SURPRISE!

Hi everyone!! If you follow me on Instagram (mmackvick) you most likely saw that my husband Will and I shared some exciting news recently. We are expecting a precious bundle of joy to arrive in early November! As of today, I'm 14 weeks and just entered into second trimester. SAY WHAT?! How is it that time flies by so fast? First trimester was full of mixed emotions. I had a handful of amazing days and feelings, and others I was a mess. I've been told hormones play a huge part in this though! Over the past few months I've been asked a handful of questions and thought I'd share some of the one's I've been asked the most. I felt it would also be nice to have this to reflect back on years from now.

Was your pregnancy planned or a surprise?
It was planned to a degree. We knew when we officially started trying in February that we were ready to give things a try, but little did we know that after a few weeks of trying we would become pregnant. We honestly can't believe it happened so fast but feel extremely blessed and are trusting in God's plans for us. It defiantly goes to show that things are certainly out of our hands. Fun fact...it took my mom about seven years to conceive me and I'm the only child so we literally thought there might be a possibility that it would take some time for us to conceive as well. You just never know!
 
How did you react when your pregnancy was confirmed?

I was in complete shock. I said a prayer right before I took the test and was ready to wait the three minutes the test said it would take but it didn't even take a full minute for the results to show and I immediately ran out of the bathroom and into our bedroom and cried. I wasn't sure how to really react or what to do haha. My hands were shaky and my heart was racing really fast. I think I just stared at the pregnancy test for a few minutes before putting it back down. I couldn't wait for Will to get home so I could tell him but wanted to take a second test to be extra sure of the results so right before he got home I did just that and got a second positive test result.

What is the best thing about being pregnant so far?
So far, the best thing has been hearing baby Mackvick's heartbeat. We've only heard it twice but it is the most surreal sound either of us have ever heard. It makes things feel and seem more "real". Will has been able to go with me to all of my doctor appointments so far and seeing how excited he gets has been sweet and fun to witness. All of the love and support we have received from our family and friends has also been just as meaningful! 

What challenges do you foresee with this pregnancy?
There are a few challenges that I worry about but the main one is dealing with neck pain. Last June (on our first wedding anniversary) I had neck surgery. Since then, I've been going through the recovery process and am coming up on one year since the surgery took place. The doctor's told me it takes about a full year to recover but I've already noticed pain occurring again more frequently. I knew that my pain was never going to go away 100%, but chronic pain is just down right discouraging! I've tried to do a better job at completing the exercises I've been given but working out has been a bit more difficult recently given that some of the moves I try to do aggravate my neck, shoulder and upper body area.

Another area that I see being a bit of a challenge for me is dealing with my anxiety which I'll talk about in more depth in the next question.

How are you emotionally?
Y'all this is a tough one for me answer if I'm being honest. I want to say pregnancy has been all positive things for me but it hasn't. And I hope I'm not the only one who has ever felt that way. Ever since middle/high school I've been battling anxiety and depression. For years I've taken medication to help (which I hate taking), have seen counselors, practiced breathing techniques and have even tried meditation. It's gotten better over the years but a few months before Will and I started trying I gradually went off of everything I was taking and have since been battling anxiety issues, more often than before. Some days are worse then others. And other days I feel like thing's couldn't be better! I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm not in this alone and pray over and over and over as soon as negative emotions start to creep in. Maybe one day I'll go into more detail about my anxiety, but if you can relate, I'd love to chat!

Have you had any food aversions?
Yes! The last few times I've tried to eat a salad, I've had to push it away almost immediately. I don't know if it's the texture, the smell, the taste or the dressing but I have yet to be able to eat them without feeling sick and it sucks because they are so good for you and I'm trying my hardest to be healthier. I also used to snack on bananas with almond butter but the smell of almond butter has caused me to not eat it in over a month. Other then those two things, I haven't noticed many aversions thank goodness.

Have you noticed or had any food cravings?
Just a few. I can down a glass of milk on a regular basis now (prior I only liked milk if it was in cereal or if it was chocolate milk) and I'm obsessed with Smartfood white cheddar popcorn. Other then that I still have a large sweet tooth and carbs are my jam. Sad but true!

Have you noticed a change in your level of energy?
Heavens yes and it hasn't come back all the way yet either. Does it come back fully while your pregnant? At first I didn't notice a change in my energy, but weeks six through ten were certainly the worst. I'm talking about struggling to stay awake through the whole work day, falling asleep as soon as dinner was over and taking more naps on the weekend kind of lack of energy. Slowly, things have gotten much better but I believe I'm a ways after from feeling more myself but I'm okay with that knowing baby is busy growing healthy and strong!

