WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Does this count? :)

SACRAMENTO RIVERCATS - MILITARY APPRECIATION

What a great way to show your support and enjoy a great evening out with family & friends!!

I'm passing along information about..

Come Celebrate Military Appreciation Night with The Sacramento River Cats!

Thursday, May 20th! 7:05 P.M.

The River Cats pay tribute to our military with a Camouflage River Cats Hat giveaway (First 2,500 fans) and special in-game tributes.

The team will wear commemorative military uniforms. A team autographed camouflage jersey will be auctioned off at the end of the game.

Below is the link where you can purchase tickets at a discounted price...

Buy your tickets NOW don't wait till the last day .Tickets are subject to availability.

Please send this out to ALL so they can take advantage as well.

These tickets can be printed at home and they are waving all the fees that come along with purchasing tickets through Ticket master or their Box Office on the below link only.

You need the special offer code. "USA" when you click the link below to purchase tickets.

https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/go.htmI?l=EN&t=rivercats&o=1950683&g=7115

For those who have questions or buying 10 or more tickets contact Lysa Santizo, River Cats Ticket Sales Representative at 916-376-4822.

EASTER - BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

Nathyn got his package from my Mom today with lots of Easter goodies.



And yes, that's a 32oz bottle of hot sauce. My FAVORITE kind. They don't sell it here!

DIRTY BOY = HAPPY MOMMA

I know a lot of mom's out there are confused by my title. But it's SO true! I know when my son is filthy dirty after a long day that he had FUN! Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and warmed our skin, the breeze was gentle and refreshing. Had a BBQ at the battalion with friends and Nathyn romped around with his friend Anastasia. He played, he ran, he dug in the dirt, he kicked rocks, he picked flowers! He was a BOY, he had FUN, therefore, I am a HAPPY MOMMA!Cleaning the bathtub after the extra fun days is a chore, but SO worth it! Here's to a Spring and Summer full of dirty hands, ripped pants, skinned knees and tub rings!

$40 GIVE-AWAY & SUPPORTING BREAST CANCER!

ARMY BRATS AND ME: Woohoo I am 40! Lets Celebrate with a $40.00 Giveaway!!!!

Head on over and check it out! Help promote her mission to support women battling breast cancer, both emotionally and financially, and get a chance at winning $40!

Thank ya'll!

DIET DAY #1

Today was the official start of my diet (I played with it the last two days, so I don't want to count them) and I have to say, in all, I'm impressed. Today lacked a little flavor but I'm certain I can adjust. Be warned here and now though that I will complain about a few things. I followed my the diet given to me by my dietitian. Here's how my day went.
BREAKFAST -

• 2 oz grains - 1 CUP OATMEAL W/ CINNAMON
• 1 serving dairy - 8 OZ SKIM MILK
  
• 1 c. fresh fruit - 1 CUP SLICED BANANAS, STIRRED INTO OATMEAL
  
• 1 oz lean meat - 1 EGG, SCRAMBLED, USED A BIT OF MILK FROM MY 8 OZ

I like breakfast. The oats were a little bland so I may try sprinkling a little Splenda in them until I can find a better sugar substitute. The bananas helped a lot though. Drinking the milk was not my favorite, but I've never been a big milk drinker. I'll get used to it.

LUNCH -

• 2 oz grains - 2 SLICES WHOLE WHEAT/ HIGH FIBER BREAD
  
• 2 oz lean meat - 2 OZ LEAN TURKEY LUNCH MEAT
  
• 1 serving vegetables - 3/4 c. CARROTS, 1/2 c. SALAD (NO DRESSING)

1 serving of vegetables is 1 cup of fresh/cooked veggies or 2 cups of salad. I chose a little of each for variety and to trick myself into thinking I'm eating more than I really am. :) The salad was icky, tasted like dirt to me so I put it on my sandwich. I used no mayonnaise, just mustard and fresh ground pepper on my sandwich. I also learned today that carrots (raw) make me gag. Another thing I'll just have to get used to.

SNACK - (No PIC)

• Yoplait yogurt, 1 c. diced apple.

I diced the apple and mixed it in the yogurt. It was a nice treat.

