My body is revolting..

against me..  for realz..  it's true.

I always knew that Mac was truly a miracle and now I really know for sure. Are you ready for this? (I'm not sure I am.. )
I'm in MENOPAUSE..  (take a minute, let it sink in... )
Crazy huh??  I just turned 40.. 
I just had a nearly perfect pregnancy and delivery.. 
Apparently, I'm a freak of nature. (not really, but you know me, I tend to be on the dramatic overexxagerative side) Actually, after doing a LOT of reading on the subject, it's not that uncommon for this to happen.. 
I knew the night sweats, lack of weight loss even though my band has been working well and the crazy mood swings weren't just due to leftover pregnancy hormones.. I'm telling you, trust your instincts when it comes to your body and what it's telling you. When I asked my dr. if it was possible, she shrugged me off completely but did some tests b/c I had some white blood cells in my urine, thinking that I just had a UTI or bladder infection..   turns out my FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) was through the roof high and my Estrogen levels were through the roof LOW.. 
The NP actually said it was really amazing and fortunate that I was even ever able to get pregnant and have such a successful pregnancy. 

Counting my blessings for sure this holiday season!!


Speaking of said miracle..  could you just die over this sweet little Christmas present??

Catching Up..

I feel like I've used that blog title before but am too darn lazy to go back to see if I have!! :)

Once again, I've been neglecting my blog!! I have been reading all your blogs but keep forgetting to update mine! 

Let's see, where to begin.. 

1. Thanksgiving was good. I survived my BIL again this year. We actually got along which I think made my husband very happy and appreciative. There of course were little digs here and there and of course he got drunk, but by the time that happened, my girlfriends had come and we were too engrossed in conversation for me to even pay him any mind.

2.  My band is working like a rockstar!! I finally got down to almost where I was pre-pregnancy and am consistently losing.  I'm still about 15lbs higher than I was pre-baby Mac, but my clothes are all starting to fit well and I can put away some of the bigger stuff again (I should just get rid of it b/c I don't intend on fitting into them any time ever again!!) I have a pretty good level of restriction but there are some days when eating is really hard.. and then there are days when I barely eat anything b/c food just doesn't sound appetizing to me. I wish I could find a happy medium. I think I still want to lose about another 80 lbs which would take me to a total of 140 lost when all is said and done.

3.  I start a Pilates class on Thursday and am soo excited!! My gym had a really good Black Friday deal for a private session and 6 reformer sessions and I couldn't pass it up.  I took Pilates about 8 years ago and was amazed at how my body changed, so I'm ready for that transformation to start again!!

4.  I have my annual Holiday Cookie Party tomorrow. I have about 18 women coming to my house which is bananas and there will be more cookies than we know what to do with!! Excited to drink some wine and have some girl time with my girls!!

5.  Mac is still just awesome!!!  He's growing so much and is starting to have a really funny personality!! Michelle came over this weekend to take his pictures for our Christmas cards. I won't post a pic until after I've sent out my cards, even though I'm dying for you all to see how wonderful they turned out!!!  Girl has a true gift!!! 

In the meantime, I'll tide you over with a cute pic that I took on Sunday of him.. it was COLD here!!!  (Cold for AZ means in the 40s and 50s!!)

Ta Ta for Now!!!

Gobble Gobble..

wow, when I go on a blog writing break, I really overdo it!! It's been a couple of weeks since my last post and there's no particular reason for the lapse in posting, life just gets in the way.

So, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I gotta be honest, I'm just not feeling it this year. Could be a myriad of reasons:

• I'm sick as a dog (not really but I like to exaggerate a bit) but really, am not feeling well and have no motivation to cook/eat anything
• I have to spend it with my asshole brother in law.. because that's just the right thing to do....but he pretty much ruins any holiday or any occasion I get to spend with him
• I miss my family. I want my brother and niece and nephew to meet Mac. I want him to see Nana and Chief.  We're not spending Christmas together either and that just makes me sad.  I hate that it costs the same as a flight to Japan just to go to Michigan these days.. ridic. I miss my cousin Karen. Holidays always meant spending time with her.. 
• Thanksgiving is about family and since it's just me, Timmy and Mac, it just doesn't feel like it should..
• My band is so tight lately. could be the mucous built up in my throat and draining or it could just be that I need an unfill..  so mashed potatoes will be my BFF tomorrow.

