Yup. It got worse.

You know, I honestly didn't think it could get worse. I mean, of COURSE it can always be worse. I live a pretty charmed existence - happily married, GORGEOUS kiddo who, besides that bloomin' ear infection is healthy as can be, I have a roof over my head (and I kinda' like it, too), shoes on my feet, often TOO much food in my tummy.... I'm well educated, successful at the things I set my mind to..... I KNOW I've got it good. I KNOW. So OBVIOUSLY it could be worse.

But, if you read my last post you know this has been a pretty rough week for us in our little bubble of the "perfect" life. I mean, really, I do NOT function well without sleep, and that was a whole lot of not sleeping.

So, I know most of you lovely folks who pop over to this little blog of mine have already seen (and freaked out from and over) the pictures I posted to Facebook yesterday (if not, they're coming up, so sit tight). Here's what happened.

Thursday night (is that when I blogged last?) Little Miss DID finally sleep - it was heaven. Seriously I LOVE LOVE those antibiotics. We had an iffy night last night by other than that we're pretty much back to normal. PHEW!

Friday was my work party, if you recall my mentioning. I'm a consultant for Close To My Heart, a scrapbooking and stamping company and every three months "we" come out with a new "Idea Book" (catalogue). And every three months I throw a party to launch and/or celebrate the new book. We have a lot of fun, I give out lots of prizes and free stuff, someone wins "hostess" rewards from the party's orders, etc. etc. It's a blast, and always a lot of work. I have to clean and tidy the house, prep the create-and-take project, buy and prep the food, put together enough goodies and prizes to make the party actually worth coming to, PLAN what we're DOING at the party, get my business supplies ready i.e. order forms, business cards, etc. etc.

I HAD planned to have everything pretty much done by Thursday so I could spend Friday tidying and chillin' with Little Miss.

Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh.......

So I called in reinforcements: MOM came to help! HOORAY!

We worked like dogs. Took turns looking after Little Miss while she whined (which was so much less frequent than previous in the week - hooray!), tidied, stuffed prizes in baggies, tied ribbons around baggies, prepared contests, set up new-stuff table...... it was a BUSY day.

During the day my dad had called down - he's going to Florida on Tuesday and wants to switch me cars so he and the boys can all fit with their gear and golf clubs in the trunk on the way to the airport. Mom said he should come down Friday night and visit with Little Miss even though Mr. Man could have probably dropped off our car (which is bigger than his, by the way, hence the need to switch) on Monday after work. For WHATEVER reason Mom said Dad should come down Friday. So he did.

Pizza for dinner. Dad over. 6:30. Last minute tidying, putting toys away, getting Little Miss and Dad set up in the basement with a SpongeBob DVD.

My first guest arrived about 6:40 - party starts at 7. I hadn't had time to do my hair, put on any makeup...

Then the phone rang.

(I looked at the caller ID - I hate the phone and HATE answering if I don't know who it is. I'm one of those people. And telemarketers TICK ME OFF.)

"It's Mr. Man! Hi!"

"Hi. I've been in a car accident."

"What?"

"I've been in a car accident."

"What?! You've been in an accident???" I was so...GOBSMACKED it didn't even occur to me to ask if he was okay. Someone else in the room clicked in and said ohmigosh-is-he-okay.... "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"What happened?"

And then this I didn't get - I couldn't tell WHAT had happened. Something about a left turn and he couldn't stop... I'm picturing quite the mash-up of vehicles and the incredible hike in our insurance because it was Mr. Man's fault.... my head was just SPINNING. Maybe because of the overtired-and-then-overworked?

My Dad. My fantastic Dad. First thing he says: "Does Mr. Man need me to come get him?" Oh, thank GOODNESS my parents were here. Would NOT have handled it otherwise, I'm certain. With people already HERE for the party, Mr. Man in an accident over an hour from home (yay long commute - sigh) a sick Little Miss and my frazzle-dazzled self I'm pretty sure I would have collapsed.

But Dad rushed out the door, Mom took over Little Miss, my first guest took over greeting and dealing with the next few coats and explanations... what wonderful people we're so blessed to be surrounded by.

So, the accident. Here's my understanding of what happened:

Mr. Man was driving along a two-lane road (as in one lane each direction) actually near the speed limit as he was decelerating prepping to enter a slower-limit zone when out of the blue the car in the oncoming lane turns left....RIGHT in front of him. He says he saw her, hit the brake & turned the wheel and was in the ditch within an instant - no time for the car to react to the brake, and if he hadn't turned the car right he would have for sure t-boned her. He keeps saying if-I'd-been-changing-stations with disbelief....

