Ten (or maybe just 7) Things Thursday.. on Friday!

Hey all! Hope you have all been having a good week! I've been super busy thus the lack of blogging!

so, I meant to do this yesterday but never got around to it..

1. You have not seen crazy until you've read a Birth Board on BabyCenter.. I'm a member of the July 2011 board and lordy be, those girls are kookoo crazy.. I joined so I could get some good advice while pregnant and beyond and now it's purely just entertainment.. there's not a lot of support, but just bitches hating on other bitches.. it's hilarious.. It's my go-to reading material when I'm bored at night!!! It just goes to show that you can be anyone you want on the "internet" and you can say whatever you want b/c you are pretty much anonymous if you want to be.. I sure hope some of these women do not talk to their real life friends the way they do their internet friends!!

2. Speaking of crazy.. there is a girl I met on a blogging site years ago and I am "friends" with her on Facebook.. she makes ME crazy. I'm debating deleting her but her kind of crazy is also very entertaining.. she's a quiverfull christian and believes that she should have as many kids as God's plan is (a la the Duggars) which is all fine and good, no judgement there, but she goes on tangents literally every hour on things that are soo fundamentally opposite of what she is claiming she believes.. this is how I feel when I read her posts:

Thanks to Leslie for pinning that on Pinterest yesterday.. I literally laughed out loud!!

3.  Yesterday, I wore maternity jeans..  don't judge. I only wore them b/c they were one of the first ones I bought and I was smaller back then and the legs are a little snug but I like the way they look on me with long sweaters.. so I wore them and was comfy all day long..

4.  Today's Mac's 6 month birthday.. so hard to believe. Of course we did a photo shoot this morning:

You can see his little toothies in this one.. 

and in this one, he discovered he had a sticker on.. which was promptly pulled off and ripped up and end of photo shoot..

5.  Went to my band doctor on Monday and got a small .5cc fill. I'm back up to 9 now which is what I was prior to getting 1/2 taken out in my 11th week of pregnancy. I am TIGHT though so I'm thinking I may go get some taken out.  I haven't been able to eat a thing at breakfast this week and have been PBing a lot (my friend Maria now refers to it as "making room" when I go PB!) will see how this weekend goes and make the call on Monday.

6.  Not much planned for this weekend!  Timmy and I have a babysitter on Saturday night and are going on a dinner date and then over to a friends house to watch some football. I really hope the Broncos lose.. so tired of the Tim Tebow talk!!

7.  Sunday, my friend Jenn3 is running the PF Changs marathon again and being the good athletic supporter I am, Mac and I are going to go cheer her on again as we did last year! 

I may have to end at 7 b/c I honestly can't think of anything else to tell you!! I got tagged by Grace but will do those questions in another post this weekend!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and if you are in an area that is getting snow dumped on.. stay warm!!!

 

Great Weekend and Questions Answered!!

Hi All!  Hope you all had a great weekend. We definitely had one of the best in a while...  we were so busy and that's how I like it!! I was sick of sitting around the house every weekend and we definitely did not do that this weekend.

I saw "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" on Friday night with my friend Julie.. It was soo good!!  I hadn't read any of the books but I'm definitely going to do so now.

Saturday, I had a facial in the morning at a beauty school in Scottsdale and she did a really good job and for CHEAP!!  My skin was sooo dry.  She asked me early on if I was claustrophobic and I didn't think I was until she started to put this gauze on my face and then started to apply some crazy heavy mask..  I kind of had a mini-panic attack and she had to stop!! I guess I"m more clautrophobic than I thought!! 

Saturday night we went out with friends to a local sports bar and watched the Lions/Saints game.. the poor Lions.. maybe next year!!

Sunday morning, Michelle organized a little hike up in Cave Creek. It was a fabulous way to start the day. It was a bit chilly but we all had fun and then went and had a nice little lunch.  Mac was a trooper!  He started to fuss right at the end but he did sooo well just hanging out in front of his daddy!!

Finally, last night we went to the Phoenix Suns/Milwaukee Bucks game..  we had front row, center court seats (not physically ON the court) but 1st row in 1st level.  We got sooo lucky with these tickets and only ended up paying 1/4 of what they are usually worth!!  Too bad the game was a game between two stinky teams!!! Would have been more exciting had it been like the Lakers or Heat or something, but oh well.. it was a fun, random night out and our friends Joy and Rob volunteered to watch Mac so a win-win all around!!

So, back to the grind this week.  I have all my workouts planned out and am ready to start the week off strong!!  I got on the scale this morning and am down 4 total for the last week and half. Want to keep that momentum going so I'm trying to stay focused.  I've done pretty good on the Less-Gluten diet this past week and I do feel a little bit of a difference. I'm sure I'd feel a whole heap of a difference if I went full g-free.. 

