• Less is more.  Work on cutting down to a manageable amount of: magazines, emails, Facebook friends, stuff, clothes….Continue my process to further organize my life….home, computer, work, car, etc.

Work in progress!!! I have canceled magazines. Most of our stuff is in storage and will be for 3/4 of the year so I will definitely re-evaluate what I need when we move in the new house in Dec. My small pregnancy wardrobe has helped me re-evaluate how many and what clothes I need.  A few simple pieces. Add accessories. Throw away the crap. Done. Computer needs work. New mommy-mobile (my new car) is much more organized. Life with baby MUST be organized or you end up with poop on your clothes…literally!

• Project 52 on the blog…continue to explore and learn photography

Quitting

• Workout at least 3x a week [when able] during and after pregnancy

FAIL!!! I started working a PT job along with my FT job. We moved…twice. And, it didn’t happen. Life got in the way of fitness and it’s my own fault that I let it happen! Boo to FITori. I stayed active but didn’t do CrossfitMOM workouts as often as I wanted.  I was cleared last week to start working out again so now I have to find the time to add in workouts 3x a week again…..ready, set, GO!!! (JUST DO IT!!!)

• Work on getting back into shape reasonably soon after baby’s born

Working on this. I have 5 lbs to lose to be pre-pregnancy. 5 more to lose to be at my comfortable weight. That’s considering that my “weight” will still correlate to the “look” and “size” I was pre-pregnancy. Who knows! I plan to keep eating healthy and start Crossfit. I want to build strength and let my body respond. I will start to “diet” if Crossfit isn’t getting me the results I want.

• Continue with health and nutrition as my #1 goal for diet/exercise rather than vanity

WIN WIN WIN!!!! This is the first time in my life I am NOT concerned about how I look. (I just wish I had more clothes to wear right now! I’m not fitting in all my pants yet!) I have a bigger belly than I’m used to but I don’t look at it with disgust. I look at it as a temporary state and it brought me my FITbaby. It will go away! I’m sure. I’m not worried.

• Finish all my baby, breastfeeding and birth books!

CHECK! Still reading but only on the issues we’re having like reflux, etc. And, reading on baby development now.  Currently reading the fascinating “Our Babies, Ourselves” & “Understanding Children and Adolescents“

• Stick to our new & working budget of $x per week per person

Well. Hmmm. Baby Stuff is expensive??!! I’m saving TONS of money by breastfeeding, cloth diapering and cloth wiping. Love all of those. But I can’t say I’m saving money anywhere else….except eating at home. I have gone over budget recently.

I need to find good budgeting software to keep track of my purchases better! I suck at this. Maybe I should increase my budget!

• Pay off $x debt before baby is born

Check. And, work in progress to be DEBT FREE by the time we move into our new house! 

• Grow my FIToriBLOG readership and start taking clients as FITori Consulting

Change of priorities. A wonderful opportunity to work from home fell into my lap and I jumped on it. I have a PT job that is allowing me more income that FITori would right away so I am focusing there. I love this new job, I just wish I had more time! So, for now, FITori clients will wait. And, FIToriBLOG takes a back seat to a LOT of other goals & priorities I have!

• Open up  store.FIToriBLOG.com

On hold.

• Blog at least 3x a week and keep up with others’ blogs approximately 2x a week

Back seat. This will wait. I will start trying to get a blog or two up each week that are GOOD blog entries with GOOD info on fitness/nutrition. I will stop blogging crappy Project 52 and useless blog posts! I will have to work on my photography for those few posts to have a great pic to go along w/ those posts b/c every blog post needs a GOOD pic, right??

• Complete at least 5 more Nutrition/Wellness/Personal Training certifications in 2011 (or before baby!)

Current tally…. (1) Nutrition & Wellness Consultant (2) Personal Trainer (3) Weight Management Consultant (4) Pre & Postnatal Exercise Specialist.  Next on the list….Children’s Exercise Specialist.

