Let Me Sleep On It, Baby Baby

My paperwork stack isn't quite that bad, but it's not great either. I NEED MORE SPACE!

The terrible twos are in full swing here.

This crap is hard.

Procrastination Champion, 3 Years Running

I'm going to just stop apologizing for updating infrequently, or announcing what I will be posting next. I am not good with deadlines for things that don't involve work I get paid for. I am also a world class procrastinator. If it was an olympic sport, I'd win and at the last possible moment, too.

Also, it's my blog, so neener neener booboo, I get to be a lazy butt about this shit.

Goings on in my life right now: weight gain, weight loss, terrible twos, gogo gadget fashionista (suck it spell check, that's a word), roots/no roots, bye bye toenail.

There's less than 2 months until our Vegas vacation. 4 glorious days of no beaner, no work, no diet, no plans. This will be our honeymoon, anniversary, and my birthday all rolled into one. I am quite excited. If I didn't love Canada so much, I'd live in Vegas.

I made a tutu for myself last weekend in support of the Great Strides Walk for CF that I do every year. I am a part of team Reddy for a Cure in honor of the late Eva Markvoort. I looked ridiculous, but I was proud of it.

Pic, because it totally happened.

I had a local boutique wanting to commission me for infant and toddler tutus, but I had to turn them down. I hate deadlines, especially for my creativity. I tend to balk at them.

Put Your Tiny Hand In Mine

George Michael, how I adore thee.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I was spoiled with flowers, a new water bottle (seems like a weird gift, but given I work out every day, it was a great gift) and I got to sleep until I had my fill today. I sit here sipping my coffee, catching up on my fellow bloggers and their sites, and enjoying the peace and quiet that is only achieved through Beaner and the hubby napping. What a great day thus far!

Weaning is complete. She asks to breastfeed very rarely and when I remind her that my milk is all gone, she's accepting of that and moves on to something else. It's bittersweet, for sure. Gone is the easy fix for sickness, scrapes, nightmares, and comfort. I have to say though, I am relieved that I can close that chapter. I was going to sell our breastfeeding pillow, but I think I will restuff it and make a new cover for it so we can use it in the living room for movie nights. Also, that's something that can stick around forever and she can draw comfort from.

My battle with depression and side effects has become manageable. I have been struggling with insomnia for a few weeks but I think I've figured that out as well. Fingers crossed!

I am still going strong on my weight loss journey. I have lost a total of 26 lbs and it's showing no signs of slowing down. I wish I had some magic secret to share with you all but really, it's simply the hard work of diet and exercise. My only advise is to count calories. It made a world of difference for me, since I had no idea what I was consuming and I was rather shocked once I found out.

I hope everyone is doing well! Stay tuned, as this week I am beginning a series on spring cleaning and purging your home of unneeded thingies and baubles.

Adventures In Weaning

I haven't breastfed Beaner in about two weeks. She still asks for it if she wakes up from a nightmare, or hurts herself, or is generally in a bad mood. I offer a substitute of dried fruit, or a cheesestick (her favorite) and breastfeeding is forgotten. Her nursing sessions were already down to before nap and before bed. Months ago we replaced the nap nursing with "napsnack" which is some crackers and a bit of milk. We replaced the evening nursing with "milksnack" which is usually milk and some banana, or turkey breast.

It makes me sad that our breastfeeding journey has come to an end, simply for the fact that it was an easy fix for comfort and made middle of the night wakings much easier. The upside is that the comfort can now come from my husband, instead of my breasts. They are creating a stronger bond and I am not always the first one she runs to if she has an owie, or has a question. I am also glad that I will no longer have to deal with the gasps of incredulity when people find out Beaner is 2.5 years old. "You're still breastfeeding?" I definitely won't miss those conversations.

Next up, weaning her off television. If I have to watch Team Umizoomi one more time...

A Change Is Gonna Come

I generally don't like to announce things when I start doing them, or think of them, because I have had issues in the past with following through. Be it because I am a Mom, have ADHD, or am just too scatterbrained sometimes, my list of things to do gets larger by the day.

8 weeks ago I entered into a "biggest loser" type challenge with some of my girlfriends. None of us live in the same city, so it was all done online as far as supporting each other, sharing triumphs and setbacks, weigh-ins, etc. We weighed in every week, we held ourselves accountable, and we made it a monetary based challenge. Great motivator, yes?

I starting tracking my calories (I highly recommend the MyPlate feature over at LIVESTRONG) and was stunned by the amount of garbage I was putting in to my body. I don't tend to overeat but what I DO find time to eat was no good for me. I decided then and there to make a complete lifestyle change. I started working out every day, eating healthy, and generally kicking butt!

On Friday we did our final weigh-in to determine the challenge winner. Lo and behold, I won! In 8 weeks I have lost 24 lbs and countless inches off my body. I am now completely and utterly addicted to going to the gym. I get alone time, I work out and get those lovely endorphins, and the feeling from losing weight carries over into every day confidence. That and losing weight is a fantastic reason to buy new clothes!

I have miles to go, and probably won't complete my ultimate goal until summer 2012, but I'm making progress, and that's more than enough to keep me motivated.

What's your motivation this Monday?