And We're Off!

I haven't been blogging much this week because I've been busy.  I'm behind in reading and in posting and truly can't even think of anything to write about.  Is it possible to be busy and unproductive at the same time?

Abby and I are about to head out on our road trip today and I have been going crazy trying to get ready.  We'll only be gone until Monday but with a 1 year old, it takes a lot of planning and packing.  I also had a couple of gifts to buy for people we'll be seeing and for some reason whenever I'm in a rush it's either hard to find what I'm looking for or the people at the store are feeling extra laid back.  Regardless, it actually takes me more time to get things done when I'm in a hurry.... Murphy's Law.

I've been thinking a lot about our upcoming road trip and how I am going to keep Abby amused for hours in the car.  I have a back seat filled with toys and some kitchen items that always grab her attention... bowls, spoons, and measuring cups.  Hopefully, that will keep her happy and content for most of the trip!  I am most nervous about diaper changes.  I know I'll have to do it but she no longer sits still which could be disastrous on a changing table in a restroom.  I don't think I'll even attempt it.  I'll probably use the back seat and hope that my angel doesn't escape and run around the parking lot half naked!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day!

Five Question Friday

fIt's Five Question Friday over at Mama M's!  There are some great questions so stop by her site if you want to join in!



1.  Do you have an IPhone, and if so,  how do you get apps and what are your favorites?
No IPhone for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love technology, but I'm not the type of person who texts all day or needs the internet all the time.  However, I reserve the right to change my opinion (sometimes it takes me a while to jump on the wagon!).

2.  What is your fondest memory of K-3rd grade?
I will always remember our crossing guard, Whitey.  He was the nicest man and a friend of my Grandfather's.  I have no idea what his real name was or if that was his last name but he was so kind!

3.  What makes you cringe at the thought of touching?
I cringe, and usually I am stopped by fear, at the thought of getting close enough to kill a spider.  I don't want them on me, near me, I don't even want to touch them with shoe!

4.  If you could have any celebrity show up on your doorstep who would it be and why?
Hmm, tough one.  I would love to hang out with Kendra!  She's so hysterical and I give her props for being real when she was pregnant!

5.  What would you see is your best physical feature?
Well, today my best physical feature is my waist!  Working out and eating better is paying off (or my shirt is very flattering) because I noticed today that I actually have a waist.  It was MIA for a while during and after pregnancy and I'm so happy it's back!

1 lb At a Time: Week 3

It's time again for a weight loss update!  I'm down a total of 2 lbs... could be better but could be worse.  I have the hardest time with will power.  This week held many challenges:  my sister was here and wanted ice cream (doesn't sound too bad but we bought 3 half gallons because they were on sale 3 for $6) and I went on a date with the Hubbins.  So, I tried to behave but not deprive myself.  I only ate half of my food at Olive Garden which left me full but not 'can't button my pants stuffed'.  Honestly, it made the rest of the day more enjoyable because I wasn't so uncomfortable.  Second, I had much less ice cream then I normally would and after my sister left I tossed the rest!  Yup, 3 half gallons in the garbage!  If they were in my freezer, I'd be too tempted!

So, I was happy to see the additional lb come off.  Even though it's only 2 lbs, I feel different.  I worked out or walked 4 days this week and I think it's helping a lot.  Yesterday I was wearing the first pair of jeans I bought after having Abby and I could have wiggled right out them.  Don't get me wrong, they weren't falling to the floor but as I playing with Abby at Gymboree I had to keep pulling them up.  YAY!  So, the number isn't changing too much but I am which is ok by me!

This weeks challenge was to drink 8 glasses of water a day.  I used to drink nothing but water but lately soda has been sneaking in there and I'm just not drinking as much as I should.  So, the first few days I was able to get in about 32 oz a day.  On Wednesday, a light bulb went off and I decided to fill a 2 quart pitcher with water for the day so that I could monitor myself.  It worked!  Wednesday and Thursday I was able to drink the whole 64 oz and I'm on track to do so today!  We are supposed to give ourselves 1 point for each 8 oz so by the end of today I will have 40 points!

