Is this what I have been missing?

As you know, yesterday I started a new workout program at my gym. I woke up today sore, in a good way. It was the first time in way to long that I felt like I had a good workout at the gym. Today, I went back, I grabbed the bull by the horns. And again, I was sore. This time it started while working out, and no, it wasn't soreness like something was injured, it was soreness like my muscles were getting a good work out. I have been going to the gym for 3 months now, I for one did not see that happening, nor did I expect to see my face light up when I had this soreness. It was awesome! I joked with the trainer there and was like your program is kicking my butt! Hopefully in shape. Well, if not my butt at least it is working on the saddle bags and bad wings. Anyway, just wanted to touch base again. Let you know about my new gym adventure. In 3 months I get another program change AND I get another fitness assessment. I can't wait to see the changes! With 2011 coming to a close, I am starting to think about my goals for 2012. One of them is to actually be able to wear a bikini with pride, but even if I can't achieve that one, at least I know I will be giving it my all! And, my next 5K is this weekend, hopefully I will continue to feel better, although nothing but a blizzard is keeping me from running this race! It is my second and last race of 2011!!

 

How was your workout Wednesday?!

The proof is in the pudding er um jeans

So, I hate shopping. Hate it with a passion. Especially when shopping for clothes. That was until today. I will spare you the details of why I ended up at Tar-jay, but I saw all these sales racks and they called me in, well, I saw this one pair of pants tgat I thought were cute in a size I didn't think I would fit in. Well, I put them on and they fit! Fit with some room. What does this mean to you..probably nothing. But to me it means that in 5 months I have lost 43 pounds and now officially fit in jeans that are HALF the size I was when I started this journey. I am now STOKED to see what 2012 has in store. Tomorrow I have an appointment at the gym with the trainer for a program redo. I have no idea what to expect, and for some strange reason, I AM NOT SCARED!! I say bring it!

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing everyone A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May you remember the reason for the season and my you find your miracle today. I hope that Santa was good to you whether you were naughty or nice. I want to say Happy Birthday Jesus! Thank you for the best Christmas present ever last year and every year, my daughter Makayla. There is truiy nothing better a mom could ask for.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Enjoy your time with your family!!!

Suddenly A week goes by...

Good morning! I had every intention of putting up a blog post last week regarding my daughter's birthday, and then about her party, but one thing led to another and the week slipped away into another week. I will post my letter to my daughtee hopefully later today, and if you want to see some pictures from her party, go to my sistee Rockle's blog at www.rockle.blogspot.com. As this week started I knew there was a lot to do before Christmas, but I also thought the week was going to drag as usual. Boy was I wrong. I think this has been one of the fastest weeks ever! Here we are on Christmas Eve Eve and there is no telling how fast Christmas is going to fly by. I am hoping that time will slow down. That just for a weekend time will go by slow enough to savor every laugh, every smile, every sight, every smell. This is the first Christmas without my Grandfather, and I don't know what to expect. I know I will be sad, but I also know that he isn't suffering and
that he wouldn't want me to be sad. Either way, I know we will get through, because we have family and we have each other.
Before the festivities start tomorrow, I am making sure I get my run in. I know I will feel better about eating a little unhealthier knowing I exercised.
Whatever you do, however you plan to spend it, make sure this holiday you slow down and savor the moment. Afterall miracles do happen.

Differences...



Here is a photo of myself when I began my exercise and weight loss adventure back in Sep



Here is a photo of myself last weekend.

Looking at this right now is one of the first times that I can say I see a difference in my appearance. I guess the running and going to the gym is paying off. I can't wait to see what other changes I undergo. thank you for your support. I hope to always make you proud.

miles

I just looked at my daily mile page and honestly never thought I would be writing this...I am looking to break 300 miles by the end this year, maybe the end of this week. I never thought I would ever care about something like that, and here I am eager to see how many miles I will end 2011 with. It is something to be proud of considering I didn't really start running or working out until Sept. The bar will be set, I will just have to rise above it.
In the meantime, today is Monday so that means it's gym day and weigh in day. Hopefully my week will continue on the tone that yesterday set. Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday

Today is my birthday. It's extra special this year because it is my first birthday as a mommy. Looking back, I have a lot to be thankful for, besides my beautiful daughter. So this year, I started my day off with a run to thank Godand mybodyfor the ability to run. I am disappointed that I didn't run 4 miles today, but still happy I ran 2.5. I thought I was dressed for the cold, but my arms never warmed up. Guess I need to look into more cold weather gear for running. So on thin Sunday, remember to thank God for the many ways he blesses you, and live to never take a moment for granted. Happy Sunday!!

And Look A post...

So, I know I haven't written in a while, it just seems like I am trying to learn to balance this new aspect of who I am becoming with the old me. For example I am trying to figure out the best schedule of when to run/work out without sacrificing mother-daughter time. Therefore I usually wait until I take my daughter to daycare and then leaving myself time to do it before work. It seems to work well on most days, until the hubs has off. Then, that is when he makes it seem like working out gets in the way of everything. He makes it a point to guilt me out of going to the gym by saying we dont see each other enough, and while we do have the weekends free I make him feel invisible. I don't know how to respond to that, other than forfeiting what I love and actually LOOK FORWARD to doing, just to keep the piece. Sure, whi wouldn't rather eat anything they want and not have to work out. I am not one of those people. I haven't lost 40 pounds doing nothing. I am
not sorry that making myself healthier stands in your way of us doing absolutely nothing. We can still do that, after I go to the gym/run. I do it for me. I do it to clear my head, de-stress. In running is when I cut myself some slack. It is one of the times in my day that I allow myself to be proud of many changes that I have made. It is my opportunity to feel like I shine.
Sure, I didn't run today. Sure, I feel guilty. But, I created memories with my daughter and I wouldn't change it any other way. So tonight, on the eve of the one day a year that is about me, I am going to put my foot down. I am taking back my me time and going to utilize it in whatever way I choose. I am no longer going to feel guilty for working out, or for wanting to watch tv (currently I am obsessed with Friday Night Lights). I give 100% of myself in EVERYTHING I do. And I am done feeling guilty!
So, tomorrow as a birthday present to myself I am going to run 4 miles. I am not running from anything, just running to save myself.

Nail Polish Swap

If any of you know me, you know that I love nail polish, but my job does not allow me to wear it on my nails. What that means is that I get pedicures. I promise I won't be showing you my feet, but I will be showing you awesome polish that I recieved from my swap partner Nikki from the

What you don't know is that the polish GLOWS IN the DARK!! I cannot wait to treat myself to my birthday pedicure so that I can have toes that glow in the dark! Not only did I get polish, but also a X-mas tree. Well, at least it got me some decorations!

12 weeks

That is how long ago I started running. 12 weeks ago I looked like this...

Today I look like this...

In just 12 weeks I have lost 21 pounds. I am at my lowest weight since probably about 2001. But it doesn't mean I am going to stop now. After just 12 weeks, I have run my first 5K, and this weekend I will be signing up for another 5K, my first 10K and even my first Half Marathon. Yep, you read that right, my first Half Marathon. I love how it feels to get out and run, but I love what it is doing to my health. I love shopping for smaller size clothes, and while I haven't bought new clothes in 10 weeks, I will probably by a pair of pants or something just to keep me motivated. I never really thought that I would like running, yet keep at it after my original goal of running a 5k. I NEVER imagined that I would be so excited that I would want to run a half marathon. There is something about running. How proud of myself I am after a run is complete. I think back to 12 weeks ago when I couldn't even jog for 30 seconds, and now I run for at least 40 minutes straight. Well, unless you take today when running with a jogging stroller is so much more than I expected. My goal for that right now is to run 2 miles ;) I can't believe that I am that person who has to figure out how the gym or running fits into her day, and if it looks like it won't I hit the gym or run BEFORE I care about anything else. I hope you will all continue to support me as I work my way to a healthier me, and that you will be there cheering for me at my next 5, or at the 10, but even better I hope you are there as I cross the finish line of my first half marathon! Thank you for all of the support you have given me so far. I know without it I wouldn't have accomplished so much. 21 pounds in 12 weeks, and 40 pounds since May. That is a whole lot of me that has left, but I am so happy with the results!

