Jump on It

My husband is such a kid. We went to the birthday party of the 8-year old son of some of our friends. It was held at a place called Jump on It. David was in heaven and now wants to hold his birthday party there.

Facelift

Thanks to Kellie for making our blog look FANTASTIC! I'm so excited, I just want to sit and look at it (is that vain??).

Words of Wisdom - Revisited

Taking a nap is good.

It is wise to never criticize someone until you have actually been in their shoes. I know that is true, but I still find myself saying "I will never..." or "I will always..." when I observe actions that others take of which I dissaprove. Consequently, it is humbling to note that I now do or don't do several of these things in direct contrast to my previous words of wisdom.

For example:

• I will never marry someone who weighs less than me (have you seen my husband??)
• I will never marry someone younger than me (gulp!)
• I will never be a stay at home mom that takes naps during the day (naps are good)
• I will never let my child cry herself to sleep (just did it a few minutes ago)
• I will never let my child's exersaucer get filthy dirty (it's pretty gross right now)
• I will never let my child be covered in food and snot (you try and keep her clean)
• I will always greet my husband dressed nicely and with hair/makeup looking good (well, I do try and put on a fresh t-shirt that isn't covered in spit before he gets home)
• I will never let my child suck on the grocery cart (I try, I really try)

I could go on, but you get the point.

Weight Watcher

I have been watching my weight most of my life. Mostly I've watched it go up. I wasn't born fat. I was my mom's smallest baby at 7 lbs. 4 oz. (I think my weight problems started at about 10 months of age). I look at childhood pictures of myself and even when I was only 4 or 5 years old, I'm sucking in my cheeks to try and look thinner. I look at high school pictures now and realize I didn't look that bad, but at the time, I felt huge. Now I would love to weigh what I did back then.

A few years ago I joined Weight Watchers and it has changed, probably saved, my life. At the time I joined I had high blood sugar and was testing my blood three times a day. I had to give myself shots and take other pills as well. After a few months on Weight Watchers, my blood sugar dropped to the normal range and I no longer had to take any medication for it or test my blood. My ankles no longer swelled like grapefruit and my feet no longer felt like needles were poking them every morning when I woke up. I'll probably be on Synthroid for hypothyroidism the rest of my life, but my dose has been reduced three times since joining WW.

The main reason I joined was because 1) I thought it would help me get pregnant and 2) I knew it would help me be a better mother by giving me more energy and better health. Since joining, I have started planning healthy meals which has saved us money and improved our health. I know I'm a better mother because of the weight I've lost. I really want Baylie to develop healthy habits.

On May 17, 2008, I hit my lowest weight. I had lost 73 1/2 pounds and was at my half way mark. I have struggled since then, gaining 20 pounds (10 over the Christmas holiday). But I'm determined to continue in my efforts and reach my goal. I know without Weight Watchers I would have gained far more than 20. My net lost is still over 50 pounds which is like carrying around two sacks of flour. That blows my mind. I can't imagine trying to walk around with a bag of flour under each arm.

Here are the major keys to my weight loss success:

1. David loves me the same no matter how much I weigh (LOVE HIM)
2. I have to eat vegetables every day (not a big fan, but it does make a difference)
3. Drink lots of water (fortunately I love water)

It's kind of ironic that I step on the scale hoping to find a lower number while David gets ecstatic every time his number goes up. At least I weigh less than 100 pounds more than him now!

Baby #2

No, I am not making an announcement. I'm just thinking out loud. For the past few weeks, I've really felt like we need to adopt another baby this year. I'm not getting any younger, so we don't want to wait too long. On the other hand, we're living on school loans and can't really afford to adopt again. But I just keep thinking that there is a baby out there and that a way is going to be provided for that baby to join our family.

I'm hoping for a boy, and I would prefer another black baby so that Baylie has a sibling that looks more like her. However, I'm not forgetting the counsel of my good friend Toni who said that if God sends me a child, I better be ready to receive whatever He sends.

So with all the above playing circles in my head, here are some of the things I've been thinking about.

• How can I ever love another baby as much as I love Baylie?
• Will I gain another 10 pounds with the next adoption?
• How much money will we get back in taxes?
• How can I capitalize on how cute Baylie is in order to pay for the next adoption?
• When I walk out the door struggling to hold Baylie wrapped in a blanket, diaper bag over my shoulder, juggling keys and whatever else I'm holding...where in the world am I going to put another baby and all its paraphenalia? (How do people have three, four, six children?)
• While Baylie is usually a great sleeper, three nights in a row with four hours or less of sleep wipes me out. How will I handle two babies if they don't sleep well?
• Is it okay to try and raise two kids while living on school loans and WIC?
• How can I quit my job and still have decent health insurance?
• Will two car seats fit in our little car?
• Why didn't I buy a double stroller?
• Will I be able to potty train Baylie before getting another baby (not likely)? Can we afford diapers for two kids?
• Is light green really an okay color for a little boy, or was I fooling myself in calling it 'neutral'?
• Could my sister hurry and have a little boy so I can get her hand-me-downs for this baby too? (Her having twins six months older than Baylie has been a great blessing in many ways...)
• Can we keep a baby in a basinette long enough for Baylie to outgrow her crib?
• Will I have to go back to sharing a closet with David?
• Who will I hand the baby to when I'm tired since David and I will both have to hold one now?
• How can I ever love another baby as much as I love Baylie?

Deep Thoughts and Observations

In case you didn't notice, I added a little space at the right for my deepest thoughts and profound observations. I'm going to start deleting them as I add new ones, so I thought I should mention they're there. I would hate for anyone to miss out on these valuable gems.

(Actually it's just a dumping ground for thoughts that I don't have anywhere else to unload.)

Gettin' Jiggy With It

Baylie dances to everything now. Even my cell phone!