Big summer ahead

So, I am determined to become healthier this summer. I have been thinking about joining this Transformation Challenge at the Nappanee Health and Fitness this summer. It's a 10 week challenge and I really think it would be great to learn about nutrition, have someone help you plan workouts, and have other people working hard to transform their bodies as well. Another thing I might be interested in is weight watchers. I am not sure which would be best. I am just thinking about both right now. I know I can't do it myself. I try and try, but I think to really get started on the right foot, it would help to be around other people going through the same challenges and also talking to people who know what I should do to get healthy.

I wish I took more pictures. This is random, but I took all kinds of pictures of Elijah when he was a baby, and I have really slacked with Aliyah. My other goal for the summer is to take LOTS of pictures of my kids. I want to remember this stage and it helps to remember if you have lots of pictures to look back on!

That's it. Pretty short, but just thought I'd throw those 2 thoughts out there! :)

Growing, growing, growing...

My 7 month old daughter is changing every day. She has learned to do a lot of new things in the last week! She pulls up on EVERYTHING now. She even moves from one thing to another by herself. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. She also learned to clap and any time she sits down, she just starts clapping. She is crawling really fast now and also says "dada" all the time! I don't think she knows really what it means, but if we say it, she'll repeat it. It's super cute.

I guess I'm totally out of practice when it comes to babyproofing because she has fallen a few times on things that maybe I should have gotten out of the way? I guess I just forgot how easily they tumble. Luckily we have Elijah because he usually lets me know what is too dangerous for her. ;) No...she's actually fine, but she is much more determined than Elijah ever was. I really do think she'll be walking before Elijah did.

I ran 3 miles yesterday! I started out that night just wanting to make it 1.5 miles because I actually had to stop running for a week to let my knee get better. It's all better now and I think because the last time I ran my knee hurt the whole time, I was like wow...I'm just gonna keep going! It felt great to be out there burning some calories and having some time to myself! I have lost 5 pounds so far, but I am really hoping to lose 45 more! Small steps...and I have given myself until my 30th birthday to do so, so it's less stressful.

I'm loving the weather and the sunshine! I feel so happy when the sun is out and I have the whole day ahead of me! My mom and dad have been driving a semi-truck for the last 3 years and my mom comes home for good this week! Then my dad will be home next week! I'm so excited to have them around again! It's gonna be a nice summer!

Have a great day! :)

Happy Birthday Elijah!!!

My son is 4 years old today. I can hardly believe it. He has a calander in his room that has special things you can put on it for Holidays and stuff, and I put a birthday candle on it for the 18th, and I put the Labor Day thing on there for the 16th and told him that was when I went to the hospital to have him! It is the first year he has understood what that means because he remembers when he had to wake up really early the morning I went to the hospital to have Aliyah!

Four years old is such a fun age. I took Lij to the play place at McDonald's today in South Bend while AJ was at class, and he was playing with another 4 year old and I could hear their conversation. They talk about all kinds of fun stuff, and it's just neat that they really can communicate with each other and play well together and understand each other.

I just wanted to tell you all some things that I love about my Lijinator because it's his birthday! Elijah is one of the sweetest boys I know, which always makes me laugh because he's also the craziest, most energetic boy I know. He loves helping people do things, though, and he is always the first to jump up to get Aliyah something if she starts crying. A couple weeks ago, I said something about how I needed to do the dishes and then I got distracted doing something else, and when I came into the kitchen, Elijah was standing on his stool doing dishes for me! It was just so sweet, and he was so proud of himself for helping me even when I didn't ask him to! :) He is always on the go...always making up new games to play or stories to tell. He has a great imagination and has come up with some pretty crazy stories that always make me laugh. He loves to read, although he can't really read himself yet, but we read him 3 books every night before he goes to sleep and I catch him in his room often reading the books himself. He likes to read to Aliyah, too. He will listen to us read her her little books and then he memorizes them and reads them to her himself! It's so cute. He has a love for learning, and I hope that I can do whatever it takes to keep that love alive! He likes to practice writing his letters and sounding them out. He also loves counting and can count to 100 all by himself! I guess I should probably teach him what comes after 100 sometime because I can tell he wants to keep going once he reaches 100! He also loves to go to Sunday School and learn about Jesus. I think his favorite thing they do in their Sunday School is sing because he always sings his songs on the way home from church! He also likes to memorize his verses!

