Monthly Archives: March 2012

Footprint Butterflies

I cannot wait to share this with you.  It is one of the first things I pinned on pinterest and last night hubby and I made them!

 

 

We used watercolor paints and paper. Wet paper before applying paint. Hubby painted each toe different but you could do all one color. Put feet, one at a time, on the paper so they are facing out from each other to make the wings, paint in body, head and antenae. Write in child’s name and year, frame. Please note you will need two people to do a young toddler, Patrice cried as the paintbrush tickled her feet; she kept kicking hubby so I had to hold one foot back.

My heart is absolutely bursting at the joy of having these.

Stuffing it or Reframing it–Secret Mommyhood Confessions

Something Something Button

As I have mentioned, the doctor has correctly pinpointed that I stuff emotions.  I’m okay with accepting that, but now what?

It turns out I need to wean Patrice from nursing so the doctor and I can get more aggressive with treating the depression.  Trust me, that was a hard decision.

I cried and cried Thursday at work.  And then I started thinking.

I have been nursing or pregnant from November 2005.  I have been wearing nursing undergarments and nightgowns since August 4, 2006.  As of next week, I need to replace all these items with “regular” woman apparel.  And I am going to try a chocolate martini.

I changed how I am thinking about it, I reframed it…I think.

I’m sad about weaning Patrice, but I am a bit excited…

Am I stuffing it or reframing it?

Linking with Kimberly.

Defining Myself

Who am I?

A woman of God who is mama to three girls, who nursed all of them, and now helps other mamas with breastfeeding, postpartum depression and the giggles and grimaces of motherhood.

Linking up with Thought Provoking Thursday.

First the Big News–Weight Loss Wednesday

First the big news–I lost .8 pounds this week for a total of 14.2 lbs lost which put me over the goal of 10% of my starting body weight lost.

This has been the week of 8s.  I bought and wore a pair of size 8 jeans for the first time in 8 years, I lost .8 pounds and my friend Alicia lost 2.8 pounds.  I love fun coincidences like that!

I think one of the big reasons I have made it this far is how my snacking has changed.  Snacks used to be whatever fun thing I could find to eat.  Now they are different–carrots, fruit, natural applesauce, mini peppers, kiwi, light kettle corn, pop chips.

And I snack a lot.  It takes lots of munching to get me through the day.  Bless the scientists of weight watchers for making all fruit and most veggies “free” foods.  It makes eating this way, so much easier and I think healthier.  As a doctor friend of mine said, “I’ve never understood diets that restrict fruits and veggies.”

Next goal–prebaby weight.  Yup,  it’s amazing that I still have weight to lose after Patrice, but I do.  I am a very slow loser while nursing.  I am not one of those women that see the weight just fall off.  Sigh.  Three more pounds to go…then on to wedding weight…4 more pounds…and then within my normal range…6 pounds…

Wow, writing that out is motivating to make better choices.  Snacking my way there of course!

Have to work on this…

courtesy of one of my daughter's picture skills

 

 

Hodge Podge of Thanks 382 -400

This week’s Multitude Monday’s is going to start with a story about Patrice and climbing and showers and cinnamon rolls.

Yesterday, Patrice woke up with quite the runny nose, so she and I stayed home from church. I hate the thought of being that mom who brings their child to nursery only to make all the other kids sick, so we stayed home. I straightened up the kitchen and then decided to enjoy a leisurely shower.

Patrice is a climber, but I thought I had everything blocked off.

I was wrong.

I come out of my shower refreshed to find a little girl on a chair at the counter, finishing off two, count them two, cinnamon rolls from Ikea, a dum dum sucker she found in her sister’s Valentine’s Day candy bag, and a sleeve of saltine crackers.

She handed me what was left of the rolls and crackers, the sucker, which she had unwrapped and was eating properly, was hers!

My dum dum sucker. I opened it, I'm eating it

That was at about 11:30 am. Patrice did not eat again until 8 pm. All offers of food were turned down!

382 (112). Nice hot showers
383 (113). Little girl surprises after said shower
384 (114). Little girls strong and healthy enough to get into trouble
385 (115). Wonderful weekends meeting new friends
386 (116). Comfortably wearing a size 8 pair of jeans for the first time in 8 years
387 (117). Pretty new shirts
388 (118). Lovely paintings around my home that were painted by my mother-in-law
389 (119). Friends, on-line and in the flesh
390 (120). New projects at work.
391 (121). Understanding new projects at work
392 (122). Meetings at work getting postponed when I am not ready to handle them
393 (123). Yummy cucumber water
394 (124). Worrying about getting my workouts in, rather than getting out of my wheelchair
395 (125). Talking about running 1/2 marathons instead of learning how to walk again after an MS attack
396 (126). Buying me a punching bag for exercise rather than making sure our house is handicap accessible
397 (127). New medications working
398 (128). Side effects subsiding
399 (129). Colorful rice
400 (130). Being able to pray again.

For what are you thankful?

Lovely Weekend

I had a truly lovely weekend. I got to meet two wonderful mamas I “met” months ago via #ppdchat. Yesterday my family and @sarahbeec met up mid way between our respective homes. To say it was a great first experience meeting an on-line friend in real life is an understatement. Our kids played great and our hubbies got along. I can’t wait for our next visit!

Then today I met up with @momgosomething. We had a wonderful time walking and talking. I hit on the everyday stuff, the hard stuff and a fair amount in between. I hugged her a ton of times and could have a ton more. We ended the visit with me gushing over how good scrambled eggs are when made with fat free half and half. And she didn’t look at me like I had just grown a third head. Looking forward to a long friendship!

Add to that, buying and comfortably, as I type, wearing a single digit size of jeans and life felt good this weekend. I had a few moments that reminded me how fleeting the good times can be, but I set some boundaries, protected myself a bit and came out able to say “Life feels good.”

Thank you @Sarahbeec and @momgosomething for being a huge part of that.

Don’t forget y’all that March 15 is

Please let me know if you would be willing to put my carnival button and short post together on your blog to get as many mamas, or women, as we are all the pride of a mother whether we have children or not, involved as possible. I would greatly appreciate it.

Bright Fun Colors–Pinned It and Did it.

A few weeks ago I saw this, or if you’re not on Pinterest, this, and decided I had to try it.  But, contrary to what the instructions said, I figured it was pretty messy.  So it took a while to get my courage up…

We pinned it and did it!

Rainbow RiceTake 1 cup of white rice.Mix food coloring in a small bowl with 1-2 Tablespoons of white vinegarDump vinegar and food coloring mixture into plastic bag with rice. Seal and shake.