14.5 Weeks to Go – Many Updates and a Plan Update

Yikes – where is the time going?  The plan itself has been going very well, I am losing weight consistently and I have been doing many of my ancillary fertility treatments.  The move has made things extra busy, we are now full on in the midst of packing up to go to the new house as well as keeping everything spick and span for the open for inspections on our current place – a bit of a tricky business I tell you!!  In true JourneyGirl  style – I have spreadsheets galore for the move (cue JourneyMan rolling his eyes).  There are timeframes, schedules on when to pack and all of the things that you have to do in a move!  We are also using this opportunity to declutter and clean up things that have been needing it for a while.

There has been quite a lot of movement cycle-wise in the past week because I learned from the clinic that my usual doctor was going to be at a conference in Japan on the day of our scheduled transfer.  This sent me into a bit of a spin because I trust this doctor and I don’t know the other doctor.  Said I could either have the transfer with the new doctor or they could move the the transfer to 2 days earlier and then I could have the doctor that I normally do. 

It was a little bit of a problem because the accommodation that I had already booked and paid for is non-refundable.  I thought long and hard about it and felt that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t move the dates a couple of days and had the other doctor and it didn’t work.  In the end, I decided to move my flight to 2 days earlier and stay in Thailand a little bit longer.  I saw it as a bit of a sign that I am supposed to have a little more rest after the transfer, rather than getting on a plane 2 days later which I have done for the past 2 cycles.  I will have an additional 2 days of R & R which hopefully will help (I mean all I have to do is just relax right?)

So, in a flurry of activity today, I have confirmed the new timeline with the clinic, changed my flight and transfers, updated my travel insurance and I am just waiting to see whether my bestie wants to come for the extra couple of days before I book the accommodation.  Phew!!  There is a lot going on at the moment!!

So – here is the latest plan update – feel free to skip over if you find it boring!

Physical:

Weight Loss: 

My weight is only down 11.2kg’s in total (though it is down 12.1kg’s from the last cycle).  This is great news and I am really happy that I am making a real difference to my weight this time.  I also feel a lot fitter and stronger which I think is even more important.

Exercise:       

• 3 X 30min Walk / Run sessions – I have changed this to 5 X 20min sessions in the morning at around 5:30am – gets the metabolism going!  I did 4 last week before I hurt my knee and now that the knee is better this week, I have already done 2.
• 3 X Weights program at the gym – This one is proving quite tough – I didn’t do any weights sessions last week – I am hoping for 2 this week at the gym tomorrow and Friday.
• Yoga daily – I have kind of given up on this until we move to the new house.  I was trying to do it in the loungeroom of a morning after my run but seriously when you have a 20month old and a Woolly dog fighting to sit on you or lick you, well, let’s just say not much relaxation has been going on!!
• Walking – Has been going excellently – last week had 3 X 60min walks with the bestie on our lunchbreaks at work.  This week we have already done 2 and have been battling the horrible weather but have still triumphed, I am proud!!
• I have been doing work on the bike 3-4 nights per week which is good.

Detoxification:

• Skin brushing daily – I am hoping to find my skin brush in the move but in the meantime I have been doing this every day with some natural fibre loofah’s!!
• Clay bath – I have removed this from regime as I don’t feel good about it and I am trusting my gut!
• Castor oil pack – I did two packs last week and I am hoping for 3 this week!!
• Vitamins and  Chinese Herbs – Going very well with these during the week – need to pull my socks up on the weekend as instead of twice a day, have only been doing once a day.
• Fertility Tea – have decided to start this once we have moved.

Mind / Body Connection:

• Imaging, Subliminals, hypnosis – I have been doing this most nights though I am not sure how much it is helping because I fell asleep before she finished the first sentence last night!!
• Mind Map – still haven’t done this one – need to get on to it asap – will probably have to wait until we move.
• Make myself ready for another baby – I do actually feel very ready – certainly more ready than I have felt before the previous cycles and I really think that the house move will be the icing on the cake, we can have a nursery set up all ready for the baby to come to us – yay!
• Meditation – hmmm, still need to get on to this – am going to have to postpone until after the move.
• Relaxation time – I have been having baths with some trashy magazines which I find super relaxing.  I also have a family girls day out on the weekend, we are going to have high tea and probably see a movie – yay, should be fun!!

Financial:

• Bills paid on time – had fallen a whisker behind in this but caught up again today, which is a relief!!
• Taxes complete and up to date – this is done for the most part but I do think there might be an error on it so I am going to review tomorrow and book in again to see the accountant because I think some things were missed.
• Stay within budget – this still needs some work, JourneyMan and I need to find some time to sit down and discuss.

House:

• Room ready for baby – This will be done in the new house, I am really looking forward to it!!
• Bedded down routines for cleaning – we have been going pretty well with this – it helps that we have had open for inspections and such on the house!!
• Bedded down routines for the cooking – mostly just trying to eat everything out of the fridge and freezer before we move!

Sleep:

• JBB started sleeping through the night again last week but now again has been waking up at 4am every day – thankfully he does go back to sleep until 5:30am which is slightly more civilised.  JourneyMan and JBB gave me a sleep in for mother’s day – honestly after a 9 hour sleep, I felt brand new!!

Expectations:

• Expectations are going very well – I have been cutting myself a break every now and then so feel pretty good about everything.

Overview:

 A fantastic week in pretty trying circumstances – I am hoping I can keep this level of energy and commitment up for the next 14.5 weeks!!

19.5 Weeks to Go – Plan Update No 2

Confession time – I have had a very bad week on the plan, pretty much in every category. It seems that if anything out of the ordinary strikes, my whole plan falls apart so I am going to have to put some fail safes in place to pick myself up and get back on track straight away rather than let things run on and on like they have in the past week. I have promised myself that I will update each week regardless of the story (good news or bad news) so that is what I am doing *gulp* (hope this process is not too boring for you all to read!

Physical:

Weight Loss:

My weight is only down 300grams this week but I do actually consider this a big win because of Easter and the multitude of opportunities to indulge this week! Plus, it was a big loss last week so really anything this week was going to be a win.

Exercise:

3 X 30min Walk / Run sessions – I only had one run session for the week so I am looking to getting back to the 3 sessions this week, especially as it is only weeks until the 5km run – eeeek!
3 X Weights program at the gym – a shocking week for the gym, I was out all Wednesday for my besties birthday, it wasn’t open on Friday and we had brunch with my family on Sunday so all of my sessions were gone – I need a contingency for this.
Yoga daily – shocking week for the yoga – I didn’t do any – aaaaarrrrggggghhh!!
Walking – I only did one walk for the week as well so that was pretty pitiful, definitely have to pull up my socks this week as well.
No intervals on the spin bike – what!!?!? It is in the loungeroom, the only excuse here was laziness, definitely need to be better this week.

Detoxification:

Skin brushing daily – still a problem as I haven’t found where JBB has hidden it – doh!!
Clay bath – didn’t have one – need to book this in and stick to it – okay, I am going to make a big call and do it Wednesday night.
Castor oil pack – no pack’s this week, definitely need to do one tonight (Tuesday) and Thursday.
Clay foot bath – nope, didn’t do this either, will need to do this on Saturday or Sunday this week.
Naturopath liver detox powder – did well again with this during the week and over Easter had it once a day which is an improvement on last week but still needs some work.

Mind / Body Connection:

Imaging, Subliminals, hypnosis – only did this around 2 nights and I really have to do the imaging sitting up because I keep falling asleep if I am lying down
Mind Map – still haven’t done this one – am going to post pone it until after the tax is done, once the tax is done, this will be my project.
Make myself ready for another baby – I am feeling very ready for another baby – poor JBB has been put into the baby position many times this week, much to his annoyance – he’s no baby, he wants to be running around the house, not being rocked by his crazy mother!
Meditation – have not started this one yet – need to find some time to slot it into my day.
Relaxation time – I had a fab day out with my bestie for her 40th birthday last week, it was very nice to have a fun day out like we used to, very relaxing!!

Financial:

Bills paid on time – the bills are all caught up on and the new system seems to be working pretty well.
Taxes complete and up to date – my goal is to get these finished by Friday, then I can relax over the weekend, let’s hope that this will happen!!
Stay within budget – this still needs some work, JourneyMan and I need to find some time to sit down and discuss.

House:

Room ready for baby – we did actually go out this weekend to get a mattress for JBB’s bed but we ended up buying him a racing car bed – I know that this wasn’t in the budget but it was a joy to see him jump in it saying ‘car, car!!’ – I can’t wait for it to be delivered on Friday!
Bedded down routines for cleaning – shocking week for cleaning, the house is a bomb site – I have decided to start the Fly Lady 31 days of baby steps from today – wish me luck!
Bedded down routines for the cooking – not a great week for eating but I have done some good cooking for the week and we have lots of healthy food at our fingertips this week, yay!

Sleep:

Another pretty poor week of sleeping though I did get two sleep-in’s over the Easter weekend. JBB has still been waking up at 4am. This morning I checked on him and let him cry for awhile and he went back to sleep until 6am, a big win – hoping to consolidate some good habits into this little cheeky over the next week.

Expectations:

Moaning Myrna was a little louder this week – especially beating me up on my looks, I am trying to let her negative nelly speak pass me by but still some things hang on. I am hoping for a more positive week this week.

Overview:

Not the best of weeks this week but I am proud of the fact that I have updated despite everything not being perfect. I still lost weight which is fabulous and I am feeling very positive about a new baby which is all good. Here’s hoping for some good improvements this week too!!

20.5 Weeks to Go – Plan Update No 1

I had a very good week on the plan, I wasn’t perfect but I don’t expect to be – I am doing the best that I can. Here is a run down:

Physical:

Weight Loss:

Am down 3.8kg this week but that is mostly fluid from AF coming but also from some excellent eating and exercise – I am very proud of my work this week!!

Exercise:

• 3 X 30min Walk / Run sessions – I am on week 5 of the ‘Couch to 5km’ running plan – I was surprised that I could pick up where I had left off because I had a week off with my back being sore
• 3 X Weights program at the gym – another win for me on this front this week as I did all three sessions and felt pretty good afterwards, a bit stiff in the muscles but that is expected
• Yoga daily – this wasn’t as great – I think I only did 2 out of the 7 nights so I need to pick up my game on this one – I really like how the yoga makes me feel.
• Walking – did two walks with my bestie at lunch times this week so that was excellent. JourneyMan and I also did a 6km walk with JBB on Sunday and I have been making an effort to walk places rather than drive so another big success
• I also did 2 sessions of intervals on the home spin bike which was really good – I am hoping to raise this to 3 sessions next week

Detoxification:

• Skin brushing daily – this was a bit of a problem as I only did this once and JBB took the brush and has hidden it from me – need to do a good search of the house to find it and get this going again!!
• Clay bath – didn’t have one (forgot – whoops!!)
• Castor oil pack – did one pack which was good and wasn’t able to do anymore because AF came – will do two this week
• Clay foot bath – did this one – it is a pleasure and not as messy as the bath so happy with that!!
• Naturopath liver detox powder – was very good with this during the week having it twice a day but forgot a couple of times on the weekend, need to put some reminders in so I remember

Mind / Body Connection:

• Saw the psychologist last week and once again she helped me out with dealing with some issues and giving me tools with how to handle things – I feel like I only need a couple more sessions and then I can be left to my own devices – I can always go back if things go awry.
• Imaging, Subliminals, hypnosis – I have put the CD’s onto my phone and have done some imaging about 5 nights during the week so that was good
• Mind Map – haven’t done this one yet – JourneyMan and I will need to focus and get it done over Easter
• Make myself ready for another baby – well there is a proliferation of elephant keyrings in my world and every time, I look at them, I think of JBBS who has a face to me now. I had been thinking that if we had a boy, there would be some part of me that wanted to go again and try for a girl but yesterday, I felt the decision, two is enough – if we are blessed enough with two, regardless of whether they are a boy or a girl, I don’t mind – I will be happy and believe that we are absolutely blessed!!
• Meditation – have not started this one yet – need to find some time to slot it into my day.
• Relaxation time – I have a bath almost every day and that is my time to read a novel, I like that as my relaxation time. Plus the footy has started again, so that is also my time for myself – sometimes it is not relaxing but it is fun and that is the main thing!!

Financial:

• Bills paid on time – I have caught up on most of the bills – I have a couple to pay today and we are all up to date – I feel like I am starting to get a handle on this again now (thank goodness!!)
• Taxes complete and up to date – I have had to move my appointment with the accountant tomorrow to next week because there are some items that I still need to gather but I have made excellent progress in the past week so I am very happy about that.
• Stay within budget – this also needs some work, JBB and I are going to work on a budget over the Easter weekend for us to stick to!

House:

• Room ready for baby – still need to buy a mattress for the new bed for JBB & JBBS’s room – will do that over Easter
• Bedded down routines for cleaning – not a good start on this one, the house is a bit of a bomb site this week, I have joined flylady to see if she can help me out!
• Bedded down routines for the cooking – we had an excellent week of eating lovely home cooked food and only a couple of chicken and salad take-away days which was a good effort I think – this week is going to take some focus with Easter upon us – mmmmm chocolate!

Sleep:

• A very poor week sleeping wise because not only did we have JBB waking in the middle of the night, when daylight savings finished, he’s been waking up at 3:30-4am and will not go back to sleep for love nor money. We are trying some new things to get him down but I went to bed early which is really the best I can do at this point. JourneyMan and I will have to negotiate some sleep in’s over the Easter weekend.

Expectations:

• I have been great in this respect, doing what I can and letting negative thoughts go by without engaging with them. Moaning Myrna is still there but her voice is turned down right now which is good. I am aiming to keep her voice as white noise – I don’t need to listen to that chick’s crap.

Overview:

A very good start week – I am very proud of myself!! The new week has started a little shakily for me but I will pull myself together and get moving again!! Just writing this review of last week has made me realise that I need to put together a to do list for over Easter! Normally we go away at Easter to a country Victoria running race meeting, the Stawell Gift – it is the ‘richest footrace in Australia’ and draws athletes from around the world. It is beautiful there but this year we are staying in Melbourne because of course we are saving for another cycle, this is not the first time that this has happened but hopefully it might be the last time we miss for that reason (I don’t mind if we miss it next year because I am in the last trimester of a pregnancy!!).