Cha-cha-cha-changing into David Bowie

It's so, totally, for reals, time for a change!
Thanks to Linds, and her inspiring blog...I have decided to make a goal list as well. 


I am going to start small, since I am the master of procrastination and dabbling. I want to first and foremost be able to give myself a pat on the back, EVERY single day! 


This year I had a baby and now that he is 4 months old, added with the fact that I'm turning 26 in a few short weeks...I need to get back into shape. As I was getting ready for this garage sale next weekend, I started with the least cluttered place in the house, the bedroom. I realized that I miss my clothes so much!!! Not having been able to wear some of them for close to a year now, makes me super sad, and yet super motivated to make a change! A few years ago, I gave myself a goal: run a half-marathon by the time I'm 30, and I am no where near accomplishing that goal as of today...well more like as of last night, because this morning is the first morning of achieving my goal! 


Again, I am starting small, but my goal for this month is as follows:
1. Start walking at least 3 times a week - 
            I want to try and do this early in the morning, before it gets too hot
      go for at least an hour, minimum. 
      my ultimate goal with walking is to walk to the back gate and back each time I walk     
            (6 miles total)
      working up to 5k training when Haiden is 6 months old
2. Pamper myself once a week -
          paint my finger nails or toe nails
      take a bath, spa treatment style
      read my book for an hour, uninterrupted 
      go out and get coffee
      buy a book
      get a hair trim 
      do a craft/paint 
      wear heels and get dressed up
      play Laura Croft :)
3. Set a goal for the day/week and finish it before starting another project - 
           This one can be anything: yesterday I wanted to take the recyclables to the bin on base because they were getting out of control! And I did it...I set a simple goal and finished it and gave my self a pat on the back...literally!  
4. Do one activity outside of the house (weather permitting) once a week - 
      go to mommy and me classes with Haiden
      go to story time with Haiden
      go to the movies
      go on a picnic
      go to an exercise class
5. Check my email for 10 minutes everyday
    Make a chore chart and stick with it
These are my 5 goals for this month. I'm sure I will add more as the year goes on, but if I can keep up with these goals for the rest of the month, I will be so ecstatic! I may need to celebrate...hmmm...I will most definitely have to celebrate, and I have a few weeks to think about it. 


So far today
Workout: Walk
Date: June 09, 2012
Distance: 2.9 mi
Duration: 0:52:31 
Abs: 100 sit ups; variety


I plan to finish the bedroom today, and start Haiden's room, as my goal to accomplish! I am so ready for this pat on the back :D

**Share your workouts or favorite healthy meals, or even what you enjoy doing for down time**

Banana-Chocolate Chip Bars

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Oven: 350
Yield: 36 bars


1 16.5 oz roll refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough (*I have used the pre-cut dough 
       squares, as well as a caramel turtle dough)
1 cup regular rolled oats (*I like to add a little extra in)
1/2 cup mashed banana (*This recipe is great for the fact that if your banana is going bad, 
      or too brown for your liking, just toss this recipe together, that's what I do and it 
      works great and makes those bananas last. Toss in an extra banana if you like, as well!)
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces 
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 16 oz can chocolate or vanilla frosting (*I have never used any frosting when I make 
      these)


1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9X13in baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl stir together cookie dough, oats, banana, chocolate pieces, and peanuts until combined. Press dough evenly into prepared backing pan.
2. Bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes or until golden brown (*We like these a little bit chewy and gooey, so I don't cook it for the full 25 minutes, I just let the center set). Cool in pan on wire rack.
3. Frost with desired frosting. 
      For a decorated touch, use half a can of chocolate and half a can of vanilla and swirl frosting together. Cut into bars.

Post Medical

Zach

Zach had his surgery Monday. Here is a picture of the first installment of his implant: the screw. The surgery took about 1 hour and he just got numbing shots. For the rest of the week he is on a liquid diet, but had Chinese food since lo mein is soft, yesterday. He is doing well, the pain is almost all gone by now, which is good since they barely gave him any pain meds!  So now we wait 6 months for it to fully heal and he gets the actual tooth!! We are very excited this is finally getting underway. Thanks for all your thoughts of his healthy recovery. 

Haiden

Haiden did amazing at getting his 4 month vaccinations. He cried only because he was sleeping and when I set him down, he woke up cranky. But as soon as the shots were over he was happy again and wanted to go back to sleep. He slept for most of Tuesday and Wednesday, and is now a super happy baby!

He is 14 lbs now, and 26 inches long! He was born in the top 97th percentile and is now at the bottom percentile :/ He isn't getting very fat at all!! Which I don't mind, because he is already so heavy!! But the doctor said as long as he is eating and is growing, he is ok. Plus he should be double his weight by 6 months, and I'm betting that in the next two months he can easily gain another 2 pounds. Also, around this time he should be hitting a growth spurt, which is why he has been waking up at 4 am, on the dot the last two weeks...he is hungry! We have opted to keep him on a breast milk only diet and not start solids until he is 6 months. 

Here is Haiden sleeping after he got home from his shots. He sleeps with his eyes open, just like me! :D

Zach and Haiden sleeping. Zach day 2 after surgery, and Haiden day 1 of getting his shots.

