Happy Happy Birthday!!

We celebrated H and B’s 1st birthday last Sunday. It was so much fun! We had about 30 people at our house! Unfortunately, Brayden and I had a bad cold so the two of us were not feeling and looking well. Hudson and Tommy now have a cold with us. So we are all suffering! Agh…

Anyways, Brayden and I still enjoyed the party—thanks to Tylenol for B and Dayquil for me. Tommy and I got the house the best we could get with a limited budget. None of the downstairs rooms have been painted yet and we haven’t laid the wood floors, but it’s getting there. I’m not short on ideas, just money. I haven’t even really decorated either! We did get some cheap birthday décor and put it in a few rooms to liven it up a bit but it’s hard to hide the fact that we don’t have anything on the walls or things out for the house to look like a home. I’ll get there.

The boys got a lot of cool toys. Grandma and grandpa Widell got them both the Cozy Coupe cars. They are still a little too small to really drive and enjoy them but give it a few months. We got some clothes and lots of books. They both LOVE books! I pray to have two avid readers when they get older. Grandma Byerly got them a new toy chest. We need about four to hold all their toys. I think we’ll be giving away a lot of their old toys to Goodwill.

Here is a slideshow of some pictures from the party. I hope it works. I just learned how to do this. Enjoy!

A Puppy And A Cow Go Trick-r-Treating

Mooooo and ruff ruff!! Brayden and Hudson had a great time trick-r-treating on Halloween 2010. First, I have to mention that I really wanted to dress them as superheroes. Batman and Superman to the rescue! Well, I couldn’t find those costumes in their size—at least in the price range I was willing to spend. So we went “down on the farm.”

Here’s the cute puppy Hudson.

Here’s the fat cow Brayden.

Tommy had to hold B's hands for awhile. He kept trying to take the hood off. Eventually he forgot about it.

We first took a few pictures of them in the wagon in the backyard.

Don't they look excited? ;)

Then Tommy had to finish watching the Titans game so we went back inside. Once it was over, off we went! Our neighborhood is attached to a huge neighborhood that goes all out for Halloween. I’m not saying that lightly. People come from all over Nashville to trick-r-treat here. We had to have passed a hundred people while we were walking around. One house was giving out Jell-O shooters to the adults. If any cops are reading this, don’t worry, they were carding people. A bunch of homes even had projection screens in their front yards showing movies. It was pretty cool. Hudson and Brayden loved watching all the weirdos out there. They like to people watch lust like mom and dad.

They started to get pretty confident in the wagon so they decided to try to stand up. Yep, they were surfing. I had to keep sitting them back down. Here’s the only photo I got while this was happening.

I finally just let Hudson walk himself—but he found a solar sidewalk lamp and decided to stop and stare at it awhile. Tommy had to pick him up or we would have slept there all night.

Once we got back home I let them play awhile in their costumes until they got overheated.

Have you heard the joke about the cow riding a horse? It's a funny one.

I think it was a great first Halloween experience! Can’t wait to be superheroes next year!! ;)

Caribbean Cruise and Pumpkin Patch

Tommy and I just got back from our 5-day Caribbean cruise to Mexico two days ago. It was a blast! I’d love to go on another cruise again soon. And we’d love to bring the boys with us—but not untill they are much older (like 5 or 6). We visited Cozumel and Calica Mexico. The water was so blue and clear! October was the perfect time to go—not too hot, just perfectly warm. And I ate SO MUCH FOOD! I think I gained 10 pounds. That’s what you’re supposed to do on vacation, isn’t it? At least that’s what I tell myself.

Day 1 was spent at sea. Tommy and I played putt-putt, ate, watched a few comedy shows, ate, swam in the pool, ate, gambled, ate, lounged in the sun, ate, slept, ate, watched a lot of drunk people do karaoke, ate, watched a couple Vegas-style shows, ate, ate… Day 2 we arrived at Cozumel Mexico. There we went on a 4-hour snorkeling trip. The water was beautiful but the coral reefs weren’t the greatest. There wasn’t much to see. Then we walked around and shopped. Day 3 we arrived at Calica Mexico where we went to the Mayan ruins in Coba. It’s the last Mayan ruins you are allowed to climb. Day 4 and 5 was spent at see again (see day 1 for list of things we did. Did I mention that we ate?). Here are some pictures of the trip. I’ll post more on Facebook since it’s quicker and easier.

