Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
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Baby, fitness, Health, Kids, Motherhood, Sponsored · August 14, 2017

My Story of Diastasis and Postpartum Recovery

Hey mamas! Today I’m hoping on here to tell you about one of the little issues I’ve been dealing with in my postpartum recovery since Evy was born back in March: Diastasis. But first, let me give you a little background on my fitness journey:

Safe to say Josh and I did not set ourselves up for fitness success when I was pregnant with our son. It was my first pregnancy and I had no idea how HUNGRY I would be ALL THE TIME!! I had a hankering for spicy foods and we had a Taco Bell right around the corner. Not good. Not only that, but we both won a free meal at Zaxby’s each week for a year and had also been gifted Pasta Passes at Olive Garden by my mother in law. Delicious? Quite. Healthy? No.

After I had David, I barely recognized myself and was not proud of how I was eating and putting off exercising. Several months later, Josh and I started learning more about how the foods we eat affect our bodies and we decided to really really reduce the amount of sugar we ate along with introducing some other healthy eating habits. I also made working out a few days a week part of my regular routine and by the time we got preggers with baby #2, I was honestly in the best shape of my life! Here’s a picture of me first learning how to power clean (I had just found out I was pregnant with Evy girl about 4 days earlier).

I was super proud of how far I’d come and extremely determined to keep it up during my second pregnancy. Since I had been exercising regularly for a while before we became pregnant and wasn’t necessarily starting anything new, it was relatively easy to keep up the routine, with a few adjustments.

After Evy was born, I was super eager to get back into hitting the gym. I figured that since I had maintained a lot of the same workouts I had done before getting pregnant, that jumping back into them after delivery would be easy.

I was wrong.

Of course, one of my main focuses was trying to get a “flat” tummy. When I would try to do a sit up, I saw a long triangle of flesh pop up down the center of my abdomen where my abs had spread apart. And when I felt the area with my fingers, it felt like there was a hole right through my abdomen! When I would try to perform push-ups, I felt extreme pressure on my pelvic floor and lower back. I had thought that these workouts were only things that I had to avoid when I was pregnant and that as soon as baby was out, I’d be able to pick them back up again.

I had no idea why I was seeing that weird triangle pop up in my abdomen whenever I would try to use my core. When I read up on it, I learned that the issue I was facing was called diastasis.

I was actually really surprised that no one had taught me about diastasis or warned me that this was actually extremely common for postpartum mommies. At first, I thought that all I needed to do to fix the issue was just more core exercises, but I had no idea that I could actually make the issue worse by doing the wrong exercises! I wanted to build my core strength but had to do a lot of searching in order to figure out what exercises my body could handle without injuring myself.

That’s why I’m so excited that Natalie Hodson and Dr. Monique Middlekauff created their program Abs, Core, & Pelvic Floor!

It’s a 30 day program designed by personal trainer Natalie Hodson and Dr. Monique Middlekauff- a specialist in pelvic floor dysfunction, specifically to help women address diastasis recti, pelvic floor issues, and incontinence! While this is perfect for postpartum mamas, any woman who feels like she carries an extra pooch around on her tummy can benefit from the extremely educational program, without even having to leave home.

In the program, Natalie Hodson and Dr. Monique Middlekauff take the time to educate mamas on why and how diastasis happens and how to heal from it. In addition to the printable program, you can also access videos that help you understand the exercises they talk about and how to engage each muscle. SO helpful for me to be able to see it done before I try!

Seriously, if you’re struggling with incontinence, diastasis, or any type of pelvic floor issues, Abs, Core, & Pelvic Floor is a must! You put the work in by carrying your babies, now take the time to educate yourself on how your body has changed and how your workout routine needs to change to accommodate your body.

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Natalie Hodson, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #abscorepelvicfloor  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

In: Baby, fitness, Health, Kids, Motherhood, Sponsored · Tagged: abs, baby, core, delivery, diastasis, exercise, fitness, Health, healthy, incontinence, momlife, motherhood, pelvic floor, postpartum, pregnancy, pregnant, program, recovery, recti, routine, stomach, strength, tummy, tutorial, video, workout

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Comments

  1. Allison says

    August 14, 2017 at 4:36 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing your story. This is something that’s so common for moms, and something that isn’t really talked about a lot. I wish I knew more about this right after I had my son!

  2. Sylvia says

    August 14, 2017 at 6:45 pm

    It’s crazy that we as women are basically sent home to figure it out after we have a child. I don’t remember the doctors ever checking me for diastasis at the hospital or at my 6 week checkup.

  3. Lisa says

    August 15, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    I have never heard of this condition. It is very interesting read. Thanks for the information.

  4. Nicola says

    August 15, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    I read about this condition just the other day and wondered if I might have it…unfortunately I think I just eat too much! It’s definitely something more people should be aware of though.

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??

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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊 The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊

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