So much has happened since my last post!! For starters...Owen will be 1 year old in just 2 more days! *cry* how fast time goes...let me tell you! A year ago today I was begging for my OB to induce me! She agreed and I was admitted to Nathan Littauer Hospital. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. But if I had known what I know now...I would have never in a million years chose an induction! I would have suffered from "being too pregnant" than to suffer from the pain of a c-section and PTSD! I can not change the past but I definitely learned from my experiences! The next time around, I assure you will be much better! These few days leading up to Owen's 1st birthday are very bittersweet! I am excited for the future, I am excited to watch him learn and grow and develope into a little boy. But I am so so sooooo sad that he is losing his baby-ness! He is learning to become independent and explore his world. He has 8 teeth (with more in the way), he can crawl, he can take steps, he can run to me, he can sign "milk", he says momma, dada, hey, doggy, kitty, no. He loves being outdoors and getting dirty. He will eat everything I put in front of him. He loves animals and Yo Gabba Gabba. Loves to play with toy cars! Loves to swim, and play rough, and be tickled. He is just the apple of my eye! I'm so grateful for the close relationship that we have!
Most recently we have converted his crib into a toddler bed. He loves it! He can climb up and down off of it! But most importantly, he'll even sleep in his own bed for nap time. He has always taken naps in my arms. I know most people would look down upon that but it was the only way he would sleep and I enjoyed the snuggles! But he's a big boy now and is getting too big and heavy to sleep in momma's arms. The free time is a little overwhelming right now haha I just don't know what to do with myself! But Owen sleep co-sleeps with us at night. It makes me feel better that I can keep an eye on him, I can snuggle him, and nurse him the second he makes a peep. But now that he is bigger he thinks he can dominate the entire bed :) I wake up to his feet or his butt in my face. He takes over my pillow and blankets. But when he sleeps...he is the sweetest thing! Nothing more precious than a sleeping baby!
His birthday party is in 7 more days! I am just so excited for it! I've been working hard on planning it all out and making things and buying things. I want him to look back and think "how cool is my mom for making me the awesomest party?" I want it to be super special! He deserves it! It's a construction theme...I know...not typical for a 1st birthday...but we don't do things normally in this house lol The food is themed, the decorations, the cake(s), the party attire! I even put together a surprise to show the guests! Something that took 2 months to create! But it will last a lifetime!
Since its almost been a year since having Owen...I guess I should update you on my weight loss and health journey! As of today I have lost a total of 98 pounds. I can't tell you for sure how many inches I have lost though :( I had to update my iPad and all my measurements got deleted *cry*! I know it's a lot though!! I was 215 lbs (holy crow) the day I gave birth and wore a size 12 in maternity clothes. Today I am down to 117 pounds and wear a size 3 or 4 depending on brand! Super exciting! I'd like to contribute my weight loss to excercising and healthy eating but that isn't entirely the case. Back in September I went to see my doctor for some health issues. They ran some blood tests and it came back very abnormal. My thyroid was very overly active. I had an ultrasound done which came back showing a mass. In November I was sent to an Endocrinologist down at Albany Medical Center. More blood tests were drawn. Numbers stayed about the same. Another month goes by and more blood gets drawn. This time my numbers were almost back to the low end of normal. Just a few days ago I had the ultrasound repeated and the mass is unchanged. It will be checked again in a year to see of there are any other changes. I've been feeling back to myself since the end of December thanks to God's good grace! The doctors are just calling it Post Partum Thyroiditis. The autoimmune disorder lab work came back negative, thankfully!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Thursday, August 25, 2011
22 Weeks Post Partum
I've only started measuring inches on my body since the middle of June. But since then, I have lost 18 total inches off of my body. 10 of the inches were lost this month! And I have lost 19.6lbs since mid June as well. I still have another 19 lbs that I want to lose before I start working on toning up my muscles. I've never had muscles before so I'm really excited to see some definition! My highest weight during my pregnancy (at the end) was 215 lbs. Since I gave birth to Owen I have lost 76 lbs (less than 5 months). I am so thrilled that I have accomplished this much so far! I'm so much healthier and confident in myself than I was pre-pregnancy! And I am currently 19 lbs lighter than before I got pregnant! I have been taking photos along with measuring myself every month! It's so exciting to see the progress that I am making. Some days it doesn't feel like I am any smaller but the photos are proof and they give me so much more motivation!
