Christmas Season 2015

Around here Christmas "season" starts in November. I am one of those people who gets really excited about listening to Christmas music starting before Thanksgiving, and I don't mind if stores or other places start decorating early. It's one of my favorite times of the year, so why not celebrate for as long as possible.

 

The first weekend of December really put us in the Christmas spirit with a Breakfast with Santa. This year has been so much fun with Avery. She was aware of what was going on last year, but it was still tough having a newborn around. This year she was legitimately excited for Christmas and happy to tell Santa what she wanted. This is actually the first year that Avery sat on Santa's lap. I never wanted to force her to meet Santa if she didn't want to in previous years, so, four Christmases later, we finally have our photo of Avery and Santa.

We enjoyed a nice breakfast and Avery did some crafts, and asked Santa for a bean bag chair. (After Kendall received a bean bag chair for her birthday, Avery decided that she wanted one too, and that's basically all she asked for.)  Later that day we also got our Christmas tree and put it up over the next few days. We always get a real Christmas tree and it's great having our home decorated for Christmas.

The following weekend was our "party" weekend. I took Avery and Kendall to my sister's home to a cookie decorating party, which was really a lot of fun! It was mostly kids aged 4 and under, and Avery felt so comfortable playing with the kids and I almost didn't see her for about 3 hours, except to eat a quick piece of pizza, and decorate (and eat) two cookies. We spent the night there and came back in the morning to get ready for a local friend's Christmas party. That party was "Kid-free" and it was very enjoyable to have a night out to actually socialize with other adults haha. Then on Sunday we drove about 90 minutes away for another Christmas party - this one for the whole family, with some friends from college, and all of their kids. We definitely got our Christmas party fill.

The following week, Avery had her preschool Christmas party, and I was able to attend along with three of the other kids' parents. I threw together a delicious Chex mix, and we had games and a craft. It went very smoothly and it was interesting watching the kids interact with each other and the teachers. Avery seems to listen very well, and I expected a little clingyness, but was pleasantly surprised that she really wasn't clingy at all, and really had a good time. Her classmates behaved really well the entire time we were there, and displayed more patience and manners than I've ever seen of three and four-year olds.

The weekend before Christmas we went to Travis's great-grandmother's home for another Christmas party for the family. Avery has a cousin just a few months older than her, and it was fun for her to spend some time with him. We don't exchange gifts, but we have a nice dinner, and this year we did an "auction" with some $1-3 items that several people brought along, We used fake money and everyone went home with a little prize. It was nice to see people in my husband's family that we don't see as much during the year.

Throughout the whole month we did our Christmas shopping, and we finished up our shopping on the Sunday before Christmas with a trip to Grove City, PA. We didn't have the kids with us and it was fun to just spend time shopping with Travis, and get the last few items we needed.

My parents came into town the Monday before Christmas, and stayed with us for a day before heading over to PA. We hadn't seen them for several months, so it was nice for them to spend some time with Avery and Kendall. We ordered pizza and they left the next morning. (We had plans to seen them the weekend after Christmas)

Travis finished up work for the year on December 22nd, and it has been great having him home for so many days in a row. The month of December has flown by, like it always does, but I am happy that we were able to celebrate all month long.

Next post (coming soon...) - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Happy 1st Birthday Kendall

My second baby turned one today. I can hardly believe it. This year has really flown by in so many ways, and even with the tough times, I'm sad to see it go. My little baby is growing up.

For me, this year has been so different than my first year as a mother. I really embraced having a baby this time around, and was much more prepared for what it means to have a baby. Early on I established regular routines for Kendall which made both of our lives so much easier. It's actually been really great having a big sister around to "help" me with Kendall, even if that has just meant sitting on the floor and talking to her and playing with her now.

Honestly, Kendall has been very easy going from the time we were in the hospital a year ago. I remember holding her in those first 24 hours and thinking about how calm and content she was. I love that no matter how worked up she gets, she always calms quickly when she's in my arms. I know that this is only for a season of life, so I try to enjoy all of the little moments. I am still nursing her, and I'll likely be weaning soon, so I also enjoy the closeness and I get with her in the mornings and evenings.

I love her so much and while I'm sad the she's growing up a little too quickly, I'm excited about watching her become her own little person.

Backyard Update

In the beginning of September, we gave our backyard a bit of a makeover. I have always loved spending time in our backyard, and we are fortunate to back up to a treeline. It feels relatively private for living in a Ryan Homes development, and my husband has done a fabulous job of landscaping our yard. We built our original deck within just a few months of moving into our home in 2007, and we added the patio a year later. We have a dining table and a grill on the deck, and a firepit on the patio, and we tend to spend most of our outside time on the patio.

We had talked about putting a hot tub in the backyard for years because we have always loved sitting in hot tubs when we go on vacation. However, the thought of spending that much money on one item put us off for many, many years. We also knew that if we did ever get a hot tub, it would take up a pretty big area on the existing deck. We knew we would have to do some work to our existing deck to reinforce it for the weight, or recess it into the deck, and we talked about our ideas literally for years!

This summer, the timing finally felt right and we decided to go for it.

We bought a hot tub in August, and just recently finished expanding our deck, and I am really enjoying our new Jacuzzi hot tub. It can comfortably fit 6-7 people, and it has a lounge seat and two "cool down" seats, which are essentially just raised seats perfect for kids (and myself.) Avery and Kendall are really enjoying it, and we are keeping the temperature in the high 90's for now (as opposed to the low 100's) so it's not too warm for them. Growing up, my parents actually had a hot tub in their basement, and I remember my sister and I "swimming" in it, so I knew Avery would enjoy it too. Travis loves teaching Avery fun games like Marco Polo and Sharks and Minnows.

Before it was delivered, Travis had to take apart our existing deck and reinforce it for the weight, and also run the electrical wiring, which were decent sized projects. At the same time, he greatly expanded out existing deck, with my help of course. It took him about 2 weeks to get everything ready, but it was well worth it. We discovered that Avery also apparently loves building decks haha. At her preschool open house, she told her teachers that her favorite activity to do with her family is "build decks." How cute is that?

I have used the hot tub almost every day since we got it. It really is the perfect way to relax after a long day, and I'm excited to continue using it as the weather cools.

Avery's First Homework Assignment

On Thursday when I picked Avery up from preschool, she had a bag with the class mascot, Spot - a little stuffed dog. She was given a little journal and she had to have mommy or daddy write a little something about what kind of things Avery and Spot did. Spot goes home with a different student each weekend, and it's a cute idea. She helped me by telling me what she did, and then we printed the following 'blurb', and pictures, and she helped me put them in the journal.

Dear Boys and Girls,

This weekend Spot spent some time with Avery. They really enjoyed playing together, and Spot especially enjoyed sleeping in a sleeping bag next to Avery every night. 

Spot met Avery's mom, dad, baby sister Kendall, and her dog Ranger. We did so many fun things during the visit. We played outside on the swing set and tree house. Avery and Spot played with many of her Disney princesses, such as Anna, Elsa, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Ariel. She also took Spot for a fun ride in her tricycle. 

Spot also enjoyed helping to take care of Avery's favorite baby dolls - Baby Coco and Baby Willis. It was a fabulous weekend.

Love, 

Spot, Avery, and Family

She did really well, and I'm just hoping we remember to take it all back in tomorrow ;) We also received a monthly email update from her teachers over the weekend letting us know that Avery was doing extremely well with the transition to preschool, and that she loved playing with the baby dolls in the class (and she takes really good care of them haha.) They let us know that something we could work on was how to hold a writing utensil correctly. This Thursday I get to go on a field trip with her and her class. I'm looking forward to see how it goes, and how she interacts with the teachers and other kids.  I'm so glad that she likes school so much and it's making for a fabulous September so far!

