A Journey into Motherhood

A Birth Story: Bosston Jameason Bell

2012-12-08T14:04:00.001-08:00

When I first started my blog I had intentions to post weekly. As my pregnancy progressed and we encountered a few complications along the way (not only with my pregnancy but with me losing my job), I fell behind on my updates.

Here's a quick update on what happened since my post at 27 weeks.
At week 30 I was diagnosed with mild preeclampsia.
My doc was cautious and had me do two 24 hour urine catch tests to see how things were going.
I skipped directly from my once a month doctor visits to weekly visits.
Our baby was also measuring big so we went for an ultrasound at 32 weeks.
It was confirmed, he was bigger than expected for the coordinating week but everything looked great and were asked to come back in at 36 weeks to see how big his was then (incase I needed a C-Section).
Week 32 we also started non stress tests (NST) to make sure baby was doing great.
The first NST went great. We weren't as fortunate with subsequent NST's.
At 33 weeks my doc had me get a steroid shot to help mature our son's lungs incase we delivered early.
The next two NST's sent us into labor and delivery for further monitoring.
Both times our son ended up doing just fine and we were sent home.
And this is where my birth story will begin.

On November 6th I went into my regular scheduled doctor appointment.
Everything went well at this appointment. The NST was responsive and baby was doing great!
My blood pressure wasn't too high and I only had traces of proteins in my urine.
I was given a slip to schedule another ultrasound to see how big our baby was.
The doctor told me that we would discuss delivery options at my next appointment.
We lef the doctor's office that day feeling great and we were getting anxious knowing that our baby would be coming into the world soon.

The day before Bosston was born.

I called and scheduled the ultrasound on our way home and was able to get in the next day.
We left our house at about 12:30 on the 7th to head to the hospital for the ultrasound.
The office was running a bit behind and we were getting antsy.
We finally got in and got to see our baby.
He was measuring in at approximately 7lbs. 13oz.
There was a bit of a worry though...
As the ultrasound tech was monitoring the heart rate, there was a deceleration.
The doctor was concerned a bit and had us move over to another room for yet another NST.
My blood pressure was REALLY high and after a good 30 minutes of monitoring wasn't dropping.
I was told that I needed to go down to labor and delivery for further monitoring again.
I wasn't allowed to walk down the hallway to the elevator either. I had to be in a wheelchair.
We were a bit frustrated at this point. Another day and the same stuff. It consumed a whole day.

We got check in at labor and delivery and I got changed and hooked up to the machines.
My doctor was actually there at that time and stopped in to see how I was doing.
She had said that it she had seen this happen before with the NST done up at ultrasound.
We were all sure I would be going home shortly.
After waiting for at least 2 hours for blood work to be completed we were more than ready to go home.
I needed to use the bathroom so I checked with the nurse before unplugging from the machines.
She left the room and I went into the bathroom.
As I stood up from the toilet to go back to the bed there was a gush of water. I was shocked.
I went back to the bed and told James that I thought my water just broke.
We paged the nurse desk and told them and expected to see our nurse quickly.
10 minutes passed and the nurse still hadn't come in so James got up and went to find someone.
When the nurse came in she showed me that she had our discharge papers in her hand.
They were minutes away from sending us home but since my water broke, we were staying!
She told me that in all the years she has worked labor and delivery, she had never seen this happen.

It was confirmed, my water had in fact broke around 6:00PM. I was 2cm dilated and 80% effaced.
It was time for a shift change. The new nurse, Dennise, came in to meet us and get things going.
My doctor said that I could let things start on their own or they could start me on pitocin.
I was told that after your water breaks, there's a greater risk for infection so I opted for the pitocin.

Panorama of me in bed in Labor and Delivery

At this point James headed home to get our hospital bag.
We weren't expecting a visit to labor and delivery so we didn't bring the bag with us this time.
I think James was a bit frantic/excited. He was kind of afraid that he would miss something.
He made it back before I really even noticed he was gone. I had contractions occupying my mind.

Things got crazy from here.
My nurse was called into another delivery so I had a different nurse start the pitocin.
They started it off at a 1, the lowest amount they could give me, just to see how it worked.
Not long after I was in a pretty constant pain.
The monitor wasn't really picking up the contractions like I thought they would.
It honestly felt like I had no break to recoup between contractions. It was one directly on top of another.
Nobody ever told me that contractions can cause vomiting...
I got the urge to puke and had to reach for a cup at my bedside before I lost it on the floor.
After that I made sure I had something to puke into (it happened a handful of times before delivery).
I made it about 2 hours before I asked the nurse if she could give me something for the pain.
I was given some phentynol through my IV.
It sucked. I still felt most of the pain but my head was in another place.

I didn't necessarily want an epidural so I was trying to put it off as long as possible.
I was told that an epidural makes your legs feel like it does after getting numbed at the dentist.
I absolutely HATE that feeling so I was somewhat afraid to have that feeling in my legs.
I caved in after about 3 or 4 hours and asked for the epidural though.
So between 9:00PM and 10:00PM I was fairly pain free.
The insertion of the epidural wasn't bad at all.
While the anesthesiologist was doing it though, the nurse asked James if he was going to be OK.
Apparently I was stuck at least half a dozen times before he got it in the right place. I didn't notice.
James said it was a pretty gross to watch. Good thing it didn't phase me!

The rest of the night kind of flew by for me from this point.
I was at a 3 when I got the epidural and they kicked up the pitocin to a 3.
At about 11:00PM the baby's heart rate started to drop.
We had 3 different nurse we hadn't seen yet rush in. James and I were both scared.
They turned off the pitocin, put me on oxygen and made me switch sides that I was laying on.
The baby's heart rate recovered quickly and they checked me again.
The nurse said I was at a 5 and then a 7 saying that I was "melting away" and to get the doc there.
James and I were hopeful that the end was near!

The nurses left the pitocin off (slowing things down again) and left the room.
We had a nurse come in to check on us 30 minutes later and said that the doc was 10 minutes out.
They had someone come in and set up everything that they'd need for delivery.
James asked tons of questions about everything and got a description on everything they set up.
I wanted to listen more but I was still on the oxygen and couldn't hear too well.

After about 2 more hours our original nurse came back in to check on us.
She said that the doc hadn't been called yet but they'd call when we were about ready to push.
We were frustrated because we thought we would have had our baby by this point.
Dennise turned the pitocin back on and told me to page the desk when I felt the need to push.
I don't think it was quite 10 minutes after that when I felt the need to push.
We paged for our nurse and she came in after a few minutes.
She checked me and sure enough, I was 10cm and 100% effaced and ready to push.
She started prepping for delivery and said that my doc was now only about 10 minutes out.

