silly Jillybeans

Mmmm...

2008-08-24T02:41:00.002-05:00

It's good to be pregnant right now.

I'm still up. I was hungry. I had some Baked Cheetos, then some Cheerios Snack Mix, then some more Baked Cheetos. I seriously could've finished off that bag of Cheetos. But I didn't. I moved on to a frozen burrito. Man, they're good. Put a spoonful of fat-free sour cream on the plate and lots of Taco Bell hot sauce (thank goodness for extra packets lying around!).

Could it BE any better than that? Eating at 2:30am?! It was nice - I worked on the crossword puzzle from the Saturday edition of the Sunday paper. Normally, I'd work on the Sudoku, but I miraculously completed it earlier this evening! I think that might've only been the 2nd time I've ever successfully finished a Sunday Sudoku!

It's been a good day.

Another Digiscrapping Attempt...

2008-08-17T01:14:00.002-05:00

I believe I managed to complete this page in about an hour...I think what takes the longest is going through all of my different digital scrapbooking files/downloads and finding the right papers, embellishments, etc.

10 Weeks...Digiscrapped!

2008-08-08T21:53:00.002-05:00

Giving Digital Scrapbooking the Ol' College Try...

2008-08-07T19:10:00.003-05:00

What do you think?

I've tried Digital Scrapbooking a couple of different times, and this time, I finally stuck with it long enough to get a page completed! I think I like it...it has the potential to be faster, cleaner, and maybe even cheaper than conventional scrapbooking. No, I'm NOT giving up "paper" scrapbooking - I just have SO many pictures that I want to do something with and this may be a faster option for many of them...if that makes sense.

Anyway, I got all of the elements of this page for FREE off the internet! There are soooo many websites that let you download free digiscrapping files! Richard has even commented, "If those are the free ones, imagine what you'd get if you paid money!" Needless to say, there are many, beautiful pages, page kits, and embellishments out there!

Notes from my Nest Beautiful Bag Giveaway - Check it out!!!

2008-06-23T10:33:00.004-05:00

Pink Lemonade Bags is giving away this beautiful bag at Notes From My Nest. Click here for more details on the giveaway and to enter the contest. Deadline to enter is noon (EST) on July 2nd and the contest is open to US residents only.

Be sure to check out The Pink Lemonade Bags on Etsy, too!!!

One Word

2008-06-02T14:13:00.002-05:00

I'm a sucker for surveys & the such! On this particular one (thanks, Amberly!), you are supposed to answer each question with one word only. Here are my answers... let's see yours on your blog!

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk

2. Where is your significant other? Work

3. Your hair? Fixed.

4. Your mother? Dallas.

5. Your father? Helpful.

6. Your favorite thing? Family.

7. Your dream last night? Spider.

8. Your favorite drink? Shoemaker.

9. Your dream/goal? Travel.

10. The room you're in? Office.

11. Your hobby? Crafting.

12. Your fear? Loss.

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? 33.

14. Where were you last night? Home.

15. What you're not? Passive.

16. Muffins? Yep.

17. One of your wish list items? London.

18. Where you grew up? Dallas.

19. The last thing you did? Sing.

20. What are you wearing? Glasses.

21. Your TV? Big.

22. Your pets? Allergies.

23. Your computer? On.

24. Your life? Fulfilling.

25. Your mood? Mixed.

26. Missing someone? Yes.

27. Your car? Jeep.

28. Something you're not wearing? Hat.

29. Favorite store? Michaels (really, it's Hobby Lobby, but that's 2 words).

30. Your summer? Inside.

31. Like someone? Definitely.

32. Your favorite color? Lots.

33. When is the last time you laughed? Today.

34. Last time you cried? Uncertain.

35. Who will resend this? Surprise.

2008-05-10T00:46:00.000-05:00

Fuddruckers with Jillian and her "Best Friends"

2008-05-09T22:44:00.001-05:00

Last night, we met up with Debbie, John, and Olivia at Fuddruckers to kickoff Mother's Day Weekend with a yummy dinner and fun company!

Jillian left the house excited, saying that Olivia was her best friend, but because she didn't feel like napping that day, she promptly fell asleep on the way to dinner (sleeping in the car is a rarity!)...it means that Richard and I can actually have a conversation!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: isn't she precious?!

Fun times with Mommy!

Being Jillian's Mommy is the most special thing in the world to me!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2008-04-29T23:48:00.002-05:00

5 Minutes for Mom is having an exciting photo contest. In case you aren't familiar with their site, it is an incredibly fun and helpful parenting resource! I highly recommend you check it out!

Here is the picture I'm entering into their "What Motherhood Means To Me" photo contest:

There are so many pictures I have taken of sweet Jillian that mean so much to me as her mother, but this one stands out in my mind as one that stands for what motherhood means to me, as it captures the pure innocence that we, as mothers, so often witness. The pensive look on Jillian's face - as she looks out into the distance - also seems to accurately convey how bittersweet it can be, as a mother, to think into the future - one that perhaps isn't so distant - and to realize that children grow up so quickly.

Nike+ Saucony =

2008-04-26T13:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I got my new, Nike+ SportBand in the mail! I had pre-ordered it so that it would be delivered as soon as it officially hit the market, and boy, am I glad! Click on the "next" button after going to the link and it shows how the band works - VERY COOL! AND, in adding the link to this post, I discovered that it even offers training programs!

As for the "Saucony" portion of the title, I got new running shoes delivered earlier this week! It's a little sooner than I planned on getting new shoes, but I've always felt something wasn't right with my previous shoes. Don't get me wrong - I've always loved New Balances, but I made the mistake of not going to Run On! to get a shoe suggestion based on my walk and run. I had gone there a few years back, learned my feet overpronate, and bought the NB shoes to help with that problem. SO, after finally being in enough pain 2 weekends ago (after doing a practice run of the 5k route I intended on running the next day in a race), I went to Run On! and got their opinion. Turns out the shoe was OVER correcting the pronation problem and that I didn't need that much stability. So they helped me find the shoe I ended up getting for much cheaper online (I feel a little guilty about how much they helped me and then turning around and getting that very same shoe somewhere else, but hey, it's their choice to not have a competitive price, right?).

So now, I've got some goals set and am tracking them here. I'm also participating in a couple of challenges: The "Run for your car" race (at the request of Richard...we're both running for Jeep) and a Starters Challenge. The only discouraging part about all of this is that it seems my watch that I was using to track my information was a tad off. I think it's really only off by about a tenth of a mile, but even that small of a number still cuts into the pace that I thought I had established. Just to make sure, I may try to recalibrate the Nike+ Sport Band if, after mapping a certain route it seems at all off. That way, come race time, I'm not thrown for a loop!

Check back for my running progress! I'll be posting my updated running stats on the sidebar - here is what it will look like:

Another Awesome, Earthy Site!

2008-04-24T15:09:00.002-05:00

dkMommy Spot is one of my new, favorite websites to visit! Lots of great "green" info and ideas!!! It even has a drop-down with different categories of information - super helpful for super busy moms out there!

Add this cool site to your bloglines - I did!

New Running Stats!

2008-04-07T20:21:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm going to try to get better about recording my running stats, so here goes:

4/3 stats:

Distance: 3.265 miles if my memory serves correctly...I will update if I actually find the little slip of paper I wrote the stats on (but I know it was over a 5k in 28'55").

Time: 28'55"
Pace: 8'51" per mile

Today's stats:

Distance: 3.347 miles
Time: 31'02"
Pace: 9'16" per mile

Furniture...

2008-03-28T22:52:00.002-05:00

A brief blog about the best piece of furniture I've had, in an effort to win an amazing LoveSac!!!

BEST PIECE OF FURNITURE: Honestly, it's a toss up between our bed and our sectional. The bed, because it was the first piece of furniture that Richard and I bought. We both love it and I know we will have it for a long, long time. The sectional because who wouldn't love a piece of furniture that results in blissful sleep after sitting/laying on the chaise portion for 5 minutes?!

Adorable Giveaway!!!

2008-03-28T22:41:00.001-05:00

Great giveaway at

Cute Hairclips!

2008-03-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

Win 4 adorable hair clips from Taia Hairclips over at The Opinionated Parent. Contest ends March 31st.

Working those digits...

2008-03-28T09:13:00.001-05:00

74 words

Speedtest

New 'Do!

