And they say, "There's no such thing as a miracle.."

I like to think there is something close to a miracle when finding a way to get back into pre-pregnancy clothing.  And well gosh darn it, I think I found that "something close".

Have you eve heard of stomach binding?  Well, most cultures (with the exception of ours) bind women's stomachs postpartum.  Look it up.  Google it.  Wiki.  Whatever.  It's true. I hadn't heard about it until I started researching "how to get your body back after baby".  Yes, I know diet and exercise work.  But you're not supposed to diet while breastfeeding and you can't technically exercise until you get the 6 week "OK" from your OB.  So the baby weight kind of sticks around for most women for a while.  Especially if you gained more than the recommended amount of 25-35 lbs for average weight women, 28-40 lbs for underweight women and 15-25 lbs for women who are overweight.  (source: webmed.com)  This being my 3rd baby and me not gaining too much in my previous pregnancies, I assumed this one would be the same.  WRONG-O!  I gained exactly 40 (my starting weight was 123 lbs) and I birthed an 8 lb 11 oz man child.  My other two weighed in at 7.14 lbs and 7.9 lbs.  Ok, back to the "miracle" product.

So as I researched products made for postpartum recovery, I came across the Belly Bandit.  It had rave reviews from celebrities on their website and by the women who work in a local mom/baby boutique in town called BC.  For $69.95 I was not expecting the world but I did have to buy 2 sizes.  So maybe I was expecting nothing short of a miracle.  So the question.  Did it have the desired results?  YES!  I wore it day and night for 6 weeks, only taking it off to wash the BB and also to shower.  It offered support for my back which was majorly needed since ab muscles are non-existent post-baby. The BB website recommends you wear the BB for 6-8 weeks and say that you might need to purchase more than one size during that time.  They have 5 different "models" of the BB.  I purchase the Bamboo one, mostly because that's all BC carried.   Here's a picture of the product:

(source: bellybandit.com)

And here are pics of my results:

This picture was taken after six days of wearing it.  

This one was taken June 13.  I had been wearing the Belly Bandit for a month.  

Now, I don't know what my weight is currently (I don't own a scale) but my stomach has significantly shrunk back.  I'll still need to rebuild my ab muscles and lose the flab of skin that appears when I sit down (you know the one.  it hangs over your pants).  I haven't dieted for the reason stated above but I have had to cut out dairy products and chocolate because it makes baby T super fussy.  I have only exercised once and that was right after the 4 weeks picture was taken.  

So my results may be unusual but check out their website and see the testimonials of other women.  I am truly grateful I found this product.  It saved me from having to purchase a completely new wardrobe (which would have been fun but upsetting since I LOVE my current wardrobe and have spent too much $$ on it.) and the BB also offered support for my back during those early days of postpartum recovery.  So, for $150, the Belly Bandit was money well spent.  I'm now waiting for my MotherTucker Nursing Tanks to come in 

so I can have continued support post-baby and the confidence to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.  Thanks, Belly Bandit for making a FABULOUS product.

(don't mind the hole in the wall..)

xo,

June

(Disclaimer: I was not paid or given any compensation for my use and review of the BellyBandit)

Grateful

I thought I'd take a quick moment to blog.  Baby T is growing like a weed and currently going through a growth spurt.  But I'm not here to blog about growth spurts..

There's this girl I knew whose husband served a mission for my church in the same mission as Dr J and she recently just had her 8th baby.  They lived in our WTx town for a while but then moved to Oregon and they are soon moving to Syracuse, NY.  She has had very difficult pregnancies and this last one, Jen was pregnant with twins and one of the babies died during the pregnancy.  Here's the link to her blog: Moss Moments.   As I read through her blog today, my heart ached for her.  I felt truly grateful and blessed to have easy pregnancies and healthy babies.  I know that no one has an easy life and we are given challenges in this life that sometimes seem impossible to bear.  I'm grateful for my family, friends and my faith that have helped and sustained me in dark times.  I am grateful to know that they are there for the trials that will come in my life.

I am grateful for this sweet baby and his first smiles.

Today, I am grateful.  

Happy Birthday Trixie!

Oh gosh, there is so much I want to say about my friend Trixie. I'll start with I'm so glad she was born! She deserves all the happiness in the world. I wish I was eating Georgetown Cupcakes with her right now. So Trixie, this is me, missing you, and hoping you know how dear you are to me.

Go big or go home

Thats's what we say in Texas, y'all.

I done had my baby.  Baby T was born May 11 at 10:41 am.  He was 8lbs 11oz and 21 in long. And if you have seen me, you know that 8.11 is a big A baby for me.   He was a good pound bigger than both his brother and sister.  T is the sweetest baby and I am surviving life as a mother of 3.

3 is hard, y'all.  It is rough some days.  But T sleeps well at night so luckily I can sorta function during the day.

