Ready For A New Year

I know I have done awful about keeping updated lately.  It has been crazy busy around here. 

My Nicci is now 4, Christmas is done,  Tomorrow with a new year comes Dani turning 7!  And all that happens around here in just 12 days so no wonder I'm tired!

With the New Year come other changes as well.  I have used this holiday season as an excuse to really slack off on my exercise and diet.  I am getting back on both full time as of 1-2-12 (I mean tomorrow is a birthday after all!)

Our house is so close to finished.  I hope to get the appliances ordered and delivered within the next week.  The back half is completely done, the closets are all painted, the bathroom is textured, and the closets are assembled.  We expect to be moving in by the end of January!  Of course, I wish I had the before pics then people would understand why it has taken so long to get it done, but I will definitely be sharing pics of the completed house.

Tabi has started solids and eats a ton!  She has gotten so active and busy that she hates to sleep for fear she may miss something.  It does make for a worn out Mommy! 

I guess that's all the update for now.  I'll try to weigh in next week and hope to be showing off the house soon.

Weighing In and Checking In

First, I weighed in today at 243.  That means so far I am down 31lbs.  I can see I have hit a plateau and will need to make more changes to keep losing.  And, though I am not getting the scale numbers I would like, I know I am trading fat for muscle because my clothes fit different.  It's really exciting that my 26-28 clothes don't fit at all anymore.  They literally fall off!  And, I can put my 24 jeans on and off without undoing the button, lol.  The 22 fit about right and the 20 are just a little snug.  I know I haven't been weighing and exercising like I should, but honestly, who does this time of the year?  I am still trying to keep things in check, watch my sugar intake, and drink more water, but I also don't want to miss all the stuff that comes with the season.  I know that's not exactly the right attitude, but I am trying to make life long changes and they are not all coming easy!


I know I have not been steadfast in keeping updates done.  Homeschooling two kids while taking care of 3 more is a bigger job than I expected, lol.  We are loving homeschool though.  Meli is starting to read (we are on the -at words) and does good with most of her sight words.  Dani is a strong reader and has found a love of science.  We are also learning American Sign Language.  The girls are having a blast with it and are trying to teach Tabi (6m) to sign "more  milk".  Meli especially likes to call people "old bananas".  Too funny!

Speaking of Tabi, she is on baby food now.  It is really hard to keep her diet dairy free feeding her table food so we are actually using baby food to help us insure her diet is safe for her.  She is sitting like a pro and loves to pull hair!

Well, kids are clammering for lunch and I still have about a million chores to do today.  I had better get to it.  Hopefully, I'll find time to update again before another month has passed!

Weighing In and Other New Developments

First on the scale, I haven't posted weigh in the last couple of weeks, because I have been stuck at 243.  Today the number finally changed, but unfortunately, it went the wrong way!  I weighed in today at 244.  I know it's not a huge gain hut it's still a blow.  I had been doing pretty well with eating although not exercising as much as I should, but then we brought home Halloween candy.  And, it's so easy to grab a piece or two of empty calories every time I walk past.  I have got to find better self control or at least a less accessible place for the candy!

Weigh In

I weighed in today and was pleasantly suprised.  I have lost 3 pounds since my last weigh in.  I know that's not much for the amount of time it has been, but it's still the right direction.  As of today, I'm 246.

Meli got her books in yesterday finally.  Today was the first day of 2 kids with full curriculum.  It went pretty well.  They are both having to learn to be patient since I can't help them both at the same time.  Also, with the other 3 thrown in the mix, we get some occational gaps.  I'm sure it will get easier as we go along though.  So far, so good, lol.

Note that it's a Friday night and I'm online typing away.

How Do You Milk A Soy?

I know I have not done well lately about keeping my blog updated and my weight loss on track.  I am really trying but well, life happens so fast sometimes.

First, we have found that Tabi has a milk allergy.  When I consume dairy, she spits up tons.  So, I am now officially off cow milk and on soy.  It's an interesting taste.  I can't say yet that I like it, but then again, I can't say that don't.  It's an odd flavor.  I found that I don't care much for the original flavor but the vanilla isn't too bad.  And, the up side is that it is much lower in calories than milk.

I haven't had soda at all in days.  Instead I have been drinking water and unsweet tea.  I am having the tea hot with a little soy milk or non-dairy creamer and Splenda in the morning.  I am also drinking water, lots and lots, which I completely hate!  Still, I try.

I haven't been working out or weighing in like I should as I have been adjusting to the flow of 2 homeschoolers.  Meli still hasn't gotten her books so I have been finding print outs and stuff like that online for her since she left Maud.  However, I have been told that her books are shipped and they should be here on Thursday.  We can hardly wait! 

I have made exercise a priority again and did 20 minutes of Zumba today.  I could really tell I have been slacking because that 20 minutes just about did me in.  I am pledging to stay on it and do at least 20 minutes every day.  I just have to do it for me. 

Well, I guess that about updates everything for now.  I have to get ready Scouts tomorrow as I am an assistant to our troup and handle activities with the Daisy girls (since I have 2 this year).  We are currently working on learning our songs and I still don't know them all, lol.  I'll check in again soon.  I definately will be weighing in on Friday and promise to post no matter how good or bad the results may be.

I'm a Convert

So, I started my first undertaking with homeschool this year.  I decided to try it just with Dani and see how it went.  We are loving it!  So much so in fact, that I enrolled Meli in the same program last week.  We are now a brick and mortar free homeschool family!  Meli got her access today to the learning portal we use for Calvert and I picked up her belongings from the schoo where she started the year.  Until her curriculum comes in we will be doing mostly online activities and some printouts.  I am so excited to have my girls back at home.  I think this will be a permanent change and that next year Nicci will officially homeschool as well.  I think I'm done with brick and mortar school for a while!

Weigh In :(

Weigh in today went about as expected.  I gained 3 lbs last week, ugh!  That puts me back up to 249.  I know it has everything to do with my lack of exercise because I didn't really eat any differently.  I have to get back on track!  I was really lazy this week with the long weekend and Dani starting school.  Yesterday was the first time I worked out at all since last Friday and then I only did about 15 minutes.  Lesson learned: exercise is a must.

