18 Months and Eating

Thomas turned 18 months old on the third of this month! He is one busy, needy, vibrant little boy. Him and his sister play well together a lot more these days. It is really cute when they are getting along because they will both start laughing hysterically. If you are having a rough day and then hear that joyous noise, you would be a fool to not have it brighten your day.

As bad as I want to compare Thomas with Savannah at this age, I will just explain how this sweet boy is doing. For starters, he likes to take things apart. We have an old cell phone we have given him to play with. We have downloaded baby games for him and he enjoys those for about a minute. After that, it is more fun trying to take the phone apart. If he can't take the phone apart, he will try and figure something else to take apart. Future engineer? Maybe?
When he is not trying to figure things out, he loves to be held. I have always tried to encourage my children to play on their own but, since he has been in this world, Thomas just wants to be held. I enjoy it most of the time because he is a great little cuddler, but it becomes very difficult when you are trying to watch your other child and/or get things done. I think Thomas is finally realizing he is just fine when he is not being held....whew! He still likes to cuddle but mainly when he is sleepy.
Thomas's vocabulary is getting better but limited to a handful of words. "Paci", "mama", "daddy", "please", "bye-bye", and "night-night". He has sort of started to say "milk". He may not say a lot but, boy oh boy, does he understand a lot. All I have to say is "breakfast" in the morning and he will run straight to the kitchen and either go to the pantry or the fridge. Sometimes, he will bypass that and go straight for the high chair! Also, at night time, if he is sleepy enough, we can say, "Thomas, are you ready to go to bed?" He will then proceed to go straight into his room and to his crib! Yep, this boy knows!

Thomas had his 18 month check up yesterday. I was a little nervous because Thomas has never been the best eater. His weight is never on the chart. (his height is, but even that progresses at a slow pace) Backing up for a minute, at his 15 month check up, his weight was 18 pounds. At his 18 month check up, he was 18 pounds and he had only grown 1/4 of an inch. We have explained to the doctor that he will eat but he just doesn't eat a lot. Dinner has been our biggest struggle. There are nights that we put him to bed and he hasn't eaten. I know it sounds weird but he will sleep through the night and in the morning he wakes up normal. He doesn't appear to be starving at any given time.
We have tried almost everything we can think of to get him to eat. I have even cut back on snacking. (even though I never let him have a lot of snacks in the first place) The doctor recommended a feeding clinic in Montgomery. Aric and I had never heard of such a thing but it supposed to be very helpful for children who struggle with eating. Basically, you make an appointment for your child and a nutritionist will observe your child eating. Once they can see how your child is eating, they taylor a specific plan for your child to help encourage better eating habits. We have no idea if this will even work but we decided to go for it because we figured it would be worth a shot.

His poor eating has been a cause of stress for me. It really shoudln't because, as I mentioned earlier, he sleeps fine through the night. He has A LOT of energy during the day and he is very strong! (he's skinny, but he's strong) But I guess, as a parent, seeing your child not eat, is never a fun thing to go through. Especially at this yound and delicate age when they are supposed to be growing and developing.
Thankfully, Aric has been a huge support. He doesn't stress like I do, so I have REALLY been able to lean on him for encouragement.

Our sweet boy is such a huge blessing and other than this eating issue, he is a healthy 18 month old. Everyday I give thanks to God for giving us to 2 healthy children.
I will be sure to update on how this feeding clinic goes as soon as I can.

Now, since it is alreay THURSDAY!! and I have lots of laundry to do, I better get to it.

Have a splendid day!

God Bless,
Emily

Pound for Pound..Losing it a little at a time

Starting Mid-January,I signed up for a program the Prattville YMCA was offering called, Inch-a-Weigh. It is 12 weeks long and was just what I needed to get on the weight loss wagon. I've never done Weight Watchers but if I had to guess, this program would be similar. The Y gives you a food and exercise journal that you are to record all your exercises and meals every day. In the beginning, you are weighed initially and all of your measurements are taken. Then, once a week, you weigh in (you pick the day and time), it is recorded by a staff member and you go on about your day; hopefully to exercise! Even though I knew doing this by myself would be challenging, I was totally up for it!
I began working out everyday only taking a break on Saturdays, sometimes Sunday. To mix things up a bit, I keep variety in my workouts. For example, on Tuesday and Thursdays, the Y offers this awesome class called Cardio and Tone. It is just as it sounds. I sweat A LOT in this class and love it! On the other days, I swap it up between, elliptical workouts, treadmill runs, outdoor runs. I also make sure to lift some free weights in between all the cardio. Two 5lb weights is all I need to get those arms burning! :)
As for my diet, I am still eating what I would normally eat but carefully watching my portion sizes. I have also cut out sodas which means nothing but water, baby! Going out to eat has been a little different. Normally, I would splurge and get whatever I wanted just because we were at a restaurant but, not any more. I try and go for the healthier options like grilled chicken and veggies. If I get a salad, I opt for the lighter dressing (any type of vinagrette or fat free option). My weakness is sweets. I have a HUGE sweet tooth! The solution: I don't buy sweets! Instead, I buy bananas or apples and fat free yogurt. Not only is it healthier and guilt-free, it completely satisfies my sweet tooth.

When I first started Inch-a-Weigh, my weight was 143.6. Today at my weigh-in, it was 137.1! So far, I have been losing about a pound a week. There has only been one week that I didn't lose anything. (but I didn't gain, either)The staff at the Y have been great and very encouraging. They have been able to review my food and exercise journal to make sure I am on the right track with my weight loss. So far so good, except for my snacking. Apparently, I am not snacking enough and need to incorporate more healthy snacks into my diet. That has been a challenge but it is being worked on. (fruit and yogurt!)
Losing about a pound a week is about right for healthy weight loss. (or so I have been told) One pound a week doesn't sound like a lot but I have REALLY been able to tell a difference!
I want to encourage any one out there reading this that YOU CAN DO IT! I really feel like exercising has been the key factor. Dieting doesn't hurt but if you can exercise, even if it's a little bit every day, you will see those pounds drop! Not only are my clothes fitting better and in some cases getting too big but I feel A LOT stronger. I can do crunches and girl push-ups without feeling like I am going to fall out. I can run for 2 miles without feeling like I'm going to die. I can lift weights and not feel like I am going to drop them on my toes.

My main source of encouragement has been myself. I just got SO TIRED of the way I looked and felt. I was fed up and had to do something about it. When I first started this and would have sore muscles for days, I just pushed through it, because I would rather have sore muscles than fat around my belly.
I still have a lot work to do and more pounds to drop, to get to a weight I am comfortable with. I am taking it one day at a time and staying positive. The week, I mentioned earlier that I didn't lose anything, I kept going and if anything pushed even harder!
Once I get to my goal weight, I plan on continuing to exercise and watching my portions. A healthy lifestyle cannot be built overnight, but it can be done! As my husband always tells me, "Rome wasn't built in a day!" How true that is!!

Have a great evening and God Bless!

Emily

Getting Settled In

Allright you faithful blog readers, February was a busy month! This post will be quite lengthy...hang in there!


Since my last post in January, I mentioned that I needed to decorare our new home. (WELL,I still have yet to decorate our new home. :( I know, I know, you're probably thinking, what in the world does she do in all of her spare time? Oh, you'd be surprised! I have been looking at stuff (online and in stores) trying to get ideas, chasing two very busy children, cleaning, cooking, traveling, sleeping, exercising.....I always thought once we moved in I would immediately want to/have to decorate and get everything just right. Well, I am far from having that Martha Stewart touch and quite frankly, I want to take my time. First of all, decorating costs money and if I am going to be spending money (even if it is gift cards to East Chase!) I want to make sure I get what we like and what suits our home. Second, Aric and I have very different tastes, so for me to just go out and buy stuff for the house I like, would be a very bad idea. Finally, between those two previous excuses, reasons, we are ok with having a simple home for now. By the way, we are thouroughly enjoying Prattville!

Savannah started her first ever gymnastics class at the Prattville YMCA. She already participates in the Big Green Bus at her school once a week, so thankfully, she already had some "experience" with gym stuff. The first day of class, she went right over and sat in the circle with the other children for roll call. She didn't even look back! I may have shed a tear. She is becoming so independent and excited to do everything
Among the other fun things she is doing, she is now the best back seat driver. She knows, Red means "stop, Yellow means "be careful" and Green means "go". And she will tell you that EVERY time we are in the car.
Savannah has come quite the singer and reader. At any given time, she is singing some sort of song she has learned in school or church and if she isn't singing, she is reading one of her MANY books. Aric and I both LOVE that.

Thomas, my sweet, sweet boy.....(insert and sigh and smile, here) He is so very busy. He started walking at Christmas is quickly working his way to running a marathon. It will be any day now, I just know it! He is such a smart baby but not nearly as independent as Savannah. He loves to be held and will not hesitate to let you know when he wants something. (I think he will let the whole neighborhood know.) He understands so much these days. He will be 18 months old March 3. We are now at the point where we can't use "oh, he's just a baby and doesn't know better" excuse. He KNOWS! Oh, does he know. We are working on that right now. :)

February also brought potential buyers for our old house. We were thrilled when someone came in and offered us full asking price! Of course, it was too good to be true! Shame on you! ;) Owner financing with A LOT of stipulations, stress and high blood pressure.(that was the deal in a nut shell) The deal fell through, but, I firmly believe, it was for the better. We are now discussing putting it on the rental market. It would be managed through our realtors agency and probably be what is best for us right now. I would have never thought this would be something I would want to do, but after much discussion and prayer, God is truly telling me to lean on Him. More to come to later and how that works out!