Those are just a few things that make Elijah great. He really is the best son, and I'm so thankful that God gave him to us. It's so strange to think that when I was pregnant for him I really wanted a little girl, and was even a little disappointed right at first when I heard he was a boy. I can't imagine now NOT having my boy. He is such an important part of my life and the PERFECT first kid. I honestly don't think I could have made it through my year without AJ without my son. He is so special to me. I'm happy to have a daughter now, too, but I'm always so thankful that God gave me my boy first. :)

So...Happy Birthday Little Stinks! I love you so much!!!

So far, so good..

Well, just a quick update to say that I really have stuck to running every day! I'm very proud of myself and it's getting easier and easier to motivate myself to go! I can tell a difference in my attitude about lots of things just by exercising and eating healthy every day! I love it!

Also, I have not had pop since the night before my birthday. I thought I might get headaches from stopping, but I haven't! I drank a LOT of diet coke before I was 29! ;) I think my morning coffee might have helped, but I feel like I want to have something delicious! When I stop seeing a difference or stop losing weight, I will maybe give up my coffee, too, but I have a feeling that's a long way off!

I haven't weighed myself since last Wednesday, so I'm interested to see if there is any difference this week. I think I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow morning or Friday morning. I don't know...sometimes I feel like I have lost a little weight, then other times I feel like it's not working. So...I'm just gonna stick with it and eventually hopefully the numbers on the scale will go down, but I think the most important thing is that I feel better!

That's the update!

29...REALLY?!

Well, you guessed it...I'm 29 years old now! Seems so crazy to think about. I mean my next birthday will be my 30th birthday!

The night before my birthday AJ took me out on a date (thanks to Ross and Emily for watching our kids) and we were talking about how I really want to be healthy and fit by the time I'm 30. So, I asked AJ to really keep me accountable on exercising and eating right. I gave him permission to get in my face about it! (I tested him out once, too, and he did great!) So far since I've been 29 (3 days), I have ran every day and eaten healthy! My goal is to run every single day I am 29. Seems kinda crazy when you think about winter and everything, and the fact that you should have a rest day, but my plan is pretty simple. I am going to run as far as I can for 2 days, do sprints the 3rd day, run as far as I can the next 2 days, do sprints that 6th day and then sort of do the opposite thing on Sunday...I will start off with jogging for 5 minutes, then walk, then end with jogging 5 minutes. So I can say I ran every day, but it's still a rest day. I think it's a fun goal because so far I really have ran every day and I don't want to not run because I like saying I have ran every day I've been 29!

Also, I gave up pop for my 29th year of life. Those are just 2 goals that I am going to make right now. Later on if I lose weight and feel like taking on another challenge, I will. But I gotta start small!

In other news, my little girl is 7 months old today and my little boy is going to be 4 on the 18th! Where has the time gone?! I can remember as clear as if it was yesterday the summer I had Elijah. He was such a fun baby and we would walk everywhere in the summer together. Now he doesn't fit in the stroller anymore. But I have a pretty cute replacement! :) More about Elijah on his 4th birthday...I want to do a post dedicated to him, and I don't want to spoil anything! :)

Aliyah is crawling now (has been for close to a month), she loves sweet potatoes and squash, she is starting to pull up on things. She squeals with delight about anything that makes her happy! She loves her talking phone, her singing giraffe, and her doll from Lila. She is equally in love with her daddy and mommy, but Elijah is by far her favorite person in the world. He just walks in the room and she squeals and tries to scoot or crawl over to him as fast as she can! She also has gone MIA a few times and we have found her in her brother's room playing with his favorite toys. He now has a few toys just for her in her reach so that she will just grab those when she goes in there! Clever boy, huh? :) Her hair is getting longer and she is wearing some 6-9 month things now. Oh...and she has beautiful red toenails thanks to her mom. ;)

Alright...I gotta go clean and do laundry and pack for our trip to Massanutten this week! We are going to Emily's parent's timeshare condo! So fun! I think Elijah is more excited than anyone because he gets to spend a whole week with his best friend and cousin Hunter! :)

Until next time...

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!

