Me and Bennie on my wedding day, 7.3.99
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
happy birthday, bennie!
today, my grandmother celebrates 79 years on this earth. she has been my rock, my supporter, my encourager, my best friend, and my laughter all my life. i would be a different person today, i think, had she not been such a huge part of my life. happy birthday, bennie! i love you so good!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Happy Halloween!!
Elaina, "The Dandelion"
Granna and "The Dandelion". Minus the flower.
Papa and "The Dandelion". Still missing the flower.
Me and my little rocker/80's girl
Me and Kim
Me, Jason and Kim - the UA employees
Lila Kate and "her" candy.
Sweetest little 2-year old there is. Love her to pieces!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Guess who's 12?
Today, 12 years ago, I gave birth to a precious baby girl! She has brought so much joy to our lives. She is loud, energetic, tomboyish (sometimes), diva-ish (all the time) and the greatest gift I have ever been given. She has a heart the size of Texas and loves fiercely. She is protective of her family and friends and will stand up for them in a New York Minute. She is a fighter and will defend what she believes in at any time and in any place. She loves God and shows that with everything that she does. She has a unique sense of humor and makes me laugh all the time. She says some of the craziest things, and is not afraid to try anything. My life would not have been the same with out that 7 pound 7 ounce bundle of joy!
Happy birthday, Kaitlyn Marie!! I love you to google and back!!
.JPG)
Happy birthday, Kaitlyn Marie!! I love you to google and back!!
Kaitlyn Marie Davis
Thursday, October 12, 2000
7 lbs. 7oz.
19"
.JPG)
Kaitlyn Marie Davis
October 2012
12 years old
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Happiest 5K on Earth!
This past Saturday, Kaitlyn and I and some friends participated in The
Color Run. The Color Run is a 5K that supports lots of charities all
over the country. The one here supported "Read Alabama Read" which
raises money to buy books for school libraries that were damaged in the
April 2011 tornadoes. There's not a whole lot to say about the race,
other than it was a BLAST!! I can't wait until next year! Below are
some pictures. Enjoy!
Me and Kaitlyn before the race.
All the people. We were in the second wave. They let us go in waves of
500. There were more than 4,000 people there.
Me and Mindy. Love this lady!
Our group: Front row - Elle, Kaitlyn, Emma, me
Back row - Jordan, Kim, Mindy, Debbie and Jennifer
Not sure who the two photo bombers in the back are.
Waiting to start.
Dancing.
Dancing.
One of the color stations. These people were serious about their job!
Crossing the finish line!
Such a goof ball.
Our group after the race, plus Rhonda and minus Jordan.
Such a fun day with her.
Love this dirty little face.
After we crossed the finish line, we had a closing ceremony that involved
more color!
Kaitlyn and Mindy in the middle of the closing ceremony.
How cool is this picture?
Kaitlyn, Emma and Elle. This picture was on the
Tuscaloosa News website yesterday. Kaitlyn is famous!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
what a catch!!
Every year for Labor Day, we go camping - me, Kevin, Kaitlyn, his brother Kenny and nephew Chad. It's been a tradition for about 5 years now. This Labor Day, my brother, Keith, and his boys, Jayden, Fisher and Griffin, came too. We had so much fun! Keith and I really enjoy hanging out together and I enjoy fishing with him - he makes it fun.
Friday afternoon, I got to the campsite around 5:30. By 6:00, me, Keith, Kaitlyn and all 3 boys were at the dam fishing.
Keith baited all the rods and within one minute of casting, Griffin caught the first fish. It was a small catfish, probably about a pound. We threw it back and Griffin said he would come catch it again when it got bigger.
We caught two more catfish that trip. Fisher caught one, and it finned him when he pulled it in. That one was probably 3-4 pounds. He was a keeper. Jayden caught a fish called a drum. It was probably 4 pounds maybe. Keith made us throw that one back because he said it would make us sick if we ate it.
We headed back to the camp site around 7:15 or so and I started cooking supper. Keith and all of the kids headed out to bait and throw out the jugs while I cooked and after we ate, we headed back out to check them. This is when it really gets fun!
Jayden and Griffin fell asleep before we headed back out, so Keith put them in the tent and Kevin offered to stay at the camp site with them. Me, Keith, Kaitlyn and Fisher headed out to check the jugs. Kaitlyn pulled up one jug that had a deep string on it - one that rested on the bottom of the river. She kept saying, "there's nothing on here, Uncle Keith." Well, she was a little surprised when she pulled up that string and had an 11 pound catfish on it! We caught several more that were between 5-7 pounds and one that was probably 9 pounds.
