Well, I've done it.
Remember a month ago, at my 8-month post-surgery mark, I said I was hoping to be in "one-derland" (ie, under the 200-lb mark) by my one-year surgiversary in January, 2010? (I didn't make up that term, just go with it.)
Well here we are, one day before my 9-month mark, and I just weighed in: 199.7 lbs, three months ahead of schedule!!!
I've lost over 141 pounds in 9 months, and it feels fabulous. I'm feeling pretty awesome, actually. Go ahead and congratulate me; I deserve it. Hahaha!! (kidding, kidding)
My new goal is to be at 175 or less by the one-year mark. Now that I'm back to regularly drinking my protein shakes, the weight loss that slowed down over the summer has kicked back up again. I think it's doable. I won't be upset if I don't make it, but I'll be thrilled if I do!
At my check-up on Thursday morning, my doctor told me that HIS goal for me was to get down to somewhere around 150-160 pounds, and that I would look like "death warmed over" if I got down to 120. So if I hit 175 by the one-year mark, I won't be that far off "goal"!
Fan-flipping-tastic. I am so excited right now. If only I could get this saggy baby belly removed...then I really would be in Wonderland!
(And I know you want pictures - nine more pounds to go until I take and share them, okay?)
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Other bits 'n' bobs of late, since I missed Friday Fragments:
Please pray for Stim and Baby Luke. I don't want to share details that she hasn't mentioned on her blog, so I'll just ask for prayers. He's okay, but things could be going better for them.
Just a random silly picture Rob set up and took of Chloë wearing her hair on backward. It's an iPhone pic, so the quality... but I love all those healthy curls! Too bad she doesn't appreciate them; she's always asking me to straighten her hair. She wants "straight, yellow" hair like Sophia's. Tsk, tsk.
Neither girl did that well at soccer yesterday morning. I bribed Sophie into staying on the field by telling her if she did, we would go to Fall Carnival at the kids' school at night. So she literally planted herself on the field and didn't move, simply repeating, "Fall Carnival!" every time the Coach spoke to her and asked her if she wanted to run after the ball and play. *Sigh*
Chloë's game was at the same time, so Rob and Jack were on her field while I was watching Sophia. When I got over there, they had split the teams into two games, one on each half of the field, like they do with Sophie's games. That was new. Rob was up front... but Chloë was playing in the back! I asked him why he hadn't moved to the back, and he said, "Because I can still see her." Yeah, but... she can't see you, and she can't hear you cheering for her! That's important. Well, I guess I got to another mom whose daughter was playing at the back, too, because she got up and went with us to the back field! Haha.
We had to bring the after-game snack for Chloë's team. Everyone else brings cookies and junk, but I wanted to do something healthier, so we brought 100% juice boxes, bananas, and string cheese. It didn't go over well. Those girls wanted their cookies! We brought more than half of it home. Oh well, my kids will eat it!
We got a note from the Team Mom telling us when the end-of-season party was, and that we needed to kick in $20 for it. Twenty bucks?! That seems like a lot to me, after paying for the season, cleats, shin guards, socks, a ball, team snacks... .and now this. So much for soccer being cheaper than dance lessons. Sheesh.
We had to stop at Wal-mart after the games, as I was out of printer ink and needed something disposable to bake for the Fall Carnival - and all the kids suddenly needed to go potty. I shopped while Rob took the kids to the bathroom, and then we met up outside. On the way to the car, we spotted this "wind-up" SmartCar. Can you see the turny-thing? How cute! I just love those SmartCars. There is a SC dealership just down the road from us. One of these days, I'm going to go over there and take a test drive, just for kicks. I can't wait!
Steph called me on the way home, asking why we didn't come see her and the baby Friday night as planned. I was waiting for her to call me, and she was waiting for me to call her! Oops. I really want to see the little guy, so I'm kicking myself! They might stop by after church today, and if not, we may go over there. Pictures for sure, if we do! (Well, maybe... my new camera isn't holding a charge, so I might get one or two before it dies. WTF.)
As soon as we got home, I had to start baking. I'd promised one or two things for the Cake Walk at the Fall Carnival. My plan was to make two chocolate bundt cakes, but I couldn't find anything at Wal-Mart but foil cupcake pans, so, change of plans. In the end, I ended up baking four dozen cupcakes. They had to cool before I could frost them, of course, so I left them cooling on the table, with strict instructions to the kids to LEAVE THEM ALONE, while I went upstairs to shower and get ready for the carnival.
No, they didn't touch them. They were actually good. Phew.
My dad called me while I was upstairs getting dressed. He wants me to go the Christian Science, prayerful, metaphysical route in taking care of whatever this lump is in my right breast. However, sobbingly, I told him that I can't do to my children what my mother did to Stacey and me (she died when I was 7, at my same age of 33), and that I had to go find out what this is and treat it medically if necessary.
