Exercising with Kids

It seems as though I have added a few LB's in the past month or so and I still have not shed all of the weight that I gained while pregnant. Today, I decided to do something about it. Okay, actually last week I decided. Last week I popped in a Jillian Michael's DVD and the girls and I decided to get serious. Have you ever tried an exercise DVD with 2 toddlers in tow? Paige was trying to do all the moves and every time I would lay down to do crunches, Lauren would climb on my face. No problem, I thought, just more of a challenge. Then came the jumping jacks. Jump-pee-jump-pee. Sigh. Seems as though I may need to wear a diaper during jumping jacks. Awesome. Made it through about 3 minutes of the DVD, patted myself on the back, ran to the bathroom, and called it a day.

Today's adventure in exercise, started out well enough. The weather is gorgeous so I decided to take the girls for a walk. "It'll be fun!" They said. "Great exercise!" They said. "The girls will love it!" They said. Paige got herself ready- wearing pajamas, TWO princess skirts, flip flops, and carrying a purse, keys, her tablet, my phone, and a snack. She was prepared for anything thrown her way. Lauren is more of a "snack and pajamas" kinda gal so she was easy. About halfway through the neighborhood, Paige decided she wanted to walk. Then she wanted to push the stroller. Then she wanted to be carried. Then she wanted to walk. Then she wanted to eat her snack while walking. By this time, we are going so slow that we somehow probably started gaining calories instead of losing them. Back to Jillian Michaels!

Let's make a few things clear here...

To: Paige@ninetynineproblemsandaninfantisoneofthem.com
From: Lauren@lowcrawl4life.com

Subject: We need to talk

Hey P-

It's me, your sister. Got a hold of The Mother's laptop while she is busy watching Fake Housewives of Who Knows Where. Want to know what you are doing right now? You are napping. Amateur. I napped too. For about 10 minutes. Just long enough for The Mother to think she may get something done and then BAM wide awake! Write that down.

The Mother just said that a new Poop has been chosen, all the way in Italy. Yea ok, I have plenty of new poop right here...what's the big deal?

Anyways, wanted to let you know a few things. First, you know how you go to bed at 7:30? Another amateur move. The Mother and The Father eat ice cream after 7:30! And they watch cool tv shows! You are really missing out. Also,  you know that small blue dog that you carry around? The one you have named "Baby Dog?" Well, technically that is MINE. Grandpa Gary and Grandma Kathy got it for me...I appreciate you naming it and all but...let's just say there will be some changes just as soon as I figure out how to get it away from you. Also, the toy that The Mother brought home last night? MINE.

Hopefully this email has been informative and helped to clear up a few things.

Love and drool,
L

Bottle and Sippy Cup Trade In!

Wanted to let y'all know about something that ecomom.com is currently doing! Due to the recent ban of BPA in bottles (finally!) Ecomom is offering a trade in....send in your old plastic bottles and sippy cups and they will give you a $2 voucher for each one! Must be postmarked by August 31.

Check out the details at http://www.ecomom.com/bottle-buy-back

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl

Apparently, I only blog when I am pregnant. Shame cuz I would really like to do it more. Adding to the "To Do" list NOW. Brief catch-up....we are now pregnant with Baby Girl # 2 and due in 4 weeks! Wow. Time has flown!!!

A few thoughts...#confessionsofapregnantgirl. (FIRST TIME EVER USING A HASHTAG! DID I DO IT RIGHT?!

Saw a weird stain on the sheets...realized it was chocolate from eating a protein bar in bed at 5am.

If you can't see it, then it's not really there. This includes (but is not limited to) your toes, leg hair, and food on the bottom of your shirt.

When your OB says "let me give you my cell phone number..." you pretty much know that she is expecting your baby to pop out SOON.

Will write more later...hopefully ;)

Well, Hello Blog

SLACKER! Yes, I know. But hello, I've been busy having a BABY. Cut me some slack! Paige Jane made her debut at 10:21am on March 21, 2011. But before we get to that, let me explain how it all went down.

