What's Up With My Breast Milk?!

I've recently discovered that my breast milk probably contains an excess of the enzyme lipase in it. How did I find this out?

During the first 2 weeks of his life, Hank had a few bottles of formula and seemed to do fine with expressed breast milk (EBM) in a bottle. However, once breastfeeding was well-established by 6 weeks old, he seemed to reject the bottle altogether. On the few occasions I had to leave him home with Brian or my mom, he would only manage to choke down 1 ounce of EBM before rejecting the bottle altogether. I thought he just didn't like bottles and preferred to nurse. Since I am home for 1 year, I didn't think it was really a big deal.

Last week, I attended a funeral and had to bring Hank with me. I was concerned that there wouldn't be a convenient place to nurse Hank so I decided to defrost some frozen EBM from my small freezer stash. The EBM I defrosted was from November. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) breast milk storage guidelines, frozen EBM that is stored in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator with separate doors can be stored for 3-6 months. So my EBM from November should have been alright. After defrosting, I gave the milk a sniff and it smelled soapy. I stuck my (clean) finger in the bottle and tasted it. OMG, it was awful! It tasted like sour cow's milk, but worse. I immediately recalled another mother from an online community I belong to sharing about how her EBM had a soapy smell to it and that her baby wouldn't take it. She mentioned excess lipase.


Thinking that this EBM might have just been past its prime, I decided to defrost another bag of EBM I had frozen the previous week. This milk should definitely be okay. I gave it a taste and I gagged big time! Just for good measure, I asked Brian to taste it, too. He had a similar reaction. We also tasted some freshly expressed BM so we knew how it should taste. Yep, there was definitely something funny going on with my milk so I started Google-ing.

Having an excess of lipase can make the milk "go bad" soon after it is expressed, giving it a sour/rancid/soapy smell and flavor. Allegedly, babies won't get sick from drinking this "bad" milk, but I nearly vomited when tasting it and I would never expect Hank to drink it.

Kellymom.com had a very helpful article on funny-tasting milk and excess lipase. A La Leche League International online forum also had extensive information from women who also had excess lipase and how they have dealt with it.

We were going to Joy's wedding in a few days so I decided to pump some milk and scald it according to the guidelines from the previous 2 links. Thankfully, it tasted fine the following day and, while Hank seemed a bit confused about being given a bottle, he managed to drink all 2 ounces. I need to do a bit more experimentation, though, to determine if Hank still just doesn't like bottle-feeding.


I decided to try another experiment to see how long it took for my milk to go bad. I pumped about 1 ounce of milk and kept it in the refrigerator, mainly to be used for thinning out Hank's solid food, but also for taste-testing. I've determined that after about 24 hours, my refrigerated EBM is still drinkable, but I could tell it was beginning to go bad. By 36 hours, it was absolutely horrible! So now I know that if I ever pump more milk than Hank will take within about 24 hours, I need to scald it first. Oh, and it looks like I'll need to dump my current freezer stash. Thankfully, I don't have too much. Maybe less than 50 ounces. I still cringe at the thought of dumping it, though.

Reflections

Aside from the doctors and nurses in the operating room (I had an unplanned Caesarean section), Brian was the first person Hank saw when he was born. Brian held Hank in his arms just minutes after his birth. He made sure Hank held on to his finger (skin-to-skin contact) on their way to the transitional nursery and made sure Hank knew he was not alone. I firmly believe Brian and Hank have a special connection because of this. I know Hank loves me, but my two boys have something...different.


First family photo
As soon as we brought Hank home from the hospital, it seems that Brian could always get Hank to sleep when no one else could. I have many, MANY photos of Hank comfortably nestled on Brian's chest, sleeping soundly. I also have photos of the two of them, passed out like old buddies on our bed.

