4 Miles

I started feeding Alex solid foods this past week.  I had wanted to wait until 6 months, for a variety of reasons. Mainly, because its much easier to nurse then to start feeing baby food. It’s also recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. (But really, who cares about the health of it? It’s really because I’m lazy, and enjoy the nursing time as a time to be able to read other blogs! If I feed solids, I have to actually sit in the kitchen and DO something!!!)  Considering he’s over 5 ½ months, I guess I was close to my goal. We had gotten his high chair down so he could sit up at the table with us.  He would look so longingly at the food, I ended up feeding him some on Monday. Since then, we have fed him more and more and more…He’s taken to food with gusto, I’m suspecting to make up for lost time.  This morning James was not getting the food in fast enough and he was squealing to let him know his displeasure!!!  So, we enter this new phase.  Dang he's gotten big fast!

We went outside to fill up the pool and let the water warm so Will could play in it this afternoon. The lure of the water was too much, and soon Will had his swim suit on. I told him he could do what ever he wanted with the water–just not get me wet. And he had LOTS of fun splashing, throwing, yelling, standing in the pool and running around the yard. (Click on the picture to see more pictures of our fun morning)               

We have this new design, and three things posted today already. But I CANNOT let the first entry on the site be the one James wrote, so I'm writing this to "bump" it down. When/If you read it, you'll understand (it's not because HE wrote it, it's because of the topic).

I want to take this time to point out some cool blogs I have in the right hand column.  Some new ones include my MIL's site. She is a knitter, scholar and traveler, so she is developing an interesting blog (she'll be going to Scotland to get her Doctorate this fall) and James' brother & SIL's site that is very funny. Very, very funny.  While we were there on vacation James set them up with blogs and today was "Decorate Your Blog Day" (only if you're in the family though) where he set up templates for all of them. My sister also has a blog up.  We're such a good influence on our families…though Heidi did hers without our help (braver then me, I don't know if I would have done this without James' help). I also added some blogs of friends of ours who used to live where we used to, but moved out west about the same time we moved. Of course, most of you who read this are the people I just linked to!  But you can stop by the sites that aren't yours and say hi! And now you can go read James' potty post if you so desire. And then you can read about our successes in our "Challange"–not Diet. Because that's a 4 letter word we don't use in this house.

GROSS ALERT!!!!

This is a potty training update that is probably going to go into more detail then some may care to read.  You may stop reading now.

For the rest of you . . .

Tonight was the first time The Tort TOLD us he needed to go poop on the potty. Granted, part of it was because he was in bed and this was a way to get out, but, we know that he needed to go because he has been gassy ALL day.  So, I let him go but I would not read to him.  He had to sit and read himself.

5 minutes later I went back in.  He had gone.  I could tell from about 2 feet from the bathroom door.  "Whew, DO NOT GO IN THERE!!!!" I went in and began instructing him on wiping.  

Suddenly he said, "There is more.  GO!!!!"

Me, "What?"

Him, "GO!!!"

I handed him the book and left.  5 minutes later he called me back, told me he had wiped and wanted a BIG TREAT!!!.  I am a very PROUD father. 

Now we have to get him to go BACK to bed.  Wish me luck. 

Today we added this AWESOME calender.

We have a beautiful new design! If you can't see it, hit refresh, and that should fix it. If it's still the purple background, let me know. I'll have James tell you what to do.

I am very excited about our Weight Loss Challenge. While James measures and weighs, charts and graphs, I am happy because I fit into pants I was wearing before I got pregnant with Alex. That means I'm down two sizes since the month or two after he was born. Right before we started the challenge, I had gone down one size.  Now, in three weeks, I have almost gone down another size. (I say almost because those pants are a tad more snug in some areas then I'd like, and I'm sure they were stretched a bit being worn before).  Yet I feel that is some REAL progresses!  The weight is the same as last week, but I can tell I'm building muscle, so that is ok. 

I worked very hard this week on a project for the office that had to be done by Friday night. So I've had fun this weekend giving myself time off. I got some scrapbooking done yesterday when I would normally work.  I also organized pictures for a small album I want to make for Will. He loves to look at pictures of family and friends so I am going to make a small photo album for him. The scrapbook I'm making is of his first few months, so when we look at it together, he keeps thinking it is Alex. I've been given several "FREE" coupons for different places to sign up to develop digital pictures from their site, so I worked last night to plan out what pages I wanted to make and order my free pictures.  I've never approached an album like this, normally I just take the stack in front of me, and start chugging away. Once the album comes in (I'm ordering the small 7×7 from my friend who does Creative Memories), I am looking forward to working on that one. While I've been having fun doing his baby pages, it will be a fun (and quick) change.