Race Recap

I am by no means a race expert, so I probably shouldn't be doing a race recap. However, since this was my first time doing The Pumpkin Pie 5 K I think that I can tell my perspective of the race. First off, wow! I didn't expect that many people. There were over 1000 people running or walking this race.  When you first got there to check in they had you go to one section to get your race bib and goodie bag. Then you had to go another section to get your timing chip and then you had to figure out how to attach the running chip to shoe which looked way more difficult then it turned out to be.
The race started promptly and went directly up a hill, but it started on a normally busy street where the residents who live there did not move their cars. So you have 1000+ people trying to run up a hill and you have to dodge parked cars.  They did have the walkers take a different path so that was nice, at least we didn't have to dodge walkers the entire run.  There were a lot of hills! I mean a lot. You can check for yourself here. Every time I thought we had reached the peak, it felt like there was another. I ran hills for as part of my training, so I knew that I could handle them.  But back to the race.  They did have someone at the first and second mile mark telling you your times, and I thought the second mile seemed to past much faster than the first. I guess that could be due to the fact that while I did not want to start off too fast, I think I did. After the 2nd mile marker, I just kept following the crowd through the neighborhoods.  Some where around mile 3, the walkers shoot back onto the same path as the runners and how the enter the race path, it felt like as a runner I had to dodge them. Oh wait, and more parked cars. At the final turn, there were lots of fans to get your blood pumping, and seeing them and my cheering section allowed me to turn up the heat. I did want to turn it up sooner, but as I previously said I had to dodge the walkers. Anyway, onto that final stretch with everyone cheering you on and seeing that finish line I just had to push harder! I sprinted and even heard a fellow runner (someone who finished way before me) cheer me on for turning on the heat at the end.
Overall it was a good race. I don't know if I would say it was a fun race, maybe if I had someone to run it with it would have been more fun, but it definitely was a race of the mind.It looked like they had a lot of refreshments at the end, but I didn't wait to check them out. Maybe next race I will make sure to see the vendor section! All in all I am glad that I did the race and I am looking forward to doing some more. I am proud of how far I came in 11 short weeks and look forward to whatever running adventures come by way.
I never thought I would like running, but today, I felt like a runner!

5 K

I ran my first 5K today. I RAN the entire thing, even the hills. I will post more tomorrow, for now, here is a picture of me before the race!

Until then, have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I have a lot to be thankful this year!

Pre Race Gitters

This is it! This is the day I have been waiting for. No, wait, that will be tomorrow. Today is the eve of the day I have been training for thus far. Tomorrow is my first 5K race! I don't know all the particulars of what people do before the race, but I do know this. My clothes will be picked out tonight, my pre-race meal will be planned tonight. I will have pasta for dinner tonight (possibly lunch too).  I am trying not to let myself get to nervous about the race, I know that I can do it. I have been running 4 miles up to this week, so 3.1 should be easy, but I know how I get. I start to tell myself that I can't do it, that I haven't trained long enough. But, I KNOW I can do this. I know that it is normal to feel nervous about my first race, but I won't let it hold me back. I won't let it keep me from the goal! I can't believe how far I have come in 12 weeks. 12 weeks ago I started the couch to 5k program and could barely run 30 seconds, and now I run 4 miles. Other races are starting to peak on the horizon, and I can't wait to see me conquer those goals as well. Who would have thought that I would be a runner? I can honestly say I never saw this coming. But, I am so glad it did.  You never know what God has planned, but when you are patient and listen to Him, He will allow greatness into your life. I know that I won't win any prizes at my race tomorrow, but the best prize that I can win and will win is FINISHING the 5K and knowing that I put it all on tthe line.

Fitness Goals...

As you know, I have starting grabbing the proverbial bull by its horns. 11 weeks ago I started running, I have my first 5K in 2 days. 10 weeks ago I started going to the gym to cross train. On those days I do cardio, upper body, cardio, lower body, and some more cardio.  I didn't think that I would stick to any goal, let alone running and the gym. My work reimburses me when I go to the gym at least 8 times/month. That was originally my goal, just go 8 times/month. Well, after seeing this...

I am rejuvinated and know that it is all worth it! In all, with running, working out and utilizing the program LoseIt, since May I am down 38 pounds! Right now I am one pound from my original goal, but that will be reassessed once I reach that.

As you may or may not know, I also signed up for my first 10K! That is Superbowl Sunday. I am so excited. I never thought I would really enjoy running, and now that I do, I can't get enough. I just might have to change my schedule and instead of having a rest day, I will make tthat another run day so that I am running 4 days a week! Who would have thought I would just say that!

Enough about me, here is a video of Makayla walking away!



11 months

Last night when I went to bed, my precious darling daugther was 10 months old. When we woke up today, she was 11 months old! How on earth did that happen? How on earth did it come to be that she has been with us for almost a year already!! Here are the normal monthly "birthday" photos. I cannot believe that the next time I do this she will be 1!!!

