The writer's block has opened up!!

Has it really been 10 months since I last blogged?! That has not been for a lack of things to blog about, however a lack of blogging umph. I have recently discovered some fabulous blogs that have gotten me back in the excitement of the random rambling that IS blogging (my blogging, at least).

So, in the last ten months, Nina has rolled, crawled, walked, run, weaned, talked, had ear infections, filled us with love, had a birthday, had her first participatory holiday season, had an ER visit for a busted up eye, and has fallen deeply in love with the "dawg, dawgs".

I have, been somewhat successful at teaching and having a baby at home, completed my weight loss journey with Weight Watchers (50 pounds down), started running, survived my first vacation with a baby, become a brunette (I guess I should say that I went back to being a brunette, since it is actually my natural color; who knew?!), gone through a super spiritually dry time, and came out of it, and decided to train for a marathon (What is wrong with me?!).

Lee has joined me in Weight Watchers and lost 30 pounds, chiseled his seminary degree down to one more remaining class (praise Jesus!), completed his first 1/2 marathon, decided to train for the full marathon with me, had an incredible soccer season, and has put up with me with kindness and love.

With this much past us, I decided to dedicate my first reentry to the blogging world to the what I did and would/wouldn't do again in my first year and a half of mommyhood.

1) Cloth diapers- Oh my, the verbal beating we took for making this decision!! Would I do it again? Without a doubt! They are easy, cheap (after the initial buy), green (environmentally, we only had 2 green diapers :) ), and easier on the bum. Truth be told, I probably would be more relaxed when it came to traveling and would use disposables when we are on a trip; it just added more stress.

2) The Babywise series - DEFINITELY! We have done Babywise, Babywise 2, and are on Toddlerwise. These books make so much sense, helped me keep my head attached, and helped me to have some sort of direction on bringing up this little gem. I am still in shock that we get sent home with such a great responsibility with so little direction! Nina naps 3 hours a day and sleeps 12-13 hour a night and it's all credited to these books. People always comment on her happiness and I swear it's because of this.

3) Homemade baby food - Probably would do it again. Did it take some time? Yes. Did it take a little more effort? Yes. But, did it save a ton of money? Yes. and I feel it is the reason that Nina would rather have a pear or green beans to chips or cookies. One of her words is "Bockee" which is toddler for "broccoli".

4) Weight Watchers to lose baby weight - THE EASIEST THING ON THIS WHOLE LIST! I was more plump when I got pregnant than I had ever been in my life (thanks, Spanish degree, I appreciate it), then once I added a baby, and many blizzards and I was embarrassed of where the scale stopped when I got on it. I was a nursing mother and read a lot about being sure I was getting enough calories to provide for Nina, but not too much to provide for my hips. What a fine line!! Weight Watchers had a nursing mother's plan that made it easy. To someone that had been vexed by calorie counting and body image, I was rescued by WW. I became a runner (actually a stroller runner, at first) and lost the weight without even really noticing I was doing anything. If you want to lose weight and have tried for years, do WW. So easy, that Lee was able to do it without blinking!

I have so many more random thoughts running around in my head right now, expect a huge influx of blog posts in the next few days. Watch out blogosphere, Carmen is back!