money!

Got my brand new- perfectly- fitting -designed -for- my- foot running shoes today! John and I went out to a "running" store and both did the run test to see how our foot falls ( I have a super high arch and my foot rolls inward slightly which makes my ankle bend which would hurt my legs in long runs) and we both walked away with new shoes and super cool socks (oh and a sticker that reads 26.2 that I promptly hung on my bathroom mirror. After I finish the marathon, you better believe I will find the biggest 26.2 to put on the back of my minivan!!)

I feel like in the past 3 days since I have decided to do this, my brain has become a little obsessed....all day long I think about running and training and all the gear I need and researching all the best ways to train and what program to follow and which website has the best products and reviews and do I need compression for my legs and should a get a visor or just a sweatband and how am I going to learn how to eat carbs again and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Do you see the direction my brain has gone in?! Right now I know I just need the shoes but I really really want a heart rate monitor, a new sleeveless top, a more comfortable sports bra (I think mine has died!), a skort with compression shorts underneath, a visor for outdoor runs and a headband for indoors, new music nicely organized for me on my mp3, new earbuds that don't pop out when my ears sweat, a nice training journal and oh good grief, I could just go on!! But what do I need? Money!

So for right now I still need to talk down the negative voice inside my head trying instill thought of doubt...I am talking myself positive from every angle

#1 this is the first time in my life that I have had the opportunity, support, time, money(well, sort of) and health to do something like this. I am only going to get older and I am pretty sure my knees are not going to last my lifetime! The time is now

#2 the Disney marathon is not held as a major qualifying race for time and actually I could really care less about time right now anyways. The whole point is for it to be fun, take pictures with characters along the way, enjoy the sights and sounds of this wonderful place, have a weekend away and of course, challenge myself like I never have in my life. I figure if I can get through 3 natural childbirths (1st birth was heavily medicated) I can overcome the mental and physical pain of running 26.2 miles

#3 I really need something to look forward to, For 6 wonderful years with back to back pregnancies, I always had something to look forward to, a timeline of when the baby will be born, when the baby will walk, talk, start preschool, etc. Don't get me wrong, I still have soooooo much to look forward to with watching my children turn into little people and adults , but for me personally, until I can begin my career, in the short term, I need this deadline to help propel me forward into being better.

#4 Fitness wise I am in a rut with cardio. It just bores me to tears right now and it is tough making myself do it. I love my pilates class every Monday and I super love my body pump classes on Wednesday and Saturday, but I feel like I am not getting that extra kick that I need by doing more to get my heart rate up.

I am also thinking of starting a new blog (when I have time ha!). I want one to track my progress of running where this one is all babies! Thinking on a name too (see, more thinking!!) We shall see!

Running

Holy cow, I had no idea it had been a full month since my last post!??? Guess time does really fly when you are having fun!

Since I have had kids I have had it in my mind that I want to run, you know like races, 5ks, marathons, etc. But for the past 8 years I have either been pregnant or nursing (and sometimes both ha!) This is the first time when I have been neither, just a woman with fitness goals that motivate me to be healthy.

I think some people are born with this innate thing inside them that either says "Must Run" or "No way in hell am I running for nothing!" I have just felt for a long time this is what I want to do, run. I do have a mental block that daily I am working on getting out of the way and it sounds like, "You don't have time to run" or "your knee(arthritis) is not made to run" or "You will be bored"

So I took a huge step today....I registered and PAID for the Disney marathon in January!! And I signed up John to do it with me! Now, there are no excuses, no delays, training starts now and I tell you what, I am so super excited to start down this path, this goal of mine that I have longed for for so long. I want to be a runner, jealous of those that do it, and now, I can join their world and feel that joy of accomplishment as I finish my first marathon....because to me it's Go Big or Go Home!

