He's one, and I'm not crying.

Happy First Birthday, Vaught Charles!

I can't believe our little guy is ONE year old. He came into this world on September 25th, 2014, at 8:27PM. Weighing eight pounds, one ounce, he was twenty and a half inches long and smaller than we'd anticipated. Even at eight pounds, he was so tiny! One thing I'll never forget is his color... He was so tan and pretty. He was (and still is) such a beautiful baby.

Even as a newborn, he rarely cried. He only cried when he was over-tired or hungry. In the first few days, I cried more than he did. Even now, if I'm woken up at one or two in the morning for any reason, I think of that first week with Vaught. He didn't sleep much, and I was overly hormonal. I remember the darkness of those 2AM feedings. I remember how happy and lonely I felt all at once. I love my husband for how strong he was for us, working nearly sixty-hour weeks while I took off work for two months, but those first few nights all I wanted was someone to sit up with me in the darkness of our living room.

I remember how much better things were by the end of week two. With each day and night, Vaught slept better. Before he was even six weeks old, he was sleeping five to seven hour stretches (sleep training is magical). He would get up between four and five and be back down for a nap by six. I remember how beautiful the mornings were as we transitioned into fall... Once he was back asleep for that awesome four hour morning nap, I made a pot of coffee and enjoyed a creamy latte as I watched the sun rise, the light shining in through the top window above our front door.

By the time he was three weeks old, I took him everywhere. I bundled him up and drove to Target, where we'd walk around for two hours just looking at things. He was and still is such a good baby! I could take him anywhere, and he always did well.

Mama, I know you're reading this, so I just want to stop here and say thank you. Thank you for your love and support during those first couple of months. Thanks for reminding me each day that I could do it. Thanks for showing up to the house with food for me and Eric and diapers for Vaught.

I remember how at peace I was with returning to work at the beginning of December. I enjoyed the time to myself and working with my mother. Vaught did so well at daycare; he never cried when I dropped him off, was never crying when I arrived to pick him up. I owe the women at Marshall Academy so much for how well they took care of him!

From our first Christmas as a family of three, to our Easter mini-roadtrip, our first family beach vacation, to now, each month has brought new surprises, challenges, and an abundance of laughs. Of all the mamas God could have given this child to, I am so blessed and thankful that He chose me for Vaught. I know Eric feels the same way.

I love the memories we've made together during this first year and am looking forward to the ones hereafter. Happy Birthday, Vaught!

"I'm going to ask an odd question... Does anyone have anything to eat?"

Last Wednesday, at around 1:30PM, my blood sugar dropped. Dangerously.

I'm not one to self-diagnose, but hypoglycemia, along with high blood pressure and diabetes, runs in my family. I'm afraid I could very well by hypoglycemic.

Every once in a while, my blood sugar will randomly and very quickly drop. It can happen in a second and will have me feeling sick, woozy, and disoriented until I get some food in my system. It happened that day in class, and I promptly sat down and taught from my pink lawn chair at the front of the room. I tried to act like nothing was wrong, but my kids knew something was up. When the dizziness didn't subside, I asked my sixth graders if any of them had anything to eat. It was actually kind of sweet how three of them rushed up to me with a piece of gum, a sucker, and a peppermint. Then a fourth student pulled out a Rice Krispies treat. I gave him an Indian Buck for giving me half of the chewy treat then let him finish the rest in class.

After getting a little food in me, I was totally fine. Back to normal, 100%. But it was definitely scary. I can't really predict when my blood sugar will drop. The only pattern I've noticed is that it's gotten worse since having Vaught and it happens nearly every time I have my period (I didn't have it on Wednesday, but it began the next day).

I' not eating nearly as much as normal these days, and I know that probably contributes as well. I stay so busy during the day that I forget to eat and don't pay much attention to my hunter until I'm ravenous. I'll often go to bed with hardly anything on my stomach because I was too busy/tired to eat supper. That's got to change.