After she got some stuff situated she said that we'd start pushing with the next contraction.
This was around 2:30AM. Not too much longer and we'd be parents!
Since the monitor wasn't picking up contractions well, I told them when I felt the need to push.
The epidural was pretty effective on the pain but still left me with the ability to move my legs and feel enough of the pressure to know what to do.
The nurse told me that I was such a great pusher and that it wouldn't be too long before our baby came!
After the first several pushes I was feeling like I wasn't going to be able to finish.
Then with the next push I was able to see the top of my baby's head.
My doctor showed up right about then too and told how great I was doing.
Seeing how close we were to being done gave me the extra energy to keep going.
After a few more pushes our little guy's head was out. The hard part was done!

After about 45 minutes of pushing, our beautiful baby boy, Bosston Jameason Bell was born at 3:16AM weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces and 19.5 inches long.
He was immediately put on my belly while daddy cut the umbilical cord.
He was whisked off to be weighed and measured while I got stitched up.
I had some internal 2nd degree tears but nothing too bad.
I kind of giggled because my doc said that it would "burn like the dickens to pee".
Little did I know until the following day that she wasn't joking!

Welcome to the world!

I sat there and watched James as he watched them clean up his son.
You could see how much he already loved his son just by watching.
I finally got to hold my baby boy again. It is such a surreal moment I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was overjoyed and so grateful for my two boys.
Not too long after, we were moved to our room and our journey into parenthood began.

Daddy snapping pictures

Getting cleaned up and tagged

Holding my son

Our lives were forever changed that morning, changed for the better.
We love our little man so much and couldn't be happier parents.
I feel that this experience has brought new light to the relationship James and I have.
I see how much he loves his son and loves me and I'm forever grateful to have that.
I feel like I'm the luckiest girl to be able to share my life with someone who loves us so much.

Little Hand

Little Foot

My sweet baby boy

Week 27: The size of a head of cauliflower

2012-09-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Being home and blogging has turned out to be a bit more tricky than I thought it'd be.

I feel like there's always so much going on around the house.

I find myself thinking "Ok, today is the day I will update my blog!"

Then the next thought is "I'll just do that tomorrow because I need to scrub the tub today."

I'm becoming a pro procrastinator with my updates - my apologies!

Anyway, we are nearing the end of my pregnancy!

Only 13 more weeks to go! Time has gone by so quickly!

HOW FAR ALONG? 27 weeks - I feel like I look like a blimp in this picture. I'm sure the horizontal stripes don't help that look much but hey, there's a baby in there! ;)

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: head of cauliflower - weighing about 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long, legs extended.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: The dreaded scales. At least it has been for me. I'm now up a total of 26 pounds. Ugh! I sure was hoping to keep it well below that at this point. My doc isn't worried about that at all though, which is reassuring! I was in a bit of a panic prior to my last doc appointment. I thought that I was going to be scolded on my jump in weight. My eating habits have stayed the same and I've been exercising. Doc said that sometimes it's just the way that a woman's body handles pregnancy. As long as I'm eating right and exercising, there's not much more I can do.

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Yep. Love my maternity pants. COMFY!!!

SLEEP: Eh... could be better. My back hurts pretty good lately so it's hard to find a comfy position. Not to mention the need to pee during the night. Oh, and the lovely pinching and pulling of my abdominal muscles (those that are low and near my pelvis) that scream at me when I decide to roll over.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Just feeling our little guy move. It's a comforting feeling. :)

MOVEMENT: Sure thing!

FOOD CRAVINGS: Nothing specific. I actually find my appetite not as big as it has been. I eat a regular meal and I feel so full. If I have a big breakfast, I'm usually lucky to feel hungry come dinner.

SYMPTOMS: I consider myself lucky... I haven't really had many pregnancy symptoms up until now so I feel like I don't have room to complain. It kind of seems that everything hit at once. Here's the grand list: Yes, my nose is continually stuffy still. My back is starting to hurt regularly. I have heartburn that is great enough to probably singe someone's hair if I am talking to them. I can no longer see past my belly button and bending over is becoming a trick... try washing your feet in the shower! I'm sweaty and hot all of the time. I almost feel like there's no point in showering since I'm sticky and sweaty minutes after a shower. My ankels swell up like balloons especially with the hot heat of summer AND I LOVE summer! It's sort of depressing that I haven't been able to fully enjoy summer this year. ;) Oh, a really fun one... my poor lady parts feels sore more than not anymore, especially when I'm up and walking. It feels like I've been kicked in the vajayjay - constantly. I'm sure that'll just get better and better too (I hope you can sense the sarcasm there). I'm sure there's more stuff that I could complain about but I think that's about everything that comes to mind at this particular moment.

GENDER: Boy... definitely a boy.

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: It really hasn't been bad for me at all. I have enjoyed it. I'm getting to the point of just wanting to have our little boy in our arms though.

WHAT I MISS: Sleeping comfortably.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Holding our little guy!

Week 23: The size of a mango!

2012-08-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I've been slacking on my weekly posts.
Turns out, being unemployed seems to have left me short of more time than I thought.
There's lots to accomplish in a day while not working.
I have a new-found appreciation for stay at home mommies!

Anyway, there's a lot to catch up on so I'll get down to the fun stuff!
PS... I definitely have a baby bump to show off now. :D

HOW FAR ALONG? 23 weeks. I had my scheduled anatomy ultrasound in the middle of July. At this appointment the doctor decided that my baby is definitely ahead of what my estimated due date was. Therefore, I've officially shaved an easy 11 days off of my pregnancy (granted baby comes on time). They've moved my due date from December 11th to December 1st. We are honestly hoping for an end of November baby though. I know with a 1st time pregnancy that isn't likely but we can sure hope!

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of a large mango and weighs over 1 pound now!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: I have gained a total of 16 pounds. I'm more than half way through the pregnancy though and the doc seems OK with that so I am pleased too. Besides, James has gained more weight this pregnancy than I have so I have something to validate my gain against! :)

MATERNITY CLOTHES? YES! Best thing I could have done last weekend, honestly. My pants were getting tight and uncomfortable. I can still wear my regular jeans and do the elastic trick to hold them up but it really isn't that great compared to actual maternity pants! I HIGHLY recommend purchasing maternity pants as soon as you think they're necessary. Don't hold off on this! Comfort from maternity pants is amazing when your belly starts to get big!

SLEEP: I've been sleeping pretty well. I turn a lot when sleeping though and have noticed that doing so sometimes causes the sensation of a pulled muscle in my belly. That usually wakes me up because it's a big ZING near my groin area and up the side of my belly. Oh, and nightly bathroom breaks (at least twice these days) are necessary.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Feeling the little guy move around so much. :)

MOVEMENT: Lots! We've got a very active boy on our hands!

FOOD CRAVINGS: I still claim that I haven't really had any.

SYMPTOMS: My nose, still. I hope that it changes after the baby is born. Also, I have finally experience dreaded hemorrhoids. I have NEVER had them before and honestly though I'd get away without experience this issue while pregnant. WRONG! They suck. End of story.

GENDER: Most definitely a boy. The anatomy ultrasound confirmed this for us 100%. :)

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: Everything has been great. I have had a very pleasant experience.

WHAT I MISS: A glass of wine! James bought a couple bottles this past week and it made me very jealous. He's not even a big wine drinker so I swear he was doing it just to make me jealous. ;)

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: More baby shopping! It's harder to do know that our budget it tight though. I've just got to be creative on our budgeting.

Week 17: the size of a turnip!

2012-07-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 17 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of a turnip - weighs about 5 ounces and is about 5 inches long.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: After my doctor's visit last week, I'm up 7 pounds. I wish it were a bit less but I don't think that's too bad for 4 months in.

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet, although when I sit now my pants feel a bit tighter on my belly.

SLEEP: Not too bad.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: I THINK I've been feeling him move a little it. It's hard to tell though because it's pretty subtle still.

MOVEMENT: Above. :)

FOOD CRAVINGS: I still don't think I've really had any cravings.

SYMPTOMS: Just my nose. It continues to be super stuffy and I've had the pleasure of experience nose bleeds semi regularly.

GENDER: Boy. To be confirmed in a couple of week at our official doctor ultrasound.

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far. Everything has been great.

WHAT I MISS: This week I'm missing my wine. We're going camping this weekend and I'm making sangrias for everyone. I'm totally jealous!

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Feeling more distinct movements.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I skipped last week, Week 16.

This past week has been quite a roller coaster.

The company that I had been working for was closed last Monday.

I had been with the company for nearly 10 years now.

This was unexpected and left me and James scrambling to make sure things were in order.

We spent nearly every hour last week getting things sorted out.

Nothing like being almost half way through pregnancy and suddenly losing all health benefits and pay.

Needless to say, it put a bit of a kink in our plans.

I think we have a plan in place now and though so things will hopefully continue on as planned.

I say think because things are always subject to change at this point!

Anyhow, I should be back to my normal blogging and updates from here on out!

Stay tuned! :)

Week 15: The size of an apple!

2012-06-20T09:47:00.001-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 15 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of an apple - weighs 2 1/2 ounce and is about 4 inches from head to bottom.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: Back up to a total of 5 pounds.

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.

SLEEP: Not too bad. I've had a difficult time getting comfy a couple night though.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: We found out that Baby Bell is a BOY!!!

MOVEMENT: Nothing noticeable yet but this little dude sure is a mover!

FOOD CRAVINGS: Nothing specific.

SYMPTOMS: My nose has been driving me crazy! I've had a couple nose bleeds and it always seems stuffy. I just hope it goes back to normal after baby come!

GENDER: It's a BOY!!!

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I'm totally enjoying it.

WHAT I MISS: I occasionally wish I could have a glass of wine but that's about it.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Feeling him move!

So since finding out our baby is a boy we've been trying to decide on names.
It's much harder than I thought it would be!
James and I can't seem to agree on any one name.
I'm beginning to think our baby will be nameless until he's born!

I spent some time in the sun over the weekend though.
Found that I will actually burn after 3 hours in the sun while pregnant.
I've never been the type to really burn much. Just tan.
I now know that if I spend several hours in the sun, I'll need sunscreen.
Lesson learned.

Other than that, this week has been pretty mellow.
Not too much to report on really.
I'm now starting to compile a list of things we will need for our boy.
There are so many choices when it comes to baby gear and such!
I feel like I don't even know where to begin!

Here are a few more pics of our little guy.
Notice how he's spine up in one picture and then face up in another.
We definitely have a wiggly dude on our hands!

Week 14: the size of a lemon!

2012-06-12T09:46:00.001-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 14 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Lemon - measures 3 1/2 inches and weighs about 1.5 ounces.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: I'm actually down a couple pounds so up a total of 3 pounds.

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.

SLEEP: Pretty good. I think I've passed the worst of my cold and I'm finally sleeping again.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Not really sure... it was just an ordinary week for me.

MOVEMENT: None

FOOD CRAVINGS: Nothing specific really. I've decided that I can always eat a good hamburger though!

SYMPTOMS: I welcomed in the 2nd trimester with some horrible nausea this morning. I wanted more than anything to just puke but couldn't. I have also noticed the muscles in my belly more. They are tight and have often hurt a bit... all for a good cause though.

GENDER: Not sure yet... soon!

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far. Everything has been great.

WHAT I MISS: Nothing really.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Find out the gender!

I've been debating on whether we should find out the sex of the baby before our 20 week ultrasound.
We can go to Fetal Sudios or Fetal Foto for gender determination at 15 weeks.
I'm hesitant because I'm not too sure if they'll really be able to tell.
I'd hate to spend the money on the ultrasound only to have it be a waste.
I know that James is anxious to find out too. He wants a boy.
After asking him what he wants to do, he doesn't know though.
So the question we are faced with is.....
Find out the gender next week or wait for 6 more weeks to find out at our doctor appointment?

First Year Ignite vs. Britax B-Agile: The Battle of the Strollers!

2012-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, the topic of strollers has me not knowing what way to go.
Do I get a car seat/stroller combo or not?
I'm pretty certain I've decided that I don't want/need a car seat/stroller system but I'm not 100% sure.
After pricing things out and doing some research it appears that it MIGHT be cheaper to go separate.
I say might because it depends on what brand you're looking at and how much you're willing to spend.
I personally don't wanting to spend a fortune on something. Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.
If I can find something cheaper and is just as functional, durable and has the same safety features as the pricey brands, I'll take cheap over brand!

Now that being said, I've found two strollers that I have interest in.
First is the The First Year Ignite Stroller.

This one costs $45.69 through Amazon.com right now.

It's lightweight (only weighs 14 pounds), easy one hand fold.

It has excellent customer reviews. Major plus in my books.

It's good for your little one up to 50 pounds and has multiple recline positions.

It has taller handles so you don't find yourself reaching down to push it.

It's equipped with a 5 point harness to ensure you baby is safe.

For less than $50.00, I don't think this is a bad find at all!

The next stroller is the Britax B-Agile.

This ones goes for $188.99 on Amazon.com right now.
It too, is lightweight (weights 16 pounds) and also features an easy one hand fold.
This one has great customer reviews as well.
It holds your little one up to 55 pounds.
This one is offers the option for the click and go system for car seats (although sold separately).
You also get the 5 point harness here.

Yes, there are features that I didn't touch on with both strollers.
The main points listed here are what I'm really looking for in a stroller.
I want something lightweight and easy to maneuver.
I also want it to be something that will last a while.
I find the car seat/stroller systems big and bulky.
I don't think I'd want to push one of those strollers through the mall.

Honestly, for the price point I'm definitely leaning more toward the first option.
I really like the second one too, but I don't know that I want to spend almost $200.00 on a stroller.
With both having great reviews, I don't think I can go wrong either way.
It's just going to be a matter of money I think.

So many decision to make when it come to a baby!
So much fun though! I can't complain about that!

Week 13: The size of a medium shrimp

2012-06-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 13 weeks


Excuse the crappy picture... I was in a hurry so it's blurry.

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Medium Shrimp - about 3 inches long and weighs nearly and ounce now!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: Ugh... 5 pounds. I know weight gain is inevitable but I feel I jumped up that 5 pounds in a hurry... is someone messing with my scale?? LOL

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.

SLEEP: I'd be sleeping like the dead if it weren't for this stupid cold! I am so stuffed up!

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Actually being able to feel a little "bump" (or hardness) in my belly.

MOVEMENT: None

FOOD CRAVINGS: I have realized my food of choice is definitely a good hamburger. I could eat one every night, seriously.

SYMPTOMS: I had my first puking incident. I think I blame the prenatal vitamin though. I usually take it after I've eaten but I took it prior to breakfast on Sunday and ended with breakfast in the toilet. YUM! ;)

GENDER: Not sure yet. Still hoping on a boy. We will likely find out come 15 weeks though... soon!

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I'm feeling a bit bitter toward it since I can't take any good drugs but other than that it's been great!

WHAT I MISS: Nothing really.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Finding out the gender!

I recently came to a weird realization...
I don't like (or hearing others) calling the baby "it".
Understandably, we don't know what the gender is so "it" seems fitting.
It just bothers me because it's a baby, my baby.
So instead of calling the baby "it", I call "it" baby (until we find out the gender).

I think this realization came to when while having a conversation with James last week.
I told him that it seemed like everyone would look at my belly while talking to me these days.
It feels semi awkward. Yes, I'm pregnant but you can still look at my face.
I human nature I suppose. I sure hope that I haven't made other feel weird when they were pregnant!
Anyway, James' comment to my self conscious belly issue was this...
"What to you expect? There's SOMEONE in there."
Ha! Someone.... I do have a little someone growing inside me!
This someone isn't an "it". It's a baby. My baby.
I truly think that put a whole new perspective on pregnancy for me!
I love my little SOMEONE. :)

12 Weeks: The size of a lime

2012-06-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 12 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of a lime - weighs 1/2 ounce and is over 2 inches from head to bottom

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: The scale has jumped this week... I'm up 4 freaking pounds. I partially blame it to the birthday festivities and the holiday weekend. Back to healthy eating!
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.
SLEEP: Pretty good... minus the past couple days. I've had a lovely sore throat.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Hearing the heartbeat at the doctor's office! Such a great sound!
MOVEMENT: None
FOOD CRAVINGS: I haven't really had any... I don't think. Although a new favorite thing is Dill Pickle Potato Chips.
SYMPTOMS: My nose has been driving me crazy! I don't know if I can blame allergies or pregnancy most. It's so stuffy 24/7 and there's nothing I can do to stop it.
GENDER: Not sure yet. Still hoping on a boy.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far. Everything has been great.
WHAT I MISS: Nothing really.
WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Finding out the gender!

I have to say, it was nice going to the doc this week. We got to hear the heartbeat.
It was a relief to hear the doctor say that everything is great.
She got me excited what the next weeks to come.
At our next appointment we could do the testing for downs syndrome & neural tube defects.
We aren't sure that we even want to do that though. We have a month to decide.
We will be able to schedule our next ultrasound appointment too.
It probably won't be too long afterwards that I will be able to feel the baby move too.
So many things to look forward to.
In the mean time, I hope I can rid myself of this cold/allergy issue in a hurry!

iBaby Monitor

2012-05-29T13:13:00.001-07:00

As of today I'm officially 12 weeks pregnant.
I am holding off on my weekly update until Thursday.
I have my 12 week appointment then and will include word from the doc. :)

In the mean time, I have come across another item that I'm considering for baby.

The iBaby Monitor

James and I came across this while at the CES show in Las Vegas in January.
With both of us being iPhone users, we were immediately sucked in.
Pretty nifty, high-tech device!

This will link to your iPhone, iPad, iPod or computer so you can see your baby at any given time.
The monitor pivots and rotates to follow your baby's movement.
You are able to remotely control the camera from whatever device you're using.
Baby's cry or movements can send alerts to you.
It retails for $199.95.
You can read more about the device HERE.

I can't decide if I'd really utilize it much though.
It comes with a whopping price tag for something that I'm not sure if I'll really use.
My sister told me that she hasn't even thought of needing to buy one for her baby.
Her house is smaller than mine though.
Her baby is always a room's reach away (for the most part).
My baby will have a bedroom upstairs.
Most of the living is done on the main level and the laundry room is in the basement.
It'd be nice to have tabs on baby while doing laundry.
Not to mention to have the piece of mind when we leave baby with a sitter.

Lots of little things to think about.
I think I'm definitely leaning more toward purchasing one.
I have several more months to still decide though!

Week 11: The Size of a Fig

2012-05-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 11 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Fig - Just over 1 1/2 inches long.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: No gain yet. Still maintaining.
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Nope.
SLEEP: I have been sleeping pretty well. The nighttime bathroom breaks seem to be minimizing.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Eating ice cream and not feeling guilty about it!
MOVEMENT: None
FOOD CRAVINGS: Carbs. Bread, pasta, chips, crackers... anything with lots of carbs.
SYMPTOMS: Feeling pretty good. I'm not too tired anymore. I have a terrible gag reflex though. Even brushing my teeth can trigger it. LOL!

GENDER: Not sure yet... we will likely go to Fetal Studios to find out at 15 weeks.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far. Everything has been great.
WHAT I MISS: Nothing really this week.
WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Still having the heartbeat confirmed by my doc. Next week!

Yesterday was my birthday and I got spoiled.

There are two things I'm most excited about.

1st is my new ice cream/frozen yogurt machine.

Who doesn't love ice cream or frozen yogurt!?

I figured I can make my own low fat or fat free frozen yogurts with whatever mix in I choose.

A healthy little treat on a warm summer evening.

I can't wait to try it out tonight.

I'm thinking peaches or blueberries. :)

2nd is my new body pillow (specifically for pregnant women).

My sisters got this for me but it's not here yet.

It's a Sleeper Keeper (purchased from Walmart).

I can't wait for it to get here - not that I'm having a hard time getting comfy yet.

I think it will help a ton once my belly gets bigger.

I'm a major belly sleeper right now. That will soon change.

When sleeping on my side, my hips begin to hurt.

Hopefully this will solve the side sleeping dilemma.

I will post once I've had a change to use it to let you know what my thoughts and feeling are.

Baby Must Have?

2012-05-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

As a first time mom, I'm faced with the many options when it comes to baby.What will be functional or what is a waste of money?
I came across the Arm's Reach Bassinets (you can check out their website HERE) in a magazine.
I'm intrigued but not quite sure whether or not I want to spend the money on this.

It's totally fascinating though.
Take a look at this picture... it says it all.

Baby sleeps in their own space but is conveniently along side you for feedings throughout the night.
My dilemma... I don't necessarily want to co-sleep.
After the first few months I plan on putting baby in his/her own room.
I also don't plan on breast feeding. The plan is to exclusively pump (a huge topic for another day).
I have a lot to consider before buying one.
If I buy this and then a crib for baby's room, I'm in a good chunk of money on furniture already.
Right now, I'm leaning more toward getting a crib for baby's room and using something else until baby is big enough to go to his/her own room.

This is probably the one I would choose if I buy one.
It's the Original - Natural Liner.
Arm's Reach offers few different colors as well as different models.
Mini models, Cocoons and even those that are more like a crib.
Check out their website for more info (http://www.armsreach.com/).

Arm's Reach also offers something that caught my eye... being a doggy lover.
This!!

My dogs currently hog up a lot of the bed - yes my dogs sleep with me.
I love cuddle time at night with my doggies.
It'd be nice for them to utilize their own space instead of all my mine though.
I don't know that my dogs would even use this, but I think it's a great concept!

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10 Weeks: The size of a kumquat

2012-05-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 10 weeks
DUE DATE: December 11, 2012

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Kumquat - a little over an inch long and weighs less than .25 ounces

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: ZERO! Still maintaining.
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet. I think since I lost some weight prior to this pregnancy I have some room to grow in my regular clothes.
SLEEP: I have actually been sleeping pretty well the past few days. Best sleep I've had in a while.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Hearing the heartbeat. Didn't expect to hear it yet. (story below)
MOVEMENT: None
FOOD CRAVINGS: I've wanted a big hamburger and a pickle with ranch all week!
SYMPTOMS: It's been a good week. I think I've noticed my uterus growing. It hasn't been cramps that I've felt... more like a slight tingling sensation. It's hard to explain. I also want to chop off my nose. It's always stuffy these days and there's nothing I can do to get relief. I think I partially blame my allergies too but my sis said that her pregnancy did the same thing to her.
GENDER: Not sure yet. Still hoping on a boy.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far. Everything has been great.
WHAT I MISS: Nothing really this week.
WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Having the heartbeat confirmed by my doc. Two more weeks. :)

The best moment of the week was hearing the baby's heartbeat.
I told you last week that I bought a cheapo fetal heart rate monitor.
This one here:

It ended up being better than I expected.
The night that it came in the mail, James and I sat down to see if what we could find.
We didn't have any luck but we weren't expecting to really hear anything anyway.
I was only about 9 weeks along (about 10 if we go by the measurements the doc took).
The next morning I thought I'd give it a whirl again and to my surprise, I heard the little heartbeat!
It wasn't easy to find and once I found it, it was hard to keep locked in on.
I have found that I have to hold the doppler really low, like maybe an inch from my pubic bone.
I always seem to find the heartbeat toward the left side too.
I've now been able to find the heartbeat 4 times and share with James and my family.
My niece, Braeley LOVED hearing it. She didn't want to stop listening.
I'm sure I sound pretty crazy to some of you but honestly, I don't care.
It brings me a little piece of mind to know that my baby is still growing inside.
I'm still anxious for my doctor appointment though.
Once the doc has confirmed the heartbeat I think I will feel that much more assured.

Chocolate Waffle Ice Cream Cake

2012-05-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

With yesterday being Mother's Day and I decided that I wanted to make a different dessert to share.
I got an itch to make an ice cream cake. You can't go too wrong with cake and ice cream in one!
I started searching online for a good recipe. I found several but nothing that I liked too much.
I found one that I was going to settle with.
It used store bought ice cream sandwiches as the cake and ice cream and then had a layer of whipped cream and toppings of your choice (things like crushed up candy bars and such).

I started thinking about what I could do differently to make the ice cream cake more of what I wanted.
That's when the idea came to me!

A little background first...
As a kid, my grandma would occasionally make us chocolate waffles.
She'd serve the chocolate waffles to us with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
Talk about wonderland!
It's been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember.
It's really simple to do and adds a little something extra to ordinary cake and ice cream.

So, taking our family tradition as inspiration I decided to use chocolate waffles in my ice cream cake.
Here's the SIMPLE recipe if you'd like to try this too!

1 box chocolate cake mix (or brownie mix - which is what I used this time)
1.5 quart container of ice cream (I used Vividly Vanilla)
16 oz whipped cream
Toppings of your choice (I used strawberries* and chocolate sauce this time)

1. Make the brownie or cake mix as directed on the package.

2. Warm up waffle iron as normal and make sure to use cooking spray so your "waffles" don't stick.
3. Cook "waffles" as normal. When doing brownies, cook time is increased. Use best judgement.
I was able to get 12 waffles out of the brownie batter and it worked perfectly for my 9x13 pan.
4. Let "waffles" cool before putting the cake together.
5. Layer "waffles on the bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

6. Put down a layer of ice cream and then whipped cream.

7. Add your toppings.

8. Add another layer of "waffles" and sort of press them down.

9. Next is another layer of ice cream and then whipped cream.
10. Now complete with your final layer of toppings for your finished ice cream cake!

Super easy and it was mighty tasty.
The only thing I'd do differently next time is use different toppings OR putt the strawberries on as I serve the ice cream cake.
*The strawberries look pretty but once you freeze them they are hard and aren't easy to eat.
I was worried about that from the get go but thought I'd give it a whirl.
Now I know. :P They taste still great though!
Definitely going to be something I make again!

Week 9: The Size of a Grape

2012-05-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

HOW FAR ALONG? 9 weeks 1 day

THIS WEEK THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Grape - nearly an inch long and weighs just a fraction of an ounce.

DUE DATE: December 11, 2012
TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS: 0 pounds - maintaining right now. :)
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Nope. My regular clothes still fit a bit loose.
SLEEP: I have been sleeping like crap. I'm doomed. I have at least one potty interruption each night.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Sharing our news with friends and family.
MOVEMENT: None yet.
FOOD CRAVINGS: Sweets right now. I am craving chocolate especially.
SYMPTOMS: Nothing too horrible. I get a bit nauseous in the evening and tender boobies.
GENDER: Too early to tell. James hopes for a boy. I'm good either way.
BELLY BUTTON IN OR OUT? In... I think it will remain this way throughout.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I'm thoroughly enjoy it. Very excited at this point.
WHAT I MISS: I occasionally wish I could have a glass of bubbly.
WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Hearing the heartbeat.
SMELL AVERSIONS: Blood. GAG!!! (story below)

That pretty much sums everything up in a hurry!
Not too much more to talk about now. ;)

I am still a bit nervous about a miscarriage until I can hear the heart beat.
I try not to worry too much but I think it's inevitable.
I will admit, I purchased a cheap-o baby heart rate monitor off of eBay.
That should be arriving today - if the post office is operating like they should.
The device claims to be able to detect a heart rate between 10-12 weeks.
I'm not expecting to hear anything right off since I'm only 9 weeks along.
I'm honestly not expecting it to work that great, period.
I guess we shall see how it works.

So the aversion to the smell of blood....
We have two dogs. Our boxer, Frankie and our doberman, Betty.

Sweet Frankie and Betty sun bathing.

Well, Betty has a blood condition that is common among dobermans.
This makes it harder for her blood to clot and so she tends to bleed uncontrollably if injured.
When we got her ears cropped, we experience first hand how difficult it is to stop her bleeding.
Problem is Betty likes to play, and play rough.
James has an electric RC car and Betty LOVES to chase it.
It's great exercise BUT Betty runs after it and usually ends up with scratched up pads on her feet.
They bleed and bleed and the only way we've been able to control it is by wrapping them with coban tape and gauze.
We made a rule that she's no longer allowed to chase the car on the sidewalks or streets.
Well, There's a dirt field near our house that we though would be fun to take the car and the dogs to play.


Betty with a mouth full of dirt after chasing the car.

Apparently the dirt has the same effect as the pavement.
Betty's feet weren't scuffed up nearly as bad but she still bled a bit.
When we got home, I got down on the floor to clean up Betty's wounds and wrap her feet.
I lifted her paw up to see what damage was done and got smacked in the face with the smell.
You know, that strong smell of iron that comes from blood.
Yeah, I gagged. I had to turn the other way and breath clean air for a minute.
That's probably the closest I've come to puking while pregnant.
I now know to steer clear of blood!

Exciting News!

2012-05-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

WE'RE PREGNANT!

Yes, it's true. It happened like clock work.
My doc gave us the go ahead to start trying after 2 regular cycles.
2 cycles passed and the magic happened.
I honestly wasn't expecting this to happen so quickly... I was actually shocked!
Two test later and our first doctor appointment down... it's 100% confirmed!

I've been a bit hesitant to announce our big news due to our previous miscarriage.
A week or so back I came across an article titled "5 Common Pregnancy Practices I Wish Would Go Away".
Intrigued, I clicked the link and read on. (The article can be found HERE)
The first "practice" the author discuss is the 12 Week Rule.
We have all heard that things can go wrong in the first trimester.
I'm a prime example. 1 out of 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage.
The author writes - "I think this sets women up for complicated grieving process should miscarriage happen"
WOW! I could totally relate to every word that I was reading.
Had I not had so much support from both friends and family, I think I would likely be in a funk still.

I clicked on a link provided at the end of the article to read about "Why I Hate the 12 Week Rule".
(This article can be found HERE)
The website I was taken to is a sanctuary for those going through the same things.
A place where you can go voice your feelings and have support from others.
Great site for others struggling with miscarriage. Highly recommended.

I was honestly considering waiting until week 12.
I know first hand how great it was to have the extra support though.
I know that I would love to have the same support if something happens again.
I feel kind of needy or maybe selfish saying that but it's the truth.
I don't need the sympathy. It's just nice to know there's support during tough times.

Anyhow, enough of the doom and gloom - I'm back to My Journey Into Motherhood! :)
I'm excited and nervous at the same time.
I know that there's a possibility of something not working out again but my hopes are high.
I think I worry myself more than needed.
This time around things have just felt different.
I often forget that I am pregnant. I really don't feel like it - short of being EXTREMELY tired.

My boobs didn't start hurting until about a week ago. Before it was almost immediate.
I haven't had the same acne problem that I did before. My skin actually looks pretty great.
Like I said, I have been VERY tired. Last time I wasn't really tired.
No puking. I do feel a bit nauseous before I eat in the morning and then again after dinner.
I don't have the want to over indulge when I eat like I did last time.
I have had some CRAZY dreams. I often find myself wondering where that thought came from!

I was able to lose almost 20 pounds prior to this pregnancy.
(Yes, I still have a ways to go before hit my goal weight and that's now on the back burner)
I don't want to flush all of my hard work down the drain so....
I'm sticking to my healthy ways and I plan on doing so throughout the entire pregnancy.
For the record, I'm not actively trying to lose weight.
The plan is to continuing eating healthy and to continue with my workouts.
I told James the other day that I'm actually a little jealous.
He will be losing more weight and getting buff and I'll just be getting bigger.
All for a good cause though. I can't complain about that. :)

I will be back to my weekly blogging - baby talk this time.
I will keep you updated on new symptoms - the good or the bad.
I will be doing weekly photos too.

The doc says that the baby is measuring about 6 days ahead of what we were thinking.
They are keeping the due date at December 11th for now.
After the 20 week ultrasound measurements, they may or may not move the date to the 5th.
Regardless, Baby Bell is looking healthy.
We saw the little heart beating and could see a defined baby shape growing inside.
Here's what we got to see...

First "baby bump" (or not) photo - 8 weeks pregnant and feeling pretty great!
**Note to self... clean the bathroom mirror! LOL! ;)

Catch up!

2012-04-12T10:24:00.002-07:00

I sure have been slacking at my regular posts.
It seems like a lot has changed in the past couple weeks.
More news to come in the following weeks so stay tuned! :P

To catch you up...

I've been taking my measurements for the past month.
I am able to see more progress by doing this than by just watching the scale I think.
In a month's time I have LOST 6 POUNDS & A TOTAL OF 4 1/2 INCHES!
4 1/2 inches compared to 6 pounds seems substantial to me.
Most of the inches have come off from my belly.
My blasted hips and butt haven't budge much so my pant size has yet to change.
I do notice a difference in how my clothes fit though.
I'm regaining my confidence.

I have had a bit of a dip in my motivation.
Both James and I haven't "felt like" going to the gym lately.
We have still made it a few days a week, just not as frequently as before.
I want to change that and get back to going on a regular basis.
Being active daily makes me feel so much better.
I firmly believe that motivation is a key to being successful at anything.
I need to find my motivation again!

I've decided that running is HARD!
It's a total mental thing and I haven't been able to wrap my head around yet.
James blows me out of the water with his abilities.
He told me stories about being in the Army and having to run.
I don't envy the things he had to do one bit! CRAZY!
I admire him for his abilities though.
I will be able to run one of these days!

Short and sweet today.
More updates to come in the near future.
Keep reading! :)

Couch-to-5K

2012-03-26T10:25:00.001-07:00

I have made a new goal for myself.
Complete "Couch to 5K".
I'm inspiration to do this comes from THIS BLOG. I think I've mentioned her blog before.
She dropped 30 pounds in 9 weeks with the help of Couch-to-5K!
If that's not inspiring I don't know what is!
You can find the Couch-to-5K program HERE.
I also found an app on my iPhone called C25K.
It's not the actual app that Couch-to-5K recommends.
The one I got is free. Yes, I'm a cheap ass.
It appears to be very similar to the other one though.
I'll see how it works tonight!

James and I have talked about running a 5K. I think this is the perfect aid.
I'm a horrible runner. I've never liked it, not even when I was skinny.
I'd much rather place my chunky butt on the elliptical and plug away.
I actually find myself somewhat scared to run on the treadmill.
I'm afraid of what others will think as I'm attempting to run.
I WILL overcome these insecurities and I WILL become a runner.

The plan seems relatively easy. I'm sure I'm underestimating it.
I'm sure I will be dripping in sweat, out of breath and want to die.
There's something about dripping in sweat that makes me feel great about my workout though.
I'm motivated and actually excited to start this tonight!
I want it to be 5:00 already. Sore muscles await me. HA!

I ordered an armband for my iPhone and it should be here tonight.
I'm very excited for that too.
I will be able to run with my music playing and not have to worry about my phone.
I hope to soon be able to run outside too. :)

I will take more measurements and pics tonight.
Measurements have been great motivation for me lately.
I can't wait to see my body changing - just in time for summer and shorts!
I will keep updating my blog regularly with my progress!

A Hearty Dose of Motivation!

2012-03-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking at my blog posts. I've had such great motivation outside of the internet world that I forget to share with you! So let me share!

My last post I said that I was changing things up and oh boy, has it helped! I've gone back to eating dinner before the gym. I haven't necessarily been eating more though. My calorie intake changes from day to day. I try to stay right around 1100 calories but sometimes jump to 1300 too. I'm pretty safe between those numbers I believe... and the scales shows it too!

In the past week I've dropped 3 pounds. I took my measurements two weeks ago, Monday too. I decided to take them again this past Monday and to my surprise, I had lost a total of 4 inches! I'm incredibly proud of myself. Seeing the numbers gives such great motivation.

James and I have been trying to go to the gym every day. That doesn't always work but on average we're getting there at least 4 times a week. 4 days out of 7 isn't too shabby. The past couple weeks I did strictly cardio. 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 on the treadmill. I'd go probably an average of 4-5 miles in the hour at the gym.

This week I've switched back to doing weights with James and holy crap! I feel it! I love feeling my muscles though. It shows me that I'm actually doing something! On top of the weights that we've been doing, we've also been throwing in some cardio time. Usually about 30 minutes. I stick to the elliptical for my cardio now. I try to keep my pace up too. Around a 6 or so for as long as I can manage. I feel I'm getting stronger and have more endurance. I did a mile in just over 9 minutes the past two days. Not to shabby for someone who started this weight loss journey just over 2 months ago (not to mention having a starting weight of 190...).

Wow! I think that's the first time I've admitted my weight in my blog! (I will post my measurements in the near future too). A starting weight of 190. Today I'm weighing in at 177. For those of you that don't like math, that's 13 pounds lost! Yeah, 13 pounds in a 2 and a half month time frame may not seem that great but I will take what I can get! I'm proud of every pound I've lost and I will continue working hard to see more results!

I have been ashamed of the number on the scale for so long. It feels FANTASTIC to finally be in control of that number and to see the number continue to decrease. I'm not saying that I'm totally confident again because I can assure you, I'm a ways from feeling completely confident about myself but I'm definitely getting there. When I'm at the gym I find myself thinking about what others think of me. In my head it's one of two way. They either think "what is this fatty doing here... she look ridiculous... she isn't doing anything right..." or "good for her.... it's nice to see that she's working on her... more people should be like her..." I would hope that people choose the latter of the two! I know that I will always praise those that are overweight for being at the gym!

Here's my challenge for you... If you want to feel better and grow your confidence and belief in yourself... GET OFF THE COUCH AND GO TO THE GYM (or go for a run outside)! One things that's great to always remember...

Changing things up!

2012-03-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

The past week has been somewhat shitty, yet again. I didn't see a change on the scale even after starting the Jillian Michael 30 Day Shred. I think the problem could be one of two things. 1 - I'm not eating enough food or 2 - I was eating too late.

That being said, I've changed things up a bit this week in hopes that things will go in my favor. Last week I was eating dinner after we got home from the gym at 7:00-7:30 (which meant that dinner wasn't done until 8:00-8:30). This week I've switched back to eating dinner before we hit the gym. It seems to be working so far. I've dropped another pound already!

Along with eating dinner before the gym, I'm trying to up my calorie intake a bit. My BodyMedia program shows that I should be eating 1500 calories a day. I had been consuming right between 1100-1200 calories. 1500 has seemed a bit high for me but I'm going to try my hardest to hit that. I'm going to start eating snacks between meals too. That should easily give me the extra few hundred calories I need to be eating. I have done snacks in the past but I always feel like I'm continually eating. It'll be worth it though if I can start seeing some more results!

Check out this YUMMY recipe I found and made for dinner last night. I had the veggies along with some with some salmon. The veggies and a 6oz piece of salmon were only 435 calories! Low calorie and delicious!

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato (I used a sweet potato in place of a regular potato)
1 medium tomato
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both
in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the
softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking
dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.
STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and
bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

KONY 2012 - STOP AT NOTHING

2012-03-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, this blog is off topic from the usual but I must share and I encourage everyone else to share as well!

First, please watch this video... totally inspiring!

This video totally moved me. We are all so oblivious to what goes on outside of our own lives sometimes. We have to work, have families to attend to, have to get to the gym, need to have a social life... ect. That's all fine but I think it's about time we take a stand!

I'm glad that there are still people in this world that care enough to inspire others to take a stand and support something with purpose. I haven't been inspired to be a part of something as powerful as this in a long time. It feels good to want to be a part of this!

I hope that everyone can be a part of a local group that will come together on April 20th to cover the town and help bring awareness to everyone of the horrible things that are happening in Uganda.

I truly believe that if we can come together to make a change for those in Uganda, we as Americans can come together and accomplish anything!

Success!!

2012-03-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

I've slacked a bit at getting a post up in the past week or so. I have no reason as to why. I just haven't. Shame on me. Ha! Despite my lack of blogging in the past week, I had a really good week! I dropped 2 more pounds. :) Totally stoked to finally be headed in the right direction! I'm now at a total of 10 pounds down.

This is spot on! Remembering the goal at hand is motivation!

I have noticed a bit more of how my body works, or so I think. The first month of eating better and working out seemed to be slow going. It felt like it took my body that time to "warm up", so to speak. After the first month I feel like I'm noticing more on the scale and finally seeing a difference in how my clothes are fitting.

With my latest successes I've been very motivated to keep up the hard work. I've been pushing myself at the gym, mostly doing cardio. I will go about 2.5 miles on the elliptical and then another 2.5 on either the treadmill or stationary bike. All done within an hour time frame. It might not seem like much to some but I'm building up my stamina and endurance. I hope to be able to move from 5 miles in an hour to 8 soon. Then possibly 10. We'll see how that goes though.

I have found a great source of inspiration. I stumbled across THIS BLOG yesterday, courtesy of Pinterest. I find this woman to be such a motivator. I can totally relate to her journey in losing weight and I respect her for her genuine HARD work in losing weight the right way. I'm pushed to try harder to see more results after reading through her blog.

While reading through the blog, I read and saw first hand results from the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. After gaining a quick found respect for this blogger, I immediately decided that I wanted to try the 30 Day Shred too. I text James and asked if he would get it for me. Being the loving and supportive fiance that he is, he had it for me by the time I got home from work.

After a good hour workout at the gym, I went home to start day 1 of my 30 Day Shred. I've done Insanity before so I thought this would be cake. Let me just say that the Jillian kicks your ass! I thought I sweat it out pretty good at the gym. I was wrong. By the time I was done with what I thought was a measly 20 minute workout, I was covered in sweat. I had sweat dripping from my face just as I did when I did Insanity.

Day 2 will be tonight. I'm shooting for 5 days of 30 Day Shred a week. I hope to get some killer results. I will also be taking some before pictures tonight as well as all of my measurements. I WILL post those here too. I've hesitated to do so because of how embarrassed I am by how heavy I have gotten. No more hiding. I think that posting the cold hard truths here will help hold me more accountable.

I'm more determined than ever right now to drop some more weight. I really believe that it's possible for me to drop 10 more pounds (maybe even more) by the end of the month. 20 pounds in 2 1/2 months isn't too shabby in my opinion. I could possibly even get closer to my original 30 pound goal than I thought!

Progress is Motivation!

2012-02-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to report that I have started to noticed a change! My pants are fitting looser and I find myself tugging at them to stay up more. WOOHOO! The numbers on the scale are slow to move but as long as I'm noticing something, somewhere then it's a plus in my books!

Noticing this give me such motivation. It just goes to show that my hard work and self control are beginning to pay off. :) I'm still hoping to hit a big number with my weight loss by the end of March. It's looking like 30 pounds might be a little further out though. As of right now I'm sitting at a total loss of 8 pounds. Another 10 pounds in a month would be great! We will see how things go!

While blogging today, I must share my new favorite find! Teavana! Last weekend James and I went and visited his parents. They had recently found Teavana and shared their find with us. Let me just say, I'm in love! Teavana has all sort so different loose leaf teas. They smell great and have an amazing flavor to them. I've always loved tea but these tea are definitely at the tip top of my favorites list! I have yet to try the majority of the flavors but so far I'm really liking these two:

Weight to Go Pu-erh Tea


Strawberry Lemonade Herbal Tea

I would highly recommend Teavana to anyone, especially those who love tea like me! :)

Sugar vs. Cocaine - Suprisingly Similar!

2012-02-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, your mentality is "drugs are bad". I don't even like to be around those who choose to do drugs. Why would you want to put such fowl things into your body?

In a casual conversation with a friend a couple of weeks ago, I was informed that sugar is just as addictive (if not more so) than cocaine. I quite possibly think my jaw hit the floor. I always knew that sugars were bad for you, just never to this extent. I, of course, did some follow up research and everything that I can find confirms the truth of this statement.

I have been such an anti-drug "freak" only to come to find out I've been feeding my body what is typically a drug in so many like ways to cocaine. The difference is, society believes this to be OK. The US is considered one of the most obese countries but nothing is being done to change that. They make refined sugars so cheap and easily accessible. It's no wonder so many people think there's nothing wrong with this slow kind of poison.

Let me take a second to share some key points on the effects of sugar. I'm sure I haven't even listed everything here. Just a few that I came across while researching.

* Sugars don't have fibers, vitamins, proteins or minerals... only empty calories.
* Just one teaspoon can causes a metabolic imbalance.
* Sugar can decrease growth hormone (the key to staying youthful and lean)
* Sugar feeds cancer
* Sugar increases cholesterol
* Sugar can weaken eyesight
* Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity
* Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein
* Sugar causes food allergies
* Sugar contributes to diabetes
* Sugar can contribute to eczema in children
* Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease
* Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
* Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness
* Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against infectious diseases
* Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of bacteria that cause yeast infections
* Sugar contributes to osteoporosis
* Sugars can cause withdrawals, cravings and binging.
* Sugars can rot teeth and cause gum disease

Now I'd like to do a comparison with the effects of cocaine. Take a look at how similar some of these are! Again, I'm sure there are plenty of other side effects that aren't mentioned here.

* Increasing sense of energy and alertness
* Extremely elevated mood
* Feeling of supremacy

* Irritability

* Paranoia

* Restlessness

* Anxiety

* A cocaine high last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours

* Increases heart rate and blood pressure

* Constricts blood vessels in the brain

* Can cause ulcers

* Possible kidney failure

* Depression and anxiety

* Fatigue

* Difficulty concentrating

* Increased craving for cocaine after extended use

It's hard to believe that something that we have been told is so bad for us has very similar side effects to ingesting sugar! I've shared this with a few friends, one of which told me of a study that she had read about. In this study scientists took cocaine and sugar and gave it to rats. It was said that 90% of the time the rats would go back to the sugars. Could sugar really be that much more addicting!?

After having this information overload dumped on me, I started paying more attention to what my body was telling me. Superbowl Sunday is what helped me see sugar in a whole new light. Let me share my experience.

I think for most normal, red blooded American's, the Superbowl is a chance to chow down on scrumptious food, diet or not. I was no exception. I had started my healthy journey a few weeks prior and had made some good progress. One day wasn't going to make it or break it in my mind.

I made what may have been my most favorite fudge brownies with semi-sweet chocolate chips, topped in a delicious caramel frosting. Needless to say, I ate way more than I know I should have. Sinfully indulging in these brownies took me down a sugar paved road that I don't think I'll ever forget. Here's why...

After Superbowl Sunday was a thing of the past, I jumped right back on the healthy bandwagon. Breakfast and lunch as usual. Come home from work and make dinner. Almost immediately following dinner the intense sugar craving kicked in. I was hankering for a sugar fix in a bad way. Sadly, there were some brownies still left. "Just a sliver won't hurt." The next day the same thing happened. And then the next day too! Damn you brownies!

The brownies were finally gone BUT the sugar cravings weren't. Thank goodness the sweets were finally out of the house. The cravings continued for the next couple of days and then miraculously vanished. Sugar out of my system = no more cravings for sweets.

I've been naughty this week, not too naughty but naughty enough. I have been having coffee with creamer in the mornings. A total weakness of mine. Come next week though, I'm kicking the coffee and creamer. Not only will I be kicking the coffee and creamer, but also anything that contains refined sugars. I'm very curious to see the difference it makes in 2 areas: 1. the amount of weight I can lose next week (with the support of a healthy diet and exercise) and 2. to see the sweet cravings vanish!

Motivation Monday!

2012-02-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to think and realize that the slumps that I keep hitting are going to be a continual thing. Maybe my mindset in thinking that everything should go flawlessly has been why I haven't been horribly successful at being healthy before. Who knows. What I do know is that I sure am motivated to get my butt in gear this week!

I have also realized that attitude has a lot to do with it. When I get discouraged with the number on the scale or I let the negative things at work get in my head I have noticed a total drop in my commitment to the things I want to change. I have decided that I need to start some meditation or some breathing exercises to help me clear my mind. I have been told that this really helps. We will see how it works for me.

I came across a workout program that I want to try for the next couple of week, courtesy of my friend Katie and Pinterest. It can be found it HERE. I will continue eating like I have been... monitoring my intake and counting calories. If all goes well I could lose up to 12 pounds and 22 inches. I'm not counting on anything as dramatic as that though. I will be happy to see the number on the scale drop even 4 to 5 pounds and have a noticeable difference in the way my pants fit. I will most definitely be taking my measurements tonight!

I'm ready to take on the week and see some results! I hope everyone has a great week!