Resolutions So Far...

Ok.. So I just told you how I am doing in regards to my social resolution.. Now, onto my diet..I actually have been doing quite well with it..Steve started Nutri System this weekend and I have been watching what I am eating..I have walked on my treadmill a total of 138 minutes, or 6.5 miles this week..The soreness from the walking it pitiful though.. Since when do you get sore from WALKING? GEEZ Tylenol PM is now my new best friend!!

The yelling across the house is IMPROVING, but it is hard to stop.. Why get up and have to walk across the house to tell Tyler to clean his room up when my megaphone mouth can yell across the house and get him? LOL Im still working on the financial fitness.. That will take a while.. lol I guess, all in all, things are going ok..I am not a huge fan of January and February..These two months are so miserable to me.. Maybe its the post Christmas excitement let down.. Im not sure.. But I am going to combat the YUCK feeling I get this time every year by walking and trying to eat right.. Im hoping I will look up and March will be here..

Uh-Oh.. That pretty much wrecked my whole " living for the now resolution.. LOL OOOOPS!! I guess I need to sit back and enjoy the crappy, rainy, dark and cold days of January and February.. Oh for joy! LOL I think I might need a little work on that one..

Facebook is the DEVIL!

I tell ya!! Last week, my hubby decided to sign me up for Facebook so he could talk to all his college and high school friends.. lol Thats ok..Because the last year or so, we have been talking to our friends that are on Facebook, using our SONS Facebook pages..It was time to get one for us, I guess..

Anyway, we have spent COUNTLESS hours on it..Looking up people we knew from frickin GRAMMAR SCHOOL and uploading pictures and videos..When does this madness stop??? The other day, a friend of mine, a FACEBOOK NEWBIE, like myself, sent me a message on Facebook..It said " Hi, my name is Beth and I am a Facebook addict".. LOL It is about the truth!! Thats how it feels!

I guess networking on Facebook is helping me keep my resolution to be more social, in a way.. LOL Until I find another reason to justify this addiction, Ill let you know.. Hey, check out my profile on Facebook, if you ever get a chance! LOL

This is SOOO AMAZING I HAD to share!!!

Let me start off by saying that my youngest son got a set of drums for Christmas this year.. A blessing and a curse at the same time LOL.. He has become pretty good at it and can play alot of the song " CRAZY TRAIN" by Ozzy Ozbourne.. If you ever listen to the song and pay attention to the drums, you will see that this is not an easy feat..

During Christmas break, we were at The Guitar Center in Hoover.. We saw this TINY little boy JAMMINGGGGGGG on th drums.. He would go from set to set and tear them up!! He was drawing a small crowd that included me, hubby, my 2 younger sons and 2 of their friends.. This kid was AMAZING!! Turns out , his name is Isaiah Fogle.. He is 10, but he looked like he was about 8.. He has been playing drums since he was 14 months old.. Watch this video.. WOW.. He has a website too.. www.isaiahfogle.com.. Enjoy!!

My New Years Resolutions!!

1. To chill out and not take things SO SERIOUSLY!

2. To enjoy the day and not wish my life away! I tend to say " I can't wait til.." waaay too much!! I have found that when I sit back and just take each day in, whether or not its a MAJOR fun day or a vacation, I enjoy life much more!

3. To try to exercise 6 days a week, no excuses! Unless Im lying in bed sick as a dog!

4. To eat healthier and cut out so much FAST FOOD.. Goodbye McDonalds, Taco Bell, Zaxby's, Chick-Fil-A and Fraydo's!!! I will return, but only for short visits!!!

5. I REALLY want to lose enough weight to feel ok in a swimsuit (one piece) and take my kids to the neighborhood pool alot this summer.. I havent been able to do that in YEARS..

