What is your stance?

Recently I have found time (I say this cautiously) to focus a bit more time on myself.  My kiddos are now 4.5, 3.5 and 1 years old, and I am trying to commit to my health in order to be a positive influence on them.

I started with teaching a sports skills class to kids 3-11, which my two oldest attend.  I wanted to remind myself that I am athletic and work with kids, which has always been a passion of mine throughout life.  This was going pretty well, until my kids decided they did not like mommy paying attention to other kids, and my ideal situation of showing them being athletic is fun turned into tantrums and now they stay in the gym's child center while I spend time with other people's kiddos (honestly a bit more rewarding most nights).

Then it seemed that a vast majority of my friends started selling products to help with the health concerns of young (I still like to think I am young) mom's.  From wraps that get rid of stretch marks to drinks that give you all the vitamins you need, it all has seemed like things I can do for me in this new "reclaim time for myself" era.  Truthfully speaking, I have fully embraced a lot of it lately.  As I type I am wrapped in an "It Works!" wrap to help my post baby tummy!  I am also on the Shape ReClaimed drops and diet (11 more days to go for phase 1! and down 16 lbs)... All of this adding to my feeling that I am doing things to help my health and keep me around longer for my kiddos...and then Facebook brings up a post on Jade Beall's photography of UN-Photoshopped women... 

Which truly gets to my heart for a reason I am not even able to explain.  Honestly, there is something I love about my stretch marks, and after looking at the picture below, I want one with my kids (probably with a bra on though, and not sure how to incorporate our youngest who is adopted...but, that will probably be a post in of itself!).

What our bodies make room for to bring our amazing kiddos into this world is definitely something to be proud of.  So now my internal struggle is...how much do I really want to undo it.  The pounds I can definitely loose, my health is something I still need to move into a priority position now that I have time to think, but do I really want to erase all signs of my body producing amazing little people...I may just be nostalgic tonight, but I am leaning toward no.  (Again, this said with an "It Works!" wrap on my belly right now).

I am curious to see what fellow mommas think on the matter.  Let me know your internal gut instincts on the matter.   Feel free to comment or email me directly at the5cosbys@gmail.com

xoxo,
Andi