busting out the measuring tape again

well since i started trying to loose weight in the last two weeks I've gone up in weight so I thought it might be a better idea to just do my measurements. so here they are:
weight:188 lbs
bust: 42"
chest: 34"
waist: 44"
hip: 43"
midway: 45 1/2"
thigh: 23"
knee: 17 1/2"
calves: 15"
upper arm: 13"
forearm: 9"
ugh I have a lot of hard work ahead of me just to get even close to my pre-pregnancy measurements. but I am determined to get back into a size that i'm comfortable with.

i've totally neglected my blog...sorry

so lifes been a little busy since adding Javan to our family and this is one of many things i let fall to the side. hopefully that wont be the case anymore. So I finally decided to start working out since most of me feels recovered from the c-section. Along the incision line i still feel bruised when touched but just moving around it doesn't hurt. Also more days than not my hip and shoulder don't bother me. So I ordered this 24 day challenge kit because I figure spending money will help keep me motivated to actually work out. My starting weight was 185 lbs. yeah that was 9 days ago I now weigh 188 lbs!?!??? what the heck. ok this sucks but it doesn't mean i'm going to stop trying it just means I'm going to have to work harder. I just wish my legs didn't hurt so much ;-)
well Javan is crying so that's all i have time for right now!

Javan Hunter Edwards' Birth Story

It all began on February 25th, 2011 at 7 am. We arrived at the hospital to be induced. I was very nervous because earlier that  week when the dr had checked me there had still been no dilation. I was very worried about going from starting at nothing when being induced. So they got me hooked up to the baby monitors and started an IV. My dr came in around 8:30 and checked me and said I was at a 2-3 and broke my water. I was very relieved that I had already started to dilate, but he also informed us that the lab lost my test for strep b so they were going to give me the antibiotics just in case. Then they started my pitocin. Pitocin is the worst drug ever blah it makes contractions so painful. Any ways so then it was just a waiting game. We all thought I would progress fast and have Javan quickly since that's what happened with my last and this was baby #4 for me. By noon they were upping the Pitocin for the 4th time and I was in serious pain and only dilated to a 4 so I decided to get the epidural. We talked with the anesthesiologist earlier in the morning about how last time I had a reaction to something that made me itch so she left out the fentanil hoping that would help with the itching. I was glad that this time around we avoided all other pain meds so nothing would get to Javan. At this time they also realized Javan was face up instead of down and while I could still deliver him that way it was going to be harder and he'd yet to drop any. So after getting my epidural we started the fun time of flipping mommy around to flip Javan around. Every 30 min I swapped positions until I was dilated to a 10. We started off with me kneeling on the bed leading against the raised head of the bed, then on my right side with left leg  in a stirrup, then left side with right leg up in a stirrup then sitting straight up like in a straight back chair. By 1:30 I was dilated to a 5 by 3 I was dilated to a 7 by 4:30 an 8 by 5:30 9.5 but 10 with contractions at this point the dr came in and I started pushing. After  few contractions of pushing the dr realized he wasn't making it past my pelvic bone Javan would get to a certain point and just not move any further. So the dr tried vacuuming him the first one popped off and broke. He used the vacuum again through 2 more contractions and it didn't really help. At this point Javan heart rate dropped so we stopped pushing and rested for a bit and the dr ran across the hall and literally caught another baby and ran back in. Javan's heart rate had improved so we were ready to push again. I pushed like crazy which my dr informed me I pushed like a rock star and that was not the issue at one point while he had his hand up in there trying to get Javan past my pelvic bone when I push I smashed his finger between Javan's head and my pelvic bone. That gave us all a good laugh which we needed since things were getting kinda stressful. He tried the vacuum 2 more times and Javan just wouldn't move pass my pelvic bone and the dr said he was worried the cord was wrapped around something, and it was time now for a c-section. Oh and I forgot to mention around the time I was dilated to and 8 my epidural quit being so effective. I could feel everything that was going on down there and all the contractions. Ouch. My dr apologized to me and was probably more upset than I was that with my finally baby I was having to have a c-section and that we hadn't even discussed c-sections because neither he nor I thought that in a million years I'd need one! I'd already successfully birthed 3 kids with out any complications. So we were rushed into the OR at 6:40 and prepped for a c-section and I was numbed up better and let me tell you at this point I was glad about my decision to get the epidural. 1 I would have been really freaking mad to go through all that with out one only to end up with one and 2 since it was an emergency c-section I'm pretty sure they would have had to knock me out for the c-section and that would have really upset me. I was way more calm than I think most people are in this situation I didn't cry I think I knew during all the pushing and vacuuming that this was where it was all going to end. My dr made my incision nice and low according to him and the nurses who checked on it later also verified this by saying my dr must really like me because of how low and small my incision was.(I have no idea because I don't know where the incision is normally made so I just have their word to go by). At 6:59pm  Javan was born 8lbs 3oz 20 inches with the cord wrapped 2 times around his neck and a little skin missing off the top of his head from the vacuuming. So nearly 12 hrs start to finish. Out of everything that happened came a beautiful little boy that I'm just so thankful is healthy. :-)

