Staying Afloat

Thanksgiving this year was good.  We went up to Dallas for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was nice to see everyone.  It’s been a while since the entire family was together.  The kids did really well.  By 1:30 or so the kids were beyond ready for a nap.  We loaded up the kids and headed down to DeForest.  We amazingly made it all the way without stopping.  Warren slept all the way until the Lodi exit (just 7 miles before the DeForest exit).  Laura snoozed a little bit, but otherwise rode very well.

Friday was a very full day for us.  Mom had gotten the cut-outs done ahead of time so we didn’t have to fuss with those.  We also cut out the molasses and spritz cookies.  We did add in Mexican wedding cakes.  The pace was much better compared to previous years.  Saturday was a nice quiet day.  We didn’t have any cookies to make/finish.  We were able to just have quiet and play with the kids.  They both struggled with the idea that Mom is in the house but can’t be near her.  Warren really had a hard time understanding.

I thought I did really well food wise over the weekend.  I did have a very small helping of mashed potatoes/gravy and stuffing.  I also had one piece of pumpkin pie.  At Mom’s I also tried to be good.  She had found a loaf of low-carb bread for me to eat throughout the weekend.  For the most part I stuck with the low-carb diet.  I did have 2 pieces of pizza Friday night.  Saturday I was good though.  My goal was to come home no more than 5 pounds heavier (it sounds like a lot, but it is easy to pack on if I’m not watching).  The good news was  I only came home about 2 pounds heavier.  I am also now below the weight I was before Thanksgiving.  I am quite pleased.

Last night we put the tree up in the house.  It isn’t decorated yet.  I did get the other decorations out and the house is looking more festive.  :)  Laura is excited to decorate the tree.  Warren keeps looking and pointing at the tree.  I’m excited to see their reactions to it all this year.  Robert is home sick from work today.  Depending on how he feels we may or may not decorate the tree during the day.  We may wait until tonight.  We’ll have to see how things go.

Time to get some breakfast and take care of the kiddos.

I’ve been pretty much house bound yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow too.  The roads have been icy so I am doing my best to not take the kids out on them.  Yesterday Sunday school was cancelled due to the road conditions.  Robert was going to try to go alone, but turned around less than a mile down the road.  He was even sliding around on our gravel driveway.  We did manage to make it to River Falls for Johanna’s third birthday party last night.  Laura had lots of fun playing.  :)  I was going to get groceries today, but I ended up having Robert pick them up on his way home from work.  It would have been late for me to get them, plus I wasn’t sure what the roads were like out there.  I just saw lots of stuff falling from the sky today and heard the wind blowing.  The advantage of being home is I am still maintaining the clean house.  This morning I picked up and vacuumed the living room.  I also got the kitchen and entry way swept/mopped.  Tomorrow my goal is to vacuum the stairs and scrub the bathroom.  It’s been a couple of weeks since the tub was scrubbed.  If I am really feeling ambitious I may do laundry.  It would reduce the amount that’ll need to be done when we get back home on Sunday.

Warren is working on getting through two molars.  Everytime I think he is getting close, it never happens.  His appetite has been reduced the last few days.  He ate only a few bites of dinner tonight.  I imagine it just plain hurts too much to eat right now.  I hope for his sake that they pop through soon.  He is in good spirits otherwise for the most part.  He isn’t sleeping the best at night either.  That is starting to take its toll on Robert and I.  I am ready for a full night of uninterrupted sleep.  On the plus side, he did let us sleep until 6:30 this morning, and I don’t remember the last time that happened.

Laura continues to amaze me at some of the most random times.  I was looking at something on the computer and she says, “Well, that’s interesting!”  It totally fit the scenario too!  She is leaving Dora behind and plunging into the Disney Princesses.  I think a lot of her Christmas presents will be related to the princesses.  She is doing well with the potty training still.  She is no longer going long periods of time between pooping.  She will occasionally go every day, but usually it is every other.  I can live with that.

