6 Months Postpartum: Body After Baby

6 Months Postpartum:  Body After Baby

It's an interesting thing being six months postpartum. I feel like that number has a lot of weight to it, as though society has attached a underlying message of pressure for women to get their bodies back after 6 months of having your baby. The way I see it today is that i've had 6 months, JUST 6 months, of spending time with this sweet little life, learning how to be his mommy, figuring out the in's and outs of having a child, a child who grows and changes so often that each time I learn about the stage he's in, he manages to switch things up on me all over again.  Just 6 months of learning how to balance marriage, work, chores, family time, social life, cooking, time with God, and giving enough of myself to my son. … throw in fitness and living a healthy lifestyle and thats A LOT for anyone to handle.  Out of my list of priorities, fitness and strength are really important to me but are not my TOP priority in life. Being a new mom I had to learn how to juggle all of these different roles, obligations, things I enjoy, and people I love. 

I believe I have now learned how to balance everything that is a part of my life right now in a healthy way. Some weeks I am blessed to be able to make it to the gym 4-5 times and other weeks in the past couple of months I've been blessed with greater opportunities and priorities that take up my time and have caused me to choose to skip out on the gym for several weeks at a time. Both are healthy, both make me happy, and both are a blessing that I thank God for. I went on 2 vacations over the past 2 months, spent a wonderful holiday break with family and friends, worked hard with the clients God has blessed me with, was privileged enough to take time off work to stay home with my son through two cold virus' and care for him, had much needed days of rest and relaxation, and certain days I simply chose to put God and family over a work out.  I can say that exercise is helpful in keeping my sanity, helping me sleep better at night, building confidence in what my body is capable of, giving me strength to feel empowered and healthy, and is a HUGE stress reducer and outlet for me to blow steam. I am a big advocate for living a healthy life- mind, body, and spirit.. and that is why sometimes you just need to take a break and do what needs to be done: whether it be a vacation, rest, family time, social life, alone time with God, being under the weather, healing, feeling fatigued, needing a break from routine, etc.   A healthy LIFE isn't just about what you eat and staying active.. it includes your mind, your soul, and your body.  

So month 5 & 6 of being postpartum I had taken 7 weeks off from lifting weights and for 3-4 weeks only did one or two days of cardio. That doesn't mean I didn't move around and stay active while dancing at my best friend wedding or walking around Aspen and Big Bear with our families, or playing with my son at the park.  I just didn't do the whole gym thing.  Now that things have slowed down I have incorporated more activity and healthy eating back into my routine, it feels good to build back some of the muscle that I lost, and to feel strong again.  It feels good to get in a good sweat and know that Im treating my body the way it deserves.  So I missed it but definitely enjoyed some time off.  

This is the life I choose to live. A healthy one. Its my life, and I won't spend it fixated on the pressure that the world places on me to meet a goal of body weight or the way I'm told I'm supposed to look by "MONTH 6 after having a baby"… i WILL however enjoy being a first time mom, being a parent with my husband, watching my son play with his uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends and cousins, and figure out the whole balancing life being a parent thing.. & in the middle of all of that FUN,  i am dedicated to staying healthy the way I feel is best for me, myself, & I. 

I aim for 4-5 days  a week of exercise/activity which usually includes, 1-2 strength training classes and 4 days of cardio. I also make sure to get my little guy outside every day for short walks on days that I don't work. My husband and I will go on a longer walk or two on the weekends, sometimes we'll even go for a hike. 

Heres my 6 months postpartum body that the good Lord gave me! Thank you Jesus for a healthy strong body that I get to do so much l i f e with.  

Just me, no tricks, no makeup, lots of good sweat, and loving it.. pretty sure you can also see where I lost my hair (4 mnths pp) after having cash (hormones do that to ya) its finally growing back in and i have all this cute little baby hair lol! 

Theres nothing better than venturing out with my boys

Baby wearing for some good old outdoor hikes

Heres my little guy in his big boy stroller, enjoying the scenery!

I want to hear from you ladies. What pressure have you faced? How do you encourage yourself to love yourself? How do you see yourself after having a baby? 

You can read more about my postpartum journey in my posts here: 1 Month Postpartum, 2 Months Postpartum, 3 Months Postpartum, 4 Months Postpartum


xo

What We Wear: Jen Galaxy

What We Wear: Jen Galaxy

Hi all, I wanted to share with you a fabulous & creative little shop, Jen Galaxy.  They sent us the most adorable black corduroy shoes with adorable soft fleece lining (special lining just for when you want your baby to stay extra warm).  They make them with all sorts of different soles for babies who are walking or crawling too.  You can pick any style of shoe with any fabric from her shop (so don't be shy to mix and match).  Go check out their wide selection of different styles and see what else they have in the shop.  

"In my shop you will find a "galaxy" of items, my mind is constantly thinking up new projects. I just can't stop".  

