Tuesday...14 days left

I'm having such a hard time concentrating on anything else right now. There are so many things I've got on my to do list that I want to share about healthy eating, healthy movement, & things like that.  I'll get to it...I promise but right now I've got to share about Sadie because I'm praying that we'll be meeting her sometime this week.  Wednesday evening would be really good!

This is the last week of school before my 3 children go on Spring Break & I'd love it if Sadie was born this week (no, I'm not worried about them missing a day or 2 of school).  I'd really love to have all of next week for their Spring Break with them home & getting used to having a new baby sister.  Some people say that I'm crazy & might be better off with them in school but ya know what?  I think I know my kids well enough to say they will be a big help as well as enjoy the time spent with her before they have to go back to school.  Will it be crazy, probably, but with a little time we'll all adjust to our new normal.  And we will hardly remember what it was like before Sadie came along.

I'm having a hard time concentrating on anything probably due to my excitement & lack of quality sleep.  I go to bed tired & wake up tired because I wake up hurting & uncomfortable in the middle of the night & can't fall back to sleep.  It's wearing on me but I don't have too much time left.  Just trying to stay strong & positive.

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I had a whole long entry typed up yesterday. I had saved it a few times (or so I thought) but then my internet went crazy when I was trying to add another picture with a quote for encouragement & I lost 3/4 of my entry.  I dislike when that happens & with my fantastic (not really) memory lately, I was unable to remember what I had actually shared.  So I'm just going to wrap this up so you can all see how the baby has started dropping into position & how I've grown.

Today I plan to wrap up loose ends prepping for Sadie's arrival.  I have to double check my list to be sure it includes everything I need to do & who I need to call when labor starts.  If I don't go into labor today sometime, I will be heading to see my doctor tomorrow morning.  One of the hardest things I am having to deal with this time is that I have 3 children who are so excited to meet their sister & keep asking when she'll be born.  It is unlike their excitement for a trip or for family to visit because we usually have a set date for those kinds of things.  This is us flying by the seat of our pants so to speak & I am finding that they don't like that part of it.  I know where it comes from because I don't like not knowing either but at least I 'understand' how it works.

In case you aren't following our blog, you just might want to because I have the ability to add new posts from my smartphone.  So you might want to follow or subscribe by email to keep up on the newest information.

26 days & counting

Holy Wah!  Yes, I just had to put that popular Yooper phrase in there because I am in disbelief a little.  I can't even believe that I've only got about 26 days left to grow this baby.  I look forward to holding her in my arms & kissing her.  And I know the kids are excited & will be very helpful.  Yesterday I had an ultrasound to find out the baby's position. She's not breech, her head is down so we're just in the waiting game.  On the u/s we could see that she has some fuzzy hair.  Morgan thinks that she'll have red hair & eventually hazel eyes.  We could see that she'll have a cute button nose like the other 3.  I just <3 that button nose!  She's quite strong with her movement & has the hiccups often.  She's growing like crazy & I am looking forward to her arrival.  Adam & I are praying for her arrival to happen before March is over.  It would be perfect to have her back home with us & have a leisure week with the kids on Spring Break the first week of April & then enjoy her first Easter together.

Reflections: I wanted to actually make a few observations about things that I've noticed & why I never want to experience them again.  I'm not trying to complain but rather make a list, you all know how I love lists, to help me remember when I get discouraged about working to get fit, strong & in shape of all the things I'm leaving behind.  Perhaps you experience some of these same things & maybe you'll look at the things you can leave behind as incentives to eat clean & exercise.  My list is somewhat related to my pregnancy but honestly, I don't want to overeat & not exercise & have to deal with these things ever again.  I know that what I am doing right now by watching what I eat & resting as much as I can as I grow this baby is the best right now.  I know that gaining weight during pregnancy is inevitable no matter what I do & that I'm doing what is best for baby right now.  However, I'm preparing my mind for when I get the go ahead to exercise & give it my all.  I've tried putting myself in overweight & obese people's shoes to see what it feels like.  I know its not quite the same & I may never know exactly how they feel but I'm trying to be more understanding.  I've watched people at the store ride the scooters or have a really hard time walking & now that I'm slightly in that same boat, I have empathy for them.  And each person's situation is different but ya know what?  I'd love to help.  I'd love to see their mind set change & watch as their body changed too.

List of things to leave behind!
My feet hurt with the extra weight
My ankles, feet, & hands are swelling & I don't like the tight feeling
My legs feel tight from the extra weight on them.
It's hard to walk because of the extra weight
I find myself having to rest more often because my heart isn't as healthy as when it was conditioned by movement/exercise.
Hard to catch my breath from just walking up the stairs
Pain in my knees & legs from walking up stairs with added weight
My face looks & feels puffy
Exercise helps my skin stay clearer
I have to loosen my watch to continue to wear it comfortably
My clothes make me feel itchy where they are tight & feel constricting
I feel overly tired no matter how much sleep I get in a night or nap to get
I don't like feeling lazy & having to 'let go' of things that need to be done around the house
I want to gain some more of my independence back, such as being able to carry laundry baskets up from the basement so laundry doesn't sit for days on end, being able to climb a ladder, shovel, mow the yard, rake, etc without having to wait for someone else to do it
Having my hips out of place & my back hurting from the time I wake in the morning till I fall asleep at night
Needing to visit the chiropractor more frequently because the extra weight causes my hips, back & neck to go out
Headaches (I had pretty much gotten rid of them by drinking my Shakeology every day & exercising 5-6 days a week.)
Having the energy, time, desire to cook healthy meals for my family & keep the grocery/eating out bill down
Energy to play with my kids
Sitting on the floor without my legs falling asleep (within just a few minutes) due to poor circulation
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I could probably go on and on but I'll stop here.  Like I said, these are some things I've had to deal with while being pregnant & I plan to work on changing them all back into more positive things. I wanted to list as much as I could think of so that when I start being able to exercise, I won't want to take long breaks & ever turn back to the things I'm planning to leave behind.  I want to be healthy, strong, fit, & with plenty of energy. I want to be a good example to my family as well as others & I'd love to help people turn their lives around & get healthy & fit.

Now it's time for me to play Chutes & Ladders at the table with my 5 year old. And then I've got to finish up some things on the baby list.  Sew some more blankets & burp cloths for our little one.  Vacuum the van now that the outside is clean & add the infant carrier to it.  Wash the pack n play to see if we can still use it, get the laundry going, & make lunch soon.

Tomorrow...only 40 days left

This is the fastest a pregnancy has gone by for me. I'm sure it has much to do with keeping busy with my husband & 3 children we already have.  But sometimes the last few weeks can seem to drag.  I woke up this morning with a sore throat & was more tired than usual today. I'm trying to keep looking at the bright side of things. Since I've been consuming Shakeology on a regular basis, I haven't been as sick as often.  That has been nice for the middle part of t his pregnancy as a pregnant woman is unable to take much of any medication to ease sick symptoms.

I'm experiencing less room for eating so I've had to increase my meals from 5-6 or 7 even.  I have found that if I eat something small but healthy at night I can make it through with a fairly good night sleep.  The aches & pains are creeping in quickly but they are serving as a reminder of how excited I will be to be able to workout with my favorite fitness instructor Chalene Johnson with Turbo Fire as soon as I am free & clear to do so.  Prior to getting pregnant with this sweet baby I had lost 15 pounds & 20 inches. The pain in my feet that I thought would never disappear was gone. Completely gone!  The creaking in my knees was going away & nearly gone on most days & my hip was staying in place for more weeks without having to get adjusted by the chiropractor after only 2 or 3 weeks.  I was feeling great!  I look forward to that feeling again.  I know it will take me some time to get back to where I was at but I also know that I will be doing my heart & body good by exercising on a regular schedule again.  Some days I am sad that I am unable to exercise like I was before, which is amazing because I used to really dislike exercise.  But I was feeling so good  & full of energy & happiness that I look forward to getting back to that.  I am thrilled to be carrying this baby & even more thrilled that my blood pressure & everything else looks great so far.  I keep praying that when our baby is born, she will be super healthy & that I'll be able to recover quickly too.  My hips have been going out more frequently with the extra weight & hormones but as I take each day one at a time, I am reminded of the beautiful gift we will be holding in about 6 weeks.  A precious, sweet, button nosed baby!