My life is good.  I have hit a new low on the scale.  *insert a happy dance here*.  The best part is that it didn’t go back up the next day.  I’ve managed to maintain it for the day.  I’ll in interested in how the scale looks tomorrow.  I spent a bit of time on the floor today doing some stretches and exercises.  Laura did some of them with me.  Warren decided I needed a little extra help and was climbing on me.  I think I may start doing more exercises in front of Laura to set a good example for her.  Right now she runs in circles in the living room saying that she is doing her exercises.  At least she is trying?

Well, time to clean up the dinner mess.  I made a variation of Parmesan chicken.  Lesson learned:  don’t use grated Parmesan cheese as a breading and try to fry it.  Makes a big mess.  It turned out good baking it, melting a slice of swiss cheese over the top and topping it with a low-carb tomato sauce.  This is a definite repeat dinner for us.  I might need to figure out a different side that doesn’t require the use of the oven then, or at least can bake at the same temp.  The roasted cauliflower we had tonight made things a little interesting (although I wasn’t planning on baking the chicken when I made the menu).  Time to clean up and then head to bed!

Here is my list of things I am thankful for.  They are in no particular order.  These are just what came to me.  I may edit and add more.

1. health – I wasn’t always healthy.  I am so thankful that I have been cancer free for 10 years.  I am also taking steps now to become healthier for me and my family.
2. husband – There is way too much good about him to write it all out.  He is great to me, an awesome father, and someone I don’t want to imagine my life without.
3. daughter – She makes me laugh, cry, pull my hair out, smile, and everything in between.  She is such a joy to have in my life.  She was the first answer to a prayer of being able to have children.
4. son – He also makes me laugh, cry, pull my hair out, smile and everything in between.  He was the second answer the to prayer of being able to have children.  I love each child for what they are.
5. parents – I am thankful for the parents I had.  I know they weren’t perfect and made mistakes.  They taught me a lot regarding responsibility, how to be a good person, and about life in general.  They did the best they did, and I am so thankful that they are my parents.
6. friends – Again,  could write pages about how great my friends are.  Each one is special to me for different reasons.  I can’t imagine life without them being a part of it.
7. job – During these difficult times, I am so thankful that I have a job.  It is a job I enjoy.  It is part-time so I am still able to be home several days a week with the kids.
8. home that I have – I am so thankful for having a nice home.  We have a nice yard for the kids to play in.  We are out in the country so I don’t have to worry about town/city traffic.  They can see the stars out at night.
9. health insurance – I am so thankful that we have the health insurance that we have.  I can go to the doctor and not worry about how we will pay for it.
10. doctors that don’t brush off concerns – I have heard so many stories of doctors brushing off a patient’s concerns.  It seems that my doctors don’t do that.  They have taken everything seriously with me, and I am thankful for that.
11. “my mommies” – This is a group of women I met on BabyCenter.com.  We broke off and made our own message board.  I chat with them throughout the day.  They are my lifeline some days.  I hope that I can someday meet some of these great women.
12. church – My church family is special to me.  They accept me as I am.  Some of us used to do coffee on Friday mornings.  They still do, but I can’t because of work.  I am hoping to do a dinner out with them sometime soon to catch up.
13. pastor – Pastor John is such a blessing to have in our lives.  Even with a large congregation, he knows us and cares about us.  I know that if we ever need him that he would be here to help no matter the time of day or night.
14. healthy children – Two friends of ours are currently dealing with children that are ill.  I am so thankful that mine are healthy.
15. babysitters – These great people let Robert and I have a date night once in a while.
16. daycare – If I could, I would make my daycare lady a saint!  She truly is a blessing to our family in so many ways!
17. understanding bosses – Robert has been fortunate to have some great bosses.  They let him take care of his family as needed.  I know not all bosses are this way, and so I am thankful that his are.
18. my computer/technology toys – This may seem insignificant, but I would truly be lost without my laptop, DVD player, DVR, etc.  They are a part of my every day life and I am thankful that we can afford them.
19. books – They let me escape to another time and place.  I get to live someone else’s love story.  They are a great, and usually inexpensive, tool for escaping for an afternoon.
20. heat – Not everyone has a heated house.  I am thankful that we do.
21. abundance of food – We have a freezer in the garage that is filled with food.  The freezer that is attached to the refrigerator is filled.  The refrigerator is full.  We have cupboards filled with food.  We are not left starving and wondering where our next meal will come from.
22. luxury of staying home – I have gotten what I have wanted for many years.  I was able to stay home with the kids for the first years of their lives.  I have worked part-time during these years, but I have been home with them the majority of the time
23. in home laundry – I don’t have to take our laundry to a laundromat to be done.  I can do it while at home and doing other things.
24. in-laws – I have heard many horror stories about in-laws.  Mine are great!
25. challenges in life – I have faced many challenges in life.  At the time they were not fun, but they have shaped me to become the person I am.
26. education – I was able to go to college.  I gained invaluable education.  While I may not be using in a classroom setting, I am using with raising my children.
27. my meds – These little pills have made me a happy, emotionally stable person again.  I feel good about myself once again.
28. clean house – Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate cleaning.  With the help of Robert, I got the house clean on Oct. 23.  The house has stayed clean and picked up ever since.  It has slipped a little bit here and there, but within a day it is back how I like.  I am much happier with a happy house.
29. freedom – I often hear people complain about some of the smallest things.  I am just thankful we have the right to complain, the right to gather together to worship, protest, or whatever.  We have so many freedoms as Americans that people tend to lose sight of them.
30. God – God has been a huge influence in my life.  I give him the praise/credit for me being healed.  He is the one that has brought the right people into my life at the times I need them the most.

