Weight Loss Update

February has been a great month so far getting back into my physical disciplines of healthy eating and daily exercise.  I started with this simple game plan and so far it is working:
1.  No eating after 8pm (even during middle of the night feedings)
2.  Make and eat a large chopped salad before every dinner.
3.  Put veggies into everything I make.  (protein shakes, pasta dishes, soups, etc)
4.  Exercise everyday:  even if it is only going for a 30 min walk
5.  Substitute decaf hot tea with splenda for hot chocolate, chai latte, and apple cider.

So far this month I have lost five pounds for a total of 8 pounds of baby weight lost.  It feels good to be disciplined again.  I have set three mini goals in my weight loss journey:
1.  Lose 30 pounds by the time we leave for Chicago.
2.  Lose 60 pounds by the time we leave for Hawaii.
3.  Lose 78 pounds by the time we try for baby Shack #2

It sounds like a lot, but having done it before I know it is very do-able.  =)

So we are on our way to going from this chubby couple...

... to going back to this less chubby more in shape couple!

Our Special Valentine

Three Months Old!

Lena sitting in her Bumpo for the first time.  She likes the new sit up position. 

She has been very fascinated with her tongue lately.  She tries to lick everything in reach.  I am sure this will only get worse as she learns to grab things.

She is just outgrowing newborn clothes and can now wear 0-3 months clothes!  It is really funny because when we are out everyone always comments about how tiny she is.  At 9.5 pounds now she is enormous to us! 

She is a great baby but she still has her "moments".  She can get really mad really fast; especially when she is eating and you take her bottle from her.

She loves her mama and pop and smiles quite a lot.  She even giggled for the first time the other day.  We love to spend lots of time singing and playing in the activity gym mat.

Like I said she likes to lick/eat things...it is kind of funny sometimes like the other day she was licking the side of her high chair.  Crazy girl..

She likes to scream too.  Usually this happens when she is having a really good time but is getting tired.  It is that typical madness-before-the-crash type of thing.  When she screams we know it is soon nap time!

Favorite Things: Victoria's Secret... whaaatttt???

Yes you read it right.  I LIKE Victoria's Secret mainly for one fabulous product that they sell:  their yoga pants.  I first discovered the VS yoga line nine years ago when I was first married to Dan.  (Come on now... what young bride to be hasn't perused the pages of a VS catalog?!)  Back then I had no idea that VS sold clothing.  I ordered a few pairs of classic yoga pants and I was hooked for life.  Here is what I love about them:
1.  They come in a variety of colors and styles.
2.  They come in several lengths including long length!!  YES- no more high waters!
3.  They are so versatile: from workouts and lounging to dressed up with cute heals or boots and a fancy top.
4.  They are SUPER comfy.  I wouldn't wear them otherwise.
5.  They are of a very high quality and last a long time.  I just ordered more towards the end of my pregnancy after having my original pairs for 9 years!
6.  VS offers deals on their yogas quite often which makes them affordable.  I get mine 2 pairs for $50.
7.  VS yoga pants fit my body in its various states of chubbiness and skinniness. 
8.  Most importantly they are cut to flatter the body.  This is what distinguishes VS yogas from many other brands and in my opinion makes them worth the money.

The classic yoga pant that started it all.

 Don't let the size zero models scare you away from this product.  I am no skinny mini and their size XL fits me just great!  This time around I tried a few different yoga pant styles:
The Yoga Foldover Crop Pant

 The Yoga Foldover Pant

And my new favorite the Yoga Pocket Pant which sadly VS no longer carries  =(




Considering that VS no longer carries the yoga pocket pant the classic yoga pants are still my favorite.  Try them out!  Your wardrobe and your backside will thank me!

Remember Friends:  
1.  Never pay full price!  Wait for a sale or there is always a discount code to use when ordering online.
2.  You will get VS catalogs in the mail ETERNALLY for ordering from them.  I always get to the mail first and burn them before Dan even knows they are there... he he he.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering!

My lovely diaper model!

Early on I knew I wanted to try cloth diapering.  Having moved to one income and knowing that we would most likely (if we are so blessed) have multiple children in diapers at once it makes financial sense to give it a go.  So now that Lena is at nine pounds my goal this week is to get started with cloth diapering. 

