6 Months

6 months. It seems like such a defining period of time. Halfway to a year. It's amazing how much has changed in our lives in just 6 months.

6 months ago I was sitting in a conference session for work, completely unaware that I would be a mom in a few short hours. Fast forward to now and we have an awesome 6 month old, I have a new job and life continues to change. Having Emily has made me appreciate each day and live only for that day. I used to try to plan my week and would stress about things coming up (that of course I had no control over). But I've found so much peace and happiest living life for each day. Life can seem a bit overwhelming at times but focusing on just 24 hour segments makes it less scary and more manageable.

Emily continues to change so much from month to month. Her personality is coming through more and more and I just love her so!

A few highlights:

• She finally rolled over ALL on her OWN! And she's done it a few times. Every time she does it she has this shocked/amazed look.
• She's starting to move around more on her tummy. She's managed to spin herself around in a circle a few times during tummy time. I know it's just a matter of weeks before she figures out she can crawl.
• She's eating solid foods! It was a bit of a rough go at first but when I started mixing applesauce with the rice cereal and then applesauce with a few new foods, she really got the hang of it. So far she's loved everything she's tried: applesauce, pears, green beans, green peas, carrots, and squash!
• She's starting "singing" herself to sleep. When she's really tired (or trying to get out of her car seat) she part growls, part howls and it's hysterical. She also rubs her eyes when she is really tired and it's the cutest friggin thing I've ever seen.
• She coos and babbles all the time and when. If we say "heyyy" she'll say something that sounds a whole lot like "heyyyy" back.
• She loves her toys and is figuring out how to grab them and move them around. She even figured out how to take off her hat the other day!
• She's starting making a fuss anytime one of us leaves the room. The other day Randy was walking past her to put dinner on the grill and didn't say anything to her. She fussed (loudly) until he came back, said "Hi, Emily" and then she just smiled and smiled!

She goes for her 6 month check up next week and I can't wait to her what the pediatrician says. I weighed her last week and she's up to 16 pounds and she's gotten really long. She's even started  hanging on to my hip when I carry her around.

Looking forward to 6 more months of fun!

*M

Paleo pt. 2

A week and a half in and I’m really impressed with the results I’m seeing from Paleo!  I’m down about 4 pounds and I look thinner.  Looking better is awesome, but not really the reason why I started. I really wanted to reform my eating habits and start feeling better.  The biggest eye opening moment came on Saturday when I ate a small piece of pizza and some popcorn. I felt nauseous afterwards, which was not surprising considering I hadn’t eaten those items in quite some time and was probably a shock to my system. The surprising part for me was that I wanted MORE, despite the fact that it made me feel awful. After I watched the documentary Hungry for Change (visit my healthy eating page for more info) I got a better understanding of really what goes on in our bodies and brains when we consume processed and chemically altered food. Experts liken it to smoking cigarettes. Often times smokers are desperate to quit but their brains are trained to want that next cigarette because of the chemicals in them. To think that our food is being manufactured in the same way as cigarettes is frightening.

So what am I not eating? Dairy (with the exception of a 2 or so slices of cheese), starches (potatoes, rice, bread), diet soda or any soda for that matter, fried food and processed foods (anything prepackaged). By eliminating those items from my diet, I’ve really cut down quite a bit on sugar as well. 

What am I eating, you ask? Lean meat, fruits, veggies, and some nuts.

What do I splurge on? The occasional class of wine (and by that I mean once a week on WINESday aka Wednesday) and the occasional piece of chocolate (usually accompanied with the glass of wine).

All in all, it’s pretty simple and easy to maintain. Like anything worth doing, it does take a bit of preplanning. But even when I have to grab a quick bite to eat on the run I can usually find a salad or a fruit/veggie option that fills me up.

Two of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten since I started and that I share in case YOU are thinking about going Paleo are: 

   Look at the root cause of WHY you are eating WHAT you are eating.  It is emotional? It is ease of access? And then work to change your perspective. Paleo isn’t about what you CAN’T eat but instead it’s about what you don’t WANT to eat. After a while you’ll start to see certain food not as “off limits” but simply not desirable because they make you feel/look bad. 

 Slipups happen. And they do any time you try to make a big change. Yeah, so you had a piece of bread or a Poptart for breakfast because you overslept (I don’t know who would do that) but it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Just start over and make a better choice at your next meal.

I’m encouraged by the results and eager to keep them up. I think it’s time to start cooking some new Paleo foods so I don’t get tired of eating the same things all the time. With a long weekend coming up, I’m planning to do a bit of experimenting with new meals. More to come on that!

*M

Paleo

I've made a big lifestyle change in the last few days. Yes, I've gone Paleo.

Pause for reaction.

I was introduced to the concept several months ago. I read a lot about it and was ready to go. Then I got a surprise baby! And everything fell to the wayside.

But it's a new year and while I have not made any "official" resolutions, I thought it would be a good time to start something new.

So I jumped in with both feet. I'm 4 days in right now and it really hasn't been that bad thus far. I thought I would have crazy carb cravings, but so far nothing outrageous (although I was tempted by a bowl of Trix). Of course, I've had a few moments where I just HAD to have a Diet Coke, can't quit coffee creamer yet and I implemented Wine Wednesday that I'm pretty sure is going to be a weekly thing (maybe carrying over into Fridays as well).

Overall, it's been a good week and I've talked to many people who have shared helpful words of encouragement. From what I've heard, I'll be able to tell a noticeable difference in just 30 days. And the results that many of these people have seen in their lives is simply amazing. Incredible weight loss. Eliminating a need for blood pressure meds. Decreased anxiety. And the list goes on.

I want this to be more of a lifestyle than a diet. My hope is to have more energy (get back to running!), look better and just feel better overall. I've gotten into so many bad eating habits that have to stop. And now with a little one, I now have to think about being around to take care of her.

If you've done Paleo or are thinking about it, I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment or tweet me @moxiemegs.

Also, here are some websites that I've found to be very helpful with great recipes that I can't wait to try:

www.paleo-jitsu.blogspot.com/
http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-diet-recipes/
http://everydaypaleo.com/

Until next time, happy HEALTHY eating!
*M

You say goodbye and I say hello

Happy New Year!

2012 has been wonderful is so many ways. Randy and I completed a half marathon and enjoyed a week at Disney World in January.  We added furbaby, Luna, to our family in February. We had several great weekend getaways, including a snowy trip to the mountains to see the Biltmore House and several trips to the beach. Aaron graduated from USC in May and Zachary moved into his own place this November. I started a new job a few weeks ago and Randy continues to find new opportunities to advance his career.

But with all those awesome things combined, nothing can top the arrival of Miss Emily Grace. A whirlwind of an experience that changed us for the better in more ways than we can count. She's the light of my world and the center of her daddy's universe. She's surrounded my so many people that love her and it's impossible not to feel thankful and blessed every single day.

As we say goodbye to 2012, I am excited to say hello to 2013. A new year always brings such an incredible feeling that anything is possible. I'm sure we will make a few resolutions that we won't keep, but it's fun to make plans and set goals even if we don't quite get there.  Over the next 12 months, I'm looking forward to making some wonderful memories with my family and reflecting on them come January 1, 2014.

Here's to health and happiness in 2013!

*M