Steven Turns FIVE!

Here is an overview of Steven's actual birthday:

I wanted to do something special for the morning of Steven's birthday. I meant to do it the night before when the kids went to bed, but I forgot until I was going to sleep and didn't want to stay up. Instead, I woke up extra early to blow up these balloons. I sat and watched "How I Met Your Mother" while I blew up about 50 balloons. Yes, that clock does say 5:30 am.

Then I put streamers in front of his door.

I had wanted to put the balloons in between the streamers and the door (with the streamers holding up the balloons), but I was too tired to try to do that. Instead, they were just all in front of the door. Still cool. 

Steven & Sofia waking up to see the streamers in front of the door. They were a bit confused and thought they were trapped at first. 

Steven ripping down the streamers. 

Sofia trying to reach the top streamers to pull them down

Steven trying to get more streamers

It didn't take long for the kids to get excited about the balloons

Playing "Keep the balloon up"

Rubbing the balloon on Sofia's head

Jumping into the balloons

Steven, the balloon head

For breakfast I made colored pancakes. I asked him what colors he wanted and he said green & pink. This was my attempt at an "S"

My attempt at a "5". I think this one looked much more like what it was supposed to!

Waiting to blow out the candle

Blowing out the candle

Taking out the candle

My big little man! I love that he is now actually starting to make nice, smiling faces for the camera :)

Trying to blow up a balloon. Notice he's sporting the hat he got from pre-school

Aunt Sammy sent them iron-on designs for Steven's birthday, so we got t-shirts that day and made the shirts. 

For a few months, Steven has been saying that he wanted to go to "Olive Kindergarten" for his birthday. We went there for dinner that night. 

Sofia coloring on her menu

After dinner, we went to the "Frozen Yogurt Store"

Steven's favorite flavor is strawberry. I'm glad they had that flavor that night!

Sofia & Steven

Smile!

Whaaaa....

So in one of my earlier posts about my weight loss progress, I mentioned that maybe my thyroid or something was out of whack. I had been thinking that maybe I should get some of my hormone levels checked out just to make sure everything was okay. I felt like maybe my thyroid levels were abnormal (that can cause weight loss issues) and maybe that some other things were not right because I was feeling extra hormonal, especially around my period. Also, I'd never had my cholesterol or anything like that checked, so I thought it would be a good time to get a baseline. The results came back a few days later & everything that I thought might be abnormal were normal and the one thing I thought for sure would be fine wasn't: my cholesterol. I was frankly shocked when the nurse called me back and told me that my cholesterol was high. I'm 28, not (very) overweight, I exercise several times a week and eat fairly healthy. I was very, very surprised. These were my numbers (mostly I'm putting them here so I don't forget):
~Total: 254
~My triglycerides were 247; the recommended level is below 149 (so almost 100 point over!)
~My HDL's (the "good" cholesterol) were 49; the recommended level is above 39
~My LDL's (the "bad" cholesterol) were 156; the recommended level is below 99

