Midweek Cuteness Courtesy of Brynlie...{Wordless Wednesday}

Brynlie 5 weeks old

This Girl? Hates Diapers...

Girlfriend will take off her diaper every chance that she has...

Doesn't matter what's in it.

That thing gets ripped off like there's no tomorrow...

Good thing she's so adorable...

Because it's not always pretty finding what little diaper surprises may be lurking for me...

And now if she is "trapped' with her diaper on?

She's been known to check out the diaper situation on her own.

You know, to see if she is 'tinky or not...

Just be warned that if it looks like she has chocolate on her hands it's not always chocolate.

If you know what I mean...

LOFT Summer Wardrobe Sweepstakes

With summer officially here--and if you live anywhere like I do, summer seems like it's been here for some time--it's time for me to get my summer wardrobe ready. For me this is a must with just having Brynlie a little over five weeks ago. I've been trying to make do with what I have, but between you and me? That's not exactly working out so great.

photo courtesy of LOFT

LOFT has teamed up with WhoWhatWear.com to bring us the official Summer Wardrobe Sweepstakes. For this week you can click over to the LOFT Facebook page, "like" them and enter to win a $1,000 LOFT gift card! This is the last week that you can enter the sweepstakes so be sure to get your entry in--and if you win? Let me know so I can congratulate you!


Good luck!



There was no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Get Your Fiber On with Fiber One...{Review & Giveaway}

As I have recently written, I am attempting to lose the baby weight. Running around all day isn't my problem--it's constantly go, go, go in this house at the moment. So what does that leave me with? My eating habits.


I have found that since Brynlie arrived I don't pay attention as much as I should to what I'm putting into my mouth to eat. Sometimes I can chow down on a bowl of cereal, a sandwich and some cookies now and then. What I need to work on is this: having fresh fruit easily available for myself and increasing the amount of fiber in my diet.

When I was offered the chance to try out the new Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies I jumped at the opportunity to test them for myself. At just 90 calories and 20% of my daily fiber in just one brownie this was a perfect snack and a much healthier alternative than a handful of chips or cookies.

***What I Thought***

I got to test out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies as well as the Chocolate Fudge Brownies. I had Leo test out the Chocolate Fudge and I claimed the Chocolate Peanut Butter for myself. The brownies definitely helped satisfy that need for something sweet and chocolatey. They were good--especially for only 90 calories! The one thing that I noticed was that they weren't as moist as I thought they could be. But other than that? They were a good, healthy alternative to having a quick and easy snack. Perfect for my weight loss journey!

***Win It***

One lucky winner will receive a Fiber One gift pack! The gift pack contains one box each of Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie, a duffel bag, water bottle, jump rope, snack case, headband and bracelet.

To win simply leave me a comment below telling me your favorite healthy eating tip. This must be completed before any/all bonus entries will count.

***Bonus Entries***

1 entry each  Be a follower of my blog, subscribe via email and/or subscribe in a reader

1 entry each  "Like" Winey Mommy on Facebook and/or follow Winey Mommy on Twitter

1 entry daily  Click the retweet button at the top of this post. Leave the url to your tweet in comment

1 entry  Tell me why you want to win the Fiber One Brownie gift pack.

2 entries  Place my button on your blog

2 entries each  Add this giveaway to a blog or website giveaway link up. Leave a link to site where you added this giveaway

 ***Rules***

Giveaway will end on July 7th @ NOON CST. Any entries after end time will not be eligible to win. Open to all US residents 18+. To be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked. This blog is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc. I will try my hardest to work with the  company if something should go wrong. This blog is not responsible for anything regarding to your use of product. 

I was given one Fiber One prize pack thanks to My Blog Spark and Fiber One. No other compensation was given. All opinions above are my own and were not influenced by anyone other than myself.

Lose the Baby Weight...Easier Said Than Done.

It's been close to five weeks since Brynlie was born.


Five.


So answer me this. Why am I so hard on myself about my weight?


I weigh the same I did one year ago--and Madelyn was 11 months old then. I wasn't pregnant. Just having a hard time losing the weight, I guess.


I then somehow lost 20 pounds from June until September. I mowed like a mad woman, worked on my yard and was so stressed about Leo going to Afghanistan that I think it was the perfect storm to lose some pounds.


Now? I get mad at myself for not being able to comfortably fit in my pre-Brynlie jeans.


For having a chest the size of...well, it's huge.


My hips are still wider than they were.


I've had this problem of being hard on myself about my physical appearance my entire life--ever since I was in middle school.


I know I just had a baby.


I know that I will eventually lose the weight.


But it doesn't help that I hate how I look. How I'm dreading buying some clothes for my trip to Missouri next week. (which involves a swimsuit. i hate swimsuit shopping as it is and now one month post baby swimsuit shopping? i am requiring some margaritas beforehand...)


