I Have A LOT To Say...

So, in case you haven't noticed, I've been lacking with the posts lately! Sorry! I kind of forgot about my blog for awhile and then was just too busy to find the time to write! I have some updates and some random thoughts to share, so this post will not be about one particular thing! It's going to be a long one...

1. Grace's belly: I forgot to update you all on Grace's belly situation (for those of you that have been following my updates on the blog). We saw a pediatrician last month and she told us that Grace has a classic case of constipation, very common in babies when they are introduced to solid food. Because we had tried many of the classic solutions for this (prunes, water, etc) and they weren't working, she prescribed a mild laxative. It has worked wonders and Grace is seriously like a different baby. She is so much happier. Turns out she has probably been dealing with cramps for quite awhile now, so it was good to get it all sorted out! Hooray! :)

My Happy Girl! :)

2. Sleep update: Nights have gotten a little better since the last time I posted. Grace now wakes up twice each night. The odd time she will only get up once. Still not great, but better than before. She almost always puts herself to sleep in her crib now too - yay! I haven't been rocking her to sleep. When she wakes in the middle of the night, I nurse her for 5 minues and then put her back in her crib. She falls asleep in no time. However, the feedings are becoming a habit that she relies on, so the next step is to try to eliminate at least one of those nighttime feedings.

3. The Babysitter: We went to meet Grace's babysitter today. She will have Grace full time starting in September when I return to work. The visit went so well and I feel so good about sending her there. She was sweet, she loved Grace and Grace loved her! I know that she will be in good hands. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's still going to be incredibly hard to leave her, but knowing that she is somewhere great makes it that much easier!

4. Work: On that note, I am STRESSED about the whole work situation. I try not to worry about it, but it's hard. As many of you know, I'm a teacher. I had a full time job out west (my dream job), but left it to come home to PEI. Jobs are scarce here and it is a highly competitive profession. Sometimes I look back at pictures of my classroom and students in Fort McMurray and I feel like crying. I just feel like I'm never going to have that again. :( I have already prepared myself to substitute teach when I return in the fall. I'm fine with subbing. I just wish that it was guaranteed work. It sucks that there could be weeks that I don't get any calls. It sucks that there are no benefits (something we don't have right now). It sucks that I could be driving all over the province. It sucks that I don't get paid in the summer. I would kill for a guaranteed position, even if it was a temporary job (someone's maternity leave, sick leave, etc). All jobs are posted on June 15th. Someone told me the other day that there are approximately 400 applicants for each teaching job on PEI!!! Just a little competition. I have spent this week updating my resume and trying to "sell myself" (something I hate doing). Next week I will go out and drop my resume off to principals (probably pointless, but I'm going to do everything I can). Cross your fingers for me. Hell, cross your toes too (and anything else worth crossing)!

5. Fitness classes: As you may recall, I lead a group of Mommies in a workout each week. Our group has grown immensely and we usually have 20-35 people at every workout. The babies come with us and we have a grand ol' time! :) Well, I was informed this week that we would no longer be able to do our workouts at the gym we were using. We've been there for months now, but they are kicking us out because I don't have the certification to lead a class. They knew that I wasn't certified when I started there and they told me it wouldn't be a problem. The girls coming to the classes sign a waiver and are fully aware that I'm not certified. Apparently this doesn't matter. I started this fitness group so that new Moms could meet other Moms and get a workout in during the day with their babies. I do it for free, because I don't want anyone to be held back because of money issues. I'm so frustrated and annoyed that they would do this to us! Since when are you not allowed to workout with your friends at a public gym??? I'm sure I could fight this, but it's really not worth it. We're on the hunt for a new place and the old place can kiss my @ss! Sorry...I'm a little bitter.

6. Running: I got a jogging stroller, thanks to Mike's cousin. She had 2, so she gave one to us! The weather still hasn't been fantastic, but we've gotten out a few times with it. The first day that I had it, I decided to attempt a 5km run on the trail and I DID IT!!! Grace was a trooper - didn't say a word the whole time. She was probably laughing inside at the sound of her mother huffing and puffing and talking to herself. I literally talked out loud saying things like "1 more km Cheryl, you can do this!" and "We're almost there Grace!" and "You are not tired...you are not tired...you are not tired!" LOL. It was not a pretty sight. I was sweating bullets. My shoulders were hunched. My head was flailing around. I was panting like a dog. My legs felt like lead. Can you picture it? ha ha. It took me 35 minutes to run the 5km with the stroller. My goal was 30 minutes, so this was obviously slower than I anticipated. However, I was still proud of myself! I haven't gotten out to try it again, but hope to shave at least a minute off my time next time around!

