some more photos!

Here are a few more photos from the month of April, including pics from Easter Sunday. To see them, click here!

photos from january-march 2010

I have created a new photo album on Facebook with pictures from the first quarter of 2010, including my new haircut, Nick's birthday, etc. To see the album, even if you don't have a Facebook account, click here!

my poor baby

To bring you up to speed if you don't know what's been going on, Nick has been pretty sick. He threw up several times on Saturday. He seemed much better on Sunday, but on Sunday night, he threw up in bed, with blood in the vomit. He also had a swollen eyelid and a rash on his face. We took him to the ER, and the doc there didn't really know what was wrong. He gave Nick Benadryl and Prednisone (thinking maybe allergic reaction) and an antibiotic cream for the rash (thinking maybe impetigo). While he was in the ER, Nick's "rash" spread rapidly, covering his forehead, between his eyes, and his nose, with some on his cheeks and chin. I felt really uneasy about his vague "diagnosis", and hated giving him the meds, not really knowing if he needed them or what was really wrong.

Yesterday, he had a follow-up appointment with a pediatrician (loved her!), and her best guess is that Nick has Henoch-Schoenlein purpura. This is pretty rare, and is a type of vasculitis (an inflammation of the blood vessels) thought to be caused by a faulty response of the immune system that can be triggered by any number of things - the trigger is often unknown. In Nick's case, it's possible that what he had on Saturday was just a stomach bug, and that triggered the later episode. Or, maybe the vomiting Saturday was part of the HSP. We just don't know. Anyway, the immune system ostensibly freaks out and causes small blood vessels in the skin to bleed, causing the purpura on the skin - Nick's "rash." The one thing about his case that is somewhat odd is that his purpura are on his face. Normally, they present on the lower body, but the doc said that facial presentation isn't unheard of. It can also cause bleeding of small vessels in the GI tract and the kidneys - this explains his bloody vomit; he obviously had a "bleed" in his stomach.

His case seems relatively mild; the doc is not 100% sure that's what it is, but she's pretty positive. It's the only thing that explains all of his symptoms, it's most common in children, and it's twice as common in boys as in girls. It's somewhat scary, because if bleeding occurs in the kidneys, it can cause kidney damage, and in rare cases, lead to kidney failure. After his appointment, Nick had to have blood drawn (That was a complete nightmare - he totally freaked out!) and have a urinalysis done. Luckily, these tests were all normal. They have to be repeated in 3 months and again in 6 months to make sure he's OK, because the kidney damage can appear later. But given the relative mildness of his case and the fact that these tests were fine, the doctor is quite confident that his kidneys won't be affected.

Apparently, this can last for up to 6 weeks, and it's possible that more purpura will appear on Nick's body. We also have to keep a close eye on his urine and stool for signs of blood. I have also learned that in the future, if he gets sick or his immune system gets "triggered" some other way, he could suffer a recurrence of HSP. I really hope that doesn't happen!

He's doing pretty well today. He's still tired and not 100%, but his purpura seem to be improving, and he has no other symptoms. So, he's back at school, and the nurse is keeping an eye on him.

If you're interested in reading more about this, here's a really good link:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/henoch-schonlein-purpura/DS00838

personal snow day

Well, school isn't cancelled today, but I elected to keep Nick (and myself) at home. Brian isn't here to help me, so I really don't want to take any chances. That hill out of our neighborhood is just too iffy. Sigh. So, here Nick and I are, having a lazy morning. So far, it's been pretty nice, actually - we cuddled a bit, and I made him a special "snowfast", with a waffle with syrup and cereal with milk. (Usually on a school day, he eats his cereal dry.) It was nice not to have to nag him to hurry up and eat for once! :)

The falling snow is quite pretty. There's not much on the ground yet, but it's still falling, and it doesn't take much to make the roads slick. Later today, Nick and I will bundle up and hike to the mailboxes (they're at the entrance to the 'hood) to get our mail. I am bummed that my Dad won't be visiting, and I'm especially bummed that I won't be able to work out today. I have to miss Pilates class tomorrow, too. Even if I could get there, there's no childcare at the gym on Saturday mornings, and Brian will still be gone. :(

