Progress

Since my last post I had another appointment with my surgeon on April 16th. I have been released to start slowly integrating other exercises. Unfortunately at the time of the appointment I had hurt my hip and was in so much pain that I could hardly move so once again I was told to take it easy. I think I hurt my hip getting a little too enthusiastic in a Zumba class. It took about a month to stop hurting. Someone later reminded me that since I was only 9 months post partum my joints likely hadn’t tightened back up again.

Right when my hip stopped hurting I took part in a challenge with some weights and overdid it again. For about 5 days I couldn’t straighten out my arms and couldn’t bend them past a 90 degree angle.

I think I have learned my lesson. Work hard but treat my body with respect. It doesn’t always have to be all or nothing. Hopefully I can go a few months without killing myself.

I am now down 39 lbs and am to my pre-all baby weight. Woohoo!

Weight Loss

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. Things have been hard and I have been processing mostly internally. But one thing I am excited about right now is my weight. No not the weight that I am at but the weight that I have lost. I really started my journey in October. I was extremely limited on what I could do at that point as I was in a lot of pain from my herniated incision from my gallbladder surgery. I had my hernia surgery in November and re-started my "diet" on the first of January. I know that is rather cliche but it all lined up for me.
My mom has been my biggest advocate. I can't say enough about my amazing mom. She has been coming to my house every morning Monday through Friday at 720 so I can go to the gym. During my workout she dresses and feeds my kiddos and quite often does dishes or Laundry. I am so incredibly thankful for my mom.
I have still been very limited in what exercises I am allowed to do. I was waiting for my January 16 appointment thinking that I would be given the go ahead to do everything but unfortunately I was only partially released. I am not allowed to do anything core or abdominal focused. So I have been on the treadmill and the elliptical 6 days a week. On January 1st I was dying on the elliptical after 10 minutes. I now can go 60 minutes without feeling like I will keel over. I sweat like a pig but that is ok. Not really sure where that expressing comes from since pigs don't actually sweat. hmmmm....
On Saturday I did a zumba class. It was a lot of fun although a little discouraging. I danced from the time I was 5 until I was 16. In my head I can still move like the rest of the women in that class, and inside I feel like I look like the rest of those women. Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and have to refrain from gasping out loud. I look like a weeble wobble with a spare tire around my waist.
Every time I see myself I am reminded though that it is ok because this is the "before me". If I trudge along and be consistent I will soon see the "after me". I will probably go back to that class as my thighs were killing me for the next two days after that class. If my muscles were hurting it must have been doing some good.
As of today I am down 22.8 lbs and am to my pre-Josiah pregnancy weight.
Oh I thought I would throw out there too, I am using myfitnesspal app on my phone and it is totally working for me. If anyone wants to join and friend me to encourage each other. My user name is tammyandzach

Motherhood

My first baby is 5 years old. I can't believe it. That is more than 1/4 of the time we get him. I have so much more I want to teach him.

Six years ago we thought we wouldn't have children. That is what the doctors told us. We started looking into adopting. There were a number of different avenues that we could take. We were in the researching stage while we were overseas in missions working with Global Aid Network. We had been praying about weather we would stay for longer than our one year commitment or not. Finally we started praying that we would stay put until God opened the door for us to start our family. The next week we found out we were pregnant. That began our journey as parents.

Samuel has become an outgoing, energetic, loving little boy. My day is never boring with Samuel around. I love my one on one time with him. I really enjoy taking him shopping with me. He is so cute the way that he will find things that he thinks would be great for Ellie or for Josiah. He has no sense of stranger danger. He wants to talk to every person he sees. Even the construction worker acrosss the parking lot, the garbage man taking his lunch, the grocery clerk, the homeless guy on the road...
Some of Samuel's quotes of the year:
*Me: what is the first book of the Bible. Samuel: Genesis. Me: and the last. Samuel: marvelation.

*Samuel was entertaining the bank tellers. I had to crack up when he announced to the bank that he had new underwear.

*Mommy: Samuel what were you doing down there
Samuel: hugging the tree
(Of course he was silly me for asking)

*Samuel sees this Guy with a sloppy red Mohawk. He starts laughing and says "he put spaghetti sauce on his head. That is so silly."

*Samuel: "mommy; daddy and I love you so so so much. We don't want you to die at all." (Um ok.)

*Samuel about his camping trip: I washed the tree all off. Washed off all the woodpecker poop. (Um ok)

* Samuel this morning is narrating his activity. I have heard the following 5 times in the last 10 minutes. "I just did..(fill in the blank).yay good job me. Good job me right mom."

