Plastic Surgery Consult

But not until February 1st. We have a newish Dr. here that has a great reputation so I am going to check it out before deciding to go to DFW, Brazil etc.

I have lost 81 pounds and while I am still losing some inches I am not confident I can get my last 16 pounds off without surgery. Plus my skin is AWFUL. Sigh. I just don't think my stomach will get better and my boobs look awful but I am nervous. So if all goes well $$$ wise, I hope to have surgery in April so I have time to recover before my kids are out of school for summer.

For those that did surgery - were you at goal? How was your recovery? I am looking at either breast implants or an augmentation and a tummy tuck.

Raina's 1st Day Of School

She was so excited but did flip when I left, curled in a ball and was screaming. Please pray she does well. My heart hurts.


Eating breakfast & watching Franklin



SO excited. We talked it up for days.



Let's Go Mom!



Reality Sets In

Salem's 1st Day of School

Here is my sweet girl. :) 1st grade


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Update On All Of Us

So it's been a while since I did a huge update so I thought I would. :)

Salem will be 7 in October and just started 1st yesterday. I'll post pics soon. She loves it. She loves being girly and wearing "heels" (flipflops with a wedge hill), bracelets and lip gloss. She's a total girly girl. She has a busy schedule but it's FAR better than last year. No PT, only 1 tutoring a week and no cheer. Mostly this starts in September.

Mondays - Nothing
Tuesday - Daisy Girl Scouts every other week starting September 15. Before school at 8 she'll have speech and go to school late and miss chapel.
Wednesday - Violin before church
Thursday - Tutoring
Friday - Riding

And nothing on multiple days. Last year she had speech and tutoring on Thursdays and occasionally Daisy's and cheer on the same day for 3 months. It was too much. She's in pep squad at school but it's nothing after school. She gets to help with pep rallies and will cheer during half time at home games. Its a fundraiser for the cheerleaders and mentoring for her. She's excited to wear her ACS cheerleader outfit to school on Fridays.

Raina starts preK at Headstart next week. We may do a tumble, jazz, tap class. I am still trying to decide.

Tuesday - Speech (Still will get 6 hours at school but this speech is joined by another child and we're working on her developing one on one social skills so it's important we keep it).
Thursday - OT before Salem's tutoring
Friday - Riding

They both love playing with baby dolls, dressing them up, sleeping with them etc. Raina loves babies but they are ALL naked. No matter how many clothes they have. She taught herself to swim this summer. I am SO not kidding. Her tantrums are better but it's just been me, her and Salem this summer for the most part so I really don't know what to expect next week. KWIM?

Salem we're trying to read every night for 20 minutes and do a journal where she writes down something she liked about that day. She's still learning to spell and read so this is good for her.

Salem weighed today - 37.4 - so she lost almost a pound. She's almost 39 inches. I bought 4T jeans and XS Target Shirts or 5T shirts and dresses. Raina - 2T jeans and 3T shirts and dresses. Salem wears a 10 to 10 1/2 shoe and Raina wears almost an 8. The only shoes she'll wear and leave is Crocs. I am SO not a fan of crocs (no offense) but this is one of her biggest sensory issues - so Crocs it is.

Salem is very dramatic and emotionally and her sassy mouth is almost too much. So I am going to start keeping vinegar in my car and at home and spray her mouth when it when she back talks. She has to earn 50 marbles to get an American Girl doll for her birthday. She lost 8 today. Sigh. I hope this doesn't backfire. I hoped it would be good incentive.

Raina is my love bug. She says - my mommy! I say - I am Salem's mommy too but I love you SO much. She says - no Amy is (Amy is Salem's mom LOL). Salem is SO into playing with her doll that sometimes she's really upset that she's sick even. :) We pray for her.

