What's Been Going On Lately?

A lot.  I'm going to recap it all for you right here. 

In November, Ava and I went to St. Louis to visit Lucas and Jamie's new twin baby girls!  Let me tell you...two babies are four times as sweet as one.  Margaret and Nora could not be more precious!  Marc and I can't wait to see them at Christmas!   

Jonas, Erin and I all helped give the girls their bath.  Here's Jamie making being a new mommy of twins look easy.  That's Nora girl getting her hair brushed.

Their daddy helped with bathtime too. 

Here's Margaret all wet.  They will both have the prettiest blue eyes, just like their parents.

Ava looked like a giant compared the them.  These girls are growing so fast and already weigh over 8 pounds!

Awww.  In between all the baby loving we had a good time planning Jonas and Erin's wedding-over a few glasses of wine, visiting with Grandma and Grandpa, Grandma Shook, Kathy, and eating lots of dad's cooking.

We had a great Thanksgiving in Nebraska with Marc's parents. 

Ava has a few "party tricks" now.  The one she's doing below is indian girl.  I taught her to ay ay ay ay ay like a little indian...specifically for Thanksgiving.  She did me proud.

I made head dresses for every one.  It was important that Ava had a head dress on her first Thanksgiving, and why should she have to wear one alone?  It was fun, I'll probably do it again next year...or maybe I'll figure out how to make pilgrim hats.

After lunch we took a walk and paparazzi mom came out (again).  Can't help myself.  Can you see 2 teeth on top...there are actually 4 on top now.  That's the reason somebody didn't sleep all Thanksgiving weekend.  Actually, a lot of somebodies if you count Marc and me who took turns staying up with a fussy teether. 

So, it's been busy lately with a lot of baby time, family time, up at night time (thought we were done with that!), holiday time, it's all a good time.

Baby Daddy

Ava and I are both very lucky to have a wonderful daddies. 

I could just go on and on about childhood memories with my dad-coaching my softball team, taking me to pitching lessons, teaching me how to show goats for 4-H (holding Daisy's head nice and high in the pic below), showing me how good the crunchies at the bottom of pan-fried meat are (definitely do judge me), teaching me that garlic, butter, and salt are necessary in any dish, making my high school friends and me toast with butter AND peanut butter, never calling anyone by their name (Jordan=Taylor, Marc=Schnuckums or Marc with a C), a birthday call every year from "the president" saying birthdays are cancelled, giving the best speech at my wedding reception, telling me I'm just building character when things don't go right.  Like I said, I could go on and on.

Fam-Never noticed Caddie at the edge of the woods behind me!!  I think it's Cadums, right?

A few nights ago I was downstairs listening to Marc upstairs with Ava.  He was brushing her hair saying, "you're so pretty with your hair brushed, you're such a big girl with your hair parted so pretty."  I was beside myself in the best possible way listening to that precious moment.

Marc notoriously did not want a baby girl.  "Can a girl throw a football?" "Can she wear hoodies?" "Ugh, the teenage years!" I don't think he's looked back since the moment she was born.  These two are in their own little daddy-daughter club that is the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Daddies do fun things like put you on their shoulders to look around while mommies run around trying to take decent pictures, find just the right pumpkin, keep white tights clean in a muddy field, keep both shoes on, keep the flower in the right place on the headband, wipe a runny nose, think about what to have for lunch, make things overly complicated, find a bathroom.

Daddys buy you fun pajamas with glow in the dark skeletons and candy tummies for Halloween. 

Daddies love to get you dressed up in their favorite team's colors and logos to watch games together.  They scour the internet to find infant sized gear for you. 

Mommies makes sure there are ruffles on the bottom of your game day bloomers and your team outfit is coordinated and properly girly....they also make sure that when the game gets close you are fed and have a clean bottom.  Sometimes big games make even the best daddies forget things like that.

Crossfit Update-Month 1

 It's been a month since my first crossfit post.  How many burpees, pull ups, squats, 400m runs have I done in the last month?  I cannot say...a lot.

I've been going at least 3x per week, sometimes 4.  I've also snuck into Bally's a few times for a pure cardio session on the stair climber-you know, the one with real stairs.  I love that thing.

I won't be entering a bikini contest anytime soon, but overall I'm happy with the results after a month.  I have been eating really well, except on the weekend.  KBG will appreciate that I made a 9x13 of 7 layer dip a few weekends ago and managed to eat the entire thing over 2 days.  There has also been chili, lots of chili (involving lots of cheese!).  On a snowy day, what are you supposed to do?

