1 Week 2: Time to get Serious

Another week down...I swear the weeks just fly by once you have children. 

Weight Loss: 1lb.  I was a little disappointed when I looked at this number on the scale this morning but I had to remind myself that it is lower than last week and that is all that matters.  This brings my total weight loss to 6lbs. 

Best Part of the Week: I worked out four days this week and enjoyed every single one of them.  I usually am very unmotivated by workouts so this was very refreshing.  One day I even got to run with my sisters and the three of us decided that we want to run a 10K together in September.  I am a little nervous about this one but if we all stay together on our training program we should be able to accomplish this in the next 16 weeks and still have a couple of weeks until race day.  So I will officially begin the countdown to race day. 

Worst Part: My nutrition sucked this week.  We were running super low on food in our house this week, I was working a ton, and had finals so I basically threw together whatever food was here and available.  I didn't eat crap I just wasn't focused on eating what, when, and how I should. 

Goals:  This week it is time to get serious.  I have had one good week of nutrition and one good week of exercise, now I have got to put the two together.  I am afraid if I don't I am not going to show any loss next week.  It is time to get serious so I am keeping a journal this week of my food choices and how my numbers pan out.  I am finished with this semester of school and have a one week break until next so I need to make it count now. 

Only 4 more pounds until my first goal is accomplished!!  I am hoping to get this in the next two weeks so I need a two pound loss these next two weigh ins. 

Hope you are accomplishing your goals, whatever they may be!! My bestest accomplished one of her big goals this week, hitting the 10 lb mark.  Great job Jenny; keep it up!!

0 Progress

Well this lovely little pile greeted me this morning...

A combo of Jack's Birthday and plumbing issues put off laundry now for the last two weeks.  Today I managed to put a dent in it large enough I should be able to finish tomorrow. 

Nestled right next to the pile of whites this morning...the dreaded bathroom scale.  This scale and I have not been friends for a number of years now (since high school) and it is not for my lack of trying.  A bitter disagreement has driven a wedge between us for quite sometime now.  No matter how much we disagree I keep on coming back and I swear one of these days we will be friends again.  I will great her every morning with a smile on my face and a good morning until that day!! 

This morning's weigh in was about as pleasant as I thought it would be.  The first few weigh ins for me usually are not a problem.  I was down 5 lbs exactly! 

Best part about this first week: I lost 5 lbs, duh!!  No really I am just happy that the weight is coming off and not being stubborn.  I was very good about eating right this week and although I had my moments of weakness I tried to keep those under control as well. 

Worst part of this first week: My workouts were terrible.   I did work out but it was lazy walking without much planning or tracking.  I kept telling myself this was OK because at least I was moving.  Well I don't think that's going to get me week after week of weight loss so it was time for a change. 

Goals: Focus on Workouts
I have been doing a lot of looking around knowing what I had in mind...interval training.  The one thing I hate about interval training is clock watching.  Each interval is a specific amount of seconds and as you are trying to run you have to watch your timer in order to know what to walk again.  I finally found the coolest app in the nation!!  Ease into 5K by Bluefin Software.  There is no clock watching for my intervals with this app.  The app allows me to play my music and when there is a change from walking to running or vise versa a nice voice comes on and tells me to do so.  On top of all of that it tracks my time, calories, weight and distance.  Tonight was my first night using it and when I walked in the door after finishing my hubby asked me if I was Ok so I must be doing something right...

I also like this app because when I finish with the 5K there is a bridge to 10K software.  This should last me for a while on my running workouts.  This is only three days a week so I plan to use one of my workout videos a day or two as well. 

I am going to continue to focus on good nutrition, and high protein as well.  For my metabolic syndrome I need to be very careful about carbs so I would also like to link carbs and proteins this week. 

My motivation this past week has come from the kind words of encouragement from others.  I was happy that so many people told me to go for it and made me feel good about making a change.  I am building up self confidence and motivation from all of these kind words. 

P.S. Please click here and vote!!

0 What I'm Loving...

What I'm Loving...

home projects with my hubby.

a sweet baby boy who never quite goes down to bed the first time, he always needs a second hug and kiss. 

fun time with my bestie crafting up some sweet party decor. The Lovely Apple

early bedtimes two nights in a row. 

a squeaky clean house that smells like a fresh cooked dinner.

Here's to a great week of lots of loving!!  First weigh in is tomorrow so look back for my week one update.  Later this week...Jack's Birthday Details!! 


Hope you can give us a vote tonight and everynight!!

2 Back to Good

So I tried really hard and had every good intention to jump on the New Year's Resolution bandwagon this year and get my little (OK...BIG) booty in shape.  With The Lovely Apple just getting off the ground and starting my Masters program, it just didn't happen. 

About a week ago a good friend of mine sent me a photo of when I first began to show with Jackson.  I was amazed at how different I looked then compared to now.  Prior to that time, I was advised to loose some weight in order to improve my chances of conceiving Jackson and managed to loose 10 lbs faster than I have ever taken weight off in my life.  I was so motivated by having a baby that I would do and did whatever in order to achieve that goal.  I need to find that motivation again, that drive to achieve. 

I don't have any personal photos from the time just before I conceived Jackson because my camera happened to be broken but I wish I did.  As I stared at this picture I first looked at my cute little tiny bump and then to my thin face, thin thighs, and thin arms.  WHAT HAPPENED!?!  (I actually said this out loud to my husband)  Isn't your body suppose to go back to normal after you have the baby?  My face looks round and puffy now, my thighs which are normally very muscular but thin are now flabby, and to be honest that tiny little baby bump, well I am pretty sure I am still carrying that around plus some.

Well here I am, putting myself out there and holding myself accountable by creating this post.  When people know what you are doing and hold you to outcomes, you sure don't want to fail at it...

This being my first week of getting back on track my focus has been MOTIVATION.  I am gonna be honest, I haven't found it yet.  I'm not sure where to look or how to go about getting myself there but I am determined to find it and use it! 

I brought myself to weigh in thinking maybe just maybe that would be my motivation.  Well let me tell you...that was NOT motivating.  I actually weigh the same as I did at my six week check up after giving birth to Jack!!  Seems like a mountain I am climbing this time around rather than just a few pounds.  Goal weight loss...40 lbs. 

If I can't quite find motivation then I will have to settle for some simple ground rules this week and maybe when I start to see progress I will find my motivation. So here they are:
*No soda, NONE, Not even Diet
*No food during the three hours before bed
*Move everyday!! No matter how big or small get your body moving for 10 minutes.
*Small portions and frequent meals
*Drink plenty of water

As you can see I am looking more to nutritional aspects here at the beginning and I do hope to add in some more definite exercise routines but for now I am gonna tackle one thing at a time. It took nine months to put on all of this weight and it is gonna take that long to get it off. 

This past week has been a challenge.  I am HUNGRY all the time!  Sitting here right now I want to grab a snack so badly but the kitchen is CLOSED for the night.  I know it is going to pay off and when it does I will start to feel the drive kick in.  The up-side to this week has been cutting out soda.  I was surprised at how easily I was able to drop that without craving it or having terrible caffeine withdrawal headaches.  Hopefully I will see a loss of weight when I weigh in on Monday.

So...
What motivates you?  What keeps you on track, and How do you keep yourself thinking about the end result when you reach for that snack or decide you are too tired to workout?  I need some good strategies I can put to use. 
Don't want to post here?...email me: jenn_ryan678@yahoo.com

I will be back weekly with progress and maybe when this evolves more (or is all over) I will share my numbers with you but for now I'm gonna keep that to myself :)

0 One Year

Our little man turned ONE this weekend!!  A whole year, WOW!!

This past month brought more learning than any other month since Jackson was born.  He seems to pick things up faster and faster and is doing something new each day.
 

I am obsessed with his profile!!

This month Jackson is babbling more and more and watching my lips and trying to do what I do.  He is playing a little differently too.  Instead of his clumsy banging around of blocks and balls, he has taken to stacking the blocks to knock them down and pushing a truck around while making noises.  He also learned how to brush his own hair and his own teeth this month.  Mommy has to do her own little tweaks but I always let him have a little turn too. 
 

Jackson LOVES to be outside.  We go on a family walk almost every night.  Some nights Jess and I are too tired but Jack stands at the door and tries to pry it open with his little fingers until we load him up and take him for a walk.  He also still loves dogs and will yell out to them on our walks, just saying hi.  Jack learned to pet a dog this month and he is very gentle and loving to animals. 

We added "shoes" to Jack's vocabulary this month when we bought him his first pair of walking shoes.  He brings these shoes to me daily so that I will get them on his feet.  He also points at anything interesting and says "dis." 

Sleeping and eating schedules are about the same.  He is eating three meals a day, two snacks, and takes a four ounce sippy at each meal and snack.  Favorite foods include pizza (homemade of course), pancakes, raisins, macaroni, and any kind of beans.  He also loves all fruits and veggies and will eat these better than any other thing on his plate.  He has gotten a little more picky about meats but we seem to work it in.  We are going to start whole milk this week so hopefully that transition goes smoothly.  Jackson is an amazing sleeper overnight.  We all sleep until about 9 each morning (14 hours) if we are able which is a total lifesaver some days.  I am not a morning person and neither is my husband so I cherish this sleep schedule.  Naps are really for home and only at home.  He just won't sleep other places, but I heard this isn't abnormal for some kids.  He seems to want to take one long nap (2-3 hours) instead of two smaller naps.  This is not always the case but I would like to move him to this type of schedule and plan to try to get him there by next month. 

Jackson is so friendly!!  He learned to wave this month and he waves to every person, animal, or car that passes.  Today we went out for a quick dinner and there were the cutest two old ladies having a friendly dinner together.  Jackson could not stop smiling and waving to these ladies.  He waves to his Grandma across the street everyday when we get home and anytime he sees a car. 

Jackson's overall personality is such a joy!  He is social, friendly, and kind to others.  He loves to laugh and see other laugh too.  He has figured out how to make others laugh and will do that activity over and over to get this reaction.  He loves to play hide and seek, chase, and likes to be tickled.  Sometimes I don't even have to touch him, I just get a certain look, point, and he erupts into laughter.  This past week he learned how to crawl under our bed.  Initially he was after one of his toys but when he figured out he could come out on the other side and Mom and Dad thought it was funny, we couldn't keep him out of there.
   

Jackson brings so much fun to our lives.  I can't wait to continue on this journey and I know the next few months are going to be a ton of fun!!  Not sure what my plans are for tracking Jackson's second year but I know it will have to be something easy for me to keep up on because this little one gets more and more busy each month. 

Happy One Year Baby Boy!!

0 Easter

Just a short post to share some photos of our wonderful Easter. 

We had a lovely, laid back weekend.  Since having Jackson, Jess and I have really tried to stay focused on making the holidays and traditions all about our little family instead of stretching ourselves so thin running around all day. 

This year Easter was very different than last.  I spent all day this year thinking about last year on Easter and how much our lives have changed.  Last year Jess and I were toting around a precious five day old baby.  He was so tiny and sweet.  This year was Jack's second Easter in his first year of life.

Last Year at Easter

Easter morning we got up slow like we usually do and had breakfast as a family.  We showed Jackson his Easter basket which was hidden behind a curtain in the living room.  His little face just lit up when he saw it and then glanced back at us as if to say "Is that mine?" 

We played bubbles right in the middle of the living room.  It's funny the things first time parents don't really think about.  We played with those bubbles and slicked up our floor very nicely for our little guy and of course he slipped and fell and we felt terrible.  Next time I think we will leave the bubbles as an outdoor activity.

Jackson also loved all the little eggs in his basket, full of little goodies.  Now he thinks there are goodies in all eggs. 

Sweet little Easter books are my favorite!!

