Has it really been 4 weeks?

4 weeks ago tonight I was frantically cleaning my house like a mad woman. I even went as far as to iron my bed sheets because the looked sloppy and unwrinkled when I pulled them out of the dryer. 4 weeks ago tonight I swept, vacuumed, mopped and then scrubbed on hands and knees all the floors in my home, washed and then remade all the beds in the home, dusted, windexed, cleansered and ironed practically everything. Finally at midnight Mark convinced me to head to bed...and 6 hrs and 30 minutes later my water kind of broke! (Side Note: I had always heard that when your water broke there would be a gushing of fluids or a popping sound...neither happened to me) Thus, I wasn't quite sure what happened. Did I pee myself? Was I all of a sudden really sweaty in just that area? I couldn't be sure, so Mark and I packed our hospital bag and headed to the hospital. Once there the nurse tested me to see if my water had broke and sure enough, she too was unsure! I wasn't really dripping, leaking, gushing...whatever you want to call it; so she called my doctor and he was unavailable. (Apparently some other woman wanted to have a baby that day too!)
Mark and I decided to head home and wait for my Doc to call. Finally at 4:30pm he called and had us meet him at his office. There he tested me again to see if my water had truly broken and promptly announced that it had! We rushed over to the hospital, waited for contractions to start, waited some more...then with a little medicinal help, little Ruby made her debut at 7:34 that evening.
It really is how amazing how fast time passes when you are sleep deprived and posses the smell of curdled baby spit up. I love my sweet Ruby and find myself gazing at her everyday feeling overwhelmed that I have been so blessed. On this Thanksgiving weekend I feel so full of rich blessings. Blessings that appear in the form of sleepless nights and endless "mom, I need...", "mom, he hit me...", and "mom, I'm hungry...". Whether your blessings are in the form of pint size people needing your constant attention and help, or the joy of parents, brothers, sisters and extended family I hope that this Thanksgiving, you were able to enjoy those simple moments!





The above shots are Ruby at 2 weeks old.

Twice BITTEN!

I hate to admit it, but in the last few days I have gone to see TWILIGHT TWICE! I know, I know, you are probably thinking that I love it...So, not true. I first saw the midnight showing and was so groggy that I walked out of the theater thinking, what the crap was that all about, a little bizarro 70's background music, a few too many slow mo's of quirky facial expressions and voila' you have the latest greatest pop culture movie hit! I decided because of the late night, the lack of sleep, and over-exuberant teen packed theater, I was unable to give the movie a fair shake. So, I went again! I checked out the movie today. Now that I have seen it twice, I have decided that I really want to know what you think!

ASK THE AUDIENCE: What did you think of TWILIGHT, Bella, Edward, and the whole grunge rock cast? Be utterly honest and let it rip!

Monday's Fit Tip MANIA!!!

BACK BY (not really any requests) but my PERSONAL NEED!

I am so excited to launch Monday's Fit Tip Mania. Please feel free to read through the random tidbits of fitness tips or add to them by posting in the comments section. I have been teaching aerobics and personal training for the last 12 years. The tips I post on my blog are tools of the trade that I have picked up along the way. If they work for you, GREAT! If they don't jive with your style just discard and wait for next weeks tip.

TIP OF THE DAY: (I actually picked this tip up from my Rockin' sister-in-law Shari, thanks!) If you just cant seem to find the time to get out of the house, say you have too many kids to load in the mini-van and haul to the rec-center; then this fit tip is just for you. Use your stairs to work your own personal 'StairMaster'. Set a timer in your home, pop in your ipod or pull out a great book and begin walking. If you don't want to just walk up and down the stairs for the given time, then add some distance around the home. You could walk up the stairs, around the family room, into each bedroom and then back down the stairs. Whatever the track, just keep moving until your timer rings.

If you are advanced in your fitness level, then add some great interval spurts. Walk or jog the stairs 10 times and then add a 1 minute of plyometric squat jumps or lunges! Whatever you choose, keep your heart rate at a level 6-7 out of 10 while walking the steps, and then boost that heart rate up to 8 for your 1 minute interval!

GET FIT!

Want a Free Photo Book?!?

If you missed yesterday's Oprah show, the owners of Snapfish are giving away free 8 1/2 x 11 photo books! Follow the links on the Oprah show to cash in on this great deal! You only have to pay shipping and handling...THAT'S AMAZING!

click here:
www.oprah.com

Got Tips for Holiday Healthy Living?

Hey all, I am collecting your tips for Holiday Healthy Living right now. Did you know the average American gains between 5 and 10 pounds over the holidays?!? Now that baby is out, and I am trying to get back IN to my old clothes, I am going to restart my Fit Tip Monday...so I would love to share some of your fit tips every Monday over the next 8 weeks. If you have a great Fit Tip, leave it in the comments or shoot me an email at erinsummerill (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Kissy Sneaky Peaky!!!

Here is a little sneak peak of the cutest couple! I first met Crystal Nagy in Hawaii when Mark and I lived in Laie. She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Here is Spencer Hafoka and Crystal totally lip-locked. I love a good kissy picture.

What the Heck is FACEBOOK?

As of 9:41 pm this evening, I have now answered that question. I have just signed up on the illusive FACEBOOK. For months I have heard friends talk about connecting with others on FACEBOOK; and frankly, I have felt a wee bit left out. So, I buckled under the pressure and I joined. If you are on FACEBOOK, give me a shoutout!

Eat. Sleep. Poop

...no, not me, her....RUBY!

Today Ruby will be one week old. In the last 7 days I have endured 7 great events. I have:

1. Gone through 1 1/2 packages of diapers.
2. Used 3 packages of wipes (I am trying to get a handle on this little girl thing)
3. Disposed of 1 1/2 packages of Pads (ewwww gross...sorry I had to share)
4. Changed into 3 different shirts a day (spit up)
5. Stayed in 1 pair of sweats (I love my paint covered, hole tattered, 15 year old teal green sweats...I refuse to take them off)
6. Made a quick emergency dash to the Insta-care yesterday, only to be told the massive, intense, stabbing pain in my back is either a pinched nerve, torn muscle...or a BLOOD CLOT?!? I am supposed to watch it and see if it gets worse.
7. Slept everyday with my sweet Ruby on my chest or by my side, listening to her baby murmurings and peaceful squeaking...HAVING A GIRL IS THE BEST!

Ruby Ruby Ruby RUBY!

My friend, a great photographer, Tammy Merryweather, took these wonderful shots of Ruby just after she was born! I am so in love with my little girl! GIRLS ARE THE BEST!

He is totally wrapped around her tiny little fingers...I knew he would see the light and glory of having a sweet baby girl! She is daddy's little girl.

I took the shots of her in pink this morning...her first morning at home! Isn't she so lovely?!?

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

for choosing the closest date and time - Rachel Plunkett (Nov. 2nd 6pm)

for choosing the EXACT weight - Jay and Cassie (7 lbs 5 oz)

You have both won random cute gifts that I have hand made, please email me your mailing address and you will recieve a great surprise!

And the Winner of the CONTEST is...

(check later for a current update)