This Ain't the 1950's...

While there are parts of history I think I would have really enjoyed... (sock hops and poodle skirts to name a few), there are some things that make me infinitely thankful that I live in 2013.  For one, the advancement of medical equipment. Instead of this:

My baby girl is kickin' back in these beautiful suckers:

Yes, those are foot braces with lilac and lime green polka dots.They look like jellies really. Out of the 2,000 color combos I was allowed to choose from, I think I did pretty darn well.

She's now rolling strong in this guy:

It's sleek. It's stylish. And all the cool kids want one. 

And standing tall in this beauty: 

I mean it's pretty unbelievable. We call these pieces Abi's "big toys."  I'm pretty darn pleased with each piece that she's gotten and feeling exceptionally blessed.  All of this will be able to grow with her for an anticipated 3-6 years, the "kid-cart" seat can be removed and buckled into a bus or van, and the trays are obviously removable as well. The stander will give her an opportunity to begin weight-bearing on her legs and feet while maintaining the proper alignment, it will provide a different point of view, a stretch of the muscles, and hopefully (and perhaps what I'm most excited about) an improved digestive system. It's a pretty stellar line-up.

And, YES, this is Abi playing with a toy that she otherwise hasn't been able to... before now she was too busy worrying about holding her body in all the right places to explore the use of her arms... She would of course look at the toy, and we would put her hands on it, but until now, reaching out for the toy wasn't happening.  First day in the chair though, and this gal's on a mission.  It's go time.

mae

In this neck of the woods...

This morning, over coffee, I received an email from my sister with a picture of her and her newly chipped front tooth (courtesy of her dog's mad playing ball skills)... She proceeded to explain that before she could make it to the dentist and have said tooth dealt with, she would have to fulfill a previously scheduled work engagement: judging a chili contest. Yes, that's right. It's as perfect as it sounds. She also included, "Everyone at work is loving my new look."  Amazing.

Other things are moving on as normal... We're juicing now. Which is actually going better than anticipated. I don't mind the taste and I love the buzz :) Sean calls it a "veggie-buzz."  Looks like REAL food really does give you REAL energy... who knew?  Plus, Abi LOVES the way the juicer sounds...

I mean how can you NOT juice when you know this is what will happen when you do??

It's cold here again...We got a taste of Spring and now she's nowhere to be found. I actually don't mind the cold if we get some snow... Come on Ole Man Winter, give us one last hoorah.

Lastly, this video was shared with me last week and I can't quit laughing. Enjoy!

How are things in your neck of the woods??

How to lose 15 pounds in 20 days.

How to lose 15 pounds in 20 days. The answer is pretty easy.  Go to Africa. Take care of a very sick baby with no medical support.  Be confined to a hotel room because you've been advised to not leave the property with your baby.

Get to the states and promptly make a hospital room your place of residence.  Then... once you're back home and life is normal, a friend will look at you and say, "We need to get some weight on you girl!" And you'll say, "Huh? What are you talking about??" and then you'll feel your jeans, look in the mirror, glance at a picture of yourself, and suddenly realize you're 15 pounds lighter.

This is what happened to me the first month I was home. It wasn't necessarily a good or bad thing.  It was just a fact. Ultimately though, I certainly wasn't pleased to have lost the weight.  I like those 15 pounds of padding just fine. So... lil by lil I've been trying to gain some back. My first tactic was to wildly attack holiday feasts.  Then I decided to just eat with abandon everyday in the name of "gaining it back."  Sugar cookies? Yes m'aam. Sweet tea? I think I will. Wings and Dr. Pepper delivered to my door? You betcha. But then I realized I was feeling super exhausted and crummy. Even though I managed to do it guilt free, obviously I knew I wasn't making the healthiest string of choices.  So now, I'm pursuing HEALTH (more water, less soda, more veggies, less carbs, more pure food, less preservatives, etc. etc. etc.) All in the name of health and energy.  Do I care what I weigh? No. Not really. Do I care if I have energy to make it to nap time? Yes. Yes I do.

So... what do you do to take care of yourself? Are you a juicer? A runner? A zumba-er? (or is it a zumbee?) I'm hoping to take the bull by the horns this Spring and pursue health like never before.  If anything, I hear clean eating gives you a "glow" and if you could see the dark circles under my eyes right now you would know a "glow" is something that sounds pretty darn awesome:) I mean just look at this text... my girlfriend had just confessed her frustrations with the inaccurate scale at the doctor's office when I responded with this:

Aren't girlfriends the best? So, anyhow, carrots, and spinach, and berries, and blah blah blah... Here we come. And seriously, if you're a juicer and you have a recipe that is delightful (anything that doesn't involve holding your nose and chugging is what I'm deeming 'delightful'), I'll gladly take it. Send them my way!