Leave of Absence

I'm not sure how many people actually READ my blog anymore, especially since I haven't posted regularly in a looooooong time, but that's okay. This blog is not completely dead!

Weight loss was going really well for a while, and then in June I found out I was pregnant (again)!! Sigh. It seems every time I get a really good thing going with my weight loss, I get pregnant. Haha. It was somewhat planned--since it took so long to get pregnant the first time, we decided this time that we wouldn't actively prevent pregnancy--but I wasn't going to try tracking my cycles or anything yet either. So my period finally returned when Karinne was 9 months old, and I got pregnant after 1 cycle! HA!

I'm due mid-February and I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant--HELLLOOOOO third trimester! I'm gaining weight like it's going out of style--I've already gained twice as much as I did with Karinne, and I've still got 3 months to go (I've gained about 25 pounds so far)! I'm trying not to stress about it too much, but it's difficult. I'm also not watching what I eat very carefully either, soooo I can really only blame myself.

It's a boy, and we've pretty much settled on his name. Some days I really can't believe we're gonna have another kid in the house in just a few months!

Karinne is now 15 months old. She just started walking over the last couple of weeks and it's definitely crazy around our house! She's not talking *that* much yet, but I'm sure that will change soon enough. I can't believe how she's grown!

No pictures because this was a spur-of-the-moment post and I'm too lazy to upload them. Take care!

Scales are evil tricksters.

Okay, confession time: 

I'm a scale whore.

There, I wrote it for all to read. I'm a slave to my scale. I weigh myself every single day, usually multiple times. I weigh myself as soon as wake up, after I pee, right before my shower, right after my shower, and randomly throughout the day if the urge hits. I like to see how my weight fluctuates. Through all of this, I've learned that my lowest weight is around 10am--I have NO idea why (I bet I could google that). 

So I've used my WW scale for YEARS, but I wasn't confident of its accuracy anymore once I could step on it several times in a row and get a different weight every time. I decided to buy a new scale, and I LOVE it. 

However. 

My new scale weighs me 2-3 pounds heavier than my old WW scale--which is fine, I'd rather get accurate readings! Well, this has lead to a new obsession...

When I get a new low weight on the new scale, I check the WW scale too. I need to get rid of it. 

I thought of this because this morning I weighed 231.6, which put me at 228.7 on the WW scale. My ticker shows 230.5--I can't wait until I lose a couple more pounds and can update it for real. 

Anyway. That's all. 

Halfway There

I want you all to notice my weight loss ticker up there--I'm EXACTLY halfway to goal. As incredible as that is, there's a part of me that's like, "OMG. You're only halfway there." Then the other part of me chimes in, "No, you're already halfway there." I'd like to think that losing the second half won't take near as long as the first half did, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I have to keep reminding myself--this isn't a race! However long it takes is a million times better than never getting there simply because I never changed anything. 

I ate like crap this weekend--I was well under my calorie goal for each day (not necessarily a good thing) but I definitely ate more "bad" calories than "good" calories. I'll just say this--my stomach does NOT like it when I eat crap food! Gah. Biggest Loser at work ends this week; my partner and I have done well, but I don't think we can win. We get these pesky things called periods, and the team that's in the lead apparently never gets them. Le sigh.

I feel like I've come so far over the last few months. I'm happy where I'm at, mentally. I also think I'm ready for another fill--I feel like I'm hungry way too quickly these days. I guess I need to actually schedule the appointment rather than just talk about it, huh? :) 

Nine Months Already??

Long time no chat! I've been absent for a while, but for once it's not because I'm not losing weight! I've just been busy and preoccupied.

I think the last time I posted, I was just starting the weight loss challenge at my gym, as well as the Biggest Loser challenge at work. I was in first place at the gym for most of the challenge, until someone who hadn't done any of the weekly weigh-ins decided to finally weigh in and had lost 16-freakin'-percent of their weight---CRAZY. I "only" lost 7 or 8%. Oh well. They haven't posted the final results yet, but I hope I at least got 2nd or 3rd. We'll see.

