I need some help here people. I really want to get in shape! I have lost all 33 pounds of pregnancy weight (actually that was all gone about 4 weeks after Smug-Baby was born) but I am not where I need to be to healthy and fit and feeling good. I need to lose more poundage true, but I really want to be fit and firm and most importantly feeling good.
I feel like it is a struggle to play on the floor with my sweet baby girl, because my back hurts all the time and it is hard to get up and down. I have no flexibility anymore and very little strength. I think back to the days when I was thin and strong. I worked in a gym and worked out everyday for a good hour. I have always tried to make exercise part of my routine but as I have gotten older it has dwindled down to almost nothing. Now, instead of exercise being something that I just do, it is a struggle and a hardship.
I purchased a bike last year and rode a couple times a week until I got too big and pregnant to keep it up and since the beginning of spring my dad and I have taken weekly 10 mile rides every Saturday morning. Every Friday I take a power walk with my mom, so it's not like I get no exercise, but it's not enough! I need to do more.
Becks and Jen have both inspired me to get up and moving and I decided that I would simply do the 8 Minute series each day. Then in a few weeks add the Slim-in-6 program DVD that I purchased a few years ago and really liked. Then the sore throat started and that people is where I am today.
I am tired of being tired and feeling sick and since the sore throat is feeling slightly better today, I think that I have to start doing this plan in a day or so. Maybe I should start over the weekend? Give myself time to get feeling totally better?
Bottom line, I need to get moving and I need to clean up my diet! No more eating 13 of Pioneer Woman's wonderful molasses cookies instead of lunch (OMG they totally rock though!!) I am putting it out there, letting everyone know that I am committing to getting back to feeling good!!
How hard can it be? The 8 minute videos are just that 8 minutes each! I can find a few 8 minute slices of time in which to start getting back in shape and the Slim-in-6 video is only something like 25 minutes! Add that daily to my weekly walks and bike rides and I should be back in shape in no time!!
Oh look, there is leftover Pineapple Upside-Down Cake...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Smug-Baby is 6 Months Old
Smug-Baby is 6 months old. She is growing so fast that I can hardly believe it! Here are a few notable things about my 6 month old girl!
She military crawls all over the house. She can get anywhere she wants to go using her feet/knees and elbows to scoot to her desired destination.
She has one small tooth cutting through her gum, the bottom left front tooth and the bottom right front tooth seems to be close behind. This teething has her nose running a bit and she is more irritable. She is a really happy baby, but the effect of teething has her crying out in frustration more and she has awoken screaming in pain a few times.
She has decided that she no longer likes noises out of the ordinary. She hates the vacuum with a passion, she cries at the sight of it, not just the noise. She does not like the dish washer or the mixer either and will do that climb-up-you-crawl thing when something is turned on and cry pitifully in fear.
She is also starting to have a fear of strangers unless she is held tightly by mom or dad. She doesn't like being in the high-chair when strangers are at the table, or playing on the floor when strangers come over to visit.
She has started this thing where she wiggles her wrist, almost like a wave, but it can be with a closed fist, or while she has something in her hand.
She acts like a crack-head getting a fix whenever there is a glass of ice water around; shaking her arms and legs in excitement and this look of total joy and desire on her face. She will start at the bottom of the glass and suck on the condensation, then work her way up to the top and try to "drink" like mom and dad do.
We did get her a sippy cup and she enjoys sucking in some water, grinning at us and spitting the water out across the room and all down her front.
She no longer likes to have her daddy and I out of her line of sight; even if one of us is holding her or playing with her and the other leaves the room she will momentarily make her dislike of this known.
She is easily distracted. We are able to take the shoe that was left laying around the house out of her mouth (yuck) and replace it with a toy. This love of shoes and other non-toys has her daddy and I scrambling to get the house baby-proofed since she is suddenly a lot more mobile.
She still smiles and charms strangers and family alike and is so beautiful it takes my breath away to look at her. She is love and light and I am beyond lucky that she chose me to be her mama!
She military crawls all over the house. She can get anywhere she wants to go using her feet/knees and elbows to scoot to her desired destination.
She has one small tooth cutting through her gum, the bottom left front tooth and the bottom right front tooth seems to be close behind. This teething has her nose running a bit and she is more irritable. She is a really happy baby, but the effect of teething has her crying out in frustration more and she has awoken screaming in pain a few times.
She has decided that she no longer likes noises out of the ordinary. She hates the vacuum with a passion, she cries at the sight of it, not just the noise. She does not like the dish washer or the mixer either and will do that climb-up-you-crawl thing when something is turned on and cry pitifully in fear.
