Post-vacation pounds and Plexus (A 34 by 34 update)

Oh Punta Cana, you couldn't have been any better. It was the kind of vacation we have been dreaming of for quite some time and it was as amazing as we had imagined. No major travel hiccups, the food was better than I hoped, the weather was great and the sun was hot. I was sad when it was finally over...but I know that my mom was not.

My parents had quite a houseful with my 4 kids and my sister-in-law and her 4 kids in from Florida. On the first night we were away, we awoke to a text from my parents at 4am saying they were taking Hudson to the ER. I had instructed them over and over about what to do if Hudson accidentally ingested something with eggs, to which he has a life-threatening allergy. Benadryl at the first sign of coughing. Epi-pen immediately if vomiting.

So when he began throwing up they worried. He hadn't eaten anything (to their knowledge). He didn't have any other signs (they thought). But they wanted to be on the safe side and weren't sure what else to do.

It turns out he just had a stomach virus, thank goodness! BUT...said virus then made it's way through the household occupants, knocking them out cold one by one. Naturally Ricky and I felt awful about the situation back home (while we sipped our Pina Colada's on the beach in the sun)...

After returning to Clorox and Purell headquarters we made a quick pit-stop in Kentucky for a night before the boys and I hit the road once again to go to Michigan. It's one of my favorite places to be and seeing my kids enjoy it up there as much as I did when I was little is just so so cool. Ricky even surprised us at the end of the week to celebrate the 4th of July with us!



And...now we are home. The only good thing about being home after 2 weeks is sleeping in my own bed. Time to get back into a routine for the rest of the summer.

Some of you may remember that a few weeks before vacation I began using some products from Plexus, specifically the TriPlex (Plexus Slim, ProBio5 and BioCleanse). Each of these products works differently to help you feel your best. Plexus Slim works by naturally lowering your blood sugar which lowers your insulin level. Insulin makes your body store fat cells and also makes you hungry. The ProBio works by getting rid of the Candida overgrowth in your system. It is a pro-biotic that actually has an enzyme blend that penetrates the exoskeleton of the Candida and the 5 different strains of healthy bacteria. Candida overgrowth is caused by antibiotics and processed sugary foods. It's a yeast in our system that then grows roots in our intestinal track and colon causing what is called Leaky Gut syndrome. Candida also causes you to have those sugar and carb cravings! When you heal your gut and toxins stop leaking into your blood stream your body balances back out the way it is meant to be. The BioCleanse works to move everything out of your system.

Having had much success on a (mostly) Paleo diet for several months, I was looking for something that would help me maintain my weight-loss and continue my trend of feeling great. I'm never one to jump in to anythings - especially when it comes to taking any kind of supplement - but after a lot of research and question asking, I determined that the science behind it made sense and I would give it a shot.

The verdict? I loved it. I will admit I was both a little skeptical and nervous about taking the products. The instructions for quantities to take and time of day to take them were all different across the 4 products I had and I was a bit overwhelmed at first. However after speaking to the brand ambassador, she gave me some specific tips that helped me develop a good plan that worked for me.

Because I have taken other supplements before, I was expecting to feel a little jittery. When I didn't, I worried they weren't doing anything at all. The thing is, Plexus products are all-natural and actually complement a Paleo lifestyle very well by helping to clean the gut. So the lack of jitters just meant that it isn't a caffeine-based supplement like the ones I had tried in the past.

In the beginning, I had a headache first thing in the morning for several days in a row. Then on the 3rd day I felt nauseous no matter what I ate or drank. I reached out to my Plexus ambassador and she said those were normal symptoms associated with the Candida die-off. She gave me some more information about that which put my mind at ease. She also said I would likely start to feel a whole lot better very soon. And she was right!

I was sleeping more soundly. I was focusing a bit better throughout the day. And I was getting things done around the house. My tummy bloat diminshed. I already had very few food cravings as a benefit of my Paleo diet, but I found that I could make it meal to meal without even giving what I was going to eat next a second thought. Paleo had me feeling great already, but taking the Plexus products made me feel AMAZING!

So how much weight did I lose? Prior to Plexus, I dropped 17 lbs since the start of the year. 12 of that was after I began eating Paleo. I only lost 2 pounds after starting Plexus, however I had been told that the way it made me feel and a loss of inches was going to be a better measure of my success so I expected that.

