Inches Lost

Three years ago, July 5th, 2012 I blogged about going beyond my weight loss goal. I had lost ALL the baby weight after 3 kids. And then in 2013 I bought the wool shop, I started working full time out of the house, exercise time disappeared and so did my clean eating habits. There’s a wonderful bakery across the hall from my shop, and I was eating from there at lunch and having snacks from there, out of convenience. Slowly, but surely, the weight started to come back on, and I didn’t even realize how quickly that could happen.

In December 2014, I saw this picture of me (left), at my sister’s 30th birthday party. I was so round. And I only realized after seeing the picture. It was time to do something about it – I couldn’t let myself continue like that. I’ve had a love hate relationship with food all my life. The right hand picture is me, this morning, 12 weeks into training 5-6 times per week. (I mainly go 6 days a week, only 2 weeks I couldn’t go 6x, once because I was out of town for the weekend and once the week I started because I started on a Tuesday and couldn’t go more than 5x that week). The trainers at 30 Minute Hit are amazing and push me to my full potential. Some days are harder than others but I push through, and I keep thinking about the bikini that I want to wear on future vacations. I haven’t worn a bikini in years, and I plan to this summer, hopefully! Since starting in January 2015, I’ve lost as of last Friday, 43.75” off my body. I have a bit more to go, but I can see the finish line now. And thanks to the help of my new FitBit toy, I’m hoping to stay on track!

Week 2 vs. Week 12.

Fitbit Charge

I got a FitBit Charge today with a gift card from Christmas. I didn’t know what I wanted to spend it on, and I finally decided that I want a FitBit. Originally I was thinking about getting the FitBit HR but I couldn’t find it anywhere locally, and I didn’t want to wait for it. The only difference between the Charge and the HR is for a few bucks more (30$ more) it tracks your heart rate. I don’t really think I need that, so I went with the Charge model in the end. I work out doing kickboxing 6 days a week (Mondays through Saturdays) and I thought it would be fun to see how many calories I’m burning and how many steps I take in a day, etc. What I love about the FitBit Charge is that it has caller ID, so I can see who is calling me, while I’m working out. I started kickboxing on January 13th, and I absolutely love it. I’ve been going 5-6 days a week (usually going 6 days as long as I’ve been in town to do so), since starting. I’m addicted. It’s been 10 full weeks now and I’ve lost 15 lbs and 40” off my body from my starting measurements. Muscle weighs more than fat, so I’m seeing more the inches lost than pounds lost. I feel fantastic!

Are any of you on FitBit? If so, find me using my email address and add me as a friend! My email address is in my blogger profile.

Another ER Visit

Quentin and I had a bit of a long week this past week. Here’s what went down. Monday a.m. I took Quentin with a swollen ear to our new paediatrician's office and a doctor (not our new one but one of the owners or co-owners of our clinic) told me that it was just a bug bite and told me it will go away on its own (that there was nothing to do for it) and sent us on our way. She told me I could give him Benadryl but it is drowsy, so maybe wait to see if he needs it to help him sleep at bedtime. After the appointment, I dropped him off at daycare. When I picked him up later that afternoon, his ear was mildly oozing clear liquid and looked even bigger (swollen). I took all the kids home, made dinner and after eating, Jamie took Sean and Mack to Sean's baseball game and I packed Quentin up and brought him to the Montreal Children's Hospital.

One of his ears (his right ear) by evening was swollen double (maybe even triple!) it’s normal size. I have never seen anything like this before.

At first they were going to have ENT (ears nose throat) look at it, give us antibiotics and send us on our way. But ENT didn't like the look of it and wanted to observe him overnight and see how it looked in the morning (Tuesday morning). So they admitted Quentin and gave us a crib for him on the 6th floor in the short stay unit. He got doses of IV antibiotic every 6 hrs. We saw ENT at lunch Tues and they wanted him on IV antibiotics for 48 hrs total. That meant another night’s stay at the children’s.

