Starve the Craving

As many of you know, I have lost a whole lot of weight since June of 2012.  You would think I would have said since January 2012 since that is when I had T.J.  However, I lost the majority of the "baby weight" right off the bat save 3-5 lbs.  I consider that losing it all especially since I wasn't really doing super well with my weight when I got pregnant, so it isn't like those few pounds were ever too far off anyway.

Anywho, I decided in June that I was done.  Done.  I was done fighting my weight, done looking in the mirror and hating what I saw, done waiting to shop for clothes because I "was going to lose weight first", done wasting my youth being unhappy and unhealthy.  Now, don't get me wrong, I was never obscenely large (save for at the end of my pregnancy- you would feel a slight vibration when I walked into the room during my final trimester), but I certainly wasn't content with the way I looked.

It was time to buckle down.  It was time to realize that the taste of something was never worth what it did to my body.  Over the next 6 months I shed off 21 lbs and was 16 lbs lower than my original starting weight-in when I became pregnant.  How?

-Portion control
-Breastfeeding
-Regular, but not "intense" exercise
-Eating better foods
-The Lord.  Actually, He should come first... couldn't have done it without strength- all strength comes from Him... you get the picture.

No "diet" plan.  I am done dieting.  I am choosing a different "lifestyle".  I have been dieting since I was probably 10 or 11 years old.  Yes.  10 or 11.  For some of you, that may seem heart-breaking; for others, you are right there with me.  Sometimes your genes don't help your jeans- ba dum CHA!  But honestly, unless you have an actual condition labeled by a physician, suck it up, stop blaming the genes, and get your booty into gear!  Where there is a will, there is a way.  I am no longer sitting around complaining about how unfair it is that some people can eat all the garbage they want, not exercise, and still fit into a size 00.

Okay, well, I lied.  I still can complain about that... but it isn't going to make me fit into a smaller size or feel more comfortable in my skin.  Thus, I can complain while I pass up that cupcake or bag of chips.  I can complain while I am out for a walk with T.J. when I really just wanted to bum out all day.  There is no secret formula or magic pill.

Don't get me wrong.  For some people, a diet plan works.  Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how many wonderful things I have heard about Weight Watchers!  SO many people have found amazing results with that program (Including my friend, Alyssa, who looks fantastic!!!).  I would definitely encourage anyone who is ready for some serious weight loss and NOW to plug into that program!  However, there were a few reasons it just wasn't for me:

1. Cost- Once again, where there is a will, there is a way.  There were probably sacrifices I could have made or scholarships I could have applied for, but it really wasn't super worth it to me (especially until I gave it a decent effort myself).

2. "Fake"- I tell a lot of people, "I don't do 'fake'."  I really try to stay away from sugar substitutes, diet drinks, diet foods, etc., because they are "chemical-y", and if you know me at all, you know I have kind of turned a little on the "crunchy" side within the past few years.  I try to stay away from chemicals, over-medicating, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, trans-fats, and partially hydrogenated oils.  I just truly believe the stuff is bad for your body.  I believe God made the world a certain way and that those natural things work better with our bodies.  Totally my opinion.  You want to eat/drink that stuff, go for it.  I will probably die before ya anyway!  Anywho, my aversion to "fake" makes diet plans difficult.

3. Failfulness- I don't diet well.  When I "diet", it turns into, "Man, I cannot wait until this stupid thing is over so I can stuff my face with stuff I have been missing!"  I know that Weight Watchers is AWESOME with this kind of thing, but in my mind, I would probably still be thinking that way.  Thus, as soon as I met "goal", I would pile even more poundage back on- fabulous.

4. Try- I wanted to try.  I had never really gotten to the point before where I just decided that you know what... I am over this whole fat thing (not that I was ever considered fat- save for pregnancy- but you get what I mean...).  I needed to at least give it a try first without a "plan".

My plan was simple:

1. Don't eat garbage: At first I just "starved the craving" by not allowing myself even a TASTE of anything that might trigger "snack mode".  I have a very impulsive, compulsive personality.  Once I open that bag of chips, it is gone.  Just one more... how about one more??  How about THE ENTIRE BAG!!!! OM NOM NOM NOM NOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!  After awhile, I could actually handle moderating my intake (ONE Hershey's chocolate kiss?  Don't mind if I do!).  I just finally starting thinking "are those calories actually worth the 30 seconds of 'yum'?"  Usually the answer was "no".  I also had to get out of the mindset that I was going to eat something because it was a special occasion.  There will always be a "special occasion".  Trust me.  Been there, done that.  I can make one up for today.  "Aww, well it is the weekend, and Travis is home, so it makes it difficult to eat better because he can eat whatever he wants.  Not only that, but I want to really be able to enjoy this day with our whole family home, and I can do that by eating what I want... like chocolate!"  Monday: "It is Presidents Day!"  Tuesday: "I spend this day with my mother-in-law shopping and such.  It is difficult to eat well when you are eating on the go.  Plus, we want to enjoy the day together!"  Wednesday: "Travis and I are using Wednesday as our surrogate Valentine's Day!  You can't eat well on Valentine's Day!"  Thursday: "I am thinking about going to a mom's get together thing on Thursday.  It will be difficult to eat healthy when I am out and about.  Plus, what if the other ladies are eating stuff that is bad for them... I don't want to be rude and not join in..."  Friday: "I have had a rough week taking care of my now 'toddler'.  It is Friday... time for a break... time for a pick-me-up!"  And now we are back to the weekend.  You see... if I wanted to, I could plan my excuses for the entire week.  At the end of it, the unhealthy food has added no true value to my life.  In fact, it has made my self-esteem plummet as I try to squeeze into my clothing and fail to do so.  So. not. worth. it.

2. Drink schtuff: Drink things that help with the cravings but don't give you the "munching" satisfaction.  Coffee with creamer, hot chocolate, chai tea with milk and honey... these are all of my go to "craving satisfiers".  When I say that I have to "starve the craving", I don't only mean the craving for something sweet or salty... it is that... but more than that, it is the craving to always being "eating" something- chewing- "munching" if you will.  I know a lot of people say "don't drink your calories", but hey, it worked for me.  I must be weird.  Let's not kid ourselves though... we already knew THAT!

3. Exercise daily: I got up EVERY morning at 5:00am and did my P90X workout...

....

....

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

YEAH RIGHT!!!

Are you kidding me?!  I am still drooling all over myself in bed by the time Trav leaves for work (attractive visual, eh?).  I am talking one 30 minute WALK a day with T.J. in the stroller and a SHORT set of floor exercises and stretches before bed each night.  That's it!  Done.  Hey, it may not be much, but it is something.

4. Pray: You have no strength in yourself.  Lean on the Lord.

Well... that's it!  Oh wait... I do take pills- vitamins- haha!  Voila!  Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been easy by any means.  Has it been worth it?  Ohhhhh yes!  Most definitely worth it.

The reason my post is entitled "Starve the Craving" is because I have been struggling with 5 lbs I gained back during the time I had guests in town for T.J.'s birthday party.  His party was JANUARY 12th... in case you didn't know... really?  I couldn't manage to get 5 minuscule pounds off in over a MONTH?!?!  Lame.  Know why I couldn't?  Because I wasn't trying!!!  Since working at it, I have already gotten at least one pound off (that is from trying for the past few days... yeah... I wasted a whole month being less comfortable in my clothes when I could have started peeling that weight off right away... smart...).

Anyway!  I am back to step one- starving the craving- worst. step. everrrr.  However, I refuse to let myself do the same thing I have every other time I have tried losing weight: losing hope and letting it get out of control until I finally decide, yet again, that I want to try losing the weight.  By that point, I usually am bigger than ever, so I don't have to lose a few pounds... I have to lose the whole lot of it and then some!  WHAT a waste of time!

Just thought I would blog about my lifestyle change... for those of you who care!  =]  I hope maybe I can inspire someone out there who has been in or is currently in my shoes.

Any tips or tricks of the trade?  Have a story you'd like to share?  Have you made a nutritional lifestyle change recently about which you would like to share?  Want to respond to my post?  What to talk about your obsession with penguins?  Please comment!  =]

Happy Little Family of Three

Thought I would just take some time this morning to give an update of our lives right now (when T.J. is sleeping, I take advantage of it!).  Warning: This post will be full of "mommy bragginess", so if you don't want to have to hear all of that, please exit stage left.

T.J. is at such a cute stage right now.  He is talking up a storm, mimicking everything we say, pulling up like crazy, moving along furniture to get to things, still crawling like it is going out of style, and standing on his own for a few seconds at a time.  Will he be walking by his first birthday?  Who knows!  I believe I walked by my first birthday, but Travis was a later bloomer on that so T.J. could go either way.  The great thing is knowing that he is progressing beautifully and growing up well.  More than anything, T.J. is a social butterfly.  He waves on a visual cue or verbal cue ("bye-bye"), claps when told to and when he gets into the rhythm of the music, and occasionally will lift his hands in the air when we say, "Praise the Lord!"  =]  He smiles at people and sings with us and just generally brings joy to people all around him.  Everything about him is my "favorite", but I would like to point out a few that might bring a smile to your face:

1. He is obsessed with Travis.  Oh. my. goodness.  When Daddy walks through that door after work, I might as well be a dirty sock lying on the floor (...well... no, I take that back... he probably would be interested in a dirty sock- gross.).  He crawls over to Trav while he waits at the door.  But this isn't just any crawling- no no!!- he puts his head down so he achieves a better wind-stream as he plows toward the front door to get to his dad.  Daddy makes him laugh and smile, and... and... where is that noise coming from?  What is that higher pitch???  Who is here????  Ohhhh!  No worries, it was just the "keeper of the boobs" talking... IGNORE!

Don't worry, though.  I love every minute of being ignored when Daddy is home- I love to see their special bond.  =]

2. T.J. will now snuggle so hard!  Oh my goodness!  He will wrap his tiny arms around our necks and bury himself into us.  Of course, sometimes this involves biting.  But don't worry, after he has cried a few times, we realize we cannot bite him so hard.

Okay, okay, before you call child services, I will say that obviously he is the one biting- derrr.  We promptly stop him from that out of well... pain.

Just the other day "our song" came on Pandora- "You'll be in My Heart" by Phil Collins from Disney's Tarzan- and he just lit up and started kicking his legs.  Thus, I began dancing with him (as I often do- it is like a dance party up in here most of the time, FYI.  Yes, it is embarrassing... yes, I sense your judgement... stop... okay fine, just judge- it is kind of weird.).  When we started dancing, he just put his arms around my neck and squeezed tightly!  So. sweet.  My heart pretty much melted (which, if you consider, is actually terrifyingly gross sounding).

3. So you know how I said that T.J. will occasionally lift his hands when we say "Praise the Lord!"?  Why am I asking you?  You can't respond.

Anyway, so on Sunday, my mom, dad, and I all had him doing that throughout the day.  He got so used to it that it became second nature.  Well, at one point we were in the car and Mom was telling Lindsey about it.  T.J. was already asleep in his car seat by this point, but, I kid you not, when my mom told my sister about it on the phone and said, "We say, 'Praise the Lord!' and yadda yadda yadda...", T.J. (IN HIS SLEEP) raised his arms instantly!  I nearly died.  Too funny- we had the poor kid so trained that he literally could do it in his sleep.

All right, well I told you I would update you on "our lives", so I guess that involves Travis and me- the boring ones of the family.  I will make this short.  We are fine.

HA!  Just kidding!  I got more for ya!  We are doing very well.  Travis is still working at Morgan Stanley, and I am still a stay-at-home momma!  I just recently got back from Tennessee where I got to enjoy the lovely crisp, cool mountain air while helping my parents decorate for Christmas (and by helping them decorate, I mean keeping T.J. from eating the garland and wreaking havoc the whole time).  Travis is still singing in a barbershop quartet and chorus and has been performing in a few gigs recently.  It is so nice to know that he can still pursue his passion for singing despite being "grown up" and in the real world.  He sings beautifully, and I don't want that to go to waste!  =]  Although, as much as I love listening to him sing barbershop and Broadway songs, etc., I think the time his voice is most beautiful to me is when he is singing lullabies to our son.  Okay, okay, I know I am corny... blah blah... ::vom::, etc., but it is true!  And if you know Travis and me at all, you know that our whole life together has been extremely corny- theatrically corny.

Anywho, so things are going fine for us!  We still are a one car family as of now, and we are still living in a two bedroom condo as of now- both blessings from the Lord!  And we are still happy- a happy little family of three!  =] 

Erica J Grant Photography

--Update me, friend!  What is new with you and your family?  Please leave a comment giving me an update or just to tell me what you thought of this post!  It would be much appreciated!--

Be Informed...

Whether you are religious or not, conservative or liberal, etc., etc., I think you would agree that part of what makes this country great is our rights- including the right to practice religion and run a company with that mindset.  And considering the fact that we are supposed to have a capitalistic economic model in this country (though we are leaning toward socialism more and more each day), this should work just fine to allow "the people" choose.  People can choose to not go to Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby, or Forever 21 because of the Christian beliefs at the core of each of those companies.  If "the people" all choose to not shop there, the companies will go out of business.  However, if people do choose to shop at those companies, they will thrive- so be it.

I as a Christian may decide not to support a company that uses "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" because I feel that "Christ" should be kept in Christmas.  I may decide as a Christian to not support companies that openly support and donate to abortion and gay rights causes.  That is, and should be, my prerogative.  If you disagree, if that "offends" you, well... I don't mean any disrespect but I really don't care if you are offended.  I stand with Christ alone.  The Bible is my belief system.  period.  I should be able to open up a business and still stand as strongly as ever with my Biblical belief system.

 Just as someone who believes in liberal causes can open up a business and run that business with those beliefs being at the core.  Donate money to those causes, shout from your business's rooftop about how much you LOVE those liberal causes for all I care!!!  If I have a problem with it, guess what?  You won't get my business...  Isn't that the way it is supposed to work?  The people decide whether or not a business survives based on how often they shop at that business or use that business's services.

...Well, I wish.

Check the article below out.  Whether or not you believe in Hobby Lobby's opinion, please try to switch out that opinion for one you believe in, and see if you agree or disagree with the government's intervention in this matter.  If you think you have an "open mind", prove it.  Try to see this situation with your own views in mind to see if you truly agree with the government's use of power- regardless of the "cause" Hobby Lobby is supporting.

Article

Our freedoms are being taken away, and we need to speak out about it.  Christians, conservatives, Tea Party-ers, where are you?  Where are you on voting day?  Where are you when your right to your beliefs is being challenged in the government?  Where are you when companies that need your support are struggling in a fight against evil?  We need to rise up with God's strength and power to fight for Biblical principles in which we believe- before you know it, we will no longer be able to "legally" believe anything from the Bible.  Our Bibles will be taken away because having them will be considered a "hate crime".  It isn't long until we will be hiding and meeting secretly to study the Bible and worship Jesus.  If you don't think that could happen, you need to get informed.  In other countries around the world, people are doing exactly what I just described... if we don't fight back, we will be in the same situation.  We are so blessed to be able to worship freely and study God's Word freely, but if we sit idly by as the government becomes more and more involved, we won't have those freedoms anymore.  Don't be so sheltered that you miss what is going on in the world- being aware is part of your responsibility as a Christian: get informed so you can fight the good fight.  Watch the news.  Read articles.  No, it isn't enjoyable to see all of the terrible things going on in the world and at home.  However, hiding from reality doesn't make it go away.  Ignoring your emptying bank account won't suddenly create funds just as ignoring the government stripping you of freedoms won't allow you to exercise those non-existent freedoms.

More government isn't good for anyone, I guarantee it.  You know who had ultimate government control?  Hitler.  Use your knowledge of history to combat against repeating it.

Ignorance may be bliss for a while, but ultimately it will lead to our demise.

A Few of My Favorite Things

WHEN THE DOOOOG BITES!!!  WHEN THE BEEEEE STINGS!!!  WHEN I'M FEELING SAAAAAD!!!  I SIMPLY REMEMBER MY FAVORITE THINGS, AND THEN I DON'T FEEEEEEEEEEL SOOOOOOO BAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so a "few" might be an understatement... are 20 things considered "a few"?  Meh, guess it doesn't matter since I am going to talk about all 20 anyway- HA!  I have provided plenty of links (look for the words in GREEN) throughout the post, so please check out the companies, recipes, websites, and people I reference.  Get psyched... here we gooooo!  =]

1. Little Green Pouch

I have to give a special shout-out to my friend, Katryna Atkins who posted about the Little Green Pouch on her Facebook.  I became curious, looked it up, fell in love, and decided to give them a try.  If you have ever seen those baby/toddler food pouches at the checkout area in the grocery store, then you know what these are.  The difference is, they are reusable, dishwasher safe, and freezer safe!  I put my own, homemade organic baby food or store bought, organic, baby yogurt in the pouches.  Once T.J. gets the hang of it, he will be able to feed himself by sucking the food out of the pouch!  It also makes it easier for us to take baby food on the go as the pouches don't spill as easily as the jars!  Check out the website by clicking.... HERE!





2. Super Girlie, Fantastically Sparkly, Princess Nail Polish of Awesomeness

This awesome nail polish that my husband so lovingly let me buy on a whim is by OPI and called "Servin' Up Sparkle".  Every princess has to have her sparkly nail polish!  =]















3. Thoughtfulness + Cinnamon

 I have always love the cinnamon brooms they 
have at the grocery store around this time of year.  Well, Travis isn't the biggest fan of them.  I saw them in the store and was tempted to buy one but didn't.  Travis stopped by the store to get something one night and came home with this yummy-smelling, harvest-tastical broom for me!  SO thoughtful- I think I love his thoughtfulness more than I love the broom!










 4. Homemade, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

Since we are the topic of harvest, what is the best part about harvest-y time?  Pumpkin Pie, of course!  My husband is gluten intolerant (as are my mom, sister, and mother-in-law), thus I needed to make sure I baked a pie he could enjoy!  This is the very first pie I have ever baked.  It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!  Even my mom, who is NOT a fan of pumpkin pie, said that it was good!  =]  So happy I didn't fail miserably- haha!!!




5. Yankee Candles

As some of you may know, my favorite thing is scents.  I have a million and one different perfumes, use Listerine like it is going out of style, never go easy on the deodorant (TMI, I know, but really... who wants to smell like B.O.?), and LOVE LOVE LOVE air fresheners and candles.  If you are a candle person, too, then you know that the best smelling longest lasting scented candles are Yankee candles.  They are delish!  Recently, they had a buy 2 get 2, so my sister and I (being the brilliant women we are) decided to go halfsies each buying one and thus each getting one.  Then I had a fun, cheesy idea- I have those sometimes... and by sometimes I mean always- of each picking one for ourselves and picking one for the other person.  I chose "Pumpkin Buttercream" for myself and for Lindsey.  She picked "Be Thankful" for me and... derp... forgot the one she got for herself (comment with the answer, por favor, Lindsey).  I am pretty much obsessed at an unhealthy level.

6. Cheap Frames

Hobby Lobby, I want to thank you for having a 50% sale on lots of adorable frames.  I also would like this chance to berate you: STOP HAVING SO MUCH AWESOME, FUN STUFF THAT I WANT TO BUY!!!  MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES YA KNOW!!!  WELL... IT ACTUally kinda does... considering that paper money is made out of... well... paper...





7. Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Botanical Cleaner (boy that was a mouthful!)

This is a cleaner that is botanical ("of, pertaining to, made from, or containing plants"- thanks www.dictionary.com!) so it can be used on surfaces where food is placed without having to be rinsed first.  If you look at a lot of your all-purpose cleaners, the packaging will instruct you to rinse surfaces (after using the product) that come in direct contact with food.  This is due to chemicals and such.  Well, with a baby around, with a highchair, and with making my own baby food where some of the ingredients may be lying on my counters before using them, I really appreciate having a cleaner that I can trust to be safe after simply spraying and wiping- no rinsing required.  It even says that if you need to disinfect using it, you can spray the area needing disinfecting, leave it to dry, and then not need to rinse it!  Awesome. stuff.  Not to mention, I LOVE the lemongrass citrus scent- it is so mild and clean smelling without smelling "chemically".  LOVE this stuff- I highly recommend it!


8. Chai Tea

Chai Tea with a little milk and honey makes for a delicious morning!  Yummmm!  =]  Simply put, it tastes like Christmas in a mug!  If you haven't tried it, you are missing out, my friend... or random reader I don't really know.  =]

9. Autumn Decor

Remember how I told you that I love candles?  If not, please refer to #5 and from here on out, please pay better attention.  Well, I fell in LOVE with this Yankee Candle three pumpkin tea light decoration.  Later on, I found a similar (but I little blinged out with some beads) single pumpkin tea light decoration at Michael's arts and craft store.  I snagged that sucker to Autumn-up my guest bathroom!  Love me some Autumn decor!

10. Will Power

Can I just say that the only way I have managed to become nearly 15 lbs lower than my pre-pregnancy weight (and nearly 20 lbs lower than my post pregnancy maintained weight for many months) is by the grace of God?  He is the only one who could bestow upon me ANY amount of willpower because I, in and of myself, have not a lick of it!  Thank you, Jesus, for being there to help me every step of the way with my weight loss!  Without You, I couldn't be doing it!  I feel so much better and healthier! =]


11. A Morning Bible Study

Speaking of health, the most important thing is spiritual health- being close to Jesus Christ.  When I start my day with getting in the Word, my day goes better.  It isn't necessarily that there are no trials, but God equips me to deal with the trials better.  I am currently working on Beth Moore's Breaking Free Bible study.  Add a cup of tea or coffee and it is a beautiful thing.  =]






12. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

-Boil pumpkin seeds in one quart of water with two tablespoons of salt for 10-15 minutes.
-Dry said pumpkin seeds.
-Rub an obscene amount of butter on the baking sheet.
-Toss pumpkin seeds in the butter (on the sheet) and lay them out in one layer on the sheet.
-Roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
-Salt to your liking.
-Eat your body weight in delicious pumpkin seeds.



13. Pumpkins

'Nough said.

14. T.J.'s Pooh Bear Outfit

Ummm, what's not to love?  ...It's stinking adorable!  "Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff!"  =]
















15. Cooking With My Hubby

We made our fun, Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers together- fun and yummy!  =]  Want to try them next Halloween?  Find the recipe HERE!  Bon appetit!

16. A Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte 

As much as I ADORE Starbucks and its Pumpkin Spice Latte, paying over $4 a pop for a drink wasn't working out for me.  Some nights, if you listened really hard, you could hear the soft sobs from our budget.  Thus, I decided to try a homemade version of this delicious Autumn treat!








17. Carving Pumpkins

Better late than never!  Travis and I carved our pumpkins on November 2nd!  Although that may seem silly because we completely missed Halloween, we did it!  Why?  Because we bought the pumpkins already and we wanted to carve them this year.  So... why not?  Sometimes it doesn't matter WHEN, just as long as it happens.  We don't want to miss out on something fun just because we missed the proper date!  We wouldn't not celebrate a birthday because we couldn't celebrate it on the actual date.  We still had a blast!  =]

18. My Handsome Hubby

I luff him!  =}  He is a sweetheart and so selfless.  He works hard at Morgan Stanley and then comes home and helps with T.J. and the condo.  He is a sweet, loving, and God-fearing man who also happens to be QUITE the hunk!  ;]














19. My Sweet Baby Bear

Our son T.J. has brought unspeakable joy into our lives.  He is not only adorable, but he also has the greatest personality!  He is sweet, easy-going, and already compassionate- even at 9 1/2 months!  He is truly a gift from the Lord.  We have been immensely blessed.







20. Jesus!

This may seem cliche, but with CHRISTmas quickly approaching (Yes, I know that we haven't even hit Thanksgiving yet, but trust me, Christmas will be here before you know it!), it is imperative that we remember the "reason for the season".  However, we need to be thinking about Jesus throughout the year.  He is the reason for our salvation.  He bore the weight of the world's sins on His shoulders and spent a moment dying in darkness separated from His Father.  All of this He did for you, the world, and me.  He should be everyone's "favorite thing"!  If you haven't given your life to Him, please take some time to get to know about Him and what He has done for you by reading the Gospel of John.

BAM!

Mrs. MIA

Hey everyone!  I know I have been kind of MIA recently in the bloggerdom, but I am a relatively new mom so give me a break!  ;]  A lot has happened over the past nine months.  Let's take a look, shall we:

1. I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy, T.J.  He is the cutest baby in the whole wide world if you were wondering... and no, I am not biased at ALL!!!!  ;] Heehee!!

