Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Calling All Moms...
Here's the deal. Charlotte learned how to roll from her back to her belly earlier this month, and there was much cheering and rejoicing. However, it seems that when she learned this, she forgot how to roll from her belly to her back, which is something she learned in her third month. This amuses us a bit because now that Char has mastered the back-to-belly roll, she pretty much does it automatically whenever we lay her down anywhere. And then she gets upset because she can't figure out how to get back on her back, so she'll grunt and squirm and move her little legs, trying so hard to turn back over without success. If this were only a daytime occurrence, all would be well.
HOWEVER.
At least once a night we awake to the sound of Charlotte crying (or sometimes shrieking) because she has rolled onto her belly in her sleep and is stuck that way. So we go in, flip her over, and leave the room. Sometimes this works and she's back in dream world with no other problems, but on other nights, the rolling over process seems to wake her up, and she's nice and alert and not interested in sleeping even though it's 3 a.m. (an hour when no sane person wants to be awake).
So I'm asking you, my wise and wonderful readers, what can we do about this? Has anyone else experienced this with their own children? Is it normal that she's temporarily forgotten the tummy-to-back roll? Is there any way to prevent her from rolling over aside from strapping her down (which of course webriefly considered wouldn't do)?
Please, please, oh please help a mother out!
HOWEVER.
At least once a night we awake to the sound of Charlotte crying (or sometimes shrieking) because she has rolled onto her belly in her sleep and is stuck that way. So we go in, flip her over, and leave the room. Sometimes this works and she's back in dream world with no other problems, but on other nights, the rolling over process seems to wake her up, and she's nice and alert and not interested in sleeping even though it's 3 a.m. (an hour when no sane person wants to be awake).
So I'm asking you, my wise and wonderful readers, what can we do about this? Has anyone else experienced this with their own children? Is it normal that she's temporarily forgotten the tummy-to-back roll? Is there any way to prevent her from rolling over aside from strapping her down (which of course we
Please, please, oh please help a mother out!
Monday, August 29, 2011
My Scale Hiatus: The Plan to Track My Progress
Thanks to all of you who offered your support for my decision to hide the scale for a while. Even after just a few days I can tell you that I really like not having that burden hanging over my head. The first two days I had a very intense desire to weigh myself, and I'm so glad I had Stephen hide it so I wouldn't be able to give in to that desire even if I wanted to! However, I haven't felt such a pull to the scale the last few days, and it feels great!
For me, the biggest challenge of this no scale experiment is knowing how to measure my progress. From day 1, the scale has been my primary measurement of success, so I am having to revisit what I consider success and progress and find other ways to measure that. So here's what I've come up with:
1. I'm going to take measurements of key body parts and track the inches lost. I took measurements before in my weight loss journey, but I haven't done them consistently since Charlotte arrived, so I need to get a picture of where I am to see where I need to go. Tonight I'm going to measure my arms, thighs, calves, waist, chest, hips, and neck. I'll post updates once a month about what progress (or lack thereof) that I'm making.
2. I'm going to set daily goals for myself to meet and track them with a "Healthy Habits Checklist" that I've created. I think if I can focus on making good choices day by day, then there is no reason for the weight not to come off! On days when I meet all of my goals, I will give myself a sticker on the calendar. Here is my Healthy Habits Checklist:
Measurements and my checklist are the two main ways I plan to track my progress. I also will be able to gauge my progress by the way my clothes fit, but I don't expect to see changes in that area for a while. I think the checklist will help me to focus on living healthy and not use this hiatus from the scale as an excuse to slack off. I do well within defined parameters, so I'm hopeful that these guidelines will lead to a healthier life free from dominion of the scale!
If you were creating a healthy habits checklist, what would be on it?
For me, the biggest challenge of this no scale experiment is knowing how to measure my progress. From day 1, the scale has been my primary measurement of success, so I am having to revisit what I consider success and progress and find other ways to measure that. So here's what I've come up with:
1. I'm going to take measurements of key body parts and track the inches lost. I took measurements before in my weight loss journey, but I haven't done them consistently since Charlotte arrived, so I need to get a picture of where I am to see where I need to go. Tonight I'm going to measure my arms, thighs, calves, waist, chest, hips, and neck. I'll post updates once a month about what progress (or lack thereof) that I'm making.
