Where the Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Plains...

At least once a week, the wind knocks out our Internet. Yeehaw! We are currently knocked out, which means I can't upload the pictures for Lydia's two month (sob) letter. And as much fun as it would be to write a long post using my phone (blah!), I will instead upload some random pictures (that will no doubt be blurry) I have stored on my phone, and write some nonsense. God bless 3G.


Hey look! I cleaned our van!



I also tried "pho" for the first time. I'm fairly certain there was intestine floating in my bowl. Fu-un. Ha ha. The broth was good.



Look! Nude espadrilles!



Yum, frozen chocolate peanut butter dipped bananas rolled in pretzels. Bazinga!



After eight months, the chickens finally became privy to the fact that we leave their food bag open.



Yummy baby girl. Also displaying my love affair with braids.

The End.

Have a lovely day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone while I wait for AT&T.

Getting There.

They say that it takes a full year for one's body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth, even if you attain pre-pregnancy weight before that year is up. If this is the case, then my body has yet to fully recover since having Cub, since I never celebrated my oldests' first birthdays without being pregnant (phew). After my first two pregnancies, my goal was simple: Reach pre-pregnancy weight sooner than later. Easypeasy. Well, not really easy, but the goal was a simple one.

Halloween 2011: Pregnant Humpty and her Wall.

During my pregnancy with Lydia, I could tell my body was different. Even though I was working out, my body was worn out. It was the hardest pregnancy physically and I understand why. My core muscles are tired of being stretched, my posture is struggling thanks to pregnancies that occurred close together (that were all followed by breast-feeding, which involves being hunched over), and really, I just feel ... a little used up. The experience of pregnancy is a blessed one, no doubt, but there is a physical toll that is taken as well.

I knew my physical goals this time around needed to be different. I knew I needed to begin restoring the weak muscles in my body and to build strength. Oy!

Due date, January 23, 2012. Lydia was born two days later.

The day before my post-pregnancy appointment, I called my dear friend to inquire about personal training. She happily agreed and I started the very next week. Every Tuesday and Thursday, I wake up at 4:40am, pump a bottle, stumble around getting dressed, and drive half-asleep to train. Lots of weights, pilates, and the like. The fit is a perfect one because my friend is not only in amazing physical shape and is quite driven, but she is also a Mom (of FOUR little ones!). She understands the toll pregnancy can take on your body. She is an encouragement but is also sympathetic when I wobble on the Bosu ball or struggle to finish my set of push-ups. Essentially, she kicks my rear without kicking me when I'm down. :)

It might sound crazy to get up so early, especially when Lydia still wakes up at night to eat, but, as I've heard it said before, it's easier to add chaos to chaos than it is to add chaos to calm. Would I want to wake up early to train when Lydia starts sleeping through the night? Heck no! It's easier for me to do it now when I'm already used to running on punctuated sleep, so it will be a habit when she does start sleeping all night (and evenings can be unpredictable with my husband's work). Next week will complete my first month of training. It's hard, and great. I love that I can feel myself getting stronger. I love feeling little improvements each time we meet--maybe lifting a little more weight or having better balance (my core is trying!). I love that I'm not worried so much about the scale. If it takes me a month or a year to get to a weight I'm pleased with, then that's fine. What matters is that I'm consistently working on getting stronger. The results will come as they may.

And, I'm breastfeeding, which means I need to keep my calories up. Hallelujah popcorn and M&Ms, ha ha! I snack easily. :)

First attempted photo op with all three kids, March 22, 2012, three days shy of Lydia's two month birthday.

Even though it sometimes feels like it just might take all the king's horses and all the king's men ... Humpty WILL get put back together again. :) So, here's to the beautiful chaos of motherhood and taking the time to do something for yourself, that will really reward everyone in the long run.

Have a lovely weekend.

Backseat Driver.

Driving in the car. Pouring rain.

Cub: Mama, why are we going this way?

Me: Because it's faster.

Cub: Why is it faster?

Me: Because we don't have to stop as much.

Cub: Why don't we have to stop as much?

Me: Because there aren't as many stop signs.

Cub: But there's a stop sign.

