2 weeks and counting..

So it's been 2 whole weeks on my Fit and Fab Challenge and it has definitely been full of excitement!

The first week was amazing, I took my Isotonix OPC3 every morning, drank 2-4L of water a day, upped my protein intake by having hard boiled eggs, homemade fried rice with egg and Vegies and extra hormone free, organic chicken. Plus I made sure to have my chia seeds in the morning for that extra energy kick!

I went to the gym 8 days in a row, doing one day of higher intensity cardio and sometimes weights, then the next day a lower intensity cardio and stretch/relaxation. I had a faint on the 9th day which is due to an ongoing heart/vascular problem, but as soon as I got clearance to get back to low intensity exercise, I was out that afternoon, walking the dog for 1.8km! 

How do I feel: Excited-I can see changes in my muscle tone, flexibility, mood, energy levels and overall happiness already! Tired-I can see that I need to get more support for my body to ensure I can keep moving forward, so will be taking the Isotonix Advanced B, Isotonix Multivitamin, Isotonix Vitamin C and Isotonix Calcium along with adding Magnesium to my water and having a Hydrolyte or two each day to increase my blood pressure (which is quite low), and help my body to function at it's optimal level. Plus I'll be ensuring I have more fruit during meals to keep hydration and natural sugar levels up (plus the natural vitamins and antioxidants!) Scared- After fainting I'm scared to go back to the gym, but I'm going to push through that anyway and prove to myself that I can make it to The Spartan Challenge 2015!!

Optimistic-It's been proven that people who exercise daily are happier, more optimistic and generally have higher quality and enjoyment of life. I believe it!! 

Here are some pics from tonight, I will post proper fortnightly comparison ones next week though, as I did take the week off this week! :-) Excuse the nudy baby, but seriously.. How cute is her butt!! 

Fit and Fab Challenge Begins!

So 8 months in and I finally found my fitness haven, Virgin Active Gym in Norwest = amazing!! 

Climbing wall, Crechè to die for, swimming pools, spa, sauna, latest in equipment, family and individual classes.. Chill out zones, A-Mazing!! 

With the help of my business partner and the TLS system, I am learning to wholistically make myself and my 2 person family fitter and more fabulous! :-)

I was challenged to do before, during and after shots, and decided to do a series of posts and snippets on the journey! 

Plug into our Kat and Stella page on Facebook and watch out on here for more about how we are travelling as we go!

Before pics (gulp) here.we.go!

Let's get Fit-diculous Take 2

Hi all, I had to take a break from exercise and fitness due to injury (re-separation of my abdominals after healing post natally), however I have begun again, and have found a fantastic, 8-10 minute workout that can be incorporated into our day, so that Stella can also enjoy yoga! I found that she relaxed immensely and laughed and really enjoyed the chance for us to do something fun and physical together. 

I also found that afterwards, Stella was really happy to relax and play independently nearby, whilst I got down to doing a further 20 minutes by myself. She was happy to fall asleep at an earlier bedtime too, which was great, as I've been trying to encourage earlier sleep-rising.

Here is the link, I also did this lovely teachers post natal workout, and felt fantastic for it! 

http://youtu.be/9vUs1ypeWhY

I woke up feeling excited to get some movement again today, and after my green smoothie, water and juice (part of my daily routine to bump up hydration and energy to allow for breastfeeding and general vitality), I decided that I would go for a decent walk in the lovely winter sun, to recharge the vitamin d and the proverbial batteries!

I used a fantastic iPhone App called Map My Walk, which monitored, mapped and encouraged me on my walk, and I was able to save the data and even share it for more friendly motivation! I was extremely surprised, happy and proud to see that a regular walk that I used to do during both pregnancy and straight after giving birth, was actually approx 4km! 

Stella loved getting out and seeing the beautiful flowers and birds which I pointed out along the way, at 5 months she is really taking notice and curious about everything going on around her.

Alphie dog loved it too, and now we can sit back and relax for the rest of our day, as the sun retreats! 

You know you are a mum when..

When your baby effectively explodes into a milky volcano that would make any Simpsons cartoon character proud.. All through your hair, over you, your baby AND your floor; yet you think "what great timing, we were just about to have a shower, hope she feels better now" instead of screaming hysterically at the top of your lungs about how absolutely gross that is. Yup, that's it right there! 

