and then we ran another triathlon

after we ran our 1st race dave & i both made the comment that we now felt like we had nothing to look forward to.  all that training & then it was over, just like that.  so we decided to do another race. we had a hard time picking out a second race.  we wanted to stick to the sprint distance b\c try as i may, i just am not that athletic, and despite all this training, i wasn't really getting any better it seemed...  of course, a lot of the sprint distances had really long swims- and the swim is probably my weakest event- except, unlike biking or running- if i stop swimming, i will die.  so we decided to do a mini sprint.  we had a lot going on- a lot.  the week of the race i was meeting up with new blog friends and then we had friends coming into town for the weekend.  a lot of crazy.  thank goodness we only did the mini distance. 

swim-  the swim for this mini was 250 yard- which is what we had been swimming when training for the 1st race (oops).  this for me is a pretty perfect distance.  they had the swimmers split into 2 pools- 1-260 in pool 1, and 261-500 in pool 2.  dave was 141- so he was over halfway back in the 1st pool, and i was 296, so i was near the front of the 2nd pool.  i was in the pool 10 minutes after the beginning of the race!  this swim was much smoother to me than the last- they were spacing people about 20 seconds apart- and there was a boy around 12 in front of me and he was pretty fast, so i never had to worry about him being right in front of me.  i was able to actually swim and do my strokes w\o feeling sloshed around all over the pool.  i finished in 6:52- 34th out of 40 in my age group. 

bike-  this race was not chip timed, so our transitions were lumped in with our event times.  i got to my bike quickly, threw my jersey, socks, shoes, headband and helmet on, and was out in a good time- i wish i knew how fast though.  the bike course was decent- 10k.  it was on frontage roads, and you rode out to a point, and turned around through a parking lot and went back.  i definitely didn't like that- it was 2 way bike traffic almost the entire time, which made it hard to pass if you needed to.  also, people, for the love of all that is holy- when you pass someone on your bike- you say ON YOUR LEFT!!!  how do people not understand/know that.  there were some decent sized hills in the course (to me anyway) and we i had not had the chance to be on our actual bikes in a couple weeks (dave owns a bike, which he rides on a trainer at our house, i ride my mnl's bike), and i had just been riding stationary bike.  oh, i needed help on those hills!  also, i'm not very coordinated w\ getting my nutrition & water bottle out (lost my bottle on mile 13 of the last race).  this time i did the energy chews before the race, and decided to do gu on the bike.  i am not good at opening things w\ my teeth, but finally got the gu open.  oh gross!  next time i'll stick with coffee flavor...  i thought i was gonna puke gu all over myself.  so i needed water... i managed to get my bottle out only to not be able to get any water to drink -(??!?!).  i told dave this after the race and he pointed out to me that the bottle i was carrying this time had a straw in it- and i was turning it up to drink... womp, womp...  i also overshot my exit and went to the farthest set of bike racks and ended up having to walk my bike twice as far to get back to my station.  boo.  i finished in 30:34- 24th in my age group. 

run-  2 mile run.  i hate running.  i am lazy and running is dumb...  once again, i got off the bike and felt like i couldn't run.  my muscles in my calves felt so sore even after stretching after the bike.  this transition probably took a little longer b\c 1.  i had to walk my dumb bike back and 2.  i need water!!!  i got passed by so many people.  i basically was walking as fast as i could!  on my way out, i walked by this tiny old man who was in the schaumburg race w\ us, and he was on his way back- when i was on my way back, he was out running the 2 miles again!  and then when dave got in, we saw him coming back & going out AGAIN!  the run was also done where you ran to a certain point, turned and came back.  i finally felt okay when i got to the turn around and was able to run 90% back.  i have really got to work on running.  a lot.  on my way back i finally passed dave- he was coming back from his bike!  run time 33:45:5.  aw-ful.  38th in my age group.  boo.

