Grace Elizabeth - Our Rainbow Baby Birth Story

After Every Storm Comes A Rainbow.... 

It's only fair to share the birth story of our sweet rainbow baby girl with our followers. You followed our journey thru infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy. It's fitting that we share the best part with you all as our way of saying thanks for the support the love and the oodles and oodles of prayers that have been prayed to get her here to us. 

Tuesday May 16th - My scheduled induction date. I was instructed to call at 6:00 am to see if we could come in for the induction. We were ready, excited and anxious about this part. Everyone had a "plan" for that day. We planned out who was watching our son, my hubby was off work, our family was on standby ready to come and visit,  the house was clean, bags were in the car - we were ready. That was until I called and they told me that the night before was super busy and unfortunately they didn't have room that day. Since I was an elected induction, I would have to wait until tomorrow as long as there was room. At first I was crushed. Like lots of tears and a little grumpy that I had to WAIT ANOTHER DAY!!! After accepting the fact that I would have to wait I changed my attitude and reminded myself maybe it was for a reason. 

Some asked why induce? The answer was my recovery. My son came in RECORD time and made me have a terrible recovery because of how uncontrolled it was. My body labored so quickly and they assumed it would do the same again so they thought this was the way to go. 

I went to bed that night knowing that MAY 17th may be the date we got to meet her but it also may not be. I had to prep myself for the possible let down in the morning. 

Wednesday May 17th - I set my alarm for 5:30 am that day. When the alarm went off I spent an entire half an hour praying. For the first 15 minutes I prayed for peace and patience in the event that I was going to be told I had to wait another day. The last 15 minutes I prayed for her safety and mine. I prayed that we could enjoy the moment and that we could see the beauty in today. We waited years for it and I knew it would be such an emotional time. I just wanted to be able to soak it all up. At six am I picked up the phone and called the hospital. Sure enough they said yep we are ready and waiting for you - come on in. I ran thru the house yelling wake up, wake up - it's baby day!! 

My son and husband were so excited!!! We quickly dressed my son and took him to preschool and headed over to the hospital. My hubby was so anxious on the way to the hospital. For some reason I wasn't. I felt a sense of peace over me. I think it must have been all the praying. 

We got to the hospital and were greeted by the most WONDERFUL nurse. She was so happy and excited to spend the day with us. She will forever be someone special to me now after sharing that day with her. She made us feel welcome and at ease. It was such a different labor experience than the first time around. Nothing was rushed like it was with Carter. 

They admitted me and then checked me. I was 4 cm dilated which I had been in the office on Monday. I was started on pitocin with hopes that it would start active labor patterns. At that point I wasn't sure if I wanted an epidural or not. For some reason I was wanting to try it without one this time. We spent the morning just waiting. I was having some contractions but nothing too crazy. I spent most of the morning bouncing on what they called a peanut ball. My hubby and I watched a lot of morning television and I kept insisting I would have the baby by lunch time. The doctor ended up needing my nurse and had to do a C section, so she assigned me to someone else for a bit and said to sit tight. Around noon they all came back. The doctor checked again and sadly no progress had been made with the pitocin. They asked me to rethink the epidural again. If I wanted it, they suggested I do that first then they were going to break my water. I agreed to just do it and shorty after they came in to administer that to me. I don't know why, but this time around I was really afraid of it. I think because I knew it would hurt. As expected, it did but honestly I am so glad I got it. 

This was in the room when we arrived. That tiny hat with the bow on it became my focal point for the day. We kept reminding each other someone would soon be wearing that pink bow hat. It helped me keep pushing when I didn't feel like it. 

Once my epidural was in they quickly broke my water and then said to "rest" while I could and that they would be back in two hours. I was like REST? Are you kidding, how can I rest when I know what excitement is coming. Needless to said I "rested" for about 45 minutes before telling Kevin I was progressing and needed a nurse. I was starting to feel a TON of pressure so I knew something was happening. My nurse came back and checked me and was surprised that I had made it to 8 cm in those 45 minutes. She stepped out for a few minutes and while she was gone the pressure got stronger. I had her check me again and was already to 9 cm in those few minutes. She said it was going to be baby time a lot quicker than we thought. The room started to transform very quickly. 

Lights came on, instruments were counted, blue drapes were starting to appear and a team started to arrive. My nurse and Kevin helped coach me thru the pushing. I kept my eyes shut to focus but I could tell by Kevin's expressions she was almost here. The doctor came in just as it was time to push her out. She didn't cry or scream until they suctioned her mouth and it was by far one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. My crying got stronger too once I locked eyes with Kevin. We both felt such a relief that she was here and safe and healthy. There is no words to describe the emotion that hits you when they place that baby on your chest. Kevin got to cut the cord and we got to spend many hours just holding her. They didn't give a bath or anything they just let us enjoy her.

