From Fur Babies to Real Babies

Trying to have a Real Baby

2011-06-21T12:06:00.003-05:00

After things started to calm down in 2010, ie Mom was recovering, Joe and I decided to start trying to conceive. Part of me really wanted to give my mom another grand child and I really wanted my mom's advice throughout the process. We started in late July after my friend Christie's wedding. (The picture in the previous post was from her wedding.)

To my surprise we got pregnant right away. I was scared but naively happy. I never thought something bad would happen. But it did. I miscarried at 5 weeks 1 day. Obviously I was upset but I wanted to try again. This was just a fluke.

I was approved by my doctor to try again that next month. We did and got pregnant again. I was a little more cautious this time but still very happy. It can't happen twice, can't it?? Yes, it can. This time earlier at 4 weeks 2 days. This miscarriage crushed me. I was convinced something was wrong with me.

It was the end of September and I was on a mission to figure out what was going on. My ob wouldn't do anything since I hadn't been trying for a year or had 3 documented losses. Stupid protocol. Thankfully my internist, that I have been going to since I was 16, listened and also thought something was wrong. She ran a TON of blood work and sent me to a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM) but I could not get in until mid December.

The blood work revealed a gene mutation. I have homozygous MTHFR A1298C mutation which can cause a deficiency in b vitamins because I am unable to process them like normal. Hence, why my B12 was so low a while ago. Luckily my homocysteine levels were normal. I was also ANA+ and ACA+.

When I met with the MFM, he told me that all three of those issues could cause blood clotting during pregnancy which most likely caused my two losses. He recommended waiting six months since my last loss before trying again. I should start daily baby aspirin and extra folic acid a month before we started. Then once we found out we were pregnant I would go on heparin (Lovenox) injections. He said if I did these things, I had a 80% chance of carrying to term. I was so relieved to have an answer.

So we waited till February 2011.

At the end of February we tried again. Got pregnant first cycle. Clearly getting pregnant is not our issue.

I called the doctor the day I got my BFP (big fat positive pregnancy test) and asked for the prescription. I had the understanding that I was going to start the shots at positive pregnancy test which is when most people I had read about had started. Well apparently my doctor wanted to wait until heartbeat had been established. I was not happy. I wanted the reassurance that I was doing something to prevent another loss. I even called my MFM on his cell to confirm he wanted to wait till heartbeat. He reassured me that the baby aspirin should be fine till heartbeat. So I was scheduled for an ultrasound in 2 weeks. Talk about a looooong two weeks.

On Monday, April 11th we went in for the ultrasound. Boy were we nervous. I had never made this far before and as far as I knew everything was fine but I couldn't help but worry. When the nurse started the ultrasound, I was glaring at the monitor. Having looked online at several ultrasounds, I knew something wasn't right. There was only a sac, no pole, no heartbeat. They said it was fine, I was just measuring 5 days behind. I had been tracking my cycles and knew when I ovulated within a day or two so hearing I was 5 days behind was hard to believe. I could not hold back the tears. Joe was very reassured about what the doctor was saying but I was not. They scheduled us another ultrasound for that Friday the 15th.

That Friday, I was...uh...I don't even know how to describe it. Nervous doesn't do it justice. Joe and I went in terrified but thankfully, we were able to see a heartbeat. I have never been so happy and relieved. I started the shots the next day.

Everything was going well until May 5th. I started spotting, which is how all the other miscarriages started. I called my ob and they gave me the usual, it can be normal, call if you start bleeding like a period. I didn't believe it. I just had a bad feeling. The bleeding did stop that day and I was able to head to northern Kentucky to visit with some college friends that Saturday. By Monday I was just starting to believe that it was a fluke and everything was fine but later that day the bleeding started back up. I was going crazy so I called my ob and demanded an ultrasound. They got me in the next day.

The ultrasound confirmed I was miscarrying again. I was 10 weeks 5 days but the baby hadn't developed much past my last ultrasound. We were\are devastated. I opted to have a D&C that Thursday so we could have the products tested for chromosome issues. The D&C went fine but the pathology lab in the hospital ruined part of the sample and the part that was left was not big enough to test with. My ob apparently ripped them a new one and they have changed procedure because of me. I am currently still debating on fighting the bill since the testing is the only reason why I had the D&C.

Since the testing was botched, the next step is to meet with the MFM again. We will also be meeting with a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) soon. I am hoping to try again in a couple of months and start the Lovenox shots at BFP. We'll see what the doctors say.

Emotionally I am ok. I think the hardest part is not know if we are going to be able to have kids of our own. If we knew we can't, we could just accept it and move on to adoption. But we don't know.

Ok. I think that is it for major events of the last year and half. I really wanted it documented and I'm glad I got it out. I am also wanting to document what happens from here on out on the baby front.

What Can Happen in a Year and a Half?

2011-06-16T13:11:00.004-05:00

A lot.

I'll try to make this short...

Let's see. The end of 2009 was fine. I struggled eating healthy and exercise due to the holidays but overall everything was good.

Then on January 1st, 2010, my world changed. Joe and I had spent New Year's Eve in Lexington with some college friends and then went to Louisville New Year's Day to visit some old work friends. At 5 am on the 2nd my phone rings. It's Dad. Mom is in the hospital. They don't know what is wrong but she is stable for now. Joe and I immediately went home, where we found out she had collapsed due to chest pain in a coffee shop the night before. She was in CCU but awake and aware. Chatting and even making jokes. The doctors eventually went in to look at her heart (I can't remember the procedure name right now). When they were done they took us into a little room, which is never a good sign, and told us she had suffered an aortic aneurysm that dissected. Basically the main artery in heart heart was split open and she was bleeding internally. The doctors in Owensboro said her only chance was to fly to Louisville and be operated on there.

Off to Louisville, we went. The surgery started about 9 pm and lasted almost 9 hours. It was the longest night of my life. She made it through. We later found out that we were very lucky. Most doctors would not have even operated on her since there was a less than 5% chance she would have survived. But she did and we were very very thankful.

I spent the next several weeks in Louisville while Mom slowly recovered. It was a good week before I even saw her conscious. There were several scary moments during her recovery but after almost 3 weeks she was ready to go home. However, she really wasn't. We got her home and she was so over medicated that her heart rate was in the 30's. Back into the hospital she went for another week so they could regulate her meds. After she was released, I became her nurse. Staying with her night and day.

Finally in late March she was doing well enough to be left alone for short periods. Unfortunately, on March 28th while she was alone, she fell on her face on a tile floor. I don't believe I have ever shared this on here but my mom was in a horrible car wreck when she was 21. It basically shattered every bone in her face below her eye brows. It is a wonder she survived that. My mom was a fighter. Anyway, back to the hospital mom went. This fall caused bleeding on her brain and dislodged her iris in her left eye. Thankfully the bleeding stopped and no surgery was required. After this I returned to my new position as Mom's nurse.

A few minor things happened after the fall, like Mom getting a pace maker in early October but overall she was recovering quite nicely. Slowly getting her strength back, going to her swim class, even driving on her own. She had lost almost 40 lbs and looked great. I however, did not, due to the massive amount of stress eating I had done all year. By late October, I had gone back to work and Mom was completely on her own.

On November 6th, Dad and Mom traveled to Louisville to attend the Breeder's Cup. Dad dropped Mom off out front and went to park the car. Somehow while Mom was walking the short distance to the gate, she fell. We are still unsure if she tripped or passed out. She hit the same spot of her face she hit in March. Thankfully there was an ambulance nearby and she was rushed to the hospital. They ran some tests, didn't see any bleeding on her brain but wanted to keep her over night for observation. At this point, as anyone can imagine, Mom was quite sick of being in the hospital. She basically told the doctor she was going home whether he released her or not. They ended up sending her home with a prescription for Lovenox, a blood thinner, to combat the Vitamin K they had given her. She had atrial fibrillation so she needed to be on blood thinners to prevent clots. That Monday, I stayed home with her and took her to the doctor. That night Joe and I went by to visit. She was a little beat up but seemed fine.

Tuesday, November 9th, at around 4:30 am Dad calls. Mom had thrown up a few times and was becoming unresponsive. I knew what that meant. I yelled at Dad to call the ambulance and I rushed over. When I got there, the medics were loading her on the stretcher. She wasn't there. At the hospital, the doctors confirmed what I already knew. Her brain was bleeding and there was nothing they could do. Her blood was too thin. She passed a few hours later.

Life since that day has been different. I went from seeing or at least talking to Mom every day for 10 months, to nothing. Part of me is thankful for the months I spent as her nurse. That is time we would not have had if she hadn't gotten sick but another part of me wishes we could have spared her all the pain she went through during those 10 months. Joe and I have stepped up to take care of Dad when needed. John is busy with the boys (Yes boys. I have a new nephew that just turned 1!) and Dad does not have many friends of his own. Thankfully he and Joe seem to get along really well now that we are married and not just living together. Joe has also been wonderful at taking care of me. I could not ask for a better husband. I know I will never be ok with Mom passing but I do have to accept it and go on.

Yeah. That wasn't short and that isn't even everything. I have not even touched on my three miscarriages but that's another post.

Back to Working Out!

2009-11-30T15:38:00.003-06:00

So my back has been nice for about 2 weeks now which means I can finally start working out again!

Started P90X again yesterday. I am completely starting over since I have been lazy for so long and after doing Core Synergistics yesterday I think it was a wise choice. I can tell I have lost strength.

Eating needs to get in check and stay in check. Finally had a good day yesterday and I tracked everything! Felt so good!

I have also planned all my meals for this week but I am already going to have to tweak the plan a bit since I forgot to thaw the spinach last night and marinate the chicken this morning. Stupid prep work. Oops.

