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Life, Monthly List, Parenting

16 Memories From My 16th Month Since ‘Going Dad’

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We’re starting to rack up the memories here, and there’s still a looonnngggg time to go! But that’s a good thing, no need to rush through life, right?

I’m going to have to start cutting down on my word length so as to not draw everything out. Well, at least not more than I already do! See, I’m doing it now? Damn.

So, Avery, let’s cut to the chase and get on with the memories, shall we?

1. Your popular phrase this month has been “Say cheese!” Mommy kept telling you this while taking the thousands of pics we take of you, and eventually you just started repeating what Mommy said. You’ve slowed down recently, but still surprise us by saying it out of no where.

2. We’ve been “playing” peek-a-boo with you since you were just 2 weeks old, but now you’re finally playing back. Although, you tend to draw out the amount of time you have your hands over your face. Either way, cute as ever!

3. Having hit the weigth limit in your infant car seat, we needed to upgrade to a convertible seat. The extremely generous people at Britax WOW’d us by sending their Boulevard ClickTight seat. It was a breeze to install, and, you were obviously WOW’d too!

4. We watched our first movie, Puss in Boots, together as a family. You could hardly sit still enough to actually watch any of it, and you didn’t miss much since the movie did not impress! It was still a good bonding time and hopefully we’ll have another one soon!

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5. Another family “experience” this past month was that we all got sick. I mentioned how both you and I got sick in my last “Memories” post, and Mommy had her face time with the toilet not long after. Whatever it was, I’m glad we’re all happy and healthy now!

6. You are finally holding and drinking from the bottle on your own! Holding it upside down is still an issue, but you’re getting better each day. This is great, because I had just wrote about our frustrations with how you should’ve been holding it already. But, since you are still breastfeeding, we attributed it to that at least a little bit.

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7. The hypocrite in me came out this month when I gave you one of those applesauce-in-a-pouch things. I was going crazy trying to prepare several meals at once as you ran around my legs, so I busted out the GoGo Squeez pouch you received as a party favor from our neighborhood friend’s 1st birthday party. You were unsure of the puree being squeezed into your mouth at first, but quickly finished off the whole thing!

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8. After years of talking and having what my late grandpa (your G-Ma’s Dad) called the “I Wanna Disease”, I finally bought an indoor rower. Thanks to Amazon Points and Mommy’s fitness reimbursement at work, I felt somewhat justified in the purchase. When it arrived, you were a huge help in getting it put together quickly!

Helping Daddy Put Together Rower

9. While people in Boston were getting feet upon feet of snow, Texas had it’s own “extreme” weather hit with *gasp* a few inches of snow! It actually was pretty bad since the roads were iced over almost everywhere, but we still made the most of it and you got to walk around in your bear suit for your first ex-snow-perience.

Avery Uneasy in Snow

10. Since you started playing peek-a-boo, saying “Say cheese”, and holding your own bottle, it only seemed fitting for you to bust out some high fives too. And that you did! Maybe too good at times, since you’d give my five when I had food in my hand and was offering it to you.

Giving high fives like a pro, and proud of it! #Parenting #sahd #teaching #learning #toddlers #DaddysGirl

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on

11. The creator (and wonderful father and husband) of the Dad Bloggers group I am a part of, Oren Miller, passed away after battling stage 4 lung cancer for almost a year. I never met him personally, but was a part of a group-wide initiative to raise funds for him and his family to go on one last vacation together.  As a tribute, many of us dad bloggers lit up social media by having a #LoveWalkForOren and tagging #Dads4Oren. You and I shared in the heart-warming tribute with our own walk. Things like this make me realize how much I love you and Mommy more than ever!

