Lost It!!

:) Down five pounds in week one! Yay! Although I ended up having pizza for lunch today. Hopefully the rest of this week will be better!!

Lose It!

Thanks for all of your thoughts on the exercise thing. I was actually really relieved to hear that I should NOT sacrifice sleep. I wondered if I was just being a wuss. But it really feels like giving up even an extra 30 minutes of sleep is just too much. So I'm going to try some of the other ideas you've given me and see how I do! At the very least I can get out and go for a walk most days. I just need to make that happen.

In other news, I read about a new website on this blog and decided to try it. Turns out, I love it! I've been using it for 2 whole days now and I'm hooked! Lose It! is free and it totals up your calorie intake for the day. I like that it lets me know how many I have consumed and how much I have left to make planning future meals a little easier. And I really like the fact that you add friends and can see each other's meals and calories and goals, etc. It's a great way for friends to keep each other motivated and get ideas on workouts and foods that your peers are eating and doing that are working for them. Also, there's an app. I love apps. But I especially love this one so if I'm out and about I can enter in what I've eaten before I forget! Awesome.

So if anyone else is working on losing some poundage, join and add me! mckennaralls at hotmail dot com. Because right now, I have one friend. And that's just sad. And I need the motivation. Really!!

Sick of reading about my kids???

The you can read about ME!! :) So guess how much I weigh. No...don't. It would probably make me cry. But I'll tell you this. It's waaaaaaay more than the last time I posted about losing weight! Ugh.

It's my own fault, I know. No real excuses. Reasons, sure. But excuses? No. The gain is simply because I stopped eating healthfully and wasn't being active. Lame. My reasons are pretty good ones. Some medical, mostly emotional. But the truth is, those "good" reasons are NOT excuses. And I need to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle, even when life gets tough. Really tough.

Now that life has calmed down again I am getting back on track. I bought myself a great cookbook with super healthy recipes. They are fast and easy and delicious, so far. And I'd say for a busy mom of three, the most important things are that it's quick for me, and yummy for the family.

The whole family agreed to make the change this time around. We are all trying to make healthier choices. We've taken a few walks together and everyone is choosing healthier snacks. Jason even gave up soda entirely!! All of which is helping me to get it together.

Now, eating healthy is always easy for me. I just have to make the effort to plan meals, make a grocery list, and COOK. But if I put in that little bit of effort, I really ENJOY eating healthy. My problem comes to exercise!! First off, I don't love it. I love how I feel after, but I have a really hard time getting myself started. And then sticking with an entire workout when I'm sweaty and exhausted.

But right now, I think the bigger problem is TRADE. I have to trade something for exercise. And trade means sacrifice. I'm just not sure what I'm willing to give up right now. You see, in order to get a workout in each day I have to make time. I can either do it early in the morning before the fam wakes up, or I can try to do it later. Early in the morning means I'm sacrificing sleep. And sleep is a VERY, VERY precious commodity right now. I'm already not getting anywhere near enough. Five or six hours of broken sleep a night, on average. And naps for mom are RARE.

So I sacrifice sleep, or I don't. Which means that I sleep in a little and get up with the kids. Then I'm busy getting everyone else ready and going, getting things done around the house, running errands, etc. So when I finally do get time to myself to work out it's later in the morning or afternoon. And that means that I don't get to shower and get myself ready until even later. But if I don't have time to get ready until noon, it's not likely going to happen because I'm too busy then picking up kids and getting homework done and doing laundry and cooking dinner, and all of that fun stuff.

So do I sacrifice getting ready each day or do I give up my very limited sleep? This may seem like a really stupid question, but for me it's virtually impossible to decide. I don't want to be a sweaty, frumpy slob every day. But I also don't want to be a crabby (let's face it, I'm already crabby; less sleep will probably turn me into a true monster) mom/wife/neighbor/etc.

How would you work this out? So far my answer has been to just put off deciding. I've just forgotten about working out. I'm sticking to eating healthy and when I figure out the answer I'll add in the workouts. So tell me what to do! Because I'm really feeling ready to get moving again!!!!