2008-03-27T23:18:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been since late May/early June of 2007 that I've gotten a cut and color...(although my friend Debbie was kind enough to trim my hair right around this last holiday season...). I finally couldn't stand it any longer and became okay with spending one lump sum on myself. It also helps that now Jillian is in MDO, so I just scheduled it during that time. Boy, does a cut and color make a WORLD of difference!!! I feel like a brand new, more spirited mommy! LeighAnne, from my moms group, has a salon and was the one that did my hair last year - I love what she did both times! I've already told myself (and Richard) that I will NOT let myself go that long between hair appointments again! I have to remind myself that it's totally worth it!!!

I was all about getting a "stacked" haircut, with it longer in the front than in the back...

And lots of chunky highlights! Admittedly, my hair is a little flat in these pictures...

Anyway, I'm really loving my new 'do! It's great for yoga and I'm sure for running (haven't been running since before the cut). One, little clippy on the side is cute, as is a headband...or no hair accessory at all!

Thanks, LeighAnne!!!

P.S. - Yes, I feel ridiculous doing a whole post on my hair, but I just wanted to share my excitement :)

Going Green

2008-03-21T22:07:00.003-05:00

Some of you may already know, but over the last year or so, I've gotten "greener" and "greener"...at first, it was pretty much because I wanted cleaner food and to be healthier. Now, I hesitate to use grocery bags and drink from water bottles. I do my best to bring my canvas bags for library books, groceries, etc. and I always make sure I use my non-leeching, reusable water bottles when I'm out and about. Once you've read about the ecological impact of water bottles, it's just hard to go back to drinking from one! Check out all the different articles regarding this topic!

Like I said, I try to use my canvas bag when possible, but check this out!

Very, very cool! At first, a couple of years ago, it seemed almost annoying the way companies seemed to capitalize on the whole "green" thing, but at this point, I'm really glad about it - there's nothing wrong with going a little more natural in the interest of health and our carbon footprint!

Here are some really great sites (though I'm sure there are many more):

The Green Guide
GreenMomFinds
Ideal Bite
The Soft Landing

Silly List

2008-02-05T18:51:00.000-06:00

Silly List (courtesy of Erin)

1. ROCK STAR NAME (first pet name, current car):
Daisy Liberty

2. GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe);
Rocky Road House

3. NATIVE AMERICAN NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal):
Navy Dog

4. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born in):
Lynne Dallas

5. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)
WhiDa

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (The 2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Pink Mocha

7. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Dan Albert

8. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite flower,dessert)
Tulip Chocolate

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Mackner Maui

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite state, season/holiday)
I can't reveal that...(actually, I don't have a favorite state)

12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Kiwi Bra ;)

OK, your turn!!

Revamping the site...

2008-01-28T01:14:00.000-06:00

You may have noticed that I've sort of added some things to this blog. For one, I just have too many interests to keep track of - various forms of health - exercise, healthy food, going green, etc. And then there's crafts. I don't think I need to say anything else, but if I did, I'd say, "etsy.com!!!!!"

Another neat thing I've discovered is all of the wonderful Mom Blogs out there! They're full of fun advice, tips, and even contests! In fact, I'm even entering to win an mp3/radio (all in one) contest!!! If you're interested, you can check out the player at Best Buy, and enter into the contest here!

Check back soon - if not for postings, then for the new, fun links!

Man Quiz

2007-10-19T00:28:00.000-05:00

I was "tagged" by my buddy, Tara, and the rules go that if you are mentioned here, you have to repost this on your site with your own answers...then tag others).

MAN QUIZ
1. Who is your man? Ricardo
2. How long have you been married? 4 years, this past August
3. How long dated? 4 months, then engaged another 8 months
4. How old is your man? 30
5. Who eats more? I suppose Richard.
6. Who said “I love you” first? Richard :)
7. Who is taller? Richard - he's 6' and I'm 5'7"
8. Who sings better? Is there any doubt? Me.
9. Who is smarter? Richard, but I made better grades :)
10. Whose temper is worse? It's a toss up
11. Who does the laundry? Me.
12. Who takes out the garbage? Usually Richard, but on occasion I will.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Right if you're in the bed or facing the bed? (facing the bed - Richard)
14. Who pays the bills? Richard
15. Who is better with the computer? Richard (I sure hope so, since it's his job!)
16. Who mows the lawn? 3 guys from "Just Mowing"
17. Who cooks dinner? Me...but I make Richard do dishes.
18. Who drives when you are together? Richard - he has control issues. It sounds bad, but this would be the case no matter who he's with! He hates riding in the car.
19. Who pays when you go out? Me - I'm the sugar mama! Um, no. Richard, of course.
20. Who is most stubborn? Me
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? We're never wrong.
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Probably mine.
23. Who kissed who first? How do you not kiss at the same time? Me - Richard was not acting upon my not-so-subtle hints.
24. Who asked who out? I lured Richard to meet me at the mall.
25. Who proposed? Richard :)
26. Who is more sensitive? I am, definitely.
27. Who has more friends? Me...Richard doesn't like people (but in a nice way).
28. Who has more siblings? Equal - we both have younger brothers.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Richard.
I tag Erin, Amberly, and Lindsay!

Congrats, Brian & Balinda!!!

2007-08-02T01:21:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, we celebrated Brian and Balinda getting married a few weeks ago! It was a fun get together for friends and family of the couple at Dave & Busters in Dallas. Here are pictures from the joyous occasion:

Cutting the cake...it was super yummy!!!

Me with my brother...and with my new sister in-law!

Me and my Dad...Cathy (my dad's girlfriend) and me...Cathy, my Dad, and me!

Me and my sweet hubby...Dad and Cathy

Balinda, Brian, Dana, and Richard...Cathy, Dad, Balinda, and Brian

Congratulations to my little brother and new sister in-law! We love you both and are so happy for you!

Sonogram and Shoes

2007-06-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

So today, I went to the doctor to have a bilateral sonogram and mammogram on my breasts, due to the fact that I've had persistent pain in them. To make a long story short, I'm going to copy what I had already typed to some other friends:

It went really well. I was really nervous and teary-eyed on the way there...there's just something about leaving your child with someone to go get something like this done...it's different from leaving your child to go shopping, etc.

Anyway, I was really nervous about the mammogram - esp. the exposure to radiation. Fortunately, the first thing the doctor said when he came in to do the sonogram was, "we've decided that in our practice, we don't do mammograms on patients younger than 27" (i'm 26), "b/c of the breast density issues that go along with it, and the fact that the side effects of radiation are much greater in younger women." WHEW! So I didn't have the mammo done!

He did the sono and said that everything looked normal. He was very thorough and explained what everything was on the screen. He said that the pain could be muscular (pectoral muscles) or just normal changes in the breasts. Anyway, it's all good and he said he'll see me back in 2021 when I'm 40. :)

Just FYI - his name is Dr. Thomas Langer - excellent, excellent man. Amazing bedside manner - very easy to talk to/with. I would highly recommend him to anyone!

Thanks so much to all of you for all of your prayers. I know God heard them and answered them - the fact that the doctor's first words when he saw me were regarding the fact that I wouldn't have a mammo was indication that God new what was best for me and was protecting me. I didn't have to initiate any concerns or discussions with the doctor or anything. This is not to say that my doctor that recommended a mammogram is in the wrong - I think he was just being super cautious based on the location of the pain and some family history. And, of course, radiology is not his specialty, but radiology IS the specialty of the guy I saw today, so it makes sense that he would have a more formed and educated opinion on the matter.

Anyway, sorry for writing a book (Vickie) - just had to tell y'all how it all went. Afterwards, I went to Northpark Mall across the street and had a sandwich. Since I parked outside of Neimans (for no particular reason), I was walking toward the exit and noticed they were having a shoe "sale" - I thought, "man, this should be good and funny!" So I was a total goober and tried on lots of Sex and the City type shoes that were on "sale" - Chanel shoes that were on sale for $412, Manolo Blahniks for $500, some Gucci flip flops for $103, some Christian Diors for $I don't know how much, and some Stuart Weismans for another amount I don't remember. Anyway, the funny part of all of this was that I happened to have my camera with me. So, to commemorate the fact that I was wearing these amazingly expensive, high-end shoes, I took pictures! In a very stealthy, discreet, no flash sort of way, of course. Needless to say, my toenails were definitely not worthy of these designer shoes. But whatever.

Here's the closest I'll ever get to shoes this expensive (click on images for a better (though still not great) view:

Chanel - $412 (sale price)

Manolo Blahnik - $499 (sale price)

Gucci - $103 (sale price)

Christian Dior - forgot how much, but it's likely around $300 or some other, ridiculous price.

Stuart Weitzman - I think these were $500 on sale, but I could be wrong. They are pretty - I'll give them that...

Thank you again, everyone, for all of your prayers!!!!

How well do you know me???

2007-03-29T00:48:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything here, but oh well:

Create your own Friend Quiz here

More Weight Loss!

2007-01-25T09:26:00.000-06:00

Preface - much of this posting is just for my reference later on - so that I know what I did to lose the weight that I've lost :)

This is crazy! Yesterday, I weighed 148.2 and today, 146.4!!! What's crazy about it is that I'm kind of nursing some back pain and an external oblique strain...actually, my friend, Tara, who is a physical therapist, thinks the side pain has to do with the gallbladder surgery I had back in August, and that the back pain could be related to it (but also concedes that the back pain could definitely be from carrying around a 25+ pound weight named Jillian :) Anyway, I haven't been able to workout as hardcore as I'd really like, and have been taking easier lately - up until the last few days, when I tried to get back into a little more (while still being careful). And I guess my body responded really well. I'm still eating healthy - it's really more of a way of life - not something I have to feel like I'm doing as part of a "diet" or something.

Breakfast is usually Cheerios and banana or whole grain toast with all natural peanut butter that has flaxseeds in it or scrambled egg whites and toast. Lunch is either a greek salad - with Dr. Oz's greek salad dressing recipe (very healthy and SO good - I've actually brought it to a restaurant with me before) - or the makings of a greek salad wrapped up in a healthy, tomato basil tortilla (Richard's idea). Usually have water with lunch and maybe some walnuts or a Kashi bar. Dinner is something healthy from Dr. Oz's book. I really love the recipes recipes I've tried and plan on making them regularly - just healthy, fresh meals that don't deviate much from what I'm used to doing - they just give me ideas on how to make my stuff better and more healthy! Anyway, this is not to say that I don't "cheat" or splurge now and then - I often times have vanilla frozen yogurt at night with walnuts and chocolate syrup. Other times, during the day, for a quick and little treat, I'll have a few chocolate chips. Last night, when we went to Purple Cow with Tara, I got (as I usually do) a turkey burger with avocado and swiss, and substituted a salad with bbq vinigarette dressing for the chips that usually come with the meal. Later, Tara and I went to Starbucks and I got a tall (small), non-fat, no whip cafe mocha - very yummy!!!!!!

Keep on keepin' on...

2006-12-19T23:21:00.000-06:00

Looks like a little over a month ago, I was 151.3, and today, I finally broke a huge barrier: the 150 pound barrier! I weighed 149.6 this morning!!!!! Yay! It took over a month to lose those couple of pounds, but it finally happened (hopefully, I haven't jinxed it for tomorrow morning's weigh-in...). Anyway, I'm actually really shocked, because of all of the holiday eating I've been doing:

Tara's Fudge Wreath - PURE EVIL. But for only a few pieces, I've been slowly eating away at the whole damn thing.

Leftovers from our Christmas party: Julia's Squares (a sinful combination of chocolate cake mix, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, coconuts, and sweetened condensed milk) and Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies...also, Tatum's yummy Bacon and Cheese dip (SO FREAKIN' GOOD! Imagine if you will: a loaded baked potato in dip form! - luckily, she used some lower fat ingredients!), leftover pinwheels that I made (also lowfat ingredients), and chips and queso that Megan left over here! Oh, oh, and - multiple 2 liters of soda - coke, cherry coke, dr. pepper, ginger ale...

All of the above are normally NEVER, EVER, EVER in this household! Even in lowfat form! So again, I'm shocked that I've kept the weight off. However, I have continued to workout nearly everyday - for at least 30 minutes, and usually closer to 40 or 45 minutes. So that definitely helps, I'm sure.

Also, after watching a Tivo'd Oprah, I learned that a woman's waistline should be below 32 inches. Dr. Oz talked about how to measure your waistline (measure at the belly button, and it IS okay to suck in, because the health concern is the stuff underneath the relaxed fat...or something like that...I dunno, go to Oprah.com or buy Dr. Oz's book to hear the explanation). Anyway, I measured my waistline and it was 30 1/2 inches!!!!!! YAY! I'm healthy! Now to maintain...and to get rid of the extra belly fat...really need to get back into yoga. Which I fully intend on doing after the holidays when I will (hopefully) be getting a combination of new clothes and gift cards to finally have some smaller clothes that fit! It has been very frustrating walking around with any type of bottoms falling down! I have made a request to receive clothes that would be good for running errands, playing on the floor, meeting up for playdates, etc. In other words, yoga pants, track outfits, you get the point...

Yes, this blog is very stream of consciousness style...sorry! Anyway, off to bed - got an 8am doc appt. in the morning about a nagging pain in my right side (hurts when I cough, sneeze, laugh) - don't know if it's post-surgery related or a pulled muscle or something else, but I'd like to get it checked out!

Night!

Slow and steady...

2006-11-02T11:55:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted anything here in a while, but most things going on have to do with Jillian, so I've just been posting stuff on her site.

However, I have exciting news: Tuesday, October 31st, I weighed myself and I was lighter than I ever remember being! I don't recall what I was in highschool, but I think I'm awfully close, if not already there. Anyway, I was 151.3 - yup, there it is, I'm sharing how much I weigh. So I started wondering - when did all this weight come off? I mean, I know that it's been gradual, and some months I've lost more than other months, but we've been watching The Biggest Loser and I'm kicking myself for not keeping better track of when and how much weight I've lost...I often write the date and my weight on our bathroom mirror with an Expo marker to show weekly progress, but it gets erased when I clean. So I checked back in my previous postings to see if I could find any record of previous weight. And I found a posting saying I had finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight of 165 (no, I didn't mention the actual weight in that posting, because it's not all that great, but that's what it was. And I feel more comfortable sharing now that I'm below that.

So that was on May 27th. I've lost 13.7 pounds in a little over 5 months. Doesn't really sound all that impressive, especially when you do the math, but I think it's good that I've lost it slowly and steadily...also a good thing since I'm breastfeeding (now only before Jillian goes to bed). The weight loss may have also slowed down during that period of time because I haven't been breastfeeding as much as in the beginning, so I'm not burning as many calories producing milk, etc. But regardless of how 13.7 doesn't seem like a lot, it's definitely a dress size, and it's a helluva lot better than being my post-pregnancy weight of a little over 200! Yeah, scary - I know. Won't be gaining 55 pounds the next pregnancy!

I feel so much more energized these days - it really feels different actually being slimmer and fitting into clothes. Which brings me to another point: I fit into clothes, but not well. Most of my wardrobe is too big! I know, waaa, waaa - but it's seriously frustrating! I don't know whether to hold on to things "just in case," like for post-pregnancy with a 2nd baby (no, not anytime soon - read: 3-4 years) or if I randomly put on weight...or do I just sell it all? I feel like I NEED to sell it all to buy clothes that fit - it's not cheap to buy a new wardrobe! I have 1 pair of jeans that "fit" me (must belt them to keep them from falling down), and even my "comfy" clothes like track pants are too big! Seriously, that one pair of jeans is IT. The ONLY pair of pants that fit me!!!! It's so frustrating to have a bazillion other pairs of khackis, jeans, and black pants in the closet that are too freakin' big.

Okay, I'm going to stop whining, because I know it's a good thing. However, the work must continue - I need to get down to at least 145, if not 140. Overall, I just need to get rid of the huge amount of nasty tummy around my waist - that's a big health risk. I have a feeling that getting rid of that is going to take a lot more than elliptical and eating well. Some serious work. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it (yes, I know that I should really work on it now, but I'm doing good to get 30 minutes of cardio in everday!).

AAAAHHHHHH!!!!