Makayla,
My sweet babes! How independent you are trying to be. You are walking now, well taking steps to be walking, and every time you do you are taking more steps on your own. Your top 2 teeth are in, and you have the sweetest 4 toothed smile ever! Oct was an interesting month for you, you had your first Halloween, your first snowfall, and even our first time with the nebulizer. You still don't love it, but you don't hate it either. You see it as a nuisance, until you get to play with it. You are a non stop chatterbox, and I can't wait until you start saying more words! You love to snuggle and give awes (hugs) and kisses. You love to play patty-cake and letting us know how big you are. You hate sitting still and are always on the move. You had your first experience with "Little gym" and if it wasn't so expensive we would get a membership. You love giving Shae and Joey kisses, and especially love it when you see their pictures. You still love daycare, and everyone there loves you. You are such a sweet sweet baby, and I feel so blessed to have you in my life. No matter how bad my day is, you make it better. With daylights saving, you now get up a 6:30, but because of this you are now back to taking your morning nap. Which I was afraid meant you wouldn't nap at daycare, but you still nap there too. To me that is a win-win situation. You are a spitting image of me, and I wouldn't change that for the world. Slow down baby girl. You have the whole world to explore, just stay small one more day for mommy! I love you Pumpkin!

XOXOXOXO
Mommy

I am..

I am a daughter. I am a blonde. I am a sister. I am a wife. I am a nurse. I am a mother. I am a niece, a cousin, a granddaughter. The newest thing that I am coming to grips with is that I may, just may be a runner.  As you know, I started running 9 weeks ago. 9 weeks ago, it was a struggle for me to run for longer than 90 seconds without getting discouraged.  Today, I ran for 48 minutes. It was a terrible run, I was doubting myself the entire run, but I kept telling myself I had to run at least 3.1 miles. I ended up running 4 miles. I keep knocking myself down, thinking I am not good enough, fast enough, strong enough. That I am not enough being me.  After the run, I talked with an experienced runner, who also is the head of the running club I run with on Saturdays (or on the Saturdays I can run). He didn't meet me the first time I ran, but he made it a point to say hello to me today. I had a heart to heart about him about what my goals were for running. He said something that struck me, and stuck with me..."the thing about running is that it is you against you." You know what, he is right. It is about me. It is about my fears of failure (come on I have been running for 9 weeks, you would think I would be at least happy with that), of not finishing something I have started (again, I have commitment issues). It is about all those people who don't think I can do this. More importantly, it is about me. This is bigger than me. This is about how I feel about myself.  After talking with Roger, he was telling me about other local runs that I am going to do. He also told me that I should just increase my mileage weekly, and while I am not built to win races, I am built to finish them, if I let myself believe that I can.
So, today, I am going to let myself start to believe that I am a runner. That I can do this. That in less than 2 weeks I will finish my first 5 K and the following week I will be running 5 miles every time I run. I can do this. I will do this. Hopefully you will be there to cheer me on. I promise, I am going to do everything I can to believe in myself, and hopefully you will too. Wait until you hear what races I have in store for me!

Bucket List-Exercise Version

Many people make bucket lists for things they want to do before they die. I want to make a more practical version, for before I turn 50. Yes, I just put that out in writing, even though I know that the time is distant.
Here is my bucket list:
*Run a 5 K ( less than 2 weeks for this one)
* Run a 10 K
*Run a half marathon in 2013
*Run a full marathon before I am 40
*Run 10 5 Ks
*Run 5 10 Ks
*Run the princess Half marathon (aka half marathon in 2013)
*Feel better in my skin
there is my bucket list....for now anyway

Monday Randomness (In bullet points)

* What a long weekend I have had, was on call on Thursday night which led into Friday morning, worked Friday 3-11 was on call all day Saturday and Sunday with each day rolling into the next day, for example last night's call, yep got a call at 0440 this am to be at work for 6am. So yesterday rolled into today.
*Makayla is trying to walk. Legit walking...like took 5 steps today before she gave up...
*We are looking at doing a lease to own for our next residence, thanks to my cousin Jason. He just started working at a company that does this, and with a percentage of the rent going towards the eventual purchase. I am looking at it tomorrow to see if it is even worth our potential rent/purchase.
* Working out and running are going. Down 34 pounds since May but definitely getting there.
* Makayla is still sick, sounds like she is getting better, but will know for sure on Wed.
*First semester of school is almost finished, finals next week in one class, next month in the other.
Well, there isn't much more to say going on right now, AND I have to go to work. Hopefully, I will be able to blog more to vent/catch you up on my life. No pictures today, but I will post some tomorrow.

