My Easter Girls

Here is a sneak peak of the photo session I had with the girls for Easter. Be on the look out in your mail box for a spring greeting!!!!

Visit with Aunt Joan

Aunt Joan came to visit the girls on Saturday afternoon. Jesse was finishing his final test for his teaching certification and it was nice to have Aunt Joan come over to visit and help with the girls.

We took the girls to the mall for lunch and there is a carousel in this mall right in the middle of the food court. The girls had more fun staring at all the lights and moving objects on the carousel than they did with eating. I did give them tomatoes and cucumbers off of my salad to eat as something new to try. Addison loved her cucumbers and sucked on them for most of the lunch. I don't know how cucumbers could taste that good or what she was getting out of sucking on them but she was completely content. Riley was not as thrilled with the cucumbers and wanted me to keep giving her puffs. That girl is a carbaholic I think.

After lunch we walked around the mall for a while and let the girls take in all the sights. I got some yummy frozen yogurt with fruit which was a little treat on my diet. After going so long without real sweets, frozen yogurt with fruit tastes like candy to me.

We went back to the house and Aunt Joan played with the girls, sang them songs, and read them stories. The girls were just thrilled with all the attention.

Aunt Joan was so sweet to bring the girls some cute new yellow dresses. They look perfect for Easter/spring. I put the dresses on the girls the next day and tried to take a few pictures for Aunt Joan and the girls were not cooperating. Below are the shots I got. I got one perfect shot but then I realized the camera was on video mode so that is what the last video at the bottom is. There is nothing to it, I just liked the shot. Here is the disaster photo shoot attempt.

Why are we doing this mom???


Oops, sister is falling over to go crawl away


I'm tired mom, why do we have to keep doing this?


Oh my, a halfway decent picture:


And the short video clip with a decent shot:

Visit to the Easter Bunny

This last Friday during our regular mall visit, we stopped to let the girls visit the Easter Bunny. I know at this age the Easter Bunny is more scary then exciting but as a first time mom, I had to have the girls sit and have their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny.

The first shot was okay, the girls were not crying but not smiling either

 

Then they got a good look at who was holding them and the crying began:

 

They both calmed down once we got them away from that scary bunny. LOL Ahhh...the things we put our children through....

Monday Morning Weigh In: March 29th

Today's weight is: 151.6 pounds. That puts me down 8.6 pounds total in 1.5 weeks!!!

I am very pleased with this steady weight loss. I feel as though I have the food part of my diet down. I'm not starving, I'm just eating good food and smaller portions. Go figure that when you eat right and put only the best things into your body, you can lose weight. I have tried so many different diets and weight loss programs in the past but I didn't see such good results after the 1st weeks is over. I've tried Atkins where my body freaked out from not having the carbs and I ended up binging on carbs after I couldn't take it any longer. I have done diet drinks and pills which never work. And lastly, I did weight watchers right before I got pregnant with the girls. I did pretty well on that program but I always found a way to eat the crap food and fit it into "my points" and that would stall my weight loss. I've tried reducing my calories significantly and that only leads me binging as well.

This time, I am eating lots of fruits and vegetables and basically food with little preservatives. I have almonds and apples with peanut butter for snacks, egg beaters omletts and such for breakfast along with oatmeal. And for lunch I am usually eating a turkey or tuna sandwich. Dinners are chicken breast or turkey beef with vegetables.

I have not given into temptations around me. My mom and Jesse aren't eating like I am so I have to see all the bad snacks around the house and fast food that comes in and out. I'm passing up cookies and staying strong. I do want to eat some of those foods at some points but I grab something healthy and then the urge passes. I am happy with my success so far and I hope it continues. I only have 6.8 more pounds to lose before the San Diego trip and I have a little over 8 weeks before we leave. I'm thinking if the success and hard work continues I may be able to lose a bit more than the 6.8 pounds. Wish me luck.

