Month: January 2012

Update

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Just a quick update post…

1. Livi is entering her second week of preschool and loving it. Tomorrow they are going on a field trip to the library of the school they are next too for story time. She is pretty excited.

2. Is it normal for a three year old girl to have the emotional stability of a PMSing 14 year old girl, who is also bi-polar? She is very good at keeping us up to the moment on her ever changing moods and can articulate it very well. We have had to learn how to stifle our snickers at her “evil eyes”. It is epic.

3. Sofie’s appointments have started. We have heard back from and scheduled all but two of the doctor appointments we had been waiting for as well as therapy and funding appointments. This week is crazy busy… Family doctor, Dentist (for Jon), Social Worker for respite money, music class, Special O phone meeting, Speech Therapy, and beginning of next week is our first 6 month adoption check-in! Within the next three months we go to Children’s at least once, try getting some of Sofie’s dental work done, speak with a dietitian, get her eyes, hearing, and possible sleep apnea checked on as well as get a few x-ray’s and immunizations! I’m sure more stuff will come up too. Wow, I was warned about all the appointments but this seems crazy!

4. My lifestyle change has been going really well! I just started my 3rd week which means I got to introduce carbs again! But it also meant I started working out. First time I’ve been intentional with my exercise in about 2 years. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Livi woke up from her nap and did the yoga part with me. It was so cute. A couple of the moves I couldn’t do for long enough and I had to stop for a quick break. Livi would lay down beside me and say “This is such hard work for me too!” My three year old daughter kicked my ass at yoga but I maintain that I had better form! The really good news about these past two weeks is that I am 14 lbs lighter! Horray! I’ve already noticed my clothes fitting better. I measured my inches twice but they were both way off so I think I’m measuring wrong. I think I am 2-4 inches down in my waist and thighs 🙂 Wish me luck on the exercise portion!

Preschool

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Today was my baby’s first day of preschool! Seriously? How can she be old enough to be going to preschool?

As we were preparing her for preschool we made the mistake to use it as the motivation for doing things by herself. We said things like “you need to go pee all by yourself if you want to go to preschool.” Big mistake. It worked at first but then she decided it was too much pressure and she didn’t want to go to preschool. We laid off for a few weeks and tried to reassure her that if she really needed help her teacher would be there to help. That still didn’t fully satisfy her though.

Last night I sat her down and talked to her about how much fun she was going to have, how much her teachers and the kids where looking forward to seeing her, and how many new toys she was going to get to play with! She had a lot of anxiety about with which resulted in an unrelated meltdown. I was worried.

Even in the morning she was still saying no until I reassured her that I would stay as long as she wanted me too. That fixed everything! Why did I not explain that better in the beginning! Oops. I guess I can’t be perfect all the time. She got excited and walked happily with Jon and I hand in hand!

Marmee stayed home with Sofie while I kept my attention on Livi. Jon had to go to work right away. Livi jumped in with both feet. She hung back close to me for about 30 seconds before taking off her backpack and jacket, switching her shoes and heading off to play. I hung back while she headed straight for the play-dough that was out. She checked back to make sure I was still there a few times but only about 20-30 minutes in I asked her if I could go home and check on Sofie and she said yes! No problem! She waved goodbye from the window and that was it.

When I picked her up, she had stories to tell. She said she had so much fun and that she wanted to go to preschool “again, and again, and again and again!” Yay! I love my big girl. I can’t believe she is in preschool! Where did my baby go! I’m so proud of her though. She is growing up in to such a beautiful little lady 🙂

Lifestyle Change 12.0

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Confession:   I watch Dr. Phil, regularly. I record it even and take his advice to heart.

So, I think it was November or December he did a show on the P.I.N.K. Method. It is a new weight loss program. I bought it. Literally, 5 minutes after I watched the show I went online and ordered it. I NEVER do that. I’m not the biggest impulse buyer and never off of TV. 
Remember when I tried that Lifestyle change in the beginning of 2010? I had lost 15-20lbs on the gyms meal plan and working out, but then we started the adoption and my emotions ate and didn’t exercise… as usual. Eventually, I gained the weight back. Well, I’m trying it again. No big family events are in the works. Nothing was planned in January 2010 either but here’s hoping we have so “surprises”! … at least for a little while. 
I started the P.I.N.K. Method on January 16 and by the morning of the 20th I had lost 9lbs… in four days. It slowed down after that, I think mainly because I was retaining water before my period 🙂 Now, at first I figured it was all just water weight but then I looked up. Usually, you only carry about 3-5 lbs of water weight a day and the reviews on this type of quick weight loss are the best for losing actual fat. So, I’m going with it. Today, after day 7, I’m 11 lbs lighter in total. Pretty happy about that.

There are a few great things that I’m loving about this plan which a lot of others lack. 1) There are no special pills, smoothies or weird packaged food involved. It is just lean protein and a hell of a lot of veggies for the first two weeks. Then I start doing the DVD work outs and get to eat slow-carbs again. 2) It is teaching me how to portion, what to eat to keep me full, and explaining it all… and it is working! I’ve never actually understood the whole calorie stuff and why. I’m learning 🙂 3) The SUPER great thing is my family is all eating what I’m eating… with some extra sauces or carbs but basically it is the same! No cooking two meals! I have a protein, fruit smoothie each morning that Livi is loving and Jon is glad that he is having to eat more veggies too! Plus, it is getting Sofie used to eating veggies better. She can’t chew them raw yet but she is doing great with all the cooked veggies. This is teaching us all how to eat better!

I start the exercise next Monday and am a little worried about it. I’m not good with that part. I need to lose weight. I need to be healthier. I need to be a better example for my kids.  So… I guess wish me luck, again.