If anyone knows someone looking for a wedding dress, you can find one here. I am selling a J Crew Wedding dress that I bought for my wedding but didn't wear. I ended up wearing a different J Crew dress (which I will probably sell too). Here is a pic:

Very classic and simple. Would be perfect for a garden wedding!

My First Award!

2009-11-25T13:18:00.000-06:00

And probably my last, due to my very sporadic blogging.

A little while ago Mica awarded me this:

Here are the "rules":

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award
2. Copy the award and place it on my blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated me for this award
4. Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself
5. Nominate 7 Bloggers
6. Post links to the 7 blogs that you nominate.

So thank you Mica for nominating me for my very first award! It will always hold a special place in my heart. Hehe.

As for 7 interesting things....this took me a while and I am still not sure these qualify as 'interesting'....

1. I hate eggs. Can't stand them unless they are in baked goods. Even the smell grosses me out. I have tried to get over this because I know they are a good source of protein but it isn't happening, probably ever.

2. I pick at everything. Nail polish, zits, scabs, the hubby's zits, etc. If it can be picked at or popped, I'm your girl. Gross. I know.

3. I am very shy in large groups of people. Even when my closest friends get together, I will most often sit back and listen instead of talk, unless alcohol is involved. That is probably why everyone loves Drunk Anne.

4. I don't regret anything. Period. Granted I have done some pretty stupid stuff, but luckily I can just laugh about it now.

5. My instinct is to be incredibly lazy. I love my couch and sleeping too much. I have to fight this daily.

6. I miss college life terribly. How awesome was it to have very little responsibilities and live within walking distance of all your friends and where you party?!?!? Tear...

7. I occasionally have horrible gas. Just ask my friends to tell you the Shed Aquarium story. They will gladly divulge the information. I seriously think I could win a Worst Smell contest when I am having one of my 'fits.' No clue what triggers it. Luckily the hubby doesn't seem to mind. That may be TMI. Sorry.

All right...as for the nominees:

1. Kelly

2. Sunny

3. Therese

4. Denise

5. Allison

6. Uhhhhhhhhh....

7. Ehhhhhhhhh....

I don't think anyone else ever checks my blog. Kind of sad.

Happy Turkey Day! Gobble Gobble!

More Stuff!!!

2009-11-20T16:54:00.003-06:00

So I seem to be drowning my no-P90X sorrows with online shopping. I guess it is better than pigging out, at least on the wallet.

I arrived home yesterday to 2 boxes of goodies waiting for me on my front porch.

The first are my new house slippers from LL Bean:

These are so comfy! And I love that they have a sole for when I walk out on the porch to let the dogs in, etc.

The dogs of course had to check them out:

I think they approve.

The next box was from Z Gallerie.

Some more Christmas decorations and a little flower candle holder:

Love them!

Also in the box was a Christmas gift for Joe. We have decided to get each other an ornament for the tree each year, since the last time we put it up it was kind of bare. Plus we both don't want to go out and just buy a bunch of generic bulbs.

To fully understand Joe's 2009 ornament, you need to take a lighting tour of our house. We bought the house in April and the previous owners had made some interesting lighting choices. As in, there are chandeliers....everywhere.

Downstairs hall:

Office:

Dining Room:

Kitchen:

Plus there are THREE in our master bedroom. THREE! (I will show you all those when I reveal the new paint job.)

Anyway, once I saw this ornament on Z Gallerie's website, I had to have it:

Fitting no?

My Aching Back - P90X Hiatus

2009-11-17T16:23:00.000-06:00

So yeah. My back is being a bitch. I am so incredibly frustrated by it which is part of the reason I haven't posted. I figure no one wants to read a blog full of curse words.

Brief history:

I first threw my back out at age 20. Yes...20. What somewhat healthy college student throws their back out? And what was I doing when this happened? Putting a mostly empty laundry basket on the ground. Yeah. Awesome. The first time I spent 2 days laying on my parent's living room floor until I was able to get up and walk around again.

It didn't happen again until I was 23. I threw it out bad after a move. So bad my mom and her friend came and took care of me. When I stood up straight, I was crooked. Couldn't get into a surgeon like my mom wanted so I went back to the Chiropractor. Found out I had a degenerative disk in my lower back. Yipee.

My back has had it's bad moments since then but I have been able to manage it with chiropractic care. I haven't thrown it out for a few years....knock on wood. (/knocks)

Last Tuesday, I started to notice it was getting irritated. I put off going to the Chiropractor till Friday and by that time it was really hurting. So much so I was in tears on my way home from work Friday night (TOM probably had something to do with that). I spent Friday night on the couch resting and trying to make some sort of plan to make up P90X days.

I had planned to rest Saturday and make up Kenpo and Legs and Back on Sunday. Yeah. My back had a different plan especially after putting it through work on Saturday.

New plan.

Start back up on the 29th with planned Chiropractic visits mingled in.

Ok...enough about my back.

I finished off a container of almond butter a few days ago and gave the jar to the puppies:

Which they really enjoyed. Nessie chased that thing all over the kitchen floor:

Came home from work yesterday and had a delivery from CB2 sitting on the porch:

Awesome. Awesome stuff.

Cute little Elf candle holders plus glass jars for the master bathroom:

I love these glass snowmen!!!!

These are some sort of decorative wall piece:

I am thinking of putting them in the master bedroom once I finish painting, which should be done this weekend!

Bye Bye Big E

2009-11-17T10:39:00.003-06:00

On Sunday November 8th (yes I am running that far behind) a local hotel The Executive Inn Rivermont, more popularly known at The Big E, was imploded. We went out on a boat on the Ohio river to watch.

Before:

Now I know it may seem weird to write a post about a hotel being blown up but A) I did live there for about 10 days when I was 8 and B) This never happens in a small town.

Here is a portion of all the other boats that were out there watching. This doesn't include all the people on land.

When the hotel was first built about 30 years ago it was a site to see. It even brought somewhat big performing acts to Owensboro including Dolly Parton in her hay day.

After:

However, in the past couple of years, the hotel had deteriorated after the owners went bankrupt. I'm not exactly positive why the city decided to tear the hotel down but I do know a good chunk of the town was sad to see it go.

In any case, the implosion was awesome and sad at the same time. Apparently it was filmed by TLC and will be on some show in the near future. It also made CNN. Pretty cool for a tiny town.

I tried to upload my video that we took from the river but Blogger is not cooperating. Check here for CNN's video from several different angles.

I'm Alive but Barely

2009-11-11T10:41:00.004-06:00

I'm still around...just been a little busy and kind of forgot to post. I apologize to anyone that actually reads this. :)

Time for a quick review of the past week's highlights:

Speaking of highlights, I got some last Thursday:

Kind of hard to tell but I think it looks a ton better. I even got another inch cut off in order to get this stupid flippy part of my hair to lay down. It kind of worked but not completely. I guess I'll just have to grow my hair back out. What a loss. Hehe.

I was in desperate need of groceries last week and had to break out this breakfast TWICE:

Dry Puffins with banana. Not as bad as it sounds but definitely could have used some milk.

Friday at work I got a lovely little delivery:

My Roomba!!!

I am totally in love with this thing. All I have to do is push a button and it goes and vacuums my floors for me. Awesome! This should hopefully take care of our fur tumbleweed issue.

Elwood even enjoyed the box:

Although he is not a big fan of the Roomba. It is quite entertaining to watch the animals dodge it. Hilarious.

So my Roomba needs a name. Any ideas?

Friday night, we went out to Christie's parents farm house and had a huge bonfire. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

Saturday was spent cleaning, relaxing, and online shopping. Ended up babysitting my nephew for a bit while my brother and SIL went and looked at houses. Sam was not feeling good and was in a super bad mood. I, of course, had no idea how to handle him. I am just that good with kids. Yay. Ended up calling John and they came home. I didn't feel as bad when Sam was still giving his parents trouble.

Sunday morning started early. We headed down to the river about 8:30 to watch the Big E Hotel be imploded at 9. I am going to do a separate post on this shortly. It was sad but awesome at the same time.

After the implosion we went to breakfast at The Miller House. Nummy. Then more cleaning ensued and then more babysitting. Sam slept the whole time I was there so it was real easy. John and Jenny ended up putting an offer in on a house they saw that day and it was accepted! Looks like they will be moving soon.

Monday and Tuesday were normal. Work out. Work. Eat. TV. Sleep. Repeat.

As for P90X. I am doing pretty well. My nutrition has been horrible but I have pretty much kept up with the workouts and can tell I am getting stronger. I missed Saturday and made it up on Sunday (my rest day). Then I missed Monday. Did Monday on Tuesday and Tuesday this morning and plan on doing Wednesday tonight so I will be caught up.

Now if only I could get my nutrition in check. Hm...

Jake has been enjoying the benefits of my workouts:

He just loves laying on my yoga mat. He also loves clawing it, which is why it is missing a few chunks.

Ok. I think we are all caught up now. Good.

How is it already Day 9???

2009-11-03T12:19:00.003-06:00

Today is Day 9 of my P90X journey and I am proud to say I have stuck to the schedule thus far. I can't believe it has already been 9 days. Hopefully the rest of it will go by this fast, but I doubt it.

Some catch up:

Saturday morning, I got up and eventually did Kenpo X about 10:30. Just couldn't muster the energy until then. I really enjoyed this workout even though it totally proves how uncoordinated I am. Unfortunately the DVD froze with about 7 minutes left. This did not make me happy, however, I have already emailed the seller and they are sending me another disk.

The rest of Saturday was spent cleaning and grocery shopping, preparing for all the little trick or treators. My brother, SIL and nephew came over since they get like 2 kids and according to my neighbor, we get a ton. She was right. Attempting to make dinner and answer the door did not go well before company arrived. I ended up making Risotto with Zucchini and Bell Peppers from BC Everyday Italian and some Butternut Squash Fries I found on Kelly's blog. Both were yummy but I could use some experience cutting the fries. They were very uneven.

