Blog Award

A big thank you to Mary at Being a Winner By Being a Loser and Sparkler at Sparkler's Story for bestowing upon me The Versatile Blogger Award.

Here are the rules for this award:

1.Thank the person giving the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs.
4. Let your nominees know about the award.

7 Things about me:

1. I have spent a total of 14 days with my father in my entire life. I flew 8 hours to get there twice as a young teen. I wouldn't know him from Adam, but I do have a decent relationship with my half-sister (his other daughter). I am always surprised to find how jealous I can feel. It hit hard when I got her wedding pictures. Nobody paid for a wedding for me and I certainly wasn't escorted down an aisle.

2. This year I will have been married to my hero for 9 years. We have a 14 year old son. There is some discrepancy with those numbers, but I promise the missing years were for the best.

3. I am the oldest of five children. I can't remember a time when I wasn't in the role of parent.

4. I am a Gemini and I fit the description quite well. Sometimes I wonder if I have two people living in this brain because I am very interested in so many seemingly opposite things. Oddly enough, I don't read horoscopes.

5. The only sport I care to watch is Rugby. I tried my hand at playing mid-field back, but I'm not gifted in sports. I ended up with broken toes from getting cleated in a scrum.

6. I am adept at a broad spectrum of tasks, but I don't have an area of interest that I excel in. Might be why I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up...

7. I took Spanish, French, German and Russian in school. I can count to 10, say please and thank you. I can also say "For Christmas I'd like a hedgehog." in Russian. I wish I had stuck with one thing instead of ending up unable to converse in any language other than American English and pantomime.

Here are 15 Blogs I'm nominating:

1. Colleen @ This Time I Mean It

2. Blossom @ Blossom Banded

3. Camille @ Living Large in C.C.

4. Dawn @ What I Weighed in High School

5. Miss Vickie @ The Queen Bee's Lap Band Life

6. Ashli @ Skinny Tastes Better - (hopes she'll start posting again)

7. Sarah @ Simple, Sassy Sarah

8. Pie @ Pie in Progress

9. TJ @ Metamorphic Journey

10. Jen @ It IS All About Me

11. Terri @ I Can Do This

12. Jenny @ Embracing a New Path

13. Jacquie @ Can't Wait to Lose it With the Band

14. Mallen @ Banded for Life

15. YOU! That's right, I mean you! If you're reading this and don't already have this award take it and follow it's rules.

BYOC

Here is my contribution to BYOC Friday! If you don't know what it's about head on over to : It's Just Me Drazil, & Sheniqua for the run down.

1. Do you remember your last dream?

Not really. I don't usually remember my dreams but the last one I remember remembering was about some kind of argument that I was trying to resolve but the people kept changing and I was overwhelmed and just wanted to run away. Every room I went into was exactly like the last one and the situation was the same, but the face of the arguing parties was always different.

***When you dream do the people look like who they are to you? I ask because when I dream I know that it is my brother (for example) but he looks like someone I've never met. Am I alone in this?

2. Which is your favorite body part of the human body and why?

Well, that depends on what for...

For drooling over I'd say it's that cut at the hip. I call it the hip dip. Mamma wantsa bite o them mmm....!

For just general cuteness that would be baby feet. But only baby feet, cause everyone's feet except for my own are scary.

3. Tell me about your first kiss...

My first kiss... I was 15. I went to the skating ring with some of my friends from school. There was this guy, dreamy guy, who was 19. My friends got him to slow skate with me and at the end of the evening I walked out with him to wait for my parents to pick me up. Before he got in his car he got my phone number and then kissed me. BTW I guess I forgot to mention he thought I was 17.

Actually that's not the real story it was my 2nd kiss, but it's the one I like to remember and the one I will tell to my daughter when she's old enough to ask.

The real deal was outside after an after school function when I was 15. It was this red headed boy who was kinds dorky and was covered in freckles. I say dorky not over his look, we're talking demeanor. Anyway, he kissed me in the parking lot and then proceeded to grab my butt while he kissed me. LAME! I was so embarrassed and never spoke to him again.

4. How big is your bed?

Queen, but I was told to upgrade to a latex foam king size before Husband comes back from this deployment.

5. Repeat question....whose blog or comment stuck with you the most this week and why?

This post from Blossom Banded I totally remember working hard to deal with that feeling. I remember struggling not to ask my husband what the hell was wrong with him to want to be with me looking like I did. It was really hard for me to process that this was MY issue and actually had nothing to do with the wonderful man I married who loved me despite myself and just quietly hoped I would start loving myself as much as he loved me.

*GAH Draz... not love myself like *that* Although, he probably wouldn't have minded the show. Now take your double entendres and go back to work! ::wink::

The Ladies Room

A very pregnant friend asked for someone to explain to her why women take so long in the bathroom. I guess she got stuck waiting and was feeling surly about it. This is my response to her:

First, I have to figure out the best way to hover over the toilet without breaking my damn neck or falling into someone else's pee on the seat while avoiding the suspicious puddle on the floor. I also have to find a place to hold my purse as there are no hooks on the door and hanging it over the corner of the door causes the door to swing open and hit me on the head.

Then I pee, but it is also that time of the month so now I have to balance on one foot with my elbow braced on the wall and my back arched so I can replace my preferred feminine hygiene product without contaminating it on the gross toilet. The toilet paper roll runs out before I finish so I attempt to pat dry with the shredded remnants that clung to the roll.