Hank has been going through a very fussy phase the past few days. He's not napping very well at all and not sleeping as long through the night, either. He's been fussy during the day and yesterday was one of the roughest days we've had yet. It seemed as though I could do nothing right. Nothing to comfort my little one. He was just miserable yesterday. So was I. When Brian finally got home from work in the early evening, Hank lit up with a HUGE smile as soon as Brian walked in the door. It was adorable! But it also made me want to scream! That's all it took?! I felt like I jumped through hoops all day and all Brian had to do was come home. It was frustrating.

I'm hoping this fussy period is due to teething. It seems as though Hank has been teething for the past couple of months now, though there is not one tooth in sight! I feel as though someone has kidnapped my sweet boy and left me with a fussy, angry, miserable baby.

But, I know things will get better (it does, right?) and I keep reminding myself that my "worst" day at home with Hank is still better than my best day at work (I had a pretty stressful job situation). I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be home with him for 1 year. And he's growing so fast. When Hank is boycotting naps or when I still haven't brushed my teeth by noon, I often need to remind myself to savor each day, each moment. Being a stay-at-home-mom (for the time being) is the most difficult thing I've ever done. As with most other things pregnancy- and parenthood-related, you have no idea what people are talking about until you go through it yourself. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance being a mother and being a wife, taking care of myself, the household and my baby boy. I only hope and pray that the decisions I make every day are the "right" ones and that I take full advantage of these next 6 months.

And to end this post, here's a little video of my little man, passed out and snoring on his Daddy's chest. Be sure to turn your volume up. :) I live for these two and precious moments like these.

Weddings!

I love weddings! My friend, Joy, got married this past Saturday at the Hale Koa. I've known Joy since intermediate school (circa 1993) when we both joined the band and played flute. I can't believe we've known each other for just about 18 years now. I feel so old. :P We've certainly come a long way since then.

Here are some photos I took at their wedding. The lighting was awful that morning! Strong, bright sun with not one cloud in sight! It made for very harsh lights and darks.


And just for fun and because I love weddings, here are photos from other recent weddings.

My sister-in-law's wedding from September 2009:


Bobby is a co-worker of mine. I've known him since 2004. We were honored to be a part of their wedding day at Magic Island back in July 2008.


My friend, Lisa, got married in November 2007 at Luana Hills Golf Course. This was shortly after I got my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel, and the Canon 50mm f/1.8, which is affectionately referred to as the "Nifty Fifty" or the "Fantastic Plastic".

Starting Solids

Haha...well, I thought I'd be posting at least every other day, but I just can't seem to find the time! Although when I think back to what I do during my few precious moments of free time, I think that I could have definitely snuck in a blog entry.

So Mr. Hank turned 5 months old this past Sunday! OMG! Where has the time gone?! It's kind of sad that he's getting so big, so quickly. Don't get me wrong. I am so grateful that he is doing so well...growing and thriving. But I'm also sad that I'm beginning to forget how he was during the newborn days. His mannerisms. His body language. I've been taking a ton of photos, but I'm beginning to wish I had taken more video so I can see him in motion. Oh well.

I bought an 8-speed Oster blender at Costco a few weeks ago (only $26.99!) in anticipation of preparing homemade baby food. I use it nearly every day to make frozen fruit smoothies and I have to admit I've made a few milkshakes as well. So far I've done peanut butter-banana, blueberry-banana, and strawberry-banana smoothies. Yummy! Anyway, I digress....

Other things I've purchased to get started with solids include:

• Graco Contempo high chair (found a great deal at Babies R Us for only $70!)
• The First Years Take and Toss Infant Spoons
• Pocket bibs (a Babies R Us Dinosaur one and a Bumkins one)
• OXO Baby food freezer trays

I haven't used the blender yet because the first food we decided to introduce to Hank was avocado. I've bookmarked the Wholesome Baby Food website and LOVE it! I got the idea to start with avocado from this website. Avocado? Who knew? I just cut one up and mashed a slice with a spoon. I added some breastmilk to thin it out and served it to Hank.



Hank looks kind of scared


Hmm, what's this?


Ooookaaaaay???


I don't think I love it...


...but I don't think I hate it, either.


Still trying to get the hang of the "swallowing" part


Okay, I'll try more


But only if I get to hold the spoon!

I was going to make all of my own baby food, but ended up buying some Gerber Squash baby food today. I could have sworn my local grocery store carried frozen butternut squash, which I had every intention of purchasing, steaming and pureeing, but I could not find it today! Boo! :( I also wanted to introduce sweet potatoes. My Granpda (the one with the coffee gang) has a bit of a green thumb. I think he grows both sweet potato and Okinawan sweet potato! I will ask him if I can have some for Hank. After that, I'm thinking green beans. My strategy for now is to do veggies first and then fruits.

And as I conclude this post, I think I hear Hank stirring from a nap. Perfect timing. :)

"The Coffee Gang" and Carrots

Yesterday morning, I took Hank to Pearlridge to meet up with his Great-Grandpa and his coffee gang. For those of you who don't know what a "Coffee Gang" is, it's basically a social group of retirees who meet up every morning to share snacks, coffee and conversation. Some of them were friends before this coffee gang began, others were already frequenting the area on their own and just joined the group naturally. I would say this is a true community. No hard and fast rules or membership requirements, yet everyone in the group has an unspoken role. It's pretty interesting. And cute. Most of them get the senior citizen coffee from the nearby McDonald's. I think it's something like $0.50 with free refills. You see all these cups strewn across the row of 9 tables (yes, NINE tables), each with a first initial written on the side. Every so often, one of the gang members (hehe) gathers all the empties on a tray and moseys on over to McDonald's for a mass refill. It was a great visit. Grandpa gave me a $20 to buy myself some breakfast (sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin with a hashbrown and fruit punch) and I think he was quite proud to show off his very first great-grandson. I realized I didn't take a photo of the entire group. I'll get one next time. I'm thinking of trying to make it over to see Grandpa and the Gang every Wednesday.


Hank enjoyed meeting the Coffee Gang and people-watching at Pearlridge
Next up...teething. I think Hank is teething. He's been drooling buckets and munching on toys and his hands for weeks now, but not a tooth in sight! Sometimes he chews so hard on his hands that it leaves red marks on his fists. Our pediatrician mentioned using a refrigerated carrot to help relieve teething pain and a friend of mine, Celina, reminded me of this tip the other day. So I thought I'd give it a try:



I put the carrot near Hank's mouth and he was initially startled by the temperature of it. He quickly jerked his head away. After a few more attempts, he got used to the cool sensation and grabbed the carrot on his own. It worked for a little while. The he threw the carrot on the floor. :P

Week 18 Check-In & Bump Pics

OMG, I'm really terrible at this, aren't I? I completely missed Week 17 and today is 18 weeks 4 days (18w4d). sigh.... Here are some bump pics.





It's kind of funny because I don't think I look that much bigger than Week 16. Maybe it's because I've started wearing the Target BeBand since then, which kind of helps to smooth things out and hold things in? Eh, on to the Check-In!

How far along?: 18 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: As of my last OB/GYN check-up last Monday, my total weight gain was 6 pounds. I feel really bad for even saying this, but I'm still trying to keep my feelings about weight gain in check. Some of us spend the majority of our lives trying to achieve a healthy weight. I spent 6 months last year losing 15 pounds and I really wanted to lose at least another 10 pounds before becoming pregnant. I still have moments of panic when I step on the scale and see the numbers go up. Perhaps I'm feeling this way because I know I'm not eating as healthy as I should be, which would at least tell me that my weight gain is "good" weight gain. I know weight gain is necessary and a good sign of a healthy baby, but too much weight gain is also not a good thing. Aah, it's just something I'll need to continue working on.

Pregnancy symptoms: My nasal congestion really improved last week, but I think it's back this week. My lower back/nerve pain has been a little bothersome lately. I still can't tell if this is due to the preganancy or due to the car accident I was in back in February.

