Let's talk bodies.

I realized today I haven't updated my weight loss progress in over a month so I am here this morning to do that and get some advice on bathing suits!

As we remember (or not) here are my last stats I reported:

Before baby: 145

Before delivery: 210 (holy moly)

5 week ago: 155

Currently: 152

My loss is slowing down! But that's ok! I have good news to report!

I am officially back in my pre-preggo clothes. Jeans and all! whoop whoop!

My main focus was on the Seven jeans I got for Christmas. I wore them 2 months and got pregnant. So they were my "skinny" jeans that I was trying to get back in them. And yesterday, I was brave enough to try, it worked! :) Yippee!!!!!!!!!!

I have slacked off of the diet some lately but I have to get back to it! That has always been my problem. I work hard to get where I want to be and then I slack some and end up gaining 5 or 10 lbs and have to start over! NOT DOING THAT THIS TIME!

I do have one BAD confession. I haven't worked out in a month! Working full time and taking care of my family just hasn't allowed me the time. But in one week and one day I will officially be a SAHM and I will be getting back into the workout routine then. Excited to get back to it!

Ok, speaking of bodies and being in shape.... have any of you noticed this AWESOME Spring weather we have been having (of course you have)!!?? So it's truly time to start thinking bathing suits!! I am on a budget so I can't go all crazy and spend a ton of money but I would like to get one that will last this summer! And I am good with one (maybe two)!

So here's the problemo... I am not crazy about my stomach. It's still a little "soft." I am thinking about a tankini, although my husband would object! He thinks I look great (of course you do honey, I am your wife and you love me) and I should wear a bikini and I am considering it!

You have prob see other bloggers talk about the Land's End Canvas line. Well I received an email with these awesome swimsuits this morning! I need your help deciding!

All photos are from the Land's End Canvas site.

Women's Heritage Mini Dot Bandeau Halter Swim Top

I like this top with...

...these, or...

Women's Heritage Retro Hipster Mini Dot Swim Bottom

...these

Women's Heritage Stripe Wideband Bikini Bottom

Women's Swim Essential Bandeau Tank Swimsuit

Women's Heritage Even Stripe String Bikini Top

What do you think? Any secret bathing suit websites that you want to share?? I want affordable but cute and most def age appropriate! I am not trying to look 18! :)

No words.

There are really no words for these pictures. They absolutely take my breath away!! These are Addison's 4 month pictures. She is now 5.5 months and much bigger but these are just so sweet!

I won't bore you with words I will simply let the pictures speak for themselves.

All pictures were taken by Melissa with Honeybee Photography.

And something to make you laugh!!! The one on the left was her NEWBORN pic and the one on the right is 4 months! YEP, my baby is one sweet chunkeroo :)

As of April 2nd...

... I will be a STAY AT HOME MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is with much excitement that I make this news public. Our good friends and family know and now I am so excited to share that I will be making this big change in just 2 short weeks!

After much prayer, discussion, budget tweaking and tears... Adam and I decided it's best for our family if I am a SAHM at this time in our lives. It's what is best for our family!! It's what's best for me personally, but most importantly it's what's best for our family!

Most of you know I really struggled with this decision. I think a lot of the times it was so hard because I wanted it soooo bad! But I wanted to do what God wanted me to do. I wanted to make sure I was living out HIS plan for me! And I am finally at peace that at this time in my life I am living His plan! Who knows what He has in store for me in the future but I feel GOOD about this decision!

I have gotten an amazing response of support from friends and family and even had some emails with lots of questions like: how, why, when, where... etc! And I want you to know that if you have any of those questions I will be glad to answer them.

I struggled a lot with a few aspects of being a SAHM. I struggled MOST OF ALL with the financial side of things! I am pretty much an open book... I am not ashamed to say that Adam and I don't come from wealthy families but we were loved beyond measure and always had what we needed and wanted (within reason). Adam and I are not wealthy. We do not have lots of money stored away. We haven't hit the lotto (nor do we play-ha). We don't take big vacations (yet!) And I don't shop til I drop (anymore)! But we are taken care of. We have what we need. We are making HUGE financial sacrifices for me to be able to stay at home and raise our sweet Addison.

It's important for me to give my sweet husband lots of credit here. He wanted me to stay at home just as much as I wanted to! And THAT, my friends, made all the difference in the world as to how this came about! He was 100% supportive and was willing to do ANYTHING to make this work and without going into too much detail, he has SACRIFICED so much so I can do this! And will continue to in order to support our family so we can have the kind of life (in his words) that we "deserve to have!" I am married to a wonderful, godly man that loves me and our family so much that he would do anything to make us happy! He is so supportive and understanding and just really wonderful!! I am one lucky lady to be married to such a handsome, sweet man!! (I love you!)

So anyway, that's my big news. The decision is made and I can't wait to be at home with this precious face all day!!!

Fluffy meets Bower Power

Email convo:

Me: I am going to be in Atlanta for work on Thursday. Want to meet for lunch?

Katie: Sure!

Immediately I thought oh great, she thinks I am a stalker/creeper! We exchanged a few more emails and presto, we had plans!! (and WHEW, she didn't think I was a stalker!)

Who, what, when, where, why?????

Sweet, crafty, beautiful, pregnant, ah-mazing, Katie from Bower Power of course! We had a lunch date. In Atlanta at the Raging Burrito! Just because she is awesome and I wanted to meet her. And IT. WAS. FABULOUS.

This was my first blog friend meet up so I was nervous. But those nerves immediately went away when we sat and started chatting!

You know, you have this perception of someone and then you meet then and usually you are either dead on or WAY off. Well, I was dead on! Except for some reason, I expected her to have a southern accent. She does not :) But I am from Alabama and mine is UBER thick!

We had a blast chatting about babies (she's due with sweet Will in April), home renovations, jobs, husbands, thrifting, other bloggers! We laughed! Got free cheese dip! :) She learned that I am an open book, I don't hold anything back. What you see is what you get. I am not modest. I say what I think! She learned about my WEIRD pickiness! And I learned that she is WAY more than just this super awesome "do-it-yourself-er". I learned about her awesome family & boyfriend, her previous job, her involvement at her church. I learned that I am usually referred to as "Fluffy" when she and Sherry at Young House Love speak of me (this cracked me up). I learned she is just so very nice, open and friendly. Genuinely friendly. You don't meet many people like that. I felt instantly comfortable with her. It wasn't awkward at all. Like we had been friends for years and were just catching up! I confided in her about some things and never felt judged. To sum her up: AMAZING! Really, just an awesome person to be around!

We talked of getting together with our boys and hanging out. Seems they might have a lot in common (and Jeremy can teach Adam some things about men's fashion, right Katie?-haha). I am so glad to know that I have made an "in real life" friend in Katie. And she's only an hour or so away! I can't wait to meet sweet Will. You and Jeremy will be wonderful parents and Will is so lucky to be raised in a household with so much love.

You can read her synopsis of our date here :)

If you don't know who this awesome Katie is, check her out at Bower Power. Her blog is one that I have read since I even knew what a blog was. She is an amazing decorator. She and Jeremy have renovated a lot of their home and it's absolutely stunning! One of my most recent loves they have done: Will's accent wall in his room. At least go look at that!

And a funny tidbit (THIS WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH) that I have been meaning to share... as we were leaving, Katie asked a random guy to take our picture, he obliged (see pic above) :) After she and I chatted a few more minutes and went our separate ways... a guy (remember him Katie, the one that walked by us like twice I think he was the one that asked you how pregnant you were???) kept talking to me. Wouldn't leave me along. I only had to walk about 50 yards to my car, but he wouldn't shut up. He was walking like 4 feet behind me. When finally he said, "Hey, you know you kinda look like Kim Kardashian!" At first I was kind of flattered, then I realized he was looking at me from BEHIND! Great! Then he said, "You know who (insert some name) is?" I said, "No!" He said, "That's her boyfriend!" (Note: he didn't say Reggie Bush) "Ahh, ok." And finally he said, "I could be him and you could be Kim." And laughed and just stopped following me. I have never been so happy to get back in a minivan (my rental for the work trip) in my life :) haha THE END!