Blonde Moment Monday

• Happy Monday!
• Upon waking this morning, I was determined after yesterdays thoughts, my mood, and after my post, I wanted to be more upbeat today.
• I prayed with Scot this morning once he came back from the gym, and then again on my way to workout. I pray out loud and talk to God while I'm driving.
• Is that weird? haha
• I guess you could say it's my "Quiet Time" right now.
• I felt much better after I came home
• Even the rainy dreary weather wasn't going to get me down!
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• I've still been trying to get as much excercise as I can. I usually go to the gym now 4 times a week, but I'd like to make it 5. I try to do 30 minutes of walking 4.2 speed on the treadmill, and am aiming to start running.
• This makes it hard though since I'm not a runner!
• I am happy where I am now, but I weighed myself just to see, and I am 50 lbs lighter than I was the day I gave birth. a week from 4 months post pardum.
• But my skin is definitely a long way from where it needs to be. 'Nuff said ha!

• I'm also back to chugging water like it's nobodys business.
• Also hoping this builds my supply up some, as I've noticed burning more calories has made my milk supply change a bit. Not a lot, but about an oz less than usual.
• I have thoroughly enjoyed nursing Brynley more, and now I am confused as to why I want to stop!
• Would it be that bad if I took my pump with me and pumped on vacation (I can hear Scot now saying Yes it would Laura, so don't even go there! You are done pumping by March!)
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• I guess I've had a lot of doubt about parenting lately, so I've focused on this as my prayers. When we went to church yesterday I grabbed some of their pamplets ranging from parenting to introducing God to your children. I got some really great scripture verses for praying over Brynley and Ryder
• This wasn't neccesarily a resolution, but a goal of mine.
• So often I am selfish in what I pray, thinking only of myself, so I want to start thinking of others including my husband, children, and family
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• I took a picture of Brynley in her "Brynley" dress because I knew it wouldn't be long before it would be covered in drool!
• Funny story. While I was still pregnant, I bought a dress similar to this on Etsy. Paid about $40 or more for it. Decided I could make it myself, so I enlisted my moms help, who thought she would be able to make it. Long story short, I bought all the fabric, had 4 long sleeved onesies monogrammed with according colors, and was all set with my materials to get started. Went to my moms house and discovered she wasn't as familiar with her sewing machine as she thought and the whole project turned into a disaster. So we nixed it altogether, until my sister in law got one of her friends to make the dresses for me. Didn't charge me a thing, but unfortunately by the time she mailed them to me, I think they may be a bit small in the chest area, so I'm sad.
• But it has motivated me to want to learn to sew myself!
• And to make lots of cute things too!

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• On Saturday we went to Latta Plantation to the Winter Wonderland nature preserve. We missed out on some of the crafts they were doing, but got to see the reptile show
• Ryder was in love with this turtle!

• But wanted nothing to do with touching it, so Mommy stepped in and touched his shell!
• There were snakes too, but I sure wasn't touching one of them! I let Scot do that ha!
• Overall, it was a fun, free day followed by getting yummy takeout Chinese to celebrate Scot's fantasy football win, and playing Wii.
• Isn't it funny just how life changes with a baby?
• Going out to eat just isn't enjoyable right now, so I sure am glad that there's always takeout!
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• Not sure if I've mentioned before or not, but I am the Queen of piles
• When Scot and I first got married, he always teased me of being "Messy Marshall" (my maiden name) but since then I have gotten much better.
• The piles however, have been hard to break! I look around and I see lots of projects I need to work on. Like these Christmas ornaments that need current photos from my camera to be put on them, and pictures that need to be put in albums and baby books to be filled out.
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• Then there's momsense books and journals, and inspirational parenting books, and a breastfeeding book I was reading. I always feel like time is so limited that I never finish what I was reading. I at least filed these back on the bookcase!
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• Today was "Aviation Day" from Ryder's activities and crafts that we do each day, and so I told him to color pictures of things that fly. He also drew pictures for me and traced the letter A (for aviation and airplane). He has really enjoyed doing crafts with me and starting to learn his alphabet.
• We did Bird Day last week and he learned the letter N and was so proud of himself!
• Maybe I missed my calling as a teacher haha!
• I find all of his preschool activities and craft ideas online. Usually I just print up a preschool activities calender for the month and pick "days" that sound interesting and go from there. I also look at the month and incorporate fun seasonal things to do with it, but since it was rainy today we just colored for our craft rather than going outside.
• More than anything, I just enjoy the time I get with Ryder and usually plan our time around Brynley's naps. It makes me feel good when I ask him if he'd rather play toys with me or do craft time and he always answers crafts! My mom is a teacher and she gave me a lot of workbooks so we did some of the worksheets with things like matching and rhyming, and Ryder was begging to do more!
• I love that I am able to be a stay at home mom, for days like today (can you tell all of my prayers are working, because what a difference from yesterday!), to teach him and play with him and love him

• So I guess it only makes sense that I have to also discipline, which is never fun, but I'm having to learn patience and disciplining the right way. I just have to remember not to back down!
• Doesn't Brynley look so BIG!?
• She will be FOUR months OLD this week and that just blows my mind
• Because two months from that she'll be eating solid foods..
• and getting married
• ha! Excuse me why I go cry now :)

• I am so glad that these two are becoming such good friends
• Ryder was showing Brynley how to dance here
• He has also learned how to kiss without licking, so he was demonstrating
• I love these two, even though it's not always easy!
• Do ya'll watch the Real Housewives? I am so excited for the Orange County episodes coming on soon! They might be my favorite, as I've always loved Vicki
• And Gretchen is my girl crush! I want her hair, wardrobe, makeup, (maybe not her choice in men), but she is beautiful and funny too!
• Well, hope that's enough randoms for now, I have to go heat up some chili and cornbread before Brynley gets up from her nap (which by the way she has slept very well during ALL naps today for the first time in days so maybe this is the start to her feeling better soon!)