My goals for next week are pretty much the same as they have been.  I want to step up the distance I walk from 2 miles to 4 miles and keep up with my mini workouts I do at home (I usually do a 10 or 20 minute workout courtesy of exercise tv).  If there are any fellow walkers or runners out there, I can across this great site, www.dailymile.com, which lets you create routes and gives you an accurate distance.  Awesome site!  I also hope to make the best choices possible.  Abby and I are going away for a long weekend to visit family and car rides are tough.  We'll probably be in the car for about 18 hours over the course of 4 days.  My plan is to bring lots of healthy snacks and lots of music and toys to keep Abby entertained!

Perception is Reality

"One person's craziness is another person's reality."  

~Tim Burton~

The past few days have really forced me to think about how different people's perceptions can be.  One person's truth is not necessarily another's.  This can sometimes make arguments challenging because 2 people can perceive the same situation completely different.  (Sorry if this feels a little out of context but I feel like I need to work it through... please let me know if I make any sense!) 


Why does this happen?  No two people grow up in the same environment and by nature everyone is different.  So, as we grow we are exposed to different things and we start to make our own set of rules for 'normal'.  Everyone will have their own set of rules.


Another explanation, is that sometimes we alter reality to paint ourselves in a better light.  Maybe we feel guilty about how we handled the situation or feel we didn't do as much as we should have.  Maybe we simply forgot some key details.  Regardless of the reason, reality can be different from one person to another.  


I think that it's important to always remember that every person can have a different perception.  Although we may remember things one way, that way may not be accurate. Although this can lead to problems, accuracy is not all that important.  Listening and understanding is.  Any disagreement or argument should not consist of people attacking one's perceptions.  We should first actively listen.  Once we have listened, it is important to understand the core of the problem and ignore the surrounding fluff that is sometimes construed by the other person's altered reality.  Once we've done that, we should take a look at ourselves and be honest about our role in the situation.  Only then can we be constructive and try to merge the two realities into one. 


My goal is to follow this advice.  I think it is important to take inventory of yourself before sizing up someone else.  I think that at the core, most people's actions, wants and needs are the same.  Unfortunately, emotions usually get in the way of us taking the time to get to the core of a situation.  Sometimes it helps to break a situation down to the most basic level and work our way up.

How I Met My Husband....

Finally, after months and months, the Hubbins and I got to go on a date night.  Well, it was more like a date day, thanks to my sister who drove 3.5 hours to baby sit for us!  THANK YOU!  We went to see Iron Man 2 (which is a great movie), then out to eat at Olive Garden, and finally to play mini golf.  It's funny, those few hours we spent together seemed to be just what we needed.  Lately, we have been acting like children who just can't seem to get along.  It's amazing how taking time to just be 'us' seemed to change all that!

It made me think, I haven't said too much about the Hubbins so let me fill you in.  His name is Dan and we met in 2004 right before he was deployed to Iraq.  We were at a bar (yes, you can find love at a bar!) and introduced by his friend and that was that, immediate chemistry.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, we had our first fight that same night (fortunate because it was also our last fight for a long time and I got to see that other side of him) over something silly but we made up and hung out as much as we could before he left.  We had our ups and downs during his deployment because, honestly, we hardly knew one another.  We both took a leap of faith and decided to move in together as soon as he got home.  It was worth it!

The most surprising thing I learned about my husband is that he is a total comic book fan boy!  He had mentioned it a couple times but not until we moved in together did I really grasp the magnitude of his Wolverine obsession.  Our spare bedroom was filled with figures, posters, and other memorabilia... it looked like a 12 year old boys room.  It was so funny to see people's faces when they came to visit!  He loves to add to his collection too... does anyone else have to shop at Toys R Us for Christmas and Birthday presents for their husband?  Action figures, video games... he truly is a big kid but that's part of the reason I love him!  

When we got pregnant with Abby it was time to clear out the room and make it her room.  I felt terrible... like I was packing him up and moving him out.  He handled it like a champ and now the comic books sit in the corner of our bedroom.  There are a few other things scattered around and I know he misses all of his 'stuff' but hopefully one day we'll have a house with a basement so he can have his own room again!  

Five Question Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!  As always, you can join in the Five Question Friday fun by hopping on over to Mama M's!

1.  Take your pick... date night, girls night our or night out alone?
This is a tough one.  Right now, date night because we haven't had one since October!