2. I'm going to set daily goals for myself to meet and track them with a "Healthy Habits Checklist" that I've created. I think if I can focus on making good choices day by day, then there is no reason for the weight not to come off! On days when I meet all of my goals, I will give myself a sticker on the calendar. Here is my Healthy Habits Checklist:
- Exercise 5 times a week. The tentative plan is for me to run 3 times a week and do 30 Day Shred the other 2 days, but as long as I move my body 5 times a week, I can check this off.
- Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. I don't anticipate this being very difficult except on the weekends.
- Eat a minimum of one fruit with breakfast, a fruit and/or veggie with lunch, and a veggie with dinner. I'm terrible about eating veggies, so this is a baby step for me to take to encourage more veggie consumption.
- Consume at least 25 grams of fiber a day. I'm all about the fiber, so I don't think this will be too difficult.
- Eat no more than 1600 calories a day. I'm not giving myself a minimum target because let's face it, eating the minimum calorie allowance has never been my problem. :)
Measurements and my checklist are the two main ways I plan to track my progress. I also will be able to gauge my progress by the way my clothes fit, but I don't expect to see changes in that area for a while. I think the checklist will help me to focus on living healthy and not use this hiatus from the scale as an excuse to slack off. I do well within defined parameters, so I'm hopeful that these guidelines will lead to a healthier life free from dominion of the scale!
If you were creating a healthy habits checklist, what would be on it?
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Weigh-in Wednesday: No More Numbers
Last week's weight: 188.2
This week's weight: 190.2
GAIN of 2 pounds
Yes, you read that right. I gained two pounds. In one week. Even though I exercised 4 times, the most I've exercised all month long. You wanna know how I managed thisawesome pathetic feat? I ate. I had a Blizzard one night, I had brownies two nights in a row, and on Monday night I ate my weight in food at Logan's.
I am completely embarrassed. And angry. And beyond frustrated. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself: see progress on the scale, then get elated and immediately loosen up on my eating.
But this morning I had a bit of an epiphany: this all goes back to how I respond to the number on the scale. When it's a good week, I'm ecstatic about my success, but this usually results in my slacking off, either with exercise or with tracking my food. When it's a bad week, I'm upset by my lack of progress, which usually results in the figurative (and sometimes literal) throwing up of my hands and adopting the "Well, I already blew it so I may as well eat what I want" mindset. Even I only do this for one day before getting my act together, I can do a LOT of damage in that one day. The way I see it: both the good and bad days on the scale have one thing in common: I react to that number by losing focus. Logically, I realize it makes NO SENSE for me to respond to a loss on the scale by eating more, but I've done it time and time again recently, so I have to face the facts. And logically, I realize it makes NO SENSE to react to a gain by eating more (since that's how I got the gain in the first place), and yet I've done that time and time again, too.
The solution?
I'm letting go of the scale. My husband hid it this morning, and I have no idea where it is. I'm not putting a time frame on this; I'm just going to live my life for a little while, focus on eating healthy and moving my body, and when I feel like the time is right, I'll ask my husband to take the scale out of hiding.
I'm completely terrified by this, but I think that's a sign that in fact this is a good idea. I have been letting the number on the scale define me, and I don't want that. Not one bit. And I definitely don't want my sweet, precious, beautiful baby girl to grow up with a mommy whose mood is determined by what some little inanimate object says. I want her to be confident in who she is and to feel beautiful and treasured and loved, and if I'm going to give that to her, I have to give it to myself as well. For right now, that means that the scale can't be the way I measure my progress. (More to come in a later post about how I do plan to measure my progress.)
So adios, scale. I don't know when we'll meet again, but I guarantee that when we do, you will hold no power over me.
This week's weight: 190.2
GAIN of 2 pounds
Yes, you read that right. I gained two pounds. In one week. Even though I exercised 4 times, the most I've exercised all month long. You wanna know how I managed this
I am completely embarrassed. And angry. And beyond frustrated. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself: see progress on the scale, then get elated and immediately loosen up on my eating.
