look who is 5 months!

Arlo is such a happy baby (except when we try and put him to sleep). He is very social and will randomly smile at anyone, even when that person is not looking at him... it's as if he is saying "just look at how cute I am!" He is a strong kid and always wants to be moving, standing, or rolling. He is going to be hard to keep up with once he is crawling... and especially when walking. At least he'll keep me active :)

I can't get enough of this little face.

I love my little Arlo!



(not to distract from the whittle my middle post)

Whittle my Middle: Part I

I (along with several others) are doing this neat little thing called Whittle my Middle.
Seeing as I had a baby just 5 months ago (today to the exact day) I figured this would be a good way to get my tush (and tummy) back into shape... and pass my Army PT test.

Check out the site for more info. I am doing the core work (ab) routine they suggest on the site as well as walking/running/elliptical (cardio) and push ups. Gotta love push ups.

STATS:
Weight: 130

Waist (smallest part): 29 inches

Waist (largest part): 34 inches

Hips/Butt: 36 inches

Pant size: 4/6 (depending on brand)

PICTURES:
(I still have my pregnancy line... I don't know why I am standing crooked)

ROUTINE:
CORE WORK: 6-10 minute core workout, 5 days a week, doing the following exercises:

• Plank
• Side plank
• Plank with elbows on stability ball
• Stability Ball Jackknifes
• Stability ball roll out
• Plank Rotations

CARDIO: at least a mile (or more) 5 times a week

ARMS: 5 minutes of boot camp exercises that they used to "torture" us with :) 3-4 times a week (every other day)

Arlo takes a bite... or two.... or more

He wasn't too excited about it at first... but by the end of the "meal" he had taken to it quite well.
The next night he tried some banana...
And 5 nights later, he loves it!
Still has some work to do on the swallowing, after a few bites he gets the hang of it.

Tonight as I fed him, he was getting very excited and his arms were waving everywhere (also because he was tired and in a mood), he whacked the spoon with his hand and the cereal got him right on the nose.



and just a cute picture of the babe. love him.

a holiday giveaway

over at SIMPLE MOM there is a great GIVEAWAY going on that you must

CHECK OUT

corvallis!!!

last week my brother, justin, was in town to buy a car. so justin, my mom, arlo, and myself drove down to corvallis for the day to visit my sister, amber and her new dog cooper. i didn't get many pictures... but some really cute ones of arlo :)


in the car on the way


playing with uncle justin on OSU campus


drooling on grandma


being oh-so-studious at OSU


sitting at the big boy table at The Broken Yolk


eating his fingers... like always.

taxes, taxes, taxes

disclaimer: this is my opinion on my blog.

First of all, I just want to say that this commercial irritates me:

This line is what does it:

"they say it's only pennies... well, those pennies add up when you're trying to feed a family"

Soda and juice are not what you need to buy to be feeding your family. If someone is buying so much soda and juice that those pennies do add up, then that person is probably buying way more than is healthy for them. Maybe the tax will help those people buy less and not consume so much junk. A "study [in the New England Journal of Medicine] cited research on price elasticity for soft drinks that has shown that for every 10 percent rise in price, consumption declines 8 to 10 percent."

That is a good thing, to me. Soda and juice drinks are a horrible way to hydrate yourself and offer empty calories, many actually dehydrate you. If you are thirsty, drink water.

The organization who pays for this ad does have some good points on their website:
"...taxes on soda and juice drinks do not teach our children to have a healthy lifestyle... Even the science shows that education, not taxation, is the key to reducing obesity and improving public health."

I completely agree that education is much more effective than taxing the drinks. I also don't think that a tax should be put on something (like food) for the sole purpose of deterring people from buying the item. For example, the tax on cigarettes isn't there to make people not buy them, it is to help make up for the loss of money that comes from illness/disease caused by smoking. Soda and sugary drinks are also costing the health care system money. Obesity causes many health problems that are potentially fatal. People who make choices leading to obesity should help pay to control the premiums that are rising in part because of them.



The following is another argument against the tax that I mostly agree with and I find much more logical than people not being able to afford to feed their families:

"If you want to pay for health care reform," say Blumenauer, who sits on the House committee that writes tax law, "it's fairest to have every American pay a tiny amount." At the same time, a population that consumes too much sugar and fat is a problem, he says. But rather than focus on soda or french fries or other targets, Blumenauer would attack the problem on a larger scale.

