Couch to 5K

So this week I started the Couch to 5K program.  The first week is really easy, it's the weeks after that are going to kick my butt.  I've never been good at running, even when I was fit it wasn't because of running.  I would spend an hour or more on the elliptical every day, free weights, and I walked 2 miles to and from work almost everyday.  I realize now that when I was a Freshman and Sophomore in college, I was pretty active and I definitely didn't eat out as much as we have now.  But thankfully we aren't going on a diet.  We are just changing our eating habits for good.  Friday night is cheat night, and we can go out of dinner.  The rest of the week however we eat at home, and we have a vegetable with every meal.  We only eat pasta once a week, and every day I eat a great breakfast.  

Since the weather is finally starting to cool down I actually enjoy going outside for a little jog with Brynlee again, so it's been a lot easier to incorporate exercise into my routine.  I'm also putting my gym membership back into good use for something other then tanning.  

I made a little monthly exercise chart with fun little stickers.  When I stick it out for the month I can get myself a new dress.

Fun stuff!  

Family Pictures Outfits

So I am probably a little bit on the weird side, because summer is ginally coming to an end but it is just to DANG hot out to embark outside.  So while Brynlee is sleeping, all my articles for Quality Gal have been written, and our house is near spotless I see no harm in looking for clothes online for our upcoming Fall Family Pictures.  I know you are probably thinking didn't you just have your family pictures like...2 months ago.  While, yes we did.  But we are obnoxiously lucky.  See back in February when I entered Brynlee's picture in so we could win family pictures I did it for two different contests.  I honestly didn't really expect to win either of them, because we just aren't that lucky.  However....we did! Thanks "lil duck" for being so darn cute and win us family pictures.  So we wanted to take them in the fall when the weather is changing and because I felt bad pushing it back any farther.  SO here is the lovely little outfits that I have put together.  Fun thing is...The only thing we actually need to by is my jacket, Brynlee's skirt and headband, and Ben's sweater.  We have everything else.  So I think this is pretty sweet.  Look's like I will be doing some extra articles though to pay for these ;)

What's for Dinner?

So in the summer I pretty much suck at making meals; except for Sunday.  I hate cooking inside when it feels like 100 degrees, and I'm trying to cut costs by not using the air-conditioning.  So needless to say we do A LOT of grilling.  Chicken, pork chops, hamburgers, bratwurst, and steaks.  You name it, we will grill it.  With the summer coming to an end I figured I better start going over some good recipes to use.  This week we are feasting like kings and I'm proud to say that I only spent $70- and I got enough food for about 1.5 weeks.  I think that's pretty good!  I'm not one of those people who will only spend $30 a week on groceries- if we are going to cook, I want something yummy!  Here's a look at what's on our plates for this week.

What are some of your favorite recipes?  Happy cooking!

Tuesday

• Chicken tacos 
• Spanish rice with beans 
• Salad  
• Chips and salsa 

Wednesday

• Hot Italian Sausage with homemade spaghetti sauce 
• Spaghetti 
• Garlic bread
• Tossed salad

Thursday

• Mexican Hamburgers 
• Potato Salad
• Corn on the Cob 
• Salad 

Friday

• Tortellini 
• Leftover Italian Sausage and spaghetti sauce
• Oven baked garlic and rosemary asparagus 
• Garlic bread

Saturday

• Olive Garden for my Birthday! 

Sunday

• Apple and Sage Pork Chops
• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Stuffing 
• Cornbread 
• Tossed Salad  

Brynlee's 8 months update!

I know I say this every month, but seriously when did she get so big! 

In the last month we have had a ton of fun.

What Brynlee has been up to:

• Weighs 18lbs (51st percentile) and is 27.5 inches (68th percentile)- which means she simply perfect and awesome 
• Just in the last couple of days she has started to pull herself up on chairs, peoples, and other pieces of furniture.  She's still new at it, but I think it's so fun to watch her pull herself up with all her little might.  She also gets really frustrated when she has to struggle to pull herself up.  
• We tried to start her on solid food once a day, but it just wasn't happening for her yet.  She's just not interested in what we are eating and whenever I would try to give her some she would purse her lips really tight and hold her hands over her mouth or eyes.  She's a smart girl and knows what she wants. Instead of prying the food between her lips we are going to give it a rest for a week and try again.
• Still no teeth.  I didn't get any teeth till I was 1 year old so I'm not that surprised.  
• Loves other babies and kids.  Seriously she is obsessed with them.  When we go out for walks and she see's other kids sometimes she'll start to try to get out of the stroller and get really loud.
• She loves reading just as much as a few months ago
• Takes a bath in the big girl tub now, and tries to stand up in it.  It freaks me out.
• Making the transition between army crawling and crawling with her belly off the ground.  

New York Trip Part 1

We went to New York for a few days to visit all of my family and for Brynlee to meet everyone.  First off, the plan ride was an absolute breeze!  Brynlee fell asleep about an hour before we took off and didn't wake up till we landed.  There was absolutely no fussing at all, so we were pretty grateful for that.  

