Warmer Weather is Here....

Quote: Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway.
-Eleanor Roosevelt


At least for a little while. I can't wait until it is here to stay. My husband and I took advantage of the warmer weather and took some walks this week. I did a bodyrock.tv workout on Wednesday which totally kicked my butt and then when Greg woke up we went on a walk we went about 2 miles. Delaney loves being outdoors and was bouncing in her stroller and laughing the whole time. Kiley went to visit Grandma Arlene one day and rode her bike the next. She is very afraid of bugs this year and when a fly landed on her arm she stopped and started to scream. I had to hold back my laughter at how dramatic she was being and reassure her that it was okay it wasn't a "stinging bug" and it was best if she just keep pedaling.

Delaney wasn't phased by anything she is such a happy baby. I was talking to my mom on the phone earlier tonight and she was asking about her and I was telling her how everyone in the store today was commenting on how happy she was! I told her when Delaney was two months old and had a bit of colic I didn't think I would ever hear anyone say that! She was so fussy for the first three months. My mom told me she was amazed at the patience I had with her. I did get frustrated with her and myself because sometimes I had no idea what to do for her but then my wonderful husband would step in and take her off my hands and calm her. I am so lucky to have him. We make such a great team when it comes to everything, marriage, kids, work, LIFE!

So I walked outside a total of 3 days this week and took Delaney and Kiley to the park once. It was Delaney's first time in the baby swings. Kiley and Xander keep asking when the pool will be open. Soon enough! I love Summer days at the pool, taking the kids for ice cream, taking long evening walks, and just relaxing in the warmth and enjoying our time together. We are planning a summer vacation to Folly Beach, South Carolina. We have rented a house with my parents. We are all looking forward to a relaxing vacation.

Greg and I have been watching our diet recently. We are cutting back on sweets, drinking water instead of diet pop, and adding more veggies. I haven't made a dessert, even a healthy one all week! I am proud of myself. We are trying to make better choices when we eat out, I have been eating a lot of salads with chicken lately! Trying to avoid the bread basket or at least cut back. It is hard we are both carb lovers.

Delaney LOVES table food! She is always trying to mooch off our plates. She loves apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, the list goes on... She will eat everything and her little pincher grasp she has down pat! She is crawling everywhere! Her favorite thing to get into is the kid's crayon box and coloring books. She just throws them around and then crinkles her nose at me and laughs. She loves her big brothers and sister. All they have to do is look at her and laugh and she is just delighted.

I am starting to wean her to one bottle a day. I am teaching her how to hold her bottle and offering her a sippy cup as well. So far, so good. I did learn that she doesn't like the sippy's with handles, they confuse her just give her the plain ones with out the "trainer" handles and she does much better. I am probably going to only nurse her at night and early morning when she turns one year. We will see how it goes.

Here are some recent pictures! We had Xander's birthday party last weekend. I made his cake. My first try at fondant. I learned from it and I think I will do better when I make Delaney's cake in June for the big ONE!

Xander's Lego Head Cake. He is SEVEN now!

Little Lou

Kiley having fun at the park.

Kiley and Mommy

Rex

Delaney's First Time Swinging

Haha! Loving it!

We have a crawler!

Finally!! Delaney is mobile. Now the fun begins. We have already told Kiley and Xander it is a MUST to keep all their little tiny toys off the floor. She is crawling 2 months later than Kiley did, I can't believe the difference between two kids. They are so similar yet so different.

I signed Delaney up for Baby Laptime at the library. Kiley went with me today. It is so funny I took Kiley at that age and did the exact same songs and finger plays with her. She said she doesn't remember very well but I do, it makes me a little sad that she is getting so big. She is acting more mature everyday. She is so smart and has such a loving and happy personality. She is so friendly and will talk to pretty much anyone.  Her teacher says she is one of the most popular kids (meaning all the kids want to play with her) at school and that she is doing well and is very advanced.

It is spring break this week and Xander and Kiley are excited to get to spend more time playing together. I still can't believe it actually snowed today. What a spring break...uggg.  My house is a mess! I have been trying to pick up after everyone and trying to convince them to pick up after themselves but it is pointless! I guess when Kiley goes to her Daddy's for the weekend I will clean really well.

Today I did another www.bodyrock.tv workout and it was tough. At one point Kiley said "Mommy your face is all red and you are sweating". I told her that was the point!