Coming soon will be a list of foods that are great snack ideas.  I'm thinking of putting them into categories according to calories so if you need to eat a snack of about 100 calories you look at that list and so on.  Would that be of interest to anyone?  Let me know.  It seems to be taking me longer to accomplish small goals lately but I really want to share this information with all of you as I think it would be extremely helpful.  And I've also been thinking that perhaps I need to include information about portion sizes & easy ways to measure.  I'm not sure if I will look this info up & share a link or if I'll put together my own document.  I am finding that people are  not aware of how many calories they are consuming because of the size of their portions.

PLEASE comment below with other things you would like answered on healthy choices & nutrition & fitness.  I like to arm people with information so you can make informed decisions.  OH & I just found out that Spark People website just added that you can use your cell phone to scan some packages of food & the info will automatically show up so you can add that you ate that food in your daily calorie intake.  How cool is that?  SO neat...its still in the works though so be patient with how it actually works or doesn't work right now.  When they get it all figured out, it will be a huge time saver & fun to use.  At least that's what I'm thinking.

32 Weeks & 5 days Pregnant (means 52 days left)

The countdown is well underway.  My phone & my i-touch have apps on them set to my due date & so without even thinking about it, I am slightly aware how many days I have left. I say slightly because I have been busy with so much that I don't fully pay attention to the amount of days left.  Besides, it isn't like I know exactly when I will go into labor & deliver.  Each pregnancy is different so its hard to use a definitive date.  I will say, the time is flying by quickly due to taking care of my husband, 3 kids, volunteering, & helping others.  But honestly, that has helped me a lot.


Today my family is on a day-trip to the Chatham Ice Caves about 45 mins away from our house.  Walking on ice & being pregnant just don't mix so I am home.  However, I have plans for getting things ready for our newest addition.  I plan to make a few burp cloths & blankets today & hang the cute clothes that were given to us last week.  I do wish that I could have gone with my family on a little adventure but I have been quite achy & my hip is already giving me trouble so I am being wise to stay behind.  The pictures that Adam took last year were beautiful.  I sent him with the good camera this year so I can share pictures from this years adventure, especially since he's taking the girls too.  Sorry, this pic is not very good. I will post ones that Adam takes once he gets home & I get the time to upload them & listen to all the stories.  Adam & Braly went for the first time last year & this year, Adam took his ice spikes to wear so he can enjoy it better, especially since he'll have to help 3 kids this year.

I should head into the kitchen to find some tasty lunch since my Tropical Shakeology isn't here yet.  I want to start cutting fabric & sewing it together.  But first, I should throw a load of laundry in the washer.  (oh how my mind jumps from one thing to another at times) That would be smart.  I have already come to the point in this pregnancy where I am unable to eat much food at a time.  It is a good lesson in eating several small meals a day which is beneficial to keep our bodies working better & our metabolism up.  I plan to continue eating 5 or 6 small meals after I deliver this little girl so that I will feel better & lose the extra weight as I get back into shape. Come back in the next few days, or better yet, subscribe so you get email notification of when the blog is updated.  The next couple of posts should include ice cave pics & I'm trying to put together or find a great sample meal plan for you all to learn how to spread your calorie intake over the day to be healthier & feel better. :)

10 Reasons to "Think Pink" with our Tropical Shakeology

Think Pink with our new Tropical Shakeology

Tropical Strawberry Shakeology®—just the sound of it makes you want to enjoy a tall glass on a sandy beach. But there's so much more to it than just an enticing name. What's in it? What's the serving size? Where can I get some?