Maternity clothes: A co-worker gave me to BIG shopping bags full of her old maternity clothes. I need to wash everything and go through it all to see what I can use. I'm sure I'll keep most of it, either to wear to work or to bum around the house in. My pre-pregnancy jeans are beginning to feel a tiny bit snug in the thighs. I may need to buy some bigger jeans soon!

Stretch Marks: None that are due to pregnancy weight gain.

Sleep: Sleeping has been okay lately, although I honestly never quite feel well-rested. That was from the previous check-in...it's still applicable this week.

Best moment this week: Last week, the best moment was finding out we are having a little baby BOY! This week, I think I'm most excited about (possibly) feeling the baby move, as well as purchasing a crib and mattress (more to come in a separate post)!

Movement: The faint twitches and spasms I felt the other week really died down last week. However, as I type this, I've felt a couple of distinct twitches front and center, below my belly button, which I'm pretty sure aren't gas bubbles. Maybe it's the baby????? I haven't decided if it's official yet. :P I've also continued to have increased lower abdominal pressure and I'm pretty sure it's not due to a full bladder.

Food cravings: Nothing in particular. I've still got a sweet tooth, though, which I'm trying to keep in check! That was also from the last check-in...I still want to eat ice cream all the time! I don't know if that qualifies as a craving...maybe it's just lack of will-power.

Food aversions: From last week: Most of my food aversions are gone. There are still some foods that I just don't feel like eating. Before I got pregnant, I used to make a yummy veggie soup that I loved. These days, I can't stand the thought of it. Some oily/fried foods still turn me off, which is a good thing. Still applies this week. I also find I can't stand brown gravy or turkey cold cuts/turkey breast.

Gender: We'll find out if Baby T is a boy or girl on May 24th! Majority of people are thinking Boy! Of course, we just want a healthy baby, but trying to guess the gender is fun, too. According to the Chinese gender chart, it's a boy (I was 29 years old at the time of conception, which occurred during the month of February). From my last check-in...we were right on the money!!!

Labor signs: N/A

Belly button in or out: Still very much in. :P

What I miss: Strangely enough, I've been missing fish. I wasn't a big pre-pregnancy fish-lover, but I guess that now I know I can't have it, I want it!

What I am looking forward to: I'm looking forward to receiving our new crib in about 4-6 weeks. Also looking forward to officially feeling the baby move. :P

Milestones: Can't think of anything at the moment.

IT'S A BOY!!!

We had our BIG ultrasound today at the Fetal Diagnostic Institute of the Pacific at Waikele! I started to feel really anxious and nervous last night and those feelings didn't pass until I saw our baby on the ultrasound monitor this morning at 9:30AM. It had been 7 weeks since we last saw our baby at our 10-week ultrasound and we hadn't heard the heartbeat since 14 weeks. I still don't feel any movement, which would be a comforting sign that all is well in my belly. :) It still blows my mind to think there is a tiny life growing inside of me. It truly is a blessing and a miracle.

Baby's anatomy looked completely normal and was still measuring right on target for my end-of-October due date. We got to see baby's heart, heartbeat, stomach, kidneys, brain, spine, arms, hands, legs, feet and THIS:


That little protrusion at the center of the photo is a pee-pee!!! When the doctor found Baby T's pee-pee, he said, "Wow! There's no doubt that's a boy! Look, it's nearly half the length of the thigh bone. Very impressive. You must be so proud!" The doctor looked a bit nerdy, but turned out to have quite a sense of humor. :)

Baby moved around a lot during the ultrasound. He was also positioned right under my belly button, which made things difficult to see. Apparently, the belly button casts a dark shadow on the images. The ultrasound technician was the first one to start the ultrasound (the funny doctor came in later). The tech had to vigorously jiggle the wand around on my belly in an attempt to get Baby to move into a better position. It seemed like just when the tech got Baby into a more favorable position, he would move again! I could just imagine Baby saying, "Psych! Hahahaha!" Yes, I think he thought it was a game or something. Or he's turning out to be quite the rascal already. :P

It turns out that my health insurance covers 3D/4D ultrasounds! That was a pleasant surprise. The computer software takes the 2D images and then tries to guess/fill in the blanks to create a 3D image. It was pretty interesting! Unfortunately, we couldn't fully take advantage of the 3D because Baby was just moving around too much. The doctor couldn't get enough "good" info from the 2D images. He actually apologized to us a couple of times for making our baby look "scary" like "Skeletor".

The doctor told us that he feels 3D ultrasounds are more for entertainment purposes. He said that the 3D ultrasounds don't tell him anything more than what a 2D ultrasound tells him. I thought that was interesting coming from a doctor. In the end, I'm glad we have our 3D images, but I don't think I would have paid out-of-pocket for them.

Another pleasant surprise was that, in addition to getting prints of some of the ultrasound images, they also burned the images on a CD for us! So here are some 3D "scary Skeletor" images of Baby T. :P

He's smiling!

Another big smile!

Close-up of Baby's face (and hands?)

Week 16 Check-In

Haha...I'm a little late with this. :P

How far along?: 16 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: I haven't been weighing myself. I'm trying not to get too obsessive about this. I probably won't update this until after I have my next OB/GYN visit on May 24th.

Pregnancy symptoms: I had some pretty bothersome lower back pain last week. Headaches (migraines and/or sinus-related?) and nasal congestion/allergies have been common during my pregnancy. The nasal congestion, which I pretty much have every day, was particularly bad today. Oh, and this one's kind of gross, but I've been perspiring a lot, i.e., I've been having some body odor issues. :P

Maternity clothes: I've worn one of my maternity shirts to dinner and to work. I also bought the Target BeBand this past weekend, which I'm loving!

Stretch Marks: None that are due to pregnancy weight gain.

Sleep: Sleeping has been okay lately, although I honestly never quite feel well-rested.

Best moment this week: I finally told my supervisors (yes, I have two of them) about my pregnancy. I was waiting for the right moment to let them know and I'm glad it's public knowledge now.

Movement: I've been feeling very faint twinges/spasms lately, but I'm not sure it's the baby moving....

Food cravings: Nothing in particular. I've still got a sweet tooth, though, which I'm trying to keep in check!

Food aversions: From last week: Most of my food aversions are gone. There are still some foods that I just don't feel like eating. Before I got pregnant, I used to make a yummy veggie soup that I loved. These days, I can't stand the thought of it. Some oily/fried foods still turn me off, which is a good thing. Still applies this week.

Gender: We'll find out if Baby T is a boy or girl on May 24th! Majority of people are thinking Boy! Of course, we just want a healthy baby, but trying to guess the gender is fun, too. According to the Chinese gender chart, it's a boy (I was 29 years old at the time of conception, which occurred during the month of February).

Labor signs: N/A

Belly button in or out: Still very much in. :P

What I miss: Still missing non-decaf coffee. I walked into Starbuck's over the weekend and there were so many things I couldn't have!

What I am looking forward to: I'm looking forward to our BIG ultrasound in exactly 1 week.

Milestones: Can't think of anything at the moment.

Bump Pics!

I haven't been diligent with taking bump pics. I really didn't think there was much to show. I think I "popped" (meaning my uterus started to bulge and felt firm) around Week 10 so I decided to take a photo. I took another one at 14 weeks and then another one today (16w3d).

Not much to see here!

I have a little bit more of a belly here, but you can't really tell because I don't have my hand on my belly like in the Week 10 photo

Now this kind of looks like an actual bump. I think the Target BeBand I'm wearing helps a bit with that. It felt so awkward posing for this photo! :P

Weekly Check-In!

