Confession time…for the last few days weeks months, I’ve been enjoying a little something sweet each day – usually something chocolate.  Dark chocolate being my favorite.  You know, when you’re pregnant, you’ve got cravings.  Then after baby is born, you need a little pick me up for those late night feedings. 

Well, I’m realizing that I cannot go on like this forever (my 6 week recovery period after c-section is almost over).  A few things woke me up yesterday.  Talking about one of his patients, my father who is a physician said, “If you need to have chocolate every day, you’re depressed.”  Hmmm….I didn’t like the sound of that much.

Then I started reading the book, Fit for My King: His Princess 30-Day Diet Plan and Devotional by Sheri Rose Shepherd.  Convicting.  Got to get back on the bandwagon.  Pregnancy cravings must die.   

So I decided to have a chocolate free, sugar free day today.  I made it all day long and before going to bed, I picked up a hoodie to hang in the closet.  There was something in the pocket.  I reached in…it was a Kit Kat from Halloween!  Can you believe it?  Chocolate found ME!  But I’m happy to say, I laughed about it and DID NOT eat the Kit Kat!

So one victory down…a chocolate free day!  If you can meet a small goal, someday you’ll meet a big one.  I’m taking it one chocolate free day at a time.

My big girl Noelle loves to help with baby Lucy.  She say excitedly, “Oh no!  Our baby is crying!”  Then she’ll say things like, “It’s okay baby Lucy.  We are here.  It’s going to be all right.”

Someday there will be sibling rivalry between my girls, but so far, there’s just lots of love and support.

Which reminds me that we all need lots of love and support when it comes to losing weight after baby.  (But sometimes we may get caught up in comparisons instead – kind of like sibling rivalry).  Encouragement makes a big difference.  You need to surround yourself with encouraging friends.  People who lift you up and believe that you can reach your goals.  Without support or encouragement from your spouse, family member, or friends, it is all too easy to give up and say “This is just too hard!”  But when you have someone cheering for you, you have a reason to push through the quitting points. 

Having an exercise partner is a great way to stay motivated.  Put your exercise times in your calendar as non-negotiable appointments.  And/or subscribe to my 31 Days to a New You course for daily encouragement and motivation.  Why  not start on December 1 for added protection against Christmas pounds and to start the New Year right?  Because we all need somebody to lean on!

Need a new twist for your salad?  Try this for Monday’s Meal, courtesy allrecipes.com.  Of course, you can skip the sugar and don’t caramelize the pecans.  They will taste fine plain.  You can caramelize when you’re at your goal weight

Ingredients:

Directions:

This is one of my favorite pictures of baby Lucy.  Check out the hair!  She got that look without the help of a stylist or gel or any product – very impressive! 

I can’t believe it’s already been one month since baby Lucy was born.  I am thankful for her sweet demeanor and for the way her siblings have welcomed her into the family. 

Since she’s one month old, that means I have 2 more weeks of recovery post-c-section to “enjoy” and then I’ll be dusting off the exercise videos and cutting up celery sticks!

P.S.  You’ll see baby Lucy in action plus I share how losing weight after baby can be E-A-S-Y…it’s all on my free podcast/vidcast. 

Thank you to my wonderful alma mater, Biola University, for sending these super cute baby clothes for Lucy!  (Thanks Irene!)  Now she is ready to face the world with her booties, bib and Biola shirts. 

It’s been more than 20 years since I first attended Biola University in La Mirada, CA.  I look back at that time as one of the happiest of my life.  What a tremendous education I received and how fun to find my old friends on FB these days. 

Let’s enjoy these days with our young kids.  We’ll blink and be sending them off to college someday (sniff, sniff).

Here’s my pink poodle!  How cute is that?  Too bad she says the costume is too small.  A friend gave it to us awhile ago, and I was really hoping it would fit this year.  But my little poodle says it’s “TOO TIGHT!”  Oh well, at least I can post a cute picture of her. 

“Too Tight!” – have you ever felt that way about your clothes?  (Yeah, me too).  Let’s use that little phrase “Too Tight!” to our advantage as we enter the calorie laden holiday season.  Keep thinking “too tight” as you pass on the second piece of pumpkin pie and throw the extra Halloween candy in the trash.  Better the trash than your hips!  For more tips on what to do with that Halloween candy, check out my article, “Halloween Survival Guide.” 

P.S.  Thought you would enjoy seeing my son’s costume.  He made it himself with great excitement.  Can you guess what animal he’s supposed to be?

Answer:  A Lion

No…this is not a picture of my post-baby body!  Not yet at least (you must think positive moms!)…

But it is a picture of a garment that I really love.  It’s made by Design Veronique and I heard about it from my ObGyn’s office.  This cesarean support garment is an FDA approved medical device, ideal for recovery after c-sections.  What does it do?  It provides support, stabilization and comfort. 

When I opened it up from the box, I thought, “Will I really wear this tight, corset-looking thing?  And how hard is it going to be to take this on and off to go to the bathroom?” 

The first time I tried to put it on, it was comical.  You want to order it a little tight so it will do its job.  But the very first day, I couldn’t quite zip it up.  I waited about 2 days for the swelling from the c-section to decrease and then tried again.  With my husband’s help, I could zip it up.  The next day, I could zip it by myself.

I have been wearing it all day for 3 days now.  I am amazed at how comfortable it is.  I actually prefer wearing it because it gives me back support and protects my incision site.  Plus it gives the appearance of being slimmer, so when I look in the mirror, I have hope. 

I highly recommend Design Veronique’s cesarean support garment.  I’ll keep you posted about how long I use it and its benefits.  Corsets…no.  Comfortable Design Veronique…yes!

Halloween is days away, which means you should eat lots of vegetables to make up for that candy – ha!  Today’s Monday’s Meal comes from allrecipes.com and looks yummy:  Zucchini and Potato Bake. 

Ingredients:

Directions:

Today I heard on the radio that times of crisis can help us see our priorities clearly.  Although having a healthy baby is hardly a crisis, it has helped me to see my priorities clearly.

–To be a wife who loves and respects her husband.

–To be a mother to three treasures (one pictured above, two pictured below).

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell.

The simplicity of this is freeing.  The other things I may accomplish in life are icing on the cake, but being a wife and mom are my priorities.  When I stare at my baby’s face, I am amazed once again that God has lent me this gift from heaven.  It’s more than enough to be a wife and mother, even in our culture which says you must be a wife/mom/plus something else to really be a success. 

Just remember when you feel knee deep in laundry and diapers…when your jeans still don’t fit…when you miss those corporate free lunches…Motherhood Rocks! 

After your baby is born, there are a few things you can do to feel more human (versus a milk machine) and enjoy your new baby…

1.  Take a shower every day.  You will feel refreshed.  Clean.  Like you’ve accomplished something.  Don’t worry – your baby will survive for 15 minutes while you shower. 

2.  Put on a little makeup every day.  You don’t have to go glamour, but do something.  I just put foundation, lip gloss, and eyeliner on.  It makes me feel a little better when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.   

3.  Sleep when your baby sleeps.  Force yourself to take care of yourself. 

4.  Record your baby’s firsts.  You won’t remember many details a year from now.  Keep a journal of the special moments.  I keep mine on the computer.  Take lots of pictures (do I even need to say this?) and video too.  Even if it’s baby #5, take lots of photos.  My husband was baby #4 and there weren’t too many pictures of him.  His sister always told him he was adopted

5.  Slow down and keep life simple.  The first weeks with baby are your special time to enjoy your  newborn.  Don’t host parties or dinners.  Say no to volunteer commitments.  Keep your focus at home and save your energy because you will need it