My Little Man is Growing Up (Big Boy Car Seat)

After months of carrying Liam around in the Chicco KeyFit 30, we made the decision to pick up a new car seat. I've talked about this before but we kept putting it off until this past weekend. I had to work at my base and carrying Liam to and from the car multiple times made me realize that it was time.

After work on Saturday, we made a trip to Babies "R" Us to take a look around and make a purchase. After lots of looking and thinking and buying things that had nothing to do with car seats, we made a decison.

Safety 1st Complete Air 65

A nice BRU employee helped me take the box to the car and then we realized that the box would not fit in the Mustang. After taking the seat out of the box, we were able to get the seat in the car but waited until this week to set it up. Oh, and by the way, we love it! He looks so big in it!

Getting Fit: Diary Two

I fell off the weight loss wagon, well, I hate to say "wagon" because I'm not trying to lose weight to fit into a dress or to look good for the holidays. I really want to be healthy and set a good example for Liam (and any future children) and things were going okay. Then Will came home. He's definitely a fast food type of guy. He doesn't have to watch calories or even worry about what he eats. Lucky him, right?

Okay, I won't use Will as an excuse for my setback. I just don't have any self control or motivation. That will change soon. I know that I won't be able to reach my goal without putting forth the time and effort. I plan to continue using MyFitnessPal as well as Ripped in 30 and the workouts on Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit (if you haven't heard Drew's story, you should definitely check out his website).

Wish me luck (again)!

11 Months Old!!! Ahhh!!!

Liam is (almost one) 11 months old! I can't believe it. It's gone so fast.
I took his measurements today and he's coming in at 22.6 lbs and 30 inches tall. Liam is working on his SEVENTH tooth (which just seems like a lot of teeth to me). He's a walking pro now and actually walks 85-90% of the time. He's still co-sleeping and breastfeeding. The word, "weaning", has been floating around a lot when I tell people I'm breastfeeding an 11 month old. Even though nursing a "toddler" is a lot different than nursing an infant, I don't think we'll be weaning for awhile.

He's starting to babble a lot more. He says something that sounds like "peek-a-boo" but right now his favorite word is "bah". Not sure what it means but he says it all the time. He has started to show and verbalize when he is frustrated. He doesn't like to be told "no" but understands what it means. When he feels frustrated, he tends to grunt, scream and sometimes hit. I fully understand that it is a sign of him maturing and that it's completely normal  for him to attempt to express himself

Even with the grunting and screaming, Liam is a loving boy. He loves his Mommy and Daddy although he is still trying to figure out Daddy. He's a joy to be around and usually has a smile on his face. Speaking of that sweet little face, it's picture time!

Fun with Will and Jaye

Top Five Things Jaye Can't Live Without:
5: DVR
4: Internet
3: Cell phone
2: Puppies
1: My family

Top Five Things Will Thinks Jaye Can't Live Without:
5: ID Discovery Channel
4: Artemus
3: Chai Tea Lattes
2: Internet
1: Family

Top Five Things Will Can't Live Without:
5: Toilet
4: Furry slippers
3: X-Box 360
2: Liam
1: Jaye

Top Five Things Jaye Thinks Will Can't Live Without:
5: Video Games
4: Showers
3: Some form of entertainment
2: His family
1: Mac 'n Cheese

Christmas Meme!!

It's almost time for my favorite holiday so to get in the spirit of Christmas, I decided to participate in this meme. If you decide to do it, let me know and I'll check yours out!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wraps them!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like white lights but now that we have Liam, I'm thinking about giving colored lights a chance.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I've never hung mistletoe but I think I may this year.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Day after Thanksgiving (or sometimes after Thanksgiving dinner)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Receiving our presents from my aunt in Chicago.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I never believed in Santa...I feel like I missed out though.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Usually just lights, tinsel and bulbs. I really want to have a standard Christmas tree decoration as Liam gets older.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love the snow until I have to go outside.

12. Can you ice skate? I've never gone. Maybe this will be the year for a trip to the rink.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Liam. He made his entrance nine days before Christmas :)

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with family and eating lots of food.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Usually peach cobbler.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? My family doesn't really have any traditions. I hope to make plenty of them with Liam and Will though.

