It worked!

After my first fertility round of Clomid, I took a pregnancy test, and it was POSITIVE.  I sat on the toilet with the stick I had peed on in my hand screaming for Robie to come see.  I didn't believe it was true.  Even after Robie confirmed there were 2 lines, I still went to the store and bought 3 other brands of tests to make sure this was no joke.  After getting a positive result from 3 other test, it finally sunk in.  We were really pregnant!  Although this was great news, I was still worried at what might happen.  Should we tell people?  Should we tell family?  What if something happens...again?  What if the tests were all broken and lied?  Countless questions and "What ifs..."  filled my brain, but I soon realized that stressing would do no good.  If this was the first time, would I be stressed?  Probably not.  So why stress now?  We decided to tell my family in Texas the news, and they were so excited. 

When we came back from our Texas trip, we went for our 6.5 week ultrasound.  Robie and I were SO nervous.  The last ultrasound we had didn't end so well, and I was not sure what to expect with this one.  The technician poured the warm jelly on my stomach and started to look for the baby.  She could not find anything.  My heart sunk.  She said I had to have an inner ultrasound to get a better look- just like last time.  As I was changing in the bathroom, I could not help but pray and cry at the same time.  She searched again, and a smile came to her face.  "That is your baby," she said as she pointed to the screen.  I suddenly felt overwhelmed with love for this little blob I was looking at, and I started to cry.  It was so amazing.  Seeing and hearing the heartbeat of this thing the size of a tic-tac was just crazy!  I was shocked at everything happening in that moment.  It was truly a miracle.

So, we are finally having a baby!  I feel okay saying it out loud now.  I am SO grateful for this blessing in our lives, and for the opportunity Heavenly Father is trusting me with to be a mother.  Am I still nervous?  Yes, but I feel like things will be okay this time.  We have many friends still going through the trying process to have a baby, and we want you to know we are praying for you.  Thanks to all our friends and family for the love and support offered on our behalf.

We are super excited and blessed for our little baby.  Our due date is December 31st, which isn't the best day of the year, but I will take it!  I'm hoping it will come early so we get a nice tax return, but Robie wants it to be the first baby of 2011 so we get all the fun gifts of being the first baby of the New Year.  Whatever day it decides to come, I know it will be the best day of our lives.  We couldn't be more excited!

Look how much our baby has grown in 2 weeks!  From tic-tac to large raspberry!

6.5 weeks

 

8.5 weeks

 

On a side note:  My birthday post can be better explained now.  The reason why I was SO tired and SO not in the mood to go out to eat on my birthday was because of this little blob.  Every time I feel like throwing up or passing out at my desk at work, I have to take a step back and remind myself that I wanted this. I'm counting down the weeks when I can start enjoying the taste of food again.

Turning 23

Ya know when it's your birthday, and when you wake up the day feels different.  It's YOUR day, and you can feel it inside.  You just have that special day feeling, ya know?  Well, Monday was my birthday, and when I woke up....there was nothing.  It was just another day, and I was another year older.  What does that mean?!  I guess I have hit that point where birthdays are not party hats and balloons anymore.  Maybe I had a case of the Monday blues.  Is that even a saying?  Anyways, I got ready for the day and drove to work just like any other day.

Me at work:

The day was really slow.  In phone sales, no one you talk to on the phone knows it is your birthday, and if they did they probably would not care.  Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who wanted to turn my boring birthday into a special day for me. When I got home from work, he gave me a flower, a bunch of Easy Mac, my FAVORITE kind of sparkling grape juice, and even wrote in a card for me (this is a HUGE deal).  Then, he wanted to take me out to dinner.  Me, being boring, told him I would rather just stay home and relax in my pjs.  Little did I know, he had planned for our friends to meet us at dinner.  So, what did he do?  He called our friends and had them come to our house to play games and eat dessert.  How nice, huh!  This made my boring day a lot better. Thanks to my friends for coming over to celebrate my birthday with me!  Yeah for being 23!

