Good morning girls!

Don't forget to check last weeks thread for any posts you didn't see ....

I though Peggy would have been here and started the new thread again but since she hasn't ......

Well ... our deck is now completely finished! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Yesterday, we started tearing out the back room - the last part of the cabin to be remodeled. I stayed OP all day yesterday - 1st time in weeks that I managed to do that for the whole day! So on to day #2 ...

Mindee:
A duck for halloween sounds cute ... quack quack. I have a little yellow duckie in my hot tub ..

Slyvia:
I am so sorry to hear about your MIL ... it sure does sound like trouble for you guys, especially for little Geno! It doesn't sound like she even likes kids! You need to talk to hubby .. she needs a private nurse - not you!

Peggy:

Hey, I beat you to the punch this morning on starting a new thread! I'm the BRAT this week - lol

Sharon:
Sharon ... where are you??? I know you are busy .. but come on in for 5 minutes .. p l e a s e .....

Be back later.

Love, CJ

Hi ladies,

I have been on here off and on for a long time, and now, I am on again.

A quick bit about me... I am Courtney, or Cat for short. I am a 27 year old mother of a 9 year old daughter. I am engaged and planning a New Years Eve wedding for this upcoming holiday season. My fiance is 26 and a software engineer, I was a music teacher turned nursing student turned "I don't know what yet". I am most likely not going to continue in the nursing program and may pursue a masters of microbiology with a molecular biology and cellular development emphasis... but I may just find a decent job and concentrate on my family (we are planning on have a few or so more...).

So, in my past year of school, with going full time and working 30+ hours a week as well, I put on a few pounds... I blame stress and lack of time to prepare good foods. I did do a project for my nutrition class that I helped me lose 10 pounds, but during a particularly busy micro class this summer, I gained 5 of it back...sigh. I have since lost about 3 pounds of this, but want to lose more. I would love to be at least 150 for my wedding (and I want to be at a healthier weight before we start trying to conceive).

I have a lot more time available for exercising and eating healthier than I have had the past 2 years, so I am hoping to stick to it. I am not following any particular diet plan, just keeping sat. fat low (lowered my cholesterol from 219 to 177 doing this!!! yay!!!) and keeping calcium high and keeping calories below 1400 "net" meaning if I exercise extra I can add more calories. As far as exercising, I got a nice toning workout from a book called "buff brides" and gosh, I wish I had found it before I got engaged! I also do a mix of cardio including walking, jogging, and biking.

Well, I think that is enough for now! I am hoping to be on quite a bit and look forward to getting to know all of you!

Good luck to everyone!

Howdy Ladies!

Just popping in for a quick hello. Nothing new to report...I just wanted to stop by and say hi.

CJ-You are a quick one aren't ya! That's why you are the queen!

Peggy-How are you doing on SBD? I'm going to dust it off and start this weekend.

Cat- Welcome! I think I've seen you post here before....i can't remember (those darn pregnancy hormones took my brain cells when I was pregnant and they haven't come back! ) Post as often as you like!

Mindee- How is your husband's job? I hope all is well.

Sharon- Are you back from your trip? We miss you!

I'm attaching a picture of Nico and his birthday cake. He didn't eat it, just made a mess!



OK ladies, I've got to run. My baby is quiet so that means he found the Kleenex box again (I can hear him pulling them out of the box and giggling).

Have a wonderful evening!

Sylvia

Well, I had a job interview today... hope to hear by the end of the week. I am sure it is a plus that I have worked there before (as a lab tech) and actually have been working for them the last couple days (as a lab tech) to help out with a early rush they got in... Crossing my fingers! This other position would be more pay, more hours, year round, and with awesome benefits.... oh I HOPE I get it!!!

Cute picture Sylvia! My daughter did the same and wore more of her first birthday cake than she ate.

Hello ladies…..how are you all doing?

Brandon went for his two month check up today. He weighs 14lbs. 12 ½ ounces and is 24 ½ inches long. His head and chest circumference is 16 inches. He got four shots, two in each leg. The doctor did give us the go ahead to up his bottles to 6oz. (which they have been for a month now), and also for cereal (since Thursday) and now solids!

