Happy Halloween!

Things I'm Currently LOVING!

1.  Forever Sunshine from Bath and Body Works.  This is seriously happiness in a bottle.  A yummy, summery, happy scent.  I'm in love. 

2.   My Pumpkin Spice Yankee Candle.  Delish!  My apartment smells so homey and festive.  The pumpkin spice scent is a huge part of the reason I love fall so much...seriously I am always so excited to bust out the seasonal candles! 

3.  The Office, Modern Family, and Parenthood!  I swear this season of The Office is funnier than last!  Modern Family is still as hilarious as ever, and Parenthood is just plain fab.  Can I say how bored of Glee I am without getting scolded?  There seriously needs to be some better plot lines ASAP.  The Britney Spears episode has to be the worst thing I've watched on TV in a while. 

4.  My personal trainer.  Love her!  She has created a cardio plan for me as well as 2 separate total body weight routines.  I get awesome workouts with her twice a week, and then I work out 2-3 times without her during the week as well. 

5.  Aldi!  Hello...why didn't anyone ever tell me about Aldi's awesomeness before?!  We have an Aldi 5 minutes from our house that Abb and I just checked out yesterday.  I was shocked at how low the prices are!  Last week Andy and I bought 3 green peppers at Jewel for $4.99.  At Aldi they were $1.99!  I've already ordered myself some stylish reusable bags, so I'll be a rockstar Aldi shopper in no time.   

My weekend alone.

Isla has been gone for 2 days now, and I miss her like crazy!  When Andy and Isla drove away, I was a sobbing hysterical mess.  In my head I kept worrying, what if this is the last time I ever see her??  I was so worried the plane would crash, or they'd get in a car accident in Maryland... constant worrying, per usual.  I really had to talk myself out of such horrible thoughts.  It drives me nuts that my mind is so irrational sometimes.  I mean, I don't worry each time I leave the house without her...when really, getting in a car accident is far more likely than the plane crashing. 

Anyway.  Isla loved her first plane ride and she was very well behaved.  She had a major poop explosion as the plane landed, and she left the airport without pants.   But Andy was very pleased with how smoothly everything went, and I think he's incredibly brave for flying with her alone! 

Safety first!  She takes after her mama!

It has been slightly lonely and very quiet around here!  I'm trying to embrace the quietness since I have NO idea when I'll ever get the house to myself again.  Thank goodness for Skype though.  I can't imagine not seeing my little buddy every day.  Yesterday when we were skyping she kept trying to hand me a book through the computer!  It was so precious.  She also leaned in to kiss the monitor when I asked for a kiss.  My heart melted. 

Part of me wishes I was there with them.  But I am happy to have some alone time.  The planning of this vacation took place in the midst of my hormonal crazy mood swings and I just couldn't fathom traveling.  I was so stressed out, moody, exhausted, and just didn't feel like myself.  Traveling did not seem like a great option for me, plus I knew my fear of flying would put me over the edge.  Andy was upset at first that I wouldn't be joining them, but after I explained how desperate I was to have some time to myself, he completely understood.  When you are a stay at home mom, vacationing with you kids is pretty much the same as a business trip.  I neeeeeeded time alone!

 Thankfully, the crazy mood swings ended over a week ago.  I no longer feel like a crazy person, and I probably would have done just fine on this trip.  Even though I miss my little bubbers tons, I'm getting soooo much done!  I have the most enormous "to-do" list that I'm determined to finish by tomorrow.  I've also been working out daily and squeezing in a little tv time at the end of the night :)  Plus, sleeping in past 8 is lovely!


Andy and Isla will return on Monday evening to a very clean and organized apartment, and a refreshed/relaxed wife and mama.    All in all, this was a total win win.   

  

Spending time with Pop Pop. 



Isla spending time with her Great Grandpa, Great Aunt,
and Great Grandma!





Things.

