I’m a
mama. Most of you reading this are probably mamas or mamas to be. Let’s be real
for a second. Mama life is wonderful AND challenging, but mainly wonderful and
sweet, with exceptions to those really rough days that make you forget you can
totally do this beautiful job you were called to do. Because there are many
days as a mom that you can barely go the bathroom, and who has time to style
their hair? I’ve been a mom for eleven sweet months. There have been many up
and down days, more up days though! But even though I’m a mama and I take care of
my son 24/7 and rarely have downtime, there is one thing I try and make sure I
always have time for. And even if that means waking up half an hour earlier, I
do it.
So what do
I make time for? Exercise. You know why? Because when I get a quick work out in
every single day (or at least 5 times a week), I feel empowered, strengthened,
and energized. I need that. I need those 20-30 minutes of just Vanessa time. I
want to be a fit mom so I can keep up with my son. But that’s not my only
reason.
So I
definitely don’t have that child who has slept through the night from six weeks
on. In fact, he’s eleven months now and still wakes up at least once throughout
the night. And let’s be honest right now. Sleepless nights suck. LIKE BIG TIME.
It’s so easy to lose your focus on whom you really are and become super
depressed and frustrated because lack of sleep will totally do that to you.
There have been countless nights where I slept on the sofa or paced the living
in circles trying to get a baby to sleep. But you know something I’ve always
tried to do? Work out. That is something for ME. And the second I finish an
intense kick butt work out, I feel as if anything can come against me today.
Some
mornings I manage to finish my workout before Eli wakes up. Other mornings I’m
jumping around him, lunging next to him, using him as a weight, and working on
my workout while also trying to occupy him. Those mornings are challenging but
just like anything else, I don’t give up because I love to see the results my
body has made. It is incredible to watch the progress your body goes through.
Seriously, you can do anything with your body as long as you keep up with it. The
hardest thing for me is consistency because being a mommy definitely means your
little routine you had before babies goes out of the window and everything
changes. I’m a control freak so I’ve had to learn to accept the changes that
come with every single day. So now I wake up at 5:30am every day just to get a
work out in before the little one wakes up. I want to be a strong mommy. I want
to show my son that health and fitness are important.
Most of
the times I just finish my workout, sweaty and all, and I hear Eli in the
bedroom, awake. So I put my mommy smile on, open the door, and greet my sweet
baby. Truth is I don’t really have a lot of time to fit my workouts in. I have
a baby that needs mama. I have housework that needs to get done. I’m married to
a Navy man so I’m mainly alone and parent solo. But I do what I can, when I
can. And that makes me feel worth it. My baby comes first, BUT mama also needs
to look after herself. And for me, working out feels good for my body and also
does wonders for my mind!
Do
something for you every day. You are worth it.
Vanessa is mommy to an 11 month old and a wife to her sweetheart who serves as a Naval Officer. She loves to blog, stay fit, enjoy a beach day while eating watermelon, and coffee and Jesus are her thing! Make sure to check our her blog and over on Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you so much for sharing and for the reminder of how beautiful and strong we all are - every single day. We ARE so worth it.
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To see other mamas in my Healthy Mama Series, you can check out Kristin here. Or, to see how fitness continues to be valuable in my life, you can check out my transformation here. If you are interested in sharing how health and wellness are valuable to you, please contact me. I love sharing strong mamas!
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