This place is my fun house.  I have laughed at least 4 times already this morning and it is only 6:30 and we got up at 6.  Robert needed to take a shower this morning.  He had his towel pulled down off the shower curtain rod and his clothes sitting in the bathroom.  Warren first pulls the towel onto the floor.  Then he starts taking Robert’s shirt and giving it to him to put on (he had not even gotten in the shower yet).  Fast forward about 5 minutes.  Robert is done showering.  Laura asks if she can come out of her room.  I told her yes.  She first goes into the bathroom thinking I was in the shower.  She told Robert to open the curtain.  He told her no.  This really confused her.  She quickly figured out to come out into the living room to see me.  Well, as she is leaving, Warren goes into the bathroom.  He opens the curtain so he can see his daddy.  Seeing him was not enough.  He wanted to get into the tub with Daddy.  Poor Robert is standing there with a towel covering himself up.  “I don’t want questions asked!”

It was a bit of a rough day today.  Warren had his 15 month appointment this morning.  His stats are:  25 pounds, 30.75″ long, 47.8 cm head circumference.  On top of his regular vaccine, we all did the flu shot today.  Thankfully Robert was with to help out.  Laura got over it pretty quick this time.  I think it helped that she saw Robert and I get the flu shot first.  I may or may not have bribed her with a sucker as well.  Once we got home, things went down hill.  Warren had slept in the car on the way home.  He then refused to sleep in his bed once we got home.  He was crabby.  I ended up giving him some ibuprofen.  He finally took a short nap.  Laura woke him up about an hour later while she was pooping on the potty.  He ate an ok lunch.  He didn’t eat as much as I would have liked, but if the shots messed him up a bit I can understand that.  He fought me all afternoon about taking a nap.  I would get him chilled out and lay him down.  5 minutes later he would be crying.  Even if I left him in his room for half an hour he would still cry and fuss.  I finally got him to sleep another hour in the late afternoon.  Laura took her time eating so she didn’t go down for nap until 1.  This is actually ok with me.  She is doing well with having a later start to nap, plus it is closer in line with what daycare does.  After nap, Warren was crabby once again.  I gave him some Tylenol this time.  I wanted to keep the option of giving him ibuprofen at bedtime open.  He responded well to the Tylenol thankfully.  By this point, Robert was on his way home.  Both kids were whining at me.  I was at the end of my rope.  I called Robert so he could “talk me down”.  He had his phone on silent so he didn’t answer.  Of course when he walked in the door both kids were happy and dancing to the music I turned on. 