1) Take a walk on the light side. Tropical Strawberry Shakeology is a new, light, refreshing flavor featuring strawberry, banana, pineapple, papaya, and coconut. And it's easy to customize with any of your favorite additions.

2) Savor the new flavor. In a coco-nutshell, Tropical has a taste and texture so delicious and smooth, you won't believe it's vegan!

3) Tropicology 101 It is 100% vegan.  It is also dairy free, lactose free, soy free, fructose free & gluten free.  It slows down how quickly your stomach empties after a meal so you feel fuller longer. Promotes satiety for reduced cravings, decreases cholesterol and blood sugar. And it has a low glycemic index.

4) No animals allowed. Tropical is a completely plant-based formula with NO animal products. This makes it very easily digested and assimilated (absorbed) by your body.  

5) Sharing the love. I have samples, new recipes, ingredient info, & answers to your questions.

6) Blinding you with science. Our proprietary vegan protein blend contains all 9 essential amino acids. It also contains a protein blend featuring raw, sprouted, fermented brown rice protein, along with sacha inchi, chia, flax, quinoa, amaranth, and spirulina.  

7) Superfoods to the rescue. Tropical also includes NEW superfoods, including coconut flower nectar, luo han guo, Himalayan salt, and konjac root. All of the key nutrients come from natural wholefoods. There are no added vitamin or mineral isolates and no fortification.

8) Get your mac on. Maca, that is. Just like Chocolate and Greenberry, Tropical also contains maca powder (root), which carries strong libido-enhancing properties. Maca also helps increase stamina and energy levels, calms the nerves, and contributes to overall well being. Just sayin'. 

9) Try Tropical on for size. This delicious new Shakeology flavor is available in both a 30-day bag and single-serve packettes. What's more, you'll also find it available in Challenge Packs too!

10) Weight no longer. Eager to try Tropical right away? Can't say we blame you. You can switch your orders now, so delicious Tropical Strawberry Shakeology will arrive to your door in your next shipment.  New to Shakeology?  visit my website www.myshakeology.com/jetta7 to order yours today.  Order with HD (that's home direct) & get free shipping & continue autoshipping to your door every 30 days.  How easy is that?  Questions?  Message me with a comment below or contact me via email coachjetta7@gmail.com or visit my shakeology website & leave me a message.  I'd love to help you order this & enjoy top notch nutrition with a great flavor & texture.

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*All trademarks, products, and service names are the property of their respective owners

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I am just so excited to try this new formula & flavor of Shakeology.  I will still be drinking the other 2 flavors but I'm excited for the benefits of the new formula.  It's not necessarily 'better' than the Chocolate or Greenberry, but different & still of the utmost highest quality.  Visit my Shakeology site www.myshakeology.com/jetta7  to get more info or contact me directly email me at coachjetta7@gmail.com

Do You Know HIS CraZy Love this Valentine's Day?

I can't believe it has been something like 2 weeks since I have shared anything.  I guess perhaps due to the busyness as well as not wanting to complain about anything, I have been having a hard time finding positive things to say  so I have not said anything.  Remember that saying your mom used to tell you, "If you haven't got anything nice to say, say nothing at all."?  Well that may be what I was doing because I was taught that phrase.

I have been reading this book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love & this last week we had to read Chapter 3 titled "Crazy Love".  We have been discussing this in our small group that meets on Sundays but Adam & I are new to the group & I am not quite comfortable enough to just start blabbing yet...but I'm close.  Plus, I'm trying to keep things in perspective like I stated above & guarding my tongue like it says in James.  I have been getting more achy with the hormones circulating in my body preparing for our baby's arrival & probably somewhat crabby.  Anyway, I thought that perhaps I would share about how I came to discover or "get it" in regards to God's Crazy love for us.  It was not just a single moment but a culmination of events in my journey of life & seeking God.


