Deja Young

To the man who made me a wife and then a mother; I am grateful to be on this journey of life with you. 4 years of loving you is only the beginning 💐

🍂 Last big family outing before our little one arrives! 🍂 It’s officially baby week! In 4 short days we will be family of 4! Feeling so grateful for this beautiful family and the adventure that awaits us🤍

As our time together has come to an end, the ‘see you laters’ don’t get any easier. But this last week has bought me nothing but joy. Thank you for giving me all the memories and laughs. With you, I’m home. My heart is so full now but I know soon enough there will be a space where you’re missing. I know as you leave I’m one day closer to you being home permanently. Safe travels and I can’t wait to be back in your arms 🤍
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As the weekend comes to an end, I am in awe of the man the that I am so in love with. As we prepare for you to deploy I am so grateful for the sacrifices that you have taken to make sure Saia and I are taken care of. As reality is hitting I am going to miss you more than I can ever describe. I’m so proud of you and the effort that you put in everyday. I know this upcoming year may be our biggest challenge yet but I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. I’m grateful to be sharing life, love, and parenthood with a wonderful man like you. Thank you for everything my that you are. I look forward to enjoying our last few weeks together and making many more memories🤍
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I am so appreciative of the outpouring love that I have received from the podcast episode. I have always been so open and vulnerable in the hopes of touching people who need it. Being a mental advocate has always been something so special to me because of my own struggles. Thank you Flamebearers for providing a safe place for not only me but other individuals to share their stories. Thank you for handling our stories with care and giving them the special attention that they deserve. Thank you for being the microphone for our voices to be heard.

I am honored that my first season episode it up for a Global Podcast Award! My first season episode is up for the Signal Listeners Choice Award in the diversity, equity, and inclusion category! Please click the link in my bio and VOTE! Thank you all for listening!🫶🏽

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I think these are the first photos of myself in my camera roll that aren’t of Saia 😅

A year ago I would have never imagined myself in the place that I am in today. When I walked away from training and competing last year I wasn’t sure if I would ever want return. I realized I had lost my passion, my purpose and overall the love for the sport that used to give me everything I needed. Today I realize that the love never went anywhere and I needed to give myself some grace. This past year I took time for me and took time to heal. In that process I found my love and passion for the sport again. It also helped that I have a little one that now looks up to me and is learning how to be a person by watching me. In this new chapter I’m giving myself some grace by being patient & kind to myself. I’m excited for this road to Paris as I encounter new and exciting challenges🤍

I am so grateful for the dreams that you have supported through U.S Paralympics. But I am even more grateful for the dreams that you are supporting in my new journey. Thank you for the support 🤍

✨LONG post ahead but worth the read, I promise✨. Being a mom has it’s glamorous moments and not so glamorous moments. While I have enjoyed being a first time mom and watching my baby grow, I have been battling PPD (postpartum depression). While I was pregnant I thought “oh I’ll know when I’m suffering from PPD and reaching out won’t be hard”. Boy was I wrong. Although I have preached reaching out Is the best way to get help, I found myself finding it hard to reach out. I felt bad that I was feeling “sad and overwhelmed“ when I should be enjoying my baby. I felt so defeated and that my baby deserved more. I started to realized I didn’t recognize myself anymore. The body I had finally adjusted to had changed again and I didn’t know how adjust. I found myself comparing my journey and trying to rush back to “get my old body back”. Today I am still struggling but I’m finally accepting that having thoughts like these don’t make me a bad mom; these thoughts made me a good mom that has scary thoughts and just needs support. I know social media is made to show the highlights of your life but sometimes we need to see these moments so that we don’t feel alone or crazy. Before I got pregnant I just thought pregnancy was growing a baby and popping it out. But it is so much more to it but I’m happy and grateful for the path that it has taken me down. Mamas are strong and I’m proud to call myself one🤍

Pure happiness 🤍 7 days ago my sweet baby girl was born. I am so proud of my body making, growing and birthing her. I had a c section due to macrosomia (basically a baby that weighs more than 9lbs 15 oz). Since the beginning of my pregnancy I vowed that I a c section would not be part of my birth plan because I would feel like a failure. Before pregnancy I was so scared the changes that my body was going to make but that’s not important now. But I made the last minute decision to have one and it was the best decision because our baby girl was delivered safely. Saia Rae born at 10 lbs. 8 oz. made her appearance June 29th at 12:47 PM. I wouldn’t have been able to make it without being by my side and never letting go of my hand during the entire process. I am so in love with the precious life we created 🤍
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Thank you everyone for the well wishes 🤍
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As my pregnancy is coming to an end, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect. I am so appreciative of what my body is capable of. I have seen so many changes and have had to learn to embrace every change. I’m so excited to meet the person that is half of me and half of the person that I love🤍
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As mental health awareness month comes to an end remember taking care of your mental health doesn’t just end here. With the world that we live in it’s okay to take a step away. The right world right now is an overwhelming place. Let this be a reminder that it’s important to show up for yourself. I have always been really transparent of my mental health journey. & to be quite honest there are some days that I feel on top of the world and there are days that I feel like I have hit rock bottom all over again. Remember that the journey through mental health is not linear. Don’y deny your own pain to make someone else comfortable. Remember that your mental health is a priority and your self-care is essential. As always are ARE seen. You ARE loved. Most importantly You ARE heard and your presence is important🤍

We can’t wait to meet our baby girl 💓 So grateful for the outpouring love that Tim and I have received not only at our baby shower but throughout our entire pregnancy. I found out I was pregnant 4 days after my dads funeral. It has been such a roller coaster but has been the biggest blessings. Thank you to everyone who has sent their love and support 🤍
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Can’t get enough of our maternity photos🤍
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