Moving Forward

 Morning, y'all!

It's a hot, muggy day here in north Alabama. Baby Boy slept extra well last night probably due to all the time we spent outside strolling around the yard. I got some much needed exercise & he got some fun outdoor time. He has always loved being outdoors, he's like his Momma & Daddy in that way.

 

So you're probably wondering how Day One of my diet/new lifestyle went? I am happy to report it went GREAT! Here's what I had :

     breakfast : one bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats & just enough whole milk to make it wet {I didn't have any skim or I would have used it}

     lunch :  four saltine crackers & a tiny bit of chicken salad {my Momma gave it to me & I couldn't waste it although it does have mayo in it}

     snacks: about 2:30 I was having a sinking spell & craving a Dr.Pepper SOOO bad. But instead of giving in I had sliced an ounce of sharp cheddar cheese, 15 raw almonds, 4 wheat thins & a sliced tomato. And you know what? It was a wonderful snack, very filling! Then when I started fixing supper at 5:00, I felt that hunger creeping back up so I had another small snack, a pack of Turkey Jerky (only 70 calories & packed with protein).

    supper : I ate at 5:50 because I am going to attempt to have nothing but water after 6:00pm whenever I can. Supper consisted of one Salisbury steak patty (150 calories), a small serving of mac&cheese & half a Hawaiian Sweet Roll.

Throughout the day I drank lots & lots of water. I only had one canned Coke Zero! I was very proud of myself. Did I go to bed with a splitting headache & a bit of a grumbly tummy? Yes. But it will pay off! And it will get easier! Ive been eating way too much for way too long & it will take a while for my body to adjust to these new portions. You know, I'd always heard that drinking water would keep you fuller but I just never tried it. I don't care for water, I crave something with flavor. But I don't want to get started on those water flavoring packets either because I don't want to stop pouring $$$ into buying cokes & start pouring it into buying those packets. Water is FREE, so I will learn to love it.

I can honestly say I have seen a HUGE change since yesterday. Yes - I said a change in just 24 hours! All the water I've been drinking has seemed to flush me out. I bet I got up 5 times last night during The Bachelorette. {Don't y'all just love that show?!?} I can see a change in my tummy, I guess it's a loss of water weight or maybe I'm just less bloated. But I like the way I feel.

Okay, okay - enough about me, let's talk about Baby Boy! He finally walked FORWARD in his walker yesterday. It's been a bit of a battle getting him to do that. He would just go everywhere backwards! So I have started squatting about 5 feet in front of him & attempting to bribe him with the remote or our long-corded telephone {under my supervision, of course!} It seems to be working & today he is all over the place! He will be 8 months tomorrow & still hasn't really crawled. He scooches & rolls well but no real "hands & knees" crawling. So this forward walking is a big step for us... literally!

Well I'm off to finish that laundry I started yesterday. And by finish the laundry, I mean I am going to restart the dryer again to throw the wrinkles out. Then when it buzzes I will decide it needs a few more minutes & I'll continue this until when I finally fold the clothes, they'll be nearly smoking & burn my forearms. Y'all have a blessed day!

{colby}

A New Day

Well, it's been a while y'all! Almost 4 months since I made a post. That just shows you how well I stick to things. But that is all changing! I am turning over a new leaf. I am starting a DIET & I need a way to hold myself accountable. I could think of nothing better than sharing my struggles & triumphs here. I will also get back in the swing of sharing the latest news in the world of Baby Boy. So, let's get started!

Today is Monday July 16, 2012 & I am changing for the better!

I mean you can only start a diet on a Monday, right? At least that is what I told myself yesterday as I ate nothing but fast food in an attempt to "get my fix" so that maybe I wouldn't crave all those yummy, greasy concoctions. I had chicken fingers & fries with M&M sauce {a north Alabama staple} & Mexican food for supper. I also drank real Coke & Mountain Dew & real sweet tea. I haven't worked out, jogged or done anything other than lug a 22 lb. baby around. I'm not proud of this, but it is what it is. And everyday is a chance for a new beginning! So although I am referring to this as a diet, I am actually starting a new way of living - eating to live, not living to eat.

I dont have a great big mapped out plan. I have been pinning ideas {gah, don't y'all just LOVE Pinterest?!?!} & trying get rid of all the bad food in the house... don't ask HOW I disposed of the food, just rest assured that it is gone. One of my goals is to prove that you can lose weight & not spend a fortune. We live on a budget& my hubby shouldn't have to suffer because I want to lose weight.

