Big Reader Boy

As Vincent approached his 3rd birthday, he began showing signs of readiness to learn how to read. He was doing an online preschool and had already begun blending sounds together. For his birthday we gave him a book of 100 reading lessons. Theoretically, we should have done all of the lessons in just over three months. That would have been awesome. BUT even though Vince was mentally ready to learn, his little body hated sitting still for our lessons. It was battle. I began dreading Kate's naps because I didn't want to do lessons any more.

Then something miraculous happened. One day Vince figured out that the less he complained, the faster the lesson went. He began flying through lessons and sometimes requested to do two in one day! In the end, it took us six months to complete all of the lessons. Now that he's done he absolutely loves reading! In fact, he's sitting on my lap right now reading what I'm typing.

To celebrate we went to the Grand Rapids Children Museum. Since day one we told him that he would get a BIG prize once he got to lesson 100. He was so ecstatic to finally earn his trip! His favorite things were playing with the trains, digging in the sand, and playing at the "fire station".

Teaching him how to read was rough stuff, but definitely worth it. It brings a smile to my face every time I overhear him reading to Kate while I'm cooking dinner. Reading has shaped my life and influenced it in so many ways. I'm grateful that I was able to share the gift of reading with my boy.

Resolutions: 2015

The past week or so I've been pondering the goals I want to set for the upcoming year. It's been tough deciding how I want to go about it in 2015. I've decided that I don't want to do quite so many year-long goals. Rather, I want to focus on some monthly goals. Naturally, I'll still have resolutions that will last 365 days, but I feel like setting a goal one month at a time will really allow me to give it my all instead of being torn into 50 directions at once.

Long Term Resolutions:

-Read the Book of Mormon from start to finish by the end of the year
-Read material for weekly Sunday School & Relief Society lessons and discuss with Paul
-Attend the Temple 12 times in 2015
-Lose 17 (!) pounds by Kate's 1st birthday-- this will get me to my pre-pregnancy weight from Vincent
-Try 12 new recipes
-Create and stay within a budget
-Crochet, sew, repurpose, and read something

I tried to aim my monthly goals to aid me in accomplishing my yearly goals.

January: Fast Food Fast: A month of home-cooked meals
I'm hoping to start the new year off right. Our fast food fast will be a great kick starter for multiple goals: losing weight, making new recipes and staying within a budget. Phew. This one will be tough.

February: Social Media Cleanse: Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest once a day for less than 30 minutes
I waste copious amounts of time sifting through social media all throughout the day. I think it's great to blog, keep up with friends and get crafty ideas, but I spend too much time perusing and not enough time doing. Limiting my time on these sites will free me up to read scriptures, track the budget, go to the temple, craft and exercise.

March: Lazy Man Iron Man: Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles
I did this last year when I was pregnant with Kate. I felt like I was exercising during every spare moment! The running was a little too tough with my huge prego belly so I used the elliptical to get my mileage in. This year I'm set on doing some legitimate running.

April: Spring Cleaning: Throw away/donate three garbage bags of clutter, wash walls, odd jobs, etc.
Paul will be finishing up his Master's this Spring, which leads to the possibility of us moving here or there for a new job. A deep cleaning and removal of junk always feels good, but it will be a little more necessary to prepare us to uproot and relocate our family.

May: Muscle Mania: Lifting weights and actually using all of those machines at the gym...
I walk in the rec doors and head straight for my beloved stair master or walk into a zumba class. I've forsaken the elliptical and haven't picked up a weight in who knows how long. Being toned is where it's at, and I'm not going to get there no matter how many stairs I climb.

June: Budget Review & Evaluation
This will be our first year really trying to stick with a budget. I want to do a mid-year review to see if we need to change any allocations and determine if our tracking system suits our needs. I'd also love to see if we can underspend during the half of the year.

