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To present-day playtime...
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Book Review: First Date by Krista McGee
I recently joined Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze blogger review program, and I picked Krista McGee's novel First Date as my first selection. This book is definitely in the Christian YA genre, but I decided to review it because I wanted something fun and light to read, and the concept intrigued me. Basically, the book chronicles the adventures of Addy Davidson, a Christian who is one of 100 high school girls chosen to be on a reality TV show and compete to be the prom date of the President's son. While many girls would probably jump at the chance to be on a TV show and go on a date with the cute President's son, Addy wants no part in the competition. She'd much rather stay at home and focus on getting into an Ivy League college. After much convincing on the part of her school principal, Addy agrees to go on the show but tries to get eliminated the very first night. Her plan fails spectacularly, and it turns out that Jonathon, the President's son, catches Addy's interest. It's not too long before various conflicts ensue, as readers are given a behind-the-scenes look into the filming of the show and the lives of the girls involved. Addy must grapple with her faith, her attitude, and her interest in Jonathon while also dealing with the cattiness of some of her fellow contestants.
Overall, this book was a fun, quick read that I found to be entertaining, once I got past the idea of there actually being a show that put a bunch of high school girls in the spotlight on national TV, all to win a date. I'm not really sure this show would exist in real life since it's teens we're talking about and not grown adults like we see on The Bachelor, but it is a cute concept. I appreciated the faith angle in the story and the obvious parallels to the biblical account of Esther, but some of the discussions of faith seemed a bit stiff and forced.
I liked the character of Addy and the way she struggled to make sense of why she was on the show and how she should share her faith with those she encounters, even though it seemed like her fear was a little overblown. In the book, Addy was able to grow in her faith through reading her deceased mother's journals from her time spent as a missionary, and I liked the glimpses of missionary life that were given through the journal passages. I did feel like Addy's character was a bit on the boring side and wished there could have been a little more of her sense of humor displayed because the few places where it was made evident were very refreshing. I also enjoyed reading about Addy's roommate on the show, Kara, who is talkative and vivacious and often more interesting than Addy herself. The interactions between Jonathon and Addy were well done, and I appreciated the fact that the spark between them is evident, but they do not act inappropriately or even kiss at any time in the book.
My one big complaint with the book revolves around a plot to assassinate the President and kidnap the President's son. Addy and her uncle just so happen to be sitting in a diner eating when they overhear this plot, and I thought this whole storyline was a bit ridiculous. Who seriously plots to kill the President in a public place? It just didn't ring true to me at all.
The rather unrealistic portions of the book aside, I enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it to mothers who are look for wholesome, uplifting books for their teens or preteens to read.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Overall, this book was a fun, quick read that I found to be entertaining, once I got past the idea of there actually being a show that put a bunch of high school girls in the spotlight on national TV, all to win a date. I'm not really sure this show would exist in real life since it's teens we're talking about and not grown adults like we see on The Bachelor, but it is a cute concept. I appreciated the faith angle in the story and the obvious parallels to the biblical account of Esther, but some of the discussions of faith seemed a bit stiff and forced.
I liked the character of Addy and the way she struggled to make sense of why she was on the show and how she should share her faith with those she encounters, even though it seemed like her fear was a little overblown. In the book, Addy was able to grow in her faith through reading her deceased mother's journals from her time spent as a missionary, and I liked the glimpses of missionary life that were given through the journal passages. I did feel like Addy's character was a bit on the boring side and wished there could have been a little more of her sense of humor displayed because the few places where it was made evident were very refreshing. I also enjoyed reading about Addy's roommate on the show, Kara, who is talkative and vivacious and often more interesting than Addy herself. The interactions between Jonathon and Addy were well done, and I appreciated the fact that the spark between them is evident, but they do not act inappropriately or even kiss at any time in the book.
My one big complaint with the book revolves around a plot to assassinate the President and kidnap the President's son. Addy and her uncle just so happen to be sitting in a diner eating when they overhear this plot, and I thought this whole storyline was a bit ridiculous. Who seriously plots to kill the President in a public place? It just didn't ring true to me at all.
The rather unrealistic portions of the book aside, I enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it to mothers who are look for wholesome, uplifting books for their teens or preteens to read.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com
Monday, January 23, 2012
January 2012: Week 3 Report
Last week's weight: 180.6
This week's weight: 180.4
Total loss: .2 pounds
Total lost in January : 3.8 pounds
Can I just say that I am REALLY ready to say goodbye to the 180s?? Do you know how long I've been in the 180s? Since August. That's five months, friends, and that's enough! I WILL end this month under 180 pounds!
