4 Years of Motherhood

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Dear Nico,

Has it really been FOUR years since you came into this world and made me a mama? Today you seem so grown up from the little baby I remember holding in my arms. We prayed so hard for you, and I was so nervous the whole time you were in my belly…my little rainbow baby. After complications and scares throughout my pregnancy with you, and a SUPER long time in the hospital with not one but TWO inductions….having you arrive on this day four years was the biggest blessing.

You taught me about unconditional love. The type of love that is so strong that it overpowers you like none other. That you can’t even understand until you are living it. You taught me about selflessness, about true responsibility. I remember your Papa and I thinking…”Oh my God, they are going to let us take this little tiny baby HOME from the hospital?!?!” And re-watching the video of the nurse swaddling you over and over again so we would know how to do it right. FYI…I still can’t swaddle right lol.

You have always been such a strong person your entire life…even when just a tiny little guy. I can’t even get mad at your stubbornness and strength, because I know you got it honest right from your Mama. You are fierce and competitive, but you are also sweet and loving. You have a heart of gold and a smile that is contagious. You make friends wherever you go which reminds me of your Nano and your great-grandpa Frank that you never got to meet. You have a sense of adventure like your Papa and you are always up for exploring and trying new things.

Your sense of humor makes me laugh constantly, and I love how you and your little brother tell each other knock-knock jokes and make them up yourselves. You have taken on the big brother role so well these past two years. While yes, sometimes, you are that typical big brother who picks on the little one…you also always have his back. You make him laugh. You teach him new things (even when those things are how to climb out of his crib lol), and you protect and love him with all your heart. Seeing you and your little brother together makes my heart light up and makes me so happy to see your relationship with each other grow.

You have such an eagerness to learn. You have an incredible attention span for learning and you just soak every little bit in. You remember things that happened over two years ago…things that I don’t even remember and the smallest details. You seriously impress me every day with your ability and passion to expand your mind and I know this quality will take you far in life.

I am so happy to be your mama. You make me proud every single day. I love you with all my heart my Nico, Bonzo, Little Monkey, NiNi (as Luca called you), Nico Nics, and so many other names we have created for you. Thank you for teaching me and challenging me and loving me and I know you will continue to grow and flourish in this world.

Happy 4th Birthday my sweet, Nico. I love you so freakin’ much.

Love,

Mama

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Excited to be spending this special day with family down in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. We have a little rain today, but that won’t “rain on our parade.” Fun times in store for this sweet Birthday Boy and the whole fam! <3

Hope you all are enjoying this last bit of summertime!

XO,

Gina

This is 2

Two years. Two years since you entered this world and our world and forever changed this family for the better. In some ways I can’t believe how fast two years has passed and in other ways it feels like you have been with us forever. I don’t even think your brother, Nico, remembers life before you were here.


You have always made things pretty easy on your ole ma from Day 1. The happiest child…so easy going and laid back, your go-with-the-flow attitude (we can thank your father for that haha). I can’t tell you the amount of times I had to rip you out of your crib from your nap to pick up your brother from school, yet you always greeted me with the biggest smile and eventually a “hi mama.”


Your 4x a night wake-ups til 18 months old almost seemed bearable, because you were so sweet and easy going in every other way.


You are the biggest snuggle bug, always wanting mama or papa to hold you and cuddle. Yet you are SO independent. You want to do everything for yourself including feeding yourself, riding your scooter, climbing at the playground, and walking down the street (sorry buddy you still have to hold my hand when we cross!)


You are small but mighty…you have learned to defend yourself (you can thank your brother for that…I guess) and your are so playful and fun. Your smile and laugh light up my world.


This family is so in love with our little Luca Dukes, Goose, Luca Bear. Happy 2nd Birthday my sweet, sweet boy. I love you forever. ❤️


And now a few pics that can’t even begin to show how much you’ve grown in 2 years, but these are a few of my favs.


Love,

Mommy

 

Transformation Story: Christie DeMarco

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am SOOOOO incredibly excited to introduce you all to a challenger and now coach on my team, Christie DeMarco! Her post partum health + fitness journey has been incredible and I’m so pumped to share. In addition to rocking her health + fitness, Christie has also been crushing her business as a new coach and helping others to achieve amazing results as well!
Without further ado, here is Christie!!!
Christie Transformation
Photos taken in April – May – June respectively
P+ P: Hi Christie!!! Please tell us about yourself (where you live, family, hobbies, interests, anything else that you would like to include about yourself)!
Christie: I recently turned 30 this past June!! My goals were to be married and be done having babies when I turned 30, and I am so done! I’m 5’5 and 125lbs (3 lb water fluctuating weight) haha. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and have lived around here all my life. I am a Palliative Care Nurse in home care which I love. I see sickness and death day in and day out. I think that helps push me to appreciate being able to get up in the morning healthy and able to workout and eat healthy. We can’t prevent cancer 100% but we can prevent what we put in our bodies and be more mindful of our health. Which I am hoping will prevent me from getting cancer.
P+P: What is your fitness background?
Christie:  I was 125 lbs pre-pregnancy and not really trying to lose anymore weight other than that. My focuses are tightening and toning.
I have always loved health and fitness. I worked at McDonald’s in high school, but I never really ate the food there. Only fries and egg sandwiches. 

I had diastasis recti with my 1st baby, Josilynn, which only made it way worse with Nolan, my baby. I gained 50lbs with Josilynn and only 45 with Nolan. However, even with 45 lbs i swear it was all in my belly which was very painful on my back. I lost every bit within 2 weeks with Josilynn without working out. I didn’t realize how nice that was until after my 2nd when my abdomen was not at all how it was before my 2nd pregnancy. It’s still not and will never be again. My focus has been toning my legs and arms and if my abdomen shaped up then bonus!
P+P: Why did you decide to try Insanity Max 30?
ChristieI did only the 1st month of Insanity when I was getting married but never finished it. I am a HUGE Shaun T. fan so I started Insanity Max 30. I figured I have 30 min a day I’ll give it a go. Well 1 week turned into 2 weeks and so on.  
P+P: What about the program worked for you? What did you like about it? 
Christie: I started seeing results in about 2 weeks which makes you get hooked right away!!
P+P: What was tough or challenging for you? (particular workouts? sticking to nutrition? anything else?) 
Christie: My son got sick and was hospitalized within that 1st month so I got a little off track but got right back into it when things settled. I just really wanted to finish a program. I didn’t follow the nutrition guideline, rather I just ate clean and listened to my body with good portion control. I am 95% vegan so I have to alter my diet other than the meal plans. I am NOT GOOD at meal prepping which I am really going to try and get into…..
I hate cardio because I have asthma. I know, Insanity is a LOT of cardio!!!
P+P: 10 lbs and 5 inches is an incredible accomplishment! How did you stay motivated for those 60 days?
Christie: Shaun T. kept me motivated.  I took extra breaks or modified when I needed to, but never stopped.
 

Gained confidence and without even doing most of the ab exercises I have a baby 6 pack forming!! You need to seriously focus on good form with any ab exercise especially with ab separation.

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P+P: How do you feel today and what are your goals moving forward? 

I am looking forward to coaching and helping other people gain confidence I have and will only continue to do!
I am now doing 21 day fix Extreme and my goal is to do Shift Shop in July with my 1st challenge group!
Christie Transformation Post Partum
Side note…this interview was done earlier this summer, and since then Christie has accomplished so much more! Not only has she crushed those workout programs, but she has helped SO many people in just her early stages of coaching! She achieved Success Starter status in our company in her 1st month as a coach and helped 5 people get started on their own health + fitness journey. She also earned a call with our company CEO, which is a HUGE deal!!!
She is running her own challenge groups now to help others and she is building her own team of coaches to teach and train as well. Christie is going places peeps, and I’m SO excited to have her as a part of Team SPARK!
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And she also is famous on our team for rockin’ the cutest workout tanks! Love it!
Hope you all are having an amazing week so far. Continue to spread love, positivity, and happiness wherever you go! With all this crazy stuff going on, be the change you wish there to be in the world.
XO,
Gina