I'm In Shape. Round Is A Shape.

Ok, so I'm not that bad off that I can describe myself as being round, but I am definitely NOT in shape. Breastfeeding has gotten rid of all of the baby weight and I actually weigh less than I did when I got pregnant. But did you know that breastfeeding mothers store enough fat in their thighs to make enough milk to last for 3 days if there was a famine and they didn't have access to food? That might have been helpful to me if I had been alive 200 years ago, or if I lived in a desert in Africa, but I really don't see how I will ever need those fat stores. So although my tummy is nice and flat, my thighs? Not so nice. I need to do something about that.


After reading Lauren's post about running a 5K this December, I decided that if she can run over a bridge that is like, up high and stuff, that I could run here at home, where there are no bridges and I can stay on solid ground. I decided to try the schedule that she linked to here and I planned to get started this morning.


What further solidified my decision to quit wearing an indention of my butt into the cushions of our couch was when Denny and I were watching The Biggest Loser last night and I absolutely could not believe that Bob was trying to get one of the contestants to run on the treadmill for 5 straight minutes. I could not run for 5 straight minutes, and I weigh like, 1/3 of what that person weighed. But then they did it, and they made me feel like The Biggest Actual Loser instead of The Biggest Weight Loser, so I just had to exercise today. 


And so I ventured out with Emily in the stroller, even though Bob and Jillian demand that you let go of the treadmill! Don't hold on!, but we all know that the stroller wasn't gonna push itself, so off we went, Emily, the stroller and I. First I was supposed to walk briskly for 5 minutes. Check! Then I was supposed to alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. Oh boy. The first two rounds were ok. But then I started noticing that my heart felt like it was gonna beat itself right out of my chest. By the end of the next round, my mouth was parched and I was pissed at myself for not bringing a water bottle. Then a few minutes later my thighs were on fire and I honestly didn't know if I could make it back home.


I thought about just sitting right there in the middle of the dirt road until Denny passed by on his way home from work (in 6 hours) and took me with him, but then Emily started whining and I remembered that I actually had to go home. I didn't do as good as I wanted to although I did jog for 5 of the 8 minutes that I was supposed to. By the time we got home I was completely spent. My arms and legs felt like limp noodles and I was honestly scared that my arms were going to give out and I was going to drop Emily on the way inside. I guess I will be stretching out Week 1's routine for another week - that is if I survive the rest of Week 1. 


There is one upside to all of this: (ok, besides being in shape and not being ashamed to wear a bikini in public, although that whole bikini thing is useless to me now that summer is over) I have tons of energy right now. It took about 15 minutes for me to recover and be able to stand up again, but ever since then I have been on fire! I just can't stop doing stuff. I think exercising and I might get along this time. If it doesn't kill me first.

Because It's Monday

If you hate Mondays as much as I do, this might brighten your day a little bit. I've found some really good giveaways and decided to link to all of them here and share them with you. Good luck!


If you're into cooking, or know someone who is, this autographed Paula Deen cookbook is up for grabs over at my mom's blog, Patiently Waiting. Even if you wouldn't use it yourself, this would make an awesome Christmas present for the food lover in your life. I should know - I got one last Christmas from my mother-in-law and I love it!

Or if you prefer to bake, you can enter to win a copy of "The Cake Mix Doctor Returns" from CakeSpy. 


If you know someone who is having a baby, the Babybuds Baby Bouquet from Brown Couch Events would be perfect shower gift for them!



If like me, you're into fluff, there are a few cloth diaper giveaways going on this week. 

• You could win 3 FuzziBunz one-size pocket diapers and a Snap-EZ Eco one-size diaper at The First Time Around 
• The Cloth Diaper Whisperer is giving away 2 Babykicks one-size Bamboo Pocket Diapers with 2 Joey Bunz Inserts and also a Grobaby Shell Set & Bio Soakers to their Facebook fans.
  
• The Cloth Diaper Blog is giving away 1 BumGenius one size diaper, 1 BG Odor Remover and 1 box of BG detergent! 
• Diaper Discussions is giving away 1 Drybees Hybrid AIO Pocket Diaper in your choice of size. 
• The First Time Around has a Wet Happened? Wet Bag to give away.
  
