18 weeks and 4 days

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 9 pounds


Maternity clothes? Not yet

Stretch marks? Nope


Sleep: I cannot sleep through the night without having to get up 2 times to potty.

Best moment this week: Only throwing up once!

Movement: All the time--especially when I'm working out.


Food cravings: I'm doing the 21 day fix--so everything! I crave cherry coke, baked goods, and sour stuff.

Gender: GIRL

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

What I miss: Everything I can't have--like alcohol.

What I am looking forward to: finding out the amnio results

Weekly Wisdom: No accidentally rolling on my belly, Vivi gets mad and starts flopping around

Milestones: Actually looking pregnant! No more awkward fat stage

Baby Update, by: Zayle

I thought I'd be a little better about blogging with it being summer time...but I feel like I'm busier than ever! Last time I blogged, I told about our scare we received from the doctor. Well, things are looking a little more hopeful this time around, while we still don't have a 100% positive that our baby girl is ok, we did get some good news. About a week and a half ago we had an appointment with a genetic counselor and a specialist to look and talk about our baby. The genetic counselor told us that although we were first told the chances of our baby having Trisomy 18 was 90%, that it really is only a 30% chance. Which, there is still a chance, BUT I'll take 30% over 90% any day. After talking with her, we had a level 2 ultrasound done. Babies with Trisomy 18 will have certain defects that will show up on a level 2 ultrasound, such as--clenched hands, a strawberry shaped skull, a banana shaped spine, cysts on the brain, problems with the heart, rocker bottom feet, and a cleft lip, to name a few. Babies with this usually show up with severe development issues, as well. During our Level 2 ultrasound we were able to see everything but her feet and face, because she was in a ball and was not coming out, everything was perfect--she had no defects that could be seen. She also was measuring right on target. The doctor told us that she doesn't look like a baby with Trisomy 18, but that he still wants to see her face and feet, and wants to do an amniocentesis to make sure.  I go in this Tuesday for that procedure, and to say that I'm nervous is an understatement. There is a risk of miscarriage, albeit it is very small, but it is still scary. AND a big needle going in my belly...sounds awful! I'd rather not get it, because in my heart I think she is fine, and if she isn't we will cross that bridge when it comes. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and believe that with all of our family and friends who have been praying for us, that everything will be alright, regardless of the results.


In other news we have come up with a name, Vivienne Dawn Riddle, and she is quite the busy little thing. She is constantly moving all around and kicking momma, and loves to curl in a tiny ball on momma's left side. I am almost halfway through this pregnancy and getting so excited to see this sweet baby's face.

Scary News, by: Zayle

(I did just notice that the pictures never uploaded, from our Jamaica trip...I will try and fix this problem)
After I finished writing my last post, I finally received the call I had been waiting on from my OB. They said that my results were in, and that the doctor needed to see me immediately. I knew something was wrong then. They had told us we would receive our results from mail, or phone call...nobody ever said anything about us coming in. They scheduled us for early the next morning. That day we received some very frightening news. We did find out that, as I suspected, she's a girl...but she tested 90 out of 100% positive for trisomy 18. The news the doctor gave us that day was very grim. Babies with this chromosomal abnormality usually don't make it to full term, if they do, they die within hours or days. Only 10% of these children make it to their first birthday, but even then it isn't really living. Most have feeding tubes, never learn to walk, and have to have 24 hour care. There are cases of children living on to adulthood, but to me it's not really living when they can only say one word, cannot walk, and cannot eat on their own. To say that we are frightened is an understatement. On July 14, I go in to see the genetic counselor and to have an amniocentesis. This will tell us if those results from the test done were right, or wrong. I have read tons of stories about false positives on these tests, so even though the doctor said this test is 99% accurate, I still have faith in my little girl.
As long as I can remember I have wanted to be a mom. I have longed for this, and have especially hoped and prayed for a little girl. Now that my dreams have come true, I'm not ready to let them go. It is hard now going on with day to day life, but I have done the best to my abilities. I have kept hair and nail appts, as bad as I felt about going, I was encouraged to do so. The one thing that I have had trouble with doing, is being around large groups of people. I don't want the sympathetic stares, or anyone feeling awkward around me. It's also hard being around my husband. We deal with things so differently. He is more of a crier, and hugger, and wants to be around a lot of people. While I do not want to be around others, besides my family, and I want to stay strong and hopeful and not let myself get too down just yet. I want to believe that my little Vivienne, is going to be just fine. I want her to be healthy, and live out her life capable of enjoying it, and knowing what is going on around her. I know I will have to go on if there is something wrong, I'm a strong person and know that I can do it--but it will kill me. I have been through so many struggles in my life, which so many would never know, but I feel like this would truly break me. I won't show it, I won't let myself. But will I still have a heart? It's been chipped away at for so long, that I don't know that it will be there anymore. I'm afraid I will be a cold, hard person, with no love left to give. I know that God has a reason for everything, I just pray that there isn't a reason to take my baby away. If he does, I know one day I will be able to look back and know why he did it...but that doesn't make this any less scary.  I will keep the blog updated with any new news, and update on the workouts I am doing and how my healthy eating is going this week. Living life normally now, without stress, is the best thing for Vivienne right now, and I am doing the best I can.

