E's First Haircut

Yesterday, Tim and I took Emmitt for his first haircut.  It wasn't that his hair was super long or unruly, it was just getting to the point that it needed to get cleaned up.

This picture was take a couple weeks ago.  His hair is curling around his ears and long on the back of his neck.

This picture above is the best "before" picture I have.  It turns out in all of our planning of this sacred, life-stage moment, I forgot to take a couple pictures before we actually had it cut.  Oh, well.  Learning curve and all.

Now, if you've never seen someone give a small child a haircut (which is probably everyone without kids), then get ready.  The stylist, Liz, had to dance all around him.  Emmitt would look left, look right.  He would try to see what she was doing, try to find the blow dryer that started in the booth behind him.  And every time he moved, I panicked.  Liz, however, is a pro.  She just moved right along with him.  After a couple of unexpected movements from E, and witnessing how awesome Liz was at following him, I stopped trying to keep him still.

The beginning of the process.  He's strapped in this chair, wearing a giant "bib," and trying to figure out why she keeps spraying his head with water. 

Spray bottle = not cool when it's not under his control

Beginning to snip.  The request we made was, "Clean up as much as you can, but we're just really worried about the neckline." 

"Excuse me, but what's over there?"

"Dad, why is she still touching me?"

Oh, look over there!

I did get called in to help when the trimmer appeared.  That part was the hardest for him to sit through.

I just pointed out all the angry birds on his cape or, in desperation, made the trimmed hair bounce around.  As crazy as that last move sounds, it was the most effective.

All done!  So handsome.  

We were so proud of the little guy.  (And yes, I did get a small collection of trimmings for his baby book.)  What could have been a horribly traumatizing 10 minutes went so well.  I credit a lot of that to the stylist working with him.  And at the end of the whole ordeal, they gave him a slinky.  How fun!

So, there's E's first haircut.  Thanks for following along! 

Until next time,

Rookie Mom

P.S.  If you're following along with my year of nonfiction, here's the review I wrote on nonfiction book #2.  Enjoy! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/821146177

New View

One week ago today I underwent LASIK eye surgery.  And I did it so I could see sunsets like this sans glasses or contacts.

It is amazing to see this with my own vision. No corrective lens needed.

I've been asked several times what my vision is like now.  Well, I grew up watching Doris Day, so here's my comparison for the first few days: It's like everything had that soft Doris Day focus.  If you don't watch Doris Day movies, then maybe you'll recall NCIS episodes where they recount something from the past.  Those scenes also get that soft and glowy touch.  And if you don't watch Doris Day movies or NCIS but are still reading this blog, then let me just say thank you for being my friend.  I'm sure we have something in common.

The soft touch has faded away as the week has passed, by the way.  I appreciate that.  I felt like I was walking through memories and was waiting for the Ghost of Christmas Past to arrive and show me all the places I've gone wrong in life. 

So, what have I done to celebrate the 1 week mark? Other than excitedly apply my eye shadow this morning? (Side note: You can't wear eye make-up for a week following your surgery.)

I got my hair cut! (Thank you to Tim for picking up E after work so I could go!)  

My first picture without glasses and with make-up!  

 Maybe it's just me, but it can be hard to give myself permission for a haircut.  I feel like I have to work or I need to cook dinner or I need to stay with Emmitt.  I wonder if this is a mom thing or if it's just me. (I'm hoping it's not just me.)

 The cherry on top was coming home to a kiss from this doodle bug - while he was covered in pizza sauce and parmesan cheese.

"Kiss me, momma! There's not food on my face anywhere!"

 At the end of the day, haircut or not, glasses or not, he is such a bright spot.  If I ever do get to walk down memory lane with a silent, brooding spirit, his smile will appear often.

Bath time!

Over and out,

Rookie Mom

Building Blocks: A blog in pictures

Tim and I picked up a set of blocks for Emmitt the other night.  We spent a little time building the blocks.

I thought this one looked like an ice cream cone.

This one reminds me of a robot.

By the time we were done, that little stack at the beginning became quite the pile of bricks.

We let Emmitt find the blocks the next morning.

It was fun to watch his face. 

He has blocks similar to these at the daycare and he loves them.

Let the destruction begin!

That's my boy!