But I SOOOOOO missed my boys! It was hard to leave them and I thought about them everyday. Wondering what they were doing each day, hoping they were sleeping and eating well. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to get home to see them. As much fun and relaxing the cruise was, I was glad it was over so I can be with H and B again. Tommy’s mom and step-dad watched them at our house while we were gone. They had a good time but I know they were exhausted. Brayden looked bigger when I saw him. He’s walking by himself now. Grandma taught both boys Patty Cake so they can clap and Hudson can wave too. I feel like they both grew so much in the week we were gone.

Yesterday Tommy and I took the boys to the Gentry Farm in Franklin to pick out a pumpkin, see some animals, take some pictures, and run around in the field (H loved that). They had a great time! I try to get them out of the house as much as I can but it’s hard when I’m doing it alone. So with Tommy off of work one last day it was the perfect time. Hudson got to show off his mad walking/running skills and Brayden did some walking too (however he hasn’t mastered walking in shoes yet). Here are some pictures of our trip to the farm. Again, I'll post more photos of this trip on Facebook soon.

Being on the farm really got me in the mood for Halloween! It’s my favorite holiday and I’m so excited to get the boys dressed up for the first time and take them trick 'r treating. We bought a red wagon while I was still pregnant so we’ll finally use it for the first time to take them around the neighborhood.

Right now I’m trying to plan their 1st birthday party (I’m a little late. They turn one in just over two weeks). Anyone have any affordable ideas for a birthday party? We want to have it at our house but we are still remodeling and unpacking so the place is still a mess. If the weather is good we thought about having it at a local park. Need to finalize this in the next day or two. Actually I’ll get on that right now while the boys are still napping. Until next time! E

Alive and Well

WOW! It’s been just over 3 weeks since my last post! My goal was to blog every day but I’m just too busy. And honestly, I don’t live an exciting enough life to have something to blog about everyday. Shocker I know.

So, you want to know what that Hitch family has been up to the last 3 weeks? Well I’m going to tell you even if you don’t want to know. I assume you do since you’re reading this blog. Here are some highlights:

• The boys are no longer eating nasty, smelly, mushy baby food. They’re BIG boys now and eat finger foods! YAY! So now mom has to figure out what to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. I tell ya, the jars of baby food were so much easier! I’m cooking meatballs, pasta, steaming vegetables, scooping avocados, cutting cheese and fruit slices, etc, etc. It takes awhile to make their meals. OH OH…and they make such a mess! They love to throw food on the floor, smear their food on the trays, and of course smear the food on their faces. But it’s so much fun to watch! They laugh and smile the whole time. Unless they don’t like what I gave them. Then they scream, kick, and cry. I don’t like watching that. I think Brayden is left-handed and Hudson is right-handed. That’s how they are feeding themselves. How weird is that? They are so different in every way! I’ve also been trying to get them accustomed to sippy cups. They both do really well with one type I bought and when I’m giving them juice. However when I give them their formula in the sippy cups only Hudson does really well. Brayden is not interested. So he gets the bottle with most feedings. Here they are making a big mess (you can see from the photos that Hudson is the messy one).

• We’ve had family visiting us for the past couple weeks. First Tommy’s mom came in town for a few days so I can get out of the house and get some things done. Then Tommy’s dad came for a couple days to see the new house for the first time. Then T’s mom came back for a few more days while T had knee surgery. Now my parents are coming in tonight. I do love family visits! I just wish our house were in a better state. We still have unopened boxes and tools filling the dinning room.

• We are currently in the middle of remodeling the office. We had to replace the exterior french doors because they we rotting and bowed inward letting in a lot of outside air. We also had to remove ALL the drywall because the old owners put wallpaper directly on bare drywall. Then we scrapped the popcorn off the ceiling. Next is to rip up the flooring, finish mudding and sanding the drywall and ceiling, then paint! YAY! We plan to lay all new hardwood floors on the whole first floor of the house. I’ll post pictures of our progress soon.

• Tommy’s grandfather passed away so we spent a few days in Knoxville. Traveling with the boys and our huge 130 lb Great Dane is no easy task. I drive a Yukon XL and it’s packed to the max. There’s barely enough room for Titus once we get all our stuff in. It was nice to see our families and spend time with them. I love Knoxville but Nashville is our new home. Plus, after moving from our old house when the boys were seven months old, lived with my cousin and her husband for a month, then moved into our new place…I think we are NEVER moving again!

• I purchased a double jogging stroller and now take the boys on a run/walk every other morning. Pushing 75lbs. up hill is HARD! I don’t know how people do it! Here is a pic of the boys before a walk

• Tommy had knee surgery three days ago. Now I have three babies to take care of! Ha, but really, he’s doing really good. Recovering well.

• My diet…ahhhh…the “no flour, no sugar” diet. I never cheated and made it to day 23. Then…family started coming to visit, one after the other for 2 weeks, and I didn’t want to force my diet on anyone else so I “fell off the wagon.” I’m only human! And it’s SO HARD to get back on the wagon once you’ve fallen off! I’m trying! If it’s any conciliation, I felt so sick two days after I starting eating flour and sugar again. Well, my parents will be in town tonight and plan to stay until Monday or Tuesday. Once they are gone I’m going full speed ahead. However, I do want to modify it a bit. I want to add only 100% whole wheat flour to the diet. That’s all.

• I gave Hudson a haircut. Oh Lord forgive me! Here’s the story. Reason #1 why I cut his hair: it was getting kinda long and needed a trim(DUH!). Reason #2: Brayden loved to pull Hudson’s hair. And let me tell you, Hudson doesn't think it's funny. He would scream bloody murder. Reason #3: during mealtime Hudson enjoys combing his fingers through his hair. Oh, and let me add, his fingers were always covered in either tomato sauce, bananas, avocados, smashed up carrots (or another vegetable of the day), or anything else he was eating and then he decides to give himself a conditioning treatment for his hair. GROSS! So, I decided to give him a haircut myself. I’ve cut Tommy’s before without him looking like Jim Carey from Dumb and Dumber so I thought “why not.” And I don’t charge anything. I’ve always wanted to give him a mohawk so I figured now is the best time. I got out the electric razor and made the first swipe up the back of his head. And oops…I forgot to put on the razor guard. CRAP! His hair was cut thisclose! I mean it was short! And once you make the first cut you have to commit! So I went ahead and cut the sides and back of his head thisclose. I left the top alone until I could get Tommy’s opinion. Once Tommy saw it he decided to cut the top into the mohawk. He made the strip of hair to thin. He looked like a little devil. Honestly, I couldn’t look at Hudson like that for long. He had the mohawk for 24 hours then I shaved it off. Here is the only picture I took of his mohawk.

And here he is now (photo taken today 10.2.10).

Oh Lord what did I do?!?! I cut off his beautiful hair! I think he’ll be wearing lots of hats this fall/winter. Good thing hair grows. That's how he smiles sometimes. It's hilarious!

• Hudson is an official walker! He’s not one of those “pull themselves up using a couch or chair then walk a few steps and fall down” kind of boy. No, he REALLY walks and kinda RUNS! I need to get it on video. He can stand up on his own without using anything to help pull himself up. So now he chooses to walk everywhere instead of crawling. I hope Brayden will get inspired watching him. Brayden has taken a few steps but falls right down. He does like to crawl after Hudson and pull him to the ground. It’s hilarious!
  

• New facts about Brayden: Well, Big B is moving along great. He’s still the laidback, happy-go-lucky one. He’s getting faster at crawling and can take a few steps but he doesn’t seem to care that much about walking. He’d rather be carried everywhere. He loves to chase Hudson around a chair in the playroom. He’s always smiling and laughing! And he loves to tickle and wrestle with Hudson. He likes to pull hair/necklaces/earrings (which is why I rarely wear jewelry and almost always have my hair pulled up). He loves to climb all over people. You’re his personal jungle gym. He loves rocking on the rocking horse. He’s still completely addicted to his pacifier. He won’t sleep without one or two at hand. He’ll eat ANYTHING you give him (especially carpet fuzz, but that’s another story). And he’s a fast eater and drinker. Hudson can eat more but Brayden eats faster. He’s also a “neater” eater than Hudson. He’s a pro at feeding himself. Rarely drops a crumb (unlike Hudson). Wears a bib 24/7 because he’s a drooler and spitter-upper. And boy can he sleep! He’s a sleep champ! He easily takes two 2-hour naps each day. And I almost always have to wake him up for each mealtime. He’d rather sleep. He can sleep just about anywhere, anytime just like his daddy. Can say momma and dada. Teeth count: 4. Loves swinging on our swing set. Starting to bite people (need to break him of that). Here's a picture of Brayden today (photo taken 10.2.10)

