My Body Reality 9 Months Post Pregnancy!

Posted in Motherhood by The Snazzy Mom

I love to jog especially when Vir can accompany me in the jogger!

Am I where I was before baby? In some ways yes, in other ways not at all.

If you read my previous post on my post baby weight loss journey, you know I had lost 30 pounds out of the 43 pounds I gained within the first 3 months. To continue with my progress I had set 2 goals for the next 6 months.

1) To get rid of those 13 pounds 2) To gain my fitness and endurance levels back. I believe that 9 months is a fair enough time frame to work on my postpartum body and fitness and that is exactly the time I wanted to bounce back in shape.

To accomplish these 2 goals I started with running because not only was it a great way to get out of home daily and get some fresh air but also because I had set myself up for a CHALLENGE.

The challenge was to participate in a 10k run, 4 months after my delivery! I wasn’t sure if I could complete it, but I was definitely preparing myself to do my best. On 16th Sept 2016, 4 month post my pregnancy, I ran and finished my first 10k race in 1 hour and 19 minutes. Completing this challenge I set for myself gave me a lot of confidence and appreciation towards my body.

Post race, I figured out I was ready to take my endurance levels up a notch. So I started doing more strength training routines for some muscle definition and toning. Daily cardio sessions felt great but when it came to strength training at the gym, I wasn’t feeling so good or enjoying it. After a month I stepped back and returned back to jogging.

I started to fit in my regular jeans after 6 months post partum. I was so glad to ditch those maternity jeans! Although, I still have a few inches to loose on my thighs. Losing weight on the lower half of my body has been a constant struggle since I was a teenager and it continues to this day. (I often blame it on my genes J )

My stomach was smushy after giving birth and still is. I have ways to go to get my lower stomach back in shape, and that’s OK. Despite using stretch oils and cream rigorously I still have stretch marks. They have faded but will probably be there, and I am proud to have them as I was blessed to carry and deliver a healthy baby.

So far I have lost a total of 39 pounds in 9 months. Still 4 pounds shy from my pre pregnancy weight. Honestly, I have stopped looking at the scale now. I am trying to maintain my weight while exercising and enjoying my treats on regular basis. I can’t diet and restrict myself of certain food groups as I don’t want to live like that. I like food (and chocolate) too much.

As far as my boobs are concerned, they are not normal yet. They are neither perky nor saggy, just somewhere in between. I am still breast feeding in morning and nights so I think I will have to wait out on this.

Once Vir turned 6 months, maintaining a workout schedule has become a struggle. Between caring for Vir, work demands, home chores, and all the rest there is precious little time life for me to sweat and so workouts are the first to be scratched off the To Do list. Honestly few months back I was struggling to even keep up to my 4 days of staying active. It is hard now to find dedicated alone time as a parent, and I have learned it isn’t always possible to find some.

Yet in January I enrolled myself in Kayla Fitness. The SWEAT app has short 28 minutes of Resistance sets that I do from home as per my convenience. I plan to stick with my 2017 goals of staying active daily and not losing steam. If I don’t find the time or energy to workout, I make sure to walk my dog “Rio” an extra mile. You can catch me on Instagram with my daily updates.

At the end I just want to say we are all aware that our life will never be the same once we have a baby, yet we expect our bodies to be. I could have never imagined that our bodies can do amazing things like – never failing to wake up for the fourth time in the night to feed a hungry baby or to hold an 18 pound baby for a ridiculously long periods of time or to even function the entire day with just an hour of sleep. There are truths of post baby body that I am trying to accept and realistically I still struggle over accepting the body I am in. But I won’t waste my time feeling bad about it. I plan to work towards what I can accomplish with it while not giving up on chocolate!

Watching Vir grow up and experiencing Motherhood is the most beautiful part of my life now. My smushy stomach and stretch marks are just reminders of what I endured for my son to be here.

15Jan2017

Make your Child’s Play Room Magical!

Posted in KIDS by The Snazzy Mom

«—♥ Make your Child’s Play Room Magical! ♥—»

If you are on this post, it means either you have a baby on the way …Congratulations! or you are a parent looking for a whimsical take on parenting. Then let me tell you www.HomeandMe.com is your ticket to a world of unique items handpicked from the best stores around the world, items that you wont find anywhere else in one store.

