September Fitness Goals

I've been singing the same tune for what seems like months. My exercise and weight loss/gain is a freakin' yo yo and I've done nothing to stop it. Moving is always so hard on my body. I tend to go for easy and fast which usually results in choosing foods that are absolutely terrible, not to mention fake. Oh, but they taste good, don't they? I'm hovering around 119-121 lbs right now. It fluctuates a lot. Regardless, my clothes don't fit as well and I have just an overall sluggish feeling. I'm hoping I can turn this around in September by making (and sticking to) some fitness goals.

1. 50 Miles in September
2. Ab Challenge
3. Hydrate
4. Paleo approach to breakfast & lunch

I've had a few good workouts since I've been home, though. J is commuting nearly three hours total to work everyday so it's hard to have him watch the kiddos. By the time he gets home, he's tired and dealing with loan/house responsibilities. I've tried to workout with the kids, but you know how that goes sometimes. They've gotta be quick!

What are your fitness goals next month?



Linked up here:

Welcome Home

I've had the urge to write a lot lately, but the time hasn't been there. We've been busy and in the moments that are slow, we've been trying to relax. Easier said than done. Baby A didn't go to sleep until 11:30 last night and the night before? He was up every.single.hour. We are so tired and feeling awful that we're keeping everyone in the house awake, too. I may or may not have been strolling around a whiny kid in the dark last night, barefoot, and holding back tears. Why does life feel so much harder when a baby won't sleep? Ha! Honestly, he has NEVER been like this. Even as a newborn and young babe, he slept more than this. It's quite an adjustment.

Good news, though...

I've got an appointment today to get my tubes tied.

Kidding.

The good news is that we have found a house we love and pending inspections going well today, it's ours! Isn't she a beauty?

We love it and can't wait to settle in. It will be awhile, though. You know what I'm talking about if you've ever worked with the VA before!

I hope we'll be happy there for a long time. I'm sure we will. We are used to making houses we don't love home and we really really like this one! We are looking forward to not mooching off our families anymore. Whether it's dog sitting, baby sitting, groceries, or moving help, we have exhausted our welcome here, I'm sure. We are very blessed by the wonderful friends and family who have helped us in our journey "home"!

I can't believe this kitchen will soon be part of our very own home...

I'm going to bake all kinds of goodies in there.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and show you a glimpse into our house since so many of you requested it on facebook and IG. More to come in the next few weeks.

Love,

8 Months

Dear Baby A,

As I'm writing, I'm listening to your cries that are breaking me. You've been a handful the last couple of weeks. I'm hoping a tooth is about to pop through or that you're simply out of whack from our latest move (your second in your short eight months of age). Feel better, my son.

This month, you've started attempting to crawl. You get in position but often end up heading backwards instead. Your brother did that, too. Rolling about is still your primary means of travel, though. It won't be long before you are into all kinds of shenanigans and then what will I do?

You eat like a champ. Your little belly is like a garbage disposal. You dive passionately after any food I'm eating and you down your baby food in minutes. I quit trying to do "baby led weaning" with you because I was terrified you were going to choke. Purees have been working just fine and you've tried a large variety of foods now. You eat solids three times a day and nurse or take a bottle constantly. Perhaps you're in the middle of a growth spurt. Growin' boy!

I'm sorry we've thrown a kink in your well established sleep routine. I feel bad about that. Meanwhile, I'm praying for patience in getting you back to your happy, healthy self. I love you bunches and bunches.

Looking forward to seeing those cute little cheeks spread out in a happy smile again! You're the sweetest, cutest little eight month old I ever did see.

Love,
Mom

Monday (creative title lacking)

Mondays really are awful, aren't they? There's the argument that stay at home moms (SAHM) don't get a weekend really because they're always on the job, but at least on Saturday and Sunday I can expect that my husband will at least change one diaper between the two of them and that's one less diaper for me. Then Monday rolls around and the youngest won't eat, yet he wants to chew on his spoon, thereby making an awful mess of carrots on his neck, face, and shirt. Then he won't take a bath sitting up apparently and the baby bath is tucked away in a garage a couple houses down the street. Then the two year old is bored, maybe? So he runs around whining excessively and smacking random objects in frustration. Now everyone is crying for no good reason..and how do I deal? By eating a leftover hotdog, piece of birthday cake, and coke from the night before because nothing says I'm stressed like getting fat.

This move has been awfully stressful on us. I think it's just because this is it. We aren't moving again for awhile. We get to buy a house. It's a lot different this time. I'm nearly thirty years old and I've never bought a house. It's all new to us. We want to do it right, but we also are in a hurry to get out of my parents' house because, let's be honest, we are freeloadin'. It's so easy to take their groceries, use up their water for showers, and weasel our way back into their routines. I don't know why I feel this way because many people have offered up their homes to us, but I just feel bad. Undeserving of help.

We went house hunting on Saturday. We looked at seven houses and it was a very long day. Looking at houses is supposed to be fun, but I felt bad all day for leaving one of the kids with his uncle all day (on his birthday!). When we were done, all I could think about was that we didn't love any of the houses and we were no closer to finding a home than we were the week before. Now, another week will go by because we can't house shop throughout the week because of J's job hours and how far away we'd have to drive to look at a house.

I know I sound so ridiculous. Everything we've ever wanted has happened for us. We have a happy marriage, beautiful & sweet children, and now we live in East Tennessee again! And it really has only been a week. I'm sure we'll find a place soon and we shouldn't rush the process, but I'm just feeling the pressure to get my crew into a place of our own before we all go a little crazy. Baby A just isn't adjusting well. His sleep patterns have changed drastically and he has been so fussy lately. I know kids need stability and I feel bad for interrupting that for him, too. Ugh.

It's definitely a Monday.

Operation Move Family Out in One Weekend

Wow. What a whirlwind week. That's how much time we had from hearing the good news that J got the job in TN and actually being in TN along with all of our household. It's crazy. Only a week before that, we were still settling into life in the big city. It was becoming comfortable. I had made a friend that I got to see almost daily because she was my (next door!) neighbor. We'd go on walks around the neighborhood and chat about our sweet kids. She kept me sane. I will surely miss her. Things were lookin' up in Jacksonville. I can't believe that just two weeks ago this possibility didn't even exist. And here I am- writing from my mom's house- the boys are napping in my old childhood room and it's as if I never ever left. Anyway, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all of the comments and congrats you left for us on my last post! We appreciate you celebrating with us. Now that Operation: Move Family Out in One Weekend has been accomplished, we are on to Operation Find Family A Home. It might be a long process, but God has worked out so many of the details in this situation that I've lost count of all the blessings. It is amazing! I just know He has a plan for this part, too.

The drive really wasn't so bad. I imagined total chaos. I pictured me pulling all my hairs out. Or crying uncontrollably along with my two under two. Because this move was so last minute, we had to get out immediately and we weren't very prepared. Thankfully, J's dad came to our rescue (again) and helped us get moved out by our deadline. Friday afternoon we found out that someone was renting our place which was awesome news because we were locked in until January if they couldn't rent it out. A huge financial burden was lifted, but then suddenly we realized, umm nothing is packed. We didn't really have the first box. Saturday was insane. We packed up everything we own in a day and loaded the Uhaul to the brim. We'll see if it's all broken when we finally get to unpack it all! Anyway, we pulled out of our home in Florida on Sunday. J's dad was driving the Uhaul, J was driving his truck and towing another, and I was driving the third car with the babes inside. An eight hour drive was ahead of me and I was NOT looking forward to it.

My boys did so well. I don't give them enough credit sometimes. They were little angels mostly. I mean YOU wouldn't think so if you'd been riding with us, but as for myself, I thought they were great. I'm with them all the time and I know what they're capable of! Those sweet boys didn't sleep, but they didn't cry too much either. I arrived in TN in crazy, good time (I only stopped once). Still, the stress of packing up our lives for the fifth move in four years was wearing on me and I was so happy to walk into my parents' house and hand off a kid or two. The first night was tough on Baby A. He woke up a lot and we didn't get much sleep. I think the unfamiliarity of it all coupled with his change in schedule has really screwed him up. I'm hoping I can get him back on some sort of predictable schedule this week. We're all very tired...

but so happy to be home.