A Texas size family reunion

Last week we returned home from our trip to Texas to visit my family.  It was a lot of fun going back home to the warm weather Texas brings.  The best part was all of the time spent with family.  We had a family reunion with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my Mom's side- matching shirts and all!  It was sad to have to return home to work life, but we had a blast while it lasted.

Playing frisbee golf with the guys:

At the family reunion

 

My Mom, Hadley, and me

 

The best family in the world!

 

Pyramid of cousins (notice I am on the bottom, and Robie is on the top), and a picture of the WHOLE extended family

 

Rolley Polley

Caroline and I flashing the classic gangsta pose!

Saying goodbye to my family and my Grandma Christine (Dad's Mom)

Thanks for the great time in Texas!  We love ya'll, and hope to be back soon!

As promised

Remember when I said I would post my high-five with David Archuleta?  Well, here it is.  And just for the record, the girl screaming in the video is NOT me.

 

Naked Chickens

We are bad parents.  We procrastinated taking our dogs to the groomers for soooo long, their fur got completely matted.  It was bad.  Imagine backcombed dreadlocks bad.  The only way to fix the problem was for the groomers to completely shave our dogs.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I can't help but laugh when I see our dogs shaved like naked chickens.  It's pretty funny, especially since they kept their tails and ears so long.  I guess we have learned our lesson, and we will do a better job of keeping up with their grooming in the future.

We are...

...in TEXAS.  Be back soon with tons of fun pics and stories to share.

Hmmm...

So...I don't have anything exciting to blog about lately.  When did I turn into such a boring person?  We got our new mattress this last weekend.  That was nice.  A week from today we are going to Texas to see my family.  That is something to look forward to.  I still have to upload my high-five with David Archuleta video.  I guess I do have things to blog about.  I'm just too tired and lazy to write a complete post right now, so you get this wonderful random stream of thoughts.  You're welcome.

So, what DO I eat?

After seeing what I DON'T eat, there were many people left wondering what I DO eat.  So here you go.
First, let me explain I started this from a friend's husband who lost a TON of weight.  He was buying food from a chiropractor that was all sugar free, and the results were amazing.  I had to check it out.  It's called the Ideal Protein (IP) Diet, and it works.  I hate calling it a diet, but that is what it is. 

Breakfast:

• IP crispy cereal
• IP oatmeal
• IP chocolate pancakes
• IP omelet
• IP chocolate shake

Lunch:

• IP chocolate shake and broccoli
• IP banana shake and asparagus
• IP crispy cereal and green beans
• IP chili and lettuce (like PF Change lettuce wraps)

Dinner:

• Lemon pepper chicken and broccoli
• One chicken breast, drizzle with olive oil, add lemon pepper and spices, bake in oven, squeeze lemon juice on top.  Serve with steamed broccoli and salt to taste.
• Beef sirloin/tenderloin and asparagus
• One juicy steak, add seasonings, cook on grill.  Serve with grilled asparagus with olive oil and salt.
• Pork tenderloin and green beans
• Heat olive oil in skillet, add pork tenderloin, cook til no pink in middle, add paprika, salt, and pepper.  Serve with steamed green beans.

  

Snack:

• Sugar free jello
• IP Chocolate pudding
• IP Mango peach drink

So, most of you are not going to pay money for special food every week, and that is totally okay.  I don't plan on buying the IP food for long, but it has helped me personally, to make sure I stick to my diet.  If I am paying for it, I feel like I HAVE to stick with it or all that money has gone down the drain.  Again, that is just me.  For those of you who have better self control, there are tons of great sugar free items you can get at the grocery store.