Happy Halloweenie Birthday

Today is my nephew's third birthday. Yes, I know it is also Halloween, but it is more importantly his birthday. This year, my folks are there celebrating it with him. In 2 short months our daughter's first birthday will be here and then the grandkids are 1, 3, 5. Good numbers huh? Anyway, this is about him. I love how much Joey loves my daughter. He calls her His Kayla. He loves on her so much. He hugs her and kisses her, it makes my heart melt. Well, this is how he is with Shae too, but there is something about how he loves on my daughter that makes any day better. Whenever we miss him, I think about how much love he has for her, our trip to the Shore, for example when he never wanted to see her go. It is exciting to see how much their loves grow as they get older. Anyway, since my daughter is not able to sing it to you yet, here is a HAPPY BIRTHDAY video for you Joey. Hope you have a great birthday! Hopefully next year we will be there with you!

Sneak Peak

As you know, Halloween is coming up. I usually skip it because I am too old to go trick or treating. This year, I will be working from 3-11 on the actual day, but the weekend prior we will be partaking in as much of the festivities as a 10 month old allows. See, as you know this is my daugther's first Halloween. There have been a lot of first's in this 10 month, and Halloweeen isn't any different. Her Birthday in less than 2 months rounds out her "firsts" but let's not rush past time. So, here is a sneak peak at what she looks like in her Halloween costume. Enjoy.

Her costume probably looks better with a black shirt underneath, but we don't have one. Plus, the shirt I did put on her does say trick or treat! If I do say so myself, she is a cute ladybug.
Apparently when I was at work, my husband got a hold of my camera. Here are some pictures that he took.

HAPPY THURSDAY!

10 month update

10 months! How on earth do I have a 10 month old! So many changes are going to happen here in the last 2 months of infancy, I don't know if I can handle it. Please someone hold me! Anyway, here are the monthly posed pictures from her actual 10 month old day!

Makayla,
Yay! Your first year is almost here. You are really trying to walk, but man, can you crawl!! You love getting into everything and exploring all around you. You made your first artwork ever in your life, and it is hanging on Nana Mousie's fridge. At school they have a pink shopping cart that you walk behind and run around pushing it. Your best friend Anthony won't take a nap at school until he sees you, and he loves giving you hugs and kisses as much as you love giving them back. Everyone at your school loves seeing you, you always have a smile on your face. I love how independent you are getting, and how FINALLY you have some hair growing. At Church today I noticed that your top 2 front teeth are coming in, and that explains all the crabbiness and lack of sleep. Hopefully those teeth will come in soon and we can get a break from this lack of sleep and we all can get some sleep. Your first school pictures are going to be in soon, and we cannot wait to see them.  Your first Halloween is coming up, and one of them soon we will have to go visit Joey for his birthday. You love to dance, and you cannot wait to shake your bootie!
Mommy and Daddy love you very much! Happy 10 months old!

Blah

I am feeling kinda blah today, for no reason in particular. I got called into work last night at 1100 to assist with an appendectomy, and got home at 2 so I did get some sleep. I know I have a full week of work and school work so it's not like my schedule changed much. I just can't shake this blah feeling.  Over the weekend I was looking at my loseit.com on my computer (I usually use it on my phone so I don't view the entire site too often). Anyway, when I looked at it I looked at what my goal is, and how far I have come. I know that I have been doing loseit now for a while, but I think I started doing it again faithfully right before our family vacation. I also know that since vacation, I also started a C25K program, and joined the gym at my work, also to help keep me motivated. Well, looking at where I came from...I can say that I have lost 29 pounds since May! While I am proud of that, I know that there is so much more to come off. This starts week 5 of the C25K program, and I am happy to see that I have stuck with something this long.I take it one day at a time. I will post pictures tomorrow, of when I started 5 weeks ago and what I took today. While I don't see a difference, you might. What I can say, is that with all of this weight loss and running, my bras are now 2 cup sizes smaller, and my pants are 3 sizes smaller from May, but 6 sizes smaller than Jan last year. Yes, smaller than before I got pregnant. Here's hoping you are having a good week.

9 and a half months...

Makayla had her 9 month check up today. I will share with you her stats..
Weight 23.8 pounds. Last month 20.8 pounds, birth 8 pounds 10 oz
Length 29.5 inches. Last month 28 inches, birth 20 inches
Head circumference 18 inches, last month 17 1/4 birth 14.
She is still off of the charts on everything. She had her first flu shot today, she gets the second part in a month. I also found out today that the pediatrician's office pierces ears, so on Nov 17th, my daughter is getting her ears pierced! Just in time for Thanksgiving. We also learned that when she is 11.5  months old we lose the formula and start whole milk, but no more than 24 ounces/day. My husband will be happy to hear that, he LOVES whole milk.
I cannot believe that we scheduled her 1 year check up! Where did the time go? My little angel is almost no longer a baby :( Now, off to plan her birthday party. Happy Hump day!

