Elf On A Shelf Christmas Tradition

As promised, here is my Elf On A Shelf post. :) I wrote about Christmas Traditions not too long ago and decided to start the Elf On A Shelf tradition this year for M's first Christmas. We decided to use elves that we already had that are heirlooms from my husband's grandma that were passed on to her from her parents. We were so excited to honor her memory by using the elves as part of a new Christmas tradition with our daughter, who was also named after his grandmother (her middle name is also baby M's middle name).

Since baby M is too little to find the elves, we help her. I'll hide the elves one day and my husband will help M find them and then the next day he will hide them and I will help M find them. We didn't get too creative with it since we are late in the game. Next year we will get really into it since M will know more about what is going on.

Here are just a few of the elves hiding places. We still have many days until Christmas to think of some more ideas. Do you have any suggestions?

Wordless Wednesday 12/7 With LINKY

Christmas Traditions

This was one of my favorite gifts from "Santa". My kitchen set that I got when I was 5 or 6. 

Man, my parents look TIRED! I used to wake them up at the crack of dawn!

M's first Christmas is coming!!! Christmas has always been a magical time for me. While growing up, decorating the tree was my favorite time of the year. My mom always had us take a cheesy photo pretending to be hanging an ornament. I can't wait until M is old enough to do the same. My grandma always got me an advent calendar. It was so exciting to open a square each day to see what kind of chocolate I would get. We also opened one present every year on Christmas Eve. My family did the Santa tradition, even after I found out that it was my parents giving me the gifts. My mom laid out my gifts from Santa on the couch every year until I moved out. She even still has a stocking waiting for me every year when I arrive. Watching Christmas movies on the days leading up to Christmas has also become a tradition between my husband and I during our 6 Christmases together, A Christmas Story is always my favorite.

Top Parenting Blog Award Nominee - eCollege Finder

I am so honored to have been nominated for the Top Parenting Blog Award from eCollege Finder! eCollegeFinder, an established online education resource representing over 120 accredited online institutions, began hosting a series of Top Blogger Awards in early 2010. The winners of the awards are listed on our website to provide students with a pool of resources to help them get through their college years. Our goal in hosting the awards is to enrich students while giving high-quality blogs the recognition they deserve. You can view the awards we’ve given in the past at https://www.ecollegefinder.org/award-series.aspx.

Milestones!!!

November 9th was a big day for milestones for baby M! She will be 9 months in less than a week!!! She has been cruising around our furniture for about a week now. Today, she gave the back of her walker a try and pushed it and walked around the house! She also waived "hi" at me. Then, at the end of the day we were at my parent's house playing with the magnets on their fridge. She had a magnet in each hand and let go of the fridge and was just standing there, all on her own! She did this about 15 times for about 5-10 seconds at a time! Oh man, I have a feeling she will be walking in no time and I am not sure that I am ready!!!!

This week was anything but a wonder.... The Wonder Weeks: Week 37

Some of you may have been wondering where I have been this past week. I apologize for being MIA. I was in what has felt like the Twilight Zone..... I have been experiencing a "Wonder Week" with my 8 month old baby girl, M. What is a Wonder Week you ask? It can be summed up in 3 words. Hell. On. Earth!!!! jk, but all joking aside..... it has been one tough week (and counting) with my little one. The "Wonder Weeks" is a book written by Dr. Franz Plooij. I am the first person to be a sceptic when it comes to books about babies, their development, how to handle them, raise them, etc. It has been my feeling that the baby is the book (as stated in my previous blog post). So, what caught my attention about this one?

Terrible Teething! 10 Natural Remedies

Baby M recently added 2 pearly whites to her beautiful smile, aren't they cute? As she was going through the main few days of her teething pain, we were at a loss for what to do to help her since FDA has recently advised against teething pain relievers containing benzocaine (main ingredient in most over the counter teething gels). If you MUST use a teething gel, Baby Orajel has come out with a new naturals line that is alcohol, dye, and benzocaine free. I haven't tried it, I wanted to go the more natural route. But, I am interested to hear if anyone has tried it and liked it.