She is also starting to have a fear of strangers unless she is held tightly by mom or dad. She doesn't like being in the high-chair when strangers are at the table, or playing on the floor when strangers come over to visit.
She has started this thing where she wiggles her wrist, almost like a wave, but it can be with a closed fist, or while she has something in her hand.
She acts like a crack-head getting a fix whenever there is a glass of ice water around; shaking her arms and legs in excitement and this look of total joy and desire on her face. She will start at the bottom of the glass and suck on the condensation, then work her way up to the top and try to "drink" like mom and dad do.
We did get her a sippy cup and she enjoys sucking in some water, grinning at us and spitting the water out across the room and all down her front.
She no longer likes to have her daddy and I out of her line of sight; even if one of us is holding her or playing with her and the other leaves the room she will momentarily make her dislike of this known.
She is easily distracted. We are able to take the shoe that was left laying around the house out of her mouth (yuck) and replace it with a toy. This love of shoes and other non-toys has her daddy and I scrambling to get the house baby-proofed since she is suddenly a lot more mobile.
She still smiles and charms strangers and family alike and is so beautiful it takes my breath away to look at her. She is love and light and I am beyond lucky that she chose me to be her mama!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Birthday Weekend
My darling, Smug-Hub, turned 35 this weekend. I did my very best to make his day and the whole weekend really, super nice for him. Since money is tight, his gift consisted of a book on fly-fishing, an iTunes gift card and the new Kevin Hart DVD, Seriously Funny I think that he liked his gifts as well as the Saturday morning breakfast of french toast and a BLT.
We also went downtown to his favorite restaurant for lunch and to visit a few of his favorite stores. Then in the evening we had all the family over for a cookout and there was so much food, that we will probably be eating for the rest of the week without having to cook anything new!
His phone kept beeping with Facebook updates from his friends and family posting birthday wishes. He also received a few gift cards and some Dallas Cowboysstupid crap fan gear. I made pineapple upside-down cake after calling him mother to get her recipe and he said that it was great and just like being at home.
He got to eat his favorite foods, sleep in, spend time with Smug-Mama and Smug-Baby, go fishing and get gifts! He said that it was a perfect birthday weekend!! I am exhausted!! It's hard work making someones weekend perfect!
I have been fighting some sinus crap for a while now, I start feeling badly so I take vitamin D and Emergen-C and try to rest and it goes away without really developing into anything major. The problem is that it keeps coming back and I really don't have the option to be sick and I can't take anything that will dry up the drainage in my sinuses because it would also dry up Smug-Baby's food supply!! So, I just deal with these occasional days of feeling less than 100% and hope for the best.
Last night, I promised myself that as soon as the baby is no longer nursing and no longer sleeping in our bed, I will take some NyQuil or something else that will not my ass out for 12 hours and just sleep and sleep and wake up feeling good and not more tired!
I love that she sleeps with us, because I am tired all the time now and can't imagine if I had to get out of bed and go get her from another bed or another room to nurse in the middle of the night. If I had to I would be a zombie!! As it stands now, I just have to roll over and aim the boob towards her face and go back to sleep!! It is so totally easy, but I'm still tired :)
It's a new week and with it comes a new weeks worth of dust and laundry and the like, but it also brings more changes and growth from Smug-Baby, so all in all, life it really great!!
Happy Birthday honey, I love you forever and always!!
We also went downtown to his favorite restaurant for lunch and to visit a few of his favorite stores. Then in the evening we had all the family over for a cookout and there was so much food, that we will probably be eating for the rest of the week without having to cook anything new!
His phone kept beeping with Facebook updates from his friends and family posting birthday wishes. He also received a few gift cards and some Dallas Cowboys
He got to eat his favorite foods, sleep in, spend time with Smug-Mama and Smug-Baby, go fishing and get gifts! He said that it was a perfect birthday weekend!! I am exhausted!! It's hard work making someones weekend perfect!
I have been fighting some sinus crap for a while now, I start feeling badly so I take vitamin D and Emergen-C and try to rest and it goes away without really developing into anything major. The problem is that it keeps coming back and I really don't have the option to be sick and I can't take anything that will dry up the drainage in my sinuses because it would also dry up Smug-Baby's food supply!! So, I just deal with these occasional days of feeling less than 100% and hope for the best.
Last night, I promised myself that as soon as the baby is no longer nursing and no longer sleeping in our bed, I will take some NyQuil or something else that will not my ass out for 12 hours and just sleep and sleep and wake up feeling good and not more tired!
