Contemplating a half marathon

I've always wanted to do a marathon or even a half. The fall before I was pregnant I really got into running and participated in my first 5K. Mike ran it with me but he really caught the running bug in the spring and ran a half marathon and did 2 triathlons the year I was pregnant. I was super excited for him but sad I couldn't participate too. My goal was to run the top of utah half marathon this past August. Well that didn't happen.

Recovery from pregnancy, getting back into shape, and finding the time and motivation was a lot harder than I anticipated. I finally lost my pregnancy weight and I am slowly getting back into shape. I would really like to run the Salt Lake Marathon in April and it happens to fall on the weekend after my birthday.

Really I am a wuss and I hate to commit to anything unless I know I am going to be 100% prepared. I am the type of person that if I do something I want to do it well. And I know my goal should be to finish but I'll be honest, I want to have a great time. That being said I ran 5 miles in 51 minutes today. It was a long run today.

I am hoping that if I write about it on my blog I will take it a bit more serious.

Say cheese

I thought these pictures were funny because Olivia is getting ready for the flash to go off.

Girls in a basket

Pictures from our trip to Idaho in October. Olivia and Adie in the basket fighting for space. Then Mike dumps them.

Happy Halloween

Better late than never. Here is Olivia in her halloween costume. She hated it. Oh well. Next year we can try again.


Happy Halloween


She can't wait to take it off.


Olivia hates her costume

It finally worked

So I have been doing sign language with Olivia since she was 8 months (I think). She has always done the sign for more and eat and drink when I said the words but I can feel confident saying she actually knows what they mean and how to use them. On Sunday I gave her some shredded cheese and went to put the cheese away she walked up to me and signed "more" then "eat." So I am a very proud mom! I have been trying to teach her more signs but there is a learning curve for myself plus actually remembering to sign when I am talking.

Pillow pets

Looking for Christmas present? I just got this email from my sister.

To my family and friends,

We are selling huggable, lovable, and soft pillow pets at the Irvine Spectrum Center!!!  Our cart is by the carousel in front of Dave & Busters.  We have a Black Friday Sale on November 27th from 8 - 11 a.m.  For my family and friends that are out of state or out of town, you may call me (760-696-6484) directly to place orders.  You may visit the corporate homepage, www.mypillowpets.com, to view products available. Below is our black friday price list....  


Large - 18" pillows, Your price $20.00 was $24.99
Small - 11" pillows), Your price $13.00 was $15.99
Blankets - Your price $25.00 was $29.99
Backpacks - Your price $17.00 was $19.99
Large Slippers - Your price $16.00 was $29.99
Small Slippers - Your price $14.00 was $16.99
Neck Pillows - Your price $12.00 was 15.99

Regards,
Chandevy Eng
My Pillow Pets

Food Storage

So as I try to get my act together my list of things to do grows longer and longer. But I have to start somewhere. So my first thing is emergency-long term food storage because it isn't going to get cheaper if I wait.

I didn't grow up in the church so food storage is a new thing to me and if you google it there is so much information. There are recommendations and such but it is so hard to get started.

It was a daunting task. Appliances - I don't have a grain mill (Mike's mom did buy one for me for Christmas this year. Thanks Jeannie) or mixer or those nice appliances that make cooking so much easier. There is a lot of elbow grease that goes into baking at my house. Lack of Experience - Recommendations on cooking with food storage which is hard because I grew up eating Asian food everyday of my life. I cook more American food now but I am still learning on how to incorporate beans and such. Rotation - If you buy in bulk it is a fabulous deal but you have to be able to rotate it through. I didn't want to wait until a few months prior to an expiration date and eat the same thing over and over again. Space - If you get a year supply of food that is going to take a huge amount of space. And since Mike and I are still in the moving phase of our lives, moving it would be more of a headache.

The doula I had was also into food storage and she helped Mike and I plan a short term 3 month food storage. I think we have a handle on that. I have a ton of room for improvement but atleast I have something that I use and rotate regularly. I have been able to buy items on sale or in case lots to stock up on.

Mike loves talk radio and I heard this ad for dailybread.com on Glenn Beck and I looked into it. Not until 4 months after. I decided to request a free sample and of course a salesman contacted me but wasn't pushy and answered all my questions.

Just a plug on daily bread. It is all freeze dried food that lasts atleast 25 years and has a huge variety. There is a huge investment upfront but here are the reasons I picked this product 1) It last 25 years and could last even longer which means I don't have to worry about rotating ever (maybe when I am 60) 2) It actually tastes fantastic. Mike is a food critic and he actually liked and so did Olivia 3) Variety, variety, variety 4) All I need is water to prepare it and it takes 10 minutes 4) Compact and stores easily. I can fit it easily into closets, stack it and when we move it will be easy to take with us. 5) The ingredients are real and organic

There are different packages and payment plans and even though it makes me cringe to spend that money in a huge chunk I know it is best to get it when prices are still lower. The packages are for a family of 5 and you pick between 2 or 3 meals daily and packages sell for 3, 6 or 12 months. I have figured if I buy a 3 month package with additional kits with every child Mike and I have we should have 9 months of storage if and when we reach our magical number of 4 kids.

I would love to know what you guys do for food storage. I could definitely learn something. Especially those in the 20/30 something family transition.

Yogurt Making

So I finally made yogurt last night. I have been researching it for the past few months. I was going to do it the old school way but I decided it was a bigger hassle to round up the equipment since half of my stuff is in storage so I caved in and bought a yogurt maker.

I looked at several and read a bunch of reviews but decided to purchase this one instead. From what I have learned, you could pour the milk and the starter into the jars and turn the machine on but if a thicker yogurt is desired then it is best to heat the milk then pitch the yogurt.

Here is a great yogurt making tutorial if anyone is interested: http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/

I will be eating my first batch today. My motivation is Mike and I eat a ton of yogurt especially when we are making smoothies in the spring/summertime. I also substitute it in my recipes for a healthy version when possible. Store bought yogurt is quite pricey especially since we like to buy the organic stoneyfield yogurt. Store bought yogurt contains a ton of sugar. Check out the nutrition label next time. It is usually around 27g of sugar a serving. Eating the live cultures is actually very healthy and aids in digestion.

Nice wonderful treat!!

I work full time in the library at USU and Mike is going to school full time and spends most of his time in the Engineering building and even though our buildings are next to each other we rarely see each other during the day and infrequently during the work week.

The nice treat is we figured out a way to go to the gym together in the afternoons. It is different to have a workout buddy since we have different objectives. Mike mostly lifts, heavy weights and upper body. I alternate upper and lower body but focus a lot of lower and always split my time between cardio and strength training. It is fun to spend time together like we use to.

The best part (healthwise) is we are both super competitive and push each other. That being said last Thursday we totally kicked each others butts and were so sore we could hardly work out the next day.

Good new! Bad news!

The good news is my pants don't fit. The bad new is my pants don't fit. I have all these nice slacks that I wear to work that I bought when I was 10lbs heavier and I usually don't wear them until the winter season. I tried them on and I couldn't find something comfortable because most of them don't have belt loops like all my jeans. So it is great my pants are too big but I don't want to buy new pants. Plus I invested a lot of time and money finding cute, comfortable work clothes and I am having a hard time letting go. I still fear that I might gain weight again so I don't want to give them away.

Plus I had one of those ugly days which I suspect is hormonal. I don't know if anyone else experiences this but I don't feel right, my hair doesn't style right and I just don't feel attractive even though in reality everything is the same. Crazy! I know. Just call me coo coo!

Crocs

I bought my first pair of crocs when I was pregnant. I needed a shoe that was going to be a slip on, comfortable and the ability to grow with my foot. I bought the black Mary Jane in a size 8 and at the end my foot filled it all. It was quite amazing to wear them after I had the baby and see how small my foot really was.



I bought my second pair last May in Park City because they have a sweet Croc store at the outlet mall and I got these pair for 4.99. I couldn't be too picky about the color but they were super comfortable but I got them in a size 7.



We went to Park city last weekend and I needed a shoe that was dressy enough I could wear to work but comfortable. I hit the jack pot. They were having a buy one get one for free sale. So instead of getting two different styles, I got the same style but a pair in black and brown. Cute enough to wear to work, slip resistant stuff on the sole for winter time and comfy.

Exercising - journaling for my personal reference

I am on the maintenance phase of my diet and will be done next week. I have lost 20 pounds total and have had an easy time maintaining. I have also started working out and it has been about 2 years since I have worked out this consistently. In a nutshell I am totally out of shape.

My first goal was to run 2 miles in 20 minutes without taking a break on the treadmill at a 2% incline. The first time was killer and I didn't make it to 2 miles. I had to start at 5.6 but I finally did it yesterday.

2 miles in 20 minutes, 2% incline, 6.0 speed
.25 sprint at 0.5% incline, 7.5 speed
walk for 2 minutes, jog for 3 minutes then cooldown for 2 minutes.
Complete 2.75 miles in 30 minutes

My new goal is to run 2.25 miles at 2% incline, 6.0 speed, then sprint for 0.25 miles this week and hopefully get to 3 miles in 30 minutes.

I am trying to build my base back up to 6 miles and be able to run 8 minute miles again. ;)

Good present giver, bad surprise keeper

I love giving presents, but I really struggle keeping it a secret. That being said I bought mike an awesome Christmas present. I bought him an iPhone and I also bought myself one. Mine came on Tuesday and I have been playing with it at work secretly for the past few days. I downloaded a bunch of apps and I wanted to share my fun news but I had no one. So I caved in and told mike what I bought him. He was super excited. I am glad that he liked his present but bummed that I couldn't keep it a secret until November atleast.