12. I recently have been given the honor to help our Dallas Dads Group branch out to the Fort Worth area which is closer to where we live. The first meet-up I scheduled was for a bounce house called Jump For Fun in Southlake. We had a blast, and since it’s free for 2 and under, we’ll be going back soon for sure! DSC_0871 13. For G-Ma’s most recent visit, she couldn’t believe how much you had grown after only not seeing you for 2 weeks. G-Ma was excited to see what all you can do now, but didn’t expect your eyesight to be so good as to point out food in her teeth! DSC_0614 14. Mommy and I have been trying to teach you a few words in sign language for a while now, but we weren’t too consistent in the beginning. We picked it back up this month, and the sign for “more”, as in food, is your ultimate favorite. Now you’re signing more all day! You’re a bottomless pit, but thankfully it’s all healthy goodness with things like NuttZo! DSC_1398 15. With you doing so well at signing for more and holding your own bottle, I figured I’d start setting several bites of food for you to have as you roam around the house. But, you still don’t understand the concept of “one at a time”, so that was short-lived.  You just stuff your face with everything in front of you at once! While signing for more, of course. DSC_1406 16. Annnddd, finally, the last one this month. Our Texas weather just started warming up (hopefully for good since it’s almost spring), and I’ve been bringing you to the playground to get some outside time. You can’t do much with the equipment yet, but it’s obvious you just enjoy being outdoors.

Enjoying the #Texas sun with my daughter! #Spring is coming! #Parenting #DaddysGirl #playing

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on

Happy 16 months, Avery, Mommy and Daddy (and a lot of other friends and family) love you so much! Keep on growing, not too fast, and lets work a little more on keeping your bottle upright. 😉

Thanks for reading through this post that gets longer and longer each month.

What were you finding about your kid around 16 months?

Going Healthy, Life

The Most Effective Pill for Fat Loss Is….

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….. a hard one to swallow. Figuratively, of course, because THERE IS NO PILL, just a healthier lifestyle!  Sorry for being so rash, but the whole idea surrounding fat loss pills is ridiculous.

It makes me mad how businesses exploit the general population’s “need” to lose weight without working for it. Keeping active and eating a diet filled with fresh, whole foods will benefit you better than any pill ever will.

Fast food made up a huge part of my diet and exercise was never consistent all the way up to my first year in college. But then I learned what it meant to be healthy by *gasp* reading about healthy food and exercise and putting things to practice.  As a result, I felt the positive changes both physically and mentally, and never want to go back to my old ways.

Gone are the days of eating something handed to me that I ordered through a speaker and even giving thought the laundry list of ingredients you’d never find in a typical kitchen to make the same food. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have something delicious and quick to make…..

No time for healthy is no excuse when you can make this protein cinnamon bread in the microwave!

There are many people not even trying  or wanting to learn proper diet and exercise or keep consistent with anything. Nope, instead they come running with cash/credit in hand when a new pill or something else claiming itself as “easy” or “fast” comes along for fat loss/health.

Countless times I have tried to offer advice to those who say they want to change, and, countless times my advice has been waived off as meaningless. Or, they’ll say it’s just too hard because they could never give up “enter crappy food here” or consistently “enter form of exercise here.”

Now I just try to keep quite when these topics come up unless I am specifically asked for advice.  Even then, it seems like if the advice is too hard or not what they want to hear, it gets ignored.  Hence the popularity of fat loss pills (aka caffeine pills with added BS).

I understand people are busy, but the health of you and your family should not be taken lightly. Am I alone in this thought process? It’s easy to laugh things off as you hold your 5th donut in your hand and say “I shouldn’t eat this, but….” as you then proceed to eat it before going back to sit down for several hours.

This might seem like I’m a heartless guy, but I’m far from. I am truly passionate about having a higher quality of life from good food and exercise, and want to pass it on to all that I can. If not for adults, at least for all of the children growing up not knowing anything different.

Our kids, the tiny versions of us, depend on us to provide. Their growing bodies are taking whatever is put into their system and using it to build everything from the hair on their head to their entire organ system. Not to mention the all important immune system. The higher quality food the body receives, the better it can build itself. Think of the Three Little Pigs, do you want to have a body built of straw and always get knocked over (i.e. sick and weak), or would you rather be strong as a house built with bricks and resistant to many common ailments?