Joe and I did not dress up for Halloween but I did put the puppies in their costumes for a bit. Nessie was a pig:

Fitting, no? Elliott went as Joe so he had a hoodie on. He HATES being dressed up and hid under the chair until I took it off. I did manage one pic:

Sunday I rested. I was going to do X Stretch but just got lazy and decided against it. I will definitely do it this Sunday though.

Monday at work was typical. Did Core Syn after work and it kicked my butt again. Shooting to up my weights next week.

Got up this morning and did Cardio X. I was totally wiped during this. I'm not even sure how I made it though but I am glad I did.

Today at work I brought out some boxes for our November shipment and Hobbes (our work kitty) is taking full advantage:

I guess I have never properly introduced Hobbes aka Little Kitty.

Little Kitty is actually the hubby's cat. He adopted her within the first month of us dating. One of our coworkers found a litter of 5 cats and Joe took one. Our coworker kept the rest. Shortly after adopting LK, Joe took in one of his friend's cats who was moving into an apartment that didn't allow animals. Then about a month after that, I ended up 'moving' in with a friend that was allergic to cats. Joe so kindly offered to let Jake and Elwood live with him. We were already practically living together so I would get to see them daily.

Well. The four cats did not get along so well. Jake hated Duncan (friend's cat) and LK despised sharing a litter box. She took to peeing on beds and piles of dirty laundry. Lovely. We were able to prevent this most the time by keeping our bedroom doors shut but the second you left one open you knew you had a mess to clean up. Joe's friend eventually took Duncan back which helped a bit but LK was still unhappy. The addition of the puppies did not help.

Last year, we moved to Owensboro and into a little apartment. We set up the litter box in the spare bedroom. Bad mistake. Before we realized it she was consistently using the bed instead of the litter box. Greeeeaaat. When we found our house this past April, we had to do something. I didn't want to have to always worry if we left a door open, etc. So, we moved Little Kitty down to my work. She has never been happier. She gets a ton of attention from all of our customers and has the whole place to herself. Most importantly, she has her own litter box.

Ok back to work...

The New Love In My Life

2009-10-30T19:56:00.001-05:00

No it is not P90X, although P90X is the reason this is now in my life. It is my new foam roller:

The workouts have me so sore, especially my back, and the hubby's hands cannot keep up with the amount of massaging that I need right now. Enter foam roller. This thing has just proven how tight I am even in spots that are not currently sore. It causes a lot of pain, but good pain, you know?

As for P90X, Wednesday was Shoulders and Arms followed by Ab Ripper X. This workout surprised me. I typically hate shoulder work (mainly because it kills me) but I actually enjoyed this. I only brought out my 5's this time but will definitely bring out the 8's and 10's next week. On the other hand, Ab Ripper X schooled me. I managed 179 out of the 339 reps. Ha.

I got up at 6:30am on Thursday and did Yoga X. I think I will eventually love this one once I am strong enough to enjoy it. My hamstrings are dying today though.

Today after work was Legs and Back plus another round of Ab Ripper X. My legs are Jello! I was going to go out tonight but yeah...no. Can't do it. Oh well.

It is officially fall in KY. This what I see when I leave work and head home:

The colors are more bright in person. You can't even see the red in this picture but I promise it is there.

My nephew and his mom came to visit us at work on Wednesday. Can't get much cuter than this:

He was too busy to get a good pic. But...

Don't you just love his little shoes?!?!?!

Oh yeah...I ate chicken last night for dinner. Only could manage a little bit and I swear I stared at it on my fork for about 5 minutes before I stuck it in my mouth, but I did it. And more importantly, I didn't get sick, which I thought might happen.

Ok...time for tv and then bed.

Cardio X and Sore Buns

2009-10-28T14:19:00.002-05:00

Tuesday I woke up with a sore buttock. Therefore, I decided to get my sore buns out of bed and do Cardio X before things got any worse. This proved to be a very good idea.

Cardio X was intense. I am sure it is nothing compared to Plyo but it definitely got me sweating. It seemed to combine all the other cardio workouts into one so it definitely had some good variety. There was probably about 10 or so minutes of Plyo which put my heart rate through the roof. I can't imagine how wiped I would be after 60 mins of straight Plyo. Whoa.

On my way to work I saw a dump truck run a red light and practically t-bone a mini van. Nuts. Luckily everyone was fine. I was right behind the dump truck and he should have had enough time to stop but seemed to change his mind at the last minute probably due to the rain. Either way, scary shit.

Spent most of Tuesday at work doing various types of butt stretches including the following:

Came home after work and discovered Nessie had pooed in her crate which of course got all over her. So I spent a good 30+ minutes bathing dogs and cleaning. So fun.

Pigged out on nachos for dinner but still was sitting pretty calorie wise.

Then it was off to Beenie's for The Biggest Loser. I CANNOT believe they voted Abby off. Like whoa. I know she requested it but still. At least it looked like she was doing well at home.

I have been hunting for motivational pics. Below is a pic of me when I was in probably the best shape of my adult life:

I love how there is a space between my rib cage and my arm when my arm was hanging straight down. That doesn't exist currently. I will get it back!!!

Here Comes The Sore Muscles

2009-10-27T13:36:00.008-05:00

So um yeah. P90X hurts. And I am just doing Lean.

Back up a tad...

Wednesday I went to my Cousin's to finalize my wedding picture order. That didn't happen. I had WAY too many 8x10s selected. I don't have that much wall space. Not sure what I was thinking. I pick the pictures for the collage so that is good. Now I just need to decide where I want to put the 8x10s in my house and how many will fit in the selected area.

After looking through my wedding pics and the pics from this past weekend...I'm going back blond. Look at these:

Reunion:

No comparison. And that is one of the better pics of me from Saturday. Granted I am sweaty and drunk at a bar in the second one, but still, I hate the hair. I already have an appointment for next Thursday.

Thursday and Friday day were fairly normal. Except I spent a ton of time scanning pics for the reunion slide show. Came across this gem in the process.

Haha.

Friday night, some High School girls met down at The Miller House for dinner and drinks. It was good to just hang out and chat before the madness that was Saturday.

Saturday, I spent most the day shopping with Christie to find something to wear to our 10 Year Reunion. Nothing I own fit or looked half-way decent. I ended up getting a purple shirt from Macy's and a black cardigan wrap thing from TJ Maxx. The purple looked good on but apparently I should have photographed myself in it because I look pasty as all get out. (See above pic.)

Saturday night was the reunion. We had a great time. Probably too good of a time. Everyone seemed to get pretty hammered at the actual reunion and it only got worse at the bar we went to afterwards. It was great seeing everyone although I wish I would have mingled with a few more people than I did. We ended the night at a greasy spoon where I sufficiently stuffed my face. Got home about 3. Hadn't done that in a while.

Sunday, I had planned on starting P90X. However, I was Hung. Over. I spent most of the day in bed saying "I'll just sleep for another 30 mins then get up and work out." My tummy was thinking another thing. It never happened. About 6 pm I gave up and went to eat Mexican.

Monday, I got up took my Day 1 measurements and pics (which you are not getting to see until I see some results) then headed to work. Nothing work related to report. Came home and immediately headed upstairs to do Core Synergistics. Um wow. Either I am incredibly out of shape or this is a super butt kick workout. Both are probably true. There were parts of it that I did well during but anything ab or push-up related killed me. This totally solidified my decision to postpone this workout till Monday. I would have puked for sure. Afterwards, to reward myself, Joe and I went to eat Sushi.

Side note: 10/26 was also my 1 year anniversary of being a vegetarian. I am now going to start slowly incorporating meat back into my diet. Started it off lightly with just a bit of fish. Hopefully this will help get my energy back.

Ok...stopping this post before it gets ridiculous. I have already done Cardio X but you will get that update later.

P90X and Finally A Post With Pics!

2009-10-21T15:15:00.018-05:00

P90X arrived in the mail today!!!! I'm so happy it is here! I even dreamed about it last night, that should prove to you how much I have been thinking about this. Anyway...here is the outer box:

I was a little nervous because I ordered is Used off of Amazon but everything seems to be intact. Here is what you see when you first open the box:

And last but not least the glorious dvds!!!!

Yes that is a bottle of Red Hot in the background. :)

My plan is to do the Fitness Test tomorrow morning and then start the program on Sunday. That way, my rest day will be on Saturday (the day I most often out of town.) EEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I can't wait!

On to what I have been eating...

Here is a pic of the Mexican Black Bean Pizza (Better Homes & Gardens Easy Everyday Cooking) I made Monday night:

It was quite yummy but did not warm up well in the microwave.

Here is Tuesday's breakfast, Breakfast in a Bowl (Making The Cut):

This time I used plain yogurt with agave instead of vanilla flavored but it was not sweet enough for me. I ended up having to add some Splenda.

After work Tuesday, I came home and immediately started working on dinner...Lasagna Pot Pie from Betty Crocker's Easy Everyday Vegetarian. Nessie kept me company in the kitchen while Joe worked. She even helped clean the floor:

What a cute little helper!

Here is the spread:

A single piece:

This was better than I expected and it warmed up well for today's lunch. I love me some leftovers!

After dinner, I went through some old pics. They were hilarious! I have a ton to chose from for our 10 year High School Reunion Slideshow (which I volunteered to make). The reunion is this Saturday. Should be interesting.

Then it was off to Beenie's for The Biggest Loser. I'm not sad Dina went home. She is very forgettable.

This morning was just english muffins (Sprouted Grain) with Jelly and bacon. Fake for me.

Work has been fairly low key today. Nothing really to report.

However, I am going to order my wedding pics tonight. I am super excited!!

