Flu

Well, it's only been about a month since I updated.  Our computer screen died, so the computer was toast.  We took it to Best Buy, and they said we might as well get a new computer.  So we have been saving the last few weeks so we could get one.  So now I'm back! 

August woke up from his afternoon nap Tuesday of last week, and his cheeks were bright red and he felt very warm. I took his temp and it read 103.2.  Ahhh! I called his doctor's office, and they told me to give him some fever reducer and that if it didn't go down within 45 minutes to take him to the ER.  That was so scary. Thankfully I already had a doctor's appointment scheduled for the next morning (well visit).  His fever went down with the reducer, but by the middle of the night, it was back up again.  I woke up at 2 a.m. to hear him doing a deep moan. When I went in his room, he was in the fetal position on his side, and he was shaking so badly I thought he was convulsing.  I gave him some more medicine, nursed him, and prayed for the next couple hours as I held him.  I was so worried.  The next morning he refused to nurse and the little milk I could get in him he just threw back up.  I cried most of the way to the doctor's office.  I thought for sure something terrible was wrong with him.  I started picturing him in the hospital hooked up to all sorts of monitors.  When we got in a room at the doctor's office, they pricked his finger and swabbed his nose and found that he tested positive for flu.  

Waiting at the doctor's office

Let me tell you that the flu with a 6 month old is awful.  He was so pitiful and cried every time he coughed.  One minute he was cold and the next minute he was hot.  I felt so bad for him.  The same day I took him to the doctor's office I started feeling bad too.  I am sure I had the flu as well because I ran a fever for 3 days, had a very sore throat, chills, cough, and sneezing.  Adam was a WONDERFUL caretaker though.  He pretty much did everything for August so I could rest.  He kept my cup refilled with ginger ale and made sure I ate regularly.  I am SO thankful for Adam.  I don't think August and I could have made it without him.  I love my man. :) We missed Thanksgiving, but my mom brought us some food, and our sweet friend Morgan gave us a homemade pumpkin pie.  Adam and I decided as horrible as it was for August and me to be sick, we really needed those few days of down time as a family.  It was nice to spend time together and not feel like we had to participate in everything going on.

We are on the mend and have been fever free for almost a week now.  I am sooo glad. I finally cooked tonight. It was hard to get back into the swing of things.  Adam did a great job of keeping the laundry going while I was sick, so thankfully I didn't have too much of that to catch up on.  I feel like I have a ton more to update on, but it's not coming to me.  My good friend Samantha took some family photos/August's 6 month photos for us a couple weeks ago, and I will be posting some of those soon. She did such a wonderful job!!!  They look SO good! I can't wait to share some of them with you.  I'm headed to bed soon, so I will leave you with a couple recent photos of August!

This was a few hours before he woke up with a fever.  We ran out to the mall for a few minutes, which we NEVER do.  I can't remember the last time I went to the mall. 

This picture is out of focus and shows off my messy laundry room, but this picture is sheer joy to me.  I LOVE seeing this happy face! 

Thanks for sticking with me! I will be updating more regularly, so stay tuned. :) 

Liebster Blog Award

I am so flattered that Megan from Husted Happenings nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award.  I had never heard of this award before, so I googled it.  It is basically an award that bloggers can give to fellow bloggers who have less than 200 readers.  It's kind of  like a tag.  Thank you Megan, for thinking of me! :)

I think the rules are different all around the world, but this is how it goes for the strand I was nominated for.

Liebster Blog Award Rules

1. Post 11 things about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you.

3. Create 11 questions to ask the bloggers that you nominate.

4. Choose 11 bloggers to nominate who have less than 200 followers.

5. Make sure and let the people know that you nominated them.  No tag backs, so you can't nominate someone who nominated you.

11 Things About Myself

1. I am a wife and a mother.  My husband's name is Adam, and my son's name is August.  We have 2 dogs, Heidi and.....the other one doesn't have a name yet.  It was a stray.  LOL.  Ok, that was way more info than one thing.  I'm gonna be good at this, I can tell, haha.