We were also told that our “community blue” insurance through his work isn’t community blue. Instead it is a Trust/Plus PPO, so Tommy has to talk to his work about it.

Tommy also got a call from Kelly from his work today. He has to go in tomorrow at 9am to give what we think will be his side of the story and then we will know more after that.

CJ~ I just noticed that you are from MI as well. Where abouts are you? Brandon loves his duckies that he got as presents, so it only seems fitting.

Cat~ Welcome to the group!! You will love it here!

Sylvia~ My hubby’s job is well……we will know more tomorrow. Hopefully he will still have a job! Keep us in your prayers and your fingers crossed!

Hi ladies!!!! CJ is a big BRAT this week... I can't believe that I haven't checked in before now, but alas, it is registration week at the college at which I am working and things have been craaaaazzzzzyyyy.

BUT, I did get a few minutes now to find out about everyone.

Welcome to Thin Group, Cat. You sound like you are an extra busy mom and don't have much time to plan to be healthy. But, you probably already know, that, to be a good mom you need to take time for you, too. And part of that time is looking after your health. Hope you have great successes in getting to your goal weight for your wedding. Check in here and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Mindee - Keeping my fingers crossed for your DH. Hoping everything works out well for his job. Will be thinking of you tomorrow.

Syliva - What a great shot of Nico. He's just a doll...those are such great times with wee ones. Good to hear that you are also dusting off the SBD book...hop to it gal. I have been fortunate enought to stay OP most of the time - I had a really big slip a couple of weekends ago, but went back to Phase 1 last week and lost everything that I had gained, plus another 2.6 pounds. So far this week, I have lost another .4 pounds and am hoping to lose a bit more before my weigh-in on Friday. I have also kicked up the exercise - I power walk at lunches, so have increased that from 30 minutes each day to 60 minutes. I am finally getting accustomed to the extra half hour, but it is still tough. Hopefully, the weight loss will increase, too. I am really wanting to get this over with.

CJ - Congrats on the deck. I wish that we were only looking at one more room to re-model. We still have tons of work to do and are hoping to get it all finished in the next 2 years...seems like an eternity to us. Woohoo on the eating. I knew that you could stay OP. Just take one day at a time. The weight will eventually come off. You can do it girl.

Hope everone has a great evening. Take care.

Peggy~ Thanks so much! I will come in and let you all know tomorrow how things went!

Howdy Chickies!

DH is watching Nico for the moment so I thought I would pop in to say hello. I've been good today (food wise) cutting down on the carbs. I hope to start on SBD this weekend. I have set a goal of 10 pounds lost by the end of September. I can do this, I've done it before and I can do it again...I just need a good ol' kick in the butt! Nico is teething again but I found that if I take him for a walk around the block, it takes his mind off of it and he's not so fussy. This time, he's VERY clingy. I can't do anything without him hanging onto me leg. Thank God for that Radio Flyer wagon he got for his birthday...he loves me pulling that thing and going for walks.

Peggy- Hello Drill Sargeant! Sylvia reporting for duty! Thanks for the encouragement and the kick in the butt....I needed that! Good job on the weight loss. Keep up the good work!

CJ- I want to thank you for not giving up on this group. You see, it's alive and kicking! Now if we could only get some of those lurkers to stop by and say hello... Good job on staying OP...it's hard but you can do it! Congrats on the new deck...I wish we had a deck in our back yard we have an ocean view and a deck would be just perfect.

Mindee- I hope all goes well for your husband tomorrow. Prayers going your way!

Cat- I hope you get the job! I know waiting is the hardest part! Yeah, cleaning birthday cake of your floors wasn't as hard as cleaning the birthday boy. That icing got into everything.

I'm hearing DH say "Nico No! Sylvia!!!" *sigh* Men....

Have a great day!

Sylvia

No news on the job yet. But I have been so busy helping them and working at my research assistant job as well that I haven't been eating all that well. Haven't eaten much, but not good stuff.

I do have a quick question for you ladies... I guess I am just trying to get a consensus of how others bodies have reacted... Have any of you found it easier to lose weight when/if you stopped birth control pills? I am on my last pack of them before I quit (TTC right away after wedding) and a lot of friends are telling me that I may lose weight easier... which may be the case since I gained my "easy weight" (the weight that I maintain without any dieting at all) went up 10 pounds since I started them. I used to hover around 155 and now I hover around 165... Not something I am counting on, but interesting to see if others noticed any differences.

