Six Feet Under the Table

What's that? You're working out super hard, exhausted, and starving all the time, but not losing any weight? Chances are, you're pregnant. Yup. Mystery solved. Didn't exactly happen according to "plan," but as with everything, it's right on time. I've been feeling great! Of course, it helps that I missed all but 1 week of my first trimester. And I haven't been packing on the pounds like I did with Toddler Boy. AR has restructured my workouts, and they're considerably "wimpier." On Monday, for the first time in over a month, we got back on the TRX ropes. It got me pumped up for getting back into shape after we add two more feet under the table. Now that the shock has worn off, I'm so excited! Life is good. It may not be how I pictured it. And sometimes we fly by the seat of our pants. But we're always okay. Even in uncertainty. Toddler Boy is happy as happy can be, is (finally!!!) taking a daily 2-hour nap, is learnin...

Every winter, it's the same thing: fruit on the brain. I don't know if it's the craving of out-of-season berries or what. But this week, I hit the jackpot. So many sales on a good crop of fruit. Toddler Boy and I put away about a quart of blueberries before we decided to make a fruit salad. (Okay, I did all the deciding. He did most of the eating.) The best thing about fruit salad? You really can't mess it up. Our bowl of awesome included blood oranges, crunchy red grapes, blueberries, and bananas. What's that? You've never tried a blood orange before? Slap yourself, and then get over to the grocery store STAT! They can be rather expensive (some stores sell them for $1 a piece). But, if you can find them sold by the pound, you're golden. In other news, have I mentioned how much I love TRX? Yesterday, I had my first workout in over a week. AR went "easy" on me. But the challenge begins next week. Today I'm thankful for a body that heals it...

This week, I felt encouraged from the most unlikely person… Kim Kardashian. I read that she has been very public about her difficult time losing the baby weight. That stupid 15 pounds. It felt good to know that I'm not alone, and that she's still battling it, too. (Her daughter is older than my son, and she's in the public eye. I guess I don't have it so bad.) The mind can be so messed up sometimes. You read about all these people that just lose the weight right away. And no matter how many encouraging blog posts or articles you read about how you should love your body because of the miracle that came out of it, sometimes, it just doesn't help. But I'm trying. I'm trying to be conscious. I still haven't weighed myself, and I don't intend to. I'm still trying to refocus. I've been making better food choices, but once again, I desperately need to go to the grocery store. Toddler Boy ate pasta, corn, and a slice of ham for lunch. Most random...

TRX. It's no joke. And doing it two days in a row? I think I might be stupid. Or stupid awesome. I'm not sure which. I'll explain. I've had one personal training session with AR. That was on Monday. And I only had to stop because I thought I was going to pass out once. The entire session was a TRX session. What is TRX? TRX is a suspension training system created by a Navy Seal. The whole idea is that you use your own body weight. After that one TRX workout, I am addicted. Here's a basic intro.  Our local Y has TRX set up right next to the pool, and the room is heated to a warm 85-ish degrees. This adds intensity (and flexibility). And I LOVE it. Because of the weather, my session was rescheduled from Wednesday to Friday. Then AR got called in to sub a class, so the program director stepped in and invited my sister to join. TRX again. Holy ouch. And because I'm competitive, it was a fun (and oh so tough) session. KD (my sister), and I decided to start a littl...

Back when Xanga was a thing, I used to do what was called "Recipe Friday." Then I got lazy, and it quickly became "Okay, it's Tuesday, and I haven't done Recipe Friday in about 6 months, but you should try this anyway." And I'd talk to friends and relatives that ACTUALLY tried the recipes and they said they looked forward to the posts. Well, friends ... guess what I'm bringing back! I've been doing A LOT of cooking the past couple of weeks. And all out of the cookbooks of my most-favorite chef, Tyler Florence. These two recipes I made this week. And Toddler Boy loved them! If you make one or both, tell me what you think about it! Seared Brined Pork Chops from Inside the Test Kitchen — These pork chops taste just like bacon to me. J laughed and reminded me that they come from the same animal. I KNOW THIS. But pork chops generally do not taste like bacon. If you love bacon, try this. And even if you don't, try this. Serves 4. Almond Milk ...

Long time, no write. I know. Sorry for my absence. I've been ... living. It seems like the days have been flying by since the summer. We went on a family vacation to England in August. Hired a new nanny in September. Not-so-baby Boy turned 1 and started walking in October. We felt a little suffocated by our tiny apartment once the boy was really on the move. So we found another place and a week and a half after looking for a new place, we moved. We still aren't completely unpacked, but we're getting there. As I type, Not-so-baby Boy is taking his very first nap sans pacifier. It was a little rough at first, but within 5 minutes, he was out. Mommy - 1, paci - 0. And here's where it gets real. I've been going to the gym a lot. Thanks to Miss Daisy at Carsick Caravan , I was inspired to start doing HIIT on the treadmill, and I'm in LOVE. Burns more calories in a shorter period of time. And increases my endurance. Google it. Love it. Tell me about it! And because ...

Day 1 Day 361 Well, we made it kid. One whole BIG year down! It seems like we met only yesterday. But at the same time, it’s like you’ve always been here with us. It’s the weirdest thing! I remember wondering what you would be like—your gender, your face, your name, your personality. I never could have dreamed you. My imagination fell so far short. It’s been a big year for you. You’ve learned to eat food all by yourself; discovered that you have two sides of your body that work together to complete one task; found your voice (and make your opinion known); learned to laugh; taken spills; jumped—on trampolines, the ground, beds, laps, my face, in the bath tub (didn’t end well), and pretty much everything that can be jumped on; sprouted six teeth; flew through the sky; rode on a bus and in a taxi; got butterflies in your tummy while swinging at the park; moved into a new bedroom in a new home; figured out how to climb (climbing’s your favorite); and slowly but...