Here are a few pieces of advice that we were given that are natural ways (and by natural, I mean not drugs) to treat teething pain. I hope that you find them helpful.

1) Sophie the Giraffe by Vulli. Baby M has Sophie and loves her! She loves to chew on her face, neck and legs. The coloring on Sophie is made of all food ingredients. This is a toy that has been around for ages, and babies of many generations have loved her.

2) Raz-Berry Teether. This one is just a little too big for M's mouth, but she is learning to like it. The stimulating multi-textures help to soothe gums.

3) Cold Wash Cloths. We did not try this one yet, but I intend to when M is teething again.

4) Chilled, but never frozen teething rings and toys.

5) Amber teething necklaces and anklets. Many people swear by these. M has an anklet, I don't know if it was one of the things that helped or not, but it sure looked cute on her. It is said that baltic amber has natural healing powers.

6) Smart Mom's Teething Bling! This is a necklace that you can wear that has a teether on it that looks like a stone! You are in style, and baby has something to chew on that is safe. I wasn't going to try this at first because I didn't want M to think it was ok to grab and chew on jewelry, but she was doing it anyway - EVERY time she saw one on me or one of her Grandmas. So, I got one, she LOVES it! I wear it everyday. It gives her something to play with when I am carrying her around, it never gets dropped, and it looks good too.

7) Mesh feeder filled with frozen fruits and vegetables. I may try this one next time. M is now old enough to eat and taste solid foods. We have the mesh feeder too and she loves it, so why not?

8) Wooden teething toys. I don't know.... seems weird to me. Anyone tried it? My first thought is that I would be worried about her getting a splinter. lol.

9) Ice cubes (made with water or breast milk) made into a slushy. Hmmm.... maybe. This one didn't cross my mind as something to try.

10) Teething blanket. I don't know about your baby, but M LOVES to chew on her blankets. I got her a blanket meant for teething that has different textures on it to help sooth teething. She LOVES it.

Weekly Weigh In - Weeks 9-10

I lost 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I was a little bit more lax over the past 2 weeks. :( I still ate healthy and went on walks, but I wasn't tracking what I was eating or exercising much more than just going on walks. I am glad that I still lost, and I have now officially lost 20 pounds since I started weight watchers and 55 pounds since baby M was born. I only have 15 pounds left until I am at my pre-baby weight. I did finally buy myself some new jeans. I still never got that pedicure that I earned for meeting my ten pound goal. :( But, I did just get a night out with the girls this weekend that I had earned for my 15 pound goal and got a new pair of jeans to wear when we went out, which was my 20 pound goal reward. So, I do still owe myself a pedicure. I have 5 more pounds to lose before I get a shopping spree for some new clothes! Hopefully I will be down another size by then. I am right on the edge of being the next size down, in some brands I am, and in some brands I'm not. Hopefully by the time I lose the 5 pounds, I will be the size I want to be for my shopping spree, if not, I may change my goal to be that size before I spend money on clothes. 

It feels so good to be meeting my goals! I love that I am closer to my goal that I am to my heaviest weight. I am hoping to never be that size again, unless I get pregnant again, but that is not the plan. Even if I were to get pregnant again, I would try very hard to not let myself gain 70 pounds again. It has just not been fun trying to lose it all again. 

I think I may start doing Turbo Fire with a friend in the next week or so in order to kick start my workout routines. I didn't stick with the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred the way that I wanted to. It is just SO HARD! But, I know the results are worth it. I have a friend that is doing it that has lost 12 pounds in just a few weeks! What work out routines do you do that really work for you?

Sometimes raising a girl is TERRIFYING!