The Biggest Loser challenge at work is going pretty well too. Since I started losing weight about a month before the challenge, I was at a slight disadvantage--but slow and steady wins, right? I'm really excited though to see so many embracing this challenge; I get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about how so many people have changed their habits (though, the real test will be to see who actually maintains their losses once this is over).

Karinne is NINE MONTHS OLD today! She's officially been out of my womb for as long as she was in it. I can't believe what a little person she's become! I'm learning that she is very dramatic--if she's sitting on the floor and starts crying, she immediately folds in half and smacks her forehead on the floor. Marc and I can't help but laugh every time she does that. She's crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything--it's just a matter of time before she's walking! I've also started planning her first birthday party. I'm going to try my best to do everything myself--I've just got to dig out my inner crafty person. I'll try to post pictures of my progress. I know it's going to be a polka dot party, with bright pink and orange as the main colors. I want to have iced sugar cookies in the shape of a "1" as favors, and I was hoping to at least buy those already made. However, everyone I've contacted wants $20-$30 for a dozen, and I need about 3-4 dozen. I can't justify spending that much money on COOKIES. So, it looks like I'm making those myself too!

Overall, weight loss is going well. I've lost more than 30 pounds since the beginning of March and it feels fantastic! I've been exercising 4-5 days per week and just watching my calories using My Fitness Pal. I would love another small fill, because I'm definitely hungry between meals--but honestly, I don't want to spend the $100 right now. If it gets to the point that I'm just not losing and I'm miserable, I'll go, but for now--I'm good.

Still going...

It's been a couple of weeks, I know. BUT! I'm still on the wagon! Since I got back on the wagon on February 28th, I've lost about 16 pounds. I think you all understand just how good that feels. My clothes are feeling good again (they were all getting a bit snug!) and I just feel better. I've been tracking my food everyday, and that's been a huge help. Yeah, sometimes it's a pain to figure out the calories when I ate 2 potato chips, but I gotta do it--otherwise, my "two bites here and a small piece there" will add up and I won't even realize it.

I'm in first place for my gym's weight loss challenge--I kind can't really believe it. The 2nd place person is right behind me though; at last week's weigh in, I'd lost 5.15% and they'd lost 5.1%. I'll take it though! The Biggest Loser challenge at work started yesterday--wish me luck on that one! Either way, I'm going to lose weight, and I feel like I've already made some really positive changes in my eating and exercise habits, so it's all good. I swear, I feel like a brand-new bandster sometimes; though, I guess I kind of am since being pregnant and having a newborn knocked me out for a while.

I feel like I'm never able to write proper updates, and I want to. This blogger community has helped me so much in getting my mojo back, I feel like I owe it to you! Thank you all for your support!

Biggest Loser at Work!

I decided to start a "Biggest Loser" competition at work. Several people are trying/wanting to lose weight, so I thought this would be the perfect way to encourage each other and help each other out. I've enlisted the help of a couple of people, but I've basically been given free reign--I'm a little nervous, but I'm confident that it will be AWESOME!

Now, I would LOVE to get some help from you guys as well. I want to give little kickoff packages to everyone who participates. I was thinking about a (nice) water bottle, a pedometer, and.... something else. However, I can't think of anything to be that "something else". Oh, and I also picked up a bunch of guest passes from my gym (there's a location like 3 minutes from the office) to give out. Do you have any other ideas? Also, what a good water bottle that I could include?

We are also going to give out weekly prizes to the team that loses the most that week (the competition will be 8 weeks long); I have some casual day and 30-minute break cards, but what are some other smaller prizes that we could give?

We are also going to give out individual prizes at the very end, to the person who loses the most weight and the person who loses the most inches. Any ideas for those prizes?

Everyone who participates will pay $20, and this will be the prize pot. The winning team at the end will get all the cash.

I really am super excited about this. I wanted something to look forward to after my weight loss challenge at the gym is over! I would love to hear any and all ideas you have to help make this competition a success---you guys are awesome!

It's Friday - BYOC!

1.  How do you feel about college?  If you have kids or siblings - will you encourage or require them to go?  How long did you go and what for?  
I love college. I think everyone should go. However, I do understand that it's not for everyone; I will most definitely encourage my children to go, but I won't make it a requirement. 


2.  Pink or purple?  Coke or Pepsi?  Pen or pencil?  Cursive or printing?  Ketchup or mustard?
Purple. Coke (diet). Pen. Cursive AND print (I use a mix). Ketchup (though I do love mixing the two). 


3.  If you could live in any generation - which one would it be?
The 50's/60's. I imagine that people had more class then. I also love the clothes and the hair. And it would be awesome to have stories to tell of those drastically changing times.


4.  What do you sleep in?
A tank top and pj pants/capris


5.  Repeat question - summarize your week!
Let's see... came back from Texas, worked 3 days, worked on starting up a biggest loser competition at work. All in all, it was a pretty good week!

Happy Tuesday!

So last Thursday, my little family drove out to Tyler, Texas, to visit with my husband's family. It ended up being a 10-hour trip (instead of 8) with the baby in tow. It wasn't bad! I continued tracking my food, and it definitely paid off. This morning when I got on the scale, I was down 4 pounds! Wahoooo!

That's the first "significant" loss I've had in a while; it definitely perked me up! I have lots of blogs to catch up on but I just wanted to check in. I hope everyone had a good weekend!

EMERGENCY! (Update)

I'm at work and they just announced there are doughnuts in the kitchen. I don't want any, but I feel the tug to go get a doughnut (or two). So, I'm blogging instead. I can practically see a little doughnut-shaped devil dancing on my shoulder, taunting me to go get one! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHlksdhag;lskgh. I'm so not giving in.

UPDATE: I made it! I didn't give in! I feel so elated with myself right now--a much better feeling than the guilt I would be feeling if I'd given in!

And so it begins!

First, let me say that I really appreciate your comments. I've been wondering though, what is proper blog etiquette when responding to comments? Do I leave another comment on my blog, should I comment on the commenter's blog, or just send an email?

I got my first fill today, after 14 months. So far, so good. I really feel like I'm brand-new at this again, especially since the guidelines here are so different than in Korea. For example, according to my new doctor, I'm supposed to eat liquids/soft foods for 2 after my fill; yeah, that didn't happen. I just ate very carefully and very slowly, and everything was fine. I guess if I knew WHY I'm supposed to do all that I would be more inclined to, but until then, I'll do what works for me.

I just wanted to write a quick update about that. I'm exhausted. Good night!

7seven7seven7seven7seven!

I can't believe that Karinne is already 7 months old--people aren't kidding when they talk about how quickly kids grow up. It seems like every day she's doing something new! Here are some pictures from her 6-month photo shoot:

I'm still breastfeeding, and we'll keep going as long as she wants. Pumping 2-3x at work every day is a drag, and for the last month I haven't been pumping as much as I used to; if only I were able to stay home with her for the first year (like in Canada!) then I wouldn't have this added stress. It'll be all right though; if push comes to shove, we'll have to start giving her maybe a bottle of formula per day to make up for what I can't pump. It's not the end of the world :)

I went to the gym tonight and walked a little bit longer on the treadmill than I have been; it felt good, like I'm actually making some progress. When I started walking again, I could barely make 20 minutes, and I had to use my inhaler; now I'm up to 27 minutes, walking faster (3.2mph), and I haven't used my inhaler the last 3 times I went. Woohoo! Of course, it's been freaking SUMMER (80 degrees today!) here, so that helps with the asthma.

Now, for the honesty--I came home from the gym to freshly baked chocolate chip cookies :-( I'm sure I don't have to tell you how that went down. I wanted to say no and really just dump them in the trash, but I felt bad because Marc NEVER bakes. So I ate them. Note the word "them"; of course I didn't have just one! Argh. Tomorrow is a new day, right?

BYOC!

It's BYOC (Bring Your Own Crazy) time, thanks to Drazil! Five little questions to help us get to know each other better:

1.  Since I talked about psychics this week - I'm curious....if you could see one for free and you could only ask one question - what would it be?

How many children will I have? (Babies on the brain ALL the time!)

2.  What's your favorite ice cream flavor and topping?

Oh man. My all time favorite is Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. If I'm putting toppings on it, vanilla bean is good, with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, cookie dough, broken reese's cups, etc... mmmmm.

3.  What's your preferred method of working out?  DVDs, an external gym, gym inside your home, classes?

These days I go to a gym outside of my house and walk on a treadmill. I really love walking outside, but the area where I live isn't really conducive to that. I also like to work out with the free weights (just 3 pound weights) but I'm super self-conscious and if more than like 1 man is working out by the free weights, I won't do it.

4.  If you work outside the home or if you ever did or will in the future - do you think it's better/easier to work with men or woman?  Who do you work mostly with now?

I work with mostly women now. I don't mind it usually, but sometimes things get pretty catty around here; on those days, I feel sorry for the 4 men who have to work with 13 women.

5.  Repeat question.  Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

It's been a good week. The baby's good, the husband's good, work's good. I've gone to the gym 3 times this week, which is awesome (for me). That is all. 

Happy Friday!

On a roll...

Exercising it going well. I've managed to make it to the gym 3 days this week (Wednesdays are pretty much a no-go because that's Marc's night to hang out with his friends). I even *gasp* joined a weight-loss challenge at my gym! Wish me luck--I'm actually kind of excited about it.

I'm still working on getting my eating under control. I'm not quite where I should be in terms of types of food, portions, etc, but I'm getting there. I go for my first fill in 14 months on Monday--for real! Two things about that sentence really make my head spin: first, that it's been 14 months since I had anything in my band, and second, that I STILL haven't managed to get that stinking fill I've been trying to get since January. I finally got fed up with that doctor and found another one--I feel much better about this guy. I guess another thing that makes my head spin a little is that with it being so long since my unfill, I'm actually only up about 5 pounds *pats self on back*. I figure that in the grand scheme of things, being right at my pre-pregnancy weight is something to be happy about.

It feels good to be getting back into blogging. The support system is incredible, and I hope to be part of it again :)

Still Waiting!

In my last post, I told you that my fill was scheduled for the 23rd. Well, guess what--IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

klsjhglshgl;shglksjdg;lksjdlgjslkdgj;lskjdg;lgaiopjl!!!!!

The surgeon had to review my records prior to making an appointment to decide if he'd see me or not. I faxed my records on December 29, and I know they received them because they called me about them. Well, I got a call on the 22nd (at 4 in the afternoon, mind you--what the crap can I do about it at 4 in the afternoon??!?) that they needed my records. Apparently the doctor lost them or something? I don't know. I was mad. I sent them around 5 (when I got the voicemail) and the morning, the poor receptionist chick said they'd received them, but I couldn't come to my appointment because THEY ALREADY GAVE IT AWAY. Ugh. I have yet another appointment scheduled for this week, but I'm soooo not excited about meeting this doctor. He just sounds like a turd.

I searched and searched, and actually found another group of lap-band surgeons that I somehow missed. I got a message from their office today saying they would see me, so now I'm waiting to find out just how much a fill there would cost me. When I was in Korea, I don't think I realized how difficult it would be to find a surgeon to take care of me after I came back, nor did I realize how expensive it would be (my insurance doesn't cover bariactrics). I think if I had I would have taken a different route.


I went to the gym at 6am on Saturday. I just happened to be awake and thought, "why not?". It felt good.

What a let-down...I need help and advice!

Remember the last time I posted, I was supposed to be getting my first post-pregnancy fill on January 26th? Well, the day before that appointment, the doctor's office called to reschedule. So February 7th was my new appointment.

Same thing happened; the day before, they called to reschedule. Now it was going to be February 14th. Well, wouldn't you know, THAT would be the one day I decide to oversleep and get to work an hour and a half late?? There was no way I'd be able to get all my work done in time to leave for the appointment, so I rescheduled that one. Now my appointment is the 23rd--let's hope this one actually sticks!

I hope I like this doctor, as he's the only one in Birmingham that's willing to do fills for people who had their surgeries elsewhere. I just need a fill, period.

Time for a little honesty now. I've gained about 20 pounds since I had Karinne. I'm so mad at myself for falling back into my old pre-band pattern of eating... I'm not at my pre-band weight yet, thank God, but I'm not far off. I barely fit into all the clothes that were fitting me quite nicely this time last year; isn't it sad that I was apparently skinnier when I was PREGNANT???? It's the belly--I wish I could cut it off. I know I need to exercise more and do about 984759 crunches every day. I have to find my motivation.

I want/need to get the new bandster mentality again. How do you motivate yourselves? I would love to hear some tips from all you old pros :)

Hopping back on the wagon!

YO!!!

So, I'm doing it--I'm back on the wagon (mostly), and feels great. I made an appointment with a lap-band doc to get my first fill in over a year! I see him on January 26th--I'm pretty nervous, actually. In Korea, it was $30 for a fill/unfill and they used the x-ray machine every time; here, it's going to cost $250 for my initial visit, and then $125 for fill/unfill after that. It was easy to go back and forth to tweak my fill level in Korea; now, I imagine I'll just try to "deal with it" if the level isn't quite right. I just have to be careful that I'm getting adequate calories so my milk supply doesn't drop.

I've gained about 20 pounds since Karinne was born--definitely not something I'm thrilled about. How is it possible that I've gained more weight NOT being pregnant AND nursing than I did the whole time I was pregnant?!?? Argh. This is why I have to get fill; I'm just not good at controlling how MUCH I eat.

I've also joined a gym. I went 5 days this week, so that's pretty good I think. On the weekends, I go when Karinne goes down for her first morning nap. During the week, I've been going after she goes to bed for the night (around 7pm). I work 6:30 to 4:30, so if I want to see my baby at all I have to go after she's asleep.

Hopefully I'll have some good news weight-wise to share next time I blog!

Hi, Hello, How Are You?

I hate that it's been so long since I posted. It's incredible how much time a little baby can consume; can you believe she's already 4 months old?!? Speaking of babies, on Sunday it will be exactly one year since I got my positive pregnancy test. What a crazy year!

This is going to be a bullet point post, because that just seems way easier.

• Since my last post, I returned to work. It's been an adjustment, but it's not that bad. At least it gets me out of the house everyday! The worst part is having to pump 3x while at work; as I said before, I just feel like a dairy cow! It also didn't help when people would tell me how gross or disgusting it was. I-G-N-O-R-A-N-T.
• I had to go to San Diego a few weeks ago for work, and Marc and Karinne went with me. We expected the worst, but she really wasn't that bad on the plane. She cried a little, maybe a total of 20 minutes--not bad for 6 hours of flying!
• We traveled to New Orleans for Thanksgiving (Marc's father's side of the family all live there). I think she was actually worse on that 5-hour car ride than on the plane. However, she was a doll when it was time to meet the 30+ family members.
• Our "good" car died last Saturday. We were driving and suddenly everything just stopped. It was insane. Turns out the engine broke. Luckily, we have a lifetime engine warranty so we're 98% percent sure it'll be taken care of; we're just waiting on the final word from the inspector. Unfortunately, we're only going to have 1 car for a while--just a minor inconvenience.
• I got a raise at work. It really came at such a perfect time; I was feeling really down about our money situation, especially with Christmas coming up and the car breaking down, and then I got the raise. However, I'm having a difficult time refraining from celebrating by spending lots of money.
• My one-year bandiversary came and went on October 30th. While I'm definitely not where I'd hoped to be by now as far as my weight is concerned, I'm still please with where I'm at. I mean, I had an entire pregnancy during that time! I'm still about 35-40 pounds (depending on the day/hour) down from my surgery date, so that's something to be proud of. I have to start exercising though--much easier said than done, right now anyway. I'd really like to be much closer to goal (if not already there) by the next time I get pregnant!

Pictures!

Daddy and baby, taking a break at the San Diego Zoo

Mommy and baby in front of the lions

Halloween

3 months!

mooooo.

mooooooo. moo. moomoomoo.

Yes, I'm mooing at myself because I feel like a freaking milk cow! I feel "udderly" (ha.ha.) ridiculous double-pumping while wearing the hands-free bra thingy, but it does allow me to easily update my blog. We went to the pediatrician for Karinne's one-month check last week and even the doctor called me a good milk cow (due to her good weight gain and I never had to supplement with formula).

Speaking of her one-month check, we officially have a thriving baby! As of last Wednesday, she was 9lbs 6oz (7lbs 10oz at previous appt) and she's grown almost an inch. She also got her second dose of the Hep B vaccine and a heel stick and she was NOT happy after that. I swear, she's got the most pitiful cry sometimes; I dread the day she has the mental capacity to use it to her advantage!

On a sad note, I go back to work on Thursday :( Just half days for 2 weeks so I'll be able to kind of ease back into things, but I'm definitely not looking forward to it. There were also some pretty big changes made while I was on leave that affected my department so I'm interested to see what's in store for me when I get back.

There are a couple of neighborhood cats that hang around our house sometimes (I think the people that lived here before us let them hang out in the crawlspace) and one of them is chasing a squirrel around the back porch now. I hope he doesn't kill it and leave it there. Right now Mr. Squirrel is under the grill licking up some strange substance and the cat is just sitting next to the grill, watching; I guess it's not exciting when the squirrel is just presented on a platter like that!

Here are some photos from Karinne's newborn photo session; she was really unhappy after we took off her clothes, so it was kind of a bust. 15/20 photos are just different angles and colors of one pose; I kind of wish the photographer would have let us see all the shots, and then let us choose the poses we wanted--I at least would've liked the option to reject them! I think it bothers me more that I didn't intend for all of the shots to be in those clothes--we just decided on a whim to get a few because she looked cute. Oh well. Maybe she'll be better for her 3-month photos in November :)

First of all, thank you for all your sweet comments :) I know I've been pretty lame, not commenting and all, but I promise I'm reading and hopefully one of these days I'll actually start leaving comments again! You see, most of the time when I'm on here I'm nursing and it's not easy to type while holding the baby. Right now I'm pumping with my handy-dandy hands-free pumping bra--I've never felt so much like a cow in my life! I'm just trying to get a nice little stash going not only for when I go back to work, but also for when I'm out and about and want to leave Karinne at home, or, you know, if we ever decide to have a date night.

Karinne had her one-month birthday on Saturday; oh how the time has flown. I also can't believe that I'll be back at work in less than 2 weeks. I'm going to just work half days for a week or two so I can kind of ease back into things. I actually get 8 weeks of leave since I had a c-section, but seeing how I'm not getting paid I decided to go back at 6 weeks for half days. I hope that this country has better maternity leave laws by the time Karinne starts having babies; and that's all I'm going to say about that.

This week we discovered that our baby looooves Pink Floyd. She was really really fussy one day so Marc turned on Pink Floyd because his dad told him that it always soothed him as a baby; it's kind of funny because whenever it stops or is quiet between tracks and she hasn't conked out, she starts crying--then when it comes back on, she's quiet again. It's amazing!

4 weeks? Really?

I can't believe my baby is already 4 weeks old! She's getting to be more alert every day and she's started making little cooing noises (yay for sounds besides crying, haha). Her nighttime sleeping isn't terrible, though the closer it gets to dawn, the shorter her sleeps are--for example, last night she slept from about 10-2:30, 3-5, 6-7:30. I guess it could be worse.

We're thinking about when to start putting her in her crib in her own room... I'm a little nervous, only because our room is downstairs and hers is upstairs and it just seems so.far.away. I think next week we'll start putting her up there for naps and then after a couple of days do the whole nighttime thing. Those of you with kids, when did you put them in their own room?

We've been trying to get out more and more with Karinne; she's been pretty good in restaurants, only once so far has Marc had to take a walk with her. We went to a park last week to enjoy the weather and listen to some live music. I'll leave you with pictures from that excursion:

Sloss Furnace and downtown Birmingham

tummy time!