More fun updates!

So, y'all already know Stormy is a girl.  But now she has a name, too!

She is Alice Ruthanne.  Ruth has been in every generation in my family since the beginning of time or something.  And Husband just really likes the name Alice. :)

Before we found out she was a girl, I was telling people that if we had a boy, we'd name him Hulk, and if we had a girl, we'd name her Wonder Woman.  So guess who found a Wonder Woman bib/costume thing!  That's right.  Amazon.com FTW! LOL

I had my regular OB appointment yesterday.  Since my doctor wins at life, he does an ultrasound at every appointment.  Yes, Alice is still a girl. LOL  He was trying to show me how my belly translated on screen.  So he tapped on the left side of my belly, by her feet.  She reared back and kicked him.  So he did it again.  So did she.  Feisty little thing anyway. :)

She still has giant, giant legs and will never ever be able to wear pants long enough.  Head to rump, she's about six-ish inches.  She was curled up, so the measurement wasn't super accurate.  Anyway, her legs are another four inches on top of that!  Dude!  Doc kept commenting on how long her legs are.  And how squirmy she is.  I'm in for some trouble it looks like. LOL

Also, I learned that as adorable as she is in my 3D u/s, she still kinda looks like Skeletor in the 2D u/s.  True story.

Since I know you only come here for the pictures, I'll post another one of the 3D pics we got earlier this week. It kinda looks like she's smiling. :D

Ok, so the family knows...

Stormy shall now be known as....





Baby Ruth!  That's right, we're having a little girl!!!  Squeee!!!!  How many camo dresses with ruffle butts can I find? :D  So yeah, I was wrong.  There, I said it.  That's ok though.  I'll be wrong just this once. ;)

We told Husband's family at lunch at the Olive Garden today.  Mother in Law squealed.  Even the waitresses were excited. :)

We told my family with cupcakes.  I've attached the video here so 2 of 4 can enjoy it too.  (since she lives all across the country and such, she couldn't come.)

Mini update

So, my family won't find out if Stormy is a boy or a girl until later this evening, so I'm gonna keep this kinda generic for now.

Stormy is perfectly perfect in every way.  10 little fingers, 10 little toes, good looking heart, kidneys, liver, spine and brain.  And yes, we do know for sure if Stormy is a boy or a girl. :D  But for now, all you need to know is Stormy is perfectly perfect in every way.

And since I know you only come for pictures, here you go!  Stormy's cute little face!  The knot on the side of the head is actually Stormy's fist.  Doc had to edit out the arm so she could get a good face picture. LOL

Half Baked!

I know, it's been a while. But hey, no news is good news, right?  Right.

So things have been really good.  No more pregnancy drama.  Felt some flutters at around 15 weeks!  So exciting!  Then... nothing.  Until a few days ago.  Now I'm feeling a few kicks a day.  It's pretty fun, not gonna lie. :)  1 of 4is annoyed that he doesn't want to play with her.  I can't feel outside kicks yet.  Not for her lack of trying.  I was all manner of poked and prodded today.  I feel so abused. LOL  She did, however, get to feel a...something.  It was a ball of hard that definitely wasn't my fat roll.  She was content with that.  For now.  I feel for my future. LOL

Tomorrow morning, we find out if he's really a he!  I won't be posting until tomorrow night though, because my side of the family won't find out until supper time.  Momma Sue wanted gender-reveal cupcakes, so by golly she gets cupcakes.  (Cupcakes filled with pink or blue icing, then the frosting on the top is a neutral color.)

Anyway, that's all I've got for now.  Since I know y'all loves some pictures, I'll include a belly shot.  Happy Half Baked!!  (20w - halfway there!)

Blissfully boring!

I just wanted to check in quick and say...well, there's nothing TO say. LOL

Everything is progressing right along as far as I can tell.  I still have various bouts of PGAL paranoia, but that's pretty normal.  

I have been feeling flutters for the last couple weeks.  Nothing discernible, just flutters.  Not even every day, but I'm still early-ish, so that should pick up over the next couple weeks.  I still am usually able to find him on the doppler.  Occasionally he'll hide, but I'm usually able to find him after some searching.

Anyway, just wanted to do a quick check in to say all is well!

Yay more updates!

Had my regularly scheduled ultrasound yesterday.  Husband FINALLY got to come to one! LOL  Usually he can't make the appointments because of work.  Silly work.

Anyway, reader's digest version is Stormy is doing great.  He was all squirmy. Doc says "Wow, you have an active child."  Yes.  Yes I do.  Heart rate was 153, which is perfect, and he's measuring at "a little over 4 inches" which is also perfect.  

Ok, seriously, this child has some LEGS.  Even doc mentioned how long this child's legs are.  So head to rump, he's measuring at a little over 4 inches, like I just said.  his legs are another 2 inches on top of that!  And his little feet!  Well, nothing little about his feet, really.  Poor thing has my feet and legs.  It's gonna suck to find jeans and shoes. LOL   We had a PERFECT shot of his gigantor feet at one point.  I mean he kicked the wand kind of perfect shot.  We could see all of his little toes and everything.  Then as soon as doc went to freeze the picture to print it out, Stormy would move.  Punk.  So I have a blurry picture of something that could possibly be feet hanging on my fridge. :)

I asked Doc what the odds were of an educated guess as to whether he is actually a he.  I told Doc that I have been assuming this child is a boy since the very beginning.  No particular reason, just a feeling.  Ever since I found out I was pregnant.  The thought that it could actually, honest to goodness be a girl didn't even occur to me until like 2 weeks ago.  Just as I finished saying this, Doc says, "Well, it's looking more girl than boy today." Um, I'm sorry, what?  LOL  Then from another angle he says, "Well, you know, it looks more boy than girl here..."  So we're at a 50/50 shot. Because, you know, that's super helpful. :)

So my next ultrasound is May 29, and it's the BIG ultrasound.  They'll measure various different parts and pieces and make sure Stormy is growing appropriately.  And they'll make sure his heart and organs and such all look good. And, you know, we'll find out of he's really a he!  If the child cooperates anyway.

So, now the part you *really* read my updates for.  The pictures!! :)

Seriously, check out my kid's legs!  (Thigh is on the left, knee bends towards the top of the picture, feet are at the right.)

And here's an almost full body pic.  (Head is on the left, spine goes across the top, and legs are on the right.  He's cut off at about the knee though, so that's why it looks like it's bent funny. LOL)

I hope everyone has a fabulous day, and may the 4th be with you! :D

Hide & Seek is my new favorite game.

Soooo....  I FINALLY found Stormy on the fetal doppler at home!  The doppler lets me hear Stormy's heartbeat.  It's absolutely the best $50 I have ever spent.  True story.

Anyway.  I haven't been able to get much use out of until last weekend because of my "extra layers" (as the doc so nicely put it) and because I have a cluster of fibroids, one of which is front and center.  Big enough for Stormy to hide behind.  So I'd try every few days, but get disappointed when I couldn't find him.

Then last Friday night, Husband wasn't home.  He doesn't like it when not finding Stormy makes me upset, so I hadn't tried in a couple weeks.  But I went ahead and tried again.  Almost INSTANTLY I found the heartbeat!!  The doppler has a crappy measuring system on it, but it was reading at about 155ish.  I recorded about a 30 second clip, and counted it out, and that was about right. Seriously, best sound ever.

So, every night before I go to bed now, I break out the doppler.  This kid likes to hide from me. LOL  I will find him, then he'll scoot over.  So I'll move the wand, and find him again.  I'll listen for a few seconds, and he'll scoot over again.  Makes me smile.  Seriously, one of the absolute coolest things I have ever experienced is finding Stormy's HB.  It'll be super strong and super loud.  Then it'll get quieter, and quieter, then nothing.  Then scooting the wand over an inch or two, and finding him strong and loud again.  

Now, he does still like to hide behind the fibroids.  But at least he's getting big enough that I can hear an echo of it, even when he is hiding.  I haven't straight up NOT found the heartbeat since I started trying again last week. A couple of times, it's extremely faint, and he won't move for nothing.  But I can always hear at least a shadow of it.  And when I try the next morning, I can usually find him pretty good.  (that's only happened twice.)

In other news, I have had people ask me if 1) I know for sure Stormy is a boy, and 2) if we're actually naming the kid Stormy.  No, I don't know for sure Stormy is a boy.  I have just had a feeling he is since I found out I was pregnant.  I would love to have a little girl.  Or a little boy.  Whatever.  As long as Stormy is healthy, I really don't care what kind of parts s/he has.  And no, we're not naming the child Stormy for real.  Obviously, if  Stormy is a boy, his real name will be Hulk.  And if she's a girl, her name will be Wonder Woman.  Duh.

Yes, I'm kidding.  Stormy is short for Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All.  It's a Doctor Who reference.  We're not actually naming the child Stormy.  Or Stormageddon.  Or Dark Lord of All.  We are kicking around perfectly normal human names, and yes, I will announce which one we've chosen once we've found out if Stormy is a boy or a girl.

Latest update

So I had my appointment Monday.  It was an interesting start to my day. 

The appointment was originally scheduled for 7:30 a.m.  I did this so the husband could come with me.  He doesn't get as much leave time as I do, so he's trying to save up every bit he can so he can stay home with me for as long as possible come October.  So if he has to miss work, he doesn't come to the appointments.  Anyway, Thursday afternoon, the receptionist calls and says Doc got pulled into a surgery for Monday morning, and would I mind pushing the appt back an hour.  Sure, fine.  So I recruit my Momma to come with me instead.

We get there a few minutes early.  I get called back, did the weight, BP, etc.  Then we got showed into the exam room, and told Doc would be with us soon.

About 10 minutes later, the nurse comes in.  They had just called over to the hospital looking for a status update.  They said they'are assuming about 20 more minutes, but they didn't actually check with the doctors.  Ok, that's fine.  Doc's schedule is packed for the rest of the week, so we'll just chill out.

20 minutes later, Nurse comes back.  They DID talk to the docs this time...and it'll be another 30 minutes before he's done with surgery.  Oops.  That's ok.  We'll hang out.

Luckily, doc did come in about 45 minutes later, and he apologized all over himself.  Seriously, sounds like the chick he was working out needed his time at that point more than I did.  Not a huge deal.

So we did the ultrasound.  Heartbeat is sitting at 165.  Stormy was all curled up into a ball, so he was "measuring small."  But Doc also said that if Stormy would straighten out, the measurement would be different.  So I'm not terribly concerned.  At first, Stormy was pretty still.  Then he started kicking his legs.  Then he started twitching his head.  Then we saw his mouth open and closed. I'm convinced he was yelling at us for waking him up. He is my kid after all! LOL

I asked about an early gender guess.  Doc said his machine isn't high-tech enough to even begin to see anything this early.  Plus, Stormy's legs were all closed and parallel.  Then Stormy adjusted, and we got a shot.  Doc froze the picture.  Stormy has.........a dot.  That's right.  His boy or girl parts are just a white dot on an ultrasound screen right now.  So, no such luck.  Oh well.  I knew it was a long shot anyway. 

In my own personal growth, my next appointment isn't for almost three weeks!  Yay!  Look at me grow!  (We've been going back every two weeks because doc knows I'm paranoid about something going wrong.  Plus the whole bleeding/clot issue from a few weeks ago, but mostly because I'm paranoid.)

Now, I was diagnosed with "a bit of placenta previa."  That means the placenta is down too close to the cervix.  Not a huge hairy deal right now, but something to keep an eye on.  Doc said it would probably move on it's own as I get farther along.

In other RIDICULOUSLY exciting news, I only put on one pound over the last two weeks!  (Last time, I had put on like 6.  So yeah, only one makes me happy.)  Also, I was cleared for any low impact cardio, and even some weightlifting using arms only.  So no leg presses, no squats, etc.  He did specifically clear my elliptical and light walking.  Woot.  Now I just have to convince myself it really is ok to do it. LOL

I'm not going to include a picture this time because Stormy wasn't cooperating very well.  We only got some fuzzy ones that look more like a bean than a baby.  He was hiding behind, you know, my guts and stuff. LOL

Oooh!  I almost forgot!  Anatomy scan (where they do an in-depth scan of the entire anatomy and make sure everything is developing correctly) is scheduled!  This is also the BIG ultrasound, where they can tell for sure if Stormy is a girl or a boy.  Well, as long as Stormy doesn't get shy or anything.  Roll on May 29!

I really am terrible about updating!

I'd say "I'll try to do better!" again, but really, who'd believe me at this point? ;)

Pregnancy type things are going well, as far as I know.  You saw my last update, so that's the last medical update I have.  I have started to show a little bit.  Although, if you didn't know any better, it'd be easy just to say "wow, she's really getting fat again!"  But I throw the gut in maternity pants and call it a bump. LOL  Physically, things are still going very well.  Not terribly sick (although nausea is making a comeback recently, and I'm really not terribly impressed) and I'm finally starting to not be completely ravenous all the time.  Woot.

I'm 13 weeks now, which puts me in second trimester.  Finally! LOL  I know just because I made it here does not automatically mean everything is perfect and wonderful, and nothing bad can happen.  But, the chances do drop, a lot.  So that's exciting!  I go back in next Monday for another ultrasound.  I'll be 14 weeks.  Hopefully, if Stormy cooperates, we MIGHT be able to get an early guess on whether it's a girl or a boy!

As promised - the update!

