Moving Right Along

So it seems Facebook won the battle of how to keep everyone updated over the last year but I don't think I get to share enough of my thoughts there sometimes. I rarely have time to sit down and actually concentrate on what I am thinking, much less share it with everyone so I figured I better take advantage while I can!

In the last year, I started my new job as a 911 operator at the same agency my husband works for. It was so interesting to see what his job is like at first but since he was deployed to Afghanistan, I got to focus on my training - and that soon got VERY intense. I adjusted to working full time and being a single Mother as best as I knew how but I was definitely very stressed out! I had some generalized joint pain but blew it off on carrying around a 20 pound child all the time and doing all the housework. Jonathan came home for Christmas and boy were we excited to have him here!!! Caitlyn thought it would be fun to be sick and get pneumonia while he was here and then even more fun to have an allergic reaction to Amoxicillin (Jon and I are both allergic, too)! We still managed to have a good two weeks and off he went back halfway across the world.

Jon came home in March, Caitlyn turned two in August and had a vast explosion of vocabulary (finally!) and then I managed to COMPLETE MY TRAINING!!! I am officially a Communications Officer II, which means I got promoted! I would be lying if I didn't tell you that training was horrible and numerous times I wanted to quit. I got so close to just leaving and never going back but with the support of my family, I worked through it all and made it. Backtrack to February of this year and I went to the Dr. about all that pain I was having. I got referred to a Rheumatologist. She eventually diagnosed me with "Sero-Negative Inflammatory Poly-Arthritis" or "SNIP" for short. This just means that I have an inflammatory type of arthritis that affects multiple joints but the exact type cannot be identified through blood tests. My treatment is fairly trial and error and I think we are still working on it.

Jon came home and took some time off to do things around the house and just enjoy some freedom. He started back with the police (very excitedly, I must say) in May and has been happily going to work each day since. Keep in mind: Happy to go to work is completely different from happy to wake up for work. We work the same shift right now so things are really great but we know we're in store for some big changes next year and we don't like it at all! (Mandatory shift change for me)

Caitlyn is just amazing. She frustrated us some with refusing to speak and she continues to be difficult with food but she wouldn't be two if she didn't have a mind of her own and make things difficult for us! I am so proud of her every time she uses her words like a big girl and I just feel like I'm going to burst with joy each time I go to pick her up after work and I see her light up with "Oh, Hi, Mama!!". Her little eyes sparkle and her sweet little smile melts my heart. She is an all around good girl and so kind hearted. She looks for things she can do to get praise and gives the sweetest of night night kisses!!! She is physically spot on with everyone else her age and we took her to a Little Gym free trial class that she LOVED so we'll be taking her back! There is so much going on with her cognitively and I think she is about where she should be with that for her age, too, considering she is currently an only child and isn't in day care. And her size? At last check, 38 inches and 34 pounds. 99th percentile for height and weight still!

On to our most recent event: We moved! We took the plunge of being landlords and bought a brand new (well, built in 2007 but never occupied new) house in Dacula. It is still a little dirty and the blinds won't be in until at least Friday now but it is so spacious and more than what we thought we were going to get when we started out on this adventure. It is certainly a house we can grow into and that is such a comforting feeling! I am still a bit overwhelmed with the task of getting the other house rented out and the new house clean and unpacked but little by little we are making progress each day and continue to feel blessed!

The future: Right now, the plans are simply to get the old house rented, the new house looking like our home and then maybe we'll feel like we are ready to complete our family plans...

I was going to post some pictures with this blog but there is a lovely message saying that photo uploads will be disabled for two hours so I guess not this time. You can always see them on Facebook, though!!!

Highlights

So much has happened in the last few weeks that it seems as though it's been at least a few months! I'll try to hit the highlights...

I found out that I OFFICIALLY graduated with my Bachelors degree from UGA's Terry College of Business!!!

Jonathan came home and we had a blast! There wasn't enough time to do everything we wanted but we are thankful and blessed to have had the time that we did. Caitlyn is still enamoured with Jonathan and it is so sweet to watch them together. It just breaks my heart to think of how much they will miss out on in their relationship right now. However, I know that he will be home in less than a year and they will find each other again and probably have an even stronger bond! Jonathan and I went away for the weekend to Big Canoe while he was here. It was amazingly peaceful and beautiful and we had such a wonderful time relaxing!

Jonathan is back in Indiana and still has not left for Afghanistan. We feel like we're in perpetual deployment mode right now and it's so disheartening. While I'm glad that he is not yet in harm's way, we would both just like to get this over with so he can hurry up and come back home to us!

I got a job!!! I am officially Communications Officer I, Gennifer Bradford! YESSSS!!!!

