Connecting The Dots

I've been feeling like I needed to tie up a few loose ends on here and am finally finding some time to do it!

So, let's connect some dots here......going back to over a year ago, I was pregnant with B and interning at a Bootcamp down in San Diego three times a week. I never fully explained the reasoning or purpose. This all came about because I had applied with Bootique Fitness to be a bootcamp instructor at a location closer to my house. When I explained that I was pregnant, the owner, Jaylin, was very understanding and had me come out to participate in a bootcamp and meet her. I did just that and she explained that it would not be in the best interest of her company to hire me on, train me, get me going, and then have to start all over when I went out on maternity leave. BUT......she offered me a chance to intern with them, to learn the ropes, get to know everyone, and possibly be hired on after I had the baby, if there was another opening. 

Let's stop there. You might be thinking....what about your full time, boring, desk job?? Well, it's just that. A boring desk job. I have been incredibly blessed to have had the job that I have had for the past seven years, but I'm over it. It's nothing more than a paycheck - which is important - but not fulfilling. I need more. I have always wanted to get into personal training and became a Certified Personal Trainer in 2010, but have yet to put it to use. My ultimate goal would be to do personal training and group exercise classes on a part time basis and be able to be home with the girls more than I currently am. Is that financially possible? We're honestly not sure. We live pretty comfortably right now and have high hopes for Bobby's career path [which is the next dot to connect] and we have both agreed that the only way we're going to find out, is to take the leap of faith, cross our fingers, toes, legs, arms, etc., hold our breath, and hope for the best!

Jumping back to the possible job at Bootique Fitness, Jaylin ended up closing the location closest to me because the interest and attendance level was not consistent. I am still in contact with her and some of the other ladies that I met through my internship and I hope to work with them at some point in the future, but for now, I just thank Jaylin for all of her time, knowledge, and acceptance of me into their company. Today, I am schedule to take my Group Exercise Certification exam on Monday. Yup, this coming Monday. I should be studying right now [actually, I should be working right now], but clearly, I'm not. I do not feel prepared for this test in the slightest, but I didn't feel ready for my personal training exam either and I passed that. I plan on spending the weekend cramming every bit of info into my brain and hoping for the best. Other than that, I am submitting my application for a possible job at a gym that a friend of mine works at, as they have a couple openings that I have already talked to the manager about and I also met the Group Exercise Manager at Pure Fitness and she knows about my upcoming test and that I am taking the BarreVite certification workshop in a few weeks. She has mentioned that they always need subs and the BarreVite certification will be very helpful! Cross your fingers for me! I have a lot coming up and need all the support I can get!

Now on to Bobby's new job. Bobby has worked in the golf industry for as long as I've known him [we met at work], plus about 10 years! After his company was bought by PUMA and we no longer worked under the same parent company, his love for his job started dwindling. He spent a couple years putting feelers out and speaking specifically with a vendor of his that was incredibly interested in having him join their team. It took about a year of communication between them to settle on an offer that met Bobby's (and our family's) needs as well as their company's needs. So, at the end of May, Bobby put in his notice of resignation with Cobra PUMA Golf and was an official employee of Impact Canopy as of June 10th. His commute is quite long, [about 55 minutes each way], but he never hits any traffic and he has managed to still make it home for most family dinners and before bedtime each night. On my end, this has helped make the transition much easier than I expected. On his end, he is still trying to learn his way around the company and the industry and is both frustrated and excited about everything there is to absorb. We have tossed around the idea of moving to certain areas of Orange County and have a real estate agent sending us listings daily, but we are also toying with the idea of moving to the Temecula/Murrieta area, or even possibly staying in North County. As you can imagine, there are lots of variables to consider in deciding where we end up.....Bobby's job, my current job, my possible new job, our current childcare situation, preschool, money, my midwives [yes, this is a big factor!], etc. But for now, we're just soaking it all in and count our blessings that we both have jobs, great insurance, a beautiful home, two beyond amazing girls, a poor doggy that needs more attention, and plenty of food in our bellies!

