Nausea

In my last post I mentioned that I hadn't been feeling well and that I would explain that in a later post. Well, now it's time. I've been sick for about two weeks with this strange nausea. It's always there but sometimes I feel okay while other times I am really sick. In the last two weeks I have lost almost 10 lbs. If it were under any other circumstance I would be rejoicing, but I lost it all by not being able to eat anything! It's sort of this feeling in the back of my throat that makes me feel like I might just throw up but I never do. It's always the worst in the morning and at night. Some days I can function just fine but others I feel like I can't do anything. Along with it, I have a sore throat but no other cold symptoms and feel extremely fatigued. I know that being tired is a symptom of my hypothyroidism but I can't explain the sore throat and nausea.

I thought that perhaps I was experiencing heart burn but I don't really know what that is supposed to feel like and it doesn't seem to be related to anything I eat. My throat also doesn't burn like you would expect when you think of heart burn. Taking antacids doesn't give me any relief whatsoever. Sometimes just getting food in my stomach helps a little bit but the feeling is always there.

I am so tired and sick that just getting the housework done on a daily basis is all I can manage so going for a walk is out of the question. I have been able to go a few days in the past two weeks but usually I just don't have the strength. Sometimes I think that either I'm starting to feel better or I'm just getting used to being sick all the time, but then I have another really bad day. Today is one of those days.

I know what some of you may be thinking, but you are wrong. According to three tests and my monthly visitor (who is actually my sometimes-every-40-days-visitor and who was 5 days late this time), I am not pregnant. I thought for sure I was because these are all classic pregnancy symptoms, but I was wrong, much to my great disappointment. I could handle the nausea if I knew that I would get a precious gift for it in the end, but now I have no answers and I just want it to stop. I didn't want to say anything about it before because I wanted to surprise my family with the news about the pregnancy but now there is no need to keep it a secret and at this point I don't mind if some people know because I really need some prayer. I feel like I'm just in survivor mode and doing the necessary chores (like keeping my family safe and healthy) and letting everything else slide.

I have a doctor appointment next Tuesday but I can't imagine feeling this way any longer. I am very thankful, however, that I did not feel sick on Thanksgiving or the day after. I ate more those two days than I have eaten over the last two weeks combined. Sadly, the next two days I was more sick than I think I have been since it all started. I hope to get some answers from my doctor next week and my medication will also be adjusted, so if this is all caused by my thyroid then maybe I'll start feeling better soon. Please pray for relief, strength, rest, and the ability to take care of my family even if I don't feel well. Thank you. I'll keep you posted.

Charts

I DESPISE organizing, but I LOVE to be organized. I know that doesn't make much sense, but it's true! The act of organizing and getting everything in its place is so difficult and overwhelming to me, but once I've got it done, I love it! Even better if I can manage to keep it that way, which is rare.

I decided that since I'm not feeling well today (more on that another day), it would be a good day to accomplish a couple of my short-term goals and make some charts, bringing me that much closer to being an organized housewife. First will be a cleaning and chore chart. When I have used one in the past, it worked really well (when I stuck to it) and I loved the idea of only cleaning the house one room at a time per day. Now that I have a house twice as big as the last one, I am in desperate need of a new schedule. I'd also like to make a chart for a weekly menu. I have used menus before and really enjoyed it, but I usually forget to make one and end up thinking about what to make for supper around 3:00. Lately I've been inspired by Lynn's Kitchen Adventures to make up a weekly menu. So now it's time to turn on the Christmas music and make me some charts!

What do you do to stay organized?

Goals

I have been thinking a lot about this lately and have decided that I need to have a list of short-term and long-term goals. I have them floating around in my head, but I really need to write them down. Goals seem so fluid in my head but I think they can be much more concrete in written form.

Short-term Goals (now through the end of the year):

• Start a new family devotion.
• Read the Bible EVERY DAY. I don't know why this one is so tough for me, but it is.
• Lose 20 lbs. This one may seem unattainable but over the summer I managed to lose 15 lbs in just under a month. With my thyroid issues, I seem to be able to lose weight easily but it comes right back on very quickly. We'll see how this goes with Thanksgiving right around the corner.
• Walk at least 5 times a week. My goals in the past have been to walk EVERY day, but it never seems to work no matter how hard I try. Something always comes up at least once a week and there are always days where going for a walk just isn't feasible due to scheduling or illness. It's so disappointing when those days arise but if I give myself a little wiggle room, it might be less disappointing. I'll always aim for 7 days but know that if I can't make it every day, I'm still accomplishing my goal.
• Make up a weekly cleaning schedule and stick to it.
• Try a new meal at least twice a week.
• Make at least 3 new card designs a week to sell on my Etsy shop.

