Good Bye 200s!

I need to brag for a moment.

I officially weigh 199lbs as of today and hit my goal of being below 200lbs before 2011 started

It took me almost 5 months (Jan 8th will be 5 months) but I have lost 43lbs and TWO pant sizes so far.

I started out by just watching my food and using www.myfitnesspal.com to log EVERYTHING I put into my mouth. No one was forcing me to eat an extra portion or a cupcake only *I* decide what goes into my body. I had just finally reached a point that I was done feeling fat, lazy and unable to do what I want and wear what I want.

I could only do 5 min on the elliptical machine I was so out of shape and a 30 min walk was only a mile walk I was so slow (LOL) BUT I did it. I now spend between 3-40 min on the elliptical machine 4-6 days a week. I FEEL better. It's amazing.

I have about 35lbs more to go to my "ultimate" goal. I'll see when I get there if I want to go another 10-15lbs or not. It will depend on how toned I am.

I just wanted to post to brag but to also let anyone else out there who wants to start and thinks that 5 min of exercise won't make a difference or just cutting out dessert etc won't help. I want to tell you it DOES. One small change can lead to more. I splurged on Christmas Day, and two nights ago friend were over and we had custard (which I HIGHLY regretted the next day and won't do again). So I'm not perfect and I always give myself one freebie day a month to eat something SUPER yummy, special and totally outside my calories.

I will NEVER weigh 200lbs again. I WILL spend 2011 continuing to lose weight and get in shape. And by this time in 2011 I'll have to come up with a new goal for 2012

Christmas and a fish "lava" lamp

So on this wonderful Christmas in the year 2010 Gabe, a newly four year old, told his mom and dad he was really thirsty at bed time.  This is a usual stall tactic and mom and dad know this.  He got one small drink of water and that was it.

An hour later when Mommy wrongly assumed that Gabe was asleep he comes out of his room and tells mom he's STILL thirsty.  After taking him back in his room he divulges that he DRANK the water from the fish "lava" lamp.  Mom didn't even have a mom face to keep and blurted out "Seriously!?"  While thinking WTF mate?!  This lamp has distilled water, yuck!

I mean really? This has to rank up there with the weirdest thing kids have done right?  I'm completely baffled by this.  He'd had plenty to eat and drink.  I explained why this is a bad idea (small bits of fake fish, distilled water, electricity!)

So here is the lamp, half empty of water.  Crazy kid!  

So he promises he's going to sleep now.  I sure hope so because after a whirlwind of birthday parties, potty training and Christmas presents it's been one really long week.

Gabe has been doing really well with the potty training, he won't poop yet but that will come eventually.  He's still hiding in his room and doing it in his underwear. 

He loves all the presents especially having a ton of new Lightning McQueen and Mater trucks! 

Gabriel Michael is four

Today my little guy is FOUR

At 5:15pm on December 23, 2006 our little guy came into the world at 7lbs11oz and 21 1/2 inches long.  We got to come home on Christmas

He's not a very precocious kid who has an opinion about everything.  He's woken up two days in a row dry and had very minimal accidents so far.  (crosses fingers).  He loves Diego, chocolate milk and telling jokes (mostly Why did the chicken cross the road a thousand times ;) ). 

I couldn't be more in love with another little boy in the world.  I'm so happy to have him even when he's driving me crazy. 

Here are LOTS of pics :D

"lava lamp" with fish for his room

                                                      
                                                          Aquadoodle from Papa

                                                           Games for the Leapster

                                 
                                                        More trucks!

                      
                                                                      Cake!

          
                                                        Opening presents

We have a tradition in our family that everyone has a birthday plate.  A plate that you MUST eat off of on your birthday for at least one meal.  As I got older my mom even brought it to restaurants and made me use it, even when we hated it.  So we made Gabe one when he was born.  I didn't get a shot before he had stuff on it but here he is having his breakfast of choice pancakes!

