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09.06.04
HEY EVERYONE!!
I've been a "busy bee" lately being MOM
and building a house! I'm not sure which one is more challenging?
HA! Being a mom would have to be! Connor is now 8 months
and is crawling everywhere. I love him more everyday!
He's my pride and joy! He has not mastered walking just
yet and I am really hoping he won't until we are in our
new house!
Oxygen did an article on MOMS and they featured 3 competitors
and how their schedules and their lives are so different
after becoming a MOM. I'm not sure what issue it will
be in but it should be out soon. They should have some
pictures of Connor and I.
Chris and I have been in the process of building for a
year and a half now. This is a project we started and
thought would not take this long! We are hoping to move
in October! I'm getting real excited about it because
I will be able to get my life organized again! We are
living in my parents cabin on a beautiful farm in the
country. It has turned into one big playroom since Connor
has come along. It is so amazing how much stuff a baby
needs!!
I'm still working 3 days a week running my cheerleading
and gymnastics gym. My mom has been such a wonderful grandma.
She helps me so much and is always there to babysit when
I need her and my husband comes home one day/wk early
to let me go teach too. That really gives me a break away
from being MOMMY for a couple of hours! (which most weeks
I need! HA!! )
I can't wait to see everyone at Nationals! I have really
tried to answer all that wrote me for comments about their
performances. If I have not written back, I will soon
I promise! Hope I have given lots of you good advise on
minor changes you could make to improve your performance.
Looking forward to seeing all of you soon!
Take care,
Stacey
07.09.04
HEY!!! Hope everyone is enjoying the rest of the summer!
Miami was such a great trip! I am so glad I had the opportunity
to judge again this year. (Thanks LOU!!!) WOW! What a
great group of competitors!!
That was my first trip away from my baby. I kept waking
up as if I needed to check on him! It's funny how "motherhood"
follows you forever. There's not a night that goes by
that I do not wake to make sure he's still breathing...the
amazing love of a child!
I shot again for Oxygen Magazine while in Miami. It was
so excited when I heard the photographer was Terry
Goodlad! I have to say that he was the most impressive
photographer I have ever worked with and I'm really looking
forward to seeing the layout. I have planned a trip in
September to shoot with him in Vegas. His work is incredible!
I really enjoyed seeing everyone. There were lots of amazing
routines this year! Judging...WOW!!! What a difficult
job! I really like being on the other side of things for
a change! I know how much preparation it takes to have
your routine ready and to get your body in the best shape.
I trained and competed in 3 FA's and 3 FU's so believe
me when I say "I have been there!"
Well, my husband and I are staying so so busy. We are
still in the process of building our home, (will we ever
finish??), working and being parents! Connor keeps us
very busy!! I am really looking forward to moving in the
next couple of months!!
Lots of competitors have e mailed me for feedback from
the show and I have responded to some of you. Please be
patient. I will write you back I promise. The time that
I have now on the computer is so limited. I usually have
Connor thrown over my shoulder trying to type at the same
time! Scary!
Well, Connor is getting impatient now! It's time to go
to swim lessons! They start them so early!!
Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!
Take care,
Stacey
04.15.04
HEY TO EVERYONE!!
I am sure most of you are training hard for Fitness Universe
in June! I'm working out hard too recovering from my pregnancy
and getting ready for another Oxygen shoot. I will be
in Miami again this year judging and cheering everyone
on! I am really looking forward to it. It will be my first
trip away from Connor. I was planning to bring my Mom
to Universe since she always loves to see all the competitors
and catch up with everyone. Instead, I'm going to leave
her home to babysit Connor and take care of Chris while
I am gone!
It has definitely been a while since I have updated! The
wonderful thing called "MOTHERHOOD" has kept
me SO BUSY!! As some of you know, it is a full-time job!
My life has been consumed with being "MOM!"
We are all doing great and finally getting the hang of
becoming parents! It took me a while!!