But this morning I had a bit of an epiphany: this all goes back to how I respond to the number on the scale. When it's a good week, I'm ecstatic about my success, but this usually results in my slacking off, either with exercise or with tracking my food. When it's a bad week, I'm upset by my lack of progress, which usually results in the figurative (and sometimes literal) throwing up of my hands and adopting the "Well, I already blew it so I may as well eat what I want" mindset. Even I only do this for one day before getting my act together, I can do a LOT of damage in that one day. The way I see it: both the good and bad days on the scale have one thing in common: I react to that number by losing focus. Logically, I realize it makes NO SENSE for me to respond to a loss on the scale by eating more, but I've done it time and time again recently, so I have to face the facts. And logically, I realize it makes NO SENSE to react to a gain by eating more (since that's how I got the gain in the first place), and yet I've done that time and time again, too.
The solution?
I'm letting go of the scale. My husband hid it this morning, and I have no idea where it is. I'm not putting a time frame on this; I'm just going to live my life for a little while, focus on eating healthy and moving my body, and when I feel like the time is right, I'll ask my husband to take the scale out of hiding.
I'm completely terrified by this, but I think that's a sign that in fact this is a good idea. I have been letting the number on the scale define me, and I don't want that. Not one bit. And I definitely don't want my sweet, precious, beautiful baby girl to grow up with a mommy whose mood is determined by what some little inanimate object says. I want her to be confident in who she is and to feel beautiful and treasured and loved, and if I'm going to give that to her, I have to give it to myself as well. For right now, that means that the scale can't be the way I measure my progress. (More to come in a later post about how I do plan to measure my progress.)
So adios, scale. I don't know when we'll meet again, but I guarantee that when we do, you will hold no power over me.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Weigh-in Wednesday
Last week's weight: 189.4
This week's weight: 188.2
LOSS of 1.2 pounds
Total for the month so far: 4.6 pounds
Well, rats. I am UP .4 pounds since I weighed on Monday. That makes no sense to me, since I have exercised every day this week and have stayed in my calorie range. Thus, I can only conclude that exercising and Facebook makes me gain weight. :) Guess I'll give up the exercising and go back to being lazy!
NOT.
I am hoping this is just a fluke and that I will be back down next week. Perhaps I'll just stay off the scale until next Wednesday instead of weighing every day. If I had done that this week, I would just be happy that I've lost 1.2 pounds since last week instead of being bummed that I'm up a bit from Monday's weight. Of course, if I hadn't weighed until today, I would still be off Facebook, so maybe I should log off again until next week and see what the number says.
Though I was tempted to be bummed this morning about the weigh-in, I'm making a choice to be glad instead. After all, I'm doing everything right for once, and so I should feel good about that. And I do. :)
Happy Wednesday to all of you!
This week's weight: 188.2
LOSS of 1.2 pounds
Total for the month so far: 4.6 pounds
Well, rats. I am UP .4 pounds since I weighed on Monday. That makes no sense to me, since I have exercised every day this week and have stayed in my calorie range. Thus, I can only conclude that exercising and Facebook makes me gain weight. :) Guess I'll give up the exercising and go back to being lazy!
NOT.
I am hoping this is just a fluke and that I will be back down next week. Perhaps I'll just stay off the scale until next Wednesday instead of weighing every day. If I had done that this week, I would just be happy that I've lost 1.2 pounds since last week instead of being bummed that I'm up a bit from Monday's weight. Of course, if I hadn't weighed until today, I would still be off Facebook, so maybe I should log off again until next week and see what the number says.
Though I was tempted to be bummed this morning about the weigh-in, I'm making a choice to be glad instead. After all, I'm doing everything right for once, and so I should feel good about that. And I do. :)
Happy Wednesday to all of you!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Mid-August Goals Checkup
Now that the month of August is half over, let's see how I'm doing on my goals, shall we?
1. No Facebook until I lose 5 pounds. GOAL MET. I weighed 187.8 yesterday, which is exactly 5 pounds down from my August starting weight, so you can bet that I logged right back on to Facebook! Maybe I should write a book called The Facebook Diet. The method works!
2. No bread for 2 weeks. GOAL MET. This was hard, but not as hard as I initially thought, and I wonder if abstaining from bread provided a boost to my weight loss as well. Even though the two weeks are up, I'm still going to limit my bread intake. I didn't even buy any bread at the store over the weekend, except for some biscuits and crescent rolls that I am using for a recipe. I am going to try and have bread just once or twice a week for a while.