We had one jug that we had been watching all night that was in the middle of all of the other jugs. We checked the ones on the outside first and were going to check this one at the very end because of where it was. And, because we were picking on Kaitlyn. Keith and I kept telling her that we were going to wait until the next day to get that one. It was bobbing a good bit and she couldn't sit still for watching it.
Anyway, we pull up to this jug, and jokingly, I say, "Kaitlyn, I think I'm going to pull this jug up." Keith, more seriously, says, "For real. Your mom has never pulled a jug up. Let her pull this one." So I do. This fish just kind of ghosts up to the surface of the water. All I see is this head at the top of the water and it scares the mess out of me. I throw the jug back in the water and jump up and run to the front of the boat. I look at Keith and the look on his face is just priceless. His mouth is kinda frozen in a state of shock and his eyes are locked on that jug. When he gets his wits back, he leans down and pulls the jug back up and tells us to get to the front of the boat because he is going to have to sling this fish into the boat. He grabs it under the gills and slings. This is what he ends up throwing in the boat:
This fish is the largest fish that I have ever seen, much less caught. I was the queen in the eyes of all of the boys. We are still talking about the fact that I threw the jug back in the water, though.
All together, we caught around 12 catfish. We had a great time! I can't wait until next year's trip. Maybe I can catch an even BIGGER fish then. :)
Friday afternoon, I got to the campsite around 5:30. By 6:00, me, Keith, Kaitlyn and all 3 boys were at the dam fishing.
Getting ready to go fishing :)
Gotta have the silly picture. Griffin is doing the
John Cena "U Can't C Me" move.
Keith baited all the rods and within one minute of casting, Griffin caught the first fish. It was a small catfish, probably about a pound. We threw it back and Griffin said he would come catch it again when it got bigger.
We caught two more catfish that trip. Fisher caught one, and it finned him when he pulled it in. That one was probably 3-4 pounds. He was a keeper. Jayden caught a fish called a drum. It was probably 4 pounds maybe. Keith made us throw that one back because he said it would make us sick if we ate it.
We headed back to the camp site around 7:15 or so and I started cooking supper. Keith and all of the kids headed out to bait and throw out the jugs while I cooked and after we ate, we headed back out to check them. This is when it really gets fun!
Jayden and Griffin fell asleep before we headed back out, so Keith put them in the tent and Kevin offered to stay at the camp site with them. Me, Keith, Kaitlyn and Fisher headed out to check the jugs. Kaitlyn pulled up one jug that had a deep string on it - one that rested on the bottom of the river. She kept saying, "there's nothing on here, Uncle Keith." Well, she was a little surprised when she pulled up that string and had an 11 pound catfish on it! We caught several more that were between 5-7 pounds and one that was probably 9 pounds.
Kaitlyn and her catfish
We had one jug that we had been watching all night that was in the middle of all of the other jugs. We checked the ones on the outside first and were going to check this one at the very end because of where it was. And, because we were picking on Kaitlyn. Keith and I kept telling her that we were going to wait until the next day to get that one. It was bobbing a good bit and she couldn't sit still for watching it.
Anyway, we pull up to this jug, and jokingly, I say, "Kaitlyn, I think I'm going to pull this jug up." Keith, more seriously, says, "For real. Your mom has never pulled a jug up. Let her pull this one." So I do. This fish just kind of ghosts up to the surface of the water. All I see is this head at the top of the water and it scares the mess out of me. I throw the jug back in the water and jump up and run to the front of the boat. I look at Keith and the look on his face is just priceless. His mouth is kinda frozen in a state of shock and his eyes are locked on that jug. When he gets his wits back, he leans down and pulls the jug back up and tells us to get to the front of the boat because he is going to have to sling this fish into the boat. He grabs it under the gills and slings. This is what he ends up throwing in the boat:
This fish is the largest fish that I have ever seen, much less caught. I was the queen in the eyes of all of the boys. We are still talking about the fact that I threw the jug back in the water, though.
All together, we caught around 12 catfish. We had a great time! I can't wait until next year's trip. Maybe I can catch an even BIGGER fish then. :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Update.....
I have officially lost over 20 pounds!! I am at 21.5 pounds lost with 8.5 pounds left to reach my first weight loss goal! Man, that feels good to type!
Friday, August 24, 2012
from tears to smiles
We have survived week one of middle school. I am emotionally and physically exhausted. So is Kaitlyn!!
Sunday night, Kaitlyn started crying when I went in to tell her goodnight. She was so nervous about going to middle school. When I dropped her off Monday, she started crying again. Monday afternoon was the same thing. I covered that first day in my last post.
