Monday, September 30, 2013

Monthly Weight Loss and Pictures and BIG Announcement!

Hey, everyone!
 
This morning I weighed-in at 159. I lost 0.8 lbs this month and lost half an inch overall. I didn't lose as much as I would have liked to, but I'm happy to see the number on the scale going down.
 
I didn't do that great eating-wise at the beginning of the month (I had a few too many 'reward' meals -- I'm not perfect, it happens sometimes) but I got back on track and ate awesome the last half of the month. I even went vegetarian, sugarless and no-carbs for a week; it felt good. I totally believe in reward meals/snacks but I need to try to limit them to one day a week instead of just whenever because it adds up. 

 
 
In other news, after 7-1/2 years of lots of crying, praying and hoping ... I'm PREGNANT! I'm a little over a month pregnant and the due date is early June. (My birthday month! -- Speaking of birthdays, Brad's 36th birthday is tomorrow and he couldn't ask for a better birthday present. Happy birthday, Babe!) Words cannot even begin to express how happy we are! We're still in shock. We just found out yesterday evening. I took three pregnancy tests and I'm still having trouble convincing myself. I know a lot of people wait to announce they're pregnant but I just couldn't wait; I've waited years to announce this!  I have so many things going through my head from excitement to fears but I know my child and my pregnancy are in God's hands and that He is sovereign. All I need to do is trust Him and rest in that.
 
My trouble conceiving  wasn't something I felt comfortable blogging about or even talking with many people about; it was a very sensitive subject. The main reason for me losing all this weight was in hopes of becoming pregnant because I thought my weight was playing a big part in my not getting pregnant; plus, I didn't want to be unhealthy and pregnant. A couple of months ago, I made an appointment to find out what was going on and then a day before my appointment, Brad and I had a talk and really felt led to continue to leave it in God's hands, knowing that He is the One Who opens and closes the womb and that He would bless me with a child in His perfect timing. He is SO faithful! Oh, and because I've been waiting for so long I've had names picked out for a long time. If it's a girl her name will be Emma Lee and if it's a boy his name will be Brady Scott (play on Bradley Scott). <3
 
My skin surgeries that I had planned for early next year are out the window. I'm gladly taking the trade-off! My best friend told me last night that I shouldn't gain any weight my first three months, so hopefully I can reach my goal of 155 before then. I'm not going to be one of those moms who use being pregnant as an excuse to eat tons of crap. I've worked way too hard to lose this weight. She also told me I shouldn't gain more than 30 lbs, which would put me at 190 at the end of my pregnancy. I definitely never want to see 200 again!
 
Please pray that I have a healthy pregnancy. Thank you!

 
 
 
Much love,
 
 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Healthy Recipes

Hey, peeps!
 
Here are some new healthy recipes I tried out this month:
 
Lemon Chicken Breasts - I used skinless chicken breasts.
Pizzadillas - I made mine with low-carb tortillas, pizza sauce (I just put some in the tortilla), low-fat mozzarella, mushrooms and thinly-sliced deli pepperoni.
Avocado Salsa - I almost always use more cilantro than recipes call for because I love it so much.
Crockpot Honey Apple Pork Loin - I did as she suggested in the note on the bottom and poked holes in the pork loin and let it marinate in the honey and cinnamon overnight (I added a dash of salt as well). Then I put it in the crockpot the next morning with the sliced apples and cooked it on low for 7 hours. The apples become mushy but if you mash them up with some of the juices from the loin and put them over it, it works.
Sweet and Sour Green Beans
Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Peanut Butter Granola - I used natural PB. I added it to vanilla Greek yogurt with some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
 
Enjoy!
 
 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Oh, Deer ...

Today, this happened ...

 
 
Brad and I were on the highway on our way back from a potluck at church. We're talking and I'm checking Facebook and such on my phone when I hear Brad say, "Oh my gosh!" and then within a second I see a HUGE doe running toward our car from an open field and BAM! It sounded like an explosion. Glass shattered EVERYWHERE (and I mean EVERYWHERE ... even down Brad's shirt). The deer's head went straight through the rear passenger window and its body flipped over the roof of our car. We're guessing the deer snapped its neck and died instantly. I don't think I'll ever get that image out of my head. Even though I know that we'll have to pay a bunch of money to get our car fixed (we are only covered for liability), I'm still more upset about the deer, being the animal lover that I am.
 
I'm still in shock and am so thankful to God for protecting us. He is SO awesome! If Brad hadn't swerved when he did, that would have been my window and I probably wouldn't be sitting here writing this right now. The officer said that he has never seen anything like this before. As you can see from the pictures, our rear passenger windows are completely gone, our window frame is bent pretty badly and our car is covered (literally, everywhere) in glass. We also have a couple of dents and scratches but we're alive and very blessed.
 
God is so good at reminding us that He's in control and to never take our life for granted. This life is but a vapor and we need to make sure we're living it right and for Him because we never know when our time is up.
 
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)
 
God bless,