3. No fast food for 2 weeks. GOAL MET. This also wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, although french fries did call my name several times. I enjoy having at meals at home, and it was nice not spending that extra money on eating out, although we definitely spent more at the grocery store.
4. Exercise 4 times a week. EPIC FAIL. Epic fail, my friends. I am ashamed to admit that yesterday was the first time I exercised all month, and that was only a 20 minute walk with Charlotte in her stroller. BUT, I'm pleased to report that I woke up at 5:40 this morning and took advantage of the GORGEOUS weather and went for a run. I ran for 25 minutes and then cooled down for 5. I was super pleased with this run because I haven't run in about a month. Pitiful!
5. Spend time in Bible study and prayer every day. EPIC FAIL. I have really struggled with this, and I know it's because my priorities aren't properly aligned. I spend too much time on the Internet, specifically Google Reader, so I am limiting my time on there to my lunch break and trying to spend more time with the Lord.
So I did a great job of meeting my short-term goals for the month and need to work on stepping it up with my two remaining goals. If I do this, I can make August a really successful month.
How are you all doing on your goals? Brag on yourselves in the comments!
1. No Facebook until I lose 5 pounds. GOAL MET. I weighed 187.8 yesterday, which is exactly 5 pounds down from my August starting weight, so you can bet that I logged right back on to Facebook! Maybe I should write a book called The Facebook Diet. The method works!
2. No bread for 2 weeks. GOAL MET. This was hard, but not as hard as I initially thought, and I wonder if abstaining from bread provided a boost to my weight loss as well. Even though the two weeks are up, I'm still going to limit my bread intake. I didn't even buy any bread at the store over the weekend, except for some biscuits and crescent rolls that I am using for a recipe. I am going to try and have bread just once or twice a week for a while.
3. No fast food for 2 weeks. GOAL MET. This also wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, although french fries did call my name several times. I enjoy having at meals at home, and it was nice not spending that extra money on eating out, although we definitely spent more at the grocery store.
4. Exercise 4 times a week. EPIC FAIL. Epic fail, my friends. I am ashamed to admit that yesterday was the first time I exercised all month, and that was only a 20 minute walk with Charlotte in her stroller. BUT, I'm pleased to report that I woke up at 5:40 this morning and took advantage of the GORGEOUS weather and went for a run. I ran for 25 minutes and then cooled down for 5. I was super pleased with this run because I haven't run in about a month. Pitiful!
5. Spend time in Bible study and prayer every day. EPIC FAIL. I have really struggled with this, and I know it's because my priorities aren't properly aligned. I spend too much time on the Internet, specifically Google Reader, so I am limiting my time on there to my lunch break and trying to spend more time with the Lord.
So I did a great job of meeting my short-term goals for the month and need to work on stepping it up with my two remaining goals. If I do this, I can make August a really successful month.
How are you all doing on your goals? Brag on yourselves in the comments!
Monday, August 15, 2011
A Sunny Sunday
Sunday afternoon was beautiful outside--breezy with low humidity. In the shade, it was downright pleasant, which is basically unheard of in the South in August! I decided it would be fun to take Charlotte out to the backyard and let her play under a tree for a little while. Here are some of the pictures I took (there are a LOT more than these!):
I don't think she loved the shades. :)
But perhaps she loved the hat?
She will put ANYTHING in her mouth. This toy is one of her favorites.
From looking at these pictures, you would never know that Charlotte STILL has an ear infection, but she does. She hasn't been eating great and is pulling at her ear quite a bit. Her pediatrician told us to call on Monday if she still didn't seem better and she would change the antibiotic (AGAIN), so that's what we're going to do. Fortunately, she's slept great the past several nights in a row, so at least she's getting sleep. It's been two weeks since this all started, and we are so ready for our sweet girl to be well! Hopefully this next round of antibiotics will do the trick!
Friday, August 12, 2011
What If?
Jen posted this quote she found on Pinterest on her blog, and it made me stop and immediately repin it. (Are you on Pinterest? Find me! )
![]()
Reading these words led me to play a little game of "What if?"
What if I hadn't weighed myself in January 2008?
What if I hadn't decided I was going to lose weight?
What if I had decided I was going to lose weight but then made no plan to actually do it?
What if I kept on eating and eating myself into oblivion?