DINNER -

• 2 oz grains - 1/2 c. COOKED RICE, 1/2 c. CORN
  
• 3 oz lean meat - CHICKEN W/ GARLIC & CRUSHED RED PEPPER, GRILLED W/ EVOO
  
• 2 servings vegetables - 1 c. BROCCOLI, 1 c. SALAD (NO DRESSING)
• 8 OZ SKIM MILK
  

Again, icky salad so this time I mixed it with the chicken. Gave myself a variety of grains with corn & rice, and a variety of veggies with broccoli & salad. Seasoned the rice with a bit of garlic & fresh ground pepper. I was very satisfied with this meal though. The milk was even refreshing. When I measure it out and know that I only have that much to drink, I make it last! Much better than 1 or 2- 16 oz glasses of Sweet Tea.

The drink I had with lunch was a suggestion from the nutritionist as well. I HEART SWEET TEA. I drink it everyday, A LOT! Obviously that's a ton of sugar and a bunch of calories! Her suggestion? Brew a gallon of tea but omit the sugar and stir in one container of Crystal Light to flavor. I went with lemonade this time, but I'm definitely going to have to try something different, maybe strawberry, next time. It's okay, but not the greatest.

I didn't stray from my diet one bit today. Total I consumed about 1200 calories. I SO wanted to eat the 2 bites of left over macaroni and cheese from my son's lunch, but I practiced some of that self control and I passed. That's something to be proud of.

I'm very optimistic about this, and can't wait until I start seeing the results (other than the gas, compliments of all the veggies I'd assume. Sorry, TMI).

Tschüß!

EXERCISE & DIET PLANS

I saw a nutritionist today. And a physical therapist, too, to make up diet and exercise plans. I was SO relieved to be the ONLY one in the class today. I got to ask about a million questions and all of their attention was on me. We worked me up a little plan for me to try for the next 4 weeks, then I may make an appointment to go back in for a follow-up and to make adjustments if needed. At first I was really embarrassed to be in there, I am not all excited for someone to be critiquing my weight, but I had said I want to be healthier, so I'm doing what it takes.

Anyways, here's my little sample menu. My biggest problem is that I don't eat often enough, and when I do eat, I eat way too much. Normally I skip breakfast, have a late lunch around 3pm, then a late dinner around 7-8pm with portion sizes much too large and not a balanced diet. So hopefully this new schedule will help with that. That's the idea anyways.

BREAKFAST -

• 2 oz grains (1 c. oatmeal, 2 c. cereal, 2 slices toast)
• 1 serving dairy (1 c. fat free milk or yogurt)
• 1 c. fresh fruit
• 1 oz lean meat (1 egg, 1 oz Canadian bacon, optional)

LUNCH -

• 2 oz grains (2 slices bread, 1 cup cooked starch)
• 2 oz lean meat (skinless poultry, fish) if not having with breakfast
• 1 serving vegetables (1 c. cooked or raw, 2 cups salad)

SNACK -

• Fat free light yogurt, 1/2 c. fresh fruit, 1 c. fresh veggies (baby carrots, red peppers, ect.), 1 serving whole grain cracker/starch (if not having 2 oz at breakfast or lunch)

DINNER -

• 2 oz grains (1 c. cooked whole grain starch or starchy veggies)
• 3 oz lean meat
• 2 servings vegetables (2 c. raw or cooked, 1-2 c. salad)

Daily Amounts:

• Fruits: 1.5 cups
• Vegetables: 2.5 cups
• Grains: 6 oz (At least 3 oz whole grain)
• Meat/Beans: 5 oz
• Milk: 3 cups
• Oils: 5 teaspoons

Discretionary Calorie Allowance: 195/day (snacks, desserts, ect).

My biggest challenges? Cutting the carbs (pastas & rice), drinking milk (icky!) and eating more fruit! I'd rather eat veggies ALL day! Other than that, it's seems pretty manageable. Pair that with 40 mins of exercise 4-5 days a week, and we should see some results. I'm sure there's tons of you out there that can manage MUCH more then this, but keep in mind that I'm just getting back into the whole exercise thing again. I'm ashamed to say, but being a stay at home mom has really got me more on the inactive side. My exercise consists of taking the dogs down to potty 4-5 times a day. I am on the fourth floor, but it's not nearly enough.

So here's to dieting and exercise.. and hopefully a healthier me!

FUN IN THE KITCHEN

Hubby and I had SO much fun during his "spring break"! We gots LOTS of cuddle time in, watched 3 movies, hung about 20 pictures on the wall, went shopping, paid bills, and my favorite, COOKED together!

We made a home-made cheesecake one day and it was SO good! We got the recipe from a friend here, but we left out some of the sugar, and I altered it just a touch, I always have to do something to make it "my own". The recipe is super simple too! Next time we make it I'll take pictures and share the recipe. :)

Apparently he didn't find the flour in his face as hilarious as I did! Don't worry, he's only joking.

See! I told you! :)

Another day we made the most delicious home-made beef stew! It's always been one of our favorites, and I've made it a few times before, but this time it was extra delicious! Maybe it was all the LOVE we added in!

Bubba dug right in, too! He loved it!

Nathyn has finally graduated to wearing "big boy" undies! He only wears pull-ups at night time and it's been like that for about 6 months now. But he just recently quit having accidents throughout the day about 3.5 months ago. I was nervous to let him wear undies though, because every time I put them on him during the potty training phase, he'd potty in them. So he hasn't worn any underwear this whole time, just pants. Daddy bought him 6 pair of Mickey Mouse (his favorite) undies from the PX. Bonus for us, they were on sale! Nathyn is so happy about it that he even wears a pair over his pull-up at bed time!

Well, Terry heads back to the field today. :( He'll be gone about 2.5 weeks this time. I'm really hoping the time goes fast, but I'm pretty sure I have enough to keep me busy, so I'm not too worried about it. But of course, we'll love and miss him like always!

I'VE OFFICIALLY BEEN DIAGNOSED

Ok, for my family and friends, I'm gonna link LOTS of stuff so you can read about each thing if you want to. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I finally had my results appointment yesterday after all the blood work and ultrasound that I had done. The doctor officially diagnosed me with PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The criteria for PCOS are as follows;

1) oligomenorrhoea
2) any form of hyperandrogenemia, either clinical, being hirsutism, acne or endocrine which means the hormonal diagnosis of high androgen levels, [don't have this one] and
3) the ultrasound picture of polycystic ovaries.

"Those three are the major criteria but it’s important to realize that in order to make the diagnosis it doesn’t need to fulfill all three criteria but only two out of three. That makes it into a heterogeneous, so if you have polycystic ovaries and hyperandrogenemia you don’t need to have cycle abnormalities for the diagnosis. Or if you have cycle abnormalities and polycystic ovaries you don’t need hyperandrogenemia for the diagnosis."


I was put on Metformin to help regulate my insulin resistance (side effect of PCOS). I'm currently taking on 500mg tablet each evening, and will switch to 2-500mg tablets, one every 12 hours, on April 22nd.

I also got a referral to see an OB/GYN. Reason for Referral:

"Patient is a 23 yo G1P1 with borderline oligomennorhea [rulled out after bloodwork] and possible infertility [confirmed after blood work and ultrasound]. Patien with essentailly normal laboratory workup for infertility [all my hormone levels are normal] but with concerns for insulin resistance with possiblility of PCOS [both now confirmed with further lab work and ultrasound]. Consult place to OB/GYN for further evaluation and treatment as need for fertility with consideration for hysterosalpingogram post ultrasound. Consider Clomid. Thank you."

However, the American Hospital in Landstuhl is not currently taking civilian patients and are only seeing active duty members so I had to see our patient liaison for help in scheduling an appointment. "PT IS REFERRED TO DR VON DER OSTEN/DR MUELLER FOR EVALUATION AND CARE. INITIAL APPOINTMENT IS MON, 17 MAY 10 AT 1140 HRS." It's a German doctor, but is English speaking. I am hoping to have a lady from the liaison office accompany me to the appointment for assistance.

The downside to seeing a German doctor instead of American? The German doctors don't perform the hysterosalpingogram that my doctor is requesting. Instead, they perform a laproscopic surgery to inject dye into my uterus and watch how it distributes through my fallopian tubes to determine whether or not my tubes need to be widened to allow eggs to pass. Right now we aren't sure if this procedure is necessary. They may find that we don't need this test, and can start on Clomid sooner, rather than later.