Hey guys! Fair warning, this is gonna be pretty long.  First off though, we are officially "out" on Facebook.  Feel free to share some love over there too.  We're all public and such now. LOL

Before we even got started, Doc asked if I was feeling movement yet. (queue me being confused since I'm only 12w, but whatever.) I told him no, and he said soon I should start watching for it. Doc decided last go round that abdominal u/s would work best because of where Stormy was sitting. So we started with that. He got some pretty good shots of the kid flopping around. He kind of raised an eyebrow and said "Oh this one's active. When you start feeling movement, you're DEFINITELY going to feel it!" Stormy was kicking his little legs and flapping his little arms! His little heart was just a going at 175 bpm, too. (This makes my mom and sister SWEAR Stormy is a girl. I still say he's a boy.)

Then doc measured. Stormy is measuring in at 11w3d. Um, what? No, unacceptable. Try again. 11w3d. Again, wtf? I told Doc I was pretty concerned about that because he's NEVER measured small. Ever. So doc offered an internal u/s. I asked if he would be able to get a good measurement since it's so much lower. He said he could at least see his head, and probably most of his body. Groovy, make it so.

So, moving on to the internal u/s. I'm somewhat concerned by the size of this child's head. Ok, not really, and I do know that it's supposed to be somewhat big at this point, but dude. Kid has a skillet. LOL But once we got past that (got to see his little brain too!! So awesome!) We got a show! He was just a waving and a wiggling! He kept waving and clenching his fists. His little legs are crossed at the ankles. and his little toes!! Anyway, doc got a much better measurement at 12w3d, which is exactly where doc has me according to LMP, so I'm a much happier momma.

I also have a lovely cluster of fibroids. There's seriously like 5 of them, all around. Doc says they shouldn't cause a problem. One of them is 4.3cm though, and towards the front, so that's more than likely why I can't hear Stormy on the doppler yet. (that and my "extra layers" as doc so nicely put it.) My clot, however, is GONE! Woot! This means exercise is a go! And seeing a very ugly number on the scale today makes me very glad for that. ::shudder::

I also did get clearance to go to the range. He told me to use common sense. If the recoil knocks me over, don't shoot that gun. He told me I should probably stay away from the .50 cals though. LOL

I asked him about bacon/hot dogs, and he said make sure they're fully cooked. steaming, truly honestly hot all the way through. And don't eat it every day. But a slice of bacon or a hot dog here and there is fine.

And now, here is Stormy at 12w3d! (see his little fist??)

Today's the day!

Today is my next ultrasound.  I adore the fact that my doctor fully embraces my neurotic paranoia and gives me an appointment with a u/s every 2-3 weeks instead of only 2 in the entire pregnancy.  He's pretty much awesome.

I know I haven't udpated like I said I would.  There's just nothing going on.  Since I can't exercise, I have no fun gym stories.  The past few weeks have been terrifyingly easy, pregnancy-wise.  And all I've got is my usual "what-if" Debbie Downer paranoia. Nobody wants to read that over and over again. LOL

We lead a very boring life, and I do usually enjoy that.

So, I'm about 12 weeks now.  Which means one or two more weeks and we will go public with this baby news.  Is it wrong that I'm not excited?  I mean, all the important people already know.  Everybody else is just icing on the cake.  I may not even do a big FB announcement.  ::shrug::  I'll let you know when the time comes. :D

Anyway, same as usual, no news is good news today.  If I come home and update at noon, that's bad.  I do plan on going back to work after my appointment so don't expect any news until later tonight!

Blah

I'm pretty blue the last couple of days.  Blue kinda sucks, actually.

It seems like some people expect me to be glitter farts and rainbows about this pregnancy.  Sorry guys, that ship sailed back in November.  Sure, I'm excited to be pregnant, but I also know that just because I'm pregnant today doesn't mean I will be next week.  Sure the odds of a m/c decrease every week, but they never hit zero.  Know why?  Crap happens.  So just because I don't squee every day about "zomg I'm totally decorating the nursery today!!!11" doesn't mean I'm not excited.  I just know that until I'm holding a healthy newborn in my arms, being pregnant is no guarantee.  I'm not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic.

If you've looked at my pics on the other tab, you know I'm still a fat girl.  Not as fat as I used to be, but still fat.  I'm very proud of my progress so far.  However, since finding out I'm pregnant, I've allowed my eating habits to go back to the way they used to be.  Not proud of it, but there it is.  So, that means I've put on about 10 pounds since the beginning of February.  There was an off-hand innocent comment made the other day that really got to me.  I'm not going to go into detail, but it really depressed me about what I'm eating.  Which made me want to eat more because I have a screwed up relationship with food. LOL  I swear I am trying.  But when bleeding macaroni (elbow noodles and tomato sauce) with mozzarella cheese is the absolute only thing that sounds even remotely edible, it's hard to convince myself that I need chicken and zucchini instead.  So, I've been giving in.  A lot.  Luckily, lately, apples and oranges sound better to me than just about anything else.  (Except that in Alaska, fresh fruit prices are ridiculous!)

I did get my fetal doppler in the mail.  Super excited about that!  Unfortunately, since I *am* a fat girl, I haven't found Stormy's heartbeat yet.  I haven't freaked out assuming that something is wrong, so that's a win for me.  It just depresses me because I know if I were 25, 50, 100 pounds lighter, I'd be able to hear it by now.  So I try every couple days, and get myself into a funk because I'm a cow who can't hear my baby because I have so much fat.

Awesome, right?  ::rolling eyes::

Yeah, I know this whole post is a big downer, but it's either this or not update. LOL  So you get Debbie Downer today.

In other news, my next ultrasound is April 2.  Since Hubby can't make it - he's gotta go be a grown up and like, work or something - 1 of 4 is coming with me.  Nothing says sisterly bonding like an ultrasound, right? Right.

Unacceptable Behavior

So I learned last week that 1 of 4 has never seen Anne of Green Gables.  I KNOW!!! 

That means today, we are going to remedy that situation.  We're going over to Momma's house, and we're going to eat brie and drink sparkling cider and watch it.  Woot!!

I simply adore this movie.  I adore the books.  I adore everything about it.  I'm telling you, the movie ranks up there with Grease, Oklahoma, The King and I, and Newsies.  True story.  It's kind of a big deal. (Disclaimer:  Only the one with Megan Follows as Anne.  Ignore the rest of them.)

And the books!  Ooh the books.  They're fabulous!!!  If you have a nook, you need to go download them RIGHT NOW.  It's only 99cents, and you get the entire series.  All of the books.  1500 pages of fabulous. 

Did you download it?  Then quit reading this, and go read them!! 

Hey look! Another 2-for-1 day!

Had my u/s today.  :)  Here's an update and a squee!

Doc just about gave me a heart attack. He couldn't find anything on the internal, so he hadn't turned the screen towards me or anything. After a few seconds of a terrifyingly concerned look on his face, he says "did you empty your bladder? I just can't see anything this way. We're gonna have to go on the belly." So, he broke out the abdominal u/s wand thingie and started prodding on my gut. Luckily, he found Stormy pretty quick, and I was able to breathe again. (in all fairness I had totally peed in a cup not 20 minutes before. But apparently 1 full liter of water before 11:30am will make you pee every 15 minutes or so. LOL)

Between me being a chunky monkey, my bladder being too full and in the way, and Stormy moving around, Doc was having a hard time getting measurements. The first few he got were coming up as 8w2d and 8w4d. (I'm almost 10w.) Finally I sucked it in enough, and he was able to get a good measurement, right at 9w4 or 5d. He just kinda held the u/s over Stormy for a minute and let me see him flopping all around. He was putting on a show, I'm telling you! Flapping his little arms and wiggling all around. Such a cute little lima bean! :D

The clot has shrank just a bit. But I'll take it! It went from "2 down to about 1.7." Not sure the unit of measurement, he didn't tell me. But 1.7 is better than 2, so I'm good!

I go back 4/2 for another checkup. I'll be exactly 12w! Holy crap am I glad to be almost into 2nd tri! LOL

And for my squee: I just ordered my doppler! :D This was me and DH's compromise. It was important to him to not get any of the optional 1st tri screenings, and it was important to me to be able to hear Stormy whenever I had some crazy I needed to get rid of (read: every day). So no NT scan, but Momma gets a doppler. Woot!! :) Since I am almost 10w now, I'm hoping I'll be able to hear him by the time it gets here. Everything takes stupid long to ship to AK, so we'll see how it goes.

Overall, a great day!

Sorry guys!

I know it's been like a week since I updated.  But frankly, it's been a really easy week.  Which is somewhat terrifying since no week in this pregnancy has screamed "easy" to me. LOL  I did ask the doc to change my meds last week, so I think that has a lot to do with the lack of drama right now.  This new med doesn't seem to hate me as much as the last one did.

Also, I have another ultrasound today.  Yay!  I'm going back and forth between being super excited and super scared.  I'm excited right now, though.  I think. LOL  Hopefully this clot will be gone and I will be allowed on the elliptical again.  He already said I could exercise as long as I keep my heart rate below 150.  But that was before the clot, and before I was banned from even coughing and sneezing. 

I have GOT to get my eating back under control, too.  It's getting back to super fat kid proportions.  It's embarassing, really.  But all I want out of life is stuffed crust pizza and Kraft mac and cheese.  I did some shopping the other day and got some more healthy options.  I bought a big bag of oranges that are AMAZING.  OMG so stinking good.  I also got some healthier breakfast stuff, and I discovered I still have a bunch of almonds that I forgot about.  I am not cutting pasta out because it's one of the things that makes me not want to hurl on myself.  But I did get Dreamfields brand, and Jennie-O 99% fat free ground turkey.  Really, it's going to be a matter of re-training myself to eat healthier.  And not as stinking much as I have been.  ::shaking head::

Anyway, that's about all I've got for now.  I promise I will make an effort to keep this updated more often!

Because this pregnancy hasn't had quite enough drama yet...

Fair warning, there's talk of TMI things, like cervixes and uteruses (uteri?) and internal ultrasounds and such.

Last night after work, I went to the bathroom before my therapy appointment. There was red blood...and clots. I freaked right the crap out. I texted my sister and friend (they're my go-to freak out people!) and decided to go to therapy. I went and dumped out my crazy in her office. Was still bleeding when I was done. I went home, and calmly as I could, told my husband what was happening. We mutually decided not to go to the ER because they're just gonna tell me either "sorry for ya" or "go put your feet up." So, I put my feet up.

Went to the doc this morning.  So, I'm laying on the bed, wand shoved up my girlie bits, staring at the ceiling, refusing to look at the u/s screen... until I hear a heartbeat echoing throughout the room. Doc said "Well that sounds great!" That's right, Little Bit has a heartbeat of 171, and s/he's measuring perfectly - which technically is a couple days ahead since I o'ed later in my cycle! S/he's measuring perfectly with my LMP.

The blood was/is coming from a clot just above my cervix. Doc said if it was pretty much anywhere else, I probably wouldn't have even known about it. He said I am not out of the woods yet, and it may still cause a problem. if it starts irritating the uterus, the uterus can contract and start expelling blood - and everything else in there. That's bad. But, it could also just break up on its own and get reabsorbed into my body. Or it could just sit there and be something to keep an eye on. He also said the placenta is pretty much exactly opposite of my cervix, which is a good thing. However, part of it has attached over my fibroid. Not the best place for it, but it's just one more thing to keep an eye on.

I'm supposed to "keep taking it easy" like I'm already doing, and try not to jostle around too much. No jogging, etc. We want to make sure the clot doesn't irritate my uterus, basically. He said no bedrest, since my cervix looks great. Long and closed. Just be careful. There's nothing more I can do / not do that I'm not already doing / not doing.

So, moral of the story is this: I really need to quit giving up on this kid. Also, just as soon as s/he's out, s/he's GROUNDED! LOL

Also, isn't s/he cute?? LOL

Ultrasound Results!

Great news!  Little Bit has a heartbeat!!  Doc measured it twice.  Once was 103, once was 109.  A tad low, but since I'm still early, he's ok with it.  My official due date is 10/12/12.  But, by those calculations, I'm measuring a few days behind.  Which would put it exactly where I know my due date is based on when I ovulated.  But whatever.  I'll stick with what doc says for now.  It'll move around a lot, I'm sure. :)

I go back in two weeks for another u/s since I have had a loss before. He likes to see his PGAL (pregnant after a loss) ladies more often than his non-loss ladies. 

So, I'd like to introduce you to Little Bit, the cutest little blob ever! LOL

Today is the day!

I have my first scheduled ultrasound in about 45 minutes.  I am an absolute nervous wreck!  I did end up having one in the ER when I went last weekend (no, not the weekend that just ended) and everything looked fine then, but I know a lot can happen in a week. 

In this case, no news will be good news.  If all goes well, I'll be headed straight to work after my appointment.  If all does not go well, I'll come home.  So, hopefully I won't be able to update until later tonight after work!

I think I'm going to hurl. LOL

Charmed is making me stabby

Spoiler alert for anybody who hasn't seen the last season, and is still planning on it!

So I've been watching the series Charmed off and on on Netflix. I've finally made it to the last season. I just finished the episode where Phoebe finds out she's pregnant with Dex's baby. She took a test in the morning, was talking about how her "boobs feel enormous, and all she wants to do is eat all of this (Halloween) candy." Then she takes another test the next day (or later that day - sometimes the timelines are wonky) and tells her sister "I took another test. I guess the first one was wrong."

No, I'm sorry, it wasn't. She had a chemical pregnancy. Why can't they just SAY that instead of playing the false positive game, which is SOOO much less prevalent than loss? As I've stated before, some statistics put 50% of all pregnancies - whether the woman knows she is pregnant or not - ending in a miscarriage.  HALF.  Do you know what the odds are of a false positive pregnancy test?  When a home pregnancy test is used correctly, it is 97% effective.  That's right.  So, barring any fertility treatments (which the character was not undergoing) or any medication that would contain HCG, there is only a 3% chance that the test was defective and showed a false positive.  Seriously, writers?? Seriously??

It would have been such a great opportunity to bring loss to the spotlight and let people know it's ok, and not their fault when they go through it! But noooo, they had to just go right ahead and help sweep it back under the rug. And trying to make it sound like false positives happen on a regular basis!

Ok, random vent over. Thanks for listening! :)

some random thoughts.

I really do miss working out.  I feel weak, and gross, and lazy.  I really want Doc to at least clear me for walking or using my elliptical come Monday.  True story.

Things have slowed down, pregnancy-wise, since this weekend.  No more drama.  Yay!  Like I've said, my first scheduled appointment is Monday.  Knock on wood everything keeps going smooth.  We should be able to at least see, if not hear, a heartbeat by then.  Woot!

Not gonna lie, my eating habits have gone to crap since I found out I'm pregnant.  So, when I jumped on the scale this morning, I really expected to see at least a few pound gain.  Nope!  257.  Yay!!  I know that doesn't mean I can go out and eat anything and everything I want.  I need now, more than ever, to keep a healthy nutritional lifestyle.  It's not just me I'm thinking about now!  I just wish I would crave vegetables instead of Italian Chicken Sandwiches and that amazing noodle dish from the Chinese place down the street. LOL

Laziest. Day. Ever.

Per doc's orders, I did absolutely nothing today.  Seriously.  The most productive thing I did was, well, refill my water glass a few times.  I laid on the couch and watched stupid reality TV and movies all day.

It was kind of fabulous.

But really, I miss working out.  I miss my exercise.  I miss having all that energy I used to have.  Yes, I know that light exercise during pregnancy is a good thing, and recommended.  But I'm still just so scared.  Especially after yesterday's debacle.  Maybe once my doc sees me and clears me for it. 

Kristi and I are going to check out the room that we have sorted out for the RESOLVE meeting tomorrow.  I'm so excited that this is getting off the ground!!  There is definitely a need, and I'm glad that I could do something to bring this about.  Hoping that this pregnancy sticks, I may talk to RESOLVE about maybe starting a Pregnant After Infertility group that the General Infertility group can 'graduate' to or something.  I haven't really thought that far ahead though.

Anyway, that's all I have now.  Thanks for stopping by!

Had quite a scare this morning...(may be a tad TMI)

This morning I woke up to spotting. I obviously freaked the crap out, given that this is exactly, to the day, when my heavy spotting started last time. So after about 20 minutes, DH and I decided to go in.

I was put in the same room, with the same doctor as last time. ::headdesk:: Bless the nurse's heart, she tried three times in both arms, but could not get the IV line in. They start one just in case you need an IV later. I ended up not needing one, so they just drew blood instead. But now I look like a junky who just got done shooting up.

Doc came in and did the exam, and he said the bleeding was coming from the friable tissue on my cervix, not through the hole in the cervix! Yay!!! Then he came back with HCG results...12,726!!! Wednesday it was 8,429!

He sent me back for an ultrasound, where I saw a gestational sac and a yolk sac measuring 5w4d, and it's in my ute! Not a tube or anything! There was no fetal pole yet, but he said it's still early enough that that's not an issue.

So, he sent me away diagnosed with a "threatened miscarriage...but I really think it's just the tissue on your cervix." I"m on pelvic rest, and I have to drink lots and lots of fluids all weekend, and just take it easy in general. I asked him about the 125 hour doubling time for the HCG. He said given that it's increased by 50% or more since Wednesday, it's absolutely nothing to worry about.

Today, I am most definitely pregnant, and I love my baby!!!

I'm still here! ~UPDATED~

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted.  I just haven't had anything spectacular going on. LOL  I am still pregnant (woot) and I go in for my third beta draw this morning. 

Since this is the week that I lost the baby last time, I'm kinda nervous.  I'm not bone-searing scared like I was last time, but the thought of a m/c does lurk in the back of my mind.  I'm hoping today's blood draw helps settle my mind a bit.  Now, since Monday is the day when I will be more pregnant that I have ever been, I am considering asking if I can go back in next week for one more blood draw.  When I go in for my ultrasound on 2/27, I just don't want to be surprised if something bad happens, ya know?  I'll talk to the nurse when I go in today.

In other fabulously ironic news, I got the final approval I needed for the meeting space for the RESOLVE group.  A week after I find out I'm pregnant.  LOL  We will meet in Alaska Regional, in the Physicians Conference Room on the 4th Saturday of every month from 3pm-4pm.  Kristi will be hosting it.  I'll do all the background stuff. 

I miss the gym.  I really, really do.  But I'm terrified to go back.  It was after the gym that I started spotting last time.  I know logically that the treadmill probably didn't really contribute to my m/c, but I still associate those two in my head.  So, I absolutely refuse to go until doc says I can.  And even then, I'll be a nervous wreck.  I'm still logging my foods though, and usually attempting to eat somewhat healthy.  I've logged a two pound weight loss since I found out I'm pregnant.  So there's that!

I promise I will try to update more often from now on!  But now I gotta go let the nice nurses stick a needle in my arm.

***UPDATE!***

Got the blood test results, and things look great!  HCG is at 8,429, and progesterone is 23.9.  (Doc likes it to be "up close to 20.")  One week ago, the HCG was at 534, so that puts it at a doubling time of 42 hours.  Woot!!  I may go back next week - nurse told me I could come back as often as I needed to for blood draws.  :)  First ultrasound is 2/27.  Just a week and a half!

An anniversary!

Not one of mine, silly!

My sister started her weight loss journey one year ago today.  She is truly an inspiration!  You should go read her blog.  Right now.  Seriously!  She's fabulous!  She is down an absurd number of inches, and 65 (66?) pounds.  Go sister!

Cat, you are amazing, and I hardcore love you.  True story!  Congrats on an amazing year!!

And I'm still pregnant!

Yay!  I went in and had blood drawn this week, and those results look good!  Monday, my HCG was at 206, and Wednesday it was 534.  Yay for doubling numbers!  There's not really a "range" that HCG is supposed to be, as long as it doubles in like 24-48 hours, from what I understand.  I mean, sure there is a range that they're looking for, but it's such a huge range that it doesn't really count.

So far, I'm feeling pretty good.  I'm absolutely exhausted, but that's about it. 

I haven't been back to the gym since I found out I'm pregnant though.  I'm terrified to go.  Yes, I know logically that you can do pretty much anything your body was already used to before you get pregnant, but that's not the point.  The point is, I'm scared to, and I'm not gonna do it.  So there. 

My first appointment is 2/27.  There will be an ultrasound involved, so we'll be able to at least see the heartbeat.  Not sure if I'll be far enough along to actually hear it yet. 

Please keep the thoughts and prayers coming!  Tomorrow is one week since I found out.  Last time, I started spotting one week after I found out.  I'm kinda nervous, but trying not to focus on it.



I have a secret...

So, yeah.  On Thursday afternoon, I was really itching for a hardcore, heart rate spiking, heavier weights lifting, real good workout.  On Friday morning, I woke up at 5:00 a.m. for the gym like I usually do.  Since I knew it was getting close to time for me to start my period, I went ahead and took a pregnancy test, just in case.

Yeah, it was postive.  O_o

Just barely though.  So, I went ahead and skipped the gym.  Because I'm addicted to peeing on things, I tested again Saturday morning.  It was still positive, but still pretty faint.  So I tested again Saturday afternoon.  Now it was very obviously positive.  And, just for good measure, I tested Sunday morning on a digital one.  You know the kind that either says "pregnant" or "not pregnant"?  Yeah that kind.  It says "pregnant"!!! 

Holy crap I'm pregnant again.

Yes, I am an absolute paranoid neruotic mess.  Yes, I'm a bit worried to do...well, anything really.  But honestly, I'm actually pretty calm.  The worry and neuroses don't go bone deep like they did last time.  I'm hoping this is a good sign!

NOW!  This part is very important!!!  We are not announcing on Facebook. So, if you have comments/well-wishes/advice/whatever, please keep it to either comments here on the blog, email, or private messages on FB or something.  Please keep it off of the public FB wall. 

The reason is this:  I am of the firm belief that miscarriage and pregnancy loss needs to NOT be a taboo topic anymore.  Unfortunately, the only way to do that is to talk about it.  That means announcing early in pregnancy, then unannouncing if something happens.  However, my husband doesn't want to go through that pain again.  Which I completely respect and understand.  Untelling people sucks.  A lot.  So, the Ashley-can-post-on-her-blog-but-we-will-keep-it-off-Facebook was our compromise.  So if I do get a message on my wall, please don't be offended when I delete it.

As far as the RESOLVE group goes, Kristi will be hosting instead of me.  Just because *I'm* pregnant doesn't mean there is any less of a need for a group in town.

OMG I'm pregnant.  I think I'm going to puke. LOL

Measurements!

Yeah, it's the first of the month again.  That means measurements day!  I'm not terribly impressed with myself this morning.  I gained a quarter of an inch in 3 places.  Overall inches lost this month was only 1.75.  I can do better than that.  Anyway, grand total loss since September is just over 23 inches, and I'm down a total of 65 pounds since March.  Woot. 

Olive Garden made me go to the gym.

So, Anchorage FINALLY  has an Olive Garden.  It's been open for a week, which means if you want to get in, you have to get there an hour before it opens and stand in line.  So I did.  It was -10 outside.  Where I stood for 45 minutes.  In my defense, the breadsticks were fresh and seriously amazing.  However, I'm good not going again until my birthday in June. 

Then Sunday was volleyball, so I got a good workout then too.  Even if we did go to a local brewery and I ate way too many carbs.  But the grilled cheese sandwich I had was pretty hardcore tasty, so all those calories were worth it. ;) LOL

When the alarm clock rang this morning at 5:00 a.m., I was all set to turn it off and roll over and go back to sleep.  Then I realized something.  If I can stand for 45 minutes in -10 degree weather for breadsticks, I can roll my lazy self out of bed, suck it up for the 5 minute drive to the gym (and that's only if I catch all the red lights!) and work out.  So I did.  I'm glad I did.  I missed the gym.  I miss how great I feel after, and how it just sets a productive tone for the day. 



Well that was fun!

First off, I am a terrible, terrible gym rat.  Truth.  I haven't been to the gym in a week.  I know.  Go ahead and judge me.  I can take it.  I can list off excuse after excuse.  I'm really good at it.  Watch:  1) I didn't get enough sleep.  2) I slept funny and I'm sore.  3) I have a headache.  4) WAY too cold.  -12?  I am SO not rolling out of bed.  5)  I've got some other stuff I have to do this morning and won't have time. 

Honestly though?  It comes down to this:  I don't want to roll my lazy self out of bed.  Sure, all of those are legitimate and reasonable excuses to not work out.  But really?  They're just excuses.  I know this. 

But -12 really is too cold to go anywhere at any time, much less 5:00 a.m. LOL

Now, on to the fun part.  Hubby and I did go to the gym this morning.  I did my 30 minutes in the express circuit (think Curves.  Same thing), then moved over to the arc trainer, just like usual.  I was having a heck of a time keeping my heart rate down.  I'm huffing and puffing and trying to slow down without the machine turning off.  I was just kind of looking around trying to not focus so much on what I was doing.  (that usually helps.)  I glanced over to my left to the wall of mirrors.  I didn't recognize myself!  I seriously looked around for the skinny chick who got on the arc trainer between me and the wall!  It was fabulous!  And it wasn't even the seam on the mirror.  You know how sometimes if two panes of mirror are stuck together, and you stand right there, you look skinnier from a ways back?  Yeah, no, this was right smack dab in the middle of a panel.  SO excited. 

In RESOLVE group news, we are THISCLOSE to becoming official!  I just have to finalize the meeting place, get RESOLVE the info, and we're good to go!  Woot!



Your Shape

I bought my hubby Your Shape for Xbox Kinect for Christmas.  I finally got around to using it this weekend.  (because, you know, I buy him presents that *I* want to play with!) 

Holy.  Crap. 

First off, this game is amazing.  Creepy how far we've come from old school Nintendo.  This game measures your body for you.  It tells you how long your legs and arms are, where your joints are, how you stand, etc.  Then it takes your picture for your profile.  Then you do a fitness test, and it takes that score, and plans exercises for you based on that.  Yeah, all mine were squat based.  I hate squats. LOL  I was feeling ok on Saturday evening after I played.  A bit sore, but that "yeah, I just worked out" sore.  Sunday I thought I was going to die.  My thighs, hips, and butt hurt SO BAD.  It hurts to go from standing to sitting.  It hurts to go from sitting to standing.  It hurts to walk.  It hurts to breathe. 

So what did I do?  I went and played volleyball!  Actually while I was playing my muscles did loosen up quite a bit.  I've learned that all my serving power comes from my hips though.  I couldn't hit that stupid ball over the net to save my life.  We won both games though, so there's that.

Anyway, moral of the story is, if you have an Xbox and Kinect, go buy this game.  Right now.  It's fabulous and will absolutely kick your butt.

Just a couple quick updates

Soooo, today was weigh in day.  I lost THREE pounds! This makes me very happy.  I'm hoping I'm breaking out of this stupid plateau.  ::knock on wood::

I talked to the rep from RESOLVE today.  She's passing along the information to the head honcho chick, and that should be it!  They're gonna get us put up on the website, send me out my information packet and such, and we're official!  Woohoo!!   I've got a couple calls out for places to have it, so hopefully we can have our first meeting next month! 

Well, that's one way to cut calories...

So, Monday morning I had a pulmonary function test.  (More on that in a bit.)  So I woke up and got around for the day.  My stomach felt a bit wonky, but I figured it was just because I hadn't eaten since about 7:30 the night before.  Usually I snack around 9:30 or so.  Went and did my test, and still felt...off.  I was supposed to meet a friend in town for lunch and a movie, and had some time to kill, so I met my mom at Target.  Yeah, that's where it all went downhill.

As we were leaving, the omg-I'm-gonna-hurl feeling came by for a visit.  So I literally sat in the Target bathroom stall floor for probably 15 minutes trying to convince myself I was not going to pass out (or die) and I could make it to my truck to drive home.  Texted my friend and told her I was gonna need to take a raincheck.  Since she's awesome, she was already in that neck of the woods, so she came to rescue me. Walked me out to the truck and made sure I was ok to drive and such.  I did make it home, and proceeded to sleep all day.

It's hard to eat when, you know, you want to hurl.  Or when you're alseep.  I had a total of about 500 calories on Monday, and it was all Saltines.  Awesome.  Tuesday I stayed home from work.  By Tuesday night, I was feeling a bit better, so I had some noodles from my favorite Chinese place.  That upped my calorie intake a bit. LOL  Feel close enough to human to go to work today, but the thought of eating still makes me a bit queasy.  We will see how it goes.

Now, back to the test I had.  I took the first section of the test, which was the part to see how hard and fast you can blow out, and the tech says "Yeah, we're going to give you a breathing treatment."  Awesome.  After the breathing treatment though, I rocked it. LOL  The second part was the absorption test.  I had to breathe in as deep as I could, then hold it for a few seconds, then breathe out.  I kinda failed that part too, but that's not surprising given my sarcoidsosis diagnosis.  Now the fun part.  The third part was to see about lung volume.  I rocked this part so much.  The tech says they see the highest numbers in people that exercise regularly, and he was very impressed with my numbers. :)  He said a lot of techie stuff that he had to dumb down for me.  Basically though, the lung learns to compensate, and it can be trained like a muscle.  When you exercise, it learns to take in more air the harder you work.  And mine works great. LOL  It's the little things in life, ya know? :)

And for the RESOLVE update:  I got an email back this morning, and I should be expecting a phone call for the phone interview!  Yay!!! 

Is it a plateau if I'm just lazy?

According to the scale, I have lost zero weight so far this month.  Depending on the day, I may have even gained a pound or two.  Ack.  Thing is, I know exactly what the issue is.

The issue is that I'm getting burned out.  Not on wanting to be healthy, and not on exercise.  I actually love going to the gym.  I love how it makes me feel for the rest of the day, and I love how because I do go, I can do other things in life that I couldn't before.  Like walk up the 5 steps to my second-floor apartment and not be out of breath. LOL  I don't have any desire to stop counting calories, because I know exactly what will happen if I do stop.  I'm just tired I guess.  My heart isn't in it like it used to be.  It's more a habit now, which I know is a good thing.  But it's harder for me to get up in the mornings and go to the gym because I've lost that fire.  I kinda don't care much anymore. 

I know the logical answer would be to either a) relax on it and take a "break" from being so strict.  Go on maintenance mode and just focus on not ganing, or b) push through it and just suck it up. 

The problem with option a...I just did that!  That's what the entire month of December was!  I ate junk food for a month.  It's very difficult to go back to eating non-junk food after that.  The issue with option b...when I tell myself I HAVE to do something, I get rebellious.  I know it makes no sense because nobody else is telling me what I can or cannot do.  But it's kind of like when you tell yourself you won't think about chocolate cake.  What's the one thing you will think about?  Chocolate cake.  So telling myself "you have to eat only healthy food and no junk and you will work out 5 days a week for an hour.  Period!"  is the best way to get me to do the exact opposite. LOL

So my solution?  I splurged this weekend.  A lot, actually.  And to be honest, I feel awful, physically.  I'm tired, I'm lethargic, and all I want to do is sit around and veg out.  I don't like this feeling.  I'm hoping that going nuts this weekend, and feeling how crappy I used to feel all the time will help motivate me to behave from now on. LOL

In other news, I did hear back from RESOLVE.  I returned my Host Application, and I should hear back within two weeks.  If everything on the application looks good, they will want to schedule a phone interview.  If that goes well, they will put the group on the list on the website, and send me a packet on how to get started marketing the group and such.  Yay!

I'm a terrible gym rat.

I skipped the gym again today.  I know, I know.  It's awful! 

In my defense, it apparently snowed like a big dog last night.  The weatherman was calling for between 9-18 inches between last night and today.  I don't know that we got THAT much, but it did snow, and I'm really not looking forward to driving to work today.  Even in Alaska, when it snows, people get dumb.

I had a slight non-scale setback last night.  I went to Nordstrom to buy boots.  I want the knee-high boots that have a motorcycle boot feel to them.  You know, buckles and stuff.  Found a pair I LOVED.  I couldn't get it up over my calf.  Found another pair I really liked.  Same deal.  When did my calves get so big again?? LOL  Then I went home and looked online at the width on them.  The first pair was 14", the second was 12.  TWELVE inches.  Yeah my calf is still like 16 or something.  But you know what?  I have a rocking calf muscle, so screw them and their tiny legs anyway.

Plus, my husband rocks.  As we left Nordstrom, we passed Journey's.  There were boots on the wall.  They're beautiful.  Amazing.  I've wanted these boots for years.  He let me try them on.  Then he let me buy them!  So, I am now the proud owner of Converse Chuck Taylor BOOTS.  Yes.  I own Chuck boots.



Aren't they fabulous??  If I could get away with wearing them at work, I would absolutely wear them every single day.  Love. These.  Shoes. 

Just an update on the support group... I'm still waiting to hear back from RESOLVE.  Unfortunately, the email address I was given kept coming back as undeliverable.  So I called the main number and got the email address for the woman who "does all the support group stuff."  I sent her an email yesterday, so hopefully she gets back to me soon!  Thanks for all the love and support with this everybody.  :)

I guess I should practice what I preach...

After posting the blog yesterday, I was doing a lot more thinking.  I can post all I want about how these subjects need to be more well known, and brought into the spotlight.  Women need not be ashamed if they are dealing with m/c, pregnancy loss, or infertility.  But if I don't actually DO something to help the process, what's the point?

So, I've been in contact with RESOLVE about starting a support group in my area.

I'm kind of terrified. LOL

I'm waiting to hear back from them with an information packet, and more details on how to proceed.  I'll keep you updated!

And now, let's get personal.

Today, we're going to chat about a taboo topic.  ::GASP::

Miscarriage and pregnancy loss. 

As you know (or will know if you read back a few posts) this is a subject kind of personal to me, seeing as how I'm just coming off a miscarriage of my own.  While my family and friends were supportive and amazing, I still felt kind of alone.  Why was this happening to me?  Women have healthy babies every day.  Why me?  Why am I such a freak that I can't carry a baby?  Then I did some research.

According to The American Pregnancy Association, here's some stats on m/c and pregnancy loss:

There are approximately 6 million pregnancies every year throughout the United States:

4,058,000 live births
1,995,840 pregnancy losses

Wait what?  1,995,840 pregnancy losses??  That's right.  This is a common occurance, as sad as it is.  Why don't you hear more about it? 

I understand that the road to a baby is a very private, personal journey.  But what about when there's a bump - or a roadblock, minor detour, or the whole stinking road just got ripped up? 

There are awareness walks and events for all forms of cancer, for MS, for all manner of other diseases.  As well there should be.  But what about infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy loss?  Where's the awareness for that?  It happens, and it sucks.  A lot.   There is an organization that is trying to bring infertility more into the spotlight.  Resolve is the National Infertility Association.  It's a great resource if you or someone you know are dealing with infertility.

Now that I've said all that, let me be clear...THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD GO ASK SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR REPRODUCTIVE PLANS.  Ever.  Unless a woman is physically giving birth in front of you at that moment, do not ask if she is - or when she plans to become - pregnant.   Just don't do it.  While yes, the subject of infertility and pregnancy loss as a whole shouldn't be taboo, a person's journey is none of your business until they bring it up.  That couple you ask when they're going to have kids could have just been to the doctor for her D&C after a missed m/c.  That woman you ask if she wants to have kids could be going though infertility treatments because she can't get pregnant.  I can tell you from personal experience that when people ask your plans for children when it's all you want out of life but just can't get pregnant, it rips your heart out.   

So please, be available if one of your friends or family comes to you for support.  Do research on helping someone through their rough time.  Look up helpful things to say/do.  Look up what not to say/do.  Don't be afraid to ask more questions, once the subject has already been brought up.

Why yes, I am kind of hardcore.

Soo, this morning, my alarm goes off at 5:00, just like it always does.  I was not impressed, just like I never am.  I spent about 10 minutes debating whether or not I really wanted to roll out of my nice cozy bed and go out and play in the -5 (or -8, depending on which thermometer I was looking at) temp to go to the gym.  It is *really* cozy in my bed ya know.  So I got up and put on my workout clothes. 

Here, actually, is non-scale victory #1.  I worked out in my husband's undershirt.  The undershirt that I used to refuse to wear because it touched me and was way too tight.  Today it was loose enough to work out in.  Woot. 

Anyway, I got to the gym and did my normal 30 minute Express Circuit at Planet Fitness.  Except there were a couple of people hogging the machines I needed at the end, so I went off and did some backwards crunches.  The kind where you lay flat on a bench, and bring your knees up to your chest.  Holy lower ab workout, batman!  After those two people left, I went back and finished my circuit.  Well, at this point I had only burned like 300 calories.  That's just not enough for me.

Insert non-scale victory #2.  So, when I started working out a few years ago (only lasted a few months) I attempted to use the Arc Trainer at Planet Fitness.  Yeah...that didn't work out so well for me.  3 minutes in, and I was done.  Fixing to fall off of it, head pounding b/c my heart rate was so high kind of done.  Today, I rocked that Arc Trainer for 20 minutes, and only got out of my zone ONCE.  And only by 2 BPM (beats per minute). And I was able to adjust so that I got right back into my zone with no issue.  Totally made my whole morning!  For those of you who don't know, this is an arc trainer: 

And I rocked a total calorie burn of 541 for 50 minutes of exercise.  Woot.

OH!  Speaking of awesome calorie burns.  Go buy Just Dance 3.  Right now.  It's fabulous.  I bought it for the hubby for Christmas, and we finally played last night.  SO MUCH FUN.  (Also, I stomped his butt.  I win.)  I did about 4-5 songs, total of 30 minutes.  I only turned my heart rate monitor on during the songs, so it didn't count my heart rate during down time.  Just during the songs, I burned a total of 211 calories.  Not bad for my "rest day" huh?  Love!

Friend Making Mondays

So my sister frequents a blog called All the Weigh.  It's another weight loss journey blog.  It's pretty fabulous.  I tend to lurk there quite often myself.

Anyway, on Mondays, she does Friend Making Mondays.  She posts a topic, and you blog on it, then post your blog link in the comments.  Yay for shared readers!  I've decided to participate today. Fun, right?  Right.

Today's subject is Goals for 2012.  I know I've touched on this a little, but it's good to keep goals in the forefront of your mind so you don't forget them.

My goals for 2012 are:

• Lose at least 1 pound a week.  I particpate in a challenge on the Lose It! forums, and I'd really like to help my team out by posting some nice losses.  As long as I lose at least 1 a week, I'll be happy. 
• Get pregnant and have a healthy take home baby.  Obviously, this goal will render goal one moot, but that's ok.  I want to have a healthy pregnancy, and if that includes not losing weight, I am perfectly ok with that.  Obviously this does not mean go all discovery channel fat kid, but not losing a pound a week is acceptable if I'm pregnant.
• Get back on track with my healthy habits.  I had a terrible eating month last month, and I also slacked on the workouts.  It was nice to "relax" a bit, but it's very hard to get back into good habits.  I'd much rather just stay in good habits from now on, thanks.

So there's my goals for the year.  So far, I'm doing pretty well.  I have worked out both yesterday and today.  I went with 1 of 4 today, and she showed me the routine her personal trainer taught her.  I found my triceps, and they were not impressed with being woken up.  I'm not entirely convinced they're not planning a revolt.  Seriously. LOL

Thanks for stopping by!

Measurements Day!

Today was measurement day.  Oh dear. LOL  I have not been good the past month.  I've been very bad, even.  I've skimped on the working out, I upped my calorie intake, and haven't been eating healthy foods.  It's been ugly.

That being said - I DID NOT GAIN ANY INCHES!  I even lost 3 total!  Woot.  I lost 1 from just under my bust, 1 from just above my belly button, and .25 from both my hips and left bicep.  I'll take it!  I also am at the same weight I was at Dec. 1.  Like I said before, given my crappy eating habits over the past month, I'll take it!

Yesterday I ate pizza rolls.  A lot of pizza rolls.  I feel like warmed up crap today.  Next time I want pizza rolls, remind me of this ok?  If the grocery store is open, I'm totally buying them out of green beans.  I miss vegetables!