2.  Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
Close but not quite!  I just tried to see if maybe now I could... nope.  I'm not that talented but maybe if I practice......

3.  What is your favorite flower and why?

I love roses but I also love Stargazer Lilies.

4.  If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?
I would tell myself that nothing lasts forever, not the good or the bad, and sometimes the things that make you most crazy are the things you miss the most.

5.  If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
It depends how much I won.  In reality, if I was lucky enough to win the lottery it would be for about $20!  If that's the case, then I would probably grab a pizza.  Now, if I was actually lucky enough to hit it big I would probably have a heart attack so the first thing I would do is be rushed to the ER!

1 lb At a Time: Week 2

I have a million excuses for why I wasn't as successful as I hoped I would be this week.  I was doing good until I went back to PA to help clean my mom's room.  My mom passed away in July and up until Thursday her bag that she packed to come visit me was still packed.  As you can imagine, it was a very hard 2 days and the food choices were quite terrible.  It's no excuse but I'm an emotional eater and I was emotional.

Then Sunday was Mother's Day.  I told my husband not to do anything special but he surprised me with a trip to Smokey Bones.  It was a nice surprise but I was very disappointed that they no longer serve onion rings so I got dessert in it's place!  Again, my emotions were all over the place so I didn't make very good choices.

But these are just excuses and we all know the saying about excuses, right?  So, instead of beating myself up (since I actually did lose 1 lb, amazing!) I'm going to focus on what changes I can put in place so that I am successful.

I think my biggest problem is that I stay up so late and then I get up once or twice with Abby so I am tired in the morning.  I tend to lay around and play with her until her morning nap and then use that time to shower.  So, instead I think I'm going to get up and actually get moving!  My plan is to start my day by working out, even if it means that I have to watch up for the little person that will certainly be attacking my legs the whole time!  Even if it's just 20 minutes each morning.  I think this on top of walking should really kick start my weight loss.

Wish me luck!  I'll let you know how moving in the morning works out!

The Award Goes To.....

I am so excited to have received 2 awards this week!  The first one is the Sunshine Award from Shelly Belly's.  She has really cute baby gift ideas and posts really cute videos.  Thanks Shelly!

I also received the Preppy Mafia award from Adventures in Mommywood.  She's the mommy of the cutest little girl and writes a little about everything from mommyhood to wifehood!

These awards have rules attached which made it difficult because I had to pick blogs to pass them on to. I had the hardest time choosing!  So, to make matters easy for myself, I decided to award each one to the same blogs.  So the following blogs have won both awards!  Congratulations!  

• Boutique on Feet
• Cuddles and Camo
• He Who Laughs Lasts Didn't Get It
• I Love These Products
• Mama's Losin' It
• Marathon 2010 Here We Come
• My Little Life
• This Mommy Works
• Todays Cliche
• TV's Take
• Your Wold: Healthy and Natural

If you would like to accept the Sunshine Award, copy the picture above and paste it to your blog.  Then chose 12 recipients to pass it on to.  Pretty easy, unless your indecisive and a procrastinator like me!

For the Preppy Mafia, copy and paste the image.  You can then award it to 10 new people but you also have to answer the following questions!  Don't worry, there not too tough!

1.  Who is your style icon?  

I think I would need to have a style to have an icon.  LOL

2.  What is your favorite socialite book?  

What is a socialite book?  Ok, I'm feeling frumpy and uneducated... moving along!

3.  Favorite party theme?

O boy, now I also feel like a shut in!  Do people actually throw themed parties often? 

4.  Go to Halloween costume?

Ah Ha! One I can answer!  Last year I was a witch and since it was the first time I dressed up in years, it is now my go to costume in case I need one!

5.  Extravagance you can not live without?

I can not live without my skin care products!  All together they are a little pricey but I don't feel right without them!

6.  Living person you admire?

I admire so many people for different reasons so I can't name just one person!

7.    Greatest fear?

SPIDERS!!!!!!!

8.  Trait you deplore in yourself?

I'm very insecure which makes me second guess everything I say or even write!  I'm working on it!

9. Which talent would you most like to have?

I love to sing but I just everyone around me loved to hear it!  