Bobby making an appearance at my office with a new tent and directors chair to show them.

Which brings me to dot #3 - the food that we're putting in our bellies! On July 22nd, Bobby and I made a huge lifestyle change and went Paleo. It's been just over a month and we are loving it and still going strong. I have removed just about every single processed food item from our home [I have not removed them all because some of it I am waiting to give to others, some of it I could not stand to waste if I could still make something semi-healthy with it for the girls - ie: veggie pasta - and some of it I still have in the freezer for Birthday parties - ie: turkey hot dogs]. Other than that, Bobby and I have not had a single processed food item. The girls are getting closer and closer to being strictly paleo as well, but I know that preventing them from having processed foods is going to get harder and harder as they get older [J has already made it be known that she doesn't like her almond milk!]. My intent is to instill in them the knowledge and understanding of why we eat the way we do and cross my fingers that they grow up and make the best decisions that they can. I believe that this lifestyle isn't black and white. Everyone is different and we will learn to find what it takes to make it successful for our family.
 

All that being said, I am incredibly proud of us. I was completely intimidated at first; not knowing much about organic foods, nitrates/nitrites, GMO's, the difference between free-range, grass-fed, vegetarian-fed meats, etc. I am constantly learning and cooking up a storm! Bobby has been a huge help and has stepped up to bust out a quick weekend lunch or dinner when we're in a pinch.
As for the changes that we have noticed so far - I weighed myself the morning I started and I have been teetering around the 5 to 8 pound loss mark for a couple weeks now. I feel great, I feel leaner, and I have had less issues with bloating than I was having since having B. Bobby did not weigh himself prior to starting, but he knows he has lost weight and can feel a difference in the way his clothes fit. The best part for him is that this lifestyle does not leave him feeling deprived. We are both enjoying the food we eat! So, from here on out, I will probably be posting a ton more about paleo recipes and documenting our journey.
One negative that we have encountered was Bobby ending up in the ER a couple weeks in. On August 7th, Bobby woke me up just before 1am and told me that something was wrong. He was having chest pain and upper back pain. I instantly thought it was heartburn/acid reflux/indigestion stuff, but he insisted that it wasn't. I started googling and was only coming up with heartburn/acid reflux/indigestion type answers and that's when Bobby grabbed the phone and said he was calling 911. WHOA! This is serious. So I grabbed the phone and I called and paramedics were sent to the house. He was having trouble breathing and in a ton of pain. I felt so helpless and horrible that I had to stay at the house with the girls as he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. I asked the one fireman where I was supposed to go when I went to the hospital and he told me to hang out at home until Bobby could update me with what was going on and then figure out what to do from there. He updated me when they got there and I kept him company via text as best I could. He then told me that one of the nurses thought it could be a gall stone. So they did an ultrasound and found that he had several gall stones, but one was lodged in the neck of the gallbladder and that's what was causing all of his pain. They were able to get him comfortable with pain meds, gave him a prescription, and said he was good to go. I knew the possibility of getting someone to come to the house in the middle of the night was near impossible [and don't you dare feel the slightest bit bad about not hearing your phone, Meghan!], so after attempting my two neighbor friends when Bobby told me he was ready to be picked up, I woke the girls, threw them in the truck and headed to the hospital.

On our way to get Dada!

