A Storm's A Brewin'

Hurricane Sandy is almost here.  Not HERE here....not in Chattanooga....but HERE as in on US soil.  She's actually been here since yesterday, but won't be considered to be "on land" until around 9:00 tonight.  Then it's anticipated that she will beat down on the east coast for about 24 hours straight.  This hurricane has been anticipated as the worst disaster to hit the US in decades.  As of a few hours ago, it was rumored that 300,000 people were already without power, and that the grand total is expected to be around 60 million.  And I've heard people talk on the radio all day about charging up their cell phones.

Granted, in an emergency, I would take my cell phone and charger with me.  Just like I would pack up my child, my baby daddy, my pets, my purse, my laptop, some clothes, some food for everybody and whatever else was necessary and/or possible.  But doesn't it seem kind of dumb to be concerned about having your cell phone charged?  I'm no expert, but I would assume that if there's zero power, there's zero cell phone.  Unless you're picking up some sort of radio signal.  And even if there is a standing/working cell tower nearby, it would be impossible for anybody to get through to anyone.  I know this from tornado damage experience that didn't even remotely come close to the damage that Sandy is reportedly bringing.  Just sayin'.

It's scary to thing that a lot of people will be losing their homes within the next 24 hours.  We can only hope that nobody loses their life.  It's also a sad day for the animals.  There will be those that will be left behind by their families.  There will be those that get lost.  There will be those that have nowhere else to go but stay where they are.  As humans, we can choose to stay or go.  Pets depend on their humans to keep them safe.  I just can't even fathom the sadness and fear of a pet that's been walked out on by its human.

Sorry, I got real sad there!!  But as the saying goes, "shit's about to get real" on the east coast.  and if I didn't have a baby right now, I wouldn't hesitate to volunteer with an emergency response team.  Maybe I should just strap Delano to my chest and go?  :)

Here are a few pics I've seen of some of the storm damage so far.....

Consignment Sale Love

I went to the 50% off day at the JBF consignment sale this morning, though my child needs NOTHING.  I mean, really, he needs nothing.  Not for now or for the next 6 months, even.  But yet I ALWAYS find myself at the sales and I ALWAYS buy things I can't resist.  Today was no different.  I've been excited about this day for months.

This is how I feel at JBF.  Or just about any consignment sale, for that matter.

This is always what it's like on Opening Day.

And this is why I have a problem.

I wasn't going to buy him any clothes.  Really I wasn't.  But yesterday I bought him the cutest little shirt from the clearance rack at Old Navy for $1.97....

Lucas says Delano's going to look like a Colombian drug lord.  He needs a cigar to really complete the look.

....and realized that Delano didn't have any pants to go with the shirt.  Granted, he has a drawer full of pants and a closet full of overalls to last him likely until he's a year old, but all of the pants that fit him now are either sweatpants or cotton pajama-like pants, and that just wouldn't work for his new shirt.  So I decided that I would buy him a pair of pants at JBF.  I ended up buying two pair (50 cents each), but then this happened....

He will look SO CUTE in each of these!

The pants I intended to buy.  Well, at least one of them.

And of course THIS was a must:

I mean, seriously.  Who could resist that??

Granted, that's only NINE articles of clothing.  It could be (and has been in the past) MUCH worse.  That's why at this point I had to make myself walk away from the clothes.  So I decided to go look at books.  That's when this happened....

I guess I'm starting a children's library? 

I bought a stack of books at the last JBF sale, so this is stack #2.  You know, for all that reading Delano's doing right now.  So THEN I made myself walk away from the books to browse the toy section.  The other day I saw these two toys that I said I would buy if they were still around on 50% off day.  Well, they were.

Delano can't even HOLD a toy yet....