Workout Breakdown

http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/03/28/six-pack-abs-workout-2011/

Time: 18min.Workout Type: Interval trainingExercises: 4

• 1) Sumo Squat & Leg Lift (with Sandbag)max.reps for each round (I used a 20lbs dumbell)
• 2) Sumo Push Upsmax.reps for each round
• 3) Jump Lungemax.reps for each round
• 4) Reverse Push Upsmax.reps for each round (I did bent over rows 40lbs because I don't have a dip station)

Instructions:
Set your Interval Timer for 24 rounds of two intervals – 10 seconds and 35 seconds. There are 4 exercises and your goal is to complete as many reps for each exercise as possible during each 35 second interval. You will have 10 seconds of rest after each exercise just to write down your reps. This workout takes only 18 minutes so push hard to get the maximum results out of this routine.

Turkey Chili and Yummy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

Today I didn't work out at all! On Tuesday I stay up with my youngest daughter and just nap when she naps. We pay a sitter to watch her during the night when we are both at work but I just can't bring myself to pay a sitter just so we can sleep so we just stay up with her. Greg stays up on Mondays and I stay up on Tuesdays. Eventually once I stop breastfeeding her we will probably have to have someone stay with her so we can get some sleep. It is pretty exhausting! Especially when her naps are short.


Greg made Turkey chili for dinner and we paired it with some brown rice instead of crackers and a little low fat cheese. It was really good and filling! I also made a "healthified" banana bread with some overripe bananas that had been sitting out for a few days.


Here is the recipe:


1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 mashed ripe bananas
2 tbsp canola oil or you can use 1/4 cup applesauce
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 egg whites


I just mixed it all together with a blender and then added dark chocolate chips, baked it at 350 degrees in a greased loaf pan. It was very moist and yummy and Kiley and Xander LOVED it!


Tomorrow Kiley has preschool and while she is at preschool and Delaney naps I will exercise! Delaney has her 9 month check up tomorrow. We are anxious to see how much our little chunka monka weighs now. She went from itsy bitsy baby to a chunky monkey really fast. Mommy must have some high fat milk!


Delaney was sick for the first time Sunday night. I took Sunday night off work for an appointment I had on Monday I wanted to be rested for and I am really glad I did because I was able to be there for my baby when she got sick. I put her to bed at 6:45pm and 20 minutes later she woke up with a weak cry. I went in to check on her and she was covered in vomit. I scooped her up and she continued to spit up. After she stopped I gave her a bath and she was so sick she was shaking. She then started throwing up again. I was getting worried so I went downstairs and woke Greg up. He went to the store and bought her some pedialyte and sat with us for awhile to make sure she was gong to be okay. She calmed down but still vomited a few more times until midnight. I was a nervous wreck! Kiley had never gotten the intestinal flu that young. It just broke my heart to see my little baby so sick and not being able to keep anything down. She was so lethargic and sleepy. I put her beside me in bed and kept checking on her every hour throughout the night. She woke up at 4:30 and I gave her some pedialyte which she kept down. Then at 6:30 she nursed. I was prepared to take her to the ER if she didn't keep anything down at that point because she hadn't had a wet diaper in over 8 hours. She woke up again at 9:00am and again drank some pedialyte which she proceeded to puke up all over herself and me. Then came the diarrhea...uggg!! Poor baby. She was still going today and was whiny and I could tell her tummy still wasn't right.


Tomorrow I will do this workout courtesy of bodyrock.tv:


10 minutes warm up and then cool down on the treadmill.

Workout Breakdown

Time: 10min.Workout Type: Maximum Sets Challenge Exercises: 1

• 2 jumps forward, 10 High Knees, drop down and power upcomplete as many sets as possible

Friday Workout

Quotes of the day:

"Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS" ~Gandhi

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think, but the most important things is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you." ~Winnie the Pooh

Today I revisited a workout from a couple of weeks ago. It was still really tough and it is only 18 minutes long. Delaney must be a sleepy girl today because I worked out, took a shower, and paid some bills and she is still sleeping! I hope everyone has an amazing weekend. Greg and I are going to go out to eat tonight and then spend tommorrow making some minor improvements to the house.

http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/02/16/attacking-hot-warrior-workout/

Workout Breakdown

Time: 18min.Workout Type: Interval trainingExercises: 6

• Lunge Forward/Back & Sandbag Lift (left leg) max. reps
• Lunge Forward/Back & Sandbag Lift (right leg) max.reps
• Core Splitsmax. reps
• Dynamo Push Upmax. reps
• Sleeping Crab (left leg) max. reps
• Sleeping Crab (right leg) max. reps

Instructions:
Set your interval timer for 18 rounds and two intervals of 10 seconds and 50 seconds. You will go through the circuit of the 4 exercises three times during the 18 minutes and your goal is to complete as many reps for each exercise as possible. You have only 50 seconds for each exercise so push at your max. effort. The 10 seconds in between is just enough time to write down your reps. It’s important to keep track of your score so that you can come back to this workout in the near future and see for yourself that your workout performance has improved. If you try to beat your old personal bests and create new records, you will push yourself harder which will help you to avoid plateau.

 

I can't wait for SPRING!

Quote for today:  "I love you, not only for what you are, But for what I am when I am with you."
--Roy Croft

 I love this quote because it is how I feel about my husband. We have such a special relationship based on unconditional love and trust. I am a better mother, wife, and person because of him. We bring out the best in each other. We both have been through a lot and have come through happier than ever. We are truly blessed to have each other.


I can't wait for warmer weather! I am looking forward to letting the kids play outside, long walks with my husband, and the swimming pool this summer. Of course grilling out and all the fresh fruits and veggies that go with summer too. I find it so much easier to eat healthy in the summer time. This summer should be incredibly fun with Miss Laney Lou. She will be able to do so much like play on the swings at the park and go down the slide for the first time! I am starting to think about her first birthday party already, only 3 months away! I am thinking we will have an outdoor party this year. My nephew and my stepdaughter's birthday are the same week but I think we will have a seperate party this year since it is her first birthday!

My workout for today:
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/03/14/lose-yourself-workout/

Instructions:
This workout is only 16 minutes long, but it is super intense if you push yourself to the limit. It is an interval training so you will need your interval timer as always. Set your timer for 16 rounds of 10 second and 50 second intervals. Your goal is to complete as many reps for each exercise as possible during each 50 second interval. Make sure to write your reps down so that the next time you can try to beat your personal best.
There are only 4 exercises and you will go through them 4 times:
1. Dive Bomber Push Up (forward and back counts as 1 rep)
2. Sandbag Squat & Lunge Back (every lunge back counts as 1 rep)
3. Hanging Knee Raises (if you don’t have a pull up bar, you can do laying leg raises instead)
4. Snow Boarder (don’t forget to touch the ground before each jump)
Complete Beginners can do the easier variation of Dive Bombers:

We did it...we took the plunge....

We are now MINIVAN owners! I never thought I would actually say that. It was time though. My Honda Pilot was a great car. I loved it and it was roomy but when you put the third row up, which we found ourselves needing more often then not after Delaney was born, the cargo area was too small. My jogging stroller did not fit and I hate those little umbrella strollers with a passion. I am spoiled by our jogging stroller! With spring coming we need that stroller regularly. I will start jogging outside with Delaney while Kiley is at preschool and Greg and I will take our walks a lot once the weather starts to warm up in the afternoons and early Saturday mornings. The Honda Pilot served us well, it had almost 108,000 miles on it! So it was definitely time for a new car. So we bought a 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L (leather is required in my opinion with kids!). It is pretty fancy with all the bells and whistles and probably the nicest vehicle I have ever owned. The kids love it and we have room for everyone. We are already thinking about whether we want to add just one more to our already happily blended family (there will be plenty of room in our van if we do!).

I am back!

Last week I think I had the worst sore throat I have EVER had in my ENTIRE life! I could seriously not even swallow my own spit. After dealing with it for five days I went to after hours on Saturday afternoon. They did a rapid strep test and it wasn't strep throat but the doctor said my throat was red, swollen, with blisters! He wrote me a prescription for a Medrol Dose pack and an antibiotic. The Medrol Dose pack help immensely and by that night I was able to swallow again. I went through 2 bags of cough drops in those 5 days...bleh!

So..needless to say I didn't do much working out last week. I did about 3 days of walking on the treadmill but my throat felt like I had swallowed a hot piece of charcoal. So this week I am back to my routine. Yesterday I did 40 minutes of cardio (medium intensity intervals) and then I worked my upper body.

I used my bands and wrapped them around the bed post: )

Pull downs 3 sets of 12
Chest Flys 3 sets of 12
Shoulder press Dumbells 3 sets of 10

Today I will do the treadmill again (Hey might as well get my money's worth!) for 20 minutes of high intensity intervals. Then I will do lower body.

Dumbell front squats 3x10
Deadlifts 3x10
Calf Raises 3x10

Hoping Miss Delaney sleeps long enough to get my workout in plus take a shower!

Some pictures of my girls!

My favorite five year old :)

Delaney loves her Baby Mum Mums!

So Happy! She was smiling at her big sister!

Kiley and Delaney being silly!

Getting to be such a big girl, and a great big sister!

From picky eater to not so picky!

