Goal

So this may be a slightly weird thing to blog about but I've heard that if you tell someone about your goals, you're more likely to accomplish them.  Really, I'm just posting about this on here for my benefit but you're welcome to read if you want :)

What woman out there doesn't have a body-related goal?  Well, I'm no different.  I've never been super skinny or incredibly active.  I love to eat and have always thought I wasn't "big enough" to diet successfully. (I know that's a weird statement, even to myself)  Before I got pregnant with Steven, I was the heaviest I'd ever been in my life.  I'm not going to give specific weights here, not because I really care about other people knowing how much I weigh, but I think weights can be misleading.  And honestly, I don't care so much about the number on the scale as how I feel and look.  During my pregnancy with Steven, I gained 20 pounds.  Fortunately I lost all of that and then some pretty soon after he was born.  I wanted to get into shape after he was born so I worked at it and lost a total of 19 pounds from my starting weight during my pregnancy.  That sounds like a lot, now that I think about it!  I am only 5'1 so 19 pounds is a pretty big deal for me.  I then got pregnant with Sofia and of course took a break from the weight loss thing.  Since I've had her I've lost all of my pregnancy weight and then some.  (I really don't mean to brag, I honestly didn't do anything special to lose the weight.)  At my lowest point since I've had Sofia I had lost 11 pounds from my starting weight of that pregnancy.  I have gone back and forth a little bit and currently I sit at 8 pounds below my starting weight.  I still feel pretty good and I haven't weighed this much since high school but I would really like to see my "ideal" weight one of these days.  I realized that if I didn't start being careful about what I eat and start exercising regularly, I could easily put several pounds back on.  Hence, this post.  I am posting on here to state that my goal is to lose at least 6 pounds before July 31.  I intend to do that by watching what I eat and working out at least every other day.  I will post back here in the beginning of August to report on how I did.  

This is me at about my heaviest point.  This is about 6 months before I got pregnant with Steven and I may have weighed a few pounds more here than I did when I got pregnant.

These next few pictures are a little hard to see what I look like but I don't have any from this time where I'm just standing sideways by myself ;)  This is right before I got pregnant with Sofia, about 19 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant with Steven.

Another shot of me at about the same time as the above picture.

This is me today.  I probably should've been wearing skin-tight workout clothes so you could actually see what I look like ;)

Memorial Day

Yeah, a little late to be posting about Memorial Day, I know.  I really don't have much time to get on the computer these days, and the little time I do have I usually spend doing other things (cleaning the house...).  Our Memorial Days are usually pretty low-key.  Josh goes golfing with his dad & brothers & then this year we had a BBQ at my sister's house.  Her backyard is great for get-togethers because it's pretty big & has a very cool patio/firepit.  Here are some pictures!

Drew, Josh, & Dave working the BBQ

Steven being a cheeseball

Dave & his wife, Mary

Spray bottle fight! 

Josh likes to point out that he now has BOTH spray bottles

Josh & Sofia

Josh likes this one; "we're both looking up!" He says

An example of my husband's fine picture-taking skills

What a nerd...Josh purposely cut off our heads

Steven was way more interested in looking at Uncle Marc than the camera

The Dave Christensen Clan

The Larsons

Me, Sofia, Steven, Josh & Marc

Everyone chillin at the patio/fire pit after dinner

Oh, Steven

Steven is getting close to being 2 years old!  He's growing and learning new things every day; it's so fun to watch!  I can't believe I have a toddler and an infant!  So weird.  I couldn't be happier, though.  They both bring so much joy into our lives. :D I thought I'd just put up some pictures of some recent things he's been doing.

Steven stacking a very high column of blocks

I LOVE this picture!  Here Steven is wearing my shoes on the wrong feet.  How can you not love that face??

Steven with Sofia.  He loves his new baby sister & wants to hold her & see her all the time.  Fortunately, he's not quite as smothering as he was at first.  I think he's gotten the idea (at least somewhat) that she's smaller than he is & he has to be gentle.

He put this on his own head, it wasn't me! ;)

Steven's been giving high fives for quite a while & we've been trying to teach him how to give "bumps" recently.  This was taken at Josh's best friend's birthday party.  Steven went around the room (multiple times) giving people bumps.  He loves to give them now.  Quote from the party: "Getting bumps is like cashing in happiness."  Oh, I love it :)

I have no idea where he learned this!  Occasionally we'll find him plugging his ears like this...

What a sweet face!  Too bad it's cut off a little bit

This is another thing Steven started doing on his own...

Chomp, Chomp, Chomp!

This is an awesome head scratcher ($5 at Bed, Bath, & Beyond; go get one!) but I think Steven thinks it tickles too much ;)

One Month

Sofia is now a month old!  I can't believe it's gone by so quickly.  Time really does fly.  She's generally a great baby.  She sleeps pretty well but really enjoys staying up for 2+ hours in the middle of the night with me.  Such a joy ;)  Steven is adjusting really well.  He is very excited to see "Fifi" or "baby" every morning & loves to give her lots of affection.  Sometimes it's a little too much because if he had his way he'd just lay on top of her all the time.  We definitely have to keep an eye on him still but I'm so glad that he likes her so much!  Here are some pictures from the last month.

My brother, Marc, with Sofia on the day she was born

Josh & Steven with Sofia

My mother-in-law with Sofia on Mother's Day

Sofia will start out swaddled but end up sleeping with her arms above her head like this.  Steven used to do this too...

Steven loves to give Sofia kisses.  He really does love her...sometimes a little too much smothering love... ;)

Sofia with her cousin Adam at their one-month mark.  Believe it or not, they are only about 23 hours apart (Sofia's older).

You would never guess these two are the same age by just looking at them...

Josh's younger brother, David, with Sofia

My brother's daughter & Sofia.  They are 5 months apart

My brother-in-law, David, with Sofia & Adam