2. T.J. is now crawling QUICKLY, babbling up a STORM, getting into trouble, learning to respond to "no", pulling up on occasion, and saying "T.J" when we encourage him.

3. He has graduated to the big bath.  =[  His little blow-up ducky bath just isn't cuttin' it anymore.

4. He is eating Cheerio-like organic puffs and organic cheese/veggie puffs.

5. He is drinking water from a sippy cup.

6. Travis has been in production (no longer in training) at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for almost a year (employed there for almost a year and a half).

7. Fall decor is up!  (Has been since probably before September but SHHH!)

8. We've already made our Tennessee Christmas plans where T.J. will hopefully get to play in some snow!

9. I am listening to Christmas music.  Your judgement will not help my addiction... I have been listening since August 1st (be happy I held off that long... yes... I know...).

10. I have been learning the guitar- I think I am actually doing pretty well if I do say so myself!  =]

11. I have been making a solid effort to read more books and watch less TV.  It is going well!  Since the beginning of this year I have finished a total of 8 books and am currently working on two (one fiction, one nonfiction).  I want T.J. to grow up in a home where he sees Mom and Dad on the couch reading together, not watching TV.  This is part of the reason we try to read multiple times to him a day.

12. Travis and I have started making monthly goals: 4 for me, 4 for him, and 4 for us.  This has really helped me to keep on track!

13. In more recent news, T.J. has plagiocephaly due to torticollis.  =[  It is simply a cosmetic issue, but we are going to get him started with a helmet because he is a boy and it will be more noticeable on him.  Stay tuned for cute pictures in the next month of my adorable baby bear sportin' his awesome helmet like a football star!  =]

14. I have been trying to get in some quiet time/Bible Study recently.  I need to get closer to the Lord, and without getting into His Word, there won't be much growth.  I am returning to my Beth Moore study, Breaking Free.  I didn't complete a lot of it before, so I am trying to go through it again with some more success this time.

15. I now weigh over 15 lbs less than I did when I got pregnant with T.J.!  I fit into some of my size 4 stuff, and I am feeling awesome!  Nothing more encouraging and empowering than when you can say "NO!" to a chocolate cupcake, etc.!  I figured now was the perfect time to lose the weight since I am still breastfeeding.  An extra 500 calories lost each day without having to do anything?  Don't mind if I do!  =]

I think fifteen is good, don't you?  Oh wait, dang!  I forgot one thing... ugh, there goes my nice little 15 point list.  Grrr...

16. I made a full card set for someone!  For those of you who don't know, I have launched my Facebook page for my little homemade card company, Cards for Cool Cats!  Wellllll, my husband's Aunt D is going to be undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer beginning October 11th (prayers are appreciated).  My mother-in-law asked me to make a set of 12 thank you cards for D to send out to people who send her things and show her kindness during this tough time.  It took me two days, but I finished 12 unique cards (none are the same) and a pretty little box to store them.  Please check out the Facebook page to see the full set: https://www.facebook.com/CardsForCoolCats.

All right, that should tie things up nicely.  =]  Hope you enjoyed my little update.  Just to keep myself accountable and you interested (PSH!  As if I NEED to try to keep you interested... I mean, I KNOW you have just been sitting there anxious for the past month WAITING for me to post again, right?  ...hello...?), I will give you a little heads up as to what the next post will be about... stinkin' preposition.

Heads Up
It's a bird!  It's a plane!  It's a POST!!!

Up next is "A Few of My Favorite Things": I will post a few pictures and descriptions of a few of my current favorite things ("current"... I am so fickle sometimes...), and then you can share some of your favorite things in the comment section.  We shall then battle to the DEATH over whose favorite things are better!!!!!  Muhuhahahahah!!!!  ...sorry... did I mention that 3 of the books I read were the Hunger Games trilogy?  kthanksbye!  =]

---Pretty please with sugar on top show me some love by giving me some feedback in the comment section and also by utilizing the "like" and"dislike" buttons (P.S. "Like" is the correct choice, btw... just... fyi... in case, you know, you were wondering...).  I would love to hear an update about your life- tell me what's been going on with you and your fam!  Toodles!---