I'm A Homeschool Mom

So, I haven't been on much this week.  A few things have happened.  First, Dani started homeschool.  We LOVE it!  She's doing great and reading way above the stuff for class.  She has been tearing through Junie B. books.  I really think they are below her level but Junie and her are both in first grade so she must read them, lol.  We are doing library day once a week.  I am hoping to start going in on Wednesday so Nicci and Mak can listen to story time.

On the down side, I am dreading weigh in tomorrow.  It's been a week of too many carbs and not enough exercise.  In fact, right now I'm in workout clothes but on the computer.  I know, bad girl!  I am keeping my fingers crossed that I just stayed the same and haven't gained.  The scale will tell!

Weighing In Good, Everything Else Bad!

First for the good news.  I weighed in today at 246.  That's another 2lb loss!  I love seeing those numbers go down.  I was very worried about it today because I haven't exercised enough this week.  I was doing 45-60m a day last week, this week I've done 10-20m most days.  Still had good results.  That does not excuse me from not exercising as much and I am trying to get back on track.

Now, for the rest of the day so far.  This moring right after breakfast, Dani got stung on her foot by a scorpion.  This started immediate freak out mode!  Fortunately, the scorpions in Oklahoma are not generally dangerous to people and her reaction was mild.  Cool water, tylenol, and hydrocortizone along with a movie seemed to fix it right up.  Even now, the swelling and redness are much better.

Next on the list, I open my laptop and hear a huge pop.  I look around and realize my hinge has broken, screws missing (found them inside casing when I moved it), etc.  Now I can't close it at all and if I move it wrong, the screen falls completely flat backwards!  This is the same machine that I just spent hours reloading after it black screened last week.  Since then, the screen does this crazy blue line pattern when it boots and boots super slow.  I don't have computer money in the budget right now so I'm trying to make this work, but I'm not sure how long it will last anyway.  I am backing everything up daily especially with this newest issue and praying that I can use this until a new one is in the budget.  ARG!!!

Well, I need to get lunch in the kids as I still have errands this afternoon.  Hopefully, I've had enough for today and the rest of the day will be wonderful.

Homeschool Here We Come

Dani got her boxes of supplies from Calvert yesterday.  We also have our online access now.  I was looking through all her materials today, making sure everything was there, etc.  I reached the point of looking at this stuff and saying "what was I thinking!"  Needless to say, I'm a little nervous about how this is all going to work.  We officially start on Tuesday.  I'm sure it will be great once we get going, but right now, I'm wondering if I can really do this.  We have already made a library day so we get to do that every week.  I'm a little unsure of what PE is going to be like still, but I'm sure we'll figure it out along the way.  I'll let you know after our first day how it went.

Finally Friday

Now to this week's weigh in.  We have a loss!  I'm down 2 lb from last week making today's number 248!  I am so excited to be under 250.

Dani is supposed to recieve her curriculum soon.  She is quite the reader.  She finished Junie B. Jones First Grade at Last in just 2 days.  Remember, she is only starting 1st this year and she read this all by herself!

I guess it's time to do my chores (yuck).  I will try to update again at some point this week.  And, I'll be here for sure next Friday for weigh in.

Black Screen of Death

Oh the sudden and unexpected joys of running a Vista computer.  Yesterday, I turned on my computer and got a solid black screen with a white mouse pointer.  This is known as the Vista "Black Screen of Death".  I tried every possible solution listed on the web.  Nothing worked.  Only one option left: reload the operating system.  For anyone who has never done this, it erases everything.  I lost data, programs, etc.  What joy!  I have spent the day trying to get programs reloaded and setting back the way I like them.  I also have over 100 updates to install.  Yep, fun times.

Going Down

So, today the scale reads 250 even!  That's down 1.6 lbs from Monday.  I have to say I am very happy with that.  I really thing that I was sabotaging myself not eating enough before this week.  Now, I am eating my breastfeeding calories and even some of my exercise calories.  I no longer feel like I'm starving and the weight is still coming off!  I didn't even exercise as good as I should this week so I am surprised I lost any.  This has been the motivation I needed.  I think I can get back to working out again.  I have to stay focused!

On a side note, Mak and Nicci have both had rounds of fever this week.  Neither lasted more than a day and they seem perfectly fine now but I do hate having sick little ones.  Nicci had an appointment this week.  She is weighed in at 31 lb and 40".  That put her at 25% on height and weight but 50% on her BMI.  Perfectly healthy for her.  I also weighed Tabi this week.  She is up to 10 lb 12oz.  Not bad for a stinker that refused to gain at first!

Tomorrow's the Day

Tomorrow I weigh in.  I am a bit nervous because of the changes I have made.  I didn't exercise every day this week either.  I am worried that I won't see a change, or worse, that I will see a negative change!  I am about to start my exercise for today though.  Cross your fingers that tomorrow brings good news.

No Weigh

So, I have been weighing every single day.  In fact, sometimes I weigh twice a day.  This is definitely not good for me.  We have decided that I can weigh no more than twice a week.  Since I tend to splurge more on the weekend, I'd probably do best to weigh on either Wednesday or Friday.  So, I'm taking his advice.  I will now be weighing only on Friday after I've had a full week to repair the weekend if I have trouble. 

I did weigh last Friday and I was at 251 and that is consistant with were I am today (I know bad girl, but this is the last time really until Friday).  Yeah!  That's a 4lb loss from last week.  I will post my weigh in again on Friday since that is the new chosen day.  I hope my Zumba keeps giving me good results. 

I am still watching what I eat, but found I was overdoing the calorie counting.  I was, in fact, starving and sabotaging myself.  I am currently breastfeeding which requires about 500 calories a day for milk.  I was down to 1270 calories a day and burning about 600 with Zumba,  plus nursing.  I was trying not to eat any of the calories I burned, and I wasn't logging the breastfeeding at all.  That means I was netting closer to 170 calories a day.  Because of this, any time I ate over my calorie count, my body tried to store it all.  I actually ate more this weekend, still trying to watch portion sizes though, than I have in several weeks and the result was good!  I'll keep monitoring it and make adjustments as I need to.

I still plan to log my exercise so that I can see what my activity is doing for me.  I am logging water as well because honestly, I hate to drink it and the log helps me.  I also have a much better idea of how many calories are in things and have made some healthier switches.  I am drinking no regular soda, adding no sugar (some Splenda though), and cutting portion sizes.  I think this may be a better long range method for me.  I just obsess too much to continue the way I was doing.  We'll see what next week brings.

Some Days I Hate the Internet

So we are getting ready to have lunch and I'm looking at the ladle.  I think there is no possible way that holds 3/4 c.  So I measure it using a measuring cup.  My ladles (both different brands, etc) each hold 4 oz.  Which is what I thought before I "checked" on the internet.  Obviouslty, that was inaccurate infromation.  Arg!  I could have had a treat if I had't thought I was over on my dinner portion!

On a completely unrelated note, Meli started Kindergarten today.  She was so excited to be returning to school.  Hope all continues to go well on that front.

Portion Distortion

I have really been trying to watch the portion sizes on things.  I find that to be much harder than I realized.  I am undersizing some stuff and oversizing others.  Tonight I made Taco Soup.  I knew with my working out etc I could have 3 c at about 200 calories each with 1/6 c shredded cheese and still be well under my calorie count.  I used a soup ladle and estimated it at about 1/2 c.  Wrong!  It's 6 oz or 3/4 c.  That added an extra 1.5 c over what I intended to eat.  That's an extra 300 calories!  Thank goodness I had some to spare.  I am finding that things that are countable (ie 2 precut slices, 5 crackers, etc) are my favorite.  I don't mind single serving packs either.  Some things I can do with single session multiple servings (ie a bag of popcorn is 2 servings but I can have the whole bag at once for a reasonable number of calories.)  It's the big containers that make it hard.  Things like block cheese, jelly (reduced sugar of course), and salad dressing are much harder.  I have to figure out estimating though because I don't have the time to measure everything and I certainly don't plan on carrying a scale and measuring cup around when we go out.  This is not a short term quick loss I am looking for, it's a forever change in lifestyle.  Because of that I have to get better at this measuring.  Tonight was a real eye opener.  I'll be watching even closer in the future and I'm sure it will get easier with time.

A Healthy New Addiction

I'm ready to admit it.  I am addicted to Zumba!  It is so fun.  I honestly can't get enough.  I did 40 minutes Monday, 50 minutes yesterday, 45 minutes today and I can't wait until I get to Zumba again tomorrow.  I know it's exercise but I see now why it's so popular.  It is energizing with great music.  I'm still a bit uncoordinated so I miss some steps and do others completely backwards, but I'm moving! The time passes so fast that it's like I'm not even working out.  Don't misunderstand that.  I work, hard and I sweat, a lot.  It's just that doing the Zumba routines is like going to a party.  It seems like as soon as I start, it's over but in fact I've burned some serious calories!  I have to be careful though, I mean too much of even a good thing can be bad.  So, I limit my sessions to 1-2 routines per day.  I'm building up slowly with more complex routines as I go.  I plan to make Zumba a healthy part of my routine as I get more fit.  After all, exercise that is enjoyable is always going to be a plus.  And, if I'm going to lose the weight and keep it off, I'm going to have to make long term plans to stay with both the healthier eating and the increased activity. 

Zumba My Booty Off

I'm sure it's clear that I was very unhappy with my Monday weigh in.  So, starting yesterday I have made a commitment to exercise at least 20 minutes 5 days a week.  I started Zumba.  I tried it once before and thought this may be too much, but I have really gotten into it the last couple of days.  I did 40 minutes yesterday and 50 minutes today.  It is so much fun!  It burns a ton of calories and I'm actually looking forward to exercise.  I want to be sure not to overdo it but so far I'm feeling great.

On a much less fun note, I also did about 40 minutes of housework yesterday and added squats to the laundry.  I have to say, I prefer the Zumba workout, but it all burns calories so at least there's that benefit. 

I have way increased my water consumption.  Honestly, I hate to drink water.  I always say I prefer my water with a little Dr. Pepper in it, lol.  But, yesterday I drank all 8 glasses and so far today I am at 4.  I have been trying to drink 2 glasses just before I eat.  It is really helping me not feel so hungry while eating a smaller portion.

I won't lie.  I'm not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel but at least I don't feel like I'll never see that light.  I feel really good and hope that this is a sign that this is getting easier.  I truly am committed not just for me, but also for my kids. 

Too Much of a Good Thing

So, sadly I weighed in this morning at 255.  That's right I have managed to gain 3 lbs this week.  Not at all the direction I was wanting to head.  I know that I really slacked off this week with Mak and Meli both celebrating a birthday and the regular just before school starts stuff.  Still, I can't believe I actually gained!  I kept justifying that I was moving enough to eat what I wanted.  Obviously not.  I am so disappointed and will have to work extra hard next week to overcome the bad job I did this week.

Mr. Baby Need A New Name

Mr. Baby AKA Mak turned 2 today.  Well yesterday since it's after midnight, lol.  He had such a full day.  We spent 5 hours at the zoo.  He got to see all his favorite animals and even the lions cooperated.  We did have rough spot when he took a tumble and gashed his forehead.  It bled so much but stopped quickly and he was back to normal in no time.  After the zoo, we took him to eat where he opened his gift, his very own baby doll!  He had a cotton candy nearly as big as his head for dessert.  It was so funny when he tried to throw it away because of course, it stuck to his fingers and refused to budge, lol.  All and all it was great, but I realized he's going to need a new nickname soon.  At 2, I can't imagine he's going to stand for being called a baby much longer.  What's a mommy to do?

I Know Why It's Called DIEting

I am so sick of watching what I eat!  I never imagined it could be this hard.  My body keeps sending out all the wrong signals and that is so frustrating.  Last night, I ate reasonable portion sizes, chewed many, many times, and ate slowly.  As everyone else was finishing dinner, my stomach was growling like I hadn't eaten in days.  I am counting calories so I know I had enough to eat yesterday but I still feel so hungry most of the time.  I have a whole new respect for people who have lost large amounts of weight.  I mean we all hear no pain, no gain but I never realized how painful it could be to lose!  I know that in the end it will all be worth it and that my kids will be less likely to have poor eating habits if they don't see them at home.  I know in the end it will all be worth it, but right now, I really question why I am putting myself through this!

Birthday Blowout

Today, my sweet Meli turned 5!  Hard to believe she is so big already.  She had a really fun day since she got to decide pretty much the whole thing.  This morning she ate chocolate cereal and watched Pocahontas.  After a rest period, she had a whole banana split at Braum's chosen by her over birhtday cake.  Even with sharing it with her sisters and brother it still didn't get finished but they gave it a good try, lol.  We followed that with the Jasmine Moran Children's Museum where she dug for dinosaurs, build magnet sculptures, shopped, and repaired cars.  She finished the day with a burger, fries, corn on the cob, and more ice cream with chocolate sauce.  She got a Barbie as well.  By the time we got home she was wiped out!  Can't wait to see what changes the next year bring for her.

Weekly Weigh In

Today I weighed in at 252!  That means I am down 22 lbs from my beginning weight of 274.  I am really watching the calories and trying super hard to cut the bad habits.  I really do want to be healthy.  I have stayed below 1320 calories for the past 2 days and am doing great so far today.  I won't lie though.  Right now I am so hungry!  I still have 1066 calories left for today so I'm seriously thinking that a snack is in my future.  The tough part is finding healthy low calorie options in a house full of kids and candy! 

I know this will get easier as time goes on but right now it hurts.  I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out balance.  I tend to starve most of the day for fear I will run out of calories.  I'm sure that sounds so stupid.  Then, because I don't hardly eat all day, I consume all my remaining calories for dinner.  Way not the best method so I have to figure our a better way to get through the day under my count.  I know that with time, the balance will come easier but for now, it's a nightmare.

A New Scale On the Matter

Yesterday, I was upset that I gained 3 lbs while we were "on vacation".  The most amazing thing has happened!  Either, I lost 4 lbs in 24 hours or there is something to be said for always using the same scale.  I am going to believe it is more likely the latter.  So, I'm not going to freak out over what the new scale says.  I'm just going to look for consistent loss on it.  I am keeping my ticker based on the new scale, but I'm not going to stress if I go to the dr, health club, etc and it weighs me in at higher than I way at home.

Also, I am really working on portion sizes, calorie counting, and exercising.  Since I find it highly unlikely that I will be carrying a food scale along with  measuring cups and spoons everytime I leave the house, I am trying to use my personal measuring device (my hand) paired with some info I learned from Rachel Ray (really helps in measuring salad dressing and other liquids).  So far, I am doing really well with this since when I check myself at home I am always extremely close.

We took the kids to the Oklahoma Science Museum today and paired that with the Hibachi Grill for dinner.  By making good choices I was able to have the entire meal eating until I was full and including strawberry ice cream for dessert while still staying within my calorie goal for today.  And, that was even before I added in my exercise. 

So far I have stayed under my 1320 calories for 2 consecutive days and burned an additional 1098 calories with exercise!  According to myfitnesspal.com, where I am tracking exercise and calories, if I stay on my current path, I should be under 240 within 5 weeks.  That is about 3.5 lbs a week.  I know that may not sound like much to a lot of people, but that's a big change for me.  Really, anything where the scale goes down is a big change.  I know that if I plan to keep the weight off long term, I've got to do it the right way and make real changes.  No fasting/starving/binging.  Just slow and steady steps forward.  If I keep up the current pace and the projection is accurate, I should be able to hit my goal in about 34 weeks.  That means by next Spring, I could be rocking a whole new wardrobe.  I can hardly wait until Monday when I check my weight again for the official record on my ticker.

The Ups of Vacation

This past week, we went on vacation.  We took the kids to Jellystone Park at Lake Eufaula.  They had a blast!

We rented a cabin (about as cheap as any hotel we stay at) and it included our passes to the park.  There was a floating slide, trampoline, and play area in the lake, kayaks, paddle boats, a swimming pool, mini golf, shuffleboard, and fire truck rides.  Of course, Yogi showed up as well which just sent the kids right over the edge!

Now for the other "up" side of vacation.  I paid little to no attention to what I ate.  I kept the soda diet but indulged in ranch dressing, fried foods, cream sauces, etc.  So, as of today which is my first weigh in since 7/15, I am up 3 lbs!  Yikes!  I guess I needed the "there is no vacation from healthier eating" lesson.  Thankfully, I bought me a scale last night so I can stay on top of it from here on out.  I am also increasing my physical activity as of today so hopefully I'll see those 3 come back off and take some neighbors with them!  And, I have adjusted my weight loss goal overall.  I am now aiming for 140 as it is the top end on like 15 websites for my height.  I have adjusted my ticker accordingly and hope to see that butterfly take off in the next few weeks.

One Week & 5 Pounds Down

So although I only blogged about it a couple of days ago, I started my journey just over a week ago.  I had my weight checked at my 6w check up, and I have lost 5 pounds in 8 days!  I know it may not sound like much to some, but it is a great first step and helps me stay motivated which is so important right now in these early days.

An Entirely New Journey

I have debated and debated with myself as to whether or not I was going to share this journey on my blog or just keep it private.  I have decided to take the bold step of putting this out there so perhaps I can encourage someone else.

As many of you know, I had gestational diabetes with Tabi.  Well, my numbers are not returning to normal like they did after I had Mak.  They are in what is considered the "pre diabetic" range.  I don't to be a diabetic based on poor eating habits and lifestyle choices.  I have made a firm commitment to lose the extra weight for me and for my family.

The day before Tabi was born, I weighed in at 274.  As of 7/7 I was at 259.  I'm only 5'3 so the very most I should be at is 150.  So, that's my goal. 

I started by making some small changes and as of today I am counting calories, fat grams, carbs, etc.  The app I am using suggested a 1320 calorie a day diet.  Honestly, there is no way I can do that (yet).  First, I have probably  been consuming way closer to 6000 calories a day until last week.  Second, I am breastfeeding so that drastic of a change would likely effect my milk supply. 

I did watch portion sizes closer today which I have never done before and made a few initial observations. Like for instance, cheese is not my friend.  Neither are hot dogs.  And portions of most things are way smaller than I thought they were.  My initial changes have been to cut regular soda, sugar and syrups from my coffee, and mayo completely.  I have also increased my water intake a lot. 

Tomorrow, I have my 6 week follow up with my OB.  If I get the all clear, I plan to join a wellness center in the next few weeks and start taking belly dancing classes.  I am also thinking about trying Zumba since everyone seems to love it so much.  I have added my weight loss ticker as a picture so there is a constant goal in mind. 

Wish me luck on my new journey!

Save Note

Cheese is not my friend! Way to high in calories and fat. Also really need to stay away from hot dogs. Yikes! I have never looked at how many calories I consume in a day before and this total is with cutting the sugar and flavored syrup from my coffee, getting rid of regular soda, increasing my water and wating much smaller portions. No wonder I weigh so much.

Way To Grow Baby!

Tabi's dr appointment went so well yesterday.  She is up to 9lb 5 oz and 23.25".  She put on 2" and 12oz in a week!  No more weigh ins!  Good job baby girl.  Also, no more tests.  She just took a while to get started gaining.  She now is appointment free until she reaches her 2m checkup.

Drs Make Me Crazy!

I swear the medical community is trying to make me crazy! Tabi had her one month check up today and now I'm on pins and needles. She started out with a tongue tie that created latch issues, then she went through a period of not wanting to wake up to eat. By 8d she was down to 8lb 1 oz. I met with her dr and a lactation consultant and we got her back on track, or so I thought! She figured out latching and she eats every 2-3 hours for 10-15 minutes each side so I figured we were good. Plus we are getting plenty of wet/dirty diapers. No reason to be concerned in my point of view. Then we had today's weigh in at 8lb 9oz. That is still 8oz below her birth weight!

They said her heart and breathing sound fine, and her metabolic screening came back normal. We are now working to rule out other causes for her not to be gaining. Today we started with a urine catch to rule out kidney issues and she is supposed to be getting every other feeding with breastmilk mixed with formula from a bottle. The dr did say if she starts rejecting nursing, to stop the bottles and we will recheck weight in a week. Hopefully, she will be gaining better, her kidneys will be fine, and there will be no need for more tests. I'll update more next week.

It's Been Too Long

I cannot believe how long it has been since I updated!  Things have been so busy around here that everything has gotten pushed aside lately.  Let me give a short recap of everything that has been going on.

First, Dani has been enrolled in an online charter school for next year.  She is really excited about going to school at home and taking lots of field trips, lol.  I have to admit that I am a bit nervous about it, but I'm sure it will be fine.

Second, Tabi has of course arrived.  She was born at 9:46am on June 1, 2011.  She weighed in at a hefty 9lb 1 oz and 21" long.  She was born with what at first appearance seemed to be a slight tongue tie.  She seemed to nurse okay those first couple of days so we had planned to leave it alone.  Then on day three when my milk came in, she couldn't latch.  At 5 days she ended up getting the tie clipped.  The dr could barely get his fingers under to clip it.  It then took us almost another 2 weeks to figure out how to latch, so needless to say, at times breastfeeding has been difficult and painful.  She now nurses like a champ though and I hope to see good growth at her check up on Tuesday.

We also had a very special opporunity for my step son who is 15 to come stay with us for a couple of weeks!  We have never gotten to do this before and it was a really emotional time.  Tabi was less than 2 weeks old when we picked him up.  We spent the next 12 days trying to show him everything!  The experience caused a lot of mixed emotions.  It was exciting, scary, fun, stressful, relaxed, tense, and more all at the same time.  Occationally, tempers flaired and tears rained.  Overall, it went pretty well and we are hoping to have more extended visits in the future.

I feel bad that I have let my updates go for so long and I do promise to try to do better in the future.  For now, I'm going to call it a night.

A Roller Coaster of Emotions

Last night was the school board meeting.  There were more people than usual there, but still a lot less than I hoped to see.  I was disappointed that some of the ones I talked to didn't make it up there to share their experiences as well.

Anyway, I really felt like I was going to be sick I was so nervous.  I read through what I had prepared to say both regarding the bus driver and the bullying.  At one point the board interupted to ask who "they" were when I stated that in the last week I had people saying I was a liar, etc.  The board said it's that "they" that blows everything out of proportion.  They (the board) didn't look at the pics I brought with me, and had no comment after I spoke.

I left right after that.  The stress was more than I could bear.  I was told that at the end of the meeting, the board commented to the effect that they felt it had been well handled by the school and they saw no reason to change anything.  I seriously could scream!

I wish I had been able to really do something.  In the end, I've lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks (dr said he really frowns on weight loss at this point in a pregnancy), I haven't slept well since April 25, and the school board members patted each other and the administration on the back, and said what a great job they all did!

Dani hasn't been to school in a week now.  At first it was her knee she kept complaining still hurt.  I got her an appointment with her Dr but they can't see her until tomorrow.  It has taken a full week to get her in.  I told her yesterday that she could go today (she says she wants to).  She started getting a headache and then started vomiting.  She started crying saying she didn't want to go to school this week.  I told her she didn't have to if she didn't want to.  The effects were almost immediate.  Within 30 minutes, she felt fine again.

I won't make her go if it is hurting her that much to even think about it.  I just can't.  We'll see when we talk to her pediatrician tomorrow what she recommends.

As for next year, I am submitting her application for an online charter school.  If accepted, she will stay home with me and work from the computer but the curriculum will be state approved and supervised by a certified teacher.  If she is not accepted, I think we are going to homeschool next year.  I never imagined I'd even be considering taking one of my kids out of public schools and now I'm certain that Dani won't go back next year. 

We'll see how next year goes then make a decision on how we want to handle the other kids.  So far, Meli is doing fine and of course, Nicci won't even be old enough next year so for now at least, we plan for Meli to return next year to our local school.

Unbelievable Series of Unrelated Events

For those of you that are following along with all that is happening around here, I wanted to give another update:  Yesterday, Dani went with her class on a field trip to the zoo.  Apparently, her behavior was so bad that she has been banned from attending Field Day.  I will be going in to talk to the Principal on Monday but seriously, this smells like payback to me.  Upon talking to Dani, she said that she got in trouble for falling behind the group a couple of times and once for playing on some bricks with another boy, but when asked to get down, they both did.  That hardly seems worth her losing Field Day over.  I'll definately update on this situation Monday. 

It boggles my mind that she can receive such severe punishment following such a minor infraction, but they are still looking into the incident that left these marks on her (sorry pics aren't the best, but they are from Tuesday):

Also, on the ongoing fight over the bus incident, they are now talking about using a bus and getting the kids to "reenact the events". I'm sure that will go smooth. On the upside, I may have found a witness that was not actually involved! I spoke to him and his parents earlier today, and his story coincides with Dani's version of events.   Hopefully, soon we will see some action on this!  My resolve on this will not waiver and I will not stop fighting for Dani and all bullied kids until our school does something!

My Daughter The Bully

I had a meeting with the principals of the grade and middle/high school yesterday. As far as the bus driver goes, they are saying that he has a contract and the board will be reviewing his contract in May. They are also (board) the only ones who can do anything about him (terminate, suspend, etc) but by the time they next meet, there will only be 2 weeks left of the school year so... As far as the attack itself, the elementary principal says she looked into it and got a totally different story. She says that the incident started with my 6 year old pulling on the jacket of the oldest kid (6th grade), then she crawled under the seat which is how she got dirty. And, that Dani said that no one hurt her. We pushed that her story has always been pulled under, kicked and stepped on. Also pointed out that she has bruises to back up her version and when the incident happened she had muddy footprints on her. The final result seemed to be that they are still looking into it, but that Dani was the instigator and until they know for sure what happened, no one can be punished. If a clear understanding is reached, then they will decide appropriate punishments for the 4 kids involved (yep, Dani may be up for punishment for bullying the 6th grader if we pursue this!) To say I am outraged is an understatement. I have never seen a greater series of injutices being carried out. Also, the overall meeting felt very hostile. I don't feel like we were treated the same way other parents would have been. I came out feeling more like a scolded employee than a parent with a problem. Also, yesterday I found the mother of the oldest child involved because I got the impression that we were the only parent concerned with this incident. Until I showed up, no one at all had contacted her! Not even her son had told her about the incident or being questioned on Monday. Seriously, any time my child does anything, someone calls me. I report a violent attack on my daughter and no parents need to be contacted! I know this may sound crazy, but I cannot let this just drop. I know that I have provided a safer situation for my daughter for now (by getting her bus reassigned) but we all know if these kids aren't reprimanded for this incident, things will get worse. Today, I placed a call to our State Department of Education and hope to hear back from someone who can do something to resolve this. I do plan to address the school board when they meet on May 9 regarding the bus driver and the complete lack of concern for what happened on the bus. It really is no wonder kids take such drastic measures on themselves and others to get away from the bullies. Otherwise, no one takes it seriously or does anything to stop it!

Update on Bus Issue

This is still not resolved!  We did file a police report on Tuesday.  The officer took pictures of her injuries (several bruises and scrapes), my SD card with the pics I took Tuesday afternoon before he arrived, and her clothes from Monday.  Of course, I didn't think to take pics of her covered in mud with footprints on her on Monday.  I really never imagined I'd be filing a police report over the issue.

When the officer came, Dani was told to tell what happened completely without my interferance.  Up until then, I had understood her to be angry because during all this, someone stepped on her backpack (I know is seems odd, but you know kids).  When she was talking to the officer, I finally understood that the kid stepping on her backpack was helping to keep her on the ground!  So, it was in fact 3 kids (two in middle school and one in elementary) that did this.

As of now, the bus driver is still driving his route, and when talked to by the police this morning, he basically called us liars saying he never said it wasn't his business.  Interestingly, he also didn't do anything about what was happening on the bus. 

And of course, no one wants to get involved.  Kids that said they heard Dani screaming on Monday now don't remember hearing anything. 

The kids who attacked her have yet to receive any sort of punishment.  They are still in school, on the bus, etc.  I mean, it just makes me sick that my child was treated this way and no one is having to take any responsibility.

The administration seems to think that since my children are now on another bus, that everything that happened can just be forgotten.  I'm sorry, but that is not going to work for me.  Today, I contacted the newspapers for the cities to either side of us (we don't have a paper here).  It may not have been the best thing to do, but I am angry and frustrated by the lack of action around here.  Perhaps it will be harder to ignore what happened if everyone who reads the paper in this area hears about it!

I know that I tend to rant about a lot of things, many perhaps that are not worth worrying about.  And honestly, on those things, I cool as quickly as I get heated up.  But this was a blatent attack on my child and nothing is being done.  This I cannot let go!  The safety of my child as well as other kids is at stake here.  That's not something I'll calm down and forget about.

Driving in Oblivion

A new driver took over our in town route this year.  Though I have heard many rumors of problems, I of course, cannot substantiate rumors.  I can however, share my personal experiences.   So far, there have been 3 major incidents involving this bus driver and my children and several minor ones.  As far as minor concerns, the bus driver rarely waits for the children to be seated before moving and I have seen on many occasions students moving around while the bus is in motion.  Though not very safe, this is minor concern.  As for the major concerns, I’d like to share those. 

The first happened way back in October.  My 2 children crossed the street to get on the bus, one got on, and the bus started rolling!!  I screamed stop.  My other child was standing right there next to the door before the bus started moving.  When he stopped, she was standing beside the bus, just past the front wheel.  He told me he didn’t see her.  Thank God she wasn’t hit. 

The second incident happened either in January or February.  My children got off the bus and crossed in front.  My younger daughter was not more than 2 steps past the bus (still in the street mind you) when he drove off.  What would the results have been if in typical little kid fashion she had remembered she left something and turned to get it walking right into the path of a moving bus?  These incidents were both reported and we were told he would be talked to about them, but there was no one else available to drive the route. 

Over the last several weeks, one of my children has become more and more insistent that she doesn’t want to go to school.  She told me that someone on the bus was calling her names and picking on her.  I told her to tell the bus driver and to sit in the first 3 rows of seats.  About a week ago, she came off the bus crying saying that someone pushed her as she was getting off.  I asked her if she told the driver, she said no.  I reminded her of where she was supposed to sit which she said she was doing and that if there was a problem she needed to let the driver know.   Yesterday was the worst incident yet.  My child came off the bus, covered in mud and literally screaming and crying.  When asked what was wrong, she stated that 2 kids pulled her under the seat and were kicking her and stepping on her. 

 The driver said he hadn’t seen anything!  The driver said she gets off the bus crying a lot but he didn’t see where that was his business.  Whose business would it be if not his?  Isn't he is responsible for watching what is going on while they are on the bus?  The driver responded that he is doing the best he can.   

My child is 6 years old and was sitting in the second row and the driver noticed nothing while she was pulled under the seats and assaulted!!  And I cannot imagine that this happened without her making a sound especially with the way she was screaming as she exited the bus. 

This was immediately reported to the head of the drivers while she was still covered in mud.  When we looked her over carefully, it was clear that some of the mud was indeed footprints.  Upon cleaning her up, we found bruises, scrapes, etc from the incident. 

Today, I spoke with administration at the school in the morning.  In the afternoon, I checked to make sure that this was being handled.  I was told there were two sides to every story and it would be looked into.  The driver is still driving his route! 

Alternative arrangements have been made to transport my children to and from school, but what about the other students on this route?  If this can happen to a child sitting in the second row, what can happen to a child in the middle, or even worse, the rear of the bus?  What will it take for us to get this man off our bus and get someone competent in his place?  Will it take a child being beaten, broken,  and hospitalized?  A child being raped while he ignores the ruckus on the bus?  When do we protect the children first?

Learning the Hard Way

In this digital age, we rarely print pics, but take lots. We found that they were taking way too much space on the computers, we bought a 1T external hard drive about 2 years ago. I put every picture we had ever taken on there, then promptly deleted them from the computers. I have continued to do the same every since. 

So, Friday I plugged in the drive to get together some baby pics of Dani (she's 6) for Kindergarten graduation. The light came on the drive but I couldn't access the files. I took it to a data recovery place hoping it was simple. 

No such luck! I fould out today that it has spindle seizure (meaning the drive can't turn). It has to be sent to a specialist, and if the files can be recovered, this process will cost $750-$1200! This is all the pics of all 4 of my kids,  family vacations, etc. I can't stand the thought of losing all my pics. If anything is saved, I have been told in the future to back everything up 3 times. I feel absolutely sick.

A word of advice: make sure to back up those important files! I never thought this could happen to me.

Introducing the Tooth Fairy

Tonight, the tooth fairy will be visiting my house for the very first time ever!

Dani has been complaining about her teeth hurting and I kept telling her that her baby teeth would come out soon.  Two days ago I got a good look in there and saw that her adult teeth were nearly half way in behind her baby teeth!  And the baby teeth were not even a little bit loose.  So, we called the dentist.

Today, we went in and the dentist decided with her small jaw, the best course of action was to pull those front 2 teeth to allow room for the adult teeth to move into place.  Dani did so good, but afterwards worried about how she looked. 

So, now we have 2 baby teeth in a box, ready for pickup after dark.

The Cradle Will Rock

Yesterday, we bought a cradle for Tabi.  I really think it's cute and I hope she likes it.  Of course, as soon as I purchase anything major I instantly start wondering if I made the right choice, lol.  I'm sure I did.  It's in terrific conditon and I got a great deal on it.  I will need to get a few more crib sheets (like the pack and play size) for it.

I think it will look better in the living room while she is small than the pack and play and our room is way too far from the living room for her to nap in there.  I know, I worry too much, but I'd rather have her close while she is so little.  It actually is an old fashioned rocking cradle, so we will have to teach the sisters and brother not to rock her too hard, lol.

Finally Making Progress

I went in to see the dr again yesterday.  My numbers were still really high!  He wants me to make sure I have the diabetes educator show me how to give myself insulin injections just in case.  He also started me on Glucophage 7.5mg per day.  I take 2 at bedtime and one in the morning.  I took the first dose last night.

This morning for the first time, my fasting number was actually in the correct range!  Hooray!!!  And, so far all my tests today have been in the correct range.  I am so excited.  Hopefully this will work long term and I won't have to worry about injections.  I go see the diabetes educator tomorrow and will see the dr again next Friday.

Epic Fail on Glucose Test

It is now official: I failed my glucose test in a big, big way!  I will be testing my sugar 4 times a day and watching my diet until Tabi arrives.  I will also be seeing my doctor once a week until I get my sugar regulated and will be having extra testing as the pregnancy goes along including NST and additional ultrasounds.  Oh so much fun!

Oh well, whatever it takes to help keep Tabi healthy!

A Day Without Propaganda

So, some meddling person with nothing but time on her hands, insisted that we should watch A Day Without A Mexican.  The film opens with a white woman who wakes to find her Mexican husband and son gone.  Apparently, the idea behind the film is that those American citizens who are against illegal invaders are racists who hate all Mexicans and Latinas. 

Let me make this exceedingly clear:  I have absolutely no problem with people of any race, color, or nationality.  My cousin is married to a very charming gentleman who hails from Kenya and is of a different racial background than she is.  He is a terrific person and they have beautiful children!  Throughout my life I have been friends with people from various nations and in as many shades as people come in.  I'm not against Mexicans or Mexican Americans.

That being said, I am very firmly against people who are in this country illegally!  It does not matter what country they come from, if they are not here legally then they are breaking the law.  And, I feel the same no matter what their native language is or what color their skin is.  Does that make me racist and insensitive?  I don't think so.  Illegals are a problem for a plethura of reasons including the risk of disease, possible environmental consequences, unknown criminal activity, etc.  Those who are here illegally don't pay taxes which impacts every legal citizen and immigrant.

The crazy thing to me is that if we had people dropping in from the sky with parachutes, we would dispatch our military and stop the invasion, but because they are slipping over a shared border, we are supposed to feel sorry for them and allow them to break in and steal from everyone who is here legally!  Seriously, I don't see that this film is anything other than propaganda to promote a stereotypical view that promotes the idea that anyone who disagrees with people entering the country illegally is a racist!

What A Scare!

I accidently deleted my Google account today!  For those of you who are unaware, this also deletes my blog!!  Talk about a frightening experience.  Luckily, Google was able to save me this time.  I'll be way, way more careful in the future!

Dance Fever

Last night we had a dance at the community center to raise money for the senior class.  Of course, I helped chaperone and work the snack bar through both the elementary and high school dances.  That includes decorating, clean up, etc.  What it should not have included was a conflict with the DJ, wasted time, and money.

What do you expect to get when you hire a DJ for an event?  I'll run down what we got.  Thursday night, he came to set up.  All he brought were lights!  When asked about a play list and sound equipment.  DJ stated that the last 2 times he had done this, he borrowed the stuff that was in the center (this is equipment owned by a local church that rents the hall on Sunday), and that the music was provided to him.  He plugs in the equipment, there is a pop and then nothing! 

Now there is running off to find sound equipment and inform me there is no music for the dance.  We manage to borrow equipment from a real DJ, and I get started building playlists.  I spent 2 hours Thursday night and all day Friday working on it.  We needed a separate list for elementary and high school.  The high school kids also had several requests for music we didn't own.  After checking lyrics and listening to samples, anything clean was purchased by me at my own expense from Itunes.

We get to the dance last night (elementary) and start the playlist.  Kids are dancing, etc.  DJ keeps repeating the same few songs over and over which makes no sense at all since I loaded 3 hours of music for a 2 hour dance.  He does no announcing, hyping the crowd, etc.  As the elementary dance ends, he tells us that the music we picked wasn't dance music, it was way too old, and the 3 students he had talked to hated everything on the high school list.  I said this is what we have because DJs have music and since you didn't I built this.  At this point, his wife who is a school employee and thinks she runs something but is in fact a secretary, starts yelling at me!  He points our that one of the songs specifically isn't even dance music, it's "basketball music."  Okay, I'm not entirely sure what that means but the song was C&C Music Factory Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).  Yep, I can totally see how that's not dance music!

I demand that my Ipod be returned to me immediately.  Either they can come up with their own music (30 minutes before the high school dance) or they can leave and I'll play tracks.  I mean, it's not rocket science, it's playing an Ipod! 

If my reaction seems a bit harsh, please remember, I am 24.5 weeks pregnant, have spent my money and about 10 hours building the playlist, and have aready run concessions through one dance, cleaned the hall and repaired decorations in preparation for the second dance.

They managed to get a laptop that another teacher keeps in her room that had music from a StuCo dance.  My music was too old, but the 3rd track out was Staying Alive.  In fact, other than that track, they only played 3 that weren't on my playlist, mostly things that were, and none of the songs that the kids had specifically requested (recall that I downloaded them from Itunes).  The kids spent 95% of the time standing around, not dancing.  When the aforementioned title was played, kids told us that they didn't even know how to dance to that.  Some of the older kids that helped work the first dance said they were looking forward to some of the songs like Limbo Rock that never played (this was a popular one off my playlist).

To top it off, the DJ said nothing all night!  There were often long gaps of silence, and when he saw that the kids weren't dancing to a song, he still just left it playing instead of trying to shuffle to a more popular choice.  Oh well, I guess live and learn. 

Snowed In!

We have been snowbound since Monday night.  I am so tired of it!  To make matters worse, even with water dripping, the pipes have frozen one at a time through the entire house.  We now have no running water not even in the toilet.  It is even too cold for the kids to go out (we have wind chill advisories in effect).  So, here we sit, watching movies, waiting for Saturday when the temp is finally supposed to get above freezing.  Hope we all stay sane until then.

Seriously Stressed!

 Yesterday I got a message on my machine saying that they needed to repeat the anatomical US on Tabitha and they needed it done before my next dr's appointment.  I just had it done a week ago!  I called and they scheduled me for Feb 4th at 1:45 but told me I'd have to call the dr's office to find out why it was requested.  So I called yesterday about 3:45 and left a message.  They didn't call back and now because of ice hitting the area, their office isn't open today!  I am going crazy with worry and what if and can't possibly find out what is going on until at least Friday!

Premiering in June

First, I finally got my van back.  It cost way too much because it needed tired to go with the nearly $1300 in repairs, but I'm back on the road.

Of course, the big news:  we had our big ultrasound yesterday.  Tabitha Gene looks perfect!  They estimated her weight at 12oz.  Most of her measurements are 19w 1d (right with estimated due date) but her arms and legs are so long that they measure a full week ahead, lol.  She was very active and had a great heartbeat.  I can't wait to meet her! 

Of course, I have gotten rid of all my girl stuff, so it looks clothes shopping is in our future.

Getting Hot

Friday I had a checkup.  Stinkerbug was once again stubborn and difficult to get, but we did finally get to hear the hearbeat with the doppler.  Hopefully, I'll get more cooperation on Wednesday and will be able to post gender and name!

I started running a fever yesterday afternoon of around 102.5.  I took some tylenol and as of today it is down to 100.4 which is a definate improvement.  Hopefully, this is the entire sick and not the beginning of it.

They are supposed to be working on the car today so maybe I'll have it back in a day or two.  I really hate being without a car.

Well, that's the brief update.  My head is pounding again so I think it's time for more Tylenol and less computer.

And the Waiting Continues

I have been waiting since Monday to hear back from the insurance company.  Last night for the first time in 3 days, I was able to swing by the new house, just to find that a message had been left on Tuesday saying the repair had been approved...but they wanted to use a salvaged gas tank instead of a new one.
Will the tank won't be as good as a new one, plus what if it has sand or debris in it?  Will the insurance pay for repairs caused by a used tank?  If it makes no difference in what our rate increase will be, there is no reason not to get the new part.

So, again we wait.  I have to stand by to hear  on whether they can go ahead with the repairs using the used parts or if we can get new parts.  Hopefully, I'll have my car back soon.

The Cost of Driving Home

We finally got the estimate on the car today.  We are looking at right at $2200 in damages.  Our insurance will cover all but the $500 deductible, but my rates are definately going the be effected.  Currently we get a discount for being accident free, which we will lose, as well as the increase in premiums. 

The insurance company says we should have approval in 24 hours to start repairs.  I hate being without a car, so I hope this all goes fast!  I am ready to get my car back.