So, if you are still hanging with me, I got tagged by two of my new bandster friends on a little survey thingy going around..  I love having new people to follow and get to know!!  I'm totally cheating and not following the rules by not posting 11 random things about myself or tagging anyone else!!  By now, there is really nothing new I could tell you that would be random that you didn't already know!!

These questions came from Lisa

1) Do you have any pets? Yes! I have two Beagles - Frieda (6) and Murphy (9).. right now, they are on my list though b/c I think Murphy is acting out b/c of Mac.. either that or she's just getting really old and a pain in the ass..

2) If you could have dinner with any person dead or alive, who would it be? hmmm, that's a hard question.  I'm not sure.. may have to come back to that.

3) Do you prefer the country, city or beach if you had to choose a place to live? I prefer City.  I would move back to Chicago in a heartbeat if I could work it out that I would have my fantastic job there!  I love Chicago b/c of the city aspect and you have the water too..

4) What is your #1 vice?  Facebook... not going to lie..I'm obsessed with checking it.

5) Do you love your career? If you don't have one, are you satisfied? I would not call what I do my career.  I had a career in my 20s and then when I got laid off, I ended up in a field that I had no intentions of ever staying in.  I consider what I do now just a job, but a job that I love and am planning to stay at until they give me the boot.

6) Do you have any artistic abilities? Ha! If you asked any of my friends, they'd laugh.. I'm pathetically not artistic in ANY way, nor am I crafty!!

7) If you were cooking to wow someone, what would you cook? What is your best dish? I'm no cook.. but I do make a mean banana chocolate chip muffin!! and excellent sausage balls!!

8) What is your favorite sport to watch and to play?  I love College sports - football and basketball.  I don't really play sports though, but when we lived in Chicago, we played in the beer softball league.. does that count?

9) Are you a morning person or a night owl? I'm definitely a morning person. I prefer to be in bed by 10!!

10) Do you have a doppledanger? (Is there a celebrity/famous person you resemble the most)? Nope!

11) When you get to mini goals, how do you reward yourself or how will you?  I am bad about setting goals.  I am generally the type of person who if I want something, I'll just buy it for myself. I should do better about setting goals and rewarding myself!!

These questions came from Jenn
1. Paperback, nook, kindle or other? I have the iPad with the Kindle on it.  I will never go back to paperback!!


2. Favorite place to vacation? Up North Michigan at my parents house on the lake

3. Mommy or daddy's girl? I'm definitely a mom's girl..
4. Tomboy or girlie girl? Kind of a mix - I was kind of tomboyish growing up but am now pretty much right in between


5. Did you play sports in school? explain - I played soccer growing up and I was also a gymnast.  In high school, I was a cheerleader and believe me, cheerleading in Mississippi IS a sport.. we did all sorts of competitions.

6. PC or MAC? PC

7. Favorite band or singer of all time? I love Madonna but I don't really have a  favorite - ALL TIME singer. I also am pretty obsessed with Bon Jovi!! :)

8. Favorite movie of all time? The Sound of Music

9. When you go to Vegas...slots or tables? definitely tables. I love me some roulette!

10. Beer or wine or none? I'm a Coors Light girl

11. Favorite reason to blog? I like to see what people are up to and it's a good way to document where I'm at and where I'm going. 

MAC Attack!!

Holy Moly.. 3 blogs in 3 days..  what is going on?? I'm hoping I keep up this blogging momentum!!
Ok, so I promised that I'd blog more and not always about Mac, but I figure, one day a week, I get to brag a little.. plus I have some family and friends who read my blog who will want to see some pics here and there!

He will be 6 months next week!! Where does the time go?? bananas! 
Here are some recent things he's been up to!

He is a BIG fan of checking himself out in the mirror. He must get that from his daddy..  everytime I'm in his room, and brushing his hair or something, he's gawking and smiling at himself.. it's hilarious. 

All gussied up for New Years Eve. We had a bottle / champagne toast at 7:30 and told him it was midnight.. ha!

He's already trying out for the Michigan State Cheerleading squad... Go Spartans, class of 2033!!!

"Hey Baby, you got plans after the game??"  How bout you grab your sippy cup and pick me up and take me for a ride on your new bike??

Very proud of himself for getting a babe so early in life.. 

When I was working last week and Tim was home with Mac, it was always a fun little surprise to see what attire Mac was wearing that day.. on this day, Tim was home collecting money from clients so he thought Mac should be wearing his "tough guy" outfit..  so cute!!

that's all I've got!!