So here's the plan :

        no more REAL cokes -- switching to diet drinks for a couple of weeks & then hopefully wean myself off them for good.

        cut the condiments -- no mayo or dipping sauces {did you know one tiny cup of Chick-fil-A Polynesian Sauce has 110 calories?! I usually eat 3 of those with my meal}      

        water - I never drink water & now is the time to start.

        don't eat late -- I have found myself saying 'I'll wait until the baby is asleep so I can eat supper in peace'. Well sometimes he isn't asleep until 8:30 or 8:45 & that puts me eating at 9 at night. So, I am going to attempt to have nothing but water past 6:00pm.

        watch those calories -- I'm not sticking to a certain caloric intake at the monument, just going to try to make every single calorie count. I mean on an average days have been drinking over 400 calories worth of Cokes!

        get up & move -- I don't have the budget or the time to go to the gym so that means finding exercises I can {& want} to do at home.

        portion control -- I don't want to have to fix a special supper for myself every night. I want to eat what my family is eating, so I will just have to learn to reach for the smaller plate in the cabinet when I fix mine.

Now, the hard part. I was going to post my starting weight. I've actually thought a lot about whether I should or not. I knew I would be ridiculed by some people. So many people get their laughs at other peoples expenses. And I will be the first to admit, I used to join in. But like I said earlier, everyday is a chance to start fresh, turn over a new leaf. So if you want to make fun of me, go ahead. As Ellen says, "My Haters Are My Motivators".

Okay, off my soapbox now, back to posting my weight... I don't own a scale. Sure don't. Never have. & neither do my parents. Weight was never an issue in my household growing up. I was blessed with a mother who didn't pressure me into being thin or perfect. I never knew what I weighed growing up & I think I want to stick to that. {Ignorance is bliss, maybe?} I am not going to buy a scale so that every other day I can step on it only to be devastated by the number or the fact at I only lost a pound. I am going to the doctor in a couple of weeks so I guess I will see then. I am, however, going to post pictures of myself in my "goal shorts". I bought these shorts back when i was in shape before Baby Boy was even a twinkle in my eye. Back when I had curves not lovehandles! A picture of myself in those shorts will be much more embarrassing than sharing my weight. But again, my goal in doing this is to motivate myself & if I can motivate others along the way then that's just icing on the cake. Ohh... cake... mmm... Focus, Colby, Focus!

                                                                   So, here it is :

{me today -- soon to be my BEFORE picture}

Well there you have it. I've put it out there for the world to see & somehow I think that is going to help me stick with it. I'm off to wash clothes, fix a healthy lunch for myself & sweet baby boy {who peacefully napped long enough for me to write this}. Wish me luck! Have a blessed day!

{colby}

bye, bye bassinet

I have been dreading last night for quite some time now. I am ashamed to say my 20lb. 4 month old has been too big for his bassinet for a while. But he sleeps so dern good in it! I mean, how many mothers of infants can say their baby sleeps all night? I can! & I don't mean most of the night, I mean all night. Like, 9pm-9am. Oh yeah. That kind of all night.

Oh, I remember the old Colby. "He's going to sleep in his crib" I would proudly proclaim with my giant pregnant belly & no parenting knowledge what-so-ever. Little did I know that after 9 months of toting him around & 30 gruesome hours of labor {followed by a c-section} you get pretty attached to the little booger. That coupled with the fact that anyone who really knows me knows that I am a bit clingy & smother-y {luckily not quite to the point of Alicia Silverstone}.

The husband says its the LET ME LOVE YOU!!! coming out in me. 

Heck, I cried when they took baby boy out of our hospital room for his bath!

So back to the point here... once we got home with our bundle of joy there was no wayyy I was letting him out of my sight. We had not purchased or registered for a bassinet but luckily my aunt had given us a hand-me-down bassinet for Momma & Daddy's house. It quickly moved to our house & is where baby boy has been spending his nights for the past few months.

Here are a few photos of baby boy in his bassinet. {sniff, sniff}

a week old, his first Aggie game {A&M vs. Texas}

Jackie learning to be a big sister {sob, sob}

look at my little turtle, always popping that head up

"You need to move him to his bed since he sleeps so well, you know?" said the husband numerous times. I would quickly change the subject, run to the other room to "clean" {HA!} or make myself have some type of a coughing/sneezing fit, anything really to make him forget what he had just asked me to do.