So, Tuesday comes around. She rode the bus that morning, and teared up a little when I dropped her off at the bus stop. I prayed all day that she would have a good day. At 4:15, my cell phone rings and it's Kaitlyn, in tears. She wasn't able to get her locker open all day so she carried her stuff around with her to every class. I asked her if she asked a teacher for help and she said she asked one. They told her she was "going too fast" and walked away. I finally got her to tell me that the teachers were telling them if they are tardy to class they will get detention, so she was speeding through trying to open her locker so she wouldn't get in trouble.
So, I told her that her main concern right now was getting her locker open. If a teacher sent her to the office because she was late, and she got in trouble, got detention, got a tardy mark on her report card, whatever, that would be my concern and I would fight that battle. I told her that she did not need to be concerned with getting in trouble right now. I also called Keith that night and told him that I needed some help from him. Not in the uncle capacity, but in the youth leader capacity.
Keith called her Wednesday morning before school and reassured her that we wouldn't let her get in trouble for having issues with her locker. He told her to work on getting her locker open and not worry about anything else. He also told her that if she couldn't get it open, he would bring a shotgun to the school and get it open for her. She told him that would get her suspended. Made her laugh, though, which was a good thing.
I took her to school Wednesday, and of course, we had some more tears. I prayed all day, again, that she would have a good day. I got a text that afternoon that she got her locker open all day! PRAISE GOD!! I asked her if she would be ok going back the next day. She said "I don't know." Well, that was a step up from a flat out "I don't want to go." So, I considered it a good day.
Thursday we had no tears before school. Today, she got bored waiting in the car with me until time to drop off. I'd say we are on the up side of this middle school thing. Thank you Jesus!!
Sunday night, Kaitlyn started crying when I went in to tell her goodnight. She was so nervous about going to middle school. When I dropped her off Monday, she started crying again. Monday afternoon was the same thing. I covered that first day in my last post.
So, Tuesday comes around. She rode the bus that morning, and teared up a little when I dropped her off at the bus stop. I prayed all day that she would have a good day. At 4:15, my cell phone rings and it's Kaitlyn, in tears. She wasn't able to get her locker open all day so she carried her stuff around with her to every class. I asked her if she asked a teacher for help and she said she asked one. They told her she was "going too fast" and walked away. I finally got her to tell me that the teachers were telling them if they are tardy to class they will get detention, so she was speeding through trying to open her locker so she wouldn't get in trouble.
So, I told her that her main concern right now was getting her locker open. If a teacher sent her to the office because she was late, and she got in trouble, got detention, got a tardy mark on her report card, whatever, that would be my concern and I would fight that battle. I told her that she did not need to be concerned with getting in trouble right now. I also called Keith that night and told him that I needed some help from him. Not in the uncle capacity, but in the youth leader capacity.
Keith called her Wednesday morning before school and reassured her that we wouldn't let her get in trouble for having issues with her locker. He told her to work on getting her locker open and not worry about anything else. He also told her that if she couldn't get it open, he would bring a shotgun to the school and get it open for her. She told him that would get her suspended. Made her laugh, though, which was a good thing.
I took her to school Wednesday, and of course, we had some more tears. I prayed all day, again, that she would have a good day. I got a text that afternoon that she got her locker open all day! PRAISE GOD!! I asked her if she would be ok going back the next day. She said "I don't know." Well, that was a step up from a flat out "I don't want to go." So, I considered it a good day.
Thursday we had no tears before school. Today, she got bored waiting in the car with me until time to drop off. I'd say we are on the up side of this middle school thing. Thank you Jesus!!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to middle school we go!
Kaitlyn started middle school yesterday. It's hard to believe that my baby girl is in 6th grade!! She has been so nervous about this. She went for a tour of the middle school last year and said that there was a lot of pushing and shoving in the hallway. So, her fear has been that she was going to be shoved into a locker. Well, the lockers are pretty small, so we have convinced her that that is not going to happen. :)
Sunday night, she started crying because she was just straight up scared about going to school. She said she didn't want to go, but couldn't tell me why she didn't want to go. The only thing I could get out of her is because it's a new location. When we said our prayers that night, I started crying before I even started praying. She finally went to sleep around 10:30 or so. Yesterday morning, she was pretty nervous but didn't cry. I prayed with her again before we pulled into the school, and now that I look back on it, that may have been the breaking point. She started crying as soon as I got to the drop off point.
