It DOES exist...

my restriction!!!  yahoo!!!!  Last night I was eating some pasta and had only taken two bites and recognized a feeling I haven't really had in about 4 months and sure as heck, I was STUCK!! Who knew being stuck would bring me so much joy!!  I have noticed that in the last few days, my eating has really tapered off and I haven't been able to eat as much as I had in weeks prior (believe me I was getting nervous that my weight was going to reach an all-time high based on the quantity of food I've been eating) and it's not been taking me as long as usual to get full..  and I haven't really gained anything in about 2 weeks, so that's all good news to me.  I figure as long as I'm still eating fairly healthy (we won't talk about the tablespoon or two of frosting I had to have yesterday!) then I should be able to keep up with this weight maintenance for the next few months. Of course, as with everything with this pregnancy, things keep changing day to day so we'll see!! 

Here's a new bump picture.. my belly is almost catching up to my boobs.. oh lordy!!

xo, js

Over It.. and the ABCs of me..

Well, I'm sick again..  I gotta tell you, I'm so over coughing and my head hurting and my nose stuffy and not getting any sleep!!   I've had about 3 breakdowns this weekend just feeling sorry for myself!!  I was better for about a week and then it hit me again. Finally, my doctor gave me a zpack so hopefully that will clear things up soon. I'm working from home today b/c I got a grand total of one hour of sleep last night b/c of all the coughing. God Bless my husband who can sleep through all of that!  

Otherwise, everything else is just plugging along. We have our friends from LA coming in this weekend so I'm hoping to be better by then!!  This past weekend was busy - which probably didn't help with me getting any better.. I just don't know how to slow down!! Friday night, I babysat KD so her mom and dad could go out to dinner and a movie.  Saturday, Michelle and I pretty much bought out Carters, Children's Place, and Old Navy with clothes for this little baby boy!!  Saturday night, my girlfriends and I went to a casino for Midnight Bingo which sounded like a fun idea at the time of the invite but ended up being a huge mistake b/c I felt horrible and was up too late and didn't get enough sleep!! Sunday, Tim and I went furniture shopping, which would be fine but if you know my husband, you know it's not so fun..  it usually turns into a fiasco!!  He takes a special kind of patience!!!  Thankfully I had yesterday off so it was nice and relaxing.. 

I'm heading to Chicago in about 2 weeks for my shower there and then Timmy and I are taking a little trip to NYC the last weekend in March.  And then there's our favorite time of the year starting next week - Spring Training..  This is why I must get better soon!!!  

Since everyone else is doing it.. here are the ABCs of me:

A) Age: 39
(B) Bed Size: King

(C) Chore You Hate: I don't like many chores but the one that I hate the most is putting away the laundry.. I HATE it!
(D) Dogs? The Beags - 2 of them; Murphy and Frieda
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: alarm clock

(F) Favorite Color: Red
(G) Gold or Silver? Silver
(H) Height: 5' 6
(I) Instruments You Play: none.. I have no talent!!  I used to play the flute in junior high but then I discovered cheerleading and the flute hit hte road.  I can play chopsticks on the piano though..

(J) Job Title: Senior Assistant in Marketing for Pharma company
(K) Kids: boy on the way!!
(L) Live: in the most "livable city in America" - Scottsdale, AZ
(M) Mom's Name: Kathy aka Mama Magoo
(N) Nicknames: Bucky, Buckster, Miss Magoo, Stully (which I hate but that's what people call me at work - reminds me of a fat butcher from NJ or something!)
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? never

(P) Pet Peeve: too many to list lately.. hormones have me peeved at a lot!!  But, I would say people who can't admit they are wrong
(Q) Quote from a Movie: Orlando? Orlando!  Damn baby, what'd you do to yo hair? Orlando, you like it? It's "autumn sunrise."
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings: 1 brother - Jeff - older

(T) Time You Wake Up? 5ish
(U) Underwear: getting snugger these days
(V) Vegetable You Dislike:Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower

(W) What Makes You Run Late: My husband all the time..  people know that if we say we'll be there by 5 it's usually 5:30
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: bazillions!! 
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: banana muffins
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Elephants

Me vs. the Beast (and a bump pic)

Hey all! Hope you had a great weekend!! We had perfectly gorgeous weather here - in the mid-high 70s/low 80s and it was soo nice to finally feel some warmth. I took advantage of the weather and opened up my windows started to do a little spring cleaning (b/c, let's face it, spring hits AZ in mid-late February and then summer hits in April!)  AND, since I had a burst of energy ( and that doesn't happen too often either) I really went at the cleaning with a vengeance..  I even attempted to vacuum my stairs which brought me to the realization that the one thing that is really going to make this pregnancy horrible for me is what I refer to as the Beast..  aka the stairs in my house..  they are brutal.

See Exhibit A - looking up the stairs. 

I'm starting to come up with excuses to not go upstairs. Nevermind that most things are upstairs, like my bedroom!!!  Poor Timmy is going to get a workout with these stairs.. just this morning, I came downstairs all ready for work (for the first time, b/c I do not make a habit of coming down until I'm totally ready, lest I have to go back up them) and I realized I left my glasses up in our room. He's so sweet that he went up there to get them. Came down and then I realized that I left my phone up there. Off his cute little self went to get it..  I'm hoping I can keep up these favors for the next 4 1/2 months, otherwise I'm screwed..   I may have to move my sleeping quarters downstairs b/c these things seriously take my breath away!!!  Pathetic I know!

Finally, I took a picture of my bump.. or what I refer to as chubbier belly..   this picture really doesn't do it justice, but I'm finding that certain shirts camoflauge it really well and some accentuate it A LOT..  I sent one about a week ago to my BFF Shannon and she said "your legs look skinny"..  THAT folks, is why she's my BFF!!!  I'll take more as long as you promise not to judge!!!

Have a great week! 

xo,js

I Miss My Band!!!!

I know that I still have a band but I found myself saying to a very dear co-worker yesterday who listens to all my complaints and never judges nor makes fun and I said to her, "when I had my band"..  and the moment I said that, I was like "wait, you still have a band ding-dong.. it's just not filled the way you want it to be."  I guess what I was trying to say was that I miss restriction, I miss losing weight, I miss feeling good about myself and where I was going..  It's definitely a very hard mental thing to wrap your head around when you lose 80lbs+ and then it just stops.  Don't get me wrong, I am so happy with what's going on right now with the pregnancy and with my life, but I am so constantly worried that I'm going to be back to where I started from and that just sucks. Add to the fact that all I read about are successes with you guys (special Congrats to Steph for hitting 100 lbs down!!) and my scale just keeps going up. And it just bums be out.  So far, my doctor is not concerned with my weight gain (which is around 12-14lbs) but I am.  I know I can eat so much more, I know that I'm not always making the right choices and I know I could put more effort into working out now that I'm finally feeling better from this dreaded flu/bronchitis situation that I had.  It's just the getting up and go that I'm lacking lately. I used to be a 2x a day workout girl..  now I barely work out 2 times a week and that's b/c I'm committed to working out with Kathi.  I know something has to change or I will be that person that walked into the OR on 10/29/09.. and I can't handle that.
Anyone know how soon after having a baby you can get refilled??  

Thanks for listening.. sorry for the pity party!

**I hope this doesn't sound like a poor poor me post..  I AM really excited about this baby and I know it's a true blessing for sure.****

It's a......

BOY!!!!

So, we had our big ultrasound appointment today.  And lo and behold, there was a little teeny tiny penis on the screen!!  I honestly can say I've never seen my husband smile bigger..  I'm so excited for him, for me, for us!!  

Can't wait to meet our little man! 

The Great Epidemic of early 2011

Hey all...  first things first, I hope all of you that are suffering through Snowmagedden 2011 are keeping warm and inside!!  I have to say that for all the times I wish I still lived in Chicago, these past 24 hours have really made me happy I DON'T live there.  I hope it all clears up by March 10th, which is when I'm heading there for a shower my girlfriends are having for me!! I know it will be cleared up by then, but from the looks of it, clean-up is going to take for-evah....

So, I've been really, really sick.  Like sick as in "sick-as-a-dog" sick.. (not sure where that phrase came from b/c my dogs are rarely sick and when they are, they really aren't that  sick..  but anyways, I digress...  What started out as a innocent little cough turned into some gigantour virus that knocked me out cold for 5 days and counting..  I feel totally fine now except for the fact that a seal has climbed into my throat and chest and is barking when I cough (these are words used by my boss today as he was forcing me to go home b/c my cough was so loud that it was interrupting things!! ) So, I'm on my forced "work from home" day number 2 and I hate working from home!!  Home during the day is soo boring to me..  My hubs is also a sicky and we all know, ain't nothing worse than a sick man.. total drama..  this is a man who judges how sick he is by how many beers he has in one weekend.. he must have been near the brink b/c he ONLY had 3 beers all weekend..  the horror..

I've been able to catch up on my DVRd shows lately which is nice b/c that thing gets packed!  I was watching Oprah yesterday (anyone see it?) her whole staff decided to go vegan for a week and then we got to see where ground beef comes from.  It was eye-opening, but I'll still eat meat.  I agree with the guy on the show that said, if you are going to eat meat, you should be willing to see how it gets to that stage..  I felt kind of bad for the little cows on their way to slaughter but it didn't affect me enough to not eat a burger later.  What can I say, I'm a meat eater, always will be.  I just don't think I could go vegan or vegetarian.. 

Also watched "One Born Every Minute" - holy smokeroos.. I have no idea what I've just gotten myself into..  I was in pain just watching some of these moms give birth..  ay yi yi..

Finally,  babe is doing well.. I went to my OB yesterday to get a bunch of what I call "Old lady who shouldn't be having a child at this advanced age" tests done and then she used a doppler to check the heartrate and everything is good. According to her, my kiddo is quite active already and was moving around like a "maniac".. that's my kid...wouldn't expect anything different!!   We officially find out the gender next Tuesday and I cannot wait!! I'm ready to shop!!!   There are a lot of "Boy" predictions out there from friends so to say I will be shocked if it's a girl is an understatement. 

Hope you are all well!! Stay WARM!!! 
xo,js

Overextended...

Well, it's official, I'm going to need to cut back on my social life a bit.  This kiddo growing inside me is bringing on a whole new level of exhaustion that I never imagined possible!! I'm the type who likes to be moving a lot of things, a.lot....  no more though.. I'm staging a social intervention with myself.  Here's my last week:

Monday - "Bachelor" Date with Michelle
Tuesday - Dinner and Movie with girlfriends from work
Wednesday - Airport pick-up for buddy TK who came to town
Thursday - Dinner with TK
Friday - early AM appointment to get brakes fixed (urgggg), drive to Sedona, hang out in Sedona, dinner and drinks with TK and hubs until 11ish
Saturday - workout, pedicure, party at friends house
Sunday - workout, out with friends to watch Packers/Bears game, drop off TK at airport

I'm exhausted..  Granted, my schedule is not normally like last week's b/c I don't normally have visitors in town, but things are starting to pick up over the next couple of months with visits, trips, etc..  My doctor said the one thing I can control with this pregnancy is the fatigue.. she said "just say no"! SO, I'm starting today.. I'm limiting my during the week activities to just my weekly date with Michelle for the Bachelor b/c honestly, that usually just entails laying on a couch at one or the other's homes..  I also had to have a heart to heart (or as my dad says, Come to Jesus meeting) with Tim on Saturday night regarding him respecting my desire to leave places when I want to. He's usually the one that says, "come on, just one more drink..." and finally on Saturday night, I had had it!  He apologized and I think he's still just getting used to this whole change our life is going to take in about 5 months..  he's definitely a work in progress on this. 

So, anyways, here I go talking about baby stuff.. just when I said I would not be one that does that!! Sorry!  Just that's pretty much what's going on these days!!  Oh, and I think I finally "popped" today..  belly looks BIG!  I even had a couple of people tell me "I can totally tell you are pregnant today"!!  Feels pretty good to finally look pregnant and not just chubby!  In band related news.. my band reminded me of it's presence on Saturday when I was trying to eat a breakfast sandwich and got completely stuck...  gotta love a little restriction when I thought I had none!

So, I mentioned Sedona  - we went on Friday and it was gorgeous.. if you've never been, I highly recommend you add it to your list of places to visit.  here are a few pics! xo,js