Happy Halloween

I had a lot of fun today with baby for her first Halloween. ADORABLE!

Dear Strangers, Please don’t ask about my baby’s hemangioma

At about a week old, a spot appeared on the back of baby girl’s head. Hubby and I actually noticed it at her newborn assessment appointment and were worried because it looked like a bruise (oh no…what were they going to think?! We didn’t do a thing!). The nurse practitioner immediately knew it was the beginning of a hemangioma (also called a strawberry mark) and said not to worry about it.

Over the course of probably about 4 months, the hemangioma grew—as they do. It is heart shaped and is about the size of a large marble. None of you readers would even know she has it because it’s in such an inconspicuous spot.

From the moment I did research and saw that the hemangioma would become larger and then gradually disappear, I knew that I would never want her to feel like this was a “deformity”, but when she was old enough to understand, I wanted her to feel like it was something unique about her—her own special heart stamp that God gave her.

And after being in public, I am afraid that this is going to be a heart wrenching task for hubby and me.

You wouldn’t believe the random strangers that come up to us in the grocery store and ask us what that spot is on her head. “Is that a birthmark? What happened to her head? What is that thing?” Fingers pointing all the while.

This past weekend this woman rolled her motorized scooter in front of our stroller to ask these questions, trapping us in the spot. When hubby explained what it was, she said, “well that sucks…”.

And what do you do with that kind of a comment about your beautiful baby girl with a pretty little strawberry heart on the back of her head. It crushes you. It breaks your heart for her. I am so glad she does not understand.

I know that these strangers are just curious, but I would never, ever go up to someone and ask them what was wrong with their child.

I know that kids will be curious—but we also once had a boy ask me a bunch of questions about the strawberry mark and then proceed to ask questions like, “will her hood even fit over her head?” (it’s not that big) and the parent did not even correct him. What is wrong with people?

I’m not sure what my point of writing this post is—maybe just to get my thoughts out of my head. I wish strangers wouldn’t ask, but for our beautiful baby girl, hubby and I will continue to answer these questions as if it is no big deal. And when she understands, we will make sure that these questions are always answered with positivity and pride. Even if our hearts are breaking for her on the inside.

I want to go hiking in Arizona again!

Back in February, my sister and I took a trip to Arizona. We were both pregnant, only three weeks apart! This was a quick trip for the two of us before we both welcomed our new babies and became busy with motherhood (this was my sister’s 4th so she was taking a much needed break). It was a fun and relaxing trip.

One of my favorite parts about the trip was going to the Echo Canyon trail and hiking. We didn’t go far, but it was a good workout for our pregnant selves anyways!

It was such a beautiful place. This was my first visit to a dessert terrain and I thought it was gorgeous. I cannot wait to go back someday with the family. I look forward to being at a good fitness level so that we can go as a family, or just hubby and I on a getaway, and go hiking on the trails.

To make the climb more enjoyable, it would be helpful to have a good pair of hiking shoes. I just wore my general running shoes while hiking—but when going down some of those steep inclines (while pregnant), I would have loved to have a little better traction with some good hiking shoes on!  I like the ones sold at The Clymb and they are actually affordable. They have a good selection of trail running shoes found in The Clymb’s women’s trail running shoes section also.

We were told that February was one of the best times to visit. It was warmer than the frigid temperatures at home, but not at Arizona’s hottest and humid temperatures. It was perfect. If we return, I think February would be the best time to do so—especially if we planned on going hiking.

I think my favorite way of getting exercise is doing things like this—hiking and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. It will be a little harder to go hiking now that we have a baby, but it would also be the perfect “date afternoon” activity—even in Iowa!

What’s your favorite way to get some exercise? Do you like to hike? What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever gone for a hike?

On to Level 3

I completed Day 1/5 of the 30 Day Shred Level 3 this morning. I had to pause the workout after circuit 1 because baby woke up from her nap—but I brought her in the room with me to play while I finished the workout.

She watched me while doing my workout. She would sit there and smile while I did jumping jacks and walking push ups. I hope to be a good example to her in healthy living. I’ve got this!

Let’s not mention the fact that when she gets old enough to imitate me in her play, she will think all of the complaining and groaning is a part of working out.

Where did the week go?

Wow—where did the time go? I’ve been busy this week and haven’t even checked in. And it’s Friday already!

We’ll start with weigh in today—I was up 1.8 lbs. but I was expecting a gain because I went off plan for an anniversary meal and then ended up going off plan the next day for pretty much the entire day.

I got back on track yesterday and am doing well today. I actually feel so much better and more satisfied following my eating plan.

I literally did not have a spare moment Monday through Wednesday so I didn’t get my workouts in. I will complete Level 3 of the 30 Day Shred starting on Monday since I didn’t get that in. That’s ok though. Life happened.

My parents visited and my mom stayed for part of the week. That was nice!

Hubby and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary and actually got to go out on our first real date since baby was born. There was sushi, Japanese food, and cupcakes. It was fun spending quality time together.

I also hosted a little “crafternoon”. A few of us made burlap wreaths. It was fun and I loved how mine turned out! All of ours were different.

I am loving the fresh flowers in the house. Hubby brought me roses, I’m still enjoying a few flowers from my birthday bouquet, and someone brought flowers to the crafternoon. Pretty!

And I thought I’d end with a picture of baby and her pretty eyes.

Week 2 Complete

It feels good to have accomplished another 5 days of 30 Day Shred- Level 2. And I’m glad I’m done because I’m sick of it—hopefully Level 3 will be enough to shake things up a bit! I’m definitely ready to move on to a different workout after completing Level 3 next week!

I had my husband take “before” pictures of me this morning (over a week late). I wore my tightest yoga pants (that I wouldn’t wear out of the house) and a tight tank top. And I cannot wait to see the “after” pictures because the “before” pictures are pretty depressing. Oofta. But at least I’ll really be able to see the differences in my pictures since my clothes are tight- that was the idea.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

Day 4/5 of Week 2 Complete

Just checking in to let you know that I completed day 4/5. One more day!

I decided to get it done first thing this morning so that it was done and over with. Now I can relax (sort of) for the rest of the day without worrying about working out. Yay!

I want to go on to do 5 days of Level 3 next week. Mostly because of my type A personality. It wouldn’t feel complete without adding on 5 days of Level 3 and it would just bug me- even though I’m ready for something a little different and with less impact!

Who’s with me? April, are you in again?

First Weigh in on My New Plan and I am Shocked

I lost 5 lbs.! In one week…ME…the one who has such hard time losing weight.

And the awesome thing is that I am not hungry. If I am, well I can eat.

Hubby even likes the meals that I am cooking and has lost a bit of weight himself (he already lost any weight he may have needed to lose when we decided to diet together back in July…I fell off the wagon back then).

I am successfully living without coffee creamer (I know…amazing) but I have some fairly good substitutes. I’m getting used to it.

I’ve already taken my two rest days for the week…so now I have to workout today, tomorrow and Sunday to meet my goal. I can do this!

And I’m only 5 lbs. away from my 10 lb. goal!!!

Penny Pinching Tip: Save on Groceries with Snap by Groupon

Snap by Groupon is an app that is new to me. But there are some great benefits to using it!

Probably the greatest part about this app is the ease of use. All you have to do is take a picture of your receipt and submit it. Once you hit $20 in savings, you can request a check.

The second greatest part about Snap by Groupon is that you can earn money back on purchases at ANY store. So that means I can shop at my local grocery store if I want to.

I like to take advantage of the savings on items that I already buy like fruits and veggies, milk, bread, and toothpaste.

The only downside to this app is that the quantities of the offers must be limited because eventually the items are marked as “All Gone” and if I haven’t had time to make it to the store, I miss out on the offers.

But it’s very easy to manage because there are generally less offers in a given week than there are on some of the other apps out there. Don’t forget you can earn money back on other apps at the same time. I love to double up my savings between apps.

Sign up today!

Another Day Complete 2/5

I really didn’t feel like working out today but I somehow found the motivation to do it. I’m glad that I did.

Yesterday I took a rest day due to the painful hip/knee issue. I felt better this morning…so that was no excuse for today!

My new eating plan is going very well. I am satisfied. I’m not seeing those huge fluctuations on the scale like I’m used to. I’ve also seen some weight loss—yippee!

Week 2: Level 2- Day 1/5 Complete, etc.

Whew! Got in level 2 today. It felt good to move some different muscles. I really noticed my leg/knee hurting on level 2 though. I noticed I can’t bend my knee all the way—ouch!

I’m pretty proud of myself because last week I completed 5 days of Level 1 and also went on two walks. I even went above and beyond my workout goal.