I've known the love and affection and discipline of my parents ALL my life. In fact, I don't ever remember even hating them like some kids/teens do.  I didn't always agree with them but I always knew that they did the things they did because they loved me & wanted what was best for me.  *As a parent myself now, I understand that concept even better & wrote my parents a letter to tell them thank you*  But even though I knew that love, and it seemed so unconditional, I was still missing some understanding about love.  My parents were my parents so I thought they loved me just because they were my parents.  Then I met Adam & he loved me with a choice; his choice.  So I experienced another part of love but the puzzle wasn't quite compete yet.  Even though Adam loved me & I loved him, I still never knew the love one has for a child.  When we were blessed with children, I was completely amazed at the love I have for each one.  I don't love one more than another but I love them each so much in individual ways. As their mom, I do so many things for them on a daily basis & I think that I'd do just about anything to protect them.  We often make choices that make us "unpopular" with our kids for a bit because they don't understand but since we know it is with their best interest in mind, it helps make it a little easier to deal with their dislike of us for not allowing them to do certain things.What gets me is how much MORE God loves us that he gave his son for us.  He knew what his son was going to have to go through. The hurts & pains physically were only one thing, the temptations, the hurt of betrayal, the hurt of name calling, rejection, etc.  Jesus experienced them all & God knew it was what had to be done because he knew it was the best for us, the ONLY way for us to get to heaven to be with God some day.  God also knew that his son would be able to endure all those things & that he would follow through with it because he had a love for his father unlike any other.  I've heard people say they can't stand when their kids are sick because they don't like to see them suffer.  And I get that but it reminds me how God knew how much his son would suffer and he sent him anyway because it was best for us....for me....for you!  That's definitely CraZy LoVe!  And it's so neat that he has that love for each one of us!  I'd sure love to have that kind of love FOR God and not just the "stuff", like the gifts and promises he has for me.  I feel that everything I've experienced in my life so far has helped me gain a little better understanding of who God is.  He's so complex and not at all one dimensional, yet he made the way to him so easy & even a gift to us.  I am thankful that each step of my life, the journey and all the experiences I've had with love have helped me gain a better understanding of God and the CraZy LoVe he has for each one of us.  I hope that you too experience the unconditional love God has for you & that you will understand the depth of it.

Feel like a walking complaint

So now that my belly has grown in size & people can actually see that I'm pregnant (I'm 30 weeks right now) they ask me how I'm feeling.  Sometimes I answer with the 'polite' answer of, "I'm doing pretty good."  I really wish I could say like my Grandpa used to, "No complaints, no complaints." but that would be a LIE.  I hurt & ache all over & last night I had my first (of probably many) charlie horse around 4am.  Those things are awful.

I don't want to complain about all the aches & pains of carrying a baby but I was starting to feel like that's all I could think about.  And then I got an email about essentials to help a mom through pregnancy.  It had something for every complaint I have.  Now I've known & used each of the things they suggested but the difference was, it made me realize not every woman goes through pregnancy with sheer & complete joy without the aches & pains.  I may have them all at once but I'm still 'normal'....we sort of.  haha

Saturday I did my Baby Yoga DVD.  I don't agree with how they think about just because of being a woman, you have everything inside of you to do anything.  I know I don't have it all & I rely on God to carry me through the things I don't have the strength for.  But the video has great movement, stretches, breathing techniques, as well as some weight lifting for the upper arms & it felt good to accomplish the workout.  I plan to squeeze it in again today before bed. I believe it will help me not feel those aches & pains quite so much & get me closer to saying, no complaints, without being a liar.

Laundry is nearly finished. I plan to stay caught up for the week & I am getting excited to start prepping the fabric to make burp cloths as well as a few blankets for our little Sadie.

I think it has stopped snowing so now I'm off to try & get the snow blower started so I can clear the driveway & sidewalks.  Hope it works & is quick since I can't exactly zip my coat all the way anymore.