Despite my pathetic Thanksgiving avoidance above, I am still thankful for lots of things, including:

• My sweet husband who took care of me and Mac last night when I was lying in bed, pathetic from the sickness (and takes care of me daily!)
• My sweet little Miracle Mac, who, despite our faults, loves us completely unconditionally and has changed out lives in unmeasurable ways.
• My friends.. both here and all over the country, but especially the ones who live here in AZ who provided me with such support, guidance and love over the last year..and as always, my sisters in Chicago!
• My lapband - it single handedly gave me back myself, helped me have a baby and brought me to the people here in blogland.. Antonio is my hero!!

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving and eat as much as your lapband will allow!! :)

xoxo,js

Halloween, Half-Marathons and Crazy Hair..

Hi All!! Just when I think I'm going to start blogging regularly, I can't seem to make it happen!! I've been wanting to do a blog for the past week but work has been pretty steady and I don't get anything done on the computer at home..  

So, anywho.. how are ya'll? We are good here!  Winter arrived in AZ this weekend and didn't really give us any notice.. I mean, for most of you who live in the Midwest and East Coast, what we have for weather would be considered Spring-like but in AZ, when it gets into the 40s/50s.. it's COLD!!!  I don't know what happened to my thick skin but I'm a complete wuss now! 

Halloween was good.. not a whole lot of excitement since Mac is really too young to enjoy any of the trick or treating or candy free-for-all that comes with Halloween. He was a lobster for Halloween and Michelle took these super cute pics of him:

How cute is he??  I just loved these pics of him!!  It was too warm for him to wear his costume on Halloween though.. 

He's awesome and super fun these days.. he's just so smiley all the time! I think I really lucked out with an easy peasy baby!

This weekend we did the Women's Half Marathon again.  It was fine but my legs are killing me today!! I am going to try to start a running program so that I can maybe do the "Pat's Run" which is in April. It's 4.2 miles and that gives me 6 months to train so just maybe I can become a runner and then next year, at the 1/2 marathon, I could do a mix of both running and walking b/c I gotta tell you, walking 13.1 miles BLOWS!!! So boring!! And if I can figure out a way to be on my feet for less time, I'm doing it.. 

here we are at the starting line.. it was 41 and chilly! 

 And here we are at the finish. I have to say I hate these pics of me, and am not happy with the way I look, but I know I'm going to keep working at it to get to where I need to be.

I got a fill last week and am happy to say I'm finally really moving down the scale a bit.  I was down 5lbs in two weeks on the Dr's scale! Woohoo!!  This level of restriction is really really good. I just need to get my mind to remember that I can't eat breads and pastas or I'm stuckity stuck big time.. 

So, that's about all I have. I still wanted to do a 2 year band anniversary post but now I'm a few weeks out from that.  maybe I'll get to it sometime soon!  Hope you are all well.  Here's one last pic of my crazy haired little cutie!  

xo,js

My VERY First BYOC!!! (and got my BOOBs bag!!)

It’s Friday and time for BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy! A couple of questions we answer to get to know each other better and to give our blogging brains a break. Copy to your own blog and enjoy!



This week my questions are going to themed…as in they are all about blogging and just to throw you off – there are more than 5 this time!!

1. When did you begin blogging? Do you plan to do it a long time or do you think you’ll stop after a while?


I think I started on this blog in August, 2009? I blogged for years on a site called Multiply but gave up on that b/c there was a lot of drama and it was stressing me out and so not worth it! I think I'll keep up with it b/c I do enjoy writing out the things that go on day to day..

2. What do you enjoy more - blogging yourself or reading other’s blogs?


I really enjoy reading other's blogs. I get so much good information and enjoyment out of reading about people's lives!  I guess I'm kind of a voyeur like that.  I like to blog myself, but there are times when I really have nothing to say!!


3. What’s the biggest thing blogging has taught you? Biggest surprise about blogging?

That I can be completely random!! I seriously sometimes look at the things I blog about and think "what in the hell were you thinking??!"  I'm actually surprised at how close people get through blogging.

4. Have you met any other bloggers in real life – solely because of your blog or theirs?

Yep, I have!  I've actually hung out with Jenny from NYC a few times and met Colleen from NYC as well last year.  I have also met Vickie a couple of times as well and Liz(Lizzy,Libby Lou) from here!

5. Does your blog have a general theme as in one topic or do you cover everything and anything?

I pretty much talk about anything. Nowadays it's generally all about Mac!  But I'm hoping to get back on track with the weight loss stuff.

