Extra Squishy-ness

I think it's odd that our society is so secretive about weight. We women rarely tell others how much we weigh. But why? People can make educated guesses based on the bone showing, or lack thereof. I've started a new journey in life to become fit and a healthy weight... so I'm just going to put it out there. Numbers and all!

My last year of highschool, I don't remember what I weighed exactly but I was a healthy size 8/9. When I was married in 2005, I was 155 pounds and my wedding dress was a size 10. Pregnancy with my daughter brought me to an impressive 198 pounds and I quickly dropped back to 164. I stopped looking at the scale with my son, but I was slightly over the 200 mark when he was born 9 months ago. Until recently I hovered at 174 pounds and I wear a size 13-ish.

A few months ago I started an aquacise class for ab toning once a week (and boy do my abs need it after one c-section and two babies!), and 4 and a half weeks ago I started a run/walk program 3 times a week. So I've gone from a desk potato to working out 4 times a week! Woohoo for me! And I'm proud to say that I'm now 165 pounds. Down 9 pounds. :)

If only I could commit to changing my eating habits, the weight would come off quicker. But I don't feel ready for that change yet... one thing at a time. But I'm already feeling better, my clothes are fitting like crap (too big!), and I have more energy to play with my children.

My first goal is to be wedding size, at 155 lbs. Secondary to that is a 5k fun run that's happening in the first weekend of September. I want to be able to jog the entire distance. So I'll update periodically with my successes (and backward steps) and you can make me feel better by putting "it" out there and replying to this entry with your current weight. (lol)

Something I've learned about feeding babies...

My daughter, long before I actually gave her non-booby food at 6 months, was interested in our plates, tried to steal a meal from our hands, watched us eat with an open mouth. She was very ready for food at 6 months of age and so I did the typical thing, I went to the baby section of the grocery store. I picked out a variety of little glass and plastic jars, there were a wide selection of things that sounded pretty good, and healthy. And indeed, I'm sure processed baby food has come a long way. It doesn't have a lot of preservatives and is tested for safety. But man... why are those "first foods" so watered down and runny? I could feed it to babes with a straw. And have you ever actually tasted them? Bland city. Some of them don't even taste like the actual product. Potato, cheese and broccoli puree? I kid you not, my dog (who gladly eats garbage) literally would not eat it.

And so I started to make my own baby food and I mixed nothing with water and pureed it. I spent a day steaming, cooking and mashing. Some things needed to be blended because of the "stringy" factor (like carrots), but I never needed to water it down. I think this was due to the fact that I waited until she was actually ready to eat. It didn't need to be the consistency of soup because she was able to manipulate soft foods with her tongue, sit on her own and swallow without gagging.

My son, who will be 9 months old in a few days, is really just getting into foods. He was not at all interested in eating at the 6 month mark and I feel that he wasn't ready physically for such a skill. I trusted that my breastmilk will provide him with everything he needs until such a time that he was ready to embark on soft solids. And waiting has been very rewarding! He has gone straight to feeding himself a lot of foods. He picks up pieces of cooked green beans and peas, he will gladly dip his fingers in yogurt and suck it off his hand, he holds rice crackers very well and can pick up cereal... I often don't need to sit there with a little spoon and mechanifcally plug food into his mouth that he spits right back out. It feels like we are enjoying meal time more. He's feeling independent and mom can eat her meal while it's actually hot! All because I didn't fret over 3 squares a day for my 4-6 month old, and just waited for him to start on his own.

I felt like feeding a baby solids would be a chore, but it's actually a lot of fun. :)

Dear Yarn Shops,

I have yet to visit one of you lovely shops filled with delicious skeins of fibre. I have found you though. The Loop Craft Cafe and LK Yarns... consider yourself spotted. You might be an hour's drive from my house, but I'm going to come visit and I will likely buy some of your wares.

I wish I knew you existed when I was learning to knit. I would have enjoyed taking a knitting class, back when my tiny breastfeeder likely would have slept the time away (this no longer happens during convienent times). Alas, I will still gather together a few dollars and come browse around your shops... potentially for hours... and I will leave with something new and exciting to work up with my needles.

