Tips & Tricks: Healthy Halloween

7 TIPS AND TRICKS TO A HEALTHIER HALLOWEEN: 
1) Talk to your kids first and foremost about how much candy is enough. Kids like the idea of candy but do they really need all that candy? Talk to them first and say, we are only going to this one neighborhood this year. Also tell them that they can not empty their bag and start over. It is one bag only and explain how much they will get.

2) Find a smaller neighborhood and just go there. Or just go trick or treating at a local church. When you get home have them help pass out some candy or only go and see their friends house in the neighborhood.

~2013~

3) Line their trick or treating bag with batting or decorations. (Trick I do with our pass out candy!) (Pictured at top)

4) Fill the bottom of their bag with fruit, or make arrangements with a neighbor to give them fruit (you provide the fruit) Make that your first stop so that their bag is weighted down and so the fruit (apples and oranges) take up more room.

5) Make a "fill to this line only" line on their bag or bucket. Once the candy reaches that line, they are done.

6) Buy a smaller trick or treating bag. Invest in a customized one that just doesn't hold as much candy as the buckets do.

~Masson's Personalized Creations bag. Only about as big as his head!~

7) Talk about what you are going to do with all the candy. Make a pre-planned schedule as to when they will get their candy. Reward for doing chores? Or a sticker system?

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5 Month Old Collin

Collin, Collin, my sweet baby boy Collin is growing up WAY too quickly! I miss the tiny little baby and how small he was. But I do love how much personality he has. He loves to watch his big brother run around the room pushing his big trucks around. He loves to watch Archer trot around him, and if Collin spits up, Archer is right there in his face making sure Collin is ok and to sniff out the mess he made.

~Hey there, good looking!~

Collin is moving. We put him one place on the floor and in a few minutes he is in a whole new place. He just moves backwards, and and he can turn himself from one direction to another. He can also flip from tummy to back, not always on purpose but can't do the opposite.

~Perfect flat back!!!~

~Superbaby!~

This past month he moved from our room to his new bed in the nursery and seems to be doing well. He did spend some nights back in our room in his bassinet and in our bed. Thanks so some sickness he got. Sadly he is no longer sleeping through the entire night like he was. He is now waking up 2-3 times a night. 1 for comfort and 2 for feeding. He is pretty consistent. Goes to bed around 7:30-8 wakes up around 11 for comfort more than anything. Then 2am for food and 5am for food. Then back to sleep till 8am. Thankfully he doesn't do super long feeding like Mason did. Collin is done in 20-25 min tops. But the lack of sleep is really getting to me. I have not been able to keep up with my chores around my house, like cleaning, laundry or making homemade bread. (doing laundry is BAD for me right now. I just hate doing it!) Dinners have been hit or miss too. I often don't get a nap during the day and thankfully Shakeology helps out in the "giving me energy" bit but I am just worn out. So glad that Matt is around too, to help clean and pick up my slack.

This past month has been full of such beautiful sounds of laughter and cooing. He loves to giggle at us, or when I tickle him. He is super ticklish on his sides, back and upper legs. And he loves to coo at Matt. He just tells Matt all about his day. He does not do that to me! AT ALL! Matt misses a lot during the day and Collin likes to give him a play by play. It is really cute.

~I had to "reset" him back in the middle of the quilt. But here is where he ended up at the end of the pictures!~

Collin lights up and kicks and squirms when Matt or I enter a room. He just goes bonkers and gives us a super happy grin. Often at night he doesn't want to cuddle he just wants to go straight into his bed but before we close the door he props himself up and gives us a toothless grin to say goodnight and he is out! He is such an impressive little dude!

I'm A MOMBIE!

This is totally me right now! LOVE THIS. I'm potty training by day and nursing by night! Who else is a Mombie right now???

Man, Can't Believe This Is Happening

Mason is in the middle of potty training. I have wanted to throw in the towel a few times today, but haven't. He has gone pee in the potty more than on the floor, and is now having fun, now that there is some chocolate involved. So wish us luck. Oh and it kind of backfired on me because he wants to be naked or commando. No undies. So we are working on that. At least I can tell him that if he goes pee he goes back in a diaper and he isn't happy about that idea!

