Brinkley is 4 months old!

Brinkley Adelynn

4 Months (This post is a little past due)

Ms. Brink you are now 4 months. You are such a sweet little girl! Definitely different from your older sister. You are a little bit fussy but we just found out you are teething which could be the cause. You smile a whole lot though which makes up for any fussiness and you love to cuddle! We love you so much and are so glad last year about this time that we found out you were on your way! God sure has a sense of humor when it comes to us and our "plans". I can't wait to see what you will do this next month.

Stats:

~Weight 13.5# 58%(you are slowing down on your weight gain, although you have tons of cute little chubby rolls)

~Height 22.75in

~Sleeping all night long!!!!!! From about 9pm-530am when you eat and go back to sleep until 8-9!

~You rolled over this past month from your tummy to your back.

~You aren't actually crawling yet, but you are definitely schooching all over the place. The last two nights you woke me up beacuse you schooched over to your fish and turned them on with your head! ha

~We found out you are teething!!!! You definitely have no plans of following in your sisters footsteps in any way!

~You had your first ear infection unfortunately which they blamed on the forest fires and all the smoke they are causing.

~You have survived another month and being stepped on and bonked by Ms. Hadley.

~You have really started to watch Hadley and you love to smile at her when she does pay you some attention without accidently bonking you!

~You had your hair braided for the first time and it is adorable!

~You celebrated your first fourth of July and fireworks by sleeping right through them!

~You got to spend several weeks with your cousin Candyce. (which mommy and daddy LOVED the extra help and you loved the extra cuddles)

 We love you baby girl and the excitment and challenges you bring to our family!

Plexus Progress Pictures Weight Loss Motivation

Weight loss journey continues. An update on how Plexus is going. I've started out just taking the drink to see what my results would be and I've actually been pretty discouraged to not see the numbers just falling off the scale like so many other people have experienced. I have however noticed that my clothes are fitting a little looser and was even able to fit into a pair of skinny jeans in a size smaller than I have been wearing. But of course like so many others I obsess over the numbers. So I decided to take a picture to see if I can SEE any difference and to my surprise I can see a huge difference. This has definitely re-motivated me. I've been able to come down to 170 and even dropped below one day and I never go back above 172 but I was really hoping to get below 170 and stay there. I really need to work on my water intake because they recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces and I'm TERRIBLE at drinking water. I've never been a big water drinker except when I play sports and exercise, so that has been a challenge. I truly believe that if I can up my water intake I'll see more weight lost. Plexus has definitely helped me cut my cravings and eat less which has been helpful. I'm thinking about adding the accelerator pill in with the drink to give me a little boost, but I won't have that for awhile so I will update about that in a few months. Thanks for following my story, and let me know if anyone is interested in trying out Plexus. There is a 3 day decision pack that comes with an informational DVD, a 7 day trial, or you can get the 30 day pack, and just get going!!! Everything comes with a FULL 60 day money back guarantee. 

Before Plexus

3 weeks into Plexus

Hadley at 18(ish) months!

18 MONTHS

 

 Hadley Ann is 18 months.
I figured I hadn't updated about Hadley in quite some time and that it would be nice for me to be able to remember the details about her life after the first year. I won't update every month like I try and do the first 12 months but at least every 6 months would be nice for my own memories sake.

Hadley, baby you have changed and grown so much in these past 6 months.
~Weight 22lbs

~Wearing 12-18 month clothes, size 3 diapers, and size 4 shoes.
~Your vocabulary has exploded and you have really started the copy cat phase of repeating everything we say.

~ You love being a big sister and giving Brinks kisses but most of the time you just ignore her.
~ You got a puppy recently and you love teasing her until she jumps on you to play.

~ You are walking super well and will even try and run (which is adorable) and you are starting to walk up steps.
~We've intorduced the potty to you and you seem interested but we are just starting slow.
~Your hair is finally long enough to do a good pony tail and cute little pigtails.

~You LOVE being outside and even enjoy playing in the dirt....when mommy will let you.

~You love being stubborn and sometimes your "personality" makes mommy laugh even when you are being naughty. One of your favorite things to do is when I start counting becuase you are not obeying, after I say one, you always look up and say 2!!!

~You are learning your ABC's and 123's but your stubborness shines through there too....When we ask you how old you are you hold up one finger and say 2! You refuse to say 1 and you think it's pretty funny!

Brinkley Adelynn has hit the 3 month mark!

3 MONTHS

   Brinks, you are growing and changing everyday. I suspect by this fall/winter you will be sharing clothes with your sister!

