wordless Wednesday

how we spent our anniversary.

oreos, cupcakes, ice cream - oh my!

I never considered myself to have much of a sweet tooth.
And then I got pregnant.
And wanted nothing but oreos.
It was not unusual for me to eat a whole section of the package without even feeling full. (and I wonder how I got so huge.....)

I figured it would go away once I was no longer with-child.

But.

It didn't!

I still want oreos. To an earily similar proportion. 
(seriously. one night I had my husband run to the gas station to get me some because nothing else would hit the spot. MOOOOO)

I will still pick fruit over chocolate.  Sometimes. Unless the choice is between oreos and fruit.

There is only one way to loose the weight, and that is to kick this sweets habit. What do you munch on to satisfy the need for something sweet, without actually eating your weight in oreos?

Tornado a’la Gianna

I am doing Project 365, and I was all prepared to use a boring picture from the hair salon today.

Until I got home.

 

And walked to our bedroom to pee change clothes.

 

And started to notice that the usual Gianna toy storm had turned into a tornado.

 

That showed no mercy on the clean (or dirty) clothes. Or toys. Or shoes.

And was so wide spread it included the entire hallway (picture does not show full detail of the damage). Her bedroom. Our bedroom. Kitchen.

 

Mike told me the house was a mess.

Gianna told me she had fun playing tornado.

Mike told me he hopes she doesn’t do it again tomorrow.

It's the little things

During my pregnancy, I worried SO MUCH about the big things: What kind of crib should we buy? what kind of carseat would be best? Breastfeed or formula feed? How could I rob babygap of all their cute clothes? HOW would I EVER be a MOM?!!

After a almost a year of this thing I call mommyhood, I realized that the big things are important, the small things are even more important and it's the little things that make each day possible.

• Her blue eyes and wonderment make everything that much more amazing
• I wouldn't have made it without coffee.  Especially Dunkin Donuts & Starbucks.
• Thank you to the helping hands and listening ears out there. You have helped me figure it all out. And listened to my crazy stories and ideas.
• A smile, a snuggle, a tug on my shirt - enough to make any bad day not so bad.
• The "womb bear" she sleeps with everynight from her grandpa. That sound sends me to slumber land too.
• Swaddleme blankets, pacifiers, fisherprice rainforest music toy for allowing everyone in our house to sleep.
• Dr. Seuss books and the lessons you teach.
• Divided plates for helping mealtime go just a tiny bit smoother.
• Prevacid for helping take the pain away.  Oxyclean for taking out the spitup stains. Carter's for making clothes that hold up through 3582 washings. Age for helping her grow out of the reflux.
• My Nikon for taking such great pictures of my peanut.
• The overwhelming pride, joy, excitement I feel when I see MY daughter. She could be throwing a fit on the floor, walking around the house carrying dirty laundry or pushing the same button on the same toy for twenty minutes and it doesn't matter, because she figured out how to do it.

I said it when she was first born and I still say it today - I can't believe she is mine. And I get to keep her and hold her and love her forever. 

3 years and 1 life later

The best day of my life happened three years ago.

It was magical and amazing. And everything I had hoped it would be.

This past year has been exceptionally challenging.  It has brought new meaning and new life.

 

It has brought heartache and uncertainty. 

And we are back to love.

Three years, a lot of growing up, and one life later. We are still making it.  And we are making it better everyday.  Love you, Mike!

year 1

year 2

Stay Tuned

It's Either Her or Me: A Guide to Help a Mom and Her Daughter-in-Law Get Along

On Sale March 23

See the author, Ellie Slott Fisher on The Early Show 3.23

Wordless Wednesday: Spring Edition

playing in the grass. or maybe not.

it looks SO fun out there.

pigtails = warm weather. And. ADORABLENESS.

also... check out the Little Remedies button over there. Click it. Enter. Win

Car Parts and Pastry

Lets start out on a positive note here:
I have surpassed my goal weight.  By 1.6lbs as of 8pm last night. I stood on the scale twice to make sure it wasn’t broken.
And yet, the muffin top prevails.
In excess.
Something I have realized – the more weight i loose, the more muffin-e my top gets.  Ironic or Idiotic? Both.  More idiotic than anything though.  Clearly stretching your belly skin to astronomical proportions does something to the elasticity.
I think the only way to remedy this situation is to workout. And do 234911 crunches a day. And pushups. And Jillian Michaels 30day Shred. Which I try to do. Rarely.  I use the same excuse as everyone else – I don’t have enough time. Which I don’t. Because writing papers, blogging and sleeping tend to take up too much of my time. 
I have talked about my struggle with time, managing it and making time for everyone/everything for months now.  I am reporting here that I still have not figured it all out.  
I had a thought last week that I will work out before I go to work.  Well, a few days last week I had to be at work EARLY (like I had to be there the same time I usually wake up!). No matter how quiet I was, the baby still woke up when I left.  Probably jumping around sweating to the oldies would have the same effect on the little bug’s sleep, which would be bad.  So, 5am workouts at home are not going to be an option.
Something working in my favor (for once!) is the time changing this weekend means more light when I get home from work. And the snow – it’s GONE and the temperature is starting to rise.   Which means I can run outside! I am very excited about this.  Crossing my fingers that this fits into the schedule a few days a week.
If there is one thing lighting a fire under my ass (which I hope, as an added bonus,  melts off some of the excess in that area) it’s the spare tire growing around my mid section.  I am pissed that I weigh less than before I got pregnant yet I am wearing pants 1-2 sizes bigger.  I am pissed that I feel like a lardass and don’t want to have sex with my husband, as muffin-e middles will do that to a girl.
The car parts and pastry that I am carrying around with me NEED to go.  What are your most tried & true work outs that help you get toned and looking sexy?  Who is going to help keep me accountable?

