November 25th!
Depending on which way I look at it, it’s extremely close or extremely far way.
I leave for Fiji in 32 days! Fiji is a dream location; blessed with 333 magnificent islands, some inhabited, most not, Fiji is a tropical paradise. White sandy beaches, swaying coconut trees, pristine oceanfront, and a range of things to do and see that appeal to every traveler… I can visualize it now. Why is time standing still?
The problem: I don’t want to visualize myself in a bikini in 32 days!
Where did the last 6 months go? I thought after I had Athena that I would be able to get 
back to running within 2 months. Between every-three-hours feedings, learning the ropes of being a new mom, and sleeping about 3-4 hours a night, if I was lucky, 6 months went by in a blink. It was only in the last few weeks that I started to feel like a woman, a human being, a wife, a sister, or a daughter again; until then, I was a mother. Athena required 24 hours a day of my time and simple tasks like taking a shower or going to the bathroom became scheduled events. Even then, it was rare and she usually came with me. Don’t get me wrong, being a mom is the greatest adventure and every day will continue to feel as exciting and anticipated as Christmas morning, but I’ve neglected my psychically active lifestyle along the way.
I started running in the evenings when Darren gets home, but if I want to feel comfortable in a bikini in 32 days, I needed to add more to my routine. I don’t have time for excuses or an “I’ll do it later” attitude. “There are seven days in a week and someday isn’t one of them.”
So I got a jogging stroller and now Athena joins me on the run. The Joovy Zoom includes all of the high end features you would expect in a Joovy jogger. Made from 6061 aircraft grade aluminum and 600D fabric, the Zoom is ready for tough duty yet is light and maneuverable.
The neoprene parent organizer holds 2 cups and has a zippered container; plus, there is a rain/wind cover included that is custom made for the Zoom. With plenty of storage in the easy access storage basket and mesh pockets, I can bring along a sweater, sun glasses, and a few necessities for Athena.
The suspension, with 3-inch travel, smooths out the bumps and provides a comfortable ride. The seat is adjustable so Athena can sit up and see the colored leaves as we jog through the park or she can lay back and rest while I get a workout in. She loves being outdoors so it is the perfect solution for the both of us.
My favorite part of the stroller is the over-sized canopy that provides the best sun 
protection available. I was tired of trying to rig a blanket to the canopy so that Athena was protected from the sun, but wasn’t too hot in the North Carolina temperatures. Now, she can stay cool, see her surroundings, and still be protected.
The Joovy Zoom leaves me with no more excuses. November 25th comes early, but I’ll be prepared. I have the freedom to exercise any time of day and still spend time with Athena. Plus, she gets to see me living an active, healthy lifestyle rather than hanging out in the house. Look out Fiji, here I come!
Bucket List Publications 
… Have fun on your trip and enjoy that stroller!
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Like the stroller! 🙂 & Enjoy your Fiji trip! I’m sure you will be ready! 🙂 Good luck!
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You going to get a chance do any diving during your trip?
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I’m not sure yet. I’ll be traveling with Tourism Fiji and my itinerary isn’t set yet. Hopefully 🙂
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*F*I*J*I*
(((Step Into Liquid))) = 3S’s…Snorkel, Scuba, Surf
maybe more…Sailboarding, Shell-gathering, Sight-seeing
NJOY…>
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Sitting on a couch, playing words with friends and watching modern family looks pretty sad right about now 🙂 I hope all the best for you on this trip.
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I love your comment, “there are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them”. I am a horrible procrastinator, but I get frustrated with myself for not just doing whatever it is I want and/or need to do! I’m trying to model doing things sooner than later for my children (7 and newly 3). As for fitness post-birth–I’m sure you’ve heard that it took nine months for your baby and body to change and grow, so give yourself at least that long to get it back, especially if you are nursing! I’m sure you’re also discovering that some parts or aspects seem to have changed semi-permanently, some good and some not as welcome. It is great that you are running with your beautiful daughter–I tried that a few times with my little ones when they were that little, but it just never seemed to be a consistent thing. Now, they want to walk and run, themselves, so we take walks, bike rides, jogs together when we can. Keep it up!
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So jealous!! I cannot wait to see all of your posts about it, safe journey!!
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Where there’s a will, there’s a way! I’m glad you were able to find a balance that works for you–plus, I bet Athena will love the extra time outside 🙂 I’m excited to read about your trip to Fiji–it sounds like it will be amazing. Hope you have a great time!
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I admire your spirit. The stroller-tech is really impressive.
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I have two Indonesian friends who currently are working in Fiji and sometimes they share some pictures of that island. I am pretty sure that you would enjoy your trip!
Have a safe journey! 🙂
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FUJI! Have a blast!
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Beautiful Athena, beautiful stroller, beautiful you. Can’t wait to hear about Fiji!
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And just like that, I am inspired to run again, starting, later after work! 🙂 Have fun jogging with Athena – she’s sooo cute!
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Wow, seems like Athena was just born a minute ago…
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Bula! Fiji is such an amazing place. I was lucky enough to visit a local school while I was there and it was the best part of the trip!
