Let's Get Real

Alright, folks, I'm about to get really REAL with you. I have been overweight since I had Elijah. It's not getting better. After having Aliyah, I realized how important it is to set a good example for her and Elijah on how to be healthy. It is so hard for me to admit this publicly, but since it doesn't seem like that many people read this anyway, I guess it's not THAT big of a deal. I have 50 pounds to lose to be at my ideal weight.

Ugh...so there you have it. I need to lose a whopping 50 pounds! I have finally reached a point where I feel ready and willing to do the hard work to get there. Before I have always looked at how much I have to lose and it seems so overwhelming, so now I've set a goal that feels much more manageable for me. I want to lose 10 pounds every month. I think this will get harder when I only have like 20 pounds left to lose, but for the first 3 months, I think it's very doable.

When I think about losing 10 pounds a month, it feels less stressful than thinking about all 50 at the same time. Plus every month after I've reached my 10 pound goal, I'll be able to say Oh! I only have 40 pounds to lose now, 30 pounds to lose now, 20 pounds to lose now...and so on. So, here is how I'm planning on doing this. I'm going to work out 5 to 6 times a week, and I'm going to cut my calories to 1600 a day the first month, 1500 a day the second month, and down to 1200. It's gonna be crazy, but I think it'll be totally worth it in the end.

Alright, folks...I'll keep you updated on my triumphs and struggles! Wish me luck! Well...really pray for me if you think of it! I could use the extra strength! :)

Back at it again...

I have really gotten out of the habit of blogging! I don't expect a lot of people to read this or anything, but I truly do enjoy writing these posts, so I am going to try my best to keep up with it this year!

We had a really great Christmas this year! We celebrated our own little Christmas early because we were in Minnesota with AJ's side of the family on Christmas day. Elijah was so excited about Christmas this year. He ran into our room in the morning and yelled "Mommy! Daddy! There's PRESENTS under the tree!!!" It was so exciting for us, too! He loved his toys and played with them all day!

My parents came over the day after our little family Christmas, and we had lunch together. It was really great to see them before we left. We weren't going to get to see them because they were supposed to arrive after we already left for Minnesota, but they ended up getting to come home a little early! We were very happy that we could see them and say Merry Christmas in person! :) Elijah got some great little toys from his grandma and grandpa and Aliyah got a cute Christmas outfit and some nail polish! I painted her little toenails after they left and she looked so cute! Have I mentioned I LOVE having a little girl?! :)

We drove to Minnesota on the 23rd and stayed there until the 31st! It was a lot of fun to see everyone! Some of the highlights include seeing AJ's whole family on Christmas Eve and opening presents, hanging out with Roxana every night til like 3 in the morning playing bananagrams or talking, going bowling with all the siblings, taking Lij ice skating, going to the Mall of America, and going to IKEA for my very first time! We had a wonderful trip!

Now we're back and enjoying our last week before we go back to school. It was nice that I was able to take the summer and a semester off to spend with my kids, but I am very ready and excited to get back into the routine of classes and homework. It's crazy to say, but I really am.

That's the update! I will blog again soon about some changes I have been making in my life! Until then.......

One Month Ago...

One month ago, my sweet little dinosaur baby was in my tummy still. I was at the hospital walking and walking and walking trying to get contractions started because my water had broke! It's crazy how fast this last month went! Now my little girl is here and has made quite the impression on us! I can't even imagine life before her! She has fit in so well and we all love her.

One of my favorite things about having Aliyah in our lives now is how much Elijah loves her. He gets so happy every morning when Aliyah wakes up. He runs over and talks to her in a baby voice and says hello and good morning and gives her a kiss and hug. He often asks me if I can bring Aliyah into his room to play. We either put her in her bouncy seat (which doesn't work) or we lay her on his bed. His favorite is when we lay her on his bed because he thinks it's so funny. He also always runs and gets her a blanket if she doesn't have one on her. He shows her his cars. He talks to her about what he has done all day. It's just so cute. And the other super cute part is that Aliyah is always listening to him and watching him. I am pretty sure that he is her favorite person to listen to because he's always talking and he's always excited about whatever he's talking about! :)

