Weight Loss Wednesday - An Update - WLW 2016 - Week #9

Starting Weight:  135.0 lbs
Last Week's Weight:  135.4 lbs
Today's Weight: 135.0  lbs
Total Loss:  0 lbs


I had a realization over the weekend. When I started keeping track & documenting my weight loss I started at 155 pounds and I lost 20, which is awesome! BUT I have kind of forgotten that I was heavier than that before I kept track. To be honest I really don't know what I weighed at my heaviest. I intentionally didn't have a scale. I knew it was bad but didn't have any motivation to do anything about it. My first step in losing it was when I was pregnant with Lyla & got diagnosed with gestational diabetes. From that point forward I didn't gain anymore pregnancy weight & after I had Lyla I continued to eat the way I was with the diabetes & quickly lost more weight than I gained pregnant. We all kind of didn't notice that I was thinner than I was pre pregnancy. Then I plateaued until I started working at it last year.

BUT this past weekend I had a fun reminder & the timing couldn't have been better! I've had some issues with my foot & haven't been able to be as active as I want to be & haven't been able to lose these last five pounds & was just feeling yucky. We got out our St. Pattys bin to sort through things before we went shopping. I pulled out my St. Pattys jeans that we made back in 2009. I looked at them & thought "wow these look HUGE". So for fun I tried them on. I knew they would be too big but I didn't anticipate they would be this big!




If I let go, they fell right down!



For comparison I laid my current jeans on top of them:



So I've really come a long way, even if I'm not exactly where I want to be! 

5 Things Friday - 5 Articles I Have Enjoyed (and want to share)

I love to write.  I also love to read things that others have written.  Here are my 5 favorite articles I have read recently:

1.  No, My Kindergartner Won't Be Doing That Homework Assignment


2.  Why I Still Need My Mom


3.  Why I Won't Stop Talking About My Abortion


4.  Drinking Wine Before Bed Now Officially Makes You Skinny


5.  A Letter To My Longtime And Faraway Friends

Testing the new phone/app

I got myself a fancy new phone... So fancy I can no longer use the app I always used to blog with! Here's hoping this one works! Especially since it cost me $2.99..... 😠

Angelman Syndrome Awareness Day

Today we all wore blue to raise awareness and show support for Hendrick and all the others with Angelman Syndrome.

Erin made this really great video about Hendrick's personal journey with AS:




For more information, please visit these sites:

http://www.angelman.org/

http://cureangelman.net/

This is one of the few things in this world that you can be diagnosed with and there is actually hope for a cure.  There IS A CURE and Hendrick will see it in his lifetime!  We just want to help speed up that process as much as we can! 

I want to share my thoughts since Hendrick was diagnosed.  At first I was devastated.  Just so completely heartbroken for my friend.  Erin was being strong and taking it all head on.... I was scared.  Just trying to wrap my head around what her future is going to be like.  And then time moved forward, as it has a way of always doing.  And Hendrick continued learning.  He is figuring things out in his own way.  We went to the bowling fundraiser last night and there was a little boy there with Angelman.  Erin has made friends with his mom through all of this.  Caleb is five and he was a true inspiration to me!  He didn't talk, but he didn't have to!  He was one of the sweetest little boys I have EVER met.  And he WAS WALKING!  There is hope.  Of course if you want to be sad and believe this is a horrible sentence, you can google and find all sorts of bad information.  But you can also search and find kids like Caleb who are living their lives.  Its not the lives their parents envisioned for them, but they are ok.  They are happy. 

And with that, I would like to share this video with you:

Valentine's Day 2016

What a love filled Valentine's Day weekend we have had!

Friday Lyla had her Valentine's Day party at school. Since she also had gym on Friday she couldn't wear her dress she's been saving... So naturally we had to get her a cute t-shirt & matching headband!

And we did her nails special too!

When we got home Friday Gary had got both of his girls flowers!

Saturday the three of us went down to visit my mom & dad. After lunch Gary & I headed back home & Lyla stayed for a slumber party. 

When I got home I had this sweet card in the mail from Mary Beth!  She really put a smile on my face!

Gary & I rented movies & got Chinese food and just hung out for the evening!  I know, we had a babysitter & we sat at home.... It was kinda perfect though!

This morning we got up & went to the movies. After trying to remember we came to the conclusion this is the first movie we've gone to together in about four years!!  We take Lyla to movies & sometimes we go with friends or Gary likes to go alone sometimes... But it's been a really long time for the two of us to go. Which is funny because we used to go every weekend!  

After the movie we met mom, dad and Lyla for lunch. We came home for a little bit then we left to go bowling. 

Erin had invited us to an Angelman fundraiser that just happened to be really close to our house!  So the three of us, Erin, Andy, Hendrick & Erin's dad and Amanda, Justin, Adam, Becca & Angie all went bowling to raise money for Angelman syndrome!  What a fun evening we had!

No worries I beat Erin & really at the end of the night!  😉

WLW 2016 - Week #5

Starting Weight:  135.0 lbs
Last Week's Weight:  132.6 lbs
Today's Weight:  132.6 lbs
Total Loss:   2.4 lbs

So I'm exactly where I was a week ago.  Not exactly an improvement, BUT not so bad when you consider the fact that I gained two pounds from Friday to Monday and spent the last two days getting them back off! 

Gary was talking to someone over the weekend and said losing the first 10 pounds is the hardest.  I totally disagree.  I think losing that last five is way more difficult.  Its hard to find the motivation because I love to use the excuse that "I've already lost so much, so the last five isn't a big deal."  And I think your body just works against you at the end. 

A Taste of Spring in the Middle of Winter

The weather was great this weekend!  We took advantage and went down to WashPa for the day on Saturday.

We started off at Erin's.  We hadn't seen her, Andy and Hendrick in two months, so we were pretty excited to see the three of them!  Hendrick has really changed in that time.  I loved just watching him!  

We tried to get a picture of me and the two kids.  Hendrick was way more interested in messing up Lyla's hair... and it sort of made for one of my new favorite pictures!  :)

And of course, Erin and I can't take a picture of just the two of us.... photo bomber is always ready and waiting!

After we left Erin's we stopped at the mall and met Em, Gerald and Carter for dinner.  I love getting in my Carter cuddles!

Lyla and I had gone shopping a couple weeks ago and got Carter a St. Patty's Day onesie and glasses.  We brought them with us and tried his glasses on him!  He loved them!

Lyla was pushing Carter around the mall in his stroller... he was terrified....  I think he thought his mom was driving!  ;-)

When we left the mall we stopped at Sarris Candies on our way home for dessert.  This was Lyla's first time there so we had to get her picture in front of the chocolate castle!  

Ash & Jeremy met us there to have ice cream.  They were packed and there weren't any seats left, so the five of us went outside to eat.  Yes, we went outside to eat ice cream on a January night....  lol  It was cold, but by no means unbearable!  Especially for Lyla and I who actually had coats on!

It was even nicer out today!  Gary got our cars all washed and Lyla took advantage of the snow being off the sidewalk and rode her bike!

Its hard to believe that a week ago we were sled riding and today we were riding her bike without a coat on!