Family Fun and Fitness

Time to get back on the exercise bandwagon. With Preston now 7 months old, it is time to shed the last 15ish pounds of baby weight. After Reese, the pounds fell off by month 2, without really an extra work from me. In all honesty, I haven't been a regular exerciser since before Reese was born (2+ years!)

Luckily, with Kyle's work, Kyle and I get free memberships to different gyms around the area. We chose to join Family Fun and Fitness based on location and childcare. The kids both get to go there for $30 a month, not bad seeing as Kyle and I get to go for free. They have a kids area (supervised by staff) with a range of things for kids ages 5 weeks to 12 years old.) I have gone 3 times- the first two were a little iffy. The first two times when I went to pick Reese up, she has pooped her pants (which has not happened in MONTHS.) She just wasn't comfortable telling the teacher when she had to go the bathroom. Also, each time I went in to pickup, Preston was crying :( For a former preschool teacher, and over protective Mom (Preston has never had a baby sitter that hasn't been family) I was ready to throw in the towel and not return. I was feeling guilty for leaving them and they both had a rough start. But, with Kyle's words of encouragement, I returned this morning and they both had better times. Reese was all smiles when I picked her up, and Preston was rocking quietly with one of the teachers. Preston had a rough go again but the teacher was able to calm him and sit with him until I was done with my workout. I have to plan my workouts and time them just right, as I know he will not nap there, and they do not feed babies bottles (if the baby can hold their own bottle, they will give it to them, but they will not sit and feed a baby.) So, we jet out right after his morning nap, and get home before his lunch bottle...whew! I'm sure it will get easier, we just have to find our routine with it. 

Time to start feeling better about myself, being more healthy, and getting back into good shape before swimsuit season! :)

7 months

Preston turned 7 months old on the 19th. He is getting bigger by the day!!

Here are some facts about him....

-He still has no teeth (Reese had 4 by now!)

-He rolls both ways

-He never stops moving...he is all boy

-He just started babbling a lot

-He loves avocado, fruit, sweet potatoes

-He dislikes peas, green beans, squash

-He still wakes twice during the night to eat, around 1:30 and 5

-He is still on lactose free formula (I tried milk based last week and his spitting up increased a lot so I went back to lactose free)

-He sits for several seconds on his own

-He is a Mommas boy for sure!

-He constantly giggles at Reese and her wild ways :)

-He is definitely not a cuddler, if you hold him, he wants to be standing/jumping on your legs....constant movement!

-He LOVES attention...just looking at him from across the room can change his mood

-His overall temperament is very happy but is becoming more vocal with his likes and dislikes

We just love this little guy and can't believe how big he is getting!!!

Taco Soup

No real big news this week, so I decided I woud dedicate a blog to a favorite recipe of ours, that is so easy, and so delicious. I think my Mom gave it to me a few years back. Like basically any soup, you dump the ingredients in and let it simmer so all the flavors blend together.

Taco Soup:
2 lbs ground beef
1 diced onion
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn
1 small can diced green chilies
1 large jar Mexican salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. Hidden Valley dry dressing
2 1/2 c. water
1 large bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag tortilla chips

Brown beef and onions in large skillet. In large soup pot, place browned beef/onions, add beans, corn, chilies, salsa, dressing, taco seasoning, and water. Simmer atleast 1 hour. Serve w/ crushed chips and cheddar cheese

Moving day

Again. And luckily, we didnt have to do anything this time :) We closed on our house today (in Wisconsin) and since it was through a re lcoation package, we need not be present as they send a rep for us. But, that also means the moving company had to come and move everything out of the house, and get it into storage here in Indiana.

With the moving company set to arrive Wednesday morning, Kyle decided he would take Reese back for the weekend, and I would stay here with Preston. We are going home in 2 weeks for Easter, so I opted out of the 5 hour drive since we will be home soon. The company packed all day Wednesday, and began to load yesterday. Kyle had to work Wednesday- so he did not get up to the house until yesterday as well. It seems that everything went good. He was able to grab a few more things on my list I wanted before things got put into storage, and we managed to get Stevo (Reese's big teddy bear) that she has been asking for. Hopefully it gives her s sense of "peace" now that she has him. Unfortunatley, our firepit, Reese's play slide, and her turtle sandbox were iced in the ground, but luckily the new owners did a walk through while Kyle was there, and gave them his Dad's number so that when things melt, Gary can go up and pick them up for us. I'm kind of glad I didn't go back, as Kyle said it was hard leaving again, knowing now that we won't really be back.

With just Preston and I this weekend, I ventured out and checked out the outlet mall about 45 min from our house. It's very nice and will be even better when the weather warms up a bit. I also attended MOPS again today. The focus was on "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. I'm not sure how many are familiar with this book,  but a few months back, my mother-in-law recommended it, so I downloaded it on my Kindle, and read it in a few days. It basically teaches one how to love yourself and love your partner better once you know yours and their "primary love language." I highly recommend this book for anyone- married, dating, or single. It states their are 5 love langugaes- Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, Physical Touch, and Words of Affirmation. After you take the quiz (which you can do online without reading the book), it ranks those 5 languages for you, giving you an idea of your primary language, and how your partner can better "speak" it. Very interesting, and obviously very successful as it has been on the New York Times Best Selling list for 125 straight weeks. A book worth checking out. If you want to take the quiz, click here.