The first 2 months were so difficult for both of us! Having
this new little person in our lives was very challenging
in every way! Connor was born early so his digestive system
was not ready which made his stomach hurt bad! He was
crying alot and sometimes keeping us up all night. There
was a couple of nights that I was still up when the sun
was rising. Chris and I both were very sleep deprived
and physically exhausted!
One day my mom came in my house and I was sitting on the
floor rocking Connor back and forth. He was screaming
loud and had been for a while. I was holding him in my
arms and crying too! My mom came over and took him out
of my arms, hugged me, and took over!! It is times like
that when I am so so thankful to have my family near to
help me! We all live in the same subdivision if you can
believe that. Chris has been so great with him which really
helps!!
He is now 3 1/2 months old and growing so fast. He weighs
about 12 lbs. and is starting to smile and laugh. He is
the light of my life! I think he looks exactly like my
husband!
We are still in the process of building a new home. We
started the house last May and should be in it by this
August. It has been a very long process but we are almost
finished and we'll never move again! The house is still
in the same subdivision as my family so we are just moving
down the road! Bet that seems a little strange to some
of you that live in big cities! That is one advantage
of being a "small town girl."
My website has finally been revised and updated. Isaac
Hinds did a wonderful job! I was very pleased! Most
of the pictures are from Michael Palmer and some from
Eric Freimanis, and Carl T. as well. I have another layout
coming out next month in Oxygen. If you think I don't
look very fit, I was 4 months pregnant at the shoot. I
hope it turns out o.k.
I would love to hear from you on my message board. I'm
trying to stay caught up with my mail. I will write you
back I promise!
Looking forward to seeing all of you in great shape and
ready to put on a great show!
Happy Training!
 02.01.04
Connor and Stacey are in the new Oxygen (April
2004) congratulating them on his arrival! Look for it
in the "blab" section.
Stacey has a feature glute article in the special GLUTE
issue of Oxygen Magazine and was selected as having one
of the best butts in the fitness industry! : )
 01.04.04
Happy New Year to Everyone! Santa was definitely good
to me this year! He sent Chris and I our sweet baby boy
EARLY so we could enjoy him during the Holidays! Connor
Stone Cravens was born on Tuesday afternoon Dec. 16th
at 5:15pm weighing 5lbs. 9oz. and 17 1ž2 inches. My due
date was January 15th so we were very surprised with his
early arrival!
It all started on Monday night! I was teaching gymnastics
and decided to leave my classes early to get some rest.
About 8 pm, I started having severe back pains and they
continued through the night. I was not sure they were
labor pains since I had never been in labor before I really
did not know what to expect. The next day I went to the
hospital at 2 pm thinking they would prescribe something
for pain and send me home. Instead I was 5 cm dilated
. . . Baby was on his way!
The epidural man came in a couple hours later. WOW! That
was a wonderful thing! The pain was gone and I was ready
to enjoy the rest of this amazing experience! Chris, my
mom, sister, and my mother-in-law were all in the delivery
room while the rest of my family stood outside with their
ears against the door! I pushed for about 20 minutes and
he was here!
I know it helped so much being in shape for delivery.
The experience could not have been better! I gained a
total of 22 lbs. during pregnancy. I continued my regular
workout up to the last 3-4 weeks. I still worked out the
last couple of weeks but in moderation. It has been 2
weeks since the delivery and I’m 2 lbs. away from
the weight I was before I got pregnant. I know working
out during pregnancy is so important to recovery and I
really tried to focus on that during the months when my
body was making all the changes.
Connor and I are recovering and doing great! I think he
is going to be a good baby! He is sleeping great during
the day but restless at night. Chris and I are both a
little sleep deprived but hopefully that is just a temporary
thing! I start back to teaching gymnastics on Monday but
I’m loving “motherhood” to the fullest!
Congrats to everyone who competed at FAP this year! The
competition just keeps getting tougher each year! I’m
sure lots of you are starting to train and prepare for
Fitness Universe! I will be sure not to miss that one!
I am really looking forward to seeing all of you again
soon! Keep in touch and e me anytime!
Take care,
Stacey
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