Hi, it's been like eight months.

And so much changes in eight months!

Well, when you're 5-13 months old, anyway.
The Girl is laughing, WALKING, eating people food and chasing the dog (slowly, but Sheila doesn't like it).  Her vocabulary is pretty limited, but she totally knows exactly what's going on all the time.  She answers questions, and the other day we even had a CONVERSATION.

Girl: Air ee-ah?
Me: I don't know.  Let's go find Sheila.
Girl: yeahyeahyeah

and then she chased the dog for a few minutes.

Anthony and I are still at Fort Campbell, and the New Year has brought some fun changes for me!
I've been actually exercising and not just saying I wish I had time to exercise.  I'm also using the MyFitnessPal and Pacer Apps to track stuff, and it's actually super rewarding to have the information in front of me at all times.  Even though I haven't seen any actual weight come off yet, I do know that my body is stronger and my stamina is higher.  MyFitnessPal is helping me keep track of calories (as opposed to my previous method of "Maybe it isn't so bad...?") and when I have leftover 'points' at the end of the day it is kind of an awesome feeling.  Another one of my goals was to drink enough water every day.  I'm only posting all this information on the internet so I feel accountable to the internet and not just to myself.  Starting a Facebook group with some like-minded healthy-hopefuls has been fun and entertaining, as well as uplifting and I thought it might be even more uplifting and exciting and whatever to share on While She's Asleep.

So.  That's why I posted all that navel-gazing mess.

Here are Ten Things I Enjoyed The Last Eight Months:
The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Noodle Soup it is a huge batch for the two of us, so we had some in the freezer for months. It was awesome!
Tommee Tippee's Easi-Mat The Girl figured out how to pick it up pretty quickly, but it still helps once she gets distracted by all the yummy food on her plate!
Sassy's Grow Up Cup because, seriously.  It is really cool, man.
MyFitnessPal to keep me in check and help me pay attention to what I'm doing
Wellness Mama  for recipes for lotions, and tips on crunchy, natural living stuff.  We make our own diaper cream, so Wellness Mama was a great starting point.
Brad Meltzer Books We have three of them.  LOVE THEM.  The link takes you to the newest "Ordinary People Change the World" book, which is about Jackie Robinson.  We have Einstein, Lincoln, and Amelia Earhart.
Green Toys  They are all so cool.  And, even though we don't have any yet, Green Toys makes some trucks and airplanes and boats that are in girly colors.  I just like that.
Snapea Crisps  I just love them, and I feel like it's better to eat them than potato chips (which I also love).  Please don't tell me if it isn't.
Yummly another app, but for recipes! You put in what you're kinda looking for (I usually enter what I have when I need to make dinner and didn't plan appropriately) and it gives you dozens of recipes from all over the internet.  I usually trust Martha Stewart, but I learned about Smitten Kitchen, Kath Eats Real Food, and a few other new favorites from Yummly.
and finally:

The fact that my desk is no longer in the freezing cold or steaming hot (depending on the season) den and I have a space for writing that is comfortable and feels like it's part of my house. This blog began when Scarlett was sleeping on me and I had the laptop beside me, and the accidental hiatus began when the laptop went back to my desk.

You guys, I could actually write while The Girl played behind me in the dining room.  I might actually be posting more often!  I mean, don't hold me to it, I have exercise and calorie counting to do, but STILL.

And now, to check on The Girl, who is sleeping very fitfully tonight.  Until next time!
-Tara