Kyle

Kyle is the best. Here is what he has been doing and saying lately.

• He now greets Ryan and I every time he sees us by saying "Oh hey guys". He always calls us "guys"...makes me laugh.
• After the tennis match the other night this was his prayer, "Thank you for tennis. Thank you I find a ball. Thank you for balls. Thanks you for Kyle's balls. Thank you for Daddy's balls"....and continued to say thank you for every person he knows balls'.
• While one the phone for about 20 minutes with Mick Mouse I hear him say "Oh you know those muppets. Those craaaazy muppets."
• In the car with Emmett on the way to Chuck E Cheese a Taylor Swift song came on and he yelled. "Its Taylor Swift! Its Taylor Swift Emmett!"
• If you change the song in the car from one he likes he shouts, Hey! until you turn it back.
• He is constantly singing his own songs, the lyrics are always different combinations of Mickey Mouse and Elmo.
• He uses our egg slicer like a guitar, carries it around and strums it while he sings.
• He sings the ABC's and always hold out the last note until you start clapping.
• He asks to play with cousins and friends daily.
• He loves to cook and be in the kitchen.
• He throws tantrums like nothing I have seen before, but usually only for me.
• He gets a bit violent if you take something from him.
• He insists on getting in his car seat all by himself now.
• He asks for his hair to be combed every morning, then closes his eyes and asks for spray.
• He is constantly talking about something. Anything, just always talking. 
• He loves finding money and saving it to go on rides when we go to the store.
• He is a total Daddy's boy. Always wants Ryan. To play, to cuddle, to carry him, everything is better with Ryan around. I have to say I agree.
• He loves cars, tractors, planes, and tools. 
• He also loves to put on chapstick with a brush.
• He clears his plate after every meal. So sweet.
• He loves flushing the toilet.
• His favorite food is melon of any kind. 

Lately

Lately. Lately I have been feeling like I am treading water to just barely keep my head afloat, but the good news is, I am yet to go under! I miss doing smaller posts on single events, but for now these recaps will have to suffice as my journaling. SO what has our little family been up to as of late?

• Most exciting news is the first thing that comes to mind....we got a new oven! In case you are one of the lucky people I haven't complained about my oven to, just know it was bad. It has never worked properly for the two years we have lived here. I have lost so many dinners and treats to the curse of that oven. We also only had one functioning burner on our stove and it took like an hour to heat up. No good folks. So this last week the long awaited event of a new oven and stove happened! BEAUTIFUL. I just want to cook all the time. OH! And did I mention it is a gorgeous GE double oven? Cha. Life changing. I have been literally hugging it, and Kyle sits and watches things bake (because there is a light you can turn on inside!?)
• We baked a delicious chocolate cheesecake to celebrate the fact that we could.
• Valentine's Day was fun! The actual day of I only saw Ryan for about 10 minutes, but we had a fun date the next weekend. We go to Outback every year because we always have a gift card. I always order lamb because it is the only time it is an option. And I love it.
• Kyle and I did a little vday craft. And when I say little I mean it was a $3 pre made banner kit from Walmart we put together. He LOVED it. It was a good lesson to me that sometimes going simple (and maybe tacky) is best.
• Ryan and Kyle have been spending a lot of time flying the rc helicopters. Kyle is obsessed.
• We went to a BYU tennis match and Kyle got some one on one time with Cosmo.
• Ryan has taken on some consulting jobs on the side, which he loves. 
• Kyle keeps getting cooler like every.single.day.
• We got our bedrooms painted thanks to Kels! 
• I made the baby girl a quilt for her new room (third trimester has arrived eek)
• I make wings. A lot.
• Kyle has been going on more tractor rides with Papa.
• Ryan and I took Kyle and his friend Emmett to Chuck E Cheese the other night for a bit. I have never seen them happier.
• I got my very first A on a test at BYU. Like ever. 
• Ryan saves my behind daily. Really.
• We started decorating Kyle's new room.
• The new salon is working great so far!
• Kyle spent an evening with Brynn and Trevor and had a fabulous time.
• Kyle made whipped cream for the first time. He found it fascinating. 

Humor Me

I feel like I have been going off on tangents a lot lately...so just skip this if you are sick of me. But I feel like I have been learning a lot lately, and I wanted to share a common theme I have been feeling the passed few weeks.

Before I started back to school I felt like my life was full. My to do list was always long, my days were busy, and I had quite enough going on with being a wife, mom, and working a little bit. I didn't feel like I had loads of unoccupied time. Because of this, when I thought of adding a 17 credit school load to my life I was a little overwhelmed. Where would it fit? I knew it would require a lot of time and work, and I honestly did not see a place for it in my life. But I knew it was what I was supposed to do so I went forward.

I just have to say it has been so amazing for me to watch it play out. Not only have I had time for everything, but I feel like I am doing better at getting it all done than I was before. My menu planning, dinner prep, cleaning, laundry, and fun activities with Kyle have all improved and somehow I am still juggling my clients and schoolwork. Now don't get me wrong, my house isn't always clean, sometimes we eat meals that can hardly be called meals, and most of all, I have had A LOT of help. I have had babysitting help while I go to class, and Ryan has been such a champ at making sure I succeed. It has blown my mind, and means so much to me that people in my life are so supportive of me doing something I find important.

I was chatting with my wiser than I sister in law the other day and she said some things I really liked. She has A LOT going on in her life and was also pointing out that it is amazing how you just learn to make the important things fit, and by doing so you really learn what is important. That is when I really started thinking about it all. I am learning so much about time management and how to be the most productive person I can be. Last time I was in school I was a constant stress mess always barely getting by, but now I have my assignments done and am doing better on tests than I ever did before. It is all such a new world to me. Aside from finishing my degree and learning the things in my classes, I have already learned so much about priorities and how to be better for my family. I can't believe it is all a coincidence that Kyle often wakes up from napping as I type the last word of a paper, or that I have been able to understand and finish assignments so much faster than before. The only time I have to take away from Kyle is the actual class time, and the actual work time. I have been able to fit all my homework in while he is sleeping...and when I am away from him he is either with Ryan, or other family/close friends. It is all falling into place, and though I am really tired, I am so grateful for this whole experience. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and discouraged, but I really try to remember to just count my blessings and realize what a miracle this is for my life. I just try to forget I have to keep this up for another year and three months:)

Papa's Tractor

It has been amazing to me how drawn Kyle is to "boy things" without any real encouragement. This little man is OBSESSED with trucks, tractors, dump trucks, and airplanes. He goes crazy. As luck would have it, both his grandpas (Papa) have some fun toys. Between the two of them Kyle gets rides in 2 big trucks, a tractor, 4 wheeler, razor atv, and a dump truck. He asks constantly for rides, and must be pretty persuasive because he gets them pretty often. It is so sweet. I can't help but love watching Kyle explore the farm. You don't get this kinda stuff living in an apartment or cul-de-sac. It is a little boy's dream down here. So here is to Kyle getting to be a farm boy for a few more years, and to being a Papa's boy.

Lately

I feel like I haven't done a "what we have been up to" post in a while. We haven't done anything too crazy, but here is what our lives have looked like lately.

• Cheesecake Factory and Les Mis with some of Ryan's siblings. We don't hang out without everyone's kids very often, so this was great! Cheesecake Factory might be the happiest place on Earth too...
• Skipping class to have lunch with Ryan. It takes me back to the first 6 months of our marriage when we were both students...love it.
• Moving the salon downstairs, Kyle to the salon, and prepping Kyle's old room to be a nursery again.
• Some crafting.
• Ryan has been playing lots of tennis and basketball.
• Watching the Australian Open
• I got to help Kate at a Bridal Fair. Love it...AND they stayed the weekend. Love even more. AND we watched Downton Abbey. Love. Love. Love.
• Kyle has been painting.
• Ryan and Kyle do lots of dishes.
• Eating a lot of new Paleo food. So far so yum.
• I attempted buffalo wings for the first time in honor of the Super Bowl and LOVED them. I only started one small fire in the process...
• Some Ikea shopping.
• Prepping to have a girl come into the fam... ya know, the important stuff like buying pink glitter shoes.
• Late night homework parties. I would die without Ryan, he is so much help when it comes to school.
• A lot of clients for me, I have had fun with creative color lately.
• Watching The Lorax. Often.
• Story time at the library.
• I have been expanding.
• Lots of dancing, singing, and making up songs with Kyle.
• Lots of driving back and forth to BYU.
• Ryan has been shoveling a lot. (yesterday morning he looked out the window and yelled,"I am so sick of living in this white abyss!"...spring fever anyone?)

So nothing too exciting or crazy, but worth updating anyways. This is life. Life is pretty good. 

Paleo Learning Curve

So as with any lifestyle change, there is a lot to learn when deciding to go paleo. It can be so overwhelming at first. When I first started looking into it I sort of felt like it was out of reach. I couldn't imagine eliminating so many food groups, and finding the time and money to live this way. So I started trying to do some research online. There is TONS out there. But I felt like most of it wasn't what I was looking for.

There were a lot of fitness experts, health fanatics, and "power couples" who shared useful tips, but the recipes included crazy, hard to find (and really expensive) ingredients, and honestly the food didn't look like something my husband or two year old would be pleased with. They are doing great things, I just didn't feel like it applied to my lifestyle. So I started to wonder is it was really possible for ME to do this. Let me qualify what "me" means here...

I am a...mom, wife to a husband who doesn't care much for nutrition, and doesn't get excited by a healthy lifestyle, full time student/part time hairstylist (aka not a ton of time to worry about food prep), pregnant, non paleo expert, girl who is living on a very tight student budget. I needed to make this work on little time, little money, and normal yummy food my family would enjoy eating. SO! That being said, I thought I would share some things I learn as I go on this journey. Just in case anyone out there is more like me.

Let me say again, I do NOT consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I am learning as I go, and it is really working for me. So what have I learned so far?

• The cook book Paleo Slow Cooking, by Chrissy Gower is AMAZING. The ingredients are normal, the prep is short, and the food is great. I can throw it in the crock pot before I leave in the morning and we come home to a delicious dinner ready and waiting. If you are serious about going paleo, this book is worth your money.
• Getting everything you can't have out of the house, and fully stocking your pantry with lots of things you can have, will eliminate the temptation to cheat. Sure, I cheat, but having to go out and get the item I am cheating with rather than having it at my constant reach is key. When there is a good variety of things I can have always around me, I am less inclined to think of the things I can't have.
• It is possible to make paleo dessert, but in my opinion it is better to just limit your desserts and eat the real thing when you decide to splurge. The paleo brownie isn't as good as a real brownie...so just eat the real one, but make sure it is limited, and worth it.
• When it comes to the 85% rule, rather than going crazy and having anything and everything with the other 15%, use it for small things. Ryan for example doesn't like using lettuce for his taco shells like I do, so he uses corn tortillas and counts that towards with cheats. While pregnant a glass of milk in the morning makes me feel so much better sometimes, so a few mornings a week I allow myself a nice glass of milk with breakfast. Sure there have been bigger splurges in there too, but plan your week ahead and think of when you might need to cheat. Just plan. It makes it so much easier.
• On that note, make a menu. If you just come home and have no dinner plans, you will be far more tempted to go for quick and easy and often not healthy. Simply having a plan will eliminate so much stress. Chances are if you don't have a meal planned, you will venture off the path.
• That being said, have "quick fixes" ready. I like to grill chicken, hard boil eggs, and wash and chop fruits and veggies to have in the fridge at the beginning of each week. This way when plans fall through, or you are hungry and in a hurry, there are healthy options quick and easy there for you. 
• Make sure you have variety. I get bored easily. I can't have the same thing everyday for very long. It is nice to have staples to fall back on, but get creative. I have found at the beginning it was very helpful for me to stick to the book. Make exact recipes, and stick to the really straightforward option. The longer I go now, the more I am venturing out and trying my own creations and recipes. I think it is so fun to sit and think of new meals I can make. But having a hard copy cook book is awesome in the beginning to give you direction.
• There are a few things we always cheat on. I don't buy grass fed beef, organic, or worry too much about spices being totally paleo approved. This helps keep things within budget, and makes finding ingredients simple.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Almost everything you need is found there, rather than in the middle. 
• Eat less expensive meats, and go heavy on the veggies. This keeps cost down.

We really have been loving our paleo journey. Ryan has admitted several times that he feels so much better after a paleo meal then after a cheat meal. I am also loving it being pregnant. I can't believe how much better I feel so far with this pregnancy than I did with Kyle. There is no comparison. I still have a lot to learn, but it is going well so far. I will keep you posted as I go, and any recipes I try that I make up, or find online rather than a copywrited cookbook I will try to share every now and then. Happy eating! 

