Breakfast Workout

Tuesday there was a crew at our office removing asbestos tile from a room we are re carpeting. They had very powerful equipment (to keep everything harmful out of the air) that kept throwing our breaker. When I left on Tuesday, we didn't even have lights in the office because of breaker problems.

I showed up yesterday morning to find that power had been restored to the office. Yay! Then I went back to the kitchen to put food in the fridge and found that the fridge was without power. It was still cold in there...so I wasn't too concerned.

Brody woke up a little after 6 am yesterday. Around 7 am I headed back to the kitchen to make some oatmeal for him for breakfast (this was his first time to have "big people" oatmeal!) I poured milk into the oatmeal, stuck in in the microwave, and nothing. Oops! There wasn't any power to the outlets in the kitchen either! I flipped numerous switches in the breaker box and still couldn't figure out the problem. I tried calling the next door neighbor to see if I could go use her microwave...but her phone was busy. Hmmm. I didn't have anything else for Brody to eat for breakfast...and he was hungry! What was I gonna do?!?!?

I left the kitchen and looked around the gym and thought, "Ok...no one is here!" Then I proceeded to carry the microwave from the kitchen to the cardio room where I set it on the floor by the recumbent bike and plugged it into a working outlet! I quickly cooked Brody's breakfast and then carried the microwave back to the kitchen.

Don't you wish you were a fly on the wall at my office yesterday morning?

PB & J

Brody had his first peanut butter and jelly sandwich this weekend. I was surprised that it wasn't very messy. Maybe it's because he didn't pull the pieces of bread apart and play with the peanut butter. He was too excited to eat it! He kept saying, "Mmmmmmmm!" while he was eating!

Here's a picture of Brody enjoying a PB & J sandwich at work yesterday.
Whenever I think of PB & J....I think of Caleb. He has eaten a peanut butter (and something) sandwich almost every day since Kindergarten! I don't understand...but he never gets tired of them! I have always loved the picture below. Caleb we soooo tired that he couldn't stay awake to finish his beloved PB & J (notice he didn't release his grip on his sandwich...even after he fell asleep!)

Backpack Aerobics

Toni (the babysitter during aerobics) was sick again today. I had Wendy (the former babysitter who speaks Spanish) call the 2 Hispanic ladies who usually bring their kids to tell them that we wouldn't have childcare today. I guess they couldn't find anyone else to watch their kids because they didn't come. A couple other ladies were out of town today...so I just ended up with 1 lady at aerobics! She said she'd rather go do the cross trainer than have me teach class to just her. I think Brody was disappointed! I had loaded him up in the backpack in anticipation of class and he didn't want to get out! This would've been my first attempt at teaching class with him on my back. Maybe it was for the best. Who knows if he could've lasted 45 minutes of me going up and down on a step!

Megan always used to ask for pictures of me teaching aerobics while I was pregnant. I never took any...but I did take these today to show you what I would've looked like teaching aerobics with Brody :)

Who will win?

Brody is now OVER a year old....and still NO TEETH!!!

How good are you at predictions?

(VOTE in the COMMENTS SECTION)

What date will Brody's first tooth

pop thru his gums?

The person who guesses closest to the actual date will win a prize!!!

I'm not telling what the prize is right now...but believe me...

you want to win!

1st Haircut

The time has arrived. Enough people commented about the length of Brody's hair that last night we finally caved and trimmed it. Before Mike could cut Brody's hair...he had to play a game of chase with the naked baby! For some reason Brody hates having his hair brushed (if you can't tell from his expression). Trevor enjoyed watching Brody get his hair cut (I think he was just happy we weren't cutting his hair. He doesn't know that we're saving that for tonight night ;)
The first "snip".
Yay! Now Brody's hair can lay flat without out blocking his vision!
"Mama! I don't want to take any more pictures!!!"

300!

This is post 300! Wow!

Something really exciting happened last night. On Monday night I asked Caleb if he'd design a cover for my 2006 blog book. He thought it sounded like fun...and by last night had this designed (I blurred out my last name for the blog)!

Isn't it awesome?!? I have a very talented brother! Thanks Caleb!!!!!!!!!!!

