Resolutions - Month 2

I can't believe that February came and went so quickly.  I feel like I just wrote my first resolution update yesterday, but it was over a month ago.  And it hardly seems like two months have past since I first wrote my New Year's resolutions. 

February was a crazy month for me.  I was at school 12+ hours a day on many occasions.  That's what parent/teacher conferences, working on a teacher leadership group presentation for the school board, and planning a trip abroad for students will do to you...oh yeah, and just trying to keep up with my kids on a daily basis!!  ;)  However, even with all of the time I spent away from home, I don't think I did all too badly.  I'm sure you'll see where I slacked...

• Weight loss - Still down 4 pounds, but that's all.  The first thing to go when I got busy was my gym routine that I've had since November.  At least I didn't gain anything back...Gotta look at the bright side, right?!?!?!
• Being a better organizer/housekeeper - This has been pretty easy actually.  I'm in a great routine, and M is helping me out a lot.  I feel so much more together now!!
• Spending more quality time with M - I was embarrassed that I did so poorly at this in January, especially when I found out that M read my update on February 1 where I admitted that I did a terrible job at keeping this resolution.  I am HAPPY to say that I think I made up for it in February.  We were home a lot more this month, which made it much easier.  We also hired a babysitter on TWO separate occasions so that we could get out together: once for a Badger Hockey game that M won tickets to, and once for a friend's birthday party.  It was so nice to hang out together more again.  I think it's just what we needed!
• Making more quality time for myself - I feel like I put myself on the back burner a little more this month, but partially because of all of my work obligations.  When I'm not getting home until 7:00 or 8:00, then frantically trying to spend a minute or two with Evie before bed, then picking up around the house, saying hi to M, and thinking about maybe working out (see weight loss goal, I only thought about working out...), sleep became my "me" time.  March is a lot less busy, and the first week of April is spring break.  It will be easier to take care of myself this month.  

I feel like I can keep 3 of my 4 resolutions without really trying, but there is always something that doesn't seem to fit.  Even though I'm not reaching the level I'd like to each month, I really do feel better about myself.  I just have to keep working at it.  I know that simply by trying, I'm better for my family, my job, and myself!!  

Resolutions - 1 month in

At the beginning of January I wrote a list of 4 goals to work at in 2012.  It's one month later, and I've actually been doing pretty well.  I thought that writing a follow-up post would help keep me honest.

So, here are my results:

• Weight loss: I'm officially down 4 pounds from January 3rd.  That is about halfway to my goal of losing 9 pounds. I've been watching what I eat and I've been working out a lot more.  I joined the gym in town back in November, and I've been going to step classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and  Saturdays.  I've been walking/running on the treadmill on the other days after Evie goes to bed.  It's become a habit and I'm really noticing a difference.
• Staying organized: I've been keeping up on housework much better.  M has been helping by staying out of my way (and keeping Evie out of my way) every Sunday so that I can put the house in order for the upcoming week.  That way, I just have to spot check throughout the week.  It's been working for us, and I feel a lot better about coming home to a de-cluttered house.
• Making more time for myself:  I actually feel like I've been doing pretty well with this.  I thought that this would be the hardest one for me to keep, but going to workout is a total stress reliever for me, and I feel better about myself for doing it.  So, I guess exercising has killed two birds with one stone!
• Making more time for M: I'm embarrassed to admit that this is the goals that I've had the hardest time with.  We've been out of town for 5 of the last 6 weekends, and that really cuts into the amount of time that M and I spend together. When we're around, we stay up "late" (10:30, alert the authorities!!!) and watch TV and just hang out together.  It may be a little lame, but I look forward to it.  Things will settle down here in February, and I'm hoping to have a better report about this goal at the beginning of March.  

Most people don't keep their resolutions past January 31, so I just have to keep plugging away at it.  Writing them on here has helped.  It's always in the back of my mind.  ;)

Best Day Ever

In keeping with two of my  new year's resolutions, I had a very busy day.  M's family had one last Christmas celebration back in him hometown today.  It kind of came up last minute due to some health issues with his grandma (nothing serious, she just couldn't host everyone last weekend like she had originally planned.)  Our house was a wreck and I had a ton of school work to do.  M mentioned on Friday night that I should just stay home today, rather than spending 3 hours in a car round-trip, plus however much time they spent at his grandma's.

So, just to shock everyone in our house, I decided to take him up on the offer.  I spent about 6 hours in my home today, just me and the dog.  This is the longest amount of time I have been in my house by myself since July 23, 2010.  The 3 other times in the past 18 months (I'm not exaggerating, there are really only 3 other times since Evie was born) that I have been home alone have been for no longer than about 30 minutes.  That took care of one of my resolutions...I took some time for myself, and I didn't feel guilty about it.  :)

The other resolution was keeping the house decluttered.  In the 6 hours I was here by myself, I spent 3 and half of them cleaning.  I put away Christmas decorations, cleaned out the microwave (boy, did it need to be cleaned...yuck!), cleaned the showers and tubs, reorganized Evie's room, and did a once over of the rest of the house.  

While I may have made some MAJOR progress with 2 resolutions, I took a step back with another one (losing a little weight).  After I got done cleaning, I felt like I needed a reward for all of my effort and I ate my favorite meal from college.  I used to eat a noodle side dish as a meal more often than I'd like to admit. I never do this anymore; I actually ran over to the grocery store to pick this up because I had a craving.

That's right, I ate the whole thing.

I ate the entire box from one of my favorite bowls, which I still have from my freshman year of college.  It is huge and I used to fill it to the brim with cereal.  I may have indulged, but it felt so good to sit on my couch, without a toddler pulling at my leg trying to steal my food, while watching a Lifetime movie on TV.

Best bowl ever.  Yes, I have an emotional attachment to a plastic bowl.

When M and Evie got home, I felt like a new person.  I am a better mother when I take some time for myself.  I've always known this, but today really reminded me that I have to do this more often.  Here's to keeping my resolutions for a little while longer. ;)

P.S.  I've been hearing a lot about flylady.net lately.  Does anyone use her program?  Have you had luck with it?  It seems like something that could work for me, so I'd like to hear some reviews!

So I never make resolutions....

That's not entirely true.  I usually make New Year's resolutions, but only in my head, so there is no fear of ridicule if I don't follow through.

Well this year will be different.  I am announcing my resolutions publicly in hopes that it will help me follow through.  Resolutions are really just goals in my opinion.  I'm good about keeping goals in my professional life, but it's time to make a few changes in my personal life.  

So, here are a few of the things I'd like to accomplish in 2012:

• Lose 9 pounds - I'll start with the one that's totally cliché.  This is the amount of weight I gained since I began cutting back on breastfeeding Evie in September.  Nine pounds is not life altering, but my jeans will fit much better without it, and I know what I have to do to lose it....(EAT. LESS. FOOD.) 
• Keep my house in better shape - We're not dirty, just cluttered...I'd like to become uncluttered in 2012.  
• Spend more quality time with M - We hit a rough patch through late fall and things are definitely better, but I don't want us to go through that again.  
• Spend more quality time with myself - I am the classic case of "mother must do everything for her child and forget that her needs exist."  It's taken a toll on my mental health (and my marriage, see above) in the past few months.  I am going to take people up on their offers to help out and I'm not going to stress about it.  This goal will definitely be the hardest one for me to keep, but probably the most important one too. 

 So there you have it.  I think that I might write a few check-in posts about these, just to keep myself honest.  2011 was a year of crazy ups and downs at our house.  I was 2012 to be more ups than downs.  I think that these goals will help make that happen.

Of course, everyone is determined on January 2nd.  ;)

Does anyone out there make resolutions?  Have you ever kept them??

Need. To. Eat Better.

I was very lucky that I lost all of my pregnancy weight, plus an additional 20 pounds (thanks, breastfeeding!) after Evie was born.  I've been cutting back Evie's feedings since the end of June, and I can definitely tell a difference with my eating/weight.   After 9 months of pregnancy, and 12 months of breastfeeding, I have developed some pretty awful eating habits.  I've gained about 3 pounds since the end of the school year, which I know isn't much, but I don't want to start a pattern.

I was never a work out junkie, but I've always been pretty active.  In college I got into running quite a bit, and it has always been my go-to weight loss tool.  I bought a jogging stroller and started running this spring, but I didn't feel like it was making much of a difference.  This summer, I've been working out with a teacher from my school who is also a personal trainer.  He taught a summer school class for students and other teachers, and it's amazing.  We do weight training and cardio, and it ROCKS!  But....I still don't feel like it's making a difference.  (Other than the muscle definition, which is awesome.) 


I'm not really trying to lose weight.  I'm at the lowest weight I've been since high school, but I'd really like to maintain that.  Working out alone isn't going to cut it anymore.  I need to start eating better, especially eating reasonable portion sizes.  That has always been my downfall.  Whether it's healthy or unhealthy food, I eat A LOT of it.

Going back to my pre-pregnancy weight would not be the end of the world.  I wasn't overweight before.  I own jeans in sizes 4 - 12 from all of my different weight fluctuations over the past couple of years.  (I could open my own store, or else I'd be a very popular garage sale stop!  LOL!)  If I want to stay on the lower end of those sizes, I know I'm going to have to start watching what I eat.  I guess it's time to buckle down.  Ugh....

Breastfeeding Body Changes

This week's Breastfeeding Blog Hop topic is "Body Changes" associated with breastfeeding.  For me, there have only been a few significant changes, but I think there will be more to come with weaning. 

First was the weight loss.  I was ASTONISHED at how quickly I lost my pregnancy weight, and then some.  I gained 40 pounds during my pregnancy, and I've lost 60 pounds since little miss was born.  I was back at my pre-pregnancy weight by the time Evie was 3 months old, and I lost the last 20 pounds by the time she was 6 months.  I didn't do much other than breast feed.  I went on a lot of walks on my maternity leave, and I also had to cut out dairy because of her milk allergy, but I wasn't actively trying to lose the weight.  Selfishly, I am nervous that I will gain it all back when I wean her, but I know that there are worse things that could happen.  And to be honest, I wasn't really unhappy with my pre-pregnancy weight.

I was very fortunate that AF didn't show her ugly face for quite a while.  I didn't get my first postpartum period until Evie was 8 months old.  I didn't miss it AT ALL!!  Now, every time she shows up my supply tanks.  She also has this really annoying habit of being COMPLETELY unpredictable.  

I had a hard time in the beginning adjusting to the idea that my body was not mine.  Obviously, I experienced this while pregnant too, but for some reason, it felt more noticeable when I began breastfeeding.  I think it was the idea of having another human, that I could actually see, latched to me practically 24/7.  Now that I'm beginning to wean, I am almost nostalgic for that time...Thanks, momnesia!  LOL.

Lastly is the boobies.  I was never an incredibly well endowed chica to start off, but as I'm beginning to cut down on feedings, I feel like the girls are shrinking by the day.  I know that some of this probably has to do with the weight loss too, but I'm getting a little worried.  I was a respectable B cup before, and I don't think that those bras are going to fit anymore.  I have joked (really joking, I would never actually do this) to M that we could use the money we saved breastfeeding so that I can get a boob job when I'm done.  Of course, he hasn't said anything about it, one way or the other.  ;)

Overall, most of the body changes that I have had due to breastfeeding have been positive, and I would never give up breastfeeding just to prevent the few negative changes.