Aliyah has grown so much more alert in this first month. She smiles at us now and I think she's trying to laugh sometimes, but it doesn't quite come out right. :) She watches everything intently with her big eyes. She is starting to stay awake every day for around 2 or 3 hours at a time. She does still sleep most of the time. She is now sleeping in her own crib. She is breastfeeding like a champ now. She doesn't cry too much. She loves to cuddle and I think she would prefer if we held her the entire time she is sleeping, but she's starting to sleep for longer intervals. During the day she only sleeps for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, but at night she sleeps for at least 3 hours at a time. She was sleeping 4 hours, but then we switched her to her crib and she's getting used to it. When she starts to get upset, she makes these little dinosaur cries, so I call her my little "Allisaurus." She's too sweet for words. I love her so much!

Anyway, our lives were forever changed a month ago when we welcomed this adorable little baby girl into our family. I am so thankful that God blessed me with her. I love her so much already, and I just know God had huge plans for her life! Thank You, Jesus for giving me the little girl I've ALWAYS WANTED, and the best big boy I could have ever asked for, too! I love my kids!!!! :)

A Strength I Underestimate...

So there have been a few times in my life where I have been faced with a situation that I truly didn't believe I could get through. The first time was when I was called to Iraq in 2003. I couldn't tell you exactly how scared or unsure I was...it was the most frightening thing I've ever been faced with. Yet, I went, I made friends, I found my husband, and I loved my experience. Another time I was faced with something I wasn't sure I could handle was when my husband was called back to Iraq without me. I was facing a year of life without him. A year of life with him in a country where there were people trying to kill him. A year of life with taking care of our 1 year old son (who turned 2 halfway through). Yet, I said goodbye to him, went back to school, took care of our son, and somehow grew closer to my husband despite the distance. This brings me to my most recent trial. I got really sick last week with mastitis. I have been having a love/hate relationship with breastfeeding. I love bonding with my sweet girl and feeding her, but I hate the pain. Well, this last weekend was pretty much the sickest I've ever felt. My left breast hurt more than it's ever hurt, and I continued to breastfeed the entire time. In fact, I breastfed more frequently than ever because I was told that's what you're supposed to do. I got very frustrated at one point and said "I'm done! I don't want to do it anymore!" However, I kept on doing it, and now a few days later, things are better. I feel better, my supply is going up, and best of all THE PAIN IS GONE NOW!!!!!!!! It doesn't hurt to breastfeed anymore! So, I'm so thankful I stuck it out.

It just amazes me that at times when I feel so overwhelmed and stressed with things, I forget how strong I am. God has always given me the exact strength I need to get through every tough situation I've been through, so why would I doubt that he would give me the strength to overcome this sickness last weekend? I would say that from now on I'm going to remember that I'll be able to get through anything, but I'm sure I'll forget by the time the next big trial comes my way. Although, I think that's okay because everytime I feel that much more grateful for the love and strength of God for helping me through! :) Anyway, I'm just thankful that I didn't give up on breastfeeding and that I got sick this last weekend instead of this coming weekend when AJ will be gone the entire time! Praise the Lord!!!

My Thoughts On...

Breastfeeding....

So, I formula-fed Elijah because I knew I was going back to work after 3 months and it just seemed like the best option for me at the time. I was also kind of wierded out about breastfeeding, so it was an easy decision for me not to do it. Well, 3 years later, I felt completely different on the subject of breastfeeding. I had talked to my sister in law Emily about it a lot and some other people and I really had such a desire to breastfeed this time. I was told it might hurt at first, but that it was worth it if you stick it out.

I am 2 and a half weeks into breastfeeding my little girl and I feel like I have learned so much and am close to being a pro at it! I have to say, though, that it was not at all what I expected. Here are my thoughts on it...

~ It hurts like CRAZY at first! I had to wait til Monday to see a lactation consultant at the hospital, and Aliyah was born Sunday evening, so for that whole first day I was doing it wrong. Well, that resulted in me being VERY sore and dreading every single time that Aliyah was hungry!

~I feel like I am a machine at times, and my whole purpose in life is to provide milk for my baby any time she's hungry! (which is ALL THE TIME it seems!)

~I have been avoiding going out in public with Aliyah too much because I am afraid of having to feed her in public.

