8 weeks. Wishing time would stand still!

Today my little lady tot is 8 weeks old. Sheesh. Time is whizzing by and I would prefer it just stand still for a while. My sweet girl is growing so fast and I just wish I had all the time in the world to stay home with her. I have enjoyed pretending to me a stay at home mom. If only I had that luxury J I have been given the gift of staying home until July 11^th so I am just going to savor every second with my sweet baby girl.

So here are some things about motherhood and my life that I would like to share:

My daughter (still nuts saying that out loud) – is amazing. She truly is the sweetest blessing. I have never felt such love. She is starting to get more and more of a little personality. She has started cooing and laughing with mommy. It makes for my favorite times of the day.

Her swing is not only her favorite item, but mine as well. It provides hours on end of entertainment and gives this mama some free time to hop in a shower to wash her greasy hair. Thank you Jesus for Fisher Price. Amen.

My mother has been my hero. I recently spent 2 nights with her to “catch up” on some sleep and much needed rest. I was beginning to look like a zombie from a horror film. Not so pretty. On top of no sleep, my long lost period came back for a visit after a year long hiatus. Oh joy! I had almost forgotten the pleasant sensations of period cramps. My generous mom took us in and showered us with love. I enjoy so much seeing her interact with Harper. You can tell they are going to have the sweetest bond and she is going to spoil her absolutely rotten.

Coffee and love for my baby are my fuel that gets me through each day. Truly with a new born, “life happens in spurts.” I live for the spurts of life and laughter with sweet Harper.

I am terrible at multi tasking. Hence, lack of blogging, pictures, etc. I will do my best to post more often… but lets be realistic people. J

6 weeks as a Mama!

Today my little baby girl is 6 weeks old. The time has flown by. Truth be told, it has almost has seemed like one very LONG day of feeding, burping, changing, laughing, crying and attempting to get out of the house without any meltdowns (for both mother and child.)

Harper is a beautiful baby with such a sweet disposition. I just love watching her every little move. She is gaining more and more depth perception and watching her precious little eyes fixate on things for the first time is amazing. She is slowly and steadily discovering the world around her.

She is very strong. She already holds her neck up practically on her own. She is holding and grasping things all on her own. She loves when I read her books and rock her in the glider. She loves Paul Simon, which makes her mama very happy. We jam out to “Me & Julio down by the schoolyard.”

She has started smiling back at me which is just about the sweetest thing in the whole world. She makes me laugh so hard my cheeks hurt.

She has had her first trip to the lake! I believe she loves being by the water as much as her mommy does.

At her one month doctors appointment she weighed in at 10 lbs 2 oz and is 22 inches long. She is growing girl! J

We are now working on getting Harper on a sleep schedule so I can get out of the house before noon. Pray for us!

As I type this post my heart overflows as I look at little Harper napping in her swing. My sweet little angel came into this world 6 weeks ago and I have never been happier. Before my daughter, I knew joy, but this joy is deep down as if there has been a shift in me and I am covered in a happiness that cannot quite be described in mere words. This is the kind of love that changes you.

Welcome to the World Harper Grace!

Harper Grace Tate was born on Wednesday April 27th at 12:49 am.

Harper was 8lbs 2oz and 21 inches long.

My labor was induced on Monday evening and the labor was very intense due to also having kidney stone pain. I couldn't have gotten through the labor and delivery without my amazing push partners, my mom and Miss Taylor Polk. They were my source of strength and encouragement when I didn't think I could keep going.

When Harper was born and I heard her cry for the first time I felt a love that cannot be compared to anything in this world. In that moment, I was changed. I became a mother and I could not be more grateful for my little girl.

I want to thank all the friends and family who sent their thoughts and prayers. I want to thank all the friends and family who came to visit us in her first few days, brought meals, flowers, laughter and love. You guys are amazing, and I am overwhelmed with how much love little Harper has been welcomed in this world.

I am still Pregnant...

Yes it is true. No matter how many pedicures, walks, or spicy snacks I have taken part in this lady is still waddling around town waiting for my sweet little lady to finally make her appearance. She is taking her sweet time.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday where they estimated baby girls weight. Well, needless to say, she is going to take after her mama. She is going to be a big girl. From the ultra sound they predicted she currently weighs in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. And they said to give or take a pound since the test is rarely 100% accurate. So she may come out looking more like a toddler princess than an infant! Haha. Pray for my lady parts. Oh goodness gracious.

