Shelze's World

Off to the Zoo

2012-01-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the Lehigh Valley Zoo had Penguin appreciation day, so we decided to take a trip there. This was also Makayla's first time at the zoo. Anyway, when we go there, the up and center display was the Penguin display, but there were no penguins to be seen. I asked one of the people who worked there and was told that it was too cold for the Penguins. Apparently they are African Penguins and don't like the cold weather. If this is the case, why did they have Penguin Appreciation Day in the winter. Anyway, we had the whole zoo to ourselves with the occasional other group of people there. Here are some of the pictures.

While I was unable to get a lot of pictures, the batteries on the camera died, I did learn that Makayla loved the zoo. Our next trip will be to Adventure Aquarium.

Today, as I write this, is nap time. It is a little later than usual because as you know it is snowing. Makayla went out for the first time ever in the snow.

I am so happy that she loved the snow! It makes my heart go pitter patter. When she got tired, we came inside, and she was the easiest to put to bed yet. I hope you all are having a happy Sat.

Happy Birthday!

2012-01-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today, is a special day. Today, is my mom's birthday. She is greatest woman I know, and I hope one day to be just like her. She is the glue that holds our family together. We have an awesome relationship, and I am so grateful that I can have her as a friend as much as I can a mother.

Everything I am and everything I hope to be, I owe to you. I look up to now like I have since I was little. I can only hope Makayla and I have a relationship that is 1/10th as awesome and the relationship I share with you. I love you mom, to the moon and back!

Here, some Beatles to wish you a Happy Birthday!

Breakfast in photos

2012-01-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

Since, my mom (Hi Mom!) has been asking for pictures of Makayla, here are pictures from breakfast this morning. I love how happy she is in these pictures, but really, she is happy all of the time. She makes me feel so special.

This one is my favorite...she grabbed my face :)

Yes, I am wearing a tanktop..I always wear one under my shirts...just hadn't gotten that far yet.

She thought it was funny I wanted to take pictures while she was eating

Bananas and French toast...

Face is stuffed...

Looking at the dogs...making sure they won't eat her food.

Nap time

2012-01-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

My daughter gets fussy without her naps. One could dare say that she is a brat when she is tired, but really, it isn't her fault. She gets tired, we all get tired, and then it is the battle of the wits. Today, however, nap time was a productive time for this mama. While my house remains a mess, and yes, it kills me that it is a mess, I took the time to rearrange the entire living room. See, our current apartment is kind of a money pit. The windows in the apartment leak, so I feel like we are throwing our money out of them. My husband had the living room arranged so that our sofa was in front of the heater, hence blocking the heat from coming out into the living room. Have no fear, I moved all of it today, BY MYSELF. It does feel a little backwards, but at the same time, it feels like the stuff is actually in a place where it belongs. I even vacuumed the entire living room, something that I am sure has not happened in A.LONG.LONG time. Anyway, it already feels warmer in here (no, I did not touch the thermostat) and now, just some things need to go to storage and I think it will look like a home again. Guess I am not as sore today as I was last Sunday, using the rolling pin really helped! Now, to pack my bag and head to the gym. I hope you all have a great Monday!

Halfway Point

2012-01-15T11:18:00.001-05:00

Can you believe Jan is halfway over already?!? This year is flying by way too fast. Today, after running 5.75 miles through Jacobsburg with a bunch of the coolest crazy people that I think I can call friends, I looked at my dailymile.com account to see my mileage so far. I don't know why it mattered to me, I guess really I was just curious. So, when I checked, I saw that I have already clocked 47 miles in for this year! 47 miles in 2 weeks! I cannot believe it! That means I can do 94 miles by the end of the month! That means in just 3 months I will have met my total mileage for 2010. In.just.three.months. I am sure it might take less considering my long runs will be getting longer. I just can't believe how far I have come since Sept. In Sept I wasn't even able to run for 30 minutes and now I can run for an hour + at a time! I am so excited to see the changes that my body continues to undergo this year. I am ready for this journey and will continue to
share it with you if you are willing to listen. Oh, and on a side note, I found another use for a rolling pin, and it is not cooking or baking related ;)
Happy Sunday! What did you do today?

It's what's for dinner

2012-01-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Today at work we are having a potluck dinner. For no other reason than just because. Everyone is bringing something, and I opted to bring the salad. I never thought bringing a salad would cost me $25, but I have to say, it looks good.

Beets in a separate container, because I am not sure if everyone likes beets in their salad!

Chia seeds will be put in my salad, so they are separate as well. Good source of Omega 3 and Fiber.
So, this is what I put in my salad...
1/2 head of lettuce
6 oz of fresh spinach coarsely chopped
2 small cucumbers
2 hand fulls of small cherry tomatoes
1/2 small can of black olives
1/2 jar of mild banana peppers
1/2 container of mushroom slices
1/2 each of orange, yellow and red peppers
1/2 package of craisins
tossed the above ingredients then added shredded cheddar cheese. salad was again tossed to infuse all flavors together.
With the rest of the ingredients I made a salad for home this way I always have a salad handy.
Hope you enjoy your Friday!

A work in progress

2012-01-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

I have read a lot of blogs and running books that recommend you have a spot in your home for your inspiration wall. That idea sounded great, and since I live in an apartment and space is limited, I thought I would put my inspiration wall on a move able surface (so that it can come with me when we move) above my desk so that I can see it everyday. Here is the wall directly in front of my desk...

See how boring...

I went to Wegman's to get Kale for Kale chips(a blog for another day, and I saw that this was only 12 cents! So, I bought it!

Finally, I got all of my old magazines out...

And began to go through them and cut out things that inspire me...

And then started gluing the cutouts to the poster board. Yes, I know I have lots of blank space, but my goal is to have this filled up by my half marathon in April, so I have a lot of room to add lots of inspiration to it.

So far, the quote "I used to run with DOUBT" is my favorite. I can't wait to see how this piece of work turns out. One of the people that I used to work with emailed me and told me about how I inspire her and how she would love to run with me sometime. I never thought that I would inspire anyone, this was just a journey that I was doing for me...to make be a healthier person, and here I am inspiring others. Anyway, that run is slated for Thursday, I will let you know how that goes.

AND...

because I know you come here to see pics of my daughter...please don't let me keep you from seeing her...

I told her we needed to clean up, she grabbed her hat, had me put it on then went to the front door. I guess she knows that when we clean up we end up leaving the house!

HAPPY HUMPDAY!

Over the river and through the woods...

2012-01-10T10:21:00.008-05:00

So, I made myself continue trudging along. Note to leaders of groups, when the tail end of the group finally catch up, it is OK to take a breather. It is hard to keep running when you guys had a break. Well, unless you are me and felt bad that they were waiting for you and you just said let's git-er-done! During this run I made a comment of knowing how a mule feels going through the Grand Canyon. Yes, I made that, and no I wasn't kidding. I think the one path that they had me running on in the summer is a stream. The run was beautiful and I can only imagine what it is like in the fall and spring. Anyway, when all was said and done, I ran 8.07 miles. Which is now my longest run. I was proud of myself, but I also wish I didn't complain as much as I did...although at the time, it didn't feel like I was complaining, just trying not to die. I also managed to burn 1400 calories because while it was 8 miles it was definitely cross country running with uphills and down hills and bridges and other such obstacles that nature throws at you.
Now I know I can do 8 miles. And since the weekends are my long runs, now I know to push myself to do the 8 miles. Well at least one day of the weekend. I guess I need to make sure that if I keep running on Sundays that I see how far they are running so I don't do 8 miles back to back, or should I and just make sure to rest. Hmm...decisions.
Thanks to my Breakfast Club Runners, I am being pushed in ways I didn't know I could be. I am going outside of myself and pushing my own limits and living to tell about it.
Here's to Today, and being able to move...now go run!

Race Recap and other stuff...

2012-01-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

This is a long overdue race recap, but with my laptop being on the fritz, I try to write when I can. So, on to the recap.
New Year's Eve, I ran the Peeps Fest 5K. Yes, those yellow marshmellow chicks you get at Easter are made in the town where I live, and yes, they have a mascot and a volkswagen beetle with a big chick on top. Yes, the beetle is yellow. Anyway, onto the race. We couldn't have asked for better weather, and lately is has been more like spring around here than winter. The race started at where the Old Bethlehem Steel was located and the venue was awesome. There was stuff to do for the entire family, there was even a mascot race, where the Peep, along with mascots from the local universities and colleges ran. Then there was the kids race, all which led up to the 5K. There were a lot of people there, and we were all crammed onto an artery that used to be one of the main roads in an out of the Steel. My first complaint is that walkers managed to weasle themselves in front of the runners, which was the first obstacle from the beginning we had to navigate around. Next, random (although I am not so sure how random they really were) steel artifacts were to be navigated. Throw them in with 500+ runners and what a maze it was. The staff at the race did a great job making sure we knew the path, but they did an even better job blocking off the roads for us. We went across 2 bridges for this race both of which had beautiful scenary. After the second bridge, we started our return trip to the finish. We ran past the local casino, and I have to give the cops a great deal of respect because the people leaving the casino were NOT happy with the fact that they couldn't leave the casino because of the race. Finally at the last corner to the finish, you could see all the spectators. They even had a local high school cross country team at the corner cheering you on. Then came my bad dash to the finish, which I found out later all the fans were cheering me on because of how fast I was going. (My cousin who is an avid runner and one of the people who got me running always tells me to make sure not to get passed that last .1...so, I finish hard to make sure that I don't). Anyway, finally as you cross the finish line you are "herded" into a cattle shoot, supposedly in the correct order. This race did not have chip timing, although if it remains as big in the future as it was this time, I cannot see how they won't make it chip timing.
Now, onto the cons...
Did I mention about the steel structures we had to navigate. They were along the side of the road at the beginning, but soon became part of the race path so you had to dodge them.
Next, the walkers. I am glad to see that many people walk the 5K, but maybe the walkers could have started after the runners. It is not safe, and takes some of the fun out (in my opinion) to have to dodge walkers just because they think they won't get passed if they are in front of you.
The distance. A 5K is supposed to be 3.1 miles...this race was not. It was 3.29 which in the 5K world is too long!
Not having chip timing. Now, I am not race expert, but, I can tell you the difference chip timing makes. The time that I had when I crossed the finish line and the time that they "figured out" were not close. Now, when I ran my first race, the time I had and the time they had were off by like 5 seconds. What a difference that makes.
Anyway, the fact that it was my second race of 2011, and well the 2nd race of my career will not deter me from running the race again next year. Maybe next year they will get chip timing and provide tech t-shirts, maybe we will continue to get long sleeve shirts and no chip timing. Either way, it was a great trip through Bethlehem.
Now, on to the other stuff...
Yesterday I met up with my running club for what I thought was going to be a scenic run of like 6 miles. 6 miles is the longest I have run at this point so I knew I could handle it. I am not the fastest runner in the group, ok, I am always bringing up the rear, so when I saw that this run was going through the woods, let me just say I was SCARED. Not of going through the woods, but of getting lost being the caboose of the group. Well, let me just say that this day, one of the faster runs ran at my pace because he is recovering from an injury. At least I had someone with me in case we got lost. Next, 2 of the other fast runners always waited for us to catch up in case we lost our way. (they kept telling me they appreciated the wait because it gave them time to recover). Let me just tell you that this run was NO JOKE. The first mile went directly up hill and even involved some steps! Every time we got to a point they would tell me only "one more hill" I heard that like 12 times. It really didn't feel like we were gone for almost 2 hours, but when we hit the 5.76 mile mark, I hit a wall. But how the heck do you stop in the middle of no-where?....
(For the sake of me having another post this week, I will stop there...stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of this story)