2. I am saved and forgiven by my Lord, Jesus Christ.  I fall short of His commandments every day, but He loves me anyway.  I live to honor and please Him.

3. I am a stay at home mom.  I originally thought this job would be baking and decorating all day....not so.  

4. I have way more nail polish than I should.

5. I love listening to Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Revive Our Hearts Radio.  She is such an encouragement in my life and walk with Christ.  I enjoy listening to her while I cook, wash dishes, or fold laundry.

6. I enjoy organizing.  That's sad, I know.

7. My favorite stores are TJ Maxx and Home Goods.  I could spend hours in those stores.

8. I have a fear of hanging things on the walls.  I'm afraid I'm going to hang it and not like it, and then there are holes in the wall that I have to putty over and repaint.  Since living in our home for 2 years, we have only hung things in our son's nursery.  I have a mirror hanging next to the kitchen table, but the holes were already there from the previous owners.

9. I don't like confrontation or conflict.  I avoid it at all costs, but following Christ means those things are inevitable.  We are called to confront fellow believers (in a loving, concerned way) about their sin.  That is a very humbling position to be in.

10. My favorite food is chocolate chip cookies.

11. Most of my friends are missionaries and will be leaving soon.  I am so thankful they are willing to step out in faith and follow God, but selfishly, I am very sad that they are leaving.

11 Questions from Megan at Husted Happenings

1. On Average, how many hours do you sleep each night?

I average about 7 hours of sleep a night.  I should be getting more, and I have no one to blame but myself.  My son sleeps 10-11 hours a night.  I am blessed, I know!

2. What is your favorite movie? 

My favorite movie has always been Rocketman.  It is hilarious to me.  I also really like Fireproof.

3. What is your favorite place to eat?

I do not really have a particular restaurant I like to eat in.  I would rather go out for ice cream or coffee than dinner. 

4. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went on a cruise.  It departed from Miami and stopped in Cozumel, Mexico, The Grand Cayman Islands, and Jamaica.  It was so much fun.  I'm ready for another cruise!  Haha.  But I'm sure that won't be happening for a while.

5. If you could live anywhere for 2 weeks, where would you live?  

I have never thought about that.  Hmmmm.  Honestly, I love where I live, and I am happy to live here.  But that's a good question.  I really like Savannah, GA and anywhere in the Bahamas.

6. What is your favorite quote?

I am not a huge quote person, but I really like this one.  It was written on my kitchen chalkboard for a while.

I also really like reading Matthew 6:25-34.  It is very reassuring in hard times.  Worry is my #1 sin.

7. Who or what inspires you?

The Bible inspires me.  It inspires my whole life.  Everything I think, everything I want to be, everything I live for is in God's Word.  I also have many friends who give me Biblical encouragement every day through texts or brief conversations at church, and I am SO thankful for their influence in my life.  

8. What one person has made the biggest impact in your life and in what way?

Jesus has made the biggest impact in my life.  He has given me LIFE!  He has promised to love me, forgive  me, be an atonement for my sins, and He has promised to step in and tell His Father that He KNOWS me, and I am a child of His.  He has promised to be my Savior on judgement day.  He has changed everything for me.

9. Hard or soft shell tacos?

Both.  Crunchwrap supreme, anyone?  Cheesy gordita crunch?  No? :)

10. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Neopolitan is my favorite.  My grandmommy always had a big tub of it in Montgomery when we would come to visit her.  It still reminds me of my childhood and hot summers in Alabama.

11. Why did you start a blog?

I started a blog to document my marriage, walk with the Lord, and I hoped to write candidly and honestly about my life so that I might be an encouragement to others.  I like to share about things I am going through.

Alrighty, here are some questions I would like answered!

