Merry Christmas!

Chubby Baby

My lovely mother has reminded me that I have not updated in sometime...so here it is, a quick one. First of all, my beautiful fat baby. She has got the double chin going on =). She is so very sweet, such a good happy baby. I am thoroughly enjoying her.


I continue to plug away at the baby weight loss. I have lost a bit over 5 lbs in the last month which I am pretty pleased with. I had my body fat measured today and was pleased to find out that I actually gained 7 lbs of muscle during the pregnancy. I guess all the working out and lifting was not wasted. That makes me feel a ton better as I really only have about 13 lbs left to lose to get back to my original condition....which sounds a heck of a lot better than the 20 that the scale is telling me. Well that is all for now. Se ya later.

Quick update

Hello blogland. Just a quick update. Things are well here. Girls are doing well. Exercise and diet...ehhh....okay. Only lost 0.8lbs in the past 2 weeks. That would be because I am still not watching what I eat. I was really hoping that by exercising and breastfeeding I would start dropping....but not so lucky. To my lovely Frytown Friend who I will mention again cause it seems to make her happy =)...I'm not posting my workouts to make anyone feel bad. Just trying to keep myself in line...it is easy to make excuses not to workout and for me really easy to make excuses not to eat how I need to. For example the week of Sept 21st I didn't do so well...only did the AMT and one weight training session...I have all kinds of excuses such I was home with Lila and Jeremy broke his foot and couldn't watch her, etc. but they are pretty poor excuses...could have figured it out if I really wanted to. Last week I did better. I walked once, ran once, AMT'd once and 2 relatively intense weight workouts. I got the weight workout out of oxygen magazine. I like that mag...no pansy crap in there. Now I just need to get over my food excuses and I will be good. I really don't want to diet...not one bit I tell you. But I need to just a little to get where I want to be. I have 15 weeks to get rid of the excess...why 15? Going on vacation to the beach!! Very excited but also having anxiety already about leaving my baby. Anyway, that is all for now. I will leave you with some scrapbook pages I did the other day...yes, friends, I actually did something. For some reason I can't get myself to bring out the paper and scissors, so I did digital. I think they turned out okay being that I don't really know what I'm doing digitally speaking. What do you think? Have a lovely day.

Update

Thanks to all that checked in. I appreciate knowing someone is here and that I am not talking to no one.

So an update on my quest to lose my baby fat....I have actually been sort of trying for about 4 weeks. By sort of trying I mean that my workouts have increased to about 3-4 per week and I am trying to watch what I eat. I am not doing the hard core diet yet as I am a bit nervous about my ability to keep feeding my child if I diet too much (breastfeeding). So as much as I would like to get this stuff off fast, I am taking a more moderate approach in the best interest of my lovely little baby. So I struggled with being famished last week and didn't do so well on my eating...my workouts have improved remarkably though. Feeling much stronger and a little less lard like as I move.

Overall here are my stats:

Down 4.4 lbs, 3.5 inches off of my waist, 1.5" off my hips and 1" off of my thighs. I actually thought I was doing much worse than this so writing this stuff down has been useful as I don't feel like quite as much of a loser...still a ton more to go but a decent start.


My workouts: (2 weeks worth)
Sept 7-12
8th: 2 mile run (thought I might die)
9th: cardio intervals on the AMT (fancy super cool better than elliptical machine)
3 sets of balance squats, one leg bridge on each leg
cardio intervals on AMT
2 sets (ran out of time) of squats with shoulder press, one leg row, v-crunch
10th: 30 min walk pushing Lila in the stroller
11th: 1 mile run/warmup
2 sets of balance squats, one leg bridge, v-crunch
AMT intervals
2 sets of squat with shoulder press, one leg row, ab-x crunch machine


Sept 14-18
14th: 2.5 mile run (felt much better today...didn't feel like a total tub of lard)
15th: 1 mile run/warm up
express weight training circuit + abs (8 weight machines moving from one to the next quickly)--2 sets
16th: walk pusing Lila 20 minutes
17th: 1.25 mile run + 15 minutes on AMT doing intervals
18th: 10 minute walk/warmup
express circuit x 2 sets

So there you have it...what I have been doing.


Now something more exciting...some pics....
Lila last week in our yard


Bella turned 11 last Monday...time flies!

And finally me having a little fun with my baby that loves to stand. Since she has been staying home with her Daddy a lot these past few weeks they have been practicing standing...she seems to love it. She was actually standing by herself...i would let go and snap a pic quickly =)

Had enough of the fun...

