National Consumer Panel

YAY! I just received my scanner in the mail today! I have heard several mom bloggers talk about how great this is- it takes little effort to scan/upload your purchases, and you get some neat rewards for free. IF you upload every week, then you can get put in all kinda of drawings- each quarter they give away 2 cars (or $20,000)!!

SO- I have it all set up and charging :) I will keep you updated on how easy it is!!

Check your zipcode today!

P90x

We just borrowed P90X from a friend to just see what it is about. I haven't even opened it yet! I am so nervous that I am going to hate it.

My theory is that while we are trying to conceive, I will try my best to get as fit as possible and loose extra weight so that a) I will be healthier for my pregnancy and in turn for future baby, and b) so that I will not put on as much weight with baby#2. :)

I have done an okay job so far with picking up my walk and jogging pace, but it is time to step it up.

Has anyone attempted, reviewed or succeeded using P90X?

Big Bummer!

Well, I have successfully stayed in the 158-160 rage for the past couple weeks, before all of this life changing steps, I was 185!

All that said, we have been doing some infertility treatments as well. My husband and I have trouble conceiving on our own and the first time we went through treatments, it went on for three years! This is our first month with a couple years off. I did HmG shots for 10 days and then an HcG shot to stimulate ovulation. We did and IUI on the 15th and I started my new cycle last Wednesday! The doctor was a little concerned because it was supposedly too early for a new cycle. This was an intense past few days, with mega cramping and rushes of tiredness and the emotions flowing through me like Niagara Falls! We went to our Dr. and have decided (well he did) that we will try again in June. So- I am on birth-control for one week while we wait on the meds to be shipped from Europe.

I never discussed any of this with my nutritionist, because she has already shared with me her concerns with playing hormones. BUT this is not something to do with my body- something to do with my husband's. (I am sure he would kill me if he knew I posted that or went further.) SO I really have no choice but to cooperate with my Dr. HOWEVER, if my nutritionist does test or find evidence of all this, then I will share it all with her!

Now since I am back on the topic of my weight and nutrition, I must say that I have totally been failing this last week! I went from having VERY MINIMAL sugar to having some red soda, m&ms and a small piece of cake with frozen yogurt! ACK!! I go in to see her in a few days and I just know she is going to BAWK at my food diary! I am not sure at this point how I am going to manage to get back on the bandwagon. With all my emotions I am feeling like I am going to have to start back at day one! I am now craving sugar more and more- like an alocholic who drank at almost 90 days sober!!!

Wish me luck in staying on my program - especially with the very minimal sugar! That is the hardest thing for me to do- for the most part when I am getting the hormone shots!

I think in conclusion I have learned that I AM in fact a sugar addict, I am an emotional eater and I need reminders to stay on task.

Exciting!!

Well, it is official! I have lost 20lbs! 

Dealing with this nutritional change has been challenging, but not as difficult as I imagined. 

We are also embarking on anew round of IUI treatments, so more news to come!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

50 things...

I haven't ever done this before- but I thought that is would be a nice treat to myself in feeling like I am getting into that 'soul searching' mode. I decided while I was moving the trash cans around that I should list somethings that make me happy. I know that 50 things can be daunting and sounds crazy long, but I am hoping that it will teach me to look at things differently (plus 20 sounded like too few). In doing this I began to simply realize that I have so many things in my life that put a smile on my face and/or gives me that quiet deep feeling that comes from the heart felt sort of happy things. Here is my list for today (not in any kind of order).

