It is really tough to loose that baby weight. I had gained weight right after Jim and I got married. Then I pretty much immediately got pregnant with Tyler. I never lost all of the weight I put on after him, so when I got pregnant again with Bryce, the weight just piled on. So after having Bryce, three years after getting married I was 85 lbs over weight. Right after having baby number 2 I lost 20 lbs pretty much not doing anything different. Then it stopped coming off and I new I had to put in some hard work. on July 11th I joined Weight Watchers. The weight started coming off immediately, but quickly stopped. I didn't have much time to work out so I hit a plateau. I knew I had to start incorporating some exercise if I wanted to hit my goal. So I started to do a couple work out vidoe's and walked when I could. One day a week I meet my cousin Jill at her house, and Tyler, Bryce and I go for a walk with Jill and her little girl Haven. Jill lives on a lake so we walk the 3 mile lake every Wednesday before I go to Weight Watchers. So far at WeightWatchers I have lost 17 1/2 lbs wich brings me to a total of 37 1/2 lbs. I still have 47.5 lbs to go.
It is a constant struggle for me to lose weight. We have to keep all snacks out of the house(with exception to holidays and parties). We buy lots of produce, lean meats and low fat snacks. This forces our whole house to eat healthy. It is still hard to fit in workouts, with two little ones and trying to keep up on house work.
I would like to hear from other mothers out there who are trying to lose weight or have lost the baby weight. How did you do it or what are you doing? How do you keep your families healthy?
Friday, October 26, 2007
Halloween Fun!
When I was a little girl, our family had an annual Halloween Party for all the neighborhood kids. We always had such a great time getting dressed up, playing games and having good treats. We haven't had that party in probably 15 yrs. So this year I decided I wanted to reinstate our annual Halloween Party for the newest generations of our family and neighborhood kids.
I planned for about a month to pull this party together. I had invitations made at vistaprint.com. They had great invitation layouts that you can just inupt all your info into as well as having great prices. You can't beat it! Sorry Kristy! I researched different recipies for cute Halloween treats. I looked up Halloween games online and found some really fun games.
This whole week I spent gathering the tools I needed, grochery chopping and cleaning the whole house top to bottom(I wish our house always could look like this). Yesterday was thie big day and I had a lot to do to get ready. On top of that I babysit my cousin's little girl Hayden on Thursday's who is 2. I vacuumed all the rooms, made brownies, made cup cakes, made dip for the chips, mopped the floor, and set up everything. Then I had to shower when my husband got home, get dressed, get Ty dressed, and get Bryce dressed, just as all of our guests started to arrive.
We had an awesome time! We played some relay games, candy corn relay, ghost waiter, wrap your mummy, then we played musical chairs, but with a twist, then we bobbed for apples. Even the adults came dressed up and played the games. Jim and I were the Spartan Cheerleaders from SNL. Tyler was a race car driver, and Bryce was a little turtle.
I think this will be an annual event again! A tradition at the Casey house.
What traditions do you have in your homes?
I planned for about a month to pull this party together. I had invitations made at vistaprint.com. They had great invitation layouts that you can just inupt all your info into as well as having great prices. You can't beat it! Sorry Kristy! I researched different recipies for cute Halloween treats. I looked up Halloween games online and found some really fun games.
This whole week I spent gathering the tools I needed, grochery chopping and cleaning the whole house top to bottom(I wish our house always could look like this). Yesterday was thie big day and I had a lot to do to get ready. On top of that I babysit my cousin's little girl Hayden on Thursday's who is 2. I vacuumed all the rooms, made brownies, made cup cakes, made dip for the chips, mopped the floor, and set up everything. Then I had to shower when my husband got home, get dressed, get Ty dressed, and get Bryce dressed, just as all of our guests started to arrive.
We had an awesome time! We played some relay games, candy corn relay, ghost waiter, wrap your mummy, then we played musical chairs, but with a twist, then we bobbed for apples. Even the adults came dressed up and played the games. Jim and I were the Spartan Cheerleaders from SNL. Tyler was a race car driver, and Bryce was a little turtle.
I think this will be an annual event again! A tradition at the Casey house.
What traditions do you have in your homes?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Children of God
My husband and I were raised in two different religions, he was raised Catholic and I Methodist. However I don't feel like they are that different, they both have the same foundation of God and his son Jesus Christ. I decided after having our first son Tyler Christened that I would convert to Catholisism. The classes I went through brought me closer to the lord.
Right now my husband and I are in a Bible study with a group of other parents. We are watching a video series called Sheparding the Child's Heart by Ted Tripp. The series has been very interesting thus far and gets me to thinking each week about teaching our children about the Lord. This weeks lesson was about the goals we set for our children. This was a tough week...the topic presented was very heavy.
What are the goals we set for our children? Do get a good education? To be in lots of activities to gain skills? To be an Olympic athlete? To be good? To have manners? To know and love God?
Well Ted Tripp mentioned how we fill our children's live's with so much "stuff". Dance class, swimming lessons, baseball practice, toys, video games all things that take up time away from their primary purpose of being a child of God.
This lesson made me feel really guilty. No my children aren't in sports yet, they aren't in school yet, they don't play video games yet, but Tyler does have too many toys....way too many toys. And he also spends way too much time with the TV. I need to start limiting how much he watches. We do read lots of books and sing songs.