The phone is awesome. I still have a lot to learn and need practice typing but I am actually blogging from my phone right now. The good thing is we won't have to fight over the laptop anymore.

Ham and Potato Soup

It is the perfect time to eat soup. I found a great ham and potato soup that is super easy.

Mike and I don't eat ham that frequently but occasionally we like to have a potato bar, fried rice or ham steak but it can be so expensive. To save money I bought a huge ham, baked it and sliced it up and divided it into freezer ziplock bags to save money. If I buy ham steaks separately it is usually around $3.69/lb but if I buy it in bulk it usually costs $1.69/lb. That is just the frugality coming out.


Ingredients: I didn't measure vegetable amounts. I just winged it.

* peeled and diced potatoes (I prefer to leave the skin on for more fiber)
* chopped celery
* chopped onion
* chopped carrots
* diced cooked ham
* 6 cups water (original recipe called for 3 1/4 cups)
* chicken bouillon granules
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
* 5 tablespoons butter
* 5 tablespoons flour
* 2 cups milk


Directions

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

This produces a thin soupy mixture but it is super easy to thicken up with potato gems or instant potatoes. The soup makes a great base. Other variations or substitutions would be Italian sausage, corn or green beans. I am making it the night before because potato soup always taste better when it gets to sit awhile.

Olivia is growing so fast

On Monday I took Olivia in to get her hips checked on and everything is growing well and she looks normal. We will have to take her back when she is 2 and hopefully her last check up will be when she is 4. The doctor wants to monitor her a lot longer because she started off so underdeveloped. Nothing is slowing her down.

She is growing so fast. I had to more her to the third row of snaps on her happy heiney's and she has no more snaps on her bumgenius. Basically it is like moving up a diaper size in disposables. I can't believe she has grown so much in 13 months. It has been quite a journey both enjoyable and exhausting.

I also got her hair trimmed.

Baking success

So on Saturday and Sunday during Olivia's nap I usually bake my goodies for the week. And even though I have posted 3 times today I just wanted to share my baking success story. The first time I made my blueberry bran muffins, they tasted great but didn't rise like I hoped. After researching and taking the cooking class on my third batch they turned out beautiful. Here are my pictures:




Muffin batch 1 made on October 9, 2009



Muffin batch 2 made on October 24, 2009

French Toast recipe

As a working mom I am looking for fast, easy but tasty recipes. I have been scouring the internet for healthy breakfast ideas. I found a great french toast recipe and I love it because I make a huge batch and freeze them and warm them up in the toaster for Mike and Olivia. Ta dah! Homemade breakfast that taste great but it super easy.

French toast recipe (yields 6)
Original recipe was for 12 but I cut it back and modified it. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon teaspoons brown sugar (optional to me) I have made with and without.
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 slices white bread
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon; stir well to combine. In the original recipe, sprinkle the cinnamon after it is cooked but I just add it all.
2. Dip bread and my personal note is to remember to stir the mixture between each slice because the brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon will sink to the bottom.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Brown slices on both sides.

Changes or suggestions: Substitute the milk for heavy cream and even though it ups the calories, it is so worth it. Some people left out the nutmeg and added a 1 tsp of vanilla.

If serving hot, sprinkle with cinnamon and/or powdered sugar.

If freezing I let them cool on a rake, cut some of the them in half (for Olivia) and freeze on a cookie sheet. After an hour or so in the freezer I will put them in the original bread bag and then double bag it in a freezer bag. Even though I use them within the week, I worry about freezer burn which is so unappealing.

I did find a decadent french toast recipe that makes a sandwich with cream cheese in the middle. When I try it and if it is delicious, I'll be sure to post about it.

Homemade Syrup

So I started using real maple syrup a few years ago and Mike refuses to eat imitation syrup. And if you have ever bought maple syrup you know how expensive it is. Plus there are a lot of chemicals and ingredients in imitation maple syrup. I found a compromise between cost, taste and healthy. Even though sugar isn't healthy atleast I know what is going in my syrup.

I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and I modified it a bit:

Simple maple syrup yields 2 cups
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 imitation maple flavoring (original recipe) I didn't use it
1 teaspoon of real vanilla (my addition)
2-3 Tablespoons of real maple syrup (my addition)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (my addition)
1 Tablespoon of butter for butter flavoring

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. I simmered it until it was the consistency I liked. Usually 5-10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, and stir in flavoring. Serve warm.

The nice thing about this recipe is it is quick and easy and cost effective. Mike and Olivia liked it.

