Thursday, September 30, 2010

Project: Loose the Baby Weight. Yesssssss.

       My brains been short on blogspiration this week. I'm spending all of my free moments preparing myself mentally to go back to work and playing with my little bugger. But, I did find a few minutes to get away today and step on a scale to see how I'm doing. And I have some good news to share. I've lost 2 additional pounds, so I'm now just about 4 pounds away from my pre-baby weight. Seeing a smaller number on the scale was refreshing. 
       On a sadder note, I've cancelled my gym membership (big frown). There won't be many more opportunities for me to exercise this next week, and with my return to the office just around the corner I don't plan to spend my precious hours after work away from Nolan. So, we'll see if I can continue to put a dent in this number. Oh, and I recently ordered some new pants and jeans...one size bigger then I use to wear. And boy are they comfortable. 
This is what's been keeping me away from blogging.
He's strapped into his carrier. 
Helping me get chores done around the house. 
My goodness, I could just eat that face up.

Monday, September 27, 2010

I'll take it

       It's September. The very final days of September. And it is gorg-to-the-eous. I'll take it. My longtime friend Kels and her husband made the trip up to Tahoe to meet Nolan for the first time this weekend. We spent Sunday in our suits on the shores of the lake. I was enjoying the weekend too much to take photos, but we did snap this one. 
It was great to catch up!

Our kiddo is getting cuter by the day, I swear.
I'll have to get some more pics up of him asap.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fall Wish List

       It's no secret that I love Tahoe in the Summer. The warm weather, the beach time, the activities. But, all good things must come to an end and sadly, Tahoe Summers always end just a little too soon for my liking. Luckily there's a light at the end of the tunnel, or should I say season. And that light comes in the form of Fall fashion. 
       I am far from a fashionable mama and sadly, I'm  finding that the longer I live in Tahoe the farther I get from stylish. When I moved here I made a silent promise to myself that I would not fall victim to what I will call "Tahoe Casual." Read: jeans, flip flops, t-shirts, fleece, sweatshirts, fleece, tank tops, down jackets, and more fleece. For us Tahoeites, when you have to actually get gussied up or head to the city it's cause for a mild heart attack. In these parts we value having a great set of skis (okay, not me personally), an awesome mountain bike, and the seasons best down jacket, and not the hottest boots or coats. Not to mention that the cost of living here and access to shopping make it all the more difficult (I know, cry me a river).
       So I've scoured the internet to come up with my Fall 2010 Wishlist. Some of these will remain, just that, a wish, while other things will end up in my closet. 
Drum roll please...here's my 
Fall 2010 Wishlist

1)Blue Rubber Boots
I know I'm about a year late on this trend, 
but what can I say, I'm a late bloomer. 
These beauties are Hunter's. 
I found myself a knock off version and they now reside in my closet. 
Bring on the rain.
2) A simple and sweet initial necklace. 
I'd love to cart a little "N" and "J" around my neck, 
to remind myself of my boys when I can't be with them. 
I found this little beauty on etsy. 
Get your own here.
3) An airy print dress
I've had my eye on one of these for a while now. 
When I see a dress that I like, 
I always tell myself that I'll never have a reason to wear it. 
And then...all of the sudden... I have a reason, but none to wear. 
This fall, I'm blessed to go to the baptism of my niece, 
where I'll become her Godmother. 
Perhaps I'll show up wearing this?
4) Just a little bit short skinny jeans
Pairing these with some cute tennies would be picture perfect.
This pair can be found at jcrew.
5) Classic Tennies
I've been debating between grey or a more exciting color. 
We shall see what I decide.
6) A long necklace or two
Nothing polishes off a ho-hum outfit like some great jewelry. 
I have a special place in my heart for long necklaces. 
Something versatile perhaps?
Or maybe an antique locket?
Or something with a little color kick?
6) Yummy brown riding boots
There's nothing ground breaking here. 
I've loved them for years. 
Love looking at them every fall. 
And wish I could own 12 pairs. 
You can find these at madewell.
7) Some great fall blouses
Great to layer with sweaters, jackets and scarves. 
So many blouses, so little moo-lah.
Maybe this one?
Or perhaps this one?

Or better yet?


Are you drooling yet?
Have you done your fall shopping?
Do share!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Project: Loose the Baby Weight. Slow and Steady...

       Last week I wasn't able to eek out a weight loss update. I think it was partly due to the fact that I knew I hadn't lost that much weight and partly due to being infatuated with my son. Knowing that I am now T-minus 3 weeks from being back at work and away from my little bug, I've been trying to enjoy each and every moment with him (even the crying) and not allow myself to get distracted by the blog-o-sphere. 
       But, after a weigh in yesterday at the gym I do have a bit of good news and I feel pleased enough to share. I seemed to have lost another half pound or so, so I'm now just about 6 lbs. away from my pre-baby weight. The process has definitely been slow going lately, but slow and steady wins the race, right? 
       I was able to get to the gym just twice last week and went on one 4 mile run. I've already made it to the gym twice this week, so my goal is two more sessions before Friday.  Nolan has fallen into a great nighttime sleep pattern now and usually isn't waking until 7am. The ambitious Meg is thinking of trying to get to the gym when it opens at 5:30am to get in a little gym time before my munchkin even opens his eyes for the day. Maybe this could be the little boost my body needs over the next three weeks? 
       I think I'd now be happy to see a weight loss of just two more pounds in the next 3 weeks. That's doable right? I guess we'll soon find out!

Monday, September 20, 2010

What a Guy

       Who works forty hours a week, goes to school two nights a week, has taken on two additional jobs, and is a volunteer? Who spends his free time studying and commutes an hour each way to class and his extra jobs. Who leaves the house at 6:30 in the morning and doesn't get home until 11:00pm on some days? Oh yeah, and finds the time to be a dad too. That would be Jonny. He happily suctions noses, pushes strollers, and bounces our little bug. He brews coffee, makes a mean breakfast, and always takes the trash out.  And he does it all with a smile on his face. 
       Jon set out on his path to a career in the fire service just about one year ago. He has already accomplished so much, but we both know that he still has a long road ahead of him before he reaches his goals. He is surely doing everything he can to change his future and ours. In three weeks, Jon and I will be switching roles in a sense. I'll be going back to work (big frown), and Jon will be staying home on paternity leave for two months. I think it a lot, but probably don't say it enough- What a guy! 
From day 1, Jon has been the hands on dad. 
While I was recovering from labor, Jon headed up the 
diaper changes, burping and managing the house.
                                         

Did I mention he looks so good doing it all?
And there happens to be a little boy that just loves him.
Like father, like son perhaps? 
He's my real life hero.

Thank honey, for everything you do. 

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

2 Months

     Our little wonder boy is two months old and we're getting to know him better and better. He has gained exactly 4lbs. since his birth, and he's now weighing in at 11 lbs. 6 oz., and is almost 23 in. long. He has been sleeping through the night like a champ (knock on wood) and we've finally developed an amazing little bedtime routine. He dozes off between 9:00 and 9:30, at which time we relish in a little "us" time. Usually our "us" time involves some wine.  


He's our little engine that could. 
I'm one very blessed mama.

Smiley pants. 


Someone's excited.
And he's even cuter in person.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Lakes Basin Trip

       A couple of weekends ago Jon and I wanted to get out of the house and do something. You can only spend so many hours at the beach with a newborn, bike rides aren't an option at the moment, and most of our favorite trails nearby aren't doable with a munchkin. So we packed up the boys and headed out on a drive. We decided to head north to the Lakes Basin area. The Lakes Basin is located about 1.5 hours from us, and is composed of lots of high sierra lakes (hence the name) connected by small roads and trails. We had planned on camping there this past Memorial Day Weekend, but those plans were foiled due to late snowfall.
       We drove the hour and a half, with one pit stop for feeding Nolan and picking up picnic goods. Then made our way to a trail head area so that we could set out on foot. We found a great little 2 mile trail that took us out to a gorgeous lake. It was  the perfect mini-getaway for us.
Jon made the trek with Nolan snug in his carrier.


Pretty, no?



Hope that you had a great weekend.
Lots of love from Tahoe!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Project: Loose the Baby Weight. Ugh...

       Ugh. That's my current sentiment on weight loss. This isn't the first time that I've had to shed some pounds. I think some people think that I've always liked getting up before the sun to exercise. Not true my friends. Living in England my junior year of college and then again while living in Ecuador about 6 years ago, I ate to my hearts content. And didn't exercise a lick. In England I was living on a teeny tiny budget and the cheapest foods to buy were white bread and white rice. I also remember trying every pastry shop from England to Italy to Spain. I  remember the humungo calorie breakfasts that my host mother prepared for me when I lived in Ecuador. I would come downstairs to find hot chocolate, a glass of freshly made juice, breakfast pastries, toast, and white rice. Thats right- white sugar, white sugar and more white sugar. And...I would eat it all. Happily. 
        Well, both times that I returned to the states I had about 12-15 lbs. to lose. And now I remember how un-fun it was to lose that weight each time. But I did it then and I can do it again...I hope. Progress hasn't been moving along quite as fast as I had hoped. People definitely weren't kidding when they said that it's hard to loose baby weight. 
My Progress:
       Let's start with my goal to move every day. I've been getting out on walks somewhat frequently, but I've missed a few here and there. I got out on just a couple of runs this week and made it to the gym only once.  I do feel that I've done a good job of nixing lots of the junk. I've successfully gone without ice cream and I've been controlling my portions when satisfying my sweet tooth. I indulged in pizza one night (this mama was too tired to cook and Jon is always begging to order in pizza) and went out to breakfast one day too. My daily meals have been for the most part healthy, filled with lots of fruit, veggies, and whole wheat. Sadly, though I've earned an F in my attempt to drink more water. 
       It looks like I've lost just about .5 lbs.- 1lb. this past week. I have noticed that a couple of my pants do seem to fit a bit better, which is refreshing. This week my goal is to make it to gym three times for weight training sessions, and to get out on two runs. And I must, must, must drink more water!
     I've got just four more weeks until I'm back at work (something I'm still coming to terms with). This process has made me realize that I need to adjust my concept of working out. I use to rely on being at the gym about 5 days a week, and I realize that this is no longer possible or even how I want to be spending my time. I may even be canceling my gym membership pretty soon, so that we can save a little moo-lah, and I will have more time at home with my boys.  Yesterday I decided to try something new: I rented a work out dvd from the library. I'm going to see if I can get myself to exercise at home regularly for 20-30 minutes as a way to maintain my weight.  I hope I have good news on my progress to share next week!
How are your weight loss goals going? Any progress? Did you get out moving this week?

Thursday, September 9, 2010

What being a parent to a newborn means...

       Clearly Jon and I are mere newbies to this whole parenting gig. The only thing that we know is that we know zilch. We're taking every day as it comes. Some are easy (well, relatively), and some nights we got to bed with spit up on our shirts and in our hair, but we're just happy to be in bed. So, in the spirit of Mr. Letterman, this is our list of what being a parent to a newborn means. It means...

...showering becomes a luxury. "Oh crap, I haven't showered in three days." Usually a nap or a chance to sit down beats hopping in the shower. 
...sleep becomes your number one goal in life. Getting the baby to fall asleep. Achieving 5+ hours of sleep. Getting him to sleep in his crib. Why does college not include a course on "Getting your baby to sleep like an angel?" 
...bodily fluids become a part of your day. Spit up. Peep and Poop. Buggers. All of the sudden a mom holding her kids chewed gum doesn't seem so gross anymore. 
...you can do just about anything one handed if you want it bad enough. Typing. Eating. Making coffee (this is an essential skill to master). Making the bed. Unloading the laundry. Making lunch. Check. Check. Check.
...leggings, t-shirts and flip flops are stylish right?
...you will never complete your daily to do list. The baby will make sure of that. "How is it 4pm already?"
...you say things like "tummy time". Its too embarrassing to even discuss the other terms that enter your vocabulary. 
...your living room will never look the same. Its like Babies R Us threw up all over of your house. Swings. Bouncy Chairs. Playmats. Blankets. Burp Cloths. Welcome to a cluttered life.
...cuddling with your spouse becomes about as high a priority as cleaning out the garage. 
...styled hair is a thing of the past.  Forget about blow drying, straightening, and curling. This is why the ponytail was invented.
...you will have the chance to watch more terrible daytime TV then you could ever wish for. You need to do something while you sit and nurse your kiddo. And yes, all of it's terrible but it's so hard to look away.
...a vacuumed carpet and clean dishes equals success. Forget about scrubbing the bathtub, cleaning windows and washing the toilets.  There's no time for that nonsense.


       But it's all worth it right? 
Clearly.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

3 Day Weekend Fun

       Jon, Nolan and I had a great 3 day weekend. We spent the day at our favorite beach, went on a 6 mile hike, BBQ'd up some steak, and had breakfast at our favorite joint. Jon's back at work now (sigh), and I've got just 5 weeks left at home with my little wonder boy (double sigh). 
Here are some photos from our great weekend.
We L-O-V-E Speedboat Beach.


Nolan got to go on his first real hike. 
6 miles, 3 crazy dogs, 1 sleeping baby, a beautiful sierra lake, and great friends.
And when you hike with an 8 week old, 
that means breastfeeding stops along the way.
Blue wore his backpack.
Someone needed to carry the diapers, burp clothes, and blankets. 
Seriously.
It also means diaper changes on the dirt.

Have I mentioned that Nolan loves tree. 
He happily stares at trees and the light streaming through them. 
I think we may have a future arborist on our hands.

I've been trying and trying to get a good family picture of us. 
Nice attempt, but not quite there yet.
The lovely Millers. 

I carried Nolan half of the trip,
which meant hiking with an 11 lb. munchkin strapped to my chest. 
I'm hoping this gets me one step closer to my weight loss goal.
Nolan was an angel all day. 
He even allowed us to sit and enjoy some beers and burgers after the hike.
Happy Baby + Cold Beers = Two Very Happy Parents. 



After 3 days of playing we've got lots of chores to take care of this week. 
Hope that you guys had a great Labor Day Weekend Too!