1. Why did you start a blog?

2. What are your beliefs?

3. What do you like to do in your spare time?

4. What is your favorite thing to cook for supper and why?

5. What do you struggle with the most?

6. How would you describe your decorating style?

7. What is your best accomplishment?

8. It's Saturday morning.  What are you doing?

9. What is your favorite/least favorite household chore?

10. What do you and your husband do for date nights?

11. What are your favorite books to read?

Tag, you're it!  I am tagging the following people to complete my list of questions....

1. http://letsopenthewindow.blogspot.com/  Summer is one of my friends from church, and she and her family will be going to Thailand next year.  I will miss them like crazy!  

2. http://rachclark7766.blogspot.com/  I have known Rachel since middle school.  We were in band together, were pregnant at the same time, and now we both have little ones.  I love reading her blog.

3. http://mattandbetty.blogspot.com/  I have known Betty since elementary school.  We also went through band together.  Now she is married with 2 sons, and I love reading about her life.  She is very honest, and I really appreciate that.

4. http://inthedanielsden.blogspot.com/  I used to go to church with Jennifer.  She is married, has a 2 year old son, and 3 triplet boys!!!  I honestly don't know how she does it!

5. http://recycledinteriors.blogspot.com/  I have read Laina's blog for a while now.  I love her decorating style and her cute cabin.  She also has an adorable son named Zion....LOVE that name!  A few months ago, I went to a Le Leche League meeting, and she was there too!  It was really neat to meet her.  She hasn't blogged in a while, and I wish she would come back! :)  I just saw she actually has 208 followers, oops.  Oh well!

6. http://luckycharmadventures.blogspot.com/  Samantha and I have been friends since middle school.  We go to church together.  She is married and has a CUTE little girl named Zoe.  We love to go shopping together at local antique stores. :)

I didn't tag 11 people.  Oops.  I read a lot more blogs than the ones listed, but they all have over 200 readers.  I can't wait to read your responses, ladies!  Thanks again for nominating me, Megan!

Saturday Night Baking

Tonight I am baking some cookies for our church luncheon tomorrow.  White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Cookies.  Yum!  Super long name, super good cookies.  If you are interested in the recipe, you can find it HERE.  The only thing I changed was the amount of salt.  The recipe called for 1/2 tsp of salt, but I gave it 1 tsp instead.  I love salt in cookies!  So good!  I only have one good baking pan (my other one is dark and tends to burn cookies), so I have ten minutes to spare every five minutes.  This will have to be broken up into at least 3 or 4 batches.

Image borrowed from recipe website

August loves pumpkin.  I think this face says it all.

"Mommy's little pumpkin" onesie

"Ohhh let's see here, you got any pumpkin on this grocery list?"

Well, I have been 3 days without Facebook now.  I must say, it's weird.  And hard.  I think in my last post I sounded a bit facebook crazed, and that's honestly not true.  Facebook is cool, yes.  But it wasn't anything I thought about all the time or checked because it was a hobby of mine, it was just a bad habit that took up a huge amount of time.  I dunno what it is about checking it.  Maybe I'm afraid I'm going to miss something?  I have no idea.  But I do have to say, it has been SO nice to not have everyone's opinions in my head.  I will just say that.  My brain is A LOT less cluttered.  I have caught myself typing in "face.." in the address bar.  Such a hard habit to break.  Oh, and also, have you ever tried to cancel your facebook?  They make it really hard to do that.  You get asked a million times if you are sure you want to cancel it.  They show you profile pics of your friends with a caption below saying, "These people will miss you!"  Some of those people I haven't spoken to in years.  I think they'll be ok. :)  The worst part about cancelling it is that they actually save your information and tell you that you can come back at anytime.  All you have to do is type in your e-mail address and password.  That's ridiculous.  What is the point of "cancelling" it if you can just sign back in?  So I guess it's going to take more willpower than I thought.

