The Christmas of Two Trees

*Disclaimer: This post was started three days ago and I'm just now getting around to finishing it...maybe.

It's been kind of crazy around the Labunski abode lately. Ok, when it is not? I know. But I feel like I haven't really stopped since before Thanksgiving.

The good news is that I have almost all Christmas presents made and wrapped, as of about 2 am last night. I've made about half of all presents this year, which has been fun and tiring at the same time. My sewing machine has gotten quite the workout, let me tell ya.

On top of all that, the boys each got double ear infections at the beginning of the month. Of course, we first took Asher in to the doctor alone, being concerned about his chronic coughing. Their doctor diagnosed the ear infection and put Asher on amoxicillin; this was after I had informed her that the boys had been given a different antibiotic because their previous doctor thought they might be building up a resistance to amoxicillin. The next day, Levi was showing signs of an ear infection, so we got him into the doctor and received the same diagnosis and prescription.

Fast forward 13 or so days. The boys have finished their round of antibiotics and yet are still coughing and fussy. So we made another appointment for them and sure enough, the ear infections weren't gone. This time, their doctor prescribed a different antibiotic, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that this one will work.

On top of the ear infection, Asher also had some wheezing when he breaths, so the doctor had us do a 5 minute round with the nebulizer (like an inhaler for asthma, but bigger); Asher was understandably thrilled. After the treatment, the wheezing had lessened, meaning that Asher has a mild form of asthma. So now we the proud owners of an at-home nebulizer, and poor Asher has to go through treatments once every 4 hours for about a week (or until his cough goes away).

Needless to say, Mommy is a bit stressed.

Add the boys' health problems to the following list:

• We've been scraping by on less-than-healthy food for the past week or so due to low funds (man, Christmas time is rough on the pocketbook).
• Once I finally got paid, I was unable to access our bank account online in order to update my register book and plan out the monthly budget, effectively keeping us from going shopping for the things we so desperately need. The boys' health problems and my funky work schedule made it difficult to get to the bank to fix this problem.
• Our house is a mess. Not so much tidy-wise, but more cleanliness-wise. It's driving me insane. We're out of toilet bowl cleaner. 'Nuff said.
• Our Christmas tree died as a result of a lack of water in the tree stand. As in, turned-brown-needles-falling-off-major-fire-hazard dead. Muy no bueno. We haven't been able to turn on the tree lights for a good week or so, effectively diminishing the oh-tannenbaum effect. Due to the above-listed reasons, we haven't been able to replace the dead as a doornail tree.
• I need to do laundry. Badly. Yet worrying about all the above-listed things makes me just want to sleep. A lot.
• Because of our less than healthy eating habits for the past week, there is NO WAY the scale will be dropping when I weigh in on Saturday. So I've been debating not going to weigh in, using the excuse that my mom won't be there anyway. Yet I know that's the cowardly way out. I haven't missed a single weigh in since I started 17 weeks ago, and I just hate to break that track record.
• I'm sure there's more that has been weighing on my mind, but that's all I could come up with at the moment.

And yet despite all these stressful things going on, there are a lot of positive things that have made my life seem a bit brighter (this is going to be a long post, so sorry):

• We had a great dinner with our friends/neighbors across the street on Saturday. We just love spending time with them, and the opportunity doesn't come around very often.
• I got to go to our church's Moms & Tots group on Tuesday morning, which was a wonderful time with some great ladies from our church. It was fun to see how all the kids at different ages interact, especially since I don't have much experience with young kiddos. And it was SO nice to just chit chat with other moms for a bit.
• I finally called our bank and had them resolve our online account issue for us. I was afraid they wouldn't do it over the phone, but Nathan reassured me the would. Because of that, I was able to balance my checkbook and figure out our budget for the month. YAY! HUGE weight off my shoulders.
• Nathan is going grocery shopping at this very moment. I love having groceries.
• I really really enjoy my current trainer at work. She and I have a very similar sense of humor, and she keeps me from being too hard on myself and stressing myself out more than necessary, which definitely helps keep work fun.
• Between making Christmas presents, I found time to make myself an absolutely adorable purse. I figured that I should make myself at least one thing, and it was a ton of fun to do...thankfully it didn't take too long.
• We borrowed the first season of Monk from the library to watch tonight. We needs some humor up in this place.
• Nathan got a new Christmas tree today. My house smells like Christmas again. Mmmm. I think I feel hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps in my very near future.
• Despite the frustration that goes along with the boys' health problems, we are blessed to have the financial ability to take care of them, the insurance to help us with the costs, and access to amazing health care. They'll be better in no time.