17. What tops your tree? Ribbon.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I prefer giving gifts.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yum.

20. Favorite Christmas show? How the Grinch Stole Christmas

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Merry Christmas Darling - The Carpenters

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Christmastime is Here - The New Frontiers

Ahhh...I almost have a One Year Old!!

In a couple of days, Liam will be 11 months old. OMG! I can't even believe it. I will be planning a birthday party for my son (crazy!).
We'll be back on the 16th to talk about measurements and milestones but I did want to share a milestone with you guys today. We have a semi-professional walker on our hands!

See you guys in a few days!

Will's Home (End of Operation New Dawn)!!!

Early (early) yesterday morning, Liam and I went to pick up Will who just finished his second year-long deployment in Iraq. We were super excited and more than ready to see the end of this deployment. We arrived at the ceremony site an hour early and got to chat with other wives. Finally the time came for the soldiers to file into the room and stand in formation. Once the soldiers were dismissed from their formation, Will made his way to the bleachers where we were standing. After greeting each other, I handed Liam over to Will and to my surprise, he didn't cry.

Over the last day, we've been working getting to know each other. Will and Liam have been getting along great (Liam even lets Will put him to sleep when I'm not around). Liam still prefers me which I didn't expect to change (he's a mama's boy) but I love seeing the boys together.

I know that it will take awhile before things are "normal" in our household again but it definitely feels good to have our little family together again.

Getting Fit: Diary One

I did a previous post about weight loss, getting in shape and starting Ripped in 30. Well, yeah, that didn't happen. I just could not get motivated enough to even start the videos (and I feel so bad about it). I have continued watching my calories and using MyFitnessPal (feel free to add me, I need the motivation).
I haven't taken my measurements since my last weight loss blog post in September but I'm guessing they have changed a little. I have lost weight since then as well.

I may have said all this stuff in that post but I'll just repeat myself anyways. When I found out I was pregnant with Liam, I weighed 124 lbs (although I was usually between 115-120 that previous year). I gained 45 lbs and ended up weighing 169 lbs when I went into labor with Liam. My weight loss plateaued at 146 lbs until I started using MyFitnessPal in August. Since then I've lost 25.5 lbs (I weighed in at 120.5 lbs this morning).

My original weight loss goal was 120 lbs but I decided that 118 lbs sounded a little better. I know that you should look at how your body looks and not the scale but I must admit, I like seeing a certain number on the scale (wow, I kind of sound like someone with a hidden eating disorder). While I am still deciding on whether I want to try to maintain my weight or go for the 118 goal, I know that I am going to need to start exercising. Since Will will be returning soon (and he's currently on an exercise kick), he'll definitely be a source of motivation. We plan to go running together although that is definitely one of my weak areas.

Anyways, I'm going to stop rambling now. I hope that I can find a workout plan that works for me and stick with it (and as soon as I do, I'm sure I'll want to ramble about it).

Liam's First Halloween!!

I had so many plans for Halloween but procrastination got the best of me. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I had expected Will to be home for Halloween and once we realized that wasn't going to happen, it just didn't feel the same. So, like a bad mommy, I waited until the last minute to get Liam a costume (he was Robin and I was a bunny). We met up with family and attended a Trunk or Treat event. I had never heard of this before but it was at a local church and was a safe way to entertain children with games and candy. After the event, we met up with more family to do a little more trick or treating. Liam fell asleep on the way there so he slept through all of the house to house candy gathering.
I am really glad that I decided to get him a costume and take him out. We spend a lot of time at home so it was nice to be able to get out and spend time with other kids. Liam seemed to have fun (during the part he was awake for) and I even got a chance to sneak his mask on while he was napping.
And now to the fun part: A few pictures!

Not Again! (Boob Problems)

I've had a few posts about clogged milk ducts and here I am again with, you guess it, clogged milk ducts. Liam was nursing today and something just didn't feel right. I decided to take a quick hot shower to hand express when I was surprised to find out that I had clogged milk ducts in both breasts (noooooo!!).

