My love/hate relationship with my bathroom scale has taken on a mostly-hate relationship. I was loving my weight loss and then my diet got derailed when Clara's sleeping did. The number on the scale as well as my lack-of-properly-fitting-clothes wardrobe and appearance in a bathing suit have motivated me to get back on track and try to get rid of these last 10 pounds. I know. It's 10 pounds for Pete's sake, but they're really stubborn and I would prefer not to have them around.
Yesterday I signed up for WeightWatchers. They are having a promotion right now so I took advantage of the lower price. Once I got signed up and logged in, I realized just how badly I've been eating, even though I thought it was healthy (or at least healthier). My biggest weakness? SODA. The problem is, I need the caffeine most days. But it looks like I'm going to have to go back to my first trimester days and cut out the caffeine as well as the soda. My 2 sodas a day while at work ate up more than half my points for the day! I think the biggest problem I'm going to have with this is choosing snacks that aren't a lot of points. I'm hungry a lot. The problem is I pick bad snacks. Even my 100 calorie packs of snackies are too many points! A tiny bag of Chips Ahoy 100-calorie pack is 3 points!
The cool thing about the age of technology we live in is that WeightWatchers has an app for SmartPhones. It's great because it allows you to still keep track of your food without having to bring a notebook along or remember what you ate. There are also all kinds of tools for figuring out portion size, how many points are in your favoite recipes, and even building recipes out of things you have in your house already. AND you can even make a shopping list. It's great because who leaves home without their phone these days? The only downside is now I have to buy a bigger SD card for my phone. Oh well, I needed a new battery, too, so I got both. I plan on keeping my phone for quite a while anyway.
We'll see how it goes. I'm signed up for 3 months right now. I'm hoping it won't take any longer than that to lose 10 pounds. Fifteen pounds will get me back to the weight that I was before I got pregnant, but I'll be happy with 10.
I'll keep you posted. Maybe I'll get back to posting recipes every now and again, too.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
6-month survey.
We just had Clara's 6-month check-up yesterday so I thought today, while she's napping, would be a good time to do her monthly survey. I'm going to love going back and reading these as she grows. I just wish I would have started sooner!
Monthly Survey
1. How old is baby? Today she is 6 months, 2 weeks, and one day old.
2. Stats: As of 5/16/2011
a. Weight: 18lbs 0.5oz (80th percentile)
b. Height: 28 inches (97th percentile)
c. Clothes size: Mostly 6-9 months, pants are mostly 9-12 monthsl
d. Diaper size: Huggies size 3
e. Hair color: Light brown and getting fuller
f. Eye color: Still blue
g. Anything else? They measured her head and chest at her appointment. Head is 42cm and her chest is 45cm. She also got the last of her shots for a while.
3. Milestones:
a. Teething: She has her 2 bottom teeth and is working on more.
b. Talking: Still babbling.
c. Rolling: All.over.the.place.:)
d. Walking: Nope.
e. Crawling: Not yet. She pushes backwards. She’s starting to show signs of trying to crawl.
f. Anything else? She’s sitting up all by herself now. She’s getting really good at keeping her balance while sitting as well.
4. Things she likes:
a. Toys: Her Baby Einstein Jumper. It’s like crack for babies. She also has a duckie that I only let her play with on her changing table. It keeps the alligator wrestling to a minimum.
b. Books: I bought her a couple new ones but she doesn’t like to sit still long enough to read. She has one about feet that has different textures that she likes a lot.
c. Songs: Not a big fan of songs, either…unless Dad’s singing. For some reason she likes it.
d. TV Shows: I know she’s young yet, but she LOVES SuperWhy on PBS kids. It’s great to have her watch something that’s educational when we need to put her down for a minute to take care of something.
e. Other activities: We just started swimming classes today. It took a while for her to decide if she liked it, but she did so we got signed up for this summer’s session. She also likes going for walks in the stroller and being outside.
5. Things she dislikes: Can’t think of anything at the moment. She’s generally pretty happy these days.
6. Sleeping: It’s getting a lot better. She’s usually in bed by 8 and up for the day at 6-7am. She will usually wake up once during the night to eat, but it’s definitely getting a lot better. Naps are getting better too. We’ve gotten onto a schedule which I think helps a lot. She’s even napping in her crib most times!
