This Doesn't (Mac) Me Happy

Via

I may not cry over spilled milk. But I'll lose my freaking mind over spilled coffee on my very new MacBook Pro!

Yes ladies and (possibly) gentleman... I, miss butter fingers Becca, spilled my morning cup of joe all over my new computer, in a panic to feed my hysterical daughter her breakfast, and I just about died from shock, horror and well....SHOCK!!! Seriously... I've only had this laptop since Christmas! FRICK. FRACK. FRICKIN FRACK! True story. The thought (very rapidly) floated through my blogger brain to take a picture of the crime scene, BWAH HAHA! Like I said. Very rapidly though, because my sane side figured tipping it up to allow most of the coffee to run off was a better plan.  

I'm just thankful my cautionary tendencies kicked in the day I bought it and I spent the extra green backs on a hella good warranty. Obviously I had the ability to see into the future to save myself from this COMPLETE disaster? 

So, tomorrow I say goodbye for 10-14 business days. It'll SUUUUUUCK being without my livelihood (sad. I know) but trying to blog with no comma, semicolon or smiley face functionality is brutal and just so frustrating!! Not to mention, my DVD drive has also crapped out, which I NEED! This is how I make home CDs of Sugarcube, for R while he's deployed... I can't be without it! 

I promise to try and blog from my mother in-laws desktop, while my Mac is in the shop. But I can't promise I'll succeed. Don't ask me why that is so hard, but it is! I guess I don't like being tied down to one location in the house. It seriously kills my writing creativity! I'm sure a lot of you understand (insert smiley face here, because I can't) P.S I'm also relying on spell check and cut and paste to insert these nice little commas too, haha!   

Ta-Ta for now my friend...I will miss you and will definitely do a ridiculous happy dance when you return. I'm so sorry I did this to you! *tear tear*

Sporty Short!

In all of my excitement over the Color Run yesterday, I forgot to introduce my newest Happy Hair! 

I loved my old Happy Hair, but I hated that it grew out so darn tootin fast! I had ONE WEEK with it, the way I liked, and then it went all whackadoo from there. So this time I went shorter, which gave me a more sporty, sassy look (LOVE) and where I hopefully wont have to cut it again for 4-6 weeks. This is day two hair and who'd have guessed! Now the trick is to make it look like this, fresh and clean, on day one! So far, I'm diggin it, the hubby however, is not... Maybe he will warm up because I'm thinking short hair days are here to stay, ha!  

Tell me. Have you ever rocked the short look? How'd you like it!?  

When Life Gives You Rain, Make a Rainbow!

OMG I'm pumped!!! We ran the color run today, and yes it was POURING rain, but we had the BEST time!!! Take a look!!

After the finish! I'm in the middle with my sister in-law on the left and our friend D on the right.

Fierce women of color!

Finished and rockin the head band! 

Color. Color. C.O.L.O.R!!!! Thanks Target for the fabulous socks!  

I nabbed these rockin sunglasses as they were being thrown into the crowd. YAY! That almost never happens!  

Finally back at the house, FREEZING but SO STOKED we didn't bail on account of the rain! 

Before we got colored crazy! Flexing our color run tats, heehee! 

Holy moly, I cannot say enough about the Color Run. Yes. It is a bit pricey. $45 for early registration and $55 for late, but WOW! What a great 5k with such colorful energy from all the participants! We got there a bit late because of traffic, the rain and trying to decide if the race would even happen. But turns out, a lot of others were running late on at that account too, so it all worked out!

I ran the entire race, only jogging in place a few times until I got the chance to pass the walkers, and felt fabulous all the way to the finish line! Everything was perfect about today but that was a great bonus! I'm not sure of my time, but I wasn't worried about it. I went to have fun and I did! A lot of it! What a fabulous day to add to the memory bank... The rain was actually a great addition to the day too. In actuality, the color sticks surprisingly well being wet and ends up MORE brilliant than before. SCORE! I want to share every color run, in the future, with the rain! It added a bigger element of flare and definitely made the memory so unique!

Heres a short clip of the after party, ha! SO MUCH FUN!

We had plans of going to breakfast afterwards but that wasn't too well thought out. I'm almost certain, no one would have allowed us seating looking like we did, ha! We ended up going back to the house where my mama in-law had yummy biscuits, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee waiting. PERFECT! We were frozen so coffee couldn't have sounded better... I grabbed a shower, anxious to see how well the color washed off, and although you definitely have to scrub, it comes out. I wasn't so sure about sporting an orange face and blue arm pits for more than a day, lol!

