a review of our 7 strollers in 7 years!! (3 singles and 4 doubles!)

Our stroller journey started off with a simple snap and go stroller to go along with the car seat for little d, mostly because I never understood the allure of stroller travel systems. I was not a fan of strollers to start off with, I felt like they were ALL too big and clunky and hard to maneuver. Except for the BOB... which happened to be so crazy expensive that even though we were both working, spending upwards of $400 on a baby stroller seemed... outrageous! I knew I would be recovering from my first baby and I figured by the time I started running it would be winter anyway. Long story short, we had that snap and go as our only stroller (and we loved it!) for the first 7 months of little d's life. Which is should be noted, I called our "frame stroller" for like a year because that's basically what it was... the outer frame of a stroller. And for the record, Kevs was not partial to the snap and go... he just loved sitting in all our strollers, basket or seats or footrests. Strollers are listed in order of when we got them. If you don't want to bother reading, *spoiler alert* my favorite (jogging and all around all purpose stroller) was the single BOB Revolution! <3 (and the city select for those with twins!)

Stroller #1: GRACO SNUGRIDER (snap and go stroller)

pros: 

-inexpensive, 

-easy one hand fold, 

-folds flat, 

-doesn't take up a lot of space, 

-HUGE storage basket, 

-adjustable handlebar, 

-a total workhorse (I always use my strollers as shopping carts!!), 

-lightweight.

cons: 

-one brake on each side, 

-can only use it till baby outgrows the carseat (or it gets too heavy in our case!), 

-not great maneuverability, 

-cheap tires, 

-cupholders not deep enough for my liking (they wouldn't hold bottles or sippies securely enough)

Overall: I'm glad we had it with one kid. And if your kids are far enough apart like ours were (2y9m) and you're not opting for a double, this stroller is awesome in its simplicity. We did LOTS of walks with this stroller and I would definitely recommend it for the first 6-9 months with a singleton.

Stroller #2 (and 3): BOB REVOLUTION 2010 and then BOB REVOLUTION SE 2011

Then on Valentine's day 2011 (so unfair since it was the day before Drew's birthday!) we rolled out to REI with all the birthday and christmas money and I got my beloved BOB revolution. If you look through the review of the 2010, you'll notice the only things (aside from price) that I complained about got fixed in the newer version. I ended up returning it back to REI at the end of the summer (did you know you can do that?!) because with no locking mechanism I was worried it would not survive our cross country flight. I repurchased the 2011 version once we moved to ohio (slightly more expensive but it had a locking mechanism, adjustable handlebar and better seatback, literally almost all the cons I complained about with the older version...AKA it was PERFECT!). Then I got pregnant for the second time and swore I would never get a double BOB. Little A was born and most of the time I would opt to carry her in the Ergo while pushing little d in the BOB, until she was about 5 months old then I just went ahead and put her in the BOB (so that S&G did not get as much use the second time around... and little did I know it would get no more use from us ever!)

*Pros: 

-Maneuverability (you have the option to lock the wheel or allow it to swivel but I never locked it unless I was putting it away), 

-relatively lightweight, 

-you can technically hold two kids for short periods of time (putting the larger child in the footrest, which we have done more than once!), 

-and by far the best running stroller on the market. Like I said, I used these strollers as shopping carts and for running errands and this stroller was not even that much wider than most other strollers. 

-It fit perfectly into the trunk of my toyota corolla. 

-Adjustable handlebar, 

-you could push it one-handed, 

-large canopy 

-lots of pockets, 

-5 point adjustable harness, 

-excellent back support for baby

-off roading!!!!

*Cons: PRICE. But that's it! It is a hefty pricetag, but if you are going to be running a lot, I would recommend it as your "one and only" stroller... over the years it will definitely be worth it! Any extras (cupholders, snack trays, car seat adapters) cost more which stinks because you are already paying a lot for the stroller. The only accessory I only ever got was the handlebar cupholder for myself.

I didn't get in as many running miles with little a in the BOB as I did little d (since most of my logged miles were from chasing after little d on his bike as opposed to training) and I spent more time in the gym and on the treadmill (but also moving more towards strength training as opposed to cardio as my workout), it was still my one and only. We did COSI, the zoo, grocery store, Boston, and just about everything inbetween with that bad boy. So the day I found out we were expecting twins was the day I realized that my dreams of riding off into the sunset with my youngest child and the BOB were shattered, replaced by... a double stroller? I know I swore against getting one but now that I actually didn't have a choice, I started in on my research and was devastated to see how little options I had for a stroller with two car seat attachments (none of which were the BOB!)

So after doing (ALL THE) research, I settled on the City Select which I was excited for fitting into my new Honda Pilot (a tight squeeze but it fit!). It was a hard choice because you pay for one seat (which costs a lot!) but then you also pay for the second seat and THEN the two car seat adapters (!!) not to mention we ended up getting cupholder/snack trays as well as the roller board for sister (that we never loved but both big kids were constantly fighting over that coveted spot!)... needless to say, it adds up fast. But have you TRIED to push a DOUBLE snap and go stroller? It was impossible to push and maneuver in the store, I cannot imagine with children in it out on sidewalks! The City select was a dream to push around (for a double stroller with two car seats!) and was the only way I made it out of the house so often those first six weeks.

Stroller #4: BABY JOGGER CITY SELECT

Pros: 

-5 point harness for the seats, which were super comfortable and could hold both twins when they were little but also my 5/6 year old comfortably.

-could hold two car seats

-many options for variations of car seats and especially the way to face the seats, 

-adjustable handlebar, 

-amazing maneuverability for a double

-big wheels made it over most surfaces similar to a BOB, 

-large underseat compartment could stow a LOT (and did stow a ton of groceries), plus you could access the compartment from any side because of the stretchy fabric.

Cons: 

-PRICE. If you haven't noticed a trend by now, some of the most amazing strollers are more expensive, and usually for a reason. That's not to say you couldn't get a good stroller at a cheaper cost, but for the most part you do get what you pay for. And plan on paying (at least) double when you are carrying more than one child. Also because you could load a lot on this stroller (two car seats with babies, toddler on roller board, stuff in basket and the backpack I usually had on the handlebar), 

-Instability. We had a couple of times where we overloaded the stroller that it tipped because we did not have the weights balanced.

-Length. It often stuck out much farther than I expected

-a lot of moving parts...for folding up and storage I had to take off both seats and then fold up the frame. once I got the snack trays which I could snap off, it was a LOT of parts to remember to take apart and put back together.

Overall: I would have kept and used this stroller for the rest of the time the twins needed to use it! I recommend it to all my friends with babies close in age or with twins because it was a seamless transition from car seats to regular seats. But I got greedy/antsy because I had that itch to run (and even though this brand is "baby jogger" they do not, in fact, recommend running with this stroller!) and I thought maybe if I could sell this whole thing I could afford the Duallie....

Stroller #5: MACLAREN TWIN TRIUMPH

This stroller is more of an honorable mention since I didn't actually purchase it. It was given to me while I was pregnant with the twins (I think they retail around $200). Despite the fact that the canopy was a disaster (and the bane of my existence), and I hated unbuckling those straps, once the twins were able to sit upright (6-8 months) it was the stroller that I kept in my car at all times for errands, and I saved the City Select for walks around the neighborhood or things like the zoo where they would be in the stroller an extended period of time (because the back support on the Maclaren was the WORST). I only used it for about a year (from the twins months 6-18ish) but I definitely formed a strong opinion on umbrella strollers from it.

Pros: 

-it could fit through most doorways easily, 

-folded small and quickly, 

-was lightweight.

-5 point harness

Cons:

-terrible back support

-canopy was difficult to keep in place (which could have been because it was a few years old, secondhand)

-WORST MANEUVERABILITY EVER. You had to have both hands on both handles which is just not my thing.

-too many wheels. I understand this is part of the double stroller thing, but too many wheels means too difficult to get around because they get stuck in the wrong direction which is a huge pet peeve of mine.

-those straps. I can feel my fingers bleeding just thinking about getting kids buckled and unbuckled. With my psoriasis, this was a HUGE dealbreaker for me.

Overall: This was the only umbrella stroller I ever used. And I finally "got" why people got umbrella strollers! They are quick and light and compact, but I am NOT a fan, probably because I need an all-purpose stroller, one that I can do everything with, and these umbrella strollers are just not that good for more than a few minutes. I would not tell anyone to buy a Maclaren.

