Let the games begin!

I've been debating if I want to publicize this on my blog but I have talked about my extreme makeover plans in the past so I guess I will talk openly about this. I've been compiling a list of things that I want to do, all starting with the weaning of my child. Well, that happened in May and I really thought I would want to address my problem skin with a nice dose of the controversial Accutane. You cannot have elective surgery for at least one year after taking Accutane so that put any consideration of plastic surgery out in late 2007 sometime, and so I thought I would assess the post-baby damage then. Well, it's now a little over a month after weaning Ty and my body is now more of a concern than the pimples on my face. So I scheduled three consults with plastic surgeons for a breast augmentation. I think there are three classifications for breast augmentations: getting something that you never had, getting something that you once had but is now gone, and making something that you always had better. I fall into the middle category which means that if I never had kids, I wouldn't be wanting or needing any surgery because I assume I would still have some firm breast tissue. Right now I have skin that was stretched to a DD or E when my milk came in, and now have the breast tissue of an A or less. So now I have saggy skin like someone who has lost a lot of weight. Not a pretty sight. I have seen before and after photos of the people who are getting something they never had. I can understand the people who are completely flat chested wanting something. I don't understand the average sized woman wanting an augmentation but don't judge them for that. Then for all my friends who are well endowed--they seem to want to make something better from what they have, especially if they have had kids. Plastic surgery used to be shrouded in secrecy but I don't mind talking about it because I know that 90% of my friends would like to get something done (mostly because of what kids have done to their bodies).

My husband is very supportive (of course). I am scared about a lot of things. My biggest and probably most irrational fear is that something will go terribly wrong and I will die on the operating table and leave my children without a mother. And for what? It would seem so silly under those circumstances. But the chances are that this won't happen. I am also afraid of puking my guts out for days after being under anesthesia, like I did after getting my wisdom teeth out. I remember laying on the floor in the bathroom of an urgent care after puking non-stop for 48 hours, finally getting some relief from a shot of Tigin and Demorral. I'm afraid of the post-op pain. I'm afraid of picking the wrong size--there were times I thought I looked like a cow while pregnant. I'm afraid that doing push ups will feel weird. Fortunately, I have lots of time to think about what I want to do. I have consults over the next three months so I will keep you posted.

I get comments posted from people who are looking for feedback on the Range of Motion machine. We got the ROM machine in January of 2006. Brian has used the machine every single day with the exception of maybe four days. He didn't exercise at all before then although he has natural endurance that enables him to hike the rim to rim to rim of the Grand Canyon with minimal training. Since using the ROM, Brian has muscles that I have never seen before (in his upper body) and he looks great. I average using the ROM 5 - 6 times/week. This machine is hands down a great muscular workout and Brian and I are both very toned. I have a harder time quantifying the cardio/fat burning benefits--I don't think the machine makes you into a super athlete if you are sedentary now. But it's a great workout and it's very efficient at giving you the great workout. If I wanted to lose more weight faster, I would probably walk or run in addition to doing the machine. But for sustaining, it's great. 4 minutes is all you need. And there really is no excuse to not do it every day. Who doesn't have 4 minutes? It is hard, especially the leg portion. I really thought that I could do anything for 4 minutes but it's the toughest 4 minutes of your life.

Jack and Ty started their Infant Swimming Resource classes which are the swimming lessons where kids learn to get to the side of pool if they fall in. It's every single day for 10 minutes a day for 5 - 6 weeks. It's hard to watch your child so scared and crying but they have their faces in the water and are doing face floats the very first day. Pretty amazing what you can do when you appeal to survival instincts.

I saw "The Devil Wears Prada" with Jill and Tracy from book club. I had read the book a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. The movie was pretty good although I'm not a big fan of Anne Hathaway. We had some friends over for July 4th. Jack had a royal meltdown so it was really embarrassing. He has been quite good for the month of June after a horrible month in May. If anyone has advice on what to do when your child says "NO!" to everything to say, let me know.