Last Sunday M and I finally ventured out to church with B. It was good to get out and as long as we time it right with her nursing it seems to be no big deal. I have also been making "walking dates" with some of my girlfriends which has been helping with my feelings of loneliness.

Another new endeavor for me is that I started running jogging again! I gave it a whirl after my doctor said that I was good to go. But, Oh Man!, was it hard! I thought that my neighborhood was flat but it turns out there is a slight incline... which makes it very hard for someone who hasn't run in nine months to get back on the horse!



Monday's run started out ok until Bella pooped. When I stopped to do doggy duty B started crying. I was so annoyed at Bella for pooping! I let her cry for a while and then she stopped right as I was getting ready to take her out and console her. This seemed to be the pattern for our run. Tuesday's run went better (Bella didn't have to go #2) but towards the end B started up again. Nothing like a hungry, crying infant to get my tail moving! I hauled back to our house in record time.

Some of you have been asking about how I got back into shape. Well, first of all I am far from being in shape. As far as losing the weight...I'm closer than I thought I would be but still not on target. I have about 5-6 pounds to lose before I get back to what I weighed when I got pregnant. However, I'm looking to lose about five pounds on top of that. So that brings me to a grand total of 10 pounds.

When I got home from the hospital I was solely relying on breast feeding to keep the weight down. Eventually I started walking and now I'm easing my way back into running. M and I are both determined to lose a few so we downloaded the free app called "my fitness pal." A few of my friends use it and recommended it and we have really enjoyed it! It basically helps you keep track of the calories you have eaten, gives you a set amount based on your stats, and allows you to factor in exercise as well. In the end it's basically portion control and exercise. Which is common sense. I like it because you can link up with other friends who are using the app and see their progress as well. It makes dieting kinda fun! Ok, not really.

So far I've lost 7 pounds and am hoping to continue to see a downward trend! And while I'm fitting into my old jeans, it's not an easy zip, if you know what I mean! Tell me what you have done to lose your baby weight?

In other news last weekend we went to a friends house to celebrate her birthday. I loved getting out and having adult conversations! It was fun to pass B around and let people hold her. I know my shoulders and back appreciated the break! Here we are...

Gwen: my high school swim coach and M's family friend since he was a baby

Gwen's daughter Megan...she's so much fun!

is there anything sweeter than daddy/daughter snuggle time? PS love M's tye dyed shirt. :) We made them one year for my Kindergarten students to wear on a field trip :)

Tomorrow I'm writing about losing baby weight...Oh boy!

It's my first birthday...of blogging! Last year around this time a friend of mine suggested that I start a blog (thanks, Rana!) and along with the encouragement of my husband, Nat Your Average Girl was born! I have had so much fun blogging this year. It has been great meeting new people and I really do feel like some of my fellow bloggers are my friends (even though we have yet to meet!). Blogging has been a great way for me to release some creative energy either through journaling, DIY projects, trying new styles, cooking etc. Although at times it can be a pain in my bum (what should I blog about today?) I really enjoy going back and reading about what I was up to a year ago. It has also been quite helpful with my love of scrapbooking since the journaling is accessible through my blog. Thank you to all my friends and family for supporting me this year.

Here are a few of my favorite posts of the year below...

my very first post

2011 Summer Bucket List

The Scariest Thing I've Ever Done

Finding out our baby's sex

Our First Baby

Here's to another year of blogging!

So less than 24 hours before the craziness of having a baby happened we moved across town. We were about to (very quickly) grow out of our two bedroom one bathroom 1916 home so we made the tough choice to leave our quaint little bungalow and buy a newer 2001 home with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. 


Most of you know about my friend Carrie who took B's adorable newborn pictures here. Well, her younger brother has started his own business called Piggy Boxes, and decided to allow us to be his guinea pigs (pun intended) and try out his new product/service. 

It's basically a way to help people move easier and more effectively. What he does is supply durable, stack-able (pink!) boxes by delivering them to your home. He includes dollies, zip ties (also pink!) to keep the lids closed, labels, and packing paper (so your hands/items don't get dirty from newspaper) So a couple days before we moved he and his fiance dropped off some boxes and I started packing those babies full! I LOVED not having to tape boxes together (aka home depot moving boxes) and it was nice that my hands weren't getting filthy with newspaper print. 



