Cookies, Chocolates, and Miss Maddie

This week seems to have flown by! I began the week by making Chocolate Chip cookies. That was probably my mistake of the week, because with in 24 hours all of the cookies were gone and when the final tally was taken Boston had 1 cookie, Mary had 1 cookie, Chris had five, and I had...well...the rest. Do we really need to put a number on it?

Those sweet little cookies were begging me to eat them, and I figured if out of sight out of mind right?...

I was justifying. I know.

Did you know that if you start the day off with 5 cookies you will be craving sugar like a crazy person the rest of the day?

Yeah, so did I.

Well, it's in the past now, and since I finished the last cookie I haven't had any more cookies. :) Let's not even mention all the Chocolates I ate that Chris brought home from his latest trip to Europe...

I was super careful the rest of the week and wound up losing 4.4 pounds this week, weighting in at 204.6.

On a even better note, my sweet Maddie has begun to sleep. I mean, really sleep. In turn, I've begun to sleep, and as long as I don't fall asleep in the rocking chair I wake up in the morning feeling pretty well rested.
It blows my mind how fast she's growing. She's such a happy baby! She loves to smile and just take in everything that is going on around her. I wouldn't trade her for the world. I don't know that I would have said that even a month ago. :) Here are some pictures of my sweet baby girl.

Look at that face!!!


She loves her brother, most of the time. You can't see it, but he's driving his Lightening McQueen car on her tummy.


Seriously, have you seen a cuter baby? (not counting your own)

I also went to a workshop this weekend and learned some ways to improve my pictures. I'll post some of those soon. I also have done some newborn sessions and have a family session this week. So far I've loved some of the pictures we've gotten out of them. Here are a couple of cute baby Austin.

Baby weight be gone ( and the little extra)

Well, it's time for me to put it all out there so I can be held accountable to everybody. And you know what? I'm not even a little afraid to do it. Maybe it's because I'm not worried about the outcome. I know I'll try a little harder when I have to report to you all and not just one other person.
Many of you watched as I lost 60 pounds last year and then slowly, but happily put it back on when I was pregnant with Madison. Well, I'm happy to announce that I never made it back to my previous heavy weight record (225), but I came pretty darn close. I'll be honest I was a little disappointed when the scale stop coming down around week 3 after having Maddie. It seemed to settle in happily at 212.
So I'm starting the process all over again. I'm excited to do it. Maybe because I know I've done it once before, and I know I can do it again, but this time I plan on getting with in my goal weight range which is 130-155. I'd like to be about 145, but we'll see when I get to 150.
I started weight watchers again (LOVE) and so far so good. I now weigh in at 209, and my first goal is to get to 199. If I wasn't nursing I think I would have planned to be there by mid October, but my milk dried up before and I don't want that to happen until I've hit the 6 month mark, so I have to be careful and take losing weight a little bit slower. About a pound a week...maybe two. I figure the weeks are going to pass by anyway, so why not be lighter at the end of it all.
This is about me and my family. I'm not doing this to fit into a pair of skinny jeans, I'm doing this to feel better about myself, and to set an example for my family. Chris and I are both thicker, and gain weight super easily if we're not careful, and we're pretty sure our kids are going to inherit that lovely trait so we want them to grow up knowing that exercise and eating right are a part of life.
Ok, so right now all I can get Boston to eat is Macaroni and Cheese, but he's eating. That's the first step in a healthy lifestyle, right?
I've noticed that when I eat like I'm pregnant, my family does too and they all gain weight. When I take care of myself it inspires them to do the same.
Ok, I'm rambling. Anyway, I'm going to share my experience with all of you, because it's not always easy, or fun, but it's totally worth it.
When you're healthy, you're happy. Not only that, but I really believe (and this is just my OPINION) that taking GOOD care of our bodies is a part of the Word of Wisdom. By letting myself get so overweight I was basically trashing my body. I wasn't keeping my covenants. You know how you here people say that after this life our bodies will be perfected and all the extra weight will be gone? I hear that all the time, and I don't think that's true. You can't smoke and drink and do drugs in this life saying it's too hard to change, and expect those desires to be gone after this life. I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that. At some point you've got to overcome those shortcomings, and it's probably better to get them taken care of in this life, and the sooner the better.
Now obviously I'm far from perfect, and all of this is just something that hit me after I had Boston and was having a hard time getting up the stairs. At 25, I was having a hard time getting UP THE STAIRS! My joints were hurting and I had the energy of a 60 year old. That's when I realized that while I wasn't doing drugs or drinking, I was still breaking the Word of Wisdom and I had to change.
I made a mistake while I was pregnant by eating literally WHATEVER I wanted and not working out. This pregnancy was a lot easier than the last one because I started at a healthier weight, but because of bad choices, especially at the end of the pregnancy, I'm almost back to where I started.
So here I sit, inviting you all to help me on my journey once again. Don't freak out if you see me eating ice cream or cake or whatever, because I love food too much to cut all of that out. Just know that I will have planned for the splurge, and am enjoying every second of it.
This post is going on forever, sorry about that.
These first couple weeks have been great, and tough at the same time. I've started working out again 3-4 times a week for at least 20 minutes a day. It's not much, but it's what I can do right now. My knees are sore from running again, and my muscles usually scream at me for a day or two after my weights workout, but it's the good kind of pain. The kind you know is bringing you one step closer to your goal.
Thanks for listening. This is going to be fun watching all this weight drop together. Who knows, maybe some of you will do it with me and then next summer we'll all be hot mamas and run a ragnar in our bikinis (yeah right! how about a 10k or half marathon instead, but not in bikinis unless you really want to.)