7. Eating: This kid can eat, let me tell you. She’s eating 3 solids per day. She’s eating fruits for breakfast and veggies for dinner. She usually eats an entire jar of Stage 2 baby food for one meal. She also takes 24+ oz of formula every day, too. Our monthly handout also said she could start having juice once per day so we may introduce that soon, too.
8. Nicknames: Same as last month-I don’t think we’ve added any.
9. Things we’re looking forward to next month: We’re doing Clara’s 6-month pictures on May 21st and I’m really looking forward to it. They always turn out so well! We may also try out our first camping trip in June. We’re waiting for it to be a little warmer at night. Other than that, probably just spending lots of time outside enjoying the warm weather and beautiful flowers.
10. How I like motherhood: It’s still a lot of work, but I’m really enjoying it. :)
a. Likes: Now that Clara’s on a schedule it makes life easier on everyone, especially when she naps in her crib. I can get things done around the house. Adam and I have divided the house up into areas of responsibility for cleaning/keeping clean and it helps to have his support. It makes me less stressed. I also love watching Clara learn things. You can almost see the wheels turning when she’s trying to figure something out.
b. Dislikes: There isn’t much I don’t like. Sometimes I wish I had more “me” time, but I know that I have lots of support and plenty of people who wouldn’t mind watching her if I need a break.
Monthly Survey
1. How old is baby? Today she is 6 months, 2 weeks, and one day old.
2. Stats: As of 5/16/2011
a. Weight: 18lbs 0.5oz (80th percentile)
b. Height: 28 inches (97th percentile)
c. Clothes size: Mostly 6-9 months, pants are mostly 9-12 monthsl
d. Diaper size: Huggies size 3
e. Hair color: Light brown and getting fuller
f. Eye color: Still blue
g. Anything else? They measured her head and chest at her appointment. Head is 42cm and her chest is 45cm. She also got the last of her shots for a while.
3. Milestones:
a. Teething: She has her 2 bottom teeth and is working on more.
b. Talking: Still babbling.
c. Rolling: All.over.the.place.:)
d. Walking: Nope.
e. Crawling: Not yet. She pushes backwards. She’s starting to show signs of trying to crawl.
f. Anything else? She’s sitting up all by herself now. She’s getting really good at keeping her balance while sitting as well.
4. Things she likes:
a. Toys: Her Baby Einstein Jumper. It’s like crack for babies. She also has a duckie that I only let her play with on her changing table. It keeps the alligator wrestling to a minimum.
b. Books: I bought her a couple new ones but she doesn’t like to sit still long enough to read. She has one about feet that has different textures that she likes a lot.
c. Songs: Not a big fan of songs, either…unless Dad’s singing. For some reason she likes it.
d. TV Shows: I know she’s young yet, but she LOVES SuperWhy on PBS kids. It’s great to have her watch something that’s educational when we need to put her down for a minute to take care of something.
e. Other activities: We just started swimming classes today. It took a while for her to decide if she liked it, but she did so we got signed up for this summer’s session. She also likes going for walks in the stroller and being outside.
5. Things she dislikes: Can’t think of anything at the moment. She’s generally pretty happy these days.
6. Sleeping: It’s getting a lot better. She’s usually in bed by 8 and up for the day at 6-7am. She will usually wake up once during the night to eat, but it’s definitely getting a lot better. Naps are getting better too. We’ve gotten onto a schedule which I think helps a lot. She’s even napping in her crib most times!
7. Eating: This kid can eat, let me tell you. She’s eating 3 solids per day. She’s eating fruits for breakfast and veggies for dinner. She usually eats an entire jar of Stage 2 baby food for one meal. She also takes 24+ oz of formula every day, too. Our monthly handout also said she could start having juice once per day so we may introduce that soon, too.
8. Nicknames: Same as last month-I don’t think we’ve added any.
9. Things we’re looking forward to next month: We’re doing Clara’s 6-month pictures on May 21st and I’m really looking forward to it. They always turn out so well! We may also try out our first camping trip in June. We’re waiting for it to be a little warmer at night. Other than that, probably just spending lots of time outside enjoying the warm weather and beautiful flowers.