ENT came up at 7 am Wednesday to see him again and because he slept on his ear they want to see how it looked by 3 pm. I was pissed at this resident. Quentin was still asleep when he came to the crib during rounds. On top of it he was switched Tuesday night to oral antibiotics because his IV started to bubble so they had to take it out at his 9 pm dose. They tried to get it back in but after 6 or 7 attempts and him screaming bloody murder even with extra hands holding him down, they couldn't get it back in and after fighting with ENT to let him switch to oral antibiotics instead of through IV and because Quentin fell asleep at this point (it was almost 11 pm Tuesday night) ENT gave in and I fed him his meds by mouth while he was pretty much asleep. So because he was asleep on it the resident that came up they didn't think the oral meds were working which is why he said 3 pm, but an hour after he woke up his ear was better than the day before and I convinced the paediatric team to let us go home with a script for oral antibiotics and not have to wait for ENTs rounds later that day in the afternoon.

They think it is a bacterial infection in the cartilage of his ear, which needed to be treated or it's damaging to the ear. They said its rare but treatable. I also think they have never seen this before, not those doctors anyhow. They don't know why his ear became this way. It could have been either a bug bite that was a open or it possibly could have been a cut on his ear and he could have caught the infection one of those 2 ways. It's really unknown and we will never know. He is on antibiotics now, and is almost done them completely and his ear is completely back to normal pretty much. We have a follow up this week with ENT and we have an appointment with our paediatrician in his office next week. Our new paediatrician is so awesome that when he heard that Quentin was in the short stay unit, while he was on rounds on another floor, he took the time to come see us. That to me, is an awesome doctor.

Quentin and I discovered parts of the hospital that we had never seen before. On the 8th floor there is an outdoor indoor terrace. Basically it’s an indoor terrace with air that comes in, for patients to get the sense that they are outdoors. It’s really quite nice, and I wish I had discovered this one day earlier, when Quentin was restless. They had a slide, some cars, and some jungle gym type equipment for the little ones. 3 days in the hospital is long! (And as you can see in the right hand picture of Quentin & I, his ear went back to normal size once the antibiotics kicked in).

On Wednesday morning, Quentin got to do pet therapy for 30 minutes. He got to meet a dog named Gaia and Gaia even gave Quentin a pet dog to take home (above in the right picture). Quentin’s been walking his new dog everywhere, since it came with it’s very own leash. You press it’s back and it actually walks! Not only did Quentin get a pet dog to bring home, he got a book off a cart as well. A lady who volunteers at the hospital was going around with a cart full of brand new scholastic books. Quentin picked out a train book as his latest obsession is Choo Choo Trains.

By Wednesday Quentin was restless and just wanted to be home where he could run around freely. I knew how he was feeling – I wanted to be back in my own space too.

Rain, Rain, Go Away…

Quentin has taken to his dalmatian blanket. I don't even know the real name for these things, but Sean has his Nunu and Mack has his bunny. (Aka a blanket with a head in the middle of it) Q's been sleeping (cuddling, see left photo) his. I got a new sling while I was pregnant with Quentin, and I'm finally using it. It's different than the other slings I'm used to - it'll take some getting used to, but I like it. And Quentin loves it too.

Quentin's mastered flipping himself from stomach to back and back to stomach. He is a stomach sleeper (due to his Laryngomalacia) and in the morning he has been flipping himself to his back to play in his crib until I come in and get him. He's been doing it all and today I finally caught him flipping from stomach to back... (not on video though).

Quentin brought his older brothers some chocolate last week and they really enjoyed eating it.

We spent the weekend hanging out, while fighting some colds and upset stomachs. The upset stomachs seem to have recovered, and we're still battling some colds. Hopefully the runny noses will stop soon. We've also been hiding out from the rain... They're calling for more rain too, sigh.

Today's Link Love:
- Love this necklace.
- Love this crochet necklace tutorial.
- Mack turned 151 weeks old on Thursday, May 12th, 2011. I can't believe he'll be 3 years old in a month & a day. Since it's the 16th today, my "big" birthday is in exactly 4 weeks, and I'm starting to really freak out now.
- Love this room!
- This table is awesome!
- I wonder if this workout actually works?
- Love this mail organizer idea.
- Love the way these books are displayed.
- Chalkboards are great!
- I keep looking at Baby D's photos. I can't help but want a baby girl.

The week of Passover 2011

On Tuesday April 19th, Quentin turned 20 weeks old.
On Tuesday April 19th, Sean turned 224 weeks old.
On Thursday April 21st, Mack turned 148 weeks old.

This week we went on the 2nd night of Passover to my parents house for dinner. Quentin got dressed up all snazzy in a cute onesie with a collar which he wore under his jean overalls (my fave pants for him right now, he's almost outgrown them too - they're 0-3 months size). At Passover at my parents, we got to sit at the kids table with Jenn & her entourage. The cousins had a great time together.

The boys are so cute together. They love each other and are so good with each other.

Some babies suck their thumbs, Quentin discovered his index finger.

I did some knitting this week too.
Stuff was pushed aside so I could sit back, relax & knit.

SPECS:

Pattern: Pea Pod by Dulce Knits (My Ravelry Link)
For: Photography Prop
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash in Green Apple

Needle: US 13 - 9.0 mm
Size: Preemie
Timeline: April 20, 2011 (A couple of hours).
Modifications & Notes: Held yarn quadruple stranded. Total weight of the finished POD is 138 grams. I used 34.5 g of each 100g skein. It’s rather small. I plan to re-knit it, adding to it. I’ll have to figure it out on my own, because the pattern only has one size. A really tiny newborn will probably fit into the pod, but I am not sure an average sized newborn will. I have never held yarn quadruple stranded before. There is a first for everything. I needed to get 2 stitches per inch and I swatched double stranded and then triple stranded but only got gauge on quadruple stranded with US13 needles. I like the thickness that the Cascade 220 gives held together. I wanted to use this particular color hence why I used as much as I needed to get gauge. It’s a stunning color. Now I just need a newborn to photograph in it…!

Quentin is such a joy to hang out with every day. He's got a great personality and he's always got smiles to share. This week Quentin got to try out the exercauser, but he still needs to gain a little bit of weight before he could really enjoy it. He's still a little too tiny.

This morning I took Quentin to the CLSC to weigh in. He's fully on the regular (non-high calorie) formula and I wanted to make sure that he was still on track with his weight gain. Quentin is now 12 and a half lbs (12 lbs 8.5 oz). And I'm officially down 25 lbs. So I've officially lost 2 Quentins! I feel great.

Today's Link Love:
- Stuff in our greenhouse are growing! Sean got super excited when he saw the plants.
- Kiki & Coco in Paris.
- This paper record player is quite neat.
- This photobooth video is quite impressive.
- This afghan pattern is quite pretty.
- I ♥ this bokeh filter tutorial.
- Love this Rendition of Cecilia.
- Love this Travel Toy Tutorial.
- 10 free Pampers Gifts to Grow points: JRYHAFFCR6WDPHY (expires 4/25/11)
- Huggies Enjoy the Ride Reward Points: 25 free points! BKWHDMMLPCXCPGB.
- LOVE this crochet hat. Anyone know where I can find a pattern to make one?
- I love this tutorial for seed starters from newspaper.
- These crochet nesting cups tutorial.
- This photograph for Earth day tomorrow.
- This happy spring yarn giveaway.
- The Blater blog - For Bloggers who barter.
- This camera bag (in Rose - Pewter) is on my birthday wishlist.
- This cute pattern for crochet Pacifier Straps.
- I’m selling a Heart-to-Heart Baby sling. I paid 60$ for it, and I’m selling it for 30$. It’s navy blue with tiny white dots on it. It’s for an average sized mom, though it is adjustable. Let me know if you’re interested. It’s a great sling for nursing, as well as wearing your baby. I have numerous slings, so I’ve decided to sell some of them. (There is absolutely nothing wrong with it at all and it’s in excellent condition).
- A year ago this week (April 19th, 2010), I found out I was pregnant with baby #3. It feels like that was just yesterday... I swear.
- Last night I finished reading the book Arranged by Catherine McKenzie. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. It was a quick & enjoyable read, but took me forever because I had a baby 20 weeks ago, otherwise I'd have finished it a lot sooner. (I started it the day before I went into labor or something like that).

Stuff that's Fascinating this week:
- Spring flowers that were here on April 20, 2011 are not yet here this year. Where are they?
- Have you read this article about the knitting needle stabbing? The comments are even funnier.

Minor Surgery, Friends & Marshmallow Tushies

Mack turned 145 weeks old on Thursday, March 31, 2011.

Quentin had his follow up with ENT (Ears Nose & Throat) at the Montreal Children's Hospital on Thursday. He is doing exceptionally well, and only has to go back for a follow up around his 1st birthday. We see Respirology in 2 weeks or so, and I'm hoping they say the same thing then too, to come back around his 1st birthday, but we'll see what they have to say.