  

Crossfit is definitely not for everyone.  I have bruises on my legs and after days where we jump rope I always have welts on my arms.  Workouts are a race with everyone else in the class and I almost alway finish last.  The other people are ridiculously fit and complete fitness snobs.  Example: they wear shirts that have a picture of a girl on a treadmill with the word FAIL.  They drink protein shakes and take tons of fish oil, they don't eat carbs.  They have 6 packs...all of them (except me, see below).

Let me outline this evening's workout as an example of what goes down over an hour:

-Stretching + 300m brisk jog

-Pre-workout workout

    1. 20 pass throughs=a full P.E. sit up with soft 8lb ball overhead, throw ball to partner when coming up

      from sit up

    2. throw a 20lb ball over your head backwards across the room

    3. with 20lb ball locked overhead lunge back across the room

    *repeat 3 times

-Now we're ready for the REAL workout!

   All workouts are "for time" in one way or another.  Most are complete as quickly as possible.  Like this 

   one tonight:

   For time:

   -50 burpees (chest must hit ground, clap must be over head with feet off the ground)

   -100 ball slams (20 lb ball starts over head, bend down and slam at heels, pick up bounce, back up 

     overhead).  This turns out to be hard to do 100x.

   -150 squats (butt must be BELOW knees)

I mean, it's not easy.

I lost an inch off my butt, inch from my stomach, and .5 from my thighs, and 4 lbs.  Overall, I things are much more toned than before and I'm feeling good.

Here's a low cal, low carb cheers to all of you who are also putting in your hours at the gym and staying healthy.  I know most of us are thinking about it almost all the time (because we've all talked about it together a million times). :)

I may never have a waist again.  My stomach may alway look like a biggest loser contestant's post weight loss (know what I mean...what happened to my skin??).  I got this little 10 month old out of it and that makes me really happy!  4 teeth!

Making Harvest Dreams Come True (in the suburbs)

Mom and Dad came to visit last weekend!  We took Ava to the pumpkin patch on a perfect, sunny fall day.

 She's at a really curious age so we had a hard time getting many pictures where she's not investigating or chewing on something!

 Family pic.

 Proud grandparents!

 Right shoe missing.  Haha.

 Good looking husband.

 Picturesque pumpkin field.

Fall is the best!

Twins!

 The only thing sweeter than a baby girl is...TWO BABY GIRLS!

On Oct.3, Jamie and Lucas' baby girls decided it was time to be born.  Jamie was 33 weeks so the babies are old enough to breathe on their own and are healthy as can be!  They are staying in the NICU for a few weeks.

Don't they look like the most precious little dolls sleeping so sweetly? 

Isn't it so cute that Margaret (left) has dark hair like Lucas and Nora has light hair like Jamie (right)?

Don't you wonder how tiny they seem in real life since they're 4lb 5oz and 4lb 10oz?

Don't you wish there was a picture of the twins with their mommy and daddy?

Don't you want to kiss that tiny face?

Can you see how small her head is compared to Dad's hand?
Don't you want to pull that blanket down so you can see her baby tummy (you KNOW you do!)?
That's sleepy little Margaret, just growing and getting stronger every hour!

Doesn't Nora have the most perfect little nose?

Don't her little kissy lips make you smile?

Doesn't she look so peaceful and sweet? 

Don't you want to reach in and grab her?!!

Doesn't this just make you think about what a miracle it is when babies are perfect and healthy, even when they're born 7 weeks early?

Congratulations, Lucas and Jamie!  I can't wait to come meet these most precious girls!

We're All Friends Here, Right?

...if not, stop reading my blog.

I just love a before and after, don't you?  I'm going to a very public before and after here.  I hope you don't find it obnoxious.  I really went back and forth about putting it on the blog, but then thought it's my blog and I'll do whatever I want.  I guess this is mostly for me, but I'll definitely work harder if I know I have to report back every month.

What is it before and after you ask?  Crossfit.  Have you heard of it?  I just joined.  It's the new workout fad that is actually legit.  Google it if you haven't heard about it...pretty intense.  It's a fitness regime that was designed for police, fire, military and has gone mainstream.  It includes olympic lifting, gymnastics, running in different combinations that will take you to the edge of passing out every time.  That's why I like it.  It's supposed to be "functional fitness" that will enable you to do anything you need to in real life...you get in a car wreck and have to push the door open, no problem...you need to carry your 50 lb kid for a mile, no problem...you need to haul bags of mulch from your front yard to your back yard, easy.

