Fighter | I have Crohn's Disease.

I often get the question "What is Crohn's Disease?". By definition: Crohn's Disease is an autoimmune disease that effects the digestive tract. It is also known as "IBD" or inflammatory bowel disease. There is NO cure for Crohn's, only medicines to maintain symptoms. Common terms: my intestines hate life and are attacking themselves. Constantly.

In June of 2014 I began having symptoms of CD but didn't know it. I was using the bathroom so many times a day that I lost over twenty pounds without trying. Luckily, I had (and still have) a wonderful friend who was my advocate on getting tested. She too lives with this disease and has become a purple ribbon sister to me, b
ut also my teacher in learning about the changes my body can go through during a flare. (Love you, Ashley!) So, I went to the doctor and I remember telling her my symptoms and bringing up CD. Thank goodness she took me seriously and found out what test to run to hopefully rule it out. Crohn's is rare and can be hard to diagnose. I did the samples, blood work, etc. and waited for them to come back.

I was sitting in the room with my three month old baby girl, my husband was deployed, anxious to hear what these results would bring. Everything that shouldn't be elevated, was. Everything that was supposed to be normal, was abnormal. My stomach sank and tears flowed down my face as she told me "I do believe you have Crohn's".  I had to have a colonoscopy to be sure. Unfortunately the doctor who did my test did not properly give me my results so I spent two more years in limbo. Still loosing weight. Still extremely fatigued. Malnourished no matter what or how much I ate.


Enter Charlee and the worst pain I had ever, ever endured in my life. Up until this I had never felt natural childbirth (I have now and nothing compares!) but this pain I had in my stomach I never wanted to experience again. I had a seventeen month old baby, and a five week old baby so I wasn't ready to admit I was sick and something was very wrong. After much convincing from my husband I went to the hospital. An abscess in my intestines was found and I was admitted.  I spent about a week on IV antibiotic and then discharged STILL WITH NO DIAGNOSIS. Just "oh you probably do have Crohn's". My frustration was through the roof.

I was re-admited to the military hospital, this time with said abscess but now a fistula as well. A fistula is a tunnel that forms from abscesses and can come to the surface of the skin, or connect things. Mine connected my bowels to my bladder. I will always, always, ALWAYS be so thankful for the military doctors at Fort Bliss because they finally diagnosed me with Crohn's disease. Finally I had a face to the monster that was controlling my life. Finally I could explain to people that I had a disease not just a stomach ache. That no, in fact I don't "just have IBS."

I had a surgery in February of 2016 to remove a portion of my colon, part of my bladder and my appendix. I started Humira injections and now have moved onto infusion therapy. I go every eight weeks for a Remicade cocktail and nap. My Crohn's for now is behaving, but its such a temperamental disease that it could change within the hour. I have had to learn so much about my body in the last three years, cut things from my life, learn how to be healthy and watch for warning signs of colon cancer or even medicine induced lupus.

Ive gotten some crazy questions along the way about CD and wanted to clear the air a little and provide some etiquette for people when inquiring.

-My disease is more than just using the bathroom or a stomach ache. Imagine the WORST stomach ache you have ever had. Then remember that after you use the bathroom the pain goes away. Not for people with Crohn's. The pain is constant and hard to manage. Day in, day out.
-I am not trying to loose weight and saying things like "oh man, I wish I had your problem" is insensitive. I am malnourished and you don't want that problem, I promise.
-CROHN'S IS NOT CONTAGIOUS. I wont infect you!
-Yes, I go to the hospital. A lot. Sorry, I do not keep a Doctor on staff in my home.
-Crohn's Disease and IBS are not the same. Similar, maybe. The symptoms do cross paths but IBS does not cause inflammation in intestines and its not autoimmune.