And I am still only dilated one centimeter. That means pretty much no PROGRESS. Nada. Zero. Baby girl is happy all snuggled up in mama’s tummy.

Ok… in other news. I have had kidney stones (again!) I have been having really uncomfortable cramping, but I thought it was just Braxton hicks contractions. I knew it hurt like the dickens but thought I needed to suck it up and just deal. And then there it was in my pee cup at the office. A stone. Stanley III. Gross. It explained why I thought I was only having contractions on my right side. Since then I have passed a few more. Oh the joy. At least I can say I have a high tolerance for pain. I wish my patience was also as strong…

So Thursday afternoon - as in the day after tomorrow - I will be returning to the doctors office for another check up. More than likely we will be scheduling a time for me to induce labor. Since I have had so many issues with my blood pressure being high, etc. they do not want me to go past my due date. Which as a reminder is this Sunday, April 24th! Crazy! So stay tuned!

Finally, I would like to ask for anyone reading this to just lift up a prayer or two for me and sweet pea. I know there are much more serious things going on in this world and it is kind of selfish of me to ask for your prayers.. .but hey, I would greatly appreciate them!
Please be praying for a safe delivery and HEALTHY baby girl! That I would remain calm and patient in this period of waiting. And also that she would come on to town sooner than later. I would love for her to come on her own without being induced. I will be happy either way, but if you would all just pray that little Harper will make her way into this world on her own that would be just wonderful.

Until next time… this is the lady who has been pregnant forever signing out…

Nursery Sneak Peek! - and a picture of the Frizz :)

I decided to practice my swaddling skills on little Miss Izzie. As you can tell, she was not a fan. Check out that crazy eye. hehe.

Room Ready for Baby Girl!

Bookshelves with Bird BookEnds I got off Etsy.com

Alphabet Picture and HARPER letters above crib were made my sweet sorority sister, Victoria Loher. You can check out her etsy website at http://etsy.com/shop/hermanas3

Glider and pillow ready for rocking and loving time with my sweet little lady!

Baby Brunch Pinehurst, NC

Fabulous Guests! I love my family & friends. Harper is coming into a HUGE extended family!

Harper Grace Baby Shower. My Aunt Nina is so crafty!

The set up! So precious!

Cupcakes. Yum.

Love this center piece since my Aunt did such a FABULOUS job!

Showered with Sweetness March 19th...

Sweet Abby. The youngest hostess and the maker of yummy pink cupcakes!

The spread!

The wonderful hostesses.

Becky, Abby, Tracey & Ann Tilley

Chaos

So what do you get when you take a 9 month pregnant lady and ramp up her work life to that of 50+ hours a week? That answer would be me.

My life has been pretty chaotic this last month. I see it as both a blessing and a curse in a way. Job security is a great thing. Especially embarking on mama hood as a single parent.

But the spoiled brat in me wants the world to stop for a few minutes so I can do a few extra special things to prepare for baby girls arrival. Instead, I am chained to my blackberry and lap top on practically all hours outside of the office. Work, work, work… busy, busy, busy.

And the truth of the matter is, I have NO CLUE to what real chaos is, because my daughter hasn’t even arrived. I mean, yes, I feel like I am running myself into the ground today… but how am I going to manage my time in a few months with an infant and a crazy job to balance? Lordy, Lord… these are the things that keep me and my double chins up at night. I am dreaming about work. All the time. Except for last night, I had a dream about Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds. I would like to think it was a post card from God, showing his appreciation for all my hard work.

So the long of the short of it is this… I am a terrible blogger. My apologies. I still have pictures to post of the nursery. I promise to get them up soon!

Showered with Love...

Shower Saturday March 5th

Where: The Ballantine Family Home

Fun Craving Station Game: Guess Which Snacks I craved while Pregnant!

Bacon, Spaghetti O's, Gummy Bears, BBQ Chips, Carmel Delights, BBQ Chicken Pizza

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice... Handmade/Crafted by Miss Megan Bowker

Make a wish for Lauren & Harper by placing it on the sweet Wish Tree

So sweet. Loved all the amazing wishes from my fabulous friends. I will treasure them forever.

Lemonade Station. Add your own home made Lavendar or Strawberry Syrup.

Monogrammed Cupcakes! Harper Grace Tate! So precious.

The spread!

Cupcake Tree.

Fabulous Hostesses.

Kristen, Laura, Taylor, Megan & Erica. Love you ladies!!!!

(not pictured Quinn) -- who was there in spirit. :)

Family & Friends Celebration

Sweet details!

