For Me??

Guess what? I got an award! I'm very excited because back in the day when I used to get those awards I wasn't very organized and also totally crazy and depressed from infertility so I didn't receive them properly. I don't use that as an excuse, I was seriously depressed. But I'm better, so . . . .

I would like to thank Kayee at Nothing in the Oven (even though she now has a little girl in her oven) for nominating me for an award! I am so excited for you and I am glad to get to read about your business after stalking you on BZ. ;)

The rules for accepting this award are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 other bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.


1. I have lived in 7 states in the U.S. Where I currently live I will have lived the longest of anywhere starting this July and I have cabin fever big time! I am desperate to add an 8th state.

2. I hate it when people touch me. After much convincing, I got my first pedicure at the age of 20 and now I can sort of like that.

3. I ran a half marathon two (or is three?) years ago in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Before this, I had never run more than 3 miles. I trained for two weeks. Not two months or two years, two weeks. It was awesome!

4. I love science fiction and totally geek out over aliens. My other geek fest comes from Lord of the Rings. I heart Lord of the Rings.

5. I buy lottery tickets and I take it seriously. I deduct all applicable taxes and then meticulously plan where the money would go and what I would do with it. I feel like this is putting it out into the universe that I am serious about winning and it will then happen. That's the trouble with having "The Secret" on your iPod, it convinces you that these things are true. But it's a fun game, you should try it!

6. I desperately wish for a talent. Maybe something musical or artistic. I have no talents though, unless you consider the ability to consistently embarass yourself or find yourself in ridiculously awkward situations a talent.

7. I want a minivan. BAD. I have several friends that call it a Loser Cruiser and I laugh with them, like yeah, only losers would roll in a minivan but I secretly dream of my long, large, sleek minivan. I dream of it being stuffed full of stuff. The twins would love a minivan. I think even I would look cool in one. I can just see myself lookin' good, rolling through town, maybe even throwing up gang signs (I'm not in a gang, I would be the worst gang member ever, peer pressure doesn't really do anything for me) because I could make a minivan look like awesome. But I'm poor and I drive a Corolla . . . . .

1. Life By The Day - One of the first blogs I ever followed!
2. Baby K Found His Way
3. Just The Dark Before The Morning
4. Dreams Do Come True
5. Stealing Baby Kisses
6. 2 B's In a Pod
7. My Vegas
8. Little Looman Log
9. The Adventures of Alpha and Omega
10. Hubby, Baby and Me, Our Family of Three

I'm going to stop at ten because I'm super tired and ready for bed. Sorry!!! I love way more than 15 blogs. I'm a HUGE blog addict, I can never get enough.

Lori - The black background on the pictures is a black blanket!

I love bath night!

Oshy Butt

So What Wednesday

- So what if I look 20 years older in my new passport photo than I did in my passport photo taken four years ago? It's been a long and crazy four years. I wonder what my passport photo will look like in 10 years when it expires. I think I will look younger than now, because I will probably get botox by then if I already look this bad. Sheesh.

- So what if I cheated a little bit on my diet this weekend? I got Girl Scout cookies!!! Yummy!

- So what if yet ANOTHER celeb is pregnant? What is in the Hollywood water? There have been 22 announcements for this year not to mention Nicole Kidman just had a baby via surrogate. All of them but three are also in their 30's and 40's. Whatever vitamins they are taking I need some!

- So what if my Oshy boo can crawl all the way up our steep stairs? I know I should discourage it, but it is so cute watching him motor his way up the stairs. Peanut watched him do it and even though she has never even attempted it, she crawled up two stairs just to chase after him. So adorable!

- So what if I am wearing jeans from Forever 21? Forever 21 even tried to discourage me from shopping there by writing "Model is 5'10" and 105 pounds" underneath the picture of the jeans I wanted. So what if I am 5'4" and one hundred and **cough** **cough** pounds? I think I look good. I probably lost a pound just buying the jeans because finding a size 31 pant in that store is like finding a needle in a haystack. I also bought the "high waisted" pant, you know, for the dangler. I can't believe they even had a high waisted pant there!

- So what if my eyes fill up with tears over little things the monkeys do? Last night Oshy wouldn't go to sleep so I put him in the bed with me and sang him songs. He just stared into my eyes until he drifted off and I loved it. Today he gave my mom a kiss on the lips and she cried because she was so happy so either a) I inherited this silly trait or b) it's normal!

- So what if I laugh when Peanut toots on hubby while she is bare butt getting a diaper change? I'm not mature and I love to watch hubby squirm!

Okay, this is a warning. You are about to witness extreme cuteness.

Prepare yourself ................................................................................................

NINE MONTH PICTURES!!

This is all we got of Oshy because he was so not interested in cooperating. They were both in different directions the whole time!

I took the pictures AND I made the tutu myself. Yep, I'm a regular ole' Martha Stewart these days! (without cooking of course)

Nine Months On, Nine Months Off?

This silly little myth is a thorn in my side.

You know what they all say, and even I said to my post-preggo friends to make them feel better even though I had no idea what I was saying, is that it took nine months to gain it all so give yourself nine months to get it off.

I wish.

Here is what happened: I had the babies and I lost 26 of the 36 pounds I gained before I even left the hospital so I thought, woo hoo, this is going to be easy as can be. Next I was breastfeeding, which made me burn calories and I also couldn't eat anything because I was physically ill so I was looking really good. I also was at home for maternity leave so I did not feel guilty when hubby came home to get in an hour of a workout. So I was even less than what I weighed at my first OB appointment.

I went back to work. This was where it all went downhill. I was too tired and guilty at the end of the workday to workout anymore. I wanted to spend time with the babies and the stress of being up with babies who didn't sleep well all night followed by working with children all day and having to accomplish things made me flat out exhausted. The idea of working out was not appealing in any way. I also had time to eat. When I was at home, I was just focused on them, but now I could eat food and I ate a LOT of food. I had gestational diabetes and was on a diet while pregnant and was so ill after the birth with stomach issues that I certainly took advantage of being able to eat again.

I then gained TEN pounds back after returning to work. TEN. Yes, ten. That's a lot.

After seeing myself in holiday pictures, I was super depressed about my looks. I have to face the fact that my stomach will not be the same, it held two human beings and I have extra skin and stretch marks that will be there forever. Period. But the rest of my body is another story.

Hubby started a diet and tracking his eating habits on LiveStrong.com. Hubby has lost over 15 pounds since January 1st. I started on LiveStrong.com too and I love it! I don't know what it is about tracking my food, but having to be accountable for what I eat makes me paranoid of eating a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies for an afternoon snack, so I don't. I eat a protein shake for breakfast, salad for lunch, and whateva for dinner. For snacks I like grapes, bananas, Special K protein snack bars, YoPlus yogurt and Babybel cheese. I still sneak in dessert by way of sugar free pudding cups, sugar free candy, bananas dipped in Nutella, dark chocolate covered pomegranate and 100 calorie dessert packs. Of course I cheat every now and then, but I'm good for the most part. I only drink water, not even Diet Coke!

I am also training for a half marathon in April. Even if I walk half of it, I don't care, as long as I finish. I have had a few roadblocks as far as scheduling is concerned. There are only 24 hours in a day and I work 9 (with commute), need my baby time and also sleep is a nice thing. The other issue is that during my pregnancy my pubic bone separated and after a 3 mile run I can barely walk for about a day with the pain, so it obviously did not go back together. I am getting some therapy at my chiropractic office for the pubic bone so hopefully that will heal up ASAP. A jogging stroller is on my wish list to be purchased sometime next month and then I can get the combo of getting in a workout and also doing something with my monkeys!

In the last two weeks I have lost about 5 pounds while only starving for the first few days. Working out has felt really nice (I watch my Housewives and the Bachelor and it gets me through). I would like to lose 15 more pounds. When I reach my goal, I may even post a picture for you. Maybe.