First Day of Preschool for Avery

Today was the first day of 3-Year Old Preschool for Avery. We've been gearing up for it all summer, and I think she (and I) were definitely ready.

We met her teachers last week, and she liked them right away. At the parent meeting, they expressed how important it was for the parents to stay calm while dropping your kids off, and to leave as quickly as possible. I actually wasn't feeling too nervous about it, because I've taken Avery to the Eagle's Nest at Giant Eagle while I do my grocery shopping a few times this summer, and she has absolutely loved it! 

Last night (and most of the day yesterday) I talked about how much fun it was going to be at school today. Avery seems to do better when I tell her what's happening well in advance. She received some "jitter glitter" to put under her pillow last night from her teachers, to calm her down before the first day. 

I woke her up this morning around 7:30. She's been waking up between 7:30 and 8 most of the summer, so it wasn't much of an adjustment. However, she can sometimes take forever to get ready for things, so I knew I'd have to keep things moving this morning. She did attempt her regular "delay tactics" but we were ready in plenty of time, and were out the door just before 9, for her 9:15 start time.

 

When we arrived, she was pretty quiet, and I couldn't tell how she was feeling. She has two friends already from her mommy-and-me class last year, and she was happy to see familiar faces this morning. Travis knew I'd be a little anxious, so he came along too - to see her off, and keep me steady. When the teachers opened the door, she walked right toward them, and was the first one to go in! I said goodbye, and we were on our way! I held back the tears until I walked out the door, and talked to a few parents about how were were all doing with this. 

I drove home with Kendall and it felt so strange. Normally I play princess music and talk to Avery in the car now, so it seemed quiet without her. It was nice to have a little time with Kendall on her own before she went down for her nap. Then she napped, and it was amazing! I'm not gonna lie...I sometimes need a little time to myself to recharge, and I haven't had much time to myself since Kendall was born, and Avery doesn't nap anymore. I'm hoping to do more running and blogging while Avery is in school, and we are off to a great start! 

When I picked up Avery, she was totally happy, and looking forward to going back tomorrow. She hasn't told me much about what she did, but I also didn't grill her about it, because if she is happy, that's all I care about right now. Also...she peed on the potty as soon as she came home, and relieved my other worry about having an accident while at school. I know that could still happen, but I'm feeling better about everything and so glad she had a great morning at school!

Our Summer So Far

Our summer is already about half over...but with all of the rain we've had, it doesn't seem like it. We've been busy so far, and we started the summer getting some pictures of the girls at JCPenney. They turned out so great and I'm so happy we bought them. Kendall is at the perfect age for cute baby pictures now that she's kind of sitting up, and both girls are so beautiful!! (haha my opinion of course.) Here are a few of my favorites:

We have these two close-ups hanging in our bedroom in 8x10 size:

I know that I'm going to love looking at these pictures for a long time! Honestly...both girls were smiling, and there may have been a few tears from the older one in between shots (she still doesn't love having her picture taken) but the photographer did a great job making them smile and laugh when it mattered.

Other than that, things have just been pretty routine around here. After doing 2 rounds of the 21-day fix, I'm making an effort to stay about 85-90% on track with clean eating, especially at home, and I'm still trying to figure out how to not spend my entire day prepping meals and washing dishes haha. I feel so much healthier, and my weight definitely shows, but I was so used to eating prepared and processed meals that only take a few minutes, and now dinner always takes 30-45 minutes to make. I also haven't had as much time for blogging because I was trying to get my 30 minute workout and shower in during Kendall's first nap. I'm going to lower my intensity a little now though since I'm more in maintenance mode and trying to make this a lifestyle change and not just a temporary phase. So hopefully that means a few more blog posts in the upcoming months.

