Date Night + Getting Back on Track in June

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! We had reunions of many kinds this weekend as we gathered with friends and family to celebrate the holiday. It was so nice to be with everyone, again.

Out of everything, my personal highlight of the weekend was a date night out with my husband! For anyone who is new to the blog, we had our second baby in December and since then we've only been out on two official date nights. Now that Delaney is almost 6 months old and since the state of the world is a little different these days (less COVID restrictions) we are hoping to get out on more date nights this summer!

On Saturday, we got the kids down for bed just before 8pm. My mom came over to watch the monitor while my husband and I went out. On our way out, we saw the most amazing rainbow and we had to pull over to take a picture. We also caught an incredible sunset at the lake before heading out for a late dinner. Those were some amazing date night views to remember!

In some ways, date nights are more special now than ever before. Our hearts and hands have never been more full and we're so grateful for this season in our lives.

Like many people, we indulged in some good food and drinks this past weekend. I'm more than ready to get back on track in the week ahead. Tomorrow is the first day of June! I'm not going to set a specific weight-loss goal for this month but, I am going to work toward eating healthier and moving my body more! My big goal of the day tomorrow is to drink a lot of water to wash out the extra water-weight I'm holding onto from the weekend. I'm going to weigh-in at the end of the week and go from there.

As for the week ahead, it is looking real fun and real busy with two nights of tball, a life group meeting with friends, and wrapping up our final days of remote Kindergarten before summer break! More updates to come on that end, soon! Make it a great week, everyone!

Tball Season for Piper

It's tball season and we are feeling very excited and blessed about it! Due to COVID taking away sports last year, this will be our only season of tball with Piper. It's so cute to watch the little kids learn how to play!

I could tell right away that tball is more enjoyable for Piper than soccer was when she played a couple years ago. I am glad she tried soccer, and she might want to try it again in the future, but she definitely enjoys tball more already!

Our calendar just got really full with games and practices but, our entire family is happy to be back in community in this way! Thankfully, Piper didn't lose any of her extroverted-ness this past year at home. She made friends with her teammates straight away! I also got to talk with a few of the parents during practice. It feels really nice to have the opportunity to connect with people again, after such a long year of distancing.

Delaney Jane: Five Months

Five months with our sweet baby girl. How can this be? My husband and I have often reflected on and talked about these past five months together as a family. Overall, we feel such a sense of peace and gratitude for it all. We've gone as far as wondering if this is a bit of what Heaven will feel like - feeling so complete, and whole, and grateful. God is good to give us a taste of Heaven here on Earth.

Sweet Laney Jane is still just as sweet as ever! She is the most tolerant baby. I wonder if that is just part of the deal of being the youngest child in a family? She is happiest when we're all together.

This past month, Delaney has learned to use her voice a little more. She is playful and joyful! She loves to giggle with her sister and at our dogs. Delaney's new favorite thing to do is bounce in her jumper. She is very interested in watching us eat, and we are very excited to be introducing her to her first foods very soon!

Delaney is still a very good sleeper at night. She goes to sleep between 7pm-8pm and will sleep until about 4am-6am. She wakes for a bottle and will usually go back to sleep for a short bit, waking up for the day around 7am. Here is a glimpse at her current rhythm:

4:00am - wake for feeding

4:30am - sleep

7:00am - wake for the day

7:30am - feeding

9:00am - nap

10:00am - wake from nap

10:30am - feeding

12:00pm - nap

1:00pm - wake from nap

1:30pm - feeding

3:00pm - nap

4:00pm - wake from nap

4:30pm - feeding

5:00pm - nap (sometimes she skips this nap and gets an earlier bedtime)

6:00pm - wake from nap

6:30pm - bath time

7:00/7:30pm - final feeding

8:00pm - asleep for the night

We love our life with Delaney and Piper! Here are some photos from this past month together.

Praising God for FIVE months with this sweet girl.

She'll be 6 months before we know it! Especially since this post is 3 weeks late! 😆

Calling It

I started writing this post last week and never got around to publishing it. Basically, it's time for me to call it. I won’t be losing 10lbs in May. I might not even be losing 2lbs in May! However, I am not discouraged about it. I still showed up every single day with the best of intentions to work toward that goal, which is a good start! Making a habit of thinking about my personal goals is definitely the first step to change.

As I shared in this post 👉🏻 First Postpartum Weigh-in for Weight Loss, I am taking great care of my mental health and will not be holding myself to goals that aren’t working for me this season. I’m 5 months postpartum and I am just getting started on my goal of losing weight, again! Trying to balance my goals with my new reality will take some time and practice. This has been a good month of practicing, so far.

What I did learn this month is that while I am still having trouble getting my nutrition under control, I am very much ready to spend more time on working out. I started a running program this month and it’s doubling as my self-care time! Prior to my recent muscle strain, I was feeling so good about my progress. I still feel good about my progress and even though I will need to take a few more days off to allow my muscle to heal, I am greatly anticipating my return to that program!

I feel like there are good things ahead!