Also, Collin can easily roll from tummy to back now. And he is taking his first nap in his crib in the nursery.

Too many changes! This momma is tired. Time for my nap!

Life of a Busy Mommy!

This past week was CRAZY in the Allen household! It was my first full week back at teaching, last week it was only a partial teaching week. And to top it off Matt was gone for 4 DAYS! I was by myself with the 2 boys for 4 DAYS! Needless to say it got a little stressful and crazy! Both boys were missing Daddy like crazy and Mace was tired of dealing with just me. I didn't pull any hair out, the house survived and we are all in one piece but man I am so thankful that I have my hubs here to help me with the boys regularly because I need that break in the afternoon to just decompress!

It was so cute when Matt got home. Mason just wanted to hold him and hug him and didn't want to go to bed but we promised lots of playing the next day (which he did) just with daddy! Collin was cooing up a storm just to Matt when he saw him. (Matt got home around 9 pm by the way!) Collin was talking to Matt, like trying to have a conversation with him, telling him everything that he missed while he was gone,  and it was so cute!

So back to normal life now, yay! Coming up this week we have my weekly PiYo recap, Collin 3 month post (I know, already), and Running Tips and Tricks! See ya tomorrow!

Also there is still some room left in the PiYo test group! If you are interested let me know!!! Make sure you JOIN my team here!

Your New Postpartum Body

~Me and Collin 1 week postpartum~

So you've just had a baby and you want to get your body back to the same exact shape it was in just 9 short months ago. Sorry to tell you this but it might just not be possible. You can get your body back to being healthy, and probably the same weight but I have talked to a bunch of moms that after having a baby their bodies changed. There is a little more squish here, stretch marks there, and the core strength is just GONE! But let's face it. We all want to have the celebrity recovery and go back to exactly how or better than we were, because we are moms! We do it all, the dishes, laundry, take care of the kid(s), feed the hubs and clean the house. So what can we do to get back to how were were before baby or as close as possible?

1. Acceptance. Accept the fact that you just had a baby. You will have "battle scars" whether seen or unseen. Embrace your new body. If you are 1 week postpartum or 10 months your body is different. You are different. You have had a baby. Your body went through a lot to make a baby and there are things that are just going to be different. Look in the mirror and look at some of the changes that you have gone through. You butt might be a little bigger, or thighs rub together more than they did. You might have your first or 50th stretch mark. Embrace them. They are the marks of being a mom! Keep rubbing the stretch mark lotion on your belly or hips to mask them, it's ok. But be ok with how you look and how you have changed. YOU ARE A MOTHER! YOU are AMAZING!

~Drew Barrymore less than 4 weeks postpartum on the red carpet!~

2. SLOW AND STEADY. Don't just rush back into exercise right after you have a baby. Allow yourself the time to heal that your body needs. Doctors generally recommend 4-6 weeks of recovery. That is ok. you don't have to be that actress that is back on set a couple weeks after she had a baby because of that important scene she is under contract to shoot. (See Star Trek: DS9 Kira's character source.(Yes, I am a little trekie))  After you get the ok from your doc or midwife test the waters with a walk, then a short run, or a small number of other exercises. Don't expect to be back to what you were doing before you got pregnant. It will take some time and hard work. And don't push too hard. Listen to your body!

3. Listen to your body. You still have relaxin in your body after you have a baby. You know, that stuff that loosened all of your joints and ligaments. For about 6 months. Try not to over stretch or over do it. My feet have been hurting in my shoes lately. Per my chiropractor, my arch has dropped a little. It did with my first and it took a few moths for it to go back or return to how it was. My core is so gone at this point too. Start small and be smart about what you do with your exercises. Try a plank but only for 10 seconds to start with. You might be able to hold it just fine and want to go a little longer, but the next day, your core might be barking back at you! Listen to your body. Respect it that it is different and needs to build strength again where it was super stretched and relaxed.

4. Have fun.With any exercise, if you enjoy it you are more likely to do it again and again. Find a fun workout routine, or a new routine to try out. But have fun. You can explore mom and baby yoga and do it together. Try to incorporate your baby in your exercise. Do a plank and have your baby under you or near you so that you can make fun faces at them and try to get them to giggle. Leg lifts with your baby on your shins is also fun. (When their necks are more stable.) Wearing your baby adds more weight to your body and can help you burn more calories. Or go for a walk with the stroller. You will burn more calories when pushing a stroller. But watch your milk supply or diet. If you just started exercising and you notice a dip in your supply, try to back off a little on the exercise. Baby needs those calories in your milk! Plus you can burn up to 500 calories a day exclusively breast feeding!

Hope these helped you get in the mindset with your new body! Get back out there and have some fun and good luck, MOMMA'S! You are amazing. We made babies. We can do anything!

4 Weeks

Guess who is 4 weeks old???? Yep, Collin! I can't believe 4 weeks ago this little guy joined the world. It has flown by and it is kind of crazy but I feel like I have know him longer than just 4 tiny little weeks (+ 9months). It is almost like he has always been part of our family. I have heard other people say that and thought they were crazy but I get it now. He just fits into our life so easily. Mason loves him, I love him and Matt loves him (when he is not crying in his arms!)

~His really pissed off face!~

~Brotherly love!~

How are things going? Pretty well! Collin is growing, getting chunkier and loves to eat and sleep. He doesn't cry. In all honesty he really doesn't. He cries mostly when someone else is holding him (i.e. Matt), when he is hungry and when he is getting his diaper changed. He sleeps like ALL. THE. TIME! Most of my pictures of him are of him sleeping, plus he is so cute when he is sleeping!

How has life changed? Not really too much. Now that I have survived 1 week with all family back home, and Matt back at work full time I have pretty much stuck with the same schedule we had before Collin (B.C., haha!) Mason was so well trained in his schedule that Collin just fits into it. Mason climbs into be with us in the morning while I nurse Collin and rest a little longer. Then Collin rests in his swing while Mace and I eat breakfast as usual. Then we go to the basement for playtime, go outback or now to the park or just together time. Then "Mommy quiet time" for Mason at 12:30ish. Collin eats then naps for a couple hours then Daddy comes home. It really has been an easy transition. And at this very moment, the dishes are done and the kitchen is clean and my main floor in my house is CLEAN! (Feeling accomplished!)

~Family TV time on Father's Day~

What about exercise for the momma (that's me!)? Well, I am not cleared to exercise yet. Haven't had my postpartum appointment yet. I did run about 100 ft last week to my car in the parking lot and things just felt funny and off in my belly. My body is not ready for it. My legs loved it though it was my belly that didn't. I wasn't planning on running quite yet anyhow but I would like to start doing some other exercises before I start running, like squats and other strength training exercises to get that back first.

Anything else??? Well, I am addicted to sugar. So my goal is to start trying to cut out how much sugar we have in the house. When family was here we had a constant array of sweets and treats in the house. Not to mention the cookies I made for Matt last week, and the cupcakes we got for Fathers's Day yesterday. Yep, lots of sweets. I have been getting headaches and I think it is from just too much sugar and not enough protein. So that is something I will be working on.

~I'm a Pink Lady with the Women's 4 Miler Training Program. Training season kicked off Sat 6/14~

I Survived!

~Collin at 18 days old!~

This past weekend was my first time alone with the boys, ALL. DAY. LONG! Matt had military training over the weekend up in DC and I stayed back at the house with the two boys. Matt even called to check in on my Saturday to make sure I was doing ok.

Surprising thing is that Mason (my almost 3 year old) was amazing! He helped so much, and didn't really throw any tantrums. When I had to nurse Collin he would just go and play with his toys without being asked or watch his tablet. He never would hassle me at all or ask for anything. He knows and understands what I am doing and it is kind of cool and freaky at the same time. I was expecting so much worse from him and I am happy to say that I am pleasantly surprised!

On top of that Collin is going through his first growth spurt which means that he is sleeping deeply and eating a ton. He is sleeping so well during the days right now in his swing or the bassinet. I don't have to constantly hold him which is really nice. To give you an idea of how lucky I was this weekend. Mace went down for "Mommy quiet time" (nap/play in his room time) on Saturday at 11:30. Collin fed and went down for a nap in the swing for the next 1.5 hours in the swing. I was free for an hour and a half. IT WAS AMAZING! Then, after I fed Collin we both took a nap until about 3:30 when Mason got up from his nap.