Moral of the story:

It's ok to take stock of the things that are stressing you out, because then you can eliminate those things one by one. But don't forget to list your blessing as well.

And don't forget to water your Christmas tree.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

After a dismal week for my weight loss (or rather, gain) last week - I blame the four Thanksgiving dinners - I have bounced back. With a vengeance. And it feels SO good!

I stepped on the scale this morning and watched the leader write down the following weight:

149.2 lbs!!!!!!!

The above number translates into a lot of things for me.

• I lost 3.4 lbs in one week. That's a lot of stuffing and turkey being shed!
  
• I have finally busted through the 150 barrier that has been taunting me for weeks.
• According to Weight Watchers, I am now officially no longer obese.
• The weight stated on my driver's license is actually higher than my real weight.
• I haven't seen the 140's since...wow, I really don't remember. You can bet they won't be sticking around for long!

And...

I have lost a total of 25.2 lbs!!!!!

Wow. For some reason 25 feels like a much larger number than 20, which went pretty much unremarked. But see, at 25 lbs you get this nifty award that looks incredibly similar to a washer...you know, the kind you use to build things, not the kind you use to wash things. But this one is special. It has '25 lbs' stamped in it. And it goes on the key ring I earned when I reached my 10% goal, which hangs on the keys I use every single day as a reminder to myself of how far I've come.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm very proud of myself. And yes, sometimes I do a double-take when I see myself in a mirror unexpectedly.

On the goal weight front, I'm going back and forth on what I want my final goal to be. You see, I want to reach a healthy weight, but also one that I am able to maintain. According to my BMI, my healthy weight range is anywhere from 110 lbs to 130 lbs. Originally, my plan was to shoot for 120, but I'm beginning to think that I should start with 130, see how my body looks and feels, and then see if 120 is realistic.

So for now I've decided that my goal weight is 130 lbs. Which means I only have 19.2 lbs left to lose!

I'm more than half way there!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the HUGE thing that happened tonight! Nathan and I wanted to get out of the house and get some Christmas shopping done for the boys at a time that we'd be able to go together. So we did some arm twisting and got Grandma Jan to watch the boys for a bit (believe me, we didn't have to twist very hard). When we got there, Jan was holding one of Asher's hands and he was standing there reaching out to me with his other. I took his hand, then both Jan and I let go. He stood there a moment and then TOOK HIS FIRST STEP!

And it wasn't a fluke! Later, after we got back from shopping, Nathan was sitting in a chair and helping Asher stand. Several times in a row, Nathan let go of Asher's hands and Asher took 2-3 steps at a time in order to get to the chair Nathan was sitting it. We tried to get photos, but a first step isn't exactly something you catch with a still photo, it's more of a video thing. And, of course, our video camera was 40 miles away in McMinnville. Pooh.

Regardless of the lack of proof, it still gives me happy chills to think that one of my babies is starting to walk on his own. And where one is walking, the other isn't far behind.

Let's Get Some Positive Up In Here!

After having that last sad post up for a week, I decided it was time for a more positive post. Now armed with Sleepy Time tea, bring on the joy!

Thanksgiving was fun...all four Thanksgivings we had. Yes, four.

The first one was at church on the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving and included some awesome swing dance lessons. Wow I've missed swing dancing. Seriously. My friends and I were swing dance fiends in high school, so much so that people would stop and just watch us during the Miner's Jubilee street dance every summer. Anyway, it just re-enforced how much I love our church here. I mean, how many churches have swing dance lessons? And the food...wow. It was amazing, especially considering the sheer amount that was made.