Caitlyn is doing great. She's growing like crazy still and snuck out two teeth in the last week, the top left and bottom right. I can feel the bumps of the other two teeth so I am sure it will be no time before they make their appearance. We finally got our TriCare mess straightened out and took her to the Pediatric Surgeon. The Dr. seemed to feel there was nothing to worry about but gave me the option of doing an ultrasound. I decided to go ahead and take a look for multiple reasons 1) For my own peace of mind. Utrasounds are fairly non-invasive. 2) Let TriCare pay for it while we're still on it! We don't have a co-pay right now!!! and 3) The person doing the scheduling was right there in front of me. That was another issue we previously had.

Aside from Jonathan being separated from us, life is going really great. I miss him SO much! I know Caitlyn misses him, too. So, in the meantime, we'll just be trying to stay busy and hold down the fort.

Go to Sleep!

Well, it's only 28 hours until Jon's expected to arrive home!!! That means it's 4am! And I still haven't gone to bed. I have A LOT of cleaning left to do and I wanted to run an errand or two while Caitlyn was with her grandmother. There's just something about being able to hop out of the car kid-free that makes me want to take advantage of it every chance I get, especially when I only need one or two items. The effort of loading her up, unloading her, purchasing my one item and then loading her back in the car and unloading her at home just seems entirely too tedious for one little thing. I often question how much I truly NEED this thing. I guess that's saved me quite a bit of money, though! I just can't seem to get my brain to shut off tonight. It's not even thinking about everything I have left to do, either. The house isn't bad to clean when Caitlyn's not here. I'm about a third of the way done and the big things I have left to clean are the bathrooms. I got a head start on the master bath so all in all, I don't think it will be too bad tomorrow! I would LOVE to get the junk room sorted out or at least start on it. It's going to be a big project. I just can't seem to get my act together when it comes to filing and shredding papers! Also, we're selling most of the large furniture in there and I'm wanting to remove the dresser from the closet and purchase at least one more shelf to go in there. I think organization is much easier to do on shelves so I'm pricing the chest in there to sell. I just need about $12 for it to get a shelf! I can't stand living in all this junk anymore. It wasn't this bad before Caitlyn was born but when you have a baby, the walls start closing in if you don't start purging items from your life. Now, if I could just purge all of these thoughts from my brain, I could function later on today!!!

Diapers, Diapers, Diapers!!!

Last night I gave Caitlyn a bath and let her play a little before we did the night time bottle. I purchased a bunch of Huggies diapers super cheap so those are our daytime diapers and that's what I put her in post-bath, with the intentions of changing her before bed. I completely forgot to change her!!! So, early this morning, guess what I was doing? Changing bed sheets! We've had this problem with the Huggies during the day, too. We tried Huggies when Caitlyn was first born and this was our issue so we switched to Pampers. I thought since Caitlyn was bigger that maybe things would have fit differently, especially since I went with the Baby Dry instead of the Gentle Care. The other issue I have noticed is that if I keep Caitlyn in Huggies all day and switch her to Pampers at night, she gets a diaper rash during the day! The following day, I smother her in Butt Paste and use all Pampers and it clears up pretty quickly. Ultimately, once these Huggies are gone, I'm not buying anymore unless they are practically free!

Last month I had to purchase the Parent's Choice (Wal Mart brand) diapers and I still have half a pack of those left. They didn't have any other brand in her size! Talk about complete and total crap! Sure, they are cheaper but I ended up using twice as many diapers in a day to keep her dry. That somewhat defeated the purpose!

The big winner for diapers in my book is Luvs! While the initial impression of them was that they were cheap, they are diaper champs! They are distributed by P&G just as Pampers are. I feel like they are an excellent solution for a daytime diaper and I have always had confidence in Caitlyn taking long naps in them! The only issue I have right now is finding a store that carries Luvs in her size! In the meantime, I'll be hitting up Diapers.com!

Merge and Update

I decided that it no longer makes sense for me to have a separate blog for pictures and my thoughts. It worked when I was blogging a lot more but now I feel like I need things to be more simple. So, I have combined "Serendipity" and "A Picture a Day" here!

I know I haven't posted for awhile. Yep, I'm one of "those" people who starts out strong and then fizzles out when I get busy. So, a few updates since the last time I wrote:

~ Jonathan is coming home for a week before he deploys. We are very excited for him to be here and have more than 4 days to spend with us, as we originally were told. We are also sad because this makes the deployment more real. After all of this time of knowing it was coming, the time is finally here.

~ I have been working on getting a job with the Gwinnett County 911 Center and I'm almost done with the whole process!

~ I finished all of my assignments for my online course. As long as I passed the final exam, I will have my Bachelor's Degree!!!

