Swift Kick in the Butt

This is exactly where I am at lately. I was up to about four miles and then laziness happened. So now I'm starting back over and it HURTS. I went to a nearby high school tonight and forced myself to run two miles. Then after the two miles, I ran the stairs on the bleachers eight times. There is something about counting down laps in your head that makes it feel like it's going to be okay if you can just get down to that last lap. And I LOVE that point in your run when it stops hurting (at least a little bit). Some where around the first mile mark (for me), I finally get my breath and it sort of (said very loosely) becomes fun. 

So today I'm starting over and recommitting myself. 18 more pounds to lose until I am at my goal weight.  Here goes nothing...

 

Source: simplysadiejane.com via Kristen on Pinterest

The Addiction That is Pinterest

I love this website!  It's amazing.  It's everything crafty, recipes, DIY projects, home organizing, fashion and style, all rolled in to one. I am completely addicted.  I've gotten so many great ideas off of it (a lot for Brantley's party which I completely forgot to take pictures of).  And I wanted to show what I've been up to...

This one might be one of my favorites because it is so personalized.  I spent about $55 on supplies to make a knock off version of a Pottery Barn number canvas.  I got a great tutorial from this blog which I found on Pinterest.  It was so helpful and now I have a canvas in our living room with or personal dates on it.

I did this at Brantley's first birthday party and I think it was a hit!  Craig and I had so much fun looking through these pictures and reminiscing over the last year with him.

Made this one just now.  Literally just finished making it and I am in love!  I want to make more and attempt to sell them during college football season.  Just don't know how to go about selling them.  Etsy maybe?

This one looked so easy.  I mean, really, how hard could it be?  And it wasn't hard - just extremely time consuming.  I made three trips to Hobby Lobby to get more ribbon.  I used a larger base wreath than in the picture which added to the length of time to complete it.  Pinterest directed me here for awesome Dr. Seuss First Birthday Party inspiration.

I didn't take a picture of it but I also recently tried a super easy Poppy Seed Chicken recipe.  It turned out great and has been added to our menu rotation!

Looking forward to finding more ideas on Pinterest that I can "swipe" and make my own.

Dear Brantley

I wrote this to Brantley a few days before his first birthday and I'm just now getting around to posting it...

Dear Brantley,

We are a few days away from your first birthday.  Your very first year of life is almost complete and I have mixed emotions all around.  Celebrating because it is such a huge milestone, but in shock because I blinked and my “baby” was gone.   I was going through pictures the other night in preparation for your party this weekend and came across one of us that literally pulled at my heart when I saw it.  You are tiny, curled up in my chest.  My hand covers half of you.  I’m not looking at the camera because I’m way too in awe of you.  My head is down and my nose is on your head, because the first four months of your life my nose stayed pretty glued to the top of your head.  I loved your baby smell and knew I should soak it all up because one day you’d be a little boy and not a baby.

You have grown so much this last year.  I’ve taken your pictures each month and looked at how much you have changed.  Watched how your personality has developed and seen your sense of humor come about.  I’ve seen how strong willed you have become and been amazed at the new things you have learned.  This year is most definitely about you and how proud of you we are as your parents.  But a small part of this celebration is also about us as your parents. 

I have always wondered what type of mother I would be.  How I would handle the pressures and responsibilities of caring for another life.  I won’t lie – I’ve worried I wouldn’t be good at it.  While a lot of my friends just took to babies and caring for them, I was never around them much and didn’t have the experience of feeding, diaper changing, entertaining, nurturing, etc. that a lot of people I knew did.  Looking at this picture I can go back to how I felt this day.  It was only a week after you were born.  A week exactly.  My emotions were everywhere (which resulted in crying on this park trip with your dad because a fly landed on my sandwich – true story).  I was overwhelmed with them and in such a good way. 

You really don’t realize how much you can love someone until you have a child.  I felt like my heart came out of my chest and began to exist outside of my body the moment you came in to this world.  I realized it didn’t matter how much experience I had with other children, maternal instincts are a real thing and they just became second nature with you.  I’d do anything for you and loved you with everything in me within seconds of you being placed in my arms. 

You are the most amazing gift I have ever been given and I am so grateful God picked your dad and I to be your parents. You’ve been so patient while we figured this whole parenthood thing out. I am so amazed at how much you have grown over this year and am so anxious to watch the boy you will become.  Our life is so much more fun with you in it.

We love you so much, Brantley. 

Brantley's First Birthday!

We had Brantley’s birthday party this weekend.  Overall, I think it was a success!  I really wish that we had taken more pictures of decorations and people.  I definitely should have handed my camera off earlier on, but what we did get was awesome (present opening, cake smashing, and clean up).  He was a little unsure of all these people in his house at one time, but eventually warmed up and loved being the center of attention. 

He’d open a toy, push the button on it, and laugh while he looked around the room to make sure everyone was in on how funny it was.  Red cake icing was coming out of his nose hours after I had cleaned him all up.  We laid him down for a nap at about the time people started heading out and when I went in to get him later I thought he had a bloody nose (red icing had worked its way back down his nose after being shoved up in it during cake smashing).  Terrifying and hilarious all at once.

Our little baby is gone and we have a little boy.  I am so thankful for this last year and what this amazing kid has taught me about motherhood.  And we were so excited to celebrate with everyone who loves him.  It was a great party and definitely worth the work that was put in to it. 

He had a pretty big weekend.  Friday I took a half day at work so Ashley and I could take the kids to the zoo.  Brantley was free because he was under two, so that was a bonus.  I wasn’t sure how much he would “get”, but he picked up on a few things.  The bird house, the tiger, the bear, the pandas, and the pigs were highlights for him.  His favorite part was going through the mist fan.  He and Kinley were cracking up.  Briley had a great time, too.  And Ashley and I laughed most of the day about her knowledge of the “Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake”, monkeys not apes, and her near death experiences in the bird house.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen on Saturday getting the food ready for Brantley’s party.  Once that was finished we took the kids to park and came back to hang out with Brad (who was in town) and watch football.  LSU got their first win for the season and it was fun for all of us to be able to watch it together.

Sunday was the munchkin’s party.  After the party we headed to Pappadeaux’s with Greg, Ashley, Briley, and Kinley for a really good dinner.  That night we came home and relaxed at the house.  Greg, Craig, and I got in to a game of basketball with some balls in Brantley’s ball pit and his two foot Fisher Price basketball goal.  It might have been one of the highlights of the weekend.  I told Ashley it was one of those moments I wish we had a camcorder going behind us to capture it all.

Monday we relaxed most of the day until we got a little bored and Brantley got restless (but wouldn’t nap – probably due to the sugar high he was on from Sunday) so we headed to Best Buy to do a little shopping for a new digital camera.  It was VERY hard not to purchase a new one but I’m going to shop around for a little bit until I can fully commit.    It’s been a lot harder than I thought it would be because I take way too many pictures to be without my Rebel.  I have reached for it a few times now and been disappointed each time when I realized it was broken. It just stopped working after Brantley’s party on Sunday.  At this point, it’s either pay $200 plus shipping to have it fixed or spend extra to get a new model.  The last few months it has paused a decent amount of time if I’m shooting fast and gives me a “busy” flashing signal.  Which makes me angry because it always happens to do it when Brantley is in a full on smile.  Then when I’m ready to shoot again I can’t get him to pay attention.  Never fails.  The new ones also do HD recordings.  So there are definite pros (new camera, new features) and cons (the extra expense).  Until I weigh all of that out, I’m sticking with my point and shoot.