Here's a typical weekly check-in one can easily find on the internet. I know it's been WAY too long since my last post, but I'll go more into that after I get this one posted. I meant to do this every week, but...oh well. :P

How far along?: 15 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 3 pounds as of 14 weeks 3 days (May 3rd)

Pregnancy symptoms: I've been feeling quite tired lately, which is a typical 1st tri symptom that I never got. Go figure. I also have some discomfort if I twist, turn or bend a certain way. I think it's just my uterus and supporting muscles stretching.

Maternity clothes: I haven't worn any yet, but my MIL bought me 2 shirts and a co-worker is going to give me some of her clothes. I'm thinking I'll need to look into maternity jeans soon! Part of me feels a little silly thinking about maternity clothes since I don't have a distinct bump just yet. I kind of just look like I took one too many trips to the buffet line. :P

Stretch Marks: None that are due to pregnancy weight gain.

Sleep: I had insomnia and vivid/bad dreams during the first tri. I'm sleeping better these days, especially since I've been so tired lately.

Best moment this week: Brian and I both heard Baby's heartbeat on Monday, May 3rd. What an amazing moment. :)

Movement: None yet! Maybe in the next couple of weeks?

Food cravings: I don't think this qualifies as a craving, but I've been eating a lot of ice cream lately. :P

Food aversions: Most of my food aversions are gone. There are still some foods that I just don't feel like eating. Before I got pregnant, I used to make a yummy veggie soup that I loved. These days, I can't stand the thought of it. Some oily/fried foods still turn me off, which is a good thing.

Gender: We'll find out if Baby T is a boy or girl on May 24th! Right now, Brian, my mom, my grandpa and our OB/GYN all think it's a boy. I also have a feeling we're having a boy. We shall see!

Labor signs: N/A

Belly button in or out: Still very much in. :P

What I miss: Strangely enough, I wasn't a very big fish-eater before becoming pregnant. Now that I am pregnant and should stay away from it, I want to eat it! I also miss having my morning coffee. I've been trying out Starbucks instant decaf this past week. It's really quite good!

What I am looking forward to: Aside from the obvious (meeting our baby!), I'm looking forward to our BIG ultrasound in a couple of weeks and also feeling Baby move.

Milestones: I'm so happy to be past the first tri!

We're Pregnant?!?

We were on our 2nd cycle TTC (trying to conceive) when we got our BFP. Being the engineer that I am, I decided to take a structured approach to maximize our chances. Without going into the gory details, I picked up a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility and signed up for a Fertility Friend account.


Throw the lucky OPKs (ovulation predictor kits) and HPTs my good friend Tara sent me into the mix and here we are!

Positive OPK on CD20

Positive HPT on Feb 15, 2010 | CD30 | 10DPO

Positive HPT on Feb 16, 2010 | CD31 | 11DPO

Positive HPT on Feb 17, 2010 | CD32 | 12DPO

Here's a recap of how we found out we're pregnant:

Monday, 15 Feb: At 10DPO, I POAS very late at night and got a VERY faint BFP! I wasn't expecting to see a BFP and had to convince myself that what I saw was indeed a 2nd line! A line is a line no matter how faint it is.

Tuesday, 16 Feb: I POAS using FMU (first morning urine) and got another VERY faint BFP, but it was a little darker than the previous night. OMG! This would be the first day I went back to work, after being out sick the entire previous week with a nasty cold. On my way to work, I was rear-ended at a complete stop in traffic on the freeway. The driver who hit me fled the scene. I didn't feel any pain at the time so I didn't go the ER or anything. My baby bro lives right up the hill from where I got hit so he came down to be with me while I waited for the police to show up. I filed a police report, went on to work and got my car repaired that afternoon (my baby bro works at a VW dealership and got me a good deal on the repairs--no structural damage). As I waited for my car, I started feeling pain in my left hip and leg. My brother drove me to my doctor's office. I mentioned the two possible BFPs to my doctor and he ordered a pregnancy blood test for me that same afternoon and also scheduled me for physical therapy. He suspects I have a pinched nerve.

