12 Kids, 5'7 and 176 lbs: What it really looks like

 It's been awhile. Sweet baby girl is 6 1/2 months old and in all the chaos of life, uncertainty, moving and settling there has been little time to document the postpartum journey back down...or even work out regularly. While I have followed THM to some extent, continued juicing, and stay entirely active from sun up to sun down this is the first time in many pregnancies I have not followed a regular daily postpartum workout routine such as P90X and running. I miss it. I miss it a lot. It improves all of life...outlook, perspective, body, mind and spirit. Working out and running just makes the whole world a better place....and it makes me a better wife and mom. So, at a whopping 6 1/2 months later these are the "before resuming a routine" pics. And, admittedly, I don't lose a ton of weight when I workout. So, at 176 lbs I may lose down to 174 and just stay....as always. Yep, at 5'7 and that weight I am labeled in the obese category of the birth center we use and every dr's office in the U.S. Who exactly knows why I can't drop the scale weight. There's theories that circulate in the medical realm. It's anyone's best guess as to whether they're really true or not. They have to do with possessing larger than average muscle mass and therefore building and retaining muscle much easier these days due to the years of working to stay in shape after babies. I can lose inches...just not the weight. So, if I bother to post weight updates just don't expect much variation from the starting point. Mainly it'll be just inches and pictures.  So, as we restructure all of life, I will once again resume running and P90X, my two absolute favorites. As a side note....free yourself of the scale and fall in love with the mirror. Painful lessons that have taken years for this mom to learn.

We are implementing "Managers of their"....everything series. Home, School, and Chores. I've only had the books for 3 yrs. To say that it was overwhelming just to crack the books is a bit of an understatement. But, I'm ready to tackle it. We need the structure. Children are taking their 2nd year of EOG's this week and all of next week, unlike anything we ever had to do in TX while homeschooling. Pain. in. the. butt. Good news is...so far the tested ones have all placed above grade level, as they did last year also....even the one dealing with severe, off the charts dyslexia. She is much like our oldest one who has overcome phenomenally, far above and beyond all predictions he was ever given. It helps having experience with it now as a parent and the fact she has a sibling that's walked in her shoes to encourage her on her journey. Once completed with the current 2 weeks of testing, we will begin the new schedule which will include daily fitness, P90X, outdoor fun, and more, in which we will participate together as a family. Oldest daughter and I prepare to compete in the Dirty Girl Mud Run in May so it will benefit all of us as we train. But running....running is just me...in the early morning sunrise. In all the quiet. Just me. My feet long to hit dirt again. Body and mind long to be outside, lungs burning, feet hitting hard. The pain, the cold, the exhilaration, the aloneness, the quiet. So it begins!

Beginning pics. I should probably take measurements if I plan on tracking them downward. I'll edit later to include those.

And now for the moment of truth. For all the modesty minded.....skip it. 

What so many ask for in all their curiosity of what reality really looks like. The body in running attire and jeans....12 kids, including 2 sets of twins later. I did this about 6 wks ago and the lighting was so bad I never posted it. But...I don't exactly see me taking the time to redo it all anytime soon.....so bad lighting and all....here you go. May the workouts begin!

The unpregnant body an outrageous number of kids later. 

And...most requested pic of all....the post 1 billion kids stomach reality...12 kids, including 2 sets of twins later. So for all of you that have asked....feel the love. :) And let the workout routine begin!