Such a clumsy girl I am.

Yesterday, I was cooking a yummy, wonderful dinner for my little family. I was so excited about dinner, as I knew that it would be a big hit. When is chicken parmasean not a big hit? I put the chicken back into the oven after sprinkling some cheese on it, and then, BAM! I burned my hand. I wasn't even paying close enough attention to where my hand even was. I burnt it right on the heating element. And it hurt! The burn on the top of my hand has now turned into a red circle about the size of a dime. Nice!
Since I got burned, I have started thinking about how I got myself into this mess. I then I started thinking about the past messes I have gotten myself into. The whole reason this all happens to me comes down to one thing: being a clumsy girl.
My whole life, I have been the most clumsiest girl. I have done it all. I've fallen down stairs. I've fallen up the stairs (which is hard to do, believe me). I've stepped on an unseen rake and smacked myself in the head. I've ran into poles. I've fallen down hills. I've cut myself with a butter knife. I've tripped over my own feet. And lastly, which I still don't know how this happened, I injured myself with a sippy cup. Yes, you heard me right, a SIPPY CUP. I got a sore nose and a black eye out of the deal. Go ahead, laugh, you know you want to.... because its pretty damn funny!
I would of thought I would of outgrown my "clumsy" eventually, but its still there, hanging onto me as much as it can. I've learned to accept it. Its a part of my life. I still wish it would go away. Alas, it will not, no matter how much I wish.
It's amazing how this one little burn on my hand got me to thinking about just how clumsy I am. This is completely random, but I just hard to share my, well, experiences with such a thing. Feels good to get that all out there. Much, much better.

Does the Wii Fit Plus actually work? I'm going to find out.

Today, I decided to use my Wii Fit Plus, and I am glad that I did. I was able to work out, and I felt pretty darn good afterwards too. After working out for a while, I realized that it has been a long time since I've had a good workout. Lately, I've been feeling pretty sluggish, and, well, chubby. For a while, I was using the Wii Fit every day, and I was proud of myself for that. I was also jogging at the time, and I was seeing some results. But, then the weather changed, and I didn't go jogging anymore.... and then I stopped with the Wii Fit. Also, we were in the middle of moving to our new house, and I just let everything kind of go.
It has been about a month and a half since then, and I decided that today, I'm going to start exercising again. Granted, I can't go jogging at the moment because of all of the snow, plus its just a little too cold for me and Nico. So, I am going to use the Wii Fit. I have wondered though, does just using the Wii Fit show results? Before, I was jogging along with using the Wii Fit. I have decided that I am going to find out just how well the Wii Fit works. I set my goal on there to weigh 5 pounds less from exactly a month from now. I haven't heard any stories of how people have lost a lot of weight from this alone, so, I am going to see just how well this actually works.
What I am going to do for the first week, is work out for a half hour every day. Then, each week, I will increase it to 10 minutes more. Today, I was able to work out for 34 minutes, and burned about 204 calories. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself. I will also keep track of how many calories I should have burned as well. I will also weigh myself every Monday to see how much weight I have lost.
I am hoping that I will see some results. I love setting a bit of a challenge for myself. Wii Fit, I hope that you are as good as you say you are!

Favorite Photo Friday!!!

It has been a long time since I have posted up a favorite photo of mine. It seems that life has a way of getting in the way of doing other things like my blogging. I have truly missed blogging, so without further ado.... One of my favorite pictures of my oldest daughter, Natalie!


This picture of Natalie was taken in the summer of 2001. She was almost 6 months old. It was a nice sunny day, we there was a parade going on in the little town of Prineville, Oregon. Natalie and I, along with her grandparents, went on a walk so Natalie could see her very first parade. This was one of the first times that Natalie was in a stroller. She did the cutest thing! She liked to put her little foot up on the tray of the stroller, and just prop it up there the whole time. I just loved how no matter where she was, she was just being herself, and being very comfortable. She did that for about the first year of her life. I miss the days when she used to do that. I also loved the Blue's Clues hat she was wearing! She went on for several years of loving that show and Blue.

I hope that you all enjoyed this photo of my first baby. I can't wait to go through more of them, and see what others I can find of my children that bring such happy memories.

So, I fall off the horse, yet again.

Well, it was been a while. I don't know why I keep forgetting about this! I guess I seem to go through spurts when I'm really interested in blogging. I just need to get back up on that horse, and just keep on going!
There has been much going on. My NicoAnn, she is going to be 10 months on Nov. 3rd. I can't believe it! She also has herself two front teeth. This makes me very happy. I was beginning to think that she would never get any teeth at all! She doesn't crawl yet, but she rolls everywhere. She really is going places!
I had my two older girls, Natalie and Kira up for Thanksgiving. I was pretty worried that I wouldn't see them, as the weather down here in Montana is just terrible! Snow everywhere. But, they made it up here safe and sound, and for that I am extremely thankful. We had a very good time with them! Yipee!!!
I am going to make more of an effort to post on here. I know I keep saying that.... and hopefully, this time, I can stick to my guns. :)

Nico learned a new trick!

