3 things I love about being a Mom & Gift Ideas for your Mom

I love the month of May- more sunshine, longer days, outside time, and the smell of the spring air. Its also a fun holiday month with Memorial Day at the end of the month kicking off summer and of course, Mothers Day! 

Today I'm sharing 3 things I love about being a mom and some gift ideas for your amazing mom! I'm pretty sure we are all highly indebted to our mother's before we are even out of the womb because lets be real: pregnancy isn't for the birds and labor? Yeah, there's no gift or money in the world that can pay someone back for that ish lol. #speakingfromexperience #stillhavePTSD

Then you have the sleepless nights, toddler tantrums, the 80358 messes a day, late night homework sessions, cheauffering to soccer practice...I could go on for hours. Mom's are the real MVP. Bottom line. 

When they say being a mom changes everything, you never fully understand what they mean until you actually hold your little one. And even though your life seems to be turned upside down almost instantly in every way possible being a mom is one of the most amazing experiences ever. There are moments that you laugh until your cheeks hurt, and moments where you cry ugly Kim Kardashian tears and think you can't go on another minute. But growing little humans from the lows of the low, to the highs of the highs is the most rewarding job you'll ever do. Here are 3 things that come to mind when I think of what I love about being a mom: 

1. Appreciation: I felt like I was pregnant for 40 years, not 40 weeks. Labor was horrible, and my first baby was colic. Within the first 2 weeks of having my first, I was legitimately convinced my mom was some sort of SUPERHERO for having 3 tiny humans. Of course I've always appreciated what my mom has done, but I think until you go through it yourself you never really fully understand. Becoming a mom has completely put a new perspective and appreciation on what my mom has sacrificed for me, and honestly makes me love her even more! 

2. Fulfillment: Its funny how before winning soccer games was the "be-all end all" for me, or my workouts would make or break my day. Being a mom has given me such a greater purpose beyond who I am as an individual. Seeing the boys face light up at the smallest things, or teaching them something new is more fulfilling than anything else could ever be! Knowing that I get to help shape their character and impact on the world makes me not sweat the small stuff at work and gives me true purpose. 

3. Home: I've heard the saying “Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.” This coulden't be more true, and honestly scares me thinking of when the boys gets older and they're on their own.

But at the end of the day, what gives me peace is you'll always be HOME to your children. Where they go for all the basic necessities of life when they're babies: milk, warmth, touch. Where they go when they're toddlers and are shy, are hurt, or want cuddles. And where they'll go for advice, comfort, money(lol), and a home cooked meal when they are off in college. Nothing fills my heart more knowing I'm HOME for my boys. 

Alright, back to Mother's Day. Below I've rounded up some great gifts that I think any mom would love at all different price points. And remember, the best gift you can give your mom is your time! Get her a great gift, and spend some time together, and love on her! She deserves it! 

1. Ugg slippers: Worth the hype and these are on sale for $65! 

2. Barefoot Dreams Cardigan: This cardi is my favorite to wear around the house. So soft but not too bulky or thick. The material is literally dreamy, and its has pockets. 

3. I love this Bezel and Bytes Chunky Chain for your Apple Watch. A great alternative to dress up mom's apple watch!

4. Birkenstocks: You guys know how I feel about these! Anyone can pull them off, even if they are just a "casual" sandal, they're so comfortable, mold to your feet and last forever. 

5. If your mom is active, the Apple Watch is an awesome gift! That has some amazing features if its in your budget. 

6. Lush Bath Bombs are a nice treat for any mom at the end of a long day.

7. The Sprocket is a really unique gift which allows you to print smaller photos from your phone! I love that you can throw these in your wallet, on your fridge or in your office. 

8. These Venus Roses are AMAZING. Yes, they are pricy ((super pricy)) but they really do last a year, and the smell is incredible!! Someone has actually bought these for me before, and I loved them! They have every color you can imagine and are a great gift. 

9. I know that getting a vacuum isn't a luxurious gift, but for me a gift that makes me more efficient with my time is a WIN. This Dyson is cordless, light, and sucks everything up in sight- Perfect for mom and pet moms! No more lugging around a huge vacuum or a broom. Also, you can use a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond to get it discounted! 

10. Yankee candle has super cute personalized candles for Mothers Day. You can pick your scent and add a photo. I think this is a great inexpensive, thoughtful gift for Mother's Day. 