9 months and 5 days later...

As you know, I always takea picture of my sweet on on her month birthday. Hopefully, one day, she will look back and see why I love her so much. Anyway, here is the picture from that day.

Makayla,
I can't believe you are 9 months old already! I have had so much fun with you! We took your first family vacation to LBI (last year you were in Mommy's belly) and I know you had a great time! You went on a Whale watch with the family and while we didn't see any whales, we saw A LOT of dolphins!  You loved spending every minute of the day with your cousins Shae and Joey, and you miss them a lot now. You have gotten super fast in crawling, and you have even started going to "school" I think you like it, all the teachers there LOVE you! You are getting better at walking with help, and you are even starting to walk while only holding on with one hand!! Yesterday you said MAMA for the first time, and I nearly cried! You miss Aunt Jaime and her magic sleep whisperer self, but we are managing trying to get you to stay asleep. You LOVE to eat, and thankfully you aren't a picky eater like your father. There isn't a food you don't like, although we still haven't tried red meat, fish, or strawberries yet. You make me so proud of the little girl you are becoming, and I am starting to panic over how fast you are growing up. There are so many firsts coming up so fast, first school pictures next week, first trip to pick apples, to the pumpkin patch. We also have your first Halloween. Just know that mama loves you very much and I cannot imagine my life without you in it. Keep growing sweet baby. Mama loves you!

XOXOXOXO
MAMA

First Video

So, I have decided that I am terrible when it comes to capturing moments on film or video. So, for our family vacation we bought the flip cam. It was there, but you hardly ever saw me us  it. I have 2 sisters who are fantasic with the camera and so I let them capture all of the moments on vacation. Well, I did use it to capture 2 of the sweetest kids singing one of my favorite songs. Hope you enjoy it too.

Tuesday Confessions

Sometimes I feel like I wear many hats. I am a mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, niece, friend, nurse, and student. Sometimes it feels like I am everything all at once. Sometimes I feel like that is a HUGE weight on my shoulders, and I have to admit it, sometimes I am stressed beyond belief trying to balance all of the hats at one time. I feel like I am pulled in every different direction all at the same time as well. I have the weight on my shoulders trying not to let anyone down, myself included. I take care and worry about everything and everyone that I am always the last on my mind. I very rarely take care of myself because after I fulfill all my other jobs, there is no time left in the day for me. At one time, I used to care about how I looked, how I felt about myself. Then, I didn't really care. Now...I do care. Today, after getting a pep talk from an awesome person Katie that I wish was my friend in real life, I decided to take the bull by the horns and start to care for myself, because if I don't care for me, who will. I went back to tracking my food and exercise using LoseIt. I even started a couch to 5 K program. The key is going to be keeping me interested. My job also reimburses me for a gym membership, so I am thinking about doing that 2 days a week. I mean with Makayla going to daycare, it gives me 2.5 hours a day for me to do me, so why not work on being a better me so I can be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, etc. Heck, I am even on vacation and getting a manicure tomorrow because well, why not. I need to stop trying to please everyone all the time. I need to spend more time caring about me, because if I don't care about me, who will?!
That's my Tuesday confession. Which, I have to confess came to me while I was doing my c25k workout today. Have a great night. Try to stay warm and dry.

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

Today, we leave for our family vacation. But, the "fun" of packing started yesterday. Makayla wanted to make sure I didn't leave her behind...

So, whatever your holiday travels, have fun and be safe! I might not be blogging a lot because of vacation, but I will try to so you can at least see how much fun we are having! Stay safe and Happy travels!

Sleepy time

Makayla has the sniffles, and therefore isn't sleeping the best. She sleeps, but she does wake up more than normal. She is also going to bed earlier which I think accounts for the early wake ups. Anyway, today, she was up at 6:30. She had breakfast around 7, and was wide awake playing. She started her "I'm sleepy" routine, rubbing her eyes, laying down, but since Joe was still home she thought it was time to play. SO, I thought we would go for a walk...they put her to sleep instantly. I put her in the exersaucer, just so I could get dressed. This is what I came out of the room all dressed for a walk to...

She was so tired, she fell asleep in the exersaucer. I am ok with that. I picked her up and carried her to her crib. I am hoping to get her on an earlier nap schedule so that she naps with the other kiddos at daycare. Which, I think she likes. They all tell me how happy she is, but...we already knew that. Anyway, I think I will get some stuff done while she sleeps. Happy Tuesday! 4 days until Vacation!