Before I did any more damage, I decided to go find Amanda, who I knew would be shopping around in the girl stuff.  Before I located her, I found myself wandering around the area with the big stuff like cribs, swings, strollers, bouncy seats and what not.  I noticed this little rocking chair among the bouncy seats, and it caught my eye.  Delano already has a bouncy seat, but he doesn't have a rocking chair.  Not that he needs one, but I thought that maybe when he's a little bit older and sitting up, he might like a rocking chair better than a bouncy seat.  I pondered it for a while and then just said to hell with it, because I kept going back to it and because IT WAS FIVE DOLLARS.

Delano's new rocking chair, with a removable steering wheel bar.

He looks quite thrilled, don'tcha think?  HE LOVES IT, DARNIT.

Aww there we go.  Happy in his new chair!

So all in all, I bought 4 outfits, 2 onesies, 3 pairs of pants, 31 books, 2 toys and a Jeep rocking chair for $30.  Not too shabby.  And the reason I'm addicted to consignment sales.  Even Walmart seems expensive after you become a part of the consignment world. 

I believe that was the last consignment sale for awhile, thank goodness.  But once Spring rolls around again, look out.

Delano, Races and The Walking Dead

Today is my parents' 37th wedding anniversary!  Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!!

Dr. Clay called again today....he said he didn't have any luck with any of the area pediatric dentists regarding the laser needed to treat Delano's tongue tie.  SO that means I'm going to need to make an appointment with the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt (where the frenotomy surgeon is) up in Nashville.  But I am COMPLETELY fine with that, because they will know exactly what they're doing.  And because they're at Vanderbilt and I trust Vanderbilt!

The fate of my boobies lies within this building.

If this whole tongue tie thing doesn't pan out (or simply doesn't work), I am ALL out of ideas!!  I won't give up, though.  This child will continue to suck on my boobs until I decide he's too old.  Of course once I start adding in solid foods and he breastfeeds less, it may just get less painful by default of more time between feedings.  But he WILL be breastfed!

Never give up!!  Never surrender!!

I guess, though, I should really stop asking Delano if he's "ready for some titty" by the time he's able to repeat that.  Not very appropriate, one might say.

In other baby news....

Delano is 10 weeks old today!  And according to my mom's baby scale, he weighs right at 11 lbs.  He smiles ALL the time now, including randomly at strangers.  He's also started vocalizing a lot more, squeaking and cooing and gurgling here and there, especially in the evenings when Lucas is talking to him.  He can hold his head up with minimal wobbling, and he loves to use those legs to "stand up".  He's also taken a fancy to drooling and occasionally spitting up his stomach contents, so I often smell like an open carton of milk walking around.  He's just growing up so fast!  I want him to slow down!

Strike a pose......vogue.

A SUPER awesome part of him growing up is his evolving sleeping habits.  A few weeks ago he slept one night for 8 1/2 hours straight.  But it was short-lived as the next night he was up about every 3 hours.  However, the past 3 nights have been like a dream.....8 1/2 hours straight Monday night, 7 hours straight Tuesday night and 7 1/2 hours straight last night.  SO NICE.  But you know I just jinxed it......we're partying all night tonight!!  Woohoo!!

Yes....yes....you are getting very sleepy....

We also took the jogger out for an actual run for the first time yesterday.  Leah joined us at the Riverwalk to get in her run for the day, though I warned her that I wasn't sure how my first jogger run would go or even what Delano would think!  Well, he only fussed once when he spit his pacifier out, but then once I popped it back in he fell right asleep.  As for me - my arms were screaming!!  It was not only a challenge to push weight while I ran, but my biceps and triceps were also like "WTF is going on?!!??" during turns and curves.  It is definitely going to take some time to get used to that!  Doing it again tomorrow.  :)

Keep strollin, strollin, strollin, strollin, WHAT?!  Move in now move out, hands up now hands down....

Speaking of running....I signed up for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans happening February 24, 2013!  It will be my first half marathon after having Delano, and almost 14 months after my last one!  It's 4 months away, which under normal circumstances is WAY more than enough time to train.  However since I have to factor a baby and a jogger into the mix (unless I wanted to train fully on my treadmill, which would be no bueno), PLUS add in the winter months with a baby and a jogger, I appreciate that 4 month window! 