Now, I lost the baby weight long ago and have gained some of it back.  I will say that even with all the weight off and in pretty good running shape-like in April-things weren't as they once were and still aren't.  I started a new job at my company and it has been extremely busy and stressful leaving me with no energy for they gym.  Now that I'm used to operating at that level, I'm back at it.

I joined Crossfit for 6 months and I have no idea what kind of results to expect.  Everyone that goes to my gym is ripped up.  I'm not expecting to reveal a crazy 6 pack in 6 months, but I think I'll be decently happy with the results (why else would I go).  I should also say that I'm not participating in the Paleo diet that Crossfit pushes.  I generally try to eat "whole" and healthy though.  No way I'll commit to completely cutting out the occasional plate of nachos, beer, brownies, pizza.

So here's the before pictures.  They're terrible pictures, too bright-sorry sorry.  

This is about as bad as it gets.  No make up, shirt up. Don't judge.

 Familiar side shot from my maternity days only this shows the after effects of that pregnancy...will my stomach ever be the same?

I'm going to post every month and let you know the following:

-weight lost/gained

-new pics!

-Stats that only I care about (below).  Documentation for myself.

The beginning:

-Weight gained/lost-0

-Inches gained/lost

 -Waist

 -thigh

 -butt

-Can complete:

 -1 off-knee pushup

 -0 pull ups

 -85 lb deadlift

 -8 lb kettle bell snatch

 -training bar squat snatch

 -training bar hanging snatch

Ok, that's all on that.  Will provide and update next month!

Brunch

This weekend Marc was out of town at a football game, so Ava and I had a girls' weekend starting with brunch on Saturday.

Brunch is my favorite mostly because you can eat and drink pretty much whatever you want.  I kept this one pretty casual with Bloody Marys and Mimosas, baguette and cheese, artichoke jalepeno dip, quiche, grapes.

 Quiche is so delicious and easy to make.  I've really been missing out.  This was my first one ever, and it turned out great!

 The start of a good day.

 Ryan and Liz, enjoying.  Ryan helped me sort out a design dilemma in my living room.  I'm in the middle of a few living room changes, pics to come when I've finished all of the projects!
 Can't you just see the baby love in Lisa's pretty face?

Thanks for coming, friends! 

Vacations Are Fun, Necessary

You know, I have mother guilt just as bad as the next gal, but one thing that doesn't take my mother guilt meter over the top is going on a nice vacation.

Marc and I went to Playa Del Carment for his dirty 30 for 4 nights, and it was awesome!  We really just had the best time.  We're so lucky Ava's grandma and grandpa Gompert were happy to come and play with her while we were gone!! 

Lately we're both way too stressed at work, and of course busy loving that baby. We have a busy but wonderful life, but sometimes we need a break...preferably in a different country, and in this case at a luxury all inclusive.  Don't mind if I do.

The first night went like this-we arrived at the resort around 5pm and went straight to the beach bar, made a friend from Denver(Lisa Cotter's future boyfriend), dinner we hardly remember (ohhh boy), met back up with Lisa's boyfriend and the wedding party he was with, shots with the bride, dance party, room service nachos, wake up with guac in the bed.  Perfect.

I woke up the morning of our first day (next to guac) to this beautiful sunrise.  Then I checked my work email shhhh.

Then I forgot all about work email. 

Pool time.

 Pretty lobby.

 Awesome beach by day...

 and night.  We love the beach at night.  Maybe that's because it takes us back to our crazy camping on the beach college days in Hawaii, I don't know.  We had the best time hanging out at the beach a little every night (and watching Lisa's boyfriend shimmy up a tree and get a coconut-see Lisa, he's a good provider).

Can you think of a better way to end your 20s?   

Baby Photo Shoots Are Funny, End in Crying

These pictures are from May, but this is still kind of funny.

Oh look, a flower!

 I'm smiling, but I'm tired. 

 This is gonna get ugly.

 Seriously Mom, I'm done here.

 Big yawn!

Bigger yawn!

Rub those baby eyes.

Melt down.

Sorry about the snot.