A few hours later they weighed her and did a physical exam. She was 7 lbs 11 ounces and 21 inches long. She was born at 3:56 pm. Labor was really only an hour and 56 minutes. 

Around 6 pm our family started to roll in to meet her. Carter's reaction was adorable. He came with his present he made for her, flowers for me and also balloons. He loved her the moment he met her. 

Around 9 pm after everyone left we got to go to our room. We snuggled with her and admired what a miracle she was. Around midnight she got her first bath in the nursery. We tagged along to watch. Before we ended the day, we read the same book to her that we read to Carter - On The Night You Were Born. Just as I did with her brother, I cried as I read the final lines - "Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful marvelous night you were born." I am sure they did baby girl, I am sure they did. 

Someday, I will tell her how special she is. I will tell her how many people prayed for her and how special my pregnancy with her was. She was a light for others. She gave hope to those longing for a baby and reminded many others how special their own little miracles really are. She is our gift and our reminder that life can only give you so many storms before the rainbow shows up. 

Thank you for loving her and praying for her. 

xoxo 

The Griffith Family 

The Beginner's Challenge

After being a coach for 3 1/2 years I have to say I wasn't a "beginner" anymore when it came to eating clean and exercising. Before getting pregnant I was the fittest I had ever been. I had clean eating down and I felt awesome. Then I spent the last 10 months being pregnant and lost a lot of muscle and quite honestly willpower to eat clean all of the time.

Now that I have been cleared for exercise again after being 6 weeks postpartum, I am feeling like a beginner once again. I am about 14 lbs away from what I was when I started and I swear all 14 lbs are resting in my back. For some reason all of my weight went there. Anyways, I am really excited and motivated to get started with my new transformation.

I am looking for some friends to join me in what I am calling the beginners challenge. This challenge group is for people who are at the BEGINNING of a transformation / weight loss journey. I want this group to be a safe space for those who are just learning. Sometimes I think the other challenge groups  that I run can be overwhelming for those who are just starting because often there are clients in the group who have already "been at it for awhile" and it makes them feel like they have so far to go. This group will not be that way. Because we will all be beginners, I think we are going to not only get some great results but also form some really special friendships.

During the challenge we will be following a meal plan and practicing clean eating all the while starting an exercise program and drinking Shakeology daily. Once you fill out the application below if you are interested, I will be in touch and we can work to find a program that best suites you and the goals you have for yourself.

Remember, your journey starts with you and a decision to not stay where you are anymore. Will it be easy? Nope, nothing worth having ever is but you will be so glad you started now and not six months from now.

Looking forward to getting to know you better and helping you along the journey. The challenge group will begin pre-season week on Monday July 10th.

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Postpartum Journey Week 5 Update

Postpartum Journey Update - Week 5

If your following the postpartum journey you may have wondered where last weeks "update" was. Here's the thing there wasn't one. We traveled home to visit family and by the time I got back home Monday night I was more worried with making a meal plan and shopping than I was with blogging. Last week was more of a survival week. Needless to say it was a good week. I find myself getting more and more adventurous with going place with her. I remember with my first I was afraid to GO ANYWHERE with him until 8 weeks. This time around I have enjoyed more outings and I swear it's helping to keep me sane. 

Enjoying my little love and admiring the body that helped to grow her. Instead of hiding the imperfections that postpartum brings along with it, I am trying my best to embrace it and see beauty in it. 

I did a video about this on Monday on my Facebook page which you can check out by clicking here but this past week I got brave and did ONE workout with my hubby. Why you ask? Because I am planning to use the new  Beachbody workout that is coming out called Shift Shop to be my postpartum bootcamp. They were having a one day screening of the workouts and I wanted to see what I was getting myself into. Boy did I ever discover how out of shape I am right now. It was humbling and both exciting to know I have my work cut out for me in the coming weeks. 

Post workout - sweaty but proud! 

All in all my nutrition was pretty good this past week. I made a blueberry coffee cake for my hubby on Friday that was way too tasty looking not to try so that set me back a little, but I have been pretty intentional with what I have been eating. This picture below is one of my many meals I had this past week. Some have asked me if I feel like I have enough food using the meal plans that I am. My answer is yes absolutely. If anything I am struggling to actually have the time to eat it all. I may find that once I add in daily exercise I might need more to keep up with my supply. I will adapt if needed, but for now all is well in the nursing department. She's an awesome breastfeeder and terrible at taking the bottle. This was so not the case with my son when he was little. She HATES the bottle and almost refuses to take it. I think I am going to have to try a few different types of bottles in the coming weeks. Otherwise mom is going to struggle getting to go anywhere alone in the coming months.

One of the many clean eating benefits I have been enjoying is easing back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. The tops all fit again. It's the bottoms that I am struggling with. I was a size zero ALL my life and even went back to that size after having my son. I stopped to try on clothes and see what size I am right now the other day. 4's were fitting nicely and I am planning to go back and do a little shopping because I can't keep wearing the same pair of shorts each day.

New respect for high waisted "mom" pants. They make my postpartum belly not look so postpartum. 

As for my little one, she is an awesome baby. Only cries when she is hungry or needs a diaper change. She is growing like crazy. Her newborn outfits are getting snug. She is starting to wear 3 month stuff. She adores being worn in my Solly wrap and I love the snuggles while having my hands free to multitask. 

This Thursday is my six week postpartum appointment. Anxious to go and be cleared foe exercise again. This clean eating has been fun but I am ready to take it up a notch in the coming weeks. Anxious for my transformation. 

Below you will find this weeks meal plan. As usual, it is gluten free (I have Hashimoto's disease and feel a million times better without gluten in my diet.) It is also pretty low carb. I use the portion control system and am still drinking Shakeology each day. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about my meal plans. 

Are you on your own postpartum journey and find yourself struggling? I would love to help. Each month I run accountably and support groups for women and would love to include you. Please fill out the application below and I will be in touch. 

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Postpartum Journey - Week 3 Update

Week 3 Wrap- Up 

How in the world can my baby already be three weeks old? I have no idea where the time is going. I will be quite honest, I have been lost in a fog of newborn life. I have been getting SO much less accomplished than usual and have simply been soaking her up. At first this was stressing me out. Each day I would make a to-do list and only accomplish like half of what was on it. Then I started to remind myself how much we wanted this baby. How hard we prayed and how short this period of time is. So I decided to change my perspective and just slow down. This is a season. I can do more later. For now I need to just soak her up. 

One of my many healthy meals I enjoyed last week. 

Still no workouts this week and still following my meal plan using the portion control containers along with drinking Shakeology daily. There were a few days that Shakeology really helped stop my chocolate cravings dead it their tracks. I was glad to be able to drink that instead of the brownie blizzard I was craving all week from Dairy Queen. I stopped using my prenatal vitamin now and am only drinking Shakeology in it's place. The baby seems to be fine with me drinking it. No stomach issues for her. I have even tried both the regular and vegan formulas to see if it made a difference for her. Often babies have trouble with dairy so some of my clients have to do vegan because of that, but it seems she's good either way. 

Some have asked me if my meal plan was enough to keep up my nursing supply. My answer is yes for sure. This is PLENTY of food. To be honest I have even been pumping a few times a day to start building my stash for the freezer.

Clean eating and shakeology are working well for me. Postpartum belly is starting to go away! 

As I mentioned last week I am not taking measurements or pulling out the scale right now. I need to be patient and kind to my body and my body image so I can't tell you how much I "dropped" but I can tell you I am liking what I see in the mirror when it comes it my waistline. Little by little the pregnancy look is going away. To the extent that I actually wore my bikini this week outside. Okay I didn't GO ANYWHERE in it and I won't, but I did manage to wear it and play with my little guy in his pool outside. I am going to need a new swimsuit though to wear in public. The tops that I have right now are WAY to small for this nursing momma. I am still not sure what kind I want to get. I sort of want to get a sexy but chic one piece. Some of them are great. It's not that I "can't" wear a bikini it's more so that I don't know if I want to this summer. Between nursing and that dark dark line I have going up my belly from pregnancy, I may just keep my stomach covered up this year. One pieces can look awesome too right? Besides I am starting to feel a little old for a bikini anyways lately. Stay tuned on that one.

GOAL - To be able to fit back into my wedding rings again soon. My hubby was less than amused when I asked if he could buy me a new one to wear for now. It was a firm no. Guess I have some work to do. At least it is now fitting half way down my finger. 

Here is what I will be eating this coming week. I have to admit my sugar monster is getting better the longer I am eating clean like I have been. The first week back to eating this way I was craving sugar like it was my J.O.B but that is starting to subside. I am finding myself crave heathy foods again. I have also been doing a pretty good job of sticking to my gluten free lifestyle. Towards the end of pregnancy I got away from it and my body was hurting because of it. This meal plan like all of my others is gluten free and as a result pretty low carb as well.

Most weeks I like to have this all typed up but I am learning that life with a newborn is all about survival. I should just be happy I have a meal plan right? ;) 

I am getting closer and closer to be able to exercise. Feeling so ready for some toned arms and legs again. Momma misses her workouts! 

In the event that you too are a postpartum mom and are looking for some support, please take a minute to fill out the application below. I will be in touch about including you in my bouncing back after baby challenge group.

Until next week friends! Thanks for following the journey! 

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Beachbody Summer Sale

Grab Them Before They Sell Out 

Just a few times a year Beachbody offers a killer sale. They mark down programs and products upwards to 75% off. While I am not one to post often about sales, I can't resist sharing this one with you. This promotion is going to kick off on Monday June 5, 2017 for US residents and Tuesday June 6th for residents of Canada. The sale will last for one week. Items will sell out quickly and will not be restocked at this price so I recommend grabbing them while you can. The sale pricing will launch no later than 3 pm pacific time and could be earlier in the day depending on when Beachbody loads everything to the site. 

If you have questions about a particular product and would like more info before ordering please email me using the following address: S.Griffith27@gmail.com

If you are already a customer of mine or would like to be, and wish to place an order you can use this LINK. 

Happy Shopping friends!

* Sale prices listed are for US residents. Canada resident pricing will vary slightly. 

Postpartum Journey - Week Two Update

Taking It Back To The Basics 

I knew that if I did it once, I could do it again. Except this time I wanted to do it faster than last time. What am I talking about? I am taking about dropping the baby weight from my pregnancy. 3 years ago I started my own weight loss journey to get back in shape after having my son Carter. He had just turned two when I started and I could no longer say it was baby weight because honesty,I let it hang around for TWO YEARS. It stopped being baby weight and ended up just being excess weight as a result of poor eating, stress, lack of sleep and motherhood. While I was able to lose the weight I feel like I waited too long to work on caring for myself again. 

Now that I am doing this again for the second time, my plans were to get right to dropping the baby weight. This time around I gained 47 lbs and I don't regret any of that weight gain. It grew me a perfect baby girl and my body did it's job. Now it's time for me to do my job and thank my body by taking good care of it. I made a choice not to exercise until I am cleared by my OBGYN at my 6 week appointment, but I did want to begin the journey by focusing clean eating. 

I took it back to what started the journey for me and that is eating mindfully by using the portion control containers that came along with my 21 day fix program as well as incorporating Shakeology into my daily routine.

One of my daily Shakeology treats! I like adding in coconut oil and shavings. It helps to build the immunity in your milk supply for the baby. 

This past week went better than I had expected. I was worried that going back to the mindset of caring about my portions rather than eating as much as I felt like it would be hard. After all, I just spent the last 10 months eating until I was full. While my nutrition during pregnancy this time around was much better than last I was still very lax in my ways. I found that instead of feeling hungry it actually was as much if not more than what I was eating while pregnant. I felt satisfied after every meal and stayed full for about 3 hours each time. To ensure that my milk supply didn't dwindle I made an effort to drink excessive amounts of water in addition to having my Shakeology each day. I am still having one small cup of coffee each morning but am finding that I don't even finish it. All in all it is very little caffeine intake and so far the baby seems to be fine with my one cup a day approach.

One of my many meals I got to enjoy this week. While this picture may make you think it's not much food, it's actually PLENTY!!!! You will not feel hungry when using these containers. 

I did begin to walk daily as my form of exercise. Nothing intense at all probably only half of a mile. I walked my son to school and tried to pick him up each day using the stroller instead of driving. (It's not far at all.)

I will say I caved once this week and had to have a cheat meal. Friday night we had our newborn photo session and I did not have my foods prepped ahead of time so I ended up with pretzels from Sheetz and a peach iced tea follow by a small ice cream treat. Okay so it was kind of a big cheat meal but all in all I am happy with my ability to stay on track this past week and love how great clean eating has me feeling already. It's really been helping me with recovery both physically and mentally. It's a good feeling when your making an effort to take care of yourself. 

Below you will find this weeks meal plan. I will try my best to follow it to a T. Stay tuned for next weeks updated picture and weekly progress update. 

If you were interested in getting help with your own postpartum journey, please fill out the application below. I will be in touch and would be glad to include you in my postpartum moms support group. 

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