6. I want to become FINANCIALLY fit.. Live within my means.. Not "keep up with the Joneses" .. We havent really done this in years.. With the economy the way it is these days, I think alot of people are doing this.. I have pretty much taken that step.. I dont use credit cards and I always pay cash for purchases, even Christmas this year! I want to be able to save enough money to pay cash for my sons to have a car.. Not an easy feat! Im hoping to do this, this year.. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

7. Keep up with my friends.. I dont want to be a disappearing lady anymore!! I want to be more social!! Have more fun!!

8. Last but not least, BLOG.. I can blog when I get frustrated about something or when I need to talk about something in regards to weight loss or reality tv! This is my little way to vent and let things out!

9. Quit yelling!! I yell waaay too much.. Maybe its the Italian in me? Who knows.. I will yell from one end of the house to the other, to get my kids attention.. It really gets on my husbands nerves..

10. Be more supportive in regards to my kids.. I tend to be negative and point out the WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO..Instead, I am going to work on being tolerant.. Especially with my oldest son.. He is an adult now, technically.. Treating him like a child will only make him resent me later..

An Anniversary of Sorts!

I guess you can say that I am celebrating an anniversary this week.. I have been in the blogging world for a year now.. I went back and looked and found my very first post that was dated January 14.. It is amazing how fast time flies!! We have had some major life changes the past year.. Job changes, business starting and ending, kids graduating from high school,middle school and intermediate school, kids starting college, high school and middle school! I guess we all go through changes like this every year..

Blogging really helps you look back and see whats gone on the past year, though.. Its kind of like an online diary of sorts! I have to thank my friend Leigh, who got me started a year ago.. I think I thanked her in my original blog, as well.. Im sad that I dont get to see her anymore, since we closed the store.. But- I still see her regularly when I go to her blog: http://lbratina.blogspot.com/

I know that I have been off track with my blogging lately.. And I am hoping to get back into the swing of it.. I have currently made a few New Year's resolutions and I will need to blog to help me vent and keep them.. lol Oh and also the simple fact that American Idol and The Biggest Loser are all coming back on!!! WOOHOOOOO!! Baseball season is also among us, so I am sure I'll be blogging a little about my little darlings and their teams!

Tuesday Taylor Revisited

All the nostalgia talk of Christmases past made me do a little research.. This is something I do , especially when I am sick..I dont know why.. But I like to research stuff.. Anyhoo, I vaguely remember the whole Tuesday Taylor thing, except for the fact I LOVED the toy that year and the fact that the set up came with a photo of a man..We all assumed it was her boyfriend.. Whats funny is I read somewhere that it wasnt..It was Bobby Vinton, a popular singer back in the day.. lol


The cool thing about Tuesday Taylor was that she had 2 kinds of hair..You twisted her scalp and she went from blonde to brunette..Kinda sick and cool at the same time..I was ALL ABOUT hair and make up and piercing my Barbie Dolls ears as a kid..My Barbies had multiple ear piercings before it was considered cool in the 80s..I used my mom's pins that she used to hem clothes with..Of course, she had no idea where they all went to..All she had to do is check my many Barbie dolls heads to find them LOL.


I have a few photos that I collected and it really jogged my memory..From what I have gathered, this doll didnt last long..It was discontinued soon after..Its also RARE and a collectors item now..I found the townhouse set on Ebay and the current bid is $62!!! For a bunch of 32 year old plastic! Im quite sure it will desintigrate into little pieces if taken out of protective plastic once its introduced to air.. lol $62!!!!!!! I sure wished my brother hadnt destroyed my version of that! That and all the Barbies and Star Wars figures we had.. lol

Christmas MEME

Since I have been sick, I actually have had time to READ..I saw this MEME on Leigh's blog and I love these! So, I had to do it-

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I LOVE wrapping presents! I think there is something therapeutic going on there, when I wrap.. I dont know why, but there is!!!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial- after years of having sick kids at Christmas, it hit me, we were all allergic to the real trees! No more sickness!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the week or weekend of Thanksgiving..I LOVE my tree!

4. When do you take the tree down? A few days after Christmas..Around New Years..I used to cry when I was a kid, when my parents took the tree down.. lol

5. Do you like eggnog? YES!! My oldest and I LOVE it.. We always get some..Of course, the stomach ache after drinking it isnt the best..uughhh

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Tuesday Taylor Townhouse when I was 5 or 6..It was THE COOLEST "barbie-like" Townhouse..