Here are a few pics of Savannah and Thomas in February.

First night of Gymnastics!

Honestly, the best picture I can get of this busy boy!

Forget to mention, we went to see Kirk Cameron speak in Montgomery. I was very starstruck!

This is Warren Barfield! AWESOME person! He is a GREAT singer also!

Welcome 2012!

Happy New Year everyone! In the past, a new year, for me, meant nothing. It was just a new year, resolutions were silly and nothing had changed. Negative Nancy? Maybe just a little. This year is different. This year I am thankful the Lord has brought me this far. 2011 was a year of realizations. Realizing how incredibly blessed I am as well as others. I realized that even though our nation may be struggling, I still have the freedom to do so many things, if I were to name them all.....well, I wouldn't even be able to. One thing remains the same; God is awesome and mighty. His love is unfailing and his mercies are abundant. So, with my new outlook on a new year,I actually made resolutions this year. Because I know I cannot do it on my own, I have been praying diligently, "With Gods help I will....". I have also reminded myself that I am not perfect and will mess up. When I struggle with a resolution, finding myself far from completing it, I will not give up. 2012 will be a challenging year but, with God, nothing is impossible. Now, how about some fun updates on our fun little family? We are officially, Prattvillians! That doesn't sound right....hmm...you get the picture. Our new home is such a blessing. I thank God daily for how he continues to provide for our family. The children are adjusting well. They really haven't seems phased by the move and a new home. We are all unpacked and settled. The next step, I guess, would trying to figure out this whole decorating thing. I have NO IDEA where to even start, so I will be relying heavily on Pinterest or some other website to get my creative juices flowing. Any ideas from you all are welcome of course! Wondering about our old house? It still hasn't sold. While I am a little bummed about that, already in the new year, we have had some interested folks looking. Prayers appreciated in that area of our lives! 2012 will be a busy but fun year. If here is anything we can be praying about for you, please let us know! Prayer really works and changes lives. Have a wonderful day, week, month! God Bless! Emily

Hodge Podge

I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Did you eat a lot, travel and shop? We did only two of those this year and that was eat a lot and shop. We stayed here in town and enjoyed turkey day at my folks house. It was very low key and uneventful. We ate, looked at black Friday ads and watched some football. We arrived back at our home that evening, got the kids settled and browsed some great black Friday deals online. Let me just say, that is the way to shop! No getting up early, waiting in line for hours, just to find out the item you were after sold out 10 people before you. We found some steals in the comfort of our own home! Y'all should try it next year, you won't regret it. Friday was a day that couldn't have been more lazy. We did absolutely nothing. While it was nice to rest, I fe lt like such a bum. Productivity was zero. No dishes were washed, no laundry was folded...........(yawn)....whew, I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it. Saturday was a big day here in Alabama. The Iron Bowl came to the loveliest village on the plains and we were there to see every last bit of it. Unfortunately, Alabama pulled out a win but revenge is sweet I guess. Disappointment was obvious to most Auburn fans as they started to clear the stadium with 9 minutes left in the game. We may have lost but I still love some Auburn football, and we were there until the end cheering for our Tigers. War Eagle! We can try again next year. Some family came in town late Saturday night. I wish it was for better reasons. Aric and his sisters lost a sweet mentor they had known for a long time, so a funeral was the reason for the visit. It was, however, a nice visit. Everyone left Sunday after the funeral. The long Thanksgiving weekend came to an end and then Christmas started. I just love the Christmas season. We will be moving and traveling this year, so it will be very busy but it still means that we get to celebrate Christ's birth, and that is just fun! Switching gears and re-winding for a minute, Savannah turned 3 on November 20. We didn't have a party this year. We kept it simple yet fun. She had a special birthday breakfast of mini pancakes, at church, her class sang Happy Birthday, and later that day we, opened presents from Grammy and Gramps and had birthday cake. Our present to Savannah was a trip to Toys R Us where we let her pick out one gift. What did she choose? 3 $.99 containers of Play Doh! We got her a set that includeda little mini desk so she would have something to play on. All in all, it was a good fun day and Savannah was so very happy. Well, that's all I've got for this morning. I would type more but trying to blog on my phone is hard. Go me for getting this far! I hope y'all have a wonderful, happy day! Blessings, Emily

Thanks

Well, we've been TERRIBLE about getting posts to the blog this year...  Ever since we disconnected our Internet at the house, it's just so hard to think of getting on here and posting updates.  PLEASE FORGIVE US!!!