In short---CRAZY AWESOME FUN! If you ever get the chance to run one of these, or something similar to to it. DO IT! You wont be disappointed!

How was every ones Saturday? Full of color and cheer I hope!! 

Fitness Friday (WK 3)

Yay, it's Friday! And that means it's time for Fitness Friday which I really look forward to each week! Last week I was sick with the flu so everything bombed, from my workouts to eating, to sleeping and most importantly, staying hydrated. But I made up for it this week. This week rocked my socks! I literally wanted to stay in the gym, or be outside, running ALL day everyday this week. I had ants in my pants bad y'all! Fighting a bit of house arrest too after being locked inside for so long!

I ate really well this week, minus a small chocolate sundae on Tuesday, and stayed within 1500 calories or less. I cant say I did well with my water and sleep, however, which is probably why I'm feeling a bit drained at the end of the day. I've went up one pound this week, from the 5 lost while I was sick, but I know that's because I'm re-hydrating still. Regardless, I hit a major mile stone. I've reached 30 total pounds lost!!! That feels insanely good inside and looks even better on the outside. YAY ME!

Onto the weekly sweat jam...

Sunday~ 2.70 mile morning run with some fabulous chickadees (this was my first workout after being so sick. It felt good and terrible all at the same time, lol)  Monday~ 30 minutes on the TM doing hills, running and walking intervals. Then 30 minutes working arms, inner and outer thighs. Tuesday~ 1 hour brisk walk pushing a stroller. Wednesday~ 15 minutes doing hills on the treadmill, 30 push ups, 60 crunches, 90 squats, 120 lunges, 150 jumping jacks, 3 minutes of wall sits. SMOKER! Thursday~ 2 mile morning run (in the rain while pushing a stroller)  2.5 hours rock climbing that evening. I was smoked!  Friday~ Resting for my 5k color run on Sat! Pray we don't get rained out because that's what it's looking like.  

And now for what I'm REALLY excited about... My yummiest meal of the week! 

Sorry for the crappy picture. I was in a hurry to dive, face first, into this colorful aromatic bowl. Ha! I could have eaten my weight in this stuff y'all, it was that good! Seriously. If you have pangs of hunger for fresh, lite and perfectly flavored combinations. This is the dish for you! Also don't be fooled by the length of this recipe and instructions. It takes NO TIME to prepare, which is a double score in my busy day and I'm sure in yours too! 

Caribbean Taco Salad

Taco Shell 

4 (8 to10-inch) flour tortillas

3 tablespoons butter 

Salad

1 (20 oz.) package of Jennie-O lean ground turkey burger

1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning mix

2 tablespoons water

2 mango's, chopped (about 2 cups)

3/4 cup chopped avocado

3 tablespoons finely chopped  green onion (or any onion. I used white)

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 fresh lime cut and ready to squeeze

2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach 

1.) Heat oven to 425 degrees. Turn 4 medium size cereal bowls (or something similar) upside down onto baking sheet. Brush outside of bowls and one side of tortilla with butter (I used olive oil but only on the bowls) 

2.) Place tortillas, butter side up, over bowls. Press around sides to form a taco bowl shape. (it will not look perfect) Bake 4 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned. 

3.) In medium skillet, brown turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning mix and water. Cook over low heat 3 to 5 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

4.) To make salsa, in medium bowl, stir together mango, onion, cilantro, brown sugar and lime juice ( squeeze until your happy with the taste.)  

5.) Place taco shells on serving plates. Divide spinach leaves evenly into shells. Top with cooked turkey, mango salsa and avocado...

And you're ready to eat! 

Hoping to make next week another success! Although I'm fighting some major guilt as my daughter struggles through being left at the child watch center at the gym. She was loving it so much, then the last two times I've gone, she's had melt downs. This last one, I had to actually leave after 15 minutes of working out. Poor baby. Pray we get this sorted because I'm so enjoying my time there, sweating and working hard. 

TGI--freaking--F!

If I Were A Boy!

I saw this on a few blogs I follow and just had to join in the fun, before time runs out! Both Erin and Gay are hosting this link up party which is super sassy and enjoyable to write. Minus my bright idea to use pepper for this fake scruffle. I figured honey was good for my skin, which I used for the adhesive, so pepper could be too! Yeah. Bad idea. It certainly opened the pores! cough. choke. sneeze. the burn, ha!   Go check it out and join the buzz but whatever you do. Do NOT use pepper for a prop!

 So onto the good stuff, because I KNOW you've all been wondering...