Or when you talk about the colour and consistency of your child's faecal matter, whilst stirring the "throw it all in" vegie soup, one handed, to your newly arrived dinner guests.

When you no longer are embarrassed about greeting your neighbour in your pink flannel Pajamas, hair unkempt, forget about make up, at 11am and in fact catch yourself thinking "sweet, still an hour to go!".

When, despite being awake for almost 7 consecutive nights straight, being screamed at, looked at as though you are by far the meanest baddie of them all during de-snotting sessions, you still smile adoringly at the culprit, that you would give your always, your everything and whatever else there possibly may be, to be safe, feel loved and be happy. You wouldn't take any of it back for a second, and you think back to those pre-baby times and fondly think "what in the world was I even doing with my life?".

Intimate Moments

My little girl is 4 months old today, and I just feel so overwhelmingly, incredibly, lucky, and so very much in love with my wonderful daughter! I captured our intimate moment, and chose to share the beauty of it, in the hopes that it inspires more mums to share the beauty of the gifts we have been given and chosen to receive, and how we each are unique, as are our children, and we can each create a more beautiful world.. With our intimate moments!

Let's support eachother, let's create a community which shares, connects and ultimately loves one another, because that creates hope; hope is the answer!

Baby technology.. Cooler than the dancing baby!

So when ur pregnant every man and his dog suddenly has an app or gadget for you.. It can be hard to know what's worth it, and what's just going to take up GB and brain space.. Here are my picks for must have app's, or website/email newsletters:

Sprout- Is AMAZING! It records milestones with your own photos really easily, and also tracks your babies growth in the charts and has immunisation records.. Welcome to your digital 'Blue Book' deluxe!

Baby Center- has an app and a newsletter for both your pregnancy progress and what to expect, as well as after bub is born. It has leading and up to date research on development and really seems to be on the nail for us mums wanting to provide as much as possible to increase our baby's development opportunities.

The Wonder Weeks- This app let's you know when ur bub is going to be extra fussy/grizzly/clingy and why, what's actually going on internally based on emotional/cognitive development, not just physical growth spurts (though these often coincide). 

Families App for Centrelink- This helps you to upload your proof of birth from home and keeps you in the loop with paid parental leave and such, serious lifesaver for new mums, though no one enjoys listening that 'on-hold music' for an hour!! 

Find all of these at your App Store! 

A great idea also is to set up an email address for your baby to regularly put snippets in for them to look at once they are older! 

Cherish the Moments, Be Present!

After an unfortunate phone accident resulting in death.. (RIP iPhone) I had a two week 'cleanse' of my techno-addiction. It was marvellous! Sure, it was annoying at times, especially when I wanted to photograph or video my darling daughter, but it also helped me to reconnect with THE moment, the present moment. 

I love to document our journey, and will continue, but I will also step back and just enjoy that delicious sight, smell, sound and joyous feeling.. 

#morningcuddles #bepresent

Aaaaah parenthood..

Almost 3 months in and I have come to notice some significant changes to my personality and life.. Aside from the obvious addition of a baby, of course!

1. The question "what day is it?" Is almost used with as much regularity as "how are you?". 

2. Major Achievements now include: getting a load of washing on..Major Bonus points for dried, folded AND put away; getting dressed before 11am, Major Bonus points for having eaten breakfast by then too.. Being able to have an adult conversation with more words than 'charades-style' actions. Not talking about poo.. Or nappies.. In a conversation.

3. I automatically recite that 'special weight', with metric conversion, date, time and height as though saying my own name.. Which I have, however, forgotten once or twice.

4. My idea of fun also includes two words: Getting.. Sleep!

5. I now have an intricate packing and unpacking system before I go out, with 'must-haves' included as a standard.. Not lipstick, flats, band-aids and pillow feet.. No, wipes, spare baby clothes and nappies.. And I get immense joy when I get the numbers and ratios right, more than once in a row! (Have recently started to pack a spare top for me also, high 5!!)

6. I have an alter ego that speaks in high, sing-songy English and tells people what I (aka Mummy) and Stella (aka The Bubba) would like, want or need. She's extremely bossy, but super friendly all at the same time..!

I wonder what the next 3 months will bring, here's to parenthood.. The Joys, The Laughs, The Unforgettable, Immeasurable Moments.. Here's to what we live for.. The Loves of Our Lives, Our Kids! 