Over the Fourth, we went to spend time with my family. Some highlights included going to the playground, and taking Kendall on the boat to watch Avery go tubing with my mom. I also water-skied for the first time since having Kendall, and I got up on my first try and went all the way around the lake!! I wasn't so lucky on my second try, but then I tried one more time and went around the lake again. It felt good to ski and made me feel like things are going back to normal. I think all of my workouts have been making me stronger too, because it actually wasn't too bad getting up on my ski. Avery and Kendall got some quality time with their aunt and uncles, and their cousin Cooper too. It's fun watching our kids at all of their different ages and stages.

On Sunday, we took a trip to Columbus to see a friend that I hadn't seen since I was pregnant with Avery! She has two boys ages 5 and 3, and we had lunch with them and did some shopping. It was fun catching up and meeting her kids, and seeing Avery interact with them. Kendall napped on the way their and the way back...and we timed it perfectly which made it a little easier too.

And to wrap up the post...one more cute pic of Kendall!

21 Day Fix Results

I finished my first round of the 21 day fix, and it went really well! My focus has been to create a lifestyle change, and to do that by eating cleanly especially during the week. I've also worked to incorporate protein, fruits, and veggies into all of my meals...instead of eating grains or carbs at every meal. In the meantime, I've cut waaaay back on eating dairy, and drinking lattes from Starbucks, and drinking beer just by following the plan (without really meaning to.)

So...in case you are wondering, I'm down 11 pounds! I actually lost 10 pounds in about 2 weeks and stayed the same for the last week, but now a few days later I'm actually down another pound or two. I think after losing that much, that quickly, my body was holding on to a little bit for the last week, even though I was still working out and eating well. I'm also amazed because my stomach is by far the most improved area of my body...exactly what I was hoping!

I'm really happy with the results, and going to do one more round in another week with another support group on Facebook. At this point, I do feel like I've changed many of my habits, and I think I would do fine on my own to maintain my weight, but I want to lose another 5-7 pounds, and I think I can knock it out it another round with a lot of accountability.

What I've found is that this lifestyle is really easy for me when I'm eating at home and making my own food...which I do probably 85% of the time. It's not as easy for me when I go out to eat, even though there are healthy options at restaurants. I want to work on making better choices when we are out to eat because for some reason...I almost treat eating out like "my last meal" and I struggle with wanting my favorite foods like cheeseburgers or pasta. I am not giving up those foods altogether, but I need to be able to go out to eat and find healthier options that satisfy me as well. It's also not easy for me when I go somewhere else (like a potluck) to make great choices, but I figure I'll work on that and still just focus mainly on eating well at home.

In terms of the workouts, I have really enjoyed them much more that I anticipated. I like that they are short enough to fit in every day, but you really work for 30 minutes. I also like that it's a 7-day cycle, and so it's a different workout every day. I have always had relatively strong legs, and a weaker upper body, but I can already tell a huge difference in both! Just yesterday as I was holding a plank for 60 seconds, I was actually thinking I could almost hold it longer! I also need to get some heavier weights already because some of the exercises are getting too easy, whereas I had to modify many of the exercises just a few weeks ago. I do miss running right now, but I tried about 2 weeks ago, and determined that it must be the swinging arm motion that gives me clogged ducts...so running is still out :( In the meantime I can do these workouts for now and keep myself in shape.

Overall, I think the 21-day fix has been a really great program for me, and I would definitely recommend others to try it too!

Kendall - 5.5 Month Update

Seriously....how fast is time flying by?! Kendall turned five months old on April 30, and is just growing up so quickly! I wanted to do this update closer to then, but she's already 5.5 months so I guess that's just how it goes. It seems like she became a lot more interactive in her 5th month of life. She babbles happily, and loudly, and loves when we acknowledge her and talk back. She studies her big sister all the time, and likes to be held by Avery now.

Avery also asks to hold her several times a day, so it's lucky Kendall is so easygoing. She is becoming a lot more "grabby" and she's great at holding things and even switching items between hands. She finally found her feet and loves to look at them and play with them. She's still so happy and just such an easy baby to figure out her needs.

