Operation Lose the Baby Weight 2015

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Today marks 7 weeks postpartum. I have my follow up appointment with my OB today to make sure I am healing well from my C section. I also hope to get the OK to work out again. I am so ready!

Yesterday, I sat down and wrote out my goals for the new year. First on my list is focusing on healthy living and losing 15 pounds to bring me back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Fifteen pounds may not seem like much to some of you, but to me this will be the most amount of weight I have ever lost in my life. 

Sure, I went on diets and exercised like crazy before my wedding, vacations, etc. But, the most I have ever lost was about 5 pounds. This will be a struggle for sure!

I am planning on documenting my weight loss journey for 2 reasons.

1 // Accountability. I want to feel as though I am accountable for my actions. When you work on something on your own without sharing it with others, it's so easy to make excuses for yourself for why you cannot complete the task. I will give myself deadlines and boundaries and will share these with you in order to make myself feel accountable.

2 // To Record Progress. I want to look back through my posts and see the progress I am making. I will use my blog as my weight loss diary. It is so motivating to see progress and to keep pushing to meet your goal.

How will I get there?

Old fashioned healthy eating and exercising. No fancy diet or gimmicks.

I can't diet too much because I am breastfeeding (pumping), so I do have to keep my calorie level normal at least. I am, however, cutting out dairy to see if that helps with Camden's reflux. That also may help me shed some pounds because I have a love for cheese!

I will keep a personal food journal and will schedule my workouts at least a week ahead of time. I think that is the key to making time to work out. If it's not on my schedule or daily to do list, it will be forgotten.

I am going to be reactivating my gym membership this month and will plan to go at least twice a week (plus, there's a nursery at my gym so no excuses there). When I'm unable to make it to the gym, there are plenty of at home work outs I can do. There are even some I've pinned to do with Camden!

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I am going to try to get at least 20-30 mins of exercise in per day. I am also going to start running and training for the half marathon in October. I ran the half marathon 2 years ago and it felt so great to accomplish something I never thought I could do. I want this half to be my motivation to keep working out post baby.

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Running to me is such a stress release and a chance for me to have some "me" time, which I'm finding is so important now being a mother. 

There you have it! I hope you all hold me accountable!

I will be posting at least bi weekly regarding my weight loss progress.

I hope to get to my goal weight by the end of May. Perfect timing for Summer!

What are your health and wellness goals for 2015?

I'm linking up with Annie and Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Lately...

I thought I'd post another little life update for you all to have a glimpse into the new mommy/maternity leave world. 

Obviously, my world is still revolving around the cutest little chubby-cheeked babe and I wouldn't have it any other way!

First of all, it is seriously the cutest thing in the world when your husband feeds your baby! The photo above just makes my heart melt! All 3 of my boys together! *HEART EYES*

Camden cuddling with daddy! I want to frame this photo!

Bill has been such a great help recently and has been taking some night time feedings so I can get some extra sleep. That is the best Christmas gift ever!

We've been working on tummy time for a little bit every night and so far so good. He has been moving his head around a lot recently. He hasn't quite got complete control over it, but you can tell he wants to. 

I finally figured out my Happy wrap. I'm not sure Cam really loved it. He seemed to want to stretch out when he was in there and the wrap really keeps him scrunched up. Which I'm sure most newborns love, but this guy just loves to stretch out! Hopefully, he will get used to it because it would be great to use it more around the house and if we go grocery shopping or something.

Cam received the most amazing gift from one of Bill's coworkers last week. It is so soft!

The blanket is from The Minky Moon, which is an online shop that makes personalized minky blankets. Great idea for a baby gift!

We had a handful of visitors over the weekend and this was my uniform. Black leggings, black tank and the most comfortable, over-sized black cardigan. Perfect for covering up the post baby belly. More on my postpartum body later...

We had a successful bath last night with very minimal tears. He actually seemed to like parts of it! He loves his back rubbed and when I scrubbed his back he was completely quiet and seemed so content. I think we got the bath water the right temp this time and I heated the towel for him with my hair dryer for a bit before so it was nice and cozy for him after the bath. We are getting the hang of it!

Plus, he smells so amazing after his baths! We use Johnson and Johnson Baby Bedtime Bath soap and it seriously smells heavenly!

That's pretty much my life lately in a nutshell! The days and nights are all a blur recently. He is starting to sleep a little better at night, but I really look forward to the day when he sleeps for stretches longer than a few hours.

I'm hoping to get out with him at some point this week! I've just been too nervous to take him out on my own, but I think the time has come to venture out! Wish us luck!

New Mommy Must Haves

Today Camden is 3 weeks old! I can't believe it's already been 3 weeks since our little man came into our world. At the same time, I can't remember what life was like before he was here!

They say it takes about 21 days (3 weeks) to form habits. I think we have finally started to settle into a routine with Cam. Over the past few weeks, I have come to love a handful of products and items in my life that has helped me become more comfortable with this new mommy life. 

Here's my 'New Mommy Must Haves' list...

1 | Sleep gowns - I wear these instead of the traditional 2 piece PJs because I am still slightly sore around my c section incision. The gowns are also more forgiving around the middle section immediately after giving birth (it takes about 6 weeks for your uterus to shrink back down to size! For some reason, I did not realize this before baby!). I am currently loving this sleep tee shirt and also this button up sleep gown which is handy for feedings and pumping. 

2 | Fuzzy robe - I purchased this robe before baby and I'm so glad I did. I have been wearing it daily and it really keeps me warm during these colder winter days. 

3 | Sippers - These slippers have been worn everyday since Camden was born! I also wore them in the hospital. They are so cozy and have rubber bottoms so they feel more like shoes. 

4 | Sleep bra - Ladies, they do not lie when they say your boobs will leak in the middle of the night! I have woke up a few times with puddles on our sheets :/ true story. So, I recommend a very comfy sleep bra (like this one) and nursing pads for the nighttime. 

5 | Dry shampoo & concealer - If you are like us, you will have a lot of visitors and you may not have time to shower or really spend too much time on your hair and make up. Don't worry, people will be more interested in the baby than what you look like, but you may want to freshen up a bit before they see you. Spray in some dry shampoo and use this awesome concealer to cover those dark circles and you will be as good as new!

5 | Extra pump parts & Medela quick clean steam bags - Since I am mostly pumping and bottle feeding at this point, I sometimes feel as though all I do all day is clean bottles and pumping parts. I made the smart decision to purchase some extra pump parts so I wouldn't have to do as much cleaning. I highly recommend doing this even if you are planning on exclusively breast feeding because you will still need to pump in order to increase your milk supply. I am also loving these microwave steam sterilizing bags from Medela for quick and easy daily sterilization of bottles and parts. 

6 | Nipple cream and nursing pads - Be prepared for some sore nips if you are breastfeeding and/or pumping! I am currently using Lansinoh lanolin cream and nursing pads and really like them. I've tried a few different nursing pads and I like the Lansinoh brand the best. 

Finally, don't forget to stock up on the coffee!! I have never appreciated my coffee more than I do these days... Or have your hubby go for a Starbucks run :)

Also, I am enjoying my Netfix for those late night feedings. I've got a list of shows lined up to start watching! 

Moms - Is there anything else that you really loved during the newborn stage?