“To whom do we look, in days of grief and disaster, for help and consolation?...They are men and women who have suffered, and out of their experience in suffering they bring forth the riches of their sympathy and condolences as a blessing to those now in need.  Could they do this had they not suffered themselves?”  ~Orson F. Whitney

I love this quote...the truth of it has had a profound impact on my life. My brother and sister in law shared it and I had to put in on my blog so that I'd know where to find it!

School starts for us in 2 1/2 weeks! What the!?

I don't like summers here in the Valley of the Sun.

I love summers to be a time spent outdoors! You can't do that here without a pool in your backyard....

 I find myself conflicted...

I want the summer to go by fast so the heat will be over with...

I want the summer to go by slow so that we can sleep in and enjoy the break and have fun together.

I don't know what it is going to take for me to love summer again. I miss being able to enjoy it.

We took a fun family trip to the Durango Mountain Resort the beginning of June. it is BEAUTY-full there! It was so nice to be in the cool mountain air and to just swim and play as a family. We took our first real hike as a family. It was a harder hike than we'd thought it would be...and we got eaten alive by bugs...but we saw water falls and streams and trees and flowers. We did something hard and lived to tell about it! (will include pictures later) We also went to see the Bar-D Wranglers again. We had a good road trip there and back. No major freak out sessions...so that was good. None of us wanted to come home.

But...we came home....and then we all spent the next week with the tummy flu. It was killer. I haven't been that sick in a LONG time. It totally drained me and being sick combined with coming home from a beautiful place to the dry desert heat left me feeling depressed. I went from being on a family vacation high right to a sick family low. Plus I had our ward YW Girls Camp to get ready for.

Camp went well. I had tons of fun with the girls and the leaders. I haven't laughed so hard or acted so goofy in a long time!

This past week we've had our niece Leah staying with us. We've been trying to do some school clothes shopping...which isn't easy when the only ones wanting to shop are me, Kaitlyn and Leah. Addie and the boys go to one store then they are DONE.

So, summer break is coming to an end. I am not sure what to do to make the next 2 1/2 weeks special or fun.

I'm praying for some rain so we can have a little bit of a break from it just being hot and dry.

I'll try to post pics later!

1/2 inch

You can tell that I am excited about learning that there is something besides surgery that I can do to flatten my belly...because this is my third blog post about it this week. I haven't blogged this much is a LONG time!

Just wanted to publicly congratulate myself on losing half an inch around the largest part of my waist line...in 3 days! Maybe I ate different food or drank more water Monday...that could account for something. But I have also done 500+ sitting transverse exercises and about 40 transverse squats every day for 3 days in a row...and I can feel it! I am focusing on flexing my transverse muscles anytime I am going to squat, bend, sit, stand...pretty much all the time.

The transverse muscles are the deepest on your ab muscles...the first to tear and pull apart when you have a baby growing in there....or gain weight for any other reason. I also read that chronic constipation (which I thankful do not have) can tear or weaken those muscles. I am learning that the key to a strong core is to stregnthen the transverse muscles first.

I am waiting for my Tupler Splint to arrive in the mail. I am NOT looking forward to wearing this thing in the heat....but I know I need to to help things heal and to be able to do other transverse work out without further damaging those muscles.

LOVE this quote from the fit2b.us site! " {read this like Jeff Foxworthy talkin’ about rednecks terms}: If you’ve got a 3-finger wide Grand Canyon in the trench of yer gut, you might need to splint! If you can sink yer knuckles into the ocean of yer belly like the Titanic and yer feeling yer own spine bones like icebergs, you might need to splint! If your pulse hops under yer fingers like a jumpin’ bean, you might need to splint!" 

...yep...I need to splint!

..I don't think I will  feel like I have officially started working the Tupler Technique until my splint, band and guidebook arrive. When they do, I am going to take some "before" pictures. Then I will be able to look back and really know if this is working or not! Click HERE for other peoples before and after pictures. (Do not fear...mine will be taken in a DownEast under shirt! Those things are great at showing off my mommy tummy...) ugh.

Wish me LUCK!

WIERDNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

click HERE to see something weird!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from,Kaitlyn  flake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DR Rehab

Hi!

I am still researching and trying to figure out the best way to heal my DR.

I sort of impulse bought the Tupler Technique products. I know I will use them....but I wish I'd researched a bit more before buying.

Right now, I am trying to connect with people who have healed or helped to heal DR. I know from experince that having support during a healing process is crucial for success....so I am reasearching excersises and looking for people to reach out to as well.