Even transitioning her from being swaddled to no swaddle at bedtime and naps was a breeze, unlike her big sister. I was beginning to stress about it once she started rolling because I knew we couldn't swaddle her anymore. When we stopped swaddling Avery, it was very difficult because she would wake up and not be able to sooth herself back to sleep. However, I started putting Kendall in a breathable, wearable blanket with her arms free in the beginning of April, and she did great! She really didn't wake up and actually has now started sleeping longer again - going from about 8 pm to 6-6:30 am and eating, then right back down until 8 am, when her and Avery both get up. I still occasionally use the pacifier if she's being fussy before a nap, but she has a little lamb lovey (comfort object) and that seems to help her go to sleep easily.

She is mostly wearing 6 months size clothes, but can wear some 9 months things too. While she has her own, I do put her in a lot of Avery's old clothes. It's amazes me because I feel like Avery was just in them! The outfit she's wearing above was actually Avery's. It's good that we've had a warm spring because Avery wore most of these sizes in the summer.

Speaking of the weather, it's been nice to finally be able to take her outdoors and let her get some fresh air. Both of my kids love being outside, and so do I, so I love when the temperatures start to warm up, but we aren't in the dead heat of summer just yet.

A few more things about Kendall:

• Her hair started falling out, and she looks like she has a toupee/mullet combo...which only a baby can pull off as stylish!
• She can almost sit up on her own, and sits up really well supported.
• She finally likes tummy time and will reach for her toys by rolling/going on her side or tummy, and then going back onto her back...still her preferable position for playing.
• She is chewing on everything, and makes me think she's teething, but not showing too much pain yet, so who knows when her first teeth will cut. 
• She loves when I tickle her belly and has a very cute laugh.
• She is only in the 16th percentile for weight, but close to the 50th for height.
• She does not currently have the stranger anxiety Avery had at this age, and I'm so glad!
• She is still 100% on breast milk, and we'll be starting solids right around 6 months. She definitely watches us eat though, and is becoming more interested in food. 
• She started doing an adorable "fake cough" I can't seem to get enough of...I love it! She'll start coughing, then I'll cough back, and she'll give me a huge smile!

Kendall is just such a happy and "chill" baby, and I love her to pieces! I'm looking forward to what the summer will bring!

21-Day Fix

About 2 weeks ago I was contacted by a Beachbody coach to see if I was interested in the Beachbody program as either a participant or coach. Since running hasn't been working out for me very well, and I know my eating habits could use an overhaul, I decided to give the 21-day fix a try. My main concern before signing up was that I'm still breastfeeding Kendall, but I was told I could go up one calorie bracket, and other nursing moms have been successful. I figured I might as well give it a shot!

I signed up, and received all of my things on Thursday. My package included food containers, eating guidebook, 3 workout dvd's with about eight 30-minute workouts along with a 10-minute ab workout, and chocolate Shakeology (meal replacement drink) with lots of add-in ideas. I'm also part of a Facebook group which gives tons of support, ideas, recipes, and information to help you along. The Facebook group started a week before the actual program and gave lots of ideas about eating clean and grocery shopping, etc. I got really motivated and started eating clean for a few days before I received my containers. As soon as I got them, I started using them, even though the actual program didn't start until yesterday. Basically each container represents different foods - proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, cheese, nuts, and a few teaspoons of fat (oil/nut butter.) I get a set number of portions of each container to use throughout the day, and the goal is to fill them with foods on a specified list, and it's really simple after you get the hang of it.

I have to say...so far I am loving this program! I was worried about going on a "diet" and I had already told myself if I was hungry, I would eat more because I didn't want to jeopardize my milk supply. However, I realized in just a few days, that this isn't so much of a diet, but more making sure that what you are eating every day is balanced for optimal nutrition. It's definitely changed my eating habits, and I've eaten more protein than I probably have ever eaten in my life! Using my running as an excuse, I kind of turned into a carboholic, and while I tried to eat vegetables, I definitely wasn't eating enough. I was also worried because there isn't much dairy on this program, but honestly, I haven't missed it too much in the week that I've been eating (relatively) clean. 