10.  Greatest Achievement? 

Getting my degree after 10 long years!

Dear Abby

Happy Mother's Day everyone!  Today's meme at Mama M's is a letter to your first born.  I love this idea!  Drop on by her site and link up if you want to join in the fun!



Dear Abby,

How funny that sounds!  People have been writing those words for years!  Today is my second Mother's Day and this past year with you has been amazing.  Everyday I watch you grow and learn.  In such a short time, you are running around, climbing, and talking.  I've been learning right along with you.  You have taught me how to be a mom and made my world complete.

You may not understand this now, but you have helped me through one of the toughest years of my life.  You were like a light in the dark... like an angel sent here to make everything a little easier.  You remind me everyday how precious life is.  It's not just me you've helped either.  I watch you brighten the day of your daddy, aunts, uncles, Nonno, Gigi... the whole family.  It is impossible to feel anything but happy when we look at you.  You are an amazing little lady.  Filled with spunk and happiness!  You remind me of so much of your Babushka and one day I hope to tell you all about her!

Thank you for being such a good little girl.  I hope you always stay just as smart (you're actually too smart sometimes!), loving, loud, crazy, stubborn and cuddly as you are now.  You're a character and you're my little punky monkey!

Love,

Mommy

Five Question Friday

It's 5 Question Friday!  If you want to join in on the fun, hop on over to Mama M's and link up!




1.  What is your worst memory of your siblings?
My worst memory is from when my brother and I were home alone and he decided to chase me around with his pet snake.  I actually grabbed a kitchen knife and the chase proceeded down the stairs and outside. I am so surprised my Aunt who lived downstairs didn't call the police!

2.  What was your naughtiest childhood memory? (Must be something you did.  No pawning it off on someone else).
I was an angel and really can't think of any naughty things I did.  Totally kidding.  There are actually so many to pick from that it's a little embarrassing!  My poor parents... I hope Abby is nothing like me between the ages of 12 and 17!  For the record, I grew up to be a very responsible level headed adult... surprisingly, going to college made me grow up!  So, since I couldn't pick just one, here's my short list...

• house party 
• college party at 15
• college party at 15 and then sneaking into someone grandfather's house (who wasn't home) until morning
• pulling the wool over my mother's eyes while a friend got yelled at by my dad for being drunk (I swear mom, only she was drinking!)
• watching my mom leave for work and then going home instead of school
• stealing (once, getting caught, NEVER again)

I cringe remembering all this badness!

3.  Where do you go to relax?
My couch.  It's new and has one of those chaise lounges attached... that's my spot!!! I love plopping down at night and catching up on some tv with my hubbins!

4.  What was the last thing you won?
$20 on a scratch off!  Except, it's a New Jersey lottery ticket and I live in Maryland so I haven't cashed it in yet.

5.  If you could be on a game show, which one would you choose?
I'm terrible at trivia and thinking under pressure so my choices are slim.  I would have to say Deal or No Deal but I'd probably 'deal' pretty quickly!

Letter To New Mom's: Myself Included

I'm participating in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week and I chose to write Prompt #1:  An Open Letter to New Moms.  Why?  Because just the other day I uttered the words, "No one ever told me..."!  I'm still a new mom and sometimes it's helpful to remind myself of some of these.

Dear Myself and all the other New and Newer Mommies:

There are so many times that I have to actually say to myself, "It's Ok" because really, it is.

• It's ok if your child is perfectly content in his/her dirty clothes.  If they are having fun, let them! 
• It's ok if you can't breastfeed.  I beat myself up for a long time but formula was the right choice for me and Abby.
• It's ok if you go off schedule and feed your baby to accommodate your schedule.  You need to keep living!
• It's ok if you put your baby in their crib/swing/bouncy seat/whatever so you can shower.  Even if they cry, it's ok!
• It's ok to not want to get up in the middle of the night and to let them whine a little to see if they go back to sleep.  Sometimes they do and that is more than ok!
• It's ok to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon when your little one is napping.  Enjoy it!
• It's ok to have clean floors but messy countertops.  As long as there are no hazards on the floor your house is in great shape!
• It's ok to take advantage of all the help you receive when your little one is first born.  You need it and there will come a time when the help isn't there.  

