Brrrr!

Holy moly it’s cold outside today! I saw the “8″ on the news thermometer, but I didn’t realize what that really meant until I let the dog out at 8AM. My poor husband. He’s working outside and the high for the day is only 12 degrees. To top it all off, he’s coming down with the nasty cold I had a few weeks ago. I hope they take *lots* of breaks to go inside and get warm.

Peanut was a sleeping champ last night and even went back down for a bit after she ate at 5:30. That means I got to sleep in until 7! She was content to sit in her swing for a bit while I did some yoga, but melted down just as the last sequence started. I abandoned that one because there is nothing “Namaste” about a screaming baby. What I did get in still felt great and it helped me clear my mind for the day.

The yoga also worked up quite an appetite. To cure it, I made some omelette oats.

• steel cut oats seasoned with paprika & thyme
• shredded 2% cheese
• runny yolk egg
• fresh chopped parsley

I really wanted fresh tomatoes in there too, but my last tomato had some icky rotten spots.

After breakfast I fed Peanut, put her in her ExerSaucer and got busy on some housework. Late morning seems to be my most motivated time of day, especially when I get up and get my blood flowing like I did this morning with yoga. I threw in some laundry, cleaned the kitchen and cleared up the end table clutter in the living room.

I was so excited earlier this week when our gym got a new (to them) treadmill with a TV! I know this is commonplace in most gyms, but living in this teeny tiny town means having a teeny tiny gym. It’s the size of most hotel fitness centers and is by no means state-of-the-art. Despite the size, they really do have every piece of equipment my husband and I need for a good workout. Still, the TV is a nice bonus because I get extremely bored on the treadmill.

Today I completed my first week of Couch to 5k. I used this program in 2007 to go from a complete non-runner to someone who actually enjoyed running, ran 3x per week and entered every 5k I could find. I had to give up running completely at about 20 weeks pregnant (which made me really sad) and the time off took its toll. I’m pretty much back to square one with my running ability, but I’m excited to be back to it and I’m confident that following the program will help me get back in shape.

Lunch was homemade tofu pad thai over a bed of spring mix:

I know it’s chilly in many parts of country so stay warm today, kiddos.

What’s your favorite way to warm up on a cold day?

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Up with the Sun

I used to hate hate HATE getting up in the mornings. I’d do it because I had to, but I was never a morning person and it took me until at least 10AM to even think about being excited about the day. So, I’m pretty sure God said “Watch this!” with a smile on his face when he gave us an itty bitty “morning person.” Something funny has happened to me though. Suddenly I don’t mind mornings. I’ve decided it’s impossible to not have a positive outlook on the day when I lean over the crib and see that beautiful little face smiling up at me.

Peanut (aka our baby girl) was up bright and early this morning with a hungry belly. We snuggled up in the recliner and I fed her while I watched the most beautiful pink and purple sunrise I think I’ve ever seen. Life just doesn’t get much better than that.

After she ate, Peanut dozed off again in her swing while I made coffee and got dressed. I decided to use my time wisely and do something I haven’t done in far too long…

Oh hai, yoga mat! I’ve missed you. I felt very refreshed after 30 minutes of Namaste Yoga on .

I was also hungry. I went with one of my favorite breakfasts: polenta rounds with a runny yolk egg (broken just after I snapped the picture):

and my favorite Oikos on the side:

rounded out with some coffee (of course):

After breakfast there was diaper changing, EA Active and to-do list tackling. Peanut loves to ride in the front carrier. Adding 12 pounds to normal household chores and my EA Active session builds up quite the appetite!

Lunch was just what I needed to refuel. Here’s my deeeelicious salad:

• spring mix
• broccoli slaw
• fresh diced tomatoes
• 4 kalamata olives
• diced chicken breast (marinated in EVOO, fresh lemon juice, garlic & parsley)
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar

  Chicken baseballs are on the menu for dinner tonight with a gym session (run+weights) for dessert. I’m excited about both!

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New Years Revelations

I don’t do New Years Resolutions. I used to, but every year I got overwhelmed, got scared and then promptly convinced myself that I’d fail. With that mindset of course I never succeeded. That’s why for the past few years I’ve taken a retrospective approach and come up with “Revelations” from the year that’s ending rather than making one “Resolution” for the year ahead. There’s really one one thing that’s even on my radar from 2009 so my list this year is pretty short.

Motherhood is awesome.

Yes, I did in fact give birth to a baby at the end of the pregnancy you all heard about during the summer. She’s perfect in every way and I fall more in love with her every day. I won’t go into gory details, but I had a fairly easy delivery that resulted in the most precious package of perfection I’ve ever seen. I never thought I could love someone so much and so completely unconditionally.

Here she is just after we welcomed her into the world:

She’s now almost 3 months old and, if I do say so myself, a pretty stinkin’ cute kiddo.

Our growing family made my husband and I seriously reevaluate our priorities. This resulted in me leaving my job in the wonderful world of finance to become a stay-at-home mom. My husband and I are very fortunate, especially in this economy, that he has a well-paying job with excellent benefits that makes this possible. I’m so grateful to get this opportunity to watch her grow and learn every single day. I’m quickly learning that taking care of a baby, the house, the finances and all other domestic duties on a daily basis is infinitely more difficult than my previous desk job, but the fulfillment I feel at the end of the day is all the reinforcement I need to know that I’m doing the right thing.

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