Poop

Yes.  I said it.  And my son Jacob is full of it.  I even have an X-Ray to prove it. 

The portion I circled in red is pretty much a picture of a very, very clogged up little boy.  Last week Jacob was just not a happy camper.  So, on Friday (after a week of sleepless nights) I decided to take him to see what was wrong with the little guy.  Thankfully, I finally got one who didn't just blow me off and decided to do a full check.  He ran bloodwork and did a chest/belly X-Ray to be able to get a full picture. 

Jacob typically goes three times a day (small amounts in proportion to the amout of food he eats), so I didn't even think constipation was a concern.  I am very thankful for the Dr checking everything.  We've been feeding prunes, peaches, pears and lots of those juices to try to get him flushed out. Feeding him less has lessened the pressure on his bowels as well and he's sleeping and feeling MUCH better.  However, he still needs to get rid of all that junk that is stuck in there. 

This really is a call for prayer, because I fear this has been his problem all along.  I've taken him in twice to see different Doctors because he has gone a week or more without pooping.  They all assured me this was normal and that it wasn't something to be concerned with.  But obviously, by looking above, you can see that it's NOT normal and hasn't just worked itself out.  I am going to take him in on Monday and force his Doctor on base to do every test possible to make sure his colon is working properly.  Please pray that whatever it is (if anything) is a simple, easy fix and doesn't require any surgery. 

Two Recent Crafts!

Megan recently introduced me to pintrest.com.  If you haven't heard of it, don't do it.  It's another Facebook thing that will suck all of your time away.  However, I love it and am glad I'm on it :)  Basically, anytime you are on a web-page and you like something you "pin it" and it categorizes it for you.  You can see other people's pins and follow the link to where they found it.  Here are two projects I found all thanks to pintrest.com!

This one was very easy.  You take two styrofoam circles, cut them in half, glue them together, then wrap it in fabric.  I painted the wooden "K" then attached it with a very thin wire.  Easy, easy!  And cute I must say!  I've made one for my mom and my sister as well. 

I am hosting a baby shower this weekend and wanted to do something that I could use later (and because Connor's walls are bare).  These are no sew pendents and were easier than I thought.  The hardest part was picking out the fabric because there are just way too many choices! 

I just used ribbon, about a half a yard of fabric (or less), and fabric glue.  I made a template (I did 4" accross and 5" down) out of paper, then just pinned it on the fabric while I cut it out.  I used pinking shears so that I didn't have to be perfect with my cuts.  Then glued them on (making sure that I didn't glue the carpet again!).  Cute, cute, cute! I might just fill the whole house with these! 

Another Weight Loss Update

So, I'm sorry that I keep posting about this, but this is my accountability check!  I like to have positive news to report and since I don't go to meetings or anything, you get to get excited about it with me :)  Let's just say...I'm taking things slow.  So, my current weight is:

144.5

That's down just 4.5 pounds from the last post in March, but I'm finally at my "I will be happy if I'm..." weight.  I would still like to lose another 10 (that would get me to pre-baby weight), but for now...I'm happy that the numbers are still going down and 20 pounds are gone forever, however slowly that's happening. 

Last week I had a BIG reality check.  Jacob only gained 6 oz in a month.  YIKES.  That either means I wasn't eating enough calories, drinking enough water or wasn't feeding him enough solids to keep up with his rapidly growing body.  So, I decided to put Jacob first and not stress about these last 10 pounds until I'm through nursing.  The boy needs to grow! 

Not everything in life is easy and trying to lose weight while nursing is one of those things.   I must remind myself that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and that I shouldn't judge myself by the world's standards, but rather God's.  Slowly but surely, I am learning to embrace my motherly body, love a.k.a. stretch marks, and dark circles..because when I look at my two boys, each pound is so worth all the joy they bring!

Potty Training For Dummies

...and the dummy would be me.  We bought Connor a potty back in February and he's been using it since then.  It's a Baby Bjorn brand and is PERFECT for little boys because it has a splash guard that is attached to the basin (most it's separate and can pinch precious parts). 