On another note, my house hasn't been this clean in a while.  I deep cleaned both bathrooms today, swept the house (we don't have carpet, just laminate hardwood), did a few loads of laundry (by did, I mean washed and dried...not folded yet....), and still had time to take the dog to the vet, drop off a prescription at Walmart, play with August, do some Insanity, cook a healthy supper (roasted asparagus, roasted red dill potatoes, and steamed corn on the cob), bake some cookies, and relax a little bit with Adam.  Not bad for a Saturday.

God has been doing HUGE things in the Hare house lately.  (Not that He isn't always doing huge things.)  But we have recently stepped out in faith, and He has been faithful to His Word.  We knew He would, but it was the first time we have lived what we believe.  It has been AWESOME.  God is so amazing.  I can't fathom His love for me; I am so undeserving.  I will give a proper post to the happenings very soon, hopefully.

I am seeing results with Insanity.  I have hit a number I haven't seen since I started trying to lose the baby weight.  I have been on a plateau for a while, but I think I am finally starting to come off of it.  I have increased my water intake, and I have actually started eating more calories.  I haven't been counting calories at all, but I have just started eating more during the day.  I guess my body was just holding onto everything because it wasn't getting enough.  I wasn't having any snacks during the day (an almost-6 month-old, housework, errands, and a crazy schedule will do that to you), so I added those in and it has worked.  Bonus, the snacks haven't even been super healthy.  (Cookies!) I know that's bad, but my body is just happy with the extra calories for now.  I have also seen an increase in my milk production from drinking more water and eating more.  Woo hoo!

Oh, and shout out to one of my best friends, Becky, for having her baby!!!  All natural people....no drugs!!!!  In the hospital!!!!  With a regular OBGYN!  (See you doubters and crunchy people, it's totally possible!)  Sooo proud of you girl!  Your little Liam is so precious, and I am just over the moon excited for you.  Love you!

I better get in the bed.  Adam is passed out on the couch, and I need to clean up my baking mess.  I am a messy baker for sure.  To the two of you, including my mom, who are still reading the blog now that I'm off facebook, I appreciate you so much!  I hope the pair of you have a wonderful night! :)

Deleting my Facebook

As of today, I will be deleting my facebook.  Unfortunately facebook has become somewhat of an idol to me.  I can't seem to go long without "checking" it, and when I do, I end up spending way more time on it than I should.  My house is often neglected because of it, and as hard as this is to admit, my son probably is neglected because of it too.

I don't want to set this kind of example for my son.  I also don't want to look back on my life and wonder how I spent it.  This is an idol that needs to be crushed.

I believe anything that takes up your time that keeps you from the things God called you to do is an idol.  You don't have to bow before a statue to worship an idol.  Think about it, if someone from a tribe in a faraway country came to my house and watched me for a day, they would probably think, "Oh, that thing must be her god because that's how she spends her time.  She stares at that little black flat thing that opens up and has letters on it for hours."  I may not spend hours on my computer straight, or I might, but if you added up all of the minutes in the day I spend checking my facebook or various things on the internet, it's no wonder I can't stay on top of things in my "real" life.

This is definitely not something that is easy to do.  I have my flesh saying things like, "You are a stay at home mom, you need interaction from the outside world in order to not feel so trapped."  My flesh will also say, "You can use facebook as a ministry tool.  It's also how people find your blog.  So you need to keep it."

However, I'm not using my facebook as a ministry tool.  Sometimes I do, but the impact facebook has on myself is not worth the times I do post Bible verses or stories.  And let's be honest, who doesn't post Bible verses to their facebook?  The Bible says that we should flee from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:14).  We should not be strong.  So I am fleeing.

I will still be posting on this blog, so if you would like to keep up with me, August, and Adam, you can find us here.  The blog is not an idol to me, and I believe God is going to use it to tell our story, as I have time and have taken care of my other tasks.  You can subscribe to the blog via e-mail, there is a box on the right hand side of the blog to type in your e-mail address, or I think the little "Friend Connect" button on the right might still work if you are a follower of blogs or have your own blog.  This way, you will know when I post something new and you won't have to just check it at random.  You can also leave a comment on this blog anytime you like, and I will answer you as soon as I get the time.