There are also so many things I wish someone would have told me.  Like:

• When a baby starts walking they become a total handful:  my little one doesn't sit in the tub anymore, likes to be chased when she is supposed to be getting dressed, is not happy playing in the living room because she knows there is a whole house to explore, no longer wants to be carried anywhere... the list is endless!  As exciting as it is to see her grow, I sometimes long for the days when she was virtually immobile!  Don't teach them too fast.  Everyone learns how to walk eventually!
• There will come a day when your sweet angel will put up a fight the whole time you are changing their diaper.  Resulting in poop fiascos and tears!
• Doctors now draw blood at their 1 year visit... I had no idea until I took her for her appointment.  Very traumatic day (more so for me, I think!).

There are also a lot of things that sound like great ideas when your pregnant but are unrealistic/impossible when the baby is actually here  (This is from a previous post but I think they fit nicely in this letter).

• Routine:  Is there really such a thing?  The word routine is defined as "a detailed course of action to be followed regularly."  This definition would lead me to believe that once a baby establishes a routine it remains that way for an extended period of time.  Not so! Abby has grown and changed so much in the past 11 months that her 'routine' changes every few weeks.  Basically, as soon as I become accustomed to the routine, it changes.  Welcome to mommyhood... there is no such thing as 'routine'!
• Homemade baby food:  Before Abby was born I thought "how hard could it be make baby food? I won't be that busy."  Not busy... boy did I not have a clue!  Not only could I not imagine making baby food with an 11 month old biting the backs of legs... why did I ever want to?  There are perfectly good baby foods brands out there!
• Baby Slings/Carriers:  One of the things I was most excited about receiving at my baby shower was the now infamous Infantino baby sling (yes, the one that was recalled!).  I also had a wrap and a carrier made by Jeep given to me.  I always pictured myself getting some housework done or walking through a store with Abby tucked away safely in my sling.  Problem was (and thankfully in regards to the Infantino sling) Abby hated each and every one of them!  When I did put her in the Jeep carrier I was hot and uncomfortable and much preferred to carry her.  If your out for the day a carrier is just one more thing to take along and it didn't make carrying her any easier.
• Cloth Diapers:  Yes, I thought about it.  I would love to be more Earth friendly but it's just not in me to be that 'green'.  Think about it... before they're washed, those dirty diapers need to be stored somewhere.  Too stinky for my small apartment!

Overall, my advice to new mommies is to relax and roll with it.  There's always therapy when they're older!

Mother's Day Mania: Birth Stories

Today's theme over at Mama M's is "Birth Stories".



"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new."  ~Rajneesh
There has to be a story behind such a momentous event, right?  Abby's birth is no exception!  I wrote about this about a month ago for Abby's first birthday, click here to see the original post.  Here's the excerpt:

It seems like only yesterday that I went into labor, 10 days earlier than I was supposed to.  She was definitely ready to be here but I wasn't ready for her.  I was in denial from the night before... my husband kept telling me that I was having labor pains and I kept saying no.  Even after my water broke the next morning I thought, "No way my water broke... I think I peed myself."  It didn't take me very long to realize I was in labor and I had to get moving... but first I had to make some phone calls.  This is the actual order of calls from that morning:

1. My mother:  I called her as I was on the toilet, afraid to get up and pee myself again, to see if she thought I was in labor.  She told me to call the doctor and go to the hospital.
2. The doctor:  Told me to go to the hospital.  Suddenly I realized that I had hairy wildebeest legs and knew I would spend the whole day completely embarrassed.  So, I asked the doctor if he thought I'd be able to shower.  Thankfully, he said yes but I should hurry.
3. My mother:  Called to tell her I was going to shower, shave, pack and go to the hospital.  She thought I was crazy and tried to talk me out of the shower and shave but I am stubborn!

Bet your wondering where my husband is?  Well, he was packing... but not for me!  He was nervous and decided to pack a huge (probably 3 foot long) duffel bag with everything he owns.  I have no idea what he was thinking.  But while I am in pain, trying to shower, and trying to pack for myself and Abby he's running around the house packing a months worth of clothes.  The funniest part?  Once Abby was here and he went to get our bags he was embarrassed to bring his "luggage" to the room.  Too funny!

