35+ TTC 1st Graduates!!! Come on Over!

[Mommy's Angel]

Hey ladies!

Anna, no worries about Holmes on Homes. I really didn't watch it until the night before. It was kind of my own fault KNOWING I was forcing myself to watch something before the actual date was kind of dumb. That's me though. I get myself into a tizzy just by thinking WAY too much!

Yay on the mountain bike. I'd like to do that. I too am a little afraid of falling off the bike. My friend does this and she falls all over the place and over the front of her bike too. She's an avid biker now and lost weight from just doing this. I have to say that it's sparked an interest in me though now!

Steph, YES, she shakes her head No! really fast. Same way as Katelyn. Dr. didn't seem concerned.

As for her appointment. She's relating it all to teething. She has one tooth just above the gum line and the other three one more on the bottom front and two above are starting to come all at once poor kid. She had a slight fever tonight and was moody until we gave her more tylenol recommended by the Dr. It was like she was a new kid. She DID throw up on me at the Dr.'s. Lucky me. I don't think I have any shirt without baby puke. Doug blames the Dr. because she made her gag.

Thanks so much for your encouragement and prayer. Remembering to rely solely on God has been a struggle the past few years. Even now I've been trying to focus more time in His word and I can't seem to focus. I'm praying for clarity and just to let go and let God so to say!

I'm planning Amelia's birthday party and it's going to be a more relaxed theme now. I'm just doing a retro theme. Foods that I used to have when I was a kid. Colors are teal and red with a basic cake for her and some cupcakes for the other kids. I have kids 50's, 60's 70's and 80's music we'll play for the occasion and decorations but nothing too elaborate as Angela has mentioned the kids are all in different places and most are excited with regular toys. Hopefully simple and easy going for a family fun time.

Looking forward to this weekend and hoping it doesn't rain. Since Doug has to work fathers day weekend I thought I would treat him to something he would like. Kayaking is one but if it rains we're going to see a movie he likes.

Oh, forgot. We had to take the car in because I kept hearing noises. I told Doug it was concerning and we should have it looked at because I thought it was the rotars. Turns out I was right. Rotars and the break pads were down to nothing. Praise God we stayed safe all this time! All fixed and honestly the price wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Now because we're moving to the snow belt this winter we'll need snow tires. Um....I priced them and for a set of 4 it's around 600.00 big ones. ((faint)) He'll need them though because he'll be driving to the city and back. I have this inkling that since we had a light winter this year we're going to get a big one this coming winter. Well, maybe next weeks 90 and humid weather will help me come back to reality for now. Haha

Love and hugs to you all!

 

[pablo797]

MA, my biking friends are always falling too!! When I ride I almost always come back bloody but nothing serious. So I am hoping it will lead to some weight loss. Running isn't going too well. Hard on this old body. You make me feel like a slacker, I haven't even thought about Jo's birthday!!

steph, glad all is well with you! Good to hear from you.

AFM, nothing new to tell. Hope everyone is well!

anna

 

[rottpaw]

Hi girls!

Whew, I've got a lot to catch up on! I'm sorry I've been out of touch. We were gone last week on vacay and I spent half the week before getting ready and getting us packed! Traveling sure is different with even one little one, compared to when I only had to pack myself!

It sounds like everyone is doing reasonably well, though I'm sorry for all those still dealing with reflux/vomiting/spitup misery. I remember those days well, and can only say it WILL get easier, I PROMISE! I know it doesn't seem like it, and those newborn-six months days can seem like they drag forever when there are issues like that, but in all truth, when you have a one year old I swear you'll be looking back going, where did those first few months GO? and you will eventually be crazy enough (like me!) to do it all again!

I'm going to have to just hit a few highlights and I'm so sorry I haven't been able to post as the topics have gone along - please forgive me. I am going to try and post more often even if it's just to comment on one post at a time, as I just don't seem to get blocks of time much anymore.

Jules - I LOVE the butterfly/footprints idea! I am definitely going to try that with Ethan, if I can get him to hold his feet still long enough LOL! Here lately, he walks and runs so much that he is not much a fan of standing still. But I think the idea is so cute! I hope daycare is going well for Gabby and you are settling into a routine with that. Do NOT feel badly that you need to put her there. You have to do what works best for your family!

Bek, I'm so happy you are through the closing process! I know that misery of waiting to get into a house... we closed on this one several years ago now but we were 2.5 months from contract signing-move in and I thought I would go insane! It's hard when you have a rent-back scenario, because now they are living in YOUR house. So I definitely understand your worries. But try to focus on Amelia and getting out and enjoying things with her while you wait, and trust God to protect your new place for you. Easier said, I know, but I'm hoping it will all go smoothly for you!