My "new" jogging stroller!

Immediately after completing our first 5km run! :)

6. Changes: As I mentioned in my last post, I finally reached my weight loss goal and am down to my "wedding weight" (139 lbs). I haven't lost any weight in the past 2 weeks, but am happy with where I am. I feel fantastic! The challenge now is to maintain this weight, while I contine to work on my fitness goals!

Here are some recently updated before and after pics!

7. Anniversary: Monday was my anniversary with my husband, Mike! We've been together for 10.5 years and have been married for 3 years. We had a great date night with dinner and a movie. Mike and I met when we were working together as teenagers. We started dating when I was 16 and he was 17. The rest is history! :) Like most couples, we have had our ups and downs over the years, but I cannot imagine my life without him. Our wedding day was the happiest day of my life. I was on cloud 9 the entire day. I just couldn't believe how lucky I was to be marrying him. I look forward to many more happy years together! I love you, Mike! xoxo

This one's an oldie!!!

Engagement pictures - Fall 2007

Our wedding - May 31, 2008



Pregnancy pictures - June 2010

Our family is growing! Grace's birthday - Sept. 16, 2010

8. My Incredible Little Girl: Grace continues to grow and I love her more each day (if that's even possible). She is turning into such a little girl, full of personality. She squeals for attention, smiles when you talk to her and flaps her arms when she gets excited. She LOVES food and it's so much fun to try her with new things. She prefers to feed herself and I just love watching those little fingers work so hard to pick up each tiny piece of food. She sits up independently now (finally) and is starting to move herself around the room. She pushes back with her arms and moves forward from time to time. She hasn't mastered the art of crawling yet, but I have a feeling it won't be long. She is into everything, exploring every nook and cranny of our living room. I could sit for hours and just watch her. She is so entertaining. I can't imagine what my life was like before she was in it. I love her so much and look forward to a summer full of adventures with her! :)

Trying some cheese! :)

Sitting up and banging things together! :)

Exploring the coffee table!

Checking out the dandelions! :)

9. Friends: I love my friends. They are amazing. I don't know what I'd do without them. I miss them if I go more than a few days without seeing them. Enough said. :)

My girls - Jill, Tanya and Sherri

10. I am happy. Despite the stress over work, I really am happy. I feel so lucky to be living this life, because it really is fantastic! :)

I Love Today!

Do you ever have one of those days when everything just seems to go right? Today was one of those days for me. First of all, I woke up feeling rested for once. Last night, Grace slept 10 hours straight, ate and went back down for 3 more hours. We were both happy when we woke up. To top it off, the sun was shining and I could hear the birds chirping outside. Since it's been raining for almost 2 weeks, this was a very nice change of pace! :)

I jumped on the scale this morning (I hadn't been on it since Monday) and the number that I saw brought tears to my eyes. After months of hard work, there it was...my ultimate goal weight. The scale said 139.7. Seriously? OMG!!! Sheer excitement! I weighed 139 on my wedding day almost 3 years ago. I stayed at that weight for a mere 2 days and then slipped back into the 140's. I never made it back into the 130's. So, imagine my excitement this morning when I saw that number on the scale. I was STOKED! I actually jumped up and down in the bathroom, with Grace looking at me like I was crazy! I'm proud of myself (something that doesn't happen very often). I feel like I worked really hard to get to this point and I really hope I can stay here. My goal now is to maintain this weight. That being said, I'm still not small by any means, so if I lose a few more pounds, it wouldn't be a bad thing. I feel fantastic though! I feel strong. I feel healthy. I feel energized. I feel powerful. What a way to start your day, eh? :)

This afternoon, Sherri, Jill and I went for a walk with the babies! The sun was shining, it was 21 degrees and it was gorgeous! It's amazing how much better you feel after a little vitamin D!

Abigail, Harrison and Grace all ready for a walk on the trail!

Sherri and I with our babies in their strollers! :)

We walked for about an hour. It was so hot that I could feel the sweat trickling down my back. I loved every minute of it! We headed to the park for a little playtime after our walk - so much fun!

The babies got some time in the swings.

There was some fun to be had on the slides!