She opened her door to get out and the tears came. She said she didn't want to go, but she dried up her tears and went on in. I, however, cried all the way to work. I sent her several text messages throughout the day so that she would see them when she turned on her phone at the end of the day. I just wanted her to know that I had been thinking about her. I was a nervous wreck. But, at the end of the day, I get this text, "it was so cool." That's it. No other details. Nothing. I couldn't wait to get home to hear about it.
She liked her teachers. She said they were all funny. Her art teacher is pretty strict. He has two rules. Rule #1 - he's always right. Rule #2 - always remember rule #1. One teacher loves dogs. Another teacher has 3 kids and another loves blue. She said they have nasty ranch dressing but they serve sweet tea there. She's going to have to keep ranch dressing in her locker (she loves it!) but hopefully the sweet tea will make up for the nasty dressing! She also has one friend, Alasya, that is in almost every class with her. Alasya did not have her schedule with her yesterday, so she got lost a bunch. Kaitlyn said she finally ended up taking Alasya with her so she would quit getting lost.
We decided to go to Huddle House to eat supper last night, and I went into her room to get her, and she was laying in her bed crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said that she didn't want to go back. I asked her why and she said a couple of kids had picked on her. Apparently some older kids made chicken noises at her in the lunch room and some 8th graders asked her why she was wearing rain boots. She wasn't wearing rain boots, but was wearing some knee high black boots. I told her the same rules apply in middle school as they did in elementary school. She is to stand up for herself. If she gets in trouble, we will deal with it. But if students pick on her, she needs to dish it right back. If they know that she is not going to stand for it, they will leave her alone.
I hope today is better for her. She didn't eat breakfast this morning because she had butterflies. But, she did wear her boots again. :)
Sunday night, she started crying because she was just straight up scared about going to school. She said she didn't want to go, but couldn't tell me why she didn't want to go. The only thing I could get out of her is because it's a new location. When we said our prayers that night, I started crying before I even started praying. She finally went to sleep around 10:30 or so. Yesterday morning, she was pretty nervous but didn't cry. I prayed with her again before we pulled into the school, and now that I look back on it, that may have been the breaking point. She started crying as soon as I got to the drop off point.
She opened her door to get out and the tears came. She said she didn't want to go, but she dried up her tears and went on in. I, however, cried all the way to work. I sent her several text messages throughout the day so that she would see them when she turned on her phone at the end of the day. I just wanted her to know that I had been thinking about her. I was a nervous wreck. But, at the end of the day, I get this text, "it was so cool." That's it. No other details. Nothing. I couldn't wait to get home to hear about it.
She liked her teachers. She said they were all funny. Her art teacher is pretty strict. He has two rules. Rule #1 - he's always right. Rule #2 - always remember rule #1. One teacher loves dogs. Another teacher has 3 kids and another loves blue. She said they have nasty ranch dressing but they serve sweet tea there. She's going to have to keep ranch dressing in her locker (she loves it!) but hopefully the sweet tea will make up for the nasty dressing! She also has one friend, Alasya, that is in almost every class with her. Alasya did not have her schedule with her yesterday, so she got lost a bunch. Kaitlyn said she finally ended up taking Alasya with her so she would quit getting lost.
We decided to go to Huddle House to eat supper last night, and I went into her room to get her, and she was laying in her bed crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said that she didn't want to go back. I asked her why and she said a couple of kids had picked on her. Apparently some older kids made chicken noises at her in the lunch room and some 8th graders asked her why she was wearing rain boots. She wasn't wearing rain boots, but was wearing some knee high black boots. I told her the same rules apply in middle school as they did in elementary school. She is to stand up for herself. If she gets in trouble, we will deal with it. But if students pick on her, she needs to dish it right back. If they know that she is not going to stand for it, they will leave her alone.
I hope today is better for her. She didn't eat breakfast this morning because she had butterflies. But, she did wear her boots again. :)
First day of middle school, 8.20.12
Friday, August 17, 2012
I survived!!
I SURVIVED BOOT CAMP!!
It ran for a month and ended on Wednesday, 8.15.12. It was rough to begin with, but as we got more and more into it, it actually got easier. I couldn't admit that as I was doing it, but the last week, I noticed that I was able to get through 50 crunches or 100 leg flutters without stopping. I could do 30 dips with ease, and got through 133 push ups the last night without passing out. Definitely a huge success from where I was the first night when I couldn't do 5 deep lunges without screaming in pain.
So, I have a dress that I have used as a guide to show me where I am as far as my weight loss goes. I wore this dress for Easter and Kevin and I had our picture made with Elaina in it. One day, I wore the dress and one of my students saw the picture and said, "Julie, look at how different you look!" I hadn't realized until then just how far I had come. So, this dress became my guide.