Oh, and this is the first book I'm reading for Nonfiction 2014.  Well, it's an audio book.  But that counts too!

It sure was fun surprising the little guy.  Plus, it's kind of fun being the parents who stay up to put together the toys.  

Happy New Year, everyone!

~Stephanie

#Nonfiction2014: A Year Without Reading Fiction

So, after my last post about not making any New Year's resolutions, I actually do have one.

But theses pictures have nothing to do with it.

They are from a snow day a few weeks back.

We had a lot of fun.

I just though they were cute, so I posted them.

Okay, back to the topic: my New Year's resolution.

Now, here's the thing.  The only reason I have a resolution is because it is an adventure I want to try for a year.  It's not a lifestyle change that needs to happen.  I'm calling those my goals.  This is a resolution because it is finite and not 100% needed.

My resolution for the new year is spend 2014 reading nonfiction works. 

I love to read.  And when I read, I read happy, romantic things.  If it's sad or tragic or there's no love in the air, then I really don't read it.  That is a very true confession.

I try to act smart and hide my simple reading ways.  I have a masters degree and had to read various scholarly books for that.  However, in the 2 1/2 years since then, I have gorged my mind on fun, fanciful fiction.

(Okay, there was a parenting book here or there, but that's about it.)

So, why give up the fiction tales that I love so much?  Because I am not just a book reader, I am a book binger.  When it comes to reading, it is feast or famine.  I read nonstop when I can.  Sometimes to the point of trying to ignore responsibilities.  Also, as soon as I finish one book, I run straight into another mindless, silly plot.  That  means at times I'll read whatever the library has available that fits my criteria mentioned above.  Plus, even though I like romance, I'm not a big fan of the smut.  And lately, I have found - and read - some real smut simply because I just wanted a "fun" read.  Not cool, Stephanie Jane.  Not cool.

So I'm turning my mind away from the junk food and looking to feast my brain on more significant works.  I also tend to take my time as I read through these, rather than rushing through fiction.  I'm going to try biographies, because those seem inspiring.  Books on history sound intriguing because I like knowing random facts about where we come from (especially ones involving numbers that I can turn into word problems. It's an evil teacher thing...) Some parenting and potty training books are probably in my future, too.  Let's face it, I need all the help I can get on that front.  And hopefully some theological/philosophical books too.  Why?  Because my faith is still in the growing stage, meaning there is more for me to know than I already do.

I asked for ideas via facebook a couple days ago.  Here are some of the ideas I have so far:

• Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 
• Seven by Jen Hatmaker
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
• The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

If you have ideas you would like to suggest, send them my way.  Some of you reading this are nice enough to be my friend even though we are very different people.  If you think of a book that is outside of the normal "me," you might send the title my way.  I kind of enjoy reading about things from someone's perspective other than my own.  

I plan to write about my year of nonfiction on my blog.  I'll use #nonfiction2014 as my hashtag when I do updates via social media.  I'm also on Goodreads if you want to follow along there. I'll log what I have read/am reading on my Nonfiction2014 shelf. 

Here's to a new adventure for 2014!

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Preparing for 2014

(Did you forget that I have a blog?  I think I did for a while.  Oops!)

I never think about New Year's resolutions until after Christmas festivities.

First, let me say that a resolution always makes me nervous.  Something I have to commit to for a whole year?  What if I don't like it?  Then I'm either 1) miserable or 2) a quitter.  Hmm...  Neither of those give me the "happy" vibe.  Plus, I don't like resolutions like "dieting" or "working out."  I feel like those are things I should do every year.  And I usually gain more weight on the years that "dieting" is my resolution -- go figure that out for me, please.

So, here's what I'm thinking.  I'm going for 2014 Goals.

Goal #1: Slow down a bit.
I teach and with that comes a whole host of responsibilities.  I haven't done well with making time for things other than teaching.  Well, teaching and my family.  Granted, when I have a husband and son this adorable, why wouldn't I take time for them?

So, my typical day is that I get home at 5 and put E to bed around 7:30 and then I work again until 9 or 10 at night.  On the weekends I usually work while Emmitt is napping and again when he is already asleep for the night. That doesn't leave much time for anything else. My first goal is slow down a bit and make time for more than just work -- to make time for my husband, my son, my friends and family.

Goal #2:  Rebuild friendships.
I want to go on more dates with my husband.  I want to have more weekend trips to visit friends out of town.  I want to meet up with the girls for coffee or (don't tell my husband) shopping.  Due to being so busy this past semester, I haven't been a very proactive friend.  Friendships aren't going to last forever if I don't make time for them.

Goal #3: Make time for me.
Little things to big things, I need to make more time for me.  Working during every spare moment doesn't help me be the best mom or wife I can be.  It leads to stress which my family doesn't need. Whether it's making an appointment at the salon or finding time to go the gym, I need to make a little more time for me.  Guilt about being away from Emmitt has kept from making a lot of choices since I started back to work in July (5 weeks earlier than expected).  I'm not talking extravagant. I'm talking things that motivate me (like a Zumba class at the gym) or help me unwind (such as a beauty appointment). Or even things that help me to just enjoy the pace of everyday life -- blogging, for example.

So, those are my goals.  After all that, I do actually have a New Year's resolution, but I'll save that for a different post.

Thanks for reading!
~Stephanie, the Rookie Mom

Offensive Clothing: Taking Back My Closet

Every one of my teacher friends just read "Offensive Clothing" and thought of teenagers in skimpy attire breaking dress code.  Teachers - You can't change us, so you might as well join us.

So, I have been frustrated for a while with my closet being full, but "not having anything to wear."  I have hated the chore of picking out what to wear for the day because most items in my closet make me feel frumpy and/or fat.  (Can I tell you how great it is to feel both frumpy and fat at the same time?  That's when I don't leave the house and begin craving ice cream.)

Now, I was always told that your body after a baby could be different.  And, like all good first time moms, I didn't really process that because I knew that I would be different.  Hmmm... Nope.  Still fighting that baby weight and change in body shape.

Which brings me to my closet.

Yesterday morning, it looked like this:

 Most of this I don't wear because 1 of 4 reasons. The items are consider to be...

1.  Offensive Clothing: It doesn't fit.  Everytime I look at my closet, this little voice in my head tells me that I used to be pretty.  I used to be fit and skinny.  Both of these imply that I am no longer pretty, fit, or skinny and that I never will be again.   Clothing items in this cagtegory fit 4 years ago, but not now.  And it hasn't fit for more than 2 years.  So why do I have it? I don't know.  I'm tired of it taunting me, so I tossed it.  When I lose this baby weight (not if), I'll want newer, trendier stuff anyways.  So goodbye, size 10 work pants.  I will see a new pair soon.
2. Worn-Out Clothing:  Those favorite articles that I've worn until they're thread bare.  My co-workers could point them out to you because I wear them every week until the season changes.  (This is partly due to category #1 and all those clothes that don't fit.  I only have a few items left to pick from.)  These items needed to go way just so I would stop turning to them time and time again.
3. Wonky Clothing:  Okay, so it was always a funny fit.  Why didn't I notice in the dressing room that the skirt's liner sticks out from beneath the hem line?  Who wants a shirt that stops right at the muffin top?  Seriously?  What was I thinking in the first place.  (But those ruffle collars sure where cute.  That's probably why I didn't notice the funky hemline on the shirt.)
4. Out-Dated Clothing:  These are items that might come back into style... in 10 years.  But a good friend taught me that if I wore it the first time, I don't need to wear it the second time.  Out they go!  (That includes you, adorable metalic-gold-pinstriped pale tan slacks.  May you grace another office one day.  Just don't let it be mine.)

I will confess that offensive clothing that mocks my current body shape is the reason I began this endeavor of closet cleaning.  That meant this was very much an emotional-mental game to win back my self-confidence.

To be fair, I had to explain this to my husband.  He likes seeing me dressed nice, so he'll make completely innocent statements like, "Are you sure that dress doesn't fit?  It's one of my favorites on you."  At these words, my weight-battling self wants to cry.  Instead, I usually just scowl as I shove the dress hanger back on the rack and call the item dirty names for not fitting anymore.  This time, however, I didn't want to try to make the husband happy at the sacrifice of my own emotional-mental health.  I needed to do this for me.  So I asked him to refrain from these comments.  Bless his wonderful heart, he did.  Husband of the year, that one.  (Even after the comments about my gray hair two days earlier... *Ahem*)

In in about 30 minutes time, I managed to go through everything on a hanger.  I did keep one or two things that I couldn't handle parting with - the outfit I wore when Tim proposed, the outfit I bought after I spilled my drink on my skirt at said proposal (I was overwhelmed, don't judge me), the skirt I bought in Germany and wore on the trip back home.  That's about it, and I tucked them away so that they don't make me feel bad about who I am today.

Anywho, here's the piles of folded items to be donated.  All of this was in my closet and I haven't worn it in years.  This is a problem in America.

All together the above stacks filled two garabage bags.  They're in my truck to be donated either to Goodwill or my school's clothing closet.  (The second is a great place to donate cute and gently used items.   Keep your local school in mind next time you have things to donate!)

And finally, here's the after pic of my closet.  I feel like I can actually move in here now. 

Plus, now that it's done, I don't mind walking into my closet.  It no longer mocks me because I have taken control of it.  (I also have a lot more hangers free to use -- always a blessing when doing laundry.)   I hope that someone else reads this and is inspired to do the same.  Just go to your closet and kick out those clothes that make you feel bad about yourself.  It's what you would tell your best friend to do, so do it!

~Stephanie

Open & Honest - Thank you, Facebook

This is a post for all those new moms and former new moms out there. Thank you for understanding, sisters!

Yesterday I was playing with my profile at www.LoseIt.com.  I've used the app before to track weight loss and exercise.  As part of my new year's resolution, I have been revisiting the app and needed to update my current weight.  Since my last weigh in, I was pregnant and had a baby. Plus, I work full time, own my business, am a wife, a volunteer youth worker, am constantly near exhaustion, somewhat stressed, and still love food.  And for the record, I weighed myself in the middle of the day, after eating, and on the highest water retention day of the month.

So I entered my biggest number to date in a quest for honesty.

Oh, and I forgot to turn off the automatic sharing feature.  Thus, this little jewel appeared on facebook:

I wasn't even aware that it had posted until I got a like and a comment from a sweet friend.  I probably would be hiding in bed and crying from embarrassment if he hadn't said such kind words.  

So, what's a new mom to do?

I decided that I would face the facts.

I think the biggest change for me post baby is the body image.  There is not enough out there to prep us for what happens to our bodies post baby.  I went to the hospital with a giant (but I thought cute) belly.  My abs had never been as awesome as they were at that time.  My stomach was a slab of rock.  There was no fat to be found.

And then I had a baby.

It's a like a balloon deflates.  I remember crying that first week because I was no longer the cute pregnant lady.  Now I was that lady with pregnant-like flab.  Nothing in my closet flattered me or made me feel pretty.  I think so many of us have been there.

In the first few months it was hard to find the time and energy to work out.  If E was sleeping, I wanted to sleep.  I don't remember trying to eat healthy or eating out a lot.   Really, I just remember trying to find the time to cook and eat period.  The funny thing is my infant eats great.  He drinks soy milk (formula, really) and eats fruits, veggies, and oatmeal throughout his four small meals a day.  His diet is lean and he loves it.  More than once I have found a sad humor in feeding him so much healthy food while I am struggling with my own weight and diet.

Even before my blunder of a post, I had decided to make healthier habits for 2013.  Thus the trip to LoseIt.com in order to reinforce those positive habits.  I'm using an app called Waterlogged to track the gallon of water I aim to drink every day.  (Sixty onces is the closest I've been to my 128 ounce goal.)  As a family, we're walking and biking when the weather is nice, changing up our menu to include more veggies and lean meals.  All those things that we do to live healthier lives.  (By the way, I'm using #healthy2013 on twitter to mark our journey.  Feel free to join me!)

In close, I want to say this to my reflection in the mirror:  Even if I have gained 18.4 lbs in the last year and a half, I am not a bad wife, mother, teacher, daughter, or friend.  My journey is different now because my responsibilities are different.  I am still beautiful.  I am still strong.  I will be the healthy woman I believe that I am.  My perseverance is permanent - not the number on the scale.  I am proud of who I am.  I am beautiful!

Sincerely,

An Open and Honest Rookie Mom