We'll take a coconut full of kindness yet, for auld lang syne

Well, it's officially 2009 and I'm back at work after almost 2 weeks off (I mean, um... at home.... because I wouldn't dare to blog from work, of course). I haven't updated since before Christmas, so I'm going to point-form my updates, in no particular order:

• I rang in the new year in Cuba with my husband, and celebrated with a few glasses of champagne.
• I made it to 10 DPO last month (hooray!) and got my period on Boxing Day morning (boo)
• I spent Christmas Day hopeful of a BFP, though I POAS in the morning to get a BFN
• My 18 month old nephew came to Christmas dinner wearing a shirt that says, "Big Brother" - my sister-in law is expecting their second! They were only at 6 weeks, but didn't know when they'd see us next so wanted to announce it to us and mom. When my sister-in-law asked him, "Ty, do you want a little brother or little sister?" he said, without hesitating, "Little sister!" Awwww.... so cute.
• I had my first wave of horrible, all-consuming jealousy when I saw how excited my brother and sister-in-law were. I finally understood all the girls on theBump - it was my first time feeling the overwhelming "WHY NOT ME?" when they found out someone else was PG. I was hoping all day that I'd get a BFP the next morning so that my SIL and I would be PG together, only 2 weeks apart. I was really, REALLY dissappointed the next morning, and so was DH.
• On the 28th, I went to a Puja for my youngest nephew (a Hindu blessing ceremony, and in this case, it was kind of the Hindu equivalent of a baptism). Apparently, someone at the Puja (some random Uncle that I've only met once at my wedding) asked our friend Paul's parents if I'm pregnant. Awesome. So now there's a rumour going around that I'm pregnant and I'm not. (Though we had Paul tell his mom that we're not, so hopefully that made it back to this gossiping uncle I don't even know). Just proves that I have gained weight, and people have noticed. That sucks. We told my MIL that Paul's mom asked if I'm pregnant and she was furious that her so-called friends are gossiping about me. She didn't even pause to ask if there was any truth to the gossip, just immediately thought they were insinuating that I've put on weight. She's going to be so shocked when we do get to tell her we're pregnant ;) She's not expecting it at all.
• I'm back on the beach today. No, not Playa Esperanza in Cuba (I wish) .... I'm back on South Beach to get rid of my Christmas / All-Inclusive Vacation chub. I'm incredibly motivated to lose this weight. I want to be cute pregnant, not fat pregnant where people just think I'm getting chunky.
• The trip was a great way to skip past the first part of my cycle without stressing about my temperatures. Today's day 12 of my cycle, and I'm back to temping. I just hope the trip didn't push my ovulation date back, but we shall see. Last month I O'd on day 18.
• We're back on the baby-making train as of today. Since we don't really know when I'll O, we're just going to do every-other day this week, and then every day starting on the weekend, from day 16 onward).
• We're expecting a shipment of Pre-Seed this week (hopefully today), and we ordered a bunch of their cheapie PG tests. So this month, I won't feel bad about POAS at 10 DPO.
• I'm actually glad I didn't get PG last month (despite the horrible wave of envy on Christmas), because it meant I could 'go out with a bang' in Cuba with the alcohol and caffeine. And now, I'm back to a dry, caffeine-free existance.
• I hope month 3 of TTC is our month. Third time's a charm....?
• I finally got to drink something out of a coconut! Coconut milk and Malibu rum. MMMMmmmm. That in itself made my vacation. And every drink had a twisty straw in it. Nothing says vacation like twisty straws.
• Christmas at my in-laws' was pretty uneventful, but good. It was weird not getting any presents - we only did gifts for kids this year. Also, because my MIL had just gotten back from India, they didn't have a Christmas tree up. We gathered the presents around the TV. Classy ;)
• We still got spoiled rotten at my mom's on Christmas day.
• I have freckles and am tanned by Daphne standards... but nobody else would know I went away unless I told them. I guess I should just be thankful that I didn't get burnt.
• I miss the beach. I miss the smell of sunscreen. I miss not wearing sweaters and coats and boots. I miss not setting an alarm. I miss not worrying about my temperature or my CM. I miss having normal sex when we want to, not dictated by the day of the month or my temperature. I miss not sitting at a desk. I miss not worrying about getting laundry done or buying groceries. I miss lying on a chaise lounge, reading all afternoon. I miss Cuban music. I miss how relaxed my husband was on vacation.
• I don't miss vacation hair (curly and weird due to the humidity). I don't miss covering my body in sunscreen every few hours. That's about all I miss.

Alright. I guess I should work or something. Happy 2009 everyone!

The best invention since.... well, ever

We got one on Tuesday, and I love it. Anything that makes my husband get off the couch and away from the computer is aces for me. And it's super fun.

Mmmmm

I just ate a peanut butter pirate cookie and it was probably the best thing I've ever eaten. Two reasons:

1. I've lost 9 pounds, and I'm feeling pretty damn proud of myself. My bathing suits look great, I can do my belt up on a tighter notch - and I miss sweets like I can't even tell you. This cookie was a sweet, sweet reward.
   
2. It's a 'stolen' cookie. One of the managers buys cookies for new employee orientation and then keeps the opened bags in a filing cabinet to use at the next meeting (and absolutely won't let anyone touch them, despite the fact that they'll be stale by the nex meeting). When she's not in the office, we sneak cookies. And ooooohhhh do they taste good.

I haven't posted much these days. The reason is thankfully not because I'm working in the evenings or anything equally crappy..... we bought a Wii on Saturday, and I've done nothing but work, sleep, eat South Beach-friendly foods, and play Mario Party. I don't feel bad about my lack of productivity - I deserve it. I'm a hard-working 28 year old professional, and I deserve to revert back to my teen years every now and then.

I can't wait to go home and play. Wiiiiiiii!

Holy Hell

135.6

That's what the scale told me this morning.

I can't remember when I last weighed that! 135 is my Magic Number, and I'm there already -2 weeks early!

WEEEE!

I heart South Beach.

checking in

So it's week 2 of South Beach, and I'm not doing too badly. The weekend could have been bad for the waistline, what with birthday dinners at the Keg and a birthday BBQ at an Italian household, but I managed to fare pretty well. I resisted the carb-y foods, and treated myself with really REALLY good (but not very lean) meats. Pas mal. On Monday morning, I was at my Friday weight, so I consider that a success. I didn't lose, but I didn't gain. Huzzah :)

As of today, I'm down 5 whole pounds! Yay me :)
I'm at 137, and I'm pleased. I had been at 138.5 since Friday and it was getting to be a bit of a bummer, but dropping that bit on the scale this morning has renewed my zeal.

The bathing suits will fit... I'm determined.

17 days until Jamaica!

Day 3 - Down 3 pounds

Yesterday I resisted temptation like a champ. Someone brought in Timbits - I didn't eat any. I went to Starbucks with my boss, and all I had was a Cafe Americano, no sugar. We had a friend over for dinner and while they ate chocolate cake, I just had coffee. (One little cheat: I put a dollop of peanut butter cool whip on their cake, and I did lick the spoon).

Let's see how I do today...

Breakfast: 2 quiche dealies, glass of crystal light

Snack: celery sticks with 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese

Lunch at Casey's: Asian Chicken Salad

Dinner: chicken & peppers with roasted squash zucchini, handful of peanuts

Day 2 - One pound less (and counting)

Breakfast: 2 quiche dealies
Snack: Missed it because I was at an off-site meeting all morning. Was SO hungry at lunch.
Lunch: Stuffed pepper, roasted squash, V8
Snack: celery sticks, 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese
Dinner: 1 hamburger patty (no bun), Big ol' bowl of salad

Starting to keep track

I'm going to start keeping a journal of what I eat during the South Beach-a-thon.

So, here goes.

Day 1 - 141.8 pounds

Breakfast: 2 mini quiche cups, 1 V8

Snack: celery sticks, 1 laughing cow cheese wedge

Lunch: stuffed green pepper, jello light cup

Snack: peanuts

Dinner: 1 salmon cake, stuffed green pepper, oven roasted squash

Counting Down - days and pounds (hopefully)

So we booked a trip to Jamaica on Friday. Five days, four nights at the Bay Roc Sandals in Montego Bay to celebrate our first anniversary.

I'm so excited, but also so worried, because Jamaica means beach, and that means bathing suit. There is no way in hell I could fit into last year's suits, and that worries me. I don't want to be one of those people at 40 who say they got fat 5 pounds at a time and never really noticed it. I don't want to be content with gaining a few pounds every year and just upping my 'magic number' - the weight that divides where I feel comfortable versus overweight.

So, here it is: my online confession and promise to myself.

I weigh 142 pounds - the most I have ever weighed.

My magic number when I finished my post-grad diploma was 135 pounds, and come hell or high water, I'm going to do everything I can to get there.

I have 25 days until Jamaica, and I start the South Beach diet tomorrow. I went shopping tonight and made breakfast quiches for the week, and also made South Beach-friendly stuffed green peppers for lunch & dinner tomorrow. I'm set - I have the motivation, I have the determination, and I have 3 bathing suits waiting for me to squeeze my ass into them....

Wish me luck.