17 Months

So, I'm a little behind. What's new? Will's been 17 months old for about a week and a half two weeks now, and I'm finally getting around to writing his monthly update. Oh well.

I would say the theme of this month has been "Go!" Maybe this is actually just the theme of our lives. I feel like we are constantly moving, constantly going, running here and there all the time. Will is no exception to this aspect of our family. If anything, he has just upped our game a little bit. He is a mover!

He loves jumping. He has loved jumping since he was 6 or 7 months old and that love has only evolved. He begs to jump in his bed several times a day. I don't mind this one bit since it keeps him contained, and I can things done while he's having a great time. It's definitely a win-win.

When he's not jumping, he's running, or asking to go to the park or to play outside. He loves taking walks in his "stro-stro," and often beats on the door to the garage saying it over and over again in his whiniest voice.

A new thing this month is his desire to tell everything and everyone bye-bye. He does this ALL.THE.TIME. It's not just when we're leaving the house. Oh no. It's every time he leaves a room - Bye-bye bed, bye-bye fan, bye-bye ball, bye-bye shoes. It's every time he's finished eating - Bye-bye chicken, bye-bye bread, bye-bye banana. It's every time I change his diaper - Bye-bye diaper, bye-bye poop. The kid says bye-bye to EVERYTHING. At first, I thought it was cute. Now, I just get annoyed when it takes us 20 minutes to leave a room.

I'm thinking all of this bye-bye business is a result of his new vocabulary. This month has definitely been an explosion of new words. It seemed like he woke up one day and knew how to label everything he was familiar with...and label he does. He loves practicing his words over and over before he goes to bed. I think he's just trying to make sure he won't forget them in the morning. He loves to point at things and label them and for you to repeat what he says. If you don't repeat it, he'll just keep saying the word until you do. I've gotten to be pretty good at understanding him just so I can repeat what he says as fast as I can.

It really is so much fun to see him learning. It is just amazing to watch a baby become a toddler, and I'm sure it only gets more amazing to watch them grow and develop through the years.

Some other favorite things this month would be the movie "Cars," and TV shows Super Why and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He also loves to play with anything that goes...cars, trucks, trains (choo-choos), tractors, etc. Our backyard looks like a parking lot with all of his vehicles parked out there. He loves drinking smoothies and asks for one almost every day. This is a great way for him to get tons of fruit, and I even throw some protein powder in there every once in awhile. He still doesn't really play "with" his friends, but he's started getting really excited to see them. He just loves Kinlee and Ally, and his face lights up when I tell him we're going to play with them. He loves giving hugs and sloppy wet kisses. He takes great care of his stuffed animals and the baby dolls in the nursery at church. I think he's going to be an amazing daddy one day!

He keeps me busy, and sometimes I wish we could just slow down, but I do my best to soak up every minute and every new activity. Some days I try to remember what my life was like before Will was around, and I just can't do it. I truly cannot imagine my life without him. Trust me, we have our fair share of frustrations and there are times I wonder why parenting has to be so difficult, but I know that I am truly blessed and try to embrace the good and the bad along the way.

Healthy Living

It seems like everyone is concerned with being healthier these days, including me. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've always been a pretty healthy eater (even though I definitely have a sweet tooth!), and I've always been a pretty active person. However, I've recently made a few changes in my life, and I am loving the way I feel! I have so much more energy, less bloating and less of that nasty "ugh...I ate way too much" feeling, fewer problems with my digestion, and just an overall sense of feeling good about the decisions I am making about my health. 

I mentioned that I've always been pretty healthy. I'm finding that most of the time these days people equate being skinny with being healthy. I am here to tell you that's just not true. I am one of those "lucky" people who are somewhat on the lean side. I got blessed with a fast metabolism and good genes. However, over the years, I've come to realize that being skinny does not = being healthy. My arteries don't care what the scale says. If I'm filling my body with greasy fried foods every day, they will get clogged whether I weight 100 pounds or 200 pounds. Yes, weight is one indicator of health, but it is certainly not the only indicator. 