I ran The Color Run in Nashville last weekend, which was SUPER fun!  It was supposed to be a 5k, but they changed the course at the last minute and I think it actually ended up being more like 2.8 miles.  But 10,000 people signed up (that was the cap) of all ages and abilities.  I'd say less than half of those signed up actually planned to run it.  But it wasn't timed, so it wasn't a race.  It was just plain FUN.

Me pre-race.  Nice and clean.  And I actually DID run the whole "race"!

If you're not familiar with The Color Run, watch this short video.  It was EXACTLY like this, except without the slo-mo:

Participants and volunteers were covered from head to toe, and even kids in strollers were covered from head to toe.  It was a VOMIT of powder (dyed corn starch) everywhere and it was awesome.

Chattanooga is bringing in its very first color run next June called Color the Curve.  You'd better believe I'll be doing it!!  Along with Lucas and even Delano, if Delano is to a point where he'd think it was fun and not traumatizing.  I can always just cover his stroller with one of those plastic rain covers, which I'm sure I'll own by that time anyway.  We'll cross that bridge when we get there.  I'll be recruiting anyone and everyone, so be ready to register when the time comes!!

And finally, in unrelated but exciting news, THE WALKING DEAD IS BACK!!!!

Tongue Tie Update!!

Dr. Clay called me just moments ago to tell me that he spoke with Dr. Kotlow today about Delano's possible tongue tie.  After his conversation with Dr. Kotlow, Dr. Clay is fairly certain that Delano has a posterior tongue tie! 

Dr. Kotlow highly recommended that Delano's tongue tie be treated with a laser (as opposed to clipping, which is done for more prominent tongue ties).  Dr. Clay does not have this type of laser in his office for the procedure.  However, he said that he is actually holding a dentist "open house" this evening and will ask around to see who has this laser available and is comfortable with having a patient as young as Delano is.

So we have progress! 

Tongue Tied? We Still Don't Know.

Delano went to the dentist yesterday.  It's pretty funny that I'll be able to tell him that he went to his first dentist appointment when he was 2 months old......with no teeth......

We went to Dr. Clay Goins at Children's Dentistry on Gunbarrel Road.  I loved the office (super snazzy and kid-approved), all of the hygienists and assistants seemed REALLY nice, and the doc himself was super nice, too.  He laid Delano down on the dental chair (I SO should have taken pictures) and checked around in his mouth......only to say that he honestly didn't feel anything abnormal.

Sigh.

But on a good note, Dr. Clay is familiar with Dr. Lawrence Kotlow up in NY (the head doc who has preached about posterior tongue tie) and is going to call him to see what he says.  I also gave him the contact info for a Frenotomy Surgeon up in Nashville who also is an expert on these things.  If I don't hear back from Dr. Clay next week, I'm going to make Delano an appointment with the doc up in Nashville.  I would go ahead and make the appointment right now, but I want to give Dr. Clay a chance to do a little research and see what he comes up with first.  Maybe.  I may decide to jump the gun on it.  We'll see!

That's Dr. Clay.  He's just as happy and chipper in person, too.

 Breastfeeding is still painful, but I'm not DYING, so actually giving it another week wouldn't be a big deal.

I can't remember....did I already mention that Delano's pediatrician prescribed me a high dose of Diflucan to take for two weeks to treat thrush?  Well she did, just like the girl in the blog's doctor did.  And it didn't do a darn thing, just like with the girl in the blog.  My boobies are not yeasty.

Otherwise, Delano's getting big and growing strong!  He weighed 10 lbs 11 oz at his 2-month appointment last Thursday, and he's started playing with his hands and kicking his feet like crazy, like he's realized they're THERE and they're HIS.  He smiles ALL the time now.  He's also started drooling a lot.  And spitting up, which is new.  My milk supply is really good, so maybe he's just eating too much too fast and it's coming back up?  (That's what my cats are infamous for.)  But he only does it like once a day, so I can't really complain.  It just usually ends up down my shirt and in my hair.  Fun times.

He got his shots at his appointment last week, too.  I didn't cry (nor was I close to crying), but his cries during the shots were definitely heartbreaking.  But I snuggled him immediately afterwards and then he passed out asleep.  Poor little guy.

Passed out cold after some traumatizing shots!

The Duck Duck Goose consignment sale started today.  I absolutely DO NOT need to go.  I don't need a DARN thing.  And Delano already has way too many clothes, so above all I definitely don't need clothes.  But I just don't think I'm going to be able to resist.  I KNOW I'll find myself there this afternoon and then again on Monday for the 50% off sale.  I also know that I'll find myself at the Just Between Friends consignment sale next week.  It's an addiction, I think. 

Speaking of addictions, I've also discovered that I have a cloth diaper/Ebay addiction.  I have gotten some really fantastic deals on Ebay on cloth diapers, diaper covers and inserts, and now my "stash" is out of control.  My cloth diaper stash looks like Delano's clothing stash.....he has way more than he needs.  BUT I have been reselling my overstock, getting rid of the diapers/covers I either didn't care for, knew I wouldn't ever use or just bought too many of.  So it's a work in progress!  I've already touched on gDiapers a bit in a previous post (and still use those more than anything else), but plan on talking about the other diapers I own at some point, too.

It's lunchtime and my belly's rumbling!  But who couldn't use a big ole' smile?  :)

Television Addictions

Since I spent the last 3 years of my life working from home and the last almost 2 months being a stay-at-home mom, I've watched a lot of TV.  Not the healthiest habit in the world, and I do intend to wean myself off some of it in the near future, but at the moment the TV (and the internet) passes the time while I sit with my boob out feeding the baby.

I also DVR almost everything I watch in order to surpass all of the commercials.  Here are a few shows currently on my DVR list:

Grey's Anatomy
I've been watching this one from the beginning.  I thought the plane crash at the end of last season was very "been there done that" and reminded me a WHOLE lot of "Lost", but I do like the way they started off the show this season.  Except for Arizona.  I don't think her character would really be as cut off, mopey and selfish as she's being portrayed right now.  And I still miss George.

Because they are often standing single file in a field in a storm?

Private Practice
Another one I've been watching since the beginning.  And the fact that Charlotte is pregnant with triplets???  Didn't see that one coming!!  Way to toss in a major crazy curve ball, writers.

I heart Charlotte.

19 Kids and Counting
I don't care what anybody says - I LOVE THE DUGGARS!!!  I don't agree with their religious views, but they are some of the nicest, kindest people I have ever not met.

Bring on the Duggars!!  And the Bates family, too!

Say Yes to the Dress (NY, Atlanta, anywhere) and I Found the Gown
I love watching girls try on wedding dresses.  The end.

I want to say yes to the dress.  And wear it every day.

Four Weddings
I also like watching girls get married.  Especially when it's turned into a competition.

Apparently I missed this one.  I don't remember Her Highness at all.

Fashion Police
Joan Rivers makes me laugh my freakin' face off.

Listening to Joan trash a line-up like this is fabulous.

Teen Mom
A dirty, nasty addiction that made me want to punch both Amber and Farrah in the face.  I can't watch any of the Dr. Drew reunion shows (UGH), but I did watch the regular episodes.  I think I was also intrigued by the fact that one of the girls lives right here in Chattanooga.  But this show actually ended recently.  Now all the Dr. Drew parts are playing.  I just erase those.

Haha I forgot about Jenelle.  That girl is a MESS and a HALF.

Giuliana & Bill
I LOVE this couple!!!  And this season they bring their baby home!!!  I wonder how much money their gestational carrier made??  I need a celebrity to want me to carry their baby.

