Zoo with my Boo and his crew

did i really just chaperone my oldest son and his classmates on their very first field trip? are you kidding me? i had several mommy moments that day and they all started after i looked at this pic. just wow.we went to the Houston zoo and had a fab time in less than 2.5 hours. that's really all the time you need! no rain, not hot, not cold, just... perfect weather for us and the animals.kindergartener's eat lunch early so that's exactly what we did when we arrived around 10am.after that, it was ON!who everyone usually stops by to see first, right?  haaaaaay, sea otters."what's in there?  just birds?  ugh. can we go see something else now Miss Leah?"good day, Mr. Mandrill.am i the only one that immediately thinks, "omg...3 million people (and counting) have touched those hands, aaaaagh!!!" #germs but what do i know...they may disinfect and wipe them down daily. *shrugs*that's a big cat.we seriously walked up at THE perfect time.  we got the best view of some of the zoo staff giving the lions a snack they referred to as "lion ice cream"!  it was actually goats milk mixed with water and they administer it to the lions through a spray bottle.  they loooooove it.chillin' cheetahs.then we saw...the bears,the ducks,the highly requested giraffes,zebras,rhinos, and we finally made our way to see the silver back gorillas in their semi-new exhibit!  i made some cool IG stories but forgot to save them, SMH! last thing before heading back to the front gates to meet up with the rest of the class!beautiful. God's creation!that's a wrap! we'll be back for spring break with Dego & Kosi since i was unable to bring them!

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12 moves to lift your booty & spirits

busy mama @ home booty workout!  pin away!

         wanna see something incredible?  just go outside! tv off, iPad and phones down (except to take a pic or it didn't happen, haha)

whether you get in a 6 minute or a 60 minute workout a day, they're both better than a 0 minute workout! #AmIRight!?  squeeze this puppy in when you can and follow it up with a walk outside if the weather permits.

see the clip here via Instagram; the entire workout is below.

get on the floor and do 12 reps on each leg and make sure you actually SQUEEZE your glute(s) for every single rep.

nah, GO!

1. ^donkey kicks (push through your heel...not toes)

2. ^straight leg hamstring curls (foot is flexed)

3. ^stiff leg lifts (point your toe)

4. ^heel up and overs

5. ^clam shells (lying on your side, feet always touching)

6. ^inner thigh lifts (laying on your side)

7. ^front leg kicks (laying on your side)

8. ^super womans (also great for lower back)

glute bridge variations:

9. ^both feet down

10. ^L leg cross, R leg cross,

11. ^L leg straight up, R leg straight up)

you did eeeeet! now go feed and love on that baby!

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5 Postpartum Nuggets

even though this was my 3rd time giving birth, i left the hospital with a few share-worthy gems from the amazing, seasoned L & D nurses who assisted us during our stay.  WHAT a job.  i am impressed and inspired by the L & D nurses every single time i see them in action!  i can imagine that there is no typical day in their world; every shift brings a new adventure. 

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as i sat up in bed to prepare to receive my epidural, i felt another contraction coming on.  i distinctly remember my nurse instructing me to just hold her hands and breathe until it passed.  well i squeezed the crap out of her hands!!!  it was the last contraction i remember enduring before the meds kicked in and i appreciated her so much for sacrificingherbody helping me through it.  whether you are a 1st time mom or pro, i hope these nuggets of info help you out too:

the more the..not so merrier :(

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the more kids you have, the more intense your uterine contractions will be while nursing. HELLO!  oh my word.  i knew to expect them as i nursed Kosi in our postpartum hospital room but whoa.  hearing one of my nurses say this confirmed that i was notcrazy.  after about a week or so, thankfully the contractions went away completely though. 

but first,

we know that as baby sucks away (especially in the first 2-3 weeks after giving birth), it aids your uterus in returning back to its normal size and position. however, if you have a full bladder before baby starts going to town, it could cause your uterus to shift and unnaturally settle to the right or left of its original position as it contracts (because your bladder is obstructing its path).  this could potentially be a problem if you plan to have more children (e.g. tilted uterus).

fiber up

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most likely you are given stool softeners during your stay at the hospital post-birth. it is extremely important to keep that going once you get home. extremely.  chug plenty of water as hydration helps to keep things moving along too. upping the fiber in your diet while in the hospital (have/add in some dark, leafy greens with every meal) and once home is crucial to keeping your digestive system running as smooth as possible as your body heals. the less processed your diet, the better.  prunes are one of my go-to natural laxatives (thx, Dad!) and a handful of them per day is golden.  although i did not tear 'down there' this round, i did have some pretty disrespectful hemorrhoids.  #whatisTMI

ouch! #thatstings

when you get back home and take that first amazing, uplifting, incredible shower (they really do make you feel THAT good), don't forget to use scent-free, alcohol-free body wash.  keep that going until you heal completely.  i cracked open one of the Johnson & Johnson baby shower gel's Kosi received for a shower gift; it was perfect and didn't irritate my lady parts.  very important! if you did tear or received stitches, a soothing sitz bath helps you heal and keeps things from getting stiff down there.

one less thing to worry about

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HAIR.  so as most of you know my hair is 100% natural now and i'm loving the versatility that comes with it!  this is the healthiest my hair has ever been and i have not one regret about my decision to finally let go of the creamy crack.  micro braids are normally my protective style of choice, but i'm loving faux locs and i'm rocking them for a second time thanks to my girl, Ogechi!  i cannot stress enough the convenience a cute, protective style is for the 3rd tri and postpartum stages.  focus on everything else; surviving those last uncomfy weeks or months of pregnancy, your new babe once he/she arrives, and should you have a visitor or three at the hospital or home, you'll be (somewhat lol) picture ready already! now all i need to do is just get some microblading done and i'll really be set, haha

if you found this helpful, let me know below and please share!

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Bodyweight Postpartum Newborn Home Workout

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y'all, we have a lil' girl!!!  i'm still not big on pink though and plan to keep the yellow/gray/white color combo going for Kosi's nursery.  speaking of yellow, thanks to my girl Dami for hooking us up with this beautiful Solly Baby Wrap!

  as parents know, newborns change daily.  that's exactly why i'm soaking up these precious moments with each of my babies cause time just continues to fly on by.  things won't always be this way.  people still ask me if i'll return to the IT field (lol) and i still don't know!  God knows i'm right where i desire and need to be right now, though, that's for sure.

only perform this workout if you have been cleared to do so by your doc, mamas!  as of this past friday, Dec. 16th,  i was given the green light to lift again.  however, i'll be on lock down/house arrest for a while cause of breastfeeding (i don't lug my pump around with me if i don't have to) and Kosi can't join me at the gym until she is 3 months old.  soooo, home workouts, GO!  i'll be filming the entire workout soon and posting to my YT channel, but here's a collage/snippet of our very first one together (even though she slept the entire time ;) ).

1st combo: 3 x's through

sumo squats (turn feet and knees out to side) - 25 reps

fast arm circles forward + calve raises - 1 min

knee ups + overhead press  - 1 min

2nd combo: 3x's through

side step squats (R & L) - 12 reps on each side, 24 total

good mornings - 20 reps

outside foot taps (engage your obliques) - 25 reps on ea side

wall pushups - 12 reps

3rd combo: 3 x's through

chair squat - 25 reps

reverse fast arm circles + calve raises - 1 min

side leg lifts - 15 reps 

runners lunges - 12 on ea side

just one round might be enough for you.  listen very carefully to your body and let it guide you!  don't overwhelm yourself and do too much too soon.  most importantly, enjoy this time with your new little one!  

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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Turkey Day Baby... GIRL!

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yep, we're the Egwuatus, the crazy family who revealed the gender of our 3rd baby via Facebook live.  this was originally Sonny's idea and even though i initially agreed when he presented it to me, i took it back a couple of days later!  there are so many "what ifs" surrounding labor and delivery and live video made me a bit anxious... but i eventually agreed though and we want to thank everyone who was able to tune in and share these special moments with us!!  in case you didn't catch the vids from FB (from Sonny's account), here are a billion pics and the actual gender reveal video which made for a very, very special Thanksgiving 2016.

 you know what they say... if you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans. my due date was 11/27, but i literally had stuff on my calendar up until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and beyond.  i was determined to get it all done.

Tuesday 11/22

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tuesday night, my boys teamed up and gave me a muuuuch needed foot massage. i had been cramping here and there that day while training my prenatal fitness girls and running errands.  they continued throughout the early morning on Wednesday and weren't painful at all, just noticeable and random with no particular pattern.  every time i got up to tinkle throughout the night, i felt them.  i went ahead and got up around 7ish because i couldn't go back to sleep.  my 39th week (and hopefully final) checkup appointment was happening later that afternoon, and i needed to get my Thanksgiving cooking done. #priorities LOL

Wednesday 11/23

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two dump cakes and a gigantic pan of cornbread dressing!  this dressing recipe comes from my mom; it's not officially Thanksgiving until i smell it.Cheezer was out for Thanksgiving break so he excitedly came along with Dego and i to my appointment.  

