Healthy Living and Life

Last Thursday, Michael and I went to a weight management class. We decided it's time to get healthy and do things right. I'm a binge eater, no doubt about it, so I've been trying to be super diligent about tracking my calories on Spark People. I really love that site, and the fact that I can scan the barcode of things I'm eating, and my calories will be tracked, is AMAZING!

Besides eating better, I am going to start exercising. I say "going to" because I have't started yet. The backyard took up all of our time this weekend, and today I cleaned my filthy house. Who knew working with dirt for days on end would track dirt into a house, causing rocks and dirt to cover your baby's knees as she crawled? GROSS!

Tomorrow I have jury duty and I'm dreading it. I don't pump my breastmilk, and Michael will have to call into work and miss 1/2 day. Hopefully they don't expect me to serve on a trial, because I will bawl! :(
I'm getting sad! Here are some pictures to brighten the mood! They're from my blogging hiatus. They're all of the cutest Bergman ever: Michelle!

In a firetruck, visiting Papa's station!

Easter eggs and presents!

Being a cool kid on the swings!

xoxo

Sunday and Wednesday Night Dinners

A few weeks ago my family decided to start having a weekly dinner to catch up and bond. We kept going months without getting together, and we all live within 15 minutes of each other! Michael's family already has a weekly Sunday night dinner, so we decided to jump on the dinner wagon and have Wednesday Jarvi Dinners.

With Grandpa , watching the game 

Cleaning up with Grammie

Every week we go to a different house (my sister's, parent's and mine) and cook dinner, talk, and leave. We don't stay late, and the kids' weekly routines aren't messed up. It's really nice! It's especially nice to see my dad, because for a while I was barely seeing him. My mom and I talk on the phone everyday, but I didn't get to see Dad as much. It's really nice :)
I think the kids benefit the most from these dinners! Michelle gets to play with her cousins, bond with family, and gets to know everyone outside of holidays and special events.

Playing with a puppy

I love that Michael and I have some traditions with our families that are based on love and the desire to spend time together; instead of buying gifts, or some weird obligations. We have dinner Sundays and Wednesdays because we want to, and it makes it so much more special.

Playing with Lauren

Weight and Backyard update

As much as I wanted to keep a running blog of the progress in our backyard, I couldn't! This yard project has dominated every weekend since we've started!

Since we started, we removed the concrete in the yard, removed the raised beds and replaced with redwood and healthy soil, dug trenches for a sprinkler system, and are 99% finished with the sprinkler installation!!!

All that's left is to finish the sprinklers, add sand and soil to the yard, add grass, and relax! Kinda. Lol. The front yard got messed up when we were taking out the concrete, so we are still trying to make everything look pretty.

Today Michael and I went to a weight management class to get on the road to healthier living. My goal is to lose 35 lbs by Xmas, but 50 lbs overall. I'm kinda nervous to start, because every other time I've started, I've failed. Thankfully Michael and I are on the same page, and we're doing this together!

Michelle started crawling, and drives around her princess scooter like a beast! She loves to pull herself up to stand, and thinks the dog is her personal jungle gym. She's really coming into her own. She has her own personality, gives kisses and cuddles, and cracks her self up all day long. I really love the little person she is becoming.

Sorry for the lack of pics, I'll update this week! Promise!

xoxo

Lazy February & Backyard Renewal Project

As productive as I hope to be this March will be, is as lazy as we were in February. February seemed to drag by, but then I blinked and it was already over! I did not have the busiest of months, and was in quite a funk for a while. We did have fun going to the wedding of our friends Heather and Andrew, then spending the next day in San Francisco, exploring and staying away from tourist attractions. Michelle had fun when we went to the Wave Organ - It was cold and windy and she laughed as we shivered. Lol. We also started our backyard renewal project, but more on that in a bit.

Michael and Me at Heather and Andrew's Wedding!

Enjoying the Bay

The highlight of this bland month was Michelle learning to army crawl! She's been pushing and pulling herself with all of her might to get where she wants to go. It's really inspired me to be better.
Weightloss and better running skills come with training and practice. If its important, it's worth working for. Michelle thinks rubber duckies and random wooden blocks are worth it, so my health should be worth it to me!

Learning to Crawl

Mish is getting so big! I can't believe she's 9 months old! She's inquisitive, funny, and so silly. I can't wait to learn what those constant babbles mean, because I'm sure she has some crazy ideas in that brain of hers :)

Our Little Valentine

So about that Backyard Renewal Project! When we moved into our current home, we just sort of dropped our things and started living; we didn't repaint or customize the house to suit our needs. Well, flash forward almost 3 years, and we've finally decided to rip out the horrible backyard we have, and start anew! First thing to go was the old broken hot tub.
It ended up being a huge gross job for Michael and our BFF Jeff, but they were amazing and got it all done. Jessica (Jeff's wife and one of my besties) helped watch Mish and lazed with me all day. We couldn't help with the hot tub because it was previously infested with RATS (they left when we moved in with a dog and two cats) and they left behind tons of toxic poop.

Removing the Hot Tub

Next, we started landscaping and getting quotes to get the stamped concrete in our yard removed. The previous owners hated greenery or something, so paved over the HUGE yard with concrete. Not ideal for a growing family. Looks like we'll be ripping it out within a week or so (Friday!)!

All of the Stamped Concrete is Going Away

I started landscaping by removing a broken old tree (which was sad because it still has life; it's just slowly dying), and clearing out weeds and bark for our vegetable garden. Our dog Charlie thinks any bit of dirt in the yard is fair popping territory, so I had lots of cleaning to do. I am 80% done, and I'd like to finish up this week!

Removing a Dying Tree

I am so excited about starting this garden! I have plans set and a lot of work to do, but it's going to be worth it!
Sorry for the rambling post; I'll be back with more Backyard Renewal Project news soon!
<3

Color Vibe 5k

On Saturday I participated in my first 5k event! I did it with my friend Jessica (and her cousin, who we lost on the run), my mother-in-law Diann, my sister-in-law Rachael, and my husband's Aunt Cate (and her son's really nice girlfriend)! Below is our before picture! See how clean and sleepy we look? :)

We all paired off and ran/jogged/walked. Rach and I went off together. It was so much fun! We only ran half of it and walked a lot of it. Then we rolled in the leftover color and danced like crazy women!

The original plan was to bring Michelle, but after the first ten minutes of color blasting, we decided to leave her with Michael in the "dad area" (tons of dads hung out with kids and strollers, gotta love 2013). Her stroller was still a sight to see :)

After the run we all got together and posed like the gorgeous models we are, then went out for breakfast and confused the non color blasted patrons.

This was a good way to ease myself into starting to run in organized events. I didn't train like I wanted to, because I had the flu for two weeks, and then we had holidays to contend with. I'd really like to start training again, then see if there are any 5k runs going on.

Yay for 2013!

xoxo

End of 2012

Man, life really caught up with me, and before I knew it, 2 months had passed since my last post! Michelle, my amazing, inquisitive beast, popped out two bottom teeth, and is now trying to pop out four more on top! Despite teething like a monster, she is so sweet and happy.

Mish had her first Thanksgiving, which was the time we started giving her vegetables! She really loves sweet potatoes, but also will eat squash, peas, and carrots. On Christmas she got a big box of baby food fruits, and she couldn't have been happier. She loves her fruit, but her tummy doesn't, so we're still working out how to regulate her system. 

Speaking of Xmas, Michelle met Santa! My dad dresses up as Santa for his town's annual Santa visits through the fire department, so we took her to sit on his lap. She was the luckiest baby there - she got a big kiss from Santa! 

For New Years Michael and I decided on the same old resolutions (lose weight, be healthier), but I also thought a lot about this last year. I realized, it has been the best year I've ever had. Had a beautiful baby, graduated college, celebrated my first wedding anniversary with Michael, and signed up for my first 5k (running it in two weeks!!! The Color Vibe Bay Area!). I decided that I'd like to make next year just as good by leading a clean life. By that I mean cleaner foods, cleaner attitude, and a clean house. Maybe clean is the wrong word, but it's what I'm going with. 

I'd love to end this blog with a million pics to update you on my little lady and our life, but I just did that on Facebook, so here's the link! Click Here!

xoxo

Weekend Fun (part 2)

Notice a theme about the last part of our weekend? Pumpkins! We dressed up Michelle as a cute little jack-o-latern and took her to our local produce stand's pumpkin patch. She had fun eating hay and getting hugs from her cousins. I have some ideas about the 5 pumpkins we picked out...but I'll save that for another blog.

The evening was spent at our usual Sunday night hangout - my husband's parents' house. We cheered on the Giants while eating homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons (chicken wings for the rest of the carnivores) and strawberry shortcake. The perfect ending to a great family weekend.

xoxo

Weekend Fun (part 1)

Celebrating our parents birthdays was a hit! Michelle had so much fun all weekend long, and it was nice to be surrounded by family.

Mish happily got carried all over the city in the Boba carrier

Misha getting attention from Auntie Rach and Uncle Ant; then everyone played in the candy shop!

Friday night was spent with my husband's family in North Beach, San Francisco to celebrate my mother in law's birthday. We had dinner at a great Italian place, dessert in a tiny (but amazing) cafe, and tons of taffy! Our feet hurt from walking, our stomachs hurt from laughing, and our taste buds got a workout from tons of great eats! Michelle got so much attention and affection, she didn't know what to do with herself!

Cassie with our girls and me with the handsome Max!

My three gorgeous nieces and Michelle 

Saturday night was spent at my parents' house having a pizza party for my dad's birthday. My parents recently built a pizza oven out back, so we had fun rolling dough, putting on random toppings, and catching up with friends and family. I got to see three of my favorite mamas (Cass, Nikki, and Melissa) and all of our kids had fun running around and chewing on each others fingers.

xoxo

Five Facts About Michelle

5 Random Facts About Michelle

1. She was born with a head full of hair.
It was beautiful. I loved to brush it and swipe it across her head.
Somehow, this angered the hair-gods and she slowly lost it, starting on her forehead and moving back. During these dark times I called her Ira because she looked like a little balding Jewish New Yorker. I don't know. It seemed funny at the time.