What if I never became a runner?
What if I never knew what it felt like to finally reach ONEderland?
What if I never felt the thrill of losing 90 pounds?
What if I had never begun at all?
Those are some pretty weighty questions (excuse the terrible pun)! I think if I had not gotten a wakeup call in January 2008, it is very possible that I would weigh over 300 pounds right now. Think about it: I weighed 261 pounds on January 21, 2008, and that was UP at least 30 pounds from when I get married not even the year before! Who knows how much I would weigh right now if I kept gaining at that rate. It's a scary thought, and I am so thankful that I listened to that prompting in my heart (which I know was from the Lord) and did something about my weight problem.
I have found it very helpful to play this game of what if lately. With the exception of the past two weeks, my weight loss after Charlotte's birth was virtually non-existent, and I have been very open about the desire to quit that I have felt more than once. What keeps me from quitting--what keeps me trying day after day, even when I've messed up--is looking at how far I've come. I can't quit when I've already invested so many days of sweat and tears. I can't quit when I've already overcome so much.
This I know for sure: I don't want to look back a year from now and wish I had done something about my weight. I am doing something. Are you?
Reading these words led me to play a little game of "What if?"
What if I hadn't weighed myself in January 2008?
What if I hadn't decided I was going to lose weight?
What if I had decided I was going to lose weight but then made no plan to actually do it?
What if I kept on eating and eating myself into oblivion?
What if I never became a runner?
What if I never knew what it felt like to finally reach ONEderland?
What if I never felt the thrill of losing 90 pounds?
What if I had never begun at all?
Those are some pretty weighty questions (excuse the terrible pun)! I think if I had not gotten a wakeup call in January 2008, it is very possible that I would weigh over 300 pounds right now. Think about it: I weighed 261 pounds on January 21, 2008, and that was UP at least 30 pounds from when I get married not even the year before! Who knows how much I would weigh right now if I kept gaining at that rate. It's a scary thought, and I am so thankful that I listened to that prompting in my heart (which I know was from the Lord) and did something about my weight problem.
I have found it very helpful to play this game of what if lately. With the exception of the past two weeks, my weight loss after Charlotte's birth was virtually non-existent, and I have been very open about the desire to quit that I have felt more than once. What keeps me from quitting--what keeps me trying day after day, even when I've messed up--is looking at how far I've come. I can't quit when I've already invested so many days of sweat and tears. I can't quit when I've already overcome so much.
This I know for sure: I don't want to look back a year from now and wish I had done something about my weight. I am doing something. Are you?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Weigh-in Wednesday
I'm just barely managing to post this weigh-in Wednesday post on Wednesday, but here I am!
Last week's weight: 191
This week's weight: 189.4
LOSS of 1.6 pounds
Woohoo! I only have 1.6 pounds left to lose before I can log back in to Crackbook! I'm pretty excited about the fact that I've lost 3.6 pounds in 10 days. That's pretty awesome for me, considering that it took me TWO MONTHS to lose 4 pounds! I think the bread fast and the Facebook fast are really helping me. I have no scientific data to back this up, but I think the lack of bread has made my food cravings less intense. I haven't craved sweets nearly as much as I normally do, and I wonder if it's because I haven't had any bread. I know it's not because I've suddenly developed an aversion for sweets!
This week has been kind of rough at our house. We ended up having to take Charlotte to convenient care on Monday night because her teachers at daycare told us she was miserable and crying most of the day. The doctor looked at her ear and said it looked awful, which made me feel so sad for her. At that point she'd been on antibiotics for 6 days, and it was like the medicine had done nothing! So he switched the antibiotic, and we are going back to the doctor tomorrow morning to see if the ear is looking any better. She slept all night long last night (the first time in a LONG time), so that was a relief to us weary parents. Plus, poor Stephen has been sick and has actually stayed home the past two days, which is HUGE for him because he never stays home from work. I am ready for all of us to be well.
I hope all of you are doing well! Tell me something happy about your week!