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#CaptainObvious TIP: always bring snacks. always. i don't know what the heck i was thinking because i didn't bring nearly enough :-| ! they swallowed those graham crackers before my doc even came in and everything in that room became apart of their playground!!my OB checked me again for dilation and stated "1.5 cms!" as she snapped off her latex gloves.  i was thinking, "dang, that's it? ah well, anything can happen." she said i might see some blood using the restroom later, and she was spot on.  as i expected, my discomfort level increased post-appointment and those light cramps returned immediately.  i went ahead and canceled my trainings for the day because i wanted to be close to home should my contractions rev up. took my last preggo selfie when we got back home!  39 weeks and 3 days.  my mucus plug had been disintegrating for several days and this time the gloopy, clear discharge on the toilet paper was light pink instead. this was all too familiar!  i told Sonny that things were getting weird and that we should seriously finish packing and actually load up the truck.  he said alright, so we cleaned up the house a little in the process so it wouldn't be a complete wreck once we returned, lol.  

Thursday 11/24 

around 10:30 pm, the contractions became slightly painful yet manageable, and the wave would hit every 10 minutes or so. wherever i was in the house,  i would yell, "Contraction!" out to Sonny and he would hit the lap button on his phone's running timer.  from then until about 2:15am, i labored at home until we hit the 'every 5 minutes' mark.  through every painful contraction i did either one of the following: pace around the house while inhaling & exhaling deeply until the wave passed, circle/roll my hips on my yoga ball,  and i even drew and sat in a warm bath for a good while which helped big time.  i have been taking warm baths the entire pregnancy, so it was a familiar, soothing, relaxing place for me. heck, that experience even made me strongly consider a water birth next time! (wait, next time!?) i made sure to use the restroom constantly to keep my bladder empty.  just like menstrual cramps, having anything in my bladder magnifies the pain. 

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while in the bathtub, i had one of the strongest contractions yet.  i told myself that immediately after the wave finished we were heading to the hospital.  this is it. it's go time.  Sonny put our sleeping boys in the truck one by one and waited for me to come get in.  another contraction hit as i was about to get in the passenger seat, so i got back out and walked down to the end of the drive way breathing deeply as the contraction peaked and finally passed. i had about 3-4 contractions on the way to the hospital; Sonny drove to the L&D entrance and i hopped out and went right up to the 3rd floor solo.  after checking into triage around 2:40am, i changed into a hospital gown and laid down on the triage bed.  the triage nurse checked my progress and said, "you're at a 5." what? whoa!  i was excited to be halfway there in my mind but definitely couldn't show it on my face.  she then called the front desk to confirm i was indeed staying and prepared a wheelchair for me. i hopped in and had another contraction as she wheeled me right past Sonny and the boys sitting in the waiting room! Chiso had fallen back to sleep, but Dego was wide awake and the sight of me passing and not stopping upset him to tears. we arrived to the room, i quickly climbed into bed, and my nurse hooked me up to machines to the left and right of me.  the boys snacked on the graham crackers i packed while i contracted like crazy and waited for my epidural.  by this time i was 7 cms dilated.epi is IN. ice chips and smiles. i don't know how much time passed before my epi came...of course it felt like an eternity!  i'd estimate 30-45 minutes or so, though.  everyone had to leave the room except my nurse and the doc administering the epi once he arrived.  in less than 5 minutes or so, the pain disappeared completely.

so... my doctor would not be on-call until 7am that morning to deliver baby Kosi *insert sad face*.  Sonny and i were both OK with that though and figured we'd just hang out and wait.  no big deal.  the epi was kicking so it was all good on my end!

at about 4:45am, my nurse checked me again, pulled back hastily and said, "wow, you're at 10, hun, we gotta go."  they immediately contacted the on-call Dr. and he was on his way.

i motioned for Sonny to come to my bedside.  we quickly chatted and agreed that it didn't matter who delivered Kosi, but that he/we would make sure i had ample time to push while avoiding an episiotomy if at all possible.  we knew God was with us and we kept moving forward.

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alright, time to puuuuuuuuush!1.5 pushes later at 5:10am, Kosi made her presence well known! she was yelling at the top of her lungs; my dad said he heard her clearly from the waiting area. "oh wow, Sonny, it's a girl!! mom! it's a girl!!" i remember crying and saying that over and over again in disbelief.  this was after i lifted her leg for confirmation though, LOL!  Chiso & Dego were quiet when they entered the world, but not this lil' lady.  check out the FB live vid here:

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she's finally here, Chiso!  he wanted and prayed for a little sis so bad. my team. thank God for my team. Sonny has held one leg and my mom has held the other for all three pregnancies.mimicking her face :D 

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yeah, i didn't move for a good while!  she was all cleaned up and ready to eat.Kosi's very first nursing session... i can't even begin to explain how special and intimate skin to skin contact is for mama & baby.

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uncle Thew arrived shortly after his very first niece did.my immediate family took the early morning shift, haha.Grannie got her girl :) even though i convinced myself early on that i was having a 3rd boy, my mom never stopped referring to Kosi as 'she' and 'her'. since walking the 5k Turkey Trot was now out of the question for me, Sonny headed over to the Galleria with Chiso so that he could run the kid's 1k!  his uncle made sure he was straight for the ladies first ;)after only 3 hours of sleep, he was ready to ROCK it!!!about to have pancakes with Papa at the VIP pre-race breakfast sponsored by IHOP. maaaaan i was looking forward to those pancakes. on the starting line...wide awake now! way to GO, Chiso!! a shiny, finisher medal and a new little sister in the same day. so much to be thankful for.gobble, gobble, you turkeys!

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Sonny took Chiso to be with Dego and my parents, then headed back to the hospital. my ashiness was clearly the last thing on my mind! food was definitely at the top of my priority list though; i ordered breakfast as soon as they moved us over to the postpartum wing.taking it all in and thanking God for answered prayers.  i definitely prayed for a quick delivery and everything really did happen crazy fast.  i was prepared to rest a little since we had been up all night, but that's not how things work, haha!  someone came in every 3 minutes to either check on me, check on Kosi, run a test, deliver food, or give us some info or an update.  not complaining one bit; i appreciate the entire experience and protocols, the heaven-sent nurses and hospital staff, and expected / welcomed the knocks.  i knew the drill. 

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1st usie! i wouldn't be me if i didn't desire and attempt to reply to every single Instagram comment we received under this picture...man.  we are so appreciative of your LOVE.  thank you to each and every person who took the time to send us a social media message, comment, and DM.this was a great sign.  my appetite had been flaky since the 2nd trimester (as far as how much i could eat).  after just a few bites of something i was basically done.  if i went any further, i'd often feel physically sick.  haaaaated that feeling!  healthy smoothies were a big part of my 3rd trimester because of it.no crumb left behind!  i ate every single thing they brought me on those trays! food finally tasted like food again, just that quick.

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 i needed every last one of those calories to prepare my body for nursing and get my milk going.more family came to visit that evening and brought us Thanksgiving food!!! are they related or what? love this brother & sister pic of Sonny & Michelle and her daughter Camille.Kosi is Nwachi's (my sweet Mother-In-Love) 4th grand girl! Papa got his girl!  i pray these two form a loving bond that lasts all the days of their lives. 

Friday 11/25

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day 2 view!waiting on my breakfast and watching Food Network.  the boys get dibs on the TV at home all the time so i took advantage and watched something i enjoy for a change!  i could watch Pioneer Woman aaaaall day. #SorryNotSorry, Sonny.  she's Chiso's twin, who is also my twin, which means Kosi looks just like me!  maybe next round, fam.later that afternoon we ventured out and walked a few laps around our hospital floor.   meanwhile, Dego and Chiso were having THE time of their lives playing with rocks and eating pancakes at Grannie & Grampa's house!we missed them SO much and could not wait to meet them at home with Kosi the next day.

Saturday 11/26

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having my usual breakfast and preparing for home.free!    homeward bound by the grace of God.we're hooooome! Chiso picked this wild flower for me while outside at my parents house and could not wait to hand deliver it.  it's the little things that get you, right?my brother and sis-n-love spent Thanksgiving in Arkansas but came over to see their new niece as soon as they got back into town.  give Kosi some time, Natalie, she'll be keeping up with you before we know it.

life as a family of five awaits. here we go!

thank you sincerely for reading!!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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