Now I have to get my self out of the odd contorted position I've put myself in while I curse myself for not working on my core strength through weights or Pilates.
Off to the sink now only to discover there is no soap except a puddle on the counter. I debate for a moment and finally decide counter soap is better than no soap. Of course now the air dryer is broken and the paper dispenser is jammed. I spend a minute trying to jam my fingers up the towel slot without cutting them off on the ragged tearing surface.
By this point, I'm hot and sweaty and cranky so I mutter profanities under my breath as I pat my hands dry on my least obvious article of clothing. I linger in front of the mirror for a moment and wish there was something I could do about my now sweaty hair and upper lip. However there are still no towels so I heave a sigh and head out of the ladies room. I think to myself that I could sure use a drink after that, but I'll be damned if I do anything to induce another trip into the hell that is the public ladies restroom. As I come through the door I see you glaring at me and I think I should tell you there is no toilet paper, soap, or paper towel, but your glare clearly says, "get the hell out of my way!" So I smile and hold the door open for you.

It's Been Awhile - Weigh-in, a Goal, and a Fill

I'm back and apparently no worse for wear. The kids and I spent quite a while at the grandparent's house. It was good for me emotionally to have someone else around over the age of "I wanna duct tape your mouth shut 13". Band-wise with no restriction it was not so great. I didn't gain, but I stayed at 233lbs for at least 3 weeks.

That however is the past. Today is a weigh-in day!

Pre-pre op diet: 265

Starting weight: 261
Today's Weight: 224
Total loss = 41# or
37# in the 98 days since banding

I got my second fill on the 4th. My BN added 1cc so I am now at 5cc in a 10cc band. I felt great for the first three days after my fill. I had no trouble sticking to liquids and mush. I wasn't ever hungry. Now... I'm starving and have no restriction. I guess 5 isn't going to be my sweet spot. Oh, but those three days were nice! I can't wait to get to restriction.

I made my "Rare" goal on July 26th. I'm now only 14lbs away from being Medium-Rare!

The kiddos have started back at school. All three are full day now. I have nothing but time to do all the things I haven't been able to squeeze in for the last 13 years. Maybe I'll finally get caught up and start taking better care of myself.

Husband is still away. I've planned a three day family trip for his R&R leave in the fall. There is an indoor pool and a massage therapist involved. Hopefully it will help him relax enough to cope with having to go right back for another 3-4 months. His boss makes his life hell and seems to enjoy it. This is the first time in 11+ years I've wanted to act like "that wife" and go give his boss a piece of my mind and a black eye.

I owe y'all two and three month Bandiversary progress pics and I owe Colleen a giant thank you post full of sisterhood clothes pics. Unfortunately my camera has either been lost or stolen. I guess it's time to replace it anyway. I just wish I could have the data card from it... I guess those pics aren't coming. Sorry y'all. You'll just have to wait for the 4 month progress pics in September. I know that will make Draz feel better since it's a nice even number!

It's going to take me awhile to catch up on posts. If there is anything profound or of immediate importance that I need to see STAT please send me a link!

Vacation Notice

Just wanted to let you all know I'm going to be away for a bit. Heading to let the kids visit family and go to camp. I'll be back in a week or two depending. Leaving now.

Y'all try not to post too much while I'm gone. I hate trying to catch up!

Love to you all,

50 Followers - Following 39

I haven't lost 50lbs yet, but I do have 50 following friends, which I must say is just as good.

I've gone through to make sure I'm following everyone who's following me, but so far all I've found links for is 39 of y'all. So... if I'm not following you and you want me to be, please either comment with a link to your bloggie or email me at:

cheeseburgergirl AT ymail DOT com

I promise I will add you ASAP so I can get to reading!

Love to you,

Week 9 Weigh-In, First Fill Report, & The Sisterhood

Last Thursday I packed the kids and the car and headed to my in-laws house for the 4th of July festivities. I was on day 2 of liquids after my first fill and was a little worried about how I was going to handle vacation with a super tight band. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. My 1cc fill did absolutely nothing for me past the third day. I am back to feeling like I have no band at all. It's really quite frustrating because I feel like I'm just on another damn diet and we all know what kind of track record diets leave one with.

During vacation I consumed way too much salt and 12 pieces of Godiva chocolates.

Consequently, my scale decided to show me no love and left me exactly where I was 2 weeks ago.

Pre-pre op diet: 265
Starting weight: 261
Today's Weight: 233
Total loss = 32# or
28# in the 63 days since banding

This plateau is getting old. Time to start the whining! Or not. Wouldn't change a thing anyway. On the upside, if you check out the picture of a real plateau, you'll notice that there is a steep drop on the sides of it. I'm totally looking forward to the free fall.

In an effort to actually be productive and keep better track of my eating and drinking times I am going to go buy a watch today. I used to wear one all the time. It had 3 alarms and two timezones and kept me on track with picking up the kids from school and abreast of whatever time zone my bestie (or my hubby depending on the deployment schedule) was in. However, with the improvements in basic cell phones I have not worn one in two years. My cell phone is great for being a glorified alarm clock and showing me what time it is in Washington state and Afghanistan, but it lacks a countdown timer. What I need is an annoying little reminder every 80 minutes. BEEP BEEP - start eating BEEP BEEP start drinking BEEP BEEP time to eat again etc.

If Bella is going to be a witch and leave me to do this on my own, the least I can do is make an effort. I can't allow myself to fail this time.

In MUCH happier news:

I got home last night and found a big ole pile of love from the sisterhood waiting on my doorstep.

I've been looking through and squealing like a little girl. Wow, I mean really! There is stuff for now and stuff to work toward and I am absolutely giddy. I already have a new favorite pair of no-saggy-butt jeans!

There will be pictures soon and public thanks to my "sisterhood angel" as soon as I make sure it's OK with her.

P.S. My 2 month bandiversary was on the 3rd. I'll work on taking those pics too before too much time passes. Maybe Bella has been sneaking cake and ice cream to celebrate instead of pushing me to the edge of my plateau.