I just want to make it clear, that I do not look down on anyone who has a facebook, and I don't think facebook is evil.  It is just causing me to stumble, and I am not using my time wisely throughout my day because of it.  The Lord has been calling me to delete it for a while, I have just been avoiding it because I love it so much.  But that's the problem.  I love it too much.

At this point, I will continue on Pinterest, because that is where I get most of my recipes, organizational ideas, activities for August, etc.  But if it replaces facebook in becoming a time waster, then I will delete that too.

I think this is a great song for this post.  Listen to it and see if you can relate.  Thanks for reading. :)

Insanity- 2 weeks in

Well Adam and I completed our fit test this morning.  During Insanity, you take a fit test about every 2 weeks to check your progress.  Basically, you do specific exercises for 1 minute per exercise and see if you got more reps than the last time.  Some exercises I didn't get as many reps on as my first go-round, and I think that's for two reasons.  1) My form is better now, so I'm probably doing the exercises more correctly, which is a lot harder than doing them incorrectly and 2) The first few exercises, I didn't look at how many reps I did last time.  So I didn't have a number in my head to beat.  Apparently I needed to know that number so I would have something to aim past.  On the last few exercises, I looked at my reps for last time, and then I started beating them.  I will know better for next time.

In the Insanity program, you work out 6 days a week.  Adam and I have only been working out 5 days a week.  Not on purpose, but we usually oversleep one morning (read: we hit snooze a billion times and neither one tells the other to get up) and can't make it up that night because of church, hockey, or Bible class.  So we usually skip a workout that's called "cardio recovery."  I'm sure that workout is still really hard, but we figure it's the best one to skip since it's supposed to be a recovery workout, and a day off definitely counts as recovery. :)

I lost just over 2 pounds in 2 weeks, which is not much at all, but my body composition is definitely changing.  I think I am just gaining muscle, and that's the reason for the low weight loss.  I have read online that a lot of people don't actually lose weight according to the scale in the first two weeks.  Of course, I really want to see a certain number on that scale since I'm trying to hit my pre-pregnancy weight.  But, for now, my goal is to just fit into a normal pair of jeans.  My maternity jeans fall down with every step I take, but my pre-pregnancy jeans won't zip/button.  So I'm in this weird stage.

My diet over the past couple weeks hasn't been perfect.  I would definitely say I'm eating better than I was before I started Insanity, but I know I can do a lot better.  So I'm really going to try to step it up with healthy eating in the next couple weeks.  I want those numbers to go down!  Yesterday, our bananas had gone bad, so I made a banana bread...and Adam and I have almost eaten the entire thing.  Gah.  It was good stuff too. Seriously, the best banana bread I've ever made.  That's why I can't bake.  Cause I will eat. it. all.  I actually baked some white chocolate chip pumpkin muffins last week, and I gave away a few of them, and then I sent  one with Adam for a treat for his lunch.  I wasn't as good this time.

I also need to do better on my water intake.  I am still nursing August, and I can tell my milk supply has dropped because I'm not drinking enough.  I think it's also hard to lose weight if you're dehydrated because your body needs water to flush everything out.  So I'm going to start carrying around my giant hospital cup again to get my water intake up.

I'm probably not going to give you specific inches/weight measurements, although I don't think they're that bad, I guess most people just don't share stuff like that. I'll just let you know if I've gained/lost.