I plan on getting a wellness checkup soon to see if I could possibly have hypoglycemia or be pre-diabetic again. I'm completely ready for whatever God throws my way, but I know He intends for me to try to keep my body as healthy as possible. I'm making a goal to eat small, frequent meals this week and get some healthy snacks to store in my drawer.

As busy and crazy as my schedule is, I absolutely cannot put myself on the backburner. I cannot neglect my health, so I hope to get this little issue figured out as soon as I can!

Birthday Weekend

To say it's been an amazing weekend is an understatement. A big one!

I turned 25 on Friday and was celebrated all day long, thanks to my sweet sixth graders at the middle school where I teach. I left Friday afternoon with more than two dozen handmade birthday cards--my favorite!

We didn't do anything spectacular Friday night... We ate pizza and went to bed early. Last week was a busy one; all I wanted for my birthday was a good night's sleep!

Saturday  morning I got up and went to the gym then visited Starbucks for a tall, nonfat pumpkin spice latte. When I tried my first PSL two years ago, I wasn't immediately hooked; I thought they were yummy, but I wasn't obsessed like most girls people. But now?! It's totally grown on me; I LOVE pumpkin spice latte season at Starbucks! I had a regular one and a pumpkin muffin for my birthday treat Friday morning. The muffin was delicious, and I'm going to make my own version in the next couple weeks; be on the lookout for the recipe!

My cousin got married Saturday afternoon, so I went solo to her wedding. Eric and Vaught stayed home since it was a "please, no children" wedding. I have an immense amount of respect for the couples who do that... In my opinion, weddings aren't the place for small children. I was glad to get a little more time to myself and enjoy the ceremony sitting with my parents and niece.

We drove to Firebird's in Collierville afterwards, meeting Eric and Vaught for my birthday dinner. My best friend/cousin and her fiancé came as well. We had a great time!

Audrey Anna and my mom know me so well... These were the most perfect gifts!

At 8:15, it was time for Ole Miss Football versus the Alabama Crimson Tide. We went to my aunt and uncle's house in Nesbit for a football party. I'll skip past the mini heart-attacks, the touchdown shots I demanded we all take, and my uncle's hilarious fallout in the floor after a touchdown... The Rebels WON with a final score of 43-37. We won at Alabama for only the second time in history. It is damn hard to win a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, but somehow we pulled it out. We lead the game the entire time, by three touchdowns at two different times. It ended up being a closer game than this Rebel (any Rebel) prefers, but a win is a win all day long.

I love how people will still say things like, "Well... Alabama almost beat y'all!"
"They would have scored if they'd had another minute!"
 "Act like y'all've won a game before!"
(It's all over Facebook right now, you should see it).

1. This is football, sweetheart. "Almost "doesn't matter. The team that plays the better part of sixty minutes will win every time. Last night, that team was the Rebels.

2. With another minute, we would have scored again too. Calm down.

3. Had it been your team, whatever team that may be, you know you'd still be celebrating. You're not fooling anyone.

Needless to say, my Saturday night ended perfectly at about 12:30.

I woke up at six Sunday morning and hit the gym for a forty-five minute workout. I did legs with lots of squats and lunges, a bit of shoulder work, and a mile of HIIT on the treadmill.

My tanks totally look like dresses now.

Afterwards, I had to have another nonfat PSL from Starbucks. This time, I indulged in a grande... Even nonfat, I know it's still bad for me. Don't go there.

We had a pleasant Sunday. We had breakfast together as a family of three then lazed around for most of the day until nearly four.

New favorite food: GRITS!

My mother-in-law and stepfather-in-law bought me a jogging stroller for my birthday, and I couldn't wait to try it out, so after nap time, we went to the Olive Branch park and hit the nature trails with the stroller. I really should reach out to Chicco about being a representative for them because I cannot explain how smooth and easy to push this stroller is! The two trails we did are full of tree roots and rocks, and it just glided right over them! Vaught loved it, giggling and babbling as we explored. We tried a new trail that's about a quarter mile long but feels much longer than that. Eric caught some kids setting things on fire, and he called the police and walked back into the woods to help the officer find them. We're not really the tattletail types, but if some punk kids had set this gorgeous park on fire, I'd be upset!