I'm back! YAY!!! I've haven't been around to post as we moved to our very own home. I've got lots to post, but first, I have to post up this little video for my daughter Natalie. She really wants to see her baby sister clapping for the first time! I hope that you all enjoy as well. :)

Trying something new..... Favorite Photo Friday!

I've decided that I'm going to do a favorite photo on every Friday. I have oodles and oodles of pictures, and I love looking back on the memories and the stories that go along with it. So, without further ado.... my first favorite photo Friday.

To me, this picture is so special. I know that it seems like a random little picture, nothing to special about it. What this picture says to me, is me starting my journey into Mommyhood. How it felt. How much I knew that I loved my baby Natalie. My heart never knew that I could love someone just like I loved her. How I was only 17 years old, just a baby myself when I became a mother. It was scary. It was wonderful. I was realizing that I could be a good mom, and that I wouldn't be a typical statistic.

This picture was taken in 2001, when Natalie was 6 months old. I had just gotten finished feeding her. I didn't have a camera at the time, and I wanted to snap a few photos of my baby Natalie on my (ex) husband's web cam. So, I started snapping some random shots. As a baby she absolutely adored the camera. She would smile and start laughing. Right when I decided to stop taking pictures, I decided to take one of her and I, as I didn't have very many of the two of us together. And I loved this one. Its Mother and Daughter. A special and wonderful thing to have. Its only one of the very few photos that I have of Natalie and I together when she was just a baby.

Its hard to believe that was taken 9 years ago! She has grown so much since then, and I can't wait to see what kind of woman she is going to become. Now she is quite independent, and is figuring herself out. I have so many memories of my sweet little Natalie, and just how special of a girl she is. I was very young when I had her, but I knew she was meant to be in my life at that time. In many ways, she saved me. That first year of her life did go in a blur, but I can remember this exact moment. How content I was with being a Mommy. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Can I win the battle of the bulge? I think so.

Once upon a time, before I had children, I used to weigh 130 lbs. It was a good thing at the time. I would often get asked though if I was starving myself or anorexic. I could eat a whole pizza plus some ice cream, and not gain one single pound. It was amazing! I totally loved it. I could wear whatever I wanted, and I looked pretty damn good! Then, came kids.

After my first pregnancy, I lost pretty much all of the weight. I was about 140 lbs. I finally had some curves! No more looking like a stick figure. I liked that a lot. I was able to maintain my weight, and could still eat a lot of whatever I wanted. About 4 years later, I became pregnant again. Now this pregnancy, I gained A LOT. Like 100 lbs too much. I couldn't believe it. Granted, I did have a big baby, but it was just outrageous. How in the world did I manage that? Maybe it was all the ice cream I craved. It took a very long time to lose at least half of what I had gained. I got down to about 170 lbs, and about 9 months later, bam, pregnant again! Now that time, I was careful to watch my weight. I didn't want to literally be as big as a house. I only went up to 215 lbs. Not bad. I was able to lose all of the weight again. I was thinking, now if only I could lose some more.... but then I got a little lazy. I didn't really think about it, as I had way to much going on at the time. About 3 years later (2009) I became pregnant again. Gained about the same weight as the previous time. I lost almost all of it.... and then I started to gain it back. This was a problem.

So, I am going to do something about this problem. I was jogging for a while, but since it started getting all rainy, I very well couldn't go jogging since I had Nico with me. Thank God for the Wii and the Wii Fit! We have had the Wii Fit for a while now, and I do like it. There are many different kind of exercises. They even have fun activities for kids to do, which is a huge plus. Also, we have Netflix on the Wii, and they have little work-out videos. Now that, I really love. So far, I've started on the beginners work-outs, since I'm greatly out of shape. Since last week, I've lost 1.4 lbs. Not too bad at all if I do say so myself.

So I'm dedicated. I'm determined. I know I can do this. I'm not happy with how my body looks. Having kids has changed a lot of how my body looks, and I'm okay with that. My body isn't perfect, but its real. I just want to be in shape again. I've got my old jeans waiting for me, and I will wear them again! I know its going to take some time. This weight loss isn't as much for me as it is for my girls. I want to show that I do take care of myself and that I do matter. I've put myself on the back burner for way to long. Now its my turn to get back to being a better me. I've got lots of time.

My goal is to hopefully have lost at least 5 lbs by the end of October. I know that doesn't seem like a big goal, but its within reach for me. I only have about 4 more lbs to go, and I can do it! I will indeed win the battle of the bulge.