7. Hardest person to buy for? My Husband.."Dont get me anything for Christmas" ugghh!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids-guitars and video games about them.. lol and anything South Carolina!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? I used to..It was so sweet..I lost it during one of my many moves..I havent found one I liked since :*(

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I like to recieve Christmas cards..I put them on my mantle..I have never sent them..Once you start, you gotta do it EVERY YEAR.. lol I keep saying I will get a family picture made but I havent lost the 15 pounds yet! :D

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? 2 years in a row I got some stupid sponge ball at a school christmas party..It was one of those grab bag gifts..TWO YEARS IN A ROW, I TELL YA!!!! The second year, I was just so depressed I cried..Especially when I saw a girl in the class playing with a barbie doll and there I was holding some foamy spongy ball..What was I going to do with that?lol

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? ELF and Christmas Vacation..I swear Will Ferrell makes you believe that he is real.. lol Oh and Jingle All The Way and Home Alone!!! Cant forget those.. I always watch them at Christmas too..

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sadly, usually the week of.. I like to live dangerously.. hehe

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? shhhhh :D
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All the things I dont normally eat.. lol

16. Lights on the tree? Lots of em!
17. Favorite Christmas song? All I Want For Christmas is You and Santa Baby

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home on Christmas day..Christmas Eve we go to my mom's..Sometimes we go to my sisters on Christmas, since her kiddies still do Santa..

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher Dancer Prancer(another good movie lol) Vixen Comet Cupid Donder Blitzen and RUDOLPH!!!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? BOWS as of late...

21. Open presents on Christmas eve or morning? Morning, of course!! It would ruin Christmas if you open them on Christmas Eve..I used to let the kids open ONE on Christmas Eve.. :)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Grinches

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I loved the Disney holiday themes as well as Looney Tunes and the Frosty and Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer themes..

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want my life to CHILL OUT! And for my oldest son to make good grades in college.. Im asking alot, I know.. lol

Me Not Like Sicky!

Ok, I have been sick for the past 10 days.. It got REALLY bad 2 days ago..I knew it was bad when I walked into a class on Tuesday and a teacher told me " I stay home when I feel as bad as you look" LOL

My youngest was also sick..He started running a sudden fever Monday, when he came home from school..I had already been feeling rough for a week or so but that day, I could barely talk..The kids at school thought it was funny.. One of Tyler's friends heard me talk and said " Miss Michelle, havent you already been through PUBERTY?" lol


We took the mommy and son trip to the doctor Tuesday afternoon..It KILLED me to take 1/2 a day that day.. I dont like to miss work EVER..So anyway, the doc told me that it was a good thing we saw him bc we caught Todd before he became REALLY SICK!! It was weird too because he was fine and then BOOM, he was running fever.. He said his bronchial tubes looked awful..He said he was a few days away from developing pneumonia, as was I.. NO WONDER I FELT SO BAD!!!!

I hadnt felt this bad since I had something similar before Christmas in 2006..The doc put me on the same medicine he put me on back then, too..What was cool was the medicine (Cipro) made me feel pretty gross..The upside was I lost weight during Christmas! So, maybe I wont gain weight during Thanksgiving? We will have to see!

Im starting to come out of my fog now..Still really tired, but atleast my throat isnt hurting anymore and Im not coughing but every once in a while..Im hoping to get my voice back by tomorrow and go back to work!!!

Whit's Baseball Picture!!

Here is Whit's picture from the Anderson University Baseball website.. Hubby says that he can tell by looking at this picture that he is a leftie.. He says they all have a certain look..He said you could line up 10 pitchers in front of him, without allowing him to see their gloves, and he could point them out.. Weird? Maybe? LOL Anyway, here's the picture! Such a HANDSOME young MAN!!

It's been a while...

Like the Staind song goes (without all the bad words lol) Its Been A While!!! :D I have been so busy that I havent had any time to blog.. I know thats what I said the last time.. But this time I REALLY mean it!!! Alot of things have happened and I am going to update:

First off, I am LOVING my new job! It is a dream come true and I truly enjoy going to work every day.. I love the people I work with and the kids are great! My hubby has been EXTREMELY busy himself working his tail off with his full time job and busting his butt to get to the store to open it 3 days a week..This pace is beginning to get to the both of us now.. My friend, Brittney and her sister Tonya, have been helping us out on the weekends at the store.. If it wasnt for them, Id be even crazier than I was becoming before! They have been lifesavers!

My youngest, Todd, is having his football team party tomorrow, November 10, which, by coincidence, is also my birthday! So, I am going to be even closer to 40 than I was at my last birthday.. One more and I will BE THERE.. uughhh.. Anyway, about my baby's team party..SNIFF..SNIFF.. It is his VERY LAST party as a pee wee player.. Hes getting old!!! It will be a bittersweet night! Todd is going to write a little letter to his coaches that he has been playing for for the past 5 seasons, letting them know how much he appreciates all the things they taught him..

My middle son, Tyler, ended up missing the last few games of the season because he got hurt at a practice.. He has a grade 1 shoulder separation..He has about 3 more weeks of no exercise with the shoulder and then he will have to rehab it some at home..He will be trying out for the Pelham Baseball team in 2 weeks.. They know he is hurt, so he cant pitch any :*( Luckily, they know him and what hes capable of..He is going to be getting his Drivers Permit the day before Thanksgiving, HOPEFULLY.. IF HE PASSES THE TEST!!! Wish him luck!!

My oldest, Whit,is about 2/3 of the way through his first semester in college..He played baseball in the fall with the team and was one of the few freshman that were allowed to pitch in a game.. He is really doing well with his pitching there..His classes are ok.. JUST OK.. lol He hasnt done very well in Western Civ, though.. He will be lucky to pass it..Before we all start getting on his back, remember Western Civ? I do believe it is the HARDEST friggin class in college.. I based alot of my college majors around the fact that I didnt have to take that class.. LOL That and algebra.. uugghhh..Anyway, here is a link to Whit's college roster and a picture of him is on there..Look for a kid from Helena, Alabama on the roster.. You can't miss it.. HES THE ONLY ONE.. lol
http://www.ac.edu/sports/roster.php?sport_id=1

Boy, is time flying!

You can tell that we are very busy! I look up and its almost October! Im gonna look up and Christmas will be here!!! A quick update- no one has really shown any interest in buying the store from us.. I am not understanding this.. Considering all the people that tell us that they love the store..I guess they are scared to invest? I totally understand that thought..But what people dont understand is when you own a consignment shop, you dont have to buy your merchandise..People BRING their merchandise to you.. We dropped the price a bit, to maybe stimulate some interest..We are asking $15,500 now.. So if you know anyone interested, have them email me!

Tyler and Todd are both busy playing football right now.. Todd is playing CENTER for Helena Wildcats 130# team and Tyler is playing Linebacker and QB(back up) on Pelham High Schools Freshman team..Tyler got over 15 tackles last week at Linebacker against Mountain Brook! Todd's snapping the ball from the shotgun position, one handed, and has only funmbled one snap so far..He says that the ball was completely wet and so it was slippery..Not bad considering we noticed about 5 or 6 fumbled snaps at the Freshman games alone.. lol Im hoping that both boys continue to do well, even of the teams dont win big.. :)

Whit has been doing pretty good with baseball too.. He was told by his baseball coach at Anderson University that he will be pitching 87-88 MPH by the end of the FALL! Hes left handed, too! Im hoping he continues to do well with all of that, and make decent grades too.. lol I am waiting for the website at Anderson to update so I can post some photos of Whit and the baseball team..

I will try to post more often, as time permits.. I miss blogging!!

Tyler Dancing

This is my latest video of Tyler doing something silly..He looks like he has NO SKILLS.. The boy can actually dance, too!

It is TIME!