Olivia must be Asian

I made one of Mike's favorite dinner's last night which was soft tacos. I made a cheese quesadilla and put some of the taco meat on it and I thought she would love it. Boy was I wrong. So I fed her my dinner which was baked tilapia seasoned with salt, basil and black pepper with asparagus. She loved it. She ate a third of my dinner and she couldn't stuff the asparagus spears into her mouth fast enough. I was worried that her dinner was too light so I fed her baby blueberry applesauce and bananas.

She loves Asian food. My aunt babysits her everyday and Olivia eats lunch and dinner and she gets to eat the good authentic Cambodian food. I am a little jealous. I wonder if it made a difference that I ate so much Cambodian while I was pregnant.

Birthday pictures from September

Olivia the morning of her birthday. She has crazy hair like I do.



Her hair sprayed down.



Talking on her cell.



Loving her cake, ice cream and milk.

Low fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

Here is a recipe that I recently found that Mike loves. The source is allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour (originally 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
*1/4 cup ground flaxseed (my addition)
*1/3 cup white chocolate chips (my addition)
*1/2 cup nuts (my addition)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin liners. Mix together wheat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

Suggestions from other reviewers were:
-Beat egg whites to give muffin extra fluffiness if using all wheat flour.
-Mashed banana can be used instead of applesauce.
-Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
-Add 2 teaspoons wheat gluten and cut the baking powder and baking soda to 1 teaspoon to keep fluffiness if using all wheat flour.
-Add grated carrot or zuchinni for more fiber.

My comments are they are a great breakfast on the go or snack. They freeze well so you can make a batch and freeze half.

I luv to cook!

So I have been on a cooking streak for the past few weeks. Even though I haven't been able to eat anything I cook I would hate for Mike to suffer while I am on this diet. It has been hard occasionally but ever since I have been on this diet I have been go, go, go.

On Saturday I attended a cooking class at Kitchen Kneads and the topic was "Fall Favorites: Fresh from the Oven." The class was taught by a pastry chef from Salt Lake and this was my first class ever so I didn't know what to expect. All I can say is it was well worth the $17.50 I paid. It was hard not to try anything but the smells were amazing and Olivia and Mike got to enjoy the rewards. I learned how to make cinnamon rolls, bagels, cream scones, cheese danishes and pumpkin bread. I had a tiny crumb of the scone, danish and pumpkin bread. The pumpkin bread was freakin' fantastic and I can't wait to make the recipe. Mike said the cinnamon roll was the best he ever had. Usually I find recipes and modify them so they are healthier but from the class I learned that fat = flavor = taste so very good. So I might tweak the recipes in the future but this time around I am going to put all the heavy cream and butter asked for in the recipes.

The class was very helpful because baking success is so technique driven. The chef gave us a lot of baking tips that were so helpful. The class peaked my interest in the different types of flour i.e. cake flour, whole wheat pastry flour, high gluten flour and how does that relate to hard, soft, red and white wheat. Thanks to a lot of googling and reading I think I have it figured out.

Check out the kitchen kneads site. The website seems very pricey but if you ever go into the store you can find any type of gadget to make cooking, baking, and hosting a party so much easier.

I plan on taking a class every month just in case Mike and I move away after he graduates so if anyone is interested, I would love to have a friend attend with me.

Libby at the beach

Olivia has all sorts of nicknames but I usually call her Libby. And occasionally Miss Olivia. We went camping at Bear Lake for a few days. It was pretty fun except it was super duper windy so boating wasn't the greatest. Maybe one day I'll get back into shape and I'll be able to wakeboard again. Here is a photo of her at Bear Lake in August before she could walk.



Here is another photo of Olivia. We have this desk and she loves to climb into the back against the wall and play. She sometimes drags her books. The funny thing about this picture is Mike dressed her that day and she has her outfit on backwards. (Sorry Mike! I'll won't forget our conversation during lunch that day ;D)

Olivia's path of destruction

Olivia's routine is to play on the bed with her toys for a bit while I get ready then she wants to get down. Then she opens up our wardrobe and pulls out the clothes she can reach then she moves onto playing with the door. Then she moves into her room. She loves to pull out her disposable diapers and shake them and carry them around the house. Then she moves onto her toy box in the living room. She loves to pull out most of the toys and get in the toy box. Basically our house looks like a tornado ripped through it everyday but I don't have the energy to pick up after her all day so I let it be and pick it up after she goes to sleep.

She loves to climb everything and if she can she does. She is learning so fast.

Separation Anxiety

So my aunt from Cambodia started watching Olivia this month. My old sitter, who is fantastic, needed a break which I totally understand. Mike and I were sad because Olivia loved Amanda, Peter and Abby. The first week with my aunt was a little rough for Olivia. She cried every time I dropped her off and I noticed her separation anxiety has been worse in all aspects. It is getting better now that she has spent more time there.