What went well this week:
1. Time with God. I had good time with the Lord every day this past week, and that is HUGE. Even if other things didn't go as planned, I made sure that I spent time reading God's Word.
2. Exercise. I got in 182 minutes of exercise this past week, including a 4 mile run on Saturday. I felt GREAT after completing that run, since it was the first time since my 4 mile race that I have run that distance. I plan to run 5 miles this weekend, which will be my longest post-pregnancy run.
What went badly this week:
1. Tracking. I did track every day but Saturday, but there were a few days that I did not track all of my meals, and I know that it was more than likely intentional on my part because I knew inputting those calories would show that I ate above my allotted range. Of course that line of thinking is stupid because I still went over my calories whether or not the numbers showed it, so I just need to stop trying to lie to myself.
2. Weekend munchies. Weekend eating=age-old problem I still haven't conquered. I tend to be lazier about tracking and therefore less stringent about nutrition, which means I eat things that aren't the best choices and then wonder why I don't lose any weight. I can exercise all I want, but if I'm not putting good things into my body, it's a waste.
If I were giving myself a grade for the past week, I'd give myself a C. This week will be better!
This week's weight: 180.4
Total loss: .2 pounds
Total lost in January : 3.8 pounds
Can I just say that I am REALLY ready to say goodbye to the 180s?? Do you know how long I've been in the 180s? Since August. That's five months, friends, and that's enough! I WILL end this month under 180 pounds!
What went well this week:
1. Time with God. I had good time with the Lord every day this past week, and that is HUGE. Even if other things didn't go as planned, I made sure that I spent time reading God's Word.
2. Exercise. I got in 182 minutes of exercise this past week, including a 4 mile run on Saturday. I felt GREAT after completing that run, since it was the first time since my 4 mile race that I have run that distance. I plan to run 5 miles this weekend, which will be my longest post-pregnancy run.
What went badly this week:
1. Tracking. I did track every day but Saturday, but there were a few days that I did not track all of my meals, and I know that it was more than likely intentional on my part because I knew inputting those calories would show that I ate above my allotted range. Of course that line of thinking is stupid because I still went over my calories whether or not the numbers showed it, so I just need to stop trying to lie to myself.
2. Weekend munchies. Weekend eating=age-old problem I still haven't conquered. I tend to be lazier about tracking and therefore less stringent about nutrition, which means I eat things that aren't the best choices and then wonder why I don't lose any weight. I can exercise all I want, but if I'm not putting good things into my body, it's a waste.
If I were giving myself a grade for the past week, I'd give myself a C. This week will be better!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Four Years
January 21, 2008. That was the day I decided to change my life. I was fat and not happy about it, and I was tired of just accepting it. I had told myself in the past that I was just meant to be fat since I'd spent most of my life that way, but I knew that wasn't true. The only way I would be destined to be fat forever is if I chose it. On January 21, 2008, I chose NOT to be fat forever. I made a list of reasons why I needed to change, and I made a plan of attack. Slowly but surely, changes started happening. I woke up early and went to the gym. I joined SparkPeople and began tracking my calories. It was tough, it was frustrating, it was challenging, but I kept doing it. I'm STILL doing it. Four years later, here's where I am and where I hope to be (all of the links are to past blog posts):
1. I went from only being able to do about 10 minutes on the elliptical to being able to run a 5k. I've run in 3 5k races and one 4 miler. I even trained for (but didn't complete) a half marathon, working my way up to 11 miles. I hope to achieve the goal of running a half marathon this year.
2. I went from 261 pounds to 180 pounds. I briefly dipped down to 167 right before I got pregnant with Charlotte, and I will get back there again. I hope to eventually weigh between 155 and 160 pounds.
3. I went from a size 24 to a size 16. I was a 14 before I got pregnant with Charlotte. I hope to end up a size 12.
(Pictures taken Thursday night in my size 24 jeans. My face is beet red because I had
just finished a workout my 261 pound self would have never attempted: a 2
mile run followed by Level 1 of 30 Day Shred.)
4. I went from a 49-inch waist (!) to a 36.5-inch waist.
5. I went from an XXL t-shirt to a large. I bet I will be able to wear a medium soon.
6. I have made drinking at least 64 ounces of water a daily habit.
7. I have made exercising a weekly habit. Some weeks are better than others, but aside from right after I had Charlotte, there have been very few weeks when I haven't exercised at all.