Easter 2012, 4.8.12
I wore this dress yesterday (8.16.12) to meet with my Nutrionist. When I showed her this picture, and she compared it to where I am right now, she was slightly speechless. She said she knew that I was smaller, but did not realize just how much smaller until she compared the before and the now. She made me feel really good. It also made me feel really good when she ran down Dr. Lovelady and showed him the picture. :) Nothing like getting praise from your doctor for doing what he says!!
Here is a picture Kevin took of Kaitlyn and I last night before we went to her Middle School orientation.
To date I have lost 17 pounds. For boot camp alone, I lost 3.4 pounds. However, during boot camp, I lost a combined 10.5 inches!! I plan to keep up with the exercises that he taught us at home, as well as going to the gym on campus. I am seeing results now, which is not something that I have never done in the past when dieting. I am LOVING this!!
Monday, August 13, 2012
They took my lung!
That's what I found out today. Not the whole lung, just a part of it.
When I had the tumor removed from my lung last year, I was told that they didn't take any of my lung out. Well, they told me a story!! Let me give you a little back history.
In June, 2011, I had a schwannoma removed from my right lung. It was larger than an egg, solid with nerves and blood vessels all entwined in it and was positioned between my right lung and chest cavity. When we first went to the doctor about it, he thought it was a liquid filled cyst and that he could make a 2-3 inch incision, drain it and be done with it. But, I can NEVER do anything the simple way. :)
I ended up with a 9 inch incision, in CICU for 4 days with a chest tube and recovering from one of the most painful surgeries I have ever been through. For the full story, check out my facebook note and see how the whole ordeal played out.
Anyway, for the past 6 months or so, my breathing has really been compromised. I haven't been able to take a full breath of air and at times feel like I can't breathe at all. My family doctor referred me to a Pulmonologist who ran some tests on my heart and did a pulmonary function test. The tests on my heart came back great. Everything looked normal. But my lungs were a different story.
He said my lungs, specifically my right lung where the tumor was, is significantly restricted and doesn't expand as it should. He asked me how much of my lung they removed when they took the tumor out. I told him that I was told they had not removed any of it. He said, "well, they did." Great.
I don't know how much of my lung is missing, I just know some of it is missing. How strange is that? It's odd for someone to tell you that a piece of one of your most vital organs is just gone. I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around that. No wonder I can't breathe!
I am now on two different inhalers - one twice a day regularly and one for emergency situations. He said that I will be on these inhalers indefinitely.
While the news was not what I expected, it could have been so much worse. Through all of this, I can't do anything but Praise God!! This experience has taught me to rely on Him when things are way beyond my control. I still struggle with that daily, but when I do, He finds a way to get my attention again. Having someone tell me that part of my lung is missing is a GREAT way to get my attention, God. Thanks!
When I had the tumor removed from my lung last year, I was told that they didn't take any of my lung out. Well, they told me a story!! Let me give you a little back history.
In June, 2011, I had a schwannoma removed from my right lung. It was larger than an egg, solid with nerves and blood vessels all entwined in it and was positioned between my right lung and chest cavity. When we first went to the doctor about it, he thought it was a liquid filled cyst and that he could make a 2-3 inch incision, drain it and be done with it. But, I can NEVER do anything the simple way. :)
I ended up with a 9 inch incision, in CICU for 4 days with a chest tube and recovering from one of the most painful surgeries I have ever been through. For the full story, check out my facebook note and see how the whole ordeal played out.
Anyway, for the past 6 months or so, my breathing has really been compromised. I haven't been able to take a full breath of air and at times feel like I can't breathe at all. My family doctor referred me to a Pulmonologist who ran some tests on my heart and did a pulmonary function test. The tests on my heart came back great. Everything looked normal. But my lungs were a different story.
He said my lungs, specifically my right lung where the tumor was, is significantly restricted and doesn't expand as it should. He asked me how much of my lung they removed when they took the tumor out. I told him that I was told they had not removed any of it. He said, "well, they did." Great.
I don't know how much of my lung is missing, I just know some of it is missing. How strange is that? It's odd for someone to tell you that a piece of one of your most vital organs is just gone. I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around that. No wonder I can't breathe!
I am now on two different inhalers - one twice a day regularly and one for emergency situations. He said that I will be on these inhalers indefinitely.
While the news was not what I expected, it could have been so much worse. Through all of this, I can't do anything but Praise God!! This experience has taught me to rely on Him when things are way beyond my control. I still struggle with that daily, but when I do, He finds a way to get my attention again. Having someone tell me that part of my lung is missing is a GREAT way to get my attention, God. Thanks!
