Our thread was almost at 50 posts, so I thought I start a new one!!

I spent the weekend doing lots of yard work. We had an open house on Saturday, but no-one showed . Oh well, it's early in the season.

Will be intersting to see how I do at WW tonight. I have been moderatly good, so we'll see. I lost 2.6 last week, so it would be nice to see another loss. I know I need to get back in the swing of exercise. I have been having some problems with my legs and would like to have all that resolved before I start back up.

Dawnyal - How is William doing??

Frenchie - Congrats on the job. I know how you feel. If I were smart, I'd be job hunting myself right now. But...I love teh people. And I shouldn't change jobs before we buy our new house.

How is everyone else???

Hi all, I’ve been away for a bit and just wanted to update. I’ve just spent the last week enjoying a marvelous visit with my mother, whom I hadn’t seen since I decided to start trying to lose weight. Her initial reaction was priceless, with a mouth gaping grin she exclaimed, “you’re so skinny!!” followed by an immediate embrace.

We had a wonderful time, laughing and sharing. Really getting to know each other better than I feel we ever have before. Our views and values are strikingly similar, and we spent much time discussing where we’ve gone wrong (and right) in our lives with the choices we’ve made and the paths we’ve taken. I feel that I was able to quiet her natural motherly concern that she screwed me up in some horrible way by explaining to her my belief that everything I’ve had to face in my life has only been a contributing factor in making me the woman I am today. And that how can we possibly learn from our mistakes unless we are first allowed to make them?

I was also a bit bemused to find myself put in the unfamiliar role of teacher this week. She apparently intended to observe my new lifestyle in the hopes of picking up a few tricks of the trade because, as she put it, I seem to have this “weight stuff” figured out. Ahh, if she only knew just how much of a mystery all this still is to me! But she diligently followed my lead and ate much the same foods I normally eat during the week. I even showed her my little trick with freezing yogurt that turns out so much like ice cream, which she liked enough that she wants to continue doing it once she gets home. Truth be told, I was quite relieved that she chose to emulate me because I was somewhat apprehensive about handling what could very well have been a completely off plan week. We did, however, eat dinner out much more than I’m used to, but I was able to make some good, healthy choices and the scale did not seem to punish me for it one bit.
All in all, it was an excellent, eye-opening visit and I’ve come away from it with a solid understanding that my mother truly is my friend. And that she, like me, is still a work in progress, having journeyed through this life doing the best with what she knew, yet constantly striving to learn that much more. My mother really is an amazing woman, and I feel so lucky to have her in my life. My only regret is that we don't live closer, and I am saddened that our time together was so short. Hopefully we won't let it be so long until the next visit!

Beverly

William is doing okay, I guess. He goes to see his ped this Wednesday. He's getting his zyrtec before bed and a pulmicort breathing treatment nightly. Then 4x a day he's getting an albuterol breathing treatment as well as some doubled up antibiotic. He still feels wheezy to me when you hold him so I don't know if the meds are helping him or not. I'll know more after his appt.

He's getting into everything both my kids fell over the weekend. Mom had her carseat out of her car and was setting on a bench. We told Lilly to get off of it but of course she didn't listen. I turned my back for just a second (was cleaning out the car) and bam, she fell over and scraped her face on the gravel. Luckily she just had a couple of scratches on her face. Then when I ran to town, Mom said William climbed in a chair and fell on the porch and scraped his chin. I have such dare devil kids.

Sandi: good luck at WW tonight. Hopefully you'll have a buyer soon.

Bev - How wonderful that you had such a fabulous visit with your mom!!! How funny that we all feel your an expert and you don't!!!!

Hey...how did your makeover go?? Don't you owe us some pictures???

Sandi: Good luck @ WW!!!
Bev: I'm glad to hear you had such a good time w/your mom. I, too, would like to see the Boiaby makeover pics.
Dawnyal: Hope your babies are doing better.

Sandi- Good luck, with everything. Jacob is feeling better?

Bev- That is really, really exciting. You must feel so good, like a few more pieces of the puzzle are in the right spots.

Dawnyal- Sounds like the excitement never ends! BTW, you look *so* good in your 254lb. picture... a very dramatic difference from 285. Congratulations!


I have been sooo busy. It's that busy, busy, busy time of year for students, I'm telling you. Crazy. My best friend is graduating this year (I have one more year to go) and I'm positively depressed about her being gone next year. We're sort of trying to pretend like it's not happening as it sneaks up. Other than that, I've been babysitting, lots of school work, trying to maintain a social life, and going to a lot of church since the pope passed away.

I've decided to run for student body president next year... if I get elected, that should be interesting to say the least. I also want to be president of National Honor Society. Hmm..... I'm seeing some of my future being described as "hectic"...

Bev: I guess we posted about the same time . It sounds like your mom's visit was a great one. I've found that the older I get, I consider my mom one of my closests friends and confidantes (sp?). I sure didn't see her as either growing up. How far away does she live from you?

Apryl I would say Hectic describes yoru life now!!! I would try not to dwell on the fact that your Best friend is graduating and leaving but instead concentrate on all the good times you are having now.

Wow, Beverly! You are wise beyond your years. Most people never come to the realizations that you have. You may have lost a lot of weight, but you certainly gained a lot of insight into yourself. I want to see pictures, too!!

Sandi, sorry about your open house. Kind of like throwing a party and no-one shows up. Hope it goes better next time. Are you selling the house yourself? I went through a For Sale By Owner company about three years ago--paid $1500 for their seminar, signs, and online listing plus a 1/2 page ad in their (very popular) real estate booklet. My house sold after a couple of days on the market. I imagine the real estate market has to be prime, though. Good luck at weigh-in, and hope your leg problem eases up.

Dawnyal, little kids are always covered with scratches and scrapes, aren't they? I remember looking at my son's legs when he was about three and undressed in the doctor's office. Both legs were covered with bruises. I was worried that the doctor would think I was abusing him, but the doc said most little kids look like that, and he'd worry more if they didn't.

Apryl, can you get us ballots? We'd vote for you in a heartbeat! President of the student body AND honor society? You like living on the edge, don't you? So how's the driving going, by the way? Sorry about your best friend graduating this year. Well, not sorry she's graduating, of course, but that she's leaving high school the year before you. Are you both going to go to the same college?

We moved into our new (to us, that is) house on Sunday. I've spent the last three weeks scraping wallpaper and painting. It's been really hard. We were hoping to get the new carpet in before we moved, but it didn't happen. So we're living out of a couple of rooms and storing stuff in the garage until the carpetlayers work their magic. We found hardwood floors under the carpet in the dining room, entry, and hallway so we got those refinished. Very pretty! Too bad I can't afford to have the whole house hardwood, although I do like carpeting in the bedroom. After all this work, I plan to stay here forever.

Beverly - The story about your visit with your mom was very moving! It sounds like you forged a connection that will last forever. That's really great. It's also great that you were able to teach her some new things about healthier ways to eat/live... I know I'd like to help my mom in this way as well! Also - seconding, thirding, fourthing the makeover pics! I'm such a sucker for a makeover.

Apryl - I'm so impressed with your drive and determination! I know it's hard to lose a best friend to graduation -- two of my closest friends were two years ahead of me. But for me, it was kind of cool because I was able to make my senior year completely my "own" and make some friends I probably wouldn't have otherwise. I hope the same happens for you!

Sheila - That's great that you've moved into your new place. It really is so much work, but the great thing is that it's yours, all yours! And hey, wallpapering has to be good exercise, right?

Dawnyal - Agreed on that latest pic - you're lookin' fantastic, girl!

Hope you're all doing well. It's sunny but a little chilly here today. My allergies were driving me nuts when I woke up this morning, so I didn't make it to the gym. I'm hoping to go in an hour or so at lunchtime!

First of all, Apryl, you've got my vote for class president! I think you would be excellent at it and I really hope you go for it.

As for new pics, I promise they are coming! Along with a little recount of my lovely day at the spa. They won't be too drastic because I didn't end up with a real dramatic change, but it was fun getting girly nonetheless!

Beverly

That's great about the visit with you mom Beverly. My Mom and I have always shared a great relationship. It was me and my dad that struggled. He passed away in 1999 but a year or two before he died I wrote him a letter forgiving him for all the things he did not do because of his drinking problem. We had a lot better relationship after that and I was so glad that I wrote that letter. When he passed away I found it in his room he had it laminated and saved it. Made me really glad when I found it. I would have hated to lose him without letting him know that I loved him.

Awwww, Howie.

Aprylbaby, I think you'd make a GREAT class president!

Sheila, sounds like as soon as the carpet's in, you can relax & enjoy your new home.

As for me, it looks like the FDA has approved the second stage of the study of the effect of Tolvaptan on polycystic kidneys!!!! We are that much closer to a cure & I would go on the meds in June. I would be on them for the next 3 years, checking in w/my kidney doc every 6 months after the initial. I might have to go off my b/c & ACE inhibitor + HCTZ, but I feel it's a small sacrifice. This will get me in the gym daily, knowing I don't have my diuretic to keep puffiness to a minimum. Very happy SPF.

I'm also attending the PKD Foundation's annual conference June 24-26 in Anaheim, paid for w/my tax returns. I barely pulled in 15K last year so I get almost all of it back. This means a new mattress & box spring, too. No cracks about mileage, please.

Hope everyone else is having a good day.

Well Dawnyal, is it any wonder your kids are daredevils? I'm thinking it may be inherited...aren't you the one who told us you've bungee jumped more than once (and, if I remember correctly, streaked a few times?)

Apryl my dear, I think you'd be an absolutely wonderful student body president and I'm sure you'll make the most eloquent campaign speeches that school has ever known!

I know its exhausting work Sheila, but how nice you've found the home you plan to stay in forever and have the energy and ability to to whip it into shape yourself. Do you think you could have stood all that hard work when you were carrying that extra 75 or so pounds?

Howie, its a bit early in the day for you to have me tearing up! What a lovely little story about your relationship with your dad...

Aimee! What wonderful news on the medical front. It all sounds so hopeful and I'm so happy for you. As for the boxspring and mattress, don't skimp on price. Its so important to have firmness in a bed.

William is doing lots better. Yeah!!! We saw his regular ped yesterday and he thinks that william didn't have pneumonia in the first place that it was just his asthma acting up. At least this time he gave me a better plan of attack for when it strikes again rather than the vague "just give him the albuterol and wean him off it." He set him up another appt. 3 days before his surgery and he'll sign off for him to have it at that time.

Chris starts baseball tonight and this is his first time ever to play. It should be interesting as the MIL is having to bring him over and she and I still aren't getting along. GMIL is having fluid drained from her heart today. This is the 2nd or 3rd time she's had congestive heart failure since I've known her. I'm not going to let it stress me out this time.

I bougth the body for life book yesterday and so far I'm really liking what I'm reading. I hope to be able to finish the book up this weekend and start the 12 week challenge if not monday then by next monday. We're supposed to go tour the gym today and decide if we want to get memberships or not so I'm looking forward to that.

Oh and I exercised yesterday!!!! It wasn't much, I jumped on the trampoline, ran around in the yard with the kiddos, pushed them in their swings stuff like that. We played outside for about an hour or so and I had so much fun. As adults we sometimes forget how fun it is to just be a kid And, I'm starting to get over feeling blah and yucky and unmotivated. I got me some melatonin to take before bed to see if it will help with my headaches. I should hopefully find some relief in a week or so.

Sheila: That is so exciting about the move. I know it's a lot of hard work but I bet it looks nice. I too love hardwood floors.

SAPF: That is awesome about the new study. G/L with it.

I always read these, but I haven't really taken the time to post responses! I don't know why.

Beverly, I'm so glad to hear that your mother wants to follow your excellent example. Sometimes it's the little things (like the yogurt trick!) that will get through to people. I hope that she can lose the weight; I know you are an excellent example. I'm glad you two had such a nice visit! How far apart are you?

Sandi, good luck at WW! Where are you moving? I hope that turns out okay.

Dawnyal, wow, you have a lot of patience! Little rugrats... hehe. I hope your son feels better. I must have missed when you wrote about what he had, is it getting better?

Apryl, remember that friendships are much stronger than they seem! Is your friend moving far away? I graduated high school three years ago and I'm really happy with the way things turned out with friends, even if it wasn't always what I expected. Things will definitely change but you will be just fine! Good luck running for president!

Sheila, did you move far away? The house sounds great! Moving is lots of work though, you must be spent.

Jennifer, you gym rat. How do you like living in NYC? Are you a city gal at heart or did you just end up there? Always wondered.

I haven't really been posting lately because I've been too busy fattening up. But here I am. And alive, too! Just a little pudgier. I"ve realized in the last few weeks that I'm an all-or-nothing type of person, which is NOT good. if I don't get to the gym five times a week I get really discouraged and angry with myself. I'm like this with everything- school, everything. It's immature and I totally admit that, but it's so hard to change. School is... school. Next year is my last year, but I'm already starting to realize that english/creative writing majors are really just putting off bartending/waitressing for four years... better start looking for a job soon. I'm interning at a newspaper and it's completely miserable, but it's almost over and I'm proud of myself for sucking it up.