Weekend Wrap-Up

It was another busy summer weekend in our house.  It was hot, sticky and rainy around here this weekend as well and the continued construction on our road is really starting to get hold fast (i.e. living on a mud road sucks).

Friday I had a doctor appointment for my allergies and left work early.  My mom watches Jeanette on Fridays so I picked her up afterwards and headed home to wait for Andrew to get off work.  Once he was home, we headed to the American Legion for the end of the month steak dinner.  We met my mom, dad, grandma and cousin down there for dinner and it was great!  You really can't be $25 for a steak dinner for two that comes with salad, a baked potato, garlic bread and dessert.

Saturday morning we headed up to Andrew's brother and sister-in-laws house on the north side of Columbus to celebrate our niece turning 5!  I cannot believe that she will be starting kindergarten in August!  We helped decorate and prep the food, visited with everyone and had a great time watching the kids play.  Just when we were ready to take Jeanette for her first dip in the pool, a summer storm cut loose and we were all running back inside.  It rained on and off for the rest of the party.  We got home late Saturday night and just hung out together.

Sunday was a long day.  Andrew works on Sunday's now so I get my "alone day" with Andrew, but I had to run all of my weekend errands alone since we didn't get them done on Saturday.  Jeanette and I headed to Target since they had baby pajamas on sale and Jeanette is outgrowing hers like crazy!  She may still be wearing some 3 month clothes but her 6 month pajamas are too short.  I picked up a few other outfits for her as well and we headed to Meijer to do our grocery shopping.  Putting Jeanette in the baby bjorn makes shopping along so much easier.  I know I could set her in the cart in the car seat, but then there is no room for the groceries.  When we got home, she played in the crib while I unloaded and then the crabby hour began.  Last Sunday Jeanette also had a bad day and was so crabby and yesterday was no different.  I'm not sure if it's teeth, bad sleep or what the issue is but bottom line, I didn't get much done.

I also didn't workout all weekend, which I am now regretting but I hope to workout everyday this week and maybe even this weekend as well.  I did resist cake at the birthday party and I've even cut down my alcohol consumption.  We only drink on the weekends but I maybe had two glasses of wine and for that I am happy!  I'm still a work in progress and I hope to make some improvements this week!

What did you do this weekend? 

Holding myself accountable

I'm tired of feeling so terrible about my body and my weight so at 5 months postpartum I'm going to hold myself accountable to doing something about this!  I feel like taking these photos (god help me) and putting all of this out there is only going to make me want this more!  My goals might not be all about weight loss, I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin, I don't want to cry when I try to put on my summer clothes, I don't want to go up another pants size, I just want to feel like me again.

So here it is, in all of it's glory......my before photos, measurements and.........weight!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry that these photos sort of suck, but that's my post-baby body in all it's.....glory.  

Measurements and Weight:

Weight: 200lbs - this is the heaviest I have ever been in my life.  Prior to being pregnant I was at 180 which was before this the heaviest I have ever been.  

Goal Weight: 150 or 140 - I was 150 when I met Andrew in 2008

Pant size: 16, ugh

Goal Pant Size: 10, I would die if I could fit into an 8 again but that hasn't happened since 2004

Top size: XL or Large

Goal Top Size: Large and maybe medium, I have a big bust and it doesn't usually go down too much when I loose weight.  

Bra size: 38DDD - Even though I quit breastfeeding they are still huge.  They were a 38D before I got pregnant.

Waist: 38"

Hips: 48" (big booty Judy over here)

Chest: 43" - this was wearing a sports bra

Right Arm: 11 3/4"

Left Arm: 11 1/2"

Right Thigh and Left Thigh: 24"

Resting Blood Pressure: 110/60

Other goals: No longer wearing Spanx or my "gut sucker" under my clothes all the time.  Being able to borrow clothes from my mom again because even though she's 55, my momma is a stylish woman, feeling good in a bathing suit, getting my belly button re-pierced (yes I remember how bad it hurt the first time) and being healthy for Jeanette.  I don't want to give her any of the body image complexes I have had before.  

Workout Routine:

Most amazing workout ever! 