Dealing with the memories....still

Leaving the birthing room of the hospital, the one that I was not supposed to be in, they play a lullaby of some sort, I am not even sure if it was just music or chimes or what, I just remember my nurse pushed some button to let us out of the corridor and the noise started. Noise that was not happy in my world, I was just so angry. Why did I just give birth in this hospital, the one I hate and everyone in this town has a bad story about. Why was I abandoned by my midwife and left in this pit of my own bad frame of thinking. Where was my happiness of having a perfectly healthy big baby? Why was my head in excruciating pain? Where was my happy ending of having my baby in MY living room in the birth-tub that was left deflated? I was supposed to be resting in my own bed surrounded by all my children welcoming their brother, who they just saw exit my body, and all siblings held the responsibility of releasing him from me?

Instead I am being wheeled into another dull room into another uncomfortable bed where pretty soon they will take my baby away from me, try to poke him everywhere, or stick something in his mouth not meant to be there or tell me his blood sugar is too low because he is too big or they need to bathe him or put him into the warmer. And you know what, they did bathe him, I didn't get to inhale his sweet-fresh-from-my-body smell that I love, the once in a lifetime smell you never get a chance to get again. Yes, this all still hurts 2 years later. I love my little boy more than life itself but something so special was stolen from me that I can never have back again. That perfect birth that I prepared so hard for and pray so hard for was snatched from me, and it is not just about "you should be happy he is here" because it is SO much more.

Thanks for reading, I just had to get that all out.

Food

I have come to a great new place in the department of "taking care of myself"....number 1. I put my scale away and I no longer weigh myself! It was mentally torturing me every-single-day and I was completely tired with having those 3 numbers control my day, my emotionally stability, my happiness (or lack there of). I don't need to know what I weigh everyday or at all actually because you know what, I does NOT matter. I wear the same clothes every week so I know to use that as my guide instead.

What matters is that I take care of myself. I exercise most days of the week and I let life's interruptions NOT throw me off track. If I only make it to the gyms 2 days in one week because I had to help out at the kids' schools or we had an appt. then so what....next week I'll be back at the gym. I lift weights to make myself stronger and keep my bones and heart healthy. I do cardio because it is good for my spirits and my blood pressure/pulse. I walk the dog to get us both out of the house. I have learned to not be in pursuit of the perfect body, I just want health.

I have decided to end any eating of processed or "fake" food. No more artificial anything. I am in the second week and my body feels great my mind feels unclogged. I have told myself to only eat what God has made and stay away from science created foods. Now getting my kids onto this line of thinking will be the hardest especially for Johnny who is pretty selective/limited about what he wants and Madeline who loves her flavored yogurt and Ava who loves her Jif peanut butter. Luckily, they all love fresh fruits and veggies, it is just getting rid of granola bars, and canned clam chowder and such.

The great book that I am currently reading is Amazon.com: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (9780143114963): Michael Pollan: Books and his main point is to Eat food (real whole food), not too much, mostly plants and I will say this has been a lot easier to do than what I thought it would be. I am telling you, my mind feels great, at peace, in control. I am excited to be on this path to better health, not worrying a lower weight!

when I don't have time......

March trip to the Magic Kingdom

Ian's newest favorite possession- buzz lightyear boots-everywhere

sitting in the country, middle of nowhere South Carolina, visiting with Granny, Aunt meme and their dogs

Ian putting his flower on the cross at church for Easter

Watching fireworks while camping at Ft. Wilderness Disney during our spring break

Campfire with Chip and Dale while roasting smores (Ian was terrified and had to be taken away by daddy)

I did it. I cancelled weight watchers. I just feel like they have nothing to offer me anymore. I feel so frustrated and down on myself every week when I go to weigh in and there is no change. Nothing for almost a full year.

I kinda feel like a quitter yet I know that WW as helped me achieve a lifestyle I probably wouldn't have gotten to on my own. I LOVE to exercise! I look forward to how I will look months from now as these new muscles pop out and begin to see their definition and destination. I enjoy seeing how my body IS changing even though the number on the scale is NOT. I NEED to feel good about myself and WW is NOT letting me feel that way. Every week there I feel like a failure instead. I need to move on and focus on my mental outlook and stop looking at that scale because it is so much more than that....it is that single digit number that I now see on my pant's tag, it is that number on my weight bar that goes higher, it is that leg muscle that hurts everyday but gets stronger and tighter, it is that high that I get after completing a hard class. THAT is what I need to focus on.

I KNOW how to eat. I am a very avid journaler and write down everything I eat! I know how certain foods make me feel, mental and physically and I know what to stay away from now and what to have in moderation. I KNOW what to do and nothing about that will change as it has been an everyday habit for the past 2 years.

I might take that $40 a month now and put it in a clothing fund for myself! Or, go see a nutritionist like I have been wanting to do.

I feel free now. And better. It is time to stop making myself feel like crap every week and move on. WW helped me lose 40 pounds but it is time to move on. Thank you WW for your help but you no longer have anything to offer. We are through.

A time for pictures

All weight loss and blood work and all boring seriousness aside, it is time for some updated pictures! Besides, losing weight sucks when you only have a few pounds to go and it takes a year and your still in the same spot for NO apparent reason, geez. Yeah, a little bitter.

Anyways, my parents use to live about 30 minutes away and now they live 3 minutes away, hooray! These first 3 pictures were at their last house on our last visit there.

Madeline inherited this plant, you know because my mom was trying to get stuff out of her house and since we have a smallish house with 6 people and 2 animals, we have all the room in the world for such nonsense. I am this close <> to throwing that thing out (as soon as Madeline is not looking)

Johnny can never take a serious picture, must be the age, hence why I never any to post of him!

Ian was stuffing his face with a cuban sitting on his favorite ride, John Deere

Melt my heart, this boy idolizes his daddy

Ava's preschool class party for Valentine's day....a rare photo of me :)

swoon

Ava's best friend, Evan. Oh how I hope they marry one day

Normal

Blood results are in and I am normal! Ha, that's funny!

My overall cholesterol is fine but my LDL is too high and my HDL is too low, confusing huh?!

Thyroid and blood sugar and vitamins are all normal. My bread free days lasted 3 then superbowl party and a birthday party hit me sooooo I am now on day 3 again of no bread. So far so good. Through the course of this most recent experiment, I have learned some very important lessons that I might have otherwise missed: 1. If I start off my day with cereal, I crave a sandwich or pasta for lunch; if I start with eggs, I crave more protein in the day. 2. I CANNOT have just one bite of candy/chocolate/ice cream etc. If I never put it in my mouth to begin with, I actually don't want it and the moment passes. 3. Sugar makes me super cranky, makes me hate myself, and makes me angry towards the kids. 4. Eating a bread product makes my stomach puffy and my pants tight. I am craving a lot of water right now 5. I am actually now following the simply filling program of WW without the cereal/bread; who knew? 6. I have cut down on so many fruits and have replaced those servings with veggies, turns out I was still getting too much natural sugar from fruits. 7. For the first time in many many months I feel in control! That my friends is a major accomplishment!

So.

I lost a pound (you know, of the 3 that I have gained!) John is working mids for the month of February so I will be able to go to every weight watchers meeting this month since he can take Ava to school instead of me. I love to exercise in the am before I get on the scale so for this month, I can! Yesterday worked out great with no sugar/bread, I actually ate quite a bit and didn't have any headaches or feel hungry/deprived at all. We'll see how this week goes, I have many mantras I am repeating to myself like : "I am worth this" "The cravings will pass" "I will never be this weight again" and so on.....I am really trying to work on my mental attitude and how I talk to myself and try to have a more positive attitude instead of trash talking myself everyday.

My parents moved over the weekend from plant city to a mile away! I am so excited they are closer, we have already been there everyday since they moved. Ian definitely loves it since he is a little obsessed with his Papa. The girls love the new house because there are more rooms and more places to explore and hide! I love that they love to help out with the kids and will keep them anytime!