The Answer is Hope

What was left when everything else had flown out of Pandora's box? Hope..

This advert is exactly that, and my hope is that people will begin to live their lives just a little more like the man featured here.. That is all it takes to stop wars.. The smallest of kind gestures.

Watch..

http://youtu.be/cZGghmwUcbQ

Becoming a mother is like..

So I've been thinking of how to best describe it to my childless mates, as we only were hear the cliche's and they NEVER seem to come close.. After seeing a very close friend and his family on Sunday, and their looks of disgust/sympathy when I answered truthfully about the new "night's sleep" of 4hr avg.. It surprised me as I'm honest having a blast!! So then I realised.. In non kid terms, having one, to me, is like going out on a random night out, knowing you should probably head home, but deciding to stay our anyway, and then meeting the most incredible person, whom you chat and dance and generally have a ball with.. You go home eventually, an wake up the next day, after 2hrs sleep, but still buzzing with excitement and the thoughts of endless possibilities that the future may hold for further adventures with your new found soulmate.. That is what it is like, for me, every, single, day! It's the most wonderful gift I've ever been given, motherhood, and I think that's because I was in some ways so fortunate to have many experiences, bad/good/painful/uplifting which taught me to savour each moment and know that life is a gift in itself, that's most certainly not a promise.. So I enjoy each and every moment, and stop to bask in it's sweet glow, knowing with all my might, the depth of its beauty, fleeting and fragile as it may be. xx

Jar of Power

I had this idea today after 3 busy days, 2 of which had me skip breakfast and feeling like I was in lala land or going to faint.. Not good for me OR bub, so I am putting a stop to it, and this is how..

With my gorgeous, stylish, practical Jars of Power!

In mine I have the following bought from Woolworths and Target (Mason Jar set of 6)

For each Jar of Power you will need:

125g of Swiss Bircher Muesli

1tbsp Super Acai Powder

1tbsp Quinoa Flakes

1.5 tbsp of Chia Seeds

1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp of Raspberries (I used frozen, but fresh is always best)

2 tbsp of Blueberries

2.5 tbsp of Greek yoghurt

1/2 tbsp of LSA mix

1 tsp of natural honey.

Place Bircher Muesli in the jars, then later your Acai, Quinoa and Chia seeds on top. Pour 1-1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk into your jars, the almond milk ought to be 'flush' with the level of mixture when you initially pour it, not less, and not so much that you drown it and cannot see it any longer. Then spoon in your raspberries, they should completely form their own, single layer, add as many as required. Then spoon in your yoghurt, I used a honey, sweetened one, add your blueberries, sprinkle your teaspoon of LSA on top, and a dash of honey. Voila! Put in fridge overnight, or if you make all 6, as I did, for the week! 

The beginning.. 8 weeks after birth

This is me now, currently my beautiful baby girl is 8 weeks old. I had put on just over 20kgs during my pregnancy. I have been walking about 2-5 times a week, up to 2.5km, but sometimes making a km would be an achievement! I have been Breastfeeding exclusively since Stella was born, drinking as much water as possible, at least 2-3L per day, and eating as much fruit and veg and protein (eggs, dairy and chicken mostly) as I can, in between looking after my often vocal (don't know where she got that from) baby. 

I find my abs and back, and what sometimes feels like my organs, get really sore if I do lots of walking or lifting, so I try to limit my exercise to low-moderate mostly, with perhaps one big walk a week currently.

I feel pretty great though to be honest, I love my baby, I take each day as it comes, some days I feel better than others, I try to get out of the house every day, but some days we just have very quiet, 'catch up' days, and mostly, I'm just so incredibly grateful for the experience that I'm living! 

Check out my next post for the exciting and 'mummy saving' breakfast idea I had today.. xx Kate

Let's get Fit-Diculous

So I've decided that having a baby shouldn't just be life changing as of itself, I've been wanting to embrace a fitter, healthier me for a long time, and now that I've got the freedom, the added motivation and the healthy, wholistic lifestyle, why not see just how great I can feel, look and be! 

I am challenging myself to be in the best shape that I have ever been in by December 2014. 

Every year I have wanted to participate in events which are fitness related, next year I aim to be fit enough to truly compete, however I want to begin NOW! 

Using my Pinterest board 'let's get Fit-diculous' (find me using kcoxall) and of course my blog, I will upload monthly photos, and talk about what's working, and what I am doing to get to my goal. I will be keeping my mptivation up, but would love to see others join in to complete monthly challenges, and will of course, be making everything Mum and Bub friendly, as we all know, our babies come before anything, so fitness and health regimes have to be flexible and understanding of that! 

Will you join me on the challenge? 

For all the fellow motherhood warriors awake at stupid o'clock.. xx

Intuitive Mothering

A fantastic list of things to remember for us new mums especially! Loving this book, and the concept of Intuitive Mothering! 

Every mum needs a good Mums Group

 I began my day with items spewing from my overstuffed nappy bag, as I attempted to wrestle my pram, screaming baby and aforementioned bag into the car, 30 minutes later than planned, for Week 2 of my Mothers Group. 

As I arrived and saw with relief the supportive smiles and similar tired, and somewhat bewildered eyes, I instantly lifted and felt a gush of relief that I was going to be OK, despite the mornings crazy and panicky thoughts racing around my head, full of mothers guilt and hormone induced, sleep deprived, monsters! 

After 2 sessions with my new comrades in this battle we call motherhood, I can honestly tell you that EVERY mum needs a good mothers group! My fellow sleep deprivationists were there to offer a few kind words, looks and gestures that literally turned my world around, and I know that they felt the same too. As we joked about the days that had been so challenging that we had almost surrendered, and compared battle scars and plans of attack, we grew stronger, lighter and a damn sight happier! 

Every mum needs a good mums group, so if you haven't yet joined one, or you are a mum of a toddler or older kid, go ahead to the Australian Playgroup Association website, ask at your local Early Childhood Centre or check the Australian Breastfeeding Association! 

We are always open to new friendly faces, so if you are pregnant or have a new baby and would like to come along to our coffee/play dates or activity days, drop me a line! xxx

Things an expectant parent should read

Here I the link to just one of the articles an expectant parent should read, in order to get ready for their baby.

http://www.babycenter.com.au/a1012877/what-your-baby-needs-to-thrive

Things to buy:

Swaddle's, a baby gym, a mobile, a musical toy/radio, baby and children's books, a ribbon(to tie around baby's wrist/ankle and to the mobile above his or her change table for a fun game, always supervise though!!)

Things to do from the beginning:

Skin to skin contact, baby massage, eye contact with your baby(even if they take awhile to focus)-These activate the sensors in the brain to assist your child to have healthy attachment styles, be in touch with their emotional core and empathise and communicate well with others later. It solidifies your bond and assists with making them feel safe, loved and supported. Helps with blood flow and relaxation, also assists them to know where their various body parts are.

Read to them and talk to them- This sets the stage for effective communication, whereby your child learns to take turns in conversation, tone etc as well as the sound of language and pathways for different words that they will use themselves later. Good communication will be the impetus for everything they do and achieve in life, so doing this is vital!

Love them, and remember that they are only like this for a very short period of time.. They are totally in tune with you, so be present, forget the things that don't matter and can wait, be positive, and enjoy being in your bubba bubble!

Don't forget to buy or borrow:

The Happiest Kid on the Block by Harvey Karp

Developmental Baby Massage (there is a DVD and a book, also check out the website!)

Three ways that my baby settles quickly

Courtesy of "Your Baby month by month"-Su Laurent and Peter Reader

More invaluable tools for a new mum..

Muslin wraps, as you can later them for swaddling, use them for burping etc.. Can't get enough of these!

Cloth Nappies for the change table and a couple in the nappy bag for 'oops' moments..These are brilliant! (Stella and I play 'nappy wars' where sometimes she manages to get the 1 up by wetting in between nappies, but I just laugh, and change the cloth nappy, which catches it before it goes everywhere.. She is currently winning nappy wars.. 8-4).

Love to Dream Swaddle's- 

As u can see, she loves them! I still wrap her tightly with a muslin or blanket over the top for sleep, but these are brilliant as they are lightweight, breathable and easy to open for nappy changes without disturbing her too much, as opposed to onesy/babygro type suits with all their press studs etc..

Huggies newborn nappies with their 'blue/yellow indicator line' are a Godsend as well, they show me clearly whether she has a wet nappy or not from the OUTSIDE very quickly, although at 3 weeks, I am a pro now at knowing, it helps to reassure me still, but in the first week they were invaluable! (They are quite small though, so don't buy too many bulk packs.. I'm just about to finish bulk pack number 2 and thinking I might have to move her up to infants already!)