8. I have learned (and some days am still learning) to feel more comfortable in my own skin and appreciate even my least favorite features, like my flabby arms.
9. I have tried different types of exercise that I never would have tried before, including yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, and Zumba.
10. I actually had enough guts to post my weight on the Internet.
11. I have learned that even skinny people have problems. Being skinny does not guarantee a problem-free existence.
12. I have learned that being healthy is about more than being skinny.
13. I have learned that the things worth working for are often the hardest.
14. I learned how to lift weights and even got used to being the only female in the weights section of the gym.
15. Most important of all, I have learned that all of this is worthless if I do not honor the Lord. I have made food an idol in my life, and at times I have even made weight loss an idol, and if I let those things become an obsession and do not chase after Jesus, then it's all in vain. He must be everything.
Of course I wish I could write this post from the perspective of someone who's been at goal weight for a year or two, but that's someone else's story, not mine. My story isn't going to end up in a magazine. I'm not going to be on TV because of my amazing weight loss accomplishments. But that doesn't change the fact that I have lost 81 pounds. That doesn't change the fact that I am a far different person today than I was four years ago. And that's worth more than a spot on a TV show or magazine.
1. I went from only being able to do about 10 minutes on the elliptical to being able to run a 5k. I've run in 3 5k races and one 4 miler. I even trained for (but didn't complete) a half marathon, working my way up to 11 miles. I hope to achieve the goal of running a half marathon this year.
2. I went from 261 pounds to 180 pounds. I briefly dipped down to 167 right before I got pregnant with Charlotte, and I will get back there again. I hope to eventually weigh between 155 and 160 pounds.
3. I went from a size 24 to a size 16. I was a 14 before I got pregnant with Charlotte. I hope to end up a size 12.
4. I went from a 49-inch waist (!) to a 36.5-inch waist.
5. I went from an XXL t-shirt to a large. I bet I will be able to wear a medium soon.
6. I have made drinking at least 64 ounces of water a daily habit.
7. I have made exercising a weekly habit. Some weeks are better than others, but aside from right after I had Charlotte, there have been very few weeks when I haven't exercised at all.
8. I have learned (and some days am still learning) to feel more comfortable in my own skin and appreciate even my least favorite features, like my flabby arms.
9. I have tried different types of exercise that I never would have tried before, including yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, and Zumba.
10. I actually had enough guts to post my weight on the Internet.
11. I have learned that even skinny people have problems. Being skinny does not guarantee a problem-free existence.
12. I have learned that being healthy is about more than being skinny.
13. I have learned that the things worth working for are often the hardest.
14. I learned how to lift weights and even got used to being the only female in the weights section of the gym.
15. Most important of all, I have learned that all of this is worthless if I do not honor the Lord. I have made food an idol in my life, and at times I have even made weight loss an idol, and if I let those things become an obsession and do not chase after Jesus, then it's all in vain. He must be everything.
Of course I wish I could write this post from the perspective of someone who's been at goal weight for a year or two, but that's someone else's story, not mine. My story isn't going to end up in a magazine. I'm not going to be on TV because of my amazing weight loss accomplishments. But that doesn't change the fact that I have lost 81 pounds. That doesn't change the fact that I am a far different person today than I was four years ago. And that's worth more than a spot on a TV show or magazine.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Clearly I Have a Problem
During our purging/organizing session this weekend, Stephen and I found these:
Apparently I was once a wee bit obsessed with water bottles. But I did get rid of at least half of them in the purge! (I kept all of the ones from Sea World because Sea World is awesome.)
P.S. Blogger finally added threaded commenting, so now I can reply directly to your comments! That means you have to leave me some, haha. :)
Apparently I was once a wee bit obsessed with water bottles. But I did get rid of at least half of them in the purge! (I kept all of the ones from Sea World because Sea World is awesome.)
P.S. Blogger finally added threaded commenting, so now I can reply directly to your comments! That means you have to leave me some, haha. :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
January 2012: Week 2 Report
Last week's weight: 181.2
This week's weight: 180.6
Total loss: .6 pounds
So I didn't lose 3 pounds this week, but that's okay. Here's what I did do:
1. I exercised for 170 minutes.
2. I woke up by 5:30 Monday-Friday.
3. I kept up with my Bible reading plan.
4. I logged my food 6/7 days.
5. I did two separate strength training workouts.
6. I ran a 5k distance without stopping.
7. Stephen and I purged and organized several areas of our house.
Even though I had minimal weight loss this past week, I'm still pleased because of all of the other things I accomplished. I feel like I'm getting into a bit of a routine with waking up earlier. What needs work is going to bed earlier. I have always been a night owl, and it's been a struggle to go to bed before 10, even if I'm tired. (Although there was one night when I went to bed at 8:45 or something crazy like that. It was awesome.) So this week my goal is to get in bed by 10 at the latest at least 5/7 days. I already failed at this last night, so I'll have to be nearly perfect the rest of the week.
How are all of you doing with your goals?
This week's weight: 180.6
Total loss: .6 pounds
So I didn't lose 3 pounds this week, but that's okay. Here's what I did do:
1. I exercised for 170 minutes.
2. I woke up by 5:30 Monday-Friday.
3. I kept up with my Bible reading plan.
4. I logged my food 6/7 days.
5. I did two separate strength training workouts.
6. I ran a 5k distance without stopping.
7. Stephen and I purged and organized several areas of our house.
Even though I had minimal weight loss this past week, I'm still pleased because of all of the other things I accomplished. I feel like I'm getting into a bit of a routine with waking up earlier. What needs work is going to bed earlier. I have always been a night owl, and it's been a struggle to go to bed before 10, even if I'm tired. (Although there was one night when I went to bed at 8:45 or something crazy like that. It was awesome.) So this week my goal is to get in bed by 10 at the latest at least 5/7 days. I already failed at this last night, so I'll have to be nearly perfect the rest of the week.
How are all of you doing with your goals?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday Five: Happenings this Week
Clearly blogging happens more regularly if I'm able to schedule posts in advance, as both of my entries this week were actually written on Sunday. It is hard to find time during the week to blog, but I miss it as well. Here's a little of what's happening around our house:
1. Charlotte has a million more teeth. Okay, so maybe not a million, but whereas she just recently had 6, it now seems she has at least 9, if not more. It's hard to get a good look in her mouth without her putting up quite the protest.
2. I've woken up by 5:30 at the latest every day this week. Yeah! I'm so excited to start the Hello Mornings Challenge on Monday.
3. I got a great deal on a 2-month YMCA membership ($20, through a local deal site, SnagMob). The reason I bought it? ZUMBA! They also have spinning classes, which I've wanted to try for a while. I'm thrilled to try out the classes!
4. Charlotte's had a cough for over a month. It was a cold that turned into bronchiolitis, and we've given her breathing treatments 3 times a day for the past 8 days. She's still coughing, though. :( We're going for a checkup this afternoon, and I'm curious to see what the doctor says. Charlotte's been such a trooper and hasn't acted like she's felt too bad until this week. I think it's really starting to wear on her. I just want my baby to be healthy! She's been to the doctor practically every month of her life, and while I am SO thankful that it's only been for relatively minor things, I hate it for her.
5. I really wish Charlotte were older so we could go see Beauty and the Beast in 3-D. That is my all-time favorite Disney movie, and I know she would love it. Fortunately, we own it so I'll be able to watch it with her some day. :)
I hope you all have great weekends! Tell me something good that's happening!
1. Charlotte has a million more teeth. Okay, so maybe not a million, but whereas she just recently had 6, it now seems she has at least 9, if not more. It's hard to get a good look in her mouth without her putting up quite the protest.
2. I've woken up by 5:30 at the latest every day this week. Yeah! I'm so excited to start the Hello Mornings Challenge on Monday.
3. I got a great deal on a 2-month YMCA membership ($20, through a local deal site, SnagMob). The reason I bought it? ZUMBA! They also have spinning classes, which I've wanted to try for a while. I'm thrilled to try out the classes!
4. Charlotte's had a cough for over a month. It was a cold that turned into bronchiolitis, and we've given her breathing treatments 3 times a day for the past 8 days. She's still coughing, though. :( We're going for a checkup this afternoon, and I'm curious to see what the doctor says. Charlotte's been such a trooper and hasn't acted like she's felt too bad until this week. I think it's really starting to wear on her. I just want my baby to be healthy! She's been to the doctor practically every month of her life, and while I am SO thankful that it's only been for relatively minor things, I hate it for her.
5. I really wish Charlotte were older so we could go see Beauty and the Beast in 3-D. That is my all-time favorite Disney movie, and I know she would love it. Fortunately, we own it so I'll be able to watch it with her some day. :)
I hope you all have great weekends! Tell me something good that's happening!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
January 2012: Week 1 Report
I would say that the first week of 2012 was a good one. Shall I count the ways?
1. I exercised 4 times, for a total of 128 minutes.
2. I logged my food 4 of 7 days. Yes, that's not really a great number, but it's better than the big fat ZERO days I was logging previously.
3. I stayed in my calorie range for each day that I tracked my calories. Coincidence? I think not.
4. I woke up in the 5:00 hour every morning during the work week, except for Thursday morning.
5. And oh yeah, I lost THREE pounds!
Weight on Jan. 1: 184.2
Weight on Jan. 8: 181.2 (This weight makes 80 pounds lost from my highest weight of 261.)
Pounds left to lose: 26
If you remember, I took some before pics back in June, when I first started actively trying to lose weight after I had Charlotte (although I'm not sure it can be considered an "active" attempt at weight loss since it's been so slow, but anyway...). Here's one to refresh your memory:
Since I've lost 15 pounds since that picture was taken, I decided to take an updated one Sunday.
I'll be honest and say that I was disappointed when I saw the more recent picture. It doesn't look very different to me. I still have a good deal of weight to lose, and I know that more than losing weight I also need to gain muscle, as I am REALLY flabby all over. I think if I can develop a consistent strength training routine, that will help tremendously. I much prefer cardio because I feel like I've actually DONE something when it's over. I know that strength training is often much more beneficial, so I'm going to try and do it two times a week for the rest of the month. I will probably do 30 Day Shred since it's relatively quick and also makes me want to die. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I've also come a long way! Here are pictures of me from December 2007, right before I decided it was time to lose weight. I was probably around 260 pounds.
One day at a time, one pound at a time, I will get there.
1. I exercised 4 times, for a total of 128 minutes.
2. I logged my food 4 of 7 days. Yes, that's not really a great number, but it's better than the big fat ZERO days I was logging previously.
3. I stayed in my calorie range for each day that I tracked my calories. Coincidence? I think not.
4. I woke up in the 5:00 hour every morning during the work week, except for Thursday morning.
5. And oh yeah, I lost THREE pounds!
Weight on Jan. 1: 184.2
Weight on Jan. 8: 181.2 (This weight makes 80 pounds lost from my highest weight of 261.)
Pounds left to lose: 26
If you remember, I took some before pics back in June, when I first started actively trying to lose weight after I had Charlotte (although I'm not sure it can be considered an "active" attempt at weight loss since it's been so slow, but anyway...). Here's one to refresh your memory:
Since I've lost 15 pounds since that picture was taken, I decided to take an updated one Sunday.
I'll be honest and say that I was disappointed when I saw the more recent picture. It doesn't look very different to me. I still have a good deal of weight to lose, and I know that more than losing weight I also need to gain muscle, as I am REALLY flabby all over. I think if I can develop a consistent strength training routine, that will help tremendously. I much prefer cardio because I feel like I've actually DONE something when it's over. I know that strength training is often much more beneficial, so I'm going to try and do it two times a week for the rest of the month. I will probably do 30 Day Shred since it's relatively quick and also makes me want to die. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I've also come a long way! Here are pictures of me from December 2007, right before I decided it was time to lose weight. I was probably around 260 pounds.
One day at a time, one pound at a time, I will get there.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Charlotte at 10 Months
I know I say it every month, but I can't believe Charlotte is already this old! I need to start thinking about her first birthday party because it will be here before we know it!
Just when I think she can't get any cuter, she does! See?
At 10 months, Charlotte:
1. Is all over the place! She is fast on all fours and wants to explore every corner of the house and put every little bitty speck of anything right in her mouth. It's inevitable at this point that she'll eat some dog food.
2. Has started giving what I call "hugs," where she lays her head against my neck and just snuggles. It melts my heart every time, and it's especially sweet and precious given the fact that she doesn't stay still much these days.
3. Has 6 teeth now: 2 on top and 4 on the bottom. There could be more for all we know, but those are the ones that are definitely visible. She hates for us to poke around in her mouth.
4. Loves clapping and waving. She doesn't always grasp the appropriate context for these actions, so sometimes she'll be upset and start waving or clapping, which cracks us up.
5. "Dances" by bouncing up and down and sometimes swaying back and forth when she hears certain songs. It is the cutest thing ever.
6. Loves putting objects like blocks and balls into containers. She's been doing this for a while with a ball and her little tea cups, but now she's started doing it with everything. She thinks it's super fun.
7. Eats whatever we give her. She has yet to refuse a food. She made some funny faces when I fed her fresh mango, but she still gobbled it up. She has mastered the pincer grasp and manages to get most things into her mouth on the first try, making a huge mess in the process, naturally.
8. Enjoys playing with anything that is not actually her toy, like remotes, paper, magnets, dryer sheets, etc. Her favorites are Bailey's (our dog) toys that are covered in dog slobber. Delightful. She couldn't care less about most of her soft toys, but she heads straight for Bailey's whenever she sees them.
9. Still goes to bed around 6:30 every night and wakes up between 6 and 6:30 most mornings. Although most of last week it was more like 5:00 or 5:30, but she has a nasty upper respiratory infection that I think is to blame.
10. Learned how to play peekaboo. For months we've been putting a burp cloth or bib over her head then saying, "Where's Charlotte?" and then pulling it off and saying, "There she is!" Just the other day we were doing this, and she started holding the burp cloth over her face while we said, "Where's Charlotte?" Now she'll do it and giggle and grin when she pulls it down. Clearly
11. Babbles up a storm. I am so relieved about this because until now Charlotte really didn't babble much at all beyond "ah ah ah." Then about halfway through December, her "talking" just exploded, and now she says "dada" (without knowing what it actually means) and "baba" and "ga."
12. Feeds herself her own bottle. She literally just learned this skill this weekend, and she still needs help tilting the bottle or cup back far enough if it's almost empty. I've been trying to get her to drink her formula from a sippy cup for a while now, but she would just spit the cup out of her mouth. Then, thanks to a tip from a Twitter friend, I bought a sippy cup that has a tip very similar to a nipple, and it's worked great! She didn't take it at first, but she's used it several times now, so I think we've mastered that.
Charlotte has clearly been very busy the past month, which explains why I've hardly taken any pictures of her outside of the holidays. It's very hard to catch a moving target, you know. :) I've completely given up on using the blocks in her monthly picture since she wants to lunge at them the minute we sit her down. I did manage to get this one shot that I think is adorable, and I'm glad we're at least keeping Pooh Bear in the pictures:
Happy 10 months (a few days late), baby girl! We couldn't love you more if we tried.
Just when I think she can't get any cuter, she does! See?
At 10 months, Charlotte:
1. Is all over the place! She is fast on all fours and wants to explore every corner of the house and put every little bitty speck of anything right in her mouth. It's inevitable at this point that she'll eat some dog food.
2. Has started giving what I call "hugs," where she lays her head against my neck and just snuggles. It melts my heart every time, and it's especially sweet and precious given the fact that she doesn't stay still much these days.
3. Has 6 teeth now: 2 on top and 4 on the bottom. There could be more for all we know, but those are the ones that are definitely visible. She hates for us to poke around in her mouth.
4. Loves clapping and waving. She doesn't always grasp the appropriate context for these actions, so sometimes she'll be upset and start waving or clapping, which cracks us up.
5. "Dances" by bouncing up and down and sometimes swaying back and forth when she hears certain songs. It is the cutest thing ever.
6. Loves putting objects like blocks and balls into containers. She's been doing this for a while with a ball and her little tea cups, but now she's started doing it with everything. She thinks it's super fun.
7. Eats whatever we give her. She has yet to refuse a food. She made some funny faces when I fed her fresh mango, but she still gobbled it up. She has mastered the pincer grasp and manages to get most things into her mouth on the first try, making a huge mess in the process, naturally.
8. Enjoys playing with anything that is not actually her toy, like remotes, paper, magnets, dryer sheets, etc. Her favorites are Bailey's (our dog) toys that are covered in dog slobber. Delightful. She couldn't care less about most of her soft toys, but she heads straight for Bailey's whenever she sees them.
9. Still goes to bed around 6:30 every night and wakes up between 6 and 6:30 most mornings. Although most of last week it was more like 5:00 or 5:30, but she has a nasty upper respiratory infection that I think is to blame.
