Monday weigh in!

Ok, I was so excited to wake up and get on the scale this morning (what a dork!)...and I was thrilled to see that I had lost 3.6 pounds in one week! I was thinking it would be maybe 2, so that made me very happy and motivated to keep going. I'm glad we got the scale now. :) We truly have not eaten out at ALL, which is huge, and I have reluctantly given up my McDonald's sweet teas that I am extremely addicted to...but it is worth it. I had a party one night where I ate some desserts and 2 small pieces of Donato's pizza, but other than that, everything has been things we've made here at home. I DO need some good recipe ideas, though, if I'm going to continue to be successful and not get too bored with the same foods. Also, for some reason when we weighed Caleb the other day it said 34 lbs but today it said 29.2--I think we were holding him down on the scale the other day, and so that's why it was more.

I also finished Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred the other night, so today I'll be moving on to level 2---argh! I'm not a fan, but I'll do it. YAY for success!!

First Monday Weigh-In and Thoughts on LOST

I've decided that every Monday I am going to blog about how much I lost (or didn't lose), to help keep myself accountable. I'm not going to post my actual weight since I'm way too embarrassed about that, but maybe I will once it gets to a less-embarrassing number. :) I finished Day 7 of the Shred tonight, and we went on a walk today (about a mile or so) as well. We ate well over the weekend, and today I actually didn't even really eat lunch since we were out and about and I didn't have anything with me. I don't want to make a habit of that, but it did save me on calories today. Bryan and I both struggle with the portion size issue of eating right--we'll eat healthy things, but get in trouble because we eat too MUCH of the healthy thing. ARGH! I really think our portion size ideas are so screwed up in America! Sometimes (a LOT of times actually) I really wish I was one of those people who could eat whatever they want, not ever think about calories/fat and not gain an ounce...sigh...Anyway, it's a good start to this week, although I still haven't been to the grocery store, and I NEED to get there before I cave and eat things I shouldn't!

In other news, the series finale of LOST was last night, as I'm sure you know! Bryan and I are HUGE "Losties" and have been eagerly anticipating/dreading the finale. I have been processing how I felt about the end all day today, and I have a few thoughts.

1. I love how they wrapped up the show as far as the characters were concerned. I cried like a baby when they were all hugging and happy together in the church, and cried some more when Vincent (whom I just love) laid down next to Jack as he died. The show was sooo character driven, so it felt like a good resolution, although very bittersweet (and at first extremely confusing!).

2. I DO wish that they had answered a few more of the BIG questions about the funky island stuff. Why Aaron was so important, why the numbers were on the hatch, what Dharma really had to do with everything (was it just filler??), how The Woman got there and why the island really needed protecting, what would really happen if the MIB got out into the world, why Faraday was crying when he watched the news about the plane, and I could go on and on! (Ok, maybe more than "a few"!) I realize that the writers could do whatever they wanted, and I know they wanted some things to remain a mystery, but I still wish some of the more important questions had been answered. Sometimes I reallllly wish they would make a movie...but it's not going to happen, sadly.

3. We're going to start over with Season 1 on DVD now. It might make me angry about the questions not being answered but I'll be happy to see the characters again, alive and kicking. :) (I am SUCH a dork, I KNOW!)

And lastly, just for fun, a few cute pics of my little boy out and about. Love him...he makes my heart overflow with happiness (well, except when he is laying on the floor screaming because he doesn't want to go wherever we're telling him we're going...did that happen today? Surely not...)

So far, so good!