I really need to figure out why this keeps happening. Liam nurses off and on during the day but mostly at night. I'm going to try to pay attention to Liam's night feedings and try to record the times that he eats (which is hard since I usually sleep right through the feedings).

When I mention clogged ducts, a lot of people ask if I plan to start weaning Liam soon and the answer is no. I am dedicated to breastfeeding and if I have to deal with clogged ducts so be it. I love the bond breastfeeding has created between Liam and I (at least for the next 7-8 months).

Happenings in the C. House

A lot of things are happening in our home right now. I'm bored so I'll list them out in the Top 3 C. Family Happenings.

#3: Cleaning
Okay, that is definitely a not so happy and fun happening but it's something that has slowly been happening over the last few weeks in preparation for Will (and our roommate, Heinz)'s return. Cleaning and organization are things that I am think a lot about but when it comes to implementing them into our daily lives, I suck (I'll own up to that one). I've been using Pinterest as a means for inspiration and it's been helping a lot.
Right now, I'm working on the "Mother of All" Fall Cleaning Checklists.

#2: Will's Homecoming
He's not home yet, but he'll be here before we know it (hence the cleaning). Will doesn't want me to make a big deal of him being home but he's been gone for a year, it is a huge deal. I don't want to embarrass him too much so I am going to make a poster to hold at the ceremony and maybe decorate the car (I have a feeling he would be really embarrassed by that). If I don't decorate the car, I may decorate the front door with a few balloons. I'll have to get on it though, homecoming is just around the corner.

#1: Liam is "walking"!!
Well, more like taking steps but still, it's walking to me. It's so exciting! I wish Will was here to see him walk but he's been able to catch a few of Liam's "stepping spurts" on Skype. Everyday he takes more and more steps so who knows, he may just be walking at the homecoming ceremony. I've been trying to catch him on video but he always seems to start stepping when I'm nowhere near the camera or iPad.

We'll definitely be having an exciting next few weeks. I'll be posting lots of pictures and videos of Liam and even more once Will gets home. I'm excited to have my family together for awhile before we have to do this all over again next year.

10 Months Old (and a 9 month old recap)!!

I didn't do a nine month update on Liam since I had planned on waiting until he had a doctor's appointment. Well, we ended up not doing a nine month appointment (which isn't required) so I'll just do a small recap. Liam had a ton of milestones during his ninth month. He stands for longer periods of time, has six(!!) teeth, and has started shaking his head "no". He's such a big boy and loves to stand up. Here are some pictures that were actually taken when he turned nine months old.

Top teeth!

Bottom teeth!!

Love!!

Okay, and now on to the 10 month update!
Liam is doing great! He's "talking" so much and I love it. He even plays peek-a-boo sometimes by pulling his shirt up over his face and then saying what I think is "peek-a-boo". He's gotten a lot better during diaper changing time. He used to scream at the top of his lungs every time I changed him but now it's maybe once or twice a day (usually when he needs a nap). We still haven't gone to another doctor's appointment but I weighed Liam this morning (he wanted to stand on the scale when I weighed myself). He's 21.4 lbs. He hasn't really been gaining much weight but he's also a lot more active than he's been in the past. Okay, now on to the pictures!

Love this face!

Hope everyone is enjoying their hump day!

When Mommies Deploy...

Deployment. This word has been in my life for the past year that Will has been gone. With Will scheduled to be home before Thanksgiving, you would think that the word, "deployment", would leave our family alone for awhile, however, it's starting to rear its ugly head once again. Only this time, it's Mommy who's leaving and Daddy and Liam who'll be staying behind.

I knew that I would be deploying something this next year but it almost seemed like a possibility rather than a reality. Will and I have discussed this a few times but he doesn't want to think about it and neither do I. It's so hard to think about leaving my family (even though I would be gone for only a few months).
Even though I'm sure this is a completely normal response to deploying with a family, I can't help but feel bad for feeling the way I do. Will has been deployed for almost a year. He missed holidays, the birth of his son, our one year anniversary, practically the first year of his son's life and he rarely complains. Here I am, I'd only be gone for a few months and it just seems so hard for me.

Well, enough ranting. Even with an impending deployment looming over our heads, I am going to take it one day at a time and enjoy the fact that my husband will be home soon and our family will be complete once again!

Daddy's Deployment

Daddy's Deployment

"Rude" Nurser

Liam and I are still breastfeeding and besides a one day nursing strike a few weeks ago, things are going pretty good. Well, except for the fact that he's a "rude" nurser. I'm sure other breastfeeding moms know what I mean but if you don't, I'll give you a few examples. Liam likes to slap my boob, put his feet on my face, put his hand in my mouth while I'm talking, pinch my boob, try to poke me in the eyes, this list could really continue for awhile. The last few months have been so different than the beginning of our nursing relationship.
Now, none of these things will keep me from nursing but I hope this is just a phase. And even if it isn't a phase, as long as the "high pitched screaming when boob is removed from his mouth while he sleeps" is, I can deal with everything else.
Anyone else have a "rude" nurser? What "fun" things did your little one like to do while nursing?

The A to Z of J

 I've seen this on a few blogs that I follow and decided to play along. Let me know if you do one so I can check it out!

A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: Picking up the trash after I sweep. I don't know what it is but I have a hard time doing it.
D. Dogs: Two Shih Tzus. Artemus Javo and Pepper Kashmir!
E. Essential start to your day: Liam smiles. They make my morning better (or coffee, depending on how late Liam had me up the night before)
F. Favorite color: Mauve
G. Gold or Silver: Silver or white gold. Yellow gold creeps me out (okay, I'm exaggerating).
H. Height: 5'0"
I. Instruments you play: Sadly none.
J. Job title: Mom and wife all the time/Fuel Systems Mechanic once a month
K. Kids: One, Mr. Liam
L. Live: Kansas
M. Mother's name: Yolanda
N. Nicknames: Jay, J-Dog (oh, I forgot to mention I'm a rapper in my spare time)
O. Overnight hospital stays: A week when I swallowed Ammonia as a kid, Pre-term labor at 35 weeks and when I gave birth to Liam
P. Pet peeve: When I finish washing dishes and someone puts a dirty dish in my sink. Qweally!?!?
Q. Quote from a movie: "Nah... I mean, I'm already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into? " - Juno
R. Right or left handed: Righty
S. Siblings: Two sisters and a brother
T. Time you wake up: 0700-0900
U. Underwear: Umm...yes?
V. Vegetable you hate: I actually like most veggies.
W. What makes you run late: Bad planning.
X. X-Rays you've had: Stomach, teeth, and ankle (I think)
Y. Yummy food that you make: Layered Chicken Enchiladas. Will loves TexMex food so I've been trying to find recipes that we both like.
Z. Zoo animal: Giraffes and Panda Bears

Losing the Baby Weight!

Hey guys! It's definitely been awhile (I know, I know). I'm not going to make excuses for ignoring the blog, I'll just say that I will try harder to update more often. I will be putting a (late) nine month update next week for Mr. Liam. Now, to the point of this post.

When I had my first prenatal appointment, I weighed 124 lbs. When I had Liam, I weighed 169 lbs. Yes, I gained a whopping 45 lbs! It was mostly due to not exercising and eating whatever I wanted. After I had Liam, I didn't put much effort into losing the weight. Months later, my weight loss had plateaued at 146 lbs. In August, I decided that it was time to lose the baby weight. Liam was eight months old and I wanted to be a healthy (and hot) mama for both my son and husband (who's coming home sooner than we thought). I started using MyFitnessPal.com to track my calories and I've lost 19 lbs in a little over a month. So motivating! Although I'm losing weight, I still haven't gotten my fitness in order. After a PT test at my base, I realized that things on the fitness side are really bad. So, I've decided to do Ripped in 30 starting this week as well as running three times a week.

I took my measurements on the 20th of September. I don't plan on taking my measurements again until 15 days into my fitness plan (so the 18th).
Here's how I measured up:
Bust: 37.5"
Waist: 29.5"
Hip: 36"
Biceps: 11"
Thighs: 23"

Overall, I'm hoping to lose a few inches in my hips and thighs as well as improve my run time and sit-ups (Liam definitely stretched those bad boys out). If anyone has running advice, I will gladly take some. Wish me luck!