Last week, I came across the TV show Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC. In just the 30 minutes that it was on, I saw a 4 year old wearing fake boobs (as part of a Dolly Parton costume, but STILL), a 5 year old and a 9 year old wearing fake teeth, a 9 year old getting her eye brows waxed, and more. I could not believe my eyes. It is so hard to raise a little girl to find value in her personality, brain, humor, etc when society places so much emphasis on how she looks. A 2007 study by the American Psychological Association linked a premature emphasis on appearance with “three of the most common health problems of girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are parents like the mother and father of baby Storm, who sent out their baby's birth announcement without stating whether the baby was a boy or a girl. They plan to raise their baby without a gender. Not even their closest family members know the sex of the baby. Although I think this is an interesting idea, this kind of choice is just not for me. 

Whether we like it or not, we do live in this society. There are parts of it that we can embrace. I LOVE being a woman! I LOVED being a girl! I loved barbies, princesses dress up, and all things girly while growing up. So, naturally, I share those things that I love with my daughter. I am not a mom that avoids "cutesy" girly things. My daughter wears tutus, bows and pink and her room is decorated in a princess theme. I do take the time to tell her each day that she is pretty. I think that while there are some extremes to avoid, such as a 4 year old wearing fake boobs, I think it is still important to build up my daughter's self esteem by letting her know how beautiful she is, because there are girls who go their entire life without their mother ever telling them that they are pretty. But, I also take the time to let her know that she is smart, talented, fun, silly, etc. I compliment her on all of the amazing things about her. I try not to have the focus be on her looks, but on everything that is great about her.

When baby M is old enough to make her own decisions about what she wears, what activities she likes, etc, I will let her be the one to decide. If she wants to be a tomboy, I will support it. So far, it seems like she likes to be girly too. She is always playing with my necklaces, she loves it when I put them on her for photos, she loves to play with her tutus when she is wearing them. Until she tells me she doesn't like it, I am enjoying dressing her up and having fun, just within boundaries. I think the extremes that are seen on Toddlers and Tiaras are taking things just a little bit too far. I think that children should NEVER have their hair dyed, eye brows waxed, teeth whitened, wear make up (unless it is halloween or for play time), wear fake boobs etc. The amount of attention that is placed on looks and beauty in the pageant arena are just a little WAY too much for me.

What are your thoughts? How much emphasis should be placed on feminine things when raising a girl? Do you avoid gender specific things all together? Does your daughter wear dresses and bows? Does your daughter do pageants? What do you think about baby Storm's parent's decision?

Wordless Wednesday 9/7 with LINKY

Check out these other fun Wordless Wednesday posts below! Add your link to your Wordless Wednesday post as well. If you link up, please follow my blog and leave a comment 

and I will follow back! Have fun!

Weekly Weigh In - Weeks 6 & 7

Hello everyone! This week's Weekly Weigh In will be for 2 weeks, I missed last week's weigh in because we had a friend in town and took him up to the Alpine Slide, Zip Line and Alpine Coaster in Park City. It was an AMAZING time! I just didn't have my blog or my diet on my mind! I did pretty well to eat healthy foods while our friend was in town, but I will admit that I didn't take the time to track what I was eating. I also will admit that I didn't find time to work out in the midst of all of the fun we were having. This week I got back on track with writing down what I ate and tracking my points, but I didn't do much more to work out other than taking baby M for a few walks. 

I was expecting this week's weigh in to be like last week's, no loss and no gain. I was pleasantly surprised to get on the scale today and see that I lost 3.5 pounds and met my 15 pound goal! Yay! I never got my pedicure for meeting my last goal, but I did buy a new outfit for myself instead, so I will need to go and get a pedicure soon for meeting this goal, OR I might let myself get a new (well new to me, I usually shop at consignment shops for the bargain) pair of designer jeans! 