Once we flew into JFK we headed up to my Mom's house and the rest of the evening we just hung out with my family.  The next day was a complete blast of fun!  We had my Aunt Pat and Uncle Paul and my two cousins (Brynn and Baryck) come up from South Carolina, my other Aunt Debbi, my Grandpa and his wife, then my Grandma and Louie, my sister and her husband, a bunch of my Mom's and sister's friends, my other cousin with her husband and son (who is due any day now!).  The we had my dad and his girlfriend and her son come up as well.  Needless to say we had a very full house, tons of yummy food, great company, and Brynlee got spoiled with presents and love.  I have to say to that Brynlee was LOVING the attention!  Seriously I thought that she would be scared of strangers and all these new people wanted to hold her and chase her around but she was in Heaven.  The only person she scared of was my grandmother.  Keep in mind though that when old people start to hit the last leg of their race they sometimes get scary looking.  She also had all her teeth taken out just 2 days prior to seeing us, and they can't put the dentures in until all the swelling goes down.  Brynlee loved all her cousins so much and just wanted to be in the mess of them.  She was also quite a big fan of our dog AJ! Overall it was a world wind of 4 days. Next time we will stay longer! 

Fell Off the Wagon

So I was on like this exercise kick for only about 3 weeks before I just got frustrated that I wasn't loosing any weight that I gave up.  I know, it's pathetic and the exact opposite of what I should have done which would have been to work harder.

I can be totally honest with myself and say that I have been a lazy looser.

However, that is going to change! The problem that I have is sticking to exercise.  I'll go on this huge workout bend and eat really healthy but after not seeing a single lb. drop I get so bummed out.  Am I the only one?!

I think I need to start this slow and steady.  I lost weight when I went off to college and the best I ever felt was at a 130.  I was in no way a twig, but I was so fit, I exercised every day, and I just looked so good! However, I did not do it by healthy means so after about a year or so the lbs. started to creep back on.

I think my problem is I'm used to loosing weight from not eating, or throwing up, and taking diet pills.  I just can't bring myself to do that anymore because I have a family now and I wouldn't want my daughter doing those things when she is older.  I know that's a good thing though! I was starting to have some health issues because of them.  But I've never lost weight the normal persons way, I have always incorporated one of those destructive habits which was why I was able to get into shape somewhat fast.

Today I took the plunge and stepped on the scale.  After crying for about 10 minutes I picked myself back up and did something about it.  I went on a 20 minute jog.  I know that is probably nothing for some people, but for me it was a killer (and it was only 1.2 miles).  I've never been very good at running but at least I had an 8 minute mile, this was just sad! However, I am proud of myself for doing it even though I felt like a fat looser.  

I'm going to start jogging every morning for 20 minutes and start going to the gym again on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I think I burnt myself out last time.  I'm also going to use Fit Day again.  I used this when I first lost weight in college and I loved tracking my calories.  

I'm not going to lie though, sometimes I wish I could just loose weight like I did before but I know that it's a problem for me and if I do it just once I go to an extreme with it that just isn't healthy.

Wish me luck...again!

The Week of Firsts and Some Venting

So we have had probably one of the funnest weeks ever.  Since the 7 week break from school started we have been trying to get in as much quality family time as possible.  During the week we are pretty boring because Ben doesn't get home till 7:30pm and Brynlee starts getting ready for bed around 8:30pm.  I got a job working for my sister writing search engine articles.  It's actually a pretty sweet part time gig.  I work from home at my own pace and just have deadlines to meet.  The pay ranges so weeks there are a ton of articles I do and I make bank, and others I only make like $80.  But it's part-time and gives me something to do when B is sleeping and I can help out with the finances a little bit.  So all of our fun has to be jammed into Saturday.  I sat down the other night looked at local events going on in Idaho Falls for the next month and I have every Saturday planned out for an activity.  I hate sitting at home when Ben is home (most of the time), because I just feel lazy and bored.

I can't believe how big, smart, cute, and just plain sweet Brynlee is now.  Honestly, she is a really nice little girl.  We play, read books, play 'hide-and-seek' (seriously we do).  I go hide somewhere in the apartment and I just keep on talking really loud and she tries to find me.  She's actually pretty good at it! And we I yell out, "you found me!" she get's so excited.  She still kicks every door and wall in our place.  Her legs do not stop moving.  She LOVES to read with me and even by herself.  She's a great kid and sometimes will just go crawl back into her bedroom while I'm busy working, cleaning, or just getting ready for the day.  She takes all the books from her bookcase down and also the toys in there or she plays in her closet with her shoes and clothes.  That's my girl!

She's growing up so fast and I love it! She get's more fun every day and I know that she will make an awesome big sister when the time is right.  But thank goodness for instagram and my camera so I can take a million pictures of her.  Seriously, I know I'm a picture freak but secretly I would love to take some photography classes and a really nice camera and see what I could do with it.