2006-08-22T23:08:00.000-05:00

Oh my, oh my, oh my. Do you moms out there ever have those days (or weeks) where you just feel so completely overwhelmed that you just want to cry? I do. I'm going through that crapiness right now. Allow me to vent (be forewarned - much of this stuff is nothing new to other mommies...):

Ugh. Do you ever have those days where you just feel like you need to cry? Did I already say that? It's cathartic, I know, so I look at it as my body's way of telling me that I need a release. Even though I did freakin' yoga last night. Anyway, ever since Jillian became extremely mobile, it's become so much more difficult to get stuff done. I feel like I ALWAYS have something on the list to do. My good friend, Meg, suggested the momAgenda book, which, even after 2 days, has been such a help! In another way, though, it's kinda bad - I find myself writing down all the things I need to do. The crappy thing about this is that it's tangible evidence of all that is left.

Unending laundry to be sorted, folded, and/or hung; never-ending dishes; constantly sweep and swiffer the floors for crawling baby; clean high chair and tray 3 times a day; make necessary phone calls and e-mails; workout (yeah, right); take shower (ditto); put on makeup (HA!); brush teeth (let's not go there...never fear, friends - I DO brush my teeth. Just doesn't always seem to happen in the morning. Usually right before I leave the house to see one of you nice people); let's see, what else...oh yes, blog when I have time. I know it's not necessary, but at this point, I kinda feel like it is - it's how I keep track of what's going on, b/c I sure as hell haven't whipped out the baby book in a while. And scrapbooking has been put on hold for the last 4 months. Anyway, my blogging has been slowed down because of the stupid phone people, who damaged the line and we didn't have internet for the last 4 days. Now i'm behind on blogging. And SO much has happened with Jillian in those 4 days. more than normal. of course.

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, the list - make sure munchkin gets to try enough table food - cut up said food into pieces that are a safe size; strip her down before meals; wipe her down after meals (she fights this big time). Grocery shopping, errands. Get sunscreen on Jillian before outings. Which brings me to another point. The freakin' hot weather! I know we got some sprinkles tonight, but seriously, Texas weather is ridiculous. I think I'm fairly warm-natured, so when the thermostat hits about 77-78 (80 today!), I get a little irritable. What I described to Richard this afternoon was this: Late afternoon is/can be Jillian's fussy time. What I mean by this is that something like the Jumperoo or Exersaucer or baby jail is completely unacceptable to her (um, it usually is for at least a couple of minutes, but in the late afternoon, the fussing doesn't stop). So if I need to put her in one of these places so as to get something done, she just fusses. And it's freakin' hot in the house. And I'm starting to sweat and get irritable. And pray to God that Richard gets home soon.

Is it possible for me to be bitchier? Probably, but le's not go there.

Yes, yes, poor me. I'm having a pity party, and you're invited.

But the strange thing is that as bad as today was, it was also one of the best days I've had as a mommy. Maybe it's the roller coaster of emotions that is taking effect in a big way?

As I was saying, today was also a good day. Lately, I've been taking down the baby jail gate and letting Jillian roam more freely (maybe this is contributing to my increased stress level). It's fun - she loves to crawl, and it's hilarious, because she kind of grunts/pants as she crawls. It's like she's working really hard to go really "fast" - she LOVES to be chased. She'll look back at me like, "are you going to get me?" And then I'll get down and crawl, too. And she'll go faster. And then I'll stop and wait for her to look back at me. When she does, she is so funny - she looks like, "oh crap! I'd better haul booty!" Anyway, we had fun doing the chasing thing today. So much that despite all of my sweeping/swiffering efforts, Jillian ended up with her legs and feet being a little stained with dirt. And what looks to be a little blister/place rubbed too much on the floor on her big toe. :(

Did you see the dirt? I swear that I clean house. She crawls so much that I think it's inevitable...right? Please say yes. Anyway, I finally had a good cry a little bit ago, and I guess this blog is finishing off the "release" that I needed. Don't even try to suggest other "releases" that take more energy, if you know what I'm talking about. So don't feel like it. I'm not saying ever, of course. Just saying that at times like these, a mom just needs to be alone. To read. To stare. To just be.

News from the OB-GYN

2006-08-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been having a lot of pain lately. In my back and upper abdomen. I could go on and on about the pain, but let's just put it this way: I've slept on the loveseat b/c I couldnt' get comfortable in bed; and I can easily say that this pain I've had multiple times is far worse than any back labor/contractions I had when Jillian was born (mainly because it's continuous, usually for hours - no breaks like with contractions). Last night, my Dad came over after midnight so that we didn't have to wake up Jillian when Richard was going to take me to the ER. Fortunately, the pain subsided long enough for me to fall asleep, so we didn't go to the ER.

Anyway, yesterday, I also saw a gastroenterologist about the pain, and he suspected gallstones. His office lined up an appt. at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano for tomorrow morning at 8am - to do an ultrasound to see if I have gallstones. However, after the excrutiating pain I had last night, I called his office this morning to see if there was ANYTHING I could do for the pain in the interim. I also put in a call at my mom's office (ob-gyn) to see if they knew of anything. Well, she called back before the gastroenterologist, and said that their sonographer could see me today to see what was going on, so that we could get the ball rolling sooner.

While I was in the waiting room, I found out that the other doctor had called in pain killers for me (THANK GOODNESS!!!)

But anyway, I went in to the room, got the jelly on my upper right side (weird to be getting a sono again!), and sure enough, I have multiple gallstones! In fact, I have a "large stone in the neck of the gallbladder, measuring 16 mm" and I honestly can't read everything else she wrote in the report, but suffice it to say, there are more gallstones than just the "large" one, and the pain I've been experiencing (around an hour after lunch and dinner...that goes on for HOURS) isn't unjustified - WHEW!

Apparently, it's not uncommon for women to get gallstones after pregnancy. Something about estrogen levels. I'm sure it didn't help that I'm still losing about a pound each week, as "rapid weight loss" of any kind can also contribute to formation of gallstones, because the liver can't handle it or something. Not that 1 pound/week is rapid, but it's something and it's continuous (knock on wood - still have about 17-18 pounds to go till my goal...although I'm already 7 pounds under pre-pregnancy!). The weird thing is that gallstones are also related to eating lots of high fatty foods and stuff, which I don't really do now, so I'm attributing it to the pregnancy thing (mom says she's seen it in their office a decent amount).

So now, the search is on for a general surgeon to remove my gallbladder (the gastroenterologist will confirm that this is what I need to do next Monday, hopefully). Apparently, this surgery is usually done laparoscopically now, which makes recovery much quicker, so that's good.

Anyway, that's the news from the ob-gyn. Was it what you thought it was? ;)

7/7/06 Workout and Other Stuff

2006-07-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've been REALLY bad about posting my workout stats lately...but I have still been working out. It's just been difficult to sit down and write about it with a crawling little one!

Anyway, I've also been doing yoga - I started taking a class once a week and loved it so much that now, I've been doing yoga several days a week at home (found some neat yoga workouts on FitTV - thank you Tivo!) on top of that class! And I'm still doing elliptical on most days. I think the yoga has really helped a lot - I have more defined muscle, and have dropped weight more easily. Of course, cutting out lots of refined foods and eating a WHOLE LOT of fruits and vegetables (can we say "almost vegetarian?!") has really helped, too. I think that I've lost about 5 pounds since my last posting. YAY!

Okay, so here are today's elliptical stats:

590 calories
1.24 miles
104 carbs
40 minutes

I'm not guaranteeing that I'll be able to post stats anytime soon, but just know that I'm still working at it! I still have about 20 more pounds to go!

This Week's Workout So Far...

2006-06-14T12:01:00.001-05:00

Hmmm...nevermind, not the whole week - I can't find my stats from Monday...

Yesterday:

513 calories
1.13 miles
92 carbs
35 minutes

Today:

615 calories
1.30 miles
107 carbs
41 minutes

A new and exciting addition to my workouts is that I'm taking yoga classes once a week! I had my first class Monday night and I LOVE it! The once a week classes last 12 weeks, but I'm looking into taking more yoga classes elsewhere, just because I love it so much! It feels like one of the best things I've ever done for my body - I feel so toned everywhere after just one class! I highly recommend it!