Last week's weight: 191
This week's weight: 189.4
LOSS of 1.6 pounds
Woohoo! I only have 1.6 pounds left to lose before I can log back in to Crackbook! I'm pretty excited about the fact that I've lost 3.6 pounds in 10 days. That's pretty awesome for me, considering that it took me TWO MONTHS to lose 4 pounds! I think the bread fast and the Facebook fast are really helping me. I have no scientific data to back this up, but I think the lack of bread has made my food cravings less intense. I haven't craved sweets nearly as much as I normally do, and I wonder if it's because I haven't had any bread. I know it's not because I've suddenly developed an aversion for sweets!
This week has been kind of rough at our house. We ended up having to take Charlotte to convenient care on Monday night because her teachers at daycare told us she was miserable and crying most of the day. The doctor looked at her ear and said it looked awful, which made me feel so sad for her. At that point she'd been on antibiotics for 6 days, and it was like the medicine had done nothing! So he switched the antibiotic, and we are going back to the doctor tomorrow morning to see if the ear is looking any better. She slept all night long last night (the first time in a LONG time), so that was a relief to us weary parents. Plus, poor Stephen has been sick and has actually stayed home the past two days, which is HUGE for him because he never stays home from work. I am ready for all of us to be well.
I hope all of you are doing well! Tell me something happy about your week!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Charlotte at 5 Months
I'm a little late in posting this, but it's because that on the day Charlotte actually turned 5 months (August 4), she was sick with an ear infection (and is still recovering from it). I stayed home with her that day, and I'm so glad I did because she was really fussy and just not feeling herself at all, and I hated to subject her to a bunch of posed pictures. So instead, I took candid ones during the one hour time frame where she wasn't feeling miserable. :) Here are a few:
You'll notice the girl has no shortage of drool. She is practically a little water fountain!
And here are pictures we took on Saturday, when she was feeling a little more spirited (she's smiling at Stephen in all of them):
Isn't she so cute?! At 5 months, Charlotte:
1. LOVES playing in her Jumperoo. Her little legs go ninety miles a minute, and she smiles and smiles. It's so fun to watch her.
2. Can roll over from her back to tummy. This happened within the last week, and now that she's figured it out, she has been doing it pretty much every time we put her on the floor! She already knew how to roll from tummy to back, but for whatever reason she doesn't seem to want to do this much anymore, so she will start fussing after a while of being on her tummy. Of course, the minute we turn her back onto her back, she rolls over again. :)
3. Sometimes sleeps through the night, but lately she's either been stuffy-nosed or had an ear infection, so her night wakings have been painfully frequent. We are ready for her to feel better so we can all get more sleep!
4. Has a new favorite toy: her feet! She recently learned how to insert her foot into her mouth, and so she spends a lot of time trying to do that or just playing with her feet and toes.
5. Jabbers a lot more. She makes little "Ahhh" noises quite often, and grins at us when we talk back to her. I look forward to hearing her say "Dada" and "Mama" soon.
6. Laughs a lot, especially at her daddy. He is so good at making her laugh.
7. Loves to watch our dog, Bailey, roam about the house. She is absolutely fascinated by her and will break into a grin when she sees her and often reaches out to try and pet her. Bailey doesn't seem to share the love and would prefer to have nothing to do with her, which is better than open hostility, I guess.
She has grown so much since the last month, and I can't believe how much she changes right before our eyes. We love her more than we can say and treasure all of our time with her, although we could do without seeing at 2, 3, and 4 a.m. :)
Happy 5 months, baby girl! You are the gift that we get to experience anew every day!
1. LOVES playing in her Jumperoo. Her little legs go ninety miles a minute, and she smiles and smiles. It's so fun to watch her.
2. Can roll over from her back to tummy. This happened within the last week, and now that she's figured it out, she has been doing it pretty much every time we put her on the floor! She already knew how to roll from tummy to back, but for whatever reason she doesn't seem to want to do this much anymore, so she will start fussing after a while of being on her tummy. Of course, the minute we turn her back onto her back, she rolls over again. :)
3. Sometimes sleeps through the night, but lately she's either been stuffy-nosed or had an ear infection, so her night wakings have been painfully frequent. We are ready for her to feel better so we can all get more sleep!
4. Has a new favorite toy: her feet! She recently learned how to insert her foot into her mouth, and so she spends a lot of time trying to do that or just playing with her feet and toes.
5. Jabbers a lot more. She makes little "Ahhh" noises quite often, and grins at us when we talk back to her. I look forward to hearing her say "Dada" and "Mama" soon.