11. The Clarisonic Mia is a must have for any woman! 

12. This may seem ridiculous, but I've heard these Sonicare Diamond Clean are literally the best toothbrushes ever created. Your teeth are something people see everyday, so this might be worth the splurge for your mom if she's been wanting one. (Again, use the 20% off coupon at BB and beyond)

Hope some of these ideas help! Have a great day everyone! 

xo 

Alex

Sebby's 1st Birthday Party/1 year update

Hey everyone! Happy friday! Hope you had an awesome week. 

Last week was super hectic preparing for Seb's 1st bday party and then heading out 3 days later for vaca! I knew the timing wasn't going to be ideal but with our work schedules is was really the only weekend that worked. 

I decided to do a Peter Rabbit theme after seeing some supplies on zulily and thought they were super cute. He has a Peter Rabbit themed nursery so I thought it would kind of come full circle.

The weather has actually been really amazing lately so we had it outside at our house. Menu included your party favorites: veggie tray, snacks, pizza, subs, cake, and ice cream. I feel like its hard enough to prepare for a party but to cook too for it is really stretching it with 2 little ones so we just ordered out. 

                                                                                                             Fun with our cousins!

I got some really awesome Etsy decorations: center pieces, high chair "I'm one" decoration, a Peter Rabbit crown, Peter Rabbit water bottle stickers, Peter Rabbit, garland, paper plates, napkins, cups, a Peter Rabbit onesie, and my mom made some super cute descriptive food labels with Peter Rabbit on them. Etsy is literally the shit. They have everything you could want. Oh. and the cake. was. seriously. amazing. 

We had a decent day but the wind was blowing at 20 + mph in the morning which made setup really tough. The table cloths were blowing everywhere and it made setup slightly stressful haha. The party was super fun all in all and the kids all had a great time. 

Remember...when planning kids birthday parties:
1. ETSY and PInterest all the way for theme ideas, invites, and for specialized party supplies.
2. Dollar store for basic supplies, balloons, etc. 
3. Plan and order early, early, early. For instance, I ordered Seb's onesie and they sent a green one...so thankfully I had enough time to send it back and have them send a new one in baby blue! 
 

                                                                                      This cake though....Had to post an up close photo. 

My one year old:

As for Seb, he is a full blown toddler now! He is super mobile, walking everywhere (and trying to run), eating everything in sight and exploring and getting into everything. Unlike his brother, he could care less where I am and just takes off running! I'm gonna be that mom that has their kid on a leash at Disney next time haha.  He's also started to be super crazy with screaming. Max never really did that so this is new...he screams to get attention, when he doesn't get what he wants. I don't even understand it and it drives me crazy. His brother will then start screaming at the same time to be funny so...our house is super loud ! Also he is starting to stomp his feet. Soooo like I said, a toddler ((yikes)). The good thing is he's still pretty goofy and happy most of the time so hopefully this is just a phase he's going through until he learns how to talk.

SLEEP He's still up once a night but every now and again he will sleep through the night( he's done it twice while we have been on vacation...score!)Part of me wants to just completely night wean him but I think I'm holding on a little because I'm not sure we will have another. So for now its okay, I think he will wean himself on his own time. 

Nursing Still nursing before naps (so morning and afternoon), when he wakes for the day and before bed. If he wakes in the night he will nurse then and sometimes that takes the place of his morning nurse. So 4 times a day usually. I haven't tried to give him milk yet and I haven't really decided if I'm going to. Max hated it so we just give him yogurt and lots of cheese. So we will see I guess. 

Brother It amazes me how much he learns from his brother and how he feeds off energy from his brother! The next year will be tough but I think when Seb is around 2 yo they will be able to play more together :) 

Likes:

-trucks, cars
-balls
-food! 
-screaming

Dislikes: 
-face being cleaned
-nose being wiped
-being confined anywhere
-the word NO. lol
-sitting still

Hope you guys have a great weekend :) 

Alex

Weeks 17 & 18 Pregnancy Update: Nutrition & Workouts

Well, the last 2 weeks have been pretty uneventful {thank god} considering the the month of March we had. Because they wanted to monitor the baby regarding the gastroschisis concerns I ended up getting my scan at 16 weeks, a little bit early. They still wanted to see me at 18 weeks because they could not fully see everything then that they needed to so I went yesterday morning for full check up and everything looked great {so blessed}. Baby boy is clocking in just under 9 oz and growing. 

So, other than my increasing size...not much else has been happening! I mean let's talk about the flashback/comparison photo {see above}. Baby 1 vs Baby 2. My weight gain was EXACTLY the same with my first as this pregnancy and look at the size difference! Crazy how your body "remembers" and just goes with it the second time. 