The next important question is...how did I feel after I stopped taking Plexus? As vacation approached, I had forgotten to re-order my products so I went without for the 2 weeks I was gone. Granted I also gave up Paleo during that time as well (we were on an all-inclusive vacation for goodness sakes...we ate and drank WHATEVER we wanted all. day. long.) And I figured why not just continue my "cheat" well into my Michigan vacation? I indulged in THE best blueberry donuts from our favorite farm market, ate easy go-to meals like pizza and pasta and gave-in to snacking by the pool. Needless to say, when I stepped on the scale my first morning at home I almost broke down in tears.

In just 2 weeks I had almost undone HALF of what I had worked so hard to lose since January. EEEEKKKK. I feel sluggish. Unmotivated. Bloated. Within 24 hours of returning from vacation I was messaging my Plexus contact to help me get started once again.

Tonight, I am back to meal-planning and Paleo-recipe searching. I will be placing my next order of Plexus products this week and CAN.NOT.WAIT to get that package in the mail. I'm ready to feel amazing again and drop the weight I put back on.

PS -- I'm so excited about the part that Plexus will play in my health journey that I have decided to become an Ambassador myself! Message me if you want to learn more about how you can begin cleaning your gut and feeling great. Thank you Vanessa Garcia for introducing me to this wonderful product!

Loved you then, love you still. Always have, always will.

I just posted on Facebook today that I was taking a little break from blogging for the next few weeks, but...then I got an email with the finished photos from our vow renewal ceremony. So of course I had to share, and also tell how I pulled off the ultimate surprise for my impossible-to-surprise hubby :)

On May 20 we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. What a ride it has been! So much is different from the life we had imagined in our heads as we said "I do", and quite honestly, it's better than we could have dreamed! We have 4 beautiful children, a warm and cozy home, wonderful friends and a lot of family who have supported us, cheered us on, helped us out and loved us from the start.

I enlisted the help of a few special people at our church, set a date, and made a few secret trips to Hobby Lobby for supplies. Because I have been doing presentations for the last few months, it wasn't a stretch when I told Ricky we had been asked to come in and speak to the congregation as a family. It was going to be on a Sunday, between masses, on Memorial Day weekend. We were having a neighborhood get-together that same afternoon and Ricky had promised to smoke a pork shoulder for the party. For those that know about smoking meat, it is an all-day process to perfect it, so he was not too happy that we had to interrupt said process to do a presentation but he asked a friend (who knew what the deal was) to come and babysit the smoker while we were gone. Oh, and because I wanted Ricky to dress up really nice (a suit, and not just pants and a polo), I also threw in there that there was a Bishop visiting our church this week who wanted to sit in on the presentation. It felt a little weird telling lies about a religious event but I figured God knew the reason and would forgive ;)

As we were heading out the door I got a text from my friend Audrey (my maid-of-honor from our wedding day), who made the trek from Owensboro to be there for this special occasion. "You need to stall. Mass not over yet!" The entire family was already in the car so I sent Ricky a text from inside saying I would be a few minutes because my stomach was hurting. I kept getting updates from church telling me to delay and simultaneous "hurry up" texts from Ricky, afraid we were going to be late for our "presentation".

I stalled as long as I could and we were on our way, heart pounding inside my chest, in shock that I was actually going to pull this off.

When we got into the narthex we were met by our friend Debbie who, as she and I had planned, pulled us into a little classroom. I had told the boys just prior to leaving what we were actually going to church for - careful to keep it a secret for as long as possible so as to not give them too much time to ruin it. So they knew to stay put (instead of follow me like they normally do...everywhere) when I excused myself to use the restroom. That was Debbie's cue to send Ricky into the church. Meanwhile I changed into a pretty white sundress and my headpiece from our wedding day.

As he entered he wondered why there were so few people there for this big important presentation. Then, as he got closer to the front, he realized that the people in the pews were our family. His parents, my parents and the maid and matron of honor (best man Tom Q was not able to make it). Audrey pinned a rose on Ricky's lapel and shortly after, Aiden and Hudson emerged carrying a handmade sign that read "Loved you then, Love you still". Behind them came Ethan and Nolan with "Always have, Always will."

Finally, the doors swung open and I walked down the aisle holding a small bundle of peonies, the same flower used in my wedding bouquet. The look on his face was priceless, although without the trumpet of music to coordinate things, Father Terry didn't realize I was making my way down the aisle. He continued to chat with Ricky, back to me, until Ricky interrupted him saying "I'm sorry, I'm a little distracted," as he gestured to me.

The rest was pretty much amazing. I was overcome with emotion - both from pulling off such a special surprise for Ricky, and from just thinking about the journey we have been on these past 10 years culminating in an opportunity to say I Do all over again with our four boys there to witness.