Well that is all for now, have a lovely day

Anyone still here?

So I thought it was about time for a proper update. I don't know if anyone still reads this after my poor blogging history over the past few months...but if you still do...check in so I know to keep blogging otherwise, what is the point?

So we will start back 7 weeks ago to the birth of the lovely Lila. I did end up having a stupid c-section. I really thought I was going to go into labor the Sunday before she was born, was having painful contractions every 8 min or so all night long and then they stopped Monday morning...and then nothing. Wednesday arrived and I had decided that if I hadn't gone into labor we would do the repeat section...wasn't thrilled, but I also didn't want a stuck baby as she grew fatter and fatter (as what happened to the lovely Bella). So yes my lovely Frytown surgeon friend I did end up saving my pelvic floor musculature, but we pediatricians worry about ripping babies out of the womb when they aren't quite ready and all the badness that happens because of that...so I was quite nervous about the whole thing. But she was more than ready to come out and was screaming very loudly as soon as her head was out...(warning very mildly bloody photo below =)....
The circulating nurse apparently loved cameras so she was more than happy to snap a few shots of the whole thing.

One of Lila's first photos....She was 7 lbs 8 oz (my smallest baby by about a pound) and 20 inches long

Me and my baby about 1 hour old....

Lila and her daddy...

The view from my room...state capital

Everything went really well. I don't want to sound braggy or anything but I am pretty proud that I kicked this c-section's buttocks thoroughly. I was up and around very quickly, minimal pain and felt remarkably well...perhaps it was all my hard work with working out the entire pregnancy? My nurses at the hospital thought I was a strange abnormality and kept telling me I was a boring patient...so to ease their boredom, I checked out early and came home to all the "little mommies" that almost drove me crazy with their desire to be helpful and such....so crazy I thought long and hard about checking myself back into the hospital just to get away from all of them =).

So since then have just been busy...
State Fair...

First day of school...


Soccer...


Taking care of my baby....(who by the way is the super coolest baby ever...)




So to end with, a few photos of my nonbaby children so that they don't feel neglected =)





One more thing...I have a crapload of weight to lose (one thing the regular workouts didn't seem to help unfortunately). Those that have been long time readers may remember I documented my bodybugg experience on here 3+ years ago when I lost 17ish pounds. This time I have about 30 to lose to get back to my prepreggo weight. So I think I will start doing that here on a weekly-ish basis...will keep me honest perhaps? So if anyone would like to join me...that would be great. All for now...later.

Florida 2009

Shutterfly is offering a free photobook until August 26th (hurry, there is still time!). Here is mine with some pictures of our vacation to Florida in June. I will be interested in seeing the quality of this book. Anyone ever get one of these before?

Click here to view this photo book larger

Want to see a cute babe?

Yes, I know it has been awhile...but in my defense, I believe I have an excuse. Been busy =). Anyway, just saw these cute pictures and thought I would pass them on to others. Check out this site
scroll down to the end of the post and enjoy. And if you haven't figured it out...that cutie is mine. Hard to believe she is 4 weeks old now and I only have 2 more weeks before I am off to work again =(. That is all for now. Have a good day.

Sorry so slow.....

been a bit busy =)..... Miss Lila Kate Milani arrived July 22nd at 9 a.m. She is healthy, beautiful and loved much by all. Promise more later....

Happy 38 weeks

The end is in sight....Doing well. All my whining and feeling like absolute crap ended last Friday night after I decided to play softball with all the girls. My thought with participating in such an activity was that as crappy and crampy as I was feeling perhaps I would go into labor with a bit more physical exertion....didn't happen. In fact, when I got done the pretty significant pain was much decreased as was my swelling. By the next morning, I could walk without feeling like I wanted to cry and I felt 100% better. Not sure what happened...must have jostled the baby around to a new position and she moved to a much more comfortable for me position. Anyway, feeling fine now...wondering if that is good or bad as far as going into labor. Here is my 38 1/7 week picture.

Went to the doc today. Had an ultrasound to estimate the size (which as you may know is not very accurate at this point). The estimated weight was 6 lb 14 oz today. So now I need to take that possibly inaccurate information and make a decision on whether I want to do my repeat c-section or see what happens. I am pleased the weight appears to be much smaller than my other kids were, but it still doesn't make the decision easy...lots to think about. Anyway, that is all for now. Have a lovely evening, I think I will go eat some ice cream =)

A few more pictures....