10. How I like motherhood: It’s still a lot of work, but I’m really enjoying it. :)
a. Likes: Now that Clara’s on a schedule it makes life easier on everyone, especially when she naps in her crib. I can get things done around the house. Adam and I have divided the house up into areas of responsibility for cleaning/keeping clean and it helps to have his support. It makes me less stressed. I also love watching Clara learn things. You can almost see the wheels turning when she’s trying to figure something out.
b. Dislikes: There isn’t much I don’t like. Sometimes I wish I had more “me” time, but I know that I have lots of support and plenty of people who wouldn’t mind watching her if I need a break.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Mother's Day 2011...The NEW Zoo!
May 8, 2011 was my very first "official" Mother's Day. We celebrated a little bit last year. We took my mom out for sushi. It was also the start of my 2nd trimester. One year later, we have an outside baby! I heard that the NEW Zoo was having free admission for all moms so I wanted to take advantage, especially if the weather was going to be nice...which it was! Clara had spent Saturday night by Adam's mom so we had to go pick her up-not a big deal since they're sort of on the way to the zoo anyway. So we picked her up and I changed her into a really cute dress that Grandma Anita got her for Easter. I'm so glad it was warm enough for her to wear it without a sweatshirt! We loaded up the car and off to the zoo we went!
It was a gorgeous day! We saw lots of animals...and lots of people! I'm not sure which she enjoyed watching more. Daddy was having a field day showing her all the animals. He even took her through the petting zoo barn. I opted to stay outside because my allergies were giving me fits, which isn't fun on top of a cold. We even got to see a giraffe up close! Clara tried to eat him. :)
We spent most of the afternoon there. I have to say this is the best Mother's Day so far. :) On our way out, I wanted to get a picture of me and the munchkin because, quite frankly, I don't have many of just her and I. I'm usually the one taking the picture! So I found a good spot right by the entrance that had lots of pretty flowers for a back drop. Daddy did a good job. :)
And a trip to the zoo, especially someone's first trip to the zoo, requires a trip through the gift shop. We had to get her something to commemorate. :) We found this cute pink hat that has animals on it. She seems to like it.
"I give this hat 1 thumb up!"
Monday, May 9, 2011
I'm a huge slacker.
I'm SO sorry that I haven't posted more updates! Clara is now 6, count 'em, 6 months old! I'll be doing her monthly survey and posting pictures after her well-baby exam on the 16th. I'll also be posting Easter and Mother's Day updates soon.
Work has been CRAZY. My poor husband has felt like a single parent lately and to make matters worse, I came down with a nasty cold. At least the weather is getting nicer. My work schedule should be slowing down here for a little while and we're both almost done with school. I've got about 2 more weeks left and Adam is done this week. He'll get about a week off before starting summer semester and I'll get 2-3 weeks off. In that time we'll have Clara's well-baby exam on the 16th, another check-up at Children's for her hemangioma on the 20th and her 6-month/our family pictures on the 21st. I'm really looking forward to those!!
Stay tuned. I promise more cuteness soon!
Work has been CRAZY. My poor husband has felt like a single parent lately and to make matters worse, I came down with a nasty cold. At least the weather is getting nicer. My work schedule should be slowing down here for a little while and we're both almost done with school. I've got about 2 more weeks left and Adam is done this week. He'll get about a week off before starting summer semester and I'll get 2-3 weeks off. In that time we'll have Clara's well-baby exam on the 16th, another check-up at Children's for her hemangioma on the 20th and her 6-month/our family pictures on the 21st. I'm really looking forward to those!!
Stay tuned. I promise more cuteness soon!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
"At least she won't remember it."
I keep saying this over and over. Clara's teething-her bottom front teeth. She's been insanely drooly on and off since 8 weeks or so, but the level of cranky has been ratcheted up in the last week or so. We've also begun to see and feel her teeth actually coming through. I'll be glad when they're all the way through! We've been doing our best to keep her comfortable: Tylenol, Ibuprofen at night, Orajel, cold teethers, and extra snuggling, but yesterday all she wanted to do was scream. I had to call Adam home from school early. Today he says she seems better; less cranky and more snuggly. I'm glad I know it's not easy growing up. She's almost 6 months old, which means we're also due for a growth spurt soon. With all the aches and pains that these kids go through, I'm glad she's too little to ever remember any of this.
I wish she could remember things like her first Christmas or Easter instead. :) Call it corny, but we're getting her an Easter basket. What the heck do you put in an Easter basket for an infant? I thought some things like some board books, a cute little outfit, and a couple new toys might be good options. I also hear rumors that Grandma and Grandpa are doing an Easter egg hunt for her Sunday. I hope I'm well enough to go!