So, as most of you well know, few months after the twins turned one I decided to get brave, sell all the parts of my City Select and use that money to buy a BOB Duallie. That was 10 months ago. I had some big dreams to race with the boys and spent most of the summer chasing after my two big kids on their bikes with this bad boy. We fell in love with the BOB all over again and even after I had some issues with my pelvic floor (that I kept trying to ignore because I wanted so badly to get back into running), I continued to enjoy using the BOB for walks.

Stroller #6: BOB REVOLUTION DUALLIE

Pros: 

-See same (okay, similar, just bigger) Pro's for the BOB Revolution

-rode like a dream

-fabulous maneuvering

-huge canopy

-big basket

-adjustable handlebars

-off roading!!!

-comfortable and adjustable 5 point harness

-easy one handed fold (for an enormous double jogger!) and snaps together.

Cons:

-PRICE.

-Bulk. I could fit it in the back of my car, but It was not easy. also it was heavy, the heaviest stroller I have had to date. Would I have kept it with a minivan where I wouldn't have had to lift it up so much? I guess we will never know.

Overall:  I would definitely recommend this to my running friends. It is worth every penny for a running stroller with twins or even two kids close in age. It is a wonderful stroller, just not "all purpose" for me when I am not even using it for running.

When I sold my Duallie yesterday, I knew exactly which stroller I was going to get next (I even priced my BOB accordingly!). I wanted to get the City Mini. I had tried the GT version with the twins at the store a few weeks before and loved the umbrella stroller-ish-ness of it, while still being supportive structurally enough that it felt like a substantial stroller (which made sense considering the price tag!). But when I actually tried the standard City Mini, I was grossly disappointed. The handlebar was awkward and the wheels were rumbling around even though I was on about as smooth of a surface as I was going to get. So I tried the GT again with the twins and liked it... but did I like it enough to pay $100 more than I was planning on paying for a stroller? Luckily for me, a couple next to me with two kids was also looking at strollers and they were investigating the sit and stands.

When I really thought about it, with these being our last kids, coupled with the fact that they were already almost 2 years old, so we would get at most 2 years use out of it, was it worth it to spend so much money on what I already knew was a nice stroller (just not one that I could justify spending so much when it was not a long term investment)?

And if I was perfectly honest with myself, Lan is really the only one left that NEEDS to be strapped into a stroller, my darling little runner boy. So I started trying out about a half dozen sit and stand strollers (roughly half the price I was planning on spending, so that was also a bonus). Which brought us to...

(disclaimer: we have only had this stroller two days)

Stroller #7: JOOVY CABOOSE ULTRALIGHT

Pros:

-lightweight for a double stroller

-can use with infant carrier (I would have probably gotten this one if the twins had only been one baby, so with two kids close in age)

-"sit" part can be pushed towards the second seat to give more room for the standing part

-generous sized snack tray (some of the ones we looked at were so small!)

-easy one handed fold and locking mechanism means it folds and fits in the back of my Pilot easily

-generous canopy can cover both kids from sun or rain

Cons:

-the handlebar takes some getting used to, it isn't super conducive for pushing forward heavy weight on the stroller, but I suppose time will tell.

-it moves similar to the snap and go (a harsh difference from the BOB!)

-hard to access bottom storage

Overall: After looking through a LOT of similar looking sit and stand style strollers, this one stuck out to me for the pro's I have listed, most of the others just did not do as well in my mind. I only liked one other stroller initially (that was more expensive) but it did NOT have a locking mechanism, which is crazy and a total deal breaker!

___________________________

It is hard to believe that 7 years after buying our first stroller, we are nearly done with strollers. If I had to pick one I loved more than all the others, it was the single BOB revolution, hands-down, even when we had two kids. But the twins were a gamechanger (and the reason why we needed to try out 4 different kinds of strollers in less than two years!) and I am grateful for the experience we had with each of our strollers. They each suited our needs for the time we had them, even with the time was relatively short. It feels good to be on our last stroller, especially as I think about how much I love and look forward to running, biking, and walking with my kids alongside me! My hope is that no one will ever have to go through as many strollers as we have (especially in such a relatively short period of time!) but hopefully one of these stroller reviews will help someone depending on what situation and phase of life they are in. I can certainly imagine 2018 being the year we say goodbye to our final stroller!

