Finally Getting Back to Me!!

I am 5 months and 11 days post-partum.  At around 4 months post-partum, I decided that I could not be ok with my chunky self.  I was not overweight, I was just a chunkier version of me.  I decided to actually go on a "diet" AKA major calorie restriction.  You don't realize how many calories you consume on a daily basis.  I was probably consuming at least 2000-2300 calories a day with NO exercise.  This, my friends, is recipe for disaster!

 I have limited myself to 1200 calories a day.  Doesn't sound like a lot but I usually always feel satisfied (especially after I did this for about a week- my body got used to it)  If I go over my calories by 100- SO WHAT!  I don't beat myself up over it.  I just jump right back in :)  If my body is telling me I'm truly hungry, I eat.  My problem in the past was that I ate because of boredom.  These days, I get busy doing something around the house or focus on a project and guess what...the "hunger" I was feeling was not hunger at all!  I know that exercise is so important but if you are consuming thousands of calories, it will never work!

When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was 6 POUNDS lighter than I was 3 and a half weeks ago!  I am so proud!  I still have about 14 pounds to go but I know I can do this!  My blog friends inspire me every day to stick with it!

A very good friend, my best friend, reminded me of a photo I took while on a cruise to the Bahamas.  I couldn't even remember that girl in the picture.  I am getting back to that girl!  I want to feel good about myself.  I want to look forward to shopping instead of wanting to puke at the thought.  I am the one in the middle.  This photo was taken in May of 2009.  I was approximately 125-130 pounds.

This picture below was taken early August when I was 8 weeks post-partum.  This is probably my heaviest time.  Sad thing is, this was at my 10 year high school reunion.  I looked horrible and didn't even realize it.  Oh well.  Maybe I will look better at my 20 year :)

 

 

I'm on my way back!  I am determined!  I find myself turning down foods that I know will set me back.  This is huge for me!  Everyone please pray for me during this journey! 

 

Anyone have any diet tips?  How do you all find time to exercise when you have little ones?

If Walls Could Talk

If walls could talk, they would tell you that this home is full of weirdos.  Seriously.  I wish you could see the look on Eli's face when we sing (at the top of our lungs and SO not on key) our Brady Bunch song.  You know, the song.  "Well, I think I'll go for a walk outside now, the sunshine is calling my name..."  We complete our song with a corny dance that we have made up as well.  Lord help us...and our child.  He just doesn't know the weirdness that we have inside of us :)

Totally off subject- I cannot seem to keep my whole house clean at the same time.  I make more of a mess trying to clean than I started out with.  I love a clean house.  It is just so much harder these days with Eli.  I feel like I constantly start a project, get interrupted and then never finish.  Am I the only one???

Another random thought- We are celebrating Thanksgiving ALONE this year :(  Our family is 12 hours away and my husband has to work at midnight after Thanksgiving.  I am so bummed.  This will be the first Thanksgiving we have ever spent alone.  I have no clue how to make dressing and lets be honest, I cannot miss out on that.  I'm gonna suck it up and make the best meal that I can.  My poor husband. 

I started decorating for Christmas.  Ridiculous, I know.  I used to refuse until after Thanksgiving.  The last couple of years I have been jumping the gun.  Anyone else being eager beavers and decorating early??

I haven't been exercising like I'm supposed to.  I broke my toe a little over a month ago and I couldn't do much of anything.  It hurt to put a shoe on.  That kind of got me out of the swing of things.  My husband works out of town a lot and that makes it really hard to find time.  I would love to just take off running but that is very difficult with a stroller.  On the bright side, I have lost 5 pounds.  I am stuck on that number.  I need some serious motivation. 

Bath Time Fun

Eli LOVES bath time.  I LOVE a clean smelling baby! 

This is how we started...

Eli loves his rubber ducky...or anything he can chew on for that matter!

See what I mean?  He loves his feet!

I love that sweet grin!

Eli squints his eyes when I put the lotion in my hands to rub on him!  He knows what is coming!

This is the end result!  Clean baby that smells like heaven :)

 

 

 



My Sweet Baby Sister

Today is a very special day.  My baby sister (she will always be my baby no matter how old she is) is turning 20!  WOW!  Makes me feel really old! 

Lorrie,
     I love you so much!  You have always been so special to me.  I feel like we have always had a special relationship.  There is nothing I loved more than making up dances with you and hearing you say "uh huh Ben" and "B-E-N...ben :)" I feel so lucky to have you in my life.  You have grown into quite the young lady!  You are so smart and have such a good heart!  I'm so glad we got to experience having a baby together!  Ez is lucky to have you!  I admire you for staying in college, even though I know it would be so easy to quit.  You just keep at it.  I know you are tired...it will pass (kind of)  I hope that you have a wonderful day.  Wish I was there to celebrate with you.  Can't wait to teach Eli and Ez some of our weirdness...even though I think they both already have a lot of those traits ;)  Just remember that I will always be here for you.  You will always be my sweet baby sister.  I love you.  See you soon then.

"T" and Eli at the lake (Eli 3 weeks old)

Christmas Morning 2011

The morning I was moving to Oklahoma.  Lorrie came home from college to tell us goodbye.

Bahamas cruise 2009

 

I love you "T"  Unc and Eli love you too!  Have a great day!  Can't wait to see you :)

5 Months!

My sweet Eli,

     You are growing up so fast!  I swear, it feels like just yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital.  You are developing such a little personality.  You love smiling.  Pretty much every time we look at you, you are grinning about something!  You have started to hold your head SO high when laying on your tummy.  You look like you want to crawl already!  You have started this thing when I put you in your car seat, you raise your bottom up so I can't buckle you in!  I have to wait for you to calm down :)

On October 25th, you ate rice cereal for the first time!  You weren't sure about it at first but you quickly caught on!  On October 27th, you started really jumping in your jumparoo!  Before then, you had been just playing with the toys but now you jump so high I think you might bounce out of it!  On October 28th, you started trying to help Mommy hold your bottles.  I must say that I am kind of looking forward to the day that you can hold your own bottle!  That would sure save me some time in the mornings when we are trying to get out the door! 

You are becoming more and more mobile.  I can't leave you unattended for very long anymore!  You will end up in a totally different location than I left you in!  You love being held and rocked.  You love playing with your Daddy.  It's so sweet when you rub Daddy's face and "talk" to him.  I can tell that you guys will be best buds.  I can also tell that you are going to be very protective of your Mommy :) This makes me very happy! 

We love you so much more than you can ever imagine!  You are truly a million answered prayers.  I cannot believe you are 5 months old.  Time is going by so fast.  I'm soaking up all these precious moments with you.  No matter how big you get, you will always be Momma and Daddy's baby.  I love you, son.  Happy Birthday!

 

 

faux hawk :)

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