I did lose a pound this week, so I know I should be pleased and feel like I'm moving in the right direction. I'm just feeling kind of down about it, though, because I measured myself this morning and found that I have actually regained an inch in my waist, hips, and each thigh. And anyone who knows me knows that I hate the generous girth of my thighs, so even an inch back on them is pretty depressing for me. I think that taking my measurements was a reality check. I mean, it's one thing to see one's weight creep up a little on the scale, but to ascertain that one is actually physically larger is sort of a slap in the face. I know that an inch isn't much, but I just always feel like it's a slippery slope and that I'm *this close* to losing control of the whole shebang. It's hard to accept that I have to be so vigilant and careful to keep the weight off, but apparently, that's my fate. Why can't I be one of those waifs who couldn't gain weight if she tried? :)

Hope everyone has a nice day and stays warm and safe!

so far, so good!

Well, so far I've been managing to do quite well with my eating. I've stayed right around 1600 calories each day, and have actually been slightly exceeding my goals of 30 g fiber and 70 g protein. Yay! It's tough, though - my stomach was not used to being limited to 1600 calories/day, so it's going through an adjustment period, and I've had to deal with hunger a few times. :( Hopefully, that will get better over the next week or so.

Over the past two weeks, I've managed to work out 6 days one week and 5 the next, which isn't bad at all! I know I need to step up my cardio, though, because I'm simply not getting enough of that. Blech! I hate doing cardio! :) Weights, I could do all day (well, until my muscles fail, anyway).

Here's a shout-out to my Patty-friend, who is also doing the whole calorie-counting, working out thing. You go, girl! I know you can do it, and I'm supporting you from afar. Keep up the good work!

another zinger from nick

This morning, Nick came into my bedroom and pulled the covers off of me. I sleep in only a pair of underwear, so my hands quickly flew to my chest area, whereupon Nick said "Yeah - thanks for covering those up."

a big, fat post about food

Hey, all! I know, I know - so far, I really haven't been making good on my goal of posting more often in 2010. Sorry! Hopefully, this post will redeem me a little bit. :)

So, over the past few months, I've been struggling with an extra few pounds. Now, don't get me wrong - I realize that a few pounds is really no big deal, and that I shouldn't complain. So, I'm not complaining! I'm simply going to do something about it. I would like to weigh about 5 pounds less than I do now. It might seem like a small difference, but I just know that I was satisfied with my weight when it was 5 pounds less, and now, I'm a smidgen dissatisfied. So, I'm finally going to do something about it. That something is comprised of continuing to work out most days of the week and limiting myself to 1600 calories most days of the week. Measuring food and counting calories works, but it happens to be a pain in the bohunkus, which is why I have resisted doing it again for some time. I have finally decided to just put on my big girl panties and deal with it, though, and today marks the first day of counting calories again.

On several occasions, people have asked me about what kinds of foods I eat and in what proportions. It seems like once you lose 60+ pounds, your eating habits develop a certain cache and become quite the object of intrigue! I will be the first to admit that my diet is not at all perfect - for one thing, I eat alarmingly few veggies. I would like to think that I make up for that somewhat by eating a lot of fruit and taking a multivitamin. :) Also, I don't really cook, and rely on a lot of convenience food. I'll just come right out and say that some of the food I buy and eat is downright exorbitant. I realize that this won't work for some people, who either can't or don't want to spend that kind of money on food. I came to the conclusion long ago, though, that while I'm VERY frugal in lots of areas, food is just one area where I am willing to splurge. If I will end up throwing away the whole grapefruit but will suck down the expensive jar of grapefruit sections, then to me, it's worth every penny to buy the jar. What it all boils down to is that I know myself, and I know that I'm sort of lazy when it comes to preparing food. I have made peace with that, and instead of constantly struggling to change it, I have just given in. If there is a convenience food that will make it more likely for me to eat a certain food group or get certain nutrients, then I'm going for it!

Other than maximum convenience, here are some things that I look for when grocery shopping: With very few exceptions, I buy only whole grain products. The only time I buy non-whole grain is when I can't find a whole grain version (For example, I can't find any whole wheat pretzels around here!). I always buy skim milk and low-fat cheeses, yogurts, and ice creams. When I buy meat, it's always lean, such as 93% lean ground beef. And when buying prepared/convenience foods, I always compare labels to try to get the lowest level of sodium, fat, and sugar that I can find and the highest level of protein and fiber. Yes, I do fork over for low-sodium and no-salt-added products. It's just another one of those areas where I am willing to spend the money. Interestingly, I am NOT willing to spend the extra money on organics, although that day may come. I do my very best to avoid products with high fructose corn syrup and/or hydrogenated oil, and in general, I try to buy products with the shortest, simplest lists of ingredients.

In my current weight-loss quest, I am limiting myself to 1600 calories a day. No one should ever go below 1200 calories a day, and even that amount would be hard to maintain. I am not, at this point, worrying too much about keeping track of sugar, fat, or sodium - I buy foods with lesser amounts of these to begin with, and I know that unless I eat out, I am staying more or less within healthy limits of these with the foods I keep in my kitchen. I AM keeping track of fiber and protein, because these are two hugely important factors in having enough energy, feeling fuller for longer, and staying regular. I am shooting for 30 g of fiber and 70 g of protein each day.

I thought that it might be neat if I actually posted the foods I'm eating today for everyone to see. This will definitely not be a daily thing, as that would be too time-consuming. but I might do it every so often, just to offer up a "slice of life" picture of my eating habits. So far, I have had breakfast, a snack, and lunch, which have totaled 1000 calories. Notice that I eat the majority of my calories by early afternoon. I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again here - you've got to eat a good breakfast!!! So many women I know don't have breakfast or have a tiny, piddling one - this is not good! It's imperative to have a well-rounded breakfast rich in carbs, protein, and fiber to stoke your metabolism for the day and give you energy. My breakfast comes in at about 450 calories, which really surprises some people. But, you'd be amazed at how much better you'll feel if you'll eat a big (healthy) breakfast and shift more of your calories to earlier in the day.

Without any further ado, I'll stop rambling and get to the actual food log:

Breakfast:
1 cup Cheerios w/ 1/2 cup skim milk and a small banana (This combo is a powerhouse of fiber, protein, calcium, whole grain, and potassium.)
1 Thomas' 100% whole wheat mini-bagel w/ 1/2 Tbsp. Promise activ margarine (This margarine is one of those very expensive foods I buy. I like it because it has plant sterols, which help control cholesterol. It also has no trans fats and is very low-calorie.)
a cup of instant coffee with 3 tsp. of flavored Coffee-Mate powdered creamer and 1 heaping tsp. of Metamucil Clear & Natural fiber supplement (adds 5g fiber to my morning!)
1 multivitamin, 1 1000-mg fish oil capsule, and 1 400-IU vitamin D supplement

This breakfast was 450 calories and had 13.5 g of fiber and 13 g of protein, for a very good start!

Snack:
1/2 cup Fage Total 2% Greek yogurt (This is packed with protein!! Some people eat the 0% fat-free version of this yogurt, but I don't like the taste, and I like a little fat in my snack - some fat is needed to help the body absorb other nutrients and to promote satiety. Warning - this yogurt is also very expensive.)
1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1/8 cup Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal sprinkled on top (This adds a little fiber and crunch to the "parfait". One could also use Fiber One cereal or something similar.)

This snack was 120 calories and had 3 g of fiber and 10.5 g of protein!

Lunch:
2 slices Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat bread (whole grain with omega-3s and only 50 calories and 5 g of fiber per slice!) with 1 pouch Starkist Sandwich-Ready Tuna Salad (another convenience food that I'm willing to fork over for, and packed with protein and omega-3s!)
1 serving Snyders of Hanover mini-pretzels (20 pretzels)
1/2 cup Del Monte Sunfresh red grapefruit (This is that expensive jarred grapefruit I mentioned earlier.)
1 Sargento reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese stick (only 60 calories and packed with protein and calcium)
1 calcium supplement with 600 mgs calcium and 400 IU vitamin D

This lunch was 430 calories and had 11 g of fiber and 28 g of protein!