The good things is she is learning how to understand and hopefully speak Cambodian. If she can speak it she will basically surpass my skills.

I am transitioning Olivia to one nap a day and boy are the afternoons rough. Especially when she doesn't take a very long nap. Plus she still is waking up at 6 AM.

Rough sleeping

For the past week or so Olivia has been waking up and not going back to sleep very easily. I have been so tired I would just bring her into the bed with me which means severe lack of sleep for me. Even though Olivia has so much space in the middle of the bed she has to scoot right next to me or on top of me.

I did some research and I think her stranger/separation anxiety is pretty high right now. I think she wakes up and even though I give her the binky, she just cries louder when I walk out. But I am so tired at this point I am just going to let her cry it out. Even though it is torture sometimes, she really only cries for 3-4 minutes before settling down. I had to time it because I didn't want her to suffer. :(

I also think Olivia might be on the verge of eliminating her late afternoon nap. If she goes down too late for her morning nap 11 AM or after she will sleep for like 2 hours plus and she won't sleep in the afternoon. But if I can get her down before 11 she sleeps for atleast 1.5 hours. And another hour in the afternoon.

The dilemma now is she is waking up around 6:15ish when she use to wake up around 7:15ish. I am wondering if I move her to one nap a day she will sleep longer. It doesn't seem like she is sleeping enough though. It is nice to get a break in the afternoon.

Right now it is hit and miss and it stinks to be in limbo with a routine.

Olivia's rough day

We went to a birthday party on Saturday and we let Olivia stay up to 9 AM and she was so so tired on Sunday but refused to nap. That probably was the biggest factor to her rough day.

While getting her diaper bag ready for church, Olivia went into the bedroom and she started crying. I just knew that she pulled my flat iron off the dresser. I usually remember to pull the cords up but today I was in such a hurry. Luckily for Olivia it had cooled down quite a bit. I sprayed her hand with colloidal silver and applied some lavender. She didn't act like it hurt so I assume it scared her more than hurt her.

When we got home Olivia was so excited to see her daddy who was in the basement she raced to the stairs and forgot to stopped. So she fell down the stairs. We live in a split entry house so she fell down half the stairs. She cried but she was okay.

Then I was making dinner and Olivia crawled down the stairs and started crying. When you go into the basement you have the option to turn left into the family room or right to go into the hallway. If you go forward it is just a wall. Olivia was playing with the door and managed to get her head stuck between the door and the wall and she was choking herself because she was freaking out. Her body was on the left side of the door and her head was on the right side of the door wedged up against the wall.

Right before going to bed she tripped and she hit her chin on her chair and I think she bit her tongue. That is Olivia's rough day.

This that and another

So I haven't been very good at the blogging thing lately. I'll admit it. I am completely obsessed with the hcg diet stuff. I found this great forum and I have met a ton of people. I spend a lot of my time over there. Plus I have noticed less people are blogging. I have been blogging about my weight loss on my other blog which I have been updating daily.

I have a side project I am working on which is building a webpage which has taken a ton of time.

I love to cook. I really do. I just don't have the time to do it. And I am always looking for new recipes to try and modify to make them healthy. I bought some organic wheat bran and made these awesome white chocolate blueberry bran muffins with flaxseed. I am also researching on making my own yogurt in addition to putting together a digital version of my cookbook of modified recipes. Plus I have been working on my food storage and trying to figure out ways to save money by using food storage.

Plus work has been super busy and I have been working extra. I know I am can be crazy at times but it must be me nesting for winter and trying to get all this stuff done before Mike graduates and we have to move again.

It would be nice if I posted more pictures of myself but honestly I don't like them so I would rather not. Maybe after I am done with this hcg thing I'll post a before and after pic.

Olivia's birthday

I know it was a few weeks ago and I was hoping to get her pictures downloaded but that probably isn't going to happen for awhile. Olivia turned one and we didn't have a big party. Just some cake and ice cream at my mom's house. I bought her some balloons and she loved those. I let her feed herself cake and ice cream and she did really well. She ate the cake mostly with her hands. Since she doesn't eat much sugar the frosting gave her a sugar rush and she was go go go for the next hour. On a side note I did make the cake myself which I am super proud of even though I didn't get to eat any because of my diet.

We bought her a baby stroller and she absolutely loves it. The sitter has the same one and Olivia loved to play with it. In a nutshell Olivia had a great birthday, nothing too fancy and she almost blew out the candle by herself.

She is still in the 50th percentile in height and head circumference. But only 25th percentile in weight. Basically means she eats a ton and she gets a big belly but her arms and legs are super skinny just like her dad.

Hhcg diet

I have been doing this on the down low because I was a little embarrassed and skeptical but since I am halfway done I figured that I should share. I have been doing the hcg diet but the homeopathic drops instead of the shots.

If you don't know what the hcg diet is, check out the manuscript: http://www.hcgdietinfo.com/Dr-ATW-Simeons-Pounds-and-Inches.htm

I just started a blog to journal my experience so if anyone is interested: http://sandyandhcg.blogspot.com/

Anyway I have been on the diet for 22 days and have lost 11.8 pounds so far.

Not walking, walking. Not climbing, climbing.

Olivia has been cruising along the furniture for a very long time. The first week of August she couldn't walk but by mid-August she was cruising all by herself. She is quite the climber and figured out how to climb the stairs during that time and maybe even in late July. I have been trying to teach her how to climb down the stairs with various techniques but haven't been successful.

I don't use gates but she has been super cautious around the stairs. She has great depth perception and she probably has fallen off the bed enough to know that it is scary. Well she finally figured out how to climb down the stairs. She gets on her belly and slides down feet first. She has attempted many times sliding on the bum but she just isn't coordinated enough. I know there will be many many falls in the future but atleast she knows how to get down now.

Teton Valley

For pioneers day we went to Teton Valley and visited Mike's extended family. It was fun and the temperature was perfect. We also went on the lift at Targhee and took some pictures. Brendy, Mike's aunt, made us a little harness to hold Olivia in and she loves it. We also took a four generation picture with Mike's grandma, Mike's mom, Mike and Olivia.

Lagoon

We went to Lagoon early August and Olivia is still too young to enjoy it but we did let her ride a few rides. Mike loves to pull her elastics out after she has had pigtails in. Her hair still holds the shape but this is Olivia right after a nap.

Belly Sleeper

Olivia loves to sleep on her belly and I have caught her a few times with her booty up in the air. I love this picture. The funny thing is I slept like this all the time when I was her age.

4th of July camping trip

I know that this is 2.5 months late but better late than never. Over the 4th of July holiday we went camping with Mike's family to Smith & Morehouse near Oakley, UT. It was so much fun. We were there for 3-4 days (I think). Olivia slept in the trailer with Grandma and Grandpa J and Mike and I slept in the tent. It was nice to be out of cell phone range and enjoy the outdoors.

The most memorable moment is when we went geocaching and we went on a treacherous road and eventually we had to get out and hike the trail. A thunderstorm started and it freaked out the kids and it started pouring rain and we had to book it back to the car. We were soaking wet and I think Emily's kids were traumatized but atleast they will remember our trip.


Olivia fell asleep on one of our geocaching adventures.

My little vampire

So Olivia's lateral incisors came in before her central incisors. Basically she was our little vampire for awhile but her front teeth have finally come in so she looks normal now. She has a total of 7 teeth now. These pictures are from July 23, 2009.

Pigtails and Teething

One day the sitter put Olivia's hair in pigtails and she looked so cute I couldn't resist taking a picture. These pictures are from late-June. Olivia was also teething at that time and was getting her top teeth. She was so good about it the whole time. She never cried or anything. The one thing she did do was suck her top lip all the time. I haven't been able to get a great picture so the picture I posted is fuzzy. I think she looks super cute when she does it though.

Olivia must be a Durtschi

Here is a picture of Olivia after eating string cheese. That is what is stuck on her upper lip. Olivia loves loves cheese. The funny thing is Mike loves cheese too. Whenever I am grating cheese, Mike can eat it by the handfuls. All I can say is she must be a Durtschi.

Success!!

I have been super persistent about offering Olivia her milk in a sippie first this week and if she doesn't drink all her milk I would pour her milk into a bottle. But I finally have her off the bottle and drinking from a sippie only. I am pretty excited because I don't have to wash bottles and I don't have to buy formula anymore. My next task is to take her binky away which should be fairly easy since she only uses it at nap and bedtime. That can wait until the end of September.

On a side note I did consider giving Olivia organic whole milk especially the horizon organic milk. I bought some 2% and it was some of the best milk I have drank. But I also did some research and organic milk has to be heated at a much higher temperature which actually kills most of the nutrients. A lot of mothers noticed that their children weren't gaining weight while on organic milk.

So I decided to buy milk from a local dairy so the milk is fresh and mostly natural. The best part is they deliver straight to my door step so I don't have to worry about running out for milk. The milk is more expensive than store bought milk but so much cheaper than organic.

R1P2VLCD2

Does R1P2VLCD2 mean anything to you? If it does, please email me at sandydurtschi@yahoo.com. I would love to know how it worked for you.

California vacation

The end of May we went to Bakersfield, California to attend my niece's graduation. It was freakin' hot there and the residents considered it mild. Most of our pictures are of us hot, sweaty, shiny and oily. The picture I posted is of my nephew Spencer and Olivia after Metiqua's graduation. It was probably ten at night and we are still sweaty.



We also went to Universal Studios and the weather was a little on the chilly side. It just required a jacket but much better than too hot. This was Olivia's first time not having her naps at her normal times. She was so tired she fell asleep sitting up.