July: Outdoor Extravaganza: Swim/splash pad, bike, concerts at the park, hike, camp(?), picnic, play!!
I generally have the mindset that getting sweaty is the worst thing in the world. It keeps me indoors too much during the hot months. Kate will be a year old and I want to get out with her and Vince and this Summer. I'm just going to plan on being a sweaty mess the entire month. So if you see me, just remember that I'm making memories instead of doing make-up this month.

August: Run a 10K race
It makes me nervous to set a goal like this. I ran both track and cross country in high school. Since the glory days, I haven't done much running. However, with the Lazy Man Iron Man in March, I should have a good excuse to get back into it. A 5K doesn't seem consequential enough to get me training, so I'm upping the ante to 6.2 miles.

September: Scripture Reading Marathon: Two additional hours devoted to scripture study each week
Either I will be well on my way to finishing the Book of Mormon, or I will need some serious help. Either way, this month will help me complete that goal, as well as prepare for General Conference the following month.

October: Day of the Dead: Family History Emphasis
Spend 1 or more hours on family history each week. The main goal is to find and take a family name to the temple and complete all of the work for that person.

November: No Sweets November
A former roommate of mine did this last year. Paul and I attempted to do it in December but it was just a little too much to ask us to throw away hand delivered goodies from neighbors and friends. I think doing it in November will be a much better way to prepare for the holidays.

December: A Homemade Christmas
This Christmas I've made an effort to use what we have to create and make presents for the kiddos. I've had so much fun that I want to do it again. Not only is it enjoyable, but it's also cost friendly.

December Diet

I've been slowly, but steadily, losing this baby weight. It's exciting that I'm having significantly better weight loss success this time around. But then that holiday happened. The one where we count our blessings and shove our faces full of delicious carb-laden food. Not only did it halt my weight loss, it reversed it. This is no bueno, my friends. 

As with all healthy lifestyle changes I suggest to Paul, I preface it with "I have a bad idea". This time around the "bad idea" is to say no to sweets until Christmas day. The 25th of December will be a glutenous day indeed. But until then, no Christmas cookies, no birthday cake, no candy canes, no truffles, no nothing. Well, that last one is a lie. I will get a slice of pumpkin pie for my birthday. Also, we've given ourselves a little leeway with one or two mugs of hot chocolate a week.

I'm dreading my holiday work party and our ward Christmas party. All of those delectable goodies staring me in the face. Paul will help me make it through the ward party unscathed, so it's really the work party I'm worried about. Luckily, saying no is easier than saying just one. Because who really stops at just one?

So if you see me with a Christmas cookie, slap it out of my hand and then slap me in the face.

Exercise & Weight: Update #2

I've lost three pounds! Unfortunately, it was the same pound three times and I'm still at the same weight as my first update. My weight has been like a yo-yo. Why? Paul's parents were in town, loads of Christmas cookies/fudge, I had my birthday (which equals lots of free food) and illness. Yes, excuses excuses. But at least I haven't gained weight, right?

Ugh, I'd rather not post. Reflecting back on the past few weeks makes me feel discouraged. I suppose it's important to be accountable and really pinpoint the reasons I'm not losing weight. Another factor I failed to mention is not using MFP regularly. I do so much better when I count my calories. Otherwise I just keep popping those cookies in my mouth!

I do think it's important that I could feel a difference in my body when I compared the first three weeks to the second three weeks of this journey. When I was calorie counting and getting legit work outs I felt firmer, stronger and less bloated. As my exercise waned (I was still doing it 5x a week, just shorter videos or lower intensity) and my junk food intake increased I felt gross. My stomached pooched out more and I was tired. All of that junk made me want to take naps and be lazy.

So just a couple weeks left. Obviously I'm not going to lose 7 pounds in the next 14 days. That would be unhealthy (but awesome...). But another 2 pounds is realistic. Maybe not really because of Christmas... but I need to stick to my guns! I need to get back to portion control. Oh, and I need to give away all of those delicious seven layer cookies and chocolate fudge I just made.