I'm not looking for anyone to say that I look good or that it will come off. I have 17 pounds to lose to be to my weight when I discovered I was pregnant. I know that it will come off.


It's just that it's here now and combined with the brown hair that I didn't want from the salon I'm just a little blah....sorry...


***I know that I'm blessed beyond belief to have three amazing daughters. I'm not complaining about them at all. I just have body issues and pray that my daughters will never have them. This isn't me complaining about them whatsoever. It's just me venting, getting this off my chest and hopefully will give me the kick I need to start my postpartum workout and stop eating foods that aren't the healthiest.

Randoms...

*Bachelorette. Why is she so hung up on Bentley? Seriously? The guy treated her like crap...and she keeps. talking. about. him. I wish she could see what we all saw and then, maybe, she would stop going on about him...


*I finally found a girl who did my hair amazingly well. Problem? She no longer works at my salon. Soooo....I saw a new girl. Who totally turned me into a brunette. And cut off a lot of length. Not what I had hoped for when I went in telling her I wanted honey/caramel hues and a trim. *sigh* Now to find a new stylist and wait out the next few weeks rockin' out my hair as if I loved it.


*I'm in the market for some new makeup and would like to stay on a budget. I had been going to Ulta and splurging on my foundation & powder (used Bare Minerals...not the biggest fan...), but now I would like to go to Target/Wal-Mart and buy something amazing for a fraction of the price. What's your favorite face makeup?


*I finally watched Black Swan. And I loved it. It was dark, amazing, and made me sit and watch it without being online. It was that good. It's one of those movies where you'll love it or hate it. I? Loved it.


*Brynlie totally just laughed in her baby sleep. Holy adorableness I love her so much! She will be one month on Tuesday. Oh my word does time fly or what?


*I have an obsession lately with nail polish. Lately I've been in love with all of Essie's amazing colors--seriously, they make me want to give myself a new pedi every other day. Definitely recommend a new nail color to boost your mood! If you need suggestions let me know and I'll give you my favorite shades that I've been crushing on this summer.


*The husband bought me a Nook Color back in early May. I LOVE it. I always swore off any e-reader, but am so happy I have one! I'm trying to finish all of my paperbacks so I can buy more e-books. I'm hooked and am so happy that Leo bought me one for Mother's Day.


*Need to start working out again (besides mowing which I do once a week--and love for that matter). I have a postpartum boot camp DVD...and I'm interested in a Zumba workout that I can do from home. I wonder if Wii makes one? Or maybe I'll just be better off with a DVD? Thoughts?

You? Are Fabulous...And Don't Let Anyone Tell You Different...

I think it is safe to say when it comes to motherhood we are our own worst critic. I know that I personally have such a hard time remembering to stop for a moment and see how well that I have raised my daughters so far.


With the growing amount of pressure that society and the media throw at us:

Lose your baby weight before you leave the hospital!

Gasp--you don't breastfeed?!

You must bottle feed!

Every mom needs to stay at home!

Go to work-women fought for your rights to do so!

You must make  home cooked meals with preferably organic foods only, no sugar and definitely NO HAPPY MEALS!

You must maintain a spotless home!

Show me your gorgeous flowers outside in your perfectly landscaped yard!


I could honestly go on and on and on. So why is it that so many times other women--other moms--are our worst critics? The stress and anxiety that this causes is quite overwhelming to me. You would probably assume that by now, three children later, that I would let comments/snide remarks/snobby looks roll off of me. But honestly? It hasn't changed much since I had my Isabella almost 4 years ago.


Even while pregnant with her I would get comments from people about how I was doing this wrong, not supposed to do that, etc. It's enough to make us scream. Nobody is perfect. No parent is perfect. If it seems like they are? Rest assured that they are far from it. We're all human. We all are bound to make a mistake at some point in our lives raising our children.


I definitely have had those moments....and I still am to this day.


Nothing has prompted me to write this post. I just feel like sometimes, as a woman and a mom, that I need to give ALL of my readers a hug and reassure you all that you are doing an amazing job at being a mom. Nobody knows better than you what is best for your child, your family.


So, to my readers? Keep doing that fabulous job of being a mom. Nobody rocks it quite like you do!

Getting Her Art On...

 

Have I mentioned how much I *love* summer?

Playing outside after dinner...

Followed by sidewalk chalk fun...

Throw in an impromptu photoshoot?

You have one very happy momma.

Slow Down...

 

This little girl?

My Brynlie?

Has recently decided that she will outgrow all things newborn.

Diapers.

Onesies.

Footie Jammies.

*sniff*

Why does time always fly by?

Some Cuteness for You...

Totally in love with this little girl...

I can't believe she will be 2 in July...

I love you, Miss Madelyn...

For you truly make me laugh every single day.