The last picture I have is of Olivia and my mom when we were shopping at the Irvine Spectrum. It was fun and the weather was beautiful. If you have ever tried to hold Olivia, you know she is quite the wiggly worm. In the picture Olivia is trying to wiggle her way out.

Olivia loves her hats

This picture is from May. This picture is very deceiving because in reality Olivia hates to wear hats. It is usually a wrestling match with Olivia and the hat when I have the under chin velcro on.

Making babyfood

I had grand plans of making Olivia's babyfood but that plan has come and gone. Even though I didn't get to make everything I was able to make her breakfast foods from organic produce. I bought this food mill and it worked great. I would steam it, mash it, and freeze.


This is the food mill I bought. It was compact, inexpensive, and easy to use.


I made avocado & bananas and apples & bananas. I would defrost and mix in oatmeal.

Since I wasn't able to make her lunch and dinner, I splurged and bought her organic baby food most of the time. This was my favorite brand:


I actually tasted most of the baby food I fed Olivia and they were quite tasty.

For lunch I fed her plain yogurt and she loved it. I usually buy the bulk yogurt but if we were traveling or camping I bought the yobaby yogurts which are delicious but super pricey.



I am not 100% organic but I try my best especially for Olivia. I know it is inevitable that she will be exposed to chemicals but atleast I can try to limit it the first couple years of her life. Honestly the organic food that I do eat does taste much better.

Girls just want to have fun

Even though I have slacked on blogging I haven't forgotten to take pictures. It might take me a while but I will get all these family memories documented on our blog so Olivia will have something to look back on.

Andy, Chrissy and baby Ava came to visit in April 2009. And the weather was nice for one day and here are some of the pictures I got.


Adie beating up on Olivia. Just kidding. Olivia is 6.5 months. Ava is 7.5 months. Adie is 9.5 months.


Olivia enjoying herself with her cousins.


Adie in deep thought


Ava enjoying the rattle.

Apathy vs Action

I just started reading GLENN BECK's Common Sense and found a very interesting quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.: "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict."

Things are changing fast in America and I fear for the worst. Sometimes I feel like I am too small and insignificant to make a change so why do anything. But maybe that is the cause of some of the problems is the apathetic attitude citizens have, myself included. I am trying to educate myself so I can make a more informed decision about certain aspects of my life.

Talking about things is good. Doing something about it is better. It is appealing to take the easy road and get the handouts and live the extravagant lifestyle and accumulate debt. I have fallen victim to materialism and consumerism. Actually I wasn't a victim, I played an active role. It is hard not to fall into the lure when it is socially acceptable and highly encouraged to buy things on credit even if I can't afford or take a handout when I am capable of earning it. I guess I have forgotten where I came from.

My parents immigrated from Cambodia. They survived concentration campus but they lost a baby, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They came to America so they could provide a better life for their children. They came here with nothing. They worked hard and saved even harder. They were able to buy a home and cars with more than a 50% down payment. They always paid all their loans as quickly as possible. They never used credit cards.

Some people want us to believe that we can't live life without a huge amount of debt. I know this isn't true. I lived it with my family when growing up. It was hard. If I had to categorize things into Needs, Necessary and Nice to have. I grew up without nice to haves and some necessary things. It wasn't fun growing up but I look back appreciating the lessons I learned. Growing up in America, my attitude towards consumerism is very different than my parents and I have spend my fair share of money since graduating from college. I'd like to change though.

"There are no shortcuts in achieving and living the American Dream. It takes hard work, relentless dedication to your core principles and values, and, above all patience. Nothing comes easy; nothing happens fast." pg 14. GLENN BECK'S Common Sense

Politics and the 912 project

I try not to talk politics at work but in actuality I have very strong opinions. I know politics can create a rift in families and break friendships. I have been contemplating for a very long time if I should express my views on my blog or facebook because it could be so controversial to some. Growing up and especially in college I was super liberal and most of the people I associated with had similar views. I grew up, experienced more of life, have a job and pay taxes, started a family and my views have changed significantly. My perspective changed, I have changed as a person and so have my political views.

If you haven't heard about the 912 Project, check out this website: http://www.the912project.com/

The 9 Principles
1. America Is Good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

God “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

Honesty “I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

Marriage/Family “It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

Justice “I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

Life, Liberty, & The Pursuit of Happiness “Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

Charity “It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worth of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

On your right to disagree “In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

Who works for whom? “I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

The 12 Values
* Honesty
* Reverence
* Hope
* Thrift
* Humility
* Charity
* Sincerity
* Moderation
* Hard Work
* Courage
* Personal Responsibility
* Gratitude

Family Picture

This picture is from our ward directory. I know I have been terrible at posting but I thought a picture might be a nice post for now.