It is time for me to announce that due to all the commitments that I have in my life, I can no longer run my store, Consignment Classics, located in Helena..I returned back to work at a local school doing what I love and with all the sporting events that my children are involved in and also having a son that's in college and also playing a sport that I am absolutely NO TIME leftover for a store.. Im exhausted by the time I leave school and the LAST thing I feel like doing is working another 2.5 hours! My husband has been covering for me for the past few weeks and he also works a full time job..He has been suffering from a terrible bout of gout that I am sure was exacerbated by all this extra stress..

We decided the other day that we needed to sell the business.. We are officially putting it out here..If you know anyone that would be interested in an established consignment shop located in some prime real estate area, please contact me at sellis8630@charter.net or call my store number and leave a message (205-277-9190)..VERY reasonably priced with EVERYTHING INCLUDED ( all clothing, consignors, computer, printer,phone,software, anything thats tied to the store stays) and the rent is very reasonable , for the area.. Business is growing every month and we have already OVER 240 consignors!! I really feel that this type of store is NEEDED in our area but I can no longer give anymore time to it.. If we cannot sell this business, the doors will close in December.. PLEASE let me know if you or someone you know is interested!!!

TOO BUSY TO BREATHE!

Just about! Things have gotten rather hectic around the household these past few weeks.. As if you couldnt tell! I havent blogged in almost 3 weeks.. Of course, school started, along with nightly football practices for Tyler and Todd.. Then, came along the Jamborees they always play in and scrimmages.. If THAT wasnt enough stress, Whit started college at Anderson University in Anderson,South Carolina. We spent all last weekend moving him into his dorm room..VERY EMOTIONAL!!

I learned something last weekend while we were at the hotel eating breakfast, before going to the final activity with Whit before we left him at college..I learned that NO MATTER HOW HARD I tried to NOT cry, the tears came out with a vengeance! It was like my tears HAD to be released.. It didnt matter how much I tried to choke them back..My eyes were like a friggin waterfall.. And what sucked is it was all done in PUBLIC.. I felt fine before I went to eat breakfast.. I was a little sad about leaving Whit there.. Who wouldnt have been? He had been with me since he was BORN..

Then all of a sudden the flood gates opened and there I was, crying like a baby in front of all the other people that were eating breakfast at the hotel.. Im sure they thought I was a loon.. Either that or they felt sorry for me.. I wanted to say " Hey, its cool, my oldest son is starting college and we are moving him in" just so people wouldnt think someone DIED.. lol I was so embarrassed..

Anyway, on top of THAT stress, I started a new job on August 4 ON TOP of the store..Steve has been opening the store at noon..I am so busy that most days I cant even get by the store but for only a few minutes because I am running kids all over the city.. LOL One of these days I am going to look back at these days and MISS all of this running around.. NOT :)

Joshua and Katee-Electric!

And THIS is why they call him TWITCH!!

A Kind of Trip Back In Time!!

Last night Steve and I worked the concession stand for the Def Leppard concert..This is how we earn money to help pay for Tyler's football.. Anyway, I PLANNED on working for this event because after we work, we get to watch the concert..NICEEEEEEE!! Tyler is a HUGE Def Leppard fan, himself.. We would listen to a cd we made of Def Leppard tunes EVERY mor Tyler, being the AVID 80's metal/hair band enthusiest, came along too and brought a friend.. They bought tickets and watched the show and we joined them when our shift was over.. I have to admit.. I was a little concerned about how Def Leppard would be, especially since I saw them on "Dancing With The Stars" and they seemed to be performing a la Ashlee Simpson ( lip-syching ).. I was SO MAD when I watched that performance.. They sang "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and it sounded EXACTLY like the cd.. So, when I FINALLY got to join the boys, I was SO EXCITED to find that Def Leppard not only sounded GOOD..They also LOOKED good! I mean, they werent my type or anything.. lol I never thought they were hot.. BUT , for old geezers ( hey- they are way older than ME, and IM OLD LOL) they REALLY looked good! Even the lead guitarist, Phil Colin, had a friggin 6 pack and I swear, he looked JUST LIKE he did when I was 13!! Tyler was basically videoing the whole concert on his cell phone.. lol I have a few clips on mine too.. I LOVE Def Leppard!!! My fav song was "Rock Of Ages"!! It was AWESOME!!

So TWITCH Thinks HE Can Dance?

I have admitted my 2 summer obsessions are Big Brother and So You Think You Can Dance.. So I felt the need to give So You Think You Can Dance some bloggy love today..This show is so awesome.. It is so awesome that we watch it and DVR it at the same time, so we can watch the dances again.. Sad, I know.. But, I also feel that watching this show is helping the kids learn some CULTURE.. Where else can you see HIP HOP and the Pasodoble being performed on the same stage? I have actually learned the difference between some of these dances.. Im not saying I will be doing them anytime soon, though!!

One reason I am REALLY into this show this season is all these dancers that were struggling no-bodies coming to life! And there is one dancer on the show that is from my birth town- Montgomery, Alabama! Twitch is his name and dancin like a maniac is his game! He says he started as a young kid and actually tried to dance where he was from, but he ended up moving to Los Angeles to persue the dancing career.. Twitch's main dance style is a sort of comedic hip hop.. He actually is SO GOOD that he pretty much can dance any style.. Hip hop is just his regular style.. He was ALMOST voted on last season but lost in the last minute to another guy that has actually gone on and done well.. Last year just wasnt his year.. THIS is his year!

Another reason is another guy named Joshua Allen.. He is not a classically trained dancer, as well.. Actually, he played FOOTBALL before becoming interested in dance.. This guy can do just about any dance as well.. And he does them AMAZINGLY!! I am actually torn between the 2 dancers.. But I am more for Twitch because he is from Alabama..Both of the dancers were COMPLETE under dogs and I LOVE how they have knocked out all the past competition and made it to the top 6!

Katee Shean is my female standout.. She is ANOTHER under dog story.. She was almost not voted in this season..The judges thought she lacked enthusiasm during the pre show finals.. I didnt think she lacked enthusiasm.. I think she wanted this more than anything..But she was torn because her room mate, and best friend was also in the competition..To make a little show drama, they left the decision process down to the two of them.. Either it was Katee, or her room mate.. Katee, being the good friend, acted "non chalant" about the whole thing.. She acted like if she made it and her friend didnt, that she wasnt sure she could do it..I think she was just showing her loyalty to her friend, who was ALSO a very good performer..Well, the judges told her that she was the one they picked between the 2 and you could see her being torn inside about her friend not making it but excited about herself making it at the same time.. Good tv show drama.. FO SHO.. Anyway, the judges are extremely pleased with Katee's performances weekly.. She is a very strong dancer, especially when she dances with Joshua..Heck, shes good when she dances with Twitch, as well.. LOL

I am hoping these 3 make the top 4..Ill be watching it tonight!

Please, for the love!!

Please for the love, SOMEONE...ANYONE..EVERYONE..Evict Jessie from the Big Brother House!!! If I have to go another week watching this little punk, I will end up punching my TV.. No Joke.. I have had it with him.. He is so self absorbed and self centered that he LITERALLY makes me sick.. I know, I definately have reached PSYCHO status, being so involved in the Big Brother show.. Especially since I am BLOGGING about it.. But I just gotta vent.. There.. Done.. I feel better now!!

My STUPID Thyroid!

Ok.. I have talked before about this issue.. Seems it is becoming a major player in my life these days.. I was diagnosed with what is called "Wilson's Syndrome" about 18 months ago..It is basically where your body is stuck in a state of constant "survival mode"..Survival mode meaning that my body thinks its in a constant state of high stress.. If anyone has been through a time of high stress, like when you lose a job or have a newborn, this is the type of stress Im talking about.. Thing is, my body gets stuck in the coping mechanism.. AND STAYS THERE!!!

What really sucks about that it is VERY HARD to lose weight when your body is in SURVIVAL MODE.. Your body will think its starving ( REALLY? STARVING?) and then it will conserve and you can eat basically next to nothing and exercise your butt off and not lose a pound..

Seems that my husband has this same thing.. I have been trying to figure out why we have it.. I do so much research on the internet and sometimes I cant tell what is fact and what is fabled.. I have pretty much come to this conclusion:

- We are both predisposed to this disorder due to autoimmune diseases that run in our family
- Something triggered this response in the both of us around the same time..Im thinking it could be related to our diets or outside contaminants?
- We both had flare ups in the past that went undiagnosed..

I had always thought I had a thyroid problem, dating back to after I had my oldest son, 18 years ago..Instead of losing the post baby weight, I gained about 15 more pounds AFTER he was born.. A year after he was born, I weighed MORE than what I weighed when I went into the hospital to give birth.. I am not going to say that I didnt eat.. I was eating.. But, I wasnt eating enough to constitute a major weight gain like that.. I went to the doctor and they said I needed to stop eating so much.. UM.. OK... They tested my blood, no thyroid issues..So I dieted like crazy and lost 25 pounds and got pregnant again..

I only gained 23 pounds the whole pregnancy.. A few weeks after his birth, I noticed that I couldnt sleep.. Fierce insomnia.. Very frustrating considering I had a newborn that had his days and nights turned around until he was 6 weeks old.. You would have thought I would have slept while he slept, but I didnt.. I would cry because I was so exhausted, but I couldnt fall asleep until about 30 min before he woke up to be fed.. At that point, I was exhausted to the point of STUPID.. Eventually, he started sleeping through the night and I filled that deficit of sleep..

When he was 3 mos old, I started having these PANIC ATTACKS.. I wasnt sure what was going on..It was quite strange.. I remember feeling like I was going to "fall out".. I even felt my arms go numb and my head would spin.. I even called the paramedics one time because I was lying on the floor and couldnt move.. They told me I might have an "inner ear" issue called Meniere's Disease.. I also developed this weird fear of driving, especially at night.. I am not sure if it was the stress of having 2 small children under the age of 3 or what.. But something was definately going on.. I went to a doc and I was finally diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse with Dysautonomia.. I was told that I had basically "reflux" of blood in my mitral valve in my heart and sometimes it would send my parasympathetic nervous system into overdrive.. The result was panic attacks.. The doc put me on a beta blocker and an anti anxiety pill.. It worked.. I started to feel almost normal again..

When my son was a year old, I went to the doc and complained that I just couldnt lose weight.. He put me on Adipex and in 4 months, I lost 40 pounds! I felt WONDERFUL! I was wearing size 8 jeans..I looked so cute! Then I started college again and gained about 15 pounds, due to the stress.. Then, I got pregnant again.. UGHHH.. Gained all the weight I lost AND THEN SOME.. Then, depression took over.. I was put on antidepressant meds..

I have never been the same since my youngest was born, almost 12 years ago.. I have been through alot of life changes that probably didnt help my stress levels.. A divorce, single mom to 3 boys, a remarriage ( good thing, though) and 3 different jobs along with starting a business.. But what sucks is alot of people have major life changes and dont have issues like I have.. It just stinks!

Recently, I asked my doctor why my thyroid was so messed up.. I was told that during the times that I was tested for low thyroid, when I was younger, the reason I probably tested "within normal limits", was because my thyroid was probably in a HYPER state, trying to keep up with what was going on.. Meaning, it was slowly burning itself out.. The lack of doctors that understood the whole thyroid and autoimmune diseases was the problem.. They went solely on blood tests, rather than symptoms.. The whole if it walks like a duck its probably a duck, didnt apply.. They never considered that maybe something else was going on..Maybe some kind of connection wasnt being made..

All I know is I am on DIET PILLS and taking a thyroid replacement pill and Im still gaining weight.. The doc told me that my husband and I could have had a virus that caused this autoimmune response and its killing our thyroids.. He also said that it could have been Nutra Sweet.. I am thinking that all those years of dieting and eating those foods that were considered "light" but contained all those extra additives and preservatives are the main problem.. And it stinks because I ate those things thinking I was doing a good thing..