Anyways...

Thanks to my Jenny for keeping me honest and reminding me to post!!

Okay, so honestly, I just looked at the date of my first post and was shocked to see June 4th on there!  Seriously?  I could have sworn I just posted it.  So anyways, here we are almost 2 weeks later.  It's been a crazy couple weeks, and I was totally doing great keeping myself on track until the day that our dear friends (you know who you are) called and said they'd made enchiladas and were bringing them over.  I'm sorry.  It's so totally rude to say no to enchiladas!  And the resulting mind-blowing brownies we made to accompany said enchiladas was also impossible to avoid without being rude................

Is anybody buying this?  Anybody?  Didn't think so.

We had delicious enchiladas and brownies that we all wanted to make out with and then I made them play "Sorry" with us and it was a really long, awesome game.  So like I was saying... that day was the start of several (read almost a week) of bad choices when it comes to food, and drinks, and snacks, and exercise.  Like any good woman I am shaking it off and getting back on the proverbial horse.  And did I mention it was my birthday yesterday?  And my husband and family threw me a surprise party?  Yeah, it was as awesome as it sounds and I will have a full post on it once I steal some pics from one totally awesome sister-in-law!  Keeping it honest, I had lost 1.5 lbs as of Tuesday morning, but this being Saturday night I'm not counting my eggs and all that.  I have a two year old to put back in bed.  Tomorrow is Sunday and Father's Day.  I am making Josh pancakes after letting him sleep in for as long as he likes.  That is my gift :) Sleep.  Oh and being 26 comes with hair changes.... apologies for the bad phone pic.  <3

December 16, 2011

And almost 6 months after the fact...

I have two amazing men in my life and they both have the same birthday.  How awesome is that?  They also happen to be father and son.  This is Jack's birth.  Enjoy.

38 weeks

   Josh and I arrived at the birth center, Birthing Your Way, about 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 15th.  We were there for a scheduled induction.  We were not, however, going to the hospital to have pitocin, which is why I was up for it! (pitocin is not fun for me) My wonderful birth team included my midwife Heather Shelley, a midwifery student Mollee Mansfield, two wonderful amazing doulas-in-training just needing more birthing experience Carrie Valadez and Jennifer Gundersen, and of course the reason I was large with child to begin with! (love you babe) I seem to remember another midwife there very early in the evening but she was not staying for the birth, and I *think* another staff person from the birth center, but things get fuzzier as the night went on.  Well not fuzzier, just more focused :)

  I don't remember everything perfectly so bear with me.  I knew roughly what the plan was as far as trying to get my labor started and was a little apprehensive that it wouldn't work.  I was very ready to meet my little boy though so we gave it all we had.  We started with a check and I was a 3 (cm dilated that is), pretty thick (as in effacement) and no contractions to speak of.  I was not in labor!  But I already knew that!  So my midwife started us off with some pressure points and rubbing essential oils onto my big, 9 month belly to try and get contractions going.  The oils were warm, Clary Sage and Fennel, and smelled like black licorice.  Josh and I had been doing the oils on my tummy for a couple weeks to promote contractions and such so this felt just like home!  I was lying in a beautiful room in the converted Victorian style house that is now the birth center.  There was a fire going, candles warming the room, dim lighting, and a CD playing soothing nature music and Native American pipes.  It all felt very natural.  Women helping women to birth a new life.  This is why I had chosen the birth center and my midwife and I was very content in this moment.

  After awhile the dreaded words came about.  "Now go walk for an hour."  Gulp.  Seriously?  I had trouble walking around the mall and they wanted me to walk for an hour outside on a December night?  Yes.  Yes they did, so out the door we went.  We walked around the block looking at the pretty shop windows, the colorful Christmas lights, listening to Bing Crosby sing "White Christmas" on Pandora on my phone.  It was like a mini-date and we talked about how we couldn't believe our son was almost here.  I was toasty in a sweater and poor Josh was wrapped in a blanket (because why would you bring your jacket when leaving the house in Utah in mid-December when it's in the 20's out?)  We walked solidly for an hour.  I believe that the cold air kept me going as I overheated so quickly in the mall and felt great walking that night.  I walked and talked and mentally saw my baby descending, willing my body to cooperate so he could come.  When our time was up we walked back to the birth center and I was praying we would find progress as I still was not contracting regularly.

  "A 5!!", my midwife said surprised, "And he's right there!"  I was elated at my progress in just an hour.
  "So do you wanna break your water?" The answer was an excited yes!  And we were off.  To be continued... Here's a spoiler it ends with a beautiful, healthy baby :)

Accountability

So I have this baby weight I need to lose. I said goodbye to my extra poundage in January and signed back on with trusty Weight Watchers and prepared to watch the pounds melt away. Fast forward ahem...almost 6 months?! Is that possible?! $42 buckaroos a month and no weight-loss to show for it? Only one word to describe it. Sucks. Bad. And the worst part my friends? I have no one to blame but myself. Okay so enough self-deprecation. Onto the reason for this post. I (as we already know) have like a total crush on Pinterest (like for real) like.... valley girl impression over. They have lots of wonderfully motivating things on there and one of them was this.
  

This blog Yes, You Can is about a few girls and their amazing journey towards healthy bodies and minds.  Healthy.  That's all I want to be.  For my children, for my husband.  And if I look great on top of feeling great, then that is just a bonus.  I woke up this morning with a new mindset and it's refreshing.  I have been trying to get back in the swing of weight-loss for months, but just couldn't seem to find a reason to say no to the sweets and constant snacks.  Then last night at my wonderful mother-in-laws house we had our usual delicious Sunday dinner.  I was perfectly contented with my portion and when they broke out the fudge-swirl ice cream with caramel AND fudge sauce (my FAVORITE) I felt fine saying no.  At first I surprised myself by saying no as I sipped my water, but then it felt GREAT and WONDERFUL and LIBERATING!  I had conquered the sweets this time!!  So this may not seem like a big deal to most of you but it was a turning point for me.  I woke up ready to get back on the program.  Another epiphany came while I was saying a blessing over my breakfast, I asked Heavenly Father to bless my food to keep me full and not want to snack before my next meal.  And not another bite entered my mouth until my carefully portioned and accounted for lunch.  Amazing.  :)  So I am going to chronicle my weight-loss journey here.  Complete with pictures.  I will take pictures weekly but may not get the nerve to post them right away, but I will put them up eventually.  And don't worry, I will be wearing my shirt in my pictures ;)  Keep me honest folks.