Saying I Do, and the Summer time Blues

ha who am I kidding, summer time is great!...well it has officially been FOREVER, yet again since I have blogged. I promise, now that it is summer the blogging will be much more frequent, since I'll have so much more time on my hands. So what's new?! I am officially married...and I can't stand my husband...I blame this on my 13 week old peach inside of me. I really used to love the guy, until I got pregnant. Now I feel awful because everything about him grosses me out--especially his breathe! BUT because I know that somewhere deep down inside of me, are feelings of love--I went through with the wedding. It was short and sweet, and exactly what I wanted, right on the beach in Jamaica. (Wedding and Jamaica pics to come in a separate blog).






Speaking of Jamaica, it was absolutely gorgeous. The water couldn't have been anymore blue, and the staff at the resort that we stayed at, were the nicest people ever! Even the wild cats that lived there were nice. I missed being able to drink all the yummy looking cocktails, but didn't miss the bloat that drinking alcohol causes...instead I just enjoyed the bloat the baby is making...or my mini bump that appears after I eat. We had a wonderful time, and are planning an anniversary trip back some day...maybe instead of sandals, we'll go to Beaches, with the kid.






Aside from my wedding and Jamaica, I had the panorama blood test done before I left, to test for down syndrome AND the gender. I am absolutely dying for those results to come in. I still feel like it's a girl, along with my family. Seth and his family are team boy all the way. I honestly will be happy either way, I'm just ready to find out so the shopping can begin! I also can't wait for this all day sickness to go away, I am officially in my second trimester, and still sick. I've searched for things to do, along with taking my pill, and think that better nutrition is the key. The thing is, I'm still having a hard time stomaching anything healthy. I've said before I'm going to start implementing herbalife shakes, well now that I'm back from paradise, it's on. I've read so many conflicting views on drinking herbalife while pregnant, I think most people think of it as a weight loss product--which it can be, but I won't be replacing meals with it, instead I'll be using it as a snack/supplement. I need all the added nutrition I can get, as I've basically been living on carbs alone. After a week of pure relaxation, I'm also getting back to working out with my Tracy Anderson pregnancy dvds, walking, and boot camp. Working out always helps my moods, and with how grumpy I am 24/7 I need all the help I can get! Below are my most recent stats...hopefully my next post will be revealing the gender...fingers crossed. <3

How far along? 13 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Still 7 pounds


Maternity clothes? Not yet

Stretch marks? Nope


Sleep: I'm not AS tired as I was during the first trimester, although my typical bed time is 8 pm.

Best moment this week: hmmm...being able to feel the hard bump in my belly when I wake up.

Movement: Not yet


Food cravings: Orange juice and muffins

Gender: Still not sure

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

What I miss: Being skinny and liking Seth

What I am looking forward to: finding out the gender

Weekly Wisdom: I found that the healthier I am able to eat, the less sick I feel the next day (same as before).

Milestones: Getting a little bump, it is more prominent when I eat

It's been Forever...Again...By: Zayle

This pregnancy thing, has got to be one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced. Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly grateful, but it is tough!