• Some new facts about Hudson… Huds is still the confident, go-getter. He’s into EVERYTHING. He can climb up onto a big Tupperware bin then carefully climb down by dropping one leg at a time. He has even pushed the bin to the couch then used it to climb on the couch. He gets into all the kitchen cabinets and drawers (still don’t have them baby proofed. Need to get on that). He likes to steal toys from Brayden. Harder to get him to take naps but he’ll take them. He’s also a great sleeper at night. Can also say momma and dada. Likes to push Brayden down on the ground. Loves bath time but hates getting dressed and getting his diaper changed. I think he’ll be a nudist when he’s older. He’s getting in 4 top teeth at once. Poor guy! Teeth count: 6. A super-fast crawler but now prefers to walk everywhere. Loves books and can figure out how a new toy works within minutes! Loves to give hugs. I call them “Hudson Huggies.” Oh, and he LOVES to scream really really high-pitched. Here's a picture of Hudson today (photo taken on 10.2.10). He does not like the feel of grass on his feet.
  

That’s all I can think of for now. Until next time ya’ll!

E

Days 5-9

OK…so I’ve missed a few postings. I said it would happen. I’ve been busy the last few days and haven’t had time to post. Tommy and I took the boys to the park today. Here are a few pictures.

And here are a few from a couple days ago. I LOVE these boys! They bring me such joy and love!

Anyways, the good news is that I’m still going strong on the diet! YAY! Haven’t cheated but I’ve been tempted while shopping at the grocery store. I so wanted to buy a Reese’s Cup yesterday while checking out. I was determined not to give in! They were calling my name! I’m stronger than I thought.

I hope to start walking again since the weather hasn’t been so hot in the mornings. Our new neighborhood is small but it’s attached to this HUGE one and I’m afraid I’ll get lost on my walk. I have no idea where the roads lead. I guess I’ll have to print out a Google map before I attempt the journey.

Oh, and a funny thing…I was curious if I’ve lost any weight doing on this diet so far. The book talks about how people can lose 7-10 lbs the first week. Well, it’s day 9 and I’ve lost ZERO lbs. Ha ha!!! Again, it’s not my goal to lose weight but I was just curious. Funny, my body must be responding in a different way. I’ll let you know if I ever find out which way that is.

E

Day 4

What a beautiful day! I wish the weather could be like this everyday! Fall is coming!

Went on a walk with the boys today at a park with a friend. It felt so good to get out and stretch my legs. Motivates me to do more cardio…but only if the weather is like this everyday. The diet is still going strong but it is only day 4. I have no idea how long I’m going to keep this up. My goal is a few months. It would be awesome if I could do this for a year! Wishful thinking??
If I do this long term I’ll definitely add only wheat flour to my diet, but that’s a long way from now. I still haven’t had any cravings for sugar. That’s a big surprise to me. I usually can’t go a day without something sweet. I think God is helping me on this journey. It’s been too easy so far. I know it will get hard when I eat out or go to parties. Not sure what I’ll do. Pack a meal?? ;) Any suggestions?

Sorry my posts have been pretty boring. I’ll try to make then more interesting in the future. ☺

E

Day 3

This post is gonna be short and sweet. It’s getting late and it’s been a long day.

Today was a good day. Ate healthy. Didn’t have any temptations (which is the thing I’m most scared about). I even braved Wal-Mart and passed the bakery. And I didn’t feel depressed when I saw all the yummy desserts I knew I couldn’t have. Yay! An accomplishment!