What other's think...

2012-01-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

One of the people I run with on Saturdays' wrote this about me on facebook. I didn't understand the picture at first, then he explained it to me. Now, I keep this close and whenever I doubt myself as a runner, I will turn to this and reflect on what other's think of me.

Runners are like that Picture.

You and I are like that picture.

People see us one way, but we see ourselves much larger, more powerful and faster!

That's why i tagged you in that picture.

YOU ARE A LION!!!!!!

I saw that when you finished our 5k!

Happy New Year! New You!

2012-01-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

As you know, I have been busting my tail with both diet and exercise aspects in my life. With the new year here, I am ~~hoping~~ going to continue what I was doing last year and continue it not just this year, but for as long as my body allows me. In 2010, I ran my first and second 5Ks. In 2011, I plan on running more 5ks, but I am also planning on throwing some 10ks and brace yourself, a half marathon into the mix. Well, I am not worried about the 5Ks (I feel like an old hat), the 10K yeah that worries me, my first one is in February so I will let you know how that goes. Anyway, back to the half marathon. I downloaded Hal Higdon's half marathon training program, if you are interested, you can find it here. So, I have the training plan ready, and now I can't back down. Well, besides the fact that I feel like I will let myself down, I also know that I will let my family down. What you don't know, is that I entered a contest offered by Sarah Stanley. Sarah is "Professional Endurance Athlete & Ultra marathon runner, entrepreneur, health/fitness advocate and speaker." Sarah offered this contest called the 12x12 project, where she will run 12 races with 12 different people. I was chosen to be one of the first 5 people that she will run with. The best part about this is that she will run the race withme at mypace. Click here for more information about the 12x12 project and Sarah Stanley.
Along the journey from now until April, I am hoping to keep you informed of the trip. Will definitely need to look for longer places to run, but am hopefully going to embrace this journey one step, one day at a time.
On a better note, I went to TJ Maxx today and for the first time in 8 years, I can honestly say I enjoyed clothes shopping. I wasn't even planning on going there, but I saw the store and just stopped in. I am enjoying the journey to fitness so far, and today's experience relit the fire. I didn't make it to the gym today, and I cut myself some slack, I needed this shopping trip for me, and I would call today a success.
Back to the grindstone tomorrow, for both the gym and classes.
Hope you all had a great hump day! Many more adventures in the works...please stay tuned.

Is this what I have been missing?

2011-12-28T21:52:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-26T20:35:00.001-05:00

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!!

2011-12-25T03:45:00.001-05:00

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...

2011-12-23T09:14:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-12-16T01:08:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-11T08:24:00.001-05:00

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...

2011-12-10T23:21:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-25T09:33:00.034-05:00

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

2011-11-24T11:30:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-11-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-14T14:36:00.000-05:00

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..

2011-11-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-11T14:29:00.000-05:00

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)

2011-11-07T14:31:00.000-05:00

* 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

2011-10-31T16:23:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-20T07:39:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-16T19:51:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-10T13:15:00.000-04:00

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...

2011-09-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

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...

2011-09-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-06T21:04:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-03T06:29:00.007-04:00

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

2011-08-30T09:10:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-29T14:25:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-18T08:00:00.007-04:00

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

2011-08-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-16T07:24:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-24T09:04:00.029-04:00

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

2011-07-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

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

Dancing Queen

2011-07-18T13:19:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-04T22:49:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-26T07:16:00.000-04:00

(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

2011-06-25T23:07:00.000-04:00

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

We are the daughters of triton...

2011-06-15T07:12:00.000-04:00

I have a 6 month old!

2011-06-15T07:11:00.001-04:00

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I had blogger issues...
Oh my goodness where on earth did the last 6 months go? How on earth did 6 months go past and why did it happen so fast? So, in honor of my sweet babes being 6 months old, here are the traditional monthly posed pictures.

Makayla,
Every month you grow more and more independent, and your personality grows bigger and bigger.
You now know how to roll over, and you love to show me how.
You cry whenever you can't see your mama, and laugh whenever I come back into a room so that you can see me.
You love your exersaucer, but love the walker at Nana and Pop-Pop's too.
You can make the walker go backwards, but soon I am sure you can get it to go forward too.
You love when the dogs play with you, and I can't wait to see how you will get along when you are walking on your own.
You went swimming for the first time on Memorial Day, and fell in love with it immediately, Mama loves that about you.
You love to eat, and you love food. We have only been giving you fruit and vegetables, but I think you are ready to move on.
You love sitting up by yourself, you look like a big girl when you do it.
You love your cousins, your legs go a mile a minute when you hear the names of Shae and Joey.
You and mama go for a walk everyday, you have helped mama lose 20 pounds so far!
I love it when you are cranky, because as soon as you see me, you laugh and giggle!
You still sleep through the night, but there are times when you still need your mama! I can't wait to watch you continue to grow.
We go to the doctor's on the 24th, I can't wait to see how you grew!
Mommy loves you! I love you to the moon and back!