This online boutique store carries curated baby items that will set you apart from the other parents at the playgroup. They strive to offer goods that will make your baby’s childhood not only happy but full of creativity and imagination, while at the same time giving you and your little one a beautiful backdrop to create fond lifetime of memories.

Most parents will agree that providing their children with a wonderful living space in which they can thrive, learn and play is of paramount importance. I’ve compiled a list of some seriously unique and chic modern décor items for boys and girls that are sourced from the top brands across the world and brought to you by .www.HomeandMe.net an online boutique store owned by best friends Aakriti and Sharon. Their tag line – “Life’s Little Luxuries” emphasizes that beautiful décor shouldn’t be exclusive to adults.

“We want to help create a world for children where they can explore their creativity and imagination. We believe creativity begins at home and as such, children’s surroundings should be a reflection of this” (www.HomeandMe.net)

Use code ” thesnazzymomloves” for 20% discount on the site

Trying to find exactly what you want to complete the nursery or the baby room can be quite the undertaking and a stressful one! Are you looking for a theme, a color scheme, a specific look to go with your home? Then you should check out my favorites from the store for a Boy and Girl .

These are my Top Boy Finds

These lovely items are perfect for any Boy Nursery or Room. I am loving the Teepee , it can be a perfect corner piece in the kids room. The Born to be Rad wall art/quote is by far the cutest I have seen. Click on the below links to shop for my favorite picks from the website.

Born To Be Rad Wall Art

Grey Star Moon Wall Decor

That’s Mine Elephant Shelf

White Cross Wild Fire Teepee

Milk Star Booties

Wild Fire Teepee Storage Bag

Lucky Boy Sunday Cuddle Toy

These are my Girl Finds

Click on the below links to shop

Air Ballon Lamp

Pink Cross Teepee

Love you to the Moon and Back Wall Art

Luck Boy Sunday Baby Bunty Cuddle Toy

Ooh Noo Toy Pram

Elephant Cushion

Fairy Wall Hooks

Cam Cam Rainbow Mobile in Pink

A child’s surroundings can have a huge impact on how they grow and develop, so parents always try to make their children’s living spaces as comfortable and fun as possible within their means. Highly recommend checking out the different shopping categories on www.HomeandMe.com if you are looking for something specific.

Click on the links for going to the exact page on the site.

Furnishing (Lamps, Storage Bags, Rugs, Wall Hooks , Cushions and more..)

These items are great for nurseries, kids room or playroom. They are very trendy and add so much to a room’s decor.

Decor ( Wall Art , Wall Decals , Shelfir Items , Wall Hooks and more..)

Wall art and stickers bring so much life into any room. We love the snazzy wall decals in Vir’s nursery . You can choose between many cute wall decals that suit your style. They are an affordable way to decorate any space. Easy to apply and remove.

Play Time (Play Tents and Cuddle Toys)

I got the OOH NOO memory game for Vir. He loves gazing at the cute pictures of animals made on the wooden cards. The toy is versatile and will last for many years.They have a great range of cuddle toys for both boys and girls that you can’t miss.

Vir loves his new toy!!

Pamper & Care (Shoes and Play Mats, Muslin Cloth coming soon)

I love these adorable Mocs ! Did you see the lovely Little Mambo Black Loubs Fringe Mocs . The best present for a 1 year old 🙂

Don’t forget to check out their colorful Instagram feed of HomeandMe. It is filled with gorgeous room inspirations,toys and gifts ideas. All images are sourced from http://www.homeandme.net

I always love to share my reviews on products and services I have learnt about and experienced for myself. I hope enjoy your shopping experience with HomeandMe. Lots of Love to you and your little ones. XO

Use code ” thesnazzymomloves” for 20% discount on the site

***This Post was sponsored by HomeandMe, as always views and opinions are mine***

5Oct2016

10 Baby Products That Make Motherhood Easier!

Posted in Uncategorized by The Snazzy Mom

Here comes the Baby and so does more stuff then we dreamed of. Before Vir was here, I did a lot of research on the products we needed for the baby. While I was pregnant I turned to my trusted friends who have already been there and done that and also referred to the online resources.

I wanted to make sure we get only the stuff we will use and not go overboard. It’s super easy to get sucked into all of the fancy gear and adorable toys directed towards that newborn stage. Whether it were essentials items for the baby, the nursery or for me as a new mom , I had a spread sheet for everything with several columns and rows listing out all details of the products in my must have list. It is almost like a ritual for me that before I make any purchases, I always go online to check reviews from multiple sources, compare products, and find any deals or discounts and post that check out any order as we hate to make returns. (It’s definitely a time-consuming task).

In the short time since I’ve become a Mom, I’ve learned about so many products that I’ve found to be Life Savers or some that are straight up useless. We are so thankful to our lovely friends and family for gifting us most of the baby gear I registered for my shower. I used Baby List for my registry as everything I wanted was at 1 location. Apart from the baby gear from all different websites and stores, you can also register for a Doula, a diaper service and even homemade meals.

Below I am sharing a list of my most loved Baby products that have made a huge difference in my life recently with little V . Most of these products are not your regular baby registry picks, but products that made Motherhood more effortless for me one step at a time.

1.Silicone Place Mats : I bought this for Vir as I know feeding a baby can be a real messy adventure. These mats are great as they stick easily to most of the surfaces so that they don’t get ripped out and thrown by your little one, plus it’s sized perfectly for fruit and cereal. I like the Ezpz happy mat.

2.Teal Baby Bamboo Sleeping Bag – I would always swaddle up Vir to make him sleep, but I guess some babies just hate being wrapped up. He would always pull his hands out and kick open the swaddle and I would be wrapping him all over again. Thankfully I came across the Teal Bee bamboo sleeping bag for babies made using natural thermal regulation bamboo, working to keep the baby warmer in winter and cool in summer. Vir loves it and sleep so well.

3.ORB Bottle Warmer– If you are a pumping mama and store or freeze the milk, the ORB bottle warmer will save so much hassle. It steam heats bottles and baby food without hotspots and is BPA free. Also its very light and portable to carry while you are travelling. Plus it looks cute and can fit all size bottles.

4.Car seat handle cushion cover – If you don’t have upper arm strength like me, you will have a hard time lifting the car seat with your inner arm. I looked up online to help me with this issue and came across Itzy Ritzy car seat handle cushion cover which has thick foam padding for comfort and universally fits to all types of car seats.

5.Baby Carrier for Mom and Dad: Baby carriers are definitely a staple of life with a new born, as your hands are free and the baby is cozy and secure. For longer trips and especially when baby is 5 months over Baby Bjorn is a great carrier to have. It looks great, is sturdy and has a waist belt for support. Also the babies hand and legs are free. But when I am out with the baby at a park, grocery store or running an errand, I prefer the Baby K’tan . It is made of 100% cotton and has good stretch too. The material is very soft and cozy for an infant and the best part is it is very light and easy to carry in your diaper bag.

Baby K Tan

Baby Bjorn

6.Tote Savvy –Tote Organizer: I don’t feel like carrying my diaper bag everywhere, I miss my cute and light totes. I came across Tote Savvy , it offers the best of both worlds by combining the inner lining of a diaper bag with any handbag. Also it is available in 2 sizes. Its expensive, but it makes sense if you want to be organized and search for your lip stick and car keys in the diaper bag.

7.Skip Hop Bath Kneeler: Trust me it is so much better to kneel on this cushioned surface especially if your knees hurt. I prefer kneeling to sitting while giving Vir a bath in our bath tub. The bath kneeler doesn’t skid and is washable too. I had registered for the Skip Hop Moby Bath set on my baby registry and I love it.

8.Dr Brown’s Bottles – Vir was very gassy for the first few months and I was looking at all possible solutions to reduce his gassiness. Glad to have found the Dr Brown’s bottles they come with a Infant paced Feeding Valve which helps decrease air intake and helps burping with non squeeze method. They are BPA Free too.

