HeatherO

Hello everyone, My baby just turned nine months old. She has two teeth, has been sitting for quite some time. She is now crawling on her hands and knees with her belly off the floor and has been doing so for a couple of weeks now. She can also pull herself up on furniture if it is just the right height and is cruising along the furniture. I suspect she might be an early walker . . . but we will see. I had a slip the day I left the hospital in early June and ended up needed a new band in early September. I finally reached restriction in December/January and am back to sloooowwwlllyyyy loosing but it is better than gaining. Pre-pregnancy I was down to 150. I then dropped to 138 during my first trimester. Gained almost nothing second trimester until I got an unfill. Afterwards, I was 188 the day I delivered. Within around a month I was back down to 150. I was down to 127 per my home scale when I had to have the band replaced. At the end of the year I was a little over 150 or so. I am about 145 now. Needless to say, pregnancy, slip, getting rebanded, and finally finding restriction again have been a roller coaster on my weight. :0)

I have had this same exact thing happen before after taking a pill when I was tightly restricted. I think liquids and purees for a few days is definitely necessary. If you keep PB'ing, your stomach may continue to swell and instead of it getting looser over time, it might get tighter until you need an emergency unfill and have to slowly go about getting your band to restriction again. My surgeons office in this case also suggests taking liquid motrin as an anti-inflammatory which will help with stomach swelling. However, some offices strictly advise not taking anything of this nature including advil. My office says it is ok to use it on a very limited basis to combat stomach swelling. Good luck. If you are careful and baby your stomach for a day or two . . . it usually passes. I hope you feel better soon.

I still have some of my favorite clothes packed away from sizes 20 to 12 that don't fit. I think I kept them because there is always a thought in the back of my mind that, like previous diets, I might fit them again one day. I feel a purge coming on, lol. I am envious of how you must be feeling after lightening the load which is one of the best things about moving. I would never tell the school she is bilingual . . . it doesn't have any relevance. I want her in the same or maybe even more advanced English courses depending on her level as all of the other students, not ESL equivalent courses.

Today I have had coffee for breakfast and nothing else, for some reason that usually indicates that it might not be a good eating day. Sometimes I think I am too tight and the moment I set my mind to get a wee unfill, I can eat alot again. I think I just have a fickle band. Laura, it is great that daycare went so smoothly the first day. He must be ready and doesn't have too much of a problem with separation anxiety. It sounds like you are pretty lucky in that regard. I am having babysitting woes at the moment and I am really sad about it. My good friends mother-in-law came last August and has been keeping both Ayla and her grandchild ever since. It has been the perfect setup regarding care provided, proximity and affordability. Ayla is happy there and she loves the three year old that is there with her every day. They are definitely buds at this point. Even better, they don't speak English in the household and it was allways my intention to keep Ayla in a non-English speaking household if at all possible. Anyways, the babysitter has a 10 year tourist visa and requested an extension to stay until May (you must return to your home country every six months to stay in compliance) and they denied her. She could appeal it which would extend her stay just by waiting for the decision but doesn't want to do that because she wants to be able to come and go freely on good terms with the government. So I found this out on Tuesday . . . she is leaving on Sunday. Ayla has no idea that her life is changing next week. On the good side, she will remain with the other child that she has been with since she was two months old in a loving non-English speaking household but there will be another child there, a small girl who is about to turn two, so that will change the dynamic slightly. I was questioning myself about why I am so upset about this change last night and I think it is mostly because I am happy and comfortable with the way things are now. Eventhough the new place is a happy, healthy and safe environment . . . it is new with different people. Also her current babysitter treats her like her long lost grandaughter and heaps tons of affection and attention on her. She is like a strong member of our family and we are all very sad she is going. So my sadness gives me a strong desire to bury myself with a tear-jerker of a film and plenty of moose tracks ice cream but I decided that I am not going to do this. I honestly feel weepy over the situation. Do any of you ever feel lost and really sad like this when life is changing - even if it is not a bad change but just a difference in the way you do things?

Janie, I hope you do get to see The Lovely Bones because it is a really good film. I enjoyed it. Pamela, What are you so allergic to? I hope you feel better soon.