Mindee ~ are you on ultimatewedding.com as well? I have been on there a while and you sound familiar... Good luck with your husband's job!

Hello Ladies!

Just popping in for a quick hello. Nothing new....still working on weaning myself from carbs before I start SBD this weekend.


Mindee- Any news from your DH's job? I hope it's good news.

Cat- I think I lost weight when I stopped the pill ... I can't really remember. I know my migraines went away and that I felt a lot better. Good luck on TTC... sending baby dust your way (after your wedding, of course )

Big hugs to all of you I didn't mention by name...

Sylvia

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted ... it's been a busy week. I was just weeding the garden and thought I better get on and post ...

Cat:
Welcome! So glad to have you join us! I know you'll like it here ... Good luck on your new job - I hope you get it! The waiting must be hard tho. Can't answer your ?? about birth control pills tho .. never used them (I have nine children too) lol ... took me a few minutes to figure out TTC but I got it! So sending you "baby dust" along with Slyvia for after the wedding also.

Mindee
I too am waiting to hear good news about hubby's job. Please do let us know when you hear. I am from Gaylord, MI .. where about are you from?

Peggy
I like the name Slyvia gave you - drill sargeant! But, when I am tempted to "cheat" you do come up in my thoughts! lol ... Just so you know, the back room we are working on is not the last room .. we are just getting the outside remodeled ... it will be the last part as far as outside but we still have refinishing to do inside where we put in the new windows, etc. Then ... hopefully next year, we have to start building our new house. This cabin was orginally built as just a hunting cabin .. no electricity, no plumbing, no bathroom ... we have put in all new windows, a new roof, we now have electricity, and plumbing and a bathroom w/shower, and of course the new deck. The back part that we are working on now was just an added covered porch and we are making it into a regular room. When you see the before and after it is truly awesome I think. When we are finished with the outside, I will put up some pics on the website of the before and after.

Slyvia:
Thanks go out to you also for helping to keep this group going ... if you had not posted along with me, I would have been talking to myself! lol ... I would never give up on this group - we've been around too long! Good luck on re-starting the SBD this weekend ... I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!

OK ... got to finish my weeding. Now I feel better that I posted.

Love, CJ

Had a hectic day today. Boss left about 10 this morning to go on vacation. I have mixed feelings about that. On one hand, it is good to have him away because he manages by bullying. I am about the only one in the department who has had the nerve to stand up to him, so, generally he leaves me alone because I can give it right back to him.

One time we were arguing about something and he jumped out of his chair (we're talking over 6' and huge all around). I jumped out of mine right behind (all 5'2" of me). He told me to sit down and I responded with something like if you think you are going to use your size to initimidate me, you are wrong. I will be happy to sit down, but you'll be sitting first. He sat, and still laughs about it.

Then, on the other hand, because he is a bully, people wait until he is gone to bring their problems. Since I am acting while he is away...that is me. Soooo many things today. I should send a note around tomorrow to tell everyone that I will only entertain the stuff that they have been saving until 4:00 pm tomorrow. After that, they will need to wait until he is back.

Cat - Can't help you on the birth control, either. I guess we're just a bunch of old fogies here. I had mine permanently fixed a loooonnnng time ago. By the way, good luck on babies. We need some wee ones around here.

Mindee - How did hubby's meeting go? I'm sending good vibes that everything is OK. Take care.

Sylvia - Probably a good plan to reduce carbs a bit. I didn't do that, just cold turkey. It didn't occur to me that I should be doing that. What a great idea. Hope everything is going well. Take care.

CJ - The cabin sounds like it is homey and rustic. Are you out in the country or close to 'neighbours.' You really do have your hands full, but I guess I know how you feel. We are trying to update so that we can sell. We just discovered that our house, is worth close to 700,000 (remember it's Canadian), so we want to get as much when we downsize as possible - before the market craters. We are making our plans for the fall reno now so that we can get on with business. Let me know when you have your pics up. I was on your web site a couple of weeks ago. I remembered that you had some old recipes there that I wanted to make. I did find you after a bit of a search to the new location, so have that bookmarked now. Hope everything is going well.