9. Baby ear protection ear muff or Baby Headphones– There are some events, concerts, games that you just can’t miss and if you are worried about your child’s hearing, I highly recommend getting noise cancelling earphones or ear muffs. We recently attended a concert with 4 month baby Vir and he slept through the entire concert with his headphones on for 3 hours. These ear muffs/ noise cancelling head phones are your best bet if you have a light sleeper or if your baby is sensitive to noise. I wished I had them while flying to New York for the first time with the baby. These headphones are easy to wear and have foam filling cushions that can fit to every child and are available in different sizes and color options. I am glad they make these. We have the Walker’s ear phones for babies.

10.Squeeze packs of baby food– Vir will be very soon starting solid foods and I am looking forward to make some homemade healthy and nutritious purees. I will like to avoid as much store bought squeeze foods as I can as they are so freaking expensive. I really liked the concept of Foodii Squeeze Snack Filling and Feeding System as they are so convenient, compact, easy and also BPA free. You can bulk them up and store it for mess free meals on the go.

I hope this blog post has helped you find something you need . I will appreciate if you can reply or comment below with your favorite baby products which worked well for you and the baby. .(You can catch us on Instagram )

24Jul2016

Welcome to the world Vir ! My Labor and Delivery story.

Posted in Uncategorized by The Snazzy Mom

Its my 39^th week , I am big, round and hungry and all I want is to indulge in my favorite desert. “Ahh , more aches and pains, I don’t know if these are contractions but I definitely feel uncomfortable” I said to my Mom at the cupcake store, assuming it to be false labor . My mom replied with some concern “Please, let’s go home. There is no need for any cupcake”. “Mummy but this baby needs a cupcake. I can feel it! And If I am going to have him anytime soon, I better not be craving”. Exactly six hours later I find myself in the hospital bed connected to a machine monitoring my contraction frequency & intensity. Deep , my mom and my mother in law , sat beside me with a big smile on their face and a sparkle in their eyes.

My Mom , Mom in Law & Deep

I was 2 centimeters dilated and had the official word that I was in labor. At that moment I was experiencing a riot of emotions …excited, anxious, nervous, overwhelmed, scared. Very similar to how I felt a few years back in Colorado, standing at the threshold of the jump plane, ready to plunge from fifteen thousand feet. “I am so ready to have this baby now” was my first sentence to that nurse and she looked at me smiled and said “Let’s do it Mama”.

Most pregnant women reach out to other mom’s to discuss how pregnancy feels. There are so many questions going through their minds- How much was the weight gain? What were your cravings? When do you feel the baby move? etc etc… However, they are most inquisitive about the “birth experience”, “Was it Natural or a C section?”, “Did it hurt a lot?”, “How exactly does pushing feel?” I too had the same questions and fears, and for the answers I didn’t get, I googled my way through pregnancy and calmed my unsettling nerves.

The image of delivering a baby for me was shaped by the movies and TV soaps… That my water will break and splatter on the floor !! The contractions , the stabbing pain will make it the absolute worst experience! That someone else might be delivering my baby (I read an Uber driver delivered a baby) or that the doctor might have to vacuum the baby if the head is stuck and yes of course, that there will be so much blood that the room will look like a crime scene. Women acting crazy, clawing at everyone within reach, choking their partners…Phew!! So dramatic, so stereotypical (now when I think of it).

Thankfully none of this happened!!!

Yes, my water didn’t break naturally and the contractions felt more like my insides being twisted! And of course, Epidural saved me from the labor pains; although I was shaking with fear of the pain I would feel in my spine (it was not that bad.) Now I knew I won’t be screaming and cursing my head off while pushing; I was spared from that horror. Also Deep’s presence in the labor room kept me safe and supported. (There is something about his calm energy)

However, after being in labor for more than 12 hours and huffing and puffing for almost an hour, the baby wasn’t interested in coming out. I was sweating, shivering, having a bad headache and running a fever too, but, hey I was ready to push again. The doctor said it was a “sunny side up baby” , his body wasn’t turning in the right direction and due to my fever, his heart beat was getting faster.