Hurricane Irene

In case you missed it, we had a Hurricane this past weekend. Well, yesterday, once it passed we ventured out of the house. We went to noon mass where the Priest talked about it being a farewell to irene service. Anyway, we went to my parents house like we normally do, and hung out with Aunt Steph who was up because she got evacuated from the beach. Anyway, she took us to Buffalo Wild Wings, which is great because I had always wanted to try it. Well, the babes, she had a sweet time too. She even got to wear a crown...

She knows she's Mommy's Princess

Then today, we went to visit with a friend who we haven't seen in a while. Of course, she was asleep before we even turned off of their street.

Happy Monday! 5 days until more beach pictures!!

Seagulls

Makayla loved the seagulls. I don't know what it was about them, but once she saw Shae chase after them, she needed to get in on that action. See for yourself. I did try to get the movie in here, but I didn't know how. So please, click the link.

Beach Bum

As you may or may not know, Makayla had her first trip to the beach almost a week ago. I was so worried about how it would go over, but as these pictures show, she just loved it!

She even took a nap in her tent (once we figured out how to use it)

She's not scared...

Of course Shae was there, with "her" Gregory.

Glad of course it worked out, we got invited to go to OCMD with her Godmother the last weekend in August, then the BIG family trip. Get ready...we have a beach lover in our hands!

8 months and 2 days

Makayla turned 8 months old on Sunday. Where has the time gone? I didn't post earlier because it was Sunday, then I didn't get to do it yesterday because I had to take her to the doctor. Turns out she has the common cold. Here are some pictures of my sweet 8 month old girl.

Dear Makayla,
How quickly you are growing up and trying to be independent. The Thursday before you turned 8 months old, we went to the beach for the first time, and you loved it. Mama will post pictures of that later. You are a speed demon when it comes to crawling, and now you are trying to walk. I have a feeling that by the time we come back from vacation with the rest of the family, you will be a walker. You love your Sesame Street walker. I have to keep my eye on you every second because you are super fast. You love to stand up by pulling on things, and you get into EVERYTHING! You still love swimming, and you cannot get enough of it. Your personality is starting to show, and you are a jabbermouth. You say things like da-da, and ya-ya, but I cannot get you to say ma-ma. I guess time will come when you say that, and I cannot wait. You melt every one's heart, and you were a source of joy as we buried your great grandfather last weekend. You have the cutest smile,with your 2 little bottom teeth, and no matter how sad I feel, you always melt my heart.
You are still wearing 6-9 months clothes, although I am getting ready to wash the "next" set of clothing. In the 8 months that you have been part of my life, I cannot imagine what life was like before you. You are super smart, and try to figure out how everything works, and what everything is.

You are so much like your mama and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I love you and I cannot wait to see how much you change this next month.

xoxoxo
Mama

Crawling

I finally figured out how to get this video off of my smart phone. Maybe, I will save and get a flip videocamera and then you won't have to see anymore videos sideways. But, my sister J said that a week without seeing my babes makes one weak, I thought I would post something. Really, I have no reason for not posting, I just need to organize my day better. Like now, now is a great time because it is nap time. AM nap time. Finally, the babes is back on a schedule where she at least naps in the am. The afternoon one is hit or miss depending on how long the am nap is. But I am working on it, and she loves sleeping. Anyway, on with the show.

Challenge: Exercise in Self Acceptance

We are our own toughest critics. My sister Rockle did this challenge, and I thought I would join in. One of the many reasons is that I am always hardest on myself about EVERYTHING, and 2 because I need to start realizing that my feelings about myself will reflect on my sweet baby girl.

Part One: "Think about how your best friend would compliment your best features. I want you to think of five great things about your body. FIVE. And no Christmas-tree ornaments/negative riders on this. Five 100% HONEST, POSITIVE things you love about yourself."

1. I have  pretty blue eyes.
2.I have a cute smile.
3. I love the way I tan.
4. I have a cute nose.
5.I have nice calves.

Part One-A: Extra credit. Five non-physical traits that I love about myself.

1. I am a loyal person and friend.
2. I am a team player, and you can always count on me to help get things done
3. I love my job, and you know that I give 100% of myself 100% of the time
4. I will fight to the death anyone who gets in the way of my family/friends and their happiness. (This was my sister's answer, but I would do the same)
5. I love how being a mother makes me glow.
Part Two: "I want you to pick 5 NON PHYSICAL things you can change about yourself (like, read 1 more chapter of a book per day, or take an extra 10 minutes in the shower) to feel better about yourself."