I don't know WHAT the poor girl was doing. I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose. My initial instinct to hunt her down and kill her has passed. (It sounded like other than the emotional oy of smashing her car into my husband's she was fine, and she was charged by the police for, whatever it would be... driving like a moron for a moment? I dunno.)

We visited the car yesterday to get our stuff out of it and take pictures:


BOTH airbags deployed (Mr. Man lost his glasses for a while, but they ARE intact!)

This is all the stuff "they" scraped off the road - apparently part of cleaning up after an accident is throwing all the debris in the back seat? We found the other car's front license plate in there!




Yeah. I definitely had a little moment when I first saw the car. I don't know how close I could have actually been to LOSING my Mr., but that's a little WAY too close for my taste.

A perfect end to the worst week in our short history.

Here's to Monday. Let's do better this week, shall we?? (Knocking on everything wooden I can lay my knuckles against...)

One of THOSE weeks

I think, cumulatively, over the last four nights I've gotten about 6-7 hours sleep. Maybe. And that, I honestly believe, is a generous estimate. Seriously, I'm sleeping less this week than I was when Little Miss was a newborn, I swear. 'Cause at least then she'd nap and I'd nap....I wouldn't get oodles of sleep at night, but gosh darn it I could sneak SOME sleep in SOME time. Not this week.

No, this week we've experienced a whole new ball game when it comes to parenthood. And let me tell you, I want out of this inning. I am SO tired and SO finished with the whining and the I want I want I want I want and the SCREAMING and the pushing and throwing....

My new two least favourite words: ear infection

Yes, finally, we got to the doctor today. Who took one look in poor also-hasn't-slept-in-three-nights Little Miss' one ear and said "yup, it's an ear infection," then looked in the other and said "wow, this side's even worse."

Okay, so I KNOW ear infections are relatively common ailments for children and we are NOT the first. And I think the fact we've got off not experiencing this lovely...um...state of affairs until she's 2+ years old is fantastic - I have often thought this and count it a blessing.

But let me tell you my latest discovery: ear infections are NOT blessings.

Usually if she can't sleep for a night or two because of a cold or something it almost guarantees us a REALLY REALLY REALLY good sleep the 'next' night because her poor little body is so desperate for the rest. THIS thing...two nights ago should have been our 'miracle' sleep-perfectly-and-soundly-and-catch-up night, and it just keeps getting worse.....

But I have to tell you about last night, which I really only think can be properly explained if I start on Monday.

Monday morning rolls around. We three are more or less awake at all varying unheard of hours of the morning with a fussy, upset, and obviously ill Little Miss. But I had class at 8 and another at noon so was planning to spend a good chunk of the day at school - professors don't really let you take a day off to tend your sick children like you can do in some workplaces, you know? Stupid school just keeps RIGHT on truckin'! So DEAR DEAR Mr. Man arranges to work from home on Monday so he can be home with el-sicko and I can get to my classes. Fine and dandy. BUT to do THAT he offered to switch his regular work-at-home day from Wednesday.

Which, actually, is a problem. Mr. Man's work is about 1.5 hours away, and he works from 10-6. He gets home around 7:30. Well, Wednesday I have class at 7. So...he works at home so we don't have to worry about me getting to class!

But don't worry, don't worry - he had it all figured out. He was switching work-at-home day from Wednesday to Monday and working at the office Wednesday from 9-5 instead of 10-6 so he'd be home by 6:30, in time for me to go to class. Fantastic!!

Monday went off without much of a hitch. Except we were a little fatigued from not sleeping much Sunday night.

Monday night, still no sleeping. I brought Little Miss to bed with us so I wouldn't have to get up every half hour when she started coughing and crying for me.

Tuesday, more tired. Mr. Man must have already been fighting something off because with the two nights of not sleeping he was a wreck Tuesday morning, so SICK DAY for him, and he and Little Miss curled up on the couch to watch movies while I ran around working and keeping up after my sick family.

Tuesday night, put Little Miss to bed. Went to bed AT 8:00. Watched some t.v. Turned out lights. Too tired to sleep for a while. Played bejeweled on my phone until start dozing off around 10. CUE SCREAMING 2-YEAR-OLD: MOMMY! MOMMY!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH it's like I'm DYING, MOMMY!!