There are walls, sort of.

Some walls at least, and lots more dry wall hanging out ready to be put up. 

Dry wall hanging out against the long living room wall

Bedroom (taken from inside what will be the closet)

Bedroom (wall is to the living room)

Some walls at least, and lots more dry wall hanging out ready to be put up. 

We have some of the best friends and family around, everyone came out on Sunday to help us even though there had been a pretty big snow storm the night before.  Hey this is Wisconsin, if ya can't go out when it snows you'd be stuck inside from December to March.

So the guys (and me some but mostly them) carried down ALL the dry wall that was in our garage, somewhere about 100 pieces.  Let me tell you it is a pain in the butt!  We had to come into the back and sort of make a Y and then go down the stairs.  It works best with a tall person going down backward and the shorter person going down forward from the top. 

After we got it all down there we had to determine what the heck we were doing (LOL).  Randy, Jason and my dad set up in the bathroom and went to work.  Randy and Jason really did a great job measuring (after the first one) and cutting out for the pipes and junk that comes out of the wall. 

From the bedroom closet into bathroom

Sink and toilet (shower is to left)

  

Tub (that heats and circulates water) and shower.

Jerry, Shawn and I got to work in the living room area hanging the outside wall to the bedroom and bathroom.  Of course there were a few snafus but we got it up and drilled on tightly!  Mike helped out tons too, he's more handy than he wants me to think ;)  I think he's been faking to get out of "Honey Do" lists.  Once Jason had to leave it was him and Randy that figured out some issues in the bathroom. 

I love that there is progress but on the other hand I keep thinking that there is still so much more to do and everything is so time consuming.  With only one day a week to work on it, it takes FOREVER.  So I'm hoping we'll get some extra help from a few people now (I think I'm using up all my favors and going to be owing a few more).  We really really need this to be done.  We need the space and privacy.  Did I mention space? 

Looking down towards windows, into bedroom

Straight down to the windows, bedroom can be seen through the door

Living room wall/bed room wall, looking into bathroom.

The end is near!

Insert ominous music here....

The end of the semester is near, just one more week left! PUSH THROUGH!  Then a month off before it starts all over again.

The end of the year is also near.  That means Gabe will be FOUR!!!!! in just 14 days.  I simply can not believe that he's four already.  Where has the time gone? 

The end of the basement is getting near, we're drywalling on Sunday, please don't snow, please don't snow.  Then just floor to put in and we'll be moving stuff downstairs :D

The end of the year is always a little odd for me now.  I think part of it is Gabe's birthday.  I hate that his birthday is so wrapped up with Christmas.  I hate that people will combine gifts for him and they wouldn't for a kid who's birthday was, oh in any other month.  I hate that the kid thinks the whole week is about him.  I hate the cold and the snow.  I'm seriously dreaming of Vegas.  I hear it call to me every time I have to scrape a car, or freeze my fingers driving or walking.  Someday, someday we will go and we will love it.

For now I need to focus on school and finishing up this semester, then I can start looking at the next one, my final pre-requisite semester!  I am dreaming of the day that I finish school and can start working so that Mike can work less.  I dream of being a nurse and helping people and loving my job.  I never dreamed I'd say that either.  I didn't grow up wanting to be a nurse, it just happened.  Sometimes things happen for a reason.  I know now that it is what I'm meant to do and be. 

I am nearing a new year, a new me, skinnier me ;)  I'm already down 37lbs which is my HALF WAY MARK! I'm feeling better than ever and really enjoying working out (most days).  I have some new plans for weight training and some different things as soon as we're in the basement.  I also have somehow agreed to the Warrior Dash which is something I wouldn't have even considered before I started this journey.  Now I think it might be fun.  It will be something to give me a new training reason come spring too. 

I think I've rambled enough and I still have two papers to finish for microbiology so I better get cracking, oh yeah and I MUST install insulation in my basement today whether anyone helps me or not.