A Cooking Kick

2006-06-10T23:11:00.000-05:00

So as you know, I've been on this health kick, and I'm really enjoying it. I love going to Sprouts, and have become more ambitious in the kitchen. I've always loved to cook and I think I'm pretty okay at it - definitely not afraid of trying something new, but up until now, I haven't really been inspired. However, now that we're more cognizant of what we're putting into our bodies, and I'm reading books like Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right and Eat to Live (both by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.), I don't do things like Hamburger Helper or other overly processed things anymore. I try to focus more on good fats and fruits and veggies. In fact, most of my grocery shopping is done at Sprouts - very rarely do we ever need to go to Walmart or Sam's like we used to (only for things like tp, milk, or household items, and some random food items here and there that might be a little cheaper than at Sprouts). As a result, we really don't have anymore "crap" in the pantry - if we have any snacks, they don't have any high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated anything. Which leaves us with Kashi brand granola bars, crackers, and oatmeal, crunchitos, and fruits, veggies, and string cheese to snack on. I've been having my natural peanut butter and organic jelly sandwiches on flaxseed whole wheat bread with crunchitos and fruit for lunch, and for dinner last night, I went all out and made something that was in a Weight Watchers Cookbook I've had (but not used) for a while - Southwest Salmon!

Okay, it may look strange in the picture, but we both liked it a lot! Basically, you make this marinade (pureed) from cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, tabasco, and water...bag it up with the salmon for an hour, cook red and yellow peppers for 20 minutes, add the marinated salmon, and pop it in the oven for a little bit longer! I bought fresh green beans, snapped the ends off, and steamed them with onions in our handy dandy steamer, and we had a wonderfully healthy dinner!!! For dessert, we had a fruit salad that I made: peaches, kiwi, bananas, and grapes - YUMMY!

A Week of Working Out...

2006-06-09T15:59:00.000-05:00

Alright, I know I have been terrible about posting my workout stats this week, which is why I'm just going to add up all the numbers and put them all down for the week:

2580 calories
5.56 miles
451 carbs
170 minutes

Whew! That was way easier than doing lots of little posts. Unfortunately, my weight is still about the same as before, but I guess maintaining is good, right?

5/31/06 Workout

2006-05-31T11:32:00.000-05:00

345 calories
0.81 miles
60 carbs
25 minutes

And having Cozymel's last night wasn't so good to me in the weight department :(

However, keeping track of my working out on this blog is such a great motivator, so even though there are some little set backs along the way, I must push on through!

5/30/06 Workout

2006-05-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

618 calories
1.33 miles
109 carbs
42 minutes

Lost 0.4 pounds from yesterday :)

However, we're going to Cozymel's tonight with some friends from out of town...hopefully, it won't affect things too much!

Date Night!

2006-05-29T22:38:00.000-05:00

Last night, Richard and I got to go out on a date! Yay! My mom came over and played with Jillian while we went on the first portion of our date. Before we left, Richard took the hard top off of the Jeep and replaced it with the safari top...here we are modeling the new look:

The first portion of our date was at Mi Cocina - YUMMY fajitas!

After dinner, we decided that since it was so nice out (especially with the hard top off), we should explore The Shops at Legacy, since it's so close to where we live. We walked around, checked out the shops, and headed home. Actually, it's funny, because when I suggested Mi Cocina, I was thinking of the one at The Shops at Legacy (pictured on the site), and I just assumed we would go there, but Richard went to a different one a little further...he was kicking himself later for not remembering the one I was thinking of!

Anyway, we got home, played with Jillian a little bit, and I nursed her and put her to bed while Richard picked up some dinner for my mom. Then, we were off to get dessert (and some coffee for me) at Kathleen's Art Cafe - another big YUMMY! We got the Chunky Apple Cake with Butterscotch Sauce Ala Mode and the Double Fudge Cake Ala Mode. Needless to say, we could NOT eat all of this. We basically ended up eating all of the apple stuff, and taking home the chocolate to my mom. She ended up only eating a couple of bites, and we're slowly eating away at it...

Then, we stopped by the house yet one more time! This, of course, was not part of our plan. However, I decided that it would be MORE fun to take the doors off the Jeep - Richard took the safari top off before we left the second time, so this would really complete the experience. So we finally left (again), and headed off to Strikz. We had never been there before, but thought that bowling would be fun - and it was! It was video bowling, which was cool - it seemed like they played a lot of stuff from the early to mid 90's, which I love. :) And it was "Cosmic Bowling," where it's all dark, and the balls glow! Fun stuff. The best part, of course, was the fact that we got to wear cool shoes :)

Anyway, Richard was really kicking my butt, and I finally found out (in our 2nd game) that he took a bowling course in college! NO FAIR! I finally broke 100 in our 4th and last game - thanks to Richard's helpful pointers.

I look like a total dork in this picture. Oh well.

Here's the ol' bowling pro

Strikz was pretty fun - and they also have laser tag, pool tables, and arcade games and prizes! Another neat thing is that it's really new and smoke free - not like the old bowling lanes that we used to go to as kids! We will definitely be going back!

P.S. - We went to run errands today and it rained while we were gone. On and in the topless, doorless Jeep. It's still dripping and airing out. :(

5/29/06 Workout

2006-05-29T11:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't workout yesterday. Richard and I had a date planned for last night, and spent the day getting stuff done around the house and playing with Jillian. However, I was the same weight as the previous day, so that's good.

As for today's stats:

495 calories
1.10 miles
86 carbs
35 minutes

And I gained about 0.2 pounds from yesterday...not panicking, though - it could be worse after having gone out to eat last night! It's all good :)

5/27/06 Workout

2006-05-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm a few days behind, but here are the stats:

Nevermind - I can't find where I wrote down that day's info, but I know I burned 615 calories in 40 minutes!

I also lost 1.2 pounds from the previous day...which makes me officially back down to pre-pregnancy weight! YAY!

5/26/06 Workout

2006-05-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

290 calories
0.68 miles
52 carbs
21 minutes

Gained 0.4 from yesterday, but no big whoop, b/c I was feeling lighter this afternoon, and was curious to see what I weighed - and it was the same as this morning, which is promising!

Also, I got some bloodwork back, and my bad cholesterol (LDL) has gone down significantly, while my good cholesterol (HDL) has gone up! Awesome for both!!!

However, my mom called (my OB-GYN's nurse) and said that my TSH levels were suppressed, which could mean that I have hyperthyroidism...something that would be no surprise, given that my mom has a hyperthyroid, as well as her dad, and her grandmother. Anyway, I'm making an appt. to get my blood taken for some more tests next Thursday...we'll see what happens!

5/25/06 Workout

2006-05-25T12:31:00.000-05:00

625 calories
1.34 miles
109 carbs
40 minutes

And 0.8 pounds lighter than yesterday!!!

5/24/06 Workout

2006-05-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

465 calories
1.02 miles
82 carbs
31 minutes

And I was 1.2 pounds lighter this morning!!! Yay!!!

5/23/06 Workout

2006-05-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

Didn't gain or lose any weight from yesterday...

Here are today's stats:

363 calories
0.85 miles
64 carbs
26 minutes

I know these are boring posts, but they keep me going! :)

5/22/06

2006-05-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

After not working out for a few days (we were in Arkansas), here are today's stats:

457 calories
1.12 miles
80 carbs
33 minutes

Still not talking about weight, but it didn't really change all that much after this weekend, which is better than I thought I would fare!

5/18/06 Workout

2006-05-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I worked out a little later than normal, but it still got done...

617 calories
1.32 miles
108 carbs
41 minutes

I'm taking Friday, Saturday, and possibly Sunday off - will be in Arkansas having fun with Lindsay and Lily! Richard and Steve (Lindsay's husband), and some of their other friends will be camping out for a bachelor party...

5/17/06 Workout

2006-05-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, maybe this weighing everyday thing isn't such a good idea...it seemed like a good idea when I was losing everyday! But today it went up again! :( :( :(

Nevertheless, the working out must continue:

312 calories
0.71 miles
55 carbs
22 minutes

Let's keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow's weigh-in...

Ugh - 5/16/06 Workout

2006-05-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

Eventhough the stupid iFIT program was a super hard 40 min. routine (ick), I had extra motivation this morning: I made a bad choice in partaking in a little bit of ice cream last night with the season finale of Grey's Anatomy...my weight went up a little this morning. And I know that to be consistent with the rest of my blogging, I should post how much I gained, but it's my blog, and I don't want to :) Sorry! It's not that much, though...as I told Richard, I just made a bad choice, and I can't give up - just gotta get back on the horse!