If you EVER feel like something is not right with your body be sure you take it seriously! Talk with a Doctor, do not let people brush you off. Find an advocate who will stand by your side and fight with you. God only knows what I would do if I didn't have my amazing family/friends, and Ashley. She has taught me SO much about Crohn's, she checks in on me when I am sick, and the convo's we have aren't that of normal mom talk. We are grown women who found an awesome friendship via hemorrhoids, poop, pain and anything else this disease brings our way!

I may be sick but I am not weak. I have a fight so deep inside of my bones to get better. My life will never be a easy ride with Crohn's but it will always be a learning experience. Not only for myself but for my children. I never want them to look back an think, oh we never did anything cause mom was sick- or remember me being controlled by my disease. Crohn's doesn't hold me back from anything.. okay well only if there isn't a public bathroom- but thats it! I want to raise my children to be compassionate of people, to understand that everyone has difficulties in their life one way or another but its how we overcome them. THATS why I don't let this disease rule me. If I did I would be completely paralyzed with fear and negative thoughts. I have enough odds against me, I am going to live my life happy and optimistic, and take the flares as they come.

"I still got a lot of fight left in me."

If you never read another post from my blog, I am so thankful that you read this one.

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

When I became pregnant with my oldest daughter, Kyler, I didn't expect another baby for a very, very long time. I had her in the middle of a year long deployment so my husband missed my entire pregnancy starting at 15 weeks and came home when she was about six months old. 

We have what we call "the nine month curse" even though it's really a blessing. When Kyler was nine months old I became pregnant with Charlee. When Charlee was nine months old, you guessed it- along came Colt! 

I was thrown into the whirlwind of three under three while my husband was once again deployed. It was the hardest adjustment for me because I had a little post-partum depression. I would cry because I missed my husband and that he was missing out on so much again. I would get over whelmed with my daughters. Even though Colt was a super easy baby, I had a very hard time adjusting to a mom of three. Something I never vocalized until just now. 

Now a days my days are filled of crazy, hectic commotion and I. LOVE. IT. Most days I play referee between my girls. Kyler likes to tattle and Charlee likes to hit. See my problem? 

Recently I am potty training Kyler who REFUSES to poop on the toilet. (If you have advice on this please leave a comment, because I've tried EVERYTHING). Teaching the girls how to do chores because I'm a bit OCD. Okay, a lot OCD. Working with Colt on his physical therapy home work. He has a flat spot on his head we are rounding out. All the while keeping the house work and laundry done. Being a SAHM is exhausting, man. 

Some days I dream of going back to work. I think about how nice it will be when they start school and I can use the bathroom alone. And then I remember, I can't even work out for an hour with out peeking in the window at kids care! Who am I kidding! 

To be honest,  I am not even sure what my identity is outside of being a mother to these babies. The crazy part, I am totally okay with that. 

I do have a few wishes to the SAHM gods though. 

• laundry that does itself. Like all of the steps. I want the whole sha-bang. 
• Pacifiers that can never be lost. 
• Toddlers that can't tattle tale. 
• New episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. For the love of all things, this is a NEED! 
• A toddler who can always articulate what snack they want, or what movie they want to watch. Without crying for bonus point. 
• Potty trained automatically at one. That one would be awesome. 

You know just a few simple request! 

But seriously. If you are living this stay at home mom life with me, remember YOU are just as important as your partner. I had a hard time (and still do) remembering that what I do at home is VERY much so a job. Just because it's not a regular nine to five does not take away the importance of what I am doing. Shout out to the awesome hubby's like mine who help remind women like me! 

We are blessed to have this opportunity. I'm sure there are many, many mothers who wished they were on our side of the fence. Embrace it momma, because while it's not always easy- it's worth it! 

Thanks for reading! 