I'm having dental implant surgery on Thursday. I'm hoping I'll be back up to snuff by Friday, but I guess we'll see. I've taken off of work for a week because I don't know if I'll be able to wear my false tooth by Monday when I would be returning and I'm NOT leaving the house without it...which is why I don't know if I'll make it anywhere Sunday, either. Time will tell. In the meantime, I'll try to enjoy the time off with my family, even though most of my day Thursday I'll be spending unconscious. :)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
It's funny how things change when you have a baby.
I'm pretty sure television is to blame. I don't think it's fair to portray motherhood as glamorous. TV moms are always impeccably dressed, made-up, and coiffed. I'm lucky if I make it out of my pajamas and into the shower on a daily basis. They also always have a clean house and dinner on the table at the same time every night. I don't think it's right. I think it makes those of us whose house looks like a tornado hit it feel like bad mothers. I used to like Leave it to Beaver. Now I just want to punch June Cleaver in her perfect teeth.
But those were the days of stay-at-home moms. In this economy most families rely on dual incomes. This is not the case in my house. Right now I'm working full-time so my amazing husband can go to school and eventually get a great job so that I can stay home for a change. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind working. In fact, even if we don't need my income, I'll probably end up getting a part-time job, especially once the kid(s) are in school. I used to even love the job that I have now. I think that might have been when I was all about the money. Yes, money is great, but once you have a baby, it just doesn't seem that important anymore...even when said baby only let you sleep for 3 non-consecutive hours the night before. But now, my going to work is a pain in the ass. I hate it. I like my actual job, I just hate all the bullshit that goes with it. I hate the politics. I hate the fact that if you actually use common sense, you'll come up with the wrong answer. I hate that 3 seconds makes a difference between keeping your job and losing your job. I hate the fact that they say that they're a family-friendly company, but that's only until you sign on the dotted line. Then you find out that they really don't give a shit if your kid was throwing up sick all night long and you slept for 20 minutes the entire night. They expect you to be here with a smile and a great attitude. The funny part is, most of the "they" have kids and understand what it's like. Has this place actually managed to suck the sympathy right out of people? Maybe it was just that I liked my job when our entire family didn't depend on it. Who knows. All I know is I'm tired.
Clara, I love you with everything I am and everything I have. But if you don't start sleeping better, thus letting Mommy and Daddy get some sleep, we'll be living in a cardboard box.
But those were the days of stay-at-home moms. In this economy most families rely on dual incomes. This is not the case in my house. Right now I'm working full-time so my amazing husband can go to school and eventually get a great job so that I can stay home for a change. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind working. In fact, even if we don't need my income, I'll probably end up getting a part-time job, especially once the kid(s) are in school. I used to even love the job that I have now. I think that might have been when I was all about the money. Yes, money is great, but once you have a baby, it just doesn't seem that important anymore...even when said baby only let you sleep for 3 non-consecutive hours the night before. But now, my going to work is a pain in the ass. I hate it. I like my actual job, I just hate all the bullshit that goes with it. I hate the politics. I hate the fact that if you actually use common sense, you'll come up with the wrong answer. I hate that 3 seconds makes a difference between keeping your job and losing your job. I hate the fact that they say that they're a family-friendly company, but that's only until you sign on the dotted line. Then you find out that they really don't give a shit if your kid was throwing up sick all night long and you slept for 20 minutes the entire night. They expect you to be here with a smile and a great attitude. The funny part is, most of the "they" have kids and understand what it's like. Has this place actually managed to suck the sympathy right out of people? Maybe it was just that I liked my job when our entire family didn't depend on it. Who knows. All I know is I'm tired.
Clara, I love you with everything I am and everything I have. But if you don't start sleeping better, thus letting Mommy and Daddy get some sleep, we'll be living in a cardboard box.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A bonus post! 5-Month survey
I was just on TheBump and one of my fellow bumpies posted this short survey to do every month. I really liked it so I'm going to try to do one every month. Here's the one for 5 months.
1) How old is your baby? 5 months
2) Stats
Weight:~17 lbs
Height:~28 inches
Clothing size: Mostly 9 months. Still fits some 3-6, though.