Smallville

Can I just get this out in the open? I am a HUGE Smallville fan! When AJ and I first started hanging out, he gave me some of the seasons to watch while we were in Iraq. I got hooked not only because this hot guy wanted me to like the show, but because I actually REALLY liked the show! So ever since, I have been keeping up with it. Last week AJ came home from school with Season 9! I was so excited. We have been watching it the last few days because the season premiere of Season 10 (sadly, the final season) is next Friday night! I CAN'T WAIT!!! So...there you have it...I am addicted...and I just had to be honest. :) Does anyone else watch this show? If not, you should...it's definitely worth your time!

On another note, the Apple Festival is this weekend, and I saw the tents being set up in town tonight. I got really excited. Fall is my favorite time of year. It starts getting cooler, the holidays are all coming up, the stores are starting to get decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Apple Festival always seems like it's the start of this amazing season! I love to walk down there every evening with AJ and Elijah and look at the booths, see people we know, get some good food, and just enjoy our little town. I guess you guys know what I'll be doing all weekend now. I will be enjoying the festival! :) The weather report looks good...I am thinking we'll even have to wear hooded sweatshirts at night! I LOVE FALL!!!

And...it wouldn't be a proper post without saying something about Aliyah's upcoming arrival...so I'll end with this....17 days left!!! Yeah! :)

Okay...I'm Ready!

I am 34 1/2 weeks pregnant. I have 5 1/2 weeks left until our baby is due. I had a doctor's appointment today and I asked a million and one questions about when I should go to the hospital, what contractions feel like (because I truly didn't get any with Elijah until I was in the hospital and I don't remember them now!), what it feels like to have my water break, if it's possible to not know that my water broke, etc. I think I was smiling like an idiot the entire time I was asking questions because I can hardly believe we're already at this point!

I already have my diaper bag for Aliyah. It is packed and ready to go! I have made a packing list for the hospital for me so that I will be able to throw that together really fast when the time comes to leave. I need to figure out where Elijah will be going for sure and have a bag packed for him soon. I know exactly where to go in the hospital and what to say when I get there. Aliyah's room is totally ready.

The doctor told me today that at 38 weeks they will strip my membranes, which is what the doctor did 3 days after my due date with Elijah and put me into labor right away. She also told me that they do not want me to go more than a week over my due date, so around my due date if nothing is progressing, they will schedule a date to be induced. So for sure by 10/10/10, I will have my baby in my arms! It's crazy knowing that!

All this to say...I'm READY! I cannot wait to go into labor and have this sweet little girl! I can't wait to meet her and hold her and look at her and see who she looks like. I can't wait to dress her in her cute girl clothes and put ribbons and bows in her hair (assuming she has any...and even if she doesn't, I can still put headbands on her head!). I am excited to rock her and nurse her and put her to bed in her bright room. I am excited to see Elijah with her and watch them interact. I know she will love just looking at him and watching him as she gets older, and I think he will be a very good big brother to her. I am so ready for our family to be a family of 4 instead of 3! It's just so exciting!

Anyway...just wanted to say I'm ready! I want her to grow a little more in my tummy before she comes out, but after 37 weeks, I'll be happy with her coming at any time! If she wants to go ahead and be a September baby, that's totally fine with me! :)

New Adventures...

AJ and I were talking the other night about the way our life has gone. We are both in school right now (although I am taking a break to grow and have a baby), and we are parents to a young son (and almost to two children!). We don't feel like we get the adventures we always dreamed we would be getting, but I think we both came to the realization that it doesn't need to be that way! We can plan adventures and make our life just as exciting as it once was! Goodness...I mean, having two kids under the age of 4 is a pretty big adventure in and of itself! :)



Anyway, we made some adventurous plans for next summer which I think will really be fun to try to achieve and work towards all year! I am going to go through the entire 90 days of P90X as soon as I can exercise after having this baby. Then I'm going to start running, and we are going to do at least a 10k together next summer, but our big goal is to do a half marathon together at the end of next summer! Also, we are going to try to get in really great shape this year and to take a fun vacation just the two of us somewhere next summer where we'll have to show off our awesome bodies! Okay...so that's not the point of the vacation, it's really just to get away and have fun together, but still...it will be great to work towards that all year!



That's all we're for sure planning right now, but just making these plans has made us both more excited and has added a little "pep" in our step as we go throughout our days! It's fun to have a husband who wants to plan things with me and who encourages me to still be young and live life to its fullest even when life seems so full of responsibility and structure! :)

A Whole Lot of Nothing

Well, it's summer. I have always thought it would be really fun to be pregnant in the summer. Guess what...it's not all it's cracked up to be! I have been soooooooooo hot lately! We don't have central air in our house, so it gets pretty hot. We have slept on the couch the 2 onights because it's just too hot upstairs. It makes me very grateful that we switched Elijah's room to downstairs. I actually have to admit, though, that the couch seems more comfortable than our bed, so I have gotten some good sleep the last couple of nights!

