Well Hey!

It's been over a year?!? It has been a year and four days since my last post on Life of a Banded Army Wife. Wow. Well, allow me to make a come back?  

I did just as I said I was going to do in my last post and left Germany around 21 weeks pregnant. I spent the second half of my pregnancy in New Hampshire staying with my family, while my husband wrapped up our three year tour in Landsthul, Germany. I did end up getting a complete "un-fill" and had quite an uneventful remainder of my pregnancy. On October 4th, 2012, I welcomed my son, Ezra Ross William Smith into the world. He has truly completed our family. Here's a look at the boy now- nearly 8months old! 

In the middle of December 2012 we completed our PCS (permanent change of station for you non-mil folk) to Ft. Hood, Texas! I love it here! But that may be subject to change with the hottest months ahead of me. And we rescued a dog! Her name is Lotus! Isn't she something- here she is with my daughter, they are best pals. 

Now for the house-keeping!-

I am currently weighing in at 223, 11 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight of 212. Also to be known, I just had my first fill this week since having my son. What a world of difference. Not entirely sure what took me so long to have the maintenance done on my band, but I sure am glad I finally did. My eating has changed significantly, and my energy levels have changed drastically, and all  for the better. 

Every Wednesday will be my weigh-day.

Every Friday will be for a shout-out to the person or thing motivating me to stay on track. 

Every Monday will be my New Yew tip, where I'll share a new (to me) helpful healthy tid-bit. 

And I'll fill in the blanks in between!

Goal - get to "Onederland"

Goal within that goal- get to pre-pregnancy weight. 

Bigger picture goal- do both before husband deploys!

I'm ready to hop back on the band wagon (finally!), if y'all will have me that is!

What's New?!

I've been out of the blogging world for some time now! How has everyone been? I have been one busy lady lately, and let me tell you why!!
I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant. Things have really begun to get tough this week for me. I noticed this week that a lot of what I eat is getting stuck easily. Before I go in to this, I need to give a bit of a confession. I have not been following the rules and guidelines of the band. Two day's after I found out I was pregnant, I was scheduled to have a fill, because my restriction was just not where it was supposed to be. But due to the pregnancy I cancelled the appointment. I'm now realizing that I should have kept it... for an un-fill. I'm sad to report that I have been abusing my band the past couple of months. Definitely not chewing enough, not taking enough time in between bights of food, and making less than healthy food choices. Though my food choices definitely could have been worse (I'm still a no soda/no coffee gal, and still shy away from straight junk food) they weren't great. I could definitely eat a 6 inch sandwich in 30-40 minutes. Yes it would take me a while, and I suppose that's a good thing because I was certainly still feeling restriction. But a sandwich is certainly not a food choice a bandster should be making!!

So the issue I am running into now, is that I am feeling the restriction in my band that I probably would have been feeling after the fill that I cancelled. The reason for this (I'm assuming) is that the baby is getting bigger, and everything is kind of being pushed up and over, causing my pouch to be smooshed a bit. So its almost as if the karma of not behaving with my band all these days is coming back to bite me in the butt! But it would seem pretty simple what needs to happen right now (and from what I read should have happened in the first place upon finding out I'm pregnant). I need an un-fill! These are things I probably would have learned and known had I any type of support system here. My surgeon speaks another language, and in order to even get any care regarding my band, I need referrals and insurance approvals to go back to Frankfurt (where I had the surgery) and it takes weeks. So... why not get the ball rolling you might ask?!? Because I'm leaving Germany early, to go home and get settled with a stable OB. I leave in just a couple of weeks, and not only do I not have time for all the referrals and approvals to go through, but I also just learned that you are not supposed to make any adjustments to your band 30 days before traveling.
So until I can get set up stateside (with English speaking doctors!!! YAHOO!) I have to deal with my extremely tight band. In order to continue giving the baby the nutrients it needs, I sort of having to revert back to the pre-op liquid diet. Healthy smoothies, and home made soups that are easy to get down, yet still provide high nutritional value.
A large part of the reason why I am feeling somewhat calm about whats going on with my body right now, is because I have an anatomy scan of the baby on the 24th. So that will be comforting to see baby, and via that scan, hopefully find out that he/she is doing just fine regardless of my band troubles. Also during this anatomy scan we are hoping to find out the gender! So say a prayer for us there, if you will!

So other things that have been keeping me consumed these past few weeks have been packing, and trying to get things in order for my move! My family wasn't due to leave Germany until October, but my daughter and will leave a bit early in order to get settled at GeeMa's while Daddy stays behind for about two more months to focus on advancing in his career and then of course the PCS. That was the other issue of leaving at the PCS date... I am due right around that time! The Army will only fly me out 30 days before my due date, and I simply wasn't comfortable with that. Personally, that doesn't seem like enough time to get home, get settled, find an OB and have a baby! What happens, then, if the baby comes early? Or if there is an emergency? I understand that God will have gotten me through those types of scenarios, but why bother allowing for that much added on stress?

Another thing that has recently had me busy, is setting up my Thirty-One business! I just signed on this week, and have been having a blast learning about it, and getting things ready for my big launch! Truly excited to be affiliated with such a wonderful faith-based company, that makes some really great high-quality products!

So that's the crazy-ness I've been enduring these past few weeks! Pretty exciting huh?

On Track With My Goal!

As I said in an earlier post, I want this pregnancy to be healthier than my first. My first pregnancy I put on 70 pounds, and I was not in shape, especially for the labor. I'm happy to say, that this pregnancy, I am already doing significantly better!
Though my food choices can be worlds better, and my exercise could use a boost, I am still continuing to lose weight! I was floored when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw a lower number. This has me so excited, not only for myself, but for the baby! Also has me motivated!
There are some things I need to work on however. My appetite has been horrendous. Like most pregnant women, there are certain foods that repulse me. But it goes a bit further then that. It will come to be dinner time, and there is nothing that appealing to me. Even if I imagine a menu of endless possibilities, nothing surfaces. My husband one night was willing to make a trip to the store just to get a specific meal for dinner, and there's nothing I can think of! So more often then not, I have to just kind of force myself to eat something. Of course when its in front of me, I'm happy to eat it, but in the midst of preparing the meal, I am sick to my stomach with the idea of eating it! All par for the course I suppose. So I am hoping to some how begin to manage that.
I also need to solidify my work out routine a bit more. It's pretty sporadic right now, but I'm looking to start fresh this week and get it more regular.
Next baby appointment is on Thursday! Pretty sure I won't get to see the baby on ultrasound, but I will at least get to hear the little heartbeat!
My life is pretty boring, so not much to report!

Growing/Losing/Maintaining All at Once

Well, I would say Lent was a success. I vowed to be on facebook significantly less for the 40 days, and boy was that the right choice! I would hop on rarely to message someone I had no other means of contact with, but for the most part I was no where near it. In the past 40 days, my relationship with Christ has grown and strengthened in such an amazing way. My mentor (older sister in Christ that helps me grow as a Christian) gave me some reading material- The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace, and Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. Both I started towards the end of Lent, but they are phenomenal. I also noticed that my house was cleaner, my daughter received more attention, and I exercised more. Pretty pathetic huh...? But revealing none the less! My husband and I almost have completely cut out swearing as well. We weren't too terrible with it in the first place, but we both wanted it gone, before our daughter had the opportunity to repeat. And plus, it doesn't help us become to become more Christ-like. For example, I would stub my toe and say "OH S#*@!"...  Not something I want my daughter saying, and it sounds lame coming out of my mouth too. Its funny, now that my hubby and I have stopped, I notice how much everyone else around me swears, and how ridiculous it sounds!! One example of why I'm proud to have stopped cussing is something I witnessed a toddler say recently... not much older than my girly, toddler was standing there, with juice box in hand, and the straw fell to the ground. The toddler's reaction to this was "Oh S#*@!". A few short minutes later, toddler tripped and fell, and belted out a "F*$@!". I would be humiliated if something like that came out of my daughter's mouth, therefore, I am so elated we have that garbage out of the house! Not to say my husband and I won't slip up here and there, but it will be a rare occasion, I'm hope! Wanting to say thank you to those who weren't anticipating my failure this Lent. This was surely something that was annoying and was an obstacle for me. I had to look at it as Satan trying to win over this Lent, and I will never let him win. There will always be negative nancy's out there, but they aren't always easy to deal with.