I also need to give myself some credit. Looking back on the past few weeks stinks, but over the past few months I have lost 20 pounds! 20 of those nasty things pictured below are OFF my body. A few bad weeks stinks, but I need to keep pushing forward. I am strong. I can do this. By January 1 I will have 2 more of those bay boys off my body.

Each and every day I am trying to cherish my body the way it is. I remember feeling fat in high school because I was surrounded by skinny cross country runners. I look back at pictures and cannot believe how thin and fit I was. I am constantly trying to stop comparing myself to others. I'm not losing weight so I can be rail thin, I am losing weight so I can feel healthy and fit. I want to play with my son on the floor without feeling rolls of fat spilling over my pants. I want to be comfortable in my body. So while there will always be women who are skinner than me... I'm going to be happy in my healthy body and not take it for granted.

Exercise & Weight: Update #1

Remember my post about exercising five times a week with a goal to lose a pound a week during the holidays? Well in that post, I said I would provide three updates. Since I'm doing this for ten weeks I figured I would post about every three-or-so weeks.

So here we go. Have I kept up my end of the bargain by exercising five times a week? The answer is yes! The first week was the most difficult because I was still doing clinical. Since then, I have actually been getting some type of exercise EVERY day (except Sundays).

Has this made a difference in my weight? Yes and no. The first week I didn't track my calories or anything-- exercise was the sole goal. I figured if I tried too many things at once I would quit. Well, it didn't work. Didn't lose an ounce that first week.

I knew I needed to change something, so I added in My Fitness Pal. I had used it throughout the Summer but I couldn't keep it up during school. In an attempt to get some real weight loss, I picked the habit back up. I became more aware of what I was eating, which helped me to plan out meals and only take healthy portions. Despite my effort... No weight loss. Ugh.

Week three: I knew I couldn't give up. It was during this past (3rd) week that I began to feel stronger as a result of the daily exercise. I could also feel myself getting more and more tired each day. Seriously though, I pass out the moment my head hits the pillow. It was during the second half of this week that I saw new, glorious numbers on the scale! Can I just tell you how good it feels after three weeks of extreme effort to start getting results?

So at the end of this first segment I have lost two pounds. Not the three I was looking for... but I'm hoping my body gets the idea and cooperates for the rest of this adventure.

Seven more weeks and seven more pounds to go. Can I do it? We'll find out...

[P.S. Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Uh oh.]

Let's count to ten.

My goal was to be back at my pre-pregnancy weight by SIX months. Unfortunately, that is in SEVEN days and I still have NINE pounds to go. I have lost ZERO pounds in the last EIGHT weeks because I have been exhausted with school, clinical and being a mommy. Luckily, I only have TWO more clinicals left. Paul and I decided we are going to exercise FIVE times a week. We will be doing this for TEN weeks aka through the holiday season. Yes. My goal is to lose ONE pound a week during FOUR holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I will post THREE more updates about how we are doing with our goal. Wish us luck!

Oh Happy Day!

I am so giddy right now. Why? Because I already know that this week is going to be awesome:

1. Yesterday Paul and I set some really good goals for ourselves. I always feel motivated and ready to conquer the world after I set goals.
2. I only have to do ONE 12-hour clinical this week. Hallelujah! It will be so nice not to do multiple clinicals this week.
3. Warren Miller on Wednesday = Cheap ski tickets for Paul (Skiing is horrifying and I currently refuse to do it).
4. A date with the hubs on Thursday! This will no doubt be the highlight of my week. We're doing the Halloween Full-Moon Lift Ride at Sundance. We'll be bundled up, sipping Ghirardelli hot chocolate from a thermos, enjoying the moon, trees, mountains and the time alone (sorry Vince...)!
5. Carving Pumpkins with Kait and Garen on Saturday. Last time we did this I was pregnant. This time Kait's pregnant :)
6. The ward Trunk-or-Treat party on Saturday night. My sister, Ruth, is letting us borrow a bee costume for Vince. It's size 0-3 mo. He'll almost be 6 mo on Halloween. Alas, he's a little boy and the costume fits like a glove. Pictures to come.