The hostess: Mrs. Ginger Sineath

Ginger & Mi Madre. Ya Ya's for life :)

This baby girl is seriously spoiled!

This MaMa is so Thankful!

Me & Bryson.

The spread!

Gifts Galore & Cradle my mom Painted for Harper!

Fabulous Diaper Cake!!!

Shower Sampler

Shower Uno: Diapers & Wipes Shower hosted by Kelly Conklin & Jennifer "J.B." Fisher

Where: The Conklin Casa

Some of my sweet amazing lady friends. Please note there are 4 pregnant ladies on that couch!

Little Harper's wipes & goodies galore. She is already spoiled rotten!

Sweet details that made the day so special! :)

J.B, me (& my chins), Kelstar

The sweet hostesses of this sweet and lovely celebration.

Monsoon

So this weekend I was given 2 baby showers. 2. (Yes I am spoiled) And I have 2 more. (Yes, spoiled rotten) I mean this lady is so blessed.

I was getting ready for my shower this afternoon and I thought to myself, this isn't a "shower" of love... this is a MONSOON.

I mean... truth be told... I am overwhelmed and humbled by the amount of love that I have in my life. I looked around the room Saturday morning and this afternoon at all the faces and there were tears in my eyes.

Harper Grace is coming into a world where there will be a WHOLE lot of love waiting to greet her. I may have the some of the greatest friends and family in the world.

There were people that drove from all over North and South Carolina to be at my shower yesterday and today, and I thought to myself how blessed I am. Truly blessed. I have some of the most incredible people in my life. Both friends and family, who are so thoughtful and generous. I have never been so touched and overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and blessings that was given to me and my little lady bug these past 2 days.

So tonight... this lady is going to bed early. I am exhausted from such a spectacular weekend. And my heart is so full and so grateful for all the goodness...

Pictures to come of this weekends festivities! :)

Sweet Baby

Here is a sneak peek of sweet baby Harper from the 4D ultra sound Friday! It is CRAZY they can get such good pictures! She is just perfect!

Girl Where You Been?

So I am apparently a bad blogger. I apologize for my lack of updates, etc. but life has been crazy busy the past few weeks… but here a few fun facts about my life at the moment to tide you over until I can post a clever or heartfelt post that will change your life.

29 WEEKS. Yes, that is how long this big lady has been pregnant. Baby girl is 29 weeks and counting. Mama is officially in the 3rd Trimester. This trimester my little tot will grow from the size of an eggplant to a watermelon. Wowza. And let me tell you how much I have grown. I am OBVIOUSLY pregnant now. Baby girl is still moving and shaking on the daily getting her groove on and kicking mama in the ribs and bladder. Sometimes I cannot believe how strong she is! The books/websites say that this week she is opening and closing her little eyes. How sweet is that to imagine?

NURSERY TIME. My FABULOUS lady friends did an amazing job on the nursery painting. It looks JUST perfect for little lady bug. This weekend starts the decorating and organizing. Saturday my dad is loading up the truck with her crib and changing table…. Let the fun begin!!! Again, I promise pictures to come!

AND FINALLY THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT of my sweet little girls name!!!

Prepare yourself for the April arrival of (drum roll please)

HARPER GRACE

She will be here before we know it!

Updates, Etc.

Here are few updates on things in my world at the moment:

90 Day Challenge: I am still reading through my little bible study diligently each night. The low carb diet has been put on a hiatus at the moment. *Note: when this lady gets stressed she wants pasta or ice cream, not meat & cheese. Thanks. I will try to be good in the near future, but my excuse is that I have too much on my metaphoric plate to obsess about what is on my literal plate for lunch and din din.

27 weeks Pregnant: Baby Girl is 27 weeks and counting. My latest and greatest pregnancy symptom is heart burn. Which makes me feel like a dragon with fire coming up my throat ever so often. It even wakes me up at night. It is just lovely.
There are 5 weeks until I meet again with the high risk pregnancy specialist to see if our little “cord issue” has resolved itself. Please be continuing to pray for that nasty (but VERY important to have) cord and for baby girl!

Car- Well its official my good old jeep was deemed total loss. Sad times. We had many a good times in that old car. The best part about my heap a jeep is that is was paid for. So I have to find something I can buy off the lot on the cheap so I don’t have a monthly car payment… With motherhood and baby expenses right around the corner, I don’t need an extra monthly expense. So that being said, be praying on me finding the perfect and safe vehicle for me a little lady bug. Finding a car is stressful when you don’t have any money to spare…. But I am confident that despite feeling frantic and stressed, God will provide. He always does.