Oh...and my blood sugar levels have been really good (the fact that I’m actually testing my blood sugar again is amazing)! That is the reason I’m doing this. I’ll reiterate…I’m not doing this “no flour, no sugar” diet to lose weight. I’m happy with my current weight. Sure it would be nice to lose a couple pounds but I’m OK the way I am right now.

Goodnight!
E

Day 2

Today was a hectic day. I never got to eat breakfast. I had family coming over for a visit so I spent the morning cleaning and straightening the house while the boys played in the playroom. I use the word “straightening” loosely cause we still have tons of unopened boxes everywhere. Anyways, after cleaning I brought the boys to Kroger with me in search for food that will satisfy me and fall into the “no flour, no sugar” diet. I was happy to find some corn chips that were made of ground corn and had NO flour! They tasted really good too! I bought lots of meat, some fruit, vegetables, and beans. But mostly I bought baby food for the boys. Hey, that falls into the diet plan! ;) Maybe I should eat some pureed vegetables and liquid chicken! Ugh…it makes me sick just thinking about it.

Lunch: leftover grilled chicken and rice from last night.
Snack: corn chips
Dinner: kielbasa with potatoes

It’s progress compared to day 1. I hope to try some of the recipes in the book soon. Off to feed the boys one last time before bed. Night!

E

Day 1: Last Meal

Last night for dinner I had Jets Pizza (the square is the BEST) with black olives. OMG it was so good! On top of that, our new neighbor dropped off homemade brownies. So of course I ate a few of them too. Then, as usual, I felt gross and sick to my stomach afterwards. As a diabetic I always feel sick after consuming too much sugar and carbs which is another reason why I’m doing this “no four, no sugar” diet.

So, I woke up this morning, stood in my kitchen (of course AFTER I already feed, burped, changed diapers, and dressed both boys for the day and put them in the playroom), and had no idea what I was going to eat. What can I eat???

According to the book I purchased, “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” by Dr. Peter H. Gott, MD, I can eat anything that DOESN’T have the following words in the list of ingredients:

FLOURS:
all-purpose flour
pastry flour
cake flour
whole wheat flour (that makes me sad… I was hoping I could still eat this)
unbleached flour
rye flour
rice flour
brown rice flour
corn flour
barley flour

Let’s just say ALL FLOURS are off-limits.

SUGARS:
Cane sugar
beet sugar
brown sugar
raw sugar
molasses
honey
evaporated cane juice
corn syrup (especially high fructose corn syrup)
maple syrup
brown rice syrup (sounds pretty gross)
glucose
sucrose

So for breakfast I had 3 scrabbled eggs with a little bit of cheese and a handful of almonds. I really need to go grocery shopping!

Lunch: carrots and French fries. Great combo I know. Dinner: grilled chicken, corn, and rice. Much better.

Going to the grocery store tomorrow to stock up on more things to choose from.

Till tomorrow!
E

P.S. It was SOOO great looking in the frig this morning to see AND smell my leftover black olive pizza. It smelled so good my mind was trying to convince me to start my diet tomorrow instead. Yea, and the two remaining brownies were on the counter. Proud of myself…I didn’t have any of it. I think I’ll freeze the leftovers until I’m off the diet. ;)

I'm Baaaaaaack!

I haven’t blogged in a year and four months for three reasons. First, I was too busy growing two babies in my belly. Then, I was too busy taking care of said two babies. And lastly, I just didn’t feel like blogging.

Well the boys are 9 ½ months old now. They play REALLY well together so it gives me time for myself (sometimes), although I prefer to spend my days playing with them in the playroom. Anyways, I’ve decided to try blogging again. Over the last few months I’ve been trying to better control my diabetes. I want to be healthy and live a long life to see my boys grow up, get married, and have kids. So I’ve decided to go on the “No Flour, No Sugar” diet to get back on track. Now don’t call it a diet…it’s a “lifestyle change.” WHATEVER. I’ll try. I need as much encouragement and motivation as I can get. Anyone who knows me, I’m a HUGE sugarholic. I LOVE all desserts! I CRAVE them! This is not a good thing for a diabetic. I figure I just need to go all the way and give up my food vices. There is no such thing as “starting small or easy” for me. So PLEASE comment on my posts!
So, it begins tomorrow, September 1. I’ll “try” to blog everyday (if my boys (aka my bosses)) let me. Wish me luck!

E