Carole, honey, you've been on my mind a lot and I hope you are enjoying these early days without too much exhaustion and stress. I remember how the "newness" of everything takes its toll on you quite apart from the sleeplessness on top of it. I hope you will check in and let us know how things are going when you can!

CJ, you too! How are you guys doing? I saw the adorable pics of Zoe's bday party on FB and she is just a doll! SUCH a cutie!

Steph, I am so sorry work is so awful for you right now. Those hours are insane and I hope it lets up for you soon! On the walking, Ethan didn't walk till he was 11 months old (and I had started to wonder, no matter how many people told me that 50+ percent of kids walk after 1 year)... but now he is off to the races and having a blast! She will probably just surprise you with it one day, and you'll be amazed how quickly they develop confidence!

Anna, I love that you are posting more often now and I promise to try and comment more! The biking sounds like fun, although I'm so accident prone I will probably never convince myself to ride with Ethan on my bike...And I have at least one friend who's been in a cast the last 8 weeks from a biking accident, sigh. I think it sounds like so much fun but I know myself, and I think I'd better stick to my treadmill and run LOL! I loved the Color Run pics you posted, and I'm hoping to do that run next year if it returns to Atlanta.

Beth, you AMAZE me with your cooking, baking and domestic skills WITH newborn in tow! I'm just happy if I can keep my freezer stocked (and I adore cooking and baking) - I'm getting a little better as we go along though. Ethan is finally beginning to eat some things that we eat (like, he will eat my homemade spaghetti meat sauce) so that is an extra incentive to cook and avoid feeding him the purees, which now completely gross me out (except the fruit). Everytime you post, I want to come eat at your place!

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone and to Chris, Sunshine, Viv, Purple, Terri, Charmaine, Laura, and anyone else I'm missing!

AFM, we just returned from a week at the beach and it was lovely! We take my MIL along to visit and help with Ethan, which lets us go to the beach or to dinner without Ethan if we wish. That is LOVELY, just because we have no family living near us so it's rare that we can normally get out for any date nights or anything. So we had a great time and had our best friends (who have an adorable 5yo) visit the latter half of the week. Everything was going swimmingly (ha!) till Granna came down with a cold. Granna is a retired RN, and as you know most docs and nurses are immune to darn near ANYTHING (at least by later in life) so I was really afraid we would all get it...and now, all of us but hubby HAVE. Sigh. But, it was worth it to have her babysit for a week!

I'm feeling pretty good, and will be 16 weeks this Friday. I had to reschedule my next OB checkup for a week later bc I accidentally scheduled it the same day as Ethan's well check but I'm hoping it will be okay. Will be 6 weeks since last one instead of the normal 4, but she already had me at 5 weeks bc she was thinking (as was I) that we'd have our NT scan in the middle. Sigh. Anyway, we will be that much closer to our anatomy scan, which I'm SO excited for! My hubby is convinced this baby is going to be a girl and I think boy...we now have a HUGE bet riding on it LOL! We are both quite stubborn in our opinions once we take a position and I was stunned that he was feeling so sure he wanted to bet. So we shall see!!

All is well otherwise. Just settling into summer here. I will post a couple pics of my little beach bum below!

Hugs and love to all!

 

[rottpaw]

Here's my little munchkin, on his first real trip to the beach!

 

[MissMuffet08]

Angela - I LOVE the photos of Ethan! How did you keep the sunglasses on him? I used to be able to keep hats on Katelyn and now she pulls them right off. Sunglasses too. I love the one of him in the lounge chair! Too cute! Let us know which team youa re on (boy or girl - I tend to agree with your hubby and think it is a girl) super exciting.

Anna - YAY on the mountain bike! That is great. I got a mountain bike about 2 years ago with the intent that my and my DH would go riding during the summer. I think I rode it twice. I hope you do better than me! How is WW going? I have not been tracking all week and KNOW that i have gained about 5 lbs.

Rebekah - Glad that Amelia is just teething and it is not anything else. Katelyn is also teething and has had slight fever for the past two days. I think I will try Ibuprofen instead of tylenol tonight. Amelia's bday party sounds great! You have to send me the sound track that you will be playing sounds fun! Are you planning on having it at your new home or somewhere else?

