them. I then stored them in individual plastic bags so I can throw one into my lunch bag each morning.  (Note - mine were falling apart just a little - not crumbling. But the LARABARS normally fall apart pretty easily when I get to eating them too.)



What variation are you going to try? Comment back and let me know how you like them.


Monday, January 27, 2014

Chia & Flaxseed Oatmeal

This breakfast was amazing! I love oatmeal because you can make it so many different ways that it doesn't seem like you are eating the same thing each day. And it takes like 3 minutes to prepare which is a huge plus if you are on the go on the morning like I am. 

Chia & Flax seed Oatmeal with Berries, Honey, Pumpkin Seeds and Almond Milk

1/4 c quick oats
1 tbsp flax seed meal
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 c water

Mix those ingredients and heat them in the microwave for about 1 min and 15 seconds.

Then top the oatmeal mixture with:
A drizzle of honey
A splash of almond milk
1/2. c fresh fruit (or dried fruit)
1 tbsp pepitas (or pumpkin seeds)



What is your favorite oatmeal combination? 

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Happy Birthday, My Little Penguin!

Wednesday was my sweet baby boy's 1st birthday! We got a dusting of snow down here in NC so we had a 2 hour delay - hooray! So Fo4 got whole-wheat strawberry pancakes for breakfast before we headed out the door to daycare and work.

The real celebration was this past Saturday. I really love themed parties. I feel like one of my spiritual gifts is hospitality and I really like to take it to the next level when it's time to plan a social gathering!



For Fo4's birthday we had a penguin themed party. We found some inspiration online for a winter "one"derland invitation and my mom got to work on that for me.



Meanwhile Fo4 and I created salt dough handprint and hand-painted snowflake ornaments as favors.



Then we had to do a slightly themed dessert display - clearly: Arctic Water, Polar Blast, Glacier Bites, Snow Buddies, a Whole Foods penguin cake and of course, swizzle straws.

excuse the lighting - the sunlight was beaming through...



I found a few paper lanterns at Party City and an adorable felt banner at Target.



For my husband's mustache-themed 30th birthday party I served up my first nacho bar - and I basically fell in love. It is so easy and customizable for each guest. So, we decided that although it may not go exactly with the theme - it was perfect for this type of event. We also had huge fruit and veggie trays so that there would be plenty of healthy options. You know to balance out the massive amount of melted cheese.


I wasn't sure what to do about a cake for him, so I decided to get a matching cupcake from Whole Foods. He basically devoured the entire thing. I can't blame him - I would have done the same. These are moments when we know he is my child.




He obviously won't remember this party (and he is a boy - so he probably won't even care about the little details), but that's okay because he had such a blast and that is something I will never forget.



What great ideas do you have for themed birthday parties? Almost time to start planning next year's party!





Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Day We Became 3

So as I was getting this old blog back up and running, I stumbled upon this post I started writing shortly after Fo4 was born. I wasn't sure at the time about sharing it and actually stopped writing. I'm going to finish this post now and share it with you as I celebrate today the birth of my beautiful baby boy!

(Written in mid February of 2013) Three weeks ago Forrest and I welcomed the newest member of our family, our sweet baby boy, Forrest, IV. It is hard to believe how much he has grown and changed in such a short period of time. It is also incredible how much love I have for this little person for whom I prayed and waited for months and months but have only known for 23 days.

I want to share my birth experience. This will not be a gruesome tale full of unwanted details that make people uncomfortable. I believe it is a beautiful story of new life and the making of a family. I'm not going to leave anything important out, but if you are thinking of having a baby or are expecting your first little loved one, I encourage you to read my story. When I was pregnant I read a lovely book, "Ina Mae's Guide to Childbirth." This book included dozens of birth stories, some uplifting and awe-inspiring and some of more difficult births. As I read I was encouraged by the stories these women shared about their labor and birth experiences. I really think that our society has given us a distorted view of labor and birth and I want to add my story to those of women who had incredible birth experiences so that more women might feel empowered to face childbirth without fear.

I believe that each woman has the right to choose certain factors that will influence her birth experience--from where she will deliver, to the person who will deliver her baby to the type of pain management she will choose. The following is the story of the birth of my sweet baby boy.

Labor Begins

The Monday that I went into labor I felt my first contraction while I was at work at 2:30pm. I was on a conference call in the last few minutes before I headed out of the office for an ultrasound. I was measuring 37cm, so the Dr.'s wanted to check out the baby's weight to see if he was measuring small as well. Forrest and I met at the practice and saw very little of our sweet boy as he was already very low. His weight was in the 50% percentile and I joked that maybe all the poking and prodding from the ultrasound would encourage him to make his move by the end of the day! I went home and it was a cold, but beautiful January day, so I headed out for a walk. I normally walked for about 45 minutes to an hour, but I was having so much discomfort in my hips and back I was only able to walk for about 25 minutes.  

When I returned to the house I got dinner ready -- baked potatoes with broccoli, cheese and fat free greek yogurt -- and started setting out the snacks for our small group that was meeting at our house at 7pm. Forrest and I sat down to dinner at 5:30ish and I felt another contraction. I told Forrest about it and we decided to time the distance between this one and the next. 30 minutes later I had the second contraction. I was busy making guacamole as our small group arrived and stopped timing the contractions. Throughout our meeting I felt rush after rush and knew they were getting closer together, but I wasn't in much pain, so I figured I still had hours and hours left of early labor before I would even need to go to the hospital.

Everyone headed out around 8:30pm so we decided to start timing contractions again to see how far apart they were. Forrest downloaded an App -- I don't remember the name of it -- on the iPad to help us keep track of them all. By 9:30pm my contractions were 7 minutes apart and about 30 to 45 seconds long. The contractions were uncomfortable, but I was still not in pain. We called our families to let them know that regular contractions had started. My mom and sister were driving in from my hometown about 3 and 1/2 hours away and I wanted to give them time to get ready in case this was the real thing (despite all the signs, I wasn't sure if I was in labor for real because while I was uncomfortable I was not in pain).

At 10:30 or 11:00pm my mom called and said they were on their way. We kept timing the contractions and by 11:30pm they were about 5 minutes apart and 50 to 60 seconds in duration. I called the doctor and she said for me to wait another hour and keep timing them. She said that if they stayed the same or got closer together then to call her on my way to the hospital to let her know I was en route. I decided that we were probably going to have a long night ahead of us, so I went upstairs and took a hot shower and shaved my legs. At this point my contractions were less than 4 minutes apart and lasting about a minute. Who shaves their legs at this point in the labor process? Again -- I had hard time believing I was in labor since I was feeling no pain.

Arriving at the Hospital

We arrived at the hospital around 1:00am. We pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance, but I told Forrest to park the car and we would walk in together. They put me in a wheelchair and I was strolled up to Labor and Delivery. They set me up with a fetal monitor to hear the baby's heartbeat and to measure my contractions. I was getting more uncomfortable, but I was still worried they would send me home because I wasn't sure if I was in active labor yet. When the Dr. did her assessment I was 4cm dilated and fully effaced...so I was admitted and taken to my delivery room. By the time I got checked into my room, my mom and sister had arrived. They came in and spent some time with Forrest and me.

I wasn't allowed to eat anything but water and ice chips, but it was the middle of the night and I wasn't really hungry anymore anyways. I walked around the hall several times, but the contractions were starting to get more uncomfortable, so I decided to stay in the room and move around in there instead of out on the hall. I had packed this bag full of books, cards, music, washcloths, suckers, etc. and I really wanted to use something in there. I asked my mom and sister to take out the Tina Fey book, "Bossypants" and read to me as I leaned on Forrest and he held my hand through the contractions. I had them read me the chapter on her experience at UVA. Forrest, Rebekah and I really enjoyed this as we are all W&M alums and Fey was not too fond of her experience at the University (there is a bit of a family rivalry as both Forrest and my younger sisters attended UVA).

Mom and Reba ran out to get breakfast -- it was around 4:30am at this point -- and the contractions were starting to get more intense. The nurse was really helpful in suggesting different positions to manage the discomfort and pain from the contractions (they were starting to finally be painful - I was now 7 to 8cms dilated). I sat on the swiss ball (they call it a birthing ball -- but all it is is a swiss ball), I stood and leaned on Forrest, I laid on my side in the bed, I sat on the ball and laid my head on the bed, and I knelt on the bed and wrapped my arms around Forrest's neck for support. I never really stayed in one position for more than 5 contractions because they started to become too painful.

I asked the nurse how much worse the pain was going to get because I was starting to think that I might want an epidural if it was going to get any worse than this! The nurse was amazing -- she had obviously read my birth plan and wanted to help me stick to it -- and encouraged me to see how the next few contractions felt before I decided. The next few contractions were a little easier, so I decided not to get the epidural. Mom and Reba stopped back in around 5:30am and brought Forrest breakfast -- an everything bagel (seriously!?). He stepped out to eat and they came in and held my hand. At this point I was in quite a bit of pain with each contraction. I would close my eyes and breathe. I was very focused during each rush and that helped me to manage the pain from a place within myself.

When Forrest came back in we  were about 9cms and things started to really pick up.

This is For Real

(this is where we pick back up on 1/21/14) I think I must have gotten to this part and tried to decide just what I would share about the next part of labor. And after a year of mulling this over I think I know what to write.

The next hour of labor was really tough. It was time to push and I'll be honest and say that it took me a while to figure out exactly how to push and start making progress. At some point the nurses changed as did the doctor - I think this happened right before I started pushing - but I was so focused on finding strength within myself and there was no change in the level of care I received, so I don't really remember much about it other than that it happened.

After about an hour and a half of pushing I heard the nurse make a call and say that they were going to deliver a baby in about 2 to 3 minutes. After 15 hours of labor I could most certainly make it 3 more minutes. It was go time.

Forrest and the nurse were cheering for and encouraging me with each set of pushes. I remember feeling so connected to my husband during that time. Knowing we were in this together gave me so much strength. And finally - at 8:39am on his due date - my little man arrived. I was so focused on pushing that the three of them were all like "MEGAN - LOOK HE'S HERE!" (I think I kept my eyes closed most of the time once I reached 9 cm.)

We become three

There are not words to describe the emotions I felt when I saw that beautiful face. I know that God's creation and great design are evident all around me, but when I saw that face I think I truly understood just what a perfect creator God is. He had a head full of hair and these big dark eyes. His ears and nose and lips were so perfect. He had long fingers and toes - like his daddy - and he was absolute perfection.

What a year it has been for our little family of three, filled with many sleepless nights, much fear and self-doubt...but mostly overflowing joy.