Advice on taking bottles away!

So Olivia's one year birthday is next month and I am preparing to get her off the bottle. I haven't really found any reading material on it but I also realize it is a personal preference.

1. How much cow's milk did you give your infant once they reached one? The same amount or a lot less than formula.
2. Did you only give it at certain times like early morning and late at night?
3. In a sippy or a straw or a cup? Olivia prefers cups and straws.
4. Did you give a morning snack and afternoon snack in addition to the 3 meals or did you only give the 3 meals and snacks if needed?

Any advice would be great. As you can tell I am totally a first time mom.

Our new van

Mike and I finally bought a van this weekend. We needed another vehicle and instead of buying a sedan we decided we should go ahead and buy a minivan and not have to worry about getting a bigger vehicle when we decide to have more kids. It's a 2004 Odyssey and it has 67,000 which we thought was a huge plus. The van is black which isn't something we wanted but Mike got his leather seats and I got the power doors so it was a compromise. Mike detailed the car and it looks great. Maybe someday I'll actually take pictures and get them uploaded.

Shoes, shoes, shoes

I love shoes. All types. Heels, boots, sandals, athletic wear, casual and I used to buy a new pair all the time when I was single. Then I got married and I still bought shoes but not as frequently because we didn't have the room. Then I downsized to only the shoes that I love. Now that Olivia is here I feel bad about spending my money on shoes. I love cute shoes but my biggest criteria is comfort. And honestly heeled anything is not comfortable. For the most part I usually wear flip flops, crocs or running shoes. But on the rare occasion I like to slip my feet in a pair of heel sandals and boy do I pay the price. If I wore them everyday then I could build up my callous and I wouldn't have any problems but since I wear them sporadically I always end up with a few blisters.

About 2 years ago I found a pair of Merrell Plaza Bandeau that were dressy enough to wear to work but the best part was they were super super comfortable. The downside is they are super pricey but I was able to get them on sale for 25% off. I wore them all the time during any season in any weather. Then I got pregnant then my feet started to swell and unfortunately my feet didn't shrink all the way back and now my favorite pair of shoes are too snug. I just don't have the heart to spend another $70 on another pair.

Plaza Bandeaus


My wonderful news is Merrell makes a wedge version called the Petunia and I found a pair on ebay which I won yesterday for only $20 + shipping. Retail was $89 which is out of my price range so I am super excited. I had to share my exciting news because I usually don't find that great of deals.

Petunias

The aftermath

In April, I was tired of bringing my breast pump to work so I stopped which took me down to pumping 3 times a day. After a month of that and in conjunction with not eating well and stress, my milk production slowed down considerable. So I stopped pumping in June. I felt terrible for awhile because I wanted to pump until she was atleast 10 months but it is also a big relief not to always bring my pump everywhere and spend so much time pumping and sterilizing. I have a lot of frozen milk which I have been mixing half and half with formula because Olivia won't take only formula. I am hoping to slowly add less breastmilk and more formula as my frozen supply dwindles. All I have to say is I don't use that much formula but it surely is expensive.

The aftermath (besides my body fat distribution) is my feet didn't shrink all the way back. I didn't quite move up 1/2 a shoe size but I do notice a difference which makes me sad because I have some really cute heels that are not comfortable anymore. I expected saggy boobs but I swear my boobs are smaller than before. Then if I actually do lose more weight that means they will get smaller. Honestly I am a little sad about that.

Even though I still complain about the aftermath, it was so worth it and I can't wait to have another baby.

Honda Odyssey

Mike and I want to buy a honda odyssey. We are looking at 2002-2005 models. If anyone is selling or knows something that is selling a honda odyssey, please let me know.

Looking for a used changing table

I am looking for a used changing table for a good deal. I have been looking on ksl but I haven't found anything yet. Please leave a comment if you have anything available.

Back to the madness

Mike and I moved in with my dad 2 weeks ago and we tried to get unpacked as much as we could and then we left to California for my niece's graduation last week. We got home last night to the madness of unpacking and rearranging our stuff.

This year is Mike's last year of school so we moved in with my dad to save money. That being said I hate moving and I can't wait until we can move somewhere and not have to move for a long while. Even though living with my dad isn't ideal, it will be totally worth it financially and atleast we have the whole basement to ourselves and he works swing shift.

Maybe one day I'll be able to post something worthwhile on my blog.

Free photo session giveaway

Simply be is giving away a FREE session to her contest winner. Even though I just had Olivia's pictures taken last month I am still hoping I win. Check out her site. She is a great photographer and is wonderful with kids. http://www.simplybephoto.com/

Olivia's pictures

I had Olivia's pictures taken yesterday and here are a few that the photographer posted on her blog. Melissa from Simply Be did the photos and I love them so far. I can't wait to see the rest.