Wednesday, June 15, 2011
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!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, May 16, 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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!
Friday, March 4, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Hanna's Baby Blessing
Hanna got blessed on January 23rd, 2011. Dustin was so nervous. I have never seen him with that much anxiety. For those of you that know him, he is such a laid back guy. He did great! It was short and sweet, and he covered all of the important points. Hanna was so excited to have her family in town. Uncle Garrit got her to her first laugh. Of course, I missed it and she wouldn't do it again, and it seems every time I get out the camera to get some good footage of my adorable little girl, she clams right up! Here are some pics from the day!
I am so glad that we finally got to take a 4 generation picture. Even if the background is my kitchen cupboards!
Our first family photo!
The Girls!
The Boys!
Thanks to all the family members that made it! It really made the day all the more special! We love you!
I am so glad that we finally got to take a 4 generation picture. Even if the background is my kitchen cupboards!
Our first family photo!
The Girls!
The Boys!
Thanks to all the family members that made it! It really made the day all the more special! We love you!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
New Happenings in the New Year!
It's a little late to post my New Years Resolutions, so I won't bore you with every little detail. I am now officially a stay-at-home-mom. That is my exciting 2011 New Year happenings. I didn't completely resign at my job, but I will only work when they are in a bind and I can help them out by putting out fliers when I feel like making a little extra cash. I am so blessed to have a great boss that likes me enough to not want to let me go.
All this staying at home business has got me evaluating the way I spend my day. Hanna hates her car seat and has had a little cold this last couple of weeks so I try to limit my going out to twice a week for no longer than an hour and a half.
Here is the list of things I've been doing to keep life interesting:
1. Turning off the T.V. at 10am. I am addicted to the television. Even if I'm not watching something, it is always on in the background. Instead I have made a playlist of kid friendly music to listen to on a loop that satisfies my need for constant background noise. I have however, found a new love in the sitcom "The Old Adventures of New Christine". I turn the T.V. off as soon as that show is over. I am not allowed to turn the T.V. back on until 4:00pm, because that is when Oprah is on and that is when me and Hanna have snuggle and take a little nap together.
2. Reorganizing every nook and cranny of my house. It started with my master bathroom and then a light bulb went off that I should go room to room and organize the crap out of it! I have now moved all of my food storage out to the garage and had Dustin put up shelving so that eventually we will be able to park in our garage (novel idea).
3. Healthy living. I figure that with me nursing, now is the time to try and lose weight, and get healthy. This is always a work in progress, and I'm hoping one day I'll get there. I have been trying to spend more time cooking, now that I have the time, and am trying to go after healthy recipes. Today I made Applesauce muffins with organic applesauce and carrot puree. They were delicious. Just the right amount of healthy. I really want Hanna to have healthy childhood eating experience and I hope she will gain a taste for fruits and vegetables while she is young.
4. COUPONING! I don't now why the dictionary doesn't recognize this word as an adjective because it should. Dustin and I are trying to pay off our car and to help us out, I am trying to coupon our way to debt-free living. It is a fun and addictive hobby. I get so excited when I get my Sunday paper and look for all the coupons that will save me hundreds on my grocery bill. Not to mention the great food storage we are getting by stockpiling our savings.
5. Photography. This is purely a hobby that I will just be using with little Hanna. I want to have tons of pictures of her while she's growing up. Dustin got me camera for Christmas and I'm trying to learn hoe to use it. I'm having so much fun taking super cute pictures of my little babes!
In closing I will leave you with a picture of my muffins that I made this morning. I am very proud of myself because they were made from scratch and they are healthy!
All this staying at home business has got me evaluating the way I spend my day. Hanna hates her car seat and has had a little cold this last couple of weeks so I try to limit my going out to twice a week for no longer than an hour and a half.
