Halloween Days

I love Halloween. I love the fact that kids dress up and beg for candy only to have their parents steal it. I love that adults dress up in idiotic costumes and aren't embarrassed. I love that you can be whoever you want to be for one day of the year no matter how stupid you may look. I love all the candy and cookies and cupcakes and Carmel and black frosting that gets everywhere. I love spending time with families and the cool weather that comes in with a little eeriness to it. But I think this Halloween will be really fun because Jackson is getting to an age that he actually enjoys the holidays. He loves pumpkins, and lights. He wants me to go and look at these fake pumpkins that we have in the entry way all day every day. He is too scared to go alone but he loves looking at them. He likes to dress up now, even though I can't get him to keep his pirate hat on.

On Monday our family spent the night carving pumpkins which is one of my favorite Halloween traditions. It reminds me of my dad sitting in our garage cleaning out 5 huge pumpkins for our family to carve because lets face it, the cleaning part is the worst. Thankfully I married a man that isn't into the carving but doesn't mind the cleaning so we make a good team. When Brandon and I first started dating one of our first dates was carving pumpkins with a group of friends. He wasn't too good at the carving so I of course had to fix his pumpkin and then he of course took all the credit. SUCH A MAN THING TO DO, LOL. I didn't care because I was already falling for him.

Jackson isn't too into the gutting either. He did not like the guts with the dispersed pumpkin seeds and refused to even touch the stuff. But he really enjoyed seeing all the pumpkins lit up at the end. We even talked my mom's boyfriend Derek into carving a pumpkin and let me tell you he had a great time. There is something about kids and family that makes everyone want to join in the fun.

I tried making an Edward pumpkin but he looks a little goofy.

Week 6: Weight Update

6 weeks post pregnancy and I am finally cleared to workout again. I have really been feeling the itch to get to the gym or go running (and I actually hate running). This week went really well eating wise. I learned new steps toward moderation like eating a snack bag of chips rather than directly from a big bag, or snacking on apples instead of candy; which is difficult during this time of the year. Anyways, it seems to be working because I dropped 3lbs this past week! Yeah for me! Here are the figures:

Last weeks weight: 138
This week: 135
Goal weight: 120

15lbs to go and only 5lbs to go to get to my pre-pregnancy weight.

I rewarded myself on my 5lb goal with a some clothes, I know I just said 1 shirt but I couldn't decide and the cooler weather inspired me to buy a cute jacket too. Oh well, at least I reached 1 goal before I did the shopping!

Holiday Family Photo Session

Hey there, if anyone in the AZ area is interested in taking some family photos before the holidays I am going to be doing a mini session on Nov 14th. It will cost $20 and take around 20 minutes/family. You will get all the images on a cd with the rights as well as the option for a holiday card especially designed for you. Email me or post a comment if you are interested. To check out more pictures look at my photography blog: stokerphotography.blogspot.com

WELCOME HOLIDAY SEASON!

Wiggly Lizzy

Today was the first day we took Elizabeth to church and she looked so sweet in her poka-dot dress and little flower bow. She was a big hit, even though she sleep through most of it. She is like my little doll that I can dress up and cuddle all day. We have learned more about her personality lately, so I thought I would give you all an update. She sleeps pretty well at night and is awake for a lot of the day now. I love that she sleeps with her hand under her chin, like she is thinking really hard about something. When she is awake she is really wiggly, always looking around and squirming. At first I thought it was just tummy trouble but now I notice that it is all the time when she is awake. She is getting stronger too, she likes to push her feet against things (our laps, the couch, whatever she can.) I really think she is just a mover ready to go. She is also very serious too. She makes frown faces when I tickle her or make funny faces at her and she seems to always be contemplating the world around her. She does let a smile sneak out now and then, especially when she is sleeping.