2. She looks just like her dad. She may have bit and pieces of me, and makes faces that look just like my dad, younger sister, and oldest niece, but she's a white version of her dad. Ok, a bald white version of her dad. Ok, a mini, female, bald, white version of her dad.
It's okay, I think he's pretty good-looking. And I think she's the cutest thing in the world.
But seriously, it's scary how much she looks like my husband.

3. She takes after me in temperament.
Patience? What's that?
And don't let her get hungry or tired...she gets grouchy. What can I say? We know what we want.

4. She has a birthmark that resembles a suspension bridge. It's the cutest mark I've ever seen on a body. Cindy Crawford, eat your heart out.

5. She's only eaten from a bottle once: on my graduation. Other than that, this kid drinks straight from the tap. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Now how do I get her to sleep without my breasts as a pacifier? Ah, the mysteries of motherhood.

xoxo, Jess

Happy Birthday, Parents!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Dear Parents!!! Happy Birthday to you!

Tuesday the 16th was Papa's (my dad, Steve) 50th birthday! My dad is pretty awesome. He is a firefighter reserve with his town's fire station (basically he is a firefighter for fun - he saves people because he loves it!), and loves taking my mom on motorcycle rides! To celebrate, we're having a pizza making party at my parents' house! Woo!

Today, the 19th is Grandma's (Michael's mom, Diann) birthday! She's turning 49, and according to her, this is the last time she's growing older on a birthday. From here on out she's turning 49 every year! Di is especially cool because she rocks out to crazy Bay Area rap and enables my sweet tooth <3 I'm pretty sure we're going to San Francisco to celebrate her day!

Hooray for parents/grandparents and birthdays! Here's to many more!

Meeting Aunt Jessica

Blurry Photo Courtesy of Diann Bergman!

This past Tuesday Misha finally got to meet her Aunt Jessica! 

Michael was so excited for his sister to meet Michelle, because at 4 1/2 months old, our little babe is already so big and advanced. She's already growing teeth!

Jessica has been teaching on a farm in Alaska for the past year or so, and just got back to the Bay Area. Looks like Mish already loves her Aunt!

We spent the evening looking through old Bergman family photos, having rootbeer floats, and eating from the world's largest pizza (not really, but it's big!). Hooray for family time!

xoxo, Jess

Our last week in pictures and words

We have a teether! Michelle's first tooth broke through the gums and anything in her reach goes right into her mouth. Things I've found her chewing on include her toes, her shirts, and her best friend Mackenzie's fingers.
At four and a half months old, Mish is the same size as most 9 month olds! I came across Michael's baby book, and she meets up with his measurements when he was 10 months old! She definitely measures big like her mama.
xoxo

New Face

It's been a long time since I've updated my blog. In fact, I changed a lot about my blog. The title, the description, the layout...all new. I decided that if I was going to start writing again, I needed a new face.

Since it's so late and I have a sleeping baby on my side, I'm going to make this brief, but I'm excited to get back on the blog-wagon. Hopefully I'll have something interesting to say. <3

Quick Birth Info

Silly me, I thought I'd have time to blog after having a baby. Lol. I think one of these days I'll get around to blogging my birthing story. It's not something that's ready to spill out of me. However, here are some deets:

No Baby Yet

Well, if you've read the title of the blog, you can see that I didn't have the baby yesterday. Looks like we're having a June-Bug! :)

Kaiser kept telling me to call back every two hours because apparently yesterday was the day to have kids. We finally got called in, but there were no available rooms or beds, so we did some monitoring then started the process of induction by putting in a foley catheter bulb. It was the WORST thing I have ever felt, and it gave me the worst contractions. We headed home and within forty minutes the bulb dilated me to 4 cm and it popped out. It was gross, and painful, and annoying, but at least my cervix has started to open (forcefully is better than nothing). After it popped out, I didn't have anymore contractions. My cervix is still posterior, so I think that's why it was extra painful for me.

Kaiser asked me to call in today at 7 this morning so I can come in, but then again, they told me to call back at 10. So, we'll see what happens. My OB is on call with Labor & Delivery tonight, so there is a HUGE chance than she'll deliver Michelle. It's exciting because I adore her, but I'm worried because she really wants me to get an epidural (because my BP rises w/ pain. It was HIGH after the bulb was put in..like, really high).

Cassie told me that today is Marilyn Monroe's bday. That would be so cool if Misha was born on her bday. I was obsessed with her for a long time in high school and beyond, so it would be so fitting :)

Hopefully my next blog is extra happy and exciting, describing the events of my labor! :)

EDIT:
Called back at 10; was on hold for 10 minutes (literally) before they picked up and said they'd just call me later. So, here I am, waiting around again. I can't keep doing this. I didn't want this in the first place! THEY are the ones raising my blood pressure. :(