MaureenMacushla

In the USA. Turns out marrying is WAY easier in the states! We'll still have to file our marriage in both Germany and France (my partner is French), but instead of the huge dossier with birth certificates less than 3 months old, all we need back home is identification and to apply for marriage licenses ahead of time. I agree. I'm very blessed to share DNA with some pretty wonderful people, and I'm lucky to have shared experiences with them. Things were rough at times growing up, but my family members have turned into some pretty awesome people whom I truly enjoy, and some family that don't share DNA with me who are just as awesome. There's always drama, which I could do without, but we get through. It's hard being apart from people we love especially during the holiday seasons.

Thanks - I appreciate that. I saw the rest of my family when we went to the USA for Easter in April, except for her because she was in Afghanistan. I miss all my siblings, I just miss her more because it's been longer since I've seen her...

So... My youngest sister can't make either Christmas or our wedding. I haven't been able to hug her in over a year as she was deployed and then moved bases in the USA, and I live in Germany. I'm really bummed because she was able to go home for Thanksgiving and see ALL the rest of our family, but we'd already bought tickets for Christmas. Honestly, I'd rather she see some of our family than none of our family, especially after deployment, but I feel left out. Also, I feel like maybe I jinxed it by putting it on my miracle list before it happened. 😕 So, I guess I need to think of a new festivus miracle... Maybe I'll find the perfect winter courthouse wedding outfit today - that would count as a miracle!

I love calling US customery 'freedom units'. Made me smile. My sister is also tall and struggles with finding pants long enough. She has found some via Victoria Secret, and I think Title 9 Sorts might have some as well. As for sweatpants - she wears her husband's, he's taller than she is.

Our little rebel also had a difficult night - roughly the same timing, too. Here's hoping they'll sleep through the night again soon!

I concur!!!

Week 1: I took out an index card, wrote my grievences, and put it in the recycling bin - that should still count, right? Week 2: I find this SO much easier! My Festivus Miracles include... 1. Our beautiful baby girl (especially when she smiles) 2. Marrying my partner at the end of the month 3. All my siblings will be together for the first time in years to celebrate my wedding 4. Nearly reaching pre-baby weight (1.7 kilos to go) 5. Our daughter being born in Germany so I have a year of paid maternity leave tos spendwith her I know some of these haven't technically happened yet, but I'm still counting them!

End of week 1 update: Quest 1: Go To Dentist - Completed!!! Quest 2: Consistent Core Work - Minimum of 10 minutes core work on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday this week. Quest 3: Reduce Sweet Consumption - Only 2 Sweets consumed this week (I'm not considering fruit as sweets for this challenge) Level Up: French Language Acquisition - more than halfway through lessons in French Course Bonus Quest: Hit PrePregnancy Weight - Down to 69.8 Kilos this morning. Less than 2 kilos to go!!! Bring on week 2!!!

I too thoroughly enjoyed your story intro! You’re talented. 🙂 I will also be traveling during this challenge, transcontinental with a 6month old. I am praying we’re not those passengers that make everyone else miserable! i fully support your budget goal - I have been encouraged to make my own budget, because giving at Christmas is so fun and easy to get carried away with. Thanks for setting a good example! Best of luck staying healthy!

Condolences. Grieving is hard over the holidays. I sense an undercurrent of strength in your posts, even though it’s a challenging time. You are persevering with as much positivity as you can, and I admire that. Keep going - you’re tenacious and you will get through this.

I like this! Very little in my life is routine, but this type of list can help me stay on track until it becomes habit. Right now my ‘routine’ goal is focused on nap time. 6 steps, all alliteration (b), and location specific. Great start!

We had our first at the end of June. She too managed to sleep through the night around the 2 month mark, but she doesn’t believe in day napping. It’s all night or nothing! She slipped back into a midnight wake at 4months, but we’re unsure whether that’s a normal sleep regression or because we were traveling. Our daughter too! She’s turning 6months at the end of the year and she’s moving into 9m clothes! They grow so fast - it’s crazy! I completely agree that building a fitness routine (or even finding time to fit fitness in) is challenging with a newborn! I applaud you for being positive until you can build your routine.

Well done! It’s hard to carve out time for fitnesses with a newborn.

I think it’s the same in Germany. The midwives are very knowledgeable and competent, they are the primary professional in the maternity wards. The doctors are only called in for emergencies. If there’s failure to progress, you are repositioned and expected to keep trying unless the baby is in distress. Because there were complications and my daughter needed to be delivered quickly, I did receive synthetic oxytocin and although the doctor was on standby, it was the midwife calling the shots. A cesarean wasn’t even mentioned and ultimately the doctor wasn’t needed. I feel like this is typical in German delivery rooms - women are encouraged to deliver with as minimal intervention as possible, but that’s based on my experience in rural Germany.

So far, so good! Managing to keep to one sweet or less a day, I’ve got one core workout in this week, and I completed my Dentist Quest! I’m hoping to do a core workout today and another on Saturday!

I like your plan! Especially the planking 😉 and water consumption (which I found was the number ONE thing to help me with my supply - the struggle is real)!

Thanks! I made the dental appointment today. I will be relieved to have completed this quest Wednesday evening! GL to you too - I'll be cheering you on!!!

I liked reading your post! I read a book about why Dutch kids are the happiest on the planet, and it mentioned some of the same statistics. In Germany there are also mandatory midwives, which I'm grateful for! If you're still craving birth stories, let me know if you'd like me to share mine! Keep up the good work of writing!

Thanks KB Girl! I was 68 kilos before I found out I was pregnant, and I peaked at 81 kilos before I delivered - I tried hard to keep my pregnancy weight reasonable, and am glad I only gained 13 kilos! I haven't been trying very hard to lose it yet, but I'm down to 71 now. As far as my plan - I will do a lot of planking with my daughter, as well as the exercises recommended in the post natal class I took. And MAYBE if I get adventurous, start the handstand class I initially wanted to begin 18 months ago! 🙂

The last time I fell off the fitness wagon, I respawned, started a challenge, and promptly found out I was pregnant. The goals from that challenge did not line up with expecting, so I abandoned it to focus on my pregnancy. My daughter is approaching her sixth month, and I finally feel ready to get back on the sleigh! I’ve been doing sporadic core work with her, and a post partum exercise class now and then, but it’s time to get organized and commit! Quest 1: Go to the dentist. I have a mortal fear of the dentist, and most visits are torturous enough that I never want to return. I went while pregnant because it was required, but chickened out after my daughter was born, and have been postponing using a flimsy excuse of not having child care at the time. I want to set a good example for my daughter, and take care of my teeth, so this MUST BE DONE. Quest 2: Consistent Core Work Complete at least core workouts for a minimum of 10 minutes 3 times a week. Quest 3: Reduce Sweet Consumption I feel this one ought to be food related. I usually eat fairly healthy, but I enjoy sweets and tend to overindulge, so I feel that this is where I could use some improvement. So - only one sweet each weekday at ‘goute’ time (like the French version of afternoon tea). As it IS the holidays, weekends are a bit more relaxed - up to three sweets. Bonus Quest: Hit PrePregnancy Weight by my 6th Month Post Partum I am three kilos away from PrePregnancy weight. It's a long stretch to lose 3 kilos this challenge, but it would be awesome. Level Up: French Language Acquisition Complete the French course I started. I’ve switched from Assassin to Druid, as it will take a while to get back into parkour shape, and I feel the path of the yogi is a better fit for now, and the paths are not mutually exclusive. It’s a different form of fun for me, but easier to take my daughter along, and include her in my workouts.

I like being festive... I’ll play!

Update: Day 2 of challenge when, whole riding my bicycle to work, my tire went in a crack and stopped, while I kept going - over the handle bars... Thanks inertia. No break, but I twisted the ligaments and tendons in my hand and wrist pretty badly, so they put me in a temporary cast - 10 days of not moving it. Better than a month! It’s swollen and sore, but I’ll be ok. I'm frustrated about the timing, though! I don't want to lose my momentum or motivation. I can keep working on my food choices and leveling up my life, but are there things I can still do to get back into an exercise routine without using my arm? Besides walking - I still do that every day for at least 20 minutes. I can work on my lower body... Other suggestions?

Merci beaucoup !

Good luck, Bobbi, and thanks for being an inspiration!

1. Eat Better limit packaged foods to once a day or less drink water and eat multiple servings of fruit or veg at every meal Only drink my calories and/or eat out once a week 2. Work Out Daily yoga and walks or sport ride my bike to work 3 seconds of handstand 3. Improve My French daily practice 30 minutes on app and podcast Watch at least one French program each week choose a French book to read at least once a week