If I Were A Boy

If I where a boy, my smile would be charming, I'd walk with a swagger and be deliciously alarming. I'd ALWAYS mow shirtless and start a fist fight. Wailing on each other then become BFFs for life. I'd own cool sunglasses with a faded ball cap. The brim would be dirty because that's my lucky hat. I'd sit with knees open, all sprawled and gangly, and refuse to budge, even just slightly.

If I were a boy, I'd eat EVERYTHING then visit the gym, only to be seen. I'd shave my face daily with a cool as hell straight razor, do wiggles in the mirror, make fu manchu cream faces. I'd talk really loud, laugh even louder. I wouldn't hate chic flixs and give myself flowers.

If I where a boy, I'd be the cool uncle for sure. Let them climb on my back and ruff up their fur. I'd take the kiddos fishing. Teach them to fart. To burp, even, proper and to fix their own cars. I'd pick on a guitar and sing my own songs. I'd go skinny dipping and would never wear thongs! I'd own the most obnoxious redneck truck around, roll bar, spot lights, it'd be a muddy compound.

If I where a boy, I'd buy a nice cruiser, hit the open road and never look cutier. I'd stay gone for days and never call home. I'd eat from a can, and swear on the phone. I'd drink from a jug, just to be manly, leaving empty bottles and papers behind in a frenzy! I'd spend the day washing and waxing my ride, scratching my junk when the moment supplied. I'd never wash a dish, or take out the trash. I'd always, conveniently, forget my next bath.

If I where a boy, I'd live off cold pizza, drink Monsters for weeks. Life couldn't be sweeter! I'd win the ladies with my one handed push up, my irresistible peck pops, maybe even my whistle. If that all failed, which I'm thinking it just may.... Hell, I have so little shame, I'd bring in the ba-ba! I'd learn to cook, a hot dish well, then use that on dates so I'd seem awfully swell. I'd lift toilet seats and pee standing up. I'd bellow in the shower and use all the water up.

If I where a boy, I'd have need of good manners. Pulling them out with my elders because that kinda stuff matters. I'd open up doors, say "yes mam" with gusto. I'd never disrespect sir or be stupidly macho. I'd work so I could play and play so I could live. I'd spend my last dollar on a cup of cold fizz.

Yup. If I were a boy... Life would be the Shiz!

This post was a blast to write! I'll admit that it took some time though because I just couldn't be happy unless it rhymed, ha! I mean, we are copying the idea of a song. Right? I also quickly realized that you could write this in many different ways. You could either turn the boy into another girl, or embrace the accepted freedom that is a man, or do a little of both! In the end, I think I made it about both. But I thought, if Im going to be a boy for a day, I don't want to do the things I already do now as a girl! Heck naw! Im going to live it up, haha!

What about you? 

 What would you do if you were a boy for a day? 

Fitness Friday (WK 2)

I lost FIVE pounds this week! Yup. Yup. 

Although, sadly, only by means of hourly offerings to the porcelain god. That's right. This week was a big fat miss. SugarCube came down with the flu Friday night so things have not been pretty since. By Wednesday, I had nursed her through all of it; the vomiting, fevers and upset stomach, only to have her recycle it to me. AWESOME. I was a mess. Mere water sent me running to the toilet. Yuck. I've barely eaten the last 48 hours: 2 apples, 1 banana, a quarter cup chicken noodle soup (drank the broth mostly) 2 saltine crackers, 1 piece peanut butter toast and 3 cinnamon pita chips. Maybe 600 calories? Starving this week was never my intent but maybe I'll keep a few of those lost lbs! Silver lining people ;) I did manage to get 3 hours of rock climbing in on Sunday though. I woke the next day, sore in all the right places so I at least have that to report. Oh, and that my abs are sore today as well. See... Even vomiting is a form of fitness, ha! I have higher hopes for this next week, although taking SugarCube back to the gym has me a bit nervous. I'm afraid that's where this all began and who knows how often those child watch centers are disinfected. I might just need to stick with Insanity, climbing and running until this flu epidemic runs through. Either that, or start going in the evenings where Grammy and Grampy can keep an ear out while she sleeps.

I hope all of you had a truly AWESOME, successful week!!! 

TGIF!

Dear Deployment

It's been a while since I've checked in with myself and analyzed how I'm dealing. So today seemed pretty perfect, because yesterday marked two months since I kissed this face last... Two months doesn't seem like a lot of time passed and when I look at it in my donut of misery, it's a pretty pathetic sliver of completion but WOW.  It sure feels like F.O.R.E.V.E.R.... Today really felt like the world was going to eat. me. and all I wanted was this guy right here, with his comforting ways of making stress and anxiety just disappear...

There's so many moments in my day where I miss you babe and wish like hell you weren't half a world away... Or maybe it's a whole world away?

