Transitions

We've had a lot of transitions lately. All of a sudden, my baby isn't a baby anymore. She's getting to be a big girl.

Ladybug is using the potty all the time now. Over Thanksgiving, she decided it was time to be a big girl. It took four days. I was amazed!

She also wants to do everything by herself and says, "No help, Mama! No help!" a lot. Accompanied by lots of tears of frustration because she's still learning but refuses to allow us to coach her through things like putting on her own clothes. She does it all now. PJs, pants, underwear, shirt, socks, and even wants to put her jacket on by herself. Sometimes she doesn't get it quite right, and she looks a little silly. But she's proud of herself, so I wouldn't take that away from her.

The biggest transition is that she weaned. At 31 months old, Ladybug weaned herself.

It didn't happen quickly. It was very gradual. But accompanied with all the other big girl things that she's doing, it does seem sudden.

At her 2nd birthday last May, she was still nursing 4-5 times a day. I wasn't ready to be done, so I was good with that. Over the summer, she dropped to 3 times a day - morning, naptime, and bedtime. In late August, she dropped the naptime nursing. In September, we did push a little to have her drop the bedtime nursing so that Daddy could put her to bed. We knew that she could go to sleep without nursing because she already did that 1-2 times a week anyway.

So by the end of September, she was down to only nursing first thing in the morning. This was our time. We would get up and have more snuggles on the couch. We would have good conversations too. "Milk cold? Milk hot? No, milk just right."

We started making a distinction between Mama milk and cold milk. She doesn't really like cow's milk. I don't know if it's the temperature or taste difference. She eats lots of cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese, so I'm not really worried about her calcium intake.

Through the fall, I didn't offer Mama milk. But if she asked, I didn't refuse. On October 30th, she didn't ask. At all. I was shocked. But on October 31st, she did. I was ready for her to wean, but I really wanted to follow her lead. She would know when it was time to be done.

Through November, there was no pattern. She would miss a day here or there. When we started the potty training during the week of Thanksgiving, she skipped four days in a row. Then she nursed four days in a row. Thankfully, my body adjusted to all these changes, although I did have some hormonal shifts that were not nice.

Through December, there was also no pattern. But the days without nursing were starting to out-number the days with nursing. Christmas Eve morning, she asked for milk, but of course was way too distracted when she woke up Christmas morning. She skipped 6 days. New Year's Eve morning, she asked for milk.

And it didn't cross her mind again for three weeks. Then January 19th, she saw a baby nursing on a video and asked for milk. I told her Mama milk was all gone. We talked about how she is a big girl. I asked her if she wanted cold milk. No.

I am so thankful that we were able to wean this way. It was gradual. There were no tears on her part or on mine. We were both ready.

I miss our snuggle time, so I am trying to make sure that we have plenty of other snuggle time during the day. Lots of hugs and kisses. If she needs me to hold her at naptime, I do.

She's still my baby. But she's getting to be such a big girl.

Scripture Prayers

Parenting has been a bit challenging lately. Ladybug (almost 2.75 years old) finally hit the "Terrible Twos." I have been stretched, frustrated, angry, and I don't like it.

The other morning, God woke me up early so I got up to exercise and have some quiet time. I dusted off Stormie Omartian's "The Power of a Praying Parent." Like a kick in the pants that I needed, God reminded me that He can ease the frustration of parenting a toddler, if only I'll turn to Him. Duh, Heather.

And my wonderful Hubby reminded me that I not only need to be praying daily for our daughter, but I need to be praying for me too. I react too quickly with impatience, c'mon, hurry up, do it now. Time to get off that roller coaster and turn things over to God.

I love praying with Scripture because of the Truth that it contains. The following are verses that I am focusing on to pray for Ladybug, our family, and myself.


1. Isaiah 65:23 - They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed.

2. Psalm 91:1-2 - Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

3. Proverbs 1:8-9 - My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. ⁹ What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

4. Matthew 5:9 - God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

5. Proverbs 4:14 - Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.

6. Matthew 5:6 - God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

7. Proverbs 1:5 - Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance.

8. Psalm 19:14 - May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

9. 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

10. Galatians 5:1 - So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.


I'm also praying for lots of guidance and wisdom as we raise this precious gift from God.

For more Top Ten lists, visit ohamanda.com

Mamavation Monday Week #4

Wow. Four weeks. Four weeks since I got serious about being healthy again. I knew that if I could make it this far, I would start to create new and better habits, and it's true! The changes I've made feel comfortable. I started with portion control, cutting out sugar, and daily exercise. These are my new habits! I OWN them now!!

New habits I want to focus on: add strength training 3 times a week; make sure I'm eating 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies every day.