Victory

It is easy for me to look through "defeat goggles" at the end of each day. I see what I didn't get done or what i didn't do well enough. Today I decided I should count my victories instead. Just the small things, like getting the laundry done (or started even), getting a work out in, learning something at school, making Kyle laugh, or sometimes just making it home to say I lived another day. Every day is full of victories. And sometimes I like to remember the big victories in my life so far to motivate me to remember that I can do hard things.

If you allow it I think the daily victories will always trump that day's defeats. It just depends on which ones you are willing to count up at the end of each day.

Ya scared me!

Just some thoughts for this lovely Thursday...

I'm scared, like terrified, to have another baby. 

I'm scared to go through postpartum depression again...first months of Kyle's life were literally the very worst months of my life so far. I was beyond a mess. It surprised me, I was unprepared, and I didn't want to admit that to anyone. But it was a very dark place, and going back there scares me stiff. I am glad now I don't blame myself for feeling that way anymore. I dream of being a PPD awareness activist someday, cause holy smokes it is so real. People out there need to be aware, and to be helped.

I'm scared of gaining a million pounds and losing all my sense of identity like last time.

I'm scared to give a speech in public speaking tonight...eek.

I'm scared of how long this awkward hair phase of mine is lasting...my head is a bulb. Its cool.

I think it is ok to be scared sometimes.

I have overcome a lot of fears in the last few weeks. I'm proud of that.

I am obsessed with my chemistry class, which is both shocking and confusing. Doing chemistry with Ryan after Kyle goes to sleep is honestly something I look forward to.

I will never be a vegetarian and I wish one of my professors would stop trying to force it on us. Seriously guy, to each their own. Back off.

My favorite playlist is full of One Direction, Justin Timberlake, and the Beibs. And I am totally ok with that.

I feel happy and lucky to be living this life.

I want to redecorate my house, but I need someone else to pick everything out.

I sometimes feel like I am living in the twilight zone, but since it is a smooth ride I don't mind.

Ryan is my favorite person, best friend, and the coolest person I know. He is also hilarious, and plays air tennis really well while watching the Open.

I really look forward to going to class, even the hard ones.

Kyle is the coolest little kid I have ever known. I try to live like I deserve to have him around, cause he is a treat.

Doing something every single day that pushes me a little is proving to be a tiring, but awesome way to live. I really feel like I am growing. I am so grateful for it. 

Have an awesome Thursday!

Kyle Favorites

A few things Kyle has done/said lately that I want to remember

• My most not favorite thing that has started is Kyle's fits, temper tantrums, throwing things, hitting other kids, and inability to share. Anything. Terrible 2's? He is still the sweetest most of the time though.
• Said while Ryan was tickling him and he was trying to talk to me "hey, hey, hey, I talking to Mommy"
• I asked him to come eat his breakfast and he said " I be back in a few minutes Mommy..." and went to play with his toys.
• "I wake up!"...every single morning as he busts out of his room.
• He walked in on me getting dressed and said "Oh mommy you nude! So Handsome!"...oh dear.
• "Where my Nemo phone? I need call Mick Mouse"...every morning.
• On a call with Mick when we were trying to get out the door, "Ok Mick Mouse, I got go, I got go now."
• Getting him out of jammies every morning is a battle.
• Most mornings he runs into my salon, climbs into the chair and says, "haircut please Mommy."
• Said to me the afternoon before my nail appointment, "um where your colors Mommy?"...then he suggested I choose green next time.
• His songs he makes up while sitting at the piano are getting better and better.
• He remembers specific things about people forever. Kelsey gave him strawberries while babysitting him days ago and still every once and a while he says, "Kelsey give me strawberries, yummmmy" just out of nowhere.
• On school mornings when Ryan and I are heading out "Mommy Daddy stay home!"...sad.
• As soon as Ryan walks in the door he grabs his finger and says, "come play, come play Daddy"

I wish I could remember everything. He is just so small that most things he says make me laugh. He is so grown up now, and I love it.

Coming Out

I have been debating on weather to blog about this...mostly because I don't like to deal with the drama of people's opinions. Before I go any further let me be clear, I am talking about diet here not some big secret issue. I eat Paleo. That's it.

I first heard of the Paleo diet about a year ago when my brother started doing it. I have always been against any eating plan that didn't allow flexibility and some indulgences so I quickly wrote him off as crazy and didn't think much more about it. Then time passed and I started to think about it again. Besides my brother turning into a lean machine, I wanted to achieve better health...I was on the hunt.