Measurement gains/losses:
Waist (smallest part): -1/2"
Hips (around the booty): -1/2"
Stomach (around my baby belly pooch): -2 and 3/4"....awesome!
Left bicep: + 1/2"
Right bicep: +1".....welcome to the gun show. ;)
Chest: -1/2"
Neck: same
Left calf: same
Right calf: +1/2"
Weight: -2.2 lbs

So that's progress! :)  We didn't take pictures today, but we will take them in 2 weeks, after month 1.  (There are 2 months in the Insanity program.)  So we will be halfway.  I dunno if I will share those pictures or not.  Haha.  They are those embarrassing pictures where you turn to the side and just let it all hang out.  Yeah.  Not cute.  Alright, I need to fix Adam's lunch and get in the bed!  That debate craziness kept me up late last night.  Talk to y'all later! :)


Edit: By the way, I wanted to add this in.  Adam doesn't actually watch the Insanity DVD.  Nope, he watches me.  Lucky him. :)  Some of the Insanity girls aren't dressed appropriately, so he has chosen not to watch the workout.  That puts extra pressure on me to keep going because he is depending on me!  I just wanted to mention that because I didn't want you to get the DVDs and be shocked that Adam would watch that.  When we workout, I point the computer screen toward me (we workout in the garage).  So that's how we do it. It's nothing I have asked Adam to do, but he told me that's how he wanted to do it, and I was happy to oblige.  :)

Chilly Tuesday Morning

I woke up in a bloggy mood this morning, so here I am.  This morning we woke up to a cold house, so I turned the heat on and fixed a pot of coffee.  We usually get up early and do Insanity in the morning, but we didn't make it out of bed.  This isn't the first time this has happened.  Sometimes we are able to make up for it when Adam gets home from work, but some nights we have church or Bible study, so that just isn't possible.  Tonight is probably one of those nights.  I kind of had a feeling we would miss this morning though.  I have been having pain the past few days deep inside my knee.  It was worse after yesterday morning's workout.  I'm going to go buy a knee brace today and see if that helps.  I was so mad about it.  I have been trying so hard to lose weight, and I actually enjoy Insanity. Figures. It's super intense, and it's non-stop, you are dripping with sweat when you are finished, but the workout doesn't seem to take very long.  The longest workout in the first month's workouts is like 40 minutes.  That includes a warm-up, stretching, and a cool-down too, so it isn't too bad.  Plus you can go at your own pace.  I highly recommend it.  It's pricey if you order from the website, but like I said in my last post, you can get it cheaper off of Ebay.  I have been doing Insanity for about 2 weeks now, and I have only dropped about 2-3 pounds (same 2-3 pounds I always fluctuate between), but I can tell that my body composition is changing.  The whole muscle weighs more than fat thing I guess.  We took our measurements when we first started, so we need to take them again to see if anything has changed.  I just want to fit back into my old jeans!

My friend Rachel is being induced tonight.  We are preggo/blog/high school band nerd buddies.  I'm sooooo excited for her!!  She is having a sweet little girl named Haddie.  That takes me back to when August was born.  Such a scary/special/exciting time.  I reread August's birth story the other day.  I still cried. :)  If you didn't get a chance to read it or would like to relive the moment with me, you can find it HERE.  If you want to check out Rachel's blog, she gives regular updates.  You can find it HERE.

I haven't specifically mentioned this, but I am staying home with August.  I gave up teaching to be a stay-at-home-mommy (SAHM for you bloggers).  It has been well worth the sacrifice.  I will do a more proper post on that later.  It's not something I was "lucky" to be able to do.  Luck had nothing to do with it.  It was a step of faith in following the Lord, and He has been faithful.

I am finally starting to like the decor in my home.  I love decorating.  Since we have been married and lived in the house, I have never been happy with the decor.  As much as I try, it just hasn't been a reflection of me.  You would think it would be since I'm the one that decorated it.  I love neutral decor.  I wish I could be a bright color person, I really do.  I do decorate with a little more color for summer, but in general I like neutral things.  I like calm, cozy, subdued tones.  I like vintage/antique things.  But when I try to decorate that way, it just looks like beige.  The whole house.  Beige.  So I started looking at things on Pinterest and different websites to figure out what it is about the rooms that I like so much.  How do they pull off that look without just looking beige?  I'm starting to notice that they use a lot of different things like layering of fabrics, different textures and patterns, natural materials like wicker, cotton, linen, collected items not matchy items, different finishes, etc.  I think if you do it right, it doesn't just look beige.  So I'm working on that.  I'm not trying to make my house look like Pottery Barn by any means (although, that would look pretty nice), I just want to like my home and feel comfortable in it.