Be beYOUtiful

 Vulnerable moment/confession here-

A couple years ago when I tried to start lifting with D in the gym I completely stopped because I didn't look like the other girls I was in there with.
They were gorgeous, fit girls. Perfect hair and make up, cute outfits.. the works. I felt like a dumpy, post baby bod, mom bun, mess. Looking back now, I know my self worth is much more than what I am wearing and that I am in the gym to WORK out not win a beauty contest.
But we are women and we like to look cute. I mean, if you feel nice then you're probably going to work harder because your confidence is up, and you're not focusing on your appearance. At least that's how it works for me.
I swore this time getting back in the gym I WOULD not compare myself to others. Not my form. Not my clothes. Hair. NOTHING! When I find myself doing this I say to myself "girl, you are a mom of THREE! Get it babe!" Because I am. I am a mother. This messy bun is about as good as it gets these days, I don't have the time to beautify myself to sweat. Sorry, I just don't.

*BUT*
I do have a sweet spot for cute work out clothes. If my head is gonna look a mess, I'm gonna try to feel cute in my clothes! Haha.
I get ALL of my work out clothes from places like Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Because, three kids in diapers, hunti!
That adds up quick! I can't afford Under Armor, Nike and Yogalicious on a SAHM salary.
 I'm sure every woman who is reading this has a favorite out of those three stores. (cough tj maxx/marshalls cough) I literally go to them for EVERY. THING. Their athletic clothing obviously being my favorite.

My point is, you can feel your best even if you don't have the flashiest clothes. You can work out just as hard and great as the next lady in your $12.99 yoga pants. Your clothing doesn't define who YOU are. You are a mom. You are strong. You are beautiful.

Thanks for reading!

MOVE IT MAMA | My favorite playlist to work out to

I NEED music during my work outs, its a must. On any ole regular day I am a avid country music listener. I grew up on it, its basically in my blood- but sometimes you cant get pumped up listening to Carrie Underwood or classic 90's tunes (my fave!).

 Depending on what I am working out that day my genre of music changes.  I have a playlist on my phone that has a little bit of everything from Creed to Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus to Britney Spears. Super random but sometimes its just what I need.. 

I also use pandora because I can type things like "twerk" in and an entire station of rump shaking music will pop up to ensure I get through my squat routine. I mean, have you worked out and listened to Big Sean "A$$, its life changing haha! It also helps because I do alot of booty exercises on my leg day as well, so it makes it fun. I promise, the next time you are doing squats or anything booty related use this pandora station. Its also a great mind to muscle technique. 

I find when doing arms, back and chest that I enjoy listening to things like Five Finger Death Punch, Creed, and similar sounding bands. It helps push me through when I get worn out quickly on these days.

Country music is still and always will be my favorite genre to listen to even though I really enjoy tons of other types of artist. Now that I have two toddler girls I spend a lot of time singing "let it go" or "Moana", but hey- they love it so I guess Im doing okay! 

Quick tip for my fellow momma's out there. If you search on itunes or even pandora "Jammy Jams" or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Rockstar" a ton of popular songs have been remade into lullaby's for little ones. Since we co-sleep this is something we listen to every night in bed. Its pretty awesome, give it a try! :)

Thanks for reading, and as always leave me a comment! I want to know what is your favorite type of music to work out to?

MILSO | Life as a Army Wife

My husband and I met five years ago, started dating and the rest is history. A very short time after dating we decided to get married and I was thrown into the whirlwind of being a military spouse. 

I grew up with a step father who was in the Army. So while I was familiar with the lifestyle, I never had experienced it from the end of being the one IN the relationship. What a world of difference.  Growing up, when my step dad was away that meant my siblings and I took it as "how far can we push our limits" haha. But I never knew how stressful it really can be until I became a wife and mother. 

My husbands career doesn't define my marriage though. At the end of it all, I married the man BEHIND the uniform. I mean, he is great to look at IN uniform, don't get me wrong- but it's just a perk. 

When I got married I didn't think of deployment, field problems, training away from home, all the things that would eventually leave me home without him. 

Two years after we got married I gave birth to our first daughter. Without him. He was deployed and watched his first child be born via Skype. That was rough. 

