Oh nap time, how I love thee! Time to give a
MAJORLY overdue Sofia update. Little love had her 18 month well check yesterday and she had 1 last shot. Boy, was she pissed. She got over it 5 minutes later and said "Oh wow!" This is her new thing. We bought her a
Step2 Sand & Water Table from Costco, and she has been
obsessed with it and started to say "Oh, wow!" I wonder what she will say when we actually put sand & water in it and let her play in the backyard, hehe.
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| Thanks for setting it up, Daddy! |
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Here are some stats/new Sofie-isms
Age: 18 months/1 year and a half :)
Stats: 24 lbs 2 oz & 32.68 in tall. Blue eyes & Golden brown hair with some natural highlights
Teeth:12 goin on 14, 2 very stubborn bottom teeth
Favorite Foods: Mean Green Juice, all day! String cheese, mostly all fruit, not big on veggies, but loves the "Baby food pouches" with Kale, Pear, Apple, & Mango
Favorite Word:Uh oh! Also says mama, dada, hello, "oh wow", signs "more" and makes sounds/signs for Elephant, Doggy, Tiger, & Monkey. Says "cheese!" to indicate smiling, haha. Lotsa gibberish too.
Favorite Toys: Non-toys, of course! Sand & Water table, baby stroller and baby, magnets, any type of ball or music maker.
Favorite Activities: Going to the park (yay slide!), playing outside, Little Gym, bath time, running everywhere, reading books, playing at the gym child care, singing to "Frozen" & "Tangled" and ticklefest with daddy.
Other Favorites: Clapping, doing moves to
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, and twirling to Hokey Pokey,
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Pixar movies,
and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Playing peek-a-boo with her blanky. Playing with Riley. Climbing on everything. Being spun around and thrown in the air. Our child is a daredevil!
What's new? Mostly covered it. In general, talking more and understanding what we communicate to her. She is starting to be more affectionate, and Rob and I could literally melt. Hugging our necks and giving "kisses" at bed time. Having a more solid schedule, until those teeth come around! Started her in Little Gym a few months ago and her balance and climbing skills are getting good! She loves to do a "front roll" somersault.
My, do our babies grow so fast, here is a quick pic for a comparison:
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| 3 days old versus 18 months old, le sigh |
Oh and how could I forget? No more bottle or binky! I really lucked out with having such an independent child. Just like with nursing, I slowly weaned her off the bottle first. The binky was a little harder, especially when she was getting 4 teeth at once! Well, only 2 that actually broke all the way through. I stood my ground and just kept her as comfortable as possible,with lotsa mama TLC. Over all, it was easier than I anticipated.
Other than that, we have been a bunch of busy bees. We have a pretty consistent routine of gym time in the a.m., Little Gym/Library/play dates or errands after and 1 solid nap during mid-day, which is when I catch up on work emails and housewife/mama duties. Sofie has had a few sleepovers at Papa/Gamber's and that has been a real treat. It was hard the first time, and I'm pretty sure I packed everything she owns...haha. #FTMprobs
Here are some pictures of what we have been up to:
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| Her fave slide @ Roadrunner Park |
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| Going to the park is her FAVE! |
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| Cousin day with Karlie. Don't mind us, just singing Frozen... :D |
We also managed to go to the Zoo a few times, and now that summer is here, I can't wait to get some splash pad action!
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| With some of our Little Gym peeps: Ezekiel, Vinny, & Emma |
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| Mean muggers: Sofie, Lily, & Addi |
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| "Look Ma, a giraffe!" |
And of course, play dates galore. This child is like the energizer bunny, I swear it.
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| BFF time with Lily! Finally got a pic where both are looking and happy. |
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| Kids Club @ San Tan |
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| Play date with our new friend, Emma. They are a month a part. Who is who on the top right?? |
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| "Baby Brain" class @ Basha Library |
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| Climbing UP the slide, ay yi yi |
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| Being silly together is what we do |
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| "Little Gym" with these adorable "birds" |
Some people ask me what I "do" when I stay home. All of the above and then more. Being cooped up at home with a very active toddler will make anyone go a little loco. I absolutely love taking her to new places and meeting new friends. So blessed that I can do that with her at this age. I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Here are some other randoms:
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| She likes when mama paints her toes; such a girly girl sometimes! |
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| Matching toes! |
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| "Daddy, can I drive the truck?" |
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| Us every morning, going to our spot: Mountainside Fitness. |
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| Watching *more* Frozen and eating yogurt. |
So yeah, I think I've brought us up to speed on the last 4 months. Rob and I have truly been immersed in our healthy lifestyle with prepping meals, more trips to Sprouts for fresh produce, and making time to exercise. I'm happy to say that it's paid off for both of us. This is something I have been passionate about and it has been humbling to "get back to" my pre-baby body.
I gotta be honest, I don't know how accurate that statement is. Though I "lost" all the weight, it definitely didn't go back the same. This isn't a bad thing, it just means that it was distributed differently and every person has a unique body/metabolism. Anyway, I want to share my progress finally. Though I was a little unsure about sharing the "before" pic....I remember getting pumped up and motivated by seeing other moms (or anyone who made the decision to get healthy & fit) posting before/after pics.
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| No more tankini tan, please! Haha |
For me, it was all about the journey. It had it's ups & downs. Sometimes I would think about how "unfair" it was when I saw moms that looked like they have never given birth and sport a 2 piece bikini without giving it a thought, while playing with their newborn. But, the truth is that every body is different. That skinny mini can't help that she has a thinner frame and fast metabolism, just like I can't help that I am 5'4 with a "booty". I got it from my mama ;)
I accept my body for what it is and work with what it. Those last 7-10 lbs took me the longest to shed, man oh man. For those of you asking what I have been doing, it actually comes down to incorporating weight training with high intensity cardio. I find that it's what works best for
me. I model my weight training after the
Jaime Eason 12 week trainer.
I actually started the program last year, and only made through the end of Phase 2. I can probably tell you a few excuses on why I slowly fell off that band wagon, but it doesn't really matter. I hopped back on the horse and I did what works for me and my schedule. For cardio, I tend to do interval training on the treadmill (hate the treadmill). Jog at a good pace, 1 min sprints here and there. Just enough to get my heart rate down and then back up. The heart is the most important muscle you have, and you can train it just like you can train your triceps! I love the Tabata class at my gym, but mostly do T25 or Turbo Fire at home to blitz through some cardio. Sometimes I will do some Power Yoga at the gym. And maybe one day I will take a spin class (idk why I am such a weenie with that)
Oh, and of course, healthy eating. Rob and I loosely follow the "80/20" rule. Eat clean 80% of the time, and not-so-healthy the other 20%. This means a "cheat meal" here or there. Indulging in dessert when the opportunity presents itself (ummm, Billy Miner Pie @ The Keg please!) and drinking a glass of red wine or a vodka press....or 2.... I think there is a misconception that we are super strict and don't enjoy food/drinks. We have fun with the healthy foods we make and we switch things up when they get boring. Thank you "80/20 rule"! Can you guess what our cheat meal is? PIZZA
Anyway, I think that's a big enough bread crumb to drop on this journey. Things we are looking forward to are:
1. Going to Rocky Point May 1-5 for much need R&R poolside/beachside
2. We are getting a pool! Should be done in 3 months with plenty of AZ Summer left
3. Easter, birthdays, Mother's Day, etc (hopefully I update before then?)
4. Livin' this blessed life
Ok that last one was cheesy. But seriously, you only have one life; make it a happy, healthy one.
Until next time,
Lex
