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!!!

 

Still Cooking.. and things I wish I would have known..

Hey all, well, I'm still here and baby boy is still cooking and appears to have no intention of going anywhere in the outside world fast!!!  I am officially 38 weeks today and will see my dr. again tomorrow morning. I thought I had some contractions on Sunday but haven't felt anything since. I was actually in the pool and was somewhat bored so I started doing some squats and once I got out started having some cramping but once I laid down, they left me..  sooo...  here I sit.. just waiting.

I had a dream last night that involved a beach and a tidal wave, which woke me up in a panic thinking my water had broken, but it didn't.

I woke up this morning and forgot I was pregnant for a minute, which was wierd too. did that happen to anyone else ever??

I'm off tomorrow to get some things taken care of. Important things like Pedicure, Eye-brow Wax, and Hair cut/color.. can't be having this baby looking like a hot mess.. 

Sarah  posted a really great blog yesterday about her thoughts on being banded and pregnant.  I remarked to her that I thought it was ironic that she did that post b/c I had been thinking a lot about things I wished I would have known and also how I think being banded has affected this pregnancy. So, I'm kind of stealing her idea with some thoughts of my own!

THINGS I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN

• first let me say that my girlfriends/moms rock, however, they were blatant in their non-disclosure or  lack of information on all things pregnancy!  I mean, we have beaten the subject of pooping on the table during birth and "down-there" pain after birth to death, however, how could they have left out some of the following?? 
• The peeing situation. I knew what I signed up for when I got pregnant that I would be peeing A LOT, what I didn't know was how much money we would be spending on toilet paper due to said peeing situation..  I also thought that it was supposed to taper off a bit during the 2nd trimester.. um.. not so much!! And then to take it to a whole 'nother level..  I thought that your bladder got loose AFTER you had the baby.. notsomuch with me..  I can't tell you the number of times I've had multiple undies changes during a day due to laughing,coughing,sneezing, moving and subsequently wetting my pants..  ridiculous!
• While we are talking about things "down-there" - DISCHARGE..  WTF?? 
• The pain I've experienced in the past month or so as baby got bigger and started pushing down on my lower regions is enough to kill a horse.. pregnancy is definitely not for the weak. 
• Baby kicks are not all cute and "awwwwww" inducing.. they can be violent, like "get me the eff out of here" violent..  I am continuously amazed that babies haven't figured out an alternative way out of the belly. 
• The looks, the smiles, the "how are you feeling"s, the "when are you due"s...  are enough to make you crazy. I want to wear a sign that says, "I feel pregnant", "I'm due 7/7/11" and "No, I don't have any idea if he's coming early" so that people leave me alone.. I can barely get to the bathroom in time before my next undie change without getting 20 questions on the way there!! 
• I'm increasingly surprised that the divorce rate isn't higher during pregnancy..  my poor husband has been a trooper. There are days when my mood swings are so beyond that if he even looks at me funny, he's in for a doozy of a fight.  I'm not making any excuses, I've been a crazy bitch these last few months..

BEING BANDED

• I have to say that being banded is the number one reason why I believe I was even able to get pregnant. As many of you know, we've been strugging to get pregnant for a long, long time and I truly believe that the weight was keeping me from it (that and a a little bit of miracle going on!)
• With that said, I wish I would have lost more prior to getting pregnant. I had lost 80 lbs when I found out I was pregnant.  I have gained about 40 lbs back and it's been rough on my body. Thankfully, I worked out up until about a month ago and really only gained in my belly area, but that extra 40 lbs is no joke. Sometimes, I'm really shocked that I carried an additional 40 lbs on top of that less than 2 years ago. 
• I was definitely naive in thinking that I wouldn't gain too much weight or that I'd be able to follow the band rules during my pregnancy.  When I was about 10 weeks, I had 1/2 the fluid taken out of my band.  I was at 9 cc in an 11 cc band and now have 4.5 cc.  For a long time, you would think I had NO cc's in my band. Releasing the fluid in my band eliminated any morning/afternoon sickness I had and when I discovered I could eat the things that I couldn't with a higher fill level, I went to town.  So, my only advice to any bandsters who are trying to get pregnant and using the band as a tool for weight-loss, LOSE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN prior b/c you will gain weight.  The three bandsters I know on here who have been pregnant, have all gained around the same amount. It's unrealistic for anyone to tell you that you won't.  Maybe it happens, but I haven't seen it yet! 
• I find I have more restriction in the past couple of weeks. I think it's due to baby boy getting larger and pushing up against my band and there just being a lack of room in there these days.  I'm not able to eat as much as I was 2 months ago.
• One good thing is that I know from where I came. I know how it feels to be 40lbs lighter and I have some mad motivation to get back there and then keep losing the additional 70 or so lbs I wanted to lose to get to where I think I'd be happy with my weight.  I find myself already looking up gym class schedules and planning my plan to get back on track with weight loss in a couple of months! 

So, with all the (really not so major) annoyances, I know how lucky I am that this is happening to me. I'll take a million sleepless nights and repetitive questions to be able to go through this experience, especially one that I honestly never thought was possible.  I'm surrounded by people who are generally sooo excited for me and for my family and who can't wait to meet him.  We've had a rough 1st part of our year and I can only hope that this little one brings the joy that we all so desperately need! 
I'll keep ya'll posted!!!

Bowling Broads, Bieber and Over It....

Hey all!

First off, congrats to my belly twin Sarah who got to meet sweet little Liam yesterday!!!  I'm so happy and a little jealous of her right now!!! I didn't think I would get to this point, but I am SO OVER being pregnant!!!  Seriously, this has all come in the last 2 days or so but everything has gotten harder..  I can barely walk to the bathroom without breathing heavy, my belly has all of a sudden started resembling a very large watermelon and everything aches more than ever!!  I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow, which according to everything I read is considered full-term so bring on baby!  I have the nursery ready (barring a bookshelf that I want to get this weekend), car-seat installed, and clothes washed, so I'm ready! 

I have a confession - I watched the Justin Bieber movie this weekend and I have to say, I loved it!!!  I would even venture to say I would watch it again!!! 

Last Friday night was our annual Bowling event at work.. normally it's a fun-filled beer fest, however, this year, as I could not bowl, I was a cheerleader for my team "Broads with Balls"..  here's a pic.  I actually think I look pretty decent in this pic..  I really haven't gained a lot of weight anywhere other than my belly and even though that's close to 40 lbs (yowzers!!!), I'm excited to see that I'm not dreading pictures being taken of me!!   That's a NSV without even trying to be one!! :)

xo,js

In case you missed me..

Ha! Updated pics of the bump...  dare I say I'm ready for this to be over??  I AM!!! 

**Still can't comment unless I'm on my phone, which blows***

xo, js