Nursery- This weekend I am finally starting on the nursery! And by "I" I mean, my dear friends Megan and her sister Colleen and Taylor. They are going to paint for me on Saturday! I am thrilled to get started. I cannot wait to set up her crib and start decorating. I promise to update with pictures of the progress.

GoundHog Day

While I was in the hospital last week, my mom light-heartedly said, “I swear it is like GroundHog Day with you.” I smiled and thought to myself Lordy, what in the world I have put her through in the past 3 years. I am sure it times I may come across as a walking land mine. One disaster after another. We HAVE to laugh about it. If not, it will drive us crazy.

“If we didn’t laugh at ourselves we would cry our eyes out.” – Indigo Girls

The truth is there has been a LOT of brokenness in the past few years of this life of mine. I have had 2 broken engagements. TWO. That is two separate times I have opened my heart to love and had things not work out as planned. Two separate times that I have had to hold my head up high and pick up the pieces the best I knew how. There were a lot of tears, a lot of wine, and a whole lot of hurt & anger in these break ups. I even lost a few friends along the way.

I understand now that there are certain people who cannot handle grief. Who don’t know how to empathize with other peoples pain. I don’t hold anything against these people… but it was a lesson learned. A BIG one. Losing some of those friendships hurt just as much as the broken engagements and left scars that will take just as much time to heal.

All that being said, I do believe that God has covered me with GRACE each day through the broken places. Actually I KNOW it is true. Grace is something God gives us when we don’t deserve it. He doesn’t just offer His grace on birthdays, holidays or special occasions. That is what makes him God. He loves us ALL THE TIME.
I sure as hell didn’t deserve all the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances He has given me. Especially when I had my fists angrily balled up in his direction behaving like a stubborn rebellious child.

In the face of loss, God also PROVIDES. He provided me with new friendships. He strengthened relationships that were already there. He taught me how to love and appreciate those people more. I believe he put into place the support system that helped me keep my head above water when I was just about ready to drown. Drown in my self pity, drown in my anger, drown in my sadness, drown in my recklessness, in my selfishness. Just writing this makes me want to scream THANK YOU GOD for getting me through the low places and providing the people to hold me up when I simply cannot stand.

I also believe that in seasons of loss God TEACHES. He has been teaching me to stand on my own two feet. Something pretty darn important as I prepare to be a single mom. To realize that no matter how much you love your friends, your family members, your boyfriend, your fiancé… they are human. And all people, including me, are more than likely going to let you down at some point in the journey. I am learning that in standing on my own two feet, there is a NECCESITY to lean harder into Him. Daily. In the same way we need water to drink and air to breathe. We just simply cannot live this life and understand all of the bumps in the road on our own. We need Promises. Life without Hope is truly like GroundHog Day. There is no adventure, no lessons learned, and no believing in better days ahead.

Baby Girl is a TOUGH cookie... like her MaMa.

Sunday night I was driving home for a lovely dinner with Jenn, Kelly & Daisy. I called my friend Taylor to check in and see how the rest of her weekend played out and to see if she had caught any new Law & Order SVU episodes. Yes, we LOVEEE that show. The last thing I remember was laughing with her about our favorite character Ice-T and his “little braid,” then BAM! I was hit by a car. Hard. A car had run a red light at an intersection and T-Boned me at 40-45 mph. I was forced into the other lane slamming into another car head on.

I sat there in shock until the paramedics arrived. All I could think about was the baby. The other driver came up to me to see if I was alright and I told him I was pregnant and needed to be checked out. I couldn’t even open my car door at first from the impact. Poor Taylor was still on the phone calling out my name. She was my little angel that night. She rushed to the scene to be with me, knowing I was scared out of my mind. I cannot imagine how frightening it was for her to hear the accident happen and not know what was going on.

Right before Taylor got to the scene the paramedics arrived. As they asked me a bunch of questions, I was still sitting in my car in complete shock. Then I realized I went to high school with the paramedic crew chief. A huge blessing. Having familiar faces around definitely kept me calm. My mom couldn’t be reached since she was in a movie. Taylor was amazing and followed the ambulance to Presbyterian where they examined me and made sure me and baby tot were ok. They decided to keep me over night to monitor the baby and checked me into the Women’s Center. Taylor sat by my side like a true blue while they got me settled in. She held my hand through the uncertainty and the tears. Finally, we got in touch with my mom. Then my dad. I am sure it scared the heck out of them too.