So far, we've been through Thanksgiving without you (that was hard) SugarCubes first Christmas and next up, her first birthday 28 days from now... I can't even imagine how much that's going to hurt; wishing you could be there with me, watching our puddin'face open gifts, taste sugary birthday cake for the first time, and just celebrate her sweet sweet baby self, being apart of our lives for one entire year...

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time day dreaming about your return. Maybe not the smartest plan while aunt flo reigns her wrath upon me, in addition to the exhaustion I feel from nursing our sick, clingy, fussy baby back to health (still waiting on the healthy happy baby to return) ... But daydreaming is always a bright spot when I need a comforting, joyful escape from reality, kind of like today. I love how our talks always find their way back to life in Washington once you return, our plans for getting Alyssa and I back up there and just general focus on the future after this tour. I much rather think about that. But then it makes this waiting feel sludgy slow!

I'm hoping like heck I catch you on FaceTime/FaceBook soon, for more than a few minutes. I was so spoiled by the first month you were gone. We spoke every night, mostly, for at least an hour or two. It was great! But I guess that's not the norm, because you changed locations and I feel we barely talk now.  If it's not something on your end, it's something on mine. We joked, during your time in Georgia as a drill sergeant, that the trail was just like a deployment. And in a lot of ways, I guess it was... We were like passing ships even then, but at least I got to see your face. Granted, you were fast a sleep by the time I slipped between the covers each night. But I was blessed, in the way that, I knew you were safe. I tried to never take that for granted or complain about our lack of time. I KNEW how lucky I was to have you under the same roof each night... A far distant to us now. There's not a day that goes by, where I don't take mental pictures of my day with our daughter and place you in them. It helps in an odd sort of way... This goes without say, but I'm really looking forward to the day where I no longer need to imagine you there...

**LIEBSTER AWARD**

I've received this nomination in the past, but have never completed it, so when Kelly and Lind's both nominated me in one week for the same award, I decided to seize the day! Some of the questions between Lind's and Kelly where the same so I'll only be answering 17 questions instead of 22. Which is a good thing because I can be quite wordy! This should be fun. Thanks ladies!

                               

                                The Rules

 1. List 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you.

3. Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

4. Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate.

5. Go to each bloggers page and let them know about the award.

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

11 Facts About Me:

1. I have a birth mark on my back, the shape of a tiny baby foot, toes and everything! It's super light and most people do not notice it. Even my husband had to be "shown" in our 2nd year of marriage because he'd missed it that entire time! 
2. I'm obsessed with children's Christmas books--- Ninety percent of my daughter's collection is just that! My Gramma read these to me all the time, as a kid, and it stuck! 
3. I had sever asthma as a kid, but grew out of it by the time I was ten.
4. I'm more than slightly scared of heights yet I love rock climbing! What a conundrum, huh?! 
5. I am utterly and totally solar powered. I NEED the sunshine to survive. I already cannot wait until R retires so we can move here to Arizona, where the sun shines most everyday of the year. 
6. I'm a really confident soul but baking bread scares the shiza outta me! Over Thanksgiving, my mother in-law gave me the task of making "from scratch" pumpkin rolls. I was shaking so bad that 5 minutes into the process I had already messed up measurements and ingredients 3 times! Thankfully my mother in-law took pity and finished them so we would have bread to break!   
7.  I prefer driving a stick shift over an automatic and one day I'd like to own either a yellow canary colored jeep or an old school 1950's red mini cooper. Or maybe both! It has to be a stick shift though...
8. Starting at age seven, I've always had a nomadic lifestyle and really preferred it over the sedentary life. But being two years from turning 30, married with a small child, two dogs and a cat, I am MORE than ready to settle down and grow some DEEP roots. It's time...
9. I used to bite my nails really bad as a kid, but now that I'm older and have found better ways to deal with stress, I don't anymore, Yet they refuse to grow any longer then the tips of my fingers now. Wired!
10. I was given a name change at the age of seven, although it wasn't legally documented. Joshua was a FAR cry from my legal name Rebekah, right!? I switched back to my legal name at the age 23 because having an alias was just too confusing. Bet you didn't see that one coming!
11.  I never wore makeup, straightened my hair, pierced my ears or dated until my early 20's! I was a little behind the times due to an unconventional childhood, ha! 

