NH Living and an Update

+New Hampshire is to die for right now. I am loving every second of being here. The weather has been beautiful and actually kind of cool with the last few rainy days, which I've been very grateful for since the weather was ridiculous in Utah (90s+ is WAY too hot for me) and (surprisingly) only kind of hot in Arizona (though we were inside in the A/C or out in the pool most of the time so it didn't seem that hot). We intend to visit the ocean tomorrow if the weather is as nice as the weatherman claims it will be. Both babies have been to the Pacific ocean, but Declan has yet to touch the Atlantic. We ate steamers yesterday and I had a lobster roll for lunch. So...life is good. 8-)

+I've been dying to sleep under the stars with the kids but fate stuff keeps getting in the way. We were all gung-ho to sleep on the trampoline in my parents' backyard tonight (it's surrounded by a net in case you were concerned about us rolling off or getting mauled by something) but my naughty little brother apparently threw a water balloon on the tramp earlier today and it is SOAKING wet and COLD (which I found out as I hauled a pile of quilts out there to prepare our bed). Quite disappointing, but there has to be one dry, warmish night in the next two weeks, right?

+I miss Dalin. Like so much. He's my best friend and my heart has this constant little ache while we're apart. I'm counting down the days (5) until he's back with us. I know the kids miss him, too. Tenley keeps telling me, "Dada working at the house," which is actually true because he works at a house. I can't wait to give him a zillion smooches. 

+We don't own a bathroom scale, so whenever I come home, I check my weight on the one in my parents' bathroom. Apparently, I am back to exactly my original weight pre-Tenley, which is 105lbs (remember, I'm 5'0--the ideal weight for my frame is 98-116lbs). That, however, was with muscle and everything else pre-baby. At 9 months post-partum after Tenley, (which is when I got pregnant with Declan and the only reason I know my weight) I weighed 96lbs. While I am happy about being back at my original weight, (especially when I've literally made the effort to exercise two times since birthing Declan...I hate it) I certainly don't feel back to my old self. Of course there are stretch marks, and my hips are a little wider from birthing two babies in two years and stuff, but what really bothers me aren't those things (I actually like my hips now) but the bulge. If you've had a baby, I bet you know what I'm talking about. It's like the muffin top that doesn't stop. And it feels like it can never be fixed (though exercise would probably help...). Besides that post-partum bulge around my jeans line that I have a hard time coping with (especially since I plan to get pregnant again so what's the point), I'm feeling pretty good--I think I might start exercising though and maybe I'll even try doing the whole30 routine...who knows? Miracles happen. I think it was today when I ate two packets of fruit snacks, 1/4 of a loaf of Parisian bread, and a shocking amount of thin mint Girl Scout cookies that it hit me that I should probably start eating better. So I'm telling you people this so I can be held accountable, because accountability is the only way I get things accomplished around here. 

+Cute moment today: I was at TJMaxx with my mom and the babies and I tried on a black cat ears headband in the Halloween section while wearing Deckie in the wrap and when I looked down at him he started laughing. It was hilarious. Every time I looked down at him so he could see the ears he'd get a big smile and start giggling. I was about to record it on my phone when, of course, it died. But it was the funniest, cutest thing!

+Tenley just crawled up next to me on my mom's bed and randomly hugged my neck and kissed me and said, "I love you, mama." Then she started touching my eyebrows and said, "I like your bo-brows, mommy." She just told me, "Mommy, I'm gonna fix your hair...I like your hair" as she starts laughing because it's messy. She's the best. 

+That reminds me, I got my hair cut today. It feels great. Claudia thinned out the hair by my neck a lot. It had been a huge mess. Thick hair problems. Sidebar: Why do girls either have thin hair or thick hair? Is there no in-between? Just wondering because everyone seems convinced they're one or the other. 

Well I wish I had the motivation to blog more, but I am enjoying life too much! You can follow me on Instagram @lilgunnellfam if you want to see more of us (and by us, I mean my kids;) though. I go on Instagram more than any other app by far. Note to self: Use my digital camera more. Even though it's a pain. 

P.S. Hopefully  Ideally...I'll add pictures later.