They got to play in the grass for the first time.



There were cuddles and pictures as always!



I got home and felt fantastic! I LOVE the sun and I love the summer! Yay! Grace was in a great mood all day too - I think she enjoyed the weather!

This evening, we had outdoor bootcamp. The last 2 sessions took place outside in the rain and cold temperatures. I'm talking layers of clothes, winter hats and gloves! Tonight was the opposite. We were sweating right from the beginning. When I was finished, I was soaked in sweat and my face was redder than I think it's ever been. I loved it! It felt so good to be outside. I also realized that I got a sunburn today...probably should have been wearing sunscreen. First sunburn of the season! :)

This is what I looked like after bootcamp! Can you say RED?!

So, forgive me for bragging, but my day was pretty friggin' awesome! My fingers are crossed for more sunshine and happiness tomorrow! :)

I am Blessed

Last night we had a family get-together at my aunt's house. It was to celebrate Mother's Day with my grandmother. For the first time in 3 years, all of the grandchildren were there and my grandmother was beaming with pride. She just loves getting us all together!


All of the grandchildren with Nanny and Grampy!

I love my cousins and have always been really close to them, so it was nice to see everyone. Once again, I was reminded of how lucky I am to have my family. When we all get together, it is guaranteed to be a good time. It is loud, the room is often filled with uncontrollable laughter and the happiness is infectious. Did I mention that there is never a shortage of delicious food? :) I always leave family get-togethers with a smile on my face.

Looking at these pictures, I can't help but wonder, "Where did the little kids go?" As you can see, the last 5 grandchildren have been boys. I remember when they were little babies. I babysat them. I changed their diapers. I spent hours playing with them. It makes me sick to see how quickly they're growing up! Wow!

Last night, we got our first "4 Generations" picture. I've been meaning to do this for months, but keep forgetting. So, last night Grace, me, Mom and Nanny got a couple of pictures.

Four Generations of Women!

I am so grateful that Grace is growing up in a big, wonderful family. She has 3 grandfathers, 3 grandmothers and many great-grandparents. When I was growing up, I had a great-grandmother and I remember being so proud of that. I am so happy that Grace not only has grandparents that love her, but great-grandparents that adore her too! Grace tends to "play shy" with my Nanny, but last night she sat with her for a long time, talking to her and playing with her. Nanny was in her glory.

As I said, I feel so blessed to have such a big family. I can't imagine it any other way! When we get together, it's like we've never been apart. Some people would say we're crazy for all of the get-togethers that we have, but it's a great way to catch up and we always enjoy ourselves so much! When I was living away, I always hated to miss the family parties, so I appreciate them a lot more now.

If I had a glass of champagne right now, I would toast my grandparents, because they are at the root of this amazing family. Then I would toast my extended family, because my life would not be the same without you! I'm lucky to have you. Grace is lucky to have you. I am blessed. :)

Mommy's Day

Last year I was pregnant on Mother's Day. I remember thinking that I couldn't wait until my first Mother's Day with my little baby. I also couldn't wait to be back with my own Mom (since I was living away at the time and had missed 2 Mother's Days in a row). You see, my Mom is amazing. She is the most supportive, loving and caring person I know. She would do anything for her children. Mom has cheered me on my entire life, whether it be at stepdancing when I was little, or at my university graduation. She has been an incredible role model for me over the years. When I thought about becoming a Mom myself, I knew that I'd be happy if I could be even half the Mom that she is. She was in the delivery room when I had Grace and it was an overwhelming moment to share with each other. Mom loves Grace so much and is such a fantastic Nanny. I don't know what I would do with her. So, Happy Mother's Day to my amazing Mommy! xoxo

Mom and I at my wedding shower - May 2008

May 31, 2008

At Dad's 50th Birthday Party - October 2009

Incredible moment after Grace was born - September 16, 2010

Being a Mommy is the most incredible feeling in the world. My life has changed so much in the past 8 months and I find it hard to imagine what life was like without Grace in it. We have this bond, this connection, that amazes me each day.

How incredible is it that a mere snuggle from her Mommy

can make those tears disappear?