Fluctuating

Like almost every adult female my weight fluctuates every day. Over the years I have contemplated why this is. First there is water weight which can vary from 3-5lbs every day (uncontrollable because I need to drink lots of water to lose weight). Second, my diet has more to do with my current weight than my exercise routine. Let me explain. Some people can eat whatever they want as long as they work out. I on the other hand need to eat sensibly and I will lose weight even without working out. Exercising just helps me ensure that I am maintaining muscle while I lose the fat. Now when I say sensibly I am not talking about starvation diets, just eating more veggies and fruits and less fat and sugar. Therefore I have decided that my weight is an 80:20 ratio. 80% of losing weight is eating right and 20% is working out. Since I still can't exercise for another week I have really tried to focus on eating right in order to reach my goal.

PROBLEM: I didn't eat bad when I was pregnant but I didn't limit myself either. If I wanted ice cream I ate it, cheetos I ate them, whatever I felt like I ate it. Thankfully I happen to crave a lot of healthy foods but chips and sweets do creep in. Now that I am not pregnant I have been trying to get back to my old habits but the new habits are proving hard to overcome. For example the other night I was really hungry and was trying to decide what I wanted to eat. My first instinct was chips. Now I have never been much of a chip eater (other than tortilla with salsa now and then) but when I was pregnant I craved them all the time. I have to tell you I wanted them. The bag was staring me down, open, calling my name. But I resisted and opted for a small bowl of raisin bran. Now it is not vegetables or a piece of fruit but better than chips so I am calling it a victory for now.

Back to the GOAL:
Pre-pregnancy weight: 130lb
Starting weight at end of pregnancy: 160lbs
Last weeks weight: 140lbs
This weeks weight: 138lbs
Goal weight: 120lbs

Just 18lbs to go in only 10 weeks, I need to focus and get more serious.

4 weeks = 1 month

Elizabeth is already over 1 month old! This first month has flown by. She is getting bigger (now over 8lbs), eating every 4-5 hours, sleeping at night, and focusing her eyes during the day. Her little personality is showing through. She loves sleeping in her bassinet during the night but not during the day. She likes laying on the couch and hates being put in her car seat. When she is awake she prefers to be held which really makes me wish I had 3 arms. She likes to snuggle in the morning, and is pretty serious with frown wrinkles on her forehead, even when she sleeps. I think she is contemplating the meaning of life in this new world. She only cries when she is hungry or if she is bored. And she hates being on her tummy for more than 5 minutes. She is holding her head up on her own now, smiles at her daddy and she still makes little cooing sounds in her sleep. Sometimes she looks just like Jackson with her eyes big and wide. My mom says she looks like a little old man but she is becoming more and more beautiful every day. She has big blue eyes that I am sure will change to brown eventually, light brown hair, and the softest, olive skin with no baby breakouts. She is a very sweet baby and we are loving every minute we have with her.


PROJECT: I was watching Martha Stewart one day and she had this great idea to take a picture of the baby every month in a 1 year onesie. This way you can monitor her growth and you have a great collection of pictures at the end of the year. Here is her first picture. When the year is over I am going to take them all and have them matted and framed to hang on her wall. Notice the brown and pink outfit matches her room decor :)

18 Months

Jackson is officially a year and a half now. He can go into the nursery at church all by himself, he is talking, walking, running, throwing, crying, showing, and everything that a 1 year old does. But he is growing up, right before my eyes and I can see the little boy he has become. He can be a pill at times but he is my son and I have loved getting to know him and learning his little personality over the past 18 months. I am so proud of him every day and so blessed to have him in my life. One of the best parts about being a mother is watching your children learn and knowing that you had something to do with it. Jackson is so smart and helpful, he is a great big brother already always being attentive to what Elizabeth needs. He gives great pucker kisses, sleeps like a champ, and is always willing to be tickled and tackled. I love listening to him talk to his stuffed animals in the morning, and watching him use a fork and spoon because he is so proud of himself. But the best part of my day is when I put him down to bed. We read some books (which he picks out himself, and it is a different book every night), he sits on my lap, gives me kisses, says a prayer with me, and then I lay him down to sleep and he waves bye bye. His laugh lights up the room and I think he gets cuter and cuter every day. He is such a sweet boy and I love him more every day.