Here are a few of my maternity pictures that we took a few weeks ago. There are about 60+ of them that I thought were really good. I'm kind of hard to please in the picture taking arena, so I was pleasantly surprised that there were a lot to chose from. Here are a few of the more internet appropriate ones. There were some other really good ones that I just don't feel terribly comfortable posting...so these are what you get.
I'm probably going to print them all off relatively large and make a nice book of them. Probably won't be hanging anything on the wall, but I think I will really enjoy looking back at these in the future.

I really like this one...there was more to it that ruined the whole pic so we chopped it off and it ended up being just a pic of us...which has rarely existed.
Another one of the 2 of us....
My belly and some pretty flowers....
Me.....(pictures of me are also quite rare)
Another one of us....perhaps even wall appropriate


I am a little hesitant to include this last one as some may not find it appropriate, but I think it is my favorite one...I find it very artistic. And who knows....since you can't see the face...maybe it is me, maybe not...might have just pulled it off the internet randomly......


Anyway, no other baby news to report. Nothing is happening unfortunately. I hurt like crazy. Honestly don't know if I have felt anything quite like this before. Getting up, walking, getting dressed...all of it makes me want to cry. The c-section is starting to sound like a very pleasant option. Hopefully all will be done soon....gotta run for now. Later.

Computer is back....

So my computer is back....working well, but nothing that was on it before is on it now. My biggest loss was my Itunes collection...some of which was backed up, some not.... So I'm trying to recreat that...a long task ahead.
Had a good 4th. Had a bunch of people over at our house. Had a little bit of everything going on....wrestling....
Fireworks....
Eating....smores here
Camping out...our front yard....
That is about as much as I can upload for one evening. I will leave you with my 37 week photo. Now that I am officially term, if anyone can give me some tips for going into labor I will love you forever. Tired, must go to bed. Have a lovely evening.

By the way, my butt is not that big...shadow there. My belly on the other hand...not shadow =).

Still no computer

My computer is still not in my possession. It apparently has a major issue. I am so so so thankful that all of my photos are on my external hard drive as it seems I have lost everything else that was on my computer. I guess it is running again, but everything disappeared on it. Another lesson in backing up what is important to you...for those who have not done that. I would have lost 5+ years of photos if I hadn't backed up. So anyway, that is the reason I have not posted any pictures recently.
What else...
*Carolina Liar was good, enjoyed it.
*I am so ready to have this baby...uncomfortable to say the least. Her head is very very low and making me uncomfortable. Unfortunately, as of my appointment on Wednesday, nothing was happening.
*Waiting for my disc of photos to arrive from the maternity shoot. Will post some of those when I get them back.
*The new house is livable now and ready for baby. Got an offer on the old house, was terrible. Would have had to write a check for about $46,000 at closing!?!?! Seriously? They didn't appreciate my counter offer (which was a fair amount less than what I paid for it almost 5 years ago) and thus I still own 2 homes. I feel like I am being punished for other's financial irresponsibility/and or bad luck. I can't compete with foreclosures. Sucks. Gets a bit more stressful as the baby is coming soon....babies are expensive!!!!
*We have a bunch of wild turkeys that like to run through our yard at the the new house...that is one type of wildlife I have yet to experience at my home.
*That is all I can think of....hopefully I will get my computer back in working order this weekend and can start editing pics again and hopefully baby news soon! Have a lovely 4th.

35 weeks and no picture today.  My computer broke over the weekend with the heavy storms we had lately?  Makes me wonder what a surge protector is for if it doesn't protect.  So I have no access to my photo editing stuff.  Luckily all my pictures are on an external hard drive and seem to be intact.  Had an OB appointment today.  All is well.  I'm now at the every week appointments.  Fun.  Have finally bought enough stuff if she decided she wanted to come tomorrow, I am actually ready.  Was at the downtown gym today getting dressed and had a rather bizarre experience.  2 ladies I have never seen in my life looked at me as I was getting dressed and started talking about me...not to me, but about me and how they thought I looked and how they looked when they were pregnant...was strange.  At least they were saying nice things and not how I look like a bloated whale.  Anyway, that is about all of the pregnancy related stuff I can think of.  Tomorrow night the girls and I are going to go see Carolina Liar.  They are playing downtown and kids get in free so I'm only out $12 if it stinks.  I think it will be good though.  That is all for now.  Hopefully, my computer will be fixed soon.  Talk to you all later.

A little late....