I never thought I would be pregnant, or I thought that the journey would be really long. I was diagnosed with PCOS a couple of years ago, Seth and I decided we would start trying early because we wanted to get pregnant shortly after we got married. The doctor warned us that it would take some time and we would most likely have to see a specialist. He wanted us to try for three months and if we didn't get pregnant, then we would start looking at different options. Never in a million years did I think that we would end up pregnant that first try. I most definitely wasn't wanting to be pregnant before the wedding, but looking at it now it fell at the absolute perfect time--when I give birth I'll actually be on a month long break from grad school. This pregnancy is a miracle, and it must be meant to be.

However, this miracle, is incredibly trying on a girl who has suffered from eating disorders for years. Seeing my weight go up on the scale has been almost unbearable. I have already gained 7 pounds...the amount of weight you should gain the first trimester is 1-5 pounds. I know that this has a lot to do with my eating, it is tough to eat anything healthy these days. The thought of chicken or fish makes me want to run to the toilet. Carbs seem to be my best friend at keeping some of the nausea at bay...but obviously not my friend when it comes to the scale. I've also been so incredibly sick that I haven't been able to keep up with my workouts, it's all I can do just to get to work every morning. I battle feeling queasy all day long. Knowing I'll be on the beach in two weeks has me wanting to run for the hills. I'm dreading my wedding!

There are days I don't want to leave the house or go anywhere, I try to dodge my friends outside of work because I am embarrassed of what I look like. I weigh more now than I did in high school when I was called 'rolly-poley' by my "friends". Not only do I feel fat, but I cannot stand Seth. I went from loving the guy, to hating everything about him--his breath, his posture, his hair...I mean the list goes on and on. I feel like a grumpy little oompa loompa....

Aside from all that, I have two weeks left of my first trimester...today marks my 10th week of pregnancy.  I am trying to keep my mind off the weight gain (it's hard) and trying to remember that I am carrying a tiny little miracle. I would have killed for this before, and now need to be happy about it. I cannot wait until I finally have a little baby bump, so I can truly feel pregnant. Here's a couple of my "bump" pics from weeks 8 and 9...and a little pregnancy survey.

How far along? 10 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Even though I've been incredibly sick..I've gained 7 pounds :-/

 
Maternity clothes? Not yet...I have had to use the rubberband trick for my size 24 jeans

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Tired all the time! I could sleep for days...but have a terrible time getting comfortable at night

Best moment this week: Shopping with Seth and getting some flowy clothes to feel more comfortable in.

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: Cherry Coke, Bread, Peanut Butter

Gender: ??? Everyone thinks it's a girl & we have been given quite a lot of girl gifts.

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

What I miss: Being able to control my weight...mojitos!

What I am looking forward to:Getting my bump

Weekly Wisdom: I found that the healthier I am able to eat, the less sick I feel the next day.

Milestones: I only feel sick every other day now...and have been able to slowly start to workout again. 

My Big Fat Pregnancy By: Zayle

I really envy those people who have fabulous pregnancies, and love every second of it. I wouldn't wish for a minute to lose this pregnancy, but this business is AWFUL! Pregnancy sucks! I had every intention of staying on track with my working out and eating super healthy...until my ALL DAY sickness got in the way. I feel like I have the flu and some crazy stomach virus all in one. I should also probably be locked up, because I'm a complete mental case!

I've tried my best to eat healthy, and have some of the things I've been eating below. BUT these have even changed, just looking at that ranch makes me want to vomit. I cannot handle meat right now either, so I've tried to come up with other ways to get my protein in. Right now I'm really loving Orowheat sandwich thins in the morning, with two teaspoons of peanut butter and egg whites with swiss cheese. I have to eat every two hours, sometimes less, or I'm sick. For snacks I enjoy cottage cheese, fruit, and was enjoy veggies with ranch until today. I've been having a Herbalife shake with dark chocolate almond milk for lunch, and am going to be trying veggie burgers for dinner this week. You would think with how sick I've been I would have lost weight, but no I've gained! I feel so bloated and uncomfortable all the time...apparently this can be normal, but I feel like a whale.

I've also been the meanest lady around. I literally cannot stand Seth, I've heard this is normal too, but I feel awful! Everything he does drives me insane...and can we talk about his breath?! (ALONG with every other person's in the world)...things that I used to not mind, smell awful now and make me gag. I cannot stand the cat food, or my makeup...and any kind of meat product...forget about it. I don't even know who my body belongs to anymore...but it isn't me. I feel like a complete alien, and cannot wait to get to the second trimester!!!

Aside from all the craziness, we did get to go to the OB the other day (and I got some pills for nausea, which help a bit but take some time to kick in) Baby is due December 22. Tomorrow it will be the size of a large raspberry and will finally not have a tail anymore. Only one more week of being an embryo for Baby Riddle.

Back to reality: Cortney

So, I would love to stay that my new husband and I have been enjoying marital bliss in our apartment however, the day we came home from out honeymoon we discovered they was a huge insect infestation in our building. While in a panic I called out apartment manage and informed her of the problem, who very rudely stated, "oh well you know, sorry." This did not go over well with me, after FOUR complaints they finally sent pest control today... Needless to say we haven't been able to stay at our apartment since coming home. I can not wait until October when we will be done with apartment life forever. So, the new husband and I, and our fur babies, have been staying with my mom. Meal prep has almost been impossible which leave me making breakfast, lunches and dinners each night. Between catching up after being gone over a week from work, dealing with the apartments, home visits, and pretty much still living out of out suitcases, I am completely 100% over this week and I am counting down the seconds until Friday at 6:00pm. Ok, done with the ranting 

Heathy eating this week has been going pretty well and I must say that I am proud of myself for staying on track considering how this week has gone. Now, working out? I could definitely be doing a whole lot better this week, not that I haven't gotten some excerise in but I know I could push myself a whole lot more. 

Dear Next Week,

I plan on kicking your ass with working out and meal prepping, so be prepared!!!

Love,

Cortney xoxo

MIA too long by: Cortney

Sorry I have been MIA for a long time between work, school, and getting MARRIED... I lost track of time. Speaking of getting married, Matt and I were married in a small ceremony on 4/24/15 and honeymooned in beautiful Colorado. We got married with very short notice and did not tell many people it was short, simple, inexpensive, and perfect. The rings are simple and totally fit our personalities, and we are so excited to start our new lives together. 

Now, there was plenty of bad eating on our honeymoon, and I'm super excited to start round 2 of 21 day fix Monday, I've already stocked up on all meal prepping items. Although the eating wasn't on point 100% we did a lot of hiking and I managed to sneak this goal day in 

Now I'm ready to get my butt in gear and get closer to my goals, with my birthday slowly approaching, and a Cabo trip planned for November, I'm going to be super focused and keep my eye on the prize.

I'm also super excited for my bestie and her new bundle of joy on the way, in already thinking of baby shower ideas.

I promise I won't go MIA again, and I will blog my new prep Monday night =)

BIG CHANGES by Zay

It's been awhile since I've last blogged, but there have been some VERY big changes going on. Today is Cortney's wedding day...and I found out some very big news last week, the day before my 28th birthday.

I hadn't been feeling very well all week, I was extremely nauseous and things that I used to love, (like coffee) had suddenly become disgusting. I was very thirsty and my boobs hurt so bad I couldn't sleep. I figured I had a virus and was having PMS symptoms...but I did have a nagging suspicion that it could be something else. I was planning on going out and having some cocktails for my bday, and decided I may want to see what's up, JUST IN CASE...turns out, I'm pregnant! I took a test at school on Thursday, then on Friday I went to the Dr. to confirm it. I am 5 weeks and 3 days right now, and although it's SUPER early, I have a hard time keeping secrets and want to share this journey.

Right now the baby is the size of an orange seed, looks like a tadpole, and has a heartbeat. So far, I've been very unhealthy. I have only wanted Taco Bell and Whataburger, but thankfully, those are starting to gross me out and broccoli and asparagus are sounding a lot more appealing. I've only thrown up once, my main issue is smells. Everything stinks! My mouth is also super dry, I constantly have ice water on hand, and my skin is really dry too--aveeno lotion is my new best friend. My moods are terrible--thank goodness Seth is a nice guy--and I am SOOOO tired all of the time.

The tadpole is already extremely spoiled, it has gotten a folding changing pad, towels and rags, and two little hats. The needle test said girl, so hopefully it's right because its gifts are pretty girly.

I can't wait to fill you in more, as my body continues to change. I'm hoping to make sure this is a fit pregnancy, so anything I try I will blog about! Any suggestions are gladly appreciated.

Update by: Zayle

So I said I needed accountability, but I've been stinking at posting! This weekend I ate much healthier, not so much on the plan, but not a lot of fried junk food. My body still isn't ready to go too extreme, it feels exhausted, and I think a lot of it has to do with me over-working it. Now I've kinda hit this wall where working out sounds horrible. BUT I still have been going to bootcamp, as a matter of fact I have a date with all my ladies today at 4:15. I am down two pounds to 110.6, though, so I guess I've been doing something right.

Yesterday for my meals I had: a think thin bar for breakfast, a blueberry spinach salad w/ balsamic dressing for lunch, egg whites and a half of a banana with 2 teaspoons peanut butter for an afternoon snack, and a turkey burger patty, topped with an egg and avocado. I have some pics of my afternoon snack and dinner (the dinner picture looks absolutely disgusting, but it was yummy!!!)

Today I have been extra hungry, and since I have bootcamp this afternoon, I've kinda had mini meals throughout the day to help with any energy slumps. Breakfast was a think thin bar (my friend/beach body coach said I could count this as a protein, and since it has 22 grams of carbs, I'm counting it as a carb too), Lunch was another think thin bar (I was lazy this morning), My blue container (or fat) was nuts, and I am now eating a blueberry spinach salad with balsamic dressing. 

I have a rotisserie chicken in the fridge that I plan to use for dinner tonight, although I'm unsure as to what I'm going to make. Definitely something easy, as I'm exhausted, and as scary as our new netflix show is--'The Following'--I'm ready for some more binge watching, I'm hooked! 

Needing Accountability...By: Zay

So I am sucking at eating healthy! Thank goodness bootcamp started this week, or most likely I would be sucking at working out too. Every time I go to start my 21 day fix, I somehow end up making up excuses for myself. I'm not sure what it is and why I'm going after hamburgers and onion rings every night, but it isn't healthy and I'm finding that I'm self destructing---and back to the binging life again. Of course eating disorders are something you never overcome, and I'm not sure why I'm doing this now? Perhaps I'm stressed--well I know I am--but it's not healthy. I am purposely sabotaging everything I do. Maybe it has a lot to do with the wedding coming up? I've been married before and it didn't work out, I don't want that to happen again. It's scary! But with Seth, I do believe I've found the love of my life, and I guess I just think I don't deserve that. My little counselor self has been trying to put the pieces together, and figure out why I'm doing what I'm doing...but for now, I need accountability. I'm re-starting the 21 day fix tomorrow, (and already in my head I'm thinking WAIT, I may want chick-fil-a, or whataburger tomorrow...maybe I should hold off until Sunday, but no!) I'm ending this cycle. I will be blogging everyday about what I eat and what workouts I do--and how much I hate it or love it...and will give weekly results. Maybe accomplishing something will give me some added confidence, that I so desperately need right now. As for my stats right now, I am 112.6 pounds...surprised I haven't gained anymore weight, but I think my added muscle has definitely helped out!!!

So here's to accountability!!! Before pics...meals...and workout info to come!!!

MIA...by: Zayle

Grad school sucks! Or it did last week. It was the first time that I actually struggled with a class in Grad school, which I'm sure has something to do with me saying how easy it was before. Last week I was cramming, and honestly had no time for anything else but sleep...so I have definitely been a terrible blogger! So where to begin???

I halfway started the 21 day fix last week...why halfway? Well, one of the DVDs had a huge gash in it and would stop working halfway through my workouts...& my eating WAS NOT on point! I did a lot of stress eating, and quick fast food meals, as I was working on college work. So yesterday started my real 'first day' of the diet. That means if I do three rounds, my last day will be the day before the wedding--works out perfectly!

Even though my DVD didn't work so well, I still was dying during the workouts...honestly I was happy when they would freeze up, they were killer!!! Thank goodness I've been going to bootcamp or else I'm positive I wouldn't have been able to walk last week. My mom just started Body Beast, so I'm excited to compare results...and once I'm done with 21 day fix, give that workout a shot.