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On a totally different subject...have you ever read this book?
We had a cassette tape that told this story. Grover was excited about Saturday and his mommy was helping him learn the days of the week (in anticipation of Saturday)! For some reason...this morning I thought it was Saturday! My alarm clock went off at the normal time (3:45 am). Instead of hitting snooze (or getting up) I turned it off! I remember thinking, "Why did you set your alarm today?!?!? It's Saturday!!!" I was kinda mad at myself for setting my alarm and waking up on a Saturday! It wasn't until my watch (which I use as a backup alarm) went off at 4:30 am did I realize it wasn't Saturday! It's only Wednesday!!!! Praise the Lord that I found my watch before bed last night and put it on my night stand! (Brody had been carrying my "da...chh" around the living room. I found it by his toy box!) I hurriedly got out of bed and made it to work a full 20 minutes before I had to open!

3 shots

Yesterday was Brody's 1 year doctor's appointment. Mike went with me (I'm scared of going by myself on shot day!) It only took a few minutes before Brody warmed up to Debbie (the dr) and was sitting in her lap and talking to her. Everything checked out great. He weighed in at a whoopin' 19 pounds (in the 5th percentile) and was 29 3/4" long (50th percentile). I had Mom look at Caleb's baby book and Brody seems to be following in his footsteps with his height/weight. Mike's prayin' there's still a chance that Brody got the tall genes ;)

There were 5 (actually 6...but 2 of the shots are combined) shots that he could've gotten yesterday. We decided just to do 3 of them yesterday and we'll pick up the other 2 at his 15 month appointment. Giving 5 shots to his little body just seemed so harsh (just scares me to put that much stuff into his system!) and Debbie was fine with waiting on the other 2. He cried pretty hard when they administered the shots, but then Mike held him and gave him a cheerio and he calmed down pretty quick!

Brody felt pretty warm when I got him outta bed at 4 am this morning to go to work, so I gave him some Motrin. He slept until 7:35 this morning!!! I don't know if it was due to the Motrin, the shots, or just fatigue...but it was great!

LAST ONE!

I PROMISE that this is the very last birthday post. Just look into the eyes below. You know you can't resist just one more!!! Mike's parents and Grandma K came over after church today for a birthday lunch. Jim made a wonderful BBQ lunch for us!
Brody thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ. It took two of us to clean him up!
Then it was time for (yet another) birthday cake!
"It feels funny when I stick my hand all the way in the cake!"
Brody shows Great-Grandma K how to climb on the chair (and makes her very nervous)!
After 2 parties in TX...Brody finally figured out how to unwrap presents quickly!
He was very excited about these balls. They stack inside each other and each one has a different day of creation on it!

See...that wasn't so bad. Was it? :)

Upstairs Bathroom

A few weeks ago I promised pictures of the upstairs bathroom that Mike worked so hard on. Sorry for making you wait so long! It's a BEAUTIFUL bathroom. I'm always impressed with every project that Mike does. I think he has the Midas touch! Our home is beautiful...and it's all due to Mike's creativity and design. Oh yeah, back to the pictures of the bathroom ;) The pictures don't really do it justice...but it gives you an idea.
If you click on this picture to see it big you'll notice the crack in the mirror. The lumber yard cut it a hair too big and it cracked when Mike installed it. So...we'll be replacing the mirror (at least they're not too expensive!)

This is my favorite of all the counter tops that Mike has done!


Most of the wood in our house is stained natural or honey and I LOVE the dark richness of the stain in this room!!!

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In other news...today is Daddy Steve's birthday! Happy Birthday Dad! We love you!!!

PLEASE VOTE!!!

I know there are A LOT of lurkers out there...people who read my blog all the time but never comment. I need EVERYONE who reads this blog to vote in the comments section. It's easy! Just click on "comments" at the bottom of this post, type a comment, choose an identity, and type in the verification letters. Simple! Even if you're reading this weeks after I post it...please still vote!!!