A decent ear thermometer and a room thermometer both put me at ease.. I caught a cold after being in the hospital air con, and so did Stella, but knowing I can take her temp without disturbing her too much has helped me to know that she is OK, and learn how to dress/wrap for the yo yo weather we are having. 

More tips to come! xx

Lifesaving Tools for New Mums

So these are the invaluable tools I have been given or found and they are seriously saving my life.. And sanity!

Post Pregnancy.. The Days of Bliss

My beautiful daughter came into this world a week ago, and I cannot even begin to describe the extreme emotions I have felt this week, joy, fear, protective instincts, overwhelming love, wonder and awe.. The primal instincts that took over in my last week of pregnancy, during labour and now post natally are incredible to say the least! 

The past week I have formed an extremely close bond with Stella and have a very healthy, calm, relaxed and happy baby, and I am also doing wonderfully well, with a few ups and downs, but minimal downs due to the extremely tight support from a very close network of friends, family, my amazing Doula, the wonderful midwives at Royal Hospital for Women, particularly Prue from Avoca Group Practice and special mention to Sally, Ann and Suzanne on the Post Natal (Oxford) Ward, who assisted me in learning how to best meet my baby's needs, but allowed me the privacy, and ability to bond solely with my gorgeous girl. 

Myths and Mysteries of Pregnancy REVEALED

So.. Despite the fact that when you begin growing a human, your own little loved progeny, that will most certainly be the greatest teacher AND gift you have ever received, you have absolutely ZERO concept of what anything will feel like from week to week, day to day etc; pregnancy is NOT as horrifying as every random woman, who stops you on the street to tell you it IS, I promise! 

Myth number 1:

The morning sickness is going to put you on your ass, make you feel like you are hungover for 9 months and WILL make you green as you vomit the cucumber and peanut butter sandwich you just HAD to consume. 

NO! If you drink 2L of water, take your pregnancy multivitamins and eat regular, healthy(as in non preservative laden) snacks and food, and get decent rest then you may get some slightly off days at worst, moments or a very rare blergh moment IN YOUR FIRST TRIMESTER.

Even the worst sufferers would do it again in a heartbeat, which stands to reason that they are totally over exaggerating when they tell you myth#1 (designed as population control and the first round of scare mongering).

More myth busting goodness over the next few days.. Stay tuned! ;-)

What it feels like.. This pregnancy thing!

So after 8+ months of growing this little human, I have come to several conclusions..

1. I will never again take for granted 'freedom of movement' (like being able to reach for something, or bend down..)

2. My instincts on things is pretty damn spot on, now that I know this, I have a filter, like a state of the art 'bullshit/unhealthy/unnecessary/not-gonna-end-well' filter' that I never even knew existed.. Which helps me a LOT with..

3. Women can be terribly cruel and unsupportive of eachother, pregnancy is NOT terrifying, life is NOT over, and in fact, it is DEFINITELY the very best thing I have ever done!

Today's Reading..

Thing are getting really intricate.. Water birthing, Swiss balls, meditation for pain management and relaxation, dim lights and positive affirmations.. With an already bigger than average baby (75th-90th Percentile), and being my first, it's extremely lucky I've got the amazing support of Julia Macleod, my Doula, and my Dad to help get me through the business bit.. Actually really looking forward to it! I have read, inquired, researched, mentally percolated over all the research and options and feel prepared for whatever may happen, but I couldn't have done it without the support around me! 

It's made such a difference to my world, and the world I'll be bringing my baby into, that I'm thinking of creating something for other pregnant women in need of support, particularly single mums to be.. Watch this space!

Meantime.. Working on Stella's Big Day (Birth) Playlist.. 1. Matt Corby- Resolution. 

Hello world.. Time to get this show on the road

So after an incredible year and a half journey and becoming a novice blogger, I decided to get down and dirty and do this the right way! 

I'm 36 weeks along in my pregnancy and journey as a single mum to be, with a beautiful network of people around us. A year and a half ago I decided to re-discover myself and went on my journey, taking photos and documenting the things I was grateful for each day. 

I have learnt some incredible lessons, and grown so much, and now the next leg of my journey, is to meet my little girl, and have us grow together. 

Thanks for following our positive journey! xx