The Color Run!

Y’all I survived! Barely. I felt amazing alive during the run – let’s be honest, I walked most of the way – however, the days following were a little touch and go. It became slightly difficult to walk but that’s not important. We had so much fun and it was nice to actually spend time with John Paul for a change.

Pre run sexiness…

Don’t be jealous of our hotness.

Let’s talk about the hubs for a moment. I think he was under the false impression that we were actually going to run. It was cute really. When it was our turn to start I did indeed run, you know so I would look legit. Every few minutes the hubs would ask every so politely, “You wanna run now?” And I would reply, “No thanks!”

I was so excited each time we reached a new color because I knew I was 1 kilometer closer to getting some food. I was all kinds of hungry by the time it was over.

My running partner post run…

We survived. We finished and we weren’t last. I call that a  success! So if you never exercise, your favorite activity is eating, and you’re thinking of doing the Color Run, go for it! You can (and totally should) do it! Thanks friends for the support and encouragement! I feel accomplished!

So What Wednesday

So what if….

• I suck at blogging! I love it and I’m really seriously trying to get back into it. For real this time. Seriously.
• I’m such a wuss and I skipped church Sunday because I didn’t want to leave Turner McCartney screaming in the nursery. I’ll grow a pair one day…maybe.
• My hubs isn’t working much and I’m still holding a part time status. We’re poor but we’re making it work!
• It’s 100 degrees in the house and I’m reluctant to turn the air on. Power is expensive yo!
• Turner Mc has nutella for breakfast more that I’d like to admit. Hey at least she’s eating. And it’s good for you, right?!.
• I’m playing a single mom these days and I kinda suck at it.

That’s all I’ve got this week!

Run Forrest Run!!!

Y’all I have lost my mind! I signed the hubs and myself up for a 5k. Yes, you read that right! A 5k. As in 3.1 miles of “running” as if in some sort of race. I mean let’s be honest. We all know I don’t run. The last time I actually ran and didn’t die was cheerleading practice my junior year of high school….10 years ago.

What the hell was I thinking??!! I mean the most exercise I get is sprinting from the couch to the microwave to get my pizza rolls before they get cold. So how am I going to pull this off without completely embarrassing myself? Luckily the run seems to be pretty laid back and walkers are totally accepted. But honestly I’m not so sure I can walk 3.1 miles and not hyperventilate. It’s going to be interesting to say the least. I think we will have a blast but let’s just hope we all survive. John Paul thinks he’s a super star athlete but he hasn’t exercised in a looong time. I mean he can’t be all buff while I veg out constantly, therefore I try my best to pull him down with me! We’ll see how it goes and I’ll definitely keep y’all posted on the outcome. If you never hear from me again then you can assume I didn’t survive.

The run is in 5 days. FIVE days! Any tips on how to prepare for a 5k in 1 week? Let me know!

Turner Mc’s 1st Birthday

Almost 6 months ago my baby girl turned 1. And 6 months later I’m posting her party pics. Because I’m an awesome mom! Yay me!!

All good parties need a theme. And when it came time to decide on one, I was struck with brilliance. I had a fabulous idea. I called Bert to inform him of my fantabulous party idea and he shot it down. Why you ask? Because he thought I was taking it too far. The theme?? The Beatles. You know they have that cute little album with the “1” and I was all, “she’s turning one and the cd cover has a one on it and it’s destiny.” And he was all, “people are going to think we’re crazy and over the top and taking it too far.” And I was all, “ her name is Turner MCCARTNEY.” And so it was decided. :)

Now we had the theme (and a cd cover) and I needed to make it happen. I googled Beatles birthday party and low and behold!! It had been done. So I did what any good party planner would do and I copied most everything this awesome mom did.

Now I’ll overload you with pics!

SIL constructed the cute “yellow submarines” out of twinkies and mini m&ms. I loved the way her cake turned out!

I made the fabulous banner all on my own! There was also another piece that said Turner McCartney but apparently I didn’t find it necessary to photograph that part. *This only took approximately 73.8 hours to finish – I’m slightly challenged in the craft department.*

I totally ripped off most of the menu items but a couple are Denton originals.

I was a total hot mess at the party because I was literally hanging decorations as people were walking in the door. *Can I please take this moment to say, as someone who is chronically late, I’m really peeved by people who are early. Especially to any event I am hosting. Please note that I realize this is ridiculous but it is what it is.*

TM enjoyed opening presents for all of 3.2 minutes.

Overall her first birthday was a success. And if crafting is going to be involved I need to get started on her next party now. So if you have any fabulous ideas I can rip off please let me know! I included the link for the “inspiration” for this awesome party. Please don’t look at it as it will make my party look pathetic!

Love y’all!

Party Inspiration

Baby Got Back

Okay so not a lot of back but I don’t have a lot to work with these days. The post baby body was something that I never really thought about until I was super pregnant. I’ve always been small so I wasn’t too concerned about what my body would look like after being pregnant for basically 10 months. So let’s get to it.

*I’m almost 18 months post partum and I’m just now sharing this. Oh well, it is what it is!*

I’m pretty sure that I thought immediately after birthing Turner Mc that my tummy would be flat. I was not so much prepared to still look 6 months pregnant. Once my epidural wore off I had to go see what I looked like, and take pictures of course! Consider yourselves warned.

Check out my linea nigra on the second picture. Sexy!! I will say that my crooked dark line is almost completely gone - ummmmm a year and a half later. I share these terrifying photos with you so that if you’re knocked up and have no clue what to expect post baby you can now have nightmares, and maybe be better prepared. No need to thank me!

Let’s move on….I will say that I dropped my baby weight fairly quickly. *Please note that I am way too lazy to exercise and any weight I lost was a direct result of exclusively breastfeeding and my inability to find the time to eat.* I was looking a little malnourished towards the end of my almost 14 months of nursing – I lost all my baby weight plus an additional 10 pounds. It was a little unfortunate.

After Turner Mc completely drained me and finally decided she was over nursing I got a good idea of what my new body was going to look like. Picture with me if you will….me with deflated boobs. Awesome huh?! So I really didn’t want this to turn in to a boob post but alas! It has. I gained a cup size and lost 3. How does that happen you ask?! Well it’s simple. You nurse for 13.8 months. I see a little plastic surgery in my future. So if you see a picture of me and think “Wow! I wonder if Brittany got her boobs done?” then I probably did. But if it’s in the next 3 years I’ve just discovered an awesome push up bra.

So other than the unfortunate boob situation I will have to say that for the most part I am “back to normal.” If there is such a thing. I have a few stretch marks on my thighs (and boobs of course), and my belly is a little wrinkly – it’s weird. Not flabby but not tight, just wrinkly.

So there you have it. The post baby body of Brittany. How did you survive 18 months without this information? No need to thank me. I enjoy sharing all this ridiculously embarrassing information with y’all!

Catching Up

So what’s been going on with us since the last time I sat down to write a blog post??? Let me give you a brief update.

• Turner McCartney turned 11 Months…

• Then we celebrated her 1st birthday! (full birthday post to follow)

• Easter came next…

• We did a little landscaping and laid some sod and planted a garden. These 2 points deserve a post all their own. Trust me!

• John Paul interviewed and was accepted into the Nurse Anesthesia program at UAB. Woo Hoo!!! I’m so proud of my hubs. He has worked so hard to get into this program and we couldn’t be more excited. (unfortunately I don’t have a picture of John Paul with an excited face – womp womp)

That about sums up the major points that I need to catch y’all up on. I’ll be blogging about some stuff in more detail. Thanks for sticking with me! Y’all are the best!

Back to Blogging

Wow! I don’t even want to look back and see the last time I blogged. It’s been forever. I put blogging on the back burner because honestly, I couldn’t find the time. By the time TM decides to go to sleep I‘m so drained that I just didn’t make the time to sit down and blog.

I miss it so much! I really want to document what’s been going on in our lives and I seriously need a place to vent. I’m pretty sure Bert is tired of listening to all my issues and pretending to be interested in what I have to say. So this is my official re-entry into Blog Land, where I post all my problems for all the world to see – okay maybe just the few followers I have left! I love you guys and I miss keeping up with everyone!

So consider yourself warned. Expect random blog posts to show up in your feed about things that no longer pertain to my life. I’ll be editing and posting some drafts that have been patiently waiting to be shared with y’all and I’ll be catching up on everything that’s been going on in the Denton home.

In case you’ve forgotten us here’s a recent pic of the fam jam!

Flashback.....

I cannot believe my baby girl is a year old! I am super sad. She is growing up so fast. I'm working on catching up on blogging but Turner Mc broke our laptop and now the screen randomly falls off and it's hard to keep it on. So I'm trying to blog at my parents house.

Since she's a year old I thought I would re-post the birth story so we can all relive the day she was born. Yay us!!! :)

Part 1 and Part 2

Thanks for sticking with me! I love you guys!!

Turner Mc–10 Months

January 10th – 10 months old……

It’s crazy how fast time goes by. And how uninterested TM was with having her picture made.

She’s more interested in standing up and cruising around holding on to things and walking all over the house.

Weight: 16.5 lbs

Height: 27 inches

Clothing Size: Mostly 9 months clothes. She has a teeny butt and a lot of the pants are too big in the waist.

Diapers: size 2

Feeding: Her appetite has gotten so much better. She’s starting to eat a lot more and she’s not nearly as picky as she was. She still loves her some mac & cheese. Cheerios, fruit loops, bananas are also favs.

She’s nursing 3 or 4 times a day and taking formula on occasion.

Hair/Eyes: Blue eyes. Dark strawberry blonde hair.

Sleep: She’s sleeping mostly through the night. Other than when she’s been teething, she sleeps great. It hasn’t been hard to get her to sleep so that’s been great.

Naps are getting better too. She naps in the morning for about 2 hours and another hour or so nap in the late afternoon.

Favorites: She loves looking at herself in the mirror. She’s still loving books and bath time; her paci, the dogs, her activity table, and she’s starting to notice her baby dolls.

Fun stuff: Turner Mc is starting to take a couple steps. She’ll walk maybe 2 steps and then fall into your arms or sit down and crawl. And lets talk about her teeth. She got the top 2 and maybe a week later she got 2 more on top. It was crazy fast!

She’s starting to talk a lot more. She says Dayne, no-no, mama, da da, nan nan and kitty. She’s all about giving love. I can tell her to give her baby love and she opens her mouth wide and slobbers all over it!

She’s so much fun and she’s hilarious!

Turner Mc–9 Months

December 10th – 9 months…..

Weight: 15.15 pounds – she’s in the 5th percentile for her weight

Height: 27 inches – 50th percentile for height

Clothing Size: still wearing some 6 months clothes and starting to fit in some 9 month stuff

Diapers: size 2

Feeding: Let’s see….what does my child eat? Puffs and prunes. The end. Oh and of course milkies! Our pediatrician encouraged us to start feeding TM whatever we are eating as long as it’s soft. Since she’s so picky and she hasn’t gained much weight we are trying everything. She lives on prunes, puffs, and mac & cheese.

Hair/Eyes: Eyes are bright blue and her hair is a little thicker and darker to me.

Sleep: Sleep is the best it’s been. I’m finally starting to feel normal again!

Naps are a struggle but she’s starting to get on a schedule and it seems to be helping.

Favorites: The child LOVES books. She’s still loving bath time, her daddy, the dogs and cats. She’s really in to giving love and screaming loudly any chance she gets! She also loves brushing her teeth and doing anything I tell her not to do.

Fun stuff: She’s crawling all over the place! It’s so much fun to watch! She’s pulling up on everything and now that she’s mobile I never get any rest. I say “no-no” at least 737 times a day.

She’s working on some new teeth – the top two – so that’s fun.

That completes our 9 months…..I’m almost caught up y’all!! Thanks for being awesome readers and hanging around. You rock!!