Mischief Managed

What if one day you opened your laundry room door to find this...



Then you step further in only to find this....



So you vacuum it all up, and it takes you twice as long because you keep finding more and more laundry soap hidden in every square inch of the room. Then after 30 minutes have gone by you turn around and see this...



And you know that it's all courtesy of THIS mischief maker....What would you do?



You'd probably grumble a little because it's the third time it's happened, swear to yourself that next time he's going to get it, and then laugh and take some pictures too.

Duck Story

We're trying to help Boston learn how to play with other kids better and frankly, sometimes I just need to get out of the house, so we play a lot.

My friend Kayla and her daughter Brinley are the perfecy playmates. Kayla had the great idea of taking the kids to feed ducks at the park by Lone Peak. Boston was so excited....until

Duh-duh-done






These apparently STARVING ducks got a little TOO close. Then things went from happy to almost terrifying.
We ended up having to hold Boston and Brinley while feeding the ducks because, let's be honest, when a duck as big as you are comes right up to you and grabs the bread out of your hand you'd freak out a little too.






It doesn't take a detective to notice that he's trying to run away from me in the pictures. He did not want the ducks behind him where he couldn't see what they were doing.

So we decided to take a stroll around the lake and throw some rocks into the water...but the ducks followed us.



That's where we met this little guy. He was the odd man out, maybe that's why we liked him.


Then There was the rebellious one with the side ways mo-hawk.There's one in every flock right?




Boston wasn't a fan, so he got as far away from the ducks as he could.



We strolled over to the dock, where the ducks still followed us, but they were in the water, and couldn't get to where we were, so the kids were happy. The loved throwing rocks in the water. The ducks still thought it was food and would dive for the rocks. Poor things.





Boston even took the following pictures with a little help from me to steady the camera. I was surprised that he actually got anything.




Then we finished our little adventure by sitting on the beach for a minute and throwing rocks in the water. Only one little duck followed us over there. We were all out of bread and felt kind of bad. Once he realized that he left and Boston was brave again.






And baby Maddie slept threw it all.



THE END

At any given moment....

At any given moment, on any given day, when Daddy is home, you'll find Boston busy at work in his new favorite chair with his new favorite accessory/gadget/toy.





At any given moment, on any given day, when Daddy is home, you'll find Maddie with her favorite naptime buddy/new favorite chair with his new favorite accessory/gadget/toy.

Post-a-holic

I know you all can't get enough of me and my exciting life, and are dying to read about all my latest adventures. Ok, not really. Actually this next post is just so I remember in the future, because it's funny. Here are three happenings in my life as a mother of a little boy named Boston.

So the last week I've been trying really hard to speak spanish to Boston. The first couple days he didn't respond and just kind of looked at me. But the last three days he's caught on that I'm speaking a different language and he gets so mad! (I'm currently trying to get a video of it and will post it as soon as I do.)
As soon as I start speaking even one spanish word he starts SCREAMING "NOOO!!!" Then when I switch back to english he calms down. I'm having so much fun with it. It's so hard not to burst out laughing when he's so mad. But I figure if I keep speaking it to him and Maddie then he'll understand more and not be so frustrated and join in my speaking spanish with me. I was reading him a story last night and a couple pages in it dawned on him I was reading it in spanish and he jumped up and put his hand over my mouth. "No mommy!" He kept it there until I spoke English. And the minute I would switch back, he would put his hand over my mouth again and scream NO. At one point he had one hand over my mouth and the other over my eyes, as if that could stop me from speaking spanish. lol.

He's also picking up words like crazy lately. I mean like 10 new words a day. So last night he was laying on my bed when he lifted up his legs high in the air and said, very clearly, "Da Butt" while pointing to his derrière. Chris and I just looked at him and said "what?" he pointed and said "Da Butt". Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not offended by the word Butt at all. In fact, I don't think I've even ever given it a second thought. But for some reason it sounds like a bad word coming from my two year old...not sure how I feel about this.

