Wii Fit Wednesday

Ok, I missed last week due to lots of craziness that hopefully I will have time to post about later today. Here are my stats today:

BMI: 32.42
Weight: 165.1 lbs

Overall that is a loss of 2.7 lbs from the start! I'm not losing weight as quickly as I'd like to, but at least I am losing a little bit. This week has been really hard for me. Not only was Halloween a major temptation (one I didn't entirely avoid), my back also went out last week after lifting a box that was probably a little bit too heavy for me. Alot of the Wii Fit games hurt my back a little too much so I am trying to take it easy until I can get in to see a doctor. All in all, however, I am pretty happy with my progress! :)

Family Moment Monday

Motherhood for Dummies hosts Family Moment Mondays, check her out to get more ideas on how to spend time together as a family!

If you are like me, then your leftover Halloween candy is both a desired indulgence and an unwanted temptation. So other than eating a handful of chocolate every hour for the next several days, what are some other ways to deal with all the candy?

*Make an Advent Calender! Count down the days to Christmas by placing a piece of candy for every member of your family for every day in partitioned drawers, plastic cups, and fabric. For an example Advent Calender, go here.

* Donate your candy to Operation Gratitude. This program sends your leftover candy to the troops stationed overseas in care packages. For more information go here.

*Crush up your candy and separate the different kinds into different Tupperware and refrigerate them. For the next few times you eat ice cream, you can add in these special mix-ins for an extra treat!

How do you plan on using your extra candy?

Moving Day!

We are officially moving to our new house today! We won't have internet for a few days, but as soon as we do, I'll post some pictures. :)

Wii Fit Wednesday

Ok folks, here are the numbers:
BMI: 32.85
Weight: 167.3lbs - only down about half a pound! :(

I worked out 8 of the past 11 days, but only a few of those days I worked out for 30 minutes or longer. I think I would have done much better if it weren't for moving this week. We don't get our refrigerator in until today, which means this entire weekend we have been eating fast food. I'm actually suprised I didn't gain weight this week. Hopefully now that we have our refrigerator, I'll do a little better!

Wii Fit Wednesday

We got ourselves an early Christmas present yesterday and bought a Wii and Wii Fit! I'm so excited! Here's the thing, now that I have it, I don't have any more excuses for not being able to work out. This workout machine is conveniently located and add's up my daily workout time so that I can sneak in minutes whenever Michaela is napping or quietly playing. It even sets up fitness goals for me to try to attain. I've decided to post my goals and progress here (inspired by some awesome fellow bloggers here and here) so that I hold myself a little bit more accountable; I don't want to be embarrased by not making any progress!

I'm technically not dieting, because that isn't very healthy for a nursing mom. I am trying to get healthier by excercising daily, making healthier eating choices, drinking more water and eating smaller sized portions. Because my current diet is so horrible, I will probably lose some weight to boot, which is fine by me.

Current stats:
BMI -32.94
Weight - 167.8 lbs

My current goal is to ecxercise on the Wii from 30-60 minutes every day. Hopefully I will also lose 3 lbs in the process in the following 2 weeks.
Wish me luck!

6 and counting?

This weekend we all piled into the car ready to go for a quick outing to the store. I started to pull out of the driveway and suddenly realized by looking in the rearview mirror that the neighbor behind us was also starting to pull out of his driveway. So I stopped the car and waited for him to go. He, being the nice neighbor that he is, motioned for me to go first. I, being the nice neighbor that I am, zoomed out of the driveway as fast as possible so that I could get out of his way. THUNK!!!! In my haste to get out of his way, I had failed to notice his other truck parked in the street slightly to the left behind my car. I had run straight into it! I quickly pulled my car away and went to check on the neighbor's car. I think he was in as much shock that I was that I had just ran into a parked car, but he was very nice about it. It was just a little scraping of paint on both our cars, and I told him I would pay for it, so it wasn't a huge deal. If he is smart, he won't claim it with his insurance. The sad thing though, is that this is not the first time that this has happened. In my illustrious car driving career, this is the SIXTH car that I have backed into! I don't know how I keep doing this! All I know is that the fact that Philip didn't get mad at me this time shows how common place this is becoming. :(

Las Vegas

I've been back for almost a week from my trip to Vegas, but man, things have been crazy around here! We are officially moved out of our house and staying at my sister's until we close on the new house. (A big thanks to my loving husband who moved us while I was at my moms in Vegas!) Here are a few of the highlights of our trip:

Visiting with Grandma Sushie and Auntie Juliet:

Swimming for the first time:

Out and About:

This and That

I'm in Las Vegas visiting my mom and I don't have much time to write, so this is going to be a short picture post. Enjoy!

Here are pictures of my sisters and I peeling and freezing green chile:



Here's one of my niece and nephew beating up my monkey. (They were just "petting" her, it looks much worse than it actually is.)And here's my little monkey eating rice cereal for the first time!

I'll write a post when I get back from Vegas. Until then, have a great weekend!

Family Moment Monday - Scavenger Hunt

Motherhood for Dummies hosts Family Moment Mondays, check her out to get more ideas on how to spend time together as a family!

When was the last time you went on a scavenger hunt? If it's been awhile, you are missing out! There are so many variations that make this a great activity to do for all ages. Below are some of the most common types of scavenger hunts.

Backyard Scavenger Hunt - This is a great variation for even the littlest ones in your family. Make a list of items that can easily be found in the backyard andgive each person/team a bag to collect those items in. Examples: a blade of grass, a circular rock, a leaf that has started to change color, etc.