I have successfully made it through week three.  There are times where I just I think, "Boy, I can't wait untill I can sleep in."  The problem with that theory is two fold.  1.)  My children wake up early as it is so there is not such thing as sleeping in. 2.) Even when I was able to sleep in this morning, (T was kind enough to get up with the children,) I woke up at 6am anyway.

The work outs are going fine.  I think that each day has its avantages and disadvantages.  The upper body work out is my favorite.  I have always enjoyed arm and chest work outs; however, it is the longest work out.  The lower body work out is shorter then the upper body work out.  It is much harder though.  Larger muscle groups.  The cardio - it has come to be my "glad its the 'other day'" work out. This because it is only 20 minutes long and I can usually get home in time to have some "quite" time before the children wake up.

Oh, and this week, I cheated.  I was helping a friend move and they were "paying" us with pizza.  Sooooo, I had to have some pizza.

My stats:

No picture this week.  No visible change.

*LBM = Lean Body Mass (the weight that ISN'T fat, i.e. muscle/bones/blood)

Yes, I have expanded my chart.  And guess what  I have also added graphs.  (I LOVE graphs!!! yes, I am a geek.)

Tonight I went for a walk with Will and Alex. Will was "riding" his bike (more using his feet to push it along), and I was pushing Alex in the stroller. We went across the street to the NICE neighborhood/cul-de-sac. I started chatting with an older lady who was out and lived at the end of the street (in a HUGE house). I was talking with her, and saw her look behind me and look startled. I turned around to see Will peeing in her yard. He turns around and said "Mommy, I go pee in the grass!" I was VERY embarrassed, and apologized to the lady. She told me she'd raised 4 boys and a girl, but she seemed very ready to go inside. As we walked away, I told Will, "When you're going pee in the grass, you have to pull your pants DOWN!!!" He rode his bike in soggy underwear and pants back home.

I am sorry for those of you tired of the potty posts. Will is actually getting better, some days…but these are the days that if you don't laugh, well…you know.  So I'm just trying to keep finding the humor when I can.

Will was looking at our wedding photo on the wall.

"Who's that, Mommy?" He asked, pointing to James.

"That's your Daddy." I told him.

"That's MY Daddy?!?"

"Yes"

"My other daddy is at work."

One of my varied jobs for James’ office is to take questions and put them into a "fun" game of Jeopardy. (How fun is a game over parts of mortgage law?)  We end to always have the last category called Potpourri, since we (neither I or the writer, when we’ve each done the questions at different times) can’t think of another category to put lots of questions in, and we just need to dump a bunch of questions in.  That’s how I feel this entry is, just a place to dump a bunch of random things I’ve been thinking and meaning to post, just haven’t had the time.

1. The weight loss program is going rather well, I guess. I have lost 5 pounds in two weeks. I haven’t measured myself like James has, so I don’t have any other measurements today.  But I have also cheated a bit more then him (but with small little things, not a whole meal out), and wasn’t able to work out one day last week because I felt sick (and dizzy. Weights + Dizzy = BAD.). But I enjoy the morning workouts, and the food plan has been working well.  

2. Picture hanging in James office for Father’s day:  What I ended up doing didn’t end up how I’d pictured it when I first started planning. I don’t like how one wall looks HUGE with just a few small pictures on it. So, we have space to add more.

3. I went out with some friends and saw The Lake House last night. Interesting movie. Yes, it is a chick flick. But it was enjoyable, clean, and kind of makes you go “Hmmm” at the end.  I didn’t feel I wasted my money, I enjoyed it the entire time. So, I’m not a critic, but for me, that means it’s something I can recommend.

4. We’ve been watching World Cup Soccer. Today, someone scored. I said “Yea! They scored” We watched all the players hug the one who scored, and Will said, “Yea! Now they’re hungry.” (I think he meant happy…). Edited to Add: No, he was saying "They're HUGGING", I just didn't understand him. He said it again when scoring occured later. We were watching England v. Sweeden, in case someone cared.  Nice thing to watch a bit while playing cars or trains with him.

There is more, but I’m out of time, so I’ll just post this, and share more with you later!