Friday, August 3, 2012
No pain, no gain
So, I have my first work out injury. It seems that I have strained my left shoulder. Wednesday night, our exercise was focused on our arms. We did overhead claps, front claps, plank walks, pushups, push aways and stood with our arms stretched out even with our shoulders for minutes at a time. My shoulder apparently did not like this exercise. I can barely lift it today.
On a side note, I am down to 176.4 pounds. That's a total loss of 16 pounds. I have lost 8.5 inches and I am down 1.5 sizes in clothes. I guess the "no pain, no gain" saying is actually true.
On a side note, I am down to 176.4 pounds. That's a total loss of 16 pounds. I have lost 8.5 inches and I am down 1.5 sizes in clothes. I guess the "no pain, no gain" saying is actually true.
Friday, July 20, 2012
i'm losing weight, post one......
So, I have to lose weight. The doctor said so.
In May, I went to see Dr. Lovelady because my heart was beating irregular and I was having issues with my breathing. I just didn't feel like I could get a full breath of air. I was really afraid that my lungs were affected worse than everyone thought from my lung surgery last year. But, I was told that I needed to lose about 50 pounds, stop drinking caffeine, eliminate stress and start exercising more. My first thought was, "You're not asking for a whole lot, are you?" Anyway, he set me up with the nutritionist in his office and told me to come back in a month.
I met with Audrey for the first time on May 24. I weighed in at 192 pounds. She put me on a diet plan that consisted of eating about 1,400 calories a day, drinking 64 ounces of water, no regular sodas and we began working on the caffeine issue. My goal was to be completely off of the caffeine when I saw Dr. Lovelady again at the end of June. We decided to start with 30 pounds and see how I felt and how I looked and then re-evaulate to see if I wanted to lose more weight, or just maintain. She said that while the doctor had good intentions, sometimes it's better for the patient to make the decision on how much weight to lose based on how they feel. I think 30 pounds is a good place to start.
For the first month, I saw Audrey every week. When I went for my first follow up on May 31, I weighed in at 188 pounds. I had worked myself down from drinking regular Dr. Pepper from sun up to sun down to drinking about 3 diet sodas a day and around 56 ounces of water a day. So, the first week was a success.
When I went in for my second follow up on June 7, I weighed in at 183.4 pounds and was down to one caffeinated soda per day. I had discovered Diet Sierra Mist by this time and was falling in love with it! I was up to drinking 5-6 bottles of water per day, which was a HUGE success for me. I had also discovered Mio flavoring for water and would actually put down a soda in favor of water with Mio.
I had my follow up appointment with Dr. Lovelady on June 26. I was happy to report that I was off caffeine and had lost 9 pounds in one month! I was very excited and he was very happy with my results! The irregular heartbeat had corrected itself with the elimination of caffeine. The breathing issues were still a concern, so he referred me to a Pulmonologist. He ordered an echocardiogram of my heart and a breathing test. I have not gotten the results yet, so I'm still not sure what is going on with my breathing.
I didn't go back to see Audrey until June 28. We were headed to the beach the following weekend, and I wanted to wait until closer to beach time to see where I was and to get some tips for controlling myself at the beach. When I went for this follow up, I weighed in at 180.8 and was completely off caffeine.
While we were at the beach, I gained only one pound! This surprises me because I had TCBY 3 nights in a row. :) But, I got right back on my diet when we got home and when I went back to see Audrey yesterday (July 19) I weighed in at 179. So, in total, I have lost 13 pounds since May 25 when I started my diet. I've been dieting 8 weeks today - that's an average of 1.62 pounds per week. Not too shabby.
I started a weight loss boot camp last night. This is a work out program that runs for a month, 3 work outs per week. Hopefully, this will get me started with the work out portion of my diet. I'm anxious to see the results of this as well.
In May, I went to see Dr. Lovelady because my heart was beating irregular and I was having issues with my breathing. I just didn't feel like I could get a full breath of air. I was really afraid that my lungs were affected worse than everyone thought from my lung surgery last year. But, I was told that I needed to lose about 50 pounds, stop drinking caffeine, eliminate stress and start exercising more. My first thought was, "You're not asking for a whole lot, are you?" Anyway, he set me up with the nutritionist in his office and told me to come back in a month.
I met with Audrey for the first time on May 24. I weighed in at 192 pounds. She put me on a diet plan that consisted of eating about 1,400 calories a day, drinking 64 ounces of water, no regular sodas and we began working on the caffeine issue. My goal was to be completely off of the caffeine when I saw Dr. Lovelady again at the end of June. We decided to start with 30 pounds and see how I felt and how I looked and then re-evaulate to see if I wanted to lose more weight, or just maintain. She said that while the doctor had good intentions, sometimes it's better for the patient to make the decision on how much weight to lose based on how they feel. I think 30 pounds is a good place to start.
