I Am Grateful.

I am grateful for really good food. Especially a cheesy thick crust pizza, diet slurpees (nearly impossible to find, Chicken and Broccoli, and pretty much anything with peanut butter and chocolate.

I am grateful for free food giveaways at Chick-Fil-A.

I am grateful for free giveaways on havestrollerwilltravel.com!

I am grateful for really great television shows. They don’t need to be thought provoking or ground breaking just a nice break from reality that either gets me laughing or allows me to have a good cry.

I am grateful for really good books. My personal favorites: Hunger Game Trilogy, The Sparrow, Marley & Me, Angels & Demons, and the Rescue.

I am grateful for a really good cry which helps wash everything away and allow you to start anew.

I am grateful for really good laugh - the kind that makes you cry and nearly pee your pants. The kind that gets you laughing again when you think of it days, weeks, or months later.

I am grateful for convenience. Especially ATM’s, anything with a drive thru and on-line shopping.

I am very grateful for my family and friends. Especially those who have shown up by my side in a moment’s notice in a time of need.

Above all I am grateful for the health, safety and happiness of my baby boy and the love and devotion of my husband. I am grateful for the opportunity to stay at home with my son. And I am so grateful for the wonderful friends I have made because of him.

Read more from Alisyne at The Tumminia Family.

Alisyne

Tummy Troubles

18 months after giving birth, I am close to my pre-pregnancy weight, but nowhere near my pre-prego body. There is one area where I just can’t seem to lose the weight - my tummy. In my defense I did look like I had a basketball in my belly which turned out to be an 8lb 13oz boy.

For the first year the tummy troubles weren’t that bad. I found clothes to hide the extra baggage pretty well (including some of my maternity wear). And since I was nursing my breasts were large enough to compensate for my bulging belly. Plus, it wasn’t like I could diet and nurse – right? I mean I had to eat for my son. Those cookies, brownies, and after dinner snacks were for his own good!

But, then he turned a year old and away went the nursing and sadly the boobies, too. The only thing looking full and perky in my shirt was my cantaloupe sized tummy! So, I began to work out and then joined a gym and watched what I ate. And after 3 whole weeks of this I just couldn’t believe I didn’t have 6 pack abs.

I’ll keep on working out and watching what I eat (although those brownies call to me every morning). But, I figure at 18 months he’s still young enough to blame these flabby abs on and when he runs over to give me a hug or smiles up at me the last thing on my mind are my tummy troubles.