1.  On Friday I saw a dermatologist about my hair loss (at the suggestion of my primary care doctor).  He immediately knew what was wrong with me.  Apparently many people loose hair 3 months after a surgery when general anesthesia was used.  I guess your body views the event as traumatic, and for some reason, holds on to the hair that you would typically shed during those few months.  Around 3 months later, your scalp will shed that hair, along with whatever shedding you do for the current season.  He said it's similar to a pregnant woman losing hair 3 months after giving birth.  I never lost any hair after having Isla, so I didn't have that experience to compare it to.  Anyway...good news for me!  Add that to the list of things I over reacted about. 

2. Andy and I never cook, bake, or make anything.  On Sunday we decided to walk to the grocery store and get ingredients for guacamole (I crave this all the time!) and pizzas.  It was nice to go on a long family walk and nice making dinner together.  It was definitely a perfect Sunday!

3. I turned on TLC last night when I got into bed and immediately got sucked into the show Sister Wives.  LOVE IT.  It was like a mini marathon or something, because I couldn't stop watching!  Finally after 3 episodes I had to call it a night. 

4.  Andy and Isla are going to Maryland on Thursday.  Isla has never been on a plane, so I'm nervous about them flying, and stressed because I won't be there to make sure Isla is okay.  I know Andy is perfectly capable of taking care of Isla, and I know they'll have fun together, but since I spend the majority of time with her I feel like if I'm not there, something will go wrong.  I have serious control issues.  I'm gonna miss my little Bubbers so much!  But I'm beyond excited to have 4.5 glorious days ALONE.  No diapers, no tantrums, no football, no feet crossing over to my side of the bed, no booger noses, no crying.... You get the idea.  Glorious.

I Heart Fall.

Stress Relief

I swear there is no better stress reliever than a massage.  I've been majorly stressed out, and irritable, and easily annoyed.  Pretty much a joy to be around.  Anyway, last night I decided to book myself a late evening massage after my personal training session.  The gym I belong to has a 25% off special for an hour massage, so I decided to take advantage of such a fab offer.  $39.75 for a 60 minute massage is unheard of!  I was a little nervous getting a massage at a gym, especially from a big burly man, but whatevs.  I have never had a bad massage! 

Once I got into the little room and stripped down, I discovered the sheet he had for me to cover up with is totally see-through!  At every other massage place I've been too there is usually a sheet and a blanket!  The first 15-20 minutes I was totally worried about him seeing my boobs.  He had to have seen nipple.  Then I kept thinking the sheet was sliding off of me, and I didn't want my boob(s) to be hanging out.  It was hard to get too caught up in my boob worries, because this guy was phenomenal!  Seriously.  I have never had a better massage.  I'll show a little boob any day for a massage like that.  Not only was the massage technique amazing, he massaged me for 15 extra minutes, free of charge!  75 glorious minutes!  Too bad idiot me only had 6$ in cash...talk about a cheap tip.  I had to tell him how amazing his massage was and that I'd make it up to him next time. 

I drove home, took a quick shower, and slept better than I have in years. 

It was heavenly.

Not bald yet..

Ugh.  So my doctor did nothing for me aside from giving the number of a psychiatrist who can prescribe me appropriate anxiety medicine while I attempt to get pregnant.  I do not want to be on medicine anymore!  I am not anxious anymore.  I don't think the world will end in 2012.  I laugh at my ridiculous emergency kits.  I have not researched fire escape ladders or gas masks in over 5 months!  I don't constantly fear that I will be killed in a car accident.  My fear of flying is the only thing that remains.  And I can totally deal with that. 

Anyway, over the weekend I started wondering if Zyrtec can cause hair loss. I started taking it about a month ago for my allergies, and then about a week later I started noticing the hair loss. After several google searches I found that hair loss is a rare side effect to Zyrtec. It only happens in 2% of people, but I read some message boards with people complaining of hair loss, moodiness, weight gain, etc. Friday was the last time I took Zyrtec, and today I think I lost a little less hair in the shower (I put all of my hair from the shower on the wall each day so I can eyeball the amount lost). So I'm thinking it's either a side effect of stopping Zoloft, or it's a far fetched Zyrtec side effect. 
For now just have to ride out my crazy moodiness and hair loss and pray that I don't go bald.  Along with my prenatal vitamins and folic acid, I have started taking an omega 3 and a biotin supplement.  Biotin is supposed to keep skin, hair and nails looking healthy.  I also bought new shampoo with Nioxin (apparently it is good for thinning hair and scalp problems), and I've been using hair masks and attempting to drink more water. 

I seriously cannot be fat AND bald.  That is just a terrible combo.  At least Britney Spears had a decent body when she went crazy. So keep your fingers crossed that my hair stops falling out, or that I drop 30lbs in the next few weeks!

Cuteness.

Hi Mama!  I'm taking my baby for a ride!

Seriously.  This kid is too cute!  She loves this crazy car.  She likes sitting in the car and watching Yo Gabba Gabba with her babies.  She also likes pushing her doggies and babies around in it, but it doesn't work so well in our tiny apartment!  Best 10 dollars I ever spent though.  Our living room now looks like Toys R Us. 

My Big Girl!

Friday, on a whim, I decided to buy Isla a princess potty.  She is too young to actually start hardcore potty training, but I figured it didn't hurt to introduce her to a potty.  We have been putting her on the potty right before her bath for the past few nights just to see what happens.  And tonight...she peed!  Yay!  The potty has music that plays when pee hits the little censors, so that was a fun bonus!  Isla really likes sitting on her potty and listening to stories...I figure we'll just let her sit on the potty at night until she seems ready to do more.  I'm in no hurry to get her trained...I don't want to be a crazy mama who tries forcing her child to do something she is not ready for.  We cheered and clapped for Isla when she was done, and Isla had a huge smile on her face!  It was seriously precious.  So at least we are taking a step in the right direction!

Aside from her potty achievement, Isla has been using sign language more these past few weeks and I am THRILLED!  She can tell me bottle, more, and all done.  We are working on help now in hopes of easing her frustration when she can't put on her shoe, or get her baby to drive the car, or get her dog in the high chair....  She has a meltdown at least once an hour, so I'm hoping once she can express that she needs help, she won't get as frustrated.  My fingers are crossed!

Lately Isla has gotten good at copying the actions of others.  I see her waving back to her friends on Yo Gabba Gabba, and clapping when they clap... It is so cute!  She also has started laughing at the "funny" parts of her show.  On one of the YGG episodes, Muno knocks over his friend's block tower.  Every time this part comes on, Isla BELLY LAUGHS!  Then she looks over at me to make sure I'm laughing too! 

Now if only I could get her to EAT.  Seriously, she drinks over 30 oz of milk per day, and still wants milk instead of food.  We can usually get her to eat pancakes, green beans, gerber puffs, and chicken nuggets.  She's actually been on a bit of a nugget bender lately.  There are days when she'll be a good eater, and days when she only wants milk and juice!  It's very frustrating.  She's been 26.5 pounds for a while now, so at least she's not losing weight.  Anyway, any suggestions on making meal time more appealing for Isla would be greatly appreciated!

Yoooooooooo Gabba Gabba!

Yo Gabba Gabba live was seriously AWESOME!  I'm not kidding.  They did such a great job making it fun for the kids!  There was lots of singing and dancing...along with streamers, confetti, balloons, and bubbles!  Isla refused to nap this morning, so I pretty much assumed we were screwed.  The minute the show started though, Isla was in awe.  She stared so intently at the stage, occasionally pointing at her Yo Gabba Gabba friends.  I'm so happy we decided to take her.  Back when tickets went on sale Isla was only 8 months old and we thought she might still be too young when October arrived, or wondered if she'd still even like Gabba.  Isla, however, has an amazingly generous Grandpa who insisted we take her...and I'm so happy we did.  This was one of my favorite afternoons in a long time.  I know Isla won't technically remember this when she's older...but I will!  And I have plenty of pictures to remind her of all the fun that we had. 

Check out her awesome YGG shirt!  I wanted one!



We love Foofa!

Biz Markie for Biz's Beat of the Day!

Seriously, would it kill my child to SMILE once and a while?!  I swear she had fun!  She's just really sleepy!

 

Stuff

1.  I am obsessed with Pink's new single, Raise Your Glass.  Download it immediately...you won't be disappointed.  Also, Pink announced she will have a greatest hits cd out in November.  Awesemeness!

2.  I have become a Craiglist/Ebay junkie.  Just recently I bought 2 Little Tikes High Chairs (pink and purple), a Litte Tikes cradle, a little baby changing table/dresser, and a Step 2 pink push car all for $85 dollars.  Amazing huh?!  The little push car alone retails for around $40!  Needless to say, our apartment is getting VERY crowded.  But, I can't pass up a good deal, especially for such sturdy items that will last quite a while and be perfect for Isla's future playroom.  Currently I am on an Ebay/Craigslist probation set by Andy.  I cannot do any more shopping until Christmas gifts.  I'm hoping to get at least 50% of Isla's Christmas gifts from Craiglist and Ebay.  Why buy new when there are so many awesome gently used toys for a fraction of the price?!  Plus...everything comes assembled!  BONUS!

3.  I met with my personal trainer on Monday for my first of ten sessions.  It was a great session and I'm super motivated to continue working out.  I overdid my cardio and sprained my foot though, so I'm a bit frustrated at this setback...but my foot is feeling almost back to normal today.  This ugly shoe that I have to wear is not at all cool though.  I'm hoping I'll be ready for my next session on Monday.  I'll be doing M/W evenings with her, and T/TH evenings on my own.  I've taken measurements of my body and weighed myself, and will be monitoring these weekly. 

4.  Me, Andy, my dad, and Donna are taking Isla to see Yo Gabba Gabba live tomorrow at the Chicago Theater!  We are super excited :)  The pictures on Facebook of previous shows make it look like a lot of fun!  Balloons, confetti, dancing...woo!  I just hope Isla will be able to handle staying in her seat (she likes to wander around).  These tickets were quite pricey so I'm hoping we all have a fun time!  Yooooo Gabbbba Gabba!

Panic.

Hello, my name is Betsy and I'm going bald. 

Seriously!  For the past 2-3 weeks I've been losing insane amounts of hair!  I can feel a noticeable difference in the thickness of my ponytails.  There is hair EVERYWHERE after I shower and style my hair.  Check out the shower wall...

In typical obsessive Betsy fashion, I gathered the hair from the shower and from the floor after 1 day and put it in a ziplock bag.  Proof that I am balding at a very fast rate.  I am FREAKING OUT. 

At any time of day I can run my fingers through my hair and easily pull out small chunks of 10-15 hairs each time.  (Yes, I counted.)  I am seeing my doctor on Monday because I can't pin point the cause on my own.  Some possibilities are:

1.  The new shampoo and conditioner I started using.

2.  Going from dying my hair brown, to bleaching it, to dying it again all within 2 months.  Yikes.

3.  Abruptly stopping Zoloft.

4.  My horrible diet.

5.  Seasonal shedding.  My therapist says this happens to people in the spring and fall. 

Along with the hair loss, I've felt like a raging bitch the last few weeks, as I mentioned in my last post.  I really thought it was just horrible PMS, but it lasted for 2 weeks.  Yesterday was the first day I didn't want to scream or cry or punch someone in the face for virtually no reason.  My best guess is that abruptly stopping the Zoloft messed up my hormones, which triggered my moodiness and hair loss. 

Has anyone else experienced seasonal shedding?  Or dealt with this much hair loss and quickly recovered?  I want someone to tell me I'll be fine in a few months!  I've already started researching salons in the area that have hair extensions...just in case...

And I've been seriously tempted to just shave my head.

So yeah.  I'm really close to pulling a Britney Spears.  Keep me away from umbrellas. 

The End.