My girls!

This is just such a beautiful picture that I had to share with you all! This is Kiran's best friend and seeing them together reminds me so much of me and my best friend growing up! I look at this picture and I see me and Mandy at the same age and it brings back so much!

Oliver is dreaming big!

So my little guy and I were just in a very deep conversation about his future. I mean this is a kid who says "when I was real real little, I used to think that 100 was the hugest number. Now...I don't think it's so big"
Yep, not big at all my son.

He graduated from his kindergarten class at Medical City Hospital last week where he told the audience that he was going to be a scientist. It had me curious what else he had in store for himself!

So what does he have in store? Well, for one, he is pretty convinced that he is going to marry his friend Maddox. He proceeds to tell me that he will adopt some babies for me because he knows "mommy wants a newborn baby" after meeting my new GORGEOUS Niece Finley Jac! :-)  Following that he tells me, "but if I marry a girl, then we will be sure that my wife makes herself two babies at least. Well, really I think I want 10. But that's all, 10 will be enough for me. Oh, and i'm going to need a long, long couch because when I punish them and they have to do a time-out then I will need room for all of those kids! Cause I will be like you mommy and I won't spank."

I think somewhere in all of these, I feel a since of relief but also fear. Do I want 10 grandkids?!!!!!!! Kiran will probably have to go "make herself" 11 just to compete! Crap, I don't want to think about this anymore.

A VERY long couch!!! Ah, this is just golden!

ta da!

In stead of giving you all the true whole back-story as to why we chopped off about half a foot or more of Kiran's hair....let's just say "well....summer is here!" Short is always the way to go for summer! And she looks like Gweneth Paltrow and her daughter apple evermore! Just look at the bottom photo! :-)

iSeis de Siempre!

"Today, I, Erica, take you, Evan

to be my everyone, to make your any my all

to laugh your joy and cry your grief

through spring, summer, autumn, winter,

beneath sun, moon, stars, or rain

to love you more by more, and side by side

‘til tree by leaf, I dream my sleep."

 

 

Our wedding vows, which we playful adapted from the poem by e. e. cummings (below). As in marriage, you will repeat things many times before their meaning or purpose becomes obvious.

Evan, I love you and I am the happiest knowing I have spent the last 8 years with you, and 6 of those as your lucky bride! You are an amazing father - I'm sure better than any out there, aside from your own! :-) Thank you!!!!

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

 

Women and men (both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

 

children guessed (but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that no one loved him more by more

 

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone’s any was all to her

 

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then) they

said their nevers and they slept their dream

 

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt for forget to remember

with up so floating many bells down)

 

one day anyone died i guess

(and no one stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

 

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

no one and anyone earth by April

wish by spirit and if by yes.

 

Women and men (both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

Another poem by Kenneth Koch, read by my maid of honor, Mandy Haines!

Oh the animals moving in the stockyards have no idea of these joys

Nor do the birds flying high in the clouds.  Think: Tenderness cannot be all

Although everyone loves tenderness.  Nor violence, which gives the sense of life
With its dramas and its actions as it is.  Making love must be everything –

A city, not a street; a country, not a city; the universe, the world –

Make yours so, make it even a galaxy, and be conscious and unconscious of it all.

That is the art of love.

Cash and his money-making face!

I want to introduce to you our newest little boy in the family! His name is Cash...or Basil Cash...or Johnny B. Cash where the B stands for Basil!
Okay, so clearly the jury is still out on that...but we do call him Cash!


We adopted him out in Canton from a breeder who probably heads out there every month for the First Monday Trade Days. Word to the wise, you must be careful to avoid any vendors that seem like they could be running a puppy mill. Do not support that and adopt from a shelter or a good breeder who cares about their animals.

I can tell Cash was very well cared for. He is a Shih-Poo which means Shih Tzu and Poodle mix. He is very mild-mannered and is doing extrememly well in training for being only 10 weeks old. He shares a birthday with both Pops and Andy (cousin), as well as Jaclyn & Nate's wedding anniversary: Dec 13th!

He has bathed and was a total pro. He has been completely ideal when it comes to telling us he needs to potty. He's sleeping great, but wimpers a little because he's confused on why he can't snuggle with us and has to sleep in the crate during the night, going out only when he needs to potty. He's a lap dog but with just the rigth amount of energy.

Very therapeutic for the whole family, but even moreso for Kiran. That was our goal and I am hoping that this change in her will stick. I think she had a very positive weekend and took on more responsbility without complaint.

Whew - that was a nice change from all the vanity I post on here! :)

WEIGH-IN # 17

Monday Weekly Weigh-In: 139 lbs.

Up 1 pound this week. Fluctuations seem slightly less drastic so I hope it stays that way. It's so much easier to lose if you don't gain a sparatic 6-11 lbs in 1 week and have to work all of that off before you can see a "loss".

If I stay within a 4lb fluctiation I will feel much better about that. I think if I keep strict as I have been then I might see some small successes in the future. Wish me luck and stay tuned! (if you're not bored to death of reading about my weight! Certainly isn't exciting for me!)

WEIGH-IN #16

Weigh-in for February 25th: 137.8

Went to a new OBGYN (it has been 2 years) and we were able to discuss the issue. First he asked about my stress level which is through the roof of course....BUT it always has been. No reason it should affect me any differently now seeing as how I'm always delt cards I'd rather toss in. :-)

I mentioned the bloodwork done about my thyroid and we just both assumed that my other hormones were tested. To be honest, I have no idea if they were. I'll take the paperwork to my next appointment wtih him to see if everything that should have been checked was checked.

So, baffled erica, baffled doctor. Offered a prescription that helps with metabolism and decreased appetite. My appetite is exactly the same after 1 week (not normal for other patients from which i've read) so clearly we are missing something. Something we'll probably never get to the bottom of.

I can't afford to continue the WW once this next segment comes to expiration. It's no use right now and I've learned for 16 straight weeks that I'm eating exactly the same as I always have. If I reduce it anymore my body will react as if it were in starvation mode. That's the opposite affect of what i'm reaching for here.

If anyone has advice past this, I'm out of ideas and about to get ready for what is the "permanent me" and deal with the gain emotionally and just accept it.

Don't tell me to work out. You try working 50 hours a week and hardly seeing your family and tell me you're eager to leave them and hit the gym. NOT FOR ME. I wish I had that luxury but that's not in my cards now or anytime in the future as far as I can see.

Would appreciate comments if you have other advice however!!!

WEIGH-IN # 15

Weigh-in for February 18th:  137.00

WEIGH-IN #14

Monday WEIGH-IN: 138

3 lb loss from last Monday's weigh in. I attribute recent success with no alcohol....not much at all in the last 2 or 3 weeks. I never really have been a big or heavy drinker, but when I next to none, I get to save more of my "weekly points" that Weight Watchers allows you as extras. My first go-round at WW Online I tried my best not to really use them even though they are there to use. I think that is why I was able to drop the 40lbs as fast as I did.

But we all know that this time something else is going on.

See you Monday!

WEIGH-IN # 13

141 lbs

Yes, it's a gain, but another way to look at this is that I lost 5 of the 11 pounds I gained. I fought like hell to get them off though and it's not fair.

It's gotta have something to do with being 31 and have terrible genes right?!

Mid-Week WOW-IN # 1

Yeah, this is historical so I had to post it!

Weighed in at 146 last night! WTF?!!!!!!!!
It's almost laughable, only I'm not laughing - I'm a little frightened.

I'm about 10 lbs away from giving birth to Kiran...if I WERE pregnant! haha.

So, we were at like 135 just over a week ago, right guys? This is 11lbs increase! And of course that has been fluctuation - I am a woman and it happens. But what do you call this? _______________!

I have so many things i'd like to call it.

I'm sure I'll be like 128 for my actual weigh-in on Monday, don't ya think? Okay, maybe not 128. More likely scenario - if I eat right and avoid sitting on my behind - is about 150. (the way things are "moving on up" for me over here!)

WEIGH-IN # 12

CURRENT WEIGHT: 137.5

I suppose this is better than being stuck at 142 for the remainder of all of last week. I have absolutely NO ISSUE to take up with Weight Watchers, but I don't know if i should continue paying for it right now. It's clear that it's helping me lose, because I will see several pounds drop every week. The question is - what is causing the gain. Was an average of 3lbs a week when it all started coming on. Now it's about 5-7lbs and so that's really where i need to be putting my focus and energy. I know how to do Weight Watchers, I know how to eat right, so clearly i'm accountable in a way that should make WW Online a totally mute point. :-(

 Exercising would help I know....but if i can't even find time to get to the OBGYN to look into this, then clearly I have no time to exercise.

WEIGH-IN # 11

135.8 on Monday.

Jumped to 142 mid-week as expected. Currently at 139 on Friday.

This is getting ridiculous. I'm wasting money on this WW online program until I go in and see someone about this.

Weigh-In #'s 7, 8, 9 and 10

I'm sorry (to myself mostly) that I haven't made time to come by here and do my weigh-in's. I'm forced to do them on the WW site every monday and can't always sneak over here to repeat that.

Since mid-December when I was doing pretty well, I have actually seen as much as a  10lb increase in my weight! Yep, I've reached 145lbs!

So, let's back up a little.

WEIGH-IN #7:   137.0 (1.5 lb jump)
WEIGH-IN #8:   139.8 (2.8 lb jump)
WEIGH-IN #9:   139.2 (.8 lb loss)
WEIGH-IN #10: 139.2 (no change)

What you don't see in these above weigh-in's is that when I got down to 139.2 LAST week, i went up to 143lbs that very next day after weigh in. And i really want to point out that those jumps are occuring on days I do well. I know because i track all of the food I eat and any exercise I may get (which we all know that working 50 hours a week plus having kids leaves no time for that!). THEN, about 3 days after that i went up another 2 lbs. I was staring at 145 on my scale and I was in shock. Just 118lbs this summer (a great little number!) and now all of the sudden THIS!

I realize others my think 145 is great, but when you're built like me, a healthy vegetarian, PLUS doing a weight watchers program, it's just not okay. I carry it all in the middle and in my face and so it's very noticeable. To add to it, professional work attire has become a challenge every day.

I am happy that I was able to get back into the 130's but I assure you it wasn't water weight. My scale measures fat and water...and it was "FAT". What fat?!!!! What fat does a vegetarian really get in their diet....especially fats that can do that much damage to you in one week! I'm not asking for the ability to be able to go eat McDonalds 5 times a week and not gain a pound like so many can do! I simply don't want to continue to see this weight gain despite what I'm doing to prevent it.

So....now that i'm done complaining I have to confess. I still have yet to really see another doctor about this. I have seen one, and that was really just to rule out my medications I was taking and to have my thyroid checked. There are a host of other doctors taht can be seen that might have som einsight. Most will tell you stress even though the majority of them know that this isn't typical gain for someone in my position. I will eventually find one that will listen and will probably get to the bottom of it. Could take forever though. I may be 200lbs by the time I have time for additional doctor appointments outside of work.   

There you have it...that's the "skinny" on what's been going on when I step onto that scale. :-) Let's see what next Monday brings.