So, yeah.

I did a horrible job of updating this summer.  It was (is, really) amazing how fast it went by.  Trying to keep the house running and taking care of toddler on my own really ate up my time.  The last thing I wanted to do in my free time was sit and write a blog post.  Let's see if I can recap (of course most of it has to do with the bebe).

Sofia:

• She is using "dada" regularly and with purpose.  
• She can also say "shoes" "Bandit" and "mama" but doesn't use them very often or with purpose, yet.
• We are back in our cloth diapers... now to get the hubs back on board.
• She can walk... fast.  As well as go up and down *a* step and as of late, she can walk backwards.
• She can (correctly) point to her nose, ears, head, lips, and belly.  But she prefers to point to those things on my or the hubs' body.
• She loves to watch Elmo and Curious George.
• She knows how to say the sound of the letter A, B, C, D, F, G, H, K, M, R, S, and T.  Thank you Letter Factory, by Leap Frog.
• She loves to point at things so that we can say the name
• Her favorite foods are: broccoli, mushrooms, avocado, pasta, ground turkey, tortillas, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, peaches, pancakes, and milk (soy)
• She is still allergic/sensitive to milk so she doesn't get much cheese or yogurt, but she drinks soy milk like no tomorrow.
• She still loves water, especially ice water.

Me:

• Still trying to lose the last 5 pounds of baby weight.  
• Started running/walking every morning... hopefully I can keep that up once work starts
• I was able to craft a lot this summer (pictures to come in another post for another day), but unfortunately/fortunately it wasn't for personal projects.
• With my birthday money I was able to do a much needed update to my wardrobe.
• I've decided to grow my hair out, I miss being able to *do* stuff with it.

That's about all I got.  Really interesting, I know.

New year, new beginnings, new goals

I'm not one for New Years resolutions.  The excitement of the new year fades quickly and most of the population does not stick to the resolution(s) they made.  But I guess you could say this year is different for me.  I feel more resolve to change certain things in my life.

I've decided to do a scaled down version of 101 in 1001.  Let's face it, a lot of things can change in 2.75 years.  So many things on my old list be came unimportant or things that just weren't attainable any more with a new baby.  But, I did complete quite a bit of it, and as a list maker, it made me feel good to cross off a few things here and there.  So, I decided that this year I would make 27 goals for the year.  One for every two weeks of the year.  They don't have to be completed weekly, I just wanted to scale down the number of goals.  I originally started with 52, but I trouble coming up with that many.  I'll start with 27 and if I have more to add I'll add more.

I've decided to make some of the goals more long-term and therefore, more difficult to achieve.  But others will be quick and easy.  That way I can feel like I'm accomplishing *something*.  So, here they are.

1. Get on a budget, and try to stick with it for good!  I've lived out of my/our means for a while.  Living on credit and not really having a solid plan to pay it off.  Right now I'm using Mint.com for budgeting, and I recommend it, it's pretty cool! (0/12)
2. Pay off credit card 100% and keep the spending within a limit that I can pay off *every* month- I'd say $500/month.  I paid the card off a few days ago using a lower (than the CC) interest rate loan that we already had.  But now the challenge is to keep the spending down every month so that I can keep the balance at zero. (0/12)
3. Lose 6 pounds.  I've got 6 pounds of baby weight left to lose! (0/6)
4. Lose 4 pounds to equal a total of 10 (0/4)
5. Lose another 5 pounds to equal a total of 15 to put me into the middle of my BMI range. (0/5)
6. Save for  and buy new camera (monthly goal $150).  I've got my eye on this one!  ::love::
7. Take pictures of Sofia monthly.  This one should be easy as I'm already doing it, but I want to make sure I continue it! (0/12)
8. Go to the dentist every six months.  To some this might seem silly, but I, sadly, have not been to the dentist in years.  It just wasn't something that was instilled in me in my childhood. (0/2)
9. Finish Sofia's growth chart
10. Hang curtain rod and curtains in Sofia's room
11. Get Bandit's claws clipped or filed every 3 months (0/4)
12. Buy and start a compost bin.  This is something I've been wanting to do for a while.  I really want to be better about not being so wasteful.
13. Try to finish C25K program- 9 weeks.  I don't know if this will be feasible for me because of my knee, but I think it might help me to get back into running. (0/9)
14. Sell maternity clothes, put that money towards camera savings
15. Start savings account for Sofia
16. Sell Sofia's no longer used toys and "gear".  Put that money into her savings account.
17. Get cloth diaper inventory up to 24 diapers and/or GroVia inserts (16/24)
18. Fill Sofia's month-by-month picture frames, 13 total pictures in each (0/13 x2)
19. Have a small, successful, and cute first birthday party for Sofia.
20. Buy an external hard drive, keep all pictures and important files updated on said drive.
21. Get house "baby-proofed" (stove button caps, oven locks, doorknob locks, cabinet locks, toilet seat locks, etc)
22. Try to be consistent in using coupons (i.e stockpile non perishables)
23. Work on my photography skills (do any one or more of the following- complete my photography book, complete the 12 weeks to better photography, and/or take a photography class)
24. Buy a chest for my Grandmother's silverware, polish said silverware and store correctly
25. Buy and install fireplace doors or screen (kind of counts as baby proofing)
26. Buy and install a ceiling fan for Sofia's room
27. *Possibly* re do fire place hearth and surrounding area with new glass tile
    

Weigh in week 4

Weight: 138.8  (-.4 lbs)
Arm: 11 (same)
Waist: 29 (same)
Hips: 39 (same)
Thighs: 21 (same)

I'm so late on this.  Not much has changed, but I can't ask for much since I wasn't great about staying on my diet and working out has become harder and harder to find time for.  I'll be excited when the hubs finally gets home so that I can catch a break and get to start working out.  I enjoyed the video (surprisingly) but I was just always worried about starting it and not being able to finish.  So that kind of became my excuse.  Once the hubs gets back there won't be room for excuses!  The good thing, I guess you could call it that, is that I'm almost at the same weight I was at my heaviest pre pregnancy.  Unfortunately I don't have any of those clothes left, as that was 4 years ago.  BUT, from here if I could get down 10 more pounds I would be at my pre pregnancy weight.  Ten more pounds from that I would be at my most optimal weight.  When I break it down like that it doesn't seem as daunting.

On a side note, I broke down and bought some work clothes.  I've already started work and I just don't think I'm going to fit into my pre pregnancy clothes.  I'm starting to think I might never fit into them.  Not because I can't lose the weight, but because my body has changed.  I got a pretty good deal though.  I spent $250 and got 5 bottoms (2 jeans, 2 work pants, and 1 skirt) and one sweater, all from Ann Taylor and Gap.  I also bought a pair of khakis, a sweater, and two camis from Old Navy the other day.  I didn't necessarily like buying them (because hopefully they won't fit in a few weeks) but it's also been nice to wear REGULAR clothes and not my maternity stretchy pants.

Weigh in week 3

Weight: 139.2  (-2 lbs)
Arm: 11 (-0)
Waist: 29 (-.25)
Hips: 39 (-.5)
Thighs: 21 (-2, I'm thinking I measured this in a different place than last week)

I've lost a total of 6.4 pounds and 6.5" I was good about doing my shred workout until a few days ago.  I haven't worked out in about 4 days.  Sofia's been a little off with her schedule and I've been so hungry on my down days that it makes working out really hard when you know you don't have any more calories to eat.  I hope to get back into it this week, I might even give level 2 a try a few times this week.

Accountability

So, I'm thinking that I might start using this blog as a weight loss accountability strategy.  I probably won't really start it until July, since that is when I *should* be getting the OK from my doctor to start exercising... I'm still in my 6-week-PP-no-hard-physical-activity phase.

As soon as I get the OK I'll be working on walking more frequently, doing Jillian Michaels' 30-day shred, and eating better.  Currently, I'm trying to eat better and trying to walk as much as I can.  The walking thing is harder than I thought.  I can only take baby S out before 10 am or after 7pm, but before 830, mostly because of the heat.  It's hard in the morning because sometimes I just want to sleep.  Yet, the evening is tough as well because she is typically asleep and would be waking during the 7-830 time to eat.  It's my belief that you "never wake a sleeping baby".  I could wait until she wakes in the evening, but then I would miss out on sleep (which I desperately need) and it would be too dark to walk alone in my neighborhood.

I might just start logging my food intake and any exercise I might get if/when I walk.  Maybe this will help me to lose the weight... :/