I just love them to bits.

Married to Jonas
These two are just cute and easy to like.  Though his wife is kind of monotone.

It's too bad she got shafted on the rock.....did you know he gave her a pair of glass slippers on their wedding day?  Said he wanted her to feel like a fairytale princess.....awwww.  Vomit.

By the way, the new Jonas album dropped today.  I only know this because of this show.

Breaking Amish
I love this show, because it's kind of like watching a train wreck that's about to happen.  Plus it's one of those one-hit-wonders that I didn't want to miss.  And I didn't care for Abe in the first episode, but I've really grown to like him a lot.  The other guy needs an attitude adjustment.

They fit right in.

The show might be a fake???  What!!??  No way!!!  Haha just kidding on being shocked.  But here's an interesting link I found:  Not Really Breaking Amish??

Intervention
This show is DEFINITELY like watching a train wreck the moment it hits.  Because that's exactly what it is.  A show of train wrecks.

This photo was all over Google Images when I searched "Intervention".  So I went with it.

Secret Princes
Another one hit wonder that is BEYOND ridiculous, but I'm watching it.  These four rich royals have gone under cover in Atlanta to find their princesses/future wives in the time frame of A MONTH.  Dumb, I know.  I actually had a dream about Cisco a few nights ago.  I don't remember what about, but he was in it.  And the poor Indian guy is SO awkward (and not very appealing) with women but yet he REALLY wants to find a girl or else he faces an arranged marriage when he goes back home.

This poor guy is SO going home to an arranged marriage.....

Dancing with the Stars (All Stars)
I don't even care for this show all that much.  But it's something to watch when I've watched everything else.

Google makes me laugh.

Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive
I used to be addicted to this show, but now they're just kind of piling up in my DVR.  I keep them around in case I run out of stuff to watch.

Can you make me a grilled cheese?  Oh...nevermind....

These are just the shows I DVR for myself to pass the time if I need it.  I also like shows like Millionaire Matchmaker and Million Dollar Listing, and shows on HGTV of people buying and/or renovating houses like Income Property.  And I'm also guilty of watching the Kardashians when they're "in season".  And I'm not even including the shows Lucas and I watch together, like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Bones, The New Girl, The Walking Dead, etc....

I don't sit and watch hours of TV on end, though it looks like it with all those shows that I record.  Most everything I listed comes on once a week, and I've always got a backlog of shows hanging out waiting to be watched (or erased) on the DVR.  But it does seem like I have quite the problem, doesn't it?

I feel like maybe I should go take a walk or something.....

The Fabric of Our Lives.....

I am a cloth diapering mom.  Just like breastfeeding, I wouldn't have it any other way (unless I absolutely had to).  And for me it's not about saving money (though this part is also true), it's about the environmental impact that disposable diapers have (disposable ANYTHING, really).  I don't hate on anybody for NOT cloth diapering - it IS a commitment - but I do like to tell people how much waste disposable diapers produce.  Even "eco-friendly" diapers are wasteful, as they may never have the opportunity to biodegrade if tossed in a landfill due to the lack of air, water and sunshine needed.  But eco-friendly diapers are better than regulars due to less (to no) plastic parts and less chemicals you're putting against your baby's skin and then tossing away.

Here are a few links with some info, including debates on why cloth diapers aren't much better (water and energy usage and such):

What a Waste

Real Diaper Association

The Poop on Eco-Friendly Diapers

LiBaware (these were the statistics in 1988....24 years ago!)

The Great Disposable Diaper Debate

Where do the other 8% go?

Anyway, as a new mom to the cloth diapering plan, I wasn't exactly sure what to do or how to get started.  There are a lot of different brands out there, and I had ZERO idea what all the terms meant (prefold, pocket diaper, all-in-one, gusset, hybrid, soaker, booster, etc).  I had no idea how many of WHAT I would need.  The websites with multiple brand varieties (such as Cotton Babies) were overwhelming.  And it all seemed so pricey.