• Win a lifetime supply of FuzziBunz diapers by becoming their Facebook fan and commenting!
• And here's the big one! Win 9 SmartiPants one size diapers with inserts AND 1 medium PlanetWise Wet Bag at Raising Maine!

You can win a pair of See Kai Run shoes for your little one from The First Time Around. 


There's a Kate Spade bag being gifted at the Wishpot Wedding Blog.

The Thoughts and Whatnots blog is giving away a few of her favorite fall things.

If you're in the Savannah area, you could enter to win 4 tickets to Playhouse Disney Live from SouthernMamas! 


And finally, it's Giveaway Day at The Nesting Place! There are 24 giveaways in 24 hours!





Good luck!

Best of the Boro

It's that time of year again - time for the Best of the Boro! 

Do you live in Statesboro? Want to help the best electrician and the best home-cooked meal restaurant win the title of THE best? Not only are these two businesses owned by people in my family, but they really are the best! Click here to vote for Red B Power as best electrician and to vote for Fordham's Farmhouse as the restaurant with the best home-cooked meal.

You can nominate your favorites every day until October 4th. Winners will be announced in the Statesboro Herald on October 25th. 

Oh, and if you make a submission, your name might be randomly picked to win a $50 gift card. So go nominate!

Halloween

I know I'm always saying that I hate how fast Emily is growing up, but then there are times when I can't wait until she's older. Today, I'm wishing she was a few years older so that we could have a Halloween Party! I have never been a big fan of Halloween (well, not since I was too old to go trick-or-treating anymore) but after seeing all of these awesome ideas, I can't wait to decorate!

These would make an awesome centerpiece or mantel decorations for a house with no stairs. Just make sure to use those battery-operated tea light candles instead of real ones!

 

Who says eggs are only for Easter? I love that jack-o-lantern.

 

These are so adorable, and easy to make too. They would look great at an adult Halloween party!

 

These candy-filled jars would be perfect for party favors!

 

What a creepy way to welcome your guests!

 

The perfect Halloween Party food! 

 

And something to wash it down with.

 

I wish I was creative and could come up with ideas as cute as these on my own! Oh well. There's always Martha. 

All images courtesy of Martha Stewart and Blonde Desgins

Growing Up

I was reading on Kelly's Korner the other day about how she put her daughter down for a nap WHILE SHE WAS STILL AWAKE. And obviously she just expected her to go to sleep on her own. Was she serious? Does that really happen? Is she the only one, or do other mothers get their babies to do that too? Most importantly, can I get my baby to do that?

Apparently so. I put Emily in her crib about 10 minutes ago with her paci and her mobile music playing, and now she is sound asleep. Hallelujah! Emily is such an easy baby except when it comes to naptime and bedtime. I know I've mentioned this before, but usually Emily falls asleep while she's nursing and as soon as I try to lay her down, she wakes up, and then I'm stuck on the couch holding her for the rest of her nap. Bedtime has always been a bit easier, except for the whole Emily sleeping in our room (and most of the time, in our bed) thing. 

We have been trying to transition her into her crib, and honestly, she is doing a whole heck of a lot better with it than I am. Last night she slept in her crib until she woke up at 5 a.m. to eat, and instead of feeding her in her room and putting her back to bed in her crib, I just scooped her up and brought her back to bed with me. To be perfectly honest, I want her in the bed with me, but because Denny has some major sleep issues, it's just not working out for us. There have even been a few nights (and I'm sort of halfway ashamed to admit this) that Emily and I have slept on the couch together. What can I say? I love having her close by, and it makes me feel so much better knowing she is right beside me if something bad should happen. 

I feel like I am constantly digging my heels into the dirt, trying to stop time, or at least slow it down a little, and the whole time she just keeps growing up. Each day that goes by I see changes in her and I just wish there was a way to press pause for a while. Co-sleeping with her is one of the last "baby" things that she does, and for that reason, I hate to see it go. I feel like I'm losing my baby, but at the same time, I am so proud of my big girl.

Excuses

This girl. This blue-eyed, teething girl.

 

This sleeping beauty.

 

This almost crawler.

 

This naked hiney.

 

This cinnamon-roll-tasting girl. 

She is the reason I can't find time to blog every day. 

And I'd say that she is a pretty good excuse. 

Time

I'm finding that the longer I am at home with Emily, the less that I get done. In the beginning, I told myself that I wasn't going to let a baby slow me down, and that I would keep on going just like I did before she was born. Ha! That might have been easy to do when all she did was sleep all day, but now? Forget it! 