6. Are you public or anonymous? Whichever you are – do you ever wish you were the other?


I'm pretty public.  I'm also not very shy in real life and generally say whatever is on my mind anyways, so I don't really hide much on my blog.  With that being said, I don't advertise my blog though so not everyone I know has read it! I pretty much shout from the rooftops that I had lap-band surgery as well and have found that it has garnered me tons of support that I didn't expect!
7. What’s your best blogging advice for a new blogger?


don't take things too personally. Like, if you don't have a ton of comments or a ton of followers.  I used to get all bent out of shape if I didn't get any comments but on the other hand, I don't often comment b/c I'm usually reading real quick, so I'm over that phase!  Put out there what you want to put out there and if you say something that poeple may not agree with, be prepared to have people disagree with you and be ok with it.
8. Does anyone in your real life read your blog/know it’s address? Do you wish they would or wouldn’t?

yes, I have a lot of "real life" friends who follow me and my family all know my blog/address. I'm good with whomever reads it.

9. Do you enjoy blogging or do you view it as a chore? How often do you blog?


I do enjoy blogging, just wish I had more to say and more time to actually sit down and do it.  I try to blog once a week, but it's becoming once every two weeks! Wish it were more.


10. Do you tell people in your real life that you blog? Or keep it a secret?

I do mention that I blog and if someone asks, I'll give them the address.


***I got my BOOBs bag yesterday and have to say Holy Balls!! You girls did fantastic with it!! Thanks soo much!!! ****

Hope everyone has a great weekend and if you are out celebrating Halloween adult style, be careful!! Pics on Monday of Mac in his little costume.. He's a LOBSTER!!!  Here's a sneaky peek:

Lordy, Lordy, Look who's 40!!!!

ME!!!!!

(the company I work for just got approval for lip indication for one our our drugs - thus the lips sucker!)

Yep, I turned the big 4-0 this weekend!!!  It was very anti-climactic..  40 doesn't feel much different than 39 or even 35 for that matter!! 

On Saturday, in lieu of doing our usual training walk, we opted to go to Pinnacle Peak and hike.  It's about a 4 mile hike and it was an absolutely gorgeous morning!  My cardio level is still not where I'd like to to be so I had to stop multiple times for air, but it was a really good workout!  My calves are killing me today! 

Saturday night, my husband had a party at a local sports bar/restaurant.  It was fun to have all my friends gathered together for some drinks and laughs!  Coupled with the amazing MSU/Wisconsin game, it turned out to be a spectacular night!! I drank entirely too many beers so I woke up with a slight headache yesterday morning and really wasn't up to doing much of anything on my actual birthday!! Timmy and Mac and I had a nice little lunch together and then just relaxed! All in all it was a fantastic birthday. I really kept saying to myself how lucky I felt, I have great friends, great family and the most fantastic two men in my life, Timmy and little Mac. Can't imagine life getting much better than it is!  Here's me and Melissa - she's one of my closest girlfriends and came in from Detroit to celebrate with me!

My two year band anniversary is coming up this weekend and while I am definitely not a success story (yet) I have a lot of thoughts on the last two year and why I'm so grateful for my band and the life it has given me (back!)  So, keep an eye out for that post!!

Hope you are all well and had fantastic weekends!!  Can you believe it's almost the end of October?? Holy smokerooooooosss...  

The big one..

Hey all! It's my birthday week!!  The big 4-0 is coming up this weekend and for the first time in years, I haven't been all consumed with my birthday!!!  I know it's a little selfish, but hey, when is ever just about you?? Really, only on your birthday!  This year is a little different thanks to the little man that has taken up the big hole that I didnt' even know I had in my life!! 

I can't even begin to put into words what joy Mac has brought me these last 3 months..  I guess the perfect example is last night, I went out to Happy Hour with my girls from work and while I love to go out and do fun stuff, all I kept thinking was I couldn't wait to get home to Mac and smother him with kisses and snuggles!!  I was bummed when I got home and Tim had not only already bathed him, but fed him and put him down for the night..  I mean, how can you not just melt when you see this little face: (he wasn't feeling well on this date, which explains the bags under his little eyes!) 








So, enough about the baby. I need to commit to talking about weight loss b/c that's what this blog was originally about, right?  I'm happy to say I'm finally losing again! I have been to my dr twice in the last month and gotten a total of 3 cc's put back in my band, which brings me up to 8 cc in a 14 cc band.  I'm finally feeling restriction and have lost about 5 lbs since last Tuesday. Woot Woot!!! My pre-preggo clothes still do not all fit, but I'm getting there.  I still have about 20 to go before I'm back at my lowest and then I want to lose another 50 to get to what I feel will be my ideal weight.  I'm motivated now that I know my band is working (it was always working, I just wasn't working it well!)  If only I could cut out the crap from my diet now!!!  I'm eating so much less but I'm still not making 100% of the right choices. I did have to go cold turkey on the Diet Coke this week. I picked it up after I had Mac and was having WAY too much and not enough water. Two days in and I'm not dying or shaking yet..  I've done it before and will do it again. My workouts are getting more frequent and I'm hoping to add more each week. I'm still training for the 1/2 we are walking in November so last weekend we did 12 miles..  it was ridiculous.. I hate walking but I did it b/c now I just feel guilty that my friends signed up for this thing and if I didn't show up to train, I'd somehow be letting them down..  but I keep showing up, hating every minute of it!! :)