I didn’t get much cleaning done this afternoon.  After dinner tonight I swept and mopped the kitchen and entry way.  Robert cleaned the bathroom with the exception of scrubbing the tub (didn’t want to take a chance of bothering Warren).  So now the housework is pretty much done.  Tomorrow will be spent doing laundry.  I don’t think we have tons so hopefully it will go quickly.  I am really looking forward to our date tomorrow night.  It will be nice to get away from the demands of children for a little while.

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is next week already.  This month has just flown by!  I feel like my 10 year remission party was just a week ago.  I look at my weekends and they are going so fast.  It’s Thanksgiving, then my scrapbooking day, then the 8th Robert and I are going Christmas shopping, finals week starts on Dec. 15, the 19th is Laura’s Christmas program at church, finals week ends on the 21st, then we’re at Christmas!  HOLY COW!!  The next thing I know it’ll be 2011.

On Facebook there is a challenge to write something you are thankful for every day from Nov. 1 to Thanksgiving.  I didn’t do it, but I am considering making a list and posting it here.  25 different things to be thankful for.  Could be a challenge, but maybe I can come up with more.  We shall see what happens.

Time to put things back together (was letting the floor dry) and head to bed.

Things have been pretty quiet around here.  I’ve been working one day a week.  I am still maintaining a clean house.  Tonight we spent an hour cleaning the inside of the fridge.  We took out everything… food, drawers, shelves, etc.  The thing was filthy, but now it looks brand new.  :)  We were also selective about what went back in.  If we were not going to use/eat it, then it got tossed.  I am so tired of having stuff in there that just sits.  Tomorrow is going to be my day of cleaning.  I’m hoping to get the kitchen floor swept and mopped.  The living room needs to be vacuumed again.  The bathroom is due for its scrubbing again too.  The entry way is also in need of some attention.  In case it wasn’t obvious, things are starting to bug me.  We have Warren’s 15 month check at 8am, but we should be home by 9 so I can get a good start on things.  Thursday will be laundry day again I think.

Today we had a playdate with Johanna.  The girls seemed to enjoy playing together.  I am hoping that we can do these a little more frequently.  I do worry about Laura not being sociable enough since we do stay home so much.

Yesterday Robert was home from work sick.  I had a doctor appointment at 8am.  He stayed home with the kids while I went.  It was to just check and see how I am doing with the meds and everything.  We are going to stay on course and just keep doing what is working for me.  Once I was back home, Robert slept a lot and pretty much was invisible the rest of the day.  The kids and I just hung around the house and tried to keep it quiet.  Last night we watched Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving.  Laura really enjoyed it and was glued to the tv the entire time.  Warren seemed to enjoy it as well.

Thursday night Robert and I are going out on a date.  :D  One of my friends from work is going to watch the kids for us.  I am hoping things go really well for her.  I am trying to get her lined up to be our babysitter during Dance Theatre.

Last Friday was a good day at work.  I really wasn’t sure how it would go since both Jacky and Kayla were gone.  Usually it is the three of us banding together.  However, I was pleasantly surprised.  Virgil actually worked with me on things, showed me some things that I will need to know, and we came up with a project for me to work on in the afternoon.  I created a time clock for students to use to clock in and out on.  Not sure how it will work out in the end, but it is worth a try.

Well, time to head to bed.  I’m hoping for another good morning out of Warren (sleeping until 6 or later), but I have to prepare for the worst (anytime before 6am).

