Hump Day Hi/Lo

I so glad to be on the downhill side of another week!

Hi: Looking forward to getting away this weekend and then leaving to go to Oregon this next week.

Lo: All the preparation it takes to get this small family out the door always leaves me frazzled. Hopefully I can do it this time without barking like a drill sergeant.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Last week's hi/lo's:

Low: Can't remember there being one....
High: Getting away for the weekend, and being able to spend it with family.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week is shaping out to be a pretty decent week...

Low: Whiny toddler....oh how whiny kids make me irritable and unfortunately mine is being just that this morning. It will definitely be early to bed tonight!

High: Seeing aunt Debbie! She is an awesome lady, and I am honored to call her family.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Why do the weeks just seem to whiz by? Here we on the hump of yet another week, soon to be on the downhill slope.....

This week's hi/lo's

Hi: I am feeling a bit better. The cold is hanging on, but everyday I push it out the door a bit more. Meghan seems to be immune to mom's cooties; it is bad enough when mommy is sick throw in a sick toddler and well that is misery to the Nth degree. My dear friend Marsha from Alaska will be here on Saturday to stay a few days with us before taking her missionary to the MTC.

Lo: I am still heart sick over the death of a friend's precious little one. From all accounts I am seeing she is handling this like the warrior woman she is. I marvel at her strength and testimony in her hour of a pain so deep. I watch my little miracle baby, I watch her grow and learn and realize every day what precious gifts from a loving Heavenly Father our children are.

With that...I want to share what could be a "blackmail" shot of my precious one....I got this shot a week or two ago, before the weather turned cooler. One night after dinner she wanted to play in the "waDer" and since I knew it was soon to bed I did not bother putting on a swim diaper or her swimsuit. Well...I had forgotten how absorbent regular pull-ups can be and her pull-up soon became so saturated that it began to sag exposing baby crack.

I hope that brought a smile to your corner of the world...and if you were offended....GET A GRIP! :0)

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week's hi/lo....

Low: I am feeling BLAH...allergies are kicking my heiny, think it is time to call the clinic and see about getting an inhaler so I can breathe to continue my workouts. It is sad when you get winded talking on the phone.

High: I am super excited about a visit from my dear friend from Alaska...she is taking her son to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo and asked if they could stay with us...well, DUH! As if....they don't get here until the 13th, but I am super excited.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Is it really Wednesday already?

Lows:

1. Phillip had to go back to work yesterday....we so enjoy having him home.
2. Our weekend in Colorado came to an end too soon
3. My house is a pig sty and I have no energy to take care of it
4. Miss M has been throwing some doozies of fits and it is wearing my patience real thin, even if I am taking the "ignore it" stance

Highs:

1. I have a loving family.
   
2. It is hump day...therefore we are on the downhill slide towards the weekend
3. My laptop appears to be working right now.
4. Taking Miss M to her dance class is always so much fun....fun to watch her grow, learn, and having fun

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week's hi/lo:

High: We leave once Hero gets home at lunch time to go to Colorado for my youngest sister's graduation from High School. (Way to go sis! We are so very proud of you, and the best in life is just beginning.) The opportunity to spend time with my family and meet my two newest nephews.

Lo: I haven't even begun the packing process...which is no where near as easy as it was before Miss M...now I have to pack for Miss M AND Emma....hopefully we will get out of here by 1300 as planned.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week...

Highs:

• I went to my surgeon's office this week and weighed in at just over 7 pounds lost for the month. WOW!
• Entered my weight and measurements in to the "Realize My Success" program I have access to and....since February 14th when I started my pre-op diet I have lost a total of 31.5 pounds and just over 10 inches since surgery. Since surgery I have lost 17.5 pounds. I am very happy with the slower rate of weight loss that the gastric band surgery gives. Do I wish I could lose it quicker? Sure, some days I do, but I also know that this is the healthier route and since I didn't have some of the more serious comorbidities like diabetes or heart disease I think slow is the way to go. In the end, those who decide to have WLS have to decide what is best for them, and this is the best for me. But I can tell you one thing...this is definitely NOT the easy way out! Despite what some people think, I still have to work hard to loss the weight. I just happen to have a tool that helps me to keep my portions smaller. There are ways to eat around the band and ways to sabotage yourself, so this is still hard work and a learning process.
  
• The beautiful weather has us outside more...my arms and face are sporting a nice tan, now if my Casper the Ghost legs would catch up...
• less than a week until we go to Colorado for my youngest sister's graduation from high school. I am looking forward to seeing family and meeting both of my new nephews, Robert who was born in February and Landon who was born in April.
• The shorts I bought two weeks ago that were just right are now too big.....thank goodness for belts.
  

Lows:

• My allergies are still kicking my backside. I am going through Claritin like it is candy. Right now I am taking two a day just to be able to breathe. That gets spendy when you are buying it OTC. I do have an appointment this coming Tuesday to see the doc about my allergies and a few other issues I have.
• Now that I am back on the pill my libido is non-exsistant. My poor husband. He is craving oreos, and me not so much. This is one of the things I want to talk to the doctor about. Is there a pill out there that won't make me a raving monster of a grouch and won't steal my desire for oreos? I need to be on the pill for my PCOS, otherwise I don't have menses or I go the other extreme of bleeding for weeks at a time. I tried the Mirena IUC and did not like that at all! So definitely no IUD for me. All the women in my family have reacted negativly with the depo shot, so I don't even want to go there. In my eutopia of a world there would be a pill that I can take that would maintain my insatiable desire to share oreos with my husband, wouldn't make a grump with a spinning exorcist head, and be the kind that I can take and only have a menses four times a year. Hopefully such a thing exsists.
• This potty training thing is going to kick my BUTT! I think the next thing I am going to try is getting Meghan a potty watch and set it for every 45 minutes. Then I am going to work on getting her to the point where she can take herself to the potty. She tells me she has to go potty either after or while she is going potty. One day we will get there....hopefully before kindergarten starts. I know she is ready, she is the one who initiated this....
• After spending $3400 on interior shutters we learned that our A/C unit is on it's last leg. That is at the very least $2500 we don't have to spend right now. We are torn between letting it die and hoping it dies before the end of September when our home warranty goes out, and just replacing it. But that is $2500 we just don't have...so that would mean going into debt to fix it. Not really a good option. Sigh...the only reason we are even thinking about fixing it before it dies is to save money on our energy bill.
• 
  

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Well this appears to be another week that is going to pass me at warp speed....here it is already Wednesday when it seems like just yesterday we were grumbling about having to get up early on a Saturday.(For a VERY SPECIAL reason that made it all worthwhile.)

This week I will start with the low: Now my allergies are kicking in and I don't feel like doing a single thing on my to do list and my house has gone to Hades in a hand basket. Took some Claritin this morning...it is helping a tad, but now 100%. Miss M has taken to hitting when I tell her she can't have or do something she wants. Right now my way of dealing with it is removing her from the situation, for instance last night she had to come inside from playing and today we left dance class early. Both things she loves, she hits mama, mama takes them away from her. We will see if that helps...might take awhile as she is just as stubborn as mama.

High: Hero bought us a new computer monitor this weekend! Our other one finally died. The new monitor is a wide screen, so that is taking some getting used to, I am just over joyed to have a monitor that works. Miss M had her developmental evaluation yesterday, and the speech therapist told me that two year olds do not form three word phrases. In fact some don't form three word phrases until they are about 3 1/2 years old. She was very impressed with Meghan's vocabulary and the fact that she knew three colors.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

My, my, my, my what a neglectful blogger have I been! When you live each day in constant fear that this may be the day the monitor really dies on you, you fear even breathing on it, let alone looking at it. As if gracing the computer desk with my presence will speed the demise of our monitor. All good things must come to an end....and this monitor's days are numbered....enough about the stinkin' monitor....

This week's highs and lows...

High: The weather...it is absolutely gorgeous, capri wearing weather (if I only had a pair that fit me). I remedied the lack of capris and bermuda shorts in my wardrobe that fit today. I went cheap, and I went sparse as I KNOW what I bought today probably won't fit in August. (I really need to go check out DI [for my non-LDS friends, think Goodwill but run by the LDS church])

Low: Miss M is still battling a runny nose and watery eyes. The doc prescribed her Claritin on Friday stating that he is confidant that what is going on is allergies. When the Claritin didn't appear to be helping after being on it for five days I called to consult with the nurse. She consulted with the doc and then called me back. He doesn't want to switch her to Zyrtec yet because he told the nurse that he is not sure it IS allergies and that it can take up to TWO weeks to take effect! HUH??? TWO WEEKS??? I need to buy stock in kleenex if that is the case! This mom thinks that Miss M did at the beginning have a cold, and some sort of viral infection that caused the vomitting and fevers. But the runny nose went away and the fever broke over a week ago. (The cold started on the 6th of April, and the vomit and fever started the 19th) She was FINE until last Wednesday when we were outside watering our new plants, after about fifteen minutes the snot factory and water works were in full gear and haven't stopped since. And the nurse told me today to try the old saline up the nose trick....I know it works because I use it on myself...this woman OBVIOUSLY hasn't tried it on a toddler recently!

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week's hi/lo's;

Hi: No snow that I am aware of for the valley...woo hoo...is it true? Spring is finally upon us? My darling baby is now TWO years old, and as cute as can be.
Lo: My darling baby isn't really a baby anymore....sniff sniff

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week's Hi/Lo's;

• Hi: Miss M LOVED her dance class! My parents will be here visiting this weekend for Miss M's birthday party. (well one set of parental units will be at least)
• Lo: I am SLACKING big time on tidying up the house....at least I have the guest bed made up and the guest bathroom cleaned...so if nothing else they have a place to sleep and shower.
  
• And THIS is not really a low.....but it was an annoyance...I went to the commissary this morning before the Mommy & Me class. HUGE HUGE HUGE mistake! An hour after the store opens on PAYDAY and they had ONE(yep that's right ONE) checker!! After an elder gentleman went to go complain all of a sudden there were 5 more checkers. You can't convince me that they did not notice the line wrapping around the entire perimeter of the store! GRRRRRRR I was in line 30 minutes. Then the cashier I went to kept having to leave to get the other cashiers money! Holy Hannah! When it was all said and done it took me 45, yes 45 minutes to get checked out from the time I got in line. That made us late for the class by about 10 minutes. That will be the LAST time I go at open on a payday, silly me! It was a good thing it was a chilly morning or we would have had to ditch class all together. Fortunately the ice cream and frozen goods were still frozen when we got home after noon.
  

Hi/Lo & Grateful Friday

This weeks hi/lo's

Hi: We have the resources to have interior shutters installed on all the windows we want them installed on. Now if we can only agree on the trim style....
Lo: Mama drama....extended the proverbial olive branch and it was cut down...oh well...winter just won't let go and let spring happen.

This week I am grateful;

• For the atonement of the Saviour, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation
  
• My husband's patience with me as I have dealt with mama drama the last couple of weeks...he doesn't understand why I allow it to continue
• My mother-in-law...she is such a blessing in my life...I have a tidy house because of her
• The sun is out this morning....Meghan is outside burning off some of the cabin fever jitters
• The opportunity to stay at home with Meghan in these formative years...even if most days I wonder if I am doing the right thing

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Where did last week go? Lost forever in the fog of vicodine land I suppose....

This week's Hi/Lo:

Hi: I am getting through the days with just one or two normal doses of Tylenol now. While not able to leap over tall buildings in a single bound yet, I am able to walk around for 30 minutes before the spinning head and soreness starts. I have begun a new love affair with my scale, today it told me that I am down 21.5 pounds. WooHoo

Lo: My tummy has been grumbling something fierce the last 18 hours and I have felt rather blah

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week's highs and lows....
Hi:

• Phillip has the kind of that when needed he can "usually" get off early to come with me to appointments.
  
• Today it was my pre-op marathon; class followed by a group Q&A session with one of the surgeons in the practice followed by one on one meetings with the surgeon.
  
• I am tolerating this clear liquid diet and learned today that when I go home from the hospital I will be on what they call "full liquids." Basically that means that I can eat pudding and thin hot breakfast cereals.
• Tricare requires that I stay one night in the hospital....quite the shock to me today, but that is what the surgeon said.
• www.motivatedmoms.com LOVIN' their cleaning schedule. My house may not be immaculate, but I could let people who just "pop" in unannounced for a visit into my home. (That is totally new to me! I am so not used to members of the ward just popping in to say hi. As much of an introvert that I am, I am actually liking that.)

LO:

• I am STARVING!! I think for the most part it is head hunger, but man oh man this clear liquid diet has me jonesing for a hunk of meat and it is only the end of day two.
• I have to stay the night in the hospital....hopefully this experience will be much better than my experience when I had Meghan. Should be, it has two things going for it; I will be staying in a civilian full service hospital and not a military hospital that only has a maternity ward for overnight patients...and it is just one night, not five.
  

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This weeks Highs and Lows....

High: Miss M slept in her bed at nap time.
Low: I am concerned about friends and family that are being affected with the current economy and job market.

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Hi: Hero comes home tonight. Sure he was only gone yesterday and today, but i sure do miss him! Tricare approved my WLS within 24 hours of receiving my surgeon's paperwork.

Lo: The surgeon's office STILL hasn't called me to set up a surgery date. WLS was approved January 23rd. I called the surgeon's office on the following Monday to see about scheduling a surgery date. They can not schedule surgery until they have the approval paperwork in hand from the insurance company is what I was told. Last Friday, the 30th I received in the mail my approval letter from the insurance company. Surely the surgeon's office would have received it around the same time. Why haven't they called? Yes I understand that I am NOT the only one waiting for a surgery date. Am I being punished for being the squeaky wheel about them taking so long ot submit my paperwork? Argh......ring phone, ring.......

Hump Day Hi/Lo

As a kid I used to look forward to hump day, because I knew that after today it would all be down hill to the weekend. Lately it seems all up hill until Friday about 6pm, then it is a quick glorious ride down through the weekend. That is only followed by another loooooong up hill stretch to the weekend. I need to get a life! Know were I can find one?

Hi: Miss M is such a happy go lucky kid. Perfectly content to hang out at home or spend the morning running errands.

Lo: My foot is still super sore when I have to put shoes on, so I haven't been able to go work out this week. NEVER thought I would feel blah because I am NOT going to the gym. Last Friday night Hero was working with Emma. He used to tie a parachute rope to her collar so that he had more control over her. He is working on making her a hunting dog. She came in the house because I had the back door open watching. I was trying to grab that rope to get her to go back outside. Parachute rope is a thin nylon rope. I got a hold of it just as Emma decided to make a run for the outside. Hero saw what was coming and yelled for me to drop the rope. Dropping the rope just in time to avoid getting a bad rope burn on my hand, we didn't realize my foot was caught up in the rope as well. As Emma darted outside the rope tightened across my foot, burning and cutting into the skin as it went. I was left with a gash over six inches long from the center of my arch on the inside of my left foot across the top of my foot. Woe is me. Thankfully everyday shoes hurt a tiny bit less. Hero went out and bought a really long lead the next day, the kind you can control without having to worry about it mangling your hand. Right equipment for the job is half the battle.

Lo x2: I called to find out if the surgeon's office had submitted my paperwork to the insurance company. I knew it hadn't been submitted because I can check on my insurance's website. Long story short it hadn't been submitted yet. They are waiting on the surgeon to write up his report from the EGD. The insurance specialist was going to remind him that she needed that on Monday. I asked what the lead time on surgery dates was. She said six weeks, but couldn't say for sure because she doesn't do the scheduling. Sigh, let's say it is six weeks, that means I will probably have to wait until May to have my surgery. Hero has a class March and April, he will be home, but not able to take time off. Unfortunately I will need help with Miss M for at least the first week, and the surgeon told me that I really would need help for two weeks. So I was pretty bummed on Monday when I figured out that I probably won't have surgery until May. Since then I have decided to take this time to really be prepared. I am going to work on losing some weight on my own, every little bit I can lose now will bring me that much closer to my goal. I have two goals; I know I can reach 170 pounds and would be happy with that, but if I can reach 150 pounds I would be ecstatic. Don't want to go much lower than that because the last time I weighed less than 150 pounds I was so sick all the time. I told Hero last night any weight I lose now will make reaching 150 that much more obtainable.

Boy, that turned out to be a novel...and a little bit therapeutic as well!

Hump Day Hi/Lo

This week's Hi and Lo are;

Hi: With the EGD out of the way, I am one step closer to having my WLS.

Lo: The hurry up and wait system of our health care....PATIENT I am not

Hump Day Hi/Lo

Hi: The year 2009 is here....can you believe the world has kept on spinning 9 years after the dreaded Y2K?
Lo: I am dragging heiny! Went upstairs to read my book and two hours later I wake up with bed head and dried drool on my cheek.