For the first time in my life I felt like I could appreciate how scared they must have felt. For the first time, I caught of glimpse of what it feels like to want only to protect your child. I could relate as soon as that car hit me, my first thought was my daughter and her well being. I would do anything in this world to keep her safe and when that is compromised it can be downright terrifying.

After a long uncomfortable 24 hours I was discharged. Everything looked just fine for me and baby girl. My mom stayed by my side the whole time and slept in what looked like the world’s most uncomfortable recliner. She held my hand when they continued to stick me with needles and take countless amounts of blood. I seriously felt like a pin cushion.

The one other scary thing we did find out (that was not related to the accident) was after meeting with one of the specialist. I had an ultra sound and found out that the umbilical cord is now covering my cervix. That isn’t ideal to say the least. The blessing of this is that I saw this specialist and wouldn’t have if I hadn’t been in the accident. He said there was a 50/50 chance of this correcting itself. If not, I will be having a c-section as 37 weeks. That is almost 10 weeks people. And baby girl will be here.

I will know at 34 weeks for sure what the game plan is. Until then… please lift up a prayer of THANKS for safety and health, baby girl, family, & friends. My heart sure is GRATEFUL for all the above.

Questions Answered.

So a HUGE Thank You to my ONE and only reader Angela! This Blog is for you pretty lady ;)

How did you choose your baby name?

Well I went back and forth for 6 months. First I was going to go with a family name. Then I was going to go with a name from a baby name book that I thought was so pretty… but at a recent doctor appointment, my O.B. told me she has delivered about a thousand baby girls with that name in the past month. I was heartbroken, but decided to veto. I never enjoyed being one of three or four Lauren’s in my class.
So then I just started flipping through the name book and came upon it. It almost came off the page at me as if “it was meant to be.” Also, through the name picking process I had really cared about the feedback I got from friends and family when sharing my name ideas… after finally picking her name… I realized I didn’t care at all what folks would say, because I believe with all my heart it is just the most perfect name for my little lady bug. I am still keeping it under wraps at the moment, but will surely make a baby name announcement in the upcoming weeks. Get excited!!!

Do I crave foods I have never craved before?

I would say the weirdest craving I have had was the Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs. Typically that kind of stuff just kind of grosses me out… but I will confess there was a spell there where I had a can every few days. And I would eat it straight up out of the can like a frat boy. It was nuts. Thank the Lord that is over!

And never apologize for pregnancy questions. I LOVE to talk about it and you can trust an honest answer from this lady. Haha. Even if it is a bit weird or gross… and it may leave you saying to your self, “To MUCH Information Lauren.” Just call it free birth control for friends and family. Ha. Jk.

*And in my car CD player right now I have an oldie but goodie. Waterdeep, Entering the Worship Circle. Or maybe Sara Barielles. One or the other. They are 2 of my favorite stand-bys.

In Need of Some Inspiration...

What to Write...

I am in the mood to write today but am not quite sure what to write about.

SOOOO… I thought we could get a little READER INVOLVEMENT on this!!!!

In the comment section, post something you want to me write about or a question or a few questions you have for me and I will go to them on days like these where I want desperately to write… but just cannot seem to settle on one subject.

Sound good? Great!

And GO!!!!

Snowed In & Stir Crazy...

Yesterday I woke up to a beautiful Winter Wonderland. Here is the view from my kitchen window.

Just lovely :)

All the snow has closed down Charlotte. Today there is ice. I am working from home and may attempt to venture out later this afternoon. My parking lot is still covered with ice...but my boss went in, so I feel obligated to at least try to get out of here. So we shall see.

*update: I did NOT make it out of the parking lot due to ice. I started spinning on the ice as soon as I pulled out. I was panicked because I was blocking all the other cars in the lot. One of my neighbors came and pushed me back into my parking spot. This lady is staying put!

So here is a 90 Day Challenge Update:

Healthy Eating- I have made it almost 2 weeks on low carb. Minus my one binge last week, on some cookies that were calling my name. I ended up eating almost a whole sleeve and then had to toss them to avoid an encore performance.

Staying Active - I pounded the pavement 5 days last week. This week the snow is cramping my style just a bit. Tonight I plan on doing a work out video here at the condo. Say a prayer for me. haha. Me and baby girl will be getting our groove on.