It really was such an amazing day!

Photo credit: Caroline Couture Photography

A letter to the NICU nurses who were there when Aiden was born

Last week we celebrated Aiden's birthday with 7 candles on the cake. As most parents do, each year I say, where did the time go? The first couple years of Aiden's life were some of the toughest. But these last few? Nothing short of amazing.


If you haven't followed our story from the beginning, below are some of my first posts ever, as he was the reason I started this blog.

Aiden's Birth Story
He's Home!
More Great News

Not in the reading mood? Below is the trailer to a short film created for us several years ago about the start of Aiden's journey with Apert syndrome. (Shout out to Tommy Nolan of Creative Video Solutions!)



As I reminisce about the roller coaster ride that started with the diagnosis of our son's rare condition, I'm often transported over and over again to the delivery room. The hushed doctors, the dim lights, the beeping machines. Aiden was whisked away to the NICU where he spent the next 2 weeks, while Ricky and I wrestled our emotions within the quaint concrete walls of the Ronald McDonald House Family Room housed in the lower level of the same hospital. I walked those halls - back and forth, upstairs and down - for 14 days. Delirious. Dazed. Grieving. And although I knew nobody could make it better - make him better - I came to appreciate the tenderness of the nurses who tried to help our boy as we wondered how to heal our hearts.

Dear NICU nurses who were there when our boy was born,

It's been 7 years, so this "thank you" has been a long-time coming. The early days left little to be thankful for as our assumption of a healthy 2nd baby boy was abruptly replaced with shock, fear and anger. A sterile stay in the NICU is probably not how most families expect to start their journey with a new baby, so I'm sure you are used to the flux of emotions that come from our end of things. Looking back now though, I am able to truly grasp the gratitude I hold in my heart.

Thank you for being there for my son. While my hands were shaky, trembling with fear, your warm and steady touch reassured him when I could not. You see, I was too scared. It sounds crazy, too scared to touch my own son, but with wires and leads and tubes attached to him in various places, I was terrified that I'd do him more harm than good if I stroked his belly wrong or made him wiggle too much.

Thank you for your tenderness. You saw that we were scared. Scrubbing your hands and arms up to your elbows for a strict 3 minutes might be commonplace to you, but doing so before being allowed in to see our baby was definitely new to us. The first time around, we had the freedom to scoop up our infant as he slept within arms reach. We heard him breath all night long without buzzing machines and dinging bells. We felt like parents, not like visitors. When we stood outside the NICU doors with tear stained cheeks and bleary eyes, you stopped what you were doing to welcome us in. When just about everyone else met us with frowns and uncertain emotion, you didn't. Even though I couldn't see behind your protective mask, I could tell from your eyes that you were smiling. You walked us to our son's isolette, decorated with a big construction paper heart with his name, and reminded us that this home of his was temporary. You gave us hope when we had none.

Thank you for your respect. You spoke to us in direct terms that we could mostly understand. And if by chance we didn't, you never made us feel silly for asking questions. When I was too nervous to give my own son his first bath, you walked me through it step by step. When I voiced my concerns, you listened. Even when we sometimes felt like it, you never treated us like victims. We were Aiden's mommy and daddy, plain and simple. You never made us feel small - and that helped to build our confidence.

Thank you for your patience. Every night we made a list of questions. We made you stand there answering each one while we crossed them off our list. Sometimes, when we couldn't sleep, we came up at 3 or 4 in the morning to ask them again just so we could spin the answers around in our head and give our minds something to focus on. When I couldn't hear your responses through my heaving sobs, you gave me a moment to collect myself and simply tended to my child's needs. If I argued or got angry or demanded something of you, you understood it as raw emotions and didn't dish it back to me even when I may have deserved it. I promise I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just scared. Thank you for letting me be scared.

Thank you for your encouragement. I was told many scary things about my son in those first few days. I watched as doctor after doctor came in to shuttle him from test to test. Talk of brain bleeds, organ problems, breathing issues, severe mental delays - I was flooded with so many negatives that my entire existence was shaken to its core. I searched for normal. And even though they said I would not be able to nurse my boy because of the anatomy of his mouth, something inside of me made me want to. When he was no longer intubated, you let me try. You showed me latching tricks and pulled up a rocking chair and shooed visitors when I was getting frustrated. You probably don't know this but I successfully nursed Aiden for 4 months. Had you told me no like everyone else had, I would have missed out on an invaluable lesson on perseverance. Something we have carried on into every aspect of Aiden's life.

