Mommy is melting down...

...the pounds that is! 

I have hit my breaking point and gone big on a diet venture.  I am on a seriously strict diet right now and so far the success is amazing!  I am writing it up, making it public, so I'm less likely to cheat.  Jack would kill me if I did anyway...not because he's tired of cuddling up to the marsh mellow woman, but because it is $$$.  Yea that's right I paid big bucks to lose weight and so far I'd do it again.  OK lets get to it.

I am on the hCG diet.  What is it?
The pregnancy hormone and a very low calorie diet (VLCD), I give myself a shot of it every morning, (it doesn't hurt)

What's it do?
Like in pregnancy it helps break down your fat stores to help baby thrive.  Well w/o pregnancy it helps me thrive on the VLCD.

What's a diet day like?
Only 500 calories a day

• Morning I take my shot and start drinking water, you need at least 100 oz per day.  I can have a cup of black coffee or green tea. 
• Snack an hour later, usually 4 egg whites OR apple OR orange OR 1.5 cups strawberry.
• Lunch is either a protein shake OR a 4oz meat and 2 cups of a veggie.
• Another snack...same as above
• Dinner same as lunch

I started on June 18th, it lasts 40 days, I finish the shots on July 27th, and the VLCD on July 30th.  So far I have lost 11 pounds!  I am stalled out right now on the scale because my monthly visit with Aunt Flo!  I guess I'm still losing fat, but retaining water so the scale is stuck.  

THE GOAL!
I should be able to lose 30-40 pounds in 40 days.  I will be happy with 30 right now.  I have always struggled with weight loss as many of you know.  I had actually started researching lipo and other surgical options to assist with problem areas.  This was way more my speed and I could afford it.  I know people will have their 50 cents to say about my diet choice but all I can say is kiss my fat ars...goodbye!
It's always the skinny people who are the first to knock down us struggling overweights for trying.  I've already heard so much from "them", that is sooo unhealthy, that diet is bogus, you just wasted your money...and so on.  Well, until you have been in the shoes of a girl who, though I may despise exercise, has tried very hard to lose weight for years.  To the point of starvation to lose 1 stinkin pound... with no success.  It is unnerving to struggle with weight on a day to day, minute by minute basis. 

So with that I say- I am actually enjoying this diet.  I feel really good, the pounds are actually dropping daily.  I have not seen this weight since before being preggers with Lillybug.  So thank you to all of you who are supporting me!  Especially Jack, who has changed his eating habits and helps make my healthy meals, so I don't struggle with cravings.  I have noticed that most of it is bad habits and not cravings.  Like the number of times I enter the pantry to get something for the kids and I used to grab a little something for myself.  When I get through this I may post before and after pics, but that will be hard for me to disclose.  We will see!

11 pounds at 13 days in and 2 inches off the hips & belly!

3 YEARS YOUNG!

Well another year has flown by and we are now the proud parents of an unbelievably cute 3 year old.  We headed back to my fav picture spot for Lilly to take her 3 year pics.

We started of really well, Lilly was hammin' it up for the camera.  Posing and smiling and LOOKING AT THE CAMERA!

Then we get to the, I can't sit still anymore...this is her dancing.

No more looking at the camera...everywhere but my direction!

No more smiling, do you see the face above?  If you look close enough you can see that she is saying "CHEEEEEEEEEZZZZ".  I asked her to smile for me... her response.  "Sighhh, I cheesing Moma"  Trying to explain smiling was a lost cause...but it made my Mom and I laugh.

Her hair is still...Hhhhh...do I need to say more?

Lilly is a great big sister to Liam (aka Bubba).  In 10 words she is very

smart, sweet, silly, saucy, cuddly, curious, naughty, helpful, caring, TALKATIVE

She LOVES

TEDDY~ dancing~ singing~ pajamas~ swimming~ coloring~ chicken (the food)~ skirts~ purses~ the moon~ friends~ fruit snacks~ tea party's~ bath time

There is so much more I could talk about, she is just an amazing little girl.  She can be driving us nuts and in the same second make us smile because she's so cute.  She's got most everyone wrapped around her little finger.  Our little Lillybug, she is growing into a beautiful young lady...but hopefully not too fast.