* Samuel: mommy what is a board book

me: see how it has thick pages lake little boards

Samuel: oh I thought it was because it.makes big kids board

* mom I used enough soap for the whole month

* mom when I jumped out of bed I was going 50 MPH

Samuel I love you. I am so glad to see how you are maturing into a strong little man. I can't wait to see how much you grow and learn this next year.

Cousins

My brother Owen, his wife Angela and our nephew William made a really quick visit this month. Owen is going to be deployed in December for 6 months so this is the last time we will see him until at least July. William is 10 months younger than Samuel. That lands him exactly halfway between Samuel and Ellie. When they arrived we met them at the local dairy for an ice cream treat. From the second the boys saw each other they were inseparable.

 After the two days they were spending here they were going to visit our extended families. Samuel was loving his time with his cousin so much that we let him go with my mom on their trip for the last two days of their visit. According to mom he kept going on and on about how it was the best day ever.

The time that I got to spend with my sister in law was precious. We got to have a couple of really great heart to heart talks. I am so glad that I got to have that time.

Josiah is 3 Months

I have to say this is going way too fast. I want time to slow down. Josiah you are so sweet. You smile whenever I talk to you especially after you have a full belly. You will give me these huge belly laughs. Unfortunately I still haven't been able to capture it on camera as that means I have to put you down and then you stop your adorable sounds. You giggle when I try to take your onsie off. I am thinking you will probably be pretty ticklish.

You sleep great at night, you are fighting naps during the day though. Hopefully you will start sleeping well during the day again. I thank God every day for you.

Weight Loss Week 1

I made it through week 1. I can't say that I dramatically changed my eating habits except that I tracked everything, stayed within my WW points, and became hugely aware of the types of foods I tend to eat. So one baby step at a time, I lost 4 lbs.

Weight Loss

I am at a point that I am ready to start thinking about this crazy compounded baby weight. I wouldn't ordinarily post this on my blog. Who knows I may delete it tomorrow as I may not be thinking straight tonight. I am going to start my journey tomorrow. I will post updates on how I am doing on here assuming I leave this post up. Not sure anyone reads this anyway.

First Day of School

Our plan is currently still to home school out kiddlets but in this season we have put them in preschool at a wonderful local church. This year both of them are in class at the same time Samuel is in the 4 year old and Ellie is in the 3 year old class. Works out great they are on the same day.

So far Ellie's teacher has reported that Ellie came out of the bathroom completely naked with her clothes swung under her arm like a football. On another occasion she remembered my comment about worrying when Ellie goes quiet and found her three times in the same day getting into different places she wasn't supposed to. Next was the need to get her to stop putting absolutely everything in her mouth. She is so active and yet her mind is moving just as fast. Homeschooling will be interesting. I better always be one step ahead or life might be a little crazy.

Samuel has mostly been enjoying the time spent with his friends Gideon, Noah, Caleb and more. He has been a little sad that he hasn't gotten a chance to be the special snack helper yet but I am sure that will come.
I have been enjoying the few moments alone with Josiah and Zach.

Josiah is 2 Months

You have been with us for two months now. You are currently eating at 6am-ish, 9am-ish, 12pm-ish, 3pm-ish, 6pm-ish, 9pm-ish and then again around 11pm-ish. You go to bed immediately after the 6am, 6pm and 9pm. The rest of the time you are up for 60-90 minutes. You sleep wonderfully at night in your bed. During the day you tend to sleep better in your swing, car seat or somebodies arms. That is not our goal and when we are home I definitely work on you sleeping in your bed. Since you have older siblings you have learned to be flexible and out of the house often. Your feeds are semi flexible to work around your siblings. You are such a good little sport.

Right now you have figured out how to work your legs out of your swaddle but you still sleep better swaddled so we try to do it just right so you don't escape. You are extremely smiley. You grin at anyone who will talk to you. But especially those you know like grandma, daddy, mommy and of course your smothering doting siblings. You brother is very proud of you and loves doing things for you.

Happiest Baby on the Block - Shooshing



Your sister wants to love and kiss on you all the time. We try and keep her to kissing your head or your toes. She really loves kissing your face though and giving you things such as the sponge from her toy stethoscope she thought you might like to eat.



Soothing Brother


Speaking of eating. You have been fighting eating a lot. We can't quite tell if it is reflux or milk supply but we are working on it. On your 2 month you weighed 12lb14oz. that is up 29 oz since last month. You are growing perfectly. This week we put away all of your 3 month Jammies and brought out the 6 month ones. You are going to be a big boy. If your doctor is correct you will be over 6ft. You will give Uncle Michael a run for his money. We love you very much and are so enjoying your little personality that is starting to shine through that beautiful dimpled smile of yours.

Comments

I was so excited to have gotten a comment on my last post. It was my first comment in 2 years. I figured noone reads my blog, which is totally fine since I really write it as a kind of family memory book but I was excited anyway.