ADDENDUM:
Sometimes I like to sort of split dinner up and have a couple of mini-dinners, spaced apart, so that I don't get too hungry in the late afternoon and evening.

First Mini-Dinner:
6 slices Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh shaved chicken breast (high in lean protein for satiety; unfortunately somewhat high in sodium, but it's a convenient, yummy way to get some protein, so I overlook the sodium in this case)
1/3 cup Coco Wheats hot cereal with 1/2 cup skim milk (the cereal is high in protein and iron, and has no sugar or sodium!)
1 fish oil capsule, 1 calcium supplement, and 1 vitamin D supplement

This mini-dinner had 285 calories, 1 g of fiber and 19 g of protein.

So far, I'm up to 1285 calories, 28.5 g of fiber, and 70.5 g of protein. I've basically hit my fiber and protein goals for the day, and I have about 300 calories left, so I shouldn't be going to bed hungry tonight - whoo hoo!

I'll wrap this up later after I've eaten the last of my calories for the day...

ADDENDUM:
Here's my final info:

Second Mini-Dinner:
1 cup Cheerios with 1/2 cup skim milk and a small banana
2 Dove Promises dark chocolate squares (Dark chocolate, in moderation, is actually good for you!)

This mini-dinner had 320 calories, 6.5 g of fiber, and 8 g of protein.

So, drum-roll please.........here are my final totals for the day.........:
Calories: 1605
Fiber: 35 g
Protein: 78.5 g

Whoo hoo!!!! I didn't end up working out today, which tarnishes my record a bit in my eyes, but I'm still pumped about my success at meeting my food goals. And I'm going to Pilates class tomorrow morning, which will redeem me a bit. :)

So, there you have it - a day in the life of my stomach. Hope it wasn't too boring!

housebound (and a recipe!)

So, this was day two of being housebound with Nick after our snowfall and with freakishly low temps and wind chills. He has actually been fairly well-behaved, all things considered. More than anything, it's just been so incredibly BORING! Brian has still had to go to work, so it's just been me and Nick, and the days have been L-O-N-G. I have actually not had much to do. I've got domestic stuff fairly under control right now, other than the taking down of Xmas decor, which I'm saving for tomorrow and Sunday. So, I've been doing a lot of sitting around and reading, which is really exhausting! :) Seriously, I can't believe how tired I can feel after a day of doing nothing. It's so counter intuitive.

I feel like a total schlub, because in the past 2 1/2 weeks, here's all the working out I've done: one yoga class, one Pilates class, and one easy kickboxing class. That's it! I had a legitimate excuse (my illness) for part of that time, but not all. My problem is that I have become so dependent on my fitness classes that I have absolutely no motivation to work out by myself, at home. I mean, I have DVDs, weights, a stability ball, a resistance band, an ab roller, a treadmill, and an elliptical, but it's like if I can't get to class, I just can't work out. It's pathetic! I must develop more discipline. Actually, there is one more workout to add to the above list, because when my sculpt class had to be cancelled on Weds. night, I did actually come home and do the class myself, and let me tell you - it was a great upper body workout! My arms are still killing me. And it did feel good to work out, and I was like "Why can't I just do that more often?" Who knows? - the human brain (especially the female brain) is pretty jacked up. :)