Summer? Has Arrived...

In the form of sunny days, sticky faces and sprinkler afternoons...


In the form of bbq, ice cold beer in a frosty glass and sand between my toes...


In the form of long days, long nites and tired little ones...


In the form of summer beach reads, birthdays and longing to be a kid again in the summer time...


In the form of happy girls, happy momma and a happy daddy...

Guess Who Got a Swagger Wagon....

Okay, well technically I didn't the official "swagger wagon" since I bought this:

I know, I know...I always swore that I wouldn't be caught dead owning a minivan, but what can I say? Three kids ages 3 and under and we decided that it was a must have.


Do I love it?


Um...yes, yes, yes! Best. car. ever.


And in case you're wondering where I got the whole "swagger wagon" thing? Right here--you're welcome...try not to watch it more than once or else you'll be rapping it while not even realizing you're rapping about a minivan.


Ahem. Not that I would do that....

Hi? A Catch Up of a Deployment and a Baby...

Wow. Has it really been since January since I've thought about writing? How could I go so long without even managing a peep to my favorite readers? I guess it can be safe to say that life? Happened. I got caught up in my pregnancy, raising my girls, and caring for my home all while the husband was away in Afghanistan.


The seven months he was gone was one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do in my life. I won't lie. It? Sucked at times. Just the amount of exhaustion and worrying and sometimes thinking that his seven months would never end was enough to make my curl up and make me feel sorry for myself. I'm usually not the type to wallow in self pity. But it was hard. Super hard.


The good news? He's home! He came home at the very end of March. It has been amazing having my best friend back at home where he belongs...and the girls have been great at getting readjusted with their Daddy. I truly am blessed to have such a wonderful husband.


We also were blessed with the birth of our baby girl, Brynlie Nicole, on May 21st @ 1:19 am. She is the sweetest baby ever. She nurses like a champ, takes a bottle like a champ AND puts up with her sisters' shenanigans--what a little trooper!


Her birth story is a short one: went to my regular OB appointment on May 20th to find out my blood pressure was really high. I had been having a headache, but didn't think much of it--I assumed it was from being so tired. I got sent up to L&D for some monitoring and after an hour or so the OB doc came in and told me that my bp was still too high for him to feel comfortable. I was over 39 weeks at this point and he suggested that we come back at 4:00 pm to be admitted, get the foley balloon and then be induced Saturday morning bright and early.


I immediately said yes! Leo and I went out to lunch and then went home to start getting things in the car and get any last minute things completed. His mom had been staying with us to stay with the girls so that was a huge relief that I didn't need to scramble and find someone to watch Isabella and Madelyn.


Get to the hospital, get the foley and right away I start noticing pretty strong contractions. I didn't think a lot of it because for weeks I had been having contractions that were pretty intense. A couple of hours later the foley fell out. The nurses were all giddy and told us that they had a feeling this would happen (basically it means I was dialating and at that point just having the foley in jump started my labor). I was pretty hungry so Leo went to get me something to eat before it was too late.


By the time he arrived back my contractions were really picking up. I picked at my food and then asked the nurse if there was something that I could take that would help me sleep. I was still in denial that I was in labor. She gave me an Ambien and I still thought I would be able to sleep. Ha! She came back and hooked me up to the monitors to see my contractions and she checked me to discover I was 6 cm dialated! Yeah!!


She asked me what I wanted for pain management and I told her nothing...Madelyn was natural (not on purpose...) and Isabella's epidural failed, so I told her I really wanted to try this naturally.


 Everything was going great until I told them I had to push. Transition was really hard on me. I had coped really well up until that point. They checked me and I couldn't push because Brynlie was turned the wrong way and they really wanted her head to turn around before pushing. After what seemed like forever she turned! Show time...


After a few successful pushes I had to stop so they could untangle the cord that was wrapped around her neck two times. That was untangled and a couple of pushes later she was on my chest. It was love at first sight when I laid my eyes on her. No matter if it's your first or your tenth baby, there is nothing like holding that tiny bundle in your arms for the first time.


They immediately took her from me, though. She wasn't breathing. They had to resuscitate her twice and they sucked a ton of fluid from her. What had happened was she took a huge gulp during the birth process. I repeatedly asked if she was okay which they assured me she was fine. I was so scared...those few minutes seemed like eternity, but the staff was so calm and never let on how serious it was/could have been which I thank them for that.


So that, in a nutshell, was the birth of Brynlie Nicole. She did endure some bruising on her face from being in the wrong position for so long, but that disappeared within a day. She is perfect in every way. I love her snuggles, her baby smell, the sound of her just being so happy and I can tell that she knows she is so loved by us all.

Brynlie Nicole

7 lbs 4 oz

18 1/2" long

Born into our lives May 21, 2011 @ 1:19 a.m.