I enlisted the help of two friends of mine, Leza and Laura.  Leza works for Swaddlebees/Blueberry Diapers and Laura uses cloth diapers for both of her kids.  These ladies have given me advice about how to be a successful cloth diapering mom, as well as shared what has worked for them.  The most important piece of info I received (and would also pass along) is to try out multiple brands and styles to get the right "fit" for your child.  Because as with anything else, what works for one mom may not work at all for another.

I became familiar with gdiapers while browsing the baby aisle in our local Earth Fare, and included gift certificate requests from gdiapers.com in my baby shower invites.  I received enough gift certificates to get me started with their newborn bundle and a few extras.

Gdiapers consist of an outer cover (gpants) and a detachable snap-in nylon pouch (with the exception of the newborn tiny gpants, in which the pouch is built in).  You can then use either a cloth insert or a disposable/flushable insert in the pouch.  The covers velcro in the back rather than in the front, with the thought process that they're harder for an older, coordinated child to take off (my child doesn't even know what to do with his hands yet, so he isn't really working that hard to take his diaper off).

Delano started with the tiny gpants and disposable liners (as recommended for the tiny gpants) as soon as we got home from the hospital.  I had a bunch of regular disposable newborn diapers on hand (given to me by some fellow moms of babies who had recently outgrown theirs) in case I needed them, but lucky for us the tiny gpants were perfect!  They fit nice and snug around his skinny little legs, and we had NO leaks the entire time he was in them with the exception of 3 or 4 poop explosions that shot up and out the back.

Delano graduated from the tiny gpants into a size small right around 5 1/2 weeks.  He also graduated from using the disposable inserts to using the cloth ones, though we used the disposable inserts while out of town recently.

Here are my thoughts so far about gdiapers:

They are definitely cute and trendy, and meant to be thinner than the average cloth diaper.  This means, of course, that there are different size ranges of a gdiaper (tiny 6-10 lbs, small 8-14 lbs, medium 13-28 lbs, large 26-36 lbs and extra-large 34+ lbs) and therefore you will need to add to your collection as your baby grows.  Other diapers out there considered to be "one size" are much more bulky to allow room to grow.  BUT their time frame for usage is much longer since you don't have to switch sizes.

Delano in a tiny gpant.  About the same size as a regular diaper.

For comparison, Delano in a "one size" BumGenius pocket diaper.

I LOVE the newborn-sized tiny gpants.  Granted, 9 times out of 10 a poopy diaper meant I needed to toss the diaper in the hamper, since the poop would rarely stay only on the insert itself.  But if it wasn't bad, I could typically use a wet wipe to clean off the inside liner so that I could use the diaper at least one more time before washing it.  I soaked any poop-stained diapers in a bucket of water with a little BIZ sprinkled in before tossing them in with a load of laundry, and the stains would come right out.  I only wish I had invested in more of the tiny gpants while I was using them.  12 was plenty, but 6 more would have been awesome.

The fact that these velcro in the back instead of the front is no big deal at all.  It's just as easy as a diaper that fastens in the front.  Some people have complained about it in online forums, but I don't see why.  Lucas even said he liked it better than the standard disposable fasteners.

Now that Delano's in the smalls and using cloth inserts, I'm trying to figure out if I like them.  I DO like them....I'm just trying to figure out what I like the best.  So far it's the same story - a poopy diaper almost ALWAYS makes a mess in the snap-in liner (instead of just staying put on the cloth insert) and sometimes will make its way out of the gusset (leg hole) and end up on the diaper itself, deeming all parts of the diaper as hamper contents.  We've also had a few pee leaks.  And this may simply be due to the fact that Delano's legs haven't chunked up enough yet to fully seal off the liner from the outside cover.  And maybe also because Delano is a heavy pee-er.  Other diaper inserts I've seen are thicker than the gdiaper inserts, so today I've tried doubling up the cloth inserts to see if that's better or worse.  He hasn't had a single pee leak today.  I'm still waiting for him to poop.