Michelle, my hearts goes out to you, your family and especially your MIL. Everyone is so lucky to have you and I am sure you are a great source of comfort and help to your MIL & FIL. Janie, Miralax, LOL. That was very funny but I have to admit that I can see myself doing the same thing. Judy, it seems like things are beginning to go a little smoother for Jen and the family. Thank goodness. Pamela, I am sooo excited for you with the new house. I hope your move goes very smoothly. It is always exciting once you get in a new place . . . especially when it is like your own private palace. I am so happy for you :0) Suzy, good luck with Gia. It seems like you are off to a good start. In my house, bedtime was set but if they were not tired, they were allowed to read with the bedside lamp on for a while past bedtime. For some reason, this tended to put most children to sleep, lol. One thing to keep in mind is that if she was used to falling asleep with the tv on every night it is sometimes hard for her to get used to the change. A transition activity might be helpful. As a veteran foster parent of pre-teens and teens, all I can say is just be aware that you are still in the "honeymoon phase" and that testing of boundaries can begin in earnest very soon. I remember my very first foster child. It was a girl and she was 13. The first week was great, she tested boundaries but wasn't so bad. We went shopping for clothes, got hair done, decorated the room and I thought . . . wow, this is not only easy, it is fun too and I never had a daughter before. Fast forward to two weeks later . . . we went to a cinema and I was not sitting with her, she was sitting with her new friends and I was two rows behind. They went to the bathroom I assumed and I didn't think anything of it, until more than 10 minutes passed and she didn't return. I checked the restroom and she wasn't there and I started to get worried. I asked the people working the entrance/exit if they had seen her . . . yes, she left a few minutes before with a couple of friends. In a panic I walked outside and saw her a little ways up the block. She had thrown her purse through the plate glass window at Kinkos. She said she was just goofing around and didn't mean it. She said she just went out for "air" and was coming right back. I, needless to say, was horrified and embarrassed and never had to deal with the police before regarding this kind of issue. She stayed with me for a few months, other issues happened here and there. She attempted to steal my car and I then had to make a decision that things were not working out at my house and I could not give her what she needed. She went to a group home afterwards. I talked to her caseworker a few months later regarding another child and asked about her. Evidently she got shifted to a detention facility after pushing a staff member of the group home down a flight of steps. Anyway, she was a serious exception to the rule. Most children are never this difficult. I just brought it up because I remember the first week or so of excitement of having the first child that I could help. She was cute, blonde, friendly, and very sweet to start with while I was brand new with dealing with teenagers, young and naieve, lol. It was a real learning experience for me. Hello to everyone else . . . make Monday a good one. :0)

Judy, I am so sorry. First CPS and now this. I don't think she is going to have much choice now but to seek help or she may not be allowed to keep her children in the home. As terrible as this is perhaps it is a start towards a new life for all of them and will be a catalyst for change. Thank goodness you are in their life and can help. The stability you have provided Ethan will help him through this rough time. I hope you can take him for some time to shield him from some of the drama since he is too young to understand but old enough to know something really bad is happening in his family. I will definitely send prayers for your family. I hear a lot about Ethan but not so much about the other child living there. How is the other child doing?

Judy, I am sorry your family is going through that. When I was a child, getting a belt ot the rear for misbehaving was par for the course. Times have changed. I got investigated once when my son was 1 1/2 to 2 years old. He got a black eye at daycare when he fell and hit the edge of one of the toddler tables during play. Since it didn't happen at home and was witnessed, it got cleared up right away. However, it was still embarrassing and they ask you questions like as if you derive great pleasure out of tormenting children. I remember thinking at that time that it just as easily could have happened at home . . . and then what would have happened? There are a lot of people in need of prayer right now and I will keep everyone in mind. Haydee, I could never have gone back with the dog, I would have been too upset. You are a stronger person than me. It doesn't matter if there are different policies in different locations, the need to treat customers with dignity and respect everywhere is essential. That was ridiculous. Janie, I have days like that too. Sometimes a good cry is definitely a mood stabilizer . . . just put in a good tear-jerker flick and you are good to go. Judy, you are doing so well right now . . . please pass a little of that motivation around to the rest of us :0)

Jane, Good luck with your weigh-in and with the new doctor. :0) Michelle, I knew the kids would come around and we can all use an extra bit of motivation . . . I hear WDW a'callin Grady is absolutely adorable. It is a reminder that I have 3 months to figure out how to do Ayla's first birthday. Maybe I will do it at the park so that the kids can run amuck, lol. Or maybe if the weather is really nice, we can have a swim party at our pool. June in Ohio can be hot, cold, or anything in between. Carson's walking video was sooo cute. Ayla will stand and hold on to things, but the moment she lets go for an instant, she drops, lol. Any given day at my house you now see pillow's spread strategically around the living room, lol. Pamela, I think Friday is going to be an ammazzzing day for both of you. What night will be the official first night to sleep in the new house? Well, my ticker said I hadn't updated it in 80 days. I had to update it and put my actual current weight in. It is funny, I can't lie and put in a false number but I can let it inappropriately reflect an old number that is more positive than the current number. It seems like I am just built that way. I find it almost impossible to lie directly but can definitely be guilty of crimes of omission, lol. Happy Monday everyone.