~ Weight 12# (1 whole pound more that Hadley weighed at 3 months)
~ Weaing size 1 diapers

~ Wearing 0-3 month, 3 month, and some 3-6 month clothes depending on the brand and how many times they have been washed previously.

~ Your feet are huge and  you fit pretty well into size 1 shoes.
~Nicknames: Brink, Brinks, Brinkster, Sis

~ Sleeping about 8 hours a night most nights.....It's fantastic!
~ Starting to hold your head up more and can sit for a few minutes in the Bumbo
~ You love to be held.....ALL THE TIME!

~ You love to sleep on your belly but anytime you are awake you have to be held.
~ You seem to like your paci a little more each day but you definitley don't have the attatchment to it like your sister did.
~ You will probably always be compared to your sister...sorry.
~ You absolutely LOVE bath time. You even put your toes in Uncle Phil and Aunt MeLinda's hot tub and loved it.  

~ You got your ears pierced and you were so brave!
~You are really starting to watch your sister and the puppy more when they are playing and being silly.

~You have really started smiling as well, especially at momma!

~ You got to meet your Grandpa and Gram Struska this month too.

The completion of my 24 day challenge.

I completed my 24 day challenge from Advocare. I did see results but not as much as I had hoped for. I am sure the Advocare product would have helped me more if life hadn't gotten in the way. I realize I need to stop using life as an excuse but it sure is hard to change your ways. Part of one week I was sick and throwing up some and just wasn't feeling well so I did not take the product part of that week because I didn't want to throw it up. Also trying to work around my schedule and my husbands was challenging at times and I wasn't able to always take the pills at the right time. By the end I was struggling to get all of the pills down due to my gag reflex. ha. I also did not work out anywhere close to what I had planned. Again that was "life's" fault. Raising two girls leaves me completely exhausted at the end of the day and the thought of working out rarely crosses my mind. I am however hoping with the nice weather coming this way that I will be able to get out on some walks with the girls.  Anyway, to my results and an update on my journey. I lost 5lbs which seems like such a little number even though I know I should be glad about any amount. I wonder if it was harder to lose more pounds since I have lost 35lbs since March 4 or if it is just going to be a very long journey! Although the scale only says I lost 5lbs the measuring tape was a tad more encouraging. According to the measurements I took at the beginning and end I lost .75inches on each arm (bicep), 6 in around my waist, 2.5 in around my hips, and nothing around my thigh. My thigh measurement actually went up an inch at 2 weeks and back down an inch after 4 weeks. Also here are the before and after pictures from this past month.

The last picture I can find of me before I had Brinkely. Taken 2-23-13.

After/ In Process. 5-13-13

Before. Taken 4-11-13.

5-13-13

4-11-13

5-13-13

4-11-13

My next plan is to keep working at eating healthier and working out, but I also plan to try Plexus and see how it works for me. I do not have it yet so I will start keeping track of my results when I get on it. And next time I take pictures I am going to make sure my hair looks decent. haha Until next time!

Abi

Brinkley Lou is 2 months!

Miss Brink's you are now 2 months old my dear. In a way time seems to be creeping by but of course at other times it flies! I the days momma works and the nights we are home without daddy are what creep by so slowly. Many things have happened this month, lets recap.
~Weigh 10.1# and are 22in long
~Wear size newborn (just onesies), 0-3, and 3-6 month clothes. Seeing you in your sisters hand-me-downs makes you look a lot more like her.
~ Diapers size 1
~ you started smiling! Not often but you do once in awhile
~ started taking bottles when mommy is at work and you do awesome switching back and forth between bottles and nursing.
~ sleep anywhere from 3-7 hours at night. You are very inconsistent. You seem to wake up more on the nights after I work. (I think you miss your momma)
~ You've survived another month of "love" from your big sister! She sure loves to give you kisses even if that means she has to crawl up in the swing with you!
~ you got a puppy names Layla who you only seem to notice when she steps on you or nibbles your toes.
~ you got to add Kansas to your list of places traveled.
~ you love love love bath time.
~ you seem to like your paci more and more but you still aren't super attached like your sister was.
Everyday is a new adventure with two little ones but we wouldn't trade it for the world! We love you Brinkley Adelynn and can't wait to see how much you change and grow this next month.

Brinkley and Layla both 2 months and about the same size.

Layla trying to steal Brink's paci.

The girls taking a bath together.

We are ready for summer!!!

Half Smile

Hadley's plotting smile right before she moved causing Brinkley to fall over.

Me and my girls!