Lind's Questions:

1. Sweet or salty? Definitely salty but I'm finding sweets making their way into my brain more often these days.
2. You have 20 minutes to throw an outfit together, what do you wear? Okay. Are we talking hypothetically, like we have all of Pinterest to choose from or just our wardrobe? I'm thinking your referring to our wardrobe which is much less exciting! I'm in a weird place with clothes right now. I'm down to my pre-pregnancy weight, however, that doesn't mean you look like your pre-pregnancy self. Which I do not. So mostly, I have yoga pants, and.... Well yoga pants! I refuse to buy anything new until I feel tight, toned and slim again. But I'd throw on a pair of my loser fitting AE jeans, with a white tank under my newish orange and cream overlay along with strappy silver bangled sandals and cute diamond studs. 
3. Do you juice? What is your favorite recipe? I don't. Yet. I'm thinking I'll delve into that when R returns and we're both working as a team to be healthy and fit. He'd like to start packing breakfast and lunch to work so this would be an amazing added piece to the "trying to be healthy" puzzle...
4. Where did you buy your favorite pair of jeans? Again, my wardrobe sucks, so I don't have a favorite pair of jeans right now. But I usually find my favorite jeans at Buckle, when I can afford to shop there... 
5. How many children would you like to have? We already have a little girl and the closer we creep towards her first birthday (EEK, less than a month away) the more I think I could be really happy with just her! Like. Not even just saying that. I really think I could be done. The hubby is still on the fence about this so we might consider another baby, but no more than two!
6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Butter Pecan, num num! 

Kelly's Questions:

1. What's your favorite season? S.U.M.M.E.R for obvious reasons ;) I get to bask in the warm sunny shine shine! 
2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? That's a hard one, because I have so many places I think is fascinating! But I'd say somewhere warm and tropical where I could wear cheery bohemian skirts year' round and always feel the sun on my shoulders... Maybe Tahiti? 
3. Where will you be in 5 years? In five years, I really hope R has landed an ROTC position in Flag Staff, AZ (2 hours from his folks) or somewhere here in AZ where we can spend the rest of his career soaking in the sun, being close to family, FINALLY starting to look at neighborhoods, schools and HOUSES for our forever home.   
4. What is your daily routine like? With an eleven month old, it's pretty rock steady, ha! We wake up at 6:40ish where SugarCube eats some kind of fruit mixed with cereal and I make my power breakfast of turkey bacon and eggs. I usually either take us for a walk or go to the gym for an hour afterwards, then return home where we play until her first nap around 10:00ish. She sleeps for two hours so I usually eat lunch, blog, make baby food, do laundry, wash dishes, clean my bathroom, pick up baby toys, talk with my father in-law, make phone calls home to family, you name it. The skies the limit, ha! Baby girl wakes up at 12:00ish where she stays a wake until 3:00 (again we just play or I might take us out for a bit to Barnes & Nobles or to look for deals at Old Navy) 6:00 p.m is her bath time where we listen to Christmas carols while she splashes and I cheer her on. We get out, get dressed, read books, play some more until 7:00 p.m then she usually takes a bottle and passes out until we do it all over again the next day! Oh wait. You wanted the short version ;) My day does vary, but that's the gist. 
5. What is your dream job? Owning a rescue shelter paired with veterinary services and boarding one day. Mostly working with dogs.  
6. What are a few of your vices? My iPhone, MacBook and Hart Of Dixie show 
7. Name three things on your bucket list. Write and illustrate a child's Christmas book. Run a half marathon within or without an organized race. Doesn't matter to me. Climb a 5.11C clean before my 30th birthday. 
8. What are your top three favorite blogs to read? Chic Runner , she was one of my first running blogs I followed and one of a few who got me inspired to start doing it. Life with the Lieutenant , because she's such a fun, creative and REAL mom/blogger. Seriously. She'll have you cracking up and who doesn't need laughs and smiles in their day! And Blonde Glambition , a lot of good fitness advise and enthusiasm for health as well as a fellow Milspouse.  
9. Why do you blog? I blog because I love to write. I've always been better at communicating my thoughts on paper, so it's been very therapeutic. However, I originally started as a means to meet other MilSpouses which turned out fantastic!  
10. If you had an entire day to yourself, what would you do? That's a hard one! But since I have so little time to myself being a mom, my day would consist of the t.v, catching up on my 3 favorite shows, napping in between and never having to move. Seriously lame, but so good! If your a mom, you totally get this!   
11. What are some of your favorite hair/makeup products that you like to use? I'm still searching for a favorite hair product to work with my hair, but my favorite makeup is Mary Kay's mineral power. It covers and blends so well and looks amazing on! Also super quick to apply and definitely not messy.

                 

                 My nominations for the Liebster Award are:

An Island Girls Life As An Army Wife

Camo-Colored Chaos

Canines & Cadences 

Hastings in Hawaii

Life with the Lieutenant

Momma on the Run

The Air Force Wife

To the Sea

Fox Family

Watching Airplanes

To Life

My Questions:

1. What is your favorite quote? 
2. What is the first thing you notice about people?
3. If you could live in any era of history, when would it be and why? 
4. What motivates you to exercise?
5. What grown up job did you want, when you were a kid?
6. Did you ever want to change your name? If so, to what?
7. What single dish do you cook well?
8. Where were you in life 5 years ago?
9. What makes a house a home?
10. What is something you have always wanted to try?
11. Which junk food is your weakness?

WOW! This was a really long post and took me all day to write, but I hope you enjoyed and got the chance to learn a bit more about me! 

Happy 11 Months!

SugarCube, 

you're 11 months old today! And I have two thoughts rolling around in my head--- "How did this even happen!" You're going to be an entire year old, thirty-two days from now. WHAT??!! I can't even begin to comprehend this, as I think back on the day we brought you home. The other thought I have is,  "you're looking so much like a little girl now and not so much like a baby-baby..." This makes me sad in some ways. But in other ways, I'm excited! It's such a privilege to see you grow, turning into this little person, all your own... 

I know you'll be reading this someday when your grown, and be thinking the same thing as I am right now, "you have the sweetest smile!" It certainly melts your Grammy and Grampy and there's no question about your Mum ;) Morning time is the best right now. You and I share a room so every morning when you wake, I get to see your beaming face peeking over the crib at me. No matter how tired I am, it always melts my heart and I can't help but pick you up! 

You continue to be such an inquisitive, focused baby. When something catches your attention, it's really hard to pull your thoughts away from it. Kinda like, taking pictures today, lol!

You still have the bluest of blue eyes and your hair continues to lighten into this beautiful strawberry blonde. You haven't been to a doctor since leaving Washington, so we're not really sure of your growth.You were due for a checkup today, but the military base here in Arizona do things a bit differently. They make appointments 3 months apart instead of 2. So if I had to guess, I'd say you've grown another 2 inches going from 28.4" inches to 30.4" and you've definitely gained weight too. In previous months, you consistently gained 2 lbs between visits, so we'll just say your somewhere between 18-19 lbs now. Still a little bean but healthy and happy :)

This month you acquired both of your front teeth! And I cannot believe I actually snapped a shot where I caught you showing all four!! Daddy will be so happy. He's been wanting to see this! When he left in November, you only had the one small tooth in your bottom gums, and barely at that! So to have four is fantastic! We just definitely have to watch sticking fingers in your mouth now ;)   

You continue perfecting your squats and standing unassisted (you do this for minutes at a time) but the biggest milestone of the month was your FIRST STEP! You did this on 01.06.12 at 10 months, 3 weeks. Here's a few photos taken during the excitement. Not the best pictures and you can't see the step, but for the sake of picture documentation ;) We did get it on video though, so daddy could see! 

You were so proud as we all clapped and cheered and made such a big deal. IT WAS A BIG DEAL! You took 3 steps in total that day, but not all at once. However you haven't offered to take anymore since. You're so strong and are definitely ready to take off SugarCube, but I understand you still need time to build a bit more confidence :) No rush. I'm definitely enjoying the dependency of hand held walking and the fact that you still need me, ha! 

This is your new (adorable) face and I just love that it was caught on camera. This is the "look" you get when you don't like something (usually a new food) or something isn't going your way, which translates into being told "No. That isn't for little hands." It's hard not to laugh when your just so cute, with the scrunched nose, snorting air in and out as quick as you can. Complete frustration! You typically match this with quick swishing of your feet too, for more effect, which throws me into silent hysterics!!! Here, I'm telling you to put the rock down because one, it's dirty. But two, you grind your teeth on everything. That alone has me coming unglued, but mommy doesn't want you chipping those perfect new baby teeth! 

Currently, you're in 9 month onesies and tops, with 12+ month pants for the length. Size 4-5 diapers depending on the brand (although we might need to go up a size soon) and size 3 shoes. I've noticed you seem to stay within the course of one size behind in your tops and one size ahead in your bottoms each month. I hope this continues because it makes shopping ahead of season really predictable and easy!

You have so many new behaviors, it's hard to record them all! Your speaking a bucket load of new syllables, your newest ones being naa naa, and you also added 2 new words "hotdog" and "diggity"  although you haven't offered to say them again since. Your probably wondering where in the world, did she pick that up and all I have to say is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. If you've ever watched this show, you know the exact song, which she has us singing over and over ;)    

I'm also noticing the need to tighten up on sweeping the floors and being more aware of what's in my daughters hands. already this week, she's given me two major scares, praying to GOD she didn't swallow the missing piece of whatever she handed me. One of them being a little running light the size of a penny that hooks on my zipper. I got it for Christmas but hadn't taken it off the cardboard backing yet. She handed me the backing, but with no zipper light! Grammy found it under the bed later that day, much to my relief, PHEW! We made jokes afterwards, that I'd know the moment it came through the other end, because "that" particular diaper would be glowing, haha!