Tony Horton is amazing and funny!

If you are not a fan of jumping up and down in your living room, running in place and such, then the PiYo workout may just be what you are looking for!  I have long been searching for a workout I can do at home that gives me a good burn but doesn't make me feel awful for hours afterwards and let me tell you PiYo does just that!  After having a c-section, I found that traditional core work was hard for me.  I love Power90 and have done that series before, but the jumping jacks and some of the other moves really hurt my scar area.  The yoga moves really help open up my hips, which I really need and even after just three days, I've noticed my posture is better and I feel so much more relaxed when it's time for bed.

Power 90 is amazing as well, it was sort of the older sibling of P90x and is better for someone who's just starting out.  Tony Horton is a riot in these videos and they have a person who modifies the moves as well.  I love the Fat Burner Express DVD and it was filmed in Hawaii so it's not only a good workout but pretty to watch.  I ordered these DVD's off Amazon a long time ago and dusted them back off before I found out about PiYo.

If you love to read other mom blogs like me, then you may know Allie from Table for More.  She's also a Beach Body Coach and I purchased PiYo through her.  

So there it is folks, I am going to hold myself accountable.  I am on day three of the PiYo workout and plan to mix in some Power90 as well as long walks with Jeanette.  We also purchased a bike trailer for her so we can finally start riding some of the great trails around central Ohio again.   

Jeanette - 5 months old

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I can't believe that we are just one month away from the 6 month mark!!!  It's so crazy to think that at this time last year I was starting to tell people that I was pregnant!  

Height: 26 1/2 inches

Weight: 14lbs, 1oz

Clothes/Diapers: Girlfriend is still rocking a lot of size 0-3 month and 3 month clothes, although some 3-6 month dresses are fitting her better now.  She's still in a size one diaper, but I plan to buy some size two's this week since I think the other's are getting to short in the waist area.  

Sleep:  I can't tell you how thankful we are to have a baby that sleeps through the night!  Jeanette usually goes to bed around 9-10pm and wakes up around 7am.  She's been bad at napping lately, I think the 4 month sleep regression might have been to blame.  She seems to enjoy napping late in the day, say around 1 or 3pm.  

Feedings: Jeanette eats 5 ounces of formula about every 4 hours.  She now gets rice or oatmeal cereal two times a day, at lunch time and around 7pm.  She LOVES the cereal and goes nuts when she sees me coming with the bowl.  She opens her mouth like a baby bird and squeals in delight, it's one of my favorite times of the day with her because she's so happy!  

Best Moment(s):   Jeanette's baptism on June 1st was pretty amazing and such a wonderful day with our family and friends.  I know I will remember that day for a very long time.  There have been other super adorable moments this month as well: when you walk past Jeanette in her exersaucer or her seat, she will reach up for you to hold her, she's also trying super hard to hold the bottle on her own now and gets so excited when it's time to eat, she has the most amazing laugh in the world and we could listen to her giggle for hours and her grasp is incredible!  She can transfer objects from one hand to another!  

Worst Moment(s):  Around the middle of the month, I think that Jeanette started teething.  It seems to come and go but there are nights when she just can't handle the pain.  I have been using the natural Orajel and the teething keys that you put in the freezer.  When she's really bad we give her Tylenol.  There was one night were nothing could soothe her, I took her up in her room, shut all the blinds and turned off the lights, turned on her teddy bear that plays nice music and just rocked her.  It was so hard to watch her cry, she didn't want the pacifier and ended up sucking on a wet washcloth for a good hour till she finally calmed down.  

Development:  You are really good at grasping objects and love your rattles and woobies.  You don't stay on your playmat for long because you are too busy rolling across the floor.  You love to be on your belly and look around at things.  You're latest thing is pulling down objects, for example when we get ready for bed at night I hang your PJ's on the changing table and you like to get a hold of them and rub them all over your face.  You also like to lay on your belly and move your legs and arms a lot like you are trying to crawl.  You haven't quite figured out how to get up on all fours just yet!    

Jeanette Dislikes:  There really isn't much Jeanette doesn't like at the moment. 

Anything else?:  We are really enjoying this age!  Jeanette is so bubbly and sweet that I just want to spend all my time looking at her and playing with her.  Her personality is really starting to shine through and I love to watch her learn and grow.  Some mornings when I get her out of bed (which is only a few days during the week), I swear she looks like she has grown a bunch overnight and maybe she has.  

Jeanette Loves:  Exploring your world, rolling across the room, having your cereal, putting your hands in mommy's mouth or pulling on my nose or hair, watching the cat and dog, sucking on your fingers or thumb, reaching up for people to pick you up when they walk past you, playing in your exersaucer, watching mommy work out and "helping" fold the laundry.   

A Lovely Saturday

This past weekend Andrew and I headed up north of our house to visit with his parents as well as his great aunt who is in a nursing home.  On the way back from the nursing home, we stopped for a walk at a new park near his parents house.  Shale Hollow Preserve Park is located in Delaware County, just north of Columbus, Ohio.  The park opened in December of 2013, but we didn't go to the opening since I was 8 months pregnant.

Part of the reason we have been so excited to go to this park is that part of the property once belonged to Andrew's paternal grandparents.  His dad grew up there and in the summer Andrew and his siblings would stay with them and play in the very creek where we hiked around on Saturday afternoon.  The weather was gorgeous and since my sister-in-law had told me the trails weren't exactly stroller friendly, I popped Jeanette in the Baby Bjorn and she promptly passed out.  

The park was very peaceful and pretty, there was one other family there when we started out on our walk so the quiet was nice.   

Shale Cliffs

Part of a concretion left in the shale cliff

More concretions, these are ancient formations.
Andrew's grandpa used to take a front end loader and dig them out.

The beautiful creek.

The only disappointment of the park was that I didn't get to see the sections of the creek where Andrew got to play as a kid, but according to the park website, there will be an expansion of the park coming in the next year or so.  I'm excited to see what other features they add and to one day be able to take Jeanette to play in the creek and explore once she's big enough to run around.   

To my husband

This weekend will be Andrew's first Father's Day.  Even though he has to work on Sunday, I plan on trying to make the day special for him.  I had a few photo gifts made for him (will post pics after he see's them) and got him a subscription to the Dollar Shave Club.  My brother is having a small cookout at his house on Sunday to celebrate with everyone.  

To be quite honest, I never could picture Andrew being a dad.  Don't take that the wrong way, but he is the baby of the family and was never around babies growing up.  When his brother and wife had their first daughter 5 years ago, Andrew wouldn't even hold her!  I knew he would be a good dad, I just couldn't picture how he would be with a baby.  Thankfully, this guys a natural!!!!

I remember how amazing he was the whole time I was in labor.  He kept me calm, timed all of my contractions, held my hand, went to get ice chips for me a hundred times, snuck me bites of his food and drinks of his pop since I wasn't allowed to have anything but ice chips and rolled with the punches when they said I needed a c-section.  When he got into the OR however, he was a nervous wreck and I thought he was going to pass out.  Thankfully he pulled through and didn't drop to the floor.  When we got back to the room, after my mom left and the chaos calmed, I saw him cry for the first time in the six years I have known him, tears of pure joy and happiness that we were parents.  

He never left my side at the hospital.  He was supportive and helpful with the breast feeding.  He changed diapers, learned to swaddle from the nurses and always made sure I was comfortable.  

If I didn't already love Andrew more than anything in the world, seeing him with our daughter makes me love him even more.  I cry sometimes just seeing the bond between the two of them.  Andrew is an even more amazing dad in my eyes because he changed his work schedule to be home with Jeanette one day a week.  Not only does this save us money, but it's an amazing time for the two of them to bond.  Just the other day he came home from work and just scooped her right out of my arms because he could not wait to see her.  I remember when she was first born and we couldn't calm her down he would rock her and hold her little hands and that always seemed to make her happy and sometimes it still does.  

Happy First Father's Day!  Here's to many more to come! 

What they don't tell you - the postpartum period

After having Jeanette, I knew it would be a long time before my life, body and relationships got back to normal.  Now at four, almost five months old, I feel like Jeanette and I have a really good routine and we are really in sync with one another.