I have also been slacking as far as controlling my calorie intake, and I know that all I need to do is to start keeping track and counting my calories again, but knowing that and doing that seem to be separated by a huge, gaping chasm. The upshot of all of this laziness is that I am up about 4-5 pounds from where I would like to be, and I hate that feeling! Yes, I know that 4-5 pounds is just a drop in the bucket, but for someone who used to be very overweight, it feels like it could be the beginning of a slippery slope, ya know? And today when I weighed myself and saw that I had gained another pound, that was just pretty demoralizing. So, what did I decide to do this evening? I decided to bake cookies. Makes sense, doesn't it? Why on Earth would I think that was a good idea? (Well, I never thought it was a good idea - I knew it was a bad idea and did it anyway.) Cookies are my #1 weakness - if they're around, I just can't resist them! I've already had like 6 of them, which is not at all helpful for my current plight. They're so yummy, though! Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Chunk & Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 scant tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray two cookie sheets. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, oats and salt. Set aside. Melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add butter mixture, egg, and vanilla to dry mixture and stir until well-combined. Fold in walnuts and chocolate. Spoon by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 mins. or until lightly browned and dry to the touch. Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.

If you make these, let me know what you think.

In other news, Nick's reading skills are just blowing my mind! The child can really READ! I can't even wrap my brain around that. It seems like it just sort of happened when I wasn't looking. And when I hear his little voice reading and sounding words out, it just takes my breath right out of my chest. The child is also growing like a weed - all the jeans I bought him this fall are high-waters now, and his sleeves are even a little too short. I just want to freeze him and make him stop growing - not just to save money, but to keep my little boy from growing up. It's wonderful to see him grow and change, but it also hurts.

I think that I might try to spring myself from the 'hood tomorrow and go to Pilates class, and then the rest of the weekend will be devoted to the considerable task of taking down and boxing up my copious Christmas decor. There will be a break for my weekly Walmart trip, of course, and to watch the episodes of Mad Men that I rented.

I'm excited about various things that are coming up in the next month or so: I'm hopefully going to be having a visit from my fabulous cousin, Jessica (she lives in St. Louis), and a visit from Tim, Brian has some sort of surprise date planned for me, and I'm going to be doing some more fitness certification workshops. I'm also going to be renewing my CPR certification, which I'm not exactly excited about, but needs to be done.

Well, that pretty much sums me up for now. I guess I'll finally shut up and post this behemoth! :)

yummo!!!!!!

I had some leftover ricotta that I needed to use, so I went trolling for recipes on the Kraft website. I found the following recipe and doctored it up a bit (I added the mushrooms, etc.), and it's AMAZING! And so very easy. Let me know if you make it, and how you like it...

Three-Cheese Spinach & Mushroom Pie

1 unbaked refrigerated 9" pie crust
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 4-oz. can mushroom pieces and stems, drained ("no salt added" is best)
1/4 cup minced onions
1/2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce, heated

Preheat oven to 350 and place pie crust in a pie pan. (I used glass, and it turned out beautifully.)
Mix all remaining ingredients except spaghetti sauce, and spread in pie crust.
Bake 50-55 mins. or until nicely browned. Let stand 5 mins.
Cut into wedges and serve topped with spaghetti sauce.

latest pics, including christmas!

I have created a new photo album on Facebook, with 18 new photos from November and December. There are some pretty good ones! To see the entire album, even if you don't have a Facebook account, just click here. Enjoy! Here are three of the photos....

2010: the year of the big change

No, not menopause. At least, I think the odds of me entering menopause this year are pretty slim. But, if I do, I'll be sure to let you know. :)

No, the big change I'm talking about is that this summer, we will have the biggest upheaval in our lives since Nick arrived. Brian will retire from the Army, he will seek employment in the "civilian world", and we'll buy a house in Springfield. One caveat: if Brian can't find a good job in Springfield, our back-up plan would be for him to seek a government job on post and we would stay in this area a while longer. If that happened, I'm not sure if we would stay in our rental home or buy a house. But, let's just assume that Brian finds a good job and we're able to move to Springfield and buy a house: OH MY GOD. The concept blows my mind on many levels. On the one hand, it's exciting - I'm looking forward to living in Springfield with my family and best friend, and to the many opportunities that the town has to offer. And the thought of owning a home is exciting, too. I'm also excited at the thought of finally living somewhere where virtually everyone I meet does not end up moving away - it gets pretty demoralizing after awhile to make friends who always leave. I mean, I have an address book full of friends, but that's not enough, you know? I love all my far-flung friends, but I need peeps who are actually in the same locale as me. I'm looking forward to having more singing opportunities and more opportunities to further my education, should I decide to do so. I'm also pumped about having a Borders, a Target, and a mall! :)

