Teddy's Birth Story

"Due dates" are kind of an evil thing. While you've known all along it's just an estimate and that you could go earlier or up to a couple weeks later, I think we get it in our head that the "due date" marks the end.

As much as I had been hoping my April 1st baby would come true, I knew all along it was possible he'd come later—just like his brother—but I hadn't mentally prepared for that.

At my 40 week check-up, my midwife, Merrily, said she thought it would be a minimum of three or four more days before baby arrived. She even went ahead and scheduled a 41 week appointment, which I didn't take as a good sign. :-/

Needless to say, I was discouraged.

On Thursday, my husband suggested we get out of the house, head over to Lahaina, and enjoy an evening out, sort of a last hurrah before baby comes. He was craving pizza from Lahaina Pizza Company on Maui's famous Front Street, which was ironic because that was the place we ate at two days before Toby was born.

I joked that if Lahaina Pizza Company helped put me into labor last time, maybe it would work again!

During our stroll along Front Street, a friendly lady offered to take a picture of us. We don't often get photos of the three of us because usually Jake is behind the camera, but I thought it was appropriate since it could be the last photo of our family of three.

We swung by Teddy's Bigger Burgers after supper to grab our favorite peanut butter chocolate shake—"Teddy's" Bigger Burgers. Coincidence? I think not! lol

Maybe the pizza worked

About 10pm I went to bed like normal, feeling fine, and figuring it was still going to be another couple days before baby arrived, maybe more.

At 12:30 I woke up to pee, which was typical, but when I went to lay back down I felt some cramping. It was enough that I knew I wasn't going to fall back to sleep without a distraction, so I went out into the living room to watch some Netflix. Jake was just heading to bed so we sort of swapped places.

It never crossed my mind that those cramps were the beginnings of contractions because I really didn't know what contractions on their own felt like. With Toby I had such intense back pain for two days prior to actually going into labor that it was hard for me to distinguish what a contraction actually was.

By 1am I realized the cramping was coming in waves and so I started timing them. They were about 7 minutes apart. As they got more intense I started walking around, which sped them up to 4 minutes apart. Then by 2am they were down to 3 minutes apart.

I hemmed and hawed about when to call my midwife. I knew she had just delivered a baby and I hated to wake her in the middle of the night, especially if this was going to be another long labor like I had with Toby. By 4:12 though I knew I needed to call her.

Merrily asked me to stop walking around to see if the contractions slowed and to call her back in 20 minutes. After sitting back down, contractions slowed to 6 minutes apart. Merrily decided to come over, knowing that second babies often come much quicker. Plus, it was going to take her an over an hour to get here, so better safe than sorry.

Ok, well, maybe the pizza worked.

Whoa, slow down!

I decided it was time to wake Jake. He needed to bring the birthing tub into the house, fill it up, and get everything ready. I figured he could go back to sleep while I tried to relax in the tub. Little did we know just how quickly things were about to happen.

Being on my feet and helping Jake get things ready had sped my contractions back up to under 3 minutes apart. As soon as the water was ready, I got in, which was about 3:30am.

My midwife arrived around 4:15. When she checked me I was only about 4cm dilated, which was super discouraging—Jake says I even whimpered a little when I heard the news—because, to me, that meant I still had a long way to go. That's how far along I was when she arrived for Toby's birth and it was another 7-8 hours after that before he was born. Ugh!

However, Merrily seemed to think the baby was going to come quicker. A lot quicker, actually.

There was another midwife, Jan, scheduled to assist Merrily. She had helped with Toby's birth and I was looking forward to having her there, but she was all the way in Hana, which is about 2 hours away. I was encouraged by the notion that Merrily didn't think it was worth it for Jan to try and come because she most likely couldn't get here before baby is born. I had all confidence that Merrily could deliver the baby on her own. She has been delivering babies for 45 years this September! And even though it was discouraging knowing that Jan wasn't coming, it was great to hear that things were progressing faster than I thought.

Almost too fast!

With Toby, the process was so long and so slow, I had time to get used to the pain levels, to mentally prepare myself for the contractions. This time I remember thinking, "This better be transition. I feel like these contractions are coming on top of each other and if this isn't transition I'm not going to make it through this one." In reality, it was no more intense than it was with Toby, but it had all happened so fast that I didn't think I could possibly be in transition yet, and so I was bracing myself for it to get much worse.