1. Get pedicures regularly.
2. Spoil myself  ie, look in the mirror and compliment myself more
3. Give myself credit for my accomplishments.
4. Have more patience for people who aren't exactly like me.
5. Take more photos and blog more often. My sweet babes changes so much every day, I need to capture more moments to remember every moment!
So, who else is in?

Saturday Morning Scene

This is my Saturday morning scene, after Makayla and I both had breakfast.

Dancing Queen

Yesterday, our sweet babes went to her first wedding. She did great! She was the star of the show at the reception too! The photographer took over 100 pictures of her, I can't wait to see them! As soon as I get them, you will too! Here is an after photo..

Dancing makes her sleeeepy

7 months

This time 7 months ago I had already been in the hospital almost 9 hours. I was admitted at midnight to start the induction process. Little did I know I had a long day a head of me. I still have about another 2 until I got the epidural. It still seems like yesterday, but it wasn't. It was 7 months ago. This post isn't about me, or the birthing process, this is about the sweet babes.

Makayla,
You are 7 months old already! Mommy cannot believe it. It seems like yesterday I brought you home from the hospital and here you are turning into a sweet little lady. You are always smiling, even when it is way past nap time. You make everyone around you have a better day. You now have 2 bottom teeth, and are starting to crawl EVERY WHERE. You are so determined, if you can't get some place fast enough by crawling, you get there by rolling. You love your dogs so much, you laugh whenever they are playing. You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and are even starting to dance to the music.  You got baptized 2 weeks ago, and as always you made momma so proud. Your cousin Autumn got you this ladybug and you love it. It is definitely coming to come with us on vacation, it helps you sleep. You also love swimming. I know you could stay all day in the pool if I let you and I am not looking forward to summer ending and you not being able to swim anymore! I guess we will have to do swim lessons in the fall/winter. I am sure I have shared this picture before, but how can you resist this face?

In less than 2 months we will be going on our first vacation to the beach. I have NO idea how you will do, the sand worries me more than the ocean. But, I know we will have a blast, we do EVERY DAY! I just wanted to let you know that I fall in love with you more and more everyday and your laugh melts my heart. You complete me. I love you! Happy 7 months! Here's to many many more months and lots and lots of memories!

I love you more than all the grains of sand in the ocean.
Love,
Mommy

Long overdue Update

SO, I know it seems like ages since I blogged. Yes, I know it has. So, here are some stats from her last doctor's appt. She went to the doctor's and weighed in at 20.8 pounds, and 28 inches tall. She had 2 shots and her one oral vaccine. She handled it like a champ! She was given the go ahead to eat fruits and vegetables (although she has been eating them since she was 5 months old). We have now introduced white meats, eggs, and fruit juice! She hasn't really met a food she doesn't like, which I am happy about because her father is a PICKY eater. She has mastered rolling over, and has started crawling. In the last couple days she is getting better at it, and when she doesn't get to where she wants to get fast enough, she will roll there. It's actually quite funny. You can see how proud of herself she is when she gets to her destination. She HATES being stuck inside, and I believe my daily walks are as much for her as for me. Oh, and swimming. She LOVES it and would stay in a pool all day if I let her. Which, is great considering the family I come from. And, if it this is a sign...family vacation will be a success! Well, from the pool aspect. I still have to see how she will do with the sand, and waves...so I will have to sneak away to the beach for the day. Yeah, I need a vacation. That will happen soon...just a month more until I took a vacation. Nothing planned, just not working. Ok, back on track, this is about my sweet babes afterall. We started reading books again before she goes to sleep. We did it when she was first born, then she didn't like it for a while, and now we do it again. It makes me happy being able to read to her. I don't get to do it most of the time because I am at work, so I do cherish the moments we have together. Hopefully one day, she will realize how much I really do love her. Well, I better go. Tomorrow is another day, full of potential photo opportunities, adventures, and all that jazz.

Today is a Big Day for such a sweet girl

(Matthew 28:19) 19 Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Today, Makayla will be baptized into the Catholic Church. While I don't have any pictures to show you just yet of the big day, I do have a picture of the CAKE. Let me just tell you how awesome this cake is.

This picture does NOT do it justice. My cousin Megan and her girlfriend Jessy made this cake, and I don't think I will have to go anywhere else to find my cakemaker.
Please if you have time today, say a little prayer for my sweet baby girl.
Hope you are having a great Sunday.

Smartphone Photos

So, I just learned how to get the photos off of my smartphone without having to email them to myself. Yes, I am that person. SO, here are random smartphone moments.

Here she is sitting on her "throne"

Her "America's Next Top Model" pose

She really does control the remote

You want me to do what?

Reverse fish lips