Question...Does anyone else have formatting issues with Blogger? I like to leave blank lines between sections and for some reason some disappear when I publish. Does anyone else have this problem??

Finally Starting to Feel Better

2009-10-20T14:15:00.004-05:00

Seriously...how long am I going to have this stupid cold?!?!?!

Ok. I need to apologize. I took pics to post on here but forgot my camera cord so you all are going to have to wait until the next post.

Not too much has gone on since my last post. I spent all of Saturday in bed nursing my cold and a killer headache. I finally got up around 5 to get ready to go to dinner with Joe, my brother and SIL for my brother's birthday which was 2 months ago. After dinner, we went to their house and played the board game Settlers of Catan. I personally was not looking forward to this, mainly because Joe was. He tends to like games that I have no interest in playing. However, I must say, I really enjoyed this, partly because I won and I just looooooove beating my brother and Joe. Quite fun.

Sunday I finished my meal plan and headed to the grocery which took a while. After dinner, Joe and I settled into the movie room and watched "Baby Mama."

It was ok. Kind of predictable. I definitely won't watch it again.

See I got one pic on here. :)

Monday was a busy day at work. Came home and made a Mexican Black Bean Pizza (pics coming soon.) and made Breakfast in Bowl from Making the Cut. The pizza was quite yummy but I will definitely add some jalapenos next time.

Sorry for the random post. I'm a little unfocused today.

Fighting a Cold but Trying to be Productive

2009-10-16T21:11:00.001-05:00

So yeah. I am still sick. Not sure what my deal is. Pretty sure I have caught my 50th sinus infection of the year. Yay!

At least it's not swine flu. Sorry. H1N1.

Haven't worked out since Monday.

Getting incredibly frustrated.

So.

Trying to get some stuff done tonight. Joe is in Louisville and I am on the couch with the kitties, puppies, my Dell mini, Say Yes to the Dress, and a fire going. Not too bad.

I have already somewhat decided on my Wedding photos. (Yes, I am just now getting around to that...like I said, I was a horrible bride.) And I am currently taking a break from planning next weeks menu following Kelly's steps. Boy this takes a while but I am sure it gets easier with time.

This week has been pretty low key. Lots and lots of sleeping. Did make out to dinner at The Miller House last night to visit with Christie and then to Beenie and Michael's for The Office and 30 Rock. Love those shows!

I did find out yesterday that the reason why my lazy eye has been more lazy lately is because of how tired I have been. I guess in a way that is good news because my eye is fine and no permanent damage has been done. However, why in the world am I so tired?!?!?!

Side bar: Yes. I have a lazy eye. It is my left one. Has been that way my whole life. Normally...not a big deal. Typically it is fine and doesn't cause me any issues like looking like I am cross-eyed or seeing double. Maybe one day a year I will have problems. I would normally wear my glasses for a day and then be fine. However, lately, like within past year, it has been getting worse. For the past month or so I have been seeing double daily. Not cool. This has kind of coincided with my new decreased energy level. Hm...

My next step. Start eating meat again. Might not have anything to do with it but it is worth a shot. Clearly my B-12 is suffering because of it. Basically, I just haven't been a good vegetarian. Too much pasta, cheese, etc. Not enough veggies. 10/26 marks my 1 year anniversary. I definitely want to hit that date but after that I am going to start trying to incorporate meat back into my diet. To be honest, it kind of scares me.

OH! I finally broke down and ordered P90X today. I think all the I-can't-workout-because-I-am-sick-AGAIN frustration finally got to me so I clicked BUY! I cannot wait for it to arrive!!!

Sorry still no pics. Haven't done anything interesting that would prompt me to take pictures.

Gosh I am bad at this.

2009-10-12T13:15:00.003-05:00

Kind of neglected my blog for a while. Sorry about that.

Lot's has been going on since I last posted. Here is a brief recap...

Saturday 10/3 - My good friend Beenie had her wedding reception at a local distillery. It was so fun. They had two bands, the main one being Jimmy Church Band, great food and an open bar. All in all just a really fun night with good friends! Although it did take me a good 2 days to recover.

Tuesday 10/6 - My parents started their 7-ish week long vacation to Europe. Dad won't fly so they had to drive to New York City to board the Queen Mary II on Friday 10/9. I am so jealous of their trip, however 12 days (there and back) on a boat does not appeal to me.

Friday 10/9 - Had dinner and drinks with Christie and Jessica. Christie was way stressed from wedding dress shopping with her mom. It was nice to just do dinner with the girls.

Saturday 10/10 - Headed to Louisville for Oktoberfest at Das Nord Haus (the Nord's). This was just a super fun house party. Got to see a lot of old coworkers and their children. We crashed there and got to hang out a bit on Sunday before heading back. Out of all the people in Louisville that I miss, Josh and Jessie are pretty close to the top. We just always have such a good time with them.

Basically, I managed to pig out all last week. It was insane. 2000+ calories most days and very little working out. Not a good combo.

Started this week off right with Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones this morning before work with a sore throat! I have already tracked through dinner. I'll be sitting pretty as long as I stick to the plan!

Sorry no pics....I'll do better next time.

Current Stats, September Results and October Goals

2009-10-01T10:07:00.007-05:00

All right, it is now October. Just 3 short months left in the year. Nuts.

Hopefully this winter will involve some snowboarding trips. It has bee WAY to long.

Anyway, here is where I currently stand:

Weight = 132.6 lbs (-0.6)

Body Fat = 29.5% (-0.5)
Water Weight = 49.0% (0)

Waist = 34in (-1)
Natural Waist = 28.75 in (-0.25)

Arm = 11.5 in (-0.25)
Thigh = 22 in (-0.5)

Calf = 14 in (0)
Hips = 39 in (+0.25)

The number in parenthesis is change from last month.

So.

That means I lost all of 0.6 lbs this month. Go me.

I guess considering I hit 137.0 at one point 132.6 isn't all that bad. But still. I shouldn't have hit 137.

As for goals, here are my results from September:
1. Drink 8 glasses of water - 25x - DONE!

2. Do at least 30m of Cardio - 26x - Haha. Uh. Did 8x. FAIL!
3. Strength train - 9x - Came close at 6x

4. Eat within range (1200-1550) - 20x - Only did 12x
5. Track everything consumed - 30x - Only Tracked 18x

6. Read one book - DONE!

7. Try a new recipe - 5x - DONE!
8. Track expenses - 30x - Not even close. Quit after the first week.

9. Clean House - 3x -Um yeah...fully clean 1x, everything but the baths 3x.
10. Reseed yard - DONE!

11. Do yoga or pilates - 10x - Uh yeah, only happened 2x.
12. Work on designing Master Bedroom, purchase rug and room divider - Not really. I did pick a color and bought a chair. So that is something.

13. Ween myself off caffeine. - Haha. Yeah right. I had 1 Tea and 2 DDPs yesterday.

Goals for October:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water - 31x

2. Do at least 30m of Cardio - 26x

3. Strength train - 10x

4. Eat within range (1200-1550) - 26x

5. Track everything consumed - 31x

6. Read one book

7. Try a new recipe - 5x

8. Track expenses - 31x

9. Clean House - 3x

10. No caffeine - 26x

11. Paint Master Bedroom

12. Buy a bed

I think that's it. I really need to step up the fitness and watch my calories more. This month is going to be spent focusing on that.

Also, I'm going cold turkey with the caffeine and just leaving myself one cheat day a week. Don't worry I have the headache medicine in my purse already. Bye bye DDPs! Tear...

New But Old Salad, More Bangs, and Growing Grass

2009-09-30T09:44:00.007-05:00

Man, I need to update this thing more often. That way I don't end up with super long posts. I'll try and keep this short...

Last weekend was good. Did lots of cleaning. Had friends over on Saturday for a Eucre night and then on Sunday we had my family over for my Mom's birthday. That was interesting. First time ever hosting dinner. It was a lot more stressfull than I would have thought. Definitely need more practice.

Managed not to work out Saturday and Sunday (big surprise) but got back to it on Monday with Tone It Up.

Yesterday I made a new favorite of mine for lunch...a goat cheese and hummus salad:

I used to make these all the time. Not sure why I forgot about them.

Then after work, I swung by the salon to have him cut me more bangs to cover my gigantic forehead.

Still getting used to this new hair.

Then I made dinner, Cooking Lights Black Bean and Corn Topped Potatoes. Nummy. After that settled I headed to the gym to crank out an hour on the elliptical while watching The Biggest Loser. Burned 528 calories. Woo hoo!

In other news...our grass is growing...yay!

I'll try to be better about updating this thing. September results and October goals coming tomorrow.

Well I Wanted A Change

2009-09-24T10:15:00.010-05:00

And I got change.

Time for the Before and After shots.

Front Before:

Back Before:

Front After:

Close up of the color:

Back After:

Yeah. I'm not in love with it.

I'm not sure if it is because it looks bad on me or if it is just because I don't have blond hair anymore. I have been blond most of my life (besides my middle school My So Called Life red hair stage) and it is weird that it is gone. I am going to give myself a few weeks with it before I make the decision to get some highlights put in.

The cut I am fine with. It is a little short but whatever, it will grow.

As for everything else yesterday...

I got up and it was raining so I was able to head to the gym before work. It had been a while since I had done that. Stupid cold\laziness. Got in a mediocre 30 mins on the Elliptical. My body was just hurting from TIU the night before.

Came home had an english muffin and a protein shake. Then instead of going to Starbucks I made my own Chai Tea Latte at home. Here it is:

It turned out better than I expected. Definitely not the same at Starbucks but a good, much cheaper substitute.