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous.

It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

                                                                --  Elizabeth Stone

So last night, I honored my husband's long time wish. Baby boy slept in his crib in his room by himself. {sniff, sniff} Yes, my heart slept all alone in another room.

Oh, how am I holding up you ask? Terrible. Awful. The husband held me as I sobbed next to baby boy's crib. He pulled me away as I sized it up & checked the weight limit to see if I could sleep in there with him if I had to. I am fairly sure I screamed "he might as well be in college!!!" at one point. I snuck in there by the light of my iPhone atleast a dozen times before being told to stay in bed. So then I used the old "I think I heard him make a noise" excuse a couple of times before retreating to my own bed with the harsh realization that he was okay without me.

{sniff, sniff}

Then I came down with a case of the what if?'s...

 "what if I can't hear him?"

 "what if he's cold?"

 "what if he's hot?"

 "what if he's scared?"

It got a little out of control. I thought I was going to have to be institutionalized. But alas, {I love using that word, makes me feel important} the husband kissed me & said "it'll be okay" & we he says that, I realize it always is. The baby creeping {as we are now calling it} had ceased for the night.

He woke a few times wanting his paci, but all in all, he slept well. Me? Well, pretty good considering I was without a heart {yes, I can get a bit dramatic}. He woke up at 7am ready to snuggle with Mommy. We laid in the big bed & read a few of his books before both falling back asleep until 8:15.

Here are a few pics of his beautiful nursery.

that's my hope chest from my grandmother being put to good use

this was a changing table but since he was never in his room, I converted it to a dresser

this is usually where we read

someone hand me the tissues, please!

I have learned something from this experience. That all those mommies who said enjoy every moment, they'll be grown before you know it, yeah, they know what they're talking about.

{colby}

goin' bananas

I thought today I would practice taking detailed pictures of things & blogging about it,

so my test subject is

{ drumroll, please... }

bananas

I just love 'em. When I was expecting baby boy, I absolutely could not get enough of them. I had bananas for breakfast. I had bananas for lunch. I even hoarded them in my purse for those nasty afternoon sinking spells. Heck, my nick name as a child was Colby-Nanner.

So let's just say me + bananas, we go way back.

So this brings me to my question. Have you ever eaten a banana sandwich?

Just in case you've lived a sheltered life & haven't ever enjoyed one of the best sandwiches on earth, I am going to show you how-to make one.

Start with some loaf bread. I prefer white bread for this sandwich.

Then add a good slathering of mayonnaise. That's right, I said slathering. & I love Bama mayo. Pretty sure you can only get it in the South. When I lived in Texas, I pretty much had my Momma send me a jar every month. It is so much better than any other mayonnaise on the planet. Don't judge me. Hey, it's Bama light, that means you can use twice as much. Right?

Now for our ingredient of the day. Bananas! Take one of these bad boys & slice it up into little bite-sized, circle shaped pieces.

See? Place the banana pieces on one side of your slathered bread.

{ hint : I add a pinch of salt at this point. Gives it a little extra zing. }

Close the sandwich up & slice it in half. Now, here comes the great sandwich debate. Rectangles or Triangles? I slice my sandwiches sliced diagonally. Growing up, Momma always sliced mine on an angle, so I guess this is my way of rebelling. But I like symmetry. Symmetry makes me happy.

 { I'm silly, trust me, I know. }

Now pair that perfectly prepared sandwich with an ice-cold Diet Coke & your chip of choice

 & you've got yourself one heck of a lunch!

{I chose pretzels 'cause I am trying to cut back on my calories, as evidenced in my use of Bama light mayo} & feel free to substitute the massive amount of mayo with peanut butter or even some marshmallow fluff.

Well, was that a good "How-To"? I'd like to think so. I would like to give a shout-out to my lovely assistant on this project.

Miss Jackie. I paid her in banana slices. She didn't really like them, but she felt like she was getting something she wasn't suppost to, so she gobbled them right up.

& to keep with today's theme of 

bananas

Sweet baby boy will be trying bananas for the first time today! I think he will probably take after his mother & devour them. Well, if you've seen a picture of baby boy

{ check out the About Me section }

then you are probably thinking that it looks like he devours everything I put to his lips. He is my little chunky monkey. Ha! Get it? Monkey? Bananas? Sorry, I get carried away at times. It's the only child in me.

