Hello World!

So I'm pretty sure that in my last post I said I was going to try and not wait a few months before posting again...guess that didn't work out so well! I will give you all a brief update over what has happened up until now. Travis and I finally got to meet our little bundle of joy...I was right all along because baby was a SHE!! Zoey Ann came a week late and all on her own. She couldn't be more perfect. As for the labor and delivery, that actually went very smooth as well. There was a brief moment during my contractions that I told Travis I didn't think I was going to go through this again...but, once I got my epidural a couple hours later it became a piece of cake! Kudos to the Mamas that do it without an epidural, but for the life of me, I don't know why anyone would do it without one, LOL! Fast forward to almost 8 weeks later and baby girl is still doing excellent! Early on in the pregnancy Travis and I decided that I wouldn't be returning to work...at least not for quite a while. I know from experience what it is like to grow up without having parents around...my mom because she was busy working to support 4 kids and a husband..and my dad because, well, I don't know where he was or what he was doing, but I do remember he wasn't ever around. If Travis and I could swing it financially with me staying home, well then that was what we were going to do. However, my days aren't completely devoted to little Zoey. I also started doing the bookwork for Trav's tree business. It's a lot of fun and keeps my brain working :) It's a real joy to be working together with my husband. Granted, he's gone during the day doing the manual labor, but when he comes home we discuss jobs he's been at, how to bill customers, and other items relating to business. I typically know where he's working each day, and sometimes if it's in town, Zoey and I take a little drive to go see him and even to give him rides between jobs so he can move his equipment more efficiently. A little over a year ago I started this blog to hold myself accountable in keeping a healthier lifestyle. This time last year I was in the best shape of my life! I was running my fastest times and had so many goals in mind that I wanted to achieve before 2013 was over. When I found out I was pregnant in June, after 6 months of trying, I was very excited, but also knew that I wouldn't be able to reach those goals when I wanted to anymore. I continued to run for a few weeks after I found out, even ran one more 5K and walked another, but my heart rate was always higher than what was recommended so I finally just stuck to walking. Eventually the fatigue and exhuastion from the 1st trimester won out and I became somewhat of a couch potato. I walked when I found energy, but pretty soon keeping up on housework became more of a priority, so I used my energy there instead. I was always very concious of my body and it's changes throughout my entire pregnancy. I did my best to maintain a healthy diet, but found myself splurging towards the end. I found myself craving pop of all things! I have never been a big pop drinker, but wanted it so badly I didn't tell myself no. I also craved sweets...Little Debbie's to be specific. I remember coming home one day with a box of them. Travis said he'd never even seen me buy them before and that I'd also never let him get them either, but yet there I was holding a box of Zebra Cakes! It was a little comical. To make this long spiel a little less long, I ended up gaining a total of 32 lbs during my pregnancy. Since the delivery date, which was February 20th, I've managed to lose 27 lbs...12 of which I lost right away during my stay in the hospital...and 10 within the next week at home. The last 5 have slowly come off over the last 6 weeks. That makes 5 more lbs to go before I get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm not gonna lie, it's been tough so far. I've still been craving sugary foods and drinks, so I've had to try and train myself to let go of the cravings. The weather hasn't been the greatest so it's been hard to get outside a whole lot. I take Zoey on a walk as often as the weather permits, and hop on my treadmil when I can at home. In fact, my first time on the treadmil was a mere week and a half after giving birth. I felt good, so thought what the heck? Since then, I've ran maybe a dozen times or so. My legs like the workout, but my hips and pelvis seem to disagree :/ I haven't made it any further than about 2 miles before I decide it's time to quit. It's proving harder than I expected it to be. My goals for 2014 are to be the best, healthiest, and most loving Mom and wife I can be. Stay tuned to see how my story unfolds :)