I have less than 3 months until I have this baby. I will be in my 3rd trimester on Saturday! I can hardly believe I'm already at that point...it just doesn't seem real. I want to enjoy this time left with just one kid, but I am so anxious to meet our new little one! I feel very ready to add another member to our family!!! Plus, it's a little girl, and I won't be outnumbered anymore!

Elijah is such a boy. All I hear day in and day out is AJ and Elijah going back and forth with things like "ppppphhhhht...oh! You farted, Daddy!"..."pppppphhhhht...oh! You farted, Elijah!" I mean, seriously? I have to admit that it makes me laugh, though, and I do love having a boy. I never thought I would like it that much because boys are gross and I didn't want to deal with all the boy stuff that I had no idea how to handle, but it's been pretty easy! Elijah has changed my perspective on boys. Sure they're gross sometimes, but they are also so sweet to their mommy's. :) He can always make me laugh and he is always willing to help me out with whatever I need.

I have been working on Aliyah's room a lot lately. It's so cute. I love it. I love that it is mostly yellow, with some pink and white. It is bright and cheery and girly. She's gonna love her room! I have even gotten crafty! I made a ribbon mobile that turned out EXACTLY how I imagined it would! I was so excited! I didn't have instructions...I kinda just went with it, but it's perfect! Elijah walked into Ali's room after I hung it up and said "WOW! COOL!" So, I think it's a hit! :)

Well, I don't have much to blog about...just hadn't updated in a while. It's a rainy day here, which I'm actually enjoying a lot. I kinda needed a mellow day. It has seemed so busy around here lately! I hope you all have a great rest of the week/weekend!

A Simple Text...

I love my husband for many reasons, but one of the things I love about him the most is that he says the sweetest things to me right when I need to hear them! Last night we were just sitting in the living room watching the movie "Invictus" (which is so good and I recommend everyone watch it!), and I got a text message on my phone. I looked at it and AJ had texted me this: "I love you, and thanks for carrying our baby girl." Wow...talk about perfect timing. I have been feeling HUGE lately and this just made my day! :) I have a great husband, and I'm so thankful that he says romantic things like that to me. It wasn't anything big...but it's the simple things that mean the most to me. :) Anyway, I just wanted to share how amazing my husband is!

I've been inspired....by MYSELF!!!

I have been inspired by my former self. AJ and I watched Elijah's baby videos last night. I have been thinking about how different it's going to be with a new baby in the fall. I was having a hard time even remembering what it was like! So, we watched Lij's baby videos. Let me tell you...I'm so excited now! I forgot how fun it is to just love on a little baby and watch them grow and change. Elijah went from just making funny noises to making funny faces, laughing, smiling, rolling over, scooting, and crawling! We stopped watching it when he was around 6 months. He was so adoreable and I am so excited to have another little baby to take care of! It'll be especially nice to have Elijah with us this time to enjoy the whole thing with us.

Anyway, you're probably wondering what inspired me. Well, I was working full time and taking care of a little baby and I kept our house so clean all the time! I loved how it was arranged in the videos (it went through a couple changes in those 6 months) and I loved how clean it looked. I have been having a hard time keeping our house clean since AJ got home! It's like it has doubled my workload and with Elijah being older and wanting to play with his toys all over the house, it just gets to be crazy around here sometimes! But, I figured if I could keep it clean back then, I can surely keep it very clean now! So I woke up with a purpose this morning, and spent the next few hours cleaning and rearranging our house! It feels great and I'm motivated to keep it that way and even go ahead and get the baby's room done, too. I'm just going to have be diligent about it and ask the boys to pick up their stuff whenever they can!

Have you guys ever been inspired by your former selves?

It doesn't seem possible...