If you are seriously considering going all out sugar free, or just want to cut back on your sweets, here are a few tips to live by:

• Walden Farms is a company that makes sugar free AND calorie free dressings, syrups, bbq sauces, pasta sauces, and more.
• Know the difference between being hungry and having a craving. 
• Have a craving?  Run to 7-11 and get a crystal light slurpee.  It's like a dessert, it fills you up, and it's sugar free!
• Keep sugar free jello on hand for those late night snack attack moments.  It's low calorie and sugar free.  I like to buy the pre-packaged jello cups, so they are always ready when I need a quick fix.
• Eat your vegetables!  The greener, the better.  Experiment on ways to cook your vegetables.  Grilled, steamed, raw, boiled, chopped, stir-fried...you never know until you try it.  I am the first to admit I hate vegetables, but I have enjoyed trying new things.  Last night I tried Red Chard for the first time.  Guess what?  It was actually pretty good. 

• 
  
  Ziplock Steamer Bags- great for steaming anything in seconds.  Even Red Chard.
• 
  
  Take multi-vitamins.  Even if you are not changing your eating style, this is still a good idea.
• 
  
  Don't expect people to cater to you when you go out to eat.  At any restaurant, you can make it work.  Just tell the cook how you want your food prepared, and be specific.  Example: At Chili's, I get the Margarita Grilled Chicken with a double side of broccoli- no butter, no tortilla chips, and no pico.  Delicious and healthy.
• 
  
  Don't beat yourself up if you get set back.  It's okay to eat a bite of that molten chocolate cake at Chili's, just don't eat the whole thing. 

So far, I am down 15 pounds! (20 lost since December) Soon, I will be re-introducing whole grains and fruit back into my life.  The most important thing is to stay true to yourself, listen to your body, and be healthy.  The #1 thing motivating me is knowing I feel healthier inside.  It can be hard, but never give up.  The first step is ALWAYS the hardest to take.

Coming Soon

I have been super busy this weekend, but here are some posts I promise to have up soon:

• High-five with David
• So, what DO I eat?
• Vegas Wedding

Bluebonnets

It's bluebonnet season in Texas right now.  My grandma sent me these pictures, and it makes me miss home so much.  Every year, a sea of blue flowers transforms the dull windy roads into a piece of living art.  It's so beautiful!  We would always have to pull to the side of the road and take family photos sitting in the middle of the biggest bluebonnet patch we could find.  Sweet memories.  Texas may not have snow capped mountains or white sandy beaches, but they do have bluebonnets, and sometimes that can be even better.

But No Elephants

In an effort to regulate my hormones and lose weight, I have cleansed my liver of sugar completely.  What does this mean?  It means:

• No candy- even on Easter
• No ice cream
• No bread- yes, bread has sugar
• No "Muffin Wednesdays" at work
• No rice
• No starchy veggies (carrots, peas, potatoes)
• No sugary fruits
• No fast food
• No sauces
• No dressings
• No juice
• No soda
• No chocolate
• and the worst....NO ELEPHANTS!  (Okay, maybe I don't eat elephants, but this was one of my favorite childhood books.  Random, I know.)

It's been hard and I have been tempted, but for 2 weeks now I can honestly say I have not cheated once.  There are times when all I want is a giant BBQ bacon burger, but all the cravings leave when I see the number drop on the scale and my jeans get a little looser.  The best thing is I feel healthier, and I have more energy.  It's weird how eliminating sugar gives you more energy.  When I hit my goal, you can count on me celebrating with my good friends Ben and Jerry.  I'll just be sure to share them, so history does not repeat itself.

Sweet Dreams

We finally did it!  We bought a new mattress.  This is not just ANY mattress.  This is the mattress I have been wanting for a longggggg while now.  Thanks to a nice tax return this year, we bought this beauty:

It's a Sealy super plush latex pillow top, and the best part is it's a KING SIZE!  (If you are married, you know why that is exciting.)  No more "Move over, you're on my side of the bed!" and no more limbs kneeing or elbowing me at night.  I love to snuggle, but not while I'm trying to sleep.  When I'm tired, give me my space and let me be.  It does not arrive til May, but I'm fine with the wait.  Finally, I will have space to spread out in peace.