We're excited to be having Vaught's party here next Sunday too!

I devoted my Sunday evening to lesson planning and PowerPoint-making, and that, my friend, is where I leave you :)

It's been an amazing birthday weekend. I'm expecting 25 to be a fantastic year. Thank you for all the love on my birthday and always!

Come back tomorrow for a post about taking food from my sixth graders :)

25 on My 25th!

Happy 25th birthday to me! I have definitely chilled out about "my day" and am not as big a brat now as I used to be on my birthday (ask my friends, ask my mama, ask my husband), but I'd still like to think of today as my special day; nothing and no one can take that away from me! Here's a list of 25 things about me you may not have known prior to today. It took me two weeks to put this together, I might add :)

New profile picture for the blog. Happy Birthday to me :)

1. I have four tattoos. Lower back, back left hip, back of neck, and inner left arm. I plan on getting more eventually. I like that all of mine, aside from the one on my inner arm, are inconspicuous. Even the one on my arm is small and people tend to not notice it.

2. In 6th, 7th, and 8th grade I won the spelling bee at my school. In 8th grade, I decided not to compete at the county spelling bee because I had cheerleading practice.

3. I took dance/gymnastics lessons for ten years and cheered competitively for two.

4. I love the smell of books.

5. I can play the piano from memory and still recognize notes. I hope to take it up again some day and learn even more.

6. From five years old until fourteen, my mom had me in voice lessons. I can sing well but am pretty shy about it.

7. I've always been an Ole Miss fan, born and raised in an Ole Miss family, but I used to want to attend Mississippi State for their psychology program. I had a small scholarship there but never even went to tour the school.

8. I once stepped in a bee's nest and got swarmed. It was awful.

9. Despite number 8, I am not really scared of bees; I am deathly terrified of wasps and claim to be allergic to them to justify my irrational fear.

10. I'm allergic to latex and tea tree oil.

11. My biggest pet peeve is when someone hovers over me, looking over my shoulder.

12. I love writing and am currently writing a novel. I have started many great stories and am in the middle of one that I absolutely love right now.

13. I've realized just this year that my ultimate career goal is to work full time as a writer. As much as I love teaching, I don't want to do it forever.

14. Playing a victim in a horror movie is on my bucket list. I have no desire to be the heroine; kill me off in an awesome death scene.

15. I could wear leggings every single day of the year.

16. I finished my undergraduate degree in three years as opposed to four or five.

17. Despite having done the sorority thing at Ole Miss, I've only been to two frat parties, and they were disgusting.

18. Despite having gone to Ole Miss, I didn't party nearly as much as one might think. I went out maybe once or twice a month. Most of my time was spent studying. I enjoyed seeing late movies by myself or sitting at High Point Coffee working on things for school.

19. I am very much a loner at times. I enjoy being by myself and doing things on my own.

20. I absolutely love college football. Hotty Toddy!

21. Fall is my favorite season: football, sweaters, boots, hot coffee, chilly weather, falling leaves, etc, etc. Does it get any better?

22. My sophomore year of college, I dated this football player at Ole Miss who turned out to be a total jerk. He left his iPod in my car the last night we were together and before I gave it back, I erased all of his songs and pictures, and replaced them with Kidz Bop albums and pictures of me.

23. I can still do the splits and one-handed cartwheels.

24. I hate the month of February.

25. I am a ridiculous gore/horror fan and am going to see Eli Roth's The Green Inferno next Friday night for my birthday... Wish me luck!

Sure, my birthday is great, but today means we are only ONE week away from Vaught's birthday... I can't believe our little guy will be a whole year old! We're celebrating my birthday with dinner out tomorrow evening then will watch Ole Miss take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa... A victory over the Tide would make for an amazing 25th birthday present! HOTTY TODDY.

Birthday Wish List

My 25th birthday is just a couple days away (FRIDAY)! I don't like making birthday or Christmas wish lists, but it's my blog: I'll wish if I want to. Below is my perfect birthday wish list!

1. Patagonia Pullover

I've been wanting one of these popular jackets for a couple years. Maybe I'll save up and get one this fall.

2. Dooney & Bourke Florentine Satchel

I have this bag in a different style and am obsessed with the new colors and designs they've come out with. I get compliments on mine every time I carry it! I want all of them!

3. Polar Watch

I am in need of a new Polar watch, and I want one of the more advanced models. I lost my heart rate belt, so I'm using that as an excuse to get a new one SOON!

4. Jogging Stroller

My mother-in-law and stepfather-in-law tried to buy me one before Vaught was born, but I wanted the cute Eddie Bauer stroller instead. I didn't think I'd be that mom who ran with her baby, but I totally am and now I wish I had a sturdier stroller to run with!

5. Tory Burch Riding Boots

I wear the heck out of some riding boots in the fall/winter. I have them in every color, but my favorite pair of brown ones suffered a tragic sole accident last year, and I feel like I need new ones... or a good shoe cobbler!

Two weeks, 146 points:: Game day #2

The Ole Miss Rebels did it again this past Saturday, with a final score of 73-21 over the Fresno State Bulldogs! Our second game day in Oxford, MS, was just as fun as the first!

We left Olive Branch around 9 and were in the Grove before 11. Once again, SnapChat tells most of our game day story.

 

Tyler is my sorority sister and one of my best friends. We always pregame in the Grove at her parents' tent!

 

 

This is Amy, the sweet lady I replaced at Byhalia Middle. 

 

Katy is another of my sorority sisters whom I love very much! We swapped hair secrets and talked about our bodies and how thankful we are that we didn't "peak" in high school... Because the Grove is the best place for a heart-to-heart. 

 

 

 

Once we were in the stadium, we went to our seats. We're conveniently located close to my aunt and uncle and their two friends, Marlene and Kenny. We ended up sitting with them because the people below them didn't show up Saturday. We had a great time. Whoever gave me that salted pretzel, thank you!

 

The weather was amazing--perfect for a Saturday watching Ole Miss Football! I can never explain my passion for the Ole Miss Rebels!

Found my sweet friend, Ashley!

 

All the while, Vaught was in New Albany with Eric's dad and stepmother. He had a great time! We picked him up after the game, headed home, and crashed in bed. Ole Miss plays Alabama this Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Two weeks for me to recover before the Vanderbilt game.

How perfect is he?!

College Gameday will be in Tuscaloosa this Saturday... HOTTY TODDY!

 

Fitness Update:: 16 Weeks

It's been about 16 weeks since I restarted my fitness journey and far too long since I've given you a fitness update on the blog! I am so happy to be sharing an update with you on this lovely Monday morning.

Since May 30th, I've lost 25 pounds!
I've lost 57 pounds since delivering Vaught!

I've gone from a size 16 (18 on a rough day) to a very comfortable 14, and it won't be long until I'm moving down again.

I weigh less than I have in years, but that's not what's most important. The biggest, most significant change is in the way I feel... fabulous :)

That's not to say every day is easy because it's so not. Some days are tough. I still struggle, and that's the message I want to share: it is hard, but it's possible. Pushing through those days, those hours, used to be the equivalent of climbing a mountain, but now it's more like a steep hill. The end result is so worth it!

Nutrition
My diet has improved more than anything else. I eat clean about 80% of the time, allowing for a milkshake or some French fries now and then.

ItWorks!
I restarted my fitness journey in  May using products from ItWorks! Global, but I'm no longer using them and haven't in nearly two months. I still drink Greens every couple of days, but I'm not using any more of the products now. I strongly believe the products from ItWorks! work extremely well if used correctly, and I happily endorse them! I never tried any wraps, so I cannot speak for those.