Now can you understand why I'm so excited for this week? I bet you're even starting to feel giddy for me!

Oh, and I'll be DONE with clinical in less than 3 weeks. Boo yeah!

Music

This past week, I realized how very little I have listened to music this year. Music is something I have always loved. Throughout high school and my first years in college, I would spend a few hours each week chilling on my bed, listening to tunes and relaxing.

Sadly, I have neglected music. When you get busy, certain things just get cut out of your life. I suppose that's what happened to all of my music time. Until recently, that is. You see, I have been pretty stressed out lately and I found myself feeling kinda down. I was in the middle of doing homework and I just couldn't make myself do any more. So, I stopped, grabbed my computer and opened up my long-lost itunes. I didn't even know where to begin. I ended up picking an old playlist from freshman year. It was exactly what I needed. 

I find it amazing how music is so easily intertwined with memories. Some songs can take you back to an exact moment in time and make you recall specific feelings, while other songs take you to a general time period and having an overarching feeling that summarizes numerous emotions.

While I absolutely love my life, it was extremely refreshing to relive past memories of less stressful times. It was during my reflection of past times and old musical favorites that I realized I haven't found any new music to capture this portion of my life. What an absolute crime! This realization has given me a new goal to make more memories now and to bring music back into my life. You could say that I'm pretty excited.

Any suggestions on where I should start with my quest to discover more music?

Reasons to smile.

It's easy to find reasons to complain,

but it's much more fun to find reasons to happy.

Here are few that apply to me this morning:

-- Waking up in the morning means I get to see my husband --

-- Doing dishes means blasting music and dancing --

-- Studying means I'm getting smarter --

-- My big belly means I'm growing a baby boy --

-- Eating healthy means I'm being good to myself AND my baby --

--  Swollen fingers means it's warm outside --

Make today (and every day) wonderful.

Remember--

It's your choice.

2012.

I am very excited for what 2012 holds for our growing family.

About halfway through the year, Paul and I will welcome a little boy into our family. Then, in December I will finally graduate from the BYU Nursing program. (I never thought the day, or even the year, would ever come!) With graduation comes the possibility of moving! Whether this means Paul will transfer within his current company or call a different company home, we don't know. We might even find that staying here for a while is in our best interest. Needless to say, we have some decision making ahead of us.

Our goals, as we prepare for the changes ahead are:

1. Stay within our budget

We're doing our best to live like poor college students even though Paul has a full-time job. We discovered that we were doing a great job... except for how much we spend on restaurants. Whoops! We're determined to do better this year.

2. Daily family scripture study

This is something we did sporadically last year. However, with Baby Hannibal on the way, we know it will only become more difficult to form good habits like this. Therefore, we're getting into the habit now. Hopefully, this will make it easier to keep having family scripture study when we're busy with a baby.

3. Family prayer, morning and night

Same reasons as goal #2

4. Be healthy

A set of goals isn't complete without health being mentioned, right? Paul and I are taking a new approach this year. Since I'm pregnant, I can't lose weight. However, I can still be conscious of what I'm putting into my body. We have started food diaries/calorie counting to get an accurate perspective of how much we should eat. It has already been a great learning experience and we're getting better at choosing healthier options. This has also been a huge motivation to get us to exercise. Exercising = more food!

5. Fall even more in love

This year is going to be stressful one, but Paul and I are determined to use this year to grow closer together, rather than apart. We plan on do this through a myriad of ways: going to the Temple, going on dates, focusing on communication skills and teamwork, giving compliments, writing love notes, surprising one another and much, much more.

I am truly excited for what this year has to offer. However, I'm aware that the year could offer me everything I've ever dreamed of... but it doesn't matter unless I do something about it. This will be a year of keeping my eyes open and being grateful for all that I receive.