There was actually a time in my life where I was skinny, and I was not healthy at all. I was never diagnosed with an eating disorder, and I wouldn't necessarily classify it as an eating disorder, but I would classify it as disordered eating. More than that, I had disordered thinking. I obsessed over food. I thought about every little thing I put into my mouth. I wrote down every calorie I ate each day. I obsessed over exercising enough, even though I was often working out 3 or 4 hours a day. Food was constantly on my mind. I would sometimes go walk around the grocery store when I was hungry, just to prove to myself that I had the willpower to resist "temptation." Pure craziness. I am happy that part of my life is in the past and that I've learned from it. 

What I've learned is that it's not important to be skinny. It's important to be healthy, and I am passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and helping others live a healthy lifestyle, as well. I recently came across some startling and somewhat scary statistics. Did you know that the #1 killer of both men and women in America is heart disease? Did you know American adults consume 2-3 lbs. of sugar each week? Did you know the rate of childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past 30 years? To me, these statistics are scary. They show that something needs to be done. 

So, I've been doing lots of research and reading lots of books. Trying to figure out how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle in our world of convenience and busyness. I love the way Michael Pollan boils everything down so simply in his book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. His basic philosophy is this: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants. How simple is that? He breaks this simple statement down even further into even more simplified "rules" in his book Food Rules: An Eater's Manual. I would highly recommend both books. 

I have tried to incorporate this simple philosophy into my daily life. Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Here's a little more information about each part:

1. Eat Food - Sounds simple, but so much of what we eat shouldn't even be considered food. We eat things that are highly processed and chemically manufactured with artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and colors. Food is the stuff that grows in the ground, on a plant, or on a tree. It is the meat that comes from animals that have not been treated with chemicals and hormones, let alone battered and deep fried. It is real food. In its pure, natural state. The stuff our ancestors ate when heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity were not national epidemics.

2. Not too much. - Portion control. It is so important to just be aware of the amount of food you are consuming. Always pay attention to serving sizes. Everything today is "supersized," and we need to get back to only eating the food our bodies truly need. 

3. Mostly plants. - I am not a vegetarian, and I never will be. I like meat. My husband really likes meat and would never go for a vegetarian household. However, we have been limiting our meat intake by eating 2 meatless meals (for dinner) each week. Meat contains cholesterol and saturated fat that you don't get from plants and plant products. This is such an easy change to make.

I have also been limiting my intake of gluten, dairy, and soy, simply because these are highly allergenic foods that often cause issues with digestion. By completely eliminating these foods for a short time, I allow my body to detoxify, and I can see what a difference it makes in the way I feel. I do not completely eliminate these foods all the time, but I am more aware of how much I eat and how my body feels as a result. 

One of the most difficult things for me has been limiting my sugar intake! I love sugar. It has actually been shown to be addictive. The more sugar your body has, the more sugar it craves, which is why it's so difficult to quit eating it! I have been trying to use more natural sugar replacements such as raw honey, agave, stevia or unrefined sugar. Too much of these sweeteners is still not good for you, but it is a better alternative to the highly processed, refined white sugar that we usually eat. 

Just making a few simple changes in my diet has totally changed the way I feel. Like I mentioned before, I have more energy, and I don't deal with those yucky bloated feelings after I eat. It's not like I'm suffering either. I promise, I eat well! There are so many healthy options out there these days that you don't have to feel deprived or like you're missing out on anything. You simply substitute what you used to eat with something healthier in its place. The key for me is staying away from those highly processed foods. Reaching for an apple, a carrot, or a bell pepper instead of potato chips, cookies, or granola bars (unless they're the yummy homemade kind!). By eating this way most of the time, I don't feel guilty when I have a piece of cake or an ice cream cone. I just enjoy every single bite of what I'm eating! I know that the food I'm putting into my body is doing good things and being helpful rather than harmful. 

There are plenty of "quick fixes" out there and all kinds of fad diets, but are they really healthy? Most of them are not. Most of them will help you lose weight quickly, but they are not doing anything for you long-term. They are not providing the nutrition your body really needs. They are trying to make you skinny. Not healthy. But let me tell you this, if you get healthy, you'll lose the weight you need to lose. You won't just be getting skinny, you'll be doing amazing things for your insides, as well as your outside. 