The Continued Adventures of My Little Mermaid

2011-06-01T06:51:00.004-04:00

Memorial Day came and it was a Hot! Hot like 100 degrees hot. So, taking Makayla outside was for limited time. So, I wanted to see how Makayla would do in the pool after the previous 2 days. From these pictures tell me what you think. I cannot take credit for the pictures, my mom took them.

Happy Belated Memorial Day! Here is to one weekend of swimming adventures, and hopefully many many more!

Little Mermaid

2011-05-31T06:37:00.004-04:00

I have to admit. I was worried, scared actually that my daughter would not like the water. I was petrified that she wouldn't want anything to do with it. I mean she loves to take a bath, but let's be real here. The bathtub is nothing like a swimming pool. We started off slow. On Saturday, we only dipped her toes in...

Then on Sunday, we put her in her own little "pool" to see how she would like it.

As you can see, she loved it. So, the next step was taking the boat into the pool.

Then, she was brave, and although she clung to me, I think she enjoyed getting her toes wet.
Stayed tuned to see how our Memorial Day swimming adventures went.

It's Friday!

2011-05-27T11:39:00.003-04:00

The weather lately has been beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! I love the summer. It means Makayla and I get out more, which, is good for my sanity. She loves being outside. Today, I took advantage of her being tired and walked for almost 2 hours. Micki and Archie walked with us, and it was nice. It kept me moving!
And while it may look like she is disinterested, she is sleeping. She fell asleep 10 minutes into the walk and lasted almost the entire walk. When she woke up she was happy!
It is not surprising that she woke up happy, she generally is, she just woke up and started chatting and I couldn't help but laugh.
Happy Friday...enjoy your holiday weekend! Stay tuned, this weekend will be Makayla's first time in a pool!

Makayla and the swing

2011-05-26T12:34:00.001-04:00

We took a break from our walk today, and stopped by the playground by our house. Here is Makayla's experience withe the swing!

Untitled from Michele H on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday: Friends

2011-05-25T07:59:00.003-04:00

It's what's for lunch

2011-05-19T13:56:00.004-04:00

So, Yesterday I started the program called Loseit. My sister R has had great success with it, and I found out that my sister J is also using it. So, I thought why not. Unfortunately, my android phone does not have an app for it, so I have to do it online. I have however emailed the company to see if I can test out an android app. Anyway, I realize that I don't eat unhealthy on work days, it is when I get home from work that I eat poorly, and weekends. Both of which I am trying to improve. As a family we are going on vacation in 15 weeks, and I hope to be 30 pounds lighter by then. If I can do that, then I know I am on the right path to healthy. Anyway, today I made my own version of McDonald's Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, and thought I would share it with you. Here is what the finished product looks like...

Here is the recipe, I used what I had at home, but I am sure you can adjust it to make it friendly to your palate.

1 -serving of Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal (3/4 cup divided into 3 1/4 servings)

1- cup strawberries divided into 1/2 cup portions

1/2 cup raspberries divided into 1/4 cup portions

1/2 cup blueberries divided into 1/4 cup portions

1 serving if Yoplait Light Key Lime Pie yogurt

I took one 1/4 portion of the cereal and put it on the bottom of the glass

then 1 1/2 cup serving of the strawberries sliced thinly, with 1/4 cup raspberries and 1/4 cup blueberries, then topped it with some of the yogurt.

I repeated these steps and made sure that the cereal and the yogurt were the last 2 toppings.

Surprising, I loved it more than with granola, and it was really filling.

What did you have for lunch?

Quote unquote New Toy

2011-05-19T07:53:00.004-04:00

Tina had gotten us this Ikea toy for Makayla. She didn't really pay much attention to it, so yesterday I thought I would give it a try. If you read the information on it, it says it is for hand eye coordination. At first she was going to use it like it was supposed to.

However, Makayla had other plans.

I am trying to post a video from yesterday, but of course I can't. I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T08:37:00.001-04:00

It's a new day!

2011-05-17T09:25:00.003-04:00

I always talk about joining the gym, I pay up front and then after 8 times, work reimburses me, but, that is not practical for me right now. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. While Makayla slept I took my workout inside. We get VOD with our cable company so I shopped to see what they had for free. Well, I have a love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels, so when I stumbled upon one of her exercise programs I thought sure, why not. Well hells bells, I NEVER thought I could sweat like this before. I did the 6 weeks 6 pack abs and let me just tell you, it is no joke! The beginner skills are good, although some of the exercises I couldn't do, not because I didn't want too, but because well I tried to do the workout without shoes on. Tomorrow I will put shoes on to do the workout and hopefully there will be different results. While I didn't get to do the whole workout without stopping (Makayla didn't sleep long AT ALL, and like I said I couldn't do some of the skills) I feel like I ran 5 miles but really it was only 38 minutes. I have decided that I make time for everyone and everything else in my life, it is time I make time for myself. I am also hoping to start walking with some friends/family on Sat afternoons to spice up my life a little bit. I figure I will do the free stuff while I can, and then in the winter, join the gym so that I can work out and so Makayla and I can continue swimming. I might not do the abs EVERYDAY maybe every other day. There are A LOT of free exercise programs, so I know that I can find something that I enjoy. Maybe tomorrow cardio kick boxing? Or 20 min Cardio Yoga, groove nBurn Disco, Less is More Cardio Workout? The possibilities are endless, but I know I really do need to make time for myself. I missed the deadline this time around, but in July I am going to do WW at Work. I pay up front, as long as I don't miss more than 2 meetings in 8 weeks, my job reimburses me. I did WW before and it worked, so I am DEFINITELY going to do it again. I am not happy with how I look, or how I feel about the way I look so it is time I did something. What I am doing is not working, so something has to change.

5 months and 2 days

2011-05-16T08:15:00.002-04:00

This post was supposed to be done on Saturday, when she was actually 5 months old, but, with only 1 working laptop, I try not to abuse the privilege. Anyway, here are some pictures from Sat.

Makayla,
You are now 5 months old! I have no idea where time has gone, or who hit the fast forward button, but I wish they would stop hitting it. Just slow down for one second please. This past month, we started you on rice cereal for breakfast, and since it seems that you love it, we have also introduced it as part of lunch as well. Sometimes you nap, and sometimes you don't, but even when you are tired, you don't fuss. Not.at.all. You love your exersauser, and you hate laying down. You want to be sitting up or standing all the time. You love to "walk" by holding on to some one's fingers and taking a couple steps, and you try to roll over, but your bottom arm keeps slowing you down. I say bottom arm because when you roll from back to belly it depends on which way you are rolling as to which arm you get stuck on. But keep it up and you will get it! You are also trying to crawl, and yes, backwards is a direction. You seem to love Little Einsteins and The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. This past month you have celebrated your first Easter, and your my first Mother's Day. Everyday is Mother's day because you make me feel so lucky to be your mom. You still love bath time, and you are starting to snuggle with me more on your own. I don't know how much you weigh, we don't go back to the doctor's until next month, but you seem happy and healthy and that is what matters to me. We have an exciting first coming up this month, your first time in a pool, and I can't wait to document every single moment. We also have Pop-Pop's birthday. Next month you have Father's Day and your baptism, mixed in there is a doctor's appointment and Grandpa Hoole's birthday. I can't wait to continue watching you grow. And while everyone wants to pinch your cheeks, please don't mind while I sit here and just want to love on you. You have given me a new reason to live, and I can't imagine loving someone the way I love you. I love you Pumpkin!

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday!!!

2011-05-04T08:04:00.003-04:00

Today is my eldest sister's birthday. And while growing up we didn't always get along, things have changed. It may have taken several years and many tears, but finally, we are getting along. No, this isn't a dig at her, this is supposed to be about her in honor of her. So...

Rachel,

Happy Birthday! May your day be filled with laughter and more love than you could ever imagine. May your head be filled with the most ridiculous songs ever that you can't seem to get out of it;) May you hear Joey and Shae sing Happy Birthday to you, and know that Makayla is singing to you too in her own way. May your heart beat with happiness and excitement. May this year be better than last and my you feel my love completely.

R-rowdy

A-awesome

C-cool

H-heartfelt

E-eager

L-loving

Have a great day! I love you!

And not to take anything away from her, I wanted to share a picture of my friend Micki's baby. Archer James was born on May day at 0451. Just a little something to make you smile.

Applesauce Face...

2011-05-03T09:53:00.002-04:00

Actually, no, not applesauce, but my sweet babes loves her some Rice Cereal. Apparently she doesn't like it when it is too thin, so I thickened it up and she then cried when her bowl was empty. I then gave her another bowl (1 tablespoon of cereal to 2 tablespoons of Formula).

She even tries to feed herself!

Here she is on one of her favorite things...the exersauser!

Hopefully this weekend I can look into getting her a swing for the back patio. And I CANNOT wait to see her in the pool. I might even look into getting this pool for where we live.

It's been a while

2011-04-30T15:55:00.003-04:00

So I thought I would share a picture. It's beautiful outside, so that is where we are. Have a great Saturday!

Maybe grocery shopping will be fun now!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T06:42:00.000-04:00

Hope the Easter Bunny brought you everything you wanted. We are going to Church, then off to the never ending family festivities. But, just thought you wouldn't be able to resist this face...

Now, enjoy your day. Off to make this day special and capture every moment. This is her only first Easter. Happy Easter to you and yours!

thought

2011-04-20T07:47:00.000-04:00

I am deep in thought as I am writing this post. I am confused, and hurt, and genuinely feel like we have been taken advantage of, or used, depending on how you look at it. See, last year before we found out we were pregnant, we told the hub's nephew that when he came back from Iraq we want him to be her Godfather. He was excited. (maybe I was more excited than him). Anyway, the day came and went that she was born. We didn't hear anything from him, which of course is excusable because he was in Iraq. Well, he came home on leave and wanted to see us. Or, so I thought. Actually, I think he just wanted see us so we would do him a favor. As we as in the hubs. Well, he went back, and only had like 3 weeks left. While home, we told him to get a letter from the Army chaplain saying that he was in good standing with Church and what not so that he can be our daughter's Godfather. Yes, I know he had to go back to war, but the way he described it he really wasn't doing much anyway. But I digress. He called upon the hubs a week later to do another favor, and he even used our address to ship ammo to our apartment without so much as asking or telling us. It just showed up at our house. He has been back now for almost a month. He hasn't so much as called us or texted us. He hasn't shown any concern for the ammo that is at our home. He doesn't return texts. I don't deserve this behavior. My hubs doesn't deserve it either. Nor does my daughter. What kind of Godfather is he being? What kind of person is he being? Why won't he just say, I don't want it. That would be fine.
But, we need to move on. I need to find someone that wants to be her Godfather. We are giving him until the end of the week, and then we are moving on. We are taking it as him not wanting to be her Godfather and finding someone who loves her who wants that honor. It is what she deserves, what I deserve, what we deserve. Who would think that a grown person can act this way? But, to each their own I guess.

