15 By June! My Weight Loss Challenge

Hello My Loves!

So, yeah, about this baby weight. LOL.

I gained about 40 lbs when I was pregnant and  I didn't step on a scale until Ezaias was 4 weeks old. By that time I had lost 20 lbs. Since arriving home from the hospital, I could tell each day that my tummy was going down, but I was in no rush to get on a scale.

When I went for my 6 week check up, I had lost 5 more lbs - leaving me with 15 more lbs to lose to return to my pre-baby weight.

Not too long after, I came across Mama Dweeb's Blog and her weight loss challenge. Coincidentally, I was telling a friend of mine that same week that I want to lose all (or most) of my baby weight by my birthday/the time I return to work. My birthday is July 4th and I return to work on July 5th.  Mama Dweeb's weight loss challenge encourages us to lose 15 lbs by June and I want to join that challenge!

Even before pregnancy and almost my entire life, I have had to work to have the body that I wanted - the type that I was comfortable in. So, this is nothing  new for me.  However, my body has changed so much that this may be more difficult that it has ever been for me.

How I Plan To Achieve This:

• Since having Ezaias, I havent been too strict with my diet (I've read you're not really supposed to when breastfeeding anyway).  However, the way I ate when I was pregnant compared with how I eat now is totally different and I know that alone is helping me to shed pounds.
• I am exclusively breastfeeding and as I've read (I read alot), breastfeeding burns quite a few calories. Although I have heard for some women their bodies seem to hold on to fat as they breastfeed. I am not sure how breastfeeding will be for me (yet).
• I hopped back on my workout plan 2 weeks ago (after my 6 week check up).  My goal is to workout 4-5x a week (so far, so good).  I currently do Tae-Bo workouts, Jillian Michael workouts and other workout DVDs I have at home.  Also, ExerciseTV on Comcast's OnDemand has quite a few workouts I am interested in.  I also plan to get back into the gym so that I can have accountability partners (friends who will be able to work out with me).

Will you join the challenge? How long did it take you to shed your baby weight? How did you do it? Are you having any issues with it?

The Ultimate Blog Party - 2011

Hello Everyone!! :)

I am excited to be participating in this year's Blog Party.  I have never participated in one before, so I am looking forward to building new friendships, finding new great blogs and perhaps winning a prize [or 2 :)]!

I originally started this blog in June of 2010 in anticipation of being a mom. In my first post I discussed how my husband and I were "ready" to expand our family.  We had been married for about a year and 2 months by that time. Although, we had no idea how long that would take, I wanted to blog about my journey.

A few posts and one month later, I announced in this post that I was PREGNANT!!! 8 short months later, we welcomed Ezaias Ahmad Green into this world.  Feel free to read my birth story!

My husband and I are brand new parents to a nearly 6 week old baby boy! I presume this blog will turn into a blog about my experiences in motherhood.

I must admit that I dont blog as much as I'd like to, but I am working on that and hope to improve!

Apparently, I need to re-design my blog as we are no longer "waiting" :) 

Looking forward to blogging with you! I hope that you follow my blog and/or sign up to receive my posts via email (you may do so at the top of the right hand column --->).

How Ezaias Ahmad Green Came Into This World (My Birth Story)

We always say that time flies, but my goodness - this phrase has never rung truer for me. Two days ago, Ezaias turned five weeks old! What? One month and a week? Where did the time go?

I have wanted to update this blog so many times, but if it hasnt been high on my priority list before, it definitely hasnt been in the last month! Besides, I'm JUST arriving at some semblance of a routine.

My Birth Story

On Thursday, February 24th, I had a prenatal appointment.  I was about 38 weeks pregnant and the nurse practitioner told me that I was 1 cm dilated and 90% effaced (You need to be 10 cm and 100% for delivery).  She told us that she would be surprised if I made it to my next prenatal appointment - which was the following Thursday.  Boy, was she right!

