Blubber

It's been 7 weeks since Jacob was born and I'm struggling. Really struggling this time.

When Lauren was born, the pregnancy weight just kind of melted off. I lost about 15 lbs. in the first week, and then lost the remaining weight in the following weeks. I didn't exercise, eat better, I didn't nurse exclusively... all of these things theoretically should have hindered weight loss but didn't.

So I expected the same thing this time... I just assumed that the weight would come off. Wrong! Up until a week ago, I've lost a measly 15 lbs, 7.14 of which was Beefcake Boy and the rest being fluid loss. Ugh.

Anyways, I began my new weight loss journey last Monday. I have been eating healthier meals, smaller portions, drinking lots of water and increasing my activity level. If I could have it my way, I'd be eating way less but I can't because Mr. Moosey Man depends on me. I should be thin by now because my body is producing enough milk to make him look like this:


But here I sit, fat as ever. However, I am finally going to lose this excess weight. It's really weighing me down... pun intended. With the help of the Hubster, we have a plan in place and I'll be posting my results every Monday. My ultimate goal is to lose 40 pounds. But more than that, I want to be healthier. I'm tired of worrying about my genetic risk of Diabetes and sick of wearing the same capri's, as they're the only ones that fit and I refuse to buy a bigger size.

In the past, I have lost some weight and gained more only to start the vicious cycle over and over again. I've been so concerned about the number on the scale that I became so frustrated and quit, several times. This time though, it's different. I'm not looking for the impossible. I am being honest with myself and this time , I know I will succeed.

Anyways, my exercise plan is as follows: Power walk the mall at 8 am M, T, Th, and F for 45 minutes with my friend Colleen and our kiddos. Then I'll come home, put Porkchop in his Moby Wrap, and wear him for the day, which is exercise in itself:



Lastly, the Hubster and I will do our Weight loss/Strength training video 4-5 times weekly after the Brownies go to bed. And it works... here we are excited before our first session:


And beyond exhausted by the end:


Pudgy belly, love handles and thunder thighs, beware....

The love affair continues...

with her bears, that is:

Weeble's wobble but they don't fall down...

My "little" man is not so little anymore :( The boy likes to eat, so he is quickly packin' on the pounds. And when you pack on the pounds, your belly is sure to become rather plump and round, kinda like this:


See the resemblance? Yep, my little Beefcake Boy looks like them huh? They're "Weeble Wobble's", cute little chunky characters that I played with as a kid. They teeter and topple when you set them down because their bellies are huge and get in the way. I still remember the commercial jingle: "Weeble's wobble but they don't fall down.....la la la la la....."

So perhaps comparing my son to these chubby little toys isn't a smart idea, considering he will eventually have the power to send his mean ole' momma to a nursing home. But c'mon! I can't help calling it like it is. So here's some proof to back it up. These are some outtakes from our "photo shoot" today. I'm sure you'll agree he's a natural-born Weeble Wobble:


So because he's such a chunk great eater, I managed to get 2 decent pictures today. Why two? Because he's top heavy like the WW's above and he'd slump to the side whenever I let go of him ::sigh::

Is it any wonder that he now goes by the nicknames of Porkchop, Beefcake and Butter ball?? :)

Nursing home, here I come...

First Library outing

My little Lovebug... I sure do adore this Lauren girl :) I love watching her little personality emerge and I am fascinated by the many things she learns everyday (like toilet paper unrolls into a ridiculous mound of fluff). And although she is certainly her own little self, with definite likes and dislikes, she definitely has a lot of her 'rents in her. She's a total mix of her momma and daddy. She has both of our physical traits (her daddy's chin and my eyes), but she has distinct qualities that come from each of us.

For instance, she is affectionate like me, impatient like me, and enjoys staying busy, also like me. She is reserved like her dad, snacks all.day.long like her dad, and prefers pretty rigid routines, also like her dad. She has a few traits that I would have preferred NOT to pass down but the one I am most proud of is her love of reading. She definitely got this from me, because the Hubster loathes reading... he'll read a paragraph here or there if it pertains to racing and being cheap saving financially, but reading for enjoyment? Forget it.

So even though we seriously have enough books to fill a small village's library, we headed to our library today in search of interesting (and free!) books. Before we left, my mom told her we were going to "go bye bye" to get some new books. And being the smarty pants that she is, she hurriedly toddled over to the window, ready to hit the road:


We arrive at the library and instead of being mesmerized by the rows and rows of books, she beelines for the "Learn to Read" displays that fill the children's area. So we look at the display, counting the bugs legs, reciting the colors and reading the words. Surely, with the thousands of books sitting nearby, we would only be there a minute. Wrong. We stayed at the dumb display for a good 5 minutes. Booooring.


Anyways, we finally reach the books, sitting there pathetically as they beg to be read and fondled, and Miss Piddle Pot finally becomes interested in them! Success! She sat down (albeit backwards!) at the little table and chairs and began skimming through the colorful pages, book after book after book:


Yay, she's reading! I'm so proud of my little book worm!


Reading "The Hungry Caterpillar", "I Love You Through and Through", "Goodnight Moon" and countless other books is starting to pay off! I have memorized almost every word in the many books that fill her bookcase and as annoying as reading them over and over and over is, I'm all for reading to her as much as she wants. "They" say that early reading makes children more apt to learn, able to focus better, become more interested in school, etc... and so if all this book reading gets her a well paying job someday, a job that will pay for her parents retirement trips around the world, then I'll read until the pages wither away :)

And so, with 10 crazy-titled, fingerprint laden books in hand, smelling of that wonderful old book smell, we left the library and went home to read some of our finds. We got lots of good books, but the favorites so far seem to be "Olivia and the Missing Toy" and "Goodnight Kiss". But with her attention span lasting a millisecond, I'm sure Miss Piddle Pot's favorites will soon be replaced with different, exciting books. Thank goodness for the library, so that her parents don't go broke from buying new "favorite" books of the week :)

By the way, thanks Heidi for the library suggestion. We had a lot of fun and I'm so glad you recommended it... it was cool inside and provided free entertainment, which is what I'm alllll about these days :)

Feelin' the love

I actually have it pretty good right now; Lauren adores her baby brother and Jacob thankfully doesn't mind the bear hugs and sloppy kisses his sister plants on him. However, I know there is a strong possibility that this sibling love will cease one day soon. I've been told some pretty crazy tales involving sibling rivalry and rolls of duct tape :)

For now though, we're all feelin' the love:


These pictures were taken this morning, moments after waking up, when both Brownies were feeling ultra snuggly. Seriously, how sweet is this?


So in a few years when Lauren is complaining her little brother is pulling the hair off her Barbie's heads or when Jacob complains that his sister hogs the bathroom, I'll remind them that they actually did like each other at one point in their lives ::gasp:: And if the bickering becomes too much to tolerate, I'll whip out the duct tape....

Hair Bows and Piggy toes

After a tasty lunch of chicken noodle soup, cheddar cheese cubes, diced peaches and a few bites of sliced tomatoes, Piddle pot decided that her lunch would best be suited for her hair. So while her sticky, slimy hands combed though her curls, I got a bath started to "unfunk" herself. After the bath, as I was combing her hair, Fancy Pants grabbed a hair bow and began putting it in her hair herself. Being the proud momma that I am, I grabbed the camera and documented this exciting girly task:


Jackpot!


Yeah, she knows she's cute:


As Lauren ate her tasty lunch, lil' man chowed down on a lunch of milk, milk and more milk. Seriously, this boy likes to eat. He would eat 24/7 if I let him but there are just some times that the Lactation Station is closed for business, ya know?

Anyways, this outfit was huge on Jacob two weeks ago. He was swimming in it. Now? It's a bit snug, as evidenced in the tight fabric around his enormous healthy-sized belly. I love this outfit... it is a really cute design and has adorable little Pooh Bear feet.


Hmmm...maybe I can manage to squeeze his husky self in this a few more times :)

Tagged

So I guess I have been officially TAGGED:

Ten Years ago I:
Was 17 years old and a Jr. in High School. I was a strict vegetarian and was very involved in all things regarding Animal Rights. A bit fanatical back then but I had a lot of growing up to do :)

To Do List:
Today? Change diapers, feed Lauren and boob the baby, do a bit of laundry, play outside in the kiddie pool and sandbox, go to the Library for story time, stop by the Grocery store, make dinner, bathe the Brownies, and end the night by talking and snuggling with the Hubster.

Foods I love:
Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Cheeseburgers, Soda and cake. Hmmm, I wonder why I can't lose weight???

What would I do If I were a Billionaire:
I would pay off all my debts and my families debts, go on a world trip with all my family, build a new Boxer Rescue facility, set up a fund to ensure my children (and their future children) are all able to afford college and then I'd invest and live off the interest.

3 Bad Habits:
Being impatient...I want it done, like yesterday!
Procrastinating on doing the Laundry (I HATE laundry).
Shopping too much, esp. on things I don't need.

Places I have Lived:
The High Desert (Hesperia and Victorville)
San Bernardino, CA
Chesterfield, VA

Jobs I have Had:
Gift store cashier in High School
Vet Tech (Northside, Chester Hospital and AHN)
Animal Control Officer (Hopewell PD)

5 Things people don’t know about me:
I already have a few grey hairs... hence the recent post about dying it :(
I like to clean my house (vacuuming is my fave... honestly!)
I can flare my nostrils... sexy, eh?
I have road rage... I'm trying to work on it though.
I love to sleep... LOVE it.

I tag Sarah, Jenifer and Anne Marie.

Jacob

Little man stats:

Officially 5 weeks old and weighed 10.2 lb last week! But with this belly and chubby cheeks, I'd say he's surpassed that:


Likes: Eating, snuggling, being held, eating, cuddling, eating some more, etc...
Dislikes: Sleeping longer than 3 hour stretches, not eating, not being held, etc...


Milestones: Lifts head occasionally and SMILES at me!


Unfortunately, he could be the poster child for Clearasil Face Wash because his momma's hormones have caused his soft baby skin to break out:



But still beyond adorable, in my humble opinion :)