BUT in the short months that followed I began having Crohn's symptoms and without him I'd never be able to see the specialist I needed to be diagnosed or manage my disease. So it's kind of a bittersweet relationship we have with the Army. It became a little harder to live this life when we had babies. Now we were uprooting little ones who didn't really understand why we had to move, or why daddy was leaving for periods of time. Luckily our girls bounce back quickly, we are very blessed that they are so resilient. 

Together we have endured two deployments both a baby was born during, so cliche Army. Haha. We lived in El Paso, Texas for four years.. then came back to Fort Bragg last year. My husband is a fueler so he spends a lot of time around fuel and smells when he comes home. #stanky 

My husband and I are probably as patriotic as they come. Even if we wanted to I don't think we could any other life. The Army provides us a great life. It does get hard at times but it's also super rewarding. 

If you are a military spouse leave me a comment with your story or best advice for fellow milso! 

Thanks for reading! 

Feed me Friday | Eating better while working out

Who loves to eat, raise your hand! (hand raise) Who loves to eat junk, fast food, candy, cake.. did I miss anything? (Double hand raise!!) Let me tell you, I love pizza and pretty much every carb on the face of this planet. But when starting my new healthy lifestyle I knew I needed to take a break from my terrible eating habits. 

To be VERY clear-- I do not diet. I have changed my eating habits for two reasons. One. I wanted to see a change in my body and I couldn't do so shoving burgers down my throat (let's be real hahaha). Two. My Crohn's disease desperately needed it. Also, I'm extremely lazy when it comes to cooking so meal prepping for a week makes my life sooo much easier! 

Once I started eating better it became almost like an addiction because I started FEELING better. Finding recipes on Pinterest, trying to "out do" my meals from the week before. I will admit, I don't enjoy the actual PREP process but it pays off in the end. 

Trust and believe I still have my cravings for sweets/pizza and I do give in. Because I want to have a happy relationship with food. I try to have balance,  if I have done well with my workouts and eating I will treat myself. Or if I eat something from fast food I make sure to do a little extra cardio in the gym that day or try to do heavier weight.  

Below are some of my FAVE recipes that make delicious lunches and dinners! I usually fast for breakfast to give my intestines rest, but I have a super good Greek yogurt recipe I'll share with you! 

Two of my favorite go to meals are:

-crack slaw 

Low in carbs, high protein and taste REALLY good. If you like egg rolls try this!! There are so many recipes online, just google "crack slaw" and boom!

-Taco bowls 

Who doesn't love chipotle?! Make these when you have a hankering for Mexican food. Brown rice • Shredded beef or chicken • Black beans & corn • salsa • Avocado 

For breakfast I like Greek yogurt mixed with a little cheesecake pudding mix, with strawberries and granola. You'll love it, it's so good! 

I am always looking for new recipes to try, leave me a comment letting me know some of your favorite meals! 

Thanks for reading! 

Mommin' | Meet the mom behind the blog

I figured before I jump head first into "informational" post I would do a little introductory of myself and family that you'll be hearing about. 

So, first off- I'm kodie. I'm 28 years old, mother of three (four if you count fur babies), and married to a gorgeous man who serves in the Army. Most of the day you can find me filling bottles or sippy cups, hunting down Mickey Mouse Clubhouse reruns on Disney Jr and begging my toddlers to take a nap. When I am not being a snack b__youknowwhat to said toddlers I enjoy WAY too much garbage reality tv, going to the gym with my hubs, window online shopping or taking a super hot bath ALONE! oh man, do all of those things make me swoon. 

About the tiny humans who run my life. 

Kyler is three. She is our oldest, stubborn yet super sweet, emotional, blue eyed beauty. She adores being an big sister and can be a bit sassy. Btw- she claims to

be Justin Biebers girlfriend, so ladies watch out!

Charlee is our middle child, she is one and a half / twenty one months if I am being technical. This girl is the reason I have gray hair at twenty-eight. She is tiny, fearless & fiesty, inpatient, but extremely adorable. Did I also mention she hates to sleep? Moms, you know the struggle. 