These thoughts were mostly what I had the first couple weeks, but the last few days...these are my new thoughts on breastfeeding....
~I am amazed after this easy delivery and breastfeeding my baby girl what my body is capable of. I have a new love for it and a big desire to take care of it and get back into the shape I'm meant to be in!

~I love that I am the only one who feeds Aliyah. I love that I make milk that is perfectly formulated for her little body. It's amazing and quite a miracle. I feel blessed that I get to experience this.

~It no longer hurts like crazy, so I no longer dread feeding her. She also seems to be going a little bit longer between meals and eating more during her feedings, which has enabled me to get some much needed cleaning done and do some things that I like doing by myself.

~She is such a happy baby. She only cries when she's hungry, and she doesn't seem to have tummy problems the way Elijah always did from formula feeding. He used to have the hardest time pooping, and she doesn't have those problems.

~I wish I could go back and breastfeed Elijah. I feel like I cheated him out of something really good, but I look at him and realize that he's fine, healthy, and happy, and it makes me feel like it's okay. I would do it differently if I could go back, but I can't so there's no point in regretting my decision not to breastfeed him.

~I LOVE not having to wash a lot of bottles! We don't have a dishwasher, so it's nice that I never have to wash one!

~It is so convenient to feed her at night! She is sleeping in our room with us right now, so I just have to sit up, feed her, maybe change her if she needs it, then lay down and go right back to sleep! I feel WAY LESS sleep deprived than I ever did with Elijah! It's really nice! I plan on transistioning her into her own room by 6 weeks, but I'm really enjoying this this time with her right now!

Well, these are my thoughts on breastfeeding! I am still quite new at it, so I'm sure I'll have more thoughts on it later, but I am really glad I chose to do this! It has been a great decision for us! :) And, if anyone ever wanted advice, I would say stick it out because it gets much easier and less painful the more you do it! :)

Big Brother

So things are going well here in the Maldonado household! It sure is fun being a family of 4 now! When we first got pregnant, I was worried about how Elijah would adjust to not being the only kid. I was worried that he would feel left out or resent Ali because she was getting a lot of attention. I guess this is one instance where the saying "don't borrow worries from tomorrow" applies. Man...this kid has adjusted wonderfully! He tells me ALL THE TIME how much he loves Aliyah. He always asks to give her hugs and kisses. He shows her toys and gets her blankets if she is fussy. He is always willing to get me things if I am nursing and I forgot to grab something. He loves helping out! I think the 3 year age difference is a great thing because Elijah is at the age where he always wants to help out, and he feels important when he does. He isn't jealous at all of her.

Before we had Aliyah, I read that it's good to make sure that you make time for your older child and try to make him feel just as important as he was before. So, sometimes, if Aliyah is crying at the same time that Elijah asks for help, I'll say "Aliyah, I'm helping your brother really quick and then I'll help you" just so Elijah hears that he is just as important as Aliyah. I think that's been a good thing. Elijah has such a sweet heart, though, that he really doesn't like when Aliyah cries, so he usually doesn't ask for help while she is crying or if he does, he says to help Aliyah first. He is sweet! :)

Anyway, so for those that have wondered how Elijah has adjusted, there it is! It has been a very easy adjustment for all of us! Aliyah is such a good baby. She cries when she's hungry, and that's it. She sleeps so well at night. I go to bed after I feed her around midnight, she will wake up between 4 and 430 to be fed again, then she sleeps til 8 or 9! So, I am getting plenty of sleep! I think it's amazing the difference breastfeeding makes! I formula fed Elijah and he had such tummy problems that he was fussy a lot more often. He had the hardest time pooping. Now that I'm breastfeeding Aliyah, she has absolutely no tummy problems at all! Maybe it's because she's just different than Elijah, but I really think the breastfeeding has made all the difference!

Well, I hope you are all doing great, too! :)

The Birth Story...

Well, Aliyah Jane Maldonado is here! I can hardly believe it because I have been waiting forever, but she really is here! I am so in love with her. I honestly can't get enough of her! I want to hold her or look at her all the time! :)

I want to remember the birth story this time because I really don't remember much of Elijah's. I decided that I should blog about it while it is still fresh in my memory! So here it goes...