Here is the list of things I've been doing to keep life interesting:
1. Turning off the T.V. at 10am. I am addicted to the television. Even if I'm not watching something, it is always on in the background. Instead I have made a playlist of kid friendly music to listen to on a loop that satisfies my need for constant background noise. I have however, found a new love in the sitcom "The Old Adventures of New Christine". I turn the T.V. off as soon as that show is over. I am not allowed to turn the T.V. back on until 4:00pm, because that is when Oprah is on and that is when me and Hanna have snuggle and take a little nap together.
2. Reorganizing every nook and cranny of my house. It started with my master bathroom and then a light bulb went off that I should go room to room and organize the crap out of it! I have now moved all of my food storage out to the garage and had Dustin put up shelving so that eventually we will be able to park in our garage (novel idea).
3. Healthy living. I figure that with me nursing, now is the time to try and lose weight, and get healthy. This is always a work in progress, and I'm hoping one day I'll get there. I have been trying to spend more time cooking, now that I have the time, and am trying to go after healthy recipes. Today I made Applesauce muffins with organic applesauce and carrot puree. They were delicious. Just the right amount of healthy. I really want Hanna to have healthy childhood eating experience and I hope she will gain a taste for fruits and vegetables while she is young.
4. COUPONING! I don't now why the dictionary doesn't recognize this word as an adjective because it should. Dustin and I are trying to pay off our car and to help us out, I am trying to coupon our way to debt-free living. It is a fun and addictive hobby. I get so excited when I get my Sunday paper and look for all the coupons that will save me hundreds on my grocery bill. Not to mention the great food storage we are getting by stockpiling our savings.
5. Photography. This is purely a hobby that I will just be using with little Hanna. I want to have tons of pictures of her while she's growing up. Dustin got me camera for Christmas and I'm trying to learn hoe to use it. I'm having so much fun taking super cute pictures of my little babes!
In closing I will leave you with a picture of my muffins that I made this morning. I am very proud of myself because they were made from scratch and they are healthy!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Hanna Elisabeth Seals 10/25/10
I know, I know, it's been over a month since our little Hanna has been brought into this world and I haven't blogged about her birth! And what a great story it is. I need to write it out before I forget it!
Sunday, 10/24/10
My midwife decided that we should induce me since I had gestational diabetes and they didn't want me to go over my due date just in case of complications. Dustin and I went to the hospital at 9:00 am and they hooked me up to all sorts of machines and put an IV in (yuck!) and started me on a pill call cervadil (sp?). They told me that I should be in labor within 5 hours and we should have a baby by 6:00 that night. So we waited and waited and watched a lot of tv and nothing was happening. Thank goodness a "Parking Wars" marathon was on A&E (Sunday tv is so boring!). By 5pm nothing was happening and so I asked if it was ok for me to go home and if anything happened I would come back. They discharged me at 5:30 pm and as soon as I got in the car I started feeling contractions. When we got home my contractions were a lot stronger and about a minute and a half apart. I went in to lay in my bed and felt like I was going to throw up so I decided it was time to go back to the hospital. We went back to the hospital at 10:30 PM and I was dialated to a 5 which meant I was in active labor. They readmitted me and hooked me back up to all the machines and had to put in another IV. I hate needles, they are a phobia, and so the IV and the anesthesia were the worst part of the whole labor!