Does my baby ever sleep anymore?

My little NicoAnn has always been an amazing sleeper. Since she was really young, like at around 2 weeks, she started sleeping through the night. No joke. I would even try to wake her up for feedings, and she would just sleep and sleep. I don't know how I got so lucky with that, but I thank God for that everyday.
Now when it comes to napping.... that's an entirely different story. My Nico didn't think much of naps when she was really young unless she was sleeping in Mommy's arms. Which I didn't mind so much really at first. But then, it was getting to the point that I couldn't do anything at all unless I was holding her. She didn't mind being in a baby carrier, but that still didn't help when I had to run to the store or run to Spokane to get my two older girls. I knew with all things, that it would pass. And it did almost as fast as it started. She then became a super sleeping baby. "AAAAAAHHHHH" as angels would sing. It was just that great.
Then something changed. I can't say I know exactly what it is. Its frustrating for me to not know what is going on with my own baby. Around the second week of September, Nico all of a sudden decided she didn't want to take naps anymore. I kept wondering, "What happened to my super sleeping baby?" I didn't change how I put her down for a nap. I then I had very cranky Nico on my hands. I thought maybe its teething, or maybe she's just not tired. I tried all of those, but either it worked or it didn't. Sigh.
This past week has gotten a little better though. I thought that maybe if I put her down for a nap a little later, maybe she will want to go to sleep. It works sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't. I'll lay my little angel down, and either she starts screaming, or else she stays asleep. I think that maybe, just maybe I'm starting to figure it out. She is now 7 months, and I know she is changing. She's becoming a mobile, drooling, grabbing machine. So, maybe she just doesn't want nap time at the same time anymore. I think I can handle that. She's only just telling me that "Mommy, I'm changing, and have different needs!" So I'm listening.
So, yes my Nico does sleep. It's getting better. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, there is a light at the end of the napping tunnel.

Me, get behind? Oh yes, it happens to me.

Well, last month, I said that I would blog. I was on a roll there for quite a while, and then..... I just lost my motivation. Why do you ask? I think mostly its because I've been going through a bit of a hard time. Nothing bad has happened, I've just been in a sort of funk. But, I am pulling myself out of it, inch by inch.
So, now I've noticed that I am quite behind on my blogging. I do love blogging. Really. And I know that I am going to stick to it this time. It feels quite therapeutic to be doing this. Its so easy to do, and most of all, I can do this whenever I want. Now that, is a good thing.
I don't know exactly where this blog is going to go yet. Mostly, it will cover all of the mommyhood stuff, plus whatever else I feel like talking about. I may be a quiet person, but once you get me to talking, I'll never shut up. And that's a promise right there.
So, just stay tuned to whatever it is that I'm going to say. It'll start off small, but soon enough, it'll be HUGE. :)

Kira's 4th Birthday!

My little Kira Bug just turned the big 4 on August 11th. Seriously, when did she get so big? It seems like the time has just flown by. Kira was beyond excited because she didn't want to be 3 years old anymore, and she just wants to be "bigger."

For her birthday, she got to pick out her very own cake all by herself.... and Kira is a huge Elmo fan. So, that is exactly what she picked out!




As you can tell, she just LOVED her cake. She couldn't wait to start eating it! She was very super excited about her presents as well. She is really into Toy Story and kitchen stuff, so.... that is what she got! Plus she got a Cinderella doll (which I just absolutely loved) and even a few cute little shirts.






As you can see, she got quite a bit of wonderful things. I think out of all of them, she loved her Toy Story 3 laptop the most. It is helping her recognize her numbers and letters. Plus, it has "Buzz on it Mommy!" So it was a total hit.

And a fun picture of Natalie and Kira for good measure:


And of course, my baby Nico at her big sisters birthday!

A little getaway to Seattle & Lincoln City!

A week before the girls left, we decided that we would have a little 3 day mini getaway. Our destination was Lincoln City, OR. The last time that Kira went to the beach she was barely 1 year old, so we knew just how much she would enjoy seeing the ocean. So, on Friday, when Robbie got off of work, we were all packed up and ready to go!

The first night, we stayed at Robbie's brothers house in Cle Elum, WA. We got there sometime around midnight. The older girls went to sleep right away, but Nico had other plans. She was very tired, but needed to be fed before she fell asleep. After her feeding, I was getting ready to lay her down, and she just busted up laughing! I can't say that I knew what she was laughing at, but it was the cutest thing. She just giggled for about 10 minutes straight. After that, she went right to sleep. Such a silly baby that I have!

