Erin Releases New Line of Blog Posts!

I'm taking a weight management class this semester. With this class and the nutrition class I took a few semesters ago, I've developed quite a store of knowledge that I would like to share. I wish I could update my blog every few days, but I am so busy with being a wife, mother and student, I don't know how often I can. For now, keep reading my blog and I'll try to update it at least once a week.

BMI: This isn't the most accurate way of measuring your body fat, but it is the most commonly used just because it is the least expensive and simplest way of getting at least a ball park guess. TO CALCULATE your BMI... [(704*weight in lbs)/(2*height in inches)]
Less than 18.5 is underweight
18.5 to 24.9 is normal weight
25-25.9 is over weight
Greater than 30 is obese
If you are a BYU student, you can go to the Y Be Fit office in the Richard's building and get your body fat measured via bod pod (way more accurate measure of body fat) for $15. I'm not sure what the rates are if you are a spouse of a student or employee.

Why is it important to keep a healthy body weight? Overweight and Obesity have many negative consequences such as high blood pressure, Coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and much more.

This is just an introductory post. I will get into the more meaty material in the next post.

REMEMBER: Success in weight loss and keeping it off is like quitting smoking. It takes many failures before mastering the process.

I came across this quote this morning and thought it was worth sharing.

"If we want to give effective service to our families and our neighbors, as we are commanded to do, we must develop ourselves to our full potential. We need to enlarge our intellect and perfect our character...My feeling is that each of us has the potential for special accomplishments in some field."
- Camilla Eyring Kimball

Also, I am taking a weight management class at BYU right now and it is so interesting and fun. I decided that I would share what I learned from the class. Keep checking my blog in the future!

Family Update

Brian is in his second semester of grad school and he is enjoying it thoroughly. He is still working for the same professors on the same projects he did last semester. Last week he resubmitted his article on marathons to the Journal of Leisure Research. He is super exited about that. In addition to classes and work, he has been preparing for the PSA conference coming up April 8th through 11th in Oakland, California. He is presenting twice. One presentation is on MTV's "True Life" as a type of qualitative research and the other is on how people talk about immigration in public forums. In the short time we've been married, we haven't spent time apart. It is right before finals week, so if anybody wants to come and stay with me for a few days (mom?) to help with Calvin while I finish up my semester, that would be awesome! Brian is a great husband and dad and I enjoy life with him. He always wants to take Calvin, even when it is an inconvenience so I can get things done. I am really grateful for all he does.
I am enjoying myself a lot lately. I started exercising regularly again. We don't own a scale so I don't know how much weight I've lost but I'm looking and feeling a lot better lately. I am almost done with school! I'm taking 12 credits this semester. I like my classes a lot! I'm taking 2 history classes, a literature class, teachings of the living prophets, weight management and... my favorite, beginning swimming. I have always hated history and was not excited to take these classes, but I realized that is because of my BORING high school history classes. My swimming class is a lot of fun. I have always been terrified of going under water without plugging my nose, but after going to class twice a week and practicing on Saturdays, I'm almost comfortable with the idea. After this semester I have 300 hours of internship and 2 classes. I am shooting for an August graduation and I think it might actually happen!
Calvin is as cute as ever. He has been sleeping 10 to 12 hours a night and he takes good naps now. He LOVES to eat bananas and gets mad if I don't share mine with him. We can't get enough of his gummy smile and all the joy he brings into our lives. Sometimes I start to think "why didn't we wait to get pregnant, I would have only had one more semester of school," but then I am reminded of how special Calvin is and being super busy is worth having him around.
I could write all day, but I'll save you the reading. Until next time, have a super good day and remember how much you are blessed!

We like Calvin Because...

Brian's List:
I like Calvin because he thinks I'm funny
I like Calvin because he sucks on his toes
I like Calvin because he has a great belly laugh

I like Calvin because his clothes are cooler than mine
I like Calvin because I can give him a mohawk
I like Calvin because he dances to hip hop beats
I like Calvin because he recognizes his name
I like Calvin because he has dimples
I like Calvin because he likes when I read philosophy to him
I like Calvin because he loves frosting and whipped cream
I like Calvin because he is a ball hog

Erin's List:
I like Calvin because he makes me feel important
I like Calvin because he chats with me on Gmail while I'm at school
I like Calvin because he always rolls onto his side when I am changing his diaper
I like Calvin because he has the cutest gummy smile
I like Calvin because he thinks his Tylenol is a pacifier
I like Calvin because he has a cute little naked body
I like Calvin because he likes to play "Where's Calvin"
I like Calvin because he looks like his dad
I like Calvin because he likes Dr. Seuss
I like Calvin because he changed my life
I like Calvin because when I have a bad day, everything changes when I look at him
I like Calvin because he likes to dangle upside down while I hold his feet and legs

Letters

So, we're trying to help Calvin learn his letters. Every day we pick a letter and start listing all the words we can think of that start with that letter.
I have to admit that it doesn't really help Calvin learn anything, and really it's just a game Erin and I play in front of him. We take turns thinking of words until we get bored. Sometimes he laughs at us.
Today's letter was "T", and we taught him the words: truncate, teleological, transformer, Turabian, theology, Trajan's Column, and trash compactor. He didn't seem to catch on very well. Couldn't even use one of them in a sentence. Oh well.

Nursing Strike

Calvin has a cold and an ear infection and won't eat. He is really fussy because his throat hurts and won't eat. He won't sleep because he is hungry, and the cycle continues. Any suggestions on getting him to eat?

Oh Calvin...

Calvin watching me sort the laundry. That seems to be his favorite thing to watch me do.
Last week we got to go to the family ward because our single's ward was having stake conference. It was so fun to have Brian home all day on Sunday! Not to mention somebody to sit with at church. :)
He thinks I'm funny. (I think)
How can you be in a bad mood with this guy?