And all the rest of Tuesday night. Literally, every single time I start to doze she starts to scream. Can't keep her in bed with us 'cause she's been kicking Mr. Man in the back and HE can't sleep and he's sick... ugh.

Wednesday, Mr. Man heads to work for 9. To leave at 5 so I can go to class. Little Miss visits the babysitter for a few hours in the afternoon for nap and so Mommy can go to class. Little Miss is so happy to be out of the house she seems to not remember how miserable she's been the rest of the week. Huh.

Wednesday night, 6:15. Little Miss is driving Mommy NUTS. And I KNOW she's sick and not feeling well but the CONSTANT CONSTANT unintelligible whining which I have zero-to-no patience for regularly then coupled with the incredible amounts of rest I've had this week...yeah, made for a happy Mommy.

Little Miss whines out a request for a bath. Mommy is only too happy to oblige to just about anything to shut that noise off for a few moments. Bath runs. Little Miss is happy and excited. Mommy is watching the clock, trying to get ready to go to school so when Little Miss is in bath and Daddy walks in the door Mommy can go to school. Little Miss pulls up the shower-tab in the tub while water is running. Mommy gets SOAKED. SOAKED. Mommy towels off, puts Little Miss in the tub, and calls Daddy to see if he's almost home because suddenly Mommy needs to blow-dry her hair (it was COLD last night!)

It's 6:24pm. The phone rings. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Man. Are you almost here because I have to blow dry my hair and change clothes and I can't leave her in the tub-"

"What? I'm in - uh oh. Ohmigosh."

"What? Where are you?"

"OHmigosh."

"You're not almost here?"

"I worked until 6."

(I'm sure I was a little shrill at this point) "WHAT?!"

"I forgot I was supposed to leave at 5. I worked until 6."

I don't even remember the rest of the conversation...I was a little bit furious at the time. (Don't worry, it didn't last long. I was pretty much over it by the time he got home. I mean, I had JUST had one of those days, too, you know?)

So fine. So I had to miss class. I e-mailed my bud in class to tell him what happened and beg for the night's notes (he agreed to bail me out, by the way - thanks a MILLION!) Once I got my head around it I was almost GLAD because in all the sick this week I hadn't had chance to really start the prep for my work-party I'm hosting at my place tomorrow night. Suddenly I'm looking at putting Little Miss to bed (she HAS to sleep tonight, right?) and having some extra 'free' time I hadn't expected.

So I put her down. And sit down to work.

And don't finish a single project before I'm back on Mommy duty. She didn't even sleep a straight HOUR!! And THEN, ohmigosh, I've NEVER seen anything like it. It was like she was posessed. She just screamed and screamed and screamed and SCREAMED. She wanted NOTHING to do with either of us but wouldn't go to sleep. She RAN out of her room around 10pm and dove into her "princess bed" (one of those fold-out mini couches) and lay there and screamed, whined, whimpered, and cried until about 11:20. If we touched her she screamed louder. If we talked to her she threw whatever she could get her hands on. If we tried to tuck her in she grabbed the blanket and threw it away, and screamed and screamed and screamed.

FINALLY I got her to calm down, and we lay down together on the (big) couch to watch "Up" (WHAT a great movie!) Then when she'd be calm for a bit we relocated her, us, and the movie to our room so maybe by being in bed she'd fall asleep (goodness knew I needed to!) Then finally it was time to turn the movie off (ummm...like, before we even STARTED it?? Who puts a movie on for their kid at 11:30 at night?!) and THEN for the next few hours she wouldn't settle down, whining that she wanted to watch "Up"!!

So I took her back to her room. It's BED time.

Same thing. Back and forth. Up and down. LOTS of screaming. I've NEVER seen her like this for a prolonged period of time - I mean, she'll scream at us good when she doesn't get her way, which is fine and dandy; she can scream until the cows come home then!! But THIS was just...seriously like she was possessed. And during the DAY I can't put her DOWN!!

Let me tell you, my new FAVOURITE word is ANTIBIOTICS!

Mr. Man was finishing off putting her down to bed when I started typing out my frustration...and she's not screaming yet. So fingers crossed night FIVE is our magic, miracle, please PLEASE PLEASE let her sleep so we can ALL catch up on our sleep, night.

Huh. I hear her now. May have wished that too soon.

