Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 30

I closed last month's post with a picture that said, "It's December. Finish strong." Well, December hasn't been my friend. I started the month off strong, only to have a terrible flu-like cold hit me very hard. My throat started feeling a little scratchy within the first few days, but by Thursday's Power Hour, I knew I was in for more than I wanted. I toughed it out for Zumba on Friday, and actually started to feel better. I woke up to go swimming on Saturday and couldn't even talk.

I had no idea what the next week had in store for me! I had the worst sore throat that I can even remember. It. Was. Awful. I was congested, I had a runny nose, coughing was torture, and I couldn't breathe very well. I was so tired all the time, but I hated sleeping because I couldn't find a comfortable way to sleep and breathe at the same time. I felt beyond dehydrated even though I was getting WAY more than 8 glasses of water a day. It was awful. I did no physical activity at all and vegged out every day. Not to mention the fact that I had a five pound gain on the scale at the end of the week. I was crushed.

I finally felt well enough to go back to Zumba on the 17th. I struggled a little bit and felt extremely fatigued half-way through, but I finished my workout and gave it everything I had! Each day it got easier to workout and not feel like I was about to fall over. It's been a crazy few weeks, but I think I'm just about back to 100% again!

I started Jillian's 30 Day Shred again, but stopped when I got sick. So, once again, I haven't completed it. I fully intend on having January being the month I complete it, if I don't get sick again! Or lazy like the time before... I just hope that I am able to actually complete it this time!

Aside from the sickness, my workouts have remained the same. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday each week. Swimming laps at the Y when I can, about 2 times a week. I haven't been on a run this month, which makes me sad, but it's been difficult with being sick and the snow outside. I am going to run this coming Monday so that I can say that I ran once during the month of December!

Even though I have a gain this month, my size is still going down, so I know that my body is still shrinking! I never thought I'd see the day where a size medium anything would fit me! I'm still in shock. I'm comfortably wearing a size 12 jean now, but they are getting bigger as well! I am very much looking forward to being able to shop for a completely new wardrobe when I reach my goal weight!

Start to Week 1, Week 2, Week 9, Week 17, Week 26, and Week 30 progression photo:

Start to Week 30 photos:

Week 26 and Week 30:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 27 Weight: 151 lbs
Week 28 Weight: 156 lbs
Week 29 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 30 Weight: 154 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 26: 1 lb

Total Weight Lost: 48 lbs

Weight To Go: 19 lbs

So with the loss that put me at 51 pounds down, it really sucked to see the scale jump up five pounds. It takes a lot of hard work to lose weight, yet it is SO easy to put back on. Looking at the bright side of it, I'm still in the 150's! Which makes me super happy! I'm SO close to the 140's, but I've worked really hard to be in the 150's! The 140's will happen! I decided to focus on my measurements since I haven't updated anyone on those in a while! You can really see my hard work paying off in those numbers!

Waist

Start: 40 1/2"

Week 30: 31"

Inches Lost: 9 1/2"

Hips

Start: 47"

Week 30: 38 1/2"

Inches Lost: 8 1/2"

Bust

Start: 45"

Week 30: 37 1/2"

Inches Lost: 7 1/2"

Belly (Widest part of my "pooch")

Start: 45 1/2"

Week 30: 38"

Inches Lost: 7 1/2"

Right Thigh

Start: 27"

Week 30: 23 1/2"

Inches Lost: 3 1/2"

Left Thigh

Start: 27 3/4"

Week 30: 23 1/2"

Inches Lost: 4 1/4"

Total Inches Lost: 40 3/4"

It's crazy to me that I even had those 40+ inches on my body! I am still unaware of just how many inches I've lost. I see cute clothes at the store and can actually try them on. Which is huge for me. I have been shopping in the plus size section for a while, so now I always have to redirect myself towards the smaller section. I can actually find clothes online that are in my size and in stock! One of my goals when I started this journey was that I wouldn't be afraid to try on clothes... and I am almost there!

Since I hit my 50 pound goal earlier in the month, I decided to wear the shoes I won from a giveaway on Cherie Runs This. I had been praying to win that giveaway! My old shoes were in serious need of replacing and good shoes aren't something my husband and I can afford right now. I got the shoes in the mail a few days before I actually reached my goal. So the day I hit my 50 pounds lost goal, I decided to break out the new shoes! I even took some photos of my old and new shoes! You can see the holes in my grey shoes!

Seems crazy that I am almost to my goal weight! 30 weeks is a long time! It seems like yesterday that I started this journey... and then there are days where I feel like I've been counting calories for YEARS! Those days are especially hard because I just want to eat everything in sight and not care... but that's why it's so hard. I DO care. I WANT results. It takes almost everything that I have to stay away from unhealthy food on those days. Food still has a hold on me... especially when it comes to Dairy Queen. Thank goodness they are closed for the winter! (In my town, that is. I know there are DQ's that are open everywhere else.)

With the year coming to an end, I have put a lot of thought into my fitness goals for 2013. Most of my goals are actually races! I want to do a lot of 5K's, a 20K, a half-marathon, and a full marathon. Here is my list of races and goals (so far) for the year 2013:

• Start Hal Higdon's Half Marathon and Full Marathon Training Schedules
• Reach my goal weight of 135 lbs
• Start lifting weights regularly 
• DAM to DAM (20K) - June 1, 2013 (on my 1 year weight loss anniversary!)
• Fourth of July 5K - July 4, 2013
• Warrior Dash (5K with obstacles) - July 27, 2013
• Balloon Chase (5K) - September 2013
• Band of Brotherhood 5K Run/Walk - November 2013
• Half Marathon - TBA
• Full Marathon - TBA

It has been difficult to find a half marathon and a full marathon that aren't held on a Sunday. I don't run on Sunday's because it is the Sabbath day. There are a few Saturday races in my state, but there hasn't been a 2013 date set yet, so I'm keeping my list open! But I will get my 13.1 and my 26.2 stickers in 2013!

I have had so many people comment about my weight loss and how good I am looking. It has been a wonderful experience. I still feel shy about myself and, at times, a little awkward. But it is a wonderful feeling to wear clothes and not worry about if I'm hanging over my jeans or hanging out of my top! So many people have been inspired my me. I am humbled by that. My main goal when I started this journey was to inspire others. To show you all that YOU CAN DO IT! If you want to lose weight, you can do it. If you want to run a 5K (or any other distance), you can do it. I am here to show you that the road is not easy, but if you stay on it, you can do anything you set your mind to. I didn't believe it at first... but I believe it now!

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 26

I waited an extra week to do my monthly update because last weekend was Thanksgiving and I was visiting family on the other side of the state. And because it was the holiday! In the past 5 months, I haven't had a cheat day. I've had a few cheat meals here and there, but never a full day of no calorie counting. I let myself have three days of freedom. They were nice... but they were also hard.

The entire first day, I was terrified of the food. I decided to make a plate with a little bit of everything on it. I had the gravy drizzled all over my turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roll. I ate the candied yams with marshmallows. I ate my Mom's pineapple fluff. I enjoyed every single bite! I was full, but not stuffed. After the meal, I didn't think about the calories in the food, I thought about the conversations I had with my family and how much I enjoyed relaxing with them! It helped me to relax the rest of the weekend. We went to a bakery one morning, and I ate a huge apple fritter. I made a comment about how many calories were in it, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it!

By the time Sunday came, I was ready to get back on track. I stayed under my calories for the day and felt the side effects of the food I ate over the first few days of the holiday. I was in the bathroom most of the day and I had some major headaches. But all in all, it was worth it! I very much enjoyed my cheat days!

My workouts have remained the same this month. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday each week. I've been getting a 6 mile run in each Saturday (except for the holiday weekend). And I've been swimming laps at the Y when I can, about 2 times a week.

I started doing Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred and stopped about 12 days in. I have no real reason, I have no good excuses. I was tired. I was exhausted. I'm human. I started noticing a difference in the way my jeans were fitting and that I could easily wear a size 13 jean! I didn't need to wiggle or hop to get them on. It was very exciting for me, and even though I was getting results, I still stopped. I'm sad about it... but there isn't a lot I can do about that now.

I have been doing the plank-a-day challenge! I am up to a two minute plank! This is huge for me! It took me up until now to make it the entire two minutes. Doing them each day (except for my rest days) has been interesting. Some days I feel very strong when doing a plank, and other days I can't even hold a plank for over a minute. Some planks I feel like I'm going to die. My back starts hurting, my legs start shaking uncontrollably... but through it all, I can feel my core getting stronger. I don't have to concentrate as much during the first minute of my plank like I did when I first started them. It's only after the first minute that I have to start breathing and focusing on not falling! It feels great to be getting stronger!

I have also noticed that the more weight I lose, the faster my running time is. Seems simple enough to understand, but I guess I really didn't realize it until I ran two weeks ago. I mapped out a 10K run and wanted to run it in under 60 minutes. I have been so close to breaking an hour, but I've been over by about 3 to 4 minutes. When I was on the home stretch, I pushed as hard as I could. When I got to the finish, I looked at my time. It was 1 hour and 1 minute. 61 minutes. SOOOO close! I think that if I ran the same route right now, I'd break under an hour! But I won't run my 10K again until next weekend! I went swimming this morning to get my calorie burn in  for the day!

I changed my photo outfit for this week! I know! It'll probably throw you off for a second, but the pink top that I've been wearing is too big now! It's a size XL and you can't really see my progress as well when I wear it. I changed the bottoms as well. The black ones that I have been wearing are a large, but they've been  stretched out and don't show my progress. So the top and bottoms are mediums. A little tight, yes, but that's the point. I want to fit them nicely at the end of my journey.

Start to Week 3, Week 8, Week 13, Week 21, and Week 26 progression photos:

Start to Week 26 photos:

Week 21 and Week 26 photo:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 21: 7 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 47 lbs

Weight To Go: 20 lbs

I cried the day I weighed myself and the scale showed me that I was in the 150's! There were a lot of emotions going on. But the one that stood out the most was the feeling of "I am proud of myself". Through this entire journey, I have been proud of myself. But I never really let it sink in. The day I saw the scale hit 157 lbs, it sank in. And I cried. No one helped me lose the weight. No one can help me... it is something that only I can do. I feed off of other people's motivation, but in the end, it's me. I'm the one who has to do one more burpee, one more push-up, etc. But I know I couldn't do those things mentally without the love and support I get from my family and friends.

I took a picture of the scale this morning to prove that these numbers are legit. I've been accused of lying about my weight because of how my body "looks". I was upset at first, but I just ignored the person for the most part. But I also wanted to prove to that person that I am not lying about this stuff. This is my current weight. My husband was standing right behind me when I got on and off the scale. Every gain is noted above. Just like every loss. This is honest weight loss and hard work.

I still can't believe that I'm SO close to the 50 pound mark! Three more pounds to go! I also can't believe that all I have left to lose is 20 pounds! That's 10+10! Or 5+5+5+5! I am so close to being done! But it is getting harder and harder to lose this weight. I know that people don't go by the whole BMI thing, but my scale shows me what it is and if it's within range or not. Right now, I am 0.1 lbs away from a healthy BMI. I calculate it on Myfitnesspal every so often, and these were my results this morning:

I am restarting Jillian's 30 day shred this month, starting today. The only exception is that I don't work out on Sunday. I know that it goes against the whole "30 day" thing, but it's my rest day! I need my rest days for physical, mental, and spiritual reasons! But I will be completing the 30 days, it will just take me longer than 30 calendar days. I am not going to stop this time! I'm going to stick with it! I want an amazing before and after photo!

I am also going to continue doing the plank a day challenge. I really enjoy it so far! I'm still working for my goal of a 10-minute plank. And yes, I know that I am crazy!

I also won a new pair of running shoes on a giveaway this week! Check it out here: Cherie Runs This! I am very happy to have won because my shoes are suffering terribly right now! I need new ones bad!

This is the last month of the year! December is here! Seems crazy that I started this journey on the first of June. I am 6 months into my journey today. I am 47 pounds lighter. 2012 is almost over! I have a lot of goals and races planned for 2013! I just need to remember this:

Halloween 2012

Happy Halloween!

I found the girl's costumes for Halloween in the beginning of September! I usually go to this second-hand shop in my town to find clothes for cheap. The day that I went, they had just put out their collection on Halloween costumes! And they were selling them for $1 each! I couldn't pass it up! I did a once-through and found three perfect costumes for my little ladies!

But this past Saturday, I went back to the rerun shop to find some workout clothes for me. They had more Halloween costumes and they were in the FREE bin! I went through the bin and found seven costumes for the girls that will fit them until they are 10! When I got home, Vivian showed interest in one costume that I brought home, so Charles and I decided that she would dress in that costume for trick-or-treating.

Caitlin as Spider Girl

Caitlin was set that she wanted to be Spiderman this year. I was very lucky to have found a costume for her right away! It was right next to a red tutu. I put the two together and BAM! Spider Girl was born! Caitlin spent the night singing, "Spider girl, spider girl" and shooting web from her hands! She really is my hero!

Rosalie as Princess Barbie

Each time Charles and I go shopping with the girls and we go to the toy section, Rosalie goes crazy in the dress-up section! So when I saw the bright pink, puffy dress, I knew she'd LOVE it! It had a picture of Barbie in a small jewel on the dress and Rosie noticed it right away saying, "Princess. Barbie!" She was very happy to be wearing a puffy dress that she could spin in! She's my little princess!

Vivian as Tinkerbell Fairy

We originally got a duck costume for Vivian. She wore it to 2 Halloween parties that we went to the weekend before. But when she saw the pretty green tutu, she tried to put the costume on by herself! It had just enough stretch to put on over her coat last night while we went trick-or-treating! She also had a little jewel on the front of her costume that had a picture of Tinkerbell in it. The only thing missing from Vivi's costume were her wings, but no one even noticed! She's my little fairy!

I was a goober and didn't take any photos of our girls at the Halloween parties we went to last weekend. Caitlin went as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Rosalie wore the same costume as she wore for trick-or-treating, and Vivian wore her duck costume. I did, however, get one photo of Vivian in her duck costume!

Charles and I dressed up for the Halloween parties. I went as a Vampire Queen and he went as a Skeleton Jester. I didn't get any photos of us... I'm sad about that. But we had a lot of fun! I won a friends' costume contest with my costume and got a lot of compliments! 

For trick-or-treating last night, we went to one large neighborhood to go trick-or-treating and stopped by some of our friends' houses. The girls had a blast! They kept commenting on other kids' costumes and the Halloween decorations in the yards!

I want to have coordinating costumes next year, maybe. We'll see! I want to make our costumes, too. But if not, the girls have many costumes to choose from now! Hope you all had a fun, safe Halloween! 

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 21

Where to start? This month has gone by so fast! So many amazing things have happened, I've accomplished quite a few goals, ran my first 5K since high school, and more!

The Color Run was on October 6th in Des Monies! (That was also my baby's first birthday!) I rode there with my Zumba instructor, Jen, and her son. We got there in plenty of time and decided to stop by the Color Run Store. It's a good thing we did because it served to be a wonderful wind block! It was FREEZING cold! I used the sweatband I got in my race packet as my ear cover! By the time we started moving in the start line, there were so many people around us that the cold wasn't such a factor.

I jogged between the color stations and walked through the stations to make sure I got a LOT of color! The colors weren't as vibrant as I had hoped, but I had a fantastic time! I very much enjoyed the relaxed nature of the "Happiest 5K on the Planet"! We crossed the finish line at about 43 minutes or so. It wasn't timed, so we just guesstimated! We stuck around for a few color throws during the after party, but decided it was time to get going home!

We stopped at Applebee's and refueled from the run. We headed home shortly after and I made it back in time to have birthday cake with my baby! My girls were in awe of the color on my face and hair! The kept saying, "Mommy is colorful!" Yes I was!

The rest of this month has been my usual routine for working out. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week with Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday. I have been getting a long run in on Saturday mornings. Now that the pool is open at the Y, I am going to start getting in a morning swim when I can!

I mapped out a run for last Saturday and it was exactly a 10K distance. I decided to run it as if I was racing to see where I am at for my 5K and 10K times. I started off strong. When I hit the 2.5 mile point, I started getting discouraged that I wouldn't have a good time. I didn't want to look at my time just yet, but I went ahead and looked. I was actually moving pretty fast! When I hit the 3.1 mile point, I looked at my time and I had clocked in at 29:42! My goal was to make it under 30 minutes! I DID IT!! I turned around and started running home. It was mostly uphill at that point, and it was really hard to even see myself finishing the entire 6.2 miles, but I kept pushing. I got a side cramp around mile 5, but kept pushing through the pain. I finished strong and had a time of 1:03:17. Which is a 33:47 time for my returning 5K. I felt awesome! I wanted to finish it in under an hour, and I didn't quite make it, but I was very proud of myself for not stopping!

I am noticing that things are getting easier to do when I am working out. Moves in Zumba that I use to dread are now becoming moves that I like! I can feel myself bouncing less and less. Which is great! I can do things I didn't think were even possible, like doing a plank for 1 minute. Sounds easy, but it isn't after a full cardio workout! I did my first set of unassisted sit-ups a few days ago. I couldn't even do one on my own when I started Power Hour a few weeks ago. I can feel my body becoming stronger the more I am challenged. And it feel fantastic!

I have had no luck in weaning my baby from breastfeeding, but I have been trying everything I can think of to help her wean. Nothing is working so far, but I'm giving it some time. I am ready to stop, but my baby isn't. When the time comes for her to be ready, I will be ecstatic!

Start to Week 6, Week 17, and Week 21 progression photos:

Start to Week 21 photos:

I was turned a little too much in the Week 21 photo.