Anyway, here are today's workout stats:

605 calories (!)
1.27 miles
106 carbs
40 minutes

We'll keep our fingers crossed that my weight is lower tomorrow...it probably won't help that I'm meeting Richard and Esther for lunch at Gloria's in a couple hours! :(

5/15/06 Workout

2006-05-15T12:43:00.000-05:00

As you probably noticed, I did not workout or weigh yesterday...for obvious reasons :)

I was kind of scared to weigh today because we went to Mercado Juarez for lunch with my family yesterday, and Carrabbas for dinner with Richard's family last night. I tried to order healthier things, in hopes that I wouldn't gain too much weight...

And I was surprised to learn that I still lost 0.4 pounds from Saturday! That means that I've lost 2.6 pounds from last Monday - YAY!

Anyway, here are today's workout stats:

540 calories
1.14 miles
95 carbs
36 minutes

Size 10?

2006-05-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

Ohmigosh. I might actually be able to wear size 10's on a more frequent basis. Usually, I loom around the size 12 thing, but there are times in my life when I've been a consistent, comfortable 10, and sometimes an 8. Those of you who know me, know that I'm not a petite girl, so a 10 is good for me. In fact, when I was in a New York bar with some friends my sophomore year of college, a rather large man, of African American descent, was sitting behind us and said to me, "Damn girl! You healthy!" Alright, in my defense, I think I was a consistent size 10 then, too! My good friend, Suzy, told me to take that comment as a compliment from that guy. And anyway, I didn't even really balloon until my senior year after my Senior Recital was over in November and I could drink without worrying what it would do to my singing voice (ignore the fact that I was planning on going to grad school for vocal pedagogy the next fall). In the guy's defense, he was probably drunk.

ANYWAY, I'm a big-boned girl. I'm healthy. I got my Dad's genes. However you want to put it, I've never been petite, but as we all know, I'm working on it. I think that WHEN (not IF) I reach my goal of losing 26 more pounds, I will definitely be in single digits consistently, but for now, post-baby, I'm jumping for joy today! I was excited a couple of weeks ago when I fit into some denim capris at Kohl's that were a size 10. However, I chalked it up to the fact that they have "a little stretch" in them. Nonetheless, I bought them.

So today, I went through some of my clothes from when we got married in 2003, and found these khacki Gap capris. Size 10. I showed them to Richard, reminded him that he always loved them (he agreed, of course), and then proceeded to try them on.

THEY FIT! GAP 10'S FIT! This is not to say that every Gap 10 fits (or that I couldn't be a little bit more comfortable while sitting in these capris), but they are pretty comfy, and I am very optimistic!. I also know it's not just a fluke - I tried on a size 10 skirt there the other day, and it fit too! I chalked that incident up to the fact that the skirt goes around the smaller portion of the waist. But now I'm starting to feel really good!

Now if only we could do something about those stretch marks...

5/13/06 Workout

2006-05-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

610 calories
1.2 miles
107 carbs
41 minutes

As for this morning's weight, Richard was so sweet and got me a Chocolate Chip Einstein's Brothers Bagel...I ate it and THEN remembered that I hadn't weighed myself yet. :(

Yes, I know that bagel goes against my wanting to not eat that kind of stuff. Over the past week, we've cut out A LOT of calories and bad stuff, changed to eating more "whole," natural foods, I've realized that I can't always be perfect. I have to have little splurges of "normal" food, otherwise I might go totally overboard one day and just pig out! All in all, though, we've really changed our palates and our eating habits, so I think we're off to a great start!

5/12/06 Workout

2006-05-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

I was shocked and thrilled this morning to see that I lost 0.8 more pounds! That makes 2.2 pounds since Monday - YAY!!!! Hopefully, I can keep it up...I'm scared I'll plateau or something, but after talking to our family cardiologist yesterday, I still have 26.8 more pounds to go, so there's really no option!

All I can do is my best, and I have a lot of incentive - my Dad's side of the family has a history of heart disease and small, dense cholesterol particles (research shows that's bad). Ideally, you want big, fluffy cholesterol particles. In August 2004, I had a blood workup done to see how I was doing, and my cholesterol count is pretty good: Doctors like the total to be under 200 and mine was 215. I know what you're thinking..."But 215 is above 200..." The thing is, my HDL (good cholesterol is very high), and my LDL is actually in a healthy range, though it can always be healthier, so after talking to the family cardiologist yesterday, I just need to shoot for lowering the LDL (bad cholesterol) by about 20. He said it's totally in my hands - I just need to workout everyday and lose the weight to help fight off those bad family genes.

I had bloodwork done yesterday to see what it's at now. Who knows where it's at after pregnancy and during this time while I'm breastfeeding! I just want to see where I'm at, so I that I can work toward my new cholesterol goals.

Okay, today's workout:

300 calories
0.72 miles
53 carbs
22 minutes

Until tomorrow...

5/11/06 Workout

2006-05-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Today's workout was pretty difficult:

However, I got a little break about 10 minutes into the routine when Jillian woke up from her nap. Unfortunately, I didn't write down all my stats up to that point, so my total is a calculated estimate based on my stats from the rest of the workout:

630 calories
1.2 miles
110 carbs
40 minutes

Same weight as yesterday...Hey, at least it's not goin' up! :)

5/10/06 Workout

2006-05-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

Got the inhaler, so I did the iFIT routine, but it was shorter...

345 calories
0.85 miles
60 carbs
26 minutes

Lost 0.2 pounds from yesterday...

5/9/06 Workout

2006-05-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

Today, I didn't use the iFIT routine - took it a little easier, while I wait to get my inhaler...

350 calories
1.2 miles
65.3 carbs
30 minutes

Oh, and I may start adding weight loss (not my actual weight, but just how much I've lost or - EEK! - gained)

Today, I lost 1.2 pounds from yesterday...

Today's Workout

2006-05-08T11:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've decided that to keep myself honest, as far as working out goes, I will do my best to post my daily stats on this blog. For example, today on the elliptical, I burned 449 calories and 78 carbs in a 31 minute mile. I know it doesn't really interest the general public, but I'm hoping it'll keep me motivated, since I seem to be addicted to blogging! Another motivator is that last night, I noticed my arms are getting more toned, and I just feel more energized in general. My body feels more tight, too - in the good way, ya know? Like when you walk around and your butt, abs, arms, and legs just feel tight and toned? Anyway, I think this elliptical was a great investment. :)

Oprah and Dr. Oz

2006-05-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

Last Monday, Oprah did another great show with Dr. Oz. I knew it was about health, and living and eating better, so I made Richard watch it with me. As a side note, I actually make him watch a lot of Oprah with me...he's not always thrilled about it, but we both seemed to get a lot out of this particular show. Anyway, the biggest thing I learned from this "90 Day Live Longer, Feel Younger" show was that we needed to try to cut out (or at least cut back on) certain types of foods. Well, duh. We all know that certain foods and ingredients are less than healthy, but sometimes you just need a reminder. And the pictures of partially hydrogenated anything were just gross. Here are all the bad foods at the "Food Hall of Shame."

Basically, he says that there are 5 ingredients that you should avoid eating - particularly if any of them are in the first 5 ingredients listed on a product. Seeing and learning all of this inspired me to pull all the crap out of our pantry. There are some things we decided to just finish off and not buy again - like Quaker Oatmeal Cereal Bars (we bought them in bulk at Sam's...kinda difficult to just pitch that). Anyway, I think those had every one of those bad things in the first 5 ingredients! EEK! One of the things that really made me want to do this was learning how sugars, for example, eat away at your arteries. Partially hydrogenated stuff clogs them. Enriched flours are not enriched so much. Dr. Oz says "The reason they enrich it is because they already stripped out anything that was worth a darn in it, and they add a little bit back so it doesn't look so bad."

I won't try to repeat back everything he says about the bad foods - just go the the "Hall of Shame" to learn what I learned. Of course, there are "Hall of Fame" foods he lists, too - and Richard and I already do a pretty good job with those. And actually, most of the foods that we pitched were foods that had just been sitting in the pantry for a long time, and that we probably would never eat. Needless to say, I'm already pretty selective in the foods I buy. I already knew about partially hydrogenated crap, but like I said earlier, seeing it and knowing that it makes great furniture polish is just gross.

