Cute Overload

Little Baby, originally uploaded by vrkdorell.

Okay, by popular demand (of the grandparents), I have officially sent the cuteness quotient at Flickr through the roof. I think this is the page. I like the Flickr function for posting photos to the blog, but I need to fiddle with the photo size settings when it posts. Also, should I get a Pro account to have multiple sets? Anyone? Bueller?

Anywho, I am completely overwhelmed. I need to take deep breath, make some to-do lists and knock through everything. I'm a little freaked out by it all: babies, house, moving, weight loss/exercise plan, etc. Oh, and yeah, I do need to get working on those law school apps for next year.

A knitting blog post I read (can't remember where) said this one time: We don't do anything half-assed around here. It's whole-assed or not at all.

I love that. So we're going at it whole-assed around here.

Hopefully I'm just not making an ass(w)hole of myself while doing it.

FYI, I know I did not post a Weight Loss Wednesday update. I did not weigh myself, but I don't feel like I'm losing anything. I know I did not exercise enough (no yoga...boo), and I was hitting the chocolate.

I did jog a couple days, though, and I could feel the difference in my energy level on those days. So I am going to rededicate myself to the exercise portion of my weight loss plan and try again on the salad additions. Wish me luck.

(The coffeeshop where I am blogging from ((on my free afternoon!! Thank you, Cap'n!!)) gave me a free iced latte and I am about to vibrate through the roof. How is it I can drink Diet Coke day in and day out, and one coffee sends me flying?)

There is so much to blog about, but I'm also supposed to be working on a budget and bill paying. Remind me to show you the baby knit(and quilt) additions next time...

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, there are some updates here on the weight loss front. I think I've made progress over the week.

I don't have a new weight to post. Since we don't own a scale, I'm not actually monitoring the numbers that closely. I don't want to focus solely on the weight.

But I have my official "before" photo. Ugh. You'll only get it small.

I'll focus on the positive: This is me after coming back from my first run post-baby. Instead of focusing on my lack of a waist. Oh well. Moving on.

Isn't amazing (yeah, amazingly horrible) how it takes a photo to really show you how things are, and not how you think they are? I mean, I knew my bedroom was messy, but I didn't know it was that messy! Ha, ha.

Since last week my exercise routine included:

• A yoga class with Slim
• A yoga class by myself
• A 4.5 mile beach walk
• A 2.8 mile power walk
• A 1.8 mile run/walk

So I have almost met my exercise goals. I also have been adding salads to my meals, and I tried not to go overboard eating at the wedding this weekend.

I've been going online to try to build up more support for this weight loss journey. I'm taking Lolly's recommendation to use Peer Trainer as another online community for people looking to lose weight. It has an online log to keep track of your food and exercise, which I need to keep me accountable. I also used this calculator to figure out my BMI, as part of my motivation to lose weight.

I wish I had something funny or inspiring to say about this, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed about trying to lose this much weight after taking my picture this morning. I know that I eventually lost weight after the first baby, but it took a year and then I got pregnant again.

Baby steps, right? (I can't type that without thinking of that movie. Now that's funny.)

Bloggy Inspirations

I've been inspired by a few of my co-knitbloggers over the last few days, and this post is going to play off their writing considerably.

Laura issued a weight loss challenge Monday. I'm now one month post-baby, and I am itching to get into shape and fit into my old clothes. One could say that controlling my weight would be a way for me to get control over at least some area of my life amidst the chaos of baby, toddler and house searching.

If one had ever taken Psych 101. (See what you get when you visit my blog? Sarcasm for free. You're welcome.)

I did not gain as much with Baby Dos, but I am way over what I was pre-Slim. But more importantly, I don't feel like I'm in shape. I'm getting back to walking a lot (44 blocks yesterday pushing 50 lbs of stroller and kids!) but I'm not sure if I could run around the park.

I have a life goal (probably not this year, but maybe next) of running a marathon. And as my dad, a longtime runner, said, I should probably be able to run at least around the block before actually starting marathon training.

I also want to learn how to eat healthier. It's always been my weakness, and many years ago, I had a particularly unhealthy relationship with food and eating. I am addicted to sweet things, and I want to learn how to say no to candy bars and yes to green things.

So I'm going to join Laura's Weight Loss Challenge and try to meet some goals while cheering my fellow knitbloggers on in their weight loss goals. Here we go:

Deadline: September 23, my 31st birthday (I wanna be one hot mama in my 30s!)
Starting weight: 186
Goal weight: 156 (pre-baby weight) In 22 weeks, this should be doable.
Exercise goal: Twice weekly yoga practice and running 10 miles a week
Food goal: Eating a salad for one meal everyday (with or without additional courses)

Yarn goal: No stash acquisition until my birthday

Yarn REWARD: A skein of really nice (and I mean N-I-C-E) yarn for every 10 pounds lost

Like Laura, I want the blog to keep me honest and accountable. I will try to update the blog every week or so, and I'll get the Cap'n to take a starting photo of me tomorrow. Luck to all of us!!

Carrie talked recently about the crumbs of life. I've been thinking about the image of crumbs when I think of how my time is broken up into tiny pieces while spending 24/7 meeting the needs of two tiny human beings who rely on me. I think back to the years BK (before kids), and I miss the time I had alone to myself to daydream, to read and to just take naps whenever I felt like it. (Imagine what kind of knitting I could have accomplished!)

Sometimes, even though I know I'm doing an important job taking care of the boys, I question if I've lost my way. I wonder if I'll only be known from now on as someone's mom, and not as my own person. I wonder if I've left the path I was supposed to be on in life.

I think I'm tired and need sleep.

But back to blogging...all I have now are crumbs of time to blog, to knit, to shower, to exercise, to kiss my husband, to read, to sleep. I have to make do, somehow. I have to get more organized, to make each of those moments count. It's all I can do.

Hannah asked what inspires us. It reminded me that I've also been meaning to do a regular blog posting on the "Everyday Creative." I am often inspired by the things around me in my home. We have alot of the Cap'n's mom's artwork and some fiber pieces that I'd like to feature on the blog as they inspire me. They help me take advantage of those crumbs of time as they come along.

I haven't put much time in on Lady Eleanor lately, but I'm hoping she grows this week. I'm at Tier 15 of 35, but I will probably go up to 40 if I have the yarn. We're heading out today for our friends' wedding in Edisto, S.C., so hopefully 9 hours of driving time will translate into some progress. Unless I fall asleep first.

And I have to say a big "THANK YOU" to Wanda. I won some beautiful laceweight yarn in her 3rd Blogiversary contest. That's the second contest I've won in the last few months.

I guess I'm one lucky knitter.

And for those (family) here just for baby pictures, a new hand-me-down for Little Baby so we can all play trains on the floor: