Fun Day!

Yesterday was a really fun day... 

My sister Rachel and her son, Kendall came over to play with us (Me and Wes). Weston and Kendall are 13 weeks apart (about 3 months).

Soon after cousin Kenny and Auntie Rach arrived, Weston needed to get some shut eye, so while Wes took a nap...we all got to go workout in the garage!

Rach and I did a modified Tabata drill:

We set up 2 stations: 

1)box jumps 

2)dumbbell renegade rows

What we did was: Rachel did the box jumps and I did the dumbbell station, and then we alternated after the full 4 minutes were complete. We did 20 seconds on, and took a 10 second break. 

Are you getting the picture? 

(we failed to take any REAL pictures, so I'm trying my best to describe)

Rach did as many box jumps as she could in 20 seconds, then took a 10 second rest, and continued this cycle for a total of 8 intervals, while I did as many of the renegade rows for 2o seconds with 10 second breaks.  It last only 4 minutes. Then we switched stations, and repeated the 8 intervals.

[Too bad we didn't take pictures, 

it was hilarious watching Kendall try to mimic us while we exercised!]

After our workout, Weston was still napping away, so we all headed outside (Griz too!) and played some soccer and did some stretching. We threw in a couple of cheers and toe touches in there too, just for fun!

Lunch time!

Rach made a fresh wild caught salmon dish, with olive oil and garlic and onions...paired with some kind of crazy vegetable called a parsnip. She said it's from the carrot family.

Hi, I'm a Parsnip!

 I created a yummy mix of starches (Sweet potato fries), a wild caught fish patty, some delicious asparagus made on a skillet with Coconut oil, and lastly paired an avocado with rice cakes for me and Weston to enjoy. 

We also made some more coffee. 

Yum.

Next it was Kendall's turn for a nap, so Rachel put him down in the office, where we keep our Pack n' Play. He didn't even put up a fight! He must have gotten a great workout in the garage :P

While Weston entertained himself with his toys, and musical "keyboard", Rachel and I discussed our favorite topics: 

paleo, exercise, politics and the like...

If you get a chance, I'd HIGHLY recommend looking up the Paleo Summit presentations. It's an 8 day series of videos with pictures/slides/notes to accompany the guest speakers.

Just go check it out :)

Lastly, I just wanted to post a picture of my stomach. After becoming pregnant, during my last month of pregnancy, my belly buttoned "popped out".

Can you SEE the belly poking through??

 Well, after Weston was born, my belly never did go back to normal. I thought I even might have a hernia, because my belly button feels "gooey" haha. Sorry if this is too much information, but I just wanted to see if any other Momma's have had a similar experience? 

I went and had an ultrasound and they said that some surgeons would argue that I DO have a hernia, only by the notion that if I didn't have an "outie" belly button before, and I do now...by definition, yes I have a hernia.

However, the ultrasound showed no movement of fluid. And the doc said if it isn't painful, then don't have the surgery to fix the "broken abdominal wall" because the scarring would be horrendous and the surgery has the potential to make the hernia worse??

Weird.

So, I've focused a lot on my core, because if I truly did/do have a weakened abdominal wall, I want to be sufficient and strong, as best as I can...given my situation.

I can't help but think that my abdominal wall is super separated though. 

Can you see the outie I have now?
...and then do you see the  ~ 2inch wide gap going down the center?

A gal at work had to have surgery after her first two kids (years after...) because her abdomen had separated so severely during both pregnancies, that she didn't HAVE any abs. She was able to put her fist inside her stomach cavity, and feel her organs....and while my abs aren't THAT separated, you can still see like an inch or two of width down the middle of my core. 

I know some separation is normal, but damn pregnancies, they really do a number on women's BODIES!!

Anywho, take care and DO YOUR CORE WORK so you can have a strong powerhouse. Everything we do stems from that central location: our abs!

I'll be busy watching the Paleo Summit...so if I don't post for a while, it's because I'm preoccupied with that :)

Cheers!

Fitness!

I finally worked out today! 

It's just a back and leg day, with some core work

 (and a little bit of arms...).

Ok, fine...

My workout turned out to be kind of an overall body workout.

About to get my fitness on...

Warm up: Jump rope for a few minutes

First exercise today: Straight leg deadlifts...
Workin' my hamstrings, glutes and my back (even my triceps)! I love Deadlifts.
No weight for my warm up set: 15 reps
As I added weight to my DL, I did about 8-12 reps.

Wide grip Lat Pull Down.
I did 12 reps each time.

I don't know where I'm looking off to. Must be concentrating hard, right?
Bicep curls, butterfly (out to the side, opposite of hammer curls).
2 sets x 15 reps.

In between each exercise or lift, I did a minute of straight plank, then rotated to work my obliques (in photo below), and held the side planks for only 30 seconds, each side.

Dumbbell lunges: the last exercise I could get in before Weston woke up from his nap!
I did alternating legs, 2 sets x 20 reps (10 for each leg).

Afterwards, I stretched.
My favorite stretch is holding the lunge stance, to open up my hip flexors.
I'm working on trying to do the splits again, too.
Slowly but surely :)

Loving February

I love February... there's the extra day we get every four years: February 29th (leap year anyone?), it's also my brother Ben's birthday month, as well as my mother-in-law's birthday and my high school dance coach and roommate from college's (Courtney) birthday (same day, today 2/22) and February is LOVE month and lastly, I can start enjoying the sunshine with the scattered rain showers and still walk outside feeling free.


Ok, so here's what my family has been up to lately:

Playing in the backyard after Dad got home from work...

Weston loves his ducky... $15 from Costco

Flowers from my Valentine <3

We bought a few more to fill up the flower pot

Flowers make my heart so happy!
I asked Jason, "Why do flowers make us so happy?" And he responded with a, "Uh, I think it's a girl thing." 
Haha!

My Paleo Journey Part 2

Ok, let's recap:

• I was diagnosed with Bursitis, an "overuse" injury, caused by inflammation and usually related to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
• I was also diagnosed with RA, an auto-immune disease, where my body attacks itself and in return, the synovial fluid in my joints swell...causing damage and deformity to my joints
• I was on methotrexate for a year until it stopped treating my RA effectively
• I went on Enbrel in 2009, and this seemed to help a bit more
• I decided to try a gluten free diet to see if this could possibly help with my flare ups and inflammation, along with taking my Enbrel shot once a week

There were nights, even after going gluten free, where my roommates Jodi and Lizzi, would comfort me at my bedside because I'd be in tears, agonizing over the pain and immobility of my body. I recall one night specifically where I was icing my hip or my foot (not sure which...probably both!) and they were on my bed seated next to me, offering to help get me anything I needed. They wanted to be there for me in any way they could. 

When we are in pain, it's so nice to have the support and companionship of friends and family. It's hard to bear a burden all on our own. It's hard to be vulnerable and ask for help, but I truly believe when we do, our friends and family are more than happy to step up to the plate. It's so much easier to OFFER the help then it is to ASK for help. But sometimes we get to a point where our pride doesn't even matter anymore and we are grateful for any consolation that is given. This is the point I had gotten to...I was devoid of pride and let my walls crumble down. I could not even walk downstairs on my own to get water or something to eat. So...

"Yes, I will take your help." I thought. 

I'd played around with eating gluten free for a few months... then when my flare ups were far and few in between, I'd forget how bad those nights of pain were and decide I could eat whatever I wanted. Nope. And to this day, I still battle eating perfectly...I'll go months without a flare up and decide that I deserve that donut in the break room at work. Eeek. Bad idea!

Gluten free definitely helped my RA but I'd still get horribly painful flare ups, they were just less frequent. But less pain is much better than more pain, so I tried to stick to gluten free foods.

In April 2010, when I became pregnant, I talked with my Rheumatologist and we decided that I could go off my Enbrel medication. She didn't push me to take it, which was surprising. She said several of her patients had continued taking Enbrel through their pregnancies though... and had healthy, full term babies.

 "But, f*ck that!" I thought. 
Enbrel had only been recently approved and with all the side affects it could cause me, I wasn't going to risk my baby's well being as well. 

It was time to be super strict about being gluten free.

Jason supported me in this and ate gluten free with me at dinner. He ate his own thing for breakfast and lunch, but dinner time was a meal we always shared together and he wanted to help make this process easier for me.

There were nights I'd wake up in such pain that the only way to get comfortable would be to sit up in bed, and rock back and forth. Even though I was sobbing from such pain, I couldn't help but giggle inside thinking how nutty I probably looked if someone were watching me from a window or something.


