Food Plan

Hello! I've been a little distracted lately, as I've been doing a complete overhaul of the way I eat/look at food. Honestly, I got tired of feeling so...fat. Yes, I just used the "f-a-t" word. I'm not counting my journey from pregnancy weight, but from my last pre - pregnancy weight. The above pic shows me 8.5 lbs down from that weight, 15.5 lbs lighter than when I graduated with my master's degree in 2011. I have since lost another 4 lbs, for a grand total of 12.5 lbs and 6 inches since May 26th! Yay!

I am following the Trim Healthy Mama plan, which simplified means I've cut out most sugar; I eat every 3-4 hours; I don't eat white potatoes, white milk, or regular bread; and I don't combine too many carbs with too much fat. No, I don't do a lot of counting. I invested in Build A Menu, which meal plans, provides a priced shopping list, and recipes. Also, this plan has just clicked with me for some reason. There are several supportive and recipe - providing facebook pages and blogs, and I food journal with pictures on the ap Two Grand. These supports have been a tremendous help!

I actually don't mind the way I look in the pic above (although I wish my shirt wouldn't have been pulled down from the baby carrier), so a lot of inflammation is just gone...it's wonderful. Oh, and this is my pic with my valedictorian nephew at his grad party...so proud of him!

Six Months

 Jules is now six months old!  My how big she has gotten!  At her doctor's appt a few weeks ago, she weight 15.4 lbs, which is almost the size of Laeah!  I love her chubby little thighs.  I love her giggle when I brush her chin with my fingers.  She has begun babbling, and it's obvious she will not be overlooked!  She still likes to take cat naps, which drives me crazy (oh, yes, please only sleep for 5 minute intervals; much can get accomplished this way!).  She doesn't like to fall asleep until late at night (we're talking 1 a.m. lastnight, people!), and she sucks up cereal like a champ and has recently begun eating baked sweet potatoes.  She has the least amount of hair of all of our children, so she will probably have the most once she gets older. 

Quick Updates

Busy, busy, busy...(can you name that quote?  Hint:  It's a Christmas movie)...

Next week marks the end of school for my oldest girls.  Yay!  Not looking forward to beginning school on July 31st, though!  And the preschool Snugglebug attended is closing, so I'm already wondering where/if I'll send Laeah.  I feel like the one Snugglebug went to didn't really benefit her, so I don't know if homeschooling will be the best option or what I'll do. I had planned on sending Laeah to school while I began homeschooling Lovely, but we'll see how everything works out.

Speaking of Laeah:  it looks like she'll be getting tubes in her ears soon.  She's had ear infection after ear infection, and she has terrible allergies.  She's been on allergy medication for at least a month, probably longer.  Knowing what I know now, I'm afraid Snugglebug probably had a lot of sinus infection as a toddler/child, but I just didn't recognize her signs.  She's been getting terrible headaches lately, even throwing up after a major headache/migraine.  We started her on allergy medication, but she continues to have headaches, so migraine medication might be necessary.  I also need to institute local honey to see how that helps. 

Speaking of food:  I started Jules on organic brown rice cereal yesterday.  I was exhausted with her waking up every two hours throughout the night, and she just didn't seem satisfied.  I'm hoping to continue nursing, but as I've said before, I haven't exactly been successful in the past.  I've made it almost twice as long as with Laeah, though, so for that I'm happy. 

Anything else new?  I'm too tired to realize it if there is...!

Catch All

This has been my week of just being...or at least that's how I feel.  My semester has come to an end, yet I still have several papers to grade and grades to input.  I also have to sign the contract to teach next fall, which I have been putting off.  It's just so hard to leave my babies. 

Speaking of which, Laeah now cries when I enter my mom's house because she's afraid of being left.  She clings to my legs.  Her copying skills are outrageous, though--she was copying my sister yesterday when my sister blew her nose.  Not the best thing to copy, but cute none the less.  She says "trash" in the cutest voice with gusto, and: shoes, brush, cheese, book, ball, hi, hush, sister (and all her sisters' names), and then she just lets things slip out to make me turn my head and ask, "Did I just hear what I think I heard?"

Her little sister is determined to sit up.  She hates tummy time and still refuses to roll over, but she looks like she's doing constant sit-ups.  She hates being in the room by herself and wants touched/held by me constantly, which can be quite frustrating.  Yet, I usually give in because I know this stage only lasts for so long. I bought a baby carrier through a co-op, but it hasn't arrived yet.  I also bought two diapers months ago, which still haven't arrived and frankly, I'm getting frustrated with that buy.  It seems people are becoming short with each other on it, and I don't need that in my life.  I mostly stay on facebook so I can see pictures and keep up with other people, and to buy/sell in these groups.  I'm starting to re-think the groups, though, which is sad. 

In other news, Lovely did archery today with her daddy (who teaches it).  She was timid at first, but she began really getting into it, and honestly, she's better than I am with a recurve bow.  I told her she should practice more and see if there are any competitions in the future! 

Now, I'm off to bed.  Summer is at hand, and I feel I need to make a list of all the ways to enjoy it.  We finally had to replace the water heater--all because we found a leak, which led to wood popping up off the floor--so that's checked off our to-do list.  At least I had learned to take shorter showers with the other water heater :P

Dear Snugglebug

Dear Snugglebug,
You are now a bright and shining eight year old with a gleam in your eye, unicorns and fairy dust under your feet, and a world of imagination no adult could comprehend.  Your hair is always a mess (no matter how often we spray/brush it) and there is always dirt under your fingernails.  Stains litter your clothes like you are wearing a permanent napkin.  And yet, you are always smiling (unless your sister is bothering you or you are bothering your sister--you know which one I'm talking about!).  I often slap my forehead in disbelief of what comes out of your mouth and what you think of next.  Your mind is complicated, as evidenced by the plot of your current Young Authors' story, that involves the intrigues of magic, burglary, abduction, and the list goes on.  Your handwriting is very nice when you want it to be, just like you know the answers to questions when you want to know them.  Although frustrating, I admire how you miss most words on the spelling pretest and yet you get most of them correct when you take another test at home later that day (psst...I think you just don't want challenge words so you purposely get things wrong!). I don't understand how you can hate ice cream now, but to each their own.  I just know that I love you, and you will forever be my baby. 

Three Months

My Baby Is Three Months Old

 

I can't believe she's grown so much, as every mother everywhere says about a healthy, developing daughter.  And she has, she really has.  Laeah was wearing this outfit at 9 months.  Ummhmm.

Lovely actually took this picture and I played with the lighting and cropping a bit.  I think Lovely should go into photography, don' you?

Shall I admit Lovely took this one, too?  It was in a dimly lit room and the camera was still on manual, so I had to turn it to b & w, but I was once again impressed.  Lovely's response, "You're welcome."  I guess she thinks photography is easy or something.  Greeeaaat.

This is what happens to Jules when she gets a bath.  I combed her hair, but...well...you get the picture.

Reflections

Hello.  How are you at this 1 o'clock in the morning time? 

I've been thinking a lot lately. Probably too much, which only leads to CB--Chaos of the Brain.  I suffer from that a lot.

I attended a funeral today, which usually sets the stage for life reflection.  For me, this is even more true as I cry at the drop of a hat since I've had Jules.  Seriously, if I drop a hat, I'm sure I will burst into melodramatic tears.

Anyway, the funeral was for the mother of a childhood friend with whom I still keep in contact.  You know how you "know" people, but you may not remember exactly how they look or how they sound if several years go by without seeing or hearing them? This lady's voice keeps singing through my mind, reminding me of the easy teenage years that at the time I couldn't wait to leave behind me. 

Now, I'm wondering even more what kind of an example am I setting for my children.  I constantly feel as if I'm failing, that there is so much more I'm supposed to do, yet I never get to do it.  I'm not talking about big things--little things mostly.  Taking more time to play with the girls.  Not being in a rush all the time.  Being able to stop yelling at the older ones to clean their room.  And then I wonder if their room is messy because I never find time to keep mine very clean.

You see, my mom was a stay-at-home mom.  She was always there.  Period.  Very rarely did she leave me with my father, and truth be told, if she did, he may have easily forgotten I was there and simply left the house (I'm being serious--not mean!),  Anyway, I find myself continually over-extending myself.  I have four children now, and they are my main priority.  However, I teach two classes, which really doesn't take that much time, except it does.  I do have to make time to write lesson plans, grade essays/assignments, drive to school, teach, drive back.  And then I'm out of energy.  I'm supposed to score new teacher qualification portfolios as well, but to be honest, I haven't had time.  I got a phone call the other day asking if I want to interview to teach a high school English class 1.5 hrs/wk for a cottage (homeschool) school starting in the fall.  I've spent the last few weeks gathering tax information, filling out W2s and W3s, updating Quickbooks--all for my husband's business.  Honestly, I often feel like waving goodbye to it all.  My dream was to marry, have children, and to write, but my writing dream is getting squashed under the pressure of mounting bills, and my husband and children aren't getting as much of me as I would like to give.  So now the question:  Am I just being lazy by wanting to just stay home, or am I being called to do so?  Temptation or opportunity--it's so difficult to decipher. 

I just want to make it to summer. 

But then I remember school sign-ups for next year take place in May, and I'm still doing the homeschool debate dance.  Would I have time?  Would I have patience?  What can I trade in order to allow my children to do that?  Would they have friends?  Would it really make a difference? Would I lose any more of my sanity?

I had Lovely tested at school this past week because her teacher is afraid she won't finish the IRead test in order to move on to 4th grade, and she's been recommended for intercession since 1st grade.  Surprise, surprise.  So far, she doesn't qualify for anything and she in fact has a 7th grade reading comprehension.  Although I've adored some of her teachers, that really makes me wonder about the other ones.  This year has not gone as I expected, but it's so difficult to make changes.  It's scary--you know it is.  Also, through school, they do get free flute lessons, art and music classes, choir, dress wacky days (today was funny hat day), some good field trips, and there's not that pressure that you so often feel when you're with just church people to be the best Christian possible.  Don't get me wrong--I try to teach my children that they should always be the best Christians they can be, but everyone makes mistakes, and not everyone sees everything the same way, so judgements are frequently made that really shouldn't (IMO). 

Ok.  Done with the reflection.  Time for bed.  Goodnight.