So lately I've been feeling like it's time to start really creating good gospel habits at home like daily family prayer and family scripture. So last night we wrestled him into the living room and corralled him in. We sang a song, read a quick scripture about Jesus, and said a family prayer. We made it through, but barely. I'm determined to make this a habit in our family, so tonight before Chris went to bed we all gathered together for a second attempt. Boston was NOT having it tonight. After giving up on negotiating with him to join us, I grabbed him and held him in my lap. I was hoping to calm him down and set a spiritual kind of mood so we started by singing "I am a Child of God." But Chris was the only one who could get through it. Mary and I burst out laughing when we got to the line "has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear." Why did we burst out laughing? Well because myself, being the kind and loving parent that I am, was literally fighting with my two year old to keep him on my lap while he was kicking and thrashing and screaming "I want go Bed!" But I was determined. Yes he missed nap time, and yes he hadn't eaten anything almsot all day (that story is next) but I was, and am, determined to have family prayer and scripture. So, while still fighting Boston with one hand I opened to Mosiah 2:17. And read in a loud, voice, "Behold..." I was practically shouting over Boston. Great setting for the spirit to be felt huh? This was quickly becoming a traumatic experience for Boston as our battle of wills took place. Boston changed his tune from "I want go bed" to "I want Daddy" (Daddy is always the hero and the good guy for whom Boston will behave like an angel.) I handed Chris's son to him, and Boston was still shuddering with sobs but calmed down enough that we could get through a quick prayer. I'm determined to make daily family prayer and scripture and habit in this family...even if it means future therapy sessions for my kids apparently. Would you call it quits after day two?

This is the last one:
Tonight I made meatloaf and baked potatoes for dinner. I made Boston a little plate and was really hoping he'd eat even a couple bites since I topped it with his favorite food, cheese. He wanted no part of it, but I also am trying to get in the habit of family dinners, at the kitchen table. After I wrestled him into his high chair and he was locked in, he was thrashing all around and I could tell this wasn't going to go well. I quickly ate my dinner while he and Maddie were screaming and then I focused on Boston. He wanted to go outside and roll his car down the driveway, but I told him he couldn't until he had one bite. Just ONE TEENY TINY BITE. Again he threw a fit. Screaming, wailing, gnashing of teeth kind of tantrum that you only hear about in horror parent stories (are you seeing a trend here?) In fact, it was such a spectacular tantrum that even Maddie stopped crying and just watched him until she fell asleep. (Not sure how you fall asleep with someone screaming like they're about to die.)
I sat trying to get him to take one bite as he cried. Then He said he wanted cheese. I told him he could have a slice of cheese if he took just one little bite. Nope. Instead he waited until my attention was on something else and he grabbed the slice of cheese I had to bribe him out of my hand and tried to eat it as quick as he could. But this mama is too quick for that. I grabbed the cheese out of his little hand and said for the thousandth time, "If you take this one bite, you can have the slice of cheese." He cried and screamed and thrashed for another 5 minutes and I just sat calmly explaining to him his choices. After a couple more attempts to grab the cheese slice out of my hand he realized he'd have to switch tactics. What does he do? He calls for his daddy. "I want daddy" he says. "If daddy helps you will you eat?" I asked patiently. "I want daddy." He cries as he takes the fork of food he's refused to eat out of my hand and hands it lovingly to his dad. I watch, in only semi-shock, as he opens his mouth wide to let his dad put the one bite I had tried to get him to eat for over 30 minutes into his mouth. As soon as he gets it in his mouth Chris and I both say "good job!" and Chris tells him he can have the piece of cheese. I hand Boston the cheese, and as soon as it is in his possession, he gags on the food, and spits it out dramatically wiping his tongue off with his hand as if it had been poison. Great. Then before Chris and I could realize his plan he shoved the cheese in his mouth and was happy. He outsmarted us. We were defeated by a two year old, and we knew it. We burst out laughing. This kid of ours.

These weren't the only tantrums that he threw today. Maybe tomorrow I'll keep a tally of some sort. If I kept one today I would say there were easily 10 full on tantrums. Ever since Maddie came along my sweet little buddy has disappeared. I still adore him, but he's a terror. Funny, but a terror. Even his nursery leader said he's been more "aggressive" with the other kids lately. Great, he's THAT kid.

I may have waited too long to set good habits and teach consequences. But two isn't too late...right? I'm not doomed to have a terror child for the rest of my days right? All these battles will eventually work out and he'll be grateful for me as his mom right?
I sure hope so.

A Miracle!

It's a MIRACLE!!! (Heavenly Choirs Singing Hallelujah)

Last night Madison slept from 9pm to 3am. I went to bed at 10 and got 5 HOURS of uninterrupted SLEEP!!! (Heavenly Choir singing Aaaahhhhhh)

Then once she ate, (which was much needed for both of us) she slept from 3:30am until 6:30am. So I got another 3 hours of sleep after that!!! (Heavenly Choirs Singing Hallelujah)

Can I get an AMEN Sista??

I haven't had that much sleep since July 8th, 2011.

I doubt it will happen again tonight, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the new normal.

I'm going to do this!

I'm totally going to do this! Check it out!

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