Random Thoughts

1. When Claire is breastfeeding, she stops to look up at me every few minutes and smiles. Its my favorite.
2. Ava is kind of a stinker lately. A few weeks ago I could not find my drivers license anywhere. I searched my purse, the gym, the gym parking lot, Target parking lot, the car, Ava’s preschool, and our house. I found it in the toilet.
3. Claire has the brightest blue eyes. I never thought Patrick and I would have a blue-eyed child. I love it.
4. Working like crazy on my advent calendar. This is a project I started TWO years ago. I should have just bought it from pottery barn, but it is fun having a project and Ive enjoyed personalizing it. I’ll post pictures when I finish (hopefully by Dec 1!)
5. I’m so excited to go “home” for Christmas (Patrick doesn’t like it when I call Utah home…:)). We just bought our tickets and I could pack tonight! Its so fun being around people who love your children as much as you do!
6. I have thought several times this week it would be easier if Ava and Claire were closer in age so they could play. And then it has made me think we (I) should have another one soon. And then I have thought maybe not.
7. This is our first Thanksgiving away from family. It is bittersweet.
8. It just occurred to me I should do some type of “year update” post since I have never posted about Patrick graduating and our move.
9. I love my sister. She is one of my best friends.

Losing the Baby Weight

I reached my pre-pregnancy weight last week! It took me a little over a month longer than it did with Ava, but I gained about 10lbs more with Claire (gained 32lbs), my pre-pregnancy weight this time was about 7-8lbs less than with Ava, I’m older, and its baby #2 🙂

My biggest go-to source was http://www.lindsaybrin.com (sorry – it wont link!). Lindsay Brin is awesome. I think she is right on. The biggest motivator for me to get the weight off quickly was learning your body is in fat burning mode right after a baby, so you might as well take advantage! The other thing I learned this time (something I have learned so many times but seem to forget), low carb, no carb, no sugar, no this or that diets DONT WORK! A calorie is a calorie and you can have cookies for lunch and still lose weight (you’ll feel like crap but you can still do it! :))

Lindsay’s blog has a ton of rules you can do – I think she has one for each day of the month or something and then she says to just focus on that rule that day. That was a little overwhelming for me, and I didnt want to have to think about something new every day. So I decided to pick five rules and just stick to those. I was already exercising (4 pretty intense workouts/week) and then I added the following:
1. eating within parameters. I HATE counting colories so this was such a good thing to learn. Depending on how many calories you can have, you decide between 3 meals and one snack, 3 meals and two snacks or you can do 5 small meals a day. You figure out before hand the approx. amount of calories for each meal and then stick to that. For example, if you can have 1400 cal a day, plan a few different 400 cal breakfasts, 400 cal lunches, 200 cal snack, and 400 cal dinners. The most helpful thing for me is this prevents me from snacking all day, which is easy to do with little kids around. I still eat-out every once in a while and just compensate with a lighter meal later or skip the snack.
2. glass of water before every meal and snack and during every meal and snack.
3. plate method. I only doing this at dinner – 1/2 your plate is veggies, 1/4 you plate is protein of some kind, and the 1/4 can be whatever you want!
4. No eating after dinner. period. By far this is the most helpful rule for me. Your body can be in fat burning mode while you sleep, but if you eat right before bed, your body burns those calories instead. I know this was the biggest key to getting the weight off. Essentially if I go to bed a little hungry, I know I’ll see good results that week!
5. A free day. I decided that if I lost 2lbs that week (when I had 20+ lbs to lose), I got a free day that week. And then as I had less to lose, I did less weight – 1.5lbs, 1lb and now that Ive lost the weight, and I’m in maintenance mode, I’ll continue to have just one free day as long as I don’t gain!

So now my plan is to maintain but still do the above rules because I think they are good habits. The rules ensure you don’t snack all day, you drink enough water, you get enough veggies, and that you dont eat late at night! I will also continue to workout 3-4 times/week. I would like to continue to do 4 but I’ll probably relax a little and just be sure to get in 3.

So I’d love to hear your comments! What has worked for you? What hasn’t?

Happy Halloween!

Avas preschool parade

Just Pictures…

I really do try to update my blog…but lets face it, I’m failing miserably! So for now, I’m going to just post pictures for those who want to see how Ava and Claire are growing and changing. I have had a few requests from family and friends to see pictures and I think this is the best way!

Claire at 4 weeks

Family visits us in California

Claire’s Blessing

Claire at 6 weeks

Ava learning how to apply make-up

Claire at 8 weeks

Claire at 10 weeks

Claire at 12 weeks

Ava starts Preschool

Claire Olivia Nelson

She’s here! Claire was born June 16, 2011. She weighed 5lbs 2 oz and was 18 inches long. She was 4 weeks early, but is healthy and was able to come home with me! Here are some pictures – I’ll get around to the birth story and more details soon!

Proud Sister

Family Picture Time!

My cute and talented friend, Holly, took these pictures for us. She is awesome! Its been the most beautiful fall so I’m glad we caught it before it gets too cold and everything turns brown! Thanks Holly!

Our Two Year Old

I love being a mom to Ava. She is such a funny little person. She seeks to be understood and when she has something she wants to make sure I hear, she holds my face in her little hands close to her face to tell me. We sing little mermaid and “if all the rain drops” constantly…she knows a few words here and there and anticipates when the words will be said and sings them as loud as she can. She loves to dance and will break out in dance anytime there is good music. She loves barney and little mermaid movies. She loves the park and asks almost daily if we can go. She loves riding her bike and insists on putting her doll in the back of her bicycle. She loves dogs and other animals. We talk about thunder almost every day – she tells me it sounds like a bear and then growls like a bear. She also loves airplanes and motorcycles. She tells me every time she hears an airplane that “daddy. airplane” (daddy goes on airplanes). She can count to three but sometimes just gets to two and then goes back to one. She thinks everything is the color purple. She puts her doll (“baby”) down for a nap, changes her diaper and feeds her a “baba” several times throughout the day. She won’t go to bed if her room is messy and insists we “ean up.”

Here are several pictures from her second birthday!

Ava got a bike for her birthday!

We then had a Minnie Mouse Birthday Party…

Ava and her cute aunt Whitney!

Some of our guests…

June 29

So its official…its my new birthday. Yeah…thats right, I’ve changed my birthday. Born on December 29, I spent the first twenty-four years of my life getting the, “Oh Nat, thats for your birthday too” (while opening a present Christmas morning) or “Nat, we can’t really do anything for your birthday this year because we did so much for Christmas.” In addition to my parents’ contribution of the combined Christmas-birthday, Ive received cards and gifts from others, although very thoughtful, they would contain pictures of Santa Clause or words like “Joy to the World” rather than the traditional pictures of birthday balloons or the words “Happy Birthday.”

Then at age twenty-four I met the man of my dreams. And when I found out we shared the December 29, 1981 birthday, I knew it was meant to be. But after four years of sharing this birthday…its just not that great. In fact, it sucks. We’ve tried splitting the day, having a combined party, and even just going to dinner. But even that, I couldn’t fully choose the restaurant because it was Patrick’s birthday too. And so here we are…its my birthday. Today. I expect presents, cards, and well-wishings on this day from now on.

Okay, so I’m partly kidding (about the gifts, etc.), but only partly. My advice to all of you…avoid conception in March and your children will never suffer like me. 🙂

Note: Patrick’s birthday will remain on December 29 unless notified. Also, I don’t actually turn 29 until the end of the year.

Fall Time

I love this time of year. I love the weather and I love planning for the holidays…and then of course, the holidays.

We’ve had an exciting fall. Patrick started the MBA program at BYU. He leaves every morning at a time I’ve never experienced awake (he claims its 6:30, but I swear its much earlier), and gets home late. He’s traveling a lot right now: Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco – networking, interviewing and groveling…its quite impressive. He’s committed to getting a job very few get and even more so, many of whom have been laid-off: a job in investment banking (in the debt capital markets, to be specific. Dont worry – I don’t know what that is either). Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from his travels, so I’ll move on.

I was sworn-in as an attorney late October. This has been a long-awaited day.

I’m working for Hoskins Legal (a firm in Davis County) part-time. I work in the office two days a week practicing family law and estate planning. I work from home a few hours as well while Ava is napping or in the evening.

On the Left – my sister-in law, Andrea and her baby, Trey.
On the Right – my good friends, Randy and Pam Hales. They are always so supportive!
In the middle – my parents, Patrick, me and Ava-baby

what Patrick will do for the camera…:)

With Patrick traveling, Ava and I have had our own adventures…pumpkin patches, taking baths to break-up the day, and of course, our annual friend Halloween party (no costumes this year so we could go to the pumpkin parade),




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Ava’s Daily To Do List