Back in the Saddle---a Giveaway story!

I'm back!

That's right folks! I feel like I've finally gotten a handle on life with a baby!

So, what does that mean? I'M DOING A GIVEAWAY (on my photography blog)!!!! HERE

ENTER ENTER ENTER!


Other than that, I've signed up for (free) swimming "lessons" for the kid! It's called Baby Splash and should be tons of fun! This week is our first week! It will also be his first time in a swimming pool!

I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned yesterday, so my house looks decent.  Did I mention I'm pooped?

I'm still on my weight loss journey and haven't fallen off the wagon yet! High five to me.  I think, however, that I've hit some sort of plateau.  I've been doing everything right, but haven't seen real results in awhile.  Time to play with my calories again???? Maybe.

Fat Jeans Never Felt So Good!

So, many of you may not know, but I have begun the LONG, TOUGH road of losing the baby weight.

I'm currently doing my own version of Weight Watchers (i.e. I don't go to meetings or pay for the program.  I bought the materials from someone on Ebay and just stay accountable to myself and Jereld). 

Weight Watchers when you're breastfeeding is actually a lot easier.  You get a TON more points.  I don't feel hungry really.  But, I do have to eat healthy {insert soundtrack of me weeping right here}. You see, I made some delicious chocolate chip cookies for my Sunday School class {okay, I admit it! I ate a couple myself}, and I made Jereld hide the rest.  I was sick yesterday {something akin to the flu I suppose} and nothing sounded as good as a soft, chewy, chocolate chip cookie.  Victory! I couldn't find them! Jereld did an EXCELLENT job of hiding them.  I still don't know where they are.  

But, I started my weight loss journey on March 14, and I have lost about 13 lbs so far.  I took pictures of myself {which will never be posted on this blog because they are AWFUL and I got brave and only wore a sports bra and shorts} to track my progress, and I'll be taking new pictures once a month to see how far I've come.   I can already tell you a couple victories I've made: 

1) I am no longer wearing maternity pants.

2) I am starting to fit into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes {Although I'm currently in what I consider my "fat pants," somehow it's a victory I am very pleased about.  Nothing's worse than wearing maternity jeans when you're not pregnant anymore}.

In other news: 

Beau is doing great! He has started smacking his lips in an attempt to copy Jereld.  He woke up and started smacking his lips the other morning. He also does a lot of what we refer to as laughing or giggling.  It's a fun stage! 

I made a little video {per my mom's request}, but WARNING: it's probably only cute to grandmas and moms. Don't say I didn't warn you! 

Thumb Sucker!

Yep! We have a thumb sucker on our hands!

He's also a little bit naughty! A couple nights ago, I was breastfeeding him (in the middle of the night) and he stopped and looked up at me.  I said, "Hello!"  He got the biggest smile! He wanted to play...but I said that he had better go back to sleep before he got into big trouble!

So everywhere we go with him, everyone puts in their 2 cents about who they think he looks like, but we just think he looks like a human.  What do you think?  None of the pictures below are of us at the same age as he is right now (I don't have any that I can find...sorry)! Use your imagination! 



PS--Remember how I promised to post the Thin Mints Recipe? Well, I did it! HERE

2 Months!

Yep! Beau is 2 months old!  Does it look like we're getting any more sleep?

This picture reminds me of a picture from a previous post...except it was a picture of Jereld.

In all fairness, the last couple of nights have been BLISS compared to previous nights.  Last night, Beau went to sleep all by himself in his bassinet.  We usually have to strap him in his carseat and rock him for 30 minutes for those little peepers to close.  He is also doing great at sleeping in the bassinet all night! He hasn't slept by me in TWO nights...count them...one...two! Which means I actually have a good night's rest. 

In other news:

I got all that for $48.07.  I know...that's a MINOR couponing feat for some of you ladies, but to me it's nothing short of a miracle.

Let me break it down for you!

-26 boxes of name brand cereal

-25 boxes of name brand pasta

-16 powerades (these didn't really have a coupon, but they were on sale!)

-1 ketchup (no coupon...I just needed ketchup...but it's included in the total so I had to include it in the pic)

-1 bottle of dish soap

-9 boxes of name brand granola bars

I saved: $173.61 

Meaning, if nothing was on sale and no coupons had been used, I would have paid $221.68.

