My Valentines...

Well I'm sure I could be doing a million other things but I figured I might as well go for it while I have the peace and quiet.

We had a good Valentines weekend. We kicked it off on Friday with both boys parties. I am thankful that I was able to help out in both classes and be a part of their day. I started in Zachary's first. The kids rotated as usual to different "centers". Counting candy hearts and recording the different colors on a graph, coloring decorating a ginormous cookie, making a bee costume...he had a great time. Then it was off to Tyler's class. He played Valentine Bingo, passed out his Valentine cards and treats, and then received a massive amount of goodies. Brownies, cupcakes, candy, cookies...so many tasty things (which were very hard for me not to indulge in...but I didn't!) We topped it off by watching a Charlie Brown video on inventions.

Saturday we were able to attend a Valentine party at our new friends home. We met them through attending Family Night regularly at Chick-fil-a. It was great to be there and the kids had a blast. They loved their play room, making candy necklaces and frosting cookies and mini cupcakes was definitely a plus! They also watched Charlie Brown's Valentines Day. (I see a Chuck trend...)

Sunday, which was actually Valentines Day, we went mini golfing with the kids for the first time. We laid out treats on their spots at the dinner table, and cards from their Grandma's and they were so excited to see it all there. They really enjoyed golfing which I'm thankful for since it was pretty hard for Craig and I to do with 4 little ones. Not stroller accessible, and we kept getting huge crowds behind us. Zachary did get a hole in one though! We topped the day off with dinner at Chipotle which always makes Daddy and Mommy happy! Mmm mmm!

Alexis is Half a year old!

My baby girl turned 6 months last night. I know everyone says time flies...but it really does. I remember everyone telling us to enjoy Tyler while he was little because it would all go by so quickly...and it has. My first baby is in second grade and hurtling towards eight years old! And here I am, knowing that my baby girl will be that old before I know it as well. So here I sit, trying to capture what I can of her sweet babyhood.

*She has become so vocal, and social. She loves to study others faces as they talk to her. Or just track what is going on around her. She often has such a pensive look on her face. As if she is trying to take it all in and figure out what it's all about. She makes so many different sounds. Wish I could record them all!

*She continues to be terrible at taking studio pictures. Every time I hope "this month will be better" and inevitably, it isn't. For the first few months it was crying the whole time. Making sure she had slept and ate, only to have her still end up crying. Tonight she almost rolled of the platform numerous times, chewed on the tool, looked up when we wanted her to look sideways, sideways when we wanted her to look up, wouldn't grab her feet when we were trying to take those pictures but then decided she wanted them when we were trying to have her sit upright. It was crazy! I always thought it would be so fun to have a girl to do "girly poses"...yeah not so much fun right now!

*She is still so short! Her 0-3 month onsies still fit. Her 3-6 month sleepers are really long on her. And she is still in size one shoes! Doesn't she know the cute little shoes that await her tiny little feet? She is a little chub though and we are moving to the size 2-3 diapers so we can stay in Swaddlers for awhile longer before moving to 3's. We used her last size 2 today...so sad.

*She started rice cereal this month and didn't think it was the greatest. Mommy and Daddy have not been consistent about giving it to her anyway. For the past few weeks I have been trying to start baby food with her and end the day by saying," Darn it, I forgot to give Alexis food again!" Poor baby...really she won't be 5 and just drinking breast milk...right??

*She had her first ear infection this month. The antibiotics did a number on her bum, poor sweetie. I am not entirely sure it is gone and should take her back next week for a re-check...but boy do I detest Dr's offices. I have way too much to do to add waiting hours on end for my 2 minutes with the Dr. I'll do it for my kids, but then it takes drastic measures to go for myself(hence walking around on a broken foot for over a day because I didn't want to go to urgent care...I said great measures!)

*She really likes sitting in her saucer and still enjoys the kick n play bouncer. And since she was super tiny, the fans and mobiles stay strong forms of pure enjoyment for her!

*She went on her first vacation this month. We went on our annual trip to Arrowhead. She did pretty well although staying in a tiny room with her and Jacob was definitely difficult!

*She is still spitting up. Tonight was particularly bad as she proceeded to throw nearly her whole dinner up as we walked around the mall. It hit the floor, my hands, sweater, shoes, her outfit, blankets....

*She has the prettiest, rosiest cheeks...just love them!

*She went to the Wild Animal Park for the first time. It was her first trip to a zoo-like environment. She did great.

*She adores her brothers and just beams at them. They love making her smile and will try all day long, never tiring of it. They are so darn sweet with her!

*This month she has resumed screaming in the car more times then not. She does not enjoy being where she can't see us. She is so super relational that anytime she can't make eye contact with us, is not a happy time. A funny thing, she will have just screamed for an hour in the car (that parts not funny) and when we stop the car, she instantly stops crying. Note that she hasn't even seen us yet, but she knows the car is stopped and she soon will. Pretty smart for a little one.

*Our little girl is still needing to be swaddled to sleep. Yes, one day she will sleep unwrapped and eat solid foods...and be happy in the car....right??

I'm excited that I got to write this blog uninterrupted for once. The kids are asleep and Craig is on a plane heading home from Washington. Ahhh the peace of a quiet house where I can finish a thought!! I really have forgotten what that feels like!











Smiling at Jacob...too precious!

Weight Loss Progress..Half Way There!

So this Monday completed the half way mark in the big competition. That means 6 weeks to go! This last week started to get really hard. I didn't eat more, but I was resenting that I couldn't. I worked out 6 out of 7 days. I don't think I have ever done that in my life. The frustrating thing is that the more I work out, the less I lose. Not exactly what you want to happen. I think I must be gaining muscle because I can feel my clothes getting loser, but the scale is not wanting to budge. I'm struggling to figure out what to do...drop the working out? I guess I will see what continues to happen.

As for weight loss, I did lose 3.8 pounds the past 2 weeks! I wasn't able to weigh-in last week because we were out of town. Craig and I have been talking about how the competition gives you a misconstrued view of losing weight. Normally losing even a pound a week would be amazing. Something isn't right when you are bummed about not losing more then 2! I am happy with how I am doing and proud of myself for sticking with it. I just need that scale to keep moving for me as long as I am doing what I should be! As of this week, I am in 3rd place, and have lost 16.2 pounds in 6 weeks! That is really exciting to me! I am less then a percent away from 2nd and 2% away from first. I just need to keep finding my will to keep fighting forward...for another month and half!

I haven't taken posed pictures to show my progress but I should find one of before I started the competition, and a current one. Two weeks ago I decided to just try my smallest jeans on...and they fit!! I was so excited! They are even starting to get baggy now! Yay! Motivation, motivation, motivation....

Weekly Weight Loss

Another week gone by in the weight loss journey! Four weeks down, another eight to go in the competition. I am very excited about my progress so far. Doing this on my own would have taken forever!

Monday weigh in went well. It was harder because I usually go during the morning weigh in time and that was cancelled this week. So I know I weighed more at night then I normally would have. But, I still lost 3.6 pounds in ONE week!!! I am now in third place, nearly second! My total percent lost is 6.7% and second place is at 6.8%...so close! This week will prove to be even more of a challenge as we are going up to Lake Arrowhead for four days. At least there are 8 weeks left!

Tuesdays weigh in at the school was very exciting for me! I lost 4.2 pounds and lost the most for the week, winning $25! That's half of my enterance fee back! I am also now in FIRST place for the whole competition...hurray!

I continue to feel better. And I am happy to be carrying less of me around!;0)