Quick Before I Get Sidetrack'd

It’s kind of funny (in a not so funny sort of way) how my body has changed as I’ve gotten older and as a result of each of my three pregnancies.

Little was born when I was 27. I gained a total of 24 pounds while I was pregnant with her. At my 6 weeks post-partum check up I had lost 26 pounds. Then I lost another 20 pounds while she was nursing.

Boo was born when I was 29. I gained a total of 32 pounds while I was pregnant with him. At my 6 weeks post-partum check up I had lost 22 pounds. I lost the other 10 pounds before he was a year old, but then gained them back before my pregnancy with Baby Girl.

Baby Girl was born when I was 30. I gained a total of 40 pounds while I was pregnant with her. At my 6 weeks post-partum check up I had lost 20 pounds. And here I am, as Baby Girl turns 2 months old, holding steady at 20 pounds to lose.

So, I decided to get going this week in an effort to reclaim my jeans. I’ve teamed up with my SIL for encouragement and support, and we’re embarking on a get-in-shape/weight loss journey.

Right now I’m just doing T-Tapp, a 15 minute toning/cardio routine that I’ve had success with in the past. After the 14 day “boot camp” with T-Tapp I plan to add in some Wii Fit or walking as well.

I might have also mentioned in Matt’s hearing that I might need to do something drastic like give up chocolate. So I guess I’m doing that too. Short-term, at least.

And to further my accountability, I’m going to write about my successes (or failures) right here.

Wish me luck.

And motivation.

Early last month I posted some of our financial goals for the year.  Here’s where we are so far:

Done – 1. Move our savings into an account that earns more interest – February 15 – we’ve opened two new savings accounts and have earned more interest on the money than we did all of last year.

2. Have Life Insurance in place for both Matt and I – March 1 April 1

3. Create a Last Will and Testament for both Matt and I – February 15 April 15

4. Research Homeowners and Auto Insurance options before renewal – May 1 – have started this process; still gathering quotes, etc.

Done! – 5. Fully fund 4 months of Emergency Fund – September 30 March 5 – I am so excited that we were able to complete this quickly thanks to our tax refund

Done - 6. Prepare and file tax return – February 15

So, we’ve completed three of these six in the last month or a little more.  My big issue right now is with our Wills – I just can’t wrap my mind around choosing guardians for our kids in the event we aren’t here to raise them.  We’re considering our options (okay, so that sounds like we’re choosing a new paint color. We’re trying to prayerfully consider the people in our lives with whom we trust our children’s lives and well being), and, hopefully, we can get the Wills written soon.

New goals?  Since we’re doing pretty well I’m adding a couple of new things to the list.  Matt and I haven’t sat down to set “achieve by” dates yet, though.

1. Fully fund an additional 2 months of Emergency Fund (for a total of 6 months funded)

2. Start saving for a replacement car (ours are 10 and 6 years old, but that’s okay for now because they are paid for)

That’s our progress thus far in 2009.  Hopefully, we can get a couple more things marked off the list soon!

One of my goals for 2009 is to lose 30 pounds.  What have I accomplished?  Absolutely nothing.  During January I was totally unmotivated in regard to my eating and exercise.

And now February has begun and it’s time to get my act in gear; for the next 6 weeks (which will take me right up to my birthday) I’m going to work on getting some of this weight off.  I’m not one for extreme dieting so I don’t expect to lose all of the weight in that time, but it would be wonderful to drop the first 10 pounds or so.

How will I go about it?  My first step is to reinstate the rules I used during my challenge back in the summer/fall – exercise 5-7 days per week, limit my non-water intake to one per day, and no eating after 7 pm.  I know I’ll have to make some additional alterations from the way I’m currently eating, but I think these three things will help a lot.

So there we have it.  I’ve spoken (or at least typed) it, so I have some accountability.  Now if I can just find the motivation.

About 4 years ago Matt and I took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. With the things we learned in the classes we were able to pay off all of our debt (except our house).

For the first couple of years we did really well, but as we got out of debt and started bringing in a little more income we got lazy with our budgeting and envelope system. So when our church decided to offer FPU we decided to go through the program again. This time around we’re focusing on getting our savings in line so we can do some things around the house and work toward paying cash for our next car.

Last weekend we sat down and worked out our budget for February. It wasn’t much fun, but, hopefully, it will all pay off when we are able to meet our financial goals for this year.

As of today, these are our financial goals for 2009:

1. Move our savings into an account that earns more interest – February 15

2. Have Life Insurance in place for both Matt and I – March 1

3. Create a Last Will and Testament for both Matt and I – February 15

4. Research Homeowners and Auto Insurance options before renewal – May 1

5. Fully fund 4 months of Emergency Fund – September 30

6. Prepare and file tax return – February 15

Each month I plan to revisit these goals to see what we’ve accomplished and to add any new goals to the list. I think having the information here and in print (in my budget book) will help keep us on track and accountable.

It’s the fourth Tuesday of the month which means it’s time for the October edition of “What’s on Your Nightstand?” at 5 Minutes for Books.

My nightstand stack has gotten a bit shorter this month because I’ve focused on reading what was there before moving on to the rest of my Fall Into Reading challenge books.  Once again, I planned on posting a picture, even took one and uploaded it, but for some reason WordPress isn’t let me add it to the post; maybe next month.

So, here’s what’s on my nightstand:

Currently reading – The River Why by David James Duncan

Still there from last month – Stardust by Neil Gaiman, The Pact by Jodi Picoult, Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

Still there from August – Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

New additions:

The Englisher by Beverly Lewis.  I’ve read several of her books in the past including The Preacher’s Daughter which is the previous book in this series, Annie’s People.  The tales of Amish life and love that she tells are always enjoyable.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.  This one’s been on my “want to read” list for a while, so I’m looking forward to diving into it.

I don’t feel like I read much in the last month, but I managed to finish three books.

My Beautiful Idol – this book was great!  It is a memoir telling the story of one man’s (Pete Gall) journey with and toward God.  It’s entertaining, well written, and quite convicting.  I would definitely recommend this book.

A Wind in the Door – I finished the second installment in L’Engle’s Time Quintet and really liked it.  I thought it was just as good as A Wrinkle in Time, and I’m looking forward to reading the third book in the series sometime in the future (probably this winter).

The Center of Everything – This was a fun coming of age book without being cheesy or “chick-lit”-y (um, yeah, had to make up a word there).  It addressed a wide variety of topics facing the narrator between the ages of 10 and 15 as it explored growing up in small town USA as a less-than-privileged child.  Look into this one for a well written, engrossing read.

I think that covers it for October.  Check out “What’s on Your Nightstand?” to see what others around the blogosphere are reading this month.

Happy reading!