6. Laughs a lot, especially at her daddy. He is so good at making her laugh.
7. Loves to watch our dog, Bailey, roam about the house. She is absolutely fascinated by her and will break into a grin when she sees her and often reaches out to try and pet her. Bailey doesn't seem to share the love and would prefer to have nothing to do with her, which is better than open hostility, I guess.
She has grown so much since the last month, and I can't believe how much she changes right before our eyes. We love her more than we can say and treasure all of our time with her, although we could do without seeing at 2, 3, and 4 a.m. :)
Happy 5 months, baby girl! You are the gift that we get to experience anew every day!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Weigh-in Wednesday
Even though I just weighed in on Monday to get my starting weight for August, I want to keep my weigh ins on Wednesdays, so I am weighing in again. And let's be honest, I weigh every day right now anyway, so I may as well blog about it! :)
Weight on Aug. 1: 192.8 (Obviously I had fun on our mini vacay, since that number is UP 1.6 pounds from last Wednesday's weigh-in!)
Weight today: 191
LOSS of 1.8 pounds!
I think some of this is probably water weight that I lost after the weekend, but who cares?? Only 3.2 pounds until I can log in to Crackbook! I am missing it, and I even find myself composing status updates in my head. How lame is that? Clearly this "Facebook fast" will be good for me!
On an unrelated note, our sweetie has her second ear infection. Boo! She was pretty miserable, but she got a shot of antibiotic at the doctor's office yesterday and a prescription for antibiotics as well, so hopefully she will be on the mend soon. She slept MUCH better last night (as in she didn't wake up 5 times in 4 hours like the night before). Here's hoping she has another good night!
I'd like to give a little shoutout to my 120th follower, Shandalier! I'd been at 119 followers for a while, and I confess it was irking me because I like even numbers. Thus, in appreciation I'm sending some love Shandalier's way for getting me back to an even number. (And yes, I'm aware that this problem occurs every other time I get a new follower, but just humor me.)
Good night to all of you, dear readers! I appreciate you reading my silly ramblings!
Weight on Aug. 1: 192.8 (Obviously I had fun on our mini vacay, since that number is UP 1.6 pounds from last Wednesday's weigh-in!)
Weight today: 191
LOSS of 1.8 pounds!
I think some of this is probably water weight that I lost after the weekend, but who cares?? Only 3.2 pounds until I can log in to Crackbook! I am missing it, and I even find myself composing status updates in my head. How lame is that? Clearly this "Facebook fast" will be good for me!
On an unrelated note, our sweetie has her second ear infection. Boo! She was pretty miserable, but she got a shot of antibiotic at the doctor's office yesterday and a prescription for antibiotics as well, so hopefully she will be on the mend soon. She slept MUCH better last night (as in she didn't wake up 5 times in 4 hours like the night before). Here's hoping she has another good night!
I'd like to give a little shoutout to my 120th follower, Shandalier! I'd been at 119 followers for a while, and I confess it was irking me because I like even numbers. Thus, in appreciation I'm sending some love Shandalier's way for getting me back to an even number. (And yes, I'm aware that this problem occurs every other time I get a new follower, but just humor me.)
Good night to all of you, dear readers! I appreciate you reading my silly ramblings!
Monday, August 1, 2011
August Goals
Is anyone else completely shocked that it's already August?? Where has this year gone? I will tell you one thing: I am ready to say goodbye to summer! It's just too hot.
Since my last post, I have been doing a lot of thinking and planning, trying to determine my next approach. I ended up taking a mini-break from actively pursuing weight loss, and that break actually dovetailed nicely with a trip to East Tennessee to see Diana, my best friend from grad school, get married. Stephen's parents kept Charlotte for us, and Stephen and I took Friday off so we could get on the road. We had a great time and got two nights of 8+ hours of sleep, for which we were extremely grateful. The wedding was lovely, Diana was gorgeous, and Stephen and I had a great time relaxing and being together.
While on the trip I was finally able to finish Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food. I started the book in early June and made good headway in it, but didn't pick it up again until mid-July and then finished off the last bit over the weekend. I feel like I highlighted about 80% of the pages, it was so good. What I love about the Kindle is that when I highlight something in a book, it saves it in a place called "My Clippings," so I can go back and revisit all of the noteworthy passages. I've already been rereading key passages to keep the ideas fresh in my mind. I can't recommend this book enough.