Diaper size: Huggies Size 2
Hair: Very light brown
Eyes: Blue, like Mom’s
Anything else you want to add:
3) Are they
Teething: Yes-2 bottom teeth visible beneath the gums, but not poking up just yet.
Talking: Babbling, but not really talking
Rolling: Yes, front to back and back to front
Crawling: No.
Walking: No, but she likes to stand up and can lean against things.
Anything else you want to add: She can tripod sit, but can’t sit completely on her own yet.
4) What they like
Toys: The suction cup toys for her high chair, the stuffed monkey my Grandma Kay got her for Valentine’s Day, her elephant Wubbanub, and her puppy.
Books: Not a big fan of books just now.
Song: Doesn’t really have a favorite.
Anything else you want to add: She loves to watch her “Your Baby Can Read” DVD and PBS Kids shows. She also LOVES baths. She likes to splash in the tub and also going for walks in the stroller. And Scooter, our dog. :)
5) What they dislike: Going to bed and naps.
Ways they like to be soothed: Rocking, paci, standing and patting on the back.
6) How are they sleeping? At night, pretty horrible. Naps are hit and miss.
7) How are they feeding? Great. She’s eating 3 solid meals a day of fruits, vegetables, and rice cereal. She’s also completely on formula and took to the change well.
8) Nicknames – Muffin, Magwi, the munchkin.
9) What are you looking forward to the next month? We’ll be doing 6-month photos with Katie. I’m hoping to get her into swimming class, too. She may attend her first Memorial Day Parade if the weather’s nice. Maybe we’ll go to the zoo or the wildlife sanctuary. Grandma & Grandpa are going camping and we’re going to go visit so that’ll be a first, too.
10) How are you handling Motherhood? Not as well as I would like, but I’m doing my best. It’s a struggle to be working full time and going to school as well as taking care of her so Adam can get his schooling done.
Likes: My favorite time is spending time entertaining her. I love to watch her face light up first thing in the morning when I get her from her crib in the morning or after I’ve been gone all day at work.
Dislikes: She doesn’t take good naps during the day and bedtime is a fight every time.
1) How old is your baby? 5 months
2) Stats
Weight:~17 lbs
Height:~28 inches
Clothing size: Mostly 9 months. Still fits some 3-6, though.
Diaper size: Huggies Size 2
Hair: Very light brown
Eyes: Blue, like Mom’s
Anything else you want to add:
3) Are they
Teething: Yes-2 bottom teeth visible beneath the gums, but not poking up just yet.
Talking: Babbling, but not really talking
Rolling: Yes, front to back and back to front
Crawling: No.
Walking: No, but she likes to stand up and can lean against things.
Anything else you want to add: She can tripod sit, but can’t sit completely on her own yet.
4) What they like
Toys: The suction cup toys for her high chair, the stuffed monkey my Grandma Kay got her for Valentine’s Day, her elephant Wubbanub, and her puppy.
Books: Not a big fan of books just now.
Song: Doesn’t really have a favorite.
Anything else you want to add: She loves to watch her “Your Baby Can Read” DVD and PBS Kids shows. She also LOVES baths. She likes to splash in the tub and also going for walks in the stroller. And Scooter, our dog. :)
5) What they dislike: Going to bed and naps.
Ways they like to be soothed: Rocking, paci, standing and patting on the back.
6) How are they sleeping? At night, pretty horrible. Naps are hit and miss.
7) How are they feeding? Great. She’s eating 3 solid meals a day of fruits, vegetables, and rice cereal. She’s also completely on formula and took to the change well.
8) Nicknames – Muffin, Magwi, the munchkin.
9) What are you looking forward to the next month? We’ll be doing 6-month photos with Katie. I’m hoping to get her into swimming class, too. She may attend her first Memorial Day Parade if the weather’s nice. Maybe we’ll go to the zoo or the wildlife sanctuary. Grandma & Grandpa are going camping and we’re going to go visit so that’ll be a first, too.
10) How are you handling Motherhood? Not as well as I would like, but I’m doing my best. It’s a struggle to be working full time and going to school as well as taking care of her so Adam can get his schooling done.
Likes: My favorite time is spending time entertaining her. I love to watch her face light up first thing in the morning when I get her from her crib in the morning or after I’ve been gone all day at work.
Dislikes: She doesn’t take good naps during the day and bedtime is a fight every time.
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