But for now he is napping. & there is a giant laundry basket lurking in my living room floor.

Eeekkkk!

Okay, I'm going to tackle this mess.

No more monkey business.

Ha! :)

{colby}

the weekend

ahhhhh... the weekend!

I mean, who doesn't love the weekend? Well, I suppose people that have to work don't. But you get where I'm coming from. The husband was off work & my Momma watched baby boy for a few hours. We had a much needed/overdue date!

So I woke up Saturday morning with a little extra pep in my step & took baby boy to Momma & Daddy's house {aka : Nana & Grandpa's house... although baby boy can't talk yet to verify that this is in fact their names}. I came back home, watched The Pioneer Woman & took a long hot shower. Then I actually dried my hair. Mommies {especially stay-at-home mommies} out there, you realize what a big deal this is. I remember the days when I used to dry my hair everyday. Get spiffed up. But now it is in a pony-tail 98% of the time because baby boy loves to tangle those long fingers of his in it & yank. HARD. What's really the point of blow-drying hair that's going straight into a ball on top of your head anyways? So after drying my hair, I put on real clothes. Not a spit-up stained t-shirt with a pair of baggy sweats. Real, cute, adult clothing. I was ready to paint the town.

{as ready to 'paint the town' as you can be at 11:15am on a Saturday}

Lunch consisted of Mexican. Yummm. I could literally eat Mexican everyday of the week. After annihilating some chips & salsa, I had flaming cheese. I am salivating right now just thinking of it! For those of ya'll who have never had flaming cheese, it is heaven on earth, covered in cheese. Chicken, steak, shrimp, onions, peppers, tomatoes all cooked together with the yummiest cheese of all time & served to you still bubbling {& sometimes flaming} still in the skillet. Yum. The husband didn't enjoy his as much as I did. As you may already know, he is from Texas. Texans prefer Tex-Mex. & we don't have any of that around here. So, I made up for it by promising him a big popcorn at the movies.

I ain't been to the show in I don't know how long. We spent twenty-two bucks & I snuck my own drink in! So expensive these days. That's probably why I don't go to the show often. The husband had eaten his popcorn & drank all of his drink before the previews even started. We watched 21 Jump Street & it was really funny. Vulgar but funny. Plus it has Channing Tatum in it.

Then we went to the grocery store & bought big juicy steaks to grill out with my folks. We had a campfire & I made my signature Corn on the Grill. I am still new to this being a blogger thing so I neglected to take any pictures. I know, right? I also got up this morning & made Cream Cheese Squares for my parents for breakfast. Did I take a single picture? Nope. 

But I promise, I will get better!

 & I must toot my own horn a bit & say that those Cream Cheese Squares were de-lic-ioussss. We were basically burned our mouths because we couldn't wait ten minutes for them to cool. Oh yeah, they're that good. A recipe tab is my goal for this evening. I should clean the house instead of working on here. It is a mess... But hey! I guess that's kinda my thing now, huh? Sounds like a good excuse to me!

 {colby} 



my first post!

Hey ya'll!

I have been promising my husband for weeks now that I would follow my dream to start my own blog and now, I've DONE it! I'm so excited!

I will be learning as I go here, so bare with me! {or is it bear with me?}

After much thought, I titled my blog Bless This Mess! because most of the times our lives feel like "organized chaos " minus the organization!

The house is a wreck 87% of the time.

I usually always have spit-up on me.

The dog sheds.

Did I shower today?

Did I shower yesterday?

These are just a few of the many messes in our lives. But you know what? I wouldn't trade a minute of it! Our family motto is "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all".

{PS -- expect to hear many of my southernisms}

My goals are for this blog are :

1) Chronicle our daily lives

 {our familes & friends are spread out over 1,000 miles!}

2) Since I am a stay-at-home mommy, sometimes I don't have an adult conversation all day long, so this is the perfect platform for me to share my thoughts, fears, hopes, struggles, and triumphs! So instead of hitting my husband with a thousand random & {sometimes} pointless thoughts as soon as he walks in the door from a long day at work,

 I can hit you with them!

Brilliant, right?

and last but not least...

3) This will be my creative outlet. My hobby, if you will. I can set goals for myself. Tackle projects. I've always felt that you're more likely to succeed at something {no matter what it is} if you share it with someone.

So join me on this journey! I promise, it will be entertaining!

{colby}