The laundry has gotten out of control over the past few days.  We have been so busy.  I have been making more of an effort to get out of the house with August.  The first few months of his life, it was just not possible to get out with him due to our rocky breastfeeding start.  Then, he got on a great schedule, and I did not want to mess that up.  Finally, we are at a great place with nursing (he is super fast at it now), and he is very predictable, so I have been able to venture out into the world on a more regular basis.  It's so nice for both of us to get out of the house during the week.  We really enjoy it, especially with this nice fall weather!  So with us being gone more, I need to figure out a better way to get this laundry taken care of.  Adam goes through 3 outfits a day: workout clothes, work clothes, and lounge clothes.  I go through 2 outfits a day: workout clothes and whatever I'm wearing that day.  August goes through 2 outfits: pajamas and his outfit for the day.  So we have at least a load a day.  Usually on the weekends I don't get around to doing the laundry because we are so busy.  So I play catch-up at the beginning of the week.

Thank you to everyone who left me advice, either on the blog, on facebook, or in person, about my last blog post.  I read everyone's suggestions, and they were much appreciated!  I have switched August from rice cereal to oatmeal cereal, and I put a little apple or prune juice in the cereal along with some water.  I also give him a little bit of watered down apple juice each day.  So we will see if that helps.

Well, I need to get some cleaning done.  I hope y'all have a wonderful Tuesday.  Enjoy this beautiful fall weather!

Nap Time Ramble...advice needed. :)

Today is a rambling post.  I need to ramble.  My mind is totally scatter brained today, so this is what y'all get.  I apologize in advance.  Unless you are just super bored, you could probably skip this one. If you're a mom, don't skip this one though.  I need your advice!

August has not been sleeping the past several nights.  He literally cries all. night. long.  I am exhausted.  This is soooo unlike him.  Last night I brought him to bed with us just so I could have some sleep.  As I have told ya'll before, he is a great sleeper, and loves his schedule!  I'm not sure if he is teething or what.  I feel like he has been teething forever, but he hasn't had any teeth come through.  Another issue he is having is irregularity.  He will kill me one day for writing about this.  August goes about a week and a half between BMs.  I know this is not normal.  I have talked to his doctor about it before, but the doctor just told me that each child is different, and that this might be August's normal.  I know he is constipated though, because he has been grunting trying to go for a couple days now.  He eats rice cereal once a day, and I haven't cut out any nursing sessions.  Last night we tried 100% prune juice diluted with water, and he HATED it.  He wouldn't drink it.  Today I am just going to try regular water and see if he will take it. I also read something somewhere.....this is gonna be gross....get ready.....that if you take a bath with them, let the warm water get as high as their chest, and then rub their belly, that all of the BM should come out...in the tub.  I know that's disgusting.  Don't worry, I'll clean the tub really well afterward.  But seriously, I'm desperate so that is worth a shot.  Was your child ever constipated?  What did you do for them?  Help!  (Other things we have tried: gripe water, nursing during the night for extra hydration.) Sorry for the graphic nature of this post.  Tis the life of a mommy.  Nothing really phases me anymore.  I have a stomach of steel.

I need to get some bumper pads for his crib.  He is old enough now that he has plenty of head control, so smothering I don't think is an issue anymore.  But he has been rolling over, bonking his head on the rails.  Also, his feet and arms get stuck in between the slats, so I need to get the pads.  I really want something neutral, maybe with a check print or stripes or just plain.  I don't really want any cartoon character ones or anything.  Not that I'm opposed to that, but it just wouldn't go with his nursery.  So I'm on the lookout for some (inexpensive) ones.

I would love to have a video monitor.  With all of this chaos going on at night, it would be nice if I could see what August is doing, but not have to go in there a million times to see if he is ok.  I have been cleaning my grandmother's house on Fridays and answering my FIL's phone for his guttering business during the week (he just forwarded the company phone calls to my cell phone), so I have been making some extra money trying to save up  for one.  But, things come up, and I end up spending the money on something else.

Charter increased our internet bill for $29.99/month....to $63.00/month....without letting us know.  Peace out, Charter!  It's been real.

Adam and I have been doing Insanity for a week now....at 6:30 in the morning.  Yes, we are crazy.... or insane.  Adam is busy almost every single night, so the morning is the only time we have to workout together...or at all for him.  I am sooooo desperate to get back into my old jeans.  I have been wearing maternity jeans since August was born because I have refused to buy a bigger size in pants.  I am SO over maternity pants.  I HATE them. I can finally get my old jeans on and all the way up.  (2 weeks after I had August, I could only get my jeans up to my knees, literally.)  I can wear them with the Be Band....but that's kind of uncomfortable and weird since the pants won't zip all the way up.  We took before pictures the day we started Insanity as well as our measurements (and I have been taking pictures each month postpartum), but I dunno if y'all will ever see those.  Haha.  We missed working out one day last week, and then we missed this morning because we barely slept last night.  I'm not sure what's going on with my weight.  I eat healthy 80% of the time.  The 20% is at other people's houses, church events, the occasional (very occasional) meal out, etc.  I have been exercising since August was 8 weeks old, and it was slowly coming off.  I am (as of last week) within 12-14 pounds of my pre pregnancy weight.  I have been in this range for a while now.  It's just not budging.  So I thought maybe if I revved things up with some Insanity, the weight might come off.  Insanity is expensive by the way.  But I bought mine (new) off of Ebay for $35.  It was supposed to come from California.  Well, it took it so long to get here, that I thought I had been robbed, especially when the seller got kicked off of Ebay.  So I got a refund from Pay Pal.  Well, the DVD showed up about 4 weeks later....with packaging from China.  Who knows.  Maybe that's why it was so cheap.  Surprisingly, it works, and everything with the actual DVD set is in English.  Haha.  I dunno.  So I need to call Pay Pal and repay them.

I was excited when we got this colder weather a few days ago.  I couldn't wait to dress August in warm, fall clothes.  Well, I didn't realize what a hassle it is to dress a 5 month old in layers.  They just don't have the patience for it.  Summer is easy.  Just a diaper and maybe a onesie and you're good to go.  Turns out a diaper, onesie, pants, socks, and a sweater is more than August has time for.  Goodness.  At least he is cute and gets over it once I pick him up.  This is a picture of him yesterday in his fall attire.  We went out with my cousin Sarah to run errands.  His pants aren't really high-waters, he just has a stroller wedgie. :)

So cute.  I love this boy more than I could ever put into words.

I need to make some more laundry detergent.  I'm almost out.

Coffee creamer is my treat these days.  I enjoy coffee, especially on these colder days.  I like to try a new one each time I run out.  So far, this kind is my favorite.  I have only tried the Caramel, and it is so good.

I need to make Adam's lunch in a few minutes.  I usually do it each night while he spends time with August.  But last night was crazy with August, so I planned to do it this morning after our workout...but we didn't workout.  So Adam is going to stop by at noon to pick it up.  I need to get on it.  My mom is fixing to come by with a hot water bottle thing (she is picking one up at CVS) so I can roll it on August's stomach to see if it helps his tummy.  August has been asleep for an hour and a half now.  Lately, I call that a success.

I need to update y'all with some August pictures.  Maybe I'll do that later today, if August cooperates.  I need to get some prints of his pictures from Walmart or something.  Right now they are all stored on my computer and cell phone...and BOTH are about to quit.  Gah, technology.

I apologize for the ramble. Thank you for listening to the thoughts of a sleep-deprived mommy! Haha.  I hope y'all have a great Tuesday!  Leave me some advice for baby constipation. :)  Thanks y'all. :)