We had to go for the inevitable C section. A cold fear entered my heart as I was being strapped while I was conscious (made me feel like one of Dexter’s victims from the HBO show). The white light of the operation room was blinding. While the anesthesia was kicking in and helping a lot, I was grateful for that curtain, concealing everything from me. I remember the sensation under my rib cage of someone rolling a heavy pin and I asked my doctor “Is the baby out?”. Deep, and the anesthesiologist kept talking to me as they tried to keep me distracted from the surgery. But I was only waiting, waiting to hear the cries of my baby enter this world.

At 7am and few minutes later, I finally heard his cries and he was held up for us to see. I screamed “OMG !! That’s my baby?” He was pinkish-red, wet and crying, and I felt my heart was going to burst.

That Feeling …. I can’t explain, I don’t have the words. It is almost like an explosion of emotions. And by the time I could realize that my baby had finally arrived and the feeling could sink in, he was swept away to the NICU. My mind went blank, I had no thoughts… (It was a state of disbelief, a similar feeling I had, after free falling at terminal velocity)

I immediately started sobbing my heart out as it felt like forever until I could see him again. .(Sometimes I envy Deep, as he was the first person to touch our baby and see him up close when they took him to clean and measure)

Few minutes later the nurse zoomed in with my little bundle of joy with Deep accompanying them.

They placed him in my arms and right from that moment he snuggled straight into my heart!! We are grateful for our blessings ; it was magical to hold my baby in my arms after nine months of waiting.

The whole experience was amazing and not scary as the hell I had imagined ! My recovery has been great too. I was out of the hospital in three days and was off pain meds within a week. And now almost 8 weeks later it doesn’t even feel like I had a surgery just a couple of months back.

PS : (I have a new found respect for all mothers. And want to applaud those women who go for natural deliveries without any medication- “Hats off”).

16Jul2016

My Bump Style

Posted in Uncategorized by The Snazzy Mom

I have always believed in effortless style. My fashion has always been minimal and comfortable. Dressing up for me is more casual, more like “untucked glamour” (a term I came across). My ‘go to’ dress code is a classic denim jeans and white T or a good plain black dress. I stuck to my personal style and continued with my minimal look during my pregnancy too.

2nd Trimester

3rd Trimester with a Jacket

38 weeks pregnant, Almost there!

For my daily maternity style I loved layering up. I would usually team up my favorite H&M denim shirt with my midi dresses, it made me more confident with my curves. I would also layer it over my T shirts for the extra room with my maternity jeans, flats or converse all stars! I avoided heels my entire pregnancy.

Motherhood Maternity Jersey Dress and Express Shrug

Motherhood Maternity jersey dress with H&M denim shirt

For my workouts I stuck with dark color bottoms like yoga capris and sweat pants and for the top, it was loose racer backs and stretch fabric tanks to hold my growing bump. For my workout routines I mostly stuck with 3 mile brisk walks with my scruffy puppy Rio, and on alternate days did low impact exercises like squats and lunges with light weights .

FullSizeRender (20)

Abercrombie Sweatpants

I planned to celebrate my pregnancy with an outdoor maternity photo shoot at the beginning of my third trimester. It was spring and Houston had some beautiful Azalea trail events around the city. We went to the River Oaks trail I was too tired that day but didn’t cancel the shoot. This is such an important memory and I wanted to frame it on a wall at my home. I dressed in a light peach color lace dress to capture the spring season and my husband- Deep went with an all denim look to have a good contrast for the pictures. It was simple and sweet and effortless for both of us. I am so glad the pictures are so pretty.

Arushi (64 of 57) FullSizeRender (14)

I had the hardest time finding my baby shower dress. Whereas, my entire pregnancy I had no problems with my maternity wear. I definitely didn’t want a maternity dress for the shower, instead I preferred a regular gown or maxi dress which I can use later too (although a size or two up.) My first preference was a gown mostly which was long ,flowing with drapes and in pastel colors. After an exhausting shopping exploration of three weekends, I finally managed to find the exact piece of clothing I was looking for.

My BCBG gown in mauve.

Thanks to Pinkbushmaternity for collaborating with me . The maxi dress fitted me so well. This picture was taken exactly 1 day before my delivery. The dress is very versatile as it can also be worn post pregnancy and the overlapping V shape neckline makes it perfect for breast feeding.