• Keep Toby around 75 lbs all year

Looking good! Though he’s neglected in other ways! Poor guy. I didn’t believe it but he became…gasp… A DOG….when we came home from the hospital with our girl.  He’ll survive.

• Figure out motherhood while also remaining true to myself and remaining a good wife.

My #1 Goal is taking care of my girl and my husband. That is a full-time job!!!  So, the rest has to wait. Next needs to come my work and household chores. And, then comes FITori and the things I do for myself. It all fits in there somehow and someway. This is just a season. Every day will be different. Every week and month will be different. I will get more work done some days and weeks and less others. I will try to get it all done and I will win some days and lose others. But, as long as my family is well cared for and loved, I am doing my job, right?

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I am trying to remind myself every day that I don’t have too much to do…instead, I am ridiculously blessed with a wonderful family to care for and love and my life is filled with an overflow of wonderful people, hobbies & things I want to spend time on!!!! I am truly blessed. Now, if you can tell me how to find more time in my day…I’d love to hear!!

No new goals this time around. I have plenty of goals, priorities and hobbies.  I don’t need to ADD anything else to my overflowing plate!

Look back at my 2010 Goals & 2010 Goals Revisited posts to catch up on FITori!

So, how are you doing on your 2010 Goals so far???!!! Any changes? Any additions? Any subtractions?

Remember….if you’re always meeting your goals, you’re not setting hard enough goals!!!

[source]

We had our big ultrasound on Monday! We were so excited to see her. It’s been a couple of months since we’ve “seen” her! It’s funny to think about my mom’s generation who got one ultrasound or none at all. We are so spoiled today with our technology!  We got to see her moving around in there in 4D and it was really cool!  But, she was taking a nap so we probably didn’t get the best “show”…we’ll have to wait a few more weeks to really see her! CAN’T WAIT!!!

Our little FITbaby girl…..

• has hair!!!
• has chubby cheeks!!! (see the left-hand pic above!)
• is sucking her thumb!!! (see the right-hand pic above!)
• is head down!!!
• is a fatty!!! She’s measuring at almost 5 lbs! (should be 3.75 and she’s 4.75!) But ultrasounds are wrong all the time, so who knows! (Don’t worry….she’s still in the normal range…she won’t be a Monster!)
• had her hands in front of her face for most of the time and was rubbing her eyes and playing coy
• is the cutest thing ever AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO MEET HER!!!

I’ve heard that if a baby is born with little hair, they will have a FULL head of hair later…..

Was your baby (or were you) born with hair? Did he/she/you have tons of hair later if born bald, or vice versa?

photo source

I got another certification in the mail last week!!! YAY!!!  I’m now certified as a Pre & Post-Natal Exercise Specialist!!  Woohoo!!!

I’m really close to obtaining two others! I’ll keep you updated in the coming months!

What’s your dream?

What’s your plan?

When are you going to “GO FOR IT?!”

This was a busy weekend full of fun!

I went to Nelly Bug Boutique‘s sample sale and got some CUTE burp cloths that match my teal & pink nursery colors!  They laughed at me when I asked….(1) how many burp cloths do I need? (2) how do I use them? (3) which side do I use?  It’s quite humorous what you DON’T know as a pregnant mommy!

Don’t you love them?!  What do you think of my new watermark?  It’s just my logo….do you like it better?

We went to the Military Ball on Saturday night. You can tell how happy FIThubby is in this picture! HA!

[pictured above: Target Maternity Dress $44.99....LOVE!] ~ 31 weeks preggo!

I had a great time at a HUGE and amazing shower on Sunday afternoon for my friend [see baby bumps below!]  I have the most amazing and beautiful friends!

The shower for my friend was huge! She has so many friends!

She’s due a week before me. We have FOUR friends due the week before us! It’s CRAZY how many people are having babies right now! Ca-ra-zy!

[pictured above: Ross non-maternity dress find! $12.99 clearance! LOVE!]

Loving comfy clothes these days!!!!