AFM - it is E3 week here in LA (big electronic gaming convention). I have been demoing my game all morning and because it is loud in our booth I had to shout and now my throat hurts. I am glad I left when I did though because the LA Kings are playing later tonight and downtown will be a mad house! Well I am off to go to a VO session.

Best
Steph

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Anna, your far from a slacker. Your more active than I am. I'm trying to push myself back into shape doing what I used to do. "technically" I've been inactive for over a year and a half. Pregnancy until now. Maybe slightly longer. It's hard to be active around here and sometimes because of the safety issue. Like Angela said though, I'm going to just look on the bright side and do what I can when Doug is off until we get to our new place.

Angela, Ethan is so funny! What a little cutie he is. He looks like a cool little dude! Haha


I wonder how all the other ladies are doing too??
Angela, I can't WAIT to find out what your having. The bet sounds fun!

Steph, am I correct in saying your a game designer? I can't remember what you said you do but it sounds like fun. Is it stressful or do you find you have more fun in your career? There's just so much going on there! lol What is a VO session?

 

[rottpaw]

Thanks Bek! I am on pins and needles waiting for that gender scan!

Steph, he usually pulls the glasses off, but he was so distracted at the beach that I think he forgot! and the funny thing was he must've gotten used to them, bc later on my MIL accidentally put them on him upside down and he didn't pull them off then, either!

 

[MissMuffet08]

Hi Rebekah,

I am actually a Producer (which just means I maintain the schedule and tell people what to do LOL). It has its ups and downs, but for the most part it is fun, however we are waaaaaay behind schedule on one of my projects and it has been long nights trying to make sure that my developers are on top of things.

Angela - too funny that your MIL put them on upside down! Hee hee!

AFM - We are taking Katiebug to the Dr today. I think it is just teething, but now she has a little rash around her mouth and doesn't want to eat. Last night she just cried and cried and cried. She slept fitfully even after I gave her the Motrin. At least her fever went away. This morning she seemed like her old self, and then when my hubby was feeding her, after about 10 minutes she started to cry again. She would want me, then she wanted him, then she wanted me. Finally, I gave her a bottle of milk and she stopped crying. Then Doc McStuffins came one and she squirmed to get off my lap and started dancing to the theme song!

Hoping the Dr say it is just teething.

 

[pablo797]

morning all!

angela, love the pictures of ethan!! He is SO handsome!! What an adorable little boy. I'm with steph, how did you get him to keep them on? Jo rips both hats and sun glasses right off. Wow is he a cutie and so glad your trip was so much fun. Sorry you all have colds! As for biking accidents, I fall all the time, but figure the exercise pay off is worth it. Unless I end up in a cast for 8 weeks, that would be aweful.. I'm just hoping DH and I can go together. He used to be a semi pro down hill rider so he is awesome on a bike, just hope he doesn't push me too much.

MA, you do what you can girlie,that's all anyone can ask. Once in the new house and better neighborhood you can really enjoy the outdoors.

Steph, what do you do?? I didn't know you were into gaming. I am terrible at video games, more power to you! As for WW I have several issues. I think I think I can keep eating like I used to and still loose weight. It is just dawning on me things have to change. I am holding steady, not gaining but not losing. Actually I do ok with points until I add in drinks. I sound like a heavy drinker which I'm not but I do have a couple of glasses of wine a night or a couple of vodka tonics and that just pushes my points over. I'm trying to not use the extra points. Anyway think I will have to cut out the booze, or plan for it throughout the day so I have a surplus of points saved for the cocktails. So frustrating!!

AFM, on that point had some girls over last night and over indulged for the first time since I got pregnant. Not feeling so good today. We had dinner and talked about going gluten free. Anyone heard of this and the current theories for it? Anyway kind of interesting so we may give it a shot. I think DH and I would feel better. Other than that going camping this weekend and looking foreward to breaking that new bike in!

have a good thursday!! Hi to Carol and CJ, hope the new moms are well. Hi to Jules, hope you are well and daycare is going ok. I droped Jo off today and she was so excited to do something different than hang out with mom and dad.

take are,
anna

 

[pablo797]

steph, just read your post. Have you seen the movie Grand Ma's boy? I would imagine it's a classic in your field. Hope katelyn feels better. Poor little one! Keep us up-dated.

 

[rottpaw]

Poor Katelyn! I hope it's just teething. Teething can definitely throw them for a loop and cause all kinds of strange behavior, at least it does with Ethan!

And on the sunglasses (and hat, which I took off for his pictures), not sure how much luck I'll have keeping them on him all summer, but he is always really distracted by new experiences so I am hoping for the best!