However, he had NO motivation to hold it or didn't even care to try.  Two weeks ago, Connor took off his own pants, and decided to poop on the potty.  Well, my friends, I decided that it was time to push him to finally ditch the diaper and join the big boy club. 

So, the first week I flailed.  He made messes, decided to poop in his pants, and just made a complete mess.  After about a week, I changed tactics.

We took a trip to the BX and picked out a jar and candy.  He got 2 M&M's for pee-pee and suckers for poop. 

The BIG prize was this Mack truck.  He's been eyeballing this thing for a while!  The first night he expected us to give in.  Once he realized that crying was not going to work, he got busy.  The next day, it was poop on the potty with the words "Poop for Mack!" Pretty cute :) 

We came home and made a countdown (7 days). The goal was for him to go a full week and try out his new skill at church. The days he pooped on the potty, we circles the number.  Before bed, we would put an X over the day so he could see how much closer he was to the final prize.  He got pretty excited to make the circle on the paper everyday! 

We also made sure to load up his "underwear" drawer (which has been filled with diapers) with plenty of Thomas the Tank Engine & Lightening McQueen undies.

Somebody got caught on the potty!  Oops!  But, I need to brag a bit.  My almost 2.5 year old knows how to point down (hence the hand over the privates).  Yes, that is an amazing accomplishment and saves me daily floor scrubs!

Showing off his success!  He made it to church wearing his big boy undies! 

Proud new Mack owner!  He worked hard-he deserves his gift! 

I'm sure he'll make a few messes here and there and that's ok with me.  I am sad that he's growing up, but excited that I have half of the diapers to wash!  Congrats Connor on this BIG mile stone. 

My Husband Does Amazing Work!

We FINALLY got our headboard up and it looks great!  I found these plans on http://ana-white.com/, so if you want to do this yourself, just follow the instructions on the site.  Here is my awesome husband at work!

Lining everything up to make the cuts.

Setting out the frame. 

Finished!  Pre-stain look.

I used dark walnut stain and polycrylic.

Letting it dry out!

Bolted down and ready to use! 

I am so excited about how it turned out!

Marathon Momma?

Well-it's official.  December 4, 2011 I will officially be a marathoner.  The race of choice is the Dallas White Rock Marathon.  Can you believe it?  I can't either.  But, I AM SO READY TO DO THIS!  The best part, is that my best friend and I will be doing it together.  It seems odd to think about my running resume and see that I am a 2 time 1/2 Marathon Finisher, countless 5K's, 1 10K and will add marathon to that list.  I don't see myself as much of a big-time runner, but when you look at that, it makes you think I am.  I'm sneaky like that. 

But let's be honest.  I'm nervous.  How am I going to tackle 15-20 mile training runs on weekends, in the winter in Minot, ND?  I know I will make it work, but that worries me.  I am also facing a move mid-training and James has a 2 week cross country drive planned out for us.  How am I going to fight my demons all alone?  What if James can't take leave for the race?  The list goes on and on. 

I recently started reading a book called "Run Like a Mother" by Dimity McDowell & Sarah Shea.  They are hilarious!  Reading the book makes me think of me & Megan.  One runs for time, one runs to finish.  One likes to dress cute for her runs, one doesn't.  There is a quote in the book that reminds me why I run.  Why I will get myself out of bed and face the freezing cold.  Why I will push myself to the limit physically and mentally.  Here goes: 

"For an overstressed, overtired, overextended mother, there are few other sensations that rival a delicious run.  Once the sweat starts running down my temples, I daydream, analyze, smile, wonder, channel something cosmic.  I feel alive and, perhaps most importantly, like myself again." 

How beautiful is that?  To end with I feel like myself again?  Doesn't this sound familiar?  Running makes me feel alive.  Free.  Beautiful.  Powerful.  Passionate.  Alone. 

So, Megan Preston, let's do this in a big way.  Let's leave everything out on the course and throw all caution to the wind.  Let's become members of an elite group that call themselves MARATHONERS!