It’s been a crazy and SO FUN weekend!  Now time to get some work done….settling in for a night of work!

What’d you do this weekend? What do you think of the new watermark? Better?

This is a big year. A big year of changes. All good changes. All blessings. We are so blessed!

Last week, I enjoyed my home for one last week.  We lived in that home….our first home purchase…for 4 years.

In my life I’ve only lived one place longer, that was 7 years (from 1st to 8th grade).

All other homes since then were NEVER more than a year…yes, I said it….ONE year.

Not only was this MY first house [n0t parents' house], but it was also a house I lived in for MUCH longer than others.

I am a nester. I was a nester before pregnancy. I am a super-nester now.

I loved that house. I will always love that house. I loved that yard. I will always love that yard.

I cried all weekend having to leave it. I’m hormonal. I wanted to bring our first baby home to that house.

I cried. I mourned. I moved on….literally and figuratively. I [we] have great memories of that house. I [we] always will.

Nothing stays the same. Things change. And, change is good. Change is inevitable. It can still be hard.

There are bigger and better things ahead for us! And, it’s just a house! Things are just things. Stuff is just stuff.

What’s most important in life? Things? No. Stuff? No.

I snapped some fun iPhone pics last week for my Project 52…. I have discovered that I can lose highlighters on my shelf.

What a handy little shelf it is.  Oh so handy, until….

I drop food….and it lands on one of two shelves….shelves I didn’t have a few months ago!

A few pictures of my buddy. As a military wife, I am alone sometimes more than I’d like.

But, what a blessing it is to have such a great companion by my side.  I know he will miss his yard too, for the time being.

I may be more sad for him than for me, but he is just a dog. Do dogs have memories?  Will he have dreams of his old backyard?

[pic on left] Toby on my lap on our swing looking at the backyard!

The older you get, have you discovered that “things” are less important than they once were?

Were you a nester during pregnancy?  Have you ever “lost” anything that had significant meaning to you?

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Find other Project 52 Bloggers Here…

Cyan Baby Bliss ■  Healthy Cultivations ■  McBabyBump ■  PE Burgess ■  Phreckle Face Photography Blog ■  styleberryBLOG ■  wickedkate

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So, these are not perfect. Not at all. I was playing with my camera, my tripod and lighting, for the first time in front of the window!!

I learned a lot and I’ll be posting more when I play again w/ the lighting!

I’m posting the blooper because I think it’s neat! Toby came up to smell my hands I think and it turned out! I love it!

The shot I was trying to get…kinda.

Wet hair!

I have a lot of fun posts coming up……

• 2chix.com coupon code & post!! Woohoo!
• a post on “staging” and how we sold our house so quickly!
• a fun skype interview I have coming up in the next couple of weeks! Can’t wait!

Is my MOJO back?! Not quite, but getting there! I feel better today than I have in well over a week.  Last week was rough with my dad in the hospital on top of being sick. And, work is crazy. And, life is crazy. And, the world is in turmoil so it’s been challenging, to say the least….BUT I’M FEELING BETTER!!! WOOHOO!!!

And, doesn’t this photo make you feel better?! It makes me feel better!!! I think I’ll frame this….not sure where or why but I like it.

The flowers are finally blooming…which means the polin is everywhere [probably not helping the head cold] but I’m loving the beauty of the flowers and the grass starting to turn green!  How awesome!

I’ve had spare time lately but I’m spending it soaking up knowledge about childbirth, breastfeeding and baby’s first year books.  I thought I’d share a few that I think you should know about…I’ll write a ton more about this subject when I have some experience on…childbirth, breastfeeding and baby’s first year. Right now I’m just soaking it up!

I saw this book by Me Ra Koh on The Nate Show.  [photo source]

I am so excited about it! I plan to take some of the photos she suggests in here for my baby’s first year photos! She has some great ideas! I can’t wait to practice! I definitely need a subject other than my Toby. Love him…BUT I need a human subject…soon!