Now I know that there are ladies that can go to the store and buy 200+ items and spend $1.78 or something ridiculous like that (and I applaud you), but I felt pretty good about this.  I don't think I'll ever get TOO involved in couponing, but at least I can bulk up our 3 month supply right!

One last thing about couponing: if you're interested, check out http://www.grocerysmarts.com/.  It's sweet! (AND FREE!)

Oh...and let me post something else about my cute kid. (My grandmother used to say, "Every crow thinks her chicks are the blackest!")  We finally got his smile on camera.  Eat your heart out America!



Roll that Beautiful Bean Fudge :)

Beau is 7 weeks old today! Wow! The time has gone by fast!  He smiles a lot more lately! His smile is now a full on grin--whereas before it was just one side of his face curling up a little bit.  The little guy is growing like a weed, and some of his jammies are getting too short for him already.

Last night, I went and played volleyball with other Relief Society sisters.  I expected myself to be TERRIBLE compared to where I was before Beau. But, I'm not too rusty! I guess since I had such low expectations, I surprised myself.

Jereld took care of Beau while I played.  He looked so thrilled to be at the church for a couple hours with nothing but a bunch of hens laughing and playing volleyball to entertain him. Poor guy though, he's been working like crazy this week.  After volleyball and before getting ready for bed, I found him like this:

Aw! Both of my favorite guys snoozing away!

In other news: I made Bean Fudge today. I laugh that I made Bean Fudge. I volunteered to make it for this preparedness fair tomorrow at our Stake Center. And yes, the fudge ACTUALLY has beans in it.  But, you can't tell.  I suppose it's meant to be a recipe you could use with your food storage. In actuality (at least for me), this recipe doesn't really help me much.  I had to use 4 lbs powdered sugar, 12 oz. baker's chocolate, and 1 1/2 cubes of butter...plus other items. 

If I'm honest...I don't have ANY powdered sugar or baker's chocolate included in our year supply.  Call me a heathen...call me crazy...call me what you want, but powdered sugar really isn't on the list of things I keep in large quantities--not to mention baker's chocolate.  (I will note, however, that I happened to have baker's chocolate on hand--randomly--because it was on clearance and I said, "Hey! Chocolate sounds good!")

Okay...so to the funny part of Bean Fudge.  When I was a kid, I thought that the Busch's Baked Beans commercials said, "Roll that Beautiful Bean Fudge!"

My sister, Camilee, thought that was HILARIOUS! She corrected me.  Apparently, it says, "Roll that beautiful bean footage!"

No, no, Camilee, I correct you...this recipe does instruct me to "Roll" the bean fudge...TAKE THAT!

Okay, okay...last but not least: Check out a couple other places I blog!

First: Allison Brewer Photography

Remember how I like to take pictures? Well, as soon as Beau is a little older, I will start taking them more often.  And, here in a couple months I will be doing a Give-Away on that blog.

Second: Clouse Cousins' Cookin

Where you will find the recipe for this:

I also posted a recipe for Mandarin Chicken recently...both are DELICIOUS!

Soon to come: Knock-Off Girl Scout Thin Mints as well as Garlic Chicken N' Gravy!

Playing Catch Up!

Long posts are what result from slacking.  Sorry! Hope you enjoy anyways! Lots of pictures I promise!

First, Alexis (who has since become my new sister-in-law) got her endowments on Saturday, March 5.  

Then, the next day (March 6), we blessed Beau! I don't have any pictures of just him in his little blessing outfit, so the following will have to do for now.  I plan to take his pictures in the blessing outfit soon (hopefully today or tomorrow).  That day was just WAY TOO CRAZY! And, things really haven't slowed down much since.

Then on Saturday, March 12, my little brother, Michael, got married.  Don't they look great!?!?!?!

After the wedding, we went home and took a nap...it was quite the day! When we woke up, Beau looked like this:

Both Jereld and I had to laugh. This picture is a perfect representation of how we felt, too!

Next, it was off the the reception.  It was very beautiful (in case you were wondering).

So cute!

Congrats to the happy couple!

We love you!

And folks...we've reached the end of the post. Maybe it wasn't quite as long as I thought!



When I have grown a foot or two!

He reminds me of a little missionary! Too bad the kid rarely cooperates without his pacifier! Oh well!

 

You know you've taken too many pictures when your baby starts threatening you!