The other day  while out to dinner with my husband at a local Hungarian place I tried sauerkraut for the first time.....and I loved it! I always thought I hated it because I hated the smell and I was just sure it tasted awful. My husband is one of those people that loves all food. He loves or likes pretty much everything and will try just about anything. I have always been a picky eater. Greg always convinces me to try new food and I usually like it, sometimes love it, and often realize that what I thought would be nasty isn't so bad. The one thing he made me try that was as bad as I thought brussel sprouts...bleh. After coming to the realization that sauerkraut was in fact really good, I proceeded to eat half of it from his plate. He tells me that is where Kiley and Delaney get their "grubsticks". They are always trying to take food from everyone else's plates too! While we were talking about the sauerkrat, I realized all the foods that I now love and eat on a regular basis that I wouldn't have dreamed of eating before...all thanks to my Greggy! To name a few...cucumbers, asparagus, sweet potatoes, bbq sauce, Hungarian food, avacado, conch, and much more. A lot of these foods have really added to my diet and have made it easier to eat healthfully.

Dance Party!!!

Quotes of the day: Fitness - If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.- Cher

True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are united.
- Alexander von Humboldt
I ran on the treadmill this morning while Kiley and Xander danced next to me on the bed. I think it is great that they like to come in there and dance to the music what a great and fun way for them to get in physical exercise when it is so cold and yucky outside! I have to work tonight but I thought I would list some of the snacks I bring with me to get me through my 12 hour work shift. I do not get a set lunch so if we are busy I need to have something quick to snack on. Also of course I must have my one cup of coffee to get me through!

~light popcorn
~apple slices with peanut butter
~oatmeal w/almond milk and a teaspoon of peanut butter
~a banana with chocolate almond butter
~triscuits with light cream cheese or a stick of string cheese
~hardboiled eggs

Mamaw Nina and Papaw Dave were in town this week visiting with their 6 month old boxer puppy Tucker. He likes to get kisses too!

Nice Hair!!

Friday Snow Day!

Quote Of The Day:

 Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. -Plato
So it snowed and iced AGAIN! Kiley didn't have preschool and Delaney took a really short nap. I had time to get in the workout below plus a 10 minute warm up and cool down on the treadmill. I was struggling today for some reason! I think tommorrow I might head to the YMCA to do some barbell squats and bench presses. I kind of miss them! Have a great weekend everyone!
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/02/16/attacking-hot-warrior-workout/

Workout Breakdown

Time: 18min.Workout Type: Interval trainingExercises: 6

• Lunge Forward/Back & Sandbag Lift (left leg) max. reps
• Lunge Forward/Back & Sandbag Lift (right leg) max.reps
• Core Splitsmax. reps
• Dynamo Push Upmax. reps
• Sleeping Crab (left leg) max. reps
• Sleeping Crab (right leg) max. reps

Instructions:
Set your interval timer for 18 rounds and two intervals of 10 seconds and 50 seconds. You will go through the circuit of the 4 exercises three times during the 18 minutes and your goal is to complete as many reps for each exercise as possible. You have only 50 seconds for each exercise so push at your max. effort. The 10 seconds in between is just enough time to write down your reps. It’s important to keep track of your score so that you can come back to this workout in the near future and see for yourself that your workout performance has improved. If you try to beat your old personal bests and create new records, you will push yourself harder which will help you to avoid plateau

Wednesday Workout!

Quote Of The Day: Those who think they not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. - Edward Stanl

Today I am finally caught up on my sleep even though Miss Laney Lou kept waking up every hour after 3:30am! I did the workout below and man did it kick my butt! I was drenched by the end and my legs were shaking. I love these home workouts! They remind me of what I used to do in my boot camp classes minus all the running on the track and stairs. For now I am not going to journal my diet but I always try to stick with whole foods (whole grains, veggies, fruits, almond milk, nuts, etc). We also cook with lean turkey and chicken.

Workout Breakdown

5 minutes warm up on treadmill

http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/02/09/hot-mess-workout/

Time: +/-30min.Workout Type: Time ChallengeExercises: 5

• Round 1=10 Get Ups
• Round 2 =Round 1 + 20x Backward Lunge & Sandbag Press
• Round 3 =Round 2 + 20x Sandbag Squat
• Round 4 = Round 3 + 10x Burpees
• Round 5 =Round 4 + 40x One Leg Toe Touch

Instructions:
This workout is like a game. You start with just one exercise and each round you are adding a new one so that in the 5th round you end up doing 5 exercises. Then you reverse the order and start with 5 exercises and work your way down to the first one.
Set your interval timer as a stop watch and start with the first round. Continue until you complete the 5th round. Stop your timer and write down your score. Now start with the 5th round and work your way down to the 1st round. Stop your timer and write down your time.