I've also been inspired to try yoga. No, I haven't tried it yet. So far, I'm just working on their suggestion to walk 30 minutes everyday. I've been doing the elliptical a lot, so that's good. As far as yoga, I'll probably purchase a video, mat, and stuff like that soon - whenever I can get the toys cleared out of the space that I would be doing the yoga. :)

Richard has been amazingly supportive of my wanting to take on this new, healthier lifestyle. It is no doubt difficult. There are so many "normal" foods that have one or many of those bad items listed in the first five ingredients. However, it turned out that I had been wanting to go to Sprouts Farmers Market, since it's just around the corner, and this was the perfect reason! I had been told by my good friend, Tara, that Sprouts is much like a Whole Foods or Central Market, but cheaper - sounds good to me! The cool/serendipitous thing is that there are only THREE Sprouts in Texas - the one around the corner, one in Flower Mound (we used to live in that area too, actually), and one in Dallas. The only other states Sprouts is in is California and Arizona. So I feel like we kinda lucked out!

Anyway, we got to Sprouts and the first thing I noticed was that it was smaller than I expected. Still a very open layout, though. It was really nice. Our goal was to take a look around, see what all they had, and we actually ended up getting several things. We got Sprouts Cheese Puffs that don't have any hydrogenated stuff or enriched stuff, all natural tortilla chips sans aforementioned stuff, organic chocolate chip cookies (with DARK chocolate - YUM!) - also no hydrogenated stuff, etc., all natural Sprouts Salsa, and then some oranges and a container of mixed fruit (at an amazing price!!!).

The trip was good - lots and lots of organic stuff - produce and many other things; a vitamin counter and consultant; a section with books for healthy living and cooking; yoga and pilates gear; and there's a bakery section, too - Richard and I forgot to see if that stuff was organic and good for you, but I'm thinking it's not. :) All in all, a very fun trip and definitely not as chaotic as any other grocery store! Yay for healthy living!

Whew!

2006-05-06T13:22:00.000-05:00

Our elliptical just kicked my butt! Actually, it was our elliptical in combination with this program called "iFIT." You connect the elliptical to the computer, and it gives you a different workout program everyday!!! Today's was super hard...although ALL of them are hard, especially because our elliptical not only has resistance, but also an incline. And man, when both of those are really high, it has me praying to get through that section! Anyway, even though it kills while I'm doing it, this new, little working out thing is really helping!
Here was today's workout:

This One's For Tara...

2006-04-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

Sam ELLIOTT :)

Squash, Anyone?

2006-04-01T00:36:00.000-06:00

Tonight, Richard, Jillian, and I went to Bennigan's for dinner (I've had it several times, and I just don't think I like it all that much...I think I'm more of a Chili's fan), and since she still can't sit up on her own, we put her in the infant carrier at restaurants and other places, occasionally. So tonight, instead of putting the carrier in a baby sling, we put it next to me in the booth. Since we were out during her dinner time, I brought a container of squash, as well as rice cereal, and decided to feed her throughout the course of our meal. Since we've really just gone through the "testing" phase of squash and carrots, this was the first time she had squash "just because." So instead of only several bites, she had the whole little cup it came in! She loves it! And strangely, I sorta enjoy feeding her when we're out like that. I think I feel very "Mom" or something - all multi-tasking, and more importantly, I like to be able to include her at our meals. Normally, we feed her and put her to bed before we have dinner, so occasions like this are fun!

Precious, Sleeping Baby Jillian

2006-04-01T00:30:00.000-06:00

It seems like I tend to use my website for little, fond memories of Jillian. And here I go again...

Just now, I went into Jillian's room to check on her (okay, to just touch her little head, admire how sweet she is, and tell her I love her...I do it every night!). Anyway, she was so adorable, laying on her left side, right up next to the mesh bumper. I touched her head, and she stirred a little, and then I heard a sucking sound. She put her left thumb in her mouth and had her right hand up against the bumper. And last night, we started to put her in those little gowns with the elastic at the bottom, so she's in another one tonight, and just looks so angelic curled up on her side with her thumb in her mouth.

I love these moments when she's just a little baby.

Sweet Baby Girl

2006-03-20T10:13:00.000-06:00

Wow, I just experienced one of the sweetest moments of motherhood. It was the dreaded naptime, and Jillian was fussy as I changed her diaper and sat in the rocker. But I gently bounced her on my leg while singing "Old MacDonald," and she put her thumb in her mouth and instantly got quiet! Then I held her next to my chest, just rocking, and she put her thumb in her mouth again, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. It was so precious. I kept rocking her as she drifted off into dreamland, sucking on her little thumb. I contemplated taking a nap as well...just so that I could keep holding her like that. But I knew that it would be better for me to put her in her crib (however, first I walked to the bathroom mirror just to see her precious little face, asleep on my chest - so cute!). So I placed her in her crib, hoping she wouldn't fuss when she realized I wasn't holding her any longer, and she didn't! She went straight down for a nap! Again, this is truly one of the most special, precious moments of my motherhood experience thus far. I love my Baby Jillian!

Good Finds at Divine Consign

2006-03-11T22:19:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share something fun that I went to on Thursday night: Divine Consign - it is a MASSIVE consignment event for anything baby/kid related! I got a lot of cute clothes for super cheap - a good majority of it is Gymboree, and the rest is Gap and Carter's...so cute!!! Mommy and Jillian just had to play dress-up the day after, so here are some pics (these aren't all the clothes...I want to take pics of her wearing the adorable Gymboree dresses later on...can't give everything away just yet!)...

This little set came new with tags from "The Children's Place"...it kinda blends with the changing pad cover, and we will definitely be wearing the shorts and shirt separate from each other!

Jillian was very curious about this Gymboree shirt...

Isn't this romper SO cute?! Another Gymboree find!

2 Dates in 2 Weekends!

2006-03-08T21:17:00.000-06:00

Though I'm posting this a little late, I thought I'd share the fact that Richard and I got to go on yet another date this past weekend! My good friend, Tanya (also Jillian's Godmother), had driven up from Austin because she had an Austin College Alumni board meeting. She figured she'd be in the area, so it would be a great time to see all of us. So she got here on Friday afternoon, and after a day of hanging out and going to the mall (me, Tanya, and Jillian), Richard and I went on a date while Tanya stayed at the house to take care of Jillian. We sorta did the same thing as the last date - fed Jillian and put her to bed...leaving Tanya to relax (she needs to - the woman NEVER slows down!).

So we went to Eddie P's for dinner - very yummy! And then went to go see a movie...something Richard is always wanting to do, but that I usually don't want to go and do (that was before having a baby...now I'm more than happy to go to a movie). So we went to see Brokeback Mountain (and right before the Oscars, too!). I was really excited to see it - it had gotten amazing reviews, and I heard it was an amazing love story. Plus, Richard was surprisingly okay with going to see it (that's one of the many things I love about him - a tolerant, non-judgemental person - I really admire and respect that about him).

However, since we haven't been to a movie in so long, we forgot how expensive it really is! We knew it was expensive, but $8.50 for a ticket?! That's crazy! And I wanted M&M's - $3.25!!!! That's even crazier! I usually think ahead and bring my own food supply, but unfortunately, I forgot this time - never again.

Anyway, the movie was amazing. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was probably the most beautiful movie I have ever seen - the rolling hills and mountains, sheep, and even the clouds in the sky (it should've won Best Cinematography). I will admit that the first "intimate" scene was a bit uncomfortable to watch, but I think everything after that was "less intense," so as far as all that goes, it was pretty okay. The movie was extremely easy and peaceful to watch, I think mainly because of the scenery and the simple (Oscar winning) music (no, not the "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" song...Brokeback got Best Original Score, I believe).

So I know there are a lot of people out there that are completely and totally opposed to this movie, but I am not ashamed to say that it was an excellent movie, that is very deserving of all the accolades, raving reviews, and award nominations. It's so much more than a movie about "a couple of gay cowboys." It is a thought provoking love story that has a wonderful message. I highly recommend it! Richard said that he liked it as well - I'm glad we got to see a movie that I believe, is somewhat culturally relevant and important.

Anyway, that was our date! We came home and Tanya said that Jillian had been sleeping soundly the whole time - not a peep! This is not a surprise, but it was good to know that all was well while we were gone.