As for his head...we have yet to hear back from the doctor about getting a helmet. They said that his head still looks flat, and doesn't seem to be getting any better, but they aren't sure of the next step. They don't know who to direct us to, either a surgeon, or a pediatrician. I called today, since it's been 2 days since we went to the doctor, and I thought I would have heard something Tuesday. Hopefully we will hear from them soon and that way we can all be put at ease with getting this issue resolved.

Here is a bird's eye view of Haiden's head. You can see how it is flat on the back right side...but it is also starting to push out in the front, on his forehead above his right eye. It is almost as if someone took a circle and squished it to be like a square, and it ended up being a slanted oval. 

Holland

I had a three day headache, that finally went away yesterday after having slept all day. Now Zach is back to work and I am cleaning the house and getting rid of things, hardcore for an on base garage sale next weekend. I'm very excited about this!! We had anticipated having a garage sale every 4 years before we move to our next duty station, but found that things we had stored to sell in our storage unit down stairs were getting moldy :/ So I am having to clean all of those things very intensely as well as collect more things to de-clutter the house. I am selling plants as well, since my plants have gone crazy and made a bazillion babies!! I am hoping this will be something the base will do every few months, at least so we don't have to store unnecessary things in the house. 

The gas has been out for a few days now, and since Zach is on a liquid diet I have been ordering out, hopefully this will be over soon and we can get back to cooking!! 

For now I made Zach a breakfast smoothie yesterday:

8 oz soy milk

1 banana

2 Tbs peanut butter

1 scoop chocolate protein shake

1 Tbs honey

1/2 cup of dry oats

It is one of my favorite smoothies! 

I also made him eggs via the microwave since we don't have use of our stove:

Prep time: 1 minute

Cook time: 45 to 60 seconds

Makes: 1 serving

2 eggs

2 Tbs milk

2 Tbs shredded cheddar cheese (I sprinkled Parmesan instead)

Salt and pepper (I did not use at all)

Cooking spray

1. Coat 12 oz coffee mug with cooking spray. Add eggs and milk; beat until blended.

2. Microwave on high 45 seconds. Stir. Microwave until eggs are almost set; 30-45 seconds more.

3. Top with cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy! 

  

The Good Stuff

Haiden

Haiden is 4 months now, and as adventurous as ever! He is still holds some reserve when it comes to tummy time, but we are able to do it for longer and longer stints. Since he loves to be up-right, we have decided to get him a jumperoo/bouncer early (he is still a good 2 inches from the floor, even on the lowest setting). And he loves it!! 

He is so advanced for his age! Everyone, including doctors, are amazed at how well he holds his head up and looks around. We are trying to get through this growth spurt along with the agonizing months of teething we have already endured. But all of his advancement has created a problem...he head is becoming flat, and this happens to babies often, and is easily corrected. However, in Haiden's case, his plates have already begun to fuse because he is growing so fast. Babies have two soft spots in their head where the plates eventually fuse together, and Haiden still has the one on top of his head, though it is smaller than it should be for infants in his age group, and the one in the back of his head was almost completely fused at his 2 month check up. So this week he will be going in for his 4 month vaccines, along with hopefully getting fitted for a helmet, in order to correct this problem. Like I said, normally this would fix itself, and not be an issue, but his case is severe enough to potentially cause malformations of the brain if not corrected and if it gets any worse.

Zach

Tomorrow the entire family is going to Biloxi, Mississippi to be with Zach for tooth surgery. About two years ago he broke his jaw, and where it broke was right at the bottom right canine tooth. When he went to boot camp they looked at the tooth and saw that it had in fact broken off at the tip and was dying. So it was removed, and he has been missing that tooth for over a year now. We have been going to Biloxi for the passed few months to get consultations for a tooth implant. Tomorrow he will be getting the first installment of that implant, the screw that the implant will connect to. Luckily he doesn't have to have a bone graft first where the jaw broke. After this step we wait 6 months for him to heal, and then the implant; finally!! He will be off work for a few days and on a liquid diet for a week, which gives me time to brush up on my smoothie making skills.

The Good Stuff

This recipe is brought to you via me, by Theresa Morrison, from my bridal shower

Yields: 10 servings

1-1/2 lbs Hamburger (* I used turkey)

1 small onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 (15oz) cans Ranch Style Beans

1 can diced tomatoes (* I used original rotel)

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups dry elbow pasta (cook for later) (* I used the entire box, it makes it dryer, so add extra tomato sauce if you still want the consistency)

1 cup cheddar cheese; optional (* I used about 2 cups and sprinkled Parmesan cheese also)

Brown hamburger, onion and bell pepper together. Once hamburger is cooked, drain off any grease. Cook elbow pasta and set aside. In skillet, mix hamburger mixture with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Ranch Style beans. Then add cooked pasta. Cook mixture for about 15 minutes until bubbly. Sprinkle cheese on top. 

**This was a huge hit! It was fast and easy! We will most defiantly make this dish again. Next time I think I'm going to add some more veggies, like corn and broccoli, even more onion. Possibly more herbs and maaaaybe an extra can of diced tomatoes. We love our veggies and we love rotel! Enjoy :D