For the first month, I saw Audrey every week. When I went for my first follow up on May 31, I weighed in at 188 pounds. I had worked myself down from drinking regular Dr. Pepper from sun up to sun down to drinking about 3 diet sodas a day and around 56 ounces of water a day. So, the first week was a success.
When I went in for my second follow up on June 7, I weighed in at 183.4 pounds and was down to one caffeinated soda per day. I had discovered Diet Sierra Mist by this time and was falling in love with it! I was up to drinking 5-6 bottles of water per day, which was a HUGE success for me. I had also discovered Mio flavoring for water and would actually put down a soda in favor of water with Mio.
I had my follow up appointment with Dr. Lovelady on June 26. I was happy to report that I was off caffeine and had lost 9 pounds in one month! I was very excited and he was very happy with my results! The irregular heartbeat had corrected itself with the elimination of caffeine. The breathing issues were still a concern, so he referred me to a Pulmonologist. He ordered an echocardiogram of my heart and a breathing test. I have not gotten the results yet, so I'm still not sure what is going on with my breathing.
I didn't go back to see Audrey until June 28. We were headed to the beach the following weekend, and I wanted to wait until closer to beach time to see where I was and to get some tips for controlling myself at the beach. When I went for this follow up, I weighed in at 180.8 and was completely off caffeine.
While we were at the beach, I gained only one pound! This surprises me because I had TCBY 3 nights in a row. :) But, I got right back on my diet when we got home and when I went back to see Audrey yesterday (July 19) I weighed in at 179. So, in total, I have lost 13 pounds since May 25 when I started my diet. I've been dieting 8 weeks today - that's an average of 1.62 pounds per week. Not too shabby.
I started a weight loss boot camp last night. This is a work out program that runs for a month, 3 work outs per week. Hopefully, this will get me started with the work out portion of my diet. I'm anxious to see the results of this as well.
This is a "before" picture. Not the best, but I generally avoid the camera because of how bad pictures are of me. If I do have my picture taken, I generally just have them taken of my face. I'll try to post pictures as I continue this journey of losing weight.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Beaches, babies and bumper boats
We took our annual trip to Gulf Shores the week of July 4th - me and Kevin, Morgan, Elaina, Kaitlyn and Kaitlyn's friend, Emma, from Church. We were PACKED!! I wish I had taken a picture of the back of the truck, but I just didn't think about it. But, it was so full, we probably could not have put a sheet of paper in there and gotten the top to close. :) I forgot how much stuff a baby needs!!
We left on Sunday, July 1. The condo we stayed in is the same condo we have stayed in for the past 10 years. We rented it from a guy that Kevin works with, but they have sold it to a lady in New Orleans. We did not like the way she did business, so we will not use her again. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to the condo - it's been a home away from home for so many years. :( But, oh well. We looked at a couple of other places to stay, so hopefully we can find something that we like as much as we liked this condo.
Anyway, back to vacation. We weren't able to check in until 4pm this year (it's usually noon) so we didn't leave as early as we usually do. We got there around 4:30 and unloaded. Kevin and I went to the grocery store while the girls stayed and unpacked. We finally got in the pool around 7pm. Pure Bliss!!
The weather was yucky a good bit while we were there. I think total, we had sunshine 2.5 days of the 5 full days we were there. None of us wore sunscreen and none of us got sunburned at all. That's good in a way, but I miss my beach tan.
On Monday night, we went to eat at Mikee's, which is a new place for us to eat and it was delicious! We will definitely go there again. Afterwards, we walked on the beach and put Elaina's feet in the ocean for the first time. That little girl is definitely going to be a water baby!!
While we were at the beach, Kevin and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary (July 3). We had a date night at the beach for the first time ever! He took me to Ribs and Reds. Not the best place we have ever eaten and probably not one that we will return to. After eating, we drove around and looked at some other condos to rent. We can ride around together for hours, and we did. For about 2. We had decided earlier in the week that we were going to go eat ice cream for our anniversary. So, we went to TCBY and shared a Cookie Dough frozen yogurt. It was SO good!! Of course, no date night is complete without a trip to WalMart, even at the beach. :) So, we went to WalMart, but I can't remember what for. Probably drinks or something like that. Then we went home to fighting kids. Oh the wonderful world of teenagers!!