What would you say if I told you that you could get a complete cardiovascular and muscle toning workout in 4 MINUTES? I've heard of the ROM Quick Gym several times over the past year or so...but I always just discounted it as a fraud. The personal trainer in me (with a degree in Kinesiology) tells me that it's not possible to have an effective cardio workout in only 4 minutes. Even physicians recommend exercising 20-45 minutes for an effective cardiovascular workout!

After several gym members asked about the ROM, I finally decided to try one out for myself. As soon as I walked into the gym I told the owner, Mel Wright, that it was going to take a lot of convincing to get me to believe in the ROM. He assured me he was the same way in the beginning. He goes on to tell me that he has his doctorate in Exercise Physiology, was a professor in the Exercise Science field at a university in Oklahoma, played basketball for OU, played 4 years of professional basketball, and was the head women's basketball coach at McPherson College. In other words...he has a very strong background in exercise!

My first question...how can I get a workout in only 4 minutes a day? ANSWER (click on "answer" for a full explanation). In short, as oxygen consumption increases...your workout time required decreases. As you use more muscles...oxygen consumption increases...workout time decreases.

When using the ROM Quick Gym, you do upper body one day and lower body the next. I was surprised when I could feel the machine working all the muscles in my upper body with one exercise (the same with the lower body). The machine has intensity settings from level 1-20 (meaning you'll never be too fit or too out of shape for the ROM). The ROM keeps a constant level of resistance throughout the entire workout. As I began to tire (and slow down)...the resistance adjusted automatically so that I could continue the workout and work my hardest.

My biggest hesitation was the following question, "How do you train for endurance with a 4 minute cardio workout?" Mel tells me he had the same question and decided to be his own test subject. Before he bought three ROM Quick Gyms (and opened his own gym), he used to live in the country. He ran 4 miles (around the section) six days a week. Once he opened the gym, he only worked out 4 minutes a day on the ROM (no running). After more than a year of using the ROM he decided to test his endurance. He went back to his former home in the country to attempt his old 4 mile run. He shocked himself when he was able to run the route as well as (if not better than) when he'd been running it on a daily basis! Again, it all goes back to the oxygen consumption of your muscles during exercise.

So maybe you're thinking, "Staci's in shape. Of course she could do 4 minutes on the ROM. But what about me? I haven't worked out in years!" While I was at Mel's gym, a lady came in to use the ROM who was 86 YEARS OLD! In other words, this machine works all ages and ability levels! CRAZY! Mel showed me case studies of his clients. He showed me how they were losing weight, gaining muscle tone, and increasing flexibility. There was also many instances of decreased blood pressure & lowered cholesterol!

Would you please VOTE in the comments?

• Would you actually go to the gym if you knew it would only take 4 minutes of your day (rather than an hour)?

Other questions (answering these are optional...voting is not optional! ;)

• Would you need case studies to prove the ROM's effectiveness before you would join?
• What would you be willing to pay for a monthly membership?

We are seriously considering putting one of these in our gym. The cost of one is very high ($15,000)...but I think it would be more than worth it if it will draw in new members. I think the ROM targets working people (who don't think they have time to exercise) and people who hate exercising (anyone can handle FOUR minutes)! Please let me know what you think!

Year of the Football

**Sorry for all the posts about Brody's birthday! Please don't feel compelled to comment (or even read) them all. I just want to get all of this down so that it'll be in the 2007 Log Cabin in the Plains blog book!***

Today was Brody's first birthday (if you didn't already know this...you haven't been reading our blog! lol)

When Brody was just 6 days old we took the first picture of him with a football. Just in case you haven't seen enough pictures of Brody...or had enough of my reminiscing...here is Brody's first year with the football.

6 days old

1 month old
2 months old
3 months old
4 months old
5 months old
6 months old
7 months old
8 months old
9 months old
10 months old
11 months old
ONE YEAR!

Birthday Eve

A year ago at this very moment I was woken up by contractions. This wasn't anything new as I'd been having contractions off and on for several days and braxton hicks contractions for months! I have a journal for Brody that I write in every so often. The entry on August 13, 2006 reads:

"You really like to tease me! I'm still having contractions, but not enough to go to the hospital! At church today everyone was anxious for you to come! I think I'm gonna be pregnant FOREVER!!!"

Little did I know that 2 hours later I would wake up to go to the bathroom and have my water break! I didn't know that I would be holding my little baby boy within 12 hours!

I don't know if it's just fatigue...but I'm really emotional today! Tomorrow is my baby's birthday! I guess I'm coming to the realization that he's not a baby anymore. If I get this emotional over a first birthday....I don't even want to think about what I'll be like when he graduates from high school or gets married!!! I'm glad I have a few years to prepare ;)

This past year has gone by sooooo quickly! There have been a lot of struggles and sleepless night...but there has also been so much joy. It's amazing how someone so small can brighten the dreariest day. I don't want to forget all the special little moments that I've shared with Brody in the first year of his life.

Here is a just a portion of the list of things that I love about my son:

I love how when I walk into the room in the morning your tears instantly turn to smiles and laughter as you reach for me. You love the outdoors...and cry sometimes when I won't take you outside (sorry...but 103 degrees is TOO hot!) I love how you hurry to the couch when I ask if you want milk. I love how you reach for my face while nursing (even though sometimes you scratch my nose! lol). I love how you say "ahhh" after taking a drink (and sometimes even after nursing)! I absolutely LOVE your laugh! I love to see you and your daddy playing chase and laughing so hard your tummy hurts! I love how easy it was to get rid of the paci. I love how you snuggle with your pillow and stuffed animals when I put you in your bed. I love when you give me a zrbbt (pronounced "zerbert"). I love how you point to the kleenex box and blow air out of your nose (then practice blowing your nose on a kleenex when I hand you one). I love how you put your hand to your ear and say "hello" (or at least your version of hello) whenever you see a phone. I love how even the apples and oranges at the grocery store are balls (shouldn't everything round and shiny be a ball?!) I love how you pick out books and want to sit in my lap for me to read to you. I love how you "dance" to music. I love how you tell us when you're ready for bed (you wave "bye bye" and go to the stairs...even climb up them towards your room if the gate isn't there). I love how excited you are to see your daddy (whether he just got home from work...or you catch a glimpse of him mowing outside). I love to hear your laugh when we play "This little piggy went to market..." with your toes on the way home from work. I love how much you love bath time....and I love how you lay down on you belly in the bath and blow bubbles in the water. I love how much you enjoy swimming. I love how excited you are to see me or Mike when we pick you up from the nursery after church. I love how much you talk and how many words you are saying! I love how at a year old...you still have a toothless grin! I love when you walk to me...and get so excited that you fall into my arms!

Ok....I could go on forever with things that I love about Brody Michael...but I'll stop there. I need to go to bed. A year ago today I didn't realize how short this night was going to be!

Birthday in Arlington

When we got back to Arlington on Saturday...Mom and I rushed to get everything ready for another birthday party. We had a big crew over for swimming and food. Can you believe that we didn't take a group picture? How is that possible in our family?!? This is the closest thing I have...

I was proud of the football cake and baseball & golf ball cupcakes :) We didn't have a football cake pan...so we had to be creative! I was glad Audria was there to help us ice the cake!
Collin and Brody were both VERY excited to get to eat cake!
Brody dug right in to the birthday cupcake!
The only family picture I have from the weekend!
Audria and I were the brave women who took the kids swimming (Daddy Steve also got in the pool after he finished cooking the burgers). Collin wasn't too excited about swimming (probably had something to do with being jet lagged after getting back from England on Friday night!) Brody LOVED swimming!!! He looked like a prune by the time I took him inside to dry him off!

Brody had plenty of help opening his presents....and plenty of help playing with them (from kids and adults)!
Caleb & Audria wanted to make sure that we raise a cowboy!
"Do these fit in here?" I tried...but I just couldn't leave this picture out! lol! We convinced Angela to try on the towel that she and Mark got for Brody...and she looked too cute to not take a picture ;) The camo pants helped out the look.

The birthday party was a big success. I couldn't believe how good Brody was! He didn't fuss the entire time! He was up about 2 hours past his normal bed time...and he was still happy...tired, but happy! He loved swimming, loved the cake, loved the presents, and of course loved the constant attention :) Thanks to everyone for making it such a special day!