I think his point, which he took to the extreme, was that we need to pick one goal(God) and focus on that and everything else will come from that. I feel like our kids need a balance, not too many activities, not too many distractions and God in their lives.
But I have the question how do we nurture our toddlers? How do we teach our children to know God? Here's what I do with Ty now, we pray at meals, we pray together at bed time, we read his bible and sing bible songs and he attends church with us each week. What do you other mom's out there do to nurture your children?
Right now my husband and I are in a Bible study with a group of other parents. We are watching a video series called Sheparding the Child's Heart by Ted Tripp. The series has been very interesting thus far and gets me to thinking each week about teaching our children about the Lord. This weeks lesson was about the goals we set for our children. This was a tough week...the topic presented was very heavy.
What are the goals we set for our children? Do get a good education? To be in lots of activities to gain skills? To be an Olympic athlete? To be good? To have manners? To know and love God?
Well Ted Tripp mentioned how we fill our children's live's with so much "stuff". Dance class, swimming lessons, baseball practice, toys, video games all things that take up time away from their primary purpose of being a child of God.
This lesson made me feel really guilty. No my children aren't in sports yet, they aren't in school yet, they don't play video games yet, but Tyler does have too many toys....way too many toys. And he also spends way too much time with the TV. I need to start limiting how much he watches. We do read lots of books and sing songs.
I think his point, which he took to the extreme, was that we need to pick one goal(God) and focus on that and everything else will come from that. I feel like our kids need a balance, not too many activities, not too many distractions and God in their lives.
But I have the question how do we nurture our toddlers? How do we teach our children to know God? Here's what I do with Ty now, we pray at meals, we pray together at bed time, we read his bible and sing bible songs and he attends church with us each week. What do you other mom's out there do to nurture your children?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Trip to Buffalo
This past weekend we took the kids and packed up the car for a trip to Buffalo to visit my husband's brother, his wife and they're little girl Aubrey. It is a 5 hour ride from our Northeastern Pa home to Buffalo. And if you've ever taken a trip with a two year old or a 5 1/2 month old or both you know how crazy it can be. We packed up practically the whole house, diapers, food, pillows, blankets, clothes, books, toys, beds ect. Anything you might possibly need. We made sure to leave right after both kids were fed and changed. The trip went pretty well, Ty talks up a storm until he fianlly gives in and takes a nap. Bryce pretty much slept the whole time until he needed to eat. We had a nice visit, playing games, visiting Niagra Falls, shopping, eating in and out and going to church on Sunday morning.
The trip home however was a little different. We were all very tired from not getting much sleep. Ty had woken up at 4:45 in the morning screaming because he didn't know where he was. He was terrified and would not go back to sleep. He woke the whole house. So our day started very early. We took the kids to church with us like we normally do, but Ty could not sit there. By 9:30 mass he had almost been up for 5 hrs and need a nap badly. Jim had to take him out and walk him around, luckily it was almost 80 degrees out. The preist was long winded and mass seemed to last forever. Needless to say Ty took a very good nap on the way home as well as did Byrce...almost three hrs. I kept drifting off, really wanting a nap, but I kept myself awake to help Jim stay awake. We kept our eyes posted for the nearest Starbucks for some much needed caffine. It took us about 3 hrs to find a coffee shop between Buffalo and home. But those Java Chip Frappachino's did the trick! Next time we need to stay for more than one night. Over all the boys did very well.
The trip home however was a little different. We were all very tired from not getting much sleep. Ty had woken up at 4:45 in the morning screaming because he didn't know where he was. He was terrified and would not go back to sleep. He woke the whole house. So our day started very early. We took the kids to church with us like we normally do, but Ty could not sit there. By 9:30 mass he had almost been up for 5 hrs and need a nap badly. Jim had to take him out and walk him around, luckily it was almost 80 degrees out. The preist was long winded and mass seemed to last forever. Needless to say Ty took a very good nap on the way home as well as did Byrce...almost three hrs. I kept drifting off, really wanting a nap, but I kept myself awake to help Jim stay awake. We kept our eyes posted for the nearest Starbucks for some much needed caffine. It took us about 3 hrs to find a coffee shop between Buffalo and home. But those Java Chip Frappachino's did the trick! Next time we need to stay for more than one night. Over all the boys did very well.
Friday, October 19, 2007
I'm Back!
Yes it has been about 5 months since I have written. Which means that Bryce is 5 1/2 months old! He is doing great as am I, my husband and Ty. Tyler adjusted to being a big brother fast. He helps bring me diapers for the baby, throwing away diapers, putting the binkie back in the babies mouth, making the baby laugh and consoling Bryce when he cries. You wouldn't believe how fast your toddler will grow up once they are a big brother or sister.
Well having two is tougher than one, but it seems to be getting easier or I am just getting better at it. Bryce is such an easy baby. Remember how I was terrified of having a new born again? Well Bryce is so easy that I am going to miss having a baby once he is bigger. He rarely cries, he sleeps through the night, he is always smiling and giggling, just a very pleasant baby.
Well having two is tougher than one, but it seems to be getting easier or I am just getting better at it. Bryce is such an easy baby. Remember how I was terrified of having a new born again? Well Bryce is so easy that I am going to miss having a baby once he is bigger. He rarely cries, he sleeps through the night, he is always smiling and giggling, just a very pleasant baby.
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