Week 17 and 21 photo:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 17: 6 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 40 lbs

Weight To Go: 27 lbs

I'VE LOST FORTY POUNDS! FORTY! That's A LOT! Holy wow! It is unreal to me! The only thing that keeps me from seeing the person that I was 40 pounds ago, are the photos above. I still see the old Carie from 21 weeks ago when I look into the mirror sometimes. But that's not me anymore! So many of my friends from high school have told me that I'm looking more like I did in high school. Which makes me feel great! I am the size that I was when I got married in 2007! I am wearing the clothes I wore in my engagement photos! It is seriously unreal! But another perk of hitting my 40 pound goal is that I get a ONE HOUR MASSAGE!

It is getting more and more difficult to actually lose weight at this point for me. I had a tough two weeks at the start of the month, but once I started getting back on track with my water intake, my weight started coming off again. I realize now just how important water consumption is when you're trying to lose weight! I have gotten my 8 - 10 glasses each day for the past two weeks! I can tell when I am hungry now! Before I was confusing hunger and thirst. Now I know what hungry feels like and what thirsty feels like!

I am going to be doing Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred and the #plankaday challenge. I will be doing the 30 day shred starting on November 1st. I am doing it to start toning my core muscles to make running easier and to help get rid of my baby pooch! I will be doing the #plankaday challenge Monday through Saturday each week to try to hold a plank for 10 minutes! Which is crazy, but I need an "impossible" goal so that when I reach it, I will have done the "impossible"! It is going to take me months, but it is a long-term goal for myself! Yeah... I know I'm crazy! I will post a before and after photo after this month!

Someone asked me the other day, "How much more weight do you want to lose? You look great already, if you lose anymore you'll be too skinny!" While I appreciated what the lady had said, I had to explain to her that I am not losing weight to be skinny. It is so much more than that! I want to not be afraid of the clothes in my closet, I want to run after my kids and not get tired right away, I want to be healthy, I want to live a long life, I want to be strong, etc. My motto right now:

Vivian's First Birthday Party

I spent quite a bit of time planning Vivian's first birthday party. Charles and I agreed that we wanted a color theme instead of a character theme. We wanted something that was fall-friendly, but also girly. We decided to have a pink, orange, and yellow flower themed party. I got right to work on her party invitations!

I wanted to make tissue paper poms and a "one" pinata for her party. I searched Pinterest and found some easy tutorials and got to work! It took me two weeks worth of nap time craft sessions to get them all done! But I did, indeed, make everything on my own!

Decorations hung up. Charles and Mike looking at my homemade pinata after it was broken open.
(I forgot to take a photo of the pinata BEFORE it was broken... Oops!)

The morning of Vivian's party, I baked her cupcakes and cake and got started on the food prep. I used candy melts to make the decorations on the cupcakes and cake. They turned out great and it was easy! I set up the chili bar and side/dessert table while Charles cooked the chili.

People started showing up, and although the food was a little late in being served, we had an awesome turnout! We let everyone dig into the chili bar and right afterwards, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Miss Vivian and let her get messy in her cake!

We got her all cleaned up and then sat down to open presents! She got a lot of panda presents, clothes, toys, and a sippy cup. She LOVES her sippy cup and wanted nothing but it as soon as she opened it! Here are a few photos from her opening presents:

The sun came out just as Vivian finished her presents, so we took the pinata outside and had all the kiddos come with us to break open the pinata! We got through everyone and the pinata still hadn't broken open, so Charles threw the pinata at Teresa, who was ready to hit it with a baseball bat. It worked! Here are some photos of our girls:

Teresa and I divided the candy among the kiddos and soon after, everyone started heading home. We took some time to open Vivian's gifts from the boxes and let her play with her new toys. The toy she enjoyed the most was the panda that she could hit and it wouldn't fall over! She stood at the table and started kicking it and giggling!

She took a nap after things settled down! We still had another birthday party to go to that night, so she needed the down time! It was a wonderful party!

I am amazed at how much my baby girl has grown! She has her own personality and is full of life! She knows what she wants and she won't stop until she gets it! I hope she keeps that quality as she grows into a beautiful woman someday! But for now, I'll just keep her as my little lady and love on her each and every single day that God blesses me with! I love you, Vivian Rane!

8 Months Pregnant
Taken three days before I delivered Vivian!

Welcome to the world, Vivian Rane!

Vivian on her first birthday.

I am excited for her next birthday and all the ones that will follow it! I'm excited to see what things she is going to like! Who knows what her second birthday party theme will be?! But I do know one thing, whatever it is, she will let me know when the time comes! I love my beautiful October baby!