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably remember how I was trying everything to get that baby outta me. I was huge and tired and sick of being pregnant but in the end, God knew what was best and Paige came out on her own time. WARNING: TMI AHEAD!!! Sunday, the 20th, we went to bed like normal and around 12:45 I woke up to go pee (for the 900th time that night) but it just seemed different. So, I went back to bed and prayed..."Dear God, if my water broke...could you please give me another sign? Because that was a little big unclear and I really need a stronger sign." I laid in bed for a few more minutes and then started having some minor contractions. I decided to walk around the living room to see if they went away. Once I got up, I realized that my legs were getting wet. Ew. But, at least I knew that God was answering my prayer! So, I woke Adam up and told him it was time to go. He said "do I have time to take a shower?" and I said "sure." Then my nesting instinct decided to kick in so I cleaned the living room while he was showering. Weird,  I know,  but better late than never! I called my mom to let her know that she should start driving up from Ocala and then we headed to the hospital. We got there around 2:00am and they admitted me and said that I was only 3cm dialated so it would probably be a long time before the baby came.

So, we hung out...watched tv, napped...and then around 8am I got my epidural. WONDERFUL. Love me some epidural! Things were still moving slowly so the nurse was going to give me pitocin but she decided to check me one last time...the next thing I know she said "honey, you went from a 5 to a 9 1/2 in an hour! Time to start pushing!" I pushed for about 20 minutes and out came Miss Paige. She was not happy to be out of that warm, comfy belly and let us all know exactly how she felt. The doctor couldn't believe how fast she came and let us know that our next baby is "gonna walk right out!"

The nurses in the nursery kept commenting on how strong her lungs were and told us that she was by far the loudest baby in the nursery! (gee, thanks) So we knew we were in for a treat. Paige's frenulum was too short (the little stringy thing underneath your tongue) so she was having a hard time nursing and had to have it snipped the day we left the hospital. She was very brave and hardly even flinched when it was done. We took our loud, beautiful girl home and spent the next two weeks in a sleepless daze. Those first few weeks were rough. Our girl cried for hours on end and we didn't know how to make her feel better. It was the worst, most helpless feeling in the world. I hated not being able to know how to help her. Looking back, I believe that she was just a little freaked out being on the "outside world" and didn't know what to do. Can ya blame her?!

Since then, we have been adjusting to our new roles as parents. Being a mom has been the most difficult but also most rewarding experience that I have ever known. There is no better feeling in the world than watching my gorgeous girl's face light up when she sees me. That giant, toothless grin that she gives me every day melts my heart.

Fast forward to present day...

Paige is a happy, healthy 3 1/2 month old. She loves to laugh and play and chew on anything she can get in her mouth. My hands, her hands, her blankie, her toys...anything is fair game for those little gums! She has such a sweet personality and is always smiling.

That's only a small glimpse into our new norm but I am hoping to start updating the blog more frequently. Hope you enjoyed the new post :)

Visions of Cocktails and Non-Maternity Wear Dance in My Head

Dying to try this recipe, it may be called the Autumn Colors Cocktail but it sounds perfect for summer and deliciously Southern to me!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. pomegranate liqueur
1/2 cup sweet ice tea
1/4 tsp. grated orange zest

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake. Pour over ice in a glass and garnish with a lime.

Photo and recipe courtesy of HGTV.com

This blog would not be "me" if I didn't add my fashion picks. I'm planning to start a section called "Pile 'O Style." Here is a sneak peek of a few of my must haves for summer...

A comfy shirt, great to throw on as a beach cover-up or to dress up and wear to dinner



Maxi-Check Perfect shirt, $72, Jcrew.com

The perfect khaki shorts - not too short, not too long

Sandpiper shorts, $48, vineyardvines.com

and of course...a pair of Toms. Do you know about Toms? If not, you are missing out. First of all, they are so ridiculously comfortable. Second, and most important, for every pair you purchase Toms will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. It's such a great cause and I was more than stoked when they started making wedges last year!

Navy stripe calypso wedges, $69, Toms.com

Wait...A Mommy?

Yep, that's right. Just when I was starting to get used to this whole wife thing, we decided to take it one step further. In just a few days, my Marine and I will be joining the ranks of parenthood. In fact, you can thank my pregnancy insomnia for the creation of this blog.

At 2:00am, on a Friday night Saturday morning, with my Marine and dog snoring peacfully beside me I decided that I needed a creative outlet to share my random thoughts, style picks (as I dream of wearing non-maternity clothes), and day to day hum drum of this Marine wife.

If you know me at all, you know how ridiculously random I am, which should keep things interesting. Join me, on this new adventure! Comment, make suggestions (nice ones), ask questions, laugh, and wonder just what the heck I am talking about. Enjoy the ride!