So...yeah. I was not expecting that at all. The nurse practitioner that I saw said she wanted me to come back in, but I knew that was just to go over what to do to improve those numbers and since I already knew the basics, I didn't want to waste the copay. I just said I'd like to try lowering it through diet and exercise and come back in a few months to get it re-checked. I did some more research on ways to lower it as well. I read an article on the Mayo Clinic's website about the top 5 foods to eat to help lower your cholesterol. They were oatmeal (or other high fiber foods); fish & Omega-3 fatty acids; walnuts, almonds, and other nuts;   olive oil; and foods with added plant stanols or sterols (substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol). I already eat oatmeal, omega-3's (I get my omega-3's from chia seed. Chia is a "super food" and a great source of a lot of important nutrients. This is an article that summarizes the top 10 benefits of Chia. If you've never heard of it, you should research it. I think it's a great thing to have in your diet.), and olive oil on a regular (daily except for olive oil) basis. Cholesterol only comes from animal protein and I actually don't eat much of it on a regular basis. I also don't really have any family history of high cholesterol (unless it was related to poor diet and lack of enough exercise). It just didn't make sense. Then I did some more research on what can cause you to have high triglycerides (because this was my highest number), and certain medications can cause your triglyceride level to increase in some people. Two of those medications are birth control (I don't know if it's brand- or type-specific) and progesterone. Well, I've certainly taken a lot of both medications in the past several years. For seven years (since I've been married), I've been on oral birth control for nearly all of the time in between pregnancies, and since April of 2011, I've taken large amounts of progesterone twice (for both of my surrogate pregnancies). To me, it would make sense that those things could have caused my higher triglycerides. I have never had my cholesterol checked before now, so I don't know if my cholesterol was normal (or at least lower) before I started birth control or before my two surrogacy journeys. And honestly, usually during my pregnancies, my diet is not what you would call "extremely healthy", and I don't work out as much. It actually hasn't been that long (only since July or August) that I've been working out regularly again and eating better. Who knows, maybe my cholesterol was even higher during my pregnancy, and it is actually lower now? It takes time for cholesterol to build up and I think it takes time for it to improve as well. 
I really do not want to start taking any medications for high cholesterol. That is a last resort for me. So for now I am trying to limit the amount of cholesterol I eat, eat foods that are more "heart healthy", and continue to work out regularly. I will go back in around March to get it checked again and hopefully there will be a significant improvement. Always in the past, I have worked out and tried to eat better/less to lose weight. I  would say it was about "becoming more healthy", but really, it was mostly about the weight and how I felt about the way I looked. This has really made me realize that it can't just be about that anymore. I really need to eat better and work out to actually become more healthy.  I don't want to be on medications and I certainly don't want to develop some sort of heart disease. It's still hard to always remember that, but I'm trying. Here's hoping for better numbers soon!

Finishing my Month of Gratitude

Day 24: today I am grateful for the knowledge that I am a daughter of A Heavenly Father who knows & loves me.
Day 25: Yesterday I was looking through pictures on my computer for a project I'm doing. I am grateful that I have so many pictures that help me remember the memories that come with those pictures.
Day 26: I am grateful for the people in my ward & neighborhood. I've always felt welcomed & supported, especially during my two surrogacy journeys. Have great people around you makes such a big difference!
Day 27: today I am grateful that my children enjoy learning. They love have books read to them & learning new things. I just hope I can continue to nurture that enjoyment as they get older.
Day 28: Today I'm grateful for a day to remind us of our blessings. I'm also grateful that this year Thanksgiving was later than usual this year so I could have lots of days to remember how truly blessed I am. I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving !

I only did up until the day of Thanksgiving (the 28th), instead of all 30 days. I probably should have done all 30 days, but I didn't end up doing those two extra days. I'm glad I did this because even though sometimes I had a hard time thinking of a new thing, it definitely made me realize how much I truly have. 

Month of Gratitude Continued

Day 6: Today I am grateful for my sweet little man, Steven. He is such a silly, sweet, helpful, energetic, imaginative boy & I am so grateful to have him in our family!

Day 7: I am so grateful for my amazing sisters & mother: Myrna, Heather, Lisa, Ginelle, Sammy, Deborah, Mary, & Janelle.

Day 8: today I am grateful for all of the great women in my life who are almost like sisters  (I tried to tag these ladies yesterday, but I guess it won't let me tag more than a certain amount) Amanda, Jennifer, Kim, Lisa, Jen & Savanah

Day 9: today I'm grateful for beautiful Fall days! I love Fall, it's probably my favorite season 

Day 10: After watching the Primary Program at church, I am reminded how precious, wonderful, & insightful children truly are. I am so grateful that I have been blessed to be a mother & I am also equally grateful that I have been able to help give that gift to two other women through surrogacy.

Day 11: I am so grateful for all the amazing men & women who are serving & have served in our military to keep our country safe. THANK YOU!

Day 12: today I am grateful to have married into such an awesome family. I met Joshua's family on our second & third date & for a while said,"I'd marry him just for his family!" And a special thanks goes to my father-in-law Steve, who has treated me like his daughter from day one 
Day 13: I am so grateful that I have such amazing brothers! They are the best! Don, David, Marcus
Day 14: I am grateful for technology, especially the ability to keep in touch or reconnect with people that are no longer [geographically] close to me. I also love that we can use things like Skype or FaceTime to make video calls with people who are far away. Remember when we thought video calls were super awesome things of the future?
Day 15: today I'm grateful for books. I don't get to read as often as I used to, but I love getting carried away in a good story & falling in love with the characters.
Day 16: today I'm grateful for the amazing people I've met through my surrogacy journeys, especially my fellow surro mamas. I'm grateful for the things I've learned, the times we've shared and because I met two of my best friends because of surrogacy. — with Amanda and Jennifer.
Day 17: I'm grateful that I have family (on both sides) that lives close to me. I love it when we get to do family dinners!
Day 18: I am grateful that my mom & sisters (especially Heather) taught me how to cook & bake & passed their love for it on to me. It has served me well as an adult.
Day 19: I'm grateful that Joshua works so hard so that I am able to stay home with my kids. I am grateful that if I choose to go to work it is because I want the job, not because I HAVE to work.  
Day 20: today I'm grateful for music. It really is so powerful & can make you feel so much. I love that music can make me feel better. About to put that to good use & go have some fun at Zumba. I'm going to be 15 minutes late, but I need the endorphin boost tonight.
I'm also grateful for yesterday.
Day 21: I'm grateful for modern conveniences like my dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, stand mixer & magic eraser. I'm also grateful that my kids still like to help me clean!
Day 22: I'm grateful to be alive & have the life I have.
Day 23: today I am grateful for all my loving family & friends! And I am also so grateful for all the sweet birthday wishes yesterday! Thank you guys so much! I feel truly loved!

Month of Gratitude

For each day in the month of November, I'm going to try to post something I am grateful for. So far I have done every day! (I'm so impressive; I've done 4 whole days!) I have been posting on Facebook, so I'll probably just keep posting on there and then copying it to here.
Day 1: I know it's technically tomorrow, but I'm going to count this for the 1st because I haven't gone to sleep yet. Today I'm grateful for my body. No, not in a weird, creepy way, but as in I'm grateful for the amazing machine my body is. I'm grateful that I have no major physical ailments & that I am overall healthy. I'm grateful that my body allows me to walk, run, dance, & play with my kids. I'm grateful to my body that it can heal itself & that it has the power to bring life into this world. It really is a beautiful thing.
Day 2: I'm grateful for my car. It's not my dream car, and buying gas for it sucks, but it's paid off & it's in pretty good condition. I'm grateful that it is reliable & gets me where I need to be. I'm also grateful that we are able to afford two cars so I'm not stuck inside all day :)
Day 3: Today I am grateful for prayer; for the power it has to give me comfort & answers.
Day 4: Today I am grateful for my wonderful husband and father of my children, Joshua Pendleton! He is a 
great man & a great match for me! I'm so glad you were born! I love you & Happy Birthday!

Day 5: Today I'm grateful for my baby girl, Sofia. She is such a sweet girl and a little devil. I'm grateful for her funny personality, cute voice, huge hugs, and the times and days that I get to spend with her, one-on-one.

Weight Loss Update

Well, it's the beginning of November so it's time to update on my weight loss. 

There's not really much to report, actually. As of November 1st, I am 3 pounds lighter that I was at the beginning of October. Not too happy about that. I actually did lose 4 1/2 pounds in about 10 days at the end of October, but that's because I had gained some before losing it again. So net total loss during the month of October: 3 pounds. Yay.

I'm really trying not to get too frustrated, but it's hard not to. Last week I worked out 5 or 6 times (Sometimes I do a morning and evening class, but I can't remember if I did that last week), and that has been the typical amount that I've been working out lately. I am trying to really watch what I eat and keep track of it. What helped me lose those 4 1/2 pounds in about 10 days was not eating anything after dinner. I think that really did help. 

My measurements have gone down a bit and I have noticed that my jeans are feeling looser. That helps me know that all of this isn't a complete waste of time! ;)

I switched birth controls and it didn't seem to make much of a difference, so it probably wasn't that after all. Maybe it's something hormonal (like my thyroid's out of whack) or maybe it's just harder for me to lose weight after my most recent pregnancy. I don't know. All I know is that all I can do is try my best and live with the rest. Hopefully this month will be better!

October 1st

November 1st