He understood that, but he suggested we work on it and get rid of it before I even go to the appointment, resolving things before they even start. As he said, what could it hurt? What do I have to lose?
Okay, but if it's still there, and this doesn't work, then I'm going the other way. He told me that the practitioner who worked with my mom before her very sudden death couldn't "get past Karen's fear," and so they weren't able to have the breakthrough they needed to save her life.
Really? Fear killed my mother? I think it was the untreated diabetes...
The whole thing had me extremely upset, and after I hung up with my dad, Rob was there, and he held me for half an hour while I cried. I gave myself such a headache! But really, it was so unnecessary that she died that way. I needed her. I needed her!! I still need her. It fucking hurts...
Anyway.
So I got dressed, and guess what? Move over size 18, because I fit into the nice, new size 16 pants that Linda gave me last week! I looked pretty good, too. Maybe I'll wear that when I take my 150-lb loss pictures for y'all. Hot Mama! ;)
I went downstairs and used my cake decorating stuff to swirly-frost the cupcakes. Some in chocolate, some in classic white (whatever the hell that is), and some in white buttercream. I just used what I had in the pantry. They looked really good, though. I even dreamed of eating them, which is sad!
I told Rob it was his job to figure out how we were going to transport the things to school - I mean, four dozen! - We decided to stick a toothpick in each cupcake to keep the Saran wrap off the frosting, and then put two six-packs of cupcakes on each of four cookie sheets. Then, against our better judgement, we had Rob and each of the children carry a cookie sheet in the car, all the way to school, on their laps. Eek! We told them a million times not to touch the cupcakes, just the cookie sheets.
Well, again, they listened, the cupcakes made it to school in one piece! All 48 of them, all 8 separate pans.
We got there an hour early, because I never actually confirmed that I would be bringing anything for the Cake Walk, and I wanted them to know that I did follow through on my promise. They were thrilled, and I was too, because every single cupcake got there in one piece.
For the next hour, instead of helping out with setting up for the Carnival - during which time my kids would probably just get in the way - we walked to the back of the school and let the kids loose on the playground. They ran and ran and exhausted themselves thoroughly, racing each other around the field and just generally having a grand ol' time. I had my camera in my purse, actually, but I completely forgot about it, so I have no pictures of this or the Carnival fun. Dammit.
That hour would have been a good time to realize that I didn't have my wallet - with the Carnival tickets - with me! I didn't check until we got back inside and the food was ready. You have to purchase the food you want with tickets, too. And... I had none. Argh! So I sent Rob home to get them, giving up our awesome parking spot to the crowds who were starting to roll in. We sat with our thumbs up our butts and watched, and waited. Yay, fun.
Finally, he returned, and everyone had what they wanted: hot dogs for Jack and Chloë, pancet and lumpia for Rob and Sophia, and, well, nachos and cheese for me, because there was nothing protein-y I could eat otherwise. Just a couple for me, and then Chloë devoured the rest. No sooner did we finish eating, than Sophie got a funny look on her face. I've rarely seen that look on her, but I recognized it well from the weak-stomached Chloë. I got the foil wrapper from the hot dogs just in time to catch the puke. Boy, she really lost it. I think that's only the third time ever in her life that Sophia has thrown up! Poor kid.
Then she said she had to poop, and I was figuring it would be upset-tummy ucky poops (sorry for TMI), so I had Rob race her to the bathroom while I sat with the other two. During their absence, Jack said, very loudly for the whole room to hear, "Mom, what does 'pussy' mean?"
I gasped and said, "Jack!! Shhhhh! Don't say that!"
We went 'round and 'round, with him continuing to say "pussy" (What does it mean? Is it a bad word? etc) and me telling him not to say it... until we finally got to the point where he was remembering a kids' song on one of their CDs about a pussycat! Hahaha, I was so relieved.
Rob came back and laughed his arse off when I told him that story.
Well, Sophie seemed fine and insisted she wanted to stay and play the games, so... we stayed. And played the games. They won a bunch of prizes and had a lot of fun, and she really did seem fine. And we all did the Cake Walk together, but we didn't win. Jack was really pissed; he wanted some of those cupcakes!
And I was happy to see that all of my cupcakes went first! All of them were gone in the first half hour, and all the other baked goods were left. Yay, me! :D
We left after that, when all our tickets were gone, and I went home and crashed. I slept for 12½ hours. I've been so tired lately, so very tired... and I have a huge, unexplained bruise on my forearm. I'm hoping these are not symptomatic of anything, you know? Fear.
Well, I need to go clean, clean, clean... hope y'all have a great Sunday!
Fin.
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