Mama

Riley has long since been saying dadda all the time. If you tell her to say mama, she will listen to you and then say "dada, dada,dada". Dada was her first word and she loves to say it all the time. Finally this week she can say mama. She does it and doesn't even realize it, I'm sure. If you catch her saying mama, and repeat it to her, she will then go back to saying dada. But as a mother, it is nice to finally hear mama out of your baby's mouth (even if she doesn't quite know what she is saying yet).

My Girls are 11 months

Here we are, another month down! My oh my, they will be a year old next month. Planning is underway for their 1st birthday. I was looking at a local park as the place to hold the party but this park is under construction and all of their ramadas and picnic areas are not available. I'm now looking for another park in the area that will suit our needs. Once that is finalized, the invitations will mailed out. The date for the party is Saturday April 24th at around 1pm is what I am leaning towards but the date for Saturday is already set in stone if you want to mark your calendars.

Addison ~ My sweet girl. Addison is my happy girl who loves to play with her toys by herself and can play with the same toy for hours. Sometimes she gets interested in what her sister is playing with and takes it away from her but usually she is content with the toys right in front of her. Addie loves to giggle and laugh and give you a big smile whenever you walk into the room. She takes after her daddy's personality and is more laid back.









So far Addie:

- is just about crawling. She does more of an army crawl right now and then likes to get up on all fours but hasn't got the coordination down to fully crawl yet.
- has no teeth yet. I am surprised by this but I can see the teeth under the gums on their way so it should be soon.
- still takes exclusive breast milk by bottle.
- loves green beans, mac n' cheese, turkey, chicken, and bananas
- is not talking that much but she does say "ba-ba" and "la-la" but no formed words yet.
- loves her cookie jar that sings to her and the piano.
- is a true daddy's girl
- is wearing size 3 diapers
- is wearing 12 mo clothes and some 18 month stuff that is still big. She also has some 9mo pants and such that still fit.
- loves bath time and going on walks
- loves playing with toys that make noise and books

Riley ~ my outgoing girl. She loves to be the center of attention. She doesn't like to stay in one place or play with one toy for long. She is a lot like her mamma. She likes to learn new things and really studies people and objects. She can find the tiniest spec of dirt or fuzz on the floor and inspect it by putting it in her mouth. She enjoys cuddling with mom, ridding on dad's shoulders, going for walks, and shopping with mom. She is a mommy's girl through and through.







For Riley:

- is not crawling either but gets around in an army crawl sort of way. She can move all over the place by scooting around. She can sit with her legs spread eagle, lay her belly down, and go right on to her belly to start crawling. This girl is flexible.
- has her two bottom teeth and her top right tooth. She cut this one while we were in TX. She is cutting the top left tooth now.
- still takes exclusive breast milk by bottle
- also loves green beans, mac n' cheese, chicken, turkey, bananas, cheese, and most of all, her Gerber puffs
- is a mommy's girl
- is wearing size 3 diapers
- is wearing size 12 mo clothes and some 18 months
- loves bath time, walks, and shopping
- loves her books, and educational toys

I'm so proud of our little girls and I never knew how much motherhood would change me. I never knew that I could love like this before and I thank God every day for our little blessings. I just hope the next year slows down a little bit, but I'm sure that it will probably go even faster.

A little excited

I am still doing well on my weight loss, surprisingly enough. I am down 7 pounds now in a week in a half!!!! Woohoo!!!! Each day gets easier and I am actually not finishing the food on my plate on some meals. I know when to stop when I am full and I am eating all kinds of good things.

My girls turned 11 months today. I have another post for them all typed up, I just want to add some quick pictures to the post before I add it to the blog so stay tuned.

I'm only 3 weeks away from finishing my last class in my masters program too. All of these things have me in a good mood. I am looking forward to spring and summer and all of the activities we will be able to do without school on our schedules.

Monday Morning Weigh In : Day 5 - 73 Days until San Diego

I am really seeing the payoff right now. I am down almost 5 pounds in 5 days. That isn't bad is it??? Inspired by my best friend who is also doing a weight loss program. I am going to post my weight for the world to see. I have been keeping my weight a secret since many people know me as a smaller framed person and probably can't see me weighing this much. When I started my program last week I weighed in at 160.2. Eeekkk.