Anyways, waiting to hear about my blood results, I'll update when I hear

Waiting

Well, I went to the dr. this past Tuesday and then had blood work done Wednesday and should have the results this week early. I have decided this week it is time to eliminate bread and sugar, I just don't think my body can process it well. All I ever eat is whole wheat anyways but I just think there is something in bread period that I need to do without. I have prayed for a lot for help, strength and support for this week to eliminate my cravings. My goal at the start of the year was to have lost the last 7 pounds by February 20 and since then all I have done is gain 3 pounds! My self esteem and mentality are really taking a beating because of this and I really need to work through it because it is pulling me down. Man, I hope the blood work shows something! She is checking all my vitamins, a full metabolic panel, urine, and thyroid. If something comes back iffy, she wants to do another full work up on my thyroid.

I am pushing myself harder this week too in the gym and boy oh boy are my muscles feeling it! The full hour of weight lifting is really what I have been needing and craving and it HURTS! look out summer here comes a new woman!

Issues

I am having issues. Weight issues. I have lost 40 lbs since I had Ian but have been gaining and losing the same 2 lbs since last April! Now, in the past month, I have put on 2-3 MORE pounds!! What gives?? I exercise 4-5 times a week either eliptical, running, bike, pilates, body pump (1 hour of weights) or a combo of 2 of them. I write down EVERYTHING I eat, eat all my fruits/veggies, take a vitamin, make sure I eat enough protein, I don't drink milk but do get calcium in other ways, if I eat a grain, only once a day, never buy junk foods EVER, and am constantly mindful of what and how I am eating. I have truly changed my horrible eating habits into something to be proud of BUT I still feel like a failure because I can't lose 7 pounds to make Lifetime at Weight*watchers???

My leader has helped to try everything....eat more points, exercise less (I want to know the logic in this, I just don't get it!), try all kinds of different things and nothing makes the scale budge. My last resort, and I am going on Tuesday, is to see a dr. and get a physical/blood tests and see if something is missing from me and ask their opinion what my weight should be for my body type. I feel excited about this hoping I can find some answers as to what is going on because I know something is, just cant figure out what!

If this doesn't work, someone schedule me for a tummy tuck and get these implants out of me! That has to be an answer too ha!

Animal Kingdom

We bought passes to Disney this week and our first trip we chose to go to Animal Kingdom since

we have never been. I was skeptical at first thinking it would just be a glorified zoo and that we were going to waste the trip. I was told that there wasn't a whole lot to do. Boy, am I glad we went! It was pretty awesome, the Nemo musical, safari ride, and the Lion King show were definite favorites by far. Ian was mesmerized during Nemo (one of his current favorite words and the ONLY thing he will watch on TV!) The parade at the end of the day was pretty cool too. The girls and Ian met Pocahantas, Minnie, and Donald Duck, Madeline rode her first roller coaster in Dino-land, and me and the 3 oldest were absolutely terrified during another dinosaur ride (NEVER AGAIN!!!) I wish the park would

have been opened longer (they closed at 5) because we didn't even get to see a whole section of the park!

All around it was an awesome day. Ian and Ava both took brief naps in the stroller, Johnny chickened out on the river rapids ride because he can not stand

getting wet, and the kids and I are pretty sure we are over dinosaurs at the moment! (if you have young children, even if they are 40 inches, DO NOT LET THEM RIDE Dinosaur!!! It was dark, fast, loud, jerky and just 100% terrifying for little ones (and ME!)

Ian 22 months, Ava 4, Madeline 6, Johnny 8

sorry guys about the sun being in your eyes!

see how perfect our days was on the African safari!

On the jeep during the safari...we sat in the very back and it was b*u*m*p*y!

Madeline's first roller coaster ride!