5 minutes cool down on treadmill

I finished in 20 minutes and 5 seconds!!!!

Today's Workout!

Quote of the Day: To insure good health: eat lightly, breath deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life-William Londen

  Last night, while I was trying desperately to stay awake until 8:00 pm (Kiley's bedtime) I dowloaded some new music to my Ipod. Since I am still tired and recovering from my weekend of working 3rd shift and just 1.5 hours of sleep yesterday I decided I would just do an interval run on the treadmill today and do my higher intensity www.bodyrock.tv workout tommorrow while Kiley is at preschool and Delaney is napping.

This is what I did today:

0-3 minutes- Warm up RPE 4
3-26 mintues- alternating 1.5 minutes running/sprints at 8-9 RPE and 1.5 minutes of walking at 5 RPE.
26-30 minutes- Cool down RPE 4

RPE= Rate of perceived exertion here is a link to the scale -
http://www.topendsports.com/testing/rpe-scale.htm

Five of my favorite things to do

1. My new favorite thing to do is put the baby down for a nap and go run on the treadmill while blasting pop music while Kiley dances and sings along and dances next to me.

2. I love to go on mini trips with Greg. We are planning a trip to New York City, and my main goal of the trip is to visit Carlo's Bakery from the TV show "Cake Boss".

3. I love laying on the floor next to Delaney while she plays with her toys and just watch her play. They are just so innocent.

4. Taking long walks with Greg. It is good exercise for both of us and I love our conversations. We usually have the baby in the stroller and Kiley and/or Xander riding bikes.

5. Trying new healthy (or not so healthy) recipes...but they are usually baked goods because I really don't like to cook I would rather bake!

Sunday, Rest Day, Sort of....

I really don't like Sundays! I have always just worked a 12 hour shift, slept most of the day, and I am exhausted. Then I have to go right back in and work another 12 hours! So, Sunday I never exercise unless it is a short walk with Greg if it is nice out. Delaney is usually at her whiniest. She has Mommy most of the week 24/7 and this is her first day with out me! Daddy takes good care of her though. When I walked out of the bedroom this afternoon and Delaney saw me she was so excited her feet and arms were both wiggling at the same time and she was squealing. She is just so sweet!

Dinner tonight was thrown together since tommorrow is grocery day. Greg usually cooks dinner and breakfast for that matter. I really don't like to cook but I love to bake. We had breakfast burritos and they were pretty good!

Welcome!

Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to check out my new blog. I am doing this mostly for myself to keep myself accountable for my diet and exercise. I am a mommy to 2 beautiful girls, Kiley (5), and Delaney (8 months). I am also a step mom to 3 great kids. I started exercising in high school to lose weight. It didn't take me long to realize how great it made me feel both physically and emotionally. I have lost all my "baby weight" through breastfeeding. Now I need to get back in shape for summer. Though I have been exercising since Delaney was born I am now ready to take it up a notch with intensity. I am still nursing so my diet isn't as in check as it normally would be. I can't cut my calories too much or my baby isn't happy! We recently bought a treadmill and I have found some online home workout sites. I have been exercising while Delaney naps. Kiley likes to watch and dance to my music. We have fun! Here is the workout I did today! I warmed up for 5 minutes on the treadmill. Then I cool down for 10 minutes afterward I love these short but intense workouts. When you are a mommy you need options that are short yet intense enough to get results. Courtesy of http://www.bodyrock.tv/ I used this online interval timer http://www.beach-fitness.com/tabata/ Instructions: This workout is only 12 minute long circuit. Try to push yourself to the limit to get the most out of today’s training – if you have a reason to do so :) Set your Interval Timer for 12 rounds of 10 and 50 second intervals. 10 seconds is for resting and writing your reps down. Do as many reps for each exercise as possible during each 50 second interval. The circuit looks like this: 10 sec. rest 1. Jump Lunge – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 2. Leg Raises – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 3. Jump Lunge – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 4. Santana Push Up & Leg Lift 10 sec. rest 5. Jump Lunge – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 6. Chin Ups – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 7. Jump Lunge – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 8. Seated Bicycle - 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 9. Jump Lunge – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 10. One Leg Dead Lift (left leg) – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 11. Jump Lunge – 50 sec. effort 10 sec. rest 12. One Leg Dead Lift (right leg) – 50 sec.

Photography

I absolutely love to take pictures. My favorite subjects are my children. I love taking pictures of all of them but especially the baby. She is always changing and learning new things. The first year of life is just amazing. They grow so incredibly fast. Here are a few recent pictures I have taken.