Troubled

Ever since I can remember, I have colored my hair. With the exception of one time, I have always gotten highlights. I have tried going dark brown once, but I soon realized that it was just not me. During my pregnancy, I did not touch the color in my hair until a week before I delivered. I got lowlights/highlights and I am very sad to say that my hair did not turn out the way that I wanted it to.

So, this leaves me troubled. I want to go back blonde, but it is just so expensive to get a color done these days [especially when your hair grows as fast as mine and you have to get your roots touched-up about once a month]. I have thought about doing it on my own... but have quickly pushed that idea out of my mind. I just know that I would turn my hair orange.

This leaves me with one question. Does anyone know of a good, but cheap, stylist? I am looking for anyone; whether they are at a salon or work out of their home. Comments below would be much appreciated. :] Thank you so much!

Bath Time

We get the pleasure of seeing this every single morning.

[We love his crazy eyes in this picture!]

Are we not we the luckiest parents ever??

It Happened

Something amazing happened last night.

Something that we have been anticipating for quite some time now.

Something that gives us hope for the future.

Ryker slept for six hours.
[Even in his very own crib!]

Then, he slept for four more hours after he was fed!

We never thought this day would come; seeing that he was only going about three hours between feedings up until the night before last.

We have been trying very hard to keep him up all day long, but our efforts have never gotten him to sleep through his nights...

...Until last night!

We just had to document this momentous occasion.

And even though I am awake practically every hour or less checking on him, [I do worry a lot] it makes me so happy to know that he can sleep that long during the night.

[He loves, loves, loves looking over our shoulders!]

Good job little guy.

Hopefully you will be able to sleep that well again tonight!

Personal Challenge.

The personal fitness side of a pregnancy can really modivate a woman to get into shape. Of course, some women are able to stay fit during their pregnancy; but to my misfortune, I was not one of them. I am not just talking about pounds here, even though it is a large contributor, but am talking about the ability to feel physically healthy. I definitely did not feel healthy when I would: lose my breath when walking up the stairs, need help standing up after sitting on the floor, need help getting out of bed, etc. There are so many other circumstances that I can think of, but we don't want this post to take all day long to read! Anyways, I do realize that there is a very large and heavy tummy attached to the front of you; but to me, it does not make a difference. You still feel like your physical health is suffering. By the end of my pregnancy, I was ready to feel physically fit again.

So, what will I do to feel physically healthy once more? The solution comes from P90X.

Again, I am not just exercising to lose the pounds, however it is a nice bonus, I am doing this program to feel good again. And I haven't felt the way I want to since my high school years when I was doing cheer. This involved running, lifting, and lots of exercising. During these years, I just felt healthy. I was able to go hike up any mountain I pleased [to a certain extent], play tennis for hours on end, and run around the golf course in my neighborhood with my good friends. If I tried any of these activities now, I would be done after twenty minutes. Yes, I hate to think of this.

So, endurance and strength is what I hope to accomplish through this program. My first day was yesterday, exactly one month after giving birth, and I practically died in the first twenty minutes. I couldn't even do half of the exercises that the men and women on the video were doing... My goal? To be able to do every single exercise well by the end of the 90 days. I have confidence that I can make it.

I cannot wait to feel great again. In order to keep myself motivated, I will post my weekly progress report on the blog. That way, I know I need to do it. :]

Wish me luck.

No Longer a Newborn!

We have the most wonderful baby in the entire world.

[The above statement represents no biased opinions whatsoever...]

We are more than blessed to have Ryker in our home.

He has such a pure spirit that radiates to everyone around him.

He is one month old today and is progressing more than ever.

<> He is the cutest when he eats. You can always find him wide-eyed and squealing like a little animal!

<> He has recently discovered his tongue. There is nothing like having your little boy stick out his tongue at you. :]

<> He is fascinated by the light. We know we have said this before, but looking out the window can keep him occupied for hours.

<> He continues to poop every time we change his diaper. We have learned to be prepared.

<> He also continues to pee during every diaper change and after each bath. Again, we have learned to just expect it.

<> Speaking of baths, he LOVES the bath. No fussing goes on there!

<> He is so good at lifting up his head during tummy time. Tummy time is one of his favorite things to do.

<> He intentionally grabs hair; or at least this is what we believe...

<> He grabs a tight hold on your finger during feedings. It is adorable.

<> He enjoys standing up. We only need to hold him with one hand when he does this. He supports himself so well!
<> He attended his first day of church on December 5, 2010. He was such a reverent little boy.

[Our little family right before leaving to church.]

This last month has been a dream come true for us.
We could not have asked for a better Christmas gift than our little Ryker.

We have never felt a love like this before.