Wish us luck, and if I'm snippy with you in the next few days...SORRY!!!

(OH, by the way...haven't exercised in....what feels like ages. Seriously, just been one of those weeks. ARGH! Is it over yet?!)

Pass It On

Pass it on...

Places I worked...
1. Golden Fish & Chips
2. Ralph Culp and Associates Inc.
3. MTC Cafeteria
4. Bluenotes

Movies I can watch over and over... (these aren't in any particular order for me...)
1. Pride & Prejudice
2. The Lake House
3. Batman Begins
4. Transformers

Places I've lived...
1. Georgetown
2. Provo
3. 17 Collier St., St. Catharines
4. 131 Rockwood Ave., St. Catharines ;)

Favourite TV shows...
1. Glee
2. Lost
3. The Office
4. Everybody Loves Raymond

Places I've been...
1. Florida
2. Utah
3. Washington DC
4. California (yup...I'm a BIG traveler. Been ALL over. This continent.)

Favourite foods...
1. Spaghetti
2. Korean
3. Double-cheese sausage penne
4. Aglio e Olio with Shrimp ;)

Places I'd rather be...
1. In bed
2. taking a bath
3. massage table
4. over there (pointing) on that couch 'cause it's longer than this love seat....

The Anti-Stress

So, remember (or do you?) how a little while ago I said something about how I've realized that I like, NEED to run?? Did I say that? I think I said that. hahaha Maybe?? Anyway.

Today, was a great day, which maybe I'll write about some other time, but it was a great day. Little Miss and I did the 1.5 hour drive to visit and play with her three cousins and Aunties today and had SUCH a great day.

Then we got in the car for the 1.5 hour drive back home.

By the time I got home I had completely forgotten about my lovely day with my lovely nieces and lovely sisters-in-law, vegging, eating cookies (whoops....), playing.... I had perma-scowl on. Even when I focused on relaxing my face muscles I had this...PRESSURE in my forehead.

Mr. Man asked how the day was. All I could get out was...pressure...need to run....

But then I crashed and felt too exhausted.

And Mr. Man said, it's not too late to run. You don't get to run as often as you'd like. You should go for a run.

So I did.

Within FIVE MINUTES of my time with Optimus Prime I felt ALLLLLLLLLLLL better. ALL better.

I DO remember having a great day! I DON'T remember how horrid I felt being whined and screamed and cried at for an hour and a half. GREAT day. I feel good.

Thanks, Mr. Man!

To My Mister

Dear Mr. Man.

It's 6:44pm on January 12th. And, maybe because of the date, I've been thinking about you ALL day.

You're a little chubbier than you were when we got married - you really should figure out some time to work on that. Not just for looks but for your HEALTH. ;)

You've lost some of your hair. Actually, a good amount.


I think it's possible you're a bigger nerd now than you were when we got married.


You work too far away from where we live and I never get to see you.

You're a bit on the awkward side of social settings.


You're a horrible dresser on your own, and you never wear any cologne for me.

You are...so many things.

You work too far away so I feel like I never see you so you can work hard and provide for Little Miss and I while I finish school. You work hard to do an increasingly good job at it, too.

You always drive, even though you wish I would sometimes, and even though I'm a horrible control-freak back-seat driver, because I'm used to it that way.


You play with our kid. And read her stories. And teach her things. And you're such a softie! I'll never know why she cries for me when she's so very much got you wrapped around her little fingers. If I'm tired you take her over for me no matter if you're just as or more tired.



You're hilarious. Even when you think you're funny and you're not funny...that's hilarious.


You make me laugh. And roll my eyes, but the laughing is the best.

You let me be me. I think this is the biggest and best thing anyone has ever done for me. I don't have to pretend ANYTHING with you. I don't have to put on a certain face or look a certain way, say the right thing or keep the house just so. You let me just be me and for goodness only knows what reason you seem to actually love me for it.



You're a trooper. You let me be me and you follow along for the ride. I've gotten you into more shenanigans in our time together than I'll bet you'd ever imagined.


You're absolutely adorable.


You're gorgeous. I canNOT get enough of that smile. Never will. And while you may not cackle in tandem like a witch like I LOVE it when you really laugh. Your laugh to me means you're comfortable and relaxed and THAT is what I live for. (Well, Little Miss now, too.)



I have to get Little Miss bathed and in her pyjamas so she's ready for bed ASAP once you get home and we can have your cake, but I wanted you to know just how very very very very much I love you. You are nothing I ever thought I'd end up with and everything I need. You are perfect for me.