Here's my weekly recap.

Exercise: 7 days out of 7. Most days, it's Pilates and 15-20 minutes on the recumbent bike. The weather has been a little nicer lately, so I did walk 2 days this week. Usually about 30 minutes, pushing the stroller.

Counting Calories: I had a great week in spite of the monthly visitor. I don't have any of my usual go-to comfort foods, so instead of giving in to emotional eating, I grudgingly crunched on a carrot stick! (I do love carrots, but not as an emo-food.) I stayed within my calorie range every day, including Saturday when we had a family dinner to celebrate Hubby's birthday. I did allow myself a cupcake because I had controlled portions all day. That one cupcake was 300 calories! It was definitely yummy, but I won't be spending my calories like that very often!

The Scale: Down 2.5 lbs this week!!! Woohoo!! I worked hard and I'm so glad that the scale validated that work. Total weight loss in four weeks is 7 lbs.

Inspiration: Because a lot of the battle we face in making changes for the better happens between our two ears, I know that having self-discipline is the key. Especially on those days when I feel full of excuses. I am focusing on 2 Timothy 1:7 this week.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (NLT)

And, of course, I couldn't do this without the Mamavation Sistahood. I love tweeting with y'all about exercise, drinking water, and sharing healthy recipes. If you need some recipe ideas, I have a healthy category on my recipe blog. Here is my menu plan for the week. And here is my food and fitness journal on SparkPeople (click on Food/Fitness Tracker).

Photo Story Friday

Last week, we made a quick trip to Virginia so that Hubby could take his final, final exam for his graduate degree. It was good family time, and we even survived a six hour road trip without a DVD player for Ladybug (2.5 years old). Yes, it CAN be done!

Two highlights from the trip: lunch with Heather from Desperately Seeking Sanity and her daughter, and SNOW! There wasn't much snow left, but just down the hill from our hotel was a field on a north-facing slope and there was some clean snow left. Ladybug loved it! It was cold and wet, and I think that surprised her, but she loved it! I'm afraid that every time we go to a hotel, she'll expect to find snow now.

Ladybug entertaining us at lunch

me and Ladybug with Heather and her Thing 2

Fun in the snow!

Hosted by Cecily and Michelle

Silly Face

Ladybug (2.5 years old) making silly faces after bath one night. I love my silly girl!!!

Wordful Wednesday at 7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ
5 Minutes for Mom

Mamavation Monday - Week #3

Hey #Mamavation Sistahs! I'm cutting out the small talk and jumping right in with my goals this week.

Exercise: Goal = 6 days/week. I did that. I am starting to push myself a little harder to get my heart rate up. We were out of town for a few days this past week, but our hotel had a nice fitness room and the equipment had built-in heart rate monitors - NICE!

Also, the weather is warming up, so Ladybug (2.5 years old) and I went for a walk on Sunday. I used the fitness map feature on SparkPeople to calculate my distance and speed. I walked 1.17 miles in 24 minutes, which was 2.9 MPH. It said I burned 117 calories, but with pushing a 40 lb toddler in the stroller, I'm sure it was more.

Counting Calories: I did very well this week and stayed within my allowed calories, even with being on the road and eating out. I had carrots, raisins, almonds, apples, and oranges for our car snacks. I was excited to learn that Chick-Fil-A now has a yogurt parfait on it's menu. I was disappointed to learn that TGIFriday's does not list their nutritional information on their website, nor is it available in their restaurants. I made an educated guess and ordered the Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad with dressing on the side. I used only 1/4 of the dressing that way.

The Scale: I lost .5 lbs this week. I expected more. But I also realize that I'm building muscle mass with all the exercise, so I'm not disappointed. The scale is moving in the right direction! So I am down a total of 4.5 lbs in three weeks.

Inspiration: I'll be focusing on a verse from Matthew this week.

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:3)

I also like how it reads in The Message:

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope.
With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

Since I decided to get serious about getting healthy and losing weight, there have been several times that I have just wanted to throw in the towel. What's the point? Why work so hard? I know the hard work of eating well & exercising will pay big dividends, but sometimes the day to day gets hard.

I need to remind myself that when I am at the end of myself and my resources, God is there. His strength goes farther than my own. When I am weary, He renews me.

I also know that I can count on my Sistahs to keep me encouraged, and I am so thankful for each of you. Here's to another good week! Don't forget to drink your water!

EDITED TO ADD: Oops, forgot to share my menu plan for the week. Also, if you'd like to peek at my food journal and exercise, I am tracking those on SparkPeople. On my SparkPage, click on Shared Food/Fitness Tracker. (Let me know if you can't see my SparkPage.)