Every person is a person, no matter how small

It happens every ten years.
It involves every person in the country.

2010 census.
I know that a lot of people think it’s just annoying and pointless. But it’s not.  We have been talking a lot about the importance of the census numbers in my public health classes. 
The census determines so many things, important things, like how many congressman each state/district gets.  Ohio has had quite the decrease in population in the last ten years, to the point that we could lose significant congressional representation.  These numbers are used to determine who gets funding, research and all kinds of other things.  Things that influence my future as a public health representative.  And yours as a citizen of the USA.   The only way we will get an accurate count is by YOU, yes you readers, completing the survey.
A lot of people are hesitant to share their personal information with the government. I get that.  But all you really need to answer is how many people live in your house. That’s all.  The rest of the information is a bonus, and very helpful.
Every person counts.
So make yourself count.

**this blogging opportunity brought to you by Wpromote & business2blogger. I did receive  minimal compensation for posting the video.  All other opinions and information is mine.**

Wordless Wednesday

childhood bliss.

SnackTAXI WINNER!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

29

Timestamp: 2010-03-08 12:25:27 UTC

Stacy - The Red Headed Mama is the WINNER! 
If you still want to get your hands on some snackTAXI's - danifred is giving some away this week.  And don't forget to visit snackTAXI.com

Catching Up

• I have been moving through the motions of this semester. Not putting forth too much effort. Not sure if that is good or bad.
• Last day to enter the snackTAXI giveaway!!
• Starting to really get into the birthday party planning. Lists are overtaking my life.  Invites are finally done, need to get those out.
• Now, I need to figure out what the birthday girl will wear on her big day. And for her pictures.  I over think these kind of things.
• Walking makes Gianna’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach to life even more obvious. And insanely adorable.
• I need a better attitude about my job. I know that I want a more challenging, professionally empowering position as soon as I graduate, but for now, it is what it is.  Being frustrated every single day stinks.
• If Gianna’s top teeth don’t come in soon I will be investing in dunkin donuts coffee, because no one in our house is sleeping uninterrupted
• Sometimes when I watch the shows on my DVR, I forget I can fast forward.  Ok, all the time.
• Apparently, having your 10mo old eat off of plates is strange?  When we give her food on her tray, she eats very little and plays very much.  When you put it on a divided plate – great success.
• We can make PONY TAILS!!! I am successful as a mother.

New Adventures

look out world. and breakable objects.

disclaimer #1: if you are liable to vomit easily and/or without warning, get motion sickness and/or become annoyed by high pitched mommy-voices – this video is not for you.

disclaimer #2: no bribery was used in the making of this video. not even puffs.

disclaimer #3: if you enjoy seeing giggling and babies who instantly focus at the sound of cell phones ringing, you will REALLY enjoy this video.

Brown Baggin’: GIVEAWAY!!!

Lunch.
Such a point of contention for me most  mornings.  I chronically get up late and have to throw something together quickly.  That leaves me 2 options: bring leftovers from the night before or PB&J. 
PB&J is the usual winner.  With carrot sticks, a yogurt or applesauce and something crunchy. 
Yes, I am fully aware that I have the lunch of a 3rd grader.  Also, I go through far too many ziplock bags, which I hate because how dirty do a few carrots or crackers make a ziplock bag? 
Erin, from snackTAXI, contacted me (through buisness2blogger) about her reusable bags for snacks and sandwiches.  The perfect solution to my ziplock bag problems.
Produce-sack

This is perfect for taking to local farmers markets or anywhere you buy your produce or bulk foods.  I am most excited over this because we actually GO to famers markets.  Large size, easy to clean. Perfect for going green.
twice-as-nice Napkin

it’s adorable and it actually WORKS! and you don’t need 10 of them to clean up anything you might spill, like you do with paper napkins.  Also good for cleaning up spit-up as was discovered as soon as I opened up the package I received.
Sandwich-sack
    
The perfect size for big or small sammies. And PB&J.  It kept my sandwich protected and fresh for my lunch today.
Snack-sack

Any sized snack will fit in here. Like carrots. Or crackers. Or puffs.

The snackTAXI products are hand made and it shows.  The velcro holds really well so there is no concern on if your food will spill out or not.  I gave it to little G to destroy play with & all food items remained in place.

They wash easily and nicely. Which is an added bonus if you have too much jelly on your sandwich.
And since you are all excited to get your hands on these food-movers, I have a sandwich-sack and snack-sack to give away  to one of you!

Go to snackTAXI.com and leave a comment here telling me which sack & pattern you like best – they have so many & they update the patterns monthly, you will be the talk of the lunchroom.  Or the playground.
Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• Follow me on twitter (i know you already do, right) and leave your twitter name for me to follow you back
• blog about snackTAXI.
• become a blog follower
• become a fan of snackTAXI on facebook

Giveaway open through Sunday March 7, 2010 11:59pm est

Please be sure to leave a valid email address [or have connected to your google profile].
Winner will be chosen randomly &  contacted Monday March 8, 2010.  If no response from winner by Wednesday March 10, 2010 a new winner will be chosen.

**All products to review & giveaway provided by snackTAXI. all opinions and pictures provided by me.**