Anna I had to cut out booze, wine etc. to lose weight. If you sre finding you hold steady but don't lose, you may be like me, meaning you stick pretty close to your calories needed, without a lot of thought, but for us to create that deficit and lose is a real challenge. I only started losing when I cut out alcohol, chocolate and started running. But the good news is, I was losing about a pound a week that way, so I know it will work again when the time comes. Good luck! I have not tried GF just bc I love my bread and pasta, and am not a fan of the alternatives, but the science is becoming such that I know I have an appt to read "Wheat Belly" here soon and educat myself. I can't keep ignoring it and I don't want to introduce bad habits to Ethan, if indeed wheat is not so great for us. Has anyone read that book? Any opinions?

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Hi ladies.

Had a good walk on the trail with Doug and Amelia. I'm tired because I MADE myself get up at 10am. I'm trying to get my sleeping patterns back on track as well. I've decided to add in fish and egg whites. I'm not losing like Doug is and I'm getting depressed and feeling deprived. I'm also not losing weight because in all honesty I won't lose a thing sitting on the darn couch all day. So I got up and asked Doug to take me out to the trail AFTER I had fish fry. I was in a terrible mood today and craved something fatty. I've decided instead of eating that crap I'm just going to add leaner fish along with fruits and veggies. Cut out the soda I've been having once in awhile altogether and just deal with water and herbal or green tea.

I've talked Doug into Pilates classes because he needs to get some muscle. He's looking sickly with all the weightloss (who the heck am I to talk when I'm the fatty. lol )

Hopefully by focusing on more exercise and not feeling deprived I'll start seeing some results. I've also been in a pissy mood. and I mean pissy! I think it's just because I'm feeling deprived and downright not happy that I can't just walk outside my home. Countdown is coming so there's a bright side and instead of moping I'll just get Doug out during the week for some trail walks, hiking and hopefully some kayaking or canoeing.

Steph. I bet your right. Teething has been such a hardship for Amelia. I think we have our baby girl back as last nights dose of pain reliever along with her old 3 doses of Axid have made her snuggle and quite the happy baby again.

Love to you all!

 

[HappyAuntie]

My mom has celiac disease, which is an auto-immune disorder where your body attacks the lining of the small intestine in the presence of gluten. If you have celiac and continue eating gluten, it causes all sorts of problems with malnutrition (because the more damaged your small intestine is, the less able it is to absorb any nutrients from anything you eat), osteoporosis, unexplained weight loss, higher rates of certain cancers, skin disorders, nerve problems, and a whole host of other complications.

In the last 8 years since her diagnosis I've become really familiar with all sorts of gluten issues. Wheat and gluten, in and of themselves, are not bad for you. Simply going gluten-free will not make you lose weight (the alternatives are just as calorie-laden, and in the case of celiac disease, cutting out the gluten usually makes you gain weight as your intestines recover from the damage) and can in fact make you deficient in your intake of whole grains, which are essential for all sorts of health benefits. That said, there are a lot of people who have a gluten sensitivity who don't actually test positive for a gluten allergy or celiac disease... so if you try going GF and you feel better, then stay GF. If you think you might have an allergy or celiac, though, it is imperative that you do not go GF before seeing your dr for testing - if you cut the gluten out of your diet before getting tested, your tests could come back as a false negative.

As someone with celiac, my mom has to avoid all wheat, oats, barley and rye, and any and all of their by-products - malt, soy sauce, certain pills, certain lipsticks and lotions, millions of products that you would never ever suspect have wheat, oats, barley or rye in them. It's not as simple as just cutting out bread and baked goods. If you're going GF by choice and not because of a medical diagnosis, though, you have more leeway than that.

 

[rottpaw]

Thanks Melissa for the additional GF info!

On our trip last week, our best friends joined us for part of the week and my friend Kim was just diagnosed with a wheat (but not gluten) intolerance, which apparently is different from a true allergy. Her doc wants her to avoid wheat for three months and see how she feels. Just seeing how hard it was for her to avoid wheat flour, let alone gluten, which appears even more frerquently as you described, made me despair for my own ability to give up wheat if I ever need to. sigh. It seems there is so much info out there lately condemning wheat and grains not just for folks with sensitivities, but for all of us... But having tried a merely carb moderate diet, like the zone, myself taught me how much my body loves bread and pasta and starch in general! I couldnt even hack the moderate-carb level required for that. So I'm hoping I never need to cut grains etc, of any kind, as they really are a staple in my diet!

