Wow! So here we are. Here I am. Blogging. Who would've thunk it? Three years ago I don't think I even knew what a blog was. Three years ago I was happily married, living in the wonderful commonwealth also know as Massachusetts with two wonderful children and just living the life. I was a stay at home mom and my dear husband worked for his family business doing hard wood floors. Fast forward to 2010 and the economy was crap, work was slow, and surprise- mama is preggers with baby número tres, and no health insurance. Whomp, whomp....
We had talked about life in the military ( growing up my grandfather was a World War II vet and my brother was currently enlisted) and what it would be like. Well, low and behold "WE" joined. I say "we" because in all honesty it is just that. It's a mutual commitment that as a family you have to make. There would be months passing without seeing each other, budgets to be hashed out, poopie diapers to swim in.... The point is it would be hard. Army life proved to be just that. Hard. Extremely difficult. Tiring. Exhausting. Emotional.
Baby daddy left for basic training January 4th 2011. I was about 12 weeks pregnant. Alone, with 2 children and a dog. Yes we had a dog. We still do actually. She's a peach. Actually, no she's such a snot but we love her anyway. Her name is Bella and she's a 6 year old Siberian husky. Anywho... I was up to my knees in poo, dog puke (poor Bella has a sensitive belly), tears, and who knows what else! It was an interesting 17 weeks of holding down the fort by myself, but I did it. We did it. Sometimes there are sacrifices that together as a family ya' just 'gotta make.
So here we are, spring of 2013! And I'm blogging. We currently are stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. It's very different than green central Massachusetts. I say green because this place isn't the brightest. Very brown, but I guess that's from the dry climate and heat. Oh the heat. It is absolutely unnecessary. Don't even bother with hair and makeup type heat. By the end of the afternoon, look like a melted crayon box with "just out the shower" sweaty hair. Gross. Maybe it's something you gotta get used to, so I'm told. Our daughter was born here in Texas smack dab in the middle of the hottest month ever. July 19. Little baby Aislin Maria made her way into the world. She's my little southern belle.
I went to my regular doctor appointment about a week from my due date. It was hard to hold back
the tears. We had known for awhile that he would be deployed, but his chain of command had said that he would be able to stay back for our baby's birth. Well, that was not the case. Things can change quickly and often in the Army. We got the phone call saying he would have to deploy on July 19. I was hoping that the doctor would check my dilation progress at my appointment and give us good news, but no. Thanks to my hysterical bawling- I blame it in the hormones- I got to call the labor and delivery ward to be induced. Oh dear. I had so much going through my mind, so, so much. But at least he would get to be there.
The birth of our child was pretty unevenetful, as in dont want the epidural, no wait, just kidding I really do. Give it to me NOW- type birth. It wasn't until midnight that night (baby A was born at
8:08 pm) that it hit me. He was leaving. He had to go. That was it.
The next morning I layed in the hospital bed with my freshly born baby girl, weighing 6lb. 10 oz, of which most of was jet black hair. The nurses came and checked on us periodically. One actually asked to pray with me. She was sweet. She held my hand and prayed that maybe they would let him
stay. Maybe somebody would take his spot. I knew that it was a fat chance but I listened. And cried.
And cried some more.
Just when I had given up all hope, there it was. He was staying, he didn't have to go. Not just yet, he had time. Time to hold his baby girl, his little southern belle.
When b-diddy did go it was about 3 weeks after baby A was born. To be honest, it was pretty unevenetful, like many other things in our lives. Lots of tears, lots of hugs, and no goodbyes. Just see ya' laters.
And we did. He deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, and was home by June of 2012. Throughout the time he was deployed, I was breastfeeding little piglet baby and ate really well. Not "clean" but good. I lost all my baby weight and even managed to lose a little extra. Who doesn't like that? Well, obviously didn't stay that way. When the mans got home we celebrated.
I cooked delicious, guilty dinners like cowboy casserole, and homemade bacon Mac and cheese. Had lots of sugar, a good amount of alcohol and not enough exercise. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that does to ya'.
Throughout the past year or so, I have gained about 10 pounds, and he's gained right along with me! It wasn't until this January that I really noticed. Our eating wasn't terrible, it's just we ate however much we wanted, had deserts, drinks and didn't exercise. This was it for me. I felt so yuck. Just not happy with my body, my mind, and just down in general.
My great friend Michelle, has also struggled with the same issues I have. She has proven to be an amazing inspiration, friend and just all over person. M visited us in January and raved about the clean eating diet she was doing. I listened like any good friend would but really just rolled my eyes. I guess I just didn't want to believe that good, real, food could be satisfying and make me lose weight and make me feel good. Right. Whatever. I was intrigued, ok?
I read up, I googled, I pinterest(ed). I was going to do it. Slowly. I can't just throw food out like that. So I bought a few things here and there. Incorporated whole wheat into our pasta dishes, fresh veggies without sauces or cheese. Lordy knows we love the cheese! I'm telling ya' - it doesn't have to be hard! We are 8 weeks into "clean eating". Yes the first 2 weeks were kind of a pain in the butt. Had to run to the store about every other day because something I wanted to make I didn't have the right ingredients for. Or, chopping vegetables, and trying to figure out how to get my kids to eat. Poor daddy, God bless him, he will eat anything I put in front of him. I'm really not a bad cook, I promise. But this was new to me. Cooking without butter or "bad fats" as the clean folk like to call it... That's just crazy. But once again, I did it. WE did it. And I can tell you, we are NEVER going back.
- D
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