Long-term Goals:

• Continue our family devotion routine. We have never been very good at keeping this in our routine due to my husband's crazy work schedule, however, now that he is only working one job and is usually home at a decent time, there is no reason why we can't get this one done.
• Be more encouraging and uplifting to my husband.
• Be more attentive to learning opportunities for my son and expanding on those opportunities.
• Read at least one book a month that will encourage me to be a better child of God, wife, and mother. Any suggestions?
• Also read at least one book a month for pleasure. I'm also open to suggestions here.
• Finish every book I start unless it turns out to be a complete and total dud and failure of a book. I always start reading 3 or 4 books at once and only end up finishing one or two of them. I need to only read one at a time and get all the way through it.
• Start changing our family lifestyle to one that is more active and less sedentary.
• Keep up with my household chores so it is always clean and presentable. I don't mean spotless at all times, but I just don't want to be embarrassed if someone comes over and the house is a wreck. There were many times at our previous house where the house was awful and I couldn't stand the thought of anyone else stepping foot in it. I'm certainly not a perfectionist and my house will never be beautifully clean at all times, but as long as I don't slack off on my daily chores, I'll be happy. If I can stay on top of my duties but have a mess from daily living, I'm fine with that. I've done a pretty good job since we moved into the new house, but I know I can do better.

That is all I have for now, although I may expand on my lists in the next few days. Thanks for reading! Be sure to check on me every now and then and ask how I'm doing on my goals. I would be happy to answer. And if I'm not happy, that means I'm not doing a good job and I need to do better. :-)

Tips

While searching through our bathroom reading material the other day, I came across a 2005 Reader's Digest displaying the following article title: 19 Weight Loss Tips For People Who Love to Eat. I was slightly intrigued but also apprehensive because once you've read one article with weight loss tips, you've read them all. I decided to go ahead and check it out anyway and I'm glad I did! Here are some I would like to share with you:

Start with soup. Eating soup before your meal helps to fill you up so you won't eat as much at dinner. Broth-based soups are better since they tend to be healthier and can be jam-packed with vegetables.

Go for color. Reader's Digest says, "The Japanese have a saying: 'Not dressing up the meal with color is like going out without clothes.'" It goes on to state that it not only makes your food more attractive but it gives you the opportunity to "bulk up your meals without a lot of calories." Red, blue-green, yellow, white and black are colors to look for in choosing your food. I enjoy making colorful dishes, such as the Spicey Christmas Delight I made last year. The stir-fry I make is also quite colorful and very lovely to the eyes and the taste buds. I'll try to remember to post that recipe soon as well.

When you're eating, just eat. Don't eat while you're driving, walking, talking on the phone, working on the computer, or watching TV. It is easier to overeat without realizing it if you are distracted. Dean Ornish, MD, author of Eat More, Weigh Less says, "If you really pay attention to what you're eating, you enjoy it more fully and don't need as much food." This is a bad habit that Sonny and I are just starting to break. Before our Lil' Squirt was born, we greatly enjoyed watching something on the computer while eating dinner and when our little one was just a baby we didn't stop. We would tell ourselves, "He doesn't know any better now because he's too small. Let's take advantage of this great opportunity while we still can!" Well, now he's getting older and we still do it sometimes! It's a tough habit to break but we'll get there soon.

Enjoy regular meals. I'm sure we've all been guilty of missing breakfast or lunch on busy days then chowing down later in the afternoon because you feel like you are starving. Don't skip meals! Eat three regular meals a day, starting with a good, hearty breakfast.

Stop eating before you're full. This should be a no-brainer, but I am so guilty of this! Sometimes food is so incredibly delicious that I just can't put the fork down, but stopping at the first twinge of fullness is important to avoid overeating.

Chow down only when you're hungry. Another no-brainer, yet I find myself eating many times simply because I'm bored. Making sure that you fill your time with important and uplifting tasks throughout the day can help keep you from getting bored or dwelling too much on stressful things in your life which may also encourage eating when you're not hungry. This is an example of things I know but need reminding of many times in my life.

Dine with others. Eating with friends and family helps you to restrain your own behavior and keeps you from over eating. Not only does it make you more aware of what you are eating and how much but being involved in conversation also slows you down.

Have a glass of wine. Studies show that one glass of wine a day can decrease your chances of having cardiovascular disease. We don't really like wine but there may be a day when we'll try it again and maybe it will be a little bit less yucky. It might be helpful though to those of you who don't mind having a little bit of alcohol every now and then and who really enjoy it.

Get moving. You don't need to spend hours at the gym, just be more active in your lifestyle. Go for daily walks, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the back of the parking lot, do yard work, etc. One of my top goals nowadays is to work on being more active.

Anyway, those are all the tips that I liked and wanted to share with you.

Moderation

Moderation is the key, my friends.

In July I started on the Weight Watchers diet and for the most part was doing everything right. I also walked almost every day for at least 30 minutes and lost a total of about 15 lbs in about 3 weeks. I didn't work as hard as I knew I could, though. The number of points I was able to use seemed like too many and I always had a ton of points left over and would often think, "Oh, well then I can have a cookie because I have points left." I was not as disciplined as I could be but I certainly did better than I ever have in my life at really trying to diet. There were things about the diet I liked but things I didn't like. This time around I am not counting points, not counting calories, not deciding what is off-limits. I am simply keeping to the philosophy that moderation is the key.

I am definitely striving to eat more vegetables and fruit and less fat and sugar, but I will not deny myself of certain pleasures. My goal is not to lose as much weight as possible, but to transition into a healthier lifestyle. My biggest problem has always been moderation. If I think something is good, self-control goes out the window and I eat as much of it as I can. *Blush blush*. Having one or two cookies a week will not kill me. Having five cookies in one sitting might. Having one soda a month certainly won't harm me, but having one a day (like when we are on vacation, or like I used to do before I got married) will most definitely cause me harm. It's about making good decisions and using self-control. We teach our son daily about self-control and pray with him that God will help him to have self-control and yet I have none myself.

This morning I wanted to have our family's favorite breakfast, potatoes and sausage. We usually make a heaping amount for both of us then smother it in syrup. I used great self-control this morning to only cut up a very small potato and a couple of slices of sausage and to use as little canola oil in the skillet as possible. It was a great breakfast and quite filling.

For lunch I had a veggie burrito, which I told you about one day last week. I used leftover rice from dinner the night before (which was seasoned with home made taco seasoning) and leftover corn. I chopped carrots and broccoli and added fresh spinach. I spread a little bit of ranch dressing on a warmed tortilla, added the rice and veggies then sprinkled it with a little bit of cheddar cheese. It was so wonderfully delicious.

Oh, I also walked 30 minutes at the mall today.

Christmas decorations!

My calves are sore from the brisk pace I kept the entire time. I blew all those old ladies with their fanny packs and hand weights out of the water!

So in closing, it's not all about losing as much weight as possible, but about changing my lifestyle and making better choices. Eating healthier, getting exercise, using self-control, and eating bad things in moderation without denying myself of simple pleasures every now and then. Hopefully this doesn't backfire on me!

Birthday

My Lil' Squirt is 2 years old!!

On Friday my mom and I took him and his cousin to the Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke to celebrate his birthday. It isn't the greatest zoo but it was perfect for the little ones because there wasn't anyone else there so they could just run around and check everything out at their own pace. We greatly enjoyed it!

Friday night I made a lion cake for for Lil' Squirt's birthday party:

I used a recipe from my Taste of Home cook book for Moist Chocolate Cake and simply doubled it. I made two round cake pans and filled two muffin pans with the rest of the batter in little cupcake cups. For the brown frosting, I used the Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting recipe in the Taste of Home Baking Book and for the yellow frosting I used the Bakery Frosting recipe (divided by fourths and using vanilla instead of almond extract) from the same cook book. I had a bit of problem when it came to the round cakes, however. Even though I greased the pans, they still didn't come out well. The first one looked terrible but was still in one piece while the second one just came out in chunks. Instead of making a two layer cake, I decided to just go ahead and use a portion of the failure as a raised part on the cake for the mouth and nose. It worked out really well! It wasn't until AFTER the cake had been made that I received a link to one of my favorite blogs, Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, which stated that sprinkling the pan with cocoa powder before pouring the batter in keeps the chocolate cake from sticking to the pan. Genius! Anyway, it still turned out beautifully despite my limited baking and decorating knowledge, and it sure was a hit!

We had a blast at the party, passing around our new baby niece and watching the antics of a couple of toddlers surrounded by lots of new toys and books. Lil' Squirt greatly enjoyed having his truck driver Gramma and her dogs stay with us but now the guests have left and the festivities are over so we can take a deep breath and get back into our normal routine. We like routine.

Sick, Sick, Sick!

Well, all three of us have a bad cold now. So much for walking and making better, healthier dinner choices for the next couple of days. My mom offered to order Chineese food and since she doesn't cook much and I didn't have the energy, I said it would be fine. It was all right but what good is deliciously fattening food if you can't taste it?

There isn't a book in this world that I have ever read that captivates me the way the Left Behind series does. Yes, I know it's just someone's own interpretation of what happens in the end times but it just has this way of drawing me in. I started reading them again a month ago and am on the 10th book now. Crazy, I know! My time could be spent so much better reading more uplifting books but at least it has drawn my attention away from watching TV shows online. One of my goals has been to watch less and read more, which I am doing. Any suggestions on some good, educational reading material that will actually do me some good? I'll want to have one ready for when I finish this series, which is only 2 books away. ;-)

My Lil' Squirt is turning 2 tomorrow! He loves animals so tomorrow my mom and I are going to pick up his cousin and take them to the zoo! Afterwards, he is going to help me make a lion cake for his lion themed birthday. I hope it turns out all right. I'll be sure to post pictures and let you know either way.