This is a photo of me 5 weeks post partum! Not horrible but I still look pregnant! Within the first 12 days after I gave birth, I dropped 33 lbs. Most of it was water weight but I was excited that much "fell" off of me so fast!
This is a photo of me 11 weeks post partum (please disregard my dirty mirror lol). I was probably 40 lbs heavier than I am now.
And this is me now! I look better now then before I got pregnant! I have even better photos of my progress but I'll keep it PG for now ;)
And this is me now with my little chunker, Owen! I lose the weight and he gains it :) This is us 5 months after birth!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Bittersweet
Today is a little bittersweet for me. I received my first bill in the mail today that I can not pay with my own money. I've been working since I was 16 and always paid my own bills and bought my own stuff. Six years later and I have run out of my own money :( It's a little hard for me to swallow to have to rely on my husband to pay for everything now. Especially my things and my bills. I choked up and cried in front of him. He reassured me that I worked very hard for those six years and he wants to take care of me and we are financially stable for the time being. Although it is comforting to know this, I feel a little useless that I can no longer contribute. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a stay at home mom and wife...more than anything in the entire world! It's what I've always wanted to do since I was a kid! I'm so grateful my wish has come true but it was so nice to have my "own" money! It'll just take some getting use to I guess.
Who knew when you become a mother that your world starts revolving around your child's poop! A little too much information, so feel free to skip this section before you lose your appetite! Owen is a daily pooper...like every single diaper change, daily pooper! Just recently he went 4 days without pooing! 4 days!! The last two days he was very uncomfortable and very, very cranky. I gave him some breastmilk and benefiber in a sippy cup. And within a few hours...THE biggest diaper explosion to date! All over his highchair and all the way up his back and in his hair! So totally and completely disgusting! And today he has had 4 more diaper explosions! Who knew such a little belly could hold so much poo haha! But let me tell you...today he is the HAPPIEST baby in the world! Finally some relief for the both of us!
I am so grateful I get to stay home and raise Owen and watch him learn and grow! It's so fascinating! He will be 5 months old in a few days! He can roll over both ways, sit all on his own, army crawl, turns his attention to anything that makes a sound, knows his name, can press buttons on his toys to make noise, blows raspberries, imitates sounds, laughs at the silliest things, etc! He has the sweetest little laugh! I wish I could just bottle it up! He has two bottom teeth now! Finally...only took 15 weeks for them to pop through! My poor baby started teething at 6 weeks old! Such a horrible thing for little babies to go through! No one ever warns you about teething! Probably because it would be enough of a scare to never have children! We get through it day by day. Frozen wash cloths are his favorite. Hyland's teething gel works awesome too! Within 3 minutes he is calm again! It's some good stuff! I measured him today and according to my calculations (as opposed to the doctor's scales) he weighs 19.6 lbs and is 28 inches! He has gained 10 lbs and 7 inches since birth! I am so grateful and happy with a healthy, happy baby! His only downfall is he doesn't like to sleep! But if this is the only thing "wrong" with him, I'll take it! I'll sleep when I'm dead...and it won't last for long. I remind myself of this constantly...I'll be wishing for these sleepless nights back when he is older! I love my sweet boy! God blessed me very well with him! We are a perfect match for each other!
Who knew when you become a mother that your world starts revolving around your child's poop! A little too much information, so feel free to skip this section before you lose your appetite! Owen is a daily pooper...like every single diaper change, daily pooper! Just recently he went 4 days without pooing! 4 days!! The last two days he was very uncomfortable and very, very cranky. I gave him some breastmilk and benefiber in a sippy cup. And within a few hours...THE biggest diaper explosion to date! All over his highchair and all the way up his back and in his hair! So totally and completely disgusting! And today he has had 4 more diaper explosions! Who knew such a little belly could hold so much poo haha! But let me tell you...today he is the HAPPIEST baby in the world! Finally some relief for the both of us!