When I first started researching it the choices and options were confounding!  After much research on many sites like Babble's Best of Cloth Diapers 2011 list and after talking to lots of people who have found success with cloth diapering I decided on  Charlie Banana's cloth diaper line supplemented by the Bummis cloth diaper prefold line.  I think the Charlie Banana's will be my favorite diaper (they are the best looking and most trim of the two) but I also like the convience and cost effectiveness of the Bummis prefolds.   I began building my stash last summer when I scored several boxes of small and medium sized Charlie Bananas on Zulily.  This week Target has their Charlie Banana line on sale and I ordered a few more one sized diapers to supplement my stash.  Last week I had a great prefold diaper lesson from my friend Faith and afterwords scored a small set of Bummis prefolds off of Craigslist.  On Sunday I ordered some cloth diapering detergent from Rock in Green and I will begin prewashing the diapers for use as soon as it arrives.  Tomorrow I am going to drop by Babies R Us to pick up my new cloth diapering pail by Safety First and use my Blueberry diaper pail liner that I scored off of Babysteals for half price.   Today we had a diaper modeling session with Lena.  I think she likes her new cute and super soft dipes!  In all I would say I have invested $600 in cloth diapers and accessories. (I went a little overboard...)  We spend about $50-70 a month in disposables right now so I hope the cloth will pay for itself in a year.  Wish me luck everyone!

Aren't they pretty?

Most of my stash so far!

Our small Charlie Bananas all ready to be used.

Remembering... the light in darkness.

I was looking through some old pictures tonight to update my new facebook page and I came across this one:


I think I look really happy in this picture. I was visiting a farm near our house with my siblings (two of which were pregnant), my parents, and my five little nephews.  What is ironic is that this picture was taken on October 30, 2010 just two days after I received some really devastating news: after seven years of infertility and 13 months of the adoption process our first embryo transfer had failed and our two remaining embryos did not have a very good chance of making it. This picture represents many things to me that I want to share:

1. Joy in the midst of sorrow.
Quite simply, it is lovely to see someone (even me) find the light of life in the midst of a dark and sad time.  I attribute this to a few things:  First as a person I tend to focus on the simple pleasures of life. (I am so much an Amelie!)  On this day it was the crispness of a fall day, finding the perfect orange pumpkin, and this huge cow named Grandma Tina.  Second, I am an optimist and have learned to focus on the positives in life.  (I am totally a Pollyanna.)  While there wasn't much positive at that time in my struggle to become a mom, I do have a lovely extended family and I enjoyed spending time with them that day.  Lastly, Joy by my life definition is a condition born out of a grateful heart.  It is not dependent upon day to day circumstances but rather the absoluteness of the fact that I am a creation of God, he loves me, he is trustworthy, and he has given me the ultimate gift in sacrificing his life so that I can spend eternity with him. 

2. Spiritual growth in the victory over bitterness and the Lord's mercy in my life.
There were many times in my life (especially in the earlier years of our infertility) when I would tend towards bitterness in my state of barrenness.  I focused on our situation as a childless couple more than anything else.  On this day (Oct. 30) I could have easily chosen to stay home and not attend this family gathering which was very kid-centered.  The fact that I not only went but was able to enjoy the experience is evidence of God's mercy in turning my heart from bitterness to gratefulness.  To turn from bitterness was a great struggle for me and I had prayed specifically to be freed from the burdensome grasp it had on me.  In this picture I can see my prayers answered.

3.The importance of faith in God's ultimate plan.
It is amazing to think how much has happened in my life since that day.  Two days after this picture was taken our RE (Dr. K) called to tell us that he would like to match us with a new embryo donor family (for free) and he would be putting us at the front of a year long line of people waiting to be matched.  A little over a year from the day this picture was taken our precious Lena was born.  When I pull back and look at my life and the many unexpected turns it has taken I can see God at work.  My life is not the way I planned it (and I am a super huge planner).  I hate the lack of control I sometimes feel in my own life.  I have had to learn the discipline of faith in a wise, righteous, creative, and loving God.  There are events in my life and in the lives of others I still don't understand.  But I love when God gives us hindsight in some situations so that we can see his work in our lives. 

I am not in a dark time in my life right now.  My life is full of light..flooded with light and I am so thankful for that.  I don't want to forget the dark times.  They too are part of my story.

Favorite Things: Baby Items

When I was pregnant with Lena I always wanted to know from other families what baby items they loved .  Now that I am a super experienced mom... of two months..(ha ha)... I want to share my top ten favorite baby items with you all!