Then I worked, got my hair done, went to a friends house immediately afterwards for reassurance (Yes, I know. I'm weird.), came home, Joe said I looked like his mom (Greeeeaaat!!), went to Subway, ate, helped Joe with some puzzle video game he is currently playing, watched Top Chef and went to bed. Ahhhhhhh.

Bad Start to an Ok Day

2009-09-23T12:37:00.013-05:00

So Tuesday was an interesting day.

Before I go on, yesterday was my mom's 68th B'day! Happy Birthday, Mom! (Even though you don't know this blog exists.)

I started the day off weighing in and realizing I had dropped 3 lbs. Yay.

Then I watered the lawn, which took for freaking ever and I of course, got soaked. Here is what our front yard currently looks like:

Here is a close up of the lovely leftover crabgrass.

Seriously that stuff was impossible to get out.

Then when I left for work, I somehow managed to back into our neighbor's garage. Just lovely. The garage won this battle. I can't even tell where I hit it but it left white paint gouged into my back bumper. See:

Work was normal. Had leftover Penne Arrabiata from Monday night for lunch:

When I got home, I had a little surprise waiting for me in the mail box. It was the Bondi Bands I ordered a week or so ago. Here are the colors I ordered:

The orange one is going to a friend who is also headband obsessed. I of course had to immediately try them out. I must say. I like them but they aren't perfect. I do like how the can be warn over your ears which will be nice once it gets cold:

Ignore the stupid look on my face.

Then I fixed a quicky dinner and headed upstairs to do Debbie Sieber's Tone It Up workout with my new maroon head band. The workout was rough. Really worked up a sweat. The Bondi Band did ok. I just must have an incredibly odd shaped head because all the reviews I read said they stay on really really well. Whereas mine did somewhat stay on it slipped up and was looking really stupid about 20 mins into my workout. After I folded it some more it did better.

After the workout, it was time for The Biggest Loser and then some of Season 5 of The Office.

I also may have narrowed my bedroom paint color choices down to two. Going to get some samples and see what they look like. I'll post them on here for some opinions. :)

Getting my hair cut and colored today. Wish me luck!

Been Bad...

2009-09-22T10:45:00.006-05:00

Very very bad.

Let's see. Did ok last week. Wednesday we went to a Fraternity Rush Party which was interesting. Joe is a faculty advisor so we were among the few adults there. Gosh that made me feel old. I took some pictures beforehand but I look AWFUL in them. I mean. Bad. It is time for a change. So instead of pictures of us...here are the puppies that were following me around while I got ready:

Nessie takes horrible pictures. Kind of like me. :)

Thursday and Friday were fairly uneventful except my piggy session started around then and didn't end until Monday.

Saturday, Joe and I worked all day in the yard. We had to rip out a good chunk of crabgrass so the seed could actually come in contact with the soil. Our whole yard was crabgrass. It was nuts and took forever but we got it done. Now we just have to water the lawn twice a day for two weeks. This stuff better grow.

Sunday, I was in pain and basically laid on the sofa all day.

Monday, I weighed. Boy was it bad. 137.0. Ouch. I have got to get things under control. I ended up going to the chiropractor yesterday because my back was still tweaked. It hurt to talk. Not a good sign. I ate well but didn't work out due to my back issues. Instead I took a long bubble bath. Ahhhhh.

Today, down to 134.0 but still not pretty. Feeling much better and plan on getting some strength training in during The Biggest Loser.

In other news, I am getting my hair done tomorrow. It is well overdue. Hasn't happened since before the wedding, 3 months ago. My bangs are out of control. I think I am going to try something different. I feel like I have had the same style since college so the hair is going short and darker. We'll see how long it lasts.... I'll try to take some before and after pics.

So, I have been trying to get some old pics scanned and for your viewing enjoyment here is a pic from high school, I believe. I miss trampolines. They were so much fun!

I'm the blond, kind of in the middle with the jeans and white tank top. I am still really good friends with all but one of these girls.

Long Time No Post

2009-09-15T13:06:00.009-05:00

But surprisingly I have been good!

I am STILL fighting this stupid cold (probably because I refuse to go to the doctor) but is getting better and I am starting to get energy back to work out. Felt good to actually break a sweat the past 2 days.

Since I have been gone, I bought and read Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism.

It really hit home. Basically it is about how the foods we eat screws with our hormones and what that means for your metabolism. She really promotes going Organic but at the very least cutting out almost all processed foods. Kind of obvious but I needed it spelled out to me.

I have been doing much better with my diet since Saturday and already feel better. However, that could be due to me getting over this cold and\or my first B-12 injection I got yesterday. I have been cooking more and have already met my new recipe goal for September! I didn't take any pictures but I promise to start.

Speaking of Jillian, is anyone else super excited about The Biggest Loser starting up again tonight?!?!?!

That is what I will be doing tonight! That and finally going through and deciding what wedding photos to order. I have only had the disk for 3 months. I am such a bad bride. Below is one of my favorites!

Hubby's B'day, Still Sick and Blood Work Results

2009-09-10T14:12:00.005-05:00

Today my hubby turns 29! Not much planned for today. I got him a card and will be picking up the new season of The Office on my way home from work. I love having a default birthday gift for him. He is impossible to shop for. Every year the latest season of The Office is released the week of his birthday and every year, that is what he gets as his present.

So yeah. I'm still sick. No working out. Not gonna happen.

I did get my blood work results this morning. Apparently I am Vitamin B-12 deficient.

I'm not really surprised by this since I don't eat meat and very little dairy. I try to be good and take my vitamins daily but it doesn't always happen. Oops. So now my doctor is recommending I get B-12 injections for 3 months. Yipee. I just looooove needles. Oh and apparently my thyroid is borderline (whatever that means) and the nurse was going to call me back about that. At least I now know why I have been running so tired. Hopefully the injections work and I will be back to normal shortly!

Cursing My Father

2009-09-09T10:39:00.006-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

My dad has had a cold for the past week and refused to stay home from work. For the first few days I avoided him like the plague. Then starting Thursday I needed his help with a task he assigned me. Before I realized it his germy hands had touched my keyboard and mouse and phone. So what happens the Friday night of Labor Day Weekend...I get a sore throat.

Saturday, I rested, hoping I just had a sore throat and that's it.

By Sunday, it was in my head. Congested and lacking energy, I somehow managed to clean house with Joe and visit with my family.

Monday, it was either stay at home and mope or go on with my day as planned. About 9 am, I headed to Evansville with Beenie to go shopping. We got her a dress and jewelry to wear to her wedding reception\party in October. I luckily found me one too. I'll take a picture later. We were home by 1 and I spent the rest of the day napping and eating.

Tuesday, I still felt horrible and decided that instead of working I should stay home and watch an ANTM marathon on Oxygen. My brother leaves for California on Friday and I do not want to get him sick.

Back at work today. Still feeling bad but it is manageable. I HATE being sick when it is nice out so this is just driving me crazy. Plus I was tired of just laying on the couch all day. I am hoping to get eating back under control today and maybe even do some yoga or pilates. We'll see.

A Splinter and the Vet

2009-09-03T20:50:00.003-05:00

While at work this afternoon, I was digging through some window motors and happened to acquire a metal splinter in my thumb. Um...ow. Dad pulled one of his hero dad moves and dug it out for me. This immediately took me back to my childhood. I was kind of a rough outdoorsy tom boy kid and frequently had the good luck to get splinters. So much so that Dad kept a glass turtle jar on the kitchen windowsill that housed several straight needles for the sole purpose of removing splinters from my various body parts. Oh...to be a kid again. Anyway, here is the bloody aftermath:

Gosh my camera sucks. I am overdue for a new one.

I ended up leaving work early to take Elliott for his yearly check up. Since Elliott HATES to have his feet messed with, I asked the tech if they would trim his nails too. She took him the back while they gave him his shots and trimmed his nails. Well about 2 minutes after she left with him I hear him screaming. He was going crazy. He was making so much noise, I could hear the people in the next room trying to figure out what was going on and what was making that noise. He is such a drama queen. Well at least he proved why I won't trim his nails myself.

After I got back I home, I threw together some nachos with homemade salsa for dinner. For some reason it seemed really heavy and still feels like it is sitting in my stomach as I type this. Yum. Needless to say I didn't work out but I plan on heading to the gym in the morning. Seems like the morning is the only time I'll actually work out. Definitely need to break that habit.

Nessie's Intro and Back to Being Good

2009-09-03T13:32:00.006-05:00

That's my Baby Ness.

Other nick names include: Pretty Girl, Baby Chupa, and Fatty. Yes, we have a cat fatty and a dog fatty.

We adopted Nessie from a shelter in Middle of Nowhere, Indiana on December 23rd, 2007. The shelter was probably one of the saddest places I have been. After finding her on petfinder, we drove a good hour to the shelter. We were just going to 'look' at her (at least that is what I told Joe but I think he knew better) but after seeing the place where she was I don't think we could have said no. I would have taken all the animals if I could. We took her home immediately and introduced her to the family. After a few sniffs, Nessie and Elliott started romping in the back yard. However, the cats were less than pleased.

The vet estimated that Nessie was about 8 months when we got her, so just about the same age as Elliott. At the time she was just a few pounds heavier than Elliott but that quickly changed. We aren't sure of her back story or even how long she was at the shelter but she definitely had some 'shelter dog' characteristics. She stunk for one. I mean bad. It took several washings to get rid of the smell. She also inhaled her food and growled at any animal that got near her food or treats. We have worked with her a lot on this and she is better. Thankfully she has never growled at a human but she will still occasionally growl at the kitties (like they want her food) and Elliott but only if it is can food or a treat of sorts. She is still incredibly stingy and will steal Elliott's treats when given the chance. That is probably part of the reason she weighs twice as much as him.