 

[HappyAuntie]

Celiac runs in families, and if you have a first-degree relative with it, you have a 20% chance of having it. When mom was diagnosed it was strongly recommended that my sisters and I all get tested, because it can cause all sorts of damage long before you ever develop any outward symptoms... and my sisters and I all put off testing as long as we possibly could!!! I finally got myself tested during my rmc workup, as untreated celiac can also cause infertility and miscarriage, and when that one result came back negative, I was more excited about that than anything else! I have to get re-screened every few years, but for now I can still enjoy my glutinous foods - and I do!

 

[pablo797]

HA, thanks for that info. I did read a bit about Celiac on the Mayo Clinic's web site. I do not think DH or I have celiac but maybe just a sensitivity to it. And I agree not a way to loose weigt. I made that mistake when I went vegitaran to loose weight. I ended up eating my weight in cheese!! However apparently there is a lot of information out there about decreasing / eliminating gluten as we eat way too much. I wonder if it's just another nutritionaal fad? Anyway, I think we will attempt to decrease our intake but I doubt we will be able to go full cold turkey. As you mentioned it's amazing how many things have gluten in them. Soy sauce ...really???

angela,have not heard of that book, but am curious may give it a read.

MA, I am sorry you are having such a grumpy day. It's so frustrating trying to loose weight and can be so taxing mentally. Hang in there! I love pilates! Can't find a class that fits my schedule now, but it's one of my favorite things to do ,good results tooo. Be warned you may be sore the first couple of times.

angela, I think ur right, need to create a deficite (sp). Exercise may be the amswer. It may sound like I get a lot of exercise, but really it's not that much. Not enoug to make a difference.

anyway,thanks all for weighing in, no pun intended.
anna

 

[rottpaw]

Celiac runs in families, and if you have a first-degree relative with it, you have a 20% chance of having it. When mom was diagnosed it was strongly recommended that my sisters and I all get tested, because it can cause all sorts of damage long before you ever develop any outward symptoms... and my sisters and I all put off testing as long as we possibly could!!! I finally got myself tested during my rmc workup, as untreated celiac can also cause infertility and miscarriage, and when that one result came back negative, I was more excited about that than anything else! I have to get re-screened every few years, but for now I can still enjoy my glutinous foods - and I do!

I'm definitely afraid to get tested! I'm so afraid of what they will find and tell me not to eat! I know that sounds crazy but unless I'm having symptoms, I'd rather bury my head in the sand! I'm not aware of anyone in my family with any dietary allergies or restrictions, but it could be I just don't know about it if they have it. Hoping I can continue eating my dairy, gluten and all the other good stuff for a good long time lol!

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Thanks Anna.

I'm looking forward to it. It's actually in a dance studio. I used to dance for 14 years. When I was diagnosed with PCOS I started gaining weight like crazy and lost my career in dancing BUT ....I stopped exercising altogether because I was so embarrassed which honestly sounds so odd. :duh:

I'm not sure what weightloss I'll get from pilates alone without actual cardio so I'll take the zumba classes at the dance studio or just a regular dance class (though I still feel quite self conscious).

Anna, are you on facebook?

 

[pablo797]

MA, alas I am the last person on the planet not on face book. One of these days I'm going to break down and join. By the time Jo is old enough to be on the computer (probably in another year!) I will join so I can monitor what she's doing. Make sure no creepy 40 year old man is lurking and talkiig to my daughter. Honestly it scares the crap out of me.

have fun with pilates! There's a ton of dance cross over so you'll probably really enjoy it!

it's friday!!! Woohoo!! Have a good weekend! I'll probably lurk the rest of the day.

Steph, how's Katelyn??

 

[MissMuffet08]

Hi Anna,

yes, Ive seen Grand Ma's boys and it is a favorite, although it was from a Quality Assurance tester point of view. Katelyn has a slight cold and the Dr stated that teething does not cause fever (i've heard differently, but...whatever). She now has a BAD diaper rash, to the point that she doesnt want me to change her. Poor thing. Desitin seemed tomake it worse!

I hear you on the WW. I have not been tracking for the last week and 1/2. Quick question for you...what do you do with Jo when you are camping? I took Katelyn 1 day (it was for the afternoon) and I was at a loss as to what I was supposed to do with her. I tried taking her to the beach (my hubby and his friends camp at a beach site) and she did NOT like the sand. Then I had her on the gravel, but she kept putting rocks in her mouth! Since she isn't walking yet, I either had to carry her or push her around in the stroller. I would love to try camping again (though not a big camper, but hubby is), but just don't know what I would do with her!