Baby gear wise we are looking good. Max has tons of clothes and we saved everything. For anyone that knows me I love clothes whether kids are boys or girls...so this little guy is going to be styling with some hand me downs {and some new stuff...he he}. We picked up a crib at pottery barn on sale ..and by on sale I mean we are talking 1/2 price! I went with a white one and am thinking I'll probably go with a blue for the nursery. M has a green room with jungle theme so we will see what theme we pick for this little guy. 

Exercise wise I actually have had a great two weeks. Now that I feel reassured that the baby is growing and doing well, I feel so much more comfortable. When I was pregnant with M I really struggled with tight calves and would have to stop and stretch only a 1/2 mile into my runs. Feeling pretty good up until this point and even rocked out some 7:45 splits on my runs the past two weeks. For anyone thats a pregnant runner, you take those days and cherish them. I'm still training on the ball a couple of times a week, although I definitely taper back the intensity-sit out some reps--otherwise I would sound like I needed an oxygen tank. ha! Lifting wise I've been consistent with the 2-3 times a week and I'm pretty happy with that. I've stopped doing any plyos or jumping. I did jump until about 30 weeks with M but I was A LOT smaller the first time around so it was easier. I also wanted to be prepared to jump back into training as fast as possible (if I wanted to) and that is obviously not the case this time around!

Nutrition wise I would say I'm holding steady. I definitely am throwing back more carbs than normal but I've been keeping the sweets to a minimum ...as best as I can anyway! Typical day is usually for breakfast PB28 bread w/ PB of course or oatmeal with  scrambled eggs. Lunch is salad with marinated chicken and dinner always varies. Trying to be disciplined and holding out a little longer for a splurge meal of pizza. I think this week might be the week! Snacks I always have siggis or chobani yogurt. I rotate between plain and flavored. Normally flavored is off limits but..well...pregnancy. Anyway I have a ton of nuts, bars, and am eating a lot of berries and green apples as other snack examples.

Swimming will start to become a savior for me over the latter part of the second trimester and as temperatures increase and I get bigger. I know I'm able to keep some extra water retention to a minimum by getting in the water 2-3 times a week. I'll be doing a post on the benefits of water exercise- pregnant or not--so stay tuned! 

Here's the last two weeks of my workouts and weeklys :

17 weeks: 

How have you been feeling? Great. Very tired by the end of the day though. 9 pm is like ...11 pm. 
Do you have morning sickness? No
Do you have any cravings? None other than what I would NORMALLY have haha. Pizza anyone?
Do you have any food aversions? No new ones
Weight gain so far? Up 12 pounds
Any mood swings? Other than being grumpy when tired..no
Sleep: Has been good this week
Stretch marks: no
Clothing: Is so limiting. Just ordered a bunch of basics from gap maternity and grabbed a pair of Target workout maternity capris that I wear for coaching. They are decent and were only $30. the challenge I'm finding is the timing difference between when I was pregnant with M--total opposite seasons. :( 
Rings: ON
Movement: none yet
Starting to show? Totally
Boy or girl:Its a boy!
 

Sunday: Off
Monday:3 miles. No time listed. I think it was around 8:30 splits
Tuesday: Morning run: 7:44, 7:56, 8:10. FELT AWESOME...last mile was tough due to the hill and I can't push myself up that but will hold that run dear to my heart. haha. It may be the last one for awhile. In the afternoon I hit up the gym for a lower lift. 
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Soccer workout 50 mins, and one mile at 7:45
Friday: 45 min aqua jog in water
Saturday: 6 400's at the track in some great weather! 94, 93, 95, 95, 97, 96 with 2:30 min recovery

18 weeks: 

How have you been feeling? Pretty tiring week but its been a good one. Happy to be home last night before 7 pm! 
Do you have morning sickness? No
Do you have any cravings? Nope
Do you have any food aversions? Not any more than the ones listed
Weight gain so far? +15 pounds {I think half of that is in my chest the last 3 weeks}
Any mood swings? No
Sleep: 2 nights of horrible sleep the last week. I need to wash the cover of my pregnancy pillow this weekend. I've had a couple nights on the couch this week. 
Stretch marks: no
Clothing: We had a random day of 80 degrees and I realized I have no shorts. I will clearly try to avoid wearing them at all costs but I do need to look into one pair of maternity shorts in emergency situations when dresses/leggings/jeans are not an option. Ha. 
Rings: ON
Movement: none yet-they said I have an anterior placenta so might be awhile til I feel this guy using me a punching bag..or soccer ball! 
Starting to show? Yes..this belly button is so visible in clothing as well. Sigh. 
Boy or girl: Its a boy!
Random thought of the week: thinking about the things I miss...like runny poached eggs, spark on a consistent basis {hello, caffeine}, maybe a glass of wine, sleeping on my stomach, clothes that fit, and oh not having cellulite! 