Wednesday, 17 Feb: I called my doctor's office as soon as they opened and got BFP confirmation! OMG!!! I also called my OB/GYN because a copy of my results were sent to them and also just to let them know I had been in a car accident the day before. They told me to come in the following morning!

Thursday, 18 Feb: I went in to see my OB/GYN and she told me my EDD is 10/24/10 based on the first day of my LMP. She also wants me to come back in the following week for an ultrasound. I know it sounds a bit early...I'll be just shy of 6 weeks, but she just wants to make sure everything is okay in there. :) I'm not really sure what we'll be able to see, though, especially because I know I ovulated on CD20 or 21...not the "average" CD14.

Expecting Baby T!

Hello Family & Friends! We'll try to be more diligent with updating this blog than we were with our previous blog.

We're a little late getting this blog started up, but we'll be updating you on past events along the way. Basically, we got our first HPT (home pregnancy test) BFP (big fat positive) unexpectedly late at night on Monday, February 15, 2010. Nicole decided to POAS (pee on a stick) on a whim. We're now anxiously awaiting Baby T's arrival on October 29, 2010...or 10.29.10!!!

WW Staples and a little (not so impressive) trick!

When I first started WW, I was absolutely clueless about what I could and could not eat. It turns out that I can eat whatever the heck I want...as long as I stay within my daily points allowance. Great. It's overwhelming at first and requires a lot of trial and error, but I thought I'd share some of the foods that have helped me out during this WW journey.

I find that I constantly turn to my Oroweat Sandwich Thins, which are only 1 point for the top and bottom! I toast it and spread a wedge of Laughing Cow Lite Original Swiss (1 point) on it for a 2 point breakfast. If you top that with less than 1 cup of blueberries, it's even yummier and still only 2 points. Or, sometimes I'll just toast it and dunk it in my coffee. I even use these sandwich thins to make breakfast sandwiches abd turkey breast sandwiches for lunch. Other people have told me that they work well for sloppy joe's and even a mini pizza crust! Just add your toppings and pop in the oven (or toaster oven). I buy the Sandwich Thins, Laughing Cow and frozen organic blueberries at Costco.

I also buy Yoplait Light Yogurt from Costco. It includes Strawberry, Blueberry and Harvest Peach flavors. Yes, it contains aspartame. If you're violently against it, don't buy it and keep reading. :)

Either the Weight Watchers or Healthy Choice brand fudge bars are a 1 point frozen treat for those chocolate cravings.

Now, on to that little trick I mentioned. I decided to take some of the Healthy Choice fudge bars to leave in our community freezer at work. Something is terribly wrong with our A/C at the office and it gets ridiculously cold. One day, I had the idea to stick one of the fudge bars into a nice hot cup of coffee. It obviously melted, but the resulting concoction tasted just like a mocha latte...completely with a frothy head! Since black coffee is 0 points, the whole thing is only 1 point!

Another staple I keep in my refrigerator is Kirkland "Real Egg" brand egg substitute I buy at Costco. I actually prefer the taste of the Kirkland brand to the "Egg Beaters" brand. I normally have 1/2 cup for only 1 point, whereas a whole egg is 2 points. I have this for breakfast on the weekend and normally have them one night during the week when Brian's working late and I'm only making dinner for myself.

Yet another thing I love is Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop 94% Fat Free Butter Popcorn. The single serve bags are only 1 point each. The larger bags are 3 points for the entire bag. Brian and I normally split the larger bag and I'll have the single serve bags at work.

Another frozen treat I've discovered is Breyers Double Churn ice cream! I remember trying this out about 5 years ago when the Atkin's Diet was all the rage and it tasted pretty nasty, IMO. But, I thought I'd give it another shot and am glad I did! I picked up Breyers Vanilla No Sugar Added Double Churn ice cream. You get 1/2 cup for just 1 point, or 1 whole cup for 3 points. Top that of with 1/2 cup blueberries (0 points) and you've got yourself a yummy, guilt-free dessert! I think I'll pick up the Fat Free (versus No Sugar Added) variety next time, just to see if there is a taste difference.

Okay, this is getting pretty long. I will try to post something new at least once per week, depending on what I'm eating at the time. Stay tuned....

Bleh

I maintained this week. I am happy I didn't gain (yeah, yeah, yeah), but I won't lie and say I'm not disappointed I didn't lose. I was hoping to be down 1 more pound this week for a total of 15, but that didn't happen. And I should not have expected it to happen. I was really, really, bad. I need to hide all that toffee and white chocolate! So, I need to accept it and move on because I start a new week tomorrow!

My Sweet Friends!

Here's what I got in the mail last week from my fellow Nestie (End-of-Summer Nestie Swap!), Marci, all the way from Colorado! I've been so blessed to form friendships with an amazing group of women. :)


Benny really loved the white chocolate!

10% Down, 10% to Go!

I officially reached my 10% goal last week Wendesday!!! Yay!!!

After nearly a week of basking in the glory of being 14 pounds down, and indulging in some yummy confections received from a sweet friend in Colorado, it's time to get serious again. I've been a "tracker slacker" since Las Vegas. I did better at biting-and-writing over the weekend, but need to start making a conscious effort to stick to my 18 points! I'm feeling the effects of all that white chocolate almond toffee!

I would ultimately like to lose another 10%, but that goal is just too far out (and intimidating!) for me at this point. So, I've scaled it back to another 5% (6 pounds), which would put me at 20 pounds total. That's a freakin' scary number to me. I had a chat with my co-worker about my WW progress. One thing led to another and he guessed that my current weight was 118 pounds (18 pounds under the mark (at the time), buddy). Hmm, granted, he's a guy, but people normally are surprised when I tell them how much I really do weigh. I guess it's because I'm short? Or I really am big-boned?! I have no idea.

I see every bulge and roll. They are definitely shrinking, but I have a ways to go. :) I know losing the weight will get harder and harder. I just need to take it one day at a time and try not to beat myself up for my toffee-laden weekend. :P

Progress

I started WW on June 18, 2009, just over three months ago! It's gone by quickly. Here is a photo comparison of my progress. The photo on the left was taken on May 9, 2009 at a Nestie GTG. I was a little heavier by June 18th, but it's a pretty good representation. The photo on the right was taken on September 12, 2009 at my SIL's wedding.

Edit: Some of my fellow WW-ers have requested I bring in these comparison photos to our next meeting. I've printed one out to post, eye-level, on my 'fridge, and another one to keep in my planner. I'm hoping it will be a motivational, daily reminder of how far I've come.

Back from Las Vegas!

I will need to devote a separate post to recap our recent Vegas Vacation, but I need to make some portable pockets for an upcoming bride and need to get on it fast before my wandering hands grab more School Kine Cookies Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nibbles!

After 1 week of Las Vegas gluttonous goodness, I am up 0.6 pounds, which I find quite amazing. I thought I would be lucky to be up even 2 or 3 pounds, but only 0.6? It's miraculous. I didn't track while in Vegas because I honestly forgot my WW points tracker and guide back in Hawaii! I even bummed an extra tracker off a friend so I'd be covered during my entire trip. I was so upset with myself. So, I forgot about tracking and went to town on the buffets and late-night/early-morning meals.

I didn't think we did a lot of walking, but now that I think about it, we never really stayed in one place for very long. I'm sure that was the secret.

My goal for this coming week is to lose 2.4 pounds! I'm sure I can shed more of the Las Vegas weight this week and, if I lose 2.4 pounds, I'll be down 15 pounds total and will earn 1 more gold star for my WW bookmark! I'll need to take a photo of my bookmark and current stars so you all know what the heck I'm talking about! :P

My SIL's Wedding Day

Here are some photos I took at my SIL's wedding. These were taken with a Canon 40D body and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens.

WW Encouragement

Shortly after I reached 10 pounds lost, I received this postcard in the mail. It's not much, but I found it very exciting! :P