1. Being in love, and being loved.

2. My husband

3. My sweet baby bug, how thankful I am to have her

4. Her coming up and wanting "big hug"

5. Laughing with my family

6. Little Bug giggles

7. Working on the garden and waiting for the results

8. Watching the birds on our new feeders, and pecking around on the ground

9. Spring time with all the new life around me (which I got to see new calves today)

10. Windows open and feeling the cool breeze flowing through the house with a cleansing spirit about it

11. The glow of candles burning

12. Soft socks cushioning my feet

13. Cuddling up in the blankets (although this will be almost over as warmer weather arrives)

14. Feeling healthier

15. Having the dishes done

16. Eating healthy

17. Having the time and opportunity to sit and play with Little Bug

18. Being able to wear flip flops or let my toes feel the soft grass

19. Soft green grass

20. My camera and video camera

21. Optimism and day dreams

23. Long conversations with my family and them contributing like I am not still a little girl

24. The cool phone my sweet hubby gave me

25. Silence from time to time, and being still

26. Reading a good book

27. Roses in bloom

28. Wildflowers

29. Long walks in the park and stopping to see things around us

30. Learning new signs with Little Bug

31. Ice cold tea!

32. Sleeping in without feeling guilty

33. Getting my chores done for each day (fly lady style)

34. Having a neat bedroom where everything is set (that is not the way it is now, but it sure makes me happy when it is)

35. Finding a great deal

36. Long hot showers (shave legs, wash hair, exfoliate, scrub)

37. Attending a Farmer's Market and finding yummy foods

38. Doing good things for my Mom

40. Being friends with my Mom

41. Seeing fall foliage, it is just amazing that trees can make such beautiful colors all year long

42. Being pregnant really made me happy and feel amazing (I know, weird)

43. Fresh sheets with shaved legs

44. Eating fajitas

45. Camping out and making smores by the fire

46. Magazines, all kinds- just flipping through crisp pages and getting your brain flowing with all ranges of ideas

47. dollarstorecrafts.com, I like shopping at the dollar store for hidden finds

48. Getting my hair chopped off and then styled

49.Getting a pedicure (not many- just a few a year)

50. Going to Homestead Heritage and reminding myself that life can be just as happy when it's a little simpler.

Update on the Life Change...

So I went crashing down food wise! I cannot tell you how hard it is to cut our all those things (wheat, corn and corn products, all grains including rice, milk or any milk product, sugar and fruits). I had also been having a hard time actually eating breakfast! Eating breakfast is very important and I know that it is, but trying to get everyone ready and frankly just getting out of bed is hard. My Dr did give me this great whole food protein shake that I can have with a little almond milk and/or a 1/4c blueberries or blackberries because they have the lowest sugar content in the fruit world. Today was my first try at the shake, and it was good. Wasn't nearly enough though! I can't wait to try it with a sort of take on our green smoothies we had last summer. (Picture is in April of 09) I have found that this mama, Sheri, is a great inspiration for green smoothies that kids will love!

I haven't filled in on my current issue. I was on my period for 32 days!!! I am pretty sure that it is my body's reaction to all this change and is trying to fix itself somehow, but it made me tired, crabby and emotional all the time!! I finally went to the Dr and it started our whole infertility issues up all over again! With this changing of my life and body, I am not ready to start messing with my hormones again. That's a whole different story that can wait for another day :).

We went a couple weeks ago, for Mack Daddy's birthday, to a Chinese buffet- and I splurged way too much! I still did not eat like I would have before all this began, but I had way too many sugars and breads and rice... and that is what started the whole downhill battle!

I think it is much like anything in life, once you cheat once, or change your routine it is just that much easier to keep doing the wrong thing. I have been trying and trying to reset my brain and body in the right direction and I am not having much success. I know there is something there blocking me and I don't know how to go about figuring out what it is. Most of my online bloggy buddies I know would tell me to do some meditation and really dig and soul search. How do you manage that with a toddler and stressed out hubs?

Well for the start, I can get off the addicting computer and out of the black hole of the Internet and go do some yard work. I wonder if it is possible to combine yard work and meditation- I think so :)

For now- embrace the upcoming warmer weather and we say goodbye and thank you to the cold spells :)

The hats are falling...

Another late night post :). There are so many things I have wanted to post about lately, but haven't made time to sqeeze in a post!

A couple years ago, my marriage underwent a separation. We have succeeded in getting over many hurtles, and I know now that we can survive anything. When we got back together and I decided to do my part in becoming 'better', I feel like I dusted off old hats and was trying to figure out how to balance them all at once. I was a terrible housekeeper, didn't keep the yard, wasn't a mother, good but not frequent cook , didn't take care of my body and was a horrible home decorator!  I have in the past two years become better at almost all of those things and have been wearing the tower of hats that most women/moms juggle well every day! I am a MUCH better housekeeper and maid (thanks FlyLady), I mow the yard and have started a garden this year, I have cooked most of our meals for at least a year, became a mother and love it, have been working on healing my body from within and have added more and more decor elements each month :).  I was very satisfied with my accomplishments until recently.

I am not sure if I am just feeling pressure to be even better, or if I am just feeling overwhelmed for some reason, but the hats are crashing!!  I have been trying to do some reflective thinking to see what set my tail spin off, but haven't come up with anything specific.  Why is it so hard to just pick everything up and start again?

Like Mack Daddy quoted: "What's hard aint ever easy" :)

-- Sent from my Palm Pre