I feel very blessed and fortunate to have Collin and Mason be so good with this transition of adding a new family member.

Now the hard part begins. Matt is back to work full time starting today! Time to learn all about balance and not just luck!

Much Needed Help

The past few weeks we have had help here at the house helping out with Mason and me and baby Collin when he arrived. My mom arrived on the 13th of May to help with Mason and of course after Collin arrived she was always available to help hold Collin so that I could get a nap or do some much needed things around the house or even to take a shower!

~Collin on his Blessing Day~

My dad arrived the 25th to spend some time with us as well. So thankful for their help around the house and helping to take care of us. We had a great time watching movies and hanging out together and enjoying the blessings of new life.

~GMA (Gummy) With Collin~

This past weekend my in-laws arrived along with my sister in law for a few days. We have had quite a full house over the weekend. Yesterday was Collin's big day for our religion. It was his baby blessing where he is given a name and then a blessing. So we had both sides of the family in town to be part of the big day.

~GPA (Guppy) with Collin~

But all good things come to an end. My parents left to go back to Arizona today, :( super sad am I. I love having my family here and watching them "oo" and "ah" over my children. It only took us 9 years to get Mason here. My mom loves little babies, just like anyone else does. It is so beautiful to see my mom with my children.

My in-laws are here until Friday then Matt and I are on our own. EEK! A little nervous for that but all good things must come to an end, right? But until Friday I am still enjoying the much needed help that I am receiving from my family!

Collin Blessing Day- 13 days old

Mason Blessing Day- 2 days old

Collin: 1 Week Old

Collin is over a week old now. (He turned a week old on Monday) With the holiday on Monday and his circumcision Tuesday I didn't get a chance to write about him and me and how everything is going. I do hope you are enjoying reading his birth story.

Collin 1 week old: 
Loves to sleep, eat and poop. He doesn't cry all that much, seriously, kid does not make a peep. He only cries when we change his diaper, even before the circ. And if I take too long to get him some food, like if I have to go to the bathroom before I feed him since he will be out cold by the time we finish.

~Seriously?!? How cute is he!!!~

He is eating like a champ. Nursing consistently (except for yesterday with the recover from his procedure) for 30-35 minutes total. He is more efficient than Mason was with nursing and can drain me very quickly! I am thankful that nursing has been so easy for us.

At his 1 week 1 day check he was back up to his birth weight of 7 lbs and 1 ounce, up from his 4 day appointment of 6 lbs 12 ounces.

~Daddy and Collin chillin' in the bed~

He is lifting his head so much more now and is less jaundice than he was last Friday at his 4 day old appointment.

He loves to be cuddled. I don't mind that at all and neither does GMA! We just cuddle him all day long. It is not spoiling it is part of the weaning process into the world. And he is just too cute not to cuddle.

~Mason actually wanted to hold Collin for the first time and not be told to~

I am getting 4-5 hour stretches of sleeping at night. I don't wake Matt up at night to help so he is practically sleeping through the night. When he does nurse around 2am he generally only does one side and is back to sleep in 15-20 minutes. It is pretty crazy cause Mason would nurse for 40 min every 2-3 hours. I know that there will be a growth spurt coming up soon and that means more nursing at night and day but that is what happens and I am ok with it.

~Yummmm! Milk coma!~

I have currently lost 22 lbs since I gave birth. I am now under my starting weight for this pregnancy 3 lbs. I did not do this well with Mason. I got stuck at 15lbs only and that was it until I made some drastic changes when he was 10 months old. With this one, the weight is just falling off. I know it will slow down in the next few days and weeks. I am waiting until 6-8 weeks postpartum to exercise and have a more strict diet. Right now it is all about milk supply and making sure we set that up as efficiently as possible.

~Matt and his boys!~

I am doing great. I am not ready for Matt to go back to work. He went back today all day and tomorrow through next week he will be doing half days. I am a little nervous as this morning was a little stressful on me. Thankfully GMA and GPA are still in town to help. And Saturday we will have my in-laws for a week and my sis in law will be here for a few days. Thankful for all the help we are receiving.