Now the only other time in my life when I weight this much was after I graduated from High School I was in a car accident where I was hit from behind. This accident really messed up my back and I was not able to be active and I was living on my own for the first time in my life. Needless to say, I didn't make the best choices on my eating and activity habits. I weighed as much as 167 and that happened to be the same weight as my boyfriend at the time. That sparked a big weight loss program where I was able to get down to 118 pounds in a period of six months. The first 25 pounds came off from working hard at the gym with a trainer, changing my eating habits, and being more active. The second 25 pounds came off after that relationship ended and I didn't eat much at all. I don't recommend the break-up diet to anyone but it did work in my favor. LOL

This morning I weighed in at 155.4 pounds. Woohoo!!! Almost 5 pounds down, 11.4 more to get to my first goal before San Diego. I love to see the progress and that really keeps me motivated through out the day. I know that my rewards will not always be present on the scale so on the days that I don't lose weight or even gain a small bit will not bring me down. I am in this for the long haul, not just until our trip to San Diego. I would like to have a better life style change that will stick with me so I don't have to yoyo up and down all the time. My work pants are already fitting better. I didn't want to run out and buy new work pants so this diet is already saving me some money on new clothes. Although I did buy a pair of skinny jeans that I found on the clearance wrack at American Eagle. I hope to be able to wear those in San Diego. Who knows, I may blow through that size faster than I think and I may need a "new" pair of skinny jeans. New clothes can be motivation, am I right ladies???

I'm going to post a few of my favorite things to eat right now in case you all want to know what is working for me. I am loving the Quaker Lower Sugar Instant Oatmeal - Maple and Brown Sugar. I love this stuff. It is quick and easy and I add a bit of peanut butter to the oatmeal to give it a little more taste and some extra protein. My favorite snack is apple slices and peanut butter. Do you see a peanut butter theme here? This girl loves peanut butter. :) I'm also eating lots of fresh fruits. For veggies I have been using the Steam Fresh bags to get my veggies quickly but I hope to add more fresh veggies into the routine here as well. Chicken and Turkey are my main protein with some occasional tuna.

So here you go, my first Monday weigh in with plenty of progress to report. My goal this week is to add in more exercise to help keep my momentum going. Wish me luck!

Day 3 - 75 days until trip

I am doing pretty well on my "not diet" diet. It has been less than a week of changes and I can already see some rewards. I feel better overall knowing I am making a change and putting better foods in my body. I've lost 4 pounds total and I am spending more time in the kitchen on food preparation. This is something that I don't normally do. I can usually say I don't have the time, but that isn't 100% true. While I have limited time, I can find a few minutes here and there for grocery shopping and preparing my food ahead of time. This will be especially important during the week when work and school get the best of me.

I haven't added my exercise in yet but Jesse and I are taking the girls on a walk to the park in a little bit. Then I will be making chicken on the grill with lots of veggies to go with my grilled chicken.

Yesterday I was very hungry all day. I made good choices despite going to the mall and the movies where there are many temptations. I ate a turkey sandwhich from Paradise Bakery with a side salad and a fruit cup. I saved my fruit cup to eat during the movies with a pack of almonds I threw in my purse. I had to sit back and watch Jesse eat a yummy Chinese meal and a whole medium popcorn in the movie but I held strong. I even brought a bottle of Crystal Light to drink instead of getting a soda.

So my point is, I can make changes and adapt to my surroundings. Do I want to eat junk food? Yes I do, but I also like how my body is feeling right now and I am loving the progress so far. I would like to lose 11 more pounds before the San Diego trip. I would be thrilled with more but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I'm also looking forward to the March of Dimes walk which will be a great cause to walk for as well as good exercise.

Getting in Shape

I’m finally getting serious about losing some weight. When we came back from Texas, I was a little disappointed in my weight after eating too much on the vacation. I was lucky to lose all of my pregnancy weight at about 3 weeks post partum but since then I have put on 12 pounds.

