Howdy,

My sweet baby girl was 8 months old on March 9th, and I feel like this past month has been a big one. She's turning into such a tiny person, and I just love getting to know her personality more and more each day. Belle loves to laugh deep deep belly laughs and thinks Daddy's burps are purely for her entertainment. She hasn't started crawling yet, but she rocks so hard, it's only a matter of time before she tumbles forward onto her hands and knees. She just started pulling up on things this past weekend, even though that technically happened after her 8 month birthday, I just had to share! Every day is definitely a new (and sometimes sleepy) adventure with this little one!

Belle is still a huge fan of basketball, especially if she gets to watch it from her daddy's lap. The lights, all the people, and the interesting noises keep her very entertained. She of course loves the cute outfits she gets to wear as well (even if they are burnt orange)!


She is also still fascinated by her toes, and never ceases to amaze me with her flexibility! If you need to keep her entertained for a few minutes, simply rip of her socks and she's good to go!


Annabelle would still rather eat books than read them, but we are working on that! I like to think she's still soaking up the knowledge right?

On the other hand, baby girl DOES NOT like green peas. I've tried them a few times, and each time results in some version of this face or gagging. Looks like we are going to have to skip these for awhile! I know I shouldn't laugh, but the faces she makes when she doesn't like a food are just hilarious. She can be quite dramatic.


She is also not the biggest fan of sleeping these days. I'm not sure if she's going through a sleep regression or if her top teeth are about to pop through, but the past 4 nights have been pretty rough. Last night, she did a little bit better so hopefully we are on the upswing. Whenever she decides she is not tired, she turns her bumper into a jungle gym and goes to town. We have to pull it out of her crib so it doesn't distract her most days.


Belle may not like peas or naps, but she LOVES  puffs. It was amazing to watch her master picking up those little guys with her fingers in less than a day! Don't stand between this lady and her puffs or you might get spit up on!


She also still loves giving slobbery kisses. She'll often attack you when you're least expecting it, and I love it! I'll take a slobbery snotty kiss from this tiny human any time!


Although you might not guess from the picture on the left, Belle loves going shopping. So many cool things to look at and people to talk to. Plus, mommy usually caves and buys super cut things like pink baby aviators. Who could pass these up, seriously?


Lately, Annabelle has been a busy girl helping mommy with Pilates MatchMatness. It's hard work modeling for a new picture every day, but Belle handles it like a champ. She loves showing off all of her cute accessories like this beanie!


Most days with this one are lots of smiles and giggles, but she definitely has her rough days as well (just keeping it real). I think she's ready to be on the move, but hasn't quite mastered crawling yet so she gets bored and frustrated easily. I also think those top two teeth are going to pop through any day which can't be comfortable. You have to capture the good times and the bad right? Side note, Belle loves to try to eat the button off of this pillow which explains the massive drool mark to the right of her head.


Overall, baby girl has had an exciting month full of learning, new adventures, giggles, and lots of cuddles. She is absolutely the light of my world, and I feel so blessed to get to be her mommy!


I can't wait to see what the next month has in store for us! I hope you all have a great rest of your Tuesday!

Mommies, did your kiddos go through a sleep regression? If so, how long did it last?

In health,

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Howdy!

I hope you're Tuesday is treating you well so far. Minestarted off sweaty a fabulous with a 6 AM Pilates Mat class, 7 AM Barre Express class, and 9 AM Barre class. I had such a great crew this morning and we had a blast getting sweaty and foggy up the windows. Well, at least I know I did. Hopefully, they did as well! I would be lying if I didn't tell you I was pooped after three back to back classes. An awesome playlist is the most essential element for teaching when you are a bit tired or really any early morning class if you ask me. Music can make all the difference in the world when it comes to a great class!

If you were to ask my students what my favorite song is, they would tell you that I have a new favorite every week!  Totally true! I just love discovering new songs and coming up with choreography to match. I've had people ask me in the past if music is really that important for a good class, and the answer is always YES! There are so many proven benefits to working out with music, and when it comes down to it, it's just MORE FUN!

• Synchronization of movements - According to Dr. Carl Foster, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, “You can go all the way back to rowers on the Roman Galleys. The guy is sitting there beating on his drum and he drives the basic rhythm of the rowing. Part of that is coordination – you want the rowers to row together – but part of it is that people will naturally follow a tempo. It’s just something about the way our brains work.” There isn 't a fitness instructor out there who doesn't love when the whole class is moving together in unison. It just brings such an energy to the class!
• Provide a positive distraction from exercise induced discomfort. We all know a great song can make or break us when our legs are shaking and our quadriceps are burning! 
• Music makes exercise more enjoyable - Professor Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., from London’s Brunel University School of Sport and Education states, “[Music] can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent.” I was using David Guetta's "Hey Mama" song in my barre class recently, and it was literally one of the hardest sets I've done in a while, but I just LOVED  that stinkin' song so I actually looked forward to it every class. 
• Helps students “get in the zone” or let go of outside distractions and focus on the moment. You've all been in class when your jam comes on and you think to yourself, "I am totally about to kill it right now." Your eyes start to focus, your head may bob to the beat, and you take it to that next level. Katy Perry "Black Horse" anyone! That song does it for me every time! 
• Improves mood - When it comes right down to it, and great song can just make you smile. Maybe it reminds you of a happy memory, you love to sing along with it, or it just makes you want to dance. Regardless, when a great song comes on, you just can't help but work a little harder. 