Sunday: off
Monday: 40 min swim
Tuesday: 3 miles 8:10, 8:06, 8:14
Wednesday: Lower Lift
Thursday: Soccer workout: 45 mins, upper lift
Friday: Soccer workout, 50 mins
Saturday: lower lift

Until next time..

XO

Alex 

Another time around the sun: Pregnancy #2

Little nuggets first scan...Hello world!

Well here we go again! Sometimes I still can’t believe that we went through with having another after that first year with Max…I am sure some of you can relate. But somehow you forget ..well not forget…but seem to block out the child labor, 9 months of pregnancy, sleep deprivation, leaking boobs, fussy moments. And all of those really tough moments are outweighed by the smiles, giggles, hugs, kisses and first steps your baby takes. I know it sounds so cliché, but it is so true that they are so worth it! ha. 

My first pregnancy was really tough because at that point in my life it wasn’t exactly what I wanted or planned for. But I think I never really would have been “ready”. I loved my life as a pro athlete, I loved having the freedom and flexibility to do what I wanted, when I wanted, to travel, and to spend what I pleased on myself or anyone else for that matter.

And while I do miss certain parts of that life, I sit here and wonder to myself what I did with my time. Life is so much more meaningful as a parent and I think that that purpose does not necessarily take away from your work, social life and other passions, but makes you whole.

What really hit me the hardest was how I had dedicated my life, especially the last 12 years, to fulfilling my dream of becoming a pro soccer player. To see my successful season end in a injury was tough, but to find out I was pregnant just 8 weeks after that was devastating to my passion and what I had lived for up until that point.

I had planned on playing for another year and I think deep down inside I knew once I saw the line on the stick that it was the end of my playing career. I was 32, not young for a pro athlete. My responsibilities outside of what I did as an athlete I knew would probably make it virtually impossible for me to get back to the level I was at and competing day in day out.

I was a player that needed an off season of 2 training sessions per day (2-4 hours/day) of preparation to compete. I am so blessed to have played with some of the best players in the world and really cherish those moments. I think at the time you are so caught up in the moment, in performing at the top level, living your whole life based around training, under pressure, that sometimes you can’t even really enjoy it.

Max has no doubt come into our lives and changed it for the better. We are so blessed to have our healthy 22 month old and another on the way. Being a mom is definitely a big challenge, but its also the most rewarding, amazing thing you can do in life. So here's to our future family of four! 

Me, on Max's due date (June 9, 2014) after my last pregnancy run!! 

How did you find out you were pregnant?

Well..I was actually in New York the last weekend of January. I was originally supposed to fly back home on Friday night, but Philly had a huge snowstorm the week before causing my college roommates baby shower to be postponed. So I jumped at the chance to take the train from NYC to Philly and head to surprise Kacy at her sprinkle! I ended up totally surprising her (it was super hard to keep it a secret ..ha) and spent the night with her. Sunday morning I woke up and started to feel sick after breakfast. I had already taken one test and it had said negative but it was a few days before my period was due. Friday morning I had also felt sick but put that down to the stress of that days meetings in the city. When I started to to feel sick on Sunday, my period was officially 2 days late..and I thought. Ok. This is it. I could not believe it..Max was a “surprise” and this time it happened after one cycle. Honestly, I wasn’t super excited about being preggo over the summer but I kept hearing about people having difficulty getting pregnant which is why we started trying right away. 

When did you officially find out?

I took a test that Monday morning and it said pregnant!

How far along were you?

I think it was 5 weeks

How did family/friends react?
I think some were surprised..some weren’t because I had said that we were going to have another. The best reactions were from the receptionists and nurses at my OB..ha! Let's just say they were pretty surprised after seeing me throughout Max's pregnancy. 

First pregnancy symptom:

To be honest with you I did feel nauseous twice in that weekend that I found out I was pregnant but literally have not had any sickness since. So I would really say the fatigue. That was new for me. I had sleep insomnia basically my whole first trimester with Max so this all encompassing fatigue was crazy! 

What is your due date:

October 9, 2016 

Any names:

A few for girls..boys I am stumped!

For all you mama's to be to, check out some of these articles I've found: 

NY Times Article about Exercising while pregnant

Injury prevention for mother runners

And a funny..(but true) article to finish the blog off: 8 similarities of between a zombie apocalypse and having a newborn baby! 

Coming next week: Weeks 8-12! 

xo,

Alex