Peoria on my mind

Hayden and I had a fun weekend in Peoria!!!  Well, let me rephrase that.  Hayden, truth be told, had quite a miserable weekend, but I didn't let that dampen the time spent with my sister and her family.  Our flights to Dallas and then to Peoria went well.  She slept and nursed on both flights, so she was really good and quiet. 

We arrived at the airport and were greeted by Aunt Miley, looking cute with her new short haircut and already a skinny minny after giving birth a little over 2 months ago.  When we got to their house, Avery immediately gave out some sweet kisses.

And here's Hudson Allen, the sweetest, most laid-back boy in the world! 

He and Hayden got to know each other a little bit better.  Miley and I were laughing about the differences in their skin color... Hudson's got this gorgeous olive coloring.  Hayden's about as white as they come! 

Eric's twin brother and his wife and little girl were in town from Florida, so it was great hanging out with them.  About four hours after we arrived, Hayden threw up during her nap, and immediately I thought of Jax's vomiting two days earlier.  That's the only vom session she had, but then that night her eye matted up, and the next morning her other eye was horribly swollen.  Lovely... pink eye! 

I quarantined her as best I could from Avery and Hudson and disinfected everything she came in contact with.  It was so hard telling Avery not to touch her baby cousin on the face or hands.  She looked at me like, 'But why? I love her!' Avery was quite the helper around their house.  She is such a good big sister, is potty-training like a champ, and has a forced, open-mouthed belly laugh that's to die for.  Since I didn't have Emerson and Jax to take care of, I felt like I got to know her better on this trip and really see who she is as a little person. 

We spent some time in the swimming pool, walked around the neighborhood, shopped at the mall, I cut Miley's hair a little shorter, and for the most part we just relaxed and caught up.  Eric grilled some mean shish-kabobs, and I chowed on PW's pig cake that Miley made.  Yummy! 

Here are a few more pics from the weekend.

I miss my sister terribly!  It's wonderful vacations like this that make me so sad that we live 9 hours from each other.  Jason and I have presented them with all manner of scenarios to get them to move to Tulsa.  I might have to resort to kidnapping soon.  

Puke, Puke Everywhere

Poor Jaxey threw up twice today.  It was so unexpected.  He was a little whinier and clingier than normal this morning, so I went upstairs with him and Emerson after I put Hayden down for her morning nap.  All he wanted to do was sit on my lap and let me love on him.  That should've been clue #1 because he's usually waaaay too busy to let me snuggle him. 

At lunch, he looked like he couldn't keep his eyes open, and all of a sudden he started saying, "More food, more FOOOOD!"  Up came his lunch.  All over his plate, on the table, on his chair, on the floor.  The precious boy just sat there and cried while I tried to clean him up.  Emerson started giggling which I quickly and sternly put a stop to.  When I had stripped him down to his undies, I asked him if he wanted to go to his nap, and he said yes.  That should've been clue #2 that this wasn't going to be a one-and-done.

After they got up from their nap, they were upstairs playing.  I was nursing Hayden on the couch when I heard Jax yelling my name.  Then I heard a strange sound... almost like the pitter-patter of raindrops.  What I, in fact, was hearing was the pitter-pat of barf falling to the wood floor from the top of the stairs.  I had to lay Hayden down, she's screaming, and I run to the stairway.  Jaxeypoo was standing on the 2nd step from the top, holding his bwoo bwankie (now covered in vomitus), crying his eyes out.

I ran to him, and Emerson quickly pointed out that this was the second time that Jax had 'throwed up' today.  Thank you, Emerson.  I spent the next 10 minutes vacuuming puke out of the carpet, spot-treating the stains, and mopping the wood floor below.  Luckily Emerson was requesting to practice her letter sounds, so I got her set up on my laptop and tried my best to comfort Jax while nursing Hayden who was HACKED that I had made her wait 10 minutes. 

I've got my fingers crossed that he's through throwing up.  There's almost nothing worse than waking from REM to change barfy sheets in the middle of the night.  Am I right or am I right???

Weekend Recap

On Friday night our friends the Leyvas came over for dinner. It had been way too long since we had all hung out.  Because their three girls are basically the exact same ages as our three, they completely understand how insane life is right now!  We treasure the time we get to spend with them.  Here is a pic of the babies and babydaddies.

On the potty-training front, Jax is doing really well.  He's not to the point of telling me he needs to go yet, but every hour-and-a-half or so, I take him and he goes.  He finally started relaxing last week and going #2 on a regular basis. 

Tonight Jason is doing his annual fireworks show for Tulsa FBC.  He's been doing it for a good five or six years now, on the property of a family friend in Broken Arrow.  He and his friend Randy (aka Bull) and Uncle Trav are lighting some high-powered fireworks, and every year I pray he comes home with all his fingers intact.  As he was leaving, I told him I didn't want him coming home wearing an eyepatch, either.  Thankfully they wear safety goggles and gloves, but it still makes me nervous. 

I took the kids to CiCi's Pizza tonight just to get out of the house and to keep it cheap.  Each of them ate 3 pieces of pizza and were asking for more.  Unbelievable!  I think they're both going through some serious growth spurts right now... it's like I can't fill their bellies fast enough.  Hayden has been spitting up more than usual the last two days.  I'm wondering if her teeth are finally about to spring forth, since I haven't been eating any dairy or anything unusual that would've triggered it.  

On Thursday Hayden and I are flying to Peoria to see Miley, Eric, Avery and baby Hudson!  I can't wait!  Hayden & Hudson... doesn't that just sound so cute?!  Hayden has become quite the little jet-setter, travelling once a month for the last three months.  I have my fingers crossed that her teething won't be a major issue on the plane.  

Below are pictures of one of Emerson and Jax's favorite things in the whole world.  Sometimes we wait in the front yard for Daddy to come home, and occasionally he'll ask them if they'd like to go for a ride.  He takes each of them for a spin around the block on his lap, and they get to hold the steering wheel.  It is a BIG DEAL.  I caught each of them in a picture, and the last one makes me smile.  Jaxeypoo is waiting his turn for his ride, wearing his training underpants.   

Happy Fourth of July! 

I'm Gonna DO IT.

Today's the day.  I am beginning the climb toward getting my body back. 

I have lost all 40 pounds that I put on with pregnancy, plus 3 more.  The thing is, those 43 have come off without my intentional focus and with no exercise.  So now I have to actually work at it.  Bummer. 

This morning Jason and I got up at 5 a.m. and started P90X.  We did the Chest & Back DVD, and those push-ups and pull-ups kicked my rear.  I only gave about 70% effort... I know better than to push myself to the max and risk a reduction in my milk supply.  I'm also going to have to make sure I eat enough during the day, which is sometimes hard to do.

This is a heartfelt farewell to the old me, the heavy and flabby version of myself that I've known for way too long now.  I have no unrealistic goals for my new self... I have no doubt that my boobs will never be their perky selves again and that my leftover baby belly will never morph into the flat, washboard stomach I once had.  With this I have made peace.  Perky ta-tas and a six-pack mean nothing compared to the three people I brought into this world and fed for their first year of life. 

What I haven't made peace with is the 20 pounds I now face.  The 20 pounds that stand between me and the weight at which I feel like myself.  The 20 pounds that stand between me and my favorite pair of jeans that have been hanging in my closet for years now, staring me in the face and mocking me each time I look at them.  I refuse to stay at this weight and become one of those women who are in their 40s or 50s, blaming their weight on their children.  I mean, come on. 

My plan is simple: eat well and exercise.  Isn't it amazing that that's all it really takes?  For any of us? 

I simply want to look and feel my best, and I know myself well enough to know I can't do that at this weight.  Call it vanity, call it pride, but I'm better than this. 

So here's to a new beginning, a reclaiming of my thinner self. 

Watch out, jeans.  Here I come. 
  

Scenes from lunchtime

Lunchtime is always fun around here.  It usually begins with Emerson asking, at around 11:15, "Mommy?  What are we having for lunch?"  Jax then pipes in, "Mommy, what we haffing for yunch?"  I pretty much always answer, "I'm not sure yet.  We'll have to see."  Then begins my magician-like production of some sort of a healthy lunch concocted from all sorts of odds and ends in the fridge and pantry.  I used to be so good about meal planning my kids' lunches, but that has all fallen by the wayside since Hayden was born.  I have a feeling I'll get back to it, but I'm giving myself grace right now.

I think the fact that it's summer has a lot to do with it, too.  I'm grilling lean cuts of meat for most of our dinners, so I don't have any casserole leftovers for lunches.  So, most days it's a sandwich of some sort, a veggie, and a fruit.  Exciting!  I'm guessing Emerson asks what's on the menu each day with a secret hope that one of these days I'll once again produce some thrilling lunch fare.  Perhaps when the weather cools off...

Here they are proudly showing me the peanut butter they dip their celery in.  Technically, Jax doesn't actually have any peanut butter on his finger, but that doesn't stop him from getting in on the fun.

And here's Baby Hane getting in on the fun as well.  She's strong enough to start using the booster/activity thingy, and she's having a blast being eye level with her siblings.  This smile of hers ranks pretty high on my joy meter as of late.  It's the same smile she gives right before her best giggles spring forth. 

And one last picture... I found a recipe online for some healthy popsicles a few weeks ago and made them with Emerson and Jax.  All you do is cut a banana in half vertically and put a popsicle/craft stick in each half.  Then dip the banana in yogurt (I buy plain yogurt from Aldi and blend with strawberries and honey) and roll in Cheerios.  I froze them for a few hours and they turned out great.  Yummy, healthy, summertime snack!   

Houston & Father's Day Recap

Houston was fabulous!  Well, almost.  Hayden experienced teething at its worst all weekend long, so she cried quite a bit, even with Orajel and an occasional dose of Tylenol in her system.  Poor baby.  But the flights weren't too bad, and hanging with Lisa for 48 hours was so much fun! 

We spent time shopping at a great mall, found a Sephora (a tradition we always stick to), hung out at her house, went to Ikea (my first time), picked up her new Ford Edge (gorgeous!), snuck in a few Sonic drinks, and ate at the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to.  Hands down.  We had beef fajitas that were sent straight from heaven.  Oh wow, I'm still thinking about the fajitas.  I have inserted a picture of them below, mainly so that I can come back to this post from time to time and relive their deliciousness in my mind. 

Dida, thank you for letting us come see you!  I miss you dearly, but this will get me through until the next time you come to T-Town. 

We had a great Father's Day at our house yesterday.  Emerson and Jax woke Daddy up with his Father's Day card and some sweet kisses.  After church and lunch, the kids napped while Jason lounged on the couch watching the U.S. Open (I was excited to see Rory McIlroy win, by the way... only 22 years old... it was precious to watch footage of him and his Dad, and it's nice to root for an up-and-comer now that Tiger's off my radar). 

I snuck out to pick up some groceries for a dessert and wash and vacuum Jason's car.  Since I got home Saturday evening from Houston, I didn't have time to marinate my own ribs, so I picked up Rib Crib ribs on the way home, and Pa-Pa, MeMaw and Uncle Trav joined us for dinner.  We sat and watched the kids play in their new Lightning McQueen sprinkler, courtesy of Uncle Trav.  It's funny how entertaining it is just to sit on the porch and watch children play.  I guess it's the unpredictability of what they're going to say or do.

Here are some pictures from the day.  Emerson and I took silly pictures of ourselves, Daddy got some snuggle time in with his girls, and he posed with his Father's Day ties the kids made him at church. 

At lunch, I thought it would be fun to ask Emerson and Jax why they love Daddy on Father's Day.  Emerson replied, "He's so handsome."  Jax replied, "Why???"

I asked again and Emerson answered, "Because I love to take care of him."  Jax answered, "Because I said so." 
Happy Father's Day to the head of our household, the fierce protector of his babies, the man who loves with everything in him.