{BIRTH days...}

It was nice to have a 3 day weekend with Brandon and Elora. Of course it went by speedy fast as per usual. 

Tomorrow is my 21+3! Twenty-four years old, Wow. Where did the time go? I think back to when I was just 4 years old (yes I can remember that far back) when I first met my childhood best-friend Andrea through my window by our front yard. It's amazing how fast time flies. And it seems as you get older, it gets faster and faster. 

I don't have any special plans for my big day except for taking Elora to the Pedi. We are going to start her vaccines. As much as I don't want to, I know she will need them eventually when she goes to pre-school. We are doing the "delayed" schedule. I just don't believe in injecting your baby with foreign chemicals when they are first born. Her immunity is much stronger now so I'm a bit more comfy with starting her vaccines now. I know this is a very touchy subject for most, but everyone has their own opinions.


My promise to Elora is to always make a BIG deal of her BIRTH day. It's the day that completely changed my life forever. I will never forget it. Whether she is turning 1 or 31, I will always celebrate this day. It just seems that nowadays birthdays are not a big deal after you turn 21. I want her to always be excited about her birthday.


I hope that everyone will celebrate their birthdays and be excited (no matter what age) because it was a day that changed someone's life forever=) 


Mommy A 


P.S. Tomorrow is my first weigh in since I started dieting and working out everyday, stay tuned! =)

{Getting back to the grind...}

It feels SO good to work out again! Ah, I wish I would have started sooner, but I must admit having a baby close to the Holidays not so good! It's been three and a half months since I had Elora and I'm just now starting to work this baby fat off. Better late then never! 

The first week is always the roughest. After the first week it becomes a habit. I'm almost there! It's been 4 days since I started. It's a bit hard to work out for anymore then 45 minutes with the baby. But I get sporadic work outs throughout the day. It's actually quite nice that way so I don't get burnt out.

I'm weighing in every Wednesday. This coming up Wednesday is my 24th Birthday!!! YAY! Time sure does fly after you hit 21. Next year I will a quarter of a century! WOW!

I'm looking forward to shedding off this baby fat and sharing my results with you all! I want to post my beginning stats, but I want to wait until I hit my goal and I will give you the "before and after" stats=) I'm not one to take a "before" picture either. I'm a bit embarrassed, I must admit.


San Diego Chargers are in the Playoffs baby! I can't wait to see them win the Superbowl this year!!!!! Who's with me?!


Mommy A

{Work it out!}

Today is the big day! Our Elliptical machine arrives! That means I HAVE to lose this Elora baby fat! No more excuses =) It's been so darn cold outside, I don't know how anyone goes jogging. My joints start to ache when it's this cold! I can't wait to get a routine going. I thought of a schedule that I want to follow:

When Elora sleeps, I workout. If I do this, I will be back to pre-pregnancy size and then some! I just need to stay motivated. Motivation doesn't always come very easy! I was looking at photos of me a few years ago and WOW, I was pretty thin! And even then, I thought I was "fat". I'm starting to think I have that mental illness where every time I look in the mirror, I see a fat person no matter what. I definitely need a confidence booster ASAP!

If you have any tips on staying motivated, please share it with me! I'd love to hear ways that others stay motivated! 

I love being a SAHM (Stay at home Mom). I try to set an agenda everyday to stay busy. Some days go by faster then others. The most rewarding part is being able to spend quality time with Elora. I love the bond that we have together=)

Time to get going! Until next time...

Mommy A

Another trip to SD....

TGIF! We are leaving to San Diego for the weekend (again) today after Brandon gets off of work. We were originally going there to be contestants on The Price is Right, BUT we changed our minds. We were reading a lot about it online and it just seems more of a hassle then fun. Plus, the show is on Monday in Los Angeles and we have to head back to AZ on Monday. Too much driving = TIRED!

It will be nice to see our family, even though it's only been a week and a half since we last saw them! I'm actually going to take Brandon out tomorrow for the day while my Mom watches Elora. We haven't had a real date since she was born. We have to keep the spark flying, so to speak haha=) I was thinking of seeing Avatar in 3D, then go to Balboa Park & walk around and check out a few museums. Then maybe go to Seaport Village. We'll see how it plays out tomorrow. We didn't get to celebrate our one year wedding Anniversary in November, so I want to make up for it. 

I think I'm officially addicted to Facebook. AH! It's my only way of staying in touch with the rest of the world while I'm taking care of Elora. She is such a good baby. We're truly blessed! She sleeps through the night and only cries when she's tired or hungry (or sometimes gassy haha). 

I better get going.. I still have to pack for the 3 of us! Have a great weekend everyone! Until next time!

Mommy A

I'm going to become a DOULA!

I've been back and forth about this decision for awhile now. It was always a thought I had after I had Elora. I think the only reason why I didn't know if I should do it is because of my confidence and knowledge. But a wonderful person in the Birthing community assured me that I would learn along the way. In the 41 weeks that I was pregnant, I learned SO much about pregnancy, my body and child birth. It was so intriguing to me. I was always on the internet researching different ideas and options. I was constantly ordering books on amazon to read. I would like to be a birth and postpartum Doula. Best of both worlds!

A doula is an assistant who provides various forms of non-medical and non-midwifery support (physical and emotional) in the childbirth process.

I'm very excited about this decision and I can not wait to learn more! I believe that every woman should have a Doula. When Brandon and I first found out I was pregnant we researched like crazy. We wanted the best for myself and our baby. I was set on Chandler Hospital since it was closest to Maricopa. I didn't know much about pregnancy and child birth. I just went to my prenatal appointments and figured being treated like a number was "okay". Boy, was I WRONG! Brandon researched reputable mid-wives in the East Valley. We came across Stephanie Soderblum in Mesa. We scheduled an interview and met with her the next week. As soon as we left the parking lot, Brandon and I looked at each other and KNEW we wanted her to be my mid-wife. Brandon said "Let's do it!". That was THE best decision of our lives (Of course next to saying "I DO" haha) We decided to have a home birth with a mid-wife. 

As soon as we told everyone the news, we had so many mixed reactions. We didn't let anyone affect our decision. We were confident, I was confident in my body and with Stephanie. I researched what a Doula was. I found some Doulas that I was interested in and scheduled interviews with them. Of course the first one we met was the one! Sandra made me feel comfortable and I could talk to her about my feelings. We were set with an amazing birth team!

During my labor, Sandra was there for me, right by my side. She massaged my back to help me relax and get some rest before the big push. She made sure I was comfortable and at ease. She knew what kind of birth I wanted and I trusted her completely. I believe the wonderful birth I had has a lot to do with having a Doula there. Of course Brandon was there, but there were times where I didn't want him watching me labor. I remember at one point when I was in the water, I looked at him and told him to go away haha. But he knew I meant that in the kindest way possible.

I'm ecstatic to attend the workshop and complete everything I need to become a certified Doula!

2010 is going to be an amazing year!

The celebration of 100 days of life....

 In Korean culture, we celebrate 100 days of life. Back in the days, they did not have any medical resources or the knowledge about child birth and babies. An immense amount of the babies wouldn't survive. They started a celebration called Baek-il, which is 100 days of life. It was a HUGE deal back then and we still celebrate 100 days.

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/tol/tol.cfm

Since our family is in San Diego and we're in Arizona, we just asked everyone to keep Elora in their thoughts today. She had a mini photo shoot with your truly! =) Mommy A!

HAPPY 100 DAYS OF LIFE ELORA! We LOVE you very much!

Happy New Year! Twenty - Ten!

Can you believe it? 2010? WOW! This decade sure went by FAST! So much to be thankful for, so much to think about, so much I've learned! The best part about being a Mom is I'm challenged every day. Elora keeps me on my toes and she has taught me PATIENCE. Who would have thought a 3 month old baby could teach you something! =)

Going into a new year, I usually set resolutions. But realistically, who keeps their resolutions? I think setting goals for yourself everyday is better. I don't think I've ever followed through on a resolution I've made. So here it goes.. My goals for the first few months of 2010...

1. To not be so hard on myself when it comes to being a new Mom. I stress over the littlest things with Elora and I shouldn't. I should just breathe and learn as I go...

2. To not forget about my relationship with my Husband. With being new parents we're so wrapped up with being a parent that we tend to forget our relationship with our significant other. It's SO important to still show them you care and that you love them very much.

3. To jump start my motivation to lose weight and be healthy. It's not going to happen over night, I know that. But I want it to become a lifestyle.

I will stop there. I want to be realistic about it. 

“The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.”

Time to get some ZzZzZz's... Until next time!

Mommy A