I hope all is well with you, dear readers.  i'll try not to be MIA too much.  Jes is busy with work so life has caught up to both of us.  Eventually, someday, we'd like for this blog to be more but this obviously isn't the right season in life.

xo,
june

Spiders are like little pieces of death wrapped in scary

As my friends know, I'm COMPLETELY terrified of spiders. They are the scariest thing ever. If I see one, no matter how small, I scream like there is an intruder in our house about to murder me (First few times it happened, Josh was not amused. A persons response to a murderous intruder in theory is different than to a spider. NOT in my house.)

Was sent this by a friend today who also shares the same irrational fear (I say rational. We might just be irrational in our response to said fear). Its hilarious but TRUE. Enjoy!

The Balance of Power

I have a great co-worker who shares interesting things she reads. That is one thing I love about working - the chance to spend time with people who are at least somewhat interested in the things I'm interested in. This morning, she sent me this article to read: The Balance of Power - By David Rothkopf | Foreign Policy
Basically, the point of the article is this: we make a big deal when women are in positions of power - but does this represent real progress for women? Women make up 20% of governing bodies but are 50% of the population! As the author writes: "Because these figures are so familiar to us, so broadly accepted, we end up celebrating the occasional story of progress or individual success as representing far greater gains than are actually being realized." And because I can't say it any better than the author did, this point is made:

...the underrepresentation of women in positions of power is proof not so much that men still dominate the top of the pyramid as it is of a system of the most egregious, widespread, pernicious, destructive pattern of human rights abuses in the history of civilization. There is no genocide against any people that has produced more victims than the number of females who have lost their lives to discrimination against the birth of girl babies (in Pakistan alone, for instance, there is a culturally encouraged "shortage" of an estimated 6 million females), or who have died from the unwillingness of societies to provide the health care women need, or who die as a result of social customs that allow fathers to kill daughters for "shaming" families, husbands to kill wives for adultery, and men to perpetrate other horrific violence against women. That countless millions of women are also regularly raped, beaten, and abused by men only compounds these atrocities.
The systematic, persistent acceptance of women's second-class status is history's greatest shame. And for all our self-congratulations about how far we have come, we live in a world where even in the most advanced countries, deep injustices against women remain. These injustices, of course, have other costs beyond the purely human ones. Nothing would help societies grow more than educating and empowering women economically. Democracy is a sham until the planet's majority population actually achieves equitable representation in deliberative bodies and executive positions of government. And the absence of women in positions of power is also, of course, a guarantee that women's interests will continue to be minimized, ignored, or repressed.

And on a similar topic

Now onto another topic...

this post is probably more like what Jes would post.  I usually stay more towards the light, fluffy subjects but I've been losing some sleep thinking about this.  Women and the Priesthood.  If you don't already know, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I was born into the religion and by my own choice, have stayed.

There has been a lot of talk of the role of women in the LDS church.  Women gave prayers for the first time earlier this month in the Semi-annual General Conference the church holds.  And the most interesting of all, "Why don't or can't women hold the Priesthood?"  Let's first start with the prayer issue.

I never noticed that women never prayed in GC.  They prayed in church.  Wasn't that enough?  It was never an issue for me.  My friend, Danielle posted on Facebook this:

I had a great laugh with this.  9 minutes early truly is groundbreaking.  But if you know Danielle, she meant this mostly in jest.  But some people responded very seriously stating that it was "very" important to them that a woman prayed in GC.  Ok.  I get it.  it is groundbreaking.  BUT the woman that prayed at the beginning of the Sunday 2nd session was THE longest prayer ever.  I joked with friends saying "that was the reason women never prayed in GC before because they would be long winded."  ha.  

now onto the podcast.  i finished it this afternoon.  i felt bothered by most everything I heard.  i felt upset.  i felt i needed more answers and needed to hear more women's thoughts on holding the priesthood and gender :inequality" that exists in the LDS church.  let this be known:  i have never felt unequal to a man because he holds the priesthood.  i have never felt put into a box by things i was taught in YW about womanhood and the "role" of a woman.  i personally do not want the responsibility put on a holder of the priesthood.   i know the people debating women and the priesthood will say, "that's fine that you don't want the responsibility but we/i do."  to each their own i say.  

so after feeling slightly frustrated by the podcast, i read some more on "the feminist mormon housewife" and found a article someone recommended entitled "Ruby Slippers on her Feet" by V.H. Cassler who taught political science at BYU for 24 years and currently now at texas A&M.  It helped me understand what these women are feeling but not really validating their reasons for leaving the LDS church.  She made points clear regarding why men and women have different roles in this world and the LDS church.  one point she made was this (and I paraphrase):  that men hold the priesthood as a apprentices on the earth of Heavenly Father and women are apprentices to Heavenly Mother.  so why would a woman want to be an apprentice to become a father?  

now I know some of you readers will not agree with my points or some of you have left the the LDS church. I don't mean to upset you or make you feel judged.  I know everyone has their reasons for leaving but I find this particular reason of gender inequality a little strange.  but that's just my humble opinion.  

~june

(here's the link to the podcast i listened to.)