During this time I couldn't speak, so I wasn't able to ask what stage I was in. I had barely enough time between contractions to catch my breath.

Which, apparently, I wasn't doing a very good job of. My face started tingling followed shortly by my hands. Merrily said I was hyperventilating. She tried to coach me on how to take deeper breaths, but the tingling didn't go away. She put me on oxygen, which helped almost immediately.

Next thing I knew, Merrily told me I was about 8cm dilated and that if I felt the urge to push I could start doing that. At the time, baby was still up in a -4 and my bag of waters was intact.

So, around 5:45am, I started pushing.

Laughing during labor

The biggest difference between my labors with Teddy and Toby, besides the length (Toby was 28 hours of labor and 4 hours of pushing) was that I felt exactly where Teddy was during the birth. With Toby, the back labor was so crazy intense I had no idea where he was in the birth canal, but with Teddy I felt the entire descent, which was painful, but it also helped me know how close he was to being out.

Another surprising difference is that I never made any sounds during Toby's birth. I think I was determined not to be like the over-dramatic ladies on television and in the movies who scream through their delivery. That's not realistic, I thought. So I stayed quiet. As a result, I put a lot of pressure on my face. I broke numerous blood vessels in and around my eyes. I looked like a vampire for two weeks. I wanted to avoid that this time around, so my goal during this delivery was to not put pressure on my eyes. I even told Jake, "Remind me during labor not to put pressure on my eyes," which he did. This time around, I wasn't so focused on being quiet. I grunted and groaned a little bit more, and, I admit, by the end, I screamed. Sorry, TV ladies. It worked though: no broken blood vessels!

I never imagined laughing during labor, but at 6:06 Merrily checked me again and found that my water was still intact. She told me she could break it while I was still in the tub and then move me to the bed or the couch for the delivery if I wanted, but that I could stay in the tub a bit longer "if it was enjoyable."

I misunderstood what she meant by "enjoyable" and literally burst out laughing. "What could possibly be enjoyable about this?" I asked.

Truthfully, I found the warm water helpful, so I decided to stay in the tub.

I also decided to have her break my water because, hey, the sooner this could be over the better!

Once that water broke, man, that was it! Six minutes later Teddy was born!

A slight complication

Of course, like his brother (who came out sunny side up with a hand on his face and his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck) it couldn't be that simple.

Teddy was born in the water, but only up to his chin. He got stuck, we think because he had one hand near his chin. Merrily couldn't get the leverage she needed to get him out while I was still in the tub, so the next thing she said was, "You need to get out of the tub NOW! Get out of the tub! Out of the tub!"

There was no mistaking the urgency in her voice, and yet I wasn't scared.

Jake, minutes before we were told I needed to get out of the tub, had a vision about this happening. He told me about it later. He said he saw exactly how he needed to lift me out of the tub and set me on the floor. He said if he hadn't had that vision he might not have reacted as quickly as he did.

That last little bit is an out of body experience for me. My memory of it is from a view across the room. I see Jake helping to lift me out of the tub, and me getting onto my hands and knees. I hear Merrily telling me to, "Push, push, push, push, push! Keep pushing!" I had no breath left in me, not an ounce of strength to push for one more second. That's when I screamed for that very last push, giving it all I possibly had.

And then, at 6:12am, I heard that tiny baby squeaking and gargling.  Merrily passed him up to me through my legs where I clutched him to my chest and said in the shakiest voice ever, "Hi, Teddy! I'm your mommy."

He was perfect! Healthy, strong, and he stayed right on me for the next two hours, just the way I had envisioned it. He latched on within 45 minutes and it was wonderful.

During all of this, Toby was asleep in his bedroom. He woke up around 6:45 when he heard Merrily loading her car. Jake got him and brought him out to meet his brother. Every day since, Toby's been all about, "Baby, baby, baby!"

Teddy was 8lbs, 21 inches long, and had blue eyes and a head full of dark hair just like his big brother.

Teddy is short for Theodore, which means "God's Gift." His middle name is Isaac, which means "laughter." To us, he is our little Teddy Bear, God's gift of laughter. <3

A Healthier Kid Approved Banana Muffin

I'm always looking for healthier ways to make some of our family favorites!

I'm also pretty frugal, so when I noticed a bunch of bananas had turned black I went on the search for a healthier banana muffin recipe. What I found didn't dissapoint!!

All three of us LOVE these muffins, maybe a little too much, so I had to share with all of you!


