Newborn Photo Session: Sebastian

Occasionally I get behind a camera and snap photos that I'm really proud of. 

This is a piece of one of those times. My beautiful best friend with her first born, in all of their in-love glory. 

1 Week of Lessons

1 - what bloating feels like
2 - that within moments of consuming dairy, the rumblings in my tummy rival the largest caldera in Yellowstone
3 - even though I don't crave sugar, I still haven't developed enough self-control to bake a cake and pretend like I won't attempt to eat it all in one night
3a - ...what a real sugar high feels like
4 - Body composition changes > a number on a scale
5 - indulging a little bit doesn't (literally) hurt but going balls to the wall with a weekend of mostly bad decisions is going to leave some (figurative) bruising

Since completing the Whole30 I've allowed myself quite a bit of no-no's. The first night was a chocolate bar and a sip of red wine which - I swear - gave me a buzz! The second and third bites of that chocolate were nowhere near as incredible as the first - I think I've been chasing the dragon the past seven days. I managed to have two - three sips of wine in the following nights before handing my glass to Husband to finish for me. 

A Reluctant Semi-Reveal: Russ's Guest Room

I wrote this in August 2013 and my, oh, my how this room has changed again - as I knew it would. You can read through and see that I wasn't happy with it, but was still astonished at the before/after photos' difference. I'll get some good pics of the room now to share really soon!

My aunt & uncle drove in from OK to pick up Nana and Q & I were sooo lucky to have them stay with us during their stop-over! However, this meant that a few of my meh-maybe-another-day projects were now in the GO-GO-GO phase and go I did - with a hammer, nails, two tape measurers, a pencil, and a wall. Oh, and some toothpaste for the pieces with two nail hangers (a little pinterest trick!)

That's all, Folks! Whole30: Done!

Today is day 1 after a Whole30. Coincidentally - and rather unfortunately - I feel awful! I made this quiche the other day and while it's super duper awesome, I think I had too much of it for breakfast. I had to tell someone in between belches in the office that "I'm a lady damnit!" So because I feel awful, even lunch is still pretty Whole30 - larabar, apple, boiled egg, and almonds. Dinner is zoosketti (zoodles!) and Josh is just DYING to see my face when I have chocolate after dinner. Seriously, he mentions it twice a day/at mealtime - he's really been looking forward to tonight! 

I'm going to have the chocolate because I don't think I can make my little bear wait any longer but there is an After Whole30 protocol for re-introducing foods. Chocolate isn't on the list... weird. Reintroduction is relatively simple - and sounds kinda fun in theory, although I'm a little worried about introducing some foods! I have a morbid curiosity to know how one particular food actually makes me feel so I'll do it the right way. I need to single out the bread, the peanuts, the soy - and relate a gut feeling to them for my brain to trust.

Logging on for a Whole30: Day 20something

DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a real thing, I'm here to tell you. It's cause is still kind of a mystery (I mean, duh, obvi kick ass exercise is the initial cause). In a really sadistic way, it feels awesome - I kind of like being reminded that I made a good decision to workout. I'm chowing down on a burger right now only wishing I'd nuked it a little longer but I'm going to have to suffer because walking is hard right now, lol! 

Recently I ate:
Thurs.: Sausage & Kale Sweet Potato Hash & PSfauxL (pumpkin spice faux-latte) + Pork Chop & Green Beans + Spinach/Ham Fritatta + More Hash
Fri.: Hash & Coffee blend, again + Hamburger Pattie, Plantains, & Green Beans + London Broil, Eggplant, & Zoodles

Logging on for a Whole30: Day 19 skip a few 24!

I forgot to post for a few days. Whoops. My weeks just got a little more hectic with a new CrossFit schedule so I'm going to use that excuse. I'm hurting this morning - from bruising on my shoulders from front squats to screaming abdominal muscles and burning tight quads. Yowza. 3x a week is gonna be no joke! 

What I can remember I've eaten recently, with photos below:
Sat.: Sausage/Spinach/Apple/Sweet Potato Casserole + Beefalo Filet Mignon, Twice Baked Sweet Potato with Rosemary, Eggplant (I think...)
Sun.:  Plantain Nachos + Shrimp & "Grits" (photo below!)
Mon.: Spinach & Ham Fritattas + Tuna Waldorf Salad & 1/2 apple + Top Round Beefalo & Zoodles (pre & post workout)
Tue.: Spinach & Ham Fritattas + Top Round Beefalo, Zoodles, & Broccoli + Pork Chop, Fauxtatoes, Eggplant
Wed.: Spinach & Ham Fritatta, Plantains, and Top Round Beefalo + Tuna Waldorf Salad, Fauxtatoes, Eggplant, Pork Chop (I'm really hungry.) + Burger, Sweet Potato Chips, Eggplant

Logging on for a Whole30: Day 18. I think I'm gonna start over.

Not start THIS Whole30 over, but do another challenge. Something like what Gretchen Rubin did in The Happiness Project. I read that almost exactly 3 years ago and some things still resonate with me: slow down, prioritize, put others first but also do what makes you happy, abandon a self-conscious mind, etc. Maybe I'll tell a joke everyday for 30 days. Or maybe I'll thoughtfully dress myself for 30 days. Perhaps I could do some sort of have-a-glass-of-wine every day for 30 days. Yeah, I like that one...

Today I ate:
Egg Foo Young + 1/2 plantain + nursing a tall coffee
SB+J Burger leftovers with diced carrots
BBQ Beef (probably with more plantain!)

Logging on for a Whole30: Day 17; real talk - I'm tired

I am so damn sleepy today; I can't think of why I might feel this way. I've been eating properly and getting a fair amount of sleep - maybe I need more than 7.5 hours? I also have had a headache for a few days which I attributed to allergies but the PollenCast has been moderate since mid-August. I tried having some coffee this morning thinking maybe it was a caffeine issue - which is far fetched as I rarely have anything caffeinated. Maybe I just kicked so much ass at CrossFit last night that my body needed a smidgen more recovery time. Yeah, we'll go with that! Mad ass-kicking skills require 8+ hours of sleep, I'm sure.

Today I ate:
Egg Foo Young & uncured smoked bacon
Paleo Chicken Pad Thai with zoodles
Sunbutter + Strawberry Hamburgers with French Fries

Logging on for a Whole30: Days 13 - 16

I've gone 16 days without chocolate. Everything I eat tastes sweet. I don't know how I feel about this. Am I going to enjoy the fancy chocolate bar I purchased for day 31 or am I going to recoil in sugary revulsion? Have I said out loud "these carrots are sweet!" so many times that people are plotting my demise? Was eating a banana and sunbutter, & enjoying it, in front of adults enjoying beer a one-way ticket to hell? These are questions only fate can answer, however I'm hoping for a Yes, No, and No - in that order.

This week/end I ate:
Sat.: sweet potato & sausage casserole + pork chop + spaghetti
Sun.: sweet potato & sausage casserole + *see below + pork & sweet potatoes
Mon.: eggs & pork & sweet potatoes + naked homewrecker jr. + leftover spaghetti sauce & eggplant
Tue.: egg foo young + leftover spaghetti sauce & eggplant + pad Thai