After our son, Weston was born on January 4th, 2011...Jason and I did a bit of research. I didn't like the idea of, "Ok, I'm not pregnant... let's jump right back into taking Enbrel." The thought of giving myself a shot every week made my stomach turn. I didn't want to have to rely on drugs to keep me healthy. Gluten free was "OK" but Jason and I had been reading up on something called the Paleolithic Diet.
Jason bought Loren Cordain's book called, "The Paleo Diet". This book is about a decade old though, and Dr. Loren Cordain has an updated edition called "The Paleo Answer". 
Jason and I also purchased the Robb Wolf book, "The Paleo Solution". Robb studied under Loren Cordain. Cordain is kind of what you'd call the "Paleo Guru". What's refreshing about Robb Wolff's take on the Paleo Lifestyle, is his humor and his ability to make paleo easy to follow without knowing the WHY behind it. 
However! ...
Robb Wolf is a biochemist who is a total nerd. He also provides the why behind all of the food restrictions, and gives you a detailed chemistry analysis (but only if you want it). He breaks down his book in a way that allows you to skip to the parts you care about. If you don't give a lick about knowing why you shouldn't eat grains, fine, go to chapter 'blah & blah' and he'll break it down for you in terms of how to eat what, and you can bypass all the rest. But for me, knowing why grains ruin our gut lining and cause low-grade systemic inflammation throughout our entire body, or knowing how and why grains and dairy can wreak havoc on our digestive system and cause diabetes, disease, auto-immunity and CVD really intrigued me. I read the ENTIRE book. I'm actually re-reading it now.


But, back to what I was saying...
So Jason and I agreed to try the 30 day challenge of eating like our primal ancestors. We refrained from not only gluten, including wheat, rye, barley, oats but also from rice, corn, vegetable oils, artificial sweeteners, legumes, dairy, beans, and night shades.
To keep it simple, we ate a lot of protein, vegetables, some fruit, nuts and berries. Here's an excerpt from Robb's website:

Paleo Overview

The Paleo diet is simple yet remarkably effective for fat loss and halting or preventing a number of degenerative diseases. To reap the benefits of the most effective nutritional strategy known, one need simply build meals from the following:

• Lean proteins (ideally) grass fed meat, free range fowl and wild caught fish
• Seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, and coconut oil

Our 30 day challenge is the true test of the Paleo diet. Regardless of your fitness or health goals, you WILL look, feel and perform your best on the Paleo diet. Give it a shot and let us know how you do.

For most people the fact the Paleo diet delivers the best results is enough. Improved blood lipids, weight loss and reduced pain from autoimmunity is proof enough.  Many people however are not satisfied with blindly following any recommendations, be they nutrition or exercise related. Some folks like to know WHY they are doing something. Fortunately, the Paleo diet has stood not only the test of time, but also the rigors of scientific scrutiny.

We wanted to see if we truly felt a difference in how we felt and looked after just 30 days of following Paleo. 


We started February 21, 2011. 
Almost a year ago, to date!
The first 3 weeks were the hardest! I felt pretty good about life, considering the fact that I was recovering from a C-section, had a 1 1/2 month old and was sleep deprived... I felt really good about myself for plugging along with this paleo diet. I only anticipated doing it for just 30 days. But then... 60 days went by and then it was 3 months later and I realized I still didn't need to take my Enbrel. 
Was this truly possible? Did I really not need to take my medicine anymore!?


Well, after following Paleo strictly for about 3 months, I gave myself a cheat day. Well, that cheat day turned into a cheat week that really lasted for an entire month. Phew! It's true what they say, "Cake is the new crack!". It was like once I ate some candy, well then I couldn't say no to the pizza...and then it was my birthday too, so I could do what I wanted, right? 


Ok, wrong.


I got away without any Enbrel for a few months and then my aches and pains slowly started creeping back. Now, maybe this is because I re-introduced lots of sugar, gluten, and dairy (hello to Ice Cream!) back into my diet. Even if it was only periodically, it was and is enough to ruin my drug free streak. I had a couple of really bad flare ups that caused my hips to hurt. I couldn't walk very easily and to get in and out of a car was extremely troublesome. 
Having a baby added more stress to the matter...these flare ups didn't just ruin my mobility, but they interfered with picking up Weston, and going on walks or even trying to button his onesie. My fingers and joints took turns playing ping-pong around my body. One day my fingers were incapable of buttoning a button and then the next week I couldn't use my leg to push the clutch down in my car.
I decided I'd done the damage with eating bread, that I needed to fix this problem quickly (I couldn't wait 30 days to reset my inflammation with diet... I needed to be better NOW).
Yes, sorry to say it...but I took my enbrel. 


