Skip to main content

A Mommy in a 2-Piece

So I've been thinking a lot lately.

About "swim suit season".

And this new "mom body" that I have.

Has anybody else been thinking about this?!

Grab your 2nd cup of coffee, surround your kid(s) with all the toys they have, and attempt to sneak away to reflect with me for a few minutes.

I delivered Ava 9 months ago. On paper, 9 months seems like such a long time! But the reality is, is that it has flown by faster than I ever thought it would! I had planned on getting into a workout routine once I was feeling normal (hahaha normal...what is that?!) so that I could lose all my gained weight during pregnancy and get some muscle tone back.

Well, that didn't pan out like I had hoped.

Most of my weight simply fell off. I think I sweated and peed half of the weight off in the first week! But now I still have this extra 10 pounds on me with my muscles buried somewhere underneath.

Boo.

And it really frustrates and annoys me.

But why??

Why does 10 pounds have to be such a bad thing?
Why do stretch marks have to be a bad thing?
Why does it matter if there's cellulite on my legs?

Because "other people" will judge?
Because "other people" say you're supposed to get back in to shape within that first year of having a baby?
Because "other people" say you aren't supposed to have imperfections?

The source of my frustration and annoyance was not actually me, it was everybody else.

Why should I care what you think of me?

I am proud of this body.

I am still in disbelief that I grew a baby for 9+ months, that she was cut from my belly, and that my body continued on like nothing happened.

That's pretty miraculous!

I've been feeling the pressure lately to be fit. Ava turned 9 months and I found myself looking at my body and realizing this is not where I thought I'd be at this point.

My 2-piece swim suit I ordered arrived in the mail yesterday, and I love it...but I have extras hanging out where I'd rather they didn't. 

My thighs.
My tummy.
My back.
My arms.

I feel like the change in the weather is saying "oh Katie...it's time..."

I was all set to join the YMCA to do spin class several times a week and put Ava in the childcare there. Welllllll, that YMCA is going broke so they are closing. I was so disappointed!! I had gotten myself all pumped up and I was mentally ready to drop Ava off with strangers for the first time and get fit and do something for ME.

I was feeling more discouraged than ever!

And then I realized, no one can change this body but me.
If I don't like what I see in the mirror, then it's time to work on it.
I have to decide to make a change.

I have a jogging stroller, and Ava loves to be outside.

I bought new running shoes and downloaded a jogging app.

There are no more excuses.

I doubt that by the time we go swimming for the first time that my body will look the way I want it to in my mind.

But I'm realizing that's not what's important.

Overall health is what is!

Eat well. 
Hydrate. 
Exercise to be healthy, not to be a size 2 when that is nowhere near your current size.
Be realistic with your goals!

I'm not going to worry about what others are thinking when they see me in a 2 piece.
Because, quite honestly, those who are judging you are people you wouldn't want to be friends with anyway.
Wear your 2 piece with confidence as your accessory!
We are not supermodels; we are normal people who carried babies.

There's no way I'm wearing a 1-piece swim suit.
I shouldn't have to.

When I wear my 2-piece, I hope that I inspire another mom to wear hers proudly, too. I'm not going to waste my time worrying about who is looking at me or what they are thinking. I am going to swim with my family and have a good time doing it, thank you very much!

So go ahead and look at my cellulite, stretch marks, and tummy flab.

Because I'm not.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

I'd love to hear from you!

Popular posts from this blog

Easy-Peasy Pumpkin Decorating

I sure haven't gotten around to doing much decorating for the Fall. I'm feeling sort of "Bah-humbug" about Halloween this year. I did buy some pumpkins.  And then I put them outside the garage door.  And that is about all the effort I have put forth so far.  Last year I was inspired to do some creative chevron painting on my pumpkins and use decorative ribbons. For whatever reason, this year I've been so lazy and wanted something with less effort required.  Is that bad of me?! I got my act together today and put some spider web on my now dead bushes in the front of the house (yeah I managed to kill those - I did not consider how much the dirt would settle and the top two inches of the roots became exposed. Lesson learned!). I also put some up on the brick wall by the garage. That stuff sticks perfectly to the texture of the brick!  Then I put my pumpkins by the door. I had a few pairs of black textured tights, so I put one leg of
1 comment
Read more

The Tears Won't Stop

I can't sleep, guys. Valentine's Day is coming up soon. And tonight, the tears started, and they just wouldn't stop. 2008 was truly an unbearable year. A lot of you know my story and the connection here, but many of you don't. I don't think that I've shared about the whole year, all together. I've been told by a few very supportive friends that my story could basically be a Nicholas Sparks movie; I think the ending is still being written. So, I'll do my best to get it all in writing, in one place. To start off, you'll need a little background information. It's mid-2007, and I am about to head off for my senior year of college, and my boyfriend (now husband) was about to embark on his first tour of duty overseas as a Military Police Reservist. My mom was 1 year into her cancer diagnosis, and was experiencing back pain, which she attributed to working in the yard so much that summer. After the New Year, Chris was about halfway t
Post a Comment
Read more

That's My Story and I'm Sticking To It

Pinterest is amazing . Have you heard of it? I hope so, because if not, you are truly missing out. It has almost become the new "Google" for some (me). I am more likely to hop on Pinterest to search for a yummy recipe than search on Google. I would like to point out, however, that Google has a recipe tab that you can click on, and then on the left side of the screen you can checkmark the boxes to indicate if you want that ingredient to be present in your recipe. Kinda handy if you are looking for a recipe and you can only remember a few ingredients in it. Anyway, browsing Pinterest has led me to great ideas, recipes, products, and left me drooling over dream homes and a wardrobe to die for. But recently, as Pinterest has become more popular, I have noticed some really dumb links. I am not typically one to point out stuff like this, but some of these things just crack me up! I'm not sure I get this. This image is suggesting that this is an acceptable way to re-sea
Post a Comment
Read more