since I've been slacking lately....here is what's going on mainly in my head

I know I really haven't been blogging lately but I kinda hit a blah stage with everyday. So I'm not really doing anything other than sitting around all day reading then get up and cook dinner and then sit back down. Hopefully this will all change soon since I believe Javan will be induced on the 25th of February. Not the most idea situation to be induced but it's better than what would happen should I go into labor in the middle of the night and I can't get a hold of Traci and I have to bring all 3 kids with us to the hospital. It would not be good for me and Traci might die the next time I see her if it were to play out that way ;-) This is my biggest fear that she will not answer her phone at all or that she does answer and is drunk. Neither way would do me much good. Thankfully Tasha has told me that should Traci fail to answer to call her and she'll come help. I really hope I don't need that and that everything can just work out but I feel better having a back plan! All that worrying aside I am so FREAKING EXCITED that Javan is just weeks away from being born. I'm so ready to hold him and cuddle him and see what he looks like and getting to know him!!

 I just have to make it through the birthing part. Which I had pretty much convinced myself to do naturally with no pain meds. Well then of course I watched the new show One Born Every Min and I'm completely freaking out. I have no clue why. I had Brandon with no pain meds (OK i had 1cc of Demerol which did NOTHING for the pain) but I was hooked up to pitocin for most of my labor it HURT LIKE HELL, but I did it and lived. So I know I can do it and let me tell you when they turned off the pitocin I could totally handle the contractions. With Danika I was induced and wanted drugs from the get go and it was a breeze I played cards and napped and then pop that little girl out. With Lucas I labored for quite a bit at home and only went to the hospital once I was getting really uncomfortable. By the time we got there I was already a 5 and shortly there after chickened out they gave me stydol and I got an epidural like 30 min later. This time I had a reaction to the epidural and it made me itch from head to toe so they gave me benadryl. All the drugs mixed together pretty much knocked me out. It was not good. They had to put me on oxygen because I wasn't breathing deep enough for the baby, and I had a hard time staying conscious to let anyone know it was time. Thankfully a nurse came in to mess with the computer and i was able to get her attention to let her know I thought he was coming out. He was born so quick that he still had the stydol in his system and he had to be watched for 3 hrs and given meds to reverse it because he wasn't breathing very well. He ended up being fine in the long run but I'm so afraid of a repeat of that, but I really really am scared I wont be able to cope with the pain. BLEH OK I know this is all just a rambling but this is a lot that's going through my head 24/7. Who knows how Javan's birth will go I hope it just all goes smoothly and we both come out OK. That's really all I care about :-)

Time is just zipping by....

I was just sitting here thinking about when I had Brandon since his birthday is in 2 weeks and he is going to be 10!! I have had 10 fun filled years with my oldest son and yes a few trying times but he is turning out to be a wonderful child. He is such a sensitive loving and helpful person (of course he complains but not very often). It really has just flown by it doesn't seem possible that he should be turning 10 maybe 5 or some smaller number but not surely 10!! He's already 4' 5" and his foot is nearly as big as mine. He is growing up and I just want to swaddle him back up and rock him to sleep again. He's still my baby and always will be. I'm extremely proud of who he is and the way he handles himself. I love him dearly just wish he wasn't growing up so dang fast!!

2/4/2001

Grilled Pears with Sweetened Sour Cream

These were so yummy I wasn't sure if they would be since the recipe actually called for you to grill peaches not pears but peaches aren't in season right now so I just winged it with some pears :-) And I have to say we all loved them.

ingredients:
3 Bartlett Pears halved and cored.
2 TBS melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 TBS brown sugar
unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1. Heat a grill to high heat.  Brush both sides of the pears with some butter.

2. Place the pears on the grill. cook until the pears are charred and softened. I did about 8 mins on each side

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and sugar.

4. Spoon the mixture over the pears and sprinkle with cocoa powder

This all probably took me 30 mins from start to finish!!

Carrot Cupcakes

Makes 12 Prep time:25 min Total time:50 min


ingredients:

1 1/4 cups organic shredded coconut

1 cup Turbinado Sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan, if needed

2 TBS fresh orange juice

1/2 TSP vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup plus 2 TBS whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

cream cheese icing (recipe below)



1. preheat the oven to 350f. Spread 1 cup of shredded coconut out on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 5 mins. Transfer the coconut to a small bowl and set aside to cool.



2. In a bowl, combine the sugar, 1/3 cup oil, orange juice, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Add the flour; mix. Stir in the shredded carrots, the walnuts, and the remaining 1/4 cup shredded coconut.



3. oil a standard muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners; distribute the batter evenly about 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin



4. bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting with cream cheese icing. Garnish with reserved toasted shredded coconut.



Cream Cheese Icing

ingredients:

8 oz low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract



In a mixing bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
 
Any left over cupcakes store in the fridge.