Happy Birthday, my Mister!
Muah

300

So, back at the beginning of December I started this post.... think, since I did the workout today, it's about time to finish it, eh?

You've read a couple of times now my mention of The Jedi - my bud at school who gets me through LONG days of class, arduous group assignments, and kicks my BUTT at the gym.

Hello, Jedi! (Totally stole your Facebook profile pic, I know. Good thing you heart me so much! HA!)

So, he's a little bit, well...many things. hahaha He's my bud, he's hilarious, he's intense as all get out (yeah, don't cross him. Or, don't do anything that'll make him THINK you crossed him even if you didn't.... OY!) And DON'T worry - he and Mr. Man get along GREAT and everything's on the up and up. :P Goofs.

You may notice...the Jedi has had some success in the gym. hahaha (Hey, he picked his profile picture for a REASON, right? I mean, don't we all??)

You may have also noticed over time on my little blog here, how seldom I mention resistance training in between my running, occasional love affairs with Yogilates, and keeping up with life. So, naturally, being buds with a weight-room aficionado I volunteered myself as a workout buddy and the Jedi AGREED to whip me into shape.

Part way through the semester he brought me"The 300 Workout"

300. As in Gerard Butler. Remember that movie? I mean, I didn't even see the movie and I know all about the insane exercise and training those men went through to get ripped like that. Oy oy OY!!!

(swoon Oh Mr. Butler, whatever else I may think of you I will always love your accent, your singing, and those ridiculous abs...)

Okay, so before you go WHOA I want MY abs to look like that and google "300 WORKOUT" (which I totally did, by the way) STOP! hahaha I DID that already. (Whoa...is there such a thing as a writing-echo? Holy redundancy, Batman?) 'Cause I'll admit, when the Jedi showed up with this cue card with a list of exercises and reps and said "this is the 300 workout, you know from the movie" I was skeptical. 'Cause I'd SEEN clips of these guys exercising and some of the insane off-kilter things they were doing with medicine balls and obstacles... I almost puked FOR them just watching! So I found this 300 disclaimer article very interesting and informative. So READ THAT, okay?? Do NOT kill yourselves because I brought it up. (Am I now safe from litigation by anyone? Please? I hope so. hahaha DON'T KILL YOURSELVES DOING THIS STUFF)

Okay, THEN I found this super-cool, quick youtube clip of a guy from Men's Health demonstrating the workout! WOOHOO! (If you want to adopt the workout WATCH IT CAREFULLY and take note of FORM, okay? It's SO important to do it RIGHT)


But here it is. (I have to refer back to this list a lot when I'm in the middle of it 'cause I'm a little focused on remembering to BREATHE and not what-comes-next hahaha)
* 25 pull-ups
* 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
* 50 push-ups
* 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
* 50 "floor wipers" (a core and shoulders exercise at 135 pounds)
* 50 "clean and press" at 36 pounds (a weight-lifting exercise)
* 25 more pull-ups -- for a total of 300 reps

And BEFORE you freak out...I can't really do all that. I mean, I can, and do, do all 300 reps. BUT...my pullups are either on those magic gravitron machines that negate some of your body weight OR (thanks to some awesome Christmas presents - THANKS everyone!) at home I put my feet on a chair slightly in front of the doorway my bar's in and let my legs help (seriously, 25 pull ups is a lot in a row.... and I'm a GIRL with SCRAWNY SCRAWNY arms!).... where it says 135lbs I currently use 45 - the Jedi can do it with 135, but the deadlifts he literally has to strap the weight to his hands or his grip gives out - 50 is a ridiculous number. hahaha AND...today for the clean and press I only used 10lbs - I can't remember what I was using before Christmas, but it should have been more than 10lbs 'cause that was too easy.

So there you have it. I LOVE this workout. It's SO hard and SO intense, and apparently wasn't even meant as a workout as much as a fitness test....but let me tell ya' WHAT a difference it made last semester. Unfortunately I went a little hog-wild with my Christmas celebrating, but I'm right back on that horse today!!

DO NOT KILL YOURSELVES and really MOST of you I'd say DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.... and almost NEVER by yourself. Okay? Okay.

Finding Motivation

I know I know, I already posted a 'sharing' something today. But I just read this and it was TOO TOO funny...and so like me! hahaha

CLICK HERE and enjoy! Don't worry, it's short.