In unrelated Annabelle news, baby girl is finally learning how to hold her own bottle. Kara, our wonderful babysitter at ToddPilates, snapped this picture for me during class today. What a big girl!


I hope you all have an amazing rest of your Tuesday! Stay warm!

What is your favorite song on your workout playlist right now? 

In health,

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Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope everyone had a fantastic week and is ready for the weekend. Who am I kidding, when are we ever not ready for the weekend? In honor of all the fabulous things that happened this week, I am linking up with Heather for Friday Favorites!


1) Play Dates - Yesterday, Belle and I had the pleasure of hanging out with Olina and her fabulous Mommy, Holly. The girls played at the house (well, looked at each other and tried to reach for the same toy), and then we went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. The weather was gorgeous! You know it was a successful play date when the babies pass out immediately afterwards.



2) Vanilla Almond Crisp Oatmega Bars - This is officially my new favorite Oatmega flavor. I am usually a peanut butter all the way kind of girl, but these guys are amazing. They almost remind me of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. I just love how they only have 3g of sugar and no crazy ingredients!


4) TexFit - I am so excited about the fitness conference I get to attend this weekend. Every year, all of the Texas campus recreation center's group fitness instructors get together for a fitness extravaganza. You get to attend classes by instructors from all around the state and learn what classes are going well at other schools. For me, it is extra fun because I get to catch up with fitness friends from far and wide!

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11 Facts About Me:

1. I am the oldest of 6 kids and completely live up to the Type A, over controlling, Mama bear oldest child stereo type! Just ask my younger siblings. :)
2. I am 110% obsessed with the mountains. Give me mountain trails over the beach any day. If I could live somewhere with a mountain out my back door and no neighbors anywhere around, I would be one happy camper (not that I'm anti-social, but nothing makes me happier than a great nature view and plenty of trails to explore).
3. Following up on #2, my favorite thing to do is go on a hike or walk with friends. 
4. I love visiting new places and will take experiences of material things every time. 
5. Jason's Deli is my favorite restaurant. Yep, you read that right, nothing fancy for this girl. A salad bar and some free chocolate and vanilla swirled frozen yogurt make me a happy as a lark. 
6. I am probably the biggest light weight in the world. Two glasses of wine, and someone better drive me home and tuck me in bed. 
7. Since graduating college 4.5 years ago, I've lived in 5 different houses, 4 cities, and 2 states. 
8. Unless I'm at the lake, pool, or beach, I HATE extremely hot weather (not so good for a girl who lives in Texas). 
9. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I would probably eat it for every meal of the day if I could. Well I guess I could, but it probably wouldn't be the most nutritious choice. 
10. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for five years this May, and he is the absolute love of my life. Thanks for putting up with me for 11 years E! :) 
11. If I could choose one word to describe me, it would be "mom," because nothing in this entire world brings me more joy than being Annabelle's mom. Everyone tell you that you never truly understand how much you can love someone until you have a child, and that is definitely the truth. 

DeAun in the white jacket with just a few of her girls at Dallas Mania.

In health,

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Happy Monday Everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and an amazing Valentine's Day! We partied hard at the George household! Ok, maybe not exactly "hard," but we definitely had fun! It was a fantastic day from start to finish.

Belle gave me an early Valentine's present by sleeping until 5:30 AM before she requested her first feeding. After I fed her, I squeezed in a quick garage workout and shower. Then I started swiffering the floor expecting her to wake up at any second, but she didn't. She slept for so long I got to sweep, mop, and clean the bathrooms (doesn't sound all that glamorous, but I was so thankful she slept long enough for me to get it all done)!

After spending the morning with Annabelle and E (and enjoying the gluten free muffins E surprised me with), I head to the studio for our special Valentine's Day class. Todd had the great idea to do a love song extravaganza class to celebrate Valentine's Day. Each instructor taught 2-3 songs choreographed to our favorite love songs. Of course, I had to go with upbeat songs, so I chose:

"Living For Love," by Madonna
"When Love Takes Over (feat Kelly Rowland)," by David Guetta
"What I did for Love (feat Emeli Sande)," by David Guetta

You can find these songs and check out my full playlists on my playlists page.

The class was an absolute blast! All of the instructors did great and our class brought their A Game with a ton of energy. After class, there was an after party at Water 2 Wine with wine, snacks, and lots of great company. Below, is my recently graduated trainee, Katie, and she absolutely kicked butt in class. I am so proud of what an amazing instructor she has become. Watch out Pilates world, Katie is coming for you!


Crazy socks and leg warmers called for ridiculous poses of course! Throw back to our cheerleading days.


After class, I headed home to find my sweet tiny human dressed to the 9's in Valentine's Day apparel. The weather was so amazing, we had to take a family walk. She was all smiles the whole time.