I tried on a pair of old jeans last night (my transition pants that I keep for when I am between my goal weight and my heavy weight). I had kept these jeans after I lost the weight last time because I was hoping to get pregnant some day and knew I would gain the weight back and would need my transition pants. I am sure glad I kept them! They are 2 sizes smaller than the pants that I bought post pregnancy when I finally gave in and bought "fat pants". (I was so tired of wearing maternity pants after my baby was 2 months old, so I gave in and bought pants that were 5 sizes bigger than my pants before I got pregnant, I gained 70 pounds  during my pregnancy). So, now I am happy to report that my fat pants are 2 sizes too big and now I fit into my transition pants!!!! Hopefully in a few short months I will fit into my skinny jeans! But, my transition pants were purchased in 2009 and are not really in style and are pretty worn out. So, I may just go and buy myself a pair of pants in this new size that are also in style so that I feel good about myself when I wear them, plus it'll be a reward for meeting my 15 pound goal!

Baby Signs

I think I am going to start teaching baby M sign language. She is 6 months old. I know it will take some time for her to pick it up, but once she does, how cool will that be? She will be able to tell me what she wants! I can't wait! This post is less informational, and more of a way for me to ask all of you for advice! When did you start teaching your baby sign language? How did you do it? What tools did you use? Did you decide not to do it? Why? How old was your little one when they did their first sign?

I asked for some advice on my facebook page and I purchased the "Baby Signing Time Volume 1" DVD. Has anyone used this? I have watched it once with baby M. I plan to use this as a tool to teach myself and to entertain her and help to teach her. But, I also plan to use the signs in our every day life as well.
Wish me luck! If she likes this DVD, I may just get the whole set.

Weekly Weigh In - Week 4

Sorry to be posting this a little later than usual today. It was my best friend's daughter's first birthday and then my cousin's daughter's first birthday as well! So, we had 2 parties to go to with a 6 month old along for the ride, so it was a very busy day. Even with all the cake, ice cream and chips in sight.... I was a good girl and stayed on track with my diet plan.
I have 3 things to report that I am very PROUD of.... I lost 2 pounds, and I met my 10 pound goal (one of my 5 long term goals in which I will reward myself). So, I will be getting a pedicure soon as my reward! Yay! After my bad week last week of losing no weight and actually gaining a half a pound, this was a nice change! The third thing that I am proud to report is that I actually started the Jillian Michaels DVD workout that I have been promising to start. To put it lightly, it kicked my @$$! It was only a 30 minute work out, but I felt that soreness instantly, it didn't even take 20 minutes to set in. I had a hard time even picking up my baby and it took everything in me not to throw up. But, it was easier the 2nd time. I only did the workout twice this week. I was too sore the next day to do it, then I did it again, and then my week got away from me after that. I will try to do it more next week. 

My 3 goals for last week were:

1. START the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. ✓

2. Earn 15 activity points. ✓

3. Try a new weight watchers recipe - only half way did this. I tried a weight watchers recipe, but it was not a new one. It was one that I used last time I was on the plan. It was brown rice, soy sauce, a scrambled egg using egg beaters, and broccoli. It was only 4 points for dinner, and I got to have chinese food. But, it wasn't a new recipe, so I did not meet that goal. :( 

This week's 3 goals/action plan:

1. Do the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout at least 3 times

2. Earn 18 activity points

3. Try a new weight watchers recipe - FOR REAL THIS TIME

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Dear M,

Dear M,

6 months ago today, you made me whole. I can't even begin to describe the feeling I had when they placed you in my arms. Relief (that birth was over that you were ok), joy, pain (man it physically hurt to bring you here), excitement, fear, thankfulness..... I think I felt every emotion all in a rush and all at once. Since then, I have also felt every emotion. Relief after your first sickness was over, joy from just looking at you, pain when we had to stop breastfeeding, excitement to see you reach milestones, fear that something might hurt you, thankfulness to God every single time I look at you. Every inch of you is perfect, your hands, your eyes, your big bright smile, your sweet little feet, that adorable giggle.... I am still in awe that God would trust me with such a beautiful life. I wish that I could always keep you safe and protect you from the world. I wish that I could invent some way to make sure that you would never get sick, never have your feelings hurt, and always be protected from harm. That is one thing that was nice about being pregnant with you, I knew that you were always protected from this ugly world. But, then you came into the world, and it wasn't such an ugly place. You make my world bright. You give me a reason to be. It all makes sense now. Everything I ever questioned is answered just by looking at your sweet little face. I want you to know, now and forever that your mommy loves you with all that she is. I will always love you.
Over the past 6 months you have learned to smile, grab toys, play, roll over, sit up on your own, sleep through the night, laugh, sing (yes sing.... it is the sweetest thing ever), stand with support, and so many other things. Over the next 6 months you will probably learn to crawl, say mama (oh it will be the best day of my life other than the day you were born), say dada, and maybe even walk. Watching you grow and learn has been my greatest privilege. Over the past 6 months you have taught me what true selfless love is, to trust myself, to laugh at myself, to let go of all inhibitions and just be a big goof ball, and most importantly.... to be a mother. You are my greatest gift. I thank God every day for you. I wanted you for so long. I always felt like something was missing, that I was not whole. Then, when I looked at that pregnancy test and saw those 2 lines.... that was it. The void was filled. I was a mother, and I thank you my baby M for giving me that. I love you and cannot wait to see what amazing adventures are ahead for the next 6 months. Before we know it, we will be throwing the biggest 1st birthday party the world has ever seen. :)

Love,
Mom

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Weekly Weigh In - Week 3

The day that I feared is here! I knew when I decided the blog about my journey to lose the baby weight that I would have a day that I weighed in with over 220 people reading where I would have to tell you all that I did not lose weight this week. Not only did I not lose..... but I gained a half a pound! I know that this happens, and I am trying not to be down about it. Yes, I stuck to my diet plan and stayed within my points (I am on Weight Watchers). But, I did not work out or really get a lot of activity in at all. I didn't pack snacks and made some less than desirable choices while out and about when I got hungry. I also started a new birth control this week. It was also quite a stressful week due to some family issues that were out of my control. So, I am trying not to be too hard on myself. I am starting fresh tomorrow. It is a new week with many possibilities.

Last time I was on Weight Watchers and lost 30 pounds, I found that setting long term goals for myself with rewards for each goal met, writing down my top ten reasons that I want to lose weight, and setting weekly goals for myself really helped me to stay on track and keep myself motivated. So, here it goes....

5 Long Term Goals & Rewards

1. Lose 10% of my body weight - New Make-up. Goal met last week, reward was purchased yesterday. 

2. Lose 10 Pounds - pedicure

3. Lose 15 Pounds - night out with the girls

4. Lose 20 Pounds - new jeans

5. Lose 25 Pounds - $$ Shopping spree for some new clothes 

Ten reasons I want need to lose the baby weight

1. Confidence

2. To fit into my old clothes

3. To feel like myself when I look in the mirror

4. To feel pretty again

5. To sleep more comfortably

6. To be more healthy

7. Sense of accomplishment

8. To prove to others that I can do this

9. So that I don't look like an idiot to my blog readers for giving up

10. To set a healthy example for my daughter

This week's 3 goals/action plan

1. START the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I have been saying I would start this for 3 weeks now! I just need to DO IT!!!!!!!

2. Earn 15 activity points

3. Try a new weight watchers recipe

From now on, as I meet one of my long term goals, I will let you know. I will also show off my reward for meeting that goal so that I am sure to actually get myself the reward. So often as a mom, I forget to do things for myself every now and then! I will set new weekly goals each week, and will let you know on the following week if I met my goal. 

So, here is a picture of the make up that I rewarded myself with for meeting my 10% goal. I got a great deal at Ulta! I got $75 worth of free make up with a $17.50 purchase! I love a good bargain! So, I spent $18, and got almost $100 worth of make up!

You can get the same deal HERE

Here is a quote for this week to keep myself motivated. I will remind myself of it each time that I need a little encouragement.

"Start doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you'll be doing the impossible!"

