Taking your advice...

So my bloggy friend, Jo-Jo suggested I try a meme to get me out of my writing funk...luckily as I perused among my daily reads, I found an interesting one that Cassie at Southern Domestic Goddess posted today. So I stole it (actually I took it without any laws being broken as Cassie gave an open invitation to use it)

Me and My First Baby

1. Were you married at the time? Yes--we had been married for 3 years

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? Excitement, nervousness, disbelief (it only took 6 weeks of trying - good ol' peasant genes at work)

3. How old were you? 27
4. How did you find out you were pregnant? Via pregnancy test

5. Who did you tell first? Bill - I walked out of the bathroom into our bedroom and asked him to come look. I think he was shocked!!

6. Did you want to find out the sex? Nope

7. Due due: September 9, 1998

8. Did you deliver early or late? Early

9. Did you have morning sickness? Nope, the only time I got ill was when the fires of 98 were burning all around us.
10. What did you crave? Cheeseburgers with everything (I was a ketchup, lettuce, and tomato kind of girl), chocolate milkshakes...I would pick up one each morning from McDonald's

11. Who irritated you the most? My doctor; I actually switched OBs at 6 months. He obsessed about each pound I gained. As if I needed someone riding me about my weight!!

12. What was your first child’s sex? Female
13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 70 lbs!! I lost 36 pounds the first week post partum...see below for reason....
14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Yes, Pre-eclampsia. I had pitting edema (could press in 2 inches on my legs and it would stay). I kept telling the doctors that there was something wrong, but I was told, "It's summer in Florida. This is normal" As soon as I went into the hospital, I was asked to give a urine sample where they found lots of protein...I was immediately started on medication to prevent seizures ---WTF!! Luckily everything went smoothly from there...

15. Where did you give birth? In a hospital.
16. How many hours were you in labor? 21 hours
17. Who drove you to the hospital? Bill

18. Who watched? Bill...I was so insistent that it was just us in the room. For babies 2 & 3 anyone who wanted to come was invited.

19. Was it vaginal or c-section? vaginal
20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? Damn straight!!!

21. How much did your child weigh? 7lbs. 4oz.
22. What did you name him/her? Cameron Julia

23. How old is your first born today? 108 months (9 years old) 120 months (10 years old)

Post Script: I am totally laughing at myself...thank you all for helping me remember my child's age!!! I.AM.A.DORK!!!

I Got Nothin'

My posts have been pretty sparce recently...I've just not had a lot of things to write about that wouldn't BORE you to tears!!! Also I was in kind of a funk last week and I feel that I use this blog to rant and whine...that gets so OLD!! So, as a result, I've got nothin'....

Enjoy the white noise..............................................

Friday Foto Fiesta Finish

Happy Friday everyone!! Once again I am participating in Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta. Once you're done here, make sure you visit over there to see who's playing along....

As some of you may know, we had a special little guy's birthday yesterday...This is a flashback to his first birthday...

Give a baby his own cake...You got to get him bathed ASAP! Closest place? The kitchen sink!

Jackson is 2!!

Jackson is 2 today...it's hard to believe that my little guy is 2 already...where did the time go?!

Special thanks to Jen for the Picasa tutorial!!!

Weigh-in Wednesday

I've made some more changes this week...After much debating with myself, I decided to withdraw from the WW study at UCF. After 3 months, I am still at my beginning weight...yup, I gained the 9 lbs back when I lost my Mojo 6 weeks ago...

I don't know how much I previously described the study set up, so I'll give a little background info. There are 2 study groups; group 1 was assigned to a modified points system and group 2 was assigned to try the new program. I was assigned to group 1 and can only report on that group 'cause the differences between the two groups were never discussed with the study participants. However, the group 2 people kept talking about foods from the green and blue groups, etc (my guess is WW is improving their CORE program...). Anyway, the modified points program allowed almost double the points per day; however, the foods "cost" more points (although, not double what they are with the "mainstream" WW program). So initially, I thought it's all a game in perception...46 points a day seems a lot better than 27 points a day!! As time went on, I observed that the people participating in group 2 seemed to be losing weight a lot faster and with greater numbers than those of us in group 1. So my working hypothesis (this is what I call it, you may call it paranoia, denial, etc.) is that group 1 is the control group (i.e. the plan really wasn't going to be effective in losing a lot of weight, but maintaining your current weight) and group 2 is the true test group...

So I quit...I figured 3 months was enough, I wasn't going to give another 3 months to stay where I am...so I re-joined "main stream" WW. I went to my first meeting Monday night and am starting from square one (READ: I have to lose 45 lbs!!!). I have gotten very used to having those 46 points a day though. I was down to 4 points remaining for the day by the time lunch was over :( !!

Jack and I have been continuing to take 2 mile walks 3 times a week and I've been a "theme-park weekend warrior" for the last 2 weekends...I figured I walked miles on those days!!

So I am officially "Back in the saddle again"...I'm going to be attending Monday meetings, but still be reporting in on Wednesdays to participate with the ladies over at OSB...Be sure to check it out if you haven't gotten the chance!!

Save Lori's House

I stumbled upon this story perusing through my daily blog reading. It's a heart wrenching story; if you all could post this on your side bar, blog about it to spread the word, pray, or donate, it would be fabulous.

(copied from savelorishouse.com)

Lori is a single mom battling ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and chronic Lyme disease. She faces the loss of her home to foreclosure within days because she's too sick to work. She has medical bills totaling more than $50,000, which may ultimately reach $120,000. Ironically, earlier this summer an essay Lori wrote about her young son Jack coming to terms with the idea of death was finally published in the Washington Post. Though the essay was written well before Lori was diagnosed, or even knew that she was ill, there's a bittersweet sense of urgency in her writing that adds a poignant postscript to the piece. In her essay, Lori struggled to reassure her son that she'll always be there to protect him. "I tell him I'll always be here for him, one way or another. Always always always. Just like my mother is here for me. Just like I was there when he was 3. It is an impossible promise, a gamble with his trust. I secretly pray I don't let him down, not on this."

As a freelance writer Lori has published more than 3,000 articles for local, regional and national publications. She copy-edited Michigan's most controversial son Michael Moore’s book Dude, Where’s My Country? and helped launch his Traverse City Film Festival.
In September 2007 Lori mysteriously lost the ability to move her feet. The paralysis later spread to her legs and arms. Lori is now confined to a hospital bed and is dependent upon a Bi-Pap breathing machine. Lori is only 44, and she is determined to fight this disease and we're determined to help her do it in any way possible.
Help Lori keep her promise to her son. Help Lori keep her home and ensure that Jack has the security of a roof over his head, even when his mother is too sick to sleep there with him.

I've worked in Neurology for over 12 years and have seen first-hand the devastating effects of ALS. One of the doctors that used to be at our practice would come out after a possible ALS consult and state, "Well, he/she fits the criteria....he's/she's a nice person". This disease affects young people and the fight can be over in 3-7 years. Please do what you can....

Go here to copy the html code for the picture ( I can't figure out how to copy it without it turning into the picture...):

Time for a humor break...

The first time I saw this SNL commercial I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes...maybe I was PMS-ing at the time and I found it appropriate...Hope you think it's funny also: