Carrie Underwood has been praised online for posting a sweet, makeup free selfie.
The American country singer, known for her stint on American Idol, took to Instagram to share a sweet birthday message for her close friend, Nashville based baker, Ivey Childers. "Happy birthday to this babe, @iveychilders! You are the best wine drinking, weight lifting, veggie loving, biggest heart having friend and neighbor a girl could ask for! I love you to the moon and back," she captioned the snap, which saw her showcase her glowing, natural skin, alongside Childers.
And her fans naturally loved it. "Gorgeous as always, love you Carrie," wrote one Instagram user, while another corroborated "I love how normal Carrie and her sweet family are. Best wishes to you and your boys!"
Carrie is known for being candid with her fans. Back in January, she gave birth to her second son, Jacob, with husband Mike Fisher.
The 36-year-old took to Instagram to announce the news, and included some sweet snaps of their new addition. "Jacob Bryan Fisher entered the world in the wee hours of the morning on Monday...his mom, dad and big brother couldn’t be happier for God to trust them with taking care of this little miracle," she wrote in the caption. "Our hearts are full, our eyes are tired and our lives are forever changed. Life is good..."
And Carrie also decided to be open about the realities of postpartum life, taking to the platform several months later to reveal that she hadn't found bouncing back to her pre-baby physique to be easy.
"I’m going to be honest, 'bouncing back' after having Jacob has been much more difficult than after I had Isaiah and I’ve been pretty hard on myself lately," Underwood wrote. "I go into the gym and I can’t run as fast or as far. I can’t lift as much weight or do as many reps as I could a year ago. I just want to feel like myself again...for my body to feel the way that I know it can."
She proceeded to explain that although it may be challenging to raise a newborn and a toddler - all while preparing for a sold-out US and Canada tour - she's still committed to remaining optimistic.
"As I was working out today, I realized that for the past 11(ish) months, my body has not belonged to me. It was a perfect home for Jacob. And even now it belongs to him every time he drinks his milk. As I prepare for red carpets and for life on tour, right now I make a promise to myself to start appreciating what my body CAN do and stop focusing on what it can’t," Carrie continued.
"I promise to stop analyzing every angle and every curve and every pound and every meal. I’m going to keep staying the path because it is a journey and as long as I’m always working towards my goals, one day I’ll reach them. I’m going to take it day by day, smile at the girl in the mirror, and work out because I love this body and all it has done and will continue to do!"
Good on you, Carrie!
