Hi All! Just popping in quick to say hello today. We're pretty much back to our "new normal" routine.  My parents came to visit for about 3 weeks and left to go home yesterday. We were BEYOND appreciative for their help. It was nice to have extra hands to keep Connor occupied during my last week of pregnancy and when we initially brought Declan home. My parents live in New Jersey and we are so fortunate to be able to see them often but they aren't exactly around the corner so it was awesome to get to see them have such quality time with their grandson's. We actually call their visits Nana and Pop-pops bootcamp since it seems like Connor's skills EXPLODE every time they are around. It's funny actually...you'd think I never read to my kid or had enriching interactions...I recently messaged a friend who is a peds SLP since I felt like I needed to check in on Connor's speech-language development. Yes, he's only 18 months but in my paranoia I just felt like he wasn't quite doing a few things I expected. Anyway, a mere week later, Nana gets here and now he's saying "cookie", "baby", "moo", and some other "half words" for foods, drinks, etc. Little show-off. Needless to say, I'm relieved and it's so fun to hear his little voice express himself.

Andrew is back to work and will go on paternity leave for two months starting in June. We will be sending Connor to the sitter a couple of times per week as well. A while back, I wrote a post regarding my desire to have more flexibility in my work/home life. The way I wrote about sitters and daycare came across as if I thought this was a terrible idea. I wanted to clarify that this isn't the case at all. I don't think for an instant that myself, or others, are trying to have someone else raise their kids. That was more of a tongue in cheek way of expressing my personal feeling about wanting to be more involved. On the contrary, we love our sitter and refer to her and her husband almost as Connor third set of grandparents. They care for other kiddos as well and Connor has several little friends. It's such a positive experience for him and we couldn't have survived the last 18 months without them. I'm just happy to have the flexibility to have some extra time in my schedule to spend a full day here and there myself with the kids. A luxury for sure...and probably not something I'll do long term for years on end, but for now, it's working.

Anyway, just settling in with Declan and getting a little one on one time with our new addition. It's actually nice to have it just be he and I for a little while. I can sort of get the house in order, get used to his wants/needs and get us on a bit of a schedule. In a few short weeks I'll return to teaching my classes at the gym and then by June I'll start picking up per diem hours. I'll also be focusing on some health coaching on the side through Beach Body and I've been toying with the idea of revisiting my Stella & Dot business. I get interest in Trunk Shows here and there and typically turn them down since I just didn't have an extra ounce of time...but now my schedule may allow me to fulfill those Trunk Show requests so if you've been interested let me know and we'll see what we can do!

Before I sign off for the day, I wanted to share that I'm excited to announce that I've been accepted as an ambassador for FitFluential and SweatPink!

It's an honor to join these communities. As I discussed in a previous post regarding my ambassadorship with Girls Gone Sporty, being a member of these groups allows me to help further the discussion and mission of a health and fitness based lifestyle. I love being able to contribute to positive discussions and hopefully be a source of info and motivation for your own health journey. These groups are also a gateway to possible brand partnerships etc. I am looking forward to opportunities to partner with brands to spread the word and mission of a healthy lifestyle and bring readers info on services, products, and communities to enhance your lifestyle and journey. If you're on social media (who isn't) be sure to seek out hashtags like #fitfluential and #sweatpink to become part of the discussion and see what's going on around these communities! Also, visit each link above to link over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media channels to follow!

On Becoming a Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador

Happy Monday morning! Hope you had a relaxing weekend. Ours went fast and was filled with errands and random chores. T-minus 4-ish weeks until Declan makes his appearance so we're just trying to fit in as much time as we can as a family of 3 and mentally prepare for our new love bug.

Anyway, I wanted to share some exciting news. I have been accepted as an ambassador with Girls Gone Sporty!

I'm very excited about this ambassadorship opportunity. One of the main reasons I started blogging was to share my passion for health, fitness, and overall wellness with likeminded women (and men!) and hopefully inspire others in the process. Blogging and social media has proven to be an amazing (obviously) way to connect with a network of people who share this passion. It affords many of us the opportunity to share our expertise and personal experience with a huge network of individuals and hopefully change some lives in the process.

While I'm passionate about breaking down barriers between the men vs. women debate in fitness and sports, I also feel like there is still a huge opportunity to empower women with knowledge, skills, and community to bust misconceptions about women's participation in sports or how they approach fitness. I also think it remains very relevant to use discussions regarding health and fitness to promote positive body image and self esteem issues in women. For the record, men aren't exempt. As a mother of (soon to be two) boys, I plan on setting the same type of example for them as I would hope to set for daughters. Positive body image, the importance of living a healthy active lifestyle, challenging yourself physically and mentally, and respecting others for their capabilities and differences both physically and mentally.

I'm excited to become an ambassador with Girls Gone Sporty since this affords me an amazing opportunity to network with other bloggers and individuals who embrace these values. The ability to contribute to this conversation is so energizing to me. I'm not only excited to share but to learn.

Here's a little more about the mission of Girls Gone Sporty:

"Girls Gone Sporty is an online editorial magazine and a social community for women dedicated to living and leading sporty lives. In addition to providing cutting-edge content, we’re committed to creating a support system for women who are striving to be their best selves."

"What is the “sporty life”? It’s more than just fitness and nutrition; it’s an attitude that’s focused on embracing fun and adventure. The sporty woman says, “I can do anything I put my mind to, I just need the resources to do it.” That’s where GirlsGoneSporty comes in. Owned and operated by Laura Williams, a self-proclaimed "sporty girl" and her husband Lance Williams (an equally sporty guy), GirlsGoneSporty is dedicated to sharing the top products, trends and ideas for advancing the fit and adventurous lifestyle."

I'd love to invite you over to visit the Girls Gone Sporty website and follow the GGS social media channels:

Girls Gone Sporty Facebook

Girls Gone Sporty Twitter

Girls Gone Sporty Instagram

Girls Gone Sporty YouTube

Girls Gone Sporty Pinterest

You'll discover great blogs and have loads of resources for workouts, recipes, and new fitness experiences. Become part of the conversation and keep checking back here at The First Rep to follow along with me as I navigate a healthy lifestyle. Please give me a follow on my other social media channels found above to stay in the conversation. I'd love to connect with you!