Is it FAT or just excess skin-SERIOUSLY!

Seriously, this is not for the squeamish!! I apologize to those family members who get on here to view cute pics. of the kids. STOP READING NOW!! I think this is an issue many of us women face after having babies and hitting the big THREE-ZERO!! As many of you know, I just recently joined the gym to try and combat some of my after-baby-fat. I knew it would be rough this time. My abdomen being stretched out 4 times in 8 1/2 years just couldn't end up good. Being 35 just intensifies it all. I wish I wasn't vain. Why can't we just all eat and be merry?? The truth is, I feel better now that I am getting some exercise-it isn't much-just 3 times a week for 30 min. This is all Beckett can stand in the gym daycare-plus I have other things I like to do. Back to the excess skin. I can actually get into most of my pre-Beckett jeans but it just isn't the same-I now have the "muffin-top or mushroom-top". I have never had problems with my upper body-only my lower and I don't like it. Thank goodness for the shirt styles that are happening right now. So, is my muffin top FAT or EXCESS SKIN?? Will it EVER go away without plastic surgery (which I am NOT having BTW). Even if I lose more weight will it still be there? Am I unfixable? Should I just learn to accept myself the way I am now? Embrace age??? What about when I am done breastfeeding and my boobs turn back into saggy, mini- prunes?? Will my muffin top be even more pronounced then?? I guess more ab work is needed, a good bra needs to be purchased and less food should be consumed. "Mom Jeans" need to come back in style to just cover it all up. I think I might buy some "Spanx." When I "diet", I am grouchy!! Is that fair to the family all to be 10 lbs. thinner? As I am typing, Beckett is crawling around making baby noises, Sawyer and Eden are upstairs playing nicely together (for now) and Faith is at a sleepover. The FAT is worth it.

Beckett is 8 months old!!

Beckett is 8 mo. old today. In four very short months he will already be 1 year old. I can't cope!! It is going way too fast. I love carrying him around on my hip and watching him scoot around on the floor. I have a baby backpack that he loves to be in when I am outside or in the grocery store. He is getting more mobile everyday. He isn't crawling yet but he kind of scoots, pivots, lunges and rolls-he can make it from one end of the room to the other but I am not sure how. He can also pull himself up if he has something low enough to grab on to. This is why I have had to start working out in my old age---to keep up with him. He is much more content now that he can get around a little bit. I went out today and purchased a convertible car seat (not wanting to deal with the other one once we start wearing coats) and a gate for our stairs. He is also doing so much better at the gym daycare. He didn't cry today at all. He has one tooth and still loves his baby food and just eating in general. His favorite toys include my cell phone and the remote control. He also loves to look at books. He is a total mamas boy but enjoys his siblings very much and always has a huge smile for them whenever they appear. We just love him so much!!!

CAMPING!!

Try not to be in shock. I went camping. Actually, in my pre-children days, I enjoyed camping. Kyle has been wanting to take the kids camping so he decided this last weekend would be a good time. He pretty much guilted me into going by saying that I should do something the kids want to do-yeah he is right-I guess going to the mall isn't always so much fun for them. It isn't that I didn't want to go, I just didn't know how Bex would do. It was actually a lot of fun and Eden stated twice that is was her "bestest day ever." We had a campfire and cooked hot dogs and smores and the next morning Kyle cooked eggs, bacon and toast over the fire. The only bad part was the sleeping. We slept in a tent on air mattresses and the air went out of the one myself, Bex and Faith were sleeping on. Our pump had run out of batteries so Kyle actually blew it up manually. What a guy!! It was also FREEZING!!! I was freezing my butt off!! It also poured down rain for most of the night and our tent leaked-just at the edges. It quit raining by morning and the sun was shining. The kids had the best time just piddling around with walnuts, sticks and the campfire. Bex was a very good boy. I think we might have been the only tent there. Everyone else was in big, fancy motor homes or at least pop-up campers. I will go again but we have got to invest in something better than a tent. I am getting old and tend to be a bit high-maintenance. Overall, I loved being together (with no T.V. or video games) and watching the kids have such a great time.

This week...

No pictures this week but I haven't updated for awhile so I thought I should. For those of you that get bored with my blog just try and remember that I am eventually having this made into a scrapbook/journal type thing. Oh, I guess you could just stop reading it. Was that rude??? Just feeling tired and a little feisty. Anywho... my friend Corrina welcomed a baby boy last week in good ole England and my bro and sister-in-law welcomed a baby girl in the U.S. this week. The differences in their births can't be anymore different. England doesn't want you to come to the hospital until the head is practically out and then finish the job in a VERY OLD hospital. In the U.S. it is often a planned induction (as it was for my new, beautiful niece) in a hospital equivalent to a 5 star hotel. All the fanciness in the U.S. might not be necessary but it sure is nice. Don't us women deserve a little pampering!! Corrina was out of the hospital in under 4 hours and my sister-in-law 48 hours. Toast and tea in England, steak and lobster in the U.S (not joking). Corrina didn't get an epidural. Amy (my sis-in-law) barely felt the baby come out and didn't even have to push. (Hope you girls don't mind me writing about you on my blog-you know I love you both.) All of this brings back memories of Beckett's birth. I know I am a wimp, but it was very traumatic-go back several, several, postings to read about it. Regardless, seeing pics. of these two new amazing, beautiful miracles makes me sad that my reproducing days have come to an end. Birth is truly a miracle from God. My children make me extremely happy (my hubby too!). People often make this comment when I have all four with me alone "Boy, you sure have your hands full." I usually answer, "Yeah, well I like the torture" or "IT ISN'T THAT BAD-THEY ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY DARN GOOD." The latter is when I am feeling defensive and thinking that four really isn't that many! Don't get me wrong-they all definitely keep me hopping. We have so many activities that I don't whether I am coming or going at times and Beckett requires almost constant attention. A couple of days ago I was carrying him around on my hip just trying to take in the moment. He is a huge mama's boy. The days and weeks go by so quickly that it is a bit frightening.

Kids are doing great. They are loving school. I am still going to the gym! I am trying to make it at least 3 times a week. I made it 30 min. the other day before they paged me to come and get a devastated, Beckett. I was able to eat out this week with friends, have a girlfriend over for a play date and hang out with my former neighbors this morning. Wed, Thurs. and Fridays are constant activities after school. I think we might be going camping tomorrow-not sure if Beckett and I are going but it will make for a good posting if we do.