I knew the general vicinity of the new hospital, but decided it would be a good idea to pull up directions on my phone since it was 3:30 in the morning and my brain was a bit frazzled. Well, I probably would have been better off without the directions because I got lost anyway, then had cameras flashing at me as I stopped at a red light to turn right ???? [anyone know if that means I'm definitely getting a ticket??], but I eventually made my way and we picked him up. He was still in a decent amount of pain on the drive home and as we exited the freeway to find that the CVS by our house is not 24 hour, we had to make the 15 minute drive back to Escondido to the only 24 hour CVS in the area. Bobby was able to get his prescription filled, throw up in the parking lot, and then we were on our way home again. He crawled into bed, I got both girls back to sleep, crawled into bed, looked at the clock and said to Bobby, "My alarm went off 10  minutes ago!" To which he replied, "That's disgusting!" LOL it was quite a night/morning. Anyway, to tie this all together, we both strongly believe that his prior eating habits are what caused the development of the stones, but our new eating habits are what caused his digestive system to start working properly and trying to rid his body of them. Whether we're right or not, does not matter, but after him meeting with a Comprehensive Health Nutritionist/Chiropractor, it sounds like we're on the right track with our eating habits and a few more changes to his diet will allow his body to dissolve the stones naturally and get him back to 100% health. We are thanking our lucky stars that his incident was not more serious.
Moving on to the last dot....our bathroom remodel. Well, I never really posted a finished product because it still isn't fully finished! It is functioning, but the baseboards aren't complete, I still have a hole in the wall on my side of the sink where the old medicine cabinet used to be, and we have a big box of toiletries on our bedroom floor that have not been put back under our sinks. Klassy, right?

 

The picture above is from a while back, but you get the jist! Once we do get it completely put back together, I'll try to remember to do a before and after post!

For now, I think this post has gone on long enough and all of the loose ends are hopefully tied. All the dots are hopefully connected.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was finally one with no plans (aside from house stuff), no out of town trips, and no visitors. It was refreshing!

I got home from work on Friday and had two very happy little girls that were so excited to see me. Must have been my lucky day! I fed B, made sure she wasn't due for a nap and then asked J if she wanted to go bye-byes. Her reply? "I want to go shopping wiff YOU, mama!" Alrighty then. Shopping it is! I got her dressed in some of her new summer clothes since it was so beautiful and warm outside and off we went. Mama needs a new dress and matching hat for the Kentucky derby, but I didn't have any luck on Friday.

Where did my first born baby go?? This precious one is such a little girl already.

Side note: Potty training has been going SO well lately. I hope I'm not jinxing it! We removed all diapers from the equation and it went well for the first couple days, then I was about ready to throw in the towel, and now she has gone almost a full week without any accidents!!! I started making a cute potty chart and am going to plan out milestone prizes/treats. The first prize is something J picked out a long long time ago. It's a set of Minnie puzzles and she was told that she could have it after a week of no accidents. She has to make it through tomorrow and then she will finally get it! I am so excited and proud of her. Fingers crossed!!

"New" old toys were brought in from the garage Saturday morning and they were a hit with both girls.

So were the strawberry pancakes with whipped cream!

Dada got to work on the master bathroom and the girls and I took off to the mall. The first few stores we hit made me want to forget the whole thing and put some sweat pants on and tell Bobby we'd be watching the derby from his dad's couch! But the search continued and I finally found something that was do-able. Not amazing, but do-able. Excuse the bra straps and chopped off head. I haven't found a hat or shoes yet.If you have any suggestions, I'm open to affordable options!

As long as the Cheerios were flowing, B was content.

We returned home for lunch and were able to enjoy some sun and fresh air on the front lawn for a bit. I took this opportunity to get out my camera and get some shots of B. I've been feeling so guilty about not using my good camera as much as I did when J was a baby. I'm no photographer, but some of these turned out super cute.

J wasn't couldn't have been bothered with modeling for mama...

After J's nap and I was able to spend some time sorting through B's closet and getting clothes put away. She spent some time trying to crawl, but only moving further and further away from the toys she was trying to reach!

Hydration was a must after all that exercise.

Proof of dada's hard work!

Sunday morning, I was up bright and early with the girls (6:30am on a Sunday??? C'mon man!). We watched some cartoons and cuddled on the couch for a bit and then I meal planned and made a grocery list while the girls played. I guess J thought B looked hungry...

I feed Sissy, mama!

B showed off more of her ability to move backwards and got herself stuck under the couch just like J used to do.

