A Wonderful Evening.

I decided since I got some extra cash I would take Little Miss Samantha out to get a hamburger that she has been wanting for days. So the family went to Red Robins in Fayetteville. I had never been there and it was a nice place, the waitress was lovely and the food was great. Since I am on the Atkins in the Induction Phase, I researched what they had on their menu before we went to get an idea before hand as to what I can actually eat safely. Their website had a customized thing that allowed you to pick and choose what you wanted on your meal and then with a push of a little Nutrition thing, I saw how many carbs were going to be in what I was going to order. It was AWESOME. I knew what I wanted and didn't even need to look at the menu. Sam LOVED her hamburger, but I won't be ordering her fries in the future~ the little weirdo doesn't care for them. LOL.  I had the Simply Grilled Chicken Salad without the croutons and bread with balsamic vinagrette on the side and an extra chicken breast. It was really good. I dipped my fork in the dressing in order to save on the carbs. I ordered an unsweet tea, but was brought a sweet tea, took a sip and I had a funny feeling because of the sugar in it that I hadnt had in like 4 days. The unsweet tea with a little sweet-n-low tasted better (which shocked me!) than the sweet tea and I LOVE me some sweet tea.
  Went to Target after dinner to see what they had on their ranks in the front of the store, you know, the ones with the $1 or so stuff. I got a pair of really cute Valentine's day socks for Sam and a pink lion for Payton that I think looks more like an orangatan. I looked at their bathroom stuff to see if I found anything I liked that would match our brown towels. They are soft and huge, but I dont like them. I found a few different ones~ brown and cream striped towels and brown and blueish striped color towels. Sam also picked out her 2 Minnie Mouse books. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Payton slept most of the time.
  Next we went to Walmart to pick up a few things fo my diet. I needed more sugar free Jello and was going to try the Atkins products like these bars similar to Snickers, which I am going to put in the freezer, and the vanilla shakes. I also got some more sugar free tea. Totally forgot my Crystal Light, but I'll live. I also got some deli meat~ peppered turkey breast (YUM!), roast beef and chicken breast as well as some provolone. Sam did so well eating her hamburger at dinner, she got a chocolate cupcake with blue frosting. It stained her face and hands. Then off to bed she went.
   Shes been on antibiotics since Monday for a presumed strep throat :(. That was a fun morning. ER at 630am on Monday. Just glad it was'nt something terrible like a sprained neck or pinched nerve. Poor baby. So far she has been doing good. Payton has a runny nose today, thinking it's teething. Or at least hoping that is what it is.
Well that was my evening. Hope everyones out in internet land was as wonderful. Getting some snow tomorrow so pictures of the girls in the snow will be coming soon.

Im excited.

   Well, I weighed myself not too long ago and I weighed 214 lbs. AWESOME!!! I hope it continues at this rate. Which is a total of 4.8 lbs lost.
   I cheated today by adding a tiny bit of breadcrumbs to my crabcakes because I didnt think it would be any good without it. Sam was acting crazy and I totally forgot to pick through the crabmeat and man, I wish I did. Oh, well. I have been doing good so far despite the breadcrumbs, but I don't really feel like I did anything wrong because if the fact that I have been doing so well otherwise. I am back on track, and will remain this way. I have another thing of crab meat so I will search even harder for a recipe that is Induction friendly. I also found a way to make the tea taste better: half it with water. SO MUCH BETTER.
  I got my student loan refund today and I am thinking of all the stuff I want to buy for our new place. Speaking of which I need to get on the ball about calling these different places to find out what we need to get into a nice place. I just have so much longer to wait til we will have the money to be able to actually give a deposit and everything. Sometimes it feels like it is a waste of my time to get my hopes up on a place and then it be rented by the time we get the extra money for the deposits and stuff. I am hoping we are staying in Springdale because I love the library here and Sam isnt going to be starting school anytime soon, so I still have time to find the perfect area near the school that we just love.  I am so excited about this year. New place, plus a new me with losing weigh. I am giddy about being able to go to a store and just get clothes and not feel like crap because nothing fits.
 I have like 5 months left of my degree and I will be done with school. I am so burnt out on it and what they are making me learn, which I dont feel is necessary for the job I want to do.
  I have ideas of what kind of decor I want for our new place and I cant wait to go shopping. I have a good amount of money to spend too which doesnt include any of the tax money. I have been saving! :) Which makes me even more proud of myself.
Well enough of that for now.  I leave you with a cute video of my little Payton.

TTFN!

So far...

Well since I have started the Atkins which was the 12th. I wasn't completely doing it right because I was trying to keep from having the dreaded withdrawals. My weight then was 218lbs. Ecck feel so bad I didn't loose all the weight from my pregnancy. Its all good though. I am on the diet completely. I slipped twice yesterday with a little bit of Sam's cookie and a drink from the juice that was in the fridge for Sam. I was tired of the funky taste from the sugar free tea. Wish Crystal light didn't use aspartame in it. I also had a drink of the juice today when I made Sam a glass. But I don't feel like I railroaded my progress any. I m having terrible cravings for the Mtn Dew, chinese food, and cheesecake.
Personal evaluation from the Atkins Journal:
1/12/11
Starting weight: 218.8
Starting size: 20+
Goal weight: 135
Goal size: 9 or something like that.
Measurements:
chest: estimate 50
waist: 43
hips: 47
upper arms: 12.5
thighs: 26
Week 1 Evaluation
Weight: 216
chest: 50 estimate
waist: 40.5
hips: 46
upper arms: 12
thighs: 26

That is -2.8 lbs and -4 inches in a week. :) I'm more than stoked about losing weight this way. Once the Spring comes I will be able to get out and play with the girls. I am soo looking forward to being skinny.
  

