star wars muscle tank (c/o junkfood clothing) / strollers (bugaboo donkey)
Took the kids to their first Orem Owlz game. Between the ball game, concessions, bounce houses, a giant swing set, Star Wars characters, the owl mascot, and the kids getting to clean the bases with giant toothbrushes it was nonstop fun…fun…fun! We couldn’t have asked for a better family night.
floral top (tillys) / white sunnies (banana republic) / grey distressed jeans (free people, similar) / off white mules (gee wa wa, similar)
She is my “yellow” the most luminous of all. The one that knows how to constantly capture my attention. She is the color of happiness, optimism, creativity, sunshine, sunflowers, Tour De France jersey’s (who else is watching), happy face emojis, and caution signs 🙂
The other day I had some friends over and was hosting a bbq. Holland had a little friend over, they changed into princess costumes and gave each other makeovers and new hairdo’s, as in they took turns chopping each others hair off.
There are a couple 1/4″ spots of hair here and there all around the crown of her head.
With a little imagination we spun her hair into gold. Thank heavens for adorable Quinceañera hairstyles on youtube.
A very exciting , but brief update.
This is a very sensitive subject in our family, we’ve been very hush-hush about it this go around and always, it’s a very real and scary thing to us. But today I can finally say that my silence has been broken.
Immediately after Brooklyn’s baby blessing I started feeling tingling in my upper lip. I proceeded to bite the inside of my cheek every time I would eat. I couldn’t hear my husband talking to me in the car, out of nowhere my face was numb and I had lost the hearing in my left ear.
Having had Bells Palsy before, I was no stranger to the early stages and signs. But instead of my eye not being able to close, my ear was super sore, and the only noise I could hear from it was a dim ringing.
7 weeks & two different prescriptions later, I am happy to report progress. I now sleep on my normal side of bed, I had to switch with my good ear towards the cradle & door so I could hear Brooklyn when he woke up. But that meant I could hardly hear my husband in bed next to me. Which was super weird to say the least.
I am also relieved that I can now talk on my cell phone without it having to be on speaker. I remember telling my mom her phone was broken because I would dial on it, put it up to my ear and couldn’t hear, she put it on speaker and it was indeed ringing. I just wanted to cry and couldn’t believe this was happening to me.
I recently got a hearing test and my right side scored 100% and my left a 98%! So happy to report happy news and that my silence has been broken.
The Why?
Why ME?
I asked a specialist why this happens to me. She said it’s like an autoimmune side effect and it stays dormant in my system and flares up when my body undergoes a lot of stress i.e. childbirth.
I’ve never felt more grateful for the face & hearing I now have, and the four children I’ve got.
& may it never return. -knock on wood-
*I decided to finally share this bc I often get emails about postpartum and how I need to stop making it look so easy bc it makes others feel bad, never my intention. I just want everyone to know everyone has different struggles some you can see some you can’t. Whether it be not being able to lose weight, not getting your milk in, not being able to hear just know it’s hard for everyone.
Having a child is the single most selfless thing you’ll ever do. And as mothers we are all in this together. God Bless each and every one of you, and those sweet babies too.
With four back-to-back pregnancies, Momma Bird is feeling the need to get her life and body back.
I’m tuning into Z Living’s newest show, The Big Fat Truth every Sunday at 8pm ET along with my own personal goals and health.
Every Sunday different sets of contestants are trying to break their poor health habits. For instance, one week will show a group of moms trying to get healthier and show what habits are getting in their way and why they aren’t reaching their goals.
The Big Fat Truth finds the real reasons people are having weight loss struggles, and gives them hope along with the tools they need to use to transform their lives.
After each episode, I personally have felt more optimistic about getting my body and life back after recently having my fourth baby. I have felt spread thin having four very dependent children and looking for energy anywhere I can get it.
For me, both my weight gain and my weight loss is 90% on what I do & don’t consume, and 10% dependent on how much I exercise.
So what causes me to eat poorly?
I have narrowed it down to two things:
Sugar & Sleep.
Sugar:
Misery loves company. When I eat sugar my body wants more sugar. It’s a vicious cycle. When I don’t eat it, I don’t crave it.
Sleep:
Being a busy mom with children who still get up around the clock, sleep is a valuable thing; maybe the thing I value most these days and past couple of years. I have noticed that when I get adequate sleep I make healthier food decisions and vice versa.
I am not always the one dictating how much sleep I get, but I have made it a priority to make better eating choices no matter how many hours of z’s I get.
I want to ditch my quick solution of diet caffeinated soda, and find energy through exercise endorphins instead.
Tune in with me Sundays at 8pm ET and feel inspired to find out what’s holding you back in being your best self on The Big Fat Truth.
And don’t forget to join the FREE Big Fat 30 Day Challenge to get health and wellness tips from executive producer JD Roth!
swimsuit (rvca)
Sharing my favorite one piece swimmy on my blog today. I kinda feel like a gold medal around my neck would have been the perfect touch for this little number?
Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend.
adidas shorts (pac sun) / guess tee (pac sun) / adidas climacool shoes (pac sun) / white sunnies (banana republic)
adidas shorts (pac sun) / guess tee (pac sun) / adidas climacool shoes (pac sun) / white sunnies (banana republic)
Saturday sprints, sore Sunday , Monday motivation…
I recently started working out and have felt like J-E-L-L-O every time I would run on the treadmill.
On Saturday I switched up my routine and did a solid 30 mins of sprints and my body feels amazing. I forgot how good it felt to sweat and to feel sore like that.
This is my recent sprint schedule I just did it again today and I already felt stronger. I am excited to build back my endurance and strength.
I call this the 3 : 2 schedule
3 mins at speed 4 (slow jog/ speed walk)
2 mins at speed 7 (run) – I will eventually get to an 8
<<repeat>>
3 mins at speed 4
2 mins at speed 7
Do this 6 times, for a half an hr, and your body will feel amazing! You will sweat and feel great.
*Bonus, the time goes so fast!
It feels good to work, and to see/feel results
This is so true in every aspect of life.
<i.e. >
This morning my oldest (5) dropped his bowl of cereal, I went down to pick it up, reminded myself and him that it feels good to work, so I handed him a dishrag to help me. I’m not sure how good he felt about having to clean, but we did have a good conversation. He told me that he would like to go on a date with just him and no other babies. A conversation I might not have had if I had just cleaned up the mess for him and let him sit there. Instead we worked and talked on the floor together.