I love that she sleeps with us, because I am tired all the time now and can't imagine if I had to get out of bed and go get her from another bed or another room to nurse in the middle of the night. If I had to I would be a zombie!! As it stands now, I just have to roll over and aim the boob towards her face and go back to sleep!! It is so totally easy, but I'm still tired :)
It's a new week and with it comes a new weeks worth of dust and laundry and the like, but it also brings more changes and growth from Smug-Baby, so all in all, life it really great!!
Happy Birthday honey, I love you forever and always!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
I Believe...
What you believe is important. What others believe is only important to them. Gisele Bundchen, the super model has recently come under fire for making a comment that it should be a law that all women breastfeed their babies for at least 6 months. While she has now released a statement of a kind of apology, people are all in an uproar about this comment. You can read an example of this "outrage" in the New York post at this link.
I think that when it comes to parenting, people tend to be very defensive of their choices and if you choose to raise your child differently than I do, that I might feel like this is some kind of slap in my face, that you are telling me that I raised my child "wrong". Also, I think that when people choose something they know in their hearts is not the best choice, they are often even more defensive of that choice.
Personally, I have a set of beliefs, be them about parenting, God, food, politics, whatever. Here is the thing, I am entitled to the way I believe, you don't have to follow my belief system or even believe the same things that I do, but I have the right to voice them and believe them. So does this model, Gisele, she was not saying that everyone had to do as she said, or feel the same way she does, she was just voicing her thoughts on a subject and she has every right to do so. So what if she thinks their should be a law? I don't see law makers running around trying to get this breastfeeding law on the books just because Gisele said it should be so!!
That being said, I think that I should put a few of my beliefs out there. They are mine and mine alone, you don't have to agree, you don't have to do what I say, I don't even have to do what I say, but I'm putting them out there anyway!
1) I Believe that breastfeeding is best. I believe that breastfeeding is undermined by powerful formula companies who make it seem OK if a person chooses not to feed their child the way God intended - and it is a choice. Almost everyone is able to breastfeed given correct information and quality support by an educated person (sorry, nurses and doctors and mothers who have breastfed in the past don't count). I believe it is a crying shame that so many women are made to feel badly for nursing and given all the reasons why they shouldn't do it, try or continue. Nursing is a gift that I personally would not trade for a million dollars and feel so sorry for those who don't get to share this amazing bond with their child.
2) I believe that vegan is the healthiest way to eat. Now, I'm a vegetarian but I am not always dairy free, I try but I am not always successful. I know that I feel better about myself and my stomach doesn't hurt and I feel healthy when I cut dairy from my diet, but it is hard to maintain a social life, eating out when both meat and dairy free, so this is a struggle for me. However, that struggle does not negate my belief that not eating animal products is best.
3) I believe that everyone has choices and as long as they make those choices consciously then I am fine with it. However, I hate when someone is a sheep, doing something without giving it any thought. Why does one choose public school for their child? Why did someone choose disposable diapers for their baby? Why did this person choose bottle-feeding? Why do people choose to eat meat? Why do some choose not to co-sleep with their child? Why do some people choose to use spanking as a form of discipline? Why did someone choose to circumcise? I don't mind that someone may have chosen something different from what I chose, but when I ask these questions, I don't want to see blank expressions on their faces, I want to hear about what led to this choice. Perhaps we can educate each other!
I believe that our beliefs are part of what makes us special and unique, and listening to why people believe one way or another can only help increase tolerance. What would happen if our world was a tolerant one? What if everyone believed that everyone else had the right to their own belief system - that might be the key to world peace right there!! But hey, that's just what I believe :)
I think that when it comes to parenting, people tend to be very defensive of their choices and if you choose to raise your child differently than I do, that I might feel like this is some kind of slap in my face, that you are telling me that I raised my child "wrong". Also, I think that when people choose something they know in their hearts is not the best choice, they are often even more defensive of that choice.
Personally, I have a set of beliefs, be them about parenting, God, food, politics, whatever. Here is the thing, I am entitled to the way I believe, you don't have to follow my belief system or even believe the same things that I do, but I have the right to voice them and believe them. So does this model, Gisele, she was not saying that everyone had to do as she said, or feel the same way she does, she was just voicing her thoughts on a subject and she has every right to do so. So what if she thinks their should be a law? I don't see law makers running around trying to get this breastfeeding law on the books just because Gisele said it should be so!!
That being said, I think that I should put a few of my beliefs out there. They are mine and mine alone, you don't have to agree, you don't have to do what I say, I don't even have to do what I say, but I'm putting them out there anyway!