Monday, 10/25/10
At 2:00 AM the nurse let me get into the hot tub. Our Hospital just got a new tower, and a total renovation and so I was lucky enough to be in a brand new birthing room! The tub felt so good that I stayed in there for 5 hours! The bad part was that it slowed my labor down. My contractions were now about 5 minutes apart. Dustin and I walked the halls trying to get my contractions to increase. I felt a little silly in my gown walking around the hospital. There were a lot a people telling us good luck and looking at me with pity on their faces. At 8:00 they broke my water thinking that this was going to speed things along. When two hours later I was still at a 5 and they didn't see any increase they decided to put me on pitosin (sp?). I really didn't want to be put on it because I heard how hard and fast they made your contractions, but I figure we needed to do something. So they hooked me up and started giving me doses that increased at double every 15 minutes. It git me to a 7 by 1:00 PM and then it all stopped again, no progression. They then started talking about a c-section, which scared me because I have never had any kind of surgery before and the recovery time was much longer. It wasn't apart of my birth plan, but I guess a lot of this stuff wasn't apart of my plan. I told them to do what they need to do. They said they would give me one more hour on the drip and see where I was at. They checked me at 2:00 pm and I had dialated to an 8! Hallelujah! I wasn't going to have to do c-section after all. I spoke way to soon. They decided they would give me a couple more hours, which turned into 3, to see if I could get to 10. Did I mention that I had no drugs because I was trying to do natural child birth? I was in an enormous amount of pain when they checked me at 5:00 PM and I hadn't moved from an 8. I was so frustrated and they Midwife decided that we needed to do a c-section. I was scared, Dustin was scared (but stayed strong for me) and then everything went really fast. I signed all sorts of forms they got me ready for surgery in about 10 minutes and I was off to the surgery room. After tugging and pulling and being numb from the stomach down I heard a baby cry, and it was our beautiful little Hanna. Dustin brought her over to me and I seem to forget the events of the past 2 days and time stood still for a moment. She was perfect. the most amazing little girl that I had ever met.
They wheeled me into the recovery room and poked me and prodded. They gave little Hanna her first bath, and we tried breastfeeding for the first time. What a truly amazing experience this had been! I had no idea how much this little person would change my life and how much love I would have for her!
A big THANK YOU to my mom! She waited on me hand and foot for almost 2 weeks! Stayed up with the baby so I could sleep. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful mother that I love so much, and who loves me! I love you MOM!
I am posting pictures from the hospital, they aren't the best, but how good can you look after just having a baby!
Sunday, 10/24/10
My midwife decided that we should induce me since I had gestational diabetes and they didn't want me to go over my due date just in case of complications. Dustin and I went to the hospital at 9:00 am and they hooked me up to all sorts of machines and put an IV in (yuck!) and started me on a pill call cervadil (sp?). They told me that I should be in labor within 5 hours and we should have a baby by 6:00 that night. So we waited and waited and watched a lot of tv and nothing was happening. Thank goodness a "Parking Wars" marathon was on A&E (Sunday tv is so boring!). By 5pm nothing was happening and so I asked if it was ok for me to go home and if anything happened I would come back. They discharged me at 5:30 pm and as soon as I got in the car I started feeling contractions. When we got home my contractions were a lot stronger and about a minute and a half apart. I went in to lay in my bed and felt like I was going to throw up so I decided it was time to go back to the hospital. We went back to the hospital at 10:30 PM and I was dialated to a 5 which meant I was in active labor. They readmitted me and hooked me back up to all the machines and had to put in another IV. I hate needles, they are a phobia, and so the IV and the anesthesia were the worst part of the whole labor!
Monday, 10/25/10
At 2:00 AM the nurse let me get into the hot tub. Our Hospital just got a new tower, and a total renovation and so I was lucky enough to be in a brand new birthing room! The tub felt so good that I stayed in there for 5 hours! The bad part was that it slowed my labor down. My contractions were now about 5 minutes apart. Dustin and I walked the halls trying to get my contractions to increase. I felt a little silly in my gown walking around the hospital. There were a lot a people telling us good luck and looking at me with pity on their faces. At 8:00 they broke my water thinking that this was going to speed things along. When two hours later I was still at a 5 and they didn't see any increase they decided to put me on pitosin (sp?). I really didn't want to be put on it because I heard how hard and fast they made your contractions, but I figure we needed to do something. So they hooked me up and started giving me doses that increased at double every 15 minutes. It git me to a 7 by 1:00 PM and then it all stopped again, no progression. They then started talking about a c-section, which scared me because I have never had any kind of surgery before and the recovery time was much longer. It wasn't apart of my birth plan, but I guess a lot of this stuff wasn't apart of my plan. I told them to do what they need to do. They said they would give me one more hour on the drip and see where I was at. They checked me at 2:00 pm and I had dialated to an 8! Hallelujah! I wasn't going to have to do c-section after all. I spoke way to soon. They decided they would give me a couple more hours, which turned into 3, to see if I could get to 10. Did I mention that I had no drugs because I was trying to do natural child birth? I was in an enormous amount of pain when they checked me at 5:00 PM and I hadn't moved from an 8. I was so frustrated and they Midwife decided that we needed to do a c-section. I was scared, Dustin was scared (but stayed strong for me) and then everything went really fast. I signed all sorts of forms they got me ready for surgery in about 10 minutes and I was off to the surgery room. After tugging and pulling and being numb from the stomach down I heard a baby cry, and it was our beautiful little Hanna. Dustin brought her over to me and I seem to forget the events of the past 2 days and time stood still for a moment. She was perfect. the most amazing little girl that I had ever met.
