Attempting to KIT

Started the week with almost nothing on "the brain."

Ended up being crazy hectic anyway.

Had a few minor melt downs early in the week, but sat down with Kday and we re-grouped

Came up with an ever trusty plan. Everyone needs a plan people! 

Started with a happy Lady

Made me one of these.... to post Kday's and my weekly goals. In sight!

Wiped a bunch of these.... gross I know!

Used some of these to take care of the problem noted above...

Then this happened.

So we went to see Him and his bikes

We chillaxed at the shop for a few min.

Tried on some accessories...

Then went home and made some accessory hair clips of our own.

Ate dinner and hit the hay.... Can't wait for May Flowers!!!

CAN'T YOU WAIT UNTIL 10 PM?

Just humiliated myself in front of the of bishopric of my church who stopped by unannounced.

No bra on. In my Christmas Pj's. Eating a frozen burrito from Costc0 while sipping a Diet C0ke.

Sitting on the couch next to a "booger sucker" and a few rotten bottles 

- the aftermath of a day with a sick baby.

I turned on the lights and invited them in.... threw on a hoodie to cover up the "sisters"

And tried to act casual.

I highly doubt I pulled of "casual." 

Nice Sday, real nice... you couldn't have waited at least until 10 pm to take off your bra and change out of your cute jeans and nautical sweater? 

I knew I should have cooked dinner tonight and picked up the house after 10 hours of rocking a sick baby to sleep.... Silly me!

:) 

Super Awesome day.

APRIL SHOWERS...

While April showers are here this week.... I'll be making THESE May flowers.

294 DAYS

Two hundred and ninety four days of BLISS. 

Well, minus the first few months of colic and me being a total freak... otherwise, bliss. 

She looks so different, yet the same. 

We napped on the couch today together after work. 

I love when she lays on my chest- I know that she can hear my heart beat... it beats for her.

She is Bee-u-ti-full in white.

Her knuffle bunny is her favorite, but for me it's like carrying around a second child 

Hmmm, I hope I get to have a second child.

MCCW April 2010 Re-Cap

I was 100%. How did you do? 

Some of you out there.... I know you didn't do too swell because I had about 30-60 readers each day and we definitely didn't feel the love from all of you. 

Don't be shy. 

And don't worry, there's always next month!

74:12:33

No, those aren't running stats. They are Layla Stats. I have 74 days, 12 hours, and 33 minutes until her 1st Birthday. The planning has officially begun. Oh you just wait...


Here's a little tiny teaser -

ROCKSTAR

Please go over to J's blog and congratulate her on her HUGE SUCCESS AS A MOTHER OF 2 YEAR OLD TWINS WHO DID AN AMAZING JOB AT THE BOSTON MARATHON! Her and C are my inspiration as mothers who Keep It Together.

ONE STEP BACK

Gross, gross and double gross. I woke up this morning feeling fairly decent after having a terrific week of motivated running, eating, and crafting. I showered before Lady was up, did my hair and makeup and went to the closet to figure out what to wear. 15 stupid outfits tossed to the corner of the room because all I could see in the mirror is the grossness that my body is today. (if you're already thinking about leaving a pitty comment - then you can stop reading now and don't comment - It won't be held against your MWCC score.) I really just need to get this junk out of my brain and onto paper so I can get on with my day and hope that tomorrow will be a better one.
This blog is about "finding sday" and sometimes I'm afraid to admit that I've allowed myself to think that I'm closer to my goal weight than I really am. Then SMACK! Reality hits me like slap to the ego and I see in the mirror the truth about how far away from being comfortable in my body I really am. I had to put on a sweatshirt today people. A not even cute sweatshirt. Just something to cover up my spare tire. My spare tire mocks me. It tells me that no matter what I do, eat or change... it's who I am and it will never leave me a lone. I get disgusted with myself and the sad part is - that disgust doesn't make me want to work harder, it makes me want to climb back in bed and start the day over.

So I know I've come two steps foreword in the quest for finding sday and yesterday I would have told you "I feel great," but today I took one step back. I won't let it stop me and I won't keep complaining about this place I stand. I must accept where I am before I can move foreword. I'll do it tomorrow. 

Today, is a stupid pink sweatshirt rainy day. 

                                             

NO ROOM FOR INTIMIDATION

I had a dream for Lady's nursery way before she arrived. The current state of her room is darling and it's definately my favorite room in the house but it's not the finished product I dreamt about. It seems too overwhelming for my mind and budget... but I'm making plans to change that with my spare pocket change. When she was about 3 weeks old Kday and I picked out some fabric to use for her crib skirt. So why has her crib been skirt-less until last weekend? (poor deprived baby) Because I was too intimidated by the sewing pattern and I stuffed it away in a closet for a day that I felt daring. Last weekend my mom "Miss Mary" who happens to be the most amazing quilter I know... pressured me into sitting down and getting that skirt sewn if it killed me. I did it!

All by myself with only 2 mistakes that I fixed quickly and it turned out great! It motivated me to spring into a few other projects that are going to be so freaking cute you'll want to pay me $100 an hour just to make one for you... and I'm going for it! I have some BIG plans. You'll See. You'll Love. You'll Want.

NEW FAVORITE - GRASS

This is why I can't browse through the baby isles at Targ3t... I buy things I don't need. But LOVE. I'm less than 3-4 months away from Layla not drinking formula from bottles anymore but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring a little summer cheer into my kitchen. So I called Kday and asked "Do you care if I spend $ (even though we have no income this month!) on an item that we could absolutely live without but that I love so much and will love every single day until we don't need it anymore?" He said I deserved it. He's sweet. I got it. I love it.

Proud as a Peacock

Everywhere we go Layla's hair stops the show. Literally, as in people stop and talk to us about it, or repeatedly tell us how much they love it and then call all their friends over to see it. And these are people we don't know! Like people in the store, the gas station, restaurant... total strangers stop us to enjoy her hair. Layla's cousin said this about her hair; "G's Layla's hair sticks straight up... she really likes to show it off huh!?" Sometimes we wonder if it will every lay down, other times we hope it doesn't because it's so cute. We've tried hair gel, lotion, water, hairspray, and good old fashion lick the hand and slick it down... then if you watch it closely it slowly rises back up until it's in full salute! Not only do people say, "Oh my, what beautiful eyes," or "Wow, she is gorgeous," or "What a beautiful smile," but they say "Her hair is so fun! Look at it!" She really is a show stopper and we like to think that her eyes, her beauty, her smile and her hair are all just a reflection of what her incredible spirit has in store for us. She is strong, gentle, beautiful and full of life. Seriously, could that hair get any bigger?! Layla has a Halo of Hair.

We're talking inches of height here people! YAOWZA!!!! LOVE it love it love it!

SIX POINT TWO FIVE - SUB ELEVEN

Ran with my awesome friend C today. We took up the whole road with her double Bob and Lady in the Chariot. Loved every grueling second of it.... uphill climbing included.

Distance: 6.25 miles

Time: 1:08:39

Pace 10:59 min/mi

Calories 775 (not sure if that's accurate! But it's what the Nike-ipod said)

Last week we did this same long A- run without the munchkins in the joggers and we actually ran it the fastest I've ever run anything! It's a shorter distance cuz I forgot to turn the ipod on until part way through the run... duh

Distance 5.75 mi

Time 57:46

Pace 10:02 min/mile - WOWZA THAT WAS AWESOME.

I'm doing this! I am so doing this! I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE. If Sday can do this YOU can do this
x0x0x0

MONTHLY COMMENT CHALLENGE WEEK--- MCCW!!!

Ok, I am setting myself and all my readers a goal. I'm not phishing for anything here... REALLY. I don't write on this blog in order to "get comments," but I am definitely thankful for the few comments I get. I just want to be better at leaving comments on other blogs that I read. I figure there is no point to visiting a blog I really enjoy and never letting the author know how much I enjoy it!  So I challenge myself and you all to leave a comment on every single post you read on every single blog for 1 whole week..... Every post you read.... every blog you visit. CAN YOU DO IT? 

1.79 INCHES

Went skiing with Kday, FBD (Kday's dad), and his sisters cute family last week. 

We rocked the slopes catching air on pretty much every jump in sight. Don't be jealous of my huge air on this Spread Eagle.... I think I got about 1.79 inches off the ground. 

I bruised my hip trying to jib ninja in the terrain park - wish I could upload the video from our awesome new camera Kday purchased... but he forgot to mention that we wasted money buying an HD camera that we can't ever download anything off of because we don't have the necessary computer tech. Nice.

 Anyway, my skills were awesome!

We got sweet sunburns that made us look like hardcore ski bums... it was EPIC.

4:12 AM

I used to have a small issue with sleep walking. I haven't done it much since we moved into this house. But early this morning I found myself messing around in the kitchen and I can't quite remember what I was doing. Eventually, my rustling around woke Lady up and thus, "woke me up" too. I went into the nursery and re-swaddled her and headed back to bed. I didn't' realize I was sleep walking until this morning when I "actually woke up." It's the weirdest feeling because I usually don't have any memory of the first part of the "activity" and then something will eventually bring me to a more conscious awareness of what I'm doing and I freak out because I don't know how I got to that point. Then I wake Kday up, tell him I was sleep walking, cry and go back to sleep. I wonder what I was doing last night in the kitchen. Hmm, weird.

SAFE-T

I felt like Jason Bourne's girlfriend (from the Bourne Supremacy movies... love them) yesterday when I purchased a safety deposit box. I've really been having an itch to get some things in order lately. Standing in the vault with a woman waiting outside the door while I placed my "valuables" in a spot for safe keeping... was super cool. I felt all grown up and "motherly" for having anything important enough to be kept under lock and keys. Now, I just need to remember where I decide to hide the keys :)

FREAK-ISH

I'm barely hanging on by a thread these days. 

Personal family stuff

Disaster of a house

Un-registered car since February

 Piles and piles of papers that I keep avoiding

 Procrastinated tax documents waiting to be mailed

A looming 21 mile running race that I am about 5% ready for

A stinky dog

Super tired and stressed out spouse

Constipated child

Broken down car

No idea how to start feeding my baby "real food" instead of food from a jar

A missing diamond from my wedding ring

And I haven't showered in 4 days

I'll be fine. Really, just fine. I just need to find a way to start climbing out of the hole. As a freakishly organized person who thrives on predictive scheduling and structure... I'm losing my mind with all the change that is going on around me. I feel like a sitting duck in the center of a whirlpool. The change that is around me is good. It's just A LOT of change at once.  I"m just not good at dealing with learning a "new" way to do it all. 

Good thing my husband is a super-hero and my daughter is constantly teaching me how to cope with change. I'll learn, some day.  

SEVEN PM

By all methods of measurement, the time from 6:30-7:00 pm are my most favorite thirty minutes of the day. For Layla's first three months I dreaded the "witching hours" that undoubtedly started every night at 6:30. Oh my laws, that poor baby would cry for hours and hours! Once we finally calmed her colic with a lactose free formula as well as a piece of lifesaving advice from this shannon... those witching hours have been long gone. The fabulous advice she gave us was that of a bed time routine. Within 2 days our life transformed to cry-less evenings.

Now it's all I can do to wait patiently for that quiet time of evening when we bathe, jammy, and snuggle in the rocking chair. That spiky little head of hair tickles my cheek as it hunkers down on my shoulder and drifts to dreamland. And then if I have time, we sit. We sit in silence and think about how much we love being where we are at that very moment.

FROZEN

Fresh Produce -

Steam - 

Chop - 

Puree - 

Freeze - 

REPEAT...

I spent Thursday loving my life as a mom in the kitchen. Lady at my feet and my inspiration for the hours of cooking in order to provide her with some fabulous home made baby puree.  We accomplished pureed asparagus, peas, carrots, squash, and blueberries. (along with some chicken needed for dinner for us adults)

I love how vibrant the colors in the homemade food as compared to the processed baby food from the store. We had a blast stocking the freezer and making a holy mess of the kitchen together.  Love love love  this part of motherhood :)

Not Much... But whatever

I had grand plans to make Lady a fancy embellished Easter basket... I ran out of time. But I did paint the $1.00 basket that I bought her and I added some ribbon and hand sewn felt roses. It wasn't much, but it was better than the hideous thing I bought in at the dollar store! Next year I'll do better, including sewing her an Easter dress.

Tomorrow is cooking day>  I plan to cook a bazillion lbs of meat and other stuff and then make 2-3 weeks worth of freezer meals. 

Friday is Ski day :)

FABULOROSO

NINE  FABULOUS MONTHS WITH THIS LITTLE LADY!

I accidentally bite her out of pure need to munch on her yummy cuteness almost every day. She just giggles though. Well... sometimes she cries. But we kiss and make up! Seriously, don't judge me. You wouldn't be able to keep your hands or kisses off her either. Yum! Better than chocolate covered cinnamon bears... promise!

Teaser

This is just a little teaser for Kday's "Project." It's going to be RAD.

More hints... coming soon!

EGGCELENT EASTER

Last Easter Kevin and I were walking on eggshells. We had just been informed that Layla's birth-mother wanted to meet us and decide if we were the right parents for Layla. As absolutely ecstatic as we were, fear of the unknown and the idea of a potential loss was looming over our heads.  We debated over telling our families about our good news, but again we feared getting everyone's hopes up. But with the encouragement and support of Kday's mom, we decided to break the news. While all the grandkids were hunting for easter eggs my MIL and I set out an easter basket just for Layla. It was small and full of hand picked baby items, including the baby bath set I remember picking out like it was yesterday. When the entire family settled in the living room and watched their children sort through their baskets, Kday and I sat back and waited for the response. It will be a day I never forget. The excitement filled the room as people started figuring out our little secret. Fast foreword 1 year later and this year we got to enjoy our Easter without fear of the rug being pulled out from under us. It was amazing. This Easter was a dream come true.

Exploring and teaching our baby about the beauty around us

Enjoying family traditions... as a "family"

Easter dresses, baskets, eggs, and more

Layla's first "official" Easter Basket

Family

Pure Joy

CO-OP OFFERINGS 4/3/10

No picture this week! Too busy trying to add the finishing touches on Layla's custom easter basket! (Pics of that will for sure follow!)

2 cases strawberries

2 cases blackberries

1 head romaine lettuce

2 pineapples

8 tangelos

1 yellow onion

3 small spears broccoli

9 corn on the cob

3 yellow squash

7 bananas

4 sweet potatoes

5 roma tomatoes

3 apples

NOT TOO SHABBY FOR $15 and volunteer time 

Good Job Jamie for running the show this week! You were great!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Paparrazzi Part 2

I love smut magazines. Sorry. It's true. I blame her for my addiction she always brought them to the bike races and with time to kill... I read them. So of coarse I love any pics that look like they were taken by the paparrazzi. Not that I think we'd ever be important enough for people to want to take pictures of us... but it's fun to pretend.

Our "title" for the pic if it were in People Magaz1ne:

 Sday and baby Layla are just like us! They enjoy lunch dates and baby treats in tupperware.