If you follow me on social media (which you should, by the way), you would know that I often joke and post pictures depicting how my life is a circus. There’s been stuff like busting the cat running down the hallway with my keys, her snoozing in the dryer and sink, our seven-year-old son with his blue mohawk and a strange affliction for phone books from hotel rooms.

Oh, and how could I forget my couponing adventures! Then there’s my slave driving coach/husband/therapist/chef/co-worker/friend Robb, who makes me do squats until I may shed a tear (if no one sees it, it didn’t happen, right?).

The trials and tribulations of not being able to fire your coach is enough for a whole separate article! Amongst it all, we’ve been acclimating to welcoming the newest and tiniest member of ‘Team Philippus’ for the past five months. 98.5% of the time, she is a little bundle of love and giggles, but during that remaining 1.5% she requires some sort of magic from Daddy that I can’t seem to parallel. It’s probably because he has bigger biceps and they’re cozier. Totally unfair. I have become alarmingly aware of this mysterious magic during the past two weeks with his absence.

We are in the process of moving to Nebraska and Robb has started his new fancy job already, so that leaves me to be a night shift-working single mom Monday to Friday (props to all single moms out there because this is NUTS!). I thought my life was a circus before, but boy was I wrong, wrong, wrong! We’re a very close-knit little family, so the first couple of days were really hard, but then I noticed something interesting happening…I was turning into a beast in my training! Lifting, striking, grappling, running, my weight goals; all of it was legit.

I’m not sure exactly why; maybe because I was so sad/mad that I would take it out at the gym, or that I valued my kid-free training time even more because it was now so limited, or maybe I just finally hit my stride in training camp. Who knows, who cares! I like it!

I was a little worried about both of us starting new jobs and packing up to move in the midst of training for my big pro debut at Invicta FC 2, but I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. I landed my dream job, secured a coveted spot on the premier stage for female fighters (and close to home at that!), I get to fight alongside Sara McMann and Barb Honchak, and have a beautiful, hilarious family and great friends. I will let nothing trivial get in my way or slow me down.

I was given this opportunity (THANK YOU Shannon and Janet!) and I will use it as a stage for women, wrestlers, and mothers everywhere to know that YES YOU CAN. You can do anything you set your mind to, anything your heart desires. You are the only person standing in your way; not a full-time job or school or the kids or cooking and cleaning or any other excuse.

Five months ago, I was pregnant with gestational diabetes. Two weeks from now, I will stand on a scale healthier than I have ever been. What does that look like, you ask? Well, I guess you’ll have to tune in to the weigh-ins on InvictaFC.com on July 27th!!!

Philippus will face Liz McCarthy at Invicta Fighting Championships 2 on July 28th in Kansas City, Kansas. Follow her and her sponsors WrslrChick, FightTwisted, MMAChick, TriCoasta and GrindHouseMMA.

(Photo Credit: Jerry Chavez)