Recovering after giving birth, whether it's vaginally or a c-section, is not easy and the postpartum period can last for quite a long time.  Here are my top ten things no one told me about the postpartum period:

1. The bleeding: I know they will tell you about this, but no one can really tell you how long it will last.  Mine was about 6 almost 7 weeks.  Thank god for Always Infinity pads, they were pretty much all I wore after the giant diaper pads I had for the first week.
2. The leaking: I made it three months with the breastfeeding, which I felt okay with after the fact.  But there are random days when my boobs will leak and I don't even know it till I look down and see two wet spots on my shirt.  
3. The hair loss: at 4 months postpartum my hair is falling out like crazy.  When I comb it after a shower, there is a lot left in the comb.  When I dry it, there is hair all over the floor and the sink and lets not even talk about what happens when I style my hair.  I already have pretty thin/fine hair and I don't want to go bald.
4. The acne: also at 4 months postpartum I am breaking out like a teenager.  My forehead and chin seem to be the problem areas and I've been washing my face twice a day, applying Clearasil to my zits and trying not to touch my face.
5. Strange new body hair: my stomach has lots of fine baby hairs all over it that I don't remember being so noticeable before.  I swear my leg hair grows faster now and since it's pretty much summer, I have to shave every other day.
6. Loss of bladder control: stay off those trampolines and watch out if you're doing jumping jacks or working out.  Frequent trips to the bathroom are key!
7. Your hips won't go back to normal right away: and there isn't much you can do about it!  I have always had big hips and a booty but now, both are even bigger.  I've been trying hard to eat right and hopefully get back into working out again soon.  I have found that some of my pre-pregnancy pants fit and others are too tight in the hips.  
8. The crying: I'm not talking about PPD or the baby blues, but trust that you will cry a lot more and you will cry over things you never imagined you would.  You will cry the first time your baby smiles at you, the first time they laugh, the first time you see your husband hold them, the first time they meet new family members and pretty much every time they learn something new.  Keep the tissues handy!
9. Your tastes may change: Before I got pregnant, I loved spicy food especially spicy chinese and hot wings.  When I was pregnant, spicy food tore my stomach apart so I avoided it for a good 6 months.  Now I still can't eat anything spicy and I've really given up on trying.  I also now really don't like some of the foods I had aversions to while I was pregnant, like pork, brats and hot dogs.  Just the though of eating them makes me sick.
10. Intimacy: I won't get too graphic here, but the first time after baby is going to be a little awkward and possibly a little uncomfortable.  You want to make sure you use your preferred method of protection if you don't want to have another little one in nine months.  Breast feeding is not a form of birth control, or at least that's what my midwife told me.  

Was there anything you didn't expect during the postpartum period, especially the momma's who had natural and/or vaginal births?   

Jeanette's Baptism

Jeanette was baptized on Sunday at the same church where Andrew and I were married.  Our church does baptisms on the first Sunday of the month during noon mass or the third Sunday of the month at 1:30pm.  We chose to have her baptism during mass and there were two other babies baptized that day.

My brother Adam and my cousin Rebecca were chosen to be her godparents.  Rebecca was my confirmation sponsor and we have always been very close.  She is the only cousin on my mom's side that is even remotely close to my age, since my mom is the baby and was the last one to have kids.  I have always looked up to her, respected her and gone to her for advice over the years.  My brother Adam is my best friend and he loves Jeanette so much it makes my heart hurt.  I know he will be a great support to her in the years to come.

Jeanette wore my baptism dress
Her bib and socks are from London, my
aunt and uncle had just visited there.

Getting her dressed

All smiles at the church

My favorite photo, the light coming in through the windows was so pretty.

With my parents and the godparents.

After the mass, we had lunch and cake at my parents house.  I was so happy that so many people were able to come including Andrew's family, my late grandfathers sister, my dad's brother and wife from PA, most of my family from PA and a few friends.  Jeanette was a doll all day, she napped great, let everyone hold her and hardly made a fuss.  I don't think I held her much at all!

I can't wait for more of these wonderful family events!