They wheeled me into the recovery room and poked me and prodded. They gave little Hanna her first bath, and we tried breastfeeding for the first time. What a truly amazing experience this had been! I had no idea how much this little person would change my life and how much love I would have for her!
A big THANK YOU to my mom! She waited on me hand and foot for almost 2 weeks! Stayed up with the baby so I could sleep. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful mother that I love so much, and who loves me! I love you MOM!
I am posting pictures from the hospital, they aren't the best, but how good can you look after just having a baby!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Baby on Board!
As you can read by the title, there is exciting news in the Seals household! Dustin and I are expecting a little baby seals in October. I thought this day would never come, and now that it's here it feels like we weren't even trying for that long. So many things to think about and prepare for, I feel a bit overwhelmed!
I am now 13 weeks along, and just finally started feeling better from the first trimester's nausea. I've quit wearing perfume, and all of our cigarette smoking clientele make me want to hurl. Oh! I also had my very first hormonal outburst the other day, that was fun for Dustin! Nothing like having PMS 24/7! This may sound like complaining, but it is not. I am thankful everyday for this experience, even if I cry for no reason at all!
P.S. Dustin was so excited that he had to order this little Colts Peyton Manning jersey for our little gummy bear. He says the baby will wear it no matter if it is a boy or a girl. I'll have to get a nice bow to match if it's a girl!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
I Am Thankful!
When I knelt down to say my nightly prayers on Thursday night, I was excited to pray and tell God all of the things I am thankful for. I love to have a prayer where I ask God for nothing and can express my gratitude for all of the wonderful blessings that are already in my life. Here are just a few:
I Am Thankful for........
My wonderful family, who lets me know that I am loved and missed, every time I talk to them.
My Family on Dustin's side who show me unconditional love, no matter how long its been since I last saw them.
My adorable nieces and nephews, their innocence remind me of why we're here and where we are going.
My crazy kitty who keeps me company on the nights Dustin work. (and keeps the monsters away!)
My friends that will wake up at 2:30 am to go to the black Friday Sears sale for a new washer and dryer.
Both Dustin's and my job, and that we get to work for wonderful, honest, and personable people.
Belonging to a wonderful church, that brings, and will bring me an eternity of happiness.
Facebook (I know that's weird!) and how it helps me keep in touch with family and friends.
My co-workers, who help keep me sane through those hard work days, and keep me laughing.
My mom, I know she's making a big effort to call me more often, even if I complain the whole time I'm on the phone.
And most of all I am thankful for my loving husband. His patience and understanding are such an example to me. I know he loves me unconditionally no matter how crazy and irrational I can be. I love being married to my best friend and I am thankful everyday that I was blessed with such a special person in my life.
I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!
I Am Thankful for........
My wonderful family, who lets me know that I am loved and missed, every time I talk to them.
My Family on Dustin's side who show me unconditional love, no matter how long its been since I last saw them.
My adorable nieces and nephews, their innocence remind me of why we're here and where we are going.
My crazy kitty who keeps me company on the nights Dustin work. (and keeps the monsters away!)
My friends that will wake up at 2:30 am to go to the black Friday Sears sale for a new washer and dryer.
Both Dustin's and my job, and that we get to work for wonderful, honest, and personable people.
Belonging to a wonderful church, that brings, and will bring me an eternity of happiness.