Nap time

2011-04-19T13:41:00.002-04:00

Seems like everyone in my house naps. Hubs naps because he is recovering from surgery, Makayla naps well because she can. Heck even the dogs nap. I don't. I do other things like housework, and errands, and take pictures like this...

Isn't it adorable how she is holding his hand already?

Easter Bunny

2011-04-17T08:00:00.006-04:00

As you know, this is Makayla's first Easter. I am sure she had no clue as to what is going on. However, I am so totally digging Easter this year. Saturday, we took her to her first Easter egg hunt given by the place my mom works at. It was really cold out, and she was watching all of the things going on around her. She had no interest in picking up the Easter eggs, but I am tell you for certain, that my mom had so much fun. Here are some pictures capturing that moment.

After hanging out with Pop-Pop...

we went to the mall for "official" Easter Bunny Photos. Here are some from that day.
And we even managed to get some with cousin Shae.Today after Church we will be passing the bassinet on to the next person. My little baby is not so little anymore :( Happy Sunday!

Smile

2011-04-16T08:16:00.001-04:00

Since she will be getting her picture taken with the Easter Bunny later today, I thought I would post a picture now, just to start your weekend off right.

Here's looking at you kid!

4 months

2011-04-15T07:58:00.006-04:00

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, since yesterday she actually turned 4 months old, but I was at the hospital all day with Joe and therefore, no pictures were taken. How is it possible that she is 4 months old already?! I can't believe that in 2 months she will have been a part of our lives for a half a year already!
Here is the "monthly" pose. And because my kid actually does smile...

One more picture, just to show how she has grown.
I can't believe she is four months old! My how time flies. Tomorrow, she goes for her picture with the Easter bunny! Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday: Too cool for school

2011-04-13T05:41:00.002-04:00

Growing up...

2011-04-12T06:59:00.003-04:00

My little girl is growing up way too fast if you ask me. But you didn't, so I will share with you some pictures from yesterday. This was breakfast. And yes, she is eating her cereal off of the spoon.

Now, all I need to do is buy her some kids plates and bowls...and breakfast will be totally kid friendly ;)

Saturday morning...

2011-04-09T09:44:00.003-04:00

One of the blogs I read written by Katie , is hosting a Saturday morning link-up! Join in for the fun!

Here is my Saturday morning scene...waiting for daddy!

Routines

2011-04-07T12:56:00.002-04:00

They seem to be how we roll these days. It used to be hard to get Makayla to nap...not anymore. It used to be hard to get her to sleep through the night, not anymore. My little baby will be 4 months old in a week.Where has the time gone?! Back to the reason for this post. Between 11 and 11:30 Makayla gets hungry. She gets a bottle, and eats about 4 oz. At 12 she starts to get cranky, and at 12:30 she is asleep within minutes. No lie! It used to take 3o minutes to get her to fall asleep. Today, I held her until her eyes closed, and she was out like a light in 2 minutes. If you try to move her too soon, it used to wake her up. Not this time. I put her in her crib, and she stayed asleep! Looks like 12:30 is nap time. It is just now finding how long her naps will last is still in the development stage. On Monday she napped for 2 hours, on Tuesday 1 hour. I don't know if she napped yesterday, my dad had her. I will find out today how long she naps for. At night, it used to take FOREVER to get her to fall asleep. She used to only fall asleep if I was holding her. Some nights it is still like that, and I have to admit, sometimes I do love it that she needs me. I know that she has slept through the night since Valentine's Day, it is just now that she goes to be between 8 and 8:30. If the dogs cooperate, she gets to sleep until 7. The last couple days, only until 6 -6:30. That is still 10 hours of sleep for her. That is great. I prefer the until 7 part, but that hasn't happened since I started working 3-11. But it's ok. I wouldn't change anything.

We also started walking. We walk everyday. We start sometime after 9, usually 9:15, and walk until I am bored. My goal is at least 30 minutes/day, and so far I have done it. Hopefully this little exercise will help me lose a little weight.

Editors note: As I write this, Makayla woke up after only 45 minutes of sleep. While I hopefully helped her to go back to sleep, I realize how unpredictable a baby is. Hopefully, she will go back to sleep, because quite frankly, I need a nap too.

Wordless Wednesday: Off to see Pop-Pop

2011-04-06T14:06:00.001-04:00

MIA

2011-04-04T11:31:00.004-04:00

Soo sorry. I haven't posted in a while. It's not that I didn't want too, it's just, who wants to read about a walk that I took my daughter on? There are a lot of more interesting stuff going on in the world and it seems like my little corner of the world is insignificant. I did however find some pictures from when my sister J came to visit from Chicago. It was great to see her, I know Makayla enjoyed the visit.

Now that I am 3-11 at work, I will try to do my best to take more photos. The weather is starting to get nicer out, so we will definitely be outside more. Here's to a great week!