As far as my milk supply, it's better than ever, and probably the healthiest it's ever been for Kendall! I feel like a fabulous mom knowing that I'm doing my best to eat a well-rounded diet, and she's getting all the good nutrients from me. It's also having the domino effect of Travis and Avery eating healthier meals, because that's what I'm making! The only "cheats" that I'm allowing are a cup of coffee every morning with milk and sugar, which is down from my normal 3-4 cups per day, including a daily latte from Starbucks. I've been replacing my afternoon Starbucks fix with my Shakeology, and if I need caffeine, I can actually add iced black coffee to it...guilt free! I also had a beer on Friday night, but I'm going to really try to limit that for the next few weeks, or have a glass of wine a few nights...which I can sub for one of my carb containers. 

In just a week of eating clean, and using my containers for 5 days, I can already see a difference in my body (mostly my post-baby belly haha.) I am waiting to weigh myself for now, but I can tell that my clothes are already fitting better and I'm feeling like my old self again!

I did have a minor hiccup - I did my first official workout yesterday, and I figured the workouts would be the easy part for me. It went pretty well...as I expected, but it had a lot of new exercises I had never done. Later in the day, I stood up with Kendall after a nursing session, and felt shooting pain in my back...bad enough to have my husband come home early from work. We're pretty sure I pulled a muscle in my back. I limited my movements yesterday, and it's still sore today, but much better than yesterday. I'm probably not going to do my workout today, because I don't want to injure it anymore, but maybe I 'll do two tomorrow to catch up (we'll see.) I guess that's just something that happens sometimes when we get older...reminding me that I'm turning 33 in just a few short weeks!

I'll keep posting my thoughts and progress along this little journey, but so far I'm really pleased and hopeful that I'll see some great results!

Our April

Our last month has been an interesting one, and it's hard to believe it's already May! Kendall had her 4-month doctor appointment, and Avery had her 3-year appointment at the same time. I'm thankful for two healthy girls.

I, however, was not doing too well, and on the weekend after their doctor appointment, my breastfeeding issues came to a point where I almost gave up. I had been dealing with clogged ducts on and off for many weeks, and then all of a sudden, I was having bleeding issues too, and Kendall was ingesting a lot of blood. I was feeling really frustrated because it was painful to nurse, and I was sore between nursing sessions. Also, my "go to" to alleviate stress is to run, and running seemed to be causing some of the problems.

I spoke with a lactation consultant a few times, and also ended up going to my doctor to make sure there wasn't a more serious problem (which there wasn't.) I started taking a lecethin supplement several times a day and trying my best to avoid foods with a high saturated fat content. Both seemed to really help and after about a week I finally didn't have any clogged ducts! I stayed clog-free for almost 3 weeks until I tried running a few times again, which definitely does seem to cause problems, so I'm done running for a little while. Breastfeeding seems to be going well again now (knock on wood.)

In the meantime, Avery finished her first year of pre-school...which was actually mommy-and-me preschool. She had a great year, and I'm looking forward to when she goes three days a week next year. She helped me make lollipop flowers the night before to give to her friends on the last day. She also got her teacher a nice flower that she could plant outside this spring.

I also got all of my pictures together of her at school, along with all of the crafts she made throughout the year, and I made a nice scrapbook for her to keep. It was a good way to keep all of her things and not have them floating around our house or thrown away anytime soon, which leads me to my next point.

I have started working on Avery and Kendall's Baby books (finally.) I have partially worked on Avery's before, but I'm trying to finish hers and keep up with Kendall's. They take up a lot of time, which has been cutting into my blogging time, but I'm working on making time for both.

Hopefully I'll post more in May than I did in April...we'll see.