Turner McCartney–8 Months

Whoops! You guessed it! I’m still waaay behind on posting these updates. I take the pictures and jot down the things I need to remember and then, nothing. I’m going to post her 8th and 9th month updates and then do her 10 month post before she turns 11 months on the 10th. Pinky promise!!!

Picture taking has become interesting. At this point she no longer cares to smile or cooperate.

Weight: 15.5 pounds

Height: 26 inches

Clothing Size: 6 month clothes and some 9 month pjs

Diapers: Still in a size 2

Feeding: Eating lots of baby food and puffs and nursing 3-4 times a day.

Hair/Eyes: Eyes are bright blue and her hair is a little thicker and darker to me.

Sleep: She’s sleeping through the night for the most part. Aside from a few teething issues sleep has been great!

Her naps are getting better and I’m learning the hard way that we need a schedule. And I am not the schedule kinda mom.

Favorites: Turner Mc is loving her daddy. A major daddy phase is going on. She also loves her paci, the dogs (especially Dayne), and the cats. She’s addicted to baby crack, I mean puffs.

Fun stuff: She crawls!! My kid can totally crawl! And she has TWO teeth! It seems like she just woke up with them one day. She was fussy for maybe a week. It wasn’t bad at all.

She’s extremely vocal and loves to scream and shriek as loud as she can. She says mama and da da and she’s been perfecting her Vietnamese. She’s the most fun and her personality is awesome!

Oh yeah….remember Thanksgiving?!? She was 8 months back then.

And seriously, I love y’all!

Baby Food Makin’–Part Dos

Part 1

I wanted to go in to a little more detail with the baby food making process. (per Meagan’s request) It has worked great for us and I want to make it an easy process for y’all if you’re interested in making your babe’s food. And seriously this is so against my personality. But with the baby came this intense desire to be semi crunchy and I’m rolling with it!

When we can afford it I try to buy organic. Anything with a thick peel or skin I don’t worry about. If you’re going to peel it, then I don’t see the need to be neurotic about buying organic. I try to get organic carrots and peas and things that aren’t peeled. Please note that the hubs quite possibly finds this obnoxious. Whatever.

I thought I would list some popular baby foods and tell you how I prepared them.

Sweet Potato: I find it easiest to boil the sweet potato. I’ve boiled it whole with the skin on – it’s easier to peel once it’s boiled. If you’re trying to save time you can peel the potato and cube it then boil. I would say boil for 30 minutes or until tender. You can also bake the potato for 1 – 1.5 hours.

Apple: I have steamed apples and boiled them. Either way works fine. Peeling the apple first seems to be easier. You can go ahead and cut up the apple to make things faster.

Carrot: Carrots take FOREVER to cook. I like to boil them until they’re tender. When you’re pureeing it takes a lot of added water to make a smooth puree. 

Peas: I buy frozen organic sweet peas. The best way to prepare these is to steam them. I use a steamer insert in a boiler on the stove. You can buy the microwave steamer bags but we are a little anti-microwave at our house. Peas don’t take long to steam. You’ll need to add some water to get your puree smooth.

Squash & Zucchini: Boiled is the easiest way to prepare veggies like this. Just boil until tender. These veggies hold a lot of water so the puree can be watery. You can also cut it up and steam it.

Pear: Steam your pear until tender.

Blueberries: Frozen or fresh blueberries can be covered with water and boiled for about 5 minutes. TM loves her some blueberries.

Butternut Squash: This cooks best in the oven. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash cut side down in a Pyrex dish. Fill the pan with a half inch of water and bake at 350* for 45 minutes to an hour. This makes a great puree.

Peaches: I steamed both fresh peaches and frozen peaches and both worked great.

Prunes: I bought dried prunes and pureed them with some water. TM loves prunes. The puree is pretty thick so I would wait until your babe is ready for stage 2 foods.

The secret to making baby food is finding what works best for you. It can be time consuming but it saves money and you can control what your baby eats. Just make sure whatever you’re cooking is tender and you’ll be fine. If you have any questions just leave me a comment or send me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to help you out.