Facebook (I know that's weird!) and how it helps me keep in touch with family and friends.
My co-workers, who help keep me sane through those hard work days, and keep me laughing.
My mom, I know she's making a big effort to call me more often, even if I complain the whole time I'm on the phone.
And most of all I am thankful for my loving husband. His patience and understanding are such an example to me. I know he loves me unconditionally no matter how crazy and irrational I can be. I love being married to my best friend and I am thankful everyday that I was blessed with such a special person in my life.
I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!
The Beast
I've been meaning to post for a while, not because a whole lot of interesting things have happened, but enough to tell about, I guess.
This contraption is what I call "The Beast". Is slices, it dices, it grinds wheat, and anything else I tell it to do. Anyone may know that my work life lately has been crazy! A girl got fired at work, and the next day a girl quit, and the next day a girl went into the hospital. After a few weeks of stress, my boss has hired a stellar new team, he also decided to get me an early Christmas present, a Vita-mix. I have been talking about how badly I wanted one of these appliances since I saw the demonstration video that my boss's wife let me borrow, but knew that there was no way that I was going to talk the hubby into letting me get one. Hasn't Dustin learned that when I set my mind to something that I want, eventually I will find a way to get it? Since then I have made yummy smoothies, salad dressings, and even soup in this blender. I am equally excited every morning when I get to make a protein shake, because I know every seed will be crushed into oblivion. It's amazing and worth blogging about!
Friday, October 2, 2009
I Think I Fixed It!
I've had a few comments that since I changed the background to the pink, you weren't able to leave any comments. I think I fixed it, so please comment away! I'm having a rough month so any words of encouragement, if you're still even following the blog, would be appreciated!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
If You Don't Have Anything Good to Say, Then You Shouldn't Say Anything at All!
I think about updating my blog every Sunday, and every Sunday I get on the scale and my eyes bulge a little more. My thoughts are exactly what the title of this post says. When I get my S*** together, and have some good new to report that is when I will post.
I love Fall! But I can't help but have a bit of a sick feeling in my tummy when I know what October to January bring..........food based holidays. If you're an alcoholic stay out of the bar. If you're a food addict, stay away from the holidays. I think I'm going to have to learn how to love exercise, so that I can overcompensate for these buffet's on steroids that are coming up in the following months.
Check back for future posts with positive content. I hope it isn't too long a wait, or should I say weight! (Do you see how I made that into a clever little pun, I thought so, you're so smart!)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
One Woman Show!
It's a lot easier to start a new lifestyle of eating when the rest of your life is running the way it normally does. I didn't plan to have the week I had this past week. I know, every time you try to make a change for the good, there always has to be something to throw a wrench in it. I did make very good decisions with my eating, but I stayed the same when I weighed in today. I'm not complaining, but it does show that even though you are eating less, that doesn't always equal weight loss.
My work has been a roller coaster ride this last month, and to top it all off I am now pretty much alone in the office. My insurance agency has the largest clientele in Grand Junction. Over 5000 in the book of business. The office usually runs with 4 full-time fully licensed staff members. Right now it is just little old me. On Friday I felt like the phone was surgically sewn to my ear for 5 hours. It took me 3 1/2 hours to finish my lunch, at my desk, in between talking with clients. Every time I would get off of the phone with one person, I would be given 3 more messages. Not to mention the emails that I been neglecting.
The point is that no matter how hard I tried to plan to eat right, the time was not there during the day. When I went home at night I was so mentally tired that I sat and did nothing. I only went to the gym twice. This next week will be exactly like last week and so I need to make goals and commitments today so that I can plan for the whole week to be running to catch up.
I'm going to start eating breakfast at home. I've been eating it at work normally, but lately haven't had time to eat until like 10 or 11.....not good. I'm going to go to bed at a decent hour, and get up to go to the gym everyday. This can only help to handle the stress. And last I will pack my lunch the night before so that I have the time to plan it. I feel much better when I've made some achievable goals. Bring on this next week!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Some Great Things are Happening.