Please let this long overdue thank you letter serve as reminder on those really tough days - when you let the fear and misguided emotions from scared and tired parents make you doubt your very important role. We certainly didn't find hope from the doctors with their rushed search for answers, confusing big-words and "prepare for the worst" attitude. Without you, we would not have survived. HE would not have survived. We will be forever grateful.

Every year on his birthday, I think of you. And I'm finally getting around to letting you know.

Love,
A NICU mom

A Month From Now, On a Tuesday

Nobody escapes grief. We have all experienced loss, disappointment, unexplained or unexpected situations that rob our heart of feeling whole. We ask why? And turn to friends, family, loved ones, books, the internet for support, meaning, answers. A psychiatrist attempted to wrap the emotion up in a pretty little box with a bow by providing an "outline" for the "stages of grief". But as I learned when we had Aiden, grief strays drastically from that chart. It proved more stressful when I realized my grief was not a straight line or a bullet point. It was a wave of back and forth. Good days and bad. But once I embraced the ebb and flow and let go of expectations that attempted to label our feelings, I healed. 

34 in 34 by 34 (AKA my new catchy weight-loss goal)

So I turn 34 this year.

At 29 I was not scared of turning 30 in the least. I didn't feel 30. I don't think I looked 30. Thirty didn't sound old.

But for some reason, thirty-four seems...old.

I'm finished with the having babies part of my life. I'm in the home where I will grow old with the man I love. I'm seeing new wrinkles on my face every day, and so it goes without saying that I'm feeling every bit my age. And, well, that just plain sucks.

Could it be because I'm not in the best shape? Can I blame my thyroid? Perhaps the pure exhaustion of raising 4 boys? Sure, probably all of the above. Regardless, I want to feel better and losing weight will help I know.

So because it just seemed to work out this way, I couldn't resist...

My goal is to lose 34 pounds by my 34th birthday. Which happens to be exactly 34 weeks from now! Crazy right?

So as I share my weight-loss journey with the world, cheer me on. Ask how it's going. Share your tips/recipes/success stories. Remind me to workout and to skip the dessert or second glass of wine. I CANNOT do this alone. And I CANNOT wait to post my success story on my 34th birthday!

{Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram and MyFitnessPal}

On Milestones and my Last Baby

Time is moving full-speed ahead, barreling towards Nolan's 1st birthday much more quickly than I had anticipated. In the last few weeks and months he has accomplished new things, reached new milestones and developed his own spirited personality.

Nolan's Newborn Photo Session Feb 2014 Photo credit: Little White Whale Photography

Family Photo Session Nov 2014 Photo credit: Bellissimo Photography

Nerium Night and Day Cream Review

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed their Facebook newsfeed being overrun with Nerium information. Before and after photos, product deals, representatives sharing their financial goals being met and cars being earned. Part of me wanted to hide every person who continually posted these status updates...but the other part of me was definitely intrigued. When I was contacted by a friend of my husband's who sold Nerium, asking if I would be interested in giving it a try for 30 days risk-free, I figured "why not?"

I posted on Facebook that although I was skeptical, I was excited to try the "miracle in a jar"...a product that was given in swag bags at the Oscar's, Emmy's and Billboard Music Awards. As I waited for my products to arrive, I got a private message from a Facebook friend who cautioned me about the safety of the ingredients in Nerium, particularly the Oleander. I reached out to the distributor, sharing the info I had received, and she was able to ease my fears with a lot of research that seems to indicate the opposite. See video below:


A few days later my products arrived in the mail: two sleek pump bottles with clear instructions. I was anxious to get started on my new skin care routine, and even more anxious to see if I would have the amazing results I had seen plastering my newsfeed. Results like the below:

• The pump bottles were what I would expect an "expensive" skincare product would like and feel like. I only keep a few things out on my counter in my bathroom because I don't like clutter (everything else gets shoved into the vanity drawers) and this was something that I didn't mind keeping out.
• The day cream bottle was white and the night cream a dark gray. This made it easy to distinguish between the two.
• The consistency of the creams were silky, not oily feeling, and light to the touch.
• They both smelled fresh. Weren't overly perfumey or medicinal.
• Once applied, it left my skin feeling smooth. It wasn't too heavy (like a mask) but did feel like it was being absorbed deep into my skin.
• Didn't feel like it stayed "on top" of my skin where I would be worried about it rubbing off onto my sheets or clothing.