Now she can scoot all over the house, getting into more things than I ever imagined, giving me that much more to clean up. Now she eats solids in addition to nursing every 3 hours, which means that there are 3 more feeding times than there was 6 months ago, and also more cooking and more dishes to wash.  Now she has separation anxiety, and Oh. My. Lord if I even think about leaving the room she starts throwing a fit. I've started planning my moves so that I can get more accomplished at one time, and I even made a list of things to do this morning. And it actually helped. I've gotten more accomplished in the last hour than I did all day yesterday. 

I can find time to do everything that has to be done, but lately I am finding it hard to find time to do things I want to do. I want to blog more than I do, and I want to practice my sewing and actually finish the dress I started Saturday which still does not have buttons. Emily will not nap anywhere other than in my arms. I tried putting her down at least 5 times yesterday during her 2 naps, and each time she woke up before her head hit the bed. I just can't win. Either I sit and hold her while she gets the sleep that she desperately needs, or I let her stay awake and then we are both miserable. I know she will grow out of it soon, but sometimes it is more than I can handle.

I could blog after bedtime, but Emily stays up until at least 10:00, which is my fault, and by then I am ready for bed too. I need to transition her to an earlier bedtime, but then she would wake up earlier and ugh! I think I'd rather sleep late. Have I mentioned how much I like sleep?

How do other mothers do it? Do other mothers do it, or do they just make us all think that they do? Am I the only one that feels this way?

With One Eye Patched & Probes Attached

This morning was Emily's lazy eye screen, and might I say that the word "lazy" described her demeanor very well. We woke up earlier today than we normally do, at the unGodly hour of 8:00 am, and someone (besides just me) was still a bit sleepy. She was in a good mood though and cooperated while the nurse attached the wires to her head. I held her hands so that she couldn't pull them off, and she didn't fuss one bit! She sat bounced in my lap while the video played, and she was way more interested in watching the nurse than watching the screen. The nurse had to talk to Emily and tap her nails on the screen the entire time to get Em to watch! She was such a good little girl, and she even let her Nana take pictures of her with all of the wires attached and the skull and crossbones patch on her eye! She thought she was one cool chick!

Don't mind my hair flipping out in the back. In my rush this morning, I only styled the front of my hair - the parts I could see in the mirror - and neglected to do my whole head. Also, I AM wearing shorts, they are just riding up a little bit and it only appears that I am naked from the waist down. Leave it to me to notice those little details that none of you probably would if I hadn't pointed them out!

Emily's New Trick

Emily has learned how to do the sweetest thing, and it only took her two days to master her new skill! She has learned how to give kisses, and of course, I just can't get enough! 




Sorry it's so dark, but isn't it the greatest?

Emily's 6 Month Check-Up

Last Thursday (yes, almost a whole week ago) I had to take Emily to see Dr. Z. All by myself. And I have never, until that day, taken her to see Dr. Z by myself when she was getting shots. But I told Denny that I could handle it, that I could be brave, and there was no reason for him to have to leave work early just because I am a ninny.

And guess what? I survived! Emily did too, she only cried for a few seconds and then she was as fine as ever. I am so incredibly lucky to have an easy baby. I've heard people say that once a baby hits that 6 month mark, a change happens. The baby is happier, easier to deal with, and just a joy to be around. And it's true! A few days after her half birthday I started noticing a change in her. She is rarely fussy anymore, she is sleeping better, and she is a barrel of laughs!

Anyway, she now weighs 14 lbs. 2 oz which means she gained 2 lbs. 1 1/2 oz. since we were there the last time. She's still not as heavy as I thought, but at least she was back on the charts this time. She measured 26 1/4 inches long, and it seems like her head was 16 and some fraction of an inch in circumference, I don't remember exactly. Sorry but I don't get very excited about head circumferences.

Our little genius is meeting exceeding all of her developmental milestones (I can't help but brag on her) and Dr. Z said that we should definitely start keeping the bathroom door shut, because this little love is getting ready to crawl. See?

Unless she gets sick, we don't have to see the doctor again for 3 months! But we do have to go back tomorrow for a routine vision screening and next month for a flu shot. Boo!