I have been taking some pics of Preston this weekend, here are a few:

Weekend Re-Cap

Monday already. This past weekend FLEW by. With weather in the low 60s, we spent much of our time outside enjoying it! It felt SO good to be able to go outside with no coat, even though it didn't last for long (this week is supposed to be in the 40s again.)

Last Friday morning I took Reese to an open gym at Gymnastics Unlimited. You pay $5 and the kids get to use all the gymnastics equipment (balance beams, bouncy houses, slides, trampolines, huge foam pit, etc.) for 2 hours. I am so glad we went. It was pretty packed but Reese loved it. They hold them 3 times a week for kids under 5, and we will be going back again this Friday. She went crazy for a good hour and then crashed Friday afternoon for her nap :) Totally worth the $5!

Saturday morning we got around and headed downtown to the Zoo. Instead of paying $38 (with parking) a time for us to go, we opted for the year membership for $129 for the family. Seeing as we live about 20 minutes from the zoo, we will be going quite often this summer I am sure, and during the week I will probably take the kids on my own. So with 5 visits, the membership pays for itself. It is a really nice zoo.  We got there just in tme for the Dolphin Show, which was really neat.

Sunday we spent the majority of the day outside. After Reese's nap, we headed to a park nearby and spent a good 2 hours playing before dinner. It was really busy as I am sure everyone was ready to get out of the house and enjoy the weather. We then took a nice long walk after dinner, in hopes to get the last bit of warm fresh air before it gets chilly again this week.

We put an offer in on a house on Friday located in New Palastine (about 15 min south east of downtown Indy.) It is a short sale, so the sellers signed our offer, but it gets turned over to the bank, who ultimately decides what they want to do (i.e. reject, counter, or accept.) This process can take upto 2 weeks, so it's hard to wait, but hopefully they come back with an acceptance or alteast a good counter as we aren't willing to go much higher than our offer.  I sure hope we get it, as it is my favorite house so far, but if not, we have some more on our list that we would proceed putting offers in on. We have a projected closing date of mid-May, as we have our townhouse rented until then end of May.

6 months

I can't believe my Preston is already 6 months old! (on Feb 19) With moving down here and having to get his 6 mo shots, I had to jump on the search for a pediatrician, and found one with good reviews at the clinic near our townhouse. He is a healthy little boy who is so smiley and happy all the time. Everyone always comments on how much he smiles and giggles and what a good baby he is. And it's the truth. He is such a happy baby (unless hungry/gassy) but he overall mood is a happy, playful baby.

Reese is just now beginning to "play" with him. She has generally ignored his presence since his birth, but now that he can "talk" to her, semi-sit up on his own, grab at her toys, etc, she is now interested in his whereabouts. She also knows what to do to make him laugh, and she gets quite the kick out of it.
Here are his 6 mo stats:
Weight: 18 lbs. 15 oz. (69% tile)
Height: 29 in (98%tile!!!!)
Head Circumference: 17 1/2 in (62%tile)

He was pretty much off the charts for height, explaining why every person we see asks if he is 8 or 9 months old :) I guess I don't think he is that big since I am around him everyday,but compared to the other babies we have seen at play groups, he is rather large :)

I asked the doctor about his sleeping, as he is still waking every 4 hours (sometimes 3). He eats every 4 still at night- and she said if he really is drinking the whole bottle and not just drinking and ounce or two to go back to sleep, he must really be hungry. Even though at this age he does not NEED to eat at night (he gets enough calories during the day), he still wakes wanting 5 oz during the night. She said to try gradually weaning him by making less in the night bottles (do 4 oz one week, then 3 oz then next) until he realizes it isn't worth waking to drink so little. So, maybe in a few weeks I will try that approach.

Reese has settled in the new house, and has adapted to a new routine. She still asks when we are going "home" and asks about things we didn't bring with us (i.e. Stevo- her huge teddy bear, and certain toys we left behind.) The other night she was sitting on Kyle's lap and started crying saying "I just miss my house." It sucks to hear her say that stuff, as she can't comprehend what is going on. She still asks about her friends from back home and if she can go to her old playgroups/library. I hope in the next few weeks as we make new friends and have more play dates, she can "forget" about her old house and realize this is her new house (for a few more months until we move again- to our permanent house here!!) Lots of moving, but worth it in the long run! This weekend is supposed to be in the high 50s so we are planning on taking the kids to the Indianapolis Zoo and enjoy the weather!!