Virtual Baby Shower - No Gifts Required

One of the things I love about Twitter and the Blogosphere is the many friends that I've made. Yes, there are people that I have met via blogs and Twitter but never met in real life (IRL) that I consider my friends. Call me crazy. I did meet my husband via the internet, so hush if you think these can't be real friendships.

One lovely friend that I met via Twitter is Miriam, and she is having a baby! So this is a virtual baby shower for her and "George," as they call the baby. No gifts required. However, she's a first time mom and would love to hear some tips and advice that might help her in her parenting journey.

Miriam is 32 weeks pregnant. Here's the latest update on George and how the pregnancy is going (you MUST click over, she has a great photo and is rocking a cute baby bump).

Here's my advice for Miriam as she enters this new stage in her life (or any new parent for that matter!):

Trust your parenting instincts and find what works for you and your family. Just because a baby book says something or recommends something else does not mean that it will work for you.

Some baby gear that I am so glad that we bought (other than the obvious car seat and stroller): a ring sling and mei tai - Ladybug has always been a cuddler and loves being close, so babywearing was a great parenting choice for us.

And what to take in your hospital bag: lip balm and moisturizing lotion!

Now it's your turn! Share your words of wisdom, favorite baby gear, what she MUST HAVE items in her hospital bag, or whatever else you think she needs to know.

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

Favorite Movie Quotes

In our house, we can't go five minutes with quoting a movie. This is one of the things I noticed first about Hubby - almost everything I said would remind him of a song lyric or movie quote. And he has rubbed off on me! So here are some movie quotes that you might hear in our house on the average day.

1. "Mmmmm....tastes like chicken!" (Shark Tales)

2. "You just made a yummy sound." (Young Frankenstein)

3. "Better out than in, I always say. Eh, Finona?" (Shrek 2)

4. "My hair." (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

5. "Well, that was our mistake." (O Brother)

6. "Roll, roll, roll in za hay." (Young Frankenstein)

7. "Could be worse. Could be raining." (Young Frankenstein)

8. "Super green." (Fifth Element)

9. "Luck favors the prepared." (The Incredibles)

10. "Yeah, yeah, she knows! It's a multi-pass!" (Fifth Element)


For more Top Ten lists, visit ohamanda.com

Mamavation Monday Week #2

Hey y'all! It's been a good week for me in the "getting healthy" department. I hope it has been for you too! Here's the update on my three goals.

Exercise: I was able to do some form of exercise every day this week. I am currently learning Pilates (which I LOVE!!!!) and can definitely feel my core muscles tightening. A great side benefit of this is that my posture is improving. Not that I had bad posture before, but it's amazing how much straighter I stand when I am more aware of my core muscles. I am also getting some cardio on our recumbent exercise bike. I don't think I'm up to "vigorous" in the cardio department yet, but I think most of the time I am getting a "moderate" cardio workout.

Counting calories: I have been able to keep up with my food journaling on SparkPeople; I so love it that they calculate the calories for me. I even found the recipe calculator so that I can enter my own recipes and it does all the math for me -yay! I stayed within my calories every day except one, when we had a dinner party.

Big lesson learned this week: if you are eating out, look up the restaurant nutritionals on-line beforehand if at all possible. We ate out one night at Olive Garden. I ordered soup and salad. The salad with dressing is 350 calories per serving but only 120 calories per serving without dressing. Big difference!

Weightloss: This week, I lost 2 lbs, which puts my grand total to 4 lbs. Needless to say, I am very happy!

Scripture Verse: Since I am an emotional person and learning to NOT be an emotional eater has been my biggest battle so far, I am meditating on Psalm 34:4-5.

I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me, freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy.

So overall, it's been a good week. I'm learning to be more aware of my food choices and being prepared so I don't get over-hungry which leads to over-eating. Here is our weekly menu plan.

Thanks, Mamavation Sistahs for stopping by this week! I'm so thankful to be part of the sistahood - y'all are such great encouragers! Can't wait to read your posts too!

Backyard Sunrise

We don't have a spectacular backyard view. Living in suburbia does that. But I loved the sunrise coming through the trees last week and had to capture it.



Hosted by Cecily and Carrie

Why I Love Baby Signing Time

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that we are BIG fans of Signing Time and Baby Signing Time. In fact, Ladybug (2.5 years old) is watching a BST video as I type this.

Here are ten reasons why I love Baby Signing Time (since we don't own any ST videos, I'll keep it to BST):

1. Ladybug knows every sign on all four BST videos (I think there are at least 20 different signs on each video). (She knows a lot of other signs that we've learned along the way too, probably 200+ now.)