Jen, the owner and creator, is such a sweet soul and has offered a coupon code for my readers, you will find the code at the bottom of this post. If you ladies love cute shoes as much as I do, its even more fun getting your baby some!

Coupon Code: TESSARAYANNE15

Jen Galaxy: Shop Here

Get the look:

Leggings Baby Gap Jersey Knit Pants

Shoes Jen Galaxy

Onesie Baby Gap Similar Here


xo

Our Baby Is 6 Months Old!: Happy Half Birthday Little One!

Our Baby Is 6 Months Old: Happy Half Birthday Little One!

he sure loves that paper at the Dr's office!

Tried some organic brown rice cereal for the first time at 6 months old to the day!

He didn't have an extreme reaction, he seemed to like it i think

Kisses from Grandpa in Aspen, Colorado

Laying with mama who was sick with the stomach flu.

I love his facination with shadows.

He basically just kills me when he barries his head into my chest and wants to cuddle.

Wearing his Broncos onesie watching the big game.

Hes pretty excited to show off his two new bottom teeth!

And of course playing naked for a bit in the morning (;

I am fighting back tears as I write this post. Its not because im sad that he is growing, changing, learning, expanding, exploring, becoming even more loveable and fun! I love every minute of being a part of that! I think its really about fear of the future.. the unknown.  Cash still seems so small and sweet and is my little baby. I don't look at him and see a big boy or think hes grown too quickly, as some moms feel. I love the pace that he has grown, my heart can handle this pace so far. So i suppose listening to so many mother's say over and over how quickly they grow (myself included at times), scares me. I suppose I am waiting for that one day where I wake up and he has grown SO much over night. Or theres a week where he goes through a miraculous growth spurt that just blows my mind and my baby is gone. The more I really think about that subconcious fear and bring it to my concious thoughts, I hear how irrational and silly it sounds. So I am going to try my best to let go of the worry that my baby will grow quicker than my heart can bare. I am going to enjoy every moment as I have been, encouraging his milestones, teaching him more every day, and when those days come when I have to pack away more and more clothes that no longer fit him, I will thank God for my son who is growing healthily, who is able to have a deeper relationship with his father and I the smarter he becomes, who can see God more and more the more he learns about life, and that he is alive and well.

That brings me to my brother Brock. Brock passed away before I was born. He was born on my moms birthday and he passed 6 months later on my dads birthday. He died from SIDs (Sudden Infant Death Syndrom).  Devastating. Painful. Despair. I cry when I think about the hurt my parents must have faced. I don't think I ever understood how intenstly that must have hurt growing up.. but having my own son, who is now 6 months old to the day, my heart aches so badly for my parents. I think about how they must have felt losing their first and only son at the time. . that must have been earth s h a t t e r i n g. It would break my soul. I wanted to share this in todays post because of all the moms that follow this little blog of mine.. if any of you have faced this hardship, I am so so so sorry. I want you to know you have a friend in me and if you ever want to talk or need prayer, I would love to be able to be that person for you. I also wanted to share some hope with you. My parents are believers in our Almighty God, they trusted Him with their sons life, they trusted His plan and the path that He chose for their little family. My mom says to this day that Brock was an angel baby, he was perfect in every way, a gift to them. She says at the time my father didn't know the Lord and she had been battling an eating disorder, Brocks dead led my dad to salvation in Christ, it also helped my mom find the healing she needed. She was able to overcome her disorder and find freedom from those shakles.  Brock saved them both. I wouldn't be here today if he hadn't had passed. Neither would my little brother. Our family, my parents, and my four siblings had such a great life growing up together, we are all so very close and I can see how Gods hand was all over our family. Our family is what it is today because of Brock. My moms story, my parents faith together, that has all shaped us in extraordinary ways. I am reminded of how majestic our Lord is and that even in tragic moments in life, we can trust He is soveriegn. Brock, we will see you in heaven someday soon, I cannot wait to meet you and hold you.

Cash, you are a mother's dream come true. We love every part of you. Here are some beautiful things about you this 6th month:  You laugh like crazy, we're talking belly laughing at its finest, you smile all day long, you understand some of things we say ("im going to get you.." that is your favorite! You crack up when we say that), you look when we call your name, you sit up all on your own without assistance (sometimes you topple over so we put the boppy behind you for extra safety), you have managed to live 6 months without 1 single injury, you had your first cold this month (thanks to your cousins, lol), you went on your first airplane (to Aspen, Colorado), you are still exclusively nursing (we are introducing solids today!), you can't keep your hands and toys out of your mouth, you had two teeth cut through this month on the bottom, you only cry when you are tired, hungry or dont feel good, you are starting to try to wiggle and move, you roll all over the place, you sleep on your side, you love to bounce, you are a mamas boy, you think daddy is the funniest person on the planet, you are a cuddler, an observer, and both super calm and a little wild rascal. You are the greatest gift God has given to mommy and daddy adn we thank Him every single day for you.  

Cash you are everything to mommy and daddy, we love you!

Happy Half Birthday our sweet little love!!!