I was thinking about how much I love Elijah today. I know that sounds wierd...who really sits around thinking about how much they love someone...but it's what I do sometimes. I love him more than I ever thought possible. It's wierd because when you're a parent, you love your child in such a different way than you love anyone else. I love AJ so much because he's an amazing person and I was captivated by him right when I met him, but I have such expectations of him. I feel like I'm disappointed when he lets me down, even though I quickly get over it and realize it's not a big deal. I get disappointed in a lot of people at times because I feel like they should act differently or treat me differently, but I shouldn't have those expectations of people. That's not right. No one is perfect, and no one is supposed to be perfect...people make mistakes. The only perfect One is God, and I shouldn't have expectations from Him either because I don't ever want to put him in a box...He is the only One who will ever exceed my expectations every single time. It's amazing...and I'm so grateful to know Him and to have a relationship with Him!

Anyway, back to what I was saying...I was thinking about how much I love Elijah. I don't have the same sort of expectations for Elijah that I do with other people. He makes mistakes probably more than anyone else in my life, yet I never feel let down by him. It's like I just realize that he will make mistakes and that's okay. It is easier for me to show him grace than anyone else in my life. He's 3, so he is learning how to live life. He's learning what behavior is acceptable and what isn't. He's learning the things he should or shouldn't say to people. He's learning to live! Every time I look at him, my heart is FULL with love. So, I guess that's how I love him differently than anyone else.

I was also thinking about Aliyah. I haven't even met her yet, but I feel like I'm already getting a glimpse of her personality in the way she kicks or moves or reacts to people touching my tummy. I'm so excited to see what she looks like and to just really get to know her, but it just doesn't seem possible to love her as much as I love Elijah. That sounds bad, I know, but I just can't see how I can have that much love to give. And sometimes I wonder if loving another child will take away from loving Elijah. Everyone tells me that it is possible to love all your children as much as each other, so I know that will happen. But when I really think about how much I love Elijah, it just seems impossible! Luckily, God makes the impossible possible, and I know I will love her just as much as Elijah and that won't take anything away from Elijah. I'm excited to see for myself how this happens. It excited me to think about loving another little child as much as I love Elijah! I'm so blessed already with the perfect husband for me and the perfect son for me...and it overwhelms me to think I am also being blessed with the perfect daughter for me! Praise the Lord for His blessings! I do not deserve them, but I am very thankful for them!! :)

Crazy dream, Crazy boy, Not-So Crazy Life

Hmmm...I don't have much to blog about these days. I have been loving the summer weather more than normal this year. We have been outside so much and my tan is coming along pretty nicely! Although, I have a million tan lines...but that's besides the point! :) It's been rainy this weekend, so we've spent a lot of time cleaning and playing games and watching movies. It's been a very nice, relaxing weekend. I'm ready for some sunshine now, though! I feel too lazy when the weather is gray and cloudy.

Elijah has been coming up with some crazy things to say lately. He went through a pretty whiny phase for a couple weeks, and I think he now realizes that when he whines he doesn't get what he wants. If I hear him whining I say "Mommy doesn't listen to your whining," and he will repeat it without whining. I've had to say that less and less the last few days, so that is encouraging. He is also learning to ask nicely for things. I just don't give him what he wants until he asks nicely and that seems to be working. Man...this kid is so cute, but sometimes he can be so cranky and whiny! I love him, though, and his bad phases make the good phases just that much sweeter. I can deal with it, and that's what parenting is all about, right?

Anyway, I decided to paint Aliyah's room yellow and white. I'm going to do 3 walls white, and the wall with the crib on it a bright yellow. I would love to find a cute saying or something in white letters to put up on the yellow wall, but first I would just like to get it painted! I actually priced out the primer, paint, and supplies today, so we'll be getting it sometime soon.

I had the WIERDEST dream last night! The gyst of if is that I went into labor at 26 weeks. I gave birth to a boy and we were so shocked that instead of naming him Lincoln like we wanted to, we accidentally named him Blinkin! Then I asked if we could change it, and it just seemed like too much work so I was thinking of keeping the name. I couldn't understand why they told me that I was having a girl when I had a boy, so I asked and they said that I had another baby in there that would probably come at 9 months like she was supposed to. I just couldn't grasp that I was having twins, but they would be born 4 months apart! Crazy! AJ had left right after I had the baby, and my mom and sister were there, but they didn't seem concerned about anything except what channel to watch on TV. And to top it all off, I realized that I had only fed the baby once in 3 days! I kept forgetting to feed him, but he was still so happy. Needless to say, I was so happy when I finally woke up!!

So that's it...I hope you're all enjoying your summer so far!