2. I've learned every sign too, so I can keep up with her!

3. It encourages Ladybug to sing and sign along. I love that!

4. Ladybug loves the cartoon Leah, Alex, and Hopkins.

5. The signs that we've learned from the videos are words and concepts that are necessary for a two year-old. Objects like tree, flower, sun, clouds, moon, stars. Concepts like share, happy, sad, opposites.

6. The music is really good (unlike some other kids' shows that make my ears want to bleed).

7. The other night as Ladybug was falling asleep, she was rehearsing every sign on one of the BST videos. It was another one those precious moments that I want to remember always!

8. It provides fun, interactive play time for us. I watch, sign, and sign along with Rachel too.

9. Although most of the time I watch BST with Ladybug, occasionally I do allow myself to get a few things done while she's engrossed. (sometimes, even go to the bathroom by myself! gasp!)

10. It's a family activity as well, since Hubby loves to sing and sign with Rachel too.


For more Top Ten lists, visit ohamanda.com.

(We did not receive anything in compensation for this post, nor was I asked to post about Signing Time. We are just BIG FANS!)

Mamavation Monday Week #1

Here in my bloggy home, I'll be changing a few things for 2010. (By the way, do you say "twenty-ten" or "two-thousand-ten?")

To support my New Year's goal of getting healthy and losing weight, I am participating in a Twitter campaign called #Mamavation. I'll be posting on Monday's as part of the weekly round-up.

I'm not going to apply to be one of the #Mamavation Moms during this campaign, maybe next time. There are too many things going on, and I know I couldn't make the commitment right now. But I do want to participate by encouraging others in their weight loss and getting healthy goals.

I know for a lot of us, especially moms, we want to be good examples for our kids. That is definitely a huge motivator for me. Both Hubby and I have struggled with our weight, and we don't want to set Ladybug (2.5 years old) up for the same struggle. We have already changed a lot in the way that we eat. We eat a lot less processed food than before, and we make sure that we eat more fruits and vegetables.

I also am tired of being tired. Trying to keep up with a toddler wears me out. I want to have more energy to be a good wife, mom, friend, etc. I've already noticed improved sleep since I stared exercising a week ago. I know that as I get in shape and lose some weight, my energy level will be much improved, and I'm looking forward to that!

So here are my getting healthy goals for 2010:

1. Exercise 6 days a week. I haven't taken exercise seriously for a long time, and I know that if I want to shed some pounds, I need to make it a priority. For me, the best time to exercise is first thing in the morning, before I get distracted with everything else. I've been able to exercise every morning this past week, except for Sunday. Sundays will be my hit-or-miss day due to having to be up and out the door early for church.

2. Count calories. Oh, how I hate doing this. But I signed up for SparkPeople and am keeping a food journal there, and it keeps track of calories for me. Keeping a food journal is hard, but it really has been eye opening so far! And my biggest challenge here is that I do so much from-scratch cooking, so I have to take the time to calculate portion sizes and calories. Tedious, but worthwhile.

3. My weight loss goal is 50 lbs and I've lost 2 lbs this first week! I know that came from cutting way back on my sugar intake this week, and also watching my portion sizes.

I believe that this journey toward better health is going to be more than just a physical, emotional, or even mental journey. This is also spiritual. My body is the Holy Spirit's dwelling place, and I need to treat my body better. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I'll be looking to Scripture for motivation and inspiration. This past week, I read and studied Psalm 30, especially verse 2, since this is a journey of better health.

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. ² O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. ³ You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Psalm 30:1-3

Thankfully, I am a relatively healthy person. But I know that being overweight puts me at risk for a host of health problems. I want to focus on the "getting healthy" part of this process, and I know that the pounds will disappear.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I'm looking forward to getting to know all of the #Mamavation sistas and encouraging you on this journey!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2010!

I don't know why I am also so hesitant to write down my goals or resolutions every year. I actually don't like resolutions, because sometimes they are unrealistic, unattainable or unsustainable. I do like making goals, even if I only keep those goals in my head. I know there is great discipline in writing them down and even in sharing goals with others. Accountability to self and others is a great benefit as well.

So here goes. Here are my goals for 2010.

1. Get healthy. Yes, I said this last year. It' s a lifelong process, isn't it? I joined SparkPeople. I have set some attainable goals and am deciding on rewards when I reach those goals. I have a great team on SP as well. I need the motivation and accountability in that.

2. Daily Bible reading. Even if it's only a chapter a day.

3. More discipline in keeping the house in order. First step will be sorting, organizing, and purging toys!

4. More focus on my business as well.

5. Eat more real food and less processed stuff. I know this will help with the "getting healthy goal" as well.

There you have it! In writing, for all the world to see. Or at least for those of you who are reading my blog.

What is one goal that you have for 2010? I'd love to hear about it!