Colt is our baby. He is four months old and our only boy. He LOVES to flirt and smile, eat, sleep and play on the floor. He is also really keen on his sisters.. and me.. and well, his dad too. Okay, the boy is a lover! He is as chill as a cucumber and has great hair too, I must admit. 

And last but certainly not least- the man behind it all, the person I do life with. 

My husband, Dwight but I call him D for short. He is a soldier who works his ass off to take care of us so I can stay home with our babies. I'm not going to brag too much on his military achievements or be "that wife" but I will say- he is a total bad ass and I am proud to be his. We spend our time together workout out, or binge eating Oreos and watching movies. Balance right?

Alright y'all- that's my tribe. Now it's time to get into these future blog post I have planned. Trust me, you don't want to miss them! 

Lots of love! 

Mom Blog meets fitness | Welcome to Diapers and Dumbbells

Fitness was never my thing. My husband on the other hand could spend HOURS in the gym. That was until recently. 

 My body carried three beautiful babies back to back to back. I was literally pregnant every year since 2014. My oldest is three, my middle is one and a half,  and youngest is four months. But this isn't the only "hardship" (I say that loosely because I LOVE being pregnant) my body has taken. 

After having my second child I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. This is an autoimmune disease that effects your intestines, but could also damage any part of your digestive system. Mine is quite severe and even after a surgery in 2016 to remove part of my colon, I have to take a biological medicine call
ed Remicade. These are chemotherapy infusions that I receive every 8 weeks. Crohn's at one point made it very hard for me to keep on weight, and I realized after I dropped to 139lbs at 5ft6inch how sickly I looked. I was not toned, I was like a thick girl skeleton. I was not happy, my clothes fell off and no matter how hard I tried I was still malnourished. 

My husband is a soldier in the Army so fitness has always been a thing for him. He loves to lift heavy and be in the gym. I tried many times early in our marriage to go with him but I never could catch that same type of gym addiction he had. I was never really over weight or super unhappy with my body, I just never had the motivation inside myself to work out. I always felt judged in the gym, which I am sure many women can relate to that feeling.  Of course this was all prior to my diagnosis. In the peak of figuring out my disease I literally had no energy for anything other than taking care of my girls. 

Flash forward to 2017, I just had our third and final baby in February. My husband came home from deployment and after a few months of him being gone we needed an outlet to reconnect. Not to mention, I needed OUT of this house and some kid free time. 

Enter my new love for gym time. 

I work out as many times I can during the week. I LOVE weightlifting with my husband, our girls enjoy going to the child care provided and seeing the improvement to my health is awesome too! I am strictly going to the gym as a hobby, I don't want to be super strict with myself because I don't want to loose the happiness I am finding in this new outlet. So remember that when you follow this blog, I am working out for fun and to just be healthy! 

I find myself scrolling through Instagram for workouts, meal plans, motivation etc. so my plan for this blog is to share what I learn in the gym, tips or about fitness in general on here for any mom (or person) who is in the same boat as me! 

Happy reading, and leave a comment letting me know you stopped by! 

Hello!

If you have followed me for a while, you will know that I fell off the face of the world when it came to this blog. Once again I have the itch to blog but I have a totally NEW face and agenda for what once was "Confessions of an Army Housewife". Don't worry- I am still married to my amazing husband! haha. So keep an eye out for new post, a new look and obviously my new name "Diapers and Dumbbells". Quite a few things have changed in the Simon home since I have been away and I am excited to update everyone. I wasnt even sure when I logged into this that people would be reading it anymore, but to my surprise the views were super high!! That also motivated me to get this going again. I tried to make a totally new blog on Wix but it was too complicated for little ol me. I did go through and delete all of my older post, so everything on the blog from now on will be brand new content!

I hope everyone enjoys what I have in store for the future of Diapers and Dumbbells. Hopefully the name gives you an idea of where I am going with it!

Lots of love!