Ouch!

It's Veterans Day.  Today I am so thankful for the brave Men, Women and Children that sacrifice their lives for our freedom daily.  I know that children aren't out there physically fighting for our freedom, but they do sacrifice when their parents are deployed and they are missing a parent at home for lord knows how long.  I have the utmost respect for Veterans.  My Grandpa Settles was a Veteran.  I believe without them the USA wouldn't be nearly what it is today.  Tomorrow Cole's school is putting on a Veterans Day Program.  Cole being in Cub Scouts, will post colors with the pack.  It will be a very nice ceremony I am sure of it.  It will be a proud moment to see my son follow that line of scouts to the flagpole and raise our red white and blue. 

Yesterday I took Brody to the neurologist to see if we can get to the bottom of his screaming bloody murder for hours on end fits.  He has ordered an MRI and wants us to take him to a Pediatric Eye Dr.  We will be getting appointments set up for those and they will call me with dates and times asap.  Hopefully we can get to the bottom of these horrible fits.  He just seems to be not having them, and then suddenly he's up all night again.  It's so frustrating.  I wish I could make him better.  That's the worst feeling in the world when your baby is screaming for hours on end and you can't stop him.  Makes me cry too.

I have yet to hear from my Doctor yet on a shrink appointment.  I was told once they received my payment for the classes, they would call me with an appointment.  My check hasn't cleared the bank yet, so I am assuming that it is still in process. 

I have been doing a lot of reading through all the millions of papers they gave me at my first steps class and decided to hit the "protein shake" isle at Walmart.  Boy... I was in for a shocker.  There are a TON of brands to chose from, and a TON of flavors, and a TON of options, do I want shakes, or punch like drinks?  Keeping the protein to at least 10g is ideal, but keeping the calorie count below 100 is optimal so you don't get bad diarrhea or the dreaded dumping syndrome that comes with gastric bypass.  Here I am with a baby in the protein shake isle and I happen to run across a lady I know.  She was looking behind me for Dr. Scholls foot pads.  I knew her sister had weight loss surgery, I was under the impression it was the lap band, but we struck up a conversation, I told her that I was having surgery,and she called her sister.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time.  Her sister got on the phone with me and told me she had hundreds of dollars worth of protein shakes, mixes,and flavors at home.  She had it all.  She's so far out from her surgery she said she won't use it ever again and would just give it all to me!  I couldn't believe it!  She's to the point now where she has to just eat one whole fiber bar throughout the day and she's good.  I was so happy to have talked to her.  She is going to meet me on Sunday and talk to me about before and after surgery.  I am so excited to listen to everyones experiences and hear all their tips and secrets. I am so grateful to her for meeting up with me and sharing her personal experience. It really means a lot to have someone to talk to. 

I have been doing all this research and to put this into perspective to everyone I will share a little of what amazes me right now.  When this surgery is done my stomach will be able to hold 3 oz.  they only want you to eat 2 oz. at each meal.  2 oz is the size of 2 ice cubes out of a tray.  Shocking!  It just baffles me that I will be so full after 2 ice cubes...  they want me to measure and be sure to stop eating when I am full.  I guess I will be full before I know it so I won't feel like even eating the 2 oz.  If you keep this up for at least a year and  a half you will see major success.  They also gave me some exercises to get started doing now.  I've been doing them and they are pretty easy actually.  It's all toning to keep me toned up.  The less flab the better.  Let's face it though, I will NOT get through this without flab.  Shoot.  I have flab now, I will definitely have flab when my fat melts away.  I would like to be toned though.  I will keep up with this part.  It's important to me.  The flab can be fixed later. 

I have been dreaming of being smaller.  It's crazy to me in my dreams.  It's shocking to imagine my body getting smaller.  I will be so happy to be rid of my double chin, my chubby cheeks, and back fat!  I can't wait till my body catches up with my dreams!

Brody is taking off.  He's walking more and more.  He really gets excited and then falls down, but today he realized to stand back up and go take off walking again.  It's so cute.  He was playing with Cole today, just laughing and laughing.  Then Cole burst into tears.  I asked him what happened and he said "he bit me mom"  boo hoooooo and he just cried.  I felt so bad for him.  Tonight he has a nice set of teeth bite marks right above his boob.  Poor feller.  It had to hurt bad, he has sharp teeth. 

I am signing off for the night.  I have rambled on enough.  I am going to watch Oprah.