~Collin and Me: 1 week postpartum~

40 Weeks Today!

YEA! I have made it. I am 40 weeks as of today! Granted it is an "estimated" 40 weeks pregnant but I have definitely made it to a full term baby! He is ready to go. If I had a turkey timer (belly button pop out) it would have totally popped by now, but my innie is still very much an innie!

I have a few things going for me that might help me go into labor:

~Mom arrived last night. YEA! So that means we won't have to find extra help with Mason if/when I go. And she wanted to be here when baby arrives so she is here, time to come out baby!

~Tonight is a full moon. Yes, it is an old wives tale. No, I will not be going out naked under the moon doing a belly dance to get this baby out. But I might go sit on my front porch for a little bit under the moon.

~Had actual timeable contractions Sunday afternoon for a few hours. They were about 8 min apart and it lasted for about 2.5 hours. But they were not Braxton Hicks. They were wrapping from the back to the front and kind of had to make me think about them for a little bit.

~Having urges to squat or open up my hips more. I can tell the baby has dropped even more and is lower in my pelvis. (pelvic pressure and having to pee a ton more). So that is a good sign.

If I make it to my Thursday checkup I am going to ask the doctor to strip my membranes and hopefully get the show on the road to go this weekend! I might not be posting as much soon but I will let you know when I do hatch this baby and there will as always be tons of pictures for you to adore!

~Baby's Going home outfit! LOVE IT!~

Happy Mother's Day!

This day has been one of the hardest, most special and now a little bittersweet for me. The first 8 years of our marriage I really hated this day. It was a reminder that I couldn't get pregnant. All my friends were and their families grew and expanded over the years and our was stagnant. Not matter what we did I couldn't get pregnant. I hated receiving the Pity Flower at church. (Here you go sister Allen here's a flower that is supposed to be for moms but you aren't a mom yet and we will give you one anyways because that is what we were told to do.) I know that that is not the real intent of the flower but that is how I felt at church every year. It got to the point that I stopped going to church on Mother's Day because I just couldn't take it anymore.

Then I finally got pregnant. It was amazing. I relished the day. I loved it. I earned that flower for the first time, but wait, baby wasn't here yet and something could still happen and I could end up not being a mom because something could happen. But that year I went to church and I collected my flower and was proud of it! Got an amazing Mother's Day gift from Matt that year too. He knows my feelings on that day and normally doesn't get me anything but that year, 2011, he got me a massage, facial and just a pamper day at an amazing spa! It was amazing!

Last year is when this day has become bittersweet to me. I miscarried the day before Mother's Day. (which happens to be Mother's day this year.) I was 12 weeks pregnant and knew it was coming. Matt wasn't home yet from being away at military and wasn't going to get here until the 12th. I went through the miscarriage all on my own. I was alone. Crying my eyes out, and didn't have anyone here to help me or anything. It was awful. Thankfully that day Mason was amazing and was asleep a ton on that Saturday afternoon after a playdate from that morning. I didn't go to church the next day. I just wasn't feeling well and hello I just had a miscarriage. I was thankful for Mason and the blessing he is in my life. I knew that this day would be a little harder for me from now on.

But what a miracle things have become. I get pregnant without expecting it and when is my due date, right around the time of my last miscarriage. CRAZY HUH! I am so thankful that I will have a happy memory to help shadow my sad loss of last year. And whenever baby decides to come we will be so happy to finally welcome him in our family. We are truly blessed by the graciousness of God in our lives who has blessed up with this little miracle!

Please don't feel sad for me on this post. It is a post of growth and learning and it is apart of me. Here is a little picture roundup on how my life is with Mason.

~Allen Family Est. 2002. Best Day Ever!~

~Next Best Day of my life just over 8 years later~

~There's always lots of snuggle time in this house. Just too cute a kid not to snuggle with!~

~Cute little boy!~

~There's plenty of play and fun in our house everyday!~

~There's also a lot of this in our house. He is a little bit of a drama King!~

 ~But at the end of the day, he's my little man and we will always love each other!~

 ~Love my squeezes!

 Thank you Mason for making me a Mommy and loving it everyday! I love you son!

~I am so excited to be a mommy of 2 sons! See you real soon Baby!~