10. Learned how to play peekaboo. For months we've been putting a burp cloth or bib over her head then saying, "Where's Charlotte?" and then pulling it off and saying, "There she is!" Just the other day we were doing this, and she started holding the burp cloth over her face while we said, "Where's Charlotte?" Now she'll do it and giggle and grin when she pulls it down. Clearly
11. Babbles up a storm. I am so relieved about this because until now Charlotte really didn't babble much at all beyond "ah ah ah." Then about halfway through December, her "talking" just exploded, and now she says "dada" (without knowing what it actually means) and "baba" and "ga."
12. Feeds herself her own bottle. She literally just learned this skill this weekend, and she still needs help tilting the bottle or cup back far enough if it's almost empty. I've been trying to get her to drink her formula from a sippy cup for a while now, but she would just spit the cup out of her mouth. Then, thanks to a tip from a Twitter friend, I bought a sippy cup that has a tip very similar to a nipple, and it's worked great! She didn't take it at first, but she's used it several times now, so I think we've mastered that.
Charlotte has clearly been very busy the past month, which explains why I've hardly taken any pictures of her outside of the holidays. It's very hard to catch a moving target, you know. :) I've completely given up on using the blocks in her monthly picture since she wants to lunge at them the minute we sit her down. I did manage to get this one shot that I think is adorable, and I'm glad we're at least keeping Pooh Bear in the pictures:
Happy 10 months (a few days late), baby girl! We couldn't love you more if we tried.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
28 Pounds
As of this morning, that's all that stands between me and my goal weight of 155. 28 pounds. 28 pounds shouldn't be all that difficult to lose, right? After all, I've already lost 78 pounds! It's not like I don't know how weight loss works. I have all the tools I need.
And yet I can't help but feel as though those 28 pounds are like 100 pounds. It seems daunting, and I can't figure out why. Oh wait, yes I can: discipline (or lack thereof). My attempts to lose weight since having Charlotte have been of the stop-and-start variety. I haven't had long stretches of commitment bonded with action, and it shows. From June 1 2011 until January 1, 2012, I lost 12.2 pounds. That's kind of ridiculous. Sure, it's 12 pounds that needed to be lost, and I'm so glad I lost them, but a 12 pound loss over 7 months isn't impressive. At that rate, it will take me approximately 16 months to lose these last 28 pounds. There's no way that's happening.
So what now?
If I'm going to reach my goal weight this year, I have to take action. I have to be committed. So for the month of January, here's how I'm going to work on losing the weight:
1. Track all of my food. I got unbelievably lazy with this and haven't consistently tracked my food since the summer. I told myself I didn't really need to track, that I know what I eat and how many calories it all has. Lies! If I am not tracking, I let a lot of things slide. An extra cookie here, a regular Coke there, an extra serving at dinner, and before I know it I've eaten WAY more than SparkPeople's recommended range for me. So back to logging I go. It's tedious, but it works. I am more prone to think twice about eating something if I have to account for it.
2. Exercise at least 4 days a week. Since I'm planning to run a half marathon this year, this MUST happen. I need to work on building my running base this month anyway, so it won't be hard to figure out what exercise I need to do.
3. Wake up between 5:00 and 5:30 during the work week. If I am going to exercise and read my Bible, I need to wake up earlier. Which leads me to...
4. Go to bed no later than 10:00 p.m. Ideally I'd like to get to bed at 9:00, but I'm going to start with 10:00 and then work my way back to 9:00.
5. Complete the Hello Mornings Challenge. (This challenge is hosted by one of my favorite blogs for moms, Inspired to Action, so check out the challenge and Kat's blog. You will be blessed and encouraged!) I'm super excited about this and hope that it will help me achieve all of these goals.
Watch out, 28 pounds! I'm coming for you!
And yet I can't help but feel as though those 28 pounds are like 100 pounds. It seems daunting, and I can't figure out why. Oh wait, yes I can: discipline (or lack thereof). My attempts to lose weight since having Charlotte have been of the stop-and-start variety. I haven't had long stretches of commitment bonded with action, and it shows. From June 1 2011 until January 1, 2012, I lost 12.2 pounds. That's kind of ridiculous. Sure, it's 12 pounds that needed to be lost, and I'm so glad I lost them, but a 12 pound loss over 7 months isn't impressive. At that rate, it will take me approximately 16 months to lose these last 28 pounds. There's no way that's happening.
So what now?