On the day that we moved our friends and family were fighting over the "piggy boxes" because they were the easiest ones to load and carry. They stacked so perfectly onto one another. Even at 35 weeks pregnant I was able to carry one end of a box with some assistance on the other side. 

I didn't know that moving could ever be so fashionable either! I squealed (pun intended) with delight when I saw that I would be moving with style! My only suggestion to make the boxes better would be to add some bling. Kidding. ;)


I had NO idea we had acquired so much stuff so I didn't request as many boxes as I should have. This is what moving looks like without piggy boxes...

i'm so embarrassed to even be showing you this picture...i'm sure our neighbors were terrified!

what a mess!

two thumbs down :(

this is what moving looks like with...

moving in style!

so neat!

This service couldn't have been offered to us at a more opportune time! These are the things I like most about Piggy Boxes:
- eco-friendly
-easy to pack
- stackable
-cost-efficient
-no tape
- convenient
- stylish! :) 

But don't take my word for it...try it out yourself! Check out their facebook page and website.

There are some baby items that I have discovered that I can't live without. Here are my recommendations for all you mamas to be (or if you are thinking about having kids soon!).

- MOBY

B loves riding in the Moby. She gets to hear my heartbeat and the rhythm of my movement puts her right to sleep

- nipple shield

this was a life saver in the beginning when B wouldn't latch because she was so used to the nipples in the NICU

- swaddle sleepers

these things are great for night time sleep

- a strapless bra for pumping 

i know this is hilarious but seriously this bra was legit! I would blog and FB while pumping :)

- boppy

perfect for nursing!

- gas tablets

- pacifiers

this is the binky that the NICU used so I stuck with it!

 

*** items I plan to purchase

-a sling wrap (seems faster than the moby)

-a stroller that my car seat can fit into

PS please pray for us during these next six weeks. B had a serious melt down last night for four straight hours. I was beside myself trying to get her to stop screaming. It was HORRIBLE. Now I have "the fear" every night in the evening. I never know what to expect. Pray for M and I to be patient and to know that sometimes there is just nothing we can do to make her happy. I'm hoping it's not colic and that it's just a fussy period that all babies go through in the evenings. Our days continue to be filled with a happy baby who sleeps and nurses. Let's hope tonight is a good night!

***update: so far so good tonight!

Today I had so much fun! Despite the lack of sleep I got last night (apparently B likes to talk in her sleep...ALL night) I had a great day with my mom and Aunt Marla. My Aunt is really talented when it comes to interior design and she went furniture/accessory shopping with us today. We found a TON of things for the house that I love and M and I are going back this weekend to pick them up! B is such a little shopper and was as content as can be in my Moby wrap. She did however have a total blow out on my Aunt's pants. Thank goodness she was wearing black! My Aunt assured me that even B's poop was precious...pretty sure she was just being nice. So here are some shots of our home before we moved in and following it are the pieces we're going to purchase. I will be sure to take "after shots" soon since it's not quite this empty now that we're here! 

A large couch sits on the tile behind the carpet. the sofa table below will sit behind it with two tall thin lamps that have yet to be purchased.

 This table below will sit under the chandelier. along with these seagrass chairs.

This mirror will go on the wall directly ahead. eventually I would like to flank it with two pieces of art that go together, but don't necessarily match exactly. 

And the chair will go at the end of our dining table since we only currently have four.

Finally i want to put this piece at the end of our bed. M is unsure about leopard but I LOVE it! Of course I do. :)

it's functional! a seat and storage in one!

My Aunt told me (M is starting to fear those 4 words...) that "Haste makes Waste!" She was referring to my bad habit of always buying the first thing that I see (and then later regretting it). So this time around I am really trying to be patient and do a lot of looking before buying. Live and Learn! :)

Tomorrow I have my 6 week doctor's appointment. Hopefully things are doing well down there! :) I really hope that the doctor tells me that I'm all set to run again...I'm so over walking! Plus I don't have a baby jogger for nothing! I need to ask her about going on the pill while breast feeding too because Lord knows I would just DIE if I got prego any time soon! DIE! Now you know how I really feel. :)

All photo credit goes to Carrie here and here.