After my cheat month, I turned on my paleo button again. Still to this day, I enjoy an occasional ice cream splurge, or add creamer to my coffee (but I use creamer without corn syrup, just FYI).
If I do have a cheat day, it's typically gluten-free. And cheat days do happen for me. I am human. I do have a craving once in a while. But it's not for lack of being prepared. We never have "bad" food in our house. We don't buy Jack n' the Box or get take-out because we don't have anything to cook. It's a conscious decision that Jason and I will make. We know what we're doing...and we know the consequences. 
We have to ask ourselves..."Is it worth it?" 


Sometimes we order a gluten-free pizza and we love it. And then we're like, "Ok, that was our cheat meal for the month." And we move on.
I still take my Enbrel.
My rheumatalogist has me prescribed to take it once a week, but I don't. I've told her this, too. However, I did keep it from her for about 8 months. Simply put, I was scared to tell her I didn't want to take her drugs and that I'd found a better alternative to suppress my RA.
Here's the thing. 
People who are obese, or have auto-immunity, have diabetes or are  insulin resistant HAVE TO FOLLOW paleo more strictly than the average Joe. We have a condition where our bodies are extra sensitive to non-paleo foods. We have to be extra careful or we will pay for it.
I pay for it by still having aches and pains, joint stiffness and the occasional flare up. I only take my Enbrel when I have a terrible flare up...which typically occurs about every 8 weeks. 
I would say that's pretty friggin' awesome!
I would rather give myself a shot every 8 weeks vs. every week.


What if I were a lot more strict, never added creamer to my coffee, removed ice cream from the picture? or never ate a smarties candy, and avoided chocolate like the plague? 
I might not need to take my Enbrel...ever.


But...alas, I just haven't committed myself to that degree quite yet. 


Also, Jason and I do eat white rice. Here's an awesome article on white rice by Mark Sisson, another Paleo guru: White Rice. Or here's an even better article from 
T-Nation with regards to white rice: Nate Miyaki. 
Everyone has their opinions about white rice. But for me, I need the glucose to support the weight lifting I do and for the fuel it gives me. There is so much science behind how eating a lot of protein and low carb diet can put us in a state of ketosis, which some experts agree is fine...since our bodies will automatically convert our ketones into glucose if our body needs it. Certain organs, like our brains, only run on glucose. Glucose is vital for our body's survival.
I would recommend eating strict paleo for 30 days first, and then adding white rice if you choose. 
Here's an excerpt from Robb's book on gluconeogenesis:

The pool of amino acids in our bodies is considered “labile” or flexible, as we can use proteins from our muscles and other tissues in times of scarcity to make glucose via gluconeogenesis. Many doctors and health authorities want you to believe that you’ll keel over and die without carbohydrates. Not true—we have several ways of making carbohydrates from proteins and fats. You will understand this process much better before the end of the chapter. 

Wolf, Robb (2011-03-27). The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet (p. 63). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

However, Paleo isn't necessarily a ketogenic diet. But you can go into ketosis via Paleo. Does that make sense?
Ketogenic diets are often based on macro-nutrient ratios and eating little, to no carbs. And honestly, that's about all I know.
Paleo is not only about eating grass fed beef, wild caught salmon and free range fowl, but also about eating seasonal veggies and fruits, as well as starches like squash and sweet potatoes. You won't fall into ketosis if you're getting plenty of carbs via veggies and fruit. 
Ya feel me?
I do not count calories. I never have...and I find it a waste of my time and just thinking about that stuff gives me a headache. 
Counting calories makes me have anxiety! Doesn't it do that for you, too?
I don't know about you but unless you're obese, counting calories is something you really don't need to do (in my opinion). 


Paleo is about eating the way our bodies weren't meant to be fed. What we were born to do...
Like Lady Gaga says "You Were Born This Way, BABY!" lol. 
The farther we remove ourselves from the natural state of our ancestral diet, I think the more we'll feel sick and be sick.
Cut out the refined sugar, processed foods. High fructose corn syrup...hell no.
That sh*t it'll kill you. Honestly.
Do your own research. Try it out. Let me know what you find.


I was about 136 lbs before Paleo (post baby too) and now I'm about 117 lbs. I've never had to work so little to look in shape. Does that make sense? I don't work out that often... I really want to change that and at least I get a workout in every Sunday. But as long as I eat right, I feel good and getting exercise in is only a bonus.
Have you heard of skinny fat? It's where people are skinny on the outside, but their blood work says the opposite...they're sick on the inside. 
I know a lot of people who fall into this category. 
So, it's not just what we look like that matters either, is my point. 
It's how we feel. How well we perform when we do exercise and it's about living a more fulfilling life. Disease free. 


I mean, hell, we can take this diet to a political sense too. Everything has corn syrup in it. Why? Because our government subsidizes corn. High fructose corn syrup, anyone? Wheat anyone? It's in EVERYTHING!
Does our government want us to be sick? Pharmaceutical companies run this place. If you're healthy, they don't make money.
It's pretty messed up. I'll get off my soap box now, thank you.


But, if nothing else. Take control of what you put in your body.
Read the ingredient labels on your food. You'll be shocked to find out what's in them. If you can't pronounce half of what's on the label, maybe you shouldn't eat it, lol.


Watch this AMAZING video, called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth". 


In a nutshell:
Try Paleo for 30 days.
 I bet you'll feel pretty friggin' fantastic. 
It's not easy.
But it's definitely worth it.




love,
Meagan

My Paleo Journey Part 1

Part 1:
This has been a common theme lately... Paleo. 

Paleo why? Paleo what? Paleo who? Paleo when? Paleo where? 

More recently than ever, a handful of my friends and co-workers have been inquiring about my Paleolithic eating lifestyle. To sum it all up as best as I can, it's not just a diet...it's a way of life. 

Let's start at the beginning. Sorry folks...this may take a few minutes!

In spring of 2007 I was diagnosed with Bursitis in my shoulders. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae sac. We have bursae sacs in joints like our knees, shoulders, hips...it allows for smooth rotation and movement. When my bursitis flare up occurs, I cannot move my shoulder. I am usually in so much pain, sometimes to the point of tears, that I can't even drive my car, I can't lift my arms to wash my hair, put my shirt on, or bra. 
Catch my drift? 
When flare ups happen... life is pretty miserable. Quality of life sucks, to say the least. This diagnosis was just the icing... allow me to introduce the cherry on top.
Rheumatoid Arthritis.
In the late winter/early spring of 2008, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. At the time, I was 22 years old and a junior at Western Washington University, studying Kinesiology (Exercise and Sport Science). I realized it was probably time to see a doctor when I couldn't even pull down my own pants to go to the bathroom because my fingers ached so badly, or after trying to unscrew the toothpaste cap and couldn't because it was too painful and I'd have to ask my roommates do it for me, or when I couldn't participate in swim class, or hardly walk from one class to the next without taking about 20 minutes, when I sat in class puzzled because the stiffness and tenderness were so great that to even hold a pencil and write was impossible. Mornings were always much worse with the joint pains and aches. I decided that my quality of life had gone from awesome to grim in about 3-4 months and I could not bear another minute of it.

RA for short, Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease. Basically, my body attacks its own tissues because it can no longer tell the difference between me/myself/I vs. foreign invaders. RA has no "cure" but can be treated with various drugs like disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), corticosteroids, or biologic agents. I was put on Prednisone for the first few weeks after my diagnoses to combat the pain, discomfort and inflammation. One of the downfalls of this corticosteriod is weight gain...not to mention the long term effects like osteoporosis. From there I went off of prednisone and was prescribed a DMARD called Methotrexate. This drug has so many SCARY side effects. Here is a brief section of the long warning for methotrexate:

• Methotrexate may cause very serious side effects. Some side effects of methotrexate may cause death. You should only take methotrexate to treat life-threatening cancer, or certain other conditions that are very severe and that cannot be treated with other medications...

• Methotrexate may cause a decrease in the number of blood cells made by your bone marrow...

• Methotrexate may cause liver damage, especially when it is taken for a long period of time...

• Methotrexate may cause lung damage...

• Methotrexate may cause damage to the lining of your mouth, stomach or intestines.... If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking methotrexate and call your doctor right away: mouth sores, diarrhea, black, tarry, or bloody stools, or vomit that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds...

• Taking methotrexate may increase the risk that you will develop lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system). If you do develop lymphoma, it might go away without treatment when you stop taking methotrexate, or it might need to be treated with chemotherapy...

• Methotrexate may cause serious or life-threatening skin reactions...

• Methotrexate may decrease the activity of your immune system, and you may develop serious infections...If you experience signs of infection such as a sore throat, cough, fever, or chills, call your doctor immediately...

• Tell your doctor if you or your partner is pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you are female, you will need to take a pregnancy test before you begin taking methotrexate. Use a reliable method of birth control so that you or your partner will not become pregnant during or shortly after your treatment. If you are male, you and your female partner should continue to use birth control for 3 months after you stop taking methotrexate. If you are female, you should continue to use birth control until you have had one menstrual period that began after you stopped taking methotrexate. If you or your partner become pregnant, call your doctor immediately. Methotrexate may harm the fetus.

I know! Scary, huh? 

I was on methotrexate for an entire year. I had to give myself a shot, with a needle, in my thigh once a week. Yes, it gave me the creeps! Still does.

Since methotrexate stopped being effective for me after about a year, I went and
"upped the annie" and was put on a biologic drug called Enbrel. Or click here for more information. The side effects are similar to methotrexate, except you CAN consume alcohol and enbrel won't cause birth defects like methotrexate will.

I also give myself a shot with this medicine. It comes in a pre-filled syringe, and I am SUPPOSED to give myself this shot once a week. If I eat "right", I can go roughly 6-8 weeks in between shots.

Ok, ok... I'll get to the paleo stuff. Soon. I promise.

A girl at work mentioned to me in 2009, that she ate "gluten-free". 

"Ummm...WTF is that?" I asked her. In a nutshell, gluten free is essentially eating only foods without gluten, wheat, rye, barley, and oats in them. Rice and corn or fine with gluten free diets. My co-worker discovered that by eating gluten-free she felt less moody, her mind was less fogged and she was less bloated. 

I thought, "Is she for real?"

I decided if diet can make her physically and emotionally, and mentally clearer...I bet diet could have an influence on RA? Right?????

I immediately approached my doctor, the MD, the Rheumatologist, the "all-knowing"  about diet and it's possible effects on my RA. 

Here's a funny story...She answered my question aboud diet with a non-chalant, "No. Just... you know, everything in moderation." 

What a bunch of bull sh*t.

SInce I didn't have her guidance on this, I just went for it on my own. I tried out my own gluten-free experimentation. And guess what...success!

Stay tuned. I'll continue Part 2 tomorrow.

Night! and Happy Valentines Day!

4 Non Blondes...how I love thee

I am listening to 4 Non Blondes "What's Up". The video I linked is of Pink singing with Linda Perry. Amaze-balls. Every time I see Pink, I want to cut off my hair all over again. But...Jason's voice is in the back of my head, saying, "I like your hair long...". Maybe another  year and I will?

I finally updated Weston's ABC flashcards, again. We have letters A-P now. Yay! 

Last but not least.. I made apple crisp. I doesn't LOOK that awesome, but trust me...is really is AWESOME!

a picture is worth 1.000 words...

I am a cape wearing, fort building, rice cake eating, stool climbing, hat wearing, book reading, face scraping, rash getting, playground swinging, exhibitioning, eye hurting little dude named Weston James Holden.

Super Hero

 Being a stay-at-home-Mom during the week can get a bit redundant for me. I have worked full time or been in school basically my entire life. So this staying at home thing has been quite an adjustment period. I have to learn to think outside the box, create new ways to be fun, entertaining and educational with Weston. 
 Sometimes I wish I could just curl up on the couch, read my book and escape from the world. But that's really hard to do when you have a 13 month old to look after! So, the next best thing to vegging out on the couch with a good book? Playing super hero's with your son! 

 Weston and I have been practicing our super hero moves all morning. 

We're twinsies! Weston is looking at me wondering "How did Mom get a cape, too?"

Weston is my little super hero. Have you ever heard that bibs are really just capes put on backwards? Silly parents... we just don't know any better, do we?

:P

 Happy February everyone... here's to a super hero kind of month!