cali's 5th birthday

 Happy 5th birthday to our sleeping beauty! 

Cali's my best friend, bodyguard and only daughter I'll ever have. 

Although she has the most dysfunctional and co-dependent relationship with Trace, I'm not sure what he'd do without her kisses and growls. 

She made us a family if 3 back in 2010 and will always be my littlest love 

Hard to believe she's 5 already!

it's always more fun in a fancy glass

Sometimes I like to trick myself into thinking I'm drinking a mimosa, but in reality I'm drinking...

an electrolyte drink, 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C plus vitamin B complex

bump update - 28 weeks - round 2

Ultrasound: I had an ultrasound on January 23rd and baby weighs 3 lbs 1 oz

Due Date: April 13, 2015 (I'll have a scheduled c-section sometime between April 6th-10th)

Gender: Boy!

Movement: Lots of swirling around, kicks and punches after I eat, if I sit down to relax and right before bed

Feeling: Great! I feel so full of life, appreciation and am dreaming big for my little guy! Heartburn can kick it to the curb any day now though...

Food Cravings: No true cravings, but cold snacks always sound good - apple juice, cuties, popsicles

Food Aversions: Fish, Asian food, pickles, chicken

Clothes: I'm in practically all maternity clothes now. My pre-maternity shirts fit, but they're all getting too short, so I can only wear them around the house. I'm mostly rocking maternity shirts/tanks with pre-maternity sweaters. All jeans and leggings are maternity, but my pre-maternity compression workout pants and all sweatpants fit. 

Stretch Marks: Nope, but I am carrying much more in my stomach this time and am more concerned about stretch marks than ever before

Sleep: Sleep has been wonderful! A couple weeks ago I woke up from a nap, stretched my legs straight out and my back immediately cracked. It was a glorious feeling, as it relieved all back and hip stress/tension that had built up. I've felt amazing while sleeping ever since!

Symptoms: My big belly is making it harder and harder to bend over, get up off of the couch/floor and play with Trace. I can't believe how round and hard my stomach is!

What I Miss: More than anything I really miss Trace being able to sit on my lap and snuggle with me comfortably. He tries so hard, but my belly is just too big.

Best Moment: Cleaning out our "storage room" to turn into a baby nursery.... finally

Memorable Moment: Ringing in, what we plan to be, my last New Years sans champagne toast! I just love my bump and this baby I'm growing and am really soaking in every little moment. 

* 28 weeks with Trace

mountain getaway & happy birthday to bryan

We escaped to the mountains for Bryan's birthday this year. Trace stayed home with my parents, so not only did Bryan and I enjoy adult conversation during our meals, but we both snuck in naps and a ton of relaxation -- Just what the doctor ordered! Oh, we also became one with nature and went back to our favorite little spot, the exact spot that we told each other we loooooved each other for the first time nearly 7 years ago. Ahhhh memories....

And then I found this crazy puzzle in Mast General Store. Why so crazy, you ask? Because it's bacon? Um no! More like it'd be impossible to complete!!! Oh my gosh, Bry and I love a good puzzle, but this one gave me anxiety just looking at it! I mean, we'd probably get 4 pieces connected in 1 week and then scatter the puzzle pieces off the table and onto the floor out of pure frustration, haha!!

Super fancy mid-week birthday celebration for the birthday boy ;)

new years

We had such a fun New Years Eve celebrating at a festive dinner with 3 other awesome couples -- all doctors and dentists... and us, ha! I was super jealous of all of the booze flowing between our group of friends, but was happy to be the resident dd! We didn't take any pictures while out, so this will have to do :)

We came home a little early, so I technically rang in the new year at home looking like old school train-wrecked Brittney Jean and couldn't have been more happy... or comfy!

Bryan and I are dreaming BIG and have ambitious, fulfilling and life altering goals to accomplish this year.

Cheers to an incredible 2015!

*26 weeks pregnant

my journey to a healthier lifestyle: #modernmomonamission

I'm thinking that this blog isn't enough...

Lets be friends on facebook too, k?

And what about instagram?

July 2014 - 1 month into my nutritional rebalancing cleanse/detox

There is $186 million / day spent on diet products in the US alone that DO NOT WORK.

This is NOT a diet. This IS a LIFESTYLE.

I have written this post. Re-written it. Deleted it. Pushed back the publish date time and time again. You name it, I've done it... for the last 6 months. But with the new year comes a newly awakened me. I'm turning my cheek to judgements, side-eyes, gossip and anything else that could be directed my way. Because lets be honest here, that is a 'you' problem, not a 'me' problem... And my lifestyle is too great to not share the reason why with you all!
**hugs**

A Little Background

I’ve eaten this superfood off and on for almost 5 years now, so this isn’t a new thing for me or a “fad” or anything like that! When I was “training” for my wedding back in April 2010 (aka getting in the best shape of my life) I used this nutritional rebalancing program for 6 weeks and lost 18 lbs. I was at the lowest weight I’d ever been at as an adult and felt healthier and more energized than I knew was possible. I was putting good stuff in and getting the bad stuff out... it wasn't magic and it wasn't hard. I was eating about 1,200 calories a day. The body needs fuel and I was fueling it with the best of the best, which is why I saw results so quickly. Ever since then, this product became my lifestyle and I've used it for years now...

Left: Croatia 2 weeks after our wedding /// Right: British Virgin Islands days after our wedding

Fast Forward to This Past Summer
I committed fully to this healthier lifestyle and lost 13lbs in 1 month, all while eating about 1,200 calories/day. I was on top of the world! I’m dead serious when I say that this past summer I had NEVER felt better! Because I had rid my body of nasty toxins and was instead putting the best nutrients into it (300 nutrients to be exact)! I mean... I woke up at 6:30am and I never peaked or crashed. I turned into a go go go game-playing, tickle-monster, chasing-you-around-the-house laughing hysterically kinda mama. And I did it all. day. long. Without caffeine! I had a ton of energy at bath-time and was sad to see Trace go to sleep at bedtime. Truth be told, before then I used to count down the minutes until bedtime because I’d be so worn out by the happenings of the day. But this summer I was sad at bedtime and wanted HIM to stay up to play with ME!! When we are alkaline our blood and health are remarkable! If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed a change in me -- a physical, emotional, spiritual evolution had occurred. And apparently Bry liked the "new and improved me" because before I knew it I was pregnant again. 

* 2nd picture - day 1 on my nutritional rebalancing program in June 2014
* 3rd picture - 2 weeks later
* 1st picture - 1 year to the day prior to the 3rd picture

*** NOTE THAT MY STOMACH MUSCLES WERE LITERALLY CUT APART IN MY C SECTION

Where I am Today
I'm so grateful that the nutritional rebalancing program I've been on for nearly 5 years is pregnancy (and breastfeeding) safe! This same nutrition that helped me lose all of that weight for my wedding and just this past summer is now helping me stay healthy throughout this pregnancy. With the combination of the highest quality, most absorbable organic denatured whey protein and 72 trace organic minerals that most of our regular food is depleted of, my baby is benefiting from the same nutrients that have been so life changing for me! I totally wish I would have used it when I was pregnant with Trace... because let me tell you, when comparing my last pregnancy to this one, my physical appearance is way different!! I'm carrying more in my belly right now vs. how I carried with Trace, which showed equal weight gain in my face/arms/legs/belly... I look much more healthy, less bloated, etc this time (even though I've technically gained more weight on the scale)!! Most importantly, I FEEL healthier because I AM healthier!

Food for Fuel

It's non-GMO, organically based, is soy free and exceeds USDA standards. Knowing that it's been so easy to take control of my health (and my unborn child's health!) has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders. I want to put the best of the best in my body, to keep it running at full-speed for as long as possible, know what I’m sayin’?! A lot of us eat food for enjoyment. But lets face it, our body is designed to eat food for life! To live!! We better fuel it properly.

I'm having formatting issues, so I apologize for the crazy fonts, color/size changes and anything else. I can't seem to fix it. Help!

christmas 2014

Trace's 2nd Christmas was filled with laughter, love and lots of family!

Christmas Eve Wigilia

Christmas Morning

Christmas Day

Hard to believe that next year we'll be waking up on Christmas morning a family of 4!

Until then...

ashton

Ashton and her husband flew to Charlotte to celebrate Christmas with her family.

Upon landing they rented a car for 1 day and booked it directly to my house to ensure that they got some time with Trace before he went to bed for the night.

Now that's the stuff that true friendship is made of!

oh heeeeeey... we went to an ugly sweater party

*23 weeks pregnant

billy graham library christmas

We went to the Billy Graham Library Christmas in mid December -- between the carriage ride, live nativity, perfectly decorated property and everyone wishing each other a Merry Christmas, we were "wow'ed" over and over again! Lets not forget the reason for the season!!