She loves to sport Dad's hat anytime he will share. I have to admit, I think it looks even better on her than on E.


After our walk, she showed off her gymnastics skills to all of our neighbors. She cracks up uncontrollably anytime E tosses her in the air. Even when she is at her fussiest, this will usually stop the crying.


And of course, she is still mesmerized by her toes.


After dinner, we decided to take a stroll on the brand new boardwalk that just opened at Lady Bird Lake. It was a gorgeous night, and there was hardly a soul on the boardwalk. It was so nice to just be able to walk and chat while taking in the views. We probably walked for over an hour, and it was just perfect.


The views of the skyline from the boardwalk were absolutely amazing. I love how all of the lights reflect off of the water. If you live in Austin, you have to go check it out at night.


No date night is complete without dessert, so before heading home, we stopped by Central Market for my favorite gelato. It was delicious as always. We hung out there for awhile to soak in a bit more quality time before heading home. It was the perfect ending to the perfect Valentine's Day!

We took E's mom to Wildwood Bakehouse for brunch on Sunday (I am getting so spoiled by all the brunch I've been eating lately), and then spent the rest of the day doing laundry, running errands, doing work from home (both of us), and hanging out with Belle. Nothing too crazy, but nice all the same. Linking up with the wonderful Biana at B Loved Boston for this weekend recap!

I hope you all got to spend time this weekend with those you love!

What did you do this weekend?

Favorite upbeat love song?

In health,

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Howdy Friends!

It's already time for another monthly update on our sweet giggly baby girl. I really think these get more fun to write each month. This past month was definitely a big one full of  so many new experiences, changes, and lots of learning.

One of my favorite things about this past month was watching Annabelle discover her toes. One day we were sitting on the couch and you could tell she was really starting to notice them for the first time. She kept grabbing them and trying to bring them to her mouth. She thinks that if she just opens her mouth a little wider, objects will magically get closer to it. She tried over and over again to lift them up to her mouth and then finally discovered she could just bend over and bring her mouth to her toes instead of vice versa. This resulted in a lot of this...


She also loves to play with them while she is lying down. It cracks me up every time. I love and cherish every stage, but this one is extra fun. She is one big ball of giggles and smiles all day (until nap time of course)! She is extremely ticklish and will play pick-a-boo with you for hours if you'll play along. Baby girl loves to help mom in the kitchen and sits in her high chair and talks to me while I cook dinner every night (aka squeals and throws all her toys on the ground over and over again).


We ventured out to eat a few times this past month and Belle did great. She loves sitting in her high chair and taking in the restaurant. She also loves chewing on the table. Don't worry, I sanitized it first (overprotective mom confession). We have to time going out to eat right around her naps, but overall, she's been great! I think this dinner happened just a few days before her first tooth cut through. She now has two shiny new bottom teeth peeking through her gums!



Belle thinks E is pretty much the funniest most entertaining person on the planet. He can always make her laugh and comfort her when she is upset. It's been so fun to watch her really bond with him over the past month. They have so much fun together watching sports, playing with her toys, going on walks, and flying around the house with champ. Baby girl could not ask for a more amazing dad!



Annabelle is all about talking this month too! She often keeps up a running conversation with herself during the day and loves telling stories. Additionally, she has also figured out how to make a VERY high pitched squealing noise that sometimes only champ can here. You can tell she is very impressed with herself when she makes it!


Belle still doesn't quite know what to think about solid foods. She is much more excited about trying to grab the spoon out of our hands than actually eating the food. We did discover that she HATES green peas. She literally gagged and threw up 3x's the first time a fed them to her before I finally threw in the towel. Of all things to hate, right? Sweet potatoes and apple sauce are definitely on the top of her list of favorites.


She still loves going to work with mommy. Luckily, I work with the nicest people in Austin, and all of the other employees and students give Belle TONS of attention. She likes to sit on my mat and talk to everyone before and after class.


Since it's been 70+ degrees here for most of January and February, we have been enjoying afternoon walks almost every day. Luckily for mommy, it's still one of Belle's favorite things. She loves lounging in her Bob with the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar while strolling around the block. Most of the time she tells Mr. Caterpillar very long and exciting stories as we walk.


Airplane is an instant crowd pleaser with Belle and she will let you do it until your arms fall off. Baby girl is not light!


Her hand eye coordination has really improved this month. She can really grab things with a lot more precision. Belle was grabbing the tiny string on my birthday balloon right out of the air without any problems. It is so fun to watch her master new skills.


Probably the most exciting thing that happened this month was Belle finally mastering rolling over!!! I was so worried that she was never going to roll over, but the second she figured it out, there was no stopping her. Now, she won't stay on her tummy for .5 seconds without immediately rolling over. So much for tummy time!


I can't believe another month has flown by at the speed of light. Each and every day I get to spend with this little beauty is a true gift. She makes me smile and laugh all day long. Her personality is developing more and more and I just love watching her grow.


I can't imagine my life without my little side kick! Grocery shopping would be so boring without that cute little face to keep me company!

I hope you all have a fabulous rest of your Thursday.

For my fellow mommies or even older siblings, what was your favorite stage during your child's first year?

In health,

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