One Flaw

I got this e-mail the other day from my darling Ferret-Mama (yes, sweetie, I know I need a new name for ya'...creative-naming is just apparently really NOT my strong point... hahaha) and I just, finally, opened it and read it this morning. And I liked it. AND I've taken FROM forwarding forwards I like to posting them on the blog... now I just need to post more things in between and it won't seem so e-mail-forward-heavy on here, eh? ;)



God doesn't give you the people you want; He gives you the people you NEED... to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.....

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in..

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their

family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Hmmm...

So. It's been...forever. sigh I did start a post a while ago about this awesome workout the Jedi dragged me into...but I never finished it. hahaha Feels the the current story of my life... ;)

Anyway, as I've been on hiatus I've been sort of contemplating my blog in my arguably narcissistic world here (I stick my tongue out at you, Heather!)and wondered where it should take me. I started the thing initially to guilt myself back into my regular exercise-filled pre-mommyhood life - posting your daily I-did-or-didn't-exercise online for goodness only knows WHO to look at was enough incentive to keep me moving. I had all sorts of people I never imagined commenting to me in person about what they'd read about my latest workouts - YIKES! People READ me?! I mean with my whopping 14 followers and regular zero to one comments I'm STILL shocked to know people read me!

But that's good. I mean, the past couple of weeks with Christmas and vacation time I will DEFINITELY admit that exercising has gone by the wayside - I got lots of running in when we were at my parents because of the plethora of adult eyes and hands to watch and take care of the Little Miss while I pound it out on the treadmill, but being home this week without our regular school-time, work-time, normal-time routine it just hasn't happened. And you know what, I'm okay with that. I'll be back on the ball in a week or two when we adjust to the new semester's schedule. We're good. I'm finally back to the point where I recognize my NEED to exercise, and how much better I actually feel physically and mentally when I'm moving.

So, mission accomplished. Huzzah, and thank-you blogging world.

ALSO, I don't know if you remember my dream of fitting a Gap size 8. I honestly didn't think it was possible for me. I remember being in Eddie Bauer in middle school and practically leaping through the ceiling with joy when I did up a pair of size 10 jeans. GAP 8...there's no way!! Especially after having a baby. My body's just built too big - I mean have you SEEN these legs? SOLID, HUGE, ROCK (...oh, except those squishy parts...right...) Well, in the summer I was shopping with my mom and I figured, gosh, you know what? I've been working pretty dang hard. I think it's time to try on an 8 and see what happens. We weren't in the Gap. EVERYTHING FIT. The 10s were too big! TOO BIG!

I didn't try a GAP 8 until Boxing Day. Seriously almost 6 months later. I almost died in the changeroom when I pulled up the jeans and they a) fit and b)looked GOOD! Then I tried on the 10...the 8 looked BETTER! So I am OFFICIALLY and for the first time, like, EVER, in the single digits at the Gap. HELLO world!! No muffin top or anything! Well...maybe NOW 'cause I'm still on holiday... ;)

(See? I told you I'd been thinking for a long time about what to write about....)

So yeah. The blog has served it's purpose. For me, at least. It's original purpose has currently been SURPASSED - I never in a million years thought I'd lose enough 'baby' weight to be smaller than when I got pregnant.

But I've missed blogging. And you know, sometimes it just IS a great outlet! Though, as I've ended up not being very anonymous I find I have to edit a lot of what I would like to say, which is frustrating as all get out at the time.

So here's what I'm thinking, for now. Maybe we can test it out as the new improved Confessions of 2010? BUT, I'd LIKE to kind of change up the general 'subject' of the blog, which I kind of did unofficially a while ago ANYway, from all exercise-based to...whatever the heck I want! BUT I still think I should at least let you know what activities I'm up to and if I stumble across something cool I'll for sure keep posting that stuff. I dunno. I'm a work in progress - my blog is too! ;)

Here's to a great 2010. Mine's already shaping up pretty well:
- a light semester with only 2 courses + 1 independent study (on eating disorders! I'm so excited!)
- GRADUATION in the spring
- awesome progress with our latest networking venture
- summer trip to DC with friends for a scrapbooking convention
- Little Miss is THIS CLOSE to being fully and totally potty trained
- tickets to Stage West for my Mr. Man and I including BABYSITTING for the Little Miss! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

Looking forward to it. 2010? Bring. It. On.