I’m LOVE LOVE LOVING the books by Ina May! Huge fan!  We’re interviewing doulas very soon….starting this weekend, I believe!  Can’t wait!  [Again, I'll share my experience...once I have one to share!]

I’m also finding The Baby Whisperer Books to be a GREAT supplement to Baby Wise.  I love the philosophies in these books and LOVE what The Baby Whisperer says about treating your baby like a little person rather than talking over them. Love it! [Again, will share later what I think when real experience comes into play!]

**UPDATES**

My baby shower date….May 7!!!!

If you’re local, be sure you send me your address!!! I’d love to see ALL of my local friends there…even the ladies I don’t know who read this blog!!! Come meet me! It’ll be a GREAT party….I promise!

My maternity shoot by this talented lady….May 6!!! Can’t wait…pray for great weather!

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Find other Project 52 Bloggers Here…

Cyan Baby Bliss ■  Healthy Cultivations ■  McBabyBump ■  PE Burgess ■  Phreckle Face Photography Blog ■  styleberryBLOG ■  wickedkate

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What’s on your nightstand currently? What’s your favorite book of late?

I’m still sick.  :(

If I’m still getting worse my Monday I’ll have to go to the doctor and succumb to meds. I don’t want to but if this sickness hurts my baby then I’ll have to do something…even though I don’t want to.

I’ve had faith every day that I’ll wake up feeling better and….not yet. Today I felt the worst so far.

I’m hoping to get off work early so I can rest. I’m trying to rest.

My main priority is to do what I have to at work and then rest. My housework is slacking. My blogging is slacking I hope you understand!

My body is working hard to fight this illness and keep growing a baby! I am working hard to keep mentally positive.

My hubby measured my belly last night. It’s 40 inches! I’m so impressed with my growing body! I think it’s amazing and beautiful! He is betting me that I’ll only get to 42 inches! HA! I think he’s nuts. I have 3.5 more months left and I think 44 at least!

Who do you think will win our bet?

Any advice on getting better?

Will you forgive me for being absent blogging recently?

photo source

It’s been almost a week since I posted and I’ve enjoyed my computer break! Lately I’m having a hard time after work finding the mental “juice” to write a good post or to answer emails! I have a lot of emails to reply back to and I promise, you’re on my list! I’m not ignoring you! I just don’t want to send out half-assed responses!

Sorry for the crappy pics! I had to post an update but these are sad pics, really! My hair is still wet and they aren’t really in focus! Sorry!

What’s up? We were out of town for well over a week and had a great time together!  We went back to the place we met and fell in love.  By the time we got back, we were back to work and getting caught up from being gone! Now, we’re both sick. And, my dad is in the hospital. It’s been busy and a week bit stressful! But, I have nothing but blessings in my life right now and can’t complain.

What I have recently learned:

• I need to highlight my hair after baby is born!  I am looking drab these days with the pale skin and dark hair!
• Girl scout cookies are the devil. They need to remain out of my house. They do not fill me up so I can’t stop at one and they are too high in calories. Damn the hubby for the order he wanted to place! Argh!
• Traveling while preggo is tough….having to pee every hour extends a trip and sure changes things when the interstate is closed and momma has to pee!
• HEALTH IS SO IMPORTANT!!! I have SO many (4) family members who have been struck with heart and lung problems this past week due to obesity, lifestyle and smoking. I am angry and very driven to remain healthy for my baby to not put her through this heartache and stress our family has experienced lately!
• I do not have gestational diabetes, but that drink….OMG…kicked my boot-ay! I had no idea I would almost pass out and feel like crap ALL DAY.
• Worrying does not good. This year one of the lessons I’m learning is that things I never dreamed would happen sometimes happen. And, worrying does no good.
• I am a lucky, blessed and happy girl for all I have in my life.