When I look at pictures of us, I'm beaming in all of them! I am so in love with my baby girl and it shows in my expressions. See the goofy grin on my face? I can't help it! :)

I've wanted to be a Mommy since I was a little girl. It's something I've dreamed about and longed for. I always said that I would have all of my kids by the time I was 30! Since I'm 27 this year, I do not see that happening anymore, but I am glad that I started relatively young. I just couldn't wait any longer! Motherhood is even better than I expected! My house may be a disaster most of the time, you may find teethers under the couch and if you drop in to see me before noon, chances are I'll still be in my pajamas. Grace doesn't care what I look like and I no longer worry about what people think of me. My goal is to make her happy and to make her life the absolute best that it can be. She is my focus every day. She is the reason I get out of bed. She is my life.

Not everyone has the opportunity to be a Mommy and I am so thankful that I have been given this beautiful gift, a happy, healthy baby. To all the Moms out there, I hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day! xoxo

Besties

Do you have a bestie? You know what I mean...that one true friend that stands out among all the rest. The one that you turn to first with big news (whether it be exciting or devastating). The one that knows all of your embarassing secrets and loves you just the same. The one that is more like a sister than a friend.

I have a bestie. Her name is Sherri.

Before the days of babies and husbands,

there were the days of Sherri and Cheryl.

We met in 7th grade and have pretty much been inseperable since. Need a good laugh? Check out these early pictures of us!

Sherri and I at Camp Abegweit (Junior High)

We took frequent trips to Dairy Queen!

If you have a bestie, you know what I mean when I say that I can't imagine my life without her. She means the world to me and our friendship has grown so much over the years. When I lived out west for 2 years, we kept in touch via e-mail and Facebook. I was just looking through old e-mails today and realized that I had 387 e-mails from Sherri during that 2 year span (yes, she has her own folder). We may have been in different provinces, but we kept each other up to date on every aspect of our lives!

Conveniently, we met our husbands while working at Burger King (when we were 15) and they just happen to be first cousins. We quickly became the "Fab 4" and time together became even more frequent! I love that I get my "girl time" with Sherri, plus I get extra "bestie time" when the 4 of us are together (well, 6 of us now)! ;)

The Fab 4!!

Ha ha, this picture always makes me laugh!!!

This one is an oldie! Camping trip!

Sherri and I have been through a lot together and she as always been an amazing support system! It's impossible to put the importance of our friendship into words.

We have had our fair share of serious moments and many many silly moments. I seem to have more pictures of the silly moments! :)

80's Pubcrawl

LOL - model faces!

Sherri's stagette - back to our roots at BK!

She was my maid of honor when I got married in May 2008 and I was hers when she got married in June 2009. Her speech at the reception made me cry and I like to watch it on my wedding DVD frequently!

Getting our hair done the morning of my wedding!

At Sherri's wedding in 2009.

Do you and your bestie have matching pajamas??? Sherri and I sure do! We have worn them on more than one occasion!

We have shared some of life's most exciting moments together. When she told me she was pregnant, I was insanely excited for her. When I found out that I was pregnant about a month later, she was just a little bit excited too! This is a caption from her e-mail the day she found out that I was pregnant:

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You are moving home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Our babies will be BFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just like us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I removed several exclamation marks and the opening line, which was HOLY F---! (with about 100 more exclamation marks).

We were SO excited to be pregnant together! Since I didn't move home until the end of June (she had her little guy the end of July), we kept in touch through e-mail and Facebook again, sending constant pictures of our bellies, comparing symptoms and asking a billion questions. It was the most amazing and special thing to be able to to share with my bestie!

Home for Easter break
Sherri - 21 weeks
Cheryl - 17 weeks

Pregnancy photo shoot
Cheryl - 32 weeks
Sherri - 36 weeks (delivered her son the next day)!

When we found out that our babies would be the opposite sex, it gave us an excuse to shop for cute boy things AND girl things! If she saw something pink that she liked, she let me know and if I saw something blue, I let her know! It worked out perfectly!

In true "bestie style", we couldn't wait to call each other after the birth of our babies. I will never forget that phone call from her husband at 3am on Harrison's birthday. He told me that she was in active labour and there was no way I was going to fall back to sleep after that. I was so excited that I was shaking. I was teary. I was overwhelmed. My bestie was having a baby! She called me as soon as he was born and I was so proud of her. I could not wait to get into the hospital to see them! See how I'm beaming like a new Mom is this picture? It's because he's like my own and always will be.

Harrison and his "Auntie" Cheryl

When I was in labour with Grace, I got Mike to call and let Sherri know. Once I had my epidural and was more comfortable, I called her from the delivery room. I couldn't wait to talk to her and share all of the excitement! I called her again when Grace was born and she arrived to meet her "niece" as soon as she could! Shhh...don't tell the hospital that we broke the visitor rules!

