No, I’m not making a pregnancy announcement like Lara did yesterday.  However, I realized I haven’t given a good “random stuff” update in a while about my family and our happenings.

The biggest update is that my oldest son is just about to graduate from Pre-K this month and will start Kindergarten at a charter school in the Fall.  This is the same kid that was testing diapers when I started Dirty Diaper Laundry 5 years ago.  Fletcher is at the age where he is really fun to be around, not because he is a baby and cute to look at, but because he says interesting things and can hold a conversation with you.  He has learned to read with ease, something I’m thankful for, and will even read a book to his brother at night.  I’m looking forward to this summer when his brother will be at school and he is home so that we have time for just us.  He is a competent bike rider and we can go about 3 miles total together on our rides.  He has even started jogging with me… more on that later.

Everett is also growing up quickly, too quickly, though to me his is still my baby.  He still wakes at night and crawls into bed with me and sleeps right in the crook of my arm which never ceases to fill my heart with joy.  Co-sleeping is the last bit of babyhood I have left so until he is done, I am content having him join for middle of the night cuddles.  Once that is gone, I fear all the baby from him will be gone and I’ll be looking at a real pre-schooler.  Last month he started at his brother’s “school” for 2 days a week, giving me a much needed break to either work or run errands without any children.   We have no family here so getting any breaks is few and far between and it definitely takes a toll on my sanity.  Even though Everett is very attached he took to school right away with no tears, much to my surprise.  He is also riding a bike with no training wheels (thank you balance bike for the early training) and we are stopped at least once a week by a passing car on our street to tell us how amazing it is to see such a young “baby” riding a real bike.  I think it is pretty amazing too, and together we take short rides  or he rides just on our cul-de-sac.

And now to type out something for the sake of putting it in the public sphere to hold myself accountable and feel an obligation to keep up with it.  I’ve actually started to exercise!  I was inspired by another blogger, The Feminist Breeder, who started her own group for Lazyass Runners, and I downloaded the Couch to 5k app.  I even bought new sneakers, the first pair I’ve purchased in about 8 years.  I bought an armband to hold my iPhone so I can listen to music and the app, and I’ve asked for a FitBit for Mother’s Day.  I was asking my husband for the adult Aden+Anais daydream blanket for Mother’s Day but that would probably just keep me on the couch even more than I already am, and since I’m trying to get off it that is probably a bad gift idea!  I’m just as surprised as anyone else about this development.  I’ve been extremely lucky in the metabolism department for the bulk of my life until about last year.  Once the breastfeeding and constant bouncing stopped, the weight creeped back up.  I’m a short gal so even a few pounds extra can mean my stomach is farther out than the DD’s that I kept after both pregnancies (seriously,where the HELL did those come from?!  I just bought two new bras and sure enough, that is my real size).

So when it comes to fitness and being healthy I have no clue how to start.  I’ve never counted calories, I did count carbs during both pregnancies thanks to being a gestational diabetic, but I haven’t the first clue about what to eat and when.  I can’t give up coffee but I have given up the frappucinos, for now.  Realistically, I will be doing the three days a week of the Couch to 5k, and the rest will be bike rides or walks in between when possible.  Besides losing a bit of extra weight I’m looking forward to being less sedentary.  Blogging doesn’t exactly equate to a vigorous work day!  I may post some updates on my Instagram with the #couchto5k and #lazyassbloggers tag but I don’t have plans to incorporate this journey into regular blog updates.

Our home updates have slowed down considerably.  We are still anxiously waiting for my Great Aunt’s 60’s era sectional to come back from the upholsterers (It has been there since February!).  We are having it recovered in a rich, deep teal that my husband and I both fell in love with.  I should definitely blog about that journey, reupholstery is not for the faint of heart, especially when having someone else do it! (Maybe I need to re-think getting that A+A blanket, doesn’t it match the couch?!)  In order to pay for this I have picked up quite a few videography gigs, filming and editing videos for companies and brands.  It is something I really enjoy doing and it combines my love of cloth diapers and reusable products with the skills I’ve picked up these 5 years.  I will be posting some updated interior shots but I want my couch first!  If you missed the year of DIY and home improvements you can catch up on those older posts.  Our entire home has been re-painted and remodeled, mostly by my husband and I, and now we are finally getting to just enjoy the home!  This July will mark 2 years living here in this home, and in Florida.

Other than the blogging and the video editing, much of my time has been spent helping the cloth diaper charity, Giving Diapers, Giving Hope.  It is an amazing thing to be apart of and I’m so proud of the work we are doing.  I’m also getting ready to speak at ABC Kids Spring  (a baby industry only conference) on a panel with bloggers way out of my league (I can admit that!) on social media in 2 weeks.  Jill from Baby Rabies, Charlie Chapen from How to be a Dad, and Jamie Grayson (we are not related, that was a real rumor!) who is THEBabyGuyNYC will be on the panel.  In June I’m off to BlogU, a blogging conference in Baltimore, MD.  I chose this particular blogging conference because of the lack of extras.  As fun and helpful as the BlogHer conferences have been in years past, I really wanted to try a smaller conference with less outside parties and events.  Not only is the cost significantly lower, but I’m looking forward to meeting others in that intimate setting.  I’ve been blogging for 5 years and there is still so much to learn!  If you stop teaching yourself and attending conferences you can be left in the dust.  New social media platforms pop-up (Pinterest and Instagram were not around when I started in 2009!) and algorithms change.  Blogging styles have changed- when I began having photos were not required, but now posts are so much more visual that not adding a photo is unheard of!  As much as I’d like to tune out the noise and just be one with my content, the world of self promotion and social media cannot be ignored.  There will also be sessions about the business side of blogging and many other topics I am happy to learn more about.  Plus, I get to hang with my roommate Amanda from The Eco-Friendly Family so that is always a bonus for work trips!

The summer will have an influence on my work schedule.  Things will slow as I spend time at the pool with the boys and with my new desire and commitment to exercise.  There are plenty of projects in the works though, so don’t count me out yet!  Can you believe my boy is going to school in the Fall?!