This week has been surprisingly easy as far as radically changing my diet, and getting back into the Shred. We've eaten a lot of grilled chicken/pork chops with veggies--we joined a CSA this year, so that's been awesome so far! I also got lots of healthy snacks for when I get the munchies...which is my biggest thing. I did 5 days of the 30 Day Shred, and bought The Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD as well. Going to bust that out next week, and hopefully alternate between that and the Shred...although the Cardio Max is 60 minutes long, and the only time I have 60 min that I actually feel like doing anything is during Caleb's nap. And he only sleeps for 2 hours, so I'd be giving up an hour of "Mommy time," but I know it is for the best. We went out on a date Friday night to Logan's, and I got a steak salad with low-fat (or fat-free, not sure) dressing and only ate 1 1/2 rolls. Today we went to Flag Fork Herb Farm for Bryan's free birthday meal and I got a BLT with turkey bacon, no mayo, a small portion of a linguine/shrimp pasta salad, and half a piece of Bryan's low-fat lime with raspberry cheesecake for dessert. I really haven't cheated at ALL, unless you consider getting vanilla in my diet coke at Sonic cheating. Also, we bought a scale...dum dum dum...GASP!!! I weighed myself and it was QUITE a scary, scary number...but I'm going to start on Monday as far as tracking it (on Sparkpeople, thanks Tricia!), as well as on here. (Not the actual number, mind you...just how much lost each week!) Wish I knew what I started out as this past Monday, but that's ok, we'll go from here. (Side note: Caleb weighs 34 lbs!) Let's just say, I would like to lose a LOT, and I don't see that happening if I get pregnant soon, obviously, but I'll do it until then anyway...and then continue to eat right and exercise. When I was preggers with Caleb all I craved was fresh fruit and milk anyway! (Lucky on that one!)

So, that's the update...gotta get to the grocery to restock our fridge this weekend! If anyone has any great go-to healthy lunches or dinner recipes, PLEASE let me know...I hate feeling stuck in a rut and that is usually when I fail-when I get bored of the same few things. Also, if anyone has good snack ideas, let me know!

Biting the bullet

I am putting this down in my blog so you all can hold me accountable...I figured, the more people who knew, the more people to help me along! I have decided to really start eating right and getting back on the 30 Day Shred and/or walking routine. We ate whatever we wanted in Florida, and I am feeling it. My stepsister is getting married in about a month, and Caleb's 2nd birthday is the month after, so there are going to be lots of picture taking opportunities going on, and I HATE feeling like I have to run away every time I see a camera coming near me. Part of me really doesn't feel like starting this, only because we may or may not be trying for #2 (haha) and I think, what's the point? But I know that the point is to be as healthy as possible...because who knows how long it could continue to take....I don't want to just blow up like a balloon in the process. I am already wearing a size in pants that I haven't been in in a long time, and I don't like it one bit. My senior year in college I did Weight Watchers--sorta--we got the info and did it on our own in the sorority house...and had a LOT of success...got down to my smallest size ever (I had an awesome pair of jeans from Express in a 5/6 if that tells you anything), and felt very good about myself. I don't expect to get down to that maybe ever again ( I was 21 and it was a lot easier than after being pregnant with an almost 12 lb baby!), but I would like to be down a few pant sizes anyway...3 would make me very happy. Well, 1 size down is my goal before Kelsey's wedding in June, and then one more by Caleb's birthday in July. I have no idea if that is possible, but I am motivated to work as hard as I can to make it possible. If we do have success with #2 before then, I still want to eat very healthily and exercise...plus, I lost weight every week of my first trimester w/Caleb anyway.

So, my plan with doing this is to eat out as little as possible, for one thing. And when we DO go out, I need to make better choices. Also, I just spend a lot of money at the grocery buying healthy options for us (Bryan is doing this as well) so we're not tempted to eat badly at home or order pizza/takeout. I bought lowfat cottage cheese that I eat for a snack with tomatoes, whole grain bread, deli turkey and ham, veggies and fat free ranch dip, apples (to eat with peanut butter), yogurts, the liquid egg stuff and turkey bacon, peanuts, and some other things. Today I had 2 hardboiled eggs for breakfast, 2 fat free hot dogs for lunch, a pasta salad (Suddenly Salad) with grilled chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella for dinner, with a few snacks in between...some peanuts, snack-ums dill pickles, and a few green olives. I did Day 1 of the Shred this morning. I feel good about this, and hope to be able to tell a difference in how my clothes fit SOON. Wish me luck, and like I said, I am going to blog about it so that I feel like I am being held accountable, even if it's only 2 of you reading it. :)

Mushy post

I don't know why I'm feeling particularly mushy tonight, but I just wanted to post about how much I love my little boy...and he is truly a little boy in every sense of the word these days. His vocabulary has EXPLODED lately, ever since our trip to Florida. I just LOVE to hear his little voice form words and mini-sentences ("Here you go!" "There it is!" "Mommy too!") (as in, Mommy come too?)). It is so great to ask him what he wants and (a lot of times, not always) get a response, instead of just having to guess. He is so smart. He knows so many colors, shapes, animal sounds, letters, etc. He knows words in books we have read him over and over...if I read part of it, he can usually finish it with the missing word. He is SO polite--he says "mease" (please" and "thank you" all the time, many times unprompted.

He looooooves his little cars and trucks these days-he is just happy to push them around the house. He also loves going for rides in the "big car" and loves to see "neighs" (horses) and barns. He is NOT a fan of lawnmowers...and is very concerned with each "barn" (storage shed) he sees that there is a "lawnmower" in there. We found him a great playset for the backyard this week on Craigslist, as well as a kitchen/grill set for super prices, and it's been fun to watch him playing with these things. He loves to slide down the slide, and grill like Daddy on his play grill. He is also so very sweet when we sit down to dinner...he'll usually put out his hands for us to hold his hands to pray, or he'll fold them and squeeze his eyes shut tight...and he always ends each prayer with an emphatic "AMEN!"

He is always making me laugh out loud at something he says or does. The best part is when he gets giggling so hard he can't stop...nothing like that sound in the whole world. His giggle when he put his feet in the ocean for the first time is something I will NEVER, EVER forget--pure happiness.

I just love everything about him. Even those temper tantrums where he throws himself down on the ground out of pure frustration make me smile on the inside...his personality is coming out, he is learning independence...it makes my heart glad. Bryan and I are working hard at setting boundaries and being consistent, but even this new phase is fun in it's own way. (I know, I must be crazy, right?)

Speaking of setting boundaries, we just finished a wonderful parenting class at church where we learned soooo much about being Christian parents in a world where everything that will be thrown at our kids is going to go against the lifestyle we want to have. It is overwhelming to think about, but I LOVE that we get to raise him to know God and follow His ways. I love knowing his church is one full of people who "get it"...so he won't have to grow up dreading church.

He loves his mommy. I can't get enough of his sweet smile and proclamation of "Hiiiiii Mommy!!!" when I go in his room to get him in the morning. (Followed very closely with "Brefest?? (Breakfast)) I love when he runs across a room to hug my legs.

I could go on and on. I can't get enough of his sweet little boyness. I am so grateful, each day, that God gave this precious child to me. I can't believe he is going to be two in less than two months. I couldn't be happier. :)

More beach pics

Sorry! And beach pics!

So sorry to *all* my readers for it being so long since I've posted. We went to the beach this past week (Destin) and I've just not had the chance! We had a wonderful time and are sad to be away from the ocean and beach, but happy to be home at the same time. Caleb loved the ocean and the pool. He did great on both the drive down and the drive back, although part of that had to do with my mom entertaining him and when she wasn't, Barney was. Yes, the purple dinosaur! A friend let me borrow her son's Barney DVD and Caleb LOVED it. Yikes. Anyway, it kept him happy! Bryan and I got to go out for some romantic evenings, which I thoroughly enjoyed...we ate lots of good seafood. We stayed in a nice condo...it was so good to have a fridge and stove so we didn't have to eat out for EVERY meal. We drove down to Seaside, FL one afternoon...it is where "The Truman Show" was filmed, and we loved it...too bad you have to be a millionaire to live there! :( Here are some pics...I took a TON!!