Peanutly is also another subject that has grown in the past 40 days! Though baby isn't much bigger than a large peach right now, things are just. not. fitting. I can already see that baby bump, and it has me so excited. I so enjoyed my first pregnancy, and this one is seemingly similar! No morning sickness, and often don't really even "feel pregnant"! Pretty sweet gig I have going! Amazingly enough though, just when I am starting to get that bad feeling I'm gaining all kinds of weight, I got on the scale only to find that I've lost a few more ounces! Nice motivation!! I've pretty much maintained at 212, and am hoping to see a lower number appear sooner than later. But aren't we all!!?

You're Beautiful. Period.

Listen to this.

Then don't ever doubt your beauty again.

Easier said then done, I'll be the first to admit that.

However... 

God created you to be exactly YOU. Not a single other soul on this planet.

Now Showing- Peanutly!

My mid-section is getting bigger, and the number on the scale remains pretty much the same? This has had me very much confused! So this morning I decided to do some research. Turns out, many women going through their second pregnancy, notice that their bodies change a lot faster!

" Once a woman’s body has experienced pregnancy and childbirth, her body remembers what is required and therefore makes the changes more rapidly. The muscles may not be as taut as they were the first time, and many women find themselves wearing maternity clothing long before they reach their second trimester. " 1

I had to run errands fairly early this morning, and my jeans (granted they were fresh out of the dryer... always tighter) fit SO snug! I had to use the old rubber band trick just so I could wear them. But before getting dressed... my weight was really pretty much the same! Then it hit me- One of my errands this morning was the mail room, and my belly band (or Tummy Sleeve)  had arrived. I got home and replaced the rubber band for my new belly band, and it was then that I realized, I really seem to be showing quite a bit earlier! In a lot of what I read, a common statement is that women can tend to show about a month to a month and a half earlier compared to their first pregnancy. 

I can't wait for Thursday, when we get to see Peanutly for the first time! I also can't wait to ask my doctor to see if all of what I read is legit! 

Update!

So, I'm still pregnant. And this month still seems a bit hectic. But not quite so overwhelming now.

On the pregnancy front- I am 9 weeks and 1 day today. Even though I found out extremely early (right around 2 weeks and 5 days) it seems to be going by way too fast. I think because I somehow have this feeling that this is my last time being pregnant. Ever since we got married, my husband and I have always been on the same page that two would be plenty. He grew up in a good size family (1 of 5 siblings) and didn't really want that for our family (nor could I for-see being pregnant that many times!) Any way, I just can't believe how fast its going by! I'm enjoying every minute of it too. Pretty easy to do when I don't have any of the negative symptoms! Morning sickness still has not arrived, no headaches, fatigue hasn't been too bad. The only thing thats kind of been a pain, is my finicky appetite. Makes for very difficult meal planning. Also I've been craving a lot of oranges!! Man oh man! That has been my biggest crutch. So yummy. Some say, that if you crave citrus, sour, or salty, you're having a boy... fingers crossed!!

My husband had his promotion board the beginning of this week. Something about this month felt right. He felt more prepared, confident, and calm. And when getting ready, he was able to get his tie squared away on the first try, for him, that was a good sign! His good feelings about the promotion board were correct, he got a "GO" from every single board member! So when he came home, we celebrated the best we could (considering he was on the night shift, and had been up all night before the board at 0630)-

^Popping the cork!^

AIM

^There it goes!^

FIRE

^A perfect sized bottle of a ritzy French champagne to celebrate his accomplishments!^

ENJOY

We also went and grabbed Chilis TOGO after he woke up, and enjoyed that as a special treat to further celebrate. Pretty low key, but really special for our little family. 

One thing in this busy month checked off! And what a good outcome at that! Now if the rest of this month's to-do's can bring the same positive results! Weee!