**All these opinions are my own, I was not compensated or sponsored to do this post, I just wanted to share my hundreds of hours of research so that other friends and family members can hopefully benefit!**

first day at crossfit

I survived. It was not as scary as I pictured it being.

Everyone was so nice, so welcoming.
I can see how people fall so hard and so easily for something like this.

The workout was challenging and some of the things felt new and weird and out of my comfort zone but I was coached through it and I loved every minute of it. It's a lot of new terminology but I'm learning and fascinated with all of it. I couldn't even really explain the workout today, except that it involved wall balls, box jumps, and a bunch of other things I don't remember the names of, but one of them was hanging on rings which I haven't done since elementary school. I even got a couple little baby blisters to make me feel like a real Crossfitter.

Needless to say,
I'll be back Monday!

my first bout of mental crazy for 2017 (where I decide to wake up wayyyy before my kids)

my train of thought during bodypump/cx class the other day....

This is boring.

Why am I so bored all the time at the gym?

Yes it's a difficult workout most days but my brain is falling asleep.

thinking back to little a's playdate a few days before, why wasn't she good about actually playing?

She's probably had all of about 4 playdates in the last year (minus visits with the twins).

I don't do anything with her.

I'm a terrible mom.

.............

I need to be better. How?

Why am I wasting two hours of my kids' morning by going to the gym? Drew doesn't go out of town anymore.

I could go to the gym before the kids wake up. We could actually spend time in the mornings doing something for them, for once.

Could I do crossfit?

I mean, I did basically nothing but running and cardio equipment for 10 years, I've been doing  just a bunch of group fitness the past 5, but lately... it just hasn't been making me happy in the way that it used to.

The twins, my last babies, turn 2 in a few months. At this point after little d and after little a, I was either ramping up to get pregnant or I already was pregnant. I haven't held my fitness for longer than about 18 months postpartum. My kids are sleeping through the night and even going to bed at a decent hour (usually everyone is in bed between 7-8).

I feel stronger. My core is stronger than it was a year ago. I have a lot of work to do but is that really going to happen going to pump, kickboxing and cycle?

I'm going to do it.

Tomorrow I'll wake up, go to the gym and workout and shower before the kids wake up.
........................

And this morning I woke up (on my own!) before the crack of dawn, got in a workout and a shower, cancelled my gym membership and made it home before anyone woke up, just after 7am. (I had to drag the big kids out of bed at 7:45, the babies are definitely my early risers).

I had an amazing day with my 3 littles, going to the library for storytime and then a quick trip to the grocery store. Then when I went to put them all down for naps (at 12:30-1), instead of waking up after an hour, they napped for over two hours!! That NEVER happens, and while it is probably a fluke, there is also a chance that since they weren't sitting in front of a tv at the gym childcare and were instead walking around and doing stuff, I actually tired them out for once! The kids helped me with laundry, and it felt like we had more time to do things than usual. I'd honestly thought that spending my mornings with my kids at the gym was for my sanity and for years they have been. But now that I have the choice for the first time in my parenting life... I am going to take it!

Yes, I am tired and yes I am going to try to do it again. I'll keep going to my gym until my membership runs out and then I'll have a go at this crossfit business. I LOVE going to the gym by myself and not having to worry about carrying (sometimes literally) 3 small children with me, who, even if they are used to it, still like to make my life miserable when I want to go.  The key for me this year is realizing the stuff that is making me miserable and then figuring out how to get it out of my life. And even though my headphones didn't work this morning, it was still the best workout (mentally) I have had in a long time. And I am excited to start filling my mornings with playdates and fun activities that I have never had the time (so to speak) to do at my leisure.

This all feels quite empowering.

 (rocking sisters headband)

my last run (indefinitely) and joining the barefoot movement

I have a confession to make. Back in May when Drew and I took a much needed 10 year anniversary trip to Costa Rica, I ran. Every day. Up to an hour each day because it had been AGES since I had been able to run and I had the time to do it outside and the weather was amazing and the sun woke me up between 5-6am and... why not?

