30 Years 30 Goals-March Update

Didn't Even Think About It: #5, #6, #8, #9, #11, #12, #13, #14, #19, #20, #21, #23, #29
Completed:  #4, #3

1. Run 5-5ks
No 5ks this month but I did register for two new ones...one in April and one in June.  I have also began running again after taking a short break to do the 30-day Shred. 

2.  Complete Outlander Series by Diana Galbadon.
No progress here...in fact I never even opened "Fiery Cross" this month.

3.  Get into a consistent routine of exercising at least three times a week.
Definitely did this during the month of March I am actually counting this as completed since I feel this has been pretty consistent over the past few months.  

7.  Lose at least 15 pounds
10 lbs down, 5 more to go!  Then I will set a new goal :)

10.  Plan and Carry Out a date night with John once a month
We had a "date vacation" this month.  Our five days away make up for missing it the past 3 months :) Check back soon for some photos from the trip.  

15.  Be up to date on photo books
Shutterfly sent me coupon code for a free book so it motivated me to do one on our trip to Omaha.

16.  Read 4 non-fiction books
I finally finished Healthy Tipping Point this month. I also started two new ones:  How to Talk so Your Kids Will Listen and Listen so Your Kids Will Talk  and The Happiness Project.

17.  Have an Elsie outing once a month
We went to a couple of library story times and the day before we left for our trip I had a day all about her.  We went to a storyteller put on by the library and spent some time at the park.  You can read about it here.

18.  Take the camper out 5 times this summer

Haven't taken it out yet but getting very anxious to do so.  I would like to take some time in the next week or so to get it ready for the summer.  

22.  Host a game night at our house.
Completed this goal this month and it was so much fun.  I hope to do it again!!  Maybe a summer game night or something like that.  You can read about the night here. 

25.  Find a cause I want to support and start a volunteer relationship.
I actually found a place I wanted to volunteer.  This is with the local county conservation department.  I saw in the paper they were looking for volunteers for their trails committee and I contacted them but havent' heard anything back yet.  

27.  Do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.
I completed the "Shred" this month.  I will have to say I didn't do it quite like the video or myself intended but life gets busy ya know.  My goal was to do it until we left for Puerto Rico which was last Wednesday, March 20th.  I did okay for level one and two but only did one level three the Saturday before we left.  You can check out my daily entries.  

28.  Make 5:30 my standard wake up time and 10:00 my standard bedtime.
I did not do so well with this goal this month.  I would say about half the nights I go to bed by 10:00 and half the mornings I am up by 5:30.

30.  Twice a month call a family member or friend to chat.
Yep

Week in Review-3.22.13

1.  Happy Birthday Brandi!  This past week on the 20th was Brandi's birthday.  We left that day for Puerto Rico but Elsie got to celebrate with her by meeting them for dinner along with Grandma Bev and Grandpa Dale!

2.  Happy Birthday Magda! On the 19th was another very special birthday!  It was Magda's birthday.  Of course we were unable to celebrate with her but thought about her throughout the day.

3.  A lot of time this week was spent preparing to leave our little girl while we went on a trip to Puerto Rico.  It was a little difficult for me to think about leaving her but I know she had so much fun playing with her Grandmas and Grandpas while we were gone.

4.  Well John and I took a little work trip to Puerto Rico.  It was really nice to get away and relax just the two of us.  It really gave me a bit of spring fever and I hope our spring gets here soon.

5.  We celebrated Aubrey's birthday on Saturday 3.16.13.  I can't believe she is one already!  This year has just flown by!  Happy Birthday Little Miss Aubrey!

6.  This past weekend my good friend Randi and her little girl Taylor came and stayed with us for a night.  They came down for Aubrey's birthday party.  It was so good to catch up with Randi and see Taylor and Elsie have so much fun together despite their age difference.  I wish we could see them more often!  Thanks for visiting!

7.  Photos of Elsie throughout the week:

I had packed up a bunch of her pacifiers for her when she went to stay with Grandma Bev and Grandpa Dale and put them in a bag.  Well she found them and looked up at me so excited as if she struck gold.  I had to distract her with food to get them all away from her without her throwing a fit!  

And of course, Elsie is still loving Cinder.  

Week in Review - 3.29.13

1.  This is how my week started.  Enjoying mojitos on the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  It was beautiful and relaxing but it was great to get home and see our little Elsie Belsie.  

2.  I had book club Monday night.  Although I would have loved to stay home and catch up on laundry and relax at home after getting home on Sunday evening but I know how much I enjoy seeing all the girls and catching up.  It was a great night at Kara's!  We actually discussed the book a little this time around and talked about other books we are currently reading.  Last month's book was Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, which I read in one day while laying on the beach.  This month's book is Before I Go to Sleep.  Should be interesting and looking forward to reading it.

3.  Most of the week was spent catching up on stuff that we missed while we were gone.  Not a whole lot that was exciting.

4.  I started running again in preparation for my upcoming 5k-The SCAVMA Scamper on April 21st.  I mentioned to John that this race is one that he might consider coming and watching along with Elsie.  It is open to both runners and their dogs.  Elsie is in LOVE with dogs right now and gets so excited if she see one in a picture, on TV, or outside so I think she will enjoy watching all the dogs run by.

5.  Elsie and I did a little shopping this week.  She actually kept these bunny ears on longer than 5 minutes in the store.  haha.  On Friday I took her to the mall to see if she would take a picture with the Easter Bunny but that was a big fail.  I figured it would be but it thought I would give it a try.  She wouldn't even leave my arms.

6.  It was absolutely beautiful by the end of this week.  Friday we went for a walk with Lisa and Greta.  Somewhere along the way we lost Ducky (Elsie's little stuffed ducky animal).  So we retraced our steps all the way almost home and we found him.  Someone stuck him in a tree. :)

Happy Easter

We had such a great day!  Elsie slept in until 7:15!!! Which was so nice...in fact I started making the dinner rolls before I even went into her room to get her. After breakfast Elsie went searching for her Easter Basket.  

She found it! 

The Easter Bunny brought her lots of goodies:  some play-doh, finger paint and paper, some kitchen pots and pans and utensils for her play kitchen, and a book.  

We went to church which of course was always a challenge.  She did okay but by the end of the service she was ready to get out of there and move!  She was also getting really tired.  

After church we went to Dale and Bev's for dinner.  

After dinner Bev had an Easter Egg hunt for the kids.  Round one was for the two little kiddos.  Elsie really got into it.  I was pretty surprised how focused she was at finding those eggs and putting them in her basket.  

It was a great day with yummy food, good time with family, and a wonderful reason to celebrate this day.  We are truly blessed.  

Easter Eggs

This morning, Bev and Brandi, Todd and the girls came over to dye Easter Eggs.  It was a lot of fun!  Although Elsie really wanted to get into the action she just isn't quite there yet.  Obviously she doesn't have the coordination to dye eggs but she did want to sit up by the table to watch the action.  She also had a lot of fun playing with her cousins.

Brandi and Todd blowing out some eggs.  

Having fun with her new ball! 

Thanks for a great morning! 

Week in Review-3.15.13

1. This week Daylight Savings was good to us...not the first night..she cried for 45 minutes on Sunday night when we tried to lay her down but the mornings have been glorious.  One day I had to wake her up to get her ready for Jo Jo's and I was able to shower twice this week before she woke up.  But that has all come to an end.  She has adjusted and is not getting up again between 5:30-6:00 AM.

2. We got some good news from my mom this week.  She went to the oncologist for a check up. She got her liver counts and tumor markers checked and both decrased dramatically!  Such great news!  She has been doing great with her diet and exercise and the doctor believes that is what is contributing to her decreased levels.

3. Library-We are finally getting back to library story time because Elsie is phasing out her morning nap.  It is so much fun to see her interact and try to imitate what the librarian and other kids are doing.

4. Bachelor-This week was the season finale of the Bachelor. I loved the the guy who was the bachelor this time.  He seemed so genuine and loved who he ended up picking.  They seem perfect for each other!

5. Dance club-We had our final night of Dance Club for the year.  Dance Club is a group of couples who four times a year head out to the country club for a live band, drinks, dancing and socialization.  This club has been around for year!  John's parents were members when they were younger too.  I think it has been at least 75 years.  Everyone gets dressed up in formal attire.  Its pretty fun.  I wish John and I knew how to ballroom dance.  This would make it more enjoyable for us I think...hmmm maybe I have found a goal for next year.

6. Elsie's Dr. Appointment-On March 14th we had Elsie's 15 month dr. appointment.  All went well and she is a healthy little girl...beside the fact she still has fluid in her ear.  You can read about the appointment more in depth here.

7. Photos from the week:

Elsie's new party skirt she got from Brandi, Todd and the girls.

Despite the picture she really did like it :)

Favorite toy of the week ;)  She played with this forever!  

Elsie spilled a bottle of water.  I told her we better go get a towel to clean it up and she went straight for the towel drawer in the kitchen. I had no idea she even know that drawer existed.  She is getting to smart for me.  So I handed her a towel and she went right back to the spill and started wiping it up.  

Elsie's hair finally allows us to put clips in it.  She will not let us put the little metal clips in it but over the weekend she would bring these big ones up to us and want us to put them in her hair.  At one point she had 3 big flowers in her hair and when they would fall off she will get upset until we put them back in.  Silly girl!

We finally got around to getting a second convertible car seat as a back up.  We knew we would need it when we were gone on our trip.  We had it in our dining room for a few days and she loved playing on it.  

This little stinker has fingured out how to take her bibs off!  Even the ones that go on like a shirt!  

Hope you all had a great week! 

Playing at the Park

On Tuesday Elsie and I had a "fun day". I made a conscious effort to not do anything but be with her. It was hard as I had a lot to do but really tried to do it when she was sleeping. Which she only did 45 minutes of in the afternoon.

My good friend Amber was off from work for spring break and JoLene also took the day off which meant I was off because I didn't have daycare. It was so nice having someone else to do something with during the day. I can tell Elsie enjoys it more too when other kids are around versus just hanging out with her mama.

In the morning the library had a storyteller at the auditorium. I was t sure how Elsie would do just sitting there listening and watching but for 45 minutes she did surprisingly well. I did have to get her a little snack but it was snack time anyways. We left during a quick stretch break and didn't want to push our luck. We met John and Grandma Bev for lunch at McDonalds. This was her first time eating there. I ordered her chicken nuggets.

After her short afternoon nap I decided we should get out again and go for a walk. Once we got outside I thought it was a beautiful afternoon. Sunny, a little cool but if you stayed out of the wind it was pleasant. So I called Amber again and asked if she wanted to bring her kiddos and meet at the school playground and they did.

Besides when I had to call 911 for a teenage boy who had a seizure it was such a great time. It was so fun to see Elsie be able to run where ever she wanted. Being so cooped up this winter it was refreshing even if it was a bit chilly. Elsie loved going down the slide and the merry go round! And Cayden brought his mower and she lived just pushing that around. It was such a good afternoon.

Unfortunately I kept us there too long. She threw a fit when I put her back in the stroller and cried the whole way home (10-15 min). She eventually calmed down once we got home. Thanks again Amver and kiddos for a enjoyable day.

Elsie's 15 Month Dr. Appointment

Yesterday we took Elsie for her 15 Month appointment.  I didn't even know they did 15 month appointments but when I had her in there in February for her ear infection he told me to make an appointment.  One of the things I enjoy about her appointments is they give you a handout of what to expect and some resources that are relevant for her age.  This time was about setting limits, limiting your rules and what you say no to, tantrums, and discipline...all things we can tell we are going to be dealing with VERY SOON haha.  She is already starting to throw little tantrums here and there.  They also ask you to fill out a sheet with what milestones they met, questions you have that are common for this age, etc.  This time around we were able to check off all on the list :)

Elsie was all happy until we were called back and went into the exam room.  Then all hell broke loose haha.  She cried and cried, clung to John or me, and didn't want to let go.  Which who can blame her...everytime she goes in there she gets stripped down to her diaper, poked, and proded and its cold in those rooms.  The nurse (not his normal nurse) was really rude and not helpful with Elsie at all.  She was short with her and told us the doctor is "very busy and waiting on us to calm her down so she can be weighed".  and this as said in not a nice voice.  When the doctor came in he explained it is very normal for a 15 month old to behave the way she was...that they start remembering what happens around 9 months and some unpleasant things happen to them while they are there (i.e. shots).  Our doctor was really understanding and did a great job and making Elsie smile and distracting her.  She was pretty happy until he had to lay her down and look into her ears.  Here are some highlights from the visit.

1.  Stats- she is growing right along and there is nothing to be concerned about with her.
Weight:  20.2 lbs (35%) (this might be off slightly as we struggled weighing her)
Height:  31 inches (65%)
Head:  46 cm (58%)

2.  We talked a little about her vaccinations schedule.  At her 12 month appointment we decided to delay one of her vaccines-there were like 5 on the docket and I felt like that was a lot at one time so we delayed the MMR.  We had the option to do the shot yesterday but I wanted to avoid shots because of Elsie's reaction being there.  So I asked what was on the agenda for the 18 month and there were two.  Hep A (which I thought she got at 12 months but didn't) and her last dTap one.  He said he would recommend getting the MMR and dTap at her 18 month and either delaying the Hep A or forgoing it all together.  This is one of the first times that I have heard a Dr. say to skip a vaccination and to be honest...I find it a bit refreshing.

3.  He looked at her eyes and said he doesn't notice that much of a difference anymore between her pupil size and John and I would have to agree.  There is still a difference but not as much as there was 3 months ago.

4.  He checked her ears...still has fluid but isn't concerned at this point since it isn't "infected".  No fever, no other symptoms and he said she must be hearing well since she her word count is on par with an 18 month old.  He will check it again at her next appointment in 3 months and if there is still fluid he will refer her to a ENT.

5.  My only real questions was about when she can eat raw veggies... this might seem like a silly question but raw veggies are hard and I don't want her to choke.  He said anytime...she has all the teeth she needs and more.I think we will wait for raw carrots but she loves sweet peppers.

6.  He mentioned again going to a dentist..we will have to look into this.  I mentioned before but our dentist says not until 3.  He also said we can start brushing her 12 teeth with non-flouride toothpaste (he called it the Elmo toothpaste ;).

Lets hope we don't have to go back again until her 18 month appointment in June.

30 Days of Shreddin-Days 11-20

Moving to Level 2 this time.  I know I wouldn't be able to do all 10 days on Level 1.  I was getting so bored.  I also know that I wouldn't be able to do this for 30 days straight.  I need a bit of variety.  This week I am hoping to mix in some running because my next 5K is in a little over a month.

Day 11: No workout today.  Although I had all day to do it since it was Sunday I didn't.  And that is okay with me :)  Tomorrow I am going to start Level 2.

Day 12:  Started Level 2 today and had no idea what to expect.  I went back down to using 3 lb weights to start.  This round my quad is feeling a bit better.  But all the plank moves really upset my heartburn.  I had no problems with the moves standing up but in plank it sucked.  Maybe I need to take tums before my workout---stupid heartburn.  It was challenging again.  I liked that.

Day 13: Still using 3 lb weights again but I felt better doing the exercises.  Heartburn still bothers me but i need to figure out how to avoid it...maybe do it at a different time that in the evening after I have eaten dinner.

Day 14: I actually remeasured myself today and although there isn't major changes there are some inches lost--not all in one place but a half in here, half inch there.  This is what I need to keep me motivated.  That what I am doing is actually making a difference.  I took today off from "The Shred" and opted to do some treadmill work instead.

Day 15: I did this workout in the evening again.  This seems to be my go to time for this.  Right around 9:00. I still had major heartburn.  Also I don't feel any pain my quad anymore so thats a good thing.

Day 16:  Today, the workout went better.  I did fewer modifications that I had the first time I did it.  Next time I might increase the weights on a few of the exercises.  The killer one for me is the last strength move of squats of V's with the arms.  Maybe it is the most difficult because it is the last one ;).

Day 17: Ugh, super dissapointed.  I planned to do my workout in the afternoon but the day got a bit out of control and ended up missing it.

Day 18:  Another unsuccessful day...boo.  John finally moved a DVD played downstairs so I can do it down there which will be much better for all the jumping around I do :)

Day 19:  I really wanted to do my workout this morning but it was a late night and I knew I would be on my own to get Elsie and I ready because John was out pushing snow. So I ended up doing it right after I laid Elsie down at 7:00.  I waited to eat dinner until after and was starving!!

Day 20:  I did the workout again early in the evening.  John and Elsie at dinner while I did the video and then I ate dinner and played with elsie.  I liked getting it done and Elsie seems like she takes forever to eat dinner...she was still eating when I finsihed.  For some reason today I was not feeling it...it felt so hard compared to other days...and I know you can have those days where things just seem hard and today was definitely the day.  Also the past two days my right knee has been bothering me.  I am sure all the jumping around is getting to me.

Days Complete: 6/10

Inches lost: 8 total

Week in Review 3.8.13

Some really exciting stuff happened this past week!!!  The big event of the week was...

1.  My dear friends Erin and Dave had their first baby...a baby boy!!!  Lennon James born on Thursday March 7th!!  He is adorable and such an exciting day for them and all their family and friends!  Welcome to this world little Lennon!

                                        

2.  We hosted game night over the weekend.  It was such a good time with our friends!  If you want to hear more...read about it here.  It was a great night!

3.  I had to post a few shots of what Elsie was up to this week...

Bedtime stories with Daddy

Chlling in her cradle with her dolls...she loves to sit her and look at her books.

She finally got the hang of walking with her popper...I though she would get it right away but it is quite different than walking with something with four wheels and more stable like her sit and walk toys.  the popper takes a little more stability.  She got it for Christmas and is now just getting the hang of it.  Now she is pushing this all over the house.  

4.  We did a little shopping this weekend and when I went to Target I saw a new display up in the baby section!  A whole section of cloth diapers!!  Charlie banana....I have a few of these and really want one of their swim diapers but they were out of her size.  

5.  I met my friend Amy for dinner this week at one of my favorite restaurants...The Cafe.  They have some of the best food.  It was Tapas Night so we tried a bunch of different dishes and then of course got desert.  Blackberry Bread pudding and Vanilla Eclair.  So delicious!!!