I’ve been drinking a lot of water. I always drink a lot of water but I started tracking how much I actually drink. 135 oz. yesterday, 144 oz. Saturday, and 121 oz. on Friday. It seems like I am thirsty all of the time! I took a quiz and it said that I should aim for 118 oz. of water a day, so I’m not that far off!

In baby news, she started rolling over last Wednesday and this morning she rolled across the living room! She’s learning that she can get to things that she wants to see and touch. They sure catch on fast.

She also has two teeth now. We also started feeding her solids. We’re feeding her squash this week and she really likes it but she hasn’t quite mastered the tongue movements to swallow much of it yet. It’s pretty cute!

Day 5/5 Complete- Week 1 Challenge Complete

I woke up early this morning to get in the last day of my 30 Day Shred workout for the week! I feel good now that it’s over (except for this hip/knee/leg pain!).

Next week my workout buddy, April, and I are going to do 5 days of Level 2. Anyone is free to join in! The accountability helps. You can comment or shoot me an email.

And Kudos to April for finishing this week too!

Yesterday, we went on a 45 minute walk as a family. I love the fresh air and all of the colorful leaves. Baby is still loving the walks. It was funny because she’d start fussing and hubby and I were like, well we better head home…and then we’d notice her hat had slipped over her eyes and she was just letting us know she couldn’t see. Slide the hat up and all was well! lol So cute.

Hope you are having a good weekend!

Day 4/5 Complete and Weigh in Day

Only one more day left to meet my weekly 30 Day Shred goal! Yesterday I even went for a 1 hour walk. Told ya I have more energy.

I weighed in this morning and lost .9 for the week—so close to a pound! I am still above where I started a month ago, but just barely.

Because I cannot seem to make WW work for me, I have started a new healthy eating plan today. I will still track my points for the heck of it (and since I’ve paid for 3 months…).

I’m going to be a tease and not tell you what I’m doing! I will let you know when I lose 10 lbs. I want to make sure it works before I announce a new plan, etc. Anyone who knows—SHHHHH! It’s our little secret.

But I’m feeling hopeful again. I’m excited to be learning a new plan. I’m having fun looking at recipes and reading success stories. I’m dreaming of how I will fit into my old clothes again. I’m imagining the day where I can wear that pretty red dress I bought a long time ago that I’ve never worn…someday!

Day 3/5 Complete

Whoohoo! Only two more days left and I will have met my weekly goal.

I am sweaty today. Whew. It feels good to have a sense of accomplishment for having completed my workout today. I also think working out is giving me more energy—yippee!

Time got away from me yesterday and I didn’t get my blog post in for the day. But I woke up with horrible hip pain and was just achy all over. I called it a rest day.

And I am glad I did so because today I feel 99% better. My hip is still achy but it seem to be chronically achy. I probably need to go to the Chiro. I have pain from my hip/butt down my thigh, into my knee and down my leg into my foot (on my left side). I’m hoping getting more activity in my days will eventually alleviate the achiness.

I previously said that I would finish week 1 and then decide what I want to do next week. I’m contemplating doing 5 days of Level 2 next week. Maybe my Level 1 buddy, April, wants to join me? Anyone else is welcome too!!

I think that having a very attainable exercise goal this week is helping me.

Day 2/5 Complete and Working out as a Mom

I am slightly sore today; namely my quads, pectorals and knees. But it’s not so bad. I feel better overall. BUT maybe I should take some ibuprofen prior to my workout tomorrow because I felt a little lethargic due to the soreness.

Today I tried completing the 30 Day Shred while baby was awake. I put her under her hanging toys and got to work. She was ok at first but got increasingly fussy. I had to pause for a few seconds here and there to give her a toy or move her under different hanging toys to keep her entertained. She watched me do jumping jacks a bit and fussed when I stopped to rest  ( lol ) and also watched Jillian and the girls do jumping jacks for a bit.

Overall, it wasn’t the best way to complete a workout, but at least I got it done. The biggest failure is that when I was finished I didn’t feel “refreshed”, instead I felt stressed because I spent most of the workout worrying about the baby. BUT I think she may have been getting tired because it wasn’t too long after I finished the workout that she went down for a nap.

There is no way I’d be able to walk or run on the treadmill while she is awake though. It’s a little more difficult to stop a workout like that to entertain a baby. Although, I shouldn’t say never until I actually try it. She might be happy a bit longer if I put her in her jumperoo.

But it is possible for moms to workout with a baby. It just takes motivation, planning and patience.

I’m working on the motivation, can you tell? This week is a success! I also have had to plan accordingly. I.E. get dressed and ready for my workout when baby is happily sleeping or happily playing. That way, I can workout when she is happily playing or happily sleeping. And everyone stays happy, you see? ; )

This new mom thing is definitely a learning experience! Slowly but surely I am getting it. I shouldn’t say that because babies know when parents are starting to feel more confident and then throw their parents a curveball to let them know who’s boss!! Let me be clear, I am getting better but I am also a beginner and still learning! (please don’t throw me another curveball, dear baby)

Day 1 of 5 Complete and Contemplating Rising Early

I did it!

My morning was off schedule so I ended up doing the workout while baby took her afternoon nap. I like to be able to shower in the morning, but I told myself I had to wait until I completed my workout.

I will admit that I was out of breath during the warm up. How sad is that? lol

But it felt wonderful to move, what felt like, every muscle in my body.

I used 3 lb. weights because I wasn’t sure how much I would be able to handle on day 1! I could probably increase that amount but we’ll see how my arms feel tomorrow! It’s the legs I’m most worried about.

I am contemplating setting a 5 a.m. wake up time to become part of my schedule. Right now it just sounds horrific.

But while working, there were times when I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to get my workout in. And I still go to bed at the same time at night. If baby would have a bad night, I could always keep sleeping in the morning to make sure I get my rest.

OR I could just wake up at 4:30 a.m. when my husband wakes up. More than likely I would sit awake in bed from 4:30 to 5 a.m. anyways. IDK.

Then again, if I can fit in my workout every single day on my current schedule (wake up when baby does-- which was 5:50 a.m. this morning) then maybe I shouldn’t worry about it. I do know that I do better when I get the workout out of the way in the morning though. And if I have any plans for the day, it makes it difficult to get my workout in if I don’t get it done first thing.

Anyways, just thinking “out loud” here. Any SAHMs out there? How do you fit in your workouts?

30 Day Shred Challenge for 5 Days

Ok, here's what's up!

I am going to do level 1 of the 30 Day Shred next week for 5 days.

After that, I will reevaluate and decide if I want to do it another week or choose a different weekly goal.

Anyone who wants to do this with me... Hit up the comments! April said she's in!

I know this is going to kill me... It has been a LONG time since I did any intense exercise!

So I’ve been thinking…

I might give myself a fitness challenge.

I’m thinking maybe the 30 Day Shred? I’m not sure if I want to do it 30 days straight or maybe just 5 days per week. I’m leaning towards 5 days per week because I will probably be so incredibly sore from not being as active lately!!

If I do this, anyone want to join me? I’d start Monday.

What’s up in my world

Happy October!

On the weight loss front, it’s hard to believe that a month has almost passed since I started Weight Watchers again. I will be hoping to have a loss on Friday so that I can at least see a tiny bit of progress for the month. I’ll be honest, I am still struggling—but the scale has been showing a tiny bit of love anyways.

Baby girl is 5 months old today. Where has the time gone?

I put together her height chair yesterday because pretty soon she will be starting to eat solids! For now, I let her sit in it and play while we eat supper. She likes to be able to see what’s going on at the table. Nosy little baby. hehe She was pretty excited to sit in it!

We have gone camping a couple of times, including a night last weekend. It is fun! After baby goes to sleep, hubby and I can have some time just sitting by the fire and talking under the stars.

We plan to do a lot more camping next year. We invested in a little camper and it’s just perfect for our little family.

In other news, I used some of my birthday money to buy the Skinny Taste cookbook! I’m pretty excited to try out some recipes soon.

I have been loving my coffee lately. I didn’t drink much (and only decaf) when I was pregnant. What’s your favorite K-Cup? Mine has been the Door County Heavenly Caramel. There’s a local store that sells it.

I have been struggling with what to blog about lately. I’m obviously struggling in the weight loss department so don’t feel like I have a whole lot to share there. I don’t want to QUIT blogging because I like to do it and I have not quit trying in the weight loss department either. What topics do you like to read about? What has drawn you to this blog in the past? now?

I do feel like I am making tiny steps. I’m starting to get back into old (healthy) habits that went to the way-side while pregnant. Slowly but surely. Maybe it just takes some time.