Sincerley,
A Lonely Knitter Who Lives Far From a Yarn Shop

Finding the time

That is the title of my life right now. I'm always "finding the time" to do everything... dishes, going to the store, laundry, reading to the kids, taking the dog outside, knitting, watching something from the DVR, blogging... and everything is squished around going to work.

The summer is coming soon, and I'm thankful for the fact that I will be off, and hopefully time won't be as scarce. :)

We returned from a work trip at White Point Beach Resort a little bit ago. The conference was useful and I think the kids had a nice time exploring the beach, swimming at the pool and looking at the bunnies (the place is full of wild bunnies that have been tamed over the years). It was fun and I'm always amazed at the ocean. I grew up beside it, but our beaches often have gentle waves and warm water in the summer. The open atlantic is like ice and the waves are awe inspiring and huge! I wish I had been better at taking pictures during this trip. Here's a shot that I stole from the website...

The grand opening of TataTushies drew quit a few visitors and lots of entries for our free-for-shipping draws. We didn't make a whole lot of sales, but hopefully as we get some positive feedback, word-of-mouth will work in our favour. :) It's a fun venture!

Here's my only contribution to the stocking so far. I've had to resist the urge to put it on my own son's behind... lol His change table is already filled with wool! It's a pair of shorties (diaper cover) with a matching doll:

I'm working on something girlie for the next stocking. :)

News from the kiddo front... G is a busy little man. He has starting to cruise around furniture a little, although I don't think he realizes he's doing it yet! And E is enjoying the warmer weather and wants to play outside constantly. She's also had a word explosion over the last several weeks and I don't think there's anything she can't express these days. It's a fun time. (I'll add some pictures soon)

And as if I don't have enough things to do, I've started taking a little "me" time to exercise. I go to an aquafit class once a week and last week I started a couch-to-5K run program. You don't realize how out of shape you are until you try running for just 60 full seconds! I've lost 3 pounds so far, so only 5 more to go before I'm pre-baby-G size. ;)

Knitting for other little bums

Other babies may soon be modeling my knitting. :) I've joined up with my friend to start a little online shop of handmade baby goods. I have fun knitting and sewing, so why not offer it up to others? I have yet to actually finish a project to sell, but our grand opening will be on May 27th!

TataTushies

We also have a Blog and you can find us on Facebook.

I'm really looking forward to this little business venture. :)

Thoughts on Sleeping Through The Night

His grunts and whines echo from the baby monitor on the bedside table. A quick glance at the clock never reveals morning; it's always between 12 and 3am.

I pull myself from bed and tip toe into the hallway. A two-year-old sleeps nearby and I certainly don't want two little ones awake in the middle of the night. I slip into the darkened room and feel my way to his crib, the light from outside illuminates a hungry 7-month-old, sitting up and still half enveloped in the swaddle from bedtime.

I pick him up and hold him close to my chest. I make quiet "shush" noises in his ear to keep the protests of an empty tummy quiet long enough to duck back into the adult's bedroom.

We lay back down in bed and snuggle under blankets. His tiny hands are often like ice as he rolls toward me, flailing and frustrated that I'm taking more than 0.005 seconds to settle next to him.

He nurses.

His small warm body is curled into mine and I hear the satisfied sounds of eating. I know his eyes are likely still closed and soon we both fall back to sleep. I'm too tired to move him back to his own bed and honestly, I don't want to. It's a quiet, blissful time of bonding. I'm most grateful for breastfeeding during these wee hours of the morning and although most give a tiny look of pity when I reply "not yet" to the sleeping-through-the-night questions, I'm secretly glad. I don't want my baby to abandon our nighttime routine just yet. I love it and wouldn't change it for the world.

Cool swinging and warm snugglies

It was warmer today but yesterday's chilly breeze called for hats and mits at the playground (boo!). This was G's first time trying out the swing and while we can always get a few picture-worthy smiles out of him, he was not impressed.

Ella loved the swings as always.

And let us not forget the monkey bars and slide. ;)

And the "warm snugglies" part of the title... I went to a conference for work early last week and it appears that shawls and wraps are popular (I'm not very trendy... so I wouldn't know these things). I decided to make one for myself, so that's my latest knitting project. I found a soft cuddly handspun-type yarn in blue. I can't wait to wrap up in it on chilly spring/summer evenings. :) Pictures to follow...