**On the workout front, I did my Pilates class last night and man, in combo with my biking on Wednesday night, my legs and lower half of my body are SORE!!  LOVE IT!!! ***

Happy Weekend!!

It's like riding a bike...

I got a bike for Christmas. I may have mentioned it in my last blog.  It's a cute little thing, kind of like a cross between a cruiser and a mountain bike, nothing hardcore but it'll serve it's purpose.

I've ridden said bike once since Christmas.  Partly b/c I had some excuse or another that I was too busy, came home too late, Tim wasn't home to watch Mac, blah, blah, blah..   whatever, you know the drill..

Last night was different.  It has been beautiful here in AZ this past week, like in the high 70s in the afternoons and low 50s at night.. perfect weather.  The only thing that sucks is that it gets dark pretty quickly, like around 6. 

I arranged for Tim to pick up Mac from daycare so I could go home, change and take Suzy for a spin (yes, I've named the bike Suzy).

It was duskish but I was determined to get a good ride in. 

I cruised on out of my neighborhood onto a trail up the street..  I encountered a dog and a human on the trail, just as the trail was heading on a downward slope, into sand and then was straight uphill..   I thought, Holy Shit, I have to pass this person and not only try to keep my balance on the sand but get up the ginormous hill without falling off Suzy..  I did it, but kept thinking, "he's probably thinking, look at that chubbo huffing and puffing to get up that hill".. he would have been right.. I was breathing like I had been runnning from an African Mountain Lion, trying to save my life.. 

The rest of the ride was hard, I hit pavement and the route I took was mainly up hill b/c where I live is on the way to a couple of hiking mountains so it's an incline most of the way..  I ended up going around 10 miles last night and the best part was downhill..  with the wind in my hair.. although I was going pretty fast and it was dark and I was a little terrified that I'd run off the sidewalk..  It felt great!!  I'm going to try to do a ride at least 2 times a week and incorporate it in with my Pilates and then throw in a few sessions on the Elliptical as well.. we'll see how that works out!! 

Oh, and I jumped on the scale today.. down 2 lbs since this weekend!  yay me!!

Resetting..

Happy New Year!!

I've been reading lots of blogs with hugely motivational New Years Resolutions and plans.  I usually don't do resolutions but this year, I feel the need to Re-Set a couple of things. 

2011 was a wash in terms of weight-loss obviously with the birth of Mac.  I NEED to lose the rest of the weight I had planned to lose when I got the band.  I still have 70 lbs to get to my initial goal and 85 to get to where I would LOVE to be. Heck, to be honest, I'd be happy losing 60 lbs b/c that would be less than I've weighed in my adult life. But, I want to strive for more. Honestly, I'm sick of doing things half-assed. I know I do it, I fully take accountability for why I've not focused on the weight loss.. there really are no other excuses! My band is pretty good right now, I'm just not making the right choices.  Time to stop the madness!! 

I recently had a food intolerance test done at my doctor.  It was pretty eye-opening.  I'm apparently extremely intolerant to gluten and sugar. GREAT!!  I'm going to try to limit both and see how much better I feel.  I'm also going to follow the recommended foods list pretty closely and see how that makes me feel.  I'll keep you posted.

Other things I'm resetting: 

• I've been taking a Pilates fundamentals class and I love it!! Once I "graduate" from that, I've signed up to take it 2x a week, so I'm excited to have a "commitment" each week for that.
• I got a bike for Christmas. I love working out outside, so I'm hoping that this will motivate me to get out more as well.
• I worked out a schedule with Tim so that there are a few nights a week where I can work later and then get to the gym.  I just can't go home, do the stuff I need to do with Mac and then go to the gym.. I know that it doesn't work for me, so if I don't go straight from work, I know I won't go.
• I'm really reevaluating some of the relationships in my life.. I have always been the one who makes the plans, the one who reaches out to people, etc..  honestly, I'm kind of done..  I feel like if it weren't for me making the plans, I wouldn't have plans with anyone.  I've said this before, but I'm sick of being 2nd choice with most of the people I know.  It sucks, b/c I'm such a good friend and it's unfortunate that people are missing out on that part of me. 
• I'm going to be blogging a lot more and NOT just about Mac!!  I need to blog more, regardless of whether or not anyone reads. It's a good release and I love catching up and following what you are all doing. 
• I'm definitely considering coming to Chicago for BOOBS 3.0..  it's something to look forward to and will help me with keeping myself committed b/c I want to look gooooooood!! 

2012 is definitely the year of Jen!! I can't wait to see how it all unfolds!!

xo,js

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!!!