First time swimming- So this Saturday we took Brynlee swimming for the first time up at Rexburg Rapids.  The water was actually pretty cold so she was not a fan at first.  She wasn't crying just kind of whining.  Slowly she got used to it and I had to act like a crazy person to get her to smile and laugh in the water, she thinks it's funny when Mom barks at her.  Strange kid (she must get it from her Dad).  It was new, super crowded, and kids running and splashing everywhere so I think that the next few times we go swimming and we can put her in the baby float we got her she'll like it better.  P.S. taking a baby to a splash park is probably not the smartest idea haha...I probably spent half the time trying to shield her from getting water directly splashed all over her by these 4 crazy boys.  I'm not trying to be mean, but they were just down right obnoxious and inconsiderate.  I understand it's a splash park and you can be rowdy and have fun and all but you should not be face diving right next to little babies. Use some common sense boys, or rather where exactly are your parents when you splashed huge amounts of water into my kids face like 10 times?  Anyways it really was super fun! Brynlee finally got used to it and it wasn't cold anymore so she fell asleep in the water.  Yep, I was holding her on my lap in about 2 feet of water and she just passed right out.  Even with getting splashed in the face a couple of times she didn't wake up.  Seriously who falls asleep their first time swimming...my kid! Gotta love her.

We also experienced our first time in a swing at the park and down the slide! She loved it.

First time in a shopping cart 

First time in a high chair. 

First time eating solids! We will probably do just a little a day or so until she's a year old.  She was actually better at eating it then a few kids I've seen who have been eating for months.  So that theory of 'she won't know how to eat, if I don't start her on solids now', that for some reason a lot of people believe but has been widely unproven clearly doesn't apply to her.  She was more interested in the spoon then she was the peas! Anyways yea for vegetables! There are definitely benefits to delaying solids, but every mother and baby is different.  I get asked quite a bit about when I will give her food by people at WIC, strangers at the grocery store, and friends and family.  I buy baby food because I get it for free from WIC but I don't use it yet.  I have a baby food storage haha, seriously have you looked at the expiration date lately, they last quite a while.  

Most people who I talk to are genuinely interested in why I don't feed her solids yet at 7.5 months and when I explain about the benefits like a better digestive system, less chance of Celiac disease, at a lower risk for childhood obesity, etc.  However every once in a while I meet a person who just thinks I'm nuts and starving my kid.  Have you looked at Brynlee lately, she is super healthy! She's right on track at weighing 17.5 lbs and developmentally she's great.  The reason I'm saying this is because I think that all us mothers need to stop judging each other.  From the moment we tell people we are expecting there are a billion different people telling you what you should and should not do with your baby or body.  I'm guilty to say I'm one of them sometimes!  I think we all are! I'm definitely a strong advocate for as natural of a birth as you are able to have, but I don't think anyone is less of a mother if they chose otherwise.  I also think that breastfeeding is one of the most amazing things in the world! I could only breastfeed Brynlee for 4 months before it was just to much for me.  I had an extremely colicky baby who would not sleep more then 2 hours at a time, and she would only sleep longer if I was holding her.  I spent a lot of sleepless night on our chair in the living room, and I was still in school.  On top of that she was sensitive to lactose, and incredibly constipated all the time.  I tried my hardest to stick with breastfeeding but I stopped producing and for the sake of everyone's sanity, formula was what my baby needed.  And she is so healthy.  I learned a lot afterwards from doctors and friends that I wish I had know so I could have tried a few different things to see if it helped with my milk supply and Brynlee's digestive issues, but I'm still grateful for the knowledge that I have now for the next one.  I would love to exclusively nurse for the first 6 months and then pump exclusively till she's 12 months the next time we have a baby, and I'm not going to be afraid to get help or support if my breastfeeding plans are struggling.  Even though I didn't breastfeed I definitely think that it is the best thing for a baby (generally), and for you amazing moms who are able to do it congrats! But please the next time you see a women giving her baby a bottle please don't give her a nasty stare, because she probably already feels a little bit guilt to begin with because of the way formula feeding moms are treated by society (I know I still do).  There is a stigma in the motherhood community that I have seen; women who formula feed are sometimes looked down on as not as good of mothers, or lazy, or just not caring enough about their babies health.  I would love to one day see this stop, especially for when my daughters have babies of their own.  Also please don't say that I couldn't breastfeed because my baby was cranky all the time.  It's rude.  My baby was and is perfect, and I hope you feel the same way about yours.  My point is, we need to stop judging every mother on what she is doing for her baby.  Mother's intuition is alive and well.  Heavenly Father gave us a divine calling to not only raise and love our children but to have the ability to know what is best for them at times.  I'm not saying that I know everything that my child needs, I'm sure there are departments that I'm lacking in.  But, I know my daughter is happy, healthy, and right on track and that is all I could ask for.  

Let's put a little good karma or energy back into the world and try to stop telling each other why what we are doing is wrong.  Different doesn't always mean bad.  Sometimes being a mom is hard, so why do we have to make it harder for each other.  This isn't a competition on who can raise the best kid, it's a calling from God to take care of one of His precious children.