The Dentist

When I was growing up, we never went to the dentist. We just couldn't afford it. And my guess is we didn't even have dental insurance half the time. When I was about 12 ish, my dad got into the motivational speaking industry and we had money. And that's around the time I first went to the dentist. And I had zero cavities. None. Perfect teeth. A mild overbite. But practically perfect teeth. And since then I've had one cavity my entire life. I'm sure this is 1 part because CA puts fluoride in the water, 1 part good dental genetics, and 1 part good dental hygiene.

Anyway, even after I finally went to the dentist for the first time I probably really only went a handful of times before I moved out of the house. Which meant my mom wasn't making my appointments for me anymore and I wasn't making them for myself. The only time I voluntarily went to the dentist was when I was hit in the face with a rock and my front tooth broke to pieces.

So all that back story is to just explain that I've never been big on the dentist. And I've been AWFUL about taking my own children. At first because we were also poor. But now, that's not an excuse and I have just been lazy about taking them. In fact, Payson went once a year or two ago. And Jack had never been before.

Lately, Payson has been complaining about pain in her mouth. But her 6 year molars are coming in, so I thought that's what it was. Until a little while ago. She showed me a spot on her gums that was hurting and I saw an abscess. Yikes!! I told her I would get her in right away. And then I kept forgetting and forgetting and forgetting to call. Ugh! I'd remember when we were out and about and tell myself to look up a dentist and call as soon as we got home, but by the time we got home I'd forget.

Well, Monday morning, I finally remembered! I dropped Payson off at school, passed a pediatric dentist on the way home and immediately looked up who was in network and called. The receptionist told me she had had some cancellations and she could get both kids in in about an hour. Great! I took the appointments, printed their new patient paperwork off of the Internet, filled it out, and then checked Payson out of school.

Payson loved the dentist the first time, so she was excited to go. Jack was a little nervous for his first time, but big sister helped put his mind at ease. They both did great and loved it! This pediatric dentist had a great office. Ocean murals on the walls, a playroom with a submarine to play in, fish tanks everywhere. Very Nemo-esque. They had movies playing on the ceiling during the cleaning, flavored toothpaste, and a good bag with a new tooth brush when it was over. The goody bag even included a coin for those quarter machines where the kids got to pick out a little 25 cent toy. Awesome!

Playing at the train table.

Checking out the BIG fish tank (there were 3 other smaller ones around the office).

Playing in the submarine. (Why is this underlined? I can't make it go away!)

The playroom.

Jack getting his "pictures taken".

Payson watching a movie on the ceiling and waiting for the dentist.

Shiny, clean teeth!

The dentist had these cool shades in case the kids were sensitive to the bright light above their faces. Jack thought they were pretty cool.

But the dentist didn't have good news. :( Jack needed eight cavities filled. EIGHT! Yikes! And Payson was worse. She needed two teeth pulled, two root canals, a couple of crowns, and four fillings. Holy crap. I felt so awful!!! I'd only had one filling and remember that being miserable. I couldn't imagine having ALL that work done!

The dentist recommended putting both kids under. Mostly just to avoid traumatizing them and making them scared of the dentist from now on. But especially Payson because of everything she needed done. He said they were usually really busy, but actually had time the next day to get them both in. He said they could do it in multiple visits, but I agreed that getting it done and over with was probably best.

So we were sent home with several prescriptions. We picked them up and were supposed to just bring them with us to their appointment first thing in the morning.

We got there and Lucas immediately pooped all over me. Huge blow out. I had gotten up late and not really packed the diaper bag. Luckily I found one diaper and three wet wipes. Also, a clean onesie. Phew! And then while I was cleaning him up in the bathroom he shot pee everywhere. Luckily it didn't get on the clean diaper or onesie and I was able to clean it up quickly.