I am doing well. I've lost 80 pounds and have about 17 to go. I feel AWESOME. I look awesome and that feels great. My therapist moved to Lubbock and I am going to start going to see him hopefully next week twice a month. It's way more there. Sigh. So I have to budget for it different. I will have to totally chill on shopping and out to eat. It went from 16.50 at ACU to $45 at Tech plus I have the gas to get there.

I am still working out a lot. I am trying to decide about school. I still want to become a trainer cause I think it would be good for me and I want to help others but I can't really pursue that til I am at goal. I am thinking of going to college and getting a masters as a licensed marriage and family therapist. GULP. Still thinking that through. Maybe Social Work but I think I could do more and get paid more as a LMFT. I am staying busy with work, reading and trying to do a lot more bible study. I just finished my first study in 2 years and started a new one. I feel revived!

Brian is in the midst of flying lessons and gone EVERY Saturday to DFW area. That sucks for us but it's important to him. We can't go everytime cause we spend WAY too much $ that way. He's also still gone long hours. Monday he came home at 7, Tues/Wed after the girls were in bed and tonight is at Bible Study. So it sucks. But it's life and it's not forever.

Korie is about to be a junior at the end of this semester. She's doing great.

Larrah moved back in with us. Long story but it's ok. The goal is for her to stay until she gets her income tax and pays off her car then she can afford rent better. Her car just got vandalized and she has a $1000 deductible so before she can get it fixed ($1800) she has to come up with money. If she comes up with at least half we'll help her but haven't told her that yet.

So that's where we are.+

Note To Self - Don't Read Small Print Books

You know for the most part I don't feel 41 1/2. I am healthier and more active than I have been in my entire life. I have a huge amount of energy and get told I look SO much younger than I did before. I think my sister and I look about the same age and she's 5 years younger.

And I've always had 20/20 vision. ALWAYS. I used to read in the dimmest light - it never fazed me.

So here I sit today reading Donald Miller's "Searching For God Knows What". First let me say I am only in chapter 2 and am loving his shocking words. They aren't bad shocking - they are just shocking - trying to get Christians to think outside the box of Christianity and be more relational in their relationship with God.

Anyway - I am barely in chapter two and it's driving me INSANE because the print is so small. It's actually very hard to read.

I guess I really am over 40. Sigh.

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7 Months Post Weight Loss Surgery

WOW what a difference in these two pics eh? I am SO excited cause I got my results from my bloodwork today!!!

Trigyclerides - 121 - NORMAL!!! :)
Total Cholesterol - 175
HDL - 48
LDL - 111
A1C - 5.9

And my B12 was fine and my Vitamin D a tad low even with the supplement. My folate was a little high. Is that because I eat so much protein? I called for my results and she said she would have Dr. T call me when he's back in town.

I can't find my #'s from October. I have them somewhere. But my A1C was 6.4 which was decent for me but not great. But my cholesterol and trigyclerides were REALLY bad. So I am SO thankful!!!!!

We were on vacation when my surgiversary came around but I thought I'd post today. :) My highest weight was 267 and my surgery weight was 232.6. Today I weigh 153.4. :) I am about 18 pounds from goal. :) The last two months I've lost only 7 pounds but I think that's awesome and I am glad it's consistent. At this rate I hope to be at goal in October.

I typically work out a lot but the last three weeks has been hard since I hurt my back and then went on vacation. But this week my goal is to get back to 5-7 hours a week. Eventually I want to work out 8-10 hours a week.

I concentrate on protein first and watch my carbs. I get at least 70 g of protein a day but my goal is to get closer to 100 on a regular basis. I am still around 800-900 calories a day and very little hunger. I still get full REALLY fast with dense protein but I can eat 4-5 oz of cottage cheese.

I love my sleeve. The only problem I have in the continual skin issue under my apron but I know there is nothing I can do about that until I can have a tummy tuck. I am hoping for next summer. I am in a size 12 and if my stomach wasn't so bad I think I'd easily be in an 8 cause my legs and the seat of my pants don't fit in my 12's - only the waist. I am in a medium shirt. :) That feels AWESOME.