It's been nine months and it is not all off. But that's okay. I feel better now and ready to do it so hopefully this time is will be a success!

My little munchkins, desperate for outside time!

9 Months

The monkey's are going to be nine months old tomorrow. I can't believe it. They had their well baby visit today and then we scheduled their next appointment, which will be ONE YEAR. Holy crap.

Ocean

Weight: 20 lbs 5 oz (48th percentile)

Height: 30 inches (94th percentile)

Milestones: Clapping, crawling, babbling, pulling up on things, coasting against furniture, and four new teeth.

Eating: Formula, baby foods (Earth's Best Organics are our favorite currently) and trying table foods! He likes lasagna, hamburger, chicken, pizza, french fries, pears, and cheese.

Ever

Weight: 17 lbs 6 ozs (21st percentile)

Height: 27.5 inches (52nd percentile)

Milestones: crawling, waving, babbling, clapping, and getting food into her mouth.

Eating: Formula, baby food, and table foods like cheese, pears, french fries, pizza, chicken, and snow (I know that's not a food, but she loves to eat it).

No shots today, thank Jesus. Ever got diagnosed as "big trouble." I already knew that. She is just a sassy little lady. Ocean needs his third round of antibiotics, yes I said third, because he is a little snot bucket. We are on asthma watch for him, especially since I have it and he is predisposed. Ever has only needed one round of antibiotics so far.

I can't tell you the relief that I feel when we leave the doctor and they get a clean bill of health. I know healthy babies are the norm, but with the joy of Google and blog reading, it sometimes seems like healthy babies are the exception. Well Baby visits ease my new mom fears so much and I leave so happy knowing my babies are healthy! I remember being worried about all the things that could happen every day of my pregnancy, so making it to each stage without those things happening makes me feel so lucky.

So What Wednesday

So what if I take my babies out with food all over their faces just so I don't have to hear them scream? Ever can scream LOUD. People come up like, ooh, look at that cute little Peanut and then they see her white trash food face and give me the stink eye. If only I had a dollar . . . .

So what if I cried a little tear in public while shopping because I have to buy Oshy's clothes in the toddler section? How would you feel if you spent years getting knocked up and then BAM your little baby is a big boy? It's sad okay. Crying in public is sad too, but not as sad as shopping in the toddler section, although the selection is much better and my boy just got his first KU Jayhawk t-shirt. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

So what if I live in the ghetto? Do you remember Jeff Foxworthy and the whole "you might be a redneck" business? Hubby and I play "you might live in the ghetto if . . . ." We found a new one and it is "you might live in the ghetto if a store opens up down the street from you called Phones and Smokes." Yeah, I live down the street from "Phones and Smokes."G-H-E-T-T-O

So what if I look like a total nerd wearing super high heels? Hubby and I went to a yummy and delicious fancy shmancy restaurant on Saturday night and I bought a new pair of high heels for the occasion. I could hardly walk, but I did feel cool. Nerdy cool.

So what if I am going to look 10 weeks preggo for life? I think I have done 9 million sit ups since I gave birth and the dangler is still pudgy, but I sure got two sweet bits of baby perfection out of it!

So what if another celebrity is pregnant? I swear, there were at least two celeb pregnancy announcements on People.com last week a day.

So what if Madison on the Bachelor is super hot? She wears fangs for fun. That can't be considered mentally stable. Although it's obvious Melissa is the resident nut job this season.

So what if I have the bad kid in class? We went to our first Gymboree class and all the little babies sat so sweet in their mom/dad/grandma's lap. All except one. Peanut. She crawled out to the middle and flapped her arms around while everyone laughed at her. Everytime I tried to bring her back she threw a tantrum. Oshy was a sweet little boy paying attention and enjoying. In the end, I ended up just letting Peanut crawl away and do her own thing. I think she may be giving me a run for my money . . . .

The babes are experimenting with some new faces.

This is Oshy's mad face. It's definitely a change from his always smiley face. It gets a whole lot dirtier, but this is the best I could do.

This is Peanut's Elvis smile. It makes me laugh too.