I am planning to post more healthy living tips on here on a regular basis. I've also considered starting a completely separate blog just for healthy living information, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to devote that much time yet. Maybe in the future. Until then, keep looking here for info on healthy eating (including recipes) and exercise. If you would like to get together to talk about how you can start living a healthy lifestyle, I would love to talk to you! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. I am so excited about helping people achieve a healthier life for themselves and their families!

Disclaimer: What you see here on my blog is based off of my own personal knowledge, opinions, and experiences. I am not a doctor nor a health professional, so concerning your diet you should always consult a health professional/doctor first to fit your own personal needs.

16 Months

Will is 16 months old! He is turning into such a big boy. He seems bigger, older, smarter, funnier, crazier, and more lovable every single day.

This month has had a common theme. Ducks. Yes, you heard me. Ducks. Will has what I consider to be an unhealthy obsession with ducks.

We have a couple of ponds in our neighborhood (conveniently located next to 2 playground areas), and Will wants to go every day to see the ducks. I get him out of bed in the morning and hold him in my lap on the couch for a few minutes, until he wakes up enough to jump down and run to the front door, saying: quack, quack, quack, quack, quack...bread? He wants to feed the ducks. At 7:00 a.m. I always tell him the ducks are still sleeping. I'm pretty sure they really are.

But the obsession doesn't stop there. Oh no. That's just the beginning. He only wants to watch DVD's that have ducks on them. In particular, he wants to watch his Sing-Along video that has Old McDonald's Farm on it, and he wants to watch that song over and over and over again. He only wants to read books that have ducks in them. Once you find a duck, he doesn't even want you to turn the page. He just wants to point and quack. He carries around a duck puzzle piece, he plays with his rubber ducks in the bathtub, he's even been sleeping with one of his rubber ducks. I'm telling you....unhealthy obsession.

I try to get him to notice other animals. We even took him to the zoo. All he wanted to look at were the ducks. At the zoo! With tons of other, much cooler animals around. But he couldn't be swayed. The boy loves his ducks.

So every day (usually 2 or 3 times a day), we go feed the ducks. We throw them bread, we quack at them, and we tell them bye-bye. I'm pretty sure those ducks know our names.

Thankfully, he also likes to go play in the park, so we don't have to spend all of our time with the ducks. He's getting so good at climbing up and going down the slide all by himself. He loves to swing and throws his head back and says, Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, when I push him.

He loves playing with any kind of ball. He kicks them, throws them, and puts them through the hoop on his basketball goal. He does take them in the bathtub with him sometimes, too. It's always nice to have a break from the ducks! He got to go to his first Thunder game this month, and he loved it! He kept saying, a ball, a ball! Then he would clap his hands and cheer so hard when everyone else did. It was so sweet! I was really surprised at how well behaved he was, but I think there was so much going on that he was thoroughly entertained.

He loves being outside, and we've been so thankful for the beautiful weather we've been having. We both have great tans to prove it! Whether it's going to the park, playing in the back yard, splashing in the water, or playing in the front yard with the neighbors, he's a happy boy if he's "ow-side."

Like I said, he is becoming such a big boy. Doing more and more big boy things. It is sad to see my little baby disappearing, but it is so much fun to see this toddler emerging. He keeps me entertained and makes me laugh every day. Like when he wants to sleep with random objects (DVD's, shoes, rubber ducks, etc.). Or when he wants to take random objects in the car with him (hangers, all of his bath toys, tupperware containers, etc.) He is definitely his own person, and I hope he stays that way.

Love you so much, sweet Will!

Thankful

I'm not gonna lie. The last few days have been rough. I haven't been feeling well. My allergy and sinus troubles are back again. Let me just say, I do NOT love pollen. I know it's necessary, but pollen and I just don't get along. Unfortunately, the pollen count here has been very high, so I haven't really been feeling my best. On top of that, Will is getting some of his molars, and they are really bothering him. We've been so blessed in the area of teething and really haven't had much trouble...until now. The poor guy is having a hard time eating, drinking, and sleeping, which makes him really cranky. Which makes me really cranky.

All that to say, I haven't been in the best mood for a few days. I've been cranky, irritable, frustrated, discouraged, angry, and just plain tired. I've shed tears of anger and frustration. I've screamed and yelled. I've gone to my bedroom and just buried my face in my pillow because I didn't know what else to do. Last night, before I went to bed, I really thought over the past few days, and I realized something. They were over, and I had to let them be over. The more I carried the previous bad day into the next, the more things piled up, and the worse things got. So, I said a very long prayer, asking God for forgiveness, for a new attitude, for a new perspective, and for a fresh start. I told myself: Tomorrow's a new day. You can choose to be miserable, or you can choose have a better day.

So, that's what I'm doing. I'm choosing a better day. Because the bad days are no fun. Because I have so much to be thankful for. Because my situation could be so much worse. Because I whine and complain about things that other people would be blessed to have in their lives.

I know I'm allowed to have a bad day. Everyone has bad days. I think it's ok to be unhappy and even miserable sometimes. Our feelings and frustrations are real. We shouldn't deny that they exist and pretend that our lives are perfect and that everything is ok. But we shouldn't dwell there, either. We can get stuck in a rut and bad day gets piled on top of bad day. Bad moods become the norm. This doesn't just affect us, it affects everyone around us. I don't know about you, but I don't like to be around people who are constantly in a bad mood, so I certainly don't want to be one of those people!

Today, I am thankful. Thankful for a fresh start. Thankful that despite minor allergy problems, I am very healthy. Thankful that despite some painful teething problems, I have a very happy, healthy little boy. Thankful for a husband who has put up with my bad attitude over the past few days. Thankful for friends who encourage me in the midst of my frustration. Thankful for a mom I can call and talk to and cry to anytime I want. Thankful for a loving, supportive family. Thankful for having more than I need. Thankful for a God who loves, comforts, forgives, and restores.

Today is going to be a good day.

15 Months

Will is 15 months old! Just like every other month, I can't believe it. One of these days I'll start believing that my child ages like all other human beings, but for now, I'm still in denial. Each month, I'm shocked that he's already another month older.

I was looking back over some of my "Will posts," and I feel like they're getting a little boring. They're pretty much the same stuff each month, so I thought I would change it up a little bit. Instead of sharing all of his "stats," I just want to share some of my favorite Will stories from the past month. He is a funny little guy and does things every day that just crack me up (and disgust me all at the same time). I also conveniently forgot to mention his temper tantrums last month. I honestly don't know how they slipped my mind. I think I subconsciously block them out, so I can remember what a sweet little boy he is when he's not screaming at the top of his lungs and throwing himself on the floor in a public place. Thankfully (insert sarcasm here), they didn't go anywhere, so I still have plenty of time to write about them.

- I'll go ahead and give the stats just so I'll remember them. He is 20 lbs. 6 oz. (5%) and 31 1/2 inches long (50%). Needless to say, he's long and lean, and it's quite a challenge to find pants that fit!

- We had 2 very public temper tantrums and several not-so-public ones. I'm not going to go into all the details right now because I have a post solely dedicated to them coming up soon. Let's just say, I've apologized to my parents more than once now for ever throwing a temper tantrum in public. I know this is something a lot of toddlers go through, but it is definitely not a fun part of parenting.

- On a happier note, we went to Kansas to visit Theron's family, and Will got to sit on a real tractor for the very first time. Theron said as soon as he saw it, he said, Tractor! Tractor! He loves to drive his toy tractors around, so I'm sure getting to sit on a real tractor was so awesome for him.

- One day, I heard shrieking coming from our guest bathroom. I walked in to see what was wrong, and all I saw were Will's legs sticking straight up in the air kicking furiously. The top half of his body was in the bathtub, reaching for a toy he had dropped in there. I did go help him out, but I had a really good laugh first.

- That same day, he was walking around with an empty wrapper. He loves Arbonne fit chews (they're like candy to him), and when he finishes them, he likes to lick the wrapper. I can't say I blame him. So, he's walking around licking the wrapper, and I notice it's getting very wet and looking pretty disgusting. I said, "Will, that looks yucky. Will you go put it in the trash?" He walked off, and I followed him to see if he was actually going to put it in the trash can. Nope. He went straight to the bathroom, dropped it in the toilet, got it back out, and stuck it back in his mouth. No wonder it had gotten so wet and nasty looking.

