Tuesday Weigh-In

I lost 1/2 pound this week, for a total of 35 lbs. Yay! 1/2 pound isn't a whole lot, but it's not up!!! I made my 5% at Weight Watchers, having lost 12 lbs. there, and I've lost 14% total. My BMI is down 6.4 points, my cholesterol and triglycerides are down to healthy levels, and I'm down three sizes in clothes. So, overall, not bad.
Thursday is Carole's weigh in...go support her at http://www.carolesthoughtfulspot.com/

Spring Peepers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Springpeepers.ogg
To hear a Spring Peeper, click on the link, and look near the top of the page for a white triangle in a blue circle...this is the play button. Hit that to listen to a Spring Peeper chorus.
(Photo also from Wikipedia)

I just love Spring Peepers. As you can tell from the picture, they are frogs. They are tiny, about 3/4" to 1" long, and they have a black "X" on their backs. They make the cutest little peep sound, and when thousands of them are together during the early spring mating season, they make a beautiful chorus. When I used to live in Queens, NY, I would drive an hour or so out to Huntington just to listen to peepers. On Route 25 in Huntington, there is a diner, and next to it is a pond that's chock full of Spring Peepers in the springtime.

Now that I live upstate, I hear them everywhere. My husband and I drive around with the windows open, pulling over to listen to particularly vociferous peeper groups. Tonight I went to the local Stewart's store for milk, and next to the building is a wetland full of peepers. We had a pretty violent thunderstorm tonight. It was pouring, there was a tremendous amount of lightening, and among the sounds of thunder and rain was the sound of Spring Peepers, who were too busy attracting a mate to care about a silly old storm.

Decisions, decisions...

We happen to live in one of the (maybe the) worst school districts in our county. In a year and a half, our oldest child will be going into that school district. Also, he will be in the special education program. So, we really have to move to another school district. The thing is, we're trying to save up for a house, again (long story), and the apartment complex where we live keeps offering really sweet deals to get people to stay. When we first moved here, it wasn't a great place, but we needed something quick, and my cousin found the listing, and they were having a great deal. They had just started up with a new management company, and in the past year and a half, have made major improvements. The apartment is completely redone (with the cheapest possible updates, but still fresh and new), there is a new clubhouse with a 24 hour gym, a brand new pool with a section especially for small children (the picture above is of the old pool...in the back is a little square area, and now it's fenced off for the little ones, and they have new tables with umbrellas and new chairs), several brand new playgrounds (the one in the picture is old), lots of grassy areas to run around on, is surrounded by woods, has mountain views, has a beautiful pond with lots of baby birds to see in the spring, and it's at least $400 per month cheaper than any other apartment we've looked at...besides the rent includes heat and hot water, which many apartment rents do not. So, do we stay in a lousy school district for the first few years so we can hopefully save for a house, or do we get a more expensive apartment in a better school district and have much less money to save? The more we look, the more we're leaning toward staying where we are. We also have wonderful neighbors. The folks in our building are mostly young families, and in fact, the couple next door recently brought home a brand new daughter (whose middle name is the same as my daughter's first name). My downstairs neighbor cleans off my car in the winter if my husband doesn't get to it so I don't have to do it with the two kids. There is an events coordinator (for the complex, not my building), so there's always something going on...pancake breakfasts, Bingo games, poker nights, welcome the weekend parties, children's parties, Mommy and Me classes, girls nights out, boys nights out, pool parties...etc., etc., etc. AND within the complex is a pizzaria, deli, convenience store, dry cleaners, and even an ENT. We haven't been able to find anything even close to what we have. The maintenance folks are also wonderful. I really can't complain about anything. I don't have to shovel, sweep, do any landscaping, repair anything, pay to repair anything, have a pool I don't need to take care of, have a playground right around the back of the building with a huge grassy play area around it...we have it pretty good, even though it's not what we were looking for, and initially, not what we wanted. Lots of things have happened that we didn't want to happen, but I think things have worked out pretty well, just the same. God knows what He's doing, and I try to trust in Him.

Oh, I guess I should fold the laundry...but what do you think we should do? Should we stay or should we go?

Very Different Baby

We're having such a different experience with my daughter than we had with my son. My son was so late in reaching every milestone, and has yet to reach all of the milestones that children reach at a young age, even though he's going to be four on April 13. My daughter, on the other hand, is hitting her milestones right on time, and even a bit early. It's such a relief to see. She is five months, and is already sitting up and playing all by herself, and can figure out how to work some of her brother's toys. If she is shown how to play with a toy, she will remember. She's a very quick learner. She has a great sense of humor, just like her brother, and they laugh together a lot. I love to watch them interacting. My son loves to teach her how to play with the toys, and she loves to learn from him. He will even share his favorite toys with her. I was so afraid that he would be jealous, and that I was putting his life into such upheaval, but it's been a wonderful experience for everyone. I've heard other people talk about how they don't know if it's possible to love another child as much as the first. Well, I can say with absolute certainty, that it is, and you get the extra added bonus of watching them interact. I hope that they always have a good relationship.

Back, with Dear Old Auntie Flo

Well, I'm finally getting back into life, and back to healthy living. I feel sort of like everything's been on hold, and I've succumbed to emotional eating...it's shameful.

Even though my son's surgery went well, I hate to see my son in pain. I give him his pain meds when they're due, but sometimes when it's time for a new dose he looks very uncomfortable. He also hates having bacitracin placed on the wound...I'm sure I wouldn't like it either. So, that's at every diaper change, which is a real challenge. Everything is a challenge as it is, so now things are even more difficult. But, the wound looks much better, and tomorrow is the post-op appointment.

In the meantime, Aunt Flo has been in town, which doesn't make anything any easier either. Besides always having a way of diminishing all of my patience, she has a way of getting me to eat things I shouldn't, and then go back for seconds and thirds. I know she has good intentions, but oh, she can be difficult.

So, the point is, I don't want to go to my weigh in today because I've fallen off the wagon most of this week. Not only have I fallen off the wagon, it ran me over, I got caught on the undercarriage, and it's been dragging me for miles like Indiana Jones (thank goodness I got a hold of that rope and didn't let the wagon get away). I'm currently hanging on, and have gotten one foot back on. Oh, it's hard. I feel awful, but as Dottie from Dottie's Weight Loss Zone (http://www.dwlz.com/) says, no regrets, and move on. I guess I may as well go, face the consequences like an adult, and just get on with things. Knowing me, I've probably gained five pounds...it will take me seven weeks to lose five pounds and six days to put five pounds on. Disgusting. But, that's me, that's the way it is, and nobody did it but me, so...moving on. I'd better not let a dip in the road turn into a hole that goes all the way to China. LOL My new euphemism for gaining weight should be going to China, I guess. Oh, look at poor Louise...looks like she's gone to China. LOL I crack myself up. Someone has to laugh at my jokes; it may as well be me.

Well, that's what I'm doing. My Entrecard price is down to 16 credits, so now is the time to advertise!!! :D LOL

The Surgery Went Well

Thank you so much to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and support. The surgery went very well, and we're home. My son is himself again, getting into all sorts of trouble. :)
I'll write more tomorrow.
Thanks again, everyone, especially Grandma who was with us and taking care of baby sister the whole time.

Long Day

Today is going to be a long day, because I am very concerned about tomorrow, and I want to get it over with. Tomorrow my son is having surgery. It's a very minor procedure, but I don't like general anaesthesia, and he won't understand what's happening, and he's going to wake up feeling very sick and strange and have a boo boo, and he won't understand. I've tried to explain it to him, but I don't know how much he understands. I try to tell him "stories" about things that are going to happen, although his only real understanding is in the here and now. I didn't give him too many details, just that Grandma was coming, and Mommy and Daddy and Baby Sister would be there. Mommy will give him some medicine that will make him sleepy, and Mommy will stay with him until he's asleep. Then Mommy and Daddy will both be there when he wakes up. When he wakes up, he's going to feel funny, but that feeling will go away soon. He's going to have a boo boo, but Mommy will give him medicine to make him feel better. I hope it works. I've been praying a lot about it, but then I always pray a lot for my children.
I also got my son's progress report yesterday. It's a multi-page report from all the different therapists outlining his progress in the different services he receives, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, and special instruction. He is currently functioning at the level of a one to two year old in all areas, ranging from 14 to 22 months, depending upon the skill. It's so difficult to see that the older he gets, the further behind he seems to fall. He's going to be 4 next month, and he's still basically a one year old baby. It's very upsetting to read, knowing how hard he works, that he's making little progress. Then I look at him, and just see my son, a little boy, who needs a lot of love, and I give him lots of hugs and kisses, and just love him.

Tuesday Weigh-In

Yay! I'm down another 1.6 lbs! That's 33.6 pounds altogether. Good deal! :)
Thanks to everyone for all your support!
Please visit Carole at http://www.carolesthoughtfulspot.com and Cindy at http://www.fencedinfamily.com/blog to cheer them on!

Warning About Weight Watchers English Toffee Crunch Ice Cream Bars

They are unbelievably delicious...it's very difficult to eat just one, and there are 12 in the box. My husband ate most of them, but we still ate the whole box over three days. So, I used some of my bonus points for sure this week, and I don't think I will ever buy these again. They are toffee flavored ice cream, which is so rich it may as well be Haagen Dazs, covered in a creamy milk chocolate melt-in-your-mouth shell embedded with toffee bits. As a matter of fact, Haagen Dazs had a very similar ice cream flavor that I'm glad they no longer make because it was simply too yummy for me to exhibit any self control over.

So, if you have more self control than I do, have another hungry person to help you, or don't mind eating 24 points of ice cream (which can be done with 35 bonus points per week to eat), go out and get yourself some Weight Watchers English Toffee Crunch Ice Cram bars. They're small, but oh dear, they are decadently good.

This is not a paid post...I just really like them.

What are the odds?

In the building where I live, two events coincided that I really wish hadn't. One I wish hadn't happened at all, but that it happened at the same time as the other must be even worse for the people going through it.
My next door neighbors brought home their new baby girl this morning. My downstairs neighbors came home from the hospital last night after losing their baby boy at around 20 weeks gestation. My heart is absolutely broken to pieces for them. I can't imagine anything more horrible than losing your child. So, I had to get a sympathy card and a congratulations card at the same time.
Say a prayer for both babies, please, and the families too.

Parent Teacher Conference

Today I had a parent teacher conference to discuss my son's progress in school. Everyone was very positive, accenting all of his accomplishments. However, truthfully, progress is painfully slow. I have to remember to take things one day at a time, and to try not to think about what will happen to him when he grows up. A positive side to his slow progress is that he will probably qualify for summer session. That means that I won't have to worry about getting all of his therapy privately. We will be having a meeting with the Committee on Preschool Special Education to determine if they feel he is eligible for the school district's money. This is one of the many reasons I am glad I am not working. I am his advocate. I must be present at all of these meetings to fight for my son to get any services that are available. When I was working, it was impossible for me to attend all of the meetings. Also, most specialists only have hours during the working day, and taking him to specialist appointments was difficult as well. He has no school during parent teacher conference days, so I can be home with him today and tomorrow, he's been home sick many days the past few months, and he will be having minor surgery next Thursday, and I will be home for him then too. His Daddy is taking the day off, and his Grandma will be coming up to take care of his sister. I'll be glad when it's over.
We bought my son a guitar tonight. A $30 acoustic guitar from Target. My son has already broken two strings, but has been playing it all evening. He LOVES his guitar. He's too cute.

NY Hall of Science

The entrance to the NY Hall of Science (we were driving by, so I missed the HA...it's not really the LL of Science LOL) This is a picture of part of the Rocket Park...how cool is that?

My husband and son inside a model of Alvin, the deep sea diving submarine used to find the Titanic and to explore deep sea vents.

This is part of the toddler area where they have all sorts of stuff for kids to play with including this little train set.

This is part of my favorite set of exhibits...the optical illusions. When looking into this room, it looks like a normal room...but when you get to go into the room, the floor is all tilted, the clock on the left (which you can't see in this picture) is oval, and it's just all wacky and fun.

Here are some links to more pictures from the exhibits at the Hall of Science, including another picture of this room where you can see the clock on the left. http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ideonexus/sets/72157605604209241/

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ideonexus/sets/72157605865574113/

I've had this post sitting around since we went, and I forgot that I never posted it! So, here is the long awaited and much anticipated post. ;)

We all went to the NY Hall of Science in Flushing, NY. We had a great time. I haven't been here in years. I always loved visiting and experimenting with all the hands-on exhibits. They have some seriously cool stuff I've always loved, and some seriously cool new stuff, like a toddler area. The toddler was sensory overload to the max, but we all had fun. There were train tables, blocks, a supermarket with shelves with play food, shopping carts, shopping baskets, and registers. There were puppet shows, music, books, and arts and crafts. This is where we spent half of our time. This was in a new wing of the museum, which also has a new area dedicated to deep sea exploration and microbes. My son's two favorite things here were the elevator and the model of Alvin, the submarine, where he could press all sorts of buttons. There is nothing better than buttons.

Outside the museum is a rocket park where real rockets and models are displayed. The models are designed to allow kids to go inside...how cool! Unfortunately, it was too cold to stay outside, but my son enjoyed just walking by these huge rockets.

Here's what the Hall of Science website has to say:

"Rocket Park features two newly refurbished icons of the U.S. space program—an original Atlas booster with a replica Mercury capsule and an original Titan II booster with a replica two-man Gemini capsule.

Rocket Park also features a Friendship 7 Mercury capsule interactive replica, which allows visitors to climb inside and experience the close-quarters environment in which Mercury astronauts conducted their missions."

It's a wonderful place to take kids, and to even go and look around as an adult. It's a great place to go on a date, too. They have exhibits appropriate for all ages. My daughter even had a good time. Here's a link to their web page...check it out!

http://www.nyscience.org/home

Tuesday Weigh-In and Geocaching

Well, FINALLY I have broken through my horrifying six week plateau and have finally surpassed where I was at week four. I lost 2.2 for a total of 10 pounds at WW. This earned me another little star sticker with the number five inside to put on my star catcher, which is a bookmark to put your stickers on. There are star stickers with 5 and with Bravo! on them for weight loss and for behavioral changes. This brings my total weight loss to 33 lbs. Not bad. :)

Please cheer on Carole at http://www.carolesthoughfulspot.com/ whose weigh in day is Thursday, and Cindy at www.fencedinfamily.com/blog whose weigh in day is Wednesday.

My daughter and I also went geocaching today, and I found my first, second, and third geocaches today. Boy, was it fun. It gave me the very same thrill of an Easter egg hunt...nice to know I'm far from being the only one not to have outgrown the egg hunt. Also, when I was young, my cousin and I used to make up treasure hunts with clues to get from one hiding spot to another, until we reached the ultimate prize at the end...which was usually a snack cake we swiped from our Grandmother's cabinet. Of course, she bought them especially for us, but we still took more than she actually gave us or than what we asked for...naughty children. Anyway, there's just something about looking at something very familiar, and then finding something peeking that's out of place. I had a great time, and my daughter had a great nap. She hung out in her infant car seat, and I just carried her along. I can't wait to go look for more, and it's good exercise besides, and oh how nice it always is to get some fresh air and sunshine. The sun is hiding behind a lot of clouds today, but that won't stop the vitamin D and good mood from seeping in. :)

Visit Carole's other blog, http://www.soyouwannagogeocaching.com/ for all sorts of cool information and stories related to geocaching.

Blue Butterfly

I love my Weight Watchers leader. She makes the meetings so interesting, and she's enthusiastic, funny, and compassionate. Our last meeting was about changing who you are, and one of the pages of her presentation, she posed a question: "Do you want to be a butterfly badly enough to give up being a caterpillar?" I thought that was so interesting, that you really have to change everything about yourself to be successful in truly gaining health (if you haven't been a health freak all your life, which if you have, you wouldn't be at one of these meetings anyway). She gave out butterfly stickers, and I chose a blue one, because blue is my favorite color. I have already been trying to be different (in a good way), by being diligent in writing down everything I eat, measuring everything I eat (except when I'm in a restaurant, although yesterday I ordered a 9 oz steak because I knew if I cut it in half, it would be 4.5 oz), and meeting all my good health guidelines...three servings of fruit, two servings of vegetables, three servings of lean dairy, two servings of lean protein, two teaspoons of healthy oil, at least six 8 oz glasses of liquid, choosing whole grain carbohydrates, and taking a daily multivitamin. I haven't lost weight in six weeks...I've been going up and down, and am where I was on my fourth week of weight watchers. I'm hoping that things will change soon, because it is soooo hard to keep going...but I'm trying to be healthy more than anything, so I have to keep going. Tomorrow when I go to my meeting I'm bringing my tracker along...that's the book where I write everything I eat, how hungry I was when I ate it, how hungry I was after I ate it, what sort of mood I was in, how much everything weighed or measured, how many points I consumed, how many activity points I earned for the day, and if I met all my good health guidelines. She's going to see if I've been doing something wrong, or if there's something I can change to get some better results. Wish me luck. :)

I've had a really difficult week with my son being home sick and my daughter's Christening coming up (which was yesterday, and it was beautiful), and I was just feeling really awful about myself and being on this plateau. Even so, I've been trying to remember that it takes time to become a butterfly, and have been trying to be confident. I bought fashionable clothes, picked out hair highlights and a style from a magazine, bought fashionable shoes, and even fashionable lipstick. I never follow trends, but I thought maybe I would this time because I like the current trends, and it's something different, but positive for me to do...to really try to care about looking nice. Usually, I think that because I'm so overweight, nothing will look nice on me, so why bother to try.

So, I struggle onward, and try to keep in mind what I've accomplished so far without focusing on what I haven't been able to do YET.

My Son is STILL Sick

Well, my son was feeling better on Tuesday, but then he started not acting himself again. I finally got him to the doctor today. We were at the doctor's office a week ago, but they have to wait at least two weeks before prescribing antibiotics, because that could deter his little body from fighting off his viral infection. However, for some reason this year, every, EVERY time he gets a cold, it develops into a sinus infection and asthma. I don't know why. We don't smoke. He's never been on antibiotics before this year, and before last year, he was in daycare. So, I really don't know why. It must be the superviruses being passed around in school. He is now on Flonase for his poor little nose, and amoxycillin for his infection, and Xopenex for the asthma, which we give him through a nebulizer. He HATES getting any sort of medicine put into his mouth and he HATES the nebulizer. He has sensory issues, and a tremendous amount of sensitivity around his face, especially his mouth, and anything that we have to do in that area (even wiping his face) is a major challenge. So, it's not fun for anyone. But, it will eventually make him feel better, so it must be done. It's all part of being a parent of a kid with special needs...figuring out how to get everything done that needs to be done, how to be strong enough to force things that need to be done, and gentle enough so that it's not a traumatic experience, and having the energy to have to work twice as hard to get half as much done. Not easy. But I love him to death, so what else can I do? :D
Anyway, we needed to get him all better since my daughter is being Christened on Sunday, and my son is having minor surgery on the 19th...minor, but he will still need to be under general anaesthesia. He has been under general anaesthesia twice before, and he reacted very well with no problems, so I'm hoping the same for this time. I hate it, but again, when you have a kid with health issues, it's all part of the package.
We're all really looking forward to the Christening on Sunday. It's in the afternoon, and it's not a mass, so we'll have to go to mass the night before...there's a St. Patrick's Day parade in town that afternoon, so we'll probably do one and then the other. Hopefully, my husband will be home from work in time for the parade, but if not, then I'll be on my own...won't be the first time. :)
We're having a big party after the Christening, in a restaurant, so I just need to show up, enjoy myself, and leave. Good deal!
I'm very sorry for not posting more often, but I just haven't had the time or energy.

Bird Feeder Visitors, Poor Memory, and Tuesday Weigh In

Bird Feeder Visitors Pine Siskin

Tufted Titmouse

Downy Woodpecker

We've also had black capped chickadees, white breasted nuthatches, and dark eyed juncos. AND we had either a sharp shinned hawk or a Cooper's hawk land right on our terrace...he or she came and left too quickly for me to make a solid ID...allll of a sudden all the birdies were gone...I don't think the hawk was here for the bird food. :)

Also, I've been so frustrated lately because my memory has been awful, and I've been feeling like I'm in a fog.

I found out yesterday that my thyroid hormones are low, and a symptom of hypothyroidism is memory loss. I've had hypothyroidism for years, but symptoms can pop up if it's not being properly treated. So, my medication has been upped, and I'm hoping that this will help. I chalked it up to being unemployed and spending all day every day with people under the age of 4, but any improvement would be much appreciated.

I even wrote a whole blog about it here...http://drmomsspot.blogspot.com/2009/02/out-out.html

Lastly, as you may have guessed since I left it for last, I gained a pound again this week. I'm disgusted, but I'm hoping that with the higher thyroid meds, it will get better, since that will boost my metabolism a little bit. I'm bringing my tracker (the book I write EVERY SINGLE THING I EAT in, with measurements, weights, and point values of EVERY SINGLE THING I EAT) in to my WW leader so that she can have a look to see if there's anything else I can possibly do, since I have been following the program religiously, and only ate 8 of my 35 bonus points this week. Arghhhhh.

How We Spent Our Snow Day

We made bird feeders! Here is one of our doggie bones wrapped with a pipe cleaner for hanging, with a craft stick for spreading on peanut butter

After spreading on the peanut butter, we rolled the feeder in bird seed.

Then we put them out to freeze...some little birdies paid a visit...look at all those tiny footprints!

This birdie must have been waiting...

The finished product hanging in our tree just waiting for birdies! (You can see them all on the ground waiting).

It was very cold and windy and...as you may have guessed, snowy today. We were all home, which was really nice. My son is feeling much better, but still has a very runny nose and cough, so I decided it was best to keep him inside. He's been home from school for a week and stuck inside, and I think we're both going stir crazy.

Everyone slept late this morning...all the way until 8! It was glorious. We mostly hung out and played and watched some Sesame Street in the morning, had lunch, and then made a bird feeder project using dog bone treats, extra crunchy peanut butter, and birdseed. It was a pretty big hit. My cats had a fabulous time watching the birds too. When my son woke up from his nap, we put two of the feeders in the tree, but they were too heavy, and they pulled the branch down lower than we could see. So, my husband tied some twine onto some hooks in the ceiling of our terrace and attached the feeders to those so that we could all watch the birdies eat. Of course by this time, no birdies were around. Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully I can get some nice pictures.

Then for dinner I made Chicken Marsala (15 points for 4 oz and well worth it...and I had 20 points left for the day), with smashed new red potatoes. It was most excellent.

Also, I also got a call from my doctor's office today to tell me my blood results were good...I used to have high cholesterol and lipid levels, but since I've been doing Weight Watchers, they've gone down to normal levels. Yippee! My thyroid is a little low, so they're upping my Synthroid dosage. Yippee about that too...maybe I'll lose weight a little faster and have some more energy.

I hope tomorrow's weigh in goes well...tune in to find out!

Good to Be Back

Hi everyone! Here are some short blurbs...my cousin calls them thoughts too short for a whole blog post. :)

Thanks to everyone who continued to stop by while I was gone. I just haven't had time to blog or drop Entrecards because my son was so sick. He's feeling MUCH better now, thank God. Anyway, for anyone who's interested, it's REAL cheap to advertise on my site now!

I also haven't had anything interesting to blog about because all I've been doing is staying home taking care of an infant and a sick toddler.

The one thing I did do is go out and buy a pair of pants that fit. I guess it's a sign from God, but it seems that one by one, my big pants have been getting rips in them...like ripping the whole entire knee open...So today at mass, I wore my new pants and new shirt that are two sizes smaller than usual. It felt good.

On Tuesday I'm getting my hair done...highlighted and cut. I'm very excited about having a little me time, and I like the way my hair looks when I get it done.

Sunday is my daughter's Christening, and I'm looking forward to that too. The sacrament is wonderful, as is getting a chance to see family and friends I haven't seen in awhile.

I'm bummed that Top Chef is over again. I'm glad Hosea won.

This week was tornado week on the weather channel, and I just love watching tornado shows on television.

Facebook is so time consuming!!!

Tonight we're getting another snowstorm...I have no fear, because my Yaktrax are wonderful!!!!! Read my glowing review of Yaktrax traction devices here http://drmomsspot.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-long-awaited-yaktrax-review-buy-some.html.
Hopefully the snow will be wet so we can make a snowman!

I'm glad March is coming in like a lion so that it will go out like a lamb...so close to February, I don't mind cold and snow, but when it's nearly April, I hate it.