So as far as what else I've been doing...homework (thank goodness I have a week off)...and that's about it! I didn't even get netflix in last week :-(. I did, however, finally get to meet Seth's best friend. He came over Saturday night and we had an absolute blast! We ended up staying up until 4 am (WHAT?! my bedtime is usually around 8!)...I obviously forgot that I'm an about to be 28 year old, because I'm still regretting that decision. #zombiemode

I got all my engagement prints yesterday, so I'm excited to share those once I can get them scanned onto the computer. I do have one now to share that I took from my phone yesterday.

So Happy Wednesday...It's officially 9 days until the big 2-8! This week is all about being as healthy as possible and working off all the Whataburger and Taco Bell last week.

Girl Look at Those Muscles...by Zay

One week down...73 more days to go until Summer...and 2 months, 2 weeks and 5 days until I say, "I Do!"...so thank goodness I am seeing some mega changes in my body. Bootcamp weigh-ins are Friday, so I'm not sure where I am in any loss or gain of inches, but my body is definitely morphing. I was running the other day on the treadmill, and couldn't help but stare at my reflection in the TV. The muscles in my arms and chest are becoming more and more pronounced by the day. My legs are really starting to get more and more definition as well; I'm even noticing a change in my stomach.

I'm so excited to get my 21 Day Fix Extreme on Friday, so that by my 28th Birthday in April, I'll be looking extremely fly ;-). I'll be starting the fix either Saturday or Sunday, and it's so extremely hard for me to not just go all out this week and eat whatever I want; I know if I do though, I'll just have more to work on to get off. My body will hold on to ever donut sprinkle I put into it. Plus I'm still a recovering binge eater, and will always suffer from this illness, so I don't want to go back to old ways.

Another exciting thing going on, is Seth and I have decided to go ahead and start working on Baby Riddle. I know we aren't married yet, but I have PCOS and know we most likely have a long road ahead of us. We want to start now, because the doctor wants us to try on our own for three months before he is able to help out. I am using essential oils, to help in this process, and hopefully I'll be fertile and ovulating by the time we are married. I'm also hoping the 21 Day Fix will also be super helpful, as I am insulin resistant, and I need structure in my life when it comes to eating.

...Gotta Get Down On Friday...by: Zayle

So much for the hiking plans the other day. Seth and I had decided on a hike and a picnic for dinner...and then it started to rain. This week has been pretty gloomy with all the rain, and we haven't been able to get out of the house to do much outdoorsy workouts. I have gone to bootcamp everyday this week--and she seriously kicked our butts! My body is killing me and I feel absolutely exhausted. Hurray today is Friday!

Monday and Tuesday, I ate like a pig...I hate when Aunt Flo visits and my body thinks it needs all the junk food it can fit in. However, since Tuesday I have been back to being incredibly devoted to Herbalife. It's amazing how much better you feel when you treat your body with healthiness. I love Herbalife, but I like to try out different things and switch things up so as not to get bored. So when Cortney mentioned the 21 Day Fix the other day, I was all in. I've already seen great results from one of my good teacher friends, so it has been something I've been interested in.

Since I've been working out and eating decently, I decided to go for the 21 Day Fix Extreme. I ordered it this morning and can't wait for it to get here!!! I'll be sticking with my Herbalife until then. Speaking of, I've created some yummy shakes this week. Two of my favorites have been with blueberries. Blueberry Cheesecake Shake and then a Blueberry, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Shake. I was nervous how peanut butter and blueberry would taste together...but YUM! It was delicious. That will most definitely be my dinner tonight.

Blueberry Cheesecake Shake Recipe:

2 Scoops Vanilla Herbalife Formula 1
1 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar free, fat free cheesecake pudding mix
1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs

Blueberry, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Shake

2 Scoops Vanilla Herbalife Formula 1
1 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar free, fat free chocolate pudding mix
1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon peanut butter

...I know no pictures of any of this!...so to make things a little more livelier, here's an adorable picture of Sophia and Lucy sleeping together.