Me: Yes, there are still stop signs, just not as many.

Cub: And there's another stop sign.

Me: Yes, two stop signs. Two. As opposed to, you know, eleventy billion.

Cub: Two stop signs?

Me: Yes.

Cub: So it's faster?

Me: Yes.

Cub: But why is it faster?

Me: Because there aren't as many (dang it, don't say stop signs!) ... cars.

Cub: Not as many cars?

Me: Not as many cars.

Cub: So there's just our car?

Me: Well, no, there are other--

Cub:--because I see another car!

Me: YES THERE ARE OTHER CARS.

Cub: Why are there other cars?

Me: Let's turn on the radio.

Going Through The House: Kiddo Bathroom.

I detoured from decorating the formal dining room yet again to make a quick stop in the kids' bathroom. I promise, someday I will decorate the formal dining room. Someday. Someday when my brain is able to focus on a singular goal and take the appropriate means to achieve it.

Possibly when Lydia is eighteen.

Where was I? Oh yes, the kids' bathroom. It's a simple bathroom, with tan walls, white cabinets, and a seafoam shabby sheek-ish shower curtain. Do you like that gross misspelling? That gross misspelling of "chic"? For some reason, "chic-ish" looks like it should be pronounced as "chick-ish", whereas the pronunciation of the phonetical spelling of "chic" is mostly undeniable. Sheek.

See? NO FOCUS.

SHABBY SHEEK-ISH SHOWER CURTAIN.

(My apologies for sub-par picture taking. I had a camera in one hand, a baby in the other, and two toddlers attached to each leg. Awesome workout. And, it's not even a "before" picture. It exists only to show you the only color in the bathroom. The only shabby sheek-ish color.)

Anyway. It's safe to say the bathroom was lacking in personality. Since this bathroom does belong to the kids, I wanted them to contribute in personalizing it a bit. With Pinterest inspiration, I used masking tape to create a sun on a blank canvas. I then put paintbrushes in little hands and my cuties went to work, covering the entire canvas with happy yellow paint.

When the paint was dry, I removed the masking tape, and Voila!

Seriously. How fun and easy is that? The kids are so proud, so proud, of their sun. I am, too. I then coated some letters in white spray paint and stapled some teal and brown patterned fabric (to coordinate with the shabby-sheekish shower curtain) inside empty frames.

*I used fabric instead of scrapbook paper for durability, given this bathroom's frequent occurrence of steam treatments during croup season. Boo, croup.

I chose to create our little collage above the bathroom mirror, since there is some extra space up there and I thought it might help to heighten the room. Plus, its message is the first thing the kids see in the morning.

Ta-da!

I had been racking my brain for a while, trying to think of what words and decor to use before I started this project, and the inspiration struck during a midnight feeding with Lydia (the time when most inspiration strikes). What a happy way to start the day, referencing Isaiah 60:1--"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!"

The kids love to see the sun they painted, greeting them every morning. And the encouraging words are pertinent to all of us when we start the day. Mornings can be cranky and let's face it, Mama isn't always shining, either! I'm totally happy with how it turned out. Love.

Have a lovely day.

Better Than Pickles and Ice Cream.

I realize it's normal to have cravings whilst pregnant, but, I have to say, I have been experiencing a rather hardcore post-pregnancy craving this time around:

Popcorn and M&Ms.

I can't get enough of it.

It replaces a meal at least once a day for me. The salty popped kernels mixed with the sweet crunchy-shelled chocolate ... heaven. Every night it's the same: If I haven't already eaten a bowl of the delectable concoction, I wait until the big kids are in bed. I pop a 100-calorie pack, dump it in a wooden bowl, let it cool a bit, sprinkle some M&Ms on top, and snuggle with Lydia while I catch up on my recorded shows, savoring every sweet and salty handful. YUM.

I highly recommend it.

My husband recently surprised me with some salt and lime popcorn and oh, it was amazing.

I guess it's safe to say I still have some crazy hormones going on, but this is one craving that I hope will never go away. I'm justifying it with the fact that Lydia is breastfeeding and I need the extra calories ... eh ... right? :)

Delish.

Have a lovely day.