Week 1: Losing it 1 lb at a Time

Here we are in week 1 of "Losing it 1 lb at a Time" and since I'm not brave enough to enter my actual weight (actually I hate to admit that number even to myself) we will say my weight is 15 lbs which is how much I would like to lose at the end of the 8 weeks.

Our question this week is "What is one thing that you find makes you fee beautiful/good about yourself and why?"  For me, it's getting my eyebrows done.  I try to go every 2 weeks but lately it's been more like once a month.  I just feel so much better/awake/alive when I have nice clean brows.  It's one of the few things that I take the time to do for myself and I am miserable when I can't get them done.

I was reviewing my original goals, which you can find by clicking here, and I can honestly say so far I have not been a very good girl!  I hit a few snags trying to eat healthy this week.

• I took out chicken breast Saturday for dinner.  Unfortunately, I took it out of the freezer in the afternoon and it was not defrosted in time (it was probably a subconscious thing... just thinking about dieting makes me crave deliciously bad food!).  So, instead my Hubbins suggested pizza.  Who can turn down pizza?  Of course, he ordered breadsticks too (another weakness, ugh!)
• We took the baby on a walk in downtown Annapolis and got ice cream on Monday.  
• I bought a chicken the other day and started noticing a smell in my kitchen.  Thought it was the garbage disposal but nope, it was the chicken aka last nights dinner.  Since the Hubbins had to be in work for 6 last night we took the easy route and hit up Burger King.

As you can see, I have not stayed true to my goals.  However, I have been working out or walking (yes! one goal accomplished!) every day.  Hopefully, that's enough to compensate for my gluttony!  The bad news is, I'm driving to PA tomorrow.  It's a 3.5 hour ride and we'll be busy so cooking healthy is not going to happen.  Hopefully, all the heavy cleaning will burn lots of calories!  I'm determined to behave next week and hopefully I'll be down at least a pound or two by then!

"Whoopsie Wednesday"

It's Mother's Day Mania over at Mama M's and today's theme is "Whoopsie Wednesday!"

Abby is only a year and I can see that there will be many "whoopsies" to come but so far my biggest "whoopsi" happened a few weeks ago.  For some reason, Abby has decided that she doesn't like baths anymore.  She used to love them but ever since she started walking she doesn't like to sit in the tub.  There are days that I think the best option is to let her run outside and use the hose to spray her down.

So, on this particular "whoopsie" day, she was running away from me and face planted right into the frame of my bed. Not a good thing at all, she had a huge goose egg on her forehead, but really not my fault.  It was an accident... an "oopsi" not a "whoopsie"!

Once she was calm and I was sure there wasn't any brain damage, we went through the battle of bath time. As you can imagine, this was especially tough because she was grumpy from her head bump.  So, I bathed her as quick as possible and while she standing (which drives me crazy) I rinsed her and scooped her out of the tub.

Here's my "whoopsie" moment.... I forgot to put the bath mat on the floor! At this point my daughter would love nothing more than to run around naked and get as far away from me as possible.

Here's the breakdown:  No Bath Mat + Wet Baby Trying to Escape = Slippery Floor = Big "Whoopsie"!

I wasn't thinking, just trying to get her in and out quickly but, man, did I feel horrible!  Completely avoidable and now she had matching eggs:  one on the front and one on the back!  Thankfully, there's still no evidence of brain damage!

Pop on over to Mama M's to share your "Whoopsie" Moment!

These Shoes Were Made For Walking!

I am super excited today!  I went shopping and bought myself a new pair of shoes!

I know, there not some cute, sexy stilettos or anything equally as fun but these are the shoes that are going to help me train for my Susan G. Komen 3Day.  This walk takes place in DC on October 8th and will cover 60 miles in 3 days.  By the end of the 3 days, each member of my team will have raised $2300 for breast cancer, walked 60 miles, and raised awareness about breast cancer.  Phew, I'm tired just thinking about it!  

My cousin reminded me today that our walk is only 23 weeks away.  So, it's time to train!  I've been walking a little here and a little there but so far the longest is 3 miles.  I have my work cut out for me in both the walking and fundraising department but I am psyched!  Now, I just need to put these pretty new sneaks on and get moving!