i was able to get back in, get a little something to drink and grab the camera to catch dave crossing the finish line!  my overall time 1:11:11:5.  36th out of 40 in my age group.  405 in the race overall.  again, i end up being disappointed.  again. 

dave

after the race, they gave out tons of free samples (muscle milk = yum), did post-race stretching and had a raffle!  i ended up winning & picked out a $50 certificate to dick's sporting goods where i was able to get myself new running shoes!  i love the shoes i have now, but i got them when i was pregnant and i have logged a lot of miles in them between work & training!  overall the woodridge mini sprint was a success!!

race photos:  there were several photographers on hand and over 2500 race photos.  dave made 2 in the swim portion, and i made 3 in the bike.

dave is mad that his only race pics are him getting out of the pool and show his chest...

i think i look silly...  

 believe it or not, that's dave getting ready to cross the finish line.  darn camera! 

 almost!

 and he's finished!!

  post race stretching- awesome!

so worth it.

 and more!  

dave grabbing the buffalo by the horns.  it's a metaphor...

we did it!!

make new friends

i am still on such a super high from making 2 online friends my irl friends!!  after weeks of planning, a playdate was finally in the works with julie & brayden AND maegan & chester!  julie already lives in illinois, but she's about 100 miles south of us, and maegan lives in los angeles, but her hubby was going to be in chicago on business!  we decided that we'd all meet up @ the dupage children's museum.  it was a little crazy & overwhelming there with all the big kids running around, but the boys (and moms) all had a great time!

the next night maegan & i were able to get together for a mno!  we had such a blast!  please move here!!

the one where my son looks like crazy celebrities

there are no words...

images

review & giveaway! dinner revolution!

if you know anything about me, you know i love to cook.  i live for it.  it's my greatest source of relaxation & frustration!  i also tend not to cook a lot of the same things over & over- i always want to try something new.  i do have favorites, but i love being adventurous- always trying something new!  i was so thrilled when i got the opportunity to review & share with you a fabulous new cookbook- dinner revolution.

cooking has become less of a joy & more of a frustration since having ian.  it's hard to cook when you're chasing a baby.  whether it's stopping him from breaking dishes or going through all our cabinets, or having him pull at my leg screaming for me to feed him what i'm attempting to cook- when i can't even get it in the pan!  i tend to go for the complicated when i need to go for the simple.

chef jeff's dinner revolution is full of family friendly recipes (over 200!), with 10 ingredients (or less) and they take 30 minutes or less to prepare (really)!  i wanted to prepare a couple recipes before i shared this with you- and i can't wait to prepare more....  oh, and the simplicity of these dishes means less dishes (to wash).  boy is dave happy about that!

in our house, monday & thursday are pizza/corndogs/easy food night.  i have to work, and don't have time to cook.  i was actually able to make a dinner revolution meal- sit down & eat with my family- and get out the door to work- so much better than the same old frozen pizza.  added bonus- ian ate these meals with us!  we're in the picky toddler stage now- so anything i can get him to eat is points in my book!!

what i made: palak paneer & apricot chicken!  palak paneer:  i've dabbled in indian cooking once or twice before, but i've never made palak paneer.  i've had it as a frozen meal though, so i wasn't expecting much.  well, it was really good- and this was one that really shocked me when ian ate it- dave enjoyed it as well.  plus, it made so much that we had leftovers.  apricot chicken:  sweet chili sauce is a favorite in our house, so i was immediately drawn to this recipe- plus, i seriously couldn't believe that i would be finished making chicken in 20 minutes.  add in a simple side- and i had dinner ready when dave was walking in the door from work!

 (palak paneer with whole wheat naan)

next up in our kitchen:  buffalo chicken & bleu cheese meatloaf, and from there, i can't decide, there are so many delicious options, and if you know me, i'm going to try them all!!

so i know you want a copy of this too!  well, one of you all of you are winners!!!  chef jeff has been gracious enough to allow me to share this cookbook with all of my readers!!  all you have to do is click here for your free copy of dinner revolution!  there's something for everyone in your family in this book and i know you will all find recipes that you love!  i hope that you guys will enjoy it as much as i have!  now get in the kitchen!

baby gourmet winner!

Congratulations to Shannon!  I'll be in touch with you on how to get your prize!!  Enjoy!

mommy reads: the twilight saga- eclipse

i just finished eclipse heading into this weekend which puts me at 3 books in 3 weeks... and not just any 3 books, 3 somewhat long books.  i'm out of control... sorta like a newborn vampire- which is funny becaus eclipse starts off with seattle being hit by a string of murders- murders that the cullen clan believe are the results of newborns.  as far as the main characters go- eclipse picks up right where new moon left off.  edward has asked bella to marry him, but she's still torn between him (who she knows she really loves) and jacob.  i have to say, i wasn't really big on the love triangle aspect.  in fact, i'm pretty sure if i told my husband i loved him most and would pick him, but was still in love with someone else... i think he'd tell me to hit the road.  ijs.  so, i wasn't a big fan of that, but i did enjoy the further development of the story leading us closer to bella becoming a vampire- which included her high school graduation, and the ultimatum that she gives edward that finally brings them to an agreement over marrying/changing.  i ended up watching the movie before i started the book though, and i really enjoyed the movie as well.  is there a team jasper?  because, sign me up for that ish.  so overall, i loved both, but they just left me waiting on pins & needles for breaking dawn!  woot!

movie/book 3.5/5!

i'm featured!!

go check out my feature with my newest irl friend here!  i'm practically famous!  more on how we are now irl friends later!!

mommy reads: new moon

well, i am so relieved to know that i'm not the only 30 year old woman who is addicted to twilight in the movie & book form and drools over robert pattinson.  i mean, i could have a cardboard cutout of him in my guest bedroom, but i don't.... sadly.  ;)

i finished the 2nd book in the twilight saga- new moon in record time compared to the 1st.  i am averaging a book per week- and that is a record for me at this stage in my life.  i finished the 1st book, and immediately wanted to see the movie, and then i watched the 1st movie and wanted to see the next 2.  so i had a twilathon and then i started new moon.  i already knew new moon would be probably be my least favorite book b\c the movie is pretty depressing, because and robert pattinson isn't in the majority of it.  he's replaced in hotness by taylor lautner, but i'm definitely not team jacob, plus taylor lautner is still a teenager.  it just isn't the same.  so, i knew i had this to look forward to in the book....

new moon starts with bella swan crying doom & gloom over her 18th (omg, she's so old) birthday.  now she's officially 1 year older than her vampire boyfriend, edward cullen.  when she attends a party thrown for her by the cullens, she gets a paper cut while opening a gift and is almost attacked by edward's brother jasper, who is the newest to the vegetarian vampire lifestyle.  because of this, and his desire to protect her at all costs- edward lies to bella, telling her he doesn't love her anymore and that he has to leave with his family, and bella is just dumb enough to believe him.  bella becomes a walking ad for prozac, until she finally decides to become an adrenaline junkie with the help of her friend and soon to be werewolf, who happens to be in love with her, jacob black.  i'll leave it at that. 

i did enjoy the book, i just didn't enjoy it as much as the 1st.  it was a little slow-moving with poor bella being in her depressed state, and i was just thinking in my head the entire time- oh, just reunite with your true love edward already!  the book was a very dark time for bella- if you've had your heart broken, you may relate to how bella felt when edward left- especially if you think of it from the perspective of an 18 year old.  by the end, i was just ready to see bella (and edward) happy again and reunited.

regarding the movie.  you ask, how can you make a 2nd twilight movie with very little robert pattinson? well, taylor lautner finally sheds the horrible wig, shreds out some abs and loses most of his clothes when he joins the gang of jorts-wearing, shirtless werewolves.  his character helps carry the movie during the absence of rp.  overall, i enjoyed it, b\c i'm a twilight freak now.  le sigh.

book & movie: 3/5

have you entered my baby gourmet giveaway yet?  hop to it!

review & giveaway! baby gourmet organic baby food - giveaway ended!

this giveaway has ended!  did you win?!?

i was so lucky to receive a sample of baby gourmet organic baby food... or should i say ian was.  my boy loves his food- and there is nothing worse for me than to be stuck out somewhere without food for my little guy.  i love all the squeezable baby food options that are out there- it's so much easier (and MUCH tastier) than conventional jarred baby food.  just pop a couple packs in your purse or diaper bag & you've got a meal for your baby or toddler on the go.  if i'm out somewhere with ian, there's a chance i have at least one baby food item with me!  i also love these pouches b\c they're perfect for self-feeding.  ian usually downs his in record time, coming up for air long enough to ask that you push the leftovers to the top so he can then get them out himself!!  these are perfect for everywhere- sporting events, church, babysitter, day care, shopping trips- no need to worry about tubs & jars of food... and no need to worry about silverware!

i was really excited to try baby gourmet.  another reason that we love the squeeze pouches of baby food is that they are perfect for getting picky babies/toddlers to eat fruits & veggies that they might not regularly eat.  as i said before- ian is a really good eater, but we've run into some issues lately where he refuses to eat things that he normally does, or he refuses to eat the non-pureed version of many veggies.  baby gourmet combines those veggies with delicious fruits and makes it so yummy, your baby won't even know they're eating veggies!  from juicy pear & garden greens to roasted squash & fruit medley- your baby is getting a fruit & a veggie in one delicious dish.

i made ian's baby food myself, i liked the fact that what i was feeding him was fresh- made by me.  baby gourmet isn't made by me, but it's 100%, no thickeners or fillers, no added sugar or salt and bpa free packaging.  i can also vouch for how yummy these are- i figure if i'm making him eat it, i can at least try it myself- and these are good.  the old fashioned apple crisp has been my favorite... so far!  i'm really looking forward to giving ian the vanilla, banana, berry risotto, so i can try that one as well- sounds so yummy!

so, i couldn't just try all this yummy baby food without sharing!  i have a sample for you too!  your sample will be the roasted squash & fruit medley.  delicious banana, apple & pear with vanilla & roasted squash!  plus it contains 70% of baby's daily vitamin c requirement!  we have had some allergy problems with squash in the past- so i thought who better to share with than my readers!!  the roasted squash & fruit medley is a level 2 (yummy combos) food.  this is best suited for 7-8 mo+ as most children by this age have gotten to try a variety of foods & textures.  this sounds like a truly yummy combo to introduce that i'm sure your little one will love!

 i know somebody that loves it!! 

wanna win it?!

just leave a comment telling me what your little one's favorite food is- or if they aren't to that stage yet, let me know what you're looking forward to introducing to them!

so easy!  

want to increase your odds of winning?  

1.  like baby gourmet on facebook or follow them on twitter @babygourmet

2.  follow me on twitter for pointless tweets @mcmellll or tweet about this giveaway...  including my handle & baby gourmet's handle. 

3.  i'd love if you were a regular reader- so follow my blog!

so, you could have 4 entries total

don't forget to leave a separate comment for your additional entries to count!  giveaway ends sunday 8/21 @ 11:59 pm.  winner announced on monday 8/22!

*disclaimer:  i was not compensated monetarily for this review or giveaway.  the products were sent to me in exchange for a review, in which i chose to giveaway part of what i received.  the opinions stated here are mine and mine only and cannot be bought!

steppin' out last saturday

last week i took photos for my very first sos, but... they didn't make it to my blog.  not to fear- i didn't forget this week.  however, after we went out and ran errands (and got berated in the kohl's parking lot in a case of mistaken car-dentity), i came home, worked out, and slipped back into my pj's for the remainder of the day... no steppin' out.  so let's pretend that i went out last night...

mama:  top & skirt- loft.  sandals: old navy.

baby: top & shorts- osh kosh, belt- ralph lauren chaps, sandals- old navy

i haven't worn this outfit in a while.  it hasn't... fit.  look at me now...  also, ian has little to no interest in steppin' out on saturday, or holding an adult's hand while walking outside of the house... 

mommy reads: ::sigh:: twilight

yes, believe it or not, this is still melissa.  no one is holding my blog hostage in order to write an entry about twilight.  sadly, i read it myself.  if you know me very well, you know that i am not really into the science fiction/fantasy type stuff.  i am very anti- vampire/witch/wizard/zombie/your choice of scary entity here.  i have not read any henry porter books, nor do i want to.  i did not watch buffy.  i don't particularly care for lord of the rings.  nor do i see the appeal.  i have felt the same way about twilight from the get go.  laughing at it, and anyone else who liked it.  things were going so well in my twilightless life....

rewind back:  sunday, july 31, 2011.  dave & i had gone out the night before with friends for our birthdays.  ian stayed w\ dave's dad, so we stayed the night there too.  it was late when we got back, and didn't want to sneak into bed w\ ian sleeping in the pnp, so we decided to sleep in the basement.  dave had hockey practice the next morning, and the basement bedroom stays pitch black all day, so i was really shocked when dave called and it was after 10 and ian was still asleep.  we were going to meet dave's dad for breakfast, so i wanted ian to sleep as long as he could so he wouldn't be immediately hungry & cranky upon waking up.  i was bored and my phone doesn't have service on the nightstand.  there were a few books sitting there.  one happened to be twilight.  i picked it up and looked at it for a while, and thought, "i'll read this until dave gets here and then i'll hide it way and never touch it again."  so i read a chapter or 2 and dave was back.  i put the book down quickly, he comes in and this conversation ensues:

d:  what have you been doing
m:  nothing
d: what's that look for
m:  i've been reading twilight, and i like it, who am i?!

so, i read the book.  and i liked it.  and then i watched the 1st movie. and before you know it, it's thursday (today) and i've seen all 3 movies and have read 2 of the books.  seriously.  who am i?!  we've had this conversation every day this week.  have you ever had something that you really really loved, but you wanted to keep it a secret b\c you were embarrassed about it.  for me, that was nsync about 12 years ago....  now it's twilight.  gah.  you probably want a review at least... 

"i'm the world's best predator, aren't i?  everything about me invites you in- my voice, my face, even my smell.  as if i need any of that!  as if you could outrun me.  as if you could fight me off."

what can i really say about twilight?  the books aren't going to be winning a pulitzer for writing, obviously.  they are intended for young adults, and it's a story about young adults.  a romance story with suspense thrown in.  for me, i loved it, even if it hurts me to type that.  the story goes:  bella swan moves to forks, washington to live with her dad.  the first day of school she notices the most beautiful boy she's ever seen, but he seems totally put off by her.  she's intrigued.  they forge a reluctant (on his part) friendship and fall in love with each other.  one catch- he's a vampire, and she's "just his brand of heroin."  it sounds really silly typing it out, and it is, but i can't help it- the book was really enjoyable.  i enjoyed the book more in that it was detailed more than the movie, but i enjoyed the movie for its visual aspects.  i think you know what i mean (team edward).  this coming from someone who really doesn't find rob pattinson incredibly attractive. 

seriously, if i even say anything else, i'm going to need someone to slap me to make sure i'm still myself.  and that is a 30 year old with a kid.  not a 17 year old who is obsessed with vampires.  whatever.

4/5 stars.  only because i can't see edward when i'm reading the book.  same for the movie- only b\c it left out details and i kept having to stop & explain things to dave.  that's right.


*by the way, i get that twilight was cool like 5 years ago, so i'm way behind on that bandwagon...

giveaway time!

i have at least 3 giveaways lined up for next week!  i promise i'll be back blogging and reading blogs consistently by that time!! 

today is a depress-fest.  so feel free to come back another day.  

i feel like i'm at a really weird place in my life right now.  maybe it's the 2nd year of motherhood.  maybe it's turning 30.  maybe it's both.  i'm just at this weird conflicting time where everything i want is the opposite of what i want.  makes no sense, right?

first-  time is going by so quickly. i mean, it's already august for crying out loud.  i'm trying to avoid the #1 thought that's looming in my head- that another winter is around the corner.  i'm already thinking of winter.  i walked out of ian's room after putting him down for a nap this morning and i was crying, no, bawling.  all i could think about was him growing up and getting bigger and wondering if i would even remember little moments like rocking him to sleep when he was bigger.  i keep having these weird "flashback" moments.  where i think of my life in a flashback like they show in the movies.  last night we were watching a movie and i had one of those moments.  nothing like dumb vampire movies to make you think of your own mortality.  damn vampires.

i just feel really out of place everywhere.  i feel out of place with my friends from home- i've been gone over 2 years now.  i'm not a daily, weekly, or even monthly part of their lives anymore.  it's been 4 months since i've seen many of my friends- some- even longer than that.  it's no different here.  i feel really out of place here too.  we don't see many of our friends here either b\c we can't get out as much as we'd like.  we can't always stay out late, or find someone to watch ian.  hell, we can't even afford a babysitter.  we have fun hanging out w\ our friends, but sometimes in order to do that, we have to bring ian.  and it's never fun feeling like everyone is wondering why the heck you brought your baby with you.  i had a small group of friends up here, but i just don't feel very welcome there anymore.  i just feel really alone up here.  i feel like ian is pretty much my best friend these days.  we spend all of our days together- and most of that time, he just wants to play on his own without me- so even then i feel alone.  and there are those times i just want to get away from him, to have a break, to have some time to myself- but i feel myself rushing back because i missed him so much. 

we are continuing to have struggles with our finances.  every month it's some surprise bill.  we got a parking ticket when we were downtown last week, and this week we got a bill from our dentist because our insurance didn't cover everything they were supposed to. dave has applied for a countless number of jobs both within his company and outside of it, and nothing has panned out.  i'm just ready for a break.  they say when it rains it pours, and we have just been poured on in some way the last 30 months.  i'm ready for a break. 

it's really not all bad, but sometimes it just outweighs the good, and my heart just feels super heavy this morning- and just a lot lately.  i'm going home for a visit in 3 weeks.  maybe that's all i need.  ugh.  it's the vampires, i tell ya. 

i resolve... august

not to make stupid resolutions this year that i will have forgotten about by... yesterday.

instead.  my "resolution" is to make a short list of attainable goals each month- and to share them with you.  sometimes later in the month than expected...

my july goals:

•  finish big item on list + at least 1 more  boom!  ran a triathlon (#12), 30th bday bash (#7)
• 2 date nights (1 in, 1 out)
• keep going to bed early it's really amazing how well-rested i feel...
• finish the book i've been reading for 2 months.  done- finally
• pick a new race!  done.  need to sign up.
• mail scarf to swap buddy.  finally
• write back to pen pal (yes, i have a pen pal, no, they're not in prison).  haven't done this yet.  boo

goals for august:

• 2 date nights (in/out)
• finish the book i'm reading + another book
• lose 3 lbs to get me down to highest pre-baby weight
• write back to pen pal
• meet a new friend!
• have an awesome time planned for our friends that are coming to visit
• finish 30 day shred
• sign up for above race

18 months

ian turned 18 months old on july 20th!  we're halfway to being 2!  zomg!

there haven't been a lot of big changes with ian.  he's still walking- getting better at it.  lots of falling still b\c he thinks that things on the floor are part of the floor and just walks over them like they don't exist...  lots of bumps and bruises this month- and running!  

we finally made ian an appointment to see an allergist near the end of this month.  we will finally find out what exactly he's allergic to.  i'm guessing that will bring bigger changes to the things he eats, but we'll wait & see. 

no new teeth this month... thank goodness.  i know those i-teeth have got to be coming soon though.  yikes!

as i said last month, we stopped nursing shortly after ian turned 17 months old.  i miss it, but in the same vein i'm glad it's over with!!   

we're still working on signs with ian.  i wish i knew of a really good way to teach him signing...  he's so busy that i feel like i have a hard time getting him to sit and focus on me.  we're still working tirelessly on mommy, daddy, thank you, i love you, up & down.  i'm really hoping some of these start to stick b\c we're getting to the point where if he can't communicate something to you, he just starts crying.  :(

bed & nap routines are changing slightly.  over the last couple months ian has gotten really attached to his "lovey" (affectionately known as mr. bear) and you probably already know that he is definitely attached to his binky.  we are wanting to break (or get a hold on) the binky issue before it gets out of control, so ian can now only have his bear & binky at nap times and bed time.  i get him up and change him and then we go back over to the bed and now he throws his bear & binky in without asking.  this doesn't mean they're gone for good though... if we are playing upstairs, a lot of times he will saunter into our room from his w\ binky in mouth & bear in arms... he will reach into his bed & pull his blanket until he gets them where he can reach and pulls them out... he's doing well though.  he's been fussier lately, and i can't tell if it's b\c he's w\o his binks or not.  a lot of times i think the binky is more of a crutch for mommy & daddy though.  we've definitely had to bust out a hidden binky a few times since...

we are also in the process of moving from 2 naps to one (sad times)...  yesterday was a one nap day, however, today is a 2 nap day.  it really depends on how tired he is.  this crazy kid has also started sleeping in from anywhere between 8-10.  of course, we have been keeping him up a little later- it's summer!  i hate putting him to bed when there's still 2 hours of daylight!

ian is also adding lots of new words- shake, yucky, gross, thank you, ai yi yi, & whoa to name a few.  he's also really gotten into singing- he loves the fresh beat band... and he goes around most of the day singing their ending song, so picture ian walking around the house "na na na na na na" all day (and picture me working on those sweet dance moves).

we also took ian to his 18 mo appt.  20 lbs, 4 oz (>5%), 32" (25-50%), head circ (50%).  looks great!

and now, the reason you're all here... the pictures!

 fourth of july fun!

 picnic with mommy

 oh, i'm not supposed to be messing with that?  my bad.

 (l-r): test shot.  pretty much downhill from there.  best of the bunch, but only with my bear & hat!

 (l-r): half laughing/half crying.  definitely crying.

cRaZy hair!

weight ain't nothing but a number

mcfatty monday has come to an end.  and it's only appropriate that it ended on the same day i planned to write this post.  i've said it 100x... i've been working out for 6 months tirelessly, i've been tracking my calories for 2+ months religiously... and all for 8 lbs.  blah blah blah.  i've been so worried about the number on a scale, that sometimes i think it stands in the way of being able to see my true losses.  for me it's hard not to concentrate on those numbers b\c i remember the time (not terribly long ago) when i stepped on the scale and there were only 2 digits.  those days are in the past- and i've got to let go. 

last week i got some really awesome comments here (this link keeps getting jacked up) and then i read this post (especially note the last 2 photos- she weighs 10 lbs MORE than she was at her lowest, yet looks better than ever).  so leah, sarah, heather & jess... thank you.  i don't know you, but thank you. 

it's not about that digital number.  it's about how you feel.  how you feel in your clothes, how you feel in the gym.  how you feel day to day.  it's about the number of inches you've lost, the amount of muscle you've gained. 

feeling good and looking good are my new focus, no matter what my scale says, no matter how "overweight" my wii says. 

enjoy the journey.  updates will follow, but i just won't focus on it weekly.  i've got this.