Thanks. Actually, I didn't lose fast at all, just average between 1 to 1.5 pounds a week during the early days of banding. I have been banded for more than two years now. I slipped while in the hospital after giving birth to my daughter. It happened the morning I went home. I was offered pain meds, took that kind for the first time on an empty stomach(maybe it was a darvocet), vomitted miserably and that is all she wrote. The new band, which is a large size 14cc Allergan Lapband works as well as the original 9cc Johnson and Johnson Realize band. There isnt really a difference other than it took a lot longer to hit the sweet spot in my new band. However, it is harder to lose the second time around. I regained a little after the slip but it is extreeemmely slow going to get it off again eventhough it is not too much weight. I think it is harder because I spent almost all of 2009 either without fill or unrestricted, it is more difficult to become as motivated as you originally are at the beginning of banding, and finally, it is harder to lose weight when you have less weight to lose. My true weight right now is between 145-146 (haven't changed the ticker) and I am losing around 0 to 1 pounds per month. I am OK with this because I am still size 10/Medium and as long as I am not gaining I am OK. Good luck with everything and I am sorry for your slip.

Actually Jane, if you sprinkle a few chopped walnuts on top of the squash it is even better even if it sounds a little weird. It goes together really well and is healthy.

Jane, butternut squash is pretty versatile. I would also just cook it with a little Water, salt and pepper and maybe some no cal butter. It is really tasty like that. Pamela, Congratulations on the house. In another month or so you should be chillaxing with the majority of everything behind you so that you can just enjoy your palace. It is such a beautiful place and you deserve it. Michelle, hopefully you can fit in a little "me" time in today. Laura, Carson's videos are sooo cute. I have not been working on signing with Ayla . . . perhaps it is time. Judy, I have always loved Stephen King anything. I am going to have to get a copy of that new book.

Michelle, I think I would go. You take the kids to Disney as often as you can . . . it is a whole different experience if you are going just as an adult with adult company. I am sure they would understand especially if it was a gift to you. They are almost grown and sometimes adults need "me" time. I left work a little early yesterday and went to the gym before I picked up Ayla from the sitter. They had a belly dance class just starting so I thought, why not? It seemed like it was really low intensity but I haven't been exercising much lately, perhaps it is OK to start low. I ended up having a great time and think I will make it a normal pattern for Tuesdays to go for that class in particular. The funny thing in class is that I knew all the words to most of the songs because they were primarily in Turkish. I thought it was kind of interesting to be in a big group and to be the only one who had any idea what people were singing about, lol. I really missed the gym, I just forgot how much I enjoy it when I am there. I think this is the start of a good thing. So my home scale says 146 and the gym scale says 153. Is it fair to pick and choose which one I like the best? I think I am leaning a little more towards my home scale numbers, lol.

Laura, I would report that inappropriate daycare. I can't believe the parents find it acceptable in the first place. It is not good for the children to be undersupervised and the first two years are vital to their future development. Becoming baby zombies does not bode well for a bright successful future. Michelle, sorry about the no Disney bit. I haven't been there since my son was 8 lol. I have forgotten what it is like.

I am freezing today too. It has been moderately reasonable with a lot of melting snow the last few days. Then this morning I have to scrape, scrape, scrape the ice off of my car and now I just can't get warm enough. I can't wait for spring. I am just itching to buy a bike seat for Ayla. I saw helmets for infants 1+ at toys r us and I really want to do a lot of biking with her this year. I did a ton of biking before I got pregnant. I read that it is not safe to take an infant biking under 1 year old because the jostling is bad on their neck's when they are small and have not yet built up sufficient neck strength. She will be ready this summer, that is for sure. I need to exercise but I haven't been doing much at the gym lately. I took Ayla to the family swim times but that is it. I really need to work on it. Michelle, I am still hoping everything is good with Mo and your MIL. Laura, I am avoiding daycare for as long as possible. I don't like having an infant in daycare but I think she will be fine once she is 2 or so.

I agree that everyones weight gain is different. One thing I remember from being banded in pregnant is that I was sooo hungry the first trimester that there were times were I felt like if I didn't eat something soon I would eat the bark off of the trees, lol. I also remember going shopping at the grocery store and eating something by the time I was in the car. Early pregnancy gave me a voracious appetite, and then I was fine thereafter. As far as losing 30 pounds post delivery, I had lost that much by two weeks out. Not everyone does, but if you are retaining a lot of Water it can happen. One unfortunate thing I noticed after pregnancy is that it is a lot harder to get back into losing mode. Our bodies are readjusting. There is also some difficulty switching from the "I'm feeding my baby so I can splurge a little" during pregnancy back to toeing the line. The other factor is that you are extremely busy with a new baby and time to focus on yourself or your health is hard to come by. My baby is 8 months old, I weigh 146 now but I did weigh 138 prior to pregnancy. I was 188 on the day of delivery. At the rate I am going post pregnancy over the last few months, I am lucky to lose 1 pound a month. I am not exactly where I want to be, but I am OK under 150 pounds. Not gaining for me is an accomplishment in itself. Good luck everyone with losing those post baby pounds.