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Weekly Weigh In - Week 2

I did it, I stuck to my plan for another week, and.... drumroll..... LOST 3 POUNDS! That brings me to a grand total of 7 pounds lost on Weight Watchers in just 2 weeks. I am loving this! Only 28 more pounds to go before I am at my pre-baby weight. That may seem like a lot, but I gained 70 total during my pregnancy, so I am more than half way to my goal! Yay!

I did say that I was going to start the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred last week, and I will be honest. I didn't start yet. I threw a baby shower this weekend for my sister, I had some part time work from home to get done, and was busy with the 100 Follower Giveaway here on this blog. Excuses, excuses I know! That is why I am blogging this weight loss journey in front of all 191 of you. I want to keep myself accountable. I know that if I have to tell almost 200 people that I didn't do what I said I would do, or wasn't on track with my diet, that I am more likely to stick to it.

I had some moments where I wanted to give in, like when the cup cakes at my sister's baby shower were staring me in the face. But, I did it! I resisted and it was worth it. :) I had another successful weigh in day today!

Check back soon! I will be posting pictures of the awesome baby shower that I threw for my sister. I made a diaper cake and a lot of the decorations all by myself. I was so proud. :)

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Help Bring Melissa Home - A Sibling For Silly Lily

My good friends Robert and Carli are in the process of adopting a 6-year old angel with Cerebral Palsy from Eastern Europe. Because of her age and CP, Melissa is facing a lifetime in a mental institution. They are working hard to make sure that she is welcomed into their loving family and home instead!

Please go and "like" their facebook page, follow their blog, share all their links, enter their giveaway, and DONATE to help bring Melissa home and make her a sibling for Silly Lily.



Grab This!
While you're here, enter my 100 Follower Giveaway! Ends 7/27

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Weekly Weigh In - Week 1

Happy 24th of July!!! For those of you that do not know, this is a HUGE holiday in Utah! It's "Pioneer Day", the day that the mormon pioneers came to Utah. Now, I am not mormon, but it is a state holiday, so it is fun to celebrate. I don't have any big plans this year though.

I decided as a way to keep myself accountable on my journey to lose the baby weight, I would weigh in each week... in front of all 138 (as of right now) of you! That is motivation right? Well, on a weigh in day like today, I have no trouble making that commitment, I lost weight on the first week back on weight watchers! I am sure somewhere in the months ahead where I have a week where I gained or maintained, I might not be so happy that I promised to do this. But, when I wrote my "Time to Lose the Baby Weight" post 2 weeks ago, I said I would keep you all posted about my progress. Maybe down the road I will post my "before" picture, but not until I don't look like that anymore. :) Like I said in the previous post, I gained 70 pounds during my pregnancy, so I am not ready to show that picture just yet. But, here is one from the end of my pregnancy:

Here is a pic of when I lost the weight on WW in 2009, it will be another "goal" pic to keep me motivated. Isn't my puppy cute? Dang, the pic above and this pic don't even look like the same person! This is NOT a pic of me right now, this is my motivation picture that I will look at to keep me going. 

So far, I am liking the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program. I did WW before in 2009. I gained 25 pounds while my husband was deployed to Iraq and after he came home (welcoming home a combat veteran can be a little stressful, food was a nice coping mechanism.... until I got fat. lol), and lost 30 using WW! The new program is even better ! My favorite part is that fruits are 0 points. Also, it isn't calculating the points based on calories, but on fat, carbs, fiber and protein! I like the new changes and think it is going to be a great plan for me this time around as well.

So here it is, my weekly weigh in, I lost 4 pounds this week! I was pleasantly surprised since I wasn't able to start working out the way that I wanted to since my little M got sick for the first time. She had a terrible stomach bug and was throwing up everything for days. I was so concerned about her getting dehydrated and losing weight and not getting the nutrition that she needs. But, I am also happy to report that she is doing better and starting to eat normally and keep it all down.

Next week, I will start the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I hope that it helps to accelerate the weight loss and help me to get back some of that muscle tone that I have NONE of.

Hey, while you are here, you should enter my 100 Followers Giveaway. There are some AMAZING prizes (cloth diaper, wrap, jewelry, Scentsy, baby photography props, knitted baby hats, tutu, bow, & decorative frame.... just a few). What can I say, when I do it, I do it BIG! 7 Giveaways for the kick off. Not bad right? These are all low entry too, so you will have a good chance to win. Ends 7/27.

Click HERE to link to the giveaways. 

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Baby's Online Presence

This seems to be a pretty controversial subject these days! How, when, or if you should post photos of your baby online, whether it be on facebook, your blog, google+, or any other social networking site. I am in no way judging what another mom does as right or wrong. I will just state how I handle this delicate situation, and honestly want to know what all of you think about it.
 I believe with the right privacy settings, there can be a safe way to share photos and video of your little one with your family and friends. But, where do you draw the line? Do you have photos of your baby on your public blog? Do you have photos on your facebook or other profile that are not private and only for friends to see? Do you enter your baby into cute baby contests and show their picture to the world?
My stance has been to have photos and video of baby M on my private blog and on my facebook and google+ page for invited friends and family members to see. Also, before I post photos of my friend's babies that I know do not want their baby to have an online presence (or if I am not sure of their stance), I ask for permission. On this public blog, I do not ever state her name or show a picture with her face. I have shown photos of her in her cloth diapers, but not with her face showing. It is so temping to want to show all of you my daughters AMAZINGLY ADORABLE face, trust me, you would all love her! But, I don't feel safe sharing her with people that I do not know personally. I also do not feel that it is fair to post her photos in places where she may come up in a google search and create an online presence for her before she has the chance to say whether or not she wants one. Is putting them up on my private sites even crossing the line then if I want her to have a choice in the matter? But, it is so fun to show her off and brag about how adorable she is. It's also a great way to give my mom and other people interested in the play by play of our life at home a little taste of all of the cute things that she does each day.
When I was pregnant, I shared a few ultrasound photos and pictures of my belly on my public blog. But, when baby was born, I changed that blog to private. Should I have done it even sooner and not have shown her ultrasound photos? I also had my blogger profile picture as a picture of me and M, and recently just changed it.
How do I handle it with other people who want to post photos of our babies together, or of themselves with my baby? Do I ask them to change their privacy settings and only let people know we both know see the photo? Do I ask them not to put the pictures up at all? Do I trust their judgement? This is something I am legitimately asking because I do not know how to handle this situation without offending anyone but continuing to protect my daughter in the way that I think she needs to be protected.

What is your stance on baby's online presence? Does your baby have one? Are your baby's photos public? Why did you decide to make the choice to keep baby's photos public or private?

Time to lose the baby weight

Here is a picture of me... when I was just 8 weeks pregnant (before I gained any weight). I'll just admit it, I gained 70 pounds while little M was growing inside of me. I know it's hard not to compare to friends, but one of my best friends just had her little girl and she only gained 20 when she was pregnant! She is already (just 2 weeks later) back in her normal pants, not a stretch mark in sight! My other best friend gained 40, and was back to her great and fit body in just 2 months. Here I am, on M's 5 month birthday. I have lost 35 pounds. I lost that in the first 2 weeks. Since then, I have been at the same weight! I go walking every day that the weather permits (crazy UT weather lately, lots of storms). I have been somewhat watching what I eat.

For those of you that know me, you know that I lost 30 pounds on weight watchers in 2009. I think it looks like I am headed down that road again. I can't continue to look in the mirror and see this other person that is looking back at me. I still look pregnant! When M was 2 months old, I actually got asked by a stranger if I was expecting. I can't keep going out in public with people thinking that I am still pregnant! Something needs to change. I need to get motivated! 

What worked for all of you that have lost weight? (Suggestions need to be vegetarian friendly)

I think my goal will be to lose the extra 35 pounds by M's first birthday. Do you think I can do it?