When did you start to show?
More so recently but around the seventh or eighth week I noticed that a bunch of my clothes, particularly my jeans, were becoming tighter. I've since had to utilize the rubber band trick and will likely need to purchase a pair of maternity jeans and pants for work in the near future. I had planned to also take weekly bump photos but haven't really started taking them yet but am going to jump on that train sooner rather then later because I love the idea of being able to look back on how things progressed over time.

Total weight gain/loss?
By week nine I had gained around three or four pounds. By week twelve I had lost two pounds and have since gained that weight back. From a quick search on the internet though, it looks like I'm right on track with what is recommended.

Has sleeping become more difficult?
Sleep has always been a sore subject for me given my neck issues, but I've noticed that it's more comfortable for me when I sleep on my left side then in any other position. It's also true that you have to pee more frequently (day and night) and I currently get out of bed to use the bathroom one or two times but go back to sleep pretty quick. We did just get a Sleep Number bed which we are obsessed with and has helped a good bit!

So there you have it. If you've read up to this point I'm impressed. I do hope you've enjoyed finding out how the journey has been for me thus far and hope to do a few more of these updates throughout the rest of my pregnancy. We honestly can't wait to find out if baby Mackvick is a boy or girl come June 9th and are thrilled that God has chosen us to be this little one's parents. If you have ventured down this road before, or are currently pregnant as well, I'd love to hear how things were/are for you!

No More Excuses

Did you know that it takes three days to overcome a craving, three weeks to develop a new habit, and three months to see a physical transformation? What about the fact that it takes 3,500 calories to burn 1 pound of body fat? Those are some of the things I learned when reading The No More Excuses Diet book by Maria Kang.

I'll start off by telling you that one of the excuses that I've carried around with me for years is that I never had enough time to work out. But the solution I needed was to make the time for it and commit to setting aside time each week to doing just that. With a wedding right around the corner (literally in 39 days) I've made sure that each and every Tuesday I attend the Weights and Warriors class at the Dowd YMCA. That class is a MUST for me. I also try my best to go to at least one or two other classes throughout the week, and the rest of the days I try to fit in some light cardio, walks around the block or at-home yoga and stretching.

One of the things I love about this book is that it breaks down an acronym, SPEED which is the main focal point of the book and stands for: Set the Goal, Plan the Attack, Envision the Journey, Execute the Plan, and Deliver the Results. SPEED is summed up really well by Maria saying "while on any program you will hit plateaus, deal with distractions, and have to bust some excuses" SPEED is a "goal-setting model that you will use to effectively and efficiently target your short-term goals" and I couldn't agree more.

Will and I created a short term goal that we want to carry out long term and that is to lose weight and be our physically best selves by the time of our wedding in June. We literally measured our starting points by individually weighing ourselves on a scale last year, jointed down that number and marked that as our starting point. We took "before" photos and checked back three months later to note our halfway point. In the course of those three months, I've lost a total of 6 pounds and started to see definition I hadn't had prior to our starting point. That right there was half of my motivation. The other half has been having Will as my "motivational coach".

Honestly y'all, I feel consistently and sticking with a new routine for at least twenty-one days is key because things really do start to become a habit! Even with other areas of your life such as at work. For me, it's really worked in my prayer life (spending my mornings with God in devotion) and trying to eliminate the amount of soda and sugary foods I allow myself to have. Today I can say that I crave less soda but am still working on my sweet tooth cravings! But again, it takes time.

The first handful of days are hard, and they were for me. I had days when I would lose motivation, but as the weeks went by I started to see that I was looking forward to going to work out after work! It's absolutely vital to schedule the most realistic times for you to workout as well. Otherwise you won't stick with your plan. I tried the whole working out in the morning thing but that didn't work! And that's okay. It's not the best time for everyone. For me, working out right after work before going home, is the best time for me. And one that I can stick with.

Another thing this book has shown me is that I need to find ways to stay motivated from start to finish and to really understand the proper ways to stretch and do certain workouts. To help curve my motivation, especially towards the beginning when things were a lot harder, I went out and purchased new fitness attire. All I can say is what girl doesn't like to shop, even if it's for workout gear. This book is a must read if you are having a hard time sticking to a plan. It's an easy read and very informative. I would like to lose another two pounds before the wedding, and I know that with determination and will-power, I'll be able to do just that with the help of The No More Excuses Diet (but it's more so a lifestyle and less of a "diet" if you asked me)!

I received this book to review from Blogging for Books. However, all opinions are my own.