You're just full of little antics too. My favorite is the "chase me" game. You know your not allowed in Grampy's office, too much to choke on and not a safe place for babies, but every day I find myself chasing after you down the hall; your crawl, worthy of Nascar speeds, lol!

You've also learned the difference between mommy's homemade baby food and your Gerber yogurt cups. I've had to learn to pull the yogurt out last, otherwise you refuse to try even one bite of your other foods, even though you love these foods! You push anything and everything around on the floor too, the latest being the jumbo Pampers Diaper box because it makes screeching noises as you corner around the kitchen island ;)  

This next month is going to be awesome as you learn to walk and explore baby girl! I cannot wait to see all of the things I'll be writing about as well as showing off your 1st. birthday bash! Daddy and I love you so much puddin'face... Continue to grow, learn and be healthy. Never lose that sweet smile and always remember you mean the world to us!

Fitness Friday

This is my first week linking up with Kelly  on Fitness Friday and I'm super duper stoked! 

I did fantastic this week with getting my sweat on, and although I cleaned my diet up comparatively to Decembers goodie madness, I still could have done better. I'd give myself a B+

I don't know about you, but I love seeing pictures of everyone's day, no matter how mundane or uninteresting the focal point. But darn it all. It's pretty awkward taking self photos in a gym full of sweaty locals, looking at you like your pretty bizarre for doing just that. Hence my pursed lip pose above, ha! I thought about taking one, after my workout, in the bathroom stall but then I realized those butt runners were behind me in the photo (not sure what they're called. Butt runners make sense to me) and that just seemed really desperate, so sorry guys. No bling this week! Although I really am loving my workouts! I promise. If I felt I could have smiled, I would have been beaming. At this point, I was 30 minutes into my workout, abs screaming, ACDC Thunder Struck blaring and life was more than good!

I took a pretty good 2 month hiatus from working out and watching my diet over the course of R deploying and SugarCube and I moving to Arizona. So to step on the scale last week, realizing I hadn't gained anything over the holidays and actually lost a pound, was pretty fantastic! I was going really strong over the summer, losing 27 lbs of baby weight in 3.5ish months, but then I lost my motivation, time, and energy through all the events of the past 60 days. But now that life has slowed to a manageable pace, it's time to lose these last 11 lbs and T.O.N.E- T.O.N.E- T.O.N.E!!! So without further chit chat, here is my workout stats for the week.

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Sunday: Insanity's cardio resistance (45 minutes)  Monday: 3 mile outdoor run with 2 mile brisk walk pushing a stroller Tuesday: Gym, 15 minutes on the elliptical, 15 minutes on a stationary bike, 30 minutes of plank, moving plank, sit ups , pushups, v pushups, triceps dips. Wednesday: 30 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes on machines working abs, lower back, inner thighs, quads, hamstrings, glutes.  Thursday: 30 minutes at home, on a stationary bike. Friday: Insanity's pure cardio (45 minutes.)

Not too shabby! This week felt good. I never struggled with the want to sham on a workout and was actually excited for my little bit'o fitness everyday. I used to struggle all the time with slowing motivation and drive but there's something to be said about the learned behavior of, get up in the morning and workout before your brain catches onto what your doing. Then it's done and you have the rest of the day to be lazy! (well if I didn't have an 11 month old that might ring true) Point being, get it done early and you don't have the time to talk yourself out of it. This next week, I'm going to work just as hard, clean my diet up even more, focus more on water and get my 8 hours of rest each night. it all sounds good in theory. Wish me luck and I'll do the same!

Happy Friday!