Dada made more headway on the bathroom while the girls and I went grocery shopping. I did about 5 loads of laundry in lunch and naps and then helped with some tiling. We got a bit further on the tiling than this picture shows, but we've still got a ways to go.

The weekend ended with B's first bath in the BIG bath tub, two girls off to dreamland, and time for mom and dad to catch up on Grey's Anatomy before passing out themselves!

Looking forward to another weekend of similar happenings this weekend before we head off to Kentucky on the 30th!

February

Back to catching up on happenings in the Flood household...the beginning of February was fairly typical. On the 9th, I was invited to run in the Dirty Girl Mud Run with a group of ladies from the bootcamp that I interned with last spring. I was a little hesitant to join because I have not run since I herniated  a disc in my back almost 4 years ago. But....I went signed up anyway and I am so glad that I did. I had the three most adorable cheerleaders there and although my running stamina was pretty much non existent, I had a ton of fun and loved getting out there, breaking a sweat, and getting dirty!

The middle of the month brought Valentine's day, in which I was greeted by J with a beautiful, handmade card when I got home and dada had one to match waiting for him. J was so excited to give them to us and say "Happy Balentime's Day, mama!" and I was melting over my first piece of artwork from my daughter.

From mama and dada, Jordan got some new slippers and Doc McStuffins jam jams!

I was also one lucky wifey and was given Country Mega tickets for this summer. Five awesome country concerts are calling our names. Having these tickets and spending summer afternoons tailgating before country concerts is a favorite pastime of mine and Bobby's. We spent a good portion of our initial friendship at them and then pretty much all of our dating relationship as well. I am so excited to get a few nights out on our own and I think we may actually bring at least J, if not J and B, to a concert or two. We'll see! Such a great gift. Thank you, Bobby! 

I can't forget about our adorable little cherub. She helped celebrate the day of love as well and was a perfect little model for mama's photo shoot. This is one of my favorite pics of her yet!

And then there's DooDoo. He finally, FINALLY got a haircut. The poor guy was spending more and more time outside because he smelled - from being outside - and was full of those pesky little foxtails and burs - from being outside. The guy can't win. But alas, he is so fresh and so clean clean!

Bobby and I continued our Valentine's Day celebration that Saturday and took off for dinner and a movie at the local Cinepolis. We saw Identity Thief and we both thought it was very entertaining. While the price tag is a bit much for this date to be a repetitive thing, the food was great, the seats were so comfy, and the company was, of course, PERFECT! We both had a couple cocktails, ordered a few different appetizer plates to share for dinner, and then splurged on this amazing candy corn to take into the movie with us. MMMMmmmmMMmm!

With the cherry stems from my sangria, we both had to prove ourselves to the other, cause, you know....any person that can tie a cherry stem with their tongue is a great kisser, DUH!

February also brought about some new threads for our bed. It was about time. Actually...it was way past time. Our old comforter was getting pretty gnarly and Bobby said the matching curtains reminded him of a grandma's house. Awesome. So, out with the old and in with the new. Except....the curtains are still up! HA! In due time, folks! Anyway, Here's B modeling the new, still creased and lacking a couple more throw pillows, bedding.

New paint for the bathroom is also on the docket and Bobby took advantage of me in a weak moment and also convinced me to start the remodel on our bathroom. While we're not going all gung ho and knocking down any walls or ripping out our tiny shower, we did finally rip out the carpet (WHO, in their right mind, puts carpet in a BATHROOM??) Ewww! 

 

To round out the month, we spent a weekend up at Grandma's for a Meet the Baby/Baby Shower for my sister and baby Teagan. Because she was having a girl this time around, we knew she deserved some sort of "shower", but we weren't able to do so until after Teagan was born. It all worked out great though because my sister and her family were also wanting to go to Disneyland (a post on that will come soon!) after JP turned 3, so we were all able to join in on the fun for one extended family weekend of fun! The shower was great, Disneyland was fabulous, and getting to see all six cousins together was so incredible!

Next up is MARCH!!