Banana Muffins Sweetened With Maple Syrup

Original recipe from Cookie and Kate

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Servings: 12 Muffins (That is what the original author said but I found it made more)

Serving size: 1 muffin

Ingredients: 

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey (I used maple syrup)
• 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• ¼ cup milk of choice or water (I used water)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top if you'd like
• 1 teaspoon turbinado (raw) sugar or other granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top (I used raw coconut sugar)

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (I chose to use paper and silicone baking cups instead).
2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk/water, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now. I added chocolate chips!
4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats (about 1 tablespoon in total), followed by a light sprinkling of sugar (about 1 teaspoon in total). Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan if you didn't use the paper liners or silicone cups like I did. These muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).

This recipe is easily doubled, I found it made around 30 muffins this way with the added chocolate chips.

I hope you enjoy and please let us know if you tried it and if you'll be making them again :-)

Filled with HOPE,

Green Eggs In Honor of Dr. Suess

On the first Sunday of every month our church celebrates families with what they call "Ohana Sunday." Ohana, in Hawaiian, means family. And at our church, Ohana Sunday means games, fellowship, and a huge potluck. For the past two years our March Ohana Sunday has been themed Dr. Suess. It's by far my favorite Sunday when it comes to making fun food to share.

Last year I made blue jello cups with Swedish fish in them to go with One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. This year I made cupcakes with blue frosting topped with those same Swedish fish, as it was a quicker way to accomplish the same theme.

But then I also made avocado deviled eggs to go with Green Eggs and Ham. They were DELICIOUS and healthy, so I'm sharing the recipe! I originally found it on Pinterest because, let's face it, where else do you find recipes?!?! The original recipe was from California Avocados, but shared on this website: This Mama Cooks.

I made a few tweaks based on the ingredients I had, the amount I wanted to make, and personal preference which will be reflected in the recipe below.


Avocado Deviled Eggs

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Servings: 24 deviled eggs

• Serving size: 1 deviled egg

• 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
• 2 fully ripened avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a small bowl, place egg yolks; add the avocado and mash until smooth.
2. Stir in yogurt, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.
3. Spoon into egg white shells or place in a ziplock bag and snip the corner to pipe into eggs, dividing equally.
4. Arrange on a serving plate. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. (Don't serve long after 3 hours as the avocado will start to darken.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's perfect for a green food-themed St. Patrick's Day or Easter, and it's healthier too ;-)

Filled with HOPE,

A Fun Way To Date Your Spouse!

Now that Valentine's Day has come and gone, and I've given Jake his gift, I can share with all of you what I made him.

First off, let me start by saying one of the things we are working on is having more consistent "date nights" :-) It can be tricky at times if we don't plan ahead because we don't have family here who can easily watch our son. We have to find a babysitter or friends to look after Toby if Jake and I want to go out alone. Too often we look back and realize it's been weeks, if not months, since we went out just the two of us.

We started trying to plan two dates a month in January. Being intentional has helped, but, for Valentine's Day, I thought I would take it one step further.

Do you ever get in a date rut, where you got to the same restaurants or always catch a movie? I feel like we are totally guilty of that! Haha! I mean, nothing is wrong with that, but the reality is you don't really talk or connect during a movie, and repeat visits to the same restaurant don't foster new shared experiences and fresh conversation—plus there's just so many great restaurants we still need to try!

Insert my Valentine's gift. It was a simple idea that I found thanks to Pinterest and I tweaked it to work for us—date night ideas that we could pick out at the beginning of the month to change things up.

All you need is:

• Markers
• A jar
• Popsicle sticks
• Labels or paper & tape

I chose to create 4 categories:

1. At home date nights that are free.
2. At home date nights that have a small cost.
3. Date nights out that are free.
4. Date nights out that have a cost.

This will work with our budget, babysitting availability, and keep us changing things up!

Some of the ideas I came up with include:

• Board game night
• Sunset picnic
• At home theme night (like Italian and make Italian food together, listen to Italian music and maybe learn a few words in Italian. It could also be a movie theme, decade them, etc.)
• Try a new food truck
• Walk on the beach

To create my list I scoured the internet for ideas. I also added some things that Jake and I often talk about doing but for some reason never have. I also threw in some of our favorite things to do that are always fun.

Then I color coded the four lists and wrote them out on the popsicle sticks marking the top part of the stick with the right color. At the beginning of the month, we pick two popsicle sticks based on our budget and childcare availability.