When I got done cleaning him up, they had just given Jack his meds and put us in a little room with a bean bag chair, couch, a few toys and books, a tv, blankets, etc. They dimmed the lights and let us just hang out while the meds took effect. They said it would take about an hour and that Jack would get a little loopy before he fell asleep. After a little while, he got REALLY loopy and I was struggling to keep my drunk son from falling over and hitting his head while also taking care of the baby. So I called my mom, who was thankfully not busy and came down to help. I don't know what I would have done without her!

So after getting a few HILARIOUS videos of Jack, he finally fell asleep. (By the way, I keep trying to load the videos, because they're really so funny, but they're too big. If anyone knows how to resize a video somehow let me know!!) They took him back to do his work and then gave Payson her meds so they would kick in by the time it was her turn. She didn't get nearly as funny as Jack. Mostly just a little buzzed. Once she was asleep and Jack was still being worked on, I left Lucas with my mom and ran home for more diapers and wipes, just in case. When I got back, Jack was with my mom and Lucas in the little room and starting to come out of it. He was pretty loopy again, so we had to keep an eye on him to keep him from hurting himself. Then Payson went in for her work.

For the most part we just watched some kid movies and kept Jack from getting hurt and relaxed. And then when they were about done, I could hear Payson and my heart dropped. They had found an extra spot that needed a root canal which took a tiny bit of extra time. Just enough that she started waking up as they were pulling the last tooth. I could hear her crying and screaming, so I ran to her and left the boys with my mom. They were trying to keep her calm, and she was holding still and being brave, but she was so scared and I can only imagine in pain. I just let her squeeze my hands and I held her and tried to help her calm down while they finished. It was one of the worst things I've experienced as a mother. I just held her and cried with her while they finished, which took a good ten or fifteen minutes (but felt like an hour). I felt like I was just letting them torture my baby. It was such a nightmare! There was so much blood in her mouth and she was just stuck there with her mouth open crying. I wanted to just scoop her up and get her away where she felt safe, but I had to let them finish putting the spacers in (which wasn't painful at all, she told me, she was just terrified). Can you imagine being six years old and waking up to a strange doctor hovering over you in a dark room yanking your tooth out??? Forget the pain, the fear alone made me feel awful for her!!

Finally it was over and they gave her a popsicle and she calmed down. We were given discharge instructions and my mom helped me load everyone up and take them home. We had to help the kids walk, since they were still a little drugged. I got the kids comfortable in jammies with blankets and a movie on the couch, fed Lucas, and then my mom sat with the kids while I picked up pain meds for Payson. She did fine the rest of the day. They both did. And by the end of the day she was just sick of eating jello, yogurt, soup, and ice cream. She wanted real food and was so sad that she couldn't have anything chewy. :( Poor girl.

Both kids are totally fine and Payson is fine with going back to the dentist for cleanings and check ups. But it was not a fun day. I think I may have been more traumatized than Payson. I can't remember ever feeling so helpless. Except maybe when she was a newborn preemie in the NICU attached to all those machines. Ugh.

Anyway, we will be brushing and flossing like crazy, just as we always have, and including regular trips to the dentist from now on. Even if they have cavities again, at least we can make sure it's just one or two little fillings here and there instead of this situation.

So as soon as your dentist wants you to bring your kids in (usually between 2-3) take them! And keep your appointments every 6 months! Otherwise you end up putting your babies through Hell. :(

Seriously, that was one long post. But I'm glad I wrote it all down.

About eighty billion times today I have looked at this face and teared up with joy. Two years. Two very long years I waited for this boy. I know others have waited or are waiting longer. But this is my story, not theirs. I have loved each of my babies the same. I don't love this boy any more or any less than Payson or Jack. These amazing little ones are my world. But with Lucas came a relief, a peace, and lifting of some dark clouds that I had been waiting for for so long. This little boy is such a light in our home. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for sending this spirit. He's just amazing. And one post to tell you how lucky I am wasn't enough today.

Blessing Lucas

On Sunday, September 4th we blessed Lucas in my parents' ward. It was Labor Day weekend, so the event was super small. Everyone seemed to be out of town. Which was just fine. I hardly took any pictures. One of the five of us all together. (Please ignore the fact that I've gained four trillion pounds and haven't even begun to try to think about losing them. Also, ignore Jason being a goof and throwing his leg across my lap. Weirdo.)

