Carissa Moore

I am now just over a month postpartum. So much has happened since my last post and so much I want to share including my birth story but since I probably only have thirty minutes before baby O wakes up and wants to feed, I am going to get down as much of what’s on my mind right now.

First off, I love being a mom. It’s hard AF but I love it. Nothing could have prepared Luke and I for the steep learning curve of parenthood. I wish there was a manual, but there isn’t. The advice and google searches have been super helpful but every situation is unique and different. You kind of just jump into the deep end of the pool and figure out how to swim. A few weeks in and I finally feel like Luke, ‘Olena and I are finding our groove, understanding each other…

I have grown so much since my last post and am in the final month of my pregnancy!! Less than four weeks till my perceived due date. Despite being large and in charge, I feel pretty good. I've had to get creative with surfing but am still catching a few waves! My belly is the size of a beach ball so paddling prone long distances is not really possible anymore. I swim my board out to the lineup, when a wave approaches I do a quick sprint with "my butt in the air like I just don’t care" and then awkwardly get to my feet. The ride isn’t anything special yet it is. Something about still being able to stand up on a wave and ride in some capacity at this stage makes me feel like I am conquering the world. Even though I am in the water less than…

My baby girl,

You are the size of a squash this week and supposedly 2 whole pounds! Wow! You have been moving and grooving and kicking mom in the bladder a whole lot, haha. I don’t mind. I just love you and want you to be happy and healthy. I really am so grateful to have you growing inside me. I know I am in a position many women dream of but are maybe not so fortunate. In the moments of struggle I just remind myself how lucky we are that you chose us when you did. Some days have been hard on me lately. Challenging mentally and emotionally. I look myself in the mirror and don’t recognize who I am anymore, both physically and in my own head. My daily routine, pace, priorities and goals have changed so much in such a short amount of time. Surfing is a…

Hi mamas and friends!

Just wanted to check in and give you a little update. I'm into the second trimester and feeling like a brand new woman. Hallelujah! The nausea has pretty much disappeared (hopefully, knock knock on wood), the overwhelming sense of fatigue has for the most part subsided (I still love my naps) and my belly isn't big enough to be in the way yet. I've been feeling good enough and strong enough to get back to exercising in all the ways I love with a few modifications of course.

Movement and being active has always been my happy place. Whenever I'm feeling down or out of sorts, getting in the water, going for a walk or doing a short workout always helps to change my mood and shift my perspective. First trimester was hard on my mental state because I had to really scale back my activities. There…