Her official due date was October 3, 2010. At 4:30 am on October 3, Elijah woke up crying out for Daddy. I woke AJ up and asked him to go see if he needed anything because I knew that it would take me a while to make it down there. When AJ got out of bed, I rolled over and felt this gush of fluid. I thought "what?! I'm peeing my pants?!" So, I got up and went downstairs to the bathroom. I went potty and when I stood up, I was still leaking everywhere! That's when I knew...my water had broke! Luckily, Nikki (my sister) was in Nappanee at a scrapbooking retreat that weekend, so I called her and she came to get Elijah. I took a shower, got ready, packed a few last minute things, AJ showered, got ready, packed some stuff, and off we went to the hospital. I wasn't in a super huge rush because I wasn't having contractions at all. So, we stopped at McDonald's before we went for breakfast. I could hardly eat anything, though, because I was so excited, but I knew I should eat something before I went so that I would have more energy to get through the long day!

We arrived at the hospital around 7 am. We checked in, they checked to see if it was my water that broke, and it was. When I first got there, I was only 25% effaced and 1 1/2 cm dilated. We walked around for a long time to see if anything would start on it's own. At about 9:20, I was given 1/4 of a pill of cytotech in my cervix to help soften things up. I then started having pretty regular contractions. We walked and walked. AJ took a nap while I walked some more. At 1:15, they checked me and I was only dilated to 3 cm, so they gave me pitocen to help speed things up. My contractions became pretty intense. I was able to sit on the fitness ball, though, and that really helped. Well, Aliyah decided she didn't like the external heart monitor, so after trying over and over to keep her heart on the monitor, they decided I needed an internal heart monitor so they could make she she was doing okay throughout the labor. They put one in, and it didn't stick. They had to try to get it out, and that hurt so much that I involuntarily started crying. Then I was getting contractions while the nurse was trying to get the monitor out, it just was really hard. They finally cut it and then took it out without trying to untangle it. Then they tried 2 more times to get the monitor in, and they finally did on the 3rd try. The nurse said that Aliyah must have a lot of hair because the only time they have so much trouble is when the baby has a lot of hair. That was the only comforting thing about having to have them try 3 times! :) The internal heart monitor wouldn't register on the mobile monitor, so after they put it in, I was confined to my bed to deal with the contractions.

When they checked me at 4, I was still only 4 cm dilated, so because I wasn't allowed to take a shower or sit on the fitness ball, I asked for the epidural. At 4:16, I got the epidural, and as soon as it was in, I felt so much better. I layed down and took a little nap. At 6, they checked me again, and I was 5 cm dilated. She had me roll over on my side with my leg over a pillow, so I was almost laying on my tummy. She said if I felt the urge to poop to let her know because it probably means I'm ready to push. Not even kidding, at 6:30 pm, I started feeling the urge to push, and it was during contractions when I would feel that. I thought for sure that it was too early. I had only been 5 cm dilated half an hour ago! So, I waited about 15 minutes, and the feeling only got more and more intense. I called the nurse in, she checked me, and said "Yup! You are 10 cm dilated and her head is RIGHT there!" She called the doctor, who was all set up and ready to go by 6:55 pm. I was shaking so hard, which they said was a sign I was ready to push. The nurses were AMAZING at coaching me on how to push. AJ was, too. He was so encouraging throughout the whole day. I pushed through 3 or 4 contractions, and out she came at 7:06 p.m. on her due date! They put her right on my chest to clean her up and said that the next hour was mommy and Aliyah time. They said not to worry about her crying, that it wasn't quiet time and by crying she would get all the gunk out of her lungs that she needed to. So for an hour, I held her on my chest and looked at her and memorized everything about her. I fell in love as soon as I saw her! :)

They weighed her after the hour and did the bloodwork and everything for us. She weighted 7 lbs 1 oz and was 19 inches long. Perfectly tiny. She has dark hair...we think it's black, but if not, it's dark dark brown. We can't really tell what color eyes she has yet...they look dark, but they'll become more of a color in the next few weeks. We could tell Elijah's eyes were blue right away, so she might have dark eyes. I don't really know.

Anyway, that's the birth story! It was the best experience ever...I had the same nurse the whole day. She thought she wouldn't be there for the birth, but at the end of her shift, Aliyah came on out, so it was perfect! From the time my water broke til the time I had Aliyah it was only 14 1/2 hours. And from the time my active labor started, it was only a little less than 6 hours! It was really fast and perfect!