One of my baby boy in all white. Every time I looked at him and thought about the symbolism of that color I teared up. My beautiful, perfect baby boy.

He wore the same outfit that Jack wore for his blessing. I don't love the options they have for little boys blessing clothing. Mostly I think they're cheesy. I remember buying this because I disliked it the least of everything I found. But when I pulled it out and tried it on Lucas I loved it! He just looks so sweet!! Seriously. Look at that face!!

Anyway, the whole weekend was so nice. Saturday, we took the kiddos to a dollar matinee and out for frozen yogurt. Cheapest family date ever! But the kids loved it and Lucas was super good through his first movie. Sunday was just a sweet day. Jason blessed Lucas and then after the block we had a super yummy dinner with family and our favorite friends. We all visited and played games and it was just a nice day. I love days like that. There was nothing extraordinary about it, but it was just a lovely day. Then on Monday Jason headed to Colorado for golf and work and the kids and I hung out with family. It was a perfectly lazy Labor Day. We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel (which has somehow become a Labor Day tradition) and then went back to my mom and dad's to just relax all day and watch movies. The kids swam and played and Lucas and I took a much needed nap together. Just a great weekend!

Being close to family again has been so nice! There are so many people that I miss since we moved. I wish I could just bring them all with me. But spending time with my family so often has made it a little easier. Especially with Lucas here. I hated the idea that they would miss all of these early, precious moments in his life. I love seeing everyone with him. It's so fun the way a baby changes everyone. Having him here just makes me so happy!!!!! Seriously can't get enough.

Speaking of baby, Lucas is getting SO big!! Seriously! He's such a little monster. He's growing out of his clothes faster than I can keep up. But each new milestone is so, so fun! He's been smiling and cooing so much the last couple of weeks. I love it! He's awake more often, which is so fun. He's still such an easy baby. He's generally happy. People constantly see him sitting so peacefully and ask me if he's always like that. Yep! He is! I'm so lucky. I just love this boy so much. I have the best family. I was telling Jason the other day how lucky I feel because even at their worst, we have the BEST little family ever. Love love love them!!!

Guess that baby!!

Is it easy to distinguish who is who in these baby photos? I tried to find pictures that didn't give away gender with blankets, bows, or clothing. Kind of hard to do. But here are my three sweet babies. Can you guess who is who??

Baby #1

Baby #2

Baby #3

And who looks most like who??

Happy September!!

I can't believe that in just 5 1/2 weeks we've gone from this tiny little stranger...

...to this sweet boy who feels like he's been part of the family forever!

I know it's cliche. I've said it with each baby. But time is really just flying by! And this baby of mine is getting too big too fast! He's changed so much in a month and I know he'll just keep growing on us. :( I wish I could just freeze time!!

Life has been terribly entertaining in our house the last few weeks. The kids crack us up and drive us crazy every day. :) And here's the evidence. The kids have taken my camera hostage for most of these:

Lucas looks just like Jason! It's hilarious. They make the same faces all the time. Cracks me up!

Payson caught Lucas with this sad face just before he started to cry. Don't worry! Mama swooped in and rescued him right away!

Cute, cute brothers!!

If Payson isn't at school you can usually find her holding her baby brother. She's such a little mother. My best helper!!

I have plenty of these on the camera each day. This is honestly just a small sampling.

Notice the pen on his eyes in this one. I asked him why he did it and he said, "I wanted to look creepy!" Mission accomplished, son.

Payson got in on the crazy fun too.

He might be a little weirdo, but he's my handsome little weirdo. :)

Lucas has started to smile already! It's been so fun! It's still elusive, but we've managed to catch it on camera a couple of times.

And of course whenever the camera comes out I get this:

and this:

Can't get enough of this sweet little guy. He's so so fun and snuggly and has brought so much added happiness to our home!

Now if only I can figure out how to seriously make him stop growing up!!!