During nap time Daddy and Mommy worked in the yard and got ready to go to a family get together.  Jesse's Mom comes along with us to my parents for holidays now and it is so nice that some of our families can celebrate together, plus it cuts down on the running around. 

The evening was full of hanging out with family, playing games, talking, and laughing.  At one point all of the cousins started talking about the game "Draw Something" and before we knew there was a whole room of people playing the game with each other on their phones. 

This was the last holiday we will celebrate in Jackson's first year.  A little bittersweet.  Easter will always be a very special holiday to me.  It is my favorite holiday of the church year and an amazing reminder of the gift of life God gave his people.  It is also a reminder of the gift of life God gave to Jess and I last year.  When Jackson turns 20 years old he will celebrate his birthday on Easter.  He is our most precious gift!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!! 

0 11 Months

I am playing catch up on my little blog today.  Between being a Mommy, work, taking care of our home, and The Lovely Apple I have gotten a little behind. 

Things were so busy during Jackson's eleventh month I didn't even get the chance to take photos of him in his chair.  Fortunately on the day he turned eleven months we had a big day with lots of pictures so I am using those for this month's post. 

We had a few big milestones this month!  Jackson really mastered walking this month.  He began taking steps in his tenth month but he was very unstable and falling down a ton.  This month he has his walking legs and gets around very well.  He should be running in no time.  We spent tons of time at the park this month soaking up the beautiful weather spring has had to offer so far and practicing our walking.  He loves to be outside more than anywhere else.

King of the World

Jackson also got his first haircut this month.  Talk about adorable!!  He was so good and only got upset when the buzzer trimmer came out. 

Jack's eating and sleeping schedules are essentially the same this month.  He loves to sleep in if we let him and often sleeps until 9 o'clock in the morning.  He still loves to eat, especially breakfast of pancakes and eggs.  He loves it so much that sometimes we have breakfast for dinner.  He has gotten really picky about meats lately.  I know that he likes them but I don't think he likes the texture.  He will put the meat in his mouth and start to eat it and then reach in and take it all out.  Not sure how to solve this little problem but for now I hide the meat in other things on his plate.  He loves his fruit and I have to save it for last or he will only want to eat fruit for his meal.  If there is something that he runs out of on his tray he will sign for more until we put that item back on his tray. 

Jackson has started to jabber on and on as if he is having a conversation with me.  It is very cute.  He said his first word other than mama and dada this month...dog.  He points at anyting with four legs and calls it a dog.  He will hollar at Julie and then say "dog."  I wish that you all could hear it because it is just so cute and funny.  When he grabs a book he sits down, opens it, and starts to "read" the book to me.  He loves books.  He will bring them to me and then sit down in front of me so I can read it to him.

Jackson's favorite toy this month has been his little hammer and wooden peg toy.  This toy was his daddy's toy when he was little and Jess has been determined to teach him how to use it for a couple of months.  My husband is a carpenter so naturally he wants his little boy to know how to use a hammer at a young age.  Well, Jack finally mastered this as well.  He knows exactly how to hit each little peg.  He gets so determined to make the peg move and sometimes he just isn't strong enough.  When they don't move like he wants he will throw the hammer and push the toy aside; can we say strong willed.

Bye Bye Guys

That about covers his eleventh month and after looking back on that I can see why I was so busy.  I've got a soon to be walking, talking, toddler monster!!

1 A Birth Story...12 months later

This week I am home with my little boy as we prepare to celebrate his first year of life.  I have been reminiscing all week about this past year and especially about his birth.  Shortly after I had Jackson I wrote this birth story so that I could remember every detail and emotion that day.  I wasn't blogging back when I wrote this and frankly I'm not sure anyone but myself wants to read it but I am posting it here because I want it to be a part of this space.  In a few short days our little boy will be One!

In the days and weeks before Jackson’s birth I hoped and prayed for two things. First and foremost I prayed that he and I would be safe and healthy. In the weeks leading up to our delivery, Jackson had been having low heart rates and they were concerned about his ability to handle labor. I just wanted him to be safe. Second I prayed that he would come on his own. I was terrified of being induced. Although he never did make his arrival on his own, God blessed me in so many other ways that day. He had a plan far bigger than mine.

When it looked as though I wasn’t going to go into labor on my own, our doctor scheduled me to be induced on April 13^th. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t know the excitement of the spontaneity of going into labor as well as scared of the horror stories of inductions gone wrong. In hindsight it was kind of nice to have a plan and know exactly what was going to happen and when.

The day before induction!

The day before our induction Jess and I rested and napped on the couch in the early afternoon hours and finished packing our bags for the hospital. I must have double checked that we had everything about a hundred times. We said a long good-bye to our puppy, knowing we wouldn’t see her for a few days and then went to Fazoli’s for a nice dinner. I remember at dinner we were so giddy with excitement that we just kept reviewing all the things we would never do alone again. On the drive to the hospital the nerves set in and we both looked at each other and said “let’s go back home and do this later”.

Tuesday night we checked into the hospital at 9 p.m. and settled into our hospital room. My nurses drew my blood, put in my IV, and prepped me for the events of the next 24 hours. At about 11 p.m. my nurse checked my cervix and put in the cervical gel to soften my cervix overnight. I was dilated to a one and a half and 70 percent effaced. At that time I decided it would be best to take a sleeping pill and try to get some rest for the big day.

Ready for Sleep

I was only able to sleep for about 1 hour when I began to have contractions. The nurse had warned me that some people can have contractions from the gel and that some can even start labor once the gel is given. After 45 minutes of painful contractions every five minutes I decided to call my nurse in to figure out if I was actually in labor. She hooked me up to the fetal and contraction monitors and told me that we would watch for a few hours and see how things progress.

Shortly after she left the room I woke Jess up so he could help me through the contractions. He pulled his recliner over, held my hand, and helped me breathe through each contraction. Those few hours drug on and on and finally it was time to check and see if I made any progress. I had been contracting about every 3 to 5 minutes from 2a.m. until 5a.m. and I thought for sure I had to have made some kind of progress. I was fully effaced at that time but I had not dilated any further than the one and a half I had come in at.

I remember thinking how can that be, I have had all of these contractions and pain for nothing. I knew then that I was going to need some relief so that I could get some rest before they started the pitocin in just a few short hours. The nurse had told me that the contractions would be worse once they started the medicine and I was worried that the pain coupled with no sleep would make for a difficult day.

I asked the nurse to give me something at that time to help me with the pain. She gave me a dose of Stadol and told me to try and get a little sleep. Well sleep was not a problem after that. I entered some sort of alternate dimension. I dreamt about crazy things and remember hearing things around me but not being able to respond. Needless to say I won’t be taking that drug EVER again.

One of the ways God blessed me that day was by allowing my dear friend and an amazing nurse Stella to care for me on the most special day of my life; the day I became a Mother. She has a finesse to her nursing and an insane love for babies. I would not have wanted anyone else to be taking care of me that day. She truly treated me as though I was one of her own family members.

When Stella started her shift she got things going. The pitocin was started around 7a.m. and I was still in a haze from lack of sleep and Stadol. I remember her telling me what we were doing but not really comprehending it fully. It was probably better that way considering I am usually a nervous Nelly.

Stella knew I was all for an epidural and when she found out the anesthesia resident would be doing a c-sections she made sure I was getting my epidural before they started the other case. My epidural was placed and I was resting comfortably by 8:30 a.m. Dr. Carter came in to see me shortly after the epidural and she decided to go ahead and break my water seeing as they didn’t think I would labor very quickly.

Epidural + Pitocin = One happy Momma!

Finally I was able to get some rest and after a long night of being in pain, sleep came instantly. I labored for several hours in a deep sleep while my hubby got some much needed rest too. I look back and wonder what we would have done had we not gotten those few hours of sleep.