Family Update

Everything is going great in the Stoker family right now. Brandon started his new job this week and he is really enjoying the company which is a relief. It is kind of sad because he has been home so much over the last year that I am missing him during the day, but when he gets home from work he has been more loving so I like that. Elizabeth is growing and becoming more beautiful every day. She is opening her eyes more now, can hold her head up, and I even caught a hint of a smile yesterday. She is also sleeping much better, although she prefers to sleep on our bed rather than in her own. Last night she went to sleep at 11:30pm woke up at 4:30am and then again at 9am. What a good girl! I have been so blessed to have good sleeping babies. I think that Jackson's sleep schedule has been the biggest factor in contributing to an easy transition since he still sleeps from 9:30pm to 10am every night. (Actually right now it is 10:40am and he is still asleep).

Jack is such a good little boy too. He is getting more acclimated to Elizabeth and even gives her kisses on her head now. He still acts up now and then, especially during feeding time, but for the most part he is a really good big brother. Yesterday we went to a playgroup at this place called My Gym. It is an indoor gym for little kids with mats, a balance beam, a ball pit, and all kinds of other fun equipment. He had a blast playing with the other kids and with the gym workers.

He is even talking more now which is a relief, the kid can throw a ball 10 feet but the language development is still coming about. The other day he figured out how to use my camera and decided to take a self portrait which I thought was pretty funny. What a great family I have, I am so blessed.Not the most flattering picture but hey, he took it all by himself.

Year End Goals

Elizabeth is thriving. She can hold her head up now, is more awake during the day, sleeps pretty good through the night, and even gives us hints of a smile now and then. She is beautiful and I am just glad that she is here and I am not pregnant anymore. Even though I am nursing, I am excited to get my body back. I still have 2 1/2 weeks before I can exercise which has been hard to resist but I am ready to set my post pregnancy goals. We are planning on having family pictures taken this Christmas with Brandon's whole family so that is my weight loss goal. Last time we had pictures taken I was 6 months pregnant with Jackson and I HATE that picture because I don't look pregnant I just look fat. (Brandon agrees, haha) So this time I am determined to look good. I gained 30lbs with Elizabeth and have already lost 20 thanks to nursing (burning 500 calories a day is nice). My goal is to lose another 20lbs by Christmas. I know, most of you are probably thinking losing weight this time of the year is impossible with all the yummy Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas treats but I am going to do it. I will monitor my progress on the blog each week in order to keep myself motivated. I am also motivating myself with clothes because I LOVE SHOPPING. After the first 5 I get a new shirt, the first 10 I get a new pair of pants and at my goal I get an entire new outfit. Hopefully I will meet my goal and have a little self control but only time will tell.

Loving My Life

I have to admit that lately I have felt a little overwhelmed being a new mom again with a 1 1/2 year old attached to my hip. It comes in waves, just when I think that I am on top of things there is a set back and I realize that this is a learning experience. Today was an especially hard day. Here I am trying to watch conference while I have Jackson screaming at me and Lizzy crying because she is hungry. I swear when it rains it pours. Then I get this great idea to go to the storage unit to get a few things like clothing that I can wear again and baby stuff and all this while taking both kids with me. Well I finally get them in the car (which happens to take an extra 15 minutes now) when the garage opener won't work so I can't get the garage door open. Therefor I have to unstrap the kids, truck them back inside, and have someone help me get the door open. Then when I get to the storage unit all my stuff is in the back other than the stuff I can't get out because it is totally stuck where I can't reach and Jackson is crying because I am more than 5 feet from him.

When I finally think I can't take anymore crying and whining we get back in the car and make the drive home when a sudden sense of peace comes over me. It is sunny outside, I am listening to my favorite Weezer cd, Lizzy is fast asleep in the back, and Jackson is talking to me at a reasonable level and I realize that I can't let little things get me down because I have a great life. Once I let go of my rising anger level I gained more patience and the rest of the day was wonderful. I am so lucky to have my family, my husband, my children, and the church to guide me in my decisions. There are little blessings hiding in every situation, it is our job to step back and find them.

Coloring with washable markers because he still eats the crayons.

Elizabeth enjoying an early evening nap on mom and dad's bed.

(Jack and Lizzy enjoying some tummy time)