DANCE school is so cool...beans!

OK, Lilly finally got to go to her first dance class!  Which she prefers to call dance school.  So this post is about yet another of the so many firsts that are slipping away.  Also some "my kid says the darnedest" quotes.

We will start by how EXCITED Lilly has been to start dance school.  She has been counting down the weeks and days.  When it was time to go she asked if she could ride the bus there.

 We may have a gymnast on our hands.  As soon as we got there she saw the gym and couldn't wait to try everything.  Oh, and the name Lilly is WAY MORE popular than we once thought.  So there are 4 Lilly's in her class of 9.  Sighhhhhh!  Well technically 2 are Lillian, but they go by Lilly.  The teacher said we will just go by last names.....ughhhh, ooops.  I don't think we have ever actually explained to Lilly that her last name is Armstrong.

Most of these pictures had to be taken through a window so they look blurry.  So Lilly got to tap, cheer, do ballet, and gymnastics.  I was impressed at how well she payed attention in the dance portion.

Then a little mortified when they went into the gymnastic room.  They told all the girls to sit against the wall, everyone but Lilly obeyed.  She went running off and climbed right onto the beam.  Jack found it more amusing than I did.  I was ready to open the door and have the "you need to listen" speech.  I didn't do it!  I held back and let the teachers (that barely looked 18) handle it.

Funny quote...power went out at the house after a storm.  Lilly says to Jack

"Does the house need new batteries?"

Kimber did something to Lilly (they were in another room)  All I hear is...

"No Kimber!  Are you kidding me. are you kidding me Kimber?"

Lilly will say "excuse me" to people we walk past.  It makes me so proud, especially when someone comments on her good manners.

Who knew a child's xxs sparkly leotard would cost $40.  Thank goodness for Kid-2-Kid!

 Last quote, and one of Lilly's new fav's!

"That is so cool beans"

6 months and getting cuter every day!

OK, so Liam is the cutest little boy from here to the stars!  He is so completely different than Lilly at this age.  Lilly was such a sweet little girly thing...Liam is a rough and tough little boy!

He has finally rolled over.

It was a hot summery Texas kinda day...May 25th.  Liam was just staying cool on his jungle play mat.  He was playing on his back and seconds later he was on his stomach.  I literally blinked and missed it.  Luckily my Mom was there and saw the whole thing!  To be honest, if she hadn't pointed it out, I probably would've figured I had put him down on his belly and just gone back to whatever I was doing.

Liam had his 6 month check-up on the 1st.  Dr. said he looks awesome and is a very healthy boy.

Dr. asked if he eats OK, Jack snickered and replied "you have looked at him right?"  I think the fat rolls give it away.  The kid still kills an 8 ouncer ever few hours.  He was only excited about the stick in his mouth until he realized he couldn't eat it!

He's topping the charts with a BIG head. It measures 18 inches, 95th percentile. 

He's weighing in at 19 lbs 10 oz, putting him in the 85th percentile.  (At 6 mo Lilly weighed 16 lbs)

He is 27 inches long, aka 2ft 3in, which is 70th percentile.

He got 3 more shots, which I'm sure my insurance wont pay for.

Man, this kid can pout!  And it is super cute.  He also has rock star hair!!!  It is the wildest, craziest, and the most ridiculously cute thing ever.  It's all spiky in back and lays flat toward the front.

Liam got to go swimming for the first time.  He totally loved it, even though Lilly kept splashing him in the face with water.

His first tooth just broke through last week.  I feel like he has been teething forever.

This is Liam's new face, he always sucks in his bottom lip.  Reminds me of an old man who forgot his dentures.  But, it's still so incredibly CUTE!

I will make an attempt to do his 6 month pictures this week.  He was not feeling well today...I think his shots finally kicked in.