Congratulations, it sounds like she is doing great.

My port had no pain, no impact. It was really irrelevant and was like I didn't even know it was there.

Everyone have a glorious Friday!!! I like the idea of a prayer shawl. I think that will be an excellent gift.

Hello everyone! I sure have the winter blahhs today, blahh with work, blahh with eating, blahh with everything. I just want to curl up at home in my toasty bed with a good book and a glass of OJ. Is it Friday yet??? Prayers for Shiela, Michelle.

I tried my first paczki yesterday and it was just a donut that got stuck. It wasn't anything special for me. I really like the idea of some tomato soup today, that sounds delish in this weather and very healthy. I can't do grilled cheese right now, but maybe a small quesadilla might go OK. Michelle, we live in the same general region of the country. Although we have had a lot of snow, we have had almost no school closings this year. You must be getting a lot more ice this year. Usually we are in worse shape then our neighbors because the Great Lakes are only 20 minutes away. It is funny how different things can be not very far away. Pamela, sorry about the tooth. It is hard to feel confident while being videotaped as it is. Hopefully you can just forget about it and do what comes naturally. Haydee, hang in there, March is almost here. Laura, I definitely wouldn't buy another cake pan if a roasting pan will do. They work just fine as a cake pan. I have definitely used it to make larger cakes in the past. I think veggie tale characters will be awesome.

Please, be careful with drinking soda . . . take it from someone who has lost their band. It does indeed cause pouch dilation. It has minimal impact when you don't have restriction, but when you do have tight restriction, gas expands and it can cause issues. I just don't want new bandsters to get the wrong impression that because it is OK for some it is OK for all. There is a reason why it is restricted by the majority of surgeons post banding.

Laura, I have cooked extra large desserts or cake in a roasting pan before. It works but with cake there is a risk that it may be a little underdone in the middle or overdone on the ends. The other issue that has happened is that sometimes it is not flat but domes a little in the center. I always make extra tall cakes by cooking two with a layer of icing in the middle. If the pan is greased well, they come out pretty easy and it is less risk. As for the order, I would get on the phone with production and see if there is anyway possible they can rerun the batch with correct trimming. Even if you have to go up a little higher and explain your dilemma, I wouldn't let it go if a customer will be negatively impacted. I think the 'I hope they don't notice' approach is faulty at best.

Laura, I am now soo jealous of your Flip videos . . . I just have to get one. I loved the videos of Carson on Youtube. I also loved the 'bama accents, lol. How is the liquid diet going? I feel like I am ready for that myself. Michelle, I really feel your pain about Mo. The poor thing. I really hope the new medication works. I have never been so happy to hear that Mo pooped. Your house is definitely adorable and post-card material indeed with all the snow. Perhaps I should learn to knit this year. The hat was absolutely adorable. I can crochet anything but just never learned to knit. Janie, I really love black with white dots, it is so cute, especially when you accessorize it with a splash of color. Hang in there with the banding thing. Not one of us doesn't struggle with this and we have all been there. As Judy said, we all just keep on keeping on and that is the best we can do. We are always here for you, no matter what. Pam, I can't believe the house that you are buying. It is unbelievably luxurious and you are lucky ladies indeed. Judy, I liked the time-lapse snow video. It really puts it in perspective. :0) Did you ask Ethan how the hydrocortisone cream tasted? It had to be awful. I am happy he is OK. I also saw that allrecipes version with 3 containers of cream cheese and was wondering if that was a mistake. I guess it must have been good, I’ll try that version at the next dinner party. I have to admit that although the sopapilla cheesecake is one of the easiest, fastest recipe’s in the world, everyone raves over it. Suzanne, Happy belated birthday . . . I hope you had a marvelous time. I love Japanese too. I did Curves for a while but moved on to a real gym. I found that it wasn’t intensive enough by any means. Haydee, It sounds like you survived a really awful week, hopefully it will be better this week. Ayla just cut her first tooth last week. I thought she had been teething for the last four months . . . either she was teething forever or something else made her cranky, lol. At this rate, she will have all of 3 teeth by her second birthday.

Hello & welcome :0) I don't think wearing a hijab will be a problem but I have no doubt that you will have to wear a hospital gown. However, they keep you well covered with sheets so that the only people that should see more than you would feel comfortable showing would be the doctors and an occasional nurse. Afterwards you can switch to regular clothing but they will need to see your abdomen from time-to-time. Ramadan will be no problem unless you are very tightly restricted. Also, it is not so much food that is an issue . . . it is getting enough Water. You may not need an unfill at all if you can get enough water in during the early evening and early morning. I hope your surgery goes really well and that you have a speedy recovery InshAllah.