And the Fit Break Comes to an End...by: Zay

Spring Break is over...and it's back to work. However, I enjoyed all the hiking, and trails we took over Spring Break, I want to continue doing it. To end Spring Break we took an extra long hike. Friday, we hit up the 'Rails to Trails' here in town. Seth and I parked behind a store here in town, we ended up walking around 4 miles to get to the State Park. The trail was pretty neat, it went behind old factories, a Vietnam Memorial, over the interstate and then up a hill into the State Park. We ended up walking another mile back to the Vietnam Memorial to meet my mom, she had to pick us up because we had plans with the parents to head out to the lease. (That doesn't sound country at all ;-)). By 1:30 I was well over my 10,000 steps. We had a great time and it's definitely a trail I want to take again, maybe today perhaps?

After our hike, we headed out to the lease with my parents. We spent the afternoon riding around in the ranger, checking the deer feeders (yep I'm from Texas y'all ;-)), and just enjoying the beautiful day.

Saturday, we had a birthday party to attend. It was fun and I got a lot of steps in--we spent all afternoon and then that night venturing around Sundance Square...but the next day wasn't so grand. I spent Sunday in bed :-/. Now it's back to work and back to being busy, but that only means Summer Break and our Wedding Day are getting closer. Now for the real challenge, of cleaning my diet up even more!

A New Trail and Engagement Photos, by Zayle

Let's start with the engagement photos, then back track to the new trail, because I'm so completely obsessed with the pictures. Seth and I just had our engagement pictures taken yesterday, but the photographer (Danielle Jones, Snapshots of a Memory By Danielle) went ahead and posted some sneak peeks. We took the pictures in downtown Fort Worth, in Sundance Square. I was so torn over what outfit to wear, but am so glad with the outfit I chose. The colors worked perfectly for the picture. Both the tulle skirt and the black crop top are from Windsor, the shoes are Jessica Simpson--which are the most comfortable shoes ever--thank goodness, because we did a lot of walking to find just the right locations for the shots. Here are the two sneak peeks, I'll share more once I get them all in!

Wednesday morning I woke up early, at 6:30, and did a 30 minute walk/jog on the treadmill and had breakfast before heading off to bootcamp. We did arms, and man was the workout a killer. I'm still incredibly sore. As for the new trail, we opted for a free trail on Wednesday, but the area isn't the best (as far as crime goes). We were a little worried, I've heard that a lot of 'drug deals' go down on this trail, but it was 9:30 in the morning so I figured we would be ok. The trail was short, but beautiful, and had a great steep grade on the way up. We didn't run into any drug dealers either, just another couple out and about getting in their exercise. To make the trail longer we took a couple of extra trips and then finished by running back to the car. We think that we could get to the trail from our apartment, we're going to try and figure it out at some point.

Yesterday my alarm went off for bootcamp and my body hurt so bad, that I knew I needed to listen to it. I took the day off, it was a much needed rest. This morning I went to bootcamp where we did a lot of Tabata exercises, if you haven't done this type of workout you should! It is fast paced and makes the time go by so quickly. Now that bootcamp is done, we are ready for our hike. Today we are walking on 'Rails to Trails', it's a trailway that hooks our town, Mineral Wells, to the next town over, Weatherford. There's over 20 miles on this trail, we're going to hopefully do around 5 miles this morning. The trail we'll be taking, cuts through the State Park (where we hiked the other day), I've heard that it's beautiful--I will definitely take pictures, and let you guys know.

A Very "Fit" Spring Break with Zay

It's Spring Break! The nice thing about working in education is that you get all the breaks, which is always much needed for the students and the teachers. The sad thing is, I'm still having to do my grad school work this week, my college Spring Break is next week. So since Seth and I are stuck in town, we decided to have a "Fit Break". If you read Taralynn McNitt's blog, Simply Taralynn, you know that she had a Fit Trip to the Dominican Republic--this is what inspired me to make my Spring Break, all about fitness. Saturday started off the Fit Break, because all of the snow/ice days we've had, we had a makeup day at Bootcamp, Saturday morning. The work out was called a 'hat trick'. We drew out our workouts from a cap. The workouts I pulled were: 50 ab rollers, 75 sit-ups touching toes, 100 reading the newspapers, 4 sets ballerina lunges with a 5 lb. weight, running 4 minutes and 50 burpees, 100 donkey kicks each leg, and 75 Mary Katherine's. After Bootcamp I headed to my parent's house for a little Tracy Anderson and cardio on the treadmill. My dog, Isabella, wanted to workout too (but obviously didn't feel like posing for the camera). I ended up getting in a little over 12,000 steps before lunch time. That never happens on the weekends!

On Sunday, we had my little niece, I was worried it would put a damper on our Fit Break, but this little girl was a trooper. We started off Sunday with church and lunch with my parents, afterwards we decided to go for a hike at the state park. After finishing the first trail, my niece was ready to keep going, so we found another trail and ended up hiking for three hours. Needless to say, girlfriend was exhausted and fell asleep immediately once we got into the car. It was another weekend day of getting over 10,000 steps...I think my fitbit is probably wondering what's going on.

The last two days, Monday & Tuesday, I've gone to bootcamp and have walked on the treadmill. They haven't been as "fittastic" as the weekend was. I blame it on the endless appointments I've had, from passport appointments to doctor's appointments. Today however, is another bootcamp, treadmill, and hiking day. We're trying out a trail I've never been on that's really close to my apartment. Wish us luck!!!

Pounding Head, Runny Nose, and Fever...Feeling BLAH, by Zayle

It's official, I'm sick! I went to boot camp yesterday morning, in hopes of making it to my fitbit goal of burning 2,184 calories. I got soooo close on Monday! However, by the end of the day my entire body was aching...from being incredibly sore from pull ups, skull crushers...and every other thing we did in bootcamp, but also from being sick. I took my temperature and I had a low grade fever, so I decided to lay off my afternoon workouts. When I woke up this morning, I felt worse. My temperature had risen to 100.1. So no bootcamp for me today. Getting sick couldn't come at a worse time, with Spring Break lurking just around the corner :-/...and my engagement pics coming up. Which means my nutrition has to be spot on...and it hasn't! I don't know about you, but when I'm sick all I want is junk...and I have been splurging on animal crackers...OOPS! So it's time to clean that up and get some rest so I'll be in tip top shape ASAP! I've added in my fitbit data for the last few days. I had my goal set to lose 1 lb. a week, but moved it to 2 lbs. just for these next two weeks. I realize the calorie count is low and isn't something to continue to stay healthy.

Monday:

My workouts consisted of zumba exhilarate and insanity cardio power & resistance

Tuesday:

Over target in the food category yesterday, but since I was under target on Monday, maybe that equals out? My workout for today was one hour of bootcamp! Arms and suicides, talk about sore city. 

Now for today, I'm going to have to be easy on my body, but hoping to get my steps in by walking at a slower pace on the treadmill, if and only if I feel like I can manage!

Hello I'm Zayle, and I'm addicted to Netflix

Last week, I totally failed at life. I let my addiction to Netflix get completely out of control. I finished my Substance Abuse class for my masters program--so this past week, I had a week off from college work--AND it was a snowy/icy mess here in Texas. We worked for 2 days last week...you think I would have been blogging...but NO, i was netflixing...and eating. I gained 5 lbs on Monday and Tuesday, from boredom eating, and not moving at all. Of course my fiance stayed as skinny as ever...boys and their amazing metabolisms :-/. 

When school was called off at 10 on Friday, I knew I could not do what I did Monday and Tuesday, I had to get moving and watch what I was eating. I didn't want to feel as sick as I did Wednesday morning. Seth wasn't feeling good at all last week, so we skipped out on Insanity, but I still went to bootcamp Wednesday-Friday and pulled out some of my old workout DVDs to make sure I got my steps in early in the day, so that I could spend the rest of my day in bed watching Netflix. The fiance's and my new addiction is, Scandal. LOVE! 

This morning I woke up not feeling well, so I'm oiling myself up with thieves and lavender (yup I'm into essential oils), drinking lemon water, and will be diffusing thieves and purification as soon as I get home. I have absolutely zero time to get sick! This week is all about reaching my fitbit's goal of burning 2,184 calories; I have yet to be able to accomplish this goal, but have gotten pretty close. It's all about the herbalife shakes this week, bootcamp, insanity and maybe a little zumba thrown in the mix. Time to get ready for Spring Break and engagement pictures next week! Thank goodness for my newest addiction, TruVision, it gives me lots of energy and helps out with all my sweet cravings. 

Mission get this "snow weight" off begins today.