Spring

2011-03-21T06:07:00.003-04:00

Today is the second day of spring, and what do I wake up too? Snow! I don't know about you, but I am so over wintertime. The weekend was beautiful, Makayla and I did lots of walking, a prep for what is to come when I go to work 3-11. It's not the best shift, but, it is what I need to do for my family. I found the good things that come with working it, and Makayla and I will get a lot of time together...like we used to. Also this weekend, I found out that I got into graduate school! It will be a lot of hard work, with now having to balance work, being a mom, school and home life, but, I know I can do it. When we aren't busy at work, and all the work is done, I can do some of my school work there. I can also come home and do work for a little before going to bed, but I also know I can't stay up long because my sweet little babes wakes up no later than 730. Hope you guys have a great day! It's Monday, but hopefully spring is around the corner.

But, here is a picture to remind us that spring is around the corner. This is from my parents' garden.

Happy St Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T11:51:00.002-04:00

Happy St Patrick's Day from us to you!

Spring time

2011-03-16T08:22:00.002-04:00

3 months!

2011-03-14T15:49:00.002-04:00

HAPPY 3 MONTHS OLD PUMPKIN!!

Lent...

2011-03-09T06:04:00.003-05:00

This time of year I always have trouble figuring out what I want to give up. This year, I am taking that above and beyond. This year, I am giving up junk food (broad, I know) which includes Girl Scout cookies and soda. I always snack way too much, and now is my chance to kick start my diet. This year however, I am also giving up Facebook. As a matter of fact by the time you are reading this, it will already be deactivated. I spend way too much time "stalking" people of the past or trying to follow what everyone is doing. Now, I can focus on much needed things that need to be done around my home and spend the precious time with my daughter. Will I be back, I don't know yet. My husband says he gives me a week before I go crazy without it, makes me feel like I was addicted to it or something. I usually don't stick to anything for Lent, but this year, this year I want it to be different. I want to succeed in giving up the small sacrifices that I chose. Jesus made the biggest sacrifice for all of us, to give up Facebook and junk food seems kind of trivial to me. So, if you get a chance today, please say a prayer for me that I can stick with my sacrifices.

On another note, My cousin Autumn stopped by for a visit yesterday with a surprise visitor. I had no idea who it was and it was killing me. Well, much to my amazement it was my cousin....

SABRINA!! I haven't seen her in like 6 years, so the fact that she wanted to see the sweet babes was awesome! We hung out for like an hour and it was great seeing her. We talked about a trip down there to visit, but not until Makayla can enjoy Disney (we are thinking about Jan 2013).
Well, I better get ready for work. Have a great Hump Day! Happy Ash Wednesday!

Saturday morning...

2011-03-05T11:15:00.003-05:00

Me:Look at her sitting up
Hubby: Yeah, she's getting so big
Me: She needs to stop now!

These Glasses Crack Me Up...

2011-03-04T16:10:00.001-05:00

Sleep

2011-03-02T19:34:00.002-05:00

Happy Spring

2011-03-02T05:54:00.003-05:00

I don't have a lot of time to blog this morning, but I wanted to share this adorable picture of Makayla before I went to work. As you can see by the picture, she is ready for spring, summer or well just better weather!

sorry for the bad picture quality, I used my camera phone.

Happy Wednesday!

Makayla Update 2 months

2011-02-23T16:51:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday Makayla had her 2 month checkup. She did great. She is weighing in at 13 pounds 12 oz 95 percentile for her weight and 24 inches again in the 95 percentile. We get to start her on rice cereal in 2 more months, after her next check up. Who can believe that my 8 pound baby is now a 12 pound girl. Where did time fly by? She is now cooing and talking and laughing, oh, and did I mention that her laugh is contagious? Anyway, just thought I would update you. Pictures soon!

Just because

2011-02-19T09:28:00.006-05:00

Just because we won't see Shae, or Aunt Rachel and Uncle Ryan.
Just because we are going to Brooklyn to see George on his leave from Iraq
Just because she is adorable...
Here's some bath time fun...

Guess who is 2 months old today?...

2011-02-14T17:07:00.004-05:00

That girl right there. Don't you love the bib? It was a Valentine's gift from her Aunt Jaime.
Look at how much she grew...

We go to the doctor's next week, so I will be able to post some stats on my sweet babes. I hope you all had a great valentine's day.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T13:41:00.003-05:00

It's Makayla's first Valentine's Day! Here's wishing you a day filled with love.

We're going for a walk...

2011-02-07T16:43:00.004-05:00

It was 44 degrees today, so I decided Makayla and I needed some fresh air. I bundled her up and put her in the big girl stroller. And we walked. Of course it started with a tune from Joey. I can't wait to hear Joey sing it with us!

I think she liked it. Here's to an early spring and many many walks to come!

Work

2011-02-02T18:19:00.002-05:00

So, today was day number 3 back at work. I felt very green. I felt like I haven't worked in over a month, well true I was off for over a month. Monday and Tuesday I did mostly paperwork. Insert YAWNNN HERE! Holy crap it was a lot of paperwork. I don't mind doing it, because well, I had too, but whatevs. Monday was hard going to work. I cried. I hoped the babes would have been sleeping, but she had different plans. Sunday night she went to bed at 11:30, slept until 2 am and then was AWAKE until 0500. At that point, I went on with my day to get ready for work. I didn't even bother the babysitter until about 0900 and then only texted when she texted me first. Tuesday was a little easier, teared, but not cried and knew that the babes was in good hands. It definitely makes it easier to go to work when you know the babes is in good hands. Today, with the ice, the hubs stayed home. It was his first time alone with the babes since she was born, and I think I was more worried about her being home with him than with the babysitter. Either way, tomorrow is Thursday and my first week back is almost over, and I survived. Friday the babes is 7 weeks old, but I am not rushing for her to grow up. On Valentines Day she is officially 2 months old...how special is that. Anyway, I will continue to try to post as I can, but I am new at trying to juggle the mommy hood and career life so I just might blog not as often. Either way, try to stay warm. If you look outside, it looks like I live inside a snow globe.

