Surgery- blah

Things have been crazy! We had the holiday open house on Saturday night. We had about 35 people over to our home, and raised $550 dollars to give to a family in need. It was a wonderful night and everyone was very happy to visit and enjoy being together. Now I won't spend hours in the kitchen trying not to snitch at the fattening goodies I'm making for the neighbors, or resisting their yummy treats that they bring to my house. It was a win-win.

I am going in for surgery today. I am nervous. I have an umbilical hernia that needs to be repaired. It has bothered me for 10 years, but now that I'm done having children, it's time to get it fixed. It's all part of my plan to get my body back into tip-top working order. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm such a ninny with pain. Wish me luck, and cross your fingers for me.

A REAL treat

After years of tossing this idea around, my sweet hubby and I are finally putting it into action.

Every Christmas our sweet neighbors bring their Holiday greetings, usually with a plate of fattening goodies. And we of course, make dozens of plates of treats as well to send around to our friends and neighbors. Oreo fudge anyone??

So..... This year, we are instead sending around a note inviting everyone to an open house at our home. Everyone will be invited to bring a goodie to share if they would like, as well as an envelope with the cash that they would have spent on neighbor gifts. (totally optional) The money will be combined and given to a family in need. Hopefully with this plan we will be helping others, and not ending up with a counter full of fattening-calorie laden food that we feel guilty if we don't eat.

I am a little nervous to put this plan into action. What will people think? Will they want to participate? The few people that we have talked to have been very positive and excited about it. I am excited not to have to come up with a creative original treat for everyone, spend hours in the kitchen or be tempted to snitch as I make those treats. It will be nice to visit with everyone at the open house as well.

So what do you think? What are your plans for your neighbors?

My own master

Happy Friday!!
So I didn't make it to the gym last night, but I did this morning. This was a big deal, because I hauled my 2 and a half year old, and my 10 week old with me. I put the toddler in the daycare, and pushed my baby. This is huge, because if it works, I can incorperate it into a daily routine.

So, with my cute babe parked drowsily next to me I battled the elliptical. I had my ipod with me this time which made a huge difference in enjoyment and helping the time to pass. I was listening to AIDA the musical. Totally rocks if you haven't seen it. Anyway, there is a line in one of the songs that Aida sings where she says,

"You talk as though you've been enslaved, if you don't like your fate, change it. You are your own master, there are no shackles on you."

I loved the reminder that even though sometimes I feel like the victim, ("oh poor fat me") I am in charge of my own destiny. I control my future. I put this weight on, and no body is going to get rid of it except me.

Working on it!
The song is Enchantment passing through from Aida.

Balance

First off, thank you all for your kind words of support. It's so great having people who understand exactly what you are going through!

In that same regard, I am hoping some of you mom's out there have some good advice. I am nursing, so my main focus is eating healthy and working out, but I'm not sure how much I should eat. Do I eat a "normal" amount of food, for an average person? That would not be enough to sustain my 260 pounds and so I would lose. (which is totally what I want) But is that enough to nurse my baby and give her everything she needs??

You would think that by my 6th child I would know, but nursing has always been a great excuse to let loose and eat whatever. After all, I was still eating for two, right? So what is the correct amount of calories to eat? I'm shooting for working out 4 times a week. 45-60 minutes each time. Does everything go to the breast milk first, and then to me?? Anybody know??

I am loving the sore feeling of my muscles. I had forgotten that I had muscles! That ache makes me feel stronger, and I love it. Yesterday I pulled out an old vhs tape and did a dancing workout from the 90's. I'm hoping to run to the gym tonight with my sweet hubby.

Well, that's about it, everybody have a super great healthy day! (and thanks for any words of wisdom)

My first trip back the gym

Monday was my first trip back to the gym. I was excited and nervous. I showed up and it was jam packed. Ug! I hate that. I decided to walk the track first. So round and round I went, pushing my little babe in her stroller. I did not look like an athlete. I did not feel like one.

After a mile I was VERY lucky to find an open Elliptical machine. Even luckier that there was space next to it for a stroller. Yeehaw! I started out, and after one minute I was praying that I could make it to ten minutes. At ten minutes I thought, "Okay, if I can just push through to 15 minutes." At the 15 minute mark, 20 minutes didn't seem so far away, and at 20 minutes, I figured I could push through to 30 minutes. And there it was. I made it 30 minutes on the Elliptical. Yes. I have to admit I felt pretty darn good about my effort. (Never mind that I was on the lowest level) And I felt a teeny tiny bit like.... an athlete!

Oh so worth it!!

This is my little Emily. She arrived the beginning of September. She is amazing and we all love her to pieces. But..... the toll to my body was a heavy one. The sad news is that I gained back EVERYTHING that I had lost before. That's right. 70 pounds.It was a tough pregnancy. I had to take it easy for the first few months, had low iron that made me even more tired than normal, and battled depression. Could I have gone through the pregnancy without gaining it all back? Yes. Did I? No.

So we are back to square one. My baby is two months old now, so it's time to get back at it. I went to the gym last night, and I will let you know how that went, but right now I need to go care for my little one. Just wanted ya all to know I'm back at it!

I'm still alive!!

It has been forever since I've posted. It has taken me a long time, but I'm finally at a good place in my pregnancy. I was so frustrated at first to have lost so much weight, and knowing that gaining weight was inevitable. It was a tough pill to take.

But now I have less than 12 weeks left. I am having a sweet little girl, and I am very happy.

Have I gained weight? Yes. A lot of weight. But I am healthier than I have ever been with any of my pregnancies. I can go to the park and "waddle" around for two miles and feel really good. It is a great feeling knowing that I will be going into labor much better prepared than ever before. (which is saying alot, since I've already had 5 babies!)

And, I know that I can jump right back into things once my little one is born. You are all such great examples of hanging in there and being healthy. Thank you! Thank you!