Brandywine

Today Reese and I ventured out to attend Brandywine Community Church-not far from our townhouse. I didn't know much about the church- other than it was where my MOPS group was held on Friday. Service was at 9:30- right during Preston's nap, so Kyle stayed home with him and Reese and I were off. I knew the church was "Inter denominational", but what that really meant, I didn't have a clue.
I was a little leary of the service as I am more "traditional"in the sense that I like a church to "look like" a church- instead of a huge building. And I also like pews, not an auditorium. This church is in fact in a big (very nice) building, and is auditorium style. I wasn't sure what to expect out of the service, so I dropped Reese off in the two year old room, and made my way to the auditorium. Hundreds of seats in a gigantic room, with three big screen monitors in the front, with a stage, and a band set up. Hmm, not really my style, but I thought I would stay and give it a go. The seats filled quickly, and service began, with the band (violin, drums, singers, guitars) playing contemporary music and signing Christian music. It was true "southern" gospel as people stand, clap, and wave their arms in the air. Again, not my style, and I felt a bit out of place. The service was quite different. Instead of focusing on scriptures and the "word of God" it focused more on just having faith and becoming one with The Lord. No hymnals to sing out of or bulletins to follow along with, all was projected on to the big screens and you were to sing along with the songs posted on them. It was all very contemporary, modern Christian music (something you would hear on Christian radio), again- not really my style. I guess I never realized how "traditional" I was in the sense of how I like my church service to be. When I go to church, I want to feel like I am in a church, signing out of a hymnal, following along with readings of scripture, and listening to a sermon. Those were not accomplished today. Another interesting thing was that kids are sort of "required" to go to their respective aged rooms- and aren't really "allowed" in the auditorium during service. They don't really say it like that, but in the handout when you walk in, it clearly states for children to be dropped off before service begins. Reese enjoys church, and even though she may be a little "loud" at times, I still want her to be able to be in the service if she so chooses (instead of in the play room.)
I am glad I went, as I have never experienced a service like this before, but I don't think I will be going back. Luckily, you don't have to be a member of the church to attend MOPS, as it is open to everyone in the community.
Time to get on Google and locate a church in the area (preferably Lutheran) where I will feel a bit more "at home." Clearly the Interdenomintional church just isn't for me.

In house hunting news, we looked at 6 houses yesterday. One was a possibility, but it didn't have a basement. We really like the house, location, yard, etc. so we have to discuss it a bit more. We are also going to look at another house this evening that we originally liked, but was taken off the market. Well, it came back on two days ago, so we jumped on setting up a showing. Hopefully we like it as much as we do in the pictures!

Settling In

After a week of living in Indiana, we are starting to get into a groove and some sort of routine, which was much needed for all of us. Last weekend we spent exploring the town- we currently live in Greenfield, about 25 minutes from downtown. They have a great downtown area with lots of fun shops, so we walked around Saturday afternoon and stopped in a few of them to browse around.
Sunday I spent browsing the internet for resources/things to do for stay at home moms- playgroups, story hours, etc. Initially, I didn't find much. My mom sent me a link to the Greenfield Parks and Recreation site and ironically they had a Tumbling Tots program starting on Tuesday for a 7 week session. I got online and luckily there were 2 spots left, so I snatched one up for Reese. It is on Tuesdays from 4:45-5:15. She was overly excited to go to "tumbling" and has not stopped talking about it since. Everyday she asks to go, so I may have to make a little calendar for her to mark the days down for every Tuesday (for her sanity- and mine as well!) She had a blast and was actually quite coordinated with all the moves. She got to do a little tumbling circuit, do moves on the big balance beam, and swing from the uneven bars. She cried when we left- so she must have enjoyed it!

I also got us signed up for story hour at the library every Wednesday from 10:15-10:45. It starts next week, but this week we went to the library twice just t play as they have such a neat kids area. It is a newer library, and has TONS of kids things. Their kids section is huge, and caters to all ages birth to teen. We went last Tuesday morning just to check it out, and Reese requested to go again yesterday, so we went in the afternoon. Each time she has found friends to play with and is sad when we have to go home.

In search of more to do, I had Kyle ask his administrative assistant if she would know of anything else in the area. She jumped on the search and told me about MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) that meets two Fridays a month at a local church (not far from our townhouse.) Coincidentally, they were scheduled to meet this morning from 9-11, so I figured we would give it a go. It was fantastic! They provide childcare for the two hours (for free) and the moms get time to themselves to connect and they usually have a speaker of some sort. I was leary about just dropping Reese off with a bunch of strangers, but she did great and stayed and played with the other 15 or so kids for the entire time. I kept Preston with me, and a few other moms had their infants as well. He took his morning nap with me as we listened to the "Queen of Free" speaker. She is a well known speaker who talks about how to manage your money and cut your debt. Her story has been featured on the Dave Ramsey show, the Anderson Cooper show, and even made the headlines of the Yahoo! news feed homepage. Her and her husband got rid of $127,000 in a span of 4 years by making life style changes and better managing their money. Her story was so interesting, and she is such a great speaker-adding bits of humor into her story. I am really glad we attended, and I am looking forward to it again in two weeks. Everyone was so welcoming and it was nice to connect with other moms in the area.

For more information on the "Queen of Free" check out her website by clicking here. She has tons of great money saving tips, and lots of links to print coupons. A great resource!

Tomorrow will be spent house hunting with our realtor. We have 6 houses lined up to look at- wish us luck!