And Now to {Lose} It All

If you're reading this now, you likely followed along during my pregnancy journey. And witnessed my gradual [yet significant] weight gain. Ella was born at 41 weeks, so I had gained a little more weight and was slightly bigger than I was when I last checked in at 40 weeks. 

I had never weighed that much in my life, so it was a little tough for me to accept. As I think I mentioned somewhere along the way, I considered sharing my weight-loss journey with you. While you may not really care, it's another part of my pregnancy journey -- and so I'll share. [of course you may not really care about a lot of things I post....]

Society tells me that it's not so lady-like to share exactly how much you weigh, so I'll try to talk in weight gained and lost. Pre- and post-baby weights. Because really, only my driver's license needs to know how much I weigh :)

By the end of 41 weeks, I had gained 51 pounds. Yep, fifty-one pounds. Yes, I am well aware that they recommend gaining 25 to 35 pounds. Woops! So far it's been two weeks since little Ella joined the world, and I'm down 27 pounds. Still up 24 pounds from pre-baby weight. [and i got the classic 'when are you due?'... without being pregnant. ugh.] But I can again wear my wedding ring and button some of my pre-pregnancy jeans!

Why am I sharing this? I am about to embark on a 30-Pound Challenge with a few family members. No, I won't out you guys... I know you didn't sign up for this blog business. But I do thank you in advance for keeping me accountable and getting a little healthier with me along the way! We'll have weekly weigh-ins as we each race to lose 30 pounds. I promise I won't bore you with weekly updates as we go, but I will likely share some milestones with you. Why? Because I can. And because it's going to be tough for me. I'm hoping you all will encourage me and keep me accountable along the way. In the end if I make my goal, I will be 6 pounds below pre-baby weight. That's not going to be an easy task, but I'm going to try.

So far, here are my before and after pictures:

9/27/13 -- 2 pounds under top weight

10/22/13 -- Down 27 pounds

[i do realize the bathroom mirror selfie is a little weird.. just go with it]

So here goes. Thirty more pounds to lose. Here's to eating healthy and making time [not excuses] for exercise. Wish me luck!

Ella {2 weeks}

This week went just as quickly as last. Will time ever slow down?? 

We're working on getting our days and nights figured out around here. Some nights are better than others, but we're doing our best. We've been doing some tummy time, and Ella seems to be getting stronger. She's really good at lifting her head, considering she's only two weeks old! She's looking around a lot more too, which is fun. 

Bath time is one of our favorite things. Ella's umbilical cord fell off this week, but we still have to do sponge baths until the scab is all gone. She isn't always so sure she likes the bath part, but when it comes to washing her hair, she's all about it. She loves having her hair washed and looking in the mirror. Mike thinks we have a girly-girl on our hands!

Ella went to the pediatrician again this week for a regular check-up. She's still packing on the pounds ounces. The doctor said she looks "perfect"! [we could have told you that]

Current stats are
Weight:  8 pounds 6 ounces  - 62nd percentile
Length:  21.5 inches - 97th percentile  [looks like she got her daddy's height!]
Head circumference:  32.5 cm - 58th percentile


Unfortunately we weren't able to go to Auntie Katlyn's (my good friend from college) wedding in Albuquerque this weekend. The pediatrician thought an airplane and lots of germy hands at less than 2 weeks old weren't such a good idea. We're very sad we missed it, but a huge Congratulations to Katlyn and Jason! We hope to see you soon & we send you lots of love!

Ella {1 Week}

It's hard to believe, but our little Ella is already a week old! She is so precious, and we're loving every minute with her. Well, the nights are a little rough right now [and mike isn't enjoying being pooped on] but we wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Ella visited the pediatrician this week, and she was very impressed with how well Ella is doing. She had gained weight and her jaundice was completely gone only two days after leaving the hospital. What a champ! 

Grandma Diane [very sadly] went home this week. Grandma Marie and Grandpa Dennis arrived. Needless to say, Ella is getting lots of love from her grandparents already!

Mike and I are having such a good time watching Ella change so much every day. She is more awake than she was even a few days ago, and we're excited to see the changes that are to come.

Thank you to everyone for the well-wishes and the love you've sent!

She's Here!!

After weeks and weeks of waiting, she has finally joined us! Our precious baby girl was born last weekend. Here's a quick run-down and some pictures. I'll post [a clean version of] the birth story soon.

Gabriella Marie

10/5/13 at 6:52am

7 lbs 14 oz

21.5 inches long

First family photo

Ella - 1 day old

Ella - 2 days old

Going home!

Baby W: 40 Weeks

that's right... this baby is about the size of a small pumpkin. 

perfect timing, huh?!

Total weight gain:   49 pounds - yesssss, back under 50! [it's the little things]
Maternity clothes:  Some, but mostly stretchy pants since it's getting chillier.
Stretch marks:  Still can't see any, but I have a feeling I'll find some in the next month once I can actually see my belly.
Sleep:  Every couple nights I sleep well, otherwise I toss & turn... and have hot flashes. Thank you, hormones.
Best moment this week:  Had a non-stress test, which showed that baby is happy and healthy. Well, not happy when squeezed by contractions, but reactive -- which is good news. Any reassurance is welcome!
Miss anything?:   This is weird, but I miss Roberts cottage cheese in the pink container. It's always been my favorite, and of course Roberts isn't sold all the way out here. I've tried two other kinds, but they just don't compare!
Movement:  Yep, and we're getting quite the pattern. Evenings after dinner are the most active.
Food cravings:   Not really.
Anything make you queasy or sick?:  Nope
Aches and pains:   Stretching ligaments occasionally, but otherwise just aches here and there. Nothing too bad.
Gender prediction:  Still don't know, but we'll find out soon!
Labor signs:   Lots of contractions in the past couple days. We've got to be getting closer!
Belly button in or out?:   Mostly flat
Wedding rings on or off?:   The cheap-o is still on. Ready to wear my pretty one!!
Happy or Moody most of the time?:   Happy
Most looking forward to:   Meeting this baby!! And my mom and brother come tomorrow!

Streudel Topped Pumpkin Muffins

I believe boredom has set in. I've been waiting for this bambino to emerge for a while now, and while I've still been filling my time with walks and my daily 1pm meeting with Kathie Lee and Hoda, I've also been crafty this week. You probably saw that fall wreath yesterday; plus I've been re-learning how to crochet. And today I baked some of the most delectable fall muffins, so I thought I'd share. These muffins are definitely worth the trip to the store to pick up a can of pumpkin. 

The original recipe is from this blog, but I'll recap it here as well. Just in case you decide you need to try them. [trust me, you do]

Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Strudel Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3 tbsp butter, softened

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the first six ingredients in a medium sized bowl; mix and set aside. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the remaining four muffin ingredients. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, and stir until incorporated. Mix the strudel topping ingredients in a small bowl.
Spoon into muffin tins [i used mini muffin tins, because then you can have more than one].
Sprinkle each muffin with strudel topping.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes [or 15 minutes for regular-sized muffins], or until they pass the toothpick test.


I hope you enjoy!

Fall Wreath

Since fall is finally upon us, I decided I needed to give the front porch a little fall-ness. Mike said no carving pumpkins until this lil babe arrives, so the front door got a little sprucing up today. There are all sorts of fall wreaths out there, but at a good $20 a pop, I decided I could do it for cheaper. After a quick trip to the craft store [armed with my e-coupons], I walked out with all the goodies I needed. Total cost:  $11.  

I gave it all a little hot glue, and voila!

It's nothing super fancy, but I think it gave us a little of the fall flair we needed. Add a sweatshirt and a pumpkin spice latte and we're in business!

Happy Fall!