This week marks 25 weeks pregnant for this lady. Baby girl is the size of an eggplant. She is SO active. I just lovee feeling her dance in my tummy. She is seriously my tiny dancer.

Also, I have decided on baby girls name. And I am very happy about that. :)

To celebrate our snowy days I leave you with a picture of Izzie Frizz staying warm & cozy in her beddie bop. Hope all of you stuck in the snow are doing the same:)

My Prayer at This Moment...

Some nights I don't feel much like singing....

Tonight is a lonely night for this lady. In spite of that, I am so grateful for the sweet little kicks I have every now and then that remind me of the life I have inside of me. The abundance of love I have for her is unreal and overwhelming at the same time.

I confess I can give into my selfishness and find myself feeling frustrated and sorry for myself from time to time. Tonight I couldn't help it when the tears started to flow down my cheeks. I tried really hard to swallow them back and move on. I am a professional at sucking it up and moving on. But tonight I am allowing myself to feel what is coming natural.

I am frustrated with R. I am angry that he is an addict. I am hurt that he chose his addictions over us. I don't feel like he has any clue to what I am walking through. He is in celebrity rehab and I am in the real world. I don't even know if he really gets it that we are having a baby in April...

I think the catalyst for this frustration is the last letter I received from him. When he left for Georgia back in November... I was under the impression he would come back for our daughters birth. Now he is saying he is not coming back. He said, it may put his recovery in jeopardy.

I can see where his reasoning comes from with my head, but my heart doesn't see how he can miss something so important. To all of us.

So this is where I am in this moment, and this is what you will find me praying... That the Lord will protect me from my selfishness and self pity way of thinking. That he will grant me a heart of understanding and cover me with patience. That as each day passes I trust in Him more and lean on my own understanding less.

I am meditating on one of my favorite scriptures,

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

2011. New Year New Goals... 90 Day Challenge!

There is something super motivating about embarking on a new year. It is almost like we are given a CLEAN slate. A fresh place where all the gunk that had accumulated in the past year is washed clean and a new year can begin on a sparkling blank canvas. I just love that.

I can already predict 2011 will bring with it a lot of CHANGE. For one thing, I am going to become a mama. (deep breath) I am going to be responsible for an itty-bitty person. A daughter. Having her coming into the world motivates me even more to strive to reach my goals and become a better me, so ultimately I can be better for her.

Instead of just typing up a list and throwing it out there for the internet world to read I have actually been thoughtful and prayerful about the things I would like to do this year.

Here are my 2 BIG GOALS FOR 2011:

1.) JOIN A CHURCH: – This pregnant lady has been craving Jesus more than Taco Bell or Spaghetti O’s. I am hungry for community and I want to get established in a group of believers to nurture my heart and raise my little lady bug.

2.) FOCUS on HEALTH: - Since finding out I was pregnant I have quit smoking. And apparently you aren’t supposed to drink wine like a fish either when you are expecting… so that isn’t happening either. Therefore, I have two huge unhealthy vices/obstacles of a healthy lifestyle already eliminated. So in 2011, my goal will be to replace 2 vices with two healthy habits. I am thinking exercise and more whole foods in my diet than packaged/preservative filled goodies. I have even thought about getting a jogging stroller and taking up running post baby. My friend Jessi has totally inspired me with her body makeover from taking up running. We shall see…. ;)

So instead of being overwhelmed by goals and resolutions I have decided to start on a personal 90 DAY CHALLENGE
If this pregnant lady can do it so can you.

Here is the plan:

*Get off the couch and get moving. Walking at least 5 days a week for at least 20-30 minutes.

* 90 Day Beth Moore Bible Study. I think this will be a great discipline for me. I have to go public and confess my quiet times have been non-existent. I am already 3 days into the study… and these are becoming sweet moments of my day.

* Low Carb Lifestyle. Now before you say to me “Lauren you are pregnant! Eat what you want and enjoy it,” please know that I have been instructed by my doctors to watch my sugar and carbohydrate intake for the remainder of my pregnancy. I have insulin resistance which means my body doesn’t process sugar like normal folks. With me, a cookie turns into a double chin with a quickness. I plan on incorporating a ton of veggies and lean protein into my diet and will try to share any fun recipes I come across along the way!

So tell me friends. What are your goals for 2011? And if you designed your own 90 Day Challenge what would your goals be?

Lady in a Fat Suit

So today as I waddled around the office.... I caught myself saying aloud,

"I swear I feel like I am wearing a fat suit...."

Five minutes later, I was wondering if it was snack time.

True Story.