We woke up to a nice covering of snow this morning.  It is still falling (last I could see).  It isn’t a storm and it isn’t such a small amount that you can still see the grass.  To me it is almost a perfect snow fall.  This morning was spent just hanging around the house.  Laura watched Snow White, I laid on the futon, and Robert and Warren napped.  We watched the Badgers kill the Hoosiers.  Afternoon consisted of naps again for the kids.  After naps we got groceries, cooked dinner, cleaned up dishes, and chilled.  We just made plans for a playdate on Tuesday for Laura and Johanna.  Warren will be with too, but it is for the girls.  Tomorrow should be nice and quiet as well.  We have Sunday school and church.  We’ll come home and have lunch then naps.  Hopefully we can make it to Maplewood so I can pick up my wedding ring (was getting the warranty upgrade).

I hit a HUGE milestone on Friday.  I have lost 20 pounds so far.  I am amazed.  I am really proud of myself for sticking to it and not giving up.  I have found some great resources for different recipes and support.  Robert has been good support too.  He doesn’t complain about the food.  He also will make something extra for himself if he is wanting carbs.

I had a fun project to work on at work on Friday.  I created a spreadsheet for timecards for the students.  All they will have to do is find the sheet with their name, then type either in or out in a cell.  It will automatically timestamp it so we can get an accurate account of their hours worked.  I’m excited to see it in action.  I even broke it down by pay period so it isn’t just one long list.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a personal post, or a post at all, so I thought I’d take a minute to clear my mind.  And by clear my mind, I mean have it throw up on here, random thoughts and all.

I am feeling really good lately.  I feel good mood wise.  I am feeling better about my body.  I still have a ways to go, but I am down 15 pounds since I started losing weight.  I am trying to focus on what a huge accomplishment that is and not think about how much more I have to go.  I also think that an alien has taken over my personality (but in a good way).  Ever since my party, I have been working hard at keeping the house clean.  I am vacuuming every 2-3 days.  I still have a clear island and table.  That is huge!  Once I get done posting I am going to go work on cleaning the bathroom.  I was sick last week Thursday.  It was bad enough that I had to call Robert home.  Friday I worked, the kids went to daycare, and Robert took the day off work.  We were originally scheduled to go up to Canada, but plans changed.  Saturday I was at Mandy’s all day.  Sunday was church, groceries, and rest.  In those 4 days I didn’t do much in the way of maintaining the house.  It took a little bit of work today to get it back, but it wasn’t horrible.

I am loving watching my kids right now.  I have some music playing and they are both just dancing all over the place.  Sometimes it is together, sometimes separate.  So much fun to watch them interact and not have it be screaming at each other.

Laura has earned another small princess doll for going poop on the potty.  She is starting to do better with it, but it is still a battle each time.  She now has 3 of them (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White).  She has them sharing dresses and dancing together.  She is so fun to watch while she plays.  She doesn’t realize that I am watching her 90% of the time.

We ended up moving Warren back into the crib.  He just was not sleeping well in the toddler bed.  Ever since we moved him, we was getting up at 5, 5:15.  This was getting old very quickly.  He was still up early today, but it was also his first night back in the crib.  We shall see how tonight goes for him.  He is becoming more vocal each day.  He doesn’t say words, but he does lots of sounds.  He has meaning to his sounds too.  I laughed very hard this morning.  I was changing his diaper.  This meant that the feet of his pajamas were loose and his onsie was undone at the bottom.  I had to grab the diaper ointment.  Warren decides to get up and run around.  He is running with the feet flying behind him, the onsie just hanging down, and he is screaming for joy.  He does like to be naked.  So far he hasn’t figured out how to take off his diaper and clothes.  I dread the day he figures that out.

Time to get back to cleaning.  Then I can chill the rest of the evening (minus cooking dinner).