- He always makes me feel so good about my cooking and the food I feed him because when he eats, he always says, "Mmmmmm....mmmmmmm," or "Yummmmm." A few days ago, I was humbled. I heard him in the living room, saying, "mmmmmm....mmmmmm." I knew he had been playing in my purse, so I thought...oh no, he's probably eating my lip gloss or something like that. I walked in there to see what was so delicious, and there he was, sucking on a tampon. Thankfully (I guess), the wrapper was still on. Now, I've never tasted one, but I can't imagine it tasted that good. Apparently, my cooking might not be as good as I thought.

- Almost every day at lunch we watch Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. Will gets so excited for people when they get a question right. He claps his hands and looks so happy and proud. What's really funny, though, is when they get the question wrong. He always says a very dramatic, "Oh, noooo!"

He is so much fun and really does have such a sweet personality. Sometimes, I feel like I talk to other people about his temper tantrums and his orneriness way more than I talk about what a sweet, funny little boy he is. I'm trying to be better about this.

No matter what, I tell him how much I love him and what a good, sweet boy he is every single day. Even when he throws fits, even when tests my patience, even when he chews on paper out of the toilet.  I love him so much, and nothing could ever change that!

Get Ready to Change Your Life

I know most of my blog posts are probably not "life changing." Interesting? Maybe. Informative? Perhaps. Funny? Of course! But, life changing? Probably not.

This post, however, is different. Not because of something brilliant I'm going to write (sorry to disappoint you), but because of something I'm going to share.
I'm reading a book called Success Is Not an Accident by Tommy Newberry. I wanted to wait until I was actually finished reading it to write about it, but I just can't wait! I have been telling everyone I know about this book since the day I started reading it. It really isn't a long book, but I only get to read when I can squeeze it in, so it's taking me a little while to finish it. Plus, it is so full of information that I like to take my time and really absorb what I'm reading.

Obviously, the book is about success and being successful with your life. The thing I love about this book is that it lets you define what success means for you. There are actually short assignments at the end of each chapter, and one of your first assignments is to write your definition of success. Because, how can you be successful if you don't know what that looks like?

Once you have defined success, the author gives you very concrete, detailed instructions for writing out your goals, so you can ultimately achieve them. He has you look forward to where you want to be in 30 years. You imagine what your life looks like, what you're doing, what your family looks like, what your free time looks like. Your only limit is your imagination! Then, you work backward from there.

You write down specific goals you want to accomplish in 30 years. Then you figure out what you need to have done in 15 years, so those goals can be accomplished. Then you look at what needs to be done in the next 10 years, 5 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, 1 week, all the way to what needs to be done today. He starts at 30 years out, but you could really start at any point in the future and work backward from there. This may seem really simple to all of you, but to me, this was an "A-HA" moment.

You look to where you want to be, and then you figure out what you need to do to get there. And then...get this...you do it! It sounds so simple when you think about it that way, and you can apply this to absolutely any goal you have.

For example, if you want to lose weight: How much do you want to weigh in 1 year? What do you need to do to get there? What do you need to have done in 6 months? 1 month? 1 week? What steps can you take every day to reach your goal?

It is so practical and helps you focus on what you CAN do. One of my favorite quotes from the book says, "Focus on reaching your goals rather than the obstacles that stand in your way. " So often, we focus on what we can't do, what we can't control. We look at everything that's going to stop us. This hinders us from doing what we CAN. This moves our focus away from the daily things we can do to get us where we want to be. Another great quote from the book says, "The moment you want a goal more than you want an excuse, you can succeed."

What's your excuse? It's easy to come up with them. I can come up with all kinds of excuses not to pursue my dreams. I'm too young. I don't have enough money. I don't have enough education or the right education. I have a one-year-old. I'm too busy. I'll do it someday. I don't have the right personality for that. I don't have the proper training to do that. I might fail. People might think I'm crazy.