If I'm going to reach my goal weight this year, I have to take action. I have to be committed. So for the month of January, here's how I'm going to work on losing the weight:
1. Track all of my food. I got unbelievably lazy with this and haven't consistently tracked my food since the summer. I told myself I didn't really need to track, that I know what I eat and how many calories it all has. Lies! If I am not tracking, I let a lot of things slide. An extra cookie here, a regular Coke there, an extra serving at dinner, and before I know it I've eaten WAY more than SparkPeople's recommended range for me. So back to logging I go. It's tedious, but it works. I am more prone to think twice about eating something if I have to account for it.
2. Exercise at least 4 days a week. Since I'm planning to run a half marathon this year, this MUST happen. I need to work on building my running base this month anyway, so it won't be hard to figure out what exercise I need to do.
3. Wake up between 5:00 and 5:30 during the work week. If I am going to exercise and read my Bible, I need to wake up earlier. Which leads me to...
4. Go to bed no later than 10:00 p.m. Ideally I'd like to get to bed at 9:00, but I'm going to start with 10:00 and then work my way back to 9:00.
5. Complete the Hello Mornings Challenge. (This challenge is hosted by one of my favorite blogs for moms, Inspired to Action, so check out the challenge and Kat's blog. You will be blessed and encouraged!) I'm super excited about this and hope that it will help me achieve all of these goals.
Watch out, 28 pounds! I'm coming for you!
Monday, January 2, 2012
2012 Goals
I like making goals for the new year. There's something exciting about a new year and a fresh start. Unfortunately, I don't have the greatest track record when it comes to meeting my yearly goals. In 2009 I made 18 (!) goals. What in the world was I thinking making so many goals? No wonder I didn't achieve some and forgot about others! In 2010 I slashed my number of goals by more than half, but I completely stopped tracking my progress on most of them and therefore have no idea how I fared with the ones that required lots of record-keeping. I was smarter this year in that I only made 3 goals for 2011, but still I did not meet any of them. #3 (Complete Couch to 5k and run in 3 races) is the one I came closest to meeting, as I did manage to complete Couch to 5k but only ran in one race. And while I would have loved to have made it to my pre-pregnancy weight and read through the Bible, I'm okay with the fact that those goals did not happen. I made progress on each of those goals, so they weren't completely failures. Furthermore, my life changed in a big way this year, and I'm just now starting to feel like a routine is taking shape.
With that being said, I'm not going to make a ton of goals for the year. Instead, I want to focus on making goals each month that will help me accomplish my year-long goals. There are 3 big goals I want to accomplish this year, and I think I can create monthly mini goals to make them reality.
1. Get to my goal weight. I am determined that 2012 will be the last year this appears on my list of goals. I want to go into 2013 with "maintain my goal weight" as a goal. I have been at this weight loss thing for almost 4 years. It's time. Right now my goal weight is between 155-160 pounds.
2. Run a half marathon. I set this goal in 2010, and I came really close to achieving it only to give up on it only 3 weeks before the race. At the time I think it was the right decision, but I REALLY wish I had just sucked it up and run the race. It's going to happen this year, even if I have to walk some/all of it!
3. Read through the Bible. I'm fortunate in that my Life Group (aka Sunday School class) at church is going through this chronological plan in 2012, so there will be a lot of support and accountability for this goal. It's been a few years since I've read through the Bible, and I'm looking forward to the chronological approach in particular. If anyone else is interested in doing this, please let me know in the comments! We can be a support for each other!
Are you making goals for the new year? Share them with me!
With that being said, I'm not going to make a ton of goals for the year. Instead, I want to focus on making goals each month that will help me accomplish my year-long goals. There are 3 big goals I want to accomplish this year, and I think I can create monthly mini goals to make them reality.
1. Get to my goal weight. I am determined that 2012 will be the last year this appears on my list of goals. I want to go into 2013 with "maintain my goal weight" as a goal. I have been at this weight loss thing for almost 4 years. It's time. Right now my goal weight is between 155-160 pounds.
2. Run a half marathon. I set this goal in 2010, and I came really close to achieving it only to give up on it only 3 weeks before the race. At the time I think it was the right decision, but I REALLY wish I had just sucked it up and run the race. It's going to happen this year, even if I have to walk some/all of it!
3. Read through the Bible. I'm fortunate in that my Life Group (aka Sunday School class) at church is going through this chronological plan in 2012, so there will be a lot of support and accountability for this goal. It's been a few years since I've read through the Bible, and I'm looking forward to the chronological approach in particular. If anyone else is interested in doing this, please let me know in the comments! We can be a support for each other!
Are you making goals for the new year? Share them with me!
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