Hungry Games #11 and #12--A quick update

Well I'm a little behind...by 2 posts.  I've been using MyFitnessPal both on my home pc and the app.  I'm still weighing in at Weight Watchers....but this Tuesday (June 4th) will be my last weigh in....no worries I'm an everyday weigher at home!  Since using MyFitnessPal I've lost 8 pounds in 4 weeks.  It seems to be working and I will be continuing on with it!  I weighed myself this morning (my true weigh in for tracking is every Thursday morning) and I'm only 3 pounds away from hitting my first personal goal. Hopefully I'm there by Thursday!

Anyway....life has been busy.  End of school year, graduations, open houses....etc.

My neice graduated today!  Happy moments!  Her open house was yesterday!  And it was so good to see some family that I haven't seen in ages.....

So that's my quick update!

Still losing,
Cathy

Hungry Games #10--Changes!

Okay....so this post is long over due!  Life has been crazy & busy....which leaves little time for this space.  I currently am writing after a crazy busy Saturday!  Recital was tonight and then a fun night at Rick's work for some bounce fun!

This my friends....my beautiful Charity!

Anyway.....on with the weight issues....for me!
So my last weigh in I gained 5...yikes.  it was an evening weigh in...which I never do.  I had ate all day...not a lot...but I'm adding that to my list of excuses for the weight increase!  I missed this past weigh in because of this:

Field trip to Mackinac with Charity.  Boy was that super exhausting....not a vacation at all!  I kid you not I walked 10,000 miles and I would walk 10,000 more just to be the....oops off track.  Anyway....my legs....still sore!

So the changes that I made since that weigh in of the +5 are--I am no longer going to continue with Weight Watchers and instead I'm going to use MyFitnessPal app!  Disclaimer***while I still truly believe in WW...it does work...it's just not working for me right now.  I have found calculating points is way more time consuming than me just counting calories.  Also my last weigh in with WW will be June 4...so I will be comparing that to what I'm tracking with the app & home scale.

My results since I've started using MyFitnessPal.....I weighed in at the 1 week mark AND I'm down 6 pounds!  I still have such a long way to go....but it's still progress to me.

On the very bright side for me.....I posted the below pic:

And a sweet friend said she could tell in my face that I've lost some weight!  Well that just always gives me the little nudge I need to continue on!  Encouragement is such a wonderful thing!

Weighing in late....
Cathy

Oh the Worry!

So I just wanted to give a quick update/prayer request.  We go Wednesday, May 8th for Gideon's heart cath first thing in the morning.  I found myself STRESS eating after talking with the NP about the scheduled time, the what ifs/worse case scenario, prep, and/or questions.

My mind instantly started playing every scenario out.  Planning on what ifs.  SO worse case scenario is.....a tear in the valve causing it to leak.  This would mean in 4 to 6 weeks a full repair, aka open heart surgery.

I don't know why I start preparing for the worst....I mean I instantly went to my boss and told her that I might need additional time off.  I contacted HR and asked them what would happen if worse case scenario happened.  Yada yada yada.....

I can't really put into words why I do this other than it must be how I shield myself from hurt.  If I'm prepared mentally what ever happens I can deal with in a more sound way because I've already played it out in my head.  I'm already emotional over the whole thing.  Tears form instantly with the thoughts of him being put to sleep for the routine procedure!  I know there are mommas who have endured so much more than me!  I'm not sure how they cope/deal with it?!

I know Rick is feeling it too.  He's such a good dad....he says to me...you know I won't be eating while Gideon cannot eat (part of the prep--NPO)...when Gideon can eat I will eat.  I guess he wants to share in this somehow with Gideon and I can relate....

I'm asking that you all pray for the doctor--that he will be alert and God will guide him, that you pray for our family because I know that the 2 older kids will be sensitive on this day, and mostly for Gideon.  Just pray....PLEASE.

I leave you with pics of our sweet Gideon:

Cathy

Hungry Games #9-STUCK!

Well, I missed my weigh in....blah!  I had been thinking about skipping it cause I was feeling like there would be zilch to report from the scale and then the powers that be (that would be good ole responsibility kicking in) prevented me from leaving work for my normal lunch hour.  So anyway...I guess I should of never been thinking I was gonna skip....boo me!

Truth is I've been fighting with this darn 1.2 pounds.  I will lose it....then gain it back....then lose it...then gain it back!  GRRR!

Then today as I was dropping the babies off at daycare (our daycare lady is AMAZING btw) our daycare provider says to me I can tell you lost some weight....well that just made me feel like I can kick that 1.2 pounds in the BUTT!  So that's what I'm gonna do.  Truth be told I think the colors I wore today may have been flattering to me, and really that's all peeps were noticing!  It was a coral shirt and a turquoise..ish necklace!

So that's it....although I'm revamping my plan...stay tuned for details next week because this week......it's just a WIP!

I leave you with this pic:

Wanting to know if this is true....it's my friends so I didn't drink it!

Still fighting the fat!
Cathy

250 words or less

One of my favorite bloggers
over at Trippin' my Trigger
posted about this blog's
every day in May Challenge.
See button below.

     

Born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on March 21, 1975, raised in Michigan.  I grew up in church....and am so thankful for that--it's made me who I am today!  Met my husband through friends via snail mail, a ton of emails & phone calls we were married 6 months from the date I received the first letter.  I've always wanted babies knew it'd be a struggle but with some clomid and a whole lot of God we have been blessed with 4!  My kids...my greatest treasures!  I never thought I'd travel but the hubby drags me with him.  Without the kids we've been on a Mediterranean cruise (Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt (you MUST see the pyramids!), and Malta) the Bahamas, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and a cruise to south eastern Caribbean (St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Barbados, etc.).  In addition to these we load up a pop up camper and drag the children camping through the 48 continental United States!  Cape Cod, Bar Harbor, Cape Hatteras, & Tybee Island to name a few faves!  I'm a full time working momma and sometimes it's tough....but overall LIFE IS GOOD!  I am more than blessed!  In my free time besides travelling I love to crochet, knit (self taught on both), scrapbook, and sew!

Using this pic because I don't have a good family pic of all of us!

   

Hungry Games #8--Plan A

So I'm weighing in with
everyone....and vacation did
me in.  Not so bad.....but I
could have done better!  I gained
this week--1.2 pounds.....not too
much but still a gain....grr!

So that has me on this mission
to lose quite a bit in the next
4 weeks.  Pretty steep goal...
Not sure if I will meet it or not,
but I'm making some changes to
ensure I don't set myself up for
failure!  I'll share the number
I have in mind and my 4 week
result....in 4 weeks :)

Anyway....I prepped a bunch of foods
this past Sunday for the week:

Food prepping has really been
helpful to me....not just to stay
on track dietwise....but also
for the family as a whole to have
healthy foods ready in minutes.

Also to prevent the "I don't feel
like cooking...let's run and grab
some junk food" mode from
kicking in!

Well, I weigh in again on Tuesday.
And I'm feeling like I won't have a
loss.  I'll see what the scale says
soon enough!

Thanks for dropping by!
Cathy

Gideon--Cardiology Update

I've wanted to write a little bit
about Gideon and his little heart
for a while but just haven't really
quite known what to say.

So I'm just going to type....

Gideon had his regular follow-up
appt. on April 5th.  I was a little
anxious the previous week because
his original appt. was to be March 29.
We rescheduled due to a stomach bug.
Anyway we finally made this appt. and
I knew we'd be looking at an intervention
this year from his previous appt. & also
what the scheduling person had told me
was noted in the chart.

Anyway today we received a letter from
U of M, Mott's telling us on paper a
break down of his appt.  Seeing it in
writing seems to make the seriousness
of this more real to me.  As I try not to
worry, I've been basing my thoughts
about his little heart on what I see every
day--a happy, healthy boy!  Full of
energy....but definitely tired out by the
end of the day, climbing the stairs to
bed before the big kids.


Waiting for our turn at the ECHO.

Our view while waiting.

Grandma came along.

During the Echo.

Fast asleep--no sedation needed.

Snack after fasting for the Echo!

I realize that Gideon's situation is by no

means as bad as what some parents

experience....it could be so much worse.

The kids' soccer coach told me today

that their little girl was born with a heart

defect and had open heart surgery at just

2 days old.  They were blessed with her

for 3.5 years.  Such a short amount of

time....I can't even imagine.



Anyway tonight I carried Gideon upstairs to

snuggle because he was clinging to me +

after reading the letter from the doctors + 

after a week of vacation and missing the

kiddos all day.....it was what I needed.

I sang to him--some silly songs and some

God songs as my kids call them.  He's so

sweet...he put his hand on my face and

said sing and then tried to sing with me.

Near tears...I tell ya...the way time just

zooms on by! Glad I snuggled him....time

stood still for just a few minutes!

Anyway, May 8th we will have another

heart cath with valvoplasty.  Please pray

for my sweet boy!

Cathy