On Saturday, February 26th, Hubby and I woke up to get ready for church as usual. I actually felt a little icky because I had a cold, but I had no idea what I would experience in the upcoming hours. We got to church, ate breakfast and went inside for service. Right before going into the sanctuary for service, a lady at my church mentioned to Hubby and I that she had a dream that I had given birth before my due date (which was 3/9).  Hubby mentioned to her that he had a similar dream.


At about 10:30 am I started feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom (#2). So, I kept going to the restroom, but nothing was released, except for some gas, LOL :O I  then googled the symptoms I was having and found that some people experienced these symptoms (gas pains, feeling the urge to defecate) during early labor. Anyway, these symptoms came and went, but there was nothing to be alarmed about (YET).

The church service went on and our Praise & Worship session began. I am active member of the Praise Team, so I went up with the rest of the team to lead the congregation into worship. As I recall, it was an awesome day of worship! After Praise & Worship was over, I went to sit down, but had to get back up shortly after because I had to lead a song for our special music presentation.  As I walked up towards the front of sanctuary, a lady in the front (the same one that told me about her dream) said to me "Go ahead, this will be the last time you will be singing for a while". As I sang, I just prayed that I'd get through the song because my uterus started to feel a little weird.


As soon as I sat down I had my first (well later on I realized this is what it was) contraction. I wasnt sure it was a contraction, but it was something that I had never felt before and while enduring it, I had to squirm in my seat and hold on the the chair in front of me. Many people ask what contractions feel like and I would say they feel like really intense menstrual cramps that I had to breath heavily through, stiffen my body through and hold on to the nearest object. Shortly thereafter, Hubby sent me a text saying that he was taking me home right after church (we usually stay for lunch and had also plan to go to another church for an ordination service). Apparently, he could tell by my body language that I probably wouldn't make it through the rest of the day.

We arrived home at about 3:00 pm and since I felt the first contraction, they were coming every 5-7 mins and they were about 30-45 seconds apart. I hopped right into bed and went to sleep. Well, whatever sleep I could get in between these contractions.  Surprisingly, I fell into a deep sleep in between the contractions.  This was probably possible because I felt like I was in "heaven" after enduring each contractions that I just dozed right off after they were over.  Besides, the contractions took so much energy out of me, that I felt extremely relaxed afterwards. As I "slept", my husband cleaned, packed his bag and ran out to the store for some necessary supplies. He even came into our room and took a 2 hr nap.  In between contractions and naps, I tried keeping up with the text messages I was receiving from those people who were at church with us and knew what was going on.


At about 9 pm, I could tell that my husband was ready to go to the hospital. He was sooo excited! Me, on the other hand was starting to get nervous and I started to stall. I wanted to shower before we left, but it took me forever to get into the shower. I had been experiencing these contractions since 1:30 in the afternoon and the pain from the contractions were starting to get to me, but I was nervous about giving birth.  I was also worried that they would send me back home (as I have heard has happened to people).  I really didnt want to be sent back home to deal with this pain on my own (without medication, that is).  During some of my contractions I felt nauseous, but during one of the nauseous contractions shortly before we went to the hospital actually induced vomit (not fun!). Hubby had been trying to get me to eat all afternoon/evening, but I had NO appetite so whatever I threw up was from what I ate in the morning. 

I finally ate, showered and at 10 pm we headed to the hospital.  When we arrived, they asked their 50 million questions and then asked me to change into the hospital gown.  The nurse checked me and said I was 3-4 cm dilated.  She said they would monitor me for the next hour to see whether or not they will admit me. Im like "What?!" However, she came back within like 30 minutes and said they were going to take me to a room based on my dilation.  My mom had arrived by this time.  As they were about to lead me to my room, I experienced another nauseous contraction and vomited (the food my husband so desperately wanted me to eat).

Once settled in my room, the nurse came with lots of papers for me to sign and also asked me if I wanted an epidural.  She explained to me that there was another pain medication that they offered, but they couldn't give  it to me because Ezaias was reactive. Basically, he was probably sleeping or already sleepy and the medication would make him even more sleepy and that's not ideal for a delivery.  Nonetheless, they could give me the epidural with no issue.  I said YES to the epidural right away.  After enduring the contractions for 9 hours (by this time it was 10:45 pm) I was DONE with them.  I had to finish a bag of the IV fluid before they could call the anesthesiologist, but by 11:30 pm I had my epidural and once again, I was in HEAVEN! Lol.  Getting the epidural really wasnt horrible at all. I felt a pinch and burn that lasted about 10 seconds and that was it. The anesthesiologist kept saying "You may feel pressure now", but I didnt feel any pressure.  At this time, I was able to catch up with all my texts and tweets.

As the hours went by, I continued to dilate pretty quickly.  The nurse kept coming in to check on me because Ezaias' heartbeat kept dropping. So, she kept repositioning me and this seemed to help. Hubby and I didnt sleep at all.  He was too excited/anxious and I just wasnt tired (although I was exhausted when I arrived at the hospital).  At about 5 am, I was 9 cm dilated, but my water didn't break.  Two different nurses tried to break it, but they had no success.  They finally called the doctor in who used some tool to break it.  The nurse soon told me that she'd be back shortly and that we were going to push. Like ahhh what?! Really?! It's that time already?!!

It came time to push and this where I experienced some challenges.  They wanted me to push and since I was numb (due to the epidural), I had no idea if I was pushing correctly or at all! I tried as best as I could, but still didn't know if I was progressing. The nurses, my hubby and mom kept reassuring me that I was doing well and informing me when they could see the head. Towards the end, I heard the doctor snipping and I'm sure he was giving me an episiotomy (I couldn't feel  it though) and I did one last push and at 6:18 am - Ezaias made his appearance! He was slinky, slimy, skinny, discolored and quiet. Best of all he was OURS!!! And finally here!!

They took him away to clean and suction him and then he finally cried! What a relief :) They then handed me the most precious thing! He was sooo tiny - 5 lbs, 8 oz - but he was PERFECT!

Here are a few pictures he took before we left the hospital (by the way, he looks NOTHING like this now!! LOL):

I didnt include every single detail (so as not to bore you too much lol), but overall, my labor and delivery went smoothly.  It went much better than I expected and there is a very great chance that my husband and I will do this again in the future!!! :) 

What do you remember about your delivery? What do you fear about your upcoming delivery? What concerns did/do you have?

Ezaias Ahmad Green

My sweet, precious, amazing baby boy was born on Sunday, February 27th @ 6:18 am. So many pics have been taken and posted all over the place... But i just wanted to share this one with you until I get home!! ;-)

Maternity Leave, Maternity Pictures & More

Hello Everyone!!! I know, I know. I ve been slacking - on blogging, that is! In other areas of my life I have been soooo busy. I have a few free moments tonight (while Lil. Eazy's clothes are washing), so I just wanted to drop in and say hello!! :) 

Maternity Leave

Today, I am 37 weeks pregnant (yay for full term) and I am feeling pretty tired, especially after a long day of work and then making a stop afterwards. I guess its better than yesterday when I stayed at work until 9:30! I had sooo much to do. I am training a temp and also have other tasks to complete before I leave. In my Maternity Leave? post I discussed that I would be having a talk with my boss about my leave... AND the time has come.  My last day is Friday! Imagine the anxiety!! But I am confident that everything will be fine. Until the baby arrives (while I am at home), I will be logging in periodically to route emails to the correct place and just to make sure that my temp is ok. My plan is to return to work on July 5th (I will keep you posted on that). 

People keep asking me what I'm going to do on my leave.  Some people think that I will be extremely bored. However, I have PLENTY to do. I still haven't selected Lil Eazy's pediatrician and I still need to research daycares. That will keep me plenty busy! Plus, we're still working on the nursery.

Maternity Pics

In the very beginning of the year, hubby and I took some maternity pics. I was a little iffy about taking them, but I am soo glad we did! Let me know what you think! 

What did you do while you were on maternity leave? Do you have any advice for me in regards to pediatrician's and daycares? Do you love our pics?? hehe Looking forward to hearing from you!!

Maternity Leave??

 In the beginning of my pregnancy, my boss and I briefly spoke about my maternity leave.  The conversation originally came up because I was so sick in the beginning of my pregnancy - I was coming in late and missing days.  I felt so bad, I started thinking that I should start using my FMLA early.  I just didn't want to seem as if I was taking advantage. However, my boss assured me that he understood what was going on and just asked me to stay in communication with him.  Luckily, I was able to do some work from home so that's what I did on some days.


Now, my due date is about 10 weeks away, so I need to discuss with my boss my plans for my maternity leave.  Him and I are scheduled to meet tomorrow morning to discuss it.  Many people have asked me about my company's maternity leave policy. Hm..... we dont have one.  The only thing that we have is FML (family and medical leave), in which I am entitled to 12 weeks unpaid. The United States nor Florida mandates anything else as far as maternity leave is concerned.

Hmm... seems like I may be living in the wrong country! LOL :) However,hubby and I have been saving up so we are able to cover bills and such while I am out.  I would really like to stay home for about a year or so, but that is hardly realistic. 

And I would really like to keep my job so I wont want to make any outrageous requests tomorrow. LOL :/


I know for sure my boss is planning to hire a temp, so I just need to let him know how long I plan to be out.  To prepare, I have been making lists/plans for my temp to follow. Each day, I add things to the list so that when the temp comes in, training will be smooth and he/she will be ok once I leave.  In addition, I dont plan to be completely disconnected from work. I will be totally accessible to the temp so that he/she can contact me in case he/she has any questions. I will also be logging in to check work emails so that I am not completely out of the loop.


 I still don't know exactly how long I will be out. I plan to begin my leave on Feb 21st (due date is March 9th) and I am thinking that I will return to work probably in the 1st week of July. So thats a little over four months.

Hubby will also be taking leave.  Of course he wont schedule anything now, but his leave will begin as soon as I go into labor and he will probably take two weeks off in the beginning.

When did you begin your maternity leave? How long were you out? What did they offer at your company? What advice can you give me?

Does Your Baby Keep You Up At Night?

Sooo, I suck @ constantly updating my blog, but I wont beat myself up for it! LOL :)

I will be 27 weeks pregnant on Wednesday and I must say that time is really flying. I am so anxious to meet Lil' Eazy, yet I want alot more time! Here are a few more pics:

22 weeks, 6 days

25 weeks, 1 day - Thanksgiving Day

I have been feeling so much better. Nausea and vomitting is definitely a thing of the past! However, I have been having some pelvic pain. I feel it sometimes whenever I get up from a seating or laying position. I also feel it after walking the mall or the airport. It's also pretty prevalent when I change positions at night. I am however grateful for the improvements and new experiences :)

I've had some people tell me that while they were pregnant, their baby's movements/kicks kept them up at night.  I wondered if this would happen to me.  So far, Lil' Eazy hasnt been keeping me up - but I do feel him before I fall asleep and once I wake up. So, I wondered if he slept when mommy slept and woke up when mommy woke up.

But this morning Hubby told me that in the middle of the night he felt Lil' Eazy moving while I was sleeping and snoring (lol, thats another thing - he said I've been snoring quite often since I've been pregnant).  However, I wasnt awake when Hubby and Lil' Eazy were.  Hubby mentioned that he stayed up for a lil while feeling him move. So either the kicks aren't that hard or I have just been sleeping very deeply, or both. It made me smile though that "father and son" had some bonding time in the middle of the night! :)

Does/Did your baby keep you up at night? Did you snore during pregnancy? (LOL)

P.S. I have a few blog drafts that Im working on, so I hope to be updating again soon.