Mind and Soul

  • Baby, Breastfeeding, Lifestyle, Maternity fashion, Mind and Soul, Motherhood

    The Past 7 Weeks

    The past 7 weeks…the fourth trimester.

    I know it’s been a while since you’ve seen an image of me on the blog. I didn’t want to reappear with a glammed image of myself because that’s not my reality these post-partum days aka the fourth trimester. I’ve been living in this gifted PinkBlush Maternity robe since delivery, it’s pretty so that enough for me since I am in the depths of motherhood. This new year I want us to get to know each other much better and what better way to start the year than to share a photo of me with my baby at home in my robe?

    It’s been 7 weeks since I gave birth to my third child, the baby girl you all waited patiently with me for. It’s honeymoon for us, I love the newborn stage. Everyone talks about the sleepless nights and the long hours nursing but I love that. I’m loving pouring all my love into this new human. I remember a few days after coming home from the hospital thinking to myself that I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so freaking happy for no reason at all. Maybe it’s the excitement of everyone especially the older kids around me but my energy is just so good and balanced. I feel like my daughter and I are still one, she continues to get life from me as I nurse her and that in turn gives me life as I watch her grow. Everything is special, each yawn, sniffing her sweet baby breath, the warm snuggles, when she falls asleep in my arms and the intense stares. During one of the stare sessions, she smiled at me last week for the first time. Best. Feeling. Ever.

    In the past 7 weeks, I’ve been away from her only a few times and only out of necessity, it’s just not what I need at this time. I needed a breather much sooner with my first two kids but emotionally I was in a different place. It’s also cold out and I struggled with a terrible bout of seasonal depression last winter that sent me back to therapy. I was scared that would be my fate again this year and I was ready to go back if need be but I’m happy to report that I’m doing good this year. This child is truly a gift from God, her name means light and she really is a light in all of our lives.

    Our days haven’t been without challenge though as life happens at times. Just minutes after we got back home one morning from dropping the big kids off to school last month someone hit our SUV that was parked outside on the street, it was scary because I had sat in it and had my oatmeal while talking to my husband on the phone just minutes before. The baby and I went inside at 8:30am and my neighbor witnessed the incident at 8:45 am. Whoever did that left the scene, leaving us with the expense and headache (thank God for full coverage insurance) but I handled it all like a true G, instead of spiraling emotionally I focused on the fact that no one was hurt and that God protected us and for that I am very thankful. Then two weeks later my husband was hospitalized (he’s recovering really well now). It was a scary time and tough for me going back and forth ensuring he’s okay and the kids were okay but somehow I never allowed all of this to shake me. I prayed and expressed gratitude through it all and I think that held me together.Fortunately, by Christmas Eve my hubby was back home and all the dust settled and we were able to enjoy the baby’s first Christmas as a family. It was a beautiful time and having weathered those storms as a family made it even more special.

    Anyway, that was my life in the past 7 weeks. Beauty and the beast.

    What were your first 7 weeks postpartum like?

  • Happiness, Mind and Soul, Motherhood, Positive Thinking

    Let’s Talk About Wearing A Swimsuit In Public

    [Tweet “Let’s Talk About Wearing A Swimsuit In Public”]

    In the last few weeks, I’ve been taking advantage of the lovely summer weather and going to the beach. I am all about the beach bum life. I love sea, sun and sand. It only comes naturally as an island girl. It’s so relaxing to get to the beach and strip down to enjoy the warm sun on usually covered parts of your body. I find it to be a liberating experience and I just bask in that freedom. The first time we went to the beach this season, we were so focused on our Father’s Day treasure hunt that I didn’t pay much attention to other fellow beach bums. However, last week I had all the time to focus and dare I say stare a bit. I noticed something that bothered me a whole lot. Moms who seemed to be determined to hide their bodies. Now, of course, I don’t know everyone’s story but what I saw felt like a trend, women on the beach with their families wearing t-shirts over their bathing suits or fully clothed. I saw one mom go into the water fully clothed. This bothered me on many levels. I know that our society isn’t the nicest to us, we are told that our bodies are unattractive after bringing life into the world and if we don’t look like the ladies on the runways we aren’t beautiful.

    [Tweet “Don’t sacrifice your fun because of society’s beauty standards.”]

    We need to refuse to believe those lies. We are beautiful! Having babies is beautiful and it makes us much more beautiful. All of the experiences that lead us to lose or gain weight makes us more beautiful. The beautiful kids that we are raising see us as beautiful.

    [Tweet “Encourage fellow moms to see their beauty.”]

    If you don’t believe you’re beautiful, wear your swimsuit anyway. I am 10 pounds heavier than my usual weight and I didn’t let that stop me from wearing my swimsuit. When I see another mom post a photo on social media in her swimsuit, I make sure to compliment her to encourage not just her but her followers. We can let other moms know it’s okay. Really, it’s okay to wear a swimsuit! Ask your husband, I’m sure he doesn’t want to see you getting into the water on the beach in jeans and a t-shirt. If we change our expectations of each other, we will change our expectations of ourselves and not be too hard on ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not preaching here. I am part of the congregation.

    If you’re on Instagram, share your #MySwimsuitStyle. Fellow mom Mimi of MimiCuteLips have an awesome campaign to encourage women to boldly share swimsuit photos.

    Leave me a comment letting me know why you do or not wear a swimsuit to the beach?

     

  • Mind and Soul, Positive Thinking

    Daily Positive Affirmations

    Here’s a simple tool to make it towards the end of 2015 proud and celebrating more success than defeats. It’s by starting every single day with an open heart and a positive attitude. I am a strong believer in incorporating daily positive affirmations into my morning routine.

    [Tweet “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. – Willie Nelson”]

    It all started when I attended a corporate retreat a few years ago. My coworkers and I were looking forward to an easy day but instead we ended up learning how to grow personally. Now if you know anything about me, you know that any new knowledge that furthers my self-development really gets me excited. One of the sessions was on the importance of a daily positive affirmations practice. You see as Iyanla Vanzant put it, we sometimes have “humping puppies” in our heads. You know how you train your puppy and it behaves well but soon as a guest comes over he starts humping on their legs nonstop. Well, when we start to believe negative things about ourselves and our lives they behave like humping puppies in our heads. If let’s say your humping puppy is saying “I’m stupid” no matter what you do, you will think “I’m stupid”, “I’m stupid”, “I’m stupid.” This could have been something a relative said to you out of anger as a child and it stuck with you for all these years. If you make a typo on a report at work or take the wrong exit on the highway, you’re going to say “I’m stupid” and it will become part of your belief system. Here’s the thing though, we are Moms in Heels, we are not and we have no time to nurture negativity in our minds and within our families. That’s why I wanted to share this list of daily positive affirmations. You can print them and put them up above your work area or in your bathroom or just memorize them to recite during your commute or your times of stillness.

    positive-affirmations

    If you usually wake up feeling anxious or with a negative mindset, here is my nighttime routine to ensure I wake up with positive energy. Click here for the article, you may find it helpful.

    Don’t be afraid to practice daily affirmations with your kids, on the way to school every morning the Princess Fairy and I point the day in a positive direction by reciting these and other kid friendly ones (I’ll share hers in another post).

    Daily Positive Affirmations to make in 2015:

    dailyPOSITIVEAFFIRMATIONS

    I feel energized.
    I have a mission.
    I choose happiness.
    I can do this.
    I am compassionate.
    I love myself.
    I am in charge of me.
    I am present.
    I put me first.
    I am making good choices.
    I am ready.
    I am on my way.
    I am connected to life.
    I trust myself.
    I can do anything.
    I have what I need.
    I know my life has meaning.
    I hold things tightly.
    I listen to my heart.
    I am blessed.
    I am happy.
    I can change.
    I am taking steps to be healthier.
    I am beautiful.
    I love my body more and more.
    I speak gently to myself.
    I look forward.
    I won’t be taken for granted.
    I am powerful.
    I am becoming who I want to be.
    I am connected to all there is.
    My heart is open.
    I matter.
    I discover new joys of living every day.
    I move at the perfect pace.
    I trust my inner wisdom and intuition.

     

     Are positive affirmations a part of your morning routine?