I have a nutrition background as I spent most of my time at BYU before as an exercise science major. I am sort of a nutrition nerd. I love the chemistry behind it and I love understanding what your body does with what you give it. (I get so giddy and passionate and diet and exercise. I love to watch it change my life, and would love nothing more than to help others experience that joy. My favorite part of doing hair is helping people feel better about themselves. By finishing my exercise and wellness degree I also hope to learn the tools I need to help myself and others achieve their own personal happy place). I also love carbs, sugar, and junk food of all kinds. I also have always struggled with digestion problems, stomach pain, feeling like a blob, needed my gallbladder out, and so much more.

It was in November I believe that I drove my brother home from the airport. We started talking Paleo and it started making a lot of sense. He gave me a book to read. I finished it in two days. I was almost a believer. It made so much sense to me. Returning to our roots, eating how people ate before cancer, infertility, obesity and type two diabetes were commonplace in our society. I wanted to know more, so I read another book. I loved this one even more than the first. It was full of WHY Paleo is smart. The science is there. The logic is there. I loved this not as a diet to lose weight, but I decided I wanted to adopt it as my permanent way of life.

Ryan was not so easy to convince. He likes to be healthy, but doesn't care much at all about actual nutrition or what the food is doing inside his body. He doesn't struggle with any major health problems, and thought Paleo sounded extreme and difficult. However, he wanted to lose some weight, and since I was converting he said he would give it a try. The longer he does it the more I am convinced he might never go back.

So what is Paleo? In short, it is a "hunter gatherer diet". It is dairy free, grain (and therefore gluten) free, and sugar free, with the exception of fruit. It also encourages fresh food free of additives and preservatives. You eat this way 85% of the time, meaning three meals a week can have "cheats" in them, though I rarely find a need to venture out of Paleo approved foods.

I am new to this. I don't know everything. I don't expect everyone to think it is a wonderful idea, but it is something I am becoming more and more passionate about. I believe in it. Being pregnant, I am clearly not in it for the weight loss, I am in it for a healthy lifestyle.

In the short time since I started hardcore Paleo, I have already noticed changes. Including:

• more energy
• better quality of sleep at night
• weight loss (for Ryan)
• Fat loss for me. 
• very healthy steady pregnancy weight gain. I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with Kyle. It was in no way healthy and I felt terrible all the time, even worse after delievery. I lost control. This time so far I am on a MUCH healthier track to gaining only the weight needed for a healthy pregnancy.
• Virtually zero digestion pains or issues.
• no more lethargic blah feeling after we eat
• improved body image
• A whole new perspective on food. When I choose not to eat something it isn't because "that will make me fat", it is because "that is not good for me, it won't make me feel good". This is such a healthier, more positive way to live emotionally.
• I don't obsess about food as much. I don't crave things terribly. 
• Tonight we ate our first "cheat" meal...afterwards Ryan said "wow, I don't feel good at all. I think I would have rather eaten completely Paleo"....I am converting him! Not me really, the results do the converting. 
• I have gotten creative in the kitchen. I love preparing our meals.

I have hesitated saying anything publicly for a few reasons. I really am not a confrontational person. I don't like to argue. It is totally fine if you don't agree with me, and I am open to friendly conversation, but I hate feeling attacked. It is not how I roll. I also feel so new at this I feel silly claiming it as my lifestyle, and I still don't have all the answers. Lastly, I considered waiting for 3 to 6 months and reporting more results. BUT then I thought..

Why not share my journey? Maybe you have been considering Paleo? Maybe you have never heard of it? Maybe you want to try it but find it intimidating or overwhelming? Well whatever the case may be, I hope maybe I can help a little by sharing my journey. Sure, I want to have all those great physical results too. Who doesn't want to look great? But for now, I am embracing how healthy and free I feel, even being pregnant. So I am sharing. I am learning as I go, but finding it is much easier than I anticipated and think I will love documenting my learning here. This isn't a resolution, or a short term diet, this is a lifestyle, and I am loving living it!

Resources:

If you want to know more I HIGHLY recommend reading:

The New Evolution Diet by Art De Vany

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

And an awesome cook book to get you started is:

Paleo Slow Cooking by Chrissy Gower

I refuse to become that preachy annoying person always talking about this. But this blog is a place where I can share whatever I want, so I will!