I have tried hard to keep my milk supply up and that requires extra calories and my personal favorite, oatmeal cookies. Now that I am less than six weeks away from the girls turning 1, I can stand to give up a little of my supply so I am putting myself on a better diet. I’m not saying I am “dieting” as a term. I am just eating better choices and giving up snacking at work. When I really thought about it, I was snacking almost all day at work and that was contributing to my excess weight gain.

I started this “plan” as I am calling it when we came home from Texas. That was exactly 10 weeks until we go on our next vacation to San Diego. Right now I don’t want to be caught dead in bathing suit or even shorts. Tank tops look horrible on me and I am just overall depressed about my body. I want to be that healthy person I was prior to getting married and having kids. I know this is easier said than done. My life is way more busy than it was back in the days where Jesse and I played on 4 sand volley ball leagues a week. At that point, I could eat just about anything and not gain weight since I was so active. Now, I don’t get much organized exercise and that doesn’t’ help me burn the calories I need to lose weight. My goal is to lose a total of 15 pounds in the 10 weeks before we go to San Diego, more if possible but I am not setting unrealistic goals. Overall I want to lose a total of about 35 pounds by the end of the summer.

This week has been a good change so far. I feel better when I eat better and I feel like I want to be more active with the girls and Jesse. I really need the help and support of my friends and family while I do this. Please leave me comments and cheer me on while I try to make this change. I plan to put a weekly update each Monday with my progress. So far this week I have lost 3.2 pounds. Woohoo. I hope to report a 1 to 1.5 pounds per week to make my goal. Feel free to leave me comments with suggestions or tips if you found anything that has worked or not worked for you.

Here is to 4 years of Marriage

Today is our 4th wedding anniversary. Last year I spent our anniversary in a hospital bed dying to get out to finish the pregnancy at home and this year I am dying to have a night or two alone in bed. LOL No, really this last year was nice to celebrate a wonderful year that has changed our lives. Instead of spending a nice dinner alone, I made dinner for the family. The girls, Jesse and I ate dinner on the patio out by the pool. The girls sat in their bumbos on the table and celebrated with us.

Jesse got me some beautiful roses and a sweet card. He also found some funny wine for me. It was a white Zinfandel called Mad Housewife. It tasted fine and the bottle was really funny.



I made Jesse a collage frame with various pictures and a little poem. I was also a nice wife and got him a gift card for his video games despite the fact I am not a fan of all the video game playing. Sometimes you have to give a little, right???



We took Addie by the pool again and she cried again as well. I guess she is just not a fan of cool water at this point.



After I took her away from the water she gave me a sweet smile



I'm thankful for another great year and many more to come.

St. Patrick's Day = Summer???

Apparently summer has hit Phoenix already this year. Today on St. Patrick's Day our high temperature in Phoenix today was 85 degrees and boy did it feel warm. We tried to get the girls in some green outfits but the only green shirts they had were in 18 months size and way too big. I didn't buy anything St. Patrick's Day related so they ended up wearing white tank tops and shorts today. There were some hidden green in the tank tops but nothing you would actually notice.

Jesse took the girls up to my work today to visit during my lunch break. Jesse is thoroughly enjoying Spring Break. I am most definitely jealous of his week vacation but at least he thought to bring the girls up to work so I could get some extra time with them.

After I got home form work we decided to take the girls out by the pool and dip their feet in to cool them off. Addison was not a fan of the pool at all. She actually started to cry every time we got her near the pool. She didn't like the cold water or being by the water. I hope that is just some silly reaction today and she will learn to love the water. In Phoenix we spend so much time in the pool to survive the summers so we need to have happy water babies.

Riley just loved the water and enjoyed splashing and dipping her toes in the water. She just had a big smile on her face the whole time. So we got one for one liking the water.

Addison calming down with Daddy away from the pool:



Riley giving us her big smiles:





After some fun in the sun Riley's happiness carried over into the house





Addie was tired and cranky so I didn't get any good shots of her today. I will try again tomorrow.

Texas Trip

Boy oh boy did we have fun. I can't believe we have taken the girls on 3 trips away from home. This trip went really well. We were only sad that the trip was so short and we didn't get to do everything we wanted to do and see.

The girls were great plane riders again on the short 2 hour plane trip. We almost didn't make our flight. We got to the Phoenix airport 1.5 hours before our flight and we encountered the worst traffic jam of passengers heading in and out of Phoenix that I have ever seen. It took us forever to get to the curb check-in and even longer to get us through the line to get our boarding passes and check our luggage. The girls were not too happy about that. Once we got to our gate, the flight had already boarded and they were getting ready to close the doors. Luckily we made it just in time.

Here are some pictures from the plane. We were lucky again and had a whole row to ourselves so we could sit a baby down and eat and feed them instead of holding them both the entire flight.

Daddy and Riley:



Addison sitting by herself in the empty seat:



Riley trying to steal our snacks:



We got to TX and Trinity had a hang-up trying to find us at the arrival curb. Apparently DFW is the 3rd largest airport and it can be a real pain in the neck to get in and out. The wind was really blowing so we were trying to keep the girls warm while we waited by giving them our sweatshirts and sweaters to wear:

Addison getting daddy's sweatshirt:



Riley all bundled up:



After a few (hundred) circles, Trinity finally found us. We made it back to her place in one piece and we were able to introduce our two families to each other. Trinity was a perfect hostess and made us dinner that night.

The next day, Jenny and Brian were traveling down to meet us and spend the day. It was so nice to meet two of my good friends from SK. Jenny and Brian are Texas natives and sweet as can be. We all decided to go out to a local Mexican restaurant that is famous for great food with a perfect garden environment. Before we left, Jenny got some great shots of Riley eating a snack:





Jesse was set to meet up with some of his friends from his online message board to do some bowling so he was not able to stay and eat with us, but we enjoyed the Mexican food without him.

The girls got to eat some refried beans, cheese, and chicken and love it all. They made a big mess of their new outfits Trinity bought them. She is so sweet to get them an outfit all three girls could wear. We tried to pass them off as triplets but something was a little off with the girls 3rd addition. LOL Penny's beautiful brown eyes were a dead giveaway that she was not related. :)

Here are the pics from dinner and the beautiful gardens:

Jenny and I waiting in line to get into the restaurant


Addison all messy at the dinner table:



3 friends, Trinity, me, and Jenny:


Another shot by the beautiful fountain. Can you tell we were stuffed with Mexican food? Jenny looked beautiful and super skinny in this shot. (No fair) LOL:



All the lovely ladies:


4 different poses with the 3 matching girls. We had to do several to try and get them looking at the camera. They didn't always cooperate:









After lunch we went back to the house to visit a while longer before Jenny and Brian had to head home. Jenny's birthday was the next day and she was headed home to welcome her family the next day. Jenny got a good pose with Riley before they left:



On Sunday, Trinity, Penny, Piper, the Girls, and I all went to the Mills mall for some retail therapy. We enjoyed the shopping and wearing out the girls. We took a few pictures outside of Rain Forrest Cafe:





All in all, it was a great trip. I wish we could have stayed longer so we were not so rushed. I'm so glad I got to meet some good of my good SK friends in person and allow the three little girls some time to play together. Penny worked hard to teach the girls how to move around and crawl but so far they are staying stationary.

Another "Tricks" Video

Here is another video of the girls showing their tricks. They will clap, wave, say "dadda", and scrunch up their noses. Enjoy the fun:



And some still shots:

The scrunchy faces of Riley

The girls love to scrunch up their faces and sniff through their noses, if that makes any sense. If you do it, they will do it back. Daddy calls it their funny faces. We have caught more faces of Riley doing it. Check out the pictures to see what we mean. They make us laugh every time they do it.









and one happy picture of Addie for good measure: