Wish List Wednesday

Hello everyone! I was thinking yesterday that I would love to be able to review fabulous running and/or baby paraphernalia to share with everyone, but since funds are a bit tight, I figured the next best thing would be to share things that I've researched and have in my mental "when we have money" list.

1. Brooks Launch 3

Current running shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15

Wishlist item: Brooks Launch 3

I am currently using the Adrenaline GTS 15's in a truly delightful green and due to my limited mileage lately, they still have quite a few miles left on them, but as a shoe lover, I can't help but drool over the Brooks website. I like the lightweight design and mesh upper of the Launch 3's and would love to give them a try someday.


2. Mix Match Dobby Be Free Knicker
Athleta is pretty much always on my wish list. Their clothes are always stylish and the items that I've had over the years are amazing and never wear out. While they are fairly pricey, it is totally worth it to save up for an item that you will use regularly. The one pair of capris I have has outlasted about four pairs that I've gotten at Walmart. These babies are on my reward list for 50 pounds lost (only 32 to go!).

Wish list item: Mix Match Dobby Be Free Knicker

3. Baby Bandana Drool Bibs by Daulia
These babies are a little further up on the wish list due to necessity and affordability. I believe little man is starting to teethe, so the drool has been a-flowing. One of my co-workers has twins and uses something similar to these and I instantly thought "must have!" and took to Amazon to research.

Wish list item: Drool Bibs

4. Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair
This is another item that will likely be purchased soon. My sister has been amazing and saved all of her baby stuff for us, but with the limited space we have, I really like the thought of using a space that's already occupied. The reviews for this are amazing and the safety stats are great. As soon as we can save up for one, I will report back to see if it's worth the hype.

Wish list item: Space Saver High Chair...baby not included

 So there you have it: my current top wish list items. I will keep you posted if/when I acquire the  more attainable items to see if they were worth it. In the meantime, it's fun to dream.

Please note: the links provided are simply for convenience, I am not currently sponsored in any way.

"I know the world isn't fair, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favor?"

Over the weekend, I was able to get in an interval workout on the treadmill (2 minute walk, 1 minute jog for 30 minutes) - and it was awesome. My lungs and knees were fine the whole time. I feel like the only limiting factor was my pelvis and lower back which still haven't quite returned to normal after having the little man. I find this really encouraging - like maybe I didn't really lose every scrap of fitness I've ever had. Now I just need to figure out how to get in some treadmill workouts before work without waking up the whole household. Any suggestions?

The other bits of our weekend were part amazing, and part awful. It was so amazing to have four days off in a row to spend with the fella and the little one. I thoroughly enjoyed almost every minute of it. There were a couple of crying fits that tested the bounds of my mama-zen, but those were pretty limited and I mostly soaked up every second of smiley, giggly baby goodness that I could. He definitely makes my heart happy.

The awful bits came in the form of financial stress. I wrote previously about my husband's prolonged health issues, which have prevented him from working for the last four years. We are very fortunate that my job has been enough to keep our heads above water, but things have been really tight for a long time and lately it feels like we've gotten dunked under the surface a few times. We thought we were going to get a little bit of breathing room by refinancing our house and pulling out some cash to pay off the credit card and lower our mortgage payment as well. Unfortunately, the VA decided that Cody isn't eligible for a VA mortgage, so we had to look at a different route that wasn't nearly as good, but was still a slight improvement. Now it's looking like that isn't going to pan out either. Long story short - there is not light at the end of the tunnel...just more tunnel.

I am trying to stay positive and focus on all of the wonderful things we have in our life, but I am definitely struggling lately. I find myself being angry at the world and I don't want to be that person. I truly believe that God doesn't give us more than we can handle... but I feel like the end of my rapidly-fraying rope is getting mighty slippery. I guess all I can do is keep praying for patience and the ability to deal with everything in the best way possible.  

I would love to hear from folks that have come through hard times. Any advice?

Getting Ready for the Weekend

It's funny how much I look forward to the weekends now. Don't get me wrong - I've always enjoyed the weekend, but now that I've got the little one waiting at home, every Thursday afternoon is filled with excitement akin to what I felt as a kid on Christmas Eve. People at work ask if I have any big plans. Plans? Not in the traditional sense. I plan to spend every waking minute with our new tiny human and try to make him laugh, and watch every shift in expression with wonder. But since people don't typically appreciate this level of sentimentality, I usually say "nothing much."

Fitness report: I've been walking for a total of one hour at work, four days a week. Since last weekend's intervals went so well, I plan to try two sessions this weekend and see how it feels. If things go well, I might try and figure out how to fit in a couple of treadmill sessions before work next week.

View during my walks at work.

Weight-loss report: Since starting on July 6th, I've lost a total of 18 pounds. This week hasn't been great. I've played things a little fast and loose with the snack food and have had pretty minuscule calorie deficits so far. I need to pull things together before the weekend so I make sure to see a loss this week. I'll let you know how it goes. I plan to do a post this weekend to discuss my weight-loss plan and philosophies.

Life report: A couple of friends from out of town have been visiting and I met up with them at their hotel and took the tiny one swimming for the first time. He wasn't quite sure at first if he liked it, but he came around and seemed to particularly enjoy watching everyone else swim. One of my friends had her one year old with her and it was pretty cute to watch the two interact. With all the ladies constantly cooing over him, I think little S is going to be quite the ladies man when he grows up.

After swimming, we hung out in their room and visited for a bit and I got to meet my friend's Scottish Terrier, Murdoch. I'm pretty sure if he could talk, he would totally sound like Sean Connery. He was pretty stinkin' adorable. Of course, bestowing affection on another canine earned me some pretty serious censure from Lola when we got home, but once S and I passed her thorough sniff-inspection, all was forgiven and she settled in my lap for the remainder of the evening.

Until next time, friends.