"Why not end subsidies on corn?" he asks.

Corn is the main ingredient in high fructose corn syrup, which gives sugar drinks their sweetness while also contributing directly to the expanding waistlines of millions. Federal subsidies to corn growers vary by year depending on market price and other factors, but under current law, producers are guaranteed a total of at least $2 billion a year.

With so much federal aid, corn prices remain artificially low, which means the cost of a 2-liter bottle of Coke is inexpensive as well. Health professionals say that's a major cause of obesity.
(From THIS Oregonian article)

In the end, soda and juice drinks are not healthy. Most people know this. Should we tax it? Maybe, maybe not. Should anyone be running commercials like this? I personally think not.

want to try....

some simple cloth diapers?

enter to win an econobum FULL kit! HERE

The Great Outdoors

{photo from a family session last weekend}

I have already noticed that Arlo loves being outside... it is so much more exciting out there! It's a beautiful, fun-filled place. As kids, a lot of us spent hours and hours outside playing make believe games, playing "unorganized" neighborhood sports, exploring in forests (if there were any nearby), riding bikes, and just using our imaginations. This is quickly changing and I hope it doesn't change for my children.

According to the Nielson company, children ages 2-5 (yes, 2-5) spend an average of 32.5 hours a week in front of a screen! YIKES! That is over 4 hours a day. Read more, HERE.

"Pediatricians nowadays see fewer kids with broken bones from climbing trees and more children with longer-lasting repetitive-stress injuries, which are related to playing video games and typing at keyboards. Indoors is in. Outdoors is out – as in, out of favor with kids. "I like to play indoors better, because that's where all the electrical outlets are," said a fourth-grader quoted in the book Last Child in the Woods, in which author Richard Louv coins the term "nature deficit disorder."
From THIS article.

Also,
Society inadvertently teaches children to fear the outdoors, where there's traffic, nature and strangers, and feel safest inside.

Yes, I agree that letting your kids roam around outdoors on their own is scary. That worries me in the future... how many kids do you hear about on the news who are taken while walking to or from a friend's house or out at the neighborhood park? At least when they are younger, we can be out there with them. As they grow older, that can be more of a challenge.

But, "research shows interaction with the natural environment plays an important role in children's development, including building problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as fostering creativity."

I think the occasional movie, computer game, etc. is fine. But, life needs balance. Too much of anything is not a good thing.

It's hard to get kids out when it's rainy and wet (although, I remember many days of playing in the rain!), however, here are some ideas and reads on getting your kids to enjoy the great outdoors:

Kids and Nature: They Need Each Other, from Simple Mom

Saving Kids from 'Nature Deficit Disorder', from NPR

30 Ways to Get Your Kid to Play Outside, from the Daily Green

Green Hour, the parent's place for nature, play, & learning

This video really makes me laugh because it's full of cheese, but the texting part reminds me of my little sister.... my mom told me that last month she sent 15,000 text messages last month, SERIOUSLY?!?!

i should really go to bed....

but, i found these guys (a little while ago)... but i am actually listening and watching their videos now. and i love them.

you probably will too....

POMPLAMOOSE MUSIC



she is super adorable and i love her voice

3 whole months

Our little guy hit the big three month mark today. I cannot believe it. I also cannot believe the fact that he is in mostly 6-12 month and 9 month sized clothing. Wow. He is a big kid. He is loving the little play mat that I picked up (for $10) at the Just Between Friends consignment sale... he coos and smiles at the toys hanging and is learning that it is his hands that are hitting them. He also loves the song "If You're Happy and You Know It", if he's fussing in the car (and not too worked up) I can usually start singing that and he'll stop... he also does his miniature laugh when I sing it to him at home. His favorite lullaby song is "Love One Another"... he definitely recognizes different songs. He either loves to be laying flat on his back or standing on a lap. He is starting to really love the sling even more.

Play time today:






don't mind my talking... he also loves it when i am talking... and i talk to him all day long, no matter what i am doing. i even noticed i was talking to him as i was grocery shopping today. others probably thought i was a little weird.