I'm back to work and it's fine.  It truly is like I never left!  The one good thing is now I'm forced to leave at 5 to pick up Mac from daycare.  Speaking of daycare, it's going wonderful!! If he could talk, I think he'd say he loves it!! His daycare provider just loves him and he lights up whenever he sees her!! She takes such good care of him while he's there, which makes it easier to not miss him so much while I'm at work! Last week, she was off for two days so Michelle graciously offered to watch him... she took these gorgeous pictures of him.. 

She has a gift for capturing the most beautiful shots!!!  She should really make a career out of taking pics!!!

As I mentioned earlier, this weekend is my 40th. My girlfriend Melissa is coming in from Detroit tonight and Timmy is throwing me a little party at a local bar/restaurant so it should be super fun!!! I'm so not stressed about turning 40 b/c I feel good about myself, my family and where I'm at in my life...  there's not much better than that!!!

Hope you are all well!! 

***OH!!! And I won the BOOBs swag bag today!!! I'm so freaking excited b/c I NEVER win anything!!! *** I'm sooooo going to BOOBs next year!! Thanks girls!!

Back to Reality..... Sad vs. Happy...

Sad:            My baby boy started daycare this week (yesterday)
Happy:        He seemed to do well and my heart didn't hurt too much while he was gone!

Sad:            My 12 weeks of maternity leave are coming to an end on Thursday
Happy:        I will be rejoining the land of the adult conversation!!! I'm actually excited to go back to            the land of adult conversation!!!  And having a schedule that doesn't involve diaper changes and feeding and cleaning my house!

Happy:        My girlfriends came to visit a couple of weeks ago to meet and hang out with Mac.
Sad:            They left!!!  Seriously, I have the greatest group of friends in the world.  I don't think I'll ever meet people like these girls. They just get me and there's no expectations, no drama, just caring friendship and tons of fun!

Sad:            My weight is slowly moving down but I'm still not in much of my pre-preggo clothes
Happy:        Amy sent me a GINORMOUS box of clothes to get me by until I'm back        down!!! Including some of the stuff I had sent her previously(well, that's kind of sad though!)

Sad:            My 40th birthday is in 3 weeks and I have no big trip planned, no party planned, nothing...I'm usually the party planner or assistant so unless I do it myself, I guess it's not going to happen..

Happy:       My friend Melissa just let me know that she's coming into town that weekend and it looks like   my friends Angela and Ian may as well so now it looks like we have to plan something!

Looks like you all had a blast in Chicago!!! I would love to come to one of these shin-digs! maybe next year??
Well, I'm off to enjoy these last two days of absolute freedom by getting a pedi and doing some shopping!! Enjoy your week! Oh!  and GO BREWERS!!!!!!  (we are going to the game tonight, hope they win and SWEEP the Diamondbacks!!)

All Mixed Up....

Hi all!  Hope you have all been well!  We just got back from a weeklong vacation/visit with my parents in Michigan and it was heavenly!! I'll talk about that in a bit..

Before I say what I am about to say, let me say that YES, I know that I recently had a baby, I know that things take time, etc, etc... so no need to remind me of these things!

I am FRUSTRATED!  I am so frustrated with the lack of weight loss since I had Mac.  I am at the point that I was almost 2 years ago before I had the band with how I feel about myself.  I'm disgusted when I look at myself, my self-confidence that had finally gotten better after 80+lbs lost is in the dumps and I can't find anything within myself to make things better. I need the Band's help. Right now, my restriction is not so good. I have an appointment on Thursday so I'm hoping that she can get me more of an aggressive fill so that at least I know it's there and is helping me with portion control.  My food choices need to change as well. I don't know what is wrong with me. I seem to have no self-control when it comes to the bad food choices.  I mentioned to my friends last week when we were walking for our 1/2 marathon training and my friend Jen said to me.. "what I think is going on is that before, you were seeing results and you were optimistic so you kept committing to seeing more results, you just now need to get back into that frame of thinking/mind"... this is so, so true. When I was losing consistently, it was enough for me to keep plugging away at it.  Now, I don't see results so my brain goes back into that "woe is me, I'll be fat forever" dialogue it has with itself.  I go back to work in a little over 2 weeks and I'm embarrassed that I still look semi-pregnant.  I need a swift kick in the ass from somewhere and it needs to happen soon.