(Always remember friends to NEVER pay full price for anything!  There is always a coupon code, upcoming sale you can learn about through Facebook, or discount site where you can find these items for much cheaper.  You can even look on Ebay and Craigslist for some of these items.)

Babylegs

I love Babylegs for so many reasons!  Right now I love them because Lena's little legs are too short and thin for NB pants but her belly is too big for preemie pants.  Lena also wears them every night with a long sleeve onsie under her sleepsack.  They keep her legs warm and help keep her socks on.  Babylegs has my favorite newborn pair "Lil Sunshine" in the clearance bin.

Aden + Anais Burpy Bibs

I bought these after reading the reviews.  It is one of the most highly rated baby products I've seen.  I love that it can been both a burp cloth and a bib.  The muslin is so absorbent unlike many of the other bibs.  I also like that it has a snap closure so there is no Velcro to get stuck in the laundry.  Target sells these too but I got mine cheap off of Babysteals!

Babbaco Airy Cotton Carseat Cover

People stop me ALL THE TIME and ask about this carseat cover.  It is SPF 50 and keeps the sun AND the germy hands of adoring old ladies in the grocery store off of my baby!  It also makes a nice cozy nap environment for Lena when we are out.  I got mine half price on Babysteals!

Boppy

Okay.. the Boppy has been around for awhile.  I think it is ridiculous as a nursing pillow but I was surprised at how handy it is for lounging and bottle feeding your little newborn!  We use it everyday all day and when she is too big for it we will get to move up to our Bumpo.  I got mine as a hand-me-down from my sister.  (Thanks K!)

Clouds and Stars QuickZip Crib Sheets

I had originally registered for all these cute, patterned sheets for Lena's nursery crib when I came across these revolutionary crib sheets.  I have NEVER seen an item rated so well (except maybe the Vitamix).  With this sheet set the bottom stays on the mattress and the top part of the sheet zips on and off so you don't have to lift the whole mattress to change a sheet.  You just zip off the soiled top and zip on a clean top sheet.  Parents commented that when you have to change soiled sheets in the middle of the night you don't care how cute the sheets are.  I'm sold!  I got mine on sale with a discount code on Diapers.com

Parent's Choice Bottles and Nipples

We had a hard time finding the right nipples for Lena.  We hit the jackpot with these bottles which can be found in store at Walmart.  They are colorful, have a universal screw top so they fit my smaller Medela bottles, come with a cap, and get this... they are only 97 cents each! 

Baby Trend Snap and Go Stroller

I love our BOB stroller and use it all the time but Dan wanted to also get something smaller and more expendable to cart around town and the amusement parks.  This is just perfect!  It has good storage, is super light, easy to open and close, and is inexpensive.  We got ours on Craigslist for $25!

Medela 80 ml Storage Containers

I initially bought these to store all the abundant breast milk I had planned to pump and store.  Well since my milk is nearly gone and never ever really came in abundance I use these to temporarily store formula and as bottles.  They are perfect for a single scoop of formula that makes 2oz.  My favorite bottle nipples fit right on top.  They make portioning out formula for the road so easy!  I got mine at Babies R Us using my 20% off coupon.

Nurturme Baby Food

My most recent discovery was this quick dried baby food.  It is organic and because it is quick dried it retains a lot more nutrition than jarred baby food and without the preservatives.  But what I really like about this baby food is how versatile it is.  It is for 4 months - 4 years old depending on how you mix it.   It can be mixed into other foods like squash into mac and cheese to give added nutrition to a toddler's meal.  It comes in six flavors: squash, peas, carrots, apples, bananas, and sweet potatoes.  I bought mine 60% off on Mamabargains which makes it 50 cents for a 2.5 oz serving.  I've also seen it come up on Babysteals, Baby Half Off, and Green Baby Bargains and it is on sale this week at Babies R Us.

Carter's Long Sleeve Bodysuits

These are by far the best quality bodysuits I have found for the money.  They are nice and thick, tagless, have the hand cuffs which keep Lena's hands warm at night, and they are super girly and cute!  I like to put her in them at night with Babylegs and socks and then a Halo sleepsack swaddle over it.  I got mine on sale at Babies R Us and used my R Us dollars to get them even cheaper. 

So... what are your favorite baby items???  Do share please!

Miss Lena doing some Boppy lounging in her Carter's bodysuit and Lil' Sunshine Babylegs.