So excited to see my girl! Grace's "Auntie" Sherri! :)

I can't imagine what it would have been like to go through those first few months as a new Mommy without Sherri! We turned to each other with every little question (well, we still do) and we shared the tiniest little excitement with each other. It brought our friendship to a whole new level.

With our beautiful babies - Harrison and Grace

I know without a doubt that Sherri and I will be "besties" forever! You know that little acronym "BFF - Best Friends Forever"? I wonder how many people wrote that on their junior high notes and are still best friends with the people? I wrote that on MANY notes to Sherri when I was younger. I had no idea at the time that our friendship would develop into something as amazing as it has.

I also realized when looking through old pictures that we are very talented. I think it's safe to say that we have mastered the reverse pic! What do ya think? LOL

Our lives have changed a lot over the last 15 years, but one thing has remained constant. I will always have my bestie and I know that I can count on her for anything. We may not be as skinny as we used to be, we may have bags under our eyes from sleepless nights and we may be happier in our sweats than heels (who am I kidding? We've always been that way), but we are perfect in each other's eyes. Instead of seeing faults in your bestie, you always see their strengths. That way, when you are hard on yourself and focus on your flaws, your bestie will be right there to tell you why you're wrong! :)

The most recent picture of my bestie and I!
Sherri and Cheryl - April 2011

If you have a bestie, I hope that you realize how lucky you are. I know that I couldn't live without mine. Take a minute today to tell your bestie how important she is. Have a girls night in your pj's. Eat your favourite treats together. Laugh at old memories. Cry over sappy movies. Take silly reverse pictures. Watch old episodes of your favourite shows. Hug her. Thank her. Tell her that you love her.

To say that Sherri is important to me is a major understatement. Like I said before, our friendship just can't be put into words easily.

We're besties...a special brand of besties. :)

I love you, Sher! xoxo

Uh Oh!

So, as you may recall, I have always said that the first week I gain weight, I will smarten up with the eating (since I've been eating more treats lately).

I also said this last week:

"I dreaded stepping on the scale yesterday (Monday) for my weekly weigh-in, but by some strange miracle, I managed to lose 1 lb (down to 143.6). I'm sure next week's weigh-in will not go so well, because I'm pretty sure the chocolate will be gone by then!"

Well...remember that big basket of Easter candy? It's gone. I also ate Mike's 3 bags of Mini Eggs (pretty sure that totals about 8 bags of Mini Eggs in one week). I figured the week was a write-off, so I may have eaten a couple of bowls of Froot Loops...and a few chips...and a double cheeseburger meal at DQ...and a sundae...and hamburger helper...the list goes on. Needless to say, it was a bad week!

As a result, this is what I saw on the scale this morning:

UH OH!!!! 1 pound gain! Since January 1st, I have weighed myself weekly and I have never gained weight. I have lost as little as .2lbs, but I have NEVER gained! You know what this means...time to smarten up!

I know that the weight gain is 100% my fault, but I'm not going to feel sorry for myself! I'm just going to get back on track. Everyone falls off the wagon sometimes, right? (Please tell me I'm not the only one!) The important thing is to get back on! So...this week I'll only have a few treats, instead of eating my face off every day! I'll let you know how next week's weigh-in goes!

I promise to make a post in the next couple of days that is about something besides my weight! We have an appointment with a pediatrician today, so I'm hoping to get some advice on Grace's belly issues! I've also decided that something needs to be done about Grace's sleep issues. The last few nights it has taken up to 3 hours to get her to sleep and when she wakes up in the middle of the night (which thankfully has only been once lately), it's another long battle (last night she was up from 4am-6am). We haven't decided what to do yet, but something needs to change before we lose our minds! Will keep you updated!

On a side note, we have been one of the lucky finalists chosen in a photo contest on Facebook! We could win a professional photo shoot (which we would LOVE)! If you have Facebook, please vote for us! You first have to "like" Jude Wood Photography and then look for her contest called "Small moments that make your life BIG". When you see our picture, you just "like" it and it counts as a vote! I posted a link to our picture below. We appreciate all the votes we can get! :) Thanks and have a great week everyone!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150556411600461&saved#!/media/set/fbx/?set=a.195886423790002.50716.132974056747906