Musings from a Pregnant Lady

Today, we are at week 22...  That means that Diana is currently the size of a spaghetti squash.  I have finally started to feel her move on a regular basis, but Brandon hasn't yet been able to.

For a quick update, per one of my last videos, I had been tasked with the wonderful job of... collecting my urine for 24 hours... and I HAD TO KEEP IT IN MY FRIDGE SO IT WOULD STAY COLD!!!!!!!!!

This is going on my list of "Things no one tells you about pregnancy"

I gave them 1750mL... which my doctor friends can tell me if that is enough, too much, or whatever.  Either way, everything came back normal, so I am not worried about it.  But talk about embarrassing!!

Today, I realized that at 22 weeks, that means we are almost done!  I mean, we still have about 18 weeks to full term, but still... according to our babylist.com we have 125 days until her due date.

125 days is approximately a little over 4 months!  Or 3000 hours!!  Now, while I am not freaking out as much as I was a couple of weeks ago - my anxiety has been REAL - we have the nursery almost completely painted, I am actually finishing up the edges tonight.  After the holidays are over, Brandon and our dads will be refinishing the floor.  Then the nursery will be 100% ready for all of her stuff.

I have about 2 pages worth of questions for the doctor, which I go see tomorrow.  Mainly about delivery and the benefits of certain medications and such... I never in a million years thought there would be this much to consider about growing a tiny human and THEN bringing them into the world!!

I haven't made a video in a couple weeks, because honestly I feel completely silly making videos.  Usually I feel like I am talking to myself... which is weird... and I feel ridiculous!! But seriously, most of the time the updates are because we have family all over the country - so it's easier to make video updates than lengthy text messages - or writing a blog here.

Nothing much else to update, which is also why I haven't made a video... I HAVE been going to the chiropractor - the same awesome doctor that hooked me up with sauna bed treatments and is now helping keep my hips in place.  My hips have decided that since everything is stretching out and getting ready to squeeze a human being out, they don't want to stay where they are designed to be - resulting in some serious pain in my hips and lower back.  After 2 adjustments, I can honestly say that I feel 100% better than I did before!  I can actually sleep without pain, which is real nice.  As we all know, sleep is a valuable thing, especially since the majority of you have warned me that I won't be getting any sleep for the next 20 years...

I got nothing else... CYA!!

Almost a Year, and New Things to Come!!!

It's been almost a year since I have written... and SO MUCH HAS CHANGED!!!

2017 has been a very weird year... but it is wrapping up to be one of the best year's of my life!  I am excited to announce...

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!!

DIANA MAR-JEN LONESS is due 04/17/2018

We started an additional youtube channel - Loness Crew - which updates different things about the pregnancy.  And once baby Diana get's here, I will also be getting back to judo and my weight loss journey.  I want to be able to keep up with her.

As most of you know, we were having a HORRIBLE time getting pregnant.  Here is the blogpost about my diagnosis of PCOS and my feeble attempt to explain where I was with it at that time - I am still fighting the effects of this horrible thing called a disease (with no explanation of causes, or even cures!! Treatments for the symptoms only...) 

However... after family vacation to Florida this year, I wasn't feeling 100%.  I was tired, no food sounded good, and I even threw up out of the blue one day in my office... that was fun!  My birthday was on a Sunday, and I kept thinking to myself "maybe I am pregnant?  No!  I am NOT!"  After too many let downs, I had basically stopped allowing myself to think it.  After discussion with Brandon, we decided to take a test.  For some reason, it made sense to test on my birthday - I really didn't think it through all the way:  If it was negative, it might ruin my entire day.  

I woke up early, because I was actually excited to test!  For the first time in the almost 3 years of trying, I actually felt excited to test... Immediately, the 2 stripes appeared.  I couldn't believe my eyes!  In fact, I DIDN'T believe my eyes!!  I didn't have to wait the 2 minutes for the test to show positive... it was immediate! 

I fumbled around for the box, because SURELY I was only seeing things.  My eyes were blurry from sleeping in my contacts, or I wasn't reading the results correctly... Sure enough, the box AND the insert of directions confirmed - WE ARE HAVING A BABY!

Brandon, still in bed, could hear my rustling around in the bathroom.  He fully admits that he was waiting for me to start screaming - he thought I had seen a spider and was freaking out trying to get away from it... Little did he know, I had just learned he was going to be a daddy!!

I came out of the bathroom - test in one hand, box with directions in the other - and said "we did it!" He just looked at me, since he was also half asleep "did what?"  I jumped on the bed with him, my excitement too much to contain at that point "we are pregnant!!" We laughed, cried, reread the directions and results about a thousand times, and then had to get ourselves together... Today was my birthday, and we decided not to tell anyone until we went to the doctor to confirm... 

4 hours, 15 people, and 1 birthday dinner and cake party later... we had contained ourselves long enough to make it through!!  I didn't even slip ONCE!!  

The video above was our announcement to the world.  We told our parents on Labor Day Monday, and they had absolutely NO idea!!  It was one of the greatest surprises EVER!!  We gave our parents a gift:  A onesie that said "One day I will make history", some socks, football pacifiers, and a copy of the first ultrasound in a frame that had grandkid words all over it.  You can tell by the reactions in the video, all 4 parents are EXTREMELY excited!!

Now, I am at 21 weeks and have had a few struggles along the way.  First, let me just say - Diana is growing just perfectly!  She is weighing in at 12 ounces, which is right on track.  Our anatomy scan was last week - which confirms the growth of limbs and organs - everything is perfect.  She was wiggling around like crazy, and even got the hiccups while we watched her on the screen.  It has really been a magical time in our life and in our marriage.

I am having to take insulin shots, as I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes - but after weeks of feeling guilty, I have finally come to the realization that it is NOT my fault.  It has nothing to do with my weight, or lack of weight loss.  It has everything in the world to do with the fact that my pancreas is just completely unable to keep up.  A pregnant woman's pancreas has to keep up with almost 3 times the amount of insulin to keep 2 humans alive during pregnancy.  A woman weighing 100 pounds may not have a pancreas up to the task... a woman at 300 pounds may not have a problem keeping up with the insulin demands.  Everyone is different.

Obviously, because of the pregnancy, my judo and kickboxing training are on pause right now.  I do plan on getting back in though, once she is here and I am cleared by my doctors to get back.  Diana doesn't know it yet, but as soon as she is 4, she is also getting into the judo program.  Too many kids are being bullied for me to NOT have her in some sort of self defense.

So, that's all that is new.  I have decided that while I am attempting to vlog on youtube our amazing journey, I also want to get back into blogging.  I feel like I can get my point across with written word easier than on video - but we shall see what happens.

Have a great day everyone, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Where have you been? What is going on?!

So... where to start... well, I have been around.  You know that saying:  "when you feel like you are at the end of your rope, tie knot and hold on" I have felt like I have been spiraling to the end of my rope for the last couple months.  

Honestly, I have been overly stressed at work.  It's our busy season, and it's finally starting to wrap up.  I am incredibly blessed to have the job that I have, so I don't want to sound like I am complaining about work - which I am not.  I don't think that saying that I am stressed is complaining, just stating a fact.  The beginning of the year is extremely overwhelming for all of us.  The hours caused me to have to miss gym time, and it has cost me quite a bit.

Again, not complaining... stating a fact.  I had to work, nothing wrong with that.

I had to miss a competition, because even though my coach invited me and was confident I would do well, I was not confident in myself.  Not one little bit... I was afraid that I wasn't ready. I was afraid my cardio would be crap, and I wouldn't last the entire fight.

Let's not even get started on my eating... needless to say, I have NOT been on track.  However, Brandon and I decided to try the Ketogenic diet... Today was day 1 - not entirely bad, but different.  The first day is usually the easiest for me, so let me check back in with you in a few days.

My hormones... have been a little messed up.  I attribute that to lack of exercise, horrible diet, and everything in between unfortunately.  It doesn't help that I am on round 2 of progesterone... Hopefully this will help us get pregnant.  My hormones make me feel crazy right now.  One minute, I am fine.  The next minute, I want to scream and cry.  It has caused me to lose motivation, and basically feel like I have given up on myself.

I am slowly finding my way back to me.  It's an extremely slow process, but I am doing my best.

Back to Life... Back to Reality

It's been a minute or two hasn't it?!  Well, we hit "busy season" at work, so I have spent the last couple of weeks focusing on work.  It was rough, I may or may not have had a break down or two, BUT I survived.

Back to the gym on Monday, back to getting in my steps, back to eating the right things and drinking plenty of water!  Back on track to do things right for ME!

As I mentioned in a previous post, my life is all about fresh starts.  To keep myself from getting overwhelmed, I have to start each day fresh and brand new.  I have to remind myself that each day is a new opportunity to do things right.  A new chance to do things RIGHT, rather than feel like I have screwed everything up.

As most of you know, I am taking part in an experiment with Dr. Robin Ellsworth and trying out her new Infrared Sauna Bed. 

First Treatment - 01/06/2017
Weight -  272
Arm - 15 inches
Thigh - 26 inches
Waist - 51 inches

For 6 weeks, I spent 1 hour a week in the sauna bed.  What I noticed right away is how GREAT I felt!  It was like laying in a giant heating pad.  I didn't mind pushing hard in the gym, because I knew on Friday I was going in for a treatment.  My skin also felt softer, and started to clear up!  I also noticed I was sleeping better AND felt relaxed going in to my weekends.

Since I was zipped into a heating pad sleeping bag for 60 minutes, I was forced to lay still and quiet my mind.  It forced me to relax.  It forced me into a nap.  I say forced like my arm was twisted - it sure wasn't!  It was worth every minute!

Week 6 was my last week.  The plan is to take 6 weeks off to compare how I feel, and then go again for another 6 weeks.

Last Treatment - 02/10/2017
Weight - 263
Arm - 14.75 inches
Thigh - 25 inches
Waist - 49 inches

Three weeks into our 6 weeks off, and I can tell you... I miss my sauna bed treatments.  I am not sleeping as well, and I miss my Friday evening nap.  Truthfully, if the Infrared Sauna Bed did nothing else for me, it helped my stress levels. 

I can't wait for the next 3 weeks so I can start the treatments again. 

Thank you so much, Dr. Robin, for allowing me to take part in this experiment with you.  I certainly hope that the results are BETTER than you expect, and hope to see further results in 3 weeks.

If you are interested in more information on the Infrared Sauna Bed or the many other treatments offered by Ellsworth Chiropractic & Med Spa, give the office a call - 618-451-8830. 

Tell them the "Fat Kid" sent ya!

Here's to New Beginnings!!!