The main reason I did an equal amount of at home date nights was that I was keeping in mind that we are expecting our second baby in April and getting out of the house might be tricky for a while. This way we won't sacrifice our time together during that crazy, sleep deprived season!

If you try this out, I'd love for you to share what some of your date night ideas are! I'm always on the lookout for a new ones :-)


Filled with HOPE,

My Miracle Morning Routine

At the end of 2017 I realized I needed to commit to a new morning routine. Allowing myself to wake
up naturally and then try to fit in my morning routine that included time in the Word, prayer, and exercise before Toby got up WASN'T happening!

It's not a big deal to exercise after he gets up. In fact, I kind of like knowing that he sees me do it because it's ingraining in him a healthy standard. It's the other stuff that wasn't happening. I just wasn't finding the time to dig into my Bible and pray while an 18-month-old demanded my attention.

A year ago I read the book The Miracle Morning, in it Hal Elrod shares a list of best practices to begin each day:

S - silence
A - Affirmations
V - Visualization
E - Exercise
R - Reading
S - Scribing

Thousands of people have transformed their lives, their success, their mindset, their health, and their outlook by following this 60 minute morning routine. I figured, if it could work for so many other people, why not me? So I adapted the routine to fit the important activities I wanted to observe every morning:

S - Silence as I turned to Prayer
A - Affirmations
V - Visualization
B - Bible reading and Devotions
R - Reading
S - Scribing what I'm thankful for.

I'll break this down and share a little more of what I do in each section and how much time I devote to it.

Prayer
The first 5 minutes of my routine I quiet my heart and pray over my routine, my day, and whatever comes to mind. I pray that God would speak to me specifically as I dive into His Word, and that I would feel connected with Him throughout the day.

Affirmations
The next 5 minutes I read aloud a list of affirmations that I printed out that speak to where I am at. Affirmations about being a mom, about not procrastinating, about attracting new clients and coaches, and about my coaching business. I used to think saying positive statements (that were or were not currently true) aloud was SILLY! But so many successful people do it, and so I thought I would give it a shot. What I've found is that the things you focus on are the things your mind guides you toward. It's not magic. It's not a quick fix. It's a conscious choice to believe you are capable of certain things and then you start automatically acting on that belief.

Visualization
Another one that I thought was hogwash—but I've heard testimonies from way too many friends, mentors, and celebrities that it works, so, I figured, let's give it a shot!—is to visualize. I visualize how I want my day to go, what I want to accomplish, and how I want to feel at the end of the day. Then I visualize reaching my goals for that month, how that will feel, what I will do when it happens. I continue this for my quarterly goals, yearly goals, life goals, and any other goals that fit in the 5 minutes I do this.

Bible Reading and Devotions
I don't think I've read through the Bible in a year since I was a bible school student over 10 years ago, but I want to change that! So I found a reading plan and I read 3-to-4 chapters a day. As of this writing, I have not yet missed a day. I follow that up with a devotional, currently, I'm reading 100 Days To Brave, by Annie F Downs. If there is any time left I either read the study notes in my Bible or I spend more time in prayer.

Reading
Another 20 minutes is spent reading a book. My goal is to read 36 books this year, and since I just finished number 6 I think I'm going to make it! These books are based on areas I want to grow in such as business, leadership, parenting, marriage etc. Currently I'm reading Love and Respect In The Family, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I've already read Present Over Perfect, Boundaries With Kids and The Miracle Morning. The other books I listen to on Audible during my omorning walk with Toby. So far I've listened to 5 Second Rule, 10X Rule, and Get Over Your Damn Self (warning, this one does have some swearing in it, but I found the content to be good enough that I can look past it. And I use headphones so Toby doesn't hear!)

Scribing
The last 5 minutes of my hour I spend writing down all the things I'm thankful for. I typically start with things I'm thankful for from the day before, answers to prayer, etc. Then I move on to thanking God for the things I am TRUSTING He will bring to pass, things not yet answered, but that I have faith He will! I've been doing this part since August and it's SO much fun to look back and see how many things on my "not yet come to pass but I'll choose to be grateful anyway" list have now become solid "thank yous!"

So, in a nutshell, that's how I start each day! Typically, Monday through Saturday, I begin at 5:30. Sunday, since it's a rest day from my workout, I allow myself to wake up naturally and fit in as much of the list as I can, starting with the most important of my bible reading, prayer, and journaling. I stay on track throughout my hour by having alarms set on my phone with a reminder of what begins at that time. Which means, if for some reason I want to sleep in I have to turn off 9 alarms! Haha!