At 10:30 a.m. Stella came in and checked my cervix to see how I was progressing. We were all astounded when I was dilated to 7cm. I decided that I had better call my parents and have them come to the hospital since I had progressed quickly. My Mom arrived first and although Jess and I wanted to be the only ones there for delivery she came in to talk while I finished dilating.

My Mother is a strong woman and she labored and delivered her four children naturally. As she sat with me and observed my labor she just kept saying there was no way I was progressing with such weak contractions. She was astonished that I was able to relax, talk, and even sleep through my contractions. I assured her that was the beauty of an epidural.

Stella had told me that if I started to feel pressure even with the epidural to be sure and let her know because that could mean it is time to push. At about 12:30 p.m. I began to feel a little pressure with each contraction but it would go away when I was not having a contraction. I called her in just to be sure and she said she would check me just to be safe. As she is getting ready to check she says there is no way I could have went that fast but she would see where we were anyway. I believe she also said, “I will just throw up if you are a 10”.

Well I was at a 10 and ready to push. Just 5 ½ short hours after starting pitocin I was ready to push. Stella prepared the room and supplies and we started the pushing process at 1 p.m. Stella, Jess, and I all made a guess at what time we thought Jackson would be born at the start of me pushing. Jess said he would arrive at 1:17, Stella said 1:30, and I said 2 p.m.

Meanwhile my doctor, who thought I would go well into the afternoon before having the baby, is still in a surgery. Stella called her to let her know that I was starting the pushing process. She was astounded and said she needed to see a few patients and to call her when I was about to deliver.

The whole pushing process is very tiring. I remember staring at the clock push after push and wondering when it would be over. I just knew that I wanted to meet my baby boy so badly and put all of that desire into each push. Jackson’s heart rate was steady throughout the entire delivery and I was so thankful that he had not had issues as he had the weeks prior. I, on the other hand, was having some issues with my heart rate. Every time I tried to change positions my heart rate would shoot up to 150-180bpm. Fortunately it would quickly resolve and once I delivered it returned to normal.

At one point I tired out enough that Stella thought it might help to look in a mirror to help me push. I had told Jess prior to the delivery “absolutely NO mirror,” and at that moment he went into protective mode. Stella urged that it would help move things along and all I wanted was to meet our boy, so I agreed. The mirror did two things…First, it helped me see exactly how I needed to push to get results and more important I could see his little head and it gave me the extra bit of encouragement to push through.

After about 45 minutes Stella called Dr. Carter, knowing I was getting close. After that I continued to push through contractions but the room got very busy. Extra nurses and my poor Doctor whorun across the street at 8 months pregnant to deliver our baby. Those last few pushes with a room of people cheering you on is surreal. You realize that you are about to meet the person you have been waiting to meet for nine whole months. At 1:55p.m. we finally got to meet our precious baby boy.

He came out with a cry so small and trembling. They instantly put him to my chest and at that moment the rest of the room stood still. I know there were people there moving about and working on me but at that time I was oblivious to them. It was just our little family all snuggled up in amazement. He was perfect, every little bit of him was perfect!

Jess and I could not stop smiling and I cried. I cried because I felt so blessed and amazed that we were parents. I cried because I had never felt a love as intense as the love I felt for Jackson. I remember his cry, he sweet facial features, and his huge hands and feet the most.

Sweet Profile

With the help of the lactation nurse, I was able to nurse Jackson for the first time. He was very good at nursing on one side but we really struggled due to my anatomy on the other. After a few hours with our little boy we were moved to the Mother Baby room. That afternoon and evening our family and friends were able to meet our precious boy. We had a ton of visitors! At one time someone said the hallway outside our room was full of people. I work at the hospital where I delivered, so many of my work friends were coming up during their breaks as well. The rest of the night was a bit of a blur and I just remember wanting to settle in for the night.

We kept Jackson in our room trough the night and I tried to nurse several times through the night and was usually successful. The rest of our stay in the hospital was fairly typical. I feel so blessed that everything went as perfectly as it did and I am so thankful for this healthy little gift of life.

Jackson, I love you more today than I could have ever imagined.  my love for you just grows and grows.