I also received a consult to see a nutritionist. "Approximately 50 – 60% of women with PCOS are obese. However many women with PCOS experience difficulty losing weight, possibly due to high insulin levels promoting fat storage. Since high levels of insulin can cause a multitude of problems for women with PCOS, a better diet would be a low glycemic index diet." The appointment with the nutritionist will help teach me the difference between regular weight loss dieting, and dieting for individuals with PCOS and insulin resistance. I'll be scheduling that appointment on Monday.

So now I just wait for my OB/GYN appointment and continue taking the Metformin for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks I will go again to have my insulin resistance tested, and have the medication does adjusted from there.

Thanks to everyone for supporting us, sending us good wishes and checking in to see how things are going. Terry and I really appreciate all the love and support we will get. I'll be sure to update again when we have another appointment.

MY STUFF IS HERE! TERRY INCLUDED!

Our household goods finally got here, and I can't wait to sleep in MY bed tonight! This government bed is NOT my favorite!
And Terry got in at about 2:30 this morning. I didn't tell Nathyn he was coming, so when he woke up this morning, he had a wonderful surprise!
I'm so glad to get a few days with my hubby. On Sunday he's back to the field for a few more weeks.

JUST LIKE MOMMY

Apparently Nathyn is allergic to the stickiness on the band-aids we bought here. I normally have a reaction to it too, but he never had until now. See the mark on his chest... Maybe it's just the brand?Just added band-aids to my shopping list! Guess we'll try again!

And yes, he has a Crystal Light mustache. THIS is why I don't buy red drinks.

GIVE MY COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF!

And this time the the chef was... NATHYN! My little man asked me ever so nicely if he could "took" dinner last night and I couldn't say no. I LOVE cooking and I love trying new recipes. Rumor has it I make some pretty decent stuff, too! =] It's starting to seem like Nathyn feels the same!

Nathyn wanted no part of the beef stew I had planned on making, he had ideas all his own! I told him he could make what ever he wanted to. And he did!

• First he chose chicken nuggets. We found these dolphin and whale shaped ones at the Commissary after Daddy left to the field and decided that without him around, we could enjoy some breaded, processed chicken product! He argued the fact that he was making WAY to many. His response? "Just put it in a bag and I can eat it for breakfast!" I obliged.

• Next he hit the pantry to "whats next". He pulled out macaroni noodles, a can of onion and green pepper diced tomatoes, and alfredo sauce. From the fridge he chose shredded cheese and insisted I bring out garlic powder and chili powder from the seasoning cabinet.

It was not the tastiest in the world, but he was SO proud of himself I had to eat it. Maybe if we have enough of these cooking lessons he'll be ready to feed an army when he's older!
P.S. Why is my son's hair turning a reddish color? Weird...

LOVELY LADIES & LONG LASHES

**FIRST, let me start by wishing a VERY Happy Birthday to Aunt Shauna from Terry, Nathyn & I! Hope you have a WONDERFUL day full of smiles and LOVE!**

Things have been mighty boring around here lately. Haven't done much but clean, go to a few doctor's appointments, and play with our new friend Breana. I currently have her 5 days a week, and she's SUCH a pleasure to have around! Unfortunately she'll be going to pre-school very soon, so Nathyn and I are hoping to get another friend to play with us after she leaves.
The past two weeks have been full of doctor's appointments, and I'm SO glad to have a break! I'm doing some follow-ups from the surgery I had last September and want to be sure that every thing is looking good. I'm also getting all my labs up to date and current so that I'm established in the military's system. We're hoping to see what the cause of our infertility is as well, so wish us luck!

And ladies, would you KILL for these lashes or what? Nathyn has grown quite fond of the "hair" on his eyes lately, and has asked me several times to take some pictures of it. He is such a silly kid! Here's the lashes!

He was actually sleeping in this one. He looked so beautiful, I had to snap a picture!

And lastly, Terry will be home in 4 days for Spring Break! He stays for 4 days, then back to the field for two weeks. We can't wait to see him again!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

P.S. I miss my husband.. a lot.