I am so grateful I get to stay home and raise Owen and watch him learn and grow! It's so fascinating! He will be 5 months old in a few days! He can roll over both ways, sit all on his own, army crawl, turns his attention to anything that makes a sound, knows his name, can press buttons on his toys to make noise, blows raspberries, imitates sounds, laughs at the silliest things, etc! He has the sweetest little laugh! I wish I could just bottle it up! He has two bottom teeth now! Finally...only took 15 weeks for them to pop through! My poor baby started teething at 6 weeks old! Such a horrible thing for little babies to go through! No one ever warns you about teething! Probably because it would be enough of a scare to never have children! We get through it day by day. Frozen wash cloths are his favorite. Hyland's teething gel works awesome too! Within 3 minutes he is calm again! It's some good stuff! I measured him today and according to my calculations (as opposed to the doctor's scales) he weighs 19.6 lbs and is 28 inches! He has gained 10 lbs and 7 inches since birth! I am so grateful and happy with a healthy, happy baby! His only downfall is he doesn't like to sleep! But if this is the only thing "wrong" with him, I'll take it! I'll sleep when I'm dead...and it won't last for long. I remind myself of this constantly...I'll be wishing for these sleepless nights back when he is older! I love my sweet boy! God blessed me very well with him! We are a perfect match for each other!
Tomato Canning
I am proud to say I had my first canning experience the other week and I didn't mess it up! I'm notorious for not following directions properly. I always put my own twist on things...and I did it this time too! We grew six heirloom tomato plants in our garden this year. They all turned red at once so I had no choice but to can them.
I started by washing all the jars and lids in hot soapy water. And then I stuck them in a big pot of almost simmering water. They stayed there until I was ready to use them. This is the sterilization process. In the meantime, I put all the tomatoes into my steamer to steam the skins for about a minute or two. The skins would crack and that's how I knew they were ready to come out. I then peeled the skins off and used a paring knife to cut out the stem and core. Since the tomatoes I had were sort of on the smaller side, I quartered them to fit in the jars better.
Now comes the part to take out the jars and lids individually. I used metal tongs and drained all of the water out of the jars. Set the jar onto a to towel. Carefully pack the quartered tomatoes into the jar leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. I added the juice from the tomatoes from when I cut them up. I also added about1/2 tsp of garlic salt. Take a spoon or small spatula and slide it along the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles that may have been trapped. Wipe the rim of the jar with a towel and put the flat lid on top. Twist on the band lid but not too tight. Repeat until all your jars are filled or you run out of tomatoes. I ran out of tomatoes in my case and only ended up with 5 jars.
Since I don't own a canner pot, I just used one of my big spaghetti pots (as I like to call them). I filled it with water and let it come to a boil. I used the metal tongs to carefully place the jars into the pot. I accidently dropped one, go figure, and it was still fine. The glass didn't break, thankfully! Let them boil for 40-45 mins. Make sure the lids are covered with water and the jars are fully submerged.
Turn the stove off and remove the jars from the water. Let the jars rest on the counter until they are cool to the touch. Then you can store them away in your cupboard or pantry. Viola---canned tomatoes!
I started by washing all the jars and lids in hot soapy water. And then I stuck them in a big pot of almost simmering water. They stayed there until I was ready to use them. This is the sterilization process. In the meantime, I put all the tomatoes into my steamer to steam the skins for about a minute or two. The skins would crack and that's how I knew they were ready to come out. I then peeled the skins off and used a paring knife to cut out the stem and core. Since the tomatoes I had were sort of on the smaller side, I quartered them to fit in the jars better.
Now comes the part to take out the jars and lids individually. I used metal tongs and drained all of the water out of the jars. Set the jar onto a to towel. Carefully pack the quartered tomatoes into the jar leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. I added the juice from the tomatoes from when I cut them up. I also added about1/2 tsp of garlic salt. Take a spoon or small spatula and slide it along the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles that may have been trapped. Wipe the rim of the jar with a towel and put the flat lid on top. Twist on the band lid but not too tight. Repeat until all your jars are filled or you run out of tomatoes. I ran out of tomatoes in my case and only ended up with 5 jars.
Since I don't own a canner pot, I just used one of my big spaghetti pots (as I like to call them). I filled it with water and let it come to a boil. I used the metal tongs to carefully place the jars into the pot. I accidently dropped one, go figure, and it was still fine. The glass didn't break, thankfully! Let them boil for 40-45 mins. Make sure the lids are covered with water and the jars are fully submerged.
Turn the stove off and remove the jars from the water. Let the jars rest on the counter until they are cool to the touch. Then you can store them away in your cupboard or pantry. Viola---canned tomatoes!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Well hello there...
My first ever blog! Yay! I'm looking forward to sharing my weight loss journey, recipes, crafts and diy projects, updates about Owen and being a SAHM (stay at home mom) and wife.
Well for starters...today officially marks a 75 lb weight loss for me!! I started keeping track at the end of my pregnancy, where I weighed the most I have ever been. I'm proud to say it has taken me less than 5 months to get here! I weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. Most of my old clothes no longer fit and are just about falling off of me. I give major props to breastfeeding and a fitness group that I'm in!! I have changed my diet--limiting red meat, omitting dairy, increasing fruits and veggies, limiting processed foods, and drinking green smoothies just about daily. I recently bought an elliptical that kicks butt! Literally. I can now do at least 50 push ups when I couldn't even do 5 before I was pregnant. I like to give Owen credit for this one. Lugging him and all 18 lbs of himself around has really made my biceps stronger! I tried the 30 Day Shred...twice. I never made it past day 6 but it's not my thing! Damn you Jillian Michaels! I started Couch to 5k. I need to get back into that and finish it. It would be really great to sign up to run an actual 5k. I'll keep you posted on that though. But it is on my bucket list!
I'm going to start trying my hand at crafts and diy projects soon. I have a bunch of different ideas for homemade Christmas presents for everyone this year! They will include some knitting, some sewing, some mod podge, some baking, etc. And Owen will be involved in the process! :) Really looking forward to Owen's first Christmas this year! Can't wait to play Santa!
If you know anything about me then you know I love to cook and try out new recipes! Keep checking back here for some delicious and healthy recipes! Luckily I have a husband who is willing to try my creations! I just had my first canning experience the other day! We grew a ton of tomatoes in our garden this year and I love to make my own spaghetti sauce from scratch so it was a win win situation! It was super easy and I have 5 jars stored in the pantry already. I'll make a separate post with pictures.
Well for starters...today officially marks a 75 lb weight loss for me!! I started keeping track at the end of my pregnancy, where I weighed the most I have ever been. I'm proud to say it has taken me less than 5 months to get here! I weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. Most of my old clothes no longer fit and are just about falling off of me. I give major props to breastfeeding and a fitness group that I'm in!! I have changed my diet--limiting red meat, omitting dairy, increasing fruits and veggies, limiting processed foods, and drinking green smoothies just about daily. I recently bought an elliptical that kicks butt! Literally. I can now do at least 50 push ups when I couldn't even do 5 before I was pregnant. I like to give Owen credit for this one. Lugging him and all 18 lbs of himself around has really made my biceps stronger! I tried the 30 Day Shred...twice. I never made it past day 6 but it's not my thing! Damn you Jillian Michaels! I started Couch to 5k. I need to get back into that and finish it. It would be really great to sign up to run an actual 5k. I'll keep you posted on that though. But it is on my bucket list!
I'm going to start trying my hand at crafts and diy projects soon. I have a bunch of different ideas for homemade Christmas presents for everyone this year! They will include some knitting, some sewing, some mod podge, some baking, etc. And Owen will be involved in the process! :) Really looking forward to Owen's first Christmas this year! Can't wait to play Santa!
If you know anything about me then you know I love to cook and try out new recipes! Keep checking back here for some delicious and healthy recipes! Luckily I have a husband who is willing to try my creations! I just had my first canning experience the other day! We grew a ton of tomatoes in our garden this year and I love to make my own spaghetti sauce from scratch so it was a win win situation! It was super easy and I have 5 jars stored in the pantry already. I'll make a separate post with pictures.
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