Now that I've had a chance to recharge, relax, and recommit, I am attacking August with gusto! Here are my goals for this month:
1. No Facebook until I lose 5 pounds. This is huge for me, since Facebook should more aptly be termed Crackbook because of the way that I compulsively check it each day. I am hoping that not logging in to Facebook until I have lost 5 pounds will help motivate me and also make me a bit less addicted to Crackbook. I anticipate that this goal may actually take me longer than a month, and that's okay.
2. No bread for 2 weeks. Bread is a big weakness for me, and while I am not ready to give up all carbs, I am going to try abstaining from bread for two weeks. I think this will really help me be more intentional about my meals and also help me practice the important art of discipline.
3. No fast food for 2 weeks. We eat fast food a lot, and I just can't pretend anymore that I make healthy choices when we eat at a fast food place. The lure of fries is too great, so I am going to steer clear of all fast food for at least 2 weeks and maybe more.
4. Exercise 4 times a week. Initially I was going to plan on exercising M-F at 5:30 a.m., but I'm just not sure at this point if it's realistic, especially after night like last night, when Charlotte was up about 4 times. (I'm pretty sure she's either teething or sick, so a doctor visit is probably in our future). I think 4 times is a reasonable, achievable goal. I'm not putting a time requirement with this goal but hope to get at least 20 minutes of exercise for each workout.
5. Spend time in Bible study and prayer every day. If Made to Crave taught me anything, it taught me (or rather reinforced) that Christ must be at the center of this journey, and so I must make time with Him a priority.
Well, I think these goals should keep me challenged for the month! What are your goals?
I miss Facebook already. :)
Since my last post, I have been doing a lot of thinking and planning, trying to determine my next approach. I ended up taking a mini-break from actively pursuing weight loss, and that break actually dovetailed nicely with a trip to East Tennessee to see Diana, my best friend from grad school, get married. Stephen's parents kept Charlotte for us, and Stephen and I took Friday off so we could get on the road. We had a great time and got two nights of 8+ hours of sleep, for which we were extremely grateful. The wedding was lovely, Diana was gorgeous, and Stephen and I had a great time relaxing and being together.
While on the trip I was finally able to finish Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food. I started the book in early June and made good headway in it, but didn't pick it up again until mid-July and then finished off the last bit over the weekend. I feel like I highlighted about 80% of the pages, it was so good. What I love about the Kindle is that when I highlight something in a book, it saves it in a place called "My Clippings," so I can go back and revisit all of the noteworthy passages. I've already been rereading key passages to keep the ideas fresh in my mind. I can't recommend this book enough.
Now that I've had a chance to recharge, relax, and recommit, I am attacking August with gusto! Here are my goals for this month:
1. No Facebook until I lose 5 pounds. This is huge for me, since Facebook should more aptly be termed Crackbook because of the way that I compulsively check it each day. I am hoping that not logging in to Facebook until I have lost 5 pounds will help motivate me and also make me a bit less addicted to Crackbook. I anticipate that this goal may actually take me longer than a month, and that's okay.
2. No bread for 2 weeks. Bread is a big weakness for me, and while I am not ready to give up all carbs, I am going to try abstaining from bread for two weeks. I think this will really help me be more intentional about my meals and also help me practice the important art of discipline.
3. No fast food for 2 weeks. We eat fast food a lot, and I just can't pretend anymore that I make healthy choices when we eat at a fast food place. The lure of fries is too great, so I am going to steer clear of all fast food for at least 2 weeks and maybe more.
4. Exercise 4 times a week. Initially I was going to plan on exercising M-F at 5:30 a.m., but I'm just not sure at this point if it's realistic, especially after night like last night, when Charlotte was up about 4 times. (I'm pretty sure she's either teething or sick, so a doctor visit is probably in our future). I think 4 times is a reasonable, achievable goal. I'm not putting a time requirement with this goal but hope to get at least 20 minutes of exercise for each workout.
5. Spend time in Bible study and prayer every day. If Made to Crave taught me anything, it taught me (or rather reinforced) that Christ must be at the center of this journey, and so I must make time with Him a priority.
Well, I think these goals should keep me challenged for the month! What are your goals?
I miss Facebook already. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)