While we were there, Quentin had minor surgery. The doctor took care of his Tongue Tie and it was a quick procedure. It would have been even quicker if she had froze him properly the first time, I didn't like that she started the job, and then said "Oh, I think he can feel it, I think I should freeze a bit more" Uh.. What?! And halfway through, he was screaming so much (hysterics) that he vomited on the doctor (serves her right for not freezing him properly to begin with). I'm glad it's over & done with. I'm hoping that it heels nicely. It looks like a huge blister under his tongue right now, it's quite upsetting to me to see. I'm hoping he doesn't feel it. He slept for a good 3 and a half hours afterward, he had exhausted himself screaming.

Friday we had our last Friday Music class at our friend's house. It was a fun class, I really enjoyed it, and the people that were in that class. Glad that I joined it. We'll be doing another session in the later part of the spring, that I'm actually organizing with friends, I can't wait.

After music, we headed over to Tara's house, and we were joined also by Kate-the-Enabler.
We had some lunch, some tea, and Kate got her baby fix.

Tara gave Quentin a gift. She knit him Duck feet. (Non-Ravelry link). It's soo flippin' cute.
Thank you so much Tara! Quentin loves them.

Tara & her daughter made dessert for us.
It's the most appropriate snack for any knitter.
I just enjoyed looking & photographing them.
(I didn't actually eat one... darn diet!)
They even have little marshmallow tushies!

Quentin was all smiles last night when he was supposed to be in bed, asleep.
It was my own fault for letting him sleep while we were out for dinner with my in-laws.

Today we had Jenn come over with the boys, as they've all been asking us to see their cousins. The boys played very nicely together, and had lunch together. The photo above kind of is funny, because none of them are actually "playing" together.

Other stuff going on:
- On Thursday, Sean asked us to remove the guard rail off his bed. It's been 2 nights now, and he hasn't fallen out of bed yet (knock on wood).
- Took Quentin to the CLSC on Thursday to get him weighed, he's been a little piggy this week, and has gained 34 g per day since last Thursday. He's now 10 lbs 15.5 oz. I plugged that in his growth chart, and he's still under the 3rd percentile for weight, at 4 months old. While we want him to eat, I don't want him to gain too much too fast. He's supposed to be gaining between 20 & 25 grams a day, so we're going to put him slowly onto regular formula. I'm going to be weaning him off the high calorie formula slowly, and see how he does. Maybe he was just having a growth spurt, who knows.
- Conversation between Jamie & Sean the day before April Fool's Day:
Sean: "I'm going to hide your slippers tomorrow, it's April Fool's day".
Jamie: "You're not supposed to tell me, it's supposed to be a trick/surprise."
Sean: "Well, I won't tell you tomorrow then."

Today's Link Love:
- Free Pampers Gifts to Grow Reward Points: 10000LATINASFBK, SPRINGHASSPRUNG & CesarChavez2011.
- Love this Etsy Shop. Especially these signs and these custom baby ones too.
- Love this bathing suit.
- I'd love to make something like this for my home office. It's so cute.

3.22.11 :: 220 weeks & 16 weeks

Quentin is 16 weeks old & Sean is 220 weeks old today.

I had a wicked bad migraine today.
My head still hurts.
My eyes are blurred by the screen.
I know once I sleep it off, it'll be gone by morning.

Even thought my head hurt, we went to a new music class today.
I started a 4 week mini session at a synagogue near me.
I missed the ladies who do the music in this class.
They asked today who was new taking this class with their 1st child.
Everyone but me raised their hand.
Then they asked who was taking this class again with their 3rd child.
I raised my hand.
I wouldn't miss it for the world!

After 30 minutes of music we had half an hour in the gym - which was a lot of fun.
Quentin went on the swing for a bit... and uhm... fell asleep. Oops!
It was too cute.

My best friend since kindergarten turns 30 today. We've been friends for 25 years. Even though I can't be with her today on her 30th birthday, I hope she has an absolutely wonderful birthday. Less than 3 months until I hit "dirty 30"... silently, I'm freaking out inside. C'mon people... tell me the truth... 30... is it bad? One thing on my "list" was to be married & have 3 kids by 30... check. I can't really say that I had anything else on my list to do before I turned 30.

I'm off to go sleep off this migraine.
I can't even see the screen clearly anymore.
I have to squint to see it more in focus.
That's not good, is it?