The second one was actually on Thanksgiving, at Nathan's mom's house. I didn't know that I would get Thanksgiving off until two days before, so I got to tag along at the last minute. The cast of characters included Nathan's mom, her sister, her parents, and Nathan's sister and her husband. It was a quick one, but definitely fun. I even got to make the pumpkin rolls...yum. And the cheesecake Kate made for dessert was divine...I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, so this was a welcome change.

The third go was that same night, at Nathan's dad's place. It was just the five of us, and incredibly relaxed. After dinner, we followed Labunski family tradition and popped in Dad's 1998 taped version of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, complete with 1998 commercials. Love it. The boys didn't sleep very well, which made for a long night, but we still had a great time.

The final edition was on Saturday at my parent's place, and included the four of us, my parents, my dad's parents, and Nathan's dad. After yet ANOTHER delish turkey dinner (man oh man, the boys love love love turkey, you definitely didn't hear them complaining), we started a new family tradition and busted out the Wii. We even convinced my grandparents to jump into some Wii bowling and Boom Blox. I have to say, my grandpa was kind of a pro at Boom Blox, even managing to beat Nathan.

While all of our Thanksgivings were wonderful, it was nice to finally see that particular holiday behind us. I never thought I'd get tired of Thanksgiving dinner, but it actually happened!

On Sunday afternoon, Nathan and I bundled the boys up and headed out to the Erratic Mammoth Tree Farm (so named for the huge Mammoth sculpture at the entrance, made by the farm owner) to get ourselves a Christmas tree. For $10, we got an absolutely B-E-A-UTIFUL tree...probably so cheap because we got to cut down and schlep the tree a good 100 yards with babies in backpacks. It's my first big bushy tree, and I just love how it looks with all our lights and ornaments. I also got our house decorated with Christmas stuff, aided by Christmas music and some yummy hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps. I love how a Christmas tree makes our house smell. Mmm.

Ok, now we'll share some photos. We got photos at my parents' place right before we started for home, and the boys were less than impressed.

All four of us in front of our tree.

Asher left, Levi right...Just try to tell me that there are cuter babies out there!

Our tree all decorated!

Grammy and Grandpa Morgan with the boys (Levi left, Asher right)

The boys getting some love from Grandpa Ger

Great Grandpa and Great Nanna with the boyo's (Asher left, Levi right)

Happy Thanksgiving from the Labunski's! I love my family!

I Hate Nights Like Tonight

We dispatchers have a dark sense of humor. We can laugh at most anything. Not only CAN we, but a lot of times we HAVE to. It's our coping mechanism, the thing that allows us to take a dark, messy call and then move on to the next one.

But sometimes we get those calls that not even the darkest sense of humor can laugh away. The calls that make me want to shut the door and throw away the key, because laughing it away would be a disservice to those who are living that nightmare on the other end of the line.

Those are the nights that prompt me to text my husband to have a bottle of wine waiting for me when I get home.

Tonight was one of those nights.

So I come home, cry for a bit, and then settle in with a glass of wine and an episode of Biggest Loser.

And try to remember all the reasons I do this job. There are a lot of reasons. I just have to remember them all.

Dispatcher's Prayer

Dear Lord, help me keep safe those who depend on me.

Give me healthy ears, for they are my link with those who need me.

Keep my mind sharp and alert, my fingers quick and nimble.

Grant that I never forget how to do ten things at once, and do them all equally well.

Bless me with patience Lord.

Patience to deal with the public, with the officers, with the firefighters,

and with everyone else who makes me want to grit my teeth and yell.

Give me nerves of steel;

That I may listen to a mother screaming for her child to live,

the man with a gun, the family watching their home go up in flames, or a request for backup or more equipment and not give way to panic.

Grant me empathy, that I may help the caller in need,

and not cause them more pain than they already have.

God, give me the ability to learn what I need, to remember it quickly,

and give me the wisdom to use the knowledge properly.

Bless my family Lord, for they will have to make sacrifices to shift work,

overtime, canceled plans and times when I just can't take on one more thing.

Help them understand the missed ball games, school programs and dinners for two.