But, even though this huge change is exciting on many levels, it's also terrifying on just about as many levels. Here, in no particular order, are the ways in which I'm feeling trepidatious about all this:

* I'm going to miss my gym! I seriously doubt that I will find a gym in Springfield that offers such a variety of classes for such a low price. Seriously! Just leaving behind Adrianne's kickboxing class alone makes me feel like I'm going to hyperventilate. I'm also going to miss teaching there, and the students and other instructors that I've come to know and love.

*I'm going to really miss shopping at the commissary - the prices on some things, like milk, are so low that they would knock the socks off of you civilians. For instance, a gallon of skim milk runs about $1.80 there right now.

*I'm going to miss my beloved gyn, Mrs. Hooper. I've been seeing her for 10 years now, minus the year and half we spent in IL, and I love her! We've developed a repoire that it will be very difficult for me to find again. And having a doctor who is not only female but also "gets" me is incredibly important to me. On a lesser level, I also really love my dermatologist here, and will miss him, as well.

*I will miss the incredibly accessible and inexpensive childcare we have here for Nick. I can call anytime and arrange for him to go to the Child Development Center on post for $3.50 an hour, including meals.

*I will miss being closer to St. Louis. When we live in Springfield, we'll be enough further away from it that we'll probably feel much less likely to take jaunts in that direction.

*I'll miss having totally free health care, lab work, and prescriptions. Duh.

*I'll miss my friends here.

*I'll miss Brian's job security. Mind you, I have no doubts about his employability and value as an employee, but let's face it: it could be hard for him to find a job, and even if he finds one, he could always get laid off later. In the Army, that just doesn't happen unless you do something really, really bad.

*I'll miss only paying income tax on part of Brian's pay, and getting a housing allowance.

*Previously, I said that the idea of buying a house is exciting. It's also HORRIFYING! You have to understand that I HATE moving. So, the idea here would be for us to buy our terminal home. That's no pressure or anything. Let's find a home that we'll enjoy living in for the rest of our lives, and that we won't regret later for one reason or another, and while we're at it, let's find all of that in our price range. Eeeeeek! Scares the crap out of me. Not to mention the financial scariness of being homeowners and having to pay for everything ourselves.

*And, believe it or not, on some levels, I'm actually going to miss small-town life. I know, I know! There are some things about it that I hate. But, since I've lived in small towns for the past 10 years, it has kind of grown on me. I like that there's no traffic and that I can get anywhere I need to go in 10-15 minutes, tops. I like how close together everything is - if it's not on one main drag, it's probably on the other. I like the lack of crowds. I gotta admit that when I drive in Springfield these days, it makes me crazy! I know I'll get used to the traffic there once we've lived there for awhile, but right now, I'm just wondering if I'll end up being OK with it. And yeah, there are a lot of neat things to do, but there are also a lot of people doing them. You sort of have to accept the bad with the good, I know.

Now, in summary, I would like to point out that despite all of these "negatives" that I've listed, I still feel like we're doing the right thing. It's just that I've got mixed emotions about it, and I need to sort through them and deal with them. I am excited about living in Springfield again, and I know that we're going to love it. But, it's hard to see an entire way of life come to an end, and to leave the "safety net" of the military. It's something we have to do, though, and I can only hope that things will work out well and that Brian will find a great job and we'll find a great house to buy. Please wish us luck and keep us in your prayers as we face these big changes. I'll keep you posted!...

happy new year, everyone!

I know, I know - too little, too late. Rest assured, dear readers, that one of my goals for the new year is to actually start posting on my blog regularly again! This is just a short post to wish everyone a happy new year, but I plan to post sometime this weekend and talk about my thoughts and hopes regarding the year to come. Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, you can check out my goals for 2010 and upcoming events in my life, both on the sidebar. I always keep that stuff updated, even if I'm not posting regularly.