YouTube actually seems to be a great resource for videos that are "tummy friendly". Like I said in my past post...crunches are the worst thing you could ever do for your abs. (I actually talked to a friend whose husband is a physical therapist today and she told me that's one thing her hubby tells her. "Never do crunches!") SO...with that being said, here are some links/tools that I hope will help me in this healing process!

Work Outs: 

Tupler Technique  Not done by Tupler's company...

Post Natal Rehab  This is a full video of ab workouts that are designed to "close the gap!" (tried it and it's too hard for me right now)

FitHealthyMoms She shows some work outs but doesn't go through all the repetitions. (This is more my level)

The Bump Room

Info and Support:

Tupler Technique

The Tummy Team

T-TAPP

Okay! Here we go!

Does anyone out there of the (2 1/2 people who read this blog) wanna join me on my DR Rehab journey?!

You don't have to have DR to do the work outs! They will still strengthen your core.

Leave me a comment and let's figure out the best way to give each other support....because really, that's what I am most worried about right now....not following through and  not having success because I gave up or did what comes natural to me and that is to put other peoples needs before my own. I need some on going motivation!

I am a good mom and a loving wife but I will be even better at these two extremely  important roles if I am taking care of ME too!

Diastasis Recti

My friend Angela called me today....She told me about diastasis recti which is a term I have heard before....but didn't remember. I just thought is was the doctors (my OBGYN and 2 plastic surgeons) way of telling me that I look fat...but in medical terms.Basically, it means that the abdominal muscles are separated.

It hurts me to have people ask me if I am pregnant or say things like:

"When's your baby due?"

"I didn't know that you were expecting!"

(all while rubbing or patting my NOT pregnant belly)

It is so discouraging to work out and still look pregnant. (even more discouraging when people point it out to me...on a very regular basis)

Anyhow. Angela told me that she had heard about exercises that can heal the diastasis!

I have spent the better part of today researching this.

 I am happy to report that I feel hope for my messed up, stretched out, protruding belly for the first time in over 6 years!

I just ordered a DVD, guidebook and splint.

My muscles need to heal...much like a broken bone. The splint will hold my muscles (and my internal organs that are misplaced and basically hanging out) in place and close together so that the connector tissues can reestablish and heal. The exercises help the muscles be in the right position to heal correctly. I also learned that sit ups, crunches and planks actually make the diastasis larger and should be avoided until the muscles are healed.

Think you might have DR? Wanna find out? 

Here's how:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, and the soles of your feet on the floor.
2. Place one hand behind your head, and the other hand on your abdomen, with your fingertips across your midline-parallel with your waistline- at the level of your belly button.
3. With your abdominal wall relaxed, gently press your fingertips into your abdomen.
4. Roll your upper body off the floor into a "crunch," making sure that your ribcage moves closer to your pelvis.
5. Move your fingertips back and forth across your midline, feeling for the right and left sides of your rectus abdominis muscle. Test for separation at, above, and below your belly button.

Connor

  Connor turned four on May 5th! Don't try to tell him that his birthday is on Cinco De Mayo. "It's May fiff!" is what he'll tell ya!

Connor had a fun day with his cousin Daniel over to play. We had a party at my Aunt Pat's house too. The party was thrown by my Aunt Bev for Cinco De Mayo, by my Aunt Deanna to celebrate Bev turning 50 and I brought a cake and pinata so that it could be Connors party too. ;) Connor had a blast. He thought the whole party was for him...which is great since I am not the party throwing type.

Connor loves to roller skate. He has been using Kaitlyn's old roller skates that are 5 sizes too big...and have pink wheels (which doesn't bother him because pink is his favorite color.) For his birthday, we bought his a pair of roller blades, in his size, and of a more masculine color scheme. He loves them and I even let him use them in the house.

Connor also loves My Little Ponies. It's true. He plays with them like he would if they were tan and black horses....he just likes these colors better. My parents took him shopping and it bugged my dad to buy him a "pretty pony". Connor likes what he likes and there is no use trying to talk him out of it. My mom tried to interest him in a mop and broom set and he told her he didn't like it because "Those are for girls". But ponies are okay. Gotta love 4 year old logic! :)

Connor says the cutest things and is still young enough to be cute when he pronounces things wrong. For example: He calls NETFLIX "neck flicks" (ouch). ;) Also, we have a funny book on tape called "Chickens In Headlights". He'll say "I wanna listen to the chickens and head lice story". :)

I love this kid.