I’m no expert, but I feel I have experienced enough on my own journey to have something to offer. I’ll probably keep trying since it’s forever programmed in my head to care. Who knows, maybe I’ll help someone get and stay on track one day!

Actually, I’m helping two lovely ladies keep healthy and look great every day.

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These two are the ones I care most about (okay, my mom/G-Ma too!!), and being able to make all of our meals gives me confidence we’re all a happy, healthy family with bodies built from brick! It’s never gourmet cooking, but it doesn’t lack flavor either.

Going Mom and I are happy we are starting Avery off knowing fresh, whole foods and cooking at home is the norm. So many families depend on take out or going to a restaurant for most of their meals, which typically means not having the best choices when it comes to wholesome food.

I get it’s hard to keep kids (especially picky eaters) happy and fed, but the drive-thru is never the answer; same goes for most quick pre-made food options out there. Please, if not for yourself, do it for the kids!

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Skip the boxed crackers and make these goat cheese salsa crackers instead!

And of course these protein brownies are healthy in disguise. No box needed here!

Making snacks like the two above is not that hard, and they still taste great. Plus, it’s something you could make as a family and appreciate your creations more than if you just bought some packaged snack food with questionable ingredients.

I could go on and on, and I probably will again, but for now, I’m giving it a rest. If you think you could use a change from your current lifestyle, here’s “food” for thought, try getting in the kitchen and making more of your own meals. Better food and moving more each day are simple ways to get your fat loss (and long-term health and happiness) and save your money on those fancy caffeine pills. Plus, that’s what coffee is for!

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Do you or have you fallen victim to fat loss pill marketing?
What issues do you have with choosing better options for a healthier lifestyle?
Do you hate me after reading this? 🙂
Life, Parenting

Dear Wife, I Caught You

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Dear Wife (aka Going Mom, Kelley, Best Friend, and Mommy), I caught you doing something basically every night. It’s nothing bad, but actually very sweet.

At night, after a lonnngggg day at work, after coming home only to be bombarded by the need to breastfeed Avery as I am asking you several questions before you have time to think, after you spend the little time left before bedtime playing with Avery, after you nurse her to sleep (or try your damnedest since she’s a crazy), after you finally lay down to relax, you do something that warms my heart.

You look up pictures and videos of Avery, as if just to make sure she’s really ours since it seems so surreal at times.

When you join me in the living room where I’m usually writing on this blog, I’ll glance over and see you watching an old video of Avery from your phone on on Instagram. Videos both from your account and from mine, like this…

Most times you have your phone on silent, but I can hear Avery’s giggles just like I know you have in your head while watching this.

And the pictures, we have pictures from months ago as well as current day that you will make your way through. Again, from your phone, on Facebook, or on Instagram, you scroll through and look at the wonder that is our beautiful daughter.

Even on those nights when you’re so tired you go straight to bed, I know you make sure to look through pictures and watch videos of our growing girl. Sometimes I hear the videos playing, but other times it’s just instinct.

I can see it in your eyes and from your actions, you absolutely adore Avery, and not even the world itself is good enough for her. There are times when you doubt yourself as a good mother, but I want you to know that doubt is complete nonsense! You’re the best mother and wife there is, and you make both Avery and me so very happy.

Please, never, ever, think of yourself as anything less than the best. There are times when we don’t hug as much as we should, and when we finally do, it feels wonderful and I don’t want to stop. Unless I have tea tree oil on my face and you have carrot seed on yours. 🙂

Basically, dear, I just want you to know that seeing you simply look at old pics of our daughter says a lot about how kind, loving, and caring of mother you are. Avery is the luckiest girl and Wes (Updated to include our 2nd child) is the luckiest boy to have you as a mom, and I, the same as my wife.

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You’ll probably be paranoid every time you get on your phone at night, but don’t worry, I don’t sit and stare or anything, just happen to see our daughter on your phone. It’s precious, you’re precious, our family is precious, and I hope that never changes.

Kelley, I love you, thank you for everything you do!!

The Dad Network