9 Months (2 Months Late)

Mommy is so behind on your monthly updates SugarCube! So in a desperate attempt to catch up, I'll be doing a blogging marathon throughout the night because I literally lose sleep over this! Here is the first installment of 3 ;) 11.12.2012 was your 9 month birthday.  This month was such an explosive time for milestones that I just couldn't allow it to go missing from your baby book. That's why mommy's trying so hard to keep up with these ;)  

In actuality, I wrote this very post ALLLLLLLLL the way back in November. I didn't post it because 11.12.2012 was the day we hugged and said goodbye to daddy for nine months. We were kinda a wreck that day. I also wanted to wait until we were clear of OSPEC (army rules telling us how to keep daddy safe) so mommy could add this in your monthly update; daddy leaving was kinda a big deal to us this month! But I think 2 months later is a little extreme--- 
~ Here We Go~
This month, BY FAR, has been your biggest for milestones.  I'm STILL reeling from all the new things you're doing! However, I want to give you a BIG HUG for doing all you have, before daddy left! It was a great feeling to experience a lot of your firsts with him, so thank you sweetie! 
One of our biggest moments of the month, was getting to hear you say your first word(s) MAMA and DADA (baba) in the same day! We love you equally, so it's only natural you share this joy with us equally, heehee! You had just woken from an afternoon nap when mommy went to change your diaper. I hadn't even gotten you placed on the changing table when I heard "Mama, maaaaaama, mum, mum, mum, mama" I was blown away! Nothing could have prepared me for how warm and emotional that moment would feel! It wasn't long after that, when you copied me saying "dada."I have literally, been working on this since the first week you were brought home! It was mommy's dream that you say it before daddy deployed and you did! Right now, it's coming out more like "baba" but I hear the workings of a "d" in there more, now that your practicing it:)   

Next up is your first tooth! Mama failed to get pictures :(   Daddy noticed it while Mommy was running your evening bath. You two were playing together, you biting on daddy's fingers as usual. But this time, it gave daddy a shock because there was something sharp in those little baby gums! I was certain your first tooth would be that molar you've been nursing, but instead, there it was, a cute little white nub popping through your bottom frontal gums! We've been waiting for that SugarCube! This definitely explains why you've been so fussy during your afternoon naps and waking more at night:) Kind of like, right now. It's 9:30 p.m and I hear you upstairs saying "baba, baba, baaaaaaba." So cute! But you really do need to go back to sleep sweetheart!   

This month, you've also mastered pulling up and standing on your own. Last night I even saw you "one hand" the couch contemplating letting go! You bailed on that thought though, after the leg wobbles sent you to the carpet :) I can also see the workings of your first "handholding" steps! If you could talk, I know you'd tell me your thoughts and that's DEFINITELY what you're thinking about doing next; holding onto something while walking! You've recently found the stairs (oh joy!) Daddy fostered that curiosity over the weekend and taught you how to climb all the way to the top, 14 stairs baby girl!!! You're such a strong baby and growing so fast...

Which reminds me of your latest measurements! We had your 8 month check-up at 8.5 months. Mommy forgot to schedule that on time. So your weight was 16.4 lbs putting you in the 14th percentile (you've been there for a while) and you continue to grow at 28.4 inches tall, 74th percentile! Long and skinny :) You had your 2nd Hep B and HIB shots as well. We're working on catching up with your vaccines because mommy just doesn't like all those shots being given to you at once...     You continue to love solid foods and have tried so many! I've created a monster though. I still make your baby food, so now you refuse to eat the store bought stuff when I need you too. Which I kinda need you too start liking it soon. I'm not sure what we're going to do on the road trip to Arizona if you still refuse it. So far you still love avocado, sweet potatoes and any fruits I feed you. You've added a few new ones to the favorites though, which is fun because I thought you would never broaden your palette. You have tried black beans, corn, pumpkin (with a dash of sugar) chickpeas, chicken and beef and given it your stamp of approval! You still refuse anything green, mostly peas and green beans. 

You're even more vocal this month with likes and dislikes; letting us know with small crying fits when we interfere with something you're after. It's pretty short lived though. Mostly you get upset when you're not allowed to play with electrical wires, the dogs bowls with or without kibble, the gas fireplace when it's turned on, and the kitty litter box, ewwww! 

You absolutely L.O.V.E your morning shows, the Micky Mouse Clubhouse, Little Enstines and Octonaughts! You're fascinated by the bright colors and catchy songs. You actually start bouncing up and down when Micky Mouse starts singing the "hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog" song which makes me smile and sing along! I'm not one of those parents who allows you to watch t.v all day long, but I don't see any harm in giving you a few shows to enjoy and learn from. We only watch educational shows by the way and will continue that way for sometime! 

Your latest form of interaction is trying the copy cat card. I like to cluck my tongue at you and recently you've been repeating it! You even pay attention to how many clucks and how fast, then try to copy it. It's awesome!!! You really are so smart SugarCube. This next month is going to go by so fast. I'm excited to see what your next update will bring! Maybe walking, although I can totally wait for that! You've done so much already :) Just keep growing, being healthy and happy and the rest will come. We love you Alyssa and look forward to all the many more smiles and blessed days we have with you...   Love Mama & Daddy