The saddest thing was, she didn't know what toys were or how to play fetch. We would give her a toy and she wouldn't even touch it. Elliott at the time was a fairly decent fetcher, just not a good dropper, so he introduced her to the concept. She very quickly became addicted. She now verges on obsessed. I cannot tell you how many hours a day that girl will fetch a ball. Oh and if you don't throw it when she wants she will bark at you until you cooperate. Not annoying in the slightest.

Nessie has, what I would consider, a normal dog personality. Slightly dumb (sorry Ness), very food motivated, easily distracted, and easily excitable. However she doesn't wrestle very well. Joe will try to play with the dogs and Nessie will just stand back and bark. We desperately need to teach her the 'quiet' command. Nessie never tries to escape from the backyard, hates to be scolded but forgets it a second after it happens. When she gets scared, she'll pee. Figured that out the hard way. Her run is hilarious. Those short legs carrying that round, fat body is quite a site to see. It is almost like she doesn't bend her front legs. Nessie almost always has this stupid grin on her face. Part of what makes her so darn cute.

That's enough of an intro.

Wednesday ended up being a really good day. Got up, did yoga, worked, came home, ate dinner with Joe, made breakfast for Thursday, went to the Library and applied for a card, took the puppies on a walk, bathed the puppies, set up the financial software, watched Top Chef and went to bed. Eating was good and I only had coffee and a DDP.

However, I woke up this morning and did not want to get out of bed. It was raining which didn't help. So I got up and instead of going to the gym. What did I do? I watched tv for an hour. Nicely done. That means I have to fit in after work which hasn't happened in a while. My goal is to do 30 minutes of Biggest Loser Cardio Max and 30 minutes of BL Power Sculpt. It will happen!!!

Great Weekend Socially = Bad Weekend Nutritionally plus Stats, August Results and September Goals

2009-09-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

My weekend in Louisville was great. Here is a not-so-brief recap:

Friday - Got up around 6 and was on the road by 7 with my Starbucks Venti Chai Tea Latte in tow. Num. Made it to Yum about 10 and visited with all my old coworkers for about an hour and a half. Seeing them made me realize how much I miss working in that kind of environment. After I left Yum, I dropped my car off at the dealership and had them shuttle me to the mall. Initially I was kind of excited to have nothing to do but shop for several hours, however, I was totally not in the mood. Couldn't find anything I liked and really just wasn't feeling it. So instead I bugged a friend to meet me at California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. Luckily he got me through most of my waiting period otherwise I probably would have gone crazy. I mean what girl goes to the mall for 3 hours and buys NOTHING. Not one single thing. I think I am weird. After I got my car back, which by the way, it is going to cost me $1000+ to get my radio fixed. Yay. I went to TJ Maxx\Home Goods and scored a few goodies. A paper towel holder and banana stand for the kitchen and some Halloween votive holders.

Friday Night - We had dinner at Joe's parent's house with 3 of his brothers, his sister-in-law, niece, and week old nephew. Arthur (the nephew) is sooooo teeny. Amazing how small new babies are. After the dinner party broke up we headed to Marty's (an old coworker) house to see him, his wife, and 2 year old son. This was definitely a kid filled weekend. We ended up staying at Joe's parent's house and slept in the basement in a twin bed that was not kind to our backs. We both woke up Saturday in pain.

Saturday - I met Whitney, a college friend, for lunch at Mojito's where we enjoyed about 2 hours of tapas, mojitos, and good conversation. I hadn't seen Whitney since her wedding last summer and it was really good to sit down and catch up with her. I did find out in the morning that my good friends Christie and Beau were engaged!! I am so excited for them!

Saturday Night - Joe and I headed into Indiana to see two more old coworkers, Josh and Jessie along with their 5 month old and 3 and half year old daughters. We had a great evening hanging out and cooking dinner. After the girls went the bed, the adults (boy that sounds weird) stayed up and played Euchre and drinking wine until about 1.

Sunday - We woke up, had a wonderful banana pecan pancake breakfast courtesy of Jessie and then hit the road. Of course, I did not leave town before picking up some Qdoba Mexican Gumbo to eat for lunch. Once we got back home and picked the puppies up from Beenie's, I pretty much just laid around the house. I was incredibly wore out. Beenie sent me some pics of the puppies she took with her new awesome camera, which I have scattered throughout this post.

Monday - Work was busy and I ate bad. Also, ended up taking Christie out for a blizzard to celebrate her engagement. Plus it was the last day for the Thin Mint Blizzard. Had to get one more in. I did walk the dogs and do yoga before work but that did not make up for the blizzard and the nachos I had for dinner.

And today is Tuesday. The first day of September.

Joe had an 8 o'clock class this morning which meant the alarm went off at 6. I of course, could not get back to sleep. So I got my butt out of bed, walked the dogs and did 25m of Biggest Loser Power Sculpt and took my measurements before work. Since September will be my first full month with this blog, it will be interesting to see what difference I can make in 30 days. Especially since August was kind of a bust. Here is where I currently stand...

Weight = 133.2 lbs

Body Fat = 30.0%

Water Weight = 49.0%

Waist = 35in

Natural Waist = 29 in

Arm = 11.75 in

Thigh = 22.5 in

Calf = 14 in

Hips = 38.75 in

I think I am just going to do my measurements the first of every month instead of weekly. That seems to make more sense.

As for goals, here are my results from August:

1. Drink 8 glasses of Water - 15x - DONE!

2. Do at least 30m of Cardio - 15x - Only did 11x

3. ST for at least 30m - 6x - Um yeah...only happened twice.

4. Eat within range (1200 to 1550) - 15x - HAHAHHAHAAHAHA.

5. Finish reading Marley and Me - DONE! Boy did that book make me cry.
6. Clean the whole house - 2x - Did 1.5x. Only cleaned the bathrooms once.

7. Try 2 new recipes - DONE! Tried 3.

8. Set up design and money management software - DONE!

9. Track everything consumed during the day - 20x - HA. 11x. Not even close.

10. Clean up yard - DONE!

Here is what I am thinking for September:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water - 25x

2. Do at least 30m of Cardio - 26x

3. Strength train - 9x

4. Eat within range (1200-1550) - 20x

5. Track everything consumed - 30x
6. Read one book

7. Try a new recipe - 5x

8. Track expenses - 30x

9. Clean House - 3x

10. Reseed yard

11. Do yoga or pilates - 10x

12. Work on designing Master Bedroom, purchase rug and room divider

13. Ween myself off caffeine.

To accomplish #13, here is my plan:

Days 1-5: 2 caffeinated beverages per day

Days 6-12: 1 caffeinated beverage per day

Days 13-19: 5 caffeinated beverages

Days 20-26: 3 caffeinated beverages

Days 27-30: 0 caffeinated beverages

Day 1 = Success! Had a med latte from McDonald's and a Diet Dr. Pepper.

After work I made spaghetti and then headed to the grocery for some items and left poor. It is amazing how much you can spend on food but I guess it is better than eating out all the time. Now I just need to learn to plan my meals ahead of time so I cook more and waste less.

Ok...time for some 30 Rock!

Elliott's Intro and Planning a Busy Weekend

2009-08-26T20:52:00.001-05:00

Just look at that face. Wouldn't you think he is just the most sweetest and innocent puppy ever?!?! Don't be fooled!!! He is a troublemaker and he uses those brown puppy dog eyes to his fullest advantage.

We adopted....hm....correction...I adopted Elliott on 7/1/07 from a rescue organization. Joe and I were living together but he was actually out of town that weekend. Since we were just dating at the time, I wanted it to be very clear that Elliott was mine, so that if by some chance we broke up, Joe would have no claim to him. (Not like he would have fought me for him, but still. I wanted to play it safe.)

I found Elliott on Petfinder.com earlier in the week and discovered that him and his sister were going to be at a farm store in Simpsonville that Saturday. So I drove the hour out to Simpsonville to 'look' at the puppies. I orginally wanted a girl because I heard they were easier to train and I had been searching Petfinder for Corgi puppies since that is the breed Joe and I had decided would fit us well. However (I hate to say it) the boy was cuter. He had more of the Corgi markings although everyone at the store said he looked like a Terrier which I came to later realize that he is mostly Terrier in personality. While I was looking at these puppies about 10 complete strangers walked by trying to get me to take both of them. Boy was I tempted but I knew Joe would kill me. Also, I had never owned a dog. I didn't know if I could raise one much less two.

After talking with the rescue lady for probably a good hour. I decided to go home and think about it, aka call Joe and see what he thought about getting two puppies instead of one. As you can imagine Joe was not thrilled with the idea. So the next morning, I called the rescue and asked if I could just try the boy. By try, I mean keep him for a week to see how he got along with the cats, etc. However, deep down I knew there was no way I was giving this puppy back. That day, I was beyond excited. I drove out to Simpsonville again and picked him up and then took him to Feeder's Supply to pick up some puppy essentials. Below is a pic from the day I brought him home.

Seriously adorable.

Adjusting to life with a puppy was interesting. He was just 11 weeks and 6 pounds when we got him, already neutered but definitely not house trained. After reading a ton about dogs and a failed attempt at keeping him in the bathroom while we were gone, I decided to crate train him and it worked out really really well. He only went to the bathroom in his crate once and that was on a day I got stuck at work and couldn't get home to let him out in time. However, the days we were home were a different story. He got into the habit of peeing in the back room by the door to go out and even started ringing the bell after he went. He kind of had it backwards.

Elliott is our little escape artist. He is too friendly for his own good and just LOVES other dogs. He also loves to be chased, which is not a good thing when he has escaped from the backyard and I am trying to catch him in my pj's, bare feet and without a bra on. Elliott seems to be very intelligent too. He did well at obedience once he realized he wasn't there to play with the other dogs. When I said he has a very Terrier personality, I meant he has a mind of his own. He knows all of his obedience commands but if he isn't in the mood. He won't do them and will give you a certain 'make me' look. Another example is that he always knows when he is in trouble. He will immediately do down and give you that 'look how cute I am' look. He is deviant, I tell you.

Ok. I could go on about my dogs forever so I am just going to cut myself off now.

So, today is my official weigh-in\measurement day and here you go:

Weight = 132.2 lbs (1.4) (.8)
Body Fat = 29.0% (.5) (-.5)
Water Weight = 49.5% (0) (.5)
Waist = 35in (0) (.5)
Natural Waist = 29 in (.5) (-.25)
Arm = 11.75 in (0) (0)
Thigh = 22.25 in (.25) (0)
Calf = 14 in (0) (0)
Hips = 38.75 in (0) (0)

In the first parentheses is the change from last week. In the second is my change since starting this blog.

Weight is up. No surprise here. TOM eating was not kind to me this month. Considering I was at 134.8 a few days ago, I am quite ok with 132.2. It is all about perspective. Haha.

Today I came in at 1406 calories but I burned 765. I had some making up to do from the weekend. I made all my goals except for swiffering. Just not in the mood. I also didn't have the most balanced dinner. I had some tomatoes I wanted to use so I make some guacamole of sorts. It was more salsa like but it still tasted good. I am going to have to try that again.

This weekend is going to be a huge test for me. We are heading to Louisville on Friday and have about a million things to do while we are there. Friday it is:

Visit our old work

Drop my car off at the dealer to get worked on

Joe has class (but I'm not sure how he is going to get there)

Shop for house stuff

Visit Joe's family including the new nephew!

Saturday the main plan is to visit with some old friends. We are grilling out at their new house that I can't wait to see now that it is completed! Should be a great weekend! I'll try and remember to take pics.

Back On Track

2009-08-25T19:46:00.004-05:00

Today went well! Came in at 1258 calories but I am ok with the extra 8. For breakfast I tried a new product, 7 Sprouted Grains English Muffins. Oh my. So yummy. I have been eating the Thomas Light Muffins for a few years now and this was a refreshing change. After breakfast, I immediately wanted another one but thankfully I was able to hold out until dinner. Probably won't get them every time since they are quite pricey but definitely will add then into the breakfast rotation.

For lunch I tried a new strategy to battle the afternoon snack cravings, I ate a big lunch. A Quizno's Small Veggie with a 100 Calorie Fudge Stripe Cookie pack. It was very filling and surprisingly I did not get the afternoon munchies. Maybe I will try this again.

Dinner was another muffin but this time I added Almond Butter. Mmmmmm.

As for my other goals. Made it to the gym this morning and cranked out 60 minutes on the ET for 513 calories burned. Felt gooooood. I also walked the dogs and drank 10 glasses of water. However, I am passing on the swiffering. Just not in the mood. Going to read some Marley and Me instead.

Same goals for tomorrow but add 30m ST to it.

Jake's Intro, Productive Weekend and More Munchies

2009-08-24T20:48:00.007-05:00

There is the baby of the family and no he is not the youngest, he is just the most whiney and needy.

For part of the story on how I got Jake, see Elwood's Intro. After selecting Elwood I was stumped on what other kitty to get because all of the rest were black and white. Two mostly black with just a tad of white on their bellies. I'm not sure how long my mom and I were there just picking them up and petting them. They were all really friendly and used to being handled (the family giving them away had a bunch of young children) and all super cute. Eventually, one of them came over to me, sat down, looked up at me and meowed. The decision was made.

One bit of advice. If you happen to have a litter of kittens that you want to give away please litter train them before you do. It isn't hard, all you have to do is put them in the litter box when they are little. Jake and Elwood were kept outdoors and hadn't seen a litter box before I got them. It was not fun trying to train them after they were used to going where ever they pleased their whole life. Jake peed on my bed one time. Not cool.

I'm not sure why, maybe they weren't actually 6 weeks old when I got them, but Jake latched onto me hard. He started the habit of needing my neck right after I got him and still does it to this day. This can be very very annoying, especially when I am trying to sleep. He also cries a lot. If he gets into a room by himself, he will sometimes start screaming. I'm not going to lie, it is weird. Although, I guess what makes him such a baby is also what makes him such a sweet kitty. He is very kind and cuddly and has some awesomely soft fur.

If you can't tell already, I can go on forever about my fur babies. This will become incredibly obvious when I introduce the puppies. You have been warned.

As for my weekend...

TOM did me in. Big time. Atleast that is what I am blaming the munchie attack on. I just could not get in control of my eating. Friday Joe and I stayed in and watched a ton of 30 Rock Season 2. This involved a ton of munching, mainly on PB Puffins or as I like to call them PB Crack Pillows. I need to ban myself from buying Puffins until I learn how to eat normal again.

Saturday was a great day but I still did horrible eating. My mom and I went shopping for house stuff in Evansville all day. I got 3 new pillows for my bed plus another that I was going to take back until chocolate melted all over it. Oops.

We also got new washcloths, towels and a rug for the master bath. Also, a vanity chair at TJ Maxx. Now I just need to find a vanity that is appropriate for the space instead of the oversized one that the previous owners left. Do you like the gold color (tiny washcloth) in the bathroom? I can't decide.

We then went to Macy's and my mom got us new cookware as our wedding gift. She was planning on getting me pearl earrings to wear during the wedding but that never happened so she did this instead. I must say, I am super excited to use them!

Saturday night, Beenie and Michael came over we played Euchre for a few hours on our back porch. The weather was awesome! Almost a little too chilly.

Sunday was spent cleaning the house, yard and garage. So very productive! However, I pigged out once again.

Today I am back on track but starving. My tummy is used to WAY too much food. I did wake up with a headache so I didn't make it to the gym before work. After work, I ended up eating dinner then spraying the lawn with weed killer which took a lot longer than I thought. After that Joe and I continued Season 2 of 30 Rock. So no work out for me. I also tracked my food and have ended the day at 1401 calories. Shooting for 1200 to 1250 tomorrow. Speaking of...

Mini Goals:
10 glasses of water
1200 to 1250 calories
Work out before work
Swiffer House
Walk dogs

Enough for now...time for some HGTV.

Doctor Visit, Blood Work, Shopping and Top Chef

2009-08-20T22:18:00.001-05:00

So. Well. Last night didn't go exactly as planned. After getting violated by my doctor, I wanted some fun. Joe and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, The Famous Bistro. Nummy. I was partly testing myself to see if I could handle eating out and being somewhat good. Must say, I did ok. The restaurant offers a free appetizer to it's email club and we cashed that in and split a meal.

After dinner, I didn't feel like staying in the house so I decided to make my usual discount shopping rounds and hit up Big Lots and TJ Maxx. Found two pillows for the basement at Big Lots and some candles at TJ Maxx. As for decorating, I really need to pick a room and get it done. I think I am just overwhelmed with all the stuff that needs to be bought\done that I can't decide on anything. Might set up some plans this weekend.

Calorie-wise I was sitting pretty up until Top Chef. A little over my 1250 mini goal but I was ok with it. Joe and I walked the dogs over Christie and Beau's for the show. About half-way through regular Top Chef, Erin came down and decided to shove Cheetos Puffs in my face. Not cool. Of course, I had a few. Ended the day at 1538 calories, so still within range but did I really need those Cheetos? No. Anyway, below is a pic of me and Beau from my wedding. It shows our Love\Hate relationship quite well.

As for Top Chef and Top Chef Masters. Loved them. I could not have been more happy that the girl with the gauges went home. It just hurt my ears to look at her. Looks like they have some interesting Chefs this year so it should be a good season. Top Chef Masters ended well. I am really happy Rick Bayless won. I do love me some Mexican food and he just had such a great attitude throughout the challenge.

Well, I made Wednesday my official weigh-in\measure day. I weigh every day but I will gauge my results by my Wednesday weight. This is from yesterday:

Weight = 130.8 lbs (-.6)

Body Fat = 28.5% (-1)

Water Weight = 49.5% (.5)

Waist = 35 in (.5)

Natural Waist = 28.5 in (-.75)

Arm = 11.75 in (0)

Thigh = 22 in (-.25)

Calf = 14 in (0)

Hips = 38.75 in (0)

The numbers in parantheses is the change from last week. Not bad considering my weekend.

Yesterday my doctors appointment went well. She said I was healthy but was going to run some bloodwork to see if she can find a reason why I am running so tired. I had to fast for the bloodwork which meant no work out for me this morning. No way I am going to break a sweat without my trusty water bottle. So I trekked it back to the doctor's office this morning, hungry, thirsty and not looking forward to getting a needle stuck in my arm but I toughed it out like a champ, hiding my eyes and making nervous chit-chat the whole time. I'm sure I drove the nurse nuts. Oh well, that is what she gets for sticking my arm with a sharp pointy utinsel.

Eating today was interesting. Both breakfast and lunch were over 400 calories which is unusual for me. I typically eat lighter meals mixed in with a bunch of snacks but after the nurse took all my blood I needed replenishing. For dinner, Joe and I made two new recipes. The Toasted Cheese, Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches and the Cranberry Coleslaw. Both were yummy. However, I think next time I am going to cut the butter and just grill the sandwiches. I ended the day 2 calories above my range. Boo. Tomorrow it is back to the 1200 to 1250 range.

After dinner, I walked the dogs and then I did more shopping. Ran back to Big Lots for another pillow and then to target for some random stuff including grass seed, a bath mat and 8 pound weights.

Mini goals:
1200 to 1250 calories
10 glasses of water
Update August goal list
Work out before work
Walk the dogs

Elwood's Intro and Evil Fries

2009-08-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

There's Fatty.

I got brothers Jake and Elwood (yes they are named after the Blues Brothers) in early July 2003, shortly after I graduated from Centre. I've had cats my entire life and I was beyond excited to finally get my own! My mother went with me to pick them out. At the time I was living in Louisville and we had to drive a good hour out to Shepardsville to some farm that had advertised kittens for sale. I knew I wanted two but didn't care what sex. Immediately I had my eye on Elwood. He just had the most distinct and beautiful tabby markings. Made for a super cute kitty. Once I get around to scanning some old pics, I'll post their 'baby' photos on here.

Elwood is the troublemaker. He is always looking for some food to snatch (see pic) or something to knock off the coffee table. He also helps us keep the puppies in line. Always willing to give them a smack whether it is deserved or not. Elwood has always kind have been 'big boned' and somewhere along the way picked up the nick-name Fatty. Now, I know that isn't the nicest of nick-names but I promise it is always said with love.

Enough about Elwood...on to my day...

Ended up having to adjust my eating some due to my brother tempting me with his leftover fries. I cannot resist three things: fries, mexican food, and cake. Anyway, I gave in and had some BUT I recovered. I only ate one afternoon snack and added a clementine to it.

Before work I only fit in 35 mins of walking. It was gorgeous out and I wanted to walk the dogs before it started raining. Did burn 240 calories doing it.

During the day my energy was just drained. Not sure what is going on. I am only 28 I should not be this tired. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I am going to bring this up to her.

After work was surprisingly lazy but productive at the same time. It rained off and on so the whole family spent the evening on the porch. Joe read while I looked for house stuff and new recipes to try. All in all a wonderful night.

As for my goals, I completed them all. I am planning on making either Toasted Cheese, Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches (pg 145) or Sante Fe Nacho Pizzas (pg 157) from my Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook. Might throw some Cranberry Coleslaw (pg 320 in BH&G Cook Healthy Today) on the side.

For Tomorrow:

Before gym: Luna Mini

Breakfast: Protein Shake

Lunch: Healthy Choice Meal and Hershey Bliss

1:30 pm Snack: Mini BabyBel

3:00 pm Snack: 100 Calorie Ritz Pack

Dinner: Spaghetti

Mini Goals:

45m Cardio before work

1200 to 1250 calories

10 glasses of water

Finish Laundry

Walk dogs pending rain

Swiffer House

Tomorrow is the Top Chef Las Vegas premiere!!! Cannot wait!

Ahhhhhhhh...Feels Good...

2009-08-17T21:22:00.002-05:00

To be good. Finally. Today went really really well. Did everything I set out to except the bathrooms. I went to the grocery instead. Came in at 1171 calories and I burned 388 in 45m on the ET. I think planning my meals ahead of time helped a lot so I am going to do it again...

Before gym: Luna Mini
Breakfast: Veggie Sausage Muffin
Lunch: Lean Pocket and 100 Calorie Fudge Stripes
1:30 pm Snack: Mini Babybel
3:00 pm Snack: Ritz 100 Calorie Mix
Dinner: Grilled Cheese

That will leave me with about 80 to 130 calories to play with. Work kept me really busy today and I also think that helped cut down on the food cravings. I need to find daily things to distract me. Hm...

Mini Goals:
45m Cardio before work
1200 to 1250 calories
10 glasses of water
Plan a new recipe for Thurs or Friday night
Continue Laundry
Walk dogs pending rain

Monday = A New Start

2009-08-16T21:43:00.003-05:00

Yep. The munchies did not stop on Friday. Saturday was a little better but with a cookout for my brother's birthday that involved apps and cake...I still overdid it. Today, whoa. Not sure what happened. I ate a TON. I was plagued with a headache for 90% of the day so that didn't help.

As for my goals. Water was good. Saturday I accomplished everything but the ST, today though, nothing got done. I think we needed a day to relax especially since there was zero down time while we were in Chicago last weekend.

However, I am done being bad. I have realized that I need to be conscious of what I am eating. Time to start planning meals in advance. So for Monday:

Before gym: Luna Mini
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Lunch: Amy's Burrito with Salsa
1:30 pm Snack: Mini Babybel
3:00 pm Snack: 100 Calorie Popcorn
Dinner: Mini Pizzas

That will leave me about 275 calories to play with. If I fit in second workout I will have another protein shake. I need to stick between 1200 and 1250 calories this week. I have to get my stomach back under control. It is ridiculous.

Mini goals:
1200 to 1250 calories
10 glasses of water
45m ET before work
Clean Bathrooms
Start Laundry
Walk dogs

Btw...the pic is from our drive home from Chicago. Somewhere in backwoods Indiana there is a few miles of these windmill things. It is quite a thing to see. For some reason I am really facinated by them.

I have a case of the Munchies.

2009-08-14T16:23:00.001-05:00

Big time. I can't seem to stop eating. It is nuts. My stomach has been feeling a little uneasy and I think I have been fighting the feeling with food. Thankfully I haven't gotten sick like my nephew, brother, and mom but I still don't need to inhale a bag of Baked Cheetos.

Yesterday was pretty much a bust. I did work out before work but that is about it. Sad.

Today hasn't gone much better. Still eating a ton. Going to try and regroup tomorrow and get back on track.

Weight was 130.8 yesterday and 131.0 today.

Since today is almost over...mini goals for tomorrow:
Drink 10 glasses of water
ST DVD
Dust House, Swiffer and Mop Floors, Vacuum
Walk the dogs
Spray Weeds

That leaves Sunday with:
Clean Baths and Kitchen
Walk the dogs (funny how I have to remind myself to do this)
Trim Bushes
Put Basil plant in ground
Cardio

August Goals and Current Stats

2009-08-12T22:14:00.001-05:00

First a picture of my fur babies enjoying the open windows. From left to right they are: Elwood, Jake, Elliott and Nessie. I am sure over time I will introduce them all individually.

Secondly, I wanted to state that the real babies will likely not enter into the picture for a few years. I have gone most of my life thinking I would never have kids and I am just now realizing that is a possibility. That is a big adjustment.

Enough about big decisions...On to my day...

Today started off well with a trip to the gym. I hopped on the elliptical and discovered that I was incredibly stiff. I guess the massage I got last night tightened my muscles some. After about 15 minutes my friend Jessica showed up which made the last 30 minutes go a lot quicker. It is so nice to work out with someone. The TVs don't always cut it.

When I got home the A\C people where already there working. I am so excited to have a downstairs air conditioner again. It has been miserable! After letting the dogs out I showered and then went to work, leaving Joe to tend to the workers. He hates that stuff but I love that he has time off to take care of it.

Work was the usual. Need to focus more while I am there. I am a ton better than before the wedding but still not tip top. Was there a little late which made the rest of the evening a little crunched but I made it. I met all my goals for today and even had time for two episodes of Scrubs Season 1. Came in at 1265 calories and 45m Elliptical and a 30m dog walk. Feels good to have an 'on' day.

Ok. So here is where I stand right now in regards to my first fault:

Weight = 131.4 lbs

Body Fat = 29.5% (Whoa)

Water Weight = 49% (and whoa again)

Waist = 34.5 in

Natural Waist = 29.25 in

Arm = 11.75 in

Thigh = 22.25 in

Calf = 14 in

Hips = 38.75 in

Clearly. Some room for improvement.

My goals for the remainder of August are (20 days left):

1. Drink 8 glasses of Water - 15x

2. Do at least 30m of Cardio - 15x

3. ST for at least 30m - 6x
4. Eat within range (1200 to 1550) - 15x

5. Finish reading Marley and Me

6. Clean the whole house - 2x

7. Try 2 new recipes

8. Set up design and money management software

9. Track everything consumed during the day - 20x

10. Clean up yard

I want to start putting together the house so it doesn't look like we just moved in, hence the Design Software. I also need to not go overboard and spend a ton of money while doing it, hence the money management software. It will be good to get going on that. It sounds corny but I want to make this house, my home.

Mini goals for tomorrow:
1. Exercise before work
2. Swiffer the downstairs
3. Only 1 DDP
4. Walk the dogs
5. Go to the grocery for basics

Just Testing This Out...

2009-08-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

All right. Where to start?

An introduction is needed...I am currently a 28 year old, recently married, fur mom to two cats and two dogs. Lots of changes have occurred over the past year. My now husband and I moved to my hometown and both started new jobs. Got engaged. Then bought a house. Then got married. All in a year. The point of this blog is to help me get to the logical next step...a place where I feel ready to be a real mom. Considering the hubby was ready forever ago, I guess I should get on the ball.

I would like to state that I am terrified of everything kid related. I am not in any way ready. Kids scare me. Labor scares me. Teenagers really scare me. It all scares me.

So what should one do to get ready? I have no clue but I am going to try. Here are my faults that I will be addressing along the way:

1. I am not fit. Over the past year or two I have become incredibly out of shape. I am not a blob but my muscle is gone. It is sad. If I can't get in shape before I have kids how am I going to get in shape afterwards. Exercise and nutrition need to become habit now!

2. Speaking of nutrition, we (as in me and the hubby because I am not doing this alone) need to learn to cook. I have seen a ton of good recipes on other blogs and have even bought several cookbooks. It is time to put the resources to use!

3. Our house is a mess. Period. We have our clean moments but for the most part it is a disaster. If we can't keep it clean with just us and animals, how are we going to keep it clean with kids around???? We need to get on a strict schedule or hire a house cleaner. I would prefer the latter but that is a waste of money considering there is no reason why we can't do it ourselves.

I guess that is it for now. I am not exactly sure how I am going to use this but it will all come together eventually.

Mini goals for tomorrow...
1. Track what I eat.
2. Exercise before work.
3. Walk the dogs.
4. Swiffer the upstairs.
5. Clean the kitchen.

That should be more than doable.

Btw...if anyone somehow finds this, the picture is of my wedding flowers and our wedding bands.