I'm also extremely hormonal lately and could cry at the drop of a hat..  I keep saying I'm already going through the "change" b/c I haven't had my period yet and I'm almost 10 weeks PP and I keep having hot flashes in addition to a couple of other things.   I need to get to a dr to figure out what's going on..

I'm a mess.

Let's talk about something more positive shall we?  As I mentioned, Mac and I went to Michigan to visit Nana and Chief for a week. It was a nice break from the heat we'd been having (although it decided to cool down in AZ the minute we left!! and Heat up as soon as we returned.. go figure!) Mac met a LOT of people while there and was quite popular!! He finally got to meet his Great Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill (AJ and UB to me!) They are the parents of my cousin, whom we lost this spring.  This was the first time I've seen them since the funeral and it was hard to be at their house b/c I just kept expecting Karen to come down the steps into the kitchen. I had to hold back tears several times... It sucks. I know things won't ever be the same Up North without her but I hope the sadness gets a little lighter every visit.

Ok, now I'm going to end this Pity Party with some pics of Mac.. the kid is growing up too fast!!  He had his 2 month visit today and poor guy got 2 shots and was not happy.. his current stats are:
weight:  13.3 lbs
height:  24 3/4 inches (seems he's going to be a tall one! Not sure where he got his height from!)

he's already learning how to drive the boat at 2 months.. I'm almost 40 and I still don't know how to!!

resting his head on his favorite shoulder - Chief's!

getting to change up the outfits and wear something other than just a onesie was nice!

meeting his Aunt Molly for the first time!!! She really liked him!

Loved being able to snuggle up in a warm blanket!

My own personal protection service.. I mean, who's going to mess with him?? 

**Quick shout out to Nancy D, who reminded me that I needed to blog more!***

Reunited, and it feels so.....different?

Hi all, well, today I went in to my lapband doctor for the first time since December 3rd!! 

There was a new Dr there b/c apparently my normal doc is about a week away from having a baby herself!  I really liked the new doctor and am glad to see they have additional help there b/c normally it takes forever once you get into the office.

Once she reviewed my history and we discussed my current situation, she decided to check my fill level to make sure nothing had disappeard in the 9 months since I was last adjusted.  All 4cc were there so we decided to add a cc and then I'll go back in a few weeks for another fill and we'll just keep adjusting until I get up to where I was pre-Mac..  I'm excited. She's pretty aggressive and since I've never had any issues with being overfilled or anything, she's willing to give me good size fills until I get to the green zone.  I thought for sure she'd have an issue finding my port since things have gotten a little jumbled up in that area, but she was up for the challenge and found it in no time. So, me and Antonio (Band-eras) are officially reunited!!

Meanwhile, not a whole heck of a lot else going on here!!  It's hotter than balls here and it's pretty much making everyone miserable.. I was finally given the all clear from my OB to be able to start working out and get in the pool and I've taken advantage of both clearances!! I started my 1/2 marathon training last week again.. my body is clearly going to take some time to get back to where it was pre-baby.. my hips were killing me the entire 5+ miles we walked on Sunday am..  add to the fact it was 100 degrees at 6:00 am when we started, it was pretty pathetic.. OH, and add to that that I had gone out for "mom's night out" with some girlfriends the night before and drank about a bottle of wine, ooooof, I was a mess!!!  Surprisingly, I can walk today and have a little pain in my hips and back..  I'll get there, it'll just hurt while getting there!!

My sister in Law, Beth came for a short weekend last week and it was wonderful to have her!!  She helped us out soo much, made like 10 meals for us to freeze and have at a later date and just held Mac and let me come and go as I pleased (like going out to get a pedi!) I've always loved and appreciated Beth and knew how lucky I was that she came into our family, but I realized so much more how important she is when she was here!  We really had never gotten a chance to spend any one on one time together... LOVE HER!!

Mac is great!  He's going through a little 6-7 week fussy phase.. but it's truly not that bad. HE just seems a little overly grumpy.  I keep chalking it up to the heat as well, b/c that sure has made me grumps!! He is still keeping a pretty busy social schedule still.. lots of lunches and visitors! We are headed up to Northern Michigan next Friday for a little over a week! HOpefully, the change in weather and some quality time with his Nana and Chief will work wonders for both of our moods!!

I head back to work on October 6th and I can honestly say, I"m not looking forward to it. At week 2, when I was so overwhelmed with being a new mom and just tired, I couldn't wait to get back to work.. but now that it's looming closer and closer and I've been having such a nice time connecting with Mac and my girlfriends, I'm going to be sad to see all this freedom go away!  I will be glad to get back to the people I work with b/c I do miss them, even though I see a few of them quite frequently!

