New Website!!! Check it Out!

Hey all! Just letting you know that my blog address is changing. I am going to be starting a weightloss blog fresh with a new address it is www.shrinkingcarriewww.blogspot.com. I will be updating this blog daily with my weightloss and daily happenings. I hope you all will follow and support me on my way to becoming a healthier person! First post should show on June 16th! I am so excited!

Pete and Repeat.....

Raise your hand if you have seen Dustin wear this shirt.....

Now raise your other hand if you've seen Dustin wear this shirt more than twice.....
Now raise your left foot if you've seen Dustin wear this shirt more than 5 times......
I'd ask for the left foot if I didn't know you would all fall over.

Meet Dustin's favorite green shirt, if you haven't met it already. My number one job as a housewife is to make sure this green shirt is clean for the first Monday that Dustin has off every other week. I'm not kidding. I didn't see this as too much of a problem until I started looking through some old pictures and noticed how many times I spotted Dustin in this shirt.

Dustin at Christmas (looking thoroughly amused I might add):


Dustin hanging with Hanna:


Dustin and his new four wheeler (that we bought on a Monday and for those of you that know that we are poor, rest assured that we got a deal of a lifetime on this thing and so we couldn't pass it up, and yes we are still poor):



He loves this shirt so much that by day 3 of his 7 days off that he has every other week, I have to hide the shirt so he won't wear it until it is clean again. His excuse for wearing it more than once is that "nobody saw me in it, I can wear it again!". After going through my pictures, EVERYONE has seen you in it my love, and maybe we should have forgone the 4 wheeler and bought you some new shirts. Just a thought.

Pretty Puree's for Tummy Troubles!

Some of you might know that I have had a frustrating couple of months with my baby girl and her sensitive stomach. Here's a little background: Around the middle of March, I had to stop nursing because my milk was drying up and I felt like Hanna wasn't getting the nutrition that she was needing, so I started her on formula. I was very frustrated when I quit nursing, and sad. I had done everything that I could do to keep my milk supply up. I was eating over 3000 calories a day, drinking 100 oz's of water, drinking mother's milk tea, and taking the supplement Fenugreek. After gaining about 10 pounds from having to eat so much I decided that the best thing to do for both me and Hanna was to stop nursing. This, for some reason, was a really hard decision. I have loved my nursing period and now it's like Hanna is gaining a little independence and getting older. I'm not going to lie, I cried a little.
When I went to the Dr. she told me to start solids in April. So I did some research to try and get a plan in action for how I was going to do this. I could not find any kind of timeline for how much to give her or how many times a day to start with. I knew her little digestive system was new and so you have to introduce them slowly. I didn't know what slowly meant and so I just went for it. After a couple of weeks, I had a baby that wouldn't sleep at night, and was crying a lot because her little tummy hurt. So of course, I sought the advice of my friends on facebook and besides a good cereal that was recommended, I was also recommended a book call "Cooking for Baby". It has a healthy way to introduce fruits, vegetables, and other foods into your babies diet without upsetting their stomach ages 6 months-18 months.


I had a super fun weekend making baby food. So far, Hanna has tried the Butternut Squash, Pears, and Zucchini. She has slept better the last few nights and I am hoping that this will be trending.

Here are some pretty pictures of the colorful puree's:


The before pic's of pretty pears, and apples.


Pears getting ready to be steamed.


Finished product for apples, and pears. The picture doesn't do it justice. The colors were so beautiful! And because of my blending beast the Vitamix, I didn't have to remove the skins so there is that much more nutrition in these baby foods.


Butternut Squash. If you don't have one of these 3 cup Cuisinart food processor's you should totally get one! I probably use it 4 times a week at least! Best $40 I've ever spent!


Finished product for butternut squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and sweet peas. So beautiful!

For any of you who might be impressed by this feet, don't be. You to could make baby food for your little one. It took me one day and I have enough food for probably two months! Next time I will calculate how much money I am saving by making it myself. Also, once you have frozen the food into little baggies, it stays good for up to 3 months and is still healthier for your baby than bottled baby food!

A little SPRING in my step!

I love this time of year, and I can't believe it's already May! My goal this year was to get in at least 1 post per month to update what is going on in the Seals household. This month has been filled with traveling, trying to revive dead grass, and a lot of firsts for our little Hanna Bear!

At the beginning of this month Hanna, Dustin and I got to go to Utah to visit Gramma for the first time since Christmas! Hanna had so much fun spending time with Gramma and Dustin and I got a few precious moments to ourselves (thanks mom!). We got to go to a Jazz game and rode on Trax for the first time (I know that is lame, but we had fun!). We also got to visit Dustin's long time friends Jared and Jill Bumgardner, and I got to see Dustin act giddy as a school girl while him and Jared hugged a jumped around (it's been about 4 years since we've seen them). We got to chill at Grandpa Johnson's house, and have some fun talk time with the fam. Did I mention I forgot to bring my camera, so I didn't get to capture any of these precious moments :( On our way home we got to stop for the day at Grandma and Grandpa Beighley's to spend time with Dustin's family and try to prepare a little for Easter. What a fun and crazy home that is!

We came home from Utah and it was back to the daily grind, and dead grass. We haven't really spent a whole lot of time on our yard since we moved to this house and it shows. Growing up in a home where the yard won the beautification award twice, my dad would be so ashamed of the yard right now! Also, I now have a fear of mowing the lawn because my dad was so particular, I thought there has to be something really crazy about the lawn. Come to find that my dad really enjoyed mowing the lawn unlike most people who think its a chore. Haha! So this is the "to do" for the next summer is to try and make something out of this yard we have. Right now we are searching for some trees so that our poor western exposed lawn can get some much needed shade. Also, we need to find some bushes or flowers to plant in our "flower bed" that won't die in the sun. I will post pictures and keep this updated, maybe that will force me to make it beautiful!

Here is how nasty it looks right now:



On the Hanna front, she is growing like crazy and it seems that she is learning new things everyday! She just started eating solids and so far she really likes carrots, apples, pears, and apple flavored rice cereal. She has gained 2 pounds since March and she is finally starting to get a healthy appetite. We were starting to wonder who her "real" parents were. She rolls everywhere and is sitting up really well. She also babbles like crazy and has the funniest scream. Funny thing: out of the blue she started taking a pacifier....weird? But it has been a life saver come nap time and bed time. She is finally taking 1-2 hour naps, thank goodness! She'll even cuddle with me a little now that she has a pacifier, and she fell asleep in church which NEVER happens. She is definitely her daddy's girl, she can't sit still just like Dustin.

Here is Hanna rolling over in her crib, I thought it was funny and cute!


Hanna after a jar of sweet potatoes. I think I need to get a little better with the delivery of food!


Hanna also had her very first Easter. How fun it was to find a cute little dress to dress her up with! I even made a bow to go in her hair. Hopefully, the first little craft that will lead to many more!

My adorable little Hanna bear:


Here's a close-up of the bow:


And lastly for the month of April, we just got in on Bountiful Basket's. Which thanks to my friend Vanessa, now comes to Grand Junction. I just got my first haul of fruits and Vegetables yesterday and they were so pretty I had to take a picture.


Hopefully May will be just as eventful in the best way!

Little Blessings!

On March 13th Dustin and I got to participate in Lynxx Lien's Baptism. Lynxx was in our primary class last year and was one of our favorite kids. He is smart as a whip and cute to boot! Dustin was honored in being able to perform Lynxx's baptism, and I also got to speak on the topic. Primary has been such a special calling for Dustin and I. We have gotten to know so many wonderful people by being able to teach their kids or serve in the primary with the amazing presidency, other teachers, and music leaders. I've made so many friends and I am sad that my calling has come to an end. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for Dustin and I next!