What I am doing:

• I am reading about chidlbirth, nursing, motherhood, baby’s first year, reviews on strollers, etc.  SO much to learn!
• Resting when I need it, mentally and physically. Trying to “take it easy” with the stress we have going on and take care of myself and FITbabygirl
• We closed on our house. We’re busy with that and a move happening soon! Thank God for good friends letting us live with them til we have a new home!
• Trying to cook every day for the hubs and myself and make sure lunches are available for him for work days. I have a great spinach lasagna recipe I made from Oxygen Mag on Friday and I’ll share that with you this week, assuming I’m not knocked on my butt from this cold that I think I’m starting as of today.

What’s new with FITori:

• Almost done with the discussion board that we’re working on!!!  Been working on design and pricing. Also, figuring out how it’ll all work with payments, etc. Still working on recurring payments and Paypal!
• Redoing my watermark for my pictures. I’ll show you what we’re working on later this week hopefully and get your input.  I’m thinking of using my logo “FITori” and adding an apple and then [blog] after it. We’ll see. I’m not happy with the watermark now…I don’t think it matches my logo well enough!

Any lessons you’ve learned lately?  If I could only do one post this week, what would you want it to be on? Anything you’re dying to know about fitness/nutrition/pregnancy/FITori?

This has been a really busy week and I haven’t been on my computer much. I’ve been busy at work [it's a short week at work] and busy with all that we have going on. I’ve spent a lot of my spare time reading about organizing and reading my baby books….makes me feel less stressed!

Make sure to “LIKE” my FITori page on Facebook because when I get busy like this I still like to have fun discussions on my FB page. I love to learn from you all!!! I ask fun questions and love to read your answers and I’m always available to answer your questions, though sometimes it takes me a while to get back to you OR I tell you I won’t be replying right away and instead I’ll blog it!

Hopefully you’ll forgive me for my lack of well-thought-out posts!!! I have a few different posts I need to put together on some of the books I’ve recently read and been reading. I love to share with you all the great stuff I learn!

Went to a baby class today and was recognized as FITori [nice to meet you, my new friend!! ] which is always fun!!!

I had to share my new bargain with you! This is my new Nine West Bag. I’m a snob when it comes to some things…jeans & bags are two of them. I like to buy expensive and only have a few. I like good quality that doesn’t break or fall apart.  BUT in my quest for simplicity in my life and downsizing I have bought smaller bags in recent years.

Dilemma: my fancy camera will not fit in my fancy bags!!! Now, with my Project 52 in 2011 I decided it would be important that I have my camera in more places. If I see something I want to photograph, I’ll need to have my camera in order to stop and take a pic!  I picked out this great Kelly Moore Bag and of course it’s backordered!!! So, I needed a bag to get me through the next few months until I get this bag.  Enter Nine West Bargain in the above pic…..$24.99 at Burlington Coat Factory! It’s excellent! It fits my camera, wallet, a book, etc in there and it’s fabulous! I love it. Let’s see how long it lasts for that price…I may be surprised!

Thought I’d take some updated belly pics since I haven’t in a few weeks…oops!

I’m 23.5 weeks and starting to show more but no one has asked unless I’m wearing one of my 2chix shirts! [BTW, their shirts are GREAT quality and their customer service rocks!]  Thanks Audra for the suggestion!!! Check out Audra’s custom baby/kids designs here at Neely Bug Boutique.

I still think it’s hilarious that from the front it can sometimes be an optical illusion that I’m preggo. And, I love that my belly button is starting to come out….I have a serious innie…correction: had! I’ve never seen that much of my belly button before! So curious to see if it’ll pop out! Can’t wait to find out!

I’m finally sharing some fun photos of how much Toby LOVED the snow recently…was a fun time for him!  Every time he went outside he twirled and ran like a MAD MAN! So fun!  I love this series…he was attacking the snow and it was hilarious.

I missed this snow angel moment! I ran to get the camera but I didn’t get back in time. He was making a snow angel on the snow-covered porch. I did get a pic of the finished product. What a talented boy.  :)

What have you been up to? Where’s your update?

Are you a discount shopper or a name brand girl?