Molly's weight etc...

I was stressing out about Molly's weight gain as I feel she looks really skinny compared to all her little friends so I was really looking forward to hearing what the nurse had to say. I had no reason to be concerned. The nurse took one look at how bright and alert she is and even before weighing her she knew she was fine. Phew! It's funny how I try not to be a stress head of a mother but it still comes out in me every now and then... Anyway she had put on 690g sinse our last visit and passed all the four month tests even though she is only 3.5 months so we don't have to go back until she is six months! Yay! I must have enough milk for her after all!

I must say that Molly is the one of the only bubs in mum's group who is exclusively breastfed so it is no wonder she is a little skinnier than the roly-poly formula babies!

In answer to Cranky's question left in the comments of my last post- I don't feel bad for asking for John's help... I think I worded that wrong in the last post. What I meant was that it feels weird to think of having time just for me as everything I am is invested into this little girl and I rarely spend time without her... I feel weird, not bad, asking for help... does that make sense??

Anywhoo... that's all for now!

Ash
xox

Weigh in...

I was going to give myself another week to get back on track after my Easter gain but I wanted to weigh miss Molly and the best way to do that is to weigh myself and then do it again while holding her and then subtract my weight from the total... I was expecting to see somewhere around the 93.9 mark which would have been a 600g loss after Easter (which would have been terrific!). But I was staggered to look down and see 92.6kgs! Which is almost two kilos gone since the chocolate fest!! The funny thing is, I haven't been counting calories or points or even exercising very much. I have just been living normally but trying to make every food choice a healthy one with a few treats thrown in for fun. But they have been in sensible portions and not every day...

It is funny how quickly one can fall into the habit of having treats every day when it is really not good for you or necessary! When I am in that headspace I feel that a NEED or deserve a treat every day and it takes quite an effort not to but once I sucessfully do it it feels SO good! What I really do deserve is to have a healthy body that is fuelled with the food that it is meant to process...

Yay!

Ash
xox

Eughhhh......

In stark contrast to my last post I am today feeling flat and low... things are still going really well between John and I, and I had a great day in general and food wise however I am tired, I have a cold and just feel blaaahhh!!! I have NOT been allowing myself much time just for me at all recently and I haven't been eating very well either. It is really taking a toll as I have had 2 colds in the last month.

Beckie has just written a post about the way you treat yourself manifesting in either sickness or health and I believe this to be true. I need to make more of an effort to make time for myself and time alone with God. Just to sit and be still. My life is go go go right now and I rarely think about my spiritual life, which is really important to me.

I have asked John if he can take Molly for half a day on either Saturdays or Sundays so I can do some things for myself whether it be just being still, reading, catching a movie or some other nice thing. I felt bad in asking for help but of course he was really excited at the thought of spending more one on one time with his little girl... "just Molly and me" he said with a grin.

So I already feel a little better.

I haven't written about my fun night out with the blogger ladies for Phil's farewell but there have already been a couple of write ups (see Kate, Phil, or Beckie) so I'll let you read up and look at the funny pics from the night over at their blogs. All I can say is that I had an absolute ball and despite the fact that I am still tired and a bit sick from all the smoke at X-Base I had the best night I have had in a long time. I love spending time with all you girls. For the first time in my life I have a group of girlfriends who I can totally be myself around. I have always felt uncomfortable in groups in the past and spent my time comparing myself with the other members of the group (I always managed to find skinny friends) and was always wary of other girls because of some horriffic bullying I experienced in year 7. For that reason I spent most of my time in one on one relationships where I could feel confident no one was ganging up on me... Sad huh??

But that said, I LOVE having girlfriends now... MWA to you all!!

I got my new-old car from Philippa last night and I am very excited to have 4 DOORS!! It is very hard on the old back getting a bubba in and out of a 2 door Echo! After dropping off my new car Phil and I visited Brunetti in Carlton for divine Italian hot chocolates with whipped cream. Hot choc so thick you can practically stand your spoon up in it!! We also shared some yummy low fat nutella cheesecake. It was our last proper one on one time together before Phil begins the next chapter in the adventure that is her life. I am so excited for Phil. She is ready to step into this new phase of her life and she goes with all of my prayers and positive thoughts. She knows I will always be here for her as her Melbourne sister. I love this girl. I will miss her... I will miss YOU Phil!!

I feel better just remembering what a nice time we had last night.

My mums group have just started meeting outside of the health centre and we had lunch today at The Cherry Hill Hotel in Templestowe. I really like my mums group. It makes me happy... another example of me feeling comfy in groups.. ya!

Better go, John has just bought me a take away coffee from down the street... what a sweet sweet man!!

Ash
xox

Freedom....

In a couple of weeks I will be starting a new program designed by fellow blogger Kek... This lady is amazing, turning her life around and then building a career around helping others turn theirs around. Her personal training business "Fit Bodies" does, among many other cool things, 12 week training and nutrition packages with full email and phone support. I have decided to do a 12 week program as I feel I have been lacking accountability and expert support. I know how great my last 12 week challenge went and a lot of that came down to having a great plan and a system of accountability with a trainer who knew just what I was capable of.

I am really excited! Stepping out of the Easter chocolaty haze I feel that there is a freshness in the air both physically and spiritually! I feel like I am waking up and walking into the crisp air of morning and everything in my past is just that... my past. Each day is a new one, filled with opportunity and potential. This is going to be a good year. I can feel it... now I just need to do my bit to make it happen. Over the last few days I have experienced an amazing closeness with God and with John and it feels amazing. This has come about by a conversation that John and I had a couple of nights ago in which some truths were spoken... things that were not easy to discuss but once they were in the open, were extremely freeing for our relationship with each other and with God. We didn't realise we had any walls up in our relationship until they were torn down... Praise God! Since then John and I have been so much more touchy feely. I nevery realised we'd stopped!

Anywho... I am really tired. I have a twitch in my belly which feels like a baby kicking (impossible!! *lol*) and that is sign enough that I need some serious hours of revitalising sleep!

Love to all!

God is Good!!

Ash
xox

Giggle pot!!

Molly giggles for the third time!!

Holiday snaps...

Molly, John and I were driven out to the airport by my mum at 5:30am (God bless her!!) on Saturday morning. We had a 6:30am flight to Adelaide lasting 58mins. It sometimes takes me just as long to drive to my Mum's in traffic!!

We stayed in Aldinga beach in a big beach house with John's Mum, Dad, Sister Mezz, her hubby Byron and their little boy Felix. It was about 40 minutes out of the city and was a lovely place to relax.

The reason we travelled over was to attend the beautiful wedding of one of John's family friends. The wedding was on Saturday afternoon so once it was over we had a good few days of pure holidayness to look forward to. During our stay we visited Glenelg (say it backwards!!), Victor Harbor, The City, Aldinga Beach and did some other general driving around exploring.

Easter was great. John's mum hid eggs all over the house on Sunday morning and we had to run around saying "He is risen" and smashing eggs on our heads. It was a lot of fun.

Here are some snaps of the fun and festivities!!

A gorgeous pic of Felix and Mezz playing

Mezz and Byron doing what they do best.... stuffing around

One of my new fave pics of Molly

Mezz with Molly and me with Felix... hmm.. who's the bigger handful??

Nice hair Molly!! Haha!

I love my girl!!

And here are the two little poppets sitting up with their daddys

Scene 1. Felix give Molly a hug (notice the fast moving hand next to Molly's left ear)

Scene 2. Felix loved Molly a little too hard!!

This is a birthday cake I made for John's bro's girlfriend Tarryn. I only put this pic here to show off... she thought it was a candle!

More pics to come!!

Back to reality... oops there goes gravity!

I'm back from our lovely trip to Adelaide... We flew in last night after a great five days with John's folks, Mezz, Byron and Felix.

I have some photos to share and a funny video of Molly giggling but they will have to wait as I am just writing this quick post from Nan and Pop's place while Nan is singing Molly to sleep.

See you soon!

Ash
xox

PS. Ate a LOT of chocolate over Easter... put on a kilo and a bit... back to the ole' drawing board!

A loss after a SOUPER healthy week...

Last week I weighed in at 94.5kgs... It was a gain, and a step in the wrong direction. So I decided to focus on eating fresh, gorgeous healthy, home made food for the week and made a HUUUUGE pot of veggie soup...

Some of you might find it extremely boring but I am a big fan of the odd monterous bowl of veggie soup and this week I ate it for lunch and dinner almost every day. I would add some protein by throwing some poached chicken or some mixed beans in and I made sure my calories weren't too low (as can happen when eating lots of low cal soup!!). I have been feeling so vital this week! Veggies are magic I tell ya!! My moods have evened out as well... it is like a miracle! I have not been eating any processed foods or refined sugar and I feel a million bucks!

So, the result.... a loss of 1.4kgs! Down to 93.1!

I have decided to do it again and make a couple of other soups to freeze into portions to defrost when I need them. Philippa used to make a lovely soup that had chicken and rizzoni in it. She gave me the recipe a while ago as I thought it was so delicious. So I'll make that one and a yummy lentil and smoky bacon soup that I found in the little "kick start diet" mini mag that came out with New Idea last year. Yum!

I am so happy the weather has cooled down so I can enjoy soup again!

The other thing I have noticed since eating soup all week is that my stomach capacity is far less than i was before because I keep having to leave half my food on my plate/in my bowl as I am filling up so quickly. Probably because of all the liquid I am consuming- soup is very filling!!

Anywhoo, I'd better nick off and do some work around the house... although I have already been very productive today. It's only 10:12am and I have already got our housemate* ready for the day (made his lunch etc), made up a few sandwiches to freeze for the boys lunches, hung out one load of nappies, put another load of general washing on and hung it out, hung out our housemates washing as it was sitting in a basket getting stinky, cooked and ate a boiled egg and lean bacon for brekkie (yum!!), fed and played with Molly, dressed her and put her to sleep... now sitting here taking a load off looking at blogs. But I have lots more to do!!

Bysies!!

Ash
xox
*Our housemate has a disability and we are live-in carers- he's not just a lazy bloke like most are!!

Here are some photos of my baby girl... The 2nd one is of Molly with her friend Amy... awww cute!!