We have had a BUSY, BUSY year!  The new house in Prattville is nearly completed now - we're potentially going to be ready to close within the next week or so - WOW!  We look forward to getting in and getting settled and then welcoming our family and friends into our new home.  Please do NOT be shy about coming by to see us! 

We have also been busy with the old house - we've had so many repairs done this year, we have actually enjoyed living in it in recent weeks and months!  LOL!!!  However, we did have one particularly fun go of things last week when the main water supply line from the city's meter to our house decided to rupture - and, of COURSE, that happened on a day that we had someone coming by to view the house!!!  Well, we've got that replaced now, so (hopefully) someone will see that as another added benefit not typically found in older homes and will decide to snap it up!  :)  We are praying fervently to the Lord that He will bring another family into this home that He can bless in the same way that He has blessed us over the years that we've been here.  Emily and I met, wed, and had two children while living in this house and we are TREMENDOUSLY thankful for the times we have shared together inside those walls.  (However, we are definitely excited to see the day when those walls are occupied by somebody else and we can move on to the next chapter in our lives and to our new home!)

Savannah & Thomas are both just as precious as ever...  Thomas is "cruising", but just hasn't quite gotten up the courage to take off and start walking yet - which is fine by me because he's SO busy and we know things are going to get even more "interesting" once he can run instead of crawling!  Savannah is smart as all GET OUT and even more beautiful.  I can't even begin to describe how proud we are of our two children.

Work is still going strong - we're blessed to still have plenty of work to keep us busy, especially in an environment and a market where that is so very rare.  God is so good to us and we give Him thanks for the blessing of stress and difficulty in trying to keep up with everything!

Our families are doing relatively well - Aric's parents ("Nana & Popsie") have gotten settled into their new home in Kentucky and have gone about remodeling the whole thing from the top-down.  Mary Beth is still running 120mph, chasing after Lane & Lorilee who have just completely grown up ALL OF THE SUDDEN.  Shari is enjoying a continuing "honeymoon period" with Wesley - can't believe they've already been married for TWO YEARS!!!  And, NOW, Kristen has decided to take off for Nashville and is doing very well in this first chapter of her career as a nurse.  We'll miss seeing everyone for Thanksgiving, but we can't wait to get together for Christmas this year!!!  :)

Emily's parents ("Grammy & Gramps") are doing well, but are having a hard time dealing with the continued decline in the health of Emily's grandfather ("HaHa").  Katie is doing relatively well, and is now working at a big resort down there near the beach and says she really enjoys her job.  She had a nasty spill a while back, but has recovered well and is still pounding the pavement when she can.  We're HOPING we can host the Hoppers (and maybe Kristen too) for Thanksgiving this year, but we won't exactly be settled into the new house yet, so who knows...?

Anyway, that's about all from the land of the Lobensteins for now.  We hope you are all doing well - please don't be strangers!!!  Keep in touch and let us know how we can pray for you and your loved ones.  'Til then, may God's blessings be both abundant AND obvious in your lives.

Update

Hello family and friends!

I'm sorry we've been so absent from our blogging in recent months...  We started doing some renovation projects to our house to get it ready to market for sale and those took longer than expected and we wound up disconnecting our Internet connection altogether.  Then, since we only have a few months until the new house will be completed, we've just never bothered to reconnect the Internet or hook the computer back up.  As it turns out, that was a really cool move because we've converted our office into a play room where Savannah and Thomas can keep their toys and play together.  We have a BLAST in there together!

Regarding the new house, things are progressing nicely...  We've got all the framing completed, the roof is on, all the rough plumbing and electrical is done, and the bath tubs & shower are all in place.  It's looking good and we're really getting excited as we see it all coming together!  This week, we should be getting brick and sheetrock, and then we'll follow that with paint, cabinets, and floor coverings.  We're really seeing a light at the end of the tunnel a LOT faster than we expected to!!!  (Now if we could just hold still long enough to get the rest of the checklist items completed on the old house so we could go ahead and get it listed on the market!!!)

Savannah and Thomas are both doing great. Savannah is learning at exponential speeds and constantly surprises me with all the new things she knows and does. Thomas is a doggone monkey and loves to climb on everything.  I can't believe that he will be a YEAR old in less than a week!  And then, Savannah will be THREE years old in less than three months!!!  Where did the time go???

Anyway, just wanted to check in and let everyone know we haven't fallen off the face of the planet.  We hope you are all well and that God's blessings are as abundant in your lives as He has been in ours lately.