Exercise
If I've slacked on anything, it's exercise. I've been working out only twice a week, but I'm determined to get back in a good routine. In my defense, I do a lot of running around, squatting, and bending over at school and I rarely sit down... That's exercise!

Sold this too-big pair of size 16 Miss Me jeans!

Goals
Okay, stepping out on a major limb, but I'd really like to be down another size by Christmas. There's also a certain number I would love to be under by then... We'll see!

Healthy and happy is and will always be the goal. My message is that anyone can do it. If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it.

I'm so happy with where I'm at right now. I love feeling confident and comfortable in my skin; it's been years since I have felt that way! Wherever you are in your fitness journey, keep going! You'll get there.

Fitness Survey

Borrowed this from a blogger friend forever ago... Found it sitting in the depths of my drafts. Filled it out with my most recent answers. Enjoy!

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

I had a slice of whole grain toast with crunchy peanut butter and a tall cappuccino from Starbucks.

2. How much water do you drink a day?
I aim for 150+ ounces, but I'm probably drinking a little less now that I'm teaching again. I have to pace myself or I'll be running to the bathroom all day!
 

3. What is your current favorite workout?
I'm that weird girl who loves leg day. I'm really into working my legs right now. I hate lunges, but I love how strong I feel after doing a good set of 50! I'm also getting back into running, which I used to love and did all the time. I get stressed sometimes, and running is the perfect way to clear my head. 

 

4. How many calories do you eat a day?

1500, sometimes a little more or less.
 

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?
Plenti Greek Yogurt by Yoplait is my current obsession! I also love mixed nuts (unsalted), toast with peanut butter or a piece of fruit with peanut butter or Nutella. A cold glass of milk holds me over too :)

 

 

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?
Two lunch options: dinner from the night before as long it was a healthy dinner OR peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread.
 

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?

LEGS. I love how strong they are.

 

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?
Back.
 

9. What are your “bad” food cravings?
Salty things like potato chips and buttery popcorn. I also have an unhealthy relationship with dips, especially rotel dip!

 

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?
I take a multivitamin when I can remember. I use Cellucor Cinnamon Swirl Whey Protein for post-workout recovery, Cardio Cuts for pre-workout.

 

11. How often do you eat out?
Too often. Three, four times a week sometimes. We're working on it.
 

12. Do you eat fast food?
Not really. Maybe once or twice a month I get something from a fast food restaurant but it's rarely an entire meal.
 

13. Who is your biggest supporter?
My mother and mother-in-law. They read my blog religiously and are always encouraging me. My husband is my biggest fan when it comes to fitness: he's always pushing me to lift more, run faster, train harder. And of course there's you all... My readers are amazing and so supportive!
 

14. Do you have a gym membership?
Yes! I love ATC Fitness!
 

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
6-8.
 

16. Do you have a “cheat” day?
No, but I allow a "treat" meal once a week. I would never spend an entire day (all three meals and snacks) eating poorly. I've done it before and always feel so crappy later!
 

17. Do you drink alcohol?
Rarely. In the fall, I drink at every Ole Miss game. It gets a little shambly.
 

18. Do you have a workout buddy?
Sadly no, but if you live in the area and want to work out together, please get in touch with me!
 

19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?
The best thing happened just a few days ago when I tried on some jeans I've not worn in two years... I know my body has been changing, but I didn't realize how drastically. Two pair of size 16 jeans swallowed me. It was an amazing feeling. I have so much more energy now and though I can get a little stressed from my job, I'm genuinely happy. Being able to say that means so much to me.

Never thought I'd be able to wear Rock & Republic jeans!

 

20. What was the last healthy thing you did?
I walked away from the pantry last night when I reeeeally wanted a big bowl of cereal. Instead, I drank some water and sat in bed blogging. Much better use of my time than late night snacking!