Watching a performance

Cold beginnings

Welcome new year! Ian has been sick with an upper resp. infection and we started the breathing treatments. He wasn't a big fan the first couple of times but after a couple of times, he was holding the mask himself for the full time. I guess it felt good on his little lungs.

Ice covered lawns is not something we see often in central Florida! It was super cold for a solid week! Most of our warm lovin plants look like they bit the dust but our grass always comes back. I ran out of clothes to wear too!



I do have 2 other kids! The two youngest are just always home and easier to catch!

Have a great (warmer) week!

My New year

What I am most grateful for this year:

The trips we took! we went to Stone Mountain, Ga (camping), Atlanta, South Carolina, Savannah, Sebastian Inlet (camping) Jacksonville, Disney World a couple of times, the beach many, many times, Sanibel Island, ans lots of little day trips in our area. We are so blessed to be able to provide these trips/excursions to our kids. As i was growing up, we never went anywhere, only Jacksonville to visit family. John on the other hand took lots of family trips and has all the great photos to look back on. I love to travel and want to instill that into my kids as well. Maybe these year we will leave the country! I am so looking forward to taking a cruise and going to Costa Rica someday soon! We also want to try Boston, San Antonio, back to Atlanta and SC, and maybe somewhere south in Florida. definitely going to do Disney of course and try to get more camping trips under our belt. There has been talk of selling our trailer and getting something bigger.

I am also thankful that everyone in our family has stayed so healthy! No flu of any kind, no serious issues what so ever! I am telling you, a healthy diet goes really far when it comes to having a good immune system. I am thankful that our children enjoy eating healthfully and making wise choices when it comes to food.

I am thankful for our finances and work this year. So many folks are out of work and out of money and out of homes. I know we are beyond blessed with John's job and all that it provides for us and I value our home so much. It is perfect for us right now and my children have a safe, warm home that they can feel loved in. What more could you ask for?

What I want to improve on this year:

I need to walk the dog more! he is getting so fat and I don't want him to be unhealthy so more walks for him!

Being more present for my parents.

Keeping our closets clean!

I hope all my readers (ha, I only have like 3!!) have a wonderful SAFE New Years and may you be blessed( and healthy) in the year to come! Much love to you and your families(((())))

Helping out in the church more.

Dress up

Do you see a problem?....is it okay to let my 21 month old boy play dress up with his sisters? I personally don't see a problem...besides the fact that he normally wears Snow white but he couldn't find it so today he was a fairy(with matching fairy shoes!) It was in fact really funny when he went under the play set, lifted his dress and peed across the grass (he was diaperless, obviously!) That had me laughing and then him laughing!

He still does favor baseball and wrestling with his big brother but big brother was playing football with the neighbors so Ian was stuck with all the girls :)

Oh, and the sisters were getting married hence the skirt hoop being used as veils!

I am alive and well

although I am not really sure that anyone ever checks this blog anymore! Oh well, life is busy and happy and everyone is healthy, that's all I could ask for.

Here are some of my updated pictures of the kids....I got a new Nikon for my birthday and I am trying so hard to get my settings right for the pictures and trying to remember which ones work the best so forgive the quality of some of these photos

Merry Christmas from beautiful Florida!

Ian is now 21 months old and his personality has just blossomed. He is still very much a crybaby! but his attention span has greatly improved and he gets along so well with his siblings. He idolizes his "JaJa" and his big sisters still mommy him and take care of him.

I celebrated my 32nd birthday with some wonderful friends and even gave myself my first hangover in years! Ugg, don't want to repeat that ever again!

Johnny also turned 8 in November and celebrated with a bowling party with his friends....all had a great time!

Ava Kai turned 4 in November and had a hello kitty party at the skating rink.....lots of 3 and 4 year olds and skating was quite the funny mix but she had a blast too!

Madeline has lost 6 teeth total now and is missing three at this moment....lots of little gaps going on now!

Christmas time at Meme and Papa's

I promise to make a better attempt to keep this updates, promise!