Not Losing Weight From Workouts

Working out wasn't suppose to be my priority this month but, I am so happy it has become a priority! Even though I know weight-loss starts in the kitchen, my mind needed my body to get moving more this month!

I started taking outdoor walks earlier in the month as the weather started getting warmer. Then, I started trying indoor workouts through OpenFit. I found that while they are convenient, the indoor workouts are no my favorite. So then I went back to a tried and true workout - the Couch to 5K program! I am almost finished week one and I am feeling so good already - that is, until I strained a leg muscle last night. It's okay, though, it's just minor and I'm doing all the necessary things like rest, ice, and epsom salt baths.

I haven't really lost any weight from these workouts but, when it comes to working out, that's not the primary the goal for me. With running especially, the goal for me is to finish the run and reap the reward of literal easier breathing and feeling more limber (after the soreness of the run wears off, of course). 

Working out makes me feel better in the long run, and when I feel better I am apt to make better choices throughout my days. So, even though I haven't lost weight yet, I know the positive ripple affect of working out will take it's course. It's already in motion and I'm noticing more self control with my nutrition since starting the C25K program. After all, running is hard and I don't want to make it any harder with poor nutrition. I'm starting to look at food as fuel again and that's where I want to be!

Great Weekend + Great Week Ahead

Happy Monday! Since we last caught up, I survived another day of the couch to 5K program. This session was much easier than the first day! Running is hard but the feeling afterward is so worth it. Why does completely exhausting yourself feel so good?

This weekend my family went to Waldameer, a local amusement park. It was opening weekend and we were so happy to be back! Last time we were there, Delaney was in my belly. It was so sweet to be back, with her in my arms. Every time we visited the amusement park last summer I thought about what this summer would look like with her here with us, and let me tell you, it’s better than I imagined.

I didn't track my nutrition this past weekend but, I am looking forward to hitting the reset button on that today. My goal is to drink 40 oz. of water before coffee this morning, to stretch, take my vitamins and stay within my nutritional ranges for the day! Looking forward to making it a great week after having such a great weekend!

What to do When You’re Not Losing Weight

What to do when you’re not losing weight.

The title of this post makes it sound like I know exactly what I’m doing, or as if I know exactly what you should do. Let me stop right there and say that I don’t. However, I will share what I’ve been doing lately in this situation.

At the end of April, I lost 3 lbs in a week. I was feeling ready to set a weight loss goal for the first time since having my second baby (in December). It’s been almost 2 weeks since setting a goal to lose 10 lbs in May and guess what, I haven’t lost any more weight.

The “all or nothing” mentality usually tries to creep in during times like these. I feel tempted to throw in the towel; to set this goal off for another month. Granted, the goal of losing 10 pounds might not actually be attainable at this point, but that doesn’t mean I have to stop trying to lose weight this month all-together. Any loss will be a win at this point.

So, what do I do when I’m not losing weight (even though I want to)? Well, I don’t give up. That’s like the first step, if there were steps for such a thing.

I’ve also noticed that I’ve naturally been trying to focus my energy on whatever good habit I can manage. Lately, I’ve been having some big time trouble keeping my nutrition in check. That’s the main battle of the moment. So, instead of beating myself up about it, I’ve been trying to focus in on something that doesn’t seem as hard but is still a healthy habit. My water intake and my daily activity seem much more manageable right now, so I've been focusing in on those good habits and calling them wins even on the days when I lose the battle with my nutrition.

Side note: I’ve been trying different workouts this week because working out makes me feel better. One of those workouts is the couch to 5K training program. I’ve done this program in the past and I really loved it! I was so proud of myself for trying this program and finishing day 1 tonight. Just check out that smile after my run! I forgot how good it feels to run.

Another thing I’ve been doing lately is giving myself extra love. I’m not beating myself up over not losing weight. Instead, I’m treating myself to self care activities like an epsom salt bath, or a solo walk outside after a long day. I’ve also been allowing myself to sleep in whenever life allows because, let’s be honest, if there’s the opportunity to sleep in during this stage of life (mom of a kindergartner and a 5 month old) I’ve got to take it!

I do believe that if I continue to be gentle with myself and focus on good habits (even if I’m not mastering “all of the good habits”) it’ll all eventually click, and I will reach my goal of losing weight!

My First Mother's Day with My Girls

My first mother's day with both of my girls was a dream come true! God is so good!

We had the best pancakes for breakfast on Mother's Day, courtesy of my husband. Later in the day we went shopping and to the trampoline park to let Piper get her wiggles out. It was a good day!

I am so grateful God chose me to be "mama" to these two precious girls. I am also so grateful for all of the mother's in our lives that have and continue to love and support us!

Two girls. I still can't believe how incredibly blessed we are to be raising daughters, sisters, and maybe some-day mothers. This is such a unique blessing that we cherish dearly.

These photos steal my breath and bring a smile to my face. I am so thankful for my husband who helped capture these moments in time with my two beautiful girls. I want to always remember them this way.