~ Caitlyn has been a busy little bee! At her 9 month check up she was 30 inches tall and 24 pounds!!! She's still in the 98-99th percentiles for height and weight. She now has four teeth and is eating mostly big girl foods. Her favorites include cheese and bananas. My big girl started crawling Easter weekend and can now pull up on objects and get herself back down without a problem. She often stands in front of a chair or the couch, playing with a toy and will forget to hold onto it for a full minute at a time. It's only a matter of time before she takes those brave first steps! She's also started pointing at everything. She's really into using that pointer finger for just about everything and it's even cuter when she says "Oh!" while she's pointing. She's incredibly talkative and it seems as though she always has something to say, even if I don't understand it all just yet! Caitlyn has started drinking lots of water now, too! I'm proud of my big girl, even if it makes me a little sad that she's not really a baby anymore.

~ I'm 25 today and while I know it's a young age, I sometimes feel very old! I suppose it's more maturity than actual age but it seems like Jonathan and I have been through so much in the last 5 years. So much has changed - almost all of it for the better. We have grown up in our marriage, especially Jon! I look around me and see all of these blessings and I am so thankful. I'm even thankful for my cats! They are all very loving in their own ways and between them and Caitlyn, I'm never lonely! I miss Jon terribly but I know that we will be together again. We are strong and I know that we will make it through this.

Here are a few pictures from the past few months to get you all caught up!

Goodbye (Finally)

After jumping back and forth about when Jonathan was really leaving for Indianna, we have finally said our true goodbye.  It was more difficult this time for some reason.  There were actually some tears and it was really hard to drive away.  It seems like such a long drive to Macon but it was even longer in the silence (once Caitlyn fell asleep, anyway).  I keep telling myself that this deployment will be over before we know it but it is only just begining!  I miss him so much already.  The first deployment was so much different for us.  We hadn't yet bonded like we have now.  We had yet to even live together for more than two weeks before he came home in 2006.  We've now had almost 3 years of bonding, ups and downs, and time to realize just how much we love one another.  Though much of the time was broken up by Jonathan being sent away for MOS schools and training, we still grew stronger as the months went by.  Each goodbye got easier though, nothing was easy while I was pregnant.  We hit a really rough patch but came through it stronger than ever and we've only been growing closer ever since.  I feel so connected to Jonathan and part of me is afraid that our time apart will cause us to lose this connection.  I know that we can always get it back if we do but I also know that I am going to try with all my might to keep it together.  

The one thing that has brought us together more than anything else is Caitlyn.  I see how Jonathan is with her and I cannot help but be amazed and fall even more in love with him.  Even as he was saying goodbye, he lovingly covered her with a blanket and gave her a toy and a kiss.  He is so sweet with her that sometimes it honestly make me cry.  I know how important my relationship with my Daddy was to me and it makes me so happy to know that Caitlyn is going to have the same from Jon.  She's already melted his heart in the few short months she has been with us so I cannot imagine what a sucker she's going to turn him into when he comes home!  While a part of me is sad for Jonathan to be gone and ready for this deployment to just be over, I am also looking forward to watching Caitlyn grow and change and to see what kind of child she grows to be while he is gone.  I cannot wait for Jonathan to come home to her and see what an amazing kid she is and re-connect with her.  Well, here we are.  Officially on Deployment: Day 1.

Weight Loss Tips

Friday.  Weigh in Day.  What numbers will we see?!

 

I found this on the myfitnessplan website.  A member who has lost 66 pounds posted it and I thought it was incredibly brilliant!

 

Kerri's top 10 reasons why you're not losing weight

"Ok, I'm not a doctor, I'm not even a nurse, all of these are from personal experience and observation. I have read a shocking amount of "I'm so frustrated, I've been here a week [or 3 days, or 2 weeks] and I haven't lost anything!" So I thought instead of replying to all those separate threads I decided to make my own. All you veterans, feel free to add to my list: 

1. The number one reason you haven't lost weight is because you haven't given yourself TIME to lose weight. 3 days? (yes people have actually posted this) It is unlikely that you will see any noticeable changes in just 3 days and even if you do- yep, WATER weight. Be patient. If you are doing everything right (and nothing below applies to you) give it a month. Still nothing? Go see your doctor. 

2. You're eating too much. No, I don't mean you should start striving for numbers BELOW 1200 cals a day. What I really mean is you're not being accurate in what you do eat. "A handful" of grapes does not always equal 1 cup. You should make an effort to weigh and/or measure everything you eat including fruits and vegetables and beverages. Calories add up. 

3. You're not exercising. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise, but you are doing your body a major favor by doing it anyway. Increased muscle mass will speed up the rate at which your body burns calories so... more muscle= more fat loss. 

4. You're not eating enough. It seems to make sense right- eat very little, lose weight. But it's not. The less you eat, the more difficult it becomes for your body to function properly. This causes what is sometimes called "starvation mode"- but here I'll call it a slowing of the metabolism. Basically your body slows all it's functions to a crawl in order to conserve energy. It really fights to hold onto the fat reserves it's got because, in essence, it is starving. If you eat to little over a long period of time you will develop serious health problems, if you continue the behavior anyway you will, simply put, starve to death. Not eating enough can seriously slow weight loss but what's even worse is what it does to your health so please, eat! 

5. You can't put down the salt shaker. Sodium causes water retention, which causes the scale to read higher than what you actually weigh (that's called water weight) eating foods high in sodium is the culprit, and it doesn't HAVE to be salt that you've added. Most foods have sodium in them already, especially pre-packaged foods and sauces so be sure to monitor your sodium. You should be getting no more than 2500 mg in a day. 

6. You're weighing in at the wrong time. For this one I have 2 valid points- the first is- if you are a woman NEVER under ANY circumstances should you weigh during your time of the month. Most women pack on weight then due to water retention. It's just unfair to weigh yourself then. The second point is- don't weigh yourself after a hearty dinner- your tummy is full of food, and fluids from your day. Weigh instead in the morning after you've used the washroom. It's more accurate and please- once a week only. 

7. You're eating the wrong foods. There are a lot of people that seem to have trouble losing weight with Carbs. I am luckily not one of them, but if you are you may look into (and I mean seriously look into, not just "oh ya, I'm gonna stop eating all carbs now") a low-carb lifestyle. There are many users here who can offer you advice on this but please also speak to your doctor about it first. 

8. You don't have much to lose. When you only have say 10-15 lbs to lose, it is going to be a very slow process. You're fooling yourself if you think someone of that size can lose 2 lbs a week, or even 1 lb a week in some cases. Make reasonable goals of .5-1 lb a week and you'll have more success. I've said it before and I stand by it- be prepared for it to take a year to reach your goals. It is not unheard of for people to lose just 1 lb a month when they have very little to lose- but progress is still progress. 

9. You're weighing inaccurately. Are you weighing with clothes on? Are you using different scales? Is your scale on a hard, flat surface? You should make an effort to weigh either nude or, if you're in a public place, in the same or similar clothes every time you weigh-in. Use the same scale every time as each will weigh you differently and make sure the scale is flat. Some scales read differently if you so much as bend over, so stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Make certain your scale is accurate, try weighing a 10lb barbell and adjust it so the scale reads exactly 10lbs. 

10. And finally, the one everyone loves to turn to- muscle mass. Muscle takes up less room that fat, so if you're gaining muscle the scale may show increases or no change in your weight even if you are losing fat. BUT don't fool yourself, you're not putting on 3 lbs of muscle in a week. If it's been a serious plateau however, and not just a week or two, pull out your handy tape-measurer and see if there are any changes where it really counts. 

That is all, thanks for reading "

 

A link to the full post here:  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/48463-kerri-s-top-10-reasons-why-you-re-not-losing-weight

 

I read a few of the responses but my attention span is really short and I decided to just add onto this a few things. 

 

1)  In regards to food and exercise, be sure you're being honest with yourself!  Did you REALLY work out hard enough to count all those calories burned?  And if so, did you reward yourself with a nice, big cupcake or with something that would help give you more fuel for your body?  I am guilty of the cupcake on a few occasions.  Recently, I went for a walk pre-dinner so I could afford to eat at a pizza place with my husband.  There's nothing wrong with doing it from time to time, just make sure it's not your habit.

 

2)  With number seven, I think it should also be mentioned that your diet should have a variety.  Lots of protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains.  If you're eating 1000 calories a day in simple carbohydrates, you aren't doing yourself any favors!

 

3)  If you're under any type of stress at all, including illness, give your body a break!  It's speaking to you and it's saying "leave me alone".

 

4)  DRINK YOUR WATER!!!  I notice that water has so many benefits with weight loss and my number one motivation is that the weeks when I drown myself in water, I lose the most weight!  If you aren't used to drinking it, start small.  Give yourself a goal of 2 glasses a day and work your way up.  If you have been eating a lot of sodium, the best way to counter-act the water retention is to flush it out with water.

 

5)  Remember that there are some things out of your control that can cause you to maintain or gain weight.  Medications, illnesses, genetic conditions, etc.  Again, be HONEST with yourself about what you've really tried and never, ever be afraid to talk with your doctor.  They might be able to help switch your medications or put you on a new one that is more weight-friendly!