The Journal Jar

Have you ever given much thought to your family's history, your heritage, your past? Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be alive in the 1930's, in the midst of a Great Depression? I hadn't either, until my mom found the idea for a Journal Jar last year. She gave one to my Grandma for Christmas and since then she has spent hours upon hours answering the questions and writing them down in journals to give as Christmas gifts to her children this year. She writes so much that she put a desk in her bedroom because that's where she writes, and it was hurting her back to write on the bed. 

I got a sneak peek at one of the journals a few months ago, and let me tell you, it was amazing. There are stories about her walking everywhere she went because they didn't have a car, and how it was a huge deal when she once took a train to the city for a doctor's appointment. She writes about her fear of dogs that she's had since she was a little girl. She tells the story of how she met my Grandfather and their life together. She talks about being the oldest of 7 children and the responsibilities that went along with that at the time. 

There are good memories, funny tales, and sad stories that I sometimes wish I hadn't read. But it's who she is, and now we will always have her story in the pages of those books. Each book is a bit different from the rest; she isn't making exact copies of the first, but instead tailoring each book to the child for whom it is being given. She has also found that with each book, she remembers different things, things that she might not have put in the other journals. I'm just a little bit jealous (ok, a lot jealous) that I'm not getting one of those books. Not to belittle my Grandmother's relationship with any of her other grandchildren, but I've always thought that she and I were the closest, and I already know more about her than any of the rest. I guess it's because my mother is her baby girl. 


Because I have been so intrigued by my Grandma's stories, I've decided to answer the questions from the Journal Jar myself. I know that my memories aren't nearly as fascinating as hers, since I grew up with running water inside the house, electricity, television and a car, but I am going to write down my stories anyway. Maybe in 30 or 40 years they will be interesting to my children. 


I thought that putting all of this on the internet would be more secure (and easier) than writing it in a book. I guess I figured that a book could get lost or scribbled in or ripped or burnt in a fire, but we'll always have the internet, right? So I am keeping all of my memories over at Megan's Memories. I'm hoping that my answers will give you a better look into my world than this blog ever did.

Our Labor Day Weekend Vacation

Our Labor Day Weekend tradition is to go camping on Jekyll Island with Denny's family.We always have a blast, and most of our time is spent riding our golf carts around the island. During the day we rode to the beach and to the pier, and once the sun set we would ride around looking at all of the deer, many of them in the street or eating the grass from the yards of the houses there. 

But this year was a little bit different for us. We saw parts of Jekyll that we had never seen before. This year, we were outlaws. We took our golf carts down bike paths, fire control roads, and to spots on the beach that I'm pretty sure many people have never seen. 

 

For me, the weekend was spent sneezing and trying my hardest to avoid going inside our camper, since there is something (who knows?) in there that I am allergic to. Emily had a reaction to something too, but it cleared up within a few hours.

This isn't really a good look for her. 


Anyhow, Emily got to experience the beach for the second time in her short life, and she thought it was the best thing since sliced bread breast milk (she hasn't tasted sliced bread yet). 

 

She liked sitting at the waters' edge and playing in the sand. 

 

She even tried tasting the sand, but she didn't like it. At all. 

 

Then Denny thought it would be fun to bury her in the sand, and she was ok with it, as long as she could still see her feet. 

 

And of course, we had to let her experience skinny dipping while she is young enough to get away with it.

 Another big chunk of time was spent at the playground. Our niece Haley LOVED it and hopefully Emily will too next year. 

 

Also at the playground, we found the first thing that she is afraid of: the swings. She stayed in there for about 10 seconds before she started crying, just long enough for me to get one (not very good) picture. 

 

We took a time out to pose for pictures and become dinosaurs. 

 

  

  

  

And since I am the aspiring photographer that I am, here are a few of my favorite shots from the trip.

 

  

  

  

We had a fabulous trip and wish we could have stayed longer. Those 4 1/2 days felt like only a few hours. But I won't worry; I know that we will be seeing Jekyll again next year!

Welcome Home

Welcome to my new site! I will hopefully be here from now until the end of eternity (or until I quit blogging, which will probably be never). If you haven't done so already, change your link to my blog and/or update your reader so that you can keep up with everything that is going on with Emily, Denny and I. I hope to eventually transfer all of my posts from wordpress to here, so that you can easily find anything and everything that you are looking for. I hope you like it here!


Ahhh. It feels so nice to be home.