My first post-baby fill...

Hello everyone!!!  Wow... my first truly BAND related post in a while!  I went back in this afternoon to get my first fill post-band, which they did under fluoroscopy.  Hurray - SUCCESS!!!  In fact if anything, Liam kicked my port back into place a bit while he was baking in there!!!  She said everything looks great with my band, which I am VERY relieved about.

Pre-baby, my port was flipped, so I would have to lay on the table and do a half-crunch while the NP pressed the port into place (i.e. pushed half her weight on my rib area) and then would try to get the needle to go in at an angle... Today the port was accessed much more easily - I laid down and with just a bit of a push, she got it on the first try!

When I was unfilled, I had 5cc's in... Today she gave me 5.5 cc's and I go back in about 4 weeks to see how things are going.  I definitely feel restriction - it is weird going from complete LACK of restriction back to the slow gurgling feeling as fluid goes down, but I am glad to be there!

According to their scales today, I am 41 pounds higher than I was when I was unfilled... 237.5 on their scale (I was 196.5 last time).  I don't feel bad about that number at all.  Lord knows I have something wonderful to show for it, and I feel confident that I can get back down under 200 and then continue on down toward my goal.  In regard to my goal, it was 160.  I don't know what it is now - honestly, it is more a size thing for me.  I'd really like to get to a size 10/12 on the bottom.  I realistically don't think my body will go much smaller, and it may not even go there depending on how much excess tummy skin I end up with.  We'll see.  But I'm glad that I am back on the band-wagon journey!

Finally, I am relieved to know that there are a few others out there (shout out to Jen!) who are about the same amount of time out from being banded as I am, who are also in the process of restarting their commitments for whatever reason!  Now I just have to retrain myself on everything like chewing, small bites and not drinking with meals... And start remembering why I did this in the first place - which is to take care of me!  Wish me luck!

Coffee with the Queen Bee and (finally?) realizing I am an adult...

Vicki & Me... in 98* weather!

What a nice way to start off the weekend!  Especially because I am fighting a bad case of bronchitis.  Vicki, (aka "The Queen Bee") and her husband John are in Richmond for a wedding, and I was able to connect with them this morning for a cup of coffee and an hour of chatting!  It is so nice to do it in person rather than via one or two sentence comments on our blogs.  I unfortunately (sorry Vicki!) wasn't able to bring Liam or Lucia - it is just too darn hot here (85 at 7:30 this morning!) but I brought pictures.

Lucia and her counselor

In other non-band related news, we picked Lucia up from her week of camp and she did great - she is tanned and her hair is BLOND!  Amen for natural highlights.  And she seems to be just fine (and more grown up) with just a few scrapes and bug bites as her badges of honor...

I did kind of (?) realize while driving yesterday to pick her up from camp, that I guess I am finally "old" and an adult.  When did that happen???  Even though I am 38 years old, I just don't feel like I am grown up.  Does that make sense?  I mean, I still feel young and sometimes feel like I am playing dress up in my life... (LOL).  What brought it crashing down to earth for me yesterday, was actually realizing that I am just NOT cool riding in a minivan, with the baby in the back and listening to old school hip-hop (think L.L. Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" and Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage)...  Although I might think I am, alas, I am not...  I am just a dork, driving a minivan, who somehow grew up without realizing it!

For all of you fellow-minivan-driving-dorks out there, if you haven't seen the Swagger Wagon commercials from Toyota, check my favorite one out here!  Someday I can aspire to be so cool!  (Sigh)

Clarifying... Food suggestions

Just to clarify in my last post, I welcome any and all suggestions on foods you are especially liking (loving), protein shakes, etc... to get back into the bandland swing of things!  Thanks!

Time to get back on the Band-Wagon!!!

Hard to believe, but 6 weeks post-delivery is next Tuesday and I have my appt. to be "cleared" on Monday... I was supposed to get my first fill under fluoroscopy (since October when they unfilled me) on August 2nd, but they had to change it due to a scheduling conflict and now it is on Tuesday!  YIKES!  It was either that or wait until the end of August, and I don't want to wait...  I need to dig out my books & notes from the surgery and start studying up again on all the "to do's" and the "don't do's"!

So in an effort to start preparing, does anyone have any go-to favorite protein suggestions that are new(ish) in the last year or so???  I figure I have about 25-30 pounds to lose to get back to my lowest point (198) and then from there, would like to lose another 20 or so...  I am not putting any formal number goals out there - but would like to see if I can be back in the clothes that are in my closet by the end of the year... Which means that I need to start walking/running again too as soon as I am cleared.

I signed up for a 10K in late October, so hopefully that will provide me some much-needed motivation, and I am going to start looking for a 5K at the end of September to work toward.  It feels good to start thinking about getting back on the band-wagon... definitely a shift from the last 9 months, but both were for great reasons!

Calling my NYC, South Jersey / Philly & PA Boobs!!!

Hey ladies... I am heading up your way in august (from the 6th - 12th)... Would love to catch up if anyone is available! Let me know! Also for my NYC girls... I am planning to bring Lucia into the city either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday if anyone can meet for lunch or something!!! Just a day trip tho', so may not be possible...