The disposable inserts are great for traveling or great for someone who only wants to cross partway into cloth diapering.  The best thing about them is that you can flush them, though I admit I was a slacker on this benefit.  Mine typically ended up in the trash can next to the changing table.  But I did flush some of them, and they literally disintegrate in the toilet like tissue paper.  Way more eco-friendly than tossing them in the trash can, but tossing them in the trash is still WAY more eco-friendly than tossing a regular disposable diaper in the trash!

Daily life with cloth diapers hasn't been a big deal, though it does add in some extra steps that disposable diapering does not, such as putting diapers together (or taking them apart) and doing laundry a whole lot more often.  I always pre-stuff a diaper and have it ready to go before taking Delano's dirty diaper off, instead of trying to re-stuff the one he's wearing to avoid providing ample opportunity to poop/pee on the changing table.  If the one he's wearing can be used again I'll just use it next time.  I always carry 2-3 pre-stuffed diapers in the diaper bag, and I have a "wet bag" in the diaper bag for the dirty stuff.  I also have a little cloth zipper bag containing a few extra disposable inserts and snap-in liners just in case.  At home I do laundry every 2-3 days, washing the diapers the way Laura said she washes hers.

As for trying out other brands/styles, I've got some BumGenius pocket diapers I've started using on him, and I have some GroVia (both all-in-ones and hybrids) and Flips (hybrids) headed my way as well.  I've also got some really cute Swaddlebees (all-in-ones) that I got from Leza to try, but he's still too small for them, so they'll just have to wait. 

Cute random baby in a GroVia diaper.

I'll keep everybody updated on my diaper experiences!  I don't have a clue yet as to what I'm going to like best.  Maybe the hybrids because I can reuse the covers if they're not dirty.  Or maybe the all-in-ones because I don't have to deal with inserts or liners or any separate pieces, just take the whole thing off and toss it in the wash.  Or maybe a certain type will work best while out and about while another works best at home and at night.  I don't know yet....it will be interesting to see!

TIP:  Shop for cloth diapers to try on Craigslist and Ebay!!!

Kicking It Into High Gear

Well, it's October!

I love October.  It's one of my absolute favorite months.  I love the weather, the fall colors, pumpkin spiced everything and all the festivities leading up to Halloween.  It's a good time of year for those who live here in the valley.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins.  I just ate all 6 and gained 2 lbs per muffin by simply looking at the picture!

This October will have all of those things, but will also be a little more involved on my end.  You see, it's now time for me to kick it into high gear.  Here are my goals for the month of October:

1. Give up the junk food.  Especially the fast food.  It has GOT TO GO.  'Nuf said.
2. Wean myself back into a mostly vegetarian diet.  Or at least a "happy cow" diet.
3. Run at least 3 days a week and get back up to doing 5 mile runs by the end of the month.  I'm signed up for a 5k on the 20th, so I'll need to be up to at least 3.1 by then!
4. Break out the jogging stroller and become friends with the pavement once again.

Also in there (between the lines) is "Slim down my baby belly", but hopefully that will be a direct result of everything above.  If nothing really changes in that department, then I'm going to have to add in "Shop for new clothes" during the month of November.  I'm currently teetering between my pre-pregnancy jeans and my maternity jeans.  My maternity jeans are too big and my pre-preggo jeans are too small.  I can wear either pair and get by.  But I can't live on two pairs of ill-fitting jeans forever!

This is what I look like in my pre-preggo jeans.  Except that I don't feel quite as confident as this rock star.  I bet she never needs new clothes.

So that's my plan!  Of course I do realize that my 6 1/2 week-old will toss in curveballs left and right, but hopefully between the two of us we can establish enough of a routine together to make things work.  :)

P.S.  Here's the recipe for those Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins in case they were just too much to handle visually.  I'm thinking I need to make them myself as well!