I would love to hear about your morning routines. If you already do any of the above or would like to begin adding them to your day, drop me a line! You can comment below or send me an email through the Contact button on the top right!

And for the record, I linked all the books for easy access on Amazon for you! I don't get ANYTHING for you ordering, I'm not an affiliate, just another mom trying to make life a bit easier for you ;-)


Filled with HOPE,

Chicken, Cauliflower Rice, and Bean Recipe

Since this past August, I've been more consistent with my meal planning. My downfall always seems to be laziness. Then I get hungry and if I don't have the energy or desire to prepare something healthy I just grab some quick and convenient processed foods.

I won't say that I've been perfect by any means, but I've learned a lot, and I definitely stay on track better when I plan ahead for success.

Typically, on Sunday evening, I spend a couple hours putting our meals together for the week. Yes, it's a lot of time up front, but doing the prep ahead of time makes the rest of the week as simple as grab it, heat it, and eat it!

I was looking for some new recipes and came across this Chicken, Cauliflower Rice and Bean dish. Fortunately, it didn't need a whole lot of changes to make it Fixate approved. It was a winner for both Jake and I and SO easy to make! It will definitely be happening again! Below you'll find my changes to make this work for our eating plan and food preferences :-)

Chicken, Cauliflower Rice, Bean and Corn 

Ingredients

• 3 cups riced cauliflower (for quick and easy get pre-made)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin (divided use)
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup green bell peppers, chopped
• 3 cups chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 8 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 8 oz can corn, drained

Directions

1. Preheat a large and deep non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add cauliflower "rice" and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until a bit golden, stirring frequently and watching closely not to burn. In the last minute of cooking add 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.


2. Return skillet on medium heat and swirl olive oil to coat. (If necessary scrape off small bits of cauliflower "rice"). Add garlic and green bell peppers; cook for 7 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.


3. Add remaining salt, tomato sauce, black beans, and corn; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cauliflower rice. Makes 4 servings and can be eaten right away or stored in the refrigerator covered for up to 5 days.

Notes: Can add a 1/4 cup of cheese on top or a 1/4 of a ripe avocado - this will add 1 blue container.

Approximate Fix Containers:

2 Green

1 Red

1 Yellow

1 Tsp.

Filled with HOPE,

Trading Tired For Joy

Do you ever get a sense that you are doing all the "right" things but not getting the results you
expect?

That was my first two weeks of 2018.

I entered the year with big goals, goals that encompassed many aspects of my life. Not all of them were new things, many of them I was just recommitting to or placing on the top of my To Do list.

A week and a half into the year I was feeling EXHAUSTED! Like, could hardly make it to my 9pm bedtime, needing naps, feeling like something was "off" or just not right.

Here I was doing all the things I thought I should be doing—like taking time to be in God's Word, praying, exercising, connecting with my clients, growing my business—but, still, I was drained!

I quickly realized this wasn't going to work, that I couldn't maintain this level for long, and that was a discouraging thought. I felt like that meant I had to give up on my goals and dreams.

One evening I decided to shut down my computer, even though that To Do list was far from complete. I took a candlelit bath and spent some time quieting my heart and mind as I listened to Elevation Worship Radio on Pandora.

I wouldn't say any of the songs that played were a direct message to me, but overall they were a reminder to not lose sight of eternity, to not forget my mission, my calling.

One of the things I've always loved about being a business owner is that I can use the platform of health and fitness as a platform for anything. Somewhere in the busyness of life, however, I found myself not really using it as a platform at all.

My vision was not just to encourage women to better their health and fitness, but to encourage them to grow in their walk with the Lord, strengthen their marriages, and raise their children to love Jesus. My aim is to be their cheerleader on that journey, and THAT brings me JOY and fills my cup.

I don't feel God is calling me to change any of the goals and dreams I have for the coming year, only to make sure I'm utilizing my calling to the fullest extent. He wants me to rest in Him, to share more about Him and what He is teaching me, to encourage others to grow in Him. Those are things I've wanted all along. I've just gotten a little sidetracked.

Are you exhausted? Are you in a season of busyness, trying to do and be everything you think you need to do and be? I encourage you to take time today to just sit in His presence, to open your heart and mind to what He has for you and find rest in Him.

Filled with HOPE,