Pictures

Life stays so busy and time slips aways from me. On a show last week, an old man said that you wait your whole life for milestones....marriage, babies born, babies walking, graduation, grandchildren, and then next thing you know, all your milestones are gone and all you have are your memories....and not a lot of tomorrows to look forward too. Well, that kinda got me sad but gave me a jolt of the right now and LIVE. I try everyday to ingrain in my mind's eye all the details of today because they are slipping by so quickly.

My little man is 19 months old now and I love him to pieces. He is the sweetest, most loving baby I could have ever asked for.

Our cute craft pumpkin we did this year instead of a carving. (it's an owl)

Ian watching daddy come home from work in the front window

Ava's trike-a-thon at school for a fundraiser

And I do have 2 other kids! More pictures coming soon....

My three oldest are going around the house now with a bucket and three wash clothes cleaning the floors, table, glass doors, and walls....all with the same cloth....we have a dog and a cat and three heads of long hair.....there will be hair over all these surfaces! Do I let them, knowing that when they are done and not watching that I will have to go back and clean everything after them....yes, because they are working together, not fighting, and in the pursuit of a dollar. And who cares if my house is really clean or not, it never is anyways!

Today my baby boy turns 18 months old....and as I have learned in the past, this is precisely the age that the terrible twos start! Although I have never been one to call them terrible but others who observe do. This age is when they really learn they have a voice and a will and they learn to vocalize and protest, all in a step towards independence. Man, does my little boy love me! If he could, he would mesh his body into mine and we would become one. His favorite thing to do with me is for me to lay on the bed or floor, he crawls all over me and just presses his head into my body just trying to get as close as physically possible. Pure love. He is developing a strong attachment now to his dada and calls his name out all day even when John is not here. He wants John to put him down for his afternoon nap since his shoulder seems way more comfy than me. his nursing is down to naptime, bedtime, and once early in the morning and most days, he has been falling asleep for his nap with out needing me...it is all so bittersweet. My last nursling is growing out of his need for me. Madeline was the oldest to wean at 22 months and I have always said that I won't go over age two and I still hold to that. I see that his reliance on it now is for closeness and comfort and I certainly give him a lot of that outside of nursing. Anyways, I know our days of nursing are coming to a peaceful close and I am not as sad as I thought I would be, more excited about what the future holds for him and our family.

There are so many trips and places that we long to travel too that are better suited for not having a baby; plane trips, cruises, hikes, river trips, moutain climbing, etc. Especially because he does not sit still for anything and refuses to be held down! he is in constant motion at full speed! We do so much now but know that as he gets older, our experiences will expand to so much more and I can't wait!

September

The end of summer left the kids anxious to see their friends at school again and left me very excited to have my work load cut down by not having to entertain them ALL DAY LONG! Johnny and Madeline started on Tuesday and then Ava started school on Wednesday. She has been waiting so long for school and was so giddy with excitement, she couldn't stand it!

And you can never leave Ian out of anything! He has to be a part

Although he was pretty tired of pictures by this point! All that standing still had him frustrated

Madeline started first grade

And Johnny started second grade

And then Ava started preschool

And for some reason, Ian has become fascinated with water....wanting to play with it so bad, he jumped in as I turned around to get towels!

And our $5 purchase at a garage sale has worked out great for the girls to play in.....if I could only keep Ian OUT of it!

Madeline has now embarked on being 6 years old and since she has an obsession with dogs, she once again had a puppy themed party, the first one she had when she turned 4. This is the cake she picked out and my creative hubby made it!

We had a great birthday party for her at Lithia Springs, all the kids could cool off in the frigid waters while the adults sat under the canopy of trees enjoying soda and sandwiches.

Her most favorite present, a new pair of roller skates. She has become a skating fool and they are on her feet the entire time she is at home! We have been to the skating rink a few times and she has done so well and learned so quick! It is great to have finally found something she she likes doing!