tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18108130261665725682024-03-13T19:56:43.217-04:00Welcome to StephiSteff Land!Sharing my thoughts about what's going on! **)StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-28060991733240132192014-05-30T01:39:00.002-04:002014-05-30T01:39:28.748-04:00May 2014 - Wow, so much has happened since my last postWow. I can't believe that I haven't posted on here since Gracie passed away. That was the hardest experience ever and we still miss her every single day. We really miss her loving nature, her gentle ways and her loud snoring, yes we miss that so much. It was so quiet after she was gone and it would make both of us cry. Our other dog Ashley seemed to act a little strange for a few days but then was really happy. She actually took on some of Grace's characteristics. It was really weird but she started playing ball and waiting for us on the landing when coming upstairs, just little things that she never did before and only Grace did. It warmed my heart to see her become more playful and loving, almost like a piece of Grace was (and still is) with her.<br />
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Well, last summer we decided to plan for a family. It was before Grace passed away but we didn't want to say anything until we new it would be a possibility for us. First, I came off my required medication back in August 2013 and we were allowed to begin trying in September. We didn't tell people just in case we weren't able to conceive or if I had problems with coming off my medication and we didn't want to jinx anything. <br />
After 4 months of trying we got the good news on February 7, 2014 that we had a positive test. We were still cautious about everything, especially since it was so early. Well, fast forward a few months later and we are doing pretty good. Around "week 17-week 18" my belly went from normal-ish to all of a sudden looking like a little basketball was poking out. It is so weird!<br />
The second trimester has been pretty good, much better than the first. I was lucky enough NOT to have nausea but I did get sick (throat, cough, infection) and had to take antibiotics for a bit. Then I had an RA flare-up and had to have my knee drained and put on a low dose of Prednisone. That was no fun and I've been having an occasional flare here and there, but I haven't needed any more drains (thank goodness!) and the Pred seems to control it for the most part. <br />
Last weekend we found out the gender of the baby. That was so exciting!! IT'S A GIRL!! I am totally thrilled and over the moon!! We are honoring both my grandmother and our baby Gracie, by naming our daughter Georgette Grace. I was so happy that Cliff liked the idea and agreed on the name. As soon as they said that she's a girl, my eyes just filled with tears of joy. This is so amazing to me! Now yes, I must admit that my hubby is a bit shocked and scared. He was really hoping for a boy because he is scared to death of girls. (heehee!) But I told him all will be okay and he will be the best Daddy in the world! We got the coolest photos from the 3D/4D experience and also a dvd as well. I love playing that and seeing this little tiny being still in development kicking and punching inside of my belly. It is so amazing! I haven't felt anything yet, but everyone says I'll probably start feeling something soon. <br />
I'm definitely looking forward to this summer with the pregnancy in full bloom and then the final stages coming in Sept/Oct. Her due date is Oct. 17, but we both think she will arrive early. I'm crossing my fingers & toes and praying for a smooth delivery, a healthy baby and two very happy parents that are excited about her arrival. Wish me luck!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-8074037999482701072013-09-02T01:42:00.001-04:002013-09-02T01:45:03.420-04:00Goodbye Grace, our sweet baby Gracie-Face My boxer Grace lost her battle with GME yesterday. (Sat, Aug. 31, 2013.) She had just turned six years old on August 16. She lived approx one year and one month past the initial onset symptoms and 10-11 months longer than the vet's first prognosis. Last summer we prayed that she would at least make it to her birthday, & preferably many more after. Our prayers were answered and for that I am thankful and grateful. <br />
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Saturday was awful. The worse experience and her symptoms were so different than her normal "bad" days. Even her eyes were different. They were cloudy and glossy and some of her white parts were redder than usual. It almost seemed like she couldn't really see me. She couldn't move, just laid still on the floor for hours. When we managed to get her to move she was trembling, could barely walk and then would fall over. We had never seen her like that. She refused to eat anything, not even a treat or any ice. I told my husband I thought this was her body giving up. Our normal vet is closed until Tuesday so we had to make a decision to bring her to the emergency vet. She has been through so much including so many side effects from her meds. We were hoping she would all of a sudden jump up and start walking but if anything it only sounded like her breathing was getting worse, like real fast and shallow. This was the hardest decision ever.<br />
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It breaks my heart to even write this now, but we brought her in because we felt it was the right thing to do. We got to go into a private room with her. We stayed with her giving her kisses, hugs and petting her the whole time. The vet was so sweet telling her how as soon as she woke up she would be pain free and could run and play again with all the other cats & dogs. I told my Gracie she would also be able to chase squirrels again, one of her favorite things to do before she got sick. The vet asked if we were ready and even though I really was not ready at all, I believe that she was. She went quick and peaceful. It was the hardest thing ever in my life and the feeling of loss is just beyond words. We have another dog at home, our little corgi beagle mix, Ashley. We are trying to stay focused on giving her lots of attention and love in the absence of her sister. I don't know if she realizes yet but she does go over to the window a lot to look outside like she is searching for something, or someone.<br />
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I miss my Gracie-Face so much already. I'm exhausted from crying and so is my husband. I pray that she is in a better place, pain free and wagging her little nub with excitement and happiness. I pray she felt loved from us always and will continue to feel our love forever. <br />
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<br />StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09791565360048034102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-11009898505703558822013-08-18T18:47:00.000-04:002013-08-18T18:47:27.606-04:00August 2013 - Gracie's 6th Birthday! My beautiful, sweet doggie, Gracie's birthday was on Friday and we are celebrating today. We are so happy that she is still here on this earth with us! Our prayers were definitely answered and it means the world to us that we can pamper her this year. She's hasn't had an easy time with this and she still gets these weird seizure/spasms from time to time and they do pass but it is scary when its happening. Her skin is much better now but she has scars from her infection. I know she can't understand anything since she is a dog, but I tell her how much I love her and how beautiful she is every single day. Today she even grabbed one of Ashley's toys to play and it was just hilarious. With this brain disease the different meds keep her disease in check but cause so many side effects. Sometimes she seems sleepy all day and doesn't want to do anything while other days we see signs of our puppy girl who wants to play tug of war and wrestle with her Daddy. I just pray that she stays in happy spirits and is able to stay with us for as long as possible. Love this baby girl! **) -SS<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-37917996981889752362013-04-16T22:40:00.000-04:002013-04-16T22:40:51.734-04:00April 16, 2013Today is Tuesday April 16. Yesterday there was a horrific event in Boston, Mass and today most of the world is still trying to understand why, why &-why on earth would people plant bombs to explode at a marathon? This is just awful. How can a person not have thoughts/feelings about the results of their actions? Why is it that people hate other people so much and have no regard for human life? I feel sorry for people like that. I find myself wondering what happened to them to make them that way? Everything is not always black and white and people who believe need a serious wake up call. I just don't know how people can treat other people badly and what did they experience in order to make them so hateful and evil? How can we help people like that before they do bad things to other people? Our society has its faults, yes, but I don't know why people just feel
the need to hate other people for no reason. ?? Why can't people
respect life and the blessing that it is? I wish more people would
embrace the differences among us. <br />
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I'm not perfect, nope--not all all. I know that when I was younger I made some stupid mistakes and didn't always consider my actions before doing them. I still make mistakes from time to time but I try to learn from them now in order to not repeat myself. Reflection is a powerful feeling because you can thoroughly explore the memories in your brain and compare what you know now to what you knew & did in the past. This helps to provide a new understanding of how you would have handled things differently and what you can do in your own future to ensure that you don't make the same mistakes.<br />
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Our country is very diverse and we make up a variety of cultures. Why can't we teach the younger generation to respect differences in other people and find the beauty in their uniqueness? Giving up is not an option. The only way to change our world is to spread the word and do something positive and encouraging to make a difference. Practice respect for one another, stop discriminating against people for being different and instead support one another even if you might not believe in the exact same things as they do. Practice patience and lead by example, that is all we can ask of one another. StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09791565360048034102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-75640598097424194122013-03-13T10:38:00.001-04:002013-03-13T10:38:54.651-04:00March 2013WOW... time FLIES by, doesn't it? My Gracie is still doing ok but could be much better. Her skin infection ended up spreading to both her legs, behind her tail and all over her stomach. She is on yet another course of antibiotics and we are trying a new combination of creams to see if they will help. The vet was pleased that some of the skin does look a bit better, its just a shame that its not gone completely. She did have three different spots appear on her face, but they have since disappeared (thank goodness!!) and the same happened to a few spots that appeared between her paws but have also gone away. We were also told to decrease her prednisone which we did until we got to 10mg only 2x's a week... but then she had a few symptoms of the GME return. We are now back to 10mg per day instead. We don't want her to relapse, yet we want to get her off the Prednisone. UGH! This is so hard, especially with her skin issues but when you look into that face you know that everything is worth it. She is so incredibly loving and just wonderful. Her face makes me happy. I'm so glad that she seems okay with everything as she still eats, drinks, snacks and plays like a normal doggie. **) Now to concentrate on my own issues! Final exams and assignments this week for school and eye surgery for me on Monday. Fun stuff up in here!<br />
-SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09791565360048034102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-44107739538598838792013-01-09T20:20:00.000-05:002013-01-09T20:20:05.881-05:00Hello 2013<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, 2013 is here. We've had a bit of a rough start so far with Gracie and her health problems. She started developing some strange lumps out of the blue near her nipple area on her belly and also some weird skin infections. The poor thing, I feel so bad for her and what she is going through but she seems high in spirits and she is not letting these issues get her down. She may or may not have cancer and it may or may not be tied to her GME brain disease or it could be unrelated and just something entirely new. Oh my goodness, its time like these that I'm glad she is a dog so she doesn't have to worry as much as we are. For now we have to scrub her boo-boo's with a medicated wash and then apply an ointment. There is nothing we can do about the strange lumps, but she doesn't seem to be in pain so that's good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've decided to start feeding both dogs a healthier diet. I've been researching what to feed dogs with cancer, (even though we have no confirmation that it is cancer, but better to be safe I say) and I've decided to mix in healthier options with their dog food for now. As long as the healthier options agree with them and everything than I'll completely switch over to the healthy option. Boiled chicken, cooked peas and carrots, yogurt with apples, oranges and sometimes carrots mixed in, as well as a tablespoon of peanut butter a day. Their "treats" are carrots chips, ice cubes and greenies treats. I hope that a more natural diet might be able to help out Gracie's problems and also help to keep Ashley as healthy as a horse. Of course they also have a pill pocket each day as Grace needs to take her Prednisone to combat the GME. So far so good on that front and we pray every day that she stays with us for as long as she can. </span>StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09791565360048034102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-41839699490667985962012-11-01T12:40:00.001-04:002012-11-01T12:40:33.145-04:00October 2012 ... so far so good!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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She is still a happy & (so far) healthy doggie. I am so blessed that my baby girl is doing good with the prednisone. We hope to have many more years together with our baby Grace. **)StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09791565360048034102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-50740420424316888662012-09-30T18:26:00.001-04:002012-09-30T18:26:44.563-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The hungry baby girl! **)<br />StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-6937265762003302322012-09-30T17:14:00.001-04:002012-09-30T17:14:08.002-04:00October is Tomorrow!! I just cannot believe that September 2012 is ending today. It really is a beautiful day outside here but since I am currently fighting an infection with antibiotics I thought it best to stay inside..... well that or I just really didn't feel like getting out of my pj's today. There is still hope as it is only 5:09pm at this moment. Hahaha!
Both my doggies are doing good. Gracie is still on prednisone and it is working really well. She hasn't had any real bad symptoms since last week. She had a couple off-balance moments this week but only a couple times and for quick seconds. So far so good! Its so hard to know that your dog is dying and not be able to do anything except give her medicine, but we are happy to see her still acting like herself, playing with Ashley, eating and drinking just fine (well a little too much due to the side effects of her prednisone, but more normal than not) and also she is still so lovable and playful. We are so thankful for every moment we have with her! **) StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-11508464987065371342012-08-21T10:56:00.000-04:002012-08-21T10:56:34.387-04:00Grace has been on the prednisone for almost three weeks. She's been doing really well with a touch of her symptoms showing every now and then but for the most part almost like normal. Today has been a bit rough. As we are on our vacation and staying home with them this week, we noticed that she has had her back leg twitch a few times and she's been licking her front paws quite a bit. Those are some of the symptoms she had before but they were uncontrollable before the meds. We pray that today is just a rough start and that she will be better later this afternoon. Whew! This is hard to watch and we can't imagine what she is going through. We are so worried about her but we have to try to let her have as much fun as possible and keep her happy and loved, the best we can. We love her so much!StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-53153019239556446142012-07-31T23:46:00.001-04:002012-07-31T23:57:30.842-04:00My Gracie face!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My poor baby girl. They just don't know what's going on with her sudden spasms and they hope that an MRI and possibly a spinal tap will let them know what's going on so she can be treated. She keeps getting worse over the course of a few weeks and its really scary.
Today she was outside and stumbled as she went to the bathroom. Her back legs shake so bad it looks like she is going to fall over. But she works her way through it like a brave girl. But as she ran to come back in her front feet cupped under and it looked as if she lost the use of her two front legs as she fell to the ground. The side of her face hit the ground but luckily she was in the grass. She is a solider and immediately picked herself back up, shook her head and then kept on running. It seemed as though her and her sister dog, Ashley, were racing and losing the use of her legs for a second wasn't keeping her down... no way, she got her self together and continued to run into the garage, just passing Ashley at the final moment. It looked as if she had just won a marathon with her tongue sticking out and her wide smile on her face. You would never know that she had just taken a fall and prior to that she had a pretty hard time of trying to go to the bathroom. She knows something is wrong, but she keeps on going and tries to make the most of it. It breaks my heart to see her have to go through this and I just pray that she can be treated and that she will get better.StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-82868312158358323152012-07-31T22:42:00.001-04:002012-07-31T22:42:15.628-04:00Please help & be an angel for Grace!<object width="250" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://widget.chipin.com/widget/id/a183544f6a860bdf"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="event_title" value="Angels%20for%20Grace"></param><param name="event_desc" value="Please%20be%20an%20angel%20%26%20help%20us%20save%20Grace%21"></param><param name="color_scheme" value="blue"></param><embed src="http://widget.chipin.com/widget/id/a183544f6a860bdf" flashVars="event_title=Angels%20for%20Grace&event_desc=Please%20be%20an%20angel%20%26%20help%20us%20save%20Grace%21&color_scheme=blue" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" width="250" height="250"></embed></object>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NUvbbalkmvE/UBiXXMofUuI/AAAAAAAAAGE/GRXJtDbQEXk/s1600/grace%2Bon%2Bblanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NUvbbalkmvE/UBiXXMofUuI/AAAAAAAAAGE/GRXJtDbQEXk/s320/grace%2Bon%2Bblanket.jpg" /></a></div>StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-88510764439326216452012-02-15T21:41:00.000-05:002012-02-15T21:41:33.687-05:00New Year..time to get serious about getting into shape!<div style="color: #4c1130;">This year is off to a great start. I'm trying to keep an eye on what I eat and add some type of exercise into my routine. I started off great a couple weeks ago by working out on the elliptical machine three times in one week and for over thirty minutes each time. Then I seemed to slack off a bit last week but its time to get my butt in gear again. I'm not getting any younger and to keep up my energy and get myself in shape, I really have no choice but to incorporate exercise into my daily routine. Today I took each dog out for walks around the neighborhood for a total of 45 minutes. Not bad and the dogs really enjoyed it as well. </div><span style="color: #4c1130;">Now I'm ready to plan for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise whether I'm on a machine, walking or dancing to an Xbox game, but I really need to get serious about this and get in shape. I really really would love to look like I did back in 2002, that's when I was in the best shape I've ever been in wearing sizes 4 and 6. I always wanted to see that size again and hopefully this year I will. I would love to look even better than I did back then... whew, I've got some work ahead of me! Wish me luck! -SS </span>StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-25172115686426966032011-12-26T10:37:00.002-05:002012-02-15T21:32:59.576-05:00Season's Greetings & Happy New Year!<div>It's that wonderful time of the year again! Spending time with family..... giving presents, seeing the looks on everyone's faces.... eating too much, drinking too much, and receiving presents too. I like hanging with all the family, relaxing and celebrating a double birthday on the day after Christmas. (My sister was born on my mommy's bday!) :) Loving this time of year! <br />
Its also time to make resolutions for the new year, reflect on the past year and learn from mistakes made. I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday season and a very adventurous new year!<br />
-SS </div>StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-52764402048361560592011-12-07T21:42:00.000-05:002011-12-07T21:42:24.551-05:00Nieces & Nephews Night is here!This weekend is the third annual nieces & nephews night! Yay! We couldn't have it after Thanksgiving this year because of Cliff's work schedule, but we just rescheduled it instead. We are gonna have a great time! We're gonna make brownies and watch kid-friendly movies and play the "headbands" game. All the kids are bringing their sleeping bags and lining them up next to each other in the family room. We're gonna have a great time and I can't wait! **) -SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-44636826643438801392011-11-16T21:31:00.000-05:002011-11-16T21:31:19.617-05:00Twilight....... Breaking Dawn comes out tomorrow night!!My first midnight movie is tomorrow night! I'm so excited! **) I LOVE the Twilight books and my favorite book is Breaking Dawn and I CANNOT WAIT to see this movie! I just hope I can stay awake. Luckily I have the next morning off to sleep in a bit before I have to go to work. I hope this will be a fun experience and not crazy... I guess I'll see. **) -SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-29659991543516737552011-10-28T20:59:00.000-04:002011-10-28T20:59:18.125-04:00Math and more...At the beginning of the day I knew I would have to sit down at this computer and complete my multiple homework assignments for math. I also knew it would take me hours to complete. Yet here I am, writing on my blog and NOT doing math homework. I'm just not sure what it is about math that makes me want to eat a bunch of Halloween candy and chips in order to avoid biting my nails. Math makes me nervous. I see the problem whether it be lots of words with numbers that you have to figure out how to solve, or if it is just a basic algebraic expression that needs to be broken down in order to calculate appropriately. How many people can say that they would rather write a five page paper on the disadvantages of math rather than complete one homework assignment in math consisting of only 20 questions. Ugh! I just really don't like it. Its almost like my brain seriously shuts off when I'm trying to comprehend this stuff. Now basic, simple equations are my friends and I don't mind them... but when you have numbers and letters all mixed together with powers and fractions and equal to or not equal to or less than and you have to graph them or find if they go to infinity or not... yuck... I'm already getting a headache explaining why I don't like it. Oh my. How come the schools can't make you take a short quiz that asks if you will need to use this stuff in your future.. Yes or No. If you select No, than guess what?!?!? Well you get to skip Math, that's what!! Now doesn't that sound like it makes a whole lot of sense? It does to me. I'm just sayin'!<br />
Until next time....SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-5146170230758811122011-10-21T21:52:00.000-04:002011-10-21T21:52:47.227-04:00CookingSo I found a recipe online for pecan tarts and I decided to make them with a few changes. They are called Caramel Pecan Tarts, but I didn't have any caramels, so I decided to improvise & add some chocolate chips instead. Mmmm..mmmm..pretty darn good I must say! I don't know exactly when this knack for cooking began, but I'm starting to get a bit good at this! **)StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-20627909164998539182011-10-15T12:59:00.000-04:002011-10-15T12:59:11.302-04:00Doggies!I love my dogs, they are the best in the world! Just like husbands, they can drive you crazy sometimes!! Mine want to follow me everywhere and while it is cute, it can also be annoying when I'm trying to get the two guest rooms ready for company my doggies keep trying to jump on those beds. They know they are not allowed and still want to push the envelope! UGH! There are many days when I wish they could speak english and understand everything I'm saying. Of course than I snap back to reality and know that will never happen. Probably for the best otherwise I'd have to hear Ashley screaming profanities for being put in the kennel. Heehee!StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-218406271987887052011-10-14T22:47:00.001-04:002011-10-15T00:21:07.230-04:00New Blog and a New Site Name!Well I did it. I finally re-activated my blog and got the name that I wanted! I also signed up for a Twitter account even though I do not understand how to "Tweet." Its like they use a different language there. Well I better get on it so I can understand it. This is the tech-savvy age we are in and if you don't get on board, you'll get lost in the shuffle!<br />
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My Twitter name is also StephiSteff... so its easy to find me on here or there!<br />
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Until next time...<br />
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SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-24584093523838671682010-06-12T12:37:00.000-04:002011-10-15T00:18:30.229-04:00Dropping the pounds... woo-hoo!I've dropped 11 pounds now. I'm very excited about my newfound healthier lifestyle! I feel better and am starting to look much better as well. I could've dropped at least five pounds more than I have, if I hadn't fallen a bit off the wagon last week when I was sick. During the week I had grilled cheese sandwiches with soup and I shouldn't have had any cheese.... or all that bread. I was a bad girl. I also had one fudge bar and yes it was good. **) After that week when I weighed myself, I had stayed the same weight and not changed. If I had stayed on my healthier path, I may have lost an additional 5 pounds or so. Oh well, its still all good. I can't complain about losing 11 so far because I'm super thrilled about that.<br />
I've learned to like such dishes as tofu stir fry and frozen bananas. There are so many different fruits and vegetables that I had never tried before. I still drink coffee but I have cut out the cream. I only use Hawaiian cane sugar in my coffee or tea and I no longer drink soda, no more chips or cookies, just natural fruit and veggies. You can really make some great tasting snacks without using junk foods.<br />
I'll be weighing again next week on Wednesday. I hope to drop some more soon!<br />
-SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-55832152070194096102010-05-29T13:29:00.000-04:002011-10-15T00:18:30.229-04:00Healthier Eating....who knew it could taste so good?Losing weight is a difficult task. I didn't realize how much I had "blown up" since my wedding. I was a size 8, not too thin and yet not too toned either, but comfortable. I'm a short gal, only 5' 1". I should be more of a 4 or 6, but that's ok, I liked my size. But then, I guess I got lazy. Married life came with new expectations and new financial strains. Eating out or throwing something in the microwave was just so much easier than trying to cook or making anything from scratch. At Christmas time this year I realized just how big I was when I went to buy some new dress pants and 10's did not fit. I needed a size 12. Crap! What happened? How did this happen and when???? Oh well, time to do something about it. Every day I said I would start exercising or eating better, but I kept having one reason or another why I hadn't started yet. Then I began a research paper on dieting and weight loss for my English class. After reading several books on the subject and researching article after article, I really liked one book called "Eat to Live." It was very good and had a lot of information that I could relate to. Having RA since I was only 18 months old, I've battled many inflammation episodes which prevented me from running or exercising of any kind. This book talked about getting healthier and not just losing weight. But to do that you need to almost re-train yourself on what to eat. No more processed foods and to limit dairy & animal products. Yes, there are certain vitamins and such that you need from animal products and you can take supplements for those, but I actually like to eat chicken, tuna and sometimes meat. So I decided not to go full force with the plan but to follow it to a degree. I slowly started to add more beans and vegetables and fruit to my normal routine. Then I began limiting junk. No more chips, no more cookies, no more cutting chunks off a block of cheese. (That one was the hardest!) Anyway, as I increased my fruit and veggie intake it was easier not to miss the other things. I am satisfied when I eat and I feel better all over. I've never been a fan of green veggies, but boy are those things very good for your body and you really should eat them. I cook mine with garlic or fake bacon bits or onions. That helps me to like the taste a bit more. Or, if I am eating them with a baked chicken breast or something, I mix all my food together and that helps me to enjoy it more as well. And who knew that black-eyed peas and chick peas were so good? What the heck is wrong with me and why didn't I just try them a long time ago?? Anyway, I stopped the junk food and dairy 2 weeks and 3 days ago. I increased my fruit and beans as well as veggies and I've lost 8 pounds and I'm fitting into my old size 8's. Now my old clothes are a bit stretched out, so I'm not sure if I go buy new ones if those 8's will fit, but I'm in no hurry to buy anything new yet anyway. I am going to continue with my healthier way of eating and see how far this takes me. I also have the next book by Dr. Fuhrman on an audio book, that one is Eat for Health. I really like his books and I use some of the recipes in the books and add my own flavor to them. **) I feel good and hope to feel even better! My RA hasn't been acting up and my eye problems have gotten a bit better as well. Not that those two things have anything to do with changing my eating habits, because I'm also on new medication, so I don't know. But what I do know is that I can do this. I can eat healthier and be happy with what I'm eating. Yes, there are a few things that I miss, but I'm not depriving myself. I do sprinkle a little cheese on my salad a couple times a week if I want to and I also have a beer or glass or wine if I want. I'm just making smarter choices now, and I like the way it is looking on me! I'll keep updating my progress and hope to be writing about entering size 6's soon! **)<br />
-SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-1731945134940592332010-01-05T11:40:00.000-05:002011-10-15T00:18:30.229-04:00Where are the flying cars?Hello everyone! I know its been a while since my last post and its thanks to a very busy holiday season. But now with 2009 behind me, I am looking forward to a better and brighter year in 2010. It feels very strange writing 2010 on everything. It seems like just yesterday I was writing '92 and '93 on my school papers. Yikes! Time sure flies. But the funniest thing of all is that I was sure that by the year 2010, we would be driving in flying cars and have moving sidewalks and all sorts of fun stuff like that. But alas, I was wrong. What happened to the futuristic Jetsons family? Oh nevermind, I just looked up the show and it was actually based in the year 2062. I guess we still have 52 years to catch up to that cartoon. Is it possible? Will we be around to see it? These are fascinating questions that I will leave you with today. Have a great day and Happy New Year to you all!<br />
-SS **)StephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-73662883833340797322009-11-27T09:01:00.000-05:002011-10-15T00:18:30.230-04:00Family...part twoI am so thankful for my wonderful family. I have such a HUGE extended family and it is a blessing to have so many people in your life. My husband and I play the lottery a few times a week and even though we would like to win to help out our financial situation (as I'm sure everyone thinks about), we also want to have the means to help out all of our family like they have helped us. We are so blessed and yet we feel that we can't ever repay them for all they have done for us. We would love the opportunity to. Maybe someday, even if we don't win the lottery, but our financial situation will change for the better and we will have the ability to help out our family as they have for us. **)<br />
-SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1810813026166572568.post-21348241976364538212009-10-23T18:47:00.000-04:002011-10-15T00:18:30.230-04:00Being thankfulToday I am thankful for feeling better. You don't realize how much being sick effects you, until you are sick. And then, its unfortunate because after you get better, you forget about how wonderful it feels NOT to be sick anymore. Why is that anyway? I'm not sure. All I know is that I haven't felt good in days and I'm all of a sudden feeling better. Its so wonderful! I am thankful for my health.... today. I have SOOOO many medical problems that it is not funny. So when I get sick, I really feel bad. It's just awful! With all the medicines and pills out there, you would think there would be a cure for the common cold by now. Nope, not so much. Actually, I had flu-like symptoms but I feel wonderful right now so I'm thinking its gone. Whew!<br />
I am so very thankful for everything I have. Especially my two fabulous dogs! They are the best dogs ever. Today when I came home for lunch, I let them outside as usual and they ran around and played. Then I let them back in and they came upstairs with me while I ate my lunch. I started to rinse out my dish and clean up the kitchen and then both my dogs ran downstairs. I finished cleaning, put on my purse, grabbed my keys and went downstairs to find both my dogs in their kennels waiting. I didn't even say anything but they knew I was going back to work. That was so cool! I gave them each a treat and left for work. I am so fortunate to be blessed with these wonderful dogs!<br />
-SSStephiSteffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868253571119025405noreply@blogger.com0