Ok, I've rambled on too much!!!  Here are some new pics of Macadoo! Hope you are all well!

checking out his SMILE!!!

Getting ready for his 1st swim in the pool!

xo,js

Getting Back in the Game..

hey all! 

well, here I am 5 weeks PM (post Mac) and I'm ready, I'm ready to commit myself to getting back in the band game.. every time I look at myself, I reminded of where I came from a year ago... I'm not loving the way I look right now. I know that I just had a child 5 weeks ago, but it's tough seeing yourself having gained almost 1/2 of the weight you had previously lost back..  so, I'm ready to be that Jen again and keep moving down the scale!!  I started last night with a really really slow 2.5 mile walk and today I feel like I ran a 1/2 marathon!!!  My whole body just aches!!  Going back out again this evening when Timmy gets home and have a plan to keep on walking until next week when hopefully my dr. gives me the all clear to start really working out again.  I'm re-joining Lifetime next week and I have a plan to do a couple of classes each week with Michelle and then start some training sessions again with Kathi.. 

Speaking of 1/2 marathons..  I'm doing the Women's 1/2 again this year.  This is one that I walked with the Jens last year.  We're supposed to have started our training this past weekend, but since I was dealing with the infection and all, we are a week behind..  that's part of my motivation to get moving again!!  Can't let my girls down!!

Went to the dr again today to check on the status of my incision infection and looks like it's almost all cleared up!!  Unfortunatly, the anitbiotics have caused a yeast infection which is somewhat unpleasant but hopefully that will all be cleared up by next week's visit!  (sorry for the TMI!)  So, I go back next week for my 6 week post-partum visit.  Crazy to think that I've been going to the dr. every week for the past almost 3 months.. I don't know what I'll (or they'll) do without seeing me every week!!!

I'm planning on making an appointment with my band dr. as soon as I see my OB/Gyn next week.  I do have some restriction lately so that's a good thing, but honestly, it comes and goes and it needs to be here to stay!!!

I'll leave you with some new pics of Mac!   Hope you are all doing well!!!  xo,js

Mac at his ped appointment! He's up to 10 lbs 13 oz and has grown 2 inches since birth!!!

Love those chubby cheeks!!!

Too cool for school!

Mac pointing out the flamingoes on his first trip the zoo, which BTW was a horrible idea since it was 300 degrees!! Maybe we'll go back during the zoo lights at Christmas!! maybe.. 

A Couple Steps Forward and One Step Back... and the survey everyone else is doing!

Hi All!! 
Trying to keep up to date on Blogger with a 3 week old is exhausting!!  I find myself reading blogs late at night or during Mac's meals.. usually on my phone with one hand!! So, I try to comment, but it's hard!!!

We are doing well.. Mac is growing like a weed!  He's 3 weeks today and I already can't imagine what my life was like 3 weeks ago!!  I am introducing him to a very busy social schedule!! We have lots of lunches and visits from friends.  Thank god for my friend Michelle who has been soo helpful in keeping us busy and entertained and just there when I need some mom advice! 

I, unfortunately, have an infection in my c-section incision, which completely blows...  it's so gross. I'm on heavy antibiotics and am keeping everything crossed that when I go in for a follow-up on Friday, I don't get sent directly to the hospital to get things taken care of..  that would not be good b/c there would be a chance I would have stay overnight.  So, please think good thoughts!! 

I just booked a ticket for Mac and me to Michigan in September and can't wait!! It'll be nice to get away from this ridiculous heat we are experiencing here!!! Today it was 115 and boiling!!!  What I wouldn't give to get in the pool right now!! 

So, since everyone else is doing it, I thought I would do the fun little survey going around...



1. What is your occupation right now ?


I am currently staying at home as a mom for the next 9 weeks, but on October 6th, I go back to my regular job as a Senior Assistant to the VP of Marketing of a Pharmaceutical Company.. not what I went to school for but I LOVE my job.. I get paid very well as an assistant and my boss completely rocks.
2.What color are your socks right now?

I live in Az..  no socks required!!


3. What are you listening to right now?

SYTYCD on TV.. husband rambling about something behind me..

4. What was the last thing that you ate?

bacon and eggs.. Breakfast was for dinner!

5. Can you drive a stick shift?

yep, I learned to drive on a stick.. and had several in my life..


6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

my mom.. we talk everyday now!!

7. Do you like the person you stole this blog from?

yes! 

8. How old are you today?

39...  40 is quickly approaching in about 2 months!!! YIKES!!!

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?

College Football and BBall


10. What is your favorite drink?

water, diet coke, Iced Tea and BEER!

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?

um yeah.. the jury is out on what my natural color is these days!!!


12. Favorite food?

Buffalo Chicken wings.. or just put buffalo sauce on anything and I'll eat it!!

13. What is the last movie you watched?

We saw "Friends with Benefits" this weekend... totally LAME!!!


14. Favorite day of the year?

I used to love, love, love my birthday but now I just spend the entire month celebrating!! So, i would say my favorite day has always been Thanksgiving!!  It's such a low-key, chill holiday and you don't have to have crazy expectations!

15. How do you vent anger?

Oh, I'm a yeller..

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?

Barbies for sure

17. What is your favorite season?

I love Fall, but since we live in AZ and don't really get a fall, I'd say Winter in AZ b/c it's more fall-like than winter-like!!!

18. Cherries or Blueberries?
I love Cherries when I'm in Michigan.
When I was preggers, I ate blueberry everything and LOVED them!!

19. Do you want your friends to blog this survey?

I think pretty much everyone has already!

20. Where is you favorite place to escape?

I like me some pedis or the movies!!

21. Favorite Tv Show?

now is not a good time to ask me b/c I'm currently watching a LOT of TV!!!  I love Reality and my current fave is Big Brother.. I do love Flipping Out and the Housewives shows too!


22. Living arrangements?

Live in N. Scottsdale with my hubs, the beags and my kiddo!


23. When was the last time you cried?

when haven't I cried?? I cry a lot thanks to these crazy hormones!!!


24. What is on the floor of your closet?

carpet and some laundry baskets


25. Who is the friend you have had the longest?

my friend Sandra and I met in 2nd grade and still talk sometimes!!! 


26. What did you do last night?

hmmm, I have  3 week old..  I slept, fed, slept, fed...

27. What are you most afraid of?

snakes

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?

cheeseburger

29. Favorite dog breed?

I have two beagles so I guess I'd say Beags.

30. Favorite day of the week?

Friday

31. How many states have you lived in?

Michigan, California, Mississippi, Illinois, Minnesota, Arizona and then one country - Germany
32. Diamonds or pearls?

Diamonds

33. What is your favorite flower?

Peonies!

So Far Soooooo Good!

Hi all, well Mac has made it to almost 2 weeks old and is perfectly fine, so we must be doing something right!!

To say the last 2 weeks have been a complete rollercoaster would be an understatement. I will admit that the baby blues are no joke.. my hormone levels are beyond through the roof!!!!   But, all in all, this new mom gig is sooo worth it!!!

couple of thoughts before I bombard you with pics again!!

• My parents left on Saturday - it was so nice to have them here and so sad to see them go.  They were a tremendous help and we are trying to manage without them!! We miss them terribly.
• Mac had his first photoshoot on Saturday.  It's unbelievable how much more my heart swelled with love watching him be photographed by the amazing photographer we hired..  hopefully I'll have some good proofs to share soon. I did sneak a shot in while she wasn't looking and I've posted below!!
• My healing is moving right along.. I still have a lot of pain at night and my stomach is all sorts of jacked up from the c-section.  Everyday gets a little better.
• I'm down around 20 of the almost 50 I gained.  Hopefully this continues to move downward as well until I can get the all clear to work out. 
• I called to see about getting a fill yesterday. I'm ready and motivated to get back on the "band"wagon!  I just need to get the all clear from my OB when I go in on Thursday. I'm not breastfeeding (it just didn't work out for me OR Mac) so I'm hoping to get in to the Band Dr. in the next few weeks.

I think that's about all I have to update.  My life lately is pretty standard - wake up, feed Mac, entertain Mac, get stuff done while Mac sleeps, feed Mac, entertain Mac, and keep repeating..... 

Enjoy the pics!!  Hope everyone is well!!
xo,js

Family Shot

Just Mac!

snuck a shot in during his shoot!!

Mac with his Nana and Chief

Mac and his Daddy





Worth the Wait - Meet Mac!!!!

Hi All!! 

So sorry for the absence!! Had a really good reason though!! Baby Mac arrived last Wednesday, July 13th at 9:29 in the evening!!!   He was exactly 6 days past due!!! His stats were:  8 lbs 3 oz, 21 inches long.  But he was soooo worth the wait!! Here's my story!!!

For the last three weeks or so, I went to the dr. each week and when she would check my cervix, I was not appearing to be dilating at all.   Finally at 39 weeks, we talked about some things we could do to "ripen" my cervix to see if we could get me going.  So, 2 weeks ago, I went to the hospital to have some gels inserted to ripen my cervix (yes, it's just as fun and comfortable as it sounds!!!)  Went back to Dr. on Friday and still nothing..   we made a plan to have me go in on Wednesday, 7/13, evening, have Cervidil (another ripening albeit more strong gel) inserted and then the following morning, we'd check me and if I had made progress, we'd induce and if not, we'd go for a c-section.  Honestly, was totally fine with that option.  I went again on Tuesday morning to check things out and still nothing at all.  So, I asked, "why would we even do cervidil if nothing else has worked, why wouldn't we just go ahead with a c-section"..  she said it was my choice so I opted for a c-section, scheduled for Thursday, the 14th at 1:30...WELL, things did not go as planned b/c the next day, after we dropped my dad off for his dialysis (yes, my parents arrived almost a week early and just had to hang out and wait with me!! ) we headed to Target. In the car, I felt as if I might be peeing on myself and was like "you have got to be kidding me!!". So we got to Target, and I went to the bathroom, realized that I was not peeing, but my water had broken and came out to tell my mom.  I called Tim to come get me while my mom finished up what she needed to do and then go get my dad.  WE arrived at the hospital and determined that since I had just eaten (In N Out burger!!), I had to wait for 8 hours until we could go into surgery... so, that's what we did.  Just wait and wait and wait!!!  I was surprisingly calm until they came in to prep me and tell me what was going to go down.. then the nerves kicked in.  I was wheeled into the operating room around 9ish and at 9:29, Mac came right out!!!  Tim was very emotional, and I was just relieved!! Everyone kept saying how cute he was so I was anxious to see him!! When Tim brought him over to me, I just melted. It really is a miracle that he's here!  If you know my story, we never thought this would ever happen for us and everything just went text book and perfect and now we have the most beautiful addition to our family.  

We stayed in the hospital until Saturday morning ( had the option to stay until Sunday but I was moving around much more than expected so they gave us the OK to leave early)   The stay in the hospital was a little rough..  my emotions and stress level were through the roof and we had a LOT of visitors which was at times a little overwhelming for me.  Being home has been great, he's a great eater, sleeper and just all around an easily appeasable baby.  I hope this continues!!  My recovery has been a little slower than I'd like.  I had forgotten about little things like gas pains and it's been a bitch to sit down and stand up... I'm sooooo bruised as well.  Again, all worth it when I look at Mac!!! 

For those whom I'm friends with on Facebook, the below pictures you've already seen!!! Sorry for the photo bomb but I can't stop taking pictures of this little man!!!

Hope you are all well!! Trying to catch up on blogs!

xoxo
js

Mac - around 15 minutes old!

this is what he does ALOT!!!

Heading Home:

Chilling with his Chief (his grandpa)

Loves his giraffe!

Chill Baby

went for our first walk today!!!

Anniversary Post (aka: a picture history of the shrinking Stulls...)

Hi!

Last week was Timmy and my 9th anniversary. It's shocking to think that we've been together that long (not really that shocking, I just like to say that for dramatic purposes) ACTUALLY, we've been together 11 years next week but I guess you don't count that!!

Anyone who knows us knows that we have been through A LOT in the past 9 years and have perservered with the best of them!!!  It's exciting that we are starting our 9th year with something that we've been working on since our 2nd or 3rd year.. 

I was looking through pictures on FB the other day and was laughing at how much we've both changed. How is it that I'm the one who had the surgery to lose weight and yet my hubs just loses it naturally? I'd like to think I've been some sort of inspiration/motivation to him but nah, that's not it.. the man has mad motivation.. he goes to the gym EVERY.SINGLE.DAY (not 5 days a week, but 7 days) I had thought by now it would have rubbed off on me but it hasn't :) !  maybe someday!!

Here is a photo history of our time together over the past 9 years..  look how much we've changed!! LOVE IT!!!

xo,js

This was in 2001.. before we were engaged.. look at all that hair on Timmy's head!!! And for some reason, I thought that style on me was cute.. NOT!!

Youngins' in Jamaica

June 22, 2002 (sorry the pic isn't a good one, I think I took a picture of a pictue)

Early 2004

Apparently, though 2004 - 2007, I didn't take a lot of pictures of myself!!!

UGH, this might be the worst of the worst!!!  2007

2009 - couple months pre-surgery

2 weeks pre-Surgery

2009 - 1 1/2 month post-surgery

December 2009

May, 2010



July, 2010

August, 2010

October 2010 (had just found out I was preggers!!)

Christmas, 2010

June 25, 2011!!!!

(it's safe to say that Tim has lost the 40+ lbs that I have gained!!! )

Sorry for the photo bomb, but wanted to document this!!!