My mind is so full I am ready to explode! First things first, I weighed myself this last Monday and the results were depressing. Another gain to 260! This is ridiculous, why was I living on liquid to just go back up. So I put on my big girl panties (under armor compression shorts) and did what I needed to do. I went to the gym 4 times this week at the butt crack of dawn did interval cardio, and circuit weight training. After not being able to raise my arms or sit on the toilet because of the pained muscles I weighed in today at 254.
I've had a lot of revelation this week, and I thank good friends that think of me even when we haven't spoken in a long time. I had one friend remind me of what I use to be like. I hadn't thought of that person in a long time, that girl that use to be me. It's weird when you see yourself from someone else's point of view. Its eye opening. It feels inspiring to be reminded of things you use to take interest in. And not just interest but you actually applied it into your life. I speak of diet and exercise. At one point in my life, it was my life. This was a short period of time, but I was healthy and happy. Don't get me wrong, I am happy in most aspects of my life. I have a wonderful, supportive husband, a weird cat, a job with a boss who cares about me, WONDERFUL family and friends. The one area of my life that is frustrating the hell out of me is my health.
The second answer to a prayer would be an email that I received from a friend that I haven't spoken to since I was 19. She had been reading my blog and even though we hadn't spoken in so many years she wrote me an unbelievable email that was coincidentally a subject that had been on my mind for the last couple of years. I've been doing some research on vegetarianism for the last few years. The lifestyle has always made sense to me, but I have always been scared to make the plunge and turn my diet upside down. After speaking with this friend and checking out some of the information that she has supplied me with, I'm ready to make the plunge. I hope to not get any negative feed back on this, I will be getting plenty of protein and vitamins and minerals. All I can say is you can find an opposing side to any diet if you want to find it, there are pro's and con's to every kind of way of eating. This is choice that I have thought about for years and I feel really good about this decision. I know that I will have support system no matter what I do, hence the WONDERFUL family and friends.
Here's to new beginnings!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I'm Still Here! Don't Give up on Me!
I need to get back to the task at hand! The fire fizzled, what are you gonna do? I promised in the beginning that I would blog good or not right. So here it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly. My current weight is 256. This is 12 pounds higher than my peak weigh loss with optifast. I feel like I have been running to stand still, and all that hard work is creeping back slowly but surely.
I don't know if any of you have checked out the blog that me and my friends have started. Its on my sidebar, its called the weight loss accountability buddies. If you don't see me writing on my own blog, check that one, my friends are pretty relentless when it comes to tracking your goals. I've made some good friends in Colorado!
Sometimes I find it hard to write when there is nothing good to talk about when it comes to my weight. I am in a frustrating period right now. It seems everyone is getting pregnant around me and although some days it motivates me, other days it makes me sad and discouraged. I think the balance between those days is leaving me at a stand still.
One issue that I have been having lately is that my schedule is all out of whack. Optifast through me off eating wise and I've got out of the habit of making regular meals and keeping a supply of good foods at my house. This week me and Dustin are sitting down and budgeting and planning. I am too structured of a person to go willy nilly with my food and exercise. I am also going to be starting to exercise in the wee hours of the morning again. Man, I'm tired even writing that, but it is something that needs to happen.
Will this ever get easier?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Do you hear that?
Do you hear that........it sounds like a spark..........no, a fire.......that's been lit under my butt? I just had a moment that I am going to ride out. I cannot say the event that started this fire, but I am glad that it happened. Shame on me for losing my focus, and forgetting to keep my eye on the prize. I am looking forward to the gym tomorrow, so much that I am a little excited. I can't be to hard on myself, I have accomplished the goals that I have made for myself the last two weeks. I laid off the carbonation and exercised regularly, but I can't help but think that I am moving backwards. I have gotten more active in my life. I play tennis every Wednesday and I volunteered to assistant coach a girls softball team with a friend. Why is it that I can't find balance between exercise and food? I can do one or the other, but never both at the same time.
Wish me luck this week, and pray that the fire stays blazing.
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