Awesome Pancakes!

Since I've been home, I've made an effort in trying to make more recipe's that are healthier, but delicious. I have become a huge fan of Jessica Seinfeld's blog "Do it Delicious". She has yummy recipes that are healthy and satisfying. Some of them are exceptionally good and a little more complicated to make. So when I make one of these recipes i have to brag a little about how fantastic they turned out. For anyone who wants an amazing pancake recipe try the following:

Julian’s Pancakes
Makes 16 pancakes

Dry Ingredients
1 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
2 teaspoons Chia seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend almonds and oats in the food processor until fine. Add in flours, flax meal, chia seeds, baking powder and soda, and salt and pulse until mixed. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, milk, ricotta, maple syrup and vanilla. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, add in dry ingredients and combine until mixed.

Using a large skillet, heat on medium-high. Add cooking spray or butter and measure 1/4 cup per pancake. Let cook 1-2 minutes per side, depending on how well-done you like your pancakes. Top with real Vermont maple syrup and fresh berries.

Also, check out her site! A link is on the sidebar!

What Happened to February?

Man, this stay-at-home-mom business makes the days melt into each other. I Love every second of it, as Dustin says I am "Living the Life".
This last month seems like everyday was filled with one thing.......naps, or lack of naps to be precise. I have been reading a book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" ever since Hanna was born. I myself, am a very scheduled person and so I have been determined to get Hanna on some sort of schedule so that I can stay sane. She, on the other hand, has a different agenda. She loves to be awake even if that means crying endlessly. The day starts off great. She take a morning nap by 9:00, but only sleeps for 40 minutes, which according to the book is not a restful nap. But she wakes up happy so I let it slide. Then we go to the gym where she gets to spend some fun time with the kid's club ladies while mommy works out. She always falls asleep and takes what the book calls a "baby power nap". This gives her just enough nap to stay happy for about the car ride home and then she is a cranky pants again. She goes down at about 12:30 for her second nap and again, sleeps for about 40 minutes. This nap leaves her not crying when she gets up but by 2:30 she is a mess. I try to put her down for a third nap and she is not having it! Or if she does take a nap it is about 20 minutes and then I get to let her be whiny until about 6:30 when I get her ready for bed. I also start dinner at about 6:00 because Dustin gets home around 7:00 and she cries almost the entire time I am making dinner. Ugh! The book says it should start getting better around 4 months, and that they will take less naps, but the naps they do take will be longer. I'm starting to think the book is a lier, or my child has something wrong with her. I just want her to be healthy and happy, is that so wrong?! I guess every child is different and I have to learn what works for her.

February has been a changing month for Dustin and I because we finally renewed our gym passes. Dustin is pretty pumped about working out which is so refreshing. Usually, its me pulling him kicking and screaming. We are planning on trying to have another baby in January 2012 and so I think that has motivated both of us to get in shape. Hanna has been hard enough. My back is killing me from picking her up and down and I need to have energy because pretty soon she'll be crawling all over the place! Dustin and I have made a commitment to each other to get healthy.

On the Hanna front, besides the hole nap taking fiasco's, she is becoming the sweetest baby. She truly has a personality of her own, and is the joy of my life. On Sunday, February 27 she rolled over for the first time. I was so excited, I was practically screaming with happiness. She was looking at me like I was a crazy person. She has also discovered her tongue. She rolls it all over in her mouth and sticks it out like a lizard. It is so cute! She also has come to finally like her swing. It only took her four months. I almost put it on craigslist to sell. I am finding, now that she is starting to use her hands better, that we have no toys for her to play with. So our next goal is to slowly build her toy collection. I started with link a doo's, that I hang from her carseat. They are really helping her motor skills.

Not a bad February, and with the weather getting warmer March should be even better. Hopefully I will get some more cute pictures (and maybe even some videos) of Hanna. Until then, here's a cute picture of Daddy and Hanna in her bear eared jacket.