1) I Believe that breastfeeding is best. I believe that breastfeeding is undermined by powerful formula companies who make it seem OK if a person chooses not to feed their child the way God intended - and it is a choice. Almost everyone is able to breastfeed given correct information and quality support by an educated person (sorry, nurses and doctors and mothers who have breastfed in the past don't count). I believe it is a crying shame that so many women are made to feel badly for nursing and given all the reasons why they shouldn't do it, try or continue. Nursing is a gift that I personally would not trade for a million dollars and feel so sorry for those who don't get to share this amazing bond with their child.
2) I believe that vegan is the healthiest way to eat. Now, I'm a vegetarian but I am not always dairy free, I try but I am not always successful. I know that I feel better about myself and my stomach doesn't hurt and I feel healthy when I cut dairy from my diet, but it is hard to maintain a social life, eating out when both meat and dairy free, so this is a struggle for me. However, that struggle does not negate my belief that not eating animal products is best.
3) I believe that everyone has choices and as long as they make those choices consciously then I am fine with it. However, I hate when someone is a sheep, doing something without giving it any thought. Why does one choose public school for their child? Why did someone choose disposable diapers for their baby? Why did this person choose bottle-feeding? Why do people choose to eat meat? Why do some choose not to co-sleep with their child? Why do some people choose to use spanking as a form of discipline? Why did someone choose to circumcise? I don't mind that someone may have chosen something different from what I chose, but when I ask these questions, I don't want to see blank expressions on their faces, I want to hear about what led to this choice. Perhaps we can educate each other!
I believe that our beliefs are part of what makes us special and unique, and listening to why people believe one way or another can only help increase tolerance. What would happen if our world was a tolerant one? What if everyone believed that everyone else had the right to their own belief system - that might be the key to world peace right there!! But hey, that's just what I believe :)
Smug-Niece
She is so beautiful! She is a total contrast from Smug-Baby. Smug-Baby is dark, dark hair, dark eyes, porcelain skin. Smug-Niece has blond hair, blue eyes and is so pink all over you just want to eat her like a cupcake!
She has the softest thickest hair I have ever seen on a baby and long!! The nurse styled her hair into a Mohawk of all things! It is the first thing Smug-Sister noticed when she was wheeled to the nursery window too! "Get that Mohawk off my baby and get that baby to my room!!!"
She weighed in at 8 pounds, 15 ounces and is 20 inches long. She was born at 2:18pm on August 10, 2010. She is perfect and lovely and wonderful and totally loved!
I introduced Smug-Baby to her cousin and she seemed fairly nonplussed, but I feel that will change. I predict that within 1 year, they will become best pals and spend their childhoods playing together and being close as sisters!
Smug-Niece is so small compared to Smug-Baby! They were almost the same size at birth, but Smug-Niece feels so light and tiny! I can't imagine her being any smaller, like if she had been 6 pounds of something! She is just so small and cute and I had a hard time letting her parents take her back into their loving embrace.
I can't wait to get back over to the hospital to squeeze her again!
She has the softest thickest hair I have ever seen on a baby and long!! The nurse styled her hair into a Mohawk of all things! It is the first thing Smug-Sister noticed when she was wheeled to the nursery window too! "Get that Mohawk off my baby and get that baby to my room!!!"
She weighed in at 8 pounds, 15 ounces and is 20 inches long. She was born at 2:18pm on August 10, 2010. She is perfect and lovely and wonderful and totally loved!
I introduced Smug-Baby to her cousin and she seemed fairly nonplussed, but I feel that will change. I predict that within 1 year, they will become best pals and spend their childhoods playing together and being close as sisters!
Smug-Niece is so small compared to Smug-Baby! They were almost the same size at birth, but Smug-Niece feels so light and tiny! I can't imagine her being any smaller, like if she had been 6 pounds of something! She is just so small and cute and I had a hard time letting her parents take her back into their loving embrace.
I can't wait to get back over to the hospital to squeeze her again!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sleeping
The last few nights have been tough. Smug-Baby has been waking and wanting to play at about 2am the last couple of nights. She normally wakes a bit to nurse about that time, but it's like 45 seconds and she is back to sleep, but these last few nights, she just wants to play with her toes and giggle and pinch my nose. It has taken me 30 minutes to an hour to get her back to sleep and by then it is almost time for me to get up for work. I have been frustrated and tired to say the least.
Here is the thing, both nights she has been awake at the same time Smug-Hub has been making noise. The first night it was when he came to bed and the second night he was snoring. Both nights, I yelled at him and said mean things about him being inconsiderate of my need to get up at 4:30 in the morning and how this was all his fault. Then when I checked e-mail yesterday morning, I found three e-mails from parenting sites on how sleeping habits can change at this age and how important routine is for maintaining good sleep.
Well, this made me feel like dog poo for blaming Smug-Hub for all my woes and I sent him an apology e-mail. I felt that I was blaming him for something that may or may not have had anything to do with Smug-Baby waking up and that yelling at a sleeping man and saying hurtful things in the middle of the night is really unproductive and doesn't help the situation one bit.
Last night, she again woke at 2:30am, I moved around to switch sides and she nursed for about 15 minutes and then fell back asleep. As I lay there falling back asleep myself I got to thinking, she is almost 6 months old and I have read that at about 6 months babies have a growth spurt. Maybe she is waking because she is hungry and only staying awake because of the increased noise of daddy's snores.
Regardless, I slept better last night and don't feel that sleep deprived headache, so that's good. I haven't dealt with much sleeplessness due to co-sleeping with Smug-Baby and I am beyond grateful for that, so I really shouldn't complain about a few nights of issues.
Smug-Hub and I have discussed the importance of his coming to bed at a certain time and the importance of him wearing his CPAP mask to help Smug-Baby stay asleep, so I think that we may have worked through this little issue for now. Let's just hope that I don't start yelling at him next time I am awoken in the middle of the night to feeling those soft little fingers trying to explore my nose!!
Here is the thing, both nights she has been awake at the same time Smug-Hub has been making noise. The first night it was when he came to bed and the second night he was snoring. Both nights, I yelled at him and said mean things about him being inconsiderate of my need to get up at 4:30 in the morning and how this was all his fault. Then when I checked e-mail yesterday morning, I found three e-mails from parenting sites on how sleeping habits can change at this age and how important routine is for maintaining good sleep.
Well, this made me feel like dog poo for blaming Smug-Hub for all my woes and I sent him an apology e-mail. I felt that I was blaming him for something that may or may not have had anything to do with Smug-Baby waking up and that yelling at a sleeping man and saying hurtful things in the middle of the night is really unproductive and doesn't help the situation one bit.
Last night, she again woke at 2:30am, I moved around to switch sides and she nursed for about 15 minutes and then fell back asleep. As I lay there falling back asleep myself I got to thinking, she is almost 6 months old and I have read that at about 6 months babies have a growth spurt. Maybe she is waking because she is hungry and only staying awake because of the increased noise of daddy's snores.
Regardless, I slept better last night and don't feel that sleep deprived headache, so that's good. I haven't dealt with much sleeplessness due to co-sleeping with Smug-Baby and I am beyond grateful for that, so I really shouldn't complain about a few nights of issues.
Smug-Hub and I have discussed the importance of his coming to bed at a certain time and the importance of him wearing his CPAP mask to help Smug-Baby stay asleep, so I think that we may have worked through this little issue for now. Let's just hope that I don't start yelling at him next time I am awoken in the middle of the night to feeling those soft little fingers trying to explore my nose!!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Welcome!
Good Morning, it's Tuesday and it is going to be about 1,000 degrees out today! OK, not 1,000, just 97 but still... Today my niece is scheduled to be born and I am totally excited for my sister.
I feel so excited, probably more excited than I have a right to be, but I am anyway. I want to hold my sister's hand and tell her everything is going to be fine. I want to hold and squeeze the new little life that has decided to come join our family!
This is a new thing for our family. This is the first scheduled delivery, scheduled c-section. When Smug-Nephew 1 was born, my sister was induced and planned to have a natural delivery, but 60 hours of labor later he was delivered by c-section. When I had my daughter, Smug-baby, I went into labor naturally in the middle of the night, so there hasn't been this particular type of anticipation before and we are all jumping out of our skin!
I hope that everything happens as it is supposed to and on time and in just a few hours I will be holding my new niece and thinking how tiny she is compared with Smug-baby!!
I feel so excited, probably more excited than I have a right to be, but I am anyway. I want to hold my sister's hand and tell her everything is going to be fine. I want to hold and squeeze the new little life that has decided to come join our family!
This is a new thing for our family. This is the first scheduled delivery, scheduled c-section. When Smug-Nephew 1 was born, my sister was induced and planned to have a natural delivery, but 60 hours of labor later he was delivered by c-section. When I had my daughter, Smug-baby, I went into labor naturally in the middle of the night, so there hasn't been this particular type of anticipation before and we are all jumping out of our skin!
I hope that everything happens as it is supposed to and on time and in just a few hours I will be holding my new niece and thinking how tiny she is compared with Smug-baby!!
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