Our First Date Night...Sans Jillian

2006-02-27T13:23:00.000-06:00

Well, Richard and I finally did it - we finally had a date night for just the two of us. We were actually planning on having this date last weekend for Valentine's Day, but the icy conditions made it a little risky for my mom to drive up from Dallas, so instead, she came over yesterday at 4pm. After taking some pictures of this mementous occasion, our Valentine's Date started when we got out the door around 4:30, and headed off to Stonebriar Mall to have fun at Dave and Buster's. When we got there, I realized that all I had had to eat up to that point was some soup...I was hungry and I probably wasn't going to make it to our later dinner time (plus, not eating enough could affect my milk supply), so we decided that at some point while at D&B, we would get a little snack.

So we went inside, got our "Power Cards" to play games, and headed off to our favorite game - basketball (where you compete to get the most baskets in an alotted period of time) - and I beat Richard ALL BUT ONE TIME!!! Yay me! Then, we played two games of skee-ball before deciding that it kinda wasn't fun. And then...we hit the jackpot. That game, where you put coins in to push the other coins over the edge, to get tickets - yeah...I got about 500 tickets!!!! Richard got a whole lot, too!!! (Oh yeah, somewhere in there, we got some awesome nachos). Anyway, so we went to the "Winner's Circle" to see what kinds of prizes we would try to get with all of our tickets (and after having them count the tickets, realized that each ticket counted as 2). We decided that we would definitely be getting Jillian a stuffed animal or two...and went off to play several last games of basketball and the coin game...we ended up with over 2500 tickets!!! SO, Richard and I got 4 (FOUR!!!) stuffed animals!

We headed home because it was time to feed Jillian (I'm sure she wouldn't be happy to get a bottle before going to bed...she's used to having her Mommy!). I ran to the front door, ran to the living room, and was soooo happy to see Jillian alive and okay (of course, I didn't really doubt that she would be fine, but you mothers know what I'm talking about). So I fed her, put her to bed, and left my mom with dinner and Dancing with the Stars.

Richard and I headed off to Kirby's Steakhouse - one of my favorite places, though I had only been to the Dallas location, so going to the Frisco one was new and exciting, especially on such a special date! Just so that I can remember every little nuance of our first date out, I'm listing off everything we ate: Richard ordered the Prime New York Strip, with the soup of the day - tasty Chicken Jalepeno and a baked potato. I ordered the 7 oz. Pepper Steak, salad with creamy garlic dressing, and a baked potato as well. We also ordered a side of asparagus (anyone who knows Richard should be proud that I have him liking this stuff!). After ordering we asked the waiter to take a picture of us...

Our soup and salad came out and was delicious! Richard was kind enough to let me try his soup and it was very, very good. We had great conversation, and I think we were even able to talk about topics other than our wonderful Jillian! It was refreshing to be out on our own again (though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still longing to see my Munchkin).

Anyway, our dinners came out and they were awesome! I should've taken pictures. But trust me, very delicious! However, we knew that we wanted dessert, so we decided to get to-go boxes. The waiter brought the dessert menu out and I got something I hadn't had in SO LONG - coffee!!! I still got decaf, but it was great! Anyway, we ordered Sin on a Plate and the Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream - I had had the first before and thought that it was great, so I was surprised when I tasted the chocolate cake and discovered it was even better!!! Warm with a touch of cinnamon, it reminded me of my family's chocolate sheath (sp?) cake. YUMMY!!! Of course, we couldn't eat all of the sweetness, so we boxed it up as well! Needless to say, our fridge is full of styrofoam boxes.

It was a wonderful dinner and date - we went home full and appreciative to my mom, who allowed us to get out and enjoy eachother in a different setting. Thank you to my mom and thank you to my wonderful husband Richard - I will never forget our special date and I will always love you!

RE: The Nature of Leap and Lily's Relationship

2006-02-25T20:56:00.000-06:00

Richard has informed me that he believes Leap and Lily are "lovers" - his reasoning is that there is another Leapfrog friend named "Tad." Richard believes that because "Tad" refers to "tadpole," he is most likely Leap and Lily's "lovechild." Sheesh.

So I'd like to conduct a poll: Are Leap and Lily siblings or lovers? What do you think?

Jillian's New Friend, Lily

2006-02-25T20:46:00.001-06:00

For Christmas, Richard's parents gave Jillian "Leap." She has absolutely loved Leap - she grins when he sings the ABC's and she loves to gnaw on his head, arms, and/or attached ring! So I thought that she should have Leap's counterpart, "Lily," as Richard and I believe that they must be siblings, and we don't want to separate them! :) Besides, Lily sings a "counting song" from 1 to 10 - how fun is that?! So today when we ran errands, Jillian enjoyed grinning at and gnawing on Lily!

Muppet Personality Test

2006-02-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

Interesting...

I found this personality test on my friend Tara's myspace page, and these are my results:

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.
You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.
Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.
Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

What are you? :)

Mommy is finally inspired to take advantage of music collection!

2006-02-24T12:16:00.000-06:00

While watching the Olympics last night, I realized how much I miss listening to all kinds of classical music. Actually, it was while watching the girl from Japan (that ended up getting the gold) skate to music from Puccini's "Turandot." I probably annoyed Richard by humming the whole way through it! SO, Jillian and I will be trying to listen to a wider variety of music than before (we have been listening to "Classical Favorites," the classical radio station, and sometimes even stuff like Natalie Merchant...she loves when Mommy sings to her!).

Right now, we're listening to Mozart's "DieZauberflöte" (The Magic Flute) - an opera I love, and have actually seen performed at the Coliseum Opera House in London, as well as having sung portions of it in college and graduate school. This will be fun to revisit my music background - my classical/opera music library is a pretty good sized one, and this is the perfect time to take advantage of it! I just seemed to collect lots of CD's that I learned about and grew to love and appreciate while in school. Many times (in fact, most of the time), after having been assigned a new vocal piece, I would find a good recording (or two) of it, in order to help me learn it. Other times, I would fall in love with a piece in one of my music history classes. Then, there were times when there was a deal on an opera CD set that was just too good to pass up. Actually, I think I got most of my CDs at a great price, as I seemed to frequent places like CD Source and Half Price Books. Places like those have great collections of classical music for amazing prices! My "Magic Flute" box set is like new and I got it for $18.99. Here is the same one on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000041ZF...

Obviously, it really pays to check out those other retailers! Anyway, Jillian and I will keep you all posted on everything we're listening to!

Rolling over used to be a good thing...

2006-02-22T10:46:00.000-06:00

Sheesh. The White House has a problem. Jillian has learned how to roll over from her back to her tummy, but not so much her tummy to her back. This has presented a problem when she sleeps...for one, she rolls onto her tummy, and gets her adorably large thighs stuck in between the crib rails (it takes some work to get them out, but we've been told that this is far better than having bumpers in the crib). Anyway, so her legs get stuck, AND she's on her tummy - so she just yells and screams until we roll her back over...and it happens again! We've tried working with her to help her go from tummy to back, and she'll hang out on her tummy for a long while, just playing, grabbing things, and drooling. But then she gets fatigued and fussy and either ends up just crying or burying her face in the floor...thus, rarely attempting to roll over! What's a mother to do?!
We've ordered a breathable bumper for her crib - it's pretty much mesh that goes around it, to prevent her legs getting caught, and I'm hoping that if she were to start rolling on her tummy, that she could use her legs to push off the mesh and get back on her back. For now, while waiting on the breathable bumper, Jillian is "sleeping" in her Pack n' Play, so that we don't get any more stuck limbs. She seemed to like it at first, but not now. :(
We had probably a good month of her sleeping from 8pm-8am...and now we don't. :( Yeah, it's great, she goes down really easily at 8pm, but around 1am, she seems to start moving around a lot - she'll roll onto her side, and then when she rolls back on her back, it startles her and she wakes up unhappy. Mommy and Daddy haven't been getting much sleep either. :(
Anyway, here's hoping it'll get better soon!!!!

Wow! Finally a blog...

2006-02-22T10:16:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've been terrible about not blogging on my own page...but I will try to start doing that more often. For now, I'm posting a recent pic of me and my adorable Jillian!

Pictures!

2005-09-05T01:11:00.000-05:00

La Madeleine Baby Shower

Our New House

Links To My Favorite Sites...

2005-03-06T20:45:00.000-06:00

Here's a shocker: Included in my list of favorite websites are our online registries!

Target Registry

Babies R Us Registry

Pottery Barn Kids Registry

Baby Depot Registry

Austin College

Austin College A Cappella Choir

Alan and Tara's Website

Alan and Tara's Wedding Webpage

www.msn.com

www.ivillage.com