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Enjoy your time with Athena, enjoy the runs, be grateful for good health and the adventures ahead –motivation is good, but a one-piece or tankini suit is not the end of the world if the bikini needs to wait another month, another few months, or even longer. You look healthy and beautiful, and those post-baby pounds will be gone (or as many of us have experienced, perhaps “rearranged”) with your active lifestyle before you know it! Looking forward to following your Fiji adventures. ~ Kat
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It is a great place, just spent a week there ourselves! Enjoy!!!
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I really enjoy following your blog and I have nominated your blog for the “One Lovely Blog Award”. If you want to accept the award, please check my blog for rules, etc.
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Fiji – wow! I’m a bit jealous. Good luck with the bikini body!
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Enjoy your days of vacation!
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Don’ t forget the sit ups! They pay dividends for bikini wearing too! The good news is, no one in Fiji will give a shit whether you get back to pre-baby shape or not. Big fat Mommas will holler out Bula! all the same anyway. 🙂 Have a blast!
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It’s not really about what other people think. I don’t feel comfortable with my body, myself. You know when you look in the mirror and you think you look a certain way; sometimes that makes you happy and sometimes it’s difficult to see past your flaws? I love being a mother and I have more purpose in one day than a month before, or maybe a year, but I still see the extra 20 pounds and the person looking back at me in the mirror is still a mother rather than a mother, a wife, and a beautiful lady. I want to be all of those things in my eyes. I’m certainly not a super model, but I always felt confident and secure. I was completely comfortable in my own skin and when I looked in the mirror, I was 100% happy with myself. I’ll get back to that point, but I’m not there just yet.
🙂
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What does your doting hubby have to say about it? 😉
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As a grandmother these strollers with the baby facing away from their mother really bother me – there’s no inter-action between parent and child, and I see so many mothers jogging away and chatting away together, and the babies in isolation staring out at the passing landscape, often with a canopy down so they can’t see anything anyway…
In my day the baby faced her mother and we had eye contact and talked and shared…
Not criticising you, but the manufacturers who’ve made these buggies fashionable – middle class men who know nothing of child psychology….
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I have a stroller where Athena can face out or towards me; when she’s facing me, she has to see everything backwards. Sometimes she prefers facing out. We interact together all day long. I have the joy of staying home with her rather than getting childcare so once a day for 30 minutes while I’m jogging she gets to experience new things and see new stimulus. I think it’s wonderful, and I can see her through the opening in the top of the canopy so I’m aware of her attitude at all times. I hear her chatting away, giggling, and singing while I jog. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Joovy did an excellent job with this one.
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Lesley, I think it sounds as though Athena has a perfect childhood with you and I was in no way criticising you .
It is the whole idea of mothers who only have the outward facing strollers, and never have any inter-action with their children… unfortunately it’s a fact that most babies and toddlers get far less inter-action with their parents than in the days when they were carried instead of sitting in a car -seat etc etc.And lying in a stroller with a dummy stuffed in their mouths is no substitute for hands on mothering!
I’m amazed with all your committments that you have time to reply, and thank you so much. BUt please believe that I am concerned about strollers – and have written about it in parents magazines here, because it worries me – not you and your relationship with your blooming little girl..
Fiji is our playground here, so I know you’ll enjoy it, and the Fijians adore children – and are such kindly friendly people.
best wishes, Valerie
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Hey Valerie,
I think many parents, now-a-days, carry their children regularly. When I posted about the varies carriers that I have for Athena, hundreds of parents responded with great enthusiasm. I do my housework with Athena happily joining me in the front chest carrier and usually when we go for a walk as a family in the evening, she is in the carrier as well. I think I see more parents with carrier than strollers. We spend the better part of the day actively doing tummy time on the floor and singing songs together. (She likes to holler 😉 Between tummy time together, her chest/carrier time, and playing games on the floor/activity mat, I think it’s important that she has some outdoor, outward facing time as well; that could be in a stroller or “other”.
I know there are parents who use a stroller/car seat as a babysitter but I’m seeing more and more interaction with children, especially from parents my age. I think it’s more about balance than strollers, and the stroller gives me balance as well.
🙂
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I love your this post. I’m sure everyone wants to get that fit body, but not all of us has the determination to do so. Thanks for the inspiration!
Have a fantastic trip to Fiji! Enjoy!
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Yay for cute babies and Fiji! I must admit though, that as I sit here in Germany bundled up in flannel pj’s, wool socks, slippers and a hoodie looking through my patio door at the cold damp outdoors I am feeling a twinge of jealousy. lol I hope you have an incredible time in Fiji, which I’m sure you will! I am just looking forward to your post so that I can live vicariously.
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Don’t forget to to plank – it does wonders for the “mommy pooch” and really helps my running posture. Good luck!
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We honeymooned in Fiji and it was the best. Looking forward to your take on it.
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I know it’s tough … been there. My daughter had an allergy which I was unaware, and for 6 months she cried day and night. I think I slept two to three hours every night, and forget about it during the day. Like you, taking a shower was tough, but it got better, and you’re definitely on the right track. Good for you! Keep up the good work, and if you should slip on the odd day and not run … try not to worry about it.
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Congrats on your trip to Fiji, how fun! Finding it in yourself to work out is hard enough when you’re just caring for yourself. As a working mom, I would talk myself out of working out because I felt like I was being selfish by leaving the kiddos again so I could have some “me” time. Eventually, I realized that an unhappy mommy was bad for everyone. Good for you for taking the initiative.
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You will absolutely love Fiji…and Im not saying that cos its home for me but truly it is extraordinary. I am on the plane almost every 3 weeks and yet I am yet to find a place that touches me as much as Fiji does. Its not just the natural beauty but also the smiles you get form the natives that is out of this world. Enjoy and let me know if you need anything while there. X
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Fiji! Oh you lucky people! Babies will take a lot out of you as well as give a lot back.
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…been there..did that!!! 🙂 being a mother is a full time job, but as you pointed out-we are women too, and we have to juggle somehow everything!! if we are lucky enough..we’ll have people around us that can be a real help. in December my baby boy will be 3y, and we are already thinking of our second baby-..now I really wonder..how the hell will I be able to do everything I did till now.. and more for another little one!!! …but..everyone says with second it’s easier..as you already know the steps of being a mother 🙂 jeeezzzz….
Wishing you girls lots of fun in Fiji, and good luck and lots of energy for you sweety for the next 32 days!!!!!! keep on moving!!!
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That was a great idea to get back to your usual activities and find a way of doing them along your baby – no doubt you’ll look fab in that bikini. Enjoy your trip!
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Hope the trip is a great success. Enjoy!
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You deserve your holiday, and good on you for the forethought to get a jogging stroller, you may find sit up a help but not rushed hurried one slow painful ones holding your tummy in ! Try Pilates it works wonders for Mummy tummy! You have a beautiful daughter!!
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Oh man, that thing looks awesome! Glad you are able to get back outdoors and even happier to see that your daughter can join you.
P.S. Extremely envious of your Fiji trip, that is an unwritten Bucket List item, I mean really, Fiji is a “given”, everyone wants to go there!
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Good luck!!! Go boldly in the direction of your dreams! I wonder if I am the first person to say that. Write that down! 🙂
-SB
http://senatorbrett.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/totd-the-voices-in-my-head-arent-real/
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Always wanted to go to Fiji and have half an idea to take my family there is 2014 so I’ll be awaiting your blog posts with a eager anticipation 🙂
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Joovy Zoom – might be the best stroller name ever!
Of course you will be fantastic in a bikini in Fiji, how could you not? It’s you, in Fiji, fulfilling yet another goal. Be fabulous in that bikini!
xo reversecommuter
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Thank you! That’s a great way to look at it. Fiji is a perfect motivator but I want to loose the weight for me too. I really let things slide during the pregnancy and I want to get back to my active, healthy lifestyle, and I want to incorporate those ideals into Athena’s lifestyle as well 🙂
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Nice stroller and sounds like a really beautiful and exciting trip you’re about to go on. Makes me want to go there someday!
Very good thinking though to adjust your situation so that you can still work towards your goal instead of putting it off because of circumstances. Sometimes, that’s all we need to do is readjust instead of settling, and then with that readjustment, we may sometimes need to readjust our goals, too while acknowledging what we have accomplished thus far (though the original goal may not have been fully reached, the things along the way are accomplishments if they in turn have produced something positive in us or taught us something).
So great post showing your determination despite your circumstances! Plus, your daughter is so beautiful!!! Have fun on your vacation!!!
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Wow, looks beautiful. Having to put on a bikini is the best motivation for getting in shape. Have a great time! xx
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Good luck!
This pic of your daughter is absolutely wonderful. She’s sooooo cute. 🙂
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How fun!
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Now I’m really jealous…FIJI ??!!! You are living the dream.
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Wow that stroller is awesome!! (Hope they give you some kind of commission for the great representation!! ~.^) And that’s definitely great that you’re getting Athena outside and giving her such a great model of how to be healthy! And SERIOUS props for only having been a mom 6 months and hardcore getting in shape!! Definitely can’t wait to hear about Fiji!
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Have a super, great trip. I know you will. You really know how to enjoy life with all three of you. 🙂
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Fiji sounds delightful 🙂 Plus running with the stroller should be an extra weight for you to deal with so you’re getting more out of your run than if you were doing it solo!
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Whenever Fiji is mentioned I think of the Truman Show…
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Cool, Love and enjoy your travel.
Chow- Take care always
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Sounds like simply an amazing trip! I’ve never worn a bikini in my entire life and now that I’m already 44 years old, even when I meet my goal weight next year…I honestly don’t think a bikini would be a good choice. ha ha Looking forward to pictures from your trip. ENJOY! Sounds like you have earned it. 🙂
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Any idea what the cycling is like in Fiji? And can you attach that thing to a bicycle? Do you think my sixteen-month-old daughter would enjoy hurtling down mountain roads sitting back there behind my bike?
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Sounds like a wonderful vacation–what a great way to enjoy God’s magnificent creation. Blessings for a safe and beautiful trip.
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