I told ya so...

2011-01-27T13:55:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I told you I was addicted to cuteness. If you don't remember click here. Well, today...the cuteness continued. See for yourself.

Do you now see why next week is going to be TERRIBLE!!

I am addicted...

2011-01-26T13:04:00.003-05:00

To cuteness that is. See, I love having a daughter. I am sure I would love having a son if/when I have one, but right now, I love having a daughter. Because I am always looking for ways to make her "cuter" or to find that perfect addition to any outfit, I love buying headbands for her. Well, my friend Michelle over at Love, 2 carseats and a minivan sent us these awesome homemade headbands. I love them all, especially the zebra print. As soon as I saw it, I knew what outfit Makayla had to try on. Want to see the cuteness? Feast your eyes here...

Don't you just want to eat her up! I do!!

Morning News

2011-01-25T08:22:00.004-05:00

As you know, this is my last week of Maternity leave. While I would love to say that I have a routine worked out with the babes, if I said it, I would be not telling the truth. Yesterday, we tried some belly time...
and the jury is still out on if she liked it or not.

This morning I thought I would give the neglected Boppy a whirl....

Maybe if it wasn't the news on the tv she would still be interested?

I do have to admit, this kid melts my heart...

See why? I? could watch her sleep FOREVER!

Taking Back Monday

2011-01-24T10:39:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Dandelion Wishes, Monday is not a bad word anymore!

This week it is a $25 gift certificate for a cute etsy shop that sells awesome jewelry by Rhonda Michaels Jewelry. I fell in love with the Seafoam Bubbles earrings. They take me away to the summer and the beach...both of which are better than the weather outside our windows right now! Go, see for yourself!

Silent Sunday Newborn photos

2011-01-23T22:03:00.002-05:00

Happy List 1.23.11

2011-01-23T14:50:00.002-05:00

I found this while browsing the Internet...it's a chance for you to say what makes you happy. SO, this is my first one...let's see what makes my happy list
1. My DAUGHTER of course! She makes me all kinds of happy. Even when she does nothing, she makes me forget what worries me and makes me happy.
2. Trying to plan a gift for my niece. She will be 4 this year. I heard about this play called Pinkalicious and thought it would be perfect! I can't take my own daughter, but since they are coming to a theater in my hometown, I thought I would take my niece. I don't think I have ever seen a play or anything (well wait, I might have seen Grease off of Broadway, but I digress) I thought it would be a great way to make a 4 year old feel very special.
3. My family and friends. They always make me feel loved and special no matter what I throw at them.

4. One more week of maternity leave makes me happy. One more week where my daughter gets my undivided attention!

5. My new blog friend Michelle. She called me her blog peep today. I wish we lived closer so we could become IRL friends. But, in the meantime, I will just keep reading her blogs and buying cool girlie stuff for my sweet babes!

If you want to play along with Happy List, be sure to click the button at the top of my post to link up with Mamarazzi. This week she's doing a special giveaway for one participants.

A month...

2011-01-20T08:23:00.004-05:00

My dearest Makayla,

You are 5 weeks old officially tomorrow. You went to the doctor's yesterday and had your second Hep B vaccine. You cried for a hot minute, not when they stuck you with that needle, but when they injected the vaccine into your little thigh. You weighed in at 10 pounds 8 oz in the 90th percentile and at 23 inches, the 95th percentile. Your physical went well although the doctor heard what he called an innocent murmur. To make sure that it is nothing major, we go for an Echocardiogram on Saturday morning. A bunch of mommy's friends have been telling her that their kids had this murmur and that everything will be fine, so we are praying that will be the case. Aunt Bet (Nana's sister) said that there is a 10% chance that it is something to be worried about. However, you know me and my faith, I believe everything will be fine. I can't believe how much you have grown in five weeks! You grew from this...

And have grown into this sweet precious piece of love.

Unfortunately, my time on maternity leave is just about over. It makes me really sad that I can't be home with you all the time. To watch you amaze me every moment, to shower you with nonstop love. Trust me, it's not easy going back to work, and that day is going to be filled with lots of tears. The 8 weeks that follow will not give us a lot of time together, but we will push through and we will be fine. "Auntie" Carissa will be watching you, and mommy knows you are in good hands. She is coming to our house so that you don't have to go out into the cold and so that the environment is the same for you. This will be a big adjustment for both of us. Then, come April, will hopefully bring spring, and mommy going to work at 3 in the afternoon. While I won't be home to put you to bed ( I am still hoping you wake up at midnight for a feeding so that I can do it), we will have all morning together. As the weather warms up you and I will be going on walks, and I am sure Pop-Pop will join us too. But mommy will use the time as mommy and you time! April will also bring taking you to daycare, another adventure for mommy. But, you will only be there 3 hours a day, and I think it will be good for you. You will get to play with other children and maybe make some friends ;) Weekends will be family time, and of course visits with your cousin Shae, Nana and Pop-Pop and Uncle Ryan and Tia Rachel. You have no idea how much you have changed me. How you have put things in perspective for me. I truly believe that you are...

You have helped mommy put things in perspective, and focus on what is truly important. But, before we worry away our time together, just know that mommy loves you oh so much. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you. You melt my heart over and over every day. I can't wait to watch you grow and your personality flourish. January is almost over, so next month you get your first Valentine's Day. Mommy can't wait! I love you my pumpkin and I hope you know that.