PRK surgery

Last October I went to the Moran Eye Center for a free consultaion and screening to see if I could get LASIK to fix my poor vision.  It has been a dream of mine ever since my vision started diminishing when I was in 4th grade.  Technology has really come a long way since I first dreamed of getting my eyes fixed.  I found out that my corneas are too thin and could not get LASIK.  I was really dissapointed and they introduced me to a lesser known method called PRK (Photorefractive Kerectomy).  I'm typing with very limited vision right now and I will fix all my typos later.  I found out that this method is similar to LASIK in that a laser is used to correct poor vision but the difference is the prep for the surgery.  With LASIK they cut a flap in your cornea and shoot the laser through.  Healing and recovery is a peace of cake.  With PRK they use chemicals and scrape off the top epithelium of your eye and then correct with the laser.  Recovery is longer and has some pain.  I'm on day #3 and the pain hasn't been terrible.  I am dealing with hazy vision and struggling to see the monitor I'm typing on. 

My big day was Thursday Feb 2nd.  It's a day that I hope will be one of the best decisions ever.  I went in at 7:30am and everything happened really fast.  The doctor was ready for me and it was so quick I felt like my eyes were already done the minute I laid down.  They took my vitals and gave me a bunch of instructions for the millions of eye drops I would take over the next several days.  They numbed and cleansed my eyes and then took me back.  I layed down on a table and they put this nice warm blanket over me.  I brought my fat cat stuffed animal and it was surprising comforting because I was terrified!  My job was to keep my head still and focus on the green light right in the center.  It was so fast, even the laser part.  They were done with me in about 10 minutes.  I could see right away but my vision was hazy like it still is right now but I can see glimpses of clear vision.  I do have a protective contact on but I am seeing with my own eyes right now and it's at least 100 times better then it was before!  I"m very hopeful that when my vision settles that I will not need glasses or contacts, at least for several years.

I feel like I can function pretty well despite the hazy vision.  The pain hasn't been horrible.  It's a burning pain and my eyes tear up, but it has been manageable.  The doctor even said I could keep working out so I did a good workout today.  I feel like I'm getting back into my routine slowly.  So far I am glad I did this and I'm hoping my vision will clear when my eyes heal up.  I will post more of an update later because it is really difficult to see the monitor right now.

Busy weekend with a wedding!

My brother got hitched this weekend on Saturday 1/7/12.  It was neat being able to participate.  His new bride Kristen asked Sarah and me to be bridesmaids.  It was fun dressing up.  I'll admit it,  I'm a girl who still likes to dress up when she gets a chance.  We are excited to welcome a new sister into the family.  Xander was supposed to be the ring bearer, but when we were getting in line for the ceremony he decided he wanted nothing to do with it.  I guess that is the way of 3 year olds sometimes. 

Sarah and Chris

Mike and Kristen signing the certificate!

The other big event was having Jeremiah's father Rick and his two younger daughters, Sammy and Bradie come to visit all the way from Texas.  Xander and Wesley got to see their other grandpa, but I suppose they may be too young to remember.  We all hope that we will get to see each other more despite the distance and build some relationships.  We had a dinner at our house with everybody, including Jeremiah's half-sister Bethany and her little family. 

Hello 2012!

We had a great Christmas.  We spoiled the kids and enjoyed the festivities.  Of course the best blessing of all is to be together as a family.  Xander really go into the holiday spirit.  Everyday he still tells me things that he wants to ask Santa for and I have to keep telling him we have another whole year.  I don't think he grasps that concept yet.  Here are some pictures from the holiday:

 This is my brother and his fiancee Kristen.  They are getting hitched in just a few days.  I get a new sister, yay! 

This is my first year that I haven't made a resolution that I need to drop weight.  I lost 53 pounds last year.  This year is really about getting fitter and learning to maintain the loss.  I'm so glad it was possible to lose that weight.  I thought I was just stuck with it forever, until I stumbled upon Sparkpeople.com.  I use their app to count my calories and fitness and it has helped me lose. 

This year I really want to focus on learning to budget and just get better with finances.  We paid off some debts last year and I hope we can pay off more this year.

Now that I'm in a more healthy lifestyle I want to learn to cook healthier and start a box garden so I don't have to spend too much money on the fresh produce at the grocery store.  It will be a good year to continue to be more physically and financially fit! 

Xander's new years resolution that I made for him is to be fully potty trained.  He makes progress then he goes backward and it keeps going in an endless cycle.  Maybe it will finally end this year before he turns 4.  I keep hoping!





Christmas time!

I can't believe Christmas is only 2 days away!  I have been very busy getting ready but right now I feel as ready as I'll ever be and excited to just enjoy the holiday with my family.  At age 3 Xander has really started getting into occasions like holidays and birthdays.  He was so excited for Halloween to come and now Christmas.  He was been telling me all month what he wants to ask Santa for.  I have had him go visit Santa twice now.  It is a special thing to see him so excited.  Wesley could care less but I'm sure he notices all the beautiful lights and the Christmas tree.  My kids didn't scream when they saw Santa, but having no reaction is kind of strange to me..

I'm feeling the holiday spirit and can't wait to give out my gifts to my family, especially the kids.  I'm so glad I have work off for the holiday..unfortunately I will not have Christmas off next year if I'm still at the same job.  I wish I had all the holidays off.  I hope everyone out there is having a good holiday and thinking about the true meaning of Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  

Photo Card

Fanciful Snowflakes Christmas

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My Gratitude post

Thanksgiving is tomorrow so I thought I would make a gratitude post to keep with the spirit of this holiday.  The top thing I have been super grateful for is my health.  I have been blessed with a healthy body and it has allowed me to do most of the things I want to in this life.  I decided that I didn't want to take my health for granted so I have been on a weight loss journey since the beginning of June.  It has been almost 6 months since that time and I have lost 40 pounds!  It is so liberating.  I think I am healthier than I have ever been in my whole life.  I workout because I love it, the only thing I had to change was to eat healthier.  I track everything that goes into my mouth every single day.  I have already decided to give myself a day off for Turkey day tomorrow.  I am around the same weight I was in high school, possibly even smaller since I fit into the smallest pair of jeans I have ever owned in my life!  Having health is a blessing.  I think taking care of your body can have blessings in many areas of our lives.  If you are taking care of yourself you will be better able to care for others.  I can now be fit and healthy for my kids so we can grow up playing together.  I feel better about myself which gives me more confidence.  I can enjoy things better and not worry about too many limitations.  If I ever do find myself sick with a minor or major illness my body will be able to handle it better.  It is a wonderful thing all the way around to take care of the body God has blessed each and every one of us with.

Me at my lowest/current weight



I am grateful for my wonderful marriage to Jeremiah.  When we started dating it was a crazy time in my life.  I was just starting out on my own and had gotten out of relationships with some guys that I should not have been dating.  I think I was just trying to figure things out but doing it in the wrong way.  Jeremiah came into my life and after a couple months of dating I knew he was meant to be my husband.  He is an awesome husband and father.  We are not perfect by any means, but I can say that we are happily married and have been together for over 8 years! 

I am grateful for the greatest thing to test and try me in this life so far...being a mother.  Those kids drive me crazy on a daily basis, but there is just something special about having little children in my home.  They are a lot of work!  I probably burn more calories taking care of them than my workouts at the gym some days.  I live for those special moments though.  There are those moments when Xander will say or do something and just make me laugh, or he will give me a hug.  Some days I need that hug more then he does.  Wesley will just blow me away with his cuteness.  We are going through a rough time with him right now, most likely teething, but he has been such a sweet little addition to our family.  I love those kids and I hope Jerry and I are giving them a good childhood and they can grow up to be good people.   

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There are many other things I am grateful for.  I know I could name hundreds of smaller things to be grateful for on a daily basis, like warm water, having transportation, having money to pay the bills, being able to eat when I am hungry, having a job that lets me stay at home with my kids every other week.  I am grateful for chocolate, and that I can still enjoy it daily and still lose weight!  Another huge thing to be grateful for would be that I am a member of the LDS church.  I believe in this church and I know it helps me become a better person.  I feel like I would be lost without my faith in my life.  I'm not strong enough to face the challenges of this life without being able to look to my faith and have Heavenly father always waiting to answer my prayers and guide me. 
  Having gratitude is something we all should think about on a daily basis, but it's good to have a holiday to remind us about this concept.  I will be enjoying good food tomorrow, but most of all being able to spend time with family.  My brother is engaged again, but this time to a great person and I'm super excited to welcome Kristen into our family in January.  I"m grateful that my brother found a good person to be his companion.  I am grateful for my family that I grew up with and that we all get to be together tomorrow to celebrate the holiday.  Christmas is right around the corner!  Happy Thanksgiving! 



 

A whole random update of everything...

This blog really is designed to be a place to keep friends and family updated on our lives and I feel I'm past due on making an update.  I have been busy as usual.  For a few years of my life I was doing school full-time while working a full-time job.  I thought my life could never get busier than that, but I was completely wrong!!  I'm still working full-time and a college graduate, but once you add some young kids in the mix you are busier then ever.  Xander and Wesley are only 1 and 3 and depend on me for everything.  I have been told that I will miss these days, but at this point I look forward to the day when they can get their own food and bathe and dress themselves.  After everything I do, there really is no time to be bored, that never happens anymore.  If a parent with a young child says they are bored..then they are not really taking care of that child!!  Jerry and I do love our kids very much and I know they have made our lives so much richer.

 Xander posing for the camera!

 Xander as Plex the robot, he finally settled on a costume.  

  Wesley took off walking about 3 weeks after his first birthday and he is now a pro.  He is very happy and healthy.  He loves his big brother very much.  He likes to do everything Xander does, which is a good and a bad thing!  He has more teeth and was really moody while they were coming through.  His recent milestones are that he can drink from a straw and he can spoon feed himself.  He is very messy, but I am amazed that he is already learning these things.  I feel like my baby doesn't want to be a baby anymore.  He doesn't say very many words yet, just some basics, like uh-oh, up, dada.  I keep trying to get him to say mama but he is taking his time.  I hope he doesn't have speech delays like his brother.  I'm trying not to worry about it too much yet.
  Xander is talking a lot more now.  I understand most of what comes out of his mouth.  He has a big personality and is happy most of the time.  He is mostly cranky when you try to get him up from a nap and he just doesn't want to be awake.  He loves his little brother, but he still doesn't know how to behave around him. This can get very frustrating because I am constantly playing referee.  He pushes him over, hits him with toys and is just too aggressive.  We take away toys and do time outs.  I just hope that this gets better.  I can't get anything done unless I have some way to keep them separated.  Xander is at least halfway potty trained.  Just recently he has finally started going to the bathroom on his own.  Before we had to constantly make him sit on the potty several times during the day, now I think he is finally understanding when he needs to go.  I absolutely hate potty training.  I dread potty training Wesley and just hope it will be better with the second child.  I'm open to any good potty training book suggestions!!
  I am still following the program on Sparkpeople.com faithfully everyday.  I track everything I eat and every exercise I do on my phone and the computer.  I don't know that I can ever give it up.  In part of the program they say that eventually you can cut back to tracking food only every few days, but I can't imagine not tracking I'm so used to it now.  I'm staying consistent and having an average weight loss of 1.5lbs per week. There are weeks where I lose a lot, weeks where I lose very little and weeks where I don't lose, but I'm still losing and so happy to be healthier.  Since June I am 34lbs lighter and loving it.  I love that I can fit in smaller clothes and that when I exercise I feel stronger and more energized.  I think I have reached a new fitness level because of running.  I need to sign up for more 5k's and possibly a 10k if I feel brave enough.  I found an interesting cardiovascular effect to all my running, my resting heart rate has dropped from the 70's to below 50.  My heart beats really slow when I'm not exercising.  I have done research and learned that an athletes heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood and will slow down, so now I have the heart of an athlete!  I'm excited to continue this journey and see where it takes me.  I'm not going for a whole bunch of muscle but I would like to looked toned and have visible muscle definition.  I'm getting there!
  Now that we have great benefits at our jobs and a little more money to go around, Jerry and I are going to have some medical procedures done on ourselves.  Jerry has had a dream of getting his teeth straightened and he will be going to an orthodontist to see how they can help him.  My dream is to get my poor vision corrected.  In January I'm going to get PRK done to correct my eyesight.  There is not 100% guarantee that I will have perfect vision, but I have decided that any correction is better then what I have right now.  I would love to wake up in the morning and just be able to see without feeling around for my glasses.  I hope our dreams will be fulfilled in the next few months!
  Halloween is still one of our favorite holidays.  It is a month of going to corn mazes and haunted houses and a month of decorating our house.  Last year Jerry created a demonic centipede.  This year he made a scorpion.  We had to find a huge  pumpkin and haul it home.  I'm very curious how much it weighed, but I guess we will never know.  He cut it in half to create his creature.  I will post more pictures after the holiday is over.