Here I promised to post soon with a 33 week pic and such, but I guess I never got around to it. So here I am a week and a half late with my update. We will just skip the 33 week pic and go straight to the 34 week pic as they look basically identical. I feel as if I am expanding extremely rapidly. I am measuring small, which gives me some hope that I might be able to deliver this kiddo in a non c-section manner...but I measured small with Bella and she came out a nice plump 8-6...so I am not overly hopeful. I am starting to feel the fatigue and grumpiness and such that so many people feel that last month. I'm tired, I hurt, I have some swelling unrelated to car rides. But I am trying to maintain a good attitude and trying really hard to enjoy this last pregnancy of mine.

Anyway, onto other things. I started editing the pics from the vacation. Here is one of the better ones of the 4 girls. It was really hard to get them all to look semidecent at the same time. Seemed like one of them was always doing something to make the picture look less than ideal. This one looks okay though...but can you guess which one really really had to pee? I have some good individual ones, perhaps I will post later.


Speaking of pictures...J and I took maternity pics yesterday. He was less than thrilled, but once we were done he said it wasn't as bad as he thought because he wasn't made to smile very much by the photographer (poor guy hates to smile apparently). It was kind of fun. I am not a good model though, felt silly most of the time...I rarely get my picture taken so I am not used to it. Had some Demi Moore-ish semi unclothed ones done, that was fun standing out in my yard half naked...good thing about living out in the country I guess. Hope they turned out good. We shall see. Anyway, that is all for now...tired, gonna try to sleep early.

I should have an update soon.  I have my 33 week belly pic and beach pics to upload as soon as I find my camera cable....  We have been moving and will need to locate that first.  Until then.....

Took pictures of the girls last night on the beach...hopefully got some good ones.  After took a swim in the ocean.  Had a few stingrays swim pretty close to us.  Was kind of cool...but freaked the 2 little ones out.  They took off screaming and spent the rest of the evening on the beach.  Today has been sort of rainy.  J and I and the alien played golf...made it about 12 holes before the waddling set in and decided to just putt on the rest of the holes.  That is all for now.  adios.

The 8 month old fetus & i hit golf balls this a.m. (32 weeks today!) Now sitting by the pool reading...having fun...

Posting from phone, why so short. Hunting seashells on pensacola beach. Beautiful here...i love the beach :)

Lounging on the beach, having a lovely time...

14 hours into our trip, in mississippi. I have cankles now, such fun. More later.

They forgot....

to turn off my internet. Turned the TV off, but this seems to still work. However, I need to box up the modem and send it back...so no more internet for a bit. We are also heading off for a lovely week in Florida, leaving Thursday, lounging on the beach like a beached whale....it will be fun and is much needed. Haven't taken a vacation since July of last year...not sure what has been wrong with me. Anyway...one more pic until I get back. 31 weeks...new picture location is in the girl's bedroom. All for now...see ya.

She turns 30

Not me...the baby. 30 weeks. I think today alone she gained a good pound, I feel stretched. Feeling pretty good though other than my typical aches and pains. Here is my pic for the week.

A few pics of the girls too....Emma playing soccer. She did well. Scored 4 goals....

And Bella. Emma was out with a friend when I took this, therefore no fancy pics of her today.

My internet is getting turned off tomorrow in preparation for moving to the other house. Not sure when I will have it again at the new house. Haven't even called to get it turned on. Lovely satellite out there too. Anyway, I don't know how much I will post as posts without pics probably bore you all to death. We will see, maybe I'll figure out how to upload a few pictures at work. Anyway, that is all for now. Have a lovely day.

Better late than never

Here is a photo @ 28 3/7 weeks. I feel the need to add the 3/7 as every day in my mind is important =).

Feeling a little less stressed than I was a few days ago. The new daycare that is close to our new home and that I was going to send the girls to this summer pooped out on me a week ago due to lack of interest in their summer program (new daycare and pretty rural = apparently not good combination). Found something else relatively close to work and cost effective (yeah!). Only have to pay for the weeks they are there which is an entirely refreshing new concept to me. Since we are moving, thought the girls might have to change school districts, but got official word yesterday that they will still be in the same district. Worse case is changing elemenatary schools...but happy in the end all 4 girls will be going to jr. high/high school together. So 2 things down and out of the way...now to sell my house, move, prepare for baby, catch my work stalker (don't worry mom...all is under control)and try not to go crazy in the meantime. I did have a nice surprise yesterday....

J and the girls got me this for mother's day, a complete surprise. Some may say kitchen appliances aren't very romantic, but I have always wanted one of these and it makes me very happy. We "cookers" as Emma likes to call them, get excited about kitchen appliances =). That is all for now. Have a good day.