Newspaper/Internet Scavenger Hunt - Want to play with family/friends that live far away? Gather a list of pictures and articles or websites that can be found online or in a newspaper.

Tourist Photo Scavenger Hunt - If you are visiting a new city, make a list of touristy things to see and do . Take a photo of each item (this is a litle easier to play with a digital camera). Examples: Standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, standing on Broadway, etc.

Food Scavenger Hunt - Go to a local grocery store or farmers market and try to find a list of exotic or interesting foods. If you want, you can even have your family help you grocery shop by making it into a game of who can find the most items the fastest (while still being courteous to other shoppers of course!)

The best part about scavenger hunts is that they are free! You can play any of them as a race, or just for the fun of it. Any variations that I missed?

My Daughter After My Husband Changed Her

Yes, her onesie is on outside of her pants. His reasoning?.................
"It keeps the pants on better!"

Dear Baby

I am very proud of the accomplishments you have made in eating rice cereal. I'm glad that you recognize that when food goes in your mouth you have to make the motion of chewing.

I also understand that teething is very painful for you. I remember what it was like when I got my molars and I know it is not fun.

But please, mommy's breasts are not to be chewed on! You don't have to chew to get food out. If you want a teething ring I'll give you one. I know you don't have any teeth yet, but goodness gracious those hard little gums of yours still hurt like the dickens!

So please. Do. Not. Bite.

Sincerely,
Your Booby-Bruised Mommy

September 11 Prayer

O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here— the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness. Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth. Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events. Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all. Amen.

-Pope Benedict XVI upon visiting Ground Zero

Monkey News

Updates from yesterday's pediatrician visit:
*weight - 10lbs 12oz (Yes at 6 months!)
*height - 24 1/2 in.
*shots - 3 (Lots of tears, but also good news that she doesn't get any at her next visit!)
*teething status - the doc didn't see any teeth but I think Michaela and I know she's teething!
*food - After telling the doc she started rice cereal last week and was doing well, he encouraged me to start her on veggies. (We've got to get her weight up!)

In other news, we found a house! It is beautiful! It has 4 bedrooms, a huge kitchen, a huge backyard, a fireplace, is on a cul-de-sac, in a great neighborhood with several parks and we are signing the seller's counter-offer tomorrow. I'm so excited!

Family Moment Monday - Messy Scrapbooking

Motherhood for Dummies hosts Family Moment Mondays, check her out to get more ideas on how to spend time together as a family!

Scrapbooking is something that it seems that every mother wants to try to do, at least while their children are young. The problem is that finishing (or starting!) that ever allusive baby book tends to get lost in the hustle and bustle of round the clock feedings/diaper changes/meal making and other general chaos that is life as a mom. It is actually a little bit ironic that scrapbooks are meant to be a way to record your children's lives, but at the same time are supposed to be perfect, beautiful creations that in no way reflect the hectic reality that we often live.

So I am a big supporter of messy scrapbooking. There are lots of ways that you can scrapbook, both in the traditional sense, and by thinking a little outside of the box, without having to sacrifice large chunks of time and energy (not to mention expensive supplies.) Here are a few ideas:

*If you don't have time to scrapbook now, but would like to try in the future, don't rely on your memory. Keep a running word file with all the things you would like to scrap, and any ideas for layouts you might have. This will make the actual task of scrapbooking much more manageable and enjoyable in the future.

*Instead of a scrapbook, try a scrapjournal. Keep a nice journal in an accessible area and whenever something important or cute happens in your family's life, record it there. Anyone can contribute: you, your husband, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents. You can even make sections for firsts, funny things family members said, etc. If you wanted to use a large 3 hole binder you could also insert page protectors to put in pictures and children's artwork or school certificates.

*If you want to use a traditional scrapbook, try simplifying a bit. There is no need to use a million little pieces of embellishment, in fact some of the most beautiful scrapbooks I have ever seen are simple layouts on white pieces of paper. Use special paper sparingly to add a decorative punch and remember that the most important things in a scrapbook are the pictures and the writing.

*Speaking of writing, for those of you who have horrible handwriting (like me), don't stress about buying stamps or sticker letters to keep your scrapbook looking perfect. Employ child labor and get your little ones to write headings or decorate pages. It will add a special touch and the messiness will be part of the charm.

There are lots of other ways to preserve memories with little fuss. Our blogs in a way are a great way to do this also. What is another way that you "scrapbook" your family memories?

Mommy Moments

I had a mommy moment yesterday. You know what I'm talking about, one of those moments that every mommy goes through when you stop and ask yourself "When did this become my life?"

Yesterday as we were house hunting Michaela was exhausted (having missed her morning nap due to home inspections) but unwilling to fall asleep. I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't just fall asleep! I found out after we saw our second house and had just started up the car when I start to hear gurgling and retching. Oh no! She then proceeded to throw up all over her carseat, her clothes, her lovey, and her daddy's hand!

I quickly pulled the car over, armed myself with a package of wipes and her emergency spare outfit and went to work making things better again. And that's when it hit me, "When did this become my life?" Not in a negative way or anything. It's just that pre-mommy Andrea was never prepared for anything! I was a procastinating, impulsive kind of gal. When did that girl become this woman who was not only prepared to tackle a minor disaster, but also did it so quickly and instinctively? It is so funny how much these little moments define my new mommy identity!