Lord, give me courage. Courage to persevere when I feel undervalued,

unappreciated, overworked and unrecognized.

Courage to keep trying when I feel in my heart it's hopeless.

Last of all Lord, help me to never forget why I chose this job in the first place,

to never lose sight of what is important in the midst of the stress.

Help me to remember that I make a difference;

however small it may seem some days, and that I matter.

I am a dispatcher, Lord, grant me peace.

Mmmm Spaghetti

The boys have officially been introduced to spaghetti.

"Levi and Asher, meet Spaghetti. Spaghetti, meet Asher and Levi. I think you'll really love each other."

Lordy, there was red EVERYWHERE! Hands, arms, faces, ears, foreheads, trays, bibs, floor. It was hilarious! Levi's wearing the yellow bib, Asher the blue one.






Oh those faces and smiles slay me.

For some reason, the boys love anything that involves sauce. I have yet to see them refuse food that includes sauce. It is SO nice to be able to just feed the boys whatever we happen to be eating, and it gives our pocketbook a bit of a breather as compared to feeding them 6-8 jars of baby food every day. That really added up.

They're also getting SO close to being able to walk on their own. All that's left is for them to realize they want to do it, instead of just dropping down to a crawl whenever they want to get somewhere. They've been using our dining room chairs and bar stools as modified walkers, teaming up to push them all over the dining room and kitchen. It's pretty darn funny, and they giggle the entire time.

The only dark spot is the fact that they haven't been sleeping real well. It's pretty frustrating. Granted, it probably doesn't help that they have some residual coughing from the cold they just got over, but I don't think they've slept through the night at all in the past three weeks or so. Mommy and Daddy are tired. Any ideas?

I think I need a beer. Biggest Loser and beer.

Don't look at me that way. I have the points for it.

Another Weigh-In Bites the Dust

This week I lost exactly one pound, for a total of 21 lbs lost. Not my best performance, but also most definitely not my worst. The official weight is 153.4 lbs!

And here's the thing...

I have a method to weighing myself at home that (I think) yields the most reliable numbers. It's first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom, without any clothes on. TMI? Too bad. It removes any factors like difference in clothes weight or what I've eaten throughout the day.

Anyway, on the day I found out I was pregnant, I weighed myself exactly as described above and I weighed-in at 152 lbs.

Today I weighed myself the exact same way before getting dressed to go to WW, and I weighed 151.6 lbs! So technically, I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight. However, I am being stubborn and not truly claiming that as official until I hit 152 or below at my WW meeting.

But still!!! I'm pretty excited!!!

And...I'm only 3.4 lbs away from saying goodbye to the 150's forever!

AND! My BMI is now officially below the 'obese' line. I'm ashamed to say that I was ever in the 'obese' range, but I can now say that I am officially only overweight. Only another 24 lbs to go before I am in the 'healthy' weight range! And heck, 20 lbs only took me 10 weeks before, so this will be a snap!

You know, being short is the pits. If I had only 3 more inches, my BMI would be 27 instead of just below 30. Lame.

Before & After

Yesterday, after weighing in and hitting the 20 lb mark, my dad requested photographic proof. Before and after. Ye gods. Ok. Because I'm kind of a Daddy's Girl, and because he told me how proud he is of me...because of the tears in his eyes...I'll do it. I was going to put a picture of myself before joining Weight Watchers, but I couldn't find one that was a good example. So instead I'll use a couple that I took just 19 days after starting WW. I weighed about 12 lbs more than I do now.

Ugh.


And now a couple of photo taken tonight, minus those 12 lbs...photos a little less painful to look at. Please ignore my face in the first one, I was trying to see if I was actually in the shot when the camera took the picture and I really didn't feel like taking another one.



That's much better. I found a picture of myself in college wearing these same jeans. They've been stuffed in the back of my bottom drawer for several years now because I kept telling myself someday I'd fit in them again. You know, THOSE jeans. And look...I fit in them! It's amazing what losing 20 lbs can do for your self esteem. I highly recommend it.

I wonder what losing the next 20 will look like!