The next night was July 4th and we planned to watch fireworks on the beach. Kaitlyn had to have the perfect outfit for that, even though no one would see it, because it was dark. But, that's the diva in her. Emma wore shorts and a t-shirt. I love this kid! Below are a couple of pictures from before we left.
Thursday night, we took the girls to The Track to ride go carts and play in the bumper boats. Elaina just watched the crowds and took everything in. She is definitely a PaPa's girl and just lights up whenever he comes in a room, or where she can see or hear him. If she was fussy at all, he could walk in where ever she was and just speak to her and she would calm down. If he picked her up, the look on her face would be total bliss! The picture below is of them watching the girls in the bumper boats. She reminds me a lot of Kaitlyn when she was that age. Kaitlyn acted the same way with him. She could be fussy and crying and he could walk in a room and say one word, or touch her, or pick her up and her world would become calm again. I don't know what kind of magic this man has running through his veins, but I thank GOD for it when I have crying babies in my life!!
I'm sad that our trip for this year is over. I hope we can get back to the beach again before next summer. What I really wish is that we could retire there! I love the beach - it's my Heaven on earth.
We left on Sunday, July 1. The condo we stayed in is the same condo we have stayed in for the past 10 years. We rented it from a guy that Kevin works with, but they have sold it to a lady in New Orleans. We did not like the way she did business, so we will not use her again. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to the condo - it's been a home away from home for so many years. :( But, oh well. We looked at a couple of other places to stay, so hopefully we can find something that we like as much as we liked this condo.
Anyway, back to vacation. We weren't able to check in until 4pm this year (it's usually noon) so we didn't leave as early as we usually do. We got there around 4:30 and unloaded. Kevin and I went to the grocery store while the girls stayed and unpacked. We finally got in the pool around 7pm. Pure Bliss!!
The weather was yucky a good bit while we were there. I think total, we had sunshine 2.5 days of the 5 full days we were there. None of us wore sunscreen and none of us got sunburned at all. That's good in a way, but I miss my beach tan.
On Monday night, we went to eat at Mikee's, which is a new place for us to eat and it was delicious! We will definitely go there again. Afterwards, we walked on the beach and put Elaina's feet in the ocean for the first time. That little girl is definitely going to be a water baby!!
Kaitlyn and Emma checking out the ocean
PaPa gave her her first seashell. How sweet is that?
Kevin and his girls
So, I have developed a fascination with alligators. We saw
this one on the beach and I had to take a picture of it.
This was the entertainment for the night one night while we
were there. Can't explain it - it just is what it is.
This is how Elaina spent her first day trip to the beach - all 20
minutes of it.
While we were at the beach, Kevin and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary (July 3). We had a date night at the beach for the first time ever! He took me to Ribs and Reds. Not the best place we have ever eaten and probably not one that we will return to. After eating, we drove around and looked at some other condos to rent. We can ride around together for hours, and we did. For about 2. We had decided earlier in the week that we were going to go eat ice cream for our anniversary. So, we went to TCBY and shared a Cookie Dough frozen yogurt. It was SO good!! Of course, no date night is complete without a trip to WalMart, even at the beach. :) So, we went to WalMart, but I can't remember what for. Probably drinks or something like that. Then we went home to fighting kids. Oh the wonderful world of teenagers!!
The next night was July 4th and we planned to watch fireworks on the beach. Kaitlyn had to have the perfect outfit for that, even though no one would see it, because it was dark. But, that's the diva in her. Emma wore shorts and a t-shirt. I love this kid! Below are a couple of pictures from before we left.
The only family picture we had made the entire trip. This was on the
beach before the fireworks began. Definitely one of my favorite of all time!
While we all watched fireworks, Kaitlyn played in the sand.
This is her version of a sea turtle. I love my child!!
Thursday night, we took the girls to The Track to ride go carts and play in the bumper boats. Elaina just watched the crowds and took everything in. She is definitely a PaPa's girl and just lights up whenever he comes in a room, or where she can see or hear him. If she was fussy at all, he could walk in where ever she was and just speak to her and she would calm down. If he picked her up, the look on her face would be total bliss! The picture below is of them watching the girls in the bumper boats. She reminds me a lot of Kaitlyn when she was that age. Kaitlyn acted the same way with him. She could be fussy and crying and he could walk in a room and say one word, or touch her, or pick her up and her world would become calm again. I don't know what kind of magic this man has running through his veins, but I thank GOD for it when I have crying babies in my life!!
I'm sad that our trip for this year is over. I hope we can get back to the beach again before next summer. What I really wish is that we could retire there! I love the beach - it's my Heaven on earth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)