I am sitting here having my morning coffee with Warren.  Well, he is eating Cheerios and drinking milk.  I think I’ll wait a few years to start him on coffee yet.  I would say that I have reached a major milestone for myself.  No, I have not lost more weight (more on that later).  I have managed to keep the house picked up and clean for an entire week.  Anyone who knows me knows how rare this is.  I am usually the one to just let it go.  I typically don’t have the energy and ambition to keep it up.  I decided that since we spent all last Saturday cleaning that I’d do what I could to keep the house clean.  It is so much more relaxing to go to bed and wake up to a clean house.  I no longer sit and look around thinking “I really need to do something about this mess but I don’t know where to even start.”  I also have it at a point where anyone can drop in at any time and I’m not making excuses for how the house looks or feeling embarrassed by it.  I am truly enjoying it.  It does take a lot of effort during the day and after the kids are in bed to tidy up again, but it doesn’t take very long.  Laura is even pretty good about helping me pick up the books and toys.  Yesterday morning I was able to get the kitchen cleaned again which included sweeping and mopping the floor.  The living room managed to get vacuumed 4 times between last Saturday and yesterday.  I think this is a record for me.  I don’t worry about Warren putting things in his mouth at all now.  I also am trying to get into the habit of sweeping the kitchen floor more often since someone tends to throw his food on the floor.

On the weightloss front, I feel like I’ve stalled out.  I have hit a place and I haven’t lost any weight for close to a week.  I knew that I’d hit a plateau at some point, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon.  I may have to go back and really look at what I need to be doing for phase 1 of the Atkins diet.  I think I may have missed some stuff.  The website says that you only have to do phase 1 for 2 weeks, but if you have more than 20 more pounds to lose you may want to stay on it longer.  I definitely have more than 20 pounds to lose yet.  I am thinking I’ll stay on it a bit longer yet.  Like I said, I need to go back and really look at how it should be done.

Today Laura sings in church for the first time ever.  I am taking the video camera so grandparents are able to see it.  This afternoon we need to carve pumpkins yet.  We ran out of time yesterday.  Laura is going to be a princess, and Warren is a monkey.  I’ll try to get some good pictures today of them in their costumes.  We are just going to go to Helen’s subdivision and trick-or-treat over there.  That way it is easy to leave when the kids have had enough (or Mom and Dad have had enough too).

Well, Warren is finished eating.  I hear Laura awake in her room.  Time to get a start on the day!

On Sunday I celebrated being cancer free for 10 years.  It is amazing how far I have come in those years.  I now have a great husband, two awesome kids, and am in decent health and working on improving that.

I bet you are getting tired about hearing about my Atkins experience, but I am totally amazed and in love with it.  I have done it for 1 week now with only one day for splurge.  In that week, I have gotten my wedding ring back on (I haven’t been able to wear it since early summer), I’m down 13 pounds now, and am loving what I eat.  I no longer fall back on the simple carbs and junk food.  I’m not missing the sweets at all especially since I can have the shakes and granola bars.  We’ve had a bowl of peanut M&Ms sitting out since Sunday.  I’ve briefly considered having one, but then the appeal is gone.  I feel like I am not a slave to the sweets like I used to be.  Robert made a comment on Sunday that he wasn’t feeling so great eating the extra carbs and sweets since we’ve started changing our eating habits.  It is nice to lose the weight, but I’ve noticed some articles of clothing are fitting better too.  I know that I can do this.  I am totally committed.  I am not “hardcore” though and will allow a splurge time or two that is a meal, not a day.

Yesterday morning Robert left to go to Green Lake for work.  He comes back tonight.  Last I heard, the conference is over at noon and then they head home.  With any luck he’ll be home by 5 tonight.  I miss him so much.

Laura is out of her toddler bed now.  She now has Jonah’s old bed.  She seems to really like it.  I think it helped that she got to pick out a set of new sheets for the bed.  We had it all set up and ready for her by naptime on Sunday.  We do have a side rail on it, but I don’t think she really needs it.  It’s more of a visual than anything.  I’m hoping that after a week or so we can take the rail off.  I’ll have to take pictures of her in her new bed.