For me, I have been trying to get on with this weight loss thing. I was soooo very good yesterday and made all SBD recipes...only to wake up this mornig with a 2 lb. gain. What gives here? I will check the weight tonight and try to figure out what is happening. It was promising to be such a good week, too.

Well gotta run. It's the end of the work day and I have to get my little tush going here. Run home to look after dogs, get some supper into the two legged animals, then it will be my time to zone out. I'm zoning....

Popping in for a quick hello ladies

I've been doing well on my carb weaning. Slowly but surely. I've been doing a lot more exercise...well, not really exercise per say but housework. I've tried to do it at night when Nico sleeps but I just get so exhausted. So I try to do it during his naps. Everything looks so nice and then ....captain destructo wakes up. At least he get me moving!

Mindee- Any news?

CJ- ((((((HUGS))))) You are such a wonderful lady and such a good friend! You know I would do anything ( as long as it won't get me arrested) to keep this group going!

I hear the captain waking up. We're off for a walk...it's easier than cleaning up 200+legos off the floor!

Have a great day!

Sylvia

Hadn't signed off the forum yet so will answer Peggy and Slyvia:

Peggy:
To answer your question on where we are - we are in the woods on 40 acres ... yes, we have neighbors so to speak but we can't see them and we can't hear them either! I can go in my hot tub with my "birthday suit" .. we live on a dead-end road and there are only 3 families that live on this road. Very very private. Quite different from where we lived downstate.

Slyvia:
Aaaawwww - thanks for the hugs ... (((((hugs)))) back to you! I consider you my good friend too and someday we may even meet! I've been getting in some walking the last few days myself .. I have to walk down to the mailboxes for our mail ... since it's at the end of the road, it's about 1/2 mile round trip. Better than nothing I guess.

OK .. signing off now. Talk to ya all later!
CJ

Hello ladies…..how are you all doing?

Brandon went for his two month check up on Tuesday. He weighs 14lbs. 12 ½ ounces and is 24 ½ inches long. His head and chest circumference is 16 inches. He got four shots, two in each leg. The doctor did give us the go ahead to up his bottles to 6oz. (which they have been for a month now), and also for cereal (since Thursday) and now solids! As far as his weight and height, he is in the perfect 50th percentile. He also has a little bit of a cold, so we have to keep an eye on him with that. We also have to put him on his side with a receiving blanket against his back because he has a flat spot on his head, so she wants us to put him on his left side so that we can work on getting him to sleep on his side that isn’t flat.

We were also told that our “community blue” insurance through his work isn’t community blue. Instead it is a Trust/Plus PPO, so Tommy has to talk to his work about it.

Tommy also got a call from Kelly from his work on Tuesday. He went in on Wednesday at 9am to give what we think will be his side of the story and then we will know more after that. So keep us in your prayers and your fingers crossed! He met with her and told her his side of the story and she called him back Thursday morning, and he starts back Friday morning! He is basically on a last chance thing, if he gets written up or warned one more time, then he is gone. But it is such a good feeling to have that off our backs!!

My little smartie pants knows how to work the computer keyboard! I was sitting here going through my email and reading some messages on different boards with him on my lap. I pulled the keyboard out, and I was using it for something, and it froze for a second. I couldn’t figure out why until I listened and heard some noises on the keyboard. Then the screen started going up and down and all the help buttons came on. Then when I asked him if he was trying to help momma, and he just laughed!

I noticed today in his mouth that the tooth on the lower left side of his mouth is just about through. I can see the whites of the tooth itself, so it would explain why he has been crankier then usual, along with the cold. But I looked again, and I could of swore I saw another tooth trying to come in next to it.

Speaking of my smartie pants, he tried sweet potatoes tonight……and loved them! He didn’t even get mad at me when the bowl was empty! I put two teaspoons into his cereal bowl by itself and he loved it!

Sylvia~ Thanks for the prayers!! They really helped!!

Cat~ Yup I am on UW! What is your sn over there? Mine is the same one I have here.

CJ~ I am in Warren.

Peggy~ Thanks for asking about the meeting.

Sorry to keep you all waiting….but I didn’t want to post something until we knew for sure.