My girls

This picture was taken at the Jacksonville Zoo when we went to Florida to visit family and friends.

Samantha:
She has been going to the Little Gym since Sept 2010. She loves it. Miss Meggie is awesome with her. I want to keep her in it until she is 3 and transfer her to regular gymnastics. She is into photography as well. She is in the full-blown terrible twos. I am hoping to get her into preschool. I think she is going to absolutely love it. She is also fully potty-trained. YAY!!!

Payton:
She is cooing and scooting everywhere. She can go backwards and sometimes forwards in her walker as well. She has learned to do raspberries too. So sweet that little girl is. 

Love these girls soo much.

2011...

    Haven't been on here in a while. 2010 was a great year because I had my second little girl. I got to finish out the year in my hometown (Jacksonville, Florida) where my family got to meet my little girls for the first time. They also got to go to the beach and the zoo. It was a LONG great weekend, a Christmas present from my hubby. We also went up to my sister in laws house where she got to meet Payton for the first time. Wish we could have stayed a little longer.
  
  I have been having some stomach issues with heart burn where I think I may have an ulcer from stress. I also have been losing tons of hair from the lack of pregnancy hormones. I swear I should be bald by now. So I am hoping for a more stressfree life this year.

   I am thinking of doing the Atkins diet in order to lose weight and become healthier. I have heard that there are health issues concerning this diet, but I am not taking it to the extreme because I am still breastfeeding Payton (almost 5 months EBF!!!).  I want something for the rest of my life. I am hoping that the induction phase drops the weight quickly though, but I will be happy with any type of weight loss. I need to lose a lot of weight. I have seen the pictures taken from our vacation and I am seriously depressed with the way I look. Its funny how I am shaped. I have a skinny neck, arms, feet, calves. My shoulders are skinny too. Once I get a good handle on the weight loss when it comes to the food choices, I will start with exercising. Its hard for me to do most stuff because of how big I am.

 Resolutions/ Goals for 2011:
Be better organized.
Get new furniture.
Be more creative with Sam and Payton.
Lose weight.

Back at it...

Day 1 of the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. OMGOSH! I was sweating so much afterwards. As it came to an end I was more able to do more of the cardio easier. The jumping jacks are hard to do with my boobs. Oh how I yearn for the day I go in for my reduction.

Weight: 214.4 lbs   Hips: 46.50 Waist: 37.50 Neck: 13.75 BMI: 38.1 Waist:Hip Ratio: .60 Body Fat%:  47.6%Lean body: 112.4 lbs Overweight by: 74.1 lbs

My goal weight is 140 lbs. I need to lose 14 lbs to get to my pre pregnancy weight. I don't have any other motivation but myself.

Had a busy week last week.

     Monday, I had to have labwork done for my Essure procedure that I had done on Thursday. Tuesday was Miss Payton 2 month checkup and she is growing so big so fast. She is 10lbs 7oz and 22 inches long. Sam was a brat the whole time, screaming her brains out and everything. Payton's doctor is awesome. Makes me feel like an awesome mom. He is the only person that compliments me on how well my daughters are being raised and even made me feel better about the way Sam was acting "Its natural for her to behave this way." Wednesday, was suppose to be a playdate in Rogers at a park, but that was cancelled. Thursday, was my Essure procedure.
    Oh the Essure procedure. I had to be at the hospital at 5:30am to be prepped for the procedure. Sam was doing her usual acting up and Spencer was not being very supportive as usual. I was freaking about the IV and had good reason because the nurse that was to do it couldn't get the other person's IV in. She gave me an injection of lidocain and then TRIED to put the IV in the top of my right hand OUCH!!! She couldn't get it. It got swollen and bruised. Then she gave me another injection of  lidocain in the thumb area of my right hand and finally got the IV started. Once the IV was in the numbing effect of the lidocain took effect. Useless stabs in my opinion. The anesthesiologist spoke to me to tell me I was going to be asleep and then my doctor came in to ask me if the procedure didn't work if I wanted her to go through my belly button and tie my tubes the old fashion way. Well all I remember is getting a dose of feel good meds and then I was in the recovery room. I bled a lot getting out of the bed to change but thats normal. I haven't had bad cramps except once. I am now spotting. I have until January and the procedure should be in full effect as a birth control. For information on the procedure, check out http://www.essure.com/.

   I currently have a boring life. I want to start doing my hair bows again and try to start selling them. I am burned out on crocheting right now. I was looking forward to moving to NC but now I am looking forward to moving into a bigger house and decorating it and buying new furniture and stuff. I want  new living room furniture, dining room furniture, TV, bath and bedding for the master bedroom, mattress set, bath for the girls, and I am thinking of redoing Paytons nursery from Winnie the Pooh to Ladybugs that I saw on Walmart.com.

Will have new measurements tomorrow. I gained some weight from a growth spurt and increase in milk supply from Payton and from the IV fluids I was given during my procedure.