Prior to this trip I could probably count on one hand how many miles I have run in TOTAL since giving birth to the twins last year. It was a terrible idea, and one that messed me up for the next month, forcing me to be within reasonable distance from a bathroom at ALL times. It was terrible, It felt like I had JUST given birth (and was a good reminder why I cannot have more children), I felt betrayed by my body, a body I had willingly sacrificed for growing and breastfeeding 4 beautiful children and while I could handle the deflation and loss of my most feminine parts, not being able to run again, was it worth it? I struggled with this for what felt like an eternity (although it was only a few weeks) but thankfully after that time I returned to "normal" and haven't dared to go for a run. Until today.

I've been Mutu-ing like I should for the last two weeks pretty solidly, so I figured, ONE easy mile should be fine, right?

WRONG.

And it should be noted (in case my sisters read this), I had NO problems running after little d or after little a. It has only been since the twins. I don't want to say I will NEVER run again, because I really truly cannot wrap my brain around never getting to run a 5k, much less a half marathon again. But 2017 will not, in fact be the year I focus on running. I will continue to focus on rebuilding my core, which again turns us back to Mutu.

In the Mutu program (which I purchased last year, and no they don't pay me to endorse them. yet!), one of the things they encourage you to do is to go completely barefoot...walking, shoes, etc. No more heels. And to that, I initially said, sure, I only wear high heeled shoes on sundays, no big deal. But the more time I spent on my feet barefoot at home and then would wear heels for even just those three hours a week... I would be in so much pain for the rest of the day that over the course of the last few months and especially the last few weeks my amazing collection of beautiful shoes has been whittled down to a single pair of church shoes (the closest and most comfortable pair of black flats I could ever find, on their last legs but I will wear them into the ground!), a pair of running shoes I may as well give to one of my sisters at this point, and also these new guys:

the Vivos definitely took some getting used to... the first few days of using them I was sore in places of my legs that I have never really been in my life but the longer I have been wearing them (two weeks today!) the less of a difference I feel between when I do and do not have shoes on.

Just over two weeks ago I started to feel some pretty serious pain, which after a visit to a podiatrist he attributed to my bunions and a toe that would need to be shortened surgically someday (both of which I plan to hold off indefinitely on, since they are expensive surgeries that would require a long time off my feet) and he felt my only option was to purchase expensive orthotics that would essentially do the same to my feet as a belly binder/corset would to my stomach at this point in life... it would not just be putting a band-aid on the problem, it would also weaken what is already a weak area (I have very little arches in my feet and very little abdominal muscle in my belly). So I figured if I felt like Mutu has been the best option, I would continue to do what made sense to me. I purchased these shoes the next day, gave away my remaining heeled shoes (keeping one pair of rainboots until I can find some that are barefoot) and haven't looked back. And my feet have not since hurt in the way it did so frequently while I was pregnant with the twins, or more recently before my foot doctor visit.

It isn't easy to feel like you are working so hard to attain something that seems so unattainable. Maybe the only way my stomach will be flat or my feet will never feel pain will be with surgery. But until I reach that point where I feel like I have exhausted every believable option that I can do on my own, I won't quit trying.

proud mama moment with my baby girl (pc: Aunt Cass!)

today I (accidentally and uncertified) taught my first group fitnessclass--Kickboxing!!

Needless to say, after dealing with sick babies for three days, the later part of today was significantly better than... well most of my week thus far.

This morning Drew graciously allowed me to sleep an extra hour while he handled the kids, after I got up and got breakfast ready and realized after last night (co-sleeping attempts with Lo to try to get him to sleep AT ALL), I still felt like I got hit by a bus. Then when the time came around for the babies naps...Lo would not go down. The coughing was driving me nuts and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I just needed to take him to the doctor, so I took him and Little A with me with the promise that we would make a pit stop at Costco as a reward.

Steroids for Lo's Croup and two very well behaved children later we came home after grocery shopping for lunch (and an hour of crying from Lo), FINALLY got Lo to bed and attempted to tackle cleaning the house with Lan. It was a total lost cause so I gave up and took him outside while little d was at a friend's house and Little A was napping and it was so nice to spend some one on one time with my 3rd born.

But then the time came for me to put Lan down for a nap.. and he immediately wakes up Lo (who, while sick, wakes up at the drop of a hat)! Boo. So Lan went to sleep and Lo was...crying when I held him. and crying when I put him down. And crying when I Ergo'd him. So I took him out for a walk in an attempt to not completely lose my mind.

When I got back from my walk...my BOB had arrived! It was not supposed to be shipped until later this week so it was a total, wonderful surprise! 

It took all of 10 minutes for little d and I to tear it open and pop on the 3 wheels (little d was baffled that there was no 4th wheel!) and put Lo in it to give it a little test drive. AHHHHH IT WAS A DREAM!!! Both Drew and I agree that we like it so much more because of ease of pushing than the City Select (which is a relief since we no longer have it!) and the McClaren (a FANTASTIC umbrella stroller for keeping in the car and doing quick errands but not our favorite for family walks). Not that this was a huge surprise to me, since basically the only stroller we had for years was the single BOB Revolution, which we adored. So I soaked in the awesomeness of my game changing stroller for all of 10 minutes and then realized I had to make dinner.

Lo was calm until I brought him back in the house to make dinner and he went BALLISTIC. Snacks and even Koo Koo Kangaroo kept him happy, momentarily. SO. MUCH. Crying. We made it through dinner and I ran off with the big kids (so much kid swapping today! Thank goodness Drew took up a lot of that slack so I didn't have to do a lot of this with all four kids!) to the gym for a kickboxing class.

I get to the class, 5 minutes late. and there is NO ONE THERE. I asked the guy at the front desk and he says he is looking into it, no idea why the instructor is not there yet. Two other girls, Lani and Lauren, are waiting for the class as well. I hop onto the elliptical for a few minutes and mull over my options. 1-I could keep doing the elliptical for the next hour. Boring!! No thanks. I came to the gym so that I could do something fun for myself. so #2 won over-Try to use my 15 years of taking kickboxing classes and attempt to recreate a class myself. I took a deep breath, cued up my "RockMyRun" app (my lifesaver for workout playlists since I never have time to put any together!) and told the other two girls my plan. An employee brought in a connector to plug my phone in to the speakers (that only had 19% battery!!) and I tried my best to pull together a fun workout that wouldn't scare away these kickboxing first-timers.

45 minutes FLEW by and before I knew it, we were stretching and I was heading home. The girls loved my "class" and I knew I had just found my phase 2 of my career. I enjoyed teaching art so much a couple of years ago, but the more kids I had the less desire I had to go back to that, and the more scared I got that I would never find something that would make money that I could do for work. Today's class changed that for me. I sort of had in the back of my mind for a few years that I would enjoy being a group fitness instructor, but today lit a fire in me that I have not felt in a long, long time.

I think I just admitted (eek!) that I am looking towards a career change from arts and education to fitness.

Working out at 20 weeks pregnant with twins and dr visit #4

Three ultrasounds and four total OB visits at our 20 week mark. My cervix is doing awesome, as everyone loves to tell me, (in sure you wanted to know that, I guess it's a big deal when you're pregnant with twins and do not want to go into preterm labor) so I was pleased that my doctor gave me the thumbs up for continuing to work out as I have been doing the last 4.5 months, so long as nothing alarming changes on that front. Heartbeats at 160 and 150, lots of movement, and 20 pounds up from prebabies.

Plenty of people don't work out while pregnant because they don't feel the need to and I say, all the more power to you! To each his own. But a decent among of people have asked about working out/staying fit with twins (or for my third pregnancy) and while I am no professional on the matter (insert disclaimer here so I dont get sued), I wanted to share a couple things I've learned through the three times I've gone through this whole pregnancy and working out bit... Some of the workout rules I live by during this special (and fleeting) stage of my life:

1. Don't be stupid. If you didn't work out before you were pregnant, training for a marathon on isn't going to happen with a baby in utero. That being said, I quit working out at about 30 weeks with little d and struggled with insomnia, lack of circulation in my legs, pains and soreness all over my body and a general feeling of lethargy for 10 weeks. So doing a little something, even just a little prenatal yoga/stretching or walking, does a body good.

2. Listen to your body. Anyone can and will give you advice on your pregnancy and you should take it with a grain of salt. I felt amazing when I was pregnant with little a and was running sprints and doing burpees and just about everything at 90% capacity right up until my water broke, honestly because I hoped it would put me into labor earlier than 40 weeks (it didn't).

(Belly hanging out is officially the start of my "maternity workout shirts only" phase. NOT used to this happening so early... I hope Drew is ready for me to ransack his closet in a few months!) 

3. When in doubt, take it slow or modify. We have had 3 mini bouts of sickness in the family, each one I have had to take a little time off working out for a few days to a week and when I get back into the gym, I always ease into it carefully. The nike training app has been awesome for this, because I don't feel a ton of pressure like I do in a regular workout class to perform to my limit. It gives you a workout and a set amount of time to do it in, leaving you to take it as hard or easy as you want. For example: with push-ups I always try to do 2-3 at a time on my knees first, then try a regular, unmodified one. Downward dog to stretch my core and back then repeat. None of the drills is longer than a minute, and they give you a good amount of breaks in each workout (assuming you don't choose the advanced option).

4. Don't get out of breath and take breaks when you need to. I started out keeping track of my heart rate early on in this pregnancy then just went by perceived exertion. I've been working out long enough to know when I am pushing my body too hard.

5. Stop if it hurts. There is good muscle soreness when you are pregnant, but certainly so much thing as hurting so good. This goes back to my first two rules. I have left a class in the middle of it because of pain, and you should never feel any shame to do so. 

6. Forget your abs. They are a lost cause. With the exception of planks which work your whole core (ie your back, which at least in my case I cannot neglect or I get terrible back pain!), I do no strict abdominal work, BUT most of the weights work I do usually incorporates my core, so I have to remember that and adjust accordingly. For example, when I do squats into shoulder presses, I actually use my core to push up the weights... Which is why I have gone down from 15 pound weights. Another example is weighted plank rows I now do without weights but it's still a great workout.

7. Focus on what you can control: anything but your midsection. That leaves you with butt, legs, arms, back... Plenty of stuff (in my book) to keep me busy

8. Don't depend solely on cardio. This was my problem in my first pregnancy, and eventually I got to the point where  I couldn't run or ride a bike or do the elliptical comfortably so I gave up. Go out of your comfort zone and try something new (i guess this is the best sort of advice to give to someone before getting pregnant, since trying new stuff is more challenging once you are preggo).

9. Remember why you are working out in the first place. When you're pregnant and you have older children to chase after like I do, the goal is more to maintain a level of fitness to keep sanity alive and to keep up with the kids outside your womb. The goal should NEVER be weight loss, at least not until after the baby comes.

10. Get a good support system in place. My husband is my number one support. He knows how much happier I am when I work out and gently encourages me on days when I am not sure if I should go. But I still have a few of my family and friends who chastise me in my decisions...if that is the case, just realize it's inevitable and ultimately you know what's best for you. And strangers are the worst. I have people I don't even know that approach me in the gym and scold/attempt to shame me for doing what I am doing because of what it could be doing to my unborn baby (imagine if they knew I was carrying two!). I do feel this misunderstanding about working out while pregnant is an older thought...more often than not it is older (60+) people who make these criticisms, and that this rising generation (my doctors included) are quite supportive of working out within uncomplicated multiples pregnancy. I kindly explain with a smile that I've done this twice before and my children survived those "brutal" workouts just fine. Either way, I have learned not to let it bother me.

I am so grateful to have been able to make it to 20 weeks and not have to modify more than I felt I wanted to. Every day is a new challenge and every week these babies are still inside of me growing is a blessing and a miracle. I don't know what each new week will bring, so I try to take advantage of each workout as if it were my last one in my pregnancy (because eventually, it will be!). I am grateful I started out in this pregnancy 6 pounds over my "prebaby" weight, because I was still able to workout in my first trimester and eat what I could tolerate and even if I didn't gain worthy I at least was able to break even.

Working out in my first trimester, when water tastes like SO GROSS, was a huge blessing. I always drank how much I needed to on days that I would work out because the thirst from working out caused me to not care as much about the apparent flavor water seemed to have for 16 miserable weeks.

(Starting to "torpedo" out, much like I did with little d... I try to only complain when it gets in the way :))

I am still able to cart around my 25 pounder and occasionally my 40 pounder when necessary. Post workout I get a nice boost of energy (and appetite) that usually lasts a few much needed hours. So while working out while pregnant with multiples and toting a toddler and preschooler along for the ride, is no picnic, it's worth it to me at this time in my life. My workouts since having little d have been about five to six days a week up to an hour. Since little a, it's more like 45 minutes 5-6 days a week, and since these babies it's only been about 30 minutes 4-5 times a week, but at least it's something I can be proud of. On to the second half!