Get my point? I could go on and on and on, creating one excuse after another about why I can't do something. But what if I stop thinking about what could go wrong and start thinking about what could go RIGHT? What if I don't focus on the obstacles, but instead, focus on the destination and what I can do to get there?Anything worth having is worth working for, and those obstacles that come up only make us stronger.

I love that the author is a Christian and repeatedly asks you to think about what God has created you to do. God created YOU to do something unique and special with your life. There is absolutely no one else like you on the face of this earth. You are truly an original, and God has a specific plan for your life.

What does it look like? What does God want you to do? What does He want to use you to accomplish? The book asks, "How do you believe God wants the world to be different because of your particular life?" You see, God has big plans for all of us. He wants to use us to change the world, but if we don't embace those plans, if we don't pursue Him and what He wants for our lives, He will still accomplish His plans...He'll just use someone else to do it. Don't you want Him to use YOU? Don't you want to be part of something big?

I know I do. I want to use every ounce of potential God has given me. When I get to Heaven, I want Him to say, I had to bring you home because you had absolutely nothing left in you. This book truly has inspired me to do whatever it takes to be the person God created me to be. If you're looking for encouragement and direction on how to reach your full potential, I would highly recommend that you read it, too. In the next several posts, I'm going to be sharing some of the dreams and goals God has given me and how I plan to pursue them.

Just remember...He created YOU to do great things.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I must admit...I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. Maybe a little bit of my husband's cynicism has actually rubbed off on me over the years. According to him, Valentine's Day is a meaningless holiday created by people who sell chocolate, flowers, and greeting cards. In a way, I sort of have to agree.

I always received a Valentine's Day gift from my parents (and still do)! Thanks, Mom and Dad, :). I always celebrated with friends and boyfriends throughout the years. We got Will a gift this year...a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD, which he loves! So, I'm not a total Scrooge, but when you really stop to think about it what is the point of Valentine's Day?

Theron and I really don't get gifts for each other. We discussed this while we were dating and agreed that we'd rather do nice things to show our love and appreciation for each other throughout the year, rather than buying each other gifts one day a year just because it's Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong...if you love Valentine's Day, I'm not judging you. This is just something we decided before we even got married.

Here are my thoughts. I would rather my husband buy me flowers just because he feels like it or because he knows I would like them. Like a couple weeks ago, for example. I had a really rough day. Will was in a terrible mood and had thrown multiple temper tantrums that morning. By lunch time, I'd had enough. Theron came home to eat with us, and I lost it. I told him I quit. I said, "I am NOT cut out to be a stay at home mom!" I don't have the patience. I want to go back to work where people are nice to me. (I tend to get a little irrational from time to time). After patiently listening to my tirade, he gave me a hug and said, "I'm so sorry you're having a bad day. I hope it gets better." He went back to work, Will took a nap, and our day did get better. Theron was supposed to run that evening after work. Those of you who know him, know his running means a lot to him, and he's worked really hard lately to get back into shape. That evening, instead of running, he came home...with tulips...my favorite flower. He also brought me a box of Thin Mints...my very favorite Girl Scout cookie ever. He took Will to his room and played with him, so I could make dinner in peace and quiet. I love my husband every single day, but I appreciated him so much that night. He knew exactly what would make me feel better and sacrificed what he wanted to do in order to make me happy.

Folks, this is what true love looks like in my opinion. I am not perfect. My husband's not perfect. We get mad at each other, we argue, we don't love each other the way we should each and every day. But we do our best to put each other's needs ahead of our own, to forgive quickly and wholeheartedly, to show appreciation for one another, to do nice things for each other, to make each other laugh, to give each other space when it is needed, to support and encourage one another in our daily lives, to push each other to be better every day, to help each other pursue our goals and dreams. Simply put, we strive to love the way God first loved us. Obviously, we fail, but we pursue that kind of love anyway.

Marriage and relationships in general can be hard. They can take a lot of work. For us, we believe that the key to successful relationships is putting God first. When we are both seeking Him, we are growing closer to one another. When we even attempt to love each other the way God loves us, it is better than anything we could ever do on our own.

So, enjoy your Valentine's Day. I won't judge you. But I am constantly grateful for my Valentine who chooses to show me his love and affection throughout the year, not just on February 14th.