Saturday morning, we were ready for the trip over to Seattle. That wasn't such a long drive, which I know that the girls (and myself) were quite thankful for. Robbie wanted to say hello to his sister, Denise, so we stopped in Isaaquah for a quick visit. After that, we drove the rest of the way to Seattle! Natalie and Kira had been there before, but they never got to see all of the sights. So, we went right into the heart of it all.... with the sky scrapers, and the millions of people walking around. We were ready to get out of the car at this point, so I suggested that we go to Pike Place Market. I told Natalie that its a place from the movies, and that made her want to see it really badly. It was pretty hot out, so we only stayed for about an hour or so, as we didn't want the girls to overheat.







Once we were all done there, we headed to Bothell to stay with our good friend Mike, his mom, and his grandma. The girls hadn't been over to visit in a long while, and they were ready to be done with driving for the day. We got to visit for a while, and had ourselves some homemade macaroni and cheese that Mo (Mike's mom) made. It was so good!!!

The next day (Sunday) we got up early and headed out to Lincoln City. We were hoping that the weather over there would be pretty nice, but no such luck. It was in the 60's and a little breezy. Regardless, the girls were so excited to go! Kira couldn't wait to go out and play in the sand, while Natalie could wait to chase some waves. Nico didn't mind being out there at first, but after a while she got fussy. It was a good thing our hotel room was right on the beach!









We had so much fun while we were at the coast! I think that if I would of let them, Natalie and Kira would of stayed out there until it was dark.

On Monday, we made the VERY long drive home. Since we had to drive from OR all the way to MT, it seemed like it took FOREVER. But I would gladly do it again! The whole trip was very special to me and I know it was for everyone else as well. :)

When we went to Glacier Park

Back in July, Robbie, the girls and I decided to take a little trip. Natalie wanted to visit Glacier National Park while she was staying up here in MT for the summer. Even though I warned there could be bears and cougars, she was still very eager to go. So, off we went!!!

We had to get up somewhat early that morning. When Natalie and Kira woke up, they didn't have a clue as to where we were going since we decided to make it a surprise. Once they realized where we were going, they cooperated with getting ready for our little trip. Yay for surprises!
















You'll have to excuse the quality of the pictures, as these were taken with my trusty cell phone. My camera decided to die on me, but at least my phone was better than nothing!

It was absolutely beautiful up at the park. Lake MacDonald was HUGE, and the water was unbelievably clear. I've never seen water that clear in my life. We saw so many snow cover mountains, and waterfalls. In fact, there is a type of waterfall that was just AMAZING. It was called the Weeping Wall. Its just nothing but water just gushing out of the side of a mountain wall. When we drove past it, Natalie and I stuck out our arms, and we got soaked from the water! It sure was a good way to cool down though!

Sadly, we didn't see any bears or cougars. I was very happy about that, but Natalie, not so much. We did see some deer and mountain goats, which the girls liked very much. One deer was right on the road, and it was very close to these two men trying to take its picture.

All in all, it was a great trip. We were all in awe at just how beautiful Glacier Park was. This is something I hope that we will be able to do again!

So I kinda forgot....

Its been well over a month since I was last on here. Apparently, I kind of forgot that I actually had a blog. Silly me.
Starting today, I am going to use this to update on the goings ons of my life, my kids, and such. And what updates do I have.... where shall I begin?
This past summer, I had my two oldest girls, Natalie and Kira, stay with me. It was great. On Saturday, they went back to be with their Dad. And I miss them already so much. Not many seem to know why they live with their Dad... I'll get to that another day. It gets me into the downy dumps to talk about that right now. But, what matters is that we had a lot of fun together! I cherished every single day that I spent with them!
My baby NicoAnn is now 6 months old! Almost 7 months! Agh! I seriously do not know where the time has gone. She is such an amazing little girl, and I can't get enough of her. She can sit up, and she even eats baby food now. And that, she totally adores. Every single day, she is changing so fast, I can hardly believe it.
I will be back to update with more, don't you worry about that. I'll update about my summer with my Natalie and Kira, and what else I've been up to.
Until then.... TTFN!

To blog or not to blog....

For a while, I've been debating on the whole blogging thing. I've wondered, do I even have time to do such a thing? What is blogging all about anyway? But then, I realized, I can blog about my kids, and about being a young mommy.
I've been a young mommy for 9.5 years now, and what a ride it has been! I've got myself 3 little girls, and I'm in a wonderful relationship. All of this at only 26! I wouldn't have it any other way, as I'm quite happy with how things are going in my life.
There is no set purpose of this blog. It will mostly be about my journey with my girls. There is always something going on with them, as the ages are from 5 months to 9 years. Quite a span if you ask me!
Maybe I'll post about other things, maybe I won't. All I know is that I'd like to see what the world of blogging is all about, and if its really for me or not. Only time will tell! I'm excited to be blogging, and to see where it will bring me!