My Hero

My husband has jumped on the cloth diapering wagon! I am so happy. He has always been super supportive of me trying it out but never really wanted to take it on himself. I never pushed because he is a super awesome SAHD and it didn't really matter much to me. Last week that all changed when Emory got a rash cause by a little too much milk. We were going through the healing process and it became clear which diapers were softer on E's bum. That would be cloth. So Friday while I was work work, the Papa called me asking how to work the diapers. At the time I had no expectation that it would continue after the rash was gone but just like my kid, my hubby likes to keep me guessing. So there it is...we are a cloth diapering family! Of course we are still using some disposables here and there but our consumption has gone drastically down. good for the earth and good for our pockets. Of course as a result of this change, I had to buy more diapers to prevent me from doing laundry everyday. I have been scouring message boards and sales to find items to add to our stash ( See I said it "our"...ah so cool). Here is what I am adding:

4 Econobum Covers with Pre-folds-BOGO Sale on now until 2/28, $9.95 x 2
3 Alavababy AIO/Pocket Diapers-Less than $16 for three diapers, hope to get them soon
1 BumGenius 3.0, Sized- Closeout sale $9.95, my absolute favorite

Beyond time

Before I start this, let me make a disclaimer. This meant to be about me, not a judgement of others.

140-what? I mean seriously? When I stepped on the scale to see 143lbs! That is just outrageous. for I have now exceeded my pre-pregnancy weight and the scale is still rising. I am less concerned about the numbers on the scale but rather what they represent. They represent a woman who has become sedentary. A woman who has pushed her health and fitness to the back burner. I am angry at myself for not living up to my own goals. And more importantly, I feel like I have let down my family. I want to be a role model for my son and a healthy/fit wife for my husband.

It is beyond time for me to get back into my regular work out routine. I have become "that" mom that I never wanted to be. You know thet one that sustains on lots of coffee and "doesn't have time" to work out. I am extremely disappointed with the way I have been living lately. How is it that I managed to workout my entire pregnacy but feel of the wagon afterward? I could make excuses about how busy I am..blah, blah, blah. That is BS. I have a gym 3 minutes from my office and the flexiblity to use it at any time. My boss supports us taking time to work out. I could probably take time to comtemplate a list of reasons why I have stopped working out or where I lost motivation but that would only waste more time. I am looking forward not backward.

The good news is I have done much better this month. I have been working out more and hav slowly started re-forming the habit. I will be spending the next few days gathering a plan of attack that is realistic and attainable. Stay tuned...

SPAMAZING EXPERIENCE

I had the privilege of taking a girls only afternoon over the weekend. It was "spamazing". It is a local place called Spa World and it was awesome! It is not a traditional spa where you got for services only but a Korean Style spa. It is a place where you can spend the day for a fairly reasonable cost. We opted to go service free and take advantage of the various sauna and pools. We first ventured into the various saunas where we spent some time stretching, relaxing, detoxing, but mostly SWEATING with a bunch of other folks. After our sauna (sweating) experience we headed over to the eateries where we experienced delicious Korean cuisine and boba teas. After filling our bellies we headed over the to the bade pools for more relaxing. The bade pool area was amazing with jetted tubs focusing on different tension points, hot tubs, a steam shower, a dry sauna, and showers. Heaven but with one caveat. The pools area is au naturale. That's right folks...no clothes! Before you freak out too much, let me take a step back and say it is segregated by gender. So you are only walking around nude with other women. I will have to admit, I was a little nervous about having my lady parts out for the world to see. However, I have to say once you get over the initial fear it becomes quite normal. It was actually quite liberating and let's be honest for minute, you are never really going to be the best looking gal in the joint but you most certainly won't be the worst. It is just the law of nature. Afterward, we all felt amazing, our skin felt phenomenal, and had the overall sensation of a limp noodle. But wait! I saved the best part for last! Normally the admission for this glorious place is $35 but the Monday before we each scored a voucher from Groupon for only $15. I would personally say it would be worth every penny at the normal price so it was even better at $15. If given the chance, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Not that big of a deal...

Have you ever worried about something so much it made you sick? I mean real gut wrenching worry that disturbed your daytime thoughts and maybe even your sleep. You can't see me but I am totally raising my hand. Anxiety of all types is something I really struggle with. It is so hard for me to sit back and just let things play out. In my almost 31 years, I am finally beginning to master that skill. It is through my faith that I am learning to put my trust in the One who knows all. And after it is all said and done, He seems to whisper to me "See, I told you. It was not that big of a deal. I was caring for you all long."

Conspiracy??

I honestly think children have a conspirancy against us parents. I think their motto is "Keep 'em guessing." Has anyone else realized throughout their parenthood experience there seem to be no constants and tons of exceptions. You know like when you learning grammer , your teach explains a "rule" and then goes on to list the ten exceptions to that rule. Confusing, right? I found the same to be true in my mothering of EAK. Here are few examples:

-E was down to one bottle, right? Nope! Right after I posted about him self-weaning, his papa said he went back to having the afternoon bottle that he has been refusing. So back we went to 2 bottles, and now guess what? Yesterday, he only frank about 2 ozs before losing interest. So which is it kid? Do you want one bottle or two? I don't really care either way right now but I'd like to not waste money!

-E had been making great strides in transitioning to milk from toddler formula. His bottle were 90% milk with only a little formula. That has been going on for over a week so I decided for one of his bottles to do just milk...bam! The tummy troubles started which spurred the rash/raw bottom...so back to formula we go!

There are tons of other examples that we have gone through over the past 17 months. So this mama will continue to remind herself that there are no constants in motherhood.

Maybe one day these children will confess to the conspiracy??

Catching Up

I haven't been great about posting my meals this week but don't worry, we are still cooking. In random order (mostly because I don't remember) here are our meals:

Super Bowl Sunday
Chili
Hot Dogs
Veggies, Chips and Dip
Strawberry Cheesecake

Salsbury Steak
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Brocoli and Cheese

Chicken and Dumplings

Filet Mignon
Baked Potato and Sweet Potato
Asparagus

Oven Fried Chicken
Basmati Rice
Green Beans

17 Months

Another month has passed and my sweet boy has now reached 17 months! I worked today but Emory was constantly on my mind. I am so proud of us and the job we have done with him. He is a very active, joyful boy who constantly keeps us constantly on our toes. He is full into toddlerhood with the fits and tantrums that come along with it. Even with the struggles, I would not trade one day for my life before his birth. He has brought us closer together as a family and solidified our eternal bond.

We continue to recognize every 8th of the month. Today, we even made cupcakes to celebrate. E was more than happy to enjoy the batter but they won't be ready until after bedtime :o( Oh well, he can enjoy one tomorrow!

Here are the latest and greatest achievements in the world of the munchkin:

-Drinking milk from a cup

-Paci only at nap time, bedtime and in the car (He actually tosses it back in the crib with his lovely)

-Self -weaned from the second bottle after naptime (Only one more to go! Although I am in no rush to give it up)

-Helping with chores like picking up toys, putting clothes in the hamper, etc.

-Masters all shape sorters and is getting